Married to the Rogue

Chapter 6: Father

|Cassandra|

"W-What. a-are. w-we. doing. here?" I asked Magda the moment the knights had allowed us to enter the gates of the castle.

"Your mother must be worried of you," she said. And her words were the only thing that had convinced me not to ask any further.

I held onto Amaro's shoulder a bit tight as my gaze could not looked away at the castle ahead of us. Even with the distance, I could tell how massive it is once we finally got closer. And this will be the first time that I will be seeing it in person. But...it is still a question to me why mother would come here?

Does she works here?

It took us a few minutes before we finally arrived in front of the castle. I was right that its size were almost a hundred or thousand times bigger in my own home at the foot of the mountain. It was given since royals live here.

The knights who were guarding the entrance immediately pushed it to open, revealing a spacious hall inside.

My eyes automatically looked around as we stepped inside. The first thing that caught my attention was the knights forming a line, giving us a single way toward the throne ahead. I could not appreciate the beauty of the throne hall.

My gaze were locked to the man seating on his throne behind the shadows. Only half of his body could be seen with n***d eyes. His upper proximities were hidden, as if he wanted to appear mysterious before his subjects.

I swallowed hard. I could feel my heart pounding against my chest. And the only thing that can be heard as we course the way was our footsteps and our heavy breathing.

Not long after, the three of us--Magda, Amaro and me--were now standing before the man seating on the throne. I wanted to see his face but he did not dare moving an inch on his seat. Amaro had to put me down, especially when the three of us needed to say our greetings to the man seating on the throne.

He must be...the king.

Magda and Amaro quickly curtsied and bowed down their head. I was panicking and even saw myself reflecting their action terribly.

"Good evening, your highness. It is our great pleasure that you have given us a chance to talk to you," They said in unison. I bit my lower lip to utter the same word. It's better to be silent than to put myself in danger and embarassment.

I glanced in her direction and she and Amaro was still in the same position so I remained rigid between them.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about, Umbers," the king said.

"We only came here to return your daughter, your highness. She was lost in the woods two days ago," I heard Amaro said.

"Daughter?" the man seating on the throne said with confusion.

"Yes, your highness," it was Magda who confirmed his queries. "She was found by an heir the heir of Lancaster pack wandering on the woods. And he asked us for a favor to bring your daughter back to you,"

My forehead creased at what they were talking about.

I understand the gist of it. They were talking about me, being the daughter of the man in front of us. As much as I wanted to correct Magda's misunderstanding, I could not even open my mouth or move an inch on my place. I could feel the piercing gaze of king on my direction that made the small hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

I swallowed hard and tried to calm myself. But my body started to shiver in fear and intimidation.

The hall went into silent. I do not know what was happening, but the next thing I knew, I was pulled by the knights away from Magda and Amaro. I gasped in surprise and shock. My eyes widened in fraction. I thought they will do something dangerous to me but they only guided me a few steps forward near the platform.

I quickly turned around to see Magda and Amaro. I looked at them with panic. They are now standing straight and it was Magda who caught my gaze as soon as possible.

"M-Magda," I finally find my voice to utter. The worry on her expression was too evident, like she was ready to save me no matter what happens. But instead of doing so, she remained standing on her position as she gave me an assuring smile. She whispered something in the air but it was enough for me to hear.

"It's all right, you don't need to be afraid," she said. Then she lifted her hand in front of her face, holding the invisible air then pulling it toward the back of her head. "Take off the cap of your coat," she added.

I blinked. It took me a while before I saw myself nodding my head at what she had told me to do.

"Show your face, child," the king's voice echoed on the corners of the hall. My body went frozen upon hearing his cold and ruthless voice. And it was a miracle that I was able to turned my head back to his direction.

I swallowed hard. I know that I don't need to hear another word from him. But my find could not seem process what he had told me to do. It took me a couple of minutes before I muster my courage to lift my hand and reach for the rim of my coat's cap. Then with trembling hands, I take it off on my head, revealing my entire face.

But it seemed that what I have done had triggered the man seating on the throne. And when I saw him suddenly standing on his seat, my body automatically moves on its own.

I quickly run neard Magda and hid behind her. I could not see the king's face because of the shadows but the aura around him turned into dark shade of blue from dark shade of orange. And each seconds that passes, the color of his aura gradually changes into dark red.

I hid even more behind Magda when the man was nearing and hiss long legs were eating the steps of the stairs. Even I could still not see his face, I could sense his anger. And he was getting more angrier every passing seconds that the only thing I could hear the silence of the hall were his footsteps. I closed my eyes and grasp on Magda's clothes a bit tight. I'm afraid that the man might suddenly do something dangerous to us, three.

Magda held on me tightly, as if he was protecting me from everyone who was surrounding us now. I closed my eyes and braced myself.

I thought mother is here. I thought Magda and Amaro was bringing me home. But this is not my home. This big castle will never be my home.

Magda told me earlier on our journey that we could find mother at the Castle. I corrected her earlier that we were taking different route from home. She seemed to have misunderstood me. No. They misunderstood me. They thought I was bluffing when I pointed told them I was living in the middle of the forest.

I should have blame them for what was happening now. But it is me who must put to blame in the first place because...I could not even explain them my situation very clearly.

I was stuttering. I could not finish an entire sentence without having a hard time. And I could not make it clear that Magda and Amaro had misunderstood my explanation.

I was the one who put to blame. If only I could talk normally like a six-year-old kid. Like Fiona. Like Sofia. Like everyone else.

"Bring that girl to me," a voice, who was now coming in front of us, said. I heard the clanks of metals and footsteps behind me. I lifted my gaze to Magda in horror, especially when I felt a massive hands holding both my arms.

