The Forgotten Princess Rose
Chapter 139

Chapter 139: Chapter 139

"This is the room that I enjoy most. Father let me have it to entertain my friends when they come over. Zayne, I did not see any of your soldiers when I came home. Not even a carriage or horses. Are you here alone?" Anna asked, crossing her fingers.

More soldiers meant having more to brag about.

"They are somewhere about. Your mother said they would be taken to be cared for. I will need to check where they are now," Zayne answered, his attention fixed on Rose who still lingered at a distance behind them.

"I see. If you need a walk around the town I would be more than happy to escort you. Well, around this land. There is much to see and plenty of people who would love to see you. There’s an old general from this kingdom who lives nearby," said Anna, getting her hopes up.

"That sounds good but you will have no time for it since you are to be with your sister or have you forgotten that she walks with us?" Zayne asked, noticing how Anna’s eyes widened with surprise. "It is your sister who needs the tour. I don’t care about the land."

"Oh, well," Anna paused, not knowing what to say. She hadn’t thought of Rose since she was so curious about Zayne. Rose walked behind them seemingly uninterested in what was said. "She would be right there too."

"Seeing an old general would not interest Rose. You would know if you walked with her."

"I am not a bad sister, I am just new to this. Go for eight years without a sibling and see if it is easy to be one all of a sudden. Everyone thought she was dead," Anna said, sneaking glances at Rose. It is not easy for me so please do not judge me."

"This is not me judging you. It is me telling you how to get to know your sister better. Show more interest in her than me since I do not have any interest in you," Zayne said, trying to prevent a misunderstanding before it started.

Anna frowned, confused as to why he wouldn’t like her. There wasn’t anything wrong with her. She had plenty of suitors lining up to take her hand since she was the daughter of a lord. "I do not understand you. I know there might not be any interest since we have only met but must you say it out loud?"

"I like to be honest and the best way I know you have heard is to not be silent when I speak the truth. You are not the sister that I want to show an interest in me. I hope we can make that clear to avoid misunderstandings in the future," Zayne said, continuing to walk ahead while Anna stopped.

Anna didn’t understand the pair. She asked at first and Rose said there was nothing between them which was why she felt comfortable courting Zayne but he had feelings for Rose? The very woman who was found in a brothel?

"Anna," Rose called, going to Anna’s side now that she caught up. She was still thinking about what Zayne meant about preparing herself but she noticed Anna was bothered by something. "Where are we to go next?"

"I am tired from my trip home so I want to rest in my room. You can find a maid to show you around. I want to be left alone," Anna said, excusing herself from the group.

Anna wanted to come home to a normal day, not to this. She needed the other relatives here so she wouldn’t have to put up with this awkwardness alone.

"Are you not feeling well?" Rose inquired, trying to follow Anna to see if she got to her room.

"I do not want to be followed. Not by you," Anna said, picking up her pace to get away.

"Oh," Rose stopped.

Rose didn’t understand the sudden change but then, she considered how weird it had to be for Anna to go from the only daughter having their parent’s attention to now sharing it.

Rose still watched Anna walk away to see that she got back to her room safely. "She is tired and wants to return to her room," she informed Zayne when he came to her side. "I hope we can be close."

"You will be in time and if you are not, take it from someone who grew up with siblings that you would be saving yourself the headache," said Zayne.

Rose smiled. "I think that somehow out of your siblings, you would be the headache and I wouldn’t mind it. I finally have a real sibling. Oh, how is Alexander going to speak to me if I am not at the camp?" Rose panicked. She hadn’t thought of him coming to see her. "Have you told someone to tell him?"

"I did it the morning after the festival like I told you I would. When I return, I will let him know that you are here with your family. Do you want to continue the walk or return to your room?" Zayne asked, not interested in Alexander.

"I want to walk around since there is much to see. I would love to find the field of my dreams. I cannot believe that I am so close to it," Rose said, anxious to see the place that caused her to faint. "I hope I do not faint when I go there. I do not want to scare my mother. It is quite odd how I have a mother now."

"And I am still surprised by this," Rose said, stopping in front of a portrait of herself. "How happy I am in the portraits. I want to be that happy and carefree again. Would you really attend one of the balls? I would love to but I don’t want the attention. I might not be who they are expecting as Rosaline. I still have much to learn and if you are present, you will take the attention."

"You want to use me?" Zayne noted.

Rose smiled, guilty. "Yes. If you do not mind. If I am lucky, seeing a foreigner would be more exciting than seeing the missing Ambrose girl. I do not want to answer any questions and my mother said she will not speak of the brothel to anyone."

"I will allow you to use me once but you will owe me something," Zayne proposed, the ends of his lips curling as he had a good she could repay him.

Rose feared she might have made a mistake. "I see now why the soldiers are afraid of you when you smile. It is quite terrifying as I know you are plotting something bad but I will accept it. I will owe you for helping me. I too will convince my father to make your room nearby."

"Eager to share a bed with me again?"

"Oh," Rose stumbled, caught off guard by Zayne’s question. "That’s not. I just..."

"I am only teasing you, Rose. You have got to be more ready than this for what I have in store for you but I do enjoy your reactions so please, don’t hesitate to stumble or blush as you are now when I am near. You look like you want to hit me for teasing me," Zayne noticed, moving her hair behind her ear as she stood straight.

Rose wished he would move his hand as that felt like he was teasing her with this too. "I would not be so violent toward you but I do hope you would fall when you tease me. My father’s decision for distance seems better now."