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SONIC CHAOS 3: UNDERGROUND ARC - ALEENA
(A/N: Second up today. Latter part based heavily on the song 'Dulaman', easily found on YouTube for anyone interested. It's in Celtic. Or Gaelic. Not sure which. One of the two. The lyrics are translated in Celtic Woman's video. In others they're in the description.)
Dulaman
Aleena stood before her mother's grave, staring down at it with tears in her eyes. She remembered her father coming into the library as she read and solemnly telling her the funeral date. She remembered standing at the wake, looking down at the still, cold form of her mother lying as if asleep. Looking as if she would wake up any moment. She had felt so numb… Bernie hadn't stopped weeping. Even Chuck and Jules couldn't hold back tears. Her father had stood at her side, sobbing his heart out as if his world had been brought to an end. For the first time it truly struck her just how deeply father had loved mother.
She wanted a love like that…
It was a somewhat selfish thought, in the middle of a wake, but it distracted from the raw pain she felt as she was guided away from the casket, hardly processing what was going on. She remembered following the funeral procession as they made their way to the graveyard, hoping her mother would wake up but knowing she never would. She had watched in silence as the coffin was carried into the crypt then sealed inside. Slowly those in attendance dispersed until only she, her father, Chuck, Bernie, Jules, and the guards remained. The rain began to fall, and right then the impact of what had happened hit her. Her mouth quivered and the next moment she had been on her knees, sobbing and screaming for her mother. Quickly her father had dropped to a knee at her side, pulling her close and holding her tight while he shared with her in her unchecked grief. He felt like he had to be strong for her sake, she knew. Hers and Bernie's. He just couldn't be.
It was late at night now, the moon high in the sky. She felt her father's strong, silent, and now dark presence at her side, and she knew within her that her mother had not been the only one she had lost that day… Tears threatened her eyes.
"You will marry Jules," her father said suddenly and darkly and firmly. He left no room for argument or debate.
Her frustrated tears escaped her eyes. "I do not love…"
"Seek the wolf, Aleena, and you will sentence him to death," the King darkly warned, turning to look at her. She wouldn't meet his eyes. Nor did she speak again. Turning, the king left. He wouldn't have left the queen's graveside at all if he didn't have a kingdom to run. Bernie was only leaving now at the prompting of Jules and Charles. Aleena kept quiet. She heard her father call out to Jules. She heard them talking quietly.
"But sire…!" Jules began.
"There is no debate!" the King sharply snapped. "There are men greater than you I have in mind for my wife's niece. Like Charles." Jules was quiet. Aleena looked back woefully and saw her father walking passed Jules, who stood with arms crossed and head bowed. Her heart sank into the pit of her stomach, but she couldn't bring herself to speak with him now. Sniffing, she turned back to her family crypt and there remained until long after all the rest had gone. Now she was alone… No guards, no father, no siblings. Only her. She had gone undetected. She had always been good at that when she chose to be. She knew she couldn't stay long. She couldn't bring her father any more heartache than he had already experienced. He wouldn't be able to bear it.
"Aleena?" a young but familiar voice said. She blinked a few times and turned. There behind her stood Vanilla, watching her.
"Vanilla," Aleena said, wiping at her eyes and sniffing.
"I heard about what happened to your mother. We watched the funeral procession from grandmother's house. Everyone came back except you… I just wanted to see if you were alright," Vanilla said solemnly. "I'm so sorry Aleena. I… I know what it's like to lose someone."
Aleena was quiet, tears pricking her eyes. Doubtless Vanilla had lost her own parents, or at least one of them, to war, sickness, or one of the recent attacks. The wounds were probably still open and raw, so she wouldn't press. She didn't want to cause her young friend anymore grief than she had probably already known.
"Vaniwa!" a young voice called. Aleena and Vanilla looked over.
Vanilla smiled a little. "Over here Vector!" she called. Vector soon spotted them and hurried over. He stopped smiling when he saw how sad Aleena looked, though. "Oh, Aleena. I heard about your mommy. I lost my mommy too," Vector said sadly, bowing his head.
"You should call her princess, Vector," Vanilla corrected.
"No, it's alright. I'd rather he didn't," Aleena replied.
"Hey, you know what? You should come get ice cream with Vaniwa and me! It'll be fun. It always cheers me up. You don't gotta go back to the palace yet, do ya?" Vector asked.
"No," Aleena replied, smiling a little.
"Come on then!" Vector said, seizing her hand and dragging her along before she could protest. Aleena couldn't help but smile a little. Perhaps ice cream would help a bit. Her smile slowly vanished and she looked back at her mother's burial place, slowing down. Softly she blew a kiss towards it then continued after her two young companions…
SU
It felt empty when Vector and Vanilla left to go home. She stood quietly in the street, watching after them, then looked towards the palace in the distance somewhat woefully. She didn't want to go back… At least not yet. She wouldn't be able to stand being stifled in that grief. Would they even notice if she stayed out for the night, she wondered to herself? Perhaps they would just think she had remained at her mother's grave. A place she was sorely tempted to return to even now. She wouldn't, though. She couldn't.
She looked in the direction of Sleet and Dingo's old hideout, arms wrapped tightly around herself. He had been exiled. That was what Jules had said. Banished from the kingdom under penalty of death should he ever return. She had been devastated… He told her that Argus had been the one to see Sleet out, so she had gone to the Captain. He had informed her he hadn't obeyed the order. He'd seen Sleet and Dingo to their hideout and left whatever happened next up to the bounty hunter and his ward. To stay was to risk his life every day. To go was to be parted from her until the day she took her father's throne and lifted his sentence.
