AN: Noticing a lot of hate towards Amy lately in my last chapters. Just want to put it out there, that although you guys are slut shaming Amy for sleeping with Cordovan, no one really bitched when Shadow slept with Rouge, and by the way did it FIRST. Neither of them have made great decisions lately, so no one can be solely blamed for the entirety of the relationship crumbling. It takes two to tango as they say! Anyway, rant over. Y'all will probably be happy with this chapter, so enjoy.

•~•

Later that afternoon, in the war room, Amy strategized with Cordovan and Rouge on how she would divide up the Mobian soldiers to aid Mercia. The pink queen stared at the map that had all the kingdom regions along with wooden soldiers to place on the map as game pieces. "Two thousand Mobian soldiers means fewer soldiers facing the Dragon kingdom and less on our border with Knothole."

"Take them," Cordovan urged.

She reached for one of the pieces but hesitated mid reach. "How can I betray my husband's wishes and endanger his kingdom, a kingdom I have come to love, too?"

"Amy, how can you not?" Rouge argued. "Mercia is our home. The loyalist you'd be protecting—many are friends, and some are family! If these rebels aren't stopped, we may not have a home to go back to."

Cordovan nodded, agreeing with her. "I know it's grim logic, but if Shadow were to die, in that moment, you'd lose all your power here in Mobius. The crown would instantly go to Sonic and you would have lost your chance to send help."

Seconds later, the doors flung open and Isabelle walked inside looking rather peeved. "I would like a moment with Amy alone," she demanded. With no reluctance, Cordovan and Rouge left together, leaving Amy and Isabelle in private.

Isabelle made her way over to Amy. "I heard what is happening in Mercia, and while I sympathize with your situation, I'm aware of what you must be considering. Sending Mobian troops? I don't like it."

"Think about your allies in Mercia," Amy pleaded.

"Why should I stand by while you steal Shadow's army to run off with your young prince?" she scowled.

"Conquering Storm is building a campaign to take over Mercia; Mobius could be next," Amy explained.

"I don't believe that."

"I'm trying to save my home!" Amy shouted.

"Your home is all but lost," Isabelle bellowed in frustration. "Do not drag us down with you! I understand that you want to get as far away from here as possible, but I won't let this happen to Mobius." Amy gulped nervously. "You may have the authority, but I will move heaven and earth to stop you," she threatened.

•~•

A bit later, Amy met up with Cordovan in the library to catch him up on her row with Isabelle. "Isabelle guessed what you had in mind, didn't she?" he surmised. Amy nodded slowly and Cordovan sighed in annoyance. "Amy, I know you're torn, but don't let this decision be about me, Shadow, love, or guilt. It's about your duty as queen of Mercia."

"It's about all those things, though. None of which make it the right choice to weaken Mobius," she countered. Cordovan didn't seem to agree as he crossed his arms over his chest and Amy quickly recognized his disapproval. "Cordovan…Isabelle is worried if I send those troops, and she should be, because I am, too."

"You need to think strategically. Who is in more danger at the moment, Mercia or Mobius?"

"Mercia, obviously, but who's to say Mobius won't be in trouble the moment I take these troops and send them off," she argued.

Cordovan shrugged in defeat. "I don't know what to tell you, then. In your mind, it seems like there is no good option."

She turned away from him, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Truly, there isn't…"

•~•

After much travel, Sonic and Tikal returned to court together. As Sonic and Tikal entered the castle, Tikal took in the castle's impressive and lavish interior as she looked around her. She stared up at the tall pillars, beautifully painted ceilings, and marvelous statues. "This place is beautiful," she admired.

"Yeah, it is pretty amazing, isn't it?" he chuckled.

"—Sonic!" another voice called. The two turned only to see Isabelle running towards them. Immediately, she embraced her son and Sonic hugged her back.

"Mother? I haven't seen you this happy to see me," he laughed uneasily. Tikal watched the spectacle in awe on the sidelines.

