Chapter Two

-Is this really how I should think?

Rustling in her sleep, Aadya lifted her head up after her slumber. Her eyes were cloudy, she blinked away this cloudiness, only to notice the sun was still high in the sky. It seemed to only be noon, so both of them obviously haven't slept long… but Aadya couldn't complain. She always sleeps best with Kawan, but they of course couldn't sleep in the same bed yet. Naps in their little garden sanctuary was all she had in this moment. She couldn't wait until the day they finally were married. Every night they could cuddle together and she could fall asleep with him. Not just that, but he would be there every moment; which was what Aadya wanted more than anything.

She shakes her head lightly as if clearing her thoughts. Her face grew red, "Stupid training." She mutters under her breath. She blamed the thoughts on this, because every day her mother and her maids taught her that her ultimate goal was to provide for Kawan. Loving him made that easier… but she loved how noble he was, and how gentle and soft spoken. She had not met anyone such as him thus far. The way he looked, pure white, made her feel better about the odd splotches of white piebald covering her pelt. With him she felt safe and understood.

She looked at him as he slept next to her, watched as his face contorted in his sleep. She reached out a paw to gently caress his face, cooing. Aadya smiled at how, even in his tired state, he nestled against her paw. He was now calmed.

I wonder what he's dreaming about… I could always ask him. She thought, gazing at him fondly. They had been sleeping long enough, in her opinion. Aadya stood up, with a bit of a yell, she nudged Kawan with her paw firmly, "Wake up Kawy!" But he didn't wake up. She scrunched up her nose, leaning her head down and nipping at his ear. She tugs, growling, "Kaawy!"

Kawan quickly flicks his ear out of her mouth, opening an eye to look at her, "I'm up." His voice was montone and clear. Stern even. He turns away from her and lies on the other side of his body. "I was dreaming."

"Good!" She sits, her tail wagging. "WHat was it? Will you tell me Kawy?"

Eyes shutting tight, the albino eevee heaved the heaviest sigh she had ever heard. Her ears lowered at this, reaching out to rub his back, "Will you? Or is it too.. Bad? I hope you didn't have a nightmare."

Kawan sighed once again, and that made Aadya frown, was she forcing him? She didn't want to… but she really wanted to know what was going on in that head of his. So solemn, and quiet, waited his turn to speak. Only spoke when spoken to. Unless he was with her.

"It wasn't a nightmare. To some it might have been the opposite." He finally spoke, "But to me, it was both. I felt so relieved. Yet feeling like that was torture."

Aadya flinched at the harsh word.

"My mother visited me in my dream. She was a sight, everything my father had told me she was." At this, Aadya's tail started to wag vigorously, thumping against the ground, "That's so cool! What was she like Kawy?" Kawan sits up, gazing over at his betrothed, then to his paws as he began to speak, "She was confident, and smart, and lovely, and her voice was so soft and motherly… I knew she was my mother when she told me she was. But… I'm the reason she's dead. If i wasn't born, she'd still be alive."

Aadya gasped, her fur fluffing up. She was such a dramatic ball of eevee at the moment. She had never heard Kawan talk about his mother. Because, just like him, she knew she had passed away. Despite that, hearing he felt his birth was the cause of his mother's death made her feel concerned, and then he spoke again, "She was too young, and she wasn't ready."

"Listen.. Kawy.. even if you weren't the child, your mother having a kid so young would have killed her either way. It couldn't have been stopped. If it could have, it would have." She reached out to him and gave him a small kiss on his cheek, "Sometimes even when Arceus tries his best, he knows he can only heal by taking a life."

Kawan nuzzled into her, and she leaned against him, Aadya coos, and her tail wags, "Besides, if you weren't born, who would I look after?"

That made him scoff, and he stood up then, walking a few paces in front of her, "You barely look after yourself, dear." This comment immediately made Aadya's fur fluff up, opening her mouth to say something. She noticed his stub of a tail twitch, and once again as Aadya looked at it, she felt a wave of sadness run over her. It used to be so full.. And when he lost it, he didn't seem to care… She didn't love him for his tail. But she loved his tail.

