"Welcome to Castle Payr, the seat of our kingdom! How may I help you?" greeted an enthusiastic Shinx who was stationed at the castle gates.
The visitor, a serious-looking Bisharp, looked down at the Shinx. "I am a diplomat from the Kingdom of Firinia," he stated. "My king and his council received the request from your kingdom, and I am here to deliver my country's response. I wish to have an audience with your king."
"Ah, yes," said a voice from above. Both the Shinx and the Bisharp looked up and saw a Decidueye descend down towards them and land on the ground. "We have been awaiting the arrival of a diplomat for quite some time now. I am very glad to see you here today, good sir," the Decidueye said, giving a polite bow to the Bisharp. "Allow me to inform everyone at the court of your arrival. Shane, could you keep our visitor company until I return to escort him to the throne room?"
"Yes, sir!" Shane said.
"Everyone will be pleased to hear of your arrival, sir," the Decidueye said to the Bisharp with a smile before flying off towards the castle.
Both pokemon watched the graceful green owl glide through one of the large open windows on the second floor of the castle, then the Bisharp turned to the Shinx. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Sir Shane, I am Dhruv, diplomat of Firinia."
Shane's eyebrows raised for a moment before he cracked a wide smile. "No need for the title, kind sir, I am only a squire!" he laughed.
"Well, I can tell that you will make a fantastic knight soon. You must come from a very grand and noble family," the Bisharp complimented.
"Eh, I don't know about that…" Shane replied, his smile fading away. "My family is all farmers and workers from the countryside."
"Oh…" the Bisharp said slowly, feeling bad for his mistake. "Well, regardless of family, you will still make a magnificent knight."
"Ah, thank you!" the Shinx said, beaming once more. "It's not often that I receive compliments from nobles. But enough about me. How was your journey from Firinia? I hope it went well?"
"It was very smooth and peaceful. The countryside of Payr is very beautiful, and the people here are very friendly," the Bisharp said with a smile. "Much better than my previous mission to Nydyhan…" he remarked with a shudder.
"Oh my, what was that for?" asked Shane.
"Peace negotiations," the Bisharp revealed solemnly. "It was at a town near the border of Firinia and Nydyhan, and that deal ended the war. That was two months ago. I requested a break from my duties as a diplomat after that trip. It was the most stressful time of my life."
"I am glad that my country made your return to duty a smooth one," Shane said.
"Yes, I am very glad as well. Unfortunately, the threat that Nydyhan posed to my country is now looming over Payr… It pains my heart to see such a small but beautiful and friendly country have to prepare for war. That is why I am here today, to speak with your king on behalf of my country."
"I hope that means you bring good news?" the Shinx inquired.
The Bisharp smiled, but said, "My official words must wait for the throne room."
The Shinx and the Bisharp spent the next few minutes talking about the Payrian countryside until the Decidueye returned. "I am afraid I left in such a hurry that I did not introduce myself! I am Sir Robin, Knight of Payr," he said with a bow.
"It is an honor to meet you, Sir Robin. I am Dhruv, diplomat of Firinia," the Bisharp responded, giving a bow of his own.
"Allow me to escort you to the throne room. His Majesty and the council are eager to hear you speak, Mr. Dhruv."
The Decidueye enthusiastically walked towards the castle entrance with the Bisharp in tow, but he quickly realized that someone else was not following. "Shane, you should come too," Sir Robin requested.
"Are you sure, sir? I am not sure if a squire should be present at such an important meeting," Shane brought up.
"Nonsense, you have every right to attend. You are my squire, and you are just weeks away from being a knight! Besides, I am sure King Richard will not mind your presence," Sir Robin encouraged with a smirk.
King Richard won't mind, but the councilmen sure will… Shane lamented, but he shook his head and followed his mentor and their visitor into the castle.
The castle was normally quite lively with cheerful nobles, knights, and servants going about their day, but for the past two months, a solemn atmosphere had reigned supreme. The news of the peace treaty between the long-warring kingdoms of Nydyhan and Firinia meant that Nydyhan would turn its ambitions towards the small Kingdom of Payr next. It was not a question of if they would declare war, but rather when. The fear of war had not gripped the cheerful people of the countryside yet, but inside the castle and in the capital city, everyone was quite grim.
