Betrothed

by TwinHell

Summary:

Sonic is a prince and because of that his father has arranged a marriage between him and the princess from another kingdom. On the wedding day the bride doesn't show up and instead comes the evil king of the fey, wanting revenge.

Tldr. Shadow wants revenge on the kingdom, specifically Sonic, and kidnaps him.

Chapter 1: The Past

In a kingdom far, far away in another dimension different from our own, there was a crown prince. The crown prince was known by his kingdom as Arthur. At the ripe age of sixteen he was seen as an adult, as were many others during this time period. They didn't have machines or medicines like we do today. Instead, they have dragons, mysterious plants, and gods they pray to. Their world might not be as advanced as ours but they don’t have the need to be. Magic fills the void of machines and magic plants take place for lab made medicines and vaccines. 

In the palace of Camelot, sixteen years ago, a woman gave birth to a male heir, or mostly male. When he opened his eyes for the first time his mother could only stare in awe at the sight of his eyes. They were as green as enchanted emeralds. She had never seen eyes so beautiful outside of the fey in their world. She believed that she was blessed with a beautiful child. With her son pressed to her bare chest as he cooded at her, she couldn’t help but fall in love with him. Then a name came to her and the baby was soon named Arthur. Many of the maids thought the name was fitting for the boy as his birth spread joy across the kingdom. 

The king, known as Alaric, was ecstatic to find that his first born had been a boy. During these times women were seen as nothing more than bridges between families. They should be obedient, seen but not heard as the saying goes. Their duty was to serve their husband and the other men in the household. They were meant to clean and give their husbands kids. Having a daughter as a royal was dangerous because it gave other men the opportunity to wiggle their way into the royal family with the possibility of taking not only the throne but the whole bloodline. This was the main reason that the daughters of royal families were only allowed to marry other royals. 

The young boy was given the best education, the best training, and the most luxurious clothes that money could buy. He was raised to be a strong and intelligent man that would someday make a great king. His mother taught him things more valuable than battle strategies and pointless history. She taught him compassion. She was born at the bottom of the hierarchy and was seen as less than dirt by the people more fortunate than her. She wore rags that were passed down from her mother and through her sisters until it made its way to her. Her hair was covered in dirt and she didn't have the luxury of hot baths and soap. Instead, she had to take cold baths in the lake and put on the same nasty rags that she always wore. She would rummage through trash just to help put food on the table. The worst part about being poor was the way you were treated by the people above you. They are cruel and they don’t care for the people below them. To the nobles the poor were not considered Mobians. 

The queen instilled her son with compassion and understanding. He learned about the horrors the people of his future kingdom had to endure and wanted to help them someday. He saw them for what they truly were, Mobians. They were Mobians regardless if they were more unfortunate than he was. Every year when he would outgrow or have unused clothes he would donate them to his people. It didn't take long before he was adored by the commoners of the kingdom. He always showed them kindness and helped them despite their rank. To him they were equal. 

Sadly, around the age of ten his mother fell ill and became bedridden. She had a dangerous sickness that if not treated soon would become fatal. There was only one cure for her illness, The Devil’s blood root. Though its name might seem scary it is only a flower with red and spiky looking roots. The petals are vibrant red according to legend. The only thing about the plant, and the main reason it has its name, is where it is located. It can only be found in the obsidian desert. The sand as black as night and sparkles like shards of glass. It is home to many dangerous monsters, such as demons and the dark fey. These dark fey are not as kind as their lighter counterparts. 

Young Arthur begged his father to let him join the party to retrieve the Devil’s blood root. He was unshaken by the possible dangers. He would do anything if it meant saving his mother. With some reluctance but much pride, King Alaric allowed Arthur to join him and the party. The journey to the Obsidian Desert was a long winding path that went through countrysides and mellow forests. In total it took about five days before the party reached the black sand. It was right before dawn and when the sun started to rise so did the heat. The rays from the sun quickly heated up the black sand. It was like being in the bowels of hell. The perfect place for devils, it reminds them of their home in hell. The smell of the desert isn’t helped either by the heat. The smell of decay and death becomes more potent as the hot sun heats up the rotting corpses.

After four long days, and several casualties, they eventually found the flower in the heart of the palace of the dark fey. They looked in through a tiny window that was located on the outside of the palace. In the garden littered with black roses and various other scary looking plans, in the middle lies the Devil’s blood flower. It was guarded by stone walls that rose high, far too high for any normal Mobian to climb. The path to the flower seemed hopeless until a small crack was spotted on the lower part of the wall. No one in the party would be able to fit through such a small space, well almost. Arthur being the smallest, and youngest, of the party volunteered to climb through the hole. With a breath in to calm his buzzed nerves he got down on the knees and put his head through the tight crevice of the wall. 

Chapter 2: The Past. Part Two

The rough brick of the wall threatened to leave dents and scratches as Arthur tried to squeeze his way through. The jagged edges caught on his clothes or got stuck around his hips. It took a little bit of effort of wiggling his way through before he eventually reached the other side of the wall. Looking back he saw that the stone wall was several feet thick. Vines lined the walls and hung from the ceiling like a canopy. The dark green vines limited the light that came through the clear top above, casting the garden in dim light. Little specks of light squeezed through one of the spaces between the vines. The light fell upon the Devil’s blood flower, making it glimmer in the partial sunlight. Arthur couldn't help but stay there on his knees as he gazed upon such a sight. 

 

The light from above painted the red flower in a holy glow. The little beads of red on the flower sparkled like diamonds in the rays. Upon closer inspection the beads of red looked like blood as they oozed from the pores of the flower. It was both morbid and pretty as it sat in the ground in the middle of the other plants. The leaves were bright green and looked much like a rose’s with serrated edges. Arthur was entrapped by its beauty as he slowly got to his feet and approached the beautiful plant. 

 

On the opposite wall of the garden there was a flowing water fountain. Water flowed gently from the top before cascading down each level until it reached the pool at the bottom. After the water reached the pool the process would start all over again as the water was sucked right back up. The soft sound of water paired with the quiet rustling of the plants in the garden make the mood comfortable and calm. 

 

Once Arthur was in front of the plant he took off his gloves and gently touched the petals. The red droplets were smeared across the surface of the petals as it stuck to the pad of his finger, it felt sticky. Without thinking he brought his finger to his mouth and licked the sticky substance off. The bold flavor immediately met his taste buds as fireworks started to go off on his tongue. The red beads tasted like nectar but somehow more sweet. The flavor was addicting to say the least.  

 

He shook his head to bring himself back to his current mission. Carefully he unsheathed a knife that he had been given to him by his father so that he could cut the roots. With his other hand he dug into the dirt and searched for the roots of the plant. The dirt easily gave away and it didn’t take long for his fingertips to find the spiky roots of the plant. He cupped the red root in his hands and cautiously brought the edge of the knife to the root. The knife didn't even make a dent and the root remained pristine. A surprised expression spread across Arthur’s face as he looked between the plant and the knife. 

 

This time Arthur brough the knife against the root with less caution and more vigor. After a little bit of sawing he brought the knife away and in its place was a small sliver across the skin of the red roots. He could only stare in shock at the root, how could something be so strong? The root didn't feel hard or particularly tough in his hands but when he brought a knife to it there was barely a scratch to be seen. The little cut that he was able to give to the root started to bleed a pink color and a floral, overly sweet scent met his nostrils and caused his body to calm. 

 

His calm state was like having the sweetest honey pumping through his veins as it called to him. After the initial honey there was a wave of heat that washed over his body, almost unbearable for his young body to bare. It became apparent that the scent of the flower was the cause of his distress and immediately started to breath through his mouth instead of his nose as delicately continued to work on the root, even if progress was slow and more of the sweet scent was admitted into the air.   

 

The knife slipped from his hands, sliding along his skin, as footsteps startled him from his work. A figure could be seen walking past the frosted interior windows as their footsteps firmly met the stone floor. Arthur could only bite his lip as he stared between the sight of his bloody hand and the soon approaching figure. From what he could tell through the frosted windows was that the figure was tall, very tall in stature and would most definitely tower over the full grown men back in the kingdom. Its size could put even the strongest, and largest, knights to shame. Though what was surprising the most was that even with its large size its footsteps were organized and calculated. Almost as if every step was supposed to be perfect and elegant. 

 

Such a walk made him remember the lectures and classes he used to do with his mom. The royal classes, he’s been doing them for a while but never really liked them. He was nagged and told to stand up straight and for each step to be just as good as the one before it. The figure walked just like a royal. Horror immediately painted Arthur's face as he realized that one of the royals of the dark fey was coming into the garden. Ignoring the pain in his hand he vigorously worked to saw off the root of the plant. Both sweat from nervousness and effort started to bead on his head. As the figure got closer the harder he worked. 

 

“What are you doing?” The voice was accusatory and deep, hints of anger bled through into his tone. 

 

Arthur’s motions immediately stopped and stared at the figure. He looked as if he was a deer caught in the headlights which caused the figure to narrow his eyes in irritation. 

 

“I won't ask again, what do you think you’re doing?!” 

Chapter 3: The Past. Part Three

The fey that stood before Arthur was something he had never seen before. It had black fur and was a hedgehog just like him, but his quills were different. Large black quills that were upturned with red stripes along the top. His eyes were also red as they bore into Arthur's soul, shaking him to his core. To say that the young prince was scared was an understatement. In front of him was one of the most dangerous creatures that roamed their world, most were lucky to even survive an encounter most received life long injuries. 

 

When he was younger his mother had scolded him when he sucked out of bed. 'Young boys shouldn't be wandering around at night alone, there could be dark fey around that could eat you' she said. His father was more serious about this topic, while my mother treated it as a harmless lie. Alaric had said during sword training that if he ever encountered a dark fey he was supposed to fight with his whole being. 'You're better injured than dead.' He would always roll his eyes at his fathers constant warnings, paying no heed. 

 

Now here he was so close to not only just a dark fey, but a royal one. A metal crown sat on his brow like a vine of thorns, intimating and imposing. The knife in his right hand shook as he felt fear engulf him, but brought the knife in front of him regardless. It was an obvious sign to tell the Fey to back off but it only caused a growl to rumble from the fey's throat. The knife immediately fell to the ground as Arthur tried to back away from the looming figure. 

 

Every step back he took the fey would take one himself, but distance between them started to close as the fey's strides were longer. Soon back met against the wall and the fey trapped the young prince between his body and the wall. The fey's fangs sparkled with danger as he bared them towards the prince, another growl leaving his throat. 

 

"Are you going to respond or are you just going to keep squabbling?" Arthur took some offence at the fey's statement but kept his mouth shut, now was not the time to be snarky. 

 

"I was just trying to..." He trailed off not knowing what to say to avoid pissing off the fey more. 

 

"You were just trying to what? Trespass on my property and ruin my garden?!" The fey slammed his hands into the wall in anger. Little chunks of brick crumpled down and hit Arthur in the head. 

 

The eyes of the fey were fierce and dark as they continued to stare down at him. Pools of deep red, no, an ocean of blood. They were like oceans of blood, so vast and dangerous that if you weren't too careful it just might swallow you whole. His body was firm against his skin, muscles rippling with unseen power. His finger dug more into the wall when Arthur still gave him no response. Everything about the fey screamed dangerous and he should not be trifled with. 

 

"I was-" Arthur looked between the legs of the fey and saw the flower, suddenly an idea hit him. "I was just admiring your garden." 

 

The fey let out a huff of amusement, clearly not believing him one bit, but he was slowly letting his guard down. Arthur ducked between his legs and used his unnatural speed to get to the plant and picked up his knife. The fey looked at the young prince from in between his legs seeing the opening that he had used to escape. His eyes narrowed once more as he made the decision that he was not going to show the intruder mercy. 

 

"Little brat," He said curtly before rising to his full height once more and turning towards the prince. "You won't be getting away anytime soon." 

 

Without thinking Arthur pulled the whole plant from the ground making the fey scream in anger. The sound was ear-splitting, but Arthur quickly made his way back to the hole he used to get in. The adrenaline in his veins aided him, making him faster now with the fear of survival. The fey too was also fast as he also lept towards the tiny hole in the wall, determined to keep the promise of not letting the intruder escape his grasp without punishment.

 

"Get back here!" The fey roared. "Trying to escape is useless because I will alway find you. I will never let go." 

 

Arthur was at the entrance of the opening with the Devil's blood flower gripped tightly in his hand, its juices dripping into his wound. A clawed hand gripped his ankle and dragged him away from the hole with more than enough force, a little sound came from the princes' leg and pain began to bloom at the joint. Both the fey and the prince were breathing heavily, Arthur more so out of fear. He tried his best to wriggle free the firm grip of the fey but it was useless. The fey was several times his size and had probably been around for several years while Arthur was just a young boy, still growing. As the struggle continued the fey became fed up with his attempts and dug his claws into the flesh of his leg. A pained scream fell from Arthurs lips as pain started to swell in his leg. 

 

"I wouldn't have had to do this if you had just backed down, but you know how the world is. Not everything goes our way–" A knife was brought down on the fey's chest, sinking in an inch or two. 

 

The fey drew back as green blood started to gush from his wound, he was groaning in pain. Arthur took the opportunity and quickly made his way through the hole in the wall, flower in hand. When he reached his party on the other side they all held faces of worry and pride, their young prince had faced off against a powerful fey. His wounds were quickly treated and the party made their way home to the capital. 

 

With the flower in his hands Arthur whispered, "I can't wait to go running in the meadows with mom again." 

 

"Me too son, i miss your mom very much." A firm hand was placed on his shoulder and a smile spread across his face. Sadly when they made it to the capital the queen had succumbed to her illness and the flower too soon wilted. 

 

Back in the garden, the fey was seething with anger. "I'll get my revenge, one day." He looked at the emblem on the bottom of the knife. 

 

"Someday soon." 

Chapter 4: Funeral

 

“I'm sorry Arthur, but she passed away a few days ago. Even if you and the king immediately found the flower, she would have still been too far gone. There was nothing we could do." The royal nurse said as she put a hand on his shoulder

 

When his father laid eyes upon his mother he had immediately left. Arthur remained frozen as he gazed upon the pale body of his mother. Her bright sky blue fur was dull and was more of sky blue. Her hair was in clumps all around the bed as bald spots covered her body. Her lips that used to be a luscious pink were now white and yellow. To say the young prince was traumatized by the state of his mother was an understatement. He couldn’t bear looking at her lifeless form as her dead eyes gazed in his direction. He couldn't believe it, his mother was dead. 

 

Arthur launched to the side of his deceased mother and sobbed into her still chest. Her skin and fur felt cold against his face as he began to sob harder, tears rolling down his cheeks and landing into his mother’s fur. The nurse stepped forward to attempt to pull the young prince away but was stopped by the royal doctor. His hand was in her way as he gave her a sorrowful look and shook his head. They let the prince grief for his mother, painfully watching from the side. 

 

“He needs some time to mourn for his mother, he is just a kid after all,” The doctor said as he held the Devil’s blood flower, its pedals glistening with red dew. A thought struck the doctor. “Maybe you should make him some tea with this. It probably won't last long and we won’t be able to cultivate it, so we need to put it to good use soon. We could use it to ensure the royal bloodline is protected from the deadly disease.” 

 

The nurse nodded and took the plant from the doctor’s hands. They might not have been able to save the queen but they would protect the future royal bloodline of camelot and the young prince. “I’ll go make some tea for the prince right away.” 

 

The nurse went into the infirmary’s personal kitchen and started to boil water over the open fire of the chimney. The roots of the flower were broken off from the plant and then ground down in a small bowl. In repetitive, smooth motions the roots eventually became a deep red paste that looked similar to blood. When the water had boiled over the nurse poured the water into the cup and started to spoon the paste into the cup. With a wooden spoon the red paste was stirred around until it dissolved into the water. The pedals from the flower were then plucked and placed neatly into the cup of tea. They floated softly on top, swirling around in the same direction as being stirred.The tea was almost done, it just needed one last thing. 

 

“This should help it taste sweet,” The nurse held the flowerbud between her fingers before squeezing out the nectar into the cup. “Done.” 

 

The nurse then quickly made her way back to where the prince was, he was clutching his mother’s dress but his sobs were softer. “Arthur” 

 

The prince swiveled his ears at the sound of his name and then slowly lifted his head. “Yes?” His eyes were puffy as he looked at the nurse, the tea cupped in her hands. 

 

“Please drink this, young prince,” The doctor took the cup from the nurse and brought it to Arthur. 

 

Arthur turned his head away. “I can’t” 

 

“You must do this,” He gently forced the cup into Arthur’s hands. “Don’t let your expedition be in vain, do this for the royal family.” 

 

With some reluctance Arthur brough the rim of the cup to his lips and started to drink the tea, but it wasn’t elegant. Instead of delicate sips the young prince gulped it down harshly, wanting to get it down as fast as possible. The tea went smoothly down his throat but felt like poison due to the knowledge that he had failed to save his mother. The tea was only a reminder and it left a bitter-sweet taste in his mouth that lingered. When all of the contents of the cup were consumed it was set gently on the queen’s nightstand. The nurse took the cup away and left the doctor with the young prince once more. 

 

“I know this is very hard for you, Arthur.” The doctor cupped both of the prince’s hands in one of his own. “I lost my daughter a few years ago and it crushed me, but I had to keep it together. For the sake of my grandson.” 

 

“Your grandson?” Arthur asked, his eyes still puffy. 

 

“He is around your age and is the reason I'm still going. I needed to be that stability for him.” The doctor gave him a soft smile. “Now, you must do the same thing. Be strong for your father, okay?” 

 

Arthur’s eyes lit up at the mention of his father. “Yes, I have to be strong for him.”

