#gena santira

[shelbeetaylor]

Character Introductions (Part 2)

-> story masterpost

moodboard by @singingslayingsoprano

Genevieve Santira

Most of her life, people have only called her Genevieve, but Evie’s calling her Gena has begun to stick.

Genevieve uses she/her pronouns.

Genevieve is 20 years old at the beginning of the story, and her birthday is on May 16 which would make her a Taurus.

Genevieve is known as the Crown Princess’s maidservant to those outside the palace, but those inside know her as one of Cassandra’s best friends.

Likes: working with her hands like sewing and embroidery, helping her father in the smithy, and taking care of her friends

Dislikes: playing mother to the chaotic individuals she happens to be friends with, her inability to read or write, and Cassandra only when the princess doesn’t listen to her

Genevieve often frequents the taverns of Vale Serine not to drink but to listen to the songs played by the traveling bards. Since she cannot read or write, the lyrics of the nomadic musicians provide her with stories she wouldn’t be able to know of otherwise.

If Genevieve lived in our world, her playlists would probably be filled with songs by artists like Rihanna, Selena Gomez, and SZA.

Genevieve, though quite confident in her ability to perform her job adequately, she struggles a lot with her life at home. Her parents were forced into marriage and out of their village after having her brother--who she hates talking about-- out of wedlock. Genevieve was very young when her brother disappeared, and her home life took a turn for the worse. Now she relies on her time away at work and the adventures Cassandra drags her on to grant her reprieve.

Face Claim: Angel Coulby as Guinevere in BBC Merlin

moodboard by @singingslayingsoprano

Wesley Moonbourne

A lot of people often refer to him as Wesley, but Evie has deemed it more appropriate to call him Wes.

Wesley uses he/him pronouns.

Wesley is 20 years old at the beginning of the story, and his birthday is on October 14 which would make him a Libra.

Currently, Wesley holds no official title, but by training in Vale Serine under the instruction of Theo he hopes to earn himself a spot as one of the knights of Nevernia.

Likes: dogs, hunting, and playing chess

Dislikes: feeling like he doesn’t belong, Evie feeling bad, and being without his dog Ranger

Wesley grew up in the outskirts of Bellbury, a city surrounded by farmland, so one of his odd interests is agriculture. Most of his days in Bellbury were spent voluntarily helping around the nearby farms, much to his family’s chagrin. If Wesley wasn’t able to become a knight, his dream would be to move out into the countryside and live on a farm with his animals, his dog Ranger, and the love of his life.

If Wesley lived in our world, he would listen to a variety older music like songs by Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles.

Wesley, having just moved to Vale Serine, is really struggling with trying to fit in. He wants to be accepted by the knights and especially by his idol, his cousin Theo, and he’s trying his best to become friends with them whether it’s by acting cool or sneaking along on their adventures. Hopefully his newfound friendship with Princess Evie will lead him in the right direction.

Face Claim: Noah Beck

moodboard by @singingslayingsoprano

Terran Willows

People usually just call him Terran, but the knights are also partial to Terr-man or giving him briefly-used, more colorful monikers… Sir Enoch’s favorite at the moment is Bog Man.

Terran uses he/him pronouns.

Terran is 20 years old at the beginning of the story, and his birthday is on June 20 which would make him a Gemini.

Terran is currently studying as an apprentice to Galen, the Court Physician, and he has been working under Galen for about five years.

Likes: his mother’s yearly visits, reading, and practicing magic in his room

Dislikes: Galen’s intense exams, getting scared, and Galen’s overprotective rules about magic and going out

In the spirit of helping people, Terran dedicates as much of his time and energy into improving the lives of others. While he is working towards becoming a physician full-time, Terran volunteers around Vale Serine helping those who need it. Sometimes the knights will even tag along to help and protect him, especially if he’s making a trip into places like Serine’s Hope to hand out food, provide free medical care, or distribute clothes.

If Terran lived in our world, he would definitely be a big fan of Maude Latour, but he would listen to mostly folk music like Hozier, Lord Huron, and Noah Kahan.

While Terran is quite proud of who he is as a person, there is still a lot of turmoil inside his head about it. He grew up in the outlying villages of Nevernia where it isn’t uncommon to see friends string up friends for being queer or possessing magic. Terran managed to escape that environment with his secrets intact, but the inner demons spawned in that hell have followed him to the big city, though he’s lucky to have Galen there reminding Terran every so often that he is not a monster for the way he was born.

Face Claim: Colin Morgan as Merlin in BBC Merlin

[shelbeetaylor]

Chapter One | In the Beginning

-> story masterpost

-> ao3 link

“They hurt people, Cassandra! They hurt you.” Tears had started to form in his eyes as he shouted. “How can you even think of supporting people who cause violence and chaos with every step they take? You have the power to change things, to speak up–”

“What happens if that's all you can do? Hm? What if you have talked so much you can speak no longer?” She felt tears growing, stinging the inner corners of her eyes, and fought them back. “What if you’ve done everything right, but it’s all led you to nothing?”

The word echoed around the chamber. Terran braced himself on the nearest tabletop, not daring to make eye contact with her.

“Change doesn't come easy.” His voice had dropped into its scary low register, but it cracked under the weight of his tears.

She shifted slightly. “And sometimes drastic measures need to be taken.”

His hands tensed, clenching and unclenching, and his eyes remained on the contents of the table. Cassandra could barely see the tears dripping off of the end of his nose, but his silence said enough. This conversation was over.

The sun had barely risen above the mountain-lined horizon, the sky a blend of tangerine, gold, chartreuse, and lobelia blue. The warm morning light illuminated the fields of grass and rock, the smell of dew permeating the air just as the ground sparkled under the sun’s rays. The silence accompanying the early morning was only broken by the occasional tweeting of birds and the hoofsteps of the horses they rode upon.

Evie sat quietly atop Apollo, petting his dun coat gently as she glanced around at the four knights surrounding her.  She hadn’t really felt like talking the whole journey, instead just silently observing. She was sure that the rest of the survivors were just as quiet out of respect, though respect for what? There were a myriad of answers to that. Sometimes it almost seemed rude to speak, at least to her, so the group rode in virtual silence for days.

Riding in silence wasn’t all bad, of course. Evie got to truly experience the environment around her. The breathtaking mountains, the winding rivers, the chasmic valleys… they all were renewed in her ashen eyes, and the view only continued to grow in beauty. Apollo and the rest of the horses slowed to a stop as the riders reached the top of the nearby hill, and she almost gasped at the sight. 

Below stretched a pine-filled valley, the vast greenery broken up only by a rushing river that cut right between two enormous mountains and led to the heart of the valley. It was there in the center of the cerulean and emerald laid the city of stone with a castle rising above all else. The hill was just close enough to see a faint glimpse of a flag fluttering about at the tallest reaches of the castle’s towers, the violet jutting out from rushing pale blue and the encroaching green.

“My lady,” one of the riders called, “we should continue. Vale Serine is only a half a day’s ride from here.” Evie's gaze drifted from the Vale to the knight, and she simply nodded solemnly.

“You called, Mother?”

Rays of early morning light gently fell through the window and onto the two figures standing in the dining hall of the castle. Standing next to the table was Cassandra's mother, Queen Ginevra, in a regal, deepcut black gown, mulling over a display of fruit with a slender, ivory hand. She didn’t bother to look at her daughter, not even as she monotonously spoke. “Glad you could join us, Cassandra.”

The princess’s jaw tightened as she gave her mother a forced smile and took her place next to Theo, her only ally in the room. She was less out of place standing next to him when he was wearing a shirt and trousers that were so clearly thrown on at the last minute. She actually looked better than Theo at the moment. Cassandra had gotten up earlier than usual in hopes of doing some dagger training, so her tunic and pants were not only complementary but also accessorized with a necklace; however, the summons put a stop to Cassandra's plans for the morning.

Ginevra’s first glance at her daughter resulted in a crinkled nose and a large drink from her cup, the faint scent of berry and alcohol floating through the air. When she set down the cup, she sighed before continuing on. “As you both know, we will be welcoming a new member of the family to the castle. Evangeline will be arriving around noon today, and I expect both of you to be at the official welcoming ceremony–” the queen looked at Theo– “as well as the knights.” Theo nodded silently. “And please, for the love of the kingdom and all that is good, look presentable.”

Ginevra’s gaze landed on her daughter.

“Don’t worry, Mum,” Cassandra said, a giant smile on her face, and picked up a blood red apple, “I’ll wear my best nightgown.”

Theo stifled a laugh and earned himself a glare of death from his queen, and Cassandra took a celebratory bite out of her apple when her mother’s stare returned to her. Ginevra shook her head, muttered something, took another swig from her cup, then proceeded with her speech.

“I expect you both to be kind to her…” There was a slight pause. “I also want you both to spend time with her after the ceremony, at least until dinner tonight.”

Cassandra almost choked on an apple bite, and Theo’s response was an involuntary, “Wait, what?”

“I am not babysitting,” Cassandra replied.

Theo joined in, “And I have incoming trainees, at least a dozen–”

Ginevra held up a lazy hand. “You will do as I say. It’s not even half a day of entertaining her, then you can go back to whatever it is you two do all day.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes and sighed. “I cannot believe you’re making us babysit.”

“Remember that this is your younger cousin who has just lost her parents tragically and suddenly, and she is now being thrown into a new environment with family she barely knows.” Ginevra’s intense glare moved between her daughter and the knight. “You will spend time with her, both of you, and get to know her. Give her a tour, or something, just entertain her until dinner.”

Cassandra pursed her lips, and reluctantly replied, “Fine.”

Theo nodded his head in agreement.

“Good,” the queen smiled. “Now, go and begin preparations for Evangeline’s arrival.”

The knight and the princess exchanged a look as discreetly as possible before bowing their heads to their queen, Cassandra's jaw clenching tighter as her head lowered. There wasn’t a word spoken between the two until the doors had closed behind them as they traipsed through the empty hallways.

“This is absolutely ridiculous,” Cassandra stated, sinking her teeth deeply into the apple.

“Oh, I fully agree,” Theo replied.

“And I cannot believe she played the tragedy card. Fucking guilt tripping us.”

“Here’s the thing,” Theo grabbed her arm and stopped the two’s advance. “I can’t ignore the incoming boys. I can cancel training for the rest, but I have to at least greet the newcomers and get them settled.”

“You have got to be kidding me,” Cassandra half-chuckled.

“What?”

“You want me to entertain her by myself.”

“Well… yes.”

“Fantastic. You’re abandoning me in my time of need.”

“I am not!” Theo replied defensively. “I just need a few hours.”

“I’m not listening to this.”

“No, wait!” Theo reached for Cassandra's arm again as she turned to leave. “Hear me out.”

She crossed her arms, waiting silently.

“You entertain her alone while I take care of my new knights, and afterwards I will take her…” Cassandra raised her eyebrows, signaling that she required more for this deal. “...and… I, um…”

Theo stopped, trying to think for a moment.

 Cassandra finished the thought for him. “And I get to join training tomorrow.”

Theo scrunched his nose and furrowed his eyebrows. “Why?”

“Well, um, let’s see. I’m bored, and beating the shit out of some new knights will be fun.”

“Och…” Theo shook his head. “Fine. And you can join training tomorrow.”

“You have yourself a deal,” Cassandra grinned and patted Theo on the back.

“You know your mother’s not going to be happy about this,” he said as they continued walking.

“Eh, it’s worth it.”

“Great.”

Theo broke away from her shortly after the conversation ended, and Cassandra made her way to her chambers. Inside the quiet room, Cassandra's maidservant, Genevieve, scurried around completing everyday chores and tasks. Genevieve didn’t bat an eye as her mistress collapsed onto her bed in a half-assed dramatic fit.

“Mother has declared that my current state is unsuitable, and my punishment is becoming the sole entertainer of my younger cousin for the rest of the day.”

“Oh, my,” Genevieve replied casually. “So I’m assuming we must fetch you a new outfit and prepare a list of things to do with your cousin?”

Cassandra smiled and said, “You’re the best.”

Genevieve laughed and flung open Cassandra's wardrobe. “The queen still requires you to be in mourning, yes?”

Cassandra stared up at her ceiling, already too emotionally exhausted to move. “Mm-hm.”

“Then that eliminates basically half your choices.”

“Yes.” Cassandra rolled her head to the side, the view she had catching only a slight glimpse of her maidservant behind the wardrobe door.

“And you need something formal yet comfortable…” Genevieve seemed to be thinking out loud which was not an uncommon occurrence. When Cassandra failed to respond, the maid popped her head around the wardrobe door. “What are you doing?

“Uh, nothing?”

Genevieve sighed and gave the princess an exasperated look. “Get a paper and some ink and start writing ideas down.”

Cassandra pursed her lips, but she did as her maid said and found some spare paper on her desk. The morning light shining through the massive window ahead illuminated the dark wood surface. Cassandra picked up her quill on the corner of the desk to begin her list.

“I think the best course of action is to wear this one,” Genevieve said.

Cassandra looked over at Genevieve who held in her hands one of Cassandra's favorite black gowns.

“Great,” Cassandra replied.

Genevieve smiled, and Cassandra couldn’t stop herself from giving a small grin in return. “Okay, while I get this hung up and pick out some accessories, you start thinking about ideas and writing them down.”

The princess nodded and turned back towards the desk, but her eyes did not immediately turn towards the paper before her. Instead, Cassandra looked out towards the Never Peaks and the large hills before them. The rising sun lit up the grassy mounds just beyond the reaches of the city, and Cassandra thought she saw the blurry outlines of people on those small green patches. Fantastic, she thought to herself as she rolled her eyes a little. 

Every minute took months to pass. Instead of entering Vale Serine from the nearest district, the party had to take a longer route to avoid it. It was a nice distraction for Evie to ponder why a place named Serine’s Hope would be considered the city’s most dangerous district, but the distraction only lasted so long. Soon the guards at the top of the city walls had descended from their posts to personally greet the group at the gate. Evie took a deep breath as she prepared for her first human interaction in weeks— not including the few exchanges between her and the other survivors.

The conversation was exactly as Evie had expected it to be. It didn’t make it any less hard to bear through. The guards gave their deepest condolences, apologized for the actions of the southern rebels, and made several threats of violence and death towards the invaders of her home. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the sentiment, it was that she wasn’t necessarily ecstatic to relive the worst moments of her life for the entire day. Luckily, one of the others handled the situation so Evie wouldn’t have to speak. She just felt so sick to her stomach, and every horrid feeling bubbled violently inside her throat like acid as the gates opened.

Evie didn’t know what she had expected, but Vale Serine seemed so different from her home. The buildings didn’t even look relatively similar. Being in this city felt wrong… it was just so foreign. Evie glanced around at the wandering citizens going about their usual days, trying to ignore the way she wanted to throw up. 

Then she saw the face of a young boy about her age who stopped and looked as she approached. Evie's breath hitched as they locked eyes. It was as if her soul was bared to this boy, and somehow she knew he understood her pain without any words being exchanged. It was jarring as the boy broke the connection as he bowed his head, and Evie was forced to return to the city around her.

What she saw made her heart flutter. It had taken only mere moments for the citizens of Vale Serine to stop what they were doing and line the road. Parents clutched their children tightly, people removed their hats, and some placed hands over their hearts… but everyone followed suit. They all bowed their heads. Evie felt the hot sting of tears in the corners of her eyes, and she looked down towards her right. There, just as unsettling as before, was the boy staring back, the dead silence that befell the city echoing loudly.

Then there was a single voice. A deep one. Singing. It was faint and in the distance but easily recognizable. Someone had begun singing the kingdom’s anthem. The melody swept through the hordes of people like a plague until the silence was drowned out, and tears began pouring down Evie's face as a small smile grew on her lips. These people did not know her— most had probably never seen her— yet they lined the streets and paid respects in such a way that these people would never understand how grateful she was.

-> next chapter

[shelbeetaylor]

Chapter Twelve | Insult and Injury

-> story masterpost

-> previous chapter

Theo had waited patiently and silently as the court physician examined Cass’s leg while the physician’s apprentice kept a wary eye on Evie who was inclined to curiously peruse the selection of books on the balcony. When Galen finally pulled away from his examinations, the knight shifted a bit in anticipation.

“Lucky for you, you’ll be fine with a bit of rest,” the old man said. Theo breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn’t caused or exacerbated any injury. “I don’t think I need to tell you to be more careful with your dancing–” Galen looked back at Theo– “or with your pursuits.”

Theo nodded, still wrapping his arms around himself despite the good news. 

“I’ll be able to resume dance then?” Cass asked.

“Just to be safe, I’d take a week off. But a couple days of taking it easy wouldn’t hurt. That means no training.” Cass made a face. “I need to go fetch some ingredients for a draught for you.”

Both Cass and Theo nodded in response and waited until the door closed behind the physician. Terran suddenly appeared beside them, an intrigued look on his face.

“What in the hell happened?” Terran half-chuckled.

“Terran, we need your help,” Cass simply said.

The apprentice’s smile faltered a bit. “Why? What’s going on?”

“We found the intruders,” Theo explained, “and we have reason to believe they’re after the queen.”

Terran brushed a hand over his mouth as he processed Theo's words. “What makes you so sure?”

Cass flicked her eyes towards Theo and he stopped before he could even speak. He knew that look, she’d used it so many times during dinner and court and practically any situation with her mother. He knew what that look meant. “All the evidence points to it being the most likely scenario.”

“And why do you need me?”

Cass smiled a terrifying smirk, and the apprentice began beaming right back at her. 

Gena had almost finished putting away the laundry she was working on when the door to Cassandra’s chambers creaked opened.

There in the open doorway was her mistress being stabilized by Terran as she limped towards her bed. Gena's stomach immediately started turning, and she dropped the clothes she was holding to rush towards the two of them.

“My lady–!” Gena was abruptly stopped by Cassandra holding up a hand.

“I’m fine, just a little dance injury,” she replied with a half-hearted smile.

“More like a Theo injury,” Terran joked.

Gena looked between the two, confused and concerned, and Cassandra shrugged. “I can tell you about it later.” That didn’t make her feel any better about the situation.

“Uh, so here’s the medicine Galen wants you to take. The instructions are on the paper… and, yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Cassandra gave him a small smile, and Gena nodded a farewell. 

Her mistress let out a sigh through her nose and shook her head, but Gena just gazed at her. She looked so tired… deep bags beginning to form underneath her eyes, her movements more sluggish than usual, her eyes a bit bloodshot.

Gena half-heartedly listened to what Cassandra said. Something about a meeting the next night… she wasn’t sure. Cassandra realized halfway through her spiel that the maidservant was not quite hearing everything she was saying.

“Gena, are you listening?”

The maid fell out of her trance. “No, I’m sorry m’lady…” Cassandra pursed her lips, but didn’t say a word. “...Are you feeling alright?”

Cassandra seemed hesitant to answer, but she put on another one of her charming yet false smiles. “Yes, well, besides my newly acquired injury. Why do you ask?”

Gena was unsure if her face reflected how crestfallen she felt. “You just look tired, m’lady.”

“I assure you, I’m fine… though it has been an eventful day.”

The maid sighed through her nose and gave a half-hearted smile. It wasn’t a battle she wanted to fight, but she wasn’t thrilled to give it up either. 

“The recent loss of Wystwillow is not only unfortunate, but it is detrimental to our success in this ongoing war.”

Cassandra was barely paying attention to whatever bullshit speech Valseras was giving at the war council. The man was an idiot. Instead, her mind wandered to the night previous. Cassandra had been working on her translations of Meridian– which were going horribly– and trying out some more spells– which failed miserably. Learning magic was harder than she thought it would be.

“You don’t look too well, princess,” Valseras said, ripping Cassandra out of her foggy brain. “Is there some sickness keeping you from focusing on today’s council?”

The princess flicked her eyes over to the imbecilic general, her mouth gently twisting into a snarl, and replied, “Truthfully it’s your half-witted and dull monologue causing my chronic boredom.”

While the general clenched his jaw in defeat, the queen gave Cassandra a warning look despite the twinkle of agreeance in her eye. Cassandra just smirked in response to it all, though the world was titling a bit. The victory was worth it.

“As I was saying, “ Valseras began again, attempting to recover from his public humiliation… again, “the rebels now hold two major cities in the south of Nevernia.” Cassandra didn’t even try holding back her eyeroll. “With them being our two most important holds on the southern part of the kingdom, I believe it is safe to assume our control of the south has been lost with the fall of Wystwillow. And thus, the loss of the south is extremely harmful to our war efforts–”

“Get to the point, Valseras,” Cassandra's mother demanded.

Valseras, thrown off balance a bit, nodded before continuing. “I believe the rebels will focus their attacks on overtaking Bellbury next.”

Cassandra's eyes moved towards Theo, who was next to the dipshit general. The knight shifted uncomfortably at the mention of his home, yet he stayed silent. She knew no matter how much Theo hated his family, who governed Bellbury, he still loved that coastline city. The idea of what happened at Wystwillow befalling Bellbury had probably haunted the back of his mind ever since that messenger arrived to deliver the news.

Bellbury being the next target wasn’t a completely insane concept. The city was Nevernia’s largest port city, and losing it would seriously hurt their access to resources, especially since their main trading center would be destroyed. Protecting Bellbury would be essential to regaining control of the kingdom.

“After Bellbury, Vale Serine would be next. The rest of the kingdom would fall shortly after.”

Cassandra looked to the map on the table, the figurines laid out to illustrate the current status of every soldier, fort, and city involved in the war. In that moment, the princess could have sworn that some of the pieces were moving slightly. 

“What do you think we should do, general?” the queen asked.

Cassandra and Theo shared a glance across the table because they both knew whatever was about to come out of Valseras’s mouth would be a bunch of bullshit.

“I believe we should gather our army in Vale Serine and prepare to intercept the rebel army before they reach Vale Serine. It’s too treacherous to cross the Never Peaks, so they’d have to enter through the valley.” Valseras began pointing at the map, and Cassandra watched the spires of the castle figurine beneath his finger grow taller and taller. “They’d have to enter the valley from the west, and we’d intercept here.”

Theo shook his head, rolling his eyes as he scoffed quietly, but the general must have sensed the disapproval from the knight that was half his age. Cassandra could no more prevent the smile spreading across her face than stop Theo from completely dismantling Valseras’s entire plan.

“That is the most rubbish I’ve heard in a war council.” Starting off strong, apparently. “You would leave our only port city– the only place where we can receive reinforcements, resources, and weapons from allies– to fall to the rebels' hands?”

“Now, Sir Theodore,” Valseras interjected, “don’t let your personal feelings and ties to Bellbury cloud your judgment.”

“Personal feelings and ties don’t need to be involved, it’s a stupid fucking plan.”

Cassandra stifled a laugh, almost sounding like she was snorting. Another glare from her mother. She should’ve started a drinking game by now.

Valseras puffed out his chest and glowered at the two. “If you’re so smart, then tell the council your genius plan.”

Black spots began forming around the corners of Cassandra's vision, but that would hardly stop her from taking advantage of this perfect opportunity to prove Valseras’s idiocy to the council. A good public humiliation was always a joy.

Theo began his counter argument. “We cannot leave Bellbury on its own. It’s too important to us. I suggest we split our troops, with a heavier focus on Bellbury. As General Valseras said,” Theo gave him a classic Theo smile, “the rebel army would have to travel through the valley to reach Vale Serine, so we’d know where they were headed a long while before they arrived.”

Valseras scoffed much louder than Theo did. “What does that have to do with anything?”

The table rocked back and forth as though it was aboard a ship, yet Cassandra was ready with her comeback. “It means, general, that if the rebels were to overlook Bellbury completely and head straight for us, then we’d have plenty of time to call in reinforcements stationed at Bellbury, subsequently trapping the rebel army in the valley and decimating their ranks. If they decide to attack Bellbury as you predict, then we are prepared to send aid if the troops stationed there so require it.”

Valseras’s face twisted up into a mix of anger, jealousy, and defeat. Cassandra hadn’t realized she was white-knuckling the table until she had to look down for a moment as the rocking became too violent. There was a faint ringing in her ears as she tried blinking away the growing blackness.

“I believe I’ve come to a decision,” the queen said after an indeterminate amount of time. It was hard to tell what with everything in the world shifting around her.

“Maybe you should check with your children first to make sure they approve of your plan,” Valseras muttered. It was becoming hard to hear with the dull buzzing growing louder, but it was certainly loud enough for everyone in the council including Theo and the queen to hear.

“At least Her Majesty can make competent decisions, unlike you,” Theo replied almost immediately.

Valseras’s jaw clenched, but he turned to Cassandra and said, “And what does the beloved princess have to say about it? It seems you always have something…”

Cassandra couldn’t hear the end of Valseras’s sentence as it faded into the background behind the ringing and buzzing. She reached for anything within her grasp to stabilize her body as it went numb. Her vision that was previously plagued by a constantly morphing world was almost instantaneously overtaken by blackness that was so warm and inviting, and she couldn’t help but fall into its embrace. 

Watching his best friend crumple to the ground was one of the most horrifying things he had experienced, and he had seen a lot of horrible things in his young life. One moment she was being her usual self– throwing around witty comments and smirking every chance she got– and the next… The next she had grabbed onto the table violently in the middle of Valseras’s comeback as her eyes rolled back into her head, and her body went completely limp.

Theo literally dove underneath the table to try and catch Cass, though her head had hit the floor before he was beside her. Without thinking a second time, the knight lifted Cass onto his lap and held her while Galen too hobbled his aging body over to the princess as fast as he could. 

“What’s wrong with her, physician?” Queen Ginevra asked only mere moments after Galen began his examination. 

Theo looked up at the old man whose face seemed to show a mix of concern and disappointment, but he simply replied, “I cannot be sure, Your Majesty, but I think it best to return the princess to her chambers and examine her there.”

“We will resume the council after you take your leave, then.”

Theo hid his grimace as best he could, though the physician looked at him with his all-knowing eyes and pursed his lips. “I will need some help transporting her.”

“That’s fine,” the queen said a bit too casually for Theo's liking. “Whoever misses the rest of the council will be informed of the happenings.”

Bastien and Godfrey were immediately taken to Cass’s sides, and Galen returned to his feet with the help of the latter. Bastien knelt down next to Theo, a comforting hand on the other’s shoulder, and lifted Cass off of Theo's lap. Something in him hurt as he was freed from the princess’s weight, and he stood with numbness buzzing through his body.

“Typical. She can’t make it through a council– war or otherwise– without pulling some sort of dramatics.” Valseras was barely able to finish his thought before Theo leaned over the table and grabbed the general’s shirt.

“Do not say another word,” he breathed, inches away from Valseras’s face. “You have no right, and you have no idea what’s going on.”

Theo wasn’t even stopped by the queen for a reprimand as he let go of the general and walked out of the war room. 

By the time Theo had reached the princess’s chambers, Cass was already neatly laid onto her bed as if she had been there the whole time. Her dark waves were sprawled out on the pillow beneath her head, and she lay so still it was almost as if she was dead. It was the most peaceful Theo had ever seen her.

Genevieve stood at the foot of her bed looking over her mistress, hand over her mouth as Galen explained what had happened at council. Her lilac eyes were glossed over as if she wasn’t even listening to Galen’s words anymore, just lost in her concern for Cass. 

“Galen, have you any clue what’s wrong with her?” Theo asked.

“Yes, I believe I know exactly what it is,” the physician replied confidently. He walked over to the nearest nightstand and picked up a bottle filled with liquid. “And the untouched draught I made her confirms it.”

Theo didn’t need to be told what the draught was for. She’d been taking it on and off for years now. He simply shook his head, sighing loudly through his nose. If she weren’t so goddamn stubborn–

The door opened and in walked Terran, accompanied by Godfrey who went to fetch him. Terran gave a small smile as a quick greeting to everyone.

“I brought the medicine you asked for,” the apprentice announced. “And Godfrey told me what happened…”

Galen pursed his thin lips and nodded a thanks. “I’m sure everyone here has suspected it, but I’m afraid the princess simply collapsed from severe exhaustion and sleep deprivation.”

“Do you have any idea how many days she’s been awake for?” It was disheartening every time Theo had to ask this of Galen.

“I gave this draught to her three days ago.”

There were exclamations muttered by both Genevieve and Godfrey. Terran looked like he wanted to crawl inside a dark hole and not come out. Theo ran a hand down his face, unsure if he was more mad at Cass or at himself. 

There was a groan, and everyone’s heads snapped towards Cass. She had begun tossing and turning, whimpering a bit as her breathing became shallow. Genevieve rushed to her side, and Terran moved closer to Galen. Cass inhaled sharply as her eyes flew open, almost panting she was breathing so quickly. Genevieve began cooing soothing words to Cass as the princess looked around, unsure of her whereabouts. Theo had only ever heard Cass talk about her nightmares. It made him sick to see her experiencing them.

Once Cass had realized she was in the safety of her room, she looked about and noticed the four other people sitting there watching her awake. She sat up slowly, Genevieve’s hands still trying to comfort her, and she asked, “What happened?”

Galen was the only one brave enough to respond. “You fainted, my lady.”

“Fainted?” Cass’s eyebrows raised as if she believed she was incapable of such a thing.

“We brought you back here,” Theo explained, “to rest.”

“Rest–?” Cass turned on a dime. “You let me sleep!?”

“You are exhausted, my child,” Galen matched Cass’s anger with sternness just as terrifying. “You are making yourself sick by depriving yourself of sleep. I am prescribing heavy sleeping draughts that you will be taking until you are back in good health.”

The princess gave Galen a stare that would have made Theo submit from fear, yet the physician held her gaze in a way he would never have had the courage to. Cass clenched her jaw and flicked her eyes downward in defeat. 

“Fine. I shall do as you say.”

“Good.”

What followed next was detailed instructions that Genevieve was to make sure Cass followed until the physician deemed her in good health again. Theo hardly paid attention, instead wondering what she saw in those horrific few moments before waking. Could it have been the same dream? Maybe it was a hint to finding the assassins? Or was it a completely different, yet just as terrifying future? He wouldn’t dare ask with Terran around. Cass had made it very clear he was not to know of her dreams. He’d simply inquire later. But still… he couldn’t stop pondering the vision she had just received.

-> next chapter

[shelbeetaylor]

Chapter Nineteen | Wonderings and Willow Trees

-> story masterpost

-> previous chapter

The boy’s eyes grew wider, and all he could say was, “Uhhhh…”

“My first week here,” Evie elaborated, “you ran into me in the hall.”

“Oh,” he said, and then realized. “Oh. Oh, wow, I’m so sorry about that.”

Evie set her collection of books on the floor because they were tiring her arms. “I know. You apologized after you ran into me.”

“Oh…” The boy rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. He really needed to expand his vocabulary.

“Do you have a name?” Evie's head tilted to the side a bit.

“Uh, yeah.”

Evie stared at him for a few seconds in silence before running a hand down her face and sighing very loudly. She proceeded to over-enunciate as she told him, “I would like to know your name?”

“Oh. I’m Wesley Moonbourne. Hi.” Wesley stuck out his hand for her to shake.

Goodness, it was definitely a good thing he was in the library. Maybe by reading he’d figure out how to communicate better.

Evie shook his hand. “I’m going to call you Wes.”

“Okay,” he nodded his head as if approving the nickname. As if he had a choice, it was the best nickname for him. “What about you?”

“I’m Evie Ravenwell.”

“The princess?!” Wes almost sounded a little bit panicked.

“Yeah, but before you freak out about titles, just call me Evie.” 

“Oh, okay. Hi, Evie.”

“Hi, Wes.” 

They both sort of stood there awkwardly for a minute.

“So, what are you looking for?” Evie asked him.

Wes shrugged. “Just some stuff about like… fighting. And knights. Like, famous ones.”

