Heartless

The Plan

"Charis?"

Her eyes shut, immediately upon having her name fall from his mouth.

Cyrus looked at her in the same way if she were to look at him, horrified. Completely.

For him, it was as if he was looking at a ghost. He didn't even know how he recognized her, more than ten years after he had last seen her.

Guilt flooded him, while fear and anger brimmed in her.

Charis refused to look at him, instead turning her head to look at Kasnier who was watching the scene unfold in front of him with a mouthful of that sweet fish that previously disgusted him.

"If there is no more need for us, I'd like to leave." Charis bowed her head, in a hurry, she forgot to refer to him as his highness. Putting more of a target on her, Ares would have a field day if he ever found out the way she had spoken to Kasnier- that she even spoke to him.

Thankfully for her, his highness didn't mind. More rather he found it refreshing, and this little tension-filled affair occurring in front of him, exciting.

He took a sip of his drink, a guard positioned in front of the door growing pale in the realization that his drink wasn't tested.

Kasnier shook his head, "No."

Charis' eyebrows furrowed, as she watched him shovel more food into his mouth.

"Your hand..." He pointed at it with his cup before he took another sip, the guard's knees growing weak at the sight. Charis looked down at it, the mild scrape was nothing to be made a big deal of.

The prince wiped his hands on his white robe, manners subsequently forgotten. He reached for the gauze when Cyrus beat him to it.

Kasniers emerald eyes met with Cyrus' faded ones. A thick shapely eyebrow raised, and he narrowed his eyes at his right-hand man.

"Kas, Uhm... your hands. They are stained, you might do more harm than good. Let me wrap her hand." Cyrus mumbled, fumbling his words.

Charis ground her teeth, and from the corner of Kasniers eye, he could see her jaw clench.

"Your hands are stained as well," Kasnier leaned back, waiting for Charis' eyes to drift over to see the dried blood. Her reaction was one he expected, she seemed repulsed by his best friend... and he was curious to know why.

Cyrus snapped his head down to see the blood caked on his fingers, "It's not mine," she would have preferred if it was, "here, I'll just..." He snapped his head around, trying to find something to clean his hands with.

The man's panicked movements did more to anger Charis, causing her to stand up abruptly. "I'll be taking my leave." She bowed, turning on her heel about to take off when Kasnier spoke.

"Sit."

Her back being towards him, he saw how she tensed up. Her front being to the guards, they told her with their iron gaze to obey his command.

The other woman who was also helping was watching with wide eyes, probably never having seen anything like this exchange.

Charis bit her tongue, literally. She knew better than to say the things on her mind, forcing herself to stay quiet.

She turned back on her heel, eyes drifting down to Kasnier who was washing his hands with a bowl placed by his side.

His watchful eyes beckoned her to sit, and she huffed slightly before sitting back down. Her reluctant attitude put a soft smile on his face.

Kasnier dried his hands, before softly taking grasp of her wrist. Instead of pulling her close, he moved in closer to her. Her eyes flitted to him rummaging through the box, his hold on her much gentler than she expected, and what she was used to.