After a rather long journey through the magnificent halls and stairs of the castle, the Decidueye, Bisharp, and Shinx arrived at the entrance of the throne room. A lot of chatter could be heard from the inside, but it quieted down instantly once Sir Robin knocked firmly on the large, exquisitely decorated door. Shane opened the door, allowing Sir Robin and Mr. Dhruv to enter first before following the two older pokémon in. They were greeted by several knights, many councilmen, and, in the center, the royal family. King Richard, a tall Incineroar, stood proudly. Accompanying him to the left was Queen Anne, a majestic Ninetales. On the right stood Prince Roger, a Torracat whose look of seriousness surpassed the diplomat's, and Princess Valerie, a Vulpix who mimicked her father's stance of pride. Sitting calmly between Queen Anne's forepaws was Princess Leona, a young Litten who was quite well behaved.
"Thank you, Sir Robin, for gathering us all here and escorting our guest," King Richard started, his powerful voice resounding across the throne room. A few knights and councilmen nodded in agreement. "And thank you as well, Shane," the Incineroar added with a smile upon noticing the Shinx who entered behind the Decidueye and Bisharp.
Shane smiled slightly and nodded, but blushed faintly as the attention of the room was brought to him. He could feel the annoyed or disapproving looks from some of the councilmen and knights. Glancing over at the royal family, he could sense the subtle disapproval of Queen Anne, as well as Prince Roger's indifference, but at least Princess Valerie looked happy to see him.
"It was my pleasure," Sir Robin said merrily. "Now, allow me to introduce to you all Mister Dhruv," he said, stepping to the side and opening his wing out towards the Bisharp.
Mr. Dhruv took a step forward and bowed. "It is an honor to meet you, King Richard, Queen Anne, and all of Payr's council and knights," he said after he stood up straight. "I am Dhruv, diplomat of Firinia. My king and my council received your message, and I am here on behalf of them to give our country's response."
As Shane stood behind Mr. Dhruv and listened, he felt a presence touch his mind. It was odd and indescribable, but he was used to it by now. I'm glad you're here! Sir Robin let you come with him? Shane heard inside his head, the voice of Princess Valerie.
Yeah, I was the one who greeted Mr. Dhruv at the castle gates and kept him company while Sir Robin gathered everyone. So he asked me to come along, Shane thought. The mental connection that Princess Valerie had created between the two of them using Extrasensory carried his thoughts across the room and into her mind, unbeknownst to everyone else.
"Due to Payr's shared borders with both Firinia and our most dangerous rival, Nydyhan, the Kingdom of Firinia requests an alliance with the Kingdom of Payr," Mr. Dhruv announced proudly. The room broke out into smiles, nods of approval, and quiet whispers. The Bisharp pulled a scroll out of his bag and began unraveling it, reading as he went. "We have several provisions for this alliance. Firstly, an alliance between our two kingdoms means both kingdoms are obligated to defend each other militarily in the event of war being declared on either one of our kingdoms." There was a general air of agreement in the room. "Secondly," the Bisharp continued, reading from the scroll, "the king of Firinia wishes to solidify the alliance with a royal marriage between his first-born son and King Richard of Payr's first-born daughter."
Most of the pokémon in the room had little to no reaction to this provision. Arranged marriages were quite common, after all. Shane, however, felt the Extrasensory connection in his mind break. Such a mental connection took some concentration to maintain from the creator. Shane turned away from Mr. Dhruv and looked across the room at Princess Valerie. She didn't catch his gaze though; she looked very distressed at the provision. The Bisharp went on listing more provisions. Shane heard some stuff about trade deals and education opportunities, but he didn't remember most of it. He was mostly concerned for his friend who also was not listening to the rest of the alliance proposal.
"This is all great news," Queen Anne spoke up once Mr. Dhruv had finished his speech. "We all have a lot to discuss."
"Thank you sincerely for being the messenger of this news," King Richard said next. He bowed to the Bisharp, a very grateful gesture coming from royalty. "I am sure you have had a long journey, and it is my wish that you accept our hospitality. Shane, could you please escort Mr. Dhruv to one of our guest rooms?"
