The Bully's Hated Mate
The Bully’s Hated Mate – Chapter 26

CASSIA’S POV:

He walked away as though nothing ever happened, leaving me to figure out what it was I was going to do.

I ended up crawling through the space. Surprisingly, I fit through it and I found myself on the other side of the fence.

I was annoyed. I had been chased, dragged, threatened and insulted and yet, Lucius managed to find a way to put salt on my injury.

Leaving me like that to go on by myself, forgetting — not that I would put it past him — that I was limping a bit. He most definitely knew, otherwise why would he carry me?

He was so lucky he wasn’t here, just as three guards and two maids ran up to me as I struggled to walk into the palace.

He was so lucky he wasn’t here because I was about to do some serious singing.

First, I was taken to the infirmary to take care of my limp and my leg together.

Thankfully, I was stitched up and ready as I walked out of the infirmary, with my step almost in check and the pain down to a negative two.

As I walked out, a guard approached me.

“The King requests your presence in the throne room.” He said, eyes facing straight ahead, above my head.

I already knew that immediately my presence was noticed, the King would ask to see me. I went there on his instruction and now, I had come back with my heart in my throat. But stories would cover the whole of the night.

I nodded and followed him as it was custom to do so, something I had come to realise as I stayed here.

We walked less than a mile, covering a large amount of doors and windows, their illuminating glasses were so beautiful and yet, only Lucius organised my thoughts. All of which were about him from the beginning.

I started to wonder if there was any need to tell his father what I had seen. I could just go back and head to my bedroom.

Goddess knows just how much I needed a hot bath and sleep. I could visualize myself but sooner than later, the familiar double doors were opened as we were announced in.

I knew where it was that I was supposed to seat, so with less courtesy than I imagined, I walked towards the chair and cleared my throat.

“You may sit.” He said, his back turned against me so I didn’t see his face immediately.

I sat down, already thinking of how this would go. He turned around and I could see the empty expression he wore. He was wearing a mask, trying to protect his emotions.

“So, what did you see?” He asked me finally.

My bones shaking in my body from what it was I was about to say. I didn’t know if I should expose him or not.

“Cassia! Tell me where my son goes to every night for the past months.” His voice had raised an octave but in a way that wasn’t rude or mean.

I cleared my throat and prepared my mind. Myla was against the motion to expose Lucius. But then, it wasn’t as if he was doing anything bad. So technically, there was no harm.

“Sire.” I began, twitching my fingers in my lap and guilt almost mounting on me.

Then I suddenly recalled how many times Lucius f****d me over, I frowned immediately. He did not deserve my kindness.

Whatever happened, happened.

“I noticed you were limping and you have a bandage on. What happened?” He asked, his eyes suddenly moving to my ankle, which was by the way doing way better than it looked.

“I was attacked.” I said, matter of factly.

His face rose up, getting red at the corners as his brows began to furrow.

“By who!” His voice boomed, his voice ricocheting across the vast space of the throne room, bouncing off the walls in all corners.

I closed my eyes a bit as the sound waves hit me in full force and regained my composure later.

“By the men who were present in an audience that watches fights. That watches Lucius fight.” I said, dropping the bomb.

His expression went from shocked to angry real quick.

“Where?” He asked, trying to keep his voice at a calm and at the same time, strong.

“Deep in the woods, close to the mountain tops.” I said.

His eyebrows shot up so much, I thought they were going to fly out of his face completely. Guilt started to gnaw at me deeply.

What have I gotten Lucius into?

I left the throne room with a lighter feet and a heavy heart. I knew the moment he stood up and said I could go, I knew Lucius was going to hear a bunch full.

But I wasn’t feeling guilty because I had told the king what Lucius was doing. I felt guilty for not making it even worse. I guess it was pettiness, but whatever happened, happened.

I went back to the bedroom, deciding I was going to take the bed once I had finished my bath and taken care of myself completely.

Since he felt it was okay to let me crawl, knowing I had injured my foot, he could as well sleep elsewhere and wouldn’t mind that I took advantage of the fact that he preferred to be outside, punching faces, than being in his bedroom, enjoying his own soft bed with the sheets.

I would help him by enjoying the bed for myself.

I pulled my clothes, letting it pool in the middle of the room, stepped into the bathroom and let the hot water soothe my tired skin.

