Rowan had taken those risks for her, quietly and without question.
She had ignored him, dismissed his warnings and continued anyway.
Now he was the one paying for it.
"What do you want?" Rosalind asked, turning to face Alaric.
"To see you thrown in there, fighting to survive. It would be a splendid sight," he replied, taking a slow sip from his drink as though discussing something trivial.
"What does your majesty want in return for releasing him?" she asked, her voice firm despite the urgency pressing against her chest.
Alaric tilted his head slightly, studying her. "Are we bargaining now?" he said, a faint note of amusement in his tone. "I never said I was going to release him," he added, lowering the cup to his side.
Please, Rosalind thought inwardly, her chest tightening painfully. She would not be able to bear it if she became the reason for his death. All this while, he had been watching out for her, and the least she could do now was protect him in return.
