Cassandra sighed, putting down her cup.
“I guess you didn’t answer the way my Lord wanted?” she asked Kareen.
“Of course not. But you don’t seem too surprised by that, dear. You already knew I’d be against it, didn’t you?”
Cassandra sighed, glancing at the War God’s furious expression. He was quiet and still, but she could tell he was furious. He had a frown, and his dark eyes were glaring at everything nearby. This was going to be a complicated one.
“If something happens to me,” Cassandra said, “My Lord won’t have any chance for another child.”
“Finally, someone with some sense here!” Shareen declared. “Kairen, let her lead your army next time, this one knows how to think!”
Her words were met with another deadly glare from her brother, but of course, she wasn’t one to be so easily intimidated by him, crossing her arms with a proud expression.
“Kairen, stop being a child and listen to Cassie,” said Kareen.
“I won’t marry another woman,” he growled.
“We are not asking you to, you stubborn child! Just to wait until you two have several children. Do you need me to remind you of what happened to Anour’s mother?”
The Sixth Prince immediately nodded, looking resolute. Indeed, his mother had died in childbirth. If it wasn’t for Kareen, he probably wouldn’t even have reached his teenage years.
“I’ll protect Cassandra.”
Seeing his resolute expression, she stood up and walked to him, taking his face in her hands, and forcing him to look at her. She knew he couldn’t resist her for long and gently brushed his beard with her fingers.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you to protect me,” she said softly. “But anything could happen in the next four months. So many people are opposed to me having this baby. Even if there weren’t any external threats, this is my first child. I could face complications or die while giving birth. Those things happen, even with all the medical knowledge.”
“Cassandra is only eighteen,” added Kareen. “She’s still young and not as durable as us.”
Talking about her possible death wasn’t exactly comforting for Cassandra, but she needed him to understand. If something went wrong during this pregnancy or after it, she didn’t want her Prince to lose his opportunity to become the Emperor because of it.
“Still… I won’t want anyone other than you,” he growled.
“You can’t think like that,” Cassandra replied. “You could make a great Emperor… If you have a son.”
“I only want the children you’ll bear.”
She sighed. He was being too stubborn. Shareen let out a long sigh of exasperation.
“Do you two have to be so cheesy and mushy at breakfast, seriously? We are still here!”
“I’m against it, too!”
Everyone turned to Missandra, surprised to hear her speak.
“Can someone please remind me who she is?” asked Anour, confused. “She looks like Lady Cassandra.”
“Her younger sister.”
“You have a younger sister?” he exclaimed, his eyes wide in surprise. “How come I didn’t know? It was you at the celebrations yesterday, right?”
“Anour, it’s a secret,” said Kareen with a serious expression.
“Yes, but…”
“A secret,” Kareen repeated firmly.
He opened his mouth again, but seeing his adoptive mother’s glare, he shut it and nodded. Cassandra couldn’t help but chuckle at their little interaction. Kareen was obviously a good mother to her children, no matter how strict she could be.
