Caius's jaw tightened at Rose's question. He wasn't angry that she didn't want to speak about her mother. He could understand that perhaps the subject was still too sensitive for her to discuss.
Even though he had simply wanted to offer his condolences, he was not angry that she was not quite ready to speak about her mother just yet.
What he didn't understand was the very peculiar way she had chosen to change the subject—Prince Rylen. His cousin was not here, but somehow he still managed to get on his nerves.
She could have spoken about the chicken, about the weather, hell, even the maids. However, she had chosen to inquire about his cousin while he was the one sitting across from her.
Rose had been in his presence for more than half a day, but not once had she inquired about his health. He could recall the state he had been in before she left for Edenville—it was enough to make anyone worried—but Rose didn't seem to care about that.
Caius's grip tightened on the silver cutlery, hard enough to break it. He stabbed his piece of chicken hard, piercing through the meat and hitting the silver plate with a loud clank.
Rose jerked at the sound, he could see the fear in her eyes. Surprisingly, it didn't give him the consolation he wanted.
"I am sorry, Your Majesty," she started to say. "I was just curious, as he is always by your side, but there has been no sign of him at all."
What was she saying? The more she spoke, the more she dug her own grave. Caius was angry. She couldn't blame him—she had blatantly interrupted him and was still doing so. She was trying to make amends, but it only seemed to exacerbate his anger.
Caius took a sharp breath that echoed through the room. "Rylen is in Hearthgale—at the castle. He is looking after things in my stead," he said tightly, his deep voice even lower than usual.
Rose soundlessly let out the breath she wasn't aware she was holding. The danger wasn't over yet, but at least Caius wasn't stabbing her with the fork he held, which meant he was likely not as angry as she feared. And he had also answered her question—she would take that as a good sign.
"Thank you," Rose said softly with a nervous smile.
Caius's grip on the fork eased, and then his expression changed from anger to being completely void of any emotion. Rose didn't know why this frightened her more than when he had a death grip on the fork.
"What about me?" Caius asked, his face still blank.
Rose adjusted on her seat. "Your Majesty?" she called in confusion.
"Do you not care to ask about me?" Caius stated.
Rose instinctively leaned back. His face was expressionless, but his eyes weren't. They felt heavy as they stared at her, and Rose found that she couldn't meet them for too long.
She didn't understand his question. She didn't think the crown prince cared about what she thought of him.
"I-I can see that Your Majesty is in great shape," she whispered. She couldn't understand why she felt as though she had done something wrong.
Caius narrowed his eyes. "I am," he said confidently. Rose didn't miss that he seemed to be bragging about it. "No poison can hold me down. However, you don't seem happy about this."
Rose's eyes nearly bulged out of her head, and for a moment she believed she had misheard him. "That is not true, Your Majesty," her voice was clear and steady as she spoke these words.
The fact that he was alive was the only reason she and her father were breathing right now. How would she not be happy about him getting better?
"No one is happier," she heard herself add when Caius stared at her as though he didn't believe her.
Rose saw Caius visibly relax at her words. His expression didn't change, and his eyes still had that heaviness to them, but she would swear that he looked relieved. She couldn't explain it.
Caius stared at her for a little longer, then said, "Eat. You've lost a ton of weight. I feared you might break in my arms."
Rose did her best not to scoff. She was sure the weight she had lost was the last thing on Caius's mind. If he had once considered that, he might have taken pity on her in the morning—but that didn't happen.
Rose nodded and returned to eating. The air still felt tense, but Caius didn't seem to be in as bad a mood as before, and she was grateful for that.
She wondered if it was because of their early activity and the lack of breakfast, but she felt particularly famished and just kept eating. By the time she was done, her stomach was on the verge of bursting.
She leaned back on the velvet-cushioned chair, fearing that her stomach might burst through the bathrobe. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten this much.
The rest of the mealtime had passed in silence, and Rose blamed it as the reason she got so carried away while eating—aside from the hunger, of course.
"Would you like some more?" Caius offered.
Rose looked at him with wide eyes. "I'd have to decline, Your Majesty," she replied politely. "I fear if I eat any more, I just might burst open."
A soft laugh escaped her lips, and it wasn't until she heard Caius chuckle that she realized how odd it was that they were laughing together.
Rose stood up immediately, her grip on the bathrobe tight. "I'll have to leave now, Your Majesty. Thank you for letting me—"
"Leave?" Caius asked with a frown, lifting his head to meet her gaze. "Why?" He looked genuinely puzzled.
Rose blinked, unsure how to reply. She opened her mouth to speak, choosing her words carefully. "I would like to go to my chambers, Your Majesty. A change of clothes would be nice," she said, glancing down at the bathrobe.
"I suppose," Caius said with an amused tone.
Rose frowned. He didn't say it, but she could clearly see that he thought it would be a waste of time since he intended to take them off again. Rose tried not to pull at her hair. At this point, she might not survive the rest of the day.