Author's Note: Thank you, Risingzero2001, aliciathewolf45, aqua9597, Captain and CrimsonDestroyer for your last reviews! I hope you guys enjoy the next chapter. Sorry for the late update!
•~•
Back at Mobian court, Arthur and Samson spooned in bed together after a heated romp. The two males panted, out breath from their latest performance. "You were great," Arthur praised with a lazy smile.
"Not too bad yourself," Samson chuckled with his own sly grin. He rolled over and pecked him on the lips giving him a chaste kiss. "I'll be rejoiced to get out of this kingdom by tomorrow," he said as he moved out of bed and began to put on his clothes. "Perhaps our next assignment will be in the Acorn kingdom and we can visit that little resort outside the kingdom, you know the one," he hinted with a sly grin.
Arthur sat up in bed, watching him get redressed while admiring his physique. "It'll be a perfect romantic getaway."
Samson caught his longing gaze and cocked a curious brow in response. "What is it?"
He shook his head and smiled innocently. "Nothing, it's just, I love you, you know."
Samson cracked a smile back hearing the sincerity in his tone. "I love you, too." He walked over and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll make sure I'm not seen when I leave."
"Alright, good night, love," he called to his retreating form.
Samson opened the door and looked back at his boyfriend for one last time. "Night, sweetheart."
•~•
A few minutes later, Samson made his way down the hall towards his own chambers, but stopped when he felt like he was being followed. Feeling paranoid, he looked around not seeing anyone in sight and continued his journey. But as he rounded a corner, a cloaked figure wearing all black appeared at the other end of the hall. Samson turned to make a run for it, but the cloaked figure got to him before he could scream. He tripped Samson, causing him to land hard on his side.
As Samson tried to scramble away, the figure flipped him onto his back and pulled down his collar. Under Samson's struggle, the figure proceeded to brand him with the rider's mark. Samson screamed in agony as the brand scorched his flesh before he released him. Quickly, Samson got to his feet and ran for his life down the hall.
The figure watched him depart before pulling off his hood revealing himself to be none other than Sonic! "Stage one set."
•~•
Meanwhile, back at Antoine's estate, Amy and Cream waited for the servants to finish their beds for the night. The two girls sat out on the patio together enjoying the night sky in silence. After a long moment of silence, Cream turned and looked at her friend. Just from her expression, Amy looked deep in thought and heavily conflicted. "What are you thinking about, Amy?"
Amy's eyes focused on the moon high in the sky as she processed her question. "That everything feels so distant and that I cling to that distance, Cream."
Cream tilted her head, lost on her statement. "What do you mean?"
She sighed. "I can't stand any male trying to touch me; even a courteous touch of the hand," she explained, thinking back to earlier in the night.
Cream frowned, realizing where she was going with this. "Oh...well it's normal," she assured. "Especially after what happened…I'm sure it will pass eventually."
Amy looked at her, not as optimistic. "What if this is what my life is going to be like from now on?" she hypothesized.
Cream shook her head. "That's not true, you will recover fully because you're strong."
Amy closed her eyes as her ears went flat against her head. "I-I don't feel strong. I feel like I'm sleepwalking and I don't know how to wake up," she admitted.
"Have you talked to Shadow about any of this," Cream probed curiously.
"A little, in fact, I told him that I couldn't be intimate with him anymore. I don't know if I'll ever be able to be that vulnerable again, and I don't want my nightmare to bring him down," she explained. "Who knows if I could ever show him my heart again…"
"If your heart wants to sleep, let it. Many things can be forced out of duty." Amy reached over and hugged Cream unexpectedly. The young rabbit embraced her back, trying to comprehend what Amy was going through at the moment. She couldn't imagine how she truly felt.
"Thank you for joining me on this journey, Cream."
"You're my friend, Amy. I'll always be there for you," she smiled.
•~•
At that same time at Mobian court, Arthur was woken from his sleep after getting word that Samson had been arrested. The brown squirrel made his way into the throne room with urgency. "What is the meaning of this?" Arthur questioned anxiously. He looked to the right seeing Samson held and detained by two guards. "Why is he being held?"
