The crisp night air brushed against Lily as she manifested at the border. The same willow covered spot she began to grow familiar with. It felt almost relieving to be back here, away from prying eyes. Far from the stress of the castle walls. She was more at ease than she should have been. 

No matter. Now’s not the time to worry about that. Thoughts like that had gotten her in far too much trouble recently. She focused on her path to the beach, eyes mindful of where she stepped. As the moon moved through its phases it’s luxurious light had become much more scarce. No big deal for a prince with night vision, but there was never such a thing as too careful.

She wasn’t surprised to find Willis already there. Same spot, same blanket, same gaze up to the stars. He seemed more keen on her presence this time though. He turned to her before she got close.

“Good evening Lilium! How are you doing?” he greeted her with a warm smile. 

“Tired,” she admitted without much thought. She came up to the edge of the river. “And bored. The last few days have been uneventful.”

“Well hopefully tonight can add some thrill. I have a surprise,” he told her cheerfully, eyes upturned.

A surprise? Great…

He looked ready to elaborate when all the emotion suddenly dropped from his face. The switch made her flinch. Before she could ask what was wrong, he spoke, “Does that hurt?”

She blinked. “W- what?”

“Your nose.”

It took her far longer than she wanted to admit to realize what he was talking about. He was patient, though, watching her intently. Nothing but a blank stare on his face. 

She swallowed roughly, gesturing around her nose, “It’s simply a bit sore. It only really bothers me if I scrunch up my face too much.” She had a splitting headache that first night. Thankfully, it was only a dull throb now. Easy enough to ignore.

Willis didn’t react to the new information. Not even a twitch of his ears. Instead, he stepped back, nodding his head to call her over. She obliged in spite of his odd behavior.

He’s usually so easy to read. But now she had nothing. It was unnerving. The rest of his body language didn’t give her much to work with. He was like a statue. She landed on the other side with a soft thud. It would have been dead silent between them if not for the tides.

She was grateful when he finally spoke up. “I can help with the pain,” he told her flatly. A shiver rolled down her spine.

“…in what way?” she dared to ask. 

“I know a spell to help with the bruising. Just offering.”

That made her perk up. “You can heal with your magic?” she felt stupid asking.

He simply nodded. There was a small hint of confusion in the way his brows furrowed.

“It hadn’t crossed my mind, honestly. The nature of it doesn’t evoke that sense,” she explained herself. Her ears pressed against her head. Of course he can perform healing spells. It's a basic skill.

She was met with that emotionless stare again.

Willis held his hand out, “Would you like me to?”

Oh, right. Lily clicked her tongue. It was a kind offer. One that felt rude to refuse. Even if the idea of his magic anywhere near her face made her cringe. Surely he would have done something by now if he had ill intent? Her face twitched involuntarily, making the pain in the bridge of her nose act up. She sighed, “Only if you don’t need to touch me for it.”

“I don’t,” he assured her bluntly. He moved his hand, though didn’t bring it closer until she gave him a nod. It hovered a couple inches from her face. His eyes slipped close, star markings quick to manifest.

She wanted to close her eyes too, feeling awkward staring at him like this. But a small worry in a pit of her stomach willed her not to. Her reaction time had been lacking lately. 

Is something supposed to be happening? she wondered. A grasp left her when a sudden chill filled her nostrils. Weaving deep inside. Right to where it ached. The sensation made her hiss. It stung for a second, before it slipped into something much more soothing. The feeling lingered when Willis pulled his hand away, eyes open once more.

“Is that better?” he asked.

“It is, thank you.” She shifted her weight. Taking a deep breath before speaking again, “Are you alright?” I won’t be able to stand the whole night being like this.

He perked up, eyes wide. “Yes I am. Why do you ask?” He tilted his head at her. Emotions returned as quick as they had left. As if nothing happened.

Lily opened her mouth before thinking better of it. I don’t want to get into whatever that was. Not worth it. She pivoted, “You asked me. I didn’t get the chance to return the question.” It was close enough to the truth.

