**Ethan’s POV
I walked into Rosalie’s tent, not exactly sure what I was doing there or what I even planned to say to her when I spoke to her. But I needed to see her. Regardless of whether I was a heartless rogue or not, I always had one soft place in , and Rosalie and our child were nestled in there, whether she wanted to be or not.
“What do you want now?” she asked. Her tone sounded more exhausted than angry this ti. I saw that the baby was sleeping in the bassinet I’d carved for him. I didn’t want to disturb him, so I hoped we could keep from arguing. It seed like every single ti I spoke to Rosalie anymore, that’s all we did.
“How are you?” I asked her, taking a few cautious steps over to see what sort of a mood she was in. I could see she’d been eating. She had more energy, and the glow she always had about her face was stronger.
She shrugged. “I’m a prisoner being held against my will who only just got to start seeing my friends a couple of days ago and am in the process of bonding with my child again who has hardly seen since I got here. How do you expect to be?”
A smart remark made its way onto my tongue, but I bit it back. I didn’t co there to argue. I ignored what she’d said and replied, “I’m glad to see you’re eating.”
“Well, a promise is a promise. At least, it is to .” She gave a look that said she hadn’t forgotten all of the promises she felt I’d broken to her. Maybe she was right, and I hadn’t managed to keep my word with her. The circumstances around us changed so rapidly, it was like trying to predict which direction a stick floating by in a fury of rapids might go.
How was I to know whether or not I’d be able to do all of the things we’d dread of doing together back when life was simpler?
Still... I wasn’t going to fight with her. “We’ve got a big fight coming,” I looked her in the eye, trying to really converse with her. “I have a feeling that this ti there are more than one force surrounding the camp. A lot of them are rogues but there may be others.
She frowned. “What do you an?”
I was happy that at least she was willing to say sothing. “There could be trained soldiers under the employnt of the kings.”
She bit her bottom lip. I didn’t an to scare her, but I needed to make sure she was aware of the situation, too. “I think the baby and I would be much safer at the palace,” she said.
I sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. We’d talked about this before. I wasn’t letting her go so I stated, “Rosalie, It would be too dangerous for you to get there.”
She shook her head. “It’s too dangerous for us to stay.”
The way she was talking was alarming to . A ripple of fear went up my spine. Ever since our discussion the other day, I’d been afraid I’d be summoned from my work to be told she was gone. Though I had guards watching her all the ti, there was a possibility she could give them the slip.
After all, she had succeeded in doing that before. Or for that matter, she could get so of these rogues that were supposed to be loyal to to help her.
I was certain that Rosalie had the charm to persuade people and get them to help her if she tried. That was why I tried to restrict her from getting in contact with others as much as possible.
“You can’t leave, Rosalie,” I told her, trying to keep the begging out of my voice. I sat down on the cot near her feet, and she pulled them back away from , like she just couldn’t stand being near .
She didn’t respond this ti and just looked off in the distance again, like she used to do when she was withdrawn.
“Rosalie, listen, I have to go out and fight. I’ll be responsible for a lot of lives, including your friends, Talon, Vicky, Georgia,” I said bitterly. “I don’t need you to care about , but I know you care about them, right?”
She didn’t respond again, however, her beautiful eyes weren’t just staring in the distance now. At least I knew she was listening.
If it was about anyone else, she’d be interested, just not . How ironic.
However, I pressed down my urge to make any sarcastic remarks and continued in a leveled tone. “I need to keep my mind on what’s happening in the battle around . I can’t be distracted, not at all.” I placed my hand gently on her ankle.
Finally, she turned her eyes to look at . “I understand that, Ethan. What are you saying?”
“I’m saying... if I thought there was a chance you might be gone when I ca back, I’d be so worried while I was fighting, it wouldn’t be safe. It would be bad for my guys as well. I need to know for certain that when this battle is over, and I co back to the camp, you’ll be here.”
“What do you want to say, Ethan?” she asked. Her doe eyes were so captivatingly stunning, even when all I could see was disdain in them. “You’re holding here against my will. You want to agree not to take any opportunities that might arise for to leave?”
“I know you don’t want to be here, Rosalie. And I’m willing to discuss it with you when things are safer, but for now, please, promise you won’t leave during the battle? For your friends and our boy.”
I turned and looked at my sleeping son. He had his thumb pressed between his thin pink lips, and his chubby cheeks were moving back and forth as he sucked on his finger.
I’d already missed out on so much of his life. I didn’t ever want to say goodbye to him again.
I knew what I was asking for was ridiculous. Why would she make such a promise? And even if she did, it wasn’t for .
