CHAPTER 10

Well, so far, Cassidy had stuck to her guns, and she had Brad the Warrior guard with her all the time for the last week. When Justice tried to talk to her in private, she would avoid him or pat him on the cheek and say, ‘Later dear,’ to him. Justice was reaching the end of his patience and was giving her a few more days and then there was going to be a war.

Justice had tried to be reasonable, but no. Cassidy was having none of it. She had even told her girlfriends about it; they, of course, were on her side so he told the guys, and they laughed and agreed with him. Therefore, the Council divided down the middle, boys against girls. Justice had gone so far as to ask Cami what he had actually done wrong.

“Dude, are you stupid or what? Cassidy worked up her courage to try to seduce you, and you shoot her down with a lame excuse. You’re lucky you still have your man parts; if you were my mate, I would have cut them off. Never reject a girl because you will never get a second chance until you grovel.”

Justice was even madder after that. He had not rejected her, he thought, he just told her he wanted to wait until it was official. Kallen told him growing up as the only male around the girls totally sucked; he felt forced to agree with the crazy female mind.

Kallen told him about the time a guy had been late for a date with Cami because of car problems. The girl made him grovel and apologize to Cami, and he wasn’t let off the hook until he took her out to an expensive dinner. The poor guy hadn’t brought his cell phone so he hadn’t been able to call. The girls had been ruthless with guys.

Justice had been thinking of a way around it. He was not going to grovel. He ended up talking to Chase about it, well, not the sex part, he didn’t have a death sentence, just the formal announcement part. Chase told him he knew what the jewels on his arm meant and would make the announcement to the Stronghold for him, whenever Cassidy would allow it.

Chase hadn’t been out of the castle much until Cassidy was ready to have him reported alive. Chase thought the members of the Stronghold would keep the secret and was working at having her tell at least them; because he was going crazy inside all the time. Chase would announce Justice as his parent’s choice formally to the members of the Stronghold if Cassidy let him.

He was just working behind the scenes so Cassidy wouldn’t know how much this bothered him; show no weakness to the opposition, he thought. Cassidy was going to be the one who was groveling when he was done. She wouldn’t know what hit her, he thought smugly.

***

Cassidy had been carrying on this farce for a week now, there was no way she was going to back down, she thought. She had him right where she wanted him. He was green with jealousy, and she had the girls on her side. He was toast, she thought.

Cassidy had arranged for all the girls to go to Serenities Day Spa in a few days, and she thought this would be the cherry on top of the sundae. She was going to go out of her way to make her gorgeous, and then she would flirt with Brad in front of him. If he didn’t want her, Brad did. Brad was like candy for the taking, she thought. Cassidy, of course, wasn’t going to do anything with Brad; the plan was to drive Justice out of his mind.

Cassidy was distracted from her evil plan with Chase, who wanted to tell only the members of her Stronghold who he was. Cassidy had mixed feelings about it because, although she trusted them, there had been a traitor in the Stronghold. She was worried that someone was helping the traitor, but she had no evidence. Chase was becoming restless, and driving everyone crazy who had to be with him because he was bored, so he tried to help everyone.

Macy had come to her this morning, and asked again to allow Chase in the Stronghold, though this time it sounded more like a plea for help. Cassidy had decided to make an announcement after dinner to the Stronghold and had Bernie announce there was a meeting of the Stronghold out in the courtyard tonight. Macy had practically kissed her feet. Cassidy felt sorry for her and had Tina add her to the day spa appointment, Macy looked like she could use a break.

Cassidy was trying to find Chase when she bumped into Justice.

“Oh, hello,” she said in a monotone voice. She looked to see that Brad was behind her. She was getting sick of him being there all the time, but if she wanted to win, it was her only choice.

Justice rolled his eyes when he saw her look at Brad the wonder boy, emphasis on boy. “Your Highness. How are you today? Would you like to accompany me to dinner tonight?” he asked, hoping he would be able to convince her to stop this stupid standoff.

