Stephanie's Challenge Read online

“You worked so hard to try and win that title from Jolene.”

  “But I never could.”

  “No, you couldn’t, but you didn’t let that stop you from trying. You just worked harder and eventually you became Jolene’s backup and were put in whenever she needed to rest.”

  “Which wasn’t often. Jolene was a natural.”

  “True.”

  She leaned forward nodding, letting her elbows rest on her legs, her hands clasped between them as her gaze traveled over the empty sukan court.

  “Until Megan was injured and you were put in.”

  “I couldn’t believe the coach did that,” Stephanie murmured, remembering. “I’d never played that position before, had never even practiced at it.”

  “And yet you excelled at it, making it possible for your team to win that crucial game. It became your position from then on. Your natural position. One you never would have considered if it hadn’t been for that injury.”

  “What are you trying to tell me, Dad?”

  "That life is a wonderfully mysterious thing, Stephie. It presents us with multiple paths to follow but leaves it up to us to decide which one to take. You could have returned to your original position, the one you knew and trained for. It was the one that received the most attention and glory. Instead, you worked even harder to learn the one you were needed at. In doing so, you became the most feared defensive player in the league.”

  “I found I liked it, liked being on the defensive side, defending instead of attacking.”

  “Which is why you chose security once you entered the Coalition.”

  “Yes.”

  “Your natural position is as a protector, Stephanie.”

  “A position I can no longer perform.”

  “True, at least not actively.”

  “What?”

  “Life is giving you a choice, Stephie. A different path to follow than the one you were on. A broader more encompassing one."

  "You're talking about the position Jotham offered me."

  "Yes, instead of protecting just one Royal you have the chance to protect all the Royals, which now includes your family.”

  "You're saying I should take the position."

  "No, I'm saying you have a choice to make. Life is a wonderful thing, Stephie, and it needs to be lived to its fullest. Don’t be afraid to take the path that makes no sense, the one you didn't expect, because when you do, it just might lead you to where you were always meant to be.”

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Stephanie opened her eyes and stared at her bedroom ceiling as her mind wandered back over the dream. It had been a dream. Right? She couldn't have actually been talking to her father, could she? Ancestors, she missed talking to him. He'd always been able to explain things so she saw all the different angles she'd missed before.

  It's what he'd been doing in her dream. Letting her see that while her injury had been a devastating, life-altering experience, it didn't mean her life or career was over. She could still do what she loved. What she was meant to do. She would just have to do it from a different position.

  No, she wouldn't be able to personally protect the King, but she could make sure that the ones who did were the very best. She could also do the same for her mother, her brothers, sister-in-law, and nephews because in that Jotham had been right. They were going to need it too.

  Sitting up Stephanie took her time to swing her legs over the side of the bed. Not being able to just jump out of bed and charge into her day was one of the things she was still learning to adjust to. It hadn't been a problem when she'd first been injured since she'd still been recovering from major surgery. But now...

  Dr. Bliant had told her it would be this way from now on. Her body would need time going from being at rest to active. If she didn't give it that time, then at best, she'd become dizzy and light-headed. At worst, she'd find herself face down on the floor.

  She hadn't believed him. After all, she was a highly trained member of the Coalition and part of that training was to keep her body in perfect shape. So she'd ignored Bliant's warning one morning and scared her mother out of her mind when she'd walked in to check on Stephanie and found her on the floor of this very bedroom.

  Stephanie could still remember how mortified she'd been when her mother's screams had brought every guard surrounding the house rushing in. Including Captain Deffand, who had just arrived to discuss something with Captain Green, the head of her mother's guard. Deffand had been the first through the door, had been the one that had carefully lifted her up and placed her back on her bed. He'd been the one that ordered Green to call Dr. Portman, who had taken over Stephanie's care once she'd arrived home.

  That had occurred the first week Stephanie returned home, and she hadn't seen Deffand since, although she had heard her mother talking to him several times on her comm. It had taken Stephanie another three weeks to convince her mother that she’d recovered enough for Jacinda to return to the Palace and Jotham. Her mother had protested, claiming Jotham understood her need to spend her nights here. Stephanie had snorted at that because she'd overheard a few of the new couple’s comms. Jotham wanted his future Queen safely behind the Palace walls where he knew she was completely protected.

  It was after one such conversation that Stephanie's mind finally clicked back into security mode. She knew there was no threat against her mother because if there had been, Jotham would never have allowed her out of the Palace. But she also knew what it took to defend a Royal because she'd been preparing for it her whole life. She even knew exactly how many Royal Guards the House of Protection had, and how thinly stretched they had to be with the increase in Royals needing to be protected.

  Royal Guards were a specially trained unit within a House's security division. They couldn't just be promoted into the position. They had to first apply, and then, if they had the necessary skills were accepted into a grueling six-week training program that had a high failure rate. Only when all that had been completed could they claim a position as a Royal Guard.

  While the House of Protection ran this program, applicants were from every House, with the majority of them returning to serve their House if they completed the program. Even if all of the latest class chose to serve the House of Protection that was another ten guards, at most. She had no idea how Deffand was able to schedule it all.

