The King's Lover
Chapter 25: It Hurts

Chapter 25: It Hurts

Rose was getting down from the horse when the doors opened. Suddenly, a hand yanked her by the wrist and pulled her forward. It was one of the knights that had rode with her. He pulled her unnecessarily hard even though she wasn’t resisting. He let go, and she fell to the floor, hitting her elbow on the hard ground.

A cry of pain escaped her lips. It was the elbow of the shoulder that hurt. She lifted her arm and was about to inspect it when she felt pain in her scalp as someone pulled her hair upwards, lifting her off the ground. Rose grabbed her hair immediately, tears pooling in her eyes as she fought the urge not to scream right in the crown prince’s face.

His gaze was dark as he locked eyes with her. The scar on the side of his chin gave him an ominous look in the dark. Rose felt chills all the way to her toes. The tears that had been hanging on her lashes fell down her face.

Caius smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes, and his smile was even scarier. Rose opened her mouth, but she found that she couldn’t speak. It didn’t help that his grip around her hair tightened. Unable to contain the pain anymore, Rose tried to free herself from his grasp, but his grip only tightened.

"I told you the next time you’d pull such a stunt, you should be ready for the consequences," Caius said and tossed her onto the ground.

Rose landed on the side of her face. She couldn’t move her hand in time to protect herself. Her head bounced as it hit the floor, and she tasted blood. She had cut herself.

"Whip her in the courtyard. I’ll say when to stop."

Rose’s eyes widened, and she turned around to look at him, but she didn’t get any words out before she was dragged into the castle. Rose kicked and tried to pull out of the guard’s grip, but she failed. Her robe had come undone at this point, but she couldn’t even retie it as she struggled.

"Yer Highness," she cried, but she could tell it was futile. She whimpered all the way.

She was placed on a table, bound hands and feet. Her legs were tied to the table legs while her torso lay across, and her hands were tied to the front. Rose had fought so hard it had taken four men to tie her up.

"I didn’t mean to leave," she cried. "I promise." But no one was listening.

A guard stepped closer. He wore armor on his legs and arms, and there was a scar from one side of his face to the other. He grinned as their eyes met, but it wasn’t his appearance that made her afraid. It was the whip in his arms.

Rose started to struggle again. She couldn’t let that touch her—and in such flimsy clothes too. The whip was twice her height and just as heavy, and it looked like what was used on horses. "Yer Highness, I’m sorry!" Rose cried. Snot poured out of her nose, and her tears didn’t cease. "I wasn’t trying to es—"

Rose gasped, sealing the rest of her words as the whip landed on her back. But that wasn’t all—the tip went underneath the table and onto her back again. Rose screamed. She had never experienced such pain in her life. It was like she had been seared. It burned, it hurt, it felt like she had been split open.

But the guard wasn’t done. He lifted his hand again and brought it down. Rose screamed, but no sound made it out. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her clothes ripped in places the whip touched. He lifted his hand again, and Rose thought she might die here. There was no way she would be able to take another.

"That’s enough!" a voice called out, but it wasn’t the crown prince.

Rose’s eyes rolled upward as she lost consciousness.

Caius shot dark eyes at his cousin. "Prince Rylen," he whispered under his breath. "What do you think you’re doing?"

"If you break her, how would she do what you want, Your Grace?" Prince Rylen asked, his blue eyes sharp in the night light.

"What I do is none—" .com

"Your Highness," Henry interrupted, and as soon as he did, he regretted it.

"What do you want, you bald old man?" Caius asked, his anger sharp as a sword.

"I am so sorry to interrupt, Your Highness, but Lady Delphine is here," Henry said with a bow while Rylen raised a brow.

Caius narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Rose. She lay unmoving on the table. The guard with the scar stood next to her, unsure of what to do. Caius’s gaze darkened even more. He adjusted his robes and started walking away.

"Clean the mess, wake her up, and bring her to my chambers."

"Yes, Your Highness," Henry said with a bow.

Rylen let out a breath. "Make sure to apply some balm on her back. I am sure she is in so much pain," Rylen said when Caius was out of earshot.

"I will, Prince Rylen," Henry replied and rushed off to do his duty.

Rose was untied from the table, and a guard carried her. Even though she was unconscious, she flinched when her back was touched. Henry shook his head as he watched the guards carry her. It was such an unfortunate thing she had caught the attention of the crown prince.

——

Rose’s eyes flew open. It felt like her soul had been shoved into her body with enough force to break bones. She turned her head to the side, coughing. Something strong had been held up against her nose.

"Finally, she is awake."

Rose stopped mid-cough as the pain registered. Her eyes watered, and she let out a small scream. "It ’urts! It burns!"

"I know." She felt a hand against her cheek. Rose looked up to see Edna looking down at her. "The guards brought you. We don’t have much time. You have to get to His Highness’s chambers now. It took some time to wake you up."

Rose looked around. She was in her room, on her bed. There was a lamp on the ground, but it didn’t brighten the room enough.

"We already cleaned you up and put some balm on your back. It will take a while for it to take effect, but bear with it for now," Edna said and stretched out her hand.

A scoff came from the corner, and a voice said, "Serves her right! Next time, she will know better than to try to escape."