"Of course, Your Majesty," Shane responded, turning to the Incineroar and nodding.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Mr. Dhruv said gratefully, bowing back to King Richard. Then he and Shane left the throne room.
Shane led the Bisharp down to the ground floor and through a couple of halls. He was being much quieter and much less expressive than he was before, which concerned the Bisharp. "You seem troubled," Mr. Dhruv brought up. "Do you think the alliance is not going to work out?" The Shinx looked up at the Bisharp but didn't say anything yet. "I know the trade deals are made mostly in favor of Firinia, and we may be taking advantage of your country's exceptional educational opportunities, but it's in exchange for substantial military protection. Payr is a much smaller country than Firinia..."
"No, it's not those issues that I'm thinking about," Shane spoke up. "It's the royal marriage… Princess Valerie has ambitions to serve an important role in Payr, and… being married off to Firinia would make that… impossible," Shane said sadly, his ears drooping slightly.
"Oh… do you know the princess personally?" asked Mr. Dhruv.
"Yeah, we're good friends and we train together," Shane explained. "Ever since I first came here as a squire. I guess it's been… six years now?"
"Hi, Shane! Welcome home!" said a new voice, making the Shinx jump. Shane looked towards the pokémon and saw a Gothorita, who gave him a huge wink.
"Oh… Gwen. Hi," Shane said awkwardly. Once he realized where they were, he turned to Mr. Dhruv and said, "Here are the castle's guest rooms. My room is also here, since like I said, my family lives in the countryside. This is Gwen, she's one of the castle's caretakers. Gwen, this is Mr. Dhruv, a visitor. Could you please prepare a room for him and then show him around the castle? It's King Richard's orders. I have some other stuff to attend to."
"Aw, you're not staying?" the Gothorita pouted.
"It was nice meeting you, Shane," Mr. Dhruv said. "Thank you for all the kindness you have shown me. I wish you all the best."
"No problem, and I will probably see you tonight," Shane said before rushing off. He really wasn't in the mood to chat with the Gothorita maid.
After doing a few chores around the castle for Sir Robin, as is required of a dutiful squire, Shane made his way to the training grounds, which were a large open courtyard in the middle of the castle. Since it was a weekend, the training grounds were mostly empty. Shane hoped that one pokemon would be there, and it turned out to be true. Princess Valerie was alone at the training grounds, destroying wooden target dummies with vicious Flamethrower attacks.
"Hey Valerie," Shane voiced out, catching the Vulpix's attention.
"Oh, hey Shane," Valerie said, stopping her attacks.
"You missed one!" Shane teased. He charged up electricity and launched a Thunderbolt at the last standing target dummy, splintering it into pieces.
"Hey, that's only because you came!" Valerie complained though she was smiling slightly now.
"Y'know, I set those target dummies up this morning for the new squires to train with tomorrow…" Shane brought up.
"Seriously? Oh gosh, I'm so sorry. I'll clean all this up and set up new ones for you," Valerie offered. Her eyes glowed pink as she started using Extrasensory to pick up the scattered pieces of burnt wood with an unseeable force, gathering the mess into a pile. "But then why did you destroy the last one?" she asked.
"Might as well finish the job!" Shane laughed, which got her to chuckle a bit. "But forget about the target dummies for now. There are more important things to worry about… right?"
"Yeah…" Valerie whispered, looking down at the stone floor of the training grounds solemnly. "After you and the diplomat and the knights left, the councilmen started discussing. They pretty much unanimously agreed that the unfavorable trade agreements and the education our universities would have to provide to the Firinians was well worth the military alliance. Then my father asked the councilmen to leave… so that my family could talk privately." Valerie sighed. "My brother said how happy he was that I would be a queen. He still thinks I wanted to be Queen of Payr since all he thinks about behind that silent face of his is how great of a king he's going to be."
Shane nodded in agreement. He had heard her opinion on her older brother a million times by now and of course, he knew how much she hated the idea of being a ruler.
"My mother… ugh, my mother mocked me for never taking royal etiquette training seriously!" Valerie groaned. Of course, she never took it seriously because she knew her brother was happy to rule and she never wanted anything to do with politics.
"What… What did your father say?" Shane asked nervously.
