And Then There Were Four (Lilith Carrie) novel Chapter 172

Chapter 172: The Heir Apparent

To say the dress looked amazing on me would be an understatement. I fucking rocked this damn dress, and I knew it. "Damn... I look sexy as fuck."

The high slits on the side of the navy blue dress did wonders for my legs, and the way the bust perked up my boobs made them look like I had a five-thousand dollar boob job which made me smile. Even with me being young, my boobs didn't honestly sit perky like most would think. I was heavy-chested, and these girls-though they sat nicely-weren't porn star tits.

Turning from side to side in the mirror, I smiled at my reflection. "What do you think?"

Ansley stood beside me, quiet as always, her eyes gazing over my figure before a smile played across her lips, and she shrugged her shoulders. "I think it looks like perfection. You definitely fit in with the royals around here."

"Royals?" I laughed, shaking my head. "I don't know if you want to call us royals, by all means. I'm just as normal as you or anybody else. I don't sit on a high pedestal like some of these people may do, but I do plan to try and make everybody proud in the position I'm being given."

At that, Ansley got quiet and stared at the floor once more. She let out a small sigh. "I know it's out of place of me, but could I give you a piece of advice?"

Considering how she was when she first walked in here and started dealing with me freaking out over the smallest of incidences, I was honestly shocked she wanted to give me advice, but I was more than happy to receive it.

"By all means, anything that you can tell me that I might need to use would be wonderful."

Taking a moment, she seemed to ponder over whatever it was that she had to say before her eyes met mine, and she let out another heavy breath. "Be careful of Solina and her brother. They're pretty upset that you're being called the heir apparent when they think that it should have been them."

I wasn't all that surprised she said they would be upset. In all honesty, I expected there to be a few people who weren't happy, considering I was new, had just arrived, haven't really earned my way around this place, and now I was being cast ahead of all of them and supposed to rule over everybody. Or that was the idea I had in mind for being an heir apparent.

"Thank you for letting me know, but you don't need to worry about them. You're with me now, and you're safe. And if for any reason they give you any kind of trouble, make sure you let me know, I'll handle them accordingly."

Reassuring her the best I could that I would take care of her was a step I didn't think I would ever take for anybody else. Granted, I had a big heart, and I was always there for my friends, but dealing with the levels of hierarchy in this place wasn't something I was exactly comfortable with yet.

I was a rebel at one point in time, a badass with a name that people made sure they knew, however, coming here, I was just like anybody else. I was a nobody. My name was big now. After Odin, my grandfather, proclaimed me the heir apparent,

I hadn't shown anybody what I could really do.

At least not in a normal sense.

Giving myself another glance over into the mirror, I nodded my head in approval, ready to go meet whoever it was I was supposed to be meeting in the Grand Hall with Odin.

Leaving my room, I made haste as I headed down the hallway toward where I was supposed to be meeting everyone. I would have expected someone to come get me, but according to Ansley, she was informed I was supposed to be arriving there on my own.

Not that I cared, but it would have been nice had someone told me what I needed to do.

The moment I got close to the Grand Hall doors, I could hear the murmured sounds of voices and laughter coming from the other side. No one waited outside the doors to greet me, and for the first time, I felt the nerves about what I was about to do flow through me.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed on the massive wooden doors with gold ornate handles and set my eyes on the hall and everyone in it. There were various people before me I didn't recognize, but some that I did. Freya, Frigg, and, Odin were all present.

Yet, as I stepped forth into the hall with everyone's eyes on me, I felt like I was the outsider among them all. Even the ones I knew.

"There she is!" Odin bellowed with a smile on his face as he stood from his throne in furs and with a horn in his hand.

"Everyone, this is Castor, the heir to my reign."

The announcement he made caused whispers to flow around me as he gestured for me to come forth toward him. There was no way I would reject such an offer, and stepping forward towards the throne, my stomach fluttered from the anxiety flowing through me.

"You asked for me to come," I replied softly as I held my head high, taking my grandfather's hand as he helped me up to the last of the steps to stand at his side.

The moment I turned at his side to face the people in front of me, uneasiness washed over my body that kicked in my flight response, urging me to escape. There had to have been at least one hundred people in front of me of all sizes and races. The colored eyes of creatures watching me as if they were looking for me to make some sort of mistake.

"Yes, Cassie..." he chuckled before turning back to the crowd. "Today, I have gathered you all hear to introduce Castor, or Cassie as she prefers to be called, to talk about the upcoming Solstice games that will happen in a few week's time. As per tradition, Cassie will be required to take a suitor and select those who will be part of her reign..."