  It was what had made Stephanie reach out to her brother, Danton. He'd agreed to move back into their family home. Even then, it had taken another week to convince their mother to return to the Palace, easing Jotham's mind. It had also meant there was one less location that needed guarding overnight.

  Now a full moon cycle after her brother had moved in, Stephanie was going to accept Jotham's offer to be the Commander of the Royal Guards. That meant she'd be Deffand's Commander too. How was he going to react to that? Would he accept her as his Commander after he'd seen her so weak and vulnerable? Would any of them? The thought shouldn't bother after all, the King's Captain was just another man to her.

  Wasn't he?

  Pushing herself to her feet, Stephanie knew there was only one way to find out.

  Chapter Two

  Captain Nicholas Deffand sat at his desk glaring down at the schedules spread out across it. Ancestors, this was driving him crazy. He'd had no problem working out the schedule when his men needed to protect both Jotham and Jacinda, even though it meant they'd all been working extra hours. It hadn't worried him because he knew his men could handle it. No, it was the sudden increase in the number of Royals needing protection that had him worried.

  When Jotham had informed Nick he wanted Jacinda to have her own Guard, he'd split the forty, hand-picked men he had and put Green in charge of those protecting Jacinda. Nick then fast-tracked twenty House of Protection applicants for the RGTP, Royal Guard Training Program, bumping others. It was one of the advantages of being in charge of the program, and one he'd never used before. But Barek's permanent return to the planet had called for desperate measures. And Nichol
as knew he'd do it again, and again, and yet again until he had enough men to adequately protect the larger Royal Family.

  Surging to his feet, Nicholas moved across his office to stare out the window. Maybe if he hadn't had to split his men between three Royals the night of the Royal Ball... perhaps if he hadn't agreed to let Royal Guards from the House of Knowledge assist him, along with Captain Chamberlain's trainees, then maybe he could have prevented the attack on his King and future Queen.

  He was the one that was supposed to guard his King.

  It was his sworn duty.

  Not Stephanie's.

  Every night when he was finally able to close his eyes, he saw that crazy woman stabbing Stephanie again, and again.

  It should have been him lying there. It should have been his blood pooling on the floor. It should have been his career that was over. Not the beautiful Stephanie Michelakakis whose career was just beginning.

  Ancestors, the woman dominated his thoughts and dreams in a way no one ever had. She was smart, strong, and beautiful. She also refused to see him as anything other than the Captain of the King's Guard. Not that he had the time to court a woman like her. Wait... court? When had he started thinking about courting her?

  Stephanie Michelakakis was now a renowned hero the likes of the High Admiral. She had single-handedly saved the King and future Queen of the House of Protection. She was also, thanks to her mother being the future Queen, a Princess, and Jotham's daughter.

  No, he could never claim her as his own, as if she'd want him to, but he sure as hell could make sure she was never harmed again. Returning to his desk, he sat down and tried to figure out how to stretch the men he had so he could protect an additional seven Royals.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Stephanie stepped out of her transport, straightened her uniform, and then turned to walk toward the Palace. She'd felt bad for the guards surrounding the house when they'd realized she was the one driving the transport instead of Myesha. It was the first time she'd left the house for anything other than a scheduled doctor visit, and even those had been difficult since she was mobbed by well-wishers wherever she went.

  She knew the attention wouldn't last forever. Eventually, everyone would forget, and things would calm down. But Stephanie couldn't wait that long, not if she was going to be the Commander of the Royal Guard.

  She made it halfway across the Public Wing, her gaze fixed on the guards protecting the closed doors that led deeper into the Palace when her way was blocked by admirers all wanting to talk to her.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  "Deffand," Nicholas answered his comm as he studied the schedules before him.

  "Captain, it’s Turk. Stephanie Michelakakis has left her home without her guard."

  "What?!" Deffand's chair slammed into the wall as he surged to his feet. "How did that happen?!"

  "We thought it was the housekeeper, Myesha, as it was her normal time to get groceries. It was only when we saw the driver that we realized our mistake."

  "Have you caught up to her yet? Tried to contact her?"

  "No, sir, but she did answer her comm, and stated she was on her way to the Palace."

  Without another word, Deffand disconnected from Turk and entered the code for the front gate. "This is Deffand. Stephanie Michelakakis should be entering the gates soon. I want to be notified as soon as she arrives!"

  "Sir, she passed through several minutes ago."

  "You directed her to park in the secure Royal area?" Nicholas questioned.

  "No, sir. She parked in the public area, and I personally observed her entering the Public Wing."

  Deffand frowned at that. The Guard's attention should have remained on who was coming and going at the gate, not the door. He'd have to remind him of that, but not right now. Right now he needed to get to Stephanie.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  The doors to the Public Wing were opened so forcefully that the guards protecting them jumped back, their hands going to their weapons.

