The Forgotten Princess Rose-Chapter 233

"Your mother forgot it was to be a small wedding. Once she heard that many of Zayne’s soldiers wanted to be present, she couldn’t resist putting more seats for them. She’s ready to start planning Anna’s wedding," said Victor.

Rose didn’t see how that was possible. "Anna hasn’t decided on who she wants to marry. She was thinking about the man she danced with at the ball we attended but now she doesn’t want to be around a man from the army. Listening to how much soldiers move around has changed her mind."

"I enjoy that her mind has changed. What would convince Anna to hold back on finding a husband? I think she’s a little more interested in beating her peers to a wedding than looking for love," Victor said as Anna constantly mentioned her friends.

"I think that has changed. Before, Anna was interested in the palace and wanted to marry a man who shared something close to your status to get her here but now she is moving quite slowly. A wedding might come soon but I am certain she will find a man she loves," Rose replied.

"As long as it is not a soldier from Zayne’s army for us to lose the two of you, I will try to welcome him. I saw the men from his court were not invited. What do you think of them so far?" Victor asked, curious about the men he only got a glimpse of.

"Some do not like Zayne and the others want him to be king. I can tell they are judging me but I do not mind it. I have seen scarier stares so I am not afraid. They wanted to attend the wedding but since it is on your land, Zayne took it upon himself to block them from coming," Rose answered.

She knew that it was going to cause trouble in the future that they were left out but Rose also knew that had those men been invited here, they might have ruined her wedding.

That, she couldn’t allow.

"This might be the wrong time to ask but after I am named his wife, I might be a little distracted. How am I to handle a court or a royal in the future if I need to? I will be away in his house but I am certain someone will seek me out. What is the best way to deal with it?" Rose asked, seeking Victor’s knowledge from once living in the palace.

"Gain power. It is the only answer. Even though I moved your mother away from the palace, the king poked at us for years until I gained the right allies who made him think twice about bothering us. Zayne will have his army which makes him a man hard to approach but there’s something many overlook," Victor said.

"The power of women. Find women in high places who can be your friend. Your mother’s reputation was ruined after her family’s debt but she played the role of my wife and made friends with wives of my peers then became someone the others looked up to. They’d do anything to be invited to her parties. Look for any way to please her."

"It sounds almost like they don’t want to be left out. I don’t want anyone to be willing to do anything to be at my side. I am off to a worse start than mother since it is out that I lived in a brothel but I will try to make friends," Rose said, this being her only path now.

"If that fails, you have a husband with the power to kill anyone who stands before you. I am sure he is more well-behaved here than he is there. Make use of him too. You see," Victor awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "We have a hard time saying no to our wives. Well, the men who love their wives and we’re a little protective."

"A little?" Rose laughed. "I heard what you did to the people who came pretending to have me."

"They deserved it. I do not regret protecting your mother from anyone coming to lie to us You have the best weapon as your husband. Use him," Victor encouraged Rose.

Victor knew it might scare others to see how much of a hold Rose might have on Zayne. The prince seemed rebellious, going along with what he wanted. A woman who seemingly tamed him a bit would be someone others tried to get close to.

"I want to let everyone keep their fingers but thank you for the advice and thank you for walking with me. I am most grateful that you became my father. I will do my best to not only make mother proud but you as well. I will not disappoint the Ambrose name you have given me," Rose promised.

"Do not worry about me or the family name, Rose. Do what makes you happy. I will deal with the gossip about your past when I return. I know a few secrets of the people around this kingdom to fight gossip with gossip. It will be forgotten soon. What are those fools doing?" Victor wondered, distracted by Zayne and a few of his soldiers.

Rose followed Zayne’s movement from a window he passed by. He looked even more handsome today. "They are teasing him. It seemed like Zayne gave them a long speech about not getting married yet he is."

"Milady."

Rose turned when she heard the greeting she was not used to.

Three soldiers stopped and greeted Rose when they could have simply walked by her.

"H-Hello?" Rose returned the greeting, not knowing how to address them. It was strange to see the soldier’s attitudes toward her change all because of the wedding. "I think I prefer it when they ignore me. I don’t know what they expect from me now."

"Your attention," Victor had the answer. "You will be their general’s wife. They want to impress you and protect you as they would him. You will get used to it in the future."

"I hope I do," Rose replied, stepping closer to Victor for comfort.

Victor noticed the small reaction and savoured the moment. The time of Rose clinging to him for comfort was about to come to an end. Like Madeline, he wanted to hold onto her a little longer but he needed to let her go.

Victor took Rose to the door still closed as the guests started to get seated. He could hear her whispering words of encouragement to help her deal with the stares. "I will be next to you and remember to focus on him. Everyone else will be forgotten when you look straight ahead at him."

"Thank you," Rose replied, her nerves slowly fading away. Rose took one final beep breath, gathering all the courage she needed to walk to Zayne without appearing nervous. "I am ready."