Reborn as the Princess' Knight (GL)

Chapter 50: Dysfunctional Dinner.

Kein\'s POV

Rose had to pick a new dress that I helped her out on. We were in her room, and I was slowly helping her fit into her white long gown that showed purity and innocence.

Supposedly in their country it was tradition.

"How are you feeling?" I asked her while looking towards her back where I pulled the ties. "Are you nervous?"

I continued. Even after getting some fresh air from that prince, it seems that she\'s still not done thinking about what he said before and was glaring at the fancy ground tiles. "Rose I\'m done now." I told her while I held her shoulder gently and that grabbed her attention.

Her eyes softened while she looked at the mirror looking into different parts of the white dress. "If I\'m being honest, see me in a white dress. It makes me feel surreal that I\'m being engaged to someone else."

I frown and nod. "It does feel like that."

She sighs again reaching her hands to the mirror\'s reflection where she smiles sadly, "I think- well, I\'ve thought and said this over a hundred times but I truly wished it was you instead."

"I wish the same." I tell her, smiling faintly not losing hope, "And I will turn it into a reality. Just trust me, I will find a way to get your engagement broken where it won\'t start anything bad."

Like a war.

A war over an engagement.

It seems dramatic but it can happen due to the pride of this kingdom.

Women don\'t have power over men.

If a woman leaves his soon to be husband it would have been a fast execution by beheading.

I know they won\'t do it to a princess but now by that thought I worry for the people of [Winshern]. "Thank you, and I\'ll help in any way I can, including distracting the prince because really... that\'s all I can do." (Rose) mutters tiredly trying to keep up smiles for the past hours.

We just had two more days of stay here before we left back home.

"Just two more days." I said in confidence. "We can hold out for two more days then we can plan everything when we get home. You don\'t have to worry or work alone anymore."

"I\'ll be with you, I can keep being your personal knight." I finished and she smiled widely but she didn\'t exactly say yes.

"Thank you for... everything. If things doesn\'t work-"

I stopped her there, and held her hand in mind. I don\'t like hearing the possible worst outcome unless we haven\'t tried.

She looks really beautiful in that white dress, at the same time I wish she could just take it off and reveal herself to me. "I will find a way. Even if it costs me everything. I will not let you go, not again. Trust me, Rose."

She laughs and nods, pulling me down so she can press our heads together kissing me on my cheek. "I trust you, my sweet but don\'t push yourself okay?" (Rose)

I held my cheeks and faintly blush with the way that she called \'my sweet\'. "You\'re being unfair again." I complained about the warmth of her lips in that one particular spot.

"You went ahead and said all those things to me and called me unfair?" (Rose) pokes my nose and we feel at peace with one another.

We decided to have some finalizing touches like make up and hair.

I wasn\'t well with makeup but I can tie her hair into something decent. I\'ve always had my daughter from my past life always asking me to do her hair.

I\'ve learned a couple tricks or two thanks to her. I smiled wanting to tell Rose of the sudden memory but I feel like it\'s not the right time. Her long smooth hair held me into focus, wanting a perfect braid.

The maids would\'ve gotten her ready but for some reason they\'re avoiding us so it\'ll be my duty to take care of Rose for now, and I was happy to fulfill.

"That should do it." I had the pins in my mouth and pinned the loose hair one by one. Tying it with a tie. "What do you think?" I ask her.

Rose looks side by side appraising her hair. "My hair looks beautiful! I never knew you could braid!" she shouts but then stops holding her braid looking back at me in a worry, "I-Is this something I also missed out on?"

I chuckled, staring at her worried face. "No this isn\'t something I learned after you left but I\'ve always had this hair braiding skill. You just have never seen me use it after all."

Rose tilts her hair holding the braid that I did. "I see. I\'m glad I learned something new about you, Kein." (Rose)

I smiled. I wish I could tell you everything Rose.

How I wish to tell you my real name. How I wish to tell you I\'m not Kein but someone else.

