Cassandra's Challenge (80 page)

William looks deep into his glass. “She wouldn’t
see it as a sacrifice.” He takes a deep drink.

“That says something. It says she loves you,
truly loves you.” Jotham finally believes.

“I already know that.”

“And if she doesn’t take the throne?” Jotham
suspects, knowing his friend, but has to ask.

“Then we leave. Together. She’ll never be safe
otherwise.”

Jotham sighs. “You have it planned?”

“Yes. I won’t lose her.”

“If you need my help you have it.”

“Thank you Jotham.” Nodding Jotham finishes his
drink and leaves the suite.

Entering their room he slides into bed, pulling
her into his arms. He needs to hold her. Tomorrow, tomorrow this
will be done, she’d either be Queen or they’d be gone, forever.
He’s already chosen their escape route, has everything in place.
The thought of leaving his sons, Carina, hurt. But not having
Cassandra would be unbearable.

“You’re thinking awfully hard.” She rubs a hand
across his chest.

“You’re supposed to be sleeping.” His arms
tighten around her.

“I was thinking…” She murmured.

“You’re always thinking, sleep.”

“William…”

“Shhhhhh…later.”

“No it won’t wait. You’ve given up a lot to get
us this far.” She rises up leaning on his chest.

“I’ve given up nothing that truly matters.” She
gives him a soft smile.

“Things could go wrong at the Assembly.”

“It won’t.”

“But it could, you’ve already thought of that,
thought of how to get us out.” She meets his eyes.

“Yes.” He sees the acceptance and trust.

“There’s something I want to ask of you before
I’m presented to the Assembly.”

“Cassandra what do you need?” He tucks a loose
piece of hair behind her ear. He sees nerves in her eyes.
“Ask.”

“When I’m presented to the Assembly, I want to
be presented as Cassandra Qwes Zafar.” She watches his eyes widen
before he sits straight up.

“What!?!” He whispers gripping her arms.

“I want you to be my husband when I’m presented
to the Assembly.”

“Cassandra….” William is shocked. He hadn’t
expected this. Looking in her eyes he can tell she’s been thinking
about it for a while. He doesn’t know what to say.

“William?” Cassandra had been so sure, now she
isn’t. “Honesty even if I don’t like it.” He sees the doubt enter
her eyes.

“You would take my name?” His voice is
hoarse.

“I…yes…unless you don’t want me too. I thought…”
William kisses her deeply. Twisting he presses her into the bed,
framing her face with his hands.

“I very much do….Cassandra Qwes Zafar….” She can
see how saying it pleases him.

“Yes, I very much want to be able to call you my
husband.” She puts a hand on his cheek, her thumb caressing his
lips. “To be Admiral William Zafar’s wife.”

She’s given him yet another gift, does she even
realize it? For her to take his name…she is Qwes…it’s unheard of
for the heir to change her name. The husband does. Salish hadn’t
even taken his name, wanting to keep her ‘identity’.

“William?” Cassandra sees his mind has
wandered.

“You humble me Cassandra it would be an honor to
have you carry my name.”

“William….the honor is mine.” Rising she kisses
him. As the kiss starts to deepen he breaks off.

“No.” He says roughly.

“What?” Confused eyes meet his.

“The next time I make love to you I want you to
be my wife.”

“William…..” Her eyes fill.

“You will rest while I get things arranged.”

“But…”

“No buts Cassandra, you’re not getting enough
rest.” His eyes challenging.

“I’m getting as much as you are.”

“I’m not carrying a child.” Speaking, he gently
touches the place where their son rests.

“We’re fine.” She covers his hand with one of
hers.

“And I’ll make sure you stay that way.”

“William…” Cassandra looks into his eyes.
“Victoria knows.”

“What?”

“About the baby, she recognized the test, from
her mother.”

“And she hasn’t said anything?”

“No, she just told me last night, when she
asked, I couldn’t lie to her.” She looks at him hoping he’d
understand.

“Of course you couldn’t.” He looks at her.
“She’s okay with it?” He frowns, thinking about the little brother
she’d lost.

“She thinks it’s awesome.”

“Really?” He has to grin. “That’s good. I need
to tell the boys.” He sees the concern in her eyes. “It will be
fine. So you’ll rest.” William won’t be distracted, his eyes bore
into hers. “Then you’ll eat.”

