The King's Lover-Chapter 269: Sharing A Room

Rose was in disbelief as she stood in the middle of the room, dressed for dinner. Not only had she been given a room, but she had also been given servants to attend to her. The only downside was sharing the room with the crown prince.

Rose thought this was the worst-case scenario, and she was tempted to choose the corridor. At least there, she would have some privacy from the crown prince to study the map.

She has been rushed into this room, and the servants moved quickly, trying to get her dressed for dinner. She had lost sight of Caius when they led her here, but the servants had brought in more bags than she had—which was all she needed to know.

She hoped she was wrong, but it certainly explained why she would be put in such a fancy room. She looked around, unable to keep from staring.

The drapes were made from velvet and were just as thick as the ones in the castle. The room was big enough to fit the king-sized bed at least three times.

Different kinds of furniture filled the room. There was a huge shelf and a table in the corner, a long cushioned chair, and three other cushioned chairs stood in a separate corner. The fireplace was burning, and the room had been warm even before Rose walked in.

"Would you be needing anything else, ma’am?" the maid asked her as they were done dressing her up.

Rose was shocked for a moment; she couldn’t believe they were talking to her. Surely, they must know she was nothing more than the crown prince’s escort, yet they were being so respectful.

"No," Rose said softly with a small smile. "Thank you."

She had been worried the maids would search through the wrong bag, but that didn’t seem to be the case, and the bag in question was sitting in the corner unpacked.

The maid nodded her head. "If you’d like, I could show you where dinner is," she said and stretched her hand toward the door.

Rose shook her head. She needed some time alone so she could take the map out of her bag and keep it somewhere safe before the crown prince came into the room.

As though her thoughts triggered his appearance, the door was immediately swung open, and Caius walked in with a look of disapproval on his face—an expression that only worsened when it rested on Rose.

Rose stiffened and had to suppress the look of horror on her face. "Your Majesty," she immediately curtsied while also hiding her face from him.

The two women bowed their heads too, but Caius didn’t say a word to them. As soon as they bowed, they left the room. It was obvious Caius was about to get dressed for dinner and their disappearance was to give privacy.

Rose sat quietly on the edge of the bed opposite Caius as the servants who came in with helped dress him for dinner. Not once did she glance in his direction.

Rose didn’t even think much about his presence in the room. All she thought about was how she would be able to take out the map from the bag and find a suitable place to hide it.

"Do you not plan to eat dinner? Or do you intend to miss this meal as you did breakfast?" Caius asked, standing close to the bed.

Rose turned her head to face the crown prince, and he was a little closer than she expected. He was all dressed up—his hair combed and his clothes changed from traveling attire to something more suitable for dinner.

"Your Majesty," Rose said and scrambled to her feet. "I didn’t know you were ready." She truly hadn’t noticed and he probably wouldn’t have if he had left the room without speaking to her.

"Of course. You had your gaze locked on the wall ever since," Caius said, and turned away from her.

He started toward the door, which the servants were quick to open and keep open. Rose rushed after him—he was clearly intending to leave her here.

She walked a couple of feet behind Caius, who moved briskly as though he knew where he was going. Rose didn’t think this was his first time here.

They went down a set of stairs and through a long hallway before Caius slowed as they approached a door with guards in front. The doors were opened, and Rose winced at the bright lights as she stood outside the open doors.

Caius walked right through the entrance, and Rose couldn’t help the hesitancy clawing at her chest. Was she really about to eat here? She glanced at the guard standing by the door, but of course, he wouldn’t have the answer she sought.

It was a simple glance—she didn’t even know how he realized she wasn’t stepping in after him—but Caius turned just his head to look at her, and for a moment, Rose forgot her other worries. Not pissing him off was now her priority.

"Your Highness," Lady Deana and her husband said as they both simultaneously stood up from the table.

Caius reluctantly turned his attention to the table, where Lord Leopold stood smiling with arms lifted. "Lord Leopold," Caius replied and walked to the table.

Prince Rylen was also on his feet, and there were young boys seated side by side beside their mother. Rose thought they bore a striking resemblance to their father, only taking after their mother’s hair.

Rose walked slowly to the table—anything else would have been more awkward. She curtsied as she stood close, looking like a little lost lamb.

Caius sat down and tapped the seat next to him. Rose nodded and took it. She sat down and couldn’t help but feel as if all eyes were on her. She felt very out of place. It would have been better if they had left her out; this was more unbearable.

The table was filled with different dishes, and Rose couldn’t help but salivate as a servant served her. The aroma reminded her of just how hungry she was. She was used to the large portions she would always get in the castle, but all she had eaten today was some fruits and dried figs—no thanks to a certain person.