 

“Attaboy.” The doctor led the prince away from his mother’s body. “Now, the guards are going to take her body and put it in a casket.” 

 

As if on cue a group of royal guards came in with a gurney and set it down by the queen’s bedside before lifting her up. Her body was gently set on the gurney as the guards started to carry her off. Arthur felt more tears prick his eyes as he watched his mother’s body disparear. He wanted to run after them and not let them take her away, but a firm hand was planted on his shoulder. The doctor held a stoic face as he looked down at the prince, there was pity in his eyes. The comforting hand kept Arthur there as he watched his mother disappear. 

 

“You will see her again at the funeral.” The doctor removed his hand. “Now go run off to your father, he might need the support.”

The young prince walked out of the bedroom and headed towards the throne room. He was usually there when he needed a moment to think or cool down. The door creaked open making the king turn towards his son. His brows were furrowed with a mix of emotions on his face, but sadness was the most prominent one. Arthur walked in cautiously and approached his father. 

 

“Now’s not the time, Arthur.” His father spoke, his words had a certain malice to them.   

 

“But father–”

 

“Now is not the time!” The king's face contorted in rage as he barked at his son. “Leave me. Now!”

 

With a sorrowful expression Arthur left his father alone in the throne room. It wasn’t until the next day after, during the funeral, that Arthur saw his father again. The king didn't even give him a glance as he held a cold expression, looking at the body of the queen in her casket. The sky was cloudy but rain dare not fall. Even in the gloomy moment the queen looked beautiful. Her hair was redone and she was in her finest dress. Pink and white flowers were in her hands as she was slowly lowered into the ground. The mortician had done a great job with the make up, her lips were a soft pink just like they were when she was alive. Her fur was dyed to be darker and a vail was placed on her head to cover the bald patches. 

 

Arthur snuck another glance at his father, who was still holding a poker face despite his grief. His mother and father had met during a festival, and the whole kingdom was celebrating the new year. Venders could be seen on every corner, anything and everything was being sold. His father, who was a prince at the time, decided to get away from the overcrowded environment. As a prince he was expected to give speeches and make connections with the nobles. He had snuck away and ran down to the river the was on the east side of the castle. It was peaceful. 

 

Little lanterns lined the waters of the river, which were accompanied by flowers. He was sitting by the river side and eventually decided to head back. At that moment, somebody had bumped into him and caused them both to fall into the river. The water wasn’t too deep and went below the knee, but they were both soaked from ear tip to toe. That night he had bumped into Allena, a poor woman, but couldn’t help but be entrapped by her beauty. She had apologized many times to the prince, but he just chuckled at the situation before helping her up. From that day they would meet in secret, their love blossoming. And when the prince finally ascended the throne he married the love of his life, Allena. They didn’t let social status keep them apart. 

 

Arthur always enjoyed the story about how his parents met, but it only made the situation sadder. His father had truly cared for his mother and now she was never coming back, for either of them.

Chapter 5: Mourning

"Father?" Arthur called out as he entered his father's bed chambers. "Are you there?" 

Only silence met him, but he knew that his father was in there. He pushed the door the rest of the way open before closing it behind him, clicking softly. There his father stood by the window, rain falling solemnly. The king has his back turned towards the door with both of his hands clasped behind his back. His back was hunched as he looked down upon his kingdom through the window. His ears flickered slightly when he heard the door close but made no other motion to acknowledge the prince's presence. 

"Father," Arthur repeated, slowly approaching his father. 

This time the king made a sound similar to a huff but still remained in his spot. 

"Can I talk to you?" Once again there was silence. 

Arthur frowned, irritation prickling under his blue pelt. How long was his father going to avoid him and act like he didn't exist? He has been doing this for the past month, starting after the funeral. At the funeral, Arthur reached out to grasp his father's hand but was shooed away and had his hand slapped away. Afterwards one of the maids had to take him home because his father had disappeared, leaving him at the funeral. He was hurt but understood that his father was greifing and would get over it soon. But that was a month ago and nothing has changed, it has actually gotten worse. Instead of shooing Arthur like earlier, his father would ignore his presence and walk away. 

Arthur reached out to touch his father. His father stiffened for a second, the air became tense as Arthur awaited his father's reaction. Soon he found himself on the floor with an ache in his cheek. He stared wide-eyed up at his father, who had turned around to face him, a scowl mirrored his features. Anger burned in his gaze as he glared down at the young prince. Tears threatened to spill but Arther blinked as he got up onto shaky feet. He was scared, he had never been scared before but he also hadn't seen his father so angry before either. 

There was a lump in his throat, but he swallowed it down. "Can we talk?" He stuttered out. 

"Don't ever touch me again" His father spat, but his anger seemed to melt into a simmer. "You wanted to talk, so talk. Or are you just trying to waste my time because you're a needly little shit who needs your daddy's attention?" 

"You've been ignoring me lately, more than usual," Arthur admitted to his father. 

His father rolled his eyes. "So?" 

"It's just that I was thinking we could practice sword fighting tomorrow morning because we haven't done it in a while." He looked up at his father with hopeful eyes.

"Fine." His father said void of emotion. 

"You're really going to train me tomorrow?!" The young prince said excitedly, tempted to jump up and down.

"No." Arthur's face fell. "I want as little as possible to do with you as possible, but since you want to do sword fighting so bad I'll give you one of the best trainers." 

With that, the king pointed towards the door signaling for Arthur to leave. "But-" Arthur interjected. 

"No buts. Now shoo, I don't want you in my sight anymore, you look too much like your mother." With his head low Arthur made his way towards the exit, but his ears perked up when heard his father say his name. "One more thing Arthur, never come into my room again unless summoned." 

Arther closed the door behind him again and started walking towards his room. His feet dragged and his progress was slow. All of this felt like a bad dream, first his mother had passed away with an almost incurable illness then his father started to ignore him. The king's once beautiful, well-groomed fur was now tangled and not as shiny. He never left his room anymore, not even for dinner. Arthur had to sit all alone at a massive table while both his mother's and his father's places were empty, but their imprints were still there. The utensils would clank loudly against the plate while he ate. Now Arthur knew that was going to be the new normal, even if he didn't like it one bit. 

As Arthur walked through the massive halls of the castle as he got sympathetic looks from maids and butlers alike. They all looked at him with pity because they just saw him as a child, a helpless child. Their pity was the only thing they could offer because they could never do anything the change the king's mind. He wished this was all just a bad dream, a very bad dream that he would wake up from. His mother would be by his side, petting him gently as she offered him warm milk. She would sing him to sleep and shoosh his worries. His chest began to feel tight. 

Arthur stood before his room and pushed the door open. He made his way to the bed before slumping onto it. The sheets still held the faint scent of his mother when she would read him to sleep. He buried his face further into the sheets to get more of his mother's scent. She smelled like a field of lavender, due to the fact she used to plant lavender in the royal garden. He would sometimes help her but they would both always be covered in dirt afterwards. Then she would scrub the dirt from his quills and brush out the bits and pieces that would get stuck. No matter what she smelled like lavender. Even in her passing she faintly smelled like lavender, a few were in a vase by her bedside. 

A soft purr rumbled in his throat as Arthur slowly drifted to sleep with thoughts of his mother. Both of his fists were clenched in the sheets as if trying to hold on tightly to his mother's scent. Salty tears ran down his cheek, leaving wet trails and leaving his eyes puffy. It didn't take long for him to fully fall asleep on top of the bedsheets. And when he wakes up in the morning he will start sword training with a professional trainer. 

Chapter 6: Arranged

Arthur walked through the halls, head held high with royal regalness. Over the past few years since his mother’s death, his father has put him through many classes. Some examples were sword fighting, etiquette classes, scholarship, and many many more. Anything to avoid being with his son, he was succeeding. Arthur had given up a while ago to try to recollect with his father after his mother’s death but all his attempts were useless and only resulted with his father pushing him further away. So he had given up, his father was no longer the man he used to be and he had to accept that whether he liked it or not.

“Ack!” There was a sound of metal buckets hitting the floor and splashing. Arthur rushed over to see what the commotion was about.

One of the maids was on the floor, completely soaked as the buckets she was using to clean the floors were on their side, all of their contents now on the floor. “Are you okay?” He asked as he offered her a hand.

“Not really.” She took his hand and finally got to her feet. “I’m made such a mess. I am so deeply sorry.”

“No problem.” He gave her a smile. “You should go change into something dry.”

“But my prince, what about the mess?” She gave him a worried look.

“Don’t worry about it i’ll clean it up in a jiffy.” He saw that she wanted to argue. “I command you to go get some fresh clothes.”

She gave him a bow knowing that she couldn’t disobey the prince. “Yes, Arthur, thank you.” Before she left she gave Arthur a smile before running towards the maid quarters.

“Now to deal with this mess.” He looked at the mess before a smile spread across his face, this was going to be easy.

Using his super speed he grabbed some towels from one of the many bathrooms around the castle and started to wipe up the puddle of soapy water. It didn't take long for the towels to become soaked as Arthur tried to wipe as much of the water as he could. Once he was done he set the soaked towels in the empty bucket and started walking towards the maid quarters. The hallways became a blur as he used his speed. When he arrived some of the maids were doing laundry, folding the clean towels, and setting the dirty or soiled ones in a basket to be washed. The maid from earlier was carrying her soaked rags to one of the baskets when she saw Arthur and gasped.

“I have a delivery.” He held up the buckets full of wet towels. “I hope you don’t mind taking these off my hands?”

The maid quickly grabbed the buckets and bowed to the prince once again. “You’re such a lifesaver. What did this kingdom do to deserve a prince like you?” His cheeks became warm at her praise.

“I have to do this.” He stated plainly. “If I am to become king then i need to understand my people and help them. A king wouldn’t be a king without his people.”

“Yeah but why do you do this?” One of the other maids asked from the corner. “When we make mistakes you don’t scold us, instead you help us.”

“You also donate money to the orphanage!” Another spoke.

“And that time you helped carry old man Din’s luggage after his cart broke down and they fixed it afterward.”

So many voices spoke up about all the previous times that he had helped around the kingdom. All eyes were on him as they held admiration. It made him happy that he had helped so many people and that he was making a difference in his kingdom. A kingdom needs a strong but kind ruler to figure out what is best for the survival of its kingdom and the people that reside in it. Besides, it was nice to help out people in need, it was a good thing to do.

“Oh. Don’t worry about it, i was fulfilling my duties to my people.” He gave them a thumbs up. “And please call me Sonic, Arthur is too formal.”

Then a guard came into the maid's quarters. “Prince Arthur, your father requests you in the throne room immediately.” The guard bowed to the prince waiting for him to make his way to the throne room.

“Yes, thank you Ballad.” Arthur, Sonic, started walking down the hall that lead to where his father was.

Over the past few years when he started to help people around the kingdom, he started going by an alias to hide his identity, but it didn’t take long for the people to find out who he really was. But even after he was found out the name still persisted and became a name that allowed him to feel more like a real person rather than royalty. Arthur was supposed to be perfect, and regal, while Sonic was adventurous and wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He also preferred the name Sonic over his birth-given name, it held a certain freedom to it. As Sonic he wasn’t seen as royalty and didn’t have the same expectations. He was just a guy that helped out.

“You are dismissed, Sir Ballad,” Sonic said as he paused at the throne room door, it was big and looming. “I can take it from here.”

“Yes, Prince Arthur.” The guard bowed before leaving his side.

Sonic pushed open the door and made his way into the throne room, kneeling before his father’s throne. “You called?” It was out of the ordinary for his father to speak to him let alone summon him to his throne room.

“I have some very important news that concerns the well-being of the kingdom.” The king spoke, not meeting Sonic in the eyes. “You are going to be getting married.”

“Married?!” The prince shot up.

“Sit.” His father commanded. “You are going to do this, no objections.”

“But father-” He started.

“No buts Arthur, this is bigger than just you. This is for the kingdom.” Arthur frowned but let his father continue. “You are going to be marrying Rose from the throne kingdom from the East. They have many good trades that would greatly benefit the kingdom. I will also expect you to make an heir after the wedding.”

“I’m sixteen Father, I am not old enough to have kids.” He tried but was immediately shut down.

“You will give me an heir in due time.” His father growled. “The wedding is going to commence three days from now so be prepared.” 

 

Chapter 7: Wilted Rose

Notes:

Eat well.

The princess of the Thorn Kingdom was standing in front of her mirror. She was in a white dress, a wedding dress. A seamstress wasn't too far away as she studied the princes, figuring out where to start first with the adjustments. The princess needed to look perfect for her wedding and the seamstress was going to try her hardest to do that. With a fist pressed to her mouth, she looked at the way the dress sagged around the princess' silhouette. The dress was a little too big but that wasn't too much trouble for the seamstress, she could fix it with no problem. 

The princess was a young, beautiful maiden with long quills. She too was a hedgehog just like Prince Arthur. Her long quills were bubble gum pink as they went all the way down to her tail. Her eyes were a teal-green color that looked like the sea when it met the shore. Long eyelashes adorned her eyes, showing off her elegance and royal status. She was loved by many in her land and just as many suitors fought for her hand. A few days ago her father told her that she was going to be getting married soon. At first, she was distraught by the thought because her heart was after another, but when she learned that it was Arthur she exploded with excitement.  

"How does it look, Miss Victoria?" The princess asked, turning her head towards the seamstress while trying to stay still. She was trying on her mother's old wedding dress and was going to repurpose it for her wedding. 

"It looks amazing, Princess Rose, but it just needs a few adjustments." Victoria, the seamstress, came over with a measuring tape in her hand and began to take measurements of Rose. Next to her, on the princess' desk was a piece of paper where she wrote down notes. "It goes wonderfully with your pink fur."

"You're too sweet." The princess giggled, feeling flustered at the compliment. "Do you think he will like me?" 

Victora stopped what she was doing and looked up at Rose. "Arthur?" 

"Yes him. The man I am to marry." She felt so nervous but excited about the wedding. What would her future husband think of her?

"Of course darling. You are the most beautiful maiden of all the land. How could he not love such a dazzling flower like you?" Victoria smiled at the princess, the wrinkles in her face becoming more defined in the process. Rose blushed, waving her hand dismissively. 

"I can't wait to finally meet him." Hope twinkled in Rose's eyes. "We're getting married three days from now." 

Victoria chuckled at the young maiden's excitement. "I remember when I  was your age i was getting married to my husband, it was such an amazing day, dare I say the happiest day of my life." She looked off into the distance, reminiscing, before turning her attention back to the princess. "I know you'll just have an even better wedding day than I did." 

The princess beamed. "I have been pinning after Arthur for years! He's so strong and brave for going to the ebony desert to save his mother." A frown painted her face remembering the outcome of Arthur's mother. 

"I've also heard that he is also very kind to everyone he meets, always willing to help someone in need," Victoria added, returning a smile to Rose's face. 

"He is just perfect. Perfect I tell you!" The princess gushed as she fantasized about what married life would be like. "He will see me on our wedding day and he will fall in love with me instantly. I just know it." 

There was a knock on the door causing both of the women to turn their heads. Then a knight opened the door. "Sorry to intrude, but the king wishes to see the princess in the throne room. Immediately." The door was soon closed as the knight disappeared, giving them privacy. 

"You go see what your father wants. I have everything I need to make the right adjustments to your mother's dress." Victoria said as she helped Rose out of the white dress and into her normal attire. "Go on." 

Rose waved goodbye to Victora before disappearing out the door. She skipped through the castle halls, overwhelmed with joy. She was so lucky to be marrying Arthur from Camelot. For the rest of her life, she was going to thank the all-mighty chaos gods for giving her such an opportunity. As she approached the doors to the royal throne room the guards stationed on either side of the door bowed to her before opening the doors. She gave a quick 'thank you' to them as the doors were closed behind her. 

The queen was on the floor in the middle of the throne room, clutching something in her hands. Tears were streaming down her face as curled in on herself. Rose immediately rushed over to her mother's side, gently gripping her shoulder. Rose's knees dung into the cold tie as she kneeled by her mother. Her mother looked up to meet her gaze, her eyes were bloodshot and puffy as dread filled her eyes. Rose was about to ask what was wrong when a cough came from the throne. Her eyes widened in horror to see that her dad was not the one sitting up there. 

"Hello, Miss Rose." The fiend gave her a smirk. "It is nice to finally meet you." 

The dark fey king sat on her father's throne. He was huge and intimidating as he looked down at her with an air of disgust. Rose couldn't help but feel the need to curl up in a ball. His piercing red eyes held a dark malice to them that sent shivers down her spine. The throne room was completely quiet beside the soft sobbing of her mother and the bored tapping of the fey's fingers against the throne's arm. She had heard about him before, but she had always thought he was some boogy man that didn't exist. Now he was here in front of her, on her father's throne. 

"Sorry to come uninvited but you have something I need." His bored tapping stopped as he turned his full attention towards her. 

"Where is my father, what did you do with him?!" She yelled, balling up her fists and pushing down her fear. 

"While your father was out fighting against the kingdom to the west, he stumbled into my territory." His face held a blank expression as if he was bored. "Though he didn't know that because i had just recently taken over the kingdom of Arkon." 

"He was supposed to be at war with Arkon and gathered an army to attack." The princess felt uneasy with where the story was going. 

"I'm currently expanding, so I took both Arkon and your kingdom." He picked at something on his fingernails, it looked like dried blood. "Daddy is no more." He pointed at the queen on the floor. 

The princess' eyes widened as she finally understood what was in her mother's hands. Her father's head. "You monster!" She cried out, tears welling up in her eyes. "What do you gain from this?"

The fey stood up from his place on the throne and slowly walked down the steps before he stopped in front of the princess. "You are going to marry the prince of Camelot?" 

