章 24: She owns the power
One of his bodyguards reached them and whispered something near his ear. The King's face seemed disturbed by what he heard as his eyebrows knitted together. But then, meeting her questioning gaze, he started again his sticking to the recitation.
"Now if you excuse me, lady Roselyn," he emphasized with a smooth pronunciation of her name as she felt slightly misplaced. "I have an important business to take care of. I hope you will honor me with your exquisite presence, tomorrow at the ball."
He gave a last smile and ignoring the crowd; he walked away with his bodyguard, like if he had something very important to take care of.
Roselyn remained there, with all the gazes on her, she gasped. Next time she will talk to him she should recommend him not to let her alone anymore to face embarrassing situations like those.
Just when she felt like she was on point of sinking into the ground from the embarrassed caused by all the gazes she had on her, she heard the familiar clipping steps of horse's hooves onto the ground; she turned around to see King John stop the horse right in front of her. He held the bridle with one hand and the other was positioned on his hip, showing his qualified horse riding. He lifted his chin, pulling hair back, having everyone's gaze switch from her to him he smiled in a cunning smile.
"I forgot to mention," with his smug weasel's face he raised an eyebrow, gazing at all the people that gathered there to have a better view of the spectacle that they previously held.
"If anyone dares to bother miss Roselyn Clayton with tedious unpleasant questions, or worse, with shameful flattering. I will make sure it will be the last time you do such a deplorable thing."
Nobody dared to speak nor to oppose, everyone's gaze was lingering fear.
"In case you still haven't understood, she's under my protection now."
He offered one last gaze to them, lowering his hand and tapping delicately on the horseback to have it take off.
When he left they all dripped their gaze to the floor, to prevent themselves to meet Roselyn's gaze by accident. It was like they feared even to look at her now; they chatted together spitting disjointing the mass into a little small group.
She smiled lightly at the thought of what just one sentence could change people's behavior and fully understood the power he had. She walked to a table to fill a glass with red wine. Leaning against the table, gazing at some ladies from afar, she spotted Lord Walter, who bothered her during the years and harassed her until exhaustion. She smiled when an idea came to her mind: she could finally take her petty revenge on him.
Not minding Sharon's asphyxiant staring, she walked toward Lord Walter of Brownie's house. The first candidate that her mother found for her in the first months of her debut in high society. He was almost 9 years older than her, but he was known for his not so reserved weakness of fancying younger ladies. It wouldn't be a drastic age gap if it weren't because she was just 17 years old when he was almost 26 and with a large variety of failed marriages in his recent past.
When he saw her, standing there with a wide smile on her face, he cleared his voice looking around, probably in search of the nearest way out or for an excuse to walk away.
"Hello, Lord Walter, it's a pleasure to see you after almost three years."
He smiled shyly, looking from the corner of his eye to the bodyguards who were tracking every Roselyn's movement with their persistent gaze.
"I was wondering, why were you so gooey with your consistent fancying and your rush to wed?"
He lowered his gaze, shaking his head as he refused to talk to her.
"If I recall, you just asked my age, and once you learned how young I was, I suddenly became more valuable to your eyes. I wonder, did you know even my name?"
Roselyn questioned, a glimpse of irritancy could be perceived from her tone of voice.
His head was bowed, but not in a sign of respect.
"I bet the King won't like to know that you are so disrespectful not to even speak to me."
He lifted his head, murmuring, "I-I'm sorry. Miss.. ... milady."
Roselyn frowned, "miss?" she whispered to see if he knew her name, even though the answer was already clear.
"Miss... Miss.." he tried to remember, narrowing his eyes. Roselyn rolled her eyes she couldn't believe he wouldn't even know her name when he asked for her hand and not even not when the King just said it.
She looked at the guards when she finally heard his raspy voice. "Roselyn! Roselyn!"
She suffocated her laugh and turned her gaze back on him; she took a step closer and in a bitter voice she spoke:
"Lord Walter, you feel scared, don't you?" He nodded lightly, "unable to decide," he nodded once again, "unsure of your destiny and unsafe." He looked at her but before he could confirm she continued, "that's how a girl feels when you lay your eyes on her, that's how ladies feel when they are obligated to marry someone they dislike."
He gulped down. "That's why I have an order for you. The next lady that shall have your grace to ask for her hand must be twice your age. That's the only condition that will allow you to marry."
She smirked with a proud smile. He lifted his finger to object, but she raised her voice "And she will have to pick you. I gently will organize the event myself and carefully invite all the most raffinate and the finest lad... women I can find."
His eyebrows knitted together, and he clenched his fists. But Roselyn offered a toothy smile. "there's no need to thank me. Take it as a gesture of thankfulness and gratitude."
His face was red in anger, trying not to say anything since he had the King's bodyguards staring at him with their arms folded as they perceived the tension between them.
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