Prologue.
The king of Arkadia was shot in the head early in the morning on a Sunday.
The assassination came thirty minutes after the public announcement of their newly contracted alliance with Lurrea. More commonly, the people of Arkadia preferred to refer their neighbouring nation simply with the derogatory term, the Grounders.
King Jacob was found by Queen Abigail as she made her way to the kitchens to set the menu for the feast that night. She had stopped by the library, and was confronted with a dried pool of her husband's blood.
The security was increased within the hour. Most importantly, the security around the queen and her daughter, the princess Gwendoline Amelia — better known as Clarke to the people. Each were assigned their own security detail, which rotated throughout the day to ensure that each royal had 24-hour security.
The day of Princess Clarke's ascension to Queen was hidden from the public, for the first time in the history of Arkadia's monarchy.
It was also the day she met her Head of Security. Because she was now the sole heir to the throne, and thus the most vital accessory to the kingdom's survival, he had been assigned as her personal guard. His name was Bellamy Blake.
Trained in all arts of defence and offence, Blake was the most skilled fighter in the kingdom. He had served under the king himself, when he had been alive, and had successfully halted many assassination attempts on the royal family. Some, they still weren't aware of.
But the man was no bodyguard. He was no cadet. His title did not fit into the castle's hierarchy. An assassin, and a ruthless one. Often called upon to stealthily eliminate the king's problems. Yet, Blake had been a close friend of the King's. For this reason, he swore at the feet of his new queen and in front of her court that he would protect her with his life.