Cost of the Crown (UNREVISED VERSION)

Azure

Not long, Cedric was feeling depressed and lifeless. The townsfolk began to worry for the king was no longer the king that they knew. He was more dull and monotonous.

Sandra went back to the Orient disguised as Cassandra and went to their boutique to see her aunt in shambles.

"You... you're back." Madame Cherie tried to smile as she trembled.

"What's wrong?!" Cassandra ran to her.

"The p-princess..." Madame Cherie stuttered.

"What about her?" Cassandra asked, though knowing too well what happened.

"She was executed by your wretched mother! My own sister..." Cherie broke down even more as she couldn't understand everything.

"It's a sad sight... But we need to understand that we need to move on from this loss..." Cassandra explained.

Cherie was so frustrated that she slapped Cassandra, making the young lady fall to the floor.

"Have you no remorse?!" Cherie yelled. "You claim to love the king and you can't even grieve the loss of someone important to him!"

"I do have remorse and the guilt has been running through my veins ever since I saw her there... decapitated! I couldn't stop my parents from killing her given how hard I tried." Cassandra argued. She was starting to cry because everything she just said was all true.

"Then why... Why in the name of Queen Victorina did you do it?!" Cherie cried.

"Because all I wanted was to feel the appreciation that everyone gives my siblings! I have been forgotten ever since I was born and everyone thought that I never existed. I never had a throne in the castle and no one ever remembered me. Even in my exile!" Cassandra explained as the pain in her voice increased.

"Well... If no one remembered you, if no one loved you... Then what am I to you?" Cherie's voice cracked as she replied. Her heart was skipping a beat as the pain grew.

"You a-" Cassandra was about to reply but she froze while her happy memories flew by her.

Flashback

When Cassandra was born, the king and the queen were not satisfied with her so they often left her with Duchess Cherie.

The little princess grew up with Cherie as her guiding hand. She was loved by her aunt like her own.

Cherie took Cassandra to boutiques where they both enjoyed buying dresses that were payed by Cherie from her own pocket.

On Cassandra's 7th birthday, the king and the queen decide to just banish Cassandra to the east. The only one against this movement was Duchess Cherie.

"You can't do that!" Cherie argued with her sister.

"Cherie... She's our daughter, we can do what we please." The king furrowed his eyebrows.

"Yes, she is indeed your daughter, but I am raising her as my own!" Cherie argued.

"Fine..." the queen said. "You will join her."

Cherie took the condition then proceeded to her house where her fiancé was waiting for her.

"Where's Cass?" She asked her fiancé.

"Wait... Cherie... I can't do this... I want to call off the engagement." Her fiancé told her.

"Wait... What?" Cherie replied. "Why?"

"Choose. I won't be exiled into that wretched kingdom because of that forsaken child you wanted to keep." He told her.

"Choose? You want me to choose?" She asked him. "If you really love me, then why would you ever make me choose?"

"Because I don't want to leave everything behind just to live in a treacherous place in the east." He refuted.

"Fine." She took off her ring then placed it on the counter beside her. "I'd rather raise a child on my own than with a man who'd never accept her."

Her fiancé took the ring then left the house. Right after the door was slammed shut behind her, she fell on her knees as she bawled. Cassandra heard everything from her room and felt so sorry for her aunt.

She took a deep breath then wore a smile before leaving her room to see her aunt.

"Aunt Cherie!" She ran to her aunt. When she approached her, her smile suddenly faded. "What's wrong?"

Cherie wiped away her tears then smiled at Cassandra, "Nothing dear, nothing at all."

"Please stop crying. I'm here." Cassandra smiled once more.

When the two of them moved into the Orient, the former duchess started her business and the royal family favoured them. That was when she met Cedric.

"I see you like the prince." Cherie teased as she took note of her storage.

"I-I might... But not really." Cassandra blushed.

"Want to go to the ball?" Cherie asked ash she threaded a needle.

"I can?!" Cassandra's face lit up.

"Well, I didn't want to go since I'm busy, but we are invited after all." Cherie smiled.

Cassandra was so enthusiastic that she started sketching her gown and it amazed Cherie.

Throughout the years that Cassandra was under Cherie's care, she felt like the princess that she was yet retaining the freedom that she can't have if she was the crowned princess in Madara.

After her memories flew by her, her eyes started to get watery. She continued, "are my aunt... You are my aunt."

Cherie stayed quiet as they both cried in silence. Cassandra stood up from the floor then Cherie turned her back at her niece to walk away. The young lady took her aunt's hand before the latter could even leave her.

"You're the person behind my success... The woman who gave up her future of having a husband who would take care of her when I leave... You... You... You... Were the mother that I never found in mine." Cassandra continued.

"You know what... Go and forget me... You can get your man without my help." Cherie sighed with a heavy heart.

"But..."

"But what?"

"It is hard to forget the person who gave me so much to remember." Cassandra tightened her grip on her aunt.

"It's okay... If there's one thing that the autumn showed me..."

"Hm?"

"Autumn showed me the beauty of letting go." Cherie pulled her hand before continuing to walk away.

Cherie went to her room then shut the door. Her tears didn't stop rolling down her cheeks but she got her journal.

January 5th,

My sister, the sun is setting here in the east and I remember one thing you told me. "Dreams come true." The sad part of it, is for you to forget that nightmares are dreams too.

Be proud of me for, I loved, I cried, I suffered, I protected, but most importantly, I lived.

We are two of the same, really... But I don't know why we are different. We grew up in the same toxic environment, but why did I not end up like you?

I guess those who suffer the most pain either have a beautiful heart or is just plain heartless. You know which side of the spectrum you are.