“No,” Cassian said.
“Don’t you like women?” Laila asked.
“I like women,” Cassian replied.
“Then don’t you think I’m pretty?” Laila asked.
“It’s not that. You are very pretty,” Cassian said.
Laila smiled, satisfied to hear him say she was pretty. She said, “Then I don’t see what the problem is.”
“I’m in love with another woman,” Cassian confessed.
“The person you bought the books for?” Laila asked.
“Yes,” Cassian replied.
“Have you told her?” Laila asked.
“No, I can never tell her because it’s impossible for us. She is a married woman,” Cassian explained.
“Then it’s perfect for you to be with me. That way, you can forget about her, don’t you think?” Laila suggested.
Cassian knew it was for the best to try to forget his feelings for the princess. However, he didn’t want to use Laila just to forget his feelings for Abril. He wanted to be honest with her and said, “I don’t think it’s right to do that. You are a very nice girl, and I wouldn’t want to make you suffer.”
“Then let’s start as friends, and if one day your feelings change, tell me. Although I don’t know if it will be too late by then: someone else might come along and steal my heart, Laila replied, taking another bite of her cake. “Enjoy your cake before I steal it, I really love this.”
They talked for a while longer. Later, Cassian accompanied Laila back to the bookstore. As they said goodbye, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and said, “Come back soon to visit me.”
His face turned red with embarrassment, which Laila found adorable. Cassian was a tall man, somewhat slender but with well-defined muscles. Despite looking like a big and strong man, he could be very sweet. Laila gave him a big smile and said, “See you next time, Cassian, and remember you have to come back to pay for the book.”
“I can pay for it right now.”
Laila shook her head firmly. “No, you have to come back to pay for it, that way I can make sure you’ll return.”
She opened the door and, before entering, said, “I hope you enjoy your book and come back soon to visit me.” After saying that, she went inside and closed the door.
Cassian thought Laila was a bit strange, but also very pleasant. He returned to the palace, and upon arriving that day, he went straight to his room to read the book Laila had given him. Like the previous one, it was very good. He got lost in the pages of that book and didn’t even realize when night fell until the light became too scarce to read with.
One of the maids knocked on his door, announcing that the king was waiting for him for dinner. Cassian didn’t want to dine with his brother, but he knew that if he kept avoiding him, Alessandro would worry and start asking what was wrong, as they had always been very close. So he decided to join the dinner.
When he arrived in the dining room, Cassian saw his brother laughing with Abril. That was unusual for Cassian: he had never seen him like that with any woman. For a moment, he thought it was good to see his brother happy and genuinely wished that happiness would never end, even if it caused him pain.
Cassian greeted them and took his place at the table. “How was the lake?”
Abril responded with great excitement and a huge smile on her face. “The lake is wonderful! I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. You should have come.”
“Maybe next time.”
Throughout the dinner, Abril kept telling Cassian how much she enjoyed her trip to the lake. When they finished, two maids approached Abril to tell her it was time for her bath. She said goodbye to Cassian, and Alessandro told her he would join her in a while.
After Abril left, Alessandro said to Cassian, “Abril told me you’re joining the inspection.”
“Yes.”
“We’ll leave in a few days.”
“Alright.”
“It’s been a long time since you accompanied me on an inspection. I’m glad you agreed to come.”
“You seem very happy lately when you’re with the princess. Have you fallen in love with her?”
Alessandro didn’t love her, but inside him, had grown a need to protect and care for her. He simply replied, “She’s my wife.”
“That didn’t matter to you before; you ignored her for four years. Tell me, what has changed?”
“I don’t know.”
Cassian knew it was more than evident that Alessandro was in love with the princess, that she had captivated his heart just as she had done with him, although Alessandro seemed unaware of it.
He said, “You’re a bit of a fool, brother.”
“Excuse me?”
“You should think about what you really feel for the princess. Maybe when you figure it out, your marriage will be happier.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“I’m just saying, ask yourself, what do you feel for the princess? Nothing more.”
“Are you insinuating something, Cas?”
Cassian stood up and said, “Examine your heart and your feelings, Lessan, because sometimes we have everything we need and what we’ve always wanted right in front of us, but we’re stubborn and blind, so much so that we don’t realize the value of what we have until we lose it.”
When Cassian left, Alessandro was left pondering what Cassian had told him, to examine his heart and feelings. He felt comfortable with the princess, even though he sometimes found her annoying. He desired to be by her side and protect her. He didn’t want to see her suffer, especially because she was the only one who could heal Cassian’s injury, the only one who could give him a second chance to be the person he once was.
Alessandro got up from the table and thought.
“It’s not love. Cassian is completely wrong.”
When he reached his room, Alessandro hesitated for a moment before entering, though he wasn’t quite sure why. Upon entering, he saw the maids finishing drying Abril’s hair. When they saw him, they bowed, and Alessandro ordered them to leave the room.
Abril remained seated in front of the mirror. Seeing the maids leave, she picked up a comb and began to brush her hair. Alessandro stood behind her, touched her reddish hair, and used his magic to dry it.
“How do you feel?”
“I’m fine.”
Abril replied without stopping her brushing. Alessandro continued to run his fingers through her hair gently. Abril was dressed in a light white nightgown that left her shoulders bare. He moved her hair to one side, revealing her seductive neck. He ran his fingers over her neck, giving her a soft caress. Abril’s cheeks turned red, and he could see it in her reflection in the mirror. This tempted him, and he brought his mouth to her neck, giving her a soft kiss that left a small red mark, causing her to startle.
“Do you fear me? Do you hate it when I touch you? When I kiss you?”
“No, but I don’t want to feel pain again.”
Alessandro kissed her cheek and said, “That won’t happen.”
Abril turned around, her golden eyes locking onto Alessandro’s. He kissed her lips and said, “Next time, I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt.”
Alessandro stroked her hair and said, “Let’s go to sleep. It’s been a long day.”
Abril complied and got into bed. After covering herself with the sheet, he laid down beside her, and she asked, “Can I go for a walk in the garden tomorrow?”
“Yes, but don’t overdo it. You need to rest because we’ll be leaving soon. We’ll be taking a long carriage journey, so you need to take care of your body.”
Abril smiled, happy to regain some of her freedom, and said, “Thank you very much.”
Alessandro wrapped his arms around her and said, “Good night, Abril.”
She settled into his arms, and although it was warm, she didn’t mind sleeping in his embrace. She hugged him back and replied, “Good night.”
A week later, during dinner, Alessandro announced that they would be leaving the next day at the crack of dawn. Abril was very excited, but Cassian was not.
‘Tomorrow?’
‘Yes, is there a problem?”
Cassian had plans with Laila the next day. She had insisted on a date, and he had promised he would go. He never imagined his brother would announce a sudden trip without notice.
‘It’s just very sudden.’
‘I know, but an issue has arisen in one of the towns I need to visit. That’s why I decided to move up the trip. Do you have a problem with us leaving tomorrow?”
Cassian hadn’t yet told his brother about his secret outings from the palace or about Laila, and he didn’t want to. He replied, “No, I just didn’t want to get up so early.”
‘If that’s the problem, we can leave at midday. Does that work for you?*
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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