"You should've never came here..."
"Because of you he will die."
"You were not made to be the Empress!"
Lyrica was walking down a stone stairwell. There she found a glowing white cat by her side. It brushed up against her legs and she could feel the softness of the cat's fur. She followed the glowing cat down the stairs and she met the end. It was pitch black and the cat was illuminating the floor for her. The cat stopped right in front of the door and the door was made of steel. It opened by itself and inside it was also pitch black, nothing was to be seen. But, something attracted Lyrica inside the room. She went inside carefully and the door slowly closed behind her. The cat walked over and is shined it's light on some sort of stone. Lyrica went closer to it and the cat shined light to show the words written on the stone.
Lyrica Castillo, 2002-2020.
"What..." Lyrica then felt something grab her shoulders.
"This wouldn't have happened if you had just stayed here!" Her aunt yelled.
"A-Aunt Mei!"
"I told you I should've been empress not you!" Vivian yelled at her face.
"I told you I can't—"
"You know I thought I didn't fit in the Royal society, but honestly it's really you." Peter said truthfully.
"P-Peter you too?" Lyrica then felt someone grab her shoulder and it was Cassien.
"You know I should've picked another partner...You were the worst decision I've made as the Prince."
Lyrica fell to the ground when she heard those words. It felt like each of their sentences just split through different parts her body. She felt weak to the stomach and she watched as they surrounded her. She felt like crying and shouting, but nothing could come out. Lyrica was trapped, until she opened her eyes on more time and saw a bright light.
"Oh my god! Page Doctor Alcantara! She's awake!" A women in front of her face said.
Lyrica looked around the room. She looked down and saw she was in a hospital bed. The whole entire dream she had wasn't read. There were needles stuck onto her body and the Nurse looked at her vitals.
"Lyrica Castillo can you hear me? Do you know who you are? Do you recognize where you are?" The nurse asked.
"H-Hospital?" It was pretty clear to Lyrica. She wanted to try to get up, but the nurse stopped her.
"Honey you can't get up, you are far too weak to move. You've been asleep for four weeks."
"What...What!" Lyrica said in shock.
Four weeks? That means New Years has already passed!
"It's been four weeks? Since Christmas?"
The nurse nodded her head and the doctor came into the room.
"Thank god you are awake, the Prince was about to kill the entire hospital." The doctor smiled at her and checked her eyes, "How are you feeling? Can you follow my fingers?"
Lyrica followed his fingers with her eyes back and forth, "Where is everyone?"
"Lyrica!" Her Aunt bursted through the doors to Lyrica's shock. She couldn't believe she was here.
"A-Aunt Mei!"
"Oh my goodness I thought we lost you again." Her Aunt looked at her with worried eyes, "When can she be discharged?" She looked at the doctor.
"Well, we can discharge her in about five days." The doctor said, "First she needs to work on getting better. But, you'll be fine. Luckily you didn't sleep too long so you should be able to eat, walk, run, dance, anything to your hearts content when you leave the hospital."
"Thank you." She said to the doctor. The doctor and nurse left and she was left alone with her Aunt, "Aunt Mei why are you here?"
"Lyrica the engagement with the Prince I want you to cancel it."
"W-What..." Lyrica was taken aback. Right when she woke up her Aunt was still against it, "But Aunt Mei I have a whole Debutanté—"
"Lyrica, I'm asking you this nicely." She crossed her arm and looked at her seriously, "When that boy comes here I also want you to ask him how you ended up like this."
Lyrica looked at her Aunt with a blank face, she didn't know how to respond. But, she also wanted to know exactly what happened. She looked away from her Aunt's gaze and instead focused her attention on the wilting flowers next to the window.
- 1 hour later -
"Lyrica!" Cassien came into the room with Peter and Grey.
"You guys." Lyrica smiled brightly towards them.
"Thank the founder you are awake." Grey smiled down at her, "How are you holding up?"
"A bit dizzy here and then, also a bit sleepy. But, I just woke up from my nap."
"Hey in no time you'll be able to go back out there." Peter reassured, "You know you have a lot of catching up to do. Also Aubrey said that all your friends miss you at school."
"School...The new semester just began by now." Lyrica remembered, "That also means badminton tryouts, games, tournaments...The doctor said I'll be able to do physical activity and be discharged in five days. So until then, I'll just mentally prepare myself." She then looked over to Cassien. She was surprised he hadn't spoken yet.
"Can I talk to you alone?" Lyrica said to him.
Cassien looked up and nodded his head, "Yea...That would be best."
"Well you two lovers just—" Peter tried to tease them until Grey grabbed his arm and started to drag him out of the room.
"Dont worry I'll make sure he learns his lesson."
"H-Hey!" Peter got dragged out and Grey closed the door behind them.
