Cassie mounted her Hornstrider, a four legged creature with a sleek, ebony coat for skin, majestic horns spiraling gracefully from its forehead, and a muscular frame that exuded strength and grace.
She grabbed it by its horns and its golden eyes shone in recognition. It neighed as its forelimbs gained momentum, galloping forward with immense speed.
The road to the Montrose Duchy from the Capital City was an unobstructed path, paved in recognition of its constant use. The path was lined with bright flowers in honour of those who are rich enough to tred on it.
Montrose was the richest land in Zinnia, if not the world, and it owed its grandeur to the efforts of Late Lord Montrose, one of the few friends of Romerius Quill, who conquered one of the many, many, Libitina dungeons in the continent of Nerine.
The Libitina dungeons were infamous as untapped, unexplored and unexploited resource rich regions and it would forever be a mystery as to how the Late Lord Montrose got his hands on its riches — but it is safe it to say that it said a lot about him and less about the world.
The Hornstrider halted in front of the bejewelled, gold plated, gates of the Ducal Estate and a flurry of servants went about to follow proceedures of safety and security by tapping down Cassie and her ride
The Montrose family fully funded every breath taken by the Dianthia Church, but still, they did not control it. The reasons would remain a mystery for as long as Cassie did not delve deeper into their messy world.
The gates glided open and Cassie left her Hornstrider with a servant. Each bejewelled doorknob twisted open by a doormen made her eyes roll. Upon reaching the Drawing Room, a servant announced her arrival.
The Montrose family also funded the Empire's international exploits. They were in close connections with the Emperor and Empress owing to the familial connection of their elder daughter being a crown princess engaged to the crown prince of the Empire of Zinnia.
Though, the Montrose power had seen a sharp decline in recent years because this rumoured crown princess had gone into hiding, severing the Montrose's link to the Emperor's family and almost setting them up as fakers.
The Montroses were in muddy water, still, rich nonetheless.
"Your Grace," Cassie curtsied upon entering. The man stood in a room of gold, a pale comparison of being the centre of his universe. Though, no matter the power and prestige he aimed to hold — he did not know of people and their hearts. Only objects could accompany him in his zenith, for he was so far attached from society that even human relationships gave up in reaching to him.
He knew Cassie, as most people around the Capital did, as Crystal — the plain handmaiden from the continent of beauty.
"Crystal, it is most magnificent to have you here!"
Instead, it wasn't.
The last time Cassie and the Grand Duke met was at the King's funeral. When the crown had fallen and the nation was in mourning, the old Montrose had been dabbling in the creation of speculative rumours with a few of his friends, in a corner of the very castle he had pledged his allegiance to the Awryn Throne.
"I belive the son might've killed his father in cold blood. Y'know how mad he gets."
Unfortunate for him, Cassie's ears were the only untrusted pair on which this slander of the highest order had landed. Whilst his friends moaned and grunted, never daring enough to utter a peep, Grand Duke Montrose gathered a more definitive baritone.
"Y'know how he's the step son? Curse me, but maybe the Queen was also involved." His words were followed by vulgar eye gestures insinuating a relationship between the former Queen and her stepson.
So, Cassie did what any loyal handmaiden would do.
She dressed up a maid to lure the Grand Duke with sultry eyes and led him to an isolated, dark room at the castle. Whereafter, just as the Grand Duke was about to close the door behind him — his face stretched into a slimey smile — Cassie slithered a gag into his mouth and chopped his fingers off the knob.
Her bronze dagger bloodied with intent.
The man withered in pain but Cassie only pressed harder against his mouth, seething, "The dagger could have gone straight through your throat for the words you spewed, but then, who would manage all the money you wipe your arse with? You wouldn't be cold in your grave and there would be a war over your inheritance and my mistress does not needs that sort of chaos in her mourning. Consider this a favour to all."
The man writhed and convulsed in pain but could not escape Cassie's stronghold on his mouth and waist.
"Sh," she whispered beside his ear, her hand getting wet with his tears, "You were merely exploring for a place to mourn without interruption."
His breathing escalated into shorter gasps, "Shh, your hand got wedged in between an old door."
His forehead crippled with pain, "You befell a tragic accident. We never heard eachother, but if we did, I'll come for your throat next."
She was gone before he could even the see the loss he faced and now, a few months later, he developed an ability to never take off his black gloves providing an illusion of a clasped fist.
