Ch. 1 Royal Life

(This is a different kind of start for Rui's story since he begins it with a very

{Rui's Point Of View}

-November 3rd, year 693-

Living a Royal life is a very simple, clean, and relaxing life. My three brothers always played with the guards and servants. I always politely apologized for their miscreant behavior. Being the middle brother, I tried to be the mediator when it came to the behavioral aspects our family executes. I was never going to be a king but I wasn't going to be a servant either. Maybe an advisor or a diplomat is my calling due to my kind nature. My guard, A Gardevoir, watched over me every hour I'm awake. I still remember when she used to wash me during bath time in the nearby river. I'm 14 years old, my younger brother is the youngest at 11 years old. My eldest brother is 20 years old and currently works as a General in our Father's army. The second oldest is 18 years old and enjoys causing mischief with the youngest brother. All of us sport the sleek straight black hair our mother has with my older brother having our father's height. My height hasn't gotten anywhere, leaving me at 4 foot 7.

I was apologizing to a guard for my 18 year old brother, "I'm very sorry."

The soldier lifted up his eye wear on the helmet, "It's okay sir." He smiled, saluting me.

I nodded my thanks before running after my brothers. I wore a white robe with red laces and strings to tie it around my waist, shoulders, elbows and knees. My feet were covered by wooden sandles with the base softened by Vigorith skin and laces make from Mareep wool. Our castle is built from a mixture of hard stone to cement with windows cut out of the wall. The air naturally fluctuates to keep the temperature even with the outside. The warmest rooms are those that have an active fire to keep the temperature about 70 degrees during Winter. I could see my cold breath appear in front of me as I ran. Guards, both human and pokemon watched me run in the long stone hallways; often pointing towards my brothers' general locations. I found them both sitting along an edge of a balcony, staring off at the scenery.

"Heath, Slate; why can't you two just relax? I know Heath is only 11 so he's full of energy, but you're an adult Slate, shouldn't you take responsibility a lot more seriously than you do on average? What if you end up being the next king, will you run into every filthy peasant's home demanding money?" I lectured.

My brother Slate stands at about 6 feet with a dark shadow around his eyes. He wore a green knitted sweater with brown wool pants and socks. His golden yellow eyes stare at the forest passionately. I was cold but I didn't care enough to either notice to fix it. The forest danced with the cold Winter wind with frost gently outlaying the upper leaves. One of our many villages can be seen since their rooftops rise above the trees.

Slate shrugged, looking at the forests, "I really don't care. Elder Brother will be king and we'll just enjoy ourselves. We're royalty, we can do anything we want. It's not like anyone is powerful enough to take down our entire kingdom. Especially will big brother leading the army."

I walked over to the balcony and leaned over it, resting on my elbows next to Heath, "What about you little one?" I asked.

Heath looked at me confused before smiling, "I'm too young to rule older brother Rui."

Heath is only 4 feet tall with his black hair cut short and allows his scalp to be seen if you look at his head. He tends to wear dirty robes from playing with Slate in the castle often. His brown eyes matching mine with a very playful smile missing a few teeth. I never left our castle since there was never a reason to but I often wondered what our subjects were like. Do they resent us for father's taxation? Is our father a kind man like I believe or merely a Tyrant trying to make everyone suffer so we, his family, can live comfortable lives. That is difficult to answer...

My curiosity got the better of me, "What do you think of the people who live under father's rule?"

Slate didn't know but assumed, "Maybe they're hateful since we live off their taxes."

I nodded my agreement, "Yeah... that's a fair decision to make or think due to their stressful lives."

Heath got off the edge, "I'm going to go potty." he said aloud before running.

I watched him go before looking at Slate, "Can you two at least try to behave yourselves from now on or for the rest of the day. My day should revolve around chasing you two throughout the castle."

Slate sat up, "Yeah, I'll just entertain Heath in his room. Mom and Dad are in a meeting right now; go check it out if you're bored. You never know if it's intriguing or not.

I smiled at him, "Thank you brother. Have a nice day with Heath."

