Royal Flower

Chapter Twenty

Reese was very relaxed, his left hand on his hip and his right hand holding a sword. After parting with Chase, he never expected to stumble upon little Acacia. He was even more surprised to see Zane, fraternizing with the enemy.

Acacia breathed heavily, feeling uncomfortable under Reese's gaze. She slowly stood up, leaning against the tree.

I need a couple more minutes, Acacia thought hurriedly, her eyes never leaving Reese's sword.

When Reese stepped forward, Zane immediately drew his dagger and moved to stand in between Reese and Acacia.

Reese raised his eyebrows in slight surprise. Finding Zane with Acacia was a surprise. He expected that Zane wouldn't have the guts to kill someone, but he never expected Zane to protect an Azalea.

"What are you doing, Zane? Step aside," Reese proclaimed.

"No, I won't let you hurt her," Zane replied, his voice unwavering.

Acacia gasped lightly, a little shocked that Zane would defend her. They had only just met, and they were technically enemies. Although he had expressed no interest in hurting her, she did not expect him to protect her.

Reese narrowed his eyes. "I don't want to fight you, Zane. Now move."

Zane shook his head. "I'm not going to stand by as you slaughter an innocent girl, Reese."

Acacia widened her eyes. Reese... as in, Reese Henessey? Her eyes left Reese's sword to take a better look at him. He doesn't look that much older than Lily, though...

"Innocent? Are you listening to yourself, Zane? What would your parents say if they saw you now?" Reese asked, flabbergasted. Zane shifted uncomfortably when Reese mentioned his parents. Reese continued, "She's an Azalea. She is far from innocent."

"How? What did she ever do?" Zane protested. "Acacia probably isn't even thirteen, for goodness sake."

Acacia exhaled, her energy slowly coming back to her. As long as Zane keeps Reese where he was, she could start running soon. It felt a little weird how they talked about her as if she wasn't standing right there.

"She's still one of them," Reese hissed. "She may not have done anything now, but her magic will go out of control in the future. It's best to kill the Azaleas before their magic destroys the kingdom; our home!"

Zane's grip on the hilt of his dagger tightened. "Acacia has light, Reese! How is that destructive?"

Reese widened his eyes in shock. Light? That was a first, similar to how Aster was the only Azalea to have water and how Ivy was the only Azalea to have earth. He lowered his sword in caution. "How do you know this? Did the princess tell you?"

Acacia flinched at Reese's tone. Zane stood his ground. "I saw it with my own eyes. Her body was engulfed in light when I found her."

Reese clenched the hilt of his sword tighter. That explains why Acacia frequently travels to the Saffron kingdom. Without light, the Saffron kingdom would be in jeopardy. He wished to protect the kingdom from the Azalea's magic, but ridding of all the Azalea's would also jeopardize the Saffron kingdom. Torn between protecting his home and dooming the Saffron kingdom to no light, he finally said in a resolved tone, "She may look all little and innocent now, and yes, maybe her light won't be destructive if she loses control, but what about when she gets older? She can grow to be just as dangerous as the others, Zane. It's better to kill her while she's still young; before she loses control."

Acacia flinched at Reese's harshness. Reese stared Acacia with cold eyes, tempted to drive his sword through her heart. He felt a little conflicted, though. He may have said those harsh words, but he saw an Azalea one moment and a little girl the next. He wouldn't mind killing Aster, for example; he wouldn't feel as bad. Even with the tiara, though, Acacia looked just like an innocent little girl. Before he could decide on what to do, however, he sensed something from his right and immediately parried his sword, clashing with another sword.