Rouge and the Rogue (Knuxouge)

The King

Everything around Rouge was dark. She sat uncomfortably surrounded by coins and jewels, each jostle of the carriage making a new edge jab into her. Her hands and feet were still shackled.

Every once in a while the big door at the end of the carriage opened, sending blinding light across her face and the sounds of the world into her ears. She hated when the door was opened. She could hear the anguished voices of citizens and see their meager earnings thrown into her prison. Sometimes a soldier would stick his ugly face in the doorway to jeer at her.

While they were moving, Rouge tried to sleep. Sleeping was the easiest way to pass the time. Although it did leave her stiff and even more hungry.

The soldiers kept their word and didn't give her any food that day. Once they'd left the previous town's inn, they'd shoved her immediately into the loot carriage, and that's where she stayed. Hours passed, but they all blurred together incoherently. Eventually she stopped being blinded when the door opened; it had become dark. The carriages stopped for a long time, but nobody came to get Rouge out. She couldn't hear any voices outside anymore, and the night chill set in.

Confident she was alone, she spoke to herself, testing out her voice. It was creaky from not being used.

"Ah, ah, ah. I'm going to my father's house. I'm going to make it." She cleared her throat, which barely helped, and sang a song softly. It was a childhood lullaby.

A clicking sound came from the door and it swung open to reveal Tails.

"Lovely song, Princess," He commented, stepping over the piles of riches to get to Rouge.

"You're one of the bandits, right?" She didn't feel scared of them anymore, she could barely feel.

Tails chuckled. "Yeah, I brought you some food. Sorry it's just me."

Rouge told him she didn't mind and accepted the bread and apple he'd offered her. After not eating for the day, it tasted like heaven. While she ate, Tails told her more.

"We're still following you, just until you get to the castle. Then we'll go home. So don't worry— if the soldiers do anything to you, we'll be there in a second! Well, I say 'we' as if I could do anything about it," Tails mumbled, "I'm not actually a fighter."

"I should hope not," Rouge said between bites, "You're, like, eight. I knew Sonic was a criminal, but child endangerment?"

Tails smiled. "It might seem dangerous, but Sonic takes good care of all of us. Now that he's protecting you too, there's nothing to fear."

"The only thing I'm afraid of now is being sucked into Sonic's fan club," she replied jokingly. Rouge finished her food and leaned back. Tails gave her a light blanket and left, closing the door behind him and re-locking it. With the blanket it was much easier to drift to sleep.

The next day was more of the same. The confusing carriage ride was made only slightly more comfortable by her gifted blanket. At least now she wasn't cold as well as stiff and hungry. The piles of coins around her got gradually taller, and the roads got smoother as they neared the castle. It seemed that she would be home very soon. She only had to spend one more night in the carriage, during which Espio brought her dinner. He wasn't much for conversation.

Finally, after two and a half days being the soldiers' captive, the carriages rolled onto the palace grounds. They stopped and Sir Edgar opened the doors.

He stepped forward and took the shackles off of her legs, but not her hands. He used those to yank her to her feet. Her legs shook, but she was able to stand, so he paraded her out of the carriage. Finally she was out.