The Forgotten Princess Rose-Chapter 252

"You didn’t need to do this," said Rose.

Zayne threw the cloth he used to clean her back into the bowl of water that was starting to turn cold. "It would have been uncomfortable for you to sleep like that," he answered.

Rose was grateful for him thinking of wiping off what little sweat she had and changing the sheets beneath them. She could save herself from some embarrassment in the morning.

Rose looked at the jug which was meant to have water to drink if they needed some in the middle of the night. It was empty.

Zayne noticed her looking there. "I will refill it with water and bring some food for you. There might just be some fruits around or they might have left dinner out for us. I’ll be back soon," he said, leaning forward to kiss her goodbye before he stood up.

Rose stayed on the bed, watching as Zayne took the jug. She wanted to join him but she was too tired to move. One day she had to be the one to tidy the room in place of Zayne and perhaps clean him.

She blushed as she thought of Zayne’s interest in the garden. She should have known he was up to something when he commented on wanting to see her lying on a bed of pretty flowers. He was filling her with all these wild thoughts that scared her at first but then she was intrigued.

"What is becoming of me?" Rose whispered. She was slowly changing because of Zayne.

Outside the room, Zayne walked downstairs to the kitchen to get Rose’s water.

Something small caught his eye on the table where letters were placed for him to read.

Zayne stopped to look at the letter which carried his brother’s seal. He crumpled up the paper after reading what was written.

Gage was doing the same crap he always did when Zayne came home but this time he was out of line. The way the letter was written came off like Gage was having fun calling him to the palace to speak about another trip he needed to take.

Zayne knew his brother would want to use him again and before Rose, he wouldn’t mind going away from home but it is different now. He couldn’t just up and leave Rose already. He only had his mother to watch over her and there was much she had to know about Rose.

His brother was normally more sensible than this but it just so happened that each time he came back with a victory Gage acted like this. Zayne would be kind to stay at home while his brother went out to fight but as always the court would call it a plot for Gage to go out and die then Zayne would take the throne.

Zayne took the balled-up letter with him to the kitchen to throw away.

It was unavoidable that he had to go to the palace to end Gage’s plans before he started to pull Rose into this.

***

The next day, Zayne arrived at the palace in a foul mood. This wasn’t how he wanted to spend his second day with Rose but luckily, she was busy looking around the estate and the garden again.

"Why was I called to join you today? Each time you meet with your brother early in your return the two of you fight. I don’t want to be the one who has to pick between pulling you off the king or letting you beat him. Please send me back," Finn said, needing Zayne’s order to go home. "I can keep Rose busy."

"Not after you told her about going to her and leaving me," Zayne replied.

Finn backed away from Zayne. "That was just a joke and she wasn’t your wife then. If you fight the king, I will just turn blind for a few minutes and if you start to lose, I’ll still be blind so you don’t need to be worried about being embarrassed in front of me."

Zayne regretted calling for Finn instead of Liam. It was only due to Finn once spending a lot of time in the palace as his tutor partner that he brought him along. Finn spoke to Gage more than any of the other soldiers.

’I have a bad feeling about this,’ Finn thought. He expected Zayne to ignore all requests from the palace to come here and stay home with Rose yet Zayne surprised him by showing up.

"Prince Zayne. The king is busy-"

"Out of the way," Zayne instructed the guards. "The king isn’t busy. He’s hiding like a coward."

"I apologise for this. You won’t get in trouble if you pretend he scared you or pushed you out of the way," Finn advised the guard.

Zayne entered his brother’s private quarters.

"Brother!" Gage greeted Zayne with open arms. "Still barging into places without getting permission first. That hasn’t changed but I’m told your interest in marriage has changed. I want to congratulate you but I am having a hard time believing you went and got yourself a wife."

"Finn," Gage turned to the smaller man behind his little brother. He dropped his arms since Zayne was not going to return the hug. "Is it true that he found himself a wife? Were you there at the wedding?"

"It’s true and I was, my king. I have never seen the prince happier than he was on his wedding day. His wife is a wonderful and kind woman," Finn answered. He looked down at the floor to avoid locking eyes with the king.

"Is that so?" Gage smiled, facing Zayne again. "I had a good list of women carefully prepared for you and you go off to marry the daughter of a lord from another kingdom. Something feels off here and strangely, I am the only one noticing it. Why did you marry this woman?"

"I don’t need to tell you why I did. What you need to know is to find someone else in my place. I am not leaving my wife so soon," Zayne said, not sharing the same humour as Gage who laughed.

"I don’t have anyone else, Zayne. It can’t be helped that I only have you to send out at this time. You have a better chance at bringing us all the glory. Don’t you hear how the kingdom chants your name?"

"I don’t give a fuck about your jealousy. I am not leaving my wife so save yourself the trouble and stop sending me letters. Find someone else," Zayne repeated.

"I love you brother, but the way you speak to me at times gets under my skin. Tell me, who was present to see that you consummate the marriage?" Gage inquired.