Tales of the Eeveelutions

The Cold Room

Trace had been working and reading as much as he could for several days and nights. During the days he could get much more done and asked Prince Hailstorm and King Zerro if they had any information he needed if he couldn't figure something out on his own.
During the nights though, Trace would sometimes receive those strange dreams and other nights he could sleep as easy as he could beside his sister Tara. Sometimes he would catch her and Prince Hailstorm talking those few nights he didn't have those weird dreams.
King Zerro had announced to Trace and Tara that he had sent a message to the slyveons kingdom, telling the royal family of who they had in their possession.
When the slyveons replied the flying pokemon had two messages, one for the glaceon royal family, the other for Trace and Tara. The glaceons read their message first.

To the king of the glaceons,

We, the slyveons, demand you bring back our beloved Prince Asta immediately or suffer the wrath of the slyveon kingdom. We will leave no glaceon left standing in the wake of destruction unless you make the wise decision and give us back our prince.
The slyveon king.

"Well that was pleasant of them. They won't be receiving their prince anytime soon. Also let them come, their armies will freeze and starve in our cold weather." Said King Zerro with a cold smile that made the room feel three times as cold as it was.
He looked at Trace and Tara for a moment and motioned for them to open and read their message. Once they opened it Trace held it down and began reading out loud.

To Trace and Tara,

You have gotten yourselves into more trouble than you could ever imagine. Why did you both get involved in something that wasn't meant to be dealt with yet?
You two better make it back alive, because once you do you both will be having to answer for the wrongs you have created. The slyveons have announced until this conflict is over they won't be joining the alliance there for giving us no power in the matter.
The glaceon king will be using you to get what he wants knowing that the slyveons only want their prince back and care nothing for two little eevees of the alliance that they may never join. 
We had a plan and you two ruin things for the alliance! Trace, I know this had to have been your idea more than anyone's. Once you are safe and sound, we will make sure you never come on another trip to any kingdom except the Vaporeon and the Jolteon kingdoms.

Ambassadors Jayce and Coral.

