It felt strange. For some reason, the Prince was paying extra attention to Ariana, and both she and Adrian felt it.
But since he wasn't acting out of line, they couldn't really say anything and just kept walking alongside him.
When they reached the reception area, the Prince turned toward Adrian—the one he'd practically ignored until now—and said,
"I'm sorry, Sir Adrian, but you'll need to wait here." His voice was polite, and Adrian understood why.
Only Ariana had been invited by the King because they needed her help with security. Adrian didn't have the clearance for those details.
Adrian turned to Ariana and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
She offered him a soft smile and nodded, then slowly let go and stepped away.
Ariana and Edward continued on toward the meeting room, where the Commander General and other key members of the security team were waiting.
