The Making of a Princess by Teresa Carpenter Read Free Book Online

to the Prince of Pasadonia.”
    “Wow.” The exclamation came in one voice.
    Xavier bit back a grin and bowed to his audience. The little girl who called him Prince Charming melted to her knees. He met Amanda’s gaze and she winked at him. That did win a smile.
    “It is my pleasure to meet you,” he said to the small crowd of children. “Miss Carn has kindly asked me here to talk to you about my profession.”
    “Yes.” Amanda took control. “Everyone take a seat. We’ll let Commandant LeDuc speak for a few minutes and then you can ask some questions.”
    Taking his hand, she led him to the front of the group then she squeezed his hand and left him to it.
    “Wait. Hold this.” He pushed the leather carrying case into Amanda’s hands.
    She gasped a little at the weight. “What is it?”
    “Visual aid. I borrowed a sword from the collection, but I did not realize it would be such young children.”
    “Oh my, that would be an impressive show and tell.” She bit her lip as if considering the idea and then shook her head.
    “You’re right, they’re too young. They’d want to touch.” She grinned. “You can show me later.”
    He deliberately put the thought of showing her his sword from his mind as he turned to his task. Looking at the young faces he realized he needed to keep this simple.
    “Pasadonia is a small country in Europe, and instead of a president we have a Prince. This lovely young lady called me Prince Charming, but in fact I’m the person who guards the Prince.”
    “Like the secret serve guys?” One of the older boys asked. “I saw them in a movie.”
    “Yes, the Secret Service is an agency responsible for protecting the President and other important dignitaries. I am a soldier. In Pasadonia there are two branches of the military, one is civil defense and the other is responsible for protecting the royal family.”
    “If you’re a soldier, how come you don’t have any weapons?” a husky kid with spiked blond hair and freckles demanded. “The policeman who talked to us had a gun.”
    “Unlike law enforcement, soldiers only carry weapons when there is a need to do so.”
    “What kind of weapons do you use?”
    “When I guard the Prince, I carry a nine millimeter Glock. We are also trained to defend and fight against a knife attack.”
    “What about a sword?” a girl chirped. “Prince Charming has a sword.”
    His glance slid to the four-foot-long case Amanda held against her front as if hugging a part of him to her.
    “Swords are not used in modern warfare, however, Pasadonia is a traditional country. Swords are a formal part of our dress uniforms, and all members of the militia are required to be proficient swordsmen.”
    “Ohh,” the girl sighed.
    “Cool!” a boy crowed.
    “Swords are sissy.” A husky kid scoffed.
    Giving the irritating child a hard-eyed smile, Xavier said, “As I stated, they are not used in today’s military.”
    Amanda stepped forward. “Show him the sword.”
    He lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t need to prove myself to a child.”
    “Of course not,” she agreed readily. “Show him anyway. You can step behind the bug counter. The kids will be able to see but won’t be able to reach it.” She held out the case.
    Xavier surveyed the situation. He spoke the truth when he told Amanda he had no need to prove himself to a child, but he did have a drive to please her. Still, the safety of all must be considered. He moved behind the glass cabinet she’d indicated to see if it would suit. It was high enough most of the children had to stand back to see.
    Excellent. The kids, with the exception of his heckler, had been well behaved and several adults were stepping closer, showing interest, so it should be fine. He set the leather carrying case on top of the cabinet and unzipped it.
    Amanda faced the children. “Commandant DeLuc has brought a sword to show you. This is a very old weapon and it is part of the collection on display at the Art History