Chapter 34: Chapter 34"I have not seen him all day."

    "That is strange. Is there trouble that I was not alerted about?" Alexander asked as Mathias seemed to have some sort of secret mission.

    "There isn’t any that I know of," the soldier answered.

    "You may return to your post. As soon as Mathias returns, tell him to come to my tent," said Alexander.

    Alexander left the soldier and made his way to his tent. Since they returned to this town, Mathias has been acting strange. He was gone all day with a few guards when they didn’t have any reason to leave the camp.

    It was likely that Mathias and others were wasting their time in brothels since it was all Alexander heard some of the men speaking about. However, the last time he saw Mathias, Mathias looked like a nervous wreck.

    "Has he found himself in trouble?" Alexander considered.

    If Mathias stumbled upon someone who might place him as a former slave it was like Mathias to hide this from him and try to get rid of the problem.

    Alexander entered his tent and went straight to a bucket of water to dip his hands in and wet his face. Mathias’s behaviour these days took his focus away from trying to find Rose. Alexander found himself having to be in two places at once as he wanted to search for Rose but also find where Mathias had been sneaking off to.

    If there was some sort of trouble, Mathias should just tell him. They both had a terrible backstory in this town and the longer that Mathias kept what was happening a secret, the more it could one day blow up.

    "We should be looking for her," Alexander said, worried that if they wait too late they might lose Rose. They had a promise to keep and as long as they were careful with their movement no one would find out about their past.

    Alexander took his sword from the wall, ready to head out once more to search for Rose and to find where Mathias had been wandering off to. At the very least with Mathias being around the town, he might be able to spot Rose first and help her.

    Alexander was confident that he could easily spot Rose once he saw her. He could never forget the face of the first and only girl he had ever loved. It would please him to see Rose recognise him after the changes his body went through.

    "Alexander," he heard Mathias’s voice. "Where are you in a rush to go?"

    Alexander was puzzled by how Mathias could just smile at him after he was missing all day. "Where have you been, Mathias?"

    Mathias looked away so he wouldn’t have to see Alexander’s face. Then he might feel guilty for what he was doing now even though it was for the best and Alexander would thank him later. "I have been enjoying the town which is what you should have done. Want to go for a drink now?"

    "I don’t have any time for a drink. For someone who wants to lay low and not be spotted by anyone who might recognise us, you certainly are spending a lot of your time outside the camp. I feel inclined to disregard agreeing to not search for her," Alexander said and then walked around Mathias.

    It was unfair that Mathias was getting to do as he pleased yet Alexander could not search for the woman he cared for.

    Mathias reached to grab Alexander’s arm. He couldn’t go looking for Rose when the crazy bastard who was still obsessed with her was looking to blame anyone for her disappearance. "I told you not to do that. You will find yourself in trouble."

    "And how do you know what kind of trouble it would be?" Alexander asked, his voice low to not gather attention from those around them. "I have to question if there is more to why you do not want me to marry Rose. Is it because you want me to marry that woman in the palace or do you just think that she is far below us?"

    Alexander stepped closer to Mathias to whisper, "No matter what we do, nothing will change the fact that we were all sold by someone. I do not view myself as high in status so do not place your dreams on me. I am going to find her. You are more likely to bring attention to us by how much time you spend out of camp."

    "No one will recognise me but they will be suspicious about you asking around about her. You’re going to find yourself in trouble and I am going to be dragged into it. I do not want to fall back into being placed as a slave so I am begging you, let her go," Mathias pleaded.

    Mathias failed to understand the obsession these men had with Rose. He had seen that she was still beautiful but there were plenty of other beautiful women around the town. Women who did not need to be bought so why waste time with Rose who might have already shared a bed with plenty of men?

    "She was to be placed in a brothel back then. Think of how many men have bedded her-"

    Alexander grabbed Mathias’s collar and pulled him close. While it was true that she could have been with other men as it was expected of women working in the brothel, Alexander didn’t like how Mathias was saying it. sea??h thё novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    This was their friend Mathias was speaking about. They should be hoping that life wasn’t hell for Rose.

    "You’ll strangle me over what I said about her? Why am I not surprised?" Mathias asked. They spent years together acting like brothers to the point that Mathias believed they were related but Alexander was still going to pick Rose.

    Mathias would never understand it as he did not want to go for anyone he viewed as beneath him. He was going to achieve things that many once believed were beyond his reach and wipe away every trace about him once being sold.

    How were they to raise their status if they became known for having old ties to a whore or being slaves?

    Alexander let go of Mathias as it was a mistake to grab him and they were getting unwanted attention. "I shall do as I please with Rose. If wanting to keep my promise angers you so much, then we can cut ties here since we stand for different things. You can forget your past all you want but you must remember you only had freedom because of her."