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"A king does whatever he pleases, and it pleased me to speak with the boy. That is all." The words came out gruffer than he intended, so he softened them with a smile and then gestured to the large oak table. "Come, sit. I truly did not mean to make you wait."
But he did take his time examining her exquisite form and the new dress he'd picked out for her. Intricate lace detailing framed the neckline, the entire dress cut close to the body—just the way Dominick liked—and emphasized Rosalie's curves. A long skirt flowed to the floor, specks of silver shimmering at every movement.
Dominick vividly imagined undoing the lace and peeling it from Rosalie's body.
But then she sat down, and the image whisked out of his mind. For the time being, at least.
"What did you two talk about?" Rosalie asked once she was seated.
"He told me a very interesting tale about his parents ... Anwen and Jadielle. I admit, for the rather mundane life he's been born to, he is an exceptional boy." Dominick sat down, too, leaning closer to Rosalie across the table. "It's a shame you've worked so hard to keep him from me when such intelligence and empathy could have been nurtured from a young age."
She squirmed on the spot for a second. "It wasn't my choice to keep him a secret. His mother didn’t think you would approve of him in the castle and kept him hidden for his own safety."
"A shame, really. But he isn’t too old yet. Perhaps I will speak to his mother about allowing him to have a tutor in the palace since he is stuck here with the rest of us," Dominick said. "Perhaps you could oversee the process for me?"
"I would like that very much," she whispered. "I'm surprised, honestly, that you have taken such an interest in the boy."
"I admit, it is only becauseyouhave taken such an interest in him. But he is smart, and I can see why. It would be a shame to let that potential go to waste."
"Thank you. I will make sure this opportunity isn't wasted."
"See to it that you don't. Now, I don't know about you, but I could use some food."
Dominick whistled, and the door at the side of the room flung open, with the servants filing in carrying two silver trays with covered food, crystal glasses, and two bottles of his finest wine. Moments later, the food and glasses were placed as a servant popped the cork and filled Rosalie's glass, while another served Dominick his special bloodwine concoction.
He sipped the sweet liquid, enjoying the spice of the wine brewed in a way only a few wineries had been able to master so far—an excellent brew.
Their plates were filled with roasted wild hare, succulent flesh infused with herbs and spices, steaming mashed potatoes, and fresh green kale. It was the perfect meal to share with Rosalie. Simple yet delicious, and it had been a while since he last indulged in human food.
They ate their meal for a few moments in silence, Dominick watching Rosalie daintily pick at her food. "There was another interesting thing that Jay mentioned to me, though unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to ask him more since I was already late for our date." He gave a little smirk at that, tempting her to correct him, but she didn't. "I hope you might be able to ... clarify what he meant."
"Jay has all sorts of wild stories in his head. I’m sure you know how children are," Rosalie said. "Of course, I will attempt to help you decipher the truth to the best of my ability."
"He said you would be upset with him for running away, which, of course, you would be, I understand. But he said it wasn't his fault, that you would understand if I told you it was because 'the fox woman wanted to talk to him.'" Dominick paused, reading for any reaction on Rosalie's face. "I don't suppose you know what he meant?"
At first, there was a hint of confusion on her features before it expanded into a carefully cultivated look of amusement. Was she toning down her reaction, or controlling it entirely?"
"Jay is such an imaginative boy, as I said," Rosalie laughed and put her fork down to take a sip of her wine. "We saw a fox in the forest the day that Roland scared us, and Jay hasn't stopped talking about the fox ever since, that's all. She was resting by her tree, perhaps watching out for her kits somewhere nearby in the bushes. It was an extraordinary experience for him, one that stuck with him. But I cannot fathom why he would call the fox a woman or why that would be the reason he left my side yesterday ..."
Dominick smiled at her story. He could tell it was just that, a story. Perhaps she could have convinced someone else with this act ... but not him, not now that he knew what to look for. But why would she lie about the fox?
"Rosalie, Rosalie, Rosalie," Dominick sighed. "Here I was thinking I would give Jay back to you tonight, but here you go lying to me again. Why should I reward you for that?"
Rosalie's cheeks flushed. "Lying? What do I have to lie about? We saw a fox, and then Roland arrived and spooked her away! What could I know what Jay possibly meant by her calling him outdoors? That doesn't make any sense."
"Perhaps not, but you know more than you telling."
Rosalie's face hardened, and her lip began to quiver. "Aren't we past this? Why must you always doubt me, Dominick? Why can't you ever believe in me and my intentions?" Her voice was soft but intense, and she pushed away from the table and stood up. "I have never lied to you, and yet you challenge me with every single word I say! Do you hate me that much?"
"I only deal back to you what you deal to me. You breathe hate with every word, and you have ever since you arrived in my castle, begging me for help!"
"Help which you refused," Rosalie hissed. "Perhaps you should have seen it as an opportunity to create goodwill between us when there was none, but instead, you sought only to exercise more control over me."
"I won't deny that I don't understand why there are secrets between us, Rosalie. We've been friends for a long time now. It would be nice if we could talk openly to each other."
"What are you trying to say? That I'm keeping something from you? That I don't trust you with my secrets? Well, maybe I don't! Maybe after all these years, I still can't bring myself to fully trust you after everything you've done to dismiss me! Why should I when every time we spend together ends in an argument or disagreement anyway?"
Dominick sighed heavily and shook his head. "I admit, I wish it didn't always end in an argument. But you and I are both stubborn as bulls, and we will do whatever it takes to get what we want, even if it means tearing each other apart. Isn't that how we ended up together in the first place?"
