You reign in history
No winter ice nor summer storm
Shall dim your legacy
Despite my watering eyes,I see now that their shirts are not black, as I first believed, but a deep purple color. My unintentional emblem, as it seems to have become. I doubt they all wore it by coincidence.
“They’ve been out there for about four hours,” Riggs says. “But the singing’s a new development. Thought you’d want to see it for yourself, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you, Riggs.”
He chuckles softly. “You can’t tell from here, but their shirts all say things likeI STAND WITH QUEEN EandEQUALITY IS THE NEW BLACKandKISS MY ASSENT.”
I smile. “Catchy. I wonder where they got them.”
“Are you kidding? There’s a t-shirt vendor on every street corner selling merchandise with your face on it.”
My eyes widen. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“That’s insane.”
“I don’t disagree.” He sighs. “My little sister texted me earlier — she wants theKISS MY ASSENTshirt for her birthday next week.”
“I didn’t know you had a sister. How old is she?”
“Fifteen.”
“That’s a pretty big age gap.”
He shrugs. “My father remarried when I was a teenager. His new wife popped out a kid before she split town for good. My dad and I did our best to raise Macie on our own.”
I’ve never heard Riggs talk so much; I’m fascinated by the rare peek into his personal life. “The three of you must be close.”
“We are.” His expression darkens. “Though, if I’m being frank, I preferred her non-dating years.”
I laugh. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’re perfectly capable of scaring off any bad-apple boyfriends. One look at you, they’ll go running for the hills.”
“Grateful for the vote of confidence, my queen.” His steady gray eyes slide to mine, uncharacteristically somber. “Though I’m proud to say, she can take care of herself.”
“Taught her self-defense, did you?”
“Of course. But I actually wasn’t talking about her physical skills.”
My brows lift.
“She knows her own worth,” he explains. “She speaks her mind — even more so, these past few months. Likely because she’s got a strong female role model to look up to, now.”
My mouth gapes. “Oh, Riggs, I don’t think that’s—”
“I used to worry about her, not having a mother around. My dad is retired now, but he spent his whole career in the King’s Guard. Big on love, short on affection — that’s his way. I thought to myself, ‘Who is Macie going to model herself after, spending her whole life in a house with two gruff soldiers?’” His eyes never waver from mine. “I don’t worry about her anymore. I’m glad she has a queen like you to set an example of what female strength looks like. Of what a woman should be. Strong. Brave. Bold.”
My eyes are stinging precariously and my voice has gone a bit shaky. “There are surely better role models than me…”
“That’s a matter of opinion.” He shrugs. “Way I see it? You walk through the flames every day but you don’t let them burn you. You let them fire you up instead. There’s no one I’d rather have my baby sister emulate. And there’s no monarch I would rather serve. It is an honor to call myself your Commander of the Guard.”
The words hit me like a ton of bricks. They knock the wind out of me, along with any remotely appropriate response. I can’t even muster up a simplethank you. I just stare at him, eyes watering like an idiot.