Chapter 653: Getting approval is always worth it
By the time that Sam came back into the office, everything was put back into place. Not a single thing was out of place, and it didn’t look like anything momentous happened.
That was, if you didn’t notice the giant hulking dragon pouting on the couch, or the rather stunned-looking knight who was sitting on the couch next to them. They looked like they had been drained of a valuable resource, and in a way, they had.
Cass had taken what he’d needed from them, and now he was glowing as Cass and Edgar worked away. Sam said nothing as he entered, nor did Byron.
Byron did, however, pat Lucian on the back. He made it out as if he understood what Lucian was going through, which told Cass that he wasn’t the only one in the room that needed some kind of regular feeding.
Cass immediately blocked that line of thought, plugging it completely. It was like knowing that his sister had sex. He did not need to know that they were capable of something like that. As far as he was concerned, his sister and his brother-in-law had gotten pregnant through touching fingertips and that was it.
Sam prepared tea, like the good henchman that he was, and Cass was able to block out those thoughts easily after that. In fact, Cass felt good. Better than good. His shoulders were relaxed, his mind was clear, and he was finally able to bang through some of the tasks that had been weighing him down.
He settled several issues, finished the hiring process with Edgar’s help, and even decided on the temporary spot he would like to grow the nursery tree.
He was going to plant it in a pot in his office for the time being so that it was always around a fairy, bring it to his bedroom when he slept so that it could continue to be around a fairy, and then once the final spot was fully finished and protected, then he would plant it. But this way it would have a fighting chance. It could grow thick and strong roots so that when it was planted in the ground it could spread far and wide quickly.
Where was Cass going to plant it after that? Well, the spot was kind of obvious, even if Cass had asked Sir Forsythe for suggestions. It seemed as if he, too, knew where Cass was going to put it.
There just so happened to be a rather large spot free in the gardens outside of his room, between the gazebo and the fountain. It was almost as if Cassian had planned for this, even though Cass knew that was not the case. He had probably wanted to put a tree there, but just hadn’t decided on what tree.
Now, the most noble and precious of trees was going to be planted, and Cass couldn’t be more excited for everyone involved.
Edgar was the first one to get excited, but it was Lucian who said that he would move the pot from room to room, no magic needed. Gideon said he had done quite a bit of research on fertilizers from his time attempting to get through every book in the library from A-Z. Cass was impressed that they were being so considerate, but then again, he wouldn’t have kept them by his side if they were truly irredeemable.
~
Things were going smoothly. Cass was actually very impressed. He wasn’t certain how things would go once Lucian came back and he took a step back from the capital and hero duties, but everything was fine.
Why was everything fine? Well, it seems that Fiona and Ava were doing a great job taking down the bad guys from the outside, and it also seemed that the demon community was scrambling for one reason or another. Sam was their inside scoop on that, but even he didn’t know why the demons seemed to be in turmoil.
It only worked out for Cass, giving him and his crew a break from having to go to dungeons for the time being. That was one less thing he had to worry about, especially as it seemed the Kingdom was trying to speedrun its demise.
His Aunt was ’fighting for her life’. That was the damn headline. His Aunt, the Matron of the Sothern forest, was fighting for her life under the King’s observation. Yeah fucking right. His Aunt was in his mansion, at his capital residence, with her daughter lazing back and relaxing. She was in no way fighting for her life. The tabloids were just going crazy.
The only tabloid that wasn’t saying that was the one that Christopher was in charge of. Instead, they were running pieces that were critical of nobles and their houses and where the funds were going. They were also asking the important questions, like where the hero had gone and why were they being hidden from public view? Why was the King not asking these kinds of questions and instead raising the taxes on the common people to pay back his debt?
Cass found these were good points, even if he was involved with everything that Christopher was questioning. He was the man that the King had to pay back, and he was also the hero who had hidden the original hero, intentional or otherwise.
Either way, it seemed that quite a few people were listening to Christopher’s questions and asking them themselves. Cass even fed Mr. Collins some headlines with some verifiable data about what the nobles were or weren’t doing with their money, what causes they were supporting, and who were helping those in need and who were not.
Surprisingly, the Vespertines were still giving quite a bit to others, while the Blackburns were only giving to causes that spread hatred. The Ridgewoods? They didn’t give to anyone. There were also plenty of other families that spread hatred and fear or kept the money for themselves, but the list was too long to give to Mr. Collins in a timely manner. So, Cass shortened it.
He also sent some stats of what he and the others had been doing. There was no reason not to toot his own horn. His original mission was to change Cassian’s image, and damn it, he might not be able to leave, but he could do that at the very least.
