Shadows of a Black Rose..

The Chains We Ought to Bear...

Cassandra's pov

Cassandra stood by the window, her fingers clutched onto the stone sill so firmly her knuckles were white. The cool breeze did little for the ache which seemed to burrow deep into her chest. She watched as the grey sky outside was wholly disinterested while inside, she was falling apart.

Her mind was back with Walburga, the look in her eyes this morning as they passed each other, the hollowness of the politeness, the sadness clinging to her like a second skin. Cassandra swallowed hard, trying to force that lump in her throat down. But it wouldn't go. It never did.

How had things come to this?

It was the soft creak of the door that made Cassandra flinch. She knew who it was before turning. Orion stepped into the room, his gaze cold as always, assessing her. His very presence alone had managed to remind her in one swift second why she had locked everything away, why she had to.

"Everything in order?" His voice was sharp, calculated. There was never any warmth with him—just control. Only duty.

Cassandra straightened, tugging her mask of indifference back into place. "Yes," she said, her voice steady, though her heart raced in her chest. "I'm fine."

Orion regarded her for a moment, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. "Good. Keep it that way," he said, the implication dripping like honey from his tone. "I trust you won't let any... distractions interfere." It was clear what he spoke of, and that twisted in Cassandra's stomach.

He didn't say it. Neither did she have to. Both knew who was the distraction.

The moment the door shut behind him, Cassandra released a shaky breath. Her fingers dug into the sill as she closed her eyes and let the storm rage inside her. She couldn't afford to lose control. Not here. Not now.

Then her mind was back with Walburga, her Walburga, the only one to have ever seen the real Cassandra. She remembered the night she spent inside with Walburga, wrapped from the world, where, for just a few hours, they could just be. The stolen kisses in dark corners, the way Walburga's laughter once was the only sound that mattered to her...

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Author Here!

Thank you, for reading my book! I didn't expect it to become number one for Walburga x reader lmao 🤣