Chapter 98
#98 The Diamond People
It was another sharp pain that woke Cassandra up. She frowned and opened her eyes, her hands
going unconsciously to her belly. A part of her had to touch it, make sure her baby was still there. She
was cold and afraid, but she could feel her belly. However, the first sensation that reassured her was
the warm little body curled up against her cheek.
“Hinue! Are you awake?”
Missandra was next to her, holding her hand with a worried expression. Cassandra frowned, confused.
It took her a few seconds to remember everything that had happened. She felt like she had slept to
profoundly to reconnect with reality as if she had just had a terrible nightmare, where dreams and
reality melted…
However, the reality was quick to catch her. She realized it hadn’t been a nightmare, but the only, sad
truth, when she saw the unfamiliar surroundings. They were in amon house, with a lot of people
moving around. Cassandra, still lying down on some bed, turned her head. A little group was there.
Women and men, several adults of all ages, all watching her with worried expressions. Missandra was
quick to exin to her. 1
“Apparently, you arrived here about an hour ago, drenched… Those nice people found you and took
you here. They changed your clothes, too, and you fell asleep right away. You have a fever, but you are
fine. We are safe here for now. I was hiding in the market, but all the inhabitants spread the word that
you were looking for me, so I was able toe here a few minutes ago. How are you? Is that… the
baby dragon is…”
Cassandra nodded, lifting her hand to caress the little one next to her. With Missandra’s help, she sat
up, still feeling tired. So she had slept only an hour? The baby dragon immediately walked to her side,
rubbing its head against her hip. Cassandra put a hand on him, caressing the young creature and
staring at the people around them.
“You… I don’t understand. I remember someone pulling me here…”
An old woman nodded and stepped forward.
“We heard something was going on in the Diamond Pce, my Lady. We all know here the
rtionships are bad between the Diamond Lady and the second Prince already. So, when the words
was spread that they hade to arrest the War God’s Concubine, we knew something was wrong.
We hoped the Diamond Lady could do something, but when my son spotted you, all alone on the City
border… We immediately brought you here to hide you.”
“The soldiers are searching for you… I mean for us,” said Missandra. “That crazy Prince is furious you
escaped. What happened?”
“The… Waterfall. I escaped through the waterfall.”
“You jumped from that high while pregnant? Are you crazy!”
“Missandra, we don’t have time for that… ugh!”
Cassandra grimaced, holding her stomach. Her contractions were getting more intense. She took deep
breaths, while the young women brought her some warm tea.
“The baby dragon being here means you’re intobor?” Asked Missandra, visibly worried. “Cassandra,
the soldiers are searching for us everywhere… If they hear a woman giving birth…”
Cassandra nodded. This was the worst possible situation. She had made it out of the Diamond Pce,
but the Prince would do everything to find her. He was going to search every house in the Diamond
City for sure. Cassandra turned to the old woman.
“Thank you for helping us, but we… We can’t stay. If they find us here, you will be punished too.”
The old woman shook her head.
“Your Highness, we know who we are saving here. You’re the Lady of the Mountain! Do you know how
many of our sons have gone to the war in the east? You have no idea how everyone felt here when we
heard the Lady of the Mountain and the Diamond Lady were sending those survival kits to the front.
Concubines caring about soldiers! We already knew our Diamond Lady was one very strong and brave
woman, but to hear that the War God’s Concubine was a healer, and doing what she could for our
families?”
“My brother and my husband were summoned to go to war, Your Highness,” added one of the young
women behind her. “I’m fearing every day that they won’t return, my Lady, but not being able to do
anything was the worst! When we heard what you were doing from the Diamond Pce, everyone
started working to send what we could to the front!”
“That’s right,” added another woman. “We prepared packages of food, and started cultivating the same
medicinal herbs as you, Your Highness!”
Cassandra was astonished to hear all that. She had no idea so much was going on in the Diamond City
recently. She had noticed that people were respecting her a lot when she would go out with Lady
Kareen, but she thought that was because of her status as a Concubine, not because of her doings…
The old woman bowed politely.
“Your Highness, there is no one in this city who isn’t ready to protect you. I can tell you that absolutely
no one will talk if the soldiers interrogate them. We have our own dignity as the Diamond citizens. You
have worked hard to help our sons sent to war, Your Highness. Now let us help you.”
Cassandra was on the verge of tears, listening to the old woman’s words. She couldn’t believe it. She
had never imagined that the Diamond City’s people were aware of her actions, let alone that they
respected her that much. Cassandra knew very well how feared the Imperial Family usually was, but
now, she was surprised how she had even made such a strong impression on those people without
having ever met them..
Missandra, too, was blushing a bit and exchanged a look with her sister.
“We are very grateful that you are all willing to help us, but… This Prince is really, really crazy. Even if
no one talks, he will search everywhere for my sister. Moreover, if she is about to give birth here…
Even with the rain, the baby’s cries will be heard outside.”
One of the middle-aged women stepped forward.
“Don’t worry, Lady Missandra, we have alreadye up with a n. This is our City, we know where
we can hide the young Concubine where they won’t find her, or hear the baby.”
“We wilf also distract them,” added one of the young women. “The word is already spreading to keep
the soldiers busy in another part of the City. Our neighbors went to signal a woman in a pink dress
fleeing on the other side of the City.”
“We actually did take your dress to make a decoy, Your Highness, I hope you don’t mind…”
Cassandra was speechless. She had slept for a little hour, and so much had happened already?
Moreover, they had sent a decoy with her dress! How many risks were those people ready to take for
her? She wanted to protest, but another contraction came up, and she had to stay quiet for it to pass.
“Thank you so much,” said Missandra in her stead. “So… Where do you think you can hide my
sister…?”
