Her eyes closed at the snap. Lily was never one to sugar coat things and she wasn’t about to start now. It sounded more like he had baggage that he needed to talk about. It was none of her business, she was a stranger to him after all. Once she knew he was gone she opened her eyes and pushed herself up. She was mobile enough to move quickly from one end of the garden to the other exit. It wasn’t that she was running away, she just wanted the space.

Once she found herself at the entrance of the maze she just smiled down at the mother of pearl stepping stones. She let her feet guide her in and she found herself knowing her route by heart. She found herself in the center before she knew it and she sat down on one of the stone benches. She felt herself saddened by everything. Her resolve to kill her sister was one that she could not let go. People had been killed for less and there was blood on the walls that needed to be addressed.

Looking back up at the bright sky she took another sigh. “Another day without you both is terrible.” she was talking about her parents. The royal family had suffered greatly when Adeluna attacked. They protected each other and Lily remembered the stories about it. Hell, she was there. Her parents had died together and everyone vowed their revenge. They waited a long time until they were able to get it. Now was no different. Even if she was a different voice she was outvoted by both of the other sisters and Kirika. There was no point in regretting her choice now.

She moved her hand to her side as she felt the stinging pain from moving fast across Arri. Regretting her decision she almost made her way back. However, she felt too numb to attempt it so she leaned into the stone back of the bench and relaxed with her head thrown back and looking up at the tree she now sat under.

The elemental made his way towards the garden. On the way, he cursed at himself. He usually always kept his composer no matter what was going on. He was a gentlemen just like his father had taught him to be. His sister, Katherine, was the same before she passed. Anastasia also had manners but sometimes didn’t know how to hold her tongue. She was the spitfire of the family. Thinking of her made him smile. A calm rushed over as he thought of seeing her again. He had sent out a notice to her about Angelique months ago. No word as of yet.

Entering the garden, he saw the empty table. He looked around the area and saw nothing. No Queen. Walking over to the table quickly, he looked at it then turned around. Where had she gone? She couldn’t walk too much alone with the injuring she had. Walking around the garden, he didn’t see her anywhere. His eyes kept looking towards the maze as he made his way around the garden. “Could she have gone in there?” He thought to himself as his feet slowly walked over to the entrance.

Clyde stood there in silence looking into the maze. How would he explain everything that was going on. He wasn’t one to share his feelings with anyone, let alone his past. He also wasn’t known to snap at people. He always kept his composer. He always stayed calm, but the past few months with everything happening, he couldn’t find time to be calm. Seeing Lily in his mind, he hadn’t smiled or laughed the way he had with her in months.

Entering the maze, he let his feet take him where they wanted. He didn’t think as he made his way through the maze. Then reaching the center he saw her. Rushing to her side, he looked over her. She looked as if she was in pain, but she was at peace with it at the same time. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a veil that Angela had gave him. “Take some.” His voice was smooth as he held the veil to her lips. After she was finished, he sat down beside her. His eyes looking up towards the sunlit sky.

“I am sorry about earlier….” He was truly. “My daughter, Angelique, is a vampire and some vampire’s have a way to turn off their soul…She did after I confessed to her. I shouldn’t have told her at all but she needed to know.” He paused wondering where to start. “I fell in love with a married woman long ago. She was the light of my life. Innocent, sweet, and caring…” Taking a deep breath, his heart began to ache. He hadn’t talked about her in so long. “She was with a man who wanted power and would do anything for it, but he wanted her as well. Love and power never mix… I hated him, but I tolerated him because she wanted me to…She was scared to leave. So she was stuck in that relationship and didn’t know how to get out without him taking her life.” Memories flooded his mind. “One night. One night was all we had and Angelique was born….You see, she only knew me as her Godfather. She called me Uncle Clyde….. I was with her almost daily. I saw her be raised. Until somehow he found out about Angelique not being his. He forced me out, saying they would be safe if I was just leave….So I did.” He paused, a pained expression on his face. “A few years later…He killed her… then later he would of killed Angelique, if it wasn’t for Nikolaus being there for her. An old friend of mine, a vampire.”

Looking down to his hands that were around his knees, he sighed. “If I didn’t tell her the truth, she would still be my Angelique right now…but she’s gone and I have no clue where she is. I sent word to my sister to help me, but I haven’t heard from her. I need to get her back. I can’t let Angelique live without her soul…I can’t loose her again.” Pushing back tears, he couldn’t cry. Not in front of the Queen.

