Not Your Princess

Chapter Twenty-Eight

On the week of Asch's nineteenth birthday, Rosetta invited Asch over to the house she shared with her new husband. The two girls had not seen each other in just over a month, which meant that they had a lot to catch up on. At some point in the night, the two sisters had fallen asleep. Neither one of them had doused the fire nor did they keep track of the wood that was left in it.

By the time Asch had woken up, the house was already well in flames. The fire was surrounding both her and Rosetta, consuming everything in its wake. Asch ran to her sister's side while the house began to crumble, begging for the woman to wake up.

The moment Rosetta had awakened, a burning beam fell on top of the women. Asch had been able to crawl her way out with slight ease thanks to her immunity to fire. Rosetta, on the other hand, had not been as lucky. The beam had fallen onto her legs, pinning her to the ground.

Asch will never forget the sound that her sister had made from the pain that she was in. It had enough force in it to peel the paint straight off of the burning walls.

Just as Asch had begun to lift the heavy beam trapping her sister, Baron Elliot had grabbed her around the waist. He ignored her cries and pleading while he pulled her outside of the mansion. "I will come back for her," he had promised. "It isn't safe for you here."

Even now, Asch is uncertain why the Baron had prioritized Asch's life over his wife's. She'll never know why he sat outside to check in on her long enough for the house to collapse in on her older sister.

Baron Elliot had claimed to love Rosetta. On the day of their wedding, he promised to ensure that she lives a long, happy life. He had been kind and affectionate to the woman. He would give her expensive gifts and name his swords after her.

Then, he watched all of it go up in flames.

Until this very moment, Rosetta's funeral had been the only one Asch had attended in her twenty years of life. It was the day that Asch's world had shaken so bad she was forced onto her knees. The day that Baron Elliot blackmailed her family to arrange his marriage with Asch.

Asch did not attend her father's funeral. She did not see the point in celebrating the life of a man who did nothing but make her life miserable.

If it weren't for the fact that August and the late king are sharing a funeral, Asch would not have been in attendance for King Orgyn's. The man who caused her husband's death does not deserve her respect or condolences. He does not deserve to have his life celebrated when he cut short the most important one.

"He was such a good king," Duchess Clifton claims. She dabs away a few tears from the corner of her eyes with a lacy, black handkerchief that matches the design of her dress. "It's such a shame that the pain of his son's death drove him to do something so... horrendous."

The glass of wine in Asch's hands nearly slip through her black gloves. Her heart aches from the thought of August's death. It takes all of her strength to clear her throat and keep the tears from her eyes. "Yes, well, broken hearts can cause people to do horrendous acts," she responds.

She thinks back to what occurred the other night with the king. The way that she had told him to cut out his own heart. Though the words were cold, callous and she meant them, Asch had not expected for the king to do it.

It's yet another thing that she has to worry about now. First it was the fire that can act on its own volition. Now, she has to worry about accidentally sentencing people to death with just a statement.

Duchess Clifton's eyes widen as if she just remembered Asch's current situation. She places a gentle hand on the young woman's shoulder, stepping closer to the princess. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness," she apologizes. Redness tints the older woman's cheeks from shame and embarrassment. "I meant no disrespect."