CASSANDRA: The Unfavored Princess-Chapter 133: Fooling the people?

Princess Cassandra entered her room as she closed the door.

She turned back as she looked at the people who were waiting for her there. A smile rose on Princess Cassandra’s lips as she walked towards the people who were waiting for her.

"Princess Teimei is taking me outside tomorrow. I think we will be visiting a place where an element’s pure form resides." Princess Cassandra said in a soft tone. Her eyes looked at both Amy and Duke Salvador.

"When I was walking towards the kitchen I heard someone say that Lord Bentham will be accompanying Princess Teimei tomorrow," Amy added.

"Prince Carl is planning to take you to Kir mountain. I heard him talking to the Grand Duke." Duke Salvador said.

"So what are we planning now?" Princess Cassandra asked the question as she raised her eyebrows at Aiden. "The elements said I will know when I am near the pure source but how do I absorb it? What is the pure source? In what form it might be? I have no idea. I feel lost."

Princess Cassandra looked down as she fiddled with her fingers. Her tone was low as if she was filled with worry.

"Don’t worry Princess. You will know it." Amy said as she walked towards the fifth Princess as she held her hands.

Princess Cassandra nodded. Soon the room went back to silence as if no one spoke.

Amy, who was quiet for a long time, could not help but murmur. "I think Lord Bentham really cares for the Princess."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Amy realized what she had said. She looked at the Duke who was glaring at her. Amy could feel the danger as she swallowed hard. She was unsure of how to react at the given time.

"Why did you think so?" Duke Salvador asked as he removed his mask. His eyes sharpened but there was a smile on his face.

Amy who saw this was even more confused. She did not know why she was feeling so frightened suddenly. Amy was comfortable with Ed, the man in the mask but when the mask was down and Aiden came out, Amy was still a little uncomfortable. She was still not used to the situation.

Amy smiled as she pushed the thought away. [I am thinking too deeply.]

Amy shook her head as she continued to look at the fifth Princess. "I may be the wrong Princess but it feels like Lord Bentham really cares about you. Even if we have established that he is from the Vivere Kingdom, the worry in his eyes is genuine."

"So you think Achard cares for Princess Cassandra?" Duke Salvador asked again. He was getting irritated by the second but he still controlled his rage.

"I don’t know how to explain it. I never felt any bad intentions from him. Maybe he is good at hiding it, but I do not think someone can fake such things for too long." Amy murmured as she remembered what happened since they came to the Vivere Kingdom.

Lord Bentham was always around the kitchen at a particular time as if keeping an eye on whether the fifth Princess was eating properly or not. Amy had also heard that Lord Bentham brought back some spices from the Elvira Empire because he feared that Princess Cassandra would not like the taste of the Viver Kingdom’s food.

Although Amy had seen such things by herself, she never told it to Princess Cassandra. She never felt it was necessary. She could feel that even if Lord Bentham cared for her, it was not in a romantic way. Maybe that is the reason she did not say anything.

"If you think so then you don’t know Achard at all." Duke Salvador said in a sarcastic way. His lips curled up as his eyes turned a darker shade of red. "He pretended to be a water mage for so many years."

Amy looked at the Duke. She saw his eyes as she nodded. Amy knew that she should not say anything anymore.

The atmosphere suddenly got tense. Princess Cassandra looked at Aiden whose hands formed a fist. Cassandra could tell at a glance that Duke Salvador was in a bad mood. His eyes were telling it all.

Princess Cassandra had felt it a few times herself. Amy was not completely wrong. Although Lord Bentham looked at her from time to time, Cassandra knew that it was not the gaze of a lover. Lord Bentham’s gaze was filled with longing. As if he had known her for a long time.

Princess Cassandra shook the thought away.

’What am I thinking.’

’I should not be having such thoughts.’

Princess Cassandra smiled as she looked at Amy, trying to minimize the damage done by her words. "Let us not discuss it. We have a long way to go tomorrow."

Amy took a breath of relief seeing the fifth Princess distracting the attention from the topic. She smiled as she nodded. "Yes, I will make sure to pack some things."

The atmosphere that was stiff soon settled down but Princess Cassandra knew that there was still a small corner in Duke Salvador’s heart that was still unsettled.

—---------

Prince Cedric was ready to go on the little vacation with his sister before he was called in by the Emperor.

Prince Cedric was confused. He was now sitting in the Emperor’s study room but his father was not ready to talk. Prince Cedric waited patiently but his patience was wearing out fast.

"Father .." Prince Cedric finally said. The silence was killing him. He could see on the Emperor’s face that he was trying to say something and yet he wasn’t.

"Cedric." The Emperor sighed as he looked into his son’s eyes. The Emperor knew that he did not care who became the next Emperor. Everyone one of them were his children but he though so before the current situation arrived

The Emperor loved Princess Valeria too. The only Princess who was powerful enough but over time Princess Valeria had made some questionable decisions.

Attacking a Duke’s private guard. Displaying her powers at the hall. These all things made the Emperor question his decisions.

"Yes." Prince Cedric sat straight when he saw his father not responding. It was as if the Emperor was in deep thoughts.

The Emperor took a deep breath. "I feel the Empire would be safe in your hands." The Emperor finally said. He had decided to tell all of his secrets to his son so that the people in his Empire would be safe.

"Father .."

"Let me complete." The Emperor’s words stopped the Prince as he continued. "Although Valeria is trying to take over the throne, she is not suitable to lead an Empire. She is not a good ruler."

The Emperor closed his eyes before he adjusted his thoughts. "I would like to tell you something."

Prince Cedric nodded, waiting for the Emperor to continue. The Emperor’s gaze sharpened as he said.

"Princess Valeria’s powers are not stable. I don’t know why she is going to the Kir mountains but I know that you should stop her. The secretary and Valeria are trying to stabilize her powers and claim the throne."

"But she had already displayed that she can control all the elements. The rumors had spread wide." Prince Cedric asked in confusion. "Only your decision and an official verdict are remaining so why are you trying to stop it? Hasn’t Princess Valeria proved herself in the crystal room?"

"The crystal room?" The Emperor sneered. "It is just a normal room that the secretarial family has taken possession of."

Prince Cedric’s eyes widened. He could not believe what the Emperor was saying. The room had been there for centuries and only the chosen one was invited there. The secretarial family confirmed if the person would be a suitable Emperor or not.

’Although all the people that entered the room claimed the throne eventually.’ Prince Cedric’s thought.

The Emperor was having a headache. He rubbed his forehead as he looked at his son. He could see all the unasked questions on Prince Cedric’s face. "It is because of crystals. The secretary’s family determines who will be the most suitable person for the throne and they provide them with crystals. Once you consume the crystals you can control all the four elements."

Prince Cedric took a few minutes to understand. He wanted to ask further but he could not. The whole thing was new to him. "So the secretary is the master here?" Prince Cedric asked in a shocked tone.

"You can say that." The Emperor sighed. "Let me tell you all the things from the start."

The Emperor explained everything slowly to his son. From how the secretaries family gives the crystals and makes them absorb them. How they learn to control their powers. Or how they managed to convince the people that they are the chosen ones. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Prince Cedric’s face changed from time to time. As he listened more, his face started becoming worse. After the Emperor explained everything, the room fell into silence.

"So you are telling me that we, the royals, have been fooling the people over the centuries?"