Intertwined

Chapter 2: A Princely Meeting

Misty: Thank you for the reviews everyone! Glad you enjoyed it~ Here's the next chapter! Happy Valentine's Day! (Crap. I just realized how LONG this chapter was. O.O) OH! AND SORRY FOR THE WAAAAIT.

Poke-lover: We're having boatloads of fun writing for this! I'm especially enjoying the flashbacks! Mal, your review made me laugh. Yes, who doesn't love a Unovian love triangle? XD

Misty: Yes, Mal, your review was the funniest one I've ever read! (Unovian love triangles FTW!)

Response to guest reviews:

Guest 1: Touko is 19, N will be 21, and Ghetsis is 28. And believe me, it will make sense...later. ^.^

Guest 2: Umm...her starter Pokemon? This takes place in medieval times, she wouldn't get a starter. Though, she might have a pokemon whom she befriends later. :)

As I remembered back on that fateful day that I'd risked my life to get away from Ghetsis, I sighed. It felt like forever ago, and yet only yesterday, all at the same time. I wasn't sure what to make of the feelings, and I was sure that I'd have a hard time deciphering them any time soon. My plan had been simple: fake my death, get out of marrying Ghetsis. And it had worked like a charm.

However I had miscalculated slightly. Of course because I'd faked it, I'd have to stay away from the castle and the town. I had done so reluctantly, slowly forming a surrogate family in the two boys that had saved me that day from actually falling as a splat on the ground, along with a rather ditzy blonde that had come to befriend me as well.

After that day, I had joined the uprising, an uprising that had been going on forever, and yet it still seemed to be in the works, and far from finished. We were against the kingdom and its deranged ways. It was unfair the way they were treating the townspeople, poverty raging while they lived in complete lavish, plus, I was all for taking down the green-haired tyrant that I had been engaged to marry. He needed to be dethroned, and I'd do anything to make it happen.

I stayed quiet for the entirety of the ride to our uprising's base, contemplating strategies while trying to keep the memories at bay. I didn't want to focus on them anymore. At least not today. I still wasn't sure what I thought of them. I had one strategy in particular that I wanted to enact, but I wasn't sure if Touya and Hugh would go along with it. We were partners, running our small rebellion in complete harmony. They tended to stick to the basics when mapping out a plan, while I was ready for drastic measures.

The driver dropped me off at our hidden base's entrance. There was only one carriage driver that knew of our location, and he'd promised to keep it a secret, as he was quite against the kingdom as well. I thanked him and he bowed, whipping the reigns and the carriage bustling away into the distance.

I had thought up a plan a while back, and I was prepared to present it to Hugh, Touya, and Bianca today. I just hoped they would understand, and go along with it.

...

Touya and Hugh looked at me, aghast.

"I know you want to be as helpful as possible in over throwing Ghetsis, but how is marrying some random prince going to help you with that?" Touya demanded.

Hugh nodded. "Yeah, I would have to agree with Touya. That strategy doesn't make sense."

Shaking my head, I sighed, "No, I am only going to pretend to marry him. That way, I can get close to Ghetsis, and overthrow him. It'll be easier this way," I tried to explain, "If I can get noticed by the Prince, he may choose me to be his bride, then I can become an agent on the inside." It was a valuable spot, being an inside agent, and I hoped to God they could somehow come to realize that this was possibly the only way to make that a reality.

Touya crossed his arms. "I still don't like it," he stated sternly, "We should send Bianca instead."

Hearing her name, Bianca sat up from the couch she was lounging on, looking at the three of us with confusion. "But Touko wants to do it," she said. "Oh...if the Prince chooses her, it would be soooo romantic!" With a loud sigh, she laid back down, giggling to herself about knights in shining armor.

Touya made a face, before stomping outside. I watched him leave, my heart sinking. He didn't like my plan. I had a feeling he wouldn't, someone like Touya just never wanted to do anything too risky.