“Oh, alright. Shall we sit?” Willis moved the conversation. She was more than happy to follow along.

“Please.”

The two settled onto the starry blanket in a similar fashion to their last meeting. Including the addition of a small light. While they got situated, she caught sight of an inconspicuous bag that crossed his chest. It ran under the short fluffy cape that sat on his shoulders. He fiddled with it after sitting down.

He looked at her, “So do you want the surprise now or later?”

Oh, right. She couldn’t stop the frown on her face. Though if the other prince was bothered by it, he didn’t show it. She sighed, “Now I suppose.” I’ll be thinking about it all night otherwise.

At that, Willis opened the bag. He reached inside before pausing. The color drained from his face as he chuckled. “You don’t have any food allergies do you…?” His ears shivered.

“I don’t.”

“Oh good,” he smiled at her. Free hand rubbing the back of his neck. “I may have forgotten to ask.”

“You seem to forget things a lot,” the comment left Lily before she could think better of it. Jaw snapping shut in horror too late. Why did I say that? That was an awful thing to say I need to apologize-

Before she got the chance to, Willis laughed. Warm look still on his face as he spoke, “Yeah it's an unfortunate habit of mine. It will happen again.”

“I’m sorry for saying that. It was inappropriate,” she rushed at the apology before he could say more. Being promptly waved off.

“It’s fine, really. You aren’t the first or last person to notice. I’ve heard much nastier comments,” he assured her. His attention turned back to the bag.

She resisted the urge to push the topic further. Instead watching as he pulled something out. It was small, rectangular, and wrapped in a decorative foil. She took it tentatively when he held it out to her. Soft to the touch.

“What is it?” she asked. 

“A surprise! Open it,” he encouraged cheerfully. Watching her with curious eyes.

She suppressed a sigh, bringing the ‘surprise’ up to her nose. Catching the rich scent of chocolate and something fruity. Chocolate… he asked if I had a food allergy. Maybe it’s a desert? She carefully tore the paper to find she was right. “A brownie?”

“A brownie!” he confirmed. He pulled another from the bag. “I thought it would be nice to have a little snack together.”

It was getting harder to distrust Willis. Or hold any reservations about being there to begin with. She was tempted to entertain the idea he might have poisoned it. He’s not stupid, he wouldn’t do that. The one he had looked the same as her’s. There was no way to tell them apart. Nor was there any benefit to him killing her. Unless he wanted to start a war. She suppressed another sigh.

“Did you make this yourself?” She looked it over. There was nothing all that special about it. Aside from how delicious it smelled. She licked her lips.

“Oh uhm- sort of?” he answered with a nervous chuckle. He tilted his hand back and forth, “I helped… vaguely. The reason they actually turned out good though was because of Velvet. I couldn’t bake to save my life.”

The mention of a specific person made Lily’s ears perk up. They must be someone important to him. 

He continued. “I had to pester them a bit to get them to agree to make anything. Me helping was part of the deal. Not that I minded. It was fun to spend time with them,” he trailed off. There seemed to be more he wanted to say, but he stayed quiet. Eyes on her again.

I guess I’m supposed to try it now. She swallowed roughly. She gave it another sniff before taking a tentative bite. Being met with the rich taste of dark chocolate and cherry. It drew a hum from her. “This is… much better than I expected,” she said. “Not that I thought it would taste bad.”

“Well I’m glad you like it!” Willis said, clearly pleased. He followed suit, eating his own with much more enthusiasm.

It’s nice he did this for me, Lily thought idly, taking another bite. The brownie melted in her mouth. Tempting her to eat more. It would be all too easy to finish it quickly. I really should-

She froze.

Her eyes caught sight of a tail that had certainly not been there a moment ago. It was mainly black, with a red arrow tip that swayed back and forth. Decorated with two gold rings. It wrapped around to Willis’ side.

“I brought a few brownies if you’d like another by the way! It would be cruel not to share,” he spoke up. He waved his free hand, tail moving in a similar motion. She felt an odd urge to reach out and grab it.