How I wish... but I plan to someday.

When I finally fixed everything that will be needed. I will tell her everything there is to me, because I love her and I don\'t want to keep any secrets when I\'m with her. "I\'m glad that you liked your braid but come on let\'s go before you\'re deemed late for the royal dinner." I chuckle offering my hand to hers and she gratefully accepts.

She stands up like a beautiful enchantress, the dress glistened through the light of the chandelier. I couldn\'t help but admire every curve of her body, "Rose, my princess. You look dazzling in everything it seems."

Rose hits me slightly by my shoulder. "Don\'t call me princess in that way. You\'ll make my face redder than a tomato when we get to that dinner and I don\'t want anyone asking why am I so flustered." (Rose)

"Perhaps the reason why her highness is so flustered, a dashing knight will be escorting her to that dinner. To protect her from that thieving fiancé. I will not let him touch your hands to even kiss them." My mind irked at the memory. I wanted to chop his hands off at that moment but that would be overkill.

The next time he reaches for Rose\'s hand I\'ll block it.

"My hero." she teases looking happy and more relaxed than her state of worry before.

I\'m glad that she\'s looking brighter before hell strikes.

"Shall we go then? Your royal beautiful princess-y highness?" I ask her to keep a firm grip on her hand laughing together, she pouts at my silly nickname but nods.

She dramatically tells me, "Yes my oh so strong handsome knight. Let\'s go to this fancy dinner where I will only nod and look pretty!" (Rose)

We both giggled fooling around calling each other weird nicknames opening the door that led to the outside, walking into the well lit hallway. Several candles were posted on the walls, giving light to the path.

It was already night, there weren\'t many guards around nor maids.

I whispered to her. "A wild rose that grew in my heart, you\'re growing a whole garden with feelings of love in here." I hold my chest glancing at Rose who rolls her eyes.

"A dumb girl that denies her feelings for a beautiful girl like me." (Rose) claps back and I was shocked.

"You\'re like the girl version of Robinhood. I want to call you something like Rosehood now." I laughed imagining Rose with a bow and instead of a hat she\'s wearing her red shawl.

"I do not know who this Robinhood fellow is but I hope he is kind." (Rose) points out with a pout thinking that I compared her with an unknown ruffian. "Oh don\'t worry he\'s a hero who steals the rich and helps the poor." I tell her and she looks at me questioningly.

"When have I ever stolen something?" she asks, shaking her head with a worried look trying to remember the old times.

"You know when we met you stole an apple?" At that time it honestly felt like I found my Princess Jasmine, and I was her Aladdin. The only difference was I didn\'t have a monkey on me by that time.

"I stole from a poor vendor not from the rich-" she stops giving me a guilty look after realizing what she said. "Oh no I stole from a poor vendor from that time!"

"I paid twenty coppers for it and just said, see you Rose." We were such wild children. "And you gave it to an unfortunate beggar because they were hungry and you volunteer at the church a lot often to help charity." I continued.

Now that I think about it, how come she can visit almost everyday. It\'s making me think that the security inside the castle is not secure if a important person like her can just easily escape her duties.

"I\'ve always wondered everyday after revealing yourself to be a princess. How did you come to the orphanage and volunteer for almost all the time? Didn\'t someone notice you being gone?"

Rose grins, "I have successfully made a body double made of light magic. She acts the same as me because I placed a bit of my soul in it. You could say she\'s me but not fully. She\'s an entity that I made using only my magic with a personality." she explained and I was impressed.

"So she\'s an aware entity right?"

"Why yes of course, whenever I\'m alone I like to converse to myself. I-Its a bit peculiar but I needed someone to vent towards and when we separated- I couldn\'t talk to anyone for a while. Even Catherine or Cecilia, they were having their own problems." (Rose)

I understand now but I\'ve never heard this kind of magic before. It seems so conventional! "That\'s really awesome, does the other Rose have a nickname?" I excitedly asked.

