Forbidden, part 1 – How it all started
She was only few months old when Michael found her. He didn't know for sure what made him come to the house where she was and he was not sure what he felt on that exact moment when he saw that little baby girl. Her face was red and tainted by tears, screaming top of her lungs for hunger, being cold and missing her mother. She was so helpless and young, so innocent. Michael just couldn't leave that baby behind him. So he brought the little girl with him to Vega. The house was empty and there were no sign of anyone who could miss the baby, maybe her parents were killed or maybe she was left behind on purpose. But the baby was alone and hungry so Michael did his decision. He brought the little girl with him to Vega.
Edward, head of the house Riesen and Lord of the City was kind enough to take that little girl into his family since her own daughter Claire was young as well. Those girls would grow up as sisters and friends.
Michael had some conditions regarding the baby.
"Name these conditions", Edward said while holding this new baby daughter in his arms. He saw this more like a business deal than a family matter but of course he wouldn't say it to Michael. Claire would need someone to play with and when they grew up, she needed someone to trust; in the end Claire was going to be Lady of the City someday.
"I will be part of her life; I'll teach her what she needs to know and train her. She needs to be able to fight and defend herself. You won't decide anything for her future without my acceptance. She will be raised and taught just as Claire, as sisters. ", Michael told, watching the baby and wondered what was that what he felt for the baby. Protective maybe?
"That's fair. She will be raised as a lady of the house Riesen."
"And I will be the one who gives her a name."
Cassandra Riesen. Lady of the house Riesen. Or Cassie for short.
And that name was so pure, so innocent as was the owner. Michael thought name fit her very well, even Edward admitted it was fine name for the little girl.
**
Cassie's first word was an angel, of course. That's because Michael had a habit to tell her stories about heaven and angels when he visited. He wouldn't tell anything that was cruel and violent, heavens no. She was the first pure and innocent person in his life and he wanted to keep her that way. There was no reason to taint someone so bright.
Her second word was Michael. This made the said angel feel proud and happiness he thought he couldn't feel. Edward was seemingly baffled since he was the one who was suppose to her father. But Cassie and Michael shared a bond, a bond different from others and Edward couldn't do anything for that.
Cassie was only five years old when Michael started to teach her and Claire some self-defence. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not, because it was hard and she felt like failing Michael. Claire was so much better with this than she was. Michael hadn't thought that for a five-year-old this was frustrating and scary. So he had to develope other ways to teach self-defence. And who would have thought that an archangel could be so creative for setting up different kinds of games for Cassie and Claire to learn to defend themselves.
Little by little Cassie figured it out and soon she surpassed Claire. Michael was so proud of her and (on the spur of the moment) he scooped her in his arms and praised her to the heavens. The sound of Cassie's cheerful laught warmed his heart which wasn't as stone-cold as he had thought.
At the age 7 Cassie was happy and cute child, who loved stories Michael told. She eagerly waited him to come over and tell her bedtime story, always saying Michael was the best storyteller ever, even Edward (or daddy as she called Edward) sucked at such an easy task.
Since Cassie downright craved knowledge, Michael taught her as much as he could. Of course she had same teacher as Claire had since they were both homeschooled but Michael tried his best to teach her things her teacher wouldn't know. For such a young child Cassie was smart and quickly understood what he was telling her. Of course Michael didn't tell her anything he thought could harm her or taint her light. He wanted to keep her safe and free from burden of the world.
Age 10 was when Cassie got angry to Michael for the first time. Well, she had threw a tantrum then and now when she was younger but this was a whole other case. It started from when Michael couldn't come to one of their storytelling evenings. How Cassie had waited those evenings, they were special to her, that was the time she could be just her, she liked Michael. How much she wished Michael would have been her father instead of Edward who always praised Claire and told to Cassie how she should be more like her sister.
