The King's Lover-Chapter 393: Her Lie

"Princess Caira, what are you—"

"Son!" A squeal echoed through the crowd.

Rose would recognize this voice even if she were deaf. It was the Queen, walking toward them. She moved slowly and purposefully, her head held high, her ladies-in-waiting surrounding her.

Rose couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed her until she spoke, as the Queen was just as flashy as she was loud. She was dressed in saffron yellow from head to toe, her dress clustered with flower patterns. Rose thought the dress would have been pretty if there wasn’t so much going on.

However, this was exactly the sort of thing the Queen would want to wear, especially when her long-lost son was returning. Nothing else would draw as much attention as this dress.

"My son," Queen Violeta called as she took Caius’s arm. Princess Caira moved to his other side, while Rose remained at the back.

"Come, son, we have much to discuss. You have been away for so long."

Queen Violeta pulled her son forward, refusing to give him the slightest chance to resist, making sure he completely forgot about Rose, who stood with her head bowed, doing her best to appear smaller.

Prince Rylen walked behind them as they ascended the stairs, and then Rose was truly alone. She wrapped her arms around herself, knowing she couldn’t dare go after them. Perhaps she wouldn’t even be able to enter through the front doors for the rest of the day.

"Rose." Thomas’s voice broke through her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

Rose laughed. It was a genuine one. She thought it was funny he would ask that after what had just happened. "Yes, Lord Thomas. I am fine, thank you for asking."

His lips pressed into a restrained line. It was obvious he didn’t believe her, but all Rose had was her lie. Besides, as she kept telling herself, this was exactly what she wanted. With his attention distracted, he might let her go.

"Shall I escort you to your chambers?" he offered.

Rose had half a mind to give the young man a hug. Who knew he could be a gentleman? She couldn’t hide her surprise at how far he had come. He had been such a stubborn, rude teenager; now he was a total gentleman. She couldn’t be more proud.

"Yes, please. And thank you."

They barely spoke as Thomas led her into the castle. As she had expected, he didn’t take her through the main entrance, but through a side passage—a path where she would avoid running into the party and reach her room safely without incident.

Rose was grateful for this. She didn’t think she could stomach their stares. One thing she was sure of was that she had been seen. Anyone who saw the Crown Prince must have seen her, yet the two women had acted as though she were invisible.

Those led her up a short, adjoining staircase to the royal apartments that directly led to her floor. Rose suddenly felt queasy as they arrived. She didn’t know exactly why, but she knew if she thought deeply about it, she would come up with a few reasons.

They arrived at her door, and Rose froze. She was truly back here. She sighed and turned the knob, but the door wouldn’t open. Rose tried again, but it was still the same issue. She was too mentally exhausted for this; all she wanted was to lie down and sleep.

She lifted her head to look at Thomas. Her gaze held both fear and tiredness. "It won’t open."

Thomas frowned and, gesturing for her to step back, tried the door himself. Sure enough, it didn’t open. His scowl worsened as he pondered what to do.

The hallway was empty; they had passed a few guards on the way, but right now the floor was clear. He looked left and right, and his scowl eased as he thought of something. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Come," he said and started walking upward. He stopped in front of the Crown Prince’s room, and Rose realized what was happening. "Stay here for now. I will fix this."

Rose wanted to protest, to say she couldn’t stay in Caius’s room, but the alternative was lingering in the hallway, and without Thomas to shield her, anyone could order her around. Rose nodded, and Thomas opened the door to let her in, shutting it behind her.

Rose stood by the door, feeling just as queasy as she had when they reached the floor. It took a moment for the feeling to pass. The room was no different from the last time she was here, except the fireplace was out and the windows were partially open.

Rose moved forward. She decided to pick one of the chairs by the fireplace, the one facing away from the door. She would stay there until Thomas brought her information; then she could go to her room.

Rose tried not to think about the princess, but occasionally her thoughts drifted, and she couldn’t help but recall how elegant she had looked. She also looked quite young.

She had expected that marriage preparations for the Crown Prince would start soon, but Rose hadn’t thought it would be this early. She wondered how long it would be until the wedding. If Queen Violeta had anything to do with it, Rose was sure it wouldn’t be long—and the Queen surely had everything to do with it.

Rose occasionally glanced at the door, but no one appeared. It had been some time, and things were still pretty quiet. Rose wrapped her arms around herself; she wanted nothing more than to lie down and get some sleep. Even though she had slept for the last part of the journey, she still felt exhausted and hungry. It was almost dinner time, and the last meal she had eaten was lunch.

Rose jumped as a knock resounded in the room. She sat stiffly, hearing the door open. She didn’t want whoever it was to notice her, especially if they were someone who would get her in trouble.

"Rose," Thomas’s familiar voice called as he looked around for her.