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She said this in a way that made me worried. “Is everything alright?”
I immediately remembered her secret boyfriend, whom she hadn’t mentioned since then. I also didn’t want to start that conversation, because I felt if it was something she wanted to share with me, she would have done so. Still, the idea of who it was kept eating me up alive. We hadn’t had a visitor at the castle in what felt like ages, but we did receive mail. I noticed that she got a few letters, so I assumed that it was someone with whom she was still in contact, if not face to face, then at least through writing letters.
At first, I thought it might have been someone from the castle staff, maybe a dashing servant who managed to charm Cass with his wit and kindness. Or maybe one of the guards, with their protective allure and chivalry. I knew that Cass would easily fall for one of them.
My imagination conjured up various scenarios, each more amusing and unexpected than the last. I tried to come up with a name of a man who might fit, who didn’t belong to the castle. Before all of this started, we had organized numerous feasts and gatherings here at the castle. Maybe someone from a neighboring kingdom caught her eye, a charming nobleman or a diplomat?
“Everything is more than alright,” she suddenly said, bringing me back from my musings. “I’m just hoping that tonight I will manage to sort some things out, and for that, I need to be on my own.”
“I understand that,” I repeated the same words. “There is no need to explain anything, Cass. Just tell me… is it about your secret boyfriend?”
She smiled, and that was all I needed to know. In the midst of all my speculations, my heart filled with happiness for Cass. I knew how special and loving she was, and the idea that someone had captured Cass’s heart in such a secretive manner made me happy and hopeful, not just for her, but for us all.
“It is,” she nodded. “But I still cannot tell you who he is.”
“That is fine,” I assured her. “You must have a good reason for it. And I want you to know that I will support your choices and decisions no matter who this man… or vampire… or whatever else he might be.”
Cass chuckled at this, and I joined in. I felt closer to her than ever, despite this huge secret that she was keeping from me.
“After all, love is such a precious gift, Cass. I want nothing more than for you to experience the joy of being loved and cherished.”
“You mean like you have with the bodyguard?” Cass teased.
My eyes widened in shock at her words. I immediately glanced at the door. Luckily, it was closed.
“How about you say that a little louder?” I pretended to be upset, but in reality I wasn’t. “I don’t think everyone heard you.”
“Don’t you think it’s high time you came clean?” she wondered.
“About?” I wondered.
She sighed, shaking her head. “First, you have to admit it to yourself. Only then can you tell Father and everyone else.”
This is where I stopped pretending. “I know. It’s just… I don’t know what to do about my own mess of emotions.”
“Emotions are never a mess,” Cass spoke wisely. “We choose to make them into a mess. While all we need to do is just listen to our heart. It knows what it wants. It knows what needs to be done. But we are afraid. This fear is keeping us frozen in time, paralyzed, and this is the root of all this confusion.”
I tilted my head a little, teasing her. “Have you been reading some of Father’s philosophy books?”
“A little,” she admitted with a sweet chuckle. “But I’m also madly in love, and more or less, in the same predicament as you.”
“You mean, there is someone else?” I gasped.
“Yes,” she nodded, then quickly added. “I mean, we haven’t done anything. We’ve just talked, and… we realized the depth of our emotions for each other. But unfortunately, we couldn’t do anything. Now, in light of some new developments, we’re hoping that we might end up together.”
“I am rooting for you, Cass, with all my heart,” I told her, as she looked all starry-eyed.
“Your words mean more to me than you could ever imagine,” she said, a tear glistening in her eyes.
“Oh, don’t cry,” I urged. “You’ll make me cry, too.”
We both laughed, then hugged each other tightly.
“I just want you to be happy,” I told her, fully settled on this one certainty.
“I hope to come to you in the morning with the truth,” Cass said, much to my delight.
“I look forward to that then,” I smiled, watching her.
