Trace frowned as he escorted the princess away from her chambers. Anaisa was still inside. Alone. Unprotected.
Not that anyone should have any sort of reason to harm her. Oakdown was already blackmailing and controlling him. There was no one else Trace knew of evil enough to harm women to get something from him. Surely there could only be so much plotting in the palace at a time. Right?
Sapphira reached the tea room and straightened her posture, and glanced over her shoulder at Trace. He tried to give her a bolstering smile. It didn't feel helpful at all. She turned away, morose.
That was just as well; she couldn't depend on him for aid. If anything, he would find himself having to reinforce the plot instead of undermining it.
Maybe he should try to remove himself after all… but then, Oakdown would just find someone else to pull into his schemes.
That was the whole pickle of this situation, and he hated it. Why did it have to be so difficult?
