CASSANDRA: The Unfavored Princess-Chapter 81: Ultimate Winner

Cassandra listened to Ed’s words but could not understand them at all.

"Red?"

Cassandra was confused. Her eyes were shivering as she could not understand what was happening. She had never read such a thing in the diary before.

’Red?’ Isn’t it a color of danger?’

’Danger and anger.’

’And if one thinks in terms of elements, it is a color of fire.’

’But fire can be yellow as well.’

Cassandra wanted to know it deeply. Princess Cassandra waited patiently for Ed to respond.

"It was red. Small red crystal shapes lightened the darkness just like these stars. The whole place was covered in red." Aiden said, his tone still dazzled by the experience.

"Small Red crystals?" Princess Cassandra murmured. She had not read anything like that before. It is something that made Princess Cassandra curious.

"Then why did you open your eyes suddenly?" Cassandra asked in a dull voice. The sweat on Ed’s face was evident enough to make her heart shiver.

Only Cassandra knew what she wanted to say at that moment. How she was blaming herself.

’What if Ed had suffered?’

’It would have been our mistake.’

Princess Cassandra looked up as she gazed up. But Ed was silent. He was deep in thoughts as if he was thinking too deeply about what to say.

Duke Salvador himself did not know how to answer that question, but he also knew that if he did not share his view then things might be difficult to understand. After all, only the fifth Princess knows what it might be.

Aiden took a deep breath before he continued. "The place was dark at the start. I could not see the light. But as I started walking, there was a crackling sound. It was very light at the start and one could not distinguish it. I first thought it was the sound of darkness."

Aiden looked at Princess Cassandra as his eyes turned soft before he continued. "You know the feeling where you are alone and could not see anything but feel like someone is there. You can hear the silence. I thought it was that but then you told me to focus on it and I did."

Aiden’s tone was low as his gaze looked at a distance. Cassandra realized that the man was reliving it all again.

"I focused at a point and moved towards it and as I touched it everything lit up. Small crystals of red. But suddenly my eyes were burning as if they knew I was a disturbance in the place and I closed my eyes. But before I knew it, I was here."

Aiden looked at the fifth Princess whose eyes were sharp, listening to him closely.

Cassandra nodded her head as she looked up in the sky.

"Ed, I will tell you something. I know that you might report it to Duke Salvador anyway so why not." Cassandra did not look down and continued. "When I taught Amy about how to use her powers, more of how to concentrate and magnify it."

Cassandra’s eyes were dull as she sighed. "Maybe it was because her powers are weaker. But she never had such an experience."

Cassandra looked at a distance. "When Amy used it, she could open her eyes faster and see the earth. Focusing on it helped her to move it in one direction but now that I think about it, it may be because of her less intense power."

"Ed, I have never taught people who have enormous power. Maybe I have failed you as a teacher but I need more time to read everything thoroughly again."

Duke Salvador nodded as he listened to Princess Cassandra. Her reaction throughout was evident enough that it was her first time handling such things.

"I will inform the Duke. Princess Cassandra should not worry about such things anymore." Aiden said as he got up. The bonfire was about to die but the night was still young.

Ed extended his hand as he pulled Princess Cassandra up. "We can stop this now. Princess also needs to have some rest. The morning will be hectic and draining for you."

Cassandra did not object as she let Ed carry her the way they had entered. The wind was still cold, but the warmth that wrapped her was more comforting. Cassandra did not even realize when she closed her eyes.

When Aiden entered the window, he looked down in his arms only to realize that the girl was sleeping. Her breathing was soft and regular as a soft layer of mist linger on her face.

Aiden smiled as he softly entered the bedroom, walking towards the bed. He carefully laid Princess Cassandra on it as he covered her with a blanket.

Aiden’s face was calm as he looked out. He knew that it was time for him to go out as well. The Vivere Kingdom’s people were about to enter and as a Duke, he had to be present.

’I need to sleep as well.’

’But I do not want to leave her alone.’

Aiden looked down at the sleeping face of the fifth Princess. His hand ran through her hair as he felt the calmness spreading in his heart.

’Should I sleep here for a few hours?’

Aiden wondered as he closed his eyes. His hand held Cassandra’s as the darkness engulfed him.

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Princess Valeria walked to the top of the place in a hurry.

The hands were still cuffed but now she was used to it. It has been days that she has come here to practice her elements.

"The first Princess is late yet again today." A voice said, making Princess Valeria turn around.

She was used to it now. The man that stood in front of her was her mentor for the time being.

’Let me be in power. The first thing I will do is kill you.’

The secretary took a step forward as he asked in a dull tone. "Were you able to use other elements?"

Princess Valeria’s eyes shook as she refused to answer. The secretary knew that it was impossible to make Princess Valeria turn into an Emperor without the use of it.

"Princess, don’t be disheartened. I want you to succeed. You are successful and beneficial for both of us." The secretary smiled as he took a step forward. "And I have a perfect way to help you."

Princess Valeria was getting irritated by his words. "I have heard it a lot from your mouth but never seen a result." Princess Valeria’s eyes turned dark as she asked. "I am doubting your words now and you cannot blame me for that."

The secretary laughed. "You are as impatient as your father but at least he had an affinity towards two elements. It was easy for him to adapt but you are different Princess. The strength of your primary element affects your growth."

Princess Valeria was confused. She raised her eyebrows as she indicated to the secretary to continue.

The man smiled as she walked past the princess. "The strong one element is, it suppresses the other elements with more power. You are a fire mage, one of the strongest in the Empire. So even if you have an affinity towards other elements it gets suppressed. Maybe that is the reason the Crown Prince can have the title."

"Cedric does not have a strong affinity?" Princess Valeria asked. Although they were blood-related siblings, the struggle for the throne had made them distant.

The secretary nodded. "Yes, his powers are limited, therefore other elemental powers had a chance to express themselves. Isn’t that the reason why the Third Prince grabbed the position of being the Crown Prince?"

Princess Valeria nodded. She knew why Cedric was chosen. Even if the other prince showed that he could control two elements, the Crown Prince is most likely to control three after it.

Princess Valeria had read an old record that the secretary had provided her. It was shown that if one starts controlling more than one element they might control all four over time. It was as if first come first serve. Maybe the strength of the power is too small to consider but powers are powers. And with the prophecy in place, the Empire’s citizens would never object.

’So I have to be the one showing that I can control all four elements first.’

’Then everything in my life would be sorted out.’

’No one would be able to touch me and no one would object to my decision.’

A smile formed in Princess Valeria’s eyes. But soon her eyes turned sharp. The reports had something else as well. Even though the people did not know it, the secretary was the one who had handled such cases.

Once a new Emperor is selected, all the others who had shown even slight affinity to more than two elements were killed. And all the killings were carried out by the secretary.

’If I become the Emperor, I have to kill all my siblings.’

’Maybe father had done the same, that is the reason we do not have any uncles and aunts.’

A smile formed on Princess Valeria’s face.

’But it is not a bad deal.’

’If none of the golden hair siblings remained, no one would rebel.’

’And I will be the ultimate winner.’