PARAGON
Remnants of the Great War Arc [34]
Chapter 43 : Aaron and Azett
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Land of Rota - East of Cameran Palace
Ash watched from the shadows of the forest as the two legends clashed. Sir Aaron wielded a sword of pure Aura, and alongside his own Mega Lucario, they danced against AZ and his jagged slab-like Plate-blade. Ash recognized it immediately, similar in appearance as it was to the Electric Plate when he’d first found it, yet AZ swung it as easily as he would a baseball bat. He cleaved through the air, leaving blinding sparks in his wake, snarling like an animal as he advanced on his opponents.
Lucario jumped and caught the blade between his iron paws, and Aaron ducked beneath him to deliver a strike on AZ’s thigh. But the giant didn’t falter in the slightest, leaping and pressing his forearm against the edge of the blade, before bringing his full weight down it, crushing Lucario into the ground. The jackal’s eyes went white as he vomited spittle. But Aaron swiftly followed up with a flurry of gleaming thrusts, forcing AZ back.
Sir Aaron’s pokémon littered the battlefield, unconscious, and Ash could only think of one reason why. Sir Aaron hasn’t even had time to recall them. The battle playing out before him was unlike anything he’d ever seen, barring literal fantasy. This clash existed so far outside the realm of traditional pokémon battles that Ash wasn’t even sure how to intrude upon it. Every time their swords met, a furious clang like a gong from an enormous bell echoed outward.
As Sir Aaron sidestepped a downward slash, dodging only by a hair, he peppered AZ’s side with a storm of cuts, his arm moving so fast his sword was nothing but an azure blur in Ash’s eyes. AZ tried to beat him back with the flat of his sword, but Aaron simply dodged again, seemingly floating out of the way to deliver another series of attacks to his other side.
Sir Aaron is too fast for him. His attacks aren’t doing as much damage, but if he keeps this up…
AZ roared, and as Aaron rounded into his blind spot, AZ’s fist shot out and grabbed Aaron by the neck without him even needing to look. The Guardian King grimaced, and AZ eyes shined with homicidal intent as he hefted his blade high above his head. The rain glinted against its surface, refracting its crystalline light across Aaron’s face. The Guardian King grit his teeth and moved his sword in front of him just as the Plate-blade came screaming down. A vicious trail of white light followed, and Ash saw Aaron crumple beneath the effulgent arc. His sword shattered and detonated, and a massive explosion blasted the two men apart. AZ remained rooted in place, but Aaron went tumbling back across the grass in a column of wind. He rolled to a stop and grunted.
Sweat dripped down Ash’s face and a lance of anxiety bled through his heart. His attacks are faster, but AZ’s are stronger… As Aaron got to his feet, he clutched his head with his hand. When he pulled it away, Ash’s eyes widened. “Impossible…” he said aloud.
Sir Aaron’s hand was red, and blood dripped from a gash on his forehead. He too stared at it for a few moments, before glancing back up at AZ.
AZ buried his sword in the ground and grinned. “Did you think that just because your body is made of Aura that you could not bleed?” He laughed mockingly. “I’ll make you remember you’re still mortal!” He picked up his sword again and began sauntering toward Aaron.
Lucario peeled himself from the ground, shaking off dirt and soil, but AZ paid him no mind.
Now is the time, young one.
Ash’s eyes widened and he almost made a sound, but he quickly stifled himself. Lucario!
On my master’s sign, we will strike together.
Ash’s heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline flooding his system. It was happening now. It was time to face AZ again. He swallowed and steeled himself, nodding. He couldn’t hide in the bushes forever. He began to call upon the power of the Plate that coursed like lightning through his veins.
Aaron’s hand dropped and he conjured another sword. Clutching the handle in one hand and guiding the pommel with the other, he slowly angled it toward AZ.
A moment before he moved, Sir Aaron’s Aura flared.
Ash’s body moved before his mind. Electricity blazed to life in a torrent around him, and he leaped toward AZ, tangled bolts trailing behind him. At the same time, Sir Aaron blitzed forward in a blue blur, and Lucario leapt into the air with a roar, his crimson fists and forearms shining silver.