He told her it would grow back. Soon it would be there again. She could cuddle it again. It was such a little, minor detail, but it trailed back to memories of when the two of them were younger, and when she was cold, he'd curl it up around her. Not only was she warm in that instance, but she felt extremely safe. Until the two of them were scooped up and taken back to their kingdoms for the night. Then she'd sleep and dream of being there with him again. She couldn't explain it, but such a simple thing reminded her of what they would be one day. And thinking of that made her… a bit nervous.

A sudden jolt ran through Aadya and she jumped to her paws, "My father wanted to talk to us today!"

"Us? Both of us?" Kawan seemed extremely taken aback, because he rarely talked to Aadya's father, because he was always doing most of the things kings would do, along with her mother. Aadya knew that Kawan was a little intimidated by her father, thinking he wanted nothing to do with him, "He… does? About what?"

"I don't know!" She says, awfully cheerful. Grabbing his paw and starting to walk away with him. He dragged a bit, easing up and starting to walk while she pulled him away. Out of their garden that allowed them to talk alone. Out into the bustling light that was her kingdom. So lively, and teeming with life. His was more quiet, simply because it was close to a mountain and also the mountain itself. But now that they would be uniting, soon this would be part of his kingdom too. And though all the out of place sounds and rowdy kids running around hurt his ears, he'd have to get used to it. She hoped he would, at least, for for her sake. She wondered what made her kingdom so childlike and playful and alert, and what made his so stoney and calm. Like he was a stream flowing, and she was the thing that made him ripple.

She led him through all the commotion, stopping to say hello to children playing. Those children were rambunctious, but they were extremely polite.

Taking him to the doors of her castle, past the white gates, and into it. There was a slight chime of bells as they entered, and Aadya happily says, "Aadya's here!" A kirlia pokes her head from around a corner as she says this, walking briskly over to them, and snapping her fingers, "Why, Princess! Your father has been looking for you!" The kirlia was wise looking, obviously younger looking than her age. She was thinner than normal, but it must have just been her physique. The royal family and the servants ate together, like one big family.

"That's why I'm here Trina. I would have stayed just a little longer with Kawan, but I know dad was trying to tell us something."

Trina nodded and clapped, "Good. Prince, Princess." When she mentioned Kawan, her eyes darted over to the albino eevee, "The king is on the balcony."

Aadya happily goes back to dragging her betrothed up two flights of stairs, each have fifteen stairs, and over to the balcony. Sitting there was a espeon. He peered over as soon as he came onto the balcony, with the help of his psychic abilities after all, "Come on you two, right next to me." They obliged. Aadya sat next to her father enthusiastically, wagging her tail, while Kawan timidly sat on the other side of the espeon.

"I wanted you here to tell you something important. I'm pretty sure you all know how far the kingdoms will stretch together. But now there are hoodlums running around. I've sent the best guards I can to seek them out." He began talking, while pointing to a cave in the distance. "I want you to be careful regardless, but there is off limits. There have been multiple sightings of them there. I think they have made a base."

Aadya looks to where her dad was pointing, then up at him, she huffs.

"We'll get those no-good hoodlums."

Her father let out a chuckle at her remark, "of course. Kawan."

Turning his attention to the mentioned eevee, "Do you think you could ask your father to be on alert as well, maybe even send some guards? I don't expect your best ones as I've sent mine, keep yours to protect your kingdom. Just a few as reinforcements." He gave him a warm smile, one that made Kawan gulp, "Yes sir. Anything to help." With a sound nod her father takes his leave

Aadya wags her tail, wasting no time as she hooks her paws on the railing to the balcony and hoists herself up. "We should go see Kawy."

"See what?" He asks nervously.

"The 'base'."

Aadya saw the look on his face. He was hoping she wouldn't say that.

"Did you hear anything your dad just said? He told us to be safe. He also said it's off limits. You know what that means? We'll get in trouble if we go there. Or.. you know.. die."

Aadya scoffed. "Then we just won't get caught. Besides, I just want to see. As princess I should know. Either we go together or I go myself!" Her tail was wagging frantically, and he saw the challenging look in her eyes.

"At dawn, okay Kawy?"

Kawan wasn't allowed out at dawn, or before… so now he'd really be sneaking out. With a sigh, and a heavily reluctant nod,

"It's a date."