章 19: Careless

Cassandra could not understand what she was feeling. Her heartbeats were running wide as she entered the room in a hurry.

'What is happening to me?' Cassandra wondered.

It was true that the Duke was known to be a ruthless and powerful person, but the way he investigated her did not feel like much.

But Cassandra knew for a fact that Duke Salvador knew something, which made Cassandra a little uneasy.

'I have to ask Amy.'

Cassandra looked for her lady-in-waiting as soon as she entered the room and closed the door behind her.

Cassandra's eyes were looking for Amy all over the room in a hurry only to find her sitting near the window deep in thoughts.

Cassandra came near Amy with gentle steps, as she asked her in a low voice. "What happened Amy?"

Amy was frightened with a sudden voice coming from her back. She did not think the princess would come so quietly that it would frighten her.

"Nothing happened Princess." Amy stood up in a hurry.

Cassandra could see that there was a little worry in Amy's gaze. She nodded but sat on her bed for a few seconds and looked at Amy who was standing beside her ready to take her master's order.

"Amy tell me honestly, did something happened? You look a little distracted." Amy was grateful that Cassandra did not treat her like a servant but as a friend. There was a slight smile on her face and she thought about the possibility of what the Duke had told to her.

Seeing Amy deep in thoughts, Cassandra tried to hear what she was thinking but failed. She could not understand the situation at first as Cassandra's face was blank.

'What is happening?'

'Why can't I hear Amy's thoughts?'

'Is it because of Duke Salvador?'

Cassandra's heart was uneasy. The only person she could not hear was the Duke. But thinking at the possibility that something was blocking her only power made Cassandra frightened.

Cassandra looked at Amy and saw a sense of nostalgia coming on her face. Cassandra sighed as she felt relief washing through her body.

'Amy might be thinking about the past.'

Cassandra has faced a similar situation a lot of times. When a person was thinking about something from the past or reliving those experiences, Cassandra could not hear their thoughts.

'I do not understand my powers.'

'Should I go to the Royal Library and search again?'

'Why am I not able to hear the Duke is also a mystery.'

As Cassandra thought about it, her mind went back to what the Duke said to her.

'He is waiting on the balcony.'

Cassandra could not disobey the man. Even though she was the Princess, the Empire obeyed the most powerful.

But Cassandra was worried. She wanted to know what Duke Slaavador and Amy had talked about.

'Is he suspicious of us?'

Cassandra took a deep breath as she asked, to bring Amy back to reality. "Amy, what did the Duke ask you?"

Cassandra wanted to understand the situation. Amy looked at Cassandra as she shook her head. "It was nothing special. The Duke just asked if I knew any magic and what affiliation I have with the element."

"What did you say?"

"I told him the truth. I have affiliation with earth and my power is of the lower level."

Cassandra could hear Amy's thoughts.

[I had to tell him everything.]

[The look in the Duke's eyes was deadly.]

[I was so afraid that if I told a lie, he might burn me alive.]

Amy shivered at the thought as she looked at Cassandra. Amy did not want to hide anything from her, as the only person who had been supporting Amy was the princess.

Cassandra nodded her head in understanding. The Duke was a deadly man. She knew that half of the lady-in-waiting won't be able to sleep at night due to the fright that the Duke might have given them.

But Cassandra also knew that Duke Salvador had known things. His words when he entered her room were still clear in her mind. The Duke already knows this was the only conclusion Cassandra could come up with.

Amy looked into Cassandra's eyes as she made up her mind. "The Duke asked where I was that night?"

Cassandra's heartbeat stopped for a second as she looked at Amy with a widened gaze.

"What did you tell him?" Cassandra asked with a shiver in her voice. She had already told Duke Salvador that Amy was with him.

'What if Amy's story does not match with mine?'

Cassandra did not want to argue with the man on the balcony when she herself could not figure him out.

"I told him that I was in the princess's room at that time," Amy said as she looked at the princess. Cassandra nodded her head, but before she went to sigh a breath of relief Amy's next word made her breath hitched.

"But the Duke asked not when the fire broke out, but when the Empress's guards were burning the body." Amy looked at the changing emotions on Cassandra's face.

"What did you tell him?" Cassandra asked with a little fear in her heart. She could not deny the fact that Duke Salvador was an intelligent man who knew how to investigate.

Cassandra waited patiently for Amy to continue. "I told him the truth. I told him I was practicing my elements in the forest and did not know anything about the case?"

Cassandra's heart stopped for a second. She looked at Amy with wide eyes but did not blame her.

Duke Salvador, no matter how handsome, was a scary man. It was difficult not to answer him when he asked a question.

"I understand," Cassandra said in a small voice but Amy did not stop. She swallowed hard before she continued "The Duke wanted to meet you."

Cassandra looked into Amy's eyes in shock. "The Duke told you that?"

Amy nodded with a pang of guilt in her heart. "He said if he is not able to convey the message to you personally, he wanted me to tell you that he will be waiting on the balcony where you danced."

Amy shivered at the thought. She could still feel the hot eyes of the Duke looking at her, ready to kill if she misbehaved.

"Does the Duke know that you are aware that I danced with him?" Cassandra asked as she looked at Amy.

"I asked him and he said that a princess would not have a lot of friends and can only share her secrets with her lady-in-waiting." Those were the exact words of Duke.

Cassandra was silent for a second, a little bit angry that the Duke would involve Amy in whatever they have.

Cassandra did not want to have any connection with the Duke whatsoever because Cassandra knew if anyone other than themselves knew that the Duke was meeting her, she would be in trouble and trouble she could not get out of.

Cassandra nodded her head as Amy's eyes turned red.

[It is all my fault.]

[The Princess had to suffer because of me.]

[Why was I so excited to practice my element?]

[I will never be a strong mage anyway.]

Amy was feeling guilty.

"I could not disobey the Duke. Princess, I am sorry for breaking your trust." Amy's tears started rolling down. "I was careless."

Cassandra rubbed Amy's eyes as she said in a low voice trying to make Amy feel better. "It's okay, you don't have to explain yourself?"

Cassandra looked outside the window with a sigh. "I should be on my way. We cannot keep the Duke waiting."