Cassandra Pendragon

Being shouted at could be decidedly uncomfortable, but the silence, stretching between us, was far worse. Somehow the elegant kitsune, who leisurely reclined in a luxurious armchair opposite me, scowling, made me feel like a child, who had been caught with its hand in the proverbial cookie jar. She didn’t even have to speak, her pointed stares were more than enough to convey her displeasure. I shouldn’t have been surprised, I had already known that Sylvia didn’t hold me in high regard, but I hadn’t been prepared for this kind of reception.

The woman was remarkable, to say the least. Slender and tall with four tails, her fur of the deepest blue, almost black, her dark, wavy hair tied back in a tight knot, she looked capable and beautiful, a queen through and through. Her large, azure eyes were narrowed as she scrutinised me over the small table between us, fiddling with the hem of her emerald dress. Even the warm, red tinted light, shimmering though the high windows behind her, did nothing to soften her harsh, stone cold expression. And my visit hadn’t even started out half bad…

Before we had landed, I had asked Viyara to transform, which had made our appearance slightly less imposing. Still, I had been forced to bolster my voice with a hint of power to convince the soldiers to refrain from using their well kept ballistas the very moment they spotted our group, soaring through the sky. Consequentially, we hadn’t been shot at, but the whole company had been present, when we had touched down on deck.

Back then it had been entertaining to watch them shuffle on their feet, unsure of how to greet us. Some had immediately recognised who I was, my eyes a dead giveaway, even though I must have been a toddler, the last time they had laid their eyes on me. My current appearance, paired with my wings and the breathtaking, multi tailed kitsune at my side, had still made them uneasy, especially considering the orders, their mistress had probably issued. The fantastical menagerie of beautiful girls behind me, each one surrounded by a palpable nimbus of power, hadn’t helped, either and despite their numbers, they had gotten anxious.

Ahri and I had retracted our wings and I had introduced myself, demanding to see my brother. They had been hesitant at first but a surge of light, exploding from my eyes had convinced them to hurry up and play along. Only in hindsight had I realised, that I had already pretty much smashed every illusion of a meek, timid girl, I might have tried to create. Oh well, that ship had probably sailed, the very moment I had decided to allow a dragoness and an immortal vampire to tag along. I had left my friends in the gentle hands of the soldiers, or rather, the soldiers in the gentle care of my friends and followed two of them towards the sick bay, where my brother rested on a small cot, surrounded by softly glowing gems.

He hadn’t changed. Tall and muscular, with short cropped, almost white hair and silver fur, he exuded a regal aura, even in his catatonic state. The very moment I saw him, a lump formed in my throat and I again felt like a tiny girl, longing for the protection and embrace of her oldest brother. With an effort, I had shoved away the rising tide of emotions and silently taken his hand, allowing my senses to penetrate his body. I hadn’t been able to suppress a grin, right then and there.

Apparently, he had been hit on the noggin and while they had already healed his injuries, he’d be better off asleep, his magic dormant, while his mind regenerated. If he had been awake, there’d have been no telling, if he’d have been able to keep his powers in check. Putting him under had been the right decision and while I had been worried for my brother, seeing the mighty Arthur Pendragon reduced to a snoring body, stuffed into a fluffy gown, had still lifted my spirits.

Until his infamous wife had stormed through the door, demanding for me to leave her husband alone. Sighing, I had caressed his hand one last time and had risen to follow her, which had brought us to where we were, now. Alone in a room, an icy wall of silence between us, with neither tea nor cookies in sight.

“Usually I’d introduce myself, but that seems superfluous,” I finally muttered. “I imagine you’d have greeted a stranger much more warmly. Still, the last time we met, I barely reached your knees, so…” I extended my hand hesitantly and added: “I’m Cassandra. Your husband’s sister.”

She eyed me like a rabid beast, her expression oscillating between weariness and a hint of curiosity, and she didn’t take it.

“You’re right,” she said, while I retracted my hand resignedly. “Of course I know, who you are. And I assume your mother already told you why you’re not welcome here. Why did you come?”

“Because my brother was hurt and whether you like it or not, he’s my family. I’ve encountered the magic you were confronted with more often than I like to admit. If he had been cursed, he would have needed my help and no one will ever prevent me from protecting my family. No one.” And here I went again. I didn’t know why, but every word she uttered irked me and I just couldn’t swallow my pride, even though I had been told what would be coming.

“Are you threatening me,” she flared up. I dropped my head into my hands and sighed, again.

