To His Hell and Back-Chapter 282: I Can Crown Her

By the time Cassius was back the hunt was quickly put to a halt. It was suppose to end until Arabella was fully killed but in the end, it was stopped the moment that Cassius had ordered them to. Though it was against the queen’s words, they couldn’t do anything against the angry crown prince while the queen was in labour.

Right as he arrived at the hunting ground, Cassius stole one of the nearby stallion and raced into the depth of the forest, calling out to Arabella’s name as he entered.

He knew. He knew that living in the castle was dangerous and he had always been prepared for it, but Arabella?

She was innocent. Unlike him who lives and strives through death, Arabella had never suffered a life in verge of death like he did.

He thought he was capable until today where he had to face another batch of sorcerers coming after him. Though they couldn’t kill him, it still took a lot of time to deal with them, enough time for him to delay arriving any quicker to Arabella’s side. He didn’t want to lose time and so he disregarded the wounds he saddled and ran straight to the castle.

"Bella!" His voice rung in the entire forest numerous times. His heart raced while he tried to find the sweet scent of her blood.

He found it a relief that he couldn’t smell her blood but at the same time worried as he couldn’t tell whether this was a good thing or a terrible grim fate.

"Cassius," a sudden voice brought his horse to a stop. Cassius would never mistaken this voice, never in his entire life.

He immediately rushed down from the horse, his feet steady as he quickly pulled Arabella into his embrace.

He ruffled her hair, pushing her face to his heart while he searched for any visible wounds on her body.

"I’m sorry," he whispered to her ears, his crimson eyes burning as he whispered these words. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you. I shouldn’t have let you be alone in this hell."

Arabella’s green eyes studied Cassius’s face, her chin lifted from his chest. She smiled softly while staring at his features and her fingers gently wrapped around his broad shoulders as she snuggled on his chest.

"It wasn’t your fault," she whispered, "I was the one who had entered to your Hell and I will follow you wherever you go."

Cassius looked at her face, heartbroken as he had told her to endure him, to endure staying with him despite knowing how dangerous it was.

"Are you wounded anywhere?" He asked as he frowned, "I can smell a lot of blood."

"I ran and hid," Arabella turned behind as she pulled away from his embrace. She then reached out her hand and pointed toward Isabelle who was standing a couple of steps away from them, "Then Is- Isabelle helped me. She protected me with a weapon."

Isabelle was wordless but her face seemed pale from lack of blood, perhaps from protecting Arabella. Though he had a low opinion of her, he was someone who remember kindness deep to his marrow.

Slightly bowing his head he spoke, "We should quickly bring you away from here."

Isabelle saw how Arabella nodded but intervened, "The Queen locked her in the dungeon. As you understand, that means that she is a prisoner."

"Your point?" Cassius wasn’t in a good mood and every words could ruffle him. He didn’t take it nicely that Isabelle didn’t make her point clearer, not liking the guessing games.

"You can’t just bring back prisoners as you wish, your highness. It will turn you into one of the suspect," she advised but Cassius narrowed his eyes at that.

"Then so be it," Cassius bent down and gently swept Arabella off her feet, placing one hand under her knees and the other over her waist.

Arabella seemed startled but was quick to place her arms around his neck.

"I’m tired," she then whispered and Cassius gently bent his forehead, pressing it against hers.

"Then rest," he spoke gently, his eyes softening when he looked at her green ones. "I promise to h that everything will be alright once you open your eyes again."

Arabella didn’t immediately close her eyes. She stared at him, her green eyes studying his face solemnly before her finger brushed under his lips, "I trust you," she slowly closed her eyes and let her voice become one with the wind, "So don’t you ever dare betray me."

Cassius thought the words came from the pressure that had stressed her so much the whole day. He took her words lightly, hurrying to ride the horse back to the castle again.

Isabelle who saw the horse far enough finally broke her composure. She leaned to the side, her breaths flowing from her lungs once more.

She looked behind her and saw Erthand who had frowned in return, "I have told you before your highness, my priority is you and has always been you. If you do things recklessly again and that dangers your life, I would die as well."

"Did you bring back the other human?" Isabelle asked instead which made Erthand frown.

For the first time Isabelle didn’t seem annoyed that another man had pulled away the little toy she had fun with. Instead, she seems rather relieved?

"I did," Erthand answered, "Is there a problem, your highness?"

Isabelle bit her lower lips, pulling her thumb only to chew on them, a nervous tick that Erthand was well aware of. But it’s odd as Isabelle never lost her cool before, ever even. Yet this time she was panicking, like real panicking.

"Can two souls exists in one body?" Isabelle began to question but Erthand stared at her as if she had grown another pair of head. "No," she muttered to herself, "It said that it’s a weapon and she’s the host."

"Who are you talking about, your highness?" Arabella, the new toy? But what was this about two souls existing in one body?

"A power that gains its own soul," whispered Isabelle. "If it’s worked well, she could destroy the castle- No the kingdom..."

Erthand who had been staring at her face to understand the situation that had turned her into a stammering mess then saw how Isabelle’s lips quickly curled into a smile.

She tried to cover the grin but it couldn’t hide the dark delight that overjoyed her just by thinking about the power that Arabella possess- what they could do with it.

"Even our kingdom won’t have a chance- rather father won’t ever have a chance," Isabelle slowly chuckled but a plan had craved into her head, one she was sure she would see through it.

The following night in the castle had turned horribly chaotic. The queen who had been in labour had spend eight hours before being able to hear the sound of a crying baby.

The real horror however wasn’t that it took so long for the baby to come to the world, rather it was the horror of knowing that Cassius was waiting outside the room, his face stern with anger.

The rest of the servants were as quiet as mouse as they walked away from him and once the baby was brought out of the room, Cassius didn’t sweep a glance at it, instead he walked inside while the rest of the maids shrieks in surprised as they saw him walking in with a sword.

"Your highness!!"

"Protect the queen!"

Though weak, Morgana who had sat on the bed stared at Cassius with a forced smile on her lips.

"What? Did that monster died?" Mocked Morgana, "I thought she would hang on longer than that."

"And I’m also sure that you knew what the consequences of trying to harm what belongs to mine," Cassius stood still in front of her bed. "I know what you have in mind- that I attack you- that you can turn this as my treason against you."

Queen Morgana’s face turned dark but she managed a chuckle, "So you are here just to threaten me? I knew that you are only capable of talking, but if I was that monster- perhaps I’ll be sad to find out that to you I’m less than the throne."

"Less than the throne," Cassius repeated as he dragged the sword on the floor, beginning to write something. "You know, I didn’t plan to come here so I could watch you pretending your act of bravado. You fearing me isn’t the first time after all."

Queen Morgana couldn’t see from where she was what Cassius was writing but her gut feelings told her that it was something she need to fear.

"The throne, yes, it’s important," Cassius hummed, "being at such a high rank means that people would love to put you to death. At the same time it could guarantee enemies to stray away from you. But I suppose that doesn’t truly matter."

Cassius began to move his sword around, as though he was writing and only at this did queen Morgana realized what he was trying to do, causing for her to jump upward in a start.

"But there is one sure benefit," he sung, "I can make her the queen."

Then with a pause, he looked at Morgana, his eyes firm with a final statement, "The monster you call her as. I can crown her the queen."