Valerie's expression turned from angry to truly sad. "He said… that he knows how I feel about this… and that he's always supported me in the past… but he told me to think about all of Payr."
"So... he didn't force any decision on you," Shane said slowly.
"Oh, but my mother chimed in immediately after and said she's forcing me to do it," Valerie growled. "Looks like my dream of being a knight and fighting for Payr is all but lost…" she cried.
A wave of sadness hit Shane as well, as he really came to terms with the fact that not only would they not be able to fight together anymore as knights, his best friend wouldn't even be living at Castle Payr anymore. He couldn't come up with anything to say about it though.
"This sucks. How can my father do this to me after supporting my goals all this time?" Valerie suddenly exclaimed. "Ugh, this is so overwhelming. I need some time to calm down and think things through."
"Things will work out somehow," Shane encouraged optimistically. "Maybe I can talk to the diplomat about any other possible options. We've gotten along quite well so far."
"Yeah, and maybe I'll talk to my father again? Privately this time. I don't want my mother or brother to be around," Valerie snarled.
"Squire Shane!" a stern voice sounded out across the training grounds. The Shinx and Vulpix both jumped in surprise and turned towards the source - a cross Scizor. "What are you doing here? Why are you not at the castle gates?"
"Councilman Rodsworth," Shane greeted with a small, reluctant bow. "My shift at the castle gates expired long ago."
"Surely there are more productive things a squire like you should be doing," Rodsworth insisted. He then proceeded to list all of the chores that Shane had already completed. "You should be doing all of that instead of… standing here chatting with Her Highness," he said disapprovingly, crossing his arms.
"Sir, I already completed-"
"And where are all the practice targets? Was it not your duty to set them up for the new squires?" the Scizor demanded, the edge of his lips curling upwards slightly through his frown.
"Uh…"
"That would be my fault!" Valerie spoke up. Rodsworth turned his frown away from the Shinx and towards the Vulpix now. "Shane had already set up the target dummies, and I came by and destroyed them. I will replace them. Now stop bothering Shane, Councilman! He has already done everything he needed to do on this fine Sunday afternoon."
"Keep your temper in check, Your Highness. That tone is not fit for a future queen," Rodsworth scolded, his words making Valerie cringe. "Why are you here in the training grounds, anyway? You should be with Her Majesty the Queen. Go along now. And Shane, replace those practice targets," Rodsworth commanded. "Then I have some more tasks around the castle that you should attend to, as Payr's most dutiful squire," he said derisively, hints of sarcasm present in the last part.
"Yes sir," Shane said, trying his best to hide his reluctance. It's true that he wanted to be the best squire and knight around, especially since he felt like he always needed to prove his worth, but that often led to some higher-ups abusing him. Valerie tried her best to help him out whenever she could.
Valerie marched away from the training grounds grumpily, without another word to Rodsworth. I'm sorry about the target dummies, Shane heard Valerie say in his mind.
Don't worry about it, he thought back. Just relax. Think things through.
I'm going to go to the forest. I need to get away from this place to think, especially away from my mother and pricks like Rodsworth, Valerie informed her friend.
Alright. I'll go find you after I finish whatever crap Rodsworth will make me do. Are you going to the usual place by the waterfall? Shane responded.
That sounds like a good idea. I'll be able to think clearly there. Again, sorry about you having to do extra work…
I told you, don't worry about it! he thought reassuringly. He would smile if she could see it, but she was already a corridor away. A moment later, he felt their mental connection snap due to the distance.
Valerie navigated the hallways of the castle cautiously, taking care to avoid any nobles who would tell her that her mother was looking for her and that she needed to go see the Ninetales. Once she got to the castle entrance, she looked up and around to make sure that Sir Robin was not flying above the grounds. She didn't spot the majestic owl, so she proceeded on towards the castle gates.
"Princess Valerie? Where are you going, Your Highness?" the knight at the castle gates asked as she tried to walk past him wordlessly.
"I have some business to attend to in the business district, sir," Valerie said respectfully. She was a pretty convincing liar.
