Dammit this will never work. He won’t recognize me since I’m barely seen in public. The metal sword started to swing downward really fast. Will you just swing at anyone, huh?
I braced myself to dodge, holding my breath. Someone dashed in the way before the man could finish his attack and kicked the sword to the ground. The collision resonated into the night upon the metal impacting with the concrete.
It all happened so fast and didn’t stop there. More guards heard the commotion and started approaching with their swords drawn too. “Aiden, be careful,” I warned him. “There are too many of them.”
Aiden stumbled backwards, catching a sword that almost took my arm off.
My heart almost stopped. I grabbed onto Aiden’s shoulder tightly and tried pulling him away but Aiden shook me off. The urgency I felt was so great I almost yelled at him.
He held his sword higher. “No.”
“Your going to kill yourself,” I gritted my teeth, fighting back the urge to pull him away again, knowing it might actually endanger him further. I'm not of any use in this fight, it will only distract him. Running away to get help wasn’t an option either. Calm down and think, there was a third option.
I walked at first to not attract much attention, but then quickly sprinted into a run, dashing for the main gates. Aiden probably thought I'd lost my mind, but couldn’t break away to stop me. The answer was so simple, why didn’t I think of the solution sooner? If you want to get someone's attention, go through their front door.
I pushed the giant doors open wide, making my presence known. Several guards ran for the entrance followed by my father who looked like he’d been conversing with someone. “Father,” I immediately said, bowing my head. “I humbly request your assistance. There are knights attacking me and my personal guard.”
My father raised his hand and the guards rushed forward.
This wasn’t going to be pleasant.
With a single breath, they rushed past me and I thought I might fall over from relief.
My father hurried to my side and looked me over.
Was he… really looking out for me?
"Quickly back to your room before your step-mother finds out,” he nodded at me to go. “I’ll deal with your pursuers."
I was too shocked to speak. No, actually I don’t think I’d find the right words even if I could. All this time I’ve been avoiding my father, and yet despite knowing that I might even hate him, he still showed me concern. For the first time in my entire life, my father was worried about me. I didn’t waste time and left as he said.
You're a tool, Cassian. Don’t be fooled by his kindness. Don’t be fooled by their kindness. They lie. They lie. They lie.
I knew this to be true, but logic didn’t always fall in line with my heart. More so in this world because Calisaya’s family reflected my own.
Their sweet words were sometimes my temptation. Their open arms kept me longing for more. Even if I was lying in a bed of thorns, I wanted nothing more than to be loved.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
“Have you heard of the Red Flag rebellion?”
My father spoke the words I had hoped to go a lifetime without hearing.
While many citizens of Cassanova lived comfortable lives, the less fortunate were far greater and lived poor, jobless, and unhappy. An unstable economy could only lead to one outcome, a rebellion and such a group was beginning to develop sided against the upper classes, including the royals. This was the result of their suffering being left unheard for so long. The citizens demanded change.
And change they would have because this rebellion burns Cassanova to the ground. This catastrophic event is the catalyst to pushing Calisaya down a rabbit hole of insanity to her revenge arc, and one of the biggest key moments in the novel that I dreaded the idea of living through the most.
He sat behind his desk and studied the papers spread out before him. "Previously, you brought up the whereabouts of a ship you saw ten years ago harboring illegal drugs, but because we failed to eradicate them, something even worse is about to arise.”
The Red Flag were a group of individuals who sought pleasure in playing dangerous jokes on the royal guard and higher class out of spite of their own poverty. Their cause spread like wildfire throughout Cassanova, attempting to brazenly change the lives of the common people and start an uprising through means of violence.
Over the years I’ve been in this world, I’ve tried countless times to prevent this main event from taking root, but my efforts were fruitless. It seems no matter how hard I try to change the story, the plot was still sentenced to one outcome.
Much like anyone would try to preserve their life, I’ve decided I’m not as virtuous as Calisaya when it comes to saving people. I don’t need to put myself through danger for the greater good because that notion was made for fantasy novels, not the real world. I don’t have a body to return to in my previous life so I must treat this world like it’s my own if I’m to survive.