"Yes?" She answers confused. "What does that have to do with anything?" 

"Well, a few years back a party from Camelot broke into my garden and stole something valuable from me. I am going to use your family's connections to Camelot to help me get in and get my revenge." He flexed his claw-like fingers. "But I don't need you guys anymore." 

He strikes down and slashes through warm flesh like paper mache. It was quick and got the job done as he cut the heads off of the princess and the queen, their blood merging into one big pool on the floor. "Guards, clean this mess up. I have a wedding to prepare for." 

Chapter 8: Pep Talk

My head was low as I walked out of the throne room. There was really nothing I could do to change my dad's mind. Once he had his mind set on something it would happen, no questions asked. I balled my fists in anger, my nails digging into my palm. They threatened to break the skin of my palm but never actually pierced it. Though it was still painful, a temporary distraction from my anger. Why did he have to do this to me? Didn't I get a choice to choose who i get to marry and who I love? It isn't fair! He got to choose, Mom wasn't even a noble and they still were able to get married. 

"Is everything okay, young prince?" Came a meek voice, it was one of the maids. She was using the laundry basket in her hands to hide, scared that she was going to be yelled at. 

I frowned, feeling bad that she was scared of me. "Yea-" I stopped myself. Why should I lie? "Actually, no. I'm just a little bit upset at my father." 

"Is there anything I could do to help?" She asked with hopefulness in her eyes. "It's the least i could do since you always help someone in need." 

"My father wants me to get married to this random princess from a far-off kingdom." My expression turned sour. 

"If you don't mind, would you walk and talk with me while I do my chores?" She shifted the laundry basket in her hands, and her arms were shaking. I nodded my head as she started to walk down the hallway, following close behind her."So, tell me, what do you know about this princess?" 

A sigh escaped from my mouth, and she gave me a sympathetic look. "That's the thing. I barely know anything about her besides the fact that she is a princess from the Thorn Kingdom." 

"Rose?" The maid suggested.

I nodded. "Yeah, that's her. How did you know?" I gave her a curious look.

"I have heard a lot about her." She smiled at me. "Lots of good things." 

A flicker of hope crossed my face, maybe I could salvage this situation. "Can you tell me more about her since she is my soon-to-be wife?" 

The maid turned into the laundry room, set the laundry basket down, and whipped some sweat from her brow using the back of her hand. "I'll tell you anything you want, it is the least I could do." 

"Thank you," She waved her hand at me, dismissing my gratitude. 

"I am at your service, my prince." She placed the laundry into a bucket full of water. "What else would you like to know?" 

"Is she nice?" I sat down beside her on one of the stray wooden stools. 

"Her full name is Rose, but she likes to go by her middle name, Ameilia or Amy for short." She talked as she put her hands to work, scrubbing towels.  

"So She also has an alternative name, just like me." I accidentally said out loud making the maid giggle. 

"I have also heard that she is very nice to her subjects, always polite." She talked with a smile on her face. "I think you would get along great with her." 

"I hope so." It would be nice to be with someone who shares the same or similar values as I do. "She sounds nice though." 

"I have also heard that she has lots of suitors due to her unmatched beauty and elegance." She said with a smile on her face. "The perfect combination of kindness and beauty. She is perfect for you." 

She was hard at work washing the laundry, I should leave her alone to do her chores. "Thank you again for listening and telling me more about her. I don't feel as nervous about getting married now that I know more about the person I am going to be wedded to in three days." 

She dropped the laundry in her hands, water droplets landing on the floor. "You're getting married in three days!? That's so soon!" 

"Yeah, that is kinda the main reason I am freaking out." I hated this whole situation, even if the person I was going to marry was nice. 

"This is such big news." She started pacing around the room, overflowing with excitement and surprise. "I need to tell everyone." 

"Wait!-" I called out but she ran out the door before I could stop her. 

I better get to my bedroom before I am bombarded with questions from maids and other royal staff alike. It won't take long before word spreads throughout the kingdom and soon everyone will know about the marriage. I was way too tired and fed up to deal with any more marriage talk for the rest of the day. Tomorrow is going to be hell, but it is future me's problem. I better get to bed so I have the energy to deal with it tomorrow. 

I made my way to my bedroom, sneaking past guards and maids to make sure that they wouldn't spot me and possibly ask me questions. When I got to my bedroom I closed and locked the door behind me, ensuring that nobody would bother me. I unbuttoned my shirt, it felt nice to not wear itchy fancy clothes. They just weren't my style, too pish posh. The shirt fell to the floor and it was soon followed by a pair of pants as I stripped down. I would put them in the hamper in the morning, I was too tired right now to care. I walked over to my bed, pulling the covers down before getting into bed. On the bedside table was a mini painting of my mother that I had requested a few years back after her death. 

"I love you, mom, I miss you so much." I kissed the tips of my fingers before pressing them to the painting where her face was. Tears welled up in my eyes. "Wish me luck because I will need it. Good night." 

Chapter 9: Preparing For The Wedding

"How do I look, Rouge?" I said turning around to show her my suit. 

Rouge was sitting on a nearby loveseat with her legs crossed. She looked me up and down several times before smiling. "Well, hello tall, dark, and devilishly handsome." She purred, playfulness evident in her voice. 

"Is this adequate for the wedding?" I turned to look at myself in the magic mirror, and my reflection looked back at me. 

"I think it is perfect." She got up from the bed and strode over. "Why not look hot while you take over and get revenge." 

"How is the preparation going" My gaze turned away from the mirror as I looked at Rouge.

She had a devilish grin. "Almost everything is packed and ready to leave at dusk. All we need is your word."

I waved my hand at her, motioning her to leave. "I need a moment to myself before we set off.  

Rouge was quick to leave, respecting my wishes. Her heels clicked against the floor with every step, slowly getting quieter as she got further and further away. Only when her steps were completely gone did I let myself relax. I was finally alone. Over the past few years, I have never been able to get that boy out of my head. He slipped from between my fingers like it was nothing. No one ever does that, not the alive ones anyway. 

I walked over to the drawer by my bedside table. I pulled it open to reveal a knife, the same one that the boy left all those many years ago when he took her away from me. I have been keeping it clean and polished, an ever-lasting reminder of why mortals should be punished. They took her away all those centuries ago and now they take away what I had left of her. The knife wasn't heavy but had a decent weight as I held it in my hand. I must find the boy and I will punish him for destroying what I had left. 

"You will pay." I glared at the emblem, my fingers tightening over the handle. "When I get my hands on you." My hand shook with rage. 

A droplet landed on the blade of the knife which caught me off guard. With my other hand, I brought my fingers to my eyes. There was wetness there as tears began to fall. Even after so many years, I couldn't get over her death. I set the knife back in the drawer before shutting it with more force than necessary. They took her away from me. They took the only real thing that made me happy. All mortals are bad. They only know greed and power. They only take but never give. 

"Maria," I said into the air, my voice breaking. Sadness overtook me and I couldn't hold back the tears that slid down my cheeks "I miss you so much." 

Many years back, when I was a young fey, I met this mortal girl. She had gotten lost in the woods after she was abandoned by her parents. We immediately clicked. Her bright smile melted my heart making it impossible to say no to her. She told me all about the world outside of the woods. In turn, I showed her around the fey village. There was fey everywhere you looked. Some had wings, others had tails, but everyone was unique. Her face was full with awe as she gazed upon the magical world of the fey. From then on she lived among us. 

It wasn't until a few years later that tragedy struck. A bunch of mythical creature hunters invaded our woods and cut down our trees. They brought with them weapons of mass destruction and their only goal was to capture and destroy. Maria tried to reason with them, her kind heart making her believe that anyone could be reasoned with. They took her away as well as some of the fey that had been captured. Our village was left in ruins, nothing was salvageable as everything was burned down till they were nothing but embers and smoke in the wind. 

Rage overtook me, giving me the strength to take on the hunters myself. I didn't feel anything as my hands became soaked in their blood and as their bodies went limp. All that mattered was making sure that they paid for crossing the fey. That's when I began to change, my body morphing into something darker. My fingernails became sharper, like claws, making it easier to tear through flesh. My sense of smell was stronger, nothing could hide from my nose. In a matter of an hour, there were piles of bodies everywhere. Blood sprayed on everything, all I could see was red. 

The fey, among other mythical creatures, were trapped in cages and tied down. Chains were wrapped around their bodies, leaving indentations on their skin. I let them all out, breaking the locks and cutting through the chains. I looked through every single cell trying to find Maria. I did when I finally got to the end of the cells. She was beaten and bruised, barely breathing. I rushed over to her and freed her from her binds but it was too late. She was weak, her body limp in my arms. 

"Maria!" I cupped her cheek in my hand, turning her face towards me. "Look at me!" 

Her hand reached out to cover my hand with hers. "Shadow...." Her voice was weak, and her eyes were dull. "You look different." 

"Yeah, I'm different now." I frowned, tears welling up in my eyes. 

She gave me a weak smile. "It's cool. I like it." She coughed, blood spraying out. 

"Stay with me," My voice sounded desperate. "Just hold on a little longer while I get you to the village." 

Her smile fell. "It's too late for me, Shadow. My time is up." It didn't take long for her body to become limp in my arms, her hand falling away from mine as it dangled lifelessly. I picked her up and walked away from the scene. 

"What do you mean we won't raid their camps!?" I shouted. I suggested that we get revenge on the mortals by killing some of their own and raiding the kingdom that sent the hunters after the fey in the first place. 

Half of the fey agreed that they would just relocate and forget that this ever happened. The other half were furious. Many of their friends and family members were either killed or tortured. They wanted to go to war with the mortals. This fifty-fifty division caused the fey to split into two different groups. The dark fey and the light fey, the dark fey were physically different. They developed claws and teeth just like I had. This metamorphosis was triggered by our deep-seated anger. I became the leader of the dark fey and led them to a new land that hadn't been claimed before, the obsidian desert. 

There we rebuilt, making a new home. There I made a garden just like the one Maria had made and buried her dead body at the center. Then a flower bloomed not too long after, its' beauty unmatched. The devil's blood flower became the only thing I had left of her besides the memories, which had begun to blur and morph as time went on. The only that I could vividly remember was the carnage and the pain. They took her away from me and now they take the only thing I had left of her. I will make them pay, and unlike the last time, I will not show them mercy. 

Chapter 10: Preparing For The Wedding Two

The past few days have been absolute chaos. The whole kingdom was working to do their part for the wedding. The most tedious task was setting up all the decorations. This might not seem like a lot if it were just a venue or something similar to that, but no, it couldn't be that easy when you had a father like mine. He wanted the venue to be the whole kingdom. This meant that the whole kingdom had to be decorated and cleaned so that it was in tip-top shape for the wedding. Thankfully, the people of the kingdom were willing to help set up the majority of the decorations outside the palace. The inside of the palace was a whole different story.  Maids and other palace staff alike were rushing everywhere to set up the decorations. The palace was big, which meant that they had a lot of work to do. I wish I could have helped them, but I already had my hands full with other wedding plans. I was stuck with cake-tasting duty. It was so hard to choose which cake because there were so many options that I felt overwhelmed. Plus, there was the fact that i could only select one cake for everyone to eat, so I needed to pick a cake that everyone would eat.

I stared at the long line of cakes, still trying to make a decision. There were so many that I liked. "How about the vanilla gold?" I said, pointing at the white frosted cake with golden details. If I had to pick a cake that everyone can enjoy, why not make it simple by going with one of the classics?

"As you wish, your majesty." The head chef gave me a bow as his assistants took away the other cakes. "We will start making the cake right away so that it is ready for your wedding tomorrow morning."

"Next up..." I looked at my long list of chores that I had to do for the wedding. The list was an eyesore because of how long it was, making it feel almost impossible to get everything done before nightfall. "Picking out a suit. That should be easy enough." The list was then tucked into my pocket as I headed towards the royal seamstress.

When I arrived, my father was already there, talking with the seamstress. She was looking over some paper that he had brought, nodding her head. It was odd. I hadn't been informed beforehand that my father would be here to get his own suit. It also didn't help that when we locked eyes, the room suddenly felt more tense. As if I were out of place. Maybe I should turn around and come back later. He has made it apparent many times that he doesn't like me and would rather be as far away from me as possible. And the look he was giving me wasn't helping my unease; it did the opposite, amplifying it instead. But as I was about to leave, the seamstress called me over and led me to a dressing room stage. Mirror walls surrounded it on three sides. The seamstress held a measuring tape in her hand and started to take my measurements. She was skilled at her job, measuring fast and writing down those measurements faster before moving on to the next thing.

She checked over her notes before looking at me. "I'll be right back with the suits you requested." She set her equipment down on a side table before disappearing behind a curtain that led to the back room.

"But I didn't request anything." She either didn't hear me or didn't care as she slipped away.

My father stepped closer towards me. "That's because I did. I want you to dress a certain way for your wedding, something that is regal, but you can't be trusted with that." His tone was condescending, meant to make me feel small. The only thing that it achived though was making me pissed off. "You would go with something 'simple' and unfit for a prince. I can't allow you to embarrass me."

I rolled my eyes at him, wishing he would just go away and leave me be already. "Don't you have better things that you need to be doing than babysitting me?" I bit back with the same amount of malice. That seemed to get a reaction out of him as he threatened to hit me, but was stopped by the seamstress coming back with a rack of suits.

"We'll start with this one." She handed me a blue suit. "Try it on for me, young prince." I grabbed the suit from her hands, giving her the hangar back.

The fabric was nice and soft with sliver embroidery. The silver contrasted with the dark blue of the suit giving it a surreal look. So this is what my father meant by elegant. He wanted to dress me up and bedazzle me so that he could show me off to the whole kingdom. I was nothing more than a trophy to show out status to the other Thorn Kingdom. The silk of the suit was probably expensive and the design embroidery most likely was a symbol of power.

"Put it on." Said the seamstress. "I need to see if we need to make any adjustments." I complied and started to put the suit on. It was uncomfortable due to how stiff it was and felt too big.

"Let's try this red one." My father demanded, waving he hand in the direction of the red suit. The seamstress was quick to fetch it and it exchanged it for the blue one. I put it on, this one felt more comfortable. "Now that is perfect for the wedding. Elegant, but also demands power. Where did you get this miss Lily?"

"It came as a gift from the thorn kingdom. They said something about it matching the other set that they had picked out." Miss Lily, also known as the seamstress, said as she bowed her head. "I have never seen such a technique before."

My father's face flashed with disdain before disappearing once more. He didn't like the fact that the Thorn Kingdom had been the one who had it. "We'll take it. I'll expect it to be done by tomorrow morning before the wedding." He looked at me, his gaze hard. "You have a long day tomorrow, so you better be ready."

Chapter 11: Wedding

I awoke to the shining through the crack in my curtains. The first few times that it had blinded me, I had just rolled over onto my side and passed out for another few minutes, but on the third time, I finally got irritated. I sat up in my bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Everything was blurry, but it slowly became clearer as time went on. The light that broke through the crack was still blinding me, so I got out of bed, shifting the covers off my body and planting my feet on the floor. A shiver ran up my body as my feet met the cold surface of the floor, and cool air caressed my body. I was all nice and warm when I was snugled up in my blanket. As I walked over to the curtains, i saw that there was the red suit from yesterday, sitting on one chair by my dresser. Looks like it was finished on time. I'll put it on in a little bit. I'm more concerned about other things right now. Such as fixing the curtain. I gently gripped the edges of the curtain, the fabric soft underneath my fingertips.

I hesitated, debating. "I might as well open them because I was going to wake up soon anyway. It's better to get a head start on things." Instead, I walked over to the suit, studying it. It didn't look any different, but the seamstress was good at her job. "If this were under different circumstances, I would have probably loved it."  

I picked up the suit, feeling it in my hands. It was beautiful. I wish I could have found it before this whole wedding situation, then it wouldn't have to be tainted with the sourness of the situation. I would have worn it to my wedding were I had met the girl of my dreams and had a happily ever after with a prosperous kingdom. Maybe if I could make things different, I could get at least part of my dream. The living conditions for some of our citizens are horrific, and some of them are barely getting by. But the worst part of all is that if could all be fixed if the high class weren't so greedy for power and money they didn't need. They practically were drowning in it and barely lifted a finger for anything besides slapping their workers and slaves. The lower classes work so hard but barely get anything for it, while the higher class has parties and waste tons of food. A few years ago, I realized that food was going to waste, so I went behind my father's back and ordered the kitchen staff to donate the extra food. They were happy to oblige and kept the whole ordeal secret. I'm surprised that my father hasn't found out about it, or if he has, he hasn't done anything about it either. He used to be such a kind man, especially after he got married to my mother and had me, but something snapped when my mother passed away. He was no longer my father. 

There was a soft knock on the door, which was soon followed by a meek voice of one of the many maids. "Young prince- I mean, Sonic. The wedding starts in an hour. Me and a few other maids have been tasked to get you ready." She said as she opened the door, and she, along with a few others, came in with combs and other tools. This all seemed like overkill, but this was my father we were talking about; he'd do anything to make thinsg harder for me. "Please stay still while we do our job." 

I stood still as i let them doo their work. Their hands moved fast, they held experiences, and it showed as such. It didn't take long for them to fit me into my wedding suit. It was pulled over my shoulders and was swiftly buttoned up. A belt was then swiftly wrapped around my waist, securing my pants. They then moved on to my quills, brushing through them until they were all tidy. It was embressing, i usally half assed brushing my quills so they were always messy. But there was a certain reason for that. Products usually made my quills less sharp, so it made defending myself harder. That didn't mean that I didn't like my quills tidy. They were nice and soft this way, just like my mother's. 

