Chapter 158: A Crown Without a Cage

Chapter 158: Chapter 158: A Crown Without a Cage

Cassiel let the teasing go.

"It is late. Are you tired?"

Finally, a normal topic of conversation.

Elysia lowered her hands, though she still kept her back turned to him for a moment, unwilling to let him see how thoroughly embarrassed she was.

"A little. I was going to return to my room after bringing you the medicine."

Cassiel nodded.

"I am nearly finished as well. I shall walk back with you. I need a few days of proper rest."

A few days.

The words immediately reminded Elysia of something important.

She turned around.

"Cassiel, you..."

"Hmm?"

His expression was patient.

She hesitated before asking,

"When will you leave to bring Lieutenant Rennor back?"

Cassiel did not avoid the question.

"In a couple of days. By the end of the month, most likely."

"Oh."

Elysia nodded slowly.

"That soon."

She had known the northern mission was approaching. They had already discussed it with King Zephyrus, and Cassiel had made it clear that he intended to go himself.

Still, knowing he would be leaving within only a few days made the matter feel different.

Her gaze unconsciously fell towards his injured leg.

"Your leg has not fully recovered, and you will be travelling such a distance. What of your medicine?"

"Bran will accompany me," Cassiel said gently. "He shall see to it."

Elysia’s brows remained faintly knitted.

Bran was capable, but that did little to ease her concern. Cassiel would still be travelling into dangerous territory while recovering from his injury.

Cassiel noticed her expression.

He reached for her hand and lifted it, brushing a gentle kiss over her knuckles.

"Is the Crown Prince’s engagement banquet not approaching?"

Elysia looked at him.

"I shall accompany you."

She blinked.

"An uncle attending his nephew’s engagement banquet is only proper."

Cassiel gave a quiet snort.

"Who said I care about the boy?"

A faint smile touched his lips.

"I am going because you are going."

Elysia’s heart warmed.

She lowered her gaze, trying to hide the small smile that appeared.

Cassiel watched her for a moment before his expression shifted.

"You asked His Majesty for that favour today."

Elysia looked up.

"You had a plan in mind, did you not?"

She had not expected him to notice.

A little embarrassed, she nodded.

Then she hesitated and glanced at him cautiously.

"Are you displeased?"

Cassiel looked genuinely puzzled.

"Why would I be?"

"Because I did not speak to you first."

Her voice softened.

"I made the decision on my own without consulting you beforehand."

Cassiel was silent for a moment.

Then he smiled.

He lifted his hand and brushed his thumb gently along her cheek.

"Elysia, I respect your decisions."

His voice was calm and certain.

"Why would I be angry because you were capable of making a decision for yourself?"

Elysia’s shoulders relaxed.

She had not realised until that moment how much she had been dreading his reaction.

In her previous life, decisions had rarely belonged entirely to her.

Even when people called her position an honour, there had always been expectations attached to it.

As Crown Princess, every choice had carried consequences.

Every word had been measured.

Every action had been watched.

She had learned to ask before acting, to consider how others might react, and to place everyone else’s wishes before her own.

Cassiel was telling her she did not have to live that way anymore.

And somehow, that simple permission meant more than she could explain.

She had spent so long believing that her worth depended on how well she fulfilled the role others had given her that being told she could simply choose for herself felt almost unfamiliar.

Yet Cassiel said it without hesitation, as though her freedom had never been something he could give or take away.

He studied her expression.

"And there is one more thing."

Elysia looked at him.

"Remember who you are now."

His voice was steady.

"You are the Duchess of Draevenor. There are scarcely a handful of people in this kingdom who rank above you."

Elysia stared at him.

"Speak as you wish. Do as you wish. You need not lower your head before anyone."

Her eyes widened slightly.

No one had ever said that to her before.

Everyone had called being Crown Princess a great privilege.

They had praised her position, her title, her marriage and the wealth surrounding her.

But no one had ever asked whether she was happy.

