AMETHYST: The rise of Tetra

Chapter 19

    The moment your eyes meet the one you’re meant to love for the rest of your life is a moment you never forget. If you’re lucky, most will get the most magnetic experience, you’ll forget everything around you and feel the powerful connection of oneness with your partner, knowing in that moment that absolutely nothing else matters. A smile dances loosely on your face and you know that all forms of bullshit are from then on yours to take and love. The good and the bad become one, and it takes just a second for you to know it’s all you’ll ever want. 

    Such had been the case for the Princess’s parents, who minutes within seeing each other had been wrapped in each other’s arms in a way they managed to keep going till their present days. The same could not be said for King Alek and Viana, who started off with a relationship of hate that eventually turned into lust. Though lust cannot give you love, and it was a lesson that the successor of fire had yet to learn, and very soon he would. 

    His eyes landed on hers in a way that drove him back a year ago, remembering her stunning beauty, of course, though for the most part only reminded him of the version of him he left behind in the water kingdom’s castle. Shame had disappeared from his system as he evaded the thoughts of contentment and togetherness with a woman he would love more than anything, though in that very moment he could not bring himself to look at the woman through the same lens.

    Cassandra had not been the same either, though her smile would only be a regret she would come to realise, in the meantime, she waited for the man to embrace her or rush to her as many scenarios in her head had suggested, but nothing happened. He remained still in his spot, and their eyes never left each other once, both emanating an energy opposite to the other. The electric spark had remained within the windows of the soul, though the ignorance of one had become the deception of the other, and so Cassandra cleared her throat to move things forward. 

    ‘What are you doing here?’ She asked casually, not quite understanding the awkward tension that had fallen down as a barrier between their hearts. His lack of expression had been bothering her already, and she only wondered what she had done wrong to bring upon this reaction out of someone who cared much for the woman the last  time they had interacted. He remained firm in the moment, reminding himself that he was better than them, that the water kingdom was the enemy, and that his objective was to help bring them down, not uplift them, much less fall in love with the daughter of the enemy.

    ‘I should be asking you that question. You are on my grounds’ he informed impolitely, taking the Princess aback with his tone. The shocked woman only blinked furiously trying to process the situation as she stuttered a response. 

    ‘I-I’m sorry, I didn’t realise. I only wanted to see the waterfall’ she stated, hoping he would only be joking. Unfortunately for her, he wasn’t, and he was not done being the rude prick he had become over the past year. 

    ‘It is forbidden to anyone to visit the waterfalls, surely you know that. You are a Princess. I could have you arrested for this’ he spat, now crossing the boundaries with the woman who was beyond confused at what happened. His words no longer mattered, only the reason for which he was as rude as he was, and she intended to get answers. 

    ‘Leopold, what’s wrong? Why are you being so… rude?’ She asked tentatively, a frown replacing her smile. 

    ‘You are the enemy's daughter, I should kill you right here’ he snapped, evidently hurting the woman’s feelings who could not believe what she had been hearing. Only a year ago she had risked everything to save the guy’s life, and now he was talking about killing her? ‘I won’t because you saved me last time, but don’t make the same mistake again, Princess, because I won’t save you next time’ he pressed, not leaving room for Cassandra to say anything. She needed her space to process his anger and change of behaviour, though in that moment all vision of him with her had shattered to bits. 

    He had taken advantage of her naive state, though Jerome showed up in time, calling her name and halting at the sight. The identification of the man of fire had been immediate due to his aura, though he had yet to figure out it was a Prince he was facing. 

    ‘Cassandra, are you alright? Let’s go back’ he responded, grabbing onto his broken friend by the shoulders and guiding her away from the mysterious man. No doubt the sight had triggered Leopold beyond belief, who despite his facade wished nothing more than to hold the woman in his arms, and wished to rip off the ones that had belonged to Jerome. 

    It was a parallel of instances, where the very flame that created an order on Zaleon that had to be followed, was broken. It just so happened that his very own reincarnation had done the one thing no one else had on the planet due to having done it before: rejecting their love. As Cassandra disappeared from his sight, he composed himself, clenching his fists to calm his speeding heart, and from that moment onwards, no matter how hard he tried to get her vision out of his mind, he simply could not. The beauty that he had once admired had remained the same, though he had been a fool to reject it knowing full well one day he wouldn’t be able to control himself. 

    Cassandra had followed her friends back to their grounds, where luckily no one had noticed the absence of the Princess, and as she covered her feelings with a charade that her friends bought, she could not help but feel a hollow hole in her chest, one that had pushed the woman to further discomfort when for the first time in a year she had decided to use the very secret passages she had to sneak Leopold out to sneak herself out back to the forest where she had encountered him. 

    She didn’t understand where the feeling was coming from, she only followed the instinct that had been guiding her back to the waterfall, to do what she was still unaware of. The scene was on replay in her mind as she did so, though when she arrived at the breathtaking site, she sat herself on a large rock, knowing somehow he would come, and they would meet again. 

    Without expectations she waited, trusting that there was no way the person she had seen earlier in the day was really the same Leopold she had read poetry with every night in his cell. 

