Disclaimer: All non-original characters are property of SEGA or their respective creators.

26. Ruby

"Well, would you look at this," remarked Knuxahuatl, running his hand across the polished iron breastplate, "This thing's practically clean enough to eat off."

"Please don't, master," said Silver meekly, "Then I'd have to clean it again."

The scarlet echidna grinned. "You may call me 'Guardian', Silver. That's all I am to you."

"Guardian?" echoed the albino hedgehog, "Of what?"

Knuxahuatl hesitated.

"Of us," Amaranth put in, placing her hands on her son's shoulders.

The ten-year-old frowned as he looked up. "Really, Ma?"

"Not quite," said Xhade, taking the breastplate out of Knuxahuatl's hands, "It's what he was called in Arkadia. I was a Reaver myself."

"But what did you guard?" persisted Silver.

"The old king," sighed Knuxahuatl, "Not very well, as it turned out."

The albino hedgehog blinked. "Why? What—"

"That's enough, Silver," Amaranth cut in, ushering the boy towards the bedchamber's curtained doorway, "Goodnight, master. And you, mistress."

"Goodnight, Amie," said Xhade, smiling at the hedgehogs as they ducked through the curtain.

Out in the roundhouse's communal area, a few flames burned low in the shallow firepit.

"Did I say something wrong, Ma?" asked Silver nervously.

"No," said Amaranth softly, kneeling in front of him, "You just…need to be a little more thoughtful about the questions you ask."

"Because we're slaves?"

"That's right," the cerise hedgehog sighed, "If ever get curious when you're working at the forge, try to remember you can always ask me when you come home."

Silver nodded. "Do you know what Reaver does, Ma?"

"I can't say I do, but I think someone else might."

She looked over her shoulder. On the far side of the roundhouse, Shadow was busily making up his family's futon out of a heap of woolen blankets. At present, he couldn't seem to decide which way to place a particularly cumbersome blanket, widthways or lengthways. Frustration was showing on his furrowed brow.

"Should we go help Pa?" whispered Silver.

"Let's not. Your father seemed quite keen to do this himself."

"Like Lobo used to?"

"Err, yes. I suppose so," muttered Amaranth.

Pulling her son into an embrace, she rested her chin on his shoulder and gazed wistfully at the bedchamber's doorway. Ending her day outside that curtain had finally made her feel like a slave.

Serving in the queen's longhouse, it'd been easy to keep her spirits up, what with Rouge and Honey trying to put her down at every opportunity. Here, hope was harder to find.

"Am I the only one who's tired?"

Mother and son looked up to find Shadow staring at them across the fading fire.

"Would a little help be too much to ask?"

"Sorry, Pa," said Silver brightly, "Ma said you wanted to be like Lobo."

The black hedgehog glared at his wife. Amaranth panickily shook her head as she stood up.

"Silver, come with me," she said, briskly steering the ten-year-old towards the roundhouse's entrance.

"Huh?" he uttered, stumbling outside, "What did I say this time?"

Amaranth took a moment to steady her nerves, savoring the cool night air. She couldn't face a third night of being spurned by Shadow, even with Silver sleeping between them.

"Silver, you mustn't talk about Lobo anymore," she said, crouching down, "Especially not when your father's around."

"Why not, Ma?"

"Because your father loves you, and Lobo threatened to hurt you."

"He didn't—"

"He did!" hissed Amaranth, "That night he grabbed you outside the tent, that's exactly what he was prepared to do."

Silver's eyes widened. "But Ma…y-you said Loo and Lupe just wanted to scare us."

His mother dipped her head. "I know that's what I said."

"You mean…you lied?"

Amaranth sighed and pressed her forehead against his. "I told you what I told you because, well, I think it's what I wanted to believe myself."

"About Lobo?"

"About everything, Silver," said the cerise hedgehog, fighting back a sniffle, "I'm sorry."

жЖж

"Are these really are only options?" said Ashura, studying the scrap of parchment resting in her lap, "How can a king have so few advisors?"

"This isn't Tesiphon, Asha," said Sonic, "What the thanes don't take care of, Chancellor Atticus does. The king's mostly there to protect them all."