Hugh slowly walked over to me. "It's alright," he said, "Touya just doesn't like Ghetsis, that's all. And if what you're saying is true, then this might be a good plan. I'll have to think it over." With that, he headed upstairs, his footfalls slow as he trudged up the steps. He still wasn't completely convinced either.

I sighed, and looked around our tiny base. The resistance was still small; buildings such as these run down ones were what we used to live in and plan together. I'm not exactly sure how, but after I joined, they all wanted me to be their leader. I'm assuming because I had done the bravest thing in their eyes: turned down the King. I was looked up to because of that 'act of heroism' as they called it, and so I had caved and taken the title. I enjoyed being called their leader, but the pressure was crippling at times.

Bianca sat up on the couch, resting her head on her folded hands. "Are you going to go through with it?" she asked.

I nodded, I was serious about my plan. "Of course, I need to help my comrades in taking down an evil man."

"Yeah, okay," Bianca said, before getting up and walking toward the door, "I wonder what we should eat for dinner…?" she asked, turning back to me as she yanked open the door to our base.

Without Touya and Hugh, both of which were either angry or mulling, I supposed I could take a break and pick up dinner with Bianca. If it weren't for her, most of us would've starved by now.

I followed the blonde outside, neither of us talking as we began walking down the street. The silence continued for much longer than I had ever expected. While I was completely content with walking in silence, Bianca usually was not, and always ended up bring up some sort of off-the-wall topic to discuss. I almost began to count the seconds that she stayed quiet, wondering if there was some sort of record.

Slowly we made our way into town, taking the roads less traveled in hopes of not being seen by too many citizens. The less people that saw us, the better. Our resistance, although however small, was the topic of many conversations amongst the townspeople, as well as the royals. Whether they were excited, worried, or disapproved of us, they still wanted to talk about it.

Dusk slowly started to set in when Bianca and I made it into town, watching as torches were lit in the windows of cafes and pubs while people chatter amongst themselves.

I glance over at Bianca, she was wearing a simple gray dress with clogs, she fit in amongst the townspeople easily, blending in with their everyday wear. I turned my gaze back to my own appearance, and sighed. My wardrobe had changed drastically once I had joined the rebellion, mainly because I needed to stay as inconspicuous as I possibly could. I wore a plain, dirty tunic, with dark leggings that disappeared into my boots. I adjusted the brown cap on my head and pulled it down a little lower as people began to look our way. According to Hugh, I wore things that stable boys wore, I wasn't sure if I was insulted by it or not, as he hadn't meant it as a slam.

Bianca and I turned the corner, shuffling around quickly on the cobblestone; we needed to get the shopping done as quickly as possible. I looked at the ground, trying to keep the cap over my face, simply staring down at the stone beneath and hoping I didn't run into anything. Thunk. Well, there goes that idea. I looked up, straightening my hat and gulped. I had run into a wall, one that had a big poster plastered on its surface. It was a wanted poster, and I saw my face on it. Nothing felt more surreal than when I saw these posters.

Well crap… If someone saw me this close to the poster they might recognize who I am.

Changing my course, I headed towards a vendor on the other side of the street. Bianca took one look at the poster and wordlessly followed me. I wasn't sure if she felt bad for me, or if she understood it was for the best, but either way I thanked her.

"100,000 gold pieces for your dead body," Bianca murmured, sidling up next to me as I stepped up to the vendor. "Ghetsis seems to be willing to pay a lot," she added.

Handing the vendor some money, I took two fried meat buns and walked away with Bianca. "Yes, I know, it's disturbing," I said. "If I were dead, my body sure wouldn't look like that picture on the poster." We headed toward the opposite side of town while munching on our dinner. I had one more thing on my agenda for the night before we headed back to base.

"So...where are we headed?" Bianca asked as we turn down another street. She finally realized I was heading in a different direction.

"Well, I can't allow Ghetsis to recognize me, right?" I replied

.

"No…" comes Bianca's voice, hesitantly at first.

"Well, then I need a disguise, don't you think?"

...

"No."

"Touyaaaa, why not?"

