Chapter 10

At twenty-five years old, Dr. Julian Ivo Rintobor Robotnik was already an accomplished scientist and medical doctor. With an IQ of over 300, he had won accolades, medals and ceritifcates. In primary school, he had written a 200 page thesis for his biology assignment on the growth of a bean seed. At the age of eleven he was accepted into a prestigious college. Yes, he was quite the genius.

Which is why the aristocracy was pushing for Aleena, Hedgehog Queen of Mobotropolis to choose him for her husbamd.

"What?" Aleena shouted with all the petulance of her sixteen years. "You want me to marry him?"

Lord Montclair, as the highest ranking noble present, replied. "Yes. He would be a good king for our kingdom."

Aleena laughed. "But he's a human. One of the last in existence. How would I produce an heir?" She gestured at the man. "He's not even good looking… No offense."

Robotnik waved his hand. Insults about his appearance or weight didn't bother him. He personally did not want to marry her either. He had a girl already. But he had agreed to meet with the aristocrats and Aleena. The suggestion was ludicrous to him.

Lord Montclair sighed. "Aleena. You're not still hung up on Jules are you?" The princess' blush said it all. "Your Highness, we must again urge you not to take him as your husband."

"He's a scheming crown chaser," another noble agreed. "And I've heard how he treats his lovers."

Aleena grew stubborn. "He's done nothing to me and the Oracle likes him."

"Your Highness, the Oracle will not give you any answer beyond what he sees as being for the greater good. He's blinded by it," a third noble told her. "And Jules is using you. Of course he's going to treat you well now, but if you marry him and he is named king, he will have what he wants and… Your Highness, please listen to us!"

Robotnik listened to the argument. Aleena shook her head. "I think you're wrong about him. He's already asked me to marry him and I said 'yes.'"

Lord Montclair sighed. "We were afraid of that."

Robotnik stepped forward. "Perhaps I may offer a solution?"

Lord Montclair looked over, hopeful. "You may speak Julian."

"Perhaps if I were to take a position as the head of research and development; I'd have a lab in the palace. In the palace," Robotnik reasoned. "I could keep an eye on her and this Jules. Have him sign a prenuptial agreement. Have it state that if he is caught hurting her or the citizens in any way, that their marriage will be dissolved."

Lord Montclair grinned. "Excellent idea! Allena? Would you agree to this?"

Aleena looked sad. "What if he won't sign?"

Robotnik answered, "Then you'll know that he never loved you or meant well by you."

Aleena looked unsure. "He'll think that I don't trust him, he'll be hurt that I'm asking him to sign it."

"Let him know that you do trust him. It's the aristocracy that is concerned," Robotnik reasoned.

"Your Highness, it's either this or you will let us choose a more suitable match," Lord Montclair said simply. "Your Highness, it's for your own protection."

With no other way, Aleena agreed. When Jules consented to sign the prenuptial agreement and accepted Robotnik as the Head of the Science Department, he and the council felt a little more at peace about the situation.

Julian Robotnik married his high school sweetheart, Maria. She was a willowy blonde beauty who also possessed a sharp mind. She was his assistant in his palace lab.

However, soon Robotnik began noticing something odd… King Jules had no interest in the discoveries that were being made. In fact, the hedgehog thought science was worthless and obsolete.

"You can't be serious!" Robotnik said. "You can't just take away such vital funding! I need that to safely continue my experiments. I'll have to fire my two new assistants."

"That's not my problem," Jules said. "Science is a pointless frivolity. We have magic."

Robotnik laughed. "You mean, your wife has magic. The Oracle has magic. You have nothing." He looked at Aleena. "I need those assistants. You know my wife is pregnant, she can't help me."

"Yes Julian, I know. But Jules… is right," Aleena agreed meekly. "I'm sorry."

The bad news got worse when Jules insisted Robotnik be given a lab outside of the palace. The nobility attempted to intervene on his behalf, but Jules had secretly signed an executive order taking away their say in his decisions.

Maria refused to let him give up his studies, despite the danger.

"I'll be fine Julian," she assured him. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid." She told him.

He shook his head, "I can't take the chance. I'll just need to…"

Maria shut him up with a kiss. "Use me as your assistant or sleep on the couch for the next six months. It's up to you."

Unable to argue with that, he had no choice. He only hoped that everything would work out.

Two months later, Robotnik looked up from his work desk with triumph! "Yes! I've got it!" He shouted.

Maria brought him a sandwich. "The Robot Project?"

"Yes, it's brilliant. I can craft new assistants and you'll be able to rest." He rubbed his wife's belly.

Maria smacked him upside his head. "Will you stop treating me like an invalid?" She kissed him and went into another room of the lab. Robotnik followed her. She was leaning over a large glass encasement. Inside the case was a collection of cells. "The Homunculus Cell Reproduction Project is going well too. We may be able to rejuvenate the human race."

Robotnik grinned. "Excellent! You are simply brilliant my dear."

Maria beamed at her husband's praise. "Now you just go on." She went to her own work table laden with chemicals.

Robotnik was just settling back to his experiments when he heard a perplexed "What the…" followed by an explosion.

He raced into the room. "Maria?!" he couldn't see through the smoke or the flames. "Maria!" He pushed his way into the lab. He didn't see the flames heading towards some explosive chemicals. "MARIA!" His scream was lost in the explosion of the fire hitting the chemicals.

AN: 2+25=27+18=45. According to my math, in my version, Robotnik is 45 years old.