Chapter 62: You two made a daughter already?!
Kein's POV
Lord Vincent has found out that Rose snuck out of his care and went to be with me.
When I opened the door to our room, I saw the same light blue-haired general looking tired, running out of breath and he looked pissed.
He glared at me looking really angry before giving a polite scary smile. "I know the princess is with you. I'm here to bring her back with me."
I opened the door to let him in but I tried to reason with him as to why maybe she should stay here with me for tonight, "Vincent she's fine... since I've been appointed as her personal knight maybe she could stay here with me?" I suggested but he shakes his head.
"Lady Kein, that was only for our time in the [Winshern Kingdom]. Now that mission is over, you're free and the princess is now my responsibility once more." he walks inside and I close the door behind him.
"Vincent come on-" I catch up with him, now he walks a little more slowly. "Rose and I finally mended and we're actually bonding together- if I let this pass up we'll be back to square one."
Not really... but I don't want to be apart from Rose now that I have her back once more.
I'm sure once we get back into our kingdom I'll be busy with patrols and work unless the princess still wants me to be her personal knight but that would gain suspicion with the other new knights like me acting favors.
Speaking of which- I need to tell him about the true plan of the crossdressing prince.
Prince Alexanderk and how my whole other royal family are planning to take over our kingdom. I mustn't let that happen.
"Let's talk about this Vincent alright? I need to tell you about something important that you need to know as well." we entered inside our room and he sighs.
"Lady Kein, we can talk more about this once the princess is safely under my-" he stops to look at Rose who was carrying a little girl who looked just like the both of us mixed into one. "-watch." he stops his words and looks at me in confusion.
"Oh! Vincent... Hello there?" (Rose) waves her hand towards Vincent's direction to whom she hasn't talked to in two years. "How... have you been?" she continues to ask while holding the child in her arms, cradling Vivienne softly.
"..."
It seems that Vincent was not able to process Rose's questions but instead he was more focused on Vivienne. I was honestly worried for him so I tried nudging his side for a bit, "Are you okay-"
"You!" He grabbed both of my shoulders and pushed me hard into the wall.
I grit my teeth bracing for the pain and he shakes my shoulders several times screaming- "YOU TWO MADE A BABY ALREADY?! LADY KEIN WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS-"
Vincent you dumb fuck!
"VINCENT NO!" I cover his mouth just in time because I'm not even sure if the walls of this inn are thin! The other knights are surely out resting or eating below us so any yelling will be heard. "Calm down! You're way too tense these days!" I told him in a whisper and Rose ran towards us with a flustered face.
"Vincent! This is not our baby I swear! We haven't done it yet!" (Rose) covered Vivienne's ears before telling him.
My face was also burning in heat- sure we've kissed, held hands, left some hickeys here and there but- we have never done it!
I would like to but now is not a good time to do it!
"Y-Yeah we haven't done it yet!" I replied back as well feeling so embarrassed admitting that we haven't even had sex before having a baby!
Vivienne was just tilting her head innocently and looking at Rose in confusion as to why her ears had been plugged. "Mommy?"
Vincent's eyes widened and refused to be even calm. He grabs ahold of the hand that was covering him and removes it. "Yet?! So do you mean to do it anytime soon?! Are the two of you officially together?! Lady Kein, may I remind you this woman is engaged!" she points at Rose who bashfully hides her face in Vivienne's neck. "Also did she just call you mommy?!"
He grinds Rose with the questions, completely forgetting about me.
Well... about the engagement part...
"Vincent the engagement with the princess and the second prince of Winshern. It's all a scam." the moment I told him this he looked like he was about to grab my shoulders once more. "I... we've talked with the second prince."
"He explained everything we needed to know."
Vincent at first didn't believe me so he turned to Rose to confirm, she nodded, meaning I have a witness to back up my words. He looked so tired when he grabbed the chair at the side and sat on it sighing heavily.
He looked so out of it, stressed and in circles. "Tell me everything I need to know." (Vincent) says weakly and I nod.
I pulled up another chair to sit with him and explained everything from the start. I also ordered food for us while I explained.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Twummy! Mommy!"
When the food arrived we could already smell the cooked mashed potatoes with some veggie soup and steak. Vivienne was super excited and pulled Rose's dress to feed her quickly.
"That's one energetic girl you have there." (Vincent) chuckles looking at Vivienne who ate everything on her plate except the bitter vegetables.
Rose notices about the little rascal's doing and she tries to convince the little girl that she needs her vegetables in order to grow up strong. "Nwo! Blegh! Ew..." every word she said was for every bitter green vegetable she placed on the side of the table.
For someone who was raised on the streets and might have even gone through starvation. She's rather picky- but I guess that's just kids. "Vivienne... if you don't eat your veggies you won't grow tall like Mama over there." (Rose) points her finger in my direction and I wave.
