The King's Lover-Chapter 436: Insensitive
A muscle twitched in Caius’s jaw as he stared down at her, and his hands by his sides flexed as if he wanted to touch her but wouldn’t allow himself. There was a strained look on his face, and his hair was a mess from where he had run his fingers through it multiple times.
His gaze was fixed on her face, as though he were searching for something, but anger was clear as day, and there was a little bit of disbelief.
Rose could hear her heart slamming against her rib cage, and the fact that he didn’t do or say anything but just stared at her as he stood merely two inches away made her more stressed.
She dropped her gaze and grabbed the bag, feeling the silence ring in her ears. Why wouldn’t he say anything? she wondered, her free hand pressing against her chest.
She was used to when he said exactly what he wanted. She didn’t know how to deal with the silence, it made her fear the worst and she could think of several things he could do if he was angry enough.
"You didn’t want to come back?" Caius finally asked after what felt like forever.
It sounded like an accusation; his tone made it sound as though she had committed a grave crime. It annoyed her, and she could feel her fear slowly peel away as anger poked its head up.
"I thought it would be safer for me to stay away from the castle, with everything that is going on," she replied, her grip on the bag tighter now, but not because she was scared.
"Do you think I can’t keep you safe?" He still had that accusatory tone, but now his anger was more obvious, and Rose couldn’t understand how he would dare get angry.
Rose took a deep breath and lifted her head one more time. He was still staring at her in that manner, with that look she couldn’t quite place. Rose couldn’t help but think about how their uncomfortable conversations usually went.
She didn’t think the crown prince was ready to listen to her. He had a nasty habit of shutting her down when he didn’t like what she was saying, and her first instinct was to defend herself, but Rose was emotionally exhausted and tired of being tossed around like a pawn in this game of his. She didn’t understand why she had to go through all this; it felt as though she was being punished for a crime she didn’t commit.
"No, Your Majesty—and certainly not with everything going on," Rose stated.
He hadn’t been able to protect her from his mother. If the princess and his mother decided to get rid of her, Rose didn’t think she stood a chance against their combined forces. Staying away from the castle was the best option for her.
Caius looked genuinely hurt. "I can protect you."
Rose thought it sounded like a child insisting they could do something when they clearly could not. "I don’t think so, Your Majesty, and even if you could, it doesn’t change the fact that my presence here would only make things worse."
"I don’t want you to leave," Caius said and grabbed her arms.
He was being dismissive of her actual complaints and was once again focusing on what he wanted. Rose scoffed; she couldn’t help it. Her anger at his dismissal easily overshadowed her fear.
"You’re in luck, Your Majesty, because I can’t even leave this room!"
Caius visibly flinched at her outburst, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t believe he wasn’t willing to let her stay outside the castle even for one night. She couldn’t believe she had to explain to him what the issue was.
"You’re angry with me. Did you really want to stay with Lady Delphine that much?"
Rose looked at him with disappointment. It was impossible; he would never understand her situation, her powerlessness. It was infuriating. This was a conversation that was bound to leave her emptier than before.
She pulled her hands away from his grip. He seemed reluctant to let her go, and she was only able to successfully free one hand.
"I am not angry at you, Your Majesty. What difference would that make anyway? You will still do as you wish."
"What would you have me do then?" He sounded as though he might break. He seemed genuinely confused.
Rose had never snapped, she clearly understood the difference in their social standing. Agreeing to what the crown prince wanted was the best way to keep her head and that of her father’s on their necks.
"You know exactly what I want."
"Why do you have to leave?" he questioned.
Rose didn’t know if she should be happy that he knew what she wanted or be annoyed that he would even ask this question.
"I’d like to go home to my father, and you’re married. You should be with your wife."
"And where will that leave you?" he asked.
Rose was in disbelief. Did he just insinuate that he was keeping her around for her sake? "Your Majesty has no reason to worry. I will be with my father."
"Stay with me, Rose," he whispered.
"Why?" she asked, frustrated. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
"Do you still not get it?"
Caius wasn’t one to talk about his feelings, and even right now he didn’t understand it himself. He was just convinced that there was no one else he wanted other than the woman in front of him, and he was willing to do anything to keep her by his side.
"Get what?"
Rose, on the other hand, didn’t understand this. She couldn’t comprehend why the crown prince was willing to put her through so much. He already had his revenge, surely. At this point, it was ridiculous to want to keep her any longer.
He was married and busy with the kingdom. He should have no time to attend to her, to even tutor her. It was nice to go along with his whims because then she wouldn’t have to think about the debilitating mess she was in.
Besides, as long as he was happy he could live for a little longer but there was no end in sight and there was only so much her little self could take.
"My marriage matters not. It is merely a minor inconvenience that I only have to bear for some time."
Rose could scarcely believe the words that left Caius’s lips. Was that what he thought about his union with the princess? Nothing but a minor inconvenience? It would explain why he treated the princess in this manner.
Rose almost laughed at this thought process. She should have expected nothing less from someone like the crown prince. He had shamelessly taken her just days before her marriage. Of course, he didn’t consider marriage to be a sacred union.
"I don’t think your wife would be pleased to hear that," Rose said and tried to pull his hands away from her, but he wouldn’t let go.
Caius felt there was a disconnect between them, but he couldn’t understand what he was doing wrong. He had told her as explicitly as one could about how much he wanted her to stay with him, but Rose didn’t want any of that, and that gnawed at him deeper than anything else could.
Every time she refused him, it felt as though there was a tight grip around his heart that refused to let go. It was unbearable, and Caius wasn’t quite sure how to remedy this.
"She’s not important," You are.
Rose slowly shook her head. He didn’t think his wife was important, and to say that about the princess without a hint of remorse was something Rose couldn’t fathom.
"Well, since Your Majesty has no intention of letting me go home to my father, would you please let me go so I can get to bed? I had a rough day."
"No," Caius stated.
Rose blinked in shock. "What? Why?"
"I fear you’re angry at me."
"What? Does that matter?" Rose felt like she was on a swing of emotions but instead of moving back and forth it was spinning her in circles.
"It does, and if it would make you any better, I will ask Thomas to escort you out of your room tomorrow. You may go wherever you want. You do not have to worry about anything."
"What? I am not angry that I am locked up," Rose said in exasperation. "I am angry that you won’t let me go."
Besides, just how insensitive was the crown prince? What was anyone going to think when they saw his mistress parading the castle walls? She couldn’t believe he would suggest that.
"And I said I couldn’t. I don’t want to."
"Why do you get what you want and I don’t?" Rose asked. Conversations with Caius exhausted her, it didn’t matter what she said, he only understood what he wanted to.
"Because you don’t hate it here. I would hate it if you weren’t with me."
