CASSIS.
I NEED YOUR HELP, CASSIS.
YOU WANT ME TO HELP YOU...?
IT HAS BEEN PEACEFUL FOR AN AWFULLY LONG TIME, DON'T YOU THINK?
WHAT DO YOU--
AS YOU KNOW,
WE DON'T FULLY TRUST EACH OTHER.
SO I THINK...
...WE NEED SOME KIND OF A SAFETY DEVICE BETWEEN US.
I'M ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING TO YOU.
PROMISE ME YOU WON'T GET ANGRY.
AND...
...DON'T HATE ME FOR IT.
WHAT--!
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!
HE'S SUCH A GENTLEMAN,
EVEN IN THIS SITUATION.
I'M SORRY.
I SHOULD'VE EXPECTED THIS FROM HIM.
PLEASE JUST TRY AND RELAX, EVEN IF IT'S PAINFUL.
I'LL MAKE THIS QUICK...
HEY, WAIT...!
YOU WON'T HAVE TO LIFT A FINGER.
NGH...!
THANKS FOR YOUR COOPERATION,
HAH
CASSIS.
THAT SHOULD DO IT.
FOR NOW, AT LEAST.
UGH, JUST LOOK AT THEM...
WHEN I SEE THEM NEXT TO EACH OTHER LIKE THAT,
THEY REALLY DO LOOK THE SAME.
HMPH.
FIVE YEARS AGO,
ACHILLE WAS KILLED FOR FAILING TO ELIMINATE THE TARGET DURING HIS TEST.
THE ONE WHO ULTIMATELY DID THE JOB WAS NONE OTHER THAN...
...DEON AGRECE, HIMSELF.
THAT'S ONE REASON WHY I WILL NEVER LIKE HIM.
THE OTHER REASON IS BECAUSE...
CAN'T FIND THE HEART TO DO IT?
DON'T DO IT, THEN.
HE'S THE ONLY PERSON IN THIS WORLD WHO HAS SEEN MY WEAK SIDE.
GET--
GET LOST, DEON!
YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN BE HERE.
THAT'S RIGHT,
THIS IS ONLY MY IMAGINATION.
IT HAS TO BE.
XANA.
I MISSED YOU...
HOW ELSE COULD I BE SEEING MY DEAD BROTHER RIGHT NOW?
HE WAS THE SAME AGE AS I AM NOW.
WHO COULD HAVE MADE HIM FAIL?
I WON'T LET ACHILLE DIE BY THE HANDS OF SOMEONE LIKE YOU AGAIN.
WHAT WAS IT THAT HE SAW IN THIS ROOM?
WHO DID HE SEE IN HIS HALLUCINATION?
NEVER.
LADY ROXANA.
YOU HAVE AN INVITATION FROM LADY MARIA.
I KNEW THIS WAS COMING.
NOT TOO LONG AGO,
JEREMY CAME OVER TO APOLOGIZE FOR MENTIONING CASSIS PEDELIAN TO MARIA.
I DON'T PLAN ON BRINGING CASSIS THERE, THOUGH.
PLEASE ATTEND WITH YOUR FAVORITE TOY.
MARIA'S TEA PARTY IS SUPPOSED TO BE TOMORROW.
THIS WILL BE MY SECOND TIME ATTENDING ONE OF HER LITTLE TEA PARTIES.
I HOPE NOTHING BAD HAPPENS...
AM I THE LAST TO ARRIVE?
WELCOME, XANA.
COME SIT HERE.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.
Roxana Chapter Draft 14 opens with the narrator asking Cassis for help and performing a painful assurance procedure on him because of the lack of trust between them. Although Cassis reacts with anger, he endures it gentlemanly and the procedure is completed. Then it is recalled that Achille failed the exam five years ago and was killed by Deon Agrece, the hallucinated dead brother is confronted, and with Lady Maria's tea party invitation, the decision is made not to take Cassis.
