Cassandra inspected her appearance while in front of the mirror. With her stomach now finally full, she felt a little more at ease. There was time to think and steady her emotions. A lot of things still had to be done before they could attempt to find a bridge back to her realm. The more thought that she put into everything, the crazier it all sounded.
Telekinetic-interdimensional powers? Two suns? No wine? Locwitary is a strange place.
If Bela was here, she would have dug her face deep into Milo's library and never turned back. It was rife with information concerning the matter, but she wanted no part of it. All she had to know was that this wasn't her planet – not even her universe.
Home might as well have not existed at this rate, she thought. In this realm, it simply wasn't there.
Whatever was going on back in her village had to have been settled by now and the state of her family was a hanging question. The scene that Lia had shown her was pure and utter chaos. Mother Miranda looked to have been putting up the best fight that she could but the extent of the invasion was undetermined. They were there for something. That wretched man-thing, perhaps? Did he have a part to play in all of this?
The potential responsibility that she could have stopped it there and then by killing him in the Main Hall was enough weight to collapse her shoulders. If she had not allowed him to slip down that hole, maybe things would have stayed normal.
Maybe she wouldn't have died and been transported here.
This is all my fault.
Her eyes fixated on the scar on her chest. Inspecting it, she could see how it was a direct plunge of a blade through her sternum and into her heart. Milo said it was the dagger – their family artifact – that did her in.
But, how?
Their mother had never displayed the weapon to them ever before. It was locked away in that tower and neither she nor her sisters were ever inclined to go check it out. Ethan could not have reached it before he faced her as he still needed two more of the keys. The final image of him that stuck in her brain was his exhausted face peering down at her as she plummeted to the ground below, screaming wildly at her defeat.
It wasn't the dagger. It couldn't have been. Where did this come from? I wish I could remember.
Her eyes re-directed to the tattoo that Leta was ever-so-infatuated about. Out of the corner of her hood peeked the large scar on her head, still prevalent as it was since she was born.
I wish I could remember many things.
With the window cracked open again, the warm breeze entered the room, infecting her nostrils with the sweet aroma of the world outside. It was still sunny, likely the middle of the day. Being in the room by herself, Cassandra had some time to think.
She felt so far away from everything she had known. The only reminders left were the relics that adorned her body; the pendant around her throat, her five-piece necklace set, and her dress, still tainted with blood from her last feeding.
It was all that she had left.
She removed the choker that was fastened around her, gently pulling it forward until it came free. Rubbing the side of her neck, Cassandra studied the amber rock. According to her mother, it was a gift to symbolize the bond between her and her sisters. Each one of them was given their own color and was expected to wear them on most days. They did so without question, and she had always appreciated the gift – even though jewelry was never of interest to her.
It felt good to have it off for a moment. It gave her time to breathe and get comfortable. Next was her necklace. Unlatching the two sets of chains from their backsides, Cassandra studied the ornaments that decorated the piece. Again – another gift from her dear mother.
This…I was never so fond of it. I guess it is because my sisters shared the same one. Hmm, looking back on it now, maybe that was a better representation of us. Daniela went on and on about how much she loved hers. Bela wouldn't stop talking about it either – at least while mother was nearby…
"It's so quiet without you here," Cassandra mumbled while fixated on the three swords. Her thumb fiddled with each one, their characteristics reminding her of her sisters. She was the middle sword; broad and powerful. Bela was the elegant one with the curved handguard; ever so noble. Daniela related more to the spiral-shaped dagger; imaginative and chaotic. These were thoughts that had arisen in her mind long ago but she had not found the time to discuss them with her siblings.
Maybe they would have found enjoyment in such an idea like she did.
As she examined the necklace further, there was a familiar knock at the door that caused her to turn her head at the sound. Those three distinct taps – Leta, yet again.
"Miss Cassandra," her needy voice called out from behind the thick wood.
"What is it?" She groaned.
"Milo asked me to bring you a set of garments to wear. He says it appears yours could use a washing."
She did not want to be bothered right now, especially to be told how dirty her outfit was. Taking a second glance at it in the mirror – they were not wrong. Normally, she and her sister's dresses were immaculate. Their mother would not normally allow such a messy appearance. Circumstance had it that one the day that terrible man-thing invaded their castle, the daughters had been given the green light to purge the castle of all remaining servants.
