Breaking the Protocol

Posted on 2025, Thu Sep 18th, @ 9:54am by Major Alexander Stroud & Civilian Queen Kaitaama XII

771 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Episode 1: Shadows Over Krios - USS Vigilance
Location: Krios Prime – Palace Courtyard
Timeline: Four days into Major Stroud’s assignment
Tags: Krios Prime, Princess Kaitaama, Major Stroud, USS Vigilance, Marine Detachment, Personal Security, Slow-Burn Romance, Boundary Testing, Subtle Attraction, Professionalism, Archer Era, Kriosian History, 2402

The morning sun bathed the palace courtyard in soft amber light, glinting off the fountains and the carefully maintained marble pathways. Princess Kaitaama Lothar moved with deliberate grace, her steps measured yet unhurried, each motion a blend of elegance and authority. Major Alexander Stroud followed at his usual distance, every muscle taut, every sense attuned to the surroundings.

His gaze swept across the courtyard — staff, security drones, and even the subtle movements of leaves in the wind — but despite his focus, he couldn’t ignore a persistent awareness of her presence. The pull was subtle, like a current beneath calm water, and though he suppressed it immediately, it lingered at the edges of his consciousness.

“Major Stroud,” the Princess began, her voice low but carrying easily over the soft splashes of the fountain, “I’ve been thinking… about the way we interact.”

Stroud’s brow furrowed slightly, instinctively alert. “Princess?”

Kaitaama paused, turning to face him directly. Her eyes held a spark of amusement and curiosity, and her lips curved into a faint, controlled smile. “I’d like to make this easier for both of us. I know protocol requires you to refer to me as ‘Princess,’ but… it feels distant, like there’s a wall between us. You can call me Kaitaama.”

The words were simple, almost casual, yet they carried a subtle challenge. Stroud’s jaw tightened imperceptibly. His training screamed at him to maintain formality, to uphold the barrier between duty and personal connection. Yet something about the warmth of her tone, the insistence in her eyes, made his chest tighten — a physiological reaction he could neither ignore nor acknowledge.

“Very well,” he said carefully, his voice steady and neutral. “Kaitaama.”

Her faint smile deepened, but her gaze remained direct, studying him with quiet assessment. “Thank you. It feels… simpler.”

They continued down the courtyard path, the fountains’ water sparkling in the sunlight. After a pause, the Princess’s gaze drifted thoughtfully toward the palace gardens. “You know, the first Kaitaama — the one during Captain Archer’s time — she was a remarkable diplomat. I’ve read her journals and even Trip’s logs. He spoke highly of her… and of the way she trusted her security and crew. I hope to follow in her footsteps.”

Stroud’s posture stiffened slightly. He had read historical briefings on Archer’s era, but hearing it from her perspective added a weight he hadn’t expected. “Understood, Kaitaama. I am aware of her legacy, and I will uphold the highest standards of security, as she would have expected.”

She gave a small nod, a quiet acknowledgement. “Good. I want you to feel comfortable around me. Not Princess Kaitaama, not your charge, not some untouchable figure on a pedestal. Just… me.”

He glanced at her, eyes sharp and calculating. This is a test, he told himself. Do not fail it. “Understood,” he said firmly. “I will follow your guidance while maintaining security protocol.”

Her smile deepened, just enough to show that she recognized the tension he fought to suppress. “Good,” she said. “I think we can manage that.”

They continued their walk through the courtyard, the air around them charged with unspoken energy. Stroud cataloged every detail of the environment, but his mind kept returning to her — the subtle sway of her posture, the quiet authority in her voice, the way sunlight danced in her hair. Each glance, each gesture, was a spark he could not ignore, yet he pressed it down immediately. Discipline first. Duty first.

As they neared the palace entrance, Kaitaama slowed, turning to face him. “Major, I trust you will maintain this vigilance throughout the day?”

“Without fail, Kaitaama,” he replied, voice unwavering, though a quiet storm churned beneath his calm exterior.

She inclined her head slightly, faint amusement in her eyes. “I hope you can tolerate a little less formality,” she said softly, “and perhaps, eventually, trust me enough to walk beside me rather than behind me.”

“I can,” he replied, careful not to let his tone betray the awareness of the subtle pull between them. Focus. Duty. Security.

Even as she moved on, surrounded by attendants, Stroud remained alert, cataloging every detail, noting every potential threat. And yet, beneath the armor of discipline, he could not deny the faint echo of something unspoken — a quiet, persistent attraction that he had already begun to feel, a connection that would complicate every interaction to come.

For Princess Kaitaama, the experiment had already begun. For Major Stroud, the discipline of a lifetime would be tested by something far more subtle and insistent than any security threat he had ever faced.

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