Chapter 1: Royal News
The noibat looked up from his work just in time to see my paw before it slapped him across the face and tossed him to the side. He let out a cry and flopped to the ground, one of his paws flying to his face to cover the place where I had slapped him. He rolled around for a moment before he turned to look at me with tears in his eyes. He wore a blue sash, identifying him as a servant in the castle. He pulled the strap over the red mark on his face and held it there, trying to find any protection he could, but to no avail.
The noibat whined as I stepped on one of his feet. "You were in my way," I said, my white paw pressing on his foot with crushing force.
The noibat's lip quivered, "I'm sorry, Princess Samantha," he said in a snivel, and I pressed harder onto his foot, making him shriek.
"You have no right to use my name," I said and twisted my paw, and the painful pressure between the stone floor and my paw made tears flow freely from the noibat's eyes. "Now, what are you sorry for?"
The noibat sobbed beneath me, "I-I'm sorry for getting in your way," he said. I twisted again, and he cried out in pain, "And-And for using your name, your highness."
I lifted off of him, allowing him to curl up into a fetal position and massage his sore foot. I placed my paw back on the ground, and when I did, I felt a cold moisture seep into my fur. I looked and was greeted by the image of a ninetales reflecting back at me from a puddle of water. My icy blue irises glared back at me through the liquid mirror for a second, then the curly white locks of my mane fell across my snout and covered my eyes. I huffed and flicked my head, tossing the loose strands of hair away from my face. I looked for the source of the puddle, and found a bucket of foamy water and a brush lying on their sides by the sniveling form of the noibat. The blue sash he wore was now soaked in the soapy liquid.
"Useless cur," I said under my breath. Not only had the noibat been standing in my way, but he had also managed to knock over the bucket of water he had been cleaning the floors with when he fell.
I glared at the puddle once again and lifted my paw out of it before shooting it with a short burst of ice energy. The pool instantly froze into a solid sheet of ice. The noibat jumped at the crackling sound of freezing water, but he didn't move quick enough, and one of his wings froze to the floor. He let out a long, annoying whine and pulled at his now stuck appendage.
My attention was pulled away from the miserable whelp when a banette turned the corner, looking for whatever the commotion was. After the ghost type took in the situation, her eyes widened, and she hobbled towards me. When she got close enough, she bowed deeply, the blue sash she wore almost touching the floor with the depth of her bow. She straightened and readjusted the strap around her shoulder.
"I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience, your majesty," she said in a calm, steady voice. "If you could just leave the boy with me, then I can assure you that this will never happen again."
My eyes narrowed on the banette's face, and I moved in to push my face into hers. "This better not happen again, or else next time, you will join him," I said with a sneer.
"Of course, your majesty, thank you," the banette said with another bow, and she then kneeled to the noibat's side and began helping him remove himself from the ice.
Another figure came running around the corner, a small gothorita who also wore a blue sash. I sighed and rolled my eyes when I saw the psychic type, turning away to continue my march down the hall. The soft "pap pap pap" of her feet loudened as she ran to me until she reached my side and slowed to a walk, trying to catch her breath, but she was soon forced to pull into a light trot to keep up with my long strides. The gothorita's breathing slowed, and she cleared her throat as she tugged at the ends of her skirt.
"Your highness," she said in a soft voice. "The king and queen won't like it at all that you ran out like that. I'm sure if you return now they would forgiv-"
"I could not care less about what my parents do or do not like," I said, cutting off the gothorita. "They obviously give no thought to what I have to say, so why should I give two tails for what they think?"
The gothorita pursed her lips. "Well, they are your parents, so it only makes sense for them to want what is best for-"
"Oh please," I said with a scoff. "My parents only want what is best for themselves. If they really wanted what was best for me, then they would not be sending me off."
The gothorita opened her mouth to say something else, but she kept quiet as I snapped to her. "Be silent, Jeni," I said. She hummed as if the words had already come up through her throat but were held back by her lips, and her steps slowed until she stood still, leaving me alone as I continued marching through the hall.