  "Stand down," Deffand ordered. "Have you seen..." he trailed off knowing where his quarry was by the mass of people. Moving across the room, he shouldered his way through the crowd. He wanted to rant and rave at her. He wanted to demand what the fuck she thought she was doing going anywhere without her protection. Then he heard her laughter, saw her smile, and watched as she leaned down to say something to the young boy who was standing in front of her. The boy's face turned beet red even though the smile never left his face. Whatever Stephanie had said, Deffand knew the boy would remember for the rest of his life.

  But when she straightened, he saw the lines of fatigue that were starting to bracket her eyes, and she was beginning to breathe a little faster. He'd been kept up-to-date on her recovery and knew that while her stamina was increasing, this was still a significant outing for her, and she was tiring.

  "Lieutenant Michelakakis," he said as he stepped up to her side. "King Jotham is waiting."

  "Of course, Captain Deffand,” she replied, never letting on that he’d surprised her. “I'm so sorry. I lost track of time." She let her gaze travel over the crowd. "If you will excuse me, it was wonderful talking to you all."

  With that, she followed Deffand along the path that cleared for them because no one dared get in the way of the Captain of the King's Guard. Once they were clear of the crowd, Deffand moved so she could walk beside him.

  "Thank you," she said quietly. "I wasn’t sure how to get away without offending them."

  Deffand said nothing until the doors between them and the Public Wing closed, then he rounded on her.

  "Don't thank me, Lieutenant," he growled out. "Not after the stunt you just pulled."

  "What...?" She was stunned at the rage she saw on his face.

  "Did you give any thought to what could have happened to the guards that were trying to catch up with you? What would have happened to them, to their careers and lives, if something had happened to you while under their protection? All it would have taken was for you to inform them you wished to come to the Palace, and it would have been arranged. Instead, you snuck out of the house like some spoiled child going for a joy ride."

  Stephanie felt her face flush with shame as Deffand spoke because he was right, then the shame turned to anger.

  "How dare you!" she said through clenched lips. "I will admit that I never thought how my leaving would affect those on the house's security detail, but it's not because I'm spoiled. It’s because I'm used to being a guard, not the guarded! As soon as Turk contacted me, I realized my mistake and informed him of where I was going."

  "But you refused to wait for him."

  "Yes. I've been taking care of myself for over sixteen cycles, Captain. I'm a decorated member of the Coalition and have trained with Captain Peter Chamberlain. I can make it from my home to the Palace without an escort."

  "Maybe before you were injured, but now it seems you need help just getting across the Public Wing."

  She sucked in a sharp breath at how that truth hurt. "I didn't want to be rude, especially to the children."

  "If your guards had been with you that wouldn't have been a problem. Your life is no longer your own, Lieutenant. You are a now a hero to the people of Carina, and more importantly, a Princess of the House of Protection."

  "I'm not a Princess," she protested.

  "You are, as your mother will soon be its Queen, so get used to it. Now, I assume you are here to see your mother. She is in the King's Wing with the Juruases for a gown fitting."

  "I do want to see her," Stephanie agreed as they began walking deeper into the Palace. "But you were correct with what you said in the Public Wing. I'm here to see King Jotham."

  "You are?" He frowned, going over the King's schedule in his mind. While Chesney was Jotham's Personal Aide and scheduled all of the King's meetings, he always informed Deffand of who was expected so he could clear them. Stephanie hadn't been on that list. If she had been, none of this would have happened. "The King isn't expecting
you."

  "No," she said absently as her gaze traveled over the portraits of the past Kings and Queens of the House of Protection. She still found it hard to believe that her mother's portrait would soon be hanging there.

  "So you believe you can just show up and get an audience with the King, but don't see yourself as a princess?"

  His words brought her to an abrupt halt in front of the doors of the King's Wing, and she felt her face flush again. Ancestors, she hadn't blushed this much since she'd entered the Coalition. But he was right. She'd just presumed Jotham would have time to see her. She couldn't have it both ways.

  "You're right." Even with two guards present, she couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from curling up at the shocked expression on his face. "Yes, Captain, I'm more than capable of admitting when I've made a mistake."

  "Captain?" One of the guards at the door asked when Stephanie and their Captain just continued to look at one another.

  "Open the doors, Craig," he ordered.

  "Yes, Captain." The guard named Craig snapped to attention and did as ordered.

  "I will take you to the King's Office," Deffand told her as they walked through the doors.

  "He's not expecting me, and I know how tight his schedule is. I should have comm'd first, told him..."

  "Told him what?"

  She just shook her head. "I need to talk to Jotham first."

  "Then let’s see if we can't make that happen." He turned to his right, opened a door, and gestured for her to precede him. Stepping inside, she saw Chesney glance up, his eyes widening when he saw her. Stephanie knew who he was because she'd made it her job to learn everything about the House of Protection and those working there. She also knew his office guarded the inner sanctum that was the King's.

  "Mister Chesney."

  "Captain Deffand."

  "Lieutenant Michelakakis was wondering if there might be an opening in the King's schedule so she could speak to him."

  "I see." Chesney looked to the screen before him, scrolling through the schedule. "I'm not sure there is anything available..." As he spoke, the connecting door opened and Assemblyman Terwilliger walked out.