Chapter Two

The sword was pulled out of her belly and she fell down, her blood spluttering everywhere. They looked around, she was the last to die.

They heard a faint gasp and immediately, one of them dragged whoever made that sound, out of their hiding place.

It was a little boy of about eight. The one who had dragged him out, raised up his sword to kill him, but they heard a voice, "Stop!" and he stopped.

The person who had spoken stood in front of the huge man, "Drop him!" she ordered and the man dropped the boy. She crouched down to meet the boy and reached out to touch him, but he slapped her hand away, "Stay away!" he cried.

She noticed that he was trembling and had a deep cut on his ankle. She reached out to touch him again, but this time, he picked up a broken piece of glass and held it in front of himself, "If you come any closer, I will kill you."

She moved closer and he slashed the glass across her face and the men gasped. One of them raised his sword to end the boy's life, but she raised her hand to stop him.

She took off her hood and pulled her mask down, revealing her face to the boy; grey eyes, slim lips, slightly flat nose that was bleeding because of the cut the boy had given her, and chubby cheeks.

The boy gasped while one of the soldiers clenched his fists. We are not supposed to show our faces, he thought.

She gave a little smile to the boy before she tore a piece of her cloak and held the boy's leg, despite his squirming, then she tied it around his cut. As she tied the piece of cloth around his wound, the boy kept his eyes on his dead mother and tears dropped from his eyes. He looked at his dead family all around and wept.

Her heart broke for him.

She put her hand behind his knees and carried him, this time, he did not squirm around, "He rides with me" she said and the men bowed except one.

"Sarissa would not like this..." he said as she passed him, then she stopped, "It is not part of the plan," she looked at him, "I take it that that is my business and not yours. He is my grandfather, I can change the plans" she said and he raised his hands in mock surrender.

She placed the boy gently on her horse and sat behind him, then she kicked the horse's abdomen and it neighed before it galloped away, the men following her behind.

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"There was another killing at the far east of Leorda" Cassian reported and Soteria nodded his head slowly, "It was a family of five, but the boy's body was missing. Perhaps the killer took him for ransom" Cassian said and Soteria sighed, "Ever since Lord Camarie left the dukedom of Leorda, there has been lawlessness and it is driving me insane!" he slid his hands down his face and yawned.

Cassian smiled slightly, "You look tired, your majesty" "I am!" Soteria leaned back on his throne and sighed, "Sorin and the lawlessness in Leorda is keeping me up at night, perhaps I should just make you the duke of Leorda" he said hoping Cassian would reconsider his offer. He had offered Cassian that position several times, but Cassian had always declined.

Cassian bowed, "Your majesty, I am..." "satisfied with where I am. I am already honored that despite my wounded eye, you still kept me as your general and the viscount of Damodar" Soteria completed Cassian's speech with a hand on his chin as he huffed, and Cassian smiled, "You do you, but just know that the people of Leorda's blood will be on your head if there is anymore killing" Soteria childishly pointed at him and Cassian chuckled, "I will see if Azrael is willing to take up another state under his dukedom."

"Because he has twins?" Soteria asked and Cassian nodded, trying to suppress his laughter, while Soteria flung his head back and burst into hearty laughter.

"That was a good one Cassie, I see your sense of humor has improved" Soteria said as he wiped a few tears that had fallen from his eyes while he had laughed. "Well, I try my best," Cassian shrugged.

A guard ran in and bowed, "Your majesty, we caught an intruder" he said and Cassian held the hilt of his sword, ready to slash off the head of the intruder. Soteria glanced at him, then at the guard, "Bring him in!" he ordered and the guard ran out and returned in with a screaming and squirming Bithia, "Let go! Let go of me!" she yelled as the guard dragged her. Cassian released the hilt of his sword and sighed, of course.

"I am not an intruder, I came with the apple vendors and...ahh" the guard threw her on the floor. Bithia raised her head and saw Cassian looking at her, "My Lord!" she bowed and looked at Soteria, "Your majesty!" she bowed.

Soteria smiled, "Bithia, what brought you to my palace?" he asked and she got up, "I...umm...I wanted to see the princes, so I came in with the apple vendors," tears were threatening to fall from her eyes. She was still the same girl who teared up when scolded or cornered.

Cassian noticed it and took off his robe and then threw it on her, covering her teary eyes. He put his arm on her head and smiled, "I am sorry for whatever inconvenience she might have caused, your majesty, I shall be taking her home now" "It is alright. Bithia would never cause any inconvenience. She is a sweetheart," Soteria smiled and her face brightened up, "Why thank you, your majesty" she bowed and Cassian rolled his eye. "Goodbye your majesty" he bowed and she bowed too then they started walking out.

