Elizabeth's morning was not going well for her.

She had awoken oddly groggy and irritated. She didn't recall the last night all that well. She blurrily remembered the market, dinner, and then taking Kael to his room. Something stirred at the back of her head, some vague recollection of a horrible dream. But it was so faint and blurry that perhaps it was more something she thought. Or perhaps, a thought that she had dreamt.

She couldn't help but growl at the realization of how she had last left Kael. How appropriate, she thought wistfully, that having that weird fox be the last person she interacts with would cause her to have a poor night's sleep. For a moment, she thought that she was being unfair. Kael wasn't Darkrai, didn't have control over dreams. Blaming him for something that was surely out of his control caused her to feel guilt for a moment.

The moment quickly passed.

Not feeling up to her normal routine she lay back in her bed, drawing the covers up to her chin. She would tell Audrey, usually the first to visit her in the morning, she wasn't feeling well. The Buneary would bring her breakfast in bed, and the Braixen would lounge in bed for the day until she had to prepare for the banquet that night.

Unfortunately for her, Nurse wasn't having it.

"What are you doing!?"

The elderly Audino had barged in and was immediately on her case. She has spent a good fifteen minutes scolding the fire-type for leaving the door open, blaming the girl's poor rest and irritable mood on too much fresh air. No matter how much she tried to argue, Elizabeth just couldn't convince the older female to let her stay in bed today.

Groaning in irritation, she threw her covers off and made her way to her bathroom to draw herself a bath. If she couldn't have the day to herself, then at least she could try to enjoy what she could.

Thankfully Audrey appeared not long after Nurse's intrusion, and was much more pleasant in her help. Perhaps because she sensed Elizabeth's sour mood, or maybe to avoid annoying the Audino in the room.

So after filling the tub with hot water, quickly heated by herself, the got in and laid back, propping her head on the edge. She didn't normally like getting wet, but hot baths and springs were the exception. Especially on days like these, where a long enjoyable soak would help her unwind and hopefully put her in a better mood.

Audrey, after helping her settle in comfortably, hopped around gathering various items from various places. With a armful of things, she hopped back and dropped a pink ball into the bath water. It immediately began to dissolve, coloring the water pink and a pleasant floral fragrance made itself known. Elizabeth sighed contently, and murmed her thanks to her friend. Soon enough the Buneary began to run a soft brush through the Braxien's head fur and ear tufts. The very pleasant massage, coupled with the hot bath, melted away the tension and stress she was feeling from the unpleasant night.

After a few minutes of this, she began to doze off, her troubles gone at least for the moment...

Max's morning was going comparatively better than his sister's.

Having had no nightmares to spoil his sleep, the Riolu awoke in much better spirits than his older sibling. And opting for a active start to his day rather than lounging, he made his way to the courtyard just outside the castle barracks.

Naturally, he made a small detour and stopped by the wing of the castle housing the sleeping quarters for the staff. A few knocks at a certain door rewarded him with a Kirlia, still slightly groggy, and the pair were off before long.

The two exchanged idle small talk as they walked. The market and their new guests were the center of their chatter. Both agreed that the market was, overall, enjoyable, and that they liked the new dark-type addition to the castle. Although, Sam being the more cautious of the two, held some suspicion when it came to the Unovan King.

He chose to refrain from telling his friend this.

The sun was low in the sky as the two entered the courtyard. It was early enough that a majority of the guards would still be sleeping or on guard for another hour or two before their shift ended. This left the training yard quite empty, and the two wouldn't have to worry about spectators for some time.

The training yard itself wasn't all that impressive. On one side of the yard stood the barracks, a three story building where the guards slept and ate in their off time. Across the yard stood a small armory, stables, and tool shed. The third side lead to the castle, while the fourth side held several pathways to various other training areas. The center of the courtyard was a simple large ring for sparring and demonstrations. Lined up near the actual barracks were wooden practice dummies, ever holding their simple T shape.

After performing a series of stretches, Max marched up to a dummy and relaxed his muscles. He recalled from his sparring teacher that relaxing ones muscles was important in proper fighting. The old Medichan was strict and usually wore a scowl, but he was the closest thing to a proper fighting teacher that Max had.

He could remember, rather vividly, how the fighting-psychic type had told Max that fighting was an art. He chuckled dryly. "How," he had asked "is an art going to help me in a fight?" He had never gotten a response, other than a light slap on the shoulder as he was told to assume first position.

Deciding to just stick to his 'training', he assumed first position. Shoulders loose, lead foot behind the other, hands held in front of him with palms out. He breathed deeply, leveled his gaze at the dummy, and focused.

A moment later he sprung forward.

He closed the distance with Quick Attack, throwing a punch when he got close enough. A solid 'Thwack' greeted his successful hit. The dummy, attached to a swivel, spun it's arms in response. He ducked, then threw a few jabs at the stomach and sides. Avoiding the resulting spins, he finished with a Brick Break. The dummy shuddered and spun on it's stand as Max jumped back, carrying the weight in the balls of his feet, just as he'd been taught.

