John hesitated, whether to follow her or not. When he stood up and reached for her arm when she passed by his chair. Roselyn got free from his grip caughting the attention of the whole family as silence fell in the room and they all gazed at the couple that suddenly didn't seem so happy.

She kept walking reaching for the bathroom and he followed her, closing the door of the bathroom so that they couldn't hear their conversation.

"Rose...

" He murmured as he reached for her arm once again, she didn't push him away this time but still she refused to look at him.

"Did you know?

" She asked, even though she knew the answer, she still hoped he had some conceivable explanation to justify his behavour.

"I'm sorry.

" He murmured, climbing his finger towars her face as he gently caressed her cheek.

She looked up to choke back her tears and took a long breath.

"I deserved to know.

" She murmured. Her eyes met his eyes for an instant and it was enough to allow him to read the melanchony in her gaze.

Anger replaced the sadness and she clenched her teeth when her tentative of holding back tears failed. She wiped off few tears trying not to ruin the makeup.

She swallowed the lump that formed in her troath and checked herself in the mirror, when she fixed her appearence she took a step toward the door before turning around to face John once again.

"I won't ruin this day for her. So I will wait for her to tell me, hopeful she has good reasons to have decided to keep this from me.

"

He nodded, suprised by her patience and capability to control her emotion unware of the fact that she was screaming internally and the calm she showed was just a defense mechanism to hide her frustation beneath the surface.

"Trouble in paradise?

" Sharron asked in a high-pitched voice as soon as she spot the door opening and saw them walk back in the kitchen.

Roselyn ignored her and remained composed as she sat down and gazed at her mother.

"The food is delicious, as always.

" She offered a smile which her mother returned.

"You're so muscled.

" Roselyn heard Sharron whispering to John and when she looked at her with the corner of her eye she saw her touching his arms as if she had never saw a man in her life.

Her gesture resulted desperate and in vain when John pointed Roselyn, and smiled commenting:

"I have to be, to live up to my future wife's beauty.

"

Sharron smirk faded hearing his response and she cleared her voice moving the hand she had on his arm to take the fork and eat the food she had on the dish.

"About our wedding, we have it rescheduled but we will marry very soon.

" John said.

"You're the first man that won her heart.

"

Roselyn's cheeks blushed hearing her mother saying.

He poured some wine on his glass as he nodded,

"I heard she had many suitors.

"

Ginevra nodded,

"indeed but she kept rejecting their flattering. I thought she would end up like a spinter unless I didn't arrange the marriage myself.

"

Roselyn rolled her eyes, unpleasant memories drifted in her mind as she remembered the day her mother threatened to find a marry in one month and if that didn't happen she was forced to marry David. Just the thought made her skin crawl.

"I can say that her temper and open mentality are the first things that attracted my attention along with her not only internal but also external beauty.

" John replied, smiling genuinely and the lady immediately wondered if he was honest or just pretending. Probably the second option since their attachment was false and well-orchestrated.

Sharron hearing him smiled shaking her head, she was the only one who knew about the agreement they had sanctioned and since the day David revealed that secret she had been refusing all his suitors' proposal to plot a sabotage to their wedding and think of a way to conquer the King's unreachable heart. She raised an eyebrow, her eyes dartened between the couple.

"I've always been curious. Was it love at first sight?

" Her tone marked the resentment and mistrust in her voice.

John replied to her right away.

"It wasn't. We met multiple times and the more we talked the more we discover how many things we had in common.

"

Roselyn felt her heart heavy like a stone inside her breast as she realized the circustamstance they put themselves into would never allow them to be honest about their feelings and she would doubt his words for the rest of her life.

"And what did you discuss about?

" Sharron kept a smirk on her face when her gaze moved to Roselyn. She tilted her head waiting for her to reply.

"About the things we disliked about high society.

" Her lips curved up in a fake smile. Her reply was honest, that was what they discussed and what led John to have the idea to form an attachment to fulfill each other's objectives.

"Conversing about the common disloath toward high society. That's an odd way to fall in love.

" Sharron cupped her chin in a thoughtful way as she stared at the couple.

"We are not here to verify the binding force that led them together, Sharron.

" Her mother intervened glowering at Sharron who rolled her eyes.

She placed her hand on her exposed chest to take a deep breath,

"It just seems quite odd to me.

" She continued, ignoring her mother's scold. She leaned toward them to say,

"if my memory serves, the King gave a speech and declared he wasn't interested in meeting new people as he wasn't interested in love. When suddenly a few days later they are in love.

" Her voice was filled with rage.

Roselyn and John exchanged a spooked gaze as her assumption left them speechless.