Oh, good. He found a new word. Evie looked at the titles and was a little confused. It looked like he had never done any type of research before because the books ranged from factual combat books to fictional stories about knights.

“Were you looking for mythologies or historical records?”

“Wha– you– oh…” Wes stuttered as he looked at his titles and realized he had picked up the wrong books. “I guess I looked in the wrong section.”

“Don’t spend much time in the library?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever really stepped foot into one before…”

“Well, good thing for you that you met me, who practically lives in libraries.” Evie took his stack of books from him, sat them and herself on the floor, and began rifling through them. “So all of these are the fiction you picked up and won’t really help you, though some of them are a good read.”

“I was wondering why I never heard of a Sir Aglogrenant before.”

“That would be the reason.”

“So… what should I be looking for instead?”

“Well, we’d have to go to the other end of the library probably, but there might be entire anthologies of historical stories dedicated to knights specifically. I think I saw some at home, but I can’t be sure. Best place to start would probably be some basic history books like one on the War of the Priestesses.”

“Why there? There weren’t any knights.” Wes looked up as though he was trying to recall his history classes, just to make sure his statement was right.

“Actually, there was the Bloodguard before there were knights,” Evie said very matter-of-factly while she began returning the fiction books to their shelves.

“What’s that?”

“Well, the Bloodguard were the warriors of the Verian high priestesses. A member would take a blood oath to serve and protect his high priestess, hence why they were called the Bloodguard. Several of Nevernia’s Bloodguard ended up becoming the first knights of the kingdom, and that was very similar for the other remaining Bloodguard as well. Many of the armies the Seven commanded were made of Bleeding Hearts– initiates who wanted to become Bloodguard.”

“Wow, you know a lot about this kinda stuff.”

Evie shrugged. “I just like reading. I guess my brain stores a lot of random knowledge by accident.”

“Well, it’s really cool and really helpful. I appreciate it.”

Evie smiled at him before leading him to the historical section of the library, picking out a couple tomes for him to begin his research with. When Wes was satisfied with the amount of reading he had accumulated, the two of them made their way down to Bedivern’s desk to check out all of their books.

“Ah,” the librarian said as the two approached, “it seems the bookworm has met the eager young knight. Got everything you were looking for.”

Evie and Wes answered simultaneously with variations of yes.

“Perfect.” Bedivern took all of Wes’s books and stamped the inside cover of each before handing the stack back to him. He did the same with Evie's books. “There’s an interesting amount of Valoran legends involving horses, isn’t there?”

“I noticed that,” Evie said. “Quite odd, especially with the amount of drowning that seems to be in the ones I skimmed briefly...”

“I’d love to know what you think of them. I thoroughly enjoy a good symbolism discussion.”

“You think there’s symbolism behind the stories?”

“Well, in folklore there quite often is some sort of symbolism or lesson to be learned. Horses usually represent strength, freedom, or nobility… and I believe drowning is meant to symbolize rebirth.”

“Fascinating… I’ll have to keep that in mind while I’m reading about them!”

“Definitely.” Bedivern handed the books back to her. “I look forward to seeing both of you again.”

Evie and Wes said various thanks and started towards the door.

“Well, I’m gonna go get a start on these, I think,” Wes began.

“I can show you a really nice place to read,” Evie offered.

“Oh, I was just going to be in my room.”

“No, c’mon! It’ll be fun and scenic.”

Apparently it didn’t take much to convince Wes because he agreed to follow Evie with just that.

The day had proceeded to get a little bit colder, but not too cold that Evie wasn’t able to handle it without outerwear. Wes, however, seemed to be especially shivery as they walked down the stone path at the back of the castle.

“Do you wanna go back and get a jacket?” Evie asked.

“No, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You seem bothered by the wind.”

“No, it’s all good.”

“I mean, it’s kinda cold… you should really wear one.”

Wes sighed a little sadly and finally replied, “I don’t have a jacket that matches this outfit.”

Evie was quiet for a moment, trying to recall the last time she met a man that actually cared enough about his appearance to match a jacket to the rest of his outfit. She wasn’t coming up with anything.

“Then why did you wear an outfit you can’t wear a jacket with? It is fall, you know.”

“Well, I wasn’t exactly expecting to go outside. I thought I’d be reading in my warm, comfy room.”

“But this place is so much better than reading in your room, I promise.”

“Okay, if you promise…”

Wes began looking around as the two of them entered the gardens, as if this place was foreign to him. Evie was glancing about too, but she was looking at the state of the flowers. Most of the summer flowers had begun withering away, leaving only the autumn ones growing strong and healthy. The loss of the summer flowers made the gardens seem a lot emptier now. Soon it would be happier to read in her room, and warmer too once the dead of autumn hit. 

Evie led Wes through the rose tunnels which were still blooming and gorgeous. She thought she saw Wes move out of the corner of her eye, but she kept on walking until they reached Cassindrea’s willow tree, the golden branches swaying in the cold breeze.

“Oh, wow,” Wes breathed.

“Nice, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…”

“I’ve been reading here the past couple weeks. Of course, it’s been a lot warmer than it is today.”

“This really is the most perfect reading place.”

“I told you! People should really start believing me when I say things like that,” Evie joked.

“Well, I believe you now.”

Wes brushed aside the branches and approached the trunk, running his hands over the markings in the bark.

“I haven’t quite figured out what those are yet, but I’m hoping to come across them in my readings.”

“Cool,” he grinned.

Evie just watched him examine the tree for a moment before asking him, “So how long have you been here?”

“I just moved here actually.”

“Me too.” Evie joined him by the tree. “Where are you from?”

“Bellbury,” Wes replied. “My aunt and uncle govern the city.”

“You’re related to Teddy?”

Wes squinted for a moment. “Teddy?”

“Theodore Valennard,” Evie explained.

“Oh, yeah. He’s my cousin. That’s why my family sent me here, so I could train with him. They’re very proud of his position among the knights.”

“So that’s what Bedivern’s comment was about? You’re training to be a knight?”

“Yup,” Wes said, then shrugged. “I’m training with Godfrey, though. I guess Theo’s too busy to personally train me. My family just made it seem like I was going to be spending all my time with him…”

“Well, you know, he’s not really allowed to personally train knights because his job is to train, like, all of them.” Evie wasn’t quite sure if this attempt at reassurance was going to work. “He’s also supposed to be Cassie’s guard, so he can’t always be involved in training, and that wouldn’t be fair to you or any knight if he had to miss training to fulfill his other duties. Like, right now, you wouldn’t be able to work with him at all because he had to go to Valoran with Cassie, so you’d be losing out on so much valuable training time.”

Wes sighed. “Yeah, you’re right… Everyone in the family just puts him on such a high pedestal. He was my idol for years, and I never really met him. I guess I romanticized this whole thing in my head for too long.”

“Well, I can tell you right now that once you get to hang out with him, you won’t be disappointed. He’s nice and fun to be around, and I think you guys will get along so well once you get the time to get to know each other.”

“Thanks,” Wes smiled. “I really appreciate that.”

Evie grinned back at him, and the two just stood in silence for a time, listening to the sounds around them. The rustling of the willow branches, the roaring of the Serine River, the animals calling out to each other. Evie absentmindedly ran her hand over the bark of the tree again, feeling every marking in the bark as if they were telling her their secrets.

“Actually,” Wes began, “I am pretty cold, so maybe we head back and do some reading in the warm castle.”

Evie laughed softly. “Yeah, that sounds nice.”

The two of them began their trek back through the gardens, but it was not a quiet one this time. Wes started off by innocently asking her while in the rose tunnels, “Uh, so, what was it like living in Wystwillow?”

“Oh,” Evie had adopted his favorite word, “it was… it was really nice. It was small compared to here, but that was nice. There was enough city to find things to do in it, but whenever we wanted we could slip out into the fields and farms surrounding us and have our own adventures.”

“We?”

Evie took a moment to gather herself before answering. “Me and my friends.”

“Oh…” Wes rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, I didn’t think about how difficult this might be to talk about.”

“Actually, you’re the first person to… ask. About anything.” Evie pressed her lips into a thin, sad line of a smile. “Everyone is scared to talk to me about it. They’re scared to even mention my parents or Wystwillow.”

“So you don’t mind talking about it?”

Evie began twirling a piece of her hair. “I mean, it’s hard to talk about, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to talk about it. It’s just a little difficult, you know.”

Wes nodded quietly. “So… do you wanna tell me about your friends?” “Yeah, I–”

Both Evie and Wes heard what sounded like faint sniffles coming from the other side of the hedge that they were passing. Wes looked to her instead of immediately reacting probably because he had no knowledge of this place. Evie, however, knew on the other side of that there was a small pond with a stone bench next to it. She didn’t say a word or even gesture for him to follow her, but Wes stayed close to her as Evie turned around the corner.

There sitting on the stone bench with her knees to her chest was Gena. Evie's heart sank as she saw the upset look on Gena’s face. 

“Gena?” Evie called.

Apparently the maid didn’t notice Evie and Wes’s presence because at the sound of Evie's voice she sniffled, wiped her face quickly, and sat her feet on the ground. Gena turned away as best she could. “Yes?” Gena’s voice wavered despite attempting to keep control of it.

“What’re you doing out here?”

Another sniffle. Gena shook her head, looking at the ground as she spoke, “Oh, nothing.”

Evie tried to get Gena to look at her, but failed even as she asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” There was a crack in Gena's voice. Evie's face fell a little bit, and Gena stood up. “I, um, have some chores I need to attend to.”

Gena never looked at either Evie or Wes as she almost ran out of the gardens as though she couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Evie just watched her leave, unsure whether following her would actually make things better. Wes stayed next to Evie, watching silently. He didn’t ask any questions, just observing the whole thing. Evie pressed her lips together, staying just as quiet as she tried thinking of what to do.

Wes finally asked her, “Do you want to go after her or…?”

Evie didn’t respond, just racking her brain of how to make things better. She had no clue what was wrong, but there had to be something to cheer her up. Wes stared at her waiting for a response, but she was thinking and thinking and thinking.

“Evie?”

Evie moved her gaze, but before she met his stare, she caught a glimpse of a patch of white lilies growing nearby. Wes’s eyes were raised as though he was concerned about her, but Evie had found the solution. She smiled at Wes and simply said, “Wes, I’ve got an idea.”He stared blankly at her, blinking once before running a hand down his face and shaking his head slightly. Evie took his hand and led him in the opposite direction of the palace, instead going deeper and deeper into the royal gardens. 

-> next chapter

[shelbeetaylor]

Chapter Sixteen | Painful Memories

-> story masterpost

-> previous chapter

Evie looked at the still-dark sky, the absence of birds and the sounds of daytime extremely noticeable. She was trying so hard to keep her eyes open, but she was seriously considering walking the few steps back to her bed, lying down, and sleeping for the next few hours. She was just so exhausted that her body could barely respond to the rustling behind her.

It was just Gena. She was carrying around some clothes– Evie's laundry which had been left out to dry the day before. As the maidservant sorted through the clean clothes, either hanging them up in the wardrobe  or laying the options for the day on the unmade bed, Evie noticed that Gena still seemed off. She had been radiating weird vibes the entire week like she had gotten into a massive fight or something– Evie had seen her bite her lips until they bled several times over the course of just a few days.

“Can I go back to sleep?” Evie asked. She was half-hoping for Gena to laugh and throw out a joke, but also half-hoped that she would actually let the princess go back to sleep.

Gena sighed very audibly through her nose, though it seemed she tried to hide it by moving the chair at the vanity for Evie to sit down at. “It’s an official court send off. Every member of the court is required to be there unless there are extenuating circumstances.” Gena was very blunt, almost with an edge of annoyance. 

Evie sat before the vanity, letting Gena brush out her hair and begin to style it. Gena was content to stare in silent aggression at Evie's amber curls rather than discuss, but Evie knew if she sat there without talking then she was going to fall asleep. 

“I still don’t understand,” Evie began quietly. “I know it’s been discussed a lot, but… why is Cassie going to Valoran?”’

Gena still looked annoyed, but it sounded like she was attempting to be nice. “Since she’s been named heir to the Valoran throne, she needs to make an official visit where there will be an official ceremony in Bellesailles where she will be officially presented to the citizens as the lawful heir to the crown.”

“Lots of official. I don’t think I’ve heard the word used so much in so little sentences.”

“Well,” Gena accidentally pulled on a lock of Evie's hair harder than she probably meant to, “everyone’s all about official-ness around here.”

Evie was a bit hesitant to keep talking, only in fear that she might lose a few more hairs than she’d like to, but she thought this question was a little bit important to know. “Are you going with?”

Gena for a very brief, passing moment looked almost sad as she fumbled with her movements. “No. No, I’m not.”

“So… you’ll get to hang out with me?” Evie asked, hoping to cheer Gena up a little bit. There was a slight tug at the corners of her mouth, and Evie counted it as a win.

“Yes, I guess I will.”

By the time the entire court had gathered outside the main gates of the castle, the sun had begun to peak over the mountains and casted a golden glow upon the citadel. The birds were barely chirping because they were probably just as tired as Evie was at that moment.

Cassie, Teddy, and another knight named Bastien stood steps below the rest of the court, stablehands keeping their three horses still and quiet behind them. Teddy and Bastien were dressed in their usual knight’s armor, as Evie expected and as she usually saw them around the castle. Cassie, however, looked so different than how she always appeared. Tucked into an armored corset was a light, gray tunic, and to match was a pair of similarly colored trousers and boots. A silver circlet laid under a few loose strands of her dark hair which was braided back more messily than her hair usually was.

I guess Gena didn’t visit her this morning.

Cassie, Teddy, and Bastien kneeled before Auntie Ginny, Cassie’s sword clattering a bit against the ground. The handle caught Evie's eye because it wasn’t the plain one Evie was used to. It sparkled in contrast to the silver, dark tones of Cassie’s outfit with its intricate gold and lapis designs. Maybe it was a secret ceremonial sword of some sort, one she didn’t know existed until now… but it seemed strange that Cassie didn’t match her outfit to the sword if she knew she had to have it on her. The clashing was just very unlike the person Evie had come to know.

A light autumn breeze made its way through the citadel, Gena shifting uncomfortably behind Evie as the chill hit her. Evie quite liked it herself, but then again fall was her favorite season of all time. Not everyone enjoyed the colder weather the way she did.

Auntie Ginny stepped down a step to address the court and the travelers. Her voice boomed across the citadel, “Sir Theodore, Sir Bastien, I am entrusting you with my daughter and expect you to ensure her safe return.” Both of the knights bowed their heads. “I wish you well as you go forth on your journey, and may fate grant you luck and safe passage.”

Cassie bowed her head in a rare show of respect towards her mother, though she was very good about sticking to tradition when it came to formal ceremonies. Teddy and Bastien followed Cassie and bowed their heads as well.

“Rise,” Auntie Ginny declared, “and say your goodbyes before your departure.”

Cassie, Teddy, and Bastien raised their heads almost simultaneously and stood up. Teddy and Bastien made almost a beeline towards the knights that attended the farewell ceremony, but Cassie took a moment longer, her gaze still focused down at the stairs.

Evie wasn’t stupid. She knew that Cassie wouldn’t say goodbye to her– unless, of course, Auntie Ginny told her to or it was some sort of formality that she had to adhere to. Her mood for today was certainly not in favor of it. Evie ran into her cousin in the halls of the palace while they were on their way to the ceremony. Now, Evie had learned by now that speaking the wrong words to Cassie in the mornings– or sometimes any words– would result in a one-sided shouting match, but this morning she was more volatile than usual. Even just the slightest glimpse of her little cousin left the princess fuming and muttering horrible things under her breath. Evie was working on the positive thinking Gena was always encouraging, so it was getting easier and easier to brush off the horrid things Cassie would say… but it still made her sad sometimes. Often she was more sad for Cassie than she was for herself.

But all that to say, Evie was almost certain that Cassie would say goodbye to Gena, her dearest friend, yet when Cassie glanced over in her direction there was a twinge of melancholy in her eyes. Gena shifted uncomfortably below Evie, and Cassie slowly turned towards the knights, Terran, and Galen. 

Everyone kept their farewells short and sweet, so within moments they had taken to their horses and awaited Auntie Ginny’s final blessing. The moment the queen bowed her head, the three travelers exchanged looks before turning their horses towards the citadel’s gate and began on their way to Valoran.

The glow of the sunrise cast fading beams of gold onto the journeyers’ path ahead, almost illuminating the roads to take as if leading them in the correct direction. The three of them grew smaller and smaller every minute, and Evie's eyes refused to stop gazing upon them. This was the last time she would see the three of them for at the very least a week, and, unfortunately, Evie had learned the finality of last times. It was a terrible thought, but true nonetheless. So she watched them for as long as she could, silently praying to any higher being to bring them back to her safely. 

The sunlight was dying, giving way to the dark night dotted with white spots. Cassandra didn’t look up at the shifting sky– in fact, she looked directly opposite of it. She stared deep into the heart of the flame before her, gazing at the incinerated embers that were once fallen sticks. She wrapped her cloak tighter around her as the wind rustled through the branches above her, and the horses quietly sighed behind her in response. Cassandra almost flinched as Theo appeared beside her and joined her by the small fire. 

“You’ve been quiet,” he said with a half-grin. “You doing okay?”

All she could muster up was a small smile as well which faltered the moment she tried to plaster it on her face. Theo nodded in agreement and with no hesitation wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she collapsed into his embrace. He didn’t need her to say anything to know what was running through her mind.

“There is no world where this is an easy trip,” he told her, gently caressing her upper arm as Gena would always do to calm her down.

“It never had to be easy,” she mumbled in response. “I just wish it was less painful.”

Theo sighed through his nose. Cassandra knew what he meant by easy, but… she didn’t know, it seemed like she just needed to say it aloud.

“Maybe,” he leaned over and said, “we could request to see a ballet while we’re there?”

Cassandra pressed her lips into a line before barely shaking her head. “I only want to be there as long as I have to.”

Theo exhaled in acknowledgement, waiting silently for a moment before joking, “You know, we are allowed to have fun. This is your future kingdom after all.”

The princess couldn’t help but chuckle softly at the remark. “Well, when I am Queen of Valoran–” Cassandra gestured lazily to emphasize her grandness– “we shall only have fun, always and forever.”

“And how long will I have to wait for that?”

“Oh, at least thirty years, if not longer.”

Theo started laughing as he ran a hand down his face, and Cassandra fell into a fit herself. This time she didn’t jump when Bastien appeared from behind some trees.

“Thank the gods,” he said, carrying an armful of firewood, “it only took you the whole day to get her to laugh.”

Cassandra gained enough emotional strength to lift her head off of Theo’s shoulders, yet she stayed within his embrace while she enjoyed this banter.

“I didn’t see you making any attempts to help me,” Theo replied.

Bastien shrugged. “You’ve got the magic touch, mate.”

Theo rolled his eyes and scoffed, and Cassandra felt a little bit of pride in their improvement. She figured him being on the receiving end of her roll-and-scoffs ought to have taught him some tips by now.

Bastien joined them by the fire. “Theo, you ever been to Bellesailles?”

“I have not,” Theo answered.

“Then I believe our princess here is the only one to have been to the city.” Theo picked up on whatever comedic bit Bastien was attempting before he switched his voice into a high-pitched, breathy tone. “Tell us your stories, Cassandra.”

Theo immediately joined in on the mocking. “Are there many many many shops with pretty things in them?”

“Are the boys there cuter?”

The two knights burst into laughter, prohibiting them from continuing their hilarity. Cassandra gave a master class in the eyeroll followed by the scoff and proceeded to say, “You are both so stupid.”

Bastien struggled to quell his cackling, but he managed to choke out, “Really, though, what is it like?”

A phantom smile must’ve appeared on Cassandra's face, and both of the boys were able to quiet themselves to listen to her.

“It’s… incredible,” she replied, recalling from a time long past. These memories came from the deep recesses of her mind. “It’s called the White City by outsiders, and aptly named so. Every building in the city is made from white stone, and when the morning sun rises, the most beautiful cast of golden light illuminates the city in an iridescent shimmer.”

Bastien and Theo almost seemed to lean into her recollections.

“And the palace,” she continued, “sits at the base of this raging waterfall. Sometimes if you stand on balconies at the far end of the castle, you can stick your hand out and feel the cold mountain water spray onto you. I don’t know how the tallest tower isn’t soaked constantly, but the kingdom’s flag still flies in the wind as dry as a bone.”

Theo’s  lips separated slightly in awe at the thought of the grand city.

There was a small, melancholic smile lingering on Cassandra's lips. “Of course, I could be misremembering. It’s been ages since I visited.”

Bastien asked her, “How long ago were you there?”

There was a long pause. Cassandra could see so clearly in her mind’s eye the view of the city from atop the Never Peaks. The expanse of greenery surrounding the stark white towers. The echoing of the rushing water across the valley. The braying of her horse as she slowed to a stop to gaze at the marvel below her. And that voice that rumbled behind her…

“It was with my father,” Cassandra answered, her smile falling as she stared directly into the flame. “I wasn’t quite ten.”

Both knights shifted at her response, the wonder that possessed them fleeing. She couldn’t quite say anything more, just reverting to the quietness that had been her constant the whole day. And she couldn’t remove her gaze from the flames, still seeing the remnants of her memory flash with each flicker and spark.

Indeed, there was no world where this trip was easy.

-> next chapter

[shelbeetaylor]

Chapter Fifteen | Promises

-> story masterpost

-> previous chapter

Shards of glass came crashing to the ground, Cassandra suddenly faced an army of knives hurtling towards her. Time slowed, but she was utterly unable to move no matter how hard she tried. All she could see was a thousand bright sparkles, and staring back was hundreds of images of her own eyes widening.  

Arms wrapped around Cassandra's waist, pulling her backwards violently. The farther she fell, the tighter the arms around her grew until her back was against another body. As the two of them slammed into the ground– Cassandra's shoulder taking the brunt of the impact– time returned to its usual passage. 

The broken window clattered to the floor like a twisted symphony. Gasps and shrieks echoed throughout the great hall, and Cassandra clutched her arm as she sat up, an arm still wrapped around her waist. 

“GUARDS!” her mother bellowed. The rest of what her mother said was lost in the slight ringing in her ears and the awareness of her rescuer’s arm drifting across her stomach as it parted itself from her body. 

Cassandra turned to find the Starvale pretty boy, groaning slightly as he shifted. When he noticed she was looking, Enoch gave her one of his classic half-smirks, though it was very half-assed. It seemed more like he was trying to cover up his concern than attempting to flirt with her. She didn’t have time for such games anyways. She glanced upwards towards the balcony once more, yet there was nothing more to see.

Evie watched Teddy charge at the man with a swing from above, and she watched his sword hit the ground rather than hitting its mark. The collision jarred Teddy enough to stun him temporarily, and the man was able to take the time to slip away down the other side. Teddy, recovering as quickly as he could, began chasing after him, flying down the main staircase. Evie, without thinking a second time, launched herself after the knight. She barely heard Civarn’s shouts of protests above the clamoring below in the great hall.

The main staircase was just as tight of a space as the back staircase, if not steeper. It may have just been the nerves, but it was like a tomb of bricks spiraling downwards towards inevitable danger. Even so, Evie kept running as fast as she could, sometimes skipping steps and nearly tripping over the steps and her feet, chasing Teddy’s shadow that flickered on the curved wall.

The adrenaline warped time, stretching it as though the world was moving in slow motion. In all reality, sprinting a little over halfway down the stairs took only mere moments, but every second was an eternity in Evie's head. As soon as Teddy came into her view, she skidded to a halt and the world returned to normal. 

Teddy was crouching on the ground over a body, and Evie just barely stopped her sprint in time to not trip over him. She caught a glimpse of corkscrew curls sprawled across the steps, then she glanced a bit farther down the staircase and saw another body just barely in view, Terran’s still face inches from the floor with a small trail of blood running down it. Evie gasped when she realized that Teddy was leaning over Gena, who had a very similar injury.

Teddy flicked his head up at her, clearly unaware that Evie had followed him after the fight. He saw the horror in her eyes, and his first words to her were, “They’ve taken a nasty blow to the head.”

“So the assassins are gone?” came out before Evie could think.

Teddy nodded gravely. Somehow that made her feel better.

“Can you put pressure on this so I can check on Terran?” Teddy asked in such a flat tone that it sounded more like a demand than a question. Evie was careful of Cassie’s sword which had fallen onto the steps nearby, and then knelt next to Gena. Teddy stood up, making room for her, and spoke to her more sweetly than before. “I know it looks bad, but it’s just bleeding a lot. She’ll be fine.”

Evie nodded, and Teddy took it as permission to move further down the staircase to Terran. There was a pool of crimson on Gena’s temple, streams of red running down her face. Evie placed her hands gingerly over the wound, the warm liquid sticking to her skin, and slowly pressed down. She looked over at Teddy who was applying pressure to one of Terran’s wounds as well, and she felt a little bit like throwing up.

No one told her how scary this was going to be.

Footsteps sounded from below and above them, and soon Nevernian guards and Civarn were upon them. Teddy let Civarn take over care of Terran so he could begin giving the guards orders. Search the castle, transport the wounded to the physician’s chambers, protect the court… he doled out so many orders, and Evie just sat there, listening to his voice and waiting for Gena to wake up.

Cassandra couldn’t help but stare at the shattered glass on the ground as if in a trance. The great hall had been emptied of all except the queen, King Guillame, and Cassandra herself, yet her eyes stayed trained on the remnants of the window. She could barely peel her attention away when she heard the echoing of footsteps throughout the hall, but when she did she saw that Theo had finally answered her mother’s summonings.

“I trust you bring news of the timely death of these assassins,” the queen practically demanded as the knight lumbered towards the royals. 

“Alas, I bring no information of their demise,” Theo replied. “I took a few warriors with me–” Warriors is a choice of words. “–and we attempted to trap them on the balcony. We were unsuccessful, and they escaped, Your Majesty.”

“How unfortunate.”

“I believe they have fled the castle, and now that we know their faces they dare not show them in Vale Serine now.”

The queen pursed her lips, but offered the knight a small, approving head nod and dismissal. Before leaving as he was subtly instructed to, Theo glanced over at Cassandra as if to offer some sort of condolences or to explain what happened with one look– Cassandra wasn’t sure. The moment was over before she could even understand what he meant.

King Guillame and her mother didn’t seem nearly as shaken as Cassandra was pretending not to be, though royal breeding came with the benefits of military-like training on appearing to be calm and collected after the worst possible scenario happened just seconds before. Cassandra knew her mother sensed how distressed she was internally which, in all honesty, made her concerned that her military training needed a few years more to work on her. The air was filled with it, tension tainted by the bitter taste of disappointment.

“Well,” the Valoran king said as though he had no idea the empty hall was filled with invisible rigidity, “this has certainly been eventful, but I wish to retire. I must regain my strength for the feast tonight.”

Or maybe he had and he wanted to leave before it got ugly. Cassandra certainly wanted to blink out of existence and wind up back in her room before her mother could utter a word.

“Of course,” the queen replied. “I shall send guards to watch over your chambers until then.”

“I appreciate that, and I bid you both good day.”

Cassandra gave the king her goodbyes, and waited silently in the presence of her mother until the door closed behind the king. The vacuum that would’ve been the king’s absence was filled to the brim with that tension that Cassandra didn’t want to discuss, and she could almost hear her mother’s plans of attack. It was only then that Cassandra tried turning to her mother and saying, “I think I shall do the same. Good day, Mother.”

“It will be a while longer before you do so, I’m afraid.” The low tone of her mother’s voice made Cassandra go still. Somehow the great hall became quieter than it already was, as if those words commanded the natural laws of the world itself and altered reality as they knew it. Once again, Cassandra felt every inch of her body constrict as though her skin had joined forces with her dress and her jewelry and was trying to choke her.  “We have much to discuss.”

Evie sat quietly on the bench, waiting for Galen to give any hint as to the health of Gena and Terran. She could hear the heavy footsteps of the guards outside the door, checking every little crevice in the castle to find the assassins. Teddy had returned after a brief debrief with Auntie Ginny, telling her of the shattered window and the missed mark, and soon the guards were assisting the knight in transporting the two unconscious members of their team to the physician’s chambers.

Evie followed the guards to Galen’s in hopes that she would be of use, especially since Galen’s own apprentice was one of the injured. She was hoping for him to ask her for anything, even just grabbing a bucket of fresh water or sending a message… anything to keep from sitting and doing nothing. Of course, the physician never once inquired for her help, but he did let her sit on his bench while he worked. So she waited, and he worked.

It was almost deafening, the quietness of the room. The moment Galen diagnosed both of the victims with surface wounds, he began slowing down his work pace. Every so often he would switch between working on Gena in the back corner of the room and working on Terran in his bedroom which was up the small flight of steps at the back. Evie knew the moment that Terran had awoken because she could just barely make out murmuring from the other side of his bedroom door. She didn’t bother Galen, though, when he returned to check on Gena.

The door to the chambers swung open not too long after, and Teddy, who had been overseeing the search for the assassins, entered. Galen immediately ceased what he was doing to address the knight’s appearance.

“How are they?” Teddy asked.

“Resting,” was Galen’s response. “Terran said the female knocked them out to make an escape.”

Teddy nodded quietly. “If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”

“I will, sire.”

Teddy looked to Evie, and motioned for her to follow him. The young princess didn’t want to leave with Gena still unconscious, but she figured she could always return after Teddy said what he wanted to say. He shut the door behind her and started down the halls to her room.

She would’ve thought the halls would be filled with people running about doing a most thorough sweep of the castle in case the assassins were hiding away somewhere, but it was just as empty as usual. If not emptier…

“How are you feeling after all of that?” Teddy asked, his voice seeming to travel the entirety of the castle.

“Well, that was really scary…” Evie replied. “...but really exciting.”

The knight chuckled. “Welcome to the team, kid. That’s how we all got started on our adventure addictions.”

“Do they usually end up in Galen’s chambers? The adventures, I mean.”

“Absolutely.” There was a ghost of a smile on his lips as if he was remembering a funny story. “Usually just bruises and scrapes, though sometimes it’s a little more serious than that.”

“Wow, so you guys really aren’t afraid of anything.”

Teddy shrugged. “It’s always fear quelled by the excitement of the adventure itself. It’ll end with an epic story to tell.”

Evie nodded silently. Teddy had no words either for a few moments, and then he put his hand on her shoulder.

“You know, I’m really proud of you.”

“I didn’t do much, though. You kinda did all the work.”

“Even so,” Teddy said, “you were willing to walk into battle with us, albeit a different kind. That’s something to be proud of.” Evie's chest grew warm with a flutter and she couldn’t stop herself from beaming at him. “One day, you’ll be a great addition to our team. I can see it.”

“That was certainly a miracle.”

Cassandra's breath hitched, and she plastered on yet another smile for her mother. The most severe situation she ever thought would happen would be her mother finding her books, or her mother searching for her in Terran’s chambers and finding them together, or, gods forbid, something so horrible happening and the only way to stop it was by magic. What happened in the great hall without even a thought crossing her mind? It was worse than her worst nightmare. “Yes, it was. Good thing Theo was able to stop it all.”

“Ah, but you know and I know that is not true.”

Alarms were going off in her head, almost as loud as the silence in the room and as thick as the tension between them. “What do you mean?” Cassandra tried her best not to sound desperate. 

“Cassandra, you act like I’m blind to your existence sometimes.”

It really seems like it someti– “I didn’t do anything. Theo did this on his own.” The princess started walking away, hoping what she thought sounded like finality would end it all, but her mother wouldn’t allow her to leave.

“I’m not talking about Theo.” Cassandra's breath left her body momentarily. The voices in the back of her head were nearly drowning out her prayers to whatever being would listen.  “You think the window shattered of its own volition? Or the assassin’s aim truly that bad?”