"The pleasure is all mine," Cassie kneeled on the carpeted floor and held out a letter from the Queen Dowager, "I come bearing an invitation."
"Ah," the man said, merely looking down at her, "If it is about the Founder's Ball then I am most obliged, but I must request for a rain check. There is an unmanageable issue in my company that worsens by the second."
"I shall convey your grievance to my lady, but this letter does not concern with the Founder's Ball," she stretched her arm further.
"Oh, well then I must," he all but tip-toed to her and plucked the manila envelope from her hands. The Grand Duke was a slender man, tall and lean, quite uncharacteristic of his wealthy lineage. His greying hair were always slicked in a quiff, clothes monochrome and crisp with his pant hems ending two inches before reaching his ankles.
He surely shouldn't be falling short of fabric; he did not even compensate for the skin exposure with socks, no, just bejewelled shoes. Cassie, in the mean time of him reading the letter, fantasized about breaking his ankles.
"Would a written reply be suitable or are you trustworthy enough to convey me, verbatim?" He asked with a bit of a nasally snarl in his voice.
"Anything to lessen your burden. Words would be enough, Your Grace," Cassie obliged.
"Good. Tell her I am most grateful. Tell her I will be there."
"As you wish, Your Grace," Cassie said with a nod and stood up from her curtsey. When she looked up, he was already staring at her with ruby eyes piercing holes through her skull.
"Have we met...as of recently?" His words were a drag and Cassie would have been impressed by the observation until he further elaborated, "There's this scent from you, it's so familiar. It makes my skin crawl."
Cassie merely broke into a squeamish laugh.
"It's just the mud at the castle, Your Grace, a great man like you wouldn't associate with it," she replied, her cheeks pushed up in a facade of a pleasant smile.
"Of course, of course, let me have you escorted out," Grand Duke said in breathy exasperation.
"I'll be quite capable to find my way back, thank you for your consideration, Your Grace, I am most obliged," Cassie curtsied again and walked out of the doors.
She passed a nod of acknowledgement to the doormen as she moved on. The hallways were wide and lined either with prized antiques or the head of some creature. What an annoyance.
As the evening sun bathed the opulent corridors of the Montrose Estate in golden light, Cassie moved with the silent grace of a shadow. Her steps were light, barely making a sound against the polished marble floors as she navigated the maze of hallways towards Princess Eudora's room.
The girl child of the Montroses. The alleged fiancée of the Emperor's son.
With practiced ease, Cassie ducked into alcoves and behind elaborate tapestries whenever she heard the soft footfalls of approaching guards. She blended seamlessly into the richly adorned surroundings, her dark attire providing the perfect camouflage against the sumptuous backdrop of the estate.
As she neared Princess Eudora's room, Cassie spotted a pair of guards patrolling the hallway ahead. Without hesitation, she slipped into the shadows and as the guards drew closer, Cassie's keen eyes scanned the surroundings for potential distractions. Spotting a delicate porcelain vase perched on a nearby pedestal, she reached out with lightning speed, sending it crashing to the ground with a resounding shatter.
"What was it?!"
"Who was it?!"
The two guards raced towards the broken artefact with horror etched in their eyes.
"Do you SEE a WHO around?! It was certainly a WHAT!!"
"Does it make sense for a WHAT to be around?! It must be a WHO!!"
"Does it matter?! The Grand Duke will have our heads for this!!"
Cassie seized the opportunity to flee.
With them bawling their eyes out, the path was clear and Cassie pressed on until she reached the ornate door and pressed her ear against it, listening for any sounds from within. Her research had been precise and meticulous.
Satisfied that the coast was clear, Cassie picked the lock with her dagger and slipped inside the room. The Princess laid cold on her bed of riches, moaning in pain every once a while. There was commotion outside the door but nothing could wake her up.
Cassie was sent to kill this defenseless, dying being so that Daisy could replace the child and be a Princess.
But this girl was already on death's bed. Her skin was melting off of her skeleton and sticking to her bedsheets like pale tar. Her once beautiful face was a deformed mess and for the first time in Cassie's life — her heart skipped a beat in sorrow.
She clenched her jaw with every moan of pain that escaped the little girl's lips. She was just a child, melting away, for whatever godforsaken reason and the good thing would be to put an end to her misery, to get her out of this turmoil, to end her suffering.
They were probably keeping her alive because of the engagement.
Her mistress would handle the Montroses.
So, Cassie did what was needed.