The knight nodded, not giving it a second thought. Valerie exited the castle's walls and strolled through the streets of the capital city. Luckily, none of the citizens recognized her since she didn't wear a crown or a tiara or anything like that. After quite some time, Valerie got away from the crowds of the business district of which the castle was the centerpiece of, and was now walking through some quaint residential areas. Things were much more calm and peaceful out here, which made Valerie happy. She lifted her ears and tails, which she hadn't noticed were subconsciously lowered from all the stress of the castle and the news of the royal marriage. A few kids were playing tag in the street and they greeted her happily. She smiled back at them, thinking about what it would be like to be a normal child growing up normally, not as royalty and far away from nobility. Shane sometimes talked about his childhood before becoming a squire, though he was usually not particularly eager to.
The street and the houses abruptly stopped, giving way to a forest. The city had forbidden expansion into the forest long ago to preserve the forest, only allowing expansion in other directions which hosted farmland. Sometimes pokémon would cut down trees from the forest for construction purposes, though. Other than those occasional pokémon, the forest was very quiet and peaceful. Valerie took in a deep breath of fresh air as she made her way to a beautiful waterfall not far from the edge of the city. She took this time to think through the day so far.
First of all, how dare Rodsworth criticize my tone? I wouldn't be mad if it weren't for him abusing his position of power to overwork Shane! And it's all because Shane doesn't come from a noble family, she thought angrily. Of course, it was the same deal all the time with Rodsworth and some other nobles. Shane always accepted everything they said as his duty. Valerie had even told Sir Robin about it early on, but the Decidueye said it was Shane's decision to make.
With that old thought out of her system, she turned to her own new problems. She thought carefully and deeply about the situation. All she wanted was to be a knight. Battling was her specialty; she had inherited that from her father. She didn't care for court life or formalities or royal balls. She had spent the last six years training in battle. She and Shane were an unstoppable duo when they battled together, even holding their own against other pairs of long-standing knights despite both of them still being eighteen years old. Shane was only a few weeks away from his promotion up to knighthood after six years of being the best squire Castle Payr had ever seen, even if some nobles refused to acknowledge it.
All of that would be thrown away. She was on the verge of being married off to the prince of another kingdom. Also, Firinia was a much larger kingdom than Payr, which meant more nobles and more formalities. Nobles and formalities were not for Valerie; that was what her older brother, Prince Roger, lived for. The battlefield alongside Shane was Valerie's calling, and her father had always been okay with that after seeing her talents. Her mother heavily disapproved, saying that Valerie, as a princess, should be involved in courtly matters, such as keeping "important" noble guests company. Valerie always shrugged off her status as a princess, saying that she was not the first in line to rule anyway. She had never considered her vital part in a royal marriage. When her mother had brought up the possibility in the past, Valerie had ignored it, thinking it was preposterous. Now that it was actually happening… she didn't know what to do and it pained her to no end.
Once Valerie arrived at the foot of the waterfall, she let her serious thoughts aside for a moment. She relaxed on the soft grass and concentrated on the falling water. Using Extrasensory, she manipulated the water to her will, forming beautiful patterns as the water descended down the cliff. She practiced using her psychic powers intensely all the time, loving how useful they were. There were three main things that she could do with Extrasensory. Telepathy allowed her to talk with Shane in the presence of others without any disapproving nobles getting in the way of their friendship. It was also really useful for communicating during a battle without the opponents hearing a thing. Telekinesis lets her move objects with ease, especially great for helping Shane complete whatever ridiculous errands the nobles gave him. Thirdly was, of course, the blasts of psychic energy she could attack with in battle. Extrasensory was a fast ranged move that could catch opponents off guard, although it didn't pack as much punch as her Flamethrower did. If she could be a psychic type, she would love it. Unfortunately, she was stuck with only Extrasensory, which was weaker than Psychic, but as long as she trained hard, she could do anything that real psychic types could.
"You sure are easy to find when you flaunt your psychic powers like that."
"We could sense you from a mile away!"
Valerie jumped to her paws and whirled around. She was greeted by the sight of two Galarian Rapidash with a wooden carriage behind them. The new arrivals surprised Valerie and broke her concentration, and the water she was manipulating came crashing down, making a huge splashing sound.
"Ooh, careful dear!" one of the Rapidash mocked.