The sun cascaded through the windows, falling across the corridor like golden rain. The late afternoon sunbeams turned the white stone walls to a soft yellow, contrasting beautifully against the royal blue banners spaced evenly between the windows. The individual aspects of the hall came together to form a tranquil setting. Yet, the servants ruined the calm atmosphere as they flitted about, trying to stay out of my way.
I walked through the corridors at a brisk pace, turning right and left in the exact sequence I have followed my whole life to get to my quarters. I turned one last corner, and finally, I was greeted by the front doors to my chambers. The machamp guards standing post at the entrance pulled the doors open to allow me uninterrupted access to my quarters.
I stomped through the entrance and walked straight to the other side of the room. Opposite the front doors to my chambers were doors with stained glass windows set in the frames, leading out to a balcony. I walked to the balcony doors and shoved them open. The doors swung on their hinges and slammed against the walls, small chips of the stained glass window shattering on impact, tinkling to the floor like jewels.
I ignored the glass littering the ground and stormed onto the balcony, muttering curses and oaths hardly befitting a princess. I reached the edge of the balcony and peered out over the railing. The pristine vista of Helion City was laid out below me, its beautiful white houses and buildings spread like a white blanket covering the countryside. The view from my balcony was perfect for capturing the stunning beauty of the whole city. Clear blue channels of water and green gardens dotted the cityscape, adding splashes of color into an otherwise colorless scene. Ports and harbors lined the western side of the city, leading out to the endless blue ocean. The setting sun rested gently on the very edge of the horizon, it's evening rays reflecting on the water, turning large portions of the white city to gold.
Helion City did very well to symbolize the majesty and elegance of the entire Kingdom of Kalia, and it was no wonder Helion City was chosen as the capital. Whenever I found myself in a particularly bad mood, I would come here to my balcony to relax and gaze at the calming scene below. However, today the city did nothing to clear my head. I pulled away from the railing and paced across the balcony, trying to concentrate on the discussion I had just had with my parents not even fifteen minutes ago.
_Fifteen minutes ago_
I glided through the main entrance to my parent's throne room, ignoring the stoic guards standing post near the great birch doors. My steps were silent and smooth as I moved towards the two occupied thrones placed on the back wall. My servant Jeni shuffled along behind me, muttering to herself as we walked. She was always with me whenever I would speak with my parents, but she never seemed to get used to being in the presence of the king and queen.
Placed behind the thrones was a painting picturing a ninetales and a luxray with jeweled crowns placed on their brows. The ninetales featured in the picture was practically my mirror image. Of course, anyone who had the privilege of meeting my mother and I was always too quick to let us know how similar our appearances were.
The luxray in the painting had his face set in a small smile, portraying mirth, and kindness. My father could not have looked more different nowadays; his smile had long since faded, replaced with a scowl. The solid black fur pictured in the painting now had long streaks of gray running through it, evidence of the stress of ruling the kingdom.
The throne room in which the painting hung was a work of art in and of itself. White granite walls glistened with polish, and royal blue and silver banners hung along them. The flags sparkled with the royal emblem, a silver snowflake with a golden lightning bolt cutting diagonally across it. Every insignia was made with a metallic thread that shimmered in the light coming from a massive silver chandelier hanging in the room's center. It was extravagant and beautiful, but it did nothing to impress me; I had seen it all a million times before.
The only sound echoing through the room was the soft "pap pap pap" of Jeni's feet as she and I walked towards the thrones on the back wall. I reached the base of the thrones and gazed upwards to meet the eyes of my parents. My mother looked down at me with a soft smile while my father gave me a cold, calculative stare. I stayed silent and waited to be told why I was summoned, but I received nothing but blank looks from both my parents. An awkward silence filled the room, the only sound coming from Jeni as she raised herself from a deep bow.