"That should do it." Said one of the maid as all of them stepped back to admire their work. "I think we did good, ladies. He looks amazing for his wedding. Oh, and speaking of weddings, you need to go." I slowly walked towards the door before one of them yelled at me. "Now!" It would have been nice to waste my father's time, but this wasn't only his time, though; it was the people of our kingdom and the Thorn Kingdom. 

As I arrived at the arch where I was supposed to meet my future bride, my father came up to me. He looked angry, made more apparent by how red his face had gotten. "Do you know how late you are?!" He whispered-yelled at me, not wanting the other guest to get wind of what was going on. "You have made a fool of me." He rubbed his temples with disappointment, but I should be the one tired and irritated. I planned this whole thing because he refused to lift a finger. 

"It was only a few minutes." I rolled my eyes at him. I wasn't even that late, and the wedding hadn't even started yet. He was just making a big deal out of nothing. 

"You're lucky that the princess isn't here yet, or else you would have made a fool out of me and everyone in this kingdom." He looked like he wanted to say more, but shut his mouth as a carriage approached. It had the symbol of the thorn kingdom across the side, so it had to be the princess. My father pushed me in the direction of the carriage. "Go greet her. You have to know basic manners at least." 

I did what I was told and walked over to it. The guards stepped away to give me and my future bride some room. It would be the first time we would meet, so it had to be special. I had to make the best first impression, both of our kingdoms relied on it. "My lady. I am going to open the door and help you out of the carriage. Welcome to our kingdom." I bowed and got on one knee, looking at the ground. 

The door of the carriage audibly slid open before the sound of footsteps followed. "How quaint." Said a masculine voice, catching me off guard, making my gaze shoot up. My eyes locked onto the red one as I stared up. He was a fey, but not just any fey. He was the king of the dark fey from all those years ago. "Oh, it's you." 

I stepped back, yelling at the people around me to stay back and be on guard. "Why are you here?" I tried to hold a defensive stance, putting myself between him and my people. "What do you want from us?" He smirked at my question, eyes blazing with sadistic glee. 

"Simple." He paused, letting the tension linger. "Revenge." 

And then everything exploded into chaos.

Chapter 12: Ambush

Everything exploded into chaos. 

"It's the dark fey!" Someone screamed and started running, triggering a chain reaction. The people of the kingdom started to run around like crazy people.

I tried to get control of the situation. "Guards!" We needed to get the people out of harm's way before we tried anything against the fey king. This guy is powerful, so most of the guards wouldn't stand a chance against this guy. "Take the people to the shelter and lock the doors. Protect them at all costs. And somebody get me a sword!" One of the guards pulled out his sword and gave it to me before retreating to get other weapons. 

Now it was only between me and this guy. My father had followed after the guards to get his own sword. This was his kingdom after all, and he would fight for it. There were very few things my father was passionate about after my mother's death; protecting his kingdom from foreign enemies was one of them. It was mostly pride and greed that drove him. He didn't want to be the disgrace that let many generations of rulership fall. It was all about image and not about the fact that the lives of the people of the kingdom mattered. It made me angry, wishing I could do more, but I was the crown prince, not the king.  The king had the final say in things in the end, and it had been made very clear by my father that he doesn't care about my opinion. He will even go out of his way to oppose it. All because he was angry at the world. The grief he felt for his mother was turned into hatred, and one day he decided that I would be the perfect target to put most of his anger onto. 

But now was my time to shine, to stand and fight for my kingdom and my people. "I won't let you hurt anyone, not under my watch." I take a protective stance, making sure to be cautious if he tries anything. 

His speed, from very little experience, was the same as mine, if not faster. But his speed does not make him deadly; it is everything about him. The way he speaks to the way he looks at me, it was sharp and was made to intimidate. He had fingers that ended in dagger-like claws, razor sharp. His teeth were pure white and pointed; they could easily tear through flesh and break bone if he tried. The way he circled me in a way that screamed predatory, like a predator stalking its prey. It was all about who would strike first. He was waiting for me to make the first move so that he could catch me off guard and disarm me. His eyes were also darting between me and the ground as if anticipating the same trick I had pulled on him all those years ago; he didn't want to be fooled again. 

"It's cute that you think you could possibly defeat me, let alone force me to flee from your disgusting kingdom." He jabbed, trying to make me lose my focus with insults. "Once I have what I came for, which is not only revenge, I will take your kingdom as my own." His eyes got more intense as a sadistic smirk spread across his lips. He wasn't lying; he would one hundred percent take my kingdom in his endless thirst for revenge. 

"For as long as my heart is still beating, I will protect my people. They weren't the ones who did anything. It was me and me alone." There was a flicker in his eyes, surprise maybe. It caused him to hesitate for a second before he masked it. 

"You-" He started, but was interrupted by my father swinging his sword at him. The fey king barely dodged but quickly recovered. "You just keep multiplying, don't you, one pest after another." He spat, getting pissed off but quickly calmed down. "But, you don't stand a chance." 

I was confused at first, before there was the sound of more screams. More people of the kingdom came flooding, now running for the main entrance of the kingdom. "What did you do?!" I demanded, raising my sword threateningly. He only chukled at the display, thinking it was pathetic. 

"You didn't think I would come alone, did you?" He said, his smirk wider than it was before. Holy shit, he had come with an entire army. He was just the distraction. Most of the guards were either protecting the guests from the wedding or were on guard, providing backup if needed to help in fighting the fey king. That left us wide open. "You realise it, don't you?" 

It felt like my whole world had come crashing down. The walls of the kingdom were being broken done and buildings were being destroyed. There were screams everywhere, coming from all directions. Most of them were in fear, but some of them were in agony; people were getting hurt. My people were getting hurt. And there was nothing I could do. We were completely surrounded by dark fey while the guards and royal knights alike were unprepared for the attack. Fey climbed the walls while others flew above them using their wings. There was only one of me and thousands of them. We were outnumbered and outgunned. The kingdom would fall if the fey king demanded it. 

"You monster!" My father yelled before swinging his sword again, with more force this time. He cut the back of the fey king, but the wound quickly healed, leaving not a mark on his fur. The only evidence of the cut was the hole in the attire that the fey king was wearing.

The fey king quickly disarmed my father and held him against his chest, caging him. He flex his claws before bringing them to my father's neck, threatining to slit his throat. "Now what I want. Where is the devil's blood flower? Tell me what you did with it, or else he dies. Also, drop your sword, we wouldn't want you getting any ideas and causing an accident with your dear father here." 

Fear overtook me. My father held the same emotion in his eyes; he was scared, too. And they looked sad too. Like he was expecting me to sacrifice him. I might hate him for what he has done, but he's still my father, and I still love him. "It was turned into tea," I spoke, voice shaky as i dropped my sword. 

"And?" He looked upset, really upset. "Who drank it?" The order was firm, his claws teasing the skin of my father's throat. 

"I did!" I blurted out. He let go of my father and walked over towards me. His hands gripped my chin, forcing me to look up at him. "I was the one who drank it. Get revenge on me. Please don't hurt anyone else. Leave my kingdom out of this." I offered my neck, bearing to, so that he had easy access, making it easier to kill me. 

He was tall and intimidating, making my knees shake. I closed my eyes as I accepted my fate, but it never came. Instead, a nose was pressed against my neck, sniffing me. I let out a gasp of surprise, not expecting the touch. "You weren't lying." He pulled away from my neck. "You're coming with me." 

I was then thrown onto his shoulder as if I were a sack of potatoes. "What are you doing!? This isn't necessary!"

"Shut up." He demanded as he readjusted me, halting my struggles. "Rouge!" He called out, causing a female bat fey to fly down. "I got what I came for. Tell the troops to retreat. We're done here." 

He walked into the carriage that he arrived in and threw me inside roughly before closing the door behind us. I was so screwed. 

Chapter 13: The Start Of a Long Journey

Notes:

Sorry, this one is kinda short and feels rushed.

"Sit." The dark fey said as he shoved me into the carriage.

I fell onto the plush cushions with my hands in front of me. It hurt a little bit, the fur on my elbows felt raw, probably from a form of rug burn. The fey didn't seem to care anyway, pushing in past me to force me to sit up before he sat down next to me. He wanted to keep a close eye on me, a very close eye. Personally, I thought he was too close for what would be necessary. His body was pressed against mine, it felt hot and uncomfortable, especially with his breathing tickling my neck.

"Ever heard of personal space?" I asked while I tried to put some space between us, but he followed me. "You're squishing me."

"That's the point." He gripped my arm, pulling me closer. "I need to get to know you personally. And I want you to feel uncomfortable, that way I can start to get my revenge on you." His fingers combed through my quills. "You are quite impressive, especially when you were younger, how you dodged me. It makes me curious about what else you can do."

"You're crazy." I growled. "So, are you fulfilling your side of the deal?" I was only coming with him if he was going to spare my people. "I want your fey people out of my kingdom!"

He gripped my by the cheeks and brought me to his face. "You don't make the demands here. You lost that right when you have yourself up." He flashed me his sharp teeth. "Be patient, my people will be off your land soon enough. Don't worry your pretty little head about it, I have it covered." His grip loosened, allowing me to slip away. I rubbed my jaw where he grabbed my, it was sore due to the amount of pressure he was using.

"Can I at least look out through the window." I asked, voice meek. The fey King gave me a look before he pulled back the curtain. There were two fey surrounding my father to make sure that none of the guards, or my father, would attempt to follow the carriage. "Dad."

There was a dark chuckle. "And you're never going to see him again." My eyes widened at his words. If I never see my father again, that might also mean that I'll never see my home again.

"Why is that?" I asked. I needed answers, and he better give me them.

"Because you're never leaving, ever, I'll make sure of that." I knew he wasn't lying; the look in his eyes told me as much. "From now on, I own you. You're mine."

Calm down, you have to calm down. You are doing this for your people, so you have to stay strong for them. That also means doing scary things, just like last time, but I can't escape. "What do you plan to do with me? You want to torture me?"

"Far worse than that, young prince." The fey said, not even looking me in the eyes. 

The longer I looked out the window, the farther my kingdom got. This was going to be the last time I would ever see it, and it was all in ruins—buildings either on fire or crumbling, people screaming and crying. This is not how I want to remember my kingdom. The place I love, full of the people I love, is destroyed and replaced with despair. The once beautiful kingdom is nothing more than King Fey's sandbox. It's all over. I'll never find love, real love. I'll never get the happy ending that I was hoping for. I'll never become king and change my kingdom for the good of my people. All the things I was hoping to achieve were destroyed in less than a day.  

I was then pulled away from the window and set back in my seat. "That's enough window time. Forget about your home now, it will make it easier in the future." I struggled in his grip so that I could continue to look out the window. "I said, sit down, you brat. You will do everything I say, or else I will go back on our deal and conquer your kingdom too. Your choice." I reluctantly sat back down on the seat next to the fey king. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

Then I realized something. "What did you do to the Thorn Kingdom?" I hoped that Rose was okay. I might not have known her, but she sounded nice, and this is only happening because I messed up. He's only after me. 

There was an amused scoff. "Someone worried about their little girlfriend?" He teased. "I conquered it, made it a part of my kingdom. And when you take over another kingdom, you don't leave the ruling bloodline alive." My heart dropped. No, they couldn't be dead. "But look on the bright side, I don't have to kill your bloodline or anyone in your kingdom. You gave up willingly." 

He's right, in a way. My people are safe and won't have to meet the same fate as the Thorn Kingdom. There was nothing I could do in the first place to stop this monster. Every decision was his own, not mine. He chose to be a cruel monster and murder hundreds of people, innocent people. All because his favorite plant was stolen for the greater good. I looked at my own hands, which were worn with calluses; I was a fighter. One day, I will get revenge and free my people from this monster. I shall behead him with my sword to prevent him from hurting anyone else. I will do everything in my power to make sure that he doesn't hurt another innocent person again. I'm not helpless, I am a leader, I don't back down or give up when things get tough. Kings don't abandon their people; they fight for them. I will fight for my people and rid the world of this monster. 

Chapter 14: The Right Hand Man (Woman)

There was only silence in the carriage, besides the squeak of the wheels. I dared not to look at this ugly monster. I didn't want to see how ugly mug after what he did, the terrible acts that he has committed. I might not have power in this situation but I'm not just going to roll over and take it, that wouldn't be very kingly of me. For his part he didn't say much either, too silent. His presence felt weird, like he was not there but I could clearly see that he was. Whatever this guy is doing, it is dangerous and I need to find a way around it if I want to kill him. I don't want to be caught off guard while I think he's caught off guard. 

Then there was a sudden sound on top of the carriage. It was like something had landed on the carriage, something roughly around the size of a Mobian. I flinched at the sudden noise as it cut through the silence, the tension only got thicker. The fey King on the other hand didn't even bat an eye at the unexpected noise, almost like he already knew that it was going to happen. I still felt uneasy and kept a close eye on the roof while my ears strained to hear anything else. The king might not care but I sure do. 

There was no noise for a while before a jingling noise. It sounded like a lock was being messed with, all the mechanisms being unlocked. Then the roof of the carriage flew open revealing a bat, she was also a dark fey, the dark glint in her eye told me so. Here eyes were an intense blue, staring down at me with curiosity. She flashed me her fangs, a smile spreading across her face. 

"You must be Arthur, also known as Sonic." She jump down and sat on the row of seats across from us, the top of the carriage slamming shut behind her. "Hello, handsome." She winked at the fey King. "Did you miss me?" 

"How do you know who I am?" I asked, now staring at her with caution. From what little I know about the dark fey, they can never be trusted. She only snickered at me, finding my distrust amusing. 

She crossed her legs and sat on the seat as if it was a throne. "I know a lot of things about you, blue. How do you think we pulled off this operation?" She gestured around the carriage. "This couldn't have been done without me. I collected the information, every single detail I can get my hands on. We attacked today because that was when you would be at your most vulnerable, your wedding. You weren't expecting a hoard of dark fey to trash your already trash kingdom, you were expecting a cute girl in a wedding dress." 

"So you spied on us." I clarified, needing to know if I understood what she was saying. She only let out a short laugh, it was mocking in nature. "You caused the death of so many innocent people! The Thorn kingdom has nothing to do with this revenge against me." 

"So, you seriously think we care? Your innocence is subjective, your kind always has a dark side." She dropped her playful tone for something more serious. "But the Thorn Kingdom doesn't matter anymore since it's in ruins, ready to be rebuilt for our kingdom." 

"Who are you anyway, his wife?" My tone mirrored the same hostility she gave me. I had come up with this assumption because of the way she dressed, it was provocative at best, and how families she seemed to be with the fey King. She also had an expensive ring on her finger. Anyone could have made the same assumption. 

"No, ew." Her face showed disgust. "No offense, Shadow." She looked at me like I had just grown a second head. Was what I said that bizarre to this bat lady? "We are more like siblings. He might be the king and I'm second in command, but I am not his queen. Plus I'm engaged to somebody else." She flashed her ring with pride. 

"She is my commander." The fey King spoke up. I was not expecting him to speak, he seemed like a strong silent type. "If I am not available she will take command in my absence. I'm only telling you this because I know you won't go spilling my secrets." 

I just rolled my eyes. "And how do you know that? I'm not loyal to you." That caused the fey King to scoff. The female bat, Rouge had a similar expression as she covered her giggle. "What's so funny?!" 

The fey King grabbed my arm, his grip tight, almost painful. He glared down at me. "You can't tell anyone our secrets if you're locked away, unable to leave." I gulped, scared on the inside, while I was trying to look brave on the outside. "Would suggest you keep your tone in check, I don't take too kindly when people raise their voice at me. I don't tolerate any disrespect, especially from your kind." 

"Shadow." The bat spoke, catching the attention of the king. "Why did you capture him in the first place, wasn't your plan to execute him? You also don't treat prisoners so delicately, or personally escort them." The fey king's grip loosened but it was still firm.

"This idiot ate the plant." The bat's eyes widened at the King's words. "That's why he's getting special treatment, he's all there is left of the Devil's Blood flower." 

"So what are you going to do after we get back to the castle?" Rouge asked, her eyes darting between me and the king. 

"He's going to stay locked up, I want him by my side every single second of every single day." The king pulled me closer. "That was made clear to me when he broke into the garden, it was secure, but somehow his kind made it in. I won't let that happen again." 

I could tell he was serious, the way he spoke made it clear. He was never going to let me go, never going to let me leave his sight, which would make escaping hard, but it would make killing him easier. I would always be close enough to hurt him, kill him, all I needed to do was sneak a weapon. Hopefully that wouldn't be too hard. Besides, if he did find out I was plotting to murder him, he wouldn't do anything, he was giving me mercy to some degree. This special treatment would only help me in the long run, for now I just have to bite my tongue. He'll let his guard down eventually.

Notes:

Today is currently day 43 of writing 1000 words or more a day. This chapter was made for day 42, currently working on today's chapter, so stay tuned.

Chapter 15: On The Road

It had been a while since the carriage started off. There was nothing to do besides stare at the interior, which was starting to get boring. I was a very active hedgehog, always moving, never staying still in one spot for long. It took an incredible amount of self restraint not to bounce my foot, let alone bounce off the walls. The carriage was medium sized, enough to fit four people, but after a while it started to feel stuffy. It didn't help that the fey King, Shadow, wanted to be pressed against me at all times, not even giving me personal space. He wanted to make sure that I didn't try anything, but it was starting to get annoying.

 

"Shadow, I would suggest we stop soon." Rouge said from her seat, playing with her nails. I never understood why people spent so much time taking care of their nails. But I did have to agree with Rouge's statement, we needed to stop soon before I went stirr crazy. "It's been a while since we took a break, so why don't we set up camp." 

