Comfort;

Blaze paced the floor in anticipation, her eyes glued to her room's marble floor. After waking up that morning, and eating breakfast, her father told her that she would need to present the Fall Banquet taking place in the kingdom's courtyard. Only the rich and wealthy could attend, but even with that knowledge the princess felt sick with worry.

"I'm only eight…" she murmured helplessly, "what am I going to do?"

Her door creaked open behind her, the guard's face peering into her room. "Your royal Jester is here to be with you." He appointed politely.

Blaze stopped her pacing and faced the open door. "Let him come…"

Silver entered with a airy grin, approaching the princess enthusiastically. "Princess, how are you today?" he asked appreciatively while bowing in her presence.

"Frankly, I feel sickly beyond belief," she responded nauseated, "I am to present the banquet later today."

"The banquet, you say? I could only dream of the excitement you must feel!"

"Quite the opposite…"

"Why's that?"

Blaze shook her head in distress, sitting on her bed while hugging her aching stomach. "I'm not used to public speaking… I love the people of this kingdom; however publicly speaking is not something I've grown into."

"There's no need to be insecure, Princess, the people attending respect you and love you."

"I suppose…"

The kit sighed with little amenity and shut her eyes, breathing deeply in and out. Silver sat next to her and cordially spoke to the grieving princess. "If I may ask, Blaze, is there something in this castle that you do to settle your thoughts?"

"Not that I recall."

Silver contemplated her response, soon thereafter smiling. "Would you come with me, somewhere?"

"Where are we going?"

"Don't worry; we're not leaving the premises." The boy assured the puzzled princess, who nodded in hesitation. The young Jester stood from his position and respectfully extended his hand, escorting the blushing kit through the corridors of the large, elegant castle.

The boy walked frivolously through the hall, which made the little princess giggle.

"Where are we going, Silver?"

"You'll see."

Blaze vaguely recognized the flowery pattern engraved into the stone walls beside her. "This way leads to the garden…" she murmured quietly.

"Mhm…"

Silver pushed open two, white doors open; which led to a shaded courtyard; the bushes and trees covered in lush, colorful flowers. Blaze smiled pleasingly, her eyes lifting to the extravagantly adorned pillars of stone that framed the entrance to the garden.

"Why did you bring me here?" Blaze asked, turning to Silver who examined the courtyard with an admiring eye.

"Well, Princess, before your royal guards had spotted me, the scent and beauty of this garden seized my senses and I was mesmerized for the longest time. All of my grief and worry vanished…"

"That's lovely."

"It is, Princess, but the point of bringing you here is to momentarily free yourself of all strain."

"I wish I could, but… my duties are severely important. I couldn't possibly…"

"It's not healthy, Princess, please… for at least a moment or two?"

The kit sighed, ceasing her insistence. Her golden eyes bent to the lovely bush of pink roses, approaching them briefly in a tranquil state. Blaze crouched on her knees and settled herself there, inhaling the roses' aroma.

"Beautifully pink, I must say." Silver bluffed kindheartedly, "May I?" Silver placed his fingers under one of the roses, awaiting the princesses' response.

"Go on."

Silver plucked a beautifully opened rose, turned to the princess and placed it on her head, near her pony tail. Blaze smiled, feeling the rose perched on her head.

"Thank you…"

"Of course, Princess, the pleasure is mine!"

The cat smiled warmly before twittering amusingly, plucking another rose and attaching it near Silver's ear. The hedgehog snickered, pushing up his longer quills, as if her were a girl. The two shared another fit of laughs, nearly falling over in the process.

Once the laughing faded, Silver glanced at Blaze, quite worriedly. "Are… are you my friend?" he blurted, blinking his eyes once he apprehended his question.

"What- of course we are!" Blaze replied, "Don't be so… ah, naïve."

Silver's cheeks simmered in warmth as they became rosy. "It was not my place to ask that…"

Blaze rolled her eyes and stood up, offering her hand to the little boy. He grasped it tightly and lifted himself to his feet, still avoiding her gaze.

"Come, let's meet with my father; I need to prepare my presentation with him."

"Okay, Princess."

The two distracted themselves with an amusing conversation as they re-entered the castle, Blaze leading the way to a conference room. The princess turned to the nearest door on her left as they approached a new hall, opening it and walking inside.

A bright red carpet greeted the young boy's eyes, an array of chairs tucked tightly under a long, burnt-umber table lined with gold. The king sat focused on a sheet of paper, along with others sprawled out in front of him. His bright blue eyes glanced upward and softened at the sight of his daughter and the young Jester.

"Ah, Blaze and Silver, please come in." he greeted daintily, reverting his eyes to the beckoning information.

The young princess ran to her father and placed a loving kiss on his cheek. "Hi daddy, it's good to see you!"

"I'd do the same, your Majesty, but that would make it awkward for everyone." Silver joked lightly, approaching the king on the other side.

"My boy, there's no need to be bashful; however I can do without a kiss, thank you." The king responded heartily, shaking Silver's hand.

"So, I'm here to plan my speech," Blaze began apprehensively, "for the banquet?"

"Ah, I see. Well, dear, all that I can really say is follow your heart's intentions. This speech is directed to the loyal and faithful citizens of my kingdom; there must be something you can say on your behalf."

"I'm not too sure… I suppose I'm thankful?"

"Then express that! Fear is not an option, Blaze, so I want you to feel comfortable beyond imagining."

"Okay, dad… erm, how's mommy?"

"She's… better."

Blaze frowned, twiddling her fingers in anxiety. "Do you mean…?"