She hoped he had gone…
The sky began to rumble, and rain began to pour quickly down in a torrent. She didn't want to go home, so she wouldn't. She would make her way to his hideout and if he was there, he was there. If he wasn't, though, then at least it was someplace dry to stay. Before she could talk herself into changing her mind, she began to walk. Walking soon turned to jogging, then jogging to running. The rain came down unending, lightning ripping apart the sky, and if she had been superstitious, she would have called it a bad omen. Right now, though, it felt like anything but. She welcomed the sudden outburst soaking her through to her skin. It made her feel again…
SU
Sleet sat on the roof looking up at the moon. In the distance he saw the outline of the palace and let out a breath, bowing his head and willing away the thought of her. Thunder clapped menacingly and the clouds moved quickly in. Quicker than he'd seen in a long time. It began to rain. Soon it would become a deluge. It was time to head down. He went inside and no sooner was he in when the floodgates broke. Water poured mercilessly from the gray clouds.
He entered the living room. Dingo was snoring in a chair. Sleet shook his head. Angrily he went up to the chair and kicked the lever, making it fly up. Startled, Dingo awoke with a yelp, tipping the chair over in his confusion. Quickly the pup scrambled up, saw his partner, and gasped. "Sleet!" he exclaimed.
"Get up you imbecile!" Sleet ordered. Dingo whimpered but began to rise nonetheless, not bothering to argue. Sleet was in a mood again. Thunder boomed, shaking the house and echoing through it. Dingo gasped, fearfully clinging to his guardian. Sleet gave him an annoyed look but didn't push him away. "Sleep in your room. It's the safest place to be in this house when a hurricane hits," he said.
"It's a hurricane?" Dingo nervously asked.
"No, but better safe than sorry," Sleet replied. Suddenly the door was knocked on. "Now what?" Sleet complained. He checked his blaster in case it was a potential enemy, then went to answer, leaving a slightly nervous Dingo behind.
"Who would be out in this anyway?" Dingo questioned.
"Someone about as clever as you," Sleet bit.
"It's been a week, mate. Let it go. Not like you've tried ta see her," Dingo said, referring to Aleena. Sleet had been worse than ever since he'd been separated from the princess. The wolf scowled at him, then turned to the door and opened it up.
Immediately a figure stumbled inside, collapsing into his arms and holding him tightly. "What?!" Sleet exclaimed in shock. He pushed the figure away and flung off the hood. He started, eyes widening. "Aleena!" he exclaimed in alarm. That one thought blocked out all others. Just then thunder clapped, causing both to flinch. "Get in here!" he ordered, dragging her inside and slamming the door against a sudden gust of wind that blew a torrent of water into his hideout. He spun around right after to face her. "What were you thinking? It's almost a hurricane out there!" he said.
"I'm sorry. I know you didn't expect this, but I just had to get away from that place," she said, wringing her cloak out on the floor. Not that it mattered since the hideout was soaked now anyway.
"And you thought that running through a torrential downpour to the home of the man who kidnapped you was a brilliant idea?" Sleet asked incredulously.
"Well I certainly never expected a downpour Sleet," she retorted.
"That wasn't my point," he said, frowning at her and crossing his arms.
"I had nowhere else to go," she replied.
"Home ring any bells?" he bit. She was quiet, and immediately he regretted opening his mouth.
For a moment there was silence. "I… Mother's funeral and interment were today," she finally said, voice quiet. There was silence. Dingo whimpered a bit. Sleet shifted uncomfortably. At last he moved up behind the princess, taking her cloak from her shoulders. "You would deign yourself to do something so lowly?" she said to him.
"Don't start," he warned.
"I usually don't," she replied with a small smile. He smirked in amusement and chuckled as he hung up the cloak. He'd missed these little battles of wit…
"You're getting better," he said, turning around again.
"If only I could say the same," she replied with a teasing glint in her eyes. He grinned. Gods how he'd missed this… Missed her… His grin slowly vanished. She was looking at him steadily, her own smile gone. Suddenly she approached him and leaned against his body. At first taken aback, he wrapped his own arms around her, swallowed, and closed his eyes with a breath, resting his head on top of her own. "He told me you had been exiled," she whispered, voice wavering.
"Then why did you come?" he murmured.
"I had nowhere else to go," she answered. "I couldn't stay at mother's grave, and the last place I want to be right now is the palace. Here I would be safe and dry, and if for some godsforsaken reason you had decided to risk everything and stay…" She trailed off with a breath. He closed his eyes. "You should have run," she whispered. "The day I took my father's throne I would have lifted your sentence and we could have…" She stopped herself and shook her head.
"There was no guarantee I would have lived long enough to see you succeed your father," he replied.
"Don't say that. Don't speak to me of death. Not now," Aleena said. He went quiet.
"Group hug!" Dingo exclaimed, suddenly crushing them both in a hug and lifting them off the ground.
"Ack, melon head! Put me down!" Sleet demanded.
"Okay," Dingo said, dropping them both. Sleet scowled at him. Aleena began to laugh and turned to Dingo with a grin. "I missed you as well, Dingo," she said, bending over to hug the pup.
"I missed you too Aleena," Dingo replied, hugging her back.