No one had cared that the Crown Princess’s Wing could feel like a cage.

Sometimes, Elysia had felt less free than the servants who swept its halls.

She had learned to smile, remain agreeable and keep her thoughts to herself.

Vaelen had never cared for her.

He had never noticed how lonely she was.

How trapped she felt.

Cassiel was different though.

He did not merely tell her that she was important.

He wanted her to understand that she was free.

And she could tell that he meant every word.

Elysia’s fingers tightened slightly around his.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Cassiel’s tone shifted.

"There is one thing you are not permitted to do."

Elysia tilted her head.

"What is that?"

He held her gaze.

"You are not permitted to ask me for a separation."

Elysia stiffened.

The words struck somewhere deeper than she expected.

A flicker of guilt crossed her face.

She quickly lowered her gaze, forcing herself to remain composed.

"I will not."

Cassiel watched her quietly.

He seemed satisfied with the answer.

But Elysia’s heart was less certain.

Unless you are the one who grows tired of me.

Unless you are the one who decides to let me go.

Real love was rare.

The kind that lasted a lifetime was rarer still.

Perhaps it did not exist at all.

Cassiel was treating her with a devotion she had never known before.

He protected her.

He listened to her.

He respected her decisions.

He noticed even the smallest things.

Yet people changed.

Feelings changed.

One day, Cassiel might grow tired of her too.

Elysia did not want to build her entire heart around the certainty that he would always love her.

What she had to do now was guard herself.

That way, if things ever changed, she could walk away with her dignity intact.

She looked at him again.

Cassiel was still watching her.

His expression was calm, but there was something almost knowing in his eyes.

Elysia wondered if he could somehow see the thoughts she had kept hidden.

She quickly looked away.

"Let us go."

Cassiel nodded.

Neither of them mentioned the matter again.

---

On the day of the engagement banquet, the manor was busier than usual.

Miriam and Clara helped Elysia dress up.

The gown had been chosen carefully, elegant without being excessively elaborate. Her accessories were kept simple, and her hair was arranged neatly enough for the occasion without making her feel as though she were preparing for a royal ceremony herself.

When the final adjustments were made, Cassiel came by to see her.

He stopped when he saw her, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Elysia, you look beautiful."

Her cheeks warmed.

"Miriam and Clara did all the work..."

Cassiel’s gaze lingered on her for another moment before moving towards the dressing table.

"What of the set His Majesty bestowed upon you?"

Elysia followed his gaze.

"I put it away."

She had barely finished speaking when she turned towards the mirror to apply her lip colour.

Cassiel looked towards Clara.

"Bring it here."

Elysia’s hand paused.

"Cassiel—"

But Clara had already gone.

She returned a moment later carrying the jewellery box.

Cassiel opened it.

Inside lay the gilded gemstone regalia King Zephyrus had given Elysia.

He studied the pieces briefly before selecting the gold hairpin.

Then he wheeled himself behind her.

Elysia watched him through the mirror as he carefully positioned the hairpin in her hair.

She hesitated.

"Cassiel, is this not a little too conspicuous?"

He adjusted the pin with calm precision.

"If the Duchess of Draevenor does not have the right to shine, then who in this kingdom does?"

He drew back.

His eyes softened as he studied her reflection.

"It suits you."

Elysia glanced at herself in the mirror.

The hairpin was unmistakably a royal piece, finer and more radiant than her usual accessories.

For a moment, she wondered whether she should remove it.

But it was only one piece.

Elegant rather than excessive.

And Cassiel had chosen it for her.

In the end, she allowed it to remain.

Once they were ready, Elysia and Cassiel got into the carriage and set off for the Crown Prince’s Wing.

The carriage had travelled only part of the way when Elysia suddenly remembered something.

"Will Melissa be attending as well?"

She looked at Cassiel.

"I did not see her when we departed just now."

Cassiel leaned back against the luxurious carriage seat.

"She likely headed over before sunrise. By now, she is probably already outside the palace gates, waiting for them to open."