CASSANDRA: The Unfavored Princess-Chapter 104: Her Sun

Duke Salvador and Princess Casandra sat near the window.

The Duke’s eyes stayed low as he looked at the fifth Princess’s hand. A mark was evident on it. He was unsure of how he was going to make Princess Cassandra understand but he still did not trust the Vivere Kingdom’s people.

’How can I trust them.’

’I don’t even know what powers they hold.’

’It is only natural to doubt things that I do not understand.’

Duke Salvador looked at the fifth Princess who was looking down at her mark as well. Aiden’s eyes narrowed and his throat ran dry. Princess Teimei’s words were still fresh in his mind.

"The mark will restrain all your powers within. Unless someone touches you, no one would be able to sense the amount of power you have." Princess Teimei’s words were sharp as she looked at the Duke. "And I know that no one can carelessly touch you."

"And do not worry." Princess Teimei had touched the mark before disappearing. "The mark will disappear eventually as the spell breaks."

Duke Salvador had been observed for a long time. He could feel that the fifth princess was in deep thoughts even after the Vivere Kingdom’s Princess had gone.

"You are in deep thoughts." Duke Salvador said seriously but his eyes were soft.

"I am ..." Princess Cassandra moved towards the Duke unknowingly as she searched for the warmth. "I am tired."

"Shouldn’t you rest?" Duke Salvador touched Cassandra’s hand but the fifth Princess shook her head. "This is more comfortable."

Cassandra rested her head on Aiden’s shoulder as she pulled the blanket near her. "Aren’t you curious why I let Princess Teimei seal my powers?"

Duke Salvador looked down. Only a small nose and long eyelashes could be seen by him. He wanted to touch them, wanted to make Cassandra look at him but he restricted his actions.

"I am curious." Aiden’s tone was firm, "But I also respect your thoughts. I believe that if you feel like it then you will tell me. I do not want to force anything out of your mouth that you might regret telling me."

Princess Cassandra looked up at the duke as a smile played on her face. "There is nothing to hide. At least from you."

Cassandra took deep breaths as she looked out. The night was dancing as the soft wind was brewing. "When I went into a deep sleep with Princess Teimei, I was not feeling good. I cannot describe the actual feeling but the way I was feeling was beyond explainable. I just know that I felt like pulling my soul out of the body. And maybe Princess Teimei did that."

Cassandra’s eyes softened. "My soul was not here, or at least it felt like that. That is the only explanation I have." Cassandra shook her head. "Anyway, what I saw was more important. I saw the life of someone. I didn’t know who she was but she was beautiful like the moon. Her hair was white but glowed golden in the sun."

"Just like you." Duke Salvador said as he touched the fifth Princess’s hair. "Your hair is not blond like the other royals. They are platinum blond. They look silver at night and golden in the rays of the sun."

Cassandra nodded her head but did not smile. "Maybe. But her life was pitiable. She was happily in love with a man, someone that had grown on her. Her sun."

Princess Cassandra’s eyes shivered, but there was a witch with powers. I don’t know but she extracted the actual powers of the girl and used it as her own. The girl soon became powerless and the man she loved left her."

"Her sun was gone and only the darkness remained. The girl was questioning herself. Did the man only love her powers? And soon she found the answers. The man went at the witch as she gave him some of the power." Cassandra’s eyes shook.

"I could not see the face of the witch or maybe it was a mere dream but the power she gave to the man was burning bright." A shiver ran down through Cassandra’s spin as she remembered. "They formed an empire and gave an element to each one of the citizens. Thus the mage’s were formed but then the man came searching for the girl again."

"He found her in the darkness as he touched her cheeks. I can still hear his voice in my ears. He said, ’You always said that I was your sun and now look, I am shining bright like an actual sun just like your words.’ The man was the first Emperor, a fire mage. I have seen his painting in the palace. I am sure of it. But soon he circled a ring of fire around the girl."

Cassandra’s voice trembled. "She shouted for her life but the man who was once her lover was cruel, but then something happened. She absorbed her powers back. The girl who was once covered in darkness found new hope. She wanted revenge. She struggled and fought and soon her powers came back to her. But some of her powers still remained to the people. But before she could fight with the witch she was killed."

"I don’t know how but I saw her walking up the mountain that is covered in snow. She was just walking on it before her face turned white and she fell down, but that’s not all. As she was dying her powers spread all over, in the forms of crystals. It was as if a part of her soul resided in it but then before I could see the person responsible for her death I woke up."

Princess Cassandra swallowed hard. "But the place was not Elvira. It all never happened here." Cassandra looked up at the Duke. "I don’t know if it was a dream or reality. To be honest I don’t care because it felt like reality. It felt like I was reliving it."

Aiden could feel the doubt in Cassandra’s tone. He knew that anything connected to the fifth Princess was not worthless. Everything had some meaning embedded into it.

Aiden could feel from Cassandra’s tone that she needed validation. Validation that someone believes her.

Aiden smiled as he touched Cassandra’s hair. "If the Princess believes it then it might be true."

"Can you not call me Princess." Princess Cassandra said in a soft tone as she rubbed her eyes.

"Why?" Duke Salvador asked as he raised his eyebrows.

"They called her a Princess as well." Princess Cassandra looked down. Her eyes portrayed the sadness that she felt.

Duke Salvador could see in Cassandra’s gaze that she was feeling low.

’How should I make her feel good?’

’How should I make her smile.’

’Or should I make her shy?’

Aiden’s eyes glowed as he smiled. "So what should I call you? Cassandra? Cassy? Or something else?"

Cassandra’s eyes widened. She looked up in shock. "How can you ..."

"But I have to call you something, right?" Duke Salvador smiled although the fifth Princess could not see it. "Should I call you my queen or something along the lines of a butterfly?"

"Butterfly?" Cassandra raised her eyes. Her gaze was glowing with curiosity. "Why?"

’I distracted her.’ Aiden thought as he touched Cassandra’s cheek with love.

"You love to look at the butterfly flying on the flowers. There is a beautiful shine in your eyes when you see them as if you want to be one with it. You want to fly free like it." Aiden rubbed her thumb on Cassandra’s cheek as he moved towards her. There was a small distance remaining between them. "And I want to make you a butterfly. The one who could fly up high and have all the beautiful and pretty things in life."

"You deserve it all, my butterfly and I will give it to you." Aiden pulled Cassandra near him as he rested her head on his chest. "Don’t think a lot and focus on your goal now."

—--------------

Duke Salvador stood in the forest looking up. "Blazh .."

Blazh came through the trees. "Duke."

"I want to know what powers the Vivere Kingdom holds. I didn’t care how you will find it out but find out something." Duke Salvador’s words were low, "But be careful they can transport without a care and anywhere."

"...." Blazh did not reply but he swallowed. It has been years but they still did not know how to break through it.

"And make sure that you find the face-shifting medicine." Duke Salvador said as he looked out.

Blazh looked at the Duke with shaken eyes. "You want that for .."

"I need someone to look like me." Duke Salvador’s lips curled up into a smirk. "And make sure to make it believable."

Blazh swallowed hard as he nodded his head. "Yes, Duke."

"But make it fast. I want my look-alike to be here within two days." Duke Salvador smiled. "Because Ed will be protecting the fifth Princess from now on."