Chapter Text
The prince kicked his heels as he walked to the strategy chambers. It was nice outside, the sun shining on the Solean streets and sparkling in fountains, lighting the castle in warm tones and casting shadows over the grounds where people played, talked, trained, worked, and mended. And Silver was stuck inside.
Staff and clergy nodded to him as he passed. Nobody was intimidated by this heir to the throne; he had proven himself small and unmighty, a pitiable thing. He was clumsy with weapons and casual with words, so he made people laugh and set them at ease, but especially he kept to himself and barely made impact on their lives. Nobody really believed he would become King; his barely-older step-Sister seemed a far better option to rule, as long as he caused no fuss about birthright.
It was perfect for Silver. Disregard granted him a level of freedom Blaze couldn't hope for, and he'd never trade his lifestyle for hers. Now they were out of the mourning period for his father, Silver could do what he wanted, wear what he wanted and no longer had to perform sadness like an art. Their peaceful kingdom let him roam wherever, and as long as nobody was really watching him, he knew his secret was safe.
"You'll understand that the new guards will need to be watching you at all times, until we neutralise this threat from the mountains." The regent explained.
"Ugh, seriously? You tell me this before I go to the bathroom, and after breakfast?" Silver groaned dramatically, and it echoed around the meeting room, sending small chuckles through the gathered personnel he knew, except Blaze and the regent. The newcomers also seemed less impressed:
A large crocodile of a man quirked his brow at Silver, and watched the assembled war ministers and senior guards. He looked happily dominant, and Silver estimated that he had more muscle than anyone here in just his arms. He also estimated the crocodile had made that calculation too.
Over his shoulder, a roundbacked armadillo leant on a wall, and smiled at Silver. He had made himself comfortable in the crocodile's shadow, and didn't seem to care that he was receiving irritated glances from the future queen, as his dirty shoe scuffed the drapes behind him where he rested a foot on them.
Flanking both of them were small squires in thick coats. A squirrely one, that kept looking at the armadillo, and darting his eyes to the candles on the ceiling. The other was a bee or a wasp, doing his best not to look bored and tired of standing, but his best wasn't very good.
And slightly aside from the group stood a Chameleon, about as tall as Silver and staring at whoever wasn't talking in the room. As Silver looked at him, he met his gaze with the most serious and stern stare Silver had ever seen, and it almost made him laugh. Silver wrinkled his nose at him, daring any sort of reaction: the chameleon stared blankly straight through him.
Blaze cleared her throat: "I'm sure we will soon come to agreements with our neighbours. Until then, we extend our welcome and gratitude to the..."
She looked to her aide for a name, and the crocodile coughed politely.
"Chaotix regiment. You won't find mercenaries more experienced with Mages than us. We'll sniff out whatever's going on in your castle, y'highness." He smiled broadly to her, and Silver and Blaze bristled almost imperceptibly. Over his shoulder, the armadillo rolled his eyes.
"Should any rumours prove true. Prob'ly won't. Everyone's always blaming ghosts and magic, we fix a lot of drafts, too."
The room giggled again, but Silver watched the squirrel tug the armadillo's sleeve and stare pointedly up. Silver spotted it too; the candles above Blaze were starting to brighten as she hid her nerves. Silver coughed behind his hand, and they all extinguished, so a maid hastened to relight them.
Silver lent a hand on Blaze's chair, and stared down their Regent. The man, in Silver's humble opinion, should have been hanged for the crime of annoying him too regularly. He seemed to forget that in generations gone by, both of them would have been old enough to rule, but his dear adoptive Mother had implored his father to raise the coronation age to twenty-five so her children could be fully educated and trained. What was a lovely idea they had both welcomed now left them answering to a fool of a man for five more years, but Silver found him easily distractable by loosening furnishings such that every chair in the castle needed replacing, and rotating the gargoyles that now lined the courtyards so a manhunt for vandals was needed. He stared down the Regent with a pointed anger, but couldn't risk letting his feelings be plain:
"No, they won't do for the princess. A bunch of grubby guys, following her around to all ends of the castle? That's not happening. Find another solution."
