To Stay in the Living Lands (Final Snippet)

Hey, all. Sorry about missing yesterday, I was super busy and only remembered this while going to sleep 😅 🙈

Anyway, here you go! This series has been really fun to write, and I’m looking forward to all your reactions!

Chapter Five, Part Two

The man looked her up and down. 

“I will take you to the throne room,” he said, calmly. As if she weren’t fading. As if this King would help her. As if she were something.

“Will the King be there?” 

“Yes,” Cassandra was relieved and angry at the same time. This King sat there all day while she slaved to travel here. Not just her, but countless others as well. Who was to say this King would even crown her? I just hope he feels generous enough to heal me. Cassandra thought bitterly. 

“Oh?” the man said. Cassandra hadn’t realized she had spoken aloud but was too frustrated to care.

“First off, he has to live on the other side of the forest, making it hard for people to get to him. Mind you, it’s not a forest full of flowers and innocent bunnies. It’s full of carnivorous plants, wolves, and people who want to kill you! Secondly, he offers no help to those who attempt to make their way through. Thirdly, he doesn’t even have the compassion to help people up the hill and doesn’t wait for them at the top when and if they do get there. Instead, he sits on his royal behind, waiting for them to bow down desperately, and then makes them his servants,”

 “Did he not help you in the forest?” the man asked, his voice chiding. Cassandra shrank back, tripped, and fell, wincing.

“No, he didn’t. The Guardians-” 

“Were placed there by the King to help travelers,” the man finished, helping Cassandra stand. He handed her a walking stick and motioned for her to follow. 

“If he lived on the other side of the forest, there wouldn’t be a need for the guardians,” Cassandra grunted. She wished she could walk faster. The man paused in front of a large wooden door. 

“The forest is a test, to see if those who seek him are worthy,” he pushed the door open. Cassandra prepared herself to see a king as she stepped in. But the room was empty, save for a simple wooden chair, herself, and the man. 

“Why couldn’t he just help them through, instead of just letting them get hurt?” Cassandra crossed her arms. Where was this King? She had almost no time left. She could see the moon out the window. A tiny sliver of the moon was still visible. 

“What I have done, I have done,” the man said. Cassandra turned to face him. As she looked, something changed, as if a veil had been removed from her face. She saw him clearly for the first time, she couldn’t pull her eyes away from his. They were golden brown, soft, caring, and loving, yet stern. She gaped. 

“You’re the King,” she whispered. She could almost hear the Dark Lord whispering in her ear. You are mine, Cassandra. You always will be mine. MINE. 

“I AM,” the King said, looking Cassandra directly in the eyes. Guilt burned within her. She had spoken to the King words that she now saw were not true. She had insulted him to his face. He would never heal her. She deserved to fade and to serve the Dark Lord. Uselesss. Nothing. Weak.

“Please,” she said, bowing her forehead to the floor, “Forgive me, I did not know! I was wrong, about everything,” a single tear made its way down her face and landed on the floor. He would never forgive her, and she didn’t blame him. She had doubted him with each and every step she had taken when she should have been trusting him. 

“You are forgiven,” What. 

“I must have misheard you, My Lord, but-” 

“You are forgiven, Cassandra. Rise, Whole and healed, and a member of my Kingdom,” Cassandra looked up, pure joy filling her. She began to stand but was lifted. Blinding light shone around her, yet she could see better than ever. She rose until she was lifted off the ground. A large flash of light filled the room, and then slowly dwindled back to normal. Cassandra stood, dressed in golden armor, and crowed. She now saw that the King himself wore a crown, and was dressed in clothing far greater than anything she could describe. The throne room was carpeted in red, with a large, golden throne at the end. She could see what she was blind to minutes before. Cassandra gaped as she looked at her armor. Her back felt stretched. She turned to see a pair of blood-red wings, and a sword at her side. 

“I-I,” Cassandra couldn’t have wanted anything more. 

“Princess Cassandra,” said the King, “I appoint you Guardian of the Way. I trust you will enjoy this job. You are mine. You will save many a traveler, not by your own strength, but through mine. Your worth is not in yourself, or your works, but in me.” Tears streaked down Cassandra’s face. The King smiled. “Now, go. Your Grandparents anxiously await you in the village, train well. You might want to test those wings of yours,” he opened a door to the balcony. She leaped, her wings catching the air. It felt so natural like they had always been there. As she flew, she realized something. She rushed back to the castle, where the King was waiting. 

“Thank you,” she whispered, “I will never doubt you again,” 

And the King smiled.