Cassandra's jaw dropped open, her mouth unable to form words. She was almost grateful that her mother couldn’t see the shattering of her facade, but her stomach was turning too fast to let her think of gratitude. Actually, she couldn’t think at all. She could barely figure out what to say next.

“It was magic, Cassandra.”

The words echoed in her head as her mouth dried up. She was half-convinced she would just double over and retch violently then and there, but her body didn’t move an inch. Not a single twitch nor the blink of an eye. Words spilled out of her unconvincingly. “No, it wasn’t. I don’t have magic.”

“It was your magic.”

The hall was as silent as a crypt. Cassandra wished she was as dead as one too. 

“It’s not a surprise,” Ginevra continued, and Cassandra whipped around to face her. “Your father’s line has spawned several witches.”

The princess could barely speak. “You’re not… you’re not mad?”

“How can I be when magic is your birthright?” The queen smiled.

Cassandra couldn’t stop the tears from welling in her eyes, and she too grinned. It was so unreal, the words Mother had spoken.  She never expected this from her mother, the lead prosecutor of her kind.  She understood  that it was not something that could be fixed. Her chest was lighter, like she was one step closer to being free.

“I have one rule, however.”

“What is that?” Cassandra responded quickly.

“You’ll never use your magic again.”

And in that moment, Cassandra fell from the heavens her heart had flown too, and time stood still and she did. The pain was worse than any wound she had received in battle, like her muscles were being ripped apart one at a time and her bones incinerated. Her heart broke for the freedom that she almost had in her grasp, the freedom that she was so violently yanked from, and she was sure you could hear her heart fall to the ground piece by piece.

“Do I have your word?” Ginevra asked.

Cassandra's mouth opened, but no words came out.

“Do you promise you’ll never use your magic again?”

The fire in her bones migrated to her stomach, setting it and her throat alight with a different kind of pain, and one she knew well. She had befriended such a flame many a time before, yet this time she didn’t stop it as it consumed her insides, burning her until she was simply a hollow vessel of heartbreak and rage.

Yet Ginevra could not see all that had transpired in the princess’s mind  those few moments. Her face had been frozen in her state of shock. Cassandra was finally able to press her lips into a thin line, sighing through her nose before replying. “Yes.” Her jaw wanted to clench up as she uttered the words. “I will not use magic. Ever.”

The queen smiled once again, and Cassandra wished she was sinking into the earth below the castle, dragging the queen down to the depths of hell with her.

The feasting hall was lit as brightly as diamonds shine in the sun, fresh peonies and pink ribbons everywhere. At the far end, a band, one of the renowned local ones, played lively music so those who wished to dance could. It seemed the entirety of Seven Crests had shown up for the welcome feast with chalices clinking, dance steps sounding, and conversations fluttering across the hall. All was well.

Cassandra stood at the royal family’s table, the wooden slab decorated in peony garlands and the finest food the royal cook could muster. She held her silver chalice tight in her hand, the red wine sitting peacefully at the bottom. She hadn’t spoken to anyone since her horrid promise, had barely seen someone she cared remotely for. She had been cooped up in her chambers under heavy guard and lock and key until the banquet began. Even after the feast started, her mother and her hadn’t said a word to each other since the great hall, and Cassandra was certainly not about to strike up a conversation with Evie anytime soon. She was too exhausted from every aspect of the day to even think of joining Theo and the knights as they partied harder than anyone in the room.

Instead, she watched her mother engage in light conversation with the Fethan family, smiling and laughing as if she hadn’t almost died earlier. Grinning and joking as if she hadn’t tried to shackle a weight to her daughter’s ankle and push her into the deepest sea of despair and denial. The stunning red dress Cassandra wore felt a little too tight for her skin, particularly the gold neck piece that was holding up the entire gown. Even her golden heels sent uncomfortable tingles through her legs. She could feel the pins in her hair almost shredding her scalp, and the thin band of jewels resting on her forehead constricted, threatening to slice her skull in two.

Cassandra tipped the chalice towards her lips, then flagged down Civarn for a refill.

“Enjoying the party?” Theo stumbled over, laughing a bit. It seemed he had a bit more to drink than she had– probably him sneaking in a flask of stronger stuff for him and the knights to take a swig from while no one was looking. 

Cassandra put on her smile–which was so much more painful than it needed to be– and replied, “Yes. You look like you’ve had a bit more fun.”

Theo grinned idiotically and pointed at her, giggling some more. She felt him not-so-smoothly drop the flask into her hand, but a win was a win. Cassandra dipped behind the queen’s massive chair and took a massive gulp from the flask. It was strong– she certainly winced as she swallowed– but it did the job. She wished more than anything at that moment that she felt fine enough to leave all sense of societal standards and have as much fun as Theo seemed to be, but the exhaustion mixed with Ginevra’s voice in the back of her mind reprimanding her for her behavior made her want to do anything but enjoy herself. 

Cassandra took a moment to exhale before she did something rash, then popped back around and slipped the flask into Theo’s back pocket.

“Look at her,” Theo said, staring out at the dance floor. “She looks so happy.”

Weaving between the partying knights, Evie was twirling around in another one of her pink dresses. Indeed, her heart seemed lighter than ever as she pranced around with each of Theo’s friends, grinning and laughing and spinning while her blonde waves bounced with her movements. The song ended, and a new one began. Cassandra watched one of the men offer his hand, and Evie took the offer to dance willingly and almost immediately. He wasn’t just any man, of course. It was Enoch.

“Indeed,” Cassandra replied coldly, her face falling again. She took another drink from her chalice before reapplying her smile. “You should go back and join them.”

Theo pointed at her again, nodded, and gave a thumbs up. He didn’t even notice her removing the flask from his pocket as he lumbered back towards the dance floor.

He was there, joking, singing, dancing, and having the time of his life. She was here, mixing whatever the fuck Theo brought in with her wine to try and make it easier to drink, wondering how much longer she would have to stay until she could reasonably retire to her chambers. The faster she could leave this place, the safer the entire kingdom would be from her wrath.

Cassandra caught another glimpse of her mother in the midst of being asked to dance by one of the lords, and she slipped back into replaying their conversation in the great hall too easily. Over and over, the words growing louder every time she remembered them. Your father’s line… The time she chooses not to claim the Ravenwell name is when it involves magic? …You act like I’m blind to your existence. Then why did she act like her daughter didn’t exist? Do you promise… As if refusing an entire part of yourself is such an easy, inconsequential feat. 

Then from across the room, she spotted Terran. He had a bruise on his head from the encounter with one of the assassins, but he was alright enough to make an appearance at the feast. He probably had to, thanks to orders from her mother. Yet, there was that glint in his eye, the one she saw appear when he was asked on a quest, when he was allowed by Galen to enjoy the town… the one that appeared when he taught her her first spell. Cassandra drained her cup, setting it firmly on the table before quietly slipping behind the crowds of nobility and servants to stop him before he made his way to the dancefloor to wish Evie well.

“Terran,” Cassandra called. The boy was startled a bit at her sudden appearance.

“Oh, hey! How’s it going? I haven’t seen you since last night so I–”

She was either about to make his night or ruin it. “I need you to promise me something.”

“What is it?”

Terran seemed a little taken aback. She didn’t have the capacity at that moment to consider his surprise or concern. She simply dropped her voice low, leaned dangerously close to his face, and demanded, “You are going to teach me magic at any cost. Whatever it takes, you are going to make me a sorceress.”

“I thought that’s–” He stopped short as he realized she hadn’t moved an inch. Cassandra's eyes beared into him, and the face she displayed was certainly more terrifying than her stare of death ever could be. Terran’s lips parted ever so slightly, almost as if he was amazed by the turnaround of the last couple of days. “You’re sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Terran took it all in, every word she had just said, and his face glowed with his goofy little grin. “I’ll see you tomorrow then!”

Cassandra nodded, almost gravely, and let him return to his business. 

She only briefly wondered why there was a shift in the air, but then she realized she felt the burning stare of Galen trying to pierce her soul. She looked to him, catching his blue eyes red-handed, and she held his gaze with no fear, her countenance unchanging. The old man’s concern seemed to grow, laced with a bit of unease as the princess bared her contempt. Nothing he could say would sway her, nothing he did could cause her doubt. 

And without hesitation, Cassandra exited the feast with no word to anyone else, taking Theo’s flask back to her chambers. Whether or not her mother would summon her the next morning was up for fate to decide, but Cassandra couldn’t give a fuck at the moment. Ginevra wanted to control her, needed to hold all of Cassandra’s strings in her hands. The joke of it all was that Cassandra never had strings to begin with. She wanted a completely compliant daughter? A princess to puppet about as she wished? A child that would bow to her every whim and wish? Cassandra's face twisted into a smirk as she walked alone. Her mother wanted control, and she would find out just how uncontrollable her daughter could be.

-> next chapter

[shelbeetaylor]

Chapter Fifteen | Promises

-> story masterpost

-> previous chapter

Shards of glass came crashing to the ground, Cassandra suddenly faced an army of knives hurtling towards her. Time slowed, but she was utterly unable to move no matter how hard she tried. All she could see was a thousand bright sparkles, and staring back was hundreds of images of her own eyes widening.  

Arms wrapped around Cassandra's waist, pulling her backwards violently. The farther she fell, the tighter the arms around her grew until her back was against another body. As the two of them slammed into the ground– Cassandra's shoulder taking the brunt of the impact– time returned to its usual passage. 

The broken window clattered to the floor like a twisted symphony. Gasps and shrieks echoed throughout the great hall, and Cassandra clutched her arm as she sat up, an arm still wrapped around her waist. 

“GUARDS!” her mother bellowed. The rest of what her mother said was lost in the slight ringing in her ears and the awareness of her rescuer’s arm drifting across her stomach as it parted itself from her body. 

Cassandra turned to find the Starvale pretty boy, groaning slightly as he shifted. When he noticed she was looking, Enoch gave her one of his classic half-smirks, though it was very half-assed. It seemed more like he was trying to cover up his concern than attempting to flirt with her. She didn’t have time for such games anyways. She glanced upwards towards the balcony once more, yet there was nothing more to see.

Evie watched Teddy charge at the man with a swing from above, and she watched his sword hit the ground rather than hitting its mark. The collision jarred Teddy enough to stun him temporarily, and the man was able to take the time to slip away down the other side. Teddy, recovering as quickly as he could, began chasing after him, flying down the main staircase. Evie, without thinking a second time, launched herself after the knight. She barely heard Civarn’s shouts of protests above the clamoring below in the great hall.

The main staircase was just as tight of a space as the back staircase, if not steeper. It may have just been the nerves, but it was like a tomb of bricks spiraling downwards towards inevitable danger. Even so, Evie kept running as fast as she could, sometimes skipping steps and nearly tripping over the steps and her feet, chasing Teddy’s shadow that flickered on the curved wall.

The adrenaline warped time, stretching it as though the world was moving in slow motion. In all reality, sprinting a little over halfway down the stairs took only mere moments, but every second was an eternity in Evie's head. As soon as Teddy came into her view, she skidded to halt and the world returned to normal. 

Teddy was crouching on the ground over a body, and Evie just barely stopped her sprint in time to not trip over him. She caught a glimpse of corkscrew curls sprawled across the steps, then she glanced a bit farther down the staircase and saw another body just barely in view, Terran’s still face inches from the floor with a small trail of blood running down it. Evie gasped when she realized that Teddy was leaning over Gena, who had a very similar injury.

Teddy flicked his head up at her, clearly unaware that Evie had followed him after the fight. He saw the horror in her eyes, and his first words to her were, “They’ve taken a nasty blow to the head.”

“So the assassins are gone?” came out before Evie could think.

Teddy nodded gravely. Somehow that made her feel better.

“Can you put pressure on this so I can check on Terran?” Teddy asked in such a flat tone that it sounded more like a demand than a question. Evie was careful of Cassie’s sword which had fallen onto the steps nearby, and then knelt next to Gena. Teddy stood up, making room for her, and spoke to her more sweetly than before. “I know it looks bad, but it’s just bleeding a lot. She’ll be fine.”

Evie nodded, and Teddy took it as permission to move further down the staircase to Terran. There was a pool of crimson on Gena’s temple, streams of red running down her face. Evie placed her hands gingerly over the wound, the warm liquid sticking to her skin, and slowly pressed down. She looked over at Teddy who was applying pressure to one of Terran’s wounds as well, and she felt a little bit like throwing up.

No one told her how scary this was going to be.

Footsteps sounded from below and above them, and soon Nevernian guards and Civarn were upon them. Teddy let Civarn take over care of Terran so he could begin giving the guards orders. Search the castle, transport the wounded to the physician’s chambers, protect the court… he doled out so many orders, and Evie just sat there, listening to his voice and waiting for Gena to wake up.

Cassandra couldn’t help but stare at the shattered glass on the ground as if in a trance. The great hall had been emptied of all except the queen, King Guillame, and Cassandra herself, yet her eyes stayed trained on the remnants of the window. She could barely peel her attention away when she heard the echoing of footsteps throughout the hall, but when she did she saw that Theo had finally answered her mother’s summonings.

“I trust you bring news of the timely death of these assassins,” the queen practically demanded as the knight lumbered towards the royals. 

“Alas, I bring no information of their demise,” Theo replied. “I took a few warriors with me–” Warriors is a choice of words. “–and we attempted to trap them on the balcony. We were unsuccessful, and they escaped, Your Majesty.”

“How unfortunate.”

“I believe they have fled the castle, and now that we know their faces they dare not show them in Vale Serine now.”

The queen pursed her lips, but offered the knight a small, approving head nod and dismissal. Before leaving as he was subtly instructed to, Theo glanced over at Cassandra as if to offer some sort of condolences or to explain what happened with one look– Cassandra wasn’t sure. The moment was over before she could even understand what he meant.

King Guillame and her mother didn’t seem nearly as shaken as Cassandra was pretending not to be, though royal breeding came with the benefits of military-like training on appearing to be calm and collected after the worst possible scenario happened just seconds before. Cassandra knew her mother sensed how distressed she was internally which, in all honesty, made her concerned that her military training needed a few years more to work on her. The air was filled with it, tension tainted by the bitter taste of disappointment.

“Well,” the Valoran king said as though he had no idea the empty hall was filled with invisible rigidity, “this has certainly been eventful, but I wish to retire. I must regain my strength for the feast tonight.”

Or maybe he had and he wanted to leave before it got ugly. Cassandra certainly wanted to blink out of existence and wind up back in her room before her mother could utter a word.

“Of course,” the queen replied. “I shall send guards to watch over your chambers until then.”

“I appreciate that, and I bid you both good day.”

Cassandra gave the king her goodbyes and waited silently in the presence of her mother until the door closed behind the king. The vacuum that would’ve been the king’s absence was filled to the brim with that tension that Cassandra didn’t want to discuss, and she could almost hear her mother’s plans of attack. It was only then that Cassandra tried turning to her mother and saying, “I think I shall do the same. Good day, Mother.”

“It will be a while longer before you do so, I’m afraid.” The low tone of her mother’s voice made Cassandra go still. Somehow the great hall became quieter than it already was, as if those words commanded the natural laws of the world itself and altered reality as they knew it. Once again, Cassandra felt every inch of her body constrict as though her skin had joined forces with her dress and her jewelry and was trying to choke her.  “We have much to discuss.”

Evie sat quietly on the bench, waiting for Galen to give any hint as to the health of Gena and Terran. She could hear the heavy footsteps of the guards outside the door, checking every little crevice in the castle to find the assassins. Teddy had returned after a brief debrief with Auntie Ginny, telling her of the shattered window and the missed mark, and soon the guards were assisting the knight in transporting the two unconscious members of their team to the physician’s chambers.

Evie followed the guards to Galen’s in hopes that she would be of use, especially since Galen’s own apprentice was one of the injured. She was hoping for him to ask her for anything, even just grabbing a bucket of fresh water or sending a message… anything to keep from sitting and doing nothing. Of course, the physician never once inquired for her help, but he did let her sit on his bench while he worked. So she waited, and he worked.

It was almost deafening, the quietness of the room. The moment Galen diagnosed both of the victims with surface wounds, he began slowing down his work pace. Every so often he would switch between working on Gena in the back corner of the room and working on Terran in his bedroom which was up the small flight of steps at the back. Evie knew the moment that Terran had awoken because she could just barely make out murmuring from the other side of his bedroom door. She didn’t bother Galen, though, when he returned to check on Gena.

The door to the chambers swung open not too long after, and Teddy, who had been overseeing the search for the assassins, entered. Galen immediately ceased what he was doing to address the knight’s appearance.

“How are they?” Teddy asked.

“Resting,” was Galen’s response. “Terran said the female knocked them out to make an escape.”

Teddy nodded quietly. “If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”

“I will, sire.”

Teddy looked to Evie and motioned for her to follow him. The young princess didn’t want to leave with Gena still unconscious, but she figured she could always return after Teddy said what he wanted to say. He shut the door behind her and started down the halls to her room.

She would’ve thought the halls would be filled with people running about doing a most thorough sweep of the castle in case the assassins were hiding away somewhere, but it was just as empty as usual. If not emptier…

“How are you feeling after all of that?” Teddy asked, his voice seeming to travel the entirety of the castle.

“Well, that was really scary…” Evie replied. “...but really exciting.”

The knight chuckled. “Welcome to the team, kid. That’s how we all got started on our adventure addictions.”

“Do they usually end up in Galen’s chambers? The adventures, I mean.”

“Absolutely.” There was a ghost of a smile on his lips as if he was remembering a funny story. “Usually just bruises and scrapes, though sometimes it’s a little more serious than that.”

“Wow, so you guys really aren’t afraid of anything.”

Teddy shrugged. “It’s always fear quelled by the excitement of the adventure itself. It’ll end with an epic story to tell.”

Evie nodded silently. Teddy had no words either for a few moments, and then he put his hand on her shoulder.

“You know, I’m really proud of you.”

“I didn’t do much, though. You kinda did all the work.”

“Even so,” Teddy said, “you were willing to walk into battle with us, albeit a different kind. That’s something to be proud of.” Evie's chest grew warm with a flutter and she couldn’t stop herself from beaming at him. “One day, you’ll be a great addition to our team. I can see it.”

“That was certainly a miracle.”

Cassandra's breath hitched, and she plastered on yet another smile for her mother. The most severe situation she ever thought would happen would be her mother finding her books, or her mother searching for her in Terran’s chambers and finding them together, or, gods forbid, something so horrible happening and the only way to stop it was by magic. What happened in the great hall without even a thought crossing her mind? It was worse than her worst nightmare. “Yes, it was. Good thing Theo was able to stop it all.”

“Ah, but you know and I know that is not true.”

Alarms were going off in her head, almost as loud as the silence in the room and as thick as the tension between them. “What do you mean?” Cassandra tried her best not to sound desperate. 

“Cassandra, you act like I’m blind to your existence sometimes.”

It really seems like it someti– “I didn’t do anything. Theo did this on his own.” The princess started walking away, hoping what she thought sounded like finality would end it all, but her mother wouldn’t allow her to leave.

“I’m not talking about Theo.” Cassandra's breath left her body momentarily. The voices in the back of her head were nearly drowning out her prayers to whatever being would listen.  “You think the window shattered of its own volition? Or the assassin’s aim truly that bad?”

Cassandra's jaw dropped open, her mouth unable to form words. She was almost grateful that her mother couldn’t see the shattering of her facade, but her stomach was turning too fast to let her think of gratitude. Actually, she couldn’t think at all. She could barely figure out what to say next.

“It was magic, Cassandra.”

The words echoed in her head as her mouth dried up. She was half-convinced she would just double over and retch violently then and there, but her body didn’t move an inch. Not a single twitch nor the blink of an eye. Words spilled out of her unconvincingly. “No, it wasn’t. I don’t have magic.”

“It was your magic.”

The hall was as silent as a crypt. Cassandra wished she was as dead as one too. 

“It’s not a surprise,” Ginevra continued, and Cassandra whipped around to face her. “Your father’s line has spawned several witches.”

The princess could barely speak. “You’re not… you’re not mad?”

“How can I be when magic is your birthright?” The queen smiled.

Cassandra couldn’t stop the tears from welling in her eyes, and she too grinned. It was so unreal, the words Mother had spoken.  She never expected this from her mother, the lead prosecutor of her kind.  She understood that it was not something that could be fixed. Her chest was lighter, like she was one step closer to being free.

“I have one rule, however.”

“What is that?” Cassandra responded quickly.

“You’ll never use your magic again.”

And in that moment, Cassandra fell from the heavens her heart had flown too, and time stood still and she did. The pain was worse than any wound she had received in battle, like her muscles were being ripped apart one at a time and her bones incinerated. Her heart broke for the freedom that she almost had in her grasp, the freedom that she was so violently yanked from, and she was sure you could hear her heart fall to the ground piece by piece.

“Do I have your word?” Ginevra asked.

Cassandra's mouth opened, but no words came out.

“Do you promise you’ll never use your magic again?”

The fire in her bones migrated to her stomach, setting it and her throat alight with a different kind of pain, and one she knew well. She had befriended such a flame many a time before, yet this time she didn’t stop it as it consumed her insides, burning her until she was simply a hollow vessel of heartbreak and rage.

Yet Ginevra could not see all that had transpired in the princess’s mind those few moments. Her face had been frozen in her state of shock. Cassandra was finally able to press her lips into a thin line, sighing through her nose before replying. “Yes.” Her jaw wanted to clench up as she uttered the words. “I will not use magic. Ever.”

The queen smiled once again, and Cassandra wished she was sinking into the earth below the castle, dragging the queen down to the depths of hell with her.

The feasting hall was lit as brightly as diamonds shine in the sun, fresh peonies and pink ribbons everywhere. At the far end, a band, one of the renowned local ones, played lively music so those who wished to dance could. It seemed the entirety of Seven Crests had shown up for the welcome feast with chalices clinking, dance steps sounding, and conversations fluttering across the hall. All was well.

Cassandra stood at the royal family’s table, the wooden slab decorated in peony garlands and the finest food the royal cook could muster. She held her silver chalice tight in her hand, the red wine sitting peacefully at the bottom. She hadn’t spoken to anyone since her horrid promise, had barely seen someone she cared remotely for. She had been cooped up in her chambers under heavy guard and lock and key until the banquet began. Even after the feast started, her mother and her hadn’t said a word to each other since the great hall, and Cassandra was certainly not about to strike up a conversation with Evie anytime soon. She was too exhausted from every aspect of the day to even think of joining Theo and the knights as they partied harder than anyone in the room.

Instead, she watched her mother engage in light conversation with the Fethan family, smiling and laughing as if she hadn’t almost died earlier. Grinning and joking as if she hadn’t tried to shackle a weight to her daughter’s ankle and push her into the deepest sea of despair and denial. The stunning red dress Cassandra wore felt a little too tight for her skin, particularly the gold neck piece that was holding up the entire gown. Even her golden heels sent uncomfortable tingles through her legs. She could feel the pins in her hair almost shredding her scalp, and the thin band of jewels resting on her forehead constricted, threatening to slice her skull in two.

Cassandra tipped the chalice towards her lips, then flagged down Civarn for a refill.

“Enjoying the party?” Theo stumbled over, laughing a bit. It seemed he had a bit more to drink than she had– probably him sneaking in a flask of stronger stuff for him and the knights to take a swig from while no one was looking. 

Cassandra put on her smile–which was so much more painful than it needed to be– and replied, “Yes. You look like you’ve had a bit more fun.”

Theo grinned idiotically and pointed at her, giggling some more. She felt him not-so-smoothly drop the flask into her hand, but a win was a win. Cassandra dipped behind the queen’s massive chair and took a massive gulp from the flask. It was strong– she certainly winced as she swallowed– but it did the job. She wished more than anything at that moment that she felt fine enough to leave all sense of societal standards and have as much fun as Theo seemed to be, but the exhaustion mixed with Ginevra’s voice in the back of her mind reprimanding her for her behavior made her want to do anything but enjoy herself. 

Cassandra took a moment to exhale before she did something rash, then popped back around and slipped the flask into Theo’s back pocket.

“Look at her,” Theo said, staring out at the dance floor. “She looks so happy.”

Weaving between the partying knights, Evie was twirling around in another one of her pink dresses. Indeed, her heart seemed lighter than ever as she pranced around with each of Theo’s friends, grinning and laughing and spinning while her blonde waves bounced with her movements. The song ended, and a new one began. Cassandra watched one of the men offer his hand, and Evie took the offer to dance willingly and almost immediately. He wasn’t just any man, of course. It was Enoch.

“Indeed,” Cassandra replied coldly, her face falling again. She took another drink from her chalice before reapplying her smile. “You should go back and join them.”

Theo pointed at her again, nodded, and gave a thumbs up. He didn’t even notice her removing the flask from his pocket as he lumbered back towards the dance floor.

He was there, joking, singing, dancing, and having the time of his life. She was here, mixing whatever the fuck Theo brought in with her wine to try and make it easier to drink, wondering how much longer she would have to stay until she could reasonably retire to her chambers. The faster she could leave this place, the safer the entire kingdom would be from her wrath.

Cassandra caught another glimpse of her mother in the midst of being asked to dance by one of the lords, and she slipped back into replaying their conversation in the great hall too easily. Over and over, the words growing louder every time she remembered them. Your father’s line… The time she chooses not to claim the Ravenwell name is when it involves magic? …You act like I’m blind to your existence. Then why did she act like her daughter didn’t exist? Do you promise… As if refusing an entire part of yourself is such an easy, inconsequential feat. 

Then from across the room, she spotted Terran. He had a bruise on his head from the encounter with one of the assassins, but he was alright enough to make an appearance at the feast. He probably had to, thanks to orders from her mother. Yet, there was that glint in his eye, the one she saw appear when he was asked on a quest, when he was allowed by Galen to enjoy the town… the one that appeared when he taught her her first spell. Cassandra drained her cup, setting it firmly on the table before quietly slipping behind the crowds of nobility and servants to stop him before he made his way to the dancefloor to wish Evie well.

“Terran,” Cassandra called. The boy was startled a bit at her sudden appearance.

“Oh, hey! How’s it going? I haven’t seen you since last night so I–”

She was either about to make his night or ruin it. “I need you to promise me something.”

“What is it?”

Terran seemed a little taken aback. She didn’t have the capacity at that moment to consider his surprise or concern. She simply dropped her voice low, leaned dangerously close to his face, and demanded, “You are going to teach me magic at any cost. Whatever it takes, you are going to make me a sorceress.”

“I thought that’s–” He stopped short as he realized she hadn’t moved an inch. Cassandra's eyes beared into him, and the face she displayed was certainly more terrifying than her stare of death ever could be. Terran’s lips parted ever so slightly, almost as if he was amazed by the turnaround of the last couple of days. “You’re sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Terran took it all in, every word she had just said, and his face glowed with his goofy little grin. “I’ll see you tomorrow then!”

Cassandra nodded, almost gravely, and let him return to his business. 

She only briefly wondered why there was a shift in the air, but then she realized she felt the burning stare of Galen trying to pierce her soul. She looked to him, catching his blue eyes red-handed, and she held his gaze with no fear, her countenance unchanging. The old man’s concern seemed to grow, laced with a bit of unease as the princess bared her contempt. Nothing he could say would sway her, nothing he did could cause her doubt. 

And without hesitation, Cassandra exited the feast with no word to anyone else, Theo’s flask back to her chambers. Whether or not her mother would summon her the next morning was up for fate to decide, but Cassandra couldn’t give a fuck at the moment. Ginevra wanted to control her, needed to hold all of Cassandra's strings in her hands. The joke of it all was that Cassandra never had strings to begin with. She wanted a completely compliant daughter? A princess to puppet about as she wished? A child that would bow to her every whim and wish? Cassandra's face twisted into a smirk as she walked alone. Her mother wanted control, and she would find out just how uncontrollable her daughter could be.

-> next chapter (coming august 10)

[shelbeetaylor]

Chapter Fourteen | One Dagger, Two Endings

-> story masterpost

-> previous chapter

Waking was once again a blessing for Cassandra. All she could see that night was the same dream repeating itself over and over as her body was under the influence of Galen’s sleeping draught. That horrid invention kept her trapped in that nightmare, and she would be grateful for the day it would stop. For now, however, she was haunted by the images flashing in her mind as she prepared for the ceremony at midday. 

Cassandra found herself staring absentmindedly out one of her windows, her gaze falling upon the palace courtyard below. It was flooded with people– knights in armor, locals making their delivery rounds, and workers carrying baskets upon baskets of pink flowers. She had nearly forgotten amidst the chaos… the welcoming feast for Evie was to happen that night.

As she watched the workers move about all the decorations, Cassandra wondered if the feast was even going to happen. Of course, it would… if all went well. If it didn’t, well, everyone in the courtyard would have worked towards nothing. The castle would revert to being devoid of color, as had become its constant state in the recent weeks. In fact, there were only two ways that Cassandra's awful nightmares would end. The first would be after Theo and them successfully thwarted the assassins’ plans, and the entire situation would be avoided. The second… Unfortunately, the second would end with a knife in her mother’s heart.

 “Good morning, my lady,” Gena greeted as she entered, pulling Cassandra out of her thoughts. “I trust you slept well?”

“Yes,” Cassandra replied, still staring out of the window. “Unfortunately, I did.”

Gena made a face at the princess as she began making the bed. “Come on, don’t be like that. It’s good that Galen is fixing your sleeping schedule. You were making yourself sick.”

“Genevieve, you will never know what it is like to have my nightmares,” Cassandra said gravely, turning away from the window and towards the maid. “If you did, you would not so quickly side with Galen and his horrid inventions.”

The maid came to almost a full stop, silence plaguing her lips for a moment. “Are they really that horrible?”

Cassandra gave the floor a small smile. “I have seen things no one ever should, and most times I am utterly helpless to stop them.”

“This time will be different,” the maid said. “It has to be.”

“Perhaps it’s not. Perhaps the reign of my mother is truly destined to end today.” Cassandra then looked at Gena with a sick, twisted half-grin. “Perhaps I am to be queen today.”

Gena seemed a bit frightened, yet she stood firm. “I believe in us. I think we can do it.” Cassandra nodded quietly in response, and Gena finished making the bed. “Do you have a black dress in mind for today, or shall I rummage through them myself?”

Cassandra's lips parted at the thought. “Actually, I believe a new color is in order.”

Evie sat at the table in silence as Teddy finished dressing behind his changing screen. She just listened to the rustling coming from behind the screen, tracing the designs in the piece of wood with her fingers.

“Have you had any fighting experience?” Teddy asked.

“No.”

Teddy popped his head around the screen. “None? Ever?”

Evie shook her head.

“Have you ever confronted assassins before?”

“Nope.”

Teddy stepped fully out from the screen and grabbed his scabbard belt to wrap around his waist. “H… have you ever sabotaged a plan… or anything of the like?”

“Not at all.”

Teddy sighed and ran a hand down his face. “I can’t–” Another sigh. “I’m not giving you a weapon if you’ve no fighting experience.”

“I’d rather not have one anyways,” Evie shrugged.

“You know this is dangerous, yes?”

Evie raised her eyebrows. “I figured that out on my own. And besides, you don’t need a weapon to help.”

“It’s quite nice when you do, though.”

“I am perfectly fine doing what I can without a weapon, even if it does end up being just moral support.”

Teddy sheathed his sword and began pocketing a couple extra weapons, like several daggers hidden in several different places. “What are you even doing here anyways?”

“If I’m being honest, I thought this was going to be like my books,” she replied. “A thrilling adventure to tell tales of. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a part of me that’s excited to be included, but it’s different now. There’s stakes– real ones– and I can’t lose anymore family.”

