"Ma'am, are you okay?"
Serena Yvonne snapped herself back to reality, and looked to the gate guard who had spoken to her. It had been a two-day trip from her hometown of Vaniville in Kalos to Elysium City in Kanto, and she was quite tired. She thought she was going to fall asleep in the saddle of her horse, Willow, before the gate guards had spoken to her.
"Yes, my apologies." Serena quickly replied. "I'm one of the King's applicants from Kalos, would you please direct me to where I should go? I'm afraid I don't know my way around."
"Ah, I see. Head towards the stables on your right, and then straight ahead to the keep. The King will receive you there." the Guard replied. "Just so you know…his highness, the Prince…has declined every suitor before you."
"I am aware of that, but thanks for your guidance." Serena nodded, and rode towards the stables at a slow pace. As she dismounted, two of the stablehands took Willow to an empty stall, and another Guard offered to escort Serena to the keep.
"Thank you." Serena replied. "Lead the way."
As the two of them approached the main gates, Serena was again surprised to see the King of Kanto, Adrian Ketchum, standing at the entrance waiting for her. As looked over the newest suitor, Serena gave a respectful curtsy to the King.
"Rise, please." the King said. "You are Serena Yvonne?"
"Yes, your Majesty." she replied. "At your service."
"Hmm." King Adrian gave a smile. "Walk with me. I'll show you to the outfitters."
"Outfitters?" Serena asked, as she followed the King into the keep, but inwardly she was unsure of their destination.
"That's our term for the court staff that work in the wardrobe." the King replied. "Seeing as you're the first to arrive, I thought I would give you a boon for being so."
"Thank you, your Majesty." she replied courteously. "Though…I didn't bring too much with me in terms of formal wear. I…had to leave in a bit of a hurry, and do so quietly at that."
"Why?" the King asked. "Was something wrong?"
"Sort of…May I speak freely, your Majesty?" she asked, and the King nodded. "Well, back in Vaniville Town in Kalos, there's a young man about my age, his name is Calem de Xavier." Serena continued. "He's nobility, like I am, but considerably more wealthy than my own family. Ever since I came of age….he swore publicly that I would become his wife, and then proposed to me in the middle of the town square."
"How did you respond?" the King asked. "There must've been quite a crowd."
"There certainly was, and I told him that I was not ready to marry just yet, and if I did choose to do so, I would marry a person of my own choosing, one I genuinely loved." Serena replied. "He…didn't take that well. Ever since that day, he dedicated all of his waking moments to courting me against my wishes. Sending me expensive gifts, paying for my purchases at the market, that sort of thing."
"I think I understand now." King Adrian said, stopping to look at Serena. "You came here to escape his intentions, at least in part."
"Yes, but I also wished to see a new part of the world, and I even reasoned that if I wasn't chosen, I could easily make a new life for myself here in Kanto." Serena replied. "Please, your Majesty, don't think any less of me because of this."
"Don't worry about that." the King said, gently placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Do you know what I see in you? A bright young woman, who is ready to find her place in the world, married or not. That is something to be proud of."
"Thank you very much." Serena smiled. The King nodded, and they resumed their walk to the outfitters. However, the King looked Serena over, but this time in a new light. Apart from a small satchel at her waistline, she wore no jewelry or dress was simple yet elegant, colored a pale blue with some white lace trim on the floor-length skirt. It was suitable for a minor noble, the King mused, but for a candidate that could be his son's partner, not so much.
"But that'll be taken care of in a few moments now, won't it?" the KIng thought. "Serena Yvonne…what an intriguing young woman."
However, watching this conversation unfold from a second story balcony was the Prince of Kanto, Ash Ketchum. His raven hair was loose and slightly unkempt, but that was how he liked it. He currently wore a simple black shirt with brown trousers and shoes, along with a short cape emblazoned with the royal crest of Kanto. A deep blue jacket lay tied around his midsection, and a sheathed sword was attached to his belt.
Ash had made a habit of secretly watching his suitors' arrivals and early conversations, and more often than not, their words often decided whether he would allow a suitor into his room or not. Because there were many suitors before that were too haughty, uptight, insincere, or just plain mean. Those suitors didn't even make it past his chamber door, as they would find it locked, meaning they had not been chosen to proceed further.
Then, should the Prince allow one suitor entry, the evening was spent always in conversation in the living room, and Ash often asked them to leave once they were finished. No suitor had ever made it past that chamber to the Prince's bedroom before.
There was something different this time though, Ash admitted to himself, as he watched Serena and his stepfather enter the outfitters' studio. She wasn't like the other noblewomen he had seen. Ash could see she was honest, well-spoken, and quite beautiful.
That last thought made Ash blush slightly. He had never…slept…with any of his suitors before, and he certainly intended to keep it that way. Ash sighed, thinking back to a fateful encounter a few years ago, along a riverbank that lay on the border of Kanto, and then the wonderful course of events that followed.
Ash's life had just been upended by the news that his mother was marrying the newly-crowned King of Kanto, and further upset by the news that the King was none other than the man whose life he and his mother had saved years before then. He had been caught by a storm, and after losing his way, he had fallen off his horse and cut his leg open.
His saving grace had been Ash, who had been on his way home from the nearby village. After guiding the strange noble to his home, his mother tended to the man's wounds. Ash later retrieved the man's horse, and he stayed till his strength returned. Before leaving the man had given them his name, Adrian Ketchum, and that he would return one day to show his gratitude to them both.
Ash didn't know it then, but one year later, he would become a Prince of Kanto, and his mother the Queen. After a public and private ceremony, the three of them had journeyed alongside some attendants and guards to a manor for their honeymoon.
