Welcome to chapter 2! Thanks for those who took the time to give me advice and feedback on the first chapter. Some very good advice that'll I'll be using going forward. Cheers to you guys XD

With that all said and done, hope you enjoy!

"STOP!"

The horrific vision Elizabeth experienced was washed away by a wave of dark energy. It hurt, but it was like a splash of ice water into her mind, shocking her back to her senses. She blinked a few times to clear her vision, back in the room with the creepy Dusknoir across the table. Taking a moment to hold her head at the dizzy feeling, she turned to look over her shoulder at who the new voice belonged to, and who she assumed had launched the Night Daze.

At the entrance to the room stood another fox pokemon. Unlike her the newcomer was much more muted in color compared to her, having dark grey and black fur. The only real color the pokemon had was the red on it's claws, face, and the wild mane it had resting on it's back. It stood noticeably slouched, and ended up being right around her height, maybe a tad taller.

The black fox wasn't looking at her as she observed him. Rather, he was sending a very venomous glare across the room. Following his line of sight, she was met with a very nervous looking Dusknoir. The much larger ghost type was constantly wringing It's hands and shifting restlessly. It was rather odd to see such a reaction from the large Dusknoir in response to this smaller and thinner pokemon.

"Back off Duša. Enough of your ghost tricks." The newcomer growled.

"No tricks here young Zoroark" the ghost answered back, it's tone that of someone trying to talk their way out of trouble. A tone the fire type new well from growing up with her brother. "A simple business transaction. Peddling my trade, like any other merchant here."

"Don't lie to me Dusknoir" the Zoroark took several steps forward to place himself across the table from Duša, and next to Elizabeth. "I saw what you were doing. You know better than to try that."

The ghost type only grumbled in response, lowering his head in a sign of submission.

Snorting in irritation the dark fox turned to face Elizabeth, swapping his irritated expression for one of concern. "Miss," he began, "are you well? Everything alright?"

Being only a few feet away, the Braixen got a good look at the Zoroark. He wasn't bad looking, but he certainly wasn't the handsomest pokemon she'd ever seen. What she found rather odd was his eye colors. His right was a icy silver-blue, while his left was a emerald green. She hadn't seen anything quite like it before, either in her life or in her books.

She was snapped out of her stupor when she realized he was waiting for her response, staring expectantly. She shook her head to dispel the dizziness left over from the Night Daze and vision and attempted to answer.

"Y-y-yes. I-I'm Fine."

The Zoroark look unconvinced, but did not press the issue further. Nodding, he lifted his arm towards the entrance. "Allow me to escort you out," he said as he gently set a hand on her shoulder and bean to lead her.

"Hovadina!" The Dusknoir shouted out as the pair moved to leave, obviously upset over something. "Musì Zaplatit!"

Her new companion whipped his head around to glare daggers "Dost"

Duša flinched. Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder if what her companion said had been a threat or a command. By the tone and the reaction, it could have been either, quite possibly both. Looking completely defeated, the large ghost looked at the ground. "Courtesy of Lavender Town," he mumbled. "First vision is free."

"Good. Now," the Zoroark spoke in a authoritative tone, "gather your things and get out of here. Don't speak or even look at another Kalosian. And if your not gone within the hour... you'd better hope Arceus protects you. You'll need it"

After hissing out the last undisguised threat, the Illusionary Fox turned to face the Braixen, doing a complete 180 in expression and demeanor to once again shift from anger to concern. "Let's go"

Nodding, she allowed herself to be lead out of the dark, constraining tent and out into the sunlight. Immediately, Elizabeth felt better. The warm sun on her fur re-energized her, and the fresh air helped to clear her head. Looking around, things seemed just as happy and energetic as when she had gone inside. Already, the disturbing experience with the Dusknoir was pushed to the back of her head, nothing but a horrid, blurry memory.

She felt the hand on her shoulder force her to stop, and she turned to face the Zoroark. He was looking at her with a neutral expression, and she couldn't imagine what he might be thinking, no matter how hard she tired to read his face.

"You really should be more careful Miss," he said matter-of-factly. "Duša and many others prey on the trusting and naïve. Take advantage of you. I wouldn't recommend walking around the market without a escort, especially since your-"

"Excuse me!?" Elizabeth found herself shouting.

She hadn't had much experience with others outside of the castle staff and other nobles in court, and certainly not much with common pokemon. Yet this stranger, who hadn't even introduced himself, was calling her naïve? Thinking more on it, this pokemon had inserted himself into her business without so much as a by-your-leave. It was a... odd experience, sure. But a lot of things in this market were odd, that didn't make it a danger necessarily. She was a mature pokemon, and she would have been fine without his interference.

