This was another fun one to write. I just really like Robert! I mean for all I know he'll be a total prick in the actual series but for now I like my version lol.

It's a long one but I havent updated in a few days so i owe you one ;) I was super tired when I edited it though so I apologize if it reads like a 7 year-olds journal entry.

Anyway, Hope you guys enjoy! Your reviews keep me going!

Despite the late night and complete exhaustion, no one could sleep all that well. The queen rose at her normal time of seven o'clock sharp, Eleanor emerged from her room by eight, and Liam by nine thirty.

On the other hand, Robert, who had hardly made it to his bed before collapsing, was still fast asleep. Which was good, he needed rest, but it left everyone else in tense anticipation.

There was a strange awkwardness as the twins and their bodyguards sat in the grand salon, waiting for the returned prince to arrive.

Eleanor sat next to Jasper on one of the elaborately brocaded settees, close enough that she could feel his presence beside her, but not so close as to draw suspicion. She didn't want to hide their- well, whatever it was they had- but Robert's return had complicated things.

Liam and Marcus each sat in similarly decorated chairs facing the princess and her bodyguard. Liam stared blankly into space, preoccupied with his own thoughts, while Marcus kept shifting positions, clearly uncomfortable with the lapse in protocol that Liam had insisted on.

Across the large room, the Queen sat with Rachel at a long carved-wood table, discussing every last detail of Roberts return to public life. They had been going on and on about timelines, announcements, interviews, appearances, parties, ceremonies, for 3 hours. Eleanor was tempted to ask Jasper to just shoot her and put her out of her misery. When the prince finally joined them at half past twelve, she was fairly sure she heard even Marcus breath a sigh of relief.

As her big brother walked in the room she couldn't help but break into an ear-to-ear smile. He was now clean shaven and his slightly shaggy hair from last night was lightly gelled into an tousled style like he usually had it. He wore jeans with a grey v-neck sweater over a gingham shirt. He looked almost like his old self.

Eleanor stood and quickly walked toward her brother, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Honestly until right now I wasn't sure if last night was a dream," she admitted with a huff.

"I've been known to have that affect on people," he dead panned.

She couldn't help but bust up laughing into his shoulder. The feeling was so rare for her lately that she almost didn't recognize it, but Robert had her exact sense of humor, and it was what she had missed the most about him.

She released him and took a step back as Liam approached.

"You know while you were gone I was the funniest brother in the family," Liam teased with a wry smile.

"Then I'm truly sorry to everyone who had to endure your comedic reign of terror," his brother told him mockingly.

Liam chuckled, pulling his brother into a breif hug.

He released him but clapped him on the shoulder. "It's good to have you back," he added sincerely.

Robert nodded with a warm smile, "It's good to be back."

He stood there a moment with his siblings, happy to be home. It all felt oddly formal though, like a holiday or something. He guessed it kind of was. Like his own personal Easter, except he wasn't technically resurrected. He laughed internally, the thought was too rediculous.

"Well this is slightly weird, is it not?" he asked his siblings rhetorically. "I mean, I've never come back from the dead before so I'm not familiar with the protocol, but it's definitely a peculiar experience."

The twins security details had moved to shadow behind them. Robert quickly recognized his brothers long-time bodyguard.

"Marcus," he greeted him warmly, stepping forward and extending his hand.

Marcus reached out and shook it firmly. "It's excellent to see you again, sir."

"I hear we only recently got you back?" the prince questioned.

A guilty look came over the man's face, and Robert quickly added, "I wouldn't have stuck around either."

Marcus smiled gratefully and stepped back from the group. He had always been more comfortable observing.

Robert turned his attention to the man who he'd seen the night before as his sister's bodyguard.

"I don't believe we've officially met," he spoke, stepping toward Jasper, "but I've heard quite a bit about you Mr. Frost."

Jasper froze. Fuck. He was pretty sure he was about to get punched in the face again.

It took everything in him not to flinch as Robert extended his hand toward him.

"Thank you for your help in uncovering the truth. Your service to our family and our country will not be forgotten," the prince commended him.