Teddy opened his mouth as if he were going to speak, but he was interrupted by his chamber door opening. Gena popped around the door, dressed in a new outfit Evie had never seen before. It seemed more battle appropriate, what with the pants and the vest. She even had a scabbard belt, though Evie assumed she was borrowing Cassie’s.

“Civarn and I are ready when you are,” she announced.

Teddy nodded and said, “We’ll meet you in the council room in a few moments.”

Gena bowed her head quickly and retreated behind the door. Evie looked back to the knight, who was doing a quick sweep of his weapons before getting ready to set off. When Teddy was satisfied with the results, he leaned down to Evie's level.

“Are you ready?”

Evie nodded in response.

“Don’t worry,” Teddy told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You won’t be losing any more family today.”

Evie gave a small smile, then joined Teddy in standing and waltzed towards the door. Just as she crossed the threshold, however, she felt a force push her to the side. She stumbled for a moment, but quickly recovered and looked to see what the cause was. Awkwardly standing over her was a boy who looked like he was attempting to catch her. Her eyes met his, fire and hazel swirling in his irises, and he backed away after realizing she was okay.

“My apologies!” he exclaimed, running a hand through his spiky cinnamon brown hair. “Won’t happen again!”

Evie was so close to saying something, but the boy ran off before she could get a word in.

The knock on Cassandra's door echoed through her chambers. Gena had left not too long ago, dressed in her usual battle attire and carrying Cassandra's sword, so no one was there to answer. Cassandra simply kept adjusting her waves in the mirror and called, “Enter!”

Cassandra continued fidgeting with her hair and moved onto picking out jewelry for the ceremony, but she realized halfway through putting in her necklace that it was still silent. She had heard the door open, a couple footsteps, and the door close, but nothing else. Cassandra turned towards the door to find Enoch Starvale standing awkwardly, waiting for her to acknowledge his presence. Cassandra looked him up and down quickly

“What the fuck do you want?” The question came out as more of a statement.

Enoch quietly gulped, yet kept up his usual charismatic poker face reasonably well, “I was assigned to be your personal guard for the ceremony.”

Cassandra gave a slow nod as her lips pursed. “How convenient.”

The knight continued playing with his charade, this time the strength of it renewed. “Extremely convenient, indeed. I get to spend the whole day alongside a beautiful woman, protecting her.” 

“I don’t need you padding after me like a lost puppy dog,” she replied, returning to her vanity. The remark was too sharp, too hostile to be their usual playful banter.

Enoch carried on, though. He smiled his ridiculous little smile and kept going. “I know. The great Cassandra, never needing a man to make sure she’s okay–”

“I am FINE!” Cassandra snapped, her shouting echoing through the empty room and the bracelet she accidentally threw clattering against the stone floor. “Why does everyone think I’m NOT?”

Enoch’s countenance fell immediately. The silence began to ring, only broken by Cassandra's breathing. Her teeth clenched in rage, she was prepared to show him a horrifying stare of death, but instead her jaw went slack and dropped at the sight of his brandy eyes and the melancholy in them.

Her mouth struggled to form words, and she looked away from him. “I…I apologize. That was out of line.”

“Cass–” Enoch immediately backtracked– “My lady…” Cassandra held out a hand to stop him from advancing, and he obeyed. “You don’t have to keep this up. You can be vulnerable. I’m your friend, just let me be there for you–”

“And what?” Cassandra smiled an awful smile, trying to hide the tears welling in her eyes. “I’m supposed to cry on your shoulder while you stroke my hair, then you give me a kiss after I’ve shown you how broken I really am? Is that what you want?” Enoch’s heart breaking in front of Cassandra wasn’t about to stop the words spilling out of her mouth. “I’m just supposed to show you every part of me so you can get the girl? Is that it? Well, it won’t happen. It’s not going to happen.”

Cassandra regained control of her face, setting it into the stare she intended for him earlier. The knight could only stutter incoherently.

“Leave me, and I’ll call you when I’m ready to leave,” she ordered.

He obeyed, bowing quickly before practically running out the door. Once it shut firmly behind him, Cassandra collapsed onto the vanity bench, her breathing a bit labored. Something rolled down her cheek, and in the mirror she saw a tear escape her eye. She wiped it away immediately, making sure there wasn’t another to follow it, and resumed her final preparations for the ceremony.

Evie and Teddy were the last to arrive in the council room. It was strange to see such a usually busy place completely empty. There wasn’t even a guard in sight. Perfect for them, however. It was nice and secluded and quiet. Fantastic for conspiring, or so Evie had been led to believe by her books.

“The ceremony should be starting soon,”Gena declared.

“Everyone clear on the plan?” Teddy asked. He received nods and verbal responses from everyone. “Great, let’s get into position. Civarn?”

Teddy’s manservant nodded and gave his luck to Gena and Terran before leading Teddy and Evie into the hallways. Teddy had warned her on the way to the council room that she needed to be silent the entire time during this mission. She intended on following all of his orders. This plan was not going to fail because of her, so she didn’t speak a word as they traveled through the maze of hallways. There was only the quiet sounds of Teddy and Civarn’s chainmail rustling and the muffled footsteps of the trio to keep her mind busy.

By the time her sense of direction was completely lost, Civarn slowed to a stop and whispered, “Just up ahead is the staircase that leads to the balcony.” He pointed to the adjacent hallway. “That hall is a straight shot to the main staircase, should you need us in an emergency.”

Teddy clapped him on the back and in the same hushed voice said, “Look at that. Not completely useless after all.”

Civarn gave his master a little smile and replied, “I’ll see you in a little while.”

“See you then.” 

The walk to the great hall was a silent one, but Cassandra just focused on the clicking of her heels rather than the lack of conversation. Enoch hid his feelings well, keeping a solemn, straight face and his eyes focused on the path ahead. She did the same, except hers manifested in one of her usual terrifying stares that warded off interaction with other people. Cassandra was so focused on appearing unbothered that she didn’t prepare for what would happen when they turned the corner. 

Waiting outside the doors to the great hall was Cassandra's mother, looking a tad irritated. Cassandra sighed through her nose before continuing on to meet her mother. She kept listening to her heels against the stone floor until she saw her mother’s eyes widen a bit.

“Hello, mothe–” 

“What,” her mother seethed, “are you wearing.”

Cassandra couldn’t help but look down at her dress. She was suddenly aware of every part of the white fabric touching her body. Even the gold detailing began to feel like needles piercing her skin. Cassandra pursed her lips as her dress began to suffocate her.

“Would you rather I have come in trousers?”

“I would rather you follow our traditions and remain in mourning.”

“Well, I’m not mourning anymore,” Cassandra replied.

Her mother opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the sudden appearance of the Valoran king. “My apologies for taking so long Ginevra.”

Her mother’s face shifted in a split second from horrifyingly angry to completely calm. “No worries, Guillame.”

The king nodded, then turned to Cassandra. “You look wonderful today, princess.”

Cassandra smiled a half-genuine smile– the other half was taking pride in the fact that Guillame’s comment made her mother’s eye twitch slightly– and replied, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Shall we begin?” her mother asked rather quickly. She didn’t bother waiting for an answer from either of them as she nodded to the guards. The muffled sound of horns came from behind the grand doors, and Cassandra felt the knight’s arm reluctantly loop through hers before the door swung open.

Time seemed to slow down as Cassandra caught a glimpse inside the hall. Like a sea parted in a far off legend, the council and local nobles stood awaiting the arrival of the princess and the rulers. Familiar faces stood, staring at her and Enoch with dispassionate expressions. Cassandra struggled to level her breath as she saw rays of sunlight falling onto the floor, displaying the patterns of the window panes on the wood floor. Before the knight and the princess was what felt like the longest walk of her life which led up to the fated podium where the Nevernian-Valoran Treaty lay. 

As per the traditions of having an escort, Enoch was the one who initiated the walk. Cassandra followed his lead, concentrating more on keeping her face serene and stoic. It was so quiet in that giant room it took years for the sound of her heels to echo back to her. With every step, Cassandra's throat closed up more and more, her dress growing tighter and tighter, and her legs growing shakier and shakier. She caught Enoch glancing over at her, and he lightly squeezed her arm. Maybe he sensed her feelings, or maybe she wasn’t hiding it well. By the time Cassandra and Enoch reached the podium, Cassandra was forcing herself not to throw up as her heartbeat rose to her throat.

They turned at the base of the podium and moved to the left. Not too far behind them was the queen and the king. The crowd of people bowed their heads to the two rulers who gracefully floated across the floor. Cassandra took in a deep, audible breath watching her mother, and she felt another light pressure on her arm. Cassandra didn’t acknowledge the knight a second time, instead glancing up to the balcony at the back of the room. There was no ominous black mass, nor a mysterious figure looming over the crowd. It was empty. 

Cassandra's mother and King Guillame stopped before the podium and turned to face the crowd of people. The queen began addressing the crowd, “We welcome you all to this momentous occasion. It is truly an honor to share this day with those we trust. As most of you are well aware, the plans for my daughter and King Guillame’s son to marry were shattered by the untimely death of Prince Henri.” Cassandra clenched her jaw a bit. “While we mourn his death and keep his memory in our hearts, we have faith that this treaty will honor the merge we wished to forge with our heirs’ union.” 

Gena tried to quiet her breathing as much as possible. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her head she thought her eardrums would burst soon. What Cassandra had said that morning unsettled her, but she was not about to let that interfere with the mission.

Terran was next to her in this hiding spot of theirs. Unlike Civarn, the physician’s apprentice wore his usual shirt, scarf, and jacket rather than any sort of battle attire. Granted, he was being trained to heal rather than to fight, but after all the adventures they’d been on even Gena had acquired some pieces more fit for defending the kingdom than her normal dresses. He was barely even armed, just carrying a small dagger. She’d barely seen him wield the thing in all her years of knowing him. Again, she could attribute it to his studying to be a physician, but still… She just wasn’t quite sure how much help he’d be in a fight. Gena would much rather be the backup. Gods above, she wished Cassandra could’ve fought with them.

Terran was unnaturally silent. It shouldn’t have been right, but being undetectable was a certain skill of his. Gena tried copying everything he did in hopes that she could even semi-emulate his hiding abilities. She was not about to be spotted and end up the reason the plan failed. 

Two sets of footsteps echoed down the barren hall. 

Gena and Terran glanced at each other, and that was all the communication they needed. Both of them shifted ever so slightly so the incomers were within view. Gena initially made eye contact with Civarn, who hid across the hall for a more hidden escape. They held stares for a few seconds longer as the footsteps grew nearer. Gena's breath hitched, and two figures passed by and blocked her view of Civarn. They moved and looked like shadowy ghosts in the night, sans the audible footsteps– though their canter sounded almost exactly like the guards’. 

Gena felt two taps on her arm, and she turned to see Terran still following the movements of the figures. That must’ve been his sign to warn Civarn. Gena popped her head back around to find Civarn wasn’t there. She let out a quiet exhale and returned to her hiding spot, hoping that Civarn would get there in time to warn Theo.

Evie heard the faintest footsteps a split second before Civarn appeared.

“They’re here,” he said, barely getting the words out before Teddy turned to the stairs and unsheathed his sword.

Cassandra's mother had been droning on about the little specific details in the treaty. Each territory change. Each law amendment. Each promise. It was getting exhausting to listen to, but it seemed that she was the only one struggling to focus.

“...and finally, the Forest of Raya shall be given over completely to Valoran,” the queen declared.

A small applause came from the crowd, and Cassandra feigned her best smile and clap. She could feel Enoch’s eyes glance her over at the lack of sound from her hands. She didn’t have the energy to muster up a wordless answer. She just wanted this to be over with.

King Guillame stepped forward as the short applause began dying down. He cleared his throat and began to announce, “There is one final, vital part of the treaty. One that with the signing of this document shall permanently bond the kingdoms of Nevernia and Valoran forever.”

It took so much energy to prevent each of her muscles from twisting her face into one of confusion. This was a bit grand for some territory and law agreements, wasn’t it?

“With my kingdom out of heirs and no way to produce more, Queen Ginevra and I decided it best to honor the union that never was. As of now, Crown Princess Cassandra Ravenwell of Nevernia is hereby the sole heir to the Valoran throne and Nevernia shall acquire all Valoran land upon my passing.”

Cassandra's jaw dropped. A thunderous applause echoed in the great hall. Her body went numb. The court was full of smiles. She was to inherit two kingdoms. She never wanted to throw up more in her life than she did in that moment.

Enoch gently put a hand on her shoulder to bring her back to reality. He must’ve seen her face, and him reading her face meant that the entire court could see her thoughts. Cassandra forced herself to take a breath, and steadied her features. She had to retain some semblance of dignity. 

Gods, the rest of them better take care of the assassins.

Evie chased Teddy up the small, dark staircase, Civarn following closely behind. Teddy moved so fast in his heavy chainmail, faster than Evie thought possible, but she did her best to keep up with him, skipping as many steps as she could without tripping herself. When the staircase suddenly got bright again, Teddy ducked out of sight above her, and immediately the sound of clanging echoed down the staircase. Evie sprinted as fast as she could up the last few sets of stairs.

When the wall opened up to a bright light, Evie squinted for a moment, the view of Teddy blocking low and high strikes from a black-clothed figure coming into focus as her eyes adjusted to the light. The figure– one of the assassins, it must’ve been– struck again in the middle, but Teddy held his blow for a moment with his sword before pushing back against the man. 

Below the fight was the entire Nevernian court, unaware of the battle going on above them as they proceeded with the treaty signing. Even Cassie was focused solely on the speeches being given by Auntie Ginny and the King of Valoran, her face full of confusion and a hint of something else that Evie couldn’t quite figure out.

The male assassin feigned a high attack, instead opting for a strike at the torso– but Teddy was not fooled. He easily blocked the assassin's swing, holding him there in an attempt to off-balance him the way he tried with Cassie a couple days ago. The assassin, however, pushed off Teddy before he had the chance to attempt any unbalancing tricks and began delivering blow after blow for Teddy to block.

Teddy attempted to strike back, lunging forward aggressively, but it was easily sidestepped and parried by the assassin. Teddy’s sword slid so far his crossguard almost collided with the assassin’s blade, and he began to fall into the assassin. The man shoved Teddy off with his bare hands, throwing the knight into the wall before ordering the other figure behind him in another language.

Evie didn’t even realize there was someone else on the balcony, she was so focused on staying out of the way of Teddy and the man. Civarn nor her had the chance to help out as the balcony was too small to sneak past the battle without being impaled.

Teddy blocked a low strike, then dealt a succession of his own– low, high, high, low– as fast as he could.

Evie watched the other figure raise her arm, a blade glinting in her hand.

Teddy shouted as he pushed the man backwards again, letting out a resounding, “No!”

Cassandra heard Theo’s shout echo across the great hall from the balcony. Everyone stopped and looked to the source– even her mother paused in the middle of her sentence to figure out what was going on.

On the balcony there were just shadows, figures backlit by another massive window of the great hall. Three figures were up there– no misshapen blob of darkness to be found. One shadow must’ve been Theo because two of them were fighting while the other– 

The final shadow raised an arm, a sparkle shining in the sunlight.

It was happening.

It all was coming true.

The dagger soared through the air, spinning gracefully as a leaf would on an autumn day or a petal in the midst of spring.

Cassandra outstretched her arm, shrieking just as Theo did moments ago, not really knowing if her reaching would have an effect on the flying weapon.

Cassandra's chest and arm grew warm with energy for a split second.

The dagger continued on, striking the floor and skittering across the wooden boards as it missed its mark. Her mother’s eyes widen at the sight, King Guillame and several knights and guards drawing their swords in preparation to fend off another attempt on the queen’s life.

Then there was a loud cracking echoing around the hall. Cassandra's gaze shifted slowly from the still dagger on the floor to the window before her. Splintering cracks spread quickly throughout the great window, the glass’s reflection on the floor distorting on the floor as the damage infected the whole window.

And the glass masterpiece shattered, caving inwards with a horrible screech.

-> next chapter

[shelbeetaylor]

Chapter Thirteen | Perhaps a Dream, Perhaps a Memory

-> story masterpost

-> previous chapter

Cassandra had been forced to change into her nightgown, per Galen’s demands. Gena had followed his every word, drawing the curtains over every window and alerting the guards nearby that no one was allowed to enter without good reason. Now it was just the physician and the princess in her chambers. Cassandra laid her back against several pillows, her lower body covered in the sheets and blankets as though she was ready to retire for the night. Yet it was midday, and here she was.

The old man prepared to give the princess her final orders, and she awaited patiently with her arms crossed over her white embroidered gown. “Now, you are to take the lighter draught I’ve made and you’ll get a few hours rest– and I will not be leaving until I’ve watched you take it.” Galen set the bottle down on the nightstand next to her. “I’ll return later at night with a draught that’ll induce a much deeper sleep, and you’ll take that every night until we’ve remedied your sleep schedule.”

Cassandra sharply exhaled through her nose, and Galen gave her a look. 

“You understand, my child?”

“I do,” she replied weakly. “Yes.”

“Good.”

Cassandra fumbled with her fingers for a moment. “I’m sorry.” She stared at the end of her bed as she spoke, not daring to look anywhere else. “I just… I need you to…” Cassandra took a deep breath and looked at the physician with a bit of tears stinging her eyes. “I was just so scared. The things I saw– the terrible things– I couldn’t bear seeing them every night, and I just need you to know that.”

Galen stared at her with that parental figure stare that she had seen so many times in her life, and his hand patted her shoulder. “I understand, my child. I do.”

She smiled meekly up at him before reaching for the draught and downing it in one.

Once again Cassandra was standing in that gods forsaken great hall. She wished for nothing more than to be in the waking world, but the sleeping draught had her under its horrid spell. She hated it and the awful silence that filled her head.

Yet… this vision was different. The princess stood before one of the massive windows of the great hall, white light pouring into the room and no dagger in sight. She looked away from the blinding window to find the rest of the room suspended in animation. Cassandra saw the entire council standing there, mid-applause. She could see them with such clarity that she could name the familiar faces, each one staring ahead with an unnerving gaze of glass.

Cassandra glanced towards where the eyes were staring and found her mother and the Valoran king before a podium. Both were dressed in their finest outfits, the kind of clothing only fit for formal occasions like a treaty signing… which seemed to be exactly what King Guillame was in the middle of. Both of the rulers had equally as empty eyes as the council did, yet Cassandra kept looking to her mother and waiting for those autumn brown eyes to widen in fear.

Where was the princess herself? She was between the council and the rulers. She was the last defense, the only one awake in the middle of this giant, silent, frozen room.

Just as she thought the dead silence was becoming comforting, the dagger flew into view. It froze in the same place as before, rays of light surrounding it. This simple object that could cause ungodly chaos if it struck right. Cassandra stood for a moment, staring in awe or in horror– she couldn’t tell. The blade didn’t move an inch as she circled it, gazing at the marvel that was a dagger suspended in mid-air.

Cassandra glanced up towards where the dagger had come from, the angle of it suggesting it came from above instead of from in the crowd. Sure enough, the hidden balcony overlooking the hall harbored a figure, yet Cassandra couldn’t make it out. They appeared as a black mass that shouldn’t have existed in the first place, the shape seeming to not have a form in the first place as its edges moved in and out of existence. This… mass… this was who she and Theo had to stop. They were the target.

Cassandra turned back to the dagger, and just as before her body felt as if it was controlled by another force as she reached for the blade. Just as her fingers were about to graze its sharp metal, the dagger continued hurtling through the air. She should’ve watched it continue onwards, but she couldn’t. Instead she was faced with the window again. The glass looked as if it were about to shatter with lines running through it, branching as though a spider had meticulously designed it to catch prey. There still wasn’t a sound, just the cracks growing and growing and growing and growing–

Cassandra found herself sitting up, staring at her chamber wall. Her heavy breathing and the faint footsteps outside her door broke the stillness of the room. It was all a dream, albeit a horrifying one. Either the sleeping draught had worn off, or she somehow managed to fight herself into an awakened state. Either way it was a blessing.

The room itself was so dark she was unsure what time of day it was. All the curtains were drawn so even the slightest bit of light was unable to peek through. Gena’s tirelessly thorough work, of course. That girl did more for Cassandra than was required of her job. A true friend. Yet, somehow she missed a spot… over in the far corner. The light of a candle dancing in the darkness… 

“Cass!”

Cassandra and Gena had almost made it to Theo’s chambers when Terran appeared beside the two of them. The princess halted when she heard her name. 

“I need to speak to you,” Terran continued in a low voice, “alone.”

Cassandra looked to Gena as her maidservant did the same. She gave a small smile and said, “Go on ahead. I’ll be right there.” Gena nodded and continued on her way. Cassandra waited until her maid had rounded the corner and was completely out of sight before turning back to Terran. “What is so important? I’m already late because of your stupid sleeping draught.”

Terran sighed through his nose, though whether he was annoyed at the comment or just gathering courage was anyone’s guess. “Galen told me you weren’t sleeping because of that dream you had– but I could’ve figured that out anyways.”

“What of it, Terran?”

“I know you must’ve seen more.” Cassandra clenched her jaw, her gaze falling to the tile floor. “That draught induces a deep sleep, I know you must’ve.”

“Again, what of it?” She looked into his eyes, and he was slightly taken aback.

“You can’t tell them.”

“Why not?” Cassandra's brows scrunched up. “I’ve had a premonition that could save my mother’s life. We have to use that information or the plan will fail.”

“I–” Then he sighed loudly. “I’ll think of something. You just… They can’t know you’re a Seer.” Cassandra froze almost instantly. He’d never called her what she was, even though they’d known for a year now. It felt almost wrong to hear the words come out of his mouth. “The gift of prophecy… it’s just too close to magic. They won’t understand.”

“But what if they do?” Cassandra was grasping at straws because she was not about to tell Terran that Theo and Gena already knew.

“Cassandra,” Terran said in an even more hushed tone, “they will burn you without even knowing you are a witch. You can’t take the chance. Not until you’re queen.”

Chills raced across Cassandra's skin as she stood, completely paralyzed. Terran waited patiently for her to say anything at all, though she felt more like throwing up than speaking.

“I won’t say a word,” she finally said. “I promise.”

Terran gave a small smile as a thank you.

For once, her cousin sat there with a face of stone. No wide smile, no bubbly exterior. Evie was taking this seriously, as though life wasn’t just a game to enjoy or a silly little adventure in one of her books. The sudden change was a mystery to Cassandra, but it was one she welcomed.

“So what we know so far is that there are two assassins that have infiltrated the castle, and they mean to kill the queen during the signing ceremony tomorrow,” Theo debriefed.

“Not exactly,” Cassandra said without hesitation which immediately sent Terran into a panic next to her.

“What do you mean?”

“Uh, so we did some investigating before we came!” Terran blurted out, and Cassandra exhaled audibly in slight annoyance. “We found some… things…”

After giving the apprentice a classic Cassandra look, the princess turned back to her audience. “The assassins will be targeting my mother from the balcony, and it seems the preferred weapon is a small blade like a knife or a dagger.”

“We could put more guards up there,” Theo suggested.

Cassandra shook her head. “No, that’ll just be more loss of life. We have to get up there and stop it all during the ceremony. It’s the only way it’ll work.”

Theo dropped his head, trying to come up with a solution. Everyone else was silent in thought as well. Cassandra certainly didn’t have an answer.

“Well,” Civarn began unsurely, “there’s a hidden back way up to the balcony.”

Cassandra's lips parted slightly, and Gena was the first to respond. “How do you know that?”

“I discovered it in our last plan for saving the kingdom–” Civarn was talking about the time a glamor-utilizing, revenge-bent sorcerer had infiltrated the knights and was about to be knighted with Josiah. That was about a year ago, if Cassandra remembered rightly. “–on accident. We could use it and get the jump on the assassins.”

“That’s not a half-bad idea,” Theo agreed.

“We’d need someone on lookout,” Terran interjected. “We can’t go too early or they’ll kill us, but we can’t be too late or… well, you know.”

Theo hit his hand on the table. “I’ve got it! We can have someone on the lookout near the balcony’s main entrance for the assassins, and they’ll signal to another person when it’s time to move up. That messenger will return to the group, the group heads to the balcony, and the assassins will be thoroughly surprised.”

“We need a backup plan too,” Cassandra added. “In case the assassins attempt to flee the way they came up. There should be a second group trapping them in the balcony by going up the main entrance.”

“The only problem I’m foreseeing is how everyone is going to get out of going to the ceremony,” Terran admitted.

“Civarn and I are easy,” Gena said, “no one would notice our absence.”

“I might be able to convince Galen to let me skip if I tell him I’m running errands… or something.”

“The queen already wants me heading the security for the event, so I can tell her I’m needed to detail instead of attending,” Theo declared.

“I don’t know how I could get out of it,” Evie said, a bit of sadness in her voice.

“You could ask for anything from my mother and you’d get it handed to you on a silver platter,” Cassandra half-joked, earning glares from almost every set of eyes in the room. “Make something up.”

“Oh. Uh… I guess I could say I’m not feeling well?”

“That’s perfect,” Theo assured her.

“I’m sure I could come up with some similar bullshit,” Cassandra claimed. The room went unnervingly silent as everyone stared at her with blank eyes. “What?”

“Cass,” Theo started, “you can’t be serious.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re still in recovery,” Terran stated.

“But I’m fine!” she insisted. “Besides, you need me if the plan is going to work.”

“We can’t take the chance that you’re unfit to fight,” Theo agreed. “It’s too dangerous.”

“You’re benching me?” Cassandra half-laughed. “You’re joking.”

“I’m serious, Cass. You’re not fighting.”

“Then who’s taking my place? You need strong fighters to beat these assassins.”

“I can do it,” Gena said. Cassandra whipped her head around to get a good look at her maid. “I know I’m not great, but I’m the next strongest fighter.”

Cassandra wasn’t even sure what to say.

“That’s perfect,” Theo immediately agreed. “Terran, if you could be lookout and back up Gena, and Civarn could be the runner. Evie, you’ll be with me. Sound good?” Everyone nodded, one more enthusiastic than the rest of them. “And Cass?”

Cassandra looked over at the knight, not bothering to hide her irritation and displeasure. She raised her eyebrows, telling him to go on.

“You’ll be with your mother, making sure everything goes to plan. Our last line of defense.”

When the meeting was concluded and the plan was set, Cassandra had discreetly told Gena to wait outside for her. She wanted to talk to Theo alone. Of course, Gena ended up not-so-nonchalantly dragging Civarn out of the room as well. It mattered not. She was simply determined to argue with Theo about his and Terran’s decision, and she’d yell at him until he agreed with her. 

But when she turned away from the door, she saw him staring at her with an unfamiliar look on his face, and Cassandra hesitated. 

“I want to apologize–” the knight began. Not out of the ordinary. In fact, quite a regular occurrence, but still unexpected. “– for ignoring your warnings.”

“Oh… I…” Cassandra adjusted the fur shawl covering her nightgown. “It’s nothing. I wouldn’t have believed me either.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s the principle of it.” Theo sighed through his nose and leaned against the table, his hands beginning to flail about as he spoke. “I should have trusted you, no matter how wild or unbelievable it was. I know you wouldn’t lie to me about such a thing, and you wouldn’t bring it up if it wasn’t important… I… I lost sight of that, and I’m sorry.”

Cassandra took up a spot next to him, leaning against the table as he did. “Thanks…” Then her face lit up with a playful grin. “...asshole.” Theo’s laugh was laced with something else… something inherently sad. Cassandra, master of getting what she wanted out of the knight, furrowed her brows ever so slightly and gave him the look he couldn’t say no to. Theo took one look at her and sighed again.

“I just need to know,” he said cautiously, “because you… you know… dream the future… Does it mean you… well, you have magic?”

Cassandra opened her mouth, her jaw moving a bit as if about to form words, but nothing came out.

They will burn you without even knowing you are a witch.

“No,” Cassandra said with as little hesitation as possible, adding a smile at the end. “Galen says it’s a common misconception. ‘The work of prophecy is too close to the work of magic’ and other nonsense.”

“Oh.”

Cassandra grabbed his arm. “You know you can’t tell anyone else, right? People wouldn’t understand– my mother wouldn’t understand. It’s safer if no one knows.”

“You can trust me. I’ve kept you and Terran’s secret this long, I can keep another.”

Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Theo.”

He gave her a small smile. “Sleep well.”

“You too.” 

She gazed out over the balcony. The openings between the wooden slats were too thin to get a good, hidden shot, so she’d have to settle for staying in sight. The balcony was far enough away from the ceremony that the two of them would be unrecognizable. Perfect for a getaway.

Moonlight lit up patterns on the wooden floor, outlining the shape of each window in that great hall. It was just as beautiful as the other ones she had been in. Nothing new to see. Just old money flaunting its wealth. She used to get so sick, so angry at it all… Now she was indifferent. It was too much energy to get upset over each royal asshole now.

He finally returned with the two’s usual attire– all black, tight-fitting clothing with a hood and a mask for each of them. They couldn’t take chances now that the knight commander spotted them in the gardens discussing. He knew their faces, and that made him dangerous. She wanted to kill the commander tonight, but he refused. Stick to the script, he had said. Only the target we were paid for. He just didn’t want to ensure their safety and have some fun while doing it. 

He laid down a bag with various weapons, all choices for her to use during the kill tomorrow. Can you make the shot? he signed.

She made a face at him that caused him to throw his hands up in the air. 

I only grabbed a few. Didn’t want to make too much noise or draw attention.

She rifled through the bag as quietly as possible. There was a crossbow made from the finest wood of the southern kingdoms. A classic choice for a quick kill, but also too easy. There was no spirit, no challenge at all in using. Next to it was a bow of the same making. Now a bow was more exciting to use. There was more of a challenge in making sure the aim  was true, but it wasn’t right for this job. Her instincts told her it didn’t fit. There were a couple melee weapons that were immediately disqualified– you couldn’t exactly use a sword or a mace to strike from the balcony. No, this job required a ranged weapon.

Then she saw the pair of daggers at the bottom. They were a relatively new edition, as the last pair got lost on the job several months ago. They were simply temporary replacements until the two could get better quality ones… yet there was something so alluring about the simplicity of it all. A dagger to the heart was a tale as old as time, but the drama of a throwing dagger from nowhere? It was perfect. The weapons were untraceable too as they were nothing special, so leaving them after the kill wouldn’t cause any problems in the long run.

It was decided. She removed the daggers from the bag and held them by the plain black handles. These would be Queen Ginevra’s downfall. The end of her tale, marred in bloodshed and war, would come with the silver metal embedded in her chest.

-> next chapter

[shelbeetaylor]

Chapter Ten | Danse Macabre

-> story masterpost

-> previous chapter

Cassandra was stopped in the hall by a firm hand on her shoulder. A quick and agitated spin revealed the owner to be Theo who tried to hide his grimace at the sight of her. 

“What do you want, Theo?” The irritation had crept so far into her voice that every word now was coated in it.

“Oh, sorry. Do you have somewhere urgent to be?” 

The pity glazing over his eyes hadn’t left them since yesterday.

“Dance,” was Cassandra's concise reply.

“Oh… right…”

Cassandra turned to leave, but Theo cleared his throat instead of just saying he wanted to talk.

“Go ahead,” Cassandra added a nice, large gesture to show her annoyance. “Speak.”

“I- uh…”

She shook her head in silence, eyebrows raised as she waited for a coherent sentence.

“Ahem… Evie left in a hurry.”

“And?” It was the same impactful word from earlier, just much less smirk to accompany the displeasure.

Theo’s response was a drooping face of disappointment, a rare sight from him. Usually she’d be somewhat emotionally affected, but she too was in a rare mood. “You don’t think you were even a little harsh?”

Cassandra cursed under her breath before saying, “She interrupted an important discussion matter.”

