Claimed By The Tyrant King

Rosalind had discovered that she could not uncover anything from the pendant.

She had spent most of the day pacing around her room, biting her lip while keeping her gaze fixed on it as she tried to solve the puzzle, yet every attempt led her right back to where she started.

In fact, she had scribbled down several possible strategies on sheets of paper, hoping they would help her figure out what to do next, but every one of them had proven useless.

At the very least, it gave her something to focus on and distracted her from everything else around her, from being locked away in this room, to the wedding preparations carrying on as though nothing was wrong, and to the fact that nobody was allowed to see her.

She was completely alone, but this new mission gave her something to hold on to and enough determination to keep herself from being consumed by boredom and despair.

"Oh, come on," Rosalind muttered under her breath as she stared at the pendant again.

This was far harder than she had expected. She had never been particularly good with puzzles, but there had to be a way to open it. Someone had made it, which meant someone had intended for it to be opened eventually.

With a sigh, she sank onto the floor and let her gaze drift toward the door. Faint voices filtered through from the guards stationed outside as they chatted among themselves.

For a brief moment, she wondered whether she should ask one of them for help. Surely one of them might recognize the mechanism or have some idea of how to open it.

The thought disappeared almost immediately.

That would be foolish.

The guards could report it to Alaric, and the last thing she wanted was for him to find out about the pendant. She did not know exactly why, but she was convinced it contained something important. Otherwise, it would not have been designed in such a complicated way.

If only there was someone...

Rosalind suddenly gasped and sat upright.

How had she not thought of him sooner?

Rowan.

Rowan was clever. Far cleverer than she was when it came to things like this, and if anyone could figure out how to open the pendant, it would be him.

The decision was made immediately.

The following night, Rosalind prepared herself to sneak out of her chamber once again. Looking up toward the ceiling, she took a deep breath. She knew what she was doing was risky. She had managed it once before and had been fortunate enough not to get caught, but attempting it a second time felt like tempting fate itself.

Even so, she desperately needed answers, and she was no longer willing to sit around waiting for them to fall into her lap.

Climbing onto the cupboard with her candle secured inside a glass lantern, she carefully made her way into the passage above. Since she had already traveled this route before, she knew where she was going.

As she passed above Alaric’s chambers, she realized there was no sound coming from within.

He was not there and relief immediately swept through her.

This would be the last time, she promised herself.

If she was ever caught, she could not even begin to imagine the punishment Alaric would devise for her. Especially now. After everything that had happened and after he had personally ordered that she be cleansed, discovering that she was sneaking away to meet Rowan would send him into a rage unlike anything she had ever witnessed.

Rosalind quickened her pace, though not enough to become careless. She continued toward the dungeon, and as she drew closer, faint voices rose from below.

Her entire body froze.

She held her breath as her heart began pounding violently against her ribs.

Alaric.

He was down there again.

Moving cautiously, Rosalind peered through a narrow gap and saw him standing below with several guards while Rowan remained inside his cell.

Then Alaric’s gaze shifted upward and her heart nearly stopped.

For one terrifying moment, Rosalind had thought he had seen her.

His eyes narrowed immediately. "I want all the pests up there terminated without fail tomorrow," he ordered coldly.

Rosalind’s eyes widened.

It was not a rat that had made the sound.

It had been her!

And one careless movement had nearly exposed her.

The guard immediately bowed his head in obedience while Alaric shot one final glare toward Rowan before turning on his heels and walking away.

Rosalind swallowed hard as she listened to the retreating footsteps of Alaric and his guards. The gates were shut once again, plunging the area into darkness. She remained where she was for a few moments, trying to steady her racing heart before finally continuing forward.

Once she climbed down, Rowan’s gaze immediately shifted toward her.

Her gaze landed on him and instantly, that familiar feeling she used to experience whenever she saw him stirred somewhere deep inside her chest.

Rowan rose at once and moved toward the bars, concern already evident on his face. "You can’t keep coming here like this. It’s too dangerous"

His voice then dropped to a whisper, "Alaric already knows there’s something moving around up there."

Rosalind said nothing at first because she had heard exactly what Alaric said as well.

"Well, good evening to you too," she muttered dryly.

Rowan sighed. "It’s good to see that you’re doing well," he said, and his voice softened immediately.

Rosalind’s gaze shifted away from him. Anywhere but him. She did not know how she was supposed to do this.

Yes, she had decided to cut him some slack, but seeing him brought everything rushing back... Even though she had tried to move past it, the wound still felt fresh.

Desperate for a distraction, she reached into her pocket.