Once Sleet adjusted his wardrobe and calmed down, he focused once more on the princess. "Now, your excellency, normally a Queen doesn't run into the arms of a commoner for comfort, much less one who's also her ex-captor."
"Queen?" she questioned, smile falling to a sad look.
"I rejected your father as King long ago," he flatly said. "The throne is yours, as far as I'm concerned."
She swallowed over a lump in her throat and smiled sadly. "There's a great deal I do that a Queen doesn't normally do," she said, accepting his words.
He smirked a bit, but the smirk soon vanished. "How was the funeral?" he gently asked.
She deflated and hung her head, rubbing an arm. "It was not only my mother I lost that day," she murmured sadly. Sleet winced. He knew she spoke of her father. He wasn't surprised, of course, but still. Aleena looked woefully up at him. "He has said I must marry Jules," she solemnly said. "He told Jules the same."
Sleet bristled, hackles rising. There was a beat of silence. "What?" he finally, and coldly, asked.
"He promised the Commander my hand in marriage, and he told me that if I dared to seek you out, it would mean your death," she said, looking sadly out a window and avoiding eye contact. "You were right… About everything."
Sleet shifted uncomfortably, and for the first time in his life wished that he had been wrong. He stayed silent. Dingo was trying to process what he'd just heard. After a moment, the wolf shook his head and lifted his eyes to meet hers once more. "What will you do?" he soon worked up the courage to ask. She was silent and he winced. "How long will you stay?" he asked in a murmur.
"I'm surprised you have yet to throw me out," she replied.
"For what?" he asked.
"My silence," she answered.
He was quiet. "You think something as small as that would cause me to throw you out after what we've been through?" he asked, falling back onto the easy chair.
She turned to him, watching him with those beautiful blue eyes, and for a moment he considered throwing her out just for the sake of his own sanity. She approached and he sat curiously up, frowning. "Help me," she said, kneeling in front of him and resting her hands on his lap. His eyes widened a bit and for a moment he completely blanked on coherent thought.
"I can't," he finally said. "Maybe for a while I can keep you from your father and your fiancé, but you can only disappear for so long."
"Don't call him my fiancé," she said.
"You were promised to him," Sleet replied.
"Then humor me, Sleet," she said in exasperation. He was quiet. "Tell me what I should do. Please," she said. "I feel so lost."
"Funny you think I would know better than you," he answered. She was quiet, looking frustrated. He sighed and stood, lifting her with him. "Get some sleep," he murmured, rubbing his hands gently up and down her arms. "Perhaps tomorrow one or the other of us will have come up with some sort of plan." She nodded in agreement and kissed him gently before pulling away and making for his room. He watched after her silently.
"Um, was I supposed ta be here for that?" Dingo asked. Sleet started and looked over at him in disbelief. His eyes narrowed darkly, and he scowled. Dingo's eyes grew wide and quickly the pup scrambled away, racing to his room. Sleet sneered after him, arms crossed.
SU
"If you think he left this city, you're deluded old man," Drago said, a dark smile playing across his lips. "If he was escorted out, I promise you he came straight back the second he had the chance. He wants your daughter. He's not going anywhere without her. If she's not sneaking out to see him as we speak, then he's sneaking in to see her." The King was silent, watching Drago warily out the corner of his eyes but not walking away.
"Aleena would never…" the King began.
"Aleena already has," Drago cut off. It's midnight. Go up to her room. Check on your pretty little daughter. See if she's alone. See if she's there at all… If she isn't, well, I can tell you where she'll be…"
The King stared at him a long moment before at last walking away. Drago grinned darkly and chuckled to himself, settling back in his cell and kicking up his feet. The king had made a mistake, coming down here. Each time he did, he only made things easier. Now to watch the fireworks. Oh, it was too simple. Every move Sleet and Aleena made was another nail in the coffin, and he couldn't wait to bury his partner in it...
SU
Sleet woke the next day on the couch to sounds coming from the kitchen. His ear twitched and he groaned, sitting slowly up. He listened carefully, but there was nothing now but silence. He sighed, lying back down. The sounds from the kitchen had probably been some waking dream. Maybe all last night was. That or she had gone early in the morning. Strange how even a dream of her could leave him feeling so disappointed and hollow…
He heard humming and started, bolting up. That was her voice. He looked towards the kitchen quickly and rose, moving to the doorframe and peering inside. His heart skipped a beat, and he hated it for that. She was there. It hadn't been a dream, and she hadn't left. He pulled away from the door and leaned against the wall, remembering their conversation the other night. He grimaced, weighed his options, then took the plunge and entered the room quietly. For a moment he stood to the side watching her cook. She'd had little practice at it given what she was, but the things she knew how to cook, she really knew how to cook. He wondered about the tune she was humming but decided not to ask. It would only interrupt her, and he didn't mind just listening for now. He took in her every movement and action and felt a smile playing across his lips. As she was attending to something in a frying pan, he moved up beside her and began to pour some juice into glasses. She paused a moment, not looking up, then went back to her task.
"How did you sleep?" he asked.
"Restlessly," she answered.
"Have you determined your next steps?" he asked. She was quiet. He read her silently. At last, though, she turned to him.
"What was it you said to me in Knothole the day we embarked on our impromptu adventure?" she asked.
He frowned curiously, then started as he realized what she was talking about. A smirk spread across his lips, a sly glint shining in his narrowed eyes. "I believe it was something about your parents not being able to marry you off if you were already married."
