Lily and The Cardinal

New Discoveries

There were so many people.

Running in such a packed space proved to be quite the challenge.

It was even more difficult with the blurry storm of tears that spilled from Tadashi's eyes.

"Lily!"

He looks back to where he left Kei.

The blonde wasn't standing still with a hurt look on his expression as he had expected. Instead, he had a pissed look on his face while charging after him.

To the curious onlookers.

This spectacle looked dual to a Lion chasing after its prey.

He was the fearful baby Deer running for his life to escape the jaws of a hungry Beast.

"Lily! Why are you running away!?"

His heart pounded in his chest.

He knew he couldn't run forever.

His legs were already starting to get tired. He glanced around at the various hordes of people gathered in the large square. He could easily hide and blend in. Speeding up his pace, he bolts to the nearest crowd and squeezes his way through to the center.

His legs felt like they were on fire, he wanted nothing more than to collapse in his safe bed and sleep.

"Boy! Get off of the dance floor!"

"Dance floor?"

His sleepy eyes stare at the Violinist.

"It's a duo dance. You can't be here if you don't have a partner."

To make his already disastrous night worse, he's now been awarded.

Awarded with yet another shitty bonus. He was trapped in the center of a circling swarm of couples dancing to their heart's content.

He needed to move but he was so exhausted.

"Please just let me stand here for a moment."

"Your getting in everyone's way."

"Don't you know it's considered cruel to say harsh things to a Puppy? What if he gets upset?"

Tadashi nearly jumps out of his skin.

A familiar voice speaks over his shoulder. The veiny set of hands belonging to the raspy voice painfully grip onto his hips.

"Sorry, Sir. I promise I'll get him back on his leash."

Kei sarcastically beams at the Violinist then drags Tadashi away by the back of his shirt.

"Kei! Let go!"

"Enough. You're in big trouble. Making me chase you around like that..."

He grumbles and shakes his head.

"What is wrong with you? Why are you scared?"

"Wouldn't anyone be afraid if they were being chased around by a meat-stealing lunatic?"

He could feel Kei glaring crater's into the side of his skull. That's not even the worst part. The worst part is that he was enjoying every bit of it.

He shouldn't be.

All of that horrendous running, only to end up in Kei's arms where he didn't deserve to be.

"Don't you get it Kei? I'm trying to run away from you."

"But I don't understand. Why? What did I do?"

"It's not you, it's me. I'm not good for you."

Kei paused, his brows drew together as he studied the saddened look upon Tadashi's face.

"Says who?"

"Society? A Prince and a Commoner don't belong together, that's what the world decided."

It physically pained Tadashi to say such a thing.

But it was the truth, Kei of all people should know.

He was probably already betrothed to some gorgeous Prince or Princess, soon to be ready to take over his brother's place as King.

His fate was set for him, it was clear that Tadashi getting involved would set his destiny down the wrong path.

"Can't we be friends at least?"

Tadashi chuckled.

"Friends? After what I did to you earlier? Friends don't touch each other like that."

Now Kei looked hurt. Good, it hurt Tadashi too. It was either experience pain now, or go through agonizing heartache later.

He quickly turned away in an attempt to get as far away from Kei as possible, but the Prince had other plans.

He jerked Tadashi's wrist then speedily lifted him off of the ground and flung him over his shoulder.

"Put me down asshole!"

"Shut up! If you don't shut up I'll toss you into the river."

"You don't own me, I can say whatever I want!"

"Everything you say hurts... So just shut up, Lily."

Tadashi went silent.

He stared at the moving ground while Kei carried him around as if he weighed the same as cotton.

"Can you at least tell me where you're taking me?"

"I wanna show you something."

"Oh, lovely."

Kei dug his nails into Tadashi's thigh, the boy winced and finally decided to shut his mouth for the remainder of the ride.

It was oddly peaceful, so peaceful that Tadashi forgot where he was for a while. The drowsiness from earlier began to creep back to the surface.

He must have fallen asleep.

Because when he awakened he was nowhere that he recognized.

His lashes fluttered, he inhaled a deep breath of the musty air. His eyes widened when he took notice of the gentle fingers threading through his hair.

The short-lived peace began to shatter as panic started to arise.

"Wh-where am- !?"

His words get cut off when the hand threading through his hair moves to cover his mouth.

"You talk too much, can't you just relax for a while?"

He gasped and hurled himself off of Kei at lightning speed.

He wobbled and struggled to hold himself upright as he noticed he was a good few feet above the ground.

Once he regained his balance he realized that he was wholly sitting on top of Kei.

He couldn't move, if he tried he would surely plummet from this bizarre hammock swing and c***k his skull on the rough outdated brick pavement below.

"Surprise~"

Kei beamed, he nudged his glasses further up his nose then positioned his hands behind his head.

"Kei... What is this? Where am I?"

"Your in my personal paradise."

"Paradise?"

Tadashi stayed seated on Kei's lap and observed his surroundings.

This was still Hamera, he could tell due to the brick pavement and the old rocky white buildings.

This couldn't be normal, it appeared as if he'd just awoken in the middle of a jungle. Thick green thorny vines grew by the thousands through the cracks of the outdated moist brick pavement and traveled high against the abandoned alley walls.

They must have been thriving here for a long time. So long that they managed to assemble above Tadashi's head to create an otherworldly leafy green canopy.

His eyes filled with wonder as he extended his arm and brushed the tips of his fingers along one of the leaves dangling next to his head.

That's when he heard Kei laugh and move to sit upright.

Tadashi subtly faltered at how close the Prince was. He only had to lean forward and their noses would touch.

He awkwardly glanced around, fidgeting with the cuffs of his sleeves he decided to play it safe and pretend as if he didn't notice how Kei's eyes sparkled. Or how the magical orbs of magic dust drifting around the dark space practically gravitated towards him like magnets.

Kei puffed out his cheek then curiously tilted his head to the side.

"Do you like it?"

Tadashi blinked.

"Like what?"

"My swing. It took me almost three days to craft you know."

"Craft? You made this?"

The hammock swing was made entirely from thick rope-like vines, it hung from the leafy green canopy. Slowly swaying in sync to Kei's leg dangling off the edge.

Tadashi would be damned if he didn't fall back to sleep in a few minutes.

"You... Are magic?"

Kei nods.

"And you, you smell like a flower but you look like a human. What are you?"

"I'm half fairy."

"No wings?"

"None."

"Hm..."

Kei sighed and ran the smooth texture of one of the vine leaves between his fingers.

"I can create Vines, and other stuff I guess..."