"That wig is HORRENDOUS," came the response.

I glared at him, putting my hands on my hips in defiance. "So you're saying I look bad?"

"I'm saying you're not going to get any prince in that getup," he scoffed, crossing his arms. I looked up at my forehead and pushed the blonde curls out of my eyes. It was drastic, yes, but needed.

"How else can I go to see the Prince without being recognized?" I demand in annoyance. "I cut my real hair a bit shorter than how I had it before when I went to meet him, but I am positive he would still recognize me even with how it is now." Yes, Ghetsis had one heck of a memory, and I was certain he'd recognize me with my naturally chocolate brown hair. I was the one that got away from him, in more ways than just jumping from his balcony. I was sure he still had feelings, of some sort, if a man like him could feel those things, and therefore he would remember every detail about me. I was sure of it.

I sighed, glaring at Touya harder as he rambled off reasons as to why I shouldn't wear the wig. I tuned him out, instead slowly revisiting the day I'd gotten away from Ghetsis. Yes, I had gotten away that day, and he was sure to remember it just as vividly as I did

...

Wind rushed past my ears, and I heard Ghetsis's voice from above, shouting something that I couldn't quite make out.

WHACK!

I landed on a tightly woven net, and bounced up and down a few times. Rolling off of it immediately, I laid down on the ground as two people,Touya and Hugh, carried the net away and out of sound of my parents and Ghetsis from above signalled my partners to run out.

"Oh no!" Touya said in a loud voice. "She fell from the roof! We'll get rid of her quickly your majesty! We all know your judgement is final."

I felt Touya and Hugh jerk me up into their arms ungraciously, as they carried me away in their gardener's clothes. They'd had to get jobs at the castle for a month beforehand so as not to be suspicious.

"My baby!" my mother's voice sobbed from above.

More like the crown, you greedy-

"Are you alright?" Touya asked right before tossing me into the back of a cart filled with dead shrubs. Thorns jabbed into my back and I gritted my teeth together to keep the pain from showing on my face. Hugh jumped up into the driver's seat to get the Tauros moving. I slightly inclined my head so that Touya could see I was fine. My back ached from when I hit the net, but I pretended to be okay for the boy's sakes.

Touya glanced over his shoulder. "Ghetsis isn't watching us anymore, thank goodness," he reported to us.

"Good," Hugh said, nodding, "I just...have a bad feeling about this. Will Ghetsis really buy it?"

I gritted my teeth harder, this time not from the pain of the thorns, but Hugh's statement. I sure hoped Ghetsis would buy it. If not… I wasn't sure what would happen.

…

Bianca stabbed her finger for the fifth time and yelped loudly. "Ow! Stupid needle!" She pulled her hand to her mouth, her eyes prickling with tears as she sucked on her wound.

I looked over at her. "Are you sure you don't want me to sew it myself?" I asked leaning my head down onto the back of the chair. She was going to loose a finger at this rate, if not killing herself in the process.

She shook her head quickly, "No, it's the least I can do to make you an extravagant dress when you meet the Prince!" Bianca sighed, her hands trailing back to the dress as she looked up, her eyes dreamy as her hands moved of their own accord, before sticking herself again. "OW!" she yelped.

I laughed, shoving off of the chair and walking into the kitchen. Bianca didn't exactly take my laughing with grace, and I assumed if I chuckled at her clumsiness again she'd run after me with a broom. Of course she'd probably be tripping the entire time, but it wasn't fun getting hit with a broom.

Inside the kitchen I saw Hugh at the counter, his back facing the room and me, a shining knife chopping through the vegetables on the counter. He scooped up the slices with his right hand and quickly threw them into a pot to his right which was slowly beginning to boil.

"Need any help?" I asked. Hugh looked over his shoulder quickly, his gaze steeled as he gently set down the carrot he was chopping.

He didn't dignify my question with an answer, cutting straight to the chase of what was on his mind. "Are you still adamant about your plan?" he inquired.

I nodded slowly, judging his reaction carefully. He shrugged, sighing, before turning back to his next set of veggies to cut up.