"M-Magda!"

"Let go of the child! Please! Your highness, we made a mistake! The child is not a roya--"

"Silence." the man who was now in broad light said. At the flick of his hand, Magda and Amaro was brought down into their knees.

The tears were now pooling on my eyes at that sight. I wanted to scream and asked if they're okay, especially when I heard Magda groaning in pain.

The Knights who were holding both my arms dragged me in front of their leader. It was only then when I finally got a clear sight of him.

He was standing on the last step of stairs as he looked down of me. Seeing the crown in his head, I don't need to look into the pages of the books to know who the man is in front of me.

He is...the king.

But what made him caught my attention was the color of his hair...and his pair of eyes. It was the same to mine. Only, the color of his eyes were in a darker shade. And he would be the first person I met that has the same physical characteristics as to me.

The...king suddenly squatted on the floor to level his eyes on me. And now...I got to see his purple orbs in closer look. I was right. The color of his eyes was much darker than mine. But then, my gaze landed on the lower part of his jaw. I saw a long scar tracing his jawline.

I suddenly remember a certain memory years ago.

"Mother, d-do. I h-have. a. f-father?" I asked after my mother finished reading me one of my favorite bedtime stories.

"Of course, baby. You have a father. Why did you ask?"

"I-I... just. w-wonder. what. he. looks. like,"

"Oh," her lips formed into 'O'. I looked at her with excitement. She stared at me for a few seconds before she inhaled a deep breath. Then she she embraced me a bit tight and gave me a quick kiss on my cheeks that I could not help but giggle in giddiness.

"Well. Your father is very handsome man," she started as she caressed my hair. "Your hair color was from him as well as your pretty purple eyes. And I must say you got your smartness also from him. It saddened me a little bit that the only thing you got from me was your freckles and your pale skin. But well, seeing your purple and copper hair always made me remember your father. His a strong man, once a warrior. His taller than me so I always get to see his beautiful scar on his jawline,"

"S-Scar?"

"Yes. It's the result of a wound after it healed. Wounds leaves a scar. And you're father got it after he saved me from death,"

"Father is a hero?"

Mother quickly nodded her head. And for some reason, the light yellow aura around her was new to my sight. I knew at that moment...that she was happy as we talked about father. guided

"Yes. You're father is a hero, baby," mother said then pull me for a whole embrace. She gently my head to lean on her chest. I could not help but close my eyes as I listened to the beat of her heart.

"And he loved us very much that he needed to push us away in order to save us,"

And that was the last piece of my memory because I had fallen asleep afterward.

"Who are you?"

I was dragged back to reality upon hearing that deep voice. I swallowed hard, and meet the king's gaze, who never seemed to leave mine.

"F-Father," wa all I could whisper. And the king had seem taken aback upon hearing those words escaping my lips. His eyes widened a fraction, but he was able to manage his emotion immediately.

"So you are Katherine's daughter, huh," he said. And it was my turn to be in shock when I heard him saying my mother's name.

"D-Do...y-you. know. my. mother?" I said in hope and excitement.

Is she here?

The king smirked at me, like he found my question ridiculous and outrageous.

"Of coure. I know that woman very well,"

"T-Then. I-Is. she. here? M-Magda. said. she. is. here," I tried my hardest to utter.

The king stared at me for a few seconds. The slight confusion in his aura had mixed up with his anger. And the smirked on his lips were gradually fading.

I swallowed hard, especially when his expression turned cold and ruthless.

"I don't know where you had gotten your idea that Katherine is here but that woman was f*******n to set foot in this castle," then he stood and hovered over me. I could not help but to make a few steps back as a reaction.

I...I don't like his presence. His aura was too intimidating that I found myself shivering in return.

His gaze landed behind me. As much as I wanted to look away, my seemed to be drawn to him. Seeing the scar on his jawline had confirmed my hunch that this is my father. There's no other explanation needed.

But the next words that came out from his mouth had pulled me back to reality.

"Bring those two out of he castle. They are not already needed. And gave them a fair reward to what they had brought to me this night,"

My eyes widened in shocked and quickly turned around to face Magda and Amara. And the first thing that greeted my eyes was the knights that were now holding both of their arms as they tried to breakfree.

"Let us go! Your highness, I apologize if we made a mistake. That child, she is my responsibility--"

"The proof is uncanny, woman. This child is my daughter and it's only natural for her to live and grow up here," the king immediately interrupted what Magda has to say.

Magda's lips parted in horror, then her gaze landed on me. I saw myself walking toward their direction but before I could even go closer, a knight was already beside me and stopped me from my attempt of chase.

"N-No!" I said as the knight carried me on his arms. Of course, the knights were strong enough that my small punches did not even hurt him.

"L-Let...g-go!" I uttered as I tried to breakfree.

"Your highness--"

My attention was brought back to Magda and Amaro and only to see them dragging by the knights out of the castle. I stared with horror on the doorway where they were forced to be drag out.

How could those knight possibly do that? How could...the king do that to me? Those two has been good to me!

They just can't leave me here. They need to bring me back with them. This is not my home!

The tears were now pooling on my eyes. The thought of not going back to my home and the thought of not seeing my mother again suddenly made me want to cry.

"Stop crying," I heard the king said. I was left with no choice but to look at him. I have so many words to say yet I could not still find the courage to say everything to him.

Why did he let those knights dragged Magda and Amaro out? Why I was left here? What will he do to me?

"Starting on this day, you'll live here," he said. He looked straight into my eyes.

And all I could do in return was to let out a cry. What could a six-year-old little girl do in the midst of situation, right? What power do I hold to fight against the man...who was the king of this kingdom...and turned out to be my father.