Chapter 92: Chapter 92Many hours into the ride, Zayne noticed how relaxed Rose became as she leaned back on him. She was most likely bored now after spending most of the ride looking around or she was drifting off to sleep.

    They were close to their first stop where they would set up camp as it was too dangerous to travel at night and the horses needed to rest.

    "Rose," he called softly, checking to see if she would answer.

    "Yes?" Rose answered, turning to look at Zayne. "Do you need something?"

    "No. You were sitting so comfortably that I thought you were asleep. We’re close to where we will set up camp for the night so you can stretch your legs," said Zayne.

    Rose looked to the sky which was still bright. How were they preparing for the night already? "Have we been travelling that long? It doesn’t feel that long ago since we left your camp. Are we out of town now?"

    "We have been for a while now. Where you resided was near the border of that town which separates it from the town we are going to. We have one more day’s ride and then you will see the palace from afar. This tells me that you have not been looking at the map I gave you," Zayne said, knowing he was right because of her smile.

    "I have not looked at it since the night I was planning to go to the church. I have not brought it along," Rose confessed.

    "I have plenty of maps packed away somewhere so you can take one. Circle where you have travelled to. Does anything look familiar to you? There aren’t any fields with flowers around us but there can be something else that seems familiar," Zayne said, looking to his right at the tall trees blocking what was behind them.

    Rose inspected the area. Nothing about it seemed special to her. "I do not know this place. If only I could draw to show the flowers to someone. I could check every field that has them."

    "You can describe them to someone when we get into town. Someone who sells flowers would be best suited to help you. You can get some rest now and I will wake you when we’ve stopped."

    Rose nodded her head but she remained awake so she wouldn’t miss anything they passed by. She feared closing her eyes and missing where she had been dreaming of.

    A few hours later, Zayne stopped and got off the horse first. He held out his arms for Rose to jump down from the horse to him and then set her on the ground.

    "Thank you. It is easy for me to get down by myself," Rose said, missing out on the feeling that came when she jumped down from the horse.

    "Then I will let you get down on your own next time. I have to help with getting the tents up. Dinner will be started as soon as we can get the fires going. You can explore but do not go too far without Finn or Mary. Why are you laughing?" Zayne asked, puzzled by the sweet sound that left her lips.

    Rose cleared her throat, trying to stop her laughter. "You are always telling me what to do and what not to do. You act like someone’s father. Do not frown as it is fun for me to see. You shall make an excellent father."

    "Zayne!"

    Rose looked away from Zayne to Finn coming toward them with Mary right behind him.

    "I mean general," Finn corrected himself after Zayne’s glare. "What has put him in a bad mood?"

    Rose watched Zayne walk away with his horse. "I do not know. Would it upset you if I said you would make a good father? I told him that he acts like he would be a good father."

    "You didn’t tell him that he was like a father to you, did you?" Finn asked, enjoying every bit of what Rose revealed to him.

    "I didn’t say he was like my father. At least, I don’t think I did," Rose muttered. Even if she did, why should that bother Zayne? Was it because he was young and didn’t want to be called a father so soon?

    Finn reached to pat Rose’s shoulder but stopped just before he touched her. He moved his hand away before he might be spotted and scolded again. "I need to help him with his tent so I will see what is wrong. Mary, look after Rose while I am gone. Nothing is to happen to her." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "I know," Mary replied. She stared at Rose who she was yet to figure out.

    Everyone knew about Rose after she was introduced by Finn as Zayne’s maid but many failed to believe that. During the time that Mary travelled with Zayne, she had not seen the prince take a maid. Why would his first time be a woman that was not one of their own? It was odd that Zayne allowed the maid to ride with him.

    Mary sighed as she was getting mixed up in something that she would like to avoid. She was here to serve her kingdom, not be front and centre for this kind of drama. "Where do you want to go?" She asked.

    "Oh," Rose responded, remembering that Mary was beside her. "I do not have anywhere to go. It is getting dark so we shouldn’t walk around. We can stay here or go anywhere you want."

    "I am to guard you. If you would like to walk around, I have weapons on me to protect you. I wish to avoid making the general angry so please, do as you want," said Mary.

    Rose looked around at the soldiers getting unpacked to get ready to sleep through the night outside. Though they were busy, Rose saw a few looking her way. She was the only outsider so she knew they would be curious but she wasn’t ready for all their stares.

    Mary noticed Rose’s nervousness from the men looking their way. She should have expected it since everyone was curious about the kind of woman the prince took to his side. Mary never imagined it would be someone so shy.

    "Are you certain this is what you want to do? They won’t stop staring and some of them will be bold enough to ask you indecent questions when the general is not around. You can turn back from here," Mary advised Rose.

    While what Rose was here for didn’t align with the kind of woman Mary was, she still wanted to get Rose away from this camp if there was still some regret.

    Rose knew it was too late to turn back since she was a long way from the one place she thought of as home and there was one other problem. "I cannot turn back now. I am his maid."

    Mary’s right brow raised with suspicion. "Only his maid?"

    Rose nodded her head. "Oh!" She gasped, realising Mary might have made the same mistake that Janice did. "I am only his maid. Nothing more, I swear it. He has made it clear that I am not a woman of his liking."

    Mary was startled by Rose’s response which was laced with panic in her voice. Rose strangely made Mary start to panic. "I-I believe you. Just stop panicking as you are scaring me."