“Well, have you changed your mind about a certain subject?” she asked hoping he had, and they could end this.

“No,” he said.

“Fine,” she said and walked past him to the kitchen. Chase was sitting at the table telling the caterer that his sauce needed more salt, which was causing an uproar. Cassidy asked Chase to come with her, and the caterer thanked her profusely.

Chase looked at her innocently, but she was thinking he had been playing it up in order to force her hand. She shook her head and punched him in the arm as they walked to the living room.

“Ok Chase, I give, I will announce only to the members of the Stronghold that you are alive, with a stipulation that you will not leave the Stronghold, no discussion,” she said and he was already nodding his head in agreement.

“Cool, Sissy, can we call you Queen Sissy? It would be so much easier for me. I can’t call you Cassidy. It's not natural, even our parents called you Sissy when we were young,” he said and actually ruffled her hair.

“Hey, I’m not a child anymore there, big brand; you can call me Sissy in private, and I will call you Cha Cha, ok?” she said mischievously, which caused them to start wrestling in the living room. Soon all the couches were pushed back and they were having a blast like the old days, but this time, Cassidy was a lot bigger and stronger and Chase was older and out of shape. Cassidy’s friends and Guardians came into the room when they heard the yelling. The girls all bet that Cassidy would win and the boys stood with Chase.

Finally, Cassidy used some of the techniques she remembered and took Chase down and pinned him. The boys were booing and girls cheering when dinner was announced. His kids and wife, as well as the rest of them, gave Chase a lot of ribbing, but he seemed to take it all in stride as he waited for dinner to end.

Cassidy didn’t know that Justice had planned for another announcement when she was at the day spa with the girls. He planned for Chase to announce to the Guild a little after the girls left. He had made plans for a romantic evening with just the two of them. Cassidy would receive a gift at the spa that would confuse her, but hopefully she would be pleasantly surprised when she got back.

Justice planned how she was going to grovel for his forgiveness too, and yes, he was going to make her grovel. This had been a couple of weeks from hell, and she was going to pay for every hour he hadn’t slept.

He was concentrating on his own plans. He hadn’t been listening to the conversation around him. He finally caught Cassidy saying something about the spa day, and he turned back into the conversation.

“Thanks, Cassidy.” Macy said, “I would love a day spa appointment.”

“So we are agreed, it will be all the girls, and girls only, for the day in Loveland,” Cassidy asked the girls, and they were nodding their heads. “Brad, will you please take the day off and meet me in the courtyard when I return? I think we will be going out that night,” she said innocently, looking at Justice as she said it. When he shrugged at her and turned away, she was livid. Oh really, she thought. He was mocking her now?

She had to forget it for now and focus on the matter at hand: Chase and his announcement. She had asked all the members to be present; when dinner finished, they all followed Cassidy and Chase out to the courtyard.

She stood on the stage as the members gathered in close so they could all hear her.

“Friends and neighbors, I have an announcement to make. I have learned in the last few weeks that I have a brother. He was presumed dead after losing contact with him, but he is indeed my older brother, Chase the Warrior. As you all know, I have received the royal jewels. Chase is a master swordsman and will be helping teach those who would like to learn. I am asking you to remember the pledge you made and keep his presence a secret in order to protect him. I am placing a great trust in all of you. I am sure you understand what I mean. So please welcome my brother Chase, my closest relative, to join this Stronghold and his wife Macy, who has been acting as the castle manager for two weeks now, and has done a superb job.”

The members of the Stronghold all gathered to meet Chase and shake his hand. He was a celebrity and basked in the praise they were giving his sister. It took the better part of the night to empty the courtyard, and by that time, they were all exhausted.

Cassidy went to bed that night dreaming of what she would look like for Justice when she returned from the spa. She dreamt he would be so stunned by her beauty; he would sweep her off her feet and to her suite to be alone. The dream became rather graphic after that and Cassidy woke in a cold sweat.

