Intertwined

Chapter 4: Dinner

Misty: Helloooooooooooooooooooooo all out there who like to read Unovian love triangles! xD HERE'S CHAPTER 4! Sorta shippy moments in it...sorta… xD Just READ IT! Ignore me and READ IT! But read what Dani has to say first… :P

Dani: *put on the spot* *shaking in her boots* What I have to say…? Um….. heh heh heh ^-^' Read? and Enjoy? Oh lawd I'm terrible at this. XD

"This way, Miss Lark. This way please." Mei scurried quickly down the hallway, taking a peek over her shoulder every once in a while to make sure I was still behind her. This was all too familiar, memories and fears seeping back into my mind with every corner we turned. I'd be dining with the King and N in the dining hall; the very same dining hall that I'd stabbed Ghetsis in and jumped out the window to fake my death.

I gulped as Mei turned another corner and I had to nearly break into a jog to keep up with her. I wasn't sure what I'd do while eating dinner with them. What would we talk about? What did we even have to talk about?

"Here we are Miss Lark," Mei sighed, turning and quickly gesturing toward the oh-so-familiar mahogany doorway. I could practically feel the memories emanating off of it. Mei knocked on the door twice and clasped her hands together to wait.

Nothing…

Mei blinked a few times, a blush sweeping across her face before she again lifted her hand up to knock, this time hissing something that I couldn't hear through the crack.

Still nothing…

"Kyouhei! You idiot! Open the door!" she growled into the crack again, her eyes flicking to me in panic as if she thought I'd yell at her for raising her voice. The grand doors then suddenly jolted to life, the same boy who had opened them when I had been going to stand before N the first time, heaving them open this time as well.

"Sorry," he panted. "No need to yell." Mei huffed and turned away from him, instead holding a hand out to me and ushering me inside.

I didn't want to look. I knew exactly what would be inside and I didn't want to face it. It would be that same long and grand dining table, those high-rise glass windows, the marble floor, and of course Ghetsis and N themselves, probably already sitting in their chairs and waiting patiently, or not so patiently, for my arrival.

'Get it together,' I hissed at myself. All this was, was dinner. It wasn't like I was being escorted to the gallows. I could handle myself, and for all the two men inside knew, I'd never been in the room before. I was just a stranger who was still getting used to the castle. Hopefully that would be what they would pass my hesitance off as. Hopefully.

With a final breath of determination I gathered my dress in my hands and stepped forward into the room. I'd been completely correct. Everything looked as if it hadn't even been touched since the last time I'd come. Of course my parents weren't with me this time, and N sure hadn't been dining with us back then, but rather than those two small details it seemed like a perfect deja vu.

Ghetsis and N immediately stood the instant I stepped into the room, holding one hand to their chests as they bowed. Their manners seemed to have improved. I curtsied my response before quietly making my way toward the table.

N scrambled from his seat, nearly knocking it over in the process as he tried to get to me as quickly as possible. He held out a hand and I gently took it. "Would sitting next to me be of your liking?" he asked, slowly walking me over toward his chair.

I nodded in response and a brilliant smile shot across his face. He let go of my hand, hurrying over to the chair next to his and pulling it out carefully. I gave him a thankful smile and just as I was about to sit down, the other man in the room cleared his throat. All eyes were on Ghetsis then as he sat down at the other end of the long table, holding a fist to his mouth as he noisily made his presence known.

"Yes?" N asked, his eyes flicking around nervously.

"I think the Lady should sit down here. In… this chair," he said, reaching out a hand and pointing to the chair two down from him.

I froze. That chair. That chair had been the one I'd sat in the night I'd dined with him and my family. Ghetsis' eyes slowly swept up to mine and our gazes locked together. Was he trying to call me out again on who I really was? I'd played the piano with a song he knew I'd know if I were Touko, he'd been giving me glances and looks of scrutiny since I'd arrived that made me feel as if he was looking right through me, and now he was nonchalantly telling me to sit in the exact same chair that I'd sat in when I'd eventually stabbed him. Was this all in my head, or did he really truly know who I was?

'You're panicking, Touko. You're paranoid. He doesn't know; he just wanted you to sit closer to him.' That thought made me even more worried. If he really did just want me to sit near him instead of N, that was an even bigger cause of concern. The King should want the future Princess to sit next to the Prince. Maybe he had ideas himself about who I was going to marry; I still couldn't shake the comment he'd made after he announced that N and himself had picked me for Princess.

'You're overthinking it.' Yes, I was overthinking it. I just needed to keep my calm and keep up this charade, and I'd be perfectly fine.