 

Shadow huffed as he crossed his arms. "I would prefer if we traveled through the whole night, just like we did on the way here. I would like to get back to my palace sooner rather than later." It seemed like he wasn't going to take no as an answer. 

 

"The troops are tired because of the journey here. I doubt that they would want to make the journey back while pulling all nighters." Rouge continued, not caring if the king already rejected her suggestion. "Plus they are a little upset because they didn't cause as much destruction as they wanted." 

 

"Fine. You know our troops limits better than I do." Shadow gave in. "We can take a break, but only when the sunsets. I want to make as much daylight as possible. You know I don't like wasting time, especially when I want something done." I was extremely surprised when he actually listened to her advice. Even with the advice of my father's trusted advisors, he would ignore their suggestions and just go with what he wanted. It was strange seeing a king actually follow the advice of someone.

 

"Sure." She sounded bored. "Subset isn't for another hour or two, I'll try to keep myself occupied until then." Her eyes finally left her nails and focused on me instead. She looked me up and down with pity. "But I do wonder what you're going to do with Mr Sonic over here. He looks like he won't survive another second being trapped in here." 

 

"Then he'll just have to suck it up and sit down like the rest of us." This guy really did have no sympathy. What an asshole. 

 

"You don't understand what it's like to be me." I spat, crossing my arms in irritation. "Give me something to do before I die of bored!" 

 

Shadow sighed as he rubbed his temples, he was done with my whining but made no move to punish me. Instead, he magically poofed a book out of nowhere and threw it at me. I was able to catch it before it hit me directly in the face. The cover of the book was made out of expensive leather. Where did he get a book that was so expensive?

 

"How were you able to get your hands on something as costly as this?" I asked, looking up at Shadow. He had his eyes closed as if he was sleeping, but I knew that he wasn't. "I've rarely seen books like these." 

 

Shadow scoffed. "Do you seriously think I'm poor? I've lived for a very long time and I have been all over the world, in my time I have collected not only wealth but rare items. You'd think with an empire as old as mine I would be the richest among the rich." He explained as if it was the most obvious thing. "Not to mention my most recent expansion, my empire is much bigger now after I've not only inherited other kingdoms' royal land, but their riches too.

 

"I guess that does make sense." I muttered under my breath, but he heard me. 

 

"It's insulting you think that I'm poor." He growled. "Now shut up and start reading. You were complaining earlier that you needed something to do, so don't take my generosity for granted." 

 

"I would suggest doing what he says, he's never this generous with prisoners." Rouge said from her seat, going back to playing with her nails. "Sooner or later it's going to run out." She had a point, he was ruthless and cruel to the Thorn Kingdom, killing innocent people. I'm lucky he's giving me such mercy, he hasn't given anyone else such a thing. 

 

I opened the book and let my eyes scroll across the page. It was a fantasy book, one that my mother used to read to me. This one was about a powerful wizard wanting to become immortal, he was all powerful and has full control of the land. One day he fell from grace after falling in love with a peasant girl. She tough him how to love and see the little things in life. His iron clad hold of the land became less harsh, no longer spreading misery across his land. He became empathetic and saw the beauty in life. He gave up his immortality and lived happily ever after with his lover. My mother promised me that one day I would also find my true love and have my own happily ever after. 

 

The sky outside got darker as it drew closer to sunset, we would be stopping soon. I closed my book in favor of look at the scenery outside. The last time I've slept outside was when I went on that adventure with my father and the royal guard, since then I haven't been outside of the kingdom. It felt freeing and trapping at the same time. Freeing to finally be outside of the kingdom, but trapping since I would have to be stuck in close proximity. 

 

"Get out." Shadow order as he stepped out of the carriage. "Everybody else, set up camp." 

Chapter 16: Setting Up Camp

I hated that we had to stop, especially when we could be home so soon, but Rouge was right. My people don't have the same stamina and resistance as I do, so I must take into consideration their well-being; that's what a good leader does for his people. I will not let a single one of my people grow weak. I'd hate to be the one who caused them harm. We have to take a break, even if it goes against my current desires. As the ruler of my people, their strength is my strength; a king can only be as good as his people.

"Sir, where should we set up your tent?" One of the lower-ranking guards asked. He was young and spry, ready to go above and beyond to prove his worth. I admired his determination; our kingdom needed strong fey like him.

I turned to look down at him, being one of the oldest fey, it gave me the perk of being taller than everyone else. "That's not going to be necessary. Your orders are to gather firewood and set up your tent." My response was short and straight to the point, leaving no room for arguments. I don't need others to help me do minuscule tasks that I can easily do myself. I might be king, but I am not a coward who lets my people do all of the hard work for me. "Sleep up too, we have a long day tomorrow."

"With all due respect, my king, you are watching over the prisoner." He gestured to the blue hedgehog that stood beside me. The prince might be a bit of a handful for regular fey; he might get the upper hand and run away. It's best if he stays by my side so that doesn't happen. "You already have your hands full, so why not let me help you out?"

This young fey was right, I already had my hands full watching the prince and my other duties as king. "Fine." I gave in. "You are allowed to set up my tent after you have done all other duties. You are dismissed..." I tilted my head at him, not knowing his name.

"Knuckles." He said, determination written across his face.

"You are dismissed, Knuckles. I hope to see you more." He nodded at my words before she rushed off to collect firewood. His most defining characteristic is that he was an Echidna, a very rare species among the fey, which were known for being remarkably strong. He has a bright future higher up in my ranks.

"He's cute," Rouge said from my other side, a flirty smile plastered across her face. She has always been a flirt; that's just her personality. After years of knowing her, it doesn't bother me as much; she's just a friend, my second in command. "He might be some fun to tease later." I just rolled my eyes.

"Go easy on the guy." She just gave me a mischievous smirk at my words; she was going to have fun teasing the guy.

"Can't a girl have a little fun?" She giggled before heading in the direction Knuckles had gone. Looks like she has found her next victim, but I didn't feel sorry for him. "I'll see if I can get him to set up my tent too, maybe get him to sleep in it if I'm lucky. Goodnight, Shadow. See you tomorrow morning, and good luck with the prisoner." She gave the blue hedgehog, Sonic, one last glance before flying off. 

I looked around the camp, and everything was going according to plan. The camp was being quickly set up with ease because everyone was doing their part. There was a big pile of firewood by the fire, which was steadily growing as more logs were cut. There were also clusters of tents, some of them already having inhabitants. This was what efficiency looked like: all work and no play until after the job is done. I was very proud of my people. They were strong, resilient, and most importantly, loyal. They treated me with utmost respect and followed my lead no matter the situation; they trusted me. That is the reason why I have to make good decisions because they entrust their lives to me and expect me to lead them on the best path. 

After a little bit of checking around and making sure my people were okay, Knuckles came up to me, and a hickey was forming on his neck. "Sir, your tent has been set up." He saluted me with a faint blush on his cheeks. "Sleep well, my king." He said briefly before he ran away, no doubt having more fun with Rouge. Looks like they are having fun.

I headed towards my tent, making sure to keep a firm grip on Sonic's arm. He was surprisingly quiet during the duration of my check-in, most likely planning something. Using his arm, I tossed him into the tent before stepping in myself. "Either sleep, or stay quiet, those are your only two options." He landed on my pile of blankets, letting out an oof sound as he did so. "I would much rather you behave than make me punish you." 

"You like throwing me around, don't you?" He snarked, sitting up from the pile of blankets. "I swear I'm going to have bruises where I have landed." I rolled my eyes. He was only being a dramatic, annoying little shit.

"I would hold your sarcasm if I were you. I am a rival king, and you shall treat me with respect." I towered over him, tall and imposing. "Besides, your landings weren't hard enough to leave bruises, so quit your whining before I make you." That seemed to shut him up as he fully lay down in the sea of fuzzy blankets and rolled over, giving me his back. At least he was being quiet. 

There was cheering and singing outside the tent, but I didn't make a move to join my men. I wasn't one for parties, especially at a time like this. I will only celebrate once we get the prince back into the capital, where he will be examined so we can find a way to get the demon's blood flower out of him. I'm not going to let this annying boy inconvenience me. This whole situation will be over soon enough, and afterwards, I can finally get my revenge on this boy and exterminate him from this world. That was for later; now is the time to lie down. 

Chapter 17: Running Away

"Mama?" I called out into the cold, crisp air, my voice was shaky. My whole body was shaky for that matter, shivering in both fear and the biting cold. "Mama, where are you?" I called out once more, but no voice, but my own, echoed back at me. 

 

I was lost in the forest, all alone, and nobody was coming for me. I don't know how I knew that, I just did. There was no reason as to why or where I was, but all I knew was that I was lost and that my mother was somewhere in this forest. The only thing that could be heard was that subtle rustling of leaves. It was calm, so calm that it was unsettling. Nothing moved, nothing alive anyway. I strained my ears, attempting to use sound to find my mother, but it was useless. I was lost, lost in the woods, and lost finding my mother. She was here somewhere, I could feel it in my bones. She was also running, trying to find a way out. I tried to follow her tracks, but I was too far behind to catch up with her. It was only a distant trail that I could only follow but never find the end to. 

 

"Mom!" I shouted, tears streaming down my face. "Please stay, don't leave me here.  I need you to be here with me, stop running away." The sounds of the forest suddenly stopped, going completely silent as if it wasn't happy with my shouting. The forest was rebelling by taking away all of my senses, cutting me off from finding my mother. It didn't take long for everything to gradually fade around me, turning almost completely pitched black, unable to see a foot in front of me. 

 

The hint of my mother's perfume also began to fade, replaced by nothing.  Everything was fading, even the happy memories we had together. It became harder and harder to remember her face as it became a warped amalgamation of different shapes. Her face blurred and melted until it was completely blank. I tried to grab at her but she turned to dust in my hands, blowing away in the wind to never be seen again. There was nothing left of her, her voice, her beauty, her touch, her love. All that was her was gone. All besides the last memory of her. Her pale skin and dull fur, her eyes were dead. They were burned into my eyes, seeing the nothingness that was her soul. 

 

Then everything began to change until it came together into one big figure. It was a demon, a huge one at that. It claws were shaken and his teeth were bloody. He was going to eat me, so I ran, but my body refused to move. Instead, it actually went in the the opposite direction, pulling me towards the nightmarish beast. More of them began to form, clawing their way from out of the black sea that was this world. They all gathered around me and started tearing me to pieces as they ate me alive. In the distance there was a figure, my mother, she was running away and leaving me with the demons. 

 

I awoke, shooting up from the pile of blankets. They were wrapped around my body making it feel like I was wrapped in the demons' embrace, so I kicked them off me. Adrenaline was running through my veins, still spooked from my nightmare. Sweat soaked my whole body, covering it in a layer of wet, making it feel like I just got out of the shower. It was disgusting to say the least and I should have been used to it too. Ever since my mother passed away I've been having dreams about her, specifically chasing after her, but she is always to far.  It used to be so bad that I had to see a doctor. He said that my dreams were expressing my internal struggle of my mom's death. My constantly chasing after my mom, and her being just out of reach, symbolized how helpless I was to save her. I went on this journey, got the flower to save her life, but I was too late. 

 

The fog around me lifted as the real world came back into view. Shadow was sleeping on the other side of the tent, as far as he could possibly be from me. He didn't snore but his breaths were deep and long. The world outside the tent was silent, besides a few rustling of leaves and the quiet hoot of an is owl. At this time of night most creatures were sleeping casing the forest to also quite down as if it too was sleeping. The quiet murmurs of the creatures that were awake were like the snores of the forest. 

 

I got up, making sure to make my movements silent, or else I risk waking up the fey King. Now was the perfect opportunity to sneak away so that I could fully prepare my plan of killing Shadow, which would be extremely hard considering how powerful the dude is. That just means I have to be careful and not hesitate, hesitating means failing. Even one second of hesitation will give him the ability to react and act accordingly. He's fast, that means I have to be faster. 

 

I tried to make everything silent, even my breath as I tried to hold it. I wouldn't be holding it that long though as I quickly made my way to the entrance of the tent, which was just a piece of cloth covering the entrance, nothing too special. It would be easy to move, but I have to stay cautious, the flap might make a sound and alert Shadow. I slowly grabbed the bottom of the flimsy piece of cloth and pulled it up just a smidge, this opening was big enough to crouch through, so I carefully made my way through the small opening. 

 

I was then greeted by the sight of dozens of tents scattered around the area, most of the fey were in their tents, but I could clearly see some laying by the embers of the fire. The only thing that could be heard through the whole camp was snores, some of them were obnoxiously loud, which would be great cover for my get away. I was getting lucky, there was a dagger laying by the trunk of a tree, probably used to carve some wood. Too bad the person left it there for me to put my gruby hands on. And I picked the dagger up. 

 

My eyes widened, it had the Camelot's seal on the handle, specifically the royal seal that was only used by royals. It looked scuffed, old, and worn down from use. "This is the dagger that I dropped in the garden." The pieces clicked together in my head. Shadow had used the dagger that I had dropped to find my kingdom, this really was all my fault. If I haven't left the dagger he might have not found my kingdom. 

 

I turned the handle to the side, there was my father's initials carved into the leather on the underside. No doubt about it, this was my father's dagger. I looked at it solemnly before I put in my quills, they were perfect for storing and hiding things. Best if I get moving, the less time I waste the more time I'll have. So I turned towards the cold and dark forest, it's blackness unsettled me, but I continued forward. Once I'm far enough away from camp I can start running. 

 

Once the light from the lanterns of the camp started to fade from view I started to sprint. I didn't know the direction I was going, I just ran. Leaves crunched loudly under my feet, making me cringe at how loud it was in the quiet night. Everything always seemed so ridiculously loud when it was night, it was irritating at home, but here, it was dangerous. I tried my best to not trip over any hidden logs or holes, best if I don't fall while trying to run away. 

 

My running eventually took me to a river, more like a stream with how tiny it was. The water was black, too dark to see what was in the water, but the surface of the water ripped, reflecting the light of the moon. It was beautiful, and I would have enjoyed it more if the adrenaline in my veins wasn't pumping so rapidly. I was far enough from camp that even if they did wake up with find me gone they would have a hard time tracking me. I would be so far ahead of them, due to my speed, that they wouldn't be able to catch up to me. 

 

I was safe here for the time being. The sun won't be coming up soon, so I have a while until the sun comes up, until then I will try to come up with a plan on how to kill Shadow. He is fast and dangerous so I'll need to catch him by surprise and end his life quickly, but that's going to be tricky. I have until the sun comes up to finish up all the details, until then I can relax, maybe wash up too if the water isn't too cold. 

Chapter 18: Runaway Part Two

It wasn't really much of a surprise when I heard shuffling, he had been tossing and turning all night long. The smell of his sweat, tinged with fear, was potent in such close proximity in such a small space. He kept muttering about his mother before his body shot up, finally awake. Since I was a being that didn't need much sleep I was able to keep a close eye on Sonic. He smelled strange and his scent had a hint of something sweet, just like the Devil's Blood flower. It was odd to say the least, having someone smell just like the flower of my dead Maria. It only made uncomfortable memories come back from the deep pit they were buried in my head. No matter how much time passes I will always be haunted by her death. 

 

He tried to carefully make his way to the other side of the tent where the entrance was located. I had to give it to him, he was good at stealth, and if I had been somebody else he would have easily gotten away with it. Too bad I'm the king of one of the most powerful creatures this world has ever created. We have supernatural abilities and heightened senses that were far superior compared to other races. It's both a blessing and a curse, yes we get to be powerful, but it comes with the down side of being too hyper aware of everything around you. I haven't had a deep sleep in years, so I stopped trying to sleep and tried to relax instead. I still get the energy I need while my never going into deep sleep. People often think I'm sleeping when I have my eyes closed, but if they really knew the truth they would see that I never sleep. 

 

I could hear very single footstep he made, though he was quite careful. He stopped suddenly, right outside the tent, probably spotting something important. I could really care less what he was planning to do by because it wasn't going to work. If he tried anything I would easily over power him. I'm not going to make the same mistake again, he won't be able to escape my grasp again, I'll make sure of it. I now know that he has supernatural ability, speed. But I too also have speed and I'm more prepared than I was all this years ago. 

 

His breath hitched. "This is the dagger that I dropped in the garden." I had left the dagger outside my tent so that he wouldn't have any immediate weapons that he could use on me. Too bad he found the dagger anyway. This situation was similar to what happened in the garden, but this time I am prepared and won't be caught off guard. He has the dagger again and I'm chasing after him, but I'll make sure that this doesn't end with him stabbing me and getting away. He doesn't stand a chance against me. 

 

When I heard him sprint off I didn't waste time going after him. Our speed was relatively the same, allowing me to easily chase after him. I was careful to make sure he didn't detect me, you should always have the jump on your enemies, it can change the outcome to any situation. I was quite good at stealth, it was one of my many skills, one that I have had for quite a while. My ability to teleport also made it easier to sneak up on my enemies and surprise them. I have become something I don't recognize anymore. 

 

Sonic stopped by the river side, which was more like a stream with how weak the flow was. The water couldn't have been that deep either, maybe knee or waist height, it was hard to tell from how far away he was. He seemed more relaxed too, but alert. He probably thought he was safe with how far away were from camp, none of the other fey would be fast enough to catch him while also trying to find the direction he went. It's a good thing that I followed him or else he would have booked it and would be miles away. I couldn't let that happen, he was going to be punished for what he has done.

 

"Now I just have to watch and wait. Hopefully the sun will come up soon, I've never really been a patient guy." He chuckled to himself, not knowing I was around the corner, watching, waiting, just like he was. It was always thrilling to see my prey relax and act normally when they thought no one was around. Their words and feelings are raw, no longer feeling the need to put on a mask to appear stronger than they really are. Even through their facade I can smell their fear. "Hopefully I don't fall asleep by then if I want to get the jump on the king." 

