“You wanted me to stop resisting.”
“Why are you doing that?”
He didn’t even know how to be angry with her when she was acting like this.
“I can force you, Cassandra.”
“I know that. I’m not resisting you.”
She wasn’t resisting, but Cassandra was still showing her opposition very strongly. She was inanimate as a doll, and that was it. Somehow, that made him even more furious. He suddenly punched the mattress right next to her, scaring her a little.
“Fuck!”
Right after that, he stormed out of the tent without another word. Cassandra let out a long sigh. She had been holding her breath for a while and felt dizzy. It was the first time she had seriously opposed him. She had never seen him so furious, either. Her legs were actually still shivering when she sat up, pulling her dress back down.
No matter what, she was still a slave and a woman. She knew being alive and so well treated was all thanks to Kairen’s attachment to her. This could change anytime. He could kill her or rape her, and no one would say a word about it. That’s the kind of world she lived in.
Cassandra stayed there for a long time, her arm wrapped around her knees, thinking long and hard on the edge of the bed. Her eyes were in a daze. She was tired, cold, and hungry, but she didn’t feel like moving a muscle.
She felt sad about what had happened. She didn’t think that would happen. Cassandra kept thinking about the dispute, all of their conversation, replaying it in her head, over and over. Seeing Kairen’s anger, again and again.
“Madam.”
Cassandra was surprised to see Evin come in, carrying a tray of food.
“Evin. How…?”
“His Highness was quite angry, and is training with his men. Since I didn’t see you at the dinner, I figured you might be…hungry.”
Cassandra felt a bit comforted by the man’s kindness.
“Thank you, Evin.”
Indeed, she had been ignoring her growling stomach all this time. Before, she could go days without food. But since she had been with the Prince, her stomach got used to getting good and consistent meals. She sighed. She was hungry, but her head was too heavy to feel like eating either. It was a strange feeling.
“You look tired, Madam. Have a good sleep.”
Evin left the room without adding anything else, leaving her alone again. From how he calmly left the tent, she supposed Krai had left, too. She truly was on her own.
Cassandra grabbed the fur cloak to cover her shoulders, and got up to eat a bit on the couch. She ate little bites, mindlessly, wondering when the Prince would come back. But even after she was done eating, he still hadn’t returned. She thought about going to look for him, but their argument still lingered in her mind. He probably wasn’t calm enough to return yet.
She laid on the bed, realizing how cold the sheets were without Kairen there. She missed him, his warmth, and the way he held on to her when they slept together. Strange how the body catches onto new habits so easily.
Much later in the night, she woke up to someone’s presence in the bed with her. Worried for only a second, she quickly recognized Kairen’s familiar smell and warmth. Without a word, he laid next to her, his back facing Cassandra. Was he still angry?
She didn’t dare to move too much, and just turned around to his side after a while, the closest she could without touching him. It was heartbreaking not to see his face. She stayed like this for a long time, in the dark, conscious neither of them was sleeping. Cassandra wondered if she should say something, apologize or bid him good night, but the more she hesitated, the more awkward it became. She opened her mouth several times, but with no sound coming out.
Eventually, she slowly moved her arm, and, timidly, her fingers reached for his back. She was barely touching him, but she felt his reaction, his breathing halting for a second. It was a short moment, in which she wondered if he would say something. But even after a while, Kairen stayed silent.
For the first time in a while, Cassandra really felt like crying. Was he really ignoring her? Was he still mad? Would this keep going on for a long time? Or was he going to get rid of her at dawn? She closed her eyes, trying to chase away all those dark thoughts, and not to cry.
That’s when Kairen silently moved. Before she could react, the Prince turned around, his eyes still closed, and put his arm around her.
Cassandra opened her eyes, confused, and felt a wave of warmth and relief. A single tear escaped her eye, and she finally fell asleep, snuggling against his chest.
She was awake for a while, but unwilling to move. Cassandra just didn’t want to come to the moment when they would have to face last night’s issue again. She was still at a loss about the Prince’s violent reaction. Why was he so against it? He hadn’t given any reason for his sudden anger from the previous night. Cassandra was afraid it would be the same all over again that morning, and didn’t dare to say a word.