I smiled and nodded, straightening and sauntering down toward where Ghetsis was sitting. N of course followed, a look of frustration on his face as he scurried after me and again held out my chair. I gave him a smile and sat.

N exchanged a quick glance with Ghetsis which I couldn't see before slipping into the chair between Ghetsis and I and smoothing out his robes. I placed my hands in my lap and did my best to avoid any gazes looking my way. The table was shiny and smooth; they really did work the servants to the bone around here. There were also small white and intricate vases placed upon the table in even increments with fragrant lavender blossoms peeping out of the top and filling the air with a sickeningly sweet smell.

I could feel the tension in the air. No one was talking, just fidgeting, and the awkwardness was growing.

Ghetsis was the first to break it. "So, Linda. What have you thought of our castle so far?"

Reluctantly, I turned back to the barbarian of a man at the head of the table and gave him a forced smile. "It is quite lovely. Everything is very beautiful, as to be expected of the Harmonian family." It wasn't untrue. Everything in the castle was beyond gorgeous, which made me wish to snap at him about the people living on the streets in his kingdom even more. But I bit my tongue. I didn't need to make a scene and blow my cover on the very first day; that would be disastrous. But it didn't make my ill-will toward the man glow any less brightly.

"And I take it the servants have been treating you well?" he asked, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hands as if I were the most interesting thing in the world.

"Y-yes," I stumbled, snapping myself out of my thoughts, "Mei has been absolutely wonderful."

"Good," Ghetsis murmured to himself. "Mei; I'll have to remember that name." His eyes still held fast with mine and with a little trouble I pulled my gaze away.

It felt so weird, so unreal, sitting here. I was in the same chair and yet events were playing out oh-so-differently. I stole a quick glance back at Ghetsis when I knew he wasn't looking. It appeared that I'd done permanent damage to his eye. He now wore a black eyepatch over his right eye. It had a few silver threads sewn here and there into it and a very thin and nearly transparent strap snuck its way around his head.

I'd stabbed him that night with a fork and hadn't paid too much attention to where it landed- I was too busy thinking forward to my plan that I was to carry out- but when I thought about it, the fork had landed right about where his right eye was. Man, I had really done him in if now, years later, he was still wearing it. Could he even see out of it? I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to smile at the thought or grimace. I didn't take myself to be a very violent person but I had down-and-out stabbed a man with a fork. Maybe I was more violent than I thought.

I almost wanted to ask him about it, but decided against it; and just as I'd made my decision the doors to the room once again burst open, this time a team of waiters and waitresses bustling in carrying silver trays and carts full of steaming food.

I stayed completely still as the wait-staff hurried this way and that, placing bowls, plates, and cups of food everywhere onto the table. A golden platter was placed in front of each of us then, the lid taken off by a waiter with a grand bow and revealing a tiny boiled cornish game hen on top of a pile of steamed vegetables and rice.

"Is it to your liking, Sire?" the man who appeared to be the main waiter asked, bending down over Ghetsis' shoulder.

"It looks delicious," Ghetsis replied with a nod and the waiter bustled away, snapping his fingers at the other wait-staff to hurry up.

I stared at Ghetsis for a moment. Back when I'd known him he undoubtedly would've at least told the waiter to bring it faster next time. And I wouldn't have put it past him to send the food back several times just to show the cooks that they weren't perfect. But this time he'd not only given the waiter a reassuring nod, but said it looked delicious. Who was this? This was not the Ghetsis I knew. Could he have really changed that much?

"Is it not appetizing?" I jumped in my seat slightly at N's very concerned question.

"N-No, it looks amazing," I stumbled, quickly fumbling for my utensils to get started on the meal. I shot another look back at Ghetsis who was still straightening his silverware and took a deep breath. It wasn't just my imagination; he was acting weird… somehow. I wasn't sure if he knew who I was, but whether he did or not he would've never acted that way when I had first met him. Either he'd changed a lot, or he was putting on an act. Surely it was the second; Ghetsis Harmonia was incapable of changing his ways… right?

I sighed to myself and quickly grabbed my fork, jabbing it frustratedly into the hen before blushing in embarrassment and prying it back out again. I was supposed to be a lady of the highest class and here I was stabbing my food like a two-year-old, or like I was in the base ripping apart a steak with Touya at my side. I couldn't act that way now, and I could already feel the uneasy glances thrown my way by both Ghetsis and N.

