Chapter 54: Chapter 54Alexander returned to camp just before the time of dinner. After asking around at the brothel, he was right where he started as no one knew where Rose had run off to. If he had been a little earlier to find her, then he would have seen her before she disappeared.

    Alexander headed to a nearby stream to be alone and to wash up. He couldn’t leave tomorrow to search for her as he had to speak to his commander about meeting with the king. Rose could be anywhere right now. All alone with no one to help her.

    Alexander stooped down to dip his hand in the cold water. He needed the coldness to wake him up.

    "There you are. The barrels have been rolled out for us to have a good drink tonight," Mathias said, his mood better after the day he had.

    Being seduced by women was what they should be doing now instead of thinking about Rose. Mathias would love to go back into the arms of the woman who seduced him. If Alexander would just wake up, he would have some fun too.

    Alexander did not respond as his anger was still present. If Mathias had told him where to find the brothel he could have gotten to Rose in time. Now was not the best moment for Mathias to speak to him when he had yet to get over the betrayal.

    "Are you drunk already, Alex? That’s not like you to drink before dinner. Some women from town are planning to-"

    "You knew where to find her and you didn’t tell me," Alexander said, looking over his shoulder at Mathias. "Didn’t you?"

    He gave Mathias the chance to be honest one last time.

    Mathias frowned, displeased by the fact they were on this again. He had already agreed to look for Rose. "I don’t know what you mean, Alex. You have to be drunk since you have forgotten that we didn’t get to start searching for her. If only we could do it tomorrow."

    Alexander couldn’t contain his anger anymore and stood up to go to Mathias. His right hand found its way to Mathias’s throat and pushed him back to the nearest tree.

    Mathias was slow to react as this had caught him off guard. "What the hell has gotten into you?"

    "You know where the brothel is. All this time my memory of this town was too bad for me to find the brothel, but you knew where it was. You knew how I could find her and you hid it from me. I saw you there so do not lie. What reason do you have to rush there after rushing away from my side?" Alexander asked.

    Mathias grabbed a handful of Alexander’s shirt to make their position equal. He was hurt by the revelation that Alexander had followed him. "You’ve resorted to stalking me now, Alex? The person I know would not have doubted me." Sёarch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Alexander pulled Mathias forward and then hit him against the tree. "The person I know wouldn’t have lied to me. How long did you know where the brothel was?"

    Mathias did not want to answer. Alexander looked on the brink of committing murder and he would be the victim. Though he hated how Alexander was hurting him, Mathias couldn’t find it in himself to return the pain.

    He had betrayed Alexander but it was all for good reason.

    "I knew the night we came back in town," Mathias answered honestly. There wasn’t a point to lie now that Alexander had caught him in his web of lies. "Graham is now the brothel owner and he remembers me. He wants to make me one of his workers. He only needs her back."

    Mathias choked up as Alexander’s grip became tighter. "Y-You don’t care that he wants to sell me? He wants to offer me to men."

    "You hid where she was from me and all this time, you had to have known that Rose ran away. The very night some of the soldiers returned speaking about a fire in a brothel. You looked me in the eye and said there was nothing special about what the soldiers spoke about. I asked you for one thing," Alexander said, his hands trembling as he fought his thoughts to snap Mathias’s neck.

    Alexander was in a terrible position as he was angry about Mathias keeping Rose’s location a secret from him but he could not bring himself to hurt the person he had lived those eight years with. They had grown to be like brothers which was why Mathias’s actions cut him so deep.

    "I’ve run out of time, Alex. He wants her to return or he will want to take me into the brothel. I’ve given him money to pay off what he bought us for. I was thinking of the two of us."

    Alexander looked away from Mathias and removed his hand from Mathias’s throat. "You were thinking about yourself. Even after I told you that she was the only reason you escaped, you couldn’t tell me then that you knew where she had been. I could have forgiven you then but not now."

    Mathias touched the aching spot Alexander made. "You don’t care that he wants to make me one of his workers? I took the money that I rightfully earned and tried to buy our freedom. Everything that I have ever done has been with the best intentions to make life better for you as well."

    "The Rose you know is gone. The women there have told me what she was like. She came to like Graham’s attention after all. She’s a woman only worth buying to have for the night-"

    Alexander unsheathed his sword causing Mathias to do the same to protect himself. "Watch how you speak before you lose your tongue."

    "Ha," Mathias laughed. "I’m still losing to her after all these years. You’re a fool who doesn’t appreciate what is before him. Why couldn’t it be me who had the princess’s attention? I wouldn’t waste it like you. She’s been ruined by other men. What could you possibly have with her?"

    "I am not going to be dragged down by the two of you. I’ll cut ties with you right here if I need to," said Mathias.

    Alexander was becoming a loss so Mathias had to jump ship before it sank. They had placed themselves as a good duo but Alexander was too caught up with Rose. It was time for Mathias to make a name for himself.

    "Then do just that,’ Alexander replied, lowering his sword. He couldn’t continue with Mathias lying to him anymore.

    If he blindly trusted Mathias again, he might miss the chance to find Rose. Just as he started, he would continue to search for Rose alone and then figure out if to continue his life with the king’s army or take her away from this town.

    "If she dies before I can find her, I will have your head. I care for you but I still love her more. If I find out that you are meddling with me finding her, I will kill you then. Do not make me have to be the one to kill you. It is already bad that I lost a brother," said Alexander.