He allowed himself a slight smirk. He imagined the old Medichan would be impressed at that display. Emboldened by the small confidence boost, he jump forward again, this time opening with a double Force Palm, followed by a few jabs and finishing with a right hook. The dummy never did anything except spin in one direction, sometimes in the opposite. But they never offered any real resistance, and Max found himself quickly growing bored after another maneuver or two.

Eventually, he decided to try something flashy and different, confident in his ability to avoid the dummy's only move. So opening with Quick Attack, he chained it with a Force Palm uppercut, transitioning into a roundhouse kick. He couldn't help but smile as it felt good to show off a little, even if he and Sam were the only two present.

His satisfaction was quickly dashed when he landed at a awkward angle and stumbled to catch his balance. This few seconds of altered attention was enough for him to not notice the spinning arms of his target. The result was him getting solidly smacked in the face.

He stumbled backwards, a hand flying to his cheek as he found his footing. His face burned, half from the smack, half from the blush of embarrassment and frustration. To be hit by a basic training dummy was a blow to his pride. He had hit this same target dozens of times before, and had always been able to handle it. He considered himself a decent fighter, surely good enough to not be beaten by the pile of cloth and wood in front of him. He mentally scolded himself for letting himself be hit.

Remembering that he had a audience, he turned to look at his Kirlia companion, still pressing his hand to his cheek. To the psychic type's credit, he was trying to look encouraging, or at least not seem condescending. He offered at awkward mixed smile. Not quite a smile, but not a frown either. Although Max knew the Kirlia was trying to seem supportive, the gesture was lost on him at the moment.

"Having some trouble there Max?"

The Riolu jumped at the voice. Turning to look, he found a familiar Zoroark leaning against the wall, arms crossed against his chest and a quizzical look on his face. Max and Sam found it odd that, despite being larger and heavier than both of them, the dark-type managed to sneak up on the both of them.

"Oh! Good morning your Majesty!" Sam bowed quickly when he noticed Kael. The fox waved off the greeting.

"Please, just Kael. We aren't dotting on formality here Sam." Sam only nodded in response, albeit with a nervous look on his face. "So," Kael said turning to the short fighting-type, "do you usually spend your morning fighting wooden training dummies?"

"Well," came the hesitant reply, "sometimes. I gotta train if I want to get stronger, you know?"

The fox nodded his head. "True, true. Although," he smiled softly, "I take it that wooden dummies don't offer much of a challenge do they?

Max couldn't help but look at his feet in embarrassment, the stinging in his cheek seeming all the more pronounced under the older pokemon's gaze."W-well...no. Not very much."

"And let me guess," Kael continued," the guards and other military types won't spare or train with you?" Max nodded. "And any nobles your age around here are incredibly inept when it comes to battling, correct?" Another nod. Kael laughed. "Just as I thought."

Much to the surprise of Max and Sam, Kael sauntered over to the dummy to stand beside it, before turning on his heel and spreading his arms. "Alright, come at me."

The two stood staring, mouths agape, at the Zoroark's blatant challenge. It was several seconds later that they snapped out of it and voiced their opinions.

"WHAT!?"

"You heard me. You won't get any better fighting wood and cloth. And the guards won't fight you, for fear of harming their prince. So," he smirked, "the only other one who would actually fight you is another noble. Unlike all those other incompetent fools, I actually know how to fight."

Max couldn't help but frown at the statement as he raised a brow quizzically. "You know how to fight? Like a real, full contact, Moves allowed fight?"

"That's right."

"Pfff. Right." For a moment, Max didn't realize who he was talking to. Or, perhaps, he didn't care. "No offense Kael, but what makes you think you're any better than any of the other nobles?"

Kael only smirked. "Oh, I've been a scrap or two, believe you me."

"I don't see it"

The Zoroark smirked wider. "Then this should be an easy win, shouldn't it?"

Max frowned for a moment, thinking over the proposal laid out before him. It didn't take long for him to nod his consent. "OK. You're on."

The pair moved over to the large empty sparring circle. Max took a moment to hyper himself up, punching the air a few times while hopping from foot to foot. Ready to take on his opponent, he spun to face the fox and assumed first position. He was immediately confused when he saw that Kael was simply standing across from him, hands haning loosley, slouched as always.

"What are you doing!?" He cried. "Get into your stance so we can fight!"

"I'm ready to battle you as is Max."

"You said I was having trouble? Look at yourself! Your stance is... you don't even have a battle stance!"

"Then you should have little problem trouncing me, eh?"

The Riolu ground his teeth together. Kael volunteered to assist him in his training, but then wasn't taking it seriously? "Fine," he thought to himself as he glared, "if that's how it is, then I'll put him on his tail!"

Letting out a vicious (In his mind) battle cry, he used Quick Attack to launch himself towards his opponent. His plan was to simply land solid Force Palm or two, maybe throw in a Brick Break for good measure. Despite having little actual fighting experience outside of the scarce lessons with his father, he was sure he was better than Kael. And to top it off, he had the type advantage. A few super effective hits and the fox would be yielding without breaking a sweat.

His plan did not go as he had hoped.

He was speeding towards the Zoroark, Force Palm built and ready to deliver, when he was lifted off his feet, everything sped by in a blur, and he let out a "OOF" as he landed on his back. He lay there for a minute, trying to catch the breath that was knocked from him, staring up at the morning sky. Groaning, he eventually got to his feet, looking up at the only other pokemon in the ring.