I cleared my throat as daintily as I could and scooped up a forkful of rice. A hen would be hard to eat lady-like, but rice and veggies wouldn't be. Meat sounded so good though…

A loud clunk interrupted my inner drooling session and the doors to the dining hall yet again burst open, this time a small group of men walking in, knight's armor clanking on the floor loudly as they arrived. The man at the head of the group took off his helmet and bowed. "Your Majesty," he said.

I heard an uneasy and annoyed grunt sound from Ghetsis. "We're eating. What do you want?" Now that sounded more like the Ghetsis I knew.

"I do apologize," the man said, straightening himself and nodding toward both N and I. "We've come back from our rounds and wished to give you our report."

Ghetsis didn't reply immediately and I slowly turned to him. He looked nervous, his visible eye flicking around as he chewed angrily on a piece of hen. What was he so worried about? I pondered it for a moment before it dawned on me. The Knight's rounds composed of many things: mostly checking up on the condition of citizens and buildings, while also giving reports of how many had died, were born, and how the neighboring countries were doing. I was still considered an outsider, in a way, and so it didn't surprise me that Ghetsis was hesitant to let me hear all of this information.

But then again if I were to be the Princess, I'd eventually come to know all about the country, good and bad. My worries and paranoia surfaced again. Maybe he didn't want me to hear it because he knew who I was and didn't want anyone from the rebellion hearing exactly how bad his country was fairing.

"Yes, go ahead." My eyes widened in surprise as Ghetsis nodded to the men in approval. So he was willing to have me hear it… interesting.

"As you wish," the head knight said again, his eyes flicking nervously to me as if he had been under the impression that the report would've been a private matter between him and the King alone. I paused for a brief second… I had seen him before, that knight. He had piercing eyes that seemed to analyze everything he looked at in an instant, and his posture was stiff and uncomfortable as if he wanted to leave wherever he was as quickly as possible. Where had I seen him…?

The knight paused again, seemingly very worried about presenting the information before shaking his head and looking steadfast at Ghetsis. "The poverty rate is up 3.6%, around 1,000 citizens have died in the past month due to infections and diseases of various sorts, 200 of seemingly old age, and 3,000 of hunger… Sir." The knight again looked my way and I did everything in my power not to let my jaw drop to the ground.

Around 4,000 people had died in our country in the last month. Our country was large, yes, but not large enough to warrant that many deaths among the population. I would've placed money on it that all of those deaths were from the people living on the streets and in the slums. This place was getting worse and worse by the day.

The knight cleared his throat before continuing. "The birth rate is down, only around 100 children born this month, although we have reason to believe it is just a fluke, and the rate will go back up next month."

A fluke. It wasn't a fluke. The lower classes were the ones having children at such an alarming rate. If that many were dying from those classes, the birthrate was bound to go down too.

"The buildings around the country are still in very good shape, no repairs needed, and the citizen's moral is the same as last month; they all still support you wholeheartedly, sir." I clenched my teeth and my jaw. Were they lying? There was no way that that many people were dying and the citizens all still loved their King. Surely this "survey" of theirs had been biased.

"All of the statuses with the neighboring countries are stable, nothing changing there. The Queen of Sinnoh recently came down with a disease and she isn't expected to live long, however. So before long the King will probably request your presence." The knight then abruptly straightened and held a fist to his chest. "That is all, Sir."

I looked back to Ghetsis who was still chomping away on his dinner. He nodded, "Very well, you are dismissed. Keep up the hard work." With that the knight bowed again and him and his small troop of men traipsed back out into the hallway, the large wooden doors shut behind them.

My heart was pounding, my brain working on overdrive to try and comprehend all that I'd heard. I knew that the corruption in this country was out of hand but I hadn't known it to be this bad. In only a month, thousands of people had died. It was insane in a country the size of ours. The entire lower class population would be wiped out in a matter of a few decades. It was spiraling out of control, Ghetsis had to see that, didn't he?

"What did you think of all that, Linda?" Ghetsis' nearly inaudible grumble struck my nerves in the wrong way. I moved my hands to my lap to hide my clenched fists. I was beyond angry at him; I was furious. There were people starving at this very instant and here he was, eating on a golden plate without a care in the world. The anger flared, my vision going blurry as my heart rate skyrocketed. I wanted nothing more than to stab his other eye right then and there. He couldn't see the horrible sights in his country anyway, why did he need to see anything else?

'Calm down, Touko,' I again internally hissed. 'Keep calm or you'll blow your cover. You're here for the sole purpose of fixing what's wrong with this country. You won't be able to do that if you blow up and yell at him now.' I took a deep and steadying breath and in the calmest voice I could manage said, "It's eye-opening, your Majesty."

