The War God’s Favorite novel Chapter 57

 The Siblings’ protection
One could tell everyone in the Hall was waiting to see who would have the last word between the War God’s Favorite and an Imperial Princess. The tension was palpable, some of the women were excited to see how this would turn out. Princess Phetra had a triumphant smile on already. Cassandra, no matter how favored by the Prince or Emperor she was, couldn’t disobey her.
“…Is that so?”
Those three simple words from Cassandra took everyone by surprise. Her voice was too calm. While Phetra was still dumbfounded, the young Concubine got down from her Prince’s knee and walked down their way, seemingly unafraid. Everyone watched her cross the Hall without saying a word. Had that woman gone crazy?
However, Cassandra was walking very calmly and without an ounce of fear in her eyes. Maybe her baby was giving her some unexpected strength, but she couldn’t stand being afraid of those people anymore. The fire of a Dragon was glowing in her eyes. (2
She arrived in front of Phetra and her younger sister Valeria and, while not giving one look at the first, seemingly bowed to the other. After a few seconds of that strange posture, she got back up, turning to Phetra.
The Princess didn’t even bother to hide her annoyance.
“What are you doing! I forbid you from touching her!”
“I do not need to touch her,” Cassandra retorqued back. “This bandage doesn’t even smell like medicine. It doesn’t smell like anything.”
A silence followed her words, and Phetra went paler and paler, as everyone presents slowly understood.
Medicine in the Dragon Empire always smelled strong, and most of the time, horribly bad. It was usually made of some greasy and thick balms, that would smell even worse, had it been kept under bandages like the one on Valeria’s arm. However, from what the young concubine had said, it was obvious. While faking Valeria’s injury under such bandages, they hadn’t even bothered to apply any kind of balm underneath, and anyone with a sniff. Even the second Prince’s dragon behind them, that was usually so moody for nothing, was resting in his cage, unbothered. He certainly wouldn’t have stayed put with the smell of the medicine so close.
vaste
Cassandra stared right into Phetra’s dark eyes for a few seconds, not showing an ounce of fear, and turned back before her enemy could even reply.
“You… You…!”
But nothing came out of the Princess’ lips, and Cassandra calmly walked back to her Prince. Kairen had a terrifying smirk on, much like Shareen’s. As his concubine joined him and sat on his lap again, his eyes didn’t leave Phetra one second.
Meanwhile, the Emperor slammed the golden throne again, and this time, his golden dragon behind him growled loudly, as if to show his master’s anger.
“Phetra, what is this! Valeria, take off that bandage! Right now!”
The princess was completely white, so was her younger sister. Slowly, trembling hands took off the bandage, revealing a perfectly fine arm. Kairen slowly kissed Cassandra’s shoulder, proud of his young concubine. His sister, too, was exulting.
“Look at this, father. My sisters work so hard at insulting and framing me, don’t they?”
“Father, I… I can explain… She… Valeria came to me crying! I only wanted to get justice for…”
Phetra kept trying to justify her lie, miserably. Cassandra frowned. That woman was really too disgusting. She was in such a hurry to throw her younger sister in the death pit when she was obviously the one behind all this… Even
worse, the second Prince completely ignored them, as if this whole situation wasn’t his concern. He wasn’t any better than Phetra. Cassandra exchanged a look with her Prince, but Kairen remained silent, continuously caressing her back and hair, his dark eyes still fixated on Phetra with a murderous glare.
“Silence!” Yelled the Emperor, doubled by his Dragon’s furious growl. “I shall not hear any more! Valeria, you’ll be punished by Shareen for framing her and lying, I don’t care what it is! And you, Phetra, I will personally deal with you later. Now you better sit and shut up until this banquet is over! I don’t want to see neither of you at the New Year’s celebrations, either!” ?
Despite everything said, Cassandra felt unsatisfied. Phetra was obviously devastated, but Cassandra found that punishment was way too light for her. Seeing her clenched fist, Shareen gestured for her to ignore it.
“She is our second brother’s favorite sister,” she whispered. “Father will never punish her too harshly, unless she really pushes it…”
Once again, the importance of the siblings’ bonds was showing. Even if he remained silent all along, Phetra’s status was protected by her closeness to her brother, the second Prince Vrehan. Cassandra felt it was too unfair for the poor Valeria.