The crocodile whistled, and looked over his shoulders at his companions, suddenly seeming more thuggish than they had before, but he stood his ground. Blaze curled her nails over the wooden chair arm, but nodded.
"It may become logistically unsustainable. Am I to have several female attendants to insure against the male, and be followed around by upwards of 4 people everywhere I go?"
Their regent looked to the Chaotix, who looked to the crocodile, who smiled broadly, a few Metal teeth shining.
"I had thought she might have arrived. We've reunited with a good friend from our travels, a well-respected female warrior, known for her hammer prowess. She was delighted for the chance to serve you, I'm sure she'll be here by the end of the day."
"Female warrior? Sign of the times. Still..." The regent sighed.
"Oh, she's good. Wild good. Dead good. You'll have heard of her - Amy Rose?"
Blaze folded her hands in her lap as the room murmured. A maiden refugee from the lands claimed by the Robotnik Empire, turned folk hero. They couldn't be speaking of the same woman, surely? Silver's tapped the back of the chair in anger.
"Great. That's great. 'Cause Blaze will be safe with just one girl to watch out for her. When she gets here, we'll check her out." He grinned, and everyone believed him, so he turned to the Chaotix.
"So, what, you're all here to watch just me then? Do you play instruments, or can you learn? If I'm having an entourage, they better be all singing-and-dancing!"
The bee looked excited to say something, but was instantly batted away by the crocodile, who looked Silver up and down with some disdain.
"I think one person can handle you."
"Handle me? You're not here to fight me off, are you?" Silver let his voice break as he spoke, but the crocodile didn't laugh. He tilted down to the chameleon, whispered something, then clapped him on the back hard enough to tip him forward.
"Sure, my man Espio will take care of you. We're all gonna be stationed around the castle, carrying out our investigation, that sort of thing. I'm sure you'll have no trouble with him."
He said the last to Espio, who was already staring at Silver. Negotiations on pay and access passed Silver by - he stared down the Chameleon, imagining that he could throw him out the window. Said window rushed open in a sudden flurry as he walked by it, but the Chameleon stayed firm on the ground.
Silver quickly learned that everywhere meant everywhere. Espio was at his shoulder from the moment he woke up to the last second he was awake. He stood outside the bathroom, only because Silver refused to go or wash unless he left. He hovered behind him wherever he went - never next to him, and never sat down. He only spoke when absolutely necessary, so Silver tried to ignore him for days, hoping he could forget he was being followed by the grimmest man he had ever met.
He sat in the cold bath in his bathroom moodily, enjoying the only peace he could ever get again, when a knock came at the door.
"Er, taken? Wait a minute, this is my room! Get out!" He called.
Nobody responded, so he dragged himself out and into a towel, and peeped round the door. It was still just Espio, staring at the door.
"What?"
Espio blinked at him, with a sneer as if he was stupid. He never used the bathroom, but if Silver was in there too long he would knock, or make a noise, just to make him respond - like a check. Silver fell for it every time. He howled and slammed the bathroom door.
"It's my right to drown in the bath if I choose!" He shouted, draining the water. Espio didn't respond, of course. Silver put on his pyjamas and left the towel with his dayclothes on the floor for a maid.
"When do you even sleep?" He snarled, climbing into bed. Espio frowned at him, but didn't respond, so Silver threw a cushion at him, that bounced off his shoulder.
"I'm talking to you! It's rude to ignore people!"
Espio glared at him, so he matched the energy, and when that didn't work he threw a second pillow at his stomach.
"Keep that up, someday you'll have none to sleep with." He muttered, snootily eying the heavily softened and decorated master bed.
Silver rolled his eyes: "So it does talk today! What, to good to answer my questions? Saving your breath for being a prick?"
"My colleague comes at night."
"You guys have been switching out on me and I didn't notice?" Silver whinged, flinging this cushion like a disc at his face. Espio still didn't react: Silver wasn't even sure he'd blinked.
"They serve after you are asleep, I return before you wake up."
"They?"
Espio blinked at him, seeing no further need to clarify. Silver threw a pillow at him that should have hit, but Espio caught this one, finally picking the others up and placing them on a chair next to the bed, so Silver would still have to get up to get them.
