Chapter 224: His Reason To Smile
The next morning, Rosalind stirred awake to the gentle whisper of the morning breeze drifting through the curtains and the cheerful chirping of birds outside.
For one quiet moment, still caught between sleep and wakefulness, she almost believed she was back at the little beach house where they had escaped from the burdens of the palace.
The memory felt so vivid that she could almost hear the waves rolling against the shore, but the moment she opened her eyes fully, reality settled over her once again.
It all seemed so distant now that it almost felt like a dream that had never truly happened. Yet every time she tried to convince herself of that, the glass jar of seashells resting quietly on the table reminded her otherwise. It sat exactly where they had placed it, preserving those precious memories and refusing to let them fade.
She smiled faintly before sitting up, her gaze wandering around the chamber. Only then did she realize Rowan was no longer beside her.
Ordinarily, she would have assumed he had already gone to attend to affairs of the kingdom, but judging by the pale morning light filtering into the room, it was still much too early.
Curious, she slipped out of bed, wrapped a robe around herself, and quietly walked toward the balcony.
There he was.
He stood alone with both hands resting on the stone railing, his eyes fixed somewhere beyond the palace walls. The cool breeze stirred the loose strands of his dark hair while one hand slowly rose to his temple, rubbing it as though he was trying to ease away a persistent ache.
"Were you unable to sleep?" she asked gently.
Her voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he turned around to face her.
"I’m alright, Rosalind," he replied as he lowered his hand, though she could easily tell that wasn’t entirely true.
She walked over until she stood beside him, leaning lightly against the railing. The crisp morning air brushed against her face while she absently ran her fingers through her slightly messy morning hair.
"Did you sleep well?" Rowan asked instead, his attention remaining on her.
"I did," she answered honestly before studying him more carefully. "Although I don’t think you did."
His smile was small and almost reluctant.
"Are you having headaches again?" she asked softly.
"A little."
She pressed her lips together, her concern deepening. "What do you think about having tea later?" she suggested casually. "The herbal kind."
Rowan watched her quietly for a moment before the corners of his lips lifted into a genuine smile. "I’d like that."
She nodded with quiet satisfaction, and neither of them spoke again for several moments.
Instead, they simply stood together, watching the kingdom slowly awaken beneath them. Palace servants were beginning their morning duties, the gardens shimmered beneath the early sunlight, and birds drifted lazily across the brightening sky.
It had been quite some time since they had shared a peaceful morning like this.
No meetings, council, reports or assassins.
Just the two of them.
Rosalind found herself stealing another glance at him, only to notice that his brows had drawn together once more. It was becoming such a familiar expression lately that it tugged painfully at her heart.
Whenever he slept beside her, she often found herself smoothing that frown away with her fingertips without even thinking about it. Now, however, she could only look at him.
She let out a quiet sigh.
"What is it?" Rowan asked, immediately catching the sound.
"At this rate," she murmured, "you’re going to grow old much faster."
He looked at her with narrowed eyes. "What does that mean?"
Rosalind rested her elbow on the railing and leaned her cheek against her palm as she studied him with exaggerated seriousness.
"You’re already older than I am," she said. "Imagine turning into a grandfather before our baby is even born."
A soft scoff escaped him despite himself. The tightness around his brows gradually eased, exactly as she had hoped.
"There," she said with satisfaction. "That’s much better."
Before he could respond, she gently reached for his hand and guided it toward her stomach, placing his palm there. "Our child doesn’t like seeing his father frown," she whispered.
The warmth beneath his hand seemed to melt away another layer of tension inside him. "Then I suppose I shouldn’t frown anymore," he replied quietly.
His eyes softened before amusement crept into them again."You’ve already decided it’s a boy?"
Rosalind tilted her head thoughtfully. "If it’s a girl," she answered with complete confidence, "then she’ll probably cause even more trouble."
Rowan chuckled. "I don’t know why I expected a different answer."
"It runs in the family."
That earned her another laugh, and hearing it filled Rosalind with quiet relief. She had missed that sound.
Rowan slowly lifted both hands to cup her cheeks, his thumbs brushing gently against her skin as he searched her face. "So," he asked warmly, "what does the baby want today?"
Rosalind blinked innocently. "What do you mean?"
"You’ve made it a habit," he reminded her. "Whenever you want something, suddenly it’s the baby asking."
She gasped dramatically. "I would never."
"No?"
"Never."
His eyebrows rose.
She held his gaze for another second before finally giving in. "Well..." she began thoughtfully, "he’s asking for a few more minutes with his father before the kingdom steals him away again."
Rowan’s expression softened immediately. "Are you sure he asked for few more minutes?"
"He absolutely did." Rosalind said.
"I have my doubts."
"You only have doubts because you can’t hear him."
"I see."
She folded her arms. "You disappear before I wake up most mornings," she complained, though her tone remained light. "Then you return so late that we’re both too tired to do anything except sleep. By the time morning comes again, you’ve disappeared before I’ve even opened my eyes. I’ve been trying to wake up earlier just so I could see you, and today I finally managed it."
She puffed her cheeks slightly at the end of her speech, making Rowan stare at her in quiet amusement.
Sometimes she could be so wonderfully childish.
It was one of the countless things he loved about her.
His heart softened so completely that he could no longer pretend to resist. "Very well," he surrendered.
Rosalind’s lips curled into a triumphant smirk, "But only because I think the baby’s mother is making suspicious requests." Rowan added.
"You can accuse me all you want after breakfast." She said.
Rowan simply shook his head before taking her hand into his own.
"Come."
She blinked at him and he gave a teasing look, "I believe someone requested a few more minutes."
Her smile brightened instantly as he gently led her back into their chamber, and for the first time in days, the burdens resting upon his shoulders seemed just a little lighter.
---
By the time Cedric and his men reached Raven’s Hollow, dawn had only just begun to break across the horizon. Just as the servant had claimed, a thick blanket of fog hung over the land, swallowing much of the abandoned valley and reducing visibility to only a few yards ahead. The eerie silence surrounding the place made it feel forgotten by time itself.
They had ridden throughout the entire night without stopping, and exhaustion showed plainly on the faces of the soldiers behind him. Several struggled to suppress their yawns while others shifted wearily in their saddles, their bodies aching from the relentless journey.