"Of course," he continued on, "it's not entirely your fault. The incense he had acts almost like a sedative on the mind. He could have asked you for anything and you would have complied. Nothing to be ashamed of though. Every new goer who is ignorant falls for it."

"My good man," she began, not bothering to hide the anger in her voice ,"I am quite capable of taking care of myself."

The Zoroark raised a brow. "Yes. Clearly. And I suppose next you'll tell me you've learned how to use Judgment?"

Her fur stood on end. This fox was quickly becoming one of her most dis-liked pokemon she'd ever met. Speaking to her in such a condescending manner irritated her beyond belief. She was a princess, she held more authority and power than this arrogant dark-type ever would. And even then, it was just plain disrespectful.

Part of her told her to walk away and leave this whole situation behind. Another part of her wanted to just tell him off, see his reaction to that. Another wanted to call the guards and have him punished for speaking to her in such a manner. The part that won, however, told her to do something completely different.

She punched him square in the face.

He was speaking to her, saying something she couldn't care less about, when she jabbed her fist up into his face. She was a special attacker, so it didn't do as much as her brother's would have, and she was sure her form was flawed in several ways.

But if felt good.

It was satisfying to see his head snap back in response and stumble back a step. He held a hand over his muzzle, his eyes wide with surprise. He stared at her a few moments, processing what had just happened. She didn't give him the satisfaction of coming up with a response, as she spun on her heel and walked away, leaving a very shocked Zoroark in her wake.

Moving quickly through the crowds, the fire type made her destination the last place she had seen her brother. It was a relatively short walk, and she immediately noticed that there wasn't a huge crowd clambering around anymore. It seemed that the whole incident had been resolved, which was hopefully a good thing.

Pushing through the last of the crowd, she instantly noticed Sir Letholdus, the huge Tyranitar, speaking with the Mr. Mime shopkeeper. Off to the side she spotted her brother, no worse for ware it seemed, with Sam and Audrey. Currently the Kirlia was energetically shaking the Riolu back and forth by the shoulders, shouting at him while Max could only listen dizzily.

Straining her ears as she got closer, she could pick up what he was saying.

"...do you know what would happen to me if you got hurt!? How could I tell you parents I LOST you!? Why don't you EVER think of ME when you do things like this Max!?"

She couldn't help but smile at the unique way Sam showed he cared for her brother. Though he did have valid points in his little rant, that wasn't the issue they were focused on. She was sure Sam was happy to see Max unharmed. She walked up to her friends, a playful smile on her features. "OK Sam, I think he gets the idea."

Releasing his grip, Sam let Max fall onto his rear in his confused daze. The Kirlia nodded, running his hands through his hair attempting to relax. Audrey hopped next to him, patting him on the shoulder to comfort him. Out of the corner of her eye, Elizabeth noticed Letholdus push a pouch into the Mr. Mime's palm, each nodding to the other. The shopkeeper moved back to selling his wares while the large dragon turned to the four.

"Alright everyone," he began, "now that that..." he glanced over at Max ,"...situation... is over, let's get a move on. My Lord is sure to have found your parents by now and I'm sure they'd like to have you with them when they head back. This way if you please"

The going was easier with the Tyranitar leading the way. The crowd split in order to avoid being trampled by the large reptile, and that left plenty of space for the four to follow him comfortably.

"So Max" Elizabeth began, earning the attention of the others "what exactly happened with that bracer? Where did you go exactly?"

"Oh! I went to Camphrier Town!"

"...Wait, what?"

"Yeah" Max said cheerily, as if the whole event was a joke and hadn't given his friend a heart attack."I waved, and then everything went white, and the Poof-" He waved his arms to put emphasis on the 'poof', "-I was standing right outside the town hall. Gave some pokemon a real scare!"

"Uh... Max, Camphrier Town is miles away. It'd take half a day to walk there. And you got there in half a second?"

"Basically yeah!"

"Please" Sam cut in "don't ever do that again. You really gave me a scare."

"Aww," Max said playfully, reaching out to hook his arm around Sam's neck, "You worry too much." He gave Sam a playful noogie, much to the Kirlia's objection. The girls couldn't help but laugh at the small display of their friendship.

"Hey Kids! Over Here!"

Having made it to the outskirts of the market and where the carriage had been left, it was no small surprise to hear a familiar voice call out. Looking up at the voice revealed a Lucario, next to a Delphox, waving them over. The four friends broke away from their rock-dark typed escort, and trotted over to the two adults.

