CASSANDRA: The Unfavored Princess-Chapter 78: Engulfed Darkness

Cassandra looked down at Ed’s hand as she asked. "Is it still hurting?"

Aiden laughed "No Princess. I am a warrior."

"But warriors do get hurt." Cassandra’s eyes were full of worries. "Maybe the Duke went too far."

Aiden smiled as his eyes turned softer. "But this wound was necessary to teach me something very important." Aiden wanted to touch Princess Cassandra’s face but he controlled his impulse. ’It made me realize what I want.’

The last sentence was in Duke Salvador’s thoughts but he could not say anything.

"We should get started," Aiden suggested.

Cassandra wanted to say something more but she controlled herself. She nodded her head as she took some deep breaths.

"Okay." Cassandra took a step back as she asked with a determined tone. "So what elements do you handle?"

"Handle?" Aiden’s tone was filled with questions as he raised his eyebrows. "I am a fire mage."

"A fire mage." Princess Cassandra murmured in a low tone. Her gaze blurred as she thought hard. "Just like the Duke."

"Yes, just like the Duke," Ed answers, bringing Princess Cassandra back to life.

Cassandra bit her lips as her ears turned red. She did not know that her voice could reach Ed’s ears.

’Was I too loud?’

Cassandra looked up at Ed who was gazing at her. She smiled innocently, "Close your eyes."

"Uh?"

Cassandra giggled seeing the face of her guard. "You want to learn the things right? So close your eyes."

Aiden was doubtful but he still followed Cassandra’s order. He closed his eyes and soon only darkness followed.

"What can you see?" Cassandra asked.

"Nothing."

Cassandra nodded. She can sense Ed’s tone.

’Ed might think I am silly asking such questions.’

’But I cannot help it.’

"Ed, Concentrate on your breathing." Cassandra took a step forward as she observed Ed.

Aiden’s ears twitched as he could sense someone approaching him. Although he knew that the person coming near him was Princess Cassandra, Ed could not help but be tense.

Duke Salvador was a warrior. He was trained to attack. If one of his senses was closed, all the remaining would maximize its intensity. Aiden’s ears were sharpened now as his nose took steady breaths.

Aiden was calm on the surface but he was full of questions internally. There was a storm brewing, trying to branch out and engulf Princess Cassandra within it.

’She is coming near me.’

’I can sense it.’

’Princess Cassandra’s fragrance is getting nearer to me.’

Aiden swallowed as he tried to control his heart. ’This is not the right time to think about such things.’

Cassandra stood in front of Ed as she touched his ears softly making him flip. "Don’t move." Cassandra’s voice was serious.

"Ed, now listen carefully." Cassandra smiled as she enjoyed the new reaction. "How wide is the darkness?"

Aiden did not understand the question so he did not answer it. Cassandra was quiet for a few seconds before she understood that she had to explain it properly.

Princess Cassandra took a deep breath as she took a step back. "The darkness that you see when you align your mind and heart is the extent of your power. Some people have a small diameter for their power making them a mage at the lowest degree. As the darkness of your diameter increases the power also increases. The strength of your element depends on it."

Princess Cassandra smiled as she pushed her hair back around her ears as she continued. "So keep your mind calm and maintain constant breathing. You need to concentrate and tell me how far the darkness exceeds."

Aiden listened to Princess Cassandra’s words. He controlled his breathing but his mind was still a mess.

’Why is she telling me to keep my mind calm?’

’How can I manage it?’

’What does that mean?’

Princess Cassandra smiled but soon her curled lips looked down. "Ed. you are not answering me."

Aiden was silent but soon he could not come up with anything. Making Cassandra worried.

’I cannot hear any of Ed’s thoughts.’

’If he is not thinking anything else then what is making him stop?’

’Or am I the one who is not able to hear Ed’s thoughts?’

’The only person I could not hear was Duke Salvador so ..’

Princess Cassandra’s eyes widened but she did not dare to think any further. Her voice shook a little as she asked, "Are you thinking something?"

