Chapter 49


    The Childish Games


    When Cassandra felt she had stayed in their sight for long enough, she took her basket back and left


    without adding a word. Ignoring all the stares on her, she only went a bit further away, into another


    garden, with a wider sample of vegetation and an artificialke and fountain. There, she dipped her


    bare feet in the shallow water, humming calmly.


    Her n was so simple, yet she wondered if it’d work. Most of the concubines had watched when she


    washed her hands and saw the blue marks that wouldn’t go away. Of course, it was on purpose.


    Cassandra had washedundry countless times before. She knew what colorants were the hardest to


    wash away, especially without any kind of soap. If she wanted, she could have gotten rid of it, but this


    was all part of her n.


    First, have the concubines and Princesses believe her story. Even if they didn’t believe her at first, the


    odd blue colour she couldn’t seem to wash off her fingers and nails should have nted a seed of


    doubt in their minds. That was all she needed. Just a little bit of doubt, ignorance mixed with a bit of


    fear, and time for it to grow inside a narrow mind.


    As she rested on her own by theke, she was surprised to see three young womene to her side.


    She frowned a bit. Those women seemed to be sneering between themselves while ncing her way.


    Two of them had a red dress and only the one walking ahead had a pink one. She had seen those


    women before. All of them were among the Fifth Prince’s concubines. How many did he have exactly?


    “Concubine Cassandra, do you mind if we apany you for a bit?”


    Cassandra shook her head. Since those women were on the same level as her, she didn’t have to


    show any extra politeness, but she shouldn’t be too rude either. Kareen had already scolded her many


    times for acting too submissive when she didn’t need to, and Cassandra was diligently trying to apply


    her advice even more now that she was ounted for as a high-ranked concubine.


    “We were worried you’d feel unwee over there, with such a crowd. It must be suffocating to face so


    many women at the same time,” said the one in a pink dress.


    “It’s fine,” simply replied Cassandra.


    She was wary of those women. She had no idea why they would want anything to do with her, the


    newly brought concubine. If it was merely out of curiosity, it would be fine. All three of them sat within a


    reasonable distance of her but, judging from the ces they took, it was obvious the one with a pink


    dress was the leader of the trio.


    “It is such a blessing to finally see a Concubine to the Third Prince. His Highness must be delighted to


    have you.”


    Cassandra couldn’t help but wonder if her pregnancy was known to everyone yet. Unlike some of the


    other women, she wasn’t exposing her baby bump. Back in the previous garden, some of the


    concubines were so proud of their pregnancies, they were showing off their big bellies. On the contrary,


    Cassandra wasn’t exposing as much skin. Her dress was fully covering her stomach, protecting it from


    the sun and obvious stares. Not all the concubines had been there at the feastst night, but


    Cassandra knew the chances were high that the news of her bearing the War God’s child had probably


    spread already.


    “Thanks.”


    She didn’t want to get too friendly with other concubines. None of them could have been there by


    mistake. You couldn’t stay a Prince’s concubine, residing in the Imperial Pce, if you couldn’t take


    care of yourself first. No woman in this ce was as innocent as they looked.


    For a few minutes, the three women pretended to talk between themselves, about trivial matters such


    as the weather and their Prince’stest concerns, but Cassandra knew they were observing her. She


    pretended not to know and soaked her feet, ignoring them.


    “Lady Cassandra, what do you think of this?”


    Wondering what topic they had finally decided to share with her, she turned her head to them. The


    woman in a pink dress had a cunning smile Cassandra didn’t like.


    “My servant made a mistake this morning. I thought I should punish her, but my friends thought I should


    be nice to her and let it go. She has been a very nice servant of mine for a while but…recently, I’ve


    been thinking she’s acting too much in front of my dearest Prince. I think maybe the little swine is trying


    to seduce one’s Prince. What do you think?”


    Cassandra frowned a bit. It may have seemed like a trivial matter, but her words were heavier than they


    seemed. Was she hinting at how a servant or a ve, like Cassandra, had dared to seduce a Prince?


    She obviously had no idea. Cassandra sighed.


    “I wonder why you should punish her. Isn’t The Fifth Prince the one to have many concubines? If he


    can split his love so easily, you should be used to His Highness weing one more every once in a


    while, right?”


    The concubine’s expression turned sour.


    Cassandra was clear, though. She wouldn’t let this woman imply they were in the same situation or that


    Cassandra had stolen anyone’s property. She couldn’tpare her Prince with his womanizer of a


    brother. Basically anyone could be the Fifth Prince’s concubine, with a good body and some


    sense of seduction. No wonder those women were jealous to death and eager to start fights at any


    given asion. 3


    “At least she isn’t some ve,” said one of those in a red dress, pretending to talk to her peer.


    “It has to be difficult, you know. We should even pity her,” said the other one. “I mean, the Imperial


    Family can be so wilful. If it’s only a ve or a servant, they can be wiped out without blinking and no


    one will even remember them.”


