Amourshipping and the Beanstalk

Chapter 3

Ash finds himself in the middle of the hallways of Lumiose Castle. There is no one else here nor are any of the tapestries or decorations showing the Kalos flag are to be seen. The raven-haired man grows uneasy as he feels all alone.

"Hello?" He calls out hearing his voice echoing. "Is anyone here? Brock? Iris? Cilan? Holly? Anybody?"

He hears nothing but his voice echoing the halls as he wanders the castle. He doesn't know what to think of this before he finds himself in the castle throne room. There, he hears someone sitting on the queen's throne crying bitterly. Ash walks closer to find that it's none other than Queen Serena with her head down and her hands covering her face as she weeps.

"Serena?" Ash stress as he rushes over to her. "Why are you crying? Where is everyone? Why is the castle -"

*SLAP*

Ash holds his cheek with his hand in shock after the Queen suddenly stands up and slaps him hard in the face. Ash's eyes widen in fear as the honey blonde queen gives him an angry look.

"Don't you dare address me so informally, peasant," she snarls.

"But I thought you wanted me to," Ash says.

"I changed my mind," Queen Serena says angrily. "I want nothing to do with you after you failed to save me from that fire on my birthday of all days! I was going to ask the man I love for his hand in marriage and you ruined everything by leaving me to die! What kind of esquire are you?"

"I was saving you from that fallen tree," Ash protests with tears in his eyes.

"Oh sure, save me from certain death so that I could be killed soon after," the queen says sarcastically. "Honestly, why did I force my father to make you my bodyguard? Because of you, I'm dead and all of Kalos is in ruins and now you have brought starvation upon Iris, Brock, and Maynor. Seems every attempt you make to save people makes things worse."

Ash hangs his head ashamed as he begins to cry silently.

"Oh, that's right, cry," Queen Serena mocks. "Cry in front of the most powerful queen in the world who would never have wanted you as her husband. You're nothing but a stable boy who was privileged with my beauteous presence before I would get my hands on a real man worthy of my time. I would never so much as blow a kiss at you much less marry a pitiful filth like you if all of existence depended on it."

"Y-y-you don't mean that," Ash cries. "E-e-even if you never loved me, w-w-we're still friends, aren't we?"

"Don't mock me," the queen hisses. "What powerful and magnificent queen would want to be even in speaking terms with a dimwitted boy who thinks a bag of beans are magic. It's the most pathetic thing I have heard in my life!"

Ash feels crushed beyond expression. Every word of anger and bitterness he hears from the woman he loves breaks his heart more than he ever thought possible.

"Now leave my presence and never step foot in my kingdom again!" Queen Serena barks. "If I ever see your face again, I will have your libs cut off and make you wiggle on the ground like the worm you really are!"

"No. No this isn't you," Ash says. "You're the kindest person I've ever known. You would never say anything like that to anyone."

"People change, peasant," the queen says with a wave of her hand. "Sooner or later I was bound to accept the truth of how worthless you are. Now out!"