Cassandra

Chapter One

Cassandra POV 

“Mom, please, stop” I moan once again looking at my mother with begging eyes. She is towering near me dressed in a full-length beige gown covering almost all her hand and reaching till her toes. It is having a round neckline where shines the pearls that she is wearing. I don’t know if she is able to breathe at all in that hideous dress. 

Her hair is tied behind in a bun and I don’t like the style at all. If I am asked, I would prefer them to be loose. But God forbid is I dare speak about it another time. I have already been scolded for it before when I asked why she ties all that up when she has beautiful long hair. 

We don’t let our hair loose, Cassandra, it is really unladylike. 

I might have rolled my eyes at that time which I am doing right now too. 

“Cassandra, it’s not Mom, its Mother” she gives me a slap on my bottom and I yelp. 

She continues her struggle with tying the corset again around my chubby belly. She keeps on groaning and shushing me at my plea to stop but doesn’t lose her composure. 

“I told you to call me Cass, Cassandra sounds like a name for a middle-aged maiden” 

“Ow,” another pat but I don’t mind them now. I feel like they make me strong just like another of my thought. If I eat ice more often, I would be more immune to the risk of cold. 

“Finally,” she says in a whisper, being happy with herself in the success of her attempt to put the corset on. 

“You do know Mom…uh….Mother, that I can’t breathe at all in this” I say turning to look at her now. 

“Cassandra, you don’t need to breathe, you need to find a handsome prince to wed you”  her formal smile is still sticking on her lips as she pats on my head 

“Eww… I don’t like guys MOM… they are dirty.. they stink… they tease you… they are mean… and they are ugly”. I told her while counting on my fingers all the facts about guys that I have known. 

“Cassandra, you don’t speak to your Mother in this tone and neither will you say any of these things to the princes at the ball today.” She turns around and takes a look in the mirror, smiling to herself. 

“Now.. face the mirror and let's do your hair” she is too chirpy today, which is her usual behavior whenever there is a ball. 

It seems to hurt me that oftentimes. It feels like I am not her daughter but just a stranger whom she has to send away as soon as she can. Not like my stupid brothers. They don’t have to worry about dressing up and going to balls as I have to. They are chilling and playing right now somewhere. 

“And, it’s not like you will be married the next day Cassandra, you will be betrothed to a very charming prince and marry him when you will be fifteen years old,” she says while trying to brush my hair 

“Ow” another pat, this time it’s on my head by the very comb.

“Your Hair Cassandra. When was the last time you washed it” glaring at me through the mirror my mother raises her eyebrows. Her lips in a thin line and her hands resting at her waist. 

“Uhh…I guess… yesterday?” I look sideways not daring to meet her eyes. 

“Ow” another pat

“Don’t you dare lie to your own mother” “This.. doesn’t look like it has been washed for a week” her hand moves away not touching my long long hair. 

She doesn’t let me cut it and then scolds me for not washing them. They reach till the bottom of my back and I don’t like washing them that often.

 It gets tiring and difficult., especially when I am in fields playing, they always have to be either tied up or they will get dirty. I haven’t mastered the art of tying a bun until even at the age of 14. I can’t believe it to be easy at all even though I see the other princess doing it. They do it with such an ease that it puts me to shame. 

The smooth strands of hair, play between their fingers like a stick in a bird’s beak and with no effort they role them in a perfect beautiful bun. If I am asked, I forget how many strands to take, in which pattern to put them and which moves to make it round. I gave up on my fifth try and decided to let it loose. 

“I will ask Maria, to do your hair and apply some honey to your hair” she is about to roll her eyes but stops since that would be unladylike 

I chuckle and she stares back at me. 

“Cassandra honey.” Uh-oh, that’s her serious voice. I am about to receive a lecture once again. 

“You know why it is important for you to look beautiful at the ball right? “ she doesn’t give me a chance to answer that.

“We are the richest royal family. We have a history of the bravest kings and queens. We have never been looked down by anyone and we will never be” her lecture seems like a threat now and I gulp. 

The staring continues for a minute and I stand there folding my hands behind me and looking down. 

“I understand Mother” is all I can say for now. 

“Maria…” she yells but not as loudly as one should call someone from a different room. It’s a miracle that Maria hears the cry and comes rushing inside. 

Bowing down, she keeps her eyes at the ground and stands some inches away from my mom. 

“Please do her hair and put that gown on her and get her ready for the ball” Mom starts to move towards the door, almost out when she turns back and gives her a glare too.

“Make sure, she behaves” that’s her last words before the door closes and I let out a breath I was holding in. 

“Maria, you are now in the presence of the bravest, the strongest, and the smartest Cass” I smile at the mother I never had. 

Maria smiles back, with her smile reaching till her eyes. She has been the mother I wish I had, she has raised me from when I have no clue, but I have always found her around when I needed her. 

When she gave birth to a boy, her husband threw her out of their house as her job was done. My father found her one day, almost in her last moment, wearing torn clothes and pale lying at the side of a tree taking her last breaths. 

He immediately asked his Physician to treat her and brought her here to live in the courtroom with us. She worked hard then the other court’s woman and gain my Mom’s trust too, letting her than take care of me. 

I have been gifted with her since then. 

“Cass, what are you up to today?” She asks reaching for the cup of honey she has placed by the side. 

“A birdy told me today that Daddy is teaching my stupid brothers again” I smile when Maria reaches up to untie my corset understanding what exactly I have in mind. 

“And you want me to tell your Mother, that you behaved like a perfect princess?” She asks me but it is mostly a statement which we have devised to say to my Mom after every Ball. 

There is a twinkle in her eyes which soothes me every time. She nods to herself while putting me in a white blouse and black pants reaching to my waist. 

Now this feels comfortable 

It doesn’t take her two minutes to tie my hair back in a bun tightly so like all the times, they don’t get loose when I play. 

“The Princess looks ready for her battleground” she laughs as she hands me a robe to cover myself from the eyes on the palace. 

“Maria, I am not a princess, I am a knight,” I say giving her a peck on her cheek and rushing to the ground before the training starts.