Thank Him

"The royal family had sent the most competent knights and asked everyone about her highness.

They had made a complete record of it and sent it at that time and later too.

Our own knights searched the whole place twice but found no traces of the duchess. If she is

alive..." Kevin paused as he did not know how to continue.

How could he explain that if his wife disappeared intentionally for six years, she could be

anywhere? Possibilities were that she had already left the empire too.

"Why would she do that?" He had loved her, and Cassian was sure his wife loved him too. She

had always been caring, considerate and affectionate to him.

He did not remember a single moment when she was angry at him.

"She must be threatened."

"I do not know how it would happen but I want you to find her at every cost."He would have

personally led the quest but when his eyes fell on his son, he could not.

What if he came back empty handed only to discover that he had lost his son too?

"Send the elite force to look for her but make sure no one in the whole empire would know about

it. I do not care what it cost and how much time it would take but I want you to look for her in

every nook and corner of the empire." His voice was calm but Kevin could feel the emotional

turmoil in his eyes.

He looked out of the window and fell on his son. In the garden, Alec was making a crown with

flowers with Mary who guided him and helped him.

The smile on his face was so innocent, so warm. He had never given that look to Cassian but

only looked at him with a brooding gaze.

Mary said something and he laughed and flushed. His eyes were on the ground but Cassian

could feel his genuine happiness.

He did not know what Mary said but he stood up and nodded his head as he placed the now

completed crown on her head. She fell into his embrace and then both laughed.

He wanted to be in the place of Mary. They both then ran to play with a ball as Mary kept

passing the ball to him and he kicked it with enthusiasm.

"My Lord, I will try my best to find her highness." Cassian looked back into the room and nodded

his head as Kevin left the room with a grim face and sighed.

It would take time. He knew he had not been kind to Alec when he entered the palace. He could

not blame the child for his coldness. However, the situation was creating a void in his heart and

he felt like it was tearing him apart.

He stood up at the window and kept staring at them when Mary suddenly raised her head and

his eyes met hers.

She looked astonished to find him staring at them with such a gentle gaze on his cold face. She

then looked at Alec who was smiling ear to ear and sighed.

When she looked up again, Cassian was already far away. But she wondered for how long was

he standing there?

She still remembered his words from breakfast. "You have to work here until Alec starts to

confide in me. The kid only trusts you, so you cannot leave." As long as she would bring the

father and son closer, she would be able to leave this palace.

She had to find a way to return home! But more than that, if they did not come closer and

Cassian stayed cold and attacked the royal family like it was in the novel, he was bound to die

at the hands of the crown prince then no one would be able to save her too.

For the safety of all of them, she had to melt the heart of Cassian and there was only one way to

do it. It was Alec.

"What happened? Are you tired my lady?" asked Alec when Mary did not kick the ball even

when it passed through her so many times.

"Hmm, I am thirsty at the moment. Shall we drink some tea or juice?" she asked, blinking her

eyes when he nodded.

Though it was not that hot, it was still warm in the daytime and they had been playing for hours.

As she held his hands and walked back into the palace, the maids soon brought tea and snacks

and they sat together.

"Alec, your highness has told me that we both can stay here for a long time until we find another

place to stay. Isn't he a kind man?" she asked when the boy who was grabbing a cookie

paused. It took him a few seconds to nod his head.

"He even told me that he would arrange a teacher for you so that you can start reading and

writing." She was encouraged to gain a better reaction from him.

But he only nodded his head when she pursed her lips, "should we go and thank him for his

efforts. If not for him, you would have been left alone while I would have been sent to prison for

hitting the owner of the orphanage and setting fire there."

That startled him as he raised his

head and looked at her with worry.

"But your highness handled the matter and paid the fine to save me. I am thinking of thanking

him but I do not know how I should do it. Will you help me with this?" The boy looked hesitant

but when he met her big doe eyes that looked worried, he nodded his head.

"Of course, I will help you, lady. I want to thank him too."