Chapter 138: Missing each other.

Rosaline went completely still the moment the realization struck her. For several heartbeats, she simply stared at Xandros, her green eyes widening as the embarrassment she had been trying so desperately to suppress came rushing back with twice the force.

She had been so occupied with what had happened in the river, with the strange sensation of the water and the argument that had followed, that she had completely forgotten the most obvious fact of all. She was standing in front of him wearing nothing, and she had been standing that way for far longer than she cared to admit. The thought made the heat that had already settled across her cheeks spread all the way to her ears. She immediately turned away from him, refusing to look at his face again, and hurried toward the clothes she had left beside the riverbank.

Her movements were quick and awkward as she snatched up her clothes, desperately trying to preserve whatever remained of her dignity. She could feel Xandros’s presence behind her even without looking, and somehow that made everything worse. She did not know whether he was watching her, whether he was amused by her embarrassment, or whether he had deliberately looked away to spare her feelings, and she refused to find out. She simply pulled on her clothes as quickly as she could, adjusting them with impatient movements while her damp white hair hung heavily down her back. Her fingers fumbled slightly with the fabric, and every time she remembered that Xandros had seen her like that, her face became hotter.

When she was finally dressed, she gathered her hair away from her face and started walking toward the clearing without waiting for him. Her steps were faster than usual, and there was a distinct stiffness in the way she held her shoulders. She was ashamed, irritated, and still angry with him for frightening her earlier, and all those emotions had become tangled together until she no longer knew which one was strongest. The only thing she knew was that she did not want to remain beside the river with him for another second.

"Rosaline," Xandros called from behind her, his voice following her through the trees.

She pretended not to hear him.

"Rosaline, wait," he called again, this time with a little more firmness in his voice.

She continued walking.

Her cheeks burned again as she remembered the way he had looked at her, and she stubbornly decided that if she stopped now, he would probably say something that would make her even more embarrassed. She was not prepared to give him that opportunity. Besides, she was still angry with him, and she had no intention of allowing him to think that everything was suddenly fine simply because he had carried her out of the river and dried her hair.

"Rosaline," Xandros called once more, and this time she could hear him getting closer.

She tightened her lips and walked faster.

She barely had time to hear the rush of movement behind her before the ground suddenly disappeared beneath her feet.

A startled gasp escaped her as a pair of strong arms lifted her completely from the ground. Before she could understand what had happened, the forest around her became a blur as Xandros accelerated through the trees with supernatural speed. The sudden movement made her stomach twist, and instinct took over before pride could stop her. She immediately wrapped both arms around his neck and held onto him as tightly as she could.

"Xandros!" she cried, her voice nearly disappearing beneath the rushing wind.

He continued running without slowing down.

Rosaline’s fingers tightened around his shoulders as she pressed herself against him, her heart pounding violently inside her chest. The trees seemed to flash past them in streaks of green and brown, and the wind pulled at her white hair until several strands whipped across her face. She tried to lift her head, but the speed made it difficult to keep her eyes open for long, and she quickly abandoned the attempt.

A few moments earlier, she had been determined to throw a proper tantrum at him.

Now, however, she decided that perhaps there were some situations in which throwing a tantrum was simply not worth the risk.

She was currently being carried through a forest at a speed that made the world look like it was moving around her, and she had absolutely no intention of falling to the ground just because she wanted to prove that she was angry.

So she remained quiet.

She held onto him.

Very tightly.

Xandros seemed to notice her sudden compliance, because the faintest trace of amusement appeared at the corner of his mouth as he continued carrying her. He did not tease her about it, however. Instead, he maintained his pace until the familiar clearing gradually came into view through the trees.

When he finally slowed down, Rosaline did not immediately release him. Her heart was still racing, and for several seconds she remained exactly where she was, her arms around his neck while she tried to convince herself that the ground was no longer moving beneath her.

Xandros eventually lowered her carefully until her feet touched the ground.

The instant she felt the earth beneath her, Rosaline stepped away from him.

She did not look at him.

She did not say thank you.

She did not even acknowledge that he had carried her all the way back.

Instead, she straightened her clothes, pushed her damp hair behind her shoulder, and marched directly toward the tent.

"Rosaline," Xandros called after her.

She ignored him.

He watched her disappear through the entrance, his grey eyes following her until she was completely out of sight. For a moment, he remained where he was, his expression becoming thoughtful as he considered the way she had avoided looking at him. He knew she was embarrassed, but there was something else in her behavior too. She was genuinely annoyed with him, and he could not entirely blame her.

Inside the tent, Rosaline hurried toward the blanket lying on the floor and immediately lowered herself onto it. She pulled the blanket over herself, turned onto her side, and closed her eyes as quickly as possible. She had no intention of sleeping, but if anyone came into the tent, she was going to pretend that she had been asleep the entire time.

