hit the pavement, my legs give out beneath me. Creed reacts quickly, wrapping an arm around my waist and keeping me upright.
“You okay, mate?” he asks in concern, switching from my chief protection officer to my closest friend.
“I’m fine.” I attempt to push away from him, not wanting to make a big deal of it. “My leg must have fallen asleep on the drive home.”
He loosens his hold, yet doesn’t let go. “Are you sure?”
I shrug him off, taking a few cautious steps. Once I’m confident my legs won’t fail me again, I continue toward the house, hiding any hint of uncertainty in my expression.
Lately, I’ve seemed to have had quite a few flareups. After the first dizzy spell, I told myself it was nothing, that people get dizzy when moving quickly all the time. That the soreness in my muscles wasn’t connected to my MS. But with each muscle spasm and dizzy spell, the lies I tell myself are becoming harder and harder to believe.
“Yes, I’m sure. Good night, Creed.”
I expect to hear his typical “Your Highness”, but it never comes, making me slow my steps and glance back.
He looks around to make sure no one’s nearby to witness him break protocol, then jogs up the steps toward me, his gaze narrowed.
“Do you think this is the best course of action, Anders? You’ve only been back a week and are already exhausted.”
“I told you. It—”
“I know. I know. It’s important for people to think you’re capable of carrying out the responsibilities of king when the time comes.” He licks his lips, hesitant. “But if you keep going like this, you won’t be able to. Perhaps you should reconsider infusion therapy. Your current course of treatment doesn’t seem to be working. Or, at the very least, go see a doctor who’s not being paid by the royal household.”
“The palace neurologist is one of the top people in his field.”
“On paper, that may be true. But as your chief protection officer, it’s my job to protect you from all threats, including from within.” He leans toward me. “Including yourself, Anders. If the palace neurologist signed off on this schedule, which your private secretary claims he did, then he’s not the right person to be in charge of your care. Even I’m bushed, and I’m not fighting MS. You are. You need to acknowledge that fact before it’s too late.”
He allows his words to sink in for a beat. “Your Highness.” After a quick bow, he retreats down the steps and ducks inside the SUV.
On a long exhale, I squeeze my eyes shut and pinch the bridge of my nose. I know he’s right. Know I can’t possibly keep this up. But I still struggle with a certain level of denial. Just like when I was first diagnosed, I don’t want to admit it’s because of my MS. Want to believe it’s something else. Anything else.
Don’t want to believe I’m getting worse.
Sensing Creed’s gaze still focused on me through the darkened windows of the idling SUV, I turn and trudge the rest of the way up the front steps, a butler greeting me the instant I walk inside the estate.
“Your Highness.” He bows. “Can I get you anything before you retire for the evening?”
“No. Thank you.”
“Of course.” He stands to the side, posture rigid, as he’d been trained.
My hip muscles still unusually stiff, I do my best to hide any limp as I make my way up the grand staircase. Once I reach the east wing where the private quarters are located, I slowly open the door to the bedroom, hoping it doesn’t creak and wake up Nora.
My grandmother tried to insist I move her into the guest quarters at the palace to remove any appearance of impropriety, since we’re not yet married. I adamantly refused. I barely see her as it is. If she didn’t live here, I’d probably never see her. I won’t isolate her further from me, which is exactly what my grandmother wants.
As I slip inside the room, I expect to see that Nora’s fallen asleep reading a book, as she’s prone to do. To my surprise, when I look at the bed, a soft glow from the side table the only light, her eyes meet mine.
“Hey,” she says sweetly.
With that one word, all my troubles melt away. The day is nothing more than a distant memory, her soft voice and kind smile a reminder of what I want to come home to every day for the rest