"No wonder he manages to go hunting so much," muttered the black hedgehog. Scrunching up the scrap of parchment, she hurled it into the bedchamber's fireplace.

It had been a list of courtiers Sonic thought might be able to intercede for them with King Furlong. They'd met with them all over the course of the day. Pointlessly, as it turned out.

The morning after she'd arrived in Cilgarren, they'd met the king himself, seeking his blessing for their journey east. They'd also hoped he would agree to keep her visit a secret from King Melodeon. The fox had happily given his blessing, though flatly refused not to tell Sonic's father.

Ashura lay down on her side, resting her head in her husband's lap. "Could we at least try asking Miles again?"

"Asha, he wouldn't even answer the door."

"I remember. I was there too. But still, it's been two days. Surely he'll need to eat at some point."

"Are you suggesting we pose as servants?" said Sonic, "Besides, he has Zoe to forage for him. He could stay shut up in that tower for a moon or more."

Ashura frowned. "Do you think he will?"

"I hope not, but that was an almighty bubble his father burst."

The black hedgehog snorted softly. "Not just us, then."

The blue hedgehog stroked the green-tipped quills sprawled across his lap. "He never said we couldn't go—"

"He might as well have done. My mother heard Rhodanthe's story about Blackblade too. If she finds out I'm here, it'll take her five minutes to work out why. And if my father were to find out…"

"What, Asha?" urged Sonic gently.

"He might even decide to abdicate and make me Baroness. Then, I'd hardly ever see Bella…"

She sighed mournfully.

"This was such a stupid thing to do. Chasing some peddler's tale like it could actually be true—"

"I thought you believed it?"

"I do…I think. But you saw the look King Furlong gave me. Like I'm some wide-eyed overgrown hoglet whose been cooped up in a castle too long."

"That's not what I saw," said Sonic pointedly.

"No? Well, that's how pretty much everyone at court looks at me. They still treat me like I'm a teenager."

She rolled onto her back, peering up at her husband.

"You never did, though."

"I'm glad I got something right," said Sonic softly.

Ashura smiled, tucking his hand under her chin.

"Could you come back to Montrose with me? Perhaps we could ask the king to tell your father I sent Bunnie here alone—"

Knock-knock!

The black hedgehog sat bolt upright. "Who bangs on doors like that at this hour?"

"I seem to recall you did," said Sonic.

Ashura glanced out the bedchamber's latticed window.

"It wasn't this dark out," she muttered as they shuffled off the bed. She reached for her violet kirtle.

"Asha, that thing takes forever," said Sonic, throwing her sable cloak at her feet, "Just put that on."

"Seriously?" she said, watching him casually wrap his naked form in an amber cloak.

"Whoever it is, it's not as if they'll be here long."

Knock-knock!

With a halting nod, Ashura dropped her dress and picked up the cloak.

"Shouldn't you have a slave for this sort of thing?" she asked, still feeling completely bare despite being completely covered.

"The king offered, but, uh, Fiona disapproves."

"I see," she mumbled, padding out of the bedchamber behind him.

She watched him unbolt the door to his apartments in trepidation, recalling how easily he'd dropped his cloak when she ambushed him. She pulled her own cloak tighter around herself.

Whoever was knocking must've heard the bolt. The door opened outwards.

"M-my king?" said Ashura as she beheld King Furlong of Cambria.

"M-my queen?" said Sonic as he beheld Queen Rosemary of Cambria.

"So that's what took so long," said Styx, sizing the hedgehogs up from behind the door.

"It's rare I get to say this these days, but may we come in?" asked Rosemary.

"Pl-please do," squeaked Ashura, taking great care not to step on her cloak as she shuffled aside.

"Perhaps you'd like to be excused briefly?" asked Furlong, adjusting his eyepatch, "We can make ourselves comfortable."

The hedgehogs bowed and fled back to their bedchamber.

"That's the last time I let you convince me to do something like that!" said Ashura, kicking the door shut behind them.

"I'm not sure I've had the chance before," said Sonic.

"And whose fault is that?"

Shedding her sable cloak, she set about putting on her violet kirtle. The fiddly laces on the front of the bodice prevented her from rushing. As she concentrated, her head began to clear.

