"Surprise is nothing without strategy," he shot back, his hands clenched at his sides. "A misstep could cost us dearly, Kelly. It could cost you dearly."

"Then let it cost me," I said, my resolve hardening like steel tempered by fire. "But I will not stand idly by and watch as everything we've built is threatened by shadows and deceit."

His expression softened for a moment, a testament to the love and concern that lay beneath his kingly veneer. But it was quickly replaced by the mask of an ...