cass + niichaad + candidates + hatching + weyrlings + adults
beach shards weyr + quinalt weyr
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Two days after the incident with Niichaad, Cass was getting worried about him. He hadn't seen him or Princess Nalerah and was beginning to worry that she had done something to him. Justification for this worry came in the form of a report on a suspected rape his father gave him to deal with. Cass yawned as he unrolled the scroll, mind busy elsewhere until he read the name of the rapist. "Niichaad?" he breathed in disbelief. He read the rest of the report, a cold feeling of dread starting somewhere in his chest and slowly spreading as he did. Nalerah. "That bitch," he murmurred. Shoving the scroll in his pocket, he all but ran down the hall to the captain of the guard's office. "It's Prince Cass!" he bellowed, banging on the door. The captain came to the door. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of the prince. "How can I help you, your grace?" he asked. "The servant who was accused of raping Princess Nalerah," he demanded, "where is he?" "In one of the cells downstairs, I think," the captain said with a shrug. "What? Why do you care?" Cass tried for nonchalance with a shrug. "Oh, just need to question him, that's all." The captain tossed him a ring of keys. "It's the long one," he added. "I don't see why you want to question him, he's probably lying anyway." "Maybe, but it's still a good idea to question him, just so there's no questions to answer later," Cass said and then started down for the dungeous as quickly as he could go without drawing looks. As soon as he was out of sight, he took the stairs two at a time, a torch lighting his way down into the darkness. He shuddered to think of Niichaad down here for two days without any light. As he reached the cells, Cass felt a wave of despair was over him. There were a maze of hallways, and dozens of cells of each hallway. Resolutely taking the key in hand, he tried it in the first cell he came to. It fit, and he hauled the door open. He stopped the door with a rock and stepped inside, holding the torch in front of him. He could see a lump that could have been a person curled up in a corner. His heart ached at the thought that this lump was Niichaad, but he made himself call out the man's name anyway. "Niichaad?" he called softly. Niichaad heard his name and managed a moan. He rolled over and smiled weakly when he saw who it was who held the torch. "Cass!" he croaked, voice gravelly from unuse. "Oh, damn, what'd I do to you?" Cass choked, carefully putting the torch down before kneeling to pull Niichaad into his arms. Niichaad snuggled into Cass' embrace, glad to have a warm body next to him. "You didn't do anything," Niichaad told him. "It was that bitch Narelah. I knew she'd try to get back at me." "No, to get back at me," Cass murmurred into Niichaad's hair. "I'm so sorry, Niichaad. I didn't mean to hurt you, you have to know that." "Of course I know that," Niichaad told him. "I'm so cold. And so hungry. Thank you for coming to me!" A pang of guilt struck at Cass' heart. "I'm only sorry I didn't come sooner." "I'm sure you came as soon as you could," Niichaad answered faithfully. "Oh, wow," Cass breathed. "How is it I've lived my whole life in this castle without ever meeting you?" Niichaad smiled and shrugged. "It's a big place." Cass leaned down to kiss him, cupping Niichaad's face in his hands, just glad to look at him for a moment by the flicker light of the torch before kissing him. "Are we crazy?" Niichaad wondered as he drew back. "I mean, we only met two days ago. It seems like an eternity though." "We probably are crazy," Cass agreed. "But I think that's part of being in love." Footsteps echoed on the floor outside the cell and Cass eased Niichaad back onto the floor, planting one last kiss on his forehead before standing and picking up his torch to look like he'd been standing there the entire time. "Prince Cass?" he heard a guard call to him. "In here!" Cass called back. "How long has it been since this man was given food?" The guard popped his head in and shrugged. "Dunno, they don't usually feed the prisoners they put down here so I doubt he has been since whenever they stuck him in here." A shudder racked Niichaad's frail body and Cass wished he could have put his arms around him. Instead, he gave him a gentle nudge with his toe. "Get some food into him and then get him on a stretcher and in to see a physician," he ordered. The guard raised an eyebrow but nodded anyway. "Yes, your grace." Cass strode