Kael stood there, in the same position as they began, in the same exact spot, with the same exact expression on his face. He didn't know why, but those facts annoyed Max greatly. Enough for him to jump to his feet and attack again. A second time he went flying to land roughly on the sand. He tried a third, and thrice was he thrown to the floor.

His fourth attempt was different. He found his feet much quicker, speeding towards Kael in an attempt to catch him off guard. This time, Kael was forced to actually move from his spot, much to Max's satisfaction. His joy was short lived though, as Kael, glowing with a odd dark aura and blindingly fast, reached out to grab his wrist and then slammed a fist into his stomach. With the air knocked from his lungs, Max flew into the sand, rollin a few times before coming to a stop.

"MAX!"

Sam ran to the Riolu's side, helping him to his hands and knees while rubbing his back, hoping to help him catch his breath. Sam gently instructed his friend to take deep breaths and control his breathing. Max, not able to say anything in protest, simply obeyed. He gradually felt his breath return and the pain in his stomach dull slightly, and he looked up in time to see a red-clawed hand offered to him.

"You alright?"

Max stared a bit before grabbing the help offered and being pulled to his feet. Despite taking the help, he couldn't bring himself to look up from his feet. He expected Kael to go into a bragging fest, boasting at his victory over the younger fighting-type. Any minute now, he would be chastised, told to stick to his wooden dummies and not take on pokemon obviously stronger than him. Nobles were always snobby, and never let a chance to say 'I told you so' pass them by.

But the monologue never came. Instead, silence stretched on until Max's curiosity grew too strong, and he peaked up. Instead of the snobby, arrogant look he expected, the Zoroark was simply taking him in with a measured stare. Max tried to think of something to say, but his mind and tongue failed him. Luckily for him, Kael had much less trouble finding words.

"Would you like to learn?"

It was a surprise that Max didn't injure his neck he snapped his head up so fast. "Huh?"

"I said would you like to learn how to fight?"

Suspicion was the first thing to come into the little Riolu's mind at the proposal. He initially thought this was some kind of trap, draw him in then humiliate him when the opportunity presented itself. He almost told the fox off just as a reaction.

But, looking up into his black furred face, he didn't detect any malice or deceit in the odd colored eyes. Kael only had a soft, genuine smile on his face as he awaited the answer.

Ultimately, Max nodded his head, smiling himself.

The dark-type laughed a mirthful laugh, and Max couldn't help but giggle quietly.

"OK," he said, still wearing his smile "let's begin."

Max was quite impressed with Kael's knowledge on battling. The biggest thing he noticed about Kael's personal style put a lot of emphasis on reflexes and speed.

Kael, with Max and Sam by his side, went through the steps of what he had done to Max minutes earlier. Max had assumed that he was using some Move that he wasn't familiar with, one that gave him some speed advantage, or made him invulnerable like Protect. But he was wrong. As Kael walked through the steps, he saw it wasn't anything of the sort. It was just using his body.

It was really quite simple when he thought about it. The Zoroark, lacking the raw physical might of a Machamp or Lucario, relied more on twists and throws. He watched as Kael explained how he had grabbed Max's wrist, brought it close to his body as he shoved his opposite shoulder into Max's chest, then twisted his hips to, using his shoulder as a fulcrum, throw the Riolu to the ground.

"Fighting," he explained, "is much more than throwing Moves back and forth and the occasional dodge. There's a whole lot more. You must rely on your skill, on the environment, and even on deception, to be victorious. Think on your feet, play to your strengths, and, if the fight is calls for it, do whatever you can to win."

"But wouldn't that be cheating?" Came Max's objection.

"I'm not talking about battling Max. Battles, and by extension duels and tournaments, are regulated. They stop at a certain point, and the worst someone gets is bruises, some broken bones, and a wounded pride. A fight can be to the death. In these situations, you must take every opportunity you can. If you don't, your enemy will. Remember, in these situations, it is kill or be killed."

The trio spent a few hours together in that sparring yard, the eldest drilling the younger two, ignoring the occasional passing guard or servant. Most of it wasn't hard in and of itself. Rather, it was meant to build muscle memory and reaction time. Shooting into a defensive position from a rest, redirecting a blow, maintaining balance and improving footwork. The Riolu and Kirlia worked up a good sweat in their drills, but never relented or quit.

Something the both of them noticed, and both appreciated, was that Kael didn't sit off to the side barking orders. He was always right by their side, walking through the exercises, demonstrating where they had problems, and giving helpful advice to improving their form. Their reaction time was sluggish to him, their balance weak, and form terrible, but Kael didn't voice these thoughts. After all, these things didn't happen in a afternoon.

Eventually, Kael told them to stop and rest. The trio walked over to the stables, pulled up some chairs from the armory next door, and sat in the shade. Kael disappeared for a minute only to reappear with three skins of water. The three lounged for a bit, sipping the cool liquid and enjoying the rest in the shade. They, when the urge struck them, chatted about idle topics such as the weather, simply enjoying the quiet companionship.

