An Unexpected Encounter
Disclaimer: I don't own Outlaw Star or its characters.
Note: YES, I know it has been a while, but school has really taken a toll in my life. Hopefully, I will get more chaps out sooner from now on although I won't make any promises!!
Chapter 11 – That Special Someone
This is silly! How could I turn putty in the hands of a prisoner?! I'm such a dumb ass! Ugh! So what if Gene Starwind is the best-looking guy I've ever seen? He still is a loser for—for what? Oh, I don't know! I'm not sure…For some reason; he seems to be innocent just as he claims…His face. His eyes. His gorgeous, blue eyes. They say it all…They speak to me…Lily shook the thought away. No! Get a grip on yourself, girl! Ya just met him for goodness sake! Lily walked alongside the guard, making her way out of the prisoners' corridor. As she looked around, she noted that a tall, pale, yet beautiful woman with long, jet-black hair was studying her. Huh? Why is she looking at me so intensely? Lily turned her gaze forward and did not continue to look back at the woman, as she walked down the hall. Everybody in here must hate me. They must think I don't deserve to be what I am…and the truth is that I don't. I don't want to be queen. I don't want to be here either! I am just as helpless as they are. A toy. A prisoner to a man I do not love. As Lily and the guard neared the exit (also, entrance) of the corridor, she glanced back once more and looked at how empty it had looked in there.
"Well, my queen, I am glad to see that you are back, safe where you started."
"I will continue to be safe here and in there." She pointed towards the prisoners' corridor with her thumb on one hand and stood loosely with her other hand on her hip. "I will be back later to talk to that Gene character some more…I didn't get as far as I wanted to and it's getting late. Celeas probably wants to have dinner already."
The guard looked at her, worriedly. "My queen, you mustn't think of this as a game. That man could well be dangerous!"
Lily just smiled sheepishly. "I very well have reason to doubt that. If he really was a dangerous man, I probably wouldn't have stayed in the dungeon with him as long as I did."
"But my queen—"
Lily put her hand up to silence the guard. "Uh, uh. Shhh…"
"My queen, I can't allow you to continually see this man. Wasn't one time enough?" The guard was so considered for the queen that he didn't even realize that he is not supposed to question any authority figure.
Lily grew furious. The queen side of her was now about to come out. "Listen, you! You are nothing, but a guard and are supposed to be willing to listen to my command and not question me! How dare you?!"
The guard, tired and frightened for what might happen next, backed away and obeyed. "I am truly sorry your highness. Please forgive me. I beg of you."
Oh my God! What did I just do? I just screamed at a poor, older man just doing his job in protecting me, and working to make a living…I should really save this for Rume, or maybe even just Gene…Gene… "You do not have to beg for my forgiveness," Lily said in a softer tone. "I should be the one to apologize. I am not speaking as I normally would."
"My queen, I cannot and I should not speak to you in that way. You are right. You have much authority over me and you do not have to apologize to a low-level soldier…not even…a guard, like myself." He looked away, not daring to stare at the queen.
"No, you do deserve to hear an apology. You are a human being, just like I am. I do not care about what Celeas, Rume, or the previous queen, have said to you. All that matters is what I feel in my heart and what I am going to do about it. You deserve more…Not to be treated like you're trash. So please accept my apology."
The guard just looked at her mysteriously. She actually cared about who he was. "Yes, your highness. It is okay, but only because you ask me to forgive you…I always will…You are a very dear person. I can see why King Celeas has changed very much so. You are gentle and have an innocence to you, but you're overprotective yet are willing to take risks at the same time…You remind me much of someone I once knew a long time ago…"
Lily looked at him surprisingly. "Really?"
"Yes. I was once married at a very young age…Probably at a time in which I was not much older than you. I was very much in love and happy that I was beginning a new life beside the woman of my dreams. It was too good to be true…My wife was young, beautiful, and intelligent…She was full of surprises, just like you seem to be. We shared many blissful days of joy and happiness. Each day was different and exciting. A new adventure everyday…"
"So what happened to her?" Lily was intrigued by the man's story.
The man looked down to the ground. "She contracted some strange disease that was uncommon and no cure for…and she died a long time ago." He put his hand over his face and wept.
Lily felt sorry for the man. She didn't know what to do so she just put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry. It'll be alright." Wow. This is some powerful stuff. Can love really have that affect on you? I'm sure my dad would have felt the same way if mom was taken a lot sooner than he was…but fate had it in store that they would pass together…
"Thank you. You're so kind." He grabbed her hand and kissed it gently. "You definitely deserve the title of a queen although you came from somewhere else."
Lily pulled away, shocked, at his remark. "No. No, I don't deserve any of that. What I want…money or status can't buy."
The guard looked at her puzzled. "But you have everything…are you not happy where you are, with the king?"
"If I do remind of your wife…Wasn't she just happy being with a man like yourself? With someone who truly loved her for who she was beyond beauty, beyond imagination…Wasn't she just happy being herself without all of the riches in the world?"
"Yes, of course, my queen. We were very much in love."
"Well, then…That is what I want. I do not wish to be queen or have a lot of money, jewelry, or any of the lot…I just wish to be happy…find love and have love returned…" Lily looked away, her face flushed. She couldn't believe she was telling everything to someone she did not know so well.
The guard smiled. "I think I understand you well, your highness. A girl like you does deserve what she wishes for. You are really special."
Lily smiled in return. "Thank you…What is your name? I wish to know so that I may come and see you again, and talk some more…just like I remind you of your wife, you too, remind me of my father…He loved my mother very much."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
"Your highness, the name's Leo."
"Great. I like your name a lot." Lily smiled again. She was enjoying their conversation, but unfortunately, it had to end. "But I must go now and see to my brother and Celeas."
"Yes of course."
"I will be back later though. No matter what you say, I will still see Gene."
"Okay, but I will continue to escort you to be on the safe side."
"It's a deal then," Lily said and winked. "Well, I'm off now. It was nice talking to you, Leo."
"I enjoyed it. Anytime you feel like talking, I will be here."
"Sure." Lily gave a thumbs-up and turned around to walked away and back to the main part of the palace.