"Well, who's watching me sleep, then? Why wasn't I told?"
"Whoever is not otherwise occupied."
"Who's it going to be tonight? Can you wake me up when you change?"
"No."
Silver glared at him.
"I hate you."
"That is yet to impact my duty."
Silver had thought if he ever got Espio to speak, he would learn to like him, but he hated him even more in that moment. Powerless and bubbling with rage, he just rolled over and pretended to sleep. Espio took his position across the room from him, and stood still, his eyes twitching at anything that dared move.
It was after two in the morning when Espio silently opened the door for the armadillo - Mighty, Silver thought he remembered - and exchanged a few soundless words with him. Espio then exited the room, and Mighty watched him through the open door for a moment, before he closed it softly. Silver shuffled softly in his bed so he could see Mighty reflected in his pewter water jug.
Mighty was not as serious as Espio, it would seem. He flopped onto a dressing chair and opened a book. As he sat there, his eyes drooped, and he started to snore.
Silver silently crept out of bed, and to the window that had battered open earlier in the night. He glided out on the wind, and swooped up the side of the castle in a cyan glow, landing on the emptied gargoyle plinth above his room. He was careful not to be seen by any guards patrolling below, but missed Mighty's open eyes shining in the candlelight.
Silver tore at his hair as he stood on the castle roof. He kicked a chimney stack and screamed silently. He had never felt so angry and caged: his muscles and mental muscles ached. He looked for something to break.
Flags danced lazily on the poles over the castle. They could have blown away, if it were windy. Silver raised one paw and let magic flow through it, whipping the flag off, and stretching it so it started to tear. Something rested on his shoulder.
"Put that down. Nobody is above treason."
Silver leapt into the air and away from Espio, and tried to throw him off the roof on instinct. Espio gripped the ground and dashed out of the closing grasp of his phantom paw, then disappeared.
Silver panted, his body coursing with stress. The flag dropped from the air as he looked around for Espio. Behind him, it was invisibly picked up and remounted.
"You- who goes there? Somebody did something weird, I just saw it!" Silver insisted, his ears twitching with his heartbeat as he panicked. Nobody responded.
"I thought I saw... Espio? Did you take me here, I'll tell! I'll tell everyone!" He said aloud. At this, his guard emerged from behind a slim chimney stack. Silver smiled as he exposed a weak point he could dig.
"Yeah, that's right, I'll tell people what I saw. And who will they believe? You're a stranger, and a creep." Silver snarled low. Espio didn't react, just stood watching him.
"Is your whole organisation just a farce to get me out in the open? You'll all be out of here come dawn, just you wait."
"... or, you could go to bed, carry on your life, and leave the flags alone." Espio offered with the ghost of a smile. The first ever tone of any feeling from his lips twanged a note through Silver's core, like seeing a cloud form, or a baby that would one day rule the world. It disturbed him, even though he'd been waiting for it all week. He didn't let that show, though.
"What are you doing here? You've kidnapped me, with some sort of... something mad, something evil!"
"Oh, I have, have I?" Espio teased; "You're a better mage than you are an actor. Perhaps you're planning to kill me?"
"Excuse you! I'm a great actor!"
Silver gulped as soon as he realised what he'd said. Espio covered his eyes in second-hand shame.
"You've done surprisingly well. A fool is a wise part to play in your position. And, how do you excel so naturally at falling off horses and forgetting where you're going? Anyone would believe you really were so powerfully incompetent."
Silver disentangled his words, and all the week's rage bubbled in him. Espio had to have seen he was in danger, because he put a hand on the chimney stack, and held tight.
"It will do you no harm to kill me," He began, and Silver laughed.
"So you say, and I've gotta admit I'm tempted."
"... but aren't you worried how I know your secret? Think not of your risk, prince, but the potential gain from leaving me alive. You really need to know what's going on." He posed seriously, but his hand was on his hip like everything was under his control. Silver didn't think he could hate this man any more than he did a few hours ago, but now he knew that under the serious and dogged façade was a petulant, arrogant narcissist, he didn't care much about gains.
"I do well enough for myself. Nice knowing you."
Silver gripped his hands together, and glowing energy wrapped around Espio, compressing him. His eyes started to pop, but he refused to stand down that awful face.
