Claimed By The Tyrant King

Both Rowan and Rosalind looked at Cedric and Rebecca, who now stood before them with an unusual mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

They had requested a private audience, saying they had something important to share, and now both the king and queen waited patiently, curious to hear what had brought the pair together.

The silence stretched for a brief moment until Cedric reached out to take Rebecca’s hand. She accepted it without hesitation, although a rosy blush immediately spread across her cheeks.

The simple gesture alone was enough to make Rowan and Rosalind exchange a subtle glance. Neither of them said a word at first, but it was obvious they had both noticed the same thing.

Rowan cleared his throat as he straightened in his seat, his gaze moving calmly between the two of them. "You said you wanted to tell us something?" he asked, his voice steady even though curiosity lingered beneath it.

Cedric and Rebecca looked at one another. For a brief second, neither of them spoke as if they were silently encouraging the other to begin.

Their faces warmed with embarrassment, yet after taking a quiet breath, they both nodded and decided there was no point delaying it any longer. "We’ve decided to get married," they said at the same time.

The words settled over the room, and silence immediately followed.

Rowan blinked once before turning to Rosalind, while Rosalind slowly looked back at him, both of them clearly surprised by the unexpected announcement.

For a heartbeat, neither of them knew quite what to say.

Rosalind was the first to recover, and a warm smile slowly found its way onto her lips. She gave a small nod before looking back at the couple. "Well... this is wonderful news," she said sincerely.

"Indeed it is," Rowan agreed without hesitation, genuinely pleased for them.

Rosalind’s smile remained, although she tilted her head thoughtfully after another moment. "But... isn’t this happening rather quickly?" she asked, not out of disapproval but simple surprise.

Unlike her, Rowan did not think it was too soon.

If anything, he found himself thinking it was about time. Cedric was older than he was, and throughout all the years they had known each other, the man had never once shown any interest in marriage.

Rowan had often assumed that perhaps Cedric simply had not found the right woman, or maybe he had buried himself so deeply in his duties that he never allowed himself to think about building a family.

Looking at him now beside Rebecca, however, Rowan quietly concluded that perhaps he had finally found the person he had unknowingly been waiting for all along.

Rosalind’s thoughts traveled in a different direction. Only a few days earlier, Rebecca had sat with her and confessed that she intended to leave the palace with Julian.

Rosalind still remembered how saddened she had felt after hearing those words, and afterward she had gone straight to Rowan so they could discuss how best to support her decision. Although neither of them wanted Rebecca and Julian to leave, they had both agreed that they would never stand in the way of her choice. Instead, they had planned to ensure she and Julian departed with every resource they might need to begin a comfortable life elsewhere.

Now, only days later, Rebecca was standing before them announcing not that she was leaving, but that she intended to remain and marry Cedric instead.

The change was so sudden that even Rowan, despite believing the marriage itself made perfect sense, could understand why Rosalind looked so astonished.

Rebecca gently cleared her throat before speaking. Truthfully, she understood their surprise because she had been just as shocked herself.

"I know this must seem sudden," she admitted with a small, embarrassed smile, "and to be honest... I never expected things to happen this way either."

Rosalind’s expression softened, silently encouraging her to continue.

Rebecca cleared her throat before deciding to speak. "When I decided to leave, I truly believed that was the best choice for Julian and me." She smiled faintly as though remembering everything that had happened over the past few days. "Then Julian asked me something... he wondered whether Lord Cedric would come with us."

Cedric rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly while Rebecca continued. "At first I dismissed it because I thought he was simply attached to him. Then, after Cedric confessed how he felt..." Her cheeks grew warmer, and she laughed softly at herself. "Julian asked whether that meant Lord Cedric would become his father."

Rosalind’s lips curved into a smile at the boy’s innocent assumption. "I thought it wasn’t nearly that simple," Rebecca continued. "I truly believed Cedric and I would take things slowly if I accepted his feelings. I imagined we would spend time courting properly before ever thinking about marriage."

She glanced toward Cedric, whose eyes never once left her. "But when I went to meet him and told him that... that I wanted us to build a future together because it was something Julian wished for, and..." She smiled shyly. "...because it was something I wanted too... he surprised me."

Cedric finally let out a quiet breath before speaking. "I asked her whether there was really any reason for us to begin courting now," he admitted honestly. "Because I thought about everything we’d already been through and it felt as though we’d unknowingly done that already."

Rebecca nodded in agreement. "During the time Cedric was injured, I stayed by his side almost every day," she said softly. "I saw him at his weakest, and he saw me without pretending to be anyone else. We talked about things we had never shared with anyone else, and we spent countless hours together without either of us realizing how much we had come to understand one another."

Cedric looked at Rowan briefly before returning his gaze to Rebecca. "We’ve already learned each other’s strengths," he said. "We’ve seen each other’s flaws as well

... We’ve argued, laughed, worried over one another, and trusted each other. I realized that everything people usually discover during courtship... we’d already lived through without calling it that."

Rebecca smiled as she listened to him because she knew he was right.

"We’ve spent enough time together to know who the other truly is," Cedric continued calmly. "I know the kind of woman Rebecca is, and she knows the kind of man I am. I don’t believe either of us is chasing an illusion. We understand each other, and I genuinely believe we’re compatible."

His voice remained steady, yet the sincerity in it filled the room.

Rebecca squeezed his hand gently, her blush returning once more. Even now, hearing him say those words aloud made her heart beat faster.

She had never imagined that the friendship they had built so naturally would lead them here, yet standing beside him now, everything somehow felt right.

Rosalind looked from Rebecca to Cedric before glancing at Rowan again. This time, instead of surprise, warmth settled in her chest. The announcement had certainly caught them off guard, but as she listened to the two of them explain themselves, she could no longer think of it as rushed.

Perhaps love had simply arrived quietly while none of them had been paying attention.

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