"He's one of them—a radical," Shadow answered simply.
"That's insanity!" Arthur barked. "Unhand him, right now," he demanded.
Seeing his disbelief, left Shadow with no other choice. The king sighed sadly. "Show him," he commanded. One of the guards holding Samson pulled down his collar revealing a freshly branded and bloody mark of the riders on his shoulder. Arthur's eyes widened with dread as Shadow nodded in confirmation. "He's a heretic as you would say."
"Listen to me, I was branded against my will! I was attacked," Samson defended.
"I've known Samson for years, his loyalty is indisputable!" Arthur argued.
"His loyalty has surely run out." Shadow looked to his guards. "Take him to the dungeons."
"No, wait!" Arthur begged. "He's a good person."
"You insisted that those who carried the mark were traitors. I'm only carrying out the edict that you and the council authorized," he countered with a smug smile.
The guards dragged Samson away, kicking and screaming. Arthur followed after them, leaving Shadow and Sonic alone in the throne room.
"Do you really think this will work?" Sonic questioned skeptically. "I mean, the two are secret lovers, but do you really think Arthur won't let Samson take the fall?"
"He loves him, and I know he'll do whatever he can to protect him. It will work," Shadow said with determination.
•~•
The next morning, Amy brushed her hair in front of the vanity as she got ready to leave. But when she heard a knock on her door, she stopped combing and turned around in her seat. "Come in," she called sweetly.
The door opened and Prince Cordovan sauntered inside. "Good morning, your grace."
"Oh, Cordovan, what brings you here?" she smiled as she stood to greet him.
"I came to say goodbye. After last night, I'm sure you don't wish to linger any longer than needed," he started. "But I also wanted to thank you for helping me escape."
She smiled graciously. "I was glad to do it."
He rubbed the back of neck nervously. "There's just one thing I'm curious about…"
She tilted her head to the side in intrigue. "Oh, and what's that?"
"It's just…I was thinking a lot last night and, well…will you really go back to Mobian court when you're done with your vacation?" he inquired curiously, almost hinting that she shouldn't.
"Well, where else would I go?" she laughed lightly.
He turned serious. "Have you considered heading back to Mercia?" She faltered at the thought causing him to continue his explanation. "You might be safer there than here."
"There is unrest in both kingdoms, Cordovan."
"But here you have a husband whose decisions endanger you," he countered passively. Amy remained silent, almost looking offended by his comment. "I'm sorry, but it's true," he concluded.
"Whether it's true or not, it's me that will deal with the final decision. There are things you don't know about my marriage, things I will not share with you."
He chuckled softly at her. "I admire your loyalty, but-"
"—You have no idea what Shadow's intentions are, or how he's suffering because of what happened. But beyond that, I don't trust your motives in this advice."
His right eyebrow raised in surprise, as he looked taken aback by her truth. "Why not?"
She exhaled before recomposing herself. "Because I read your letter."
He froze, feeling his heart skip a beat. Did she mean the letter where he confessed that he was in love with her? If that was what she was referring to, then, what did she think? How did she feel? He took one step back, cautiously as he felt the atmosphere change suddenly. "Oh, y-you never said…"
"—I know that you tried to get that letter back. One of the servants you sent to retrieve it told me so," she explained. "You wished that, that letter had never been sent, and I respected your wishes."
"Look, Amy, I wrote that letter thinking I'd never see you again," he defended. "You have to understand that it was not an attempt at seduction."
"I know," she smiled weakly. "None of us are responsible for our hearts, only our actions. I'm not accusing you of anything."
His tense stance eased in relief. "Then there isn't much to say, is there? I suppose honesty does that." Amy just smiled back at him, keeping quiet, while Cordovan returned a small smile. "Well, goodbye, then," he said as he began to turn.
"Goodbye, Prince Cordovan, may you have better fortune than Mobius has offered you thus far." Cordovan bowed respectively, then turned and left.