Ghetsis cocked an eyebrow and looked at me in intrigue. "Hm? You're surprised by it?"

I took another steadying breath. "Not surprised, just… dissatisfied."

"Oh?" Ghetsis asked. He placed his utensils back onto the table and leaned forward toward me. N, who had been completely quiet this entire time shifted in his chair uncomfortably. "You shouldn't be dissatisfied, dear. You're here now, in the castle; you needn't worry about the outside impurities any longer." With a smile that I'm sure he meant to be reassuring, he went back to his meal.

So that's what he'd thought I'd meant by that. He thought I was worried about the outside conditions and how they would affect me, and so he'd assured me I was safe and taken care of inside of the castle. I looked up at the ceiling, again having to work a bit harder than usual to control the ferocious comments I wished to throw his way.

The castle was the epitome of elegance, everything so lavish and pristine that it seemed it had been cut right out of a legend told to children to get them to go to bed. But outside it was another story, a horror story of raging poverty and death rates slowly climbing. But that was why I was here. I was here to turn things around. I was here to make it so there wasn't such a difference between the royal family and the peasants on the street; they would know luxury too. That was, if I had anything to say about it.

But that knight had looked awfully familiar...

The corridors were long and expansive as I walked down them, the heels of my pale slippers clapping against the furnished wooden planks. Ghetsis had sent me with a maid to be escorted back to my carriage which was waiting to take me back to my estate where my parents were waiting eagerly,anticipating news of my visit.

I sighed, looking out one of the tall glass windows and into the garden below, clenching my ruffled skirts in my fists. I never should have wandered off when the maid was showing me the way out.

But that one royal bust had been so intriguing! It had so many beetles crawling over it. I wondered how the servants hadn't noticed it...even with its location off to the side in the hallway. The partial statue still looked very old and there were no cracks to be seen on its dulled surface...so that meant the large green beetles hadn't scraped away at its thick shell entirely.

However, that wasn't the problem at hand! I was lost in Ghetsis' large...nay, colossal palace that I still couldn't find the end of. Maybe it was just because I was a young, small, fourteen-year-old who found everything around myself large.

Like Ghetsis...

I slapped my cheeks with my slender palms, feeling a blush forming on my pale skin, and turned away from the window, my long gown swishing against the stone wall as I headed down the hall to most likely become more lost than I already was. I usually had a great sense of direction...but when large buildings were involved, I was at a loss. I put a hand to my chin, glancing back at the window that might lead out to the gardens. If only I could get outside...perhaps I could find my way to the entrance and front gate.

Smiling at my plan, I skipped over to the window, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear and wrenching the window open with all the strength I could muster. It creaked open, its hinges obviously slow from lack of use, and I pushed it away from myself before looking out. There were a few trees below, so I could probably aim to drop onto one of the branches!

Hiking up my skirts, I swung one leg over the thick, stone windowsill and pulled up the other beside it. That was when I lost my balance.

"Whoa!" I shrieked, plummeting downward at a blistering pace as my several layered skirt poofed out until I crashed into the rough leafy branches below.

Whack! A hit to the back. Whack! One to the head. Whack! Another to the stomach.

Thump. I bounced off of a flower bush and rolled onto the grassy ground, my face in the dirt, imprinting into it slowly but surely. Spitting out a mouthful of dirt, blood, and grit, I pushed myself up with much difficulty because of the thin metal layer underneath my corset that my mother had insisted I wear to make me 'look more proper'. It was so stiff. Sighing, I somehow grabbed the trunk of the closest tree, and got to my feet.

Glancing around, I gasped in pain and lack of breath as I tried to discern which was the correct way to get back to the carriage...head right..or left…?

I decided that going to the right would be good...since I was outside now and I could find my way better, I figured I'd follow my gut feeling. Besides...we'd been heading away from the left wing of the palace when Ghetsis had sent me with the servant...so I assumed that going 'right' would mean I was going in the right direction. Heaving out a breath, I strolled down the grassy pathway that hugged the castle wall, and looked around as pleasantly as I could in my situation, my hands clasped behind my back.

There was a rustling noise and I stopped, my heels digging into the dirt in an abrupt halt as I peered ahead about ten feet from my current position and squinted, my eyes becoming small and beady. That's when I saw a head of green hair.

Ghetsis!

But...it couldn't possibly be! Ghetsis was tall! And the figure I was viewing presently was thinner and smaller. I opened my mouth, holding out a palm to stop them, but they dashed off.