Bithia started telling Cassian all about her day while Cassian gave a nod, eye-roll or smile to whatever she said. Ever since his daughter's disappearance, Cassian had been smiling a lot, which re-sparked rumors about him being mad. Soteria understood and could tell that those smiles were fake. It was a coping mechanism for his loneliness. The last time he had shown his pain to people, they had called him the Mad Viscount, so he'd rather keep it hidden behind lots of smiles.

His butler came into the throne and bowed, "Lunch is served, will you be joining the queen and princes?" he asked and Soteria thought for a while. Breakfast was a failure because of Sorin, and he did not wish to see him look dead, so he shook his head, "It is alright, I shall have my lunch in my study" he got up and the guards and butler bowed as he walked out of the throne room.

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The chariot rolled to a halt in front of the manor and Cassian got out and offered Bithia a hand, to help her get down. After they had both gotten down, the chariot rolled away.

Lenny opened the door and saw Bithia and Cassian climbing up the steps, while she chatted away happily. "Lord Monterey," Lenny bowed and Bithia bowed at his side.

"How was your trip?" she asked and Cassian smiled tiredly, "Someone kept me company all the way." Lenny turned to her daughter and smacked her on the shoulder, "Can you not see that he is very tired? You talked all the way, tiring his ears out!" "Ow!" Bithia moved back, but Lenny kept on hitting her. Cassian watched them, a painful smile on his face.

His manor would have been a very dull place if Bithia was not present, she was the one who troubled everyone and brought smiles to their faces. He was sure the manor would have been livelier if his daughter was around.

Suddenly they heard someone screaming and the sound of ceramic breaking, "Get out!" Cassian rushed upstairs up to his room, with Lenny and Bithia running after him.

When they got there, they saw pieces of a vase scattered on the floor with the lilies and water. "Where is my daughter?!" Zemira screamed at the maids who were trying to prevent her from stepping on the ceramic pieces.

She stepped on the pieces and held one of their collars, "You took her away from me!" she spat and looked at everyone in the room, "All of you!" she yelled and Cassian swept her off her feet.

Lenny looked at the maids, "Get some water with salve and bandages...and also a cold towel" she said and they bowed and left quickly. "Bithia, stay here and clean this up. I shall go get the doctor" Lenny said and left immediately.

"Bring her back to me!" Zemira shouted at Cassian who still held her firmly in his arms, despite her squirming and scratching. "Please" she begged and he kept her on the bed and watched her cry, tears welling up in his own eye.

It pained him that he could not do anything to help his wife. He had looked everywhere for his daughter, but to no avail. She was not here or there.

A few weeks after Astraea's disappearance, Zemira started hallucinating and crying and also throwing unnecessary tantrums. One time she had shouted at one of the maids for making her bath water too hot, another time, she had yelled at Lenny that she was trying to replace Astraea with Bithia, then, she finally cracked. She tried to kill Gertrude because Gertrude was the one who had been telling Isander about Cassian and his family. That was when Cassian had called the doctor and he had diagnosed her with madness.

Bithia had just finished cleaning the ceramic, water and flowers off the floor, when the maids ran in with the bowl of water, salve, bandages and cold towel.

Zemira had already calmed down and was sleeping when they came in, so there were no tantrums. Cassian took the bowl of water and gently washed under Zemira's feet.

The way he stroked her foot, made Bithia remember when Noelan was subconsciously thumbing her foot. She shook her head and watched as Cassian salved Zemira's wounds and bandaged it.

Cassian caressed Zemira's sleeping face and smiled. At least she felt peace in her sleep, that was the only time she was at peace. Unlike him had who struggled to get sleep ever since his daughter's disappearance.

Lenny ran in with the doctor behind her, "My Lord, the doctor is here" she bowed and Cassian looked up at the doctor who gave him a sympathetic smile.

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"How are they doing?" Cassian asked the doctor after they had left Gertrude's room. "Well, Lady Monterey's condition is getting worse. She is getting more violent to the point that she does not even care if she is hurt or not. Now I am not saying she is suicidal, but it is like she does not care about anything else except Astraea."

Cassian nodded calmly as he processed what the doctor had said. "Then, your butler, Gertrude, her health is deteriorating everyday, I presume the stress and worry she has about the manor, is making her worse." Cassian clenched his jaw then he gave a small smile, "Thank you, doctor," then the doctor bowed and left.

Cassian's back hit the wall and he fell down, his hand covering his face, as he allowed the tears he had been holding in, flow out freely.

Why?

Why?

Why was this happening to him?

When he had thought he had finally found happiness, the universe took it away from him. What was his crime that his punishment had to be so great?

What had he done wrong that he had lost his parents, his first love and baby? And now, the second woman he had married was mad, his daughter was gone, and the woman who was like a mother to him, was about to die.

