Chapter Text
“No grandfather. I refuse!”
“Shadow, it’s for the kingdom. We can’t be on the edge of war till the end of time, or worse, have an actual war. We don’t stand a chance with the Echidna’s siding with Soleanna. Which they will.”
“Isn’t there any other way you could come up with than forcing me to befriend that absolute imbecile?” Shadow asked, stroking a hand through his quills. There had to be another way, one that Gerald just hadn’t thought of before. Why didn’t he just ask Shadow to come up with a plan or at least help with one instead of making one up against his consent and shoving it down his throat?
“Unfortunately, this is the only agreement I could come up with that the queen accepted. We can come up with a thousand different ways to make peace, but if the people of Soleanna see their adored prince making friends with our crown prince, the crowds will back off.”
“This plan sounds horrendous. The fate of Ark relies on small talk I make with that blue idiot.” Shadow crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows. He had to admit that even if he did want to go along with the plan, it was a pretty weak and terrible one.
“Of course that isn’t the whole plan.” Gerald stood up and walked over to a filing cabinet where he took out a scroll before returning to the table where Shadow was sitting.
They were in one of the meeting rooms, used only for meetings between the royal family. Today, Shadow sat on the plush black loveseat where he’d usually be accompanied by his sister, princess Maria. Between Gerald’s chair - which was practically a gold trim away from being considered a throne - sat a low coffee table. A cup of tea for Gerald that had gotten cold and an untouched bowl of coffee grounds. Shadow lost every and all appetite after the news Gerald had given him.
Gerald stood in front of his throne and let the scroll unfold. It was so long it reached the floor and kept rolling, under the coffee table until it bumped Shadow’s shoe.
“That’s just step one of the plan. But it’s a crucial one and cannot be overlooked. There were many meetings and many months lost where this whole fiasco could have been resolved by now.”
“And you expect me to one day rule this kingdom without including me in meetings on such crucial matters and then thrusting bullshit like this on me completely out of the blue?” Shadow eyed the scroll. The text on the scroll was facing Gerald, he unrolled it like that on purpose. So he could taunt Shadow in the face with everything he has been left out of yet still not giving him the crucial information of what exactly that was.
“Shadow, as king you will have to take part in missions who are not at all prepared for. There is no heads up, no planning to be involved with, in the real world.” Gerald started rolling the scroll back up as he spoke. “This time it is happening in a controlled environment. It has been planned out for you. And you are befriending the crown prince of Soleanna as the first step in starting an alliance between Soleanna and Ark to ward off the war and for the better of the people of Ark.”
Shadow could feel Gerald’s stare without even looking him in the eye.
It was the same stare he would get when Maria and him would get into trouble when they were younger. Like sneaking off into town square or roller skating through the halls. Shadow stopped sneaking out into town square after hearing the whispers of the kingdom’s opinion on having an “alien freak” as their crown prince. The punishments weren’t worth it.
So, without another word Shadow turned on his heels and walked out of the meeting room.
“Shadow.” Gerald called after him, “Shadow come back here. You have a duty to uphold. Shadow!” Gerald called, but made no move to actually follow him.
Shadow had been laying with his face down into his pillows when he heard a familiar knock on his door before it opened. He didn’t make a move to turn around and look at Maria, even when he felt the bed dent next to him and a hand on his back.
“You know, Shadow,” She started hand lightly on his back, ready to move away at any moment, “I think it’s a wonderful plan. Prince Sonic seems super nice.”
Shadow finally turned around to lay on his back to stare at the ceiling, arms resting on his chest. He could see Maria’s smile out of the corners of his eyes, but refused to meet her gaze.
“Did he tell you of this plan?”
“If he had, I would’ve told you the moment I got out of the meeting room. You would have known every detail I would. Why are you so against this plan anyway? I think it’s a lovely one” she laid down next to him, hands under her head, “Think of the headlines in the newspapers. Crown prince Shadow Robotnik of Ark and crown prince Sonic Wentworth of Soleanna bringing the two kingdoms together in alliance through friendship, setting back the war that had been rumored to be on the horizon for the last several months. Think of the peace it would bring in the hearts of our people, Shads”
During her explanation, Maria had moved her arms to help envision the front page of the newspaper that would be spread across the lands. She turned to look at Shadow with a hopeful shimmer in her eyes.
“I don’t think the people would be all that excited Maria. There are much more important things for the citizens to be worrying about, like the huge imbalance in currency that is making market prices skyrocket. The trading war that is upon us between us and Soleanna. People are slowly going hungry, the cost of living is barely enough and you think the people of Ark are going to give two shits about the prince they don’t even want, who isn’t even supposed to exist, making friends with Soleanna?”
Shadow sat up and finally looked Maria in the eyes as he continued. “Grandfather refuses to tell me any other part of this plan, there is so much going wrong in the kingdom and so little I am allowed to do, so much doubt surrounding me and my abilities. And both of you think this is what’s going to bring us out of our dark age?”
Silence filled the room. Shadow hated it. It gave his mind the opportunity to swirl around and overthink too much than what should be healthy. He wants to help his kingdom. He wants to prove to his people he was a Mobian worthy of being their king.
