Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.
I also apologize in advance for any Grammar/spelling errors I missed.
Chapter 14
In Blitz Kingdom:-
Volt, carefully taking his steps, walked into the court, gritting his teeth in anger that activated the surge of electricity in his fur. He knew what was coming. The only thing the Jolteon prince failed to understand was the gravity of the situation, the core keeping it all together. The answers lied with Zekrom who had refused to tell them any of it. Walking on the golden carpet, his eyes fixed on his father on the far end, he hoped the king would take this fury into consideration this time rather than be blinded in his quest to bring back Sapphire.
What is so special about her!? He grumbled in his head. A crackle of electricity sparked from his fur, indicating this sudden emotion. If only Zekrom would reveal this little quality of her to me. Up until now, I have decided to let her live. Does it have to end in her death?
"Volt," King Ampharos said seriously, addressing his son who now sat face to face with his father, the father that had alienated his son all his life in his love of his daughter and even now was just toying around with him to retrieve her. Those thoughts never ceased to flood Volt's mind, reminding him that everything he did to Sapphire was well deserved by her. Hate can be a powerful thing and his father was simply fueling it in his attempts to find the lost Glaceon princess.
"Yes, father," he replied obediently, blinking twice while holding his head high.
Pachirisu at his side could sense the tension in the prince. As the only one privy to all of Volt's scheming, he was terrified by the unpredictability of their situation. This was treason in many ways. But should it persist, Pachirisu was aware that Volt could very well be their next king and hesitance now would not paint a very favorable picture for his future in Blitz Kingdom.
The Luxray warriors were standing beside the throne, three on each sides. They looked stern and expressionless whereas the king looked a bit soft. Still, it was the king that bothered the prince not the killer Luxray.
"I believe it is time to lead another expedition to yet another kingdom," The king informed his son. Volt, who had already thought up an excuse for this, was waiting for the right moment to put forth his idea.
"I believe our next target should be Aquanesia Kingdom," The king continued while Volt listened with what he portrayed to be his full attention. He sighed a bit at this suggestion. Water pokemon would be too easy for him to beat. He wanted a challenge if he was going to go waste his time looking for something he wasn't even eager to share a castle with.
"Aquanesia kingdom father?" Volt questioned in a tone that didn't really sound like he was asking. "If I may be so bold, I believe we should advance to the Aurora Kingdom in the north."
"And why is it that you feel the need to go there?" The King countered. "Aquanesia is to the west, closest to our kingdom after Frere. It would be the first place she could have reached."
"I concur," he answered solemnly. "But, the Queen of Aurora Kingdom, Queen Esperanza is of a rather gentle disposition. I believe if anyone would have offered our exiled 'princess' a shelter, it would be her." The way he said 'princess' was despicable. Still, the king failed to detect this.
"Yes, but how could she have known of Sapphire?" King Ampharos asked yet again.
Prince Volt sighed internally, preparing himself to lie again. The reason why he had suggested Aurora Kingdom was because he himself believed that Sapphire was in Aquanesia kingdom. He didn't want to advance on a kingdom they could easily defeat, then have his army suspect him of treachery when he would refuse to advance into Aquanesia kingdom and retrieve the princess. His forces seldom questioned him when it came to battles as Volt was the Commander of the Blitz forces, a responsibility delegated to him by his father. Presently, the high ranking officials of the army were receiving orders directly from the king and not Prince Volt himself. Any attempts by Volt to sway his army off course would be obvious. His only option was to somehow manipulate the king's decision.
"It came into my knowledge that Darkus and Aurora Kingdoms were in a battle recently," he stated. "The war resulted in surrender by Aurora kingdom when Queen Esperanza withdrew her forces. If Sapphire has been wondering north of the continent, it is likely that she could have encountered Queen Esperanza on their return and she could have offered to help Sapphire. We have wasted precious time in our fight with Frere, meaning there is every chance that she could have travelled far up north by now, maybe even with some help."
