Cassandra lowered her eyes to the rich carpet on the stone wall of the large room where she stood with the other noble daughters of her kingdom.
They were speaking and laughing whilst bracing themselves on the inside. This is what Cassandra wanted to do as well but she felt herself slowly wilt within and began to give up.
Images of her family life played within her mind against her will.
The invitation letter had been a way for her to escape it all, but it was clear that the influence that she feared would always find her. Her friends had begun to discuss amongst themselves again nervously, but Cassandra could not hear a thing.
She remembered moments from the previous year.
Her tutor had awarded young Cassandra the highest ranking in playing the harp. She was the most gifted player in the kingdom.
Cassandra had felt her face erupt in cheer. She had accomplished a big thing, this something, she was sure. She was so sure this was what she needed to show her father. He would be ectastic. He would award his rare smiles. His face would light up, and his calculating eyes would lighten.
Cassandra was so sure of it.
She had the paper clutched in her hand as she raced down her corridor. She hastened to the large office of her father. Knocking, she could hardly contain her excitement.
"Come in," her father's voice had called from within with a ring of pride and joy.
Cassandra remembered how she had frowned then.
Just a moment's hesitation burned into her memory as she had stood there, giddy with excitement, her mind singing and one palm pressed against the door to push it open. But her father's already-happy voice had confused her and stirred up an eerie feeling inside her stomach.
She had pushed open the door to enter.
Her father was standing where his chair usually was. His chair was on the ground.
He looked up. His usually calculating eyes were lightened. His face was lit up. He looked ectastic and one of his rare smiles was on display. This rare smile, of course, had disappeared the moment she had walked in.
His face darkened. He looked at her with a bored expression before he turned away.
It had been a simple action but something about it had burned Cassandra so much that she had stumbled back a step.
It was clear her father had had to turn away from her to hold on to his happiness and that had punched Cassandra's heart.
Her father had not said a word and Cassandra had stepped nervously inside. She had closed the door behind her. She was nervous then. Her giddiness had been replaced.
She stood in her father's office then with an unexplainable fear. Her card of excellence for her harp prowess suddenly filled her with many doubts.
"What do you have in your hand?" Her father's voice was harsh. She had heard the tone many times, but the dread was new every time.
"F- father," she swallowed, knowing her father hated when her voice trembled. She steadied her voice as much as she could before she spoke, "M- My harp tutor has listened to my final recital. H- he- He has just awarded me with my ranking."
There was silence.
It stretched for several minutes, and her father did not move.
This had deepened Cassandra's fear every second. She watched his rigid back, her insides feeling twisted and sick.
"F- Father, I rank the highest in the kingdom now."
The short, unkind laugh from her father shocked her.
Was he laughing at her? He never did that.
There was never a voice of mirth from him when she was around.
Maybe this was how her father laughed. Maybe he was relieved. She was not sure.
He turned to her. His face was glowing with a pride she had never seen before.
But Cassandra could not really feel any relief at his expression.
"Give me your card, daughter." Her father's voice was quiet. It was very slow and deliberate that it sounded like a warning.
Cassandra moved slowly forward with her eyes trained on his face. He seemed like a terrifying predator to her then.
She handed him the card. He took it with his right hand and held what looked like a letter in his left. The letter looked new, with scented paper and rich ink.
Cassandra frowned, wondering what it was. Was it from the palace? Had someone offered her father a new position there? She could not read it clearly.
"In my hand, I hold two documents professing my daughters' accomplishments." Her father spoke.
Cassandra frowned. His two daughters? Her father could only be talking about herself and Vella. And Vella had been sent away to a small art school only a few months ago. How could the expensive letter in her father's hand be from Vella's small art school?
"I will allow you, Cassandra, to judge for yourself which of my daughters is really ranked the highest in the kingdom as you so best put it."
There was a large roaring fire to their left, and it was painting her father in harsh red shadows.
The grand duke was not a nice man, but the room seemed to make him seem even colder than usual.
Cassandra shuddered that day as she looked at the letter in her father's hand. She did not know what it contained or what accomplishment it spoke of, but she had known that day that Vella had done something that had put her at the very top of the kingdom. It was in a way that Cassandra could never hope to reach, and she had known then that her father's affection would never be hers.
"Have you seen the crown prince yourself?" Elizabeth asked.
Cassandra flinched. She had been so immersed in her thoughts that she had jolted back to reality.
Her friends looked at her worriedly.
"Are you alright?"
Cassandra straightened and tried to smile, "Of course, I was just lost in thought. And the crown prince? I-."
She was cut off by the opening of the large front door.
Every single lady in the room turned to see who had entered.