To His Hell and Back-Chapter 177: Origin of Curse-II

A glimmer of curiosity now passed to Isaac who had always been told the same story over and over again which made him to never doubt its originality. He knew that at times kindness can be repaid with death and he had always thought that the person who had cursed them was someone similar to it. But what if he was wrong? If someone had sent the woman to the castle on purpose to curse the bloodline... or... if unlike the story, the King had never been kind to the woman and had done something so heinous that turned the woman’s hatred into a curse?

"Where was the decapitated head?" Cassius inquired and Isaac shook his head, implying that even he didn’t know about the woman. Cassius could conclude that the king himself had realized he was cursed and tried to burn the wona’s body to end the curse but far to no avail.

Cassius clicked his tongue as nothing seems to help Arabella’s case.

Should he go back to find her father?

For now he is the only lead and he was planning to go alone but then thought it would be unfair to keep Arabella from the truth as she deserves to understand who she really is.

"Your highness," said Isaac, "I won’t ask much. I only wish that as we find a way to break the curse that you would lend your help by lending us power to prevent any inner war in the castle. It would also be great if you could marry my sister. We could merge our kingdom and there won’t be any throne for us sibling to fight for."

"And pass the curse to my bloodline?" Cassius quipped.

Isaac gulped and shook his head, "We have deducted that the curse would only transfer to the male bloodline. Since Isabelle is a girl, the curse would eventually come to an end with her."

"Sloppy plan," answered Cassius, "That woman had made sure to curse every one of you. Seeing how it had taken so many lives meant this had been going on for centuries and wouldn’t stop anytime soon. Let’s say that I do what you ask and the curse that realized it has no more place run to your sister, dooming the rest of the bloodline, what would you then suggest next?"

Isaac pursed his lips, "Isabelle won’t bring the curse."

"How are you sure?" Cassius shrugged his shoulders. "Things can happen and you aren’t more knowing about the curse than your ancestor."

Gripping his hand, Isaac sighed, finally telling the truth, "Isabelle is the daughter of my mother’s sibling. She has been raised as one of us so she doesn’t carry our cursed bloodline. Besides that our Kingdom will make sure that we support you at all times, even as you ascend to the throne."

"Marrying your sister is your offer," noted Cassius as Isaac’s silence confirmed his guess.

Cassius didn’t answer after that, only humming faintly, "You should go and find the record of your kingdom regarding the woman. I’ll also be interested in it if you could keep me posted."

Isaac narrowed his gaze then, puzzled, "So you would marry my sister, your highness?"

Cassius turned to Isaac and the sunset behind him burned bright. The reddish brown of the sky reminded Cassius to Arabella, the woman that had been in his mind this entire day. Even with the mention of wars and deaths, all he thought was her.

He opened his mouth, his answer then swirled with the wind, becoming one.

"We’ll see."

By the time Cassius had came back to his castle and marched to his room, he saw how Arabella was curled on the bed, covered in the blanket. Curious, he walked over and checked whether her chest was heaving up and down in a cold chill as Arabella’s position was far too quiet.

But then she shifted on the bed and got up, her eyes as startled as him, "You’re back..." she drawled as meeting his eyes somehow made her embarrassed upon remembering what had happened last night.

Cassius smiled, "I’m back," and he made his way to the chair, pulling it beside her bedside, "How was your day?"

Arabella gulped. Was this his way of asking what had happened today? Have someone told him? Had he heard everything? Worried that he would go punish Lucien and the ladies which would worsen his good name and chance to the throne, Arabella couldn’t help the lies she said, "It was good. I met a princess. So many of them."

"Oh right," Cassius shrugged.

His tone was far too indifferent which made Arabella to raise her eyebrows. At the same time she could feel her heart leaping in joy which was odd. This was the first instances where she couldn’t understand herself as usually she wouldn’t be happy of someone else’s plight.

Gripping to the blanket, Arabella nervously looked at him, "You’re going to marry one of them are you?"

Cassius could see her face and saw her determined green eyes. But he failed to see the slight anxiety that slipped in her face as she asked him the question.

"I have to, in order to strengthen my position," Cassius answered but he didn’t see the point of marrying someone now as he was sure he could lead the kingdom fine. But those underneath him wouldn’t be pleased and they would began targeting Arabella, thinking she is the reason for his refusal. So he decided to simply play along for now until he manage to kill the king and become the ruler of this kingdom. By then, whatever he does, whoever he chooses to be with him, even if it’s a girl with bright green eyes and reddish brown hair, no one would dare to utter their discomfort.

He would make sure no one would dare to do so.

He would make sure that not even one of them would be able to show their bitterness by their expression, even if it was a single frown.

"So you will?" Arabella’s voice shake slightly but she smiled, "They’re beautiful."

Cassius looked up at her, smiling, "Don’t worry you are even more beautiful. None of them could handle your presence."

"That’s not-!" She sighed. "You... have always lived for the throne, didn’t you?" She drawled, not knowing what she was trying to say or what she wants to hear from Cassius. Fiddling with her fingers, she continued, "You have sacrificed a lot of it."