Chapter Twenty-Three

Nasty Shock

When Alyssa awoke, she could feel the cool grass under her naked body, as well as soft fur against her back, she slowly opened her eyes and saw Angel laying there peacefully next to her, she snuggled closer to him and was about to close her eyes again when she heard the lark calling.

She sat up quickly and saw she was still by the waterfall, lying on the grass amongst the white flowers and the sun was just rising, she looked across to Angel who stirred and opened his eyes. "Hey sweetheart" he whispered, Alyssa smiled at him, "you look so beautiful" he said, sitting up and wrapping his arms around her.

He then began to kiss her neck and nuzzle her shoulders making her moan and relax into his embrace, "it was the best night of my life last night" Alyssa whispered, Angel nuzzled her again, "it was my best night too" he whispered kissing her cheek and stroking her body.

Alyssa melted back into his embrace and began to nuzzle and kiss him, but just as they were about to succumb to each other again, a bird fluttered above their heads and over the river making them both sit up shocked. The shock brought Alyssa back down to earth.

"Oh my God!" she cried looking at the rising sun, "I have to get back!" Angel stared at her, "do you have to leave?" he asked, "yes…" whispered Alyssa, "I have too, my parents will be worried" she reached over to a rock and grabbed her dressed that had been thrown there. Angel also picked up his trousers.

As Alyssa pulled her dress over herself, she felt Angel wrap his arms around her and nuzzle into her stomach, "I'll miss you baby" he whispered, Alyssa stroked the top of his head, "and I'll miss you my love" she embraced him tightly. "When will you return?" he asked, "tomorrow if I'm lucky" said Alyssa holding him close.

Angel then kissed her stomach and up her chest before kissing her face, "tomorrow?" he whimpered, "but I'll miss you" Alyssa held him close "I'll miss you too my love" she looked at the sun rising again, "oh God" she thought, "I'm sorry" she said sliding from Angel's arms, "I got to go"

Angel looked sad "ok" he said "I'll return tomorrow" said Alyssa, "I promise!" she kissed him one last time, then she turned to face the direction of the city, "I love you" she whispered on last time before she revved up her feet and ran towards the city. Angel watched her go, his heart beat faster, remembering last night as the happiest night of his life.

Alyssa made it back to the city, then ran over the wall, making sure no guards were around, she finally made it to the palace and ran up the wall to her balcony. As she climbed through the window, she heard footsteps outside her room, ripping off her dress and shoving it under the bed, she climbed into bed and lay down pretending to be asleep.

As she lay down, she heard a knock at the door, "Princess!" called a female voice, Alyssa recognized it, it was Mina's "Princess? Are you awake?" Alyssa sat up and messed up her hair making it look like she'd been asleep, that was a really close call, any later she would have been caught in the act.

Mina then opened the door followed by Amy, "ah Princess" she said happily, "you still in bed?" Alyssa nodded, "had weird dreams last night" she said, "ah" said Mina, "well, your father has suggested you take the afternoon to rest for this evening's ceremony"

"Oh yes.." said Alyssa remembering, "Lara-Su and Gabriel's honoring ceremony" Amy and Mina nodded, "that's right" Alyssa felt her stomach churning, she didn't know why, and she wasn't thinking about the ceremony, "thanks" she said to the two ladies, "tell my father I'll be right with him" Amy and Mina nodded then walked out of the room.

As soon as they were gone, Alyssa ran to the toilet and began to throw up, she coughed and spluttered many times, then she fell back on the floor and wiped her mouth trying to get her breath back. "Shit…" she thought, "I've never felt this sick about thinking of Gabriel" she stood up again and walked back into her room to get dressed, she then pulled out her white ninja suit and pulled it on, "maybe some training with Espio will clear my head" she thought.

Much later Alyssa stood in the training room in the palace, Sonic had suggested she take some rest at three pm so she could be fresh for the ceremony at six. She stood opposite Espio and bowed to him.

Espio had fully recovered from his injuries after the fight with Angel in the city, his leg was still painful but he could still fight and train the students well. He then got into a fighting stance. "Ready princess?" he asked, Alyssa nodded. "Fight!" Espio charged at Alyssa who jumped into the air and flipped over his head pushing him over with her feet.

Espio then turned to her and did several high kicks at her, but Alyssa dodged them and did several back flips. She then knelt on the ground and kicked Espio's ankle making him fall. Espio hit the soft mats and looked up at Alyssa impressed. "I see you've been practicing" Alyssa smiled and held out her hand to help him up.

"Thank you" she said, "you seem focus Alyssa" said Espio, "just letting off some steam" said Alyssa as she was doing some stretches, Espio looked at the young princess, "looking forward to your friends honoring?" Alyssa nodded as she slid her body into the splits and bent all the way down to her leg.

"They both did a good job in protecting you, especially Lara, she deserves her honoring for protecting your father and you" Alyssa nodded again as she sat up and began to get ready to train again. "I still think I should fight, even though I have bodyguards" Espio nodded wisely as he got ready to fight with her again.

As Alyssa fought with Espio she saw Lara-Su and Knuckles in another part of the training room, Knuckles was throwing wooden dummies at Lara who was smashing them to splinters with her spiked knuckles which Julie-Su sat watching flinching a little as Lara smashed the dummies.