“No, of course not. Sylvia, I’m not here to fight you, honestly, but you’re trying my patience. Why do you suddenly hate me so much? When I was a kid, you played with me, you even tried to teach a crying toddler how to sing. Do you really believe I’m some kind of devil in disguise?”

“I don’t know what to believe,” she snapped, “but I do know, that death and destruction follow you wherever you go and I’ll have no part in it. We’ve built a home, Cassandra, and I don’t want you to destroy what we’ve created. Arthur might be your brother, but he’s also our leader and my husband.”

“Then why did you come with him in the first place? I didn’t even know you were here.”

“Because he’d have gone, either way,” she erupted. “This way, I can at least make sure he’ll return home safely. Also, we’ve a responsibility. The children…”

“The children I protected, you mean,” I interrupted her scathingly. “You don’t have to worry about them. They’ll be cared for, with or without your intervention.”

“By whom? You? Don’t make me laugh. Ever since you’ve stepped into their lives, they’ve known nothing but strive and misery. Tell me, the little girl, you so proudly brought along, how many corpses has she seen, how many deprivations has she had to suffer through? Her posture, her gaze that’s not the look of a child but a veteran. What have you done to her?” My hands twitched, the impulse to strangle her burned like a bonfire in my chest. I took a deep, calming breath through my nose and raised my head, my eyes filling the room with an eerie, flickering light. Sylvia tensed when she met my gaze, her eyes inadvertently travelling to the door.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“That girl’s name is Reia and she’s my sister. I don’t mind your insults, but should you ever decide to make her a part of this, you’ll regret it. You want to know what I’ve done?” I rose, my wings manifesting behind me. Sylvia’s composed and slightly haughty expression changed, as she contemplated whether or not she had gone too far. Yes, my dear, rabid animals can bite.

“I’ve fulfilled my duties, I’ve bled and I’ve suffered for my people, more than you can imagine. If it hadn’t been for me, you would have one day returned to a kingdom of fallen wraiths, if they wouldn’t have come knocking on your door, long before. I’ve earned my crown, not by birth but by the blood and tears I’ve sacrificed for our people and the blood I’ve spilled in their name. If you want to take it from me, go right ahead, but know this, I don’t need to wear it to know who I am and I don’t need your blessing to protect them.” My voice rumbled with a transcendent resonance, sparks igniting in the air between us.

“I’ve done what was needed, what nobody else had the strength to do. I’ve brought her back from the brink, I’ve saved her from a fate you can’t even imagine and I’ve allowed her to become what she is now. I do regret that she had to grow up within a few weeks, but at least she had the chance to. So please,” I added much more calmly, while I retracted my wings, “don’t presume to know me, only because you’ve pieced together bits and pieces of my past. It’s far more complex than you know and I’m not the cowardly princess, hiding behind others, you make me out to be.”

She trembled, her eyes wide. I bit my lip, unsure if I had gone too far, but the moment she had hinted, that I might have harmed my sister, I had had enough. Especially since I had already had had similar thoughts, last night for example.

“What are you,” she breathed, white as a sheet, her fingers clasping her dress. I chuckled dryly.

“Maybe that’s something you should have asked a teensy bit sooner. Before you went straight ahead and did your best to make me feel like a criminal.” I bowed form the waist, lower than would have been customary for a royal, and said: “I’m Cassandra Pendragon, a princess of our people and an immortal. I’ve lived for uncounted years, I’ve seen war and love, despair and success in equal measure. I’ve walked between worlds. My enemies call me Lightbringer and they fear my name. I’m a loving fiancée, a caring daughter and a doting sister. I’m stubborn and defiant and I sometimes act without thinking. I could also be your friend, if you wanted me to.”

She fell silent, her breathing shallow, her eyes fixed on mine with a newfound intensity. I remained quiet, openly answering her gaze, while I slowly sat back down. Seconds, minutes passed and neither of us spoke, the tension in the room slowly building up. This was it. If she was going to shun me, I wouldn’t try again. A tight knot was forming in my stomach, but I didn’t move, waiting for her to speak.

