The Banished Prince

Chapter 29

Cassia

     Cassia wandered through her town with Sakura at her side. Her mind was muddled. Because of Hunter - always because of him, her mind was a cyclone of thoughts and she had begged her father to let her out because she needed to breathe. After the attack on the castle, Cassia needed to get out and forget about the way Hunter saved her.

     Cassia treaded down the road, her feet slapping against the stoned ground and she glided passed commoners. They were scurrying around, their eyes animated and alive as they spoke about the attack. Everyone knew what happened. It was obvious now that posters of Hunter, his friends and his father littered the town streets.

     They were wanted criminals. Posters of them were glued to shops and houses, and everyone was eager to hunt them down to win the grand prize. Some people were sharpening up their weapons, others were plotting and the rest were just annoyed with the disturbance. Oflaria was changing and it unsettled Cassia.

     Soon, Sakura and her entered the clearing Hunter and her once were - the one where a fountain sat in the centre and around it townsfolk would chat and play games. Cassia strode towards the fountain - it was a bad idea, but she did it anyways, and she hopped onto the ledge and Sakura joined her.

     And immediately, Cassia teared up.

     Because she thought she hated Hunter. She was supposed to want him dead, but she didn't know how to feel anymore. Because Hunter had saved her. He was supposed to be her enemy, but he still showed her a kindness no one else had ever shown her.

     "Are you okay?" Sakura asked, frowning. "You seem awfully sad."

     "I'm fine," Cassia snapped. "Hunter escaped, so you can understand why I'm overwhelmed."

     Sakura's eyes darted away. She lowered her eyes and Cassia paused.

     "Fine, I'm not okay," Cassia blurted out, unable to hold it in anymore. "Do you know what it's like to have your enemy save you? To have the one person you should absolutely hate do something kind for you. I feel like my head is going to explode as I try to make sense of it."

     Sakura was quiet for a moment. Her eyes glazed over and Cassia sighed. Why was she here when Hunter once sketched her and told her she was his muse?

     "I don't understand it either," Sakura confessed. "But, I've seen the way he looks at you. It's not the way you look at someone you despise."

     Cassia's heart lurched forward and she hated it. She hated how Hunter had chipped away at her until she was no longer the person she used to be.

     "Princess Cassia!"

     Cassia jolted at the familiar voice of a girl. Her eyes rose and there was Maria and her brother, and Cassia groaned. She was not in the mood for small talk.

     "Why do you look so sad?" the boy asked, frowning.

     His eyebrows furrowed and Cassia sighed heavily. She really didn't want to talk to them.

     "Nothing, just a lot has happened," Cassia said, waving towards the sign that read Hunter Monroe wanted. "As you can see, I've been betrayed."

     They glanced back and nodded, their eyes filling with sorrow. It was humiliating. To be pitied was mortifying.

     "I'm sorry your boyfriend tried to kill you," Maria said and Cassia blinked. "You were so happy with him."

     Her heart ached. It was as if Hunter had an invisible knife he could jab into her heart whenever he pleased.