WHO: Cassandra Higgs & Eleanora Potter. WHEN: Thursday, August 6th WHERE: Eleanora’s suite, Peverell Palace. SUMMARY: Cassandra accidentally reveals a hidden ability to her mistress. WARNINGS: Descriptions of seizures, reference to violence. STATUS: Closed/complete.
She didn’t mind, though. This role had saved her from what would have been a hellish life back home, and so, Cassandra could always be found throwing herself wholeheartedly and uncomplainingly into whatever duty that Eleanora had given her.
Still, something didn’t feel quite right with her today. She couldn’t put a finger on it, but things just didn’t feel normal. It was fortunate that the Queen to be wasn’t present at that moment, really. Earlier on, she had found herself standing for a full two and a half minutes just staring out of the window, when she ought to have been cataloguing Eleanora’s clothes and when each item had been worn last. Giving her head of red curls a hard shake to get her act together, Cassandra sighed and went back to the task. It was, fortunately, nearly done and her mistress was due back soon.
Eleanora could appreciate that she was just Emrys’ wife. In the grand scheme of things that this was his country. She could and embraced it. But if the protocol office didn’t remove the sticks from their arses, in regards to advising her what she she wear riding so as not to ‘offend’.... The Irish in her was rising and so she had left the meeting with EVERY intention of finding her husband and giving him her thoughts on protocol. But Emrys was in a cabinet meeting. And she wasn’t about to interrupt that.
He was more than like irritating the Hades out of someone and she wasn’t about to take that fun away from him. He was still recovering after all. So she stormed indignantly into her suite of rooms and slammed the door behind her.
“Cass! Remind me again that throttling the protocol office isn’t the right and proper thing to do.”
Immediately upon seeing her mistress enter the room, Cassandra stopped what she was doing - signing off on the log that the ladies used to keep track of Eleanora’s business - and turned to give the appropriate quick bob of a curtsey that the women used when in private. Unlike Eleanora, Cassandra was a little more of a stickler for protocol - although it was easy to dislike it less when you were the woman at the top, she supposed.
“No, Your Highness” she agreed gently. “I don’t think they are too keen on a difference of opinion with regards to their jobs.” An understatement? Yes. But it was a necessary one, as Cassandra found herself increasingly off-colour. She was definitely getting a headache. Lifting her hand to massage her temple, she looked down at the quill in her hand…
“Their jobs are theirs at my discretion.” Eleanora paused, making her way to her dressing table,and sitting as she removed her gloves, “Alright, so less mine and more Emrys’ and I am sure he finds this ALL too amusing.” Throwing the gloves onto the tabletop she studied herself in the mirror, “They want my riding attire to be more in line with my position.”
She shook her head, “And also - I don’t ride side saddle. So therefore….” throwing up her hands, “Anyway, I am heading down to the stables to confer with the head of construction on the layout of the stalls for the horses. And the size. I want them to have a bit more room than they have right now. Can you get one of my older riding outfits for me please? I don’t want to possibly harm one of my newer, protocol office approved ones.”
Eleanora’s lips curled into a smirk, “Not that I am sure they won’t have words for me climbing around a construction area, but if you want it done right you have to be hands on.”
Cassandra knew better to challenge or interrupt Eleanora when she was in the middle of one of her rants - for one, it was not her place as a woman of lower rank and two, the act of venting seemed to allow the older woman to let off steam. Thus, as she was speaking, Cassandra had had every attention to continue carrying out her duties, her good ear listening out for new instructions. However, something seemed to be stopping her from doing that.
Her hand - the one holding the quill - seemed to have tightened its grip beyond her own control, and yet, she was too numb to feel it. A little shocked, Cassandra stared down the her fingers, now coated in the gloopy black ink that had needed refreshment several hours ago, yet for some reason, she had continued to attempt writing with. Why had she been writing anyway? Her thoughts tuned out from listening to Eleanora as she tried to think of the answer. She couldn’t remember.
She couldn’t remember.
Not hearing Cassandra’s soft voice assure her that she was following orders, Eleanora shook her head and sighed, “Cassandra, are you even listening to me? Honestly, sometimes I wonder where your mind is.” Turning in her seat, she looked at the red head and took her appearance in.
“Cass? Dear, are you alright? You are looking pale…” Eleanora stood slowly and made her way towards her maid, “Cassandra, answer me...you are making me worry.” She motioned for one of her other maids to come closer and in hushed tones sent her for the Healer. She wasn’t sure what was wrong with her companion, but she wasn’t going to take chances with the girl’s health either.
A strange tremor had begun to take over the younger woman’s body. Starting with the tips of her fingers, the quill clattered to the floor before Cassandra’s knees shortly followed, her joints buckling and sending her tumbling to the carpet, where she lay on her side. Her body began to shake in short, jerking movements, and before anyone could intervene, one large jerk sent the top half of her body shooting up from the floor, where her torso sat up rigidly and her head lolled on her neck.
A voice that was not Cassandra’s usual soft lilt forced its way out of her struggling mouth, ripping through the air with a menacing shrillness.
“A new reign born in chaos” the voice rasped. “A reign where those seeking their lord’s protection have their hopes drowned in their own life’s blood. Brother against brother, man against man, the strong against the strong in defence of the weak. A new reign born in ch -”
The words were cut off with further violent spasms wreaking their way through Cassandra’s tiny body, the sound of her damaged wrist cracking against a table leg as her arm was flung from her chest.
Eleanora had been standing transfixed as the words came from her small companion, but the sound of her the poor thing’s wrist cracking - it sent her flying towards the other woman. Wrapping her arms around her, she knelt next to her, trying to cradle the wounded wrist. She looked worriedly at the door, and shouted for another maid to go and help the first find the blasted healer. If nothing else - this wrist needed to be looked at.
