Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Heir Apparently ❯ Chapter 4

Oh good… no problems…

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Chapter 4

 

Red studied the ring as they rode along, trying to be discreet about it. He need not have bothered - Sir Sidney was too busy staying as far away as possible, claiming the stink.

He glared and wished that he could just change his clothing into something more fitting. He rubbed the little emerald on the ring idly, wondering if it were a magic ring and he could summon a djinn or genie to help.

Nothing happened.

Well, it was worth a try, wasn't it? At the gate, servants helped him dismount, took his horse to the stables, and asked him if he needed anything.

Red said that no, he didn't, and then an unfamiliar man stepped forwards. He had black hair, streaked with gray, curled close to his scalp, and was dressed in a suit of wine-red velvet. His gray eyes were cold and hard, but at his waist he carried no weapon - and no pokémon, Red noticed.

He swept a bow. “Welcome. I am your late father's advisor, Counselor Giovanni. Allow me to escort you to the Great Hall where your family awaits.”

Red thanked him and they set off. Inside the Great hall, he found his family waiting. The Queen again complained of the stink, and Bruno threatened to kill him, but at least he was overruled.

 

Afterwards, all of the royal family members dispersed. Red headed out to the courtyard to find someone who could show him around, deciding that a tour followed by a bath might be very pleasant indeed.

He was not far along when he spotted two guards holding a boy. Feeling curious, he walked up and asked what had happened.

“This boy was caught poaching.” The guard said. “As is default, the punishment is death.”

“Death?” Red looked horrified. “You're going to kill him?”

The boy sniffled. “I didn't kill that deer! He was already dead! I was just dressing him down so the meat wouldn't go to waste!”

“A likely story.” The man said.

Red looked at him, noting the dark purple cloak he wore over his uniform. “Are you the Captain of the Guard?”

“Captain Koga, at your service. What should we do with him?” Koga asked.

The boy continued to wail and whine. Red shook his head.

 

“Did you actually see him kill the deer?”

“No, but we found a bow in his hands and an arrow in the deer's stomach. That was how it died, after all.”

“Well, you have no concrete proof.” Red shrugged. “Let him go.”

The guards stepped back and released him, but they were frowning.

 

“He's too weak to be a proper king,” One growled, and the next thing Red knew was a feeling of pain before his vision bubbled away.

He woke up on the hill, and groaned. Obviously, he should have used the ring. Or perhaps he should have let the poacher die?

Maybe next time…

 

Well, now he knew that whatever magic the ring had, it did not make him invincible. That would have been nice…

He sighed. Time to go through the routine again.

 

When he next rode with Sir Sidney to the Palace, he began to run through all the rings he had heard of in his mind. It was not a ring that granted wishes, it was certainly not making him invisible, unless Sir Sidney could see invisible people, and it had not turned him invisible. Neither though, had it drained his life force or changed him into some small loathsome animal.

Perhaps the ring was not magical after all?

 

After the interview, Red was walking down the hall to the courtyard when he spotted Lance. He coughed to draw the prince's attention.

The prince glared at him, but frowned when he saw the ring on his finger. “That's a very pretty ring.”

“Thank you.” Red replied warily, not sure if Lance would try to steal it now.

“May I see it?”

Red reached for Poliwhirl's poke ball, but Lance did not notice as he slipped the ring on his finger. Instantly, his eyes dimmed slightly.

 

Red gaped, as Lance pulled him into a kiss. What was going on? Was the ring some kind of love charm?

Perhaps it made the giver fall in love with the original owner?

If that was so, it might explain why his mother, who was only a chambermaid, had fallen in love with the King. Oh, he had heard the gossip circulating and he knew that most of the advisors hated him. Now he just had to identify his enemies - or allies…

Hmm…

 

From the way Lance was pulling at his clothing though, Red decided that it would be better to get out of plain sight. Luckily, the hallway was mostly deserted, odd but not too odd, and he pulled Lance into the closest room, shutting the door behind them. Mercifully, it had come occupied with a bed.

He mewled as he felt Lance kiss him again, and afterwards, they lay panting in each other's arms.

Lance ran slender fingers through Red's hair, smiling.

“You are beautiful, Red…”

“Thank you.” Red blushed, as he was not quite used to compliments of the romantic sort, especially after their recent activities. His brain kept trying to remind him that it was only a virtual reality simulation, but his body was enjoying it way too much to protest.

“Lance?” Red asked. “Why did you do that?”

“I love you, silly.” Lance grinned.

It had to be the magic ring. There was no other explanation for it. Red fervently hoped that the spell would last until he was crowned King - things might become quite awkward otherwise.

Could he use this to his advantage? Should he?

Logically, it was all a game and he had to press every advantage he had to win. But Red was scarcely a creature of logic; he was more one of sensation. And right now, the feeling of Lance's lips over his own were very nice indeed, and so distracting…

He completely missed the sound of the door sliding open, a harsh whisper from the Queen, and then the fizzing away once again…

 

End Chapter

Completed 8/17/06

Yeah, I know I'm very evil. *Shrug* So what? It makes fic more interesting!