Chapter 298: I’m supposed to be the Villain. That’s MY job
Cass found himself whipped into a waiting room, tea set up, sweet treats shoved into his hands and a blanket wrapped around his shoulders before he even had time to register what was happening.
All by a smiling, happy fairy who could speak to the trees and plants around them.
"A little birdie told me that you aren’t doing so well. So, eat up, drink up, I think you’ll need it from the way those two bumbling idiots were shadows of masculine energy behind you. All big, strong, and looking at you like you’re a damn feast." Ser Hune said with a smile. Cass felt his blush going all the way to his ears.
Fiona was still in the room!
"T-T-That’s-" Ser Hune waved a hand, dismissing his response easily.
"We’re not judging that, are we, Lady Fiona?" Fiona, who had been sitting across from Cass on a comfy loveseat jumped, before she shook her head. Her face was frozen in a shocked expression, but she was more looking at Ser Hune than Cass.
"We aren’t. I don’t care, Cass." Fiona agreed and that only made this worse. Was he the only one who cared about this? He was the damn son of a Duke! He had to keep some kind of appearances up! And it wasn’t like being gay was cool here!
What was the point of trying to build up his political strength to fight as a not bad guy if it all disappeared because of rumours that he was gay? He just knew that they would be petty like that!
"I care!" Cass exploded. "I care a lot, but I’m not myself right now." Ser Hune’s gaze sharpened, as did Fiona’s.
"Are they taking advantage of that?" Ser Hune’s voice was deadly, dangerous. Cass grumbled. He folded in half, resting his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. He rubbed his face there.
"No? Maybe? They are always asking after the stuff in the dungeon." Cass mumbled and Fiona let out a relieved sound, while Cass could hear how Ser Hune shifted above him.
"Stuff in the dungeon?" She asked, her voice cold. "Did they assault you in the dungeon, my lord?" Cass was almost more worried for Lucian and Edgar about what Ser Hune would do to them instead of what Fiona would do to them.
They were both powerful women in their own right, but Fiona had...standards? That sounded bad, but Ser Hune...Cass had a feeling she was morally closer to Lucian then others realised. She was wilder.
"Fiona beat them up already, Ser Hune, and they’ve been relatively well behaved since." Cass muttered, more embarrassed that he had to admit that to them. "Fuck. Can we just...speak about anything else right now? I’m already embarrassed enough that you caught me in a similar position as I caught you in, Fiona." Cass muttered, raising his gaze up to catch the surprised glint in Fiona’s eyes, before she broke out into a broad smile.
"Oh gosh, I’d been so worried and focused about my own troubles I hadn’t even realised that was the case." She covered her mouth, giggling. "Oh wow. I didn’t think that would happen. And you admitted to it, too." Her eyes curled up and Cass realised he’d fucked up. He’d pointed it out.
She hadn’t really even registered that was the case. Ser Hune chuckled.
"So you were up to no good in that carriage." Cass flushed. "Good. You deserve some relaxation and down time. I’m also glad you did some shopping. You’ve been going nonstop from what Deacon has told me. You deserve this, my Lord." Ser Hune told him and Cass grew even more uncomfortable. With one hand, he reached out and grabbed a teacup, raising it to his lips and took a deep sip.
The liquid was hot, but not hot enough to burn him. It wasn’t as flavourful as the tea that Sam brewed him. In fact, no tea that had been brewed for him since Sam had been away from his side had tasted as good.
Why was Cass getting all sentimental right now? The man was on his way to his side. It hadn’t even been that long since he’d gotten to know him either.
"What was it that you wanted to talk about so urgently, Fiona?" Cass asked after he put the empty teacup down. Fiona watched Cass. Took in how tired he looked, how before he’d been a blushing, red mess and now he looked every inch the son of a Duke that he was.
Fiona leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees as well. She interlocked her fingers, her thumbs rubbing against each other as she thought of the best way to break the news to him before she sighed.
"My...Father has demanded my presence. As his daughter. And...they want to announce Ava’s engagement." Fiona’s face was pale as the words left her mouth. Cass felt his body stiffen.
What?