 

It was amusing to see him be so confident about killing me, if he only knew. He won't be surprising me anytime soon because I'll make sure to keep a eye on him, a very close eye. He won't even be allowed to leave my side, let alone my sight, once tonight is over. I know he can't be trusted to be left alone for only a little bit or else he'll start getting ideas, we don't want that. 

 

He was fidgeting with the dagger, twirling it around while still being careful not to cut himself. I grew tired of waiting, this little rebellion ends now. First thing I had to do was disarm him, I was already stabbed once by that dagger and I don't want to be stabbed again. I snuck up behind him, footsteps quiet. His ears flickered in my direction but didn't move, probably thought I was a wild animal running around. I'm no animal, but I am wild. 

 

I came up from behind him and covered his mouth with my hand. He tried to protect himself as he swung the dagger in my direction but I only grabbed his wrist a twisted it behind him making a pained noise come out of his mouth. "It's cute that you think you can kill me, but I'm better than I was last time we met. I'm not letting you get away." I tightened my grip on him causing the dagger to drop from his hands. His body was shaking against mine as I pressed my whole body on his. He breathed heavy against the palm of my hand, it was unsteady. "I have you now." I whispered in his ear causing him to buck. 

Chapter 19: Fight

Sonic bucked against me, struggling to break free from my hold. He was using all of his strength to fight against me, straining his body to break free. It was useless, though. I was way stronger than he will ever be, and I easily overpowered him, pressing him harder against my body. Panic radiated off him in waves, the smell of it filling my nose. His feelings for him were intoxicating and addictive. The fear and desperation were real; he was scared and desperate to get out of my hold. I only held him tighter to stop his resistance, making a pained whine escape between my fingers.

"I'm not going to let you escape from me again," I growled, getting rougher with my advances. His pained noises were ignored in favor of getting him to surrender. I wasn't going to let up until he stopped fighting me and surrendered, which would take a while. We were both strong-spirited and stubborn; it was something that I both admired and found quite annoying. "You're a real pain in the ass, you know. It would be so much easier if you would just stop fighting me and give up." He bit my hand, making me pull it away and grab his chin instead.

"I'm never going to give up for some monster like you! You have hurt innocent people for what? A flower. Those women and children weren't involved in what happened, so they shouldn't have gotten hurt." He spat, fighting harder against me. His words irritated me to no end. Who does he think he is, telling me what is right and wrong? Who is he to tell me that his actions were justified while mine were not? He doesn't know anything, none of them do. They only know how to hurt and shift the blame onto somebody else.

"Don't act as if you're the innocent one here." I was angry now. "Your kind does worse things than I do, most of which are unjustified. You kill, rape, and torture just for fun. I do what I have to do because your kindness took away the only good thing in my life." I knew I was probably revealing too much, but I didn't care. He was going to be by my side for the rest of his life anyway. "She was Mobian just like you. She was kind, then your kind came along and not only hurt my people, but they hurt Maria too. That 'dumb' flower was the only thing I had left of her after she was killed by your kind. Such disgusting behavior should be punished."

He growled at me and hit me in the groin, causing me to loosen my grip around him. That set me off as we started to wrestle by the river bed, which was a little dangerous. One wrong step and one of us, or both of us, would fall into the stream. This idiot was playing a very dirty and very dangerous game. He locked our hands together and started pushing me towards the river. I pushed back, making him stumble as he used all his energy to match my strength. If I wanted to, I would have snapped his wrists, but I didn't. He had the essence of my sister inside him, and I need to make sure that whatever is left of her must be protected, even if it means holding myself back.

He suddenly launched at me with his whole body weight, which allowed me to slip to the side. His eyes were wide with surprise, not being unable to catch himself before he fell. Our eyes locked, his full of panic and fear, while mine were cold and sharp. I watched him with sadistic glee, watching him fail and be filled with despair. It was like slow motion as I watched him. Then, when his feet planted on the slippery mud by the stream, he slipped. That was his intended target for me. He wanted me to slip on the mud when I fell in the stream. His plan failed, and it was only he who ended up wet and cold. "You're coming with me!" He latched on to my arm and pulled me down with him.

"You little cretin!" I shouted before I too became cold and wet. My suspicions were also confined; the water was knee high. It would be hard to drown in knee-high water, but the chances were never zero, especially if the victim was getting a little bit of help. I grabbed him by the back of the quills and shoved his head under the water before bringing it back up. "This should teach you that your foolish actions have not so pretty outcomes," I repeated it again and again, pulling him up to breathe before forcing his head under. "Surrender to me and I will stop."

His hands scratched at my arm, desperate to try and escape from my hold, but his movements were too weak. His efforts began to dwindle, slowly giving up. That's when I decided I should give him a little bit of mercy and pull him up from the water. He was shivering as he greedily took in big gulps of air. "F-fine." He stuttered out, the grinding of his teeth slurring his words. "J-just get me out- outta here. I s-surrender." His lips were starting to turn blue from the cold; better get him all dried up.

I lifted him into my arms bridal style and started to swiftly make my way back to camp. The cold night rushing past us only made the cold and wet feeling more unbearable. Once we were in the outskirts camp, I didn't waste any time teleporting us back into my tent. He was then dropped onto the floor, lying there with limp limbs. "Strip," I ordered as I too began to remove my soaked clothing. He looked at me like I was crazy. "I would suggest getting out of your wet clothes before you get hypothermia. You won't warm up if you have them on."

He reluctantly began to shed his clothes as they dropped to the floor in a moist pile. His hands wrapped around himself, trying to warm himself up. I grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the pile of blankets. It didn't take long for him to snuggle up in the blankets, but he was still cautious with my being there. "What's next?" He asked, unsure about what to do. I did waterboard him less than five minutes ago, so he's still on edge from the experience.

"Just shut up and try to sleep. I have had enough of your shenanigans for one night." I climbed in next to him and pulled him flush against my body. He went rigid but made no move to escape or fight me off. It was weird being body and against body, and naked, with one of my sworn enemies. This was the only way I could keep an eye on him, so he couldn't run away or cause trouble. "I'm only doing this because I want you alive, so don't think I'm going soft on you."

"Whatever, asshole." His voice was muffled from where he had buried it in my chest fur.

Chapter 20: One The Road Again

My body felt heavy, I didn't want to wake up, but my internal clock told me it was morning. I still kept my eyes closed as I basked in my morning drowsiness, wishing I could just go back to sleep and stay there until noon. It's been a while since I've had a sleep that left me refreshed the next day and I wanted to enjoy it for as long as possible. Though my mind began to wonder. When did I get fluffy pillows? My bed was boring, nothing interesting about it. The bed was made of expensive cloth that only felt itchy on my fur, same thing with the pillows, but this felt amazing. It was like I was wrapped in a warm blanket burrito. 

 

"You better get up soon." A deep, soothing voice said. I could feel it reverberate through me, a gentle thrumb in my ribcage. It was sweet like honey, making me slip further into the realm of sleep, almost as if it was a lullaby. It reminded me of my mother's soft voice when she sang, always so gentle. She especially sang to me when I was having a hard time falling asleep. It made me feel safe and warm, easily pulling me into sleep, but that was a long time ago. "I'll drag you out of this tent if you don't get up now."

 

My eyes shot open as reality hit me like a cold bucket of water. I was greeted by a face full of white chest fur, which was really soft and fuzzy, but that wasn't the point. The point was who that patch of fur was connected to. He didn't have much of an expression as he stared down at me with a neutral expression. I was sleeping next to one of the most dangerous creatures alive, my sworn enemy. "Where am I?" The fog began to melt from my brain. I was in Shadow's camp, in his tent. He captured me. 

 

"Did you sleep well, sleeping beauty?" His tone was sour and full of malice. It was obvious he was trying to be sarcastic, which wasn't helping my worsening mood. I just woke up from the best sleep ever only to find out that my enemy was right next to me. I wasn't supposed to enjoy it, but I did. He felt warm and his chest fur was so perfect, and all of that was ruined by the true creature he was. A psycho out for revenge, not caring if he killed innocent people. "Get up, we're leaving soon." 

 

I let out a big sigh, already fed up with him bullshit this early in the morning. He got up from the pile of warmth first, and started walking over to something that looked like a chest. My eyes grew wide as I saw him bare as the day he was born, he was hella ripped. "Put some damn clothes on?" I shouted at him. How could he be so indecent and prance around in his birthday suit like it was nothing. I didn't know if I should call him a pervert or a prude, both seemed to match him regardless. 

 

"I could say the same to you." He didn't even spare me a glance as he started to go through the contents of the chest. It was full of clothes, most of which were bland and lacked color. His statement caused me to look at myself, I was indeed not wearing clothes either, how embarrassing. Not only did I sleep with the enemy, but we were also butt naked with nothing separating us. My hands quickly wrapped themselves around my waist, hiding the royal jewels from view, I didn't need him seeing anymore than he should. "Though you don't exactly have any clothes that you can wear, since you only have one pair and it's soaked." He said in a bored tone, still not giving me a glance. 

 

The aforementioned clothes, the ones that I had been wearing before, were in a pile. They were clumped up with Shadow's own soaked clothes, but Shadow didn't seem to mind. He was already picking out another set of clothes for him, which he has an abundance of, thus the chest in his tent. "So, what are you going to do about it? Because I'm not going out there with all the fey, unprotected. Not only do I not want to flash them what I have, but I also would like a layer of clothing to protect me from the elements." 

 

Shadow snorted, a genuine noise of amusement. I've barely heard him make any sounds, especially the ones that would suggest he's more than a hardass under those layers of ebony fur. "Whatever you say, princess." His words might be teasing, but there was malicious intent in them. "Since I too don't want you prancing around naked around my camp, in front of my fey, I will give you something to wear. Don't expect it to be fancy, or up to your standards because I simply don't care. You either wear this or you go naked, those are your only two options." He held up a white looking dress with delicate embroidery on the lace, which looked like roses. 

 

My eyes widened on horror. "No way am I wearing a wedding dress! Especially not the one of my fiancee that is dead because of you.!" This guy had some nerve putting me in a dress, especially the one that belongs to Rose. I felt sorry for here being dragged into all of this. It would be out right disrespectful if I ever tried to wear the dress. "Can't you just give me a pair of your clothes, you have plenty you can spare." 

 

"As if I would want my clothes to smell like you." He pulled up his pants and buttoned them. "They also wouldn't fit you. Your kind is quite small compared to me and you're not even the tallest of your people. It would be quite a sight, seeing you walk around in my clothes in front of my people. They might get the wrong idea." He finally turned towards me. "You also did spend the night with me, they don't know what happened last night."

 

Choose between wearing this guy's clothes and risk everyone thinking we slept together or embarrassing myself in a wedding dress. Neither option was preferred, but I had to make a choice, hopefully that didn't have to be soon. "If you can't choose, I'll choose for you." He grabbed my arm and started dragging me towards the entrance of the tent. This asshole was going to drag me naked through the camp. 

 

"Wait!" I said, but he barely stopped. "I have a medical condition I don't want anyone seeing." That part was true, I did have a medical condition. My mother always told me to keep it a secret because some people would do terrible things to someone like me, but I never understood why. Nobody explained to me what was so different that I needed to conceal. "I'll put the damn dress on." That finally stopped Shadow. 

 

"Good." He threw me the white dress and watched as I ever so carefully put it on. It oddly didn't feel uncomfortable, but that wasn't the main issue with it. Everybody was going to see me in a wedding dress, that belonged to my dead fiancee. He led me out of the tent and back towards the carriage. Most of the camp was already being taken down and packed up. There were only a few tents left, including Shadow's. "Don't worry about the tent, my people will take care of it. You should be more concerned about yourself because we'll be arriving at the capital today where we are going to examine you, so be prepared. If we find a way to extract the Devil's Blood flower out of you then you will be killed." Shadow closed the door of the carriage, trapping me inside with him. This was going to be a long ride. 

Chapter 21: Arriving Soon

"Not that I mind the get up" Rouge started, a sly grin on her face. She was no doubt ogling Sonic in such a pretty dress. It was such a shame that he wasn't a she, would have made such a beautiful concubine in my harem. He might be my enemy but he was easy on the eyes with beautiful blue fur and vibrant eyes. I never knew a Mobian could have such a coat color. Yes, there are many Mobian, and other creatures, with blue fur, but no one compared to his. It shined in the light and felt soft to the touch. "but why is he in a maid dress? He's so cute I could just eat him up." 

 

I gave her a glare, but she didn't back down as she kept a coy expression. I wouldn't mind her games if it were anyone else, but this was a prisoner, my prisoner. He held the key of getting back what was left of my dear Maria. Rouge has plenty body toys, she can leave this one alone, he's mine. Mine to torture and to punish for all his wrong doings. Rouge might be my second in command, but she is still below me. "I would suggest keeping your eyes off him. I alone can touch him, no one else can unless giving specific instructions to do so, so I would suggest playing with your own toys." 

 

Rouge fiend hurt as she clutched the part of her chest where her heart was, always so dramatic. "Ouch. You wound me." She's not only the most trustworthy I know, but she is also the most annoying person I know. She teases me because she cares, but it sometimes gets on my nerves. "Why so hostile, Shadow? You know I wouldn't touch, unless you don't want him anymore." I gave her another glare. "Kidding." 

 

"Would you two stop talking about me as if I'm not here. I'm not some sort of prize." Sonic mumbled from my side, a scowl on his face. "I didn't even want to wear this stupid dress in the first place. It shouldn't even be on me right now!" His tone began to rise, no longer meek. I could feel the anger radiate off of him as his hands clenched the dress tightly. His breathing was heavy. The smell of him was also different, more sharp, it was the familiar smell of anger. It was one I knew all too well with years of drowning in hatred. 

 

"You're still upset by that? You didn't even get to meet the princess of the Thorn Kingdom, so stop taking it so seriously." I barely even remember what the princess looked like, but that's the price of killing so many people, you start to forget their faces. It also becomes easier over time, no longer being mentally hard. You start forgetting their faces and no longer see them as living creatures, butchers use the same technique to kill their beloved livestock. Though I do the opposite when it comes to people I really hate. I think about their families, humanizing them as much as possible before I slaughter them, it makes killing them more satisfying. "You should get over it already." 

 

"Get over it? Get over it!?" He started to yell, eyes full of rage. "How can I get over it when an innocent girl is dead and it's all because of me." Tears began to fall down his cheeks. "I might not have known her, but from all the things I've heard about her she was an amazing and nice person. She should be walking down the aisle in this dress, not me." So this is what his little tantrum was about, the princess of the Thorn kingdom. What a hero complex this guy has. 

 

"Don't beat yourself over it because it was going to happen anyway regardless if you played a role in it or not. I was already going to take over the Thorn Kingdom." He looked at me with wide puffy eyes, confusion written across his face. "I already had the expansion of my kingdom planned out, so you really aren't that special. First, I was going to take over all of the neighboring kingdoms before spreading out to more distance lands. The Thorn Kingdom just so happened to help kill two birds with one stone. I add their Kingdom to my collection and I get revenge on you." 

 

"You are quite diabolical, Shadow. The true evil king you were meant to be." Rouge clapped from the seat across from us. She already knew about my plans because she was helping me execute them, but she is a glutton for drama. This is no doubt feeding her. "You are such a genius." Her sultry voice purred. Another thing about her was that she liked to compliment me, even if she's said the same thing a thousand times, it shows that she cares. 

 

"Wipe those tears of yours because they are pathetic." I put my fingers under his chin and brushed his tears away with my thumb. I didn't really want to deal with water works while we were on the road. Hopefully we arrive at the capital soon. The sooner we examine him the sooner I can get what remains of my Maria out of him. Though he did look cute, in a pathetic way, when he cries like that. "Looks like we arrived at the capital. Fix yourself." 

 

Sonic looked away in shame, fully understanding how degrading my gentle touches were. It's a shame that I can't keep him. "Just stop touching me." He tried to break free from my firm grasp on his chin, but I didn't let him go, not yet. Why is he so fun to tease? 

 

"And why would I do that?" Was it mean of me to play with my prey until they squirm? Yes, it definitely was, but where was the fun of acting sympathetic. Better make the most of playing with him before I have to eventually kill him. "Let's go." 

Chapter 22: At The Capital

"Get out." I ordered, my tone cold a void of emotion. It was hard to feel anything besides discontent and anger these days. As I have gotten older, the more sour I have become. I used to have a little bit of hope that the world would change, but it hasn't. Those bastards still roam, different generations, but completely the same inside and out. They don't care about morals and hurt people just for fun. Their whole species should be eradicated from the very Earth. Only then will there finally be peace in this world. Only then will this hatred go away and finally let me rest. 

 

The carriage wouldn't be able to ride through the sand, the wheels sink right in. We don't usually use carriages, but this was stolen from the Thorn Kingdom. It was only used as a disguise so that we could discreetly get into Camelot, then it was used to get this blue nuisance all the way across the land to finally end up here. The usual trip would take several days, but the fey had amazing stamina so we were able to make it in two. We are fast and we are strong, better than their kind in any way. 

 

"I said get out." I grabbed Sonic by the wrist and dragged him out of the carriage. The carriage can't go through the black sand so we are walking the rest of the way. "You've done this before so you should have no problem doing it again." I said bitterly making him flick slightly. There was a little bit of resistance as I tried to pull him out, but he kept holding on to the edge. "Stop fighting me! What is your deal anyway?!" I was really starting to lose it, we are so close to the capital and I want to be there ASAP. 

