Claimed By The Tyrant King

More and more letters were sent to Rosalind, yet she never quite knew how to respond to them. Each time she lifted her hand to write, she would pause halfway through and stare at the blank page until the words disappeared again.

As a result, the letters continued to pile up unanswered, although it was never her intention to ignore them.

One day, Nathan came to visit her, and by then most of her memories of her childhood best friend had already returned. When she opened the door, she found him standing there with a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

"These are for you," he said, presenting the lilies with a smile.

"Oh..." Rosalind’s voice trailed off as she accepted them. "Thank you," she said, but she had barely finished speaking before she sneezed.

Nathan’s eyes immediately narrowed. "Are you allergic to lilies?" he asked.

"I think so," Rosalind answered honestly, but when she sneezed again, it became obvious that her body was not responding well to them. Without hesitation, Nathan took the flowers back from her hands.

"I should be punished," he teased lightly. "As your best friend, I ought to know exactly which flowers you like."

Rosalind couldn’t help smiling.

"Are you ready? We were going to town today, remember?" he reminded her, his gaze lingering on her face.

Rosalind narrowed her eyes as she tried to remember, and then realization dawned on her. "Oh, right. I almost forgot."

"That is exactly why I came to fetch you."

"Please give me a minute."

Nathan gave her a small nod in response, and Rosalind quickly went to fetch her scarf before putting on her shoes. Not long afterward, they headed out together.

It had become common to see the two of them spending time together. Everyone simply assumed they were childhood best friends catching up after years apart.

Rosalind found herself enjoying Nathan’s company more than she expected because he was always attentive to her comfort, always looking out for her, and somehow seemed to know countless little details about her life. He was honest, straightforward, and refreshingly uncomplicated, which was something she had not experienced in a very long time.

At the same time, Rosalind found herself trying to reciprocate his kindness. Not in a romantic sense, but simply because she felt he deserved the same consideration he constantly showed her. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

He treated her well, and she wanted to do the same for him. So they spent the day walking through town, exploring familiar places, and doing many of the things they used to do when they were younger.

By the time Rosalind returned to the palace that evening, she was slightly exhausted yet still happy.

As she entered the throne hall, her gaze immediately met her mother’s, and they exchanged warm smiles. "I hope your day went wonderfully well?" Queen Catarina asked.

"It did," Rosalind replied happily. "I saw so many things in town today..."

"Nathan is a very good friend, I almost got run over by a carrier truck, but he pulled me out of the way before anything happened." She said.

The memory made her laugh softly, although she still remembered how quickly he had wrapped an arm around her shoulders and dragged her to safety.

"Oh dear!" Catarina instantly looked alarmed. "Are you alright? You must be careful. Those transport carriers often have trouble seeing what’s ahead because of the amount of goods they’re carrying."

Rosalind offered her a reassuring smile. "I’ll be more careful, Mother."

Catarina released a relieved sigh. Then her eyes shifted toward a white envelope resting nearby. "Also, a letter arrived for you."

The moment Rosalind saw it, she already knew who it was from.

Rowan.

Again...

Was he planning to send her letters every day for the rest of his life? The thought crossed her mind immediately.

The man was unbelievably consistent. He had not missed a single day, and somehow the letters always arrived with remarkable speed.

"Have you responded yet?" Catarina asked.

Rosalind sighed heavily and lowered her shoulders.

Although she had been actively keeping herself occupied since arriving in Merovia, and although the distractions had genuinely helped her feel happier and more relaxed, some emotions simply refused to disappear. "You can’t run away from your feelings forever," Catarina said gently.

Rosalind turned toward her. "I honestly don’t know what to say. It’s strange because I feel like I have a thousand things to tell him, yet when I sit down to write, I can’t think of a single word. Is that normal?"

Her question was sincere.

Catarina smiled softly. "Everything you’re feeling is perfectly normal. What isn’t helping is the fact that you’re trying so hard to suppress it. That is why you’re feeling frustrated. Instead of fighting your emotions, acknowledge them. Let yourself understand what you’re actually feeling."

Her voice softened further. "And perhaps you should read those letters again, but this time with an open mind. You might discover the answer you’re looking for."

Rosalind listened carefully and eventually nodded. "Thank you, Mother."

She leaned forward and kissed Catarina on the cheek before smiling brightly. "I’ll try that. And I’ll let you know how it goes."

Catarina nodded with a smile of her own as Rosalind hurried out of the hall, leaving the Queen shaking her head in quiet amusement.

****

Meanwhile, Rowan was slowly becoming accustomed to the loneliness that surrounded him throughout the palace.

Day after day, he would ask the royal attendant the same question. "Did any message come from Merovia?"

"No, Your Majesty," the attendant would reply.

Later, while Rowan sat alone in the gazebo, he would ask again. "Did any message come from Merovia?"

"No, Your Majesty."

Even when he stood by the windows watching the rain fall across Eryndor, or when he looked up at a clear blue sky on brighter days, the answer never changed.

"No, Your Majesty."

And yet he continued asking anyway.

****

Did Rosalind hate him that much?

The thought crossed Rowan’s mind more often than he cared to admit. She had not responded to a single letter. Not one. It did not even have to be a proper reply. A short note would have been enough, yet nothing ever came.

Eventually, he stopped asking the royal attendant for updates, but somehow that made no difference. Whenever the servant saw him, he would simply shake his head and answer before Rowan could even ask. "No, Your Majesty."