Gorgeous

Philip cleared his throat gently. "Your Highness. If I may be so bold. Would you like us to fan out and guard the falls while you and Sir Samberg explore? It might not be prudent for all of us to be together and risk being ambushed."

It was quite a lot of words for the soldier, and Rose could sense that he was hinting at more than what his surface words had suggested. Something about the situation had made him uncomfortable

"I think that is a good idea," Rose dipped her head in gratitude, and left Philip to his work.

Ethyn was beside himself with glee. 'He must really like waterfalls,' Rose noted. 'This is the second one we have seen together.' Yet the man didn't move or make any attempt to go forward. Was he waiting for her or something else? He didn't seem to be paying attention anymore.

The princess raised her eyebrows at him, and the knight realized that he had not offered her his arm to escort her. The small valley was steep and Rose's sturdy riding boots were no guarantee that she would not fall with all of the loose stones.

Ethyn held out his elbow with an apologetic bow. "Forgive me, I was thoughtless."

The princess narrowed her eyes with suspicion. "I'm sure you were full of thoughts. Your mind seemed a million miles away." Rose bit her lip. "Care to share what was so...engrossing?"

"It was nothing really." The young man coughed lightly. He didn't want to scare off the lady by jumping right into the day dreams of his mind. At least not with the soldiers still so nearby.

The pair began their slow descent.

"I do have a question for you. Why didn't you punish the couple who was trespassing in the king's forest. I am not saying you made the wrong decision, but how can you be so sure they weren't poachers?" Ethyn noticed how quickly Rose had come to a decision. She hadn't even asked the pair any questions.

'Is he really so blind?'

Rose's musical laugh filled the air around them as she covered her mouth with her free hand. "Poachers? Anyone with eyes can see that they were newly engaged! Not to say that thieves cannot be romantic, but I saw no signs of foul play. Even though it isn't exactly legal, they were carrying out an old tradition, and I will not fault them for trying to give their marriage the very best chance of success."

"A tradition? What tradition is that?" Ethyn was suddenly quite curious.

'Uh oh, I kind of walked into that...' Rose felt like slapping her forehead. Instead she took a deep breath and cut her eyes at him. "Why should you care?"

The green-eyed man stumbled on a rock. "Uh, it was purely for research purposes." He rubbed the back of his head. "It's not like I have anyone to complete said tradition with…"

"Oh?" Rose's voice was halfway between disappointment and hope. She hoped by leaving the question vague, the man would expound up the thought.

As if to escape the query, Ethyn let go of Rose's arm suddenly. Before the princess could react, he jumped down and lowered the woman off a steep ledge to the ground once more.

Rose looked deeply into his eyes in a silent plea. The man sighed. "It's true. The only lady in whom I have ever had an interest finds me quite insufferable at times. And I always seem to say just the wrong thing."

Rose blinked a couple of times as she processed what he said. 'Does he mean me or someone else?'

Walking a tightrope of emotions, she spoke her next words very carefully. "I am sure she doesn't find you as insufferable as you might think. She probably just isn't used to your mix of teasing and flattery. Have you tried just being truthful with her?" There was extra emphasis on the word her at the end.

"You want me to honest...with her?" Ethyn's jaw dropped. "Are you sure?"

"Of course that would be difficult if she is not close at hand..." Rose pursed her lips. "Though if she is near, you could tell her easily." The princess fluttered her eyelashes. 'So much for not flirting...'

The young man's eyes opened wide. "I...uh...you have a point."

Sensing his hesitancy, Rose's hopes deflated like a wind with no sails. The princess turned away and walked past him. "We are here," she said to lighten the mood.

The princess thought she heard the young man mutter angrily behind her. When she looked over his shoulder, Rose could have sworn Ethyn was hitting his ungloved fist to his forehead.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, suddenly concerned.

The green-eyed man flashed a dashing smile at his companion, making her knees feel weak. He shifted to rubbing the back of his neck. "Everything is perfect," he responded.

Rose nodded and took a step to continue her journey. The loose silt of the cove made her motion unsteady; her foot slid across the mud. "Oh!"

A hand came under her left elbow while a strong arm came around her waist to prevent her from succumbing to gravity. Rose's heart nearly stopped. This time there was no doubt in her mind about who was holding her, though she had no idea how he had closed the distance between them so quickly.

"Thank you," she said breathlessly. She placed her hand on top of the one across her stomach. "It is nice to see you keeping me up for once instead of knocking me down."

"This shall be my new habit if that is alright with you." The knight dipped his head. He studied her reaction intensely.

Rose looked up at him through her eyelashes. "I would expect nothing less from my protector."

Ethyn moved slightly, but when the princess did not immediately remove her hand from on top of his, he held on for a moment longer. Rose had the fleeting thought that he might only be staying because he felt obligated, and she released him from her hold instantly.

As she pulled away, the man caught her hand. "Be careful." Ethyn's serious expression made Rose smile.

"Come and look." Rose tugged on his arm lightly and led him deeper into the hidden oasis.

It was not nearly as large as the place they had been near Rynnlee, but what it lacked in size, it made up for in grandeur. The falls were wide and now that they were inside, the roar of the water was like a lion.

Mist hung at the bottom like a mystical fog and the pond that formed from the flow of water disappeared into an underground spring, making the whole place feel like an otherworldly dream. Even the circular cliff face seemed in awe of the watery miracle. Each stone was aimed downward, looking like bowing citizens before a monarch.

As Rose and Ethyn had taken the only natural entrance, they were now surrounded by the column of loyal subjects. The princess brought the knight to the edge of the pond and reluctantly released his hand. It had felt so perfect in hers that she almost decided to continue her journey without taking in the view.

But that would have been unfair to her companion and she could not do that to him. She folded her hands in front of her and stared at the falls. "Is it beautiful?"

"Gorgeous." Ethyn agreed easily.

But out of the corner of her eye, Rose could see something was amiss. Ethyn wasn't looking at the water.

He was staring at her.