(A/N Here it is! Finally... Hope you like it.)

Chapter 5: Truth

Cashmére swore. Why on earth couldn't that Overstrand-boy just keep out of her way?
"Cashmére? Cashmére Tanner?" he looked very shocked. If she should be discovered, Cashmére could aswell tell him the truth. Everything.

"Yes, it's me." she said.

"What on earth are you doing here?" he asked. Cashmére sighed.

"I'm trying to run away." she replied, and grimaced. "It's not working very well." Joseph looked around.

"I think that it's working well; no one is out looking for you. Yet." he said.

"But you found me." Cashmére protested.

"In which way would that be a failure?" Joseph asked, and Cashmére sighed again.

"You'll probably go straight to my father." Cashmére said, "And then I'm busted. Really busted."

"I won't tell Augustus." Joseph said. Cashmére looked shocked.

"Really?" she asked, "Why?"

"My sister ran away from out parents when she was sixteen." he answerd, "And if I hadn't letted her live with me; who knows where she'd be now?" Cashmére shrugged.

"I don't know." she said, "But what has that to do with me right now?"

"Well," Joseph begun, "If you'd like, you could live at my house... At least until we've searched up something better for you." Cashmére looked at him.

"Is it true?" she asked, "Would you do that... for me?"

"Why not? I mean, what could I possibly lose on it?" Joseph replied.

"Thank you!" Cashmére said, "Thank you really much." Joseph smiled.

"No problem." he answerd.

"What?" Marcia hissed, "What do you mean?" Joseph sighed.

"Mar..." he said, "She needs help."

"And so do you." Marcia snapped, "Mental help."

"Don't be rude!" Joseph replied.

"By the way, why do you help her? You know that if Augustus get to know this, you've bought yourself a ticket straight to dead-man-land."

"But he won't get to know this, Mar." Joseph said, "Cashmére will only stay here for a while- until we've found somewhere for here."

"I know somewhere for her!" Marcia replied.

"You do? Where?"

"The Castle's dump." Marcia snapped. Joseph sighed.

"You're only making this harder to me." Joseph said, "And you haven't even seen how she looks like right now- then you'd see why she really need help." And indeed, Joseph was right. Before that he and Cashmére had ran into eachother, Cashmére had had and drabble with the Port Coven Witches, and had ended up with wounds everywhere.

"I've already seen that she's cuckoo, thank you very much." Marcia hissed. Joseph sighed again, and roled her eyes.

"Even if she'd be 'cuckoo', that wouldn't be a reason for you to act like a bully!" Joseph said sternly.

"I don't act like a bully!" Marcia shouted, "I'm just trying to get to realize what you're doing!"

"Cashmére!" Joseph shouted, "You can come in here!" Cashmére entered the room.

"Hi, Marcia." she said coldly.

"Hi Cashmére." Marcia replied, just as coldly as Cashmére.

"Marcia, please." Joseph begged.

"Fine." Marcia snapped.

"So?" Cashmére asked Joseph, "Can I stay?"

"Sadly." Marcia replied.

"I didn't ask you." Cashmére said.

"Like I care." Marcia said. "You know, just because your father is the emperor, doesn't that mean that you can dance around the world as if you owned it." "I don't do that!" Cashmére snapped. "It's more like you are-"

"You two, please!" Joseph protested, "Why can't you just get along?" Marcia gave Joseph a look, and stormed into her bedroom.

"What's the matter with her?" Cashmére asked. Joseph sighed.

"I don't know; she don't use to act like this." he answerd.

"Is it true that she is the ExtraOrdinary Wizard's apprentice?" Cashmére asked. Joseph smiled slightly.

"Yeah, she is." he replied. Cashmére tried to hide a snort.

"But let's talk," Joseph said, "Why on earth are you trying to run away?" Cashmére sighed.

"It's complicated..." she begun, but he interupted her.

"Try." he said, "I want to help you, but I'd also love to know what- or who- I'm helping you from."

"Could we settle down before we begin?" Cashmére asked, "It's a long story."

"Sure." Joseph answerd, "Whatever you want."

When they had settled down- and Joseph had maded a cup of tea- Cashmére begun her story.

"I didn't run away because of dad." she said, "I love him, I really do."

"But why, then?" he frowned.

"Because of the politics." Cashmére replied, "You know, I think that there'll be war. Sooner or later."

"What do you mean? Has anything... unpleasant happened?" Joseph asked. Cashmére swallowed, and nodded slowly.

"Yes." she said, "Something very unpleasant- probably not the way you think, but something unpleasant, indeed."
Joseph muttered something unhearable.

"I knew it." he replied, "But what has happened, more exactley?"

"I..." Cashmére's voice choked, and she closed her eyes. The memory flashed before her eyes;

It had been late at night. She- Cashmére- hadn't been able to fall asleep. Haunted by nightmare's about her mother's death, she had restlessly looked herself in the mirror. Suddenly, a weird sound from the corridor had caught her attention. Cashmére wasn't very curious by nature (she loved gossip, though), but she couldn't help but wonder what it was, sneaking around outside her cabin. Silently, she had opend the door and sneaked out of her room. In the corner of her eye, she had noticed a male-shaped figure sneak into Naomi's room. Lucian, was the only imaginable person. But why would he sneak into Naomi's room? Did they have an affair? Cashmére shuddered. Lucian was married, besides Naomi was to nice for him. Something was wrong, and Cashmére really wanted to find out what. Cashmére walked quietly closer to the door to Naomi's room, that Lucian had left open. When she looked into the room, the sight shocked her and frightened her. Lucian pushed something into Naomi's chest or stomach (Cashmére couldn't see that very well), and Naomi cried out in pain. At first, Cashmére was stunned, and didn't knew what to do. Then, she knew exactley what she would have to do; get away from it all. Just get away from it. She was just about to go back into her bedroom, when someone grabbed her arm, and twisted it behind her back.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lucian hissed to her.

"Let go of me!" Cashmére cried out. Lucian chuckled.

"Little miss Curious." he said and pushed her up against the wall. "Let's make a deal." Cashmére tried to twist out of her grip.

"I can have you thrown into prison for this!" she shouted.

"Oh, you won't have me thrown into prison for this." he whispered to her, "You know soon- very soon- I'm going to be emperor."

"Never!" Cashmére hissed.

"Yes, I will." Lucian replied, "And when I'm emperor, I'll need an empress. Not Selene, of course not. I'll need... someone younger, someone with the right abilities..." Cashmére letted out a furious growl, and hitted Lucian in the head. Lucian letted her go for a few seconds, so Cashmére could run away.

"Cashmére?" Joseph touched her hand, "Cashmére? Is everything alright?"

"W-what?" Cashmére stammered, and noticed that Joseph looked really anxious.

"You got really pale." Joseph said.

"It's nothing." Cashmére replied, too quick she understood later. But Joseph shrugged.

"Okay." he said, "But you know, you can tell me if you want to. I just want to help you." She looked away.

"Really, it isn't anything." she said. Joseoh nodded.

"I've understood that now." he replied, and gave her a smirk. Cashmére couldn't help, but giggle.

"Jose, I'm going out." Marcia interupted them.

"Out?" Joseph wondered, "With who?" Marcia sighed.

"Mother." she said, "She sent a rat to me." Joseph grimaced.

"She was angry, wasn't she?" he asked. Marcia nodded

"Very." she answerd.

"See you later, then." Joseph said, and Marcia left.

(A/N I'm not going to say 'Hope you liked it', because I'm saying that every freaking time. However, if you'd like you could leave a review.)