Eventually, Kael was the first one who rose to his feet. "Alright you two, on your feet. We all need to make ready for tonight." A moan of regret, or perpahs laziness, was what met his statement. After a some coaxing on his part, Sam and Max found their feet, and the three began the walk back to their rooms for a bath before tonight's festivities.

It was Sam who, as they walked, noticed that Kael had disappeared from their side soon after starting. Glancing back, he saw the Zoroark leaning against the barracks wall, one hand on the stone and the other against his chest, eyes clenched shut. Concerned, he spoke, "Kael, is everything alright?"

By this time, Max had stopped slightly ahead of Sam and was looking at Kael, with interest more than concern. The Unovan Monarch opened his eyes to see his two younger companions staring at him. Attempting to ease their concern, he smiled, although it appeared pained. "Apologies boys. I'm a bit winded. It's been quite some time since I've had such a workout. A bit different than the paperwork and lab work I'm used too."

"I bet!" Max said enthusiastically. "Paperwork sounds soooooo boring! You need to work out more!" A innocent smile punctuated his statement, and the older fox couldn't help but smile in response.

"heh... your right of course." Pushing himself off the wall he leaned on, Kael caught up to the two. "Let's be on our way." Max happily agreed, a bath sounding very appealing at the moment. Sam, fighting emotions of curiosity, suspicion, and worry, followed his friends, choosing to remain quiet. Something, perhaps his intuition, told him that something wasn't right, although he couldn't put his hand on what it could be. But, as his companions chatted amongst themselves, he simply made a mental note to keep his eye out for anything suspicious

"OW! Nurse!"

"Oh hush miss Princess. It's not that bad."

"You're trying to SCALP ME!"

The early afternoon found Elizabeth once again being attacked by a heavy-handed brush. Having washed up proper, she now sat and endured the vicious brushing courtesy of her Audino nurse. As usual, it was more of a trial of her endurance than a peaceful grooming other girls would receive. Except tonight, Nurse seemed extra enthusiastic about it, much to the Braixen's chagrin.

"OWW!" She cried after a particularly strong pull. "What are you doing Nurse? Are you TRYING to take all my fur off?"

Nurse made a less-than-pleased noise from the back of her throat. "Please, what I'm doing is a Arceus-send compared to what we had to go through back in the day. Besides, you must look presentable, both for the guests and King Kael'themar."

Elizabeth snorted in response. "Kael'themar. Please, why would I care what he thinks? Sooner he leaves, the better I say."

Nurse, quite displeased with that statement, flipped the brush in her hand round and smacked her on the top of the head soundly with the back of it.

THUD

"OWW! What was THAT for!?"

"A Princess doesn't go around bad-mouthing others who don't deserve it." She waggled the brush towards the reflection in the mirror. "And especially those who are her seniors. Kael'themar hasn't been here two whole days and you already want him gone. Why?"

Elizabeth looked down for a moment, gathering her thoughts and trying to figure out how best to explain it to the older female. "Well... He's... Odd Nurse. Like Really weird and boring."

Changing a glance up into the mirror, she saw Nurse's face. She looked completely unimpressed, raised eyebrows and all. She flicked her wrist in a circular motion, telling the girl to go on. "Like, odd stuff always happens to me when he's around." Elizabeth, having let her thoughts, found herself letting thoughts and emotions flow off her tongue as if a damn had broken. "I've had nightmares and weird feelings ever since he showed. And when he's not being creepy, he's so boring! I mean he's a Zoroark! Where's the flair, the charisma, the roguish charm? There are plenty of stories of dashing Zoroarks sweeping princesses off their feet, yet he's so... dull."

Nurse, who had continued her grooming task as her Princess spoke, didn't say anything other than a non-commentary "Hmph"

"What?"

"Nothing miss Princess."

"No no no, I heard that. You don't 'hmph' unless your upset. What did I say that's so bad?"

"Well, if you must know, your being awfully judgmental towards someone you've known for less than two days, don't you think? Especially since your comparing him to stereotypes."

Elizabeth gritted her teeth and opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't find her voice. As much as she didn't want to, she felt guilty at the accusation. Nurse noticed her hesitation, and pressed on. "You should know better than to judge other based on what they should be. Is it fair to assume that I should just be some old doctor since I'm a Audino, or that Audrey bends herself over for every male she meets just because she's a Buneary?"

"W-well no..."

"Then why do it to Kael'themar?"

"…"

"Exactly." Nurse sighed. "I can't control how you think, miss Princess. But I urge you to listen. Have you ever thought that you find Kael so unpleasant because you have impossibly high, preconceived standards for him?" Silence. "That's what I thought. It's not fair to him, and not fair to yourself."

The Audino, having finally finished with the task of taming the fire-hued fur, put the brush on the vanity and petted Elizabeth's head, surprisingly gentle. "Remember Elizabeth, those stories that your parents told you about? The knights in shining armor rescuing princesses from towers, good winning over evil with the help of the Legendaries? They are just that: stories. You shouldn't expect life to be like that... You'll be disappointed if you do..."

The two stood in silence for a while. They had never truly had a heart-to-heart like this, and it was a odd feeling for the both of them. They let the moment sink in, not knowing when, or if, it would happen again.