It was an absolute bloodbath and a glorious occasion for each of them. They had just ended the life of the final maid before they sensed his arrival into the Hall of Four. By that time, all three had been exposed to multiple arterial spurts of sanguine liquid. She had planned to clean up and bathe after the man-thing's fate was finalized – but all hell had already broken loose by that time.
That's what the blood on her truly was; a snapshot of a moment – the last one she'd have with her family.
"I am not wearing whatever it is that you are holding out there," Cassandra called back to her, setting her necklace down on the small wooden desk beside the window. Her stubbornness was undying, whether she believed in the argument or not. It was the principle of it all that mattered the most – she hated being told what to do.
"Well…" Leta's voice was closer to the door now. She could practically hear her breath against the panels. "If you are willing to part with your gowns and try these on, I have a surprise for you," she teased.
"I am tired of surprises. Go away," she bemoaned such an offer. There was a bit of silence that hung in the air after that statement. Did Leta get the point for once? Would she finally stop trying to talk to her?
"Okay…"
With a small scoff, Cassandra grinned as she went back to inspecting the scar on her chest. At long last, she did not have to converse any further with –"
"I'm going to set them down in front of the door. When you have them on and come down, I'll let you in on the surprise!"
She nearly grabbed at the sides of the mirror, ready to shatter it into pieces. Her body stiffened, knuckles flared and fingers bent. These people could be so immensely annoying, she thought. All she wanted was to be left alone but that did not look like it was going to happen.
"Leta," her words started out low but quickly began to grow louder, "tell me it now..."
"Milo needed some things from the local merchants outside of the castle and normally, Lia would come with me. Since she's still not well, he suggested you can accompany me instead. I already know where to go, but for my safety, it would be best to have you there."
"Huh?" She could not believe what she had been told. Accompany Leta alone? Where did Milo find this trust in her? Was he so naïve that he would give custody of this young girl to a stranger from another realm so easily, especially after how often she had tried to kill Lia? For a smart man, that was a dumb choice.
There had to have been a method to his madness. Was it something that he saw in her? Sure, she had the combat skills to protect herself and Leta as well if needed. If there were no other fawns out there, she'd not have to worry about their dirty disappearing acts whenever a blade came their way. Poils may have some tricks of their own, but they had to have been easier to dispatch. Flies or no flies; she could handle them.
Or – was it something that he knew about her? Was this all a trap? Were there dangers outside of this castle that he was sending her to that she did not know of? He was oddly friendly and the willingness to assist her without a second thought upon meeting gave off an untrustworthy vibe. There had to have been a secret intention, but what?
She did not have an answer for any one of those concerns. All she had to go on was that Locwitary was not like Earth. It was more than simply a culture shock – it was a different existence altogether.
Besides, she realized, if Leta was anything important to him and Lia – then she would be collateral. If he was sending her out into a trap, then that girl was at risk too. A bargaining chip – if need be.
"Miss Cassandra?" Leta spoke again. "I think you might want to get out of this castle anyway. It's a beautiful day out!"
She glanced at the window where the alluring view of the outside world lay ahead. It was that final sentence that had made an impact on her consideration. It wasn't winter and she wasn't cold. There was a chance to get out of the castle – something she had been dying to do back at home. Locwitary looked mesmerizing from what she had glimpsed thus far. She wanted to get out and the more she thought about it, the easier it was to forgo the negative feelings that she held inside.
"Okay, you win," she conceded, "I'll change my outfit but only if the new clothes are to my liking. What is it that you're bringing me?"
"Some of Lia's outfits are similar to what you wore. Milo modified them to suit what he believed to be your taste in fashion," Leta explained.
My 'taste in fashion?' Ugh, that man and his choice of words. I am not wearing that lady's clothes either! This has to be some form of punishment for not cleaning up after myself during that meal…
"If he thinks that I am going to adorn myself with your sister's second-hand outfits, he is sadly mistaken." Cassandra was as difficult as ever. She never shared clothes with anyone nor did she even want to think of the chance that she could smell that woman on her. Ever since she had encountered her on that grassy field, she could not wipe the scent of pine from her brain. It was so overwhelming.
"You'll like it. It's a dress shaped mostly like yours. We also brought you a pair of comfortable soles for your feet. Milo will clean your clothes while you're gone."
"No, I'll clean my clothing. He will not put any of his man-hands on them! Tell him that!"