Looking to her, it was the first time in a long time he ever spoke of his passed to someone. He felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. He was grateful for this woman before him not closing herself off to him.

Lily took the vial with ease as she felt the powerful elixir come into her body. It was able to numb her pain and there was a tad bit of relief on her face as she thought about it all. It was his words that kept her silence. Clyde didn’t particularly feel like the sharing type. He wasn’t out in the open like Rosenites were but yet here they were. She listened intently about the man’s daughter and frowned at the story. Weak women were the basis of Rosenites. They transcended their weakness to become warriors. She lifted herself up and stared with him at the skies once more.

“Can I say something without getting you upset?” Her green eyes turned to him. “If you didn’t say anything to Angelique… and somehow she found out. She would be in a worse situation and you would be beating yourself up over not saying it. There are ways in this world that secrets get out that you don’t know about. It is for the best that you told her. For if you did not that is the world’s greatest betrayal. You did what you had to as a father. The rest is up to her.”

Being the Queen of the Yellow Court made her more open and loving than any of the others. It was because of this that she was quick to take Clyde in her arms. They were strong yet there was a fragileness to them that shouldn’t have been there.  She pushed her lips against his forehead and smiled. “You’ll find a way. Just because there isn’t a way to save my sister doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to save Angelique. One situation does not equal another. There are always circumstances that change how the situation is played out and sometimes my dear Clyde you don’t know them all.” She was whispering to him as she pulled him closer. Though he was finally quick to pull away from her and she looked sad but still she gave a smile. “Angelique is not my sister. I doubt she has lost her way completely. You’ll get her back.”

She gently took his hand this time instead of his arm and pulled herself off. “Let’s view the flowers. The mood has gotten somber hasn’t it?”

Lily’s voice came out gentle and soothed him. His eyes moved to look into her green ones. Her words rang true and he didn’t fight back. There was no need to. Their situations were different. Her sister grew up with more evil inside her than most. Angelique was always a sweet little girl who loved looking after others. She was still the same by protecting others when they couldn’t. Until now. He would fight to get his Angelique back, no matter the costs.

The sudden arms around him, startled him. He wasn’t sure what to do for a moment. He hadn’t been held like this for a long while. Then her soft lips touched his head, this was unknown to him. She then spoke to him in a whisper. He understood they were different, but for a moment he felt as if she couldn’t save her. He would save her because she was worth saving.  He quickly pulled away, he couldn’t be held like a child a moment longer. It was not like him. If she didn’t catch him off guard, he wouldn’t have let her hold him.

Nodding at her words, the elemental pulled himself up and put her arm in his. “Lean on me if you need to.” He said down to her and started to walk through the maze admiring the area. Trying to clear the air from the sadness that filled it. Clyde looked down at her with a smile on his face. “So. Tell me about your other sisters? Is Angela the baby maker they say she is?” He said it to make her laugh. He had heard about the many children she had. “How could someone birth that many children?!” He said a bit shocked at the idea.

She gave him a gentle smile as if she understood. “I will,” She wasn’t that stubborn that she wouldn’t accept him help. Once they were up and moving she took her time to admire all the flowers and butterflies in the area. Once he spoke of her other sisters she laughed hard and smiled broadly. “It is true that she has over a hundred children but she hasn’t birthed all of them and even if she had… she is a goddess. They can do miracles like that. Angela is amazing when she is just being herself. She is the healing prodigy of the academy here.”

Lily leaned into Clyde as she thought about it. “Cathrine is the oldest of us. She is wise and very quiet. She is more serious than the rest of us. She was granted wings for her sheer grace by a very well known alchemist. The way she handles situations makes Angela look immature. Apparently when Angela ascended it was a shock since Cathrine was that much more graceful than Angela was. Even know there are whispers that Cathrine should have gotten it. Though I imagine that she would throw the opportunity away unlike Ang. She lives a quiet life. The Purple Court is known for their Self-Sacrifice. They are the first to respond to a situation no matter how dangerous. They give themselves up for the rest of us. Cathrine is no different. She is a mute but very well spoken in the arts of telepathy.” 