Lyrica and Cassien were in the room awkwardly. She didn't really know how to begin a conversation with him.
"L-Look if it was about that talk we had at the Banquet—"
"Wait what talk?" Lyrica had to remember and then it her hit her immediately what he was inferring to, "N-No!" She said flustered, "It's about something else."
"Oh..." Cassien didn't know how to respond to her during that time so he was a bit nervous.
"I...I want to know what happened to me." Lyrica said to him.
"What..." Cassien then shifted his eyes towards something else, "During the banquet..." he began, "Someone had poisoned you. We don't know how, but...That's what happened."
"Who did it?"
"The person...Was your uncle, the Duke."
Lyrica felt a shiver down her spine, someone so close to her tried to kill her and she didn't understand why. She didn't even know what to say to Cassien when she heard that, instead it looked like her soul left her body.
"A-Are you okay?"
"Why...Why would he do it? Was it because of Vivian?"
"No that wasn't the reason...I've been investigating during your stay here and found out that the Duke had been involved in embezzling money from the organizations he was suppose to be donating to. During the party it was also revealed when Peter overheard that he was trying to steal your inheritance from your parents. We also think he was the one behind the accident that killed both of your parents."
"My...Inheritence? My mom...dad...They both..."
"The money they left you if they had died. You would've owned the Castillo Household. But, the Duke didn't like that...Now he's escape and we're inves—"
"Sien..." Lyrica said in a broken tone, "You did this during my stay here and never told me."
Cassien looked at her ashamed, he didn't know what to say. But, he just had to face it, "Yes."
"...So this whole entire time, you've just lied to my face? All those times you said you were busy, but in reality you were investigating this case? You never even thought once to tell me at all!" She said in a angry tone. She had felt betrayed more betrayed than when Aubrey had hurt her. This whole time he had never told her any of this even though it was something she should rightfully know, "Sien I thought you said we would trust each other, look I know we're not a real couple, but being a true friend means to at least be loyal." She said heartbroken and there were tears coming out of her eyes.
"L-Lyrica look I'm sorr—"
"Are you even sorry?" Lyrica said to him, "Because of you look what happened! I...I almost died Sien! Because of this whole thing! You kept it to yourself when you should've reached out for help, but instead you just locked it away from me just like you did when I found out we were childhood friends, when I found out your father and my father were friends, what else are you hiding from me! Do you not even care about me at this point—"
"I do care!" His frustration jumped out of him and gripped his hand, "I care Lyrica, but I didn't want you to be involved in this to keep you away! Lyrica I care about you more than you think I do. Maybe my actions and words don't match up with how I feel on the inside. I wanted to protect you, but I failed because I miscalculated..."
"Miscalculated? This isn't some sort of a math problem!" She said back, "All you had to do was be truthful to me. But, instead you decided to just choose your own path and lie right at my face! You know what Cassien." She called him by his first name, "Tell your father I want to break this engagement. My Aunt was right...I shouldn't have come here. Because of all of this! I...I went through hell Cassien. With all the rumors, to the bullying, to keeping up with all the work, ballroom dancing, embroidery, everything! Just everything! I did it all for you! Do you understand that?" She looked at him desperately, "I did this for a stranger, and now this stranger betrayed me. You took my kindness for granted Cassien. Do you know what I had to go through during this stay? Do you know how much I bottled up inside because of this! How stressed I was! I could barely talk about to anyone because I wasn't home. I didn't know who I could go to...Even you...I could barely trust you after the first time. Cassien leave, leave me alone. Never talk to me again...I never want to see you again."
"Lyrica..." Cassien said softly, "I care about you a lot. I swear I didn't mean for this to happen at all. I...I want to protect you, I want to be the one there for you. I..."
"Cassien...leave this room...I don't want to look at you any longer. Just leave!" She said as tears rapidly rolled down her eyes.
Cassien looked up to her face and looked away, he didn't want to see it. Cassien turned around and walked towards the door. He looked behind him and saw her breaking down. He wanted to go to her, he wanted to embrace her, to comfort her, but this whole time he wasn't even there. He turned back and walked through the door.
"I told you to keep my niece safe." Outside was Lyrica's aunt, "I shouldn't have trusted this place." She brushed pass Cassien and went inside the room.
Outside Peter and Grey were also standing there. They heard the whole thing and didn't know what to say to Cassien. Instead, Grey diverted their attention somewhere else.
"We should...Get back to planning." Grey proposed to them.
"Yea..." Cassien nodded his head and went ahead of the two.
Peter looked at his brother with worried eyes and he looked through the window of Lyrica's hospital room. He could faintly see her crying with her Aunt holding her.
I can't believe it...
- at the palace -
"Cassien! I heard Lyrica woke up! We should all visit her together." His mother welcomed him into the Palace when she saw him walk in.