Aiden’s nerves froze. ’Shit. She cannot hear my thoughts. I forgot.’

Duke Salvador could not understand how to get out of the situation. But he soon shook his head in denial. All Aiden knew was that Princess Cassandra should not know that he was Duke Salvador. It was not the right time to reveal it.

"No," Aiden said in a small tone. "I cannot see anything."

Cassandra took a breath of relief. "It’s okay. It happened." Cassandra tried to make Ed more relaxed. "Don’t think about anything else and concentrate at the point where you see light. The corners would be the endpoint of your elemental diameter."

"Hmm .." Aiden nodded as he kept his thoughts away. His focus was on his breathing and soon everything around him became pitch black.

Aiden’s gaze turned wide but he could not see the ray of light. His close eyes were strained as Cassandra saw them. She soon touched his eyes in a hurry as she said. "Open your eyes."

Aiden who was lost in the darkness saw the ray of light calling him, and he opened his eyes to follow its order. But what greeted Aiden was not the light of the surroundings but dim darkness as his eyes were cupped by Princess Cassandra’s palms.

"Princess." Aiden’s eyes were dark as his breathing hitched. His surroundings were full of Cassandra’s fragrance, making his mind clear.

Princess Cassandra could feel Ed’s eyelashes tingling her palms. She removed her hand slowly as she took a step back.

Cassandra took a few seconds to understand the situation as she saw Ed looking at her. "What did you see?"

Cassandra’s question brought Ed back. "Only darkness. Nothing else."

"Not even a single ray of light at the end?"

"No." Ed rubbed his eyes as if he had suffered a lot.

Princess Cassandra was deep in thoughts as her eyes shook. "Ed, how powerful mage are you?"

Cassandra’s voice was small as if a whisper making Aiden shiver through his spin.

"I am a powerful fire mage." Aiden justified as he looked down "Is it a problem?"

"No," Cassandra was looking at Ed as she continued, "The stronger mage you are the wider and darker the darkness will be. How strong of a fire mage are you?"

Cassandra’s eyes widened as she asked the question. She had heard the rumors that the exclusive armies of all the four Duke’s were strong mages. But it was only in rumors. "Is your power equivalent to Duke Salvador’s?"

Aiden’s breath hitch as he looked down. His jaw clenched as he replied in a low tone. "Second to the Duke."

"No wonder," Cassandra murmured. She looked at the man standing in front of her eyes as she took a step forward. "We cannot practice here Ed."

Aiden raised his eyebrows as he looked at Princess Cassandra. "Uhh?"

Cassandra took some deep breaths as she tried to make sense of the man in black standing in front of her looking like a stubborn existence.

"Ed, you are a powerful mage." Cassandra walked back towards her bed as she sat down as if she had given up on her life. Princess Cassandra could see her sleep going away by the second as his dropping gaze was fixed on Ed. "I am going to tell you how to control the power, but it is a hard process. Harder for the mage who is very strong."

Cassandra sighed as she continued. "There is always a possibility that things will get out of control. It takes time to master and the diary’s words specifically instruct that the people having stronger affinity to the elements should practice in an open space."

"Ed. I do not want my room to get burned. I will have nowhere to go and with no explanation on how a fire suddenly broke out in my room. You need to understand, I am not the first Princess, Princess Valeria that everyone will forget about."

Aiden could understand Princess Cassandra’s dilemma as he asked in a soft tone. "Then what do the Princess suggest?"

"We need wide, open space. Something that will not be an obstacle and even if the fire becomes out of hand, no one will know about it, let alone get hurt." Cassandra suggested as her eyes brightened. "But where?"

Aiden listened to Cassandra’s words and the only place that came into his mind was something Aiden knew that Princess Cassandra would object to.

’But that is the only place.’

’Maybe I can take Princess Cassandra there directly.’

"I know a place," Aiden said as he saw Cassandra’s eyes blooming with questions. "I can take the Princess there now."

"Can we go there now?"

Aiden nodded his head as he nervously saw the Princess who was in deep thoughts.