Ash had his target in his sights. With Aaron coming at him from the front and Lucario coming from above, Ash’s target was AZ’s side, already bloody and wounded from Sir Aaron’s prior attacks. From all three angles, AZ could only see one attacker at once. Even if he tries that Misty Explosion technique he used before, I can protect myself from it, and if I can, then the other two can too!
“Hello again,” AZ snarled, and Ash suddenly felt a giant hand close and tighten around his outstretched wrist.
Before he could process what was happening, he felt his body jerk in another direction, and he slammed into what felt like a brick wall. His vision seized, but just barely not enough for him to miss AZ’s fist catching Sir Aaron square in the face, and pummeling him to the ground.
When Ash’s ears stopped ringing, he tried pushing himself to his feet, but found not the ground beneath his weight, but Lucario. The jackal groaned as Ash shifted his weight atop him, and Ash quickly leapt off. “Lucario! Sorry, I…”
It isn’t your fault. He saw us coming, and threw you into me. Lucario took Ash’s helping hand and stood, glaring at AZ across the way.
Lucario’s skin burned with power and Ash nearly winced just at the touch of it. This was Sir Aaron’s strongest partner…
You’ve grown powerful since we last met, Ash Ketchum, he said. Your body and spirit both possess a heat that nearly eclipses my own. Were we enemies, I would take no pleasure in having to face you.
Ash stared in awe. Lucario had felt the same way about him.
Sir Aaron rubbed his jaw as he stood, and his entire body flickered. He fixed AZ with a stalwart gaze, but the giant seemed even angrier than he did.
“This fight has nothing to do with you,” AZ rumbled, turning toward Ash. “You know naught of its significance. Stay out of this.”
Ash glared at AZ in turn, ignoring the pain in his body. “Yeah, I didn’t think that would work. Didn’t expect Sir Aaron and Lucario to go along with it, but clearly you did. Good thing I had a backup plan.”
AZ sneered, crossing his burly arms. “I stopped your ambush with ease. Do you think I don’t know about your pokémon, hiding in the forest?”
Ash chewed the inside of his mouth, but then, he grinned. “Even if you do, can you do anything to stop them?”
AZ frowned, but a moment later, the forest burst apart on either side of the clearing, a red and blue blur each streaking out at lightning speed.
Golden electricity danced in Ash’s palms, and crackled upon the forms of his two partners. AZ moved to halt them just the same, but they were far too quick. They struck simultaneously, each one striking AZ’s side in a grand release of strength. Charizard’s Flare Blitz and Blastoise’s Wave Crash twisted AZ’s body in opposite directions, and he bellowed in pain. As Ash’s pokemon expended their full strength into AZ’s body, the giant soon buckled under the onslaught, and he collapsed to his knees with a pained grunt.
Before he could recover, Ash surged forward and landed a blinding Thunder Punch to his chest, sending him flying back across the clearing. Electricity crackled on the surface of his outstretched fist, and as he slowly lowered it, Pikachu leapt out and landed on his shoulder. “Good work, guys.”
Charizard growled, flexing his augmented muscles, and Blastoise shivered from the electricity, nodding.
“Are you alright, Sir Aaron?” Ash asked, approaching him. Lucario followed, the appendages on his head billowing behind him.
Sir Aaron’s hand trembled for a moment, but his Aura sword soon flashed back into his grip. “Yes, thank you.” He fixed Ash with a gaze. “I apologize for springing that surprise attack on you. Him noticing was my error, but I’m glad you were able to take advantage of the opening. I see your battle prowess hasn’t waned in the slightest.”
“No, no!” Ash said defensively, slightly embarrassed from the praise. But his attention quickly turned at the sound of AZ stalking back toward them across the clearing, clapping his massive hands together. Charizard and Blastoise both rounded on him, sneering as they stood in front of their trainer protectively.
“Impressive,” he said. “Very impressive. That’s some trick you came up with. You didn’t snare my attention before, but now, I can see why Aaron had his eye on you.”
Sir Aaron stepped to Ash’s side. “You said it yourself, the boy has nothing to do with this. This is a fight between you and I. Three thousand years in the making, isn’t that right?”
AZ scowled, his face dripping with disgust. “Don’t forget, he struck me first. And if he is here defending you, that makes him my enemy all the same.” His lips curled into a bitter grin. “If only he knew the height of your treachery, perhaps he would not have jumped up to fight for you so quickly.”
