In the center of the open space before him, a long couch and three chairs created a seating area. Beyond the conversation area, eight chairs surrounded a dining table, a buffet pressed against the interior wall. French doors to his left led to a stone balcony.

Three evenly spaced archways along the interior wall provided access to the other living spaces in the guest quarters. Levi glanced through the first to find a door on one side that led to a half bath. Opposite the bathroom, double doors opened to reveal a well-supplied linen closet.

He moved to the next archway that led past a butler’s pantry into a full kitchen that looked like it had come straight out of a design magazine.

Continuing to the last section, Levi entered a space that was a combination office/guest room. Levi passed through the office into another hallway. It made a bend, and he soon found himself in the master bedroom suite. Along the interior wall, he discovered an impressively large master bathroom and walk-in closet the size of his old bedroom when he was a kid. In the bedroom itself, the enormous four-poster bed in the center of the room should have dominated, but instead, it served as an accent piece the rest of the decor centered around. Blue throw pillows complemented the chairs clustered by another set of french doors.

Levi peeked through the glass at the balcony that stretched the length between the bedroom and main living area.

Realizing his stay in this suite would be short-lived, Levi retrieved his suitcases from the entryway and stacked them in the walk-in closet. He took the time to hang up his clothes for the next few days, and once that task was complete, he tucked his locked weapon cases inside his larger suitcases so they would be out of sight.

After he got ready for bed, he slipped his primary weapon into the second drawer of the bedside table, set an alarm, and plugged in his phone to charge. He dropped onto the bed, determined not to think about how few hours of sleep he would get before morning came.

He trusted Jeremy and Noelle did their best in securing the palace, but Levi wasn’t going to sleep well until he knew for himself that Cassie was truly safe.

* * *

Despite the late hour of her arrival, Cassie rose with the sun. She needed to see her father, to speak with him in person.

Though she had been tempted to throw on her robe and go straight to her father’s quarters, remembering Levi was currently residing next door, she took the time to shower and dress for the day first.

She opened the door leading to the hall to find Theo standing outside her father’s room.

“Good morning, Theo,” she said.

“Welcome home, Your Highness.”

“Thank you.” She continued forward. “Is my father awake?”

“He is.”

Cassie knocked on her father’s door, waited a brief moment, and opened it herself. “Papa?”