Nurse was the one to break the quiet moment. "Well, that's enough of that. Now come on Princess. You still need to finish getting ready."

Elizabeth remained quiet, digesting the advice Nurse had given her. She simply nodded, not listening completely, and stood to follow Nurse as she stepped towards the closet.

As the sun began to set, there was noticeable movement towards the castle. Every noble within a day's travel had made their way to Lumiose. Communication with other kingdoms was usually in the form of messengers and envoys. The most personal relations were the occasional hand-written letter. But to have another Monarch, especially one of another powerful kingdom like Unova, was rare. Certainly not something that should be missed if it could be helped. So everybody who was anybody in Kalosian politics who was within a day's ride made their way to the capital.

Fully expecting such a reaction, the King and Queen made the proper preparations.

As the first guests began to arrive, the castle staff bean to usher them into the main parlor. The parlor itself was a spacious room just inside the main door to the castle. A grand staircase stood adjacent to the large oak doors, and a second floor ringed around the room, halfway to the ceiling, connected to the stairs and supported by solid stone columns below. A second set of doors stood at the back of the wall at the top of the stairs, as well as at various other points on the first and second floor.

Perhaps the oddest thing, at least to one unfamiliar with the workings of high society, was that almost every pokemon in attendance was dressed in some clothing in some way.

Most pokemon forsook clothing in favor of accessories such as scarves or bands. However, clothing and other ways to show one's wealth and status were quite popular in noble circles, especially if one was trying to impressive or gain a potential marriage. As such, those pokemon who were bipedal wore dresses or suits or jackets and shawls at the very least. The quadrupeds, on the other hand, wore shawls or capes that wrapped around their shoulders, or vests that hugged their chests. Naturally, various other accessories, styles, and grooming tricks were present as well.

Various types of pokemon flooded in and a Loudred, stood by the doors, announced the guests as they entered. Minor nobles entered by themselves or, if they had children, with the youths in tow. The more prominent or wealthy of the nobility had personal escorts, who entered before them. As more and more pokemon began to fill the parlor, they mingled amongst themselves, greeting and speaking with allies and trusted circles of friends.

By the time the sun began to dip below the horizon, shedding it's bright yellow coloring for more humble shades of red and pink, most of the guests had arrived, and the large room buzzed with dozens of voices. The loudred, who's official title was Royal Herald, made his way to stand next to the large staircase. Ned, the Bisharp Captain of the Guard, strode to meet him, and leaned in to whisper something before moving to stand on the other side of the stairs. Clearing his throat, the Loudred stomped three times, loudly enough to get everyone's attention.

THUD THUD THUD

"My Lords and Ladies, I present to you King Alexander and Queen Maria, Monarchs of Kalos!"

Everyone in attendance, both nobles and staffs, bowed or curtsied as the pair of announced pokemon appeared, arm in arm, at the top of the stairs before making their way down. Both wore their crowns and proper attire, Alexander in a black dress jacket and Maria in deep blue one. Once the pair reached the ground floor, the Loudred spoke again. "Crown Princess Elizabeth and Prince Maxwell!"

The two youths appeared next before making their way down the stairs. Elizabeth, after some help from Nurse, had slipped into a simple but elegant sky-blue strapless dress, coupled with a ribbon around her neck and around the waist. Max wore a similarly simple black dress jacket, as well as a little bowtie. Once complete with their descent, they stood by their parents as the Alexander nodded to the Loudred. Nodding back, the Big Voice pokemon made another announcement.

"My Lords and Ladies, I present King Kael'themar, King of Unova!"

The large oak doors to the parlor opened, and four pokemon strode in single file. Elizabeth and Max assumed that these were the four knights that Kael mentioned the day before. They, like everyone else in attendance, watched in interest as the Zoroark and his knights made their entrance.

First in the line was Letholdus, the large Tyranitar they had met in the market. Several individuals gasped and bean whispering when they saw the large dragon. Which was understandable, as most of the Kaolsian population was made up of normal, psychic, fire and fighting-types, with the occasional fairy and grass type. Something like the dark-rock type dragon was unlike anything they had seen, or even expected. Despite his size, he walked calmly and held a proud look on his face. His large physique and spikes didn't allow him to wear any kind of formal jacket. Rather, he had a long scarf draped over his neck and hanging down his front, red with gold trim. Once he reached the royal family, he bowed before moving to stand off to the side.

The second pokemon was, to Elizabeth, quite surprising. The individual was bipedal, vaguely weasel-like, and colored pale purple and violet with long whiskers and sleeves of fur. Elizabeth found herself intrigued with the pokemon, who she recalled after some thinking as a Mienshao. She was female, if the pink bow around her neck and white shawl around her shoulders was any indication. And she walked with a obvious sway of her hips, as well as obvious curves to her body that any male would find attractive. What Elizabeth found interesting was the way she carried herself. The confidence in her step, tilt of her chin, and sharp look in her eyes screamed confidence. That, coupled with her toned body, gave off the impression of being able to handle herself in a fight as well as any male in attendance. She managed to be both a woman and warrior, a study in contrast that was unlike anything Elizabeth had seen before. She curtsied elegantly before joining Letholdus.

