The King's Lover-Chapter 383: Less Appeal

Rose sat on the chair next to the four-poster bed while the Crown Prince lay on the bed with his arms behind his head. She was dressed in silk night robes so light she could barely feel them, while the Crown Prince wore his usual robes. The covers were pulled up to his waist, and one of his legs was bent at the knee.

Rose felt a little self-conscious under his gaze. She did her best not to think too much about it as she prepared to play. Besides, she had played in front of him before; it shouldn’t feel too strange.

It did still feel different, as she was playing at his request, not because he had chanced upon her playing and invited himself. It was hard to know what went through the Crown Prince’s head, especially to make such a request.

Rose straightened her back and kept her knees close together as she lifted the flute to play. She briefly met his eyes as she brought it to her lips but immediately closed her own. Rose knew she would not be able to play if she could see him.

At first, she wasn’t sure what tune to play, but as soon as the flute touched her lips, Rose began to play a familiar tune, one she hadn’t played in a long time. It was a self-composed piece she had made while learning to play.

She would often sit at the back of the house practicing this particular tune with Emma after running around all day in the sand and causing a ruckus on the streets. It was mostly Rose causing a ruckus while Emma followed diligently behind. Emma had helped to perfect the tune; she did have quite a good ear.

Her brows furrowed as she kept playing, memories of her childhood and the friendship she had lost playing in her head. The nostalgic tune filled the room until it finally came to an end.

Only then did Rose peel open her eyes to look at the Crown Prince. She couldn’t read his expression, and that bothered her. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Your Majesty," she called, unsure what she wanted. Praise? Comfort? She shook her head. She wasn’t seeking any of that from him.

Caius didn’t move from where he lay lazily on the sheets; rather, his gaze shifted to the flute, and Rose realized he was telling her to keep playing.

She frowned, but Rose wasn’t annoyed. She hadn’t played in a long time—certainly not since her mother died—and her heart squeezed at the thought. She would have preferred to play all by herself, but it wasn’t too hard to ignore his company as she lost herself in the music.

Rose lost track of how long she had been playing because the Crown Prince didn’t interrupt, only gesturing for her to play more after each tune, and because it had been a while, she couldn’t help but indulge him.

Eventually, she stopped, her throat parched, her hands tired, and her urge to play satisfied. She stared at the flute in her hand and didn’t miss the scratches on it. She had had this flute for as long as she could remember. She traced the lines; the flute held one too many memories, both good and bad. She let out a sad smile.

"Shall we call it a night?" Caius spoke for the first time since she started to play.

His voice was so unexpected that she jerked before slowly lifting her head to meet his gaze. He had a soft look on his face, and his uninjured hand stretched out towards her.

Rose gripped the flute tightly and slowly nodded before placing it on the seat and standing to her feet. She walked towards the bed, and just as she was within reach, Caius grabbed and pulled her.

She gasped as she fell atop his chest. "Your hand, Your Majesty!" she cried in horror.

"I am fine," he replied as he pulled her under the covers with him.

Rose couldn’t help but sigh in relief at the warmth she felt as their skin touched. All the worry about his injured hand was completely forgotten as he pulled her close to himself. She hadn’t even realized how cold she was while playing the flute.

"Your ears are freezing," Caius stated and proceeded to cup the nearest earlobe between his lips.

"Your Majesty."

But Caius didn’t hold her ear hostage for too long. "If you are too cold to play, you should have stopped."

Rose was suddenly at a loss for words. She wasn’t used to being scolded by him in this manner. "I-I didn’t notice the cold," she whispered. It wasn’t until she was in the covers with him that she realized just how cold she had been.

"Hmm," he simply said but held her even closer.

Rose didn’t fight it. She needed the warmth, and it was just so easy to lie in his arms. Perhaps it was because she had had a rough day, or maybe she was just too cold, but it was too hard to figure out as Rose quickly found that she was also quite sleepy.

Caius didn’t say anything more as he warmed her with his body, and the warmer she got, the easier it was to fall asleep. Soon enough, she was fast asleep, snoring softly as she lay her head on his chest.

Caius stared down at her face as she slept. Her expression was calm and peaceful as she clung to him. He didn’t miss that she was mindful of his hand, careful not to put any weight on his injured side.

It was hard to explain how he felt as he stared at her in his arms, and if Caius were asked, he would be unable to put it into words. But he was certain he didn’t want this to end.

He brushed some strands of hair from her face, but it was simply an excuse to touch her. He didn’t need an excuse; he knew that. He could have her whenever he wanted, but somehow that didn’t hold as much appeal as it once did.