"Reese... Reese!"

Reese opened his eyes slowly. He saw the familiar dungeons walls and heard the familiar sound of clanging shackles. When he looked out the cell window, it appeared to be almost dawn.

"Reese," he heard someone urgently say again.

He turned his head to see Bryan, Devin, and Zane next to him sleeping soundly.

"Bryan," Reese greeted. So they got captured too.

Bryan sighed. "I hoped you had escaped by now. I tried to calculate an escape path the whole night, but the Azalea dungeons have strong security."

Reese shook his head. "Bryan, innocent lives were lost. What happened with Ivy is on me. It is time to be judged by Aster."

"You couldn't have known what would have happened," Bryan protested, almost seething in frustration. "This just proves that Raymond was right. The Azalea magic has the dangerous potential to spin out of control."

"Yes, my father was right, but I am still responsible for what happened. For that, I will face the consequences," Reese stated, determination in his voice and eyes.

Bryan scowled. He finally relented, "Then I will follow you, Reese."

"Thank you for supporting my decision," Reese nodded.

Reese peered out the window again and sighed, waiting for morning to come.

--

"Bring forth the prisoners," Aster proclaimed, resting his hands on his throne. Rose, Lily, Violet, and Acacia all sat in their respective thrones as well. All of them would dart a glance at Ivy's empty throne once in a while, but said nothing. Thierry stood to the far right, ready to take orders.

The doors opened and Aster narrowed his eyes as the four prisoners were dragged forth. Bryan was shoved forward first.

Aster immediately noticed Violet's urge to electrocute him, but she kept control of herself. Instead, she turned to Aster and said bitterly, "He is the one who shot me in the chest, and his wife was the one who shot Julian."

Bryan glared at Violet at the mention of his wife. Aster nodded, and said, "Bryan Hilton. You stand accused of high treason. I give you one chance to bring forth any information you deem necessary."

Bryan narrowed his eyes, and Aster mirrored him. Bryan raised his head arrogantly and replied, "Ivy has killed two of my best friends, Derek and Lorraine." He smirked when he saw most of the Azaleas shift uncomfortably at the mention of Ivy's name. "Violet has also mercilessly killed my beloved wife, Tania. As one of Raymond's last friends, my duty is to Reese."

Reese's eyes lit up from Bryan's loyalty, but said nothing.

Aster gestured his head, and Devin was then shoved forward. Thierry straightened, recognizing him as the boy who had attacked him on Rose's birthday party. Aster recognized him too.

"Devin Hilton. You also stand accused of high treason," Aster tilted his head, curious as to what a fourteen year old boy would want to say to him.

Violet gave a scoff when she realized that Devin was Bryan's son, and immediately glared at him with the same hate she did with Bryan.

"My duty is to Reese and my father," Devin stated, his voice unwavering. "What are you going to do, King Aster?" he asked, mocking Aster's title. "Are you going to execute two teenagers?" he then gestured his head to his brother, Zane. "I may be a Red Phoenix, but I've never killed anyone."

Devin stared intensely at Aster, who narrowed his eyes in turn. Aster knew what Devin really asked him. "Are you going to mercilessly execute two teenagers, just like your mother would?"

Rose and Lily exchanged a glance, hoping that things wouldn't get ugly. Thierry rested a hand on his sword hilt, looking at Aster, but Aster shook his head.

Aster sighed, but gestured his head to the left, his eyes shifting to land on the other teenage boy, the boy Acacia had mentioned.

When he was shoved forward, he gave a little grunt. "Zane Hilton. You also stand here accused of high treason," Aster finally said.

Zane looked up slowly. He normally would rub his hands together when he was nervous, but he couldn't do that since they were shackled. He gave a grimace, not quite sure what to say.

"Your Majesty," he started. "I just want to say that I never wanted to be a Red Phoenix, but my entire family were members."

Reese said nothing, but merely gave Zane a pitiful look. He didn't know much about Zane other than he was Bryan's other son, but he had assumed Zane had wanted to join the Red Phoenixes just like Devin had.

Bryan, on the other hand, straightened himself, his face morphing into disbelief. "Zane," he muttered in warning.

"No, Father. I never wanted this," Zane repeated himself, placing a clenched fist onto the ground.

Aster cleared his throat, and the attention was then back on him. "Zane, it has come to my attention that you protected Acacia from Reese, and you also warned her of the lunar attack."

Zane looked up at Acacia in surprise, who gave a small smile before it disappeared. He opened his mouth to reply, but Bryan raised his voice. "You did what?"

Reese also looked up. He knew Zane had been reckless enough to stand up for Acacia in the forest, but he hadn't expected Zane to downright betray him behind his back. Devin sighed, looking away.

"Silence," Aster put his hand up, sick of all the family drama that was happening before him. He then looked back at Zane, his eyes softening slightly. "I want you to know, Zane, that if Acacia did not plead in your defense, I would have sent all three of you to the execution block. Since she did, though, I have come to another decision." Bryan and Devin exchanged a glance, realizing what Aster was saying. "I hereby exile Bryan, Devin, and Zane Hilton from the Azalea kingdom. If they ever return, it will be on pain of death."

