Cost of the Crown (UNREVISED VERSION)

Orche

"Ah... How I miss the Orient... It has been so long." Clara smiled as she fixed her hair. "It has been three years since my voyage."

"Lady Clara!" Cassandra called.

"Yes?" Clara replied.

"I heard people in the town were fighting!" Cassandra warned.

"Not again..." Clara teleported to the town, leaving her room open.

Cassandra smirked then went into the room. She took a knife from Clara's bed then went to her room without being spotted by anyone. She hid the knife under her pillow so that Cedric won't be suspicious.

"Cass, dear... Are you here?" Cedric  called from the other side of the door.

"Yes! I'm quite tired, since I was restless last night." Cassandra fakely yawned.

Cedric opened the door to see curtains were open and the sun was brightly shining. Cassandra was on the bed while reading a book.

"What are you reading?" Cedeic asked as he closed the door.

"I borrowed the book you got from the library since it interested me. I could say that this was not the first time you read this book." Cassandra smiled.

"Indeed it is not, how did you know?" Cedric smirked.

"Aside from the notes you wrote down here and there in every page or another, the book card says nothing but your name." Cassandra chuckled.

Cedric blushed as he sat down on his study. Cassandra smirked for her plan was going smoothly. She was quite content with her plan until it hit her that Cedric is a king who fought in wars since he was a young prince.

"Goodness..." Cassandra sighed.

"Is everything alright dear?" Cedric asked without gazing away from his papers.

"I'll just get some fresh air..." Cassandra got off the bed then left the room.

"Why does he have to be the king who led his army to war?" Cassandra gritted her teeth as she walked to the kitchen.

When she arrived in the kitchen, she looked for the lever that lead to the alcohol cellar. She switched and pulled every single thing she could until a rope behind the cupboard opened a trapdoor by the carpet when she pulled it.

"Bingo." She mumbled under her breath.

She climbed down the ladder to see numerous barrels of different types and blends of whiskey, wine, beer, rootbeer, and more. It was a short room, but it was quite spacious.

When she reached the last step of the ladder, the trapdoor closed then light governed.

"What a peculiar cell he's got here... I have known him for more than a decade, and this fact is my favourite. He doesn't drink alcohol, unlike his father, due to his low tolerance for it." Cassandra chuckled.

She continued walking as she continued tolerating the stench of alcohol. Cassandra was not fond of the smell, but she enjoyed having a drink or two.

"Let's see... I see the king organized this, even going to the lengths of labelling every single thing. Like a library of some sort." Cassandra snorted.

When she finished roaming around the cellar, she picked a certain type of wine she knew Cedric would like.

"Muoya ove Roxaz... [Smell of Roses...] An odd name, all I got from this is roses... I heard him mention this before, I might get him a bit tipsy." Cassandra giggled.

She remembered seeing a basket full of empty bottles by the ladder she used to go in the cellar. She went back to the ladder and got herself a bottle. The bottle says 'Muoya ove Roxas', it looks sanitized and free of dust.

"Looks like they actually maintain this place... I feel pity for the butler or maid who goes here just to clean." Cassandra muttered as she examined the bottle further. "They have to tolerate the stench of this place."

After talking to herself more, she walked back to the barrel of wine and filled the bottle with it. After finishing what she needed to do, she left the cellar and hit the bottle from the maids and butlers as she went back to their room.

When she entered the room, the king had fallen asleep on his study. To which she couldn't understand since the sun was shining brightly. It was near noon and the day was going by fast, she went to Cedric and gave him a kiss.

"How cute..." Cassandra whispered.

A knock was heard and it woke the sleeping king, Cassandra, too, was startled.

"What is it?" Cassandra answered.

"My lady, a letter has come for you." a butler informed them.

"I'll get it, just continue your sleep." Cassandra kissed his forehead.

Before she could take a step away, Cedric grabbed her by the arm and pulled her closer to him.

"What?" Cassandra smiled.

Cedric gave her a kiss before yawning again, which made Cassandra giggle and blush bright pink. Though she knew she's loving him for nothing but the crown, she's beginning to feel her heart race when she's with him.

"Go to sleep now... You're tired." Cassandra smiled at the sleepy king.

She walked towards the door and when she opened it, the butler gave her an envelope sealed with the Madaran crest. She furrowed her eyebrows as she opened the envelope.

"You are dismissed." She told the butler before slowly turning around and closing the door as she tried comprehending the letter.

In the letter was written:

Dearest sister of mine,

Our brother has given me the throne to which I shall rule. Please do attend my ceremony and bring your love if you wish.

I bet you have grown soft for him. I pity thee, I shall take my throne and you shall rot in that forsaken kingdom forever.

Lovingly yours,
Sarah Zephyra

Cassandra was irritated with her sister's sorry excuse for an attempt to the throne. She never thought of her as a threat for she knows nothing of how to handle a kingdom.

She loved Cedric, but she loved the thought of revenge and power more. She knows that she'd forever choose the throne over a person that she has grown fond of.

"How dare she?!"