Chapter 2: Meeting
Three months went by, and all was happy. The crowd that had waited on the night of Shine's birth left with drooping heads. The entire kingdom was saddened by the news of a still born. While the life of a prince or princess was not known to anyone, Silver and Blaze were happy knowing that they could raise their child in private and that she was safe from the hands of the neighboring king. All of that business will be revealed in time. For now, we come to a rather depressing morning.
Blaze was putting on her best attire for meeting with others of high class. Personally, she felt that a separation of classes was ridiculous. She considered doing this some time after it was safe to reveal her daughter to the kingdom. Till then, it was all hiding and separation.
Tambourine was standing there, watching Blaze, "I'll be with you, my Queen. Do not fret."
"I won't. I just didn't like meeting him the first time. I can see why my father never spoke of that king.", Blaze said, making her dress more comfortable with a little loosening. She then put on her crown and looked in the mirror, "I miss him, Tambourine..."
"We all do, my Queen. And your mother as well. And as for the neighboring king, let's just make sure you and he don't get into another fight.", Tambourine said and giggled.
"Hey, I would have won, if his guard didn't have to babysit.", Blaze pointed out.
"And if Silver didn't pull you back with his power, we would have had a war because of the big baby.", Tambourine said and sank into Blaze's shadow.
Blaze rolled her eyes and went to check on Silver. Silver was getting a bit of a lecture from Shadow, the ebony hedgehog with red high lights.
"Come on, Shadow. I can take care of myself.", Silver said, straightening out the cape.
"I am aware, but I was never known to take the word of anyone. Even the king before you. Then again, he and I were rivals.", Shadow said, helping Silver put on his boots.
"I really don't want to hear about those stories today.", Silver said, sighing in a little bit of anger, "I have to talk to that sick hedgehog today..."
Shadow seemed to glare at a general direction, "I know. Believe me, I despise the little twerp as well, but he's royalty, so we have to show general respect for him. Just make sure to hold the queen back."
Silver chuckled from the memory. The last time they had made a meeting with that king, it ended with a fit of outrage from a deal that involved their secret daughter. To sum it up, the kingdom neighboring theirs wanted payment for assisting in the repairs of the kingdom when Eggman-Nega and Mephiles ravaged the place. There wasn't enough money for the payment, so a deal was made. The king would marry the first daughter of Silver and Blaze. They didn't want it, and it would have been disgusting to do it at all. But they both discussed that it would be for the kingdom.
Reluctantly, the deal was made. The king made some rather vulgar jokes that irked the king and queen, but hearing it while Blaze was still pregnant... well, let's say that hell hath no fury like Blaze's scorn. They got into a little skirmish that made Silver laugh, but he had to stop it from going into a mini war that could turn into a full on war. But everything cooled down when they had no choice but to accept. Since then, it had been worry with out any end as to how they could ever have a child. All that changed three months ago when Shine was born. A plan formed, and now they only hoped that it would go off with out a hitch when they met the king.
Coming out of his nostalgia, Silver put his sword in it's scabbard and turned to Shadow, who awaited him and bowed. They exited the room and met with Tambourine and Blaze. With nods all around, they knew that it was pointless in taking time for an extra pep talk.
Once in the carriage that carried them to the meeting place at the Emerald hills, they all remained silent, mentally preparing themselves for what was to come. All while a motor bike came riding in, tearing the beautiful grass of the hills. The bike was accompanied by two others, one carrying a male bat with strange black fur that had silver highlights. On the other bike was strange looking bird. Read feathers with gold here and there. Though as strange as they were, they were actually decent people, just serving the wrong king, or at least it was so in the eyes of Silver and Blaze. The three bikes pulled over, and the lead biker removed his helmet to reveal a green hedgehog with cobalt eyes.
If silver didn't know better, he was looking at his own mother at this point. It would explain the similarity in personality that the hedgehog shared with his mother, but it didn't explain why Silver turned out so nice in comparison. Shadow had told him once that talent often skips a generation. He didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult, but he was just glad he wasn't the type to be a tyrant. The carriage pulled over and Blaze and Silver came out, followed by Shadow and Tambourine. The royal guard were dressed in appropriate armor, which was more than could be said about the bat and bird. They were wearing leather jackets, like their king.
"So, I heard the new of a birth, my dear friends.", the lime hedgehog said, while pulling out a pair of sunglasses to wear.
"Yes, and it probably would have been your future wife too.", Silver said, glaring at the king before him that would wear such casual clothing at an important meeting.
The hedgehog seemed a little confused, "You're speaking as though something happened. Was the child healthy, disabled, born with a defect?"
Blaze cleared her throat and said, "She was born dead in the womb."
The hedgehog stood there in a stupor, a little shocked by the news, "So, then how are we supposed to continue this deal then?"
"Well, my wife is still fertile, if that is what you mean.", Silver said, then he realized how strange that sounded, and then said, "That is that we can have more children, but we rather wait at this point... the death of the first is kind of hard for us."
Blaze nodded, and put on the best fake tears she could think of. She thought of her father's death, what Silver looked like when he died, and all the things that could make her sad, and it helped in making the tears flow. There was just one problem. The king that stood before them didn't care.
"If you mean that you want a little time, then I'll give you that. Spare me the tears.", the king said, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.
"Right, of course... thank you, King Scourge.", Blaze said, and gave a respectful head nod.
Silver did the same, "We will try our very best to make sure that the deal is kept... although... in the event that she can't bare anymore children, and that you can't have our daughter, if she were to be, what would happen?"