"Uhm... I was wondering if you could help me with something," she said quietly.

"What is it?" Rowan asked gently.

Rosalind then pulled out the chain and pendant before holding it up for him to see.

Rowan studied it briefly before looking back at her.

"It’s some kind of puzzle," Rosalind explained. "I’ve been trying to open it, but I can’t figure it out."

Her fingers tightened slightly around it. "I was wondering if maybe you could."

He surely could do it. Puzzles had always been his thing, and for Rosalind, he would at least give it a proper look before deciding whether it could be solved or not.

"Come closer," he said.

The words themselves did not mean anything. She was standing far away for him to even reach the pendant, yet Rosalind’s mind immediately wandered elsewhere.

Heat crept into her cheeks.

Rowan noticed it at once. "I mean I can’t possibly reach you from here," he added quietly.

"Yeah, I know," Rosalind replied, trying to sound smooth as she closed the distance between them.

She held her breath.

What was wrong with her?

It wasn’t as though this was the first time she had been close to him.

Stretching out her hand, she opened her palm and Rowan took the chain from it. Their fingers brushed against each other, and even though it was such a simple touch, it felt far more significant than it should have. It had been a long time since they had touched like this.

Rosalind felt it.

So did Rowan, because even with iron bars separating them, it seemed he could still reach her.

Taking hold of the necklace, Rowan lowered his gaze and studied it carefully. His brows furrowed almost immediately as he examined the mechanism. It was indeed a puzzle, and before long he began trying different ways to unlock it, much like Rosalind had done earlier.

She remained where she was, waiting patiently while he worked.

As Rowan focused on the pendant, his head lowered and his fingers moved steadily over it. After a while, Rosalind found herself staring at him instead of the necklace.

Watching him like this felt strangely familiar.

For a moment, it almost felt as though everything was normal again.

Just the two of them... No Alaric... No wedding... No secrets.

Just Rowan concentrating on a task as though it was the most important thing in the world.

The sight made her heart flutter despite herself.

’Not again’. The thought slipped from her lips before she realized she had spoken aloud.

Rowan glanced up immediately, a lock of dark hair falling across his eyes. "What’s wrong?" he asked.

Rosalind shook her head quickly. "Nothing. You may proceed."

His gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before he returned to the pendant. "Has anything been happening recently?" he asked quietly.

Rosalind’s eyes flickered toward him.

A lot had happened actually. From the discovery about her parents, to the wedding then tiger.

The loneliness and fear it brought with it.

She hardly knew where to begin.

"I’ll understand if you don’t want to talk about it," Rowan added.

Once again, she saw that infuriating side of him.

The considerate side.

The gentle side.

The side that always seemed to put her feelings before his own.

She hated that he still affected her this way.

She hated that he could be sweet, patient, and thoughtful when things between them were supposed to be complicated.

She had told herself she would try to make things better. It wasn’t that she had fully forgiven him or trusted him again, but she was trying.

"Uhmm..." she began.

Then, to her annoyance, she found herself at a loss for words.

"I do have a name, you know," Rowan said casually while continuing to work on the puzzle.

His brows tightened slightly as he realized one method wasn’t working, so he immediately started trying another.

Rosalind cleared her throat. "I don’t know which one to call you. Rowan or Drystan?"

"Call me whatever you like."

Her brows lifted slightly. "Alright, Rowan..."

The corner of his mouth twitched upward ever so slightly, and Rosalind noticed it. Apparently that was the name he preferred hearing from her.

Before either of them could dwell on it, Rosalind spoke again. "Do you think it’s believable for a wild beast not to attack someone?"

"What type of beast?" Rowan asked casually.

"A tiger."

A faint chuckle nearly escaped him.

Rosalind, however, wasn’t amused.

Instead, she stepped closer and lowered her voice. "You wouldn’t believe what happened. The king’s beast got out of its cage and started attacking people. It wanted to attack me too."

Rowan paused.

"And then I told it to sit," Rosalind continued, still sounding as though she could hardly believe it herself. "And it actually did."

This time Rowan stopped completely and turned toward her. "Are you trying to joke right now?" he asked, a faint glint appearing in his eyes.

His first instinct was to assume she was teasing him because Rosalind used to joke and she used to laugh a lot. She used to tell ridiculous stories just to see his reactions.

So naturally, he thought this was one of those moments.

But her expression remained serious. "Well, I’m not."

The glint disappeared from his eyes and he said slowly. "You mean Alaric’s beast got out and almost attacked you?"

Rosalind almost rolled her eyes. "Thank you for finally paying attention."

