Exiled Prince: I'm the Unexpected Extra in the Novel-Chapter 164: Forced Vows

The War for The North [52]

Chapter 164: Forced Vows

As the cloud of dust from the shattered door slowly settled, Liora Stormvale stood firm. She kept her sword, crackling with arcs of lightning, leveled as she tried to process the scene before her.

The Mythical Beast Cryomara sat at the edge of the bed, holding Cassian in her lap.

Cassian’s body was bound tightly by vines of transparent, rock hard ice that writhed like living serpents.

He was immobile, his gaze sweeping the room with pure fury. On the other side, at the head of the bed, Duchess Cecilia sat in her silk nightgown, staring at the door in utter shock.

To Liora, this looked less like the "meeting" she expected and more like a scene of twisted captivity. Cassian looked like nothing more than a toy in the hands of the Mythical Beast.

Cryomara narrowed her eyes at the intruder who had just demolished her door. Her expression mirrored the disgust of a noble finding a fly in their dinner.

"Weren’t you taught any manners in Evershade, black bird?" Cryomara asked. Her voice was so frigid that even the fireplace embers seemed to wither for a moment.

"You cannot simply burst into a lady’s room without permission, especially that of a Duchess."

Despite the crushing pressure radiating from the Mythical Beast, Liora did not retreat. She squared her jaw, maintaining her noble poise, and pointed the tip of her blade directly at Cryomara.

"Release him!"

Instead of answering Liora’s bold demand, Cryomara turned back to Cassian. Her gaze was filled with exhaustion and mocking condemnation.

"Little lizard..." she sighed. "Have you set your sights on Aldren’s daughter too? Those witches, my butterfly, and now this aggressive knight... Does your appetite truly know no bounds?"

She flicked Cassian’s forehead sharply with her fingertip. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"I truly think you deserve to be castrated."

Cassian tried to open his mouth to protest, but the ice vines tightened around his chest, stealing his breath. He could only manage a muffled growl.

Cryomara turned her attention back to Liora. Her blue eyes were piercing enough to freeze the woman’s very soul.

"What is your relationship with this lizard, black bird?"

Liora’s crimson eyes didn’t flicker for a second. Without lowering her sword, she answered in a clear, proud voice.

"He is my rival!"

The room fell silent for a heartbeat. Cryomara tilted her head as if weighing the answer.

"Rival?" A dangerous smile played on her lips. "Hmm... So not your lover? Not someone who haunts your dreams or stirs romantic feelings?"

A mix of disgust and gravity washed over Liora’s face. She remained cold, answering as if she had been insulted.

"I have no interest in children! He is merely a target waiting to be defeated by my blade. There is no other bond between us."

The tension on Cryomara’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a relaxed, almost cheerful expression.

"Haha! How relieving to hear that..." she said, as if a great weight had been lifted.

"Because this boy belongs to my little Cecilia. If you had feelings for him that threatened my butterfly’s place... I might have had to kill you where you stand."

Though the threat was delivered almost playfully, everyone in the room felt the chill of its truth in their bones.

Liora frowned at this strange possessiveness but did not waver from her goal.

"Since you have your answer," she said, still holding her sword high. "Will you release him? I have matters to discuss with him."

Cryomara’s eyes narrowed again. She sighed like a queen whose patience was nearing its end.

"You are becoming tedious, little bird," she said. "Can’t you see we are busy here, settling a family matter? Wait your turn."

Liora did not budge. Instead, she took a defiant step forward.

Fed up with this stubbornness, Cryomara raised her elegant fingers and gave a simple snap.

SNAP!

Thick, jagged vines of ice erupted from the floor, lunging toward Liora like spears. Their speed was beyond what an ordinary eye could follow.

Liora spun her sword effortlessly, almost like a dance. The steel hissed through the air.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Before the ice vines could even graze Liora’s armor, they shattered into pieces in mid air. Shards of ice rained down like falling crystals.

Liora flicked her sword to the side, shaking off the ice dust, and issued a cold warning.

"I suggest you refrain from such dangerous actions, Lady Cryomara."

"I would hate for your precious castle to be damaged. It would tarnish my family’s reputation and create... unnecessary tension between allies."

Cryomara looked at the shattered ice, then at Liora. Her face wore the expression of an adult who admired a naughty child’s courage but wouldn’t hesitate to punish it.

