Four Kingdoms: A Queen in Killers Clothing
Ch.1: The Man in Black
A bright light surrounding a familiar shadow flooded my vision as I awoke from what was a nice nap. "Valo, get up. It's almost noon and we have to get ready for our trip." My mother demanded in a stern but somewhat soothing voice.
"What trip?" I asked still face down in my pillow.
She shook her head as a sigh escaped her lips, "We have to go to and meet with the Kings of the Western and Southern Kingdoms about sending aid to the Southern Kingdom." I groaned as I fully sat up and looked at my mother's smiling face. Her expression changed to one of sarcastic disappointment.
"You know, most days I don't mind you keeping your fur a mess, but today is not one of those days." My ears folded back and I hung my head as I realized what she was about to do. I let out a small whimper as she motioned to the door. We stepped out into the large hallway, Two Dewotts of the Royal Guard were there to greet us.
"Good evening your highness." They both said with a bow. "Shall we escort Princess Valo to Anya for the usual pre-journey treatment?" they asked pointing down the hallway.
"Yes, that would be wonderful. I still have things I have to do before the king gets impatient." My mother responded with a relieving sigh. The two Dewott guards stepped aside as my mother brushed past them with a noticeably increased pace.
"Right this way your highness." One of the guards stated while motioning his hand in the opposite direction of where my mother went.
We began to walk down the hall. The guards posted in the hall bowed as we passed on our way to the room where Anya spent most of her time. Anya has been my family's personal groomer and stylist since before I was born and as a Gardevoir, she was able to multiple things at once using her psychic abilities. I paused to look out of one of the large windows overlooking the courtyard in front of the palace.
It was a beautiful day outside and our carriage that was going to take us to the Western Kingdom's capital city was just arriving. The carriage rounded the large fountain that centered the courtyard and stopped perpendicular to the front door. The door on the swung open as a small black furred creature exited from the carriage. The creature was about my size but with deep black fur and a large, fluffy light blue tail with equally fluffy plumage donning a spot in between its ears and around its neck. I recognized the creature as my family's personal body-guard, Rixis.
Most people didn't understand why a Flareon would have black fur, but then again, people never gave him the time to explain it.
"Of course your father would bring that freak along. He never seems to go anywhere without it." One of the Dewott guards escorting me scoffed.
I shot him a displeased look that caught him off guard, "Why do you people hate him so much?" I asked with an apathetic tone. "He has done nothing but dedicate his life to protecting my family, and yet, all people ever do is mock and degrade him." The guard shrank back from the window, an obvious look of defeat across his face.
"Come now Princess, we mustn't keep Anya waiting. We all know what would happen if we did." The other guard said as he gave me a gentle nudge.
*Rixis POV*
A few moments earlier
I swung the door of the carriage open and briskly hopped out on to the cobblestone pavement. Looking around I noticed that everyone in the courtyard was staring at me. Most of the time the stares of the general populace didn't bother me, they had reason to stare. I'm the only one of my kind as well as one of the only Eeveelutions in the Eastern Kingdom. Today was different though; I had a long journey to the Western Kingdom coming up, and I was going to be in the cabin with the royal family for the whole trip, so I had to keep my mind on the job.
Scanning the local area, I saw several guards, a couple of nobles shooting me dirty looks, and the occasional servant doing their respective duties. One thing in particular caught my eye. In one of the windows facing toward the courtyard I noticed the familiar face of Princess Valo. She looked as if she was repremanding one of the guards before she disappeared from the window.
My ears flattened against my body as I saw her leave. Valo was one of the few people in this kingdom that actually had any respect for me, that and she seemed to care greatly for the way others treated me. I shook my head violently trying to clear the thoughts of Valo from my mind when suddenly my ears shot up as the front door creaked open.
A larger than average Luxray clad in royal garments began to walk up toward me, never breaking eye contact, until we were face to face. We sat there for a moment before a broad smile lit up the Luxray's stern complexion.
"Rixis my boy, how have you been?" he boomed as one of his large paws landed swiftly on my shoulder.
"Rather well, your highness, despite the locals usually warm welcome." I answered in a sarcastic tone.
"Don't worry about them Rixis," The King said with a reassuring tone. "They wouldn't be so judgmental if they only knew what you have done for this kingdom."
"Yeah, I guess you're right, but their opinions are their own, no matter how much they do get on my nerves." I answered with the sound of my aggravation clear as day.
