Claimed By The Tyrant King

Rosalind considered it for a moment. If she went to Alaric and told him the truth, then Thalia’s secret would not remain hidden.

The forbidden relationship would be exposed, and whatever punishment followed would fall fully on Thalia. That alone was enough for Rosalind to dismiss the thought.

Besides, there was no telling how Alaric would react.

He was not a man she could reason with, and she could already hear his voice in her mind, "If she was caught, then it is her fault... If you choose to do something evil, make sure you are not discovered"

The thought made her shiver.

So no, she would not report Sabine. But that did not mean she would stand by and allow Sabine to continue plotting against her. She would not give her another chance.

If anything, it angered her that Sabine directed all of this hatred toward her instead of the man who had caused it. Why could she not hate Alaric instead?

Rosalind wanted nothing to do with him, yet Sabine refused to see that.

****

At the same late hour, Rosalind stepped out of her room and the moment Rowan’s gaze landed on her, taking in the dark clothing she had chosen, his expression tightened.

"You could not sleep, my lady?" he asked.

Rosalind nodded. "I would like to take a short walk," she said, even though that was not her true intention.

The last time, she had ventured toward the right wing and she had been fortunate not to run into trouble.

But what she did not know was that Rowan had been the reason for that. He had intercepted guards, redirected their paths, and kept them occupied long enough for her to move freely.

And now she was attempting it again.

"Would you like chamomile tea, my lady? It may help you rest," Rowan offered calmly, though there was a hint of tightness in his voice.

Rosalind’s brows lifted slightly. "I do not want tea. I would rather walk."

"Where would you like to go?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Nowhere in particular. I will remain nearby," she replied before turning away and heading down the corridor.

...The right wing belonged to Alaric. It housed the inner palace, his chambers, the war and strategy rooms, the council halls... places that were both heavily guarded and far too dangerous for her to linger in. She had seen enough to know it was not where she would find a way out.

So instead, she turned toward the left wing.

That was where the servants stayed. If there was any place connected to the outside, it would be there because servants moved in and out, handling supplies, going to markets, bringing in what the palace required.

If there was an exit, it had to exist somewhere within that part of the palace.

Rosalind moved carefully along the corridor, keeping her steps light as she observed.

This wing was not guarded in the same way, but it was not empty either. There were few people awake, moving about, and the faint hum of activity filled the air.

As she passed by the kitchen, the scent of food lingered heavily, and the quiet clatter of utensils reached her ears. She lowered her head as she passed by the window.

Inside, the cook paused, lifting his head at the faint sound he thought he heard. His gaze shifted toward the window, but seeing nothing, he frowned slightly before stepping out into the corridor. After a brief glance around, he shrugged and returned inside.

Not far away, Rosalind pressed herself against the corner of a wall, remaining still until she was certain she had not been noticed.

There was something strangely thrilling about this, despite the danger. Still, she knew better than to let that distract her. If she was caught here, she would have no explanation that would satisfy Alaric.

She moved again, passing the servants’ sleeping quarters. Voices drifted out from within, and from the sound of it, most of them were men who had yet to retire for the night.

As she made another turn, another sound reached her ears... water splashing, doors opening and closing, it was the bathing area.

Rosalind raised a hand toward her nose at the damp scent in the air, but before she could move past, one of the doors suddenly swung open.

She went completely still as a group of men stepped out, laughing among themselves, completely unaware of her presence.

Panic rose in her chest just as a hand shot out and pulled her sharply into a narrow corner she had not noticed before.

A small gasp almost escaped her, but Rowan’s hand came over her mouth at once, silencing her. His other arm circled her waist, holding her firmly in place as they remained hidden in the shadows.

The men passed by slowly, their voices loud and careless as they continued their conversation.

Rosalind’s eyes lifted to Rowan. Even in the dim light, she could see the tension in his expression, the slight pull of his brows as he looked down at her. There was something like annoyance there, and she swallowed quietly under his gaze.

"I heard they brought in new maids for us," one of the men said as they walked past. "Have you seen them?"

"Of course. They are pretty, and I have not even had the chance to speak to them," another replied.

The men exchanged a few more words before one of them spoke again, his tone lower this time. "You should be careful. The palace does not allow relationships. It is highly forbidden."

The others let out quiet sneers at him. "As long as you are careful, nothing will happen," another replied dismissively, and a few of them nodded in agreement.

Their voices faded as they continued walking away, their footsteps gradually disappearing down the corridor until silence returned.

Rosalind let out a breath she had not realised she was holding. Relief washed over her as she exhaled slowly.

It was only then she became aware of how close she and Rowan were still standing.

She quickly stepped back, breaking away from his hold, and he withdrew his hands at the same time. Heat rose faintly to her cheeks at the realisation, though she forced herself to ignore it. Rowan, however, did not look amused. His expression had tightened again, irritation lingering in his gaze.

"We should return. That is enough walking for tonight, my lady," he said, though there was a restrained edge to his voice.

He had seen how close she had come to being discovered, and it was clear he did not approve of any of it.

Rosalind narrowed her eyes slightly. "I still have something to confirm. I will be quick," she replied, already turning away.

"Rosalind."

His voice followed her sharply, cutting through the corridor like a warning.

She stopped immediately.

For a moment, she simply stood there, then slowly turned back to face him. "What?" she asked, her tone edged with disbelief, as if she could not believe he had just used her name so freely.

Rowan’s expression shifted at once. He lowered his head slightly, jaw tightening as though he regretted the slip. "My lady," he corrected quietly, his voice restrained.

Silence followed.

But when he looked up again, she was gone.

His eyes sharpened instantly, his fists clenching as he realized she had taken the moment to slip away. Without hesitation, he followed.

Rosalind moved quickly through the corridor, her thoughts briefly circling back to his voice saying her name.

The audacity of it lingered in her mind, though she pushed it aside almost immediately. There were more important things to focus on.

She turned a corner and came to a stop at what looked like a dead end.

Rosalind’s face shifted to dissapointment as she took in the wall that stood before her... but above it was a small window where moonlight spilled through.

Nearby, a few crates were stacked against the wall.

Rosalind moved them into place without hesitation and stepped up carefully, using them as support.

Once she was high enough, she leaned forward and looked through the window.

Her eyes widened.

Beyond it, she saw it clearly... the back exit.

This wasn’t the main gate. Not the garden entrance she had already noticed. This was another route entirely, hidden behind the servants’ quarters, just as she had suspected.

For a brief moment, a flicker of satisfaction crossed her expression.

She had been right after all.

A/N:

Hiii lovelies...

After you finish reading this Chapter, you can click ’about the book’ to see the characters added. They’re no pictures yet, but you can start supporting your favorite characters, and if your favorite character isn’t there yet, you can comment them and I’ll update it.

Thank you for your time, happy reading...