The following morning dawned clear and bright.
The sun spilled through the tall windows of Cassandra’s chamber, casting long ribbons of light across the polished wooden floor. For a few blissful moments after waking, she simply lay there beneath the covers, listening for any sounds outside her room.
Mary would have been outside her door by now, ready to wake her for breakfast if she were back at Ashford House. But she wasn’t.
Looking back, it had always puzzled Cassandra that her mother insisted on having her at every family breakfast and dinner, only to treat her as though she were invisible while lavishing all her attention on Edmund.
A part of her had forgotten how peaceful the palace could be.
After dressing, she made her way towards the royal dining hall.
A footman opened the doors for her and she muttered her thanks before her attention was drawn elsewhere.
The room overlooked the palace gardens, where the morning dew still clung to the trimmed bushes beyond the windows. Queen Delphine was already seated near the head of the long table, speaking with her husband while absently stirring her tea and she looked up immediately when Cassandra stepped inside.
"Cassandra dear." A pleasant smile spread across her face. "There you are."
She rose just long enough to squeeze Cassandra’s hand before motioning towards the empty chair beside her. "I was beginning to think you wouldn’t come down to join us."
"I’m afraid I nearly overslept." Cassandra replied as she took her seat.
"I considered sending Adrian to wake you but I’m glad I didn’t. Wouldn’t want to needlessly disturb you." Delphine said, bringing her cup to her lips.
It wasn’t long before a new presence joined them.
Cassandra watched with a smile as prince Adrian strode towards the long table. He paused only briefly to kiss his mother on the cheek before taking a seat beside his father.
He was two years younger than Cassandra, with dark brown hair like his father and eyes as bright as his mother. There was something permanently boyish about him despite the fact that he had long since grown into a man.
"I heard my name." He narrowed his eyes playfully, feigning suspicion. "You two were talking about me, weren’t you?"
"This one has the eyes and ears of a hawk," Delphine said, referring to Adrian. A second later she turned to regard her husband fondly. "I wonder where he got it from."
The Prince Consort glanced up from the morning paper he’d been reading, smiling despite himself. "I wouldn’t know."
Delphine soon drew Cassandra back into the conversation, not wanting her to feel left out.
Cassandra had known this family for years yet it was still a mystifying experience to watch the way they behaved so lovingly with each other. Even more bewildering was how readily they had welcomed her with that same affection, treating her as though she had always belonged among them.
Before them, she hadn’t realised families could behave like this. Hers did but only towards their beloved son, Edmund.
Adrian reached for the jam and without thinking, Cassandra slid it closer to him. It was a thoughtless gesture, one that would have gone unnoticed in her household.
"Thank you." He said appreciatively, kind eyes twinkling.
Edmund used to be like that, Cassandra thought. He had once been kind, loving and understanding. The brother she thought she would have forever.
But the Edmund from her memories was not the same Edmund from last night.
She looked down at her hands, suddenly deep in thought.
Thankfully no one seemed to notice the shift in her expression. For that, she was grateful.
---
By noon, Cassandra found herself outside Queen Delphine’s private solar.
Lifting a fist, she knocked lightly.
"Come in," came the queen’s muffled order.
The room beyond was bright despite the overcast sky outside. Tall windows overlooked the palace grounds while shelves overflowing with books lined one wall. A fire burned quietly in the hearth, making the space comfortably warm.
Delphine sat on a settee near the window and on the small table in front of her was a plate heaped with honey pastries. One of her favorites.
"Perfect timing." The queen cooed.
Cassandra curtsied. "I hope I’m not interrupting."
"Not at all."
She was so focused on the queen that she hardly noticed the other figure in the room with them.
Prince Consort Theodore Everhart closed the book resting upon his lap before setting it aside. He sat in an armchair in the far corner.
Though well into his fifties, age had done little to diminish the commanding presence that had once led Arden’s armies through one of the bloodiest wars in the kingdom’s history.
He stood well over six feet, with honey brown eyes.
The jagged scar beginning from the left side of his jaw and disappearing beneath the neckline of his shirt remained impossible to ignore.
Every child in Arden knew the story behind it.
General Theodore Everhart had received the wound three decades earlier while leading the final charge during the Battle of Grey Hollow, one of the decisive victories that secured the kingdom’s borders.
Many believed the scar made him look intimidating but Cassandra never quite agreed with that assessment.
Perhaps it was because he got it before she was born. She had never seen him without it. To her, it was merely another part of him, just the way his hands and legs were.
The moment Theodore smiled, the severity dissolved from his features, and Cassandra was reminded why she had always thought him the kindest, most caring man she had ever known. One could scarcely imagine a gentler soul.
"Cassandra." He said, acknowledging her.
"It’s good to see you here, Your Royal Highness."
"And you."
He inclined his head before returning his attention to the book that had captivated his attention before her arrival.
The Prince consort was quite the avid reader and since retiring from the army, he spent most of his time either by his wife’s side or with a book in his hand.
Cassandra settled into a chair opposite the Queen
"I’ve been hearing very interesting reports this morning." Delphine started, a coy tilt to her lips.
Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"The guards stationed at the palace gate informed me that a certain ducal carriage arrived rather late last evening. It seems the Duke of Norham has developed an unexpected fondness for delivering distinguished ladies to my doorstep."
Cassandra choked. "Your Majesty, I assure you..."
"What? No need to fret" Delphine looked wonderfully innocent. "I merely found it... noteworthy."
"The palace guards notice everything," Theodore remarked mildly, ever indulging his wife’s devious nature.
"Rest assured that nothing untoward occurred last night." Cassandra said, finally finding her words.
"I don’t doubt that. Montague has never been the sort to behave inappropriately towards a lady." Delphine gestured to her plate of pastries. "Help yourself."
Cassandra took a piece from the plate, savoring the sweet taste as she bit into it.
Delphine regarded her for a long moment, choosing her next words.
"I’ve heard what happened at Ravenshire Manor." She began gently. "I’ve also heard different versions of the same story."
Cassandra lowered her eyes. "I thought as much."
One thing Caldor, Arden’s capital city, thrived on was gossip. The more damning it was, the better.
"I’ve no interest in deciding who’s right based upon rumours." Delphine leaned forward slightly. "I’d much rather hear the truth from you."
Cassandra stared blankly at the table for a moment, lost on how to begin to explain the reason behind her recent actions.
"John isn’t the man people believe him to be." She admitted, knowing she couldn’t tell her that she had died or that she had come from the future. "He has spent years convincing everyone he’s honourable. He isn’t. He is dishonest, a man with no honour and I could no longer ignore it."
Delphine remained silent, allowing Cassandra to continue at her own pace.
"I know what society expects of women. I know what my family expected. But marrying him..." She shook her head. "I would be going against everything I believe in if I married him. I couldn’t do it."
There was a brief silence afterward and Theodore was the first to speak.
She hadn’t even realized he was listening.
"A man’s reputation is what he teaches the world to believe. But his true character is what remains when no one is watching. I’m proud of you for knowing the difference. Not many people do."
Cassandra found herself meeting his eyes again. There wasn’t the slightest hint of doubt in them, only understanding.
Delphine reached across the small table and covered Cassandra’s hand with her own.
"I’ve known you for many years." Her thumb brushed gently across Cassandra’s fingers. "And you’ve never struck me as someone who makes reckless decisions. If you believed ending the engagement was the right thing to do then I believe you."
The words settled over Cassandra like sunlight after a storm. She hadn’t come to the palace seeking validation, yet receiving it still felt comforting, especially after her parents had been so quick to condemn her.
Perhaps she wasn’t as alone as she’d thought.