Flames

Chapter Two

David had taken in the little baby as his own daughter. Part of her began to fill the cracks of David's heart, willing it to be whole again. Some had been uncertain how it would affect the king's health and how he mourned his family, but instead, it seemed to heal him. David never forgot Jasmine and Vanessa, despite loving Cassandra the same as he had his own daughter. He continued to mourn for his family, shedding tears every now and then.

He raised her to be loving, kind, compassionate, and respectful. David created an interest and love within her for all things righteous. As she got older, he taught her to stand her ground and not let herself be pushed around. He wanted her to be well-rounded as a woman, not limited by the world around her. He wanted her to flourish and blossom in adult life, not cower away from it and quit altogether. Any opportunity that came around, he encouraged her to take.

She became a beautiful young girl with dark brown hair that curled naturally on its own on the ends, medium waves throughout her hair. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of dark blue that twinkled in specific lighting.

Over the years, he found it at times challenging to raise a child all on his own. Thankfully, he had the maids to help him. The hardest part about raising Cassandra was the question about where she had come from. He had never thoroughly explained himself, leaving her under the impression that Jasmine was her biological mother and Vanessa her sister. Many disagreed with this choice, believing Cassandra should know precisely what happened that night, but David insisted she was too young. He knew his daughter. David had the feeling when she found out, she would leave and go in search of her previous family. Times were dangerous; he couldn't risk her not returning. He needed her to come home safely. He couldn't bear losing another person he loved.

He knew he wouldn't be able to hide it from her forever. He could, however, prepare her for when the time would come she would venture into the real world for the first time on her own. It was then, and only then that David would reveal to her how she came into his life. Wanting her to be ready for when this time would come, David would take Cassandra every week from the age of five to his guards, letting her train and practice with them. Until she became a teenager, it was all done in sheer fun to get her used to fighting and wielding weapons. David wasn't going to lose her.

One of the maids that made it easier on David when it came to taking care of Cassandra was named Adriana. Adriana had a daughter four years older than David's daughter named Arienne, who always followed behind her mother to play with the little princess whenever there was a chance.

Adriana had been the present mother figure in Cassandra's life, helping David when it came to things he didn't quite know about. Adriana helped the little girl throughout her daily life, eventually becoming her handmaiden.

With each day the three girls spent together, the closer Cassandra and Arienne became. Day after day, the two would play with each other until nighttime if they were allowed to. They became inseparable.

Arienne had light blonde hair that she always had her mother tightly braid. Her eyes were amber, nearly identical to Adriana's. She was tall for her age and wore beige colored dresses with mostly clean aprons, though sometimes they had more stains on them than she'd like to admit.

She and her mother lived outside the castle walls and in the village nearby. Each morning and each night, they left and went home. On rare occasions, David and Adriana would allow Arienne to stay the night with Cassandra, allowing them to grow as friends. The two wanted their children to be just that; children. They didn't want them to worry about the war and destruction all around them.

On the nights Arienne would stay over, she would talk late into the night with Cassandra about what the world outside the city's gates was like. She'd talk about just how beautiful it was, going on about the tiniest of details about the forest; from the dew on the leaves and spider webs in the morning to watching the little ants and spiders crawl across the summer soil. She would tell her everything her father was against, especially about how peaceful the world was, how it wasn't harmful, scary, or to be feared. There was nothing to it.