“At least,” said Shareen, “now I will be able to interrogate that little swine…”
She had her feline eyes set on Valeria. Cassandra suddenly remembered the issue of the abortion potion was left hanging, too. Was Phetra really behind this? And more importantly, who was pregnant…?
“Wouldn’t the Emperor know if one of them was pregnant?”
“The Princesses don’t have dragon children, only the Princes can transmit the Dragon’s blood to their children.”
“…Does the Emperor make it public if an egg appears?”
“Generally, no. First, Father doesn’t check the vault every day. Glahad usually watches it, and if a Dragon comes to battle him, we know something’s up. However, the dragons don’t always do.”
“Why?”
Shareen sneered.
“Shouldn’t you know best? Remember how the Dragons know their master’s feelings before they even realize them?”
Cassandra took a few minutes to think about that… If what Shareen said was right, then Dragons didn’t systematically claim their offsprings if they… want them. She looked around at all the Princes and concubines. Some of the princes probably didn’t care much once they had enough concubines and a few sons…
“Which ones of your brothers have children?” She whispered.
“Sephir, Vrehan and Lephys,” said Kairen.
“Sephir has one son and two daughters,” added Shareen. “Vrehan has two sons and six daughters, and Lephys… Lephys has four sons and eight or nine daughters. But three of his women are pregnant.”
Cassandra sighed. She had forgotten the fifth prince was notorious for his many, many concubines. Indeed, he was always surrounded by young and beautiful concubines to fool around with. If the rumor about him having over two hundred concubines was true, it was even surprising that he hadn’t fathered more children. Despite his many heirs, he didn’t seem to have much interest in the golden throne, though…
“What of the fourth and sixth prince?” Cassandra asked.
“Anour is too young, he only has one concubine for now. And Opheus… He has a dozen concubines, but none have given him a child yet. I don’t think he’s very interested, either. His mother is the one pressuring him.”
It seemed to be true. The fifth prince was happily chatting with one of his women, but the others looked bored and unwilling to be here. In comparison, Vrehan’s women seemed desperate for their Prince’s attention.
Cassandra felt grateful she wasn’t like those women. Kairen only had eyes for her, and Krai had gone to retrieve its egg as soon as it appeared… She turned to her Prince, lovingly kissing him and, for once, surprising Kairen by doing so. Her boldness in front of so many people was unusual. Many eyes saw the scene, and some concubines were dying of jealousy. It was a bit too many glares. Kairen glared right back at them and, as if responding to his master, Krai suddenly appeared a few seconds later, flying from the open roof with a warning growl. The Dragon was at least as persuasive as his master, and soon no one dared to look their way. (2)
The only person to be overjoyed with the Dragon’s presence was the Emperor, as if there weren’t already two of his other sons’ dragons there, resting in their cages behind their owners.
“Look at him! This beautiful beast!”
Krai didn’t seem to care much for flattery, and as usual, crouched down next to Cassandra. His head next to Kairen’s knee, he made sure to be where the young concubine’s fingers could find him.
Once again, they attracted much attention. Some women were sweating to see how many fingers she was going to lose, while the others were even more jealous of her confidence, glaring at the other dragons as if they were untamed wild beasts.
“Pretty white Lily, tell me, did you enjoy your present?” Suddenly asked the Emperor. (1)
“Your Highness, you know about it?”
“Of course I know! My son steals one of the castle’s aisles and destroys it to have an herbal garden made for his concubine, and I shouldn’t know about it?”
Cassandra was speechless. Kairen actually had that garden made from another room, after destroying it, too? In a few days? How did he even manage to have it done in such a short time?
“Anyway, just enjoy it, child! I’ll have more herbs or plants and what-not brought for you to play with. So stay a bit longer, hm?”
So that was the Emperor’s aim? To have Kairen and her stay longer after the festivities? As she didn’t want to refuse him, Cassandra only slightly bowed. After that, the Emperor went on to try and convince Kairen and Shareen to have their mother attend the festivities, but both pretty much ignored his plea, leaving their Father to deal with his stubborn concubine.
As it appeared, Kareen was still sulking over him keeping Kairen, and wouldn’t even come over, making the Emperor actually visit her instead! Cassandra couldn’t help but admire that woman a bit more every day.
Meanwhile, her gaze went back to Phetra. The Princess was leaning over to chat with the fifth Prince, whispering something to him with a forced smile. Cassandra was surprised by that closeness between them, and, more worrying, the couple of glances she had her way. What was that snake preparing this time…?