Three long days in a carriage, with his father, with the 'you will behave' speech. God shadow hated that speech! It was like an unending reminder of just how embarrassed his father was of him. He didn't even understand why his father was embarrassed. What was the big deal, so he likes guys what's the big deal? It's not like it hurt anyone. Hell, even the guards were okay with it. On top of that why did he even need to take the carriage? He could have waited for nightfall and then had sonic bring him. It would have saved him an entire day, but no he had to spend two long days with his father.
"Shadow are you paying attention?!" His father screamed in his ear making the younger male rub his ear and give an annoyed growl.
"Don't flirt with the king, don't flirt with any of his sons, don't flirt with the staff, don't ask have tea with the queen, I am to stay with you at all time, and if I'm told to stay somewhere I am to do so." The prince replied in a bored tone. He's heard this all before he was so tired of having to act like he was someone else. Why couldn't he just be himself for a little while?
The king went on talking but his son wasn't listening. Why should he? His father never listened to him… No, he was just staring out the carriage window as it travels through the castle town. The people looked so happy…so blissfully unaware if how much he wished for the same freedoms they had. Like the freedom to have a choice. Yeah, having a choice in things would be a nice change.
Little did Shadow know that he wasn't the only prince getting a speech on how he need to 'behave', but unlike Shadow prince Knuckles was watching his father pacing back and forth as he spoke. The echidna prince just rolled his eyes at the stupid way his father always assumed that he got all hot and bothered over any guy that walked in the castle gates. After an hour of this all he wanted to do was scream 'I fucking get it! Shut up!' at his father but if he did he know this speech would keep going on… so he'd just act the part.
"I mean it! The peace talks with the King of the steel kingdom need to go will! He's bring his son along and I need you to behave yourself around him." The elder echidna said as he stopped his pacing back and forth, looked at his son, and crossed his arms over his chest. "You will not embarrass me today do you understand?"
The prince winced at that last part, nothing like being told to your face what an embarrassment you are. "Yeah, I understand…" He said and watched his father leave in a huff. Once the door closed behind his father the prince held up his middle finger at the door. "What an ass-hole you are."
Shadow just about flew out of the carriage screaming 'freedom!' when it came to a stop outside the castle, but he was to 'behave' so he calmly make his way out of the carriage and stood outside of it. The hedgie prince toke a deep breath and exhaled. The fresh air was nice, but it was such a relief to not be trap in that carriage anymore. However, his relief was short lived when his father got out of the carriage and shot him one of the dark king's trademark glares. Shadow's ears dropped and he looked off to the side.
"Sorry" Shadow said with a sigh. He didn't even know what he to earn that glare, but then again it had always been like this between him and his father.
"Just-…just behave boy." The king growled out before headed toward the doors leading into the castle with Shadow following along behind him.
The inside of the castle was breath taking! Hand make stained glass windows, breath taking paintings on the ceiling, beautiful marble floor with amazing designs, and the a hand carved grand staircase that was just mind blowing. The craftsmanship was stunning and he had such an urge to see the rest of the castle without his father.
"Hello Dominic, I hope I have not made you wait too long." A Male voice said drawing Shadow's attention to an echidna around his father's age walking down that grand stair case. The kingly echidna was everything Shadow had expected from someone that was, like his own father, famous for his good looks.
"No we just got here Locke." Shadow's father said in a cool tone. "Shall we start our peace talks then?" Dominic asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Right to the point as always… Yes Dominic, we shall but you and your son have had a long trip please rest today. Tomorrow we will begin our peace talks, come I'll show you to your rooms." Locke said earning an annoyed growl from the elder Hedgehog followed by him muttering an agreement. The kingly echidna shot them a smile before he turned and headed back up the stairs. "Please follow me." Was his reply to the muttered an agreement. The hedgehogs followed behind him.
Dominic and Locke talked as they walked alone, and Shadow he just followed along as he looked over more of the stunning craftsmanship… Will that was till he saw someone fair more stunning then the craftsmanship. A will dressed male echidna, who looked to be 3 or 4 years younger than him, was standing in a doorway leaning into a door frame. Shadow was so stunned that he almost walked into his father who had stopped walking.
"Knuckles this is King Dominic and his Son Shadow, they are my guests." Locke said to a younger echidna who waved. "Dominic, Shadow, this is my Son Knuckles."
The elder hedgehog nodded and greeted Knuckles with a 'hello' but Shadow just stared for a moment before he waved at the echidna prince. "Gorgeous" Shadow said under his breath as they all stood there. In moments he found the three other males eyes on him.
"What was that Shadow?" Dominic said loud and clearly with a bit of an edge in his tone.
Shadow knew that tone he meant his father was annoyed and working up to being pissed. "Um the painting there it's gorgeous." The hedgie said and pointed to a painting to Knuckles right hanging on the way. The echidna prince cocked an eyebrow at this and looked over at the painting the hedgie prince was pointing at. The painting was of echidna prince which made him snicker at the hedgehog's poor cover story.
"Yes, it is a lovely painting of Knuckles isn't it?" Locke mused then cleared his throat. "But we should get you two to your rooms come along." He added and started walking again.
"It's nice-Ah!" Shadow was cut off by his father grabbed one of Shadow's ears, before dragged him off down the hall after Locke.
