Chapter 197: By The Firelight
By the time darkness settled over the sky, night had fully fallen. A dusting of stars glittered overhead while the moon cast its silver reflection across the ocean.
They had started a small fire in one spot, arranging sticks above it so they could roast the fish they had caught. Rosalind looked more worried than happy as she gazed into the basket, realising that she had caught more fish than she could count, let alone finish eating.
"What do you think we should do with this fish? We can’t possibly finish all of it," Rosalind said as she looked at Rowan, who was crouched by the fire adjusting it.
"We’ll eat what we can and maybe give the rest away," he replied thoughtfully before coming over to join her where she sat.
"Are you still feeling cold?" Rowan asked, glancing at her because of the chilly night air.
She shook her head. "I’m okay," she said, already wrapped in a thick cloth that covered most of her body.
"Don’t you need to come in?" Rosalind asked, opening one side of the cloth for him.
Rowan moved closer and she wrapped part of the cloth around him. It didn’t entirely cover them both, but being together like this brought far more warmth than the cloth ever could.
"If I hadn’t stopped you, you would’ve continued fishing," Rowan said, and Rosalind chuckled softly.
"Are you always this eager whenever you learn something new?" he asked curiously.
She nodded. "Yes. I’m always excited to try new things," she admitted, especially when they were things she genuinely enjoyed. "So fortunately, it ended there because otherwise I would’ve kept fishing."
A small laugh escaped her as they both turned their attention back to the fire crackling brightly before them.
Rosalind, who was sitting beside him, was the first to notice approaching footsteps from her side. When she glanced in that direction, she saw an elderly man walking along the shoreline.
"Rowan," she called.
He turned to her and followed her gaze until he spotted the fisherman making his way along the beach.
"I thought you said it was a private beach?" she asked.
"It is," Rowan answered simply. "He must’ve wandered over here somehow."
Rosalind nodded in understanding. Just because it was private didn’t mean they would have the entire shoreline completely to themselves. Naturally, they were bound to see someone eventually. Still, she hadn’t expected it because since their arrival, nobody else had appeared. The beach was private in the sense that they wouldn’t constantly have crowds disturbing them.
The fisherman appeared to be carrying something, and even from a distance, he looked worn out from a long day’s work. They watched as he approached. "Evening," he greeted casually.
Rosalind and Rowan acknowledged him.
"My net has turned into a knot of misery. Could you help me with it?" he asked, directing his gaze toward Rowan, who seemed the most capable person for the task.
Rowan hesitated for only a moment before rising to his feet. The elderly man set the fishing net on the sand. "Thank you for helping. You can untie it from there," he said before crouching down beside him.
Together, they began working on the tangled net. Meanwhile, Rosalind checked on the fish roasting over the fire to make sure they weren’t burning.
"You should reduce the fire beneath the fish," she heard the old man say.
"But It’s cooking," Rosalind replied.
"Killing it for the second time is what you’re doing," the fisherman said with a snort. "Lower the heat."
Rosalind immediately followed his advice and reduced the flames beneath the fish.
"Do you need help?" Rowan asked from where he was trying to untie the knots in the net.
"I’m all good," Rosalind assured him.
The fire crackled softly in front of her before she returned to her seat, her attention drifting back to the two men.
"Are you newly married?" the fisherman asked.
"You can tell?" Rowan replied.
The old man laughed. "Of course. It’s always sweet in the beginning, and you’re constantly asking after each other. That’s how I know."
Rowan nodded but didn’t say anything else. Rosalind continued watching from behind them when she suddenly heard the fisherman gasp.
"You can’t possibly do it like that. It won’t untie quickly," he complained.
Before Rowan could react, the old man lightly slapped his hand away and snatched the net from him.
Rowan froze for a second before turning to look back at Rosalind. She pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh, and simply shook her head.
Meanwhile, the fisherman launched into a detailed explanation. "If you untie it this way, it’ll be done much faster," he instructed before handing the net back.
Rowan accepted it with visible reluctance and once again began working through the knots while the old man watched closely, ready to correct him the moment he made another mistake.
"You’re already here with your wife, and mine is still waiting for me at home. I cannot afford to get home any later than this or she’ll start worrying," the old man said.
Although there was nothing particularly amusing about the statement, Rowan looked at him for a moment before the corner of his lips curled slightly.
"The way you’re doing it is the long method. You just need to find the source of the problem and everything will come undone," Rowan said calmly as he took the fishing net from the man’s hands. He examined the tangled mess for a moment, searching for the root of the knot, and once he found it, the rest quickly came apart with ease.
"Oh..." The old man’s eyes widened in astonishment. "You’re a very intelligent man. I didn’t realize that was the trick you were trying to use earlier."
He laughed lightly, and Rowan simply maintained his composure as the final knot loosened and the net was restored.
"Thank you for your help," the old man said.
Rowan nodded, dipping his head slightly in acknowledgment.
"See you again, beautiful lady," the fisherman said to Rosalind.
Rosalind smiled warmly in return, but before the man could leave, she suddenly called out to him.
"Wait... would you like some roasted fish?" she asked.
"He’s a fisherman, Rosalind," Rowan pointed out.
The old man had already slowed to a stop, and only then did Rosalind realize what Rowan meant.
"Even though I already have plenty of my own, it’s bad luck to reject a gift," the fisherman replied.
Rosalind shot Rowan a brief glance before turning back toward the fire. She gathered some of the fish that had already been roasted and wrapped them neatly before carrying them over.
"You can eat them on your way home, or share them with your wife," she said with a warm smile.
"That’s very kind of you. Thank you."
Rosalind nodded, and after they exchanged small bows, the fisherman continued on his way.
Once he had disappeared into the distance, they settled back down together in comfortable silence. Rosalind let out a soft sigh before turning toward Rowan. She then shook her head, amused by the thought of what happened earlier. "He doesn’t even know he just smacked the King."
Rowan reacted with a faint smile appearing on his face.
