8 Heartbroken

Aiden entered the banquet as everyone was looking for him.

"Where was Duke Salvador?" Lord Bentham asked as he moved towards Duke Salvador with two wine glasses in his hand.

Aiden took a glass from his friend's hand as he drank looking at the royalty sitting at the top.

"Look at the ladies still waiting to have a dance with you." Lord Bentham laughed as he saw the eyes looking at them.

"Are you sure they are not eying the Lord?" Aiden looked at Lord Bentham as he smirked. "Lord Bentham is very popular with the ladies."

"Not as much as Duke Salvador." Lord Bentham smiled as he drank. "Looks like Princess Cassandra is back."

Aiden's eyes followed Lord Bentham as he saw Cassandra sitting in the chair quietly.

"She changed her dress. It looks more simple than the blue one."

Aiden nodded in agreement. Everyone had seen her dress getting wet from a drink. It was logic that the fifth Princess had changed.

'But she is wearing something more simple. Why?' Aiden wondered as he looked at Cassandra with narrowed eyes.

Cassandra felt someone's gaze on her when she met Duke Salvador's eyes. Her cornflower-blue eyes shook as she looked down in a hurry.

She thought back a few moments ago when they had just finished their dance a shadow had suddenly entered, surprising her. But soon Cassandra knew that the man was a subordinate of Duke Salvador.

He informed the two that everyone was looking around for Duke and that he should enter as he looked at Cassandra and said, "The Princess should also change and enter."

But Cassandra knew what he felt was true. [Empresses are searching for her. She should wear a dress other than red though.]

Thus Cassandra who was determined to rest in her room had to come back to show her poor self to the people.

Cassandra sighed. She sat quietly but soon saw Amy dancing with a smile.

'Amy is having fun.'

'Coming here was worth it.'

Cassandra could feel the happiness of Amy even if she did not listen to her thoughts. But soon Cassandra's gaze stopped at the first Princess who was lost.

'Interesting …' A smile bloomed on Cassandra's face. Cassandra focussed her eyes on the first Princess.

[Where did the Duke go?]

[He wasn't here for the first dance as well?]

[And who was the girl in red?]

[Does Duke Salvador have a lover? No that is not possible?]

[Who might that lady be who does not fear death?]

[A lady in red. Lady in red. But more than half of them had worn red.]

Cassandra narrowed her eyes as she looked at Valeria. Her sister's eyes were furrowing as she looked around the banquet in distress.

Cassandra was amused looking at Valeria's expression. She was looking at the ladies with a suspicious gaze.

'She thinks everyone in red is her enemy.'

Cassandra felt thankful as she found a plain yellow gown along her way.

"Did the fifth Princess change her dress?" The Empress's voice pierced through Cassandra's heart making her shiver.

Even though her eyes were trembling, Cassandra smiled at the Empress as she said, "Yes …"

"Is that so?" The Empress looked at Cassandra as if looking at a slice of meat ready to be sold. "I heard the guards could not find you."

[Where could a little girl like you hide?]

Cassandra's eyes turned a little confused as her voice filled with worry. "Is it? But I did not see a single guard along my way? But why were they searching for me?"

The Empress's lips twitched. Usually, Princesses would accept their wrong or be quiet but her Cassandra was blaming the guards for being incompetent.

[I know what you are doing? You are not that simple, therefore you need to be kicked out soon.]

"They might be searching for you. I asked them to escort you for a change of clothes but it seems you have already changed." The Empress smiled as her eyes scanned Cassandra's dress mercilessly.

Cassandra did not reply but simply sat looking down. There was nothing she could say now. Cassandra felt if she tried to stand up for herself, she might be sold off to someone by the Empress in this party alone.

'Be patient, Cassandra.'

'I should not be too expressive.'

'Let's be ignored again'

Cassandra closed her eyes in a hurry as she took continuous deep breaths.

[She is funny.] A sound revolved in her mind making Cassandra's eyes wide in excitement. Her gaze snapped at the source only to meet the Crown Prince looking at her at that moment.

'Did I hear wrong?'

'I should have, right?'

Cassandra felt it had to believe. The Third Prince was looking at her but soon looked else as if what Cassandra saw was just an illusion.

Cassandra smiled as she finally quieted down. She knew that the Crown Prince did not have any thoughts. It was difficult for Cassandra to even hear a word out of his mouth yet alone his thoughts.