The king thought for a moment and silence fell upon the court. Volt smiled deviously because again, he had fooled his father. He was now going to war against Aurora kingdom which would be at least better than Aquanesia. At least their Queen is beautiful, he thought to himself.
"I understand Volt," King Ampharos finally spoke, catching the prince off guard who was making mental notes for the preparation of his next expedition. "You, the Pachirisu and the Luxray Nobles will lead the deputation to Queen Esperanza for a peaceful retrieval of your sister."
Prince Volt was seething with anger at this suggestion. The fur on his back stood up in sharp daggers, the vision of which was not visible to the king. His brows dropped down in frown and his claws scaled the golden carpet, putting a faint mark on its splendid weaving. Pachirisu noticed this. The Prince was expecting a war, killing, blood but instead, he got the task of making a peaceful conversation with a Queen just so he could retrieve the princess and although it was not likely that Queen Esperanza had Sapphire with her, he still did not want this. It hadn't occurred to him but if by chance, Sapphire really was in Aurora kingdom, than the Luxray Nobles were sure to bring her back. The bribery on them would be pointless as they had sworn their loyalty to Zekrom and since they were aware of their mission, any plan Prince Volt might manage to hatch would be ineffective.
"Something the matter Volt?" King questioned after observing the sudden change in his son's mood. Volt sighed again, trying to find an easy way out rather than having his father witness his treachery in all its glory.
"Why must we choose the path of a peaceful concession?" Volt asked his father, trying to control his anger. The fur on his back refused to sit down. "I mean, I could easily dispose off of them in a fight."
"No Volt," The king said rather harshly. "You saw what we did to the Frere Kingdom. In the end, they didn't really have Sapphire with them. A war would lead to unnecessary bloodshed. So I ask of you, to have an assembly with Her Majesty Queen Esperanza and disclose the matter."
Volt was still furious to a very high degree. Yet, he somehow convinced his body to make a low bow. "Your orders are my command, father. We leave at noon."
With that, he swept out of the court with Pachirisu hurriedly walking at his side. He was worried about what was going through the prince's head. He was probably planning ahead, typical of prince Volt and his evil ways to get what he desired.
"You're highness?" Pachirisu said as soon as the doors to the court room were closed, allowing the two to have their conversations without the risk of anyone hearing. "May I ask what is on your mind?"
Volt didn't give any sort of expression which worried the royal advisor even more. Normally, Volt would smirk, indicating he had a trick up his sleeve. Or he would frown because the circumstances were not in his favor. For now, his expressionless faced showed that the prince himself wasn't so sure.
"I have a plan," he said grimly. "But I'm not sure if it would work."
several days later…..
In Frere Kingdom:-
All his life, he had only ever been in the throne room when he was summoned by his brother or the Ceremony of the Ancients. He now sat on the throne, the very same throne that had once belonged to his father and, more recently, his brother. Having had no desire to be on it before, the feeling of knowing that he was to sit and govern from it till his last breath was something he yet had to make peace with.
Prince Blaze dismissed everyone from the throne room, preferring solitude over an audience. As soon as everyone was out and the room was empty, he loosened up and crashed onto the throne, his paw to his forehead. Who would have thought the coronation ceremonies could be so tiresome? And this, he was told, was only the first of the many such occasions he would have to deal with now that he was a King. There would be public addressing, royal ceremonies, balls, wars, assemblies and many other things and he would be the key character in all of these.
Up until now, he had only accompanied his brother to such gatherings, always zoning out everyone in his surroundings. More often than not, he was guilty of playing pranks during such occasions, ones that would always leave Arcanine laughing. He allowed himself to revisit those cherished memories. One particular memory came to mind, making the Frere King smile. He had snuck over to a royal guard at the door who was a kricketune. The guard had fallen asleep, leaning against the door and Prince Blaze, using his razor sharp claws, swiped off half of his mustache. The embarrassment the Kricketune had to face was something only his victim knew. Everyone else had only ended up laughing.
