The King's Lover-Chapter 488: Crowned

Not long after the conversation with Welma, Rose was still nervous and anxious when she heard a knock on her door. It was two steady knocks, loud but not alarming. Rose jerked her head from the desk to the door, staring at it suspiciously.

She suspected Caius might be here, as she was already dressed for bed and the girls had no reason to return to her room tonight. However, she couldn’t be too cautious, especially at such a time.

Rose didn’t expect Caius to come through the front door, especially on the night he was crowned, but she couldn’t keep him waiting directly in front of her door for all eyes to see.

Besides, wasn’t it too early for him to be here? She expected the lords would want to celebrate until late. They had a new king now.

Unfortunately, there was no way to see who was out there except by opening the door. So, though she was worried, she had to rush to the door to unlock it. She pulled it just enough to let her see outside and peeked through the gap, just in case she had to quickly close it.

"Your Majesty..." a voice was saying. Rose recognized it. It was Mister Henry.

"You are dismissed, Henry," Caius cut him off just as he noticed the unlocked door.

"But Your Majesty, you can’t just—"

Caius opened the door wide enough for him to enter and shut it in poor Henry’s face, silencing the rest of his words. Rose took a step back so she could get a proper look at him, unable to hide her shock.

Caius was dressed in ceremonial clothes: a deep red, white, and gold mantle that hung off his shoulder and flowed onto the ground. White fur mixed with gold shimmers lined the edges of the mantle.

He had on a golden closed crown on his head and held a scepter in his right hand. The scepter was golden with a red gem at the top. The top of his crown had the same intricate golden shape as his scepter, and the red gem was placed in the same way.

"Your Majesty," Rose called in awe and bent her knees and head as low as she could go.

Caius ceremoniously lifted his scepter and tapped it on both sides of her shoulders. "Rise, my dearest."

"As Your Majesty pleases," she giggled and stepped forward, looking up at him with wide eyes.

Caius was King of Velmount now, and he looked very much like a king. She was unsure what else to say, so she just stared at him with sparkling eyes.

Caius stepped close enough for his mantle to touch her. "Do you like?" he asked as his eyes roamed her face.

Rose nodded, moving her eyes from his face to his chest and then back to his face. "Your Majesty looks swell, very handsome," she said with a grin.

At her compliment, Caius’s gaze on her face faltered, and he looked almost embarrassed as he spoke. "I am glad you approve."

Rose tried not to smile at his reaction to her compliments. He always reacted in this manner, and she wondered if she should compliment him more.

However, before she could speak again, Caius raised his hand to his head, lifted his crown, and placed it on her head. It was a loose fit, and the crown tilted to the side. Rose lifted her hand to her head, afraid that the crown would fall, but it held.

"It suits you," Caius said.

Rose laughed. "It’s oversized."

Her hair was the only reason the crown wasn’t on the floor. It was also heavier than she had thought; gold really did have a lot of weight. Rose couldn’t imagine how Caius must have felt wearing this the entire day, but he didn’t seem weary.

"We can make one your size," he simply said.

Rose was jolted out of her thoughts at his words. She tried to laugh, but it came out anxious. She tried not to think about the implications of what he had just said. "I don’t want a crown, Your Majesty. This is yours."

She took it off her head and, standing on her tiptoes, attempted to place it back on him, but she couldn’t reach. Caius, seeing her struggle, dipped his head so she could reach him more easily.

Rose adjusted the crown, making sure it sat firmly before taking a step back to look at him. "It suits you more," she announced with joy in her voice and a big smile on her face.

Caius lifted his scepter as though putting on a display for her, and Rose’s smile widened even more. Then he carefully placed his scepter on the nearest chair and took off his crown, placing it right next to the scepter.

Next, he gestured for her to come closer. "Help me out of this."

Rose stepped closer, standing right in front of him. She stood on her toes, and Caius stretched out his hand to grab her waist as she undid the band that held the mantle together.

It slipped off his shoulders, falling to the ground with a soft thud. Caius sighed and wiggled his shoulders, feeling relieved at the removal of the heavy mantle, but he still didn’t let go of her waist.

"Your Majesty," she called and tried to step back. "How did it go?"

His hand on her waist held firm. "It went well." He looked right into her eyes as he spoke. "I wish you were there."

"Well," she said and leaned in closer. "I don’t think I missed much, not with the show Your Majesty was nice enough to put on for me."

Rose couldn’t wish she were there for a lot of reasons, and one of them was the person who birthed the man in front of her. Rose was sure Queen Violeta was not the only one she had to worry about; other lords must surely disapprove of their relationship. There was no reason to anger more people.

Caius suddenly looked hesitant. He didn’t let her go, but his hold on her waist wavered.

"Your Majesty," Rose softly called and stretched out her hand to touch his face. "Is something wrong?"

He was still dressed in his doublet, pants, and boots, whereas she was dressed in a simple nightdress that was thin enough to feel every touch.

His hand behind her waist delicately moved around while he looked down at her face, and with his free hand, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Rose," he whispered. "Will you marry me?"