Circle of Shadow and Fury

Chapter Two

Cahaya entered the silver back gates with Kastyn at her side. The view of her beautiful home hidden by the darkness. She was never to come in formally before she was transformed back into the person she was for her kingdom. She stalks through the hidden passages to her room with Kastyn as if she can delay what she knows is coming. It's not that Cahaya hates being princess or is bitter of the life she was gifted by the King and Queen after her birth mother died. What Cahaya hates is having to hide the part of her that's despised by the rest of the kingdom. They finally reach her room and to no surprise Idris, her maid, is waiting there for them already.

"Goodness to the gods," Idris blows when she takes in the sight of the still blood-covered princess and her assassin. "'She will be trained by The Company and that's final', his majesty said. 'She needs to be ready for everything, no matter if she has every one of the guards or The Company,' he said. Well, protect yourself fine but that doesn't mean you and Mr. Zavaros have to bloody yourselves up and drag it through the carpet every time you get the chance."

"I missed you too Idris," Cahaya said before walking straight into the bathing room.

"A pleasure as always Mrs. Cuvar," Kastyn says taking Idris' hand for a kiss.

A blushing and softened Idris shoos Kastyn away, "You know I love you Kastyn, but I do not love scrubbing this carpet after every time I see you." Kastyn backs away into his connecting room with his hands raised blowing Idris one last kiss.

"Goodnight my Scath," he shouts to Cahaya across the room.

"Goodnight Tueur," Cahaya whispers to herself, her back against the door while the tub is filling with water. Cahaya's favorite thing about the palace even after all this time. The few minutes she gets to herself, even if she spends it cleaning off blood. Cahaya pushed herself off the door and walked to the mirror. One last look at the only part of her mother she has. Sure it was poisoned with some man from Argenti who didn't care to know her, but it was her mother too. She turned from the reflection and started peeling off her bloody clothes, making sure to put them on the tile part of the floor for Idris. Cahaya takes one step into the warm water and crumbles before dumping her favorite oils in. Lavender and honey has always tugged her heart strings. Something about the smell makes her feel like she's safe. Cahaya soaks and scrubs at her skin, her black hair.

After what feels like enough time away from Kastyn she pulls herself out of the tub and into her changing room. Many people think that princesses have this and that waiting for them, someone who does everything for them. For Regia, the queen of Argenti, that's true. However Cahaya has always loved doing her own things, taking charge of the few decisions she gets to make herself. Tonight for her "royal attire" as Idris says, she's putting on sweatpants and a fluffy sweater. Idris soon walks in helping her with the faux hair and skin complexion she has to own when she's not on missions. She's near exhaustion when she walks out into the central room of her and Kastyn's wing in the palace. As if she called him by her thoughts she takes one step out the door and sees him grinning at her.

"Kastyn it's almost two in the morning, go to bed."

"I could say the same for you Haya, and you know I love my bed, but your father needs us." He takes a pause in between speaking. "Maju is with him in the strategy room." Cahaya takes a deep breath. Her father usually likes to check in with her after missions, but Maju? The Lord of Assassins for The Company, being here after Gora surely filled him in. "I think something's wrong Haya."

"Or we just did an amazing job tonight and I don't have to be stuck like this for as long as we thought." Cahaya said with a smile, trying to be somewhat optimistic, regardless of her fear that something is truly wrong.

Kastyn gives her a pointed look, it's okay to be worried Scath.

    It is okay but I'm not worried Kas, Cahaya squares the look back at him. "Let's get this over with," she tells him with her words and drifts to the door. She can practically hear Kastyn shaking his head before falling in line beside of her.

Cahaya has always loved her home, she's reminded of why while walking to the strategy room. Every one of the halls are full of silver, diamonds like look like ice, and hidden stars in every painting and sculpture. The stars for my moon, Cahaya. Her father always told her.  When Regia learned of Cahaya's mothers death she sent forces to seek Cahaya out. Only in the moonlight on the edge of Argenti's southern boarder, next to Aurum did they find the sleeping baby. So when they decided to raise the baby themselves and claim her as their heir did Regia name her new daughter. Cahaya, for the moonlight that has lead me to see what is in the stars. Cahaya personally never understood what that meant, but her mother says it every year on her birthday. Regia claims that one day, Cahaya will learn of what her mother expresses.

They continue walking through the palace of silver, where they are being summoned to the southern wing. When they reached the entry room from the front door Cahaya paused. Her favorite room even though everyone in the kingdom knows what it looks like. The room is filled with portraits of kings, queens, and heirs of Argenti dating back to the first royal family. Every time she walks through this room she looks at Queen Onyx, her fathers mother. Queen Onyx was the only royal daughter born of Argenti to ever have dark hair, like Cahaya's own. Her grandmother had all the other traits of her people however. Sharp ice-like eyes and a pointed chin. Her beauty is not the only reason Cahaya has always loved her even though she never got to meet her personally. Onyx has been the only ruler in Argenti that has ever ruled by his or her self. Despite having two heirs, Onyx never married and never wanted to. Cahaya heard that her grandmother had her fair share of lovers, before she and her fathers brother passed, but Argenti loved their queen all the same. They loved my mother more so because of it, Killigan always told Cahaya. When she hears Kastyn clear his throat she knows it is time to carry on.