FIDGET, BATRISHAN PRINCE OF DARKNESS
The Royal Couple
Aldorada, back in 1773
Fidget stood in front of his mother's grave in the courtyard of St. Alejandro's Chapel. Six years ago, the grave was just a new addition slightly buried in the center of a patch of dirt with Kaïra's daisy planted in the front. Now, it was on clear grass. The original daisy had proliferated, with vines growing upward on the grave's sides as younger daisies bloomed. The Batrishan put down a bouquet of lilacs in front of Geneva's grave, just bellow the beloved woman's name.
"How I miss you, Mother," he sighed as he made the symbol of the Christian cross over his chest. Friar Andre then began to ring the bells of the Chapel, indicating that it was now three in the afternoon.
"I'd best be off," Fidget said as he put his purple-and-black military tricorn back on his head. "I'm expected at the Royal Palace." He slightly bowed at the grave and walked out the courtyard, gently closing the iron gates behind him, and found his horse waiting for him. Fidget mounted on the beast and raced to the Palace, encountering a few peasants saluting him.
"Lord Fitzgerald! How are you doing?"
"Congratulations on your last victory!"
"Thank you for the prosperity you brought to every Aldoradian!"
Six years had passed since Fitzgerald Denada Cortés had joined the military. Success had followed the Batrishan, who was recently promoted to the rank of First Class Navy Sergeant by the Queen, thus granting him troops to guide to victory, while his father Hernan became General. With all the profit and new territories that the nation received from the father and son's endless victories, Aldorada was living an era of peace and prosperity that no one ever knew. All the citizens loved the Batrishan, who showed both modesty and generosity. He never bragged about his triumphs and mostly gave the credit to his fellow soldiers, and whatever money he received as royal reward he would donate it to the local charity services. Why, he even donated most of his childhood possessions to the children at the orphanages except for those that he valued most since they were linked to his mother.
"Good morning, Sergeant Fitzgerald!" a beggar called while Fidget was riding his horse through the city. The Batrishan stopped his steed in order to hat with the beggar.
"Hello, my friend," he said amiably. "Lovely day, isn't it?"
"It is. And where are you off to now?"
"I have an appointment at the Palace. Nothing much." Fidget pulled out a small bag full of coins and handed it to the beggar. "Here you go, my friend. Hopefully you might buy some bread with this."
"Thank you, my so-ever generous lord. May God himself be with you wherever you go." The two gave another a friendly good day before Fidget rode off.
"Look! It's Sergeant Fitzgerald Denada Cortés!" a young woman said in glee.
"Gosh, isn't he handsome?" another one squealed.
As the years grew by, the Batrishan had grown into a very handsome sixteen-year-old officer. His long, dark hair was well groomed and tied back in a ponytail, his body was well-built and slightly muscular. His purple-and-black Aldoradian military outfit was clean, with his medals polished, causing the sunlight to shine on him. Even his bat-like features didn't seem so scary. For some, he was a purer version of darkness, but most of the ladies saw him as a better version of Adonis with a mysterious background.
Once he arrived at the gates of the Royal Palace, all the royal guards gave him the military salute and let him in. A squire was sent to take Fitzgerald's horse to the stables while he went inside the palace.
"Good day, Sergeant Denada Cortés," Alvaro, the royal family's head butler welcomed the Batrishan.
"Hello, Alvaro," Fidget said. "I have a rendezvous with Prince Pablo and Princess Isabella."
"Of course. Right this way." And the two of them walked down through a series of golden halls full of portraits, paintings, statues, exotic plants and furniture, and more. As they walked, Fidget asked Alvaro how his brother Alphonse, a lieutenant whom Fidget knew from his at Aldorada's Military Academy and was on friendly terms with, was. Alvaro gratefully told Fidget that Alphonse was doing well and he was now on a short vacation at their Aunt Juanita's cottage in the countryside.
Finally, Alvaro led the Batrishan to a small garden where Pablo was watching his sister Isabella practice archery. The royal children had grown as well: Pablo had become an average-sized, yet muscular, blond man with a short haircut, while Isabella had grown into a lovely young woman with long golden hair, a slender figure that was well proportioned, and lovely green eyes that sparkled than her brother's…even though he was born with similar green eyes.
Alvaro didn't have to announce Fidget's arrival, for Pablo briefly turned his head away from his sister shooting straight into the bull's eye and saw his best childhood friend standing next to the butler.
"Fitzgerald! So great to see you!" the prince said happily as he rushed to embrace the Batrishan.
"It's great to see you again, Pablo," the latter said once they were done embracing.
"How was the battle against the army of Agrabah's sultan?"
"It lasted for only thirty some hours. But aside from that, we made a truce since-let's be frank-the desert was getting too dirty from local casualty blood. As a result, each side has an even split on the spoils of war…"
"FIDGET!" The Sergeant was cut off when Isabella suddenly gave him a big bear hug, slightly suffocating him. "I'm so delighted to see you!"
"Yes…but…can't breathe!" he stammered as he tried to breathe for air.
"Saint Mary, Isabella!" Pablo said in an annoyed tone as he managed to pull his sister away from their friend, who was now taking a series of fast breaths in order to fill his lungs with air. "You'll end up being the death of him before any war does!"
"I'm fine, Pablo," Fidget breathed. "The rest of my life is still awaiting me."
"Good. I'd hate for our best friend to die from my sister's constricting arms."
"Hey!" Isabella retorted as her twin chuckled at his little joke.
"Pardon me, your Majesty," Alvaro cut in after a pageboy whispered him something in the ear, "but your mother the Queen desires to speak with you privately."
Pablo sighed as he headed back for the palace, sad that he was requested right when his best friend just arrived. "I'm coming." And to Isabella and Fidget, he said: "Wait for me, alright?"
"Of course," Fidget said.
"Yes, brother," Isabella said. As soon as Pablo went inside and Alvaro had his back turned on them, Isabella pulled Fidget by the arm. "Come on," she whispered excitedly and the two headed towards the royal labyrinth, unaware that Alvaro was chuckling at their little escapade.
"Young love."
Time skip
"You remember of the first time we came here together?" Isabella asked when she and Fitzgerald stepped inside the unchanged secret garden from their childhood years.
"How can I forget?" Fitzgerald chuckled. Indeed, he had childhood memories of his times with the royal twins. The sweetest ones were always those involving him and Isabella. For as the years passed, Fidget had grown to love the Aldoradian princess for her sweet, fun-loving, yet patriotic, nature. "You showed me your dreams of having a happily ever after."
"With you," Isabella sighed dreamily.
"And I gave you one of these." Fidget picked up a lilac from the ocean of everlasting flowers and held it up to his nose, smelling its fragrant, purple perfume. "You also teased me with…"
The Batrishan didn't finish his sentence, for the princess planted him a soft kiss on the lips. A warm feeling was filling his soul as he quickly planted the lilac in the fair maiden's hair in order to have his arms free to embrace her and return her passionate gesture of true love with sincerity. The couple was living a midsummer night's dream even when they broke the kiss.
"I love you…Fidget the Bat," Isabella said enamored. The Sergeant smiled back at her before kneeling down and revealing a box containing a purple diamond ring, making the princess gasp in overjoyed surprise.
"For you, milady, I would fight mountains."