บท 5: Situations Like These

Cassandra walked towards the table as she reached out to get a drink.

"You should pick the other one, princess." A voice said, making Cassandra's arms stop midway.

Cassandra looked at the source of the voice just to notice a man standing there with a smile.

[What is Lord Bentham doing there?]

[And he is talking with that princess.]

[How can Lord Bentham be near such a powerless lady.]

[Did the Princess try some tricks to attract the Lord's attention.]

Cassandra's lips twitched as she heard the thoughts of the people who were walking her like hawks.

'You can have your lord all to yourselves, just let me live.'

Cassandra looked at the man due to whom she was getting the death gaze of the ladies. The man had sky blue eyes, like water with darkest brown hairs.

Lord Bentham offered Cassandra a glass, "You should drink from this."

Cassandra accepted the glass, but her eyes twinkled with questions. She could sense the calmness through the man.

'He is a water mage.'

Lord Bentham understood the uncertainty in Cassandra's eyes as he laughed, "Don't worry Princess it is not poisoned."

"I never thought it was Lord Bentham." Cassandra smiled as she drank it slowly.

If the drink was poisoned then the man would have been nervous always thinking about it. But the lord's mind was filled with.

[She looks beautiful.]

[Her eyes are gorgeous.]

[Like a goddess.]

Cassandra wanted to laugh and leave the sticky situation at once.

"I never knew the Princess would know my name although I have not officially introduced myself to you yet."

Cassandra smiled innocently, "There might not be a single soul who wouldn't know the Lord."

Even though Cassandra said that she wanted to scream, 'Except me.'

Cassandra knew Lord Bentham, standing in front of her, was one of the sons of Duke Bentham, the family of water mages. But she personally had not seen him. As the Duke had yet to announce his heir publicly no one knew which of the two brothers would inherit the title.

'But which one is he? The eldest or the youngest?' Cassandra was confused. The Duke had no heir of his own thus he had adopted his eldest son into the family. But soon he was blessed with a boy making the relationship between the two brothers stiff. Or so it feels to the outside world.

Cassandra was not sure about the dynamics of the family. The thing she had learned from her life in the palace was you should never believe the outer personality. The shell is what the world sees but it is something that the inner heart wants to show others.

"Princess is quite funny." Lord Bentham laughed. "But I should clarify, I stopped you because the glass you were about to take was trampled."

Cassandra nodded in understanding, "Is that so?"

Lord Bentham looked at Cassandra as he asked, "Why is the Princess not asking me how I know it? Does the Princess trust me so easily?"

Cassandra laughed, "There is no reason why I shouldn't trust Lord Bentham. You are Duke Bentham's son, who has grown under his teaching. I think the Lord will not tease a poor Princess like me."

[You trust so easily.]

Lord Bentham smiled, "Princess, can I ask you something?"

Cassandra nodded her head as she took another sip.

"Is Princess sure she doesn't possess any powers?" Lord Bentham's questions made Cassandra's heart stop.

[How can you be so calm if you don't have any power?]

[A lady like you has something.]

[How can Royal blood not have a single affiliation to any element.]

Cassandra took a deep breath. Lord Bentham's questions were due to his curiosity.

'He must be the eldest Bentham. I heard he is the most curious one.'

Cassandra giggled. "Is the lord making fun of me?"

"No... That .." Lord Bentham continued, "I wanted to know how the Princess remained so calm and not get intimidated by people easily."

Cassandra's eyes looked at the ground as her hand on the glass tightened. "The Lord must know, I do not have any power, thus I have developed strong survival instincts. If I get intimidated easily I would have been long buried under the soil."

"I Didn't mean it like that .." Lord Bentham tried to comfort Cassandra who took a step back in fright.

"I should get going," Cassandra said silently as her face was a little pale.

[She might not be feeling well.]

[I should not have asked.]

Lord Bentham nodded as he left the scenario leaving a headache for Cassandra.