Jasper exhaled in relief. He shook his hand and nodded, "Thank you sir."

Robert raised his eyebrows at the man's accent, "American?"

"Yes sir," he replied.

Eleanor relaxed her shoulders. Apparently he hadn't heard everything about Mr. Frost.

"How'd you swing that?" he asked, curious.

"I sort of conned my way into it," Jasper answered plainly.

Robert chuckled, amused by the man's dry humor, and apparently oblivious to the tense reactions on the rest of his families faces.

"And is it everything you could hope for?" he asked the bodyguard in jest.

He sighed, "It's never boring."

Robert scoffed, "I'd bet not, being assigned to that one," he gestured toward his sister. "Anyone who can stick with her for more than a month is either a saint or mental."

Jasper huffed, "Definitely mental."

Robert smirked and turned his focus his attention to his sister, "I get it. They've finally assigned you someone who will dish it back at you," He said mockingly. "Took em long enough."

Eleanor punched her brother in the arm. "Oh fuck-off Robbie," she laughed.

Jasper could tell why he'd heard so much about Eleanor and Robert. They were two of a kind, and their bond was immediately obvious.

It was going to be even harder to be hated by the prince than he thought.

After prying their mother away from her secretary, they sat down to have a brief lunch together.

The queen informed her children that the announcement of the prince's survival was to be sent out that night. Cyrus would only be notified an hour in advance, and be denied access to Robert for 'health' reasons until the live broadcast the following day. It would be a short clip of the whole family but mainly focused on Robert. He was to say a brief message confirming his survival and his intent to reclaim his fathers crown.

Helena intended to tell them the game plan for the rest of the forseeable future, but was quickly sucked in again by Rachel and the pressing 'arrangements' for the coming weeks. The secretary and secret dominatrix had returned with full force and not one but three iPads, so it was clear she meant business, and the Henstridge siblings retired back to the sitting area.

"So Liam, how much girl trouble did you get your self in while I was gone?" Robert teased.

"You have no idea," he mumbled distractedly, scrolling through his phone.

Robert chuckled. "Hey, every girl wants to be a princess. Right Len?" he teased his sister.

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Yeah, I'm living the dream," she deadpanned, before standing from her seat and walking toward the tea cart at the opposite end of the room.

He watched his sister as she reached the cart and carefully poured two cups of tea. She stirred a bit of milk and a lump of sugar in one before delicately picking it up between her thumb and her first finger. She casually sashayed over to where her bodyguard was standing against the wall with his arms crossed. The man eyed her carefully before offering his hand and she gently placed the cup in his palm. Robert saw her smirk slightly before turning and walking back to the tea cart to finish preparing her own cup.

Robert was now more than a little intrigued. He knew Eleanor rarely poured her own tea, let alone anyone elses.

He nudged his brother's leg with his knee to get his attention.

Liam looked up from his phone with a "Hm?"

Robert nodded toward his sister and her bodyguard.

"So what's the deal with Lenny and this Jasper character?" he asked in a hushed voice.

Liam shrugged, feigning innocence, "What do you mean?"

"Cut the shit Liam, I got the same run-around from Mum," he blatantly called him out. "Why won't anyone give me a straight answer about him? I get it, he's got a thing with her. She's had flings with staff before, why is everybody so dodgy about this one?"

"It's-"

"'Complicated'," Robert finished for his brother, "Yeah, so I've heard. Now cut to the bloody chase."

Liam sighed and shifted uneasily. "You're not gonna like it."

The second the lift door slid open Robert was storming into James' office.

"Are you or are you not aware of Jasper Frost's history here at the palace?" he demanded without introduction.

Hill looked up from the file he was currently reading to meet the eyes of the fuming prince. He sighed. He knew this conversation was coming eventually.

"I am," he informed the younger man, shutting the file and plopping it on his desk.

"And you just forgot to mention it while singing his praises for exposing Ted Pryce?" Robert seethed. "Would you mind explaining to me how he is not only not in prison but remains employed here? and as Eleanor's detail no less!"

