Chapter 4

It was the woman from the train.

"What am you doing here? How are you? How.. I don't understand." I say shocked, my mind was flooded with thoughts, Jonathan, the explosion, my mind was starting to hurt.

"You weren't mean-"

"How are you even alive?"

"Shut your mouth peasant!" She says.

She was hiding something, did she cause the train explosion?

"Enough." I hear a voice boom through the yard.

An woman, not too much taller than me, wearing a blue gown, long blonde hair that looked as smooth as silk. Where had I seen her before?

"You must be Castria!" She says with excitement.

"Erm.. Hello!" I say trying not to sound too rude.

"I have to say, after Emily had refused to marry my son we were sure too soon behead her, but she has found someone much more beautiful."

I looked over at Emily who didn't look too happy.

"Although I never knew Emilio had another daughter, I don't mean to interfiere but it seems as though the two of you didn't have too good of a relationship."

So this is how Emily had gotten herself out of the mess she created, but what could have been so horrible about these people? The duchess seemed quite nice, there had to be something else going on here.

I looked back at Emily to see her and the girl from the train glaring at one another, how could she have had survived? Who was she?

"We should head on inside." The duchess says.

We were all seated, there was still no site of her son.

"I am terribly sorry about the wait my son is causing, he really does have no respect for others time. I'm sure you can fix that." The duke apologised.

"It's fine", "I'm sure he had something more important." I mumble.

"Castria, we must discuss the preparations!" The duchess giggles.

Preparations? What was all this nonsense, I hadn't even met the man yet.

"There's no need to discuss such things so fast." I hear a deep voice say.

"You must be Castria, Emily's cousin. I've heard much about you."

"You have?"

"Of course I have! It feels as though I've known you for years." He says.

Years...?

"You've never met me, how could it feel as though you've known me for years?" I ask.

He ignores my question as he grabs my hand and places a kiss on it. Philip used to do that to me.

All of a sudden my heart felt heavy, my eyes became watery and there was a lump in my throat. My poor Philip, how could something so horrible happen to him?

I had to suck it up and go on with the night, I didn't have time to dwell on the past. All I can do now is survive... without Philip.

We spent quite a while on the table, it went from the duchess speaking of herself to her gloating about her son and how good of a king he'll make one day.

These fools, they really think everybody has a happy ending. How could they just be sitting in these doors all while protected, what about the citizens? What about their lives?

"It is awfully late, let me show you to your room." The duchess says.

"My room? I live with Emily."

She lets out a laugh which tells me that I'm better off following her.

We make our way up the stairs, all made of stone, torches placed on the walls. It was larger than my old home.

She opened the door to show me a large room, the bed was huge, yet took up the smallest amount of the room. Large windows that would expose me if I hadn't been so high up in the castle.

"Make yourself at home, Casia." The duchess said.

I felt a cold shiver go down my spine as she begins walking away.

"Oh, I almost forgot." She says.

I knew this wasn't going to end well.

"There are a few rules you'll have to follow, in failing to do so, you will be executed for the shame you could bring to this family. I know nothing of your background, other than you being a blood relative to Emily. You might have had a few rights or so back from wherever you are from, but over here, as soon as you mistake your place, it's over for you.

You're better off keeping your mouth shut and pleasing everybody. You are nothing here."

She closes the door as she leaves.

I sink to my knees.

What had I gotten myself into? This was a mistake, Emily did this to me. Philip would have ne-

"Come in." I say as I pick myself up.

"Castria..." it was Emily.

"What is it?"

"Believe me, I wish no harm on you, but you have to be careful. Remember, we're only here so you can gain power, and with that power you grant me fortune. You have to be careful."

"What is you're plan? How on earth do I gain this power? The duchess had just threatened me for gods sake!"

Emily looked at me with pity, as though I was a deer struggling to stand on my feet.

"Listen, I know something horrible must have had happened to you before we met, but now you must keep yourself together. If they figure out we're taking everything from them, it's over for the both of us, we'll be nothing more than dead, or worse... we'll be stuck in the dungeon. We'll figure this out together, although there's nothing we can do right now, all you can do is marry the duchesses son. That's when we may strike."

"You're going to murder them?" I gasp.

"What a horrible thing to assu-"

"May I come in your highness?"

"Give me a minute! I am getting dressed." I shout.

"I'll go out the window." Emily says.

"Are you crazy?" I ask as I grab her arm, "Go through wherever that door leads, you are not jumping down that high of a place."

She pinches my arm as she jumps out.

I gasp and look out, only to see her walking down the side. What a stupid girl.

"You may come in now!"

A woman, who seems to be around my age walks in. "Your highness." She says as she bows down.

"I have brought you some clothing, the duchess wants you to wear appropriate clothing." She says as she forces a smile.

I can tell the duchess was very much liked around here.

"Thank you." I say before she begins to walk out of the room.

Once I hear the door shut I fall to my knees, I felt so weak, so lonely, my heart was in pain. What was going to happen to me now?

I shedded as many tears as possible before passing out.

I wake up to screams and cries, what was going on?

I open the door and head out of the room, there was nobody up here.

I hear a low growl.

My heart races and my entire body shakes, I turn around and make eye contact with a creature so large.

We both stand there staring at one another, it showed emotions through its eyes, why was it looking at me like that? I could move a muscle, it felt as though I had stopped breathing.

The creature suddenly falls to the ground as blood rushes out of it, splattering all around me.

"You're welcome." The girl from the train says.

I turn around about to speak to her when I see that she had been hurt.

"You're hurt, we must cover your wound!" I demand.

"I'm fine, it's nothing." She tries to brush off.

I rip some cloth off of my arm and bend down to wrap it around her leg. She stares at me with a worried face.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of me!" I laugh out.

"Why would anybody be afraid of such a weak girl?"

Ouch... That sort of hurt my ego.

"You're welcome." I say.

She rolls her eyes as a low growl enters the hallway.