"Very well." Leta seemed to be somewhat amused by Cassandra's intense demeanor. She could be heard setting the stuff down by the door and walking away when Cassandra dished out one more question.
"I want something for my head. Did he include a hood?"
"Oh, yes! You will find one amongst the garments."
For a couple of seconds, all was quiet until Cassandra opened the door just enough to extend her arm out and pull what had been delivered to her inside. Upon retrieving the clothing, she promptly shut it.
"You may go now."
Leta exhaled slowly, unsure of why the woman was so hard to please.
As the juvenile fawn was heard descending the stairs, Cassandra inspected the new outfit that was brought to her. The dress that had been sent was a dull, sky blue, with a grey skirt, and short sleeves that split open near the front. Similar to her own minus the buttons, the waist was lined with additional stitching, taking up the appearance of a corset. The chest was squared-off, unlike the deep V-shaped opening that her normal outfit split into, and lined with multiple, rounded white banners. It appeared to be tightened by utilizing the white laces in the center.
The shoes were the next subject of interest. They were flat, constructed out of some type of soft leather, and oiled to a light brown. The top near the ankle contained a belted strap to lock them in place. She practiced bending the soles, finding them to be sturdy but flexible.
Lastly, the hood that she had insisted on wearing was just as wide as her own but tapered off with a tip towards the back. There were no intricate weavings in this. Instead, it was a plain, white cloth that did not seem to have any way to thread onto the dress or otherwise be tied to her.
Oh, no. I'm not wearing this if it is going to fly off. Hmm…
She glanced down at the two metal flowers that sat proudly near her shoulders.
Hope you don't mind, Lia.
Plucking them from her current ensemble, Cassandra separated the backings and used the pins to fix the hood in place. In doing so, she secured a good fit at the cost of the one that she was wearing. She removed the covering from her head and set it down on the bed before taking off her gloves and running her bare fingers through her wavy dark hair.
These better be clean...
"Miss Cassandra," Leta resumed her knocking after roughly fifteen or so minutes had passed. She was hopeful that the woman would be finished by now and that she wasn't disturbing her. Milo had given her his confidence that they would fit. He had to be right, otherwise, it was she who would be on the receiving end of their guest's temper. "Do you still need more time?"
The sound of footsteps drew near. Leta readied herself in case she was about to bark a command to wait or be patient. The frame creaked as the entrance to the room came open. In front of her stood Cassandra, wearing Lia's clothing as if they were made for herself. The dress conformed to her figure perfectly – which matched with her own, personal jewelry – made for a very beautiful image.
The skirt of the dress ended at the middle of her shins, where her stockings had been discarded and her pale skin exposed. She had also forgone her gloves, for the time being, showcasing her slender fingers and soft hands. Cassandra's nails were nearly white, save for the slight purple tint beneath the beds. While her face still retained its ever-scrutinizing expression, she looked more peaceful and polite in the new attire.
Leta could not contain her smile as her teeth shined, admiring how it all came out. Seeing this, Cassandra curled the right side of her top lip against her nose, her brow raised in concern.
"What are you so happy about?" She asked. Leta shyly pointed up and down before she realized that her lack of words would only give Cassandra the idea that something was wrong.
"I think it looks great on you!" She blurted out, her smile growing wider.
With a small groan, Cassandra rolled her head and lifted one of her feet. "I can't believe your sister and I wear the same size." She put it back down. "Lucky me, I guess…"
"Well, everything looks like it fits, so, shall we go?" Leta reached for Cassandra's hand but she pulled it away.
"Yes, show me the way out of this place," she ordered.
"Follow me." Leta ignored the rudeness, maintaining her joyful poise before turning around and heading to the stairway, skipping along as she went.
Such a child. She reminds me too much of Daniela.
Reaching the exit after what seemed like fighting her way through a long maze, Cassandra and Leta were finally at the castle's main doors. Secured by large metal bars, the doors were lined with thick strips of iron that served to add additional strength to them. It was an intriguing build. Did this place once serve as a battleground, she contemplated? They could certainly withstand an impact, that was for sure.
"Can you help me?" Leta requested as she tugged against the heavy beams.
