Chapter 336: Dressed To Dinner
"It’s a little loose," one of the maids said, her voice filled with slight shock and disappointment as they tried to help Rose into one of the dresses.
Rose didn’t fault the dress one bit, nor the seamstress. The measurements were clearly taken when she had on a bit more skin. Now, she had lost enough weight for it to show.
"Should I find another that might fit a little tighter?" she asked, offering Rose an apologetic look as though she had gravely offended her.
"No," Rose replied stiffly at the heavy dress. "This is fine."
She still had several questions about the dresses in the wardrobe, but something told her the maids wouldn’t have the answer. Besides, she wasn’t certain how comfortable she could get with them. The maids didn’t seem rude and were very nice and respectful, but Rose carried too many scars to trust kindness easily.
The dress they had chosen for her was a simple brown dress but it was already more elegant than anything she had ever owned. It didn’t seem to look like the dresses Bailey the seamstress had made, at least the ones she had seen. However, there was no mistake that the dresses had been made with the same measurements. She wondered if Bailey had sewn them.
Rose couldn’t help but notice that the brown dress was particularly suited for winter. The dress was made from velvet; the sleeves were long with enough inner layers to keep her very warm.
The collar of the dress went high up to her neck with buttons down the middle. The flare started just below her midsection and stretched to her feet. The maid had picked a pair of shoes that Rose didn’t recognize, but they slipped onto her feet easily and were a perfect fit.
Other than the slight looseness of the dress, it was perfect. Rose did prefer that it was a little loose, considering how much her body hurt from all the riding she had done in the past few days. She knew she would be uncomfortable with the dress being tight.
"Lady Rose, are you certain you’re satisfied with the dress? We might not be able to fix it in time for dinner, but I am sure we can find some other alternatives for you," one of the maids offered.
"No," Rose replied at once. "This is perfect."
They smiled softly in response. "Then please come with us; we will lead you to the main dining room."
"Thank you," Rose said in response as she gathered the front of her dress and followed after the maids.
The maids let her hair fall freely over her shoulders and onto her back, only brushing and oiling her hair appropriately. By the time they were done, Rose could barely recognize it. It glimmered in the candlelight. Her hair was brought back to life after suffering endlessly in the snow.
Rose could still smell the olive oil mixed with lavender. She also smelled like lavender. It seemed to be used a lot in this castle. Rose wasn’t complaining; she felt utterly refreshed and famished too. If the crown prince wasn’t lurking at the back of her mind, one might say she was having a swell time.
Rose had to walk some distance in the castle to get to the dining hall. The maids stopped in front of two huge doors but did not attempt to walk in. They simply prepared to help her open the doors as no guards stood in front.
This castle was similar to Velmount’s Castle, but Rose could see there were very obvious differences, and one of the major ones was the lack of guards. The main castle had guards in almost every angle and certainly in front of the main dining hall. Rose’s thoughts about the lack of guards quickly vanished as she realized she was about to be in the presence of the crown prince.
Rose gripped her dress tighter as the maids opened the door. She winced as the chatter died the moment the doors opened. Rose heard sharp intakes of breath and her stomach knotted as all eyes turned in her direction.
She took a step forward, only because it would be too awkward to stand in front of the open doors. She kept her gaze to the ground and made her way to the table by following the glow of the candlelight.
"Lady Rose!" Fabian’s excited voice reached her ears, and he was by her side in an instant.
"Fabian," Rose said reflexively.
Fabian smiled as she called his name. "You look stunning, Lady Rose. You are also just in time. Please, have a seat."
He pulled out the seat for her, and Rose smiled as she sat down. He carefully adjusted it, making sure she was comfortable. As soon as she was seated, the noise continued.
She felt a gaze on her, and she turned to see that she had been seated next to Thomas. Rose smiled at him, but he didn’t even meet her eyes before he turned away. Rose counted at least ten men at the table, but there was no sign of Caius. The men looked familiar, and Rose knew they were Caius’s personal guards.
She turned her head until it started to hurt as she looked for him. It was better that he was not here, but somehow Rose felt even more anxious. She turned to Thomas, but the latter didn’t seem to want to speak to her, so she kept to herself, nervously twisting her hands.
"Unfortunately," Fabian started to say not long after she sat down. "His Highness will not be joining for dinner tonight."
"Did His Highness say why?" Thomas asked.
"No, your lordship," Fabian replied.
Thomas looked at her, and Rose’s back stiffened. Was he expecting her to say something about this, or did he want to ask her?
"Eat," he just said and turned away.
Rose let out a breath. She felt very awkward and tense in their midst. The men mostly ignored her as they chatted while eating. The five knights who had gone with Rose were also in the mix, and they spoke of the journey.
Other conversations flowed, but Rose was too tense to pay attention, and she was also too tense to enjoy the meal. She didn’t want dinner to end, yet she dreaded each moment it continued. She wanted to get away from this room. But staying here was certainly the lesser evil, as she would have to face the crown prince after dinner was over.
Thomas looked at her with a disapproving look, and Rose did try her best to eat, but she wasn’t particularly hungry. Her eating habits had completely fallen off since the death of her mother, and even the different delicious delicacies the servants had served didn’t help.
Surprisingly as dinner dragged Rose didn’t feel as tense. Perhaps it was the air, but Rose started to feel comfortable as time went by. The men didn’t include her in their conversation, but they didn’t seem hostile. Even Mark looked too drunk to be offended.
After the meal was over, Thomas stood up and turned to look at her. Rose lifted her gaze, but that was not enough to look at his face, especially while seated; she had to tilt her head to meet his eyes.
"Stand up," Thomas said.
Fabian moved quickly, helping her by pulling the seat just as she stood up. "Thank you," Rose politely said to him. The butler was slowly working his way into her heart. She knew he was just doing his job, but it was still so nice.
Thomas looked like he wanted to offer her his hand but immediately decided against it, marching forward but not too fast so Rose could easily keep up with him.
He walked in silence, just a step in front of her. Rose gripped her dress as she followed him. Silence with Thomas wasn’t uncomfortable; it felt pretty normal.
When they got to her room, he turned the handle, pushed the door open, and stood to the side. Rose smiled and curtsied. "Thank you, Lord Thomas," she said with a smile.
Thomas nodded. "Sleep well."
Rose’s eyes widened in shock. Not only did he respond, but he also wished her a good night. However, Rose’s slight joy immediately dissipated, and she looked around.
"What is it?" Thomas asked as he noticed her discomfort.
"Nothing," Rose replied immediately.
Thomas narrowed his eyes. "I think His Highness has settled in for the night. I doubt any of us will be able to see him until tomorrow."
"Thank you," Rose graciously said, her eyes widening even more.
Thomas was being so nice and she was grateful she didn’t have to go in while constantly worrying that the crown prince would call on her.
Thomas didn’t miss how relieved Rose instantly looked. Thomas couldn’t guess what the crown prince intended. He had seen Caius as soon as he arrived and had to give a full explanation about the journey. The crown prince had vaguely asked questions about Rose. However, Thomas had noticed the crown prince was eager to see her.