"They'll come for you if I'm dead. More than us. More than you know." he choked.
Silver squeezed him harder, his mind racing. Espio looked blue in the night air, but made no attempt to escape.
"What are you here for, then? If you have an army, why not send it?"
Despite being half dead, Espio heroically managed to send him a withering stare. Silver resented letting him go, but supposed he had to let him answer, and could always hurt him more. He kept him floating in the air, tipping him upside down as he released the pressure. With a few deep breaths, his guard was undisturbed again, upside down as though he were standing upright, and bored.
"Why, do you need an army to protect you? I rather thought you weren't enjoying this?"
Silver bounced Espio's head on the ground harshly, then threw him against the chimney and bound him there with his mind.
"I am enjoying this. What do you mean protect?"
"I mean what I say." Espio sighed, one eye twinging slightly. He seemed winded, but Silver saw a sheath in his pocket, and suspected a feint. He approached Espio slowly, pretending to look into his eyes, but when he got close enough, he whizzed the knives out of Espio's pockets and pointed them all at Espio, held in the air with a cyan sheen
"Stop that." Espio said seriously. Silver laughed, taking one out of the air and inspecting it casually.
"What's an honourable guard doing with thieves' daggers?" He sneered and waved it in Espio's face. Espio only now looked frightened, and Silver relished in it for a moment, letting the cold metal of the flat part stroke Espio's cheek.
The second it grazed his skin, however, the knife snapped from Silver's grip as though possessed. It careered back on itself towards Silver, who jumped and tried to stop it but it wouldn't respond to his powers.
The knife sped to his neck, and Espio dove for him, sticking the thickest part of his arm in the way of the blade.
It stabbed his bicep, wedging partway in before it leapt back and spun around like a leaf in the wind. Espio puffed air out his lungs, and all the blades collected themselves in his pockets like guilty children running from a mess. Silver breathed fast, eyes nearly crossed as he looked at Espio.
"What the hell?"
"Loyal blades, they won't turn on me. Their reaction times aren't as fast as mine, though." Espio spoke flatly, as though he was not bleeding profusely. Silver backed away from him, folding his arms.
"Not my fault! Also, how are they helpful, it should have stayed in to stop the bleeding!"
"Hardly. Poisonous."
"Serves you right for having a nasty weapon."
Silver sneered at him, disguising any errant guilt he might be feeling. Espio squinted at him, finally faintly irritated.
"Would you like to go to bed, little prince? I'm sure you don't need to be on the roof at this hour. Someone might be doing magic."
Silver kicked the ground in his slippers and puffed.
"You - you just don't get it! You spent all week torturing me, and now I finally get out of your sight and you're just there! How are you here, too? Screw off! I can't live like this!"
Espio glared mildly at him, and started searching his jacket pockets for something to staunch the bleed.
"Yes, you did mention you hate me. Is that what's keeping you from going to bed?"
"You don't get to waltz into my kingdom, my castle, and tell me when I go to bed! I'll have you killed tomorrow!"
"Oh dear. I thought you were doing that now. Scheduling mishap?"
Silver seemed done with listening, so he focussed on covering his arm, and searching for a handkerchief.
"Like, you've got no idea what it's like! I'm on the clock all the time, from the moment I leave my room, I'm keeping it all in, and now here you are, and I have literally no time, no space to myself! This stuff doesn't just fit in a jar, you can't ignore it! You, personally, are a terrorist, because you're going to cause an accident and I will make it your fault. Like, asking nicely, as a friend - as if I'm a friend - get off my back. I don't need a 'round-the-clock guard, I can literally kill people by thinking about it. And I'm sure as hell thinking about it." He raved.
Espio raised one brow as he held his glove tight over his arm, leant on the chimney: Silver didn't seem to need any input to keep his own thought-flame stoked. Espio didn't exactly have a plan for this either, and if his head would stop ringing he might love to make one.
Silver talked himself almost to angry tears before he noticed Espio was still there, and it made him even more cross to see he looked bored, not terrified. He stomped back over to him to tell him how awful he was, but up close he looked green and his eyes drooped from sickness.