“William.” She starts to disagree.

“Then we’ll have our Union.” She closes her
mouth.

“And you say I always win an argument.”

William gives her a quick kiss. “I think we both
win.”

“So do I.” He rolls out of bed before he changes
his mind.

“Sleep.” He orders than heads to the shower.
Smiling he thinks of all he has to do.

“Lucas?” William walks into his ready room.

“What? Oh dad hi.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Wrong? Nothing, what could be wrong? Victoria’s
having nightmares, I can’t help her but hey, nothing’s wrong.”
William can see the frustration in his son’s eyes.

“You want too, feel like you should be able too,
because she’s your life mate.”

“Yes.”

“Lucas, she maybe, someday, she maybe your life
mate, but not today. Today she is a nine cycle little girl who
needs her Aunt, someone to guide and protect her.”

“I can do that.” Lucas interrupts.

“To be a parent.” William finishes. “You can’t
be both Lucas, you can’t be a parent and a life mate, it doesn’t
work that way. You have to choose.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you want to someday, when she’s old enough
to understand, claim her as yours then right now you have to step
back. Let her become that person.”

“That leaves her unprotected!”

“I’ll protect her. Cassandra and I will. She’s
ours to raise.” He looks into his son’s eyes. “When she’s old
enough she’ll make her own decision.”

“How do I step back? How do I take that risk?”
Lucas sits down.

“By trusting me, trusting Cassandra, and mostly
trusting Victoria. If there’s no trust, then there is no
relationship.”

“Like you and mom.”

“What?” William freezes.

“You didn’t trust each other, not after what she
did.” His meets his father’s eyes. “I know you tried to make it
work, after she lied to you about having conceived.”

“Lucas…”

“I’ve known for a long time. But when she did
conceive, me, you stayed.”

“You’re my son, of course I stayed.”

“But you didn’t trust her again. And she never
really believed you’d stay.”

“We both made mistakes.”

“Yeah…I don’t want to make one with
Victoria.”

“She needs the chance to grow up, to find her
way. Find her way to you. If that’s her choice, you have to give
her that choice Lucas.”

“It scares the fuck out of me dad. What if she
chooses someone else?”

“Her choice Lucas.” William puts a hand on his
son’s shoulder. “But I promise you if she’s given the choice and
chooses you, you’ll be the luckiest man on the planet.”

“You’re speaking of Cassandra.”

“Yes. Is your brother awake?” William stands to
walk around the desk.

“I don’t know.”

“Would you go find him for me, bring him down
here, I need to talk to both of you.”

“Dad, what’s going on?” Lucas frowns at him,
something’s up.

“Please, get your brother.”

“Okay.”

“Shut the door.” With one last look Lucas leaves
shutting the door.

Picking up the headset William pushes a button,
and waits.

“Jotham, its Will. I need a favor.”

“Ask.”

“I would like you to perform Cassandra’s and my
Union this afternoon.”

“Excuse me?” William is silent. “Will, you’re
serious?”

“Definitely.”

“If she becomes Queen….”

“We’ll deal with that when the time comes.”

“Why now Will?”

“Jotham, I want her for my wife. She wants me
for her husband. She wants to be Cassandra Qwes Zafar.”

“What….” Jotham is stunned.

“I want it too. I hadn’t realized how badly I
wanted it until she said it.” He leans back in his chair. “I’m
asking my friend and King for his help.”

“What time.” William releases a breath he hadn’t
realized he’d been holding.

“1500.”

“I’ll be there by 1430.”

“Thanks. And Jotham, bring Barek.”

“I’ll let him know.” The King disconnects.

William is just taking off the headset when
there is a knock on the door. “Enter.” Lucas and Kyle walk in.
“Close the door, sit down.”

William watches his sons as they sit. They are
two grown men he was very proud of, soon he’d have a third. The
thought filled him with pride and terrifies him.

“Dad, what is it.” Kyle asks.

“Queen Yakira has called for and been granted a
full Assembly to finish the Challenge tomorrow at 1300.”

“What!” Kyle sits forward. “There haven’t been
all the gatherings.”

“And there won’t be. It’s done.” William looks
at his sons. “Today at 1500 King Jotham will be here to perform a
Union, a Union between myself and Cassandra.”