"Yes, allow me. You're not getting these by yourself anytime soon." She stepped in to aid in the process. Both girls heaved as they slid each of the locks back. Cassandra noticed how much her strength had diminished since she found herself in this world. When she was alive in her realm, throwing a man or heavy piece of furniture was a cakewalk. Now, running in excess or heavy lifting came with a toll to be paid in exhaustion.
What is causing all of this?
"Almost..." Leta's voice strained as she yanked on the final bar, "…there."
Cassandra pressed the edge of her foot against the frame of the door, pulling with all her might until they witnessed the edge clear the way for the reinforced entrance to split. She took in a deep breath, pointing her thumb over to the outside. "Milo can put those back. We're done here."
With a brief chuckle, Leta's grin returned as she hurried toward the front. The colorful rays of the Specter Moons cast their glow into the otherwise dim structure. A rush of warm, spring air flowed in, reinvigorating Cassandra's nostrils as her eagerness to see what was out there matched her desire to leave Locwitary altogether.
"It looks so nice out," the girl said to her.
Yes, it does.
Following Leta, Cassandra stepped out of the castle and onto the dirt road that began immediately after. The warm kiss of the moon's rays heated her skin – a sensation she rarely got to enjoy. It was all around her.
The soft, gentle breeze carried the soothing current past her sides, traveling around her chest and shoulders. Some invaded her hood, shifting the ends of her hair and widening its brim. With her hands at her side, palms forward, fingers split apart, and eyes closed, Cassandra took the deepest breath that she had in months. Euphoria was the only word that could describe what the smell brought to her. It wasn't just the smell of the wild – it was being free.
This is what I needed. It's wonderful.
Leta began to walk ahead until she looked over her shoulder and realized that Cassandra was still standing beside the entrance. It was like she had completely forgotten about the child.
"Miss Cassandra, are you ready?"
Almost as if she was being disturbed in the middle of the night, Cassandra's eyes pried themselves open as they looked at Leta. She exhaled all of the air that had been taken in before giving a small grunt of displeasure. "After you..."
"Alright. The community is this way, follow me and we'll be there soon." Leta waved her along as she resumed her movement.
As she began to walk down the path, Cassandra turned to glimpse Milo's castle. Indeed, it was a much older-looking one compared to hers. It was much shorter in height, with medieval architecture that resembled a tall cube with two opposing towers – one on each end. The stone bricks that comprised its body were blemished with various shades of brown and green, unkept from the weather outside of it.
For a place that didn't look so big on the outside, the inside felt limitless – for better or worse.
The unending stairs and doorless library had to have been the work of whatever magic it was Milo and Lia shared. A neat tool, undoubtedly. Such a mind game would have been fun to have around back at home. Watching their prey run around endlessly with no escape would have been hilarious.
"Miss Cassandra," she could hear that voice again, "are you coming?"
This child…
The two had been walking for almost ten minutes and Leta's talkativeness was greater than Cassandra had anticipated – and tolerated. "So, what did you do all day back at your castle?" She asked while staring at her.
With her eyes set straight ahead, Cassandra deliberately paused before responding. She wanted to enjoy the outside world in peace, but the young girl was to be her guide for some odd reason. It was not like she couldn't find the community on her own, right? Stick to the dirt road and she would arrive there eventually.
"Do all fawns to talk this much? Or, is it simply you?"
Leta's stare wavered, turning to glance at the numerous tall trees and rusty orange shrubs that populated the far ground. "I do talk more than my sister, that is true. Lia is more reserved, but she is wise. 'The less you speak, the wiser you are,' she once told me."
Cassandra continued to avoid looking down at her. Her voice remained cold. "That is great advice. She truly is wise."
Leta was quick to chime in with her take on the ideology. "But!" She raised a finger in the air with a sudden look of excitement on her face. "Is one not wise for seeking out knowledge and understanding? The world comes forth to us, but we must also uncover the world."
"You just made that up," she said as she turned her head toward her, "didn't you?"
With a shrug, Leta's proud look stretched across her jaw. "I did! Wise, is it not?"
"Not quite."
She bowed her head, curling her lip in defeat. The moment of desired silence would not live long as Leta glanced at Cassandra once more, that infuriating smile revived. "Do you want to know what I do for fun?"
"Not really," Cassandra said casually as she tried to wipe some of the particles of dirt off of the bottom of her dress.
"Then what do you want to talk about?"
"Must we continue to talk?"
