The Forgotten Princess Rose

Rose didn't trust Zayne being nice to her. It always meant that they wanted something in return for them being kind even though she didn't ask for anything. She didn't dare voice her opinion now to let him know that she wanted to leave as he might place someone to stop her from leaving. 

"Why isn't anyone moving to do as I said?" Zayne questioned, close to losing his temper over how his peers stared at him. "Leave it to me to do everything."

Zayne walked around the large table to go to Rose. He was the only one that she kind of knew so she might not try to stab him if she had that little knife on her. "Release her," he ordered the soldier.

It was easy to tell that she did not like being held. Zayne was yet to figure out if it only came to men or if she found it uncomfortable with women as well.

Rose avoided Zayne's gaze. At the moment, she didn't know who she was safer with. He had helped her in the storage room and didn't alert anyone of her escaping, but she had been burned too many times by someone being kind.

"Follow me," Zayne said, leading her out of the room. 

Rose did as he said and followed him to where she would be made to stay.

The two left everyone in the room confused as outsiders weren't allowed to stay here since the king was trying to spy on Zayne.

"I'm impressed with how far you made it. You must not get out much to know that our camp was this way. You could have ended up in the hands of someone bad by just running around not knowing where you are going," said Zayne.

Zayne looked to his right after he did not get a response. He would assume that she was mute if he didn't know any better. "Being quiet isn't going to help you here. Shouldn't I receive a thank you for opening my doors to you?"

"What do you want from me?" Rose asked, wanting to get this over with. Sooner or later, he would show his true colours and want more from her.

"What do I want from you? Let us see," Zayne thought it over out loud. "You have dirty clothes, slightly red eyes from exhaustion and an idiot who talks too much is obsessed with you. There is so much that you have that I cannot pick. A glare? It is the first time I have seen you angry. Don't hide it," Zayne said when Rose turned away from him.

Rose didn't like him speaking of other things when he should know what she meant. They were always after her body. That was the one valuable thing she always heard that she had. "I mean my-"

"I didn't come here to sleep with women so I would like you to put a quick end to the idea that I would want you. You are not in that brothel anymore. Stop thinking that you are to offer your body," Zayne advised Rose.

"If what you say is true, why are you helping me?" Rose questioned.

He was a stranger and not just any stranger, a man from a land who once wanted to take over this land. It was hard to trust that he had that much of a kind heart to want to help someone who was his enemy.

"You brought me some entertainment with the fire and I admire what you did to get out of there. How far you made it. I know some men who would not have made it that far overnight. You did well," Zayne complimented Rose. "Makes me want to send some of my soldiers up the mountain to see if they could survive."

"I see," Rose softly replied. Her guards were still up as she could not blindly trust him, but at least for now, he was better to be around than Graham.

"While I have no plans of touching you, I advise you not to wander around too much as you are surrounded by men. Some that I know and some that I do not. I won't lie and say that you are safe around all of them," Zayne spoke honestly.

He had overheard many of them wanting to go to the brothels in town because they said they had been on a ship far too long. Zayne had punished a few for going despite his warnings not to.

"There are maids around and women among the soldiers so you are not the only woman here. Eat, get some rest, and most importantly, get cleaned up. The state of you upsets my eyes," Zayne said, trying not to look at her any longer.

Rose didn't think he needed to say that right now. He didn't have a single clue about the kind of night she had with constantly falling because she couldn't see much of what was in front of her. "I know that I need to wash up. There aren't any tubs of water in the mountain."

Zayne chuckled, enjoying it when she spoke without being afraid. "I suppose there isn't. Silly me."

"Since you do not want something from me, am I free to go after I am done?" Rose asked. If she was not allowed to leave when she wanted to, she was right to be wary of him more than ever. 

"Did you plan to claim the room forever? He will come looking for you and I would prefer that you are not here when he comes so leave as soon as you have enough rest to move again," Zayne replied. 

From what Zayne knew so far, Graham had a bit of influence since he provided women to men all over town. Zayne's presence in town was already not wanted. The last thing he needed was Graham's allies coming after him because of a woman.

"I shall be out of your way soon," Rose answered, ready to leave right now but she was too tired to do so. Should she leave without resting, she would be caught again and next time, it could be by Graham. "There was a map on the table. Do you have another one I can use please?"

"I shall have one sent to you and see if one of the women here has a dress they can offer you. You can use this room here," Zayne said, opening the door of a spare room he had.

Rose walked by him to enter the room which was the largest bedroom she had ever come across. It was surprising to see how small Graham's room was now that she had something to compare it to. She had always thought that everything Graham had was grand because it was all that she knew.

Zayne watched as she explored the room like it was special. Like they were out gazing at some beautiful scenery. For how long was she in the brothel that something so simple had her attention like this? She might be at a loss for words if she saw the things he brought from home.

"Rose was it?" Zayne tried to recall her name. "Try not to set this room on fire."