out of the cell. "Send for me when he's rested," he tossed over his shoulder as he climbed the stairs and went to look for Narelah. After asking a servant where Princess Narelah was staying, Cass pounded on the door of the guest suite he had been directed to and waited for Narelah to answer. She took her sweet time about it, finally opening the door. She smiled when she saw who it was and loosened her silk robe a bit. Cass wanted to vomit. "Can I help you, my prince?" she purred. "Yes, you can explain to me what this nonsense is about Niichaad raping you," Cass snarled. "Now." Narelah shot him an odd look but nodded. "Come in," she said, stepping aside to let him pass. The last place Cass wanted to be was in Narelah's room, but he'd rather to discuss this in private where no further damage could be done to Niichaad. Narelah seated herself on the huge bed. "Have a seat," she patted the space next to her. Cass pointedly seated himself in a chair across the room. "Thank you. Now, tell me what happened." "I went downstairs, asked him to make me some tea, and he tried to rape me," Narelah told him, voice and face as innocent as could be. Cass didn't buy it for an instant. "Uh huh. You and I both know Niichaad wouldn't do that. What really happened?" Cass demanded. "I told you!" Narelah insisted. "You think just because you kissed him you know him?" "I know Niichaad," Cass said in a calm voice that barely concealed the rage beneath it. "He wouldn't even think of raping anyone." "Well you don't know that for sure," Narelah pointed out. "And you didn't see what actually happened, now did you? And neither did anyone else, so you'll all have to take my word against his. And there's no way you can favor him over me without raising suspicions." Cass looked at the princess for a long time. "What the hell are you trying to do here? Do you think by killing him you'll get me? Believe me, even if there were no Niichaad, you'd be the last person I'd go far. You're nothing but a manipulative bitch, and killing him isn't going to change that or make me like you." Something like a smile teased the corners of Narelah's lips. "Perhaps I am. But it's not about getting you to like me anymore, Prince Cass, it's about revenge now. And your little lover is my revenge on you. And I'm probably doing a favor to some lucky girl." Before Cass knew what he was doing, his hands were areound Narelah's neck. She tried to push him away but couldn't. "Why don't you tell them about this, huh Princess?" he whispered and squeezed a little tighter. "Whose word do you think they'll take? Mine of yours, I think. And can they take your word about Niichaad after you've lied about me?" Narelah couldn't say anything, she made a choking noise and began to close her eyes. Disgusted with himself and with the woman he held, Cass let her go. She sat up, rubbing at her throat, glaring at him. Suddenly, Cass had an idea. He lunged at her, kissing Narelah hard on the mouth and knocking her down on the bed. She squealed something and Cass pulled back just an inch. "What, isn't this what you wanted, Narelah?" he mocked and kissed her hard again. He knew this wasn't right, he knew this wasn't the way to solve things. But he wanted Narelah to know what she had accused poor, gentle Niichaad of doing. Niichaad could never have done it. But he could. And he was. "Cass - please!" Narelah begged but Cass silenced her with another hard kiss and reached down to unbuckle his trousers and lift up the end of her dress. And then - Cass rolled off of Narelah, suddenly emberassed. He couldn't do it. Damn his consience. No woman, not even the scheming bitch who was trying to kill Niichaad deserved rape. "Damn you, bitch," he spat. Narelah sat up and pulled her dress back down. "What, big strong Cass couldn't do it?" she jeered. "Couldn't rape a helpless woman? You really must love Niichaad. Any man could have done it." "A man can control himself, or he isn't much of a man," Cass told her, buckling his trousers. "Believe me, I wish I couldn't. I wish I could show you what it feels like to be raped. But you'll have to wait for someone else to do it. I can't." "I could accuse you of rape too, now," Narelah threatened, though by the slight quiver in her voice Cass could tell she was scared. Good. She should be. "Go ahead, who's going to take your word against mine, a woman who's already claimed one man raped her in the past week?" Cass scoffed. "Please, do, I could use a good laugh after all this." "I just might!" Narelah told him. Cass laughed. Just laughed. Then he left, slamming the door behind him. |
