Page 98 of Legacy of Glass
The kind of leader Sovar needed wasn’t in front of him—she was at his side. He was sure of it. Olivia had expressed her belief in him, and he had just as much belief in her. She would do a far better job than Marigold, and one day she would help him do a better job than his own parents. His mother and father’s response to Marigold’s rescue had shown they didn’t have the flexibility of thinking that Sovar needed—the sort of flexibility that would lead the kingdom away from people like Zane and Lord Emerson and toward a more just future.
A guard jogged up to them, looking concerned. He had obviously seen them from his station at the nearby gate and had come to investigate, leaving his companion behind to guard their assigned position.
“Your Highness?” he asked breathlessly, bowing.
“Bring more guards and arrest Lord Zane,” Julius said, hoping the arrests of the day were finally finished.
The man looked from one to the other of the small group, eyes wide, but no one else spoke, so he bowed again and raced off.
“We’ll need to stay until the guards arrive,” Julius said quietly to Olivia. “The other guard can’t leave the gate unguarded to assist us.”
“I’ll watch Zane,” Cade said stonily. “It isn’t as if he can run. He’s not going anywhere.”
“Mildred, on the other hand, has already fled back to the palace,” Daphne said, a note of amusement in her voice. “I think she’s run straight back to your suite, Olivia.”
“She deserves a medal!” Olivia’s voice shone with wonder and gratitude. “I never dreamed she’d do something like that for me.”
“She’s the one who alerted us to your abduction,” Daphne said. “It’s only thanks to her loyalty that we were able to follow you so quickly.”
“What a wonderful, excellent mouse!” Olivia’s face fell. “I should have thanked her properly before she ran off.”
“Since Cade has matters in hand here,” Daphne said, “why don’t we go and check on her?”
Julius was grateful for her prompting. He wanted to get Olivia away from Zane as quickly as possible. Daphne seemed to have other matters in mind, however, because she gave him a knowing look and took off without waiting for the other two. Although they followed promptly, she quickly outpaced them, showing more energy than he’d yet seen from the sleepy Oakdenian.
Olivia watched her with amazement. When Daphne disappeared into the palace before them, she called out her cousin’s name, but received no response. Olivia clearly didn’t understand why Daphne was giving them privacy, but Julius didn’t mean to miss his chance.
The moment they reached the first corridor of the palace, Julius whisked Olivia into a convenient alcove.
She stared up at him, her mouth still open in an adorable circle after calling for her cousin. “What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.
He pressed her against the wall, concealing her from passersby with his own body as well as the sheer curtain that hung across the alcove.
“That depends,” he said, a soft tease in his voice. “What do you want me to do?”
Olivia immediately blushed a glorious pink, and his heart rate took off. She said nothing, but her body spoke for her, swaying toward him as her luminous eyes dropped to his lips.
His heart soared, and he closed the last of the distance between them, pushing her up against the wall.
“I’m going to do what I should have done a long time ago,” he whispered and bent the final distance to crash his lips against hers.
She responded, her hands running up his chest to grip the front of his jacket and meld them together. His arms tightened around her.
But the moment was over too soon.
The clang of racing guards made him pull reluctantly away from her. Turning, he watched two rows of guards run past, presumably on their way to arrest Zane. But four of the men broke away and stopped in front of Julius.
He remained still, blocking their view of Olivia behind him.
One of the men bowed respectfully. “Their Majesties are searching for you, Your Highness. Your presence is urgently required.”
Julius sighed but thanked the man for the message, expecting the guards to rejoin their fellows. They didn’t move, however.
“We’ve been instructed to escort you to His Majesty immediately.”
Julius growled under his breath. He wanted to refuse, but it didn’t seem like the right moment to publicly defy his father. The situation with Zane and Lord Strathmore was too tangled, and it would be better for his father to hear the truth from Julius directly. As much as he wanted to forget all his responsibilities and remain in the moment with Olivia, he had to face up to his duties.
He glanced back at her, ready to explain, but she was looking at him with affectionate amusement.