"You did not call me here just to have a staring contest," I said with an annoyed look towards my parents, but I received no answer. My father glared at me with a cold intensity that could rival my ice typing. I met his stare with just as much fervor, not backing down under his authoritative gaze. We stared at each other for much longer than needed, waging a silent battle of authority against one another.
My mother spoke up, stopping the battle between my father and me. "He is waiting for you to bow," she said, running a paw through her shimmering white mane.
I rolled my eyes, "You cannot be serious," I said, softly shaking my head.
"Just because you are our daughter does not mean you are exempt from the law," my father began, his sharp tone and the deep baritone of his voice doing well to command respect. "You know well enough all pokémon who approach the throne must bow." He lifted a paw and pointed it towards me. "You seem all too eager to enforce this law when you are up here with us, yet you ignore it when it applies to you. Royalty is no excuse to be…"
"A hypocrite," I interrupted; he had already told me this little speech a million times before. "Yes, father, I know." With a sigh, I gave a shallow bow. My father's scowl deepened while a smug smile pulled at my lips. "So, I will ask again, why is it I was summoned here?" I said.
My mother chuckled. "Samantha, we are your family. You do not need to cut straight to the point. I did not even get to ask how you are doing today," the older ninetales said, her melodic voice rising and falling like a song as she spoke. At the same time, an amused smile was painted across her muzzle.
"I am fine," I said. "But you did not call me all the way here just to ask how I am."
"Have you gone outside today?" My mother asked. "The weather today is absolutely perfect; your father and I had a delightful time walking through the gardens."
"Yes, I have gone outside today mother, I am not some kind of hermit," I answered with a frown. "but I…"
"Ooh, and did you try chef Crabby's breakfast this morning? It was utterly divine," the older ninetales said, clapping her paws together. "I am sorry I could not join you for breakfast today, but we had an important hearing, and you woke up oh so late."
"MOTHER," I shouted. "There is nothing you need to worry about; I just want to know why I am here."
"Oh, all right," said my mother, still smiling sweetly. "That's just how we mothers are though, we are worriers when it comes to our children," She stopped and turned towards her mate. "Hector, would you mind explaining?"
My father nodded and stood from his throne, his well-toned muscles rippling under his fur. His physique clearly showing his life had consisted of more than just sitting on a throne. He fixed me with another cold glare and cleared his throat before speaking. "Samantha, your mother and I have been discussing your future, and we have come to a decision," he said.
A bolt of dread shot through me as I processed his words, and the worst possible scenarios began flashing through my mind. "Wait, hold on," I sputtered. "You… You can not just go and make decisions for my life without…"
"YOU WILL BE SILENT WHILE THE KING SPEAKS," roared the luxray. Jeni jumped and let out a startled squeak. Even the usually immovable guards at the entrance could be heard shuffling their feet. I sat in silence; he had never yelled at me in such a way before. My father closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His eyelids slowly lifted as he exhaled, his golden orbs dancing with subdued electric energy.
He took in another deep breath before beginning again, his tone deep and ominous. "You have not experienced anything but luxury Samantha. You were hatched in this palace, and you have scarcely left its walls. You have not seen how a normal citizen lives, nor have you had to work a day in your life to sustain yourself. You have no sympathy towards your fellow pokémon, and a leader without sympathy is the most destructive kind. You are our only heir, but we cannot trust you with the kingdom until you have learned and felt the life of an average pokémon. Do you understand?"
"But... but" I stammered, and I paused before letting out a loud huff. "How can you expect me to learn these things? I am a princess; such trivial dealings are beneath me."
"If you continue thinking that way, there will be nothing beneath you but ruin," The luxray said. "A true ruler's first loyalty is to his people, then to himself. If you wish to have the support of the people, then you will have to understand them."
"This is ridiculous," I said and stomped a paw to the floor. "When I become queen I…"
"IF, you become queen," My father said.
I froze, feeling as though a bucket of ice-cold water was thrown over me as my father's words sunk in. I looked deep into my father's eyes, my own eyes narrowing. The temperature around me dropped as I glared towards my father. Jeni shivered and rubbed at her arms, taking a step away from me.