The young girl picked up a small stick off the ground and began to use it to club various small pebbles away from her foot's path. "We don't have to if you don't want to. I figured it would make the long walk go by faster."
"It's doing quite the opposite." Cassandra remained blunt and mean-spirited as she hoped the child would grow upset enough to stay quiet. As expected, she was back to holding that sad face again. This time, it looked as though it would stay.
It was like she wanted to interact with Cassandra so badly and any indication of unwillingness on her end would cut her happiness in half. Whenever Cassandra did show a glimmer of interest in conversation, it would spark a smile and that cheery attitude that she so much detested.
Hurting someone's feelings was well within her nature. She had done much worse to people back in the castle. To insult or belittle someone was the most minuscule thing that she could do. It was as merciful as she could be.
She wanted peace with no little kid to bother her. Yet, as the walk progressed, Leta's words turned out to be right; it was becoming boring. No matter how thrilled Cassandra was to finally be outside, walking down a straight path lost its luster very quickly.
As much as she did not want to give the child the impression that this would be the norm, she figured they might as well converse for the time being. If Leta was as naïve as she thought, she'd probably spill a secret or two that was worth knowing.
With a long sigh, Cassandra rolled her head back over to Leta. "Do you really want to know what I did all day where I lived?"
Leta's eyes opened wide. The excitement in her brow lit up as she nodded her head vigorously, almost as if she was expecting something fantastic and magical. Cassandra cracked a low laugh, culminating in a short-lived half-smile.
"Where I'm from, House Dimitrescu is one of the four Houses that rule over the land. Being the daughter of the House Lord, I – and my sisters – are women of the utmost nobility," Cassandra grinned. "We serve our mother – the head of the castle."
"What about the Lord of the castle?"
"She is the Lord."
Leta was astonished. "A woman ruling her own castle? That's amazing!"
Cassandra flicked her brow upwards, returning a small giggle. "We would bring our mother food, manage the servants for her, as well as obey whatever orders she handed down to us. Most of the time was spent dealing with my two sisters. We had a lot of free time to ourselves."
"You and your sisters shared every activity?"
Cassandra immediately shook her head. "No, thankfully. We didn't share a lot of the same interests. Bela was into educating herself. When she wasn't ordering the rest of us around, she tinkered with experiments. So painfully boring, if you ask me. Daniela," she paused, something having re-emerged in her mind, "liked to read. She loved reading."
Her voice had dropped as she finished her words, evidenced when Leta shot her a small glare of concern. "Is something wrong?"
Cassandra brushed off her thoughts and resumed her prideful speech. "Not at all. Where was I? Oh, yes! My hobby was hunting. My walls were littered with trophies of each fantastic hunt. It was a shame that the weather in our home would become so…terribly problematic, as I only got to do it during a few months out of the year."
"What did you do in the meanwhile?"
"Listen to my two sisters babble on and on about dumb pursuits. Eat. Drink. Try not to die of boredom in that castle. That was what I did in the meanwhile if you must know."
"You never thought to find something else to occupy your time?" Leta asked.
"There were things that came along that would take some of the boredom away, but they never lasted long. The hunt is the most thrilling thing in this world – my world – nothing else could compare. What's fun for fawns?"
She tossed the stick to the side and nearly hopped her next step. The girl was so eager to tell Cassandra that she could hardly get the words out at first. "I – well, I…have you ever heard of galding?"
"Can't say that I have."
"Galding is where fawns would utilize some of their powers to stop small pockets of rain in the air. It's not as taxing on their bodies and most young ones can do it as long as an older one is there to assist. Lia would help me out all the time during the wet season. We'd catch clumps of raindrops and pull them into the castle, where we'd take turns throwing them at each other."
Cassandra was admittingly surprised by what she had been told. "You can just catch rain and throw it at a whim?"
"Yes! It is so fun!"
This was a good chance for her to learn more about what the fawns were capable of. Not only would she be able to understand the extent of Lia's powers, but if everything between them went to hell, then at least she would be able to strategize. "You're a fawn, correct?"
"I am," Leta gleamed.
"What makes a fawn a fawn?"
"All fawns are fawns. We all carry a set of characteristics that the rest of the creatures here do not. Some – very few – of us are gifted with exceptional capabilities, like Lia. She can stop the weather around her if she wanted. I've seen it once."
How is that possible?
