The Forgotten Princess Rose
Chapter 119

Chapter 119: Chapter 119

"She is an old friend of Mathias and I. Like a little sister we used to care for. We haven’t seen her in years after we joined the army. That is all," Alexander answered.

"Sister? It didn’t look that way," Kiara said, holding onto her hunch that this was Alexander’s lover. "Maybe it is from my brothers and I not having a close relationship which makes me misunderstand. It is terrible you have not seen her in years. You have been working too hard."

If Mathias did know Rose then Kiara could get her answers from there. Mathias was always eager to please her. Those desperate to climb higher in the palace always kissed her feet. She would get to the bottom of this fast and if there were lies told, someone had hell to pay.

"You don’t need to hide her from us. You heard him say she is like his sister. We should have them speak," Kiara said, her smile returning. She had acted rashly due to her jealousy and could not make that mistake again.

What would it look like for a princess to be jealous of a woman beneath her? Alexander was a man of common birth so Rose had to be the same. A common woman was dressing up like she was a lady. Kiara tried not to laugh at the childish flowers in Rose’s hair. How foolish was she to get so upset over a woman like this?

There was one thing that made Kiara happy. Zayne’s jealousy.

She wasn’t the only one who didn’t like this reunion. Alexander and Rose had to stay as the siblings they called themselves. Anything more would have Alexander not seeing Rose again.

There was some comfort in knowing that Zayne wanted to keep Alexander away from Rose. They could work together.

Rose stepped from behind Zayne, her mask hiding her face from the princess’s scrutiny. This was not how Rose wanted to be before any of the royals.

"You should speak to her while I entertain the general. I never knew that Alexander had someone like a sister in his life. I hope we can be close," Kiara said, reaching to hold Rose’s hand but Zayne blocked her. "You are acting like I will harm her."

"You just spoke of ruining her because of your jealousy. I would have to be a fool to let you touch her and I can guarantee you that I am no fool," Zayne replied, keeping his hand between the two women. It was evident that the princess had feelings for Alexander.

The mask Kiara wore now couldn’t hide the other mask Zayne noticed before. She couldn’t play her games with him.

"I will wait on the side. There are a few things I want to buy," Kiara said and then walked away from the group. She had better things to put her focus on than arguing with Zayne. "Quinn."

"Yes princess," Quinn, Kiara’s maid answered.

Kiara stood on the sidelines watching as Alexander hesitated to speak. Then her gaze went to Rose. "They look to be more than siblings. If you want to please me, find a way to ruin her dress. I will reward you handsomely if you do it well."

There was more Kiara wanted to ruin but she had to settle on this for now.

"Yes, princess."

Away from where Kiara stood, Alexander didn’t know what to say to Rose. He had already made the mistake of hugging her before the princess.

"I have been searching for you, Rose. I have never once forgotten our promise. I just got a little lost when I returned and then Mathias. I shouldn’t speak about him," Alexander decided as Rose did not need to know of his ways. "It is good to see that you are well."

Before replying to Alexander, Rose looked to Zayne. Without having to voice what she wanted, Zayne stepped back, giving Rose and Alexander the space to talk.

"It is good to see that you are well. You are a guard for the princess," Rose said, thinking it meant Alexander was doing well.

"No, I am a soldier but the princess harbours feelings for me so she keeps me close. I made the mistake of approaching you with the princess near. You must keep watch for her as her jealousy is dangerous. I will do what I can to please her to keep her from approaching you," Alexander promised.

"That doesn’t sound good to you. You are trapped by her side?" Rose questioned, worried for Alexander. "Perhaps Zayne can-"

"You shouldn’t travel with that man. He is from another kingdom and at any moment, he can choose to declare war on us again. I can find you somewhere safe to be. I was planning to leave the army once I found you. I don’t know where we will go yet but I will make up for us having to leave you behind," said Alexander.

"He’s not bad," Rose said softly. "Zayne is not bad. I know that as a soldier he has taken lives but to me, he is not bad. He has offered me shelter and work. He has helped me a lot."

Alexander glanced at Zayne who would not take his eyes off of Rose. Why was this outsider being so kind to Rose? She didn’t have any riches to her name. Was it because of her beauty?

It wasn’t uncommon for soldiers to go around seducing women and then leaving those women with all the consequences of their seduction. Their children were mocked for having tainted blood.

Still, Alexander was going to trust what Rose said but keep an eye on Zayne. "I have much to thank him for. I have many stories to share with you and many you must want to tell me. Unfortunately, I cannot right now with the princess watching. Where are you staying?"

"With Zayne and his soldiers," Rose replied.

Alexander gripped his sword. It bothered him to know that she was staying with so many men and worst of all, men the king was trying to please. Anything could happen to Rose and it would be buried. "You are safe there, right? No one troubles you?"

"I am safe. I have made a friend with one of the soldiers. She is around here somewhere. Thank you for trying to keep the promise. Just know I am not upset that you didn’t save me from there. We were children when we made that promise and I like knowing that I made my escape. We are all free from there so that is all that matters," said Rose.

Rose hesitated at first, not wanting to bring trouble but she had to let him know about Mathias. "I have seen Mathias. I saw him the day the soldiers were walking through the market. If you ever come to see me at Zayne’s camp, do not bring Mathias with you. I don’t want to see him again."

"What has he done?" Alexander questioned, his dislike of his old friend growing. He had the suspicion that Mathias was up to something to keep their past hidden but other than Mathias’s visits to the brothel, Alexander didn’t have any clues about what he had done.

"He kicked me when I ran to him and was helping to search for me after I escaped. I am happy to see that he is well but we will never be friends. I must go," Rose said, stepping away from Alexander as the princess’s gaze was hard to ignore.

Rose did not need an enemy in the royal family. That would be too much for Zayne to help her with.

"I will visit you when I can," Alexander spoke in a hushed tone.

Rose nodded her head, turning to return to Zayne’s side. The princess gave her a bad feeling, similar to the feeling she got when she heard the name Lilian. Rose couldn’t resist touching Zayne’s hand as it helped her to calm herself from the fear that had been building up once more.

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