The King's Lover Chapter 530: No Two Queens

Following her hasty retreat from the dining hall, drenching dress and all, the elder Queen did not return. Rose could only surmise the profound humiliation her son’s public reprimand and her water-soaked state had inflicted upon her in front of the entire staff.

The spectacle was a source of amusement for the onlookers, particularly as her scheme had utterly backfired. Rose’s own restrained laughter, preventing the entire room from being shaken, was merely a tactic to maintain her facade.

After Violeta's abrupt departure, Caius ensured that his companion was unharmed, guiding her back to her rightful place beside him once the servants had attended to the watery aftermath.

Fortunately, the meal had not yet been served when Violeta erupted in her tantrum, thus preventing the entire lunch from being spoiled. However, the table linens and a portion of the silverware necessitated replacement.

With everyone resettled, the serving of meals commenced. A palpable quiet settled over the room, persisting throughout the remainder of the lunch. Rose understood the reason; the elder Queen's outburst had cast an undeniable awkwardness over the proceedings.

The sole exchange involving Caius was his persistent inquiries into Rose's well-being. Despite her desire to maintain the pretense, Rose assured him that she was perfectly fine.

Prince Gayle was absent from their lunch gathering. However, his son had entered the dining room in Caius's company. The young prince appeared equally mortified by the incident but remained silent on the matter.

As was her custom, Caira was the first to depart. The moment she excused herself, Rylen followed, clearly in pursuit. Rose turned toward her husband, anticipating some comment, but Caius acted as if he had observed nothing.

"Your Majesty," Rose's soft call broke the silence.

Caius raised his gaze to meet hers. "Is something amiss?" he inquired.

Rose offered a negative shake of her head, though her inner feelings were quite the opposite. The princess remained present, and indications suggested her stay was far from over or improving. Compounding this, the elder Queen harbored a distinct animosity towards her. An abundance of concerns occupied Rose's thoughts.

"Thank you," she stated simply. "For earlier."

A softening crossed Caius's features as he grasped her hand, offering a gentle squeeze before returning to his meal.

Following the conclusion of lunch, Caius was unable to escort her to her chambers due to prior engagements. Consequently, Rose once again found herself under Maximus's protective charge.

Maximus maintained a position behind her as she proceeded toward the King's wing. The reassuring sound of his measured footsteps accompanied her journey.

Just as they reached the staircase ascending to her floor, Rylen descended rapidly, his expression etched with distress. He offered a swift bow to Rose before vanishing, leaving her no time to speak. She caught a fleeting glimpse of his retreating back as he disappeared from view.

Glancing up the stairs, Rose found them empty, with no sign that anyone had recently passed. Without further contemplation, Rose ascended and paused before her private chambers.

With one hand resting on the door, she turned to Maximus. Nodding her head, she expressed, "Thank you. I would have been further drenched if not for you."

Maximus responded with a simple nod, awaiting her entry into her room. Upon stepping inside and closing the door, he turned and departed.

A sigh of relief escaped Rose once she was enveloped by the privacy of her chambers. She sank into a nearby seat, leaning back and stretching her shoulders.

Gratitude washed over her for Caius's timely intervention, as she was certain she would have reacted poorly otherwise. Had Violeta been the one to splash the water, Rose felt confident she would have struck her with the empty jug.

A dampening of clothes could be rectified with drying; a bruise, however, would require far more than a few days to heal.

Rose's concern wasn't about physically harming the Queen, but rather the inevitable spread of rumors that would follow. She still had much to accomplish and aspired to avoid jeopardizing her progress so prematurely.

The narrative wouldn't focus on the Queen's actions of drenching and embarrassing her; instead, the sole topic of discussion would be her retaliatory strike. Rose acknowledged that such an action would not be undertaken lightly.

A chuckle escaped her as she recalled the elder Queen's evident dismay upon realizing her plan's failure—her sodden attire, her son's unexpected arrival, and, most significantly, the observant gazes of the servants.

However, Rose understood that this conflict was far from resolved and likely to escalate. Violeta, she suspected, would not learn her lesson until a truly drastic measure was taken.

A small smile touched Rose's lips. She intended to strategically position herself and, at the opportune moment, strike decisively. The castle could not accommodate two queens.

Caira posed no significant threat, not only due to her questionable claim to the title but also her apparent lack of desire to provoke Rose. Therefore, for the present, Caira would be disregarded, with the hope that Rylen would uphold the promise he had made to Caius.

Rose touched her temple. She had held the position of queen for less than a day, and circumstances were already spiraling. Nevertheless, she could not voice a complaint, fully aware that the challenges were only set to intensify. All she could do was prepare herself for the ensuing storm.

The remainder of the day was dedicated to Rose recuperating and catching up on her studies. The necessity of securing a tutor from Caius became apparent, or perhaps accepting his gracious offer to utilize the royal library. However, her immediate prioritiy was to visit her father and Lady Delphine.

Her intention was to broach the subject with Caius following their evening meal. A flicker of doubt crossed her mind regarding the timing, yet she rationalized that acting sooner, before any widespread rumors, would be more advantageous. Once the situation became chaotic, effecting her departure from the castle would prove considerably more difficult.

Dinner commenced shortly thereafter, and her maids remained conspicuously absent, as they had been throughout the day. Rose endeavored to dismiss the unease this omission caused as she proceeded to the dining hall, with Maximus faithfully accompanying her, as had become his custom.