“Explains what?”

“All our cars are outfitted with tracking devices. We just received a few new replacements, and they haven’t been added to the system yet. But they will be added first thing tomorrow, so don’t get more crazy ideas, okay?” He looks meaningfully at me.

I nod in agreement. It was a miracle I managed to sneak away earlier, and the teenagers in the pub reminded me of just how necessary my security can be. If the boys I encountered had more nefarious intentions than a group selfie, I could have put not only myself, but the future of the entire monarchy at risk. The sobering thought is enough to chase away the final remnants of the warm buzz I’ve been enjoying.

I pile inside one SUV along with Michael and two other agents. Kevin emerges from the pub seconds later and climbs into the car I took along with another agent. My remaining three agents bring up the rear of our entourage in the last car as we wind through the dark, quiet streets. I watch the car’s headlights as they reflect and refract off the slick asphalt while we speed along silently.

Fifteen minutes later, we pull up to the front gates. The massive stone facade of the palace is just visible in the distance. Michael climbs out of the driver’s seat and has a brief conversation with the security guard manning the gate. He climbs back into the car seconds later. The iron gates creak open, allowing the small parade of cars through.

Once back on palace grounds, we pull off to the right and into the cavernous garage. Automatically, the lights flicker on, illuminating the long array of gleaming cars considered property of the Crown.

We all pile out, and Michael walks me over to the door that connects to the residence. He types a few numbers into the keypad and the thick steel door opens with a loud click.

“Last nightcap off the grounds?” he asks sternly.

I nod. “I just needed…” My voice trails off. I don’t know what exactly I needed. A way to make this all manageable. Or at least bearable. The joyride and whiskey helped in the moment, but back inside the familiar walls of the palace, the flash of ease feels very distant again.

“I can imagine,” Michael says gently.

I shift awkwardly. The Royal Guard has been briefed about my father’s condition, but having Michael acknowledge it makes it all the more real.

“But take someone with you next time you want to leave the grounds, okay? It won’t help anything if something were to happen to you.”

“I won’t sneak off again,” I promise, turning and beginning to walk down the tunnel. A thought occurs to me after a few steps, so I stop and turn back around. Michael is still standing there. “Any chance this outing could stay between us? Everyone else has enough to worry about.”

Michael nods once. “I’ll have to report this to Richard,” he tells me. Richard is the head of my father’s security detail, as well as the entire Royal Guard. “But I don’t see why it should need to go any further than that.”