Paying Homage -- Sonadow

Chapter 3

King Arthur stared into the full-length mirror in his bedroom, fiddling with the cape he'd put on as he stared into his reflection. He screwed his mouth to the side and adjusted his crown uncomfortably for what seemed like the millionth time. Of course, as soon as he stepped out, all of his servants would rush to fix everything he'd screwed up while putting on his clothes, so it wasn't really any use. He'd been woken up early the day of the ceremony so that he could bathe properly and eat and dress before it started -- he was sure it was the same for the knights. While he was taking the bath, the clothes had been laid out on his bed for him to get changed into, as he'd made it clear after the first uncomfortable attempts that he didn't want any servants dressing him. Since he was the king, instead of being dressed in his armor like the knights, he had to don a uniform, and a tight, uncomfortable one at that.

Sonic groaned as he adjusted his collar yet another time. "I cant believe I have to wear this thing for the entire ceremony. How long is it supposed to be again?"

"A couple of hours, sire," his sword responded from his resting place against the wall with a sigh. "And please keep your complaints to yourself. Your knights will have to sit there in a stuffy suit for the same amount of time you will."

"Heh, I guess you've got a point, Caliburn," Sonic chuckled softly. "If they have to bear it, I guess I should, too."

"That's one of the most sensible things I've ever heard you say," Caliburn muttered under his breath. "... Sonic, are you sure about this? You were the chosen one to rule the kingdom. To change that could be catastrophic."

Sonic twitched an ear at the use of his real name and glanced over at his friend with a small grin. "C'mon, these are my friends we're talking about. They're the most capable people of running a kingdom, more so than I. Besides, I'm not leaving. I'll always be around to protect everyone." His gaze slowly traveled down.

Caliburn watched Sonic carefully. He spoke lightly, "Its not my place, my king, to confront you on personal matters, only on matters of the kingdom. But... I cant help but notice, lately your jests at me seem to be less frequent and enthusiastic lately. Besides that, you appear downhearted above all else, even though you try to hide it. Now, normally I'd just leave you to sulk, but your servants have even begun to notice. Arthur, even though you may not be king for much longer, you still have an effect on how the people act. If you look troubled and apprehensive, your subjects will feel the same. They still look up to you and respect you. They may become nervous if they feel as if you believe something's wrong. Now, I'm not saying your feelings don't matter. I'm worried about you, Sonic..."

The king sighed and dipped his head, closing his eyes weakly.

"...but I won't press the matter. All I can do to comfort you is tell you that you only have to do this for one day more. After this, you can remain as secluded as you'd like, and the citizens will never know any better."

Sonic was silent for a few moments. He didn't mean to worry Caliburn or anyone else. He hadn't realized he'd been allowing his feelings to escape his outer shell. "I guess I've been more stressed than I thought," he muttered as he sat back against the bed and sighed a little. "These couple few weeks have been pretty stressful, with the ceremony coming up and all. I don't really... know how to handle it all." He chuckled softly.

"If it makes you feel any better, hardly anyone does," the sword muttered in response with a small, knowing smile.

The blue hedgehog looked up at the ceiling, a thoughtful frown crossing his face. What he had told Caliburn was true, but there was more to it. A couple of weeks ago, the three knights under his temporary command had come together to discuss the new laws for the kingdom they were about to receive. Sonic hadn't been there because he was busy, for one, but also because he was no longer going to be king, so he wasn't needed.