The King's Lover
Chapter 254: Summoning Thomas

Chapter 254: Summoning Thomas

Thomas followed the maid. He didn’t care for her name, but she was the same maid who came to get him three days before. Thomas touched his neck—the wound had healed completely, but he knew he hadn’t recovered from the crown prince putting a sword to his throat. Not just any sword, his own.

This was a bad idea, but he had turned the maid away three times, and each time she came back, desperately pleading. Rose should just ask the crown prince—he wanted nothing to do with this—but yet here he was, making his way to her bedchambers to hear what the issue was.

Thomas decided he wasn’t going to do whatever she wanted. He would sternly tell her no and be on his way. He also needed to tell her she couldn’t keep summoning him like this.

Chelsy stopped in front of the room and knocked twice. She could feel Thomas’s glare on her back. He didn’t say anything as she led him here, but his stare was enough to make her tremble in her boots.

When she went to call on him for the fourth time, she was certain he would strike her down, and if Rose didn’t seem like it was a life-and-death situation, she wouldn’t have tried again.

Chelsy doubted he was that much older than she was, but he terrified her. It was also the plain fact that he could be very cruel—he would punish her if she so much as looked at him wrongly.

As soon as the door to Rose’s bedchambers opened, Chelsy bowed to him and fled the scene. She didn’t care to wait to see if Rose needed her. She would return, but for now, she needed a moment away from the lord.

"Lord Thomas," Rose curtsied, watching Chelsy flee from the corner of her eye. Seeing her run was so funny Rose had to hold back a laugh.

She couldn’t blame the child. Every time she sent her back to Thomas, she would return looking paler and paler. She felt bad sending Chelsy back and forth, but today was the last chance she had.

Thomas narrowed his eyes as he stared at the top of her head. He had seen her face before she bent her head. She didn’t look like she was getting enough sleep, and she looked pale. Not the kind of pale gotten from being indoors—it was something more.

"What do you want?" Thomas asked with a scowl as they stood outside her door, right between the guards.

"I apologize for calling on you when you’re so busy," she whispered, her tone filled with sarcasm.

Chelsy had told Rose that she had found Thomas in his room, and the field was empty since they were embarking on the journey the next day—there was no training. At least, that was what Chelsy suspected.

"What do you want?" he asked again, his tone sharper.

Rose lifted her head to look at him and was met with shadowy eyes. It was hard to say what she saw in them, and usually, she would have flinched at such a gaze. But Thomas wouldn’t be here if he didn’t care.

He would have stopped Chelsy properly and asked the guards not to let her get to his room, but each time she had unrestricted access, and he would answer the door just to tell Chelsy no. If she weren’t in such a hurry, she would have teased him a little.

"Please, come in. It’s private." Rose stepped to the side to let him in, but all she got was a glare that could melt ice.

"I am leaving," he said and turned.

"No, please wait," Rose said in panic. He didn’t seem to have any issues coming into her room the day before. "I need to leave the castle. I’d like to pay a visit to Lady Delphine before we leave for Futherfield tomorrow," Rose blurted, and he stopped in his tracks.

She didn’t know if she should be saying it outside, but she had seen the look in his eyes—Thomas would have left.

He turned only his head, and his face showed just how shocked he was. "You’re coming with us?" Thomas asked.

Rose knew just how close Thomas was to the crown prince. He had been with him in Edenville; it looked like she wasn’t wrong in assuming he would also be coming along.

Rose nodded her head, and Thomas’s gaze darkened. He turned his entire body and looked her up and down. Rose didn’t know what he was thinking, but she thought he was getting angrier.

"Where did you say you wanted to go?" he finally spoke.

Rose sighed so heavily, she needed to grab the wall for support. "I told Lady Delphine I would try to visit her. Moreover, I haven’t left the castle in days, and I’ve been stuck in my room. It would be nice to step out."

"Have you asked His Highness for permission to leave the castle?" Thomas asked.

Rose’s face fell. She had hoped she would be able to bypass that. "I didn’t think I would have to, as the crown prince gave me permission to leave before."

Thomas looked at her as though she were stupid.

"I also haven’t seen the crown prince in nearly four days now." It was just two nights, but Thomas didn’t need to know that. "Since I can’t go to him unless I’m called on, I can’t ask him."

His face softened—but only briefly—and then it was back to the same glare. He turned around without replying and started walking away.

"Lord Thomas," she called after him, but he didn’t turn around.

Rose looked to the guards, but they kept their gaze straight. Rose was at a loss. What did his actions mean? She couldn’t run after him—Rose knew better than to roam the castle without an escort. Free picking for the Queen.

Should she ask the crown prince? The last message she heard from him was from Welma, who had run into Mister Henry. It was suddenly like he didn’t want anything to do with her.

This wasn’t unusual, as the crown prince would not see her for days in a row—she was used to that. However, if it was boredom, he should let her go.

Rose didn’t even know if she could go to him or call for him. He was the crown prince; she couldn’t exactly summon him as she had Thomas.

Besides, the only reason she could summon Thomas now was that he was starting to like her. Before now, he would have definitely found a reason to throw her in prison for a peasant like herself daring to summon him.

The crown prince was completely different. She couldn’t figure him out—but her life literally hung on his whims.