"... If you're gonna puke, can you go somewhere else? I'm on this roof."
Espio tossed him another glare, and shook his head.
"Bed. Go to bed. Deal with- in the morning." he managed, as he tried to stand up straighter and more commanding, but his neck started to twitch and shake his head involuntarily. Curiosity tugged Silver closer to him.
"What was in those knives?" Silver breathed, tapping Espio's hand away from his arm, and revealing a bluish oozing gash.
Espio bristled, glaring at him.
"... are you gonna tell anyone what..." Silver began, and Espio rolled his eyes at him and shoved him off; "Well what does that mean?"
"Like I -could." Espio hissed. Silver scowled at him, turned on his heel, and walked to the edge of the castle. He jumped off the plinth.
A rush of wind caught around him, and Silver found himself gripped in Espio's arms halfway down the brick wall. He had ran sideways down the castle, and skidded to a stop, his breath sharp and quick.
"The hell?" Silver puffed. Espio blinked, wavering on the wall; "What- how are you- Ugh, whatever! How do you think I got up here, you weirdo? I can get back down!"
Espio's legs wobbled and his bad arm jolted around Silver.
"I... did know... forgot. Apologies."
Silver shook himself out of Espio's arms and floated in through his window, then slammed it without looking behind him.
The armadillo in his room made a show of jumping, and falling asleep again as the window clattered, but Silver glared at him hard enough that he pried his eyes open and winked at him.
Silver couldn't bear to look at him either, so he looked back out the window and saw Espio crouching in the awnings of another room, green again. He clung to the bricks with one arm, and his bad one was hanging loose. Silver watched as he started trying to scale down, but stumbled and shook, his head leant on the stone. He didn't think he needed to help, but grumbled to himself, and after half a minute he opened the window again, let his powers wrap around Espio, then pulled him inside, his neck lolling.
Mighty opened one eye, then both, and swung out of his chair, as Silver carried Espio onto his bed.
"What's goin' on here?"
"Save it. What's the antidote for dagger-poison?" Silver snapped, lighting a candle with a sparkling rock on an ornate lampstand. Espio groaned at the light.
"Prince-go-'a-bed." he mumbled, shuddering. Mighty raised a brow at Silver.
"Sure, bud. He's in bed. Can I take your jacket?"
".... 'llo." Espio mumbled, smacking his hand onto Mighty's face. Mighty snorted at him, and wriggled the jacket off his body.
"Oh dear. That's not supposed to happen, is it?" he teased, and Silver snickered too.
"... bastard." Espio grunted, and his shoulders fell slack. Mighty wrinkled his nose at Silver.
"Shall we say that's to me? Else it's probably treason, and I hate paperwork." He laughed, and chucked Silver's chin too confidently.
Silver sat on the side of the bed as Mighty patted Espio with a wet towel to cool a fever, and strapped up his arm in rags. When he tried to clean it, Espio hissed and spat bile over himself.
"Thanks for the loan of a bed, prince. When I'm missing from rounds, Vector will come by and send him off."
"Why don't you take him to your chambers now?" Silver sniffed in through his shirt against the smell of sickness. Mighty grinned grimly at him.
"Leaves you undefended. If anyone knows you're on your own..."
"You'll get in trouble?"
"Sure. That's the worry."
Silver sighed, and searched his shelves for a book to read.
"So, what happened?"
"Followed me climbing out. Tripped and fell on his knives."
Mighty rolled his eyes, and put Espio on his side with a bedpan under his head. It bothered Silver that he knew where that was, and he supposed Mighty had been watching him sleep while Espio disappeared. He cringed and turned it into a frown.
"I'm not going to get any sleep with you two in here, you know."
"Yeah, join the club. We're all on day eight. Get a grip. Respectfully." He growled; "Espio'll probably be better than ever, wish I could go stay in the sick ward."
Silver assessed Mighty's eyes for tiredness, but only found someone tired of him.
"You bear it well."
"That's the gig."
Silver pretended to read, but watched Mighty and Espio. He hated Espio, but guilt was gnawing at him.
"You should go and get your superior."
Mighty huffed.
"Vector is not my superior, he's just loud and bossy."