"!!!" Vivienne's eyes widened and she gasped.
Without even hesitating she stabs the bitter vegetable with her fork and closes her eyes while eating it. She looks like she's definitely not enjoying it. I couldn't help but look at these two my heart being full, I find the interaction of my girlfriend and Vivienne very wholesome.
"Ungh... Moma tall?" (Vivienne) raises her plate showing how clean it was and Rose being the good mother figure that she is she nodded happily. "Yes, you'll be as tall as mama soon if you keep eating those vegetables okay?"
"Hehehe!" she runs around with the plate and even gives it to me, I was left there looking confused and happy at the same time. "Moma tall!" she yells before walking back to Rose and asks for her to carry her back before drifting to sleep.
.-.-.-.-.-.
"Vivienne is asleep. We can start talking about what happened from the very start." I focused on the talk and I told him everything that he needed to know. I left out the part where we had some- kissing moments but yes.
Prince Alexanderk, is actually a woman crossdressing or else she'll be executed for disobeying.
The engagement was just a distraction for the upcoming invasion.
Once Princess Cecilia dies from her sickness, the first part of their plan will succeed and they'll push the wedding into a more earlier date.
I even showed him the royal family seal that the crossdressing princess gave us and by that he seemed even more convinced of my words were true. Vincent proceeds to process the news and rubbed the sides of his temples harder.
"This is... a lot to take in." he says, having to slump his head over the table and we watch him being rather depressed and tired.
"When was the last time you slept, Vincent?" I asked him.
He groans answering, "The time I went drinking with Natasha... after that I couldn't sleep anymore. I'm just too... worried and tired about what's father going to do with me when I come back."
Ah... right.
"The one who blackmailed your father is still out there with your pictures." I told him and he nodded weakly. Rose, who was sitting not too far heard of our talk together and questioned, "But the Duke is one of the highest positions in our kingdom- who could possibly blackmail your father and why?"
Vincent looks at Rose a little conflicted knowing that the possible reason he's in trouble with his father that he admires so much... is because of her. "They- whoever they are wanted to have Kein as your personal guard. As you know newly trained knights are not fit for such a position and we usually have decade trained knights." he reveals to the princess.
Rose looks at him baffled while cradling Vivienne who has now fallen asleep her small little head was using her chest as a comfort pillow.
"Kein is this why you're-" she turns to me for confirmation and I nod crossing my arms. "Yes. That's why I've been appointed as your knight."
"Whoever would even have the guts to blackmail Vincent's father is either a Duke of the same rank or someone from the royal family. I mean- who would be reckless enough to blackmail one of the most powerful families in the Puronian Kingdom?" I chuckled trying to lighten up the mood but that only dampened Vincent's.
At the premise of blackmail though- there are a lot of other families that might have a thing for the Wolford family. "But- come on! We also have to think why they wanted me to be by Rose's side. Some other families don't even know that we had history together."
Rose stands up suddenly and stares at me, her gray eyes in shock. "It's! Um... I might not be sure but- I think I know who blackmailed Duke Tristan." she says with conviction that it left me and Vincent a little surprised.
"Who do you suspect, your highness?" (Vincent) asked eagerly, wanting to know.
Rose looks away guiltily biting her lip. "My... sister but I'm not sure. I... just have a feeling that it might be her doing. I'm very familiar with how she does things and she's the only one who knows about us- other than father who I know he would rather keep me away from Kein."
That's right, the king would rather have my head if he knew that I'm planning to stop the engagement. The way that Cecilia did things made me remember how she managed to convince Rose to drug me to sleep.
And when she even made me drink an honesty potion the first time we met because she couldn't trust me- fair point but that was scary.
"Cecilia..." I muttered the name of the person I haven't seen after rejecting her confession professing her love to me. A friend that I've lost... as to why I'm afraid of my other friends falling in love with me and I wouldn't be able to reciprocate back.
They'll leave to ignore me, forgetting our friendship.
"How has she been? Is she alright?" I ask. I wonder... if she's moved on and is now happy despite the situation now.
"Cecilia has been... not well physically. Her feet have given up on her a year ago and now she's relying on wheelchairs the otherworldly heroes made." (Rose) pats Vivienne who was faintly breathing on her shoulders. "But other than that, she's happy finding mutual love with a servant she's known for almost all her life. Ahem-"
I heard Vincent scoff at all the love talk and he rests his chin on the palm of his hand. "How very fortunate of all you girls finding love nowadays." he says in a voice a little irritated but I know he means it in a very envious manner.
"So what will you, Lady Kein and your highness plan to do now? Clearly if someone saw this girl you're holding right now. One would think the two of you eloped and made a child together while being on this trip." he chuckles and I wanted to cover my face imagining Rose in a wedding dress-
And us making babies?!