The next day dragged for both Cassidy and Justice. They were both consumed by their plans. Justice didn’t even come to dinner; instead, he was making phone calls and arrangements for Cassidy and him for the following night.

Cassidy felt it was a snub and returned to her room to order a new outfit for tomorrow night. She had it delivered to the spa; it was a sexy outfit with layers of filmy material that would cling to her figure, a figure that had gotten slim and curvy since they had been working out. Cassidy had nothing to complain about anymore because she truly had buns of steel.

When the day finally came, Cassidy woke early anticipating how her day was going to end; she knew she had planned this correctly. Justice was going to be on his knees begging for forgiveness by 5 o’clock tonight. Cassidy was laughing, thinking how long she would make him stew.

Justice had gotten up at roughly the same time with similar thoughts. He had everything planned to the minute.

After the girls left, Chase was going to make the announcement to the Stronghold; Cassidy would receive the gift at lunchtime, with a card signed only, ‘TONIGHT’.

He called the spa to let them know he had sent roses; they were to be given to her as she left in the limo he had ordered for her. Then it was game on, and he was going to win, well actually, they both were, but he only cared that she saw the mistake she had made.

Neither one of them had wanted to give anything away, so they both had breakfast in their rooms before going downstairs. Cassidy and the girls were just leaving when he was walking down the staircase.

“Have fun,” he called and waved at Cassidy smirking.

“Oh, we will,” she replied and grinned to her friends, and they were off.

They had to have two cars take them to the spa because it had turned into a big party. Cami, Celli, Macy, Bea, Tina, and Cassidy were all looking forward to this day for many reasons. The first one being they needed a haircut, Cami told Cassidy she felt like a mountain girl because her hair was sticking out everywhere.

When they pulled up to a building in the middle of downtown, Cassidy looked around because she couldn’t believe a spa would be here on the busiest road in town, how relaxing was that? She saw the carpet and awning leading to the entrance where there stood two huge guys as door attendants. When their car stopped, one of the men came forward, opened the doors for them, and offered his hand to help them.

When they all got out of the cars, the doors opened and the most beautiful woman Cassidy and her friends had ever seen came to meet them.

“Welcome to Serenity’s, I am Serenity and will be introducing each of you to your beauty team. First, may I introduce myself to Queen Cassidy the Warrior?” She came to Cassidy, bowed, and took her hand, “allow me to introduce myself. I am your mother’s oldest friend and have waited for this day to come. When your mother was taken, I searched high and low for you. I am telling you now, I will be your beauty guide as I was your mother’s, and when she returns, we will all have a day at the spa together.”

Serenity embraced Cassidy in a firm hug. When she released her, Cassidy was surprised to see tears in the woman’s eyes. Cassidy’s heart was beating madly because she was expanding her family every day, with people who she couldn’t remember until she saw them.

“Nitti, you would put perfume and make-up on me when I wanted to play dress up, and the last day I remember, you had cut my hair.” Cassidy gushed at the memory.

“Yes,” and she could say no more, and they hugged again. “We need to take this off the street,” Serenity said and she led them through to a gorgeously decorated entry. Cassidy could see why this place was so popular.

“Ok, first off, I will assess your needs then assign you to your teams,” Serenity said and a large group of women appeared at the end of the room.

“Let's start with Bea. What would you say is your best attribute and your worst?” Serenity asked.

“My best is my skin. My worst is my hair, it’s uncontrollable,” Bea answered quickly. Serenity called a team forward and they took Bea away.

She asked the same questions to each of them; as they answered, Serenity would place them with a team. When she was the only one left, Cassidy didn’t even wait for the question and just answered.

“My best are my muscles, and my worst is my hair. I need to leave my hair long but find a better way to restrain it; also, I need desperately to have a total makeover because tonight is special. My mate and I have been arguing, and we’re going to make up tonight. When I get home, I want him to fall on his knees,” Cassidy said and was blushing, after all, this was her mother’s best friend, but Cassidy didn’t care, nothing was going to stop her.