Ash frowned, glancing at Sir Aaron, but he gave nothing away.
“It was your own actions that placed you in that prison for three thousand years, not the Paragons. I’ll make sure you understand that, if nothing else.” Sir Aaron brandished his sword.
The Paragons? Ash wondered.
“The Paragons…,” AZ repeated. His body began to shake with rage. “Fine. I’ll take you all on at once! Come at me!” He rubbed his hands over his bloody torso, smearing his blood on his fingers, and he wiped his nose. Then, he roared to the stormy heavens.
As Ash prepared to defend himself, he could almost see the legacy of carnage burning on AZ’s back as the giant charged toward him, demonic flames smoldering in his war-soaked eyes.
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Land of Rota, over three thousand years ago
I was twenty-one when I first met Azett, and I had expected someone of far greater menace. As a child, I’d read stories about the cold, unflinching kings of the east, who expanded their borders relentlessly against the ravages of nature. Kalos was a land where humans dominated, so it was said. The only place like it in the world, and for many, a promise like that was plenty for them to pursue such a utopia. Beyond Rota, pokémon were thought of as monsters to fear, not companions to fight alongside. For an Aura Guardian like myself, such a place did not sound like a utopia. It did not even sound possible.
He came across the bridge with a flower in his hand, and he spoke to it as tenderly as a mother would her child. This I saw from a balcony on the palace. His soldiers marched alongside him, but he walked at a leisurely pace, stopping and starting again, seemingly at the whims of his little flower. Perhaps it was at that time that he had already piqued my interest. The easterners were said to hate pokémon, yet here was their king, frolicking with one beneath the sun in the sight of all his men.
“Your Majesty. Welcome to Rota,” King Jurock said, a thin man whose best days were behind him. The simple iron crown of the Guardians sat unevenly on his head of long, gray hair. He opened his mouth to continue, but had to stifle a cough with his handkerchief. “Please excuse me. We are honored by your presence here.”
Azett bowed, his regal cape flourishing over the floor of the throne room, and his men knelt in respect. “The honor is mine, fabled Guardian king. I must extend my thanks to you for accepting my proposal. I know tensions between east and west have been taut for quite some time, but it is a testament to your courage and goodwill that you would permit my visit.” His regal voice echoed throughout the throne room.
He stood and motioned with a gloved hand, and a pair of his soldiers stepped forward, each carrying one side of a gilded chest. They placed it down before the king, and bowed before retreating.
“A gift for you,” Azett announced. “Seeds from fruits and flowers of the east. Cloth and jewelry from the greatest artisans in our lands. And of course, treasure borne from the depths of our kingdom.”
It wasn’t often Rota received visitors from abroad, especially as far east as Kalos, and never kings or anything of the sort, but despite its novelty, the introduction ceremony was a rather tedious affair. I had to make a conscious effort to keep my eyes open as King Jurock and King Azett exchanged words and pleasantries and carried on with their royal ceremony. However, eventually the Guardians escorted Azett and his retinue away to their quarters elsewhere in the palace.
“Did you fall asleep with your eyes open?” a voice came from behind me as I was leaving the throne room after the Kalosians. Immediately, my chest tightened, and I turned around.
The eighteen year old Princess Rin was King Jurock’s daughter, and she certainly looked like one with her long golden hair and angular face. She was smiling at me, and though it looked polite enough, I’d known her long enough to know that she was making fun of me.
“I saw your eyelids fluttering,” she giggled, and I felt my face heat up.
“We’re hosting the king of Kalos, I expected a bit more pomp and circumstance if I’m being honest,” I said. “And isn’t he a bit young? He scarcely looks older than me.”
“Oh, you know us. The Guardians are creatures of tradition and simplicity.” Rin watched as King Azett walked away with his men. “Apparently, he’s one of the youngest kings Kalos has ever had.”
I shrugged. At least talking to her had woken me back up again.
“So, what were you planning to do now?” she asked, flitting to my side as if she’d find the answer hidden behind me. “Off to train?”
“Actually, I was planning on taking a nap. I’m sure dinner will be another draining affair.”
“Not as draining for you,” Rin pouted, puffing up her cheeks like Qwilfish, but I dashed the idea of teasing her for it. She and I were friendly enough in private that she wouldn’t care, but we were still in public, and had appearances to upkeep.
