Chapter 15: What If She Ran Away?
"Ride close," Caius said.
Rose simply nodded, but she didn’t ride any differently than she already was. That was because she was riding as close as possible, as she had done for the last twelve miles. After she had finished eating, the crown prince had kept an eye on her, and to do so, she had to be right next to him.
It was uncomfortable, and Rose missed the moments when she was at the rear of the party, minding her own business and enjoying the scenery. The crown prince made her too nervous, and she hated that she was painfully aware of him. Every movement from him made her want to run away or curl up in a ball. She was terrified of him and what he was capable of.
They were close to the capital, according to what Rose heard. She was unsure and could barely see her surroundings, as it had been dark for quite some time now. Thankfully, they weren’t riding in complete darkness. The torches from dawn had been turned on after the sun set.
Rose was tired, and her arms also hurt. For someone who had never ridden more than a few meters before now and was currently riding for two days straight, Rose was beyond exhausted. It didn’t help that she had slept on the cold floor the night before.
"We are close, Your Highness," one of his men announced.
Caius didn’t respond to this, and Rose had to squint her eyes to see ahead of her. But as she did, her eyes widened. She could see light at the top of the fence. It was still a bit far off but clear enough for her to see. Rose suddenly felt energized. Even though she hated this trip and would rather be home with her parents, she was glad she had come to the end of the journey.
A loud bell echoed, and then the sound of a horn. It was startling and even louder than the bell. Then a voice announced the presence of the crown prince just as the doors of the capital were thrown open. Hearthdale, the heart of Velmount. Located right in the middle, it was the official residence of the King of Velmount.
Caius sped right through the gates, and Rose followed after him. He stopped abruptly, and she almost bumped into him.
"What do you think you are doing?" a foot guard holding a spear yelled at her. "Get out of the way, you—"
It was just a glance, a simple glance, and the guard crumbled to his knees, his head bent. "Your Highness."
Caius casually got off his horse just as a carriage pulled up. They were still right at the entrance, the gates still open as the rest of Caius’s men rode through.
"Get off," Caius ordered Rose.