“You mean she interrupted your dramatic takedown.”

“Didn’t we just have a massive argument? I’m getting deja vu.”

“You seriously don’t think anything you did was wrong?”

“No, sorry.” The apology was dispassionate, unlike the swirling in her stomach. “Maybe I’ve finally lost all sense of morality.” 

“Cass, Evie seemed really upset. I mean, you physically put her down in the middle of council. I’m sure that hurt her feelings.”

“Yes, because her feelings are clearly the most important matter when in council.”

Theo stepped back slightly, his shoulders dropping a little. “Don’t you care?”

“No.”

Theo looked almost as if he was repressing a shudder.

“If all you came to do was talk to me about her feelings, just let me go to my lesson.”

“Are you okay?”

Cassandra was a little taken aback by the sudden question. “You think I’m not?”

“In all honesty, no.” Theo seemed a little nervous as he confronted her. “No one ever said you were the most sane person in the first place, but you’re just… I know this isn’t all because of the king and Henri.”

Cassandra was at a loss for words, and instead she just shrugged. Theo’s jaw slid open only ever so slightly.

“I know you’re not prideful, not enough to get angry with your cousin in front of a room full of government officials.”

“Glad I have you to tell me what I’m like as if I didn’t know myself.”

“Is this because you’re not sleeping? Is that what’s making you like this?”

Cassandra's jaw tightened.

“I can see it in your face, Cass. How long have you been awake?”

“You act like it’s irregular for me to not sleep. I never sleep. This is common knowledge.”

“No, that is a joke. This is reality.”

“And now we can apparently add ‘psychosis’ to the list of things you think is wrong with me.”

“Cass–”

“Speak to me again when you’re ready to not criticize me for the way I run my court.”

Theo was left standing alone in the hallway.

“Maestro, if you please.”

The pianist sitting not too far away began playing a simple melody, just one to warm up to. Cassandra's arms moved in time from prep to first, opening to second. There was almost no thought to her execution of the rond de jambe pattern her instructor laid out for her. Her movement did not reflect the lack of concentration, instead her feet and legs moved perfectly in time with a controlled power.

The men wondered how she was able to do half the things she could on the battlefield, and this was it. Years and years of training. This was the one ladylike thing she did, the one thing her mother could actually be proud of her for doing. 

On the beat, Cassandra turned to execute the opposite side of the exercise.

Weekly lessons in ballet to appease her mother, but also because she grew to understand the power that was in dance. Every fiber of her being was constantly working, keeping her body in shape in a more beautiful way than the knights could ever care to try. That and this was her time to think, to drift away into the empty recesses of her mind and just be. Then, she’d take everything she had felt and throw herself into choreography. The lessons became one hour that she could never sacrifice.

The music slowed to a stop, and her arms finished in prep.

“Excellent.” Her instructor’s thick Valoran accent laced the words.

Mother wouldn’t have it any other way. The finest instructor only. Valoran was known to most as a kingdom with the highest quality in entertainment. Many young dancers aspired to move to the capital city of Bellesailles to audition for the world’s most critically acclaimed ballet company, and Cassandra's instructor just happened to be one of its former prima ballerinas.

“I was thinking we could take a break on the Giselle piece and instead try a new one.”

Cassandra had been previously working on the famous mad scene from the ballet, per her own request. She had seen it performed impeccably by a traveling ballet company when they passed through, and she felt a little inspired to try her hand at it.

Cassandra's instructor explained as she pulled out sheet music and handed it to the pianist, “Many years ago, I starred in an original ballet about a fiery missing princess traveling the world to find her way home. She was full of passion and fire, as well as pain and sadness. I shall teach you one of her final dances where the man who has been hunting her finally confronts her.”

It took an unusually long amount of time for Cassandra to learn the choreography. It wasn’t the individual moves themselves, it was the act of remembering the moves that troubled her. Her instructor had to take small steps– figuratively– with the choreography just so Cassandra could keep up, thick mental fog disabling any ability to recall dances.

She even found herself wandering as her instructor gave her the next moves in the combination, specifically her thinking about how much she aspired to be like her instructor. The instructor, though getting on in years, displayed the combinations as spritefully as she must have when she was first playing the role. The strength, the intensity, the emotion, all things Cassandra aspired to attain in her private dance career. The fluidity through each leap, kick, and turn powered by the toned muscles hidden beneath a feminine exterior, it was all she had in battle and all she wanted in dance.

The instructor took a brief moment after running the combination a couple of times before saying, “We may build on this combination more in the future, but for now I want to see what we have created. Maestro?”

The piano began on a steady beat, and Cassandra started off. The moves themselves were not difficult, especially since she had been doing them for several years but stringing them together proved more difficult than she anticipated. Between each insufficient leap and lost footing, Cassandra caught her instructor’s disapproving gleam. She soon signaled to the pianist to stop, and Cassandra followed suit.

“You are focusing too much on the moves,” the instructor said. “The point of this was to focus on your emotions. If you want to execute Giselle’s mad scene correctly, you must learn to harness emotions and let them out. I want you to take it again, but with feeling this time.”

Cassandra's jaw clenched as hard as possible, but she returned to her beginning mark. Her instructor watched carefully as Cassandra took up the beginning pose in b-plus.

“I want you to see the antagonist as you dance. Who is it?”

The rhetorical question invited tension into Cassandra's body. A myriad of people.

“Now, you are angry. This person has hurt you, and you want revenge… but you also want it to be over. How does that feel? What would you do? Show this to me through the movement.”

The instructor gave a nod to the pianist, signaling to start the piece.

Piano lilting softly underneath, Cassandra's mind lingered on the words her instructor had said. An antagonist? Oh, there were many. The names came to her each time she stepped, her arms gracefully arching over her head in an alternating pattern.

To begin, there was Theo. Yes, they argue like brother and sister constantly… but this one was new. Different. He had always been her right hand, a loyal knight and friend. Now, he challenged her authenticity, believed she was going insane or some sort of other logical explanation. He challenged her authority, taking the side of an outspoken child rather than standing by the future queen. 

Then there was Enoch. The Starvale pretty boy. Vale Serine’s leading playboy. Nevernia’s charisma connoisseur. The titles were endless. Cassandra never shied away from playful flirting between her and the knights as well as other friendly male faces. Enoch was different. He meant it. Well, there was never a time in which he didn’t mean it, but he meant it. The looks he’d give her. The concern for her wellbeing. The way he caught her earlier. Cassandra was also all for keeping up appearances, but it was physically painful. It would be easier to just fall in love with the man throwing himself at her, and it pissed her off that she just couldn’t.

A grand battement nearly threw Cassandra off balance as the music picked up. She didn’t notice the look on her instructor’s face, a mix of both growing concern and glowing pride.

She couldn’t handle General Valseras either. The man was a genius but a complete idiot, a statement meant in the most derogatory way possible. His strategic thinking knew no bounds, but the man couldn’t execute an attack to literally save his life. Cassandra and Theo, two people who were decades younger with significantly less military experience, had led more successful attacks than this man. Most of them involved parties of five or less fighting hordes of twenty men or more. Valseras had virtually the entire Nevernian army at his disposal against significantly outnumbered rebels, and he still managed to lose the most important battles in this war. Like Wystwillow.

Speaking of Wystwillow and Valeseras, the thought of her cousin tensed her muscles. Cassandra faltered in the middle of a pirouette.

Evie. Cassandra hated that she shared a name with such an immature little girl. Being a legal adult meant nothing if one didn’t act like it. She couldn’t even sit through a council meeting without spouting her outlandish opinions– now, this specific incident wasn’t as outlandish as the earlier outbursts had been full of, but the point remained. Cassandra was embarrassed by her, angered by her, and she was barely able to restrain herself in council. The world had no clue the fire in her, and Evie about got burned. She probably would soon.

The pianist struck a chord as Cassandra missed a landing, the music ramping up into the finale of the dance.

But the person at the top of her shit list… her mother. Queen Ginevra. People said she carried the strength of the Ravenwell women. People were wrong. Cassandra had known the history of her family for years. It was her history as well as her kingdom’s history. Somehow people forget that her mother married into the Ravenwells and had no blood relation to those legendary women. Her mother had no right to claim the Ravenwell strength for many reasons.

She was the one who continued the persecution of magic wielders that was started by Cassandra's grandfather. She was the one who encouraged the former king to wrap himself up in these endless wars with other nations. She was the one who convinced Cassandra's father to walk into the battle against the southern rebellion that got him killed. She was the one who murdered innocent people like her own daughter for the people they loved. She was the one who valued her orphaned niece over her own daughter who had risked life and limb to fight for justice and freedom, the basic founding principles of Nevernia.

Her mother deserved nothing.

In the middle of a fouette, Cassandra's ankle sickled, and her leg began to collapse. The fear in her instructor’s eyes was very real as she watched her pupil fall, but Cassandra could barely see through her vision that was distorted by dizziness and exhaustion. Her depth perception was very clearly out of whack as the room’s length and width was changing consistently, and her coordination was also completely sabotaged. It was the fading pain in her ankle that brought her mostly out of it, though a slight throbbing remained.

As a servant, Gena should have knocked every time she went to enter a noble’s room. As a person, Gena only cared about the rules when she knew the noble on the other side of the door cared about them. Evie, as had been displayed the past few days, cared little if at all for the social constructs the castle lived by. It was probably a good thing too that Gena burst into the room.

She found the young princess crying on her bed, laying in a lazy fetal position and hugging a small pillow. Evie didn’t move as Gena approached the sobbing princess.

“Go away.”

“That is not happening, whether you like it or not.”

“I don’t care. Go away, please.”

Gena chuckled as softly as possible. “You know, you sound a lot like Cassandra when she’s upset. Except you’re much nicer. She never says please.”

Evie found no amusement in this. “I don’t wanna talk about her.”

Gena sighed, gazing at the princess, and sat down on the edge of the bed. She leaned back as she spoke, “You know I’ve found that it really does feel better to talk.”

“Does it?” Evie tried sounding skeptical, but curiousness creeped into her voice.

“Definitely. You don’t even have to put in effort to fix it. You just–” and she grandly gestured with her hands as she continued– “let it all out.”

Gena let the thought sit with Evie for a moment, waiting for her to speak.

“Council sucked,” Evie finally said.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

There was another moment of silence, and Gena was really trying not to smile because this was not a funny matter at all. It was just… in an odd way, it was cute.

“It’s just that she didn’t have to treat me like that. She agreed with me too, but she still treated me like that. I just… I don’t know. It’s like my opinions don’t matter.” Evie hesitated for a moment. “Maybe I shouldn’t be here.”

“Why’s that?”

Evie hugged her pillow a little tighter. “I don’t belong. I’m just a burden.”

Gena sighed through her nose and placed her hand on Evie’s nearby leg, gently stroking with her thumb in an attempt to calm the princess. “Listen, Cassandra is not the nicest person at first, but she really does have a good heart.”

Evie shifted slightly as her only response.

“And I’ll bet that she’s probably jealous of you…”

“Really? Why would Cassandra be jealous of me?”

“Because you’re happy,” Gena smiled, trying to add an almost joking lilt to her voice. “And because you don’t conform to her standards.”

Evie tried to hide the smile growing on her face. “That doesn’t give her a reason to be mean.”

“No, it doesn’t.” Gena shrugged and stood up to face the princess. “You and Theo still have time to go to the gardens, if you wish.”

Evie perked up.

“I’d go fetch him now, though,” Gena advised.

“Where can I find him?”

To the untrained ear, the noise coming from the armory would sound like a pack of wild animals, or perhaps a poorly executed enemy invasion. In all actuality, it was just Theo and his knights being… well, Theo and his knights. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that these were the same men that headed the most honorable order that was envied by the world.

“That was funny!” Enoch said.

“No, it wasn’t,” Josiah replied without hesitation.

“Actually, it’s hilarious– I’m hilarious. You all just have no sense of humor.”

“Maybe it’s because you never stop talking,” Bastien interjected, eliciting laughter from the rest of the group.

Enoch sighed, shoulders slumping a little. It was at that moment that Ivor put his massive golden hands on Enoch’s shoulders as he stood behind him. Ivor, being taller than every one of the knights, rested his chin on Enoch’s head.

“I think you’re funny,” Ivor admitted, his defined jawline rippling as his face displayed a smile. 

Enoch threw out his hands, trying to move his head a little as possible. “At least someone still has faith in me.”

“Barely,” Theo chuckled as he began removing his armor.

Bastien, who had stipped down to his underclothes faster than the rest of them, headed to his locker on the other side of the armory. Godfrey was about to join him after hanging up his armor and weapons, and everyone else was taking their sweet old time removing their armor. Theo observed them all from his seat upon the bench as he himself unwinded from the training session.

Josiah ran an umber hand over his velvet black hair whose curls were cut close to his scalp, his similarly colored eyes noted droplets of sweat that stuck to his fingers. Josiah was the runt of the pack, a wiry little thing of common blood. Despite his small frame, he was hardy and defined, but above all his hard work and proficiency with a battle ax earned the boy from the middle class Milmore family a spot in the knighthood. Josiah wiped the sweat off with a towel and asked in his usual somber husk, “Hey, Theo, you decided who’s going to the war council tomorrow?”

“Yes, I need to know if I actually have to wake up tomorrow,” Enoch chuckled as he threw his gauntlets onto the bench, Ivor still impeding his ability to undress. Theo could spot the glinting of his necklace underneath his halberk, the silver charm displaying the crest of the noble Starvale family.

“I have in fact decided that I will be taking Bastien and Godfrey with me,” Theo responded as he gently set his halberk on the bench.

“Fantastic,” Enoch replied.

“Great,” Josiah smiled, then trailed off as he saw Theo's raised eyebrows. “I mean… damn… sad I’ll be missing it…”

Enoch chucked a glove at Josiah which hit the knight in the face and caused an uproar of laughter. Through his own howling, Theo watched the Herculean Ivor rustle Enoch’s windswept hair out of its near-perfect condition. The simple gesture was gentle, something the burly knight cared about a lot. Theo had seen with his own eyes the violence Ivor inflicted not just with his sword but with his bare hands. Ivor seemed to be more a gentle giant with his breathy, quiet bass of a voice and his bright smile, but his eyes were as blue as bruises and his short hair blonde as ash. It was, at the same time, horrifying and heartwarming.

It was even more so when one knew where he came from. Ivor never discussed it much if at all, but Theo had made it his business to know when he was recruiting him. The knight was of the most humbling background, coming from next to nothing. Ivor still refrained from discussing exactly where he hailed from, but offered to Theo the knowledge that he fought tooth and nail to work his way into the grimy, bone-chilling underground fighting rings of Serine’s Hope, one of the outermost districts of Vale Serine. Theo, and the rest of the knights too, respected the boundaries set forth, but one couldn’t help wondering what made him change his surname to Fontiaq.

“Alright, alright!” Bastien called from his locker. “Who’s the fucker who thought this was funny?”

It was a few moments before Bastien rounded the corner for the big reveal. In his hands he held up one of Cassandra’s dresses, sending the men back into a howling fit. Theo was on the verge of tears, rendering him unable to make any hilarious comments. The rugged knight’s stubble twisted into a scowl, his blue gray eyes looking upon the knights with disappointment. 

Enoch, wiping tears from his face, managed to spit out, “Got yourself a fancy ball to get to, Bast?”

“You best be back before midnight,” Josiah cackled. “No prince wants to kiss a knight in armor!”

“Ha ha, hilarious,” Bastien’s voice remained calm with his usual gruffness mixed in. “Seriously, where’re my clothes, guys?”

The only response was continued laughter. Bastien, in turn, let out a heavy sigh as he ran his free hand through his long, almond brown curls. While the rest of the group was still incapacitated with laughter, Godfrey popped his head around the corner and said, “No worries, friend. I’ll help you look.”

Bastien nodded his head in silent thanks and said to the rest of them, “I want you all to know you suck and can fuck off.”

“Don’t be like that!” Enoch called after him. “It’s only a joke, mate.”

“I feel like since I’ve been banned from participating in pranks, I should not be the target of them anymore. It’s not fun.”

It was true, the knight had been removed from the running due to an absolutely masterminded plan that ended in disaster. It had simply been referred to as the Great Prank since  the queen had not so subtly forbidden them from speaking about it. The mass destruction it caused was both epic and concerning, and ultimately proved that Bastien’s genius was too dangerous to be allowed to ever pull a prank again.

“Sorry, mate,” Enoch replied. “Everyone’s fair game, you know the rules.”

Bastien shook his head in defeat, and walked back to his locker. As soon as he was out of sight, the four remaining looked at each other to silently ask who pulled the prank. Josiah smiled sheepishly, his way of claiming responsibility. Ah, quiet but dangerous that one was.

Stifling his laughter, Theo grabbed the armor laying on the bench next to him and crossed over to the lockers so he could change. The lockers sat behind a few rows of weapons displays– the final display being a collection of hunting spears– and there one could find Bastien and Godfrey bustling about. Theo watched out of the corner of his eye as Bastien tried hanging up Cassandra’s dress on the spears without tearing it. Godfrey, the sensible one, simply muttered a “give it here” and took the dress into his hands.

Godfrey was different from the rest of the crew in many ways. It was not his looks per se, but the way he acted, the way he carried himself, even the way he fought. The heavy accent plaguing his speech hailed from his origins in the Mariposa Archipelago, one of the smallest kingdoms in Elysium as it was just a small collection of islands. Despite the slander, rumors, and all around negative talk of Mariposa, Godfrey never once shied away from the place he was born and raised. He was proud to come from the Archipelago, and he often claimed his talents were forged from the fires of his homeland.

Bastien frantically rifled through his locker, then the others as well, but to no avail. Godfrey took his time, handling the dress with gentle care. Of course, he knew if he did otherwise then tragedy would befall him. Even the slightest tear and Cass would make good on her promise to slowly and painfully dismember anyone who ruined her clothes, and the physician’s apprentice was practically threatened into helping  in the coverup.

In the few times Theo had extensively interacted with Terran, he’d actually said some pretty comical things about the knights. As Terran said, Godfrey looked like he was ‘a mound of terra cotta finely sculpted by the gods into a glorious being of pure muscle.’ Theo may not have been attracted to men, but he couldn’t disagree with the statement either— what with Godfrey’s luscious midnight waves slicked cleanly back and his tender, smokey black eyes. Though Enoch was often labeled the most attractive due to his charming personality, he and Godfrey were constantly contending for the title as far as looks went. And it was especially fun when the knights had Terran debating the argument.

In any case, Theo watched how the knight tenderly handled his princess’s dress, calmly suggesting places that Bastien should search for his clothes. Whether it was his warm baritone voice or his serene disposition to the whole situation, Bastien’s franticness began to ramp down, his searching becoming less hurried and more efficient… until the three knights left behind began hysterically cackling like a band of hyenas. The three by the lockers all poked their heads around the displays only to find Bastien’s clothes being tossed around like children’s playthings. Bastien’s anxiety immediately spiked and he jumped in the middle trying to snag his clothes out of the air, despite the discouragement of Godfrey who could only stand there holding Cass’s dress. Theo couldn’t help but burst into a fit of laughter again at the sight of the knights playing monkey in the middle with Bastien’s clothes, the hilarity bringing the knight commander to tears.

As insane and chaotic as this group was, this hodgepodge collection of men was Theo's safe space. They trusted each other with their lives everyday. No secrets, no worries, no judgment. There were, of course, boundaries as with any relationship, but there was little that the knights didn’t share with each other. They were his best friends— his brothers— and a far better family than the one Theo left behind. So he laughed, he felt true joy, and he enjoyed every little moment with them. They lived as if each day was their last, and they knew better than anyone that it very well could be.

Through his tears, Theo saw a flash of pink and it drew all his attention away from the chaotic knights. The rest of the knights fell into silence as well when they heard Theo's laughter stop, curiously peeking over their shoulders to see what ceased the howling fit.

“Hey, Evie,” Theo said, quickly wiping away his tears. “Uh, what do you need?”

Evie stood there innocently, glancing between each of the knights before responding.

“I want to go to the gardens.”

-> next chapter

[shelbeetaylor]

Chapter Nine | Stop Losing

-> story masterpost

-> previous chapter

As soon as the door to Cassandra's chamber closed, Gena unleashed her wrath upon her mistress. Hell hath no fury when Gena was involved.

“You didn’t come back last night,” the maidservant stated.

“Yes, I know,” Cassandra said in prime smart-assery fashion. 

“You didn’t tell me. You told me nothing, in fact.”

“I was with Terran,” Cassandra shrugged and replied more calmly than the last remark.

“Okay, great!” the maid exclaimed with a false cheeriness. “That would have been nice to know, hm, last night.”

“I understand–”

“No, no you don’t understand,” Gena snapped back. “You have never understood, and that’s why we’re here. We’ve been here a lot, actually, but I just never said anything.”

“I just stayed with Terran, Gena.”

“You do not understand what the consequences of your disappearing are. I had no clue where you were. None. Maybe you were still in the palace, but so often that is not the case. You literally could have been anywhere, the tavern, training– gods know why you do that at such weird hours– setting out on a new and insane adventure, or maybe you had been kidnapped again.”

“Wait, that happened before?” The comment did not land the way that Cassandra wanted it to. 

“You just don’t understand that people rely on me to know where you are. I have to deliver messages, and help you prepare, and answer everyone’s gods-damned questions about you. You know Enoch stopped by this morning?”

“Yes, I do.”

“He said your presence was requested by the queen. The. Queen. And all I could do was shrug because I literally had no idea, no hint of your whereabouts. I mean besides my concern for you as a friend, I am just trying my best to do my job, and here you are running around like your actions have no repercussions. You are just lucky that the queen hasn’t come around asking for you and I looked like an idiot because you’re fucking a girl.”

“And that was uncalled for,” Cassandra stated.

“No, actually, it’s not.” Cassandra quietly stalked over to her wardrobe, and Gena followed her. “That’s actually happened a few times with the knights, but of course I didn’t know what was going on until after you decided to reappear. You are a high maintenance, reckless, sometimes extremely spoiled princess, and you make my job very, very hard–”

Cassandra silently presented Henri’s gift which had been hidden in her wardrobe since the night before, and Gena immediately ceased her hysterics.

“Is… That’s…” Gena stuttered.

Cassandra unsheathed the gift, the blade glinting in the sunlight. “Yeah.”

“But…?”

Cassandra then proceeded to set down the scabbard and reach for the note on the vanity. The unopened note. She brandished the signature on the front next to the royal seal. Gena gently took the parchment into her hands, her fingers barely daring to touch the letter.

“The king talked to me and gave me these, and I just needed a little bit to… process.”

Gena was still focused on the sword in Cassandra's hand. “Isn’t it supposed to be passed–”

“From crown prince to crown prince. There’s no more crown princes in Valoran.”

“I just…”

“I know. And by some rash act or mindless wandering I ended up in Galen’s chambers with Terran.”

Gena carefully set the note back onto the vanity, and Cassandra sheathed the Valoran sword again, tossing it onto the perfectly made bed.

“I’m sorry,” Gena said, “for yelling at you. And for cursing.”

Cassandra's face brandished a small smile. “It’s okay. I should have said something.”

“Will you next time?”

“I will. Promise.”

Both of them paused just as the conversation did, and they took a moment before they absentmindedly went about the usual morning routine. Cassandra sat on her bed next to Henri’s sword.

Gena was the first to speak as she rifled through the . “So, um… What did you and Terran do last night?”

“We’re… well, we’re trying to figure out a way to fix my… outbursts.”

“Wait,” Gena stopped and looked at her, another black dress in her hands, “you’re not… you don’t mean…?”

It felt uncomfortable to vocalize it. “I decided to learn magic.”

Gena went back to preparing Cassandra's things for her to get ready, trying to hide the fact that she was smiling. “I didn’t think you’d ever do it.”

Cassandra tilted her head down a bit as she smirked. “I’m glad you have so much faith in me.”

“I didn’t mean–”

Gena was interrupted by a knock on the door. Cassandra's playfulness left as her brow furrowed, and she held up a hand to Gena as a signal to continue as Cassandra answered the door. Gena obeyed, Cassandra listening to the maid’s shuffling around as she stalked towards the door. Cassandra cracked the door open just enough to stick her head through, and she gripped the side of the door once she saw who was there. He just wouldn’t quit, would he?

“Hey, um…” Enoch began quietly. “Do you mind if I come in?”

Eyebrows raised and shoulders shrugged, Cassandra replied and opened the door wider, “Sure.”

Call her whatever, but she had no intent of postponing her morning routine while the knight visited. Gena stopped and looked at her, but Cassandra once again motioned for her to continue as is. Gena’s response was a shake of the head as she went about the rest of the preparation. 

“What do you want?” Cassandra asked him, her annoyance for the interruption already showing through. Maybe it would scare him off.

It did not. “I just… felt like I needed to check up on you.”

“Oh?” Maybe disinterest would work.

It didn’t. “Well you just look…” Cassandra raised her eyebrows and Enoch hesitated as if he was about to say something less than favorable about her current state. “I only meant…”

Cassandra turned her back to him, heading toward the changing screen, and waved a hand in dismissal just as her mother would. “Just stop before you embarrass yourself and get to the point.”

The knight was very flustered at this point. “Well, um, like I said earlier, I wanted to check up on you. Make sure you are okay… and stuff.”

“Enoch, seriously, what do you want?”

The knight adjusted his scabbard belt, a way of trying to hide his uncomfortability by acting like he was tucking his deep cut gray tunic back into his pants. “Look, I saw how upset you were last night.”

Though Cassandra presumed that was what was going on, she stopped at the edge of the screen, her hand resting on the top of it.

“I’ve never… well, I’ve never seen you cry, so that was a little startling.”

Cassandra turned back to him and half-forced another playful smirk as she leaned against the screen with one arm. “Ah, yes, emotional woman needs attention. I understand.”

“No, that’s not–” Enoch began as Cassandra slipped behind the screen in the most sensual way possible. She earned another look from Gena for that. “Oh, fuck, wait, are you–”

“First he wants to crawl into bed with me, but now he’s unnerved as I change behind the screen,” Cassandra mocked, Gena stifling a laugh as she unlaced the corseted back of the gown. “Please, Enoch. You can’t see a thing, just keep talking like you usually do.”

Enoch tried shaking off, well, all the thoughts in his head. She could tell in his eyes the stunned state he was in with a hint of interest– maybe arousal. Who knew and who cared, certainly not her. She just maliciously smiled at the fact that she was able to get under the skin of the smoothest talker in the kingdom. “I, uh, I didn’t mean you needed attention, or anything. I…” He may have mumbled another curse as he failed at speaking.

“Enoch, I can handle myself.”

“I know. I’ve seen.”

“Then don’t worry about me.”

The knight nodded awkwardly.

“Is there anything else?” Cassandra gracefully extended her arms as she slipped into the mesh sleeves of the gown.

“No, just tha…” Enoch trailed off, and Cassandra glanced back over from her flower-decorated sleeves. His attention had been lured away by the sword sitting on her bed.

Gena pulled her back from leaving the protection of the screen by using the dress to constrict her, and Enoch was allowed to pick up the gift. His brandy eyes looked the jewel-encrusted scabbard up and down until he finally decided to rest his slender hand on the intricate gold and lapis lazuli hilt. Almost as soon as the silver blade was revealed, the knight looked up at Cassandra whose lips pressed themselves into a thin line. 

“This is the Sunbound Blade, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Cassandra responded as Gena fastened her dress a little too tightly as a warning.

Enoch took a step forward and asked, “How did you get it?”

Through her teeth, she said, “It was a gift.”

“But it’s supposed to be–”

“Passed between Valoran crown princes, I know.”

“And you know the legends that it holds incredible ancient magic?”

“And it’s supposed to do a bunch of fancy magic shit like smite those unworthy of wielding it, yeah. I do.”

“Then why the fuck is it laying on your bed?”

Cassandra groaned as Gena finished fastening the dress. She was finally allowed to leave the confinement of the screen and took back the sword by force. “That is none of your fucking business.”

This time Enoch actually took the hint. “Okay.”

“I’ll see you in council.”

Enoch nodded quietly and backed away towards the door. Once gone, Cassandra let out a sigh and put her face in her hands. What a fucking day.

“Did you get all of that?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the literate servant writing the treaty replied.

Ginevra shifted contentedly in her seat. Guillame, stoic as ever, leaned in and said, “You don’t happen to know the location of the Lake of Delordare, do you? I’d love to discuss the possession of that.”

Ginevra laughed, keeping it brief despite the hilarity of the question. “Everyone wishes they possessed that fable. Though, I’m afraid that’s just what it is. Even if it was real, I’d have no clue of it’s whereabouts. What people would give to have that gift!”

Guillame responded with a slightly strained chuckle, “Indeed. It’s always worth a try.”

“I concur.”

Ginevra took a sip from her cup which had been filled with some wine. “What time is it?”

“About midday, Your Majesty,” the servant answered.

“Fantastic, we’re making wonderful time.”

“It helps that most of this treaty was discussed extensively beforehand,” the Valoran king said.

“True. Now, is there anything else territory-wise we need to address?”

“Just one last thing,” Guillame stated calmly. “I wish to have all Valoran lands be possessed by the Nevernian crown when I leave this world.”

While the queen wasn’t necessarily shocked, she still portrayed a look of confusion. “That is awfully generous of you.”

“It is the logical decision,” the king replied as he sipped from his own chalice. “I no longer have an heir, and with no children to assume the title I find myself in an unfavorable position. I am too old to spend the rest of my life finding myself another heir, and we had already discussed merging the kingdoms through Henri and Cassandra’s marriage… well, it’s the next best thing. I can be sure my kingdom will not fall to ruin, and I have all the faith that you and your daughter will rule my people justly.”

Ginevra nodded, signaling with her hand to the servant to record this request. After a few moments of glances exchanged and the scribbling of the servant’s quill, Ginevra proceeded on. “Is there anything else?”

“That was the final point,” Guillame replied.

“Wonderful.”

The servant nodded and dismissed himself.

“Might we put off the official signing of this treaty a couple days?”

“Oh?” Guillame leaned on the table with his forearms.

“I would like to offer an invitation to our welcoming feast for my niece, Evie. We could hold the signing ceremony the day before, and celebrate two accomplishments in one.”

“I quite like the idea.”

Ginevra nodded, “I’ll tell the staff to set an extra seat at our table, then.”

Cassandra was maybe asleep for thirty seconds before the dropping of her head awoke her. She wasn’t the only one though, Bastien was surrounded by tons of people nodding off to his report. His blue gray eyes looked like they were trying to scare away the tiredness in her body, but for a brief moment something was just wrong. The room seemed to stretch and distort, and the knight before her was so far and so close at the same time. Even her limbs seemed to elongate, but she shook her head and everything returned to normal.

“Erm, what did you say?” she asked, resting her head in her hand.

“Oh, that the scouts reported nothing out of the ordinary along the northwestern borders,” he replied in his usual calm yet gruff voice.

Cassandra was about to dismiss him when Evie intervened, “No. He didn’t say that. Well, he did, but he didn’t–”

Cassandra rolled her head towards the princess who was seated at her right, the older princess lacking the energy to bother hiding her contempt. “What do you mean?”

Evie shrugged and said, “He said, ‘I’m currently plotting to murder Theo and take his place,’ and then talked about the border.”

Cassandra looked towards the knight whose pale skin was a little redder than usual. “Is this true?”

“Yes, my lady.”

The entire council silenced themselves as if Cassandra was going to deliver some heinous punishment. Instead, she laughed.

“That was good, Bastien. Thanks for providing some entertainment for us.” The knight smiled sheepishly as he returned to Enoch and Theo who both were suppressing cackles. “Anything else?”

