Arabella opened her mouth and as words were about to leave her throat, it disappeared. She felt like the rmaid who had sold her voice, unable to say a thing even though her heart wished to and the more ti it stretched between them felt more unbearable.
"It’s not your fault," Cassius’s firm words slipped from his throat. His voice was hoarse, his tone was bleak but the firmness in his words were unshakable.
She turned to him, her heart stirred as emotions swirled inside her. Blankly she blinked and he held her closer, placing one hand on her waist and the other holding her elbow.
He lowed his voice and settled his nose on the crown of her head, "It was not your fault. You didn’t cause this to happen and you owe nothing short of apology."
Arabella felt choked, as if a lump had grown large in her throat that caused for tears to threaten falling from her eyes. But how could she cry when she wasn’t the one most affected? It was far too shaful of her.
"I’m sorry," she whispered and as she was about to say it again, Cassius’s fingers slipped over her lips, pressing them gently.
"I told you. You don’t need to apologize. It was my fault that earlier I couldn’t say these words to you," Cassius then turned to look at her eyes and he slowly rubbed his thumb under her eyes, "I cannot lie to you that at first seeing your eyes I was reminded to the people who had done this to Marissa. But that doesn’t an that I bla you for what happened. I just need ti to calm myself. I’m sorry for making you feel unsettled."
Arabella shook her head, "You don’t have any apology to make."
"As it is to you," Cassius confird and when the ti arrived, he held her hand as they made their way to the side of the coffin.
Marissa’s face was covered with a thin linen black cloth, as if to prevent anyone from seeing the wound on her body that was far too grotesque but Arabella could faintly see the smile etched on Marissa’s face even as she died and that made her feel even sorrowful than before.
Cassius placed the red callia beside his sister’s face and Arabella followed suit.
He then whispered as they walked back to the bench, "It wasn’t Hans. He is dead."
Arabella turned toward him and frowned, "So who was it?"
"I don’t know," answered Cassius, "But after the funeral I will go to find out who was behind this. It would take ti so hang on as I leave."
"Why can’t I co with you?" she asked and stopped, "I promise I wouldn’t be a burden to you."
"That’s not it," he answered her and looked behind as he saw Queen Morgana walking toward the bench far away from him, sobbing her heart out as though the one who had died was her own daughter.
He so much wanted to put the noisy screeching peacock into silence but right now she was far from the priority.
"It’s dangerous," Cassius answered, "It must be a trap that was set by Morpheus. He knew that I will go and find the one who had caused Marissa’s death and wanted to co to that village. But I can just not go because I know it is a trap. I need to find out the bottom of this and," he paused for a while and continued, "It is Marissa’s wish to be buried alongside Hans. I have to find his body before it was too late but I don’t want to risk losing you because Morpheus’s target has always been you."
Arabella wanted to insist but she didn’t want to burden him. anwhile she thought about finding the person whom the Fake Hans had talked to. The one who had given him the potion, the sa person who still lingers in this castle.
"MY DAUGHTER! OH, MY SWEET DAUGHTER, HOW LIFE HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU FAR TOO SOON," Queen Morgana wailed and beat her heart as she sat beside Marissa’s coffin.
From afar, Arabella could see Aunt Eve’s face marred with rage and the only reason she hadn’t rushed to slap Queen Morgana for her acts was because of Lucien who had held her back with a smile.
Instead of sorrow, he seed rather happy that his fiancee had died, perhaps because all this ti he found Marissa a burden and her strictness a turn off.
But alas Cassius couldn’t care about them.
He had one goal he had to see to the end and Arabella understood it.
But for so reason... she felt that there was a shift inside the castle. Though she couldn’t na what shift had happened and what was it that she felt, she could tell that the castle’s air had turned tenser and sothing was about to occur.
By the next three hours, Cassius had set out to leave the castle. Arabella was worried but she watched him as he left.
Before he does, he lifted her chin and kissed her by the lips. His eyes firm as he told her that it wasn’t her fault and he would co back as soon as possible to reside by her arms again. Arabella felt relieved to see his love hadn’t turned to hatred but that didn’t dispel the guilt that was in her heart.
As she watched his horse alongside Renard left the castle, she turned around with Karnala, about to return to Cassius’s chamber.
Before her feet could set far away however, a shriek ca from her left side, gathering attention to all guests who had just walked out of Marissa’s funeral as well.
Everyone’s eyes were imdiately on the woman who had raised her voice as if she had seen a ghost who had walked out from the fiery gates of Hell.
Arabella frowned and turned to see it was Iliza. She had her face showing the expression of shock and fear while pointing her finger toward her.
"IT WAS HER! I SAW HER AND THE MAN WHO HAD TURNED THE PRINCESS INTO A MONSTER!"
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