"Sonic, why're the king and queen out there?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," said the blue hedgehog, pulling on a green velvet tunic.

Ashura bit her lip, wary of letting herself feel even a little hopeful.

"Here," said Sonic, taking the laces pinched between her fingers, "Let me."

She blinked. "Do this often, do you?"

"Don't talk like that," breathed Sonic.

"Why not?" muttered Ashura, "Or did Tiara undo her own dress?"

He quietly went on lacing. She grabbed his wrists.

"Did she or didn't she?" she demanded.

"Asha?" said Sonic, a little shaken, "Why does it matter—"

"Sharing you with Fiona…I knew I didn't have a choice, but I know there've been others—"

"There haven't been any others! As for Tiara, she wasn't—"

"Wasn't what? A long-term arrangement?" snapped Ashura, "You said it happened because you were lonely out hunting lodge, yet there you both were in that bedchamber!"

Sonic recoiled. "Asha…why now?"

"Because for all we know, those foxes have come to say a private goodbye to an unwelcome guest! Why else would they turn up under cover of night?"

She paused for breath, blinking back tears.

"If you must know, I kept quiet because I wanted to enjoy having you to myself for a while. But, if I'm to be forced to leave tomorrow, I had to say this now because I don't know when I'll get another chance."

She glanced down at her kirtle's half-laced bodice.

"You go speak to those foxes," she muttered, tugging at one of the laces, "They're more like family to you than I'll ever be."

"Asha, stop," said Sonic, lunging forward to stop her. She slapped his hand away.

"This isn't Erinia, my prince," she sneered, pushing her dress down over her hips, "King Furlong can tell me what to do. You can't."

Just then, the bedchamber's door handle began to turn.

"What do I have to do to be left alone with my husband?" grumbled Ashura, stalking past the stunned Sonic.

Grabbing the door's handle, she wrenched it open a crack and peered round. Styx met her glassy blue gaze.

"Are you coming out or not?"

Ashura reached through the crack and hauled the badger inside the bedchamber by her cape's clasp.

"What good would it do?" she demanded, "Unless that fox is here to tell me he won't write that letter, I don't see why I should bother."

Styx stared dumbly at the black hedgehog whilst Sonic gingerly draped the sable cloak over his wife's bare shoulders.

"Well then," said the badger coolly, "You might want to get dressed."

Ashura promptly released Styx, reversing into Sonic as the door creaked open.

"This fox came to tell you just that," said Furlong, "I'll be neglecting to mention your visit in my next letter to your father-in-law, or any other letter for that matter."

"Truly, my king?"

"On my son's tails," said the fox, "Go find your brother, my girl."

жЖж

Whisp and Gao watched reverently as the swarthy hyena Tenebris dipped their newborn cub in a bowl of water held by two she-wolves. The pink bat Macrina came forward to dry and swaddle the whimpering baby wolf.

"Here she is," cooed the overseer, placing Gordian's new youngest slave in her mother's arms.

"You did it, Whispy," whispered Gao, resting his chin on his mate's shoulder, "You really did it."

The newborn's nose twitched as Whisp's tears dripped onto her amber fur.

"We did it," sniffled the she-wolf, "She's ours."

The newborn's whimpering grew louder.

"Whisp?" said Jenne, one of the pregnant she-wolves looking on dotingly, "Someone sounds hungry."

"Oh?" said the fourteen-year-old, a little startled, "Umm, what should I do?"

"Gao?" said Macrina, "Why don't you go give your master the good news?"

"Huh?" uttered the brown wolf, "Why me?"

"Someone has to."

"Can't I hold her first?"

"She needs to feed, little one," said Tenebris, ruffling the fur between his ears, "You'll get your chance."

Gao curled his lip. "Don't call me that."

"Gao, do as you're told," said Macrina flatly, "I won't ask again."

The fourteen-year-old felt an elbow nudge him in the ribs.

"Go on, Gao," said Whisp, "We'll be here."

With a heavy sigh, the brown wolf stood up and trudged off across the longhouse's slave dormitory. He halted in the doorway, faced by a communal area full of awake hyenas. According to Whisp, they would usually all be snoring by now. No doubt her howling was to blame. Hopefully none of them would try to take it out on him.