"What are your thoughts on that plan now?" she asked.
"Hmm…" he said, leaning back against the counter and holding the cup with both of his hands. "A matchmaking spree across all Mobius?" he asked.
"Must I search all of Mobius?" she said.
He smirked a little. "No. I suppose not." There was silence for a moment. "Do you expect me to kneel?" he asked.
"If it suits you," she answered.
"It doesn't," he said.
"Then how do you expect to impress me enough to win my affections?" she asked.
"My Lady, we both know I've already won them," he said.
"Yet here I am, still waiting," she said.
He huffed in amusement and set aside the juice, turning to her and drawing her near. His smirk slowly vanished, a solemn look crossing his face. "Will you marry me if I ask you to?" he said to her.
She smiled a teasing little smile. "If you say please," she replied.
He smirked down at her and pressed his lips softly to hers before withdrawing and kneeling. "Ever gracious, ever beautiful, ever powerful queen. Please," he whispered. "Marry me."
She laughed through joyful tears and grinned, nodding. "Yes. Yes, I will marry you. But where will we be married, my darling? You know it can't be in Mobotropolis. Father would have your head. Who will witness our union and sign the documents? What of clothes and music and…?"
"Lavish tastes. Typical of royalty," he teased, smirking as he rose.
She blushed a bit. "Oh yes, and you don't like music though I still don't know why," she said sheepishly.
He chuckled. "Aleena, leave everything to me. If you want music, you'll have it. It and anything else you ask for."
Oh Chaos, what was he doing?
"No, it's alright. What I had in mind would be far too expensive," she said. "A simple ceremony will be best."
"You'll have no less than any prince or king could give you," he said.
Shut up you moron! Don't make promises you might not be able to keep!
"Oh? Just how do you expect to swing that?" she incredulously asked, giving him an unimpressed frown.
He smirked wickedly. "The same way as always," he answered. "Pretty words and petty thievery."
She frowned at him in annoyance. "No. We'll find another way," she said. She considered the situation. "There is a place I know of. A town called Mobodoon. I was born there. I and all the royals of my bloodline before me. It is a hidden place, beautiful and accessible in only very specific ways. A paradise."
"Mobodoon? Isn't that just a fable?" he asked.
"In the same sense the Emerald Peninsula was a fable?" she replied, giving him a look.
"Touché," he said.
"It shows up only once every four years on the second even day of the third month during a full moon," she said.
"That's oddly specific," he said. She smirked at him in that mischievous way she had.
"Everything we could possibly need for the wedding can be obtained there on short-notice. I know a way to it that's out of the ordinary," she said. "It will have to be done swiftly though. We'll have only a few hours before it sends us away."
"That doesn't give us much time," he said.
"Mobodoon is a suggestion, not a requirement. Wedding arrangements can be made elsewhere. If you think it too fast…" she began.
"Nothing is too fast for me, Aleena. It's doable, I just need to be efficient," he replied. "The sooner we act the better. Especially if your father is hounding you to marry Jules. Show me the way and I'll go there to make all the necessary arrangements needed. Just don't ever expect something like this again."
A bitter note had crept into his voice, she noted, as he realized all he was promising. She smiled a little. "Thank you, my darling," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and murmuring against him. She could practically feel the bitterness melting away. "Leave the master of ceremonies, the witnesses, and the guests to me," she said.
"Will we marry in that place?" he asked.
"I will find a way," she answered. "There will be nowhere safer from my father's eyes."
"Very well," he said, nodding.
"I have to go. I must return to the palace before my father starts hunting me. Be careful, Sleet. The eyes of the King are everywhere," she solemnly warned.
"Then fortunate for us both we know how to stay hidden," he replied, smirking. She smiled back, kissed him gently once more, then left with a wave. He watched after her with a smile. As soon as she was gone, though, his smile became a grimace and he looked uneasily at a nearby window. Her father's eyes were everywhere? He wasn't sure he wanted to know what that meant…
SU
Aleena entered the palace casually. As far as anyone within knew, she had stayed at her mother's grave, been caught in the storm, and taken shelter in an inn or hotel for the night only to return the next day. Hiding her smile was the hardest part. Since the palace residents believed she had come fresh from her mother's grave, a smile was not what they would expect to see. Faking it wasn't hard, though, when she let herself remember her mother's wake and funeral. For a moment she hated herself for feeling happy.
She made her way up to her room and pushed open the door. Softly she sighed, putting down the hood of her cloak. "Where were you?" her father's dark voice suddenly asked from the darkness. She gasped, looking quickly over. There, hovering in the shadows, was the King. He stepped out into the sunbeams streaming through the drawn curtains, and she felt a chill race up and down her spine, her whole body tensing. "Who were you with, Aleena?" he darkly asked. She stayed quiet, petrified with fear. He didn't know. He couldn't know! How could he possibly know? "Answer me!" he roared when she refused to speak. She held her tongue. "It was the wolf, wasn't it?" he darkly said, starting to pace around her. Her father stopped in front of her, and she watched him quietly. "It was the man who stole you away and handed you in chains to the beast who would have taken everything from you."
Her jaw twitched ever so slightly. "I was at my mother's grave," she said.
"No you weren't," he darkly said, shaking his head.
"I…" she began.
"Silence!" he shouted at her. She flinched and pressed her lips together. "I warned you what would happen to him if you sought him out," her father darkly said.
