The Forgotten Princess Rose
Chapter 204

Chapter 204: Chapter 204

Zayne parted from Rose to give her the privacy to get changed. Had he stayed, Zayne knew Rose would not be able to concentrate and if Victor found out, another war would start.

Zayne thought himself unlucky to cross paths with Alexander. How much longer did he need to put up with Alexander tagging along with the Ambroses?

"The princess is dead. You can travel wherever you want without worrying about her following you. Why are you still here?" Zayne asked, awaiting the moment Alexander would vanish.

Alexander stopped to give Zayne the attention he was craving. "You will need to try harder to get rid of me. I am not leaving Rose soon so you should get used to my face."

"I already hate it and unluckily for you, I can get you out of my sight. The only issue would be having to watch Rose cry over someone like you. What are you trying to gain by sticking to her now? Making up for lost time or waiting for your chance? If it is the latter, you should give up," Zayne advised Alexander.

"I’m a soldier who doesn’t know when to give up. You might make a mistake and I will be ready to take her from you then. I will always love her and then the moment you slip up, I will not miss my chance," said Alexander.

Zayne chuckled, more amused than annoyed by Alexander. "I would take your threat more seriously if you didn’t have a special talent for missing your chance with Rose."

Alexander clenched his fist. Zayne had a talent for making those around him want to hit him. "You were right that I was careless searching for her."

"I know that I was right," Zayne replied. He didn’t need to be told he was right since Alexander’s confession did nothing for him. "It took you long enough to see the truth. I would like to be thanked instead of hearing what we already knew."

"Thanked? What do I have to thank you for? For saving Rose?" Alexander asked, once again not understanding the man before him. If Zayne loved Rose, why did he need to be thanked for saving her?

"Why would I have you thank me for that? I am talking about giving you the right location to find her," Zayne clarified. He could have lied and sent Alexander far away.

Alexander frowned. "You are a petty man."

"I am," Zayne acknowledged. "And while you are at it, tell me where your friend is."

"Mathias? He has not come to me. We stopped speaking to each other once I found out what he did. He will not come looking for me," Alexander replied, believing Mathias to be smart to get far away from this town.

"I doubt it. If he approaches you, tell me-"

"I will not help you to kill him," Alexander interjected. What gave Zayne the right to harm Mathias?

"See, it’s times like this that makes me dislike you. You’re always ready to protect the people who harm her. The princess and now that bastard. Get out of the way if you’re always going to hesitate. I can’t have an idiot like beside Rose so while I am still sparing you, leave," Zayne said, his limit with Alexander at its end.

"I am not leaving unless Rose says she doesn’t want me around. I will deal with Mathias. He was our friend," Alexander said, refusing to let Zayne deal with what did not concern him.

Zayne laughed at Alexander thinking he cared about an old friendship. "You know what he did yet he walks around untouched. You don’t love her enough or at all. Maybe you’re still thinking of protecting that little girl from your past. That isn’t Rose anymore."

"It is still part of her and that has nothing to do with my feelings. I love Rose-"

"You don’t know her anymore. She’s changed during the years you have been away from her. Maybe the two of you would have been clueless about what you really felt and settled down had you saved her. You could have held on to only having each other when you were younger, but that time has long passed. You’re both different," said Zayne.

Rose was trying to move away from the helpless girl waiting for a helping hand and wanted to protect herself while Alexander kept seeing her as some damsel. Rose needed to be protected but not as she needed to be in the past.

"You’re trying to act like you aren’t overprotective of her?" Alexander asked, not fooled by Zayne. "I know that you killed Graham for her."

Zayne nodded his head. "He was a threat in her path. I’ll kill those who stand before her to try to harm her but I will not shield her so much that she cannot grow as she wants. She’s not that little girl anymore."

"If you do love her, you would do something about the fool that kicked her. Your friend who tried to take her back to Graham. I will kill him if I find him first and if I find out that you hid him, I will kill you. How could you possibly love her if you want to protect him?" Zayne asked, refusing to believe Alexander loved her.

Alexander knew Mathias had to face some punishment for what he did to Rose but he didn’t think it needed to be death. Mathias was always foolish. He knew it and Rose had to know it as well. "He should be punished for what he did. There’s no question about that but not killed. I am angry with him but he has been like a brother for years."

"I wouldn’t be so kind to my brother if he tried to take the woman I loved back to the man hurting her. Hurry up and leave Rose’s side. I don’t want there to ever be a time Rose will witness you try to protect him. If you repeat the festival by blocking my sword when I find him, I will kill you," Zayne promised.

This wasn’t the festival where Alexander protected the maid ordered to ruin Rose’s dress. This concerned a man who tried twice to hurt Rose just to hide his secret. If Alexander was going to protect Mathias then he shouldn’t be around Rose.

Alexander didn’t fear entering a fight with Zayne. "If you are not careful you might be the one to die then I don’t have to worry about you being with Rose. Hurry up and leave so you can escape death."

Zayne smiled, deciding to walk away before he stained Victor’s house with blood. It would be a good day when Alexander had to witness Rose getting on a ship with him.