“Ladies, first we will give her a mud bath and body wrap. I want her skin to shimmer.” Serenity clapped her hands and the rest of the women who were there came and took Cassidy back into a room. They gave her a robe, and she undressed the whole time thinking ‘ha ha’ to Justice.

Serenity had followed her, and stood outside waiting for her to change, when she opened the door.

“This way,” she said and Cassidy followed her to a huge room with a giant tub full of mud. “In you go,” and she held her arms out for Cassidy’s robe.

As the day progressed, she learned about her mother and father’s courtship and childhoods. Serenity had known both of them. Cassidy was having a great time, and after the masseuse had given her a 45-minute massage, she was almost like jello.

Lunch came from a wonderful bistro around the corner. They delivered a sampler lunch, and it had everything you can imagine, from thick sandwiches, down to chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. Cassidy had never been this pampered in her life. She was going to make this a habit.

Just after lunch, there was a knock on the door, and Serenity frowned and opened it to see what was so important for the interruption. Her employee told Serenity to give the small box to Cassidy, explaining it had been an urgent delivery.

Cassidy turned to see a charmingly wrapped small box in Serenity’s palm. “For me?” she asked and the older woman brought it to her.

Cassidy carefully opened the small card first. She saw only one word and frowned at the card. She hoped it wasn’t from Brad, maybe she shouldn’t have flirted so much, she thought, and slowly opened the gift.

Inside was a jeweler’s box, Cassidy gasped and was afraid to open it. What if it was from Brad, she was going to have to let him down. If it was from Justice, what the hell was going on? Cassidy still hadn’t opened it and was just staring at it when Serenity cleared her throat loudly.

“It is customary when you receive a gift that you open it, not stare at it like it was a snake,” she teased Cassidy.

Cassidy laughed nervously, picked up the box again and opened it. Nestled inside was a ring with a truly unusual stone in it. She took it from the box, and it was apparently Serenity’s turn to gasp.

Cassidy turned it this way and that, and the stone changed colors; just like the one on her wrist but smaller. When you looked at it straight, it looked like a marquis cut diamond about 1 carat.

Cassidy was trying to figure out what finger to put it on when Serenity grabbed it from her.

“Hey, now”, Cassidy protested and went to fight for it when she noticed the look on Serenity’s face. Tears were gathering and flowing unnoticed down Serenity's cheeks.

“This was your mother’s ring from your father when they were announced formally to their Stronghold,” Serenity said and resumed crying silently.

Cassidy was stunned, where had this come from? Cassidy knew Justice had been the only one in contact with her parents, so it had to be from him, but why now? Cassidy was thinking when Serenity turned back to her and apologized.

“I’m sorry; it was a shock to see this ring again after so many years. Did you know your father and I looked for this ring for months before we found it at a jeweler out east? Your father had it special delivered so it would be here in time for the announcement.” Serenity was crying from a memory she was having, while Cassidy was crying because Justice had saved this for her.

Serenity showed her how the ring was worn, Cassidy put it on the left hand ring finger, like where a wedding ring was placed, but it wouldn’t go past the second knuckle. She told Cassidy it was made like that, so when she received her completed jewels from the Council, the ring wouldn’t interfere.

After all the emotion, she was glad to get back to completing her day at the spa. She was impatiently waiting for her hair to be dyed a strawberry blonde. Cassidy could see the color and loved it.

Serenity insisted on no mirrors until she was done, so Cassidy kept trying to see what was being done in the mirror. She thought she could see other colors like pink, purple, and blue, but Cassidy figured that she was seeing something else, and she stopped trying to see because she was getting a headache.

Cassidy thought she would get a haircut because her hair had grown so much that it was almost to her butt. Serenity assured her that when she was done, Cassidy would have no problems keeping her hair. But Serenity didn’t want to cut it because it was in beautiful shape and there was so much of it.

