Pathos「Pokemon Fanfiction」

Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen: Beneath The Moonlight

"Go back to your studying, Regis." The older man shook his head. "They're mere peasants from another village that came to ask for help, and they don't concern you."

His son glared at him in response, gesturing to the hallway which he had come from. "Don't we have many spare rooms?" he protested. "Letting them stay in one of them isn't an inconvenience at all. I think we should help them."

"You'll only make more foolish decisions if I encourage your way of thinking," the king responded. "You'll never make a good successor if you try to help everyone. You have to accept the fact that there's a social hierarchy for a reason."

Regis folded his arms at that, and he shot his father a displeased scowl as he spoke. "This is just an exception. If we have the capacity to help someone, why shouldn't we?"

The two of them glared at each other, bickering back and forth for what seemed like several more minutes before the king turned to them with narrowed eyes and a disgruntled face.

"If there's one thing my son can do right, it's persuading," the man grunted, holding out a hand to call off his guards and waving them away with the other as if they were little more than vermin. "If you want to help peasants, Regis, then do it yourself. I'll have no hand in this."

A smile crossed the younger boy's face as he stepped back, the tense expression fading from his skin and replaced with a relieved smile. "Thank you, Father. I won't ask for more—I believe it will suffice to give them money for an inn. Then, I will return to my studying, if it helps you."

"Nothing you do helps me in any way." The king shook his head in reply. "I'm already late to my meeting. Stay out of trouble, won't you?"

Regis responded with a small laugh, averting his gaze and turning to the four of them with a smile. "Don't worry," he called back, ushering his guests forward as he threw a sideways glance over his shoulder. "I'll be good."

§

"It's not the best, but it'll fit three of you." The prince shot them an apologetic smile as he walked them into their room. "I'm sorry for what happened with my father, by the way. It happens a lot."

Lillian raised an eyebrow, looking at the taller boy with a questioning glance as she sat down on one of the beds. "You're not on good terms with him? At least, that's what I gathered when you two were speaking."

Aiden's breath hitched when she spoke. He'd learnt a bit about the Hoenn girl in the time he'd worked with her—and while she hadn't told him much, he knew that her father was a sore subject that she didn't like to talk about.

"You noticed, huh?" Regis glanced down at the ground. "We just have differing beliefs. That's why we tend to argue a lot. Still, I can deal with it, so don't worry."

The teenager nodded at that. "I wasn't planning to," she replied, "but I do hope it'll stop sometime. Differences are the thing that can kill a relationship, you know."

The ghost blinked at that. Her voice didn't have the slightest waver; it was still strong, as if the topic didn't faze her at all, and he was surprised that she wasn't faltering in the slightest. "I think I said too much, so I'll stop here."

Regis shook his head in response. "No, it's fine," he chuckled. "Anyways, I have to get back to studying now, so just make yourself at home."

He was gone after that, leaving in a hurry just like a whirlwind sweeping through the door, and Lillian straightened up just seconds after he disappeared outside. "So, what are we going to do if we're going to find out anything?"