"With her mind, yes?" Cassandra asked, curious as ever.
"It's more like a whole-body channeling. It builds up in the head and extends to the hands but you feel the energy all around you. It was enough to tire her out for the day and she had only stopped it for less than a minute. Most fawns can only do such things if they interact with certain enchantments or something like that. Milo says that my powers are more limited than my sister's, which is why she is his assistant."
Why is she taking Milo's word? Shouldn't Lia be the one telling her this?
"Does Lia understand her powers? Could she use them to defend herself?"
Leta nodded. "She can. I saw her halt a rogue Ginyol once. She froze it in its tracks before letting it go. It takes the strength out of her though. Fawns are not fighters. We were never meant to be. Too much of our abilities is dangerous." She briefly lowered her head. "It kills us."
Is that why there aren't many of you left, so Milo says?
"Interesting," she hummed. There was still so much that had yet to understand about this place. Leta may have been smart, but due to her age, taking knowledge from her had to come with a large grain of salt. She was merely regurgitating whatever her guardians told her. It may have been true for all she knew. Lia was very capable of stopping Cassandra when she tried to attack her, but her already fly-less state created some doubt in her mind.
If she were her normal self, could Lia have built up a good defense against the multitude of blood-thirsty insects that could be cast at a whim? From the sound of it, Lia would only have a short window to do anything before she gassed out – possibly for good.
It was almost comical.
Leta returned with another question. "Do you and your sisters have any special talents?"
"Nothing like that," she did not want to be open about the truth. If there was a way to regain her abilities here then Cassandra would quickly go for it. The knowledge of her full potential was not something the rest of them had any business knowing. She had already made mention of it to Lia and Milo, though it was debatable whether either of them had believed her.
When someone is perceived as weak, weak actions are taken.
She did not need them to be extra cautious around her.
"Nothing at all?" Leta pressed the question a little more. There had to be something, she believed.
"Bela's talent is complaining," Cassandra remarked. "I swear, she could find the slightest, most insignificant thing in the castle and she'd drum up some reason about why it needed to be corrected or done in a specific way. Sometimes I want to just yank that blonde hair right off of her head…"
"Do you dislike her?"
"We've had our differences lately," Cassandra admitted, "but, I do not dislike her."
"What about your other sister, Daniela?" Leta wanted to know more. "Does she have a certain hobby?"
Castle Dimitrescu – February 6th, 2021
As the sound of her mother's heavy footsteps faded away down the lower hall, Cassandra found herself standing outside the library. With her task sternly handed out, all she could think about was how much she did not want to partake in it. A hybrid of frustration and sadness swelled inside the middle child.
Why did their mother always seem to be the hardest on her compared to her siblings?
With the armory incident still fresh in her head, the last thing she wanted to do right now was to associate with Daniela; whom she was still very angry with. It would be easy to turn away, but if her mother caught her, there would be hell to pay. With a small groan, Cassandra prepared to knock on the door, but the sound of her sister's dancing halted her movement.
Not a care in the world. Everything is all just a game to her.
She balled her fist, delivering two heavy hits against the yellow wood. The pitter-patter of her sister's heels ceased their rhythm.
"Bela? Is that you?" Daniela responded. Cassandra couldn't stand that fairytale princess of a voice she used.
"No," she responded bitterly, "it's me."
"Cassandra?" Daniela replied, surprised that it was her instead. The buzzing of a large horde sped toward her before the handle turned and the door swung open.
In front of her was that signature wavy, red hair, and a broad smile. "Dearest Cassandra, what may I do for you on this fine evening?" Her voice was slow and methodical. Daniela talked as if she was playing a role – a character.
"Mother has instructed me to help you organize your library before dinner," Cassandra took the opportunity to peek over her sister's shoulder, where the scattered clusters of books populated the tables and floor. "I see there's much to be done."
Mother complains that I'm messy and yet she tolerates this? Unbelievable.
"I have this covered." Daniela started to narrow the door closer to the frame. "I appreciate you wanting to help."
Cassandra stuck her foot out, catching it in place while she locked eyes with her. "I don't want to. Mother said I have to." She shoved the door open with her leg and began to walk inside, barely giving Daniela a second to move out of her way. "This place is a disaster, Daniela, have you started cleaning it at all?"
