Chapter 49: Better At This
"Your Grace," Rylen tried again as he took in the scene before him. He had to stop it, something told him Caius planned to go through with it. He would be lying if he said he couldn’t guess what was about to happen.
But Caius didn’t even spare him a glance. His attention was locked on Rose, her head bowed so low Rylen was sure she could see her reflection on the polished marble floor. Her hands trembled at her sides, clutching her dress so tightly the fabric twisted beneath her fingers.
"She doesn’t belong here," Lord Nicholas said, his voice sharp with disgust. "Are we to believe the crown prince’s bedwarmer now has a seat at the council table? That’s too much of an insult, Your Highness."
Rose flinched at the word, shame burning through her skin, but she didn’t dare move. Her knees ached against the cold floor, but the weight of so many eyes was far heavier than the stone beneath her.
Caius finally turned, his smile slow and deliberate — the kind that made even seasoned men uneasy. "Bedwarmer?" he echoed, his tone almost amused. "That’s definitely a new one."
"She’s nothing," Lord Charles added, voice dripping with disdain. "A distraction you shouldn’t parade."
Caius’s fingers tapped lazily against the arm of the empty ornate chair beside him — the king’s chair. "Come closer," he said to Rose.
The room fell into a tense silence as Rose scratched her knees on the floor, crawling to him. She didn’t know what was about to happen, but something told her it was exactly what she feared.
Rylen stepped forward, desperation in his voice. "Your Grace, the council—"
"Will leave," Caius cut in, his voice cold and sharp now. "Unless, of course..." His smirk widened. "You all are curious to see what happens next." Caius eyes gleamed as he spoke, there wasn’t a hint of pretense, he intended to go through this with the lords here.
Their reactions were immediate. Chairs scraped back, voices overlapping in outrage as the nobles stormed toward the door, some calling for the king, others cursing Caius under their breath. None dared linger long enough to challenge him directly.
The heavy doors slammed shut behind the last of them, leaving only Caius, Rose, Henry, Rylen, and some guards in the vast hall.
"Don’t just stare down," Caius said, his tone dropping low, almost bored. "You’ve done this before. Get to work — I don’t have all day."