   Leopold had refused to go back at first, his stubborn mind telling him to stay in his castle and spend it with Maisie like he always did. However, when his attention kept drifting back to her, and Maisie’s face morphed into that of Cassandra’s, he knew that it was too late to keep himself glued to Maisie for the night. Dismissing her suddenly, and creating the slightest bit of suspicion within her, he headed out, not knowing that the smart woman would know the man who longed for her would return to the spot he saw her in. As much as he denied to himself he loved the woman since the day he had met her, and wanted nothing more than to share his life with her. Though what would the real risks be of giving into that feeling?

    He knew nothing as he trekked back to the location, and shocked himself when Cassandra had been waiting patiently for his arrival. 

    ‘What are you doing here?’ He asked this time, in the same harsh tone he had previously. 

    ‘I knew you would come’ she spoke, as jolly as she could be. Refusing to let herself get put down by a boy who knew he was lying to himself, she remained positive, approaching the situation in a way he had not seen coming. 

    ‘And yet you’re here. You really have a death wish won’t you?’ He questioned bitterly, having no effect on the woman that saw right through his act. Daringly, she moved closer to him, stopping right in front of his rigid figure. 

    ‘You won’t kill me’ she whispered to him, obviously causing discomfort to take over him. He took a step forward, thinking he would be able to handle it, though her scent alone had him going nuts, and he wished nothing but to give in. 

    ‘You doubt it?’ He forced the words out, another transparent lie for the Princess. 

    ‘I don’t doubt it, I know it’ her response had him clenching his fists like he did a lot these days, and it caused her to continue ‘What happened to you, Leopold? Where’s the man that spent nights in a cell reading poetry with me? I thought we cared about each other’ she pointed out blatantly, done beating around the bush. Tension increased between the pair at the question, and the Prince of fire took a step back hesitantly.

    ‘He doesn’t exist anymore. Whatever you and I had was wrong. Our families hate each other-’

    ‘As they did the day we met! What has changed now? I let you go so you would find me and come back to me-’

    ‘Well you shouldn’t have’ he fired, causing another wave of pain to flutter up her spine. Nevertheless she kept her emotions to herself, and faced the man the way she had planned on it. ‘You are my enemy’s daughter, I will never love you. Run back to your man’ he completed, his words bringing an instant smile to her face, confirming her doubts. He did love her, he did want her. 

    ‘He’s not my man, he’s my friend. Although, I think you seem to have yourself a lady?’ She questioned, recalling the memory of him snogging another woman not too long ago. Despite the discomfort she knew he cared for her, and not for the woman he disrespectfully sent off, and no matter what he said, he would not realise that her question had merely been a test to confirm his doubts. 

    ‘Yes I do, so it’s best if you leave now, and never come back’ he responded, passing the test. His lie had been transparent to the woman who knew how little the woman meant to him. With a laugh and hope in her heart again, she fled the scene, leaving a completely petrified and confused Leopold behind, who couldn’t seem to understand the fascinating woman who had it all figured out. In his mind he had done his best, and the easy task was over, it was time to move onto the harder task: getting over a woman so perfect. Her smile lived in his memory as he returned, and he wondered if that truly was the last time he would see her. With less hope in his heart he returned, his changes noticeable to a lonely Maisie, who had waited for him in his chambers all night, to question him as to what was going on. 

    The sight of her sitting on his bed, naked and ready had only added to the frustration he felt, and at his groan she got up, covering herself with a robe. 

    ‘What happened, Leopold? What happened during the day that suddenly you don't want me anymore? Where have you been all night?’ She asked, clinging herself to his chest. Gently he pushed her away, not being able to get his woman out of his head. 

    ‘I cannot do this anymore Maisie. Leave at once and never return. That’s an order.’ He said, ignoring the tears that pooled up in her eyes, and the sound of crying that emerged as she gathered her things and ran out of his room. 

    For Cassandra all notices had been given, and it was time for her to get a plan into action, one that would ensure Leopold would give into her the way he was craving, and although the plan was as dangerous as it could get, she wasted no time putting it into action.

    The lands of fire and water hosted balls every month to keep the people of the town happy, and invite them into the castle to feel like nobility for a day, it was a concept that happened on both kingdoms, just on separate days. Though it just so happened that Cassandra had learnt that the fire kingdom was having their the very day after, and with all the courage in her heart, the woman got ready in her chambers, pretending to be ill to be left alone, before sneaking out the way Leopold had, and walking into the land of fire with a cloak over her head, concealing her identity and masking herself as an ordinary member of the town. 

    She had taken the time to notice her surroundings as she entered, and watched the members of the town behave much like the ones on her own grounds. As she pondered the difference between the kingdoms, she realised there was none, and the only reasons the barriers existed between them had been because of nobility, who had taken more lives than anything else on their planet. It was truly a shame that the kingdoms had refused to unite, for it would bring even more joy and happiness to a public that looked like they needed it more often. 

    The Princess often felt the guilt behind being a part of a family that was involved in the destruction of their planet, though as much as she wished to change it there was nothing she could do to switch her parents or their mindsets. 