"Whatever. Get him. I'll watch Espio."
"Then who's watching you, smart guy?"
"... Espio is."
Mighty laughed, but Silver glared at him.
"It seems you people know that I am capable enough. Your friend is dying."
"He's fine..." Mighty grunted. They sat in silence for a minute. Espio jerked again, and spewed over the side of the bed, body shivering.
"I will be quick." Mighty said suddenly, and ran from the room.
Silver closed his book and knelt next to Espio. Espio's eyes rolled under his lids. Silver felt his brow, and he whimpered.
"Serves you right." He whispered, but held the pot and his head close together.
Vector asked no questions of Silver as he arrived, and shushed Mighty every time he tried to talk about it. He couldn't shush Silver, though, when he tried to put Espio over his shoulder and he jerked and squeaked unconsciously.
"I can carry him." Silver pointed, levitating Espio gracefully. Vector shot him a sharp look.
"Just how have you not been caught yet, Prince? No wonder there's... You've done enough."
"It's the middle of the night, who's going to know?" Silver huffed. It irked him that nobody seemed impressed with his powers yet. For something he had trained in secret all of his life, they weren't wowing the Chaotix, and it endeared them even less to him.
Mighty and Vector engaged in a staring war over something, before Vector sighed and grabbed the bedsheet.
Silver generously resisted the urge to bump Espio on his way down to the serving quarters, even down the winding stairs and skinny corridors. Finally, he reached the Chaotix' base of operations.
"This isn't the sick bay." He pointed out, as Vector fumbled with the keys, mumbling something.
"Would you like to explain what happened to a nurse?" Vector snorted, kicking the door open.
The bee child was sticking notes together on the table, that had sketches of everyone in the castle. Silver and Blaze's were at the centre, with many lines of string coming off them. When he saw Espio floating, he squealed with delight, zooming into the air while Vector shoved junk off the only 'bed' in the room - a bench with some coats on.
"Ooh! Do me, do me!" he giggled.
"You're already flying!"
"... Do it anyway?"
Silver rested Espio on the bed, and levitated him bouncily while he assessed their research.
"So, you suspect a mole in the castle?" He remarked idly, hoping at one last chance to intimidate the Chaotix. Mighty loaded a bottle of something yellowish out of a thick case, and glared at Vector.
"Never you worry, Prince." The crocodile said easily. Silver glared at him.
"No, I'm done with this nonsense, you tell me things now. There's more where that came from." he pointed at Espio with wisps of green and blue. Vector pulled Charmy out of the air and into his hand, but kept his face friendly.
"Thanks for your help. Let me escort you to your quarters." He said stiffly, chucking Charmy over to Mighty.
Vector waited until they were in an enclosed staircase with no debris or furniture to be used as weapons, before he picked Silver up by the scruff of his neck.
"Pull tricks again, why don't you? See how scared of you we are." he hissed in his ear, twisting the fur.
"It was an accident! He followed me, I thought he was attacking me." Silver whined instantly, his courage bottled.
"That's his job, idiot!"
"Well, he shouldn't have had those in the first place!"
"He's there to protect you! The only way those knives turned on him is if you did something funny. Something so funny, I'll be laughing all the while I'm burying you."
"Well, see how he likes it when I tell everyone he's been breaking the law. And now you're threatening me!" Silver spat. Vector rolled his eyes.
"That's what he signed up for, you twit. We're all here to take the fall for you."
Silver stopped wriggling in Vector's grip.
"Fall when?"
"When you screw up, so could be anytime."
"... who's out to get me?"
"You want that list by tomorrow? I'm a slow writer."
"What about-" Silver cut himself off, glaring at Vector for nearly making him slip. It didn't matter.
"There's a plan for her. The less you know. Keep your nose clean, and don't lay a finger on him again, or I'm going to be the biggest problem you've got going." Vector snapped. He hurried them out the spiral stairs, and practically threw Silver into his room, then stomped in himself and leant on the door.
"You can't just say that and then watch me sleep!"
"Night, night, prince." Vector whispered, and the candle extinguished from the other side of the room. Silver suddenly flopped to his bed like he'd been hit around the head, and dreamed he was bound by chains in his own dungeons.