"Are you alright?" Rowan asked immediately. The concern in his voice was unmistakable.

"Well, I’m alive right now, aren’t I?"

Rowan sighed heavily. Sometimes he genuinely wondered how Rosalind always managed to find herself in the middle of trouble.

Then her expression turned serious once more. "Do you think it’s believable?" she asked. "I mean... why would something like that happen?"

"I believe you."

Rosalind blinked.

"You do?"

"Of course."

"But how?" she asked in confusion. "Why would something like that happen?"

Rowan returned his attention to the pendant. "You probably didn’t strike it as a threat."

Rosalind frowned. "That’s it?"

"Animals don’t think the way people do." Rowan answered and then he paused.

"Did it chuff?"

Rosalind’s eyes widened instantly. "Yes."

The answer escaped before she could stop herself.

"How did you know?" Her voice had risen slightly, and she immediately pressed her lips together before glancing around.

The two of them stilled for a moment, lowering their voices again before continuing their conversation.

"That’s a tiger’s way of being friendly," Rowan said, and Rosalind stared at him in disbelief. "It probably sees you as a friend."

"I have never had an encounter with a wild beast before," she reminded him immediately. "How could I possibly be its friend? It is a wild beast."

Rowan nodded in understanding then proceeded to explain, "One interesting thing about them is that they don’t easily forget a scent or a face. They remember who has been kind to them and who has harmed them," he explained patiently. "I don’t know exactly why it reacted that way, but from what you’ve told me, it seems you are a friend in its eyes. Definitely not a threat."

Then he turned toward her and held out the necklace.

Rosalind blinked.

"It’s open," Rowan said calmly.

For a moment she simply stared at him, and then excitement rushed through her so suddenly that she almost forgot where she was. She took the necklace back as a bright smile spread across her face.

And Rowan found himself staring.

Seeing her smile like that seemed to illuminate the entire dungeon. It was ridiculous, really, considering where they were, yet somehow the place felt less dark whenever she looked happy. The sight struck him straight in the chest.

"I’m glad I could help," he said quietly.

"Thank you," Rosalind muttered, unable to hide her happiness.

For the first time in days, something had actually gone right. "I wish that I could h..."

The sound of approaching footsteps cut her off.

Both of them froze.

Rowan’s gaze immediately shot to her, "You need to leave. Now."

The urgency in his voice sent panic through her. Her moment of relief vanished instantly as Rosalind hurriedly gathered herself and turned toward the route she had used to get there.

Rowan watched her with his own quiet panic as she climbed, every second feeling far too slow while the footsteps drew closer and closer.

"Hurry," he urged.

Rosalind pulled herself into the ceiling passage just as the dungeon doors swung open.

A guard stepped inside.

His eyes narrowed immediately and for a brief second, he thought he had seen something moving above.

His gaze lingered there before shifting toward Rowan.

Rowan stood exactly where he had been, looking as calm as ever. Outwardly, there wasn’t the slightest sign of concern on his face. Inside, however, he was tense because if Rosalind had been caught, everything would be over.

Fortunately, she had disappeared before the guard entered.

The guard studied him for another moment before finally looking away.

Meanwhile, Rosalind was already making her way back through the passage as quickly as she could manage. Her heart hammered violently inside her chest. She was certain the guard had noticed something.

The fear alone made her move faster than she should have, and in her haste she ended up making noise all across the ceiling.

Below, Alaric’s gaze immediately snapped upward again.

His expression darkened. "Go and find out what’s causing all that noise," he ordered sharply. "Immediately."

He no longer cared about waiting until tomorrow and the guards bowed and hurried off at once.

To investigate, they would need to reach one of the sections where the ceiling could be accessed from above.

Fortunately for Rosalind, that bought her precious time.

By then she had already reached her chamber.

Her heart pounded so hard that she could hear it in her ears as she climbed down from the cupboard. In her haste, she slipped and landed awkwardly on the floor.

A gasp escaped her lips. And for a few seconds she remained there, breathing heavily.

Then relief slowly washed over her.

She had made it back. Safely. At least for now.

After steadying herself, Rosalind slowly crossed the room and sat down on her bed. Once her breathing had calmed, she looked down at the necklace resting in her palm.

A small smile returned to her face.

Rowan had actually done it, after all her failed attempts, he had solved it within minutes.

Carefully, she opened the pendant and this time it yielded immediately.

But Rosalind’s excitement faded the moment she looked at the picture resting there.

Her entire body froze in shock...

What was the Queen of Merovia doing inside her necklace?