"What?" I said in a sinister tone and took a step forward. "Do you mean IF? I am the princess, your firstborn, and your only child. You cannot deny me my right to…"
"Who are you to tell the King what he can and cannot do?" asked my father, his fur standing on end. "If I feel you are not suited to lead the kingdom, then I will strip you of any title and claim you may have to the throne. The law is as the king commands, and if I so choose, a peasant has the same right to the throne as you. You are nothing but a spoiled child. Why should I hand my crown to you?"
"Hector, enough," My mother said as she too rose from her seat. My father's tense form relaxed, his fur laying back down against his body. The queen placed a soft, white paw on his shoulder and leaned in to give him a gentle nuzzle. "We know she is not yet ready; that is why we decided to do this in the first place. Still, we must keep a cool head about this so nobody says something they might regret."
My mother backed away from her mate to look me in the eye, a loving smile pulled at her lips. "Samantha, your father has made it clear enough he does not believe you are ready to take the throne, and frankly, I agree. You simply do not respect or sympathize with your fellow pokémon. You need to experience the way of life all other pokémon live; only after this will you truly know how to lead them."
She paused, taking a deep breath as if she was preparing for something. "This is why we have decided to send you to the Kingdom of Darun, to join the guild there and live life as a normal pokémon for a span," she said and waited for my response.
I stood there with my mouth agape, the same thought cycling over and over again in my mind.
"This cannot be happening, This cannot be happening, This cannot be happening, This cannot be happening."
My mother looked at me with a touch of concern, while my father looked indifferent as he waited. Finally, after a long pause, I spoke.
Or rather, yelled.
"NO!" I shouted, my voice bouncing sharply off the white walls of the room. "You cannot be serious. You want to send me off to live like a common bounty hunter. This is outrageous; you cannot expect me to agree with this."
"We did not expect you to agree with our decision," My father stated, unmoved by my outburst. "Be that as it may, if you wish to have any claim to the throne, then you will do as we say."
"I cannot believe it," I said, shaking my head. "You are going to blackmail me into this."
"This is not blackmail," the luxray said, sitting back on his throne. "This is an ultimatum; our minds are already made up. You have two choices, go to the Kingdom of Darun and live for a time as a commoner, or give up all claim to the throne and watch as I put someone else in this seat."
I brought my front paw down on the marble floor with a resounding stomp, "I will not be coerced into this," I yelled before spinning around and moving towards the exit.
"Don't you dare leave this room," my father shouted behind me, but I ignored him and marched through the exit.
_Present time_
I paced from one end of my balcony to the other. I had run through the whole conversation in my head, trying to find any hint that it wasn't real. I shook my head. I could not go to Darun. Here in the castle, I had everything I wanted, a stunning view, a comfortable bed, delicious food, and entertainment. To think I would be forced to live in some filthy cave and work every day just to get some barely edible slop. It was absurd. I would not roll over like some obedient dog and let them have their way with me.
My musings were cut short when I heard someone clear their throat at the entrance to the balcony. I looked out of the corner of my eye to see a massive blue shape standing in the doorway. My head jerked to face the newcomer, and I was greeted by the toothy grin and hunched back of a feraligatr.
This feraligatr was one of the most immense pokémon I had ever seen, even hunched over as he was, he stood over twice my height. The bulging muscles all over his body easily dwarfed the machamps guards' muscles outside of my quarters. His massive bulk was impressive, but the thing catching my attention most were the long white scars marring his turquoise scales. He was covered in them from head to toe; there didn't seem to be a single part of his body left unscathed.
"What in Arceus's name is this pokémon doing in my quarters?" I thought.
"Who are you?" I asked accusingly as I fixed the large water type with a cold stare. "Who gave you permission to enter into my chambers?"