•~•
Back at Mobian court, Sonic stumbled across Arthur leaving Samson's cell. The male squirrel looked distraught after his visit, but composed himself in front of the young prince. "Please, I can't explain Samson's brand, but I know he's good and he still has his soul. Perhaps you can speak to your brother and ask him for mercy?"
"You along with Finitevus convinced my brother that the brand is a mark of a heretic—a witch, a radical traitor," Sonic listed. "Perhaps you could convince him that you and the Freedom council were wrong about all of this."
He rubbed his left arm uneasily. "Would he truly listen?"
"I think so," Sonic noted.
"Fair enough. I'll speak to him on this matter."
•~•
Meanwhile, at Antoine's estate, after getting dressed, Amy and the servants finished packing up her belongings to leave. But their activity was interrupted, when another female servant entered the room looking frantic. "My grace, the Freedom Council guards are here and they want to arrest Prince Cordovan!"
Amy's eyes widened with anxiousness. "Where is he? Have they caught him yet?"
The servant shook her head. "No, my grace. The representative is still downstairs, but Prince Cordovan is in his chambers unaware of the news."
"Lead me to his room, then," Amy ordered. "And get my guard Tails at the ready!"
"Yes, my grace," the servant curtsied before fleeing the room.
•~•
A few minutes later, Amy and Tails met in Cordovan's chambers with the prince. "They traced you to this location somehow, but luckily your brother is stalling them downstairs," Amy explained to the frantic prince.
"She's right, my lord," Tails agreed. "If you don't appear soon they'll force their way up here to find you."
"My brother doesn't have enough soldiers here to stop them," Cordovan sighed. "I'll surrender."
"No, they'll hang you!" Amy pleaded.
"It's the only way to keep everyone safe," he argued.
Amy turned and looked at the crackling fire in the fireplace as an idea came to mind. "No, there is another way." She looked at his sword next to his hip. "Give me your sword." Reluctantly, Cordovan unsheathed his sword and handed it over to his queen.
"What are you up to, Amy?" Cordovan questioned as he watched her.
"The brand is what brought them here, so we'll have to get rid of it," she explained. Tails and Cordovan watched as Amy extended the tip into the flames to heat it.
"Burn it off?" he realized. "They won't be fooled, they'll know what we did or at least suspect it."
"They will, but all we need is enough doubt to prevent a hanging," she countered. "With that and my support, we may convince them to arrest you and take you back to court, where Shadow can help us."
"Sounds like a good plan to me," Tails piped in. He walked over to retrieve the sword still stuck in between the logs in the fireplace.
"Very well. I'll do it." Cordovan took off his vest and unbuttoned his shirt while he looked over to Tails holding the lit tip of the sword at the ready. "Have you done this before?"
"No, but I saw it done during my recovery after war," he explained. Cordovan laid down on the sofa, and Amy sat on the footstool nearby. With crucial seconds ticking by, Tails walked behind the armrest of the couch where Cordovan's head was propped up, waiting for the next command.
Cordovan closed his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Do it."
"Here we go, then." Tails lowered the sword tip and pressed it against Cordovan's shoulder over the mark.
Cordovan screamed as he felt his skin scorch from the intense burn. "GAAH!"
Without a second thought, Amy reached for his hand and grasped it. "Hold my hand!" Cordovan gripped her hand through the pain as he cried out in agony. Amy looked down as she held his hand and suddenly realized what she was doing. She was touching another male for the first time in days and hadn't even realized it. "I have you," she assured him. Tails removed the sword's tip as Cordovan panted and shuddered from the pain that lingered.
The prince's eyes met hers, weak from the pain. "Amy…" he mumbled.
"It's alright, you're alright," she softly cooed, allowing her thumb to stroke the side of his hand.
"It hurts," he groaned. "Please, don't let them take me."
She stroked his hand in hers. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."
•~•
After the procedure, Amy, Cordovan, Cream, and Tails appeared downstairs before the Freedom Council representative and his set of guards. "You removed the brand," the dark wolf accused.
