The Red Viper and the Tempest.
An unlikely match from the beginning.
A moment of attraction, fleeting and memorable.
A hint of vulnerability, strong and lasting.
A spark of a flame, inevitable and ruining.
In the midst of storms and poisons, tw...
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"I'm sure you do not have to attend."
Owain repeated for the seventh time, eating one of the cookies left over from the dessert plate that they had requested from the kitchens.
Cassandra suppressed a sigh as she fastened another bracelet around her wrist. "I'm afraid I must. My absence will surely be noticed."
It had been two weeks since the dreadful day of revelations and while Cassandra had slowly been getting back on her feet and coming to terms with the reality of her life, there were still times when she missed him.
In fact, she missed the man she thought her husband to be every single day and if it weren't for Owain, she might have succumbed to her heartbreak.
It was one thing to lose a great love but to realize that he never existed at all was a mortal blow that was difficult to recover from, if it was even possible to do such a thing.
Still, finding each step to move forward had been her only goal. While excuses had worked for other events, her own husband's nameday could not be avoided.
Even when he was the one she did not want to see, people would talk if she failed to show up. So there she was, getting ready for a celebration she did not want to partake in.
The only solace in her mind was that she did not have to stay for the whole dinner. She had been planning on sneaking off after the toasts and having an early night.
After being satisfied with her appearance, knowing that she should not care what he thought but still caring the same, Cassandra turned to Owain. "Well, how do I look?"
She was dressed in a mustard dress, its cut elegant with gold thread lining the fragment like a dusting of sunlight. Around her wrists were gold bracelets decorated in suns.
An image of a true Dornish princess, if one were to paint one from an idea.
"You look like the most beautiful woman in the whole entire world!" Owain remarked loudly, spreading his arms as wide as he could.
Cassandra could not help but plant a soft kiss atop his raven curls. "Thank you, Owain. I needed that."
He grinned unabashedly at her and she felt her spirits lift at his expression. After bidding the young boy a quick goodbye with a promise of more cookies, she exited her chambers.
Just as she was about to turn to the hallway leading to where the celebrations were being held, a familiar face halted her in her steps.