The third Unovan knight was short, blue, and walked with a unmistakable swagger. The pokemon, a Dewott, had a smirk on his face and an air of cockiness, but it seemed that calling him arrogant didn't quite feel right. Perhaps it was just very confident in his abilities. He wore a wine-red dress jacket, lined with golden thread, just long enough to hide his twin scalchops. He seemed to have a flair for theatrics, as he stretched a leg behind him and flourished his hand when he bowed. With a quick flick of his coat, he made his way to stand with the others.

The last knight ahead of the King was a Charmeleon, once again a female judging by the pink bow and pale-green shawl. Unlike the others, this knight seemed much less interested in the proceedings. She made no attempt to hide the boredom on her face, but did follow every rule that etiquette dictated. She curtsied, albeit rather stiffly, and joined her companions. The Dewott leaned closer to say something to the fire-type quietly. Whatever it was, the Charmeleon glared and growled at him, to which he merely snickered.

Following his escort was Kael'themar himself. Elizabeth thought that, perhaps, in a different light and setting, the Zoroark might appear more interesting. Her hopes were quickly dashed at the sight of him. While he was wearing rich clothing, dark blue jacket with red insides and gold thread around the edges, he seemed even more dowdy, especially after the four fascinating knights.

How disappointing, she thought ruefully.

All those in attendance, save for the royal family, bowed or curtsied to the dark-type. Once he reached the family, standing in front of Alexander and Maria, the King spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "King Kael'themar, I welcome you and your knights to Lumiose and Kalos. You are welcome in our home."

"Thank you your highness." With that, Kael bowed and the family answered in kind. Formalities complete, Maria gestured for Kael to join them as Alexander nodded to the Loudred nearby. Nodding back in confirmation, he turned and announced again.

"Esteemed guests, please follow the staff to the great hall. The feast will begin shortly!" Murmuring began as, with the royal family leading, the numerous guests began to file to their destination.

The great hall was large enough to be it's own building, attached to the castle via the kitchens. It was a large rectangular room, with several long tables filling the length of it but leaving a large empty space in the middle of the floor. At the far end stood a elevated platform with another table perpendicular to the others, where the royal family and distinguished guests sat. Higher nobles sat at the tables close to the family, and the rest of the guests sat throughout the rest of the hall.

As everyone filled in and found the appropriate seats, the feast was brought out and served. As one could expect, no expense was spared in the meal. Bowls of meat slabs and diced potatoes were the heaviest options available. Bowls of salad, mixed with carrots, tomatoes, shreds of cheese and various bottles of dressing stood by for the more health-concerned. Dozens of loaves of bread of various types were always within reach, ranging from fresh baked white bread, to smaller brown rolls and loaves with nuts baked in. A dozen varieties of cheeses stood scattered throughout the tables, some fresh and some aged for years. Pot pies, roasted berries, and fresh fruits made good compliments to any choices. For dessert, pudding pies, candied berries, cakes and tarts, and crystallized fruits were prepared. Pitchers of water, oran juice, lemonade, cherry cordial and punch were chilled and prepared for serving, along with bottles of wine, brandy, and whisky for the adults.

In the middle of admiring the food, Elizabeth noticed that Alexander motioned for Kael to sit with them. As Maria and Alexander always sat together at the middle of the table with Elizabeth next to Maria and Max next to her, she expected Kael to sit next to her father, where distinguished guests often sat. Much to her horror, a new seat was placed between her and her mother for the Zoroark. She had to bite her tongue to stop from blurting out her objection. Much as she didn't want Kael sitting next to her for the whole evening, she knew objecting would make things more awkward. So she decided she would just block him out when she needed.

Everyone began to take their helpings and digging in. A small group of musicians began to play a pleasant tune, and everyone was put into a good mood. The hall buzzed with talking, loud laughs and the clattering of silverware. Naturally, things were more rambunctious among the lesser nobles, but it was still overall pleasant.

The next hour was filled with nothing but enjoying the meal. Elizabeth made the occasional small talk with her brother, but mostly watched and listened to everyone else. She was relieved that Kael was more interested in conversation with her parents than herself. That said, she quickly grew bored after having finished filling her stomach, and leaned her head on her hand as she watched everyone. At points, she had to shake her head to keep herself from falling asleep.

"Bored Princess?"

In hindsight, it was only a matter of time before Kael initiated conversation. Even so, she found she had to force herself to not snap at him. "A bit," she responded, trying to maintain the appropriate demeanor. "These things get rather bland after you go to enough."

Kael simply nodded, offering a hum in agreement. "True enough I suppose. Say, would you kindly pass me that bottle if you please?"

Glancing to where he nodded, she saw the bottle in question. Looking over the label, she saw that it was Kalos Red, one of the more strong types of wine, if her memory served. While not a fan herself, she did know that it was a favorite of her mother. "You drink Kael?"

"On occasion," he said with a noticeable smirk, "more so in gatherings like this than in my free time." Taking the bottle offered him, he filled his cup to the brim before taking a long swig. He stopped and looked however, at the voice directed at him.

"Can I have some Kael?" Max, on the other side of Elizabeth, was leaning forward to look past his sister at the black fox with a very excited look on his face.

