Chapter 16: Found

Veronica turned around to see who it was, "Ashton…" she said seeing Ashton walk towards her, he had a bow in his hands and some arrows wrapped around his back. Veronica saw Ashton's facial expression hardened, and when she followed his line of sight, she saw that the soul eater wasn't dead. Before Ashton could reach the soul eater, it disappeared in thin dust and it shocked her.

"Ivy are you alright?" he came to her, holding her cheeks, and when he had examined her body, he saw a huge amount of blood stains on her gown and immediately his eyes darkened, he wrapped his hands around her waist and carried her up. He dashed out of the room, where Veronica turned her head to see Ralph floating by the side of the horse, he had a relieved expression on his face, and he looked happy by her very sight. Veronica turned her head back to snuggle it on Ashton chest which gave her warmth.

Ashton made Veronica to straddle his horse first before he hopped right on, she was made to sit in front of him, so that she wouldn't fall down from the horse and hurt herself further. As the cold breeze touched her face, she snuggled herself closer to Ashton unknowingly, she had already fallen asleep because of the stress that she had faced.

When they had reached the palace, Ashton carried Veronica back into her room, before laying her on the bed to rest.

******

When Ashton was walking around the passage, a maid stopped him, "Lord, milady doesn't want to get treated." She said for the lord to frown deeply before he said.

"You can go I will treat her up myself." The maid bowed her head before she left the passage, the lord took long strides towards Veronica's room, and when he reached there he opened the door softly trying his best not to make too much noise. When he stepped inside, Veronica turned to look at him while Ashton walked towards her, when he reached the bed, he sat down on it, before he looked at her.

"Why aren't you getting yourself treated?" he asked her, for Veronica to stare blankly at the empty corner in the room, she didn't want to answer him or more like she didn't know how to answer his question, after what she had felt in there, she felt traumatized, she had watched Gray die helplessly, and as she was lost in thoughts she heard Ashton say, "The man that was shot didn't die." Veronica averted her gaze from the corner of the room to look at Ashton.

"How do you know?" she asked him as she frowned.

"Veronica, yes he survived and if you don't believe me, then I got proof." Veronica looked at him, and Ashton knew that all she wanted was some proof and he was going to give it to her. Clapping his hands, the door opened and Veronica looked up immediately to see Gray standing in between two maids, who followed him.

"Is that actually you?" she asked as she couldn't believe what she saw with her own eyes, and when she raised her body up from the bed, a striking pain hit her, and she frowned deeply, trying to bear the pain. When Ashton saw her expression, he immediately held her and slowly laid her back down on the bed.

"You have to be careful Ivy," he said carefully trying his best not to raise his voice, "you can leave now," he said again, Veronica shook her head slightly, holding Ashton's hand for him to know that she didn't want Gray to leave but he still left, "Ivy don't worry you can meet him later I promise, but for now you got to get yourself treated."

"Why I wanted to meet him now?"

"Don't worry Ivy you can meet him later." He said going to one of the drawers before he brought out a box. He went back to where Veronica was, this time sitting down on a stool before he reached out to open her buttons but Veronica slapped out his hands, as her face turned a little bit red from the embarrassment.

"D-don't worry I would get myself treated…"

"Shh!" he shushed her, leaving her words incomplete, "I doubt you would, now would you stop being stubborn and allow me to get you treated up after all you rejected the maid's help," he said again for to Veronica to lower her eyes and when she looked back up, Ashton patted her head slowly before he continued, "I won't touch you improperly, I promise." Veronica looked at him, before she lowered her hand slowly.

When Ashton noticed that the resistance she was showing earlier had reduced, he came closer to her, bringing his hands forward, he unbuttoned the front of the gown but not entirely to reveal her chest. When Ashton saw the bloody wound on her body, his expression darkened but he relaxed his expression back again so as not to scare Veronica.

"Hold my hand tightly if it hurts." He said giving her his hand to hold as he began rubbing the ointment on the wound, Veronica breath hitched as she closed her eyes tightly, it hurts badly she thought to herself as she held Ashton's hand with all her might, forgetting the embarrassment that once clouded her.

Ashton lowered his head slowly down to her wound and when Veronica saw this she shifted her body, but Ashton held her on a strong grip. He blew air from his mouth on the wound and Veronica shivered slightly. When he was done treating her, he bandaged her wound before, he made Veronica lie on her back.

"See, wasn't that quick now?" he asked for Veronica to nod her head, she pouted a little before she said.

"I still felt pain!" she shifted her body to the side, before trying to make her back face him, but Ashton held her before he came closer to her for her to feel his breath on her face. And when she tried to push him away Ashton held her hands.

"Veronica you don't expect everything to not be painful, after all no pain no gain," he signed before he released her hands and shifted away allowing her to be in her personal space, "If you wouldn't have gone through the pain of treating yourself, then your wounds wouldn't heal and it can even cause some infections." He furthered explained.

"Ashton, I don't care about that now, all I want to know is how he was able to survive."

"Ivy isn't it not that clear already? We are already dead people, we can't die again Veronica, so probably he was shot to be inflicted pain on," he explained, Veronica scrunched her eyebrows in confusion as she stared at him, "Even pain to us is also just a small pinch on the skin." He continued and Veronica's eyebrows furrowed, no wonder he didn't decay, the day when the soul eater came.

And as Veronica was lost in thoughts a maid came inside the room, holding a platter of food, she dropped the tray on the side table and when she was about to talk Ashton beat her to it.

"Don't worry you can go, I would feed her myself." The maid immediately bowed her and left the room, leaving the two of them alone once again, when Ashton turned his head to look at Veronica, she was staring at him wide eyed and when he was about to pick up the bowl of soup, Veronica held his hand.

"There is no need, you have already helped me quite enough the least I can do is to feed myself." She pleaded as she held his hands with all her might but Ashton being stronger than her just shook his hands, and her hands fell down.

"Ivy, I would feed you myself and it's final, look at how thin your hands are I wonder if you would even be able to lift up a spoon." He said for Veronica to glare at him, she knew that her hands were thin but she could still carry a spoon.

Veronica noticed how Ashton cared for her like she was a little child, and it made her wonder, she thought he didn't feel emotions then why the sudden care? She thought as her eyes softened and she looked at him, he was very handsome, but was cursed with no heart. And as she was staring at him, Ashton as if he had read her thoughts which he did, said.

"Veronica I know you might be wondering why I have so much care for you, but you know is my responsibility," Veronica felt her heart break as she thought that he had started developing emotions but it was not true as he only took her as a responsibility, "Veronica I brought you here, to an unknown place, not giving you the answers to your curiosity, obviously I would be responsible for you." He said and when he noticed her expression darken he asked, "Why do you look sad? Were you thinking it was something else?" he asked and Veronica immediately constructed her expression before she lowered her body down to the bed to prevent Ashton from seeing her blush.

He brought the spoon up to his lips to blow it before he gave it back to her and she drank it, swallowing the hot liquid that warmed her body. And as some point when Ashton was feeding her, Veronica asked.

"I want to go through my mother's memory lane." Ashton eyes snapped at her, as he dropped the spoon he was holding back down on the plate.