The prince still hadn't sat down. He was too wound-up to be confined to a seat.

James sat back in his desk chair.

"He's the best man for the job," he answered candidly.

Robert ran a hand over his face, trying to keep it together.

"With what he's done how could that possibly be true?" he pressed, turning and beginning to pace the office.

"He would die for her," Hill reasoned.

"So would any other assigned detail who hadn't committed treason against the crown, the late king, and her royal highness whom he is currently serving." Robert countered, unimpressed.

"He's in love with her," the ex-bodyguard informed the prince.

He scoffed, "So is half of Notting Hill, that doesn't change anything."

James stared him down, "She's in love with him."

Robert stopped pacing. That brought him pause. He had seen the way they looked at each other, but chalked it up to mere lust.

"Lenny's not that stupid," he replied, still unconvinced.

James huffed, "On the contrary, she's one of the brightest people I know, but I'm not saying he conned her into it."

"No, your saying that Eleanor fell for the man that blackmailed her and slept with our mother." Robert's eyes narrowed at Hill.

"I'm saying that perhaps she saw a kindred spirit in him," he offered.

The prince scoffed, "He is nothing like her."

"A child is born to a family who's reputation would follow him his whole life. He grows up constantly paying for the sins of his parents. As he gets older he turns to illegal pursuits in an attempt to fill the gaping whole his upbringing left in him. You really think they have nothing in common?" the elder man challenged.

"She's not a criminal." Robert stated firmly.

James nodded briefly, "You're right, she's not. But had she not been born in a palace would that still be the case? Diplomatic immunity isn't a luxury most drug addicts are blessed with."

Normally he would have punched anyone out for describing his sister in such a way, but Len had told him how James was a big part of her getting clean, and he could tell by the man's tone that 'drug addict' was more of a medical diagnosis than a cheap shot at her reputation. However, that didn't mke him feel better about Frost being anywhere near her.

"And I'm just supposed to trust that this con-artist has her best interests in mind?" he asked incredulously, finally deciding to take a seat in the chair across from Hill.

Hill realized the man wasn't just going to take his word for it. He needed to know more.

"After you were reported dead your sister began a steady decline, and when your father was killed that decline turned into a tailspin," he informed the prince, "She bounced around from continent to continent for every seedy rave she could find, snorting coke, doing PCP, LSD, MDMA, GHB, and pretty much every other acronymed substance she could get her hands on, in an ill-advised attempt to numb herself after the worst year of her life. Now thanks to your shit uncle she had no security, and word like that travels fast. Do you know what the ransom is on an ex-princess? because the drug cartels certainly did."

Robert's jaw clenched. He hadn't realized just how much danger Eleanor had willingly put herself in.

James continued, "Frost followed her around the world for months protecting her without pay or even so much as a thank you. Not that she owed him one with the shit he'd put her through, but the point remains; he did it because he wanted to make sure she was safe. So if it's his commitment to her well-being that you're worried about, I'd say he's proven himself."

Robert sat with a steely composure. His fiery rage had cooled a bit, but it's embers still glowed. He was angry. Angry with Jasper Frost? Yes, but more angry at himself for being gone for so long that any of that could happen. He should of been there, should have protected her. She meant the most to him and she had lost more than anyone else in his absence.

James could see the guilt in the prince, but the irony of the situation wasn't lost on him. This wasn't the first time he'd spoken about the princess with a man who both loved her and had failed her.

He sighed, "All that said, it's not my place to defend a criminal. If you want him gone just say the word and he is. However, before you make a decision, I implore you to talk to Princess Eleanor." He stood and re-buttoned his suit jacket. "Now my apologies your highness but my daughter will be arriving home from school any moment and I promised her I would be waiting at the gates."

Robert stood from his seat, nodded wordlessly to the silver-haired man and headed for the lift.

He didn't know how it happened but he was now more confused than he had been when he arrived. His protective instincts told him to jettison Frost immediately and without hesitation. However he was no longer sure whether that would hurt Eleanor more than letting him stay.

Of everything James had told him, he was definitely right about one thing; he needed to talk to his sister.