Truth of the Matter
A story inspired by the Bound-for-Freedom contest that just ended. My story doesn't exactly follow the rules laid out so I didn't submit it, not to mention I wasn't close to done in time. Every family has secrets and the House of Acorn has a huge one.
I in no way own Sally, Sonic, or any of the characters in this story. They are the property of Dic and Sega.
This story is in no way connected to any of my other stories. It's a stand alone that probably has enough plot holes to drive a Buick through, but it was stuck in my head and had to get out somehow. Forgive me if you hate it.
Sally looked up from the holographic image of Robotroplis, one eye closing in irritation, her lips pursing together. Another loud snore echoed throughout the room, everyone around the sleeping hedgehog taking notice. They were only twenty minutes into the briefing and already he had lost interest and had fallen asleep, his feet propped on the empty chair in front of him, his body slumped low in his seat, his head tilted backward. Sally cleared her throat loudly, the others focusing on her again. But Sonic didn't stir. Sally stamped her foot and growled, stomping over to the sleeping form. Again she cleared her throat, kicking at the leg of the chair, making it shake. Sonic slept on. Sally frowned when the others chuckled and they quickly regained their neutral expressions. She called the hedgehog's name, but he seemed completely oblivious. Completely irate Sally growled loud and deep in her chest, shoving the chair he had his feet resting on away and to the floor with a clatter. Sonic snorted and jerked awake, blinking at the angry face that was mere inches from his own.
"Whoa, Sal ya look . . ."
"What? Angry? Pissed? Upset?" She spat, interrupting him.
"Yeah." He nodded, sitting up a little straighter, trying to avoid her burning glare.
"Do you know why I'm so angry?"
"I guess I fell asleep."
"You guess? Twenty minutes Sonic! I've only been talking for twenty minutes and you couldn't manage to pay attention for even half of it!"
"I'm sorry Sal. I didn't . . ."
"You aren't sorry!" Sally interrupted, her voice thundering, her chest heaving. "If you were sorry you'd stop doing it! If you were sorry you'd try to . . . you'd try." She shook her head, her ears dropping in defeat.
"Hey, I do try!" Sonic retorted, his tone quickly morphing from apologetic to angry.
"You don't!" Her ears flickered back to attention, her eyes ablaze once more.
"Yes I do!"
"You don't! If it doesn't involve doing something you like you don't try at all!"
"That ain't true!"
"It is true! It's true and you know it!" Sally shouted, not noticing the way the others squirmed in their seats. They had been forgotten in her anger.
"Yeah? Maybe it ain't 'cause I don't care, don't try! Maybe you're just . . . borin'!"
"Boring? Boring! Oh, it's just me then. I'm sure you could present this information in a far more entertaining fashion!"
"Show a' hands. Who thinks Sal's borin'?" Sonic looked around the room. No one moved, it seemed they had almost stopped breathing.
"You know what Sonic, you're right. I am boring. But I also keep them from getting killed while they're in the city. I give them facts and information that they need to survive. I thought that was more important than showmanship. Silly me. You're right. You're always right and I give up! You brief them! You lead them! I am done! I'm sure you can do a much better job anyway!"
"Maybe I can!" Sally was taken aback, she had expected him to back down at such a threat. She blinked rapidly, angry and hurt.
"Yeah, maybe you can." She said it softly, handing him Nicole. "It's your place after all." She added, walking away.
"Sal." The exact emotion behind the word was indefinable and Sally turned around to look at him again.
"It's never been my place, has it?"
"Sal." There was a warning in the syllable.
"Who am I anyway? Who am I compared to you?" She sighed, pushing her fingers through her hair. She looked at the others around the room for a moment, smiling sadly. "I'm tired of pretending." She whispered and Sonic shook his head.
"Don't." He told her, but she didn't seem to hear.
"I'm tired of lying." She muttered, glancing his way and then away again.
"We're gonna take a ten minute brake." Sonic said too loudly. The others just stared at him, unsure. He made a shooing gesture with his hands. "Everybody out, come on now . . . go get some coffee or somethin'." Slowly they stood and made their way out of the room, muttering between themselves. Sally moved as if to follow them out, her shoulders slumped. "Sally. Stay." He said gruffly and she stopped, turning around.
"Sonic, I . . ."
"Sit." He pointed to a chair and Sally sat, sighing loudly. "What's your problem tonight?" He asked after a long silence.
"I don't know."
"We've had arguments a million times an' this is the first time ya . . . ya ever pulled this. Care ta explain?"
"Don't you get tired of it? Don't you wish you could . . . you could tell everyone the truth? Don't you want to stop lying?"
"Look, ya know why we do this. You know . . ."