"Touya really seems to hate the idea," I added, walking over to the table and pulling out a chair, and plopping down into it, resting my chin on my hand and sighing. Why was Touya so stubborn?

Hugh glanced over at me, his hands still meticulously chopping the vegetables. "Well, of course. You're the leader of our entire rebellion, and you want to go straight into the heart of the enemy. I can understand why he's annoyed."

I frowned at him. "Yeah...that's true, but I feel as if I can do this. Plus, you already made me fake papers of aristocracy!"

Hugh tossed the last set of veggies into the pot before tipping his hands in a bucket of water, rinsing them from the remnants and shaking the droplets of liquid off. He turned, wiping his hands on his pants and nodding, "That is true," he said, peering back at the pot before turning his attention back to me. "So, you better do a good job. Have you been practicing your accent as well as your backstory?"

I cleared my throat, a smile stretching across my face. I'd been practicing non stop. "Yes! Ahem! I am Lady Linda Lark, my parents own several farms in Poppy village,I learned to ride Rapidash at the age of six, my middle name is Beatrice, I dislike loud noises, and I love to sew," I said in a high-pitched, lilted voice.

Hugh visibly cringed, "Yes, that was perfect... Perfectly awful," he added with a half-hearted smirk. "Please don't do that again til you do it in front of the King and the Prince."

I beamed at him. "Thanks! I do try!"

…

Bianca sniffed loudly into her handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. "TOUKOOOOO!" she sobbed. "I'm going to m-miss you!" The blonde jolted forward and hugged me tightly. I gasped from lack of oxygen. Man, she could crush the lungs of any man with her death grip. It should be weaponized.

"B-bianca, c-can't breathe!" I choked out.

"Oh...sorry," she said, stepping back with a sheepish look on her face. I shook my head to dismiss it before clicking my booted heels together. I was excited. I curtsied at both boys. Hugh nodded approvingly while Touya simply crossed his arms in a huff. He looked to the side, his jaw clenched. He was so against this idea, I just hoped he'd come around to it soon. That is, since I was going through with it, and I needed all of the rebellion's members functioning perfectly.

"Good luck," Hugh told me with a wink, and I smiled.

"Thanks, I hope I do well!" I responded, and pushed my blue bonnet back a little so I could look at their faces one last time. I turned on my heel, stepping into the carriage that had been waiting for me for the past ten minutes. This was it. I looked out the window and waved to my comrades.

"Don't mess this up," Touya said gruffly leaning in towards the window. "Make sure that daft Prince falls for you. Hard. And on his slippery marble floor. I hope it's painful."

I chuckled at the thought and nodded, pulling down the curtain and sealing off my view of Touya's face. "I'm ready!" I called to the driver.

"Giddyup!" I heard from up front, and the Ponyta began pulling me down the cobbled street, the carriage jostling back and forth, the sound of wooden wheels bouncing on stone filling the air. I fidgeted with my bag and smoothed out my dress, trying to keep my mind preoccupied from what was to com; this was my shot, I needed to keep focused so I wouldn't blow it. Tugging at my gloves, I glanced through the crack and outside as I approached the castle. Shuddering, I pushed my wig up a little and applied more lipstick; this has begun to feel like last time.

...

"Presenting, the fair lady, Linda Lark!" I gripped the edge of my dress a little tighter and clenched my teeth. My nerves were getting the best of me. I looked fine, there was no way he could recognize me. No way. Not in this dress with this name, this hair, and this accent. No way.

The large wooden doors in front of me shuttered to life and began to creak open, the boy inside who had announced my entrance slowly coming into view. He was standing stiff as a board at the opening, his back facing me as he bowed. A round of light applause and conversation followed, a trumpet blasting one loud note.

I jumped, swallowing thickly and stepping forward into the room. It was gigantic; just as I'd remembered. Pristine tile flooring and chandeliers that put even the most beautiful artwork to shame. Hundreds of people were gathered here to meet the lovely girls that had come in hopes of securing the Prince's interest. There were also tens of other girls like myself who had come, and I spotted them lining the carpet, glaring at me while appraising me up and down. They were to be my competition.

