The first thing Angelo noticed when he returned to the land rover was the blood on his sleeve.
He looked at it for a moment.
His own?
No.
He checked his arm.
A small cut near the wrist. Nothing serious.
The blood belonged to the elderly man.
Angelo wiped his sleeve with a cloth and looked toward the ambulance.
The old couple were being treated before being taken away.
The three attackers were already in police custody.
The situation was under control.
That should have been the end of it.
But something about the incident stayed with him.
Not the fight.
He had been in fights before.
It was the elderly man's strange question.
Do you believe a man's word means something?
Angelo had answered without hesitation.
Yes.
A man's word meant something.
His father had taught him that.
The army had reinforced it.
Angelo climbed into the driver's seat and picked up his radio.
"Control, Sanchez."
"Go ahead."
"Incident resolved. Three suspects detained. Civilians transferred to medical services."
"Copy that."
There was a brief pause.
"Are you returning to base?"
Angelo looked at the setting sun.
"Negative. Continuing patrol."
"Understood."
He started the engine.
As the vehicle pulled away, Angelo glanced once more toward the ambulance.
He could just see the elderly gentleman through the rear window.
The man was looking back at him.
Then the ambulance disappeared around the bend.
Angelo turned his attention to the road.
He had no reason to think about the stranger again.
He was wrong.
---
The hospital was quiet.
The elderly gentleman lay on a bed while a doctor examined the wound.
His wife sat beside him.
"You were lucky," the doctor said.
The King smiled.
"I seem to have been told that twice today."
His wife shook her head.
"You're enjoying this."
"Not particularly."
"You asked that soldier for his name."
"Yes."
"You asked about his family."
"I was curious."
"And you asked about his service."
The King looked at her.
"I was impressed."
The Queen folded her arms.
"You were impressed enough to start an investigation?"
The King smiled.
"Not an investigation."
"A background check."
"A very small background check."
She gave him a look.
He laughed.
"You know me too well."
"I have had eighty years of practice."
The King looked toward the window.
Outside, the lights of Sanjara's city were beginning to appear.
They had come here for privacy.
No official reception.
No diplomatic schedule.
No photographers.
No royal entourage.
For a few weeks, they had wanted to be simply an elderly husband and wife enjoying a holiday.
Their security team had strongly objected.
The King had insisted.
They had compromised.
Their security detail remained nearby but out of sight.
Then, that afternoon, three criminals had nearly destroyed the illusion of anonymity.
And a young soldier had appeared.
The King looked thoughtful.
"Find out who he is."
The Queen sighed.
"You really mean to do this?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I want to know the name of the man who saved our lives."
She studied him.
"You already know his name."
"Angelo Sanchez."
"Then what else do you need?"
The King smiled.
"His story."
---
Several kilometres away, Angelo continued his patrol.
The incident was already becoming another entry in his notebook.
Time.
Location.
Nature of incident.
Three suspects.
Two civilians.
Police response.
Medical response.
Weapons recovered.
He wrote everything down.
Then he stopped.
He stared at the page.
Under civilian details, he had written:
Male — elderly. Name: Daniel.
Angelo frowned.
Something didn't fit.
The man's clothes had been expensive.
Not flashy.
Expensive.
His wife had worn a simple dress, but the quality was unmistakable.
They weren't ordinary tourists.
Angelo had spent enough time around wealthy people to recognize the difference between someone who had money and someone who had grown accustomed to having it.
There had also been the way the man spoke.
The confidence.
The composure.
The expectation that people would listen.
Angelo shook his head.
It wasn't his business.
People were entitled to their privacy.
He closed the notebook.
His radio crackled.
"Corporal Sanchez."
Angelo picked it up.
"Sanchez."
"Your patrol is requested back at base."
"Understood."
He turned the vehicle around.
The sun had almost disappeared.
Another day was ending.
Another incident had been dealt with.
And somewhere across the city, a man Angelo knew only as Daniel was beginning to ask questions about him.
Questions that would eventually cross an ocean.
Questions that would eventually reach a palace.
And questions that would eventually lead to a woman Angelo had never met.
Princess Elena of Valoria.