[Music Recommendation: How Villians Are Made ~ Madeline Duke]

By the time Rowan finally lifted the wheel out of the rocks, he was already covered in sweat, and his hands were scratched from pushing the rocks away. In the past, Rowan wouldn’t have minded such marks on his body, but now that Freya was in the picture, he was more cautious about his appearance. He tore a piece of cloth from his shirt and wrapped it around his knuckles.

He removed his shirt entirely, using it to wipe the sweat from his face. When he turned to the coachman, he noticed the man gaping at him, something Rowan was used to whenever he stood shirtless so he ignored it and asked,

"How long until we reach the temple? Can we reach the palace before nightfall?" Rowan asked, running a hand through his now-damp hair.

The coachman cleared his throat before replying, "If we’re quick, we can return to the palace by the time the merchants start moving their goods."

Rowan nodded. That would give him enough time to clean up, tend to the scratches on his hands, and change before meeting Freya. Even though he was going to let her go, he didn’t want to do it looking like a mess. He twitched his lips as the carriage prepared to move, glancing around for the Crown Prince. He spotted him talking with the princess.

Judging by their expressions, Rowan assumed they were arguing about something serious. He decided to give them space. He’d never understood families. They argued like they hated each other, but in the end, they couldn’t live apart. His mind drifted to Louis and Freya. When Louis arrived at the war camp, all the man had been concerned about was his daughter, even more than his own life, which had been at risk. And yet, that same man had slapped his daughter out of anger.

And Freya, who loved her father more than anything, had spoken harshly to him, only to regret it later. Rowan marveled at the dynamics of families. He had enjoyed watching Freya and Louis but didn’t want to be the reason their relationship was ruined.

He tapped his feet impatiently on the ground. He was tired of waiting around and eager to get moving so he could see Freya. He couldn’t think of anything else once she was on his mind. It made him wonder if he could really let her go or if he was just fooling himself. He had become so attached to her that he wasn’t sure he could let her go, but at the same time, he didn’t want her to cry or argue with her father. Rowan wasn’t sure what his decision would be, but he wanted to see Freya’s face before thinking any further.

Seeing that the Crown Prince was taking his time with whatever he was discussing with the princess and noticing the raised voices Rowan decided to step in and cut the conversation short. They could continue their discussion at the temple. Walking towards them, the first thing he heard was,

"It’s not your place to decide what a king thinks is right!" Conrad was nearly spitting as he spoke, his voice furious. When he saw Rowan, he swallowed hard.

Lirien, still unaware of Rowan’s presence, continued, "You’re about to break his trust, and I—"

"Rowan!" Conrad interrupted, cutting his sister short, announcing Rowan’s presence.

Rowan nodded. "Let’s go. The carriage is free." Without looking at them, he turned and walked back to their carriage.

Conrad glared at his sister before running after Rowan, anxious to ensure that he hadn’t overheard anything suspicious. "Ha... Lirien, she can be really stubborn. She likes to play around," Conrad said with a nervous laugh.

"Hm," Rowan grunted, not bothering to turn around. He continued walking, holding his shirt in his hand. The sun glistened on his tanned, sturdy body, and his heavy boots kicked up sand as he confidently walked back to the carriage.

Conrad kept talking, "She still thinks she’s a child, haha. I mean, look at how she—" He stopped abruptly when Rowan paused in his steps.

"You don’t have to," Rowan said, looking down at the young man. His dark, lazy eyes focused on the princess’s carriage.

"What?" Conrad asked, his tight smile clearly forced.

Rowan sighed. "I’m not stupid. I know you don’t want me to know whatever it was you two were talking about. So you don’t have to force yourself to lie, I don’t care." With that, he continued walking.

Conrad closed his eyes, rubbing his neck nervously. He had been worried that Rowan would catch on too quickly. Rowan wasn’t just a regular guard; he was sharp and quick to understand people’s emotions.

Once the carriage started moving again, it didn’t take long for them to reach the temple. Lirien refused to get down from her carriage, but the moment her mother appeared to meet her, the princess had no choice but to follow, knowing what her mother was capable of.

Rowan was ushered into one of the rooms, where he sat with the Crown Prince. When the door opened, they were served food and drinks.

"Aren’t we leaving today?" Rowan asked, eyeing the large quantity of food before them. "We won’t be awake if we eat all of this."

Conrad chuckled as he poured a drink for Rowan. "Since when do you worry about that? You’ve always enjoyed a little fun. We’ll just stay a little longer before leaving."

Rowan tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the table. "You’re right, but I have to see someone tonight."

"There’s always tomorrow, my dear friend," Conrad said, nudging Rowan playfully, though his shoulders looked tense. He snapped his fingers, and women dressed in transparent, seductive clothing entered the room.

Rowan frowned as his gaze shifted to the women, then back to the Crown Prince. "I didn’t know temples allowed this kind of service," he said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"Oh... uh, that... I just wanted to host a good friend of mine. You know, being a married man isn’t easy," Conrad laughed nervously, motioning for the women to approach Rowan.

Rowan watched as two women sat on either side of him. The first raised her hand to touch his chest, but when she saw the scars on his body, she grimaced. Still, because it was her job, she continued. However, before she could touch him, Rowan grabbed her hand.

"That won’t be necessary. You can leave," he said, pushing the girl’s hand away. "And you too," he added, turning to the other woman.

Conrad bit his lip nervously, his eyes darting around the room. He was supposed to get Rowan in the mood before Lirien was called in.

"I’m leaving," Rowan said, standing up. "You can enjoy the feast. I’m not married, so I don’t know what you’re talking about." He grabbed the shirt that had been given to him at the temple’s entrance and pulled it over his head, ready to leave the room. He couldn’t afford to waste more time when he should be at the palace.

Conrad immediately stood up, holding a glass of wine. "Ah, good friend, at least share a drink with me. Being a king and having a family is really stressful—"

Rowan grabbed the glass and downed it in one gulp. Conrad’s eyes widened in shock as he watched Rowan drink the entire spiked wine.

Wiping his lips, Rowan said, "Done. You don’t need to sing me your sorrowful ballad. Quit being a king if it’s too stressful," he added, pushing the door open.

The Crown Prince was shocked to see him walking out of the room, as the drink was strong enough to knock out five able-bodied men. He was about to give up when he heard a loud thud. Running out of the room, he found Rowan passed out on the cold floor.

"Good job," the Queen said as she stepped out with a smile, her lips curling as she saw the bulky man lying on the ground. "Take him inside, Lirien." She turned to look at the princess who was being held by two maids with tears streaming down her face.

"The rest is for you to handle. To make it even better, try to get pregnant. His lineage will do us good."

With that, Rowan was dragged into a room with the princess, and the door was locked.