Rose and Lily saw Acacia breathe a sigh of relief, most likely from Zane's pardon. The Hiltons seemed to have visibly relaxed as well.

Violet, however, was the only person unhappy. "Aster, do you really think sparing Bryan Hilton is a wise choice?"

Aster turned his head to face Violet. "If he ever retaliates, I will strike back. This is my decision, Violet. I will not be the one to orphan two children." Violet still seemed unsatisfied, but she said nothing more. "Now... time for the real trial."

The Hiltons were pushed aside as two guards dragged Reese forward, shoving him to his knees.

Reese looked up and met Aster's intense green eyes. He stared back with no fear.

"I don't even want to be polite with you, Reese Henessey," Aster's tone immediately switched to hatred. "You are the cause of all this pain and suffering."

Reese scoffed lightly, not bothering to deny Aster's accusation.

"My father was right in that your family magic is dangerous. Look at what happened with Ivy." Reese stated.

Violet's lips curled into a snarl as the rest of her sisters flinched.

"After everything that's happened, you don't have the right to speak her name," Aster replied in a dangerous tone.

"I'm just stating the truth," Reese merely said. "You thought my father's beliefs were crazy, but he ended up being right. How does that feel?"

Aster said nothing, but he clasped his hands together in thought. Reese grinned when he realized he hit a nerve.

"What did Ivy say to you when you encountered her in the forest?" Aster finally asked.

Reese raised an eyebrow. "She said that she was ready to die. I'll admit, though, she was a feisty one." He held up his shackled wrist, and the Azaleas vaguely saw thorn marks where Ivy had stabbed him.

Acacia averted her eyes, not wanting to look at the person who wronged her sister. Aster sighed in thought.

"I will tell you something, Reese Henessey," Aster said. "I recently learned that my father was the one who killed your mother during a previous lunar eclipse, and I am sorry for that. However, my father was taken care of for his crimes. You may have done the things you did because of your mother's death, but you were wrong to target all of us. The Azaleas standing in this room right now were either too young or weren't even born when your mother died. For all that, I have come to a decision."

Reese looked as though he was trying to process everything Aster had just said. He had never understood why someone would kill his mother, but now that he knew the answer he found himself feeling a little more calm. As though a hole in his heart had been partially mended.

Aster took a deep breath and proclaimed, "I hereby declare you, Reese Henessey, guilty of high treason. You will be executed this afternoon. Death follows you wherever you go, Reese Henessey, and I am done fighting with you. You sent Crow to kill my family, you jeopardized the kingdom's safety when you hurt Ivy, and you forced me to issue a kill order. Your foolish attempts to help the Azalea kingdom ended up endangering the kingdom, and for that, I have no choice but to execute you." Lily twiddled her fingers as Rose straightened, knowing that her fire will be needed. Violet gave a smirk, satisfied that at least one of her enemies would be dying that day. Reese looked at the ground, smiling as he heard his fate. He expected as much. "Take them away, and prepare the pyres," Aster ordered.

Thierry stepped forward, grabbing Reese as the other guards started to drag the Hiltons away.

"You may have won, Aster, but Ivy's Massacre just proves that my father was right." Reese shouted over the mayhem with a smirk. He wasn't going to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing him defeated.

Before anyone could protest, the throne room doors closed shut.

--

Aster stood over the balcony, watching as the guards began to build two pyres. One for Ivy's funeral, and the other for Reese's execution.

"Are you okay?" Rose asked, walking up beside him.

Aster sighed. "Jeffrey still has to talk to us about what happened with my father. I always thought that Raymond was just a crazy lunatic, but to think that my father wronged him first..." He looked up at Rose. "If Reese didn't turn Ivy dark, I might have considered another punishment. Since he did, though, not executing him would be such a dishonor on Ivy's memory. I can't do that to her, not after she sacrificed herself for the kingdom."

Rose nodded her head. "I understand."

"Are you going to be okay? This is going to be the first time you're going to use your fire to execute someone, right?" Aster asked.

Rose placed a hand on her Aster's shoulder. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

When the first pyre was finished, Ivy's funeral started. The guards brought Ivy out on a flower deathbed. It was mainly made up of ivies, but there were roses, lilies, asters, violets, and acacias mixed in there to represent their love.

All the Azaleas said something about Ivy. Rose commented on Ivy's love, Lily talked about her compassion, Aster mentioned her personality, Violet told the citizens about Ivy's bravery, and Acacia explained how Ivy was the greatest older sister she could ever ask for.

Rose then spread her arms wide, pink roses blossoming around her. The next moment, flames materialized over the pyre, and Ivy's peaceful body began to burn.

The Azaleas all watched as Ivy's body turned into ashes, and they all knew that she was now in a better place.