"So" Maria began once they had gotten over "how was it? Enjoy yourselves?"

They all agreed, Max most energetically and Elizabeth the least so. Max began to regale his parents with the events of the afternoon, with Sam and Audrey adding colorful commentary where appropriate. Elizabeth was much more quiet, recalling the events of her afternoon, and found it distasteful. Her silence did not go unnoticed however.

"What's wrong dear? Didn't you enjoy yourself?"

She looked up to meet her mother's concerned stare. "It was OK I guess"

Maria was not satisfied with that answer, much to her disappointment. "Why don't you tell me about it? Might make you feel better."

Elizabeth let out a sigh, half in annoyance and half in resentment. "Well-"

"Forgive me your Highness. I believe I may have something to do with your daughter's displeasure"

Recognizing the voice and not liking it one bit the Braixen turned, only to be met with a very familiar Zoroark. He didn't have his hand over his muzzle anymore, so it was safe to say that he had gotten over her punch. His expression was, once again, neutral and revealed nothing in terms of emotion.

The rest of the group turned to look at the new addition, and the King and Queen shared a look before Maria spoke. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, the Princess had gotten into a bit of trouble with a... rather unsavory individual. I stepped in and extracted her before any harm could come to her. Although-" he glanced to Elizabeth, who stood with arms crossed, "-I don't imagine she appreciates the gesture."

"I would have been fine!" She said, raising her voice just enough to give it a edge and ignoring the looks her family gave her. "Besides, who are you to jump into my business?"

Much to her shock and irritation, the Zoroark chuckled.

"My pardon, Princess. I believe we haven't had the pleasure of being introduced." He shifted an arm behind him, his right held horizontally across his waist, and bowed lightly.

"I have the pleasure of being Kael'themar Soumrak, King of Unova"

…

Elizabeth could only stand and gawk the dark type, pure shock clearly written on her face. She barely registered the rest of her family having similar reactions, though less extreme than her own.

"Ah-hem" her father's cough broke the silence after a few moments, him stepping forward to the slightly shorter pokemon. "My apologies, King Soumrak. I hadn't received word that you were planning a visit." He spoke evenly, but his words held the subtle implication of the fox being uninvited. It was quite common for nobility to have such hidden meanings and implications in their formal talks.

"Yes. Well. That's because this visit is strictly for... personal reasons. Off the record, you understand."

The statement brought confusion to the group present, and the looked to each other in hopes that one of them understood what he meant. Well, everyone save Elizabeth, who had a very different train of thought at the moment...

Sweet Arceus I nailed the Unovan King right in the face...

Ultimately, it was Maria who stepped forward to speak next. "King Soumrak, It is a pleasure to meet you. Allow me to formally welcome you to Kalos." Smiling pleasantly, the Delphox fell into a well-practiced curtsy, with Alexander following suit with a bow of his own. Sam and Audrey, although not being spoken to directly, fell into their own bow and curtsy out of etiquette. "Although we are happy to have you here, I must inquire as to why you've come under such... unique... conditions."

Rather than show concern or offense at the pseudo-interrogation, Kael'themar only smiled as he answered. "Of course. Actually, Queen Maria, why I've come is primarily concerned with you as well as your family."

The Queen rose a brow in mild surprise and interest "Oh?"

"Indeed." Reaching up into his mane of wild fur, the Zoroark withdrew a white envelope. Maria took the item offered to her, and read the writing on the outside. Her expression went from curiosity to shock, and a slight bit of horror. Before anyone could ask, she ripped open the envelope and read over the contents of the letter inside. Her face switched between several emotions, pain and surprise the most common, over the course of reading before she finished. Sighing, she looked almost pleading as she held the letter out to her mate, careful to the writing hidden from everyone else.

As Alexander took the letter and began reading, Maria did something that surprised everyone in the group. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around Kael's neck in a tight hug. "I'm sorry" she whispered something else gently, only enough for the Zoroark to hear. The younger fox placed his hands around her back, returning the hug. He mumbled something back to the Delphox, making her chuckle lightly.

After a few moments, she released the hug only to place her hands on his shoulders. She looked him in the eyes, nothing but care radiating from her. "You are most welcome here."

He smiled softly in response "Thank you."

Alexander, having finished with the letter himself, sighed as he put it back in the envelope. He stepped forward to place a hand on the black fox's shoulder, offering his own apologies. The younger members looked at each other confusedly, particularly Max and Elizabeth. They had never seen their parents act so... friendly to someone they were formally meeting, much less one they just met. It raised questions in the both of them, and they made a note to ask when the time seemed appropriate.

