Chapter 17
Lucy was forced to think her assumptions about this woman were right seeing that she could not answer to who she was. It greatly bothered her to see the young woman dressed in only a blanket. She was not a fool. Lucy knew who this woman wanted to show up and what she wanted him to do.
"You can get yourself dressed. I don't know what the general has ever said to you to make you so bold to come here, but you will never become his woman. Not when you are from this land and he has better women lined up to be his wife," said Lucy.
Rose thought they had cleared this up already. "I don't-"
"Save your lies for someone else to believe them. I can see right through you. You are bold, I will give you that," Lucy said as it took courage to wander upon an enemy camp. "But you are still a fool. I wonder what plan you came up with to come here to get in his bed."
Lucy continued, "Our general is a man who you shall never measure up to. A whore who would ignore all danger isn't suited for him. So, before you lose your head, I suggest that you leave. Cover yourself as I shall make sure that he never comes to you to see you as you are."
Rose smiled despite being insulted. She wasn't in the brothel nor wearing the dress Graham had given her, but she still managed to hear the insult of being a whore. She laughed as it was ridiculous how the insult followed her.
Lucy thought Rose was showing her cockiness by laughing instead of doing as she was told. The woman before her failed to notice the danger in the room. "Do not think for a second I wouldn't kill you."
"Then do it," Rose answered.
If she was going to constantly be told of being a whore after she had run away from the brothel, then what was the point of running? She had looked forward to breaking away from being one of those women but just by waiting for the dress Zayne spoke of to be sent, she had been called a whore.
"I don't have anyone waiting for me or anywhere to go. I don't see much of a future besides running to hide. So, if you must be the one to do it then go ahead," Rose encouraged the soldier.
Rose had suffered through so much that death being one of her options did not seem so bad. Speaking of death to her wasn't a threat but a gift to her.
Lucy frowned, confused by the response. It would make sense for anyone to be scared now. Regardless of how much this woman thought Zayne liked her, she had to be careful of who stood before her.
"A dress was to be sent to me as my own was dirty. I washed my dress and did not want to walk around in it before it dries so I had no choice but to use the blanket to wrap myself with and lay on. You don't have to worry about a whore being with him. I do not want to be with your general," Rose promised.
Rose couldn't see herself wanting any man after what she had witnessed. Somewhere in this world, there might be a good man, but Rose couldn't trust them. All she wanted was to get some rest and then continue on her way to put some distance between her and the men she knew Graham would send after her.
Lucy was about to speak but something moving on the balcony caught her attention. A dress was blowing in the wind proving the story to be true. Still, she failed to believe that this woman wasn't after Zayne.
Why come here of all places? It couldn't be a simple coincidence that she ended here where Zayne was.
"It is good to see that you know what you are. I will not allow someone from this land to get close to the general. Should you ever do something foolish, I will be the last person you see before you die. Leave by the time the day ends," said Lucy.
While Lucy expected the men to want to lay with women after a long ride here, she could not sit still with Zayne bringing a woman here. He couldn't be smitten by Rose and it didn't seem like Rose was someone they could ask about the king.
If Zayne hadn't warned her about threats, Lucy would have this room without someone staying inside of it.
Rose regretted accepting the offer and washing her dress since it stopped her from leaving. Her presence wasn't welcomed here and rightfully so since they were from different lands.
"I will get you one of my dresses and some food. You are to rest and then leave our camp. Do not leave this room while I am gone."
Rose watched as the soldier headed toward the door. She didn't get the chance to enjoy that there was a woman involved in the army because of the accusations.
"Just a few hours and then you are free from this," Rose said to cheer herself up.
She shouldn't think too much about being called a whore since this was all a big misunderstanding. Instead, she had to plan where she would head to.
"Would a church take me in?" Rose wondered.
The priests should be kind enough to hide her if they knew her story. She had once heard the story of a priest hiding a man on the run because he was wounded and it wasn't like the church to turn away anyone who needed help.
Rose went to the door and locked it to slow down anyone from intruding then returned to the side of the bed where she planned to sleep. She had to enjoy this warmth now as soon she would be back wandering around in the cold night.
She rested her head on the wall and closed her eyes. The memory of a field covered in yellow flowers instantly came back to her. What little she knew of it calmed her, freeing her from thinking about the troubles that awaited her with having to run again.
Rose wished to one day have an answer to why this dream calmed her or why at times she blacked out as she reached the end of her dream. This dream always ended when she turned away from the field as though there was someone behind her calling out to her to get her attention.