Chapter Five — Behind the Rumors

I couldn't stop thinking about Cassian.

There was something about him that unsettled me.

Not because he had threatened me.

He hadn't.

In fact, he had barely spoken to me.

But there was something in his eyes.

Something guarded.

After breakfast, I walked through the palace gardens with Liana.

I needed fresh air.

"Princess," she said carefully, "you shouldn't wander too far."

"Why?"

She glanced around.

"This isn't Aveloria."

I smiled faintly.

"I know."

We continued walking until we reached a quiet part of the garden.

That's when I heard voices.

I stopped.

Two servants were speaking behind the hedges.

"I heard the seventh prince killed an entire battalion when he was thirteen."

"That's not true."

"Then why does everyone fear him?"

I stepped closer.

The servants noticed me and immediately bowed.

"Princess."

"Continue," I said.

They exchanged nervous looks.

"I only wanted to know what people really think about Prince Cassian."

One of them swallowed.

"They say he came back from the war different."

"Different how?"

"Cold."

The other servant lowered his voice.

"They say he never smiles. That he doesn't trust anyone."

I frowned.

"Is that why they call him the Devil's Son?"

The servant nodded.

"Among other things."

Before I could ask another question, a voice came from behind me.

"You shouldn't listen to servants' gossip."

I turned.

Cassian stood several feet away.

My heart jumped.

He wore a black shirt with his sleeves rolled to his elbows. His expression was calm, but his eyes were fixed on me.

The servants quickly disappeared.

I faced him.

"Are they lying?"

"About what?"

"Everything they've said about you."

He stared at me for a long moment.

"Which part?"

"The war."

His expression changed slightly.

"What about it?"

"They said you were thirteen when you led the army."

"I was."

I stared at him.

"You really were?"

"Yes."

"Why would your father send a thirteen-year-old to war?"

Cassian's jaw tightened.

"Because my brothers refused."

There was something bitter in his voice.

"And you agreed?"

"I didn't have a choice."

Silence settled between us.

For the first time, I saw something beyond the frightening prince everyone described.

A boy who had been forced to become a soldier before he was ready.

"Did you want to go?"

He looked away.

"No."

His answer was so quiet that I almost missed it.

I didn't know what to say.

Cassian turned to leave.

"Princess."

I looked up.

"Yes?"

"Don't believe everything you hear about me."

Then he walked away.

I watched him disappear between the trees.

For some reason, my fear of him had become smaller.

And my curiosity had become much bigger.

I had arrived in Ravaryn believing I was going to marry a monster.

Now I wasn't so sure because he didn't seem like what I had expected to meet.

I expected to meet the devil's son with horns and fangs, I expected to meet he devils son that has tail, but instead I met a complete human, well-built with charms that no other men had not even his own brothers.

But of all the rumors one was indeed true he wasn't like any other man because he carried a very dark aura and I was curious to know why this dark aura that seemed like that of the devil was what he carried.

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