Something that had also happened that Cass still felt a little shocked about was the fact that Lucian had gone to speak to his Aunt and check up on Ailia. That was something that Lucian had discussed maybe doing, but Cass didn’t think he would actually do it. Especially without him.
But no, Lucian informed him one night when they were settling down for bed that he planned to head off early in the morning for the capital to visit and speak to his Aunt and introduce himself and that he would be back in the evening. He also wanted to check in on Ailia and see how she was progressing since it had been such a long time since he’d seen a fairy pregnancy.
Cass had no idea what to say to that, so he just accepted the kiss on the cheek, letting the big beast of a man curl around him and snuggle into him as they settled down for the night. He even woke up when Lucian was leaving, getting a chuckling kiss in return. Even Edgar and Gideon got one, both stirring as Lucian left the bed.
That day had been rather jarring, as Cass wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself as Lucian was gone, once more, for a whole day. Cass was pretty sure he’d barely gotten any work done until his Aunt called midday to speak to him.
Hearing Lucian on the other line had relaxed a tight knot in Cass’ stomach he wasn’t even aware he had. He’d just known that not having Lucian by his side so soon after not having him for months was something he hadn’t been prepared for. However, hearing him laughing and getting along with his Aunt on the other side of the magical ball made things better.
Even hearing Ailia rib Cass for finding the biggest man he could find didn’t seem to shake him from the good feeling. Cass had just taken it on the chin, admitting that he’d probably get bigger with each shed. Cass liked his muscles, thank you very much.
While Cass’ face had burned admitting that, Lucian’s joyful laughter on the other side of the line had filled him with relief. Even Gideon and Edgar had seemed to relax at hearing that sound. Cass wasn’t aware that they had all been anxious with Lucian gone, and after the midday call, they all stayed around each other. Partially out of comfort, and partially out of concern for each other.
Lucian got home late in the night. Cass, who hadn’t been able to get any work done during the day, had stayed up late. Partially to welcome him home, but also to actually get some work done. It wasn’t hard for Lucian to find him, especially since Cass could hear his wings battering the sky long before he actually showed himself. Cass was sure that was actually intentional, that the dragon could be quiet but chose not to.
Cass was waiting for him outside when he arrived in a light robe he’d borrowed from Fiona’s closet once more. He didn’t see the point in getting a full wardrobe makeover when her clothes would do in a pinch and it seemed there would come a point when he could change back to his ’old’ form. He was just waiting for his body to settle.
Lucian hugged Cass tightly upon seeing him before taking his hand and pulling him into the warm interior of the mansion. He didn’t like seeing Cass even consider shivering from the cold. That was a good thing, since the dragon radiated heat like the sun.
Lucian had a lot of things that he wanted to speak with Cass about. He hadn’t been truly aware of how much he’d missed out on until he’d arrived at the capital and had a few rather serious surprises.
For one, Lucian didn’t know that Cass had brought Taniora back to his mansion and that she had stayed. He had no idea that she was able to exist as a proper being in his mansion. Lucian had tried to explain the shock that had hit him when he saw her waiting in the foyer, but he got choked up every time he did. It had been a pleasant surprise to be able to to talk to her, speak to hear, feel her presence when he had arrived.
Lucian’s hand squeezed Cass’, over and over, as he swallowed, trying to bring the emotions to life that seeing her had invoked. Cass didn’t rush him. After all, he’d gotten to know the fairy, and had grown to know how kind and considerate she was. She was one of the few people that Lucian chose to remember, after all. Cass was glad that he had a good time.
Lucian also reported that Ailia was doing well. She was glowing, and it was almost time to transfer the baby over to the nursery tree soon. Cass was surprised to hear that. He didn’t think it would take such a short time, but Lucian was able to explain why. Fairy pregnancies without a nursery tree advanced too quickly because of the innate magic that fairies carried. It was why dragons were born in shells. It gave them a longer time to develop, where fairies hadn’t done that.
The nursery tree was their solution to a shell, but a more living and breathing solution. One that worked with the world around them. Either way, she was doing well, glowing, and soon she would be back in full working order. Of course, she wouldn’t leave her husband and her child’s side for a while yet, but she’d be able to fight again soon.
Lucian had straightened up at his next words. His Aunt had given him her blessing. He peeked at Cass after telling him that. They were still walking through the halls, away from the stairs at least, as Cass pondered those words. His Aunt had liked Lucian enough to give her blessing. Cass wondered why that made his stomach twist. Not in a bad way, just...a different kind of way.
He remained quiet for too long though, making Lucian worry. Cass chuckled, patting his shoulder.
"It’s a good thing, right?" Cass asked and Lucian hesitated.
"It is." He replied and Cass nodded, smiling up at him as they arrived back at Cass’ den.
"Good then. Come to bed now. We missed you today."