The King’s Lover

Thomas noticed her red eyes and the streaks of tears on her face that Rose had haphazardly tried to wipe away. She looked startled to see them, as though she had been expecting someone else.

"Lord T'omas, Lord Paul," Rose called, and Thomas' brows furrowed.

He didn't particularly hate it when she called him that, but he couldn't help but react. She curtsied, bowing her head to hide her face from them.

"Is it a bad time?" Paul was the one who broke the silence. His voice was heavy with concern as he asked.

"No, not at all," Rose said, but she kept her face down.

She knew just how bad she looked from all the crying. If she had known it was Lord Paul and Lord Thomas at the door, she would have at least tried to make herself a little presentable.

"Right this way, please." She turned her back to them and tried to wipe at her face as best as she could, cleaning most of the tears.

Rose walked ahead to the room where her mother was lying and met her father's eyes. He stared at her with confusion as he slowly approached.

Rose wiped her palms on her dress, suddenly feeling nervous. Perhaps, it was too soon—she hadn't even told her father about it.

"Fat'er," Rose said, phrasing her words carefully. "This is Lord Paul. His Majesty had asked that he accompany me so that he could check on Mot'er, and you have already met Lord Thomas."

"Yer Lords'ips," her father said with a very stiff bow.

Paul waved his hand and gave a polite smile. "No need to be so formal," he said and stepped closer.

Rose didn't miss that her father didn't step out of the way. Vallyn wasn't an average man by any means. Rose had only met a handful of people taller than her father, and not only was he tall, but he was also huge.

The man had muscles from cutting down trees and chopping up wood every day. Rose always thought it was a huge contrast with his delicate woodwork.

Her mother, on the other hand, was very petite compared to her father. Rose was somewhere in the middle, but even she looked tiny next to the huge man, and right now this huge man was towering over the two men, blocking the pathway, clearly having no intention of letting them inside to his wife.

"T'ere is no need for tha, mi lords. Mi wife 'as all tha treatment one can get," Vallyn said with his head bowed, but he didn't appear smaller in any way.

Rose felt her heart seize. She knew her father well enough to know what this was about. He didn't want the people who had taken his daughter to come anywhere close to his wife, and she knew the reason why her father was able to say this easily was because this was what her mother would want too.

Paul had a shocked look on his face and Thomas' face hardened. Rose knew she had to do something. Lord Paul might be nice, but Thomas was not one she could predict how he would react.

These men had enough power to punish her father, and not just that, but Paul was here on the orders of the crown prince—her father could not refuse.

"Fat'er," Rose said very softly and lightly touched her father on his arm. "Lord Paul is the crown prince's personal physician. I am sure he is better than all the physicians in Edenville. He is also here on His Majesty's orders. Please, let him check Mot'er."

Her father lifted his head to stare at her briefly, and his grey-hazel eyes rested on hers. Rose had taken his eyes; it was the one thing she shared with her father in appearance.

Rose squeezed her father's arm and she heard him take a deep breath before moving aside. She let out the breath she was holding and smiled shakily at the lords. Paul didn't seem bothered by the ordeal, while Thomas had a tight grip on his sword, but he didn't say a word, so Rose took that as a good sign.

Paul stepped forward and Thomas took a step back. "Paul, take your time. I will be back for you later."

Paul didn't even reply, his expression was serious as he walked to her mother's bed. Rose looked from her father to Thomas, then decided to see Thomas to the door.

He didn't say a word as she held the door open for him. Rather, he walked out without looking back and mounted the horse. Rose wondered where he was going, but she knew it was not her place to ask.

She unfortunately couldn't linger by the door, as her house had already drawn enough attention and people would be sure to approach her as soon as Thomas rode away.

She shut the door and walked back into the room, her heart in her throat. Her father was still where she left him, by the entrance with his arms folded. He looked as if Paul made a wrong move, he just might hit him with all his strength.

Rose couldn't quite see what the physician was doing, but he moved around very quickly—checking her mother's pulse, placing his head on her chest. He even used some tools Rose had never seen before.

He also checked the tips of her fingers and her toes. Her mother's eyes tried to follow his movements, but eventually she stopped out of exhaustion and fell asleep.

"Do ye trust him?" her father asked suspiciously.

Rose nodded. "Yes, Fat'er," she replied.

Her father looked like he was going to say something more, but he simply turned his gaze away. "I am 'appy yer back 'ome, Rosie," he said.

Rose nodded and leaned against her father. "Me too, Fat'er."

They both stood in silence as they watched Paul. After some time, Paul stepped away from her mother and turned to look at them with a dreary look on his face.