"I just call her Rose clone. I don\'t want to get too attached to her, if I gave her a separate name the clone might want to live another one\'s life." (Rose)

That\'s understandable. If the clone suddenly felt like disobeying she can destroy Rose\'s image.

"Speaking of nicknames, did you have any nicknames when you were schooling in military school?" she asked and I panicked. My whole body was shaking.

THE NICKNAMES! I FORGOT ALL ABOUT THEM!

Oh no, I don\'t even want to relieve the nicknames that I\'ve gotten in military school.

The female knight seducer, the player, the smartass, the cursed child, the adopted girl who only got into the school because she has a rich papa, the girl that created a mess on a dungeon exploration assignment but ended up saving many adventurer\'s lives.

All of these nicknames are too weird and long.

"Oh nothing special! Bland Kein! The disciplined honor student and role model all the other knights should follow." I lied. I\'m sorry Rose, if you hear the first two nicknames I\'m afraid you\'ll throw me out the window.

You\'re turning like a quiet version of big sister Gisela who punches her wife whenever she slips something wrong.

Oh lord.

"I won\'t judge." she tells me but the door being near saved me.

"Looks like we\'ve arrived." I motioned through the door where two guards looked at us and nodded. I took a small breather looking at Rose who looked nervous, facing towards the door. "Are you ready, your highness?"

I called her formally knowing that once we get in, I won\'t be able to easily talk to her like that before. We understood where we stand now, and what needed to be done in the moment.

"Thank you, Commander. I\'ll be alright." she stares to me with a polite, diplomatic smile.

The way she called me now with the commander title when I called her your highness, it was different from the times we called me before where the tone was somehow belittling and irritated.

Now it sounded like she was ready to depend on me.

I know that she hates me using formal titles... after our talk we both finally understood each other\'s feelings that made me happy. "I\'ll be with you by your side, your highness."

I opened the door and there stood a dozen maids with pretty thin faces preparing the food.

Four people were sitting down on a huge long table. I could see the fiancé, Prince Alexanderk glaring at another boy who was grinning at him.

The Queen was seated next to Prince Alexanderk who was trying to smile forcefully but she was looking really horrible with that acting.

On the very middle top part of the table was the King.

He looked so much like his father, so this is Kein\'s uncle?

Rattle... Rattle...

I could feel my sword rattling and I tried calming it down. Rose walked forward, and I kept my pace with her. She stands by her seat beside her fiancé and I pull out the chair, "L-Let\'s get you seated, your highness."

Rose elegantly sits down moving her dress in a comfortable position, I could see the King observing her with an appreciative nod. The rest of the family can only look towards one another. Was there a rule that they can\'t move unless the King moves first?

"Princess Rosarie Goldheart. I welcome you to my kingdom, and I am glad your father have agreed to such a joyous occasion being married to my son will be a thrilling news to both of our kingdoms." The king introduces himself looking toward Prince Alexanderk with a glare.

"I\'ll be happy to tell you, he\'s as obedient as a dog."

I could hear the other boy who seemed older snickered as Prince Alexanderk only took the verbal insults by sitting properly but I could feel the anger in his eyes for the humiliation.

Rose was shocked but she tried shrugging it off with a little laugh, placing her hands to her lips. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, your majesty. My father has spoken only said great things about you, King Ivan."

Rose turns to the Queen giving her a polite bow, "As well to Queen Tatinia. It is a pleasure to meet you, your grace."

The Queen nods slightly giving a worried look to her son, Prince Alexanderk. "The pleasure is all mine." (Queen Tatinia)

The boy across the table smiles, is this the brother that was supposed to be \'sick\' but he seems fine! Rose looks through the same boy and gives another polite greeting, "Greetings to Prince Nikolas." she says with a smile the prince does the same.

This so-called Prince Nikolas winks at her, "Greetings there pretty princess. A beauty like you should never be wasted on my petty little brother. If only I wasn\'t so sick I would\'ve made you mine myself."

