Cherish || A Chase x Sweetie Fanfiction ||

(S3-C17) • Behind the Porcelain Mask •

"And I told him, 'Muster your strength and confess', but it turns out he was talking about his own mother."

"Jeez, Julius," Chase moved his head away, wearing a small smile. "Maybe learn the context before you speak. I thought you're supposed to be a future ruler?"

The prince raised his paws and shrugged. His head tilted as if to say "oh well", and his joking grin just spoke stronger for it. "I wasn't capable of ruling, everyone said. I'm too kind and trusting, they would add. I'm just clumsy and pathetic, I can't even wash my own clothes."

"So your mother washes it for you?"

The question that was brought up caused the prince to flinch, his previously growing smile from the fun conversation they had disappearing and Chase felt guilty of it. Before he could apologize, the smaller Shepherd opened his mouth to reply: "I don't remember her."

The contoured face Chase made was enough for the prince to elaborate.

"It's like it's in the back of my head. I know her somehow but I also don't, and it's weird because my head couldn't decide if I should be worried or not."

The pup moved his paws above his head to shelter himself from the invisible rain, eyes wide and breathing starting to come quick. He felt scared. Scared of the unknown. Scared of what he doesn't know when he should have and he began questioning his existence. He questioned it before but the attempt to remember what has been forgotten, or rather something that just ceased to exist all of a sudden, was terrifying.

They then heard footsteps, and as they turned to the outside of their cell, the guards began to exit. They've seen the action before once and once was enough to figure out who entered.

"Why are you here again, Princess Coraline? What dreadful news await us?" Chase kept his formality in his negative mindset, for he expected the worse from the frown the princess wore.

"I apologize, Chase. I did everything I could, believe me... but the decision came to a disastrous outcome—you are to be sentenced to death in three days."

The news was more of a surprise to Julius, for he had the broken reaction of someone who just heard news of their loved one getting into an accident. He turned to Chase and he too was in disbelief. His face, however, lacked the showing of it. His eyes weren't as wide as a surprised person should have and his mouth was closed, as if he understood and accepted the situation.

"I am innocent, why doesn't anyone believe me?" the Shepherd asked in a calm tone. Despite what he was accused of, no one would truly think he would have done it, he knew that. Not a single soul would say he was capable of hurting someone, excluding until the arrival of when he tried to get rid of Rocky. Yet his team was far away and thought of him as dead, they would never have the chance to speak up and influence a decision, and that's how he noticed something.

"Why does it seem like my chances for freedom were nothing but hoaxes? Nothing but an elaborate lie as I actually had no chance yet believed I did merely because I could?" he restated, holding onto the bars to stare at the princess who, in turn, released a sigh.

"You're good at figuring things out as expected, so I'll tell you the truth," she said, lowering her body to reach the height of both canines, who came together side-by-side to listen.

With a hand on her cheek, the princess gulped, coming close enough to be heard, and then she whispered: "Because you'll foil my plans."

Silence. Nothing but the soft dripping of water from the cracks of the dungeons ceiling and the breathing were present, but deep inside the two pups, they began to harbor fury, their eyes foggy and unfocused like they just lost sight of reality for a moment. What brought them back was a cocky giggle, the princess retracting back to her spot as she held a gloved hand on his mouth, and her laughter became louder.