“We won’t know unless we try.” Maria said after a moment. “The way I see it, is if our people can see that their soon to be king is able to form alliances with kingdoms and solve conflicts through peace instead of war that they will have more faith in your capabilities of leading.”
“But how is this going to solve-”
“I think you’re focussing too much on the impact of the friendship. The friendship itself isn’t going to fix all conflicts, but is rather the first step in a greater plan. Why are you so against making friends with him? He seems like a lovely guy.” Of course Maria would think that. She sees the best in everyone. Unfortunately for Shadow, he sees the opposite.
“Have we met the same guy? He has such a big ego and lives with his head in the clouds due to the high horse he sits on. It’s so tall I’m pretty sure he can’t see the ground from up there. He is constantly surrounded by yes-men and girls that are fawning over him like he’s all that. Adored by his people, can never do anything wrong. Annoying high pitched voice. He’s such a douche, all the sweet talk he does is just a cover up of how pathetic he is and he barely even knows how to act like royalty.” Shadow hadn’t noticed when he had gotten off the bed and started pacing around his room.
“Wait what? What do you mean?” Maria sat up properly, amused smile, “He’s the most prince you can get.”
“Didn’t you notice at the dinner of the coronation of princess Amy?” Shadow asked, stopping in his tracks to look at his sister who squinted her eyes lost in thought.
“The one when she was officially adopted into the royal family of Rose? Shadow, that was seven years ago, how do you even remember that?” she asked, eyebrow raised when she realized exactly which dinner he was talking about.
“That’s besides the point. He didn’t know proper dining etiquette. Used the wrong spoon for every single course without fail.”
“Oh come on Shadow, you’re the only one who actually follows every single dining etiquette.” Maria rolled her eyes.
“I am aware, because the other idiots at that table also messed up, but none as much as that blue fool. I swear he was doing it on purpose.” Shadow pointed at Maria in his frustration, who just laughed.
“Shadow, I really can’t see it. Tell you what, you become friends with Sonic, see what he’s actually like and then report back to me on all the reasons why I should dislike him, because I can't see it for the life of me.” Maria suggested.
“He’s got you under his charm, that’s why you can’t see it.”
“Listen, if it helps, think of it this way, think of all the gossip columns that will be in the newspaper once you two become friends. Think of how entertained I will be!”
“That does not help whatsoever, Maria.”
“I am glad that you have come to your senses, Shadow.” Gerald patted Shadow on his shoulder, “this will be a great first step in the right direction for our kingdom. Your first meeting will be at the annual Rose Valentine’s Ball.”
Mobian is divided between four kingdoms that eternally reside in their respective seasons. Ark, Shadow’s kingdom, is the winter kingdom, and specializes in the trade of seafood, tech creations and the ability for other kingdoms to freeze produce for longer periods of time. Ark brought forth the first refrigerator that gave other kingdoms the ability to temporarily keep their produce for longer. No one is as resourceful as an Ark.
Rose is the kingdom of spring, responsible for the harvest of produce that grows in colder climates. They are great allies with Soleanna, the summer kingdom that specializes in tropical produce. Together they are food powerhouses and if turned against the other remaining kingdoms would lead to a disaster.
They are aware they are the most powerful kingdoms, and Shadow knows Sonic takes pride in that. It’s probably where he got his ego from. Every Solean has this ego as if they are better than the Arks. It gets under Shadow’s skin, makes his blood boil and starts asking why he agreed to befriend the moron again.
The Rose royal family is tolerable at best, and also why they aren’t at a trade war with them. Princess Rose has always been a kind soul to her people and Shadow. He appreciates that.
The fourth and final kingdom is the Echidna empire. They provide fertilizer for the produce kingdoms and fuel for Ark’s tech. The only reason they are important, in Shadow’s eyes at least, are their warriors. The Echidna are known fighters and protectors of Mobian.
It irks Shadow that his kingdom is considered at the bottom of the chain. The weaker kingdom. Easily forgettable and replaceable. Stuck in eternal winter and only good for keeping other’s junk incase of a rapture. He felt bad for the people born in Ark, growing up learning that no matter how rich or poor they get, in the eyes of the rest of Mobian, they are the lowest class.
That is why he was doing this. For the people of Ark.
The Rose Valentine’s ball marked the start of a new year in Mobian. A celebration for another bountiful harvest for Rose and Soleanna and a ball with the elite of all four kingdoms. It was a holiday spread over two days. The day started with a festival in Rose, followed by a ball hosted by the crown princess, princess Amy, for the elite. The next day is the most important meeting for the year.
The Trade Deal Gathering, where the most important people from each kingdom gather around a table and discuss that year's trade deals and the renewal of agreements between kingdoms.
Shadow had to give it to Gerlad, creating an alliance during the Rose Valentine’s Ball to sweeten Soleanna up for a better trade deal right before the gathering was a risky move. But just risky enough that it might work. Even if it didn’t work immediately, it would at least lift some of the insane prices at the markets.
For the people. He was doing this for the people.