The King's Lover-Chapter 266: Thoroughly Unpleasant

Caius watched Rose’s expression as she sat looking very uncomfortable. It was a little annoying that he couldn’t ask her directly, as she didn’t know he knew about the herbs in the jar.

He had tried to ignore the implications of her actions, but recent developments had him recalling them. Caius thought the feeling it invoked was thoroughly unpleasant.

He wanted to know if that was the reason she needed to see Lady Delphine. Thomas had not been able to tell him anything useful. It still irked him. Everything she did told him just how much she wanted to get away.

The crown prince didn’t look like he believed her, and the way he studied her as though he knew something was up unnerved, Rose. She adjusted in her seat; the coat on her shoulders no longer felt as warm as it once did.

Caius didn’t say anything for the longest time, and when he finally did, it was only two words: "Very well."

Rose nodded. The lump in her throat didn’t feel any smaller, and it was hard to swallow. She turned her gaze away from him toward the road. It was hard to say if it was getting brighter or if she was just getting used to the darkness.

She didn’t know how long the journey would be, but she could recall Caius mentioning something about getting there before nightfall, which meant she would be stuck with him in this carriage until then. With the atmosphere in the carriage, Rose feared she might not survive until then.

The carriage rode for quite a while in silence. All she could hear were the sounds of hooves and commands given to the horses.

Rose stuck to the edge of the seat, keeping her gaze locked on the window, as she knew if she stared anywhere else, she was bound to meet eyes with him. She didn’t want that.

They soon drove through the marketplace, and Rose wouldn’t have recognized it if she hadn’t been through the front before. It was mostly empty—no children running around, barely avoiding the carriages and horses that ran past.

A few traders were setting up, opening their shops as they prepared for the day. Rose recalled the man who had been caught by the guards the last time she passed through there. She was still staring in that direction even after the carriage had gone past.

By the time the sun had fully risen, they were out of Hearthgale. This time, Rose stared even harder as they passed through the gates. She hoped this would be the last time she would ever have to set eyes on the capital.

Rose settled in her seat as she tried to enjoy the rest of the journey as best she possibly could, even though an angry prince was glaring at her every moment of the way. She didn’t have the slightest clue why he was angry.

The journey was surprisingly uneventful. The carriage rode without stopping until noon. They had chosen a field where the horses could eat grass and rest a little.

Rose didn’t want to leave the carriage at first, but when the crown prince did not attempt to leave, she knew she had to step out. Just for a moment to escape his glare, or she might really suffocate.

She dropped from the carriage, gripping the coat around herself. It was still cold, even though it was noon. She looked up, and snow clouds covered the sky, only letting a few rays of the sun reach down.

The field had a few trees, and Rose planned to walk around as best she could. After all, she was going to be stuck sitting in the carriage, and something told her they might not stop again until they got to Futherfield.

The grass was wet as she stepped down. Rose walked away from the carriage, approaching the nearest tree. She got underneath it and just stood there, recalling when she used to climb trees when she was younger.

Rose heard footsteps approaching her, and she turned around to see Prince Rylen heading in her direction on foot. His horse was feeding on the grass with the other horses.

Thomas was behind him, and the young lord seemed awfully quiet. Rose curtsied when they got close, surprised that Prince Rylen would seek her out. The crown prince’s cousin rarely acknowledged her.

"Have you been fed?" a voice asked.

Rose looked at the two men standing a mere three feet away from her, and it occurred to her for the first time since the journey began that she hadn’t even eaten a single thing.

Rose slowly shook her head, and simultaneously, Caius chose that moment to step out of the carriage. The coachman stood next to him and bowed as though receiving orders from the crown prince. After their brief exchange, Caius walked toward them, and Rose stiffened.

"Neither breakfast nor lunch?" Rylen was asking.

"Neither, Prince Rylen," Rose whispered. She was painfully aware of just how close Caius was getting to them. He was only about eight feet away now.

"A meeting without me," Caius called, his voice loud enough that it carried across the field. His expression showed amusement, but his tone told just how irked he was.

"Your Grace," Rylen said and turned his attention to Caius.

"Your Highness," Thomas said and stepped a bit farther back.

Rose didn’t want to think about it, but it was hard not to notice that the young lord had not spoken to her. She might even take a step further and say he might be avoiding her. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Caius walked to them, and Rose curtsied once more. Now they were all standing under the tree with her, with Caius staring down at her. If she had known he was going to step out of the carriage, she would have remained inside.

"Isn’t Your Grace starved?" Rylen asked.

Caius glanced at him. "Perhaps."

Rylen narrowed his eyes at him. "Rose has neither eaten breakfast nor lunch," he said. "You shouldn’t have taken her on this journey."

Caius’s eyes darkened, and he glanced at her. "Lunch has only just begun. Did you not eat breakfast?" he directed his question at her.

Rose shivered. She should have told Prince Rylen she was fine. She couldn’t understand why she was getting scolded when she was the one who hadn’t eaten.

"No," she replied, annoyed at his tone. "There was no time."

Caius took a step forward. "I was with you in the carriage the whole time. Not once did you mention not having eaten breakfast, but as soon as you get down..." Caius’s eyes darkened.

"I asked her," Rylen replied.

"Are you saying this is my fault because I didn’t ask?" Caius turned his dark eyes to his cousin.

Nobody said it was anybody’s fault, Rose thought, but she knew she couldn’t say this out loud. Besides, she had just missed breakfast—it wasn’t that big of a deal.

"I didn’t say that, Your Grace. I’m simply saying the only reason she told me was because I asked," Rylen explained.

"I don’t see how we’re saying separate things, Rylen. By your wording, the reason I was not made aware of this was because I didn’t ask. Or are you saying that I’m wrong?"

Rylen took a deep breath; he was visibly exhausted by the conversation. He opened his mouth, but he couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t have the crown prince reacting like this. He had suspected that something wasn’t right, but he hadn’t thought it was this bad.

Something must have happened between him and Rose. Rylen didn’t think their relationship was amicable, but Caius usually didn’t seem this much on edge in her presence. He tended to be more relaxed. The crown prince had even addressed him by just his name in public—something was certainly wrong.

"I’m sorry, Your Majesty," Rose said and curtsied, pulling his attention back to her. She couldn’t stand Prince Rylen getting yelled at when he was just trying to help her. "It’s my fault. I didn’t mention it because I wasn’t hungry."

Caius jerked his head in Rose’s direction. He couldn’t understand why he was so irritated. He knew why—he just didn’t understand it.

Throughout the ride, Rose had barely spoken to him except to answer his questions. She didn’t smile, and she didn’t meet his eyes. However, the instant she saw Rylen and Thomas, she seemed like a completely different person.

Her pleasant demeanor didn’t disappear until he arrived, and he had also discovered she had told Rylen more in a literal moment than she had told him the entire morning of the ride.

He was indeed quite furious. He wanted to remind her who she answered to. She spoke to everyone else but him. Thomas’s coat on her shoulders still pissed him off. Just how friendly was she with Thomas that he would give her his coat?

Her apology didn’t even scratch the surface of his anger. He had been nothing but lenient, giving her as much time as she needed—and this was the thanks he got.

Caius opened his mouth to speak, but the coachman was approaching the tree with a folded mat in one hand and what looked like a picnic basket in the other.