To His Hell and Back
Chapter 92: Wedding Commence

Chapter 92: Wedding Commence

"The marriage should be a spectacle!"

Princess Marissa had sat down with her lips pursed. She held her arms into a cross, sitting on the plush blue couch as her aunt Genevieve and her step mother, Morgana, sat on her opposite side, talking. They were being civil, or to be more exact to look "civil". Her aunt couldn’t stand Queen Morgana not only the fact that this was the woman who had an affair with her late sister’s husband before her sister’s death but also the fact that Aunt Eve understood Queen Morgana wished to steal the throne for her soon-to-be-born son.

Aunt Eve smiled and took the teacup, her eyes lifting to look at Cassius, who, unlike the ladies speaking, had stood near the window, his eyes staring at the far beyond forest behind the castle. She wondered what her nephew was looking at. Despite his stubbornness, she could see that he was searching for something that was on the opposite side of the forest, simply too far to see, and was hidden behind the thick cluster of pine trees. Considering how everyone was here, he shouldn’t be looking after one of his family members yet his eyes seemed to have left something important behind.

"A grandiose marriage worthy of Versailles’ name," Queen Morgana continued while looking at Aunt Eve who had turned and showed her a pleasantry smile.

"I suppose the first thing we should think before the wedding’s venue or its decoration is the bride to be," Aunt Eve had placed her teacup and finally met eyes with Cassius who knew this was his cue as he had turned his face to his family, a small smile traced on his lips that always make him approachable yet deadly at the same time. "Do you have anyone in mind who you would like to marry, Cass?"

Cassius knew the reason why his father had called his aunt here. It wasn’t only for the human hunt nor was it to make sure he hadn’t strayed away from his desire to take over the throne. It wasn’t only to hurt Arabella either but it was to put forth a worthy union between their kingdom and another powerful nation.

His aunt had asked him politely, of whether he had someone in mind who he loved and would stay the rest of his life with but he knew this was an empty question. Fact is, no matter who was chosen, whether it was a rat or a bat, if his father had decided that the union would benefit the kingdom he wouldn’t hesitate twice before ordering the marriage.

And he?

He would have nothing to say against it. If he refused the throne he had strived to live for would be taken, and ripped away from him, and besides, it’s not as though he wanted to spend his life with someone forever, knowing how quickly an illusion called love could disappear. He didn’t want to further disappoint himself like his mother and being logical he answered with a smirk, "I wonder if there is anyone."

Marissa’s eyebrows furrowed at this. Her brother was always aloof, always quiet, and always coldly calculated. This marriage was no different than all the logical decisions he had made and his decisions had always benefited them, never once ending in demerits. Yet why does she feel uneasy?

Was it because how her brother had requested her to keep an eye on Arabella, something he would have never done before?

Because she was worried that his fancy toward Arabella would turn into something... Something more than that?

"I do not care," Cassius said, leaning his back deeper on the walls as he stared at the red liquid on Lucien’s glass, it was still new and fresh, clearly taken from a living human and he narrowed his eyes.

He questioned if it was Arabella’s blood and at the thought, his eyes had darkened but before he had asked, his sister who saw Lucien grimaced and commented, "Another glass of fresh blood from a human? Don’t you dare say that it is one of my maid’s blood?"

"Oh my dear fiancee, are you jealous?" Lucien darkly cackled, "Unfortunately no. It’s from a slave. Minister Rueben seemed to have gotten a new pet following the crown prince’s initiative and he had given me a glass to try."

Cassius who had clenched his arms tightly slowly loosened his fingers from clutching to his other arm. It wasn’t his birdie. It couldn’t be her indeed. Lucien’s lifelong dream was to press him to the edges but Lucien knew well enough that he wasn’t one to give mercy even if it was to his own family, thus why Lucien had held back a little and didn’t dare to go far by harming Arabella.

Besides his birdie wouldn’t have held back if Lucien tried to bite her, a stab or two would have been appropriately done by his birdie to "peck" the bad filthy maggot who had hurt her which he would then finish them off following her lead.