"I don't know anymore. I used too. I don't see the point anymore Sonic, I really don't. What does it matter if they know the truth?"
"After the war . . ."
"What if the war never ends?"
"Then what will it matter Sal?"
"As you wish." She responded after a long moment.
The House of Acorn had for many generations been known for its love of its people and for its secrets. The castle was full of hidden passages. The library was full of books with invisible text and secret code. And the family was full of decoys. During times of war it was a common, yet unknown practice to lace the family tree with look-a-likes, pretend persons, and assorted felonious members. Every Mobian was glued to their television monitor the day Maximillion Acorn married Alicia Oak of the House of Oakridge. Not one person, save Max, Alicia, the priest, and a few select others knew he wasn't marrying her at all and had infact married two weeks before that highly celebrated day, to Bernadette Hedgehog. Alicia had indeed come from the House of Oakridge, but had been nothing more than a beloved servant. The Duke of Oakridge had many daughters and no one had bothered to question the validity of Alicia's linage. For a year the servant Alicia appeared on the King's arm at social functions and political rallies. After a years time the true Queen Bernadette became pregnant and Alicia was immediately ordered to take action to conceive her own child. Unknown to the whole of Mobius, Prince Maurice was born one cold rainy night and Queen Bernadette lost her life in the process of bringing him into the world. Three and a half months later Alicia's child was born, a girl named Sally and all of Mobius rejoiced and then mourned when word that "Queen Alicia" had passed away was released. In truth Alicia had been alive and well, but had been sent back to the Duke Oakridge, Max unable to keep up the pretense that his bride was at his side when she had in fact died giving life to their son.
And so began a lie that carried on and was meant to be continued until Prince Maurice, who had been entrusted to Bernadette's older brother, Sir Charles, became of age and took the throne. Sally, who was nothing more than the product of two servants would play the Princess and Maurice, who had been dubbed Sonic would learn in secret the Traditions of Acorn and be groomed for his impending ascension to the throne. But things had not gone according to plan and Robotnik had taken the planet for his own, leaving the unknown Prince and the make-believe Princess to fight a war, all the while keeping up a hoax that had begun to wear thin.
It was late when Sonic pushed Sally's door open, not bothering to knock. She sat at her desk, reading a tattered book, her boots kicked off and discarded, sitting neatly in the corner. Sally looked up when he entered, marking her place in the book and sitting it aside, sitting up straighter in her old chair. Sonic took a seat on the side of her bed, saying nothing. He stared out her window for a long moment, his eyes distant and tired.
"I couldn't do better." He said after a time, still not looking at her.
"You could if you wanted to." She told him and he shook his head, turning to look at her.
"Nah. I couldn't. Ya do . . . ya do a real good job Sal. An' you . . . ain't borin'."
"Thank you." She sighed, getting up from her seat at her desk and joining him on the edge of the bed.
"Are ya . . . are ya really wantin' ta tell 'um the truth?"
"That's up to you Sonic." She replied with a wan smile.
"I want your opinion."
"I don't have an opinion." She said after a moment, chuckling softly.
"I coulda throttled Rosie when she said that ta ya." Rosie had of course known the truth about Sonic and Sally and after the coup she had made it her mission to insure the young Prince was brought up properly and that Sally never forgot she was not the Princess everyone else thought she was. It was not in Rosie's nature to be cruel, but she could be blunt and at times excessive. Four evenings a week as they grew up Rosie taught them privately. It was easy enough to make excuses to the other children. Sally had to learn the royal ways and Sonic was always being kept behind as a punishment for something he had done. Many times the "something wrong" he had done was pure fabrication, but it never failed Sonic would have to be "punished" on the days of Sally's "lessons". Behind closed doors Rosie taught Sonic in the way she claimed to be teaching Sally. And Sally would sit quietly, sometimes in a chair in the back of the room, but most often in the floor, at Sonic's feet. While he learned of lineage and parliamental power, she learned humility and service. Though it was unheard of for a servant to be treated the way Sally often was in such sessions, Rosie felt the extreme treatment was necessary, since most of the day Sally was treated as anything put an indentured servant. And so Sally would sit on the hard, sometimes cold floor, whittling Sonic's pencil when it got too dull and fetching paper for him. If she had been particularly bad, which translated to independent, Rosie would have her do every little task for Sonic from taking his notes for him to turning each page when he was done reading. Sonic had often argued such treatment was as he put it "stupid and mondo uncool", but Rosie would politely dismiss him, saying Sally had to learn her place, for after all the war wouldn't go on forever. Occasionally Rosie would dismiss herself for a space of time to prepare dinner or check on the other children and on one of those occasions she had returned to find Sally reading over an essay Sonic had written and giving her opinion on it. Rosie had been furious. You don't have an opinion she had thundered, Sally quickly dropping to her knees and curling up at Sonic's left side
Almost without thinking Sally slipped off the side of her bed, settling on the floor, remembering the harsh whack of a thick wooden ruler against her thigh. There had been a great amount of relief when Rosie announced the lessons finished not too long after Sonic's fourteenth birthday. After that Rosie's interest in them, in much of anything had faded to the forgetful haze of advanced age. She tended her garden, she rocked on her porch, she slept, and on rare occasion she cooked. A retirement of sorts, Sally supposed. Rosie had served the House of Acorn well and now after the vast majority of her life had passed she was able to rest.