'Now the fun starts.'

[What did the lady do?]

[She doesn't look that good so how can she get Lord Bentham's attention.]

Cassandra was busy listening when one of the Princesses walked towards her and bumped. The drink was poured on Cassandra's dress making it a shade of blue and red.

"I am so sorry sister." The third Princess said with a smile. [You should have known your place.]

"It's okay." Cassandra waved her hand, " was about to retire anyway."

"You are going without a dance? The Emperor had asked Duke Salvador to dance with a Princess. Why don't you stay here? I will let one of my ladies escort you till you change your dress."

Cassandra looked at the third Princess as she smiled innocently, "Sister should enjoy. I have a spare dress. I will wear it and come back."

"I will be waiting for you then." The third princess winked. [You should have never approached Lord Bentham in the first place.]

Cassandra shook her head as she walked towards her room. It was better for her sanity to hide in a place.

'And I even have a reason now.' Cassandra looked at her dress as she smiled.

But as soon as she was about to move through a corridor she heard something.

[Why did the Empress ask us to escort the fifth princess to a bed chamber?]

Cassandra's breath hitched. 'What is the Empress planning?'

"Have you seen the fifth Princess?"

"No, Why?"

"The Empress said that the Princess had ruined her dress so she had arranged something for her to wear."

Cassandra listened as two guards talked among themself.

"Should there be a maid with you?"

"No, the Empress said to escort the Princess to the Lin chambers."

Cassandra was about to turn when she heard the other guards' thoughts. [But a drunken man had just entered there.]

Cassandra's heartbeats increased. She did not know what she's thinking as her legs started to move on their own.

'Why?'

'Why is it happening to me now?'

'I remember correctly that I was staying low. Then why?'

Cassandra's legs refused to stop. She no longer knew who she was going nor did she care.

'I do not have any power yet.'

'I am mistaking something. What am I forgetting.'

"Princess …" Someone shouted but Cassandra did not know whether it was a voice or a thought and at this point, she did not care.

Cassandra's steps increased their speed. She was almost running as she took a turn. But Cassandra could feel. She could feel that they were getting closer. As if they were about to catch her.

Cassandra's eyes widened when she saw a mess of brush. 'I am in the garden.'

Cassandra looked around as she entered the mess without any second thoughts. The branches were picking her skin, leaving bruises all over. Cassandra could feel the burning sensation. 'Its blood.'

The pain was unbearable but Cassandra kept her mouth tightly shut as she swallowed the pain and cried. The position she was in did not have time to criticize. Cassandra's body was small so she hid inside it effortlessly.

For once Cassandra was thankful that her dress was not like Other Princesses with layers and layers of clothes to it, making it uncomfortable to even walk. As there was only a single layer of cloth, Cassandra could pull the whole dress up as she stuffed it within the branches.

"Where did the Princess go?"

"We need to find her soon."

"She might have not gone that long."

"I will search here, You go there."

Cassandra held her breath as she closed her eyes trying to minimize her presence. At times like these, she was thankful and regretful of her powers.

She could hear their innermost thoughts and avoid situations like these but if she was a real mage then she would not have been in that kind of situation in the first place.

'It is because I am weak.'

Tears started forming in Cassandra's eyes as her eyes turned red. She had a urge to hiccup but she soon put her hand on her mouth in a hurry to swallow her cry.

Cassandra did not know how long she was there but she felt suffocated.

'I need to get out of here.'

The branches and the thorns were piercing through her skin as Cassandra tried coming out. She could not hear any thoughts which made her breathe in relief.

But her relief was short-lived. The footstep towards her direction increased as if knowing that she was there. Cassandra felt trapped. She wanted to escape but couldn't.

But soon she was pulled in by a strong force, making Cassandra lose her balance as she nested into strong arms. A familiar feeling was warmth and security spread through Cassandra's body as she closed her eyes subconsciously.

"Why do I run into you during situations like these?"