Rose stiffened in her seat. The man's request was simple and yet immensely complicated.
'Does he know the falls have special meaning?'
For the Falls of True Love, the place Ethyn had just invited her to explore, was not just a place named by some hopeless romantic. It had a long history and tradition.
The myth went all the way back to the first king of Birle. Having formed the country after a long and tiresome war, the king had retired to build the palace and set up his kingdom in peace. But the palace was empty without a queen.
So once it was completed, the lonely monarch had gone out to plead with the Maker for an answer to his problem. After looking through every maiden that was of marriageable age, the king had not found the one his heart desires.
The king fell into despair. In the end, he found himself in the cove exhausted and downtrodden. Some stories said he had come to drown himself while others state he was just looking for a drink to refresh himself.
Either way, out of the waterfall strode a beautiful woman unlike any he had ever seen. The king instantly fell in love and took her home to be his bride. In the story, they lived happily ever after.
And thus, the Falls of True Love were named. By tradition, those who passed under the falls were destined to have a life together full of love.
'Silly name and silly tradition,' Rose balked. 'The poor woman was likely just there to take a bath and became a queen instead!'
But it was not silly to the people of Burke. They took the story very seriously.
What would the soldiers think if they saw her enter the cove with Ethyn. Even if the green-eyed man did not know the lore, surely they did.
Every other time a knight had offered, Rose had politely declined.
But even if Rose felt like declining now, she feared the question the knight might ask: why? The princess would not lie to him; she had come out here to be honest with him, after all.
So telling the knight that she did not want to go to a place notorious for love matches might give him the wrong message. He would assume Rose was rejecting him. In the end, her fear of being misunderstood by Ethyn won out over the soldier's inevitable gossip.
"I suppose we can take a look," she said as noncommittally as she could. "Philip!"
Out from the dense forest, the stalwart soldier appeared on horseback. "Here, Your Highness."
"As he has not been this way before, Sir Ethyn would like to do a little exploring on foot. Could you and the other men check out inside and around the falls to make sure it is secure?"
If Philip thought anything of the woman's words, he did not show it. He saluted and gave a sharp whistle using two fingers.
The other three men gathered and they all went scouring the area on foot.
The knight and princess waited patiently, if not reluctantly.
"I did not realize it would be a big deal. If I had known it would cause some trouble, I would not have suggested it." Ethyn rubbed the back of his neck.
"Nonsense. It is fine. It should only be a moment longer. That is assuming that they do not find anything…" Rose's voice trailed off.
The soldiers were approaching, but they were not alone. Noticing this, Ethyn placed his hand on his sword.
"You don't need to worry," Rose said gently. "They are harmless, I can assure you."
The man and woman walked sheepishly in the company of the four soldiers before falling to their knees before Belle. The horse took a step back, confused by the action.
"Forgive us, Your Highness!" The man begged. "It is all my fault. Please do not punish Ava for my foolishness!"
"No, Your Highness, I was a willing participant in the trespassing. Whatever judgment you give, please give it to us both." The young lady, Ava, gently took the man's hand even as her head was bowed.
Rose studied them contemplatively for a long time. She hummed softly. "You seem very well suited for one another, don't you?"
The couple hazard to look up at the royal. While her mouth was pressed into a firm line, her eyes were smiling.
"One of my men will escort you to the edge of the forest. If you promise never to come on the king's land again, I shall forget I ever saw you." The princess gave a short nod to punctuate her point.
"Thank you, Your Highness. May you be blessed by the Maker for your mercy!" The young man bowed over and over.
Ava joined him in the praise. "Our first child will be named in your honor!"
The two stole a glance at one another.
'Already dreaming about a family…' Rose pulled back her own thoughts as they started to wander.
"I do wish you both all the happiness in the world." The princess meant what she said. Everyone should be able to find their little bit of paradise. Two people finding love only added to the world. It in no way detracted from her.
In fact, she did hope to be joining them in finding her own happiness soon. 'Don't get ahead of yourself,' Rose reined in her rouge thoughts again.
She did not hear the final compliments of the two grateful peasants, but Rose was sure they were just as flattering as the one before. "Yes, thank you." Dipping her head, Rose waved them away.
Philip directed one of the soldiers to mount his horse and escort them, leaving only the princess and knight with the three troops to guard them.
"I must say I am a little shocked, Your Highness." Ethyn's eyes twinkled. "I had no idea you wanted to have so many children."
"What?" Rose furrowed her brow.
"That woman's last blessing. She hoped you had a dozen beautiful children. 'Unless, of course. Do you want more, Your Highness?'..." Ethyn mimicked Ava's soft, airy voice.
The princess bit her lip as she realized that she had answered affirmatively. "I..I wasn't listening," she admitted, looking away.
"Oh? I don't know whether to be relieved or disappointed." Ethyn winked.
"Wha--what do you mean?" Rose stammered. Why should he care about how many children she bore?
"A good number of children ensures a strong future for the kingdom, but so many would be difficult to raise. Though if anyone could do it, I have no doubt it would be you." The knight swung down from his horse and handed the reins to Philip.
Rose pulled at her braid. "With the right person by my side, I might actually consider it."
"You say it like you've already found him," Ethyn teased. With one powerful stride he was at her side with his arms outstretched, an invitation for her to dismount.
"And what if I have?" Rose countered his musings with her own. Would Ethyn feel jealousy from her words?
Instead the man showed an entirely different emotion. As she allowed herself to be lowered to the ground, her eyes locked with the green-eyed knight.
"If you have found the one your heart desires," Ethyn answered, "then I hope he knows just how blessed he is."
Rose liked the way he looked at her. It was full of kindness and affection, but was it love? She wasn't sure. So at last she settled for the most honest answer she could give. "Me too."