CASSANDRA: The Unfavored Princess-Chapter 65: Rethink Things

"You called for me, your highness?" Duke Salvador entered the room with steady steps.

His eyes were focused on the man who was a few years younger than him but had a higher status. The man suddenly turned around with a sly smile on his face as he indicated Aiden to sit.

"Why are you being so formal? We are the only two people here."

"Yet I cannot disrespect the Crown Prince." Duke Salvador said as he sat down in front of the Prince.

"Just call me Cedric." The Crown Prince smiled. "After all, we have been friends for many years."

The Crown Prince passed on the cup filled with tea towards the Duke who took it in his hand with a smile.

"That is true. We are friends." Duke Salvador took a few sips on the tea as he kept it on the table softly. "It gets me wondering whether I was summoned here by the Prince or my friend?"

The smile on the Crown Prince’s face disappeared. His hands-on the cup tightened as he shook his head before keeping it down as well. He looked up at Duke Salvador with a smile on his face. "Does it even matter? After all, it will be me either way."

Duke Salvador chuckled. "True." But soon his face turned serious. "But if you tell me who I am talking to then it will make it easy for me to understand what I should talk about and what I shouldn’t."

Cedric sighed. He rested his back comfortably as he folded his hands. "Let’s say you are talking to your friend for now."

"Then you should ask right away what you want to know." Aiden smiled as he mimicked the Crown Prince position.

"I heard you visited the Emperor." The Crown Prince’s tone was relaxed but it contained unknown anxiety in it.

"Yes, it was a political matter," Aiden said, without explaining a lot.

Cedric sighed. He knew that the Duke was not ready to give anything away. He had known what had happened to Princess Valeria and a notice was circulated throughout the Palace indicating that disrespecting Dukedom’s guards will be harshly punished.

"Was it necessary to go to that extent?" Cedric asked as he looked at his friend who would be his supporter in the future. "She is my sister."

"And they are my people Cedric. My family." Aiden cut through the words. "Do you expect me to sit back and watch the people kill my family?"

"I never said that." Cedric shook his head slightly. "I am worried that Valeria will be .."

"That had nothing to do with me." Aiden’s gaze turned sharp. "I should stick to my principal at all times."

"But she is my sister," Cedric said in a low tone. "I know she has done something unacceptable, but the way you are treating her would make her mind go crazy. You know she has always loved you."

Aiden was silent, refusing to answer. It almost gave the Crown Prince an illusion that he was having hallucinations.

"And her emotions involve me?" Aiden raised his eyebrows. He sighed as he tilted forward. "As a friend, I will tell you for the last time. Your sister’s emotional state has nothing to do with me. If I have to consider marrying people just because they love me, I would be married to tens of wives."

Cedric’s face fell. He knew that Duke Salvador hated talking about love and affection. "It was her mistake, I just wish that you can consider. She will suffer a lot being alone in the outer place. Ignored by everyone. How can she handle it? She is my sister .." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"But the Crown Prince has many sisters." Aiden’s hand formed a fist as his eyes narrowed. "Are you concerned about their safety as well, the way you are concerned about the first Princesses?"

Cedric’s face stiffened. He could not understand why DukeSalvador was asking such questions suddenly.

’He never cared about anyone.’

’Is the rumor going around true?’

’Does Duke Salvador really like one of the Princesses?’

Cedric’s eyes narrowed as his mind was filled with various thoughts.

’If that really is the case then I cannot be on the wrong side of that Princess.’

’Although I want Valeria to marry Aiden, if the man rejects her directly, I have no choice but to look at other options to keep him at my side.’

Cedric’s mind was filled with confidence. He was the Crown Prince but that position was vulnerable. No one could tell when the title would be removed.

Cedric could control two elements, for now, making him the Crown Prince. But if someone shows that they possessed all the four elements, the position will be handed down to them. Cedric was desperate. If the Dukes stood by his side, then the Emperor might be pressured to wait till all his powers are evoked.

’Maybe then I will have a showdown. Then the most powerful one will be the Emperor.’

’I cannot afford losing Duke Salvador at this point.’

Cedric controlled his wandering mind as he looked at Aiden who was waiting for his answer.

"Yes, they are my sisters. I care for them all." Cedric said with a smile on his face. Being a Crown Prince had taught him how to handle situations that were not under his control.

"Yes, I can see the love in your eyes for the rest of the Princesses." Aiden laughed as he got up with a sharp gaze. "I think I should go back to work. The Vivere Kingdom’s Crown Prince will be coming here soon."

Cedric’s face followed the Duke as he nodded. There was nothing left to say anymore. Duke Salvador had made his stand clear.

’I have to rethink things.’

’But why did Duke Salvador ask about the Princesses?’

’Are the Princesses mistreated?’

Cedric’s face turned dark. ’I have to look into things more seriously now.’

’I cannot leave everything in the hands of the Empress.’

’Mother is not competent enough.’

Cedric looked at the door where Aiden had left. ’I cannot lose aid like you.’

-----------------

The man was in the dark sitting with a poise. He waited in silence as his hands played with a string of ropes.

"What is the situation?" The man asked in a dull voice. His eyes narrowed as his hands slid from a side.

"The Elvira Empire had increased their army around the Palace." a person came in like a shadow.

"So? You have no way around it?" The man smiled as his lips curled up.

"No, we were able to get in." The person said as he looked at the man. Only his shoulders came into his vision, giving a shiver in his spine.

"Hmm ..." The man waited for more information. His eyes stayed on the string in his hand.

"The Black eagles are protecting the Princesses. There is no way of knowing what is going on in the .."

The man looked back suddenly, making the person giving the report tremble. "This is something that is not acceptable. Are you telling me that you do not know what is happening there?"

The person swallowed hard as he trembled in fear. He took some deep breaths before he shook his head. "We are still trying to .."

The man laughed. "You can try all you want but I need results. Call my brother here. I need to have a talk with him." The man looked at the person. "NOW!!"

The person looked down at the floor in embarrassment. He nodded his head as he bowed down before he disappeared.

"What will happen next?" The man said in a low tone. "I need to take her away soon before something happens."

The man took some deep breaths as he looked forward. "I have to do something before it is too late."

The man remained silent until the person he called for entered. "Brother."

"Why are Black Eagles protecting the Princesses?" The man said in a still tone.

"It was decided before I could intervene."

The man laughed as he got up from his seat. He looked at the man standing there with a determined gaze. "So you refused to help now? What do you think, cousin? Are you going against us now? Against your own blood?"

"I would never do that. And you know it too. The mission is more important to me than anything else."

The man’s eyes sharpened. "So you still remember that you are on a mission? What is it then? Tell me before I lose my cool, brother."

"...."

"TELL ME. I WANT TO KNOW." The man shouted as his eyes turned red in anger. "Do you still remember you are protecting her?"

The man laughed as he continued. "Because the rumors are saying otherwise."

"You know I will never hurt her. She is the most precious thing to me."

The man’s fingers on the string tightened. "To us all."

"Yes."

The man looked at his cousin as he controlled his furious heart. "I want to meet her alone once."

"I will make sure you do."

The man waved his hand, "I want to rest for now. We will reach the Elvira Kingdom tomorrow."

"Yes, Crown Prince. You should rest well."