The room was quiet for a moment, each of the advisors and government officials looking between each other in inquiry, before General Valseras stepped forward. Ah, fuck.

“I regret to report that the southern rebellion has turned Wystwillow into their new homebase—”

Cassandra wasted no time interrupting him, “These reports should be kept to war councils, general.”

Her and her mother were both in agreement, no shit was to be taken from Valseras.

The general continued anyway, “…and because of this there’s been a massive influx of southern refugees from the city and from various other settlements that have been attacked by the rebels. We need to take action.”

Cassandra looked at him, leaning back into her throne with the hint of a smirk on her face. “And?”

He looked confused for a moment, like the word was foreign to him, then replied matter-of-factly, “We need to do something about the refugees.”

Cassandra tilted her head slightly and said with a wave of her hand, “We’ll continue to handle the situation we have since the war began. We will give them shelter and food until they can be relocated.”

“You don’t understand—” A glare from the princess caused the general to add— “my lady. The taverns and inns are overwhelmed, especially with many of the first refugees still there. Our resources, too, are stretched to the limit, and soon there won’t be enough for both the refugees and the citizens of the city.”

Cassandra scoffed— very loudly at that. “And what would you suggest we do, general?”

“Well, I—”

“You can’t be serious!” The cry came from Cassandra's right. Her cousin had stood up and decided she was going to speak. Cassandra's hands clenched so hard she left nail marks in her skin. “You can’t suggest that we turn away starving, injured, homeless people!”

The tension spread very quickly to the rest of her body, and her jaw tightened even more as the general shrugged nonchalantly. “We have to turn away people at some point, otherwise the upkeep becomes too much.”

“But these people have lost their homes because of the rebellion! They didn’t choose to leave, but they chose to stay loyal to the crown. You would turn away loyal people who only want a place to temporarily take refuge here?”

“And you would rather take them in, letting the economy fall and crime run rampant? This overpopulation is slowly killing this city, and I will not stand for it.”

Evie went to speak, but Cassandra stood and physically grabbed her shoulder. The court watched as Cassandra shoved the princess back into her seat with a cold calm, Evie letting out a quiet “oof” as she landed. Cassandra leaned in towards her, speaking in low and harsh tones.

“I understand that you are emotionally involved in this matter, but this is not an open discussion. You are not to intervene in these matters.”

Evie looked at her, gray eyes wide with fear and tears creeping into their corners, when the knights stepped up to defend Evie’s points… or more accurately to refute the general’s argument.

“Crime has been at a rather consistent rate for the past few years,” Bastien said. “There hasn’t been any abnormal rises or falls.”

“In fact, the refugees are rarely ever involved in the crime that occurs within this city,” Theo added. “So unless they’re suddenly the masterminds behind a significant amount of crime that the crown is utterly unaware of, I’m not sure where you’re getting your facts.”

“And besides that,” Enoch stepped in, “I spend a lot of time around these people as a volunteer of the refugee relocation efforts. Most of them just want to leave the city for the northern villages. They work so hard for what little money they can get, and most of their employers greatly underpay them for their labor.”

As the general stood there, stuttering for a coherent thought to combat the arguments, the Lord of the Treasury stepped forward as well. “I have also observed much over the past few years and came to many conclusions that point towards the refugees having a neutral and sometimes a positive impact. I have extensive records of my past reports and all the research I’ve done, and I can fetch them if we must debate this more.”

Cassandra held up a hand to him, signaling that it was not necessary, before giving the general a classic Cassandra look. In reaction, Valseras blurted out, “We cannot keep taking in more refugees every time we lose a battle!”

“Then stop losing.”

The court fell into a silent awe of the princess as she slowly sat back down. Valseras looked taken aback by the remark, his mouth hanging open. Cassandra soaked in the moment as she leaned back into her seat, examining her nails with what seemed like great interest.

“Perhaps,” her voice sounded significantly less interested, “if you were more focused on doing your job than worrying about the care of our kingdom’s refugees then we could return these people to their homes and eradicate the problem entirely.”

A wicked smirk tugged at the corner of her lips, her disdain for the general only matched by her joy of making him look a fool. He slinked back in defeat, and Cassandra allowed for the smile to be in full display. Everyone in the court seemed to join her in subtle celebration, yet the princess in pink next to Cassandra seemed a bit hesitant to enjoy Valseras’s loss. Instead, she seemed upset, shying away from any sort of contact with Cassandra. Evie continued to stay silent through the rest of the meeting, and she was also abnormally quiet after council was dismissed. Evie quickly fled after the dismissal, and Cassandra was content to continue about her day.

Of course, this reaction then begged the question: if her cousin couldn’t handle a single day in council with her, how was she to spend the rest of her life here at the palace?

-> next chapter

[shelbeetaylor]

Chapter Eight | Flowers & Spells

-> story masterpost

-> previous chapter

Hours and hours and hours of staring at the spellbook had started to make the words seem like words no longer. It was just a jumbled mess of squiggles and dots– well, most of it still kind of was because it wasn’t like Cassandra was going to learn the Old Tongue in one night. She learned just enough to recognize a few basic words, and of course the spell she was trying to perform. She just kept staring at the book trying to figure out what she was doing wrong. Cassandra was growing more and more frustrated the longer she went on trying to read this gods-damned fucking book. 

Despite her anger, Cassandra tried to be gentle with the book as she set it down on the end of the bed not just because it was Terran’s copy but also because Terran was fast asleep next to her. He passed out a few hours ago… maybe? She wasn’t sure. Her sense of time was lost at this point. In any case, Cassandra set the book down with much care and then turned towards the closed bedroom door.

“A closadh,” she said towards the door.

Nothing happened. Why was nothing happening? Terran worked with her for who knows how long on the pronunciation of the incantation, so she was fairly confident she was right. She tried looking harder at the door, but the squinting was threatening to put her to sleep the way Terran was currently.

“A closadh,” she repeated, this time with more enthusiasm.

Still nothing. Was she thinking hard enough about locking the door? Was she not speaking with the right tone? Oh, what was it that Terran said earlier… “magic is and always will be my heritage” or some shit like that… Cassandra glanced over at the slumbering Terran. Sounds like some stupid fucking proverb or something, like “trust your instincts.” Seriously, who the fuck tells someone they know what they’re doing when they actually have no clue what the fuck is going on. Cassandra looked back at the door, contemplating whether or not she should try again, but then her brain started up again. No clue what the fuck is going on… sounds familiar…

“Ah, fuck it,” Cassandra breathed aloud.

She resituated herself into a more comfortable position that faced the door and backed off a little on the intense staredown. Cassandra instead slowly extended her hand towards the door, her arms and fingers stretching gently outwards as she did often when she awoke from her nightmares. She really hoped this worked and didn’t make her look dumb as fuck.

“A closadh,” she chanted once again.

This time something happened. There was the familiar tingle, the one she usually felt in her sternum after waking, and that energy passed through her body and down her arm to the very tips of her fingers. The moment that energy left her fingers, there was an audible click. The corners of her lips spread into a wide grin, even more so after she got up and tried the door. It was locked. It was locked and she locked it. Cassandra's arms shot up into the air, but she was mindful not to shout in victory and wake up Terran.

A quick scramble back to the bed and Cassandra picked up the book she had previously closed. The bookmarked page was the one with the locking spell, and she scanned further down the page looking for its opposite. Naturally it was at the very bottom of the page in the middle of a bunch of complicated Meredian words that were unknown to her. No matter, time to try this new one.

She extended her arm again, and took a breath. “Datasgladh.”

Same tingle, this time the sensation running faster through her body, and another click sounded. All of her energy became focused on not screaming and jumping about, and she instead decided to redirect it towards repeating the two spells. Lock, unlock, lock, unlock. Each repetition, the wave of energy moved faster, becoming a more normal sensation. However, it never lost its strange addictiveness. A closadh. Datasgladh. A closadh. Datasgladh.

After a few minutes of endless clicking, Cassandra locked the door again, but it was followed almost instantly by a thump that moved the entire door. She was taken aback, wondering at first if she accidentally caused that. Another thump, the door shaking a bit harder this time, and Cassandra's head tilted slightly at the inaudible mumbling. Then there was a knock. Oops…

Cassandra muttered her magical incantation again and the door unlocked. The door was finally able to swing open, and there was Galen in a purple and black robe. She couldn’t contain the joy that performing magic had created, and Galen began looking between her and the door as if he recognized the joy in her.

Galen, with slightly pursed lips, concluded, “You’re practicing magic, aren’t you?”

Cassandra raised her eyebrows and said, “You seem concerned?”

The physician shook his head. “Just another thing for you to get in trouble for.” Galen then looked the princess up and down. “Have you been practicing all night?”

“Have I?”

Galen’s head tilt was slightly terrifying. “It’s morning,”

“Then the answer is yes.”

Galen clenched his jaw, disappointment masking most of the concern lingering in his eyes. Cassandra felt like she had just gotten in trouble for not sleeping, and she became the equivalent of a very uncomfortable kid. In a usual mood swing, Galen kicked the bed and yelled, “Oi! Get up.”

Terran shot up, and it was only slightly scary. He was still very groggy from the several hours he stayed up past his bedtime. “Yeah?”

Galen waited for Terran’s yawn to continue. “Stayed up all night studying did you?”

“Yes, it was very informational.”

Galen nodded, “Ah, I see. I too would find teaching Cassandra magic very helpful for your studies as a physician.”

“Yup,” Terran replied. Cassandra was unsure if he actually processed the physician’s statement or if this was a sassy remark laced with grogginess.

“Maybe next time you should start with the rules about locking the door?”

“Hm?”

Cassandra began grinning uncontrollably again. “I did the spell.”

Terran yawned and gave a dazed reply, “Oh, yay. I’m so proud.”

Cassandra could only blink at the unenthusiastic response. 

“Regardless, I wanted to speak to you both, so wake up Terran,” Galen said.

“I’m awake…” Terran replied, warranting Cassandra to punch him very hard in the shoulder. And by very hard, she meant very hard. She didn’t need much of a backswing to nearly hit him off of the bed. “Ahhhhhhh, I’m awake, okay?! I did not need to be in pain for this.”

“It woke you up, didn’t it?” Cassandra scoffed.

The banter could have gone on, but Galen silently stopped it. Another skill of the physician.

“I wanted to apologize to both of you for my outburst yesterday,” he began. “You two, along with all the other kids in this castle, are like grandchildren to me. I just want to look out for you and keep you safe. It was wrong of me to discourage you from having fun and being yourselves.”

“Galen, it’s okay,” Cassandra replied.

“Like you said, you’re just looking out for us,” Terran chimed in.

Galen put up a hand. “You two are young, unlike me. You have plenty of years left in you, and I need to acknowledge that. There isn’t enough time in the world for both of you to deny who you are.” Both Cassandra and Terran sat into the bed, listening intently. “So, instead of cautioning you constantly, I’ve decided to aid you in your inherently illegal actions.”

Cassandra felt her brows furrowing, and they furrowed harder as Galen handed them a slip of paper.

“This is the location of a tavern made for people like you two. It’s not only hidden, but also password protected. I’ve written this week’s code word there as well.”

“But you said–” Cassandra tried to say.

“There’s almost no risk in you two going here. I would know because I used to visit it back in my day. If Terran wants to go, he can go.”

Cassandra's unstoppable smile returned, and its contagiousness infected Terran as well. Galen shook his head and chuckled at the two grinning idiots he’d adopted as his grandchildren.

“I wouldn’t be smiling so hard,” he said. “You still have to attend council today.”

Cassandra's face immediately fell. “Fuuuuuuuck.”

She should not have stayed there all night. Sure, she distracted herself and didn’t have a nightmare, but she should’ve gone back to her room. Idiot, completely and thoroughly. Now she was going to look like an utter wreck at council. In an effort to save what little time she had left, Cassandra hiked up the skirt of her dress and sprinted out into the chambers. Considering she was also wearing heels, she was making good time for a few seconds before she skidded to a halt and crashed into a large someone standing in the doorway. The figure caught her, and she looked up into eyes of brandy.

Double fuck.

It was Enoch Starvale.

He gently lifted her off of his low cut gray tunic and back onto her feet, and her body was stiff with uncomfortability the entire time. When she was steady, Enoch took his ivory hand and ran it through his chocolate brown windswept waves. As Cassandra's brain was repeatedly screaming the word fuck, he looked at her as though she was a lost puppy or some shit like that. 

Unknown if Galen and Terran had witnessed the entire ordeal, Galen made their presence known with a clearing of the throat and then asking, “Sir Enoch, may I ask what warranted a visit to this dark corner of the palace?”

“I, uh–” He fumbled with his silver necklace for a moment, the shining pendant in the shape of his father’s crest. “The queen requests your presence in the west wing.” Enoch, instead of looking around at everyone, zeroed in on Cassandra's eyes. “All of you.”

Theo had been standing around in complete silence with what he lovingly referred to as the crisis council for about ten to fifteen minutes. Nobody really knew what to say to each other, but you would think someone had something to say to make it less awkward. No. Instead, he stood around with the queen, Ivor, Captain of the Guard Essex, and lead war council advisor General Valseras. Yup. Just him, Ivor, his boss, and some of the highest-ranking officials in the government. 

The clicking of heels echoing down the hall alerted him to their arrival before they rounded the corner, but sure enough Enoch led the physician, his apprentice Terran Willows, and Cass to the crisis council. He wasn’t sure what he expected to see, but it certainly wasn’t the sight of two complete hot messes and a surprisingly well-put-together physician. Terran looked like he had just woken up what with his extreme wreck of a hairdo, and Cass was a completely different story. Her hair wasn’t perfect, but it was neatly resting in its natural waves. On the other hand, her fur shawl only covered up so much of the dress she was wearing last night. Her cosmetics also seemed a little worn out seeing as some dark lines made themselves home underneath her very tired eyes. Theo mentally swore, especially since doing so out loud would be only slightly inappropriate.

“I apologize for the sudden summoning,” the queen said, speaking more to Galen than his apprentice or her own daughter, “but this was urgent.”

“A threat to national security,” the general threw in.

It was always “threat to national security” this and “threat to national security” that with General Valseras. Two decades of a rebellion and he’d only been general of the army for five of those years, and he could not shake that fucking phrase. It had become a catchall for the general, and anything that did not conform to his rigid views was deemed a threat. Same old story, except the queen knew better than to listen to him all the time. She gently waved a hand in dismissal, and continued speaking to the physician.

“Sir Ivor and Sir Enoch found two bodies this morning. I need you to examine the bodies and see if you can determine a cause of death.”

“I should need my equipment and the full use of my chambers,” the physician replied.

“If you can do without, please. It is too risky to move these men across the castle. We’re trying to keep the situation contained.”

Trying to keep the situation from getting to King Guillame’s ears.

“I understand completely,” Galen nodded, and knelt over one of the dead men.

“Now that we have both of you here,” the Captain of the Guard looked between Ivor and Enoch, “recount what happened in full detail.”

The general shifted silently beside the queen, crossing his arms. Theo fucking hated him and his attitude and immorality and–

Enoch began, “Ivor and I had woken up early and were heading down to the armory before training and council. We, uh, heard about the new shipment of Southern-made crossbows.”

Meaning he wanted to fuck around with them. Theo suppressed a sigh and a shake of his head that would usually appear right about now.

“Anyways, we were walking down the hall, talking, and I noticed a weird lump in the corner. And then I realized it was a limp foot, and I sent Ivor to you–” Enoch looked at the captain– “while I stayed and kept the area undisturbed.”

“You did well,” the captain replied. “Both of you.”

Galen stood up finally, drawing the attention of everyone as his old body struggled to lift himself off of the ground. “This man’s neck has been broken. No sign of a struggle.”

“This guy’s too,” came a voice from behind Theo, startling him. He hadn’t realized the apprentice had slipped behind him to check the other body, and he was reminded why Cass always elected Terran to act as a scout during their adventures. The lightfoot apprentice spoke with a voice laced with a tired rasp, “Probably an ambush.”

Galen’s blue eyes shone with pride though his face remained neutral and professional. “For an ambush like this, I’d have to assume that there were a minimum of two offenders.”

“Assassins,” the general breathed loud enough for everyone to hear.

The queen, unshaken by the news, held up a hand to signal the general to stop speaking. She stayed silent for a moment, and everyone waited for a response from her. The stillness was brief and familiar, though Theo was unnerved everytime.

“Captain,” the queen spoke coldly, “put the guard on high alert. Intruders are not to be tolerated, and anyone unknown inside the walls should be brought before me. Have your men check all of the rooms as well, in case this is just a common thief.”

“Your majesty, if I may?” Galen inquired.

“Go ahead, physician.”

“I may be pointing out the obvious, but these men are in undergarments. I’m assuming they’re guards of the palace, which suggests that the intruders have stolen their uniforms presumably to blend in.”

Like a comedy of some sort, everyone did a double take at the bodies.

“I have to agree,” Theo spoke for the first time since being summoned that morning. “Continuing as normal would probably be the safest bet. We wouldn’t know which guards they’re posing as, so let’s not alert them to our awareness. I can order the knights to be on the lookout for suspicious activity.”

The queen nodded, her way of processing the proposal and agreeing to it. She pointed at Theo but looked at Ivor and Enoch, “Inform the rest of the knights. This is not to leave this circle, and it is to not enter the council by any means. Everyone should proceed as usual.”

The gathering all nodded to acknowledge the order.

“We shall discuss this at tomorrow’s war council, then?” General Valseras asked.

“We shall see,” the queen responded, not bothering to look at him.

“I do wonder, though,” he continued unwarranted. “The rebels have been growing in bravery. They may have sent these intruders to assassinate you as a way to weaken the kingdom.”

The queen said nothing, not agreeing but not dismissing the idea either. It was at that moment that Theo looked towards Cass who had heard and thought the same things as him. Just as Galen was earlier, only Cass’s eyes gave any insight into her thoughts and feelings. Her eyes were wide, and in all honesty so were his. 

Why did he ever doubt her? He wondered that sometimes, more often than he’d like to admit. But this was a whole new level.

He barely had time to react to the initial realization before the queen continued on with her orders. “Galen, you and your apprentice need to take care of these men.”

Galen nodded solemnly in understanding, Terran following suit.

“And, Theo, you need to place Bastien in charge of training the knights and the recruits until further notice. I need you to detail Cassandra and I for the time being.”

Nothing new. This was a pretty common procedure for him since he was technically a knighted bodyguard with extra perks. 

The queen dismissed the gathering, and everyone minus Galen and Terran returned to their usual routines. Cass lingered a few moments longer and Theo caught her gaze again. That same twinkle gripped tightly onto her mahogany irises, and his throat tightened a little. There were very few times Cass showed genuine fear and sadness as was common with the battle-hardened knights. They’d seen too much, done too much, experienced too much… but the look in Cass’s eyes…

He should be scared. They all should be.

The breeze that drifted through the open window had the hint of autumn crispness. It should, it was nearly fall. Evie was always a little sad when the end of summer came since that meant the flowers would soon wither away until the next spring, but fall was a fantastic time of year as well. The changing of the leaves, the fall-themed music she brought along, the festivals… so many wonderful things to look forward to. Also Yule, her utmost favorite holiday ever.

The birds chirped sweetly outside the castle walls, and Gena had laid out another beautiful dress for her to wear. She kinda missed picking out her own clothes though, but Gena was fun to have around. It was just so weird how everything worked around Ravenwell Palace. It’s not like she wasn’t taught basic manners and how to behave during formal events, but the constant formalities every single day were getting tiring. Didn’t Cassie and Teddy get tired too?

Gena seemed perfectly content to help Evie into the pale pink off-the-shoulder gown in silence, but that was not how Evie planned on this morning going.

“Cassie seemed really upset last night,” she said. “I hope she’s okay.”

Okay, a depressing topic to start the day off with, but Gena seemed like the person who would know the most about the situation.

“I’m not sure,” Gena replied absentmindedly. “I didn’t see her after dinner last night.”

“You didn’t see her?” Evie shifted uncomfortably as Gena fastened the dress a little too tightly, apologizing as she fixed her mistake. “Aren’t you supposed to help her, like, get in bed and stuff?”

“I do help her at night,” Gena seemed a little annoyed by the whole concept. “Sometimes she doesn’t get back until late. She might have also stayed somewhere else last night. I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean stayed somewhere else last night? She lives here, doesn’t she?”

“I know,” Gena tightened another fastening, “as much as you.”

Evie took the sharp pain in her side as a warning to move off of this topic no matter how confused she was.

“I want to do something nice for her. I think she’d appreciate it.”

“Yes, I think so.”

The anger carried over apparently.

“What do you think she’d like?”

“Depends on the day.”

Okay, now Gena was just being rude, but Evie decided to not take it personally.

“Would you mind helping me pick something out?”

“I’m sure anything would be fine.”

Evie's slight disdain for that comment may have showed up on her face, but Gena was still facing her back so she didn’t see. Seriously, though, you don’t just get anything for someone. That’s just bad gift-giving. 

When Gena was done messing with the dress angrily, Evie was permitted to step out from behind the screen. Rather than sit at the vanity, Evie grabbed her hairbrush and looked out the window as she brushed her hair. Her window in the east wing overlooked the city, the marketplace just beyond the part of the courtyard that was in view. Maybe she could take a trip there? No, she wouldn’t have time… council eats up a lot of the day and she’d never make it back before dark.

Evie's head snapped towards the door as it opened without warning. Cassie hadn’t bothered to knock which was very out of line as far as the rigid rules of politeness around here were concerned. Evie actually didn’t mind the knocking-before-entering rule because it was really great to know someone was about to come in. 

In other news, Cassie looked like an absolute wreck. The fur shawl she was wearing barely covered the gown that she wore last night, and Evie hoped she had not slept in that because it did not look comfy enough to sleep in. Her cosmetics were running slightly, though a few splashes of water could fix that, and her hair was only a little unkempt. She just looked tired, and the dark circles under her eyes did not help her appearance at all. 

“Gena, I need you to help me prepare for council,” was all Cassie said.

Okay, seriously? Has everyone lost their minds today? A “hi” would be nice…

Gena nodded without hesitation and left before Cassie could even turn around. Cassie proceeded to shake her head in bewilderment and left without a goodbye. Or even just a nod in acknowledgement.

That’s it. Everyone’s getting flowers.

-> next chapter

[shelbeetaylor]

Chapter Six | Sibling Rivalry

-> story masterpost

-> previous chapter

Theo from behind his changing screen heard a gentle knock at the door before it creaked open slowly. He had almost finished dressing anyway, he just needed to adjust his belt, so he walked out from behind the screen and turned the corner. Standing there with a hand still on the door was Cass whose mahogany eyes met with his.

She always looked so different when she was dressed up despite her in a dress being the usual attire for her. Maybe it was because she had always just seemed more comfortable when in chainmail and joking around with the knights. But something about the way she stood there in her gown of black lace; something about her neatly parted raven-colored waves resting gently around her face; something about her light use of cosmetics that just didn’t always seem to match with his idea of her.

Beyond that, he could see just how unlike herself she felt. Her lips had parted ever so slightly, and the corners of her mouth drooped just as much. Her nose even had a hint of unusual redness to it, but it was mostly in the eyes he noticed. Hers was only a little red but enough to be noticeable, and her eyes were glazed over with an indescribable melancholic reflection. The worst part was the lines beginning to form under her eyes. He knew those lines. He should never have made those jokes about her not sleeping.

There were no words exchanged between the two. Theo simply walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. She in return put hers around his waist and buried her face into his left shoulder. As soon as he felt her breathing labor, he began caressing her back with his thumbs and pressed his nose into her hair in an attempt to soothe her. There were no words, just silence broken every so often by Cass’s uneven breaths. 

“I’ve got the–!” Civarn began before turning the corner and seeing the intimate moment he had just rudely interrupted.

Though both of them slowly broke away from the hug, Theo kept a hand on Cass’s upper back, still trying to comfort her. Civarn looked between the two of them as he stood awkwardly holding a few plates, though he stopped on Cass’s face just as Theo had done earlier.

“Well, don’t just stand there looking like an idiot,” Theo said, only a little annoyed. The response earned him a nudge and a soft, weak chuckle from Cass, so it was very hard to stay annoyed at Civarn.

“Ahem, I, uh…” Civarn walked over to Theo's long table and set down the plates. “I got some bread and cheese. There’s also pitchers of wine and water on the cart.”

Cass gave a small little smile of gratitude, and Theo proceeded to offer a chair to her. She sat down, leaning on the table with one arm and resting her chin on her hand. Civarn offered her some food, but she gave a very soft and low “No, thank you,” as her response.

Civarn nodded and set the plate back down, but he placed a hand on her shoulder as he turned to grab the chalices behind her. Theo watched as she looked up at Civarn, and he nodded his head again. No words were needed between the nobles and their servants. They had all been through too much for any one person to bear alone. 

Civarn returned to his duties, and Cass’s eyes returned towards the table. Theo took a seat right next to her, and– though she never looked up– Theo knew he was well within her line of sight. He could physically tell how hard she was trying not to pick at her fingers like she usually did.

“If I caused any offense–” 

“No,” Cass cut Theo off almost immediately. She shook her head slightly, “No, you’ve done nothing.”

Theo tentatively asked, “Is it the king?”

Cass paused for a moment before responding, “There’s just… a lot going on.”

Theo dipped his head, trying to get her to look at him. “Is there something else?”

Cass’s eyes dropped towards her lap, and she stayed silent. Theo didn’t press any further and instead placed his hand onto the one resting in her lap. He gave a quick nod to Civarn to bring over some wine for the cups.

“So,” Theo finally said, “you completely destroyed my recruits. Really, I’ve never seen a more terrified group of boys in my life.”

Cass’s face did not move, though her eyes flicked back up to the table. It was a start.

“I just hope you didn’t scare them too badly. I would hate to lose knights because you are just too good with a sword.”

Cass still didn’t respond, but Theo continued talking.

“Speaking of losing knights, I’m not quite sure how to feel about you and Enoch.”

Theo thought he saw a hint of a smile hiding behind her hand.

“I mean, really, he is trying way too hard to get in bed with you. It’s just sad, really. All of us agree… me, Ivor, Godfrey, Josiah, Bastien– oh, he thought that was hilarious.”

Cass started laughing. Though it was laced strongly with melancholy, it was laughter. Theo would take the win.

“I mean, we all know Bastien’s an enabler of chaos despite his assumption of the responsible role.”

“Oh, please,” Cass said. “We all also know that Godfrey is the real responsible one.”

“Is not.”

“Is too.”

“Absolutely not!”

“He totally is!”

The two ended the childish banter in laughter, though, in all honesty, Theo was only smiling because Cass was. The small bit of joy was short-lived though as Cass’s face dropped back to her brooding look from earlier. Theo's brows furrowed a little as he tried to figure out what was going on with her.

“I had a dream,” she confessed. “A nightmare, actually.”

That’s okay, we’ve all had them, Theo wanted to say. Cass looked into his eyes with an unnervingly uncharacteristic terror.

“I’m fairly certain I saw… I think my mother will die.”

Theo didn’t quite know how to respond, but it wasn’t because he was speechless out of concern for the queen’s safety.

“You’re fairly certain?” he inquired.

In all seriousness, Cass said, “Well, Galen needs more details to properly interpret it, but I believe that’s what will happen.”

“Right,” Theo responded bluntly.

Cass’s brows furrowed, “What do you mean by that?”

“I–”

“What, you think that’s not it?”

“No, I–”

“Then what is it?”

Theo put his hand in his hand and sighed. “Look, don’t you think this is a little… I don’t know…”

There was a dangerous look in Cass’s eyes. As she tilted her head ever so slightly to the side, her jaw dropped and lips parted just enough to show a bit of teeth, and her nostrils flared a little as she exhaled. 

Theo stuttered while trying to find his words, “I– just– how can you be sure your mother is going to die?”

“You don’t believe me,” Cass turned her head away from Theo and clenched her jaw.

He hated when she did this. Theo stood and walked over towards the window to create some space between them. “What am I supposed to say? ‘No worries, I’ll get the assassin’?”

Cass’s lip began curling a little which was not a good sign either. “Don’t mock me.”

Theo continued anyway, “What would I say to the council and the queen, Cass? ‘Oh, Your Majesty. By the way, I need to catch a mysterious killer after you. Why? Oh, Cassandra had a dream you’d die.’”

“Theo,” Cass warned.

“I mean, the entire idea is ridiculous!”

“Oh, so you think I’m lying to you, is that it?” Cass’s teeth were bared like an angered wolf. “And what reason would I have for that?”

“I don’t know,” Theo proceeded to lean on the table and get in Cass’s face. “Maybe it was to make me look a fool? Last time it was to piss off the queen.”

“Last time?” Cass lifted a single eyebrow.

“Yes, or have you forgotten how we ended up in Valoran in the first place?” Ah, there it was. Cass’s unsarcastic glare of death. “I seem to recall someone telling me that her mother requested us to go discreetly when in all honesty we were sneaking out and disobeying the queen.”

“Yes, I did because you would rather sit idly by and watch innocent people die like the pathetic coward you are.”

“And you’re selfish. At least if we’d done it my way, Henri wouldn’t have died.”

For a moment, Theo thought Cass had stopped breathing. It was with a chilling silence in which she stood up, and any light in her eyes had flickered out.

“You, my dear knight, are right. Henri would be alive, but an entire village would have been decimated. I’m sure your father would be proud to hear that his son is spineless, dishonorable, and callous just like him.”

Cass did not hesitate to walk out, but she stopped and turned back as she opened the door. Theo looked into the depths of those cold eyes as she spoke her final piece.

“You should pray I’m wrong about this. My being crowned queen is not looking so good for you.”

She didn’t slam the door behind her (for once), but the energy was still the same. Theo sighed and put his face into his hands, and when he looked back up he saw Civarn standing awkwardly with a water pitcher.

“Can you believe her?” Theo complained. “Me? Like my father? Please, she is her mother’s twin. She has no room to talk.”

Civarn looked at him, then picked up a plate. “Bread?”

Over the years, Theo had learned many faces from Cass, but he had only truly mastered the look of annoyance.

“Can you believe him?” Cassandra said louder than she should have. “He said that it was my fault that Henri died. He’s absolutely ridiculous, it was the raiders who killed him. Gena was accompanying Cassandra to dinner with the King of Valoran as both she and Civarn had to serve the royal family. Though Gena’s sigh could be heard over Cassandra's heels, she initially didn’t notice it.

“I mean, he has no room to talk in the first place! He wanted to let the village be sacked and burned because my mother refused to help them. He would rather let innocent civilians die instead of risking his own life to defend the people we swore to protect.”

“You don’t believe that to be true,” Gena said, only slightly exasperated.

“I do,” Cassandra replied, then paused. “You seem annoyed.”

Gena sighed through her nose before answering. “You and Theo are always like this. The two of you have a big falling out and refuse to speak to each other, then something dramatic happens and you two always make up. Can we just skip the dramatics and you two get back into good graces with each other?”

“You’re exhausted from council.”

“Yes, but I’m also exhausted from dealing with this for eight years.”

Cassandra, with much sass, replied, “Well, I do not take insults to my honor and intentions lightly.”

“Then I guess we’re going through this again,” Gena mumbled under her breath.

Cassandra and Gena stopped in front of the dining room door which was flanked by guards. It was almost immediately that the guards briefly bowed to Cassandra and then proceeded to open the door. Standing in the room was Cassandra's mother, King Guillame, and Theo the Asshole.

“Ah, Cassandra,” her mother called as Cassandra gave Theo a look, “come greet the king.”

Cassandra curtsied politely as the king spoke, “It is good to see you again, Princess Cassandra.”

“And you as well, King Guillame,” Cassandra smiled as best she could.

King Guillame turned to the queen and said, “It’s getting quite late.”

