Chapter 2: Hidden Stress

Sonic nervously swallowed the lump in his throat as he stood next to his brothers and parents. They were all stood on the palace steps as the aristocrats arrived for the coronation.

Sally was in the crowd of spectators, watching for her family and giving Sonic a smile.

He was very worried about meeting the other royals and nobles from the other kingdoms. But he didn't say anything to his family. He didn't want them to think he was grateful for everything he had or that he wasn't ready to be a prince.

He didn't want to disappoint them.

"Your majesties, I present Lady Elizabeth Van Hoskins of Rochester!" The announcer called as a lady stepped out and approached the royal family. Sonic was about to bow to her but Silver quickly stopped him before he could anything.

"We don't have to bow unless they're royalty." He whispered as their parents greeted the lady.

"I think it's going to take me a while to get the hang of things around here." Sonic sighed sadly as the lady walked passed them. Silver smiled and placed his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Just follow my lead and you'll be okay."

"Great, thanks Silver." He smiled as more people arrived in their carriages...


Sonic groaned as he aimlessly wandered around the castle halls. He had been there a month and yet he still didn't know where everything was. He was supposed to meet his family in the banquet hall for dinner.

As he turned the corner he suddenly walked right into Knuckles

"Sonic?! What are you doing here?!" The echidna panicked as he pulled the prince to his feet and fixed his clothes. "You should of been in the banquet hall, 30 seconds ago! The king'll have my head!"

"Oh, right." Sonic mumbled as Knuckles dragged him along.

"Hurry up!"...


Sonic sighed as he finally made it to dinner. He quickly took his seat next to his mother. His father sat at the head of the table, Shadow was sat across from Sapphire and Silver was sat across from Sonic while Sally sat at the other end of the table next to Silver and Sonic.

"Sonic." Campion suddenly said halfway through dinner.

"Yeah, Dad?" He replied, not really in the mood to eat anything, even though the food looked delicious.

"As you know, it's a tradition to provide an official welcome to every new member of the royal family." He explained. "While that may be the coronation, I was thinking we should throw a royal ball in your honour this weekend, to help you relax a bit."

"A ball? Just for me?" Sonic asked in amazement.

"Sonic, it will be your royal debut and you and Princess Sally shall dance the first waltz." He smiled.

"I have to dance?" The teenager gulped

"Why, what better way to let everyone know that Prince Sonic has arrived!" He cheered and the family shared a toast...


Sonic sighed as he stepped into his room. He saw Chip snuggled up in his small, basket bed and he sighed. As he walked across the room he looked around, still shocked by how big it was.

It was three times larger than the biggest room in the manor he had grown up in.

He had a canopy bed, window seat and reading nook. In his giant closet he could find all your outfits and royal accessories. In the corner of the room by the door was a long rope.

If ever needed anything all he had to do was ring it and a servant would be in his room in seconds.

"You OK Sonic? You seem kinda stressed." Chip yawned as he sat up. He had just woken up to see his best buddy pacing around his room with a worried look on his face.

Sonic sighed as he slumped to the floor.

"Yeah, it's just everything seems crazy big and Sal says I'll be just fine but I don't think I'm ready." He sighed as he fingered his compass pendant hanging from his neck.

"What do you mean?"

"New friends, new family and a ball where they want me to dance." He frowned. I'm just a kid from a hidden manor in the woods, in this world I don't stand a chance."

"Come on Sonic, it's not that bad.

"But I'm not ready to be a prince and I don't have what it takes to be one, I've already made a bajillion mistakes!"

"That's not true."

"just ask Knuckles and my brothers!" He glared. "I'm too average to be a prince, I don't know the rules and these feet were made for comfortable shoes" He added as he pulled off his pinchy shoes.

He suddenly walked over to his large cabinet and opened it.

"All these shelves are bursting with trinkets that I'm afraid to touch, not to mention all the fancy stuff and ginormous pillows, it's too much!" He finally snapped.

Chip gasped as Sonic suddenly dashed out the room in a blue blur...


Sonic growled in frustration as he ran around the castle, looking for Sally's room. But to the blue hedgehog everything looked the same. He closed his eyes tightly as he came to a stop and slumped to the floor and started to think.

Even though he loved his family more than anything he felt like he had traded one prison for another.

Suddenly the door to his left opened and the light from inside flooded the hallway. But Sonic didn't bother to look up to see who it was. He just wanted to curl into a hole and hide.

"Sonic?" Sally asked.

"Sally?" Sonic gasped as he sat up and turned to his left. Sally was standing in the doorway with a worried look on her face. Sonic had been right next to her bedroom and he didn't even know it.

"What's the matter?" She asked as she brought him inside and they sat on her bed.

"I don't want a royal ball." He frowned as he stared at the floor. He didn't want to sound selfish but he almost made a fool of himself and his family just by greeting people; how was he gonna handle a ball?

"I've never known you to turn down a party, especially one thrown just for you." She giggled.

"But I don't know anything about being a prince and I don't know how to dance." He sighed in defeat. "I'm going to trip and fall and everyone's going to laugh at me."

"You'll do fine and besides, no one ever laughs at a prince."

"Says who?"

Sally sighed as she scooted closer to her boyfriend and rested her head on his shoulder. He smiled weakly as he relaxed a bit and rested his head on top of her's.

Unbeknown to them, Shadow was by the door, listening.

"Just try the best you can." She told him with a smile. "And if it's not good enough for all those stuffy dukes and duchesses, then that's their problem." She laughed.

As they laughed, Shadow frowned and quietly headed back to his room...