And Then... They Fell

CHAPTER EIGHT

Lilly

I remember watching pieces of him dragged away as I stood there watching. I remember watching him being dragged along the road as I looked into his eyes that once told so much, now lifeless and dead.

I remember the walk home and I remember standing in front of his wife, telling her he had died. We knew he was going to die that day, so though she was sad and cried endlessly she was not shocked. I was. I was so shocked I could barely move. I knew he was going to die too, but I always thought it would be a dignified death. Never did I think he would die the way he did, with no warning and his body staining the rocky path as he was drug through town

I would never forget it.

Seven months later Charlie's wife died giving birth to Charlie. I took care of him after that, just like Charlie asked me to. I have lived every day in fear for his life ever since.

"I was there when it happened." I was pulled from my thoughts at his words. He looked so sad and guilty for what happened as he spoke.

"He was my best friend," I say almost in a whisper as a tear fall.

"I was there too. I watched it happen, and I will never forget watching his life drain from his eyes." I reply sadly as a tear fell from my eye. I don't know why I am talking about this with him, I usually didn't like to talk about my brother with people. He seemed so trustworthy and genuine; it was hard not to say what I was thinking with his eyes peering into my soul.

He is staring at me as I talk, and he almost looks broken as my tears fall before his demeanor completely changes and he looks down finding his feet very interesting as he seems angry now. "It wasn't supposed to happen like that. None of it was supposed to happen."

He's sitting on the edge of his bed with his head down, fists balled. I can't help myself as I get up and walk over to him, all I can think is that he should never have to look so helpless and sad and angry. I crouch down in front of him, holding his bald fists in my hands gently.

He is staring at me intently now, looking confused and shocked.

"He would have died anyway. There was no saving him once they saw his eyes. I always wished for a better way for him to go, but there is no changing anything now." As I finish another tear falls but I ignore it as I stare back at him, hoping my words offered some comfort.

He pulls me up gently to sit next to him. He reaches his hand out and wipes my tear away gently. His hand is rough and calloused and warm. I don't understand why a princes' hands would be so rough and calloused as they are, but I love the feeling of them, nevertheless. We stare at each other for a long moment.

In a soft voice, I respond to our intimate moment, "You have to stop staring at me, it's getting creepy now." I joke trying to get him to smile, while not being able to hide a small smirk of my own.

He is so shocked he lets out a deep laugh. I could die right now happy with my last view of his beautiful face smiling perfectly and his laugh harmonizing through my ears. His laugh is so contagious I let out a small laugh of my own, my smirk now becoming a wide smile.

"Don't worry, you can stare at me all you want." He says with a deep husky voice and a smirk. I am suddenly very happy to be sitting down because those words with that voice leave my knees weak.

I ignore the butterflies as I brush it off and let out a deep, long laugh of my own. He lets out a small laugh with me but when he dies down, my laugh continues for a moment longer.

When my laughing gets quieter, I meet his gaze and see that he had been watching me laugh with a small smile on his face.

"I never did get your name."

I realize I knew both his and his friend's name, but I never gave him ours.

"Lilly," I reach out my hand for a handshake, "but you can call me Dal."

"It's been a pleasure to meet you Doll." He says with a genuine smile. He takes my hand and shakes it, firm but gently, holding it a moment longer before letting go.

I let out a short laugh, "Pleasure to meet you too, but it's Dal, you know short for Lilly." I say, emphasizing where the nickname is from within my name, amusement clear in my voice.

"I know. I'm going to stick with doll. It suits you." He gives me a quick wink that goes perfectly with the smirk and twinkle in his eye. I smirk back at him.

Our conversation was playful and fun, but you can still feel the palpable, suffocating tension between us. After a moment, I clear my throat.

"Umm, and my friend over there is Clara. We met a couple of years ago." I remember meeting the scared and skinny girl at the time.

"And that's Charlie," I say with a smile.

We are quiet for a while as we watch his sleeping form. Asher is the first to speak.

"We should find a way to get news to his mother about where we're going, so she can meet us along the way." He says thinking out loud.

"Uhm. N-no need. She died giving birth to him." I say looking down at my hands in my lap.

He gets another shocked look on his face. "Wait, so who- raised him after..."

"I did. I'm the only family he's got, but Clara helps, too."

He is quiet. I look back up at him waiting for the judgement to pass. Waiting for the look that will inevitably come; a look filled with disgust and sadness and pity for the life I failed to provide Charlie.

I look into his eye and see that this look doesn't come. Instead, a look I haven't seen before glazes over his that are now filled with what looks like admiration. "You're so incredibly brave," he says, almost breathlessly.