“Indeed,” the queen responded. “We’ll just have to begin without her.”

Cassandra's mother was referring to Evie, who was nowhere to be seen. While the queen sat at the head of the table, King Guillame sat to her right which forced Cassandra to sit across from Theo.

“You’re technically late,” he said quietly.

“You’re kissing Mother’s ass,” she replied.

Luckily for both of them, the two rulers did not hear a thing. The queen went to say something, but was interrupted by the doors flying open. In rushed a blonde-haired princess in pink.

“Evie,” Cassandra's mother said, “glad you can join us.”

“I’m so sorry!” she cried, quite out of breath. “I just had to change out of my clothes from earlier.”

“Guillame, may I introduce my niece, Princess Evangeline… or as she likes to be called, Evie.”

“Hi!” Evie curtsied– the only thing she’d gotten right so far– and rushed to her seat at the table. “It’s nice to meet you.”

King Guillame seemed entertained by the bubbly princess and replied, “It’s nice to meet you as well.”

Cassandra's mother signaled for Civarn and Gena to begin serving dinner, and the servants rushed off to bring out food.

“Evie is the daughter of my late husband’s brother,” the queen explained. “Her parents governed the city of Wystwillow for many years, but we’ve now lost Wystwillow to the southern rebels. Evie is one of the few survivors of that tragedy.”

“My condolences to you, Ginevra,” King Guillame then turned to Evie, “and to you, Evie. It is a hard thing to do, lose family I mean.”

Evie nodded silently, finding interest in the plate that was placed in front of her by Civarn.

“These southern rebels are absolutely atrocious,” King Guillame began addressing Cassandra's mother again. “I have heard many stories of their massacres and raids. It is in the very least detestable, and if you ever need reinforcements to combat these miscreants, Valoran will be happy to help.”

“We greatly appreciate your allegiance, Guillame.”

Civarn set a plate full of food in front of Cassandra and brushed her shoulder with his hand. A concise version of his earlier gesture, for he was supposed to remain unseen during these dinners. Cassandra gave no response to it as that would draw too much attention to the manservant, but Civarn understood that.

Cassandra instead found herself focused on the smell of her food. As per usual when Cassandra was in moods like the one she was in that day, she hadn’t realized how little she ate and how hungry she was. It took much self-control to not scarf down the full plate, and Cassandra suddenly regretted not accepting the bread and cheese Civarn had offered her earlier.

“Pray tell me more about the Princess Evie,” King Guillame said as he began cutting into the meat.

“Well,” the queen began, “Evie joined me today in council. I wish for her to learn our ways and understand the workings of the court. I was very impressed with her behavior and rhetoric during some of the discussions she took part in.”

“That is just wonderful. You know, success in council matters is often a sign of a predisposition to the skills needed to excel in diplomacy. Competent, capable diplomats are hard to find these days, so take advantage of your coveted gift, princess.”

Evie smiled and nodded excitedly while Cassandra aggressively stabbed some of her food with a fork. Between Theo and Evie, the dinner seemed nearly unbearable.

“Evie’s proficient studies are also quite noteworthy. Before she moved here she had built quite the reputation as a very scholarly and studious princess.”

Fantastic. Her mother was just going to continue raving about her niece. She never had this much to say about her own daughter. Cassandra stabbed another piece of food.

“Evie has a natural gift for reading and writing, and her list of volumes is quite impressive. She’s read books in various different languages as well.”

Cassandra's fork pierced more of her meal.

“She’s also very accomplished on the piano. She has mastered all of the classic pieces, and she’s even begun to write her own.”

“I wouldn’t call it writing, but I just kinda play around with chords for fun,” Evie input.

“It’s still quite marvelous.”

Cassandra's fingers tightened around the silver utensil.

“You know,” the queen continued, “she’s also quite knowledgeable about flowers too. Not just the identification and upkeep, but the meaning of them too. She gave me a beautiful bouquet her first night here, and I was very impressed with its aesthetics and how she managed to incorporate the meaning of each individual flower into the gift as well. Evie was explaining her process to me today in council.”

“It’s really nothing,” Evie said as Cassandra's fingers began turning white. “I mean, it’s not nearly as impressive as Cassie’s talents.”

Cassandra stopped what she was doing and looked up in confusion. Suddenly everyone was looking at her as she was in the middle of massacring her dinner.

“I’m just so amazed by her fighting. I was telling Gena earlier that I’ve never seen a woman fight before, and it’s just, well, amazing. I watched her take down Teddy the other day. She’s really good with a sword.”

The queen cut her meat with the passive aggression Cassandra had earlier. She told the king, “Despite my attempts to dissuade her, Cassandra has taken up the unladylike notion that women should be trained to fight.”

“With all due respect, I disagree,” was the shocking statement that escaped King Guillame’s mouth.

“Please,” the queen replied, “enlighten me.”

“I actually believe it’s quite admirable to take up fighting as a woman, especially if that woman is going to command armies in the future.”

Cassandra wasn’t sure if she had passed out from exhaustion and was dreaming.

The king continued, “My mother was a well-respected general in the Valoran army before she married my father. I often advocate for common women to enlist in the military because they’re simply better fighters. They’re more passionate than men, more calculated, more intelligent. And I’ve found this all stems from the fact that they have been previously disallowed from pursuing the art of combat and have faced so many adversities when practicing this artform. They are also prone to winning more because the male opponent underestimates their power and knowledge.”

Cassandra's jaw dropped a little, for she was completely speechless. She finally had found the one ruler in the world that supported her decision to take up combat.

“Cassie’s the best fighter in the kingdom,” Evie grinned, earning a slight blush from Cassandra.

“I have to agree,” Theo seemed to say it with much reluctance, but he had always been admirable when admitting the truth of another’s abilities. “She’s bested all of my knights and myself many a time.”

Cassandra dropped her grudge for a moment and stared at him with a flicker of sass rather than anger. He looked back at her, the sincerity of the next statement written on his face.

“Cassandra is the best fighter I’ve seen.”

“I find much respect in your study, Princess Cassandra. I believe you will be a better leader because of it,” King Guillame stated and bowed his head a bit.

For the first time that day, Cassandra genuinely smiled, no strings attached.

“Speaking of leading,” Cassandra's mother said, “Cassandra, you will need to preside over council matters tomorrow.”

Moment officially ruined.

“Why, pray tell?” Cassandra kept up formalities with her seething anger returning underneath her facade.

“Guillame and I will be spending tomorrow drawing up an official treaty. We’ve been discussing some disputes over the past couple months, but now we just need to make the agreements official.”

“After everything is drawn up, we’ll hold a private but formal signing, and I’ll continue on my journey.”

“Can I join Cassie tomorrow? Council was fun today,” Evie said.

Absolutely not, was what Cassandra wanted to say, plus more.

“I’m afraid I cannot accompany Cassandra to council,” Theo stated, his initial anger from the dispute earlier returning. “I must continue to train the new recruits.”

“Yes, I’ve heard the Knights of Nevernia are very well trained. I’d love to hear about your methods. Perhaps I could implement some of them in my own knights’ training?”

Cassandra tapped out as Theo began bragging about his training regiments and complex systems and whatnot. This was just a fascinating dinner, wasn’t it? Theo and her fighting, Evie being annoying and plaguing her life with consistent bubbly annoyingness, and her mother being proud of everyone except her own daughter. Just fantastic.

-> next chapter

[shelbeetaylor]

Chapter Five | Girls Just Wanna Fight Boys

-> story masterpost

-> previous chapter

Princess Evie was pulled out of her book by the door to her room creaking open and someone walking quietly in. Evie could tell from the mousy brown corkscrew curls and sienna skin that it was Gena, though she wondered why the maid was coming in so late at night. Gena also quickly realized that Evie was up, for her eyebrows raised and her mouth was slightly agape.

“My lady,” Gena curtsied quickly, “what are you doing up?”

“Oh, I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to read. What about you?”

One of Gena’s eyebrows shifted down. “It’s the morning, m’lady. I’m here to help you get ready.”

Evie stared blankly at the maid for a moment then looked at the window. Sure enough, the sun had replaced the moon in the sky and golden light was illuminating her still drab room. Evie pressed her lips together and closed her book.

“I guess I’ve been reading all night,” Evie replied.

“Well, no worries. I’m here to help.”

Gena quickly made her way over to the wardrobe and began rifling through it, looking for outfits to wear.

“Why aren’t you helping Cassie this morning?” Evie inquired from her bed.

“Oh, Cassandra had to be up early for training this morning.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Ooh, do you think I could go see her?”

Gena started giggling. “Cassandra has piqued your interest, has she?”

“I mean, I’ve just never really seen a woman fight before.”

“Most people haven’t,” Gena smiled, “but I’m afraid that the queen has requested your presence today. She wants you to learn the ins and outs of the council as soon as possible. Royal duties, and all that.”

Evie sighed as Gena laid an outfit out at the foot of Evie's bed. Evie set her book aside and grabbed the outfit, whisking the clothes behind the screen to change. As she did so, Gena continued making idle small talk.

“You stayed up all night reading?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Evie struggled briefly trying to get her nightgown off. “I had a nightmare, actually. I like to read to take my mind off of them.”

“You and Cassandra are more alike than both of you realize.”

“She has nightmares?”

“Yes, a–” Gena cut herself off. Evie waited for her to continue, but nothing came of it.

“Gena?”

A timidness coated Gena’s response.

“Yes, sorry.”

Meanwhile, Evie was having difficulty getting her dress fastened.

“I- uh…”

“Do you need any help?”

“Yes, please!”

In a moment’s notice, Gena popped behind the screen and fastened the back of her dress.

“Do you have a favorite flower, Gena?” Evie asked as the maid finished doing up her bodice.

“Why do you ask, m’lady?”

“‘Cause I like to know. And it’s Evie.”

“Oh, yes, I apologize. Old habits.”

“Well?” Evie turned to face the maid.

“I suppose my favorite would be lily of the valley. They grow quite often around here.”

“Lilies are an interesting choice,” Evie pondered aloud as she went to grab some shoes. “People often associate them with death.”

Gena shrugged. “They remind me of my brother, I guess.”

Evie whirled around. “Your brother?! You said you didn’t have siblings.”

Gena sighed, finding the ground very fascinating, and grabbed a nearby chair to fiddle with its back. “I guess I wasn’t very honest. It’s sometimes easier that way.”

“I’d like to know about him, if that’s okay.”

Gena did not look up from the floor. “You are an inquisitive one for sure.”

Evie paused for a moment, dipping her head slightly as she tried to look into Gena’s eyes. “I'm a naturally curious person in a new environment filled with strangers, can you blame me? Besides, if we’re going to be seeing each other a lot, then it would be more fun if we were friends.”

Gena gave a small smile and said, “Fair point.”

She wandered over to the bed and sat down on the foot of it, wrapping her arm around the nearby post. Evie joined her in sitting by taking a seat at the vanity adjacent to the bed, patiently listening to Gena as she struggled to begin her story.

“I did not lie when I said my family moved here as newlyweds to provide for their children,” she claimed. “But they also moved because they were banished from their village. Quite a few of the outlying villages are very strict on rules and traditions. Well… my brother was born out of wedlock. He’s the reason my parents married.”

“Oh…”

“I was born several years after. I remember very little of him… you see, he was almost grown when I was young. My parents never told me what happened to him… one day he was just gone…” There was a slight falter in her voice, but she continued. “What I do remember is just snapshots, like little moments of time permanently seared into my mind. He would always bring me lilies he picked during the day, and he had the most beautiful white tunic that smelled of the woods.”

“I was going to have a sibling,” Evie confessed. “I lost them when I lost my parents.”

Gena’s eyes finally looked up from the floor, the lilac petals in her eyes wet with rain, and a single tear rolled down her face as she took the hand of Evie. “We have both lost much.”

“Yeah, we have,” she replied, trying and failing to not become teary-eyed.

There was a moment between them, an unspoken one. It was filled with silent grief for themselves and for the other. It was the first moment Evie had been emotional around someone else, and there would be many more to come. As a blanket of comfort between the two began to bridge the gap that had previously been there, the maid gave another one of her small smiles.

“Now, is there anything else you wish to know about me, Evie?”

“Erm…” Evie wiped the tears from her eyes and began searching for her shoes again. “What about your favorite food?”

“Oh, bread pudding easily,” Gena returned to her almost usual self as she told the story. “It’s served at almost every banquet here. Every time the cook makes it, Cassandra requests extra be brought to her chambers later, and since servants are not allowed to eat during the gathering she lets me have a bit as she prepares for bed. I remember the first time I had it was after the feast of Beltane. It was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted.”

“I can’t wait to try it,” Evie commented. “Oh, I know! You have to have a favorite book.”

“I’m afraid not,” Gena smiled. “My parents couldn’t afford an education, so I cannot read or write.”

“What?!” Evie finally located her shoes and slipped them on. “A life without books is not a life at all! It’s fine, I’ll just teach you how to read.”

“Oh, no,” Gena shook her head. “You really don’t have to–”

“Rubbish! Books are one of my favorite things, and I love sharing the things I love with people. You pretty much have to know how to read if you’re around me.”

“You are too kind, Evie.”

“Let’s see, let’s see… oh, well, you don’t have to read to appreciate music. Do you have a favorite song?”

“I do have one, actually. It’s a local favorite, so the bards that visit the taverns always play it. It’s based on a poem I believe… The Epic of Mersa.”

“I have honestly never heard of it, but I will definitely find it! Oh, this is perfect. I can teach you to read the epic first!”

“Wonderful!”

A bit of warmth began to spread through Evie's chest as she saw Gena’s smile grow from forlorn to truly happy, and a tingle spread itself through her body. Gena led the princess towards the vanity to fix her hair, and Evie stared at the outfit she donned. The dress was made of luscious green tulle with embroidered flowers dotting the skirt. The long puffy sleeves were sheer and dotted with sparkling jewels. While the green looked quite beautiful, she reached for a headband to wear. It was decorated with rosebuds, fake ones of course, and the pink and floral were perfect for the outfit.

Once Gena had brushed through and styled her hair, Evie said, “I just have one more thing to ask.”

“Go ahead, Evie.”

“About Cassie–” Gena bit her lip almost immediately– “you said she has nightmares too?”

“I really think it’s best we not talk about it.”

“But I–”

“My lady, you will be late for court.”

As curious as Evie was, she knew when to accept defeat, and she did so graciously.

“Oi, Cass!”

The call came from a group of the knights. Three of them stood about the training ground observing the new batch of recruits. Cassandra could spot Enoch’s mischievous smile from a mile away.

“Rumor has it that you’re the one who gets to handle the first beating,” Enoch laughed, his voice gliding like silk.

“Well, if you all would learn how to handle a sword properly, then maybe you’d get to as well,” she teased mercilessly.

“Ouch,” Godfrey said, placing a hand onto his sternum.

“How’re the prospects looking, boys?”

“Godfrey’s too nice to judge properly,” Enoch answered.

“Hey, I like to give everyone a fair chance.”

“Man, that’s not how you do this,” Josiah cut in. “You gotta be harsh, critical, and have no regard for anyone’s feelings. Besides, it doesn’t go past the circle.”

“Relax, boys, we all knew Godfrey here was a bit of a pussy,” Cassandra smiled.

“Well that’s just not fair,” Godfrey replied.

“Ah, well look who’s arrived,” Theo announced his presence with the utmost humility. “Ooh, you look as though you slept like shit.”

Cassandra immediately turned and punched him in the arm and said, “Oh, did someone wake up on the wrong side of the table?”

The knights snickered, and Theo took the teasing more graciously than he did his entrance. “Glad to see you’re doing fine. I’ve got some water over there by the shields if you need any.”

Theo clapped Cassandra on the back and headed over to the twelve recruits. The other knights also filed out to find the best place to watch. Enoch stopped to grab Cassandra by the shoulder.

“Go beat the shit out of ‘em,” Enoch grinned wildly, “and give us a good show while you’re at it.”

“Don’t I always?”

Cassandra approached Theo who stood in the center of the twelve new recruits. She refrained from gleefully smiling as she saw the flicker of fear in their eyes. She stayed silent and scanned their faces as Theo spoke.

“Welcome to your first day of training, recruits. You have six months of training to endure to prepare for the final test, so to make sure you succeed we must judge your abilities and skill levels. To do that, you will be facing Nevernia’s finest warrior–” Cassandra flashed a smile– “Princess Cassandra. The rules are simple: each of you will face her one-on-one. Do whatever you can to last a minute.”

Cassandra watched as the young boys looked between each other, she assumed it was to see if anyone knew how to survive a minute.

Theo continued, “After everyone has gone, I’ll pair you up with a knight and we’ll do some more sparring. Although–” he glanced over at Cassandra with a classic Theo-smile– “if anyone manages to last a minute with Cass then they should be knighted immediately.”

The knights and Cassandra both laughed heartily in agreement, but the recruits could barely muster smiles of terror.

“Alright, let’s begin. You first,” Theo pointed to a small, scrawny boy.

As the recruits fanned out, the poor boy creeped forward. His eyes were wide with unimaginable terror, and Cassandra reveled in the fear her existence was creating. With a horrifying gentleness and serenity, she unsheathed her sword and brandished the silver metal for all to see. Cassandra was going to enjoy this.

Cassandra smirked as she walked over towards the shields to get a bit of water and overheard Josiah speaking to the knights.

“Wow,” he said. “Not a single one of them lasted more than ten seconds.”

“Well, it is only the first six,” Godfrey added. “Maybe the next six will last longer?”

“Not a chance,” Enoch argued. “Not against our fearsome princess.”

“Trying to butter me up, are you Enoch?” Cassandra teased.

“Me?” he replied sarcastically. “Never!”

“It’s okay, Enoch,” Enoch’s best friend Ivor said. “We all know you’ve been trying to get in bed with the princess since you met her.”

“What can I say?” Enoch laughed. “At least I’m trying.”

“Cass, get your slow ass back here!” Theo called. “It’s Wesley’s turn!”

Cassandra grinned with a malicious joy. “Sorry, Enoch. Better luck next time!”

Enoch shook his head, his windswept and wavy locks of chocolate flopping around with his head.

Cassandra returned, as Theo requested, to find a pretty boy in armor. Though he had a visually appealing face, he was rugged and thin in stature with olive-tinted skin. A strong jawline framed his face at the bottom while up top was a spiky, slightly curly head of cinnamon brown hair. About Theo’s height, she could easily look into his hazel irises and see the fire of determination overtake a twinge of fear. Fascinating, the first of the boys to not look at her with glassy, defeated eyes.

“And your name is?” she asked.

“Wesley Moonbourne,” he replied, a dulcet-almost-musical voice ringing out. “First son of Lord Greogry of Eastevain.”

Theo’s cousin.

The Moonbourne family belonged to the House of Valennard which Theo’s family was also a part of. 

“Well, Wesley Moonbourne, first son of Lord Gregory of Eastevain,” Cassandra twirled her sword into a ready position, “are you ready to get your ass kicked?”

Wesley flicked his sword up, mirroring her, and nodded. Cassandra observed a difference about him, however obvious it was. It seemed based on his stance alone that he had received at least some formal training in swordcraft, and his confident air definitely exuded that. That was another thing, he had bravery and assurance where the other boys stood awestruck and petrified. How this would be interesting.

There was a natural moment of pause where the two quickly sized each other up and waited for the other to attack. Wesley broke the silence by attacking first, a bold move. Cassandra blocked with ease and turned around on him to return, her swing full of raw anger pent up from the past few days. Wesley blocked it, but he fumbled slightly as he failed to account for the power Cassandra's deceivingly slender feminine body held. 

Cassandra took the opportunity to advance a bit, pushing Wesley towards the bystanders with a low and middle strike that were both blocked. With each strike met, Wesley grew more comfortable in the fight, a dangerous thing to have happen. The desperation in his blocks, as he did not expect to move backwards, Cassandra hoped would betray him with her swing from above. Sadly, Cassandra was met with a brief suspension in her movement as Wesley held her in a block. He then proceeded to quickly sidestep, giving a bit in his block and forcing Cassandra's weight to unbalance her. 

In another exhibition of previous training, Wesley took the opportunity to try a strike from above as well, but Cassandra regained balance and dodged it with minimal stumbling. Trying to take the offensive, Wesley struck again, this time trying for a low blow, but was dodged more artfully by the princess. With her bearings acquired again, Cassandra went back to her aggressive, rapid-fire attacks. Middle, low, high, all blocked by Wesley. 

Wesley then proceeded to lunge for Cassandra, another bold and unstrategic move as Cassandra simply blocked and brushed him off. Wesley lost footing but caught himself before the unexpected momentum took him to the floor. He took his sword in one hand and swung down, Cassandra leaping backwards to avoid being caught by the blade. At this point, Cassandra had pinpointed exactly how to defeat her opponent, and she watched as he fell forward again.

Cassandra tried a low strike, but Wesley, being a stubborn motherfucker, was able to block it. Same goes for the impulsive swing she took at his head. Cassandra tried for the legs again, but he replicated her leap backwards. Cassandra and Wesley’s blades finally met again while he blocked her middle strike, and he tried and failed at unbalancing her this time by pushing off her strike. Cassandra took her momentum, planted her foot, and swung low again. A dodge was warranted, and Cassandra dealt another blocked blow after that. 

Wesley returned her attacks with two strikes at her torso, both blocked with grace. He tried different angles, first low and then high. Cassandra blocked both, though she held him in a state of suspension on his high block. Within a fraction of a second, she let Wesley know she had defeated him with a maniacal smile and then dealt the final blow. Cassandra swung upwards not with her sword but with the back of her hand. The sound of the smack rang out, as Wesley seemed to fall backward in slow motion with wide hazel eyes.

Wesley hit the ground hard, and he barely had time to recover before Cassandra placed a boot on his chest and a sword at his throat. He put up quite a fight, she’d give him that as she felt her chest rising and falling quickly. Cassandra may have held Wesley in submission for a moment too long, but she did remove her sword and boot from his vicinity and allowed him to retreat to the rest of the defeated recruits. 

There was something about him, though. Cassandra couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there was definitely something tugging at the back of her mind.

The defeat of the rest of the recruits came quick, and Cassandra couldn’t help but laugh at the poor displays of swordsmanship. Once the last lay at her mercy, she thrust her sword into the ground briefly and looked at the ashamed recruits.

“Today has been a sad, sad day. Every single one of you was defeated by a woman, nonetheless the princess you are supposed to protect. You’ve got your work cut out for you, Theo.”

Theo shook his head as he joined Cassandra out in the middle of the training grounds. “Don’t feel bad, boys. None of us could beat Cassandra, even if we tried. Now that I’ve seen you all in action, you’ll be paired with a knight based on what you need to improve on. The knight you spar with today will be your mentor through the next six months, so you’ll do well to get comfortable very quickly…”

Cassandra walked away and tuned out Theo as she grabbed a bit more water. Enoch, of course, was lounging about the area with his silver tongue intact.

“Congratulations, my lady,” he flashed a smirk of pearly white teeth as he sauntered over to her. “It seems you have successfully taken out your anger on all of these young boys.”

“You mean that wasn’t the plan all along?” she joked before turning a bit more serious. “No, I needed a good release, and what’s better than beating around a bunch of grown men.”

“Well, very few of them actually looked like grown men.”

“Now that you mention it, we do have a very scrawny batch.”

“Maybe you need to fight a real man, my lady.”

“Oh,” Cassandra almost cackled, “and you’re calling yourself a real man?”

“Care to join the knights in a bit of spontaneous afternoon training?”

The grin on Enoch’s ivory face caused his short, scruffy stubble, and his brandy eyes seemed as if they themselves were trying to entice Cassandra. As much as Cassandra wanted to say yes to his voice of honey, her smile faltered a bit.

“I’m afraid I must clean up for dinner with the King of Valoran. A lady must be prim and proper and all that bullshit.”

“Oh, don’t act like that. We all know you’d go to war wearing a pair of heels,” Enoch continued to keep the conversation light-hearted. He gave her a friendly clap on the back and said, “Good work today.”

“Thank you,” she flashed him one final smile before approaching Theo.

Theo didn’t realize Cass was upon him until he whirled around to find her standing behind him.

“Ah, so the victor has come to gloat,” he teased playfully. “You delivered quite a beating today.”

It took him a moment to realize the vein above Cass’s left eyebrow and her rubbing her wrist.

“If you don’t need me, I’ll go prepare for dinner,” she said in reply, her mahogany eyes breaking contact consistently.

He was familiar with this Cass, the one who exudes an aggressiveness in training and then feels very submissive when not beating the shit out of someone. He felt a twinge of guilt for not seeing the signs earlier, but no matter now.

“No, you’re free to go.”

She nodded and turned to leave before he could finish, so he grabbed her arm to stop her.

“Hey,” he said softly, “you wanna stop by before dinner with the king?”

Her lips spread into a thin, almost forced smile, but he knew that was her way of saying yes. He nodded silently, telling her he understood. She proceeded to pick up her sword and exit the training grounds, but instead of watching her Theo looked around for Civarn.

The pale, clumsy boy was approaching him with an armful of gear and weapons, and he nearly fell as he walked. The things he was carrying spilled onto the ground with a clang, and Theo stifled a laugh at his servant.

“Still working with two left feet, then?” Theo teased.

Civarn, who knelt on the ground trying to gather the dropped objects, looked up at him with his eyes of ferns and shook his head in a playful way. 

“You know me, my lord,” he replied with a slight laugh. “Always stumbling everywhere.”

“Precisely. I have never known a man to be more ungraceful than your bumbling self.”

Civarn smiled sheepishly at the comment, his pink lips revealing the white teeth beneath. “Am I needed for target practice today, sire?”

In one of the strange, rough ways Theo showed affection towards his servant, he ruffled Civarn’s shaggy soot black hair and replied, “No, but then again when are you not a target.”

“Indeed, sire,” Civarn’s chuckling brought a smile to Theo's face.

There was a brief moment before Theo addressed anything serious. “I was actually going to ask you to do me a favor.”

“Anything you need, sire.”

“I was hoping you could go to the kitchens and the gardens. I want a fruit platter and some flowers delivered to Cass, to help her feel better. Girls like that stuff, you know?”

Civarn chuckled a bit at the last comment. “Sire, with all due respect, we both know you know nothing about girls, but I agree that Cassandra would like that. I’ll leave immediately.”

“Thank you, Civarn.”

The servant returned the gratitude with a small smile, and then tentatively asked, “Do you mind, sire, if I inquire about the Princess Cassandra’s wellbeing?”

“I’m unsure, but she’ll be stopping by my chambers tonight before dinner with the King of Valoran.”

Civarn nodded in understanding. 

“Oh, I also meant to discuss with you. My cousin, Wesley, will need help moving into the palace sometime soon. Would you–”

“I’ll meet up with him tomorrow after training and discuss the best time for me to move him in.”

Theo grinned once again, and clapped Civarn on the shoulder. “You’re the best servant a man could ask for.”

“I aim to please,” he replied. “I’ll see to my duties, my lord.” With that, Civarn was off. Though there wasn’t much time for it, a bit of melancholy set in. Theo too was concerned for Cass, his sister-in-spirit as he liked to think of her. Something was off, he could tell, but he wasn’t sure if it was due to him, the arrival of King Guillame, or if it was something else entirely. All he knew was something was bothering her, and it was his responsibility to take care of her. She was his best friend, after all. What else are best friends for?

-> next chapter

[shelbeetaylor]

Chapter Four | She's Bitter, Salty, & Never Sleeps

-> story masterpost

-> previous chapter

“No,” Theo shook his head.

Cassandra tilted her head, pursing her lips.

“Absolutely not.”

“You literally watched her almost fall off of the castle walls today,” Cassandra said as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

“That doesn’t qualify her for constant protection.”

“It does when she the same day only hours apart nearly got impaled twice.”

“This is a joke, isn’t it?” Theo asked Genevieve who was passing by with some more wine.

“By a halberd and a sword,” Genevieve replied as she poured Theo more to drink.

He shook his head, “This is insane.”

“My mother requested– no demanded– she be protected, so you’re going to do it,” Cassandra piped back in.

“Hell. No.”

“Hey, remember that thing called when I ask you to do shit you’re supposed to do it because you technically work for me?”

“That’s not how this works.”

“Yes, it is.  So fucking do it.”

“Fuck you,” Theo sighed.

“Thanks, but no thanks,” Cassandra replied, leaning on the back of a chair.

There was a long pause that filled the air around the two nobles and their servants. Cassandra took a drink from her own chalice while a very stressed Genevieve poured two more for her and Civarn, Theo’s dark-haired light-eyed manservant.

“What are we going to do about King Guillame?” Theo finally broke the silence, though it came out very monotone.

“What can we do?” Cassandra said distraughtly, setting her chalice down. Everyone looked at her with various degrees of concern. “We can’t stop him from staying here unless we want to do something more insane and start a war by killing him.”

“We have enough of that already,” Theo said into his chalice.

Cassandra exhaled sharply. “We’ll just have to deal with it and hope Mother gets things worked out and quickly.”

Genevieve took a tentative step forward. “You don’t think he’ll punish us–” she looked between her and Civarn– “for our involvement, do you?”

Instinctually, both Cassandra and Theo physically responded to the thought. Theo sat straight up, setting his chalice down with a tense arm. Cassandra went from leaning on the chair with her forearms to standing completely upright.

“No, absolutely not,” the princess replied. “Even if he did, I wouldn’t allow it.”

Theo shook his head and agreed, “Neither of us would. You’re safe from any punishment, I promise.”

“We promise.”

There was another period of silence, this time accompanied by a universal stillness in the room.

“We did the right thing,” Genevieve said softly, “helping save that village from all of that pain and suffering. It was a risk worth taking.”

“Yes,” Theo spoke, “but it was a risk that cost us a good friend.”

Cassandra didn’t see much, but what she did see was frightening. It felt so short, yet so painstakingly long…

The windows of the grand hall breathed a white light into the room, but all was not as it seemed. A black figure pierced the light, cutting through it as if diving into water. The hurtling object’s trajectory slowed immensely, and Cassandra slowly approached it despite her entire body feeling completely and utterly numb. Upon closer inspection, the shining blade of a dagger filled the void space she originally perceived. The beautiful, simple craftsmanship of a blacksmith was in suspended animation, but not for long.

As Cassandra reached out, not of her own volition, to touch the blade, it suddenly continued its speedy path. She snapped her head in the direction it headed, but her vision filled with only eyes of autumn brown surrounded by small wrinkles.

“No!”

Cassandra jolted up in her bed, reaching out at nothing. A surge of power quickly flowed through her body to the tips of her fingers, and a candle across the room lit itself. Once she had awakened and processed where she was, Cassandra dropped her outstretched arms and brought her knees to her chest. The opening and closing of a door sounded, and soon Genevieve popped out from around the corner.

“M’lady? Is everything alright?”

Cassandra began rubbing her forehead, answering, “Fantastic question.”

Genevieve sighed through her nose, cocked her head in sympathy as she did so, and said, “I’ll fetch you some water.”

Before long, Genevieve had handed Cassandra a full chalice, sat on the bed next to her, and wrapped her sienna arms around the princess. Gently caressing Cassandra's shoulders to comfort her, Genevieve waited a moment as Cassandra took a sip of water.

“What was this dream about?” she asked.

“Oh, my mother and a dagger.” This response warranted a single eyebrow raise. “Chronologically it was a dagger and then my mother’s eyes.”

“That’s it?”

“Pretty much.”

“You’re sure it was your mother’s eyes? I mean they could belong to anyone, right?”

“I appreciate the optimism, but no. I’ve seen those eyes for twenty-one years, it’s hers.”

“Ah,” Genevieve replied. “Well, there’s no proof it’ll happen. Maybe it’s your subconscious telling you you’re angry at her.”