"Hang on!" I yelped. "I need help getting back to gate! Waaaait!" Hiking up my skirts once again, I gave chase, following all the way until the smaller Ghetsis vanished from sight...leaving me in a rose garden. I fell to my knees, exhausted and sweaty as strands of hair were matted in several places and the many layers of my skirt didn't help. I panted, looking around and wondering why the green haired...boy….had run away from me. Who was he anyway?

"AGHHHH!" someone shouted, and I jumped, glancing over to see someone crashing through two large hedges. "Blasted piece of clunky metal!"

I stared, alarmed, as a young man with blue hair and crooked eyeglasses stumbled into the garden, clothed in robes and armor as that of a knight. I blinked as he pulled his booted foot out of the clutches of the rose bush and raised my eyebrows as I waited for him to notice me.

"WAHHH!" he exclaimed as he turned and saw me, looking me up and down several times in what seemed to be pure surprise. His eyes moved at twenty miles an hour and I was genuinely surprised he hadn't tipped over in dizziness. "You're the missing aristocrat!"

I just sat there, in the dirt, covered in sweat as he spluttered nonsense,and flapped around like...a Psyduck.

"The King is frantic with worry!" the young knight finally exclaimed, striding over to me quickly and taking my wrist in his gloved hand. "We need to bring you back to him before he has someone beheaded!"

"Beheaded!?" I yelped, my eyes widening in surprise; Ghetsis couldn't do something like that! He might be a bit...dirty minded...but he wasn't a killer!

I was pulled to my feet, and the knight began to drag me South. "S-sir?" I stuttered. "Where are we going-...who are you?"

He stopped abruptly and my face rammed into his armored back. I squeaked at the pain and suddenness of our halt. "I am Cheren, Knight of King Ghetsis, and soldier to the Harmonia family...now...if you please, could we go before His Majesty gets any more worried!"

I followed obediently, my hand snuggly captured in Cheren's grip as we basically ran around the expanse of the castle, and arrived a few minutes later at the gate where I spotted my carriage waiting for me. Relief flooded into me as I saw it and I managed to pull myself from Cheren's grasp to dash towards it.

That's when I saw Ghetsis and stopped short.

"Dear," he said, his voice tight, filled with relief and expelled worry as he approached me, holding out a hand. "I'm glad you're safe."

I looked up at him shyly as the King gave Cheren a nod and the knight took his leave, allowing us to be alone as he herded the other observing servants into the castle.

Glancing over my shoulder, I felt a hand on my chin as I was turned back around, and looked at Ghetsis. "U-umm..I'm fine," I murmured, feeling a bit flustered...but...why was that?

Ghetsis let out a breath and closed his eyes before lowering his hand and taking mine into it, before he brought it up to his lips.

My face exploded in color as he kissed the top of my hand and held it there for longer than he should have. "Y-your Majesty…?" I stuttered, scanning around for any possible onlookers.

"Please…" he said, his voice a deep baritone, "call me Ghetsis."

"B-but I…!"

"You've called me that before, dear," he said with a slight smirk. I thought back to when he'd been giving me a tour of the castle and my blush deepened. "No mind..." he continued, "But I hope you'll come and visit me again so we can...become more acquainted." The look that flashed in his eyes was flirtatious...and perhaps… suggestive? But that couldn't be possible.

I simply laughed off the confusing look he'd given me and shook my head, "Thank you for the invitation here today, Your Hi-...umm...Ghetsis," I corrected myself. "I'd be honored if you would accept my presence in your palace once again...even though I caused you much trouble…" I looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed.

With a sigh, Ghetsis gave me a small smile and placed a large hand on my head, "Just return soon, my dear," he said, and walked me over to the carriage before helping me into it.

Shutting the door, the King looked up at me one last time and I waved with one of my hands as the Rapidash began to move and pull me away from the castle. It slowly shrunk from my view until I could see it no more.

Misty: WHEW! Actually wrote this in a day! Surprising, eh? xD And there was someone in this chapter that I'm wondering if you caught notice of! ;D Hehehe. Well, I'll talk to you all once again at our next chapter! The Idea Queen bids you all farewell! NOW LISTEN TO DANI RANT ABOUT STUFFUUU! :P

(P.S. MORE FERRISWHEELSHIPPING IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!...Maybe. ^w^ )

Dani: STUFFU THE WONDERFUL STUFFUU. Yep, we were flying with this chapter. Actually managed to shove a bit of plot and a bit of ship into it, didn't we? Eh? *wiggly eyebrows* Heh. Yep, we're planning on having all kinds of characters from B/W and B/W2 make their appearances. Lets see if you can guess which ones! I hope you liked our little chappie and stay tuned for more! :D

-Dani

~Misty