Claimed By The Tyrant King

"The way you keep looking at me..." Rosalind said softly. "As though I’m some kind of star."

A faint smile tugged at Rowan’s lips. "You’re not just the star," he murmured.

He reached for her hand, gently intertwining his fingers with hers. "You’re the entire galaxy."

Rosalind could only blush hard.

Honestly...

Where in the world was he learning to say things like this?

And more importantly, why did her heart still refuse to behave itself whenever he looked at her that way? It wasn’t as though they had only just fallen in love.

When they had built a life together, weathered wars, welcomed two beautiful children into the world, and yet every single time he looked at her with that quiet devotion in his eyes, she felt exactly like the young woman who had fallen for him years back.

"I know all of this comes with its own insecurities, but you have nothing to be afraid of," Rowan said gently.

Rosalind raised a brow at him, not because she disagreed, but because he had once again read her thoughts without her saying a single word.

He had noticed the little things she thought no one else did. He had seen the way she sometimes paused in front of the mirror a little longer than before, quietly studying herself after giving birth. He had caught the faint hesitation in her eyes whenever she looked at her reflection, even though she always hid it well. Then she had asked him if he still found her beautiful, and everything had suddenly made sense to him.

"Just know this, Rosalind," he said softly as he gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "God spent extra time shaping your heart, and then He decided to match it with your beauty on the outside too. Don’t ever think less of yourself because nothing about the woman I fell in love with has changed. You’re still the same Rosalind... now and forever."

Rosalind simply blinked at him, then her vision suddenly became blurry.

"Now you’re going to make me cry," she sniffled quietly, trying to hold back the tears that had already gathered in her eyes.

How had she ever been fortunate enough to meet a man like him? She wondered that more often than she admitted.

Every fear she had silently carried, every insecurity she had refused to speak aloud, he had answered without her even needing to explain them. Somehow he always understood her heart before she found the courage to put it into words, and because the man she loved still looked at her exactly the same way he always had, she couldn’t find it in herself to believe she had become any less.

"I love you so much, Rowan," she whispered before wrapping her arms tightly around him.

Without hesitation, Rowan held her just as tightly. "I love you too, Rosalind," he murmured, his voice warm and certain.

Then Rowan felt something damp against the front of his shirt. He frowned slightly before gently pulling her back, his hands resting on both her shoulders as he looked down at her face.

"I thought you were joking," he admitted, genuinely confused as he noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks.

Rosalind laughed through her tears and quickly wiped at one eye. "I wasn’t," she confessed with a sheepish smile. "You just... made me emotional for a second."

A quiet smile tugged at Rowan’s lips as he reached up and carefully wiped away the remaining tears with his thumb.

"Silly me," Rosalind chuckled, feeling a little embarrassed now that she had calmed down.

Rowan slowly shook his head, although he wasn’t entirely sure whether he was reacting to her or to himself.

It seemed he really couldn’t say just anything anymore. His wife cried easily these days. "What am I supposed to do now?" he asked with an amused sigh.

Rosalind looked at him expectantly.

Rowan leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss against her forehead before pulling back to admire her.

Rosalind tilted her head. "That doesn’t seem like it’ll do," she said innocently.

A faint laugh escaped him. "Oh?"

He leaned in again and kissed her cheek instead.

Rosalind pretended to consider it for a moment before slowly shaking her head. "Still not enough."

"I see." There was amusement dancing in Rowan’s eyes now.

Without another word, he closed the remaining distance between them and captured her lips with his own.

Rosalind melted into the kiss almost instantly, as though she had been waiting for it the entire day. The world around them quietly disappeared, leaving only the warmth of his lips, the gentle brush of his fingers against her face, and the peaceful certainty that no matter how much life changed around them, this would always remain the place where she belonged.

****

Some days later, as the palace slowly returned to its usual rhythm, Rebecca had already begun gathering their belongings. Clothes had been neatly folded, a few books had been packed away, and several small bundles rested on the bed waiting to be tied. Julian stood nearby with a saddened expression, still struggling to believe that they would really be leaving so soon.

More than anything, he couldn’t imagine saying goodbye to the twins or to everyone he had grown close to during their stay at the palace.

Looking up at his mother, he asked quietly, "Is Cedric coming with us at least?"

Rebecca paused before answering.

"No."

A small smile touched her lips, although it carried more sadness than happiness. "I’m sorry, dear," she added gently.

"Then why are we leaving?" Julian asked. He had finally found a place where he felt safe and happy, and he couldn’t understand why they had to leave it behind. He couldn’t even picture what exactly they were returning to.

Rebecca’s fingers unconsciously tightened around the piece of clothing she had been folding. She lowered her eyes for a brief moment before taking a quiet breath and turning back to her son.

"I know it’s difficult to accept that you’ll be leaving your cousins," she said softly, "but Julian, we also have a life to return to. We can’t remain here forever, no matter how kind everyone has been to us. You have school to return to, and I have to continue working so that we can build our own future."

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