Daniela shut the door behind them and reached down to pick up two books from the floor beside her feet. "I just started. It shouldn't take too long. I was hoping to organize them a little bit before –"
"No," Cassandra interrupted her. She shook her head as she grabbed one of them out of her hands and pointed it at each of the various shelves that circled her. "We are not playing this game. Now, which shelf am I putting this on?"
"Uhm," Daniela leaned forward to glance at the title, "which one is that?"
"Does it matter?" Cassandra rolled her head back.
"Yes!" Daniela's eyes grew wide with concern. "Yes, it does matter! I don't want to misplace it. For all I know, it –"
"June of Justice!" Any patience that she had left in her body was nearly depleted. There were dozens of books that needed to be re-located. It did not help that her sister was notoriously indecisive when it came to them. It was not the night for such nonsense. Everything that could tug on her nerves already had and she was ready to lash out. The only chance of not doing so lingered on getting this chore finished.
"Oh," Daniela sheepishly stuck her finger toward the first one on the left. "That one, thank you." As much as she stayed polite in her verbiage, there was a hint of disturbance in the ways she said her words. The girl could be oblivious at times, but she wasn't an idiot. She realized that she was treading on her sister's anger yet again.
Cassandra trotted over and stuck the book in the first open spot that she could cram it in. Daniela looked away, trying to ignore her compulsion to fix its placement. She wanted it in alphabetical order, but she knew asking of such would set off the brunette even more.
With a sigh, she returned to pick up more of the books from where they laid while keeping an eye on Cassandra. Her older sibling sped around the room as fast as she could, using her swarm to pick up speed. It took less than a minute for her to accumulate a tall stack on her arms before she laid it out on one of the sofas before going for more.
Meanwhile, Daniela remained as one, taking her time as she gently lifted them into her arms. Watching Cassandra hastily snag them sent off signals in her brain. The girl was trying to save as much time as possible and in doing so, she was getting rough with the pieces of literature. It was obvious by the way that she was scrapping them up, throwing one atop of the other.
Daniela was steadily growing more anxious. She did not want Cassandra to go overboard when it came to getting the job done. There was still time, she thought. This did not have to be rushed.
"Hey," Daniela tried to ease the tension with a big, friendly smile, "you've already been so helpful, sister. Leave the rest to me. I can get it done after dinner."
Without acknowledging a single word that she had uttered, Cassandra continued to scoop up and stack the books, setting them down harshly when they became tall enough. She was nearly halfway done when Daniela tried it again.
"Cassandra?" She lifted a finger in the air with no backing of confidence. "I can handle the rest. You may go and do as you please before dinner."
"What don't you understand when I said this is on mother's orders, Daniela?" She re-formed her body, dropping the book that she had just picked up onto the couch beside her. Tension filled the air as both sisters stared at one another. Cassandra's brows tightened further with each second, while Daniela looked on with parted lips.
"I understand that mother instructed you –"
"Then you understand that I will be punished if she finds me out of this room before we are called to eat, do you not?"
"Yes." Daniela's stare fell to the ground. "Mother does not like to be disobeyed."
"Exactly…"
"Well, in that case, you are more than welcome to sit down and relax while I finish the rest myself." She wanted to come up with a reasonable solution but all it did was cause Cassandra to grit her teeth and shake her head.
"No, you will take too long. Mother will likely come to check up on the progress after and see that not much has changed. We are getting this done, Daniela. Do your part!" She sounded just like her sister, Bela, only with more anger driving her work ethic. She did not want to be here one single bit. Maybe she should have stayed in the armory where she was after their initial argument, but seeing the broken deer head only fueled the fire inside of her.
She had to get out to breathe and instead found herself further suffocated by all the stress that had come her way. It felt like without any effort on her part, she was nothing but a troublemaker and a total disappointment to them all. Bela's words in particular replayed in her head over and over.
"She always does this." It cut like a knife. Was that how they all viewed her?
I can't be the "perfect" daughter or the little "baby" child. They always leave the last bites for me. Why do I get the scraps when I am the best hunter? Daniela causes more problems but mother always yells at me as if I am the one who is responsible for everything.
"I do not wish to argue with you, dearest sister." Daniela was no longer the upbeat person she was when she answered the door. She was anxious as ever, worried that she will mess up and cause her sister to scream again. Cassandra's demeanor had done a good job of sanding down any happiness inside her.