"Father!" she began. He scoffed and walked passed her, going to her balcony and throwing open the curtains as he did so. She was still. He looked down on the yard below. "I was at my mother's grave," she insisted in a whisper. "Please."
"Guards!" the King shouted. Her heart skipped a beat and she caught her breath. "Burn the ivy growing alongside Princess Aleena's quarters!"
She gasped in alarm, eyes widening. "Papa, no!" she cried, running to him and grabbing his arms beseechingly.
The guards seemed flustered. "Now!" the King shouted.
"No!" she screamed. "Daddy please, no! I planted it with mother. You can't just burn it away, you can't!" She screamed as her father shoved her back and onto the ground. She looked up at him with a frightened gasp, tears in her eyes, and backed away in fear as he advanced on her scowling. She smelled smoke and burning foliage. Her mouth quivered and she stood quickly up, turning her back on her father. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, lips pursed tightly as she valiantly fought to keep from crying.
The king walked passed her, glaring darkly at his daughter. "Consider yourself room bound for however long I see fit. Preferably until your flighty spirit is quelled," he coldly said, dangling the key to her room on his finger. She wouldn't meet his eyes, keeping her own tightly shut. "This is for your own good, daughter," he said, walking passed her. He went to her bedroom door and paused. "As for Sleet, I'll be sure you never see him again."
Aleena gasped, looking quickly up with eyes wide. "What?" she breathed. "Father, no, please, I never saw him! I couldn't have. You banished him from our kingdom!" she pled, racing towards him. He slammed the doors shut before she could reach them, and she heard them lock from outside. "No!" she cried, punching the wood. "I never went to see him daddy, I swear it! Daddy, please! Please! Papa I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Don't do this to me, I beg you. Don't!" She knew, though, that he hadn't stayed outside her door long enough to hear her pleas. If he had, he would have caved in. She sobbed, pressing her forehead to the door, and sank down against it in grief, drawing her knees up and burying her face in them.
She gritted her teeth and looked towards her balcony, watching the smoke climbing up it. He wouldn't keep her here. No matter what he tried! She would find a way to escape one way or another. She had to warn him. She had to warn Sleet by any means necessary! With the guards on watch below, she couldn't escape immediately. As soon as they walked away, though, she would make her move. Getting down with or without the ivy would pose no problem. She always found a way. Rising, she immediately began to race around collecting all the materials she would need to fashion a makeshift rope.
SU
"Gather the guards! Sleet has returned. Scour every house and every street until you find that miserable cretin, then drag him here by any means necessary!" the king roared furiously at Argus and Jules.
"Sire, I escorted him out myself. There's no way he could have…" Argus began.
"He did," the King hissed. "That worthless criminal found his way back in. Bring him back. Not to face execution though, oh no. I have other plans for him now. If he insists on being a citizen of Mobotropolis, so be it. He can fight for it like everyone else."
Jules' eyes widened. "Sire, you can't mean…" he began.
"Get him and bring him here. Now!" King Maurice commanded.
"Right away Sir," Argus said saluting. Jules looked nervously at him, then back at the King. He saluted as well and swiftly the two left the throne room. "Dammit, how did he figure it out?" Argus whispered to Jules as they left.
"He has eyes everywhere," Jules grimly answered.
"I have to warn him. At least he can get the pup out of the danger zone if he can't get himself out," Argus said.
"The King will be watching us," Jules said.
"I know someone he won't be watching though," Argus replied, pulling out a communicator. "Titus, we have a situation," he said. "I need you to do something for me." Jules smirked as Argus walked away. The royal Hedgehog family couldn't have chosen a more competent Captain of the Guard if they'd tried, he decided.
SU
Sleet listened to Titus's story in disbelief, eyes wide. "He what?" he replied.
"He's hunting you," Titus said.
"Before that you ninny!" Sleet snapped.
Titus frowned. "He locked his daughter away and burned away the ivy outside her window," he said. "Is that really the worst thing you took from this?"
"Don't patronize me," Sleet bit.
"He's hunting you, Sleet! The Guards will be here at any moment. He knows where you're hidden," Titus said.
"How?!" Sleet demanded.
"Think about it!" Titus snapped.
Sleet scowled then started, eyes widening in realization. "Drago," he said. He'd almost forgotten about him! He whispered a curse under his breath, damning himself for letting it slip his mind. For weeks Drago had been feeding the King poisoned words and twisting the man's mind and heart. Drago was behind all of this! Dammit.
He heard armor in the distance and gasped, looking quickly over. "They're coming for you," Titus said again. "I don't know what they plan, but the King has something in mind. I came to warn you for the child's sake. No one can save you now."
Sleet scowled at him, hesitated, looked back inside at a nervous Dingo peering out of his room, then turned to Titus once more. "Take the pup and give him to Argus as soon as you can."
Titus nodded. "Good luck. You're going to need it," he said.
Sleet scowled at him in distaste then turned to Dingo again. "Dingo, go with Titus! He's going to be babysitting you for a while until Argus can pick you up."
"Huh? Babysittin'?" Dingo asked.
"Dingo, now!" Sleet ordered. Dingo jumped a bit and scrambled quickly out, looking uncertainly at the nobleman. "Move quickly," Sleet said to them.
"I plan to," Titus said. "Being hung for high treason is that last thing on my to-do list."
"Hung? Treason?" Dingo uncertainly asked.