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“True enough,” I agreed. “But you’re more suited to politics than I am.”
Rin placed a finger on her cheek and looked away in thought. “Hm, I hear he’s quite eccentric. Apparently, his age is the least significant thing that separates him from his predecessors. He does seem different from the other Kalos kings that have visited Rota in the past.”
“And how would you know that?”
“Father said so,” she said matter-of-factly.
Well, I had gotten the same impression after seeing him with that flower pokémon of his. Maybe tomorrow I’d ask Rin what he was like. As a member of the royal guard, I wouldn’t get a chance to speak with him, but Rin would. And even though she’d sounded apprehensive about dinner, she was an absolute natural at diplomatic affairs. She would make an excellent Queen.
I bid my farewell to her and did precisely what I’d told her I’d do, and come dinner, we’d convened again in the grand hall. As expected, Azett and several of his closest advisors sat with King Jurock, Princess Rin, and the rest of the royal court at the king’s table, while the rest of us ate at communal tables. I glanced over at Rin a few times, and sure enough, she eventually did find herself in conversation with the king of Kalos. It seemed lively enough.
Azett and his men had no itinerary. Rota was a long way from the sea, and the journey inland had been long enough that none of them were eager to pack up and leave any time soon. King Jurock organized tours of the palace and surrounding lands for them, and I saw little of Azett or Rin over the next week.
One afternoon, I found myself in the gardens picking a bouquet of Rin’s favorite blue roses. The sunlight splashed upon the northern courtyard with a brilliance that made me a bit drowsy, but I hadn’t had any responsibilities to attend to today, so I was lazing around a bit. It had occurred to me that Rin had been quite a bit busier than usual hosting the Kalosians, so I thought I’d use my time to do something nice for her.
“Do you mind if I join you?”
I turned and saw King Azett standing in the doorway. He wore a simple white tunic with a red headband around his unkempt, long black hair. Far more casual than I’d ever seen him dressed since he’d arrived. His appearance shocked me for a moment. I’d thought he was with King Jurock.
“Of course not,” I eventually said. “Actually, I was just on my way out.”
“You’re Sir Aaron, aren’t you?”
Rin, probably.
I nodded. “That’s right.”
Azett smiled and started to walk closer. Then he paused and frowned. “Do you mind if I release my pokémon?”
I shook my head.
He pulled a pokéball off his belt and released that little flower pokémon from before onto his shoulder. Now that I could see it more closely, it looked like a little pixie, hanging on to a crimson flower.
“Rota has been quite kind to Floette. She can’t ordinarily spend this much time outside.”
I frowned. “Why is that?”
Azett glanced at me in confusion. “Have you been outside Rota before, Sir Aaron?”
I shook my head. I’d been born in Rota, and joining the royal guard had restricted my freedom quite a bit.
“Most people don’t hold such liberal views on pokémon,” Azett said. “Especially in Kalos. Where I’m from, pokémon are creatures to be feared, and hated. They are beasts who deserve respect for little more than their violence.”
Ah, that’s right. Yes, the Guardians were the strange ones. In most of the world, camaraderie between people and pokémon was a completely foreign notion. It was only courteous to ask before releasing one into the world.
Yet, the sight of that flower frolicking about the garden without a care, sniffing on this carnation or that poppy, made me smile. “Are there very many people who fear your Floette, your Majesty?”
Azett smirked and waved his hand. “Please, just call me Azett. But I suppose you’re right. Floette looks quite harmless compared to all these Lucario you have walking about. Nearly every one of my men has reported back to me saying they almost had a heart attack after turning a corner and being faced with one.”
“Lucario have been partners of the Guardians since time immemorial,” I smiled. “But I can see why your men would be afraid.”
“The legend of the Guardians, and their pokémon partners was a big reason for why I wanted to make the journey here to begin with. I had to see it with my own eyes, this reality of yours which is unthinkable to us in Kalos.”
As unfathomable as it was to me that people abroad could live without pokémon, so too was living alongside pokémon a fantasy to them. Or perhaps, a nightmare. “And so?” I asked, suddenly deathly curious. “What do you think so far?”