Laughing, “You met Toya. I can’t say there is anything much else to know about her. Rarely does her impatience lead to a mistake, if you can call it luck go ahead. The more you make her upset the more precise she gets. Her husband Blaine is the complete opposite of his wife. She’s the only one of us that’s been married for a long time. Toya is as hot headed as a volcano is unpredictable. She’s the only one of us not raised by our parents. We must have done a terrible job because she can be so childish sometimes.” She chuckled a bit. “Then again… she is the only one of us that’s managed to stay married. Or be married for that matter.”

She bent down and picked a forget-me-not from a bush before chuckling and putting it behind his ear. “For you.”

With the smell of roses around them, it was wonderful to the elemental. He listened to her speak and almost laughed. Her sister sure had many children. “She must have her moments when she goes insane.” He said with a laugh. A picture came to his mind with all her children saying ‘Mom..mom’ over and over to her. She would definitely pull her hair out. He laughed softly at his thought.

Lily then mentioned her other sister. He smiled as he looked at the flowers around them. The butterflies flew around the flowers and even passed their heads. As she spoke of her other two sisters, he couldn’t help be think of his. Anastasia was like a mixture of both of them. She could be calm and collected but also unpredictable and headstrong.

The moment Lily put the flower in his ear he laughed. “Why, thank you.” He said with a smile. Grabbing her hand, he moved her palm up the laid his hand over his. A chill was felt between their hands, light white smoke came out from the sides of their hands. A crackling sound was heard and then when he moved his hand, a small ice rose laid in her hand. The details were exactly like that of a rose and real green vines came up from the sides and leaves soon grew. He brought his hand to the side and a green vine appeared from his fingertips.

“For you… It won’t ever melt.” He had only mastered the un-melting ice only centuries ago. With a smile he straightened up and waited for her to admire the rose. Then he smiled. “What shall we do now? We still have half a day till sundown.” He asked, time was going by fast. He wanted to see everything. As long as she was okay. “We could go back to the castle, so you can get some rest?”

Lily thought about it and laughed. “You know… I’ve never seen her lose her patience or sanity ever. Angela is very talented at keeping a sane body. She is the embodiment of motherhood. I suppose that gives her a good grace in it. Though not all the children were born all at once. Angela has over fifty years on me. I suppose that means some of her children are older than I am.” She laughed a bit.

When he made the rose her eyes lit up and she held it close to her. “It’s beautiful Clyde thank you.” She wrapped her arm firmly around his as she thought about it. “How about we go to the lake? It is a nice feature of Arri that not many people visit outside of locals.” She leaned into him as they walked and they managed to get out of the maze and into the field just before the lake. When the scenery opened up the lake was sort of like a mirror across the plains. “Isn’t it pretty?”

They went down by the shore and she let her toes play in the water as she pulled her dress up so she could play in the water. “It feels wonderful Clyde.” She walked through the water and felt the gentle stones beneath her feet. They were so smooth. “We can stay here for a while. I think it is much more relaxing than the manor.” Absentmindedly she put her head on his shoulder and watched the lake in front of her. "See the clock? It caused quite the problem not long ago."

“The lake sounds wonderful.” Clyde said to her. He did come to this city to see the wonders of it. He wanted his mind of Angelique since he felt like he was at a dead stop on finding her. The events that has happened so far made him smile. He hadn’t felt this happy in a long while. Well, he did have a moment of sadness, but now with them at the lake. The waters and beauty of the trees made him warm inside. The clock at the center made him open his eyes more against the bright sun shining on the waters.

“That clock is beautiful.” The elemental commented as he sat down on the shoreline. He smiled warm heartedly at the queen before him. She was walking through the water as if she was a child. She soon moved back to him to lay her head back on his shoulders. A smirk appeared on his face as he reached down to take off his shiny black shoes and fold up his pants. She could tell him the story later. Standing up, he took off his coat and set it down on a nearby rock, then grabbed her hand and took her back into the water.

The water felt cool on his feet and the softness of the rocks didn’t make him want to get out. Letting go of her hand, he held out his hands out to the side and smiled at her. The water raised in swirls around them as his hands moved upward. Circling around them, a soft breeze blew her blonde hair, making his eyes smile with his lips. Holding up his hands a bit higher, the swirls of water met above them. Closing his eyes for a moment, he pictured an open rose blooming downward at them. The water formed his picture and the sun seemed to sparkle through the rose.