 

"I don't have any shoes. The last time I was there I had shoes covering my feet so they wouldn't be burned." These creatures are so weak that they can't even walk without the help of their technology, how pathetic. Such fragile and sensitive feet, like I care. I walk barefoot across this land day and night, no matter how hot or how cold it is. This only proves why their species should be eliminated because they wouldn't be able to survive without the brains of another. They can't survive on their own and have to depend on the strong to carry them. 

 

"You have to be fucking kidding me." I was already impatient, but this added a whole other headache. "Either you walk or I'll leave you here to die. It's your choice." I wasn't actually going to kill him, just needed to give him an incentive to get him moving. "Or maybe you want me to march your ass back to Camelot so that I can kill everyone there in front of your very eyes. So, what's it going to be?" There was fear in his eyes, so he let his feet hang out before hesitantly lowering them onto the sand. 

 

He flinched and pulled his feet back before setting them down on the sand. His jaw was clenched, but he bit through the pain and fully set his bare paw pads on the sand. "You should go easy on him, you know their bodies aren't made for the normal heat of the hot sand. The sand is black hotter than normal sand." I scoffed, but I knew she was right. I was being unfair to Sonic, but my hatred for his kind was the only thing on my mind. "If you don't carry him I will." 

 

"Fine. I'll carry him, but don't say anything, alright. That also stands for you too, Sonic. You keep your mouth shut the entire way there. Do you understand?" Sonic nodded, but I wanted more. I wanted to scare him. "I said, do you understand!?" I raised my voice at him making him flinch. Rouge just shook her head before taking off in the direction of the capital. She had her own duties to attend to which means I'm stuck with this guy. "Come here." And he did, painfully walking over. Then I picked him up bridal style 

 

He let out a noise as I held him tightly in my arms. I needed to make sure that he wouldn't get away, but I doubt he we even try with how hot the sand it. If he can barely walk away save his friends and family then how can he run across the whole desert. The captain was a ways away, but I could get there fast. Sonic might think the he's fast, but I'm faster and stronger. I can run across the desert no problem. We'll be at the capital in no time with my speed.

 

He made true on his word and didn't speak at all. His eyes scanned across the fast and black dessert, not very many things grew here, but the things that did were cut throat and dangerous, just like the dark fey. At first the hot, obsidian desert was hard to get used to, but our kind adapted and survived. They survived off of the hatred in their blood. The need to prove that they were strong. The need to protect their own from the world that we live in. The world is cruel so we became crueler. I expanded past the desert to give those of our kind a safe place to live and call home. The same lands as the Mobians who live in comfort.

 

The palace walls were in sight, we were so close. The closer we get the more fey that are seen. They wave to me before their eyes go wide at the prize in my hands. No Mobian has ever been taken to the capital alive, we kill them. So it's a sight to see Sonic in my arms, they thought I was going to kill him, not bring him home. I ignore the stares, dead set on heading to the royal clinic so we can give him a check up to see if we can remove the essence of my Maria from his body. Sonic on the other hand grips onto the fabric of the shirt, no doubt afraid being surrounded by the kingdom full of dark fey. 

 

"This way." I say to him, low enough that only he can hear my words. "The clinic is down this way." Sonic seems to be more on edge now as we get closer to the clinic. I don't really blame him because after we find a way to take Maria's essence out of him he will be tortured and then executed. Since he's already in the capital I might as well so it in front of the whole kingdom to celebrate this victory. After he's dead we'll take over Camelot and everything will be mine and under my rule. I will enslave the Mobians, or kill them, I don't really care which at the moment, but actually I will rule everything that the Mobians inhabit. "Mrs. Vanilla, I have come with a special request." A tall cream and ginger rabbit gave me a warm smile, she was our doctor. 

 

"What do you need, my king?"

 

"I need you to do a check up on him. He consumed the Devil's Blood flower and I need to find a way to get it out of him." 

 

"Ofcourse."

Chapter 23: Examination

"I will need him to strip down." The idea of being naked in front of these fey was unsettling to say the least, especially with the king practically breaking down my spine and looking me up and down. The rabbit looking fey, named Vanilla, has a warm smile on her face. It was strange, she was the only one around here that didn't look at me like I was a piece of meat. Rouge wasn't exactly hostile, but she did give me this predator look that I was not comfortable with. Also hearing her say she would play with me if Shadow didn't want me was interesting to say the least. And not the good interesting. 

 

I gave Shadow a look hoping that he would look away for me to change, but his expression remained firm. "Can't you look away for a second, it's nice to give someone a little privacy." Vanilla complied with my request and turned around to give me a little bit of privacy. She's actually considering my feelings, strange. At least I have someone that I can trust not to murder me in the middle of the night. She seems sweet and her eyes are kind, almost like a motherly figure. 

 

"Change in front of me or I strip you myself. I don't care what you look like underneath, besides I already saw you naked earlier so it means nothing to me." He was right, he had already seen me naked, but this felt more awkward and intimate, especially with another person besides him. I wish I could defy him, but there was no escape. I was in the middle of a kingdom full of dark fey, which was surrounded by a feet burning desert. Then there was also the fact that the king, the most powerful of the fey, was here with me making sure I didn't do anything. I was fucked. "Stop being a baby and strip." And so I did. 

 

It was clumsy at first, mostly due to nerves and the sweatiness of my palms. I had the zipper between my fingers, but I kept losing my grip and had to start over. Shadow seemed to be losing his patience as I took longer and longer to undo the dress, I barely had the zipper and still had the rest of the dress to do. After a few more moments of failing to take off the dress, Shadow came over. "I can do this." I tried to protest. 

 

"No, you cannot." He growled out, placing one hand on my hip to keep me in place while he attempted to get the zipper. It was embarrassing how fast he found it and how faster he unzipped it. The fabric of the dress easily slid off my shoulders with the help of Shadow's hands. They were surprisingly gentle, different from how they were on me previously, but a moment of gentleness doesn't mean somebody isn't a monster. His hands might be soft, but they also have blood on them. He has killed people with these hands, and soon he might kill me too with the same hands. The gentleness was almost painful, knowing their true nature. 

 

The fabric fell to the floor with a soft thud. It felt like a weight was taken off my shoulders just for another one to be placed on. I was free from the dress that belonged to my dead fiancee, but I was also butt ass naked in front of the king. "I'm done." I said, hesitantly, not ready for what's to come. Vanilla turned around and gave me a soft smile that calmed down my nerves just a little bit. 

 

"Now, can you stand over by the wall for me? I need to take some measurements." Her voice was soft and I didn't hesitate to follow her instructions. Her hands were gentle as she pressed me against the wall to make sure I stood up straight, almost like my mother would when she was trying to make me stop wiggling while she was measuring my height. "Sorry, but this might be a little invasive." Then she took out a measuring tape and started measuring different parts of my body. She was quick, taking the measurements, writing it down, and then moving to the next thing. She did a few other tests, basic stuff that the doctor would normally do during a checkup. "He's all healthy. Good weight, good muscles, but a bit on the short side though."

 

"Can we determine if the Devil's Blood flower can be extracted from him at all?" Shadow asked, a bored expression on his face. He probably didn't want a basic check up, he wanted experiments run on me to extract the Devil's Blood flower, but how could that even be possible in the first place? Like, isn't it a part of me now? "There has to be a way for it to be expelled from his body." 

 

"We might need to do a few more tests, but I doubt it can be done, especially after it being inside him for so long." I didn't like where this conversation was going. The nice rabbit lady was more serious now, no longer having a joyful attitude. Did she also know Maria? What does she know about the Devil's Blood flower? "I heard of a similar situation like this where the flower was extracted, in a way. A part of it still remained in the host. You might not like it though" 

 

"I don't care! As long as I can have her with me in some way, then I don't care. Get as much as you can out of him, he doesn't deserve to be blessed by her!" Shadow was raising his voice, but it wasn't aimed at anyone. Vanilla for her part didn't even react and nodded in agreement. Maria must have meant a whole lot to him if he is this worked up about it. He's so obsessed that he's taking down entire kingdoms and wants to commit genocide. "Tell me." 

 

"Well the host passes it down to the kid, so if you want it out of him specifically you can have him make an heir. Then the child will have the essence of Maria in them and could turn out to be a girl. Wouldn't that be interesting to see." Shadow's eyes were wide with both disgust and fury, but he didn't say anything. He seemed to respect Vanilla and was willing to at least hear her out. "But it might not be as effective if it comes from the father. Genetics are difficult." 

 

Shadow rubbed his temples. "This is such a headache. I'd rather not let him spawn an heir, I want nothing to do with his kind. Then there is also the fact that we need a mother and I'm not going to let him lay a hand on any of my people. Nor am I going to bring in another of his kind.  There has to be some other way to get back my Maria." He sounded desperate, willing to let his guard down with Vanilla. I don't blame her, she makes me want to tell her everything. 

 

"I'll see what I can do, but I still need to do a few more tests on him. Specifically really invasive ones, like the prostate exam." She gave Shadow a look, as if daring him to stay at his own risk. He stayed where he was, not willing to leave me alone in the room with Vanilla. "Okay,  would you please bend over the table over there. Rest your bottom half off the edge and support your upper body with your forearms. Feel free to tell me if anything hurts." I did as she said and got onto the table. "Lift your tail please." 

 

This is one of the most, if not the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to me. Yes, the dress was humiliating, but this was worse. Not only was I exposed, but Shadow, the fey King, was watching me very closely. Vanilla put on a pair of gloves as she got closer, bottle in hand, probably something to help her with her tests. "Eek!" I let out a little squeak as something cold touched the rim of my anus, Vanilla apologized about it being cold before pressing in. The feeling was odd and slightly uncomfortable. Nothing has ever gone up there before. "Ngh." I bit my finger to silence the embarrassing noise. 

 

"You okay? I don't hurt you right?" I shook my head, not wanting to give her a verbal response. "That's good. That should do- wait a second." She paused mid sentence, confusion bled through on her voice. "What is that?" She must have found my medical condition, best if I explain to her what it is. 

 

"I have a medical condition, I was born with it." Vanilla didn't reply, so I kept on going. "My mother told me to never let anyone know because people out there would abuse my medical condition, but I don't understand what it is. She never wanted me naked around people because of it." Maybe that was too much information but I felt like I could tell Vanilla anything and everything. 

 

"This is so strange." She said out loud, catching the attention of Shadow. "I've only seen this one other time before because of how rare it is. Let me have a look." That was the only warning I got before I felt her spread something apart. Suddenly I felt very sensitive and exposed. I haven't seen what my medical condition looks like because it never really bothered me before so there really wasn't a need. "I'm going to put my finger in."

 

In what? Where was she putting her fingers. Wasn't my medical condition just a weird birth mark or something. It can't be that interesting. "What?" It was the only word that left my mouth before I felt something new. The nerves in my legs felt like they were set on fire and were jelly at the same time. A pleasant, warm tingly feeling exploded in my lower half. I couldn't help but clench and I didn't know why. Where was she putting her finger. 

 

"Come look at this, Shadow." Vanilla called him over and he was quickly by her side. "What do you think?" 

 

"It looks familiar, but I'm not sure what it is or what's going on here?" Shadow sounded confused. I could feel the intensity of his stare, making my fur stand up.

 

"It's a vagina." 

Chapter 24: Results

"It's a vagina." 

What did she just say? I would have thought this was a joke if it was anyone else, but she never lies to me. She always tells the truth, so I can always trust her to give it to me straight, but this is absolutely crazy. How could a guy possibly have a vagina because the last time I checked he had a dick and that was less than twenty four hours ago. "How can this be possible? You have to take a second look to make sure it is what you say it is." I knew she was right about her findings because she's good and what she does and never gets it wrong, but I didn't want to accept it. 

Sonic seemed to be in a similar state of shock. "A what now? No, that's not right. I'm the crown prince of Camelot I can't possibly be a girl. I've had a dick my whole life." Started to ramble, denying Vanilla's findings. "I hate to agree with Shadow, but please do check again." He was in denial just as much as I was, but I do understand why he's so distressed by this. The king is supposed to be seen as manly, that also goes for his male heirs too. They must be strong warriors, but being told you're a girl would flip that whole mindset upside down. Just another reason to hate Mobians, their disgusting boxes they make so that they can squish people in. Force them to be something they are not. 

"You're not a girl." Vanilla clarified. If he wasn't a girl then what is he? He's a guy because he obviously has a dick, but then why would she say that he has a vagina too? I'm not very knowledgeable on medical topics, so I'm completely useless and at a loss for words. Sonic calmed down, letting out a relieved sigh. "What you have is very rare." 

He had this weird slit between his legs, which wouldn't have been noticeable if you weren't up close and personal like Mrs Vanilla was. It looked strangely like a vagina, especially with a puffy pair of lips on either side. They were a soft pink with a small sheen to them from the moisture between his legs. And between the lips, or labia, was a hole, but it wasn't his anus. Up between his cheeks was his anus, this was a whole other hole. Then he had a dick. What was he. "You are what we call intersex, having a mixture of both male and female parts. You can have a dick and have a vagina at the same time. It's even rarer for both of them to function because of how the body reproduces through eggs and sperm. It's almost impossible to produce both because the glands and hormones produced by either of them are completely different." 

"Are you saying there's a chance that he can be fertile in the sense that he can get pregnant?" This was an interesting revelation. Not only would I be able to protect the female fey from every being touched by him, but I can also torture him in such a unique way. It sucks that I might have to keep him alive for longer than I hoped, but at least it will be easier to transfer the essence of my Maria out of him, so of it at least. I'm going to abuse this newfound information. I can already tell I'm going to have fun because the look of horror on his face is beautiful. 

"I'm not sure, I'll have to be more thorough with my internal examination, but it won't take long." Vanilla changed out of her current pair of gloves for a clean pair. She is good at what she does, so I know she won't disappoint. As she approaches Sonic again he begins to jump up from the table and attempt to leave out the door. This caught both me and Vanilla by surprise, but it wasn't unexpected. He didn't seem to willing for this part of the examination, but I wasn't going to let him get away. He was going to go through the examination whether he wants to or not. 

"Stop struggling." I grabbed him by the arm making him jerk back suddenly. I quickly pulled his body against mine to immobilize him until I was able to place him back on the examination table. He still attempted to fight me by kicking and flailing his limbs around, but he was no match for my ultimate strength as I didn't falter. He would eventually tire himself out or give up, which ever comes first because no matter what he does, the outcome with be the same. I pressed on him further, almost completely getting rid of him unwanted movements. "Get it over with." 

Vanilla hummed and continued her work. "Let me go you fucking bastard." He spat venomously, obviously pissed off.  His face morphed into discomfort as Vanilla continued. She tried her best to be fast, but thorough at the same time. "Stop it!" I listened to his pleas but they were ignored. No matter how much he screamed and begged, I wasn't going to give him mercy. He was going to pay one way, or another and I don't really care how as long as I get it revenge. 

"I'm done." Vanilla said as she pulled away. I didn't let up though, Sonic was still struggling, but his attempts were getting weaker now that it was all over. I wasn't going to let him up even if he did stop, he's better like this, underneath me. I gave Vanilla an expectant look, wanting to know what she has concluded. "It seems that there is a very high possibility that his female organs are the only one's that are fertile, so there is the possibility that he can get pregnant." 

"No, that can't be true. I won't believe it!" He shouted and his efforts doubled, more determined to get away. "That can't be possible. I'm not a girl. I have a dick. There is no way that I'm able to get pregnant. I've never bled before either so that just proves that I'm not whatever you said I was." Vanilla held a sad expression seeing Sonic freak out. She was very empathetic and always understood how people were feeling. Right now she was probably feeling bad for Sonic because he just found out something about his body. 

"There's an explanation for that. You might start having bleeding every month after your female sex organs are fully awake. They are currently dormant because you've been living your life like a guy, but with a little bit of sexual activity they might wake up and start working." She threw her gloves into the trash. "That concludes this check up. He's healthy and fertile, just needs to put in a little bit of work. You can go on your way now. Are my services satisfactory?" 

"Thank you, Mrs. Vanilla." I gave her a short nod. "I'll take it from here."

I started to drag Sonic out of the royal clinic. "I'm still naked you jerk!" 

He thrashed in my grasp but I continued to hold him. "You will have new clothes soon, so stop whining." 

 

Chapter 25: New Role

I was roughly grabbed by the wrist before everything felt like the gravity turned off. My stomach did summersaults, flipping. I felt this feeling before, after what happened in the lake. I don't remember what happened after I was waterboarded, but I could never forget this. It was very strange and I didn't like feeling it at all. Thankfully, it only happened a moment as the world around us flashed back, but we weren't at the clinic anymore. No, it was the bedroom that I could only assume was Shadow's. "I will have someone fetch you a new closet. For now you will remain here out of sight while you are..." He looked me up and down with a bored expression. "Indecent." 

 

"How nice of you." Sarcasm was heavy in my tone, not all too pleased with being butt ass naked in his royal chambers. If I didn't already know that he hated my guts I would have been flattered. It was very intimate for royalty to enter another kingdom's royal chambers, seen as a sign of trust between the royals or between the kingdoms. Regardless, this was not a sign of trust, this was a sign of dominance. He let an enemy into his own bed chambers because he did not see me as a threat. He thought I was weak and wouldn't mind being alone. 

 

Everything was either red or black. It was had an odd feeling to it. Empty and cold, nothing that would symbolize that somebody lived here. It was spotless and neat, nothing was out of place. The bed was huge for just one person, but he was a king. A very powerful king. The sheets look like they were made of silk, which suited the climate because we were located in the middle of a desert. I wonder what it would feel like to fall asleep in such a comfy looking bed. Would I fall asleep instantly, tangled up in the sheets? 