The hedgehog named Scourge scratched his head in thought, knowing that this wasn't clearly thought through. Silver looked to his body guards and noticed that the bat's ears were twitching everywhere, listening for something. For what, Silver didn't know. The bird over there seemed to be just a little destracted, not wanting to really be apart of this. After a few seconds of thought, Scourge said, "There is only one solution to such a mess. No marriage, then no more assistance from my kingdom. Let's see how long you last with out my help."
"Scourge, you know as well as I that the fight with Nega and Mephiles left a large hole in the kingdom's wealth. You know we can't do this on our own.", Blaze said, pointing this out to him, but Scourge already knew.
"Yes, I am aware, my dear Blaze. Maybe it's because you married such a pathetic king.", Scourge said, looking to Silver with a little discontent.
Silver was ready to say something, but Blaze put an arm in front of him and said, "My decision of who the king here is was all mine, and out of the many who wanted me to be theirs, but my decision was clear on who was to be king."
"Even after my offer? A stable kingdom, wine that would never run out, satisfaction? All of that could have been yours.", Scourge said, a smirk coming across his face.
"You could have offered the world. My heart belongs to Silver, and his to me.", Blaze proclaimed.
"Heart? Please, I really don't know what you see in this Nazonian, but he truly is a disgrace. No royal blood or anything. Just a knight as far as I'm concerned, but should have been reduced to a servant.", Scourge said, looking at Silver for a response.
Silver bit his tongue and tried not to say a single word about those comments, but it was clear that hearing this was not something he really wanted to tolerate. Blaze took a deep breath to compose herself and not to burn Scourge to a smoldering pile of ash, "Alright, for one thing, he doesn't belittle his people or others, and he doesn't make such sickening deals such as marrying off a daughter to a king who is just mad that he didn't have me."
"Mhm, like you really didn't want me. You did it to spite me. I just know it.", Scourge said, "You especially did so because you knew that my last wife died and I needed you."
"That's because you killed her so you could try and have Blaze.", Silver said, growling between his teeth.
Scourge made a grin and said, "Details. Details. Fiona was a good fox for tail, but let's face it, a king with only one is just a bored king."
"Can we stop talking about this? I prefer that we just make what ever changes to the deal and get on with our lives!", Blaze shouted and summoned a circle of flame around the royals, separating them from the knights for a moment.
Scourge looked all around him, then gave a smirk, "A queen who knows what she wants. I can like that. Alright. I'll give you... seventeen years to produce a future queen for me. That is plenty of time to have her, and maybe present her."
"Why seventeen years?", Silver asked, "I mean, it's a long time, but wouldn't eighteen or twenty or so years be better?"
"Yes, but I prefer my queens young and ripe.", Scourge said, chuckling to himself.
Blaze did all she could not to toss a fire ball at Scourge for saying such a retched thing. Silver would have decked the green hedgehog if it weren't for the fact that the fire died down around them. The knights on both sides gathered to their respective royal sides and glared at one another.
Blaze sighed, feeling disgusted with what she was about to say, "Seventeen years... you might have a queen from us, and if not, you can't assist us any longer."
Silver added, "We are bound by our word as royalty."
Scourge nodded and went to his bike, revved it up a little and rode off into the distance with the bird and bat close behind. Blaze and Silver took a deep breath and walked back to the carriage in silence, knowing that this was just not going to be well for anyone. The only thing that brought a smile on their face was the knowing that Knuckles and Tikal were waiting for them in the castle to perform the timeless tradition of giving the Emerald Blessing to their precious Shine.
With in an hour, They were all gathered in a secret room just below the castle, Blaze holding Shine in her arms tenderly, and Silver admiring those beautiful eyes that looked curiously all around. Shine's eyes were as Silver thought they would be. As bright and golden as the sun. So innocent and pure. Tikal opened her arms to take the child and present her to the Master Emerald. With a smile, Blaze let her have Shine, and Knuckles called upon the power of the emerald to see her future, and to bless her with a good life.
Knuckles, Tikal, and Shine were bathed in a lovely green light that was warm to feel. Shine giggled cutely from the light, knowing it was friendly, and wanting to grab at it and feel it more. While this took place, Knuckles saw a beautiful princess, a smile never leaving her face. Loved by her family. He saw a second child, who was was very much like his mother, Blaze, in seriousness, despite his age. A happy life awaited them, but he then saw despair, hurt, and an emptiness. More importantly, he saw the fire.
The light was gone, and Tikal and Knuckles looked at one another, trying to mask their worry. They knew that such news would surely bring sorrow to the king and queen, so the two of them made a silent promise to each other. They were to tell them when the time was right, and when it was called for.
"She will have a healthy future, my lord. Shine will grow into a beautiful queen, and you will have another child soon.", Knuckles said as Tikal returned the child to Blaze's arms, and smiled.
Silver smiled back and came to wrap his arms around Blaze. The two enjoyed the feeling of not only themselves, but of their lovely daughter. With the word of Knuckles and the emerald still flowing in their minds, Blaze and Silver spent the next nine years loving their precious Shine. She was the light of their life. She had her mother's beauty, and her father's spirit. Always getting into trouble here and there, all while accompanied by her closest friend that she had ever known.
Author's Note
Wow, I updated rather quickly. Things just got a little more dramatic. Now that such matters are done, we can move on to a new view. We know Shine is growing up, we know that she will have a sibling, and we know now that she has a best friend. What will happen in the next chapter? I'd tell you, but certain people won't let me.
Blaze: No spoiling, sprx.
Silver: That's right. Now, we hoped you enjoyed this episode. Please leave a comment if you have any for us.
Scourge: And for the ladies who leave a comment, I leave your number too.
Blaze: You pig.
Silver: Ignore him, Blaze. Have a nice life everyone.