Cherish || A Chase x Sweetie Fanfiction ||

(S2-C6) • Finding Your Reason •

The wind howled in the dead of night. Lanterns giving light through flames, they were all scattered and hung around the castle, some within the metal hands of knights that patrolled the perimeter. Every floor was guarded and even the green field outside had multiple guards acting as lookouts, some coming back from their shifts while others conversed with one another, "convenient to avoid sleepiness," said The Princess in the past.

However, the third floor of the castle—out of four—had a wild argument, louder than any misunderstanding they've encountered thus far, which caused any comers to evade from listening to the supposed privacy. Ironic.

Maria's eyes flared, her heart hurt in having to do the right thing to someone she didn't want to oppose. She stood her ground, countering every lash of doubt and deception her small friend tried to persuade her with.

"That measly beast hurt Prince Julius, Maria. Are you letting injustice reign?!"

Another statement Maria, with her now dry throat, had to reply to. "Prince Chase is no criminal, Beatrice, and you know it. For the last time, what's with you?"

"Me? What's wrong with you! Siding with the backstabber, my beloved told me everything!"

"What has he done to you? I know you don't love him for real, Bea. Snap out of it!"

The two continued on and on and on, and it was saddening for the Shiba Inu. Never once had she and the small pup gone against one another, and it doesn't seem like the latter would give up on her desperate opinion anytime soon.

Maria and Sweetie noticed this change earlier. Beatrice wasn't as bouncy as she once was and she never wore her smile again after a few passing hours, starting from when they first subjected about how to plead Chase as innocent. At first, they thought she was just a bit tired and didn't know what she was saying, but as time gone by that same day, they figured she was serious in her view to have Chase locked up. They could understand that she's defending another royalty but they also knew how much the pooch hated Prince Julius. That's when they speculated that something was going on, yet they had no time to figure it out, and so they let the butlers try and find any reason for this, starting from the castle. The last thing they needed was a real traitor.

With the argument growing non-stop, Sweetie was alone on the ground floor, excluding the patrol units. She's been pacing back and forth, deprived of a calm mind. The absence of the prince, it was joyous since she shared the same hatred as his friends to him but it was something that caused worry. Before, he couldn't stop talking about the countless ways he wanted to hurt the offender, yet he was already late for the meeting. To what might happen to him wasn't any of Sweetie's concern, it's the thought of him plotting a diabolical plan to break through anything she says and maybe to prove Chase guilty.

Why must I be in charge, Princess? She groaned. Her brain was thumping and she couldn't forget the thought of her friend in the prince's possible control, if that's even possible for an idiot like him. Nonetheless, she needed some fresh air, and so she turned her steps to the open doors, leading outside where she ventilated with deep breaths, looking up with disappointment.

The moon was alone up there, just like Sweetie at the moment as the noctilucent clouds rode the night wind. It was still a relaxing sight she would gladly spend time observing, if only she wasn't bothered by running footsteps leading towards her, in which she sighed. Another problem, she guessed.

"Can't you give me a little break? My head is pounding," she said in a quiet voice to the panting man, hands on his knees and back arched forward. "Princess Sweetie, it's Chase!"

Just hearing the name, Sweetie's eyes widened, allowing the immediate report from the man to tell her what he had observed.

Another guard holding a lamp, a few meters away from the two, turned towards them, and seeing their present princess's worried face, something was up. His eyes followed her as she ran back inside the castle, leaving the man she was talking to just standing on the gravel road, his fist clenched tight and head tilted downwards.