Chapter 141 Prince Theo's Escape
The afternoon sun was weak, filtering through gray clouds that threatened rain. Lila walked through the palace gardens, seeking a moment of peace away from the constant scrutiny. Guards shadowed her at a distance now, but she'd grown accustomed to their presence.
She was passing the rose garden when she heard it. A child's voice, small and frightened.
"Hello? Is someone there? Please, I can't find the way back."
Lila's heart jumped. She rushed toward the sound, pushing through overgrown bushes into a secluded section of the garden. There, sitting on the ground beside a fountain, was Prince Theo.
The three-year-old had tears streaking his face. His fine clothes were dirty, leaves caught in his black hair. He looked up when Lila appeared, his green eyes wide with relief.
"Aunt Lila!"
Lila dropped to her knees beside him. "Theo! What are you doing here? Where's your nursemaid?"
"I ran away." His lower lip trembled. "Miss Clara was mean. She said I couldn't have honey cakes before dinner. So I ran and ran and got lost in the bushes."
Lila's hands checked him quickly for injuries. Just scrapes on his palms from falling. Nothing serious. But he was shaking, whether from cold or fear she couldn't tell.
"You're safe now. I've got you." She pulled him into her arms. Theo clung to her, burying his face in her shoulder.
"I was scared. The garden is big and I couldn't remember which way was home."
"I know. But you're alright. We'll get you back to your rooms." Lila stood, lifting Theo with her. He was heavier than she expected, solid and warm against her chest.
She looked around, trying to orient herself in this unfamiliar section of garden. The rose bushes grew wild here, unpruned and tangled. White roses bloomed everywhere despite the late season.
White roses.
Lila's vision blurred. Images flooded her mind without warning.
This same garden, but brighter. Summer sunlight instead of autumn gray. Adrian sitting beside her on a stone bench, his expression softer than she'd ever seen it. His hand holding hers.
"My mother planted these roses," Adrian said quietly. "White was her favorite color. She said roses reminded her that beautiful things could survive even in harsh soil."
"They're lovely."
"She died in this garden. I found her here, surrounded by white petals." His voice held old pain. "I was twelve. Too young to understand why the Moon Goddess would take someone so kind. Someone who never hurt anyone."
Lila squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry."
"I couldn't come here for years. Couldn't stand seeing the roses. But recently..." He turned to look at her, his ice-blue eyes intense. "Recently I've started thinking maybe she'd want me to remember her here. To make new memories in this place instead of just grief."
"Then we'll make good memories." Lila leaned against his shoulder. "We'll sit here together whenever you need to remember her. And maybe, over time, this place will hurt less."
Adrian's arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer. "You make everything hurt less."
The memory shattered. Lila gasped, her knees buckling. She caught herself against the fountain, still holding Theo.
"Aunt Lila? What's wrong?" Theo's small hand touched her wet cheek. "Why are you crying?"
"I remembered something." Lila's voice broke. "Something important. Something beautiful."
This garden. She'd been here before. With Adrian. When things were different. When they could touch without pain. When he looked at her with love instead of rage.
Theo wrapped his small arms around her neck. "Don't be sad. Papa says crying is okay but I don't like when you cry."
Lila held him tighter, sobbing into his dark hair. He smelled like Adrian. Pine and something clean and young. He was solid and real in her arms, proof that good things could exist even in the middle of darkness.
"I'm not sad," she managed. "I'm remembering. And sometimes memories hurt even when they're beautiful."
"What did you remember?"
"Your father. In this garden. Telling me about someone he loved very much." Lila pulled back enough to see Theo's face. "Did you know your grandmother planted these roses?"
Theo's eyes widened. "The white ones? Papa told me about them. He said Grandmama was kind and loved flowers."
"She was. And she'd have loved you very much." Lila touched his cheek gently. "You look like your father. But you have your mother's eyes."
"Green like Mama." Theo's expression turned sad. "I miss her. Miss Clara says I'm too young to remember her properly but I do. I remember her singing. And her hair smelled pretty."
"I miss her too." The words were true despite the complicated tangle of emotions around Celeste. "Your mother was my sister. She was special."
"Papa misses her too. But he doesn't talk about her." Theo's small face scrunched with confusion. "He gets angry when I ask questions about Mama. Why?"