By the time the evening rolled around, the weather over Castle Acorn still had yey to make any real improvements...If anything it was only growing worse...It seemed that the closer the time came to Lord Prower's arrival tomorrow...The more violent and destructive the weather became...And it was...unnerving, it seemed like there was a constant, booming cacophony of thunder...With the noise of it only growing louder and louder and louder...Until it was a constant cacophony of cannon like booms...As if the clouds themselves were locked in combat...
The wind was howling like a banshee as well, with the high winds battering the castle walls and sending walls of rain slamming into the stone like a tidal wave...Every other sound outside and inside across the city was drowned
However, despite the utterly horrific weather conditions that were occurring outside of the castle...Inside the bright fires in every room created a cozy atmosphere, bathing rooms in a comforting, warm light that provided a most pleasant contrast to the dreariness outside...And in Baron Robotnik's quarters in the castle, he sat down happily on a luxurious chair, red leather and with legs carved to resemble lion's paws.
In the baron's hand he clasped a large, jewel encrusted goblet, filled almost to the brim with rich Spagonian Wine...A wide smile was plastered across his face...The very same gaze directed to Archbishop Starline who sat opposite him, his own glass of wine held in hand and smiling back...
"Ahhh, it is good to taste proper wine again Ivo, none of that Acornian pig-piss that they usually serve." Starline sniggered, his face reddened slightly from intoxication brought on by the drink.
"Indeed, my friend. A special drink for a special occasion, especially considering our guest who will be arriving tomorrow morning...When I first wrote to him 5 years ago, he was initially very hesitant towards our plan! But convincing him to finance our little...Plot, was rather easy and has made the job far simpler to achieve...When he arrives tomorrow, make sure to lead him up here so we can...Discuss the plan that'll be brought into execution the day after tomorrow...And then bang! No more Acorns." Robotnik responded, half cackling as he did so.
The two men laughed once more...Taking large swigs from their wine...their faces urning a more vibrant and vivid crimson in sheen...The strength of the Spagonian wine beginning to show itself admirably in its performance.
"Hahah! You're damn right Ivo! I don't know what that crown wearing twat was thinking...Assigning me as the archbishop of the Church of Chaos...Honestly...he least he could have done was give the job to a pious man! There's a reason why I never attend council meetings...I'd much rather spend the time with some tavern wench to warm my bed...But I must thank him for the power and status the title brings me though...honestly, he'll bring anyone into power if he likes them enough..." Starline exclaimed merrily.
"Exactly! That's why the daft bugger will be nothing more than a walking feast for maggots when dear old Amadeus arrives tomorrow morning...I just hope that the means of execution will be quick...We can at least afford him that...Say...what's that small vial there? Is it what I asked for?"
The Baron gestured towards a small, crystalline vial that sat on the small golden plate beside the wine jug...And Starline nodded in response...An extremely wide and malevolent grin plastered upon his face,
"It is indeed Ivo..." He said, very gently picking up the small vial and holding it up to the light...The liquid within twinkling in the orange glow of the torches,
"They call it Sari venom...Imported all the way from the scorching deserts of Shamar...From what I've heard, one mere drop is enough to fell 50 men! It apparently originates from a type of snake known as the Sari Viper...A creature that is known for slipping unnoticed into the tents of sleeping travellers and slaying them in a single bite...The venom apparently boils blood, dissolves organs and reduces bones to mush...All within a time frame of less than an hour...So I couldn't think of a better poison to utilise on dear old Nigel."
The baron grinned to the archbishop and shook his hand...Grateful for the platypus's help in the plot to overthrow the king...And... Masked by the roaring noise of the thunder and lightning that sounded outside of the castle...They laughed...
...
The morning after...The rain had died down by quite a lot, however ...A thick, dingy, nigh impenetrable fog had covered the land...All the while a light rain fell down on the kingdom below...It was as silent as a mouse, not a sound could be heard in the kingdom...Even in the city of Mobotropolis, instead a deathly, persistent, impenetrable silence overcame the community...
The smell of the burst drains created a horrible stench that lingered in the air and the added rotting smell of drowned rats and other vermin didn't make a positive addition to the miasma of rotting offal...
However, despite the silence that smothered everything else...There was a bit of noise that broke through the heavy sound of nothing at all...It was a mix of noises too...The exact mix being compromised of trotting horses and the grinding noise of carriage wheels on cobbled roads...
From the misty windows of the houses and other buildings that were standing in the city, one could see the source of the mild racket, it was a relatively large carriage that was being drawn by four large, powerful looking stallions...It looked relatively simple, but there was some simple ornamentation that came in the form of painted stripes and chequers the colour of mustard yellow and midnight black...While on the doors of the carriage there was painted a coat of arms...One of the fearsome, dangerous, snarling head of a black fox...
The carriage was also flanked by four heavily armoured knights on horseback, each one clad in shining plate armour, bearing the colours of their master's house and in their hands they each carried a kite shield bearing the same coat of arms...As well as a lance that had a spiralling pattern of yellow and black as well...However these weapons were for show, as at their hips they carried brutal and yet ornate looking broadswords...