He just felt so lost.

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She alighted from her horse and carried the boy who was already sleeping and walked into the fort, with the men walking behind her.

She went to the infirmary and dropped the boy then she looked at the nurse who was awe-struck, "Treat him and make sure my grandfather does not find out about this" she ordered and the nurse bowed tremblingly.

The man behind her smiled, "He is going to find out" he said in a sing-song manner and she looked at him, "Do you not have any other thing to do instead of following me around?" she asked and he stood up straight, "Do not flatter yourself Astra, Sarissa just wants me to keep an eye on his precious granddaughter."

"Well...his precious granddaughter, can beat your arse in a sparring match" Astra said cockily with her hands on her waist. He smirked as he looked down at her, "Oh you are on midget."

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Astra and Avriel stood facing each other with a group of soldiers making a circle around them. The rule of their match was simple; the first person to be knocked out of the circle, loses. Also, no swords, just their telekinesis.

Astra made a rock fly from behind Avriel, towards his head, but he ducked and swept her off her feet, but she somersaulted and landed back on her feet. She pushed him with her telekinesis, but he stood firm and pulled her towards him, "And I win" he smirked when he had caught her in his arms, then he held her arms and raised her up, and was about swinging her out of the circle, but she spun around on his body till she reached the ground.

She carried him and flung him out of the circle. The soldiers whooped for her and she flung some strands of her hair away from her face and smiled, "And I win." Avriel gnashed his teeth as he glared at her.

A soldier came in and bowed to Astra, "Sarissa wants to see you" he said and Avriel snickered, "I told you..." he said in a sing-song manner and Astra rolled her eyes and followed the soldier.

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Astra and the soldier bowed to the old man sitting on the throne. "Leave us alone" he waved his wrinkled hand at the soldier who bowed and left.

When her grandfather had ordered the soldier out, she knew he had found out about the boy she had brought in.

"Grandfather..." Astra started and an old Cato held his golden cane and stood up, "Have you not learnt anything over the years?" he asked as he walked down the steps. "I only brought the boy because I think he would be worthy of the abilities you have given me" Astra said softly and Cato's shifty eyes lit up.

Batteries, he thought and grinned. "I know you only have my interest at heart, but you took a child from the kingdom of Thurtian. Do I have to remind you about what they did to you?" he looked at her and she kept her eyes on the floor.

"Your father wanted a world of peace because he knew his wife, your mother, was about to have you, but that kingdom, killed him. Your mother entered a state of shock and as a result, you came out earlier than planned, and she unfortunately, passed away. We have discovered a way to bring your parents back, but we need you for that..." "I know! That was why I had brought the boy. He could be used as a battery to bring back father. I believe he has the potential" Astra said tearfully.

Everytime Cato told her the story of how her parents died, she cried, and was also full with hatred for everyone in Thurtian.

Cato walked up to her and stared deep into her grey eyes, looking for any trace of hesitation or remembrance, "Is that so?" he asked, without moving his eyes from hers. She nodded and his stare faltered, "You are dismissed!" he said and she bowed and started walking away.

"Do not forget your purpose!" he called out as she kept on walking.

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Astra sniffled and cleaned the tear that had escaped from her eye, suddenly, someone fell in front of her.

It was the nurse, Clarice.

"Clarice, are you alright?" she asked as she crouched down and held the nurse. She noticed that there was blood on her temple.

"What happened?" she asked and looked up and saw Avriel staring at her, as he kept his back against the wall. "You!" she stood up to grab him, but Clarice held her boot, "My Lady, it was I" "What?" she looked at her.

"I...I was the one who told Sarissa about the young boy you brought. I know you told me not to...but, I have sworn allegiance to the Sarissa and I can not keep anything from him, especially things that concern you," Clarice sobbed.

Astra's grey eyes moved from a sobbing Clarice to Avriel who was still staring at her. It was then she understood.

Her every move in Holeian was being watched and reported to her grandfather. It was as if he did not trust her...that or something was going on.

A soldier stood beside Avriel and Astra looked at him. He too is watching you, she thought. "Get her treated..." she pointed at Clarice.

She removed her leg from Clarice's grip and continued walking, while Avriel watched her.

"What happened in there? You seem quite shaken up." She ignored him and entered her room without a word.

She was about to sit on her bed, but something rushed through her mind, which made her head hurt.

She fell down on the floor and parts of the motion pictures flooded in; a terrified, little girl feebly holding out a dagger in front of her as she tried to keep the old man who was in front of her, away from her, then a dagger going straight through the little girl's chest.

Astra tried to get into her bed, but she felt a sharp pain in her chest and fell back down to the floor. She held her chest, then her head.

What the hell was that? she thought as she panted.