I gave Slate a kind wave before going back inside thd castle. I could barely feel my hands from the outside cold and being inside wasn't helping. A nearby room has an active fire place so I was able to warm up my hands. The room is my father's trophy room.

I whispered to myself, "This room is always lit with fresh firewood."

My father hung the special weapons and heads of pokemon and humans he's slain. Some of the more recent ones have been sent back by my oldest brother. One of the trophies is a crystal my brother picked up from a Gardevoir. Its outside is made from the same crystal of their shards. I wonder what sort of powers it holds as well as the other artifacts kept here. When I was warm enough, I continued searching for my parents in order to listen in on their conversation. They were in the throne room with our Gardevoir guardian speaking to them about my eldest brother. The Gardevoir Guardian is a male wearing silver plated armor covering every part of his body. The helmet has two spikes extending back like the elfish tip of their ears. His face is exposed as he kept a stern expression.

The guards allowed me to eavesdrop on them, "So it is inevitable?" My father asked.

My father is about 43 years old with long wavy gray hair and a golden crown. His blue eyes used to sparkle in his younger days but now seems to dull with each passing night. He wore robes tailored by the finest red and yellow silk a man could make. The texture throughout the robe catches every subjects eyes with its expert design. His Caucasian skin has wrinkles on his face and arms. The bottom of his feet were covered by the same kind of sandles I wear.

The Gardevoir nodded, "Yes. The Frost are against us without remorse or relent. Your son is fighting against them valiantly but..."

My father scratched his chin, "Hm... what of your kind?"

The Gardevoir looked down for a moment, "I was born here under your eye... I am loyal only to you your highness. As for my kind... they may be swayed to rebel if it continues to get out of hand. The Frost are recruiting others to join their cause, even humans are willing to rebel."

My father got up, "Then we have no choice. I will tell Geo that he's allowed to use whatever force is necessary to devastate this rebelion."

My mother tried to reason with him, "Maybe if we cut the taxes, it'll set their minds to rest. We can be very reasonable honey."

My father shook his head, "I've already tried that my love but they ignore everything. It is either them or us and I will be damned before I let my family die to these bastards."

My mother frowned worriedly, "What about Geo's life? Don't you think it unfair that he has no choice in this matter and may have to fare with the immediately danger. He's survived thus far but how much longer can he cope with both a horrid war and the realities of command?"

"He's our oldest son. I believe he's more than willing to lay down his life for both us and his brothers. You gave birth to him and he's our treasured first born. It would devastate me if we lost him but it we lose this war we'll be the ones that are devastated when those rebels break in and murder us. Do you want that to happen my love?" My father asked, pointing at the entrance.

My mother looked conflicted, "Of course not but you mustn't forget that we have a duty to our people as well as ourselves. Our people need us to be fair or they'll never be happy leading to these rebellions in the first place."

The Gardevoir looked at both of them before bowing, "My pardons M'lady but that is not entirely true. There will always be those that want to rule and cannot accept the fact that they are not fit to rule. There will always be those sort of people who will rise up and use words of fake promises to get everyone else to work with them. It is... unfortunately, however, after the rebels are dealt with, we can always change things to accommodate our citizens. They need a much more pleasurable life experience to ensure less rebellions in the future."

My father sat back down, "What you say is true but... I wonder what Rui thinks. Come on in here, I know you're listening son."

I walked in with a frown, earning a stern expression from my mother, "Rui! What have I told you about eavesdropping! I raised you better than this and you're supposed to be the good one!"

I hung my head and apologized, "I'm sorry mother. I was just interested in the conversation. I was hoping to hear of Geo's return since I miss him."

My mother waved a finger at me, "Still, you should have just came in here and asked us about your brother. You're never going to be a good husband if you continue to eavesdrop like this."

My father shot up, "Speaking of which, have you thought about the offer made by Princess Bianca of the far off land?"

I looked aside, "Father, I am not ready to marry, much less to a stranger who is ten years older than me. I must respectfully decline since I also wish to stay with my family for a few more years. I love you all. I couldn't bare to be away from you all for the rest of my life and be trapped with an older woman I know nothing about."