That didn’t...that wasn’t...they were far too early in the book for that to be happening right now! Lady Ava wasn’t supposed to get engaged until near the end, right before Lord Blackburn stole the weapon from the hero party! And Fiona...she was supposed to find out that she was the daughter of the king around that time.
How had this jumped so quickly? What the fuck was going on?
Fiona took in the confused and shocked look on Cass’ face and let out a bitter laugh.
"I know, right? It’s absurd. So absurd that Ava has locked herself up in her room and refuses to come out. She even sent word to her father and he replied back quickly. He had nothing to do with it. It was all the King." Fiona’s smile was angry, bitter, and filled with an emotion that Cass was violently familiar with.
Cass knew what disappointment looked like. Especially parental disappointment. The painful twist of Fiona’s lips as she smiled told Cass all that he needed to know.
"That fucker did this? Do you have more information? Like who it is?" Cass asked and Fiona let out a choked sound.
"It’s some fucking old guy who isn’t even from the Kingdom. The King is planning to marry off our High Priestess to some fucking old guy who already has a huge harem and is going to send her off to the middle of fucking nowhere when we need her to defeat the Demon King!" Fiona choked up, before she cleared her throat. "It’s so damn foolish, and I can only think of one reason why this is happening!" Fiona’s eyes watered. "It’s me, isn’t it? I’m the reason this is happening! He even called a ball so that he could announce it and said our attendance wasn’t even mandatory. He was going to announce it anyway." Cass wanted to snap the man’s neck.
Such an overwhelming rage filled him that it actually surprised him. Fiona gasped as Cass rose up from his position on his knees and stretched his arms out across the back of the loveseat. His hands fisted against the thick material there. Ser Hune also looked disgusted.
"Fucking humans." She muttered under her breath, and Fiona only looked disappointed and angry. Cass felt like his jaw was going to snap, he was so pissed.
"Cass, your magic." Fiona warned, and Cass blinked. He glanced around and noticed that ice was creeping into the room, and he took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down.
"Thank you for the reminder. When is this fucking sham of a ball?" Cass asked and Fiona looked even more ill. Her thumbs were rubbing viciously fast circles now, her nerves getting the better of her.
"When you’re...indisposed. About...4 days from now." Cass didn’t even register that Fiona was tracking when Cass was out for commission. It actually made sense to him. Of course she would. He was part of her team.
No, Cass felt a violent wave wash over him before it reached a fever pitch and then...there was nothing.
Cass had transcended.
Fuck it. Fuck the whole thing.
So he had urges? So what? He was Caspian Spencer. He was Lord Cassian Blackburn. These fuckers could suck his fat fucking cock for all he cared. They were not going to get away with doing this all because he was ’out of commission’.
"So they want to play? We’ll play." Cass said. His voice so calm, so peaceful, that both Ser Hune and Fiona glanced at him.
"Cass? Are you alright?" Fiona asked tentatively. Ser Hune shifted nervously on her feet. Cass let out a low, soft laugh.
"I’m far past rage and into a state that I’ve only achieved twice before. I’ll be fine. They, however, do not realise what beast they’ve poked. They think that because I haven’t been able to attend until now that I’m going to sit back and let them do this. They are sorely mistaken. I don’t think the gods will approve of this action, do you?" Cass asked softly, and Fiona swallowed before shaking her head.
"Ava says that the gods are pissed. Furious, actually. The country that they want to send her away to is...far. And they don’t believe in them the same way. They are basically telling Ava that she...she isn’t needed. I don’t think the Vespertine family is happy either." Fiona said quietly.
Cass stood up with a flourish.
"Well then, they simply seem to forget that not only have we been letting them rule this Kingdom, we literally have the dragon who gave them the keys to the palace in our entourage. I am filled with so much rage, I think I won’t be able to sleep tonight. Go comfort Ava. Tell her we won’t allow her to be sent somewhere else. If you two are going somewhere, they aren’t going to be the ones dictating that." Cass said coldly and Fiona stared up at her contract husband.
"Cass...I’m a little worried to ask, but what are you going to do?" Fiona asked and Cass adjusted his collar, looking livid. Fiona had never seen him this angry before, ever.
"I’m planning to clean house. Far faster than I had been planning before."