"Don't worry young one. Just come with me," Titus said, beckoning for the pup to follow and hurrying away. Dingo gave one last uncertain look at Sleet then followed the man. He barely knew him, but if Sleet figured it was okay, he guessed he could go with the guy. Sleet watched them leave then narrowed his eyes, looking in the direction the guards would come from. Running would do him no good. It would only delay the inevitable. For now he would play the King's game.
SU
Aleena wove the fabrics into a rope as quickly as she could. Suddenly she heard a knock at her door and looked quickly over with a soft gasp. "Who is it?" she called.
"Aleena?" she heard her cousin call.
"Bernie, he locked me inside," she said, voice breaking.
"I know. I'm here to let you out," Bernie said.
Aleena frowned curiously, noticing how strained her cousin sounded. "Bernie?" she cautiously asked.
"Your father demands your presence," Bernie said, choking on the sentence.
Aleena was silent a beat. "Why?" she finally asked.
"They found him, Aleena. They found Sleet," she said, sounding hollow. "The King had him brought in along with the drafted soldiers and-and… Ally, you have to come. Now." Aleena's heart plummeted, a soft breath escaping her lips. She heard her cousin unlock the door, but suddenly it felt much safer to just stay inside. Nervously swallowing, she rose.
SU
Aleena, pale, stared numbly at Sleet, her eyes wide. He stood bitterly among the ranks of soldiers and drafted young warriors who were soon to be sent to battle. The sea of faces looking up at the king was made up of fearful young men who had never seen combat in their lives, much less battle, and seasoned soldiers who even still looked fearful. A new threat had arisen, large and powerful. It was decimating everything in its path. Nowhere was safe. Knothole and Mobotropolis had yet to fall, and some isolated pocket cities safe behind the protective line the sister kingdoms formed, but they were both primary targets and the enemy was mobilizing to take them down.
She listened numbly as her father divided the soldiers up into three lines. The rearguard, the midlines, and the frontlines. The rearguard would be the safest ones, kept in the back of the army and composed of the strongest soldiers on offer. They would serve as a last stand. The midlines made up the grandest part of the assembled army. The frontlines… They were made up of the doomed… She knew what her father planned. When at last her father called the name of her betrothed and gave him his position, she knew Sleet's fate was sealed. Tears burned in her eyes as she stared numbly at him, feeling sick to her stomach.
"They say this battle is unwinnable, but I have faith in your leadership, Jules. Argus as well, and most certainly General Armand," the King said.
"Sire, so many men on the front lines…" Jules numbly said.
"Dismiss them and we'll talk," the King said. His eyes found Sleet and his eyes narrowed. "Except the young wolf at your side." Jules was silent. Finally, though, he waved his hand to dismiss the company. They left in solemn silence, most of them to say goodbye to their families and loved ones for the last time… "Speak freely now, Jules," the King said, turning back to the Commander.
"The men on the frontlines… They'll stand no chance! They'll be obliterated if stronger men are not put with them!" Jules said.
"And you'll have a strong warrior among them," the King said, looking at Sleet who bristled and scowled, hackles rising.
"Sleet is only one man!" Jules protested. "Sire, you've handed down a death sentence to every man you placed there!"
"If you wish, Commander, take whatever prisoners you please from the dungeons and jails and place them there instead," the King said.
"Majesty…" Jules began.
"No matter what we do, Jules, there will be a frontline. You know that can't be avoided," the King said, sounding tired. "Don't imagine it pleases me to do this. It pleases me no more than it pleases Nigel Acorn." He looked towards Sleet and frowned. "With one exception," he darkly said.
Aleena let out a breath of air. Sleet glanced at her then looked back at her father. "I'm afraid, your majesty, that your little plan for me won't go quite as you intend," he said.
"Won't it?" the king darkly asked. "We'll see. You're dismissed. All of you." He looked to Jules. "Jules, I permit you to make whatever changes you deem necessary to spare as many lives as you possibly can. Only Sleet's position in this battle cannot be disputed." He turned coldly to his daughter. "You will never see your lover again," he icily said. Tears pricked her eyes as she stared at Sleet, but she refused to let them fall.
"Yes you will," Sleet said, looking at her.
"Sleet, if you survive this I'll give you my daughter," the King said with a scornful laugh.
"Oh believe me, sire, I'll be counting on it," Sleet bitterly replied, frowning at the King. Not for one moment did he believe the man would keep his word. He looked to his beloved once more and his eyes softened. Lowly he bowed to her before straightening up and leaving the throne room. Aleena swallowed over a lump in her throat and hung her head, sniffing. Charles reassuringly squeezed her shoulder...
One Year Later
The days turned into weeks and the weeks into months. It was the middle of a new year when at last the armies returned from battle. Aleena, now twenty-one, listened numbly to Jules' report. The war had been disastrous, the enemy overwhelming. "The frontlines stood no chance, Majesty. They-they were completely wiped out," Jules said, voice breaking and tears slipping down his cheeks. "They and six-eighths of the midline."
"No survivors?" the King questioned solemnly, looking exhausted.
Jules sniffed, closing his eyes tight and shaking his head. "None known," he whispered.
Tears streamed down Aleena's face. She couldn't hold them back anymore. Jules looked concernedly at her. "Aleena…" he began.
