Claimed By The Tyrant King

The next morning, the sun rose over the horizon, casting its light across the land and slipping into the cave where it settled gently around them. Rosalind had already dressed in her gown as she couldn’t return to the palace wearing only Rowan’s shirt without drawing attention.

She adjusted the fabric at her waist, her arm straining slightly as she tied the last knot behind her back, then glanced across the cave to where Rowan stood. He had changed back into his own clothes, and the shirt she had worn the night before was now returned to him.

Neither of them spoke.

The silence between them was thick and unfamiliar, made worse by what had happened the night before.

They had slept apart, one on each side of the fire, their backs turned, as if distance alone could undo it. Rosalind exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself, but before she could say anything, the sound of voices and movement carried in from outside.

They glanced at each other.

Without a word, Rowan stepped forward and moved toward the entrance to see what it was.

Outside, a troop of guards had gathered on horseback, their expressions grim but easing the moment they saw him.

Relief flickered across their faces because they had found them, and that alone would spare them from the king’s wrath. Behind them, the captured bandits were bound and subdued.

"My lady," the leading guard said, bowing his head as Rosalind stepped out behind Rowan. "His Majesty has ordered that you return to the castle at once."

Rosalind swallowed, offering a small nod before allowing herself to be led to the carriage. She stepped inside and sat down alone as the door closed, but just before it shut completely, her eyes met Rowan’s. The brief moment lingered, then disappeared as the carriage began to move.

Silence followed her again. Her thoughts, however, refused to stay quiet.

She couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss.

The memory returned easily, his mouth warm and firm against hers, the way it had felt nothing like what she had expected. She had been kissed before, more than once, and yet none of those moments compared to this. With the king, it had always felt like something was missing, as if the act existed without meaning. But with Rowan, there had been nothing hollow about it. Everything had felt... whole.

Her chest tightened at the thought, her heart pulling in two directions at once, caught between confusion and something far more unsettling.

Last night, she had frozen because it had never crossed her mind that he would do something like that. And then, her stomach had betrayed her, the sudden sound breaking through the moment and forcing him to stop.

When he pulled away, his expression had changed immediately, his gaze meeting hers as though he had only just realised what he had done. "That shouldn’t have happened, my lady."

But it had happened. And he had been the one to start it. Now they were both pretending as though nothing had changed.

Rosalind leaned back slightly, her thoughts turning sharper as she began to piece everything together. Rowan had never truly acted like a servant, not in the way others did. There had always been something different in the way he looked at her. He had called her by her name before, and now... this.

Was this how a servant behaved?

He couldn’t possibly...

Rosalind’s breath caught as the thought settled in fully.

No wonder he hadn’t written the letter. No wonder he always seemed irritated whenever she teased him about Lily. Every time he touched her, his hands lingered longer than it should have. He had protected her again and again, placing himself in danger without question, and now that she allowed herself to see it clearly, the pattern was impossible to ignore. Out of everyone in that palace, he was the only one she trusted.

And this wasn’t her imagining things or forcing meaning where there was none. If it had been nothing, he wouldn’t have crossed that line. He wouldn’t have kissed her.

Her thoughts slowed, shifting into something quieter. She had never wanted a life bound to a king, never dreamed of becoming a queen or living within walls that felt more like a cage than a home. What she had always wanted was simple. Peace, warmth, a life built with someone she chose. Someone who made her feel safe.

And Rowan...

Her fingers tightened slightly in her lap.

He was beginning to look like everything she had ever wanted.

The thought unsettled her just as much as it drew her in.

She didn’t know if it would work, didn’t know what would come of it, but the curiosity was there now, impossible to ignore. Whatever had shifted between them, it wasn’t something she could simply dismiss, not anymore.

Outside the carriage, Rowan rode in silence, his eyes fixed ahead, though his mind was far from the road. The memory of the night before lingered just as strongly for him, but where hers stirred confusion, his brought something heavier. Regret.

He had always been controlled, disciplined in a way that left no room for mistakes like that. Never once had he allowed himself to act on impulse, and yet last night, he had done exactly that. He had crossed a line and no matter how he turned it over in his mind, he couldn’t undo it.

For the first time in a long while, Rowan found himself wishing he had held back.

He had seen her face the night before. She had been confused and shocked. That was why he had tried to recover immediately by saying it never should have happened. But what was done could not be undone, and if anything, his words had only made it worse.

The thought of having made her uncomfortable sat heavily with him, and he could not shake the quiet fear that she might begin to hate him for it.

By the time they arrived at the palace, the sun was already high in the sky, yet that did nothing to lessen the grim atmosphere that surrounded the grounds. Soldiers stood stationed in full armor, their expressions hard and unwelcoming, and the sight alone made the air feel tense.

Rosalind glanced at them as she stepped down from the carriage, unease settling in her chest. All of this... just for their return?