Isabelle pulled away from her embrace to look him in the eye. "I've been looking for you everywhere. Something terrible has happened," she spoke in a hushed voice.

Sonic blinked a few times, alarmed by the news. "Well, what happened?"

•~•

After getting the news, Sonic visited Shadow in his chambers. The blue hedgehog stood at the end of Shadow's bed with Amy by his side. "What have the doctor's said?" he asked quietly.

"The fever alone might take him, and soon," she answered.

As Sonic stared at his dying brother lying before him, a troubling thought crossed his mind. "When exactly did Shadow collapse?"

"Late last night as I was told," Amy responded. "It happened out of nowhere."

A memory from last night flashed in his mind and Tikal's words haunted him.

"In order for me to heal you, you must realize that there is a demand for equivalent exchange. It's a life for a life, and the life that is taken in order to saves yours could be anyone. Even someone you love."

He shook his head, coming out of his thoughts as his worst fears came to fruition. Was this his doing? Had he caused Shadow to grow ill so suddenly?

He deflated at the thought until Amy brought him out of his stupor. "The advisors told Isabelle to prepare you to take the crown if anything were to happen." She looked to Sonic solemnly. "You may very well be the next king of Mobius."

"But…if I were to be crowned king, then you would lose everything here at court."

She nodded sadly. "I know…which is why Shadow and I were trying so hard to conceive an heir. I am nothing without one here at court..."

Sonic reached out and took her hands in his. "This may sound crazy, but if anything happens to Shadow, I promise to take care of you."

She shot him an incredulous look. "What?"

"I know how much Shadow loves you, Ames. I made a promise to him that Chaos forbid anything happened to him, I would always take care of you—Even if it means marrying you to keep our alliance intact."

She shook her head. "No, Sonic, you don't have to do that."

"—No Amy, I want to keep our kingdoms united and strong. Besides, I loved you once just as much as Shadow does." Amy felt her eyes water and embraced him. Sonic held her in his arms, rubbing her back with assurance. "Oh, Ames, just keep praying for him."

Her ears drooped sadly as she sniffed back more tears. "I-I just wish I knew if it helped. I just wish his health would get better."

At that second, an idea came to mind; one that Sonic knew would be a great risk. "We have to try everything, don't we?"

She nodded. "I suppose." Suddenly, Sonic took off heading for the door.

Amy watched as he fled the scene in befuddlement. "Sonic, where are you going? Your brother needs you."

He reached for the door handle, tugging it open. "I have an idea, just trust me, Ames!"

•~•

A few minutes later, Shadow's doors opened and Sonic escorted Tikal inside. Amy looked on at the young girl curiously. "Who is this, Sonic?"

"This is a friend of mine that I met when I was on duty." He placed his hand on her shoulder, beginning the introduction. "Amy, this is Tikal and Tikal, this is Queen Amy, my brother's wife."

Tikal curtsied out of respect. "It's wonderful to meet you, you're highness. Such an honor."

"Likewise, but, excuse my ignorance, Sonic, but why is she here? She can't know about Shadow's health. We're trying to keep things discreet."

"Relax, I brought her here for a reason. When I left the castle, I was attacked and I was hurt pretty bad—On the brink of death in fact. Tikal recovered me and managed to heal my injuries. She's a healer and I thought she could use her talents here at court."

"Magic?" Amy questioned in disbelief.

"Trust me, Ames. I wasn't a believer either, but this girl has a gift. One I've never seen before," he defended.

Tikal stepped forward as she looked at Shadow sleeping soundly in his bed. "Your husband, he's not ordinary himself," she noted. "He too has powers, does he not?" she questioned politely.

Sonic gave her a baffled look. "You must be mistaken, my brother does not harbor magic."

Amy bit her lower lip nervously. "Actually…he does."

"Huh, what are you talking about?" Sonic questioned.

