Lily Flower

Misc: Saccharine

"Pardon me?" Pure Vanilla was confused.

"Do you know why Dark Choco was exiled from his kingdom?

The prince's eyes widened. "Wait, don't listen to her-!"

"He was thrown out because he had killed his father. And all this time he had left you in ignorance and let you fix his curse."

Several things fell into place at once. The prince had never told him why exactly he had been exiled, and though Pure Vanilla had expected something bad, he hadn't quite thought about the possibility of Dark Cacao's death. It would take more than a stab wound to kill an ancient. He suddenly thought about Red Velvet's cut. If the wound was severe, and unable to heal without some serious monitoring...

That malignant magic prevented the body from fixing itself. It would be akin to death from a thousand cuts.

"I didn't kill him!" Dark Choco cried. "It was the whispers- my sword- and we were having an argument. But he was still alive when I left...when he cast me out. He's alive!"

That proved nothing. The holy weapons caused long-term damage, like a parasite. Pure Vanilla shoved down his emotion and tried to speak to him in a level manner. "...have you ever gone back and checked?"

"No, but-"

"S-see, I'm willing to help you regardless of what happened under the sword's thrall. But you have to tell me these things, Dark Choco."

"You don't believe me..." Dark Choco whispered.

Pure Vanilla was giving him the benefit of the doubt that he attacked his father from the curse's thrall, but he could only suspend logic so far. Dark Choco had lied before, about the teleporter, and he had purposefully omitted the events of his exile. At the moment, the healer wasn't sure he could trust him. The Dark Enchantress, on the other hand, had a habit of revealing the truth for the sake of causing him grief. Currently, he was more inclined to believe her sadism than his spotty affirmation.

"I'm not claiming that it was purposeful-"

"You trust the Dark Enchantress over me?" he interrupted.

"It's not like that!"

The Dark Enchantress was thoroughly enjoying the scene before her.

"How else am I supposed to interpret it?!

"Please, let's save this for later."

"Like hell I'm shelving this conversation! What the fuck had the Dark Enchantress said that make you act this way? Did she ensnare you as well?" He prepared to attack, incensed that she managed to sway someone he cared about against him. Even she shouldn't be able to attack him, so what did he have to fear?

The healer called for him. "Dark Choco, stop!"

He raised his sword at the sorceress and-

slashed Pure Vanilla.

Huh? He was standing over here?

Scarlet splattered across the tile. The healer touched his gushing wound, almost seeming like he didn't process the slice he inflicted. Pure Vanilla's wound was a courtesy, repaying him for his audacity to attack his master.

"Aah- ahhh..." Dark Choco made an incoherent noise, his greatest sin mirrored before him. He took a couple of halting steps back, horrified at his actions. The Dark Enchantress grabbed him before he could do anything else, leaving the room as the healer crumpled to his knees.

She carried him out as he fruitlessly tried to scratch and tear away from her grasp, searching until she found a spot suitably far away from him. The Dark Enchantress set him down harshly in the hall. Circles of magic swirled around him, a physical chain binding him to the castle just like his mental counterpart.