Have you ever felt trapped, Cassian?" She asked with a voice barely above a whisper. "As if, no matter what you do, there's no escape from the life you're forced to live?"
Cassian was momentarily shocked that the princess was asking him this question and that it was actually during their first meeting.
Is this kind of test for him? but it doesn't look like it. like it. He could hear a genuine intention behind it. It looks like this question has been bugging her for some time, and she needs someone to help her. But he was unsure how to respond—should he say what was on his mind or just simply give a formal reply, according to a dutiful servant?
He looked at Lora for some help; maybe she would give him a hint as to what kind of response Princess would like. But Lora was lost in her thoughts; her expression almost looked like she was on the verge of crying.
And Cassian realized the gravity of the situation—that it was just not some question to test him. But there was something entirely else, and he was not quite sure what it was. And without anyone speaking, the chamber fell into deadly silence.
As Cassian was contemplating how to respond, he heard Princess's gentle voice once again. Ahh! Never mind. You don't have to answer it. Princess Aurelia said it with a forced smile on her face. She chided herself for accidentally saying what was on her mind.
To ease the awkward situation, Princess Aurelia continued, So Cassian, I hope you will help Lora and the other maids in my palace.
Cassian looked at the princess and how she was trying to change the awkward situation but failed terribly, and he also complied with her and said, Yes, princess, I will do whatever I can. And will not give the opportunity for any complaint. He said this and deeply bowed toward the princess.
Aurelia nodded. I hope you will stand by your point and don't disappoint me, Cassian. And remember, if you work here, your loyalty lies with me and not anyone else. Princess said, trying to sound stern.
Cassian instantly tensed up at the princess's words and replied with a genuine tone, all he could muster: "Yes, princess, I swear my loyalty will lie with the princess, and I would never dare to betray my master. Cassian said all of it in one go.
He had heard about the fact that loyalty like this matters to all nobles, and it could cost him his life if he dared to betray their master and try to sell their information. So that's why he made it clear to the princess that there would be no room for doubt in the future. After all, it's better to be clear and say they're sorry. And he didn't have this type of intention of betraying their master. He wants his dear life intact.
Aurelia nodded at the sincerity of Cassian. She hopes that he is not another tool of his mother and will remain loyal to her; even if not, she just asks for peace and not someone who will report everything she did to someone else.
After some words, she dismissed Cassian with a wave of her hand. She was not in a good mood from the start and did not want to part in a longer conversation. And she turned back again towards the window, gazing at the garden; even the garden didn't seem to provide her with peace.
The air in the chamber becomes heavy with the tension. The silence that had fallen between them was only broken by the distant rustle of leaves outside the window. Princess Aurelia's forced smile had done little to mask the raw vulnerability she had inadvertently revealed.
Cassian could see it in the way her fingers trembled slightly as they rested on the edge of the window and the way her eyes seemed to search for something—perhaps solace, perhaps understanding.
Cassian's mind raced as he processed her question. He didn't know why he had this feeling, but it made him stop leaving. For a moment, Cassian hesitated. He had been trained to not cross boundaries and to offer polite responses that wouldn't ruffle the feathers of his superiors. But this was different. There was something in Aurelia's eyes that called to him, something that reminded him of his own struggles.
Lora's expression hadn't gone unnoticed by him either; Cassian knew he had to choose his words carefully. Cassian finally found the courage to speak. His voice was soft, yet it carried the weight of his emotions.
"Your Highness," he began with a measured but sincere tone. "I wasn't born in the palace. I grew up in a small village, where the world was vast and free and the sky felt endless. But that freedom was an illusion. The truth is, whether in a small village or within these palace walls, we all face cages of some kind."
Aurelia was surprised when she heard the voice of Cassian once again. She thought they had already left, and she became stiff when she understood where he was going, but she remained still. Cassian could sense that she was listening.
"There were days when I would run through the fields, feeling the wind in my hair, believing I could outrun my fate. But no matter how fast I ran, I couldn't escape the life that was waiting for me—the life I had no choice but to accept."
Cassian's voice grew quieter and more introspective. "When I was sold like a mere object who had no value, I thought I had lost everything. My freedom, my home, my dreams—they were all taken away. But in time, I realized something. The walls that surround us, the duties that confine us—they don't define us. What defines us is how we choose to live within those walls, how we find meaning in the moments of beauty and connection that are still ours to claim."
Aurelia's back remained turned, but her posture had changed. She was no longer retreating but listening intently, her breath steadying as if Cassian's words were slowly lifting a weight off her shoulders.
"I have felt trapped, Princess," Cassian continued, his voice barely above a whisper, "but I have also found that the heart can soar even when the body is confined. And perhaps... perhaps that's what we must hold on to—the hope that no matter where we are or what life demands of us, we can still find a way to be free, even if it's just within ourselves."