"Shadow is able to teleport from place to place," Amy began. "I've seen it with my own eyes. Phillip knew of Shadow's true heritage and kept it under wraps for his own protection. But this information can not leave this room, it could destroy his reign."

"I sensed it the moment I entered the castle," Tikal continued. "You do not have to worry, I will never reveal his secret," she assured.

"Thank you, Tikal," Amy smiled. "If you truly have the power to heal, can you help my husband?"

Tikal nodded. "I believe I can," she insisted. "But there is something you should know…"

"And what's that?"

"In order to heal him, another life could be taken in result. It's an equivalent exchange matter," she explained. "I won't know whose life it will be that will die in order to save him. It could even be one of us in this very room."

"That's another reason why I brought her," Sonic added. "I-I think I may have been responsible for Shadow's health decline," he briefed nervously. "You see, when Tikal healed me last night, she warned me of this consequence. It's too convenient for him to suddenly grow ill after my life was saved with magic."

Amy approached the blue hedgehog, giving him an empathetic look. "We may never know what truly caused his illness, but don't blame yourself for this, Sonic." Amy looked towards the bed where Shadow slept soundly and her eyes began to water. "At this point, if it's my life that is taken to heal him, then I don't care! I've hurt Shadow enough in these past months. I don't want to see him in pain anymore. Just do it, please heal him," she croaked sadly.

Tikal nodded, took a deep breath then exhaled before making her way over to Shadow's bed and crawling onto it, and kneeling by his side. Carefully, she placed her hands on his chest and began her chant. "The servers are the seven chaos emeralds. Chaos is power…Power enriched by the heart. The controller is the one that unifies Chaos." Once again, a green hue surrounded Shadow's body as it worked its magic.

"What's happening?" Amy quietly asked.

Sonic continued to watch in disbelief. "She's healing him."

After a couple more moments, the green hue faded away and Tikal removed herself off the bed. She looked over to the two royals. "Give it a minute and we'll find out."

"Can I sit with him in the meantime?" Amy asked softly.

Tikal nodded. "Of course."

Amy swallowed the lump in her throat and sat on the edge of his bed. Her hand rested on top of his, and her fingertips stroked the top of his hand. "If you can hear me, I wish that you would understand. I'd hope you'd forgive my choice. I have forgiven you for yours. I know that you never meant for any harm to come to me."

Sonic and Tikal watched on sadly as Amy poured her heart out to Shadow.

Amy watched as his chest rose and fell slowly due to his lulled breathing. It pained Amy to be in this position with him. "I remember when I couldn't be this close to you or even hear the sound of your breath." She choked up and closed her eyes as more tears formed. "I cling to that sound now… I don't want it to end," she sniffed. While she quietly sobbed to herself, Shadow suddenly inhaled a sharp gasp of breath and sat upright. Sonic looked on in excitement.

Amy opened her eyes and looked at him in awe. "Shadow?"

"It worked," Tikal smiled happily.

"Oh, Shadow!" Amy exclaimed happily, hugging him.

Shadow grunted in response, not expecting her sudden embrace. "Amy, you're hurting me."

She released her hold on him. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry," she apologized.

Sonic walked over to join his brother's side. "You had us scared there for a moment, brother. I'm glad Tikal could help us."

"Tikal?" he repeated.

The orange female echidna walked over, graciously waving. "Hello, your majesty," she curtsied.

"Tikal is a healer," Sonic informed. "She saved your life."

"You brought magic into the castle?" he asked astounded.

"Nobody knows except for the four of us," he reasoned. "As far as everyone else will know, you just had a speedy recovery."

Amy looked over to the echidna. "There's one thing that I'm still confused about. If none of our lives were taken to heal Shadow, then whose life ended up getting taken?"

Tikal shrugged. "We may never know."