Alyssa then jumped up as a splinter headed her way, quick as a flash she grabbed it before it hit her, Knuckles saw and smiled at her, "well caught princess" he said, Lara turned to Alyssa "sorry!" she called. Alyssa smiled then turned to Espio who commented on her quick reflexes.

That evening, Alyssa sat between her parents on their thrones, they both dressed in their best royal robes and wearing their crowns, Alyssa was clothed in royal blue and wearing her tiara.

She stared around the area, many people of the court were there to witness the honoring of Gabriel and Lara-Su many of the echidnas of Angel Island were there, especially to see Lara-Su be honored. As she sat there, she saw the doors open and Lara-Su and Gabriel were brought to the thrones by their parents.

Sonic and Sally stood, as did Alyssa, Sally then pulled out a sword from a sheath she had around her waist. Everyone gasped when they saw it, as it was the sacred sword of acorns, a truly powerful sword and only used for knighting and honoring. Sally placed in front of her, Sonic then placed his hand on hers, and Alyssa did the same.

Soon Gabriel and Lara stood before the King, Queen and Princess, Sally then smiled at Sonic who took the sword and stood before Lara-Su. Everyone went silent as Sonic spoke "kneel Lara-Su" he said, Lara-Su nodded then knelt at Sonic's feet. Sonic then tapped her shoulders with the sword, "Lara-Su" he said "you have shown great courage and bravery, in protecting me and my daughter when then rebels attacked, I hereby dub you Lara-Su. Guardian of Princess Alyssa and Knight of the Courageous, arise"

Lara then rose and bowed to Sonic who placed a shining golden medal around her neck with the royal sovereign and engraved 'Courage' Lara blushed and thanked Sonic then went to stand with her parents who both hugged and kissed her with pride. Alyssa smiled at her friend then turned to see Gabriel walk up to Sonic and kneel before him.

Sonic then tapped his shoulders with the sword and spoke, "Gabriel, you have shown great courage in helping my daughter and fighting off the rebels when they attacked, I hereby dub you, Sir Gabriel the Valliant" Alyssa looked across to Bunnie who was crying tears of happiness and Antoine who was clapping for his son.

She bit her lip, she knew now that Gabriel was knighted, he was going to get worse in his vanity, "arise" said Sonic, Gabriel bowed to him and thanked him, he then stood up straight, "thank you for your kindness your majesty, it is a real honor" Sonic smiled as did Sally.

Gabriel then looked at Alyssa, "and now…." He announced "I have to ask the princess a bold question" Alyssa felt her heart leapt to her throat, Sonic and Sally smiled at Alyssa and ushered her to step towards Gabriel. Alyssa bit her lip and stepped forward. Gabriel smiled, he then took hold of Alyssa's hands.

Everyone in the throne hall gasped and began to smile and whisper, Alyssa felt her knees buckle more, Gabriel then got down on one knee, Alyssa was so terrified she couldn't swallow. "Princess Alyssa" said Gabriel "will you be my wife?" he then opened the black box he had in his hand and showed her the beautiful white gold ring with blue sapphires and the white diamond in the middle.

Alyssa felt her stomach do a somersault in fear, her knees trembled, she could feel her heartbeat in her ears, her eyes shifted from Gabriel to everyone in the room, her parents were smiling, as were Bunnie, Antoine, Knuckles and Julie-Su. She couldn't say no to Gabriel, she knew she couldn't, she looked at Gabriel again and opened her mouth to speak.

"Gabriel" she choked, "I accept…." Gabriel smiled and slipped the ring onto her finger, as she felt it get slid on, she visualized it as a shackle and Gabriel was holding onto it, she felt so sick, she wanted to faint. The whole room burst with applause, so happy for the princess. Gabriel then kissed Alyssa, making her even more sick and she could feel tears coming to her eyes.

Sonic and Sally held their daughter close and kissed her, "oh my daughter" said Sonic "I'm so proud of you" Sally cradled her daughter's head "you're so beautiful, and I know you and Gabriel will be very happy, just like your father and I"

Alyssa forced herself to smile, yet inside she felt like screaming, she looked across to Gabriel who was being praised and patted on the back by everyone and being hugged by his family. Alyssa bit her lip then looked up at her parents. "Father…mother…" she said "do you mind if I retire…please….I feel a bit headachy" Sally smiled and kissed her daughter "must be the excitement" she said "of course" Sonic also kissed his daughter and let her go.

Alyssa walked calmly to the door, then out into the hall, no sooner did she do so that the tears began to fall, she looked at the ring on her finger and let out a loud sob, she then began to run sobbing towards her bedroom, as she ran, she sobbed and cried, she finally got to her room and ran inside.

She then caught sight of herself in the mirror, she didn't see herself anymore, but as a girl held prisoner in chains, she couldn't say no, she didn't want to disappoint her parents, but her engagement to Gabriel meant ruining her commitment to Angel. With her loud cry she ripped off her crown making her hair fall loose and tore off her necklace with the Acorn Monarchy symbol on it and threw them to the floor.

She then ran over to her bed and threw herself on it, crying her eyes out, she now knew she was trapped, trapped in an engagement with a man she didn't love, and hated. But she couldn't disappoint her parents or neglect her duties. She lay there for a long time and sobbed, her heart shattered to pieces and her spirit broken.

Oh No! Poor Alyssa, Gabriel's proposed to her and now she's a prisoner to him because she couldn't say no.........