Fiery Lands and Stormy Seas (Pokemon Watty Award Winner 2014)

Chapter 23

SARAH

 

            Sarah accompanied her family as they gathered in the Sparks’ great hall.  Joining them were the Chiefs who were loyal to Mauville: Chief Allen Flowers of Verdanturf, who was her mother’s cousin, and his Exploud, and Chief Stone of Rustboro, a fat man with a Probopass and matching moustaches. There had been a Swellow and a letter from Lavaridge.

            When Sarah had been told, she and Manectric looked at each other uneasily.  At first Sarah’s heart got caught in her throat.  Had they captured her betrothed, Chris Marsh? Or had they finally killed Swampert?  No, she thought as she calmed herself down.  Carlos Brightflame would want to use Swampert as a bargaining tool.

A letter from an enemy could only mean one of two things.  A note of surrender, or terms for peace, she remembered from her father’s strategy teachings.  Or another threat…

The hall was quiet as Sarah arrived with Manectric at her side.  She took her place at a long table to her father’s right. “You’re late,” King Marcus had said.  The jolliness had gone from him, and Sarah figured he wore the face of the strong king today. 

“I was across town, Father,” she said, brushing him off.  “Practicing my bow.”

“Perhaps if you weren’t so busy with your bow, King Chris might never have left,” her mother chided in.  “You failed to do your duty as a lady and failed to wisely council your husband to be cautious.”  The Princess of Mauville gripped the arms of her chair in quiet anger.

Normally, Sarah didn’t care what her mother said, but this was in front of the Chiefs that would one day be loyal to her. 

Lady Alice didn’t let up.  “You’ve failed your family, and you’ve failed your kingdom, yet you still show the nerve to be late for this meeting though you were told it was urgent.  Do you even care, Sarah?”

“Maybe you should have kept father here in Mauville so that the Brightflames couldn’t take us unawares, mother,” she sneered the last word.  “I guess we’re all failures here.”

“Enough,” grumbled Marcus Spark, his own Manectric hissing with electric energy.  “I will not have my family at each other’s throats.  What’s done is done.”  He caught Sarah’s eye.  “There’s enough mistakes to go around.”  Sarah was about to open her mouth to speak again when Marcus interrupted her again.  “By all of us.  Now, on to the matter at hand.”

The King of Mauville tossed a rolled up parchment onto the table.  Yet instead of the red flame of the Brightflames stamped into the wax, it was the indigo star of Meteor Falls.  Chief Flowers began to read:

“Marcus Spark, King of Mauville,

            Let it now be known and recognized that Miguel Starfall of Meteor Falls has assisted in your efforts to defeat Carlos Brightflame, and succeeded.  The citizens of Lavaridge had cried out to His Grace Starfall to rid them of Carlos’s mad visions and his obsession with his red jewel. Chief Miguel has now taken the title of ‘King of Mt. Chimney,’ and offers to exchange any and all prisoners captured for value relative to the position, rank, and social status of those prisoners.

            It has also been decreed by King Starfall that the Sparks of Mauville and their Chieftains give up any and all alliance to the Marshes of Slateport.  It seems that in an attempt to dishonorably secure the freedom of Swampert, Chris’s Spirit Pokemon, and great damage was done to the property of Lavaridge’s citizens.  The Slateport men were easily captured by His Grace’s loyal Chieftain, Randall Sand.  The rescue effort was thwarted by his grace, Miguel Starfall, and the Slateport fish-guards have been imprisoned and await the King’s Justice.