In what way?!
How?!
Rose laughs nervously moving to the bed and placing small little Vivienne in the middle before going back to sit beside me. "We're taking things slow... After knowing the prince has no intention to marry me and even has a plan on stopping the upcoming war." she takes her hand in mine and smiles.
I could feel the warmth of her hold onto me, the happiness meter going high and I couldn't help myself from smiling while having a faint blush on my cheeks. "After... the plan when Cecilia is back on her feet- I will renounce my claim to the throne and my title as crown princess, giving it back to my sister the rightful heir who should have been the future queen of Puronia."
I smiled at her back softly and firmly held her hand after her next words, "I will stay with Kein and not run away like last time."
Vincent looks at our conjoined hands and smiles. "It seems that the two of you have thought this through but not quite enough, your plan clearly has some holes. If the both of you are free, please tell the prince of Winshern- er should it be princess?" he tilts his head in confusion not knowing what to call the so-called 'prince' of the other kingdom.
"I don't know what title to call her either but for safe measures I still call her Prince Alexanderk to avoid a slip of the tongue." (Rose) suggests and I would do the same.
However I'll call her crossdressing princess to my heart's content privately.
Vincent nods and continues, "Please tell him that I would be glad to help with my soldiers upon the attack. I will try and consult my father about this... if he'll even talk to me at all." with a dejected mood he sighs and looks at Vivienne.
Her blonde hair was all over the bed and the way she curled up like a cat was similar to how Rose would sleep. We heard him chuckle for a bit as Vincent points at Vivienne, "Are you sure that's not a secret love child of the both of you? It looks like the mix of you both."
The both of us shake our heads together denying that accusation. "N-Nope! As we've said we can't even make a baby together. Another thing she's about two years old- two years ago is where we lost contact with each other."
Rose looks down to her hands playing around with her thumbs looking bashful. "B-Besides even if we do- you know- naughty things- Kein can't really impregnate me?"
Ouch! But very true, "She's right my fingers are not magic Vincent." I crossed my arms feeling a little conscious of the talk now. Our old dear friend laughs and smiles warmly at us both.
"I was merely kidding of course I know but I couldn't help myself from teasing you both. I am glad to see the both of you... happy and together again." he says fondly. Rose and I looked at each other for a moment and agreed. It was nice to be together again after all these two years of misunderstanding and secrets.
Rose reaches out to hold Vincent's hand in hers before taking a deep breath, her gray eyes looking guilty at the long friend that supported her from the beginning. "I know it's... late but I'm sorry for pushing you away."
"I don't want to give out excuses as to why I did- I know what I did was horrible and I-"
Vincent places his hand on top of hers and nods in understanding. "I forgave you a long time ago but this helps to give me some closure, the full reason why you started avoiding me. Thank you for finally telling me, your highness."
Rose's eyes slowly teared up, sniffing, her breathing started getting harder and her voice seemed like she was in pain. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I know I have no right to ask but- can we... still be friends, Vincent?" she bit her lip trying not to let any sound as she continued to cry.
The question... she must've been wondering all the past week. So many things have happened on this mission and it has overwhelmed me.
"Oh Rose... you crybaby..." I looked at her, my heart feeling like it's being squeezed seeing her cry like this. I took out a clean handkerchief from my storage ring and wiped off her tears.
Vincent smiles and assures Rose. "We may not go back to our old friendship before but we can start over again, your highness." He turns to me and stands up from his chair fixing his clothes. "Lady Kein, now that you've explained all the things I needed I understand. I want the crown princess by the carriage early in the morning with her royal clothes."
"Leaving already?" I stood up myself and Rose followed escorting him to the door together.
"We've caught up with both of our lives and I have to plan a letter for my father about the recent discovery today." (Vincent) opens the door letting out a little squeak before bowing to us both. "I will see you by the morning when we depart, take care of your new responsibility." he turns to Vivienne who was still softly breathing all curled up in the bed.
"Be safe going back in your tent." The both of us waved him farewell and finally we closed the door having all the pent up emotions finally let out.
Rose hugs me happily by my waist and I rest my hands behind her neck, before holding her cheek and kissing the woman in front of me softly in the lips. "I'm so proud of you, you're not running away. You're facing the future head on." I told her smiling so widely I rested my head onto the crook of her neck while hugging her tightly.
"Kein... we're friends again... even if it won't be the same as before- thank you for staying by my side through this." I could hear her sniff and get choked up a little.
"I love you, Rose." I told her wiping the tears on her cheek yet again while she responded with a deep kiss followed by an, "I love you too."
Rose hugs me back and pulls me into the bed to rest. Vivienne was now in the middle sleeping peacefully.