To The Moon And Back

Chapter 5: The Garden

Selene's heart palpitated as the prince guided her down the hall. How could he not hate her for everything that she had done? Or, more accurately, how could he not hold her responsible for her mother's actions and what she could have done?

Nevertheless, Selene allowed herself to be led through a maze of halls and doors, following the prince. The pair walked in silence, until Kai finally blurted out a question.

"Why did you resist your mother's glamour?"

Selene felt her heartbeat quicken even further. "I don't know what you're talking about, Your Highness."

"It's Kai. And when your mother was convincing my father and Torin to hold a more clandestine meeting, I felt the effects of her powers. But I looked at you, and..." He trailed off.

Selene's heart was beating overtime. She had been visibly aware of what she had been doing during her mother's conversation with Konn Torin and Emperor Rikan. Fists clenched, eyes squeezed shut. She just hadn't planned for the prince to noticed.

"...you were just standing there, and your eyes were shut tightly, and it looked like you were trying to block out the world the best you could." Kai finished with a hesitant tone, waiting for her reaction.

Selene desperately grasped for some sort of idea to present in her mind, but no straws were found. She began to perspirate even harder.

"Princess Selene?" Kai's voice rose up once more next to her.

Selene turned a slowly as she could, but she caught a glimpse to something out of the corner of her eye. "Is that the garden? Oh, good, we should probably hurry, our parents are probably almost done talking, we wouldn't want to miss out-"

Selene hadn't realized she was essentially dragging Prince Kai after her until she was out of the palace. A burst of humid air rushed into her face, but it was almost immediately forgotten in favor of the sight that greeted her instead. She gasped at the beauty.

Indeed, the royal garden of New Beijing did not disappoint. It took a second for Selene's eyes to adjust to the brilliance. Honeysuckle and roses climbed up columns and statues in the garden, adorning them with fireworks of every color imaginable. Flower bushes and regular green ones alike lined the walls of the garden, and flowering fruit trees stood tall and proud against the harsh New Beijing sunlight.

"It's beautiful," Selene breathed. She hadn't realized she was still gripping Kai's hand until he gently pulled away.

"It is," Kai told her, a glint in his eyes. "It's the middle of May, now, so everything has either bloomed completely or is about to bloom. You came at just the right time to survey what New Beijing's plant life has to offer, it seems." Kai paused again. "No one really officially tends this garden anymore. My mother used to... until, well, you know." Kai made a gesture with his hands.

Selene felt her heart drop a little, and she just wanted to reach out and comfort him a little, but stopped herself before she could. They had to act professional, after all. "I'm sorry," she said lamely. "I didn't realize."

To her surprise, Kai laughed. "Why do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what?"

"Every time something awkward or crazy has happened today, you've apologized, even if it's not your fault. Why is that?"

Selene paused. "I've never really thought of it that way," she replied, slowly. "I just feel like sometimes someone should say something for others, even if they don't have to. Sometimes we need to convince ourselves there is some sense of salvation for everyone."

"Mmm."

The two stood in the middle of the bushy, untrimmed grass (the only thing that was seemingly unpredictable in the utopian garden), not saying anything, until Selene hesitantly said, "Pri- I mean, Kai?"