Serena sat in a cold, dark cell all alone, crying quietly. She was cold, lonely, and hungry. How long had she even been here? Days? Weeks? Sitting in the dark had caused the young princess to lose all sense of time. Why was she even here to begin with? What did that sage want with her? It was only a matter of time until her father's army would arrive to rescue her. But she had to have been locked up for more than three days. Where was the handsome young knight that would come rescue her and take her away on a Rapidash? All Serena wanted was to return to her father, to hug him again.
Serena looked up in surprise as the wooden door creaked open, flooding the tiny room with light. Was her rescuer finally here?
No.
The same blond haired man that had locked her up held the door open as the same tall, green haired sage from earlier strode in like a malevolent shadow. Serena slunk back in fear, but Colress still managed to snag her by her bound wrists. Serena found Ghetsis even more intimidating when he was staring down at her with his cold, blood red eyes. "Come now, child," he began in a low, almost inaudible tone. "You and I have an important matter to discuss." Colress pulled the young princess to her feet and the trio began a meandering journey through dark, cold, and damp stone hallways beneath the palace.
"Let me go!" Serena tried to sound bold, but the fear in her voice was still clear as daylight. "My father will send his entire army in search of me and will not give up until he has me back!" Ghetsis stopped dead in his tracks, as did Colress. The sudden stop caused Serena to fall on her knees, scraping them against the rough stone. "Your father is dead,"
Ghetsis informed her in a flat tone, staring straight ahead. "Nobody will come searching for you, girl. After all, a dead king cannot give orders."
Fresh tears pooled in Serena's eyes. "No," she whispered. "No. It can't be true!" The sage finally turned to face her. " You knew perfectly well your father was ill. It was only a matter of time until his pitiful life was over." He smirked. "Do you know what that means?" Serena blinked back her tears as best she could. "Yes," she croaked. "My uncle will be crowned king in his place. The Iron Throne belongs to him now."
Ghetsis scowled and turned to Colress. "Did you know of this?" he demanded. The blond man shook his head. "I'm afraid not, my lord." The sage struggled to keep his composure. The Iron Throne was so close to being his and the eighteen kingdoms under his control...
Ghetsis continued on, Colress trailing close behind. "My uncle will still send his army for me! Lysandre knows how much I meant to my father," Serena told him through her tears. "Now that he's king, he will have your head for this!" Ghetsis only chuckled as he pushed open a massive metal door, revealing a long staircase. "Your uncle is a fool, not a king."
They led the young princess down. Serena almost lost her footing several times in an effort to keep up with Colress. Where was she being taken? The staircase seemed to stretch on for an eternity.
When they finally reached the bottom, it was near impossible to see. Serena blinked a few times to help her eyes adjust. She could hear what sounded like rattling chains, and for a moment the princess wondered what the sage had planned for her. But once her eyes adjusted, Serena went pale with fear.
Nearly invisible in the darkness thanks to its blue scales and black fur, a massive Hydreigon was chained to a stone wall. Its red eyes flashed with rage at the sight of its master. One of the small heads was chewing on what appeared to be a human bone, and Serena's stomach turned at the sight. Ghetsis smiled proudly. "Surprised to see such a rare Pokemon in my possession? He's my pride and joy." The sage reached his hand out towards the main head. The Brutal Pokemon snapped at his master, but Ghetsis withdrew his arm before the Dark and Dragon type could tear it off.
Ghetsis feigned sadness. "I am afraid the poor thing is starved. Does he not look hungry to you?" As he spoke, Hydreigon focused all of its heads on Serena, baring its yellow fangs at her. As if on cue, Colress handed her over to the sage. Serena realized what was going on and began to panic. "No! Wait! Please!" she shrieked. Ghetsis pushed her over to Hydreigon, smiling evilly.
"Say hello to your father for me." the sage chuckled.
"Wait! Please!" Serena shrieked, but it was too late. All three of Hydreigon's heads seized the young princess and dragged her into the darkness. Her screams soon stopped and were replaced by sickening crunches. Colress looked away, unable to watch the carnage. Ghetsis, on the other hand, seemed to get some type of sick pleasure out of watching the girl get dismembered and devoured. The dragon Pokemon's main head looked up from his meal and bellowed at the two men.
As the sage turned to leave, he cast a sharp gaze at Colress. "Gather the best men in my army and prepare them for a journey to Easteros," he ordered. The blond man nodded obediently, not wanting to be Hydreigon's next victim. "As you wish."
-
Armored soldiers stood in rows on either side of Easteros Castle's throne room, a long red carpet extending towards the Iron Throne. Lysandre was dressed in a brilliant scarlet robe, escorted by a pair of soldiers.
Legend says the Iron Throne was forged three thousand years ago from the swords of fallen enemies and fused together with the flame of the Vast White Pokemon. It is believed that this will ensure that a ruler will only speak the truth throughout his reign. Lysandre silently vowed to keep the promise he made to his brother, to not just be kind but also just and true. He blinked back tears at the thought.
No, no, I cannot lose composure at a time like this, the redhead thought to himself as he traversed the seemingly endless room. The two soldiers stopped and stood in place as Lysandre ascended the small set of steps. He shut his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and took his place on the Iron Throne. Malva strode in wearing a long red dress, carrying the crown that belonged to his brother, their father, and his father before him. She paused in front of Lysandre before bowing her head. She whispered, "Glory to you, Your Grace," before slowly and gently crowning him. At that moment, a single tear slipped from Lysandre's eye and ran down his face.
Malva stepped to the side and faced the crowd. "Vivat rex!" she chanted. "Vivat rex!" the soldiers repeated. As if on cue, Pyroar came bounding in along the carpet and leapt into his master's lap, accentuating Lysandre's noble appearance. He placed a hand on his Pokemon and leaned back.
He knew that being king would never be an easy task, but a promise is a promise.
(A/N: Vivat rex means "Long live the king" in Latin, in case anyone was wondering. Should I have made it French instead? Aw well, too late now. And remember when I said this fic will make you hate Ghetsis? This chapter is proof of my point. Until next time, LadyPineTree out!)