•~•

Far away in Mercia, Queen Catherine, Amy's mother, sat in her study writing a letter to Amy. As she jotted away her thoughts on her paper with her quill pen, she finished the last sentence and smiled admiring her penmanship. "Perfect!" She rose from her seat and began to read her letter in her mind and to look for any flaws. "My dearest daughter, things in Mercia have been difficult, but your brother and I continue to persevere…"

Just as she was about to read the next line, she felt an agonizing pain in her chest and dropped to the floor. The queen clutched at her chest and withered in pain, just as her messenger who was waiting promptly nearby, flew to her side. "My grace, my grace!"

•~•

The next morning, Amy and Rouge walked down the halls together as Amy caught up Rouge on Shadow's progress. "Since he's regained consciousness, he's upright, and even speaking fully."

"Oh, thank Chaos. I'm so relieved," Rouge sighed in solace. "What about Mercia? Will you still be going? Are you still sending men?" she questioned.

"—That is for Shadow to decide," another voice chimed in. Amy and Rouge looked ahead and spotted Isabelle standing in front of them. Rouge quickly curtsied and backed away, leaving Amy and Isabelle alone. Isabelle stared Amy hard in the eye. "You should know that I informed him of your plan to send his men to your kingdom. He already knew of course that you were willing to abandon and betray him."

Feeling her words sting, Amy sucked up enough courage and walked into Shadow's chambers where he sat up in bed waiting for her arrival. Isabelle joined them inside and stood by his bedside. "Shadow, I'm so happy to see you better," Amy smiled.

"The fever has broken," he spoke quietly, without returning a smile. "Doctors say I'll be on my feet soon and are amazed by my sudden recovery. Oh, and Isabelle has told me about the crisis in Mercia."

"…About that, I want to explain," Amy began.

"—No, there's no need to," he dismissed. "I've already made my decision and it's final." Isabelle smiled smugly in anticipation, eager to see Amy get her comeuppance. "I have ordered two thousand Mobian troops to sail to Mercia…"

Isabelle's smug countenance dropped immediately. "Wait, what?" Amy was just as surprised with his decision. "You can't do this, Shadow!" Isabelle shouted.

"I have faith that Mobius can withstand the temporary absence of troops as well as the cost in gold to send them. Let our enemies observe this display of Mobian power."

"Why would you do this after such betrayal?" Isabelle questioned, still miffed about his decision.

"I said my decision was final," he argued. Isabelle was speechless by his judgment. "Leave us, Isabelle." Irked by the entirety of this, she stormed out of the room.

Once she was gone, Amy approached his bedside, also baffled by his final verdict. "I am grateful, but I have to ask the same question. Why?"

"You mean why when you were about to leave Mobius? To turn your back on the kingdom that sheltered you as a child and abandon the crown you were given? And me, the husband you swore an oath to?" he asked rather passively.

She swallowed the lump in her throat after hearing his despondency. "Yes…"

"Because my kingdom made yours a promise, that's why. Mobius and Mercia are allies. We are both stronger when we honor our promises."

She sagged, feeling even guiltier. "Unlike me, you mean…"

"Make of it as you want, but I have been given a second chance at life and I intend to live it more wisely. That way, the next time I'm staring at death, I have no regrets."

There was a pause in their conversation before a thought crossed her mind. "Do you regret marrying me?"

He remained quiet at first, calculating on how to answer her question. "I think you should leave, Amy."

Amy analyzed the statement before coming to another conclusion. "…Leave this room or leave Mobius?"

"That's up to you," he shrugged before he leaned back into his pillow. "You got what you wanted—your freedom, your kingdom's salvation, and someone who brings you happiness. Just don't expect a fond farewell from me or my trust, ever again," he warned flatly.

•~•

After her talk with Shadow, Amy visited Cordovan at his estate. The brown hedgehog stood in front of his tall window as he watched the ships that they were meant to be on, sail off from the docks in the far distance. "The ships have set sail for Mercia along with Shadow's troops." He turned around to face her. "But we won't be leaving anytime soon, will we?" he conjectured.

