The young hedgehogs height came off as even greater than usual as he rode his chicobo steed back inside of gates, securing his family's castle. He shook off his cloak once his feet hit the ground after dismounting from his pet, whose feathers were just as jet blacks as his own fur and quills, save for the small patters of red on the top of his head. His dark red eyes darted around the courtyard as he was greeted by a few of his fathers' usual guards.
"Prince Shadow!" The smaller graying hedgehog in the front of the group called out as they all took a knee to show their respect. "It's truly a blessing to see you again after so long." The man at the head of the pack stood up only to have those behind him follow his lead. "And in such strikingly good health!"
"Where's my mother?" Shadow demanded as he walked past the men and up the steps to the main castle doors.
"She's in her chambers with Doctor Gordon." The older hedgehog called out while running to keep up with the far younger Shadow. "She's still feeling a bit under the weather from her last outing into the city."
"And my father?" Shadow asked coldly while stopping his stride and looking at the finely leveled cobblestone floor in front of him.
"In his War Room with some local dignitaries." The old man cleared his throat before continuing. "And has asked to not be disturbed."
Shadow scoffed at this. He'd been gone nearly two years to receive what he considered a pointless, yet prestigious, education and his own father still refused to make time for him. "Please inform my mother of my arrival once she is feeling well enough to see me." The young prince demanded as he made his way up a large staircase to find his bedroom. Perhaps it was for the best that he spends the remainder of the evening alone and try to find some solace in his return to the hub of the kingdom that would soon be his.
The brown and tan furred female squirrel wasted no time at jumping on the opportunity to sneak away from her chores. Chances like this only came around a few times a week, and she was just as bad as her twin brother when it came to taking advantage of a chance to goof off. Even if she'd swear from the heavens, and then back down to the earth, that she was no where near as childish as him. However, her actions usually proved otherwise.
Her father had tapped Randy, her male twin, and their four younger brothers to aid him in cleaning up the newly arrived steeds, and thus charging her with taking a cart out and picking up more haybales. Retrieving the hay and oats was usually a two-man job, but her father seemed panicked by the importance of the people that had come in, on the many mounts, that now needed tended to. This was the perfect opportunity to do as little as possible and have no one around to rat her out.
Of course, this wasn't to say the young teenage woman was lazy, as by no means she was. Her family was devoted to their hard work, as was she, but everyone needed a break every now and then. Especially those with a wandering young mind that dreamed of bigger and better things than caring for overly glorified livestock.
Sandy had unhooked the chicobo that had drug the cart to the hay field so it could graze while she threw just enough hay in the back for her to comfortably lay back so she could start a book she'd recently borrowed from a passing trader. She had nearly made it through the first chapter when an odd sound caused her to sit up in fear of being discovered.
To her surprise she found a familiar, yet foreign, man shooting his bow at some hay bales facing in the opposite direction from her. She carefully crawled out of her hiding place and snuck up on the man still unable to believe it was really him. She was nearly a dozen feet behind him before he dropped his bow and turned while pulling his sword.
He looked at her with anger for a moment before his firey red eyes blinked and his sword went limp to the point the tip hit the ground in front of him. "Sandra?" He questioned out loud in disbelief to the young woman standing in front of him.
"Well, if it ain't da queen of England herself!" Sandy laughed before she ran up and hugged him. "I can't believe it's really you, Shadow!" She squealed before she pushed herself off him and gave him a playful slug on the chest.
The male seemed to be nearly speechless as he looked up and down his lower-class playmate from the past. "You've grown." Was all he could get out while still shocked at the sight of the young woman before him.
"Me?!" She laughed. "Look at you!" She now stepped back and overly exaggeratedly gestured towards the royal man in front of her. "You're even more annoyingly tall now! And oh muh gawd..." Sandy grinned at him mockingly. "Did you go and get all macho on me, now? Disgusting!" She giggled so hard she missed seeing him blush while re-sheathing his sword.
"I've always been manly." He corrected with a small smile as seeing her again easily brought him out of the foul mood that had been drowning him since his return.
"Muh girly ass beating ya at every game we ever played is hardly manly." Sandy teased with a wide grin while taking a seat on one of the dark yellow hay bales.
Shadow rolled his eyes before taking a seat on a bale across from her. "As I recall you were quite the cheat, and besides... you were hardly girly then." Shadow shot back and instantly retreated it as the look on her face went from one of joy to turmoil.
"I can't believe ya'd say that about me..." She breathed out heavy as if hurt.
"Sandy... I..." Shadow started as guilt crept up on me.
"Sounds like yer still a sore loser!" She imminently beamed proudly. "Guess dis tomboy is gonna have ta kick yer sorry butt in a rematch." The female squirrel winked at him before standing up and stretching as if to get ready for their long overdue game.
"She's almost exactly the same as I remember her." Shadow thought as he watched her prepare herself for their rematch of some kind. His visual focus then moved in on the sight of rear as she bent over and groaned a little as she limbered up. "Almost..." Shadow whispered to himself before swallowing down much of his excessive saliva.
"Bow first?!" Sandy jumped around and looked at him hopeful before her demeanor took on a disappointed look before turning her head and peering over her shoulder.
Shadow followed her glance off in the distance to see her father riding towards them while yelling something unintelligible.
"Shoot." She sighed. "Guess me showing ya what for is gonna have ta wait a while." Sandy looked back at him apologetically before then turning and running off to meet her parent.
"I can't wait." Shadow spoke lowly with hope after she was too far away to hear.