"That would be your father, your majesty," answered the feraligatr, his rumbling baritone seemed to shake the world around him. He offered me a polite bow before continuing. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Fabian, I'm a good friend of the king."
I eyed him suspiciously. "Why are you here then?" I asked, not bothering to hide the mistrust in my tone. "You said my father was the one that gave you permission to be in my quarters?"
The feraligatr smiled down at me, his pearly white teeth glistening in the light of the setting sun. "Well, judging by the swears you were muttering earlier, I can only assume that your father has told you that you are leaving."
I shot him a withering glare, but it only drew a soft chuckle from the older pokémon's throat. "All right, all right, no need to get upset," He said, raising his arms defensively.
"Like I said before, I am an old friend of your father. Before he became the oh so great ruler of this land, your father traveled around the continent with me," said the water type. "We had one of the best teams in the Kalian expedition society, but we both have long since retired."
The Feraligatr brought his paws together, his palms making a meaty clap as they struck. "Yet, a few days ago, I received a letter from your father, asking for a favor. And, well, I couldn't leave my old partner hanging," he said as he let out another chuckle.
I narrowed my eyes, and my tails swished aggressively behind me. "This still does not explain why you are in my chambers."
"Right, right, pardon me," Apologised the feraligatr, scratching underneath his chin before continuing. "You see, your parents want you to join the Darun guild, but they don't want anyone knowing of your…" he paused, pondering over his next words, "royal descent. So he can't send you there with a massive royal caravan."
Fabian gestured loosely towards the horizon. His white claws shimmering in the fading light. "The problem with that is, without a caravan, you won't have any guards or protection," said the old pokémon matter-of-factly. "And even though you may be thinking differently right now, your parents still want you safe. So your father has asked me to be your escort." After the feraligatr finished his explanation, he raised an eyebrow and gave me an expectant look, awaiting my response.
I stared at him blankly before I scoffed. "Well, you wasted your time coming here, because I am not leaving anytime soon," I said as I turned away to gaze towards the city. "So if you want to go tell my father how much of a waste of your time this was, then be my guest."
"Oh ho ho," chortled Fabian. "OK then, I just wanted to introduce myself," I heard him shift around as he turned away from the balcony. "It would have been awkward had we met right before we left," As he said this, the water type began moving towards the exit, his broad tail swishing on the floor with his movements. "You have a wonderful night," he called.
I glared out at the disappearing sun for a moment before a thought struck me. "Wait," I called out, turning back to face him.
The water type froze mid-stride, slowly turning around to look at me, one eyebrow raised in question. "Yes your majesty?" he asked in a curious tone.
I cleared my throat before speaking. "You mentioned it would have been awkward had we met right before we left," I said. Fabian nodded, his movements slow and precise. I swallowed, suddenly finding my mouth dry as I struggled to finish. "Do… do you know when my father expects us to leave?"
Fabian flashed me a toothy grin. "We leave tomorrow morning your highness, so I recommend you get a good night's rest. We have a long day of travelling tomorrow," he said, and with that, the reptile-like pokémon turned and walked out of the room, leaving me to ponder on the things he had just said.
"This cannot be real," I muttered under my breath. I turned away from the door and faced towards the city. I looked as the setting sun created long shadows across the capital, the last rays of the tired sun turning the whole world a deep orange. I began pacing across the balcony once again, pondering over my situation.
I paced back and forth for Arceus knows how long until the familiar padding paws of an approaching pokémon pulled me away from my thoughts. I ceased my pacing and moved to the edge of the balcony to look out at the city once more, not wanting to glance at the advancing pokémon. I didn't even have to look, because I already knew exactly who it was.
My mother flowed gracefully onto the balcony, her tails gently swaying with each step. She moved to sit at my right side and joined me in looking out at the city. I was very well acquainted with this situation, I couldn't remember how many times my mother and I had been in this exact position before.
I kept my gaze locked on the darkening landscape, not turning my head to the right to avoid any connection with the pokémon next to me. The older ninetales mimicked me. She did not say a word and kept her eyes locked on the view beyond. We stayed there for a good minute, like two white statues.