My mother whispered to my father, "I must agree, I do not like that woman."

My father nodded, "Yes. I would agree to. She only has an interest in you, not your brothers for some apparent reason. I will notify her of the choice and hopefully she'll accept. Now, on to more pleasant business, how was your day son?"

"I had a pleasant day making sure Slate and Heath kept out of trouble. What about you two?" I asked, smiling.

My father sat back on his throne, "I'll admit, it was very tiresome due to all the petty Politics we must endure. Now with the Frost forming in the north, I fear we may have to wait another year before Geo comes home."

I shuffled nervously as I asked, "Do you think I could come with you on one of those political meetings? I really want to meet the other pokemon and people we rule over."

My father smiled before laughing a bit, "You want to explore our kingdom, don't you?"

I nodded, "There's a lot of places I keep hearing about but will never see or experience if I stay here. I don't want to rule, and I don't need to have a family but I can be useful. Maybe I can handle all the Political struggles for Geo while he's king to reduce his stress."

My mother seemed happy and supported me, "Surely you can bring him, you know he'll behave."

My father agreed, "Yes. It is high time you met the other types of people and pokemon in our kingdom. Just know this, having three other brothers doesn't mean you get a free pass from royal traditions, but it does give you some leeway. Now, if Geo because king and signs a contract making you wed to any female, there is nothing you can do to stop it. Though... there is no fear of that since he cares for all of you deeply. I'm just letting you know, in case the time ever arrives."

"Is there anything else you'd like to ask sweetie?" My mother asked kindly.

I thought about it before coming up with one question, "How does money work?"

My father tilted his head in surprise, "None of our tutors have taught you that?"

I shook my head no, "They're too busy trying to teach me what's 'Proper' for a Prince. Half of the time, I feel like they're trying to teach me how to be kind AND stupid. I don't know why it matters how we sip tea but apparently it's a crime not to drink it with my pinky up. My favorite moment was when I asked what's the proper way to use the restroom and they answered it."

"Do you at least have fun?" my mother asked.

I gave her a blank look, "No. I feel like I lose more of my head learning than I do chasing my brothers."

My mother held my father's hand, "Perhaps we should replace their tutors." she suggested.

My father laughed, "I think not. Our children need to learn for themselves, not because we tell them to. Do you visit the library often?"

I smiled at him, "More so than my brothers, why?"

"It's nice to know you spend your free time reading in order to entertain yourself. What have you read?" my father asked curiously.

I answered him after thinking about it, "Uh... Adventures mostly. My favorite one is Fruits, Spices and Gardevoir. It was very emotionally impacting at certain points and I couldn't help but smile. Some parts of the story were ripped out, making me wonder what I missed."

"Every book brought in is read by our content mediators. That book in particular had some adult moments, so they were removed. I'm happy you still enjoyed the story."

I remembered my earlier question, "Father, you still haven't answered my question. How does money work?" I repeated as the Gardevoir Guardian walked towards the entrance.

My father looked at the Gardevoir Guardian as he left the room, "Money works much like the coins in the book you read. Gold coins are the most expensive currency with copper coins as the least. For our currency, 100 copper is equal to 1 silver; 100 silver is equal to 1 Gold. The value of our coins never changes due to our economic laws. The only changes to the currency happens outside of our kingdom. Tax is something that goes hand and hand with currency. Our tax rate is 7% meaning 7% of all business profit goes to us in order to pay for various essentials. This ranges from guards to equipment as well as our family gold mine. You use money to buy this from peddlers or store owners. As a Prince, you'll never need to do this so I'll stop my explanation from there."

My mother laid her head against her hand, "I sort of wish I had a daughter..."

My father and I looked at her, "That was sudden." My father replied.

My mother smiled, "I'd never replace any of my children but I still wish we had one daughter. I guess it was never meant to be. Maybe your child will be a girl Rui." My mother teased.

