Chapter 6

Dear Shadow,

I hope it's not too early to write to you - I'm sure you have only just arrived in the kingdom. Forgive me for intruding as you settle into a routine for the next two months, I was just thinking recently of how quiet it was without you and found myself sitting down to write.

I'm training diligently on my own. Without you. Are you jealous?

Truthfully, I'm sure I'm doing a much better job learning to fight now that I don't have you always nagging me about form and strategy and maneuvering and balance and constitution and… well, you get it. I'm certain when you return I'll be able to hand your ass to you on a silver platter in the ring.

Oh, wipe that look of disgust from your face, Shadow - I'm allowed to curse in a letter. No one can hear me say what's only written!

Otherwise, I spend my days preparing for the ball in two months. As much as I hate to admit it, I do get a small thrill from picking out the colors of tablecloths and napkins, and making sure the floral centerpieces are arranged just so around the grand staircase in the main ballroom. When father is around, I pretend to the best of my ability that I really don't care how the party turns out, but the truth is that hospitality runs thickly through my blood. The chill that runs down my spine when I see the marble ballroom floor sparkle betrays my more Princessly qualities.

I blame my mother.

Otherwise, I try not to think of the ball itself. Though you have told me to remain calm, I can't help the anger that builds in me when I think of all those men - lined up for a dance - who hope to win a future queen, and care not for the fact that she is Amy Rose underneath the crown. There is one light at the end of this impeccably put-together tunnel, however, and it is that in two month's time I'll see you again. We'll come up with some sort of signal for the ball when you arrive home. If I cross my eyes uncouthly and stick out my tongue you'll know I need a break, and to come rescue me like any self-respecting knight would a Princess in need.

All is well here, Shadow, so do your best not to worry too hard - your forehead will thank me in 10 years.

All my love,

Princess Amelia Rose of the Rose Kingdom

As Amy sealed and sent her letter off with a pageboy, she felt guilt and exhilaration mix and settle heavily in her chest. She dearly missed the grounding presence of Shadow - he was perhaps the closest thing she had to a real friend - but she could not tell him the whole truth, for Sonic's sake. Keeping a secret from Shadow felt new, sad, and special. Like she was growing, experimenting, finding herself in this new time and he was missing out on it. She had meant it as a joke that she was training better without him, but she thought about all she had been learning from Sonic in just a few days. Shadow would never teach her like a thief would teach her. A little over a year into their training, it occurred to her that perhaps she was reaching her limits with him. The thought saddened her.

She instead thought of Shadow's face if he ever found out she was training with - bathing near, even - a stranger.

A stranger who was also a man.

And a thief too, to really twist the knife.

She could hear his disapproving ranting already. His anger would be legendary. She didn't want to meet the man he would become if ever he found out about Sonic.

So she conveniently left Sonic out of her letter, opting instead to keep him like a gambler kept their hand of cards - close to her heart.

Amy sought out Cream to begin her real task for the day - getting information on Sonic's captive friend. Silver, she recalled. She didn't know where to start, didn't really know anyone in the castle, so she started where she knew Cream would be: in the garden.

"My lady!" Cream greeted her, standing to wipe her apron off. The girl had been knee-deep in a small plot of land, identified by a wooden sign staked into the dirt as 'Property of Cream the Rabbit'.

"What can I do for you?" Cream asked, lovingly placing her tools down in the dirt. The plot didn't seem to contain any produce, like the rest of the garden did. As far as Amy could see, it was just patches of wild flowers that grew without form or pattern or even much tending or pruning.

"Are those…?" Amy didn't quite know what she was asking and couldn't finish her question.

"These flowers grew naturally across this whole plot of land before the kitchen staff took it over to grow food for the castle. I just wanted to save them, let them do what they'd like in this place that once was theirs," Cream answered, feeling Amy's meaning.

"That's… beautiful," Amy said, stunned at the simple depth Cream possessed.

Cream giggled and thanked her.

"Listen…" Amy hesitated, but she had to trust Cream to some extent to get information for her mission. "I have an odd question, but you're the only person I could think to ask. Do you… know who's in charge of handling prisoners? Or, perhaps, who accounts for them?"

Amy watched Cream's face. The girl didn't seem interested in reading too deeply into the question, but she did cock her head in consideration.

"I don't know many of the guards personally, they… intimidate me," Cream admitted shyly. "But, I do know the maid who takes prisoners their meal every day," she added after a pause.

"That would be perfect!" Amy blurted, unable to tame her enthusiasm. "Who? When does the meal go out?"

