The King's Lover-Chapter 418: Too Many Questions

"If it isn’t Galdoris, then who is the right kingdom?" Rose asked as she settled into bed. She pulled the covers over herself and turned to look at Caius.

He joined her in bed and pulled her against him. "I didn’t realize you were that interested in my tale," he said as he felt her up, his hand moving from her stomach upwards.

Rose froze. "I don’t like incomplete stories, Your Majesty," she managed to force the words out as he grabbed her breast and pressed his body against her.

"Hmm," he replied and kissed her neck, his hands moving as they liked.

Rose tried her best not to smack him. How was he already distracted? "Your Majesty," she called.

Caius took his time before speaking, then reluctantly said, "Wresthal."

"Wresthal?" Her voice filled with shock.

Rose pulled away from Caius’s grasp and turned so she could see his face. The latter didn’t seem very pleased about this new position.

"Why? They have no reason to be against us." Her brows furrowed as she thought deeply about this.

Caius met her eyes and held her gaze. "They have plenty. Galdoris didn’t just want to marry off Queen Catherine to King Vodnik to form an alliance; rather, it was Vodnik’s condition to agree to an alliance."

Rose’s eyes widened and the wheels in her head spun. The late Queen Catherine didn’t care about all these things and had instead married the late king. Both sides felt betrayed, and with the King’s illness, they have the perfect opportunity to seek revenge.

They had two kingdoms that were still able to maintain an alliance, and both had contention with Velmount. One had a known alliance with Velmount, while the other wasn’t hiding its hostility, even going so far as to attack a kingdom. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Could they be working together?" Rose asked.

Caius’s eyes widened briefly, then he smiled. "You’re not far off," he replied. "But for now, we don’t have enough evidence to indicate this."

Rose frowned; something wasn’t adding up. "But you are convinced Galdoris is the wrong kingdom to start a war with. They have been obviously antagonizing us, while Wresthal has done nothing wrong. Also, why do the lords want a war now? If it is because of Redhill, that happened too long ago to want a war now."

Caius looked as though he might kiss her but was content with tucking her hair behind her ears. "The bandits," he replied.

Rose’s stomach churned as she immediately pieced the information together. The bandits wouldn’t have been enough reason to start a war, but they almost killed the crown prince—which was partly her fault—and Queen Violeta had wanted her beheaded for it.

Attacking the heir to the throne was certainly enough motive for the lords to declare war, and she was certain they still held grudges over the attack on Redhill. However, the crown prince seemed convinced it wasn’t the Galdorians.

"Why do you think Wresthal was behind the bandits’ attacks? It could be Galdoris all over again."

"Poison," he replied. "You see, Father thought it would be a good idea for me to go to Wresthal, so after spending four years with mercenaries, he sent me to Wresthal for three years, and anyone who has been in Wresthal knows no other nation deals in poison as they do."

Caius finally said "Father," but his tone was enough to pull at Rose’s heartstrings. "Do you hate your father?"

Caius frowned; he didn’t appreciate the change of topic, but he knew better than to avoid it. "I have never really thought about it."

Rose sighed; no matter the situation, she would never say those words. But if the crown prince wasn’t outrightly saying he hated his father, there was still a chance.

"Was there a reason he sent you there?" she asked.

"He once had to go there on his father’s orders when I was five." Caius frowned as he recalled that was when it all started, and to think his own father would send him to the same place he hated.

"Why?" she asked.

"I don’t know exactly, but I think it was the condition for the alliance, and my father required me to do the same." Caius frowned as though he recalled something unpleasant.

"Is it an odd condition?" she asked.

"Not really; meeting with future kings of a nation you have or want to form an alliance with is pretty normal."

"Why then did you have to spend three years there?"

The rumors that the crown prince had been abroad for years weren’t exactly a lie; it was more like half-truths. But Caius didn’t seem happy about the time he spent there, and she could remember him telling her not to worry when he was attacked by the bandits, as he had handled tougher poisons.

"Aren’t you asking too many questions, Rose?" He pulled her closer to himself before she could reply and covered her lips with his.

When he pulled away, Rose’s face was red and her breathing came out in pants. "I am sorry, Your Majesty. I didn’t realize I was asking too much."

"Don’t apologize," he replied. "I don’t mind the questions. I quite like it. I just have something else on my mind right now." His hand pulled her nightdress upwards, and he slid a hand underneath, caressing as he inched upward.

Rose’s eyes widened. "Your Majesty, right now?" Wasn’t he talking about something traumatic?

"Hmm," he said and grabbed her rear from underneath her dress. "Do you have a better idea, my dear?"

Rose yelped and shook her head. He was sneaking in that term of endearment, a little too often. Rose didn’t understand his actions, especially the conversation they just had.

He smiled and pulled her dress over her head, and Rose couldn’t help but wonder if she should wear something less revealing the next night, but she knew better than anyone that it wouldn’t make much difference to Caius.

He tossed her nightdress aside, and his eyes glimmered as he stared at her body. He had seen it countless times, and each time he still had the same lustful expression; Rose might even say it had worsened.