Clyde let her admire the moment before he dropped the water. It fell down on them like sprinkles of rain. He laughed as they got wet.

He was so good at making her feel better. She could hardly tell her side had been barbed the day before. Her eyes were glued to the water he sent up and they lit up like a child when the rose was formed. “Well aren’t you just a talented one.” She was fond of that. Not many would go to the lengths to cheer her up like he was.  She held that ice rose close to her. They spent a while longer in the water after it came down and they got soaked. She clung close to him and they left the lake.

The sun looked like it was going down now as she stared up at the sky. “This has been rather enjoyable but I’m afraid my side is starting to hurt again my dear.” She leaned on him as they made their way back. They were met at the door by some help as they had blankets wrapped around them and she chuckled. “It is rather getting cold now that the sun is going down.” Such was the way the desert was. 

She wasn’t tired but she felt like she wanted to ask Clyde more questions about himself. “How much longer are you planning on staying here? My sister wasn’t exactly exact on the number of days you should stay.” A smile came to her face but she did look a little sad at the same time. “Can you help me change my bandages? If that doesn’t bother you too much.”

Time seemed to go by too fast. They had been out for hours. Clyde didn’t think he could ever smile as much as he had that day. He nodded at her words. They had been having such a great time he forgot about her wound. How could he forget his most important job? He was to look after her not cause her more pain. “Damnit Clyde.” He thought to himself, but he couldn’t really be mad at the situation he put them in. They both had an amazing time at the lake.

As they made their way back to the castle, he made sure to hold her close. He draped his dry coat over her shoulders to keep her warm. The thought crossed his mind to carry her, but decided against it. She was a strong willed woman and only take that gesture a few times. With this in mind, he just let her lean into him for support as they walked. A change of clothes would be in order when they got back to the castle.

The sudden warmth of blankets covered their shoulders as they entered. He smiled with a nod and said thank you. Hearing her question he turned to her. “Should be a few days before you heal. So I’ll stay until you don’t need me.” He said with a slight bow. With a nod, he took her arm and lead her back to her room.

When they entered, the new bandages were set on a table with stool near by and the fire was lit to warm the room for them. Leading her to the area, he sat her down on the stool and moved behind her. Taking off the blankets  off their shoulders, he laid them on a nearby chair. His coat was tangled within them.

With a silent gulp, he stared at her back. He had to take off the top of her dress to get to her bandage. With a mental nod, he could do this. Reaching up, the elemental slipped his thumbs under the straps of her dress. As he pulled down her dress, he stared at the bare skin. The fire seeming to make her skin glow. Her skin was soft under his fingers as he dropped the dress straps on the sides of the stool. She was now bare chested but he couldn’t see anything. Clearing his throat, he removed the damp bandages. Making sure he didn’t lean too far in front of her. Luckily the wound was on her side. After a few moments, she was wrapped up and ready to go.

Clearing his throat once more he spoke, “I am going to get cleaned up a bit before dinner.” With that he left the room. Making sure not to open the door too wide to let anyone see inside. He quickly entered his room and leaned back on the door. The elemental let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He hadn’t seen a bare woman’s back, or any skin for that matter in a long time.

It took him a moment to comb his hair back in place and that was when he saw a new change of clothes. Just simple black dress pants and a white button down. His clothes were damp. With a shrug he put them on and laid his clothes by the fire.

After cleaning himself up, he made his way to dinner. It was fun to be with her and he smiled, thinking about how the next few days would be. After dinner, they said their good nights and went to bed. He didn’t realize how tired he was till he laid down and clothes his eyes. Sleep took him quick and the morning came too soon. A knock at the door made him sit up. “Excuse me sir. They’re is a lady at the front door asking for you. Its urgent.” With a confused look, he quickly got out of bed, dressed in his now dried clothes and made his way to the front door.

Rounding the corner to the found door, the elemental almost stopped wide eyed. “Anastasia…” He said with a smile before hugging his sister, she kissed his cheek with a smile. “I missed you.” She said aloud as she hugged him again, But that was the last of the hello.. “Sorry to cut this vacation of yours short, but we have to go. Now.” She didn’t have to say anything else to him. He knew it was about Angelique.

Clyde wanted to say goodbye, but he had to leave right away. Every time he found Angelique he had lost her. She didn’t like spending time in once place for too long. With nothing to grab, he walked out the door. Without realizing, he left his coat.