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Authors: Angelia Almos
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argue over her. Then she recalled the feeling she'd met Julyan before. "Why?"
He glanced over his shoulder and shook his head. "I've run out of time."
Her eyes widened as he stood up and stepped out of the grove. She leapt after him, but all she saw outside the grove was thick green grass. "Father!"
"Cassia," a voice said as her body shook. Cassia opened her eyes to see Yaffa standing over her. "Are you all right, Princess? You were crying out in your sleep."
She sat up. "Yes, I'm fine." But she wasn't. The dream clung to her and her heart beat heavily. "What time is it?"
"It's almost dawn." Yaffa stepped back from the bed.
Cassia nodded. Yaffa curtsied and walked quietly to where she and Ula were bedded down in the small dressing room. Cassia flopped back into her bed and stared up at the ceiling. A gray light from the window signaled it was indeed dawn. Her body ached from the lack of sleep. She was almost used to the pain by now. It seemed forever since she'd been able to sleep through the night.
She rolled over and tried to pull the dream back. Panic filled her as she realized it was starting to fade from her memory. She jumped up and padded over to the writing desk across from the bed, writing down everything Robet had said to her in the dream. She relaxed noting the last of the dream, confident she hadn't forgotten anything. At least, she didn't think she had.
Slowly reading over what she'd written, Cassia tapped the quill on the blotter. What was she supposed to do with this? She pushed the tears back. They wouldn't help her. He'd come to her for a reason. She just had to figure out why. As she went over what he'd said she realized she didn't really have anything new on his death. Their conversation hadn't followed a logical course.
He was worried. Worried enough to cross the threshold and communicate with her. But he hadn't said what he was concerned about. She tapped at where he'd said he hadn't signed a treaty. Cassia had seen the treaty herself. His signature and seal were on the bottom right alongside King Erich's, but if he hadn't signed the treaty that meant it was a forgery. Advisor Eb had hinted at the possibility when they'd first gotten the treaty, but he hadn't voiced it. What about the treaty had tipped Eb off and made him think Robet wouldn't have signed it?
If he hadn't signed the treaty than this marriage to Prince Torr wasn't what he'd wanted at all. She didn't have to marry Torr. She shouldn't marry Torr. She had to speak to her mother.
****
Cassia waited impatiently for her mother. Maconahay wouldn't allow her out of her room, but had finally relented enough to send a guard to her mother's chamber to inquire if she could go there. He nodded and she rushed across the hall. She shut the door soundly in Maconahay's face.
Sarahann looked at her expectantly. "What's so urgent?"
"Father never signed a treaty with King Erich," she said. "It's a forgery."
Sarahann put her tea cup down and focused on her daughter. "Who told you this?"
She hesitated. She had no idea how her mother would take the appearance of her father's ghost. "Father."
Sarahann rose swiftly. "You're saying you saw your father?" She clasped her hands together. "Cassia, your father is no longer with us."
Cassia waved a hand. "I didn't say I saw him alive."
"A ghost?" Sarahann asked in disbelief. "You're telling me your father's ghost appeared in your chamber?"
"Not exactly. He came to me in a dream," she said, almost flinching at how it sounded. She wished she had more proof to share with her mother, but she didn't. She rushed through what her father had said. "He told me what happened to him. He never saw who killed him. He was meeting one of Julyan's men. He was ambushed. Then he told me he and Erich had been arguing, and hadn't come to any compromises. He didn't sign the treaty."
Sarahann rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Gods, give me patience." She looked back at her daughter. "You had a dream, Cassia. That's
He glanced over his shoulder and shook his head. "I've run out of time."
Her eyes widened as he stood up and stepped out of the grove. She leapt after him, but all she saw outside the grove was thick green grass. "Father!"
"Cassia," a voice said as her body shook. Cassia opened her eyes to see Yaffa standing over her. "Are you all right, Princess? You were crying out in your sleep."
She sat up. "Yes, I'm fine." But she wasn't. The dream clung to her and her heart beat heavily. "What time is it?"
"It's almost dawn." Yaffa stepped back from the bed.
Cassia nodded. Yaffa curtsied and walked quietly to where she and Ula were bedded down in the small dressing room. Cassia flopped back into her bed and stared up at the ceiling. A gray light from the window signaled it was indeed dawn. Her body ached from the lack of sleep. She was almost used to the pain by now. It seemed forever since she'd been able to sleep through the night.
She rolled over and tried to pull the dream back. Panic filled her as she realized it was starting to fade from her memory. She jumped up and padded over to the writing desk across from the bed, writing down everything Robet had said to her in the dream. She relaxed noting the last of the dream, confident she hadn't forgotten anything. At least, she didn't think she had.
Slowly reading over what she'd written, Cassia tapped the quill on the blotter. What was she supposed to do with this? She pushed the tears back. They wouldn't help her. He'd come to her for a reason. She just had to figure out why. As she went over what he'd said she realized she didn't really have anything new on his death. Their conversation hadn't followed a logical course.
He was worried. Worried enough to cross the threshold and communicate with her. But he hadn't said what he was concerned about. She tapped at where he'd said he hadn't signed a treaty. Cassia had seen the treaty herself. His signature and seal were on the bottom right alongside King Erich's, but if he hadn't signed the treaty that meant it was a forgery. Advisor Eb had hinted at the possibility when they'd first gotten the treaty, but he hadn't voiced it. What about the treaty had tipped Eb off and made him think Robet wouldn't have signed it?
If he hadn't signed the treaty than this marriage to Prince Torr wasn't what he'd wanted at all. She didn't have to marry Torr. She shouldn't marry Torr. She had to speak to her mother.
****
Cassia waited impatiently for her mother. Maconahay wouldn't allow her out of her room, but had finally relented enough to send a guard to her mother's chamber to inquire if she could go there. He nodded and she rushed across the hall. She shut the door soundly in Maconahay's face.
Sarahann looked at her expectantly. "What's so urgent?"
"Father never signed a treaty with King Erich," she said. "It's a forgery."
Sarahann put her tea cup down and focused on her daughter. "Who told you this?"
She hesitated. She had no idea how her mother would take the appearance of her father's ghost. "Father."
Sarahann rose swiftly. "You're saying you saw your father?" She clasped her hands together. "Cassia, your father is no longer with us."
Cassia waved a hand. "I didn't say I saw him alive."
"A ghost?" Sarahann asked in disbelief. "You're telling me your father's ghost appeared in your chamber?"
"Not exactly. He came to me in a dream," she said, almost flinching at how it sounded. She wished she had more proof to share with her mother, but she didn't. She rushed through what her father had said. "He told me what happened to him. He never saw who killed him. He was meeting one of Julyan's men. He was ambushed. Then he told me he and Erich had been arguing, and hadn't come to any compromises. He didn't sign the treaty."
Sarahann rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Gods, give me patience." She looked back at her daughter. "You had a dream, Cassia. That's
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