But Michael always said Cassie was perfect and unique in her own way. So when Michael didn't come and Edward announced that she has to study with Claire, she felt so disappointed that the next thing she did got her into house arrest. Cassie grabbed the nearest book and threw it toward Edward who managed to dodge it. Unfortunately the book hit the flower vase which fell down breaking into pieces. She didn't have a chance to do anything when Edward grabber her arm and dragger her into her room while she was shouting and crying. When Michael heard this he couldn't help but dismiss himself from the work. He was Vega's protector and commander of the Archangel Corps but somehow he just couldn't continue to working before he knew Cassie was okay.
Cassie sat on her bed crying, tears falling down on her cheeks and there were bruises in her arm where Edward had grabbed her. This broke Michael's heart. She looked so devastated but when he noticed the big bruise Michael could feel anger boiling his blood. Edward should have not touch on her with such a force. But before Michael could do anything Cassie had noticed him.
"You left me! You left me alone! Why didn't you come and tell me your stories?!" she sobbed face red and Michael remembered again the little baby he rescued. She was now older but with tears and cheeks blushed from anger he could remember that moment when he had seen her for the first time. What he didn't expect was her fists to hit his stomach. That little girl cried and shouted at him, trying to hit him but she wasn't strong enought to hurt him. But Michael's hurt ached for this little girl crying and feeling betrayed.
"I'm sorry I didn't comes as we agreed. But I had a work to do and I sent a message to your dad to explain you that our storytime had to be re-scheduled", Michael said her catching her hands and kneeling beside her. With one hand he hold her hands and with other he wiped her tears away. She didn't know what to feel, he could say that. Her eyes were big and suspicious about his words, if she should believe him.
"He said that I had to study with Claire, nothing else. I thought you don't like me anymore and don't want to teach me", Cassie finally sobbed, anger calming down. She couldn't look at his eyes.
"I'm sorry for that, he should have explained it to you. But I don't hate you, I would never hate you", Michael sighed and hugged her, feeling releaved to be honest. He had no idea how to handle angry little girl if she wouldn't calm down. What a great warrior he was, terrified of a little girl.
"I'm sorry I got mad at you and I hit you", she mumbled but other than that she was quiet except some occasional sobs. Michael just sat there, holding little Cassie in his arms and hoping his presence would comfort her enough to settle down.
Michael was suprised when 12 year old could actually make a proper conversation with good arguments. She was very spesific to make sure her point got understood. Everyone who met Cassie said she was such a well-mannered young girl and a brilliant with words and they suggested that she should be Lady of the City one day instead of Claire. Edward was concerned because he had other plans.
Soon enough he made an announcement of engagement of Cassie and senator Frost's nephew. They would get married (or more like forced to marry) when both of them would be 21. News of arranged marriage spread like a wind in Vega. And you can guess Michael's reaction. He was not pleased, Edward hadn't said anything to him about marriage and it was one of the conditions that Michael should accept the plans before Edward announced them.
Cassie and Claire were hiding at the staircase where they could hear how Michael was giving an earful for Edward. The archangel was so furious even Edward seemed to be scared, whimpering how he thought it would be a great opportunity for Cassie to marry into one of the houses who was in Senate. That way her future would be secured if something happened to Edward or Michael.
"I don't want to get married when I'm older. Not with that Frost boy anyway", Cassie huffed with a quiet voice to Claire who nodded. She had heard some gossips about Senator Frost's nephew and they weren't any good. He was couple years older than Cassie and Claire but he had already a lousy reputation for a boy at his age.
At the age of 14 Cassie had been fighting a lot with Edward. Their heated conversations were becoming famous in Vega. She didn't want to get married when she was 21 and she surely didn't want to get to know Elijah Frost. And so Cassie kept argueing with Edward and not giving him any chances to explain or make it up. He said that ever since he and Cassie started to disagree about this marriage-case he had gotten more gray hairs than never before.
Michael was on Cassie's side on this supporting her when Edward, who was still a bit afraid of Michael, wasn't listening their reasons. Archangel was beyond mad but Edward was officially her guardian and even if they had a agreement regarding Cassie, Michael felt he couldn't do enough for her sake.