The Brave Human Mate

50.

* * ☾ * *

Healer Rhea's POV

It wasn't difficult to rejoin the group, and it seemed like they were under their own agenda with the food in hand. Considering Rhea had returned with her own fried stick, it was easy to claim that she waited for it to cook—Leaving them to speculate, though had there been a wolf among them, they would've smelled the scent of burned herbs instead of the cured meats in hand.

At the first instance of her claiming she was tired, they began the long trek back to the castle—Though it wasn't a total lie, Rhea truly wanted to send word to Romulus that they would speak in the morning.
Even if that meant she would have to out on her own secret adventure.

The thought of speaking with him had ignited a flare in her heart, one that was brutally divided by attraction and the failure of her own people.

Failure was a difficult word to place here, as Romulus was focusing his attention on other issues, rather than the ones already spreading around.

It didn't make sense to inform Clive and Ray this evening about her inquiries with both the Priest and Markus. Given that they were going to attend the service in the coming days, they were going to find out regardless.

As she bid her goodnights to the males, Irene helped her get undressed and prepared for a bath. One that she had enjoyed, as it allowed her to relish in the peaceful time by herself, but it was easy to accept the loneliness.

Romulus trying to find her meant something more, it had to have been. He admitted that a female wasn't on his mind, until her, until the need for commitment—But hadn't he said that he would reject his mate for her?

However that passed her in that moment was now striking across her mind. How was that fair to the divine fate for his future?

There hadn't been any sign of dinner within her room, or a note for that matter. So perhaps her willfulness of worrying about Romulus was one-sided to their dispute.

Upon dragging herself out from the heated tub, she sighed at the mere luxury of running water—What a brilliant service.

With that, she had taken her time getting ready for bed...But also made sure that the chair wasn't blocking the secret entrance that Romulus used. If he decided to join tonight, just in case.

He's King after all, he had no reason to come by and keep her nightmares away—Hell, Rhea had thought her courtship with Stephan was short, hers with Romulus hardly begun before things turned sour.

And for what?
A few minutes of pleasure that instantly turned out to be the worst mistake of her life?

It had been pointless to stare at a wall and wait for the male, so it allowed Rhea to have a few moments of peace. To what had been a rather damning first, to say the least.

With candlelight being able to fuel her, with a small bit of leftover tea, she managed to prepare well for the next council meeting. And she most certainly will take up the offer to visit Kieran and his family.

A bit of standing wouldn't prove wrong in any sort of light.

Even then, Rhea was wondering why Romulus' councilmen decided that Mariah was the perfect fit to be Queen Luna. Even the mere whisper of the luxury market was only funded by close friends, and exploited the smaller business. Ones she had seen and spoken with just in the last few hours.

She had finally docked her quill when her eyes had started to cross, but she had not wanted to burn out the candle—She wanted to speak with Romulus, but perhaps it was a dangerous feat regardless.