"How do you feel?" She asked suddenly, her voice surprisingly without emotion. I looked towards my mother's delicate features, my own face set in a stony mask.
"You know exactly how I feel about this," I answered, my tone harsh and accusative. My mother sighed as her ears flattened against her head, obviously not getting the answer she wanted.
"I did not ask how you felt about your situation. I asked how do you feel, right now, forget everything that has happened tonight. How would you describe the way you are feeling?" She said, her melodic voice floating in the air as if the evening breeze wished to carry it for all to hear.
I let out a long breath and gazed back out at the city, my mother had started the verbal chess match, and this was a classic first move. Forcing me to think outside of my own problems and into the actual essence of my anger.
However, I wouldn't play along this time.
The queen continued to look at me, awaiting my answer, yet no answer came. I continued to stare blankly at the darkening landscape, completely ignoring her.
"Samantha," the older ninetales said. "I understand you are angry with me, and you have every right to be, but I still want to help you, it hurts me to see you like this," she raised a paw and placed it softly on my shoulder. "Please, just answer my question, and I promise you I can explain everything."
I gave a tired sigh. My mother would not leave me alone until I answered. Fine, I would play along, only because I wanted this to be over with as soon as possible.
I turned to face the older ninetales, my movements stiff. "I feel like I'm trapped, like you see me as some wild pokémon to be tamed, and now you have me stuck in the corner with no way to escape," I said with an indignant glare, my tone rough and cold.
My mother gazed back at my anger filled eyes, her own eyes showing nothing but love and concern. "Listen, I know this is all so sudden and new but I promise you this is for the best," the older ninetales began, only to be stopped by an angry growl from me.
"How can sending me off to another kingdom to play with filthy commoners be for the best?" I snapped as I jerked myself onto my paws. The temperature around us dropped as my anger rose, and I began to pace on my balcony again.
The queen slowly pulled herself onto her paws and moved to get in front of me, effectively stopping my pacing. "You need to learn that there is more to life than servants and castles," She said softly. "You need to learn how a normal pokémon thinks, how they feel. You need to learn sympathy. Your father has said it and I'll say it again, a leader with no sympathy for their people will only lead to ruin."
My mother guided me to the edge of the balcony. "Another thing you need to learn is that the words princess, queen, and king are only titles. There is no such thing as royal blood, you are just the same as any other pokémon on this continent," As the queen said this, she pointed out towards the city. The white fur on her paw glistened in the light of the rising moon. "This is why we have decided to send you to Darun, because there is no better teacher than experience."
"Why Darun though?" I asked as I pulled away from the older ninetales. "Kalia is better in every way, and the expedition society we have here is far superior to the guild there."
My mother smiled and looked at me with an inquisitive gaze. "Samantha, do you know who the prince of Darun is?"
One of my eyebrows raised itself in confusion. "No, and I do not see how he has anything to do with this," I said. I eyed the older ninetales suspiciously, wondering where she was going with this train of thought.
"The fact that even you do not know who the Prince of Darun is exactly why we are sending you there," she said. I stared in confusion, not finding any connections between the prince and me. My mother chuckled before continuing, "You see, you are very popular here in Kalia. If you tried to blend in as a normal pokémon, everyone would recognise you as the princess. You would be swarmed by mobs of attention seekers and the like."
My mother cringed. "You would even be put in danger as political dissenters would want your head in order to blackmail us or hold you hostage," She placed a paw on my shoulder. "We do not want any harm to come to you."
"You still have not told me how the Prince of Darun has anything to do with this," I said matter-of-factly, but I did not shy away from my mother's touch this time.
"I'm getting there," the older ninetales chuckled. "Be patient. So think about it, if you don't know who the Prince of Darun is, then how many citizens of Darun will know who you are?"
I huffed; she had a point. I would go undetected in Darun, while I would stick out like a sore thumb in Kalia.