For luck, he grabbed the front of his tunic, squeezing the ruby shard necklace hidden beneath.

"Gao?" Macrina called after him, "Is something wrong—"

Just then, the longhouse's front door flew open. Gao saw only a white blur as a jackal rushed in and pounced on a hyena lounging by the central firepit.

Driving his scimitar through the mercenary's chest, the white-robed warrior looked up. The faceted ruby in his right eye-socket glinted in the firelight.

"R-Red Eye?" breathed Gao.

"Now, Tsunami!" barked Infinite.

Yipping fennecs flooded into the longhouse, falling upon the hyenas with ruby-encrusted swords. A few mercenaries died quickly. Most were readier than they looked, fighting back with swords and axes.

Infinite plunged headfirst into the melee. Gao quickly lost sight of the jackal, distracted as he was by a brawny brown wolf lingering near the firepit, holding an iron-headed war-hammer.

A blood-splattered hyena lunged at the wolf. Before the wolf could swing his hammer, his assailant's hands had grabbed the wooden haft. A grapple ensued on the edge of the firepit.

"Gevlekt!" shrieked Tenebris, bowling Gao over as she charged out of the dormitory.

Shrugging off fennecs' sword thrusts, the hyena matriarch pounced on the wolf's back, sinking her teeth into his shoulder.

"Lobo!"

A gray she-wolf rushed in through the door, driving her spearpoint into Tenebris's side. The swarthy hyena fell limply to the floor. Grabbing the knife in her belt, Lupe scrambled between Lobo's legs and stabbed Gevlekt in the gut. He toppled backwards into the firepit.

Hand on heart, an elated Gao watched the two wolves retreat back through the doors. He turned his head, looking for Infinite, only to be confronted by a blue fennec.

"I'm here for the bat," snarled the fennec, "Move!"

Seized by panic, the wolf tore open his tunic and brandished his ruby shard amulet.

"You can't hurt Macrina! She's helping Whisp!"

The fennec cocked his head. "The little cub?"

Recognizing the jackal Abundita's nickname for him and Whisp, Gao nodded frantically.

"I am Tsunami," said the fennec, pushing the ruby-encrusted hilt of a dagger into the wolf's hand, "The bat's your prisoner. Guard her."

Just then, alarmed yips filled the air. Tsunami's ears brushed Gao's muzzle as he whirled around. On the other side of the longhouse, Gordian emerged from his bedchamber in a suit of iron armor. The cobalt bat thrust his spear into a fennec prematurely reveling in victory.

The nearby fennecs fell back towards the firepit. The few surviving hyenas rallied to their employer's side.

"Give it up, flittermouse!" barked Infinite, wiping his scimitar on his bloodied white robe, "There's no Erinians to save you this time!"

Gordian spat on the ground. "Forty warriors will do just as well!"

The jackal grinned. "About them…"

Lupe and Lobo stepped into view. Gordian squinted at the iron-headed war-hammer.

"Know that weapon, do you?" said Infinite, "Then you know what's become of your vaunted reinforcements."

Gordian held his spear in one hand, ready to throw it.

"Gordian, stop!" Macrina cried out, pushing her way past Gao, "You can't win!"

The slave master locked eyes with his overseer.

"You always said we should treat them fairer. Just see how fairly they treat you!"

Casting aside his spear, the armored bat turned heel and bolted back into his bedchamber.

"Coward!" barked Infinite as Tsunami's fennecs swarmed the abandoned hyenas.

The jackal turned and scrambled out the longhouse's main door. Lupe and Lobo followed after him.

"He ran away?" breathed Gao.

"Quickly, Gao, back into the dorm—"

Macrina stopped short, spying the ruby shard dangling around the wolf's neck.

"You don't get to tell me what to do anymore," he said, brandishing his ruby-encrusted dagger, "I'm going back to the dormitory, but not because you said so. I have to tell Whisp we kept our promise after all."

"Promise?" echoed Macrina, wincing as the fennecs yipped in triumph, "What promise?"

"The promise we made to Ruby."