So, Cassandra kept running down the corridors, desperate to find her way back. The reality of what had just happened was hitting her slowly, but she didn’t have time to stop and think. She had just tried to murder an Imperial Prince but, strangely enough, she had more pressing concerns right now. She was worried about the Emperor, Opheus, Missandra, and more importantly, she was terrified to face Vrehan or his sister, alone.
Cassandra wasn’t familiar with this part of the Palace, and she was afraid to go the wrong way, or run into someone unfavorable. However, she needed to get back, and fast. As soon as Lephys recovered, he’d come after her and if he didn’t, someone, like his concubines from before, would be quick to let the guards know the White Witch had assassinated the Fifth Prince!
Suddenly, she heard it. Footsteps, running behind her.
“Come back, you whore!”
A cold shiver ran down her spine. How could he be back on his feet and running already? Cassandra accelerated, but it was too much on her body for one day. The climbing had been easier than she thought, but sneaking by a window, riding a Dragon, fighting off a rapist Prince, and running through the Palace probably wasn’t recommended for a woman who had given birth not ten days ago!
She was frantic. There was no sign of Kairen’s return and with Vrehan back, he would soon know she was here. All she had managed to do was win a bit of time for the Emperor, but it may have all been for nothing.
Finally, Cassandra ran into a familiar corridor - the one with its windows open to the garden with the lake! At least she knew where she was now, but the furious footsteps were growing loud behind her. Tears grew in Cassandra’s eyes. She wasn’t going to make it. She knew the way back to where the Emperor was, but even if Opheus was still there, she wouldn’t get there in time. The Fifth Prince was catching up to her, and from the sound of his steps compared to her speed, it would be all over in a couple of minutes.
Cassandra felt like breaking down. What had she even accomplished? She was either going to die or be captured again! She cried without stopping. Kassian, her baby, her little boy, she needed to see him, to hold him one last time. And Kairen - her man, her War God. She didn’t want to die before getting to see him one last time, just one last time.
“You wench, stop!”
Cassandra heard a snap and then felt a sharp pain pierce her back. Lephys’ whip. She felt like screaming out. He had cut her deeply! She stumbled forward, almost falling, but something kept her going. She managed to keep her feet steady and continued running.
She couldn’t stop now, she couldn’t give in. No matter what.
Suddenly, a loud horn resonated through the air. Cassandra heard Lephys’ steps stop, and she couldn’t help but glance behind her shoulder. The Prince had stopped running, his eyes wide open towards one of the windows.
“The Eastern Army?” he whispered.
Cassandra’s heart jumped in her chest. Kairen’s Army! They were in the Capital! She felt an incredible wave of adrenaline and her feet carried her before Lephys started chasing her again. She still had a chance! Just a slim chance. If the Eastern Army was here, then either Kairen or Shareen was too.
“Come back, you damn witch! I will kill you before his eyes!”
The voice behind her couldn’t hold her back. Cassandra took a sharp turn, entering another corridor before she abruptly stopped.
At the end of the corridor stood Vrehan right in the middle of her way, glaring at her. Cassandra’s lips trembled. She stepped back without thinking, despite the running that wasn’t stopping behind her. For a second, she wondered if she was hallucinating, if she was having some daytime nightmare. It couldn’t be. Not now, of all times. However, the Second Prince was standing still, in his military outfit, his eyes on her like a snake about to kill its prey. Her blood turned cold as she noticed the long sword by his side.
“Finally,” he hissed. “We meet again, White Witch.”
Cassandra felt like the ground was falling from under her feet. She was falling into some hellish nightmare that wouldn’t end. Her mind went blank for a couple of seconds.
The Second Prince Vrehan was standing in front of her. The one man she loathed the most, the one person she had tried to avoid at all costs, and now...Cassandra tried hard to repress her fear. She couldn’t give up now, not just because he had appeared. She had heard the horn, Kairen had to be close and with his army in tow. Now that she had stopped running, Cassandra could hear the noise outside. It was still far, because of how vast the Imperial Palace was, but she could tell something was happening. Probably a war between the Eastern and the Imperial Armies, but whatever was going on outside, she silently prayed it was coming their way.
Vrehan was hearing it too. He frowned, looking at the window with a sour expression.
“Kairen, that bastard. He was fast.”
Just hearing his name gave Cassandra a new wave of strength. She took a deep breath, her eyes still on Vrehan as she thought about her next move. She couldn’t stay here, Lephys would catch up at any second, and going forward was now out of the question. She glanced sideways. She had hoped to find a real exit earlier, but it seemed like she had no other choice but to climb out one of the windows.
“Oh, well... At least now I’ve got a valuable hostage,” Vrehan suddenly whispered, his eyes going back to her.
Cassandra took a step back as a reflex. She was not going to let him near her. She had made that mistake once, and the cost was Dahlia’s life. She had learned her lesson.
Before he could add another word, Cassandra suddenly jumped to the side and did her best to climb out of the window as fast as she could. She heard him yell something incomprehensible behind her, but she had no time to wonder what it was. She was absolutely desperate and she couldn’t stay in that corridor. Plus, the words of the Emperor had been circling in her mind the entire time. The lake. Did he mean this lake? Why this lake?
Cassandra’s feet landed in the deep grass of the garden, and started running right away towards the lake. She knew she only had a few seconds at best before both brothers would catch her. She was running as fast as she could. She had no idea what was going to happen or if that lake could save her life, but she had no other option. Diving into the lake seemed like the craziest idea, but it was her last resort.
“Come back here!”
The Fifth Prince had just jumped out of the window too, but Cassandra was several meters ahead of him and had no intention of slowing down. The only thing that interested her right now was the lake, but something caught her attention as she was rushing towards it. On the ground were several shadows of lines crossing over each other. She raised her head to find where they were coming from. A grid!
That crazy Second Prince had laid out a grid of thick, long, silver chains running between the roofs, covering the open area. Was it meant to keep the dragons from entering there? She didn’t remember seeing anything like this during her flight earlier with Opheus, but then again it would have been impossible for him to cover the whole Imperial Palace. Had he just laid these in the areas where he had hidden the Emperor? This was insane! It also explained Glahad’s absence. Where had the Golden Dragon gone if he wasn’t by his Master’s side? Had he been trapped in some way?