"Please," Maria said, "come join us. A banquet will make a nice start to your visit."

Kael'themar smiled but shook his head. "I appreciate the invitation, but I must decline. There are some matters that I must attend to here at the market before I leave. And besides," he chuckled "it's already late afternoon. I wouldn't feel right making the kitchen staff rush to prepare a banquet in such a short time. However, I would join you for a small dinner if you'd have me."

Alexander looked down in thought for a moment. "Are you not travelling with the Market Kael'themar? Do you not have your own entourage?"

The Zoroark shook his head. "They are not. I know the actual owners quite well, and talked them into allowing me to travel with them since our destinations were the same. I only have four of my knights in my own company."

"Well then," Maria cut in, "that settles it. You'll join us for dinner this evening, and we will prepare rooms for you and your knights." Kael opened his mouth, as if thinking to protest or add something, but ultimately decided against it and nodded.

The three spoke a few moments more, straightening out any details that remained before parting ways with another round of bowling and curtsies. After bowing to the two older monarchs, Kael'themar turned and bowed once again to Elizabeth, Max, Audrey and Sam before turning to walk back towards the market. Letholdas, after bowing quickly in departure, hurried after the Unovan monarch.

The royal family climbed into the carriage once again and set off towards Lumiose Castle. Unlike the ride earlier, this one was much less excited and much more somber. Most notably off was Maria, who simply stared out the window with fogged over eyes. The rest, sensing her off mood, mostly kept quiet and to themselves.

"Alright," everyone turned to look at the Lucario, "Kale'themar will be joining us for dinner. I'll speak to Cecilia about making a banquet tomorrow. I expect the both of you," he looked meaningfully at the Braixen and Riolu, "to be on your best behavior tonight."

"Yes dad," came the response from both. Elizabeth learned her head on her hand as she stared at the passing scenery. Today had not gone at all like she had thought it would.

She could only hope that tonight went better.

"Aww c'mon Liz! What's the matter?"

"Nothing Audrey"

A few hours later found Elizabeth and Audrey in the fire type's room, preparing for dinner. Following their father's instructions, Max and Elizabeth had retreated to their room to groom and make themselves presentable. Not wishing to endure the painstaking grooming process she knew Nurse would put her through, Elizabeth had grabbed her friend, sprinted to her room, and had spent the last few hours talking more than preparing.

"Don't be like that Liz. I know when you're upset." The Buneary chatted as she groomed and styled the Braixen's fur. She had a much better eye for fashion than her royal counterpart, and both knew it. More often than not, Elizabeth allowed the normal type to help her prepare herself for company rather than do it herself. "I thought you'd be excited! You've been talking non-stop about suitors coming for months, and now one has. A King no less! That's, like, a upgrade from what you were expecting isn't it? Why are you so... 'blah'?"

Elizabeth sighed as she stared at her reflection in the mirror of her vanity. Audrey had decided on a sea-blue ribbon around her neck, as well as a shiny finish to her fur. Not as much as she could have done, but this was only a small dinner. She knew she would be dressed up like a doll come tomorrow's banquet. Still, it was a pleasant little addition, adding without overdoing it. Elizabeth approved.

"I don't care that he's a King Audrey. He's a arrogant jerk," Elizabeth huffed. "You should have seen how he spoke to me! He acted like I was a toddler! I'm eighteen for Arceus' sake, I don't need a babysitter."

"Well I'm sure he was just looking out for your well being..."

"He was stalking me! How else would he know where and when to find me? And to just barge in on me? If it was anyone else they would have faced consequences. Instead, he gets to hide behind his title."

"Liz, I think your being a bit harsh," her companion chided as she rummaged through the jewel box sitting next to the mirror. "I know you old enough to look after yourself. But you have to admit, the market was really weird. Like stuff-you've-never-seen-before weird. We really didn't know what to expect or find anything about it right?" Elizabeth nodded, albeit hesitantly. "So isn't it possible that he saved you from something you didn't know about or understand? That doesn't make you stupid or anything, but we were kinda ignorant of how things were. So... just keep that in mind, OK? He seems like a genuine guy, so please don't give him a hard time."

Elizabeth thought on what her fluffy companion had said. True, they had seen things that they never would have imagined. Some of it seemed downright otherworldly. For a moment, she recalled the sense of sand and waves and pelipper cries, like she had was at the coast. But a moment later the memory was gone, and she couldn't quite place where it had come from. Even still, she couldn't argue with her friend. The whole thing was rather surreal, and maybe there was some hidden danger she was unaware of. However, the thought of apologizing to the Zoroark, especially after her little boxing practice, didn't sit well with her. Crawling back to someone to apologize was something she loathed, and doing it so soon afterwards just...