Cordovan stood weakly with half his shirt on, looking woozy and sweaty after being put through the procedure. The area on his shoulder where the brand had once been was now bloody and showed no indication of a mark ever being present. "You'll die regardless, you know," he tsked the group.
"Lord Cordovan had a wound that needed cauterizing," Amy defended calmly. "It was the result of a drunken sparring accident with my guard, Tails. Isn't that right, Tails?" she questioned, looking over to the teen fox.
"It is," he agreed with confidence.
"I'm here under Arthur's orders to see that justice is taken care of," the wolf argued.
"Then justice will be served," Amy agreed. "We'll all go back to Mobian court together to ensure justice is served."
•~•
In the throne room, Arthur met with Shadow to discuss Samson's imprisonment and his death penalty. "The Freedom Council's brutality is tearing my kingdom apart," Shadow started. "It must end."
"I'd hoped the son of King Phillip would be wiser. I'm just trying to restore order!" he shouted.
"By spilling, even more, blood?" he countered in astonishment.
He let out a hearty laugh. "Do you really believe that Prince Cordovan is your friend?"
"I know he is," Shadow replied. "This witch hunt ends today. You will take your myth of losing your soul and you will leave Mobius or your lover will die."
Arthur shook his head, remaining stubborn. "No, you will release him, beg for your forgiveness or the council will destroy you," he pointed.
Shadow remained unfazed by his threats and just smiled at him. "You can destroy me but Samson will die. You can make Mobius suffer, but Samson will still die. And I know you love him," he stated.
"He's not worth it," Arthur spoke, trying to sound confident in his response.
"Don't deny your true feelings. Love is when you care more about someone else's suffering than your own. You've proved that by visiting his cell by the hour all night long, coming to my brother to plead for mercy, and finally coming to face me."
He couldn't deny that. He loved Samson with his entire heart and couldn't bear to see him die. "You will have your victory," he said quietly in defeat. "We'll leave Mobius and retract this edict, leaving you to your own fate."
"Thank you."
•~•
After his successful meeting with Arthur, Shadow made his way down the hall to his study when he spotted Rouge wobbling towards him. "Rouge, are you alright?"
Rouge staggered in the hall, looking sickly as she held a blanket around herself. "I'm perfectly fine," she mumbled. She began to faint, but Shadow caught her before she could hit the ground.
"There's no way in hell you're fine." Just from holding her she was warm to the touch. "You feel like you're running a fever. How long have you felt ill?"
"Since yesterday," she whispered weakly.
"That's it, I'm getting you to the infirmary," he spoke as he walked back in the other direction with her in his arms.
•~•
Amy, Prince Cordovan, Tails, and Cream returned to court with one of the other Council representatives and their guards. As they made their way towards the throne room, the group noticed Arthur and Samson make their way past the group. The lead representative did a double take, before going after the two. "What's happening?"
Amy, Cordovan, Tails, and Cream watched as the three representatives talked to one another about the matter at hand. Sonic walked over to the group and smiled. "Welcome back to court."
"Sonic, what's happening?" Amy questioned.
"Ask Shadow," he smiled. "You'll be proud of him when you hear what he did."
Cream looked pleased. "You see," she whispered. "You were working in tandem, and you didn't even know it."
Amy smiled. "I guess you were right."
•~•
Amy looked all over the castle for Shadow but had no luck finding him. Finally, she approached the infirmary door. She cracked it open and spotted Shadow lying on his bed from her view and beamed by his sight. Shadow had really been helpful and he deserved some praise for his efforts. "Shadow I-" She stopped mid-sentence when she spotted another figure lying on the bed with him. Her own lady, Rouge was fast asleep next to Shadow.
One of the nurses approached her. "Your majesty?" she smiled.
Amy looked to the nurse. "What happened here?"
"Oh, your lady fell ill and Shadow brought her here to get tended to. He's been down here with her since he brought her in and ended up falling asleep. He's been up all night from what I understand," she explained.
"Oh, I see." Still feeling uneasy, Amy backed up, turning to leave the room. "I'll come back once they're awake."
•~•
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