This Way or That?

Rose contemplated murdering her friend. She has just admitted that they were gossiping about Ethyn behind his back!

But then Caitlyn continued evenly, "Why, Sir Ethyn, didn't you know? You, of course, have broken the heart of every knight who ever had aspirations of serving Her Highness. The princess weeps for them as she takes their loss personally."

Ethyn looked to Rose for confirmation. The princess stole her friend's fan from between them and covered her face with its fluttering. He could see Rose's eyes were indeed watering.

"I am not sure I could stand making Her Highness so upset. After I finish my obligation to Silver, I can ask the king to make other arrangements." The green-eyed man's face was unreadable as he made the offer.

Rose could not tell if he was joking, but the pain in her soul could not take the risk. "We can cross that bridge when we get there. But by then, certainly all of their hearts will have mended." The Princess waved her hand dismissively and lowered the fan to her lap. "My! It is quite hot in here."

"Are you getting a fever?" Ethyn's brow furrowed. While it was getting later in the morning, it was not so very hot yet in the tower suite.

Caitlyn looked at him innocently. "I think Her Highness is simply trying to cue me to hurry up with my stitching. It is time for her morning outing, and I am slowing her down."

Rose cast a sidelong glance at her lady-in-waiting. Caitlyn usually put down and picked up her embroidery at any time. There was no deadline to finish the job. And the fact that she was doing it to make the princess look good only meant that it was an extra task she did not have to fulfill.

'What are you up to?' The princess narrowed her eyes.

"Don't worry, Princess Rose, I have a solution!" Caitlyn's face brightened. "Since Sir Ethyn is your personal knight, he can take you on your morning ride!"

When other men took Rose out, Caitlyn always needed to accompany them as a chaperone, but special rules applied to a woman's personal knight. He was allowed to escort her places and counted as part of the palace staff. It was a tricky loophole, but a loophole nonetheless.

"Are you sure we should be venturing outside the palace walls?" Ethyn did not want to get into trouble. Then he saw the princess's face fall, and he knew he had made a gross misstep. "I did not mean it how it sounded. I would be honored to take you and Belle out for a ride. I just feel inadequate going just the two of us."

Rose relaxed her shoulders. He wasn't trying to deny her, just wanting to keep her safe.

"Then take a few guards along with you, Sir Ethyn. For if you do not take the princess, she will hold me responsible for not getting enough fresh air. And you know how our mistress can be when she is not well aired..." Caitlyn could not resist a final jib.

Ethyn looked toward the window and scratched his head.

Behind his back, Rose glared at her friend, 'not well aired?' Caitlyn winked and shrugged unapologetically, receiving a stuck-out tongue from the princess in response. Rose was barely able to get her mouth closed before the knight turned back toward them.

"I have only ever known the princess to be the picture of grace and charm," he responded. The two women exchanged a glance. Had he been watching them out of the corner of his eye? "Still," he continued, "It is a lovely day and I would be honored to help you be as 'well-aired' as ever."

Rose raised one eyebrow at him.

Ethyn cleared his throat. "Uh, you know what I mean, I hope."

The princess sighed. "I suppose I can leave Caitlyn to her work. She will work faster without both of us prattling on endlessly about nothing. If you would accompany me, I will go and get the air I desperately require."

There was sarcasm mixed with —hope?— in the Princess's words which brought an unconscious smile to the green-eyed man's face. "I am glad I am better than boredom."

"Don't be silly. The alternative seems to be suffocation. And I think we can both agree that sharing air with you is preferable." Rose watched as Ethyn raised one eyebrow at her.

"You want to share my air?"

"You know what I mean." With her ears reddening, Rose flitted away into her room to change into her riding dress. The wide skirt allowed her to ride like a man, without exposing herself indecently. After helping her change, Caitlyn announced to the young man that the princess was ready.

Coming out from her room, Rose was clad in a dark green dress which was just a shade more emerald than the handsome knight's eyes. Her hair was braided down her back to prevent the wind from blowing it as they rode.

Ethyn struggled not to cast his gaze up and down the princess, though he could have easily stared at her all day. But there was a fine line between admiring beauty and leering, and the young man did not want to cross it.

"Shall I accompany you downstairs?" He dropped his voice to a husky whisper to keep it from cracking.

Pleased with his response, the princess nodded. "Thank you, good sir." Arm-in-arm, the pair shuffled from the room.

Caitlyn watched the two of them leave. She hummed softly as she returned to her stitching. "Either they will come back happier than ever or they will be distant and professional. Such young hearts are very unpredictable in that respect."

A small wind in the room tinkled like bells at her words. Caitlyn did not seem bothered by it. She continued speaking to herself.

"May the Fates guide them to the right choice." With her forefinger, she made a simple symbol in the air.

The wind swirled around her for a second and then disappeared entirely as if it were never there.

----------------

After donning his suit of armor, which was the only proper way for Ethyn to be seen outside the palace with the princess, the knight joined the princess and four other guards at the stables.

Rose looked at him curiously. "That was fast. I feel like you left me here only a moment ago."

"I could not keep the most important woman in the kingdom waiting for long." Ethyn said, out of breath. Had he run to return? "The palace servants were also very quick to help. You have excellent staff here, Your Highness."

Just a few short weeks ago, Ethyn was the one helping a knight get ready. It was strange how quickly things had changed.

"I cannot take credit for the palace efficiency, but I shall let the seneschal know he is doing a good job." Rose was pleased that her personal knight seemed to be fitting in well.

Although the princess longed to escape palace life, she could see value in the fact that Ethyn did on the surface seem to enjoy it. Anyone she ended up with would likely be stuck at the palace for a very long time...or forever.

'One step at a time!' Rose did not like the jump in her thoughts. She couldn't think about the future until she was sure that it was even a possibility.

Ethyn helped the young woman on her horse, causing her breath to falter at his touch. Really, Rose was fully capable of mounting Belle without help, but for once she did not mind the knight's imposition.

The green-eyed man wasn't trying to patronize her. He simply wanted to make her life easier.

After the entire group was on their horses, Philip, who had regained his spot in guarding the princess, let them out of the palace gates before pausing for instruction.

"Which way shall we go, Your Highness?" Ethyn deferred to his gorgeous companion.

"You mean, we can go anywhere?" Rose was surprised, but she realized that likely no one had told him the rules of where she could and could not go.

Or perhaps the knight did know them and was feigning ignorance for her sake. Somehow she doubted it. Either way, the freedom of choice was finally hers!

So, where should they go?

'I can finally go into the city! Though it has lost some of its appeal. Or we could go gallivanting across the countryside. Though that didn't work out well for us last time...'

Rose aimed her horse toward the trodden road which she had been on over a hundred times before. "There is a cozy little path through the royal forest. I think we should go that way today."

Ethyn smiled warmly at her. "Sounds perfect."