“I wondered if he was still stuck to you, Mother. He is so tiny, but he makes a good watchdog, I guess.”
Her mother responded with a glare.
“You too, Shareen. You will stay here and make sure Cassandra stays safe.”
“Me? I am not a concubine’s bodyguard!”
“Unless I say so,” warned her mother. “Do you want to upset me, Daughter?”
The two exchanged glares for several long, unsettling seconds. Cassandra felt badly, caught between the two of them, but didn’t dare to say a word before one of them.
“Ugh… Fine!” Shareen finally conceded.
Chapter8
A few weeks later, Kairen still hadn’t returned.
Cassandra was growing lonely, sitting by herself in the Imperial Concubine’s garden. No matter how many times she had been told not to worry, she couldn’t help but stare at the horizon, beyond the City’s high walls.
She had changed over the past few weeks. Under her new guardian’s insistence, she had started taking better care of herself. She was now used to wearing the beautiful red gowns and jewelry. Every morning, servants would help her dress, put a bit of pink balm on her lips, and brush her hair, suggesting a few hair pins or bracelets, until Cassandra couldn’t take it anymore and ushered them out to finish her preparations alone. She had finally put on a few pounds too. How could she not have? Kareen made sure she ate plenty at each meal and brought her snacks at all times of day. Cassandra had only recently found a way to stop her overbearing actions by faking some nausea.
Truthfully though, she really was nauseous at times, especially in the morning. Her tummy had developed a little bump as proof of her pregnancy, making this child feel a bit more real each day.
Cassandra was caressing her belly, lost in her thoughts when Kareen walked in.
“Concubine Mother.”
“Good Morning. What are you doing out so early without a shawl?”
Though she was asking Cassandra, her glare found a servant, who immediately ran inside to get one. But the young concubine shook her head.
“I am fine, really. It’s much warmer here than it was at the Onyx Castle.”
Cassandra missed it. She wondered everyday about Nebora and the others, and the Military Camp. How did they function without the Prince there? Perhaps he had visited during these weeks and didn’t stop by the Diamond Palace?
“So stubborn,” sighed the Concubine Mother.
She was about to add something else, but at that same moment, Srai jumped from over the balcony. The Purple Dragon struggled for a few seconds to come in, balancing strangely on the ledge. With his torn wing and uneven weight, the dragon never seemed particularly agile. It eventually managed to get on its feet, and walked to sit by Kareen’s side.
Cassandra felt uneasy anytime she watched that dragon. It didn’t like her and, up until now, had only interacted with her through warning growls and defiant glares. Even as the Imperial Concubine caressed it, it seemed restless.
“Good boy,” said Kareen.
“The dragon…Srai cannot fly, can it?” asked Cassandra.
She had doubts as she certainly had never seen it actually use its wings and Srai never hunted either, only wandered around the Palace letting servants feed him huge portions of meat.
“That is correct. He lost the ability, his wings are too damaged now to support his weight. The child cannot hunt.”
“Concubine Mother, is he…”
“He was my first born, Suiren’s, dragon. He died at six years old.”
Cassandra was struck by those revelations. Six years old? So young! How could a Prince die at such a young age? Kareen, as if she had guessed her silent question, sighed.
“He was killed! Someone threw my child from a balcony like this one.”
Cassandra looked at the balcony Kareen was gesturing to. It wasn’t something a child could climb over by himself! How could someone be so cruel as to murder a child so brutally?
