Cassadrei\'s POV

I hurriedly entered my room to find my father still sitting on my bed. Shit! Did he hear the whole conversation with Michael? I had completed forgotten that he was still in my room, and we were talking pretty loudly outside. Atleast, Michael was, he was really agitated. Even Maland shot us a suspicious glance before he left. So, did my father know?

He didn\'t give any indication of his newly acquired knowledge, rather he seemed quite invested in playing with Cookie. It was surprising how quickly he had bonded with the Petrywinkler, he didn\'t possess my powers though but I think Cookie had a way of knowing people who are close to me. He seemed to sense some sort of energy and he gravitated towards it. And, my father was nothing but a whole lot of positive energy.

I think Father was studying the physiological development of a Petrywinkler as it grew from a child to adolescence. I have seen his papers, they were pretty thorough and now that he had a research subject in front of him, there was no stopping. I wondered if Mother would allow me to take Cookie along with me.

On seeing me standing in the doorway, Cookie yelped excitedly, clearly expecting something o have happened that might have resolved the conflict between me and Michael. Poor naive Petrywinkler! I strode towards him and kneeled down to pat him, but he didn\'t recoil this time.

"How did it go?" He chirped excitedly.

"Was that your plan, Cookie?" I sighed, "that you will make us talk face to face and everything will return back to normal?"

"YES!" The Petrywinkler swirled mid-air, "People talk. They need to talk and then everything gets okay. Jake told Maland the other day. I heard."

I looked at his red eyes, so malicious yet so innocent at heart.

"I wish things were that simple, Cookie.." I said absently, "never mind though. I will be leaving in a few hours and I need to pack the rest of my stuff."

But, wait…. where was all my stuff? I clearly remembered leaving my cot scattered with clothes everywhere, but now it was empty. Where did my clothes vanish?

I looked at my father desperately searching for an answer and he smiled.

"Don\'t worry, dear. I packed all your clothes while you were away. Here, take this suitcase." He said.

"You….you didn\'t have to." I said, a bit abashed, "I could have done the packing myself."

"It\'s okay." He smiled, "I know your mother is leaving in a few hours, and I just wanted to help. Don\'t worry, come sit down beside me." He offered me his hand which I gratefully took.

I sat down beside him, looking at his kindly face and I started remembering all those lazy days spent talking to my father, learning from him as he taught me in the library. His face bore a few wrinkles now, the lines around his eyes were more prominent and he looked really tired. I guess we all did, afterall we went through so much and yet stood so strong.

"Is it a boy?" My father suddenly said, all the while smiling encouragingly.

I was taken aback by his sudden offbeat comment. So, he did hear the conversation. Once again, there was no use lying to my father, and I didn\'t want to. I really needed someone who would understand me right now.

So, I told him everything. It was a little weird talking about the kiss, but I persisted. I knew my Father well enough to understand that he wouldn\'t mind all these things, he wasn\'t as orthodox as the other Goblins. In fact, he was one of the most liberal guys I knew. He was raised by two mothers, who were vary much in love and had adopted him from a local orphanage and raised him as their own child.

A lot of people spoke about his lineage when he had decided to marry my mother, since he didn\'t have any royal blood, the match was considered imprudent. However, they had fought against all those obstacles and now, here they were. I wondered how he would feel, listening to his daughter giving up on love so easily.

He listened to me patiently and once I was finished, he took of his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

I looked at him nervously, afraid of what he might say.

"It\'s…. complicated indeed. You love a fairy, unprecedented but it should be acceptable. I know how our people are, they are going to hold it against you and make your living difficult, so tell me something, do you love him enough to fight through?" He said.

"Father, I think you don\'t get my point here." I said awry, "I think I love him yeah, but I can\'t be with him. I... I can\'t risk it. With Mother in the state that she is, the Kingdom needs me now. I can\'t afford to fight my own battles when there are already some many battles going on. So, I told him that I don\'t love him."

I tried to avoid my father\'s gaze, who was now looking at me pointedly.

"This is a decision that you should make, Cassie. But remember, whatever you decide…. I will always be there for you. Try to think this through, because love isn\'t that easy to find and you should not give it up so easily."

I nodded, barely managing to control my tears. A while ago, I had thought that I have made the correct decision regarding Michael, but now I am not so sure. What if father is right and I never find someone like him again? Should I not give up on him?

Even as I thought these stuff, I realised how foolish all this is. I can\'t take Michael with me to Mafhaelore, I already have Linda\'s blood on my hands and I can\'t afford to lose Michael too. He is not a fighter and it would be pointless to drag him with me to fight a meaningless war.  I have to stand by my earlier decision.

I didn\'t disclose all these to father, so he left after a while. I remained sitting on my cot, oblivious to the surroundings, until I felt someone entering the room.

This time it was Victoria.

Obviously she was eavesdropping, as evident by her face which looked really concerned. I tried to ignore her presence, as if it were possible.

"You turned Miky down?" She said in a shrill voice, "but you love him! I know that. Why are you doing this to yourself Cassie?"

I didn\'t speak, I was too exhausted for an explanation right now.

"I am leaving, Victoria. In a few hours, I\'ll be gone and I might never return. Tell me, do you want your brother to love a girl who would never be there with him?"

Victoria pursed her lips, as if it were a question she hadn\'t thought of.

"I know... I heard the Queen instructing Sofosys to make preparations for going. But, Cassie do you really want to go? Are you sure you belong there?"

I looked down at my rug, trying to avoid her eyes. I knew she could read me too and I didn\'t know if I would get away with lying in front of Victoria. She had this uncanny ability, like my father and could really gauge people very well. They would certainly be best friends.

"I really don\'t know what to feel." I said in a tiny voice, "I never asked for all these. Trust me, I just always wanted to have a normal life, but I was born royal! What can I do? I don\'t want to rule, I don\'t want to be responsible for thousands of people. I can\'t even be responsible for myself! But, I am the only heir and I can\'t back off."

"If you are so reluctant to rule, why can\'t they find someone else? Can\'t they promote someone more willing and capable to the throne? Why can\'t your people vote?" Frustration rang through Victoria\'s voice.

"It\'s not Human world, Victoria. Goblins don\'t vote, they don\'t even know what democracy is. And, if I step down...do you know what would happen? A full fledged civil war! There are many people who will claim the throne and there will be bloodshed everywhere. No, I can\'t let that happen!" I said.

Victoria didn\'t look too convinced. However, she didn\'t ask any further questions. I had to leave soon, so I just wanted to go around and meet other people and convey my goodbyes. Victoria decided to follow me and I let her.

Maland knew about me leaving and it seemed that he had already told Jake. I hugged Jake and told him to take care of himself and Jake smiled at me sadly.

Michael was also there, but he refused to meet my eye. I wish I could tell him how I felt right now, how much it bothered me to leave him like this.

If only the circumstances were different….in some other time, in some other world, Michael and I could have been together.