The King's Lover Chapter 545: First Letter

The library was bigger than she imagined. The ceiling was as high and as decorated as the throne room. Books covered every section; Rose wasn’t sure she had ever seen this many books in her life.

The librarians reluctantly acknowledged her presence. There were three of them in different sections of the library, but Rose didn’t care about their attitude as long as they weren’t rude or didn’t stop her.

Rose found a desk at the corner of the library where she could get comfortable. Taking her seat, Rose spread out the items she had brought as she began the letter.

Rose didn’t write a long letter, and she spared them the gory details of her attack. She simply warned them to be vigilant and gave a vague description of the attack on the carriage.

Rose cross-checked the letter to make sure nothing was wrong. She frowned, knowing that her tutor was going to check it. He could be a little intense sometimes, and it would be embarrassing if she got anything wrong.

She didn’t use any difficult words and tried her best to keep it simple. She was worried that she made it too simple, but too much information might scare them, and she didn’t want that.

Satisfied with what she had written, Rose cleared the desk and left the library. She had spent more time than she had anticipated. She had wanted everything to be perfect; it was her first letter after all.

She was giddy as she made her way to the King’s wing. Delan was close behind her. He didn’t speak unless spoken to, and she thought his company was nice.

Rose didn’t have much to do as she made her way to her bedchambers. Her ladies-in-waiting weren’t in; Rose wouldn’t be surprised if they were off doing some chore they no longer needed to do.

She chuckled to herself as she returned the ink and quill, holding onto only the letter. She was glad they finally had some choice in the matter. She was expecting some retaliation from the old hag for what she had done, but nothing had reached her ears just yet.

With the letter in hand, Rose exited her bedchambers. She thought to wait, but she wanted to get the letter to Lady Delphine’s manor as soon as possible, and it was almost time for lunch. It was an appropriate time to interrupt.

"Delan," Rose softly called as she exited her bedchambers.

"Yes, Y-your Majesty."

"Do you know where the King’s private study is?" she asked.

"Ah yes," he said with a soft frown but didn’t meet her eyes.

"Delightful. If you will kindly lead the way, I need to give His Majesty something very important."

Delan’s face clouded, and Rose could see how thoughtful he was about the situation before he finally gave her a nod and started towards the stairs.

Rose wondered if this was a good idea, but she was headed for his private study, not the council meeting room. She wasn’t worried that the King would turn her away; she was more worried about interrupting something important.

However, the fact that it was almost lunchtime gave her courage, especially when she had seen servants running past with covered trays making their way to different parts of the castle.

The corridor that led to his study was particularly long, and Rose could see several guards lining the pathway. They were quick to bow to her, and Rose smiled back at them.

Eventually, Delan stopped in front of the door. It looked like a simple door, and it wasn’t as extravagant as the doors in their bedchambers, but Rose could tell it was sturdy. One look alone was all she needed.

Delan stepped aside to make way for her, but it felt as though he wanted to avoid any trouble. Rose tried not to laugh at this as she raised her hand to knock.

She winced at the loud sound. She didn’t expect such a hard door to have that amount of echo. Simultaneously, the door was flung open with unnecessary force, and Rose met eyes with a scowling Thomas.

Seeing who was at the door, his face softened, and he bowed. "Your Majesty."

Rose could hear the surprise in his voice. "Lord Thomas, is His Majesty bu—"

"Come in," a voice reached her ear.

Rose looked past Thomas to see Caius sitting by his desk. Other than Thomas, he seemed to be alone. She stepped into the study, and Thomas exited, shutting the door behind him.

"Am I interrupting anything, Your Majesty?" Rose asked with a curtsey.

"Come here," Caius said, a smile tugging at his lips. "Tell me what brings you."

Rose didn’t like how pleased he looked. She had expected him to be a little displeased about her or at least find it bearable, but he seemed overly excited.

"I wrote the letter," she said, making no move to obey. "I was hoping to send it to Lady Delphine as soon as possible."

"Rose." Caius tilted his head. "Must I ask twice?"

She folded her hands neatly before her, carefully showcasing the letter. "Your Majesty has a certain look about him. I would rather not risk my dress—luncheon is soon, after all."

That earned a quiet laugh. "And here I thought you took pride in your effect on me."

"I do," she said, unbothered. "Immensely. But Your Majesty is not known for restraint."

"Cruel," he murmured.

"Honest."

For a moment, he simply looked at her—something softer beneath the amusement.

"Come here," Caius said again, this time less command than invitation. "You have nothing to fear."

Fear was the last thing on her mind. "As Your Majesty pleases," Rose replied and stepped forward.

She stopped beside the desk, standing to the side. His eyes never left her as she approached. She stretched out her hand and handed over the letter.

Caius accepted it without looking at it, and she noticed his gaze was on her cheek. It was brief, but his eyes darkened ever so slightly before he turned his attention to the letter.

"Dear Lady Delphine,

I hope this letter finds you well. How are Father and the girls? I miss you all already.

Yesterday, my carriage was attacked. Don’t worry. I am well and uninjured. I just want you to be cautious, as I fear someone might try to attack the manor.

I won’t be able to see you all for a while. Give my love to Father.

Rose R."

"You didn’t have to read it out loud," she mumbled, annoyed that she couldn’t meet his eyes. It was a little embarrassing to have her words read back to her.

"What kind of tutor would I be then?" he asked with a smirk as he stood up. "I’ll have it sent immediately."

Rose tried not to react as he closed the gap between them. "I’d like that very much."