"It's nice to meet you too!" Knuckles said loudly as Shadow could hear him even as he was being dragged off. He waited for them to get out of ear shot before he started laughing. "That was awesome, the look on his father's face!" after a bit he stopped laughing and whipped a tear from his left eye. "Aww shit that was beautiful." He added before going back into his room and closing the door behind him.
Poor shadow on the hand wasn't laughing, because right after Locke had showed them where their rooms where and left he was left alone with his father… and Dominic was less than amused. The king let go of Shadow's ear only to smack him hard over the back of the head. Shadow winced at the blow and cringed at just thinking about what would come after it.
"Get in that room and don't you fuckin' dare leave it unless I come get you!" Dominic just about screamed at his son who stood before him cringing. "NOW DAMN IT!" He yelled and at this Shadow just about ran into the room. Once the door slammed behind Shadow Dominic let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead. "God he's so tiring some days." He said with a sigh before dragging himself to his own room. Once he was inside he stripped off his cloak, armor, crown, and boots before just dropping into the bed and passing out cold in a snoring heap of fluffy black fur and quills.
Shadow on the other hand wasn't sleeping he was sitting on the floor hugging his legs to his chest. He staring off into space as tears threaten to betray his inner misery. He was trying so fucking hard to be what his father wanted, to behave the way his father wanted, but no matter how hard he tired he always failed. His ears dropped sadly before he buried his face in his legs and pulled them closer to hide the tears now pooling his eyes as they started rolling down his cheeks. He couldn't do this anymore! He was so sick and tired of being screamed at, of being made to lie to not just the people around him but to himself also, of not being allowed to have a voice, and more over…he was sick and tired of being the disappointment.
For hours he sat there in the with his back to the door in a tight ball as his inner misery vented itself till at last he could cry no more, and the tired prince just flapped over onto this side still in his thigh little ball and passed out. Sleep brought with it some peace but very little.
Shadow was not the only one to have issues sleeping. Knuckles was having them too, but unlike Shadow the echidna and decided to take a walk to the guest hall to watch the sunset. However, when he got there it was not the quiet peaceful view he'd hoped for. One of the hedgie's snoring was louder than a wood mill saw or an iron works! It was just freaking crazy how anyone could sleep so loudly, and he was about to make his retreat when he heard something softer coming from the closer of the two rooms. It didn't sound like snoring, not it sounded more like someone crying. His ears flicked forward from their hiding place under his quills as he moved closer to the door and pushed his right ear into the door. Indeed it was crying he heard, and he was about to knock and ask if everything was ok when the crying slowed to a stop followed by the sound of a soft thud.
The red male pulled his ear back away from the door and looked around him before pushing his ear to the door again. "Hey? You ok?" no answer came. "Hello?" still no answer, and he didn't know what to do. What if the person on the other side of the door was hurt? He couldn't just leave without knowing if the person that had been crying was ok, so after looking around the hall way again to make sure no one saw him he carefully turned the knob and pushed on the door. He'd hoped the door would just open so he could slip in but something was blocking it. The prince let out an annoyed groan and careful pushed the door open enough for him to slip in.
Once inside the room he quietly pushed the door closed behind him and looked around a bit before seeing Shadow sleeping in a tight ball on the floor right in front of the door. Knuckles sighed and knelt down beside the dark male to check and see if he was hurt. The dark wasn't, which was reassuring, but raised the question of why Shadow hid been crying. "Shadow, you can't sleep on the floor you'll get a cold." Knuckles said and he placed a hand on Shadow's shoulder and softly shock him.
"Mmm." Was the reply that came followed by Shadow rolling over and snuggling up to the wall and door. It would have been cute if not for the fact that Knuckles was now mostly trapped in the room. He could have gone out the window, but then he'd have to go through the pain in the ass tack of getting back up to his room…all those steps. Nah he had a better plan.
"Ok sleeping beauty I'll just put you in bed myself." The princely echidna said before picking the sleeping hedgehog up in his arms, walking over and laying Shadow down in the soft bed. Knuckles pulled the blankets out from under Shadow and covered him. "There now your-" Knuckles was cut off by Shadow rolling towards him and almost off the bed. Yes he'd managed to catch the sleeping male just in time. "Oh so it's going to be like that is it?" The red male said then placed Shadow in the middle of the bed, covered Shadow with the blankets again, tucked the blankets in all around Shadow, and lastly moved back to stand beside the bed. "Let's see you roll out of that." He said as he rubbed his nose with a big proud smile on his face.
"Mmm warm." Shadow muttered and snuggled down into the blankets with a soft smile on his face.
The princely echidna who had just been beaming with pride because he'd found a way to keep the dark prince from rolling onto the floor now found himself blushing. The hedgehog was cute! His sleeping face and that soft smile on his lips where adorable. Knuckles lend down to get a closer look, and maybe prove to himself that this guy…that the prince of the kingdom of steel wasn't cute…
But he was. Yes Shadow, son of King Dominic, and rightful heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Steel…was indeed handsome like his father, and just as adorable as a kitten playing with yarn. He had the urge to kiss the hedgie, but no. Knuckles pulled himself away from the temptation to kiss the sleeping cutie, and at the same time defy his father's orders, in favor of leaving Shadow's room… which left the hedgehog alone to sleep, or so he though. Little did he know someone had been watching him from the window.
Not long after Knuckles left the room a large shag furred being pushed open the window, slipped into the room, shut the window, and then shock himself dry. It then looked at the door that the princely echidna had left through and smirked.