The great King of Demuir sat the desk in his chambers; his head lay in his hands. He was becoming overly wrought with pain and frustration with the continuation of this war. His hand fell to his side as he let his body slump further into the desk. He felt the soft tongue of his life-long companion, Buciarrati, his persian. The King was not as old he looked and felt these days. He was only fifty, but his hair was mostly white, and wrinkles frequented his brow on a daily basis. He only stood five-foot-six, so among the upper class, it was known that he wore shoes that would help him gain height. He also wore his crown constantly when appearing in public. Face, of course, is terribly important when you run an entire country.

He was in his current situation due to the war that was being waged in with the neighboring country of Kaball. It had been about five years since the wretched war had begun, and at the moment, it looked like the Demuirans were losing. This war had been tough on the people of his nation. They had very few allies, being such a small country. And the other side seemed to have more money to fund the war. The King was worried about how many lives had already been taken, pokemon and human alike, to protect his beloved country, and how it seemed to be nowhere close to being over.

A knock came at the door. The King quickly composed himself. Never good to look weak in the eyes of anyone while at war. "Enter." The King said, rubbing the green emerald on his right middle finger. His face became set and unshakable. However, this amount of effort was not prepared for the coming news.

A man not much younger than the King entered the room holding a piece of paper. A memorandum from the front lines it seemed. The man was none other than the King's Head of the Royal Guard. His name was Drake Mandes. He was tall and well-built. His loyal Lucario stood next to him, at perfect attention. "I have urgent news concerning your daughter, Majesty." The king's eyes opened wide with fright. "It has been confirmed that your daughter, Miss Talia, was almost assassinated at her school today. Had it not been for a junior guardsman of my Corps, she would have been killed." A sigh of relief escaped the King's lips. He laid his head in his hands again, with Buciarrati jumping to the table to try and comfort him as best he could.

The King openly began shuddering. Drake closed the door. "I know I can be personal with you, Drake. You've been there all my life to protect us. Don't refer to me as King while we're alone, my friend." The king was on the verge of tears. His daughter had been the only one born to him and his wife, and his wife had died during childbirth. She was the only thing that connected him to his long-lost love. The only family he had. The only real heir to his throne. If anything were to happen to his daughter, he knew the war would be over. "Tell me the rest please," the King said, regaining some composure. Drake continued.

"The junior Guardsman was there on leave of duties and was in the area taking vacation, and heard the school being attacked. He quickly intervened and managed to defeat the assailant without killing him. The man who attempted to kill your daughter was interrogated and said that your family is no longer safe in this country, and that they have operatives all over the State." There was a grim pause. Drake leaned over the desk to look the King in the eye. "Gabriel, this is serious. He wasn't lying. Not after what he was put through for this intelligence."

King Gabriel stood up from his chair and began pacing the room. Pointing to a map, he said "You know how much my daughter means to me, Drake. If the enemy is everywhere in the country, we have one option: get Talia out. She'll have to go into hiding."

"Where? And How?" Drake asked.

"Private school. She must have an education if she is to succeed me someday. We'll hide her identity, change her name. Change her appearance; she's always wanted to cut her hair shorter. She goes to school in Johto, or Hoenn, or someplace that a transfer student won't be noticed."

"What if her identity is discovered? She'll be hunted down and have no protection from the enemy."

"I have a solution already in mind. That junior guardsman. What's his name?" the King's mouth twisted slightly with his scheme coming together. He loved the feeling of being clever.

"He is my son. Daniel Mandes. He is very well trained in martial arts and was top of his class at his school. He is also a decent trainer, if I do say so myself." The father boasted his son's ability.

"I see he takes his job as seriously as you take yours, Drake. I'm impressed with the boy. I want them both sent to a private school in another country. Have their schedules and dorms synchronized. I want him to be at her side as often as possible." The King's fingers interlaced and touched his lips ever so slightly. When his daughter was safe, he could focus more attention on winning the war.

"Why not send in a more seasoned soldier to escort her to another land and protect her?"

"Nonsense. That would be much too obvious, Drake. It would be a neon sign to the enemy that she's the princess if a burly man was to be with her always. Let me ask you this question: Do you believe in your son?"

"Yes," Drake said, thinking over the plan the King had just thought up. No major holes. It would definitely put the King's mind at ease. His son was an extraordinary young man, especially when it came to protecting the princess. Daniel seemed to have a real urgency to protect her.

"Then I put my faith into your son, Drake. Now I'd like your wife to organize this for me. She is the Princess' Caretaker. Would she be up to it?"

"Of course, anything for the Royal Family. My Family exists for the needs of yours." Drake's Lucario dashed out of the room. He was to tell Drake's wife about the plan.

"Then it's agreed. We shall send our children into the wind of Fate. I pray that when my child returns, she will see this foul war at an end, and our people all the happier for it."

"With the Great King Gabriel at her helm, our nation of Demuir will flourish once again."The two men sealed the deal with a two glasses of sherry.

The adventure was only at its forefront for their children, however. The wind of Fate had plans for them, indeed.