I'll never hear him laugh. Prince Blaze thought sadly, going into his thoughts. He had been doing a lot of that lately. King Arcanine wasn't the most humorous one but he would never pass up an opportunity to share a good laugh with his younger brother. Now, he was no more. The day of mourning had been just a day before the coronation of the new King; King Blaze.
In his thoughts, Blaze would think about his brother, always beating himself up for his death. Then to avoid it, he would replace those thoughts with that of Aquila. Aquila, He thought, now looking up at the ceiling of the throne room while lying on his back on the throne. This was not the proper way for a king to sit but since none of the royal attendants were around, Fennekin, the little royal advisor at his side, allowed it. After all, the Prince had had a hard day. The least she could do was exempt him from his duties for a while. As a friend if not the royal adviser.
Fennekin watched in worry as she saw the prince immersed in yet another day dream. The Fennekin, as the Prince's closest companion, had noticed this sudden change in his behavior and had been extremely worried. How is he going to carry out his royal duties if he is so depressed? She thought, staring at the prince who seemed oblivious to her presence.
Just then, a loud sound was heard from outside the balcony that sounded like half-quack-half squawk. Prince Blaze snapped out of his thoughts at the unpleasant sound and sat up straight, holding his head high. It was no mistaking that one of the other royals had written to him. Seeing the pokemon approaching, he decided it was probably from his ally, the Aerial Kingdom.
The pokemon was a Swanna with its magnificent white feathers and a crown-like head. Such beautiful bird pokemon only resided in the Aerial Kingdom so it didn't even occur to him that this messenger, the lovely female Swanna, could actually belong to another one of the eighteen kingdoms. Blaze sighed as she landed in front of him, a small roll of paper held securely in her beak. This must be the Aerial Kingdom's king offering his consolidations on the loss of our king, and probably to acknowledge me on me succeeding him as the new king. Blaze thought.
He rolled his eyes involuntarily when the Swanna spread out her wings and craned her necks to bow in respect. He had grown tired with the amount of people he had seen bow their heads to him. They called it respect; he called it a worthless formality. The Swanna raised an eyebrow at this gesture. She was so keen to write to him, She thought. And he doesn't even seem half so pleased with it.
Without any further formalities, much to Blaze's relief, she dropped the small roll of paper on the floor and took a few steps back from it. Then she turned around and spread her wings, ready to take off. Blaze perked up his ears at this. This wasn't how the official messages were sent to Arcanine.
"Stop!" He ordered the Swanna who immediately obeyed. She looked up at him fearfully. He gave her a pleasant smile to calm her down which worked instantly.
"Where are you from?" He asked, politely. The Swanna looked down a bit in a way what Blaze could gather was an indication of embarrassment. He wondered what could be bothering the Swanna but decided not to intimidate her or frighten her into answering him.
"Do not keep my King waiting!" Fennekin warned in an alarmingly frightening voice. Blaze sighed.
Swanna waited for two more seconds until she finally spoke: "Aquanesia Your Majesty Blaze!"
King Blaze flinched and his eyes widened. The voice he had heard had not lived up to the beauty of the bird pokemon he looked upon. The Swanna's voice was a squawky and a rather nasty one, like how a cackling old woman complains about pokemon throwing stones at her window. Blaze was taken aback but tried not to show his astonishment. His good-natured heart would not allow him to make hurt a lady's feelings. The Swanna, of course, was aware of her own flaws. She grew red from embarrassment and turned her head down to the ground. Seeing this, he dismissed her quickly so she could avoid the situation. She must have been glad to because she fled out of the balcony the very next minute.
Fennekin proceeded to pick up the letter. She brought it over to King Blaze, who had asked her not to read it to him, but that he would read it himself. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a faint smile on the king's face. He opened it with his paws and began to read.
Dear Prince Blaze,
I suppose it is King now. I heard about the death of King Arcanine in the battle. I don't really know how to express myself but I feel so useless here in Aquanesia, not being able to bring you the comfort you need.
