Royal Flower

Chapter Twenty Six

Chase ran through the forest, following the sound of Lily's frantic footsteps and heartbeat. He hadn't been talking with Reese for very long, so Lily shouldn't have ran far. He felt a sharp ache in his heart after what had happened with Reese. Chase had enjoyed being friends with him. Reese had been one of his only friends in all of his nineteen years, and he blew it. Part of him wanted to be angry with Lily, but he knew that he was to blame for what had happened between him and Reese.

Chase was fast, and eventually he caught up with her. Lily didn't notice him. She was running on the dirt path that led to the Azalea citadel, while he was in part of the shadowed forests parallel to the path.

Taking a deep breath, he lunged out of the shadowed forests, grabbing Lily by the waist and pushing her away from the dirt path and toward the forest trees on the other side.

Lily shrieked in alarm, white lilies blooming around her as a fight instinct. When Chase let her go, he saw Lily's eyes dart from his crow mask to the dirt path. Chase pressed his lips together, moving to stand in Lily's way. He wanted to just remove his mask, but he needed to talk to Lily as Crow, and removing his mask now would be unwise.

When the icicles formed, Chase held his hands up in surrender. "Wait," he blurted out. Lily's heart didn't slow, and Chase noticed how Lily looked at him like he was another Reese. He reminded himself to talk in a low voice, so that Lily wouldn't recognize him. "I just want to talk. I'm sorry for frightening you just now, your Highness." He heard Lily's heartbeat relax slightly, but he could tell she was still tense. Chase continued, desperate to convince Lily that he was not a threat. "I heard King Aster's speech this morning. His hopes are correct in that I don't intend to kill anymore Azaleas."

A few moments after the words left his lips, Lily finally relinquished her ice, but Chase noticed that the lilies around her didn't disappear.

It seemed Lily wanted to talk with him too, because she asked before he had the chance to say anything. "Why did you save me from Reese?" she said softly.

When Chase moved his gray eyes to meet her gaze, Lily quickly averted her gaze to his neck, clasping her hands in front of her uncomfortably.

Chase lowered his hands slowly, resting them loosely at his sides. "I owed you a debt, which brings me to what I wanted to ask you." Lily looked up curiously, a small hint of fear in her green eyes. "The night Amaryllis died, you could have turned me into Aster, yet you brought me to Saige to be healed," he started slowly. When Lily didn't say anything, he prompted, "Why?"

Chase saw Lily clasp her hands tighter to the point where they were starting to turn white. He could tell Lily didn't like to be interrogated in general, especially from someone like him. He could always threaten her, like he did with other people he had interrogated, but the thought of doing that to Lily made him feel sick to the stomach. Maybe Reese was right. Maybe he did care about her. He certainly hadn't denied Reese's accusation.

His thoughts were interrupted when Lily replied warily, her voice a little shaky. "Y-You were hurt, and Aster needed time to calm down. After Saige was done, she would have called the guards while you were unconscious, but you apparently woke up before Saige could finish."

Chase scrutinized her. So she had intended to turn me in either way, but decided to delay it. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting to hear. He had always wondered why Lily saved him, and he finally got his answer. He gave a curt nod.

Chase then asked, "Why are you in the woods by yourself? I expected Sir Thierry to accompany you, at least."

Lily lifted her chin slightly, a small act of defiance. "I would like to ask you something first, Crow." Chase raised his eyebrows. He couldn't help but smile lightly at Lily's tone. Gesturing her to continue, Lily asked, "Why..." she started, her voice cracking. She then recomposed herself. "Why did you kill Aunt Marguerite? She was innocent, and you still..." Chase inhaled sharply, crossing his arms. Lily frowned, her eyes hardening slightly. "Well?" she asked again, a little anger mixed in with her grief.