Elizabeth grimaced after wrestling with her thoughts for so long and spoke. "Alright Audrey. I'll take it easy on him. Maybe he's not so bad once you get to know him." The Buneary could easily hear the lack of enthusiasm, almost resentment, in the statement, but declined to confront her about it.

Having lifted a pair of pearl earrings and a golden necklace up to the mirror for effect, she shook her head and placed both back into the box. "Jewelry is overboard. That'll come tomorrow. For tonight, your all set."

Smiling and nodding her thanks, Elizabeth got to her feet and made for her door. Bidding her companion a farewell, she began her walk to her brother's room. Knocking upon arrival, she was greeted with a Kirlia at the door. She smiled, "Evening Sam. Is Max ready?"

Sam nodded then looked over his shoulder. "OK Max, time to go." A moment later a freshened up Riolu appeared at the door and, after a short farewell to his friend, the siblings were on their way. Elizabeth hopped that the walk would be silent, as she was still shifting through her thoughts on their guest. Max had other plans it seemed.

"So," the short fighting type began with a knowing smirk, "what are you gonna say when he asks to marry you?"

Elizabeth said nothing as she reached over and tweaked his ear.

"OW!"

The rest of the walk passed in silence as the pair arrived at their destination. Knocking on the door as they had done that morning, they were greeted with a muffled "come in", and they entered.

The familiar sitting room helped put some of Elizabeth's apprehension at ease. The fireplace was lit, and the chairs had been rearranged to be closer to the table in a star formation, closer to a actual dining room than the laid-back arrangement they had eaten lunch in. Once again, they were the last to arrive. Their parents sat in the same position from lunch, both looking just as comfortable as earlier. Next to Maria sat Kael'themar, also looking completely at ease. The three nodded at the pair as they took the two open seats. Much to Elizabeth's chagrin, Max took the seat closest to their father, leaving her to sit next to their guest.

"Good evening Maxwell, Elizabeth," the dark type greeted.

"Hello!" Came Max's reply, wheras Elizabeth opted to nod instead as both took their seats.

Once comfortable, their father spoke up. "Well I'm sure you kids have some questions. So go ahead and ask anything you-"

"I HAVE QUESTIONS!" Came Max's enthusiastic response.

Their Zoroark guest couldn't help but chuckle at Max's outburst. "Oh, so this is where the interrogation starts is it? Very well Max, ask away."

"What's with your name?"

"...Umm. You'll have to be more specific Maxwell. I don't follow."

"Your name," Max said as if it was the obvious answer. "It sounds so weird! Almost like it's made up. Not that it's a bad name, it's actually kinda cool! But why that name? Who came up with it? Can I call you Kael instead?"

Kael'themar had a blank look on his face for a few moment before he burst out laughing. It took him a second of stifling his laughter behind his hand before he commented. "Well those are genuine questions aren't they? You sure speak from the heart Maxwell."

"Really? I thought I was speaking with my mouth! But I guess that shows what I know about biology!"

Another round of laughter, this time including Alexander and Maria, and ever some giggles from Elizabeth. "Well," Kael began, "Yes my name is rather odd to you I imagine. It's not based on Common poke-tongue. It's based on a dead dialect of northern Unova. My ancestors lived in a clan there a few dozen generations ago. Eventually they migrated south, and integrated with modern society. My mother, who studied the old tongue, gave me a name that they would have used. And yes, you both may call me Kael if it suits you."

The next fifteen minutes was spent in pleasant conversation, with Kael being the topic for the most part. They asked him several question about himself, and he answered promptly. One of the most surprising things to Elizabeth was that he was twenty, not that much older than herself, with a birthday in early autumn. Besides that, he was a relatively well mannered pokemon, and he openly admitted he found himself rather boring. Most of his days were spent meeting with other political leaders, accounting, and other necessary but boring tasks of running a kingdom. Very rarely did he ever get any time to relax of pursue a hobby as the siblings so often did.

They were in the middle of chatting when they heard knocking at the door. After Alexander called out for them to enter, the door opened to reveal a very familiar Slurpuff. Once again pushing in a trolley filled with food, and having the same silly smile on her face, Cecilia strode in for the second time that day. Accompanying her was Audrey, who shot a interested look at Elizabeth. The fire fox smiled and nodded softly, causing the rabbit to beam brightly.