    Stumbling into the castle, she hoped that no one would recognise her, not having ever seen the Princess of water, and she blended in with the people, walking about to try and find the Prince she was about to be blown away by her presence. 

    A miserable Leopold had been shadowing his father all along, greeting the few members of nobility he had to, amongst which lay proposals he would reject in order to get over the loss of Cassandra. Though little did he know that the very woman he seeked stood mere metres away from him. A glowing Cassandra kept her head down as she stepped into the main hall of the castle, where most of the public was, and it took her no time to spot the royal family that sat on the platform as people admired from down below. It had been an evil way of hosting something that was meant to be humble, and she only wondered why the platform had been there to begin with. The nobility of her parents had seemed more humble in that moment as she distinctly remembered the lack titles and noticeable differences that took place on her own grounds. 

    Nonetheless she shoved the thoughts aside to focus on her mission of attracting the attention of her man, and with no effort the man had found her gaze in a crowd full of people where only she stood out to him. Her smirk had been enough of a sign that there was no way she was going to let him go, and sooner rather than later the man was going to fall. His expression had been exactly as she had expected it, though as pleased as he was to have her there, he knew if someone identified her then she would be in grave danger. 

    Excusing himself, he made his way through the crowd, greeting others before signalling for her to discreetly follow him outside. Once out of the main hall, he pulled her into an empty room by the hand, and pinned her to the door. 

    ‘What do you think you are doing here? If they found you-’

    ‘So you do care’ she interrupted, catching the man out and breaking his facade. He took a deep breath, trying his best to hold up the act while he could. 

    ‘Look, whatever you think is going to happen between us, it’s not, so it’s best if you just get that image out of your head-’

    ‘You’re lying’ she interrupted once again, enjoying their closeness for the brief moment they would have it. 

    ‘Why are you doing this?’ He asked, pulling back, not knowing how to change the mind of the stubborn woman who refused to get away from him, Cassandra looked into the depths of his eyes, holding him there to remind him of what they were, taking a step forward to get closer to him once again. 

    ‘Because I once promised someone I would find him again, and I’m finding him’ she whispered to appeal to the hard headed man. His breath stopped at her words, and he knew not how to react in that moment, though with every once of energy within him he pushed for the final shove. 

    ‘That man is gone, there’s no point looking. I suggest you get me out of your head, and leave, because I don’t want you’ his harsh response had only hurt the woman as all his previous responses had, though she said nothing and gave up no hope as he stepped around her and exited the room, leaving her to her lonesome and to her thoughts. Clearly whatever she had thought had failed, and not knowing how to force it out of him at that moment, the woman remained in the room, wondering if she should just give up on a man that was clearly battling his own emotions. What other way did she have to reach out to a man who was so hesitant to be in her presence? 

    Deciding to approach the situation another way, Cassandra exited the room, making her way out of the castle with a look of sorrow. One that from the distance Leopold had spotted, and couldn’t bring himself to ignore. As she dashed out of the castle onto town grounds, she blankly made her way through the roads, not expecting to encounter any danger in the silence of night. 

    She passed by several things on the way that she ignored as the trekked back to her own lands, one of those things just so happened to be a group of drunk men that were certainly out of control, to the point where the attractive woman did not go unnoticed by them. Though the distracted woman had remained oblivious and well out of her thoughts as they approached her, until one of them had decided to lay a hand on her. 

    ‘Where are you going, sweetheart? Why don’t you join us?’ He asked, tripping around to her, a bit too close for her liking. 

    ‘Sorry sir, please get off me before I punch you in the face’ she spat, not appreciating the approach of the man. She had learnt to fight, of course, despite being a Princess, though she had never come across a situation in which she would have to use those skills. 

    ‘She’s a feisty one she is’ the man laughed, poking fun at her to his friends. ‘Come on girl, just one night, we all need to loosen up a little bit sometimes’ he spoke, his revolting breath causing the woman to turn her head in disgust. Though with his words he had placed a hand on her bosom, and that was certainly not the way to go. 

    Unluckily for them their own Prince had visualised the whole thing, and as he stormed up to the scene and turned the man around, landing a punch right to his face, the rest of the drunken men stood up, ready to defend their mate from their own Prince. 

    ‘How dare you?’ They asked, drunk to the point where the Prince had seemed a mere commoner, and so they lunged together, ready to attack all at once. It was no effort for Leopold to shove them away one by one, though when a fellow drunkie brought himself to his feet and went to attack the brave Leopold from the back, Cassandra’s fighting instincts kicked in, and she grabbed the bottle of alcohol from the table nearby and smashed it right on the forehead of the man, causing all members to have successfully collapsed onto the ground. 

    Leopold’s eyes dropped on Cassandra, who was still holding the half broken bottle in her hands, observing the unconscious bodies that lay on the ground, and the look of innocence on her face had done the trick for the stubborn man who could no longer contain himself. 

    ‘Oops’ she had merely said, and within the instant his approaching figure caused her to drop the bottle to the ground, and meet the lips of a man who was hungry for her since the very beginning, and who had finally decided to give up the act, and accept the woman as his own.