“Mi...Missandra?” she stuttered.
The young woman nodded slowly, looking like she was having a hard time believing her own eyes, too.
“You’re… really Cassandra, aren’t you? I can’t believe it.”
They were both in utter shock. Cassandra fell on the closest seat, her legs unable to support her a minute longer. She observed her younger sister from head to toe, shocked to have found her, but also shocked to see how alike they were, physically. Missandra had grown up to be a strikingly beautiful woman. Cassandra was pure beauty, but Missandra was a cultivated one. Every detail of her face looked perfect, as if it had come out of a painting. She had some light makeup on, almond-shaped eyes and the bits of her skin visible didn’t have a single scar, unlike her older sister, who had marks everywhere. She was indeed a bit curvier than Cassandra, too, showing that she had probably gotten better meals while growing up. Her hair was cut shorter, to her chest, and was a bit more voluminous and curly.
She stepped a bit closer, looking at Cassandra as if she was seeing a ghost.
“How did you…”
“I saw you on the terrace of my shop, so I…”
“That was your shop?” asked Cassandra, suddenly realizing what had happened.
Of all places, they had picked her sister’s shop! She had thought about an apothecary business but didn’t think about a tea shop, although those were increasingly popular in that part of the Capital, as tea was considered a fancy drink.
Missandra nodded, taking off her hood.
“Yes. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw you, with a Royal, too, but I knew I had to move quickly. So I drugged your drinks and put the antidote in yours. It was easy to know which one. Apparently your tastes haven’t changed at all.”
So that was why Dahlia hadn’t felt anything, like Cassandra she had drunk both the drug and the antidote… Dahlia! Cassandra suddenly realized she had left her at the scene with Shareen. Well, at least the Princess wouldn’t be alone when she woke up.
“What the Heavens happened to you?” whispered Missandra, looking at her body and pink dress, detailing her sister from head to toe. “You’re so...thin. And...are you really…?”
“Yeah, I’m a concubine, and…pregnant.”
Her sister’s face immediately seemed on the verge of tears, looking completely sorry for her.
“No, no, Missandra, I am fine! I am really fine, this is not…”
“If only I had found you sooner,” she sobbed. “I swear, I looked everywhere for you as soon as I could leave the Red District! But when I finally found your last Master, a few months ago, they said you had been taken to the Imperial Palace as a slave to be sacrificed, I thought…I really thought you were…”
“You thought I died,” sighed Cassandra. “No, I was saved unexpectedly. I was looking for you, too! But back then, the Red District was the one place I never went, and when I got there yesterday, they said you had left months ago. Missandra, I am so sorry, you were sold to a brothel.”
Missandra shook her head, trying to wipe her tears.
“No, it was probably nothing compared to you, Big Sister. To be taken as a concubine. I am so glad I took you out of there! Don’t worry, I can give you some of my clothes, and we can leave the Capital, they won’t find us! I have enough money saved away. We can terminate the pregnancy, too, so they…”
“What? Missandra, no!”
Cassandra had screamed without thinking because she was shocked. She hadn’t thought her sister would think she needed to be saved, let alone help her get rid of her child! She put her hands on her belly, immediately getting protective of her child.
“No, no, Missandra, you don’t understand.”
“Big Sister, I know what those red or pink dresses mean! You don’t have to be afraid, I will help you! I know it must have been hard to live with those wretched Imperials, but now…”
She was stepping closer to take Cassandra’s hand, but the elder sister shook her head resolutely.
“Missandra, listen! I do not need to be saved. You need to listen to me. My Prince loves me, he really takes care of me, and this is our baby, our loved baby. The woman I was with earlier, she’s his sister, Princess Shareen. She’s here to protect me, too! Actually, we should go back and check on her, Shareen might…”
“No!”
Her sister grabbed her hand, shaking her head, looking completely panicked.
“No, no, you can’t go back! I don’t know what they told you, but the Imperial Family is cruel, Cassandra! How many other concubines does he have? Those women kill each other every day! And you can get killed anytime, too, as soon as he gets bored! Big Sister, you don’t want that life! We can...”
Before Missandra finished her sentence, a loud growl suddenly resonated from above, making them both jump. Cassandra immediately understood what was going on, but her sister’s eyes were wide open in utter fear, looking at the roof.