"Good evening your Majesties," Cecilia said in a loud, authoritative voice. Despite the attempt to look formal, the goofy grin and over exaggeration in her voice made her look more comical than anything. But she probably already knew that, and was doing it to keep the mood light. "We have prepared a wide array of dishes for you enjoyment this evening. Should anything be found wanting, or you find that you have a craving that cannot be satisfied, please bring it to my attention post-hast so that I may satisfy you fully. Without further adieu, I bid you bon appetite."

With her little speech completed, and the meal laid out by Audrey during, the pair curtsied and left the five to their evening. The selection was wide and varied. Slabs of steak, a few loaves of bread, and large garden salad were the most plentiful. Steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, slices of cheese and a arrangement of berries accompanied the main courses. A pot of tea, a large pitcher of moomoo milk, and another of cherry cordial stood by to wash it all down. And for dessert was a pair of bowls, one containing various nuts, all covered in chocolate or caramel or powdered sugar while the other held candied fruits. A delicious meal to be sure.

As everyone began to help themselves to the spread, a question crossed Elizabeth's mind. "Kael."

He looked up as he placed food onto his plate. "Yes?"

"I had a question. Not about you, but about Unova."

He nodded "And what might that be?"

She took a moment to think, to consider how to word her question. "Your King. That means Unova is a monarchy, like us. But I remember that some of my books said Unova had a council that made decisions about how to run it. Which would make it a Republic, but Republics don't have monarchs or inheritance. Can you clear up the confusion?"

Kale smiled. Not in a condescending or teasing manner, but one that showed genuine amusement. "A very astute observation Elizabeth." He set his plate down on the table as he leaned back and looked up for a few moments. "You are correct on both accounts." His smile grew slightly at the confused look she gave. "I am King, which is a monarch position, which I inherited from my parents. I do make decisions about how to manage the kingdom, and I do handle most correspondence with other kingdoms." He paused a moment, scrunching up his face in what looked like difficulty wording his thoughts. "However, there is a council that I must work with when making the larger decisions that affect the populace. It's a group of thirteen others. All older than I, from all around Unova, and all different backgrounds. Each represents a different group, the military, the merchants, farmers, craftsmen, scientists, and so on. They all put in their two cents on the larger matters, and if seventy-five percent of them are in agreement on a issue, they overrule me."

"Why?" Came Max's voice. He had stopped mid-bite to speak up. "That seems kinda silly. Why would they need that? We have mom and dad make all the decisions, and Kalos is doing great! Why can't Unova do the same? Are you a bad person or something?"

"MAX!" The blue pup flinched at his mother's scolding tone.

Kael sighed, his face dropping a bit from it's neutral look as he closed his eyes. "I don't consider myself to be one, although I'm sure there are others who would have different opinions of me." He opened one eye to look directly at Elizabeth. The piercing gaze, and the subtle implication that came with him looking solely at her, caused her to look down at her meal in discomfort. "The reason, young Maxwell, is because of the past."

Four confused faces greeted his response, so he decided to clarify. "My great great grandfather, Řezník (Jezz-neek) the Red, was a tyrant. He abused the power of the throne, and started several wars, executed his political enemies, and even started a genocide of normal-types. Thankfully, he was eventually overthrown by the Unovan people, but his rule left the idea of an all-powerful monarch... less than appealing." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "After some discussions, the council was formed as a sort of... checks and balances. So as not to have a repeat of him."

Silence greeted his explanation. No one had expected such a story behind the odd governing body of Unova, nor the serious nature it carried.

Eventually, things returned to normal... or as normal as could be expected. Everyone tried to push the dark history lesson behind them and enjoy their supper. Kael asked some questions himself about the siblings and their lives. What was striking was what he asked. He never asked simple things like their favorite color or sport. Rather, he asked what they enjoyed reading, favorite weather, and other oddities of their character. Elizabeth couldn't help but feel suspicious about it. It felt like he was... fishing for something, seeking specific information without being obvious about it. She could only wonder...

Her moment of thought was broken when she heard her name. "Thank you for joining us Kael'themar," her father was saying, "if you'll follow Elizabeth, she'll show you to your room."

Berating herself for her flustered thoughts, she rose hastily, wished her family a good night, and made for the door. She hear Kael rise, give his own farewell, and begin following her as she stepped out the door. The sound of her family wishing them good night was cut off as the door closed.

