The love of a beast (Shadilver)

Chapter 9

Luckily, the guards never saw his werehog form. Buddy must've assessed the situation and stayed silent. My father forced a court on this matter, refusing to believe our words. The entire town stood before us, in question of the situation. I fiddled with my hands, dressed in my prince outfit. I stood beside Shadow, his hands chained down to keep him from running. Seeing him growing uneasy, I hugged his arm as I rested my head against his shoulder. His head leaned onto mine, slightly relaxing. My mother had to stand beside my father, looking down as she thought to herself. "We are here for a trial of our loyal rulers! Our missing prince was returned from missing for months on end. His kidnapper was given the punishment, being drawn then hung. However the prince claimed engagement with the man at fault! Our king wished to hold trial on this situation! Now that you are filled in, let us begin." The judge at the top spoke. Standing up as he belted his voice through the room, making himself crisp and clear. He gestured to my father to start as he sat in his chair. "I disbelieve they are at all engaged, your honor. It could clearly be Stockholm syndrome. My son had left the castle in a fit after a fight, he must've found it the perfect chance to kidnap him. He was most likely planning to sell my son, which as you saw the amount of heavy searches I sent." My father spoke, manipulating their minds with his sly tongue. The judge gestured to me, wishing me to speak. "90% of what my father said is a lie." I spoke as I stood, the crowd exchanging whispers.

"Yes, an argument went down prior. I was refusing to marry any of the women the priest had brought to me. I refused to marry any of them, my father grew angry at this fact. We went into a spat, to which he began to punch the wall beside me when I tried to leave my position. My mother and the guards were witness to him backhanding me. It grew worse as my mother tried to stop the situation. I had to run for my life, fearful he was wishing to cause more damage to me. I've seen how far his anger can grow, slaps are not the worst hit I've dealt from this man. I escaped the castle, knowing he was close to snapping. I ran into the woods to where I met Shadow." I knew I had to bend the end, not wishing to speak of the werehog.

"He took me in, cared for me, and even rebuilt what I had lost in the castle. Being beside him, I never felt better. I weighed only 60 lbs when I had left, only after being with him I returned to a healthier weight. I felt alone in a deep depression during my time with my parents, to Which shadow took away and replaced with feeling valid, loved, perfect, and joy. My best time was in that cabin, I never felt scared, I was never crying at night, I was never staring out a window wishing to escape, I was never refusing to eat cause I didn't hear someone judging my weight, I never felt I looked bad in anything I wore, I felt like I was in wonderland. We agreed to be engaged, because of this fact. We made each other happier than we ever have. When I went missing, they waited an entire month before sending people to find me. However when Shadow came home and I didn't respond, he searched the house weapon at hand dropping everything. My father is no angel, he cares for his reputation and money. Nothing more. I can give you as many details as you so please, for truth is nothing more than virtue. But I have witnesses of some events that took place, to help my case." I stated my part, the people who were a jury leaning in.

"The prince's witnesses, please come into the middle." The judge roared out. A woman in a cloak, two men in armour, and lastly the women and priest. The judge motioned the women to speak, to which Opal chose to do so. "We witnessed the argument first hand, it was greatly heated on both sides. But we were escorted out by the priest during that time. So we never got to see the end of it. But the way the prince spoke, the way his expression stayed stiff to his word... I believed every word he spoke. He looked tired and weak, thinner than he is now with dark eyes like he hadn't slept for years. His father was being too harsh on him. We were told the prince agreed, but it was clear he did not." She spoke, returning to the group once done. The priest and other girls confirmed her word, relieving me they took my side. The judge gestured to the knights, two I recognized. They took off the helmets, a red echidna and a blue hedgehog. "I am knight Maurice. Otherwise known as Sonic. Me and my friend Knuckles here had witnessed the entire argument unfold. The prince is correct, he punched the wall and laid hands on him. He attempted to lay more blows than just a back hand, stopped by his wife, our queen." Sonic spoke, keeping calm and serious as best he could. "We allowed the doors to open for the prince, after he had left our king yelled death threats towards the boy." Knuckles added, looking down. "He threatened to kill the prince when he returned, out of his anger. We had to stop him from going over the prince since he began to wield a metal stick. One used for fires." Sonic concluded, pulling knuckles with him to step back to confirm they have finished.

The lady stepped forward, dropping the cloak. A bat with blue eyeshadow and rose red lips. "I am friends with Shadow, old friends. He is a brooder, and despises people. It is not often he will help another being. But everytime I met with him, he merely spoke about the prince on and on. But not in bad terms, no, he spoke about his beauty and kind personality. I actually had helped him get a ring for him, he was eager to have his hand. He never kidnapped him, for Shadow has never stepped close to the castle till now. He does not live in Asalora, so the market is the only place we would be seen." She spoke. "I had gotten to see them together, the prince was clearly happy by his side. Clingy if you will. When you looked at them, you'd see a newly wedded couple." She continued. She stepped back, out of words. "King, do you have witnesses yourself?" The judge asked, standing once more. "My wife, yes." My father spoke, gesturing to my mother to speak. She thought for some time, looking at me. I give her a pleading look, stitching my way into her heart once more. "I cannot lie, everything my son spoke was the truth." He glared her down, clawing the table as she cowered beside him.

"Shadow had proposed to me....... Back at the cabin." I made the lie, Shadow nodding along with me. The judge thought before sending off the jury. Sonic came over to keep an eye on us while Knuckles went to protect Marble. "They will definitely take your side, I feel they even would if they.... Knew what you were." Sonic spoke, catching me off guard. "Yes, it would seem so." Shadow responded, my eyes scattering to look at them both rapidly.

How did he know?!