Rosie's Games

"Your Grace, where were you!?" Fraunces could not help but asked when she opened the door to Rosalind's room. There, sitting and enjoying his tea, was the man that she had been looking for since earlier.

"I have been here, enjoying my tea," the Duke answered.

"I have been knocking on your door," Fraunces said. "I— I did not expect you to come to Miss Rosie's room."

"Do I owe you an explanation, Dame Fraunces?"

"That— I— " Flustered, Fraunces cleared her throat. "I apologize, it's just that we received a letter from the Duke of Lonyth's son, Clinton Moller. He is coming and he wants to meet you."

"When?"

"He said he was already on his way… I just… your Grace might not be aware of this, but— "

"You may go ahead, Dame Fraunces." Duke Lucas said. "I will be accompanying Miss Rosie for the rest of the journey."

"What?" Fraunces did not know what to say. "What are you— "

"Do not make me repeat my words, Dame Fraunces. Please prepare a small welcome party and wait for them at the gates of Toorin. Take him to see me in my room once he arrives."

"But your Grace, that man is here to look for trouble! By now, he must be aware that you are here to meet us. He must have already known that I am someone working for you."

"I am well aware, Dame Fraunces. I know what happened. You are needed in the North and must go directly to your father."

Fraunces looked like she had swallowed some lemons. She immediately glared at Rosie before leaving the room without saying another word.

"Must you be so mean?" Rosalind asked. She was sitting opposite the Duke.

"Mean?"

"Nevermind," Rosalind said. "The wolves… did you summon them because you knew that someone from Duke Moller's household was coming into this town?" Was it to delay them? At first, she did not understand why he would suddenly summon them, but now… it seemed that the Duke had other plans beside from letting the wolves slaughter all those people.

She recalled what happened earlier and could not help but take another sip of her bitter tea. She watched as the wolves devour those people before leaving. After seeing the wolves leave, the Duke once again took her back to the town. Since it was already dark, the two used the window to gain access to her room.

Currently, they were staying in the only inn in town. It was a small, two-story structure, with only five decent rooms. Apparently, there were other rooms downstairs, but they onlyhad bunk beds, designed for people who wanted to share rooms.

The interior of the room was actually very simple. One double bed was inside with two chairs and a small table. The toilet and the bath house were located outside of the house.

One needed to walk for a few seconds before reaching the other house which was the toilet and a room where one could take a bath.

The thought of that bathhouse immediately soured Rosie'smood. She had seen him in one of those bathhouses earlier.

"And why would you think that? Do I seem that evil to you?"

"Yes," she answered without blinking an eye. "I mean… not evil, just… someone that would do something like that."

"Are you aware of the current politics in the two Kingdoms?" he asked.

"A little."

"Lonyth is slowly growing their forces to support Wugari, but the Duke of Moller had been against this. He wanted the troops to help Lonyth instead of going to Wugari to help. Because of this, the Wugarians had to hire more mercenaries to fight instead."

That sounded unfortunate, Rosalind thought.

"There is no need to worry, the beasts could never getinside Wugari."

"And why is that?" she could not help but ask.

"Because I am there."

She started coughing. The man really loved himself too much. The two of them continued talking until Clinton Moller arrived and the Duke immediately excused himself to talk to Clinton in his own room.

Not long after, Rosalind told Tabatha that she was going to rest and to not let anyone inside her room. She had been spending a lot of time sleeping in the carriage, she had seemed to forget what it felt like to sleep in a decent bed.

...…..

"I always hated the smell of the bitter tea," Clinton Moller said when the Duke asked him if he wanted a cup of tea. "I prefer something sweeter."

"Denys… give him water," Duke Lucas said before he crossed his legs and smiled at the younger man.

"You— "

"I know that the Lonyth Kingdom would send an envoy after knowing that I am here, but I did not expect that they would send the Duke's son himself. Are they not afraid that the Duke would lose his one and only heir?" Duke Lucas smiled, his voice calm, his lips lifted into a smirk.

"Are you threatening me, your Grace?"

"I don't threaten someone, young Moller and by now, you should already know this side of me. Ah… now that we are already on the topic of threatening each other, I heard that the old Moller, your father, is currently not feeling well. Is that the truth?"

"He is doing very well. Thank you very much for the Duke's concern, but I am not here to talk about the current problems between the two kingdoms."

"Oh?"

"I am here to ask you to give me the sorcerer."

"Sorcerer?" the Duke lifted an eyebrow. "I do not understand what the young Moller is talking about.

"Huh… there is no use in doing something so pointless as to deny it. Someone attacked me and my men in Nanorvik. I am quite certain that it was a sorcerer. I have brought a stone to determine which one of your people has worshiped the Dark Lord! Please bring them to me before I decide to escalate the issue."

Duke Lucas only smiled in response.

"As I said," Clinton said. "I hope that there is no need to escalate the matter. Bring me the sorcerer and I am leaving with my people. If not, let us check all of the people that you have met today. We want to see if one of them harnessed the power of the Dark Lord."