If there’s one thing Myla and I needed, it was definitely rest. As the water flowed through the hills and valleys of my body, I began to wonder ‘What on Earth would make Lucius go to a fighting ring and deep in the forest too. Why there? And why fighting?’

***

LUCIUS’ POV:

The best about the fight was winning but it was also the worst part because once you had won, there was nothing else.

Nothing left and now, you have to leave.

I wasn’t expecting to find Cassia on my way home, or feel a strong scent that she was in danger. I had to go back after dropping her at home, so I could redirect our scent.

Those rascals would not be able to find us. I just didn’t know it would take this long as I began the long trek back home.

Damon was pretty exhausted already from having to fight and then, having to defend Cassia like that.

I just needed to hit the showers and rest in bed for a good amount of hours.

My mind was centered on rest as I crawled through and into the other side of the fence. I momentarily hated that I had shown the smart mouth my spot, how I sneak back into the palace.

I felt nauseated immediately, but not as nauseated as I felt when I found a guard standing watch, waiting for me to crawl completely and stand up.

I knew immediately that my dad must have known I was not in my bedroom and I wasn’t at home.

I didn’t bother to ask any questions, merely just followed him as he walked robotically towards the throne room.

We got to the throne room and the guard left me at the double doors. I knew there was going to be some form of scolding or something, but I was tired, too tired for any of this s**t that was definitely about to happen.

f**k it.

I open the doors and my father’s expression was the first one I see. There were no guards as I closed the door behind me. We were all alone in the throne room and suddenly, the vast space and huge walls became thin and too tight.

It was nearly suffocating.

“Father.” I greeted in a monotonous manner, wanting to go soft a bit before I sensed the real thing was going down.

“Where are you coming from?” He asked, a brow raised in question.

I was really tired. I didn’t need this, but he was the king and my father.

“I walked around a bit. I think I am allowed to walk around.” I replied, wanting to play cover-up a bit.

“Don’t lie to me, boy! I sent Cassia to watch you and she came back with a limp! What do you have to say about that?” He thundered again.

I kept calm, shouting in return was not going to help anybody and I was frankly still very tired.

“Answer me!” He shouted, my fists clenching and unclenching.

“You go around fighting and throwing punches in enemy territory? Is this what you do now?” His voice was still raised and disappointed, but my face expressed shock.

“Yes! I know. I know of where you go to! Who you mingle with, and frankly, your games are over. Do you understand? Your games are over. You are hereby forbidden to ever step foot outside this castle after dark. You have a responsibility, and it is to your soon-to-be bride and to this kingdom, and not those rascals! Those raccons you turn into punching bags.” He shouted.

There was no way he was about to cancel the only source of happiness I had outside these walls. He wasn’t about to take my joy from me.

“You can’t do that! You just can’t do that! You can’t tell me what to do and what I can’t do. You’re not mother, and you will not stop me from going out and enjoying the free time I have, the only time I have to my f*****g self!” I shouted at him.

Both of us kept quiet as though the goddess held our tongues. We have never spoken about my mother since she died, since the attack.

That was the reason why I went out, to train on the day I would avenge her death and do her soul justice, and not what father did by expelling the rogues.

I hated how weak he was. I was not going to be that. I needed to fight and he needed to understand that.

“Those people killed your mother, Lucius!” He finally responded amidst the tension that had built so high up, it touched the ceiling.

“And that’s why I need to punch them. I need to fight them with every atom of my being, every fiber that I posses. I need to avenge mum! Since you didn’t, I have to.” I said, my expression turning cold instantly.

My father turned away from me, climbing up to his throne as his royal regalia flowed like a wave as he ascended the steps, I watched him go.

“You’re not to step feet outside of this castle after dark. You are forbidden from going to their realm, and you are hereby confined to your chambers till the weekend is over! Get out of my sight.” He said.

My eyes stinged as I bowed to the King and walked away. Immediately the doors closed, I took the anger that began to form and I marched towards my bedroom.

There was no way in hell I was not going to punish Cassia for this. She had done her worst again and in being a thorn in my flesh, she had turned to the saw that would chop my arm off.

The audacity she had to rat me out, and to my dad! She was spoiling everything in every way she could.

I barged into my bedroom and my anger rose to another degree as I saw her laying peacefully on my bed and in my sheets!

“Cassia!” I shouted, my eyes turning bright yellow as she woke up to shock.

Good.

There’s alot more where that came from.