Flames

Chapter Six

As the morning came, Cassandra found herself more nervous than she had first assumed she'd be. She'd completely lost track of time, staring blankly into her mirror for what felt like hours as she determined how the day would go.

She swallowed.

There was no need to be. These were the children of the kingdom, the future leaders of Luxtene. They were just children. What was there to be nervous about?

She doubted it as soon as she thought it. She wasn't afraid of the children; she was afraid of William. Something about the situation seemed odd to her. Why had he pushed so hard for her to be the one to do this? Her father, Deletrear, and herself all knew he was up to no good. From what they already knew about him, this seemed like a trap waiting to happen. Yet, there were going to be children. It felt confusing to her, though she couldn't help but feel sick at the thought that William might have something twisted up his sleeve that involved children. It was nerve-wracking entirely.

She built up the courage after a couple more minutes of allowing herself to drown in fear. As Cassandra stood, she pushed the doubt away along with the uncertainty. Perhaps William was simply trying to cover his tracks; to make it seem as though he didn't have bad intentions. He was trying to get them off his trail. That had to be it. She couldn't imagine him wanting to do something vile with orphaned children.

Cassandra arrived at the orphanage at the expected time with several books clutched tightly in her hands. She had already managed to lose track of Matthew, a guard that had attempted to follow her but had been stopped by Deletrear before she even left the castle. How hard could the rest of the day be with it already going so well? She smiled as she saw the woman that ran the place. She hoped that the older woman wasn't able to see the nerves upon her face.

She had dirty blonde hair tied into a tight bun at the base of her neck. She wore a brown dress, though Cassandra wasn't sure if it was the fabric's color or if it started as another color and years of dirt had worn it out. She had a couple of smudges of dirt on her face, but nothing unbearable. She smiled. "Ah, your highness! It is so wonderful to have your company in our humble home." Her voice brought comfort to the princess.

"Please, the pleasure is mine." Cassandra returned the smile, bowing her head out of respect. She looked around the inside of the building, trying not to notice how rough it seemed inside. It smelled of mildew and rot, parts of the wood holding up the ceiling starting to splinter as if it were about to collapse. She made a mental note to speak with her father about the matter. These children needed a safe place to grow, not one that could kill them at the most unexpected moment. Their lives were already hard enough. The last thing they needed was to worry about impending doom.

"The children are excited to meet you!" The woman turned towards the stairs. "Children! Come downstairs! Your special visitor is here!" She called, cuffing a dirty and frail hand around her mouth to help her voice travel.

Five children hurried down the stairs, running while they giggled. Once at the bottom of the stairs, they rushed to line up behind their caretaker. All their eyes curiously rested on Cassandra.

Cassandra felt her cheeks rush red in embarrassment.

They all wore rags, some torn up more than others. The boys had dirt covering their entire faces, while the little girls only had a few streaks. The bottoms of their dresses were dirty as well. None of them wore shoes, only socks with holes in them.

Compared to them, Cassandra looked far overdressed. She made another note to herself to dress down for the rest of the week. She wanted the children to feel comfortable with her, not in awe of her. She wanted them to see her as someone they could trust and love.