"Little lizard..." she murmured. "It seems you have a knack for attracting strange types."

Then her gaze hardened. She released a wave of pure, soul crushing mana into the room.

"But in my castle, my rules apply."

Liora staggered instantly under the sudden pressure. Her knees trembled, and the strength drained from her legs.

She stabbed her sword into the ground like a crutch, struggling to stay upright. She grit her teeth and resisted, but the aura of a Mythical Beast was far beyond human limits.

Her knees betrayed her will and hit the floor. Her breath hitched, her lungs feeling as though they had collapsed. She struggled even to lift her head.

Cryomara placed Cassian onto the bed next to Cecilia and walked toward Liora with slow, gliding steps.

She stopped in front of Liora. Leaning down, she placed her hand under Liora’s chin with gentle but irresistible force and tilted her head upward.

Their eyes met. One pair was dark and deep as the ocean floor, the other a burning, angry red.

"You should know your place, little bird," Cryomara whispered. "That tiny bit of power and sword skill you possess must have clouded your mind. Perhaps I need to give you an unforgettable punishment to remind you who you are speaking to."

The tension in the room was like a powder keg ready to explode. Liora could see her own death reflected in Cryomara’s eyes.

But at that exact moment, a dense, suffocating wave of dark heat radiated from the bed.

Pitch black flames rose from Cassian’s body. The ice vines that bound him melted and evaporated in seconds under the touch of the dark fire.

Cassian sat up. He looked at his damp clothes and the soaked bed.

"Great..." he grumbled. "Now I’ll have to sleep in a wet bed."

Then he looked up at the pair in the center of the room. His crimson eyes glowed with the reflection of chaotic flames.

"You’re starting to annoy me, Cryomara!" Cassian said, his voice weary yet authoritative. "You have bullied my guests, my allies, and me... enough. Go find yourself other toys. Do not test my patience."

Cryomara let go of Liora’s chin and slowly stood straight. A devious smile appeared on her face.

"If you answer my question," she said, turning back to Cassian. "You know I will leave you and your little bird alone, little lizard. Just one answer."

Cassian grit his teeth. This woman’s persistence was harder than the glaciers of the north. There was no escape.

"Do you really want to hear it that badly?" he shouted, finally reaching his breaking point. "Fine! I’ll tell you!"

He took a deep breath. He closed his eyes, conjuring that face and that memory in his mind.

"Other than Iris..." he said, his voice lowering but remaining clear. "There is no one else I am in love with!"

The room fell silent. Cassian opened his eyes, his gaze drifting far away.

"Unlike you..." he said, his voice taking on a mournful tone. "She never tried to use me. She expected nothing from me. She didn’t see me as a ’prince’, an ’heir’, or a ’weapon’. She loved me simply as Cassian. And I... I belong only to her."

He turned sharply toward Cryomara.

"Now that you have your answer, leave my room!"

This confession stirred different reactions in the room.

But the greatest impact was on Cecilia, who sat silently at the edge of the bed.

Cecilia was shaken by the name and the absolute rejection. Iris... a girl she didn’t know had already stolen Cassian’s heart.

She clutched the hem of Cassian’s damp shirt. Her blue eyes filled with tears, looking at him like an innocent, wounded child.

"Me..." she said, her voice trembling. "Do you not love me?"

When Cassian looked into those eyes, his previous anger and resolve crumbled instantly.

A wave of unbearable regret washed over him. The weight of breaking a girl’s heart sat heavy on his shoulders.

He couldn’t answer. What could he say? Should he lie?

When Cassian remained silent, tears began to stream down Cecilia’s face. She began to cry silently, without sobbing, but this quiet weeping hurt more than a scream.

Cassian panicked. His cheeks flushed, and he fumbled awkwardly. He quickly turned his head away, breaking eye contact.

"Maybe..." he muttered under his breath. "Maybe I might love you... a little bit. I mean... I’m not completely indifferent."

This half hearted confession wasn’t enough for Cecilia, but it lit a spark of hope. She sniffled, looked at Cassian with tearful eyes, and asked the question.

"Then..." she sobbed. "Will you marry me?"

Cassian’s right eye twitched. The logic circuits in his brain shorted out. How did it come to this? Jumping from a confession of love to marriage... Where was this girl’s logic?

But right now, stopping those crying eyes was his priority.