"Silence," the King warned. Jules winced and bowed his head, turning from her. The King looked at his daughter once more. "Your kidnapper is dead. Now you will marry Jules and put childish, foolish flights of fancy out of your mind," he said coldly. She was silent. The King walked away, and Jules and Aleena were left alone.
Jules shook his head and rose, crossing quickly to the princess and gently taking her arms. "Aleena..." he worriedly began.
"Did you find him?" she cut off in a pained whisper.
Jules swallowed over a lump in his throat and bowed his head. It was the only answer she needed. "He's far from the only one who was never found… I'm sorry, Ally," Jules said.
"Are you certain he's dead?" she whispered.
"I don't know," he replied. She clenched her teeth, shutting her eyes tightly and willing this to all just be a bad dream. "I'm sorry," he said again gently, hugging her close. She held him tightly back and sniffed, burying her face in his fur.
SU
Bernadette, arms wrapped tightly around herself, sniffed. "He can't make you marry her. He can't give you to her! You're mine," she said to Jules, voice breaking.
"You know what he'll do to you if I refuse," Jules said.
"He's my uncle," she whispered.
"Your uncle died with your aunt," Jules solemnly replied. She sobbed, covering her mouth and shaking her head. "There are many things I will chance, Bernie, but your life isn't one of them."
"He'll banish me, that's all," she quietly said.
"He'll send you out with nothing and leave you on the streets," Jules said.
"But we'll still be able to be together then," Bernadette said, forcing a smile.
"My life will end as abruptly as Sleet's did if I refuse him," Jules answered, holding her arms gently.
"He can't take you from me! I won't-I won't let him take you from me," Bernie said, voice breaking as she shook her head.
"I love you," Jules whispered.
"Then fight for me!" she insisted. "I'm willing to fight for you."
"Then you're willing to hand me over to my executioner," Jules solemnly said. She let out a sharp breath of air, stunned at his words. "The King holds all the power now. There is no more queen to soften his stone heart anymore."
"I won't let you go," she said, shaking her head in denial.
"I will happily die for you, but I won't give you up to his wrath," he whispered. "I have to marry your cousin."
"Damn you!" she shouted at him, shoving him back and turning her back on him, covering her mouth and weeping. "Damn you, damn him, and damn her!"
"I'm so sorry," he hollowly said.
"I'm sick of apologies!" she furiously replied, fleeing from him. He let out a shaking breath and covered his mouth sniffing, tears welling in his eyes and slipping from them. From the shadows, Chuck watched brokenly and bowed his head, looking away. Turning back once more, he frowned and walked out, approaching his brother and standing at his side.
"It'll be okay, little brother. Everything will be okay," he said, gently squeezing his sibling's shoulders.
"It'll never be okay again," Jules answered in a whimper, leaning against him. Charles closed his eyes, holding his sibling tightly.
SU
King Maurice stood in his study, reading through a book of letters. All of them were from her… His responses were there as well, but his words were not what interested him. Hers were. Tears burned in his eyes as he read through them. They dated as far back as the first day he had met her…
He heard the door open and sniffed, looking over. Bernadette entered, eyes hard and cold. He frowned curiously, tilting his head. "Bernie?" he asked. She walked up to his desk without a word.
"I am not a part of your family anymore," she hissed, laying down her royal medallion. "I refuse to be called niece of the mad king. My uncle died with my aunt." The King was silent, staring at her. "You stole away my heart and gave it to the only child you ever truly loved. I will not be erased by my little cousin anymore. I disown you, I renounce all royal titles and honors, and I reject a life in this palace under your roof." His jaw twitched ever so slightly, and she saw the threat of tears in his eyes. She shook her head and sniffed. "I wish you were still somewhere in there. I wish I could care that I'm hurting you… I loved you, Uncle… Now you're nothing to me." Turning her back on him, she stormed out. "Excuse me while I say goodbye to my cousin." The King let out a shaking breath as she shut the door, closing his eyes tightly.
SU
Aleena stared at Bernie in devastation, teeth clenched and tears streaming from her eyes. "You can't go," she said in a breaking voice, shaking her head.
"I can't stay either," Bernie answered, sadly smiling through tears. The smile fell, though, and she drew a quick breath. "I love you, cuz. I love you so, so much. This isn't goodbye, okay? We'll still see each other, okay? I just… I can't stay here anymore. I can't." She took her little cousin's hands. "All I have left in this world is you. My uncle is dead, my aunt is dead, my parents died before I even knew them, and there's only you now. I can't… I can't do this anymore, Aleena. I can't pretend this life was ever mine to have. This palace was never my home, this family never my family. There was only you and Aunty Sonya, and now…"
"Stop!" Aleena pled.
"Just… just look at it as moving out, okay?" Bernie said with a sad smile. "I'm just moving away from home. Striking out on my own. I'll be okay, you'll be okay, everything will be okay. I'm still here, Ally. I'll always be here. You just… just might not see me so often."
"Don't go, please don't go!" Aleena pled, throwing herself into her cousin's arms with a sob.
"I have to," Bernie whispered, teeth clenched. "For your sake, for Jules' sake, for everyone's sake. I have to."
"No!" Aleena begged. "Don't leave me. Not like this. Not now!"
"You'll be alright," Bernadette promised. "If ever you need me, you know where to find me. I'm going to Knothole. See? That's not so far, is it?" Aleena sobbed against her. "You know I have to do this," Bernie whispered in grief. Aleena shook her head in denial, but there would be no changing her cousin's mind…
One Month Later
Listlessly Aleena sat with her father at court. The final call for suitors, the King had said, but she knew it was for show. Jules stood at the back of the line. A dramatic reveal indeed, she noted to herself, but she was so far beyond caring… She just wanted it over and done with. So did Jules.
