“Maybe he took some of his brothers?” said Missandra. “Didn’t the First Prince have sons, too?”
“Sephir had one son, and other than Vrehan’s sons, I think the Fifth Prince Lephys had sons as well... Oh God, the First Prince’s Concubines, and their children!”
Cassandra had almost completely forgotten about those two. What had happened to them after Sephir’s death? She clearly remembered the two Concubines who had tried to befriend her, back at the Imperial Palace. Kareen had stated those women and their children would be in danger as soon as their Lord died. What had Vrehan done with them, and with the children? Would he use his nephew’s dragon?
She remembered those women, Berissa and Chiara, when they had come to her. Cassandra hadn’t thought too much about it since then... She hoped they were fine. Did they manage to leave the Imperial Palace? Maybe they were fine for now, as the Old Emperor was still alive.
“I hope they are doing all right... You said the man brought gold and food. Did he say anything else?”
“No. He was very discreet, probably a spy.”
It made sense. Cassandra wished Lady Kareen had left more information. At least she had found a way to provide them some assistance.
“Lady Kareen probably didn’t want you to move from here until they arrived,” said Missandra. “Without the Third Prince, you’re a target for them. Especially with those two.”
She was pointing at Kassian and Kian, both peacefully sleeping already. Cassandra sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was put her baby and his dragon in any danger. This house was probably safe for now, but the word that she was hiding in the Capital would definitely spread around now that Kian had been spotted at the gate. Now more than ever, she couldn’t stop worrying about everything going on. The Concubines and their children, and the Old Emperor... The battlefront, as well. What was that story about dragons! This was supposed to be an easy victory, but now, her dear War God could really be in trouble.
“Shareen will probably go to help him if she’s gone back to the Diamond Palace,” said Cassandra. “However, I think this sounds too much like a giant trap.”
“Definitely,” sighed her sister. “I told you from the beginning. What do we do though? We should stay still until they arrive, right?”
Cassandra hesitated a bit. Could she stay put, though? Time was against them. If that letter had arrived two days ago through a bird. If everything Evin had said was right, and Shareen had to go help her brother on the battlefront before they could come back here, her Prince most likely wouldn’t be able to return to the Capital for at least a couple more days. That was only an optimistic estimate, too.
Meanwhile, his father was dying in the Imperial Palace, only a few paces away from Cassandra. She bit her lip, making Missandra frown.
“Oh, no, no,Hinue.”
“This might be our only chance to save the Emperor,” she said.
“Or our one chance to get killed! Why would you go to the Imperial Palace when that would be the obvious place we could get ourselves killed!”
“The Second Prince isn’t in the Capital at the moment, right?” asked Cassandra, turning to Yasora.
“No.”
“See? Missandra, if the Emperor dies, we will be in much more trouble than we are now. We are losing time, the Old Emperor could die any minute from whatever they did to him!”
“Yes, and maybe that old man is already dead and done for, Cassandra! In any case, I’m pretty sure Lady Kareen didn’t want you to go there and expose yourself! They freaking closed the Imperial Palace for a reason, they don’t want you in!”
“Maybe we can find a way around that,” whispered Cassandra.
Missandra was about to retort something, but before she did, Yasora raised her hands, putting an end to their dispute.
“Ladies, I think you are both very tired and in need of some decent sleep. So, even if you want to come up with a plan, I suggest you wait until tomorrow.””
Chapter21
Despite all the worries and thoughts she had, the exhaustion from the journey allowed Cassandra a long, deep sleep. She and Missandra were finally able to sleep in a real bed, after a long bath and a hot meal. It was the first time they didn’t get up to tend to the babies since their arrival. Kassian and Kian were carefully watched by Yasora, and the young Mira and Ethen, who made sure the two young babies didn’t miss a thing. Cassandra wouldn’t have entrusted them to anyone else, but she really needed one night of uninterrupted sleep.
When she woke up the next morning, she felt refreshed and her mind felt clearer. However, Cassandra’s desire to help hadn’t changed. She was simply determined to convince Missandra to participate. It wasn’t just about having her sister agree, Cassandra realized her younger sister’s wit may be a life-saving skill. It could be necessary, if she had to infiltrate the heavily guarded Imperial Palace. Missandra had demonstrated that she had her own resources over the past week. The difference in abilities between Cassandra and her sister could be crucial to completing the task at hand.
Hence, when she walked into the little room that had breakfast waiting for them, Cassandra tried to think about how to approach her sister. Carrying Kassian, who was a bit grouchy from having just woken up, she sat next to her.
“Good morning.”
“Morning,” yawned Missandra, her hair still all over the place.
Somehow, Yasora seemed to have understood that the two sisters would have important topics to discuss. None of the younger servants were around. Everyone that was around them was simply busy with their tasks, not staring or asking any questions. They began eating in silence, only Kian and Kassian making little noises. While the baby was being breastfed, Kian was devouring a full plate of meat buns, apparently a new favorite food.