Trace hung his head and shook it some.
"Great, just great. Why is it always me blamed for everything?" He said.
Tara shrugged and patted his shoulders gently.
"Don't worry little brother, I'll make sure they know whose idea it really was." She said trying to be reassuring.
The king had a amused look on his face as he stared at the two eevees.
"Will your parents be marching with the army as well? If so, I pity them for they will foolishly lose their lives." Said the king.
Trace and Tara both turned to the king but remained quiet. Trace knew he needed to find a way to make this whole thing end peacefully, but how? He was only a eevee who was more of a prisoner of war than a guest at a kingdom, though the king treated them rather nicely which was unusual to Trace. He wonder if it had anything to do with Tara and Hailstorm.
"Father, maybe we should find a way to prevent a all out war. Our troops aren't exactly prepared and our rations continue to go down because this war has made us call our growers to battle as well." Said Prince Hailstorm.
The king raised an eyebrow at his son for a moment.
"Have you grown softer the past few days General Hailstorm?" Asked the king as he kept his eyes locked with the prince's.
"No my king. I just wanted to recommend a different approach in hopes it would lead away from war. I have seen our troops and they are mostly weak. They may not be able to continue this war with the slyveons no matter how many raids we pull off. We have lost so much trying to gain back our ancestors lands, that I say we finally try to see if we can find a peaceful way to gain it back." Said Prince Hailstorm.
The king jumped out of his throne dragging the parchment paper he held onto and threw it in front of the prince.
"They already said they weren't going to give it back! Are you a idiot! War is the answer! I would rather die than let those slyveons keep our land!" Yelled the king.
"Are you willing to sacrifice every single glaceon we have to do it?" The prince yelled back.
"If that's what it takes!" Said the king glaring at his son as if he were now becoming a enemy.
Tara looked on in worry as well as Trace. Both knew there was little they could do here.
"Than I challenge you for the throne and the right to rule over the glaceons." Said Prince Hailstorm.
His challenge caused the other glaceons to gasp before it all went silent inside the cold throne room. Every glaceon and eevee looked at the king, wondering if he would make the next move or reject the prince. His face was like looking into a blizzard, unable to see anything but what was in front of you.
"You are about to be king anyway, why challenge now?" Asked the king almost to where no one else could hear it.
"To take over as king and show the glaceons a future with no war and a possible way to gain our land back." Said the prince.
There was another silent pause as the two glaceons remained in place like frozen statues. The king stood up and walked over to the throne before sitting into it.
"You want my throne do you? Well boy let's hope your choice to fight me doesn't end horribly. I'd hate to let your mother watch her oldest son die." Said the king and rised his paw in the air. "I, King Zerro, accept the challenge of Prince Hailstorm for the throne of the glaceons. Whoever is the last glaceon standing, will be declared the rightful king to the throne. The fight shall be held in the snow cave in three days." 
The glaceons all murmured to themselves for a bit before each taking their leave. Prince Hailstorm remained behind for awhile waiting to escort Trace and Tara to their rooms, but King Zerro came up to the eevees before they could leave.
"And I think we will keep you two near me for awhile until this challenge has been completed. Besides, I need to discuss more with you two to make sure you both have learned enough to be representatives." Said King Zerro, giving Prince Hailstorm a sidewise glance and a knowing smirk.
Prince Hailstorm looked at Tara who looked back at him before he left the room with a few of his personal guards. When they left the king turned back to Tara and Trace.
"I know my son has been visiting you every night since you've been here. His been helping you this whole time and I won't let this continue. You two are welcome to learn things, but for a glaceon prince and a outsider to start having feelings for each other? I will not allow this." He said looking directly at Tara who trembled under his gaze.
"I-i-i didn't m-mean anything." Stuttered Tara.
"Oh I am sure you didn't. Wanting to become a glaceon and thought you could seduce my son and fill his mind with ideas of what should be done. I am sure you are the reason he decides to finally challenge me and gain ideas to make peace instead of fight for what is rightfully ours." Said King Zerro.
"I didn't put any ideas in his head. I was just supporting him with anything he wanted to do." Said Tara regaining a bit of her composure.
The king stepped forward causing Tara to take several steps back. For the first time since they arrived, the king didn't seem like himself. Or was this his true self?
"Maybe you two will have a nice long walk in the snow once I defeat my son. For now you both will remain in the Chambers next to my room so I can watch you more carefully. Take them away to the cold room!" Said King Zerro.
Some guards surrounded Trace and Tara, before guiding them to their rooms. The walk was silent and as they approached the hall where their new room was, Trace noticed some paintings on the walls. Each one had royal families from different generations of Kings, queens, princes, and princesses.
He looked as the pictures had greater numbers in the pictures that seemed older, the closer he got to the royal family room, he saw that there were less and less glaceons and eevees in the pictures until he came upon King Zerro and his family. Only his wife Queen Tohka, Prince Hailstorm and Princess Noel were present in the portrait. Was there something happening to the glaceons the past several centuries?
Trace was pushed by one of the guards causing him to almost fall to the floor.
"Let's go eevee, stop sight seeing." Said the guard adding a growl at the end.
Trace went to the bed room which was right next to the royal family one. As he entered, he saw it was a bit more spacious than the one he and Tara had before, but a mattress on the floor was the only furniture in the room. At least there was a balcony with a view.
"You two will remain here until the king sends for you." Said the guard as he started shutting the door.
"Don't worry about us guard, Prince Hailstorm will send for us soon." Said Tara not looking at the guard.
Before he could shut the door completely he opened it back up and growled a bit more.
"If you think the prince has any chance of winning this fight than you are sadly mistaken. The king shall beat the prince down and cause the royal family line to be in danger of losing our last prince." Said the guard slamming the door shut. 
Trace and Tara flinched at the slamming of the door as it echoed some in the quiet bedroom. Trace spoke up first.
"Well isn't this, nice." Said Trace and heard the echo of his voice vibrating off the walls.
The two eevees looked around a bit disturbed before Trace tested something.
"I think this is why it has no furniture." He whispered to his sister and again heard his voice echo in the room.
They realized at that moment why the king had this room next to his. It was so those he didn't trust couldn't keep any secrets. Even a whisper could be heard in this room. But how?
Trace began looking around, his steps also echoing which slowly started to annoy him as he checked the walls. As he searched he noticed the walls had clear ice on them and when he patted it, the noise was louder coming off the wall to the other areas.
"Wow. I wonder if they made this room specifically to have their guests go mad." Said Trace.
"I guess so Trace." Said Tara as she went over to the bed and laid down in it. She gave off a defeated vibe as she buried her face in her tail, which she only did to hide her emotions.
Trace walked over to the bed and laid on it as well. He couldn't fall asleep even when he turned over to the window that couldn't be opened, and the moon was covered by the clouds. This was going to be a very long night indeed.
The day was beginning and as it went on time seemed to move slowly. The eevees were left in their room alone to just think and talk. Now and again they would be given small amounts of fruit every few hours but no one spoke to them.
Trace looked our of the window to see if he could see anything. Unfortunately all he could see was the sky with the clouds covering up the sun as if itself didn't want to see what was happening down below.
Trace's books had been removed from him, leaving him only his thoughts and his sister for company. As day turned to night, the cold began to creep back into the room forcing both eevees to cuddle together for warmth.
Tara began to shiver violently. Trace noticed tears in her eyes as she tried to hide her face from him, though he could tell by the trails left on her face that she was. He knew she missed spending time with Prince Hailstorm and the worry in her eyes was all to apparent.
After a almost sleepless night, the doors opened up once again. The king came into the room and saw that both eevees were still on the bed. He sat down close by a smug look on his face.
"Comfy you two? This is what happens to those foolish enough to take away a royal family member. At least you aren't in a cold dungeon like your friend Prince Asta." Said the king.
Trace slowly stood up and got off the bed. When his paws touched the floor he could barely feel the cold coming from it.
"I want to try and set things right." Said Trace.