"Her name is Blaze, she works out of the East kitchen and takes the meals at an hour past, but… if you are planning on going to the dungeons, your majesty, I must caution you against it," Cream said. She looked up and finally met Amy's eyes.

The girl had only been her lady-in-waiting for a year, but was endearing to no end. In Cream's warm eyes, Amy saw the optimism of a girl not yet ruined by the world. She felt at times that she could look through Cream's hopeful gaze like a telescope, straight back to a time where she, herself, was similarly bright and naive. A time before she understood the totality of her duty to the kingdom and all the messy, soul-stealing things she was expected to do for it.

Amy wondered if she could trust her. Was such unbridled optimism an asset? Or was Cream perhaps too young to know who was misleading her and who wasn't?

"Tell me, Cream…" Amy began cautiously, "if someone were arrested because they had stolen to keep themselves alive, do you think they deserve to be reprimanded?"

Cream knelt back down by the flowers, searching through the patch for something.

"I would say they need help - ah!" Cream smiled, apparently finding what she wanted. "I'd take them to meet my mama, she makes amazing food, and she's great with medicine!" The girl reached deep into the patch and cut a small handful of flowers.

"I'll take my leave, your majesty," Cream said, standing up. "I'm needed in the castle, but, again… be careful. And please, accept these as a gift - I felt perhaps you needed them for some reason. Flowers have a funny way of calling to us, talking to us. My mama calls it 'the language of flowers'… if you listen close, I'm sure you'll hear what they have to say." Cream patted Amy's hands, pushing a small bundle of flowers into them with a smile.

Cream curtsied and turned, heading back towards the castle. Amy felt bolstered by the kind gesture and Cream's genuine worry. She looked down at the flowers in her hand, registering what they were for the first time, and gasped quietly.

Cream had picked for her a handful of blue Forget-Me-Nots, like Sonic himself was sending her a message. No, it was not hard to know what they were saying. She could practically see his wink, hear him tease her about having him on her mind. "Trying to forget me?" he would joke.

As if she ever could.

As Amy arrived at the stairs down to the kitchen, she suddenly felt that this whole thing was a test - of her ability to lead, make choices, and be strong. Shadow was gone, she had only herself to rely on. And failure was not an option for Amy.

With the flowers tucked into the decorative cord wrapped around her waist, she felt Sonic's spirit bolstering her. She tried to channel his charisma - his uncanny ability to charm his way into getting exactly what he wanted - as she pushed open the heavy wooden door to the kitchen.

She felt immediately warmed by the bustling atmosphere. Castle employees rushed between tubs of water, hucked vegetables, or washed dishes. The warm oven filled the dark room with light and the delicious smell of butter and herby bread. It was almost homey, far more welcoming than any of the spaces Amy operated out of upstairs.

Amy made her way to two adult koalas who were shucking corn in a corner. Their heads were nearly pressed together, laughing over their buckets of produce.

"Excuse me," she said quietly.

The man and woman jumped to their feet immediately upon looking up and discovering -

"The Princess!" the woman called to the other kitchen staff. She curtsied and the man bowed deeply. The workers in the kitchen paused and bowed as well, staying still until her acknowledgement.

"Thank you all," Amy said. "Please, continue about your day."

"What can we do for you, your majesty?" asked the man eagerly as the pair straightened themselves and the kitchen grew noisy with activity again.

"I'm looking for a woman named Blaze, and I hear she works out of this kitchen - could you point me to her?"

They turned and gestured towards an elegant purple cat at a table. Amy thanked them, and almost left without another word before it occurred to her that she should get to know her own staff better. Not only was it the right thing to do, but when the time came for Amy to enter the Tournament of Champions, she would want people on her side as she fought for power.

"Please," she asked, "might I have both your names?"

"Sunny, your highness!" the woman said, eyes lighting up. "And this is my husband Zack - been working here for years together, we have!" Sunny's husband blushed at his wife's boldness, but did not try to quiet her.

"How wonderful," Amy beamed at them. "I thank you for your work for my family."

As she left, she could hear the wife tittering happily while her husband laughed. She smiled listening to their loving banter.

Blaze was a tall and slim woman of an elegant build. The soft lavender color of her fur was both striking and calming. She seemed only a bit older than Amy. Though her presence struck Amy as effortlessly noble, Blaze looked somber as she arranged crusts of bread and nearly empty bowls on trays.

"Pardon my intrusion - you appear deep in thought," Amy said, hoping not to startle the cat.

Blaze paused her solemn duty and bowed to Amy reflexively. She was quite graceful, Amy noted - and her golden eyes seemed to contain infinite depth.