Ash had decided to go someplace to get away from it all, and by chance, he would meet a lovely girl of about sixteen or seventeen by the riverside. She and her mother were visiting a nearby town for a festival, and she had taken some time to get away from the hustle and bustle of setting up for the event. By the end of the day, they had become quite close friends.
As the sun set, while the two of them watched a fireworks display, Ash had jokingly asked her to marry him, and she had accepted in a similarly amused manner. That conversation led to the two of them making a promise to each other that they would meet again, and one day they would marry for real. She had offered Ash a small, blue-tinted leather bracelet, and he had simply given her a handkerchief from the Royal Manor, with the Kantoan crest sewn into it.
Even now, Ash still regretted that he forgot to ask her what her name was. As he turned to head back to his chambers, he gave a wistful sigh, looking at the bracelet he had been given. After all these years, it had never been taken off his left wrist. Then, as he looked at her one last time, he couldn't help but feel that Serena Yvonne felt…familiar to look at, in some deep way he didn't recognize.
"It can't be her…Serena can't be…it's just...?" he murmured quietly. "I guess I'll be leaving my door unlocked tonight…No, forget that. I have to know for sure as soon as possible."
Serena stared at her reflection in the mirror in disbelief, unsure if what she saw before her eyes was not an illusion. The King had told the head outfitter, a Kalosian named Diantha, that Serena needed the absolute best they had to offer, and on that note, Diantha and her assistants had delivered pure perfection.
Serena's hair had been straightened and arranged slightly, but left down as Serena preferred. Her simple blue dress had been replaced by a beautiful gown of the same color, with silver embellishments made to look like a sky full of layered skirt and rococo-style bodice accented her figure perfectly, and a bowknot with two trailing ribbons lay at her waist. Matching gloves, shoes, and jewelry made from silver and sapphire completed the ensemble.
"Is that…me?"
"It certainly is, and you look absolutely stunning." Diantha smiled, handing Serena her satchel. "Also, even if things don't work out…keep the dress. It suits you perfectly."
"Thank you kindly." Serena replied gratefully. "What time will I meet Prince Ash?"
The King was about to reply to her, when a guard approached and began whispering to the King in a hurried manner. The King turned and whispered back, and Serena could see a feeling of surprise clearly on his face. As the Guard bowed and departed, King Adrian looked over to Serena.
"It seems he wishes to see you right now." the King smiled. "Come, I'll show you there."
Serena took in a quiet breath as she followed the King once more to the great hall, where several courtiers and even a few noblewomen were present. As the King and Serena passed by, she could hear the whispers of disbelief and admiration, and a few even gave her reassuring nods or smiles. Serena did her best to respond with equal kindness, but her heart was currently pouding in concealed anxiety.
As they approached the double doors to the Prince's chambers, the King gave Serena a reassuring smile and quietly wished her good luck. Serena curtseyed again, and after exhaling deeply, she knocked on the door.
"Come in." a voice beckoned from inside, and Serena did so, sitting down across from the Prince, who sat on a chair next to the hearth.
"Your Highness, my name is Serena Yvonne." she said quietly. "It's good to meet you."
"LIkewise." Ash replied. "May I ask what's in your satchel?"
"Oh, just a few things from home." Serena replied. "A handkerchief, a bit of pocket money…"
"A handkerchief?" Ash asked, in an almost eager manner. "May I see it?"
Serena raised an eyebrow, but then she noticed the bracelet he wore. It took a few seconds to remember, but she then recognized it was a gift she had received at a harvest festival nearly four years ago. Realizing this, she quickly produced the handkerchief, and Ash turned it over to stare at the crest sewn into the fabric. The design had worn and faded with time, but the indentations were still there. She dropped her jaw, feeling many distant memories come back to her all at once.
"Prince Ash…have we met before now?" Serena asked in disbelief. "I remember going to a small festival years ago…and giving that bracelet to a young man I befriended, and later danced with."
"Serena, we certainly have met before." Ash said in a voice full of excitement. "This handkerchief has my family's crest sewn into it. I gave it to a girl who I also met at that same festival, the one I promised that one day, I would marry her…do you remember that?"
Serena felt tears form in her eyes, remembering that evening. The fireworks, the dancing, and the young man she had met that truly made her feel so happy, so…loved.
"Yes, I remember, and I remember you too." she smiled, beginning to cry tears of joy and relief. Ash simply pulled her close and held her tightly, feeling the heat come to his cheeks. For a while, they remained like that, simply enjoying the embrace. Then, Ash slowly brought a hand to her chin, and as she looked up at him…he gently brushed his lips with hers. Serena closed her eyes, feeling the sensation of the kiss across her lips, not wanting it to go away.
"Serena…will you stay here with me tonight?" Ash whispered. Serena, overwhelmed from their reunion, simply nodded. Ash quickly swept her up and into his arms, and carried her bridal-style to his bed and laid her upon it. As he sat down, Serena flinched.
"Wait." she said in a startled tone, making Ash immediately stop and look at her in a concerned manner. "I…wasn't prepared for...an evening between us like that."
"You're right, I…my apologies. I was getting ahead of myself." Ash replied. "Will you forgive me, I was wrong to assume..."
"I forgive you." Serena replied kindly. "Would…you like to have dinner together, Prince Ash? The journey was long, and I…"
"It's okay, I'm hungry too." Ash smiled, helping her up. "Besides, I imagine my mother will want to meet you. Knowing her, she'll be over the moon to know that I've finally chosen a partner. Shall I show you the way…Princess?"
He offered her his hand, and Serena blushed fervently as she accepted. As they walked towards the dining hall, Serena smiled and whispered under her breath.
"Lead the way…my Prince…"