# Chapter 5: The Art of Pulling Away and the Weight of Unspoken Words
Hello everyone, it’s me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 5 of *Forgotten Wife: Let the Traitors Kneel Down* — a chapter filled with tension, silent longing, playful teasing, and the kind of emotional distance that only grows deeper when two hearts refuse to admit the truth. So, settle in dear readers, because this chapter is about to take us through the echoing halls of the palace, into the private battles neither Maya nor Cassian is willing to confess.
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The moment Maya returned to the palace, she didn’t linger in the corridors or rest from her journey. Her steps carried her with purpose, straight to the training room — the one place where she knew she would find Cassian. And there he was, standing with the quiet intensity of a man who preferred the company of sharp steel to the noise of his own thoughts, running a whetstone along the edge of a blade.
When she announced her return with a simple, "I’m back now," Cassian turned. For a heartbeat, his eyes softened. He asked how it went, and she answered simply: "Good."
But he wasn’t satisfied. He probed gently, half-curious, half-wary. "You're not going to tell me what you went to the city to do?"
Instead of answering, Maya moved closer, grabbed the fabric of his shirt in her fists, pulled him down toward her, and kissed him — a kiss that silenced every lingering question. When she pulled back, she offered him a sly smile. "Don't be so curious."
The training room wasn't empty. Several guards had stopped what they were doing, eyes wide, not daring to look away too quickly. Cassian felt the weight of their stares press against his skin. A little flustered, he muttered, "We're in public, don't kiss me so suddenly."
Maya’s brow arched. "I'm sorry, I didn't know we were supposed to keep it a secret."
"It's not that, well I—"
"It doesn't matter. I already understood. I will not kiss you again."
She pressed a finger to his lips before he could scramble for an explanation. "Next time you want to taste my lips, you'll have to take the initiative. Because I won't do it again."
Cassian stood there in silence, the taste of her still lingering in his mind, realizing too late that he had made a mistake. But there was no way to fix it now. Any apology, any attempt to explain, would only sound like an excuse.
Maya turned her attention to the small table nearby, picking up a dagger and weighing it in her palm as if she was merely inspecting fruit at the market. She asked about the elves, and Cassian told her that they had left but promised to return in a few days.
"I guess there's nothing left to do but wait," she said with a soft shrug. "I'll have to find something to entertain myself with since it seems you're not available for me."
Cassian, trying to steady himself, asked a sudden question. "Do you know how to dance?"
Maya raised an eyebrow, caught off guard. "What's that question for? Do you want to dance with me?"
"After the naming ceremony, there will be a dance. I don't have a partner yet. Would you like to be my partner?"
"I thought you wanted us to be a secret."
"I didn't say that. I just—"
"Okay. I'll be your dance partner that day. Although I don't have a dress to attend, I'll have to go to town to find one."
"I can call for a dressmaker to come."
"That seems fine to me."
Then, without warning, Maya threw the dagger still resting in her hand. It spun through the air in a perfect silver arc and struck the target dead in the center — a clean, devastating hit.
The entire training room went silent. Cassian's mouth fell open. The guards exchanged stunned glances. In their world, a noblewoman throwing a blade with such precision was almost unheard of. How did she do that?
"Told you I knew how to protect myself," Maya said lightly, a spark of mischief glinting in her eyes. "I have very good aim. Maybe I should polish my skills a bit until the elves return, then I won't be so bored."
And with that, she began to throw again. One after another. Every single dagger landed with a satisfying thud in the center of the target. The soldiers, curious and impressed, began to gather around her, watching in awe and then whooping their approval. In mere minutes, Maya had transformed from the stranger in their midst to the most captivating presence in the room, trading jokes and banter with them as though she had known them her entire life.
Cassian watched. He watched her smile at other men. He watched her laugh, her body close to theirs as she showed one of them how to adjust his grip on a blade. And something heated and uncomfortable twisted in his chest — a pressure he didn't want to name. Seeing her surrounded by others awakened a possessiveness he had no right to feel.
Irritated, he sheathed his sword with a sharp click. "Maya, it will be dinner time soon. We should go."
"Yeah."
She said her goodbyes, and as they walked side by side through the echoing corridors, she glanced at him with a playful expression. "You're all sweaty. You should take a bath. Although in reality, I should too."
Cassian’s voice dipped with an almost shy boldness. "Shall we take a bath together?"
Maya’s response was immediate and teasing. "If you think that by saying that I should also take a bath I was implying that I wanted to bathe with you, you're wrong. But if that is what you want, you'll have to ask me. Since I will not suggest anything again. If you want something, ask for it."
Cassian's cheeks warmed. He had become used to her making the first move — always stepping toward him, always inviting, always brave. But now, with the rules changed and the power placed firmly in his hands, he couldn’t find the courage. "I was just asking. It's not that I want us to bathe together."
"Good. Why don't we do it? I'm hungry, and if we had gotten into the same bathtub, we would have ended up doing it, so I would have refused."
"You were just making fun of me, right?"
Maya increased her pace, leaving him behind as she called out with a mischievous laugh. "Maybe yes or maybe not. You'll never know."
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Later, after bathing and changing, Maya opened her door to find Cassian standing in the hallway. He tried to look casual, as if he had just happened to pass by. She saw right through him.
"I will have the honor of being escorted by Prince Cassian," she teased.
"Don't make fun of me. I wasn't waiting for you. I was just passing by."
"Have you ever been told that you are terrible at lying?"
"No. But I don't usually do that either."
"That's probably why you're so bad at it. And why you're going to escort me — or are you just going to stand there watching me?"
