Chapter 32 What do you want?
CHAPTER 33
CATHERINE
I stormed into my room as soon as we returned to the castle, the doors slamming shut behind me.
My anger felt like a hot coal in my chest, burning with every breath. I replayed every word of Kane’s dismissive attitude together with his cold indifference, and it only made my hands shake with frustration.
How could he be so infuriating? After everything that had happened, he’d just shrugged me off, treating me like a problem to be solved rather than a person who cared about him.
I sank onto the edge of my bed, fuming. He hadn’t even looked at me as if I mattered. just turned to the captain and told him to tend to my wounds like I was one of his men rather than someone he cared for.
I stared at the ceiling, watching the shadows move as the night deepened. No matter how hard I tried to push him from my mind, thoughts of him crept back in.
Somehow, I was worried about him. I thought of his drenched clothes and the strain in his voice. He hadn’t even told me why he’d jumped into the ocean in the first place. I sighed, pulling the blanket tighter around me as if it could smother my swirling thoughts.
Hours ticked by, and I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I imagined the look he’d given me. What had happened on that ship to make him act like this?
Frustrated, I pushed myself out of bed and walked to the window, looking out at the darkened grounds of the castle. Somewhere out there, Kane was dealing with something he refused to share with me, something he thought he could handle alone.
But why did that matter to me? Why should it?
All these, I thought about till I drifted off to the wonderland.
I woke up to sunlight streaming through my window. Rubbing my eyes, I sat up, blinking as I took in the sight before me.
My room was filled, no, it was overflowing with gifts. Flower bouquets of every color imaginable were set on the tables and shelves, interspersed with boxes of delicate pastries, snacks, and little trinkets in ornate boxes.
It looked like someone had emptied an entire flower shop and patisserie into my quarters.
I barely had time to process it when Mia entered, her eyes lighting up at the display.
"Good morning, Lady Catherine!" She grinned, looking between me and the gifts. "I see someone’s made a grand gesture this morning."
"Mia," I said, pushing the covers off and standing up, "what is all of this? Where did it come from?"
She looked at me with that knowing glint in her eyes.
"The king sent it. All of it. Seems he wanted to do something different today."
I scoffed, crossing my arms tightly across my chest.
"Whatever. I don’t care, Mia. Last night..." I clenched my fists in anger. "He was so infuriating! I don't want any of this. He can take all his flowers, snacks, whatever they are, and shove them in the moat for all I care."
Mia chuckled, coming closer as she inspected a particularly grand arrangement of roses.
"Oh, Lady Catherine, you can't mean that. You have a castle full of gifts from the king, and you're telling me you won't even give him a little bit of credit?"
"Credit? For what? Acting like I don’t even exist?" I threw my hands up, exasperated. "He didn’t even ask how I felt. He just ignored me. And then he had the nerve to act like I was just some kind of responsibility."
Mia’s smile softened, and she raised a brow.
"Sometimes men are just clueless. They act one way when they mean something else entirely. The king clearly cares for you, Lady Catherine. All of this" she motioned to the room, "it’s proof. He might not be the most tactful, but he cares."
"Well, he has a terrible way of showing it." I folded my arms tighter. "If he cared, he’d actually try to understand me. Not throw gifts at me like like I’m some problem to be fixed."
Mia placed a hand on her hip, sighing in that patient way of hers.
"Forgive me for saying this, but not every man has the words. Maybe he’s trying in the only way he knows how. You’ve got the king wrapped around your finger, Lady Catherine. And maybe that scares him a little."
The thought caught me off guard, and I hesitated, glancing at the nearest bouquet. The flowers were vibrant, their colors rich and warm.
"Well, I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t ask him to do all this for me."
"No," Mia said softly, "but he did it anyway. And he didn’t have to." She tilted her head, studying me. "Maybe there’s more to the king than you’re willing to see."
I huffed, running a hand through my hair.
"Even if there is, I’m not accepting these. I won’t be bribed or swayed by pretty things and sweets. It doesn’t change the way he acted."
Mia chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
"You’re stubborn as ever, I’ll give you that." She walked over to a tray of chocolates, plucking one up with a mischievous smile. "But maybe, just maybe, you should give him a chance. The king clearly went through a lot of trouble."
I shook my head. "Trouble or not, I don’t care. I’m not accepting any of it."
Mia smiled knowingly, unwrapping the chocolate and popping it into her mouth.
"Suit yourself. But don’t be surprised if he keeps trying. Besides, I hope I'm not punished for this." She winked, taking the chocolate into her mouth.
I rolled my eyes, though a part of me couldn’t ignore the slight warmth creeping up my cheeks.
"Then he can try all he wants. I’m not giving in."
"Sure, sure," Mia said, a little too smug. "But I’d say the lady doth protest too much."
Ignoring her smirk, I glanced around the room. Maybe Mia was right. Or maybe Kane was just as impossible as I thought. Either way, I wasn’t ready to let him off so easily.
Just then, the door opened, and I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. I heard Mia’s soft intake of breath, followed by her cheerful, “Good morning, Your Majesty.”
I kept my back to him, arms still crossed tightly over my chest as I stared stubbornly at the elaborate flowers.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kane lift his hand, signalling to Mia to leave us alone.
“What do you want, King Kane?”