The eastern king pondered for a moment, pacing toward me slowly. When his Floette landed on his shoulder once again, he glanced up, and offered his finger to it. “I suppose I stand somewhere in the middle. Pokémon are beasts of carnage, utterly incompatible with humanity… But, perhaps not all of them,” he smiled, stroking Floette.
A strange answer. “I can’t imagine your subjects appreciate such a middling position on the matter, respectfully.”
“No offense taken, and you’re exactly right,” Azett laughed. “But my countrymen already see me as strange to begin with.” His smile faded and he let Floette get back to its flowers. “But, if I have to pick one side or the other, I would side against pokémon.”
I glanced at Floette, but perhaps she hadn't heard or understood him, because she didn’t even flinch. She simply continued to flit amidst the flowers.
“The Guardians wield a special power that separates you from the rest of humanity. Your king demonstrated for me. It seems to me that your relationship with pokémon is heavily influenced by your possession of that power. In the end, perhaps only the Guardians could ever hope to befriend pokémon as you have.” He said it as a matter of fact, but his words were tinged with a resigned sadness.
Azett, the king of the east, had come all this way on a whim. If he left Rota still believing that, to call it a missed opportunity would be an understatement. It would be one of the biggest blunders in Guardian history. Is this not why we existed? To preach the message of coexistence and camaraderie with pokémon? And what better audience to impart such a message to, other than the sovereign of a land full of people who despise pokémon?
“Are you open to having your mind changed?” I asked before giving a second to consider how rude that may have sounded.
Azett smiled, a glint in his eye. “In his graciousness, King Jurock has agreed to host me for at least another month. I look forward to more conversations with you, Sir Aaron.”
I smiled, my heart alight. “It would be my honor.” I thought for a moment. “Would you like to meet my Lucario?”
“Absolutely.”
“And please, just call me Aaron. It wouldn’t feel right for me to address you so casually without you doing the same,” I said as we began walking deeper into the garden.
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True to his word, Azett remained in Rota, and I found myself spending more and more time with him. He sought me out at nearly every break in his schedule, and we talked wherever we happened to be at the time—in the library, the gardens, the lake. I soon learned that Azett was actively canceling appointments with his officers, and even with King Jurock, to continue our conversations. Rin spared no expense in teasing me for it, but she seemed to be a tad jealous.
“After spending so much time with your king and his court, I get the impression that the Guardians are a rather secretive bunch,” Azett told me one balmy afternoon. We were resting by a pond in the shadow of the Tree of Beginning. Floette and Lucario had grown quite close and were playing in a copse of reeds nearby.
“Oh, even the secrets have secrets,” I said. “There are things about Aura, about the Tree of Beginning, about the world, that are known only to the royalty. Secrets the Guardians have safeguarded for many generations.”
“Hmm,” Azett said, sitting down on a log. “Truthfully, the east is just the same.” He paused, as if considering if he should say what he was about to say. “There are archives beneath the royal keep. Documents, artifacts, even pokémon, abound. Gathered and protected by the Kalos kings of the past. Much of it is worthless, nothing more than meaningless trophies, but there are some things of note down there.”
He caught my eye, and his serious gaze demanded my full attention.
“The Age of Carnage that preceded this era…not much is known about it. But my ancestors penned something rather peculiar about it.” He hesitated, as if personally doubting the veracity of what he was about to say. “They said that the Age of Carnage would not end until the very strongest pokémon were killed.”
I absorbed his words. “I suppose that makes sense, from a certain standpoint.”
“Yes, but they weren’t referring to just any creatures… They spoke of something higher. They called them Paragons. And they spoke as if the Paragons did not even live on this planet with us… Separate from us, like gods… Or demons.”
My eyes narrowed, but Azett wasn’t finished.
“Most disturbingly, they wrote that sometimes, those demon gods would descend to our world and do battle just as any other pokémon would. But with their unrivaled power, these pokémon had the power to destroy the world, and already had before, in the distant past.”
I frowned. “That can’t be possible. We’re here, now.”
Azett nodded, looking nearly as unconvinced as me. “That’s why I said it was peculiar. Apparently, it hasn’t only happened once. It’s happened many times, for as long as this world has existed.”
He looked up at me, a puzzled look on his face. I could tell he’d wanted to confide in someone about this for a while. Perhaps he thought his advisors would laugh at him if he brought it up to them.
“Do the Guardians have a record similar to anything like this?” Azett asked.
