Cherish || A Chase x Sweetie Fanfiction ||

(S3-C13) • Thoughts Divided •

Coraline, Ryder, and the princess pups gathered together around a table. The chandelier shined in a darker yellow above them and not a single guard was present. It was the opposite in the outside of the room, since privacy was what the group desired, but they were alone at the moment, sitting on chairs.

They all wore different expressions. Ryder's eyes shook and his lips quivered, hands balled on his lap. His heart was being attacked, and despite the solid evidence, he couldn't believe his pup could do something horrifying. Not in a million years.

Beatrice's eyebrows were furrowed, fuming yet her mouth wasn't tense from anger, rather curved in her sadness. Maria beside her only frowned, eyes towards the floor the whole time. Sweetie though... it was as if she wasn't herself anymore. Her arrogant and irritating personality evaporated. Her paws were flat on the table and she refused to pace back and forth like she normally does during stressful situations. She couldn't even raise her head in pride nor pump her chest to insult the Shepherd for his incredibly wrong doings to try and protect her own name. She only blinked, breathed, stared at nothing, for nothing was what she felt. She had a soul in a living vessel, existing, but that was the pinnacle of her reason for her being.

Behind them, someone came barging through the doors, yet the people and pups inside the room kept their heads still. They knew who came in, they just couldn't care enough to even greet them, which could be found insulting considering who they were.

"I do NOT accept this situation, Coraline!" Prince Alejandro spat, a small gasp coming from the peach-skinned female behind him. He heard her response to his assertiveness, he just chose to ignore her.

"What did I tell you about casually using my name? And without the proper title, nonetheless." Coraline replied, "It is to be used only during private one-on-one conversation-"

A fist banging on the round table, the doors of the room were pulled closed by the guards, allowing privacy once again, which was a good response. Alejandro's rage smoked like a dragon that just blew its flame, the charcoal clouds flowing upwards from the side of his mouth.

"Prince Alejandro, please," Diane held onto one of his arms. "We're all aware of the good Chase the Shepherd has done but we must not insist that they're not suspected of the wrong that occured here."

The Princess of Barkingburg turned her head towards her two friends, although her eyes were more serious, as if she saw them as nothing but another royalty in her own home-neglecting their close connection.

"When did you and Chase become close friends?" Coraline whipped in obvious annoyance of the sudden barging, resting her head on her fist. It was true that she sent the news to her friends but that was only protocol due to their pups getting involved in the situation. They were unpermitted to speak up about the situation and what it meant for them.

"We aren't, princess," Alejandro answered. "But as I have saved dozens of innocent lives from punishment for the crimes they have never done in my kingdom, I have a keen sense of knowing whether one may be guilty or not."

The Princess of Barkingburg stood up from her seat, turning to the prince with tight lips. "Remember that you are mere guests in this kingdom, you have no power to decide. You earn the same restraints just as that ignoble Julius."

"What is power if you have no wisdom? Ignorance is a fatal flaw that leads others to ruins. You're a princess who loves her people yet can't afford to look into situations where you need to make a major decision because of who is included? Bet it would be easy if it was a thief but because it was a hero, you can't even weigh the scale?"

"My decisions are determined through repeated questions in my head, and that is why my answers take longer. However, I could at least face my people when I do make decisions instead of having messengers to relay them for me because I'm afraid of what they think of me. Ring a bell, doesn't it?"