The King's Lover-Chapter 496: The Opposite

"Thank you, Lady Delphine," Rose said with a curtsy as she prepared to leave.

Lady Delphine had walked out the door of her manor with Rose by her side. She held her close the entire time, speaking softly to her and trying to encourage her about the decision she was about to make. It wasn’t until they got to the black carriage that Delphine let her go.

"You don’t have to thank me, Rose. I barely did anything."

Lady Delphine was dressed in a blue dress that emphasized her hips and her bosom. She held her pipe in her hand and occasionally took a puff. There was still some time before nightfall, and customers hadn’t started arriving yet.

"Still, your guidance is most appreciated, and most especially thank you for taking care of my father."

"That’s enough now, Rosie," she drawled, imitating the way her father occasionally called her. "You best be on your way, and I do hope you’ll pick the answer you want. Whatever complication there is can be fixed. Yes, things aren’t that simple, but most times it tends to be the opposite." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Rose nodded and smiled before she turned around and got into the carriage. Maximus followed after her and shut the door. She poked her head out the window and kept waving until the carriage went out the gates.

Only then did she sit back and think about all that had transpired today. Her father had given her a chance to leave everything and get away from the King, but she had declined. Lady Delphine had told her to say yes, but Rose didn’t want to do so.

However, one thing was certain: she couldn’t avoid this forever. She had to bring up her grievances. It wasn’t until recently that she started to feel as though her life wasn’t in danger if she angered him, but for it to turn to marriage this quickly felt unreal.

She turned her gaze to the window. The sky was a mix of colors as the sun slowly set—blue, orange, red, brown, gold, and if she squinted her eyes, she could almost see purple.

A sight it was—the setting sun.

Eventually, they arrived at the castle, and the carriage pulled up to the side entrance. Maximus was quick to exit the carriage and hold the door open for her to get out.

"Thank you," she mumbled in acknowledgement and he nodded.

Maximus led her without speaking to the Caius’ wing and guided her up the stairs. Rose couldn’t help but sigh in relief as she got to the door of her chambers without incident. It should be time for dinner now.

However, just before the door to her bedroom opened, Caira’s door opened and she stepped out. For a moment neither of them moved as they stared at each other.

Rose wondered if she knew her marriage was fake and that the King wanted to marry her. While Caira wondered if Rose was aware of what she had done. She didn’t particularly care about the mistress, but right now it was hard to suppress her moral compass.

"Your Majesty," Maximus’s greeting broke the stalemate, and Rose snapped out of her thoughts and curtsied accordingly.

"Lord Maximus," Caira said with a casual tone. It was clear she was familiar with him. Caira walked past them without glancing in Rose’s direction again.

With the princess’s back turned to them as she walked towards the stairs, Rose stood to her full height and turned the handle without a word to Maximus. She fled, shutting the door.

Rose didn’t like how she felt in the princess’s presence. She felt small, and the worst part was she knew the princess wasn’t trying to make her feel that way on purpose.

The way she felt in her presence was one-third the way she felt in the old Queen’s presence. Rose threw herself on the bed. Lady Delphine was right.

She closed her eyes as she lay in the most uncomfortable position, not caring that she was still dressed in the clothes she had worn outside. She needed to make a decision, one that would benefit her more.

Rose jerked as she heard a knock. She wasn’t too worried, as it was most likely her maids bringing her dinner. She forced herself out of bed and walked towards the door, but when she opened it, there were no trays in the sisters’ hands.

"Chelsy, Isla?" she called out, looking from one to the other.

"Rose," they called as they walked into the room, shutting the door behind them.

"Is something wrong?"

"I don’t think so," Isla was saying. "But Mister Henry told us to get you prepared and sent to the King."

"Prepared?" Rose asked in horror.

"Isla, don’t use words like that," Chelsy scolded. "Mister Henry said you will be dining with His Majesty tonight."

"Why?" she queried.

"I don’t know, but we are supposed to make sure you go to His Majesty’s room as soon as you arrive."

Rose frowned. She couldn’t possibly guess what the King was planning, but something told her it might have to do with the fact that he had asked her to marry him.

"Can I say no?"

The sisters looked at each other, then at Rose. "I do not know," Chelsy spoke, "but if you want me to tell Mister Henry you declined, I shall do so."

Rose sighed. "No," she replied. "It is fine."

It was best to get this over with. Stalling wouldn’t change the outcome or make the problem go away. She frowned as she recalled the encounter with Caira.

The maids moved to get her ready quickly. They got rid of her dark clothes and dressed her in something lighter. It wasn’t as heavy as the earlier dress, and Rose could easily sleep in it if she wanted to.

The dress they chose was a pale white dress with floral designs that exposed her shoulders. Her hair was lifted to draw more attention to her neck, which lay a simple gem necklace. Chelsy draped a black scarf over her shoulders to use while she made her way to the King’s room.

Rose didn’t know why she didn’t stop them. She could have opted for a dress that covered every inch of her, or better still, she could have declined his offer and kept him away from her room, but she didn’t do that.

Rose looked at herself one last time in the mirror, and she couldn’t help but admit how beautiful she looked. The maids had put powder on her face and color on her cheeks. Her lips were also slightly stained, and it made them appear fuller.

"You look so pretty," Isla commented with excitement.

"Yes," her sister agreed.

Rose smiled. "Thank you," she said to both of them.

"Would you like us to escort you?" Chelsy offered.

"Yes, please," she replied. It wasn’t that she was nervous, but she greatly appreciated the company, and she was glad Chelsy had thought to offer.