“Today?” Kyle looks at Lucas. “Why?”

“It’s what I want, it’s what Cassandra wants.”
Time to tell them everything. “There’s more.”

“What?” Lucas asks.

“Cassandra’s conceived.” Both his sons sit back
stunned. William waits.

“You’re sure, she’s sure?” Lucas asks.

“Yes.”

“It could be all the adjustments she’s gone
through.” Kyle tells him.

“That was Cassandra’s first thought. It’s why
she waited so long to tell me, she wanted to be sure.”

“Are you?” Lucas has to ask knowing why his
mother and father got married.

“Lucas, I haven’t done anything to prevent
it.”

“But…”

“I wanted her to conceive, selfish of me, but
there it is.”

“It’s why she was light headed at the ball.”
Kyle says.

“Yes.”

“It’s why she seems to be tiring easier.”

“Yes. She’s pushing too hard. Trying to handle
too much on her own, she’s stubborn that way.”

“Oh
she
is?” Lucas challenges with a
smile. William smiles back.

“So now you know. Are either of you going to
have a problem with this?”

“Dad…what do you want us to say?”

“Congratulations would be nice.” William’s face
hardens.

“This is what you want, what you
really
want?” Kyle asks.

“I want Cassandra as my wife more than I’ve
wanted anything in my life.” The conviction in his voice has Kyle
hesitating.

“And the baby.”

“Scares the hell out of me, she’s so little.
Once this Challenge is over she’s going to the best doctor on the
planet if I have to tie her up to get her there.”

The brothers grin at each other, it’s rare to
see their father expression his emotions this way. Cassandra’s had
a good effect on him.

“If your good with it so am I.” Kyle replies
first.

“Me too.” Lucas says.

“Thank you. Both of you, it means a lot. You
know it doesn’t change anything, between the three of us.”

“Yes it does.” Kyle’s not going to lie to his
father. “But that’s okay, it’ll just get better. I’ll finally get
to be a big brother. Oh crap!” Kyle pales.

“What!”

“What if it’s a girl? What do we do with a
girl?” William laughs at the stricken look on both his sons
faces.

“I personally happen to like women.” William
chuckles.

“Women yeah, but little girls….they’re
terrifying. Look at Victoria last night. She nearly scared me to
death, I’ve never felt so helpless in my entire life.” Kyle
shutters remembering. “She’s okay isn’t she?”

“Yes. Still sleeping, and I’ll let you off the
hook. It’s a boy.”

“What! How can you know that?” Lucas
demands.

“According to Cassandra a Qwes woman always has
a son first.”

“Really? She’s got that documented?” Kyle’s eyes
sparkle.

“God, sometimes you’re just like her, all
excited about data.” Kyle just smiles at him.

“So 1430 we meet down here with Jotham and
Barek.”

Rising Cassandra can’t help but smile. She’s
gotten a good three hours of sleep now it’s time to get ready for
her Union with William.

“Aunt Cassie?” Pulling on her robe she turns to
find Victoria in the doorway.

“Hi. How are you this morning?” She walks over
to kneel down in front of her niece.

“Okay, sorry about last night.”

“Hey there’s nothing to be sorry about.” She
pulls her into her arms. “We all have bad dreams.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.”

“You never tell me.”

“I guess it’s because I tell William.”

“And he makes them go away, like you do for
me?”

“Yes.” Victoria thinks about it.

“I guess that’s okay than along as you tell
someone.” Cassandra gives her a quick hug.

“Are you just getting up too?”

“Yeah.”

“Good then we can eat together and talk. I’m
thinking flatcakes what about you?”

“That sounds good.”

“Do you want to call Hutu or me?”

“I will…” Victoria runs to the comm.

“Victoria Lynn, no fudge torta.” Her mouth
waters at the thought.

“Oh man….” Smiling she watches her niece talk to
Hutu. She’s okay.

Cassandra isn’t sure she’d ever had flatcakes
that tasted this good. Finishing her plate she sees Victoria’s eyes
are wide.

“Sorry.” She swallows the bite in her mouth. “We
were supposed to be talking.”

“That’s okay. I’ve never seen you eat like that.
It must be the baby.” Victoria says in a knowing voice. “Did you
know that when Amina was born she weighted
ten hectic…
pounds
?”