The walk in and of itself wasn't horrible, but she wasn't exactly enjoying it. She still didn't particularly care for the pokemon next to her. He was... OK, for lack of a better term. Still, she didn't know all that much about him, and a first impression is hard to shake. Even more bothering was his apparent shift in attitude between the market and his formal visit. So rather than try to make awkward small talk, she chose to remain silent. Kael, perhaps having the same train of thought, did the same.

Except for their footsteps, the hallway was silent as they walked. It was dark out, with the moon well into it's rise and stars peppering the sky. Normally the Braixen might have stopped and admired the scene for some time. Tonight afforded her no such luck.

Arriving at the guest door prepared for their royal guest, she turned to face him. He stood a appropriate distance away, looking at her expectantly. She was taken back for a moment as she met his eyes. In the dimly lit hallway at this hour of night, and with his naturally dark fur, his eyes seemed to stand out all the more. Blue and green stared back at her, not quite glowing, but close. In some small, dark recess of her mind, she thought that, under slightly different circumstances, those eye would be terrifying to see. But at the same time, another part argued that, in a third scenario, it would be exciting to run into him in such a secluded place...

Shaking herself for her scattered thoughts, she gestured to the door besides her. "Your room. I hope you have a good night Kael'themar." He nodded as he said "thank you," and reached for the knob as she began he walk to her own room. Before she had taken five steps, a thought occurred to her. They were alone, so she could openly speak her question without her family prying for details.

"Hey. About our meeting at the market..."

The dark type, hand still on the handle, moved away from the door as he faced her. "Yes?"

She looked over her shoulder at him, "What was with the Dusknoir? You didn't sound too happy to see him."

Kael kept his composure, his poker face impressive. She began to wonder if his face was actually made of obsidian for all the emotion she'd seen him emit. "True. I didn't care for him. Had I been a minute later, their could have been serious consequences for you."

"I don't understand," she insisted. "What was so bad about getting a fortune told?"

"The fortune wasn't the problem, although I have my doubts about that as well. My concern was with the payment."

"Pssh," she waved his concern off as she shrugged her shoulders. "Is that it? You of all people should know that I don't want for money. No matter how exorbitant his price, I would have had enough poke to cover it. If not on my person than I could have-"

"Money isn't the issue."

That statement caught her by surprise. She turned to look back at him. He had shifted, the head now looking off to the side, out the window and up at the stars. "Please try to understand Princess. You look into things, study long and hard enough, you learn secrets that you'd much rather not know. One of those is that there are other, more..." He turned to stare at her, his steely gaze easily unnerving her "...Permanent... methods of payment."

She laughed uneasily, the only reaction she could come up with. "S-so, like what? He was... trying to eat my soul or something?" She tried to laugh again at how absurd the statement was. But she quickly stopped when the Zoroark gave no reaction, continuing to stare, more through her than at her.

For reasons she couldn't fathom, she was scared. She had expected a laugh, smile, some reaction to the ludicrous statement she just put out there. But his serious reaction threw her off.

What's his problem? He's so serious about this. I don't get it. It's not like what I said is possi-

Her blood ran cold as she felt, for a split second, a feather-light touch run across her shoulder and down her back to rest at her side. Then, in the back of her mind, barely audible, was a voice:

"Now the Lady must pay..."

In a instant, Elizabeth lost all her nerve. Turning away and spitting out a hasty "good night," she ran down the hall. She didn't turn to see if he was still watching her. She could feel his gaze on her back as she retreated down the hall and back to her own room.

Reaching her destination, she shoved open the door and slammed it shut, resting her back on it as she panted for breath. She tried to control her breathing and slow her panic, but to no avail. How long she stood there she couldn't guess, but eventually her breath returned and she could think properly.

What in Arceus' name was that?

The thought bounced around in her head as she readied herself for bed. As she put away her accessory, brushed her teeth and splashed water on her face, she went through any and all possible explanations for what she experienced. And each was discarded. It wasn't until she had lit the fireplace and gotten under the covers and tried to sleep that a explanation presented itself.

The wind! Yeah, that's all the noise was. The wind whistling down the hall. And I was probably just inside for so long that the breeze felt like someone touching me. Yeah... yeah that's all it was... no need to stress Liz...

Before she could fall asleep, one more point presented itself: Keal'themar's reaction. What had that been about? He seemed awfully serious about whatever he had on his mind.

Who knows... guy's a weirdo... But that's his problem, not mine...

She couldn't remember where she was.

Everything was black, people running and screaming just adding to her confusion. She walked slowly, hoping to see something that might give her a location. She looked around constantly, hoping for a landmark or sign to tell her something about where she was and what was going on.

She got it a minute later, in the form of and explosion of fire.

