Things have not been going well with Cassian lately.
Everything was set.
His brother, Lord Elmsworth, would step down from his throne in a few more years.
And then his son Lyssian would be appointed as heir to the Thorne family.
The Seat of Power, in Auric Spire, would once again belong to his son, which once rightfully belonged first to his father Gwarion and then to him.
His father was the eldest son of the family—the crown should belong to him.
Gwarion loved the city. The city people also loved him back.
That was why he never took guards with him, for he used to think it would alienate the common men from him.
But that night, when Cassian, along with his parents, was returning from their night stroll, they were killed mercilessly.
The city, whom his parents loved so much, had killed his father.
And thus, Elmsworth's father, Vitrion, became head of the House.
However, Cassian was never neglected just because he became an orphan.
Rather, Vitrion pampered his nephew too much.
However, later Cassian had realized that his uncle was not pampering him that time; rather he was spoiling little Cassian.
Vitrion turned him into a spoiled brat—unruly, hotheaded, arrogant, and an addict.
As much as Cassian's father was loved by the people, he eventually became that much hated by the same people.
However, Cassian cared less what the people of Veridia thought about him. He too hated the killers of his parents.
Only when Vitrion's most trusted retainer, Anol, died; Cassian, to his horror, discovered that Anol was the man who had killed his parents that night, and not any random street thug;- for Anol had the same tattoo on his wrist that the killer had that night.
Cassian had combed the city to find the killed with this tattoo in the streets and docks; never thinking that someone from the palace could have carried it.
Cassian boiled with anger and hatred. The uncle who used to loved him more than his own son had made him an orphan in the first place.
Cassian, heavily drunk that night, attempted to kill Vitrion.
But he was caught by the guards before he could pull the stunt.
However, he was not punished by Vitrion; but rather was banished from the city.
In his exile he was kidnapped by a small-time pirate gang. However, during captivity, Elina, the daughter of the captain, fell in love with Cassian. On her plea, he was released from captivity and he joined the crew.
With his talent he soon grew to be the most trusted right-hand man of the pirate captain and eventually got married to Elina.
Soon on a piracy mission, the captain died, and Elina became the new chief.
However, when she was pregnant, Cassian took the mantle of pirate captain.
However, after becoming Captain, he took a strange path.
Instead of focusing on trading ships, he started targeting other pirate ships.
Soon, with his tactical acumen, they became the dominant pirate gang, who now commanded an armada composed of other pirate vessels.
After becoming the menace of Opal Bay, they decided to arrive at Azure Bay and repeat the same.
In the meantime Cassian decided to enter Veridia again along with his son Lyssian.
With the help of people who were still loyal to Cassian's father, Cassian managed to successfully beg Elmsworth to let them in the family.
As Elmsworth was already at a loss due to having a kid who appeared to be intellectually impaired, he welcomed his brother with his son.
Before coming to the city, Cassian had plotted many conspiracy plots to overthrow Elmsworth in a year or two.
But when he realized Elmsworth's son was not going to take his seat, he dropped all that, as it seemed any conspiracy was unnecessary.
However he decided to gradually increase pressure on Elmsworth to make him abdicate his seat as soon as possible, and that was why he started dismantling Veridia's trade and economy.
Soon only the trading vessels of merchants that favored Cassian would be given free passage by the Pirates, and all other trading vessels would be a potential target of the pirates.
This actually kept strengthening Cassian's faction slowly but steadily.
On the other hand, disappointment in personal life as well as growing trouble in business was making Elmsworth bitter, grumpy, and brooding.
Things were going well when suddenly one day, magically, the 'Idiot Prince' became the Ideal Heir of the Thorne family.
And suddenly all his carefully crafted plans went to shambles.
Day by day, this kid's audacity was growing as well, as if he could identify Cassian as his number one enemy.
Cassian had to do something decisive, and urgent.
And that's why he opened the gates of Auric Spire—so that the pirates finish the Elmsworth family as well as their loyalists, along with other targets of his 'friends.'
Everything would fall in place.
He would get what he dreamt of- everything that rightfully belonged to him, always.
But, again, the Lorian kid messed all up.
No one in their family ever had any battle prowess; they were always good with money and management.
How did the kid get his battle and leadership skills, it was beyond his understanding.
But this kid ultimately thwarted his plan.
Many of Cassian's men, his old crewmate, and his comrades died in this failed attack.
And now everyone was suspecting him.
However, he had managed to team up with rival families of Thornes to discredit Lorian's claim as the next ruler of Veridia.
And thus he assigned his most trusted man, Marcus, to shadow Lorian.
But since yesterday, he too has gone missing.
Cassian spread his men everywhere to look for him.
But no one knew his whereabouts or where he had gone.
This was not good news.
Cassian knew he had to do something.
Or all his plans were going to drain.
He called forth Arthaz, who was brother of Alkaz, and his another trusted man.
Silius had an urgent mission tonight, to activate his agents in the city.
Their target?
Obviously the Prodigal Child—Lorian Thorne and his company.
Meanwhile, Cassian had to go out to the sea to meet his wife, Pirate Empress Elina Redhair Thorne.
There was going to be some serious change in the plan.