Cassian extended his arm. Maya linked hers through his, and with a grin, she added, "Let's go before he starts confusing you with a piece of meat and bites you."
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When they entered the dining room together, arm in arm, April was already there. She smiled warmly, noticing the delicate intimacy between them — the way Maya rested easily against Cassian, the way he seemed taller and yet softer in her presence. But Cassian continued to deny what everyone else could clearly see: there was more than friendship between them.
"Hi Maya, I'm glad you're back."
"Thank you. And what about the king?"
Cassian replied before Maya could ask another question. "My brother must be absorbed in work. He surely hasn't realized yet that it's dinner time. I'll go get him. I'll be right back."
The moment he left, April leaned in toward Maya. "I think there's something between you two. It seems to me that Cassian has feelings for you."
Maya was quiet for a moment. She, too, had come to her own private conclusion — but not the one April imagined. Maya had long suspected that the person Cassian truly harbored feelings for was April herself. But that could never be. April was Alessandro's wife, and Cassian, loyal to his brother and the peace of the palace, would never let such an impossible emotion see the light of day. Maya had noticed it all, but she had been discreet, protecting a secret that wasn't hers to reveal.
She took a piece of cheese from one of the trays and popped it into her mouth, considering her words carefully. "It's not what you think. He already has another in his heart. But it's impossible."
"Really? I'd bet that person is you."
"No, I'm not. And it's actually better that way. After all, we'll have to part soon."
"Why? I think you have feelings for him."
"That's not true."
"When you are with him, you smile a lot, and you seem very happy."
"Because I have fun. But that's all."
"You are denying your feelings."
"I don't. Since I don't have them. He's just a close friend. Nothing more."
"If that's what you want to call it."
"No offense, but you're usually very naive, and I don't think you know much about people's relationships."
April’s voice remained gentle. "I know I'm naive about some things. But since I was very young, I've learned to see the aura that surrounds a person. And when I see the two of you, I can see the same spark that exists between Alessandro and me."
"There may be a spark, but it's all physical. Nothing emotional."
"I don't know if it will be the same for you or not, but when you share your body with someone, you share feelings, not just pleasure. A bond is created that is difficult to break over time."
Maya's throat tightened. She couldn't deny the truth of those words. But she couldn't let herself believe them either. "It doesn't matter. I've already told you. I can't stay long, even if I want to."
Before April could say another word, the door opened and Cassian returned with Alessandro. Maya was grateful for the interruption — a lifeline pulled from the depths before she could drown in her own tangled emotions.
Dinner passed without further incident. But the air remained heavy, full of unspoken thoughts. Maya ate quietly, her responses short and measured. She couldn't shake April's words from her mind. When the meal came to an end, Maya rose and excused herself, claiming exhaustion. Cassian followed shortly after.
Alessandro watched them leave, a slight frown crossing his face. "Is it my imagination, or was Maya uncomfortable during dinner?"
April answered softly, guilt creeping into her voice. "I think I said something unnecessary."
She rose from her seat, stepping toward her husband. "It's been a long time since we took an evening walk in the garden. Will you join me?"
"Of course."
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The garden was quiet under the star-strewn sky. The moon was barely a ghost that night, hidden and faded, leaving the stars to claim the heavens with all their brilliance. A cool breeze drifted through the trees, carrying the scent of late summer. Season's end was near — and with it, perhaps, the close of something else no one had yet dared to name.
April shivered. Alessandro noticed immediately, shrugging off his jacket and draping it over her shoulders. "The night is cool. Maybe we should go back."
"No, please. Let's stay a little longer."
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and warming her with his body. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. Well, there was a moment during the afternoon when I felt something very strange. A chill. But it was probably the change in weather."
"Are you sure? Maybe you should rest."
April turned in his embrace, her cheeks flushed with a shy but daring glow. "Even though it may not seem like it, I have a lot of energy. If you want, you can check it out."
Alessandro kissed her, a tender smile crossing his lips. "Then I will do so."
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And so, dear readers, Chapter 5 ends with two couples standing at very different crossroads. One already bound by love, eager to confirm it in the dark garden. The other walking side by side through palace halls, separated by walls they refuse to tear down.
What a beautifully complicated chapter this was! Watching Maya and Cassian dance around each other — her pulling back, him too afraid to reach for her — was both frustrating and deeply moving. Maya is no longer the woman who blindly follows. She is testing him, challenging him, teaching him a painful lesson: if he will not fight for her, she will not chase him. And yet, there is a quiet vulnerability beneath her teasing armor. She knows she can't stay. She knows that falling in love would be a tragedy. And still, her heart is already slipping.
Meanwhile, the subtle tragedy of Cassian's impossible feelings for April hangs in the air like a shadow neither Maya nor her husband sees. It gives the story a bittersweet depth — a love triangle hidden under the surface, ready to erupt.
The scene with the daggers was spectacular — a perfect reminder that Maya is nobody's fool, and nobody's damsel. And the final garden scene with Alessandro and April offers a tender respite, though the shadow of dark days still looms at the edges.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
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**Next Chapter Prediction:**
If the elves return with troubling news, the palace will soon be thrown into political turmoil. But the more intriguing development will surely be the dance after the naming ceremony. With Maya forced to stand publicly beside Cassian, surrounded by watchful eyes, tensions will rise — old feelings will resurface, and someone may finally have to declare loyalties. But will Cassian dare to take the initiative with Maya as she demanded, or will the weight of his hidden feelings for April force him to freeze at the most critical moment? Something tells me the dance floor will become a battlefield of the heart.
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