I shook my head. “I couldn’t say. The records in our library are quite extensive, but I’ve never read anything like that. Unless those are the secrets kept to the royalty.”
Azett nodded in resignation. “I see. Well, I’m not so uncouth that I would ask your king to divulge the secrets of the Guardians. But, if it is related to what I described, I have to wonder why your ancestors believed it was something that should be kept to the royalty.”
“One could ask the same of your Kalosian kings,” I said, and Azett nodded in agreement.
“Strange,” he murmured. He glanced over at me and smirked. “Though I wouldn’t mind imposing on you once you become King.”
“Me become King?” I snorted. “And what makes you think that would ever happen?”
“Oh, King Jurock speaks very highly of you. One of the most talented Guardians of your generation, and the decision is up to him. As I understand, the Guardians do not have a heritable royal line. It is the strongest Guardian who becomes king, no?”
I opened my mouth to rebut, but he was right. King Jurock showered me with more praise than I would like, but the thought of me becoming King of the Guardians was simply too crazy to entertain.
“Plus,” Azett said, his eyes shimmering mischievously. “You and Princess Rin are a bit more than friendly. Your kingship is practically set in stone already!”
“What are you talking about?” I spat, turning away.
Azett laughed at me, so I kicked some water at him, and he fell back off his log. He pulled himself to his feet, laughing even harder, his face as red as a tamato berry. Unfortunately, since he was our guest, and a king in his own right, there was little else I could do in retaliation. Eventually, he calmed himself down, but Lucario and Floette had already returned after hearing his booming laugh.
“When you become king, please do share with me the secrets of the Guardians. Let us unravel the mysteries of the world together.”
An enticing proposition, but it was never going to happen. I would never be king.
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“How is he?” Rin asked with bated breath.
The room was dark, save for a shaft of sunlight that shined through a window above the king’s bed. The nurses surrounding him fiddled with their bottles and bowls, but the princess only had eyes for her father, kneeling at his side, as close to him as the nurses would permit. She clutched his veiny hand tightly, refusing to let go.
I stood in the corner watching, but it took all l had not to join Rin at her side. The anguish of seeing my king in such a state nearly eclipsed the heart-rending pain of seeing Rin have to persevere on her own. Yet, I remained at my station, eyes bolted to the king and his daughter.
“He does not have long…” one of the nurses said softly. “The king’s health has been worsening for some time… He is quite old…”
I saw Rin’s head sink. She always knew how to keep a queenly front, but inside, I knew she was rotting.
“Father…” she whispered, embracing him.
Now that she had moved, I caught a glimpse of the king. He was gaunt and pale. I had just seen him at dinner yesterday. How could he look so thin?
He swallowed, the skin on his neck trembling, and he wrapped his arm around his daughter as best he could. “Rin…,” he rasped. “Where…Where is Sir Aaron?”
I perked up at the sound of my name, and Rin turned back toward me. Her eyes were glassy, yet saturated with emotion. I clenched my teeth to maintain a stoic visage, but my lip twitched.
“He’s here, Father,” Rin said, raising her hand.
I approached, and before I could withdraw, Rin had grabbed my hand, lacing her fingers into mine and pulling me closer. I cleared my throat. “I am here, my King.”
King Jurock’s yellowing eyes crawled over me, and he looked me over for a while. Just before I thought he might have lost his wits, he began to shift in his bed.
“My King.” The nurses hurried over to placate him, but surprisingly, he batted them away.
“Help me up,” he said.
They glanced between each other, but ultimately decided to oblige, and they gathered several pillows to support him, helping him sit up.
Even in his bedclothes and at his lofty age, King Jurock was a tall man. He towered over his kneeling daughter, and was far closer to my eye level than I thought he’d be. The sunlight glinted off his hair, giving it a golden luster akin to its former blond. He studied all gathered before him—his daughter, his nurses, his advisors, and his other royal guards who remained at the sides of the room. And finally, me. Everyone gathered watched him with silent eyes, waiting to hear what he had to say.
“Sir Aaron Albrecht,” he said. “I hereby proclaim you, on this day, my successor as Sovereign of Rota, Keeper of the Tree of Beginning, and King of the Aura Guardians. Let all gathered here stand as witness to my unailed proclamation,” he said, his voice clear. Though he’d caused nearly everyone’s jaw in the room to drop, he pressed on. “You are the strongest Guardian to appear in generations, and will be still for generations to come. This I’ve seen with my kingly eyes.”