"Max!" His sister chided him. "Your way to young to be drinking, much less something as strong as that!" Max gave her a annoyed look, very displeased with her reaction. "Don't give me that look! What would mom and dad say? Just stick to your juice and-" She shut up as she noticed Kael reaching past her to offer Max another cup filled with the fortified wine. Max snatched it up while his sister turn to look angrily and the Zoroark.

"What do you think your doing!?" He gritted her teeth and seethed as he smiled softly.

"Come now Princess, this is a feast. A little drinking won't hurt him. He's not a babe after all."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to scold him, but stopped when she heard Max guzzling his drink, and had to reach and grab his cup to stop him choking on his wine. "Arceus sake Max, at least drink it properly!" As she instructed Max to drink slowly and a little at a time, she looked over at Kael. "I hope your happy," she said, although not as harshly as she could have.

Kael simply smiled at her tone. "I'm here with you and your family, aren't I?"

Elizabeth, to busy making sure her brother didn't die by wine, only rolled her eyes but couldn't stop a amused huff. "You're unbearable."

"Is the Zoroark bothering you Princess?"

The three stopped and looked at the newcomer. A Machoke, wearing a pale-blue dress jacket, had approached them and stood on the empty side of the table. Elizabeth recognized him as one of the more influential lords around Lumiose, although his exact title and name escaped her at the moment. He looked quite serious, and something in his expression made the Braixen uneasy.

"Oh, uhhh... no. No we are fine."

"Are you sure? Just say the word and we can have your... guest... removed for you."

Kael, who was watching the new arrival through careful eyes, glanced at Elizabeth. "A friend of yours Elizabeth?" She turned to answer, but the Machoke beat her to it.

"You will address her as Princess, and not with such familiarity Zoroark." Instantly, Elizabeth and Max felt very uncomfortable. Something in the tone of the Machoke, and the way he seemed very aggressive towards Kael, just seemed off. Kael was unfazed at the hard stare the fighting-type was giving him, and instead returned it with one of his own.

"Ahh... You are one of them...I see how things are then." Elizabeth turned to look at him curiously.

"Kael?"

"It seems your countryman here has a strong distaste for dark-types."

"What?" That was the first she had heard of anything of the like. A bias against dark-types? It sounded ridiculous, and wrong on a principle level. But, as she thought about the way their muscular companion was staring daggers at Kael, it seemed to explain the un-called for hostility.

Luckily, Maria had taken notice of the situation, and inserted herself into the conversation. "Is there a problem, lord Ricardo?"

The Machoke, apparently named Ricardo, softened his expression when he turned to look at the Delphox. "Pardon, your highness, but I saw that this... Zoroark-" he sneered towards Kael as he said the word, "appeared to be bothering the Princess, and I felt it my patriotic duty to come to her aid."

"Her aid." Maria repeated it in a manner that hinted she didn't exactly buy it. "Right. I'm sure that you did it purely for platonic reasons."

"Of course your highness. Anything for the Princess." He gave Elizabeth the once-over, and added in a smile that she imagined he thought was charming, but came off as creepy.

"How noble of you. However," Maria continued in a very displeased tone, "you seem to have insulted our guest here."

"Ah. Yes. How rude of me." Although he said this, his tone was more mocking than sincere. "And let me guess, the young King's name is... Řezník?"

Everyone's eyes flew open, save for Kael. He simply sat there, giving the same leveled glare that he had been the last few minutes in stoney silence. Maria, on the other hand, was much more responsive."Ricardo! Is there something that you would like to say?"

He spread his arms and shrugged. "I don't know what you mean your majesty."

"I think you do. You know quite well what calling him that name implies."

"Is It wrong for me to assume what we all know to be the truth?"

Max, who had been listening in closely, spoke up. "What do you mean the 'truth'?

Ricardo glanced at the smaller fighting-type. "My Prince, I feel it my duty to warn you of what this... guest of yours is. His sires were tyrants, rapists and murders. They spread death, war and genocide to the whole world. He has their blood in his veins, so it's only a matter of time before he follows in their footsteps. Best you get rid of him now."

Max, whose eyes went wide at the statement, tilted his head slightly. "B-but Kael is nice! He wouldn't do any of that. Even if his ancestors did, what's that got to do with him."

Ricardo shook his head, letting pity show both there and in his voice. "Young lord, you don't know dark-types. You must learn: They are all the same. Tricksters, deceivers, and traitors. My family lost many good pokemon fighting his kind over the years. So I think I'm qualified to say I know his kind more than anyone in this room."

"So what?" Elizabeth spoke up, "Are you saying we should just throw him into the streets and let him make his way back home?"

"Well if I had my way," Ricado said with a air of a teacher explaining to a child, "then I'd give him a length of rope and a sturdy tree branch."

SLAM!

Everybody nearby jumped a Maria jumped to her feet and slammed her hands onto the table. "RICARDO! I will not tolerate such disrespect to a honored guest!" Although he didn't need to jump in, as Maria was more than capable of handling herself, Alexander was watching with a stern stare.