"What will happen when the war ends?" Sally asked softly, laying her chin on Sonic's knee.
"Ya were questionin' if the war would ever end a few hours ago." He told her softly, looking down at her.
"It will. Robotnik can't live forever."
"Well . . . we'll build the city back up. We'll free everyone that's been . . ."
"I meant, what's going to happen to me." Sally interrupted, shifting her head so she could see his face.
"You will be the most beautiful of my five thousand concubines." He winked, but Sally frowned, turning away again.
"Oh Sal, come on! You know I'm jokin' Sally."
"I'm not joking, I'm serous. What is going to happen to me?"
"Will ya stop grovelin' at my feet?" He gently pushed her head away from his knee, patting the mattress beside him. "Despite what Rosie might think ya don't belong on the floor."
"Why not? I don't belong anywhere else." Sally replied sadly, putting her muzzle on his knee again.
"Sal . . . stop feelin' sorry for yourself an' get your tail up here." After a moment Sally stood and settled on the bed beside him, sighing loudly.
"As you wish."
"Will you stop it already! Ya know I hate that."
"Better get used to it Sonic. How do you think everyone will respond to you when you're king?"
"I mean, I hate it when you say it."
"Why?"
"Because we . . . 'cause you . . . 'cause I don't want you to be . . ." He trailed off, shaking his head.
"Your servant." Sally finished for him and he nodded. "That's what I am Sonic. You own me every bit as much as you own your shoes or your hut."
"It's wrong." He told her and she shrugged.
"It is what it is."
"That's bogus and that ain't the way it's gonna be. We ain't tellin' the others the truth." He grumbled, getting up from his seat and pacing.
"That's fine. We'll wait until after the war."
"No, we ain't ever tellin' anyone."
"Sonic I don't . . . what are you talking about?"
"No one has to know Sal."
"People do know Sonic."
"A handful, big deal. Rosie's about forgot her own name, Uncle Chuck'll keep it to himself an' . . ."
"And King Acorn? What about that?"
"He ain't exactly in a position to be tellin' people."
"You can't be suggesting that you plan to leave your father in the Void. I know you don't have much of an emotional attachment to him but . . . you can't just leave him there."
"I didn't say that Sal. If I knew how ta free him I would. He is my father an' . . . an' I know you're very fond of 'im."
"He was very kind to me. I almost think he . . . he liked pretending I was his daughter." Sally made a soft, thoughtful sound, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes for a moment before she blinked them away.
"All I was sayin' was, we don't have the power ta save him right now an' it don't look like we will anytime soon. An' what's it gonna hurt if we just . . . if we just keep pretendin'."
"You're the rightful heir to the throne Sonic, it's your duty."
"Ya known just as much as I do about rulin', probably more. Ya know what a short attention span I have an' Rosie could drone on for hours. I probably didn't retain but a quarter a' what she taught me. But you, you're an information sponge Sal. Ya probably know it all by heart."
"That isn't the point! I'm nobody. I'm nothing." Sonic stopped pacing, rushing over to where she still sat. He plopped down beside her, gently gripping her upper arms.
"Don't say that! Don't ever say that!"
"It's true."
"No, it isn't! You . . . you're everythin'! You're everythin' ta me." He pulled her into a hug then, holding her close, his hand stroking over her hair. "You're my everythin' an' I won't let ya be some servant in the kitchen or laundry room. You are Princess Sally and you will be Queen Sally, I promise ya. I promise."
"Sonic, you can't. You can't give away your power, your birthright like its some trinket you've gotten tired of."
"I'm not. We'll rule together."
"We can't. You can't marry me Sonic. I'm a servant, a lowly servant that . . ."
"I can marry who I want."
"No, you can't."
"Sure I can. You see anyone around to object? Ta stop me?"
"No . . . but . . ."
"But?"
"You . . . you are completely incorrigible."
"Is that a yes?"
"Sonic, this is crazy. You're crazy."
"Maybe, but ya love me anyway, so just say yes."
"Yes." She said softly, after a long silence. "Yes."