“We are almost done preparing!”
That’s when Cassandra noticed. Aside from the four women, there were two teenagers, twin boys from
what she could see, and one older man behind them, getting a whole bunch of things ready on the
table. It looked like they were packing all of this up in big bags. There was a bit of food, but mostly
nkets and tissues, a couple of bowls and basins, even some baby clothes.
“I will apany you with my youngest daughter and my niece, your Highness,” said the old woman. “I
have been
a midwife for forty years, I can help you give birth safely to the little prince.”
“We will take good care of you,” promised one of the young women behind her.
**The young ones will just help us carry everything and go back to make sure no one follows us.”
“Where are we going?” Asked Missandra.
“You’ll like it, young Lady,” said the old woman with a wink.
Missandra and Cassandra exchanged a look, but after that, there wasn’t much time left to wonder. In a
few more minutes, the five women and the young twins, were ready to leave. Cassandra realized how
careful they were.
First, in a short time span, there were no less than five young people, from children to teenagers, who
came and went to the house to let them know how things were going, where the soldiers and the
Dragon were focused on.
Cassandra realized how close all of the inhabitants were all to be working like this. They were sending
the young ones from one house to another to ry the information, making sure the information
traveled through short distances to not catch someone’s attention. No solider would care about young
people running around in their own city. They were so busy interrogating the adults that they didn’t care
for the kids rushing in and out. (1)
Hence, they made sure the soldiers were really busy elsewhere and proceeded to move Cassandra
and Missandra quickly from one house to another. The two sisters had changed clothes and left behind
any piece of jewelry or piece of clothing they were wearing previously, to hide their smell. Even the
baby dragon was carefully hidden in a basket, carried by one of the teenage boys as it would have
been too heavy for the women, and Cassandra, staying next to it, kept tucking the little nket around
him to hide. The baby Dragon was very curious and kept trying to pop his head or tail out. Cassandra
was most scared that he would make a sound or growl. She didn’t know how the red dragon’s hearing
was, and even with the rain, everyone was very careful to move around silently until they reached
another house.
However, the one Cassandra had found herself in was already very close to the border, and, to her
surprise, they were headed right back to the waterfall.
Their little group moved very carefully until they reached the house closest to the waterfall. Then, they
left it and went next to the Diamond Pce’s wall. Though, instead of going for the entrance, they were
headedpletely opposite, towards the forest. They stayed almost against the wall, off-road,
everyone checking the sky from time to time with the fear to spot a dragon’s silhouette. Finally, the old
woman suddenly turned right, and Missandra was shocked for a second, as it seemed she had
Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.
disappeared between the rocks. However, it soon appeared that there was an entrance there, to a
cave. Missandra was speechless. Only a local could indeed know about this little cave! The Diamond
Pce was old, but so were its foundations. Everything had been built onrge rocks, and, with the
waterfall and the river crossing the Diamond Pce, it appeared that some natural caves had
appeared underneath.
Cassandra was astonished. This natural cathedral of stones was gorgeous. After walking for a while,
the roof was getting higher and higher above them, and they almost couldn’t hear any more of the rain.
Instead, Cassandra realized that they were walking around the actual waterfall. She would have never
imagined there was arge cave hidden behind that waterfall! The floor was actually half littlekes,
half rocks. It was rather t, andpletely safe for everyone to move around. Hence, when they
reached arge area, the young women and teenagers immediately worked together to unpack
everything.
“This is incredible…” whispered Cassandra, still in awe of this cavern.
“Isn’t it?” Replied the Old Woman. “No soldier from the Capital would know of this ce, we only show
our young ones when they are old enough. It’s a secret of the Diamond People. In times of war, people
woulde and seek. refuge here, many, many years ago, when the Dragon Empire didn’t yet own the
Cassandra was indeed amazed. Moreover, the waterfall, a few meters away, would definitely cover any
sound better than the rain outside. It was noisy even from where she was.
In front of her, the Diamond People were carefullyying several nkets on the ground, boiling some
water with what they had brought, and preparing everything for the birth of her son. Cassandra was
overwhelmed with emotions. This was nothing like she could ever have imagined. In her imagination,
she would have been in one of the Diamond Pce’s bedroom, with her Prince holding her hand. Now,
she was hiding several meters underneath, withplete strangers who were doing all they could to
help her and her baby.
Another contraction came, and Cassandra had no choice but toy down, helped by the young women
present. Missandra immediately sat by her side, taking a deep breath.
“Everything will be fine, Hinue,” she whispered. “You and your baby will be blessed by the Water God,
giving birth under a waterfall!”
Cassandra chuckled and nodded.
“You know, my baby was conceived during a snowstorm… And now he will be born under a waterfall.
Isn’t it amazing?”
The baby dragon suddenly jumped out of the basket with a cute little squeak, catching everyone’s
attention around. He looked around, but his little paws were naturally taking him to Cassandra. He
walked up to her and curled up by her side. Cassandra caressed him, taking a big breath.
“I’m so sorry their father can’t be there…” She whispered.
Missandra shook her head and grabbed Cassandra’s hand.
“Don’t worry. With this crazy family of yours, I bet your baby will be big enough to kick his own dad’s
butt for missing this in no time!”
Cassandraughed, but just as she did, another contraction came, and she grimaced instead. The
teenagers soon left, as they had nned, and they were left with the old woman, her daughter, and her
niece, all getting ready to help Cassandra give birth.
“I don’t… even know your names,” said Cassandra, a bit sorry for not asking earlier.
“This old woman is named Chantra, your Highness. Those two young beauties are Elianne, my
daughter, and Sunel my niece. Now, let’s take deep breaths and focus on this baby. We have a little
Prince to take care of.”