The next morning, I swallow my pride and head straight for Cassian's chambers.
He's having breakfast when I walk in, but he doesn't acknowledge me. He doesn't even glance my way or offer me a seat. Typical.
I don't waste time. "Is there an allowance for me here in the palace?" I ask, going straight to business.
Cassian doesn't answer right away. He continues eating, taking his time as if I'm not even standing there. Then, finally, he speaks. "Ask the Queen. She runs all financial records here."
My heart sinks. This is exactly what I was afraid of. If there is an allowance, I need to know. I need to save up. But I can't go crawling back to that Jezebel of a queen.
Cassian doesn't say another word. I stand there for a moment, watching him as he drinks his tea, completely unbothered. He won't help me. Of course, he won't.
I turn sharply on my heels and leave, my mind spinning.
Back in my quarters, I pace as I wait for Esther. The moment she arrives, I don't waste time. "Tell me, is there an allowance for a princess in this place?"
Esther gives me a confused look. "Your Highness, the Queen handles all salaries and expenditures in the palace."
The same answer.
I exhale sharply, frustration clawing at my chest. The Queen controls everything. My hands curl into fists. She played me. And now, she holds the one thing I need - control over my finances.
Without funds, I am trapped. No independence, no escape. Every door I thought I had is now sealed shut, and the weight of my reality presses heavily on my chest.
My parents are drowning in mortgage debt, and the deadline looms dangerously close. If it isn't settled soon, they will lose their house—the only home we've ever known. I can't let that happen.
Ray's tuition is another ticking clock, one I have no means to stop. My little brother has worked so hard, and I promised him he wouldn't have to struggle the way I did. But promises mean nothing without money to back them up.
Then there's my father's medical bills. The treatments, the medications; every appointment is a battle against time, and without money, we're losing. My mother's small-scale business barely keeps food on the table, let alone covers these mounting costs. She's doing all she can, but it isn't enough.
And that's why I listened to Queen Morgana in the first place. That's why I agreed to this ridiculous arrangement. I thought it would give me security, give my family relief. But now, standing in the ruins of that decision, I realize, I've traded one prison for another.
I sigh, helpless. The walls are closing in.
Should I go to the Queen and demand she settles me?
I pace my room, my mind racing. I've gone to see her over and over, swallowing my pride, presenting my case like a beggar before a ruler. Each time, she mocks me; her smiles sharp as knives, her words dripping with condescension.
And now, she has a new excuse. The pregnancy issue. Convenient, isn't it? A perfect tool to string me along, to keep me bound in uncertainty.
I stop pacing, clenching my fists. No. I won't go back to her. I won't subject myself to her games, her endless manipulations. I refuse to let her dangle my future like a bone before a starving dog.
If she thinks she's won, she's mistaken. There's always another way. And I will find it.
Getting pregnant for Cassian is out of the question.
Eww! That male bitch who mates with anything female! The thought alone makes bile rise in my throat.
Disgusting.
I am grateful he keeps his distance. If he ever tries to touch me, I might actually claw his face off.
I despise him.
Pregnancy would have been thinkable if he was decent. If he was a prince with self-control, honour, dignity. I don't have to love him. But Cassian? He is nothing but a reckless, self-indulgent disgrace who drowns himself in liquor and women.
No. Never.
I run a hand through my hair and let out a slow, frustrated breath.
What should I do?
If only there was a provision for a monthly allowance. That would have been reasonable, fair. Something of my own, something to save, something that could help me escape.
I sigh, pressing my fingers against my temples. I have no money, no control, and no way out.
Yet.
I need a new plan. And I need it fast.
***
Weeks pass as I try to settle into the palace. Everything I need is provided; luxurious clothes, jewelry, the finest meals, attendants at my beck and call. But one thing is missing. Money.
Without funds, I am trapped. No independence, no escape.
I stay away from Cassian as he stays away from me. We exist under the same roof but in different worlds. I no longer bother speaking to the Queen about my family's debts. I was naive to believe her. I won't make that mistake again.
I have learned.
I will find a way to help myself. And when I do, I will leave this marriage.
What's the point of staying in a union that exists only on paper? A marriage where the man I'm bound to doesn't even care enough to set his eyes on me, let alone speak to me?
Cassian's absence is no accident. He isn't just away, he's avoiding me. Ignoring me. Pretending I don't exist. And if that's the case, why should I keep pretending? Why should I keep waiting for a man who clearly doesn't want me?
I refuse to be a silent, forgotten wife trapped in a gilded cage. If he won't acknowledge me, then he won't get to control me either.
One way or another, I will regain my freedom.
Tonight, just as I am slipping into bed, my phone buzzes on the nightstand. I almost ignore it, but then I see the name on the screen..
Mother.
A strange feeling creeps up my spine as I answer. "Mama?"
Her voice is frantic. Shaking. "Celeste?! oh, God - something terrible has happened!"
My stomach knots. "What? What is it?"
She chokes back a sob. "It's your father …he's…."
The call cuts off.
The screen goes black.
I stare at my phone, heart hammering. A cold dread grips me as I redial.
No response.
I try again. And again.
Still nothing.
I throw the blankets aside and jump out of bed. My hands tremble as I grab a shawl and head for the door.
I need to know what happened. And I need to know now.