    Cassandra ignored them, a bit annoyed. Were all concubines so petty? So childish? Did they think they


    could toy with her? She wasn’t a ve anymore, so why would she listen to this nonsense? Seeing


    Cassandra wasn’t flinching, the concubine in the pink dress clicked her tongue. She thought she had


    found easy prey, but this wasn’t as fun as she had thought.


    “You know, it’s been done before. Servants taken as concubines and forgotten the next day. Sent to


    feed the dragons.”


    “Really?” said Cassandra, her voice remaining very calm.


    Her experience as “dragon food” probably was not the one they had imagined at all. Actually,


    Cassandra smiled, remembering her first encounter with both Kairen and his dragon. Seeing her like


    this, the concubine became red, annoyed at her passive response. Wasn’t this bitch going to worry at


    all! The War God wasn’t anywhere in sight, so how could she keep acting so mighty! She wasn’t even


    that pretty!


    “Well, ves are meant to be tough after all.”


    Once again, Cassandra ignored her. She couldn’t be affected by such a petty attitude. Actually, she


    thought this concubine was acting like an annoying flea, trying to bother her with baseless sentences


    and a mighty attitude.


    She couldn’t be bothered by that, or she wouldn’t be able to withstand one more day here. After dipping


    her toes in the freshwater some more, turning a blind ear to their nonsense, Cassandra stood up,


    brushing her hair a bit. To her surprise, the concubine stood up too and stepped closer.


    “Now that I see you up close…”


    Cassandra did not like this woman being so close. Aside from her Prince and his family, she hadn’t


    gotten used to anyone being so close. She took a step back and the concubine in pink smiled,


    mistakenly thinking she was afraid.


    “If…one was to disappear…mysteriously…I wonder how long it would take one to worry?”


    Was this woman an idiot? Or did she think Cassandra was that weak? To be scared by such a childish


    threat?


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    Cassandra had learned to be afraid of the Imperial Family. Whether it was a Princess or a Prince, she


    would have definitely been scared. But a concubine was only a woman, like her.


    “Are you threatening me?” she asked.


    Her calm but cold voice was sending a warning. Only the two women in the red dresses understood


    and carefully stepped back, looking pale and worried. Truth was, Cassandra herself wasn’t scary at all,


    but her calm and confidence in this situation was something their instincts couldn’t underestimate.


    Unfortunately, the other Concubine missed that warning, smiling like a cat once again. It was as if she


    had found an easy prey to toy with, and would y until she had enough. Only, Cassandra wasn’t in


    the mood to be ying at all.


    “Why would I threaten you, Lady Cassandra? We are both concubines, after all. It would be a shame if


    anything happened…by ident.”


    Cassandra hated that word. No ident ever happened in the Imperial Pce. As the other woman


    kept stepping forward, she kept retreating, closer and closer to the pond, until her heels were touching


    the water,


    “Do you think…I’m scared?”


    Cassandra’s sudden question, said in a clear voice, finally managed to make her doubt. She frowned.


    She had been retreating all this time, wasn’t she scared


    “Step back,” ordered Cassandra.


    Her soft and gentle voice didn’t match her words. Hence, the concubine didn’t move and chuckled.


    Don’t you give me orders. You may wear a pink dress, but you’re still under me. As any ve. You’re


    under anyone here. Don’t think this color will…”


    “Step back.”


    As she said this for the second time, the concubine frowned, annoyed. Who was this bitch to give her


    orders?! She had been a concubine for over five years here! She wouldn’t listen to the orders of a


    mere…


    Before she could add another word, a sudden p of wings was heard, and she retreated in a hurry.


    She barely had time to move before a giant w ripped the grass she had stood on a couple of


    seconds ago. (4)


    If the concubine had been a bit more aware of her surroundings earlier, she would have seen the dark


    shape that had been growing bigger in the sky,ing their way at a scary speed. Cassandra had


    seen iting from far away. Had the dragon gone hunting before looking for her?


    Krai growled, wrapping itsrge body around Cassandra, putting its head right where her hand was, as


    she gently patted and scratched the dark scales. The dragon was happily growling, d to be reunited


    with her, but to the three terrorized women, those sounds were horrifying. Moreover, the woman who


    stood unaffected at the center of those mountains of scales was still staring at them,pletely


    fearless.


    “You got interrupted. Please continue.” 2


    “I… I…”


    Before she could gather her thoughts, Krai’srge tail whipped in the pond, sshing them. All three


    women got drenched, and yet, they didn’t even dare scream.2


    They tried to retreat, but to their surprise, Cassandra smiled softly.


    “I believe you weren’t done talking. Please stay.”


    For the first time, they realized how scary this woman was. Because she could utter those words with


    the softest voice, the gentlest smile, while a murderous beast was standing right next to her.


    Cassandra hadn’t really nned on cornering them, but Krai hade at the right time, and in a few


    minutes, she had decided she shouldn’t let such women make easy prey of her. They would be an


    example, to show others she was no toy to y with. Like Kareen had told her, it would be better to


    teach them she wasn’t going to be someone to take lightly. She would have her hands full dealing with


    the worst people already.


    She had no spare time for the childish games of bored concubines.