I blushed a bit, "I'm only 14 so I guess saying I'll never marry is irrelevant."

My mother stood up and walked over to hug me, whispering, "Your father was the same way. He never wanted to marry until he met me. The right woman will get you to want to marry her. There is nothing wrong with that and it can be any woman you meet."

I hugged my mother back, "I understand mother. Any words of wisdom for when the day comes that I meet the right woman."

My mother put her hands on my shoulders, smiling at me, "If she loves you, then she'll accept you for who you are and follow you to the end of the Earth. If you find this woman, keep her with you. There is only one woman in a man's life like that and you cannot let that opportunity slip by you."

I gave her a determined nod, "I'll make sure to remember that. What shall we have for dinner?" I asked.

My mother pat my head, "The chefs are cooking freshly killed Tauros for dinner. Vegetables and fruits are becoming rare because of the Winter but we have some being served as well."

I looked at my father and darted my eyes back to my mother, "Should I inform Heath and Slate?" I asked.

"Could you? It would be very helpful." My mother smiled warmly at me.

I smiled back, "Okay, I'll see you both at the dinner."

My father sighed, "I won't be there. I have to leave for an important meeting. I'll be back after dinner is over."

I half frowned, "We could wait for you. Dinner isn't the same without you saying grace."

My father got up from his throne, "I'm sorry son, I won't be there until a few hours after dinner. Your mother can say grace in my absence or maybe your older brother can. He sort of has my voice so he may be a viable substitute."

"Who are you meeting?" I frowned.

"An Earl. He has been absolutely livid about the rebellions lately. Apparently, they've been affecting his profits and that's causing him alarm. Excuse me." My father left the room.

I looked at my mother, "I'll go find Heath and Slate then."

My mother waved, "Good luck keeping them out of trouble."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head as I left the throne room. Heath and Slate were busy placing outside as it began to snow. The gray eerie sky stole my attention as I looked up, gazing at it. There was a strange type of beauty associated with this snowy weather. The dancing flakes, the dying light behind the clouds... No bird pokemon soared in this frosty weather and yet... I could have sworn I saw one. Maybe it was snow in my eyes but I did see something. I heard my brother yell, snapping me out of my trace. Turns out, my older brother fell out of a tree and landed on his back.

"Ack! Damn it!" Slate yelled.

I ran over to him, "You okay?" I asked.

Heath looked worried, "He fell out of the tree."

To our relief, Slate got up, "Ugh. That freaking hurts! I think I'm okay though."

I asked him the obvious, "How did you fall out of the tree?" I asked.

Slate cracked his back, "The cold and snow made me lose my grip as I was climbing. Naturally, I fell because of it, luckily, I didn't get very high but it still hurt."

"At least you're okay." I smiled, patting his back.

He flinched, "Ack. I think I'm going to get a bruise."

Heath looked like he was going to cry, "I'm sorry Slate. I didn't mean to get you hurt."

Slate smiled at Heath and pat his head, "Don't worry about it. It was my fault for not saying no. If I did, I wouldn't have been climbing the tree in the first place."

Heath nodded into the pet, "Okay Slate..."

I gave them the news, "Dinner is going to be freshly cooked Tauros. Father won't be joining us for dinner. He needs to meet some Earl over the rebellions."

"Rebellions?" Heath asked.

Slate looked confused, "Why would anyone rebel against father? He has never done anything wrong."

I shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe someone is manipulating them or they're accusing father of something he didn't do. That's why Geo won't be back for another year. When he comes back, he'll be a very different person."

Slate crossed his arms, thinking about it, "Yeah, he hasn't seen us in over 5 years since joining the army by father's word. I hope he will remember us."

I started leading them back inside, "Of course he'll remember us. We're his brothers, his family. The ones that will support him when the time comes for Geo to become king."

They both nodded their agreement as we went into the castle. Father wasn't at the dinner and didn't come home until the next morning. After that, both he and mother seemed worried for the next three months. I tried asking them about it but they kept stonewalling me. After the three months have passed, they seemed to calm down again. What got them so worried?