Well, this explained a lot. Cassandra’s background was now a bit more clear to the future Queen. As was the fact that she was going to keep Cassandra on her staff indefinitely. If her family had seen this and not reacted well - which her permanent injuries would suggest - then she was staying with Eleanora where it was safe.
But first things first, to get her resting, checked out and report - whatever had just happened, because something was going to need to be done.
Just like the other times this had happened - not that Eleanora knew it ever had before - Cassandra had not been fully present during this vision. Not fully unconscious, but it felt almost as if she was on the verge between wake and sleep, all the while sharing her mind with another person who was sharing her body, controlling it and moving it without her say so.
The first she was aware that this dratted business had happened again, she was lying in the Crown Princess’ arms, a sharp pain in her wrist and a throbbing sensation behind her left eye. Slowly, and shakily, her eyes fluttered open. Oh no…
Still, the tiny redhead did not yet have control of her full body functions, her lips opening and shutting like a fish. Trying to speak, to protest, to beg to keep her job and not send her back home, Cassandra was fighting back against the unknown force that took over her body.
Shifting them a bit to try and get Cassandra a bit more comfortable, “Shhhh, just rest hmm? The Healer is on his way. We will get this sorted out.” Eleanora stroked the silky red curls, “Just keep breathing as well as you can alright? He should almost be here….”
Softly, so just Cassandra could hear her, “I wish you had told me. We could have been a bit more prepared and you might not have hurt your poor wrist. We will be better prepared so you don’t get hurt again alright? I am so sorry you are hurt….”
Once the healer, a brawny Welshman, was there, he got Cassandra into Eleanora’s bed. And while the Princess, hovered and fussed over Cassandra, he went over her very carefully. His large hands surprising gentle. Studying her prone form quietly, “We are going to have to set this wrist properly this time. It might hurt a bit, but once it heals it will hardly bother you at all….”
Biting her lip with worry, and not wanting Cass to be alone, Eleanora perched next to her on the bed and held her hand, “That will be lovely won’t it Cass….for it to hurt less.”
As she had been coming round, Cassandra had been feeling a tighter sensation in her throat, the burning, choked feeling of trying not to cry. Convinced as she was that this was the end, she was barely aware of what was going on around her, though she did hiss painfully as the Healer re-set her wrist. He could say it would be better, but everyone who had fixed it since the first time had said that. It never worked.
The Healer had bowed to the Crown Princess and left the room before Cassandra found her voice, tiny in its worry and fear. “Please…” she swallowed, near choking, before trying again. “Please… don’t send me back…”
Eleanora looked at her, surprise written all over her face, “Now why would I do that? You have been an exemplary Lady, you have listened and been very good about keeping private what needs to be private and are splendid company. I will be moving you to your own room in a bit to heal in your room bed. But send you all the way back to Ireland? Never!”
She looked Cassandra in the eye, “You said you would serve me faithfully and well, and you have. Now I am holding up my end of the bargain and taking care of you as well. So no more talk of you leaving. Are we clear?”
Dark eyes twinkling, “Besides, you wouldn’t want to miss out on the further tales of my battles with the protocol office would you?”
Cassandra bit her lip, though the lack of control she currently had meant that she did so too hard, drawing blood. It would have been a small but stark reminder of the severity of her vision - except, she did not even know what had happened.
“What… what did I…”
She was too anxious to even complete the sentence.
“There was a voice that wasn’t yours, words and convulsions.” Reaching over to pick up a handkerchief Eleanora got it wet from a glass of water next to her bed and dabbed at the poor girl’s lip, “But we will deal with all of that once you are rested and a bit more calm. Right now I just want you to relax.”
“Would you like some water….or tea? Perhaps a few fingers of whiskey?” For once, she had to admit to being out of her depth, there had not been a lesson on how to handle one’s self if you had a staff member convulse and have a vision in your private chambers.
“Let me know what helps and I will have here in no time.”
Cassandra vaguely shook her head, red curls tangling behind her head making her look wilder than she had done before. Eleanora didn’t understand. No-one who wasn’t… who had never experienced what she had ever could. What it felt like to be taken over and used as a vessel for purposes not your own, most likely frightening others in the process.
“No… I need to know, Your Highness.” There was a begging tone to her voice, a note of desperation that suggested that Cassandra could not rest without this knowledge.
Sighing soft, the Princess sighed and said, “A reign where those seeking their lord’s protection have their hopes drowned in their own life’s blood. Brother against brother, man against man, the strong against the strong in defence of the weak. A new reign born in...” She looked at Cassandra, “And that it where you stopped. I promise there was no more.”
Pursing her lips thoughtfully, Eleanora looked at Cassandra, “I take it this isn’t the first time - you should have warned me dear one. I could have been slightly more prepared. I don’t like secrets from those I trust as much as I trust you. No more secrets, alright?”
It was all too much. The physical unwellness, the knowledge that something that frightened her so had happened again, the sheer horror of what she had Seen and the seeming rebuke from her mistress… the sobs started with a gentle sniff, but before too long, Cassandra was covering her face with her hands, sticking fingers into her mouth and desperately trying to smother the wails that insisted on coming. One thing she could not See was a way out of this feeling.
“Oh you poor thing….” Unsure of what else to do, Eleanora got completely in bed with the other woman and held her as she cried. Stroking her mussed curled and rubbing her back, “Shhh, it will all be fine. I am not mad, I am just worried about you. I don’t want you hurting yourself when this happens. I care too much about your well being.”
Letting her voice trail off, the future queen, just lay there, stroking her companion in a soothing manner, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, “Shhhh, I am here, it’s all going to be alright. We will figure it all out.”