"I need to speak with father."
"Your father...Hes in his office right not, is anything the matter?" She placed her hand gently onto his face, something had felt off.
"Sorry I need to talk to him right now..." he gently pushed her hand off and walked towards his father's office. He opened the door and inside was his father and it was also Marquis Trinity.
"Oh Prince Cassien! Glory to the Empire."
"Be at peace, father I need to talk to you alone." Cassien looked at his father.
"O-Oh are you sure right now? We have some business to talk about." The Emperor said.
"Now." He said sternly.
"Okay, well Marquis Trinity this will end our meeting a bit early."
"It's fine I'm sure Ariana will be happy to see me home a bit earlier than expected. Well please excuse me." He bowed to them and walked out of the room to give them privacy.
"What's the matter?"
"I'm breaking off the engagement with Lyrica."
"What!" The Emperor slammed his fist on the desk, "What do you mean!"
"Technically, this is her request father."
"Her...She must be out of it since she woke up. I heard she woke up today so maybe—"
"No...Father that's it. I told you this before I work better alone, now look what happened...Father just end it for her. She never wanted to be engaged in the first place. In fact we were faking it the whole time." He revealed to him.
The Emperor was mad, but he could tell by the tone of Cassien's voice he had no emotions at all. He looked at his son carefully and sighed out, "When you had chosen her as your engagement partner, I expected a lot of things. Did you not love her enough?"
"If I love her enough I would keep her away from danger. I failed to do that...Now I should face the consequences that she has set to me. I...Need to let go of this childish dream I've had in my head." Cassien responded and smiled lightly, "Me and her weren't meant to be at all. It was simple as that. I've caused her and her family enough trouble already."
The Emperor sighed, "The faction that was against this marriage is going to become hyper in the next few days when they hear the news. I won't announce it right now since we already have a lot on our hands. However, when the time comes they are going to still force a girl to be your partner. Will you be okay with that? Cassien you are Valentino's future leader, these are burdens you must carry in order for this Empire to prosper. You are expected to have someone by your side even if you feel incompatible."
In honesty Cassien couldn't imagine being with anyone else, but he knew he still had to perform his duty as the Prince, "Yes."
"You know...Personally if I weren't the Emperor I wouldn't say this to you. But in honesty, even as the Emperor I don't want to say this to you. What hurts even more is the look on your face Cassien. If you truly loved her you would chase after her, you wouldn't act like this Cassien. But, this is your choice. You will make a lot of choices in life and you'll have to see where they lead. As the Emperor I've made right choices and I've made wrong choices. The important part is how you learn from those choices whether they are weight or wrong, good or bad, it doesn't matter."
Cassien looked up to his father and nodded his head. But, in reality he tuned him out a bit, because he didn't want to think of the subject any longer.
- back in the hospital -
"Do you want anything to eat?" Her Aunt asked Lyrica. She had been crying non-stop for thirty minutes after Cassien left and she hadn't touched the soup in front of her, "I can warm this up, let me warm this up." She took the soup and carried it to the microwave.
Lyrica saw she was getting a video call from her cousin Alice and she answered it.
"Lyrica! Your awake! See grandma she didn't die!" Alice said happily.
"Thanks?" Lyrica said in a questionable tone.
"Lyrica I can't wait for you to come back home! I'm doing conditioning for badminton right now and I need you to warm up Coach Reed so I can stop running miles!"
"Alice if you are going to complain then you shouldn't be on the team." Lyrica laughed, "Badminton is serious work and commitment. I hated the conditioning aspects too, but I got through it. I know you can too."
"Lyrica! You are well I see!" Her grandmother appeared on the video and adjusted her glasses, "You still look lively!"
"Lively?" Lyrica laughed at her comment, "Grandma I almost died, I don't know if lively is the right word."
"Well what matters most is that you keep warm and get healthy." Her Aunt placed the soup in front of her, "Go on and eat."
"We can't wait until you come home. We've missed you a lot dear." Her grandmother said warmly, "I'm sure you'll have plenty of stories to tell when you come back."
"Yea..." Lyrica said silently, "I miss you guys a lot..." Lyrica smiled a broken smile.
"Are you going to cry!" Alice laughed at her, "C'mon it's only been a month! It's not like you would never see us."
"Alice!" Her grandmother shook her head, "Look dear just focus on yourself and get healthy. I want you to come back looking like yourself and even better. We're sending lots of love."
"Yea I'll see you all soon." Lyrica waved goodbye and they hanged up on her.
"Lyrica what you did was the right thing. Staying here...Nothing good will come out of it."
"I know...I should maybe just forget this happened." Lyrica smiled softly, "It was kind of like a dream you know? Some sort of fever dream...But, I'm okay that it's over now."