'Today is a lucky day indeed.'

Cassandra smiled as she looked everywhere. Now that she thought about it all the colors Cassandra's eyes could take in were different shades of red.

'Is it because of Duke Salvador?' Cassandra wondered.

As the Duke was the strongest fire mage. His symbol was a red dragon on a black flag.

'I think they say red resembles the Duke's eyes and personality.'

'Burning like fire.'

Cassandra giggled as she looked around. Apart from any patches of color, every fourth person was wearing red.

'Princess Valeria might have gone crazy to search for the one who was with the Duke.'

Cassandra's eyes were tearing as she tried to control her laugh. She knew even if she was ignored, she could not behave as she hoped. Cassandra was still a Princess and needed to act like one.

Cassandra whipped off her tears as her lips curled up into an arc.

----------

Aiden was talking with his friend Lord Bentham when a Princess came in disturbing the two.

"Princess .." Duke Salvador and Lord Bentham greeted the Princess simultaneously.

"I hope I am not intruding on your discussion?" Valera smiled as she looked at the Duke.

As the current position of the Duke was higher than that of the Lord, Aiden was expected to answer. But the reality is different. It was Lord Bentham who smiled and answers. "Of course not, Princess."

Valeria smiled as she took a sip from her glass. "I wonder if Duke Salvador was injured anywhere during the war."

Valeria ignores the proper etiquette. She knew Duke Salvador did not like to interact with people more but the first Princess still hoped that the Young Duke would fall for her.

Aiden's red eyes stared at Valeria making her heart beat faster. She was sure that she wanted the man standing in front of her. He was the only one that deserved a person like herself.

But when Princess Valeria was busy imagining her future with the Duke, Aiden's irritated voice cut through suddenly. "I don't know if the Princess is aware of this or not but in war one is bound to get injured."

Valeria's lips twitched. She had only heard rumors that Duke Aiden Salvador was a rude and cunning man but she herself had never experienced it, thus Valeria was unaware.

But now the first Princess knew that they were not baseless rumors. Almost all the things she had heard for the Duke were true.

Valeria's gaze slid down from Aiden's head to toe. But her thoughts were a little messy. Valeria did not understand why Aiden did not like her?

Princess Valeria was a beauty the Empire praised. Her golden hair sparkled under the sunlight as her yellow eyes looked like jewels. Her sharp nose and elegant body made people unable to look at her. She was like a sun goddess in the eyes of the citizens of the Empire.

Valeria was confident that due to this no one could compare to her. No one except Cassandra. The girl's look was different from Valeria's. And that terrified her.

But Valeria was confident that even if it was true, no one could ignore her. She was a powerful mage. Something that Cassandra lacked. Valeria became more confident. She was better than anyone else.

"Is the lady interested in wars?" Lord Bentham smiled and asked as he tried to dispatch the awkward air-filled between the two.

"Not really. I was just curious whether Duke had time to practice dancing as he was always on the battlefield." Valeria said as she smirked. It was the real reason why she was here.

It was killing her knowing that the Duke was with a lady other than her. She wanted to know who she was but more importantly, the first Princess wanted to get close to the Duke.

Lord Bentham's lips curled up as he stared at Aiden with curious eyes.

Aiden knew what the Princess was thinking. She wanted to have a dance, but Aiden was irritated.

'Why didn't you just ask if you wanted one?'

'I hate when people tell things indirectly.'

Aiden looked at his friend who was also looking at him as a fool. 'I wish to kill him.'

Aiden controls his urge for blood lust as he said, "I am well trained. Thank you Princess for your concern.'

Aiden nodded as he bowed, "Now I should leave the Princess in the presence of Lord Bentham. I would not like to intrude."

Valeria's face turned pale as her smile trembled. The Duke was ignoring her presence. But Valeria felt that she came here by swallowing her pride not for getting insulted.

"Duke." Valeria's voice was a little louder making Aiden's foot stop. "I think the Duke has not had his first dance yet. The Emperor would be heartbroken if he …"

"Who said I didn't have a dance?" Aiden looked at Princess Valeria with narrowed eyes. His red eyes glowed dangerously as he stopped in his steps. His face looked at Lord Bentham and Princess Valeria.

Valeria's eyes widened when she heard those words but soon she maintained her expression. "But Duke had been absent from the dance floor."