"Who are you two?" Valerie demanded.
"Glad you asked, dear! Not many pokémon care to ask. The name's Sierra!" one of them answered.
"And I'm Alexandra!" said the other Rapidash.
"Uh… do you need something?" Valerie asked awkwardly.
"Oh! She's so polite!" Alexandra said to Sierra, making Valerie feel even more awkward.
"Yes, that something we need is you!" Sierra chortled, and then both Rapidash started cackling.
"W-what do you mean?" Valerie stuttered, starting to back away from the two crazy Rapidash.
"We're taking you to Castle Nydyhan!" Alexandra cackled. "It's a way cooler place than Castle Firinia! We don't want a royal marriage to take place between Payr and Firinia, now do we?"
"Certainly not!" Sierra continued. "And I can't believe how easy it was to prevent that royal marriage! As psychic types, we sensed you using your Extrasensory and tracked you down so easily!"
Valerie gulped. This is not good. This is not good at all, she panicked.
"But you still have much to learn, dear!" Alexandra mocked. "I'll show you how Psychic is really done!" All of her purple fur on her mane, tail, and fetlocks began glowing, and suddenly a huge wave of water from the waterfall glowed pink and was headed straight for Valerie.
With a burst of energy, Valerie leaped away from her position, swiftly evading the wave of water as it splashed against the ground, the sudden action surprising the two maniacs. Then she unleashed a Flamethrower, hitting both Rapidash and dazing them momentarily. Valerie started running away, knowing that she couldn't handle both of them by herself.
"Where do you think you're going, dear?" she heard from behind. Of course, she would not be able to outrun a Rapidash. They used Psychic to create a burst of energy in front of her, stopping her run and knocking her back painfully. She maneuvered in mid-air, landed on all fours, and hopped off the ground again to avoid another Psychic.
"Oh my, the little dear is quite the skillful fighter," Alexandra remarked. "She would honestly make quite a strong knight." Those words saddened Valerie deeply, regardless of whether it was intentional or not.
"I bet she doesn't have anything for close range!" Sierra cackled. Alexandra grinned and charged in towards Valerie with her horn glowing purple and forming a sharp blade for Psycho Cut.
Valerie pretended to look scared, but on the inside, she laughed as she began charging her fire energy up throughout her body. Just as the Rapidash came in close and went for a Psycho Cut, Valerie cloaked her entire body in flames. She expertly dodged the Psycho Cut and launched her body into the surprised Rapidash. Alexandra cried out in pain as Valerie's Flare Blitz caused an explosion and knocked the Rapidash into the air, landing painfully on the ground with her fur on fire.
Valerie breathed heavily, feeling the sting of the recoil from Flare Blitz as well as the hit from Psychic earlier. Then she felt the air around her change and she panicked. Not able to react in time, she was hit by another powerful blast of Psychic coming from the other Rapidash. She cried out as she was knocked to the ground. She lifted her head to face her aggressor and was met with a Dazzling Gleam, the stream of light hurting her weakened body a lot even though she resisted fairy-type moves. She was rapidly losing focus on the forest around her.
"Aw, you couldn't handle the itty bitty princess?" Sierra taunted her comrade, looking down at the other Rapidash lying on the ground. That was the last thing Valerie heard before she fainted.
Shane sighed as he polished the elaborate decorations on the outside of the throne room's door. Rodsworth had basically reduced him to a maid with the kinds of tasks he assigned this time around. Shane squeaked and hopped away as the door opened, revealing Sir Robin and King Richard. The Decidueye and Incineroar looked down, surprised to see the Shinx outside the throne room.
"Shane? What are you doing?" Sir Robin asked.
"Councilman Rodsworth instructed me to polish the throne room door," Shane said, trying to hide his embarrassment.
"What? That is nonsense!" King Richard boomed with a hearty laugh. "Such a mundane task does not befit a magnificent squire such as you, Shane!"
"That is quite true!" Sir Robin agreed merrily. "You are only a few weeks away from becoming a knight!"
King Richard's mood then turned serious. "By any chance, have you seen Valerie?" the Incineroar asked the Shinx. "Her mother wishes to talk with her."