"Oh," Blaze mused in a rich alto voice, "yes, I suppose I was. What can I do for you, your majesty?"

Amy was unsure how to ask for what she needed. She took note of Blaze's commanding presence, and tried to imbue her own posture and voice with that same effortless respectability.

"Are you… heading to the dungeon soon?" Amy asked.

"Yes, your majesty. Though it's no place for a fine lady like yourself."

"Odd that they have you going, then," Amy said truthfully.

Blaze paused and turned her golden eyes on Amy, finally truly studying her. Amy was immediately uncomfortable. She felt as though Blaze was reading everything she was thinking plainly on her face. Blaze struck Amy as a woman who thought deeply through most everything, but spoke her thoughts aloud very little.

Amy lowered her voice. "I'm afraid I must insist I come with you today. I am… trying to involve myself more in the goings-on of the castle." Amy could see Blaze's brow fold only the tiniest bit. The perceptive woman could surely see right through her.

"Come with me then, if you must," Blaze said in a hushed voice. She steadied one tray on her left forearm and hand, and reached carefully for the second one, but Amy grabbed it before she could reach it.

"Allow me," Amy smiled, and Blaze nodded.

The two women descended deeper into the earth than Amy thought possible. She had never been to the dungeons. Not once had she thought to try and stomach going down there, but as the future queen it was her duty to face head-on the darkest parts of the monarchy. To learn how punishments were dealt out and to whom.

Amy thought of what Cream had said, how someone who stole to live did not need punishment - they needed help. It occurred to her that Silver wasn't the only thief who deserved help, and she resolved to ask Sonic more about the conditions of camp when she saw him that night.

"I have to ask you something… about a certain prisoner," Amy began, their steps echoing quietly in the staircase. She could still see the woman's eyes glowing as the hall got darker. They flicked to her quickly. "But, I must be honest. If I am to ask, you cannot speak of this conversation to anyone." Amy hoped the tone of her whisper was severe enough to communicate just how important the subject really was.

"You have my confidence," Blaze responded stoically.

The woman was even harder to read than Shadow.

"...It's about a thief that was brought in nearly four days ago," Amy hesitated. "I need to know… what happens in these situations… and where he is."

"I know who you speak of," Blaze responded after a beat. Her tone had changed, but Amy couldn't tell why.

"We will visit him together, but there will be guards. Silver has some… special abilities," Blaze said.

They arrived at the mouth of the dungeon. It was impossibly dark - terrifyingly dark. Amy swallowed and steeled her nerves, nauseous already to see how horrible the conditions down here were - for anyone, let alone a kindly thief. A guard met them at the entrance; a sallow looking lion who towered over the both of them.

"What are you doing down here, my lady?" he asked, bowing to Amy. "This is no place for you."

"So I've heard. But it's my lesson for today I'm afraid," she lied through her teeth, "I would ask that you command your guards to wait outside of this cell block in the hall…" Amy turned to Blaze, looking for the man's name.

"Dexington," Blaze provided.

"Dexington," Amy nodded at him. "I am to interview the prisoners in confidence to try and obtain information from them."

This was an unconvincing lie and Amy knew it. Thank Chaos she was the Princess and he had to follow her command anyway.

"Yes, your highness." The man looked too tired from his time in the dungeon to care anyway.

Dexington slipped into the dark to retrieve the other guards. About five of them total filed into the hallway.

"We'll be only a command away, your majesty," Dexington said, starting to look alive now that royalty was headed into what was perhaps the most dangerous part of the castle.

Amy thanked him and took a breath, allowing Blaze to guide her as they stepped into the true underbelly of the castle. Once they were fully enveloped by darkness, Amy heard shuffling and a small pop as a flame appeared in Blaze's palm.

"Amazing," Amy breathed, locking eyes with the woman.

She thought she saw a sliver of a smile dance across Blaze's face as they gazed at each other over the small flame. It was a comforting bit of warmth and life in the cold, stone dungeon. Amy was grateful.

"Follow me," Blaze whispered.

They stalked quietly between the cells. Every so often there was a low moan or a sharp cry of laughter that shocked her senses awake like being plunged into cold water. Blaze stopped to slide bowls of porridge and bread to hunched figures in the shadows. Sometimes prisoners stuck their hands between the bars, fingers grabbing for something, anything, and Blaze always took their hands in hers to give them a kind squeeze. She did not seem afraid in the slightest.

Finally they came to a cell, and Amy saw the bruised figure of a young man, a silver hedgehog huddled in a corner.