If you need anything at all, know that my castle doors are always open to you. Gyarados will bring you to the castle whenever you please. I trust you from deep within. I suppose we will meet again someday in the future. Until then.
Yours Truly
Aquila
Blaze read her name at the bottom again and blinked several times. She forgot to mention 'Queen' with her name. He thought silently. It could only mean one thing. She didn't see him as a king or an ally, but rather a friend. A smile crept up on his muzzle.
"Is it a maiden?" Fennekin asked, teasingly. Blaze turned around to see her leaning over the side of his throne, peering curiously at the letter and it was without a doubt that she had managed to read every word. I guess being small has its own advantages. Blaze thought.
'Who is Aquila?" Fennekin said slowly, teasing the king some more. He looked up at her, blushing.
"A-a friend!" He stuttered. "From another k-kingdom."
"Do you fancy this maiden?" Fennekin asked further in her teasing tone. Blaze quickly shook his head in protest.
"It's not like that!" He snapped, his blush growing brighter.
"Then may I inquire as to why His Majesty has suddenly gone red in the cheeks?" Fennekin smiled mischievously. Blaze looked away, embarrassed like he had never been embarrassed in his life.
"How can you tell?" he stuttered, shock written all over his face. He had hoped his orange fur would cooperate with him in hiding this. Fennekin shook her head silently.
"No. I can see it as clear as a Swellow in the morning sun," she said slowly, twitching her ears. "So, 'do'you fancy her?" She blinked her eyes jokingly and his blush grew even brighter, if that was even possible.
He walked to his balcony and took a deep breath, trying to free himself of his guilt. Aquila's words had helped him to realize that he was not alone and focus on his goals as the new king of Frere and also, to replenish the burning desire in his heart to live. I will see you soon. He thought, picturing Aquila sitting on her giant clamshell throne, her tail spread in all its glory, dazzling with exquisite gems from the underwater realm.
In Aurora Kingdom:
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Kirlia shrieked as she opened the door with a loud bang using her psychic powers
She then proceeded to run on her petite little toes to the queen seated on the far end of the throne room. Queen Esperanza, who was lost in thoughts about the battle she fought earlier, looked up to her hasty royal advisor. She brought a paw to her muzzle and yawned. She knew her royal advisor had the tendency to exaggerate and this was probably another exaggeration.
"You Majesty!" Kirlia gasped, breathing heavily. "The Prince of Blitz Kingdom, Prince Volt wishes to speak to you! He has travelled all the way from the south to meet you!"
Esperanza's eyes widened. It wasn't often that deputations would come to her from Kingdoms far away let alone the Prince himself. She straightened up while the Alakazam lined up on her either side, ready for any kind of sudden attack they could anticipate from the Prince. Esperanza called for him and permitted his entry. The throne room's door was opened once again and Volt walked in.
He walked slowly on the soft carpet of the throne room. He wore a light blue cape of on his shoulder which dragged along behind him with a rustling sound. The Luxray walked behind the prince, three on the left and three on the right, each of them wearing those serious expressions on their faces. Pachirisu walked in line with Prince Volt.
Prince Volt looked right at Queen Esperanza and admired her beauty inside his heart. He made a mental calculation of how many hearts she could have possibly broken the day she married the king of Glacial Kingdom. But then again, who would want to be allies with a pokemon kingdom that was reluctant to fight any war? The Aurora Kingdom, under the reign of the Espeon Queen barely had any conquests. The recent one was one of the only he actually knew of.
He stopped before her and bowed in respect, knowing that she was the Queen and he was a mere Prince. Yet, she was no older than him. Luck favored her, he grumbled. I could have been the king if father would just pass on the torch.
"Rise," Queen Esperanza said in her heavenly voice. "You wish to have a word with me?"
Volt raised his head and looked up intently at the Queen. Now that they had the formalities out of the way, he could go on with the mission his father assigned him. The mission with a twist.