“Oh, I’m definitely angry, but not that angry,” Cassandra said. “Besides, I had that same feeling, that odd turning in my stomach… I don’t know how to describe it…”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

Cassandra smiled and shook her head, “It’s nothing really.”

“Do you want some more water?”

“Oh, no. Thank you, though.”

Genevieve carefully took the chalice and set it on the nearby table. Cassandra leaned back against the plethora of pillows, using them to prop herself up, and watched Genevieve walk away.

“Hey, Gena–”

“Gena?” her maidservant replied.

“Don’t tell my cousin, but it stuck.”

Gena laughed and said, “I won’t tell a soul.”

“Anyway,” Cassandra began tugging at the tassel on one of her pillows, “anything interesting happen recently? Something semi-amusing at least?”

“Oh,” Gena turned around and leaned against the back of a chair, “have I got a very amusing story.”

“Well, don’t just stand there.”

Gena giddily skipped over to the bed and sat on the corner before speaking. “A few days ago I was going to fetch lunch, and I always have to pass the knights’ chambers to get to the kitchen. I just so happen to round the corner as Sir Enoch was trying to carry– and I’m not exaggerating here– twelve full flagons of alcohol into his chambers.”

“Oh, well, naturally only half of twelve flagons would be too easy,” Cassandra joked, warranting laughter from the both of them.

“The best part was he was already completely intoxicated so he could barely carry the bottles, let alone balance all of them while trying to open the door.”

“Well, you helped him, didn’t you?”

“No, of course not!”

“Gena!”

“I couldn’t help it,” the maid giggled. “I spent ten minutes watching him struggle from behind a pillar before Sir Godfrey showed up and offered to help only to steal a third of it for himself.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Cassandra commented between laughs. “Both of them are just besotted with alcohol.”

“Yes, the only difference is one of them makes good decisions and the other makes bad ones.”

“I cannot disagree with that statement.”

“No one can because it’s absolutely true.”

The two shared a few more laughs before Cassandra asked, “So what about Theo and Civarn? Any odd situations between those two?”

Gena sighed through her nose. “Cassandra, you need to sleep.”

“Please, we all know I never sleep. I always look beautiful, but I never sleep.”

“Who needs beauty rest when you can beat up knights for fun?”

“Exactly!”

Gena smiled and sighed, “Seriously, at the very least try.”

“One more distraction and then I will.”

Gena shook her head, looked at the princess, and proceeded to inquire, “Okay, tell me about the latest tavern experience. Bar fights, encounters with men, fun nights…?”

“For once, no,” Cassandra replied. “I haven’t been to the tavern since… wow, since I went a few weeks ago with Theo.”

“That was the one with the arm wrestling guy?”

“No, the one where I met the blonde.”

“Oh, yes! A good story.”

“Yeah… maybe I can convince Terran to go with me soon.”

“Good luck with that, m’lady. You know he rarely ever goes to the upper town tavern.”

“True, but I am very persuasive.”

Gena smiled and got up to leave, but Cassandra stopped her.

“Gena, don’t worry about me tomorrow. I’ll get up early for training and I’ll go visit Galen beforehand. You should go be with Evie tomorrow.”

Gena nodded and stood up, bidding her mistress goodnight before blowing out the candle at the far end of the room.

Cassandra was unable to sleep the rest of the night, as was usual when she would have these nightmares. Why bother trying to sleep when all one will see is the same terrifying sequence of events anyways? So, naturally, Cassandra began getting ready at the break of day.

Gena had so kindly laid out an outfit for her, the chainmail tunic resting on the nearby table. Cassandra grabbed it– tunic, armor, trousers, boots, belt, and all– and took it behind the screen to change. She laid the pieces over top of the screen for easy access after she undressed, but she paused. Cassandra held in her hands the chainmail tunic, the one she hadn’t worn in months. She felt the heavy metal links between her fingers, the small and cold rings twisting under her thumbs and becoming heavier by the second. Cassandra soon realized she had stopped breathing and almost choked when she inhaled again.

Cassandra took this as a sign to get dressed and slipped out of her nightdress, hanging it over the screen neatly for Gena to pick up later. She proceeded to reach for the mauve pants, her socks, the chainmail tunic, the armored corset, the worn brown boots, the matching belt and scabbard. Before grabbing the final pieces of the outfit that was still lying on the table, Cassandra sat in front of her vanity, staring at the mess that was her hair. Over the years she had become very skilled at quickly brushing out her wavy locks and doing some hairstyles thanks to Gena’s patient teachings. It only took her a minute to weave her raven black hair into a tightly wound braid that would at least last through the training session. Gena’s braids, however, could last an entire war with barely a hair out of place, but she was also paid to know how to do that.

As a few stray hairs fell into a frame around her face, Cassandra briefly adjusted the small coif that rested on her shoulders before being satisfied with how she looked. Her sword, wrist guards, and gloves were the final pieces of the puzzle that was her outfit, and she grabbed the pieces as left exited her chambers. 

The sun slowly rising above the horizon casted an orange-toned light through the windows as she traipsed through the halls. Cassandra slid her sword into its scabbard, but she held off on fumbling with her wrist guards and gloves until she reached her destination. It wasn’t a terribly far walk to the physician’s chambers, but nonetheless the muffled bootsteps failed to keep as good of company as the click of her heels usually did.

It was peaceful, the castle in the early morning. It was similar to this in the wee hours of the morning, except it was usually much darker. The only people around were the occasional guards, maybe a knight getting ready for patrol. Whenever she did see them, they never stopped to look or bow or greet her, they simply carried on their way. It was during these times that she was able to be alone with her thoughts, a simple walk in silence allowed her to have an internal conversation.

There wasn’t too much time for her to be with her thoughts, though. The physician’s chambers weren’t too far from Cassandra's chambers; however, it really didn’t take a terribly long time to walk the full length of the castle anyways. She stopped before a meager wooden door with the faint light of day and candles glowing through the cracks and holes. Cassandra knocked gently before cracking open the door and peeking her head in.

“Hello?” she called tentatively.

There was no response, but she saw a figure hunched over a crowded bench. A small smile creeped across Cassandra's face as she quietly approached him and tapped on his shoulder. Nearly jumping out of his skin, he flinched and whirled around, bracing himself on the bench as he realized who was smiling at his terror.

“Fucking hell,” he cursed, inhaling and exhaling sharply. “Never fucking do that again.”

“Ooh, someone’s feisty this morning.”

“Well, I’m so fucking used to hearing your heels all the way down the hall before you magically fucking appear behind me.”

Cassandra was laughing very hard at this point and could barely say the words, “Terran, you can calm down now.”

“I’m wide-fucking-awake now,” Terran replied, still a bit angry. “Could’ve used that at about two in the morning.”

Cassandra shook her head and patted him on the back, but she also took note of the tiredness in his cornflower eyes. She proceeded to glance down at the crowded bench to find it covered in various books open to random pages with writings and illustrations. 

“This is what kept you up all night?” Cassandra asked.

“Yup,” Terran flipped one of the books closed. “I have an exam tomorrow.”

Cassandra looked at him and scoffed. “An exam?! After five years you’re still taking exams?!”

“Well, that’s Galen. What about you?”

“Oh, please. When do I ever actually sleep?”

Terran chuckled and replied, “That’s a fair response. He’s currently gathering some herbs, but he’ll be back soon. For now, let me be burdened with your troubles.”

“It’s really not that insane, it’s just a dream.”

Terran had a wide smile, but there was a flicker in his eyes that counteracted it. “I can help with that, you know.”

“See, what I remember is that you tried that, but we quickly realized that you’re terrible at dream interpretation.”

“I’m not that bad.”

“Stick to potions, medicine boy,” Cassandra joked, rustling his hair as black as crow feathers.

She sat down at the bench, sitting close enough to him that she could easily lean her head onto his shoulder. She refrained from it though, as Terran was trying to close all of the books and tidy up the bench. Terran continued talking, however.

“So, you’re wearing the chainmail again?”

He was there, the day Henri died. He fought with them. He knew why she didn’t touch this chainmail.

“I am training with the new recruits today.”

“Whoa-ho-ho, it’s a little early for them to try fighting you. They better watch out.”

“Yes, it’s the first day of training too.”

“Oh, so Galen and I need to be prepared for the hordes of young, sweaty men that have just been absolutely bloodied up by you.”

“You know it.”

“It seems the pre-lunch business is always your fault.” “What can I say, I’m the master of chaos and destruction.”

Terran got up from the bench and moved to another, one covered in ingredients and empty bottles. The “potion station” as Terran often called it. 

“Speaking of which,” Cassandra continued, “a new person will be taking up a permanent residence in the castle.”

“Oh, really?” Terran asked as he began pounding herbs with a mortar and pestle. “Do tell.”

“It’s Theo’s cousin.”

“Ooh.”

“Yes, my mother has high hopes for his success, so he must move in immediately.”

“Is he cute?”

Cassandra gave him a look, scoffed, and rolled her eyes. “If I knew I’d say so, but I’ve never met him. Also remember that I have no idea what qualifies men as cute.”

“That’s too bad,” Terran responded. “I’ve been very lonely recently.”

“I know. You won’t shut up about it, but you also won’t do anything about it.”

“I’m very skilled like that,” Terran’s smile faded slightly as he glanced back at the door. “How, uh, long will you be training?”

Cassandra stood slowly and joined Terran at the potion station, once again the hint of a grin flashing. “‘Til midday. Why?”

“Well, I went searching through the library for all the books I needed and I came across something I think you’d find interesting.”

Terran grabbed an old book and held it out to her. Cassandra took it and ran her fingers over the worn leather binding, gently caressing the yellowed pages sticking out from the sides.

“It’s a spellbook written by Cassindrea,” Terran explained. “She’s the best healer to ever live. I was thinking maybe we could try out some of the spells.”

Cassandra for a brief moment bit her lip, but she recovered quickly. The smile she had on her face felt incredulously fake, and she hoped that wasn’t how it looked. “Yeah, um, absolutely. I’m pretty much free the rest of the day. You might want me to bathe after training though.”

“What about this evening after dinner?”

Cassandra nodded quietly. Terran’s beaming face made him seem so genuinely excited. How could she tell him how she really felt about all of this…? No matter, onto other things then.

“Terran, I was wondering i–”

In that moment, Galen walked into the chambers, his long ash gray hair swishing with his brown robes as he walked. In his wrinkled hands he held a small burlap sack that was full of various herbs. It took his eyes a moment to realize who was standing before him, but his reddened face soon brightened into a smile.

“Cassandra!” he called. “This is indeed a nice surprise.”

The princess chuckled softly before responding, “Don’t get too excited. I’m here for help.”

“Nonsense, I’m always happy to help you, my child.”

The old man hobbled over to Cassandra and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Galen had been the court physician since Cassandra was a small child, and she could not remember a time in which the slight rasp in his voice hadn’t been there to comfort her in times of need. Galen knew Cassandra better than she knew herself, and he knew all her secrets too. She struggled for a brief moment to speak as his eyes settled on her, the warm rings like petals of forget-me-nots.

“I had another dream.”

Galen’s lips spread into a thin line, his brow furrowing slightly.

“I know,” Cassandra continued. “Would you mind helping me translate it?”

Galen shook his head, “You can never come to me with a problem I can treat, can you?”

“Well?”

“Sit down and explain it to me. Maybe we can make sense of it.”

Cassandra did as she was told and sat at the bench, looking down at her hands and picking at her fingers. Galen sat next to her, gently placing a hand on hers. She immediately ceased picking at her fingers, instead allowing one hand to rest on her lap. Her other hand was enveloped by the soft feeling of Galen’s knitted fingerless glove against her skin and the warmth of his fingers as they gently brushed against the back of her hand. 

“I was in the great hall,” Cassandra began, her voice faltering slightly, “standing in front of one of the windows. There was something flying in the air… when it stopped suddenly and I realized it was a knife. I-I moved toward it, but it was strange… I felt completely numb like I wasn’t moving of my own volition.”

At this point, Terran had stopped working and began listening in as well.

“When I reached out for it, it started moving again. Then I saw only my mother’s eyes grow very wide.”

There was a moment of silence after she had finished, and Cassandra glanced between the two. Galen was briefly lost in thought, and Terran could only look at her with sympathetic, forlorn eyes.

Galen’s response was brief and monotonous, “I’m sorry.”

“What, what is it?” Cassandra's concern only grew with Galen’s cryptic reply.

“There simply isn’t enough information for me to determine what it means.”

“You don’t mean…”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to have this dream again before I can say anything.”

Cassandra sighed, her gaze finding its way to her lap. Galen took her free hand and held it, drawing her attention back to him.

“Assuming the meaning of your dreams without substantial information is fraught with dangers, my child. A simple wrong interpretation could have unintended consequences, as the vision might appear one way but later we find it means another.”

“I understand,” her voice was like a hoarse squeak. 

Galen guided her as the two stood up. “I’ll have Terran make you a sleeping draught, and perhaps it will allow you to enter a deeper sleep and get a more detailed vision.”

“Oh, I’ve already made it,” Terran said, holding out a small purple bottle filled with liquid.

Cassandra and Galen both looked at Terran with small smiles, and Cassandra left Galen’s grasp and gently accepted the sleeping draught. Galen looked out the small window in his chambers and sighed quietly.

“You better get going or you’ll miss training,” Galen told her.

Cassandra's brows furrowed, though her smile remained, “How did you–?”

“Inferences, my child.”

Cassandra chuckled and shook her head, and though it was bad timing she decided to ask anyway, “There’s one more thing I wish to ask.”

Galen nodded, giving her permission.

“Um,” Cassandra began nervously, “Terran, I was wondering if you wanted to take a trip to the tavern with me this weekend. If Galen allows it, of course… It’s just we haven’t been together in a while and–”

“For good reason,” Galen sternly interrupted, scaring Cassandra a bit. “It’s too dangerous.”

“Galen, I–”

Galen held up a hand and silenced her. “I know what you and Theodore do at the tavern, and while I want you two to have your fun, it’s fraught with too much risk.”

This time it was Terran who tried to cut in, but once again Galen put an end to the protesting.

“The patrons there are not welcoming to a man who loves other men. You would do well to be more careful, my child, lest you want to have your head on the chopping block.”

Cassandra felt as though her heart had dropped through the floor, and she stood frozen for a moment. Her heart broke seeing the look in Galen’s eyes, and she couldn’t even muster up a fake smile.

“I bid you good day, then,” Cassandra said, turning towards the door and exiting the still room.

Outside of the chambers, she stopped after closing the door and leaned on it, trying to catch her breath and shake off Galen’s disappointed gaze that was burned into her memory.

-> next chapter

[shelbeetaylor]

Chapter Three | A Decent Spot to Read

-> story masterpost

-> previous chapter

Cassandra helped Theo to his feet as the crowd raved, even Evie was cheering at the top of her lungs for her victorious cousin. Theo’s thin line of a mouth and defeated sigh as he picked up his sword showed his distaste for Cass’s victory.

Nope. That is a terrible nickname. Never using that one again. Must think of another one.

As the applause died down, Cassandra looked around at the newcomers with a bright, shining smile on her face. Cassandra threw her sword into the ground, the hilt sticking up in the air, before she spoke to the knights-in-training.

“You’re welcome for giving you some proper entertainment. Now, as much fun as this was, I have even better news for you! There will be more of this tomorrow–” Cassandra picked up her sword and pointed it at the idle men– “when I get to beat the shit out of you dumbasses.”

The men went very silent all of the sudden.

“Have fun, and welcome to Vale Serine!” Cassandra laughed.

There were some tentative, slow claps from the knights-in-training, but all of them had not just confused but also concerned, even terrified, faces on. Theo, still shaken from the defeat, turned to address them.

“The princess is indeed correct–” he shot Cassandra a look– “tomorrow’s training will begin with a demonstration of everyone’s skill as you face her. For now, you’re all free to return home and get settled in, explore the city, or otherwise. Training will begin early in the morning, so don’t spend too much time and money at the taverns tonight.”

The crack elicited a bit of laughter from the men as they began to disperse. As Theo went to leave as well, Cassandra grabbed him by the arm to speak to him. Evie looked over at Gena after hearing a small gasp, only to find Gena pressing a finger to her lips and pulling it away to find drops of red. 

“Are you okay?” Evie asked.

Gena looked over at the young princess, a little startled, as she reached for her handkerchief, and Gena flashed a small smile.

“Yes, it’s nothing,” Gena replied and went to wipe away the blood, but she stopped. “Promise me you won’t say anything about what I told you.”

“Okay. I promise.”

Gena shook her head. “I rarely ever talk about Cassandra, let alone spill her secrets. I’m not usually like this, I’m sorry.” 

The maid pressed the handkerchief to her bleeding lips, the white cloth being stained red.

“Evie.”

The two whipped their heads around to see Cassandra approaching with Theo. Cassandra continued to flaunt her smugness, which was a one-eighty from what her initial countenance had been all day.

“This loser right here–”

“Why did I ever agree to fight you,” Theo murmured.

“–is Sir Theodore Valennard, my personal guard who can’t win a fight against me.”

“I can win a fight against you.”

Cassandra held up a finger, “Don’t make me recite my list of victories again.”

Theo promptly shut his mouth and sighed through his nose.

“Theodore, like the one Teddy is short for?” Evie asked.

Brows furrowed, heads tilted, and Theo’s lips pressed themselves into a thin line. He replied, “Mm… not quite…”

“I’m going to call you Teddy from now on,” Evie continued, a smile on her face. “I like it better.”

Teddy’s face contorted even more while Cassandra clapped him hard on the back and said, “Good luck with this one.”

She then gestured with her head toward the castle door and proceeded to leave, Gena tailing behind her. Teddy watched the two walk away, cleared his throat, and then turned back to Evie.

“So, uh, what-what did Cass– I mean Cassandra–” he stuttered before Evie mercifully cut him off.

“She was giving me a tour of the castle.”

“Ah…” Teddy glanced at his surroundings. “Well, um… this is the training ground where we… train… yeah…”

Evie blinked at him a few times as he nodded his head slowly.

“Do you mind showing me the gardens?” Evie asked.

“Yeah, of course,” Teddy replied quickly.

Teddy took her back through the palace, leading to the south end of the property. In a very short time, Evie was standing before another large door waiting for it to open out to the bright light of day. This time she was not blinded, and instead immediately greeted with her heart’s desire.

The stone steps downwards melted into a gravel path that expanded far beyond what the eye could see. There were rows upon rows of green shrubbery, colorful flowers, and trees against the blue of the sky. Mesmerized, Evie took steps forward and those steps turned into an awestruck walk through the expansive gardens. Near the entrance, there was a quaint square pool lined with stone fountains, boxwood bushes, and ferns; and various sites similar to this one littered the grounds.

In the center of the gardens laid a small, circular fountain with water as blue as the sky above. Small bushes, hedges, and flowers made patterns upon the flat greens surrounding it. Tall, thin trees stuck up between the stone arches encircling the peaceful little haven, ivy and blooming roses mounted upon the pillars and helping the stone blend in with the nearby greenery. Evie took note of every pathway, especially those with mossy cobblestone for steps and flora arches for ceilings which seemed like they led to a secret passageway.

“While I’m here I might as well pick flowers for the queen. Do you know which ones she likes?” Evie inquired.

“I honestly have no clue,” Teddy replied. “I’m not one for picking flowers.”

“Oh, well, no matter. I suppose some roses might do. Do you know where I might find some?”

“Okay, I do happen to know where those would be. Follow me.”

Evie giddily did as she was told. He left the center of the gardens and turned left immediately, going down one of the mossy cobblestone paths. The steps led down to a lower level of the gardens consisting of small hallways with statues at each end. The walls and ceilings were covered in roses, roses of every color and size imaginable. A wonderstruck Evie slowly perused the walls, gently removing certain flowers from their resting places. For once, Evie fell silent, and it didn’t take long for Teddy to ask questions.

“You’re very precise with what roses you’re picking.”

“Indeed,” Evie absentmindedly responded and pulled another, being wary of the thorns on its stem.

“Why not just pick the first few roses and leave?”

“Gift-giving is an art form,” she simply replied. “The gift one gives says much, even if it’s simply the color of a flower.”

“I didn’t know flower colors had meaning.”

“Not just the colors, but even the flowers themselves have various meanings,” Evie looked away from the walls and back at Teddy. “Haven’t you ever wondered why only lilies and rosemary are acceptable at funerals?”

“No, I guess I haven’t given the idea much thought.”

Evie returned to her flowers as she spoke,“Lilies represent death, so it’s only natural to have them there. But rosemary stands for remembrance. That’s what one does at a funeral: remember the life of the one who has died.”

Teddy remained quiet, though Evie continued on.

“Roses are known for being common gestures of love, but there are many different meanings roses can hold. I can say a lot with roses and not say a word which makes them a perfect gift for someone whose favorite flower remains a mystery to me.”

“And what is it that you’re saying with these roses?”

“Many things. Yellow is a sign of friendship and cheerfulness, peach symbolizes gratitude, purple is not just a patron color but is also the color of royalty, a few black ones speak of new beginnings, and white represents loyalty everlasting.”

“So in flower language you’re essentially saying you’re grateful for this new opportunity and are excited to form friendships and be a part of the royal family?”

Evie's face grew slowly into a smile, “You learn quickly.”

“I’ve always had to.”

Evie cocked her head slightly and said, “I’d like to bring you with me when picking flowers more often. You make very good flower-picking company.”

“I certainly try to, my lady.”

Evie shook her head. “Och, everyone here is so formal. Is it really that hard to use a person’s name once in a while?”

“My apologies, Evie, but you are in the Ravenwell Palace. It’s a different world when you’re this close to the royal family.”

“Well, at least this new world has a decent spot to read in. The center of the gardens is quite a peaceful place.”

“I should do you one better. I may not know much about flowers and herbs, but I certainly know books and where one might like to read. It’s actually just through these halls. Go to the end of this one, turn left, and there should be an arch leading out to a green pasture.”

Evie nodded and followed Teddy’s instructions, the knight following closely behind her. Sure enough, the archway was only a minute’s walk and Evie could see expanses of long green grass as she approached. The light of the setting sun hit her eyes, illuminating her irises with the most brilliant light. She could hear the sound of waves and running water not too far. 

“If you don’t mind following me, it’s just down this hill,” Teddy called.

Indeed, the pasture slowed steeply downwards, and as the two overcame the gentle peak the pasture revealed to her a flat plain below. The blue river Serine weaved its way throughout the grass, and by one of its bends sat a beautiful monument to nature, the only tree for miles. There, sitting in dark tan bark, was a giant weeping willow, one whose leaves looked as though they were forged from the riches of the royal treasury. 

“In my first few months living in Vale Serine I spent many a day here. I never come out here much anymore, so I figured you would be more likely to appreciate it than I.”

“It’s wonderful,” Evie breathed.

“Indeed. This is supposedly the final resting place of the great sorceress Cassindrea, Cassandra’s namesake and great-great-grandmother. Not many people ever visit here, so you’re ensured privacy and quiet.” “It’s the perfect spot for reading,” Evie said and turned to him. “Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure, Evie,” he replied with a smile. “Come, there’s one more place I think you’d like to see.”

A long trek later, Evie found herself atop the castle walls. The battlement overlooked the city itself and the mountains beyond. The sky began shifting back to the blend of orange to navy as the sun hit the horizon and sank beneath it slowly. 

“The city is lovely,” Evie commented.

“I know. Personally, I think this is the best spot in the castle to see our small corner of the world. You not only can see Vale and the Never Peaks, but also the sunset and sunrise.”

“How did you come by this place?”

Teddy chuckled and shook his head. “That is a story for another time. Especially looking at the time, wow. We have to get to dinner.”

“Alri–” Evie began but started to yelp as she tripped and fell towards the emptiness beyond the battlements. Teddy caught her, gripping her arms with great strength and hoisting her back up onto her feet.

“Maybe let’s not have you fall to your death the first day here,” Teddy joked.

“Maybe not.”

The guards opened the doors to the small dining room the family was going to eat at, revealing a long wooden table set with much food. It seemed that Evie and Teddy were a little late to the party, as the queen and Cassandra had already sat down.

“I’m sorry we’re late, Your Majesty,” Teddy said and bowed. “Evie almost fell off the castle walls.”

Evie caught a small eye roll from Cassandra before the queen obstructed any view of her by approaching the duo.

“You’re right on time,” the queen replied. “Just be safe next time you’re up there.”

“Here,” Evie held out the bouquet of roses which Teddy so graciously found a bit of twine to tie the roses together with. “I picked these on our trip to the gardens. I regret I didn’t know which ones were your favorites, so I went with roses.”

“Oh, this is lovely!” the queen replied and beckoned over Gena. “Will you get a vase for these?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Gena answered and curtsied before leaving.

“By the way,” the queen turned back to Evie, “my favorite flowers are irises.”

Evie couldn’t help but smile as the queen handed the flowers to a vase-carrying Gena. Gena proceeded to set the roses as the centerpiece of the table.

“I also picked three black roses, one for each of you. To new beginnings.”

“To new beginnings indeed,” the queen nodded as Evie handed out the roses.

Cassie– yes, Cassie would do nicely– took her rose, and examined it with her long, slender fingers as the queen commented, “The roses are quite exquisite this year.”

“Indeed,” Cassie replied. “There’s something oddly appealing about these black roses.”

Teddy offered Evie the seat next to his, and she happily accepted. As the family sat down to eat, the two servants began filling the chalices with wine except for Evie's. The manservant robotically poured water into Evie's cup.

“So, seeing as you’ve done some exploring, what do you think of our palace?”the queen inquired.

“Oh, it’s wonderful! Cassie and Teddy showed me all around the grounds, and I’ve found several perfect places to spend time…” Evie trailed off as she noticed Cassie’s stare of death.

“Cassie and Teddy?” the queen’s eyebrow raised.

“Oh, I just love nicknames. By the way, do you mind if I call you Auntie Ginny?”

Cassie proceeded to choke on her food momentarily and dropped her fork. Teddy cleared his throat and leaned on the table with a single elbow. The queen seemed shocked and speechless, yet to everyone’s dismay she began laughing. Hard.

“It’s quite unconventional, but sure. Why not,” Auntie Ginny giggled.

“Anyway, I’m very excited to be here.”

“I’m sure. Now, about the feast at the end of the week.”

“I’m so looking forward to it.”

“And I’m so not,” Cassie muttered, earning a withering stare from her mother. It seemed the stare of death was hereditary.

“I was hoping to know what your favorite color, flower, and songs are. I’ll get everything arranged for the feast,” Auntie Ginny continued.

“Oh, well, I love pink, peonies, and I brought the sheet music to all of my favorite songs,” Evie delicately picked up her utensils to eat.

“Perfect. Don’t worry about the food, the cook will be around sometime to make the menu with you.”

“Marvelous!” the princess exclaimed, half talking about the feast and half about the food she was eating. Evie had high hopes for the feast ahead.

“So, Theo,” Auntie Ginny cut into her meat, “how are the new recruits?”

Teddy once again cleared his throat and set down his fork. “The new recruits are settling in well and thoroughly terrified. Some of them are at the tavern in Seven Crests, so training tomorrow might be rough on them.”

“Indeed. And how about your cousin?”

“Wesley is ecstatic to be in the city. He found himself a place to stay in upper Wildwood until he can get a place of his own.”

“That’s absurd! He’ll move into the castle immediately.”

“Your Majesty, I-”

“Really, Theo, there’s no need to be so formal, first of all. Second, you moved in here when you began training. I have high hopes for his success anyway.”

“I’ll let him know immediately.”

“And speaking of living in the castle…” Auntie Ginny swiveled her head towards Cassie. “...I heard about the show someone put on at the demonstration this afternoon.”

“Oh?” Cassie replied into her chalice.

“Yes, it seemed like it was quite entertaining.”

Cassie set down her wine and smirked. “Well, that’s a nice change from Theo’s demonstration.”

“My demonstrations are great,” Teddy cut in.

“Oh, please, you couldn’t make your sorry excuse for a demonstration better even if you wanted to.”

“I always have a newly knighted man every year, it’s never the same.”

“Yes, but people want real entertainment. Not you,” Cassie smiled.

“Enough,” Auntie Ginny said. “Cassandra, you did make a fool of Theo–”

“He does that very well himself.”

“–and you could have ruined a lovely dress.”

“Mother, if I cared about ruining a dress, I wouldn’t have bothered giving the recruits an easy show.”

“You understand that it’s considered very unbecoming for a princess to participate in such activities.”

“And if I cared about that, I would be boring as shit.”

“Cassandra,” her mother said sternly.

Cassie’s wicked smile returned. “Besides, I wouldn’t be able to help Theo tomorrow if that was the case.”

“Excuse me?” Auntie Ginny looked over at Teddy who tried hiding his face with his chalice. “Theo, explain.”

“I, uh… I made a deal with her.”

“Oh, I can imagine.”

“I think I’ll be helping Theo with training more often,” Cassie grinned.

Auntie Ginny sighed through her nose. “This is what I get for trying to teach my daughter self-defense skills.”

It was then that Gena leaned over to Auntie Ginny and whispered something into her ear.

“Ah, perfect. Thank you,” Auntie Ginny told Gena.

“What’s going on, Mother?” Cassie asked.

“You and Theo remember the King of Valoran?” Cassie and Teddy immediately stopped what they were doing. “He’s passing through to visit his family in the south and has decided to break his journey here for a few days.”

Both Cassie and Teddy found their laps very fascinating. Even Gena and the other servant seemed a little off put as well. Auntie Ginny didn’t seem concerned about it, and instead continued on with her speech.

“He and I will also be discussing the fallout from your little adventure.”

Evie zeroed in on Cassie, watching her cousin mess with her wrist. “All of that was an accident–”

“I know that,” Auntie Ginny cut off Cassie, “and he knows that, however, there are some things that must be discussed before all's right with the world again. Besides all of that, the king wishes to speak to you both now that he’s had time to grieve.”

“Fantastic,” Cassie breathed and took a long sip from her chalice.

“Now, I expect everyone to be on their best behavior, and, please for all that’s good, do not partake in another wild escapade.”

“You need to protect Evie,” Cassandra's mother demanded after holding her daughter in the dining hall when everyone had left.

“I’m sorry, what?” Cassandra replied. “Where exactly did this come from?”

“Well, you heard her tonight. She nearly fell off of the castle walls today!”

“And this is my problem, how?”

“As her cousin and now essentially her older sister, it’s your job to care for her.”

Cassandra's face at that moment was indescribable.

“A princess would take care of her subjects and her family,” the queen continued. “She wouldn’t go off gallivanting with knights.”

“I’m sorry, what? You really just can’t handle that I enjoy competing with the knights.”

“Whatever you believe. And, by the way, the king and I will be discussing the beginnings of a treaty between Valoran and Nevernia. We have lost much in the way of allies and treaties, as you know.”

“I know.”

“The death of Prince Henri has cost us nearly everything we have been working towards. So much of this could have been saved by your marriage–”

“I know, Mother,” Cassandra's voice echoed through the hall.

The queen tilted her head ever so slightly and spoke with an unnerving quietness, “I only wish to say we must proceed with agreements, or we may one day find ourselves with another enemy. That is a lesson you must learn and learn soon.”

Cassandra grabbed a nearby chalice that hadn’t been taken away yet and dumped the rest of the wine into it. “And I suppose you know all.”

“Cassandra, this is no laughing matter.”

“I’m sorry,” Cassandra swished around the liquid in the cup and looked up from its contents, staring up at her mother with a gaze of pure contempt. “I didn’t hear anyone laughing.”The queen went to speak again as Cassandra tipped the chalice towards her mouth, draining it completely. Cassandra cut off her mother by slamming the empty cup onto the table and simply walking away.

-> next chapter