She looked and saw her home in flames. The fire licked at every home, every building, and even the grass and trees. The very sight brought some pain to her heart. She had family and friends there. If it was all on fire then...

"I'm sorry," someone said. She turned to the voice and squinted at the light from the fire behind him. She could barely make out a dark color, with bits of yellow in places. Whoever he was, he walked towards her, stopping a few meters off. Whoever he was, he was tall, dark, and had a single glowing red eye...

The figure lifted it's arm and pointed at her. She flinched, closing her eyes in anticipation, but nothing happened. Looking once again revealed the figure standing there, still as stone while It pointed. She opened her mouth to ask, to ask what was going on. To ask where they were. To ask why they were sorry. To ask anything.

"She's the one," it spoke again.

Instantly, a loud roar came from above, causing her to kneel down and cover her ears in pain. She heard a great flapping of wings, then the ground shook. "So this is my prize is it?"

Terrified yet curious, she tilted her head up to look at whoever spoke.

The creature was the biggest she'd ever seen. It was some sort of dark-colored bird, if the talons and wings were any indication. She opened her mouth to speak again, but was quickly deterred by the second roar. The large creature threw it's head back and gave another ear-splitting cry. Except this time, the bird lit up. It's body glowed a blood red, with black tracing the outer edges and some streaks along it's body.

It lowered it's head and looked her in the eye. She saw blue eyes with a pupil that glowed red from within. She tried to speak, to move, to run, to ANYTHING. But the gaze paralyzed her, no matter how hard she tried to move. She was forced to watch as the creature grew a sinister grin.

"I'm coming for you, little pet"

Elizabeth gasped as she sat up straight in her bed. She was panting heavily, and both her and her sheets were soaked in sweat. She placed a hand on her chest to help calm her stampeding heart. She looked around and confirmed that she was still in her room, everything just as she had left it. She sat still, trying to control her breathing and racing mind.

She tried to recall her dream, but it was like catching smoke with her bare hands. She had some faint recollection of fire and a town and a familiar figure and... some horrible creature. The harder she tried, the less she remembered. Eventually, she couldn't recall what exactly had scared her, but it had been terrifying whatever it was.

Swinging the covers off and her legs over the edge, she stood up and walked over to open her balcony door. The cool night air was incredibly pleasant, and helped her relax quickly. She looked up and saw innumerable stars dot the sky. She tried to look and point out constellations, but she never had any mind for picking one group of stars out of the thousands that were up there.

Still, they were nice to look at.

Judging by the moon, it was around midnight. And not wanting to be exhausted for the day ahead of her, she took a few more minutes to clear her mind and stare before returning indoor. She opted to keep the door open, however. The fresh night air was comforting and pleasing and would help her relax she told herself.

Deciding a glass of water would be needed before she could sleep, she wandered towards her nightstand, where a glass and pitcher were kept every night. A glass, maybe two, and then she's sleep. However she was surprised to see a glass vial next to her pitcher. It wasn't very big, around the size of a drinking glass, and whatever inside was white. The vial had a large, rounded bottom and thin neck. It had delicate engravings and designs going around the sides, but she didn't care enough to look closer. What she did take note of was the small note tied to the neck labeled 'Drink me'.

Deciding this must be some sort of gift, either from Audrey or another maid, she uncorked it and drank. Whatever it was, it was delicious. It had the consistency of warm moomoo milk, but was much richer and smooth than any she'd had before. She could have easily drank a pitcher on her own, but when it ran out, she found herself oddly satisfied.

She laid down in bed, feeling much more relaxed than she had awoken. She shifted to make herself comfortable and closed her eyes. A few seconds later found her snoring peacefully.

What she had missed when she had picked up the vial, either to the dark room or her own lack of perception, was the tiny string of twine that, to the bottle, attached a small tuft of black fur.

The second thing that she missed, this time due to her falling asleep, was the black figure that snuck over her balcony and into her room. It reached out to take the vial but stopped a moment as it turned to leave. It looked over her as she slept, concern and a hit of pity in it's eyes that didn't quite glow, but were close.

Then it was gone, disappeared into the night leaving no trace of it's visit except for a fluttering curtain.

So interestingly enough, this chapter was actually supposed to get a little farther in the story. But after looking it over, I decided that it would drag on if I did end it where I planned. So I cut it in two, trimmed and polished it, and the first part ended up as this.

Any advice/criticisms/suggestions/life advice for me? Lemme know!

Also, be sure to tip you waiters and waitresses when you go out!

Cheers!

Mr. Maverick77