"Silver," Blaze said almost tenderly, "you have a visitor."

The man looked over his shoulder and Amy saw immediately that he had been beaten.

The silver hedgehog's hands were completely covered by iron clamps. His eyes were the same gold as Blaze's, his face handsome but gaunt. His clothes were in tatters, his shirt shredded underneath his large back spikes. Silver was a man who looked like he had once been full of vitality. Amy saw smile wrinkles in the corners of his eyes and a tenderness fast-fading in his expression. It struck Amy that only three days in the dungeon had done this to him - turned him from someone who was clearly once full of gentility into a haunted man.

Blaze used a key in her apron to open the cell door and approached Silver, who was slouched on his knees facing away from them. She walked around to his front, placed her tray on the floor, and dropped to her knees gently, lifting his face to hers with her hands.

Blaze smiled at Silver discreetly, who let out a heavy sigh. The man slumped forward in her hands, his shoulders relaxing. Not a word passed between them as she examined his face for new wounds.

"Silver," Amy gulped, glancing at Blaze. It was obvious the two were close - she wasn't an idiot. But did that mean she could trust her? It seemed to Amy that she didn't have a choice. "I've met with someone that I believe you know… he has requested my help in freeing you, and it appears to be in my best interest to oblige."

Blaze's ears pricked and she looked with astonishment up at the Princess.

"Who?" asked the man. He had a pleasant enough voice. It was warm and soft, tinged with a parched rasp.

"...Sonic," Amy admitted with a twinge of embarrassment.

Silver broke out into a smile and a laugh that turned into a rough cough. Blaze rested a hand on his back and he shot her a tender look.

"That crazy bastard," Silver gasped heavily. "He should just forget about me."

"You're going to… free him?" Blaze said from the ground, ignoring Silver.

"Break him out, actually. If I can," Amy said truthfully.

"...Thank you," Blaze breathed, her eyes wide.

They locked eyes and Amy softened. Blaze was on her side, she realized. She had made wise decisions about her allies and felt relieved and thrilled at how well things were going for her. The tenderness she observed between Blaze and Silver warmed her, filled her with the fire to help them. She thought fondly of Sonic - he had only ever wanted to help this man find some small semblance of happiness. And now she wanted it for him - and for Blaze - too.

"I need to know when the best time to get him out quietly will be," Amy pressed.

Blaze began to feed Silver, who was incapacitated by his unique shackles.

"The night before his execution, in a little over a week's time," Blaze said. "He'll be held in the execution chamber on the first floor meant for those who are to be killed the following morning. It's not too far from an exit, though it will be guarded. And I can't be found out - I could be killed if I were suspected of helping."

"Leave the breakout to Sonic and I," Amy reassured. "Just make sure Silver is as ready to go as he can be."

Blaze had reached around and was absent-mindedly rubbing Silver's back. The woman seemed unaware of what she was doing, but the gesture of comfort spoke volumes to Amy.

"You won't need a key to the dungeon seeing as he won't be in it, but there is a special key you will need for these shackles," Blaze said thoughtfully, nodding at the heavy metal contraptions. "There's only one copy, and it can be found in the office of Caius, the warden in charge of these dungeons. The room is just around the corner from the East Kitchen, but it's also his living quarters. He's there at nearly all hours, either asleep or going over papers, so be careful."

Amy nodded. "You can count on me," she said, and meant it.

"Forgive me, your majesty, but why would you… do this?" Blaze asked pointedly, her golden eyes glowing seriously in the dark.

Amy hoped it was hard for Blaze to read her expression. Blaze had put her flame out when she reached Silver, but her golden eyes still glowed in the pitch black of the dungeon. Amy's own confusion was plainly written on her face - she was feeling so much watching Silver and Blaze, thinking of Sonic. Her hand hovered over the forget-me-nots at her hip.

"I…owe him," Amy said. "Sonic, I mean. And, I don't believe you've done anything wrong, truly, Silver." She took her hand from over the flowers and placed it solemnly over her heart. "I promise, we'll get you out of here at the end of next week. As Princess of the Rose Kingdom, you will be pardoned and given status as soon as I - my husband is in power. And so will any of those who may be like you. Blaze and I will be in conversation during the week, just be ready when the time comes."

"Tell Sonic… tell him thanks the next time you see him," Silver said, a hint of a sweet smile returning to his face.

Amy realized suddenly that she had a chance to get something else useful from Silver.

"How long have you known him?" Amy asked. "Sonic, I mean. Are you from the same town?"