"Sire, the servants have finished loading the other carriage with your luggage for your extended stay in the Western Kingdom." One of the guards proclaimed as he approached the two of us.
"Excellent, tell the servants that they can have the rest of the day off. We shall be departing shortly." The King said with a nod of approval.
We watched as the Dewott rushed off into the palace to deliver the news to the servants. "Ok Rixis, why don't we go and see if we can find my wife and daughter." The King said as he nudged me forward with one of his large paws.
We strode through the immaculately decorated halls of the palace on our way guards bowed for the king and some shot me mean looks. I tried not to think about them so much, the king was always riding me about not letting them get to me. He stopped right in front of a door to one of the smaller unused rooms.
"Rixis, I want to talk to you about something important in private, if you don't mind." The king said as he motioned to the door to the room.
The door to the small room creaked open with a curtain of dust falling from the inside of the door. It was an old store-room, empty dust-covered shelves lined the room.
"What is it you wished to speak to me about sir?" I asked as I turned around.
The king bent down and I was looking right in to a pair of bright glowing gold eyes, the happy look on his face from earlier replaced by one of immense seriousness. "Rixis, this conversation is not king to body-guard, but rather man to man. Now…I'm going to ask you some questions and I want you to be truthful. There will be no negative repercussions, no matter your answers. Do you understand?" the king said in a low tone, further implying his seriousness.
"Yes sir, I fully understand. What do you need to know?" I answered not fully grasping the situation.
"Rixis…do you have feelings for my daughter, Valo?" the king asked with the tone only a father could have.
I felt my heart skip a beat. I did, in fact have a bit of a crush on the princess, but I kept that in check by the fact that I was not of noble birth and I didn't think there would ever be any shot at it. The king sat with a straight face as he awaited my answer. I cleared my throat as I readied myself for the worst.
"Sir…"
"Rixis," the king interrupted me. "We are equals here. I want you to call me by my real name."
I took in a deep breath and looked back at the king, "To be honest Zalto, I do have some feelings for Valo. Why?"
He let out a sigh and shot me a look of relief. "Rixis, I'm getting to the point in my reign where I will need to choose an heir to my throne. Most royal families would suggest that I pick from one of the noble families sons, but I know that most of them are not too fond of the way I rule this kingdom."
He stopped and looked at me to make sure I was paying attention. I was but I was perplexed at what the king was getting at.
"Why would he be talking to me about choosing an heir?" I thought to myself
"I…I'm not sure what you are getting at, what does this have to do with me?" I asked.
King Zalto lowered his head muttering something to himself before returning eye contact with me. "I'm not sure how to say this but…I want you to be my heir." He said with a soft tone, trying not to be heard.
My eyes widened as the shock of what he just said. I couldn't breathe; I couldn't even hear myself think with the way my heart was pounding in my chest. "Why me?" I asked, the words finally managing to escape my mouth.
"I've known it was you for some time actually. To be honest, I have pondered this question since our victory at Blackwall." He answered, trying to give me an explanation.
"What does Blackwall have to do with choosing me as an heir?" I asked; intrigued as to why the king would bring up the events of the Southlands War.
My jaw clenched and my eyes snapped shut as a sharp stinging pain washed across the right side of my face, emanating from the scar that extended from the corner of my mouth to the base of the puff of fur on the top of my head. Just the thought of that month in hell brought all the pain from that day flooding back.
The king put a paw on my shoulder, trying to comfort me. "I'm sorry to open old wounds, Rixis, but that last day is how I knew. You threw me aside, sacrificing yourself, to block an attack from that psychic that should have killed you. You were willing to give up everything to save me and this kingdom. You did more on that day than anyone could have asked for you to do…and that is why I chose you Rixis. You are the only one I feel worthy to lead the people of this kingdom into a brighter future." The king said in a comforting tone, while softly patting my shoulder.
The pain in my face subsided to a degree that I could actually open my tear filled eyes. The king looked as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
"I…I don't know what to say. This…This is just so much all at once and for the first time, I don't know what to do." I stammered, still letting it all sink in.
The king placed both of his huge paws on my face, forcing eye contact, "For once, say and do nothing. There are those in my high council that would shout treason to the heavens if they knew anything of what we have just discussed. You must keep this a secret. I will explain everything to my family when we get some time alone in the Western Kingdom, then we can work out greater details later. Right now, we must go fetch my wife and daughter." He stated with the sound of absolute certainty.
A small smile came across my face as he turned toward the door.
"After all, you still are my body-guard." He said with chuckle as the door to the hallway creaked open.