The King's Lover
Chapter 243: No Light In Her Eyes

Chapter 243: No Light In Her Eyes

"Your Majesty," Rose said with a curtsey as Caius walked into the room. She stood a few feet away from the crown prince, clutching the ring in her closed palm as she bent her knees to great him.

At first, she had thought of holding onto the ring for a bit but decided it might help in the request she wanted to make. It truly was an important ring. That wasn’t the only reason Rose had thought to give to the crown prince as soon as she could. She also didn’t think it was a good idea to keep it.

The crown prince didn’t trust her. He was likely to believe she would do anything to leave—even steal his ring. She didn’t want another whipping, or worse.

Caius didn’t reply to her greetings and she couldn’t help but notice he had stepped into the room alone. Usually, servants and Mister Henry accompanied him. They wouldn’t leave until he chased them off.

Rose slowly lifted her head when it was starting to feel awkward and there was still no response from the crown prince. She lifted her head to see that he was looking at her in a way that was hard to describe.

"Did you receive the letter?" he asked as their eyes met.

"Yes," Rose nodded with a tight smile. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Where is it?" he asked. <a href="https://.com">.com

"In the bedchambers," Rose replied immediately, wondering if the crown prince wanted to see it. However, his reaction was not what she expected.

Caius’s gaze darkened, and he looked angrier—which made Rose realize he had to already be angry to look angrier. She shuffled on her feet, wondering if he had discovered his ring was missing and the Queen had convinced him that it was her.

"What are you holding?" he asked.

Rose jerked; she had forgotten how scary the crown prince could sound. She fiddled with the ring, but there was no way to hide it from him.

Rose stretched out her hand immediately. "I think your ring—I found it in the room you assigned to me," Rose said and handed it to Caius. It felt hard to call it her room cause it didn’t even feel like it.

Caius glanced at her hand, and his gaze grew even colder. Rose started to worry about what she had said. Did she speak wrongly? Saying she found it in the room was certainly an odd thing to say.

"I don’t know how it got there. I was just looking around and I found it. I don’t know if it slipped off your finger..." She was rambling, but what could she possibly say when the crown prince was looking at her like that?

"Yes," he said and glanced at her as he reached out for the ring. "Probably."

It was the tone that bothered her—not his words.

"Your Majesty," Rose called. Something told her it was a bad time, but she thought he must be a little happier now that he had gotten his ring back. There was no way she could miss the opportunity. She had to ask now—she needed to know now.

Caius simply grunted in response as he slid the ring back onto his finger. It was a perfect fit, like he had never taken it off. <a href="https://.com">.com

"The letter said my mother is sicker," Rose said. The air in the room dropped a little as she mentioned the letter, but she pushed on. "If Your Majesty would be so kind to let me g—"

"I am never letting you go," Caius said.

It wasn’t loud, he didn’t raise his voice, but he might as well have.

Rose’s heart sank to her stomach as she looked at the crown prince. His eyes told her he meant every word and that it was a waste of time to continue on this matter with him.

Rose was stumped. The crown prince had never shut down her request before. He might not like them, but he had never been this final.

"Your Majesty," Rose tried again. She knew she shouldn’t, but her mother’s life was on the line. She had to go home. "Please con—"

It was a glare—a simple one—but it silenced whatever it was she wanted to say. The words felt heavy in her throat, but worst of all were the thoughts in her head.

The crown prince said he was never letting her go. Did that mean it didn’t matter what she did or didn’t do—he had no plans to release her? Did he plan to make her his sex slave for the rest of her life?

It suddenly occurred to Rose that she had never tried to escape the crown prince, and by the looks of things, that was the only option she had to see her mother. <a href="https://.com">.com

She was going to come back—but he didn’t even want to listen to her request and didn’t care that her mother was sick. Why was she surprised? This was the same man who had easily sent her father to the gallows because she wouldn’t spread her legs for him.

All it took was a few dresses and favors for her to start thinking highly of the prick who almost killed her father. Rose laughed internally. She must have lost herself somewhere along the line.

Caius stepped forward and kissed her. Rose’s body reacted, but her mind was elsewhere. They didn’t make it to the bed—and she didn’t care.

Rose gathered herself, feeling it drip down her legs. She donned the nightdress, and the crown prince grabbed her hand. Rose pulled it from his grasp and stepped back.

"Your Majesty," she curtsied.

"Where are you going? Stay," Caius demanded.

"I am only here to spread my legs for Your Majesty. Since my work is done, I shall take my leave."

"Who said your work is done?" Caius asked coldly.

Rose lifted her head and took off her robe without any hesitation and fell into his arms, but there was no light in her eyes.