The Forgotten Princess Rose-Chapter 257

"How are you a free man right now? If anyone else were to beat up the king like you did, they would be praying for their life to be spared right about now. You gave the king a bloody nose which messes up the appearance he has to make to speak about our victory. Now he pushes even more for us to head out again. Violence solves nothing," Finn argued.

"Coming from a man whose job is being in the army?" Zayne replied.

"That’s different. That’s my job but you hit the king because you didn’t like him. You going out again means that I have to go out again. I just got back to my mother’s cooking and we have a lot of people who are now with their families. A few came home to the arrival of babies. How are we to pull them away?’ Finn asked, seeing it as unreasonable.

"We won’t. Weren’t you listening today that I am not going anywhere? I can’t leave Rose alone yet," Zayne said, worried about how she was with him gone for so long.

"Your brother can be petty when he wants to be. He knows he can’t directly hurt you so he goes after the things around you and now, you have Rose. He’s going to push toward her until you finally give in. You’ll need to think about that," Finn said, more worried about Rose than Zayne.

It wouldn’t be hard for Gage to make Rose’s time here unpleasant.

"Maybe we should gather a few men and go-"

"No, I am not leaving my wife and I will hit the next person who asks me to. Will it be you?" Zayne asked, tapping his fingers on the seat as he waited for Finn to speak again.

Finn smiled and turned his attention to the window. "If that decision ever changes, I will be right beside you. Someone has to keep you alive. Just remember this when the time comes for you to name one of your children after me."

"Over my dead body," Zayne replied.

He could not get through hearing about another Finn.

Finn frowned and pretended to be disappointed. "And here I was considering naming my fifth born after you. Now, you will get moved to tenth."

"Finn," Zayne said.

"Yes?"

"You’re an idiot," Zayne said, shaking his head at Finn’s stupidity.

Finn was an idiot but still a loyal one.

"Take the carriage and go back to your family. Have it returned to me by night and don’t take it anywhere to be ruined like you did last time. I will make you pay for it," Zayne warned Finn.

"I would never and there is something that bothers me. I have known you since we were children. I was paid to be around when you were tutored and for years I have asked you for a carriage. How is it that Rose comes in and gets one of your carriages before me? Not to forget you were offering her the house you bought," Finn said, offended.

Zayne smiled as there was a simple answer behind his actions. "Are you a pretty amusing woman, Finn?"

"I’m a handsome entertaining man, Zayne. If all it took to get expensive gifts from you was to make you fall in love with me, I would have done that years ago. It’s not too late for me," Finn joked. He tried to take Zayne’s mind off thinking about what Gage would do.

Zayne touched the handle on the door to open it. "Get out."

"You want me to get out of a moving carriage. Are you crazy? Wait, I forgot I am talking to the man who punched the king in his face. Is that your mother’s carriage?" Finn pointed inside the gates to take Zayne’s attention off of him.

Zayne didn’t bother to look since he already guessed his mother was here after she didn’t show up at the palace. He didn’t mind it since Rose needed the company in his absence. As long as she didn’t bother Rose all day then she could keep coming.

When the carriage stopped, Zayne was relieved to see that his sister wasn’t trailing them to come to meet Rose. He could only handle his mother now after what he went through with Gage today.

"Have fun!" Finn yelled as the carriage turned around to take him home.

Zayne entered the front doors and immediately went searching for Rose. It was only now he considered the home too large since he couldn’t find her right away.

’Zayne?" He heard her voice from behind him.

Zayne turned around and found Rose coming out of the small library room with flowers in her hands.

"Welcome home. I was putting some of the flowers I picked in some of the rooms. They smell lovely," Rose said, holding out the flowers for Zayne to smell.

Zayne closed the space between them to hug Rose. "I’m sorry for being away so long. Did I worry you?"

"Yes, but your mother has been here to keep me distracted. I hope you don’t mind that I was picking the flowers and putting them in different rooms. I put them in a vase with water so they don’t die fast. I just needed something to do while I waited for you," said Rose.

"You can do whatever you want, Rose. They smell good," he said after smelling the flowers in her hands. ’Did you have enough vases for it?"

"I tried to find enough but the storage only had a few so I had to pick which rooms would get flowers. So far it is the library here, the drawing room, the kitchen, and our bedroom. Your mother has been kind enough to get someone to bring more. I would like to plant the flowers in pots instead of cutting them," Rose said, sharing her plans for the next few days.

"You’ve got quite the schedule. You’ll need to be careful it doesn’t interfere when your tutor comes for your lessons. Will I need to schedule when I want to see you tomorrow? I have nothing to do then."

"No, you don’t. You can join me or we can do something fun. Whatever you like to do," Rose replied.

The flowers could wait.

"I don’t want to kill your interest in the garden so we should go there tomorrow," said Zayne.

Rose wanted to cover his mouth to not have his plans for the garden brought up. "Your mother is close so you must be careful with what you say."

Zayne didn’t pay too much mind to it and lifted Rose’s hand to kiss it. "I can say whatever I want in our home. Isn’t it about time we send her on her way? She’s been with you long enough."

Rose hesitated to tell Zayne about the dinner plans she made but when he kissed her neck and she knew his mother could come at any second, she had to. "I invited your mother over for dinner."

Zayne stopped. "Why? You know she’s using you to keep coming here whenever she feels like it. We don’t see each other this often. She doesn’t come here very often."

Zayne knew his mother must already have many visits planned and she was going to use Rose to come here.

"I didn’t know if you were going to be home for dinner and I didn’t want to be alone. I’m sorry but I don’t see why you don’t want her to be here. She cares for you and she is quite helpful to me so why?" Rose asked, needing more backstory as to why he was against it.

"I don’t mind her coming here and there but I was looking forward to it being just the two of us. My mother has a way of meddling and she doesn’t notice it. She’ll want us to be together at all times but she’ll come here to see what we are doing. That doesn’t work in my favour when you are concerned about her hearing us," Zayne explained.

"She can stay for dinner but not the night. Please tell me that you haven’t said she will spend the night-"

"She has not. No need to get worried that I will disturb you tonight. I will have my dinner and be on my way, but first, I need to talk to Zayne alone if you do not mind Rose. We won’t be long and then I will come to help with the rest of the flower arrangements," Catherine offered Rose. "Let her go, Zayne."

"See? Meddling," Zayne whispered to Rose.

Rose tried not to laugh at what he said and stepped away from Zayne so they could speak in private. She trusted Catherine to be better at understanding what occurred in the palace today.

Zayne waited for Rose to be out of sight and then turned to his mother. "Shouldn’t a former queen know not to disturb newlyweds?"

"You’ll have to forgive me. I am quite used to everyone letting me in where I wish to go. Come, son. We have much to discuss about your marriage."