There was also one other figure riding in front of the congregation, however he didn't bear the colours and symbol of the other knights...Instead his colours were simply a white hungry lion, its jaws embedded in a bleeding heart...The background colour a deep burgundy...This marked him as a sellsword, a knight who had forsaken honour and ties to his lord in exchange for riches and plunder as a mercenary...His weapon of choice only further proved this, as it was a brutal, double headed axe...It's edges barbed as to cause maximum injury to whomever it struck, be it soldier...Or civilian...
Inside the carriage sat three people...All of them were foxes, however their body language and expressions couldn't be any different from each other. The first of them was a girl around 15 years old, her fur was a golden yellow and snowy white in sheen and her eyes were a sky blue in colour...She was clad in a simple, blue gown the same colour as her eyes and unlike the two other foxes in the carriage, she seemed to be the only one with a smile on her face...A smile that was filled with warmth, excitement and youthful joy...Flashing her sharp teeth as she grinned...
The fox sat next to her was a boy, around 17 or 18 years of age, his fur was a darker brown in colour, his eyes the same colour of blue as the girl and he himself was dressed in a black gambeson, brown trousers and black boots...A sheathed dagger hung at his belt, it's scabbard inlaid with gold runes and carvings...However unlike the girl, his face was rather tired and bored...It seemed as if he was tired of sitting around in the carriage and would much rather be riding upon a horse like the knights outside...
The last of the foxes however was unlike the other two, he was an older fox in his forties, his dark brown fur streaked with silver as a sign of his growing age, he had one blue eye that glared daggers into both the girl and the boy...The other eye was hidden under a black eyepatch, having been lost either due to illness or injury...He was dressed in a manner similar to the boy, a black gambeson, trousers and boots...However his was more ornamented with small details threaded with golden silk...
His expression was unlike both the boy and the girl, for it was grim, stoic and irritated...His brow furrowing with malice as he watched his fellow passengers, his hand resting on the hilt of his own broadsword...
"Urrrggghhhh...I'm sick of this bloody carriage! I have a horse, why couldn't I have ridden here?" The boy glumly stated, staring outside the small carriage window at the fog choked city outside.
"Oh, pipe down Sam... It's not that bad, we've had lovely views of the country. Besides, it'll be nice to see King Nigel, Prince Elias and Princess Sally again...it's been a good while since I've last conversed with her...there's so much to discuss!" The girl responded, not dropping her friendly and joyful demeanour.
"I know that, Holly! But it doesn't mean I enjoy the journey from Blackwater Keep to Castle Acorn...I hate sitting around in carriages when I could be out there riding with the other knights!" The boy snapped back with irritation; his eyes fiery with discontent...
"Hey! Don't snap at me like that! All I said was that it wasn't all that bad!"
"Then why are you telling me to pipe down then?! By Chaos you are impossible to talk to at times!"
"The same can be said for you too! You can take your awful attitude and shove it right up you-"
"QUIET! BOTH OF YOU!"
The argument was cut short by the sudden, sharp and angry yell from the older fox...The very sound of it causing the two teens to deescalate their argument immediately and look at the man with nervous glances. Especially at the sight of his furious face, his eye staring daggers into them both,
"We will be arriving at Castle Acorn in ten minutes...And here you are, squabbling like beggars over a loaf of stale bread! You are representing not just yourselves, but House Prower as a whole! I would expect better from toddlers, nonetheless my own children!" He hissed, his voice laced with enough venom to lay low an elephant...
They hung their heads in shame at their acts, turning to each other with gazes of apology before turning to their angry father.
"Apologies father...I... I'm just dissatisfied with the coach ride here...It's been days now of just mind-numbing boredom...And having to deal with Holly's frequent, unshakable cheeriness was beginning to get on my nerves." Samuel Prower said, twiddling his thumbs and choosing to remain silent.
Holly Prower also remained silent, instead choosing to look out of the window at the city outside...Her jolly manner thoroughly disintegrated...However Lord Amadeus still glared at them angrily...Wanting to make sure that neither of the teenagers would provoke him into anger for the short remainder of the journey...
The remainder of which, lasted less than an hour...As within twenty minutes, the sound of hooves against the cobbled road and wheels grinding against the earth came to a sudden halt...There was a sudden sound of armoured feet marching towards the carriage...And then all of a sudden, the doors to the carriage were opened by two of Lord Prower's knights...
Amadeus flashed one malicious glance towards his children one last time, mouthing the word "Behave" to them before they stepped out of the carriage and into the courtyard of Castle Acorn...
It was a beautiful place, due to the size of the castle and the fertile earth surrounding it, it was able to boast a very luscious variety of plant life in the courtyard...Ranging from towering oak, birch, apple, pear and cherry trees...To small grassy features brightened up by a menagerie of wild flowers of all colours of the rainbow.
However, the garden was the last thing on the mind of the trio...For standing just outside of the gargantuan front gates of the castle...there was a small contingent of knights, each of them dressed in the colours of House Acorn and standing in front of them all...Was the royal family of Acorn and the royal court...