"I saw her earlier at the training grounds, and Councilman Rodsworth told her to go see Queen Anne, so she left," Shane explained.
"Hmm, it appears Valerie has left the castle grounds," Sir Robin said, expressing his concern. "At least, I can not seem to find her, and neither can the others. I know she must be feeling very stressed out at the moment after the diplomat revealed the royal marriage part of the alliance, which is probably why she has disappeared."
"Shane, could you go find Valerie and bring her to me?" King Richard requested. "I actually want to talk with her privately before her mother does. Truthfully, I despise the idea of having my daughter married off to Firinia… but this alliance is very crucial to us in these dark times…" he trailed off, sounding conflicted.
"It saddens me too, that Valerie may not be here with us anymore," Shane agreed sadly.
"Ah yes, you two make quite the team. It pains my heart to think that the days of watching you two battle together may be numbered," Sir Robin said dejectedly.
"Go and find her, Shane. If anyone can comfort her and get her to return to the castle, it would be you," said King Richard with a smile.
"Yes, sir. I will head out now," Shane said with a bow before heading for the castle entrance.
"Shane is definitely the most trustworthy and reliable squire I have ever had the pleasure of meeting," King Richard remarked. "I am glad you brought him to our castle," he said to Sir Robin.
"Let us hope there is some way to avert the royal marriage, and not only for Valerie's sake or your sake. I have a feeling that the royal marriage would devastate Shane much more than he is letting on right now," Sir Robin said gravely.
Shane headed out of the castle grounds and into the business district, going towards the edge of the city and the entrance of the forest. It comforted him to know that the king still liked him, even if the nobles and the queen didn't. Once he entered the forest and started heading towards the waterfall that Valerie said she would be at, he heard an explosion in the direction he was heading. It wasn't just any explosion though, it sounded just like Valerie's Flare Blitz. Oh geez, is she taking her frustration out on the trees? Shane thought worriedly, breaking into a run towards where the explosion came from. As he approached, he spotted two Galarian Rapidash; one was on the ground and the other was using Heal Pulse on the grounded one. His eyes widened when he spotted Valerie on the ground, knocked out. He tried to control himself as he hid behind a tree, trying to be patient to assess the situation.
The injured Rapidash stood up with a scowl on her face. "Let's go get the cart," she grumbled.
"I can't believe you got hit by that Flare Blitz! Too funny!" the other Rapidash laughed as they galloped away.
Once the coast was clear, Shane rushed over to Valerie. He saw that she was breathing so he wasn't too concerned about injuries. He tried shaking her awake, but she was out cold for the time being. He lifted her limp body onto his back and hurriedly started walking back towards the city, although he couldn't go very fast.
"What's this? We have a little thief on our hands!"
Shane gasped and turned around, seeing the two Rapidash approaching him, a wooden carriage following them. There weren't any straps or harnesses attached; the two Rapidash pulled the carriage behind them using Psychic.
"If you think you can get away from us, you're in for a world of pain," one of the Rapidash threatened. Then she fired off a Dazzling Gleam towards Shane.
Shane hastily dropped Valerie off his back and fired a Thunderbolt which broke through the Dazzling Gleam and struck the Rapidash in the horn, although it wasn't very strong after canceling out the Fairy-type attack.
"Stay away from us!" Shane snarled.
"Aw, he's pretty cute, don't you think?" the Rapidash that hadn't been hit said to the other. "He'll make a nice little servant boy!"
"No more fooling around, Sierra!" Alexandra growled. "We can't let Princess Valerie and this foolish boy get away!"
Sierra's expression turned serious as she started charging towards Shane, Psycho Cut at the ready. Shane prepared to dodge but was hit by a surprise Psychic from Alexandra, knocking him to the side with a groan. Sierra slashed her horn at Shane, landing a painful Psycho Cut and knocking Shane off the ground. Shane grunted in pain, but sucked it up and landed on his paws. He charged up electricity in his body and tackled the Rapidash, electrocuting her with Spark. Sierra retreated, opening up a clear line for Alexandra to fire another Dazzling Gleam at Shane. The tired Shinx countered with another Thunderbolt at the last moment, but a Psychic being added into the mix by Sierra overpowered him. The force of the Dazzling Gleam and Psychic sent Shane flying uncontrollably, and he slammed into a tree. The angry Rapidash launched another vicious Psychic attack, which hit Shane so hard that the base of the tree cracked and shattered.
