All I Need ✔️

Chapter 45

Third Person POV

"Your highness, we found them," one of the prince's generals announced, entering Cassius's study.

"Where?" Cassius asked, immediately standing.

"West of the kingdom. Probably 30, 35 kilometers."

"Where did you put them?" 

"We have them chained in two different cells. We sedated both of them. Both should be waking up shortly. But your highness?" the general asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Four soldiers initially found the two. They immediately sedated your maid, but Lady Safania took on all four and incapacitated them all. You know Lieutenant Ari?" he asked.

"One of Peria's best swordsmen. Rapidly rising up the ranks," Cassius answered.

The general nodded. "She held her own against him for a lengthy battle and was ultimately able to knock him out. That woman . . . she's dangerous."

"How did you manage to apprehend her then?" Cassius asked, not quite sure what to make of all of this.

"She went back for the maid and carried her. Reinforcements were able to catch up to them pretty quickly. We're actually lucky the maid was there – the shelter they built was really well camouflaged, so if she hadn't been sleeping outside the shelter, they probably wouldn't have found them. And after taking out the four soldiers, Safania could have evaded us fairly easily if she hadn't gone back to carry her."

"Thank you General," Cassius said, dismissing him. Once again, he had underestimated Safania. She had taken on four highly trained soldiers and beaten them. How could he feel like he knew her so well, and yet didn't know her at all?

Cassius decided to make both the women wait. Maybe if they had more time to think about their predicament, they would be more willing to talk. He went through potential questions in his head over and over again, thinking of exactly what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. Finally, that evening, he couldn't wait any longer. He travelled to the dungeons underneath the castle.

The dungeons were dark and damp, lit only by a few torches along the walls. A guard stood at the entrance, looking at Cassius as he approached.

"I would like to see the two women who were brought in. The maid first," he told the guard.

"This way," the guard responded unenthusiastically, giving Cassius a torch and leading him to a locked room. "When you want to come out, just knock," the guard said while unlocking the door. He opened it and let Cassius inside.

In the corner of the cell, looking like a scared rabbit, was Emalina. She shrunk against the wall as Cassius entered, then bowed her head.

"Your highness," she said softly.

"Why bow?" the Prince asked, while putting the torch on the wall. "You clearly have no respect for my authority."

Keeping her head down, all she could manage to whisper was, "I'm sorry," before she started to cry.

"Don't lie to me," Cassius yelled. "You expect me to believe that you're sorry after you choose to defy me at every turn? I trusted you Emalina. I never treated you like just a maid. And yet you leave me, in the night, without a word. Why?"

Emalina still refused to look at him. "I couldn't let Safania go alone," she said simply, tears dripping down her face.

"Why did you let her go at all?" Cassius asked angrily. "What happened?"

"I came by her room to help her after the ball," Emalina explained. "When I got there, she was packing. She said she had to go. I tried to get her to stay, but she wouldn't. So then I convinced her to take me with. I thought she would be in more danger out there by herself."