"Maybe I should have pressed the doctor to at least check on Father while we were there. What if the physician is wrong and he is really sick?" Rose chewed her lip, her face awash with worry.
"His Majesty gets headaches like this occasionally. I would not worry deeply about it," Lady Caitlyn had noticed that the king's headaches were often directly tied with stress. He had experienced an exceptional one while Rose had been gone.
But neither or those pieces of information would help the princess, so Cait kept it to herself.
"We should take a small meal so you do not get a headache yourself, Your Highness. Shall I have one sent up to your suite?" Caitlyn offered.
"Yes, thank you." Rose began her slow walk to her room. If the king were unwell, there would be no court for her to attend that afternoon.
"And will Sir Samberg be joining us?" Caitlyn prodded.
Rose didn't seem to notice. "Yes, of course. How could you even ask such a thing?"
The lady in waiting hummed quietly, "Very good. I will make sure it is done presently."
Caitlyn glided down the hall in search of a servant, leaving Rose behind with Ethyn, Philip and two other soldiers of her entourage.
The fourth soldier had escorted the horses to the stable and had not returned. It was curious but not uncommon. Either he couldn't find them or he had received a new assignment at the stables. The result was the same.
Rose quickened her pace. The idea of retreating to her room was sounding better and better. So much had happened in the last couple of hours.
The man she adored had professed his devotion. The commander she feared now probably hated her. And the father she loved was fast asleep, unable to help.
It was enough for her to want to bury her head in a good book while she sorted through it all, but as Ethyn was accompanying her to her suite, that option seemed quite unlikely.
Part of her wanted to reach for his hand for comfort, but she did not want gossip added to her problems just now. For now, his encouraging smile was enough to bolster her until she reached her room.
After the longest walk of her life—at least that is how it felt—Rose was finally admitted to the comfort of her own chambers.
What once felt like a gilded cage now seemed like her only refuge. When just a few weeks ago she would have done anything to escape the walls, she now sought them with all of her being.
'My how quickly things have changed,' she thought when she was finally able to splash onto one of the couches. Philip dutifully checked the room before leaving Ethyn and Rose alone.
The knight eyed her carefully. They were alone, but he was suddenly very nervous. Out in the falls things were easy, but in the castle…they were anything but…
Fortunately Rose seemed less worried about such a thing inside her safe space. She motioned for him to sit beside her. Ethyn realized he was still in his armor and that his undergarments were quite wet. His once shiny outerwear was covered in grime.
"I should change." Ethyn bit the inside of his cheek.
"In a moment, please." Her plea melted any hesitation the man had.
The knight grabbed a blanket and placed it underneath himself to keep the couch clean. Then he let Rose rest her head on his shoulder. It had to have been uncomfortable but Rose didn't seem to care.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Ethyn asked tentatively.
"Not really. Only…did I make the right call?" While the princess was pretty sure she would make the same decision over again, Rose needed someone to confirm her choice.
"Do you trust Rabert?" Ethyn turned the question back on Rose.
"Yes," Rose answered easily. The Captain looked over her like a father or doting uncle.
"And we know better than to trust Borit…" the young man clicked his tongue as he spoke the other man's name. "So of course you should choose the judgment of the man who didn't try to kill you more than once as a child. It is what I would do at least."
Rose nodded. When Ethyn said it like that, it made complete sense. Though it was long ago and far away from her memories, the Commander had killed her parents. A man who massacred a whole village due to his own pride being damaged was never someone to trust.
Sighing, Rose felt like a weight had been lifted. She loved how the knight's words had evaporated her fears so easily. She wanted to thank him somehow.
"You are very kind, Ethyn. May I—may I give you this token of my affection?" Rose pulled the handkerchief from her waistband. It was damp from the falls and a bit soiled. "I know it is a little silly but…"
The knight snatched the cloth eagerly from her hand and brought it to his face. The delicate square had not only touched the woman's skin, but had absorbed her scent. He could think of no better gift.
"It is perfect." He gripped the handkerchief tightly, unwilling to let it be marred by his dirty clothes and armor. "I do wish I had something to give you to remember my affection…"
Rose blushed. "You already did beneath the falls."
"Perhaps I should refresh your memory?" Ethyn didn't want to push his luck, but the princess was incredibly irresistible. Her small smile told him that she seemed to be having a similar idea.
He leaned toward her, but at that moment the door flew open and Caitlyn came bustling in. The couple instinctively went flying apart, unwilling to let the prim lady find them in such a compromised state.
"Luncheon will be brought up shortly, Your Highness," Caitlin informed her mistress with a neutral expression.
"Thank you, Lady Cait," Rose tried to match her tone, but the airiness in her voice was hard to disguise.
The blonde woman flicked her eyes between the two people in the room and shook her head slightly.
"What?!" They both asked, suddenly self-conscious.
"I can explain," Rose chirped, feeling quite guilty under Caitlyn's gaze.
"I should hope so! At least Sir Samberg had the decency to place something under himself before being seated. The fabric will circle when it dries if I don't get someone to clean it properly and you will both catch a cold if you don't change out of those damp clothes!"
"Oh, that… I was waiting for you to help…" The princess looked down sheepishly at her clothes. They were no longer pristine like when she had left and the cushion underneath her would likely need to be changed.
"Well I am here now," Caitlyn put her hands in front of her and folded them. "Sir Samberg, if I may be so bold, I also recommend you get changed before the food arrives. It would not do to eat luncheon while soaked…"
Ethyn started to object that he wasn't that damp when he leaned and heard the squelching sound of water.
"Perhaps you are right. Please excuse me, Your Highness. My lady," Ethyn stood and bowed, another sloshing sound rang out from somewhere in his armor. He exited quickly before he could embarrass himself further.
"Come now," Caitlyn ushered her mistress into her her bedroom. "Let's get out changed out of those damp things."
As soon as the door to the main room shut, the lady's face changed dramatically. Caitlyn squealed softly, her eyes full of stars.
"Tell me everything!!!"