CHAPTER 286: YOU’RE BLEEDING

Caius felt the sword fall from his hand as pain filled his wrist, but even that felt numb. He had only managed to strike Ryder a few times, and none were fatal. Ryder, on the other hand, had landed several slashes, worsening the effects of the poison currently flowing through his bloodstream.

Caius staggered, not wanting to fall. He tried to glance toward Rose, but he couldn’t even turn his head in her direction and more importantly, he couldn’t take his eyes off Ryder.

Ryder closed in, also dropping his sword with a devious smile. When he got close enough he punched Caius hard on the side of his face. Caius was propelled backward, his head snapping dangerously to the left—still, he didn’t fall.

Ryder closed in, punching him again, and then again, until Caius’s lips were busted and his face was bruised. Still, he didn’t fall. Annoyed, Ryder kicked his legs out from under him, and Caius crashed to the ground, his armor clanking loudly against the earth and rocks.

Ryder was on him in an instant. "I told you to walk away, little boy!" he said, raining blows down on Caius’s face.

"Don’t worry, I won’t kill you," he said between punches. "I’m simply returning the favor."

Suddenly, Ryder let out a cry of pain as a dagger was stabbed into his back. He swung around and struck Rose, who fell back. Ryder cursed, lifting himself off Caius, ready to attack her.

Caius immediately reached for his sword, which had fallen nearby, fighting through the numbness and moving his hand with all his strength. He grabbed the sword and drove it through Ryder’s stomach with all the strength he had left. Then he collapsed back to the ground, all his energy spent.

Ryder turned to Caius with a startled expression, mouth open, blood pouring from his lips. His expression twisted into something sinister as he pulled the sword from his stomach, ready to impale Caius with it.

The sound of stone hitting bone echoed through the forest as Rose slammed a rock the size of a helmet right on top of Ryder’s head with all her might.

He crumpled instantly, the sword slipping from his hand as he fell to the side, off of Caius. Rose didn’t stop there—she rushed forward and dropped the stone on his head again, even though she had already bashed his skull in, she didn’t want to take any chances.

Rose was in pain. Her stomach and sides ached from all the kicking, and her face burned, but she had known what she had to do when the opportunity arose.

She was surprised the crown prince had come after her, and even more surprised that he was willing to let the bandits go if they released her. She didn’t know if that was a good thing or not, but she knew for certain that he was better than the bandits. She hadn’t even been able to look him in the face.

When he started fighting, Rose could scarcely believe it. She had been a little relieved to see him—until she realized he was alone. Still, he took them down easily, until Ryder cut him with the poisoned blade.

When he collapsed and Ryder wouldn’t stop hitting him, Rose knew she couldn’t just stand by. Besides, if Ryder finished with the crown prince, he’d come after her next.

Her eyes had first rested on a sword beside one of the fallen bandits, but Rose worried she didn’t have the strength to use it effectively. The dagger had been farther away, and she knew she risked being seen, but Rose threw caution to the wind.

Thankfully, Ryder was too engrossed in beating the prince to notice her approach—until she stabbed him in the back. And then she hit him with the stone when the dagger wasn’t enough.

Rose rushed to Caius. He was bleeding from several places. The cuts weren’t deep, but the blood wouldn’t stop. His face was also badly beaten up but nothing that couldn’t be healed.

"Rose," he said softly, trying to touch her face, but his hand wouldn’t lift off the ground.

Rose reached for the skirt of her dress and ripped it. She knew she’d need a lot of fabric. It was a good thing women wore so many unnecessary layers.

"You’re bleeding," Caius whispered. He sounded delirious.

"That’s my line," Rose replied.

She tied the cloth around his bleeding arm, then his neck. It was hard with the armor in the way, but she did her best. She also tied up the wounds on his legs; there were a few cuts there too.

"Have you always been this beautiful?" he asked softly as she worked to stop his bleeding.

Rose was certain he was at death’s door. She had to get him out of there quickly. However, he just wouldn’t stop talking. She would think the cut on his lips would keep him quiet.

"I do like red, but not when you’re bleeding," he added, and for a moment, Rose thought about tying his mouth shut.

Satisfied that he wouldn’t bleed to death before she got him back to the estate, Rose got to her feet. Her knees hurt from kneeling too long.

She had expected some of Caius’s men to arrive by now, but it was becoming clear the crown prince had come alone. Was he stupid? Aside from him bleeding to death and being poisoned, Rose now had to worry about more bandits returning, especially since one had escaped.

Rose caught sight of the horse she had ridden—it stood between the trees. She had half-expected the poor thing to run away, but it was munching on some grass not far off. That was when she noticed it had been tied. She wondered if one of the men had done that.

Rose walked to the horse, undid the rope, and led it to where Caius lay. She immediately realized she had an even bigger problem—how was she supposed to get him onto the horse?

For a moment, the thought of tying him to the back of the horse and dragging him through the woods was tempting—but she brushed it aside. He had come to her rescue. She had to remember that and they wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for her.