"Timburr!" Sierra yelled annoyingly as the tree collapsed onto the ground, the unconscious Shinx flopping to the ground as well.
"Shut up!" Alexandra hissed. "Do you want to attract more attention? Don't you know when to stop joking around?"
Valerie awoke with a dull pain in her head. Whatever she was lying on was very rough and uncomfortable. Then she realized that she was moving. She opened her eyes, but everything was still quite dark. Her eyes darted as she swiveled her neck, looking around her, but all she saw was wood, with small cracks in between. It was dark between the cracks too, though. A minute of confusion passed until it hit her - she was inside of a wooden carriage with no windows. With a jolt, she remembered those two Rapidash that she had fought. She didn't remember winning, or getting away, so… that meant she was beaten and kidnapped! Panic coursed through her body as she sat up straight, pain shooting through her spine from the frantic action and making her involuntarily cry out in pain. Once she got her bearings back together and controlled her breathing, she faced the side of the carriage and unleashed a Flamethrower. The attack illuminated the carriage, making her eyes hurt, but the Flamethrower bounced off the side wall, then bounced off the ceiling, then dissipated, leaving Valerie in darkness once again. Growling, she charged up energy everywhere, cloaking her body in flames, and rammed into the side of the carriage with Flare Blitz. The carriage shuddered from side to side slightly, but the wall didn't budge. All the Flare Blitz did was hurt Valerie even more.
Oh, I see that you're awake now, little princess! said a mocking voice in Valerie's mind.
You bastards! Valerie lashed out mentally.
Better calm down and enjoy the ride to Castle Nydyhan! This sweet old carriage is reinforced by our psychic powers. We also use Psychic to pull the carriage behind us, because why would we ever want to be tied to this thing with ropes and harnesses? You know all about the wonders of telekinesis, right dear? the Rapidash thought to Valerie.
The Vulpix forced the Rapidash out of her mind using her own Extrasensory. She felt truly scared now. Peering out between the cracks in the wood, Valerie registered that it was already pitch black outside. Last she remembered, it was still late afternoon when she was in the forest, which meant they could already be far away from the Payrian capital. First the royal marriage, and now this? she thought despairingly. It was only yesterday that she and Shane were hanging out and training like normal, and now things have gone downhill so fast. She started pacing around the carriage, trying not to fall over since they were still moving forward, but then she tripped over something. She caught herself before face planting into the rough wood of the floor, then used a small ember from her maw to light up the inside of the carriage and see what she had tripped on.
Shane?! she gasped as she saw the battered Shinx lying there in a corner of the carriage. What did they do to you? she thought worriedly as she saw twigs all over his blue and black fur. She used her tails to try to brush some of the mess away and positioned him more comfortably. He was still breathing, but barely. The sight of Shane all beaten up made the sinking feeling in Valerie's chest even worse. But then she thought of something to give her hope. The Rapidash were using Psychic to secure the carriage against her attacks, but would they be able to withstand the might of her and Shane combined? Valerie settled down, hoping that Shane would wake up soon and that they could break out of the carriage together. She had to stay calm and appear complacent to make the Rapidash think that she'd surrendered to them, and make sure no further harm was inflicted on Shane so that he could wake up and recover his strength. She had to hope that it would happen before they reached Castle Nydyhan.
Her mind started dwelling on what horrors might await her in Castle Nydyhan if Shane didn't recover in time. She tried to push those thoughts away by thinking about happier times. She couldn't recall very many until she was twelve when Sir Robin first brought Shane to Castle Payr. Despite their plight, Valerie smiled slightly as she recalled some of their good old days.
Author's Note: Hello, and welcome to my second story, The Ember and the Spark! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Please feel free to review and follow. Shinx and Vulpix make one of my favorite pokemon pairings, but there's not too much for them outside of Mystery Dungeon stories.
My university has shut down and is moving to online classes for now due to the coronavirus :( So I'm going to have quite some time for writing. I hope everyone stays safe. If you're stuck at home like me, perhaps you may want to try writing something too!