 

"Don't be like that, unless you want to be punished for such an attitude. I know you don't like dresses, it would be such a shame if all the clothes that you would be able to wear were dresses." He had a smug smile as he looked down at me. I knew he wasn't bluffing either because of the wedding dress incident. He loved to humiliate me because of his sick sense of getting revenge on me and my kind. "So, what is it going to be, Sonic? Are you going to drop that attitude of yours?" 

 

"Fine." 

 

He gripped my chin forcing me to look him in the eyes. "How about you try that again, properly this time. I do not tolerate any disrespect. I only accept your complete submission. So, say it properly. 'Yes, master Shadow' or 'Yes my king.' Those are your options." I wanted to get out of his grip but he was strong and his claws threatened to pierce my skin. There was no escape besides complying with his demands. 

 

"Yes..." I hesitated, not wanting to say it, but I had to. His claws nicked my skin. I had no other choice but to comply. "Yes, my king." I wanted to glare, but I looked away instead, not wanting to piss him off even more. If I didn't want to do something worse than I just had to do this. He seemed satisfied with my answer and let me go, giving me a little bit of space and walking to his bed before sitting down on it. Hopefully he will leave me alone for a while. "What are you going to do to me?"

 

"What am I going to do to you? That's an easy question. Lots of terrible things." Shadow bared his teeth at me, showing me how sharp they were. In all honesty I was actually kinda scared. I was stuck in a kingdom full of dark fey, one of the most dangerous creatures that live in our world. Not only am trapped here with them, but I'm also in the King's bedroom, the most powerful and deadliest of them all. Not much is known about him because he doesn't leave his victims alive. "I'm going to get my revenge on you for breaking into my garden and stealing the Devil's Blood flower. I will punish you for eating it." He listed my crimes against him. "You will become one of my concubines." 

 

"Your what now?!" I unintentionally shouted. What did he just say? "I'm not going to be one of your concubines! I'm a prince, not a prostitute. I will not make a fool of me." No way was I going to let him make me into a concubine because for one: I am of royalty and I won't let myself go that low. And second: I don't want to have sex with this guy. The only time I would willing do so is if I had to do it to protect my kingdom and my people. "You can go suck my dick." I know it's bad for someone to speak such vulgar language but I was already too pissed. Not too long ago I was backing down, but right now that's not going to happen because I will not let him defile me. 

 

"Are you sure you should be back talking to me right now. You know what will happen if that's what you're doing, right? I will punish you and I will make your entire life living here miserable." He stalked closer as if trying to intimidate me into submission. Yes, he looked a little scary and I was in no place to fight back, but I wasn't going to back down. "So, are you going to try again and defy me?" 

 

"I understand the whole attitude thing and not wanting to be sassed at or having sarcasm, but this is completely out of the question. I'm not going be some sex toy for you to play with because you're feeling particularly sadistic today. I'm not going to let you use my body." I need to be firm. Kings were firm but fair, willing to see the other side while still being able to stand your ground. "I'm not going to be a concubine." 

 

"You don't get to decide that. I do." He was now standing in front of me with blazing eyes. "You have no rights here because you are a prisoner of war and you will be treated as such. You are a spoil I have acquired from my travels. You are nothing more than something I can use for my own gain. I also can't have you leaving either so this is a way to keep you by my side." He pulled out something that looked like a collar. Where did he even get that? "So, what's it going to be? You play nice a submit willingly, or I collar you like the animal you are?" 

 

"Screw you." 

 

"Your choice has been made, don't blame me for the consequences." 

Chapter 26: New Role Part Two

Sonic's gaze shifted between the collar in my hands and my face. His expression deepened, disgust clearly painted across his face. It was clear that he didn't want to put on the collar, let alone be anywhere near it, but this had to be done. If he's going to join the ranks of my royal concubines, then I need to make sure that they are protected. I couldn't let him run around without some insurance to keep him in line. He might not be able to escape, but that doesn't stop him from trying something that could possibly hurt any of the other fey.

"I'm not wearing some glorified dog collar just because it does something for you. I'm not some pet or crazed animal you freak." I got closer to him, now slightly pissed off by his accusations. I was not a freak, or some dirty pervert that would stoop so low. That would be very unprofessional for me as a king. Everything I do serves a purpose, even if it isn't clear to everyone. Every step he took backwards I matched, not letting him escape me. "You are not going to get me to wear that thing. I'll fight you."

"Fight me all you want, Sonic. This is karma getting revenge on you for the crimes you have committed against me and my kingdom. Others have been punished for way less than your transgressions, so count yourself lucky." Finally, he has nowhere else to go as his back hits the wall with a soft thud, the sudden contact making him jump. He had nowhere else to go. "Just put on the damn collar and stop fighting me. You're wasting both my time and your energy on something so meaningless. No matter what you do, it won't change the outcome. I will put this collar on you whether you cooperate or not. I don't really care."

"I'm not just going to roll over and let you put a dog collar on me. I will fight you." And he was true to his word as he launched himself at me. It caught me off guard, causing me to fall backwards, with him landing on top of me. His hand pinned the wrist holding the collar before ripping it from my grip. "How about I break it so you can't put it on me."  He looked proud of himself, but he would ultimately be disappointed.

No matter how hard he tries, the collar won't break. That is because it is made of magic and cannot be broken by brute force. I made it myself using my extensive amount of magical knowledge; I was several hundred years old after all. It allowed me to know where he was at all times, even if he was across the world. It also had the ability to teleport him to me, no matter where he was. I could also deal out punishments whenever I felt like it. On command the collar will send a shock of varying intensities, which depends on how I'm feeling. If I want to give him a little warning, but don't want to send him to the floor, then I can give him a tiny zap. If he's being disobedient and actively opposing me, then he will get a stronger shock that travels down his whole body and sends him to the floor. Since it is made with my magic and is synced with me I have full control over it.

"Go on, try it." I already knew the outcome, but it was still amusing to see him trying and thwart my plans. It would only result in him wasting his energy, making putting on the collar easier. He tried ripping it apart, gripping it with both hands and pulling it in opposite directions. The collar didn't budge and resisted. That only caused him to get more aggressive. "Having trouble there, Sonic? I thought you were some all mighty prince?"

"Shut up." He pressed me down further into the ground, thighs clamped tightly around me to keep me from moving. It was a very effective tactic, but it wasn't used very often. I was quite surprised to see someone like Sonic using such a technique. "Why isn't it budging!?" It was a rhetorical question, so I didn't answer and instead watched him continue to struggle. He then put a part of the collar into his mouth, between his teeth, and started to tug on it like a dog. For someone who likes to claim that they aren't a dog they sure do act like one.

Though the show was entertaining, I was starting to get bored, so I flipped us over. Now with me on top of him, pinning his wrists instead. I pulled the collar from between his teeth, jerking his head forward roughly before his grip on it slipped. "Are you done acting like a savage animal because I sure am. If you seriously think this could be broken just by tearing it apart, then why would I put it on such a creature like yourself. If I had you would have easily been able to break out it and scurry free, which would be a complete waste of my time." The collar now in my hands had no marks from his aggressive actions. It was shiny and pristine, almost like it had never even been touched. "Now let's make sure that you can't escape."

As I brought it closer to his neck, he began to struggle. His hips fucked up against me as if trying to throw me off, but I was not only stronger than him, but I also weighed much more, especially with the the size difference between us. "No, I won't let you put that on me!" He thrashed, only wasting more of his energy. My grip was strong.

"You said that earlier, but here we are. You're beneath me. Panting, sweating, and out of energy. There's is nothing you can do to stop me." I finally got the collar close to his neck and it automatically snapped on, tightening so that it was snug but not suffocate, physically anyway.

A faint blush appeared on his cheeks as he clawed at the collar. "Don't say it like that. And get this dumb thing off me."

"It doesn't matter what it sounds like because we're going to do way nastier things. I will get the essence of my sweet Maria from you one way or another." Disapare flashed in his eyes before he looked away from me defiantly. He can act all defiant as he wants because I will get what I want regardless.

Chapter 27: The Concubine Den

A shiver ran down my spine as I felt the collar tighten around my neck. It had a foreign energy to it. The feeling of it was angry, cold, and strangely sad, which made it more suffocating around my neck. His teasing, dirty words didn't help the situation at all. I was only reminded how helpless and how trapped I was. I wasn't strong enough to fight against Shadow while defenceless. He was strong, fast, and incredibly smart. All of those qualities only dwindled my chances of escaping unscathed. He was going to get his revenge one way or another. There was nothing that I could do. 

 

In a last ditch attempt I grabbed at the lamp that fell during the commotion when I had first tackled him. The edges of it cut my hand but I didn't care, I just needed to get away. Then I brought it down upon his head, shattering it even more. The sound of it was loud as shards  flew in random directions. Shadow groaned in pain, the hands that were holding me down were now on his head. A black substance began to drip from his forehead. Blood. This was my moment to end it all, so I could finally escape. 

 

My hands shakily grabbed one of the bigger pieces of the broken lamp. I could cut his throat. I would cut his throat. I will cut his throat. All it took was one swift movement, but then a it all halted. Pain shot down my whole body, no part of it was untouched. From the ends of my ears to the tip of my toes. All my nerves were ablaze, burning with hot pain. It felt almost like something was poking directly on the nerve. The feeling left me gasping for air as my breath was taken from me. It was agony. 

 

The shard fell from my hand, joining the others in the floor, they were all forgotten. The dull pain, the weight on top of me, even my own thoughts started to melt away and fade. The only thing that I could focus on was the pain that spread through my body causing my body to convulse. My body curled into itself, eyes rolling back in agony. The collar around my neck was the source of this agony. It was more intense where it rubbed against my skin. It felt tight, almost like it was trying to cut off my breathing. 

 

"Damn... Look at what you have done." The voice was muffled, my hearing fuzzy. The world around me slowly began to fade back in, but the tips of my vision were still a little blurry. The room felt stuffy and humid, like the room itself was also trying to suffocate me. The shocks that spread throughout slowly began to fade, making the tips of my fingers feel numb and twitch involuntary. I felt helpless and weak underneath Shadow. The collar had a new feeling to it. Both pain and irritation radiated off of it. 

 

"What was that?" I asked between labored breaths. My lungs felt sore and greedily took in big breaths of air as the wave of pain finally faded to a dull buzz through my body. It still hurts, but it was nothing compared to the pain from earlier. It was nothing I have ever felt before and I never wanted to ever feel that again. My body slowly unfurled against the carpet in a pile of limbs. Tears ran down my cheeks, I had no control over it and just let them fall. "What was that." I repeated, this time less shaky. 

 

"What was that?" He repeated my words. "That was your punishment for hitting me, for attempting to kill me, and for even thinking of such an outrageous. This is how I keep my pets in line- with a sharp shock. Then they know that their behavior is unacceptable. This is your first taste and if you don't want another, then I would suggest getting your act together. Every time you disobey or are disobedient this will make sure you stay in line." His fingers touched the collar around my neck, looking at it with sadistic satisfaction. "It can also help me if you're being a bad boy and I don't even have to be there. I would be careful what you do from now on. 

 

I wanted to flinch away from him, but my body was still weak from his punishment. His words scared me because now I would never have a chance to escape, attempt to kill him, or other stuff. He would know and I would be thoroughly punished. And the pain I felt was unlike anything else, I never wanted to be on the receiving end ever again, but if I ever hope of going home I might have to go through many more punishments. 

 

"Now, let's get you situated. My concubines live in a special part of the kingdom. They all live together, barely any privacy. Some of them are prisoners, but they are very rare. Most of them are fey that have willingly offered themselves, so that one day they can provide an heir to my kingdom, but I'm not necessarily in a rush to have an heir with any of them." He then looks at me, lust and sadistic satisfaction flash in his eyes. "But you on the other hand, I'm going to make sure that you provide it soon. Your life is shorter than that of a fey and your fertility window is smaller. If I want to get what I want, then I'll have to start sooner rather than later." 

 

My stomach flipped at the implications. I was going to become one of his concubines and my turn was going to come up sooner than I would have liked, which was ever. I would never in my life want to sleep with another man, let alone Shadow, the dark fey King. His morals were questionable and his motivations not completely known. "No, I won't become someone's sex toy." 

 

"Too bad I wasn't asking." His grip tightened, threatening me. "I was going to walk you there myself, but you just had to go and try to kill me. Now I need to clean up the mess you made." Two guards came in through the door, their faces stone cold. "These two will escort you. Enjoy your ride." He gave me a mischievous smile before he forced me up to my feet and handed me over to the guards. Both of them took an arm and started leading out of the King's chambers. I didn't fight against them because I was too exhausted. This was going to be a long day. 

 

Chapter 28: Concubine Den Part Two

"Take him away to the Concubine Den. That's going to be his new home after all." Shadow approaches me, an evil smirk on his face. His hand cups under my chin and gently forces me to look up at him. "You better behave while you're there. We wouldn't want you to be in pain now, would we?" The after shocks of the collar were practically non-existent, but I still felt exhausted. The sudden shock had put a whole lot of stress on my body and I haven't fully recovered yet. My body didn't want to listen to me and was more like a limp noodle. "You may leave now." 

 

"Yes, King Shadow." The two knights bowed, forcing me too to bow. And I let them. Nothing good would come if I fought against them. Either they would beat me to a pulp, which wouldn't be fun. Or, I would be punished by the collar that Shadow gave me. Both operations only led to undesired outcomes, so I let them guide my body. Their hands were firm and easily forced me to bend forward into a bow. I would never bow to this guy on my own free will, he doesn't deserve my respect after all the things he's done. 

 

After giving their king, Shadow, a bow they started to leave his chambers. Their steps held purpose as I was dragged through Shadow's palace, filled with lots of priceless trinkets and artifacts. Things that I used to think were just pure myths were now standing on pedestals and stands, glinting at me teasingly. It was almost like they taunted me just by existing. I stopped a few times only to be forced forward again, the guards not wanting to waste any time, but I couldn't help but admire them as we passed by. 

 

"Keep moving, slut." One of the guards said when my pace was slower than he wanted. I could only glare at them, the collar tightened around my neck as a warning. So then Shadow wasn't lying that he would be able to punish me no matter where I was. The guards could say whatever they wanted to me aand call them names, and I wouldn't be able to do anything because it was seen as being disobedient. The only thing that I can do without being punished is bite my lip and stay quiet. 

 

Sooner than I would have liked, we stopped at a pair of looming doors. They were huge compared to the other doors around Shadow's palace. These doors were a three times taller than I was and twice as tall as the guards. It was quite strange seeing the size difference between our species, especially because I was the shortest of the two of us. Though the guards were not as tall as Shadow and were therefore not as intimidating as he was, but hight wasn't what made him intimidating. What made him intimidating was the aura he emitted. It was biting and cold, demanding authority.

 

They still had a hold on me as they opened the doors. "Go inside." One of them ordered as they pushed me in. I fell onto a padded carpet floor. It felt soft on my fingers and cushioned my fall. But it wasn't just the floor that was soft it was the whole room, even the walls had carpet on them. It was a strange sight to say the least because I have never seen a house with carpet on their wall, but this wasn't Camelot, this was the capitol of the fey Kingdom. "Welcome to the Concubine Den where all of his majesty's concubine resign." 

 

There was movement in the corner of my eye, but I didn't have time to dwell on it because the guards were forcing me down. "Ladies, welcome your newest concubine. He is very important to his majesty and has a duty to uphold, but be wary, he is also a prisoner from his majesty's latest conquest." A few finely dressed women began to emerge, jewels dangling from their robes and glinting off the candle light. They looked quite pretty dressed in such fine silks and peppered with makeup. Most of them were hidden by the drapes that stretched across the whole room. 

 

"Isn't this peculiar?" One of them stepped forward, heels digging into the carpet as she got closer. She was a brown fox who had bright blue eyes, blazing almost like a blue flame.. Her dress had the theme of wind, swirling designs on the cuff sleeves. I had to look up to meet her in the eyes, she was already tall and the heels weren't helping with the height difference. Why does everyone have to be taller than me!? Suddenly she opened a fan with the flick of her wrist as she covered the majority of her face. Her eyes were sharp as they peered over the edge. "What did you have to do to end up here? You are far too disgusting to have been promoted to concubine." 

 

"It's a man." One of the ladies whispered from the back, disgust bled through her voice. There were so many pairs of eyes on me that I couldn't figure out who was saying what, but what I did know was that none of them liked me, not one bit. "It's also not a fey!" Another of the girls pointed out. Their stares intensified, now this time with a hint of malice. 

 

"Fiona." A smoother, yet older, voice spoke. Another lady, this one with a blue silk robe with golden accents. She was a golden fox, her eyes were also piercing blue, but her's were a lighter blue. "You know that is no way to treat another concubine, even if he is unconventional. Our king has placed him in the Concubine Den for a reason and we shall respect his wishes by welcoming the new concubine with open arms." The fox lady approached. "I'm Michelle Power, nice to meet you." 

 

"It's nice to meet you too, Michelle." I replied with uncertainty. She was one of the only concubines that didn't judge me for not being a fey. It was a nice change of pace, now with two friendly faces in this hell of a palace. As we shook hands she gave me a smile. The guards rolled their eyes before heading out the door. 

 

"State your business." One of the guards ordered as a cart was rolled in. It was being pushed by another golden fox, but the fox had two tails instead of one. I wonder if having more than one tail was normal for fey. Though, I can't really say since I don't know that much about the fey. The fox was dressed in a weaponsmith outfit, which was peculiar considering he was pushing a cart into a room full of the King's concubine.

 

"I'm here to deliver the food to the King's concubine." 

 

"What is your name?" The other guard asked this time. 

 

"Miles Power." 

 

Notes:

This was supposed to be out last week, but school decided to ruin my plans