Chapter 8 CHAPTER EIGHT
ROSALINDA.
Your heart is still delusional.
Well, there you have it folks, another heart wreck.
At this point, I no longer had a heart because it has been shattered to pieces.
The late night talk with Mother took a toll on me. I tossed and tossed on my bed trying to sleep, but unfortunately I couldn't. Her words had built an even higher wall around my already fractured heart.
Let your heart know that too.
It's still delusional.
Easy for her to say, sitting on her gilded throne of duty and decorum. Mine was a riot of warring emotions, a battlefield where desire clashed with destiny.
I felt suffocated despite the vast space of my chambers so I decided to sneak out.
Just as expected, the moment I stepped outside, Cole blocked my path.
"Hey Cole!" I laughed nervously. "What's up?"
"My Princess. May I ask why you're leaving your chambers so late?" He asked, his voice low careful not to alert anyone.
My face fell as I let out a sigh. "I need a break, Cole," I admitted, my shoulders slunpung. "I feel like...this huge palace is closing in on me and for once...I just want to breathe..."
He sighed, then nodded. "I do understand, truly, but it's too late, and-"
I cut him off. "Please? Cole? Just for one night. I just need a breath of night air, away from....everything."
He stared at me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine, before finally nodding and clearing my path. "I'll keep an eye on you, Princess. It's not safe for you to be outside this late...just stay safe and don't wander too far."
I was on the brink of crying, for reasons I didn't quite understand. His words, his gentle understanding, seemed to comfort my raw soul in a way Mother's pragmatic counsel couldn't. "Thank you...I know, I'm well-" I chuckled. "Very complicated, and it's hard to put up with me."
He smiled briefly, a rare softening of his usual stoic features. "You're one person who does trust us guards or servants as well...the way we are. I should be the one who's grateful, and I can see how burdened you are, My Lady."
My throat tightened as the tears threatened to spill. "I wish I could hug you right now, but that's just crazy." The words were out before I could stop them, adding another embarrassing peek into my emotional turmoil.
His eyes shot wide at my comment, a flicker of surprise crossing his features, then he chuckled softly, a genuine warm sound. "Cone back safely and soon, Princess. If anything, please call out. My ears will be listening."
"Thank you." I managed before slipping past him and down the hallway. I first snuck to the kitchen, luckily for me the maids were asleep and the guards had already retired to their chambers, only those that guarded the palace in and out were awake- a pattern I'd mastered over the years so it was easier to sneak under their noises. I stole some candied nuts, a wedge of pungent cheese, and a jar of wine.
Maybe if I got drunk, it might help drown out the incessant noise in my head.
It was a stupid decision.
I knew that, especially since I'd be outside my chambers and highly vulnerable, but right now, I couldn't care less. I just needed oblivion.
The moment I left the main palace, a relieved sigh left my lips as the cool night air hit my face, however, my peace was short lived when I was stopped by two guards who materialized from the shadows.
"Princess Rosalinda?" One of the guards said, shock evident in his tone. "Your highness, you can't be out here unescorted."
Right...here we go again.
"I-
"Stand down. She's under my direct purview tonight," I heard a familiar voice say, I turned around to see Cole standing behind me, he bowed swiftly and turned his attention back to the guards. "Just ensure her perimeter is clear and report any disturbances directly to me, understood?"
I looked back at the guards who glanced at each other then nodded. "Of course."
I thanked Cole and walked past the guards. I went to the garden, far deep into it, following the winding path until the palace lights were a distant glimmers and the voices of the night guards were only a faint hum. I sat next to the secluded lake, it's surface a mirror reflecting the silent, star-dusked sky. I placed the plates of snacks onto the soft grass and took a huge gulp of the wine from the jar, the harsh liquid burning a trail down my throat. Letting out a satisfied groan, I placed the jar in the grass and began to munch softly on the candied nuts.
Just as I sat there, enjoying the view, a sudden grunt startled me, I jolted, nearly knocking over the jar of wine, then relaxed when I saw Cyrus leaning against a tree behind me. His eyes were pinched shut almost as if he was resting, his dark hair was fallen over face, he wasn't in the armor, rather he was shirtless and only had trousers on, his feet were bare propped on the roots of the tree, the moonlight pierced through the dense canopy now reflecting on his sculpted body, highlighting every ridge and valley of his defined abs and broad shoulders.
Everything about him was exactly how I imagined Grayson to be. His strength, the dark hair, the angle of his jaw, even the faint scar above his left eyebrow...it was all there. Expect....the character.
Grayson was playful, warm, always had a teasing smile- he was strong yet soft. But this man, Cyrus, he was cold...way too cold.
I shifted uncomfortably when he suddenly opened his eyes and looked up. A clear look of disdain crossed over his features when our eyes met, making my blood run cold. He bowed slowly and stood up right then pushed himself off the tree.
"How long had you been there?" I asked, unable to control the urge to talk to him.
"For a while," he looked up at the sky. "Shit," he muttered under his breath. "Maybe for a bit too long,"
"I didn't see you..." I mumbled under my breath. "Do you sleep while standing?"
He said nothing and just walked closer, but stopped a few feet away. "Sometimes, yes,"
"That's weird,"
"I should be leaving," he announced, making my heart drop. As he turned to walk away. I called out.
"Leaving a princess alone here isn't a guardly thing to do, is it?" I foolishly called out, the wine making my voice bolder than my common sense. Or maybe...it was me talking and unfortunately I couldn't shut the fuck up. "Especially one that is to marry your future King..." The last words were laced with a bitterness I hadn't intended.
His shoulder tensed at my comment, then almost immediately it relaxed, a subtle ripple of muscle beneath his skin. He turned to me slowly, his face impassive. "You have many guards watching you, Your highness. What difference does one make?" His tone was flat, devoid of emotion.
"He will be closer," I blurted, my gaze dropping to his bare chest, then quickly back to his eyes. Maybe it was the wine, or maybe it wasn't. But all I knew was....Grayson or not, I just needed him close for one last time. Just to feel his presence to understand this impossible magnetism. When I thought he was going to walk away, to turn his back on me, he moved closer and sat beside me, but a few feet away.
"As you wish, Your highness." He said, his voice a low gravelly murmur that sent a shiver down my spine.
I chuckled softly, a mix of disbelief and relief. He was actually staying. To my surprise, a low chuckled rumbled from his chest too, joining mine in the quiet of the night. We stayed there in silence, the only sounds the chirping crickets and the rustle of leaves. I watched the sky, mostly stealing glances at him from the corner of my eye. He was simply staring at his bare feet, as if counting the blades of the grass beneath them.
I let out a deep breath and reached for the jar of wine, I frown when I picked it up to find it almost empty. Had I been drinking that much? Just as I lifted the jar up to pour the remaining contents into my mouth. Someone snatched it away, I looked up to see Cyrus now holding the jar, a frown etched on his lips.
"Are you crazy?!" I yelled.
"No," he replied, tossing the jar into the lake, making me stand up and push him by the chest.
"Are you stupid?!"
"No," he repeated. "But a drunk princess is one I can't deal with, nor am I in the mood to carry your back to your chambers when you inevitably collapse, neither am I also in the mood to answer questions after something happens to you."
My heart was already hammering fast as I stood there staring daggers at him. That was it.
That cold detached tone, the utter lack of feigned concern... I was done.
The tears I'd been holding all night suddenly breached the dam, hot and stinging as they streamed down my face.
His face softened as he attempted to move towards me but I slapped his hand away. "Fuck you." Was all I said as I walked away, leaving him alone in the garden.