Hey all. Just to note that this is the first big Sonic story I've given a crack at. I'm usually very, very bad at writing stories that are longer than three pages, because I just lose the plot. But I'm going to give it a chance and hope that it works out. Before we begin though, I would like to mention something. The conceiving of the story would have not been possible if it weren't' for the story Outcasts, written by SilverDawn2010. It was the main inspiration for me writing this story and some of you who have read the fantastic love story will find that there are a couple of similarities here and there, but I swear it's not plagiarism! Anyways, let's begin!

"Lately, I find myself,

Out gazing at stars,

Hearing guitars,

Like someone in love..."

The constant spin of the record finally begun to die, slowing to a smooth halt. Such an impeccable song, she thought. How she wished to be in love...

There was a loud thud on the door, and after a small gap of silence, it opened. A guard walked in, dressed from head to toe in shining metal armour.

"Princess Blaze, the king...I mean, your father wishes to see you" the guard recited. She sighed, not again. He always wanted to see her, for even the smallest and unimportant things. Nevertheless, she dare not defy him, out of the fear of punishment. She took a quick look in the mirror, adjusted her tiara, and then walked out of the room, the guard following her, closing the door.

For a normal person, they would be lost in the kingdom within the first minute of trying to navigate the hundreds of corridors and the many, many rooms it housed. But for Blaze, she knew every turn and corner, as if it is were her own labyrinth. Sometimes, even the guard would get lost, the clanking of his armoured feet becoming fainter whenever he happened to take a wrong turn. But as far as the guards were concerned, Blaze didn't matter. Especially today.

She walked into the throne room and stood before the throne, where her father was sat. Her father was a man of great shape and figure, proud face and a small gem on his forehead, like his daughter, for it symbolised royalty. His body was clad in a green jacket, which was tightly fitted on his body, held together with small golden buttons and adorned with medals on one side of his chest. It had shoulder pads with little golden pieces of rope hanging from its edges. Clung on to the shoulder pads was a big black cape which was red on the inside, slung across his back and partly concealed his right arm. He wore black trousers held up high with a fancy platinum belt, and he had large silver and leather boots with a small set of golden wings clung to both sides of both shoes. On his hands were large golden gauntlets, hiding his hands.

But his defining feature was his face. As fearsome as he looked, there was no hiding it, he was old. He had messy, straggly grey hair sprouting from his forehead and down like a tree and a long beard in a similar shape hanging from his chin. Both his hair and beard were connected by the sides of his head by two straight strips of grey hair. His eyes were wrinkled, and so were all the curves on his face. His eyebrows were also grey, and whenever he opened his eyes, the colour grey could also be seen on his irises.

The guard rushed in from behind her and skidded to a halt next to Blaze, puffing and panting heavily. He gave the king a lazy salute.

"King Gustav, my liege, I have brought her as you commanded...*puff*..." he said, his chest moving in and out at a great speed. King Gustav, the sole leader of the Principality of Alba.

"You are excused" he said in a deep growl. He always spoke in this tone, even to his own daughter. It always seemed that he was in a bad mood, and rarely did Gustav smile. But although he talked sternly to the guards and authorities, whenever he was talking to Blaze, the growl seemed to dissipate somewhat. Still, his demeanour remained unchanged, rough and serious.

"Blaze...you are a couple of minutes late. You know that will not do any further" Gustav grumbled, his eyes still closed.

"Yes Father...I was just making sure I didn't come out looking like 'a drab', as you said yesterday" Blaze explained, remembering the last night's events when she came down slightly untidy and Gustav gave her a row for not looking at her prime. Although he couldn't say much himself.

"Of course...at least you learnt something" Gustav retaliated. "I want you listen carefully. Tomorrow is my 68th birthday, and in celebration of such an occasion, we shall be having a party" Gustav explained. Blaze could predict every word from here on out.

"So you want me to stay in my quarters and behave until the party is finished...*sigh*...I understand" she said quickly. Gustav's eyes opened and he raised his hand again.

"Do not cut across me, it is rude" Gustav attacked. Blaze was always getting this treatment from Gustav, but Gustav never once raised his voice with her. Actually, Blaze had never heard Gustav raise his voice at all, he only ever spoke in his deep grumble, and sometimes maybe in a slightly louder voice whenever he announced something, but apart from that, no louder. It was something she wished she'd never have to hear.

"I'm sorry..." Blaze said quietly.

"That is better" Gustav replied. "As I was saying before you interrupted me, we shall be having a party. And this time, you will not be staying in your quarters" he explained.

Blaze felt her heart jump a little whilst she was looking down. She looked up at Gustav, whose facial expression hadn't changed at all.

"Y-you...really mean it, Dad?" she asked in disbelief. Gustav gave a slow nod of his head, his hair shrouding his face. He wiped it aside with one swipe of his hand, revealing is face once more.

"I mean it, Blaze" he repeated. "It is time you begin to fully serve as a princess now, seeming you are of a trustworthy age" he explained. Blaze tried to contain her excitement at the thought of attending her first party! She had heard so many stories of what parties were supposed to be like, loud, fun, full of people, and she even got to wear a dress, something that she never showed affection for, but deep inside, she truly loved it. But what was a real party like? She was so curious; the question unconsciously escaped her lips.

"What's a party like?" she asked rather excitedly.