"Yes, yes!" he said with exhaustion, throwing his hands up in surrender. "When I am completely in love with you... when that day comes, I promise I will kneel and propose to you. Okay? Is that enough?"

Cecilia’s face brightened instantly. Tears were still falling, but a huge smile appeared on her lips.

"Promise?"

"Promise! Promise!"

"Are you happy now?" Cassian asked, drained.

Instead of answering, Cecilia threw herself forward and hugged Cassian tightly, burying her head in his chest.

Meanwhile, Liora, still on her knees on the floor, watched this bizarre scene with her mouth agape. Her sword lay forgotten by her side.

"What am I even watching?" she whispered to herself. "Two teenagers filming a soap opera instead of saving the world? This... what is this nonsense?"

Cryomara approached the bed, clapping her hands gleefully. That devious smile was back.

"Wonderful! Marvelous!" she chirped. "Congratulations, little lizard! You are practically engaged to the most beautiful, noble, and wealthy girl in the North. The future Duke!"

She leaned over and pinched Cassian’s cheek.

"You can call me ’Mother’ from now on!"

Then she gently pulled Cecilia away from Cassian and took her into her arms.

"My little butterfly is in your care now, groom to be. But for now, she needs to sleep. she is exhausted."

As she walked toward the door, she looked back and winked.

"Goodnight now."

Cryomara glided out of the room with Cecilia in tow. She had obtained what she wanted: a bond. An unbreakable promise.

The moment the door closed, Cassian collapsed onto the bed on his back. He covered his eyes with his hand.

"What have I done?" he groaned.

There was a movement in the room. Liora stood up slowly, the clinking of her armor breaking the silence. She approached the bed and stood over Cassian.

Liora’s face wore a mocking yet complex expression.

"I believe you were just forcibly engaged..." Liora said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Should I congratulate you? Or should I offer my condolences?"

Without removing his hand from his eyes, Cassian replied in a weary voice.

"Hahaha, you’re hilarious, Miss Cold Queen! I’m dying of laughter right now."

Liora smiled. "You are welcome, Ball Slayer."

Cassian pulled his hand away and looked at Liora.

"What are you doing in Frosthelm, Liora?" "Shouldn’t you be at the Academy?"

Liora shrugged, her gaze drifting to the storm outside the window.

"Did you think I would stay at the academy playing babysitter with wooden swords while my father and my house joined a war to the death?" she said sharply. "I am a Stormvale. My place is with my family."

Cassian sat up on the bed.

"I didn’t think you would," he said honestly. "But... I didn’t think you would personally join the war either. I thought you would stay in the background."

"You know what you’re fighting against, right?" Cassian asked, locking his eyes onto Liora’s. "This isn’t some land dispute between nobles."

"More or less," Liora said. "Like everyone else. The Obsidian Dawn. Cultists. Darkness."

Cassian shook his head.

"No," he whispered. "You don’t know."

He stood up and stood directly in front of Liora.

"Liora," he said, using her name with a seriousness he had never shown before. "While you still have time, leave Frosthelm tonight. Go back to your academy."

Liora’s brows knit together. Her pride was stung.

"Are you telling me to run?" she asked angrily. "Do you want me to tuck my tail like a coward and leave?"

"Yes," Cassian said without hesitation. "I want you to run. Because if you stay..."

He took a deep breath. His eyes reflected the hundreds of nightmares he had seen.

"This war will be far larger than you can imagine. It won’t be a war; it will be a slaughter. Everyone you see alive today, laughing, breathing, eating... they will soon be a pile of corpses. And you... you don’t want to be in that pile."

Liora paused for a moment. She saw the terror and certainty in Cassian’s eyes.

"Do you think we will lose?" she asked, her voice slightly lower.

"No."

"I am just telling you the truth. Even if we win... that victory will be bought with the deaths of most of us. The price will be heavy. A price I don’t want you to pay."

Liora turned her head, looking out at the darkness and the snow. The hardness in her face softened, but her resolve remained unchanged.

"When I came here," she said, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword. "I had already accepted death. If my family dies, I will die with them. A Stormvale never runs."

Cassian sighed. He recognized that stubbornness. It was the kind of fate he couldn’t change.

He sat back down on the bed, his shoulders slumped.

"I hope you don’t regret it, Cold Queen," he whispered. "I hope when that day comes, you don’t regret this decision."