"Then do not speak…"
Locwitary
"She loved to read," Cassandra responded. "That girl could never take her face out of a book sometimes."
"Did she like to read about the stars? Or, possibly, the origin of your world?"
"No…made-up things. Fictional stories about people and places that never existed. Such a waste of time." She bit her lip as she thought back to that day in the library. It was so easy to be angry back then…
"Lia would sometimes tell me stories about similar things. I don't know, maybe they were real," Leta said. "She could see into other realms, so that's probably where they came from."
"What did she tell you?"
"Tales of giant monsters, powerful warriors, vast communities with tall structures like none of us have ever seen. They are often violent stories so she never goes into much detail."
Cassandra began to think about just how far these realms stretched. She had barely seen anything from her world. Could these visions have been from there? Did Earth hold such great and terrible wonders the likes of which she could never imagine? As they gained ground during their trek to the community that settled nearby, her eyes scanned the forests and mountains around them.
There was such beauty and mystery in this strange place. It might as well have been a chunk of land across the sea from her home. She had been so isolated up in that cold region that she barely knew anything of what lay around her.
It was a tragedy on its own, but where she came from, tragedies were an everyday occurrence.
That was natural for them.
"Am I the first one to ever set foot in a different realm?" Cassandra wanted to know about her situation. It brought Leta into a moment of thought. There had to have been a previous incident in the past if that was the case.
"I believe so," she replied. "Milo and Lia told me about the dagger that was lost ages ago to your realm. They said someone couldn't cross with it but no one knows for sure."
"This dagger is so important to you all, is it not?"
"Some people have been devoting their lives to understanding the link between realms, Milo included. It sounds like it was never supposed to be able to do what it did. I'm sure he'll have a lot of questions about it when we return."
I know this man wants to learn more, but is he using me specifically to find out his answer? I don't care, as long as I get to go home.
Cassandra adjusted her hood as another gust of air ruffled its sides. "Our worlds have much in common," she mentioned.
"How so?" Leta looked up at her.
"Castles, trees, grass, books," she went on, "Only one sun, but the same idea."
"What is a sun?"
We need to sit down and sort all of this out sometime…
She pointed to the Specter Moons above. "We only have one of those and we call it the Sun."
"Oh," Leta scratched her head, "what a strange word."
"Let's agree to disagree, shall we?"
"Very well, Miss Cassandra," she nodded, raising her hand to her chin. "One Specter Moon? How peculiar…"
With a scoff, Cassandra shook her head. "Two suns? How weird…"
NOTES:
Hope this fourth chapter was worth the wait! We're finally out of the castle and in the outside world. It's certainly a well-deserved change of scenery for Cassandra, though she may have her fill by the next chapter when they enter the town. Will she get along with the people there? Probably not. If she wasn't out of her element before, she will be now.
We can see that she is beginning to loosen up, though only a little. It's easy with Leta, as Cassandra definitely feels like she is above her. We'll see a lot more of their interactions in the next chapter as well.
We won't see any Castle Dimitrescu flashbacks in the next chapter, but the one that follows will double down on them. Given the regret Cassandra has, nothing good happened between her and Daniela. There are going to be many more revisits as we learn more of Cassandra's past, all leading up to when she wound up here.
As always, there are a million things I'd love to mention about this story and where it is going. I'm seeing its popularity begin to build and I can't express just how happy I am. It seriously means a lot to see the love and excitement from you all. I'd love to answer any questions or concerns you have or respond to whatever it is you'd like to mention.
In the meantime, I'd strongly suggest the works of SilentWinters and NoxEterna, which I'm sure you all already know about very well. When I first began looking up RE Village fanfiction, I discovered their stories that gave greater attention to the daughters, establishing complex storylines in the process. Taming the Huntress by SilentWinters really threw Cassandra into the spotlight as a character with potential while keeping with her sadistic personality. Ethan's attitude is all the more entertaining as they banter along and if for some reason none of you have read it, check it out.
NoxEterna also has a long line of works that are quite expansive in their worlds. Bound by the Sins of the Past is their latest story and one of a series that I am looking forward to starting. Given the number of chapters put into it, the author has a strong love and dedication for these characters, and this surely will translate into the storytelling.
Leave a comment or a follow and let me know you're out there. The next chapter will be out on the 9th. On AO3, you can also follow this story which includes art released with each chapter.
Thanks again and see you around!