Chained Hearts: From Slavery to Sovereignty
Chapter 74: Would he care if I were gone?

Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Would he care if I were gone?

Cassian’s world blurred as the lashes struck his back. His body started twitching under the continuous blows. The leather whip tore into his flesh with a force that left him trembling.

Every strike sent waves of agony through him. His breathing grew shallow as he fought to stay conscious.

His face became pale with every lash. Blood flowed freely from the wounds on his back. It stained the smooth stone beneath him. He felt cold. The cold stone against his knees only added to the chill spreading through his heart.

Prince Dorian’s face appeared in his mind. It was unexpected yet painfully obvious. He thought of the prince’s sharp but gentle gaze. He remembered the deep voice that carried calm authority. These memories filled his thoughts.

Would he be sad if I disappeared? Or died?

The questions hurt him more than the lashes. Silent tears slid down Cassian’s cheeks. Regret filled his heart.

He could not help but a seed of regret start growing in his heart. The thought crossed his mind if he had never met the princess. Will the situation now be different?

Cassian had been foolish to grow close to Princess Aurelia. Her kindness had felt like a lifeline in the cold palace. It had also made him believe he could be more than a servant. He had unknowingly crossed a line. Now, he was paying the price.

A loud crack echoed through the courtyard. The crowd murmured as they watched. Cassian’s head drooped forward as his strength drained away. His vision blurred further. He wondered if he would survive the sixtieth strike or even the next sunrise.

The gathered crowd was a group of maids and servants. They watched in uneasy silence. Some maids clasped their hands over their mouths. Tears streamed down their faces as they struggled to hold back sobs. Cassian had always been kind to them. He was always a gentle person. Whenever he has free time, he would volunteer himself to help.

Now they were forced to witness his punishment. Their hearts grew heavy with sorrow. This was not just a lesson for Cassian. It was a warning for everyone. The Queen’s message was clear.

Among the servants, some showed disdain towards the Cassian and murmured in low voices.

"He is really bold to think that he could climb the social ladder."

"Serves him right. A pretty face is not enough to fool the Queen."

But their words could not drown out the pity in the hearts of others.

The maids wept quietly. They turned their faces away when the whip cut deeper. Blood splattered and sprayed onto the nearby stones. They gasped as Cassian’s broken figure swayed like a dying flame.

The queen sat high in her ornate chair with her sharp eyes fixed on Cassian’s broken form below. Disgust simmered beneath her composed exterior. She had found the truth only hours ago.

The man who had dared to catch her daughter’s attention was not a noble. He was nothing but a servant, a speck of dirt beneath her feet.

Her lips curled into a sneer as the thought repeated in her mind. A servant had dared to rise above his station. Worse that her daughter, who is a princess of royal blood, had become foolish enough to notice him.

It was an insult to everything she had built. It was a stain on the royal family that she could not tolerate.

Her gaze hardened as she watched the blood pool beneath Cassian. Each lash brought her a grim satisfaction. This is what happens to those who forget their place. Let the entire palace witness his humiliation and learn from his failure.

Selena’s mind raced with cold thoughts. She did not just want Cassian punished. She wanted to erase his existence from the world.

His existence was a blemish on her daughter’s reputation. It reminded her of her own failure to keep Aurelia in line.

He should never have been allowed to live under this roof. I should have cast him out long ago. How dare he taint my bloodline with his lowly presence!

Her fingers tightened around the armrest of her chair. The leather beneath her hand creaked under the pressure, but she did not care.

By the time this punishment is over, he will be nothing more than a shadow of a man. He will not survive the night. Even if he does, I will make sure he is dealt with. I will not have a servant’s name whispered with my daughter’s name. This is the price of daring to dream beyond his station.

Selena’s cold eyes scanned the crowd. She looked for any sign of weakness among the servants and nobles watching the punishment.

If anyone dared show sympathy for him, they too would face her wrath. This display is not just for him. It is for all of them. Let them see what happens to anyone who dares to overstep their bounds. Let them fear me. Let them fear what I can do.

She leaned back in her chair, her sneer deepening. The sound of the whip cracking against Cassian’s skin filled her with satisfaction.

She could almost hear his spirit breaking with every strike. He will die knowing his life meant nothing. He will be forgotten. No one will speak his name again.

Her eyes narrowed as she thought of Aurelia. Foolish girl. She will learn from this. She will understand what it means to be a royal. To serve this family is to obey me without question. I will not let her weakness destroy everything I have fought to protect.

As Cassian’s body slumped under the weight of his punishment, Selena felt nothing but contempt. To her, he was already dead. A servant who dared to dream of more deserved no better fate.

Cassian’s thoughts began to drift as his consciousness wavered. His body grew weaker with each strike. His mind floated between pain and strange clarity. He thought of Dorian again. He thought of the warmth in his gaze. He remembered the rare moments when Dorian’s stoic expression faltered.

Would he care if I were gone?

Tears mixed with the blood on his face. He cried not just from pain but from the fear that this might be the end.

The guards paused briefly. They panted from the effort of delivering so many blows. Only forty lashes had been dealt, but Cassian was already a crumpled and bloodied figure.

The crowd murmured again. Some wondered if he would survive the remaining sixty lashes. The maids clung to each other. Their sobs were muffled by trembling hands. The servants forced to watch felt sick to their stomachs.

The Queen raised her hand. Her expression remained cold. She gave a single command.

"Proceed."

Her voice was as cold as the wind in the courtyard.

Cassian’s head hung forward. His vision darkened further. He wondered if he would ever see Dorian’s face again. He feared that his final memory would be the cold and unfeeling gaze of a queen who saw him as nothing.

Stop!

But just as he loosed his unconscious and the world around him became dark, he heard a sharp voice filled with pain.

He wondered who had come to save him. But it’s a pity they are late; he has a feeling his life is slowly slipping from him.

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