Silver shook his head slowly. "He's from a town much farther. We met on a road in the woods over 5 years ago. I was looking for a place - somewhere to find myself, to find people who I could connect with. I was… well I had just parted ways with a dear friend and was feeling lost."

Blaze shifted almost imperceptibly on the floor of the cell.

"He took me to the camp. It was mayhem when I first got there - boys crying, people looking through the woods for thieves who had gone MIA after the raid. Scourge was being a menace, trying to wrestle power from anyone looking to step up and take charge. Sonic, Knuckles, and I were like buffers. We kept the younger ones safe, tried to put together rescue parties. It gave me a task - helping others. That's all I ever wanted to do. After so many years watching the camp grow, operating as a sort of teacher for new recruits, I decided to go in search of… that old friend. I'm not getting any younger, I was ready for the next chapter in my life."

"And Sonic didn't want you to risk it?" Amy asked.

Again, Silver shook his head. "Sonic loves risks - as long as it's for a good cause or he's confident in the outcome. He thought I had a way out with my plan, told me to go - to follow my happiness. He wants that for all of us: freedom. Sonic's a good guy - a great guy even - he just doesn't like to dwell on things too long. Especially not the sad stuff, and his life is mostly sad stuff. If he got caught in the weeds of life's tragedies, he'd be stuck, and if he's stuck - well, that scares him."

"Sonic is… afraid?" Amy asked.

"Fear comes from a lot of things. Sonic is afraid, that's for sure. I just don't think he knows what of," Silver said, then cleared his dry throat.

Blaze exchanged one more meaningful look with Silver and whispered something to him. The woman hesitated for a moment, her face close to Silver's, like she might have something more she wanted to do. Her eyes flitted to Amy, and she pulled away from him finally, leaving the moment hanging in the air, un-acted upon. Blaze looked apologetic as she locked the cell back up, and the two women turned to walk back towards the entrance, Blaze holding a flame in her palm once more.

"... A dear friend… You?" Amy guessed after a beat, emboldened by the dark and her success on the mission.

"Yes," Blaze responded evenly. "We're both from the town of Sol… we used to play together in my father's smithy as children. Silver's not a bad person, despite his profession. His parents died when we were 18, and he hopped around jobs in town for years until one day… Well, he was eventually taken in by a local band of thieves. They never bother us in the town, only the… more fortunate. I took this job at the castle, and the camp settled into its new leadership. We had to say goodbye when he joined the camp and I went to work in the castle, it was just too dangerous for him to come around here."

"Why take a job here then? Weren't you…" together, she wanted to finish but found herself embarrassed to say it.

"I always wanted to be a blacksmith, like my father," Blaze looked down sadly for only a moment, then back up with determination. "I even inherited my father's gift to manipulate fire, and his talent for metal work. But he thought that a woman could not run his shop, so he told me I would never inherit it. I packed up and left that night, determined to find my own path. I was about 25." She took a deep breath and released it evenly.

Amy was astounded by the woman's steadiness, and the strength it must have taken to leave her family for what was right - for herself.

They were almost back to the stairs. Amy felt the sudden sadness that when they returned to the light they would go back to being Princess and maid, that their conversation would end. The dark had afforded them a level of anonymity. For a brief moment, they were quiet confidants.

"We were nothing… not officially," Blaze continued. "He was ready, but I…" Blaze shook her head, not quite willing to say it. "Well, I wanted to find myself. And Silver is… shy. He would never forgive himself if I were put in harm's way because of his lifestyle. When he ended up here… well, Gaia works in a funny way sometimes. It's been years since I last saw him." The women reached the stairs and nodded at the guards as they passed them.

They walked silently the rest of the way to the kitchen, both lost in thought.

Amy pondered over the idea of destiny - if Blaze and Silver really were destined to find each other again, to both end up here. She thought that if that was true, it must be part of her destiny to help them find a happy ending for their story.

Amy bid Blaze farewell, thanking her for her help and promising to check in with her before the end of the week to relay the escape plan.

Now, she had several hours to kill before meeting up with Sonic. It felt like eons to wait - she was eager to see him and tell him of her triumphs, to spend another evening laughing at his bloated ego and getting ready to show her father what she was truly capable of. She prayed that the day would move quickly for her sake, and spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about him anyway.

The blue forget-me-nots hung on her hip for the rest of the evening, dropping a petal every so often. When Amy caught one falling, she could not help the fleeting thought that crossed her mind each time - it was a phrase, or a few phrases rather, from that game that lovers often played with the simple flower.

He loves me, he loves me not… He loves me, he loves me not.