"If you would compose yourself, maybe I will explain to you" Gustav snapped suddenly. Blaze suddenly became as still as a rock, frightened of her father's loud but controlled outburst. He closed his eyes again and heaved a heavy sigh.

"The party will be a gathering of officials all over the Principality of Alba. Mayors, ministers, celebrities, my friends. There will be the finest food and drink; there will be music and dancing, socialising, and the like. Now I want you to listen to me carefully Blaze, for I shall explain this only once" Gustav growled. Blaze continued to remain still, trying not to spoil the opportunity for herself.

"I am listening, Father" she said quietly.

"Good. I want you to have fun, but I want you to be an adult tomorrow night. I don't want you causing a single speck of trouble, do you hear me?" Gustav asked. Blaze nodded silently, fearing what consequences her curiosity could cause.

"You will not be allowed alcohol" Gustav said quickly and sternly. "You are still far too young for that. And remember, you're not just some kid at a party having fun; you are representing the royal blood line of The Principality of Alba, and yourself as its princess. The last, utmost last thing I want to hear during or at the end of the party, is that the princess of the Principality of Alba had become drunk, gotten herself injured, embarrassed herself, or anything that could bring a shred of negativity and disdain to the name of the royal family. Do you understand, Blaze?" Gustav asked very clearly, leaning from his throne and towards Blaze, his piercing grey stare almost cutting Blaze in half. She felt a shiver run right down her spine as she looked into his eyes.

"I...I understand...F-Father..." she said, just about able to keep her composure. Gustav then sat back up straight on his throne.

"Excellent. I hope I have made myself clear. Now..." he said. He then raised his hands and clapped them together, the metal of the gauntlets creating a harrow, clashing sound. From a side door in the rather small room (which was on the highest floor of the castle) and out walked someone familiar to Blaze. He was a cat, just like Blaze and Gustav, and he was rather tall, just an inch or two below the king himself. He was a rather strangely dressed person, with a white shirt, the top two buttons undone, and black trousers. He also had a trendy jacket on, with a couple of thin plates of armour stuck onto it. The shoulders seemed to be adorned with a form of military pattern, which alluded to his military rank as Primary Commander of the forces. His name was Tinder and he was the king's aide.

"How can I help you, my liege?" Tinder asked, giving a bow. His metallic jacket gave a couple of clinking sounds as he bowed, the metal clashing against each other, almost like Gustav's gauntlets.

"Take my daughter down to the dressing rooms and have her measurements taken. I would like a special dress tailored for her ready for my birthday tomorrow evening. I want her looking at her best. If she wishes, allow her to choose a couple of her own customizations, such as colour or any adornments. I trust my daughter has a sense of fashion" he said in his monotonous voice. Blaze felt a little warm inside, it was rare to see her father give her a compliment.

"Of course, my liege. Come, Princess Blaze, the tailors are waiting for you downstairs" Tinder said kindly, putting a hand behind her back. Compared to her, he was rather tall. The two walked out of the throne room, whilst Gustav watched as the two vanished behind the door. He then grabbed a mirror and looked at his face. He examined every wrinkle on his flesh, and closed his eyes. But he knew that his face wasn't too bad. He felt rather well for 68. But he then looked down at his broad chest. People thought it was the clothes he wore, but in reality, it was his muscle. It reminded him that he needed to get up off of his throne, and go to his exercise room, to ensure that he stayed in the same incredible shape until the day he died.

Well, that's the first chapter. I told you that it was going to be pretty naff, didn't I? Anyways, there are a couple of things that will need a little bit of clearing up, just so the understanding of the story is a lot clearer. Here's a list of the stuff you'll need to know.

Primary Commander: Just a phrase I came up with on the spot, as far as I know myself (not a good sign, hah!), The Principality of Alba houses an army which is headed by two fierce Field Commanders, whom have not been revealed yet. The rank Primary Commander is the highest rank in the forces, possessed by Tinder, although Tinder is too wrapped up being an aide to actually take care of military matters, thus the existence of the Field Commanders.

The Principality of Alba: Well, Blaze's planet has never been named, right? Unless I'm out of the loop here, anyway, seeming that Gustav reminds me more of a dictator than a king, I decided to name Blaze's planet The Principality of Alba, to make it sound completely different and unique, rather than going on the Name Generator and making something up.

And the characters...:

Blaze (12 years old): We all know who she is. But as far as this story fitting in with the timeline, many people will see a plethora of things that will not coincide with the plotlines of the Sonic games. This is why I have decided to make this one a spin-off, detached from the main storylines of the Sonic games, so I could incorporate some of my ideas and have the make sense at the same time.

Gustav (67-68 years old): The king of The Principality of Alba, and he's one grumpy old man. And he's in shape. He kinda reminds me of what I look like, plus what I want to look like in 51 years time (I myself, am 17). I have his hair, expect it's brown, and who doesn't want to be a muscled old man?

Tinder (29 years old): Gustav's aide and the Primary Commander of the kingdom's forces. Not much has been revealed about him yet, but stay tuned, there's more to come!

And that kinda wraps up Chapter 1. And as far as dramatic questions go...What will Blaze wear for the party? Will Gustav suffer indigestion because he's old? Will Tinder ever find his way to the outfitting room? More shall be revealed in Chapter 2!