--

It was late afternoon. Reese had been in no mood to talk after hearing his fate. Bryan was too busy berating Zane. Reese just stared longingly at the window, seeing the smoke from Ivy's pyre.

The dungeon doors then clanged open, and Thierry stepped in. "It's time."

Reese scoffed, but let Thierry drag him outside and past the citizens. He ignored the citizens' roars of hate as he was tied to a pole.

Reese had looked at the Azaleas, and he noticed that Acacia had gone inside. He then looked forward again, and he noticed a figure watching from the shadows.

Chase.

Chase emerged from the shadows, giving Reese a solemn look. Reese gave a sad smile and shook his head, mentally telling Chase not to rescue him.

"I hereby sentence Reese Henessey to death by fire for all the crimes he has committed. Any last words, Reese Henessey?" Aster asked again.

Reese closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He then said softly so that no one but Chase could hear him. "Thanks for being my friend, Chase."

When he opened his eyes, he saw Chase return a small smile, waving a goodbye.

"Burn, then, Reese Henessey," Aster proclaimed.

Rose stepped forward, taking a deep breath as she once again summoned her fire. Reese saw the fire light up the pyre, and he watched as it spread and began to lick his feet. He slammed his mouth shut, not wanting to give the Azaleas the satisfaction of watching him scream.

He clenched his fists, tilting his head to the sky.

See you soon, Father.

The last thing Reese saw was Chase faintly retreating in the forest before his eyes glazed over with lifelessness.

--

When Aster returned inside, Rose and Acacia had walked upstairs and closed their bedroom doors shut. Violet had left to head to the stables to talk to Julian.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a light voice from behind him. "Aster," Lily called.

Aster turned and smiled. "Hi, Lily."

"Are you alright?" Lily asked. "That was your first execution as king."

Aster nodded. "Knowing that Reese Henessey is no longer in this world, it feels... somewhat peaceful."

Lily smiled faintly. "Yes, it does. I'm glad everything is over. Crow no longer wants to kill us, the rest of the Red Phoenixes are exiled, and Reese Henessey is dead."

"Things feel so much nicer now that our conflict with the Red Phoenixes is over," Aster remarked. "I'll deal with Crow when the time comes, but it's good to hear that he also won't be a problem for now."

Lily laughed. "Yes, it's definitely good to hear that all is finally well at the moment."

Aster nodded once more before retreating to his bedroom for a nap.

--

It took Fern nearly all of her strength to make it to the Saffron throne room. Heath didn't even greet her when she returned. All it took for the great king of Saffron to lose his composure was seeing his daughter's dead body. She ignored the guards' offers to help her on her feet. She was in no mood to talk to anyone at the moment. Her breath ragged, she pushed against the golden doors to her throne room with her shoulder. It felt like trying to make a brick wall fall, but she finally managed to open them.

Fern blinked rapidly as she stepped inside, the feeling of her feet scraping against the carpet floor no longer sounding normal. Nothing in the room could make her stop thinking about Iris's bloodied body. Iris... pure and innocent Iris... slaughtered by Crow. Fern wasn't stupid. When she saw those horrific claw marks across Iris's throat, she immediately knew who had killed her loving daughter. Fern just didn't understand why Crow would want to kill Iris. Iris had been one of the only people who prevented her from lashing out in vengeance when she learned that Crow had killed her sister, Flora. When Fern saw her husband's face when she returned, she knew he had also died on the inside. There was now no one left to keep her from going mad.

Fern gave a small grunt when she found herself collapsing onto her knees, her eyes red from sobbing on the journey home.

What did I ever do to Crow? Did he want me suffer as well for being Flora's sister? Fern thought hollowly. Her thoughts reverted from all of her unanswered questions and the image of Iris lying dead on the forest ground. She brought what she could take from Iris before Fern left her with Heath to grieve. Fern held a bundle of Iris's blonde hair to her forehead, the bottom of the golden locks stained by the blood that had poured from Iris's throat.

"Your Majesty?" she heard a guard hesitantly ask, clearing his throat to announce his presence.

There was a moment of tense silence, as though Fern didn't want to be disturbed. However, she then brought the bundle of Iris's hair to rest on the ground, never wanting to part from it.

Fern took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, they held nothing but hatred and bitterness.

"Get... Raven..." Fern rasped out. It was a low whisper, but the guard was able to hear it.

The guard stiffened in fear at Fern's command. He asked slowly, wanting to clarify in case he heard wrong. "T-The assassin, your Majesty?"

"NOWWWWWWW!" Fern shrieked in anger, bending her head so that she would be screaming at the ceiling. The glass windows shook from her voice, wanting to shatter.

The guard scurried out of the throne room faster than a bullet, not wanting to cross the queen any further.

Fern stared at Iris's throne in both grief and fury, trying to picture her happy daughter in the room with her.

I will have my revenge, Crow. I will make you suffer for killing Flora and Iris. That's a promise.

--

TO BE CONTINUED IN BOOK TWO - BLACK BIRDS