I looked everywhere, everywhere except at the two men that would be seated at the end of the extravagant carpet rolled down the center of the room. I knew who they'd be; and I didn't want to look at them. Well, maybe just one of them.

I walked slowly, soaking up the attention before reaching the end of the line and stepping into place along with the other girls. I had been the last one to arrive, and the last one called.

The large wooden doors creaked closed with a slam and the boy that had announced my entrance bowed, before hustling off into the crowd of people. There was a moment of silence, a few members of the crowd whispering excitedly amongst themselves before I heard a very distinct voice clear its throat, and I flinched. He didn't sound a bit different.

"Welcome ladies and gentleman," Ghetsis boomed out into the hall. The shuffling of clothes and people was heard as the crowd immediately bowed down to the green man down on the other side of the room. Ghetsis stood from his throne, his head held high and his steps firm as he gently paced down the few steps to the ground. N, the Prince, was right behind him, quickly scrambling to his feet to begin after his father. N seemed a bit different than Ghetsis, in the aura he produced. He seemed a little less strict and stern, a little less harsh, and a little more… human.

As Ghetsis continued down the carpet at a painfully slow pace, my heart began beating even faster. What if he found out it was me? What would he do? I wasn't sure if he'd be angry, and have me executed, or perhaps he was still awaiting my hand in marriage. I had no idea, the 'wanted' posters never mentioned exactly what the King wanted to do with me, just that a very handsome sum was waiting for whoever turned me in.

He was steadily approaching the line of girls, and I would be the first he would encounter. I gulped. Could I really do this? Maybe Touya was right, it was too dangerous. 'No, don't think that way,' I reassured myself as Ghetsis approached, turning on his heel and facing me head-on, N only a few paces behind him.

The crowd began whispering amongst themselves again, turning to their neighbors and excitedly asking who they thought the Prince and King would choose, and how they thought they'd choose her. Was it based off of beauty? Intelligence? Family? They all had their guesses, and indeed I had mine too.

Ghetsis gave me a nod and I quickly curtseyed, my heart dropping in relief as I realized he didn't recognize me. Of course the foul taste in my mouth that even his presence elicited was still there. I hated him, and now that I had been put a little at ease knowing that at least at first he didn't recognize me, I could taste it even stronger. I gritted my teeth as I straightened up again, Ghetsis moving down the line of women and nodding to each.

N paced behind him, looking us up and down with curiosity. He nodded to me, just like his father had, and I nodded back, my eyes searching him up and down. Indeed he looked like Ghetsis, but I still couldn't place who his mother could be. He was about my age, and I hadn't known of him when I was first engaged to be married to Ghetsis. What had happened there?

I couldn't deny he was handsome though, his strong jaw and sparkling eyes were enough to make any woman swoon, unlike his cold-hearted father who I'm sure scared women more than impressed them.

As Ghetsis reached the end of the line he turned on his heel again, a vast smile stretching across his face, "Ladies, if you will, we'd like to see you one at a time please," he said, motioning over to N who then nodded his approval. I had to clench my teeth to keep them from dropping in shock. No… I breathed in silently through my nose to calm myself. This was just part of my role as an agent; I should just continue to be Lady Linda Lark.

…

One after another, each had followed Ghetsis and N into a large room off to the side. The 9th girl walked out and I looked up. Only one more… The 10th curtsied at the royal duo before sweeping across the floor and through the large oaken doors. A shaky breath leaked out of my lungs. Go away nausea… I pleaded silently. I need my senses to be sharper than ever in this situation.

The girl before me exited after a few minutes that felt like hours inside the room with Ghetiss and N, followed by our King and Prince. Now it was my turn… Holding up my head, I walked as pompously, yet, as purposefully as I could, trying to show them I was not just any Lady, but the one who was going to marry the Prince!