Realizing his own trailing thoughts, Cassius frowned. He was needlessly worried for the birdie when she had her wings tied close to him. He had told himself to forget about her existence the whole day yet it was baffling how the slightest word or sight could make his head return to thinking about her yet again.

Just then Marissa rolled her eyes, "Here I thought Minister Rueben hates humans."

"He doesn’t hate them," Cassius answered, "I reckon he rather fancies them."

"Him? Fancy humans? Haven’t you seen how he treated them?" Marissa could still remember that most humans who died would be sent to Rueben and he would have the most ugliest most delighted ear to ear grin that made her utterly disgusted.

Cassius leaned forward, the flickering candlelight catching the golden threads of his tunic. His expression was one of quiet amusement, the kind one might have when explaining something painfully obvious to a child.

"You’re so silly." His tone was almost indulgent. "He does like humans. He likes them because it is natural for them to bow. He enjoys the way they struggle beneath his hand, the way they resist— only to break in the end. And most of all, he loves knowing that humans should never be anything more than livestock."

Marissa’s gaze shifted to her brother, a flicker of memory stirring within her. It was always like this— Cassius knowing more, speaking with the certainty of someone who had already unraveled the world while she was still trying to understand it.

She arched an eyebrow. "And how exactly is that different from hating them? He wants to see them suffer and you would like to see the people you hate to suffer as well— no?"

Her voice was sharp, but there was a challenge beneath it. A need to understand, or perhaps to test the truth in his words.

Cassius shrugged with effortless ease, the rich black and crimson folds of his tunic shifting with the motion. The golden embroidery of a sparrow shimmered faintly in the dim light as he strode toward the couch, his steps unhurried, almost lazy.

"When you hate something, Marissa," he mused, lowering himself onto the cushions with the grace of someone who knew he belonged wherever he sat, "you don’t bother with where it stands— on your back or beneath your feet, it hardly matters. But when you like something..." He leaned forward slightly, a smirk curving his lips. "Ah, then it’s different. Then, you obsess over the balance, ensuring it never dares to stray too far. You watch it, control it, shape it—make certain it never dreams of slipping from your grasp."

Marissa’s frown deepened, her arms crossing over her chest in quiet defiance. Cassius let out a soft chuckle, tilting his head as if amused by her reaction.

"What he hates isn’t people," he continued, his voice smooth but edged with knowing. "It’s the thought of losing his leash on them."

His gaze flickered toward her then, dark and unreadable, waiting to see if she would understand the difference.

"What a bastard," Marissa commented for Lucien to chuckle beside her.

"A bastard? I quite like Rueben for once. He’s someone who doesn’t hide his true nature," he then looked at her, his blonde hair twirled between his fingers as he grinned, "He’s more honest about needing to put humans in place unlike some who wish to speak about balance when still using that very power of a vampire to teach them of their place."

Marissa obviously knew what she had implied and before she could speak, Aunt Eve had cut in between, "The couple shouldn’t have such arguments. You two should bond instead of fighting all the time," then her eyes narrowed at Lucien, causing him to flinch, "Behave, son," she demanded and Lucien gritted his teeth, quickly drinking the rest of the blood from his glass.

"Perhaps they should be wed soon," said Queen Morgana who couldn’t hide her smile seeing the fight and disharmony between Lucien and Marissa. The worse they have fought, the more uncomfortable they were with each other’s presence, and the more fun it was. After all, Marissa was similar to her mother, and seeing her suffer made her joyful. "I did hear that after marriage couple who tends to fight during their engagement would soon settle down and know each other like the back of their own hands."

Aunt Eve chuckled, the sound rich with amusement and knowing. She had known Queen Morgana far too long to fall for her sly attempts—this was just another carefully veiled move to push Marissa’s wedding forward, despite Cassius’s clear refusal. And Eve disliked that. She disliked how Morgana always tested Cassius’s authority in her presence as if waiting for a moment of weakness to exploit.

Still, Eve didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, she responded with the same cool composure she always carried, her words laced with a subtle sharpness.

"Not necessarily," she mused, tilting her head ever so slightly. "Being married to someone for so long doesn’t mean you’re ready to accept that one day, your position might be taken by another woman. Wouldn’t you agree, Your Majesty?"

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