'Summoned?' Rose was surprised by the word. In all her years at the palace, she had been asked, requested, and occasionally politely begged to appear before the king. But never summoned.
Something was very off. The princess swallowed. 'That's a very official word.' What had the king found out that would make him act towards her in a kingly capacity?
Straightening her back, Rose did not allow the servant to see her discomfort. "Lady Caitlyn, we have been summoned to see His Majesty."
"Just you," the servant winced at the correction. But he clearly would rather be in trouble with the princess than the reigning monarch. "King Rhodri only mentioned wanting to see you."
"Thank you for the information, but he knows that Lady Cait always accompanies me. He must not have mentioned her because he just assumed her presence. I thank you for your service." Rose dipped her head and swept past the servant with Caitlyn following closely behind.
As Sir Ethyn was not present, Philip and another guard quickly scurried in line to keep the princess safe on her journey. The servant who was already on the stairs pressed himself up against the wall to avoid the procession as they passed.
"What do you think the king knows?" Caitlyn whispered under her breath as they marched through the halls.
"If I had to guess, Borit complained about my not letting his troops in. Though I am not sure why that would cause father to summon me so early in the morning. Unless the commander embellished the tale. Because it was a military matter, he could force the king's hand into a formal inquiry. That would be...unpleasant." Rose clenched her jaw.
She had seen the Commander bring down men with such inquiries. While he couldn't do anything to punish the princess formally, dragging her name through the mud would further alienate her from the nobility and might cause Rhodri to have to reconsider when or even if the princess should rule.
Not that the King could be so easily swayed, but Rhodri would be hard pressed to go against all of the nobility and hope to keep Rose safe.
Her steps suddenly felt heavy. Still, Rose pressed forward. Surely anything was better than what she was imagining right now.
'The kingdom won't fall apart just because I denied a few soldiers entry to the castle. I should be more worried about Rabert…'
The Princess's fear shifted to the Captain. Borit could not accuse her of treason, but since Rabert had been the one to thwart the Commander, things could go very differently for him.
Rose could not let any harm come to the man she held in such high regard. Rabert had protected her more than once. Without hesitation, the princess was willing to do the same.
Her heart beating wildly, Rose finally turned the last corner outside the king's chambers.
Rabert was standing outside the door with his hand on his sword. His gaze was ever forward, as if he did not see the approaching group.
A smile bloomed on the princess's face. If he was outside the room, that meant he wasn't in the dungeon or dead. The princess wanted to call out to him, but then she saw the stern look on his face. He was clearly troubled.
"Rabert?" She asked softly as she neared. "Are you alright?"
The stalwart Captain of the Guard glanced at the princess sympathetically. "I appreciate your concern, Your Highness. I am well. I will not delay your appointment with His Majesty."
There was something in his formality that told Rose he needed to keep his distance. She sensed it was for her own good. Perhaps he didn't want her to accidentally say something that she would regret.
After opening the door, the Captain allowed Rose to enter before blocking Caitlyn's path. "I was advised that the princess should enter alone."
The two ladies exchanged a look. When the servant had said it, the princess obviously thought he was mistaken. Yet, Rabert was clearly not confused.
"I will wait out here," Caitlyn assured her mistress. "Don't worry about me."
Rose gave a small nod, her heart a drum in her chest. "Princess," Rhodri called from inside his chambers.
Reluctantly Rose turned around and felt the door close behind her. Her father was alone, sitting in an armchair. The red fabric, high back and curved armrests made it heavily resemble a throne. Maybe it had been one at one point or just served as one in Rhodri's chambers.
The king was dressed in his finery. Although there was no formal crown in his head, he wore a small circlet that showed his station. A purple robe was draped across his shoulders.
Rose's feeling had been correct. This was a formal inquiry. At least Rhodri had decided to conduct it privately and early before any court members would be present in the castle. Hopefully they could deal with the whole mess quietly.
The king's face was a mix of anger, fear, doubt, compassion and resolve. How all the emotions could co-exist was beyond Rose's understanding, but she had known him long enough to read his moods.
"You summoned me, Your Majesty?" Rose matched the king's tone.
"I did." Rhodri gave an ever so slight nod. His eyes studied her carefully, searching for something.
"I can explain," Rose blurted. "When I returned from my morning ride, Commander Borit and Captain Rabert looked ready to come to blows over the soldiers at the gate. You were asleep, and I did the best I could with the information I had. Please do not blame the Captain for what happened. If it was the wrong decision then it was completely my fault."
Rhodri raised one eyebrow. Clearly this was not the monologue he was expecting. "We can talk about that later. The Captain is not in any trouble though, I assure you."
Despite the words of comfort, the king looked pained. The skin on Rose's arm tingled. If they weren't here about yesterday's disagreement, then why was the king behaving this way?
"Does your head still hurt?" Rose came forward and touched the king's hand. "I knew you were more sick than the doctor let on!"
"It is my heart that hurts, my dear. And that is why I had to summon you here." Rhodri removed his hand from below hers and placed it on his chest.
'His heart?' Rose blinked a couple of times in shock. 'Usually an inquiry would not involve feelings unless...'
"Is this about my morning ride with Sir Ethyn?" she hazarded a guess.
The king's expression darkened slightly. "Is there something I should know about that ride?"
The princess shifted uncomfortably. "Nothing bad, father! In fact, it is very good news."
Perhaps the king had gotten bad information about her ride and was concerned. If she could allay his worry, maybe whatever was bothering him would no longer be an issue.
"Sir Ethyn and I went on a ride past the Falls of True Love. He professed his love for me...and...I think I feel the same way." Rose blushed heavily. "I wanted you to know yesterday when it happened."
"I see." The king pinched the bridge of his nose.
Rose furrowed her brow. "Are you sure you do not have a headache, Father? I can call the doctor."
"Where did you go on when you left the palace?" Rhodri asked carefully.
"I told you I went to the falls..." Rose pressed her lips together. Was the king losing his memory?
The king looked up, his piercing eyes boring a hole in Rose's soul. "Not yesterday. When you ran away, where did you go?"
He paused, and when she did not immediately answer, he continued, his voice stern.
"Did you go to Rynnlee?"