"No, no, no; she has attained more strength today. Would you like to see her?"

"No, I'm…!"

Silver gazed over at the princess confusedly, her tearful eyes wandering aimlessly around the conference room.

"Blaze, dear, she's going to be fine; I assure you of that."

"I know, daddy, I trust you… but sometimes it's too saddening."

The king directed his focus to Silver, gesturing for him to support her as well. The hedgehog hesitantly placed a hand on her back, surprising the kit.

"Princess, I cannot say I've been through this situation, but I know of your worry… please don't fret."

"How can I not? She's my mother, Silver."

"And this is your father, Princess… I'm sure the thought of your fear and anticipation gives him the same, sickly feeling you experienced earlier."

"You've felt sick, dear?"

"No… that was simply my fright over this presentation… but I'd hate for you, daddy, to feel that way too." Blaze threw her arms around her father happily, nuzzling his neck, "Sorry."

"Aw, it's fine, Blaze. I love you."

"I love you, too!"

Blaze turned to Silver and hugged him tightly as well. "I appreciate your support; c'mon! I want you to help me with my speech!" the kit said gleefully, running out of the conference room.

"Silver… how did you-?" the king asked in bewilderment, "besides around me, Blaze has always contained her emotions on the inside, never expressing herself so openly."

"I see beyond her outward trifles," Silver responded slowly, "she has a great attitude, too."

The king placed a hand on the young boy's shoulder, smiling warmly. "I'm very pleased to know that you've opened up my daughter's heart, Silver. I hope you too will become the greatest of friends."

"Me too, she has a great sense of humor!"

"She must get that from me…" the king kidded, "Go with her, Silver, I think she could use your wisdom."

"I'm only eight… I don't think I have that much wisdom."

"Silver, of course you do…"

"I appreciate that, your Majesty."

Silver bowed gracefully before him, and ran out of the room in excitement.

Inside of Blaze's room… (5:30 pm)

"So, dad says I need to express my thanks and appreciation for our wonderful citizens."

"Yes, I believe so."

"… Do I just write thank you?"

Silver laughed as the cat jotted down 'thank you' on a blank sheet of lined paper. "Blaze, that's silly, of course you need to write 'I love you all', too!"

Blaze wrote the phrase down humorously, sighing in amusement. "Okay, enough of this; it's time to get serious."

"Right, so… how do you fell about this kingdom and its loyal people?"

Blaze paused a moment, tapping the feathered pen against her lips. She quickly began writing out her current thoughts, before they escaped her head. Silver waited patiently for her to complete the paragraph.

"Okay, tell me what you think."

Blaze handed the sheet of paper to Silver, who read over it carefully. An impressed look on his face lightened Blaze's mood, who murmured, "So…?"

"It's amazing, Princess! Not to mention beautiful… I can't wait for the banquet, now!" a gasp passed his lips. "Wait, can I attend?"

"I-I'm not sure."

Blaze's father knocked softly on her door. "Blaze, dear, it's time to get ready. Have you finished your speech?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, daddy, but I have something important to ask!"

"What is it?"

"Can Silver attend the banquet with me? I'd be devastated if my only friend couldn't come!"

The king smiled brightly, loving the sound of 'friend' passing her lips. "Of course, Blaze- in fact, he can escort you!"

"Really, your Majesty?" the young Jester asked willfully.

"Of course, Silver! Please be ready in time for her, though, it's crucial that you're punctual."

"Yes, your Majesty, I will."

The king nodded and held Blaze's hand, leading her the way to her royal preparation room. Silver quickly headed for his room in order to find something suitable wear for the upcoming event.

Blaze delightfully stared at her beautiful reflection, examining her long, 'poofy' dress in awe. It was overall an elegant, lavish purple princess dress, lined with magenta on the hem of it. A beautiful, silver tiara replaced her pink hair tie, and she wore magenta flats.

"It's beautiful…" she mused dreamily, turning to the two women who dressed her. "Thank you."

"Of course, Princess." They responded in unison.

Blaze stepped outside the door and waited for her ivory escort to come and greet her. Blaze's ears sensed the arrival of her Jester, and she smiled quickly.

Silver stepped up to her and waved, bashfully shifting his weight on both of his feet. The boy wore, now, a silky indigo vest that fell to his knees, accompanied by a pair of white tights and gracefully designed boots. A small poet's hat replaced his previously dinging bells.

"You look beautiful, Princess!" he complimented cheerfully, bowing before her.

"Ah, you look amazing yourself, my Jester."

Silver smiled, taking her hand politely and escorting her down the hallway. "So, uh, is there something I should know before I go off making a fool of myself?"

Blaze giggled and shook her head. "Silver, that's your job! You're the Jester, after all."

"Haha, Princess…"

"Fine, all that you should be aware of is your table manners and your sociability. Easy enough, right?"

Silver nodded gingerly, growing more nervous by the minute. Blaze settled the hedgehog down by patting his trembling hand.

"Your anxiety can be contagious, you know." She murmured matter-of-factly.

"I'm sorry, Princess… I'm not used to this. I come from a poor family; not a wealthy, party-attending one."

"Hey, it's a bit more difficult to be in my shoes, now."

"I wouldn't like that… after all, you're wearing pink flats."

Blaze chuckled, which settled down the uneasy Jester. "Just be yourself, Silver; you're much better off knowing you don't need to be stiff and polite."

Silver shot a puzzled look the kit, whose eyes were directed elsewhere. "Okay…"

Author's Note; Chapter two, people! The next few will be amusing; I'll give you that, haha.

R&R~!