CASSANDRA: The Unfavored Princess-Chapter 98: Few Steps
Duke Salvador turned around in a hurry.
"Something is wrong," Aiden said as he took a step forward towards the ballroom but Princess Cassandra held his hand.
"Be careful," Cassandra said in a low tone. Her gaze moved across the door to look into the room. "No matter what happens, do not make emotional decisions."
Aiden looked at the fifth Princess. His eyes narrowed but he trusted the fifth Princess. He nodded his head as he left the balcony.
Cassandra looked at the man’s back as she touched her dress nervously. She waited for a second before taking a step inside.
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"Now that everyone is here, I would like to announce something." Princess Valeria’s words were loud and clear.
"Valeria, we have guests." The Emperor said in a low tone. His anger reflected clearly from his eyes.
"That is even better. They should also know who will be the next ruler of this land." Princess Valeria’s lips curled up in a smirk. She looked around at all the people staring at her.
"After all, I am going to be the next Emperor," Valeria said in a small voice as if saying a fact.
"VALERIA!! .." The Emperor shouted in annoyance as he stood up from his seat. His eyes darkened by the rage that was brewing in it.
"I am not telling a lie, father." Princess Valeria laughed. "And I will prove it to you here. I will be the Crown Princess today. After all, everyone with royal blood has a fair chance to claim the throne."
The Emperor was burning with anger. He could not understand why the first Princess was behaving in such a manner. A few hours ago, Princess Valeria was quiet and well behaved and now she was here in front of their enemy Kingdom trying to make fun of the situation.
[As my information goes, Valeria is not that powerful.]
[Although my daughter is one of the most powerful fire mages, she is not still cannot control any other element.]
[If Valeria truly could control anything else she could never be this silent till now. She would have declared it long ago.]
[So what is she trying to prove with such provocative words in front of Prince Carl?]
The Emperor was losing his patience. He felt like caging his first daughter yet again. If Princess Valeria could not understand the situation it was best that she was locked up.
"What the Princess is saying is true Emperor." The secretary took a step forward as he said to the Emperor. "All the Royal Blood have a right to the throne."
"YOU ..." The Emperor’s eyes widened in rage. His secretary who valued the Empire’s face the most was saying such words. The aura around the Emperor intensified. He ignored the secretary as he took a step towards Princess Valeria.
Valeria was standing there surrounded by people with a smirk on her face. Her gaze was filled with a challenge as she waited for the Emperor to take a step towards her.
[Just one step, father, and I will prove to you that I am the true heir to the throne.]
Princess Cassandra swallowed as she stood at the end. She was near the balcony refusing to take a step forward. Listening to the Emperor and the first Princess’s thought was making her anxious. She looked around for Duke Salvador who had walked beside her at some point.
"Should I not intervene?" Aiden asked in a whisper but Cassandra ignored his words. Her eyes were focused on the first Princess.
’If the Emperor’s words are to be trusted then the first Princess should only be a fire mage.’
Cassandra thought as her hands formed a fist.
’But the way Princess Valeria is thinking says otherwise.’
’It is as if the Princess is sure that she will be the next Emperor.’
’But you need to control all the four elements to be able to ..’
Before Cassandra’s trail of thoughts could be completed she saw Princess Valeria rising up in the air.
Everyone’s eyes widened. The first Princess who was believed to be able to use only fire elements was using wind as well. But the smile on Princess Valeria’s face did not lower. She blinked her eyes as she raised her hands.
The ballroom shivered as chunks of rocks moved up forming steps for the first Princess to walk on. There were screams and choices in the ballroom but the first Princess did not care. Her focus was the Emperor, her father that stood before her as if he had seen something beyond his expectation.
[This is a look I always wanted to see.]
Princess Valeria thought as she came down through her newly formed stairs to stand in front of him. "You look thirsty, father," Valeria said in a low tone as she moved her hand as a water ring formed around the Emperor. "Will you like some water?"
Princess Valeria’s tone was filled with pride. She felt like the true self she was supposed to be.
[The secretary did not lie.]
[The crystal is truly powerful.]
Princess Cassandra’s eyes widened as she heard Princess Valeria’s thoughts. It was not from the surprise like everyone else but from a sudden realization.
"Stay here," Aiden said in Cassandra’s ears as he took a step back but before he could his hands were caught by the soft touch.
Duke Salvador looked back only to see Princess Cassandra holding his hand. "She used the crystals," Cassandra murmured as she looked up at the Duke.
Aiden did not know how to react. He could not understand any of it in the situation. People were running around as he looked at the other Dukes that were ready to defend their Emperor.
Aiden moved his body but Cassandra continued. "It is unstable. Do not come in between them."
Aiden simply nodded his head before walking towards the other Dukes, standing as a defense.
"THE FIRST PRINCESS IS THE TRUE FUTURE HEIR." The secretary shouted in amazement. His voice revolved in the ballroom making everyone stop in their steps.
Princess Valeria did not care what everyone else was saying. All of her attention was focused on the Emperor.
[This is what power feels like.]
[This is my future.]
The Emperor took a step forward, his eyes looking at the daughter he cared for the most. "When did this happen?" The anger in his tone had long disappeared. There was a hint of happiness in his voice.
Princess Valeria narrowed her eyes in confusion. Why was her father being so understanding and sweet all of the sudden but soon she realized that it was the power that held her father’s heart?
[His worries are destroyed because I became the most powerful.]
[I know what he will think. He will be happy that he found an heir who he could manipulate.]
[But my poor father, who will tell him that I have my goals already set.]
"When the Emperor asked me to go to the outer palace, I was heartbroken." Princess Valeria looked at the secretary before looking down. "It was then that I was in deep thought. I felt like my father despised me. The thought that I was unable to be the better person in the Emperor’s eyes was eating me from within."
Princess Valeria moved her fingers like no one was watching and soon tears started rolling down her eyes. "I felt if I was a little different then maybe things might be different. What if I was able to control more elements will the Emperor look at me in a different light."
Princess Valeria looked up at the Emperor. "So I started focusing on myself. As days passed I could feel the energy of other elements running through me and soon before I knew it I could control all the four elements."
"I know the story feels magical and made up but that is the truth. Maybe I needed stimulation to unlock my powers and I got it when you refused to listen to my explanation."
No one in the hall talked. Everyone was looking at one another. The true heir’s power was unleashed in mysterious ways and history also predicts the same way.
"So you were my successor." the Emperor said in a small tone. "But we have to check your powers."
The Emperor looked at the secretary. Their household was the one who had always checked whether the claims of the Prince or Princesses were true.
The secretary understood the situation very well. It was all in his planning as he nodded his head. "We will need to move to the Crystal room, Emperor."
The Emperor looked at the Dukes as he gave instructions. "The ball shall continue. I hope the four pillars of the Empire will handle the situation here." The Emperor looked at all the Ducal household as he narrowed his eyes.
No one was allowed in the crystal room in the Empire apart from the Emperor, the next heir, and the secretary. It was a custom that only the secretaries family knew of that determined if the person was from the prophecy. This was the reason why the secretarial household had held the power so long.
