Truly Gracious

'Which secret?' Rose struggled to discern Borit's meaning.

What exactly had he discovered? Between drugging Caitlyn, running away, meeting with someone labeled a traitor, having an outlaw for a brother, or how she was now plotting against him: there were a lot of secrets for him to hold over her head.

Rose's heart thumped in her chest. "I will not dismiss Gilbert," she said slowly.

"Did you call me, My Lady?" Gilbert stepped forward to be closer to the pair which he was trailing.

"Attentive as always," Rose beamed at him. "I need nothing but for you to finish your assignment."

Gilbert nodded and fell back into step quietly behind them.

"Have it your way." Borit's face darkened. "The king will not be happy with this development." He looked the young soldier up and down. "I hope you know what you are doing…"

The rest of the walk was spent in strained silence. It occurred to Rose that Borit might recognize Gilbert as one of the citizens of Rynnlee. Had they met before? The princess wasn't sure.

But Rose dismissed the worry. The commander seemed more annoyed by the situation than he did angry at the soldier. Had Borit thought Gilbert had a connection with his enemy, surely the vindictive man would have taken decisive action!

At present, he had only threatened Rose with an elusive secret. The lack of additional pressure by the Commander told Rose that he was willing to let this situation play out. Suddenly doubt creeped into the princess's mind, making her uneasy.

Rose knew that Borit never did things without a reason. Up until they had gotten into the empty hallway, he had needed to maintain appearances. The commander was vain about how he was viewed, so Borit had played Rose's game because it was in his best interest. But now there was no one around.

So why did he give up so quickly? It was a mystery, and Rose did not like it one bit. She only hoped that whatever the commander had in mind, it would not actually end with anger from the king.

Avoiding the castle staff, the trio exited the narrow hallway and came face to face with two of the palace guards. Rose pulled at her hood and lowered her face, hoping to hide her identity until she was inside her father's suite.

Fortunately, in the presence of their superior, the two men only gave the road-weary traveler a passing glance. They parted their spears and let all three into the king's chambers. To not arouse the guards suspicions, Rose stepped back and allowed Borit to enter first.

Within, Rhodri was sitting at a personal writing desk, trying to keep busy. Looking up and spying the commander, he dropped his writing pen and scraped his chair against the ground.

"Do you have news?" he asked, skipping the greeting entirely.

Borit bowed and stepped aside, revealing a cloaked figure with a petite frame. Her purple dress was respectable, but covered with dust from the road. Her cloak was likewise covered with evidence from her trip. Rhodri furrowed his brow, trying to make sense of the figure before him.

Pushing back her hood, Rose's golden locks fell freely around her shoulders while her face looked contritely at the man she called father. She braced herself for the biggest scolding of her life.

Even though Gilbert and Borit were in the room, the princess doubted it would stop Rhodri from letting loose all of the emotion which he had been holding onto since she left.

The king bumped the desk, his eyes widening as the realization hit him. "Rose?!"

He ran at the cloaked woman full force, his arms flying wildly at her. The princess reflexively closed her eyes. Although the king had never come close to striking her before, she had never done anything quite so reckless either.

So when the man's arm wrapped around her in a warm hug, Rose heaved a gasp that turned into a sob. Rhodri held her tight, allowing his own tears to flow with hers.

"I was so worried. When we found out about the attack, I was afraid you had been abducted...or worse! I thought the woman coming was going to be negotiating your release or possibly informing me of your death. I hadn't dared to hope that it was actually you who was returning to me. But here you are." Rhodri squeezed his daughter tightly, afraid she might disappear in a cloud of mist.

The princess was filled with remorse. She had caused the king great agony. 'He thought I was dead!'

"I am so sorry. I wish I had not caused you pain." The princess's words came out hoarse. "I love you."

Borit cleared his throat. The king looked up at him as the commander jerked his head to the other person in the room. Gilbert had stationed himself by the window, his gaze forward and not at the affectionate display.

"This soldier came with the lady with a message for you. He was with the men who escorted her home," Borit said slowly.

Rhodri released his daughter and took on a formal mask. Rose saw the shift and sighed.

Looking over at the soldier, the blonde could see that Gilbert did not seem the slightest bit perturbed by the pair of royals' affectionate display, confirming her belief on at least one point. "He knows who I am, father. You do not need to shield my identity from him."

The commander guffawed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Of course he does..." he added sarcastically. His eyes rolled slightly upwards before returning to their neutral position.

Unhappy at his insinuation, Rose quickly came to her own defense. "The rest of the men do not know me. I was very careful to maintain secrecy for the entire return trip. They only know me as Lady Alexis."

Rhodri turned pale as a ghost. His smile became pained. "Lady Alexis, did you say? Whatever made you choose that name?"

"It just happened, father, but I went with it. Is something wrong? You look ready to collapse." The princess grabbed her father's hand to coax him to the sofa. It took no urging as his legs were suddenly weak, worrying her further.

Staring at the beautiful woman, Rhodri suddenly snapped from his thoughts. "I am fine, my dear. No need to worry. I just cannot believe you are back with me. Are you well? Are you hurt?"

While Rose unclasped her cloak, the worried king checked her exposed skin for signs of trauma. "I am well enough now that I am back." When Rhodri furrowed his brow, the princess quickly stopped his question with an answer. "No need to call the doctor. He will find no fault with me."

Satisfied, Rhodri tucked the woman's blonde locks behind her ear and ran his finger along her chin.

"It's really you."

"It's really me," Rose took her father's hand from her face and held it in her own.

"Just when I think the Fates have plucked another thing from me, you return looking as beautiful as ever. The Maker is truly gracious!"

Kissing her father's hand, Rose nodded. Even with all the looming danger, she could not help but be thankful for the gifts she had been given.

The princess had an adoptive father who loved her so much that he shed tears in front of a total stranger. She had a brother who was willing to let the world fall apart to protect her. And she had survived a foolish misadventure which could have easily cost her her life.

'The Maker is gracious indeed.'