She had seen them, tangled in each other's arms, and now Rosaline had no idea how to feel. After learning that Lucian had gone to the quarters, she had raced after him, only to meet his arms wrapped around his squire. She had just caught a glimpse of it before retreating behind the door.
It made sense to Rosaline now, why she wasn't very comfortable with this squire the moment she laid eyes on him. She had sensed it, an underlying chemistry between the two. However, she didn't think it was anything romantic, but now she was halfway convinced that they might have something going on. But then again, didn't they just meet? Could she just be overthinking everything?
"I..I was looking for you.." Rosaline stammered her response. She could still picture the scene she had just witnessed, and the confusion was tearing at her. However, she did her best to keep her composure. Jumping to conclusions wouldn't help her in any way. Lucian would never belittle himself to such an extent, she must have been hallucinating.
Lucian studied her face, sensing that something was off. He knew it was probably because of how he left back at the courtyard, but he still decided to inquire of what was troubling her.
"Is everything all right?" he asked, concern creeping into his tone. "You seem... upset."
Rosaline shook her head, forcing a smile. "No, I'm fine. Really. I just—" She paused, searching for an excuse. "I just wanted to talk. About... the engagement.."
Lucian rolled his eyes inwardly at the sound of the word engagement. The problem wasn't Rosaline, she was beautiful, and he would accept her to be his bride anytime, any day. But now just wasn't the time. He had a lot of things he wanted to do, and marriage would prevent him from all of the adventures in his head. The last thing he wanted was to marry her and abandon her at home afterwards.
"Can we talk about this later?" He asked, his voice soft but firm. Lucian didn't want to hurt Rosaline, but the weight of everything happening around him made the idea of discussing their engagement feel so draining. "There's a lot going on right now, and I'm not sure I'm in the right headspace for that conversation."
Rosaline's forced smile faltered for a moment before she quickly recovered, nodding in understanding. "Of course, I didn't mean to push you," she replied, though a pang of disappointment struck her inside.
Just then, Simon walked out of the room, surprised to see the two standing outside his door. He had been hearing voices, but this wasn't exactly a private quarter. The maids and guards also lived here, just inside a much better room.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt—"
"It's fine, you were not interrupting. Are you ready to leave?" Lucian interjected before Simon had the chance to finish his apology.
"Yes, I am." Simon answered with a light smile and a nod of his head. His eyes slowly drifted towards the lady standing by the prince, and as always her energy was off. She had that threatening glare in her eyes, and Simon was yet to figure out why she hates so much without even knowing anything about him.
"You're going somewhere? With him?" Rosaline asked, her brows raised in curiosity and concern. "I want to come with you two." She declared without even waiting for the first question to be answered.
"Yes, it's for something important, and you cannot come with us. It's far too dangerous for you." Lucian replied, shutting the idea completely. There were already a lot of risks attached to him going to Beggar's Row, inviting Rosaline along would just make things worse for them. She didn't know how to defend herself, and if they should get attacked, she would likely be a liability to all of them.
Rosaline's eyes narrowed slightly, a mixture of disappointment and frustration flickering in them. She had no idea where they were heading to, but she didn't want to leave Lucian alone with Simon, ever! "Dangerous? You think I can't handle myself?" she asked, her voice sharper than she intended. "I'm not some delicate flower that needs constant protection, Lucian. I can be of help."
Lucian sighed, running a hand through his hair. He hadn't meant to upset her further, but he also couldn't let her come along. The risks were too high, and he couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her. "No, you'll stay here. Beggar's Row is no place for a woman, especially not a noble—"
"And it's a place for him?" she countered before Lucian could properly finish his sentence, her eyes darting to Simon. He looked lean and weak, what could he possibly do to protect Lucian? She had taken self defense classes as a little girl, and she was almost confident that she would outmatch Simon in a fight.
The boy in question shifted uncomfortably under Rosaline's gaze. The last thing he wanted was to get involved in their drama. He wasn't aware of what their relationship with each other was currently, and it would be rude of him to jump to conclusions. He opened his mouth to speak, to perhaps suggest that he stay behind, but Lucian cut him off.
"Simon is from the area," Lucian explained, trying to keep his tone calm. "Matter of fact, we're visiting—" He paused, unsure if he should say anything beyond what he had already said. It had nothing to do with Rosaline anyway, and he didn't owe her any explanation. "Just sit here and make yourself at home, we'll be back soon. And then we can discuss anything you want."
Reluctantly, she nodded. It was very obvious that Lucian wasn't going to let her come along, and she didn't want to argue or get him angry with her stubbornness. She was going to be his bride someday, and that was all that mattered. It didn't matter how much Simon tried, Lucian belonged to her!
"Be safe." She whispered before going in to hug Lucian. It wasn't the first time they were sharing an embrace. However, all her closeness did was remind him of a few minutes ago, the awkwardness that had been in the air when he took Simon in his arms. It had been strange, and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it.
"I'll be fine." Lucian whispered, before giving her one last reassuring smile. He turned towards Simon, and gestured for him to move on ahead.
When Simon was a considerable distance from the two of them, Rosaline finally mustered the courage to ask the question that had been bothering her since she saw the two of them earlier.
"Simon...is something odd about him?" Rosaline started, feigning a facade of curiosity and confusion as she stared at the boy ahead.
Lucian followed her gaze, confused and curious as well. Simon was definitely odd in many ways, but he could tell she wasn't thinking what he was thinking. "Odd? In what way?" He inquired.
Rosaline took in a deep breath, unsure of how the accusation might come out. "Is he...is he a pillow biter?"