23.
There was a knock on the door and Lilly opened it to see Zero standing there. “What are you doing here?” She asked.
“I was given a message that you needed to see me immediately.” He looked around confused.
Lilly frowned and mumbled something under her breath.
“What did you say?” Zero asked.
She smirked and looked at Zero. “It seems that I have to … do something that I am not used to doing.”
He still looked confused at her. “What do you need to do? Can I assist you in any way?”
“No, Zero… I have to…” She shuffled her hooves. “I really am not good at this…” She flapped her wings in irritation.
“Just tell me Lilly.”
She growled under her breath. “You can no longer be my guard. A new guard will be assigned to me tomorrow morning.”
Zero stared at her and then he physically looked drained as he looked down at his hooves. “Oh, so I have been… fired? I knew it…”
“I’m sorry.” Lilly stated as she walked over to him. “It… wasn’t my decision. My father decided for me.”
Zero shook his head as he looked at her. “So, Lord Discord knows about us?”
Lilly nodded reluctantly.
“I’m dead then; dead pony walking here!” He started to look around her room as if expecting the Lord of Chaos to kill him instantly.
Lilly rolled her eyes. “He’s not that bad.”
He then looked at her. “If I am no longer your guard, what does that make us?”
She smiled as she tilted her head slightly at the question. “Friends?”
“Oh… Friends.” He looked at her, his ears drooping.
Lilly wrinkled her muzzle up. “I’m going to leave in a couple days. So, I have to keep it at friends.” She sighed deeply. “I’m sorry Zero. I’m very torn, my thoughts are a jumble, I care a lot about you, but I cannot tell if what I feel is love or if it is lust.”
“You can lust after me! I don’t mind.” Zero smiled and nodded then shook his head at her sad look. “No…” He put his helmet on slowly.
She moved closer to him. “Sorry.” She whispered and gave him a kiss on his cheek. “Please go. I don’t think I can trust myself around you.”
“But… Lilly, when will I see you again?” He started to walk slowly to the door.
“You will see me when I am here; you are still a guard, just not my personal guard.” She sighed. “Goodbye Zero, I will think about you.”
“Goodbye… Lilly… You know how to find me.” He turned to leave, closing the door behind him and dreading climbing back down those steps.
Lilly sighed as she sat and looked at the fire in the fireplace. There was another knock on her door and she growled as she got up to face the door clicking her tongue to open it. A gray unicorn guard walked into her room frowning. “What is wrong with you Lilly?”
“Paradox! Why did you send Zero up here?”
“I thought you’d want to have some fun with your boyfriend, you know, before you left on your trek to Celestia knows where?” Paradox shifted from unicorn form. “And what happens? You kick him out. You are such a prude sis.”
“I’m not a prude. Dad told me to fire him.” She sneered. “So I did.”
“Lilly, Dad tells me to do things all the time. I don’t always do what he says. You are such a goody two shoes prude.” He folded his arms.
“Have you started dating again?” Lilly suddenly asked Dox trying to change the subject.
Paradox frowned at her. “Oh, yeah… ask the broken-hearted to date again.”
“Your heart isn’t broken.” Lilly said. “Why don’t you ask Silver Dash out on a date?”
“Are you kidding? I am not asking out Rainbow Dash’s daughter! I remember kissing Scootaloo, and she wasn’t even related to Rainbow Dash and I had to fly 100 laps every day for a week as punishment.” He shook his head. “I cannot imagine what sort of punishment I would have to endure dating her daughter.”
“You deserved that punishment.” Lilly giggled suddenly.