CASSANDRA: The Unfavored Princess-Chapter 118: One and only

Princess Cassandra looked as her lady in waiting walked out with the servants.

"Is something bothering you?" Lord Bentham asked. Princess Cassandra looked at him as she shook her head in denial.

"Of course, not." Cassandra smiled as she looked down at her plate. They were in the hall eating lunch together. Princess Cassandra looked back to make sure that Duke Salvador was still there, standing still like a proper guard.

"Is something bothering you?" Prince Carl asked as he saw the fifth Princess distracted. "No one will trouble your servant here."

Princess Casandra simply smiled as she nodded her head. "When will we meet the King and the Queen?" Cassandra asked curiously. Since morning people were running around but no one said anything about the King.

Princess Teimei laughed. "You want to meet mother and father so much? Actually, they are eager to meet you too."

Prince Carl nodded as he looked at Achard Bentham. "We will go to meet them after this."

Princess Cassandra looked at the small interaction between the two. She smiled as she looked down, making sure that her existence was as little as possible.

’They are cautious of their thoughts.’ Princess Cassandra thought but the voices in her mind did not stop.

[What happens if they are? They are afraid of you, that is the reason they are so cautious.]

[They want to capture you.]

[You should be aware of them. Although we are not getting any bad intent from the girl there, it is never bad to be a little cautious.]

’I know it but why do you not like them?’ Princess Cassandra asked.

[Because they have betrayed us.]

’They have? How?’

[You will get to know it soon. Anyway stay alert.]

"Princess?" Lord Bentham asked in a worry filled tone. He looked at Cassandra as if he had been calling her for long. "Is the food not to your taste?"

Princess Cassandra looked down and realized that she had stopped eating for quite some time now. "No, actually I am a little nervous."

"Nervous?" Lord Bentham touched Cassandra’s hand. "Because we will be meeting the King and the Queen?"

Princess Cassandra swallowed. She could feel the murderous gaze from behind her. She pulled her hand away resulting in the gaze being softened. "Yes, I am not good with monarchs."

None of the three replied as they focused on their food and so did the fifth Princess.

’Why do I have a bad feeling?’

[Because something will happen.]

Princess Cassandra nodded her head as she looked back at the Duke. Seeing his gaze Cassandra got some confidence. As she resumed eating her food.

—------

They all walked through the corridor towards the throne room.

Princess Cassandra looked around as she saw various paintings hanging on the walls. She wanted to stop and appreciate it but she knew that won’t be possible.

"We are here.’’ Prince Carl stopped in front of the door as he looked back. Princess Cassandra and Lord Bentham looked at each other before they nodded.

Prince Carl smiled as he indicated the guard to announce their arrival.

As the door opened Princess Cassandra’s eyes were running around as she saw the throne room. It was similar to what they had in the Elvira Empire.

Princess Cassandra looked straight as she saw the man sitting on the throne. The King of the Vivere Kingdom. There was a smile on his face as his eyes sharpen looking into Princess Cassandra’s gaze.

Cassandra swallowed as she shifted her eyes towards the Queen who was smiling at her. She felt like being exposed in the eyes of the Vivere kingdom’s royal family when she would have been safe in the Elvira Empire.

’Am I thinking too much?’

’Why do I feel like they are observing me very carefully?’

[That is because they are.] The voice in Princess Cassandra’s mind said.

[He is going to touch your face soon, make sure not to flick.]

Princess Cassandra’s eyes darkened as she concentrated on her steps. They stood in front of the King and the Queen as they all bowed.

"Rise up." The King said with a smile in his tone. His eyes were shining as he asked his son. "I thought you went for a peace treaty and yet you brought some friends along?"

Prince Carl nodded as he moved so that the fifth Princess would be visible to the King.

"They are Lord Bentham and Princess Cassandra. They will be staying here for now."

The King hummed as he got up from his seat. He moved towards the Princess as he touched her face making her look into his eyes. Princess Cassandra wanted to move away but she controlled herself. Her hands formed a fist as she tried to normalize her breathing.

[So it is you.] The King’s word came into Cassandra’s mind as she saw him walking back to the throne.

"How did they allow her to come here?" The King asked.

"She is engaged to the Lord." Prince Carl replied with a smile.

The King did not say anything else as he simply kept looking at the fifth Princess. The Queen on the other hand took the initiative to ask the fifth Princess. "Has your stay been enjoyable so far?"

Princess Cassandra nodded as she replied in a small voice. "Yes, it was enjoyable."

The Queen smiled as she looked at her daughter. "Teimei, why don’t you take Princess Cassandra on a small walk around our Kingdom? She might get bored staying in the room and the palace. Let her experience life in the Vivere Kingdom as well?"

Princess Teimei nodded her head as she agreed to her mother’s words. "Yes mother, I will take her there soon."

The king asked Prince Carl. "Has Lord Bentham been given his work?"

"Yes, Lord Bentham was told what he’s supposed to do here and he has agreed to it. The work will start soon."

The King nodded his head as his eyes darkened. "I would like to have a little talk with Princess Cassandra. I hope that the Princess does not mind it."

Cassandra swallowed hard as nails dug into her palms. She wanted to refuse it but the voices kept on telling her otherwise.

[Talk with them.]

[We need to know what they’re thinking.]

[Don’t forget they know where the pure source is.]

Princess Cassandra’s breathing increased as she tried to reduce the tremble in her voice. "Yes, of course, there won’t be an issue." The fifth Princess managed to say, but before the king could be happy he heard her next words. "But as discussed before with Prince Carl, my guard will be accompanying me."

The King’s eyes turned sharp. He looked at the guard who was standing behind the Princess. Only his eyes could be seen.

"Does the Princess not trust this King?"

"How can that be?" Princess Cassandra argued. "But the reason I agreed to come here was to bring my guard with me to all places. Prince Carl has agreed to my condition. I hope the royal family of the Vivere Kingdom keeps their word."

Although Princess Cassandra was frightened when she said those things, she still managed to say them out loud.

The King’s lips twisted as he thought. [You are not a stupid Princess as they claim. Do you think we can talk freely when this guard is with you?]

Princess Cassandra’s eyes widened but she controlled her emotions. She nodded her head in agreement and she looked up straight into the King’s eyes. "I am requesting you to let him be with me. He is my one and only person guard, who I trust the most. I hope the King would not mind." Cassandra said with a determined tone trying to convey her true emotions to the King.

The King narrowed his eyes as he looked towards the Princess. There was a slight arrogance in his gaze but he was sure that the fifth princess was fixed on her words. He knew that there was something wrong, that suddenly a princess who wasn’t interested in a lot of things, whose eyes never showed the glow and who never talked back was speaking her mind out with full of confidence.

There was self-doubt in King’s mind. [Were the things that I had heard false?]

[Was Princess Cassandra never weak?]

[Was her personality always like this?]

There was a little uneasiness in King’s heart but he understood what it might be. [She wants to know things and she feels trapped in here.] The King determined it as true as he nodded his head.

"If Prince Carl had given his permission, then the royal family cannot go back on the words now." The King smiled as he looked at his son, who was trying to look away.

Princess Teimei took a step forward. She wanted to tell her father the reason why they had accepted Princess Cassandra’s condition but there were too many people around.

Princess Teimei said in a soft tone. "I will escort Princess Cassandra to your study."

The King waved his hand as he gave permission for them to leave.

Princess Cassandra looked at the royal couple one last time before she turned around. As her eyes swept through the people a familiar face made her step pause.