She had barely settled herself when she heard footsteps approaching.

Her eyes remained closed, but her heart gave an unexpected little jump.

The footsteps drew closer.

For some inexplicable reason, Rosaline suddenly found herself hoping that it was Xandros. Perhaps he had followed her. Perhaps he had come to apologize. Perhaps he had finally decided to stop teasing her and wanted to make sure she was all right.

The entrance of the tent moved.

Rosaline remained perfectly still.

Then she heard a familiar female voice.

"Rosaline?"

Her heart sank.

It was Christophine.

Rosaline immediately became irritated with herself for feeling disappointed. Why had she expected Xandros? Why had she even wanted him to be the one standing at the entrance? She frowned beneath the blanket and tried to convince herself that it meant nothing.

Christophine stepped farther inside and looked at the figure lying beneath the blanket. She studied Rosaline for a moment before speaking again.

"It is time to eat," she said, her voice gentle but carrying the unmistakable tone of someone who was not going to accept an easy excuse. "You should come outside and eat with us."

"I am not hungry," Rosaline replied without opening her eyes.

Christophine’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

"You are not hungry?" she asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "You have barely eaten since we left, and now you are suddenly not hungry?"

"I simply do not feel like eating," Rosaline answered, turning slightly beneath the blanket.

Christophine watched her for a few seconds before lowering her voice.

"Did something happen?"

"No."

The answer came too quickly.

Christophine’s expression immediately changed.

"Rosaline."

"I said nothing happened," Rosaline replied, her voice becoming slightly more defensive. "I am just not hungry."

Christophine knew better than to push her when she was clearly in a bad mood, so she simply sighed and nodded.

"All right," she said softly. "I will leave you for now."

She turned around and walked out of the tent.

Rosaline opened her eyes almost immediately.

She remained on the blanket, staring toward the entrance as she listened to Christophine’s footsteps moving away. A few moments later, she heard her voice outside.

"What did you do to her?"

Rosaline’s attention immediately sharpened.

There was a brief silence before Christophine continued.

"She refused to eat."

Rosaline could not hear Xandros’s response, if he gave one at all.

"What happened?" Christophine asked again.

Still, Xandros did not answer.

Rosaline frowned and found herself holding her breath while she listened.

Eventually, his calm voice reached the tent.

"Take the food to her."

Christophine sounded increasingly exasperated.

"And?"

"Tell her I have something to take care of," Xandros replied, his tone steady and almost annoyingly calm. "I will not be joining her."

There was a pause.

Then Christophine let out a long, dramatic sigh.

"So I am the person you have decided to put in the middle of your relationship spat?"

Rosaline’s eyes widened.

She immediately pulled the blanket closer around herself.

Relationship spat?

Was that really what Christophine thought was happening?

Before Rosaline could decide whether she was offended by the statement, she heard Christophine muttering under her breath as she picked up something.

"All right," she grumbled. "Apparently I am the messenger now."

A few moments later, the tent entrance opened again.

Christophine entered carrying a plate of roasted chicken. The smell reached Rosaline immediately, and despite her earlier declaration that she was not hungry, her stomach betrayed her with a faint rumble.

Christophine heard it.

Her mouth curved into a knowing smile.

"I heard that," she said.

Rosaline frowned at her.

"You heard nothing."

"Of course I did not," Christophine replied, deliberately sounding innocent as she held the plate out. "Anyway, Xandros said you should eat. He also said that he has something to take care of and will not be joining you."

Rosaline’s expression changed.

She sat up straighter.

"He is leaving?"

Christophine nodded.

"Apparently."

"Where is he going?"

"I have no idea."

Rosaline stared at her.

"You do not know?"

Christophine shrugged.

"I asked what he did to upset you, not where he was planning to go."

Rosaline’s lips parted slightly before she looked away.

"He should not be going anywhere alone in this forest."

Christophine’s eyes immediately became playful.

"Oh?"

Rosaline realized too late what she had just said.

"I did not mean it like that."

"I did not say you did," Christophine replied, smiling as she placed the plate beside her. "But if you are so concerned, perhaps I should call him back so you can ask him yourself."

"No," Rosaline answered immediately.

Christophine’s smile widened.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Because you could simply ask him where he is going."

"I said do not bother him."

Christophine stared at her for a moment, clearly enjoying herself.

"All right," she finally said. "I will not bother him."

She turned toward the entrance, then looked back at Rosaline.

"Eat your food."

"I will."

"And do not spend the entire night pretending you are not upset."

Rosaline’s eyes narrowed.

"I am not upset."