My mother gave me a comforting squeeze. "That is why you are going to Darun of all places, and do not be so dramatic, Darun is a very respectable kingdom."
I turned my head away from the older ninetales. I hated it, but I was losing this argument. She did this every time I would come here to my balcony, upset over some unfair or unsatisfactory thing. Then she would show up and use kind logic to turn everything around, and now was no different. I was out of ideas; there wasn't anything else I could use to logically refute my parents' decision. My mother had laid everything out perfectly, and our verbal chess match had ended with an undeniable checkmate in her favor.
A growl left my throat, and I jerked myself to my feet. I spun around to face the older ninetales, looking straight into her icy blue eyes. "So that is it then. I am just going to be carted off to wallow with some filthy commoners, and to what end? To learn how to be nice?" I said as my tails lashed from side to side behind me.
"Calm yourself Samantha," my mother said, the first hint of seriousness entering her voice. "It is a lot more about understanding those you serve rather than just being nice to them."
"Those I serve?" I said with bared teeth. "I am a princess, the peak of nobility, they should be serving me."
"That is where you are wrong," The queen said. "We raised you to be a leader of the people not a ruler."
"WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE," I yelled, slapping a pawful of stained glass shards to the side. The chips of glass tinkled like bells as they skidded across the balcony, a few pieces sliding off of the edge. I stomped over to my mother and pointed towards her chest, "You raised me to be the queen. The queen gives orders and everyone does as they are told. That is how a monarchy works. When I am queen, the whole kingdom will have to hear my voice. They will only hear me if I am on top of the highest tower. Not playing in the dirt with the lowlife."
"Do not try to lecture me Samantha," the older ninetales said as her tails began swishing agitatedly like mine. She put her paw atop mine and pushed down, forcing my leg back onto the ground. "I am your mother, I know far more about this than you do."
"Obviously not," I said with a scoff, yanking my paw out from underneath my mother's. "You just told me two synonyms and said they were different."
"They are different. The words ruler and leader represent someone in a position of power, but the use of the power is what makes them different," she said as she moved to the edge of the balcony. "What you described is a ruler, someone that separates themselves from the rest of the world and considers themselves better than everyone else."
My mother sat in front of the railing, the evening ocean breeze drifting across her fur, causing her mane and tails to wave towards the beach. "A ruler sits atop this tower and looks down at the pokémon below, seeing them as nothing more than tools to be used and cast aside when done. A ruler never talks directly to their subjects, because they would never waste their precious breath on the lowlife. A ruler starts wars with other nations without any concern for the many pokémon that would die to achieve their goals. A ruler does not serve the people, they are served by the people."
She turned to look me in the eye, her face set in the most severe frown I had ever seen from her. "A ruler destroys the kingdom in which they rule."
My eyes stared back at her, utterly devoid of emotion. "That was very overdramatic," I said in a flat voice.
"Samantha, listen to me, I am serious about this," the older ninetales said with a sigh. "I have seen kingdoms rise and fall within months because a ruler tried to exercise complete control over the people and the people revolted. When I was a child there was a rebellion in Kalia because my parents were rulers. You have to understand, I am telling you this because I have seen what happens when a ruler takes control."
I rolled my eyes and groaned. "And how is a leader any different?" I asked.
My mother moved to the mess of broken glass scattered by the door. "If a ruler broke a window, they would leave it for someone else to clean up. If a leader broke a window, they would stop everything they are doing and fix the mess they had made."
She began using her paw to push the bits of glass into a pile. "A leader governs by example, they show what it means to be a good pokémon. The people see a leader as a model citizen and strive to be like them. When there is an issue, the leader is right on the front lines, working WITH the people to solve the problem."
"That sounds ridiculous," I said. "You cannot hope to do everything by yourself."
"A leader does not do everything by themselves, they still give commands, but they do not sit on their thrones all day to give them." The queen said as she swept the last bits of glass into the pile. "Samantha, you need to learn what it means to be a leader if you want to ever have a chance at the throne."