A wave of indescribable bitterness crushed down, and I almost felt a lump in my throat. I must have looked pathetic. I hated to be like this, hopeless, helpless, and useless.
Georgia was right; she deserved soone way better. If I was her, I wouldn’t even choose .
“Fine.”
My attention was drawn back to Rosalie. I certainly hadn’t been expecting her to say that. “What?”
“I said fine, Ethan,” she repeated. “You want to promise not to leave during the battle? Fine. I won’t. I won’t leave without saying goodbye. But when this is over, we need to talk about this situation. You can’t keep holding here indefinitely.”
I nodded. That was sothing I could agree to—to talk about it. “Thanks.”
“Sure,” she said, her tone snippy.
I couldn’t bla her. It’s not like I’d just given her a heartwarming token of my gratitude. This had already turned out to be way better than I anticipated.
My eyes refocused on the baby. I wished I could pick him up and hold him again before I left, but I didn’t want to disturb him. All of a sudden, I realized sothing.
“Rosalie, it just struck ,” I muttered, “what’s our boy’s na?”
There were so many things going on lately, I totally forgot to ask. Our perfect little angel, I wondered what na his mother chose for him?
My questions obviously took her by surprise. She remained silent.
“Rosalie?”
“I... I’ve been trying to decide,” Rosalie whispered. However, my instinct told that wasn’t the case.
“What?” I asked her. “What was it?”
She shook her head. I was beyond confused. Why was she hiding our boy’s na from ?
“Rosalie, tell .”
“I thought I had one picked out, but now....” She shook her head again.
I moved closer to her and tentatively kneeled down with one knee facing her. She seed too busy debating with herself to push away this ti.
I was even more intrigued. Why was she acting like this?
I reached out to her shoulders and willed her to look at . “What is it?”
“I don’t want to say,” she told , and she seed really troubled. “It’s... stupid.”
I thought of all of the not-so-attractive nas I’d heard in my life, but my attention soon was drawn back to the embarrassed brunette in front of . I couldn’t help but remark, “Whatever na you chose for him would be wonderful, but Stupid is a bit... unique.”
I watched as she took a couple seconds to react to my comnt, and her doe eyes widened in disbelief. She murmured in shock, “No... that wasn’t the na–what, Ethan, how could you...”
Watching her showing any emotion at this point was a joy for , especially when that emotion wasn’t all that negative towards .
Finally, she complained with a little embarrassnt, “Ethan, that’s not funny!”
I cracked a smile, and watched her face turn a little pink. After a short mont, she couldn’t help but also let out a chuckle. That was the best music I’d heard in months, and I almost lost it.
Not wanting to ruin the mont, I dragged myself out from the desire of kissing her and claiming her and said, “Funny or not, I made you smile, so it worked. Seriously, though, Rosalie. What were you thinking of naming him?”
She took a deep breath and blew it out. “Well, right after I had him, I thought of Rowan...”
“Rowan?” I repeated. She nodded and lowered her head. I could see her face blushing and my heart started racing.
Rosalie with Ethan. Rowan.
At the mont, I felt as if I was in heaven.
Rowan. I loved it, but I didn’t want to seem overzealous and make her change her mind. What if she hated so much that she’d change anything I liked?
So I tried to make myself sound calm, “I like that. It’s a strong na.”
Not to ntion she was right. Rosalie with Ethan...
“I don’t know,” she said. “I was thinking maybe there was a better na....”
“It’s the perfect na for a future king,” I told her as our son wiggled a bit and scrunched up his little face.
“Maybe.” She seed to be still considering it.
“Rosalie, it’s a good na. Trust ,” I said assertively.
Finally, she nodded and looked into my eyes. “I loved you when he was conceived, and I’ve tried to love you every day since, but... anyway, regardless of everything else that has happened, our boy was a product of love.”
She dropped her gaze, and for a mont, I could see exactly how much pain I’d caused her.
“I will find a way to fix all of this, Rosalie,” I told her, but she wasn’t looking at again. I couldn’t bla her. She felt like I’d lied to her ti and ti again, and even though that wasn’t the case, I didn’t have ti to try to reassure her about it now.
The baby was waking up now, so I reached over and carefully lifted him out of the bassinet. I knew he was hungry and wanted his mother so he could eat, but I wanted to hold him before I left. He snuggled his little head against my shoulder and grunted a few tis.
I held him for a few monts before I realized he was going to fuss until he ate. Turning to Rosalie, I saw that she had tears in her eyes. I wondered what I’d done wrong now. Did she not want to pick him up?
“What’s the matter?” I asked her.
She shook her head. “Nothing. Hand him to . Hand Rowan.”
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