Ricardo put his hands on his hips in defiance. "Honored guest? HA! This boy walks into our kingdom, into our capital, and he gets the red carpet rolled out for him!? Have you forgotten that it was his kind that we went to war with only a few decades back?"

"The actions of a small group pokemon does not mean that all of them are like that. And you have no room to speak! Your ancestors fought, you didn't! You have never been in a real fight, much less a war!"

Ricardo frowned heavily, but did not back down. "And why are we giving him such a welcome anyway? Unova hasn't been allies with any major kingdom for years now! Why should we care that their royalty just shows up at our door? Oh! I know! Because you used to be close with that succubus of a mother of his!"

"Don't you DARE speak of her like that," Maria hissed, the air around her quickly growing hot.

"And how is he the King anyway? The King is the oldest male in the bloodline unless someone dies or advocates the crown. So do tell, how is he a King at only 20? Oh let me guess, he murdered his parents to gain the throne! I wouldn't put it past him. And he probably has his sister chained to his bed and is now looking to do the same to our Princess!" The argument had gotten very loud, and a good number of pokemon were watching. Some, at the last statement of Ricardo, began to murmur. Some in concern, and some in agreement.

"Enough."

To everyone's surprise, it was Kael that spoke up. He had been silent throughout the argument, simply sitting with slitted eyes and his claws steepled together. His oddly colored eyes were not cold and hard, not unlike steel. He lowered his head and stared at the table top. "My pardon, your highness. I did not intend to cause such a fuss with my presence. I will make myself scarce."

Maria, who had moments ago looked ready to burn the Machoke to a crisp, now looked worried. "Kael... you don't-"

"Yes, I do. I don't wish to cause anyone trouble. Besides," he lowered his voice to a whisper, "I'm used to it." Rising from his seat, he bowed to the two monarch at his side, then mirrored the action to Elizabeth and Max. "I thank you for your hospitality, your highnesses, but I fear I must bid you goodnight." Before turning to leave, he look directly at Ricardo, who stood with crossed arms and cocky smile. "My apologies sir. Goodnight."

As he began his walk to the door nearby that lead to the kitchens, Elizabeth noticed movement out of the corner of her eyes. The table that had been specially set up for Kael's knights had one empty spot. While the other three watched their lord in concern, the Mienshao had gotten up and made her way to meet Kael as he reached the door, and the two made their exit together.

Ricardo, apparently satisfied with results, bowed lightly, offered a cocky 'your majesties' and made his way back to his table. Elizabeth noticed that several other pokemon, most of the fighting-types, were looking quite chipper about the situation, and patted Ricardo on the back upon his return. The rest of the crowd sat in stunned silence, and it was only by Alexander's insistence to return to the feast that things returned to some semblance of normalcy.

Maria, who stood staring at Kael's empty seat, turned to whisper something to her mate. After Alexander nodded, she strode off to the exit herself. Alexander made no move to follow her, but did seem far less jolly and spirited than a few minutes earlier.

Elizabeth was simply shocked at what had transpired. That was the first time she had been exposed to such blatant hate. The things that Ricardo had the gall to say made he stomach churn unpleasantly. Max was not faring much better. In fact, he seemed worse, if only because he liked Kael more than his sister, and was hurt to see the black fox receive such treatment and be forced to leave.

The rest of the feast was unpleasant. Max, who had been very spirited and happy until that point, was very subdued. He wore a frown, was much quieter than normal, and didn't even eat the desert laid out for him, something unheard of to Elizabeth in all her life. Max was usually the first to ask for desert, and more often than not had several helping when he could convince his parents to let him do so. He was worse than Elizabeth in that regard, but not by much.

Elizabeth, herself, was uncomfortable with the whole affair. True, Kael'themar was not her favorite pokemon in the world, that much she could admit. Be that as it may, she certianly would never have treated him so poorly. The pure aggression and bias against him was painful to watch. What she found so odd was his behavior, just sitting there and taking it. He made no attempt to argue or even respond in any way.

Her mother was also a point of concern. Very rarely did Maria ever raise her voice, and when it did happen it was usually either scolding her or her brother. She had never seen her mother so upset over the treatment of someone else, much less someone not related to her. And the way she left had unsettled the fire-type, as that was completely new behavior for the Delphox as she knew her.

As she poked at the food, to stressed and bothered to even eat her own deserts, she ran something through her mind. Ricardo had mentioned that Maria had been close to Kael's mother. Curious, as no mention of Kael's mother had ever been brought up. Thinking, she didn't even know anything about Kael's family. All she knew was his ancestry, but that was of little concern to her. Something else that was said popped into her mind.

Ricardo was correct. A Prince didn't become King until he was willingly given the crown and throne by the current monarch as they retired. That, or he was the oldest living blood relative and was at least 18. The more she thought, the more interested she became. Just how had Kael gotten to be King of Unova? He was only 20, unusually young to just be given the crown by his parents.

The rest of the night Elizabeth spent going over all this in her head. She barely paid attention to the going ons of the other feast goers. Her bad mood did little to help, and by the time she laid down to sleep, she had a headache.

As she closed her eye to try and rest, a small thought of some comfort came to her attention. A silver lining really.

Perhaps this Zoroark wasn't so boring after all.