His gaze pierced through me, and he nodded.
Beside me, Rin clapped her hands over her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. Around me, the others looked at me as if considering whether or not it would be appropriate to kneel. Eventually, one of the king’s advisors did, and the others followed. I saw King Jurock smile.
“My King, I couldn’t possibly—“
“I will brook no disagreement, King Aaron,” Jurock said. “I also give you my blessing for my daughter’s hand. Do with said blessing what you two may.” He began to lean back in his bed, and the nurses stood and hurried over to help him.
At some point, Rin had hugged me, but I could barely register what was going on around me. My life from five minutes ago was completely unrecognizable from my current reality now. As if Jurock had shed a physical mantle, a tremendous weight seemed to begin pressing down on me as I stood there beside the king’s bed. The weight of a king.
As I brought my hand down on Rin’s head, I began to hear her sobbing into my chest.
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As it turned out, King Jurock was a sturdy man. He did not die that day, or that week, or that month. In fact, he recovered enough to leave his bed again and continue with his royal duties, the latter much to his daughter’s chagrin.
“You mean, the Queen’s chagrin.”
I rolled my eyes.
A month had passed, and for some reason, Azett was still here.
“I could not abandon Rota while its former king was in poor health,” Azett said with a noble air.
“He is still the king,” I said with annoyance. “And I fail to see how the health of our king affects you. Were you planning to steal off with our country while it’s in a vulnerable state?”
“Oh, I would never,” Azett grinned. “Challenging the mighty King Aaron and his Guardians would be a death wish.”
“A wiser man would consider that angering him might incur a death wish all the same.”
Azett grunted in amusement. “Oh, Aaron, you’re new to your crown, so I’ll counsel you to be more frugal with your threats. One day, you might have to cash them all in.” He smiled, a glint in his eyes. “Well, you and I are on the same level now, so I suppose I won’t condescend to you too much. We’re both kings now.”
“Something you have yet to cease reminding me about,” I drawled, though I was thankful for his playful teasing. The days past had suddenly gotten a lot busier for me as the king and his court prepared me to take the crown. “King Aaron and King Azett. Perhaps they should write a song,” I muttered.
“‘King Azett and King Aaron’ sounds much better, but I agree. They should write a song.”
Those days of sometimes-meaningless-sometimes- meaningful conversation continued for another month or so, during which time we began to plan the wedding. Yes, I properly proposed. But the ceremony was to happen soon after. I think Rin wanted to have it as soon as possible so her father could attend. In any case, we decided to do a much smaller affair down in the town of Rota instead of some extravagant ball within the palace. Far less to prepare, and Rin was never the type to place much value in such fanfare to begin with. I preferred the minimalistic approach as well, so in the end, it worked out.
It was done outside in the town square. Streamers hung between the buildings, and though we’d only sent out a few dozen invites, the citizens of the town turned out in droves, watching our vows from the streets, and hanging out of the windows surrounding the plaza. Rose and sakura petals danced through the air, and the king’s orchestra illuminated the entire town with their songs.
Of course, Azett and his men were invited and were in attendance. I don’t know how, but he somehow managed to procure a magnificent wedding gift for us despite having never left Rota the entire time. We received gold, clothes, ceremonial swords, and even some pokémon native to Kalos. Rin was absolutely overjoyed, and simply seeing her smile made whatever lengths Azett had gone to worth it.
“This is quite the happy, little festival,” Azett said, coming up to stand beside me while the other wedding goers danced about the plaza. “I’m surprised you didn’t opt for something more grand.”
“This is plenty for us. Rin and I aren’t that pretentious.”
Azett smirked. “I’ve seen many of the Queen’s friends handing her bouquets and celebrating her marriage with her all day, yet I haven’t seen very many people come up to you. Could it be that our poor husband doesn't have any friends to fill a larger ceremony with?”
I smiled, and glanced over at him. “I have one.”
Next — Chapter 44 : Return to Kalos
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The first person stuff I did completely on a whim. No idea if it works. I feel like I probably didn’t take advantage of the POV aspect enough, but again, more on that at the end of the arc.