"How is sending me off on a stupid adventure supposed to teach me how to be a leader?" I asked, glaring at the small pile of glass. "I could learn whatever leadership is here in Kalia."
She shook her head. "You have already had nineteen years to learn what leadership means here in Kalia. Your father and I have been trying to teach you it since you hatched, but unfortunately it seems you have learned nothing. That is why you are going to Darun, to learn for yourself the importance of being a leader," she said, moving to stand in front of me.
"What could I possibly learn in a guild that I couldn't learn in the palace?" I asked with a toss of my head, trying and failing to move a lock of hair away from my face. "Thousands of pokémon would rush at the opportunity to teach me how to be a leader, but if you hide me in Darun nobody will want to teach me."
"I have already told you Samantha, experience is the best teacher in the world," the older ninetales said, brushing the hair out of my face. "I speak from experience myself, to properly lead the people you need to understand them, and in order to understand them you need to know how they live."
I moved my head away from my mother's paw. "Just send me to a local village then, I can sit and watch the peasants mill around and do whatever they want to do. There is no need to send me off to a whole other kingdom," I said in a pleading voice.
My mother smiled at me with love pouring from her eyes. "When I say you need to learn how other pokémon live, I mean you need to live how they live, eat how they eat, sleep how they sleep. Only then will you be able to truly know how your actions and laws affect the pokémon you serve," she said as her paw fell onto my shoulder.
I huffed, a puff of cold mist leaving my nostrils. "There is no changing your mind, is there?" I said as I turned to look away from my mother's brightening face.
She gave me a cheery smile, "No there is not," she said and drew me in for a hug, pulling me stiffly into her embrace. Her paw rubbed across my back as I made no move to return the gesture of affection.
"Whatever happened to my little vulpix?" She cooed as she held onto me. "You are almost as big as me now."
"Mother stop," I said, an embarrassed blush finding its way onto my face. "I'm not a child any more." I pushed the older ninetales away as she released a fit of giggles.
"Oh. You are no fun," My mother said before settling onto her haunches. "So can I assume you will follow along with our idea now?" She asked, raising her inquisitive eyes to meet mine.
I let out a long sigh. "I do not have much of a choice. I will play along for now, but do not expect me to come bouncing home like a happy child who just had their first adventure," I said while glancing towards my body. My lips pursed when I saw the stare of my fur, and I tried my best to groom the hair the older ninetales had ruffled up.
My mother smiled at me, "Oh believe me darling, I may seem ancient to you but I was young once. I remember the first time I had to leave the castle, I was probably your age," She said as she gazed at the now starry sky, the sun having long passed beneath the horizon. "Come on, let us get you to bed," As she spoke, she moved to go inside, waiting for me inside the doorway.
I followed the older ninetales, not bothering to close the doors behind me as I enjoyed the refreshing night breeze while I slept. The soft white sheets called my name as the royal blue comforter promised warmth. I proceeded to my bedside, stopping in front of the small nightstand to remove my tiara, placing it on a soft silver pillow. I then climbed onto my bed, a bed large enough to fit a whole family of pokémon, and slipped beneath the covers.
My mother stood to the side, and as I finished situating myself, she blew out the small lantern on the nightstand.
"Sleep well, my little snowflake," the queen whispered before quietly leaving me alone in my room.
I sighed and turned to gaze at the soft blue and white curtains hanging from the railings above my bed. I knew I would have to enjoy this bed as much as I could tonight. It may very well be the last night I will be able to enjoy a real mattress. I let out another sigh and wondered what I had gotten myself into, the warm embrace of sleep taking me as I pondered on what the next day had in store for me.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. This is my first fic, so thanks for bearing through the hard-to-read parts. Please Read and Review, I need as much help as I can get, and I really want to make this a story that everyone can enjoy. I'm going to try my best to upload once a week, so mark your calendars for Saturday. Thank you and see you all next week.