Would it be rude to point it out? she wondered. She must have looked a little too long, the other prince turning his head to see what she was staring at. His eyes went wide, as if he hadn’t noticed it until now. It shifted behind him, mostly out of view. There was a light blush on his face.

“Sorry, I manifest it sometimes without thinking,” he answered the question she couldn’t bring herself to ask. He finished his brownie with a nervous smile.

“It's alright. I was just surprised,” she said. I guess I shouldn't be. He shifted to that animalistic form that first night. Thinking back on it, he had been reminiscent of a wild cat. Albeit a smaller one compared to her.

It was his turn to ask her something, “You have a Moonlight form, don't you?”

“Of course. It's not something to play around with though. You’re invoking a holy image,” she explained. Receiving a blank look. Her face heated up as she added, “That's what my mother always said at least. I haven't seen the need to mess with it. It's cumbersome.”

At that he shrugged. “It's fun being a creature.” He didn't elaborate further.

I’m sure it’s nice when you’re so small. “...I'll take your word for it.”

Quiet fell between the two. Lily took the chance to continue eating. Taking her time to enjoy the taste of the sweet, as tempted as she was to finish it in a few bites. While she did, Willis shifted around on the blanket. Turning away from her to face the ocean instead. She caught a glimpse of his tail curl around the other side of him.

Once she finished, she did the same. Taking in the sight of the waves and how the stars glittered down. The moonlight still accompanied them, even in its waning state. She breathed in the crisp sea air. Chilled by the spell that lingered in her nose. The ache was gone. She relaxed. Things were okay, despite everything.

Beside her, Willis hummed, “Do you like to stargaze Lilium?”

She flicked her ear, “I do. I don’t get the chance too often, though.” She tilted her head up, taking in the wider view. “I’m named after stargazer lilies. I think it would be a bit ironic if I didn’t enjoy it.”

“Oh! You’re named after a specific lily? I didn’t realize,” he admitted. She glanced at him, watching him fidget with his hands. “What do they look like? I don’t think I’ve ever seen one before.”

“They’re pink with darker spots and white edges. Their name comes from the fact that they point up to the sky,” she described. 

“They sound pretty. I’ll have to see if I can get my hand on one sometime,” he said softly. “I’d love to see one.”

“I could bring one for you if you want. We have a couple in the garden. I don’t think anyone would mind if it went missing,” she offered. Even if its implications weighed on her. She shivered.

Willis perked up, turning partly towards her, “Really?”

She resisted the urge to lean away. She nodded. “You did something nice for me. Let me return the favor.”

At that, he clicked his tongue. His visible eye wandered to the sky as he seemed to mull something over. “Could you… make a stargazer lily for me to see?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” she scowled at him. Though her tone had no real fire behind it.

“Right, right. Of course,” he sighed, falling back dramatically onto the blanket. He stretched his arms to the stars before crossing them snugly behind his head. “I know you said you don’t stargazer often, but do you have a favorite constellation?”

Lily looked up, humming, “Honestly, I don’t know many of them off the top of my head. I suppose I like Belladonna.” Even if it’s a basic answer. “It’s comforting to look up and see it.” Her gaze lingered on the large constellation, tracing its shape in her head.

There was a pause before Willis spoke, “You know, some people say that Belladonna and Iris became the constellations named after them. That’s where they returned after they were sure the people of Abaddon and Arcadia could take care of themselves.”

“I’m familiar with the myths. They were inevitable given no one ever found their bodies.”

“Do you think any of them are true?”

“No,” she answered immediately. “Even if they likely were based on some truth. I think people were just looking for a way to explain the unexplainable.”

“It’s nice to think we’re from the moon and stars, though. Even if we are so far from that now,” Willis said simply.

Who was she to disagree? Magic hummed within her chest. “You’re right, it is.”

Silence fell between them. There was an odd warmth to it. Even with the chill of the night. I could stay here forever. It was an unexpected feeling. Yet Lily didn’t fight it. Instead, she took in the pale moonlight. The waves. The company. 

After a while, she looked to Willis, “When will we do this again?”