Bow to the King

Chapter Fifteen

Tristan stood around the strategy table with Samuel. It was here that they planned battle tactics and manoeuvres when faced with hard times. At present they had no use for it, the land was peaceful and quiet. But Tristan had his own battle to face now.

The morning light streamed in through the windows, highlighting the dust mites in the air and turning them gold. He would have enjoyed the sight and pleasant warmth of the sun if he was not so tense.

His valet had woken him earlier than usual with warnings that there were rumours of a tryst between the Prince and a maidservant named Keira. His valet had not known all the details, but had summarized that supposedly Tristan had forced himself onto the girl and later refused to marry her. Tristan groaned to himself. He had done no such thing, but eradicating the rumours would be a long and frustrating task. Samuel leaned over and slapped Tristan on the back, his chosen method of encouragement.

"Do not worry, Sire. It will work out in the end," Samuel said. Tristan grunted his agreement but did not answer. He would have to find a way to prove the rumour was not true. And then there was Rose. She would have no doubt heard of the rumours already. How could he convince her it was false? She was likely to be hurt and confused. It was still very early, he assumed most people were still asleep. He probably had a few hours to decide on a plan to sort everything out.

"I despise these situations," Tristan muttered.

"Aye, I know, but this will pass over soon enough. Your father will support you, this is not the first time the people have woven tales to try and get what they want. And I can obviously vouch for you - you were with me and the other scouts that night. This girl's story is flawed and will be proven so easily," Samuel assured him. Tristan sighed and leaned on the table, staring blankly at the map of the land.

The door to the room burst open suddenly. Tristan whirled around in surprise to see Rose. She had flung the doors open and was standing in the room. A few tears were glistening on her cheeks, but she wiped them away hurriedly. Tristan's heart broke at the sight of her, she looked completely shattered but she was clearly doing her best to act strong. Tristan opened his mouth to try and speak and calm her down, but she spoke before he could utter a sound.

"How could you?" She asked through her tears. She turned and ran from the room, her blonde hair fluttering behind her. Tristan bolted from the room immediately without pausing to excuse himself from Samuel.

"Rose!" He called as he rounded the corner. She was running towards the back exit of the castle. "Rose, wait!" Tristan pushed himself faster, forcing himself to lengthen his strides. He caught up to her just as she ran out the exit. Tristan reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop.

"Let go of me," she demanded, trying to peel his fingers off. Tristan only tightened his grip on her, doing his best to remain gentle so he would not hurt her. He was grateful it was so early as no one was about - he did not have to worry about another rumour starting concerning yet another servant. "Unhand me at once," she spat out angrily.

"Rose, stop. Listen to me," he begged as she stubbornly turned her head away from him and stared at a tree. "I did not touch her, Rose. I do not even know the girl, you must believe me," he begged. His heart squeezed inside his chest. What would he do if Rose refused to forgive him? He could not bear the thought of losing her affection. "These rumours are false, I swear it." Rose did not look at him, though she stopped pulling on her arm. "I swear by the all-seeing, all-knowing God. I never touched her," he promised. Rose hesitantly turned her head to look at him. Her startling grey eyes were rimmed with red and glistened with unshed tears.