The room I stepped into was by far, the most gorgeous I'd seen; maybe even more than the one from all those years ago. The marble floors and fancy paintings on the walls screamed royalty, along with the large mahogany table sitting in the middle of the room. Out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of a beautiful black piano. These men just had money to spare, while people in the town were starving. It made me sick.

"Please take a seat," Ghetsis said, taking residence in one of the chairs at the large table, inclining his head toward the seat across from him. I gingerly and gracefully took the seat as Prince N moved off to the side. "Tell us about yourself," the King said.

I dove straight into my back story. "My name is Lady Linda Lark. My parents own several farms in Poppy Village, I learned to ride Rapidash at age six, my middle name is Beatrice, I dislike loud noises, I love to sew, and I've been dreaming of this day forever," I gushed, hoping with all my might that I sounded like a lovesick puppy who wanted the Prince, but not too boring. "My favorite thing is the color of sunset, and classical music is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." I wasn't entirely sure where that last bit came from...

Ghetsis simply stared at me but N began laughing. "You're pretty interesting," he said, holding a hand up to his mouth to mask his fit of giggles. I smiled at him.

"Father," N said, turning to King with an expectant expression. "What do you think of her? She's not as boring as the others who went on and on about how much money they have and what dress tailor was the best in the kingdom." I raised an eyebrow. Had all the girls really rambled on about that stuff? To the Prince? Surely they knew he wouldn't take in interest in dresses for Arceus' sake.

Ghetsis swept out his robed arm. "Yes, she is much more interesting than the others," he nodded, eyeing me.

Turning back to me, N smiled. "That's good!" he said, and extended a hand to me. "Let me formally introduce myself. I'm Prince N Harmonia."

I had to admit, I was dumbfounded for a moment, but I blinked out of my stupor, and reached out to grasp his hand; it was warm, and soft to the touch. I felt my face heating up for some unknown reason. 'Get ahold of yourself, Touko,' I thought quickly. I needed to keep a clear head for this.

Ghetsis cleared his throat, and N immediately let go. "Now," Ghetsis said. "You said you liked music?" I slowly nodded and the King raised his eyebrows. "So you know how to play instruments?" I opened my mouth and gave him confirmation again.

"What type of instrument?" N asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Can you play piano?" Ghetsis inquired, and felt like my heart had hit the floor.

Oh was when it hit me.I hadn't played since I was an aristocrat, and since I joined the rebellion, I never needed to practice; the only songs I knew...were ones I'd played for Ghetsis back when…My eyes shot up and I looked directly at the King. He was completely stoic, but somewhere behind his mask of indifference I knew what he meant: he thought he'd won. Somehow he had figured it out. And now he'd just talked me into a corner. I clenched my fists; I wouldn't allow that to happen.

"Please tell me you can play the piano," N said in excitement. "That's my favorite instrument."

I gave the Prince a shaky smile. "Ah...y..yes…"

Ghetsis raised his arm and pointed behind me to the right. "Please grace us with your playing then," he said, his eyes glittering dangerously. I stood up, and forced my arms to stay still as I made my way over to the daunting grand piano. I pushed the lid up, and slipped onto the bench; my fingers shook nervously.

'This is it, Touko,' I thought to myself, taking a deep but nervous breath, my fingers lightly touching the keys. 'You're their leader; let's see what you can do to get yourself out of this mess.'

The first note echoed through the room, and I kept my eyes trained forward.

Misty: Aaaaaaand that's all. ;) HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS LONG LOVEY DOVEY-(NOT. I was kidding)- CHAPTERRRR! But there was a blush when N and Touko shook hands! That counts! Ghetsis…. -_- *sighs* He's such a meanie! And N! GAHHHH he's so cute. ;D

Poke-lover88: N's such a sweetie, I can see him just jumping up and down in my mind when Touko starts to play. But then again he's too old for that… so he might just be doing it in his head. XD A little bit of maybe kinda sorta fluffiness if you squint hard enough? Maybe. More to come though! :D

~Misty

-Poke-lover88