Finally, after what seemed like hours to me, she closed her eyes, a small smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. “Whatever you are, it’s clear as day, that you’re Arthur’s sister. You have no idea how much you remind me of him, just now. I swear, if it weren’t for your looks and those wings of yours, you could be his twin.” She chuckled ruefully, but before I could relax, she added: “I’ve never wanted us to meet like this, but it doesn’t change much. Tell me, after everything you’ve just said, after everything you’ve freely admitted, can you honestly look into my eyes and tell me, that you’re no danger to my people, to everyone around you? You’re an immortal you say… doesn’t that mean, you have immortal enemies? Cassandra…,” she paused, as if struggling to remember something, “Cassy, can you honestly tell me, that we wouldn’t be better off without you? It’s an unfair question, but I need to know. Are you… can I trust you with everything I’ve got left in this world?” Her tone had changed. She was being sincere and she was afraid. Afraid of who I was, afraid of what it might mean. After a moment, I replied honestly:

“Danger follows me, it’s true and I don’t know what it might mean for you and yours, further down the road, but this I know: if you decide to trust me, I won’t ever betray that trust. I never have and I won’t change. The choice is yours and I’ll accept it, whatever it’s going to be.”

“Even if I’m going to try to enforce the verdict, you narrowly avoided on Boseiju?”

“Even then. I’m never going to raise my hand against one of my people and you, whether you like it or not, are one of them. To be precise, ever since you married my brother, you’re an in-law, you’re family. If you want me gone, I’ll leave and I’ll stay away from your tribe, until they need me. This, though, is the simple truth. Whether I’m a royal or an exile, I’ll never stop protecting my people. Whenever they need me, I’ll be there. This, you will have to accept.” She frowned, her gaze unwavering. Suddenly, the colour returned to her cheeks and she burst into laughter.

“Another thing you have in common with Arthur. Both of you suck at negotiations. You should have seen the mess he made, when we first settled down.” Still chuckling, she shook her head, her tresses dancing. “You’re still the same girl, who tried to skewer a merchant for mistreating his wife, aren’t you? Well, you’ve definitely grown up, but I don’t think you’ve changed that much. If it were up to you, what would you have me do?”

“Nothing. Believe it or not, I understand where you’re coming from and I’d even have played along quietly, if there had been the slightest chance your plan could have actually worked. If you’re afraid of whom I might bring into your life, cutting ties with me won’t help. You’d have to convince the world, that I don’t care about you and your people, not the other way around, because that’s the risk you’re inviting. Being used as leverage against me. Everybody, who knows me, won’t ever buy that particular lie. I don’t think there’s much for you to gain, unless…”

“Unless?”

“Unless you’re not really trying to protect your people, but your power. Are you?”

“Partly. You’re scary, Cassandra. Scary, beautiful and powerful, to an intimidating degree. Even what little you’ve shown in the past few minutes... That’s not a combination anyone would like to see in a person, who might, one day, become a rival. Will my kids one day have to fight yours for the throne? Do you plan on becoming queen, a title, you claim, you’ve already earned?”

“No, Sylvia, I don’t. I’m not a danger to your dynasty, I never will be. My mom obviously hasn’t told you. I won’t ever have heirs, I can’t. As for myself, I don’t strive for power, I seek only the strength I need to protect what I cherish. Unless there is no other choice, I don’t want to sit on a throne and as long as my siblings, my mom or even you are alive, I won’t have to take up the mantle.” I didn’t explicitly state that I had included Reia as well. For me, the girl was by far the best choice, of all the available alternatives, but she didn’t have to know that.

She leaned back in her chair, her hair covering her face, and massaged her temples, an azure glow shimmering from behind the dark curtain. “I should have expected as much,” she finally said. “I assume a title doesn’t hold that much appeal anymore, when you’re more ancient than the kingdoms which grant them. How old are you, exactly?”

“Seven. I’d love to say I’m turning eight soon, but that’d be a shameless exaggeration.” She chuckled quietly and pushed her hair back.

“Helena mentioned something like that. You were reborn, weren’t you? Maybe I should have asked, how long you’re… how long the being you hide under all that beauty has existed.”

“Flattery? That’s new, but I can’t say I don’t appreciate it. Anyways, I don’t think there’s a word to appropriately describe my age. Even mountainous wouldn’t begin to come close, since I’m probably older than this world. I’m old enough to remember a time before time.” She was again turning pale and I had to admit, I was throughly enjoying myself. “Sylvia… I’m an angel, one of the originals on whose example the mortal races have built their definition of transcendence, of divinity. For all intent and purposes, I’m a legend come alive, a breathing myth, except I’m not shackled by your beliefs of what is and what should be.” It was my turn to lean back and scrutinise her, weighing my words carefully. In the end, I decided to tell her the truth.

“I’m still the little girl you chased through the palace of the moon, but my essence, my core, is something that defies explanation. I’m not telling you this to coerce or intimidate you, but rather to make you understand one simple thing: I’m the strongest guardian our people have ever had.”

“Sometimes, I just hate my life,” she muttered.