One by one the men approached, and one by one they were gently rejected with a shake of her head. Not that most were surprised. At this point they expected no more and no less. Her reputation had long been notorious in matters such as these. It was too long before at last her husband-to-be approached the throne and knelt at her feet, bowing his head low to her. "What of this one?" her father asked.
Aleena couldn't bring herself to look at the King, nor could the King bring himself to look at her. Their relationship had been too strained for too long now. Instead, Aleena looked to Jules. Tears shimmered in her eyes. She knew, she sensed, that they shimmered in his as well. "I…" she began before trailing off.
"Aleena," her father, or the shell of her father, warningly said.
"I…" she started again.
Just then the doors were thrown open. "Father!" a flustered Charles blurted, racing in with eyes wide.
The King looked quickly at his eldest son, frowning curiously. "Charles?" he said, sounding slightly alarmed.
"Father, one more suitor presents himself for the lineup!" Charles said, visibly shaken.
"What?" the King darkly asked.
Charles looked nervously back, clearly overwhelmed. The King looked up and slowly his lips parted in horror and disbelief as the final suitor entered the room, armor echoing through the grand hall with every step. Aleena gave a strangled cry, covering her mouth with both hands and standing quickly. She shook her head in denial as tears threatened her eyes. It couldn't be. It couldn't! She couldn't truly be seeing what she was seeing.
The King could only stare numbly, lips parted in disbelief. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost. The newest suitor grinned wickedly at him. "Wh-what are you doing here?" the King asked in barely concealed rage, voice hoarse with silent wrath.
"Why, I'm at courting with your daughter," he replied. "I would marry her you see."
"She is promised to another," the King said.
"No ring no deal," the man answered, holding out his hand, opening his palm, and revealing the most beautiful ring Aleena had ever laid eyes upon. She gave a cry as Jules gawked in disbelief. "I spent time telling her how I would marry her. I will bring her to Mobodoon and buy her expensive gifts. A gown, fine jewels, and all manner of trinkets."
"Everything she could possibly need is here," the King hissed. "You will not get my daughter."
"Then I'll abduct her. Just like I did before," he answered, smirking darkly and closing his fist over the ring.
"You-you…" the outraged king sputtered. "Damn you!" he screamed at the wolf.
"Sleet," Aleena whispered, clasping her throat with her hands, tears of happiness running in rivulets down her cheeks. Sleet looked at her, eyes softening immensely and a tender expression crossing his face. She let out a breath and hurried down the steps, going straight to him and lacing her fingers with his. He pressed his forehead against hers, nuzzling gently, then turned on his heel, marching away from the king with the princess in hand.
"Where are you taking my daughter?!" the king demanded.
"Well, I'd take her with me," Sleet replied, looking back at the king over his shoulder. "After all, your highness, you did say that if I survived you would give her to me."
"You are no fine soldier or nobleman," the King hissed.
"Do you remember when I told you I was the son of a forgotten nation?" Sleet asked. The King frowned curiously, tilting his head. "I don't remember much of it, but I do remember that my father was their leader. Their Chief." King Maurice gasped, eyes widening in shock as he recoiled, stunned. Aleena caught her breath. "You wanted a prince. How about a king instead?"
"I... You..." the outraged monarch stammered in shock.
"I have the status you want, I survived the battle as was conditioned, and to tell the truth I have enough personal wealth stashed away to raise eyebrows. Are you satisfied now, or is there something else?" Sleet cut off. Jules was grinning at them wider than he'd ever grinned before. Chuck as well looked ecstatic. Sleet looked back at Aleena. "I love your daughter, I'm going to take her away from you, and I'm going to marry her. It's simple as that. Deal with it." Immediately he broke into a run, racing from the throne room with his beaming love in tow, her eyes filled with excitement and glee. All the King could do was gawk after them as they disappeared.
Sleet and Aleena burst out of the palace and spun one another around in a joyous dance, Aleena laughing in delight. He pulled her close to him, pressing his lips to her own before racing onwards when he heard the King run out, guardsmen in tow. He fled from the palace courtyard with his betrothed, not once looking back. The King scowled darkly after them then turned to Argus at his side, who looked just as thrilled for Aleena as Chuck and Jules had been. Argus, though, was obedient and expendable. The perfect mix of both, in fact. "Bring me the white wolf," the King darkly said. Argus's grin vanished and the Captain caught his breath, looking quickly at the King with eyes wide. "Go!" Maurice ordered, pointing.
"But Sir…!" Argus began.
"Go or I will have you and all you love put to death!" the King roared before turning on his heel and storming back inside the palace. Argus gaped after him in shock and fear.
SU
It was with great reluctance that Argus brought Drago up from the dungeons. For the sake of his friends and family, though, he did it. He led him into the throne room in chains, then lingered a distance away, carefully watching in case the wolf tried to do anything against the king. "You summoned me, Majesty?" the smirking canine asked.
"I have a proposition for you, wolf," the King replied coldly.
"Oh?" Drago asked, playing it off like he didn't know exactly where this was going.
"The grey wolf. Sleet," the King simply said.
Drago grinned wickedly. "Go on," he said.