Every Step of the Way

Chapter Ten

{Oh my gosh, it's kind of crazy when you have a dream about the story you are currently writing, right? If so, I might as well be the craziest person around... thank you all for sticking with me, Miss Crazy, and my crazy antics and writing.}

~-~

Varian swallowed back a big gulp, a mixture of shame, embarrassment, and fear running through his body.

Of course.

He had forgotten that the captain of the guard was Cassandra's father, and between work and Cass, he had actually forgotten that she even had a father at all. Had he remembered, he might've been a bit more careful.

The next song started, and Cassandra's father motioned for Varian to follow him away from the noise.

Varian quickly scribbled a note to Cassie before following him.

~-~

"Remind me of your name."

"Varian, sir."

"Varian. You are aware that my daughter is very busy, right?"

"Not at the time, sir," Varian said, cracking a smile.

But the captain didn't budge. "Very funny. Listen. Cassandra is a very busy person, and she will have even more added to her workload when the prince and princess return. You also have a heavy workload as the official alchemist for the royal family and all of Corona."

"Um, sir," Varian interjected, "I don't see what this has to do with..."

"Silence! Listen. I don't want anything to happen to my daughter. She's been hurt before, and I hate seeing Cassandra broken-hearted, and not just because it lowers the quality of her work. Cassandra has feelings and I cannot allow for her to show them by being all mopey and sad. And you, young man, you seem like the kind of person who would end up broken-hearted over her. You do not deserve such things."

Varian shook his head, confused.

"Let me simplify: stay. Away. From. My. Daughter."

With that, the captain of the guard was gone.

~-~

After the Kingdom Karaoke was over, Varian offered his arm to Cassandra, who gladly took it.

They started heading towards the castle together.

"I'm surprised I've never done that before," Cass said, "that was actually pretty fun. All of the songs and singers were great- though you were the best, in my opinion."

"Thanks," Varian murmured, casting his gaze on the cobblestone roads, "hey, um, Cassie... did you mean it earlier?"

"Mean what?"

"When you, um, when you leaned down and..."

"Kissed you on the cheek?" she smiled, amused, "maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Quite frankly, I have no idea. But, I don't know, I tend to have reasoning behind all of my actions, whether I know it or not."

"Oh."

He felt a little rattled. First, Cassie kissed his cheek, then he realized that her father saw, then he had to listen to her father reprimanding him, and then... now, he didn't know what was going on.

And, apparently, neither did she.

~-~

{Okay. I promise there will be updates all next week. I mean, this story isn't my best, but it's my personal favorite story that I've written, so I have to work on it. Thank you for the 100+ views- I look at it often as reference point, but it can't possibly have been 100 times or more!- and the 7 votes, two reading lists, and more. :)}