King Nigel stood at the front of the congregation and flashed a warm, welcoming grin that was full of mirth, beside him stood Prince Elias...Dressed in a blue and red gambeson with a wolfskin cloak...His face was more serious and aloof...However it broke into a grin once Samuel stepped into view, the fox grinning back...
Sally Acorn stood to the King's left, dressed in a wine-red gown with a silver acorn broach...Her face was filled with both a mix of happiness, but also a rather serious undertone to it that wouldn't be noticeable to those less inclined...However, nonetheless she beamed and waved back at Holly...
Then, behind them stood the royal council...Starline, Antoine, Lady Bunnie D'Coolette the city's mayor and the Kingdom's manager of Trade freed of a nasty strain of tuberculosis and Baron Robotnik...Who gave a very...interesting grin...
The two leaders of both delegations took a step towards each other, Amadeus dropping to one knee as a show of fealty to the Crown,
"Your Grace..." He said formally, but the King raised his hand; beckoning the lord to stand...
The older fox stood, his face cold and serious...However, much akin to the frost of winter thawing out in the spring sun, his cold features warmed and broke into a smile...The two men hugged each other in a warm and tender embrace before pulling away, both of them laughing merrily...Like old warriors meeting each other for the first time in decades...
"It is good to see you again Amadeus my old friend...I trust that the road from Blackwater Keep to Castle Acorn was smooth?" King Nigel asked, his tone full of concern for his dear friend.
"The weather delayed us for a few days Nigel, however it was nothing that we couldn't handle...What about you and the rest of Mobotropolis, I see that a good chunk of the city is flooded by sewage...If that is not dealt with then disease could spread through the city like wildfire...I've seen one too many plagues in my day and so have my children." Amadeus responded, taking a slightly more serious yet still friendly tone with the king.
"Aye, that is true...I don't want to see another outbreak of Malaria, Dysentry or Cholera...Such waterborne perils almost claimed you when dealing with that little bit of unrest back on the Ironcrag Coast...But yet you powered through it, crushed the uprising and ensured that the conspirator's heads were displayed atop the walls of Blackwater Castle."
"Indeed, I did Nigel...I was...grateful to receive your favour, even if you were not there in spirit." Amadeus said, his voice changing slightly in its tone...In what way though was up to interpretation...
"Ah well, at least the rebellion was dealt with...But do come inside, it is bitterly cold out here and I do not wish to keep you waiting...We've just had a fire lit in the great hall." Nigel said, turning his tail and leading the delegation back inside...Elias and Sally chatting with Samuel and Holly respectively...
...
The great hall was alight with the sound of hundreds of voices speaking, each individual table was rammed with both the castle's workers and knights who had been brought with the Prower's delegation...Each of them having a share of some of the finest food that the kingdom had to offer...Lord Amadeus and Nigel sat beside each other at the head of the central table, overlooking the rest of the hallway...Their families sitting beside them and chatting amongst themselves...The two girls eagerly discussing fashion, books and potential suitors, all the while Elias and Samuel discussed their inherited lands and responsibilities as heirs to the Kingdom and Lordship of the Ironcrag Coast.
"The food is excellent Nigel; your banquets are as luxurious as ever. As are your tournaments from the sound of it...If my ask, how did the latest of them go?" Amadeus said, carving himself some meat of a large roasted boar.
"Oh, it went splendidly Amadeus...The jousting was extremely entertaining...Sir Shadow won in that field...However it was Sir Sonic who overcame the odds yet again and won in the melee. I swear that boy is one of the finest swordsmen that's ever lived..." Nigel responded, taking a sip of wine from his golden goblet.
"I see, I do not believe that I've met this Sir Sonic yet Nigel...Of course I know what he looks like, and I've heard of his numerous great exploits...But I do not believe that we've ever been properly introduced."
"Oh, I wouldn't bother with that if I were you, he's occupied at the moment...He's got a new squire to teach at the moment...Lovely lad, full of life...Curiously a lowborn though which is something rather unique about the squire...He was apparently a thief who was brave enough to break into Sir Sonic's pavilion and try and steal from him...However, even when the child was caught...He was able to evade capture from not only Sir Sonic, but also Sir Shadow, Sir Amy and Sir Knuckles and was only caught via a fluke...I say...there they are over there Amadeus."
King Nigel Acorn pointed one bony finger towards a table in the far corner of the banquet hall...And Amadeus's eye followed it...It was pretty rammed, with the greatest knights of the realm sat around it with Sir Sonic sat at its head...His laughter loud and comradely towards his friends...However Amadeus didn't care for that...He cared for the Squire sat beside him...A Squire that caused the blood in his veins to freeze and the world to close in on everything but...That boy...For the squire was a fox! But that was not the reason...He also had golden fur and blue eyes...And Amadeus had tried desperately to write it off as a mere coincidence...However the final damning piece of evidence...was the two, thick, bushy tails that sprouted from behind the fox and wagged as he laughed at his mentor's jokes...He wanted to desperately believe that everything at that point in time had been a bad dream...But there was no hiding from the current...horrible truth...For Lord Amadeus Prower...Military genius, winner of numerous tournaments, friend of the King and Lord of the Ironcrag Coast...Was staring at the young, joyous and oblivious figure of his own, long-forgotten son...