Cassidy’s hair was pulled. Her head was pushed, and they were doing something that Cassidy finally figured were braids, and a lot of them.

Serenity was talking to her as four women did her hair; Cassidy was impressed, when what should have taken several hours, were completed in 30 minutes.

Serenity then worked on her bangs and cutting them raggedly. They turned her so often she began to get motion sickness when they stopped.

Cassidy looked down at her watch and saw it was 3 o’clock. Two more hours and they would be together. She had forgotten her plan because he had been sweet enough to have this ring delivered to her. As she sat and thought about how sweet he was, it dawned on her, she loved him.

Cassidy began to hyperventilate and Serenity was chuckling as she stuck Cassidy’s head down between her knees.

“Breathe honey,” she said to her and leaned down so she could see Cassidy’s face and smiled, “your mother realized at the exact same time. When your dad gave her the ring, it took a moment to sink in, then she hyperventilated and fell off the stage. Your father was so worried until she woke up and looked him right in the eyes and said ‘I love you.’”

Cassidy tried to smile but couldn’t catch her breath from her realization. When she was feeling better, she sat up and told Serenity to make sure she was extra stunning for tonight.

Serenity began working on her make-up, telling Cassidy how to apply it as she went along. Then a worker put the make-up in a little bag for Cassidy to take home and use.

Finally, after an agonizing hour, Serenity pronounced that she was done and produced the new outfit Cassidy had ordered. She told her to get dressed as they were rolling a full-length mirror down the hallway.

Cassidy was so excited it took her several tries to get all the hooks and buttons done on her outfit, but when she was finally done, she yelled for Serenity to come in.

When the door opened, instead of Serenity, it was Bea, Cami, Celli, Tina, and Macy, and they were all done up. What a sight they were, if Cassidy had been a guy, she would have been happy with any of these exquisite women. They were all stunned when they saw Cassidy, and she became worried that Serenity hadn’t changed her a bit.

No one had said a word. Serenity came into the room with the mirror and turned to Cassidy without saying a word. Cassidy knew the color of her clothes, and had she not looked at how the dress looked, she would have thought she was looking at a stranger.

Cassidy’s hair was full of intricate braids that were each different colors. When she looked closely, she realized they were the Guild's colors. She also saw she had her bangs spiked against her forehead.

Cassidy’s make up gave her an exotic look and Cassidy was hoping she could do this herself because she was hot. Her skin was glimmering against the outfit that reminded her of an ‘I Dream of Jeanie’ outfit. Her top was cropped and was a half of a tank top, with gauzy material that was tie- dyed a purple and pink combination. Her waist was empty except for a waist bracelet that she bought right before graduation. It snugly fit at her belly button, dangled off her pants that resembled parachute pants, bunching at the waist and the ankles, and she chose a pair of silver slippers to complete to outfit.

Cami had been silent long enough, and she yelled, “Damn girl, you are hot! I may have to consider my sexual orientation after seeing you.” She gave her wolf whistles, which caused all of them to follow. Cassidy was laughing and hugging her friends telling them how stunning they all looked. They were talking and laughing, and Cassidy didn’t hear another knock at all until Serenity whistled loudly to get their attention.

“Ladies, your ride has arrived. I am told Cassidy has her own car that will deliver her to a special location.” The entire group of women began cheering again as they walked to the doors. Cassidy gave Serenity a hug and promised to call tomorrow to set up a time for Serenity to come to the castle to do her hair weekly, as she had with her mother.

All of her friends filed into the limo someone ordered and Cassidy was ushered to another limo that she assumed Justice had hired. She got into the back, saw roses and champagne chilling, and settled into the seat, excited to get to Justice. Cassidy was so deep in thought, she wasn’t even watching where they were going, she was only thinking of the destination.

Cassidy began to see a mist coming from the vents, and she knocked on the window to warn the driver they may be overheating. Cassidy’s last thought was she hoped they didn’t break down because Justice was waiting for her.