Claimed By The Tyrant King

Since the rain continued, they couldn’t have their meal outside, but the indoors felt just as cozy as anyone could have wished for. The air was cool, and the fire crackling in the hearth filled the room with a comforting warmth.

Rosalind had made fresh bread, and alongside it she served butter and hot chocolate.

"Here," Rowan said as he spread butter over a slice of the freshly baked bread before handing it to her.

"Thank you," Rosalind replied with a smile before taking a bite.

Her eyes immediately lit up.

Thankfully, it hadn’t failed her this time. The balance of sugar and flour was perfect, and the bread carried a rich, milky flavor that made it even better.

"It’s really good," she said, looking at Rowan.

He took a bite himself and nodded in agreement. "You see? You still know your way around the kitchen," he said.

Rosalind chuckled softly, and together they sat in the sitting room with a duvet draped over their laps while they ate.

The silence lingered comfortably between them as they continued eating. Every now and then their eyes met, and although neither of them said much, there was something warm and meaningful in the way they looked at each other and smiled.

Later, when they had finished eating, the rain finally eased.

The sky, however, remained overcast and gloomy, promising that another downpour would eventually follow.

"Did you ever play in the rain when you were a child?" Rowan suddenly asked.

Rosalind looked up at him, surprised by the question.

She nodded, her eyes brightening as she remembered those times when Beth would watch her play in the rain. If she happened to fall ill afterward, her mother would always bring her favorite strawberry cake and chocolate so she could recover quickly and eat as much as she wanted.

The memory warmed her heart and she turned her head toward Rowan. "Did you?" she asked.

He shook his head.

Rosalind narrowed her eyes at him. "Really?" she asked. "Almost every child played in the rain."

I know," Rowan answered.

He had seen children playing in the rain more than once, watching from the window whenever they did, but his father Harold had always said it was not befitting for royalty.

Although Rowan knew his father cared deeply for them, he was strict about anything related to royal conduct so they would grow up aware of what they were expected to become and how different their lives were meant to be from everyone else. As he spoke to Rosalind, his voice stayed calm as he explained it all to her.

Rosalind sighed softly. "I understand why he would have done that," she said. "But you can still enjoy the blessings that fall from the sky... Besides, you’re not a child anymore and you don’t have anyone ordering you around."

"You definitely cannot expect a grown man like myself to play in the rain?" he answered.

"Playing in the rain doesn’t require a particular age," Rosalind said as she sat up straighter, and the spark in her eyes immediately told Rowan she was already planning something.

"Come on. We’ll relive all your lost childhood memories."

She stretched out her hand toward him.

Rowan watched her for a moment and then, after a brief hesitation, placed his hand in hers and allowed her to pull him to his feet.

Although the weather had turned chilly and the wind blew around them, it was still manageable. The sky remained dark and heavy, promising more rain soon.

"While we’re waiting for the rain, let me show you something," Rowan said.

Rosalind watched with interest as he bent down and picked up a flat pebble from the ground. Before she could ask what he was doing, he angled his arm and sent it flying across the water.

The stone skipped.

"Five... six... seven..." Rosalind counted, her eyes widening in surprise. "Nine... ten... eleven?"

A faint smile appeared on Rowan’s lips. "You try," he said, handing her a pebble.

"I don’t really know how to do this," Rosalind admitted.

"Just give it a try."

Rosalind took a breath before copying the stance she had seen him use. She threw the stone.

They both followed the pebble with their eyes, but it barely skimmed the surface before sinking into the water.

"Really?" Rosalind’s shoulders slumped slightly as she stared at the water in disbelief, unable to believe she hadn’t managed even one skip.

"Don’t feel bad, Rosalind," Rowan said gently. "I didn’t get it on my first try either."

"Let me see it again." Rosalind said.

Without argument, Rowan picked another stone and sent it skipping across the water. This time it bounced twelve times.

When Rosalind attempted to throw another pebble, "This isn’t fair," she muttered, as she still couldn’t get it right.

"I’ll teach you," Rowan said calmly.

Rosalind nodded.

Rowan then stepped behind her, gently adjusting her stance before guiding her hand with his as he helped her throw the pebble across the water.

The pebble skipped.

Rosalind gasped. "There!" she exclaimed.

He guided her again, and after a few more attempts she felt more confident. "Let me try on my own now."

Rowan stepped back to give her room.

Rosalind took her stance, positioned her arm, and threw.

Her eyes widened in anticipation when the pebble skipped three times before finally sinking. "I did it!"

She turned toward Rowan, practically glowing.

He smiled at her.

Then he showed her the remaining pebbles in his hand and Rosalind reached for more.

Soon they were both skipping stones across the water and counting each other’s scores.

Momentarily, the sky began to drizzle as they stayed there together. Rosalind tilted her face upward, "It’s raining," she said, turning to him with a smile.

The rain gradually grew steadier. It wasn’t heavy, but it was enough.

Rosalind laughed and spun happily beneath it while Rowan stood watching her with a smile of his own. Seeing her like this, so carefree and alive, made something warm settle inside his chest. In moments like these, he found himself wishing they could remain in this paradise forever.

Before long Rosalind had started dancing in the rain, and though Rowan’s brows pulled together in quiet confusion at first, wondering why she would dance without music, he eventually let out a laugh when her movements turned amusing.

After a while, Rosalind slowed down and returned to him, reaching for his hand as she gently pulled him closer.

"Do not expect me to dance like that, Rosalind," he warned with a hint of seriousness.

"Why not, Your majesty?" she asked with a grin.

Rowan reached for her hand and twirled her instead.

Rosalind laughed brightly and he found himself smiling in return.

The rain continued falling around them while they danced together, and beneath the gray sky and endless sea, Rowan pulled her closer. He guided her as though they were standing in the middle of a grand ballroom rather than a lonely shoreline.