CHAPTER 69: CHAPTER 69

Rose sat quietly in Felonious’s lair, smiling like a fool; suddenly, there was nothing gory and dark about the dark kingdom anymore. It was suddenly filled with rainbows and sweets.

Cassius loved her.

She’s never felt so strongly seen and wanted before, Cassius was her perfect novel boyfriend, and she couldn’t ask for more.

She blushed as she thought back to earlier that night; she never knew that Cassius had a clingy side. He barely let her get out of bed, asking her to stay with him for the rest of the night.

He was ready to ignore his duties for the day and just spend time with her.

He was still struggling with being subtle with his feelings as he tended to be very forward and show whatever he felt toward her. Rose had asked him to keep their relationship quiet for some time which had caused him to question her feelings for him all over again; but after she explained that it was risky for her at the moment and she would feel safer after learning how to control and use her powers, he agreed.

Whatever it was that would keep her safe, he would do it.

However, even if Rose told the whole kingdom that their king now loved her, they would stone her to death for lying because Cassius was still struggling with expressions: smiling.

He hadn’t smiled for years; that’s if he had ever smiled in his entire life. Only Rose could tell the subtle changes in his eyes that made her believe that he loved her. His eyes were so intense and expressive, not just with the way his eyes changed colours but also by the raw feelings she saw in them.

She had no regret letting herself fall for him; she did the right thing, and Laura was going to be the happiest.

"Love can be blinding, your majesty... be careful so you don’t lose yourself in it," Felonious spoke beside her.

Rose blinked out of her thoughts, snapping her head to Felonious.

"What do you mean? Wait, majesty?" Rose furrowed her brows.

Felonious smiled and continued to write something on the scroll in front of him.

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked again, curious.

She was sure that neither she nor Cassius had said anything to anyone, so why was Felonious making comments about love now?

"The ten Velisune fruits Isolde offered you are each matched to an element, your majesty," Felonious gently pushed the scroll toward her.

Rose glanced at the scroll and returned her eyes to the mage.

"Rose, Felonious. My name is Rose," She corrected.

Felonious chuckled, "My master might not have marked you, but his shadow cloaks you, his scent is yours, and yours is his. You do not have to worry; others might not sense this, only a strong mage like me can. And, I dare not call you by your name unless the master approves it; a disrespect to his mate is a disrespect to him." He slightly bowed his head.

Rose blinked in surprise; she slowly raised her arm to her nose and sniffed it... Nothing, she smelled like herself. What was Felonious talking about?

"Well, you’re wrong about what you said about love. You can scent him on me because I’m his... slave and you know what he does with me. So it’s no surprise I carry his scent," Rose tried to dodge away from the love talk.

Felonious slowly shook his head, "You’re no slave, your majesty... never have been. I knew you were his the moment he carried you into this castle, he might have hurt you in the past, but that was his beastly and dark side trying to fight what he knew was the truth." He held Rose’s hand and looked into her blue eyes.

"Why do you think he kept you for himself? Get’s jealous when you communicate with his brothers or other men... like Sun. He could have simply let you work like other slaves who also satisfy numerous men, but he kept you, for himself," He gently placed her hand on the scroll.

"He knew the rules: whoever found woke him from his deep, healing sleep was tied to him forever, not as a slave, but as a lifeline. Only a true mate could find him. I tried for years to find him, even with the help of other mages, but we all failed. We almost thought that our kingdom was going to be ruled by someone unworthy... even Elowen searched but failed. So, the master knew what it meant the moment he opened his eyes from that sleep and laid his eyes on you." Felonious calmly explained.

Rose frowned. Hearing Elowen’s name evoked her jealousy, she was yet to talk about her with Cassius. He had let her kiss him, right in front of her. So, she really wanted to be his mate. Pity, that spot has been taken.

She balled her fists in anger, imagining burning Elowen’s face to ashes.

"All the things he did to you were him trying to get you to hate him and never accept the bond between you two because you’re human. He even tried to return you to your world, but you returned right back to him. That was when he knew that he had no option but to embrace what he felt for you. Now, he’s claimed you as his, I dare not disrespect that," Felonious stated, noticing how fast Rose’s emotions changed.

Rose couldn’t believe her ears.

So, Cassius knew she was his mate from the beginning, yet he suffered her because she was human.

"Then what changed? I’m still a human. Why is he embracing his feelings suddenly?" She had a deep frown on her face, her heart aching with the thought that Cassius might still have a part of his heart that didn’t want her.

Could he still love Elowen?