She knew he was disappointed by the tone of his voice. "I can't…"

"Not now, of course, but…when Shadow has fully recovered, right?"

"When I leave, I will weaken him in the eyes of the realm, just when he has weakened himself by upholding the alliance between Mobius and Mercia," she answered.

Cordovan blinked a few times, confused on where she was going with this. "I don't understand, how long do you intend to remain?" Amy grew silent, knowing how upset he'd be when he heard her final answer. Seeing her reluctance, Cordovan began to assume the worst. His brows furrowed as he frowned. "Did he make this a condition when he gave his order—that you need to stay here in Mobius?"

She shook her head. "No, he did not…"

"Then why are you doing this, Amy? I love you and you love me. Our love will die here," he continued, growing angrier by the second. "You must know that."

"Please try to understand," she begged. "I am responsible for two kingdoms."

"—Do you think I've forgotten that?" he shouted. "I'm a prince with my own people and my own responsibilities!"

"No, I don't suppose you did forget, but maybe I did. My feelings for you are so strong that…I couldn't see past them at times."

"And what do you see now?" he questioned. "An affair under your husband's roof and nothing more?"

"…It's all I can offer you," she rasped, on the verge of tears. "I once told you that my heart was all I had to give. Is that not enough anymore?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, looking conflicted. "Honestly, I don't know…"

"I guess it's over then," she concluded as she began to turn. "Goodbye, Cordovan. I wish you well." With her final goodbye, Amy opened the door and left his estate. Cordovan watched as she retreated in the distance, feeling hurt by their breakup. He paced back and forth for a bit, trying to contain his frustration. He had just lost the one girl he was in love with. At this moment, he felt like his entire world was crumbling around him—he couldn't live without her.

Stopping his pacing, he eyed a wooden table, took it, and violently flipped it on its side. He grabbed a nearby chair and chucked it hard, so it collided into the wall smashing into pieces. He raced over to his large window where he had been watching the ships sail, and punched the glass, shattering it as he panted to catch his breath.

He looked down at his bloodied hand dripping droplets of blood onto the floor, feeling completely numb.

•~•

Once returning to the castle, Amy decided to spend time with Shadow in his chambers. She had made her decision to end things with Cordovan and decided it'd be best to help Shadow in his recovery along with mending bridges. She entered his bedroom just as a servant placed some new sheets on the sofa. "Oh, your highness," the female servant curtsied. "The king is still asleep."

"That's fine," she replied quietly. "I thought I'd keep him company."

"Very well, your highness," she smiled before leaving the room. Amy walked over to the right side of the bed where his soup was left for him. She sat on the edge of the bed and he began to stir from his sleep. "Amy?" he asked as his eyes began to open.

"Hello Shadow," she said meekly, unsure if he'd be pleased to see her.

He rubbed at his left eye with his hand. "I thought you had left?"

She shook her head. "No, I decided that I want to stay with you. That is if you're still okay with that?"

"I allowed you to make your own choice, but as for my answer, I'd love nothing more than for you to stay. All I want is for you is to just be happy, Amy."

She placed a hand on top of his. "I appreciate that, Shadow. So, I'm guessing you'll allow me to regain your trust over time?"

He gave a very weak nod. "Of course, but I cannot lie. The fact that you were about to leave me and Mercia, really felt like a knife in the back."

She closed her eyes and bowed her head. "I can only imagine the pain you felt, and I wish you could understand how naïve I was with my brash decisions. My recovery from my assault really put me in a bad headspace. I wasn't thinking rationally. It was selfish."

"Well, at the end of the day, neither of us were perfect with our decision making in the past couple of months. Even I admit I am to blame for some of this. Why don't we give our relationship another go?" he pitched. "I'm willing to fight for it, as long as you are?"

Her ears perked at the notion. "I'd love to…especially since my healing has come underway."

He raised a brow. "Has it now?"

She nodded simply. "Yes, I ended things with Cordovan this afternoon…"