Natalia’s POV
“I’m not leaving my children,” I said.
The guard glanced at the twins, then back at me. “The King has summoned you. You must go.”
The King. Like this asshole actually held any power over me. But right now… I was trapped in his palace. Alone. Maybe I had no choice.
“Fine.” I stomped over to the sled and grabbed the rope. “But I’m bringing them with me.”
Thankfully, the guard didn’t argue. More than anything, he just looked amused at my insistence, and took the rope from my hands. With his free one, he gripped my upper arm tightly and pulled me alongside him, the twins bouncing over the flagstones behind us.
The entire way to our destination, I kept glancing over my shoulder at the twins. They were still asleep. Good. I hoped they stayed asleep until Andrei came for us an