I just had to find a way to stay far away from the main events when they occurred. That was the only way for the story to truly change.
The atmosphere appeared to darken as my father continued. “After capturing a few of their members, we found evidence that their enhancements in machinery is the result of a hybrid drug originating from the ship that disappeared ten years ago. In other words, the two cases are connected.”
What? I blinked several times. I clearly remember these two groups having nothing to do with each other in the original script. Enhanced machinery shouldn’t even exist in this world. Now that I think about it, guns shouldn’t exist in this world either and yet there was one present that night ten years ago. I didn’t think of any inconsistencies at the time because guns were such a common aspect in the modern world.
The script had changed without me knowing. What does this mean?
“I’m not asking you to risk your life.” He looked like he was choosing his words carefully. “But if possible while you're attending to your stepmother's business, see what you can find out about this rebellion. Any information would be useful.”
My eyes widened in surprise that he admitted I’d be in danger from pursuing this matter. Despite what I said about not caring about the lives of the civilians, I can’t help but consider the losses from both sides. Did the higher class deserve to suffer? Did the rebellion deserve to live with poverty either? Both the poor and higher classes were being wronged with no clarity who was truly right, only that it appeared their reigning ruler didn’t care about them enough to stop the root cause.
Which was the proper distribution of job labor and civilian safety, but this domain of power was ruled from the Queen’s district. Once holding the title of Northern princess, she symbolized the peace treaty made possible by the marriage alliance between the Northern territory and Cassanova, so no one could dispute her decisions. It’s the reason why my father’s hands were tied when things came to her, and why the people of Cassanova were suffering behind the flamboyant exterior.
I couldn’t bear to meet the disappointment in my father’s gaze. I knew what would come next, but my breath still shuttered despite how hard I tried to hold it in. My last form of independence was slipping away from my grasp. I felt like a bird locked away in a cage, and if I made the slightest movement towards freedom, someone's head would go flying, and it would likely be mine. I bowed my head in respect. “I’m sorry for running away like I did. It was a foolish act, but it is honestly killing me to stay here and fight this losing battle.” I could barely breathe as I uttered these words. It was too difficult after everything I’ve been through in this house.
There was a sign of a shadow moving and startlingly, I looked up to find him kneeling before me. His gray eyes revealed two sparks of flames that had gone out a long time ago, mirroring his age. “I know,” he said softly. “But as the heir, your life is the only thing keeping this country together. If we don’t preserve the future then we will have nothing left.”
Even if I have nothing left?
There was only one way my step-mother would agree to releasing something I care a great deal about and that was giving up something I equally like in return.
"Have them thrown away by tomorrow."
Life continued forward while my mind remained in my father’s office for the remainder of the day and later that night I found myself lying on my bed, looking through the window at the sky, watching the stars carry secrets and twilight into my chambers. The taste of freedom lingered in the air but behind my iron cage I could only watch it slip further away from my grasp with each passing moment.
Wouldn’t it be better if everyone sat around sipping tea and played nicely? What wishful thinking. Unlike with relationships, proper communication wouldn't lessen any grieving hearts. In fact, it may just make things worse and validate people's opinions that my family was truly incompetent rulers. If the citizens believed their governing rulers were weak, there may be even more retaliation, which is why it was better to solve the matter privately then show signs of division.
As I said before, I’m not going to get involved any further. At least I won’t get involved directly if I plan to do anything crazy. I still have my own future to think about.
An idea started to fabricate in my mind as I twisted and turned in my bed sheets endlessly. The first step had to be to cut my step-mother’s supply source from her family in the North, but the northern territory was not on negotiable terms with many people. They weren’t exactly a hostile race but they were known to keep to themselves and didn’t often dabble in political affairs. Really they are brilliant for this and living my kind of life, but their indifferent behavior was the very thing that could ruin my whole plan.
Earning their favor would be the most ideal solution, but alas I can barely leave my room, much less travel to the Northern territory. I’ll have to send Aiden there when things around the palace calm down. I regretted having to let him go. What Aiden often didn’t realize was how he represented the backbone of the royal guard, and how he held my only reassurance that my life in the palace wouldn’t completely crumble apart.