Christophine laughed quietly.

"Of course you are not."

Then she walked out of the tent, leaving Rosaline alone once more.

Rosaline stared down at the plate.

For a long time, she did not touch the food.

Her thoughts had already returned to Xandros.

Where was he going?

Why had he suddenly decided to leave?

What exactly did he have to take care of?

She frowned at herself for being so curious. She had just spent the last several minutes insisting that she did not care, yet the moment he announced that he was leaving, she could not stop thinking about it.

"This is ridiculous," she muttered to herself.

She picked up a piece of chicken and finally began eating.

The food was warm, well-seasoned, and far better than she had expected. Once she started, she found that she was considerably hungrier than she had originally admitted. She ate slowly at first, but eventually finished everything on the plate.

Afterward, she placed the empty plate aside and lowered herself back onto the blanket.

The tent felt strangely quiet.

Rosaline pulled the blanket over herself and stared into the darkness.

She had become accustomed to Xandros’s presence.

That realization unsettled her.

She remembered the carriage, the way he had caught her when she fell asleep, the way he had watched over her when she woke from the nightmare, the way he had carried her when she was too tired to walk, and even the way he had scolded her when he thought she was drowning.

She had become accustomed to knowing that he was nearby.

Now he was gone, and the emptiness felt more noticeable than it should have.

Rosaline frowned and turned onto her side.

She missed him.

The thought came quietly, but it was enough to make her immediately open her eyes.

"No," she whispered to herself, shaking her head. "I am perfectly fine without him."

She pulled the blanket closer.

She did not need Xandros.

She had lived without him before, and she could certainly do it again.

At least, that was what she told herself as she finally closed her eyes.

Outside, however, Xandros had not gone very far.

He was inside the smaller tent with Seth, lying on one side while Seth remained nearby. The space was considerably smaller than the main tent, and the silence between the two men had gradually become so uncomfortable that Seth finally decided he could no longer tolerate it.

He turned his head toward Xandros.

"My Lord," he said respectfully.

Xandros did not respond.

Seth waited for a moment before trying again.

"My Lord Xandros."

This time, Xandros’s eyes moved slightly, but he still did not answer.

Seth sighed and shifted his position.

"I believe you should return to your own tent."

Xandros remained silent.

"You should sleep beside Rosaline," Seth continued carefully, glancing toward the Duke as though trying to determine whether he was listening. "She is your wife, after all."

Xandros’s jaw tightened slightly.

He had already considered it.

He had thought about returning to the main tent more than once.

But he knew it would not be wise.

His mind kept returning to the river and the sight of Rosaline standing before him. He had always known she was beautiful, but seeing her in such an intimate and unexpected moment had stirred something in him that he had spent considerable effort trying to control. The memory was still far too vivid, and he knew himself well enough to understand that lying beside her while she was still embarrassed and angry would only make the situation more difficult.

He needed distance.

At least for tonight.

Besides, Rosaline had clearly been upset with him.

He did not know exactly what had angered her more—the river, his insistence that she leave the water, or the embarrassment afterward—but he could tell from the way she had marched into the tent that she wanted nothing to do with him.

So he had decided to give her what she wanted.

Space.

Seth shifted again.

"The tent is cramped," he complained, looking around at the limited space between them. "There is barely enough room for both of us."

Xandros still did not answer.

Seth stared at him.

"My Lord?"

Nothing.

Seth frowned.

"Lord Xandros."

Xandros finally turned his head.

His grey eyes settled on Seth with such quiet menace that Seth immediately regretted calling him again.

"What?"

Seth swallowed before answering.

"I was only saying that you should go and sleep beside your wife instead of staying here."

Xandros stared at him for several seconds.

Then he spoke in the same calm tone he had used all evening.

"Do you want to sleep outside?"

Seth went completely still.

He looked at the tent entrance.

Then he looked back at Xandros.

"No, my Lord," he answered immediately, deciding that the tent was suddenly quite comfortable despite its lack of space.

Xandros turned away again.

"Then stop talking."

Seth slowly lowered himself back onto his side, deciding that silence was probably the safest option.

For several moments, neither man spoke.

Outside, the fire continued to crackle softly, its glow flickering through the gaps around the tent. The forest had become quiet beneath the night sky, but Xandros remained awake, his thoughts returning again and again to the woman sleeping in the other tent.

He wondered whether she had eaten.

He wondered whether she was still angry.

And despite everything, he found himself wondering whether she was asleep yet.

He closed his eyes and tried to force the thoughts away.

But somewhere beyond the thin walls of the tent, Rosaline was doing exactly the same thing.

Neither of them knew that the silence between them was already becoming far more difficult to endure than the argument that had created it.