The King's Lover-Chapter 400: Screaming Thoughts

Rose was startled by a knock. The sisters had only left the room moments ago. They had spent more time arguing than getting any work done. Rose wasn’t angry about their behavior; it gave her some semblance of normalcy and helped her forget she was in a fancy castle with strict etiquette.

Eventually, they had finished and left. Rose still hadn’t eaten breakfast. She found she was not hungry; rather, she was filled with worry and anxiety.

She didn’t understand what the Crown Prince’s plan was, and she worried that, as always, she would be the one to suffer the consequences of his actions.

She remained in bed with the drapes drawn. If these were servants here to clean the room, Rose wasn’t sure this was a good hiding place, but at least for now she would be concealed.

She heard the sound of the door slowly opening and shutting. From the footsteps, it was clear someone was in the room. Rose held her breath; unfortunately, all she could do was try to stay hidden.

"Rose, I am here to take you to your room, on His Highness’s orders."

At the voice, Rose poked her head out immediately to see the butler, Mister Henry, standing beside the bed.

"Mister Henry," Rose greeted with enthusiasm.

But the old butler did not return her enthusiasm. "Rose," he simply said. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Rose understood that she should not act as though there was any familiarity between them. She simply nodded, but she didn’t attempt to step out, as the drapes kept her hidden. She was still only in her underclothes.

"My old room?" she asked with a frown. It had been locked the last she remembered.

"Yes. Move quickly. We have to go now."

"Please forgive me, Mister Henry, but I-I am not dressed appropriately."

"It doesn’t matter," the old man said. "The floor is empty. I am to get you to your old room as quickly as possible. Please, let us leave now."

Rose nodded and set aside her thoughts to obey. They had only just moved her things to the Crown Prince’s room, and now she was being returned to the room she had been kicked out of.

What was going on?

Henry didn’t speak as he led her out, and she knew better than to ask questions. The old man didn’t look like he wanted to be associated with her, and Rose couldn’t blame him. Still, she couldn’t help but feel alone and vulnerable especially dressed in such flimsy clothes, which reminded her of a distant memory.

When they got to the room, he opened the door to let her in. "Keep it locked and remain in here. Don’t dare step outside. Your belongings will be brought to you shortly."

Rose didn’t even get a chance to respond before the door was shut in her face. She blinked, facing the locked door, stunned. However, she understood that the butler’s reaction to her was influenced on many levels.

On one hand, he didn’t want to anger the Crown Prince; on the other, he was still under the Queen’s authority. As she thought about the Queen, Rose remembered she had been the one to lock her out, yet the door was open. The Crown Prince must have had something to do with it, but Rose could not see Queen Violeta easily agreeing.

She turned around and was greeted with an empty, dark room, a little light trickling from the cracks in the windows. But even the darkness couldn’t hide how empty it was.

She slowly made her way to the windows and pushed one open. She poked her head out, enjoying the view of the sun and the field of grass outside. If she poked her head out just a bit more and strained her neck to the left, she might just catch a glimpse of the garden.

Rose slipped back into the room before she could be seen, just as a knock was heard. She rushed to the door to find a distraught Isla with some of her belongings.

"I can’t believe we are rearranging all of this again."

Rose immediately felt sympathy for her. She knew the rest of the castle didn’t consider them her maids and they were also assigned other chores. "I’m sorry, Isla," Rose said as she opened the door a little more to let the poor girl in.

"Don’t apologize," she said with a pout, dumping the items on the nearest chair. "It’s not your fault. I am just tired." She ended with a forced laugh.

"I’m sure."

"My sister and Welma are still in the Crown Prince’s room unpacking. When we are done, we will start rearranging here."

Rose nodded and watched the younger girl leave her room, only for another knock to come moments later. When Rose opened the door, it was Welma.

There was a little stiffness in the air, but Rose broke it and stepped aside to let her in. She shut the door and stood beside it.

"I thought you wouldn’t return," Welma was the first to speak as she started putting things in place.

"As did I."

"I take it your escape plan didn’t go very well?"

Rose shrugged. "I wouldn’t be here then, would I? What do you know about the coming wedding?" She cut right to the chase. There wasn’t a lot of time before the sisters returned, and she needed as much information as she could get.

Welma paused what she was doing and looked at Rose. "Not much. Only that it is in four days, and the Queen is very serious about this."

"How is the Princess?" Rose asked. This question was irrelevant, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.

"Delightful," she said with a tight smile. "You should leave." She turned away before Rose could reply.

"You think I don’t know that!"

The door burst open and the two sisters flooded in. "I think we have everything. That didn’t take too long," Chelsy was saying.

"Yes, because the hard part is just beginning now," Isla replied, not hiding her exasperation.

"You should know better than to complain," her elder sister scolded.

Rose sat on the unmade bed as she watched them get to work, her thoughts screaming louder than Chelsy and Isla’s bickering.