"It’s not my place to tell you the master’s history, but I’m sure you’ve figured that humans aren’t welcome here because he made that rule. It’s up to you to figure out why he made that rule. As for his scent on you..." Felonious chuckled, surprising Rose.

"It was faint before, but now, he’s dumped it on you. That’s one of the subtle ways a dominant vampire marks his territory, your majesty. There’s no turning back from here. Can we look at the elements now?" Felonious questioned.

Rose narrowed her eyes at Felonious’s smirk, "You’re hiding something. Why did you tell me that love is blinding and to be careful not to lose myself in it? Am I in danger?" She asked.

"Of course, you’re in danger. Being the only human in the Darkonis kingdom is quite dangerous. And, falling in love with the king is even more dangerous. A time will come when you will be faced with dangerous choices, but love will make you too blind and all you will think about is how to please your king... that’s why I’m asking you not to lose your head. Love him with your heart, my lady, but your head? Keep it to yourself. You’ll need it... Soon," Felonious gently explained.

Rose frowned.

She had always known that loving Cassius would come with complications, but she never knew it would be life-threatening.

"Okay, thank you," She replied quietly.

Her mind was already thinking about the incident that could threaten her life. Was she going to lose her life for love? Should she have kept her feelings locked?

"Master," Felonious stood and bowed his head.

Rose was still processing everything Felonious had just told her. The idea that Cassius had known she was his mate all along, and had actively tried to push her away because she was human, stung deeply. And then, the mage’s warning about love being blinding, about a future danger where her love for Cassius might jeopardize her own well-being—it was a lot to take in.

Just as her mind was swirling with these new, unsettling revelations, Cassius walked in, a formidable presence in his royal black attire. His intense gaze immediately picked up on her distress.

"I sensed your discomfort, now I’m here, but you’re barely seeing me," he whispered, his voice a low rumble.

Rose blinked, forcing herself out of her thoughts and back to the present. She looked into his captivating green eyes. "I’m sorry, I just..." She sighed, then leaned in and kissed his cheek, hoping to deflect.

Cassius, however, was not easily sidetracked. His eyes narrowed, turning serious as he fixed his gaze on Felonious. "What did he say to you?"

Rose opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. She didn’t want to get Felonious in trouble.

But Cassius wasn’t waiting for her. His cold stare landed squarely on Felonious, causing the mage to involuntarily take a step back. "What did you say to her, Felonious?"

"I just mentioned a few things to her..." Felonious replied, still not meeting Cassius’s gaze.

Cassius frowned, his voice laced with an undeniable edge. "Does your ’few things’ include mentioning the possible dangers ahead and how she doesn’t know everything about me yet?" He asked pointedly, his words indicating an unsettling awareness of their conversation. Nothing, it seemed, could truly be hidden from the king.

Felonious let out a quiet sigh and gently nodded. "Yes, Master." There was no point in lying. He was, however, grateful that Rose had chosen not to disclose his specific mention of why Cassius harbored such a deep-seated aversion to humans.

"It is not your place, Felonious. Am I right?" Cassius began to slowly advance on his mage, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Hey..." Rose quickly intervened, gently grabbing his hand and shaking her head at him. "I’m fine... really," she assured him, trying to diffuse the tension.

Cassius slowly returned to her, his hand moving to caress her face, his anger still simmering beneath the surface.

He looked back at Felonious, his voice low and menacing. "Make my woman question my loyalty one last time, and that would be the last thing you do living."

"I dare not your..." Felonious began, then abruptly trailed off, looking away as Cassius pulled Rose into a deep, passionate kiss.

Felonious internally sighed. This was the second time in his lair—a sanctuary he had owned for centuries, a place where he had never before witnessed such intimacy. It was his holy... unholy place. But ever since these two had acknowledged their feelings for each other, his lair seemed to have become a preferred spot for their romantic encounters.

Cassius, his lips still lingering on hers, held Rose’s waist gently. "Do you want to leave?" he murmured.

Rose shook her head, a blush creeping up her neck. "No. Felonious has something to show me."

Cassius turned his attention back to Felonious, a hint of irritation in his voice. "You do have a duty to perform, but you chose to—"

"Hey... let’s hear him out," Rose interrupted, playfully poking Cassius’s stomach.

He caught her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "Yes, my lady," he conceded, a soft smile gracing his lips.

"Carry on, Mage," Cassius instructed Felonious.

Felonious cleared his throat and nodded, eager to get on with it now that he had their fleeting attention before they inevitably resumed their amorous display.