I could feel my hand wandering over to the hilt of my sword thinking, this bitch is he really that shameless?!

To think that I thought little Prince boy Alexanderk here was bad, his older brother is worse.

Rose giggles hiding her discomfort, sitting through the comment that the older prince did. "Brother, don\'t you know that it\'s rude to hit on someone else\'s fiancé right in front of their faces?" (Prince Alexanderk) grits his teeth holding a stare down with his brother.

"It\'s not so bad. It was just a joke, of course do not take my jokes too seriously." (Prince Nikolas) waves his hands around in the table and smiles innocently. "I have many more women I can replace her with anyways." he says casually.

Clank! Clank! Thud!

"The two of you, put your weapons down." I could hear the King say while Prince Nikolas acted cool sitting in the chair, not moving an inch.

Because if he did. He\'ll be meeting both of Prince Alexanderk\'s blade and mine.

I didn\'t have the time to be surprised that he was also mad. For what reason? No matter. I need to teach this first one a lesson first.

"I take offense to what he said to our princess. It is an insult not only to our kingdom but to her." I told him with aggressiveness.

Rose, Princess Rosarie who\'s the current crown princess and in line for the throne is not just some object you can toss and replace.

No woman is. "Personally, for me that means death as punishment."

I pointed the sword over his neck wanting to slice it thoroughly but mine wasn\'t even touching his skin.

Prince Alexanderk on the other hand has his blade rested on his skin, already leaving a mark. If he goes any deeper he\'s going to make him bleed. "C-Commander Kein, please it\'s alright. Prince Nikolas has only stated that it was a mere joke." (Rose) stood up from her seat and the blade in my hand shook with her plea.

"As you say, your highness."

If you were any other person that insulted Rose. I would\'ve beat you to a pulp regardless of your standing and gender. I sheathed back my cursed sword and placed it on my waist. I could see this little playboy prince grinning widely because I can\'t do shit.

If I\'m being honest I should\'ve left this sword somewhere anyone won\'t touch it but with how it\'s acting up I needed to always have it in hand.

The Queen was looking with a worried face, for the other Prince that has his dagger still placed on his brother\'s throat. "My dear son, not in front of the guest. Please put it down. He\'s your brother for goodness sake!" (Queen Tatinia)

Prince Alexanderk\'s face stiffened, following the orders by his mother with pity he sheathed his dagger and went back to his seat. His brother never wiped off that stupid smirk off his face and that made me mad.

"Tch women ruining my fun."

I could hear King Ivan mutter under his breath, my gaze suddenly moving to him. He looked so bored while taking a sip of his wine. He sighs feeling disappointed that a blood bath didn\'t happen?!

One thought ran in my mind. This is one dysfunctional family.

Brothers willing to kill each other? Not only a ruler but a father who doesn\'t care? And a mother trying to patch things up as best as she can hiding the imperfections of this royal family.

I came back to my princess\'s side. Standing guard, looking at Prince Alexanderk. Why was he angry at his own brother? I thought they got along?

Don\'t tell me... does he like Rose already?! It\'s only been days and this man has already fallen for her? No... there must be another logical explanation other than that.

"For now, we welcome you both. Please dine on our finest wine and feast. It\'s a shame that the former king and queen can\'t be here. They\'re busy." (Queen Tatinia) tries to divert our attention.

"It is only understandable for their busy schedule. Perhaps another time," (Rose) takes a glass of wine by the handle admiring the red color, she spins it by her hand before taking a sip. "Such good quality."

Prince Nikolas follows her moves, taking a wine glass pouring it in. "Perhaps it\'s not only the wine but this excellent view I\'m having right now." he raises his glass and drinks it right on.

Rose was forced to laugh and go along with his comment about her.

I had to bite my lip trying to suppress my anger.

I hope you step on a lego after this dinner. Stuck-up prince.