Chapter 160

Octavia glanced at her son before excusing herself from the ladies gathered around her. She followed Draven into a quieter corridor, away from the drawing room and the curious ears of their guests.

“What is it?” she asked, turning to face him.

“Why is Simon here?” Draven asked, his tone sterner than he would ordinarily use with her.

Octavia showed no surprise at the question, a reaction that only served to heighten his irritation.

“Because he is family, Draven. Why should he be excluded from your wedding?”

“He has never treated me as family.”

“That is hardly fair. You two may have disagreements but that does not mean you must respond to every slight by shutting him out.”

Draven lowered his voice as a servant passed by. He had no intention of allowing his disagreement with his mother to become a subject of amusement for their guests or the servants, but neither could he pretend the matter was insignificant.

Simon had been given several opportunities to repair their relationship, and each time, he had found a way to disappoint them.

“This is my wedding, Mother. I should have been consulted before he was invited.”

Octavia’s expression hardened. “And if I had consulted you, would you have agreed to let him attend?”

“No,” he replied curtly.

His answer did little to deter her. “Then you would have denied him the chance to be present for an important family occasion.”

“An occasion he has done nothing to deserve,” Draven retorted.

“He is still your cousin,” she insisted.

“And when has he ever behaved like one?” His frustration finally broke through. “You keep asking me to give him another chance, but what has he done with the chances he has already received? I will not spend the rest of my life pretending we have a relationship that does not exist.”

Octavia had her reasons for refusing to give up on Simon, and Draven knew that no amount of argument would persuade her to abandon them.

She wanted to preserve what remained of their family, a desire he could understand even if he no longer shared her determination to make everything right.

What frustrated him was that she continued to expect him to bear the burden of that reconciliation, as though his own grievances mattered less than her wish to keep the family together.

“Simon has his flaws, and I am not denying that, but there is still a great deal of good in him. He is in an unfortunate situation, Draven. He needs people who care about him. He needs his family. Both his parents are gone, and we are all he has left.” She tried to make him see reason, appealing to the compassion she knew he possessed. This time, however, Draven had no desire to entertain her pleas.

“I do not want him in this house, and I certainly do not want him anywhere near my wife.” His voice remained low, but there was no mistaking the finality of his words. “You are free to keep indulging him and paying for his addictions, but leave me out of it.”

“Draven—”

“We will discuss this later.”

He had caught sight of Cassandra at the far end of the corridor. She was approaching them, her gaze shifting between him and his mother. He could not tell how long she had been there or how much of their argument she had overheard, but he had no intention of continuing it in her presence.

Leaving Octavia where she stood, Draven walked towards his wife and offered her his arm. Whatever questions Cassandra might have, he would answer them, preferably when they were alone.

Cassandra accepted his arm without protest, and he escorted her back to the gathering.

For the remainder of the celebration, he put the disagreement with his mother aside, unwilling to let Simon’s presence cast a shadow over his wedding day.

Simon remained among the guests, but Draven made no attempt to approach him. He had no intention of allowing a man he neither trusted nor wished to associate with to dictate how he spent the day.

Throughout the gathering, Queen Delphine had been gracious, and Cassandra was deeply glad she was well enough to attend the wedding. Yet as the day wore on, she found herself increasingly conscious of the fact that the Queen and her family would soon depart.

She had always known that the day would come when she would no longer live at the palace. It was a change she had anticipated, one she had understood was inevitable once she married.

However, the wedding preparations had kept her occupied for so long that she had scarcely allowed herself to consider what leaving would mean. Now, with the celebrations drawing towards their end, the reality of it was becoming difficult to ignore.

When the royal party finally prepared to depart, Cassandra accompanied Draven outside to see them off. Theodore walked beside the Queen, while Adrian remained close enough to offer his mother assistance as they approached the waiting royal carriage.

Before climbing in, Delphine turned to Cassandra. For a few seconds, she simply regarded the young woman before her, and the tenderness in her eyes made Cassandra’s throat tighten.

“You look absolutely lovely, my dear,” the Queen said warmly. “I could not be happier to share this special day with you. It gladdens my heart to see you find someone to spend your life with, and I have every confidence that he will cherish you and stand by your side through whatever life brings. May your marriage be filled with love, contentment, and all the happiness your heart could wish for.”

Cassandra tried to answer, but the words barely made it past the lump in her throat.

Delphine reached for both her hands, giving them a gentle squeeze. “And remember, my dear, that nothing about today changes your place in our lives. Your room at the palace will always be yours, and you need never wait for an invitation to visit. Whenever you wish to come, you shall always be welcome. The palace will forever be your home.”

That was enough to undo the fragile restraint Cassandra had been maintaining.

She stepped forward and embraced the Queen tightly, pressing her face against Delphine’s shoulder as stinging tears gathered in her eyes.

When her own parents had so callously chosen another man over her, their own blood, the Queen had been there for her. She had given Cassandra the support and affection she had always needed but had never received from her own family.

When Cassandra could no longer return to Ashford House, the Queen had opened the palace to her, making it a second home where she would always be welcome.

Even when Cassandra was young, the Queen had never turned her away, offering her a refuge whenever she needed one. In many ways, she had been more of a mother to Cassandra than the woman who had given birth to her ever was and she couldn’t be more thankful.

Delphine was her ray of light in the darkness, her only reason for living and she loved her beyond words.

The Queen held her just as firmly, one hand resting against the back of Cassandra’s head.

“I am so grateful for you,” Cassandra whispered. “You have given me so much. You have been the mother I always wished I had, and I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“You need never doubt how much you are loved.” Delphine’s voice cracked beneath the weight of her emotions. “I shall miss having you around the palace, more than you know, but I want you to be happy. That is all I have ever wanted for you.”

“I shall visit,” Cassandra promised. “As often as I can.”

They remained together a little longer before reluctantly separating. Cassandra turned to Theodore, who opened his arms to her without waiting for an invitation. She embraced him, her gratitude spilling out through every loving gesture.