CAITLYN

            “Must I go?” Caitlyn Forrest whined. She had chased an oddly-colored Dustox almost to its nest. She had been looking for it for weeks. If she left now, she was like to never find it again. “Give me an hour. Two hours, that’s all and I promise I’ll come afterword.”

            Her sister’s handmaiden reached out and grabbed Absol’s tail as Caitlyn tried to turn the Spirit Pokémon around. “You’re the only family she has here right now,” said the maid. “Until Susan feels at home, she requests your presence to help her get acclimated to Mt. Pyre. If only your brother were here-”

            “Go send for him then,” Caitlyn said. The pre-teen girl nervously glanced around, desperate for another glimpse of the sparkling Dustox. “Solomon said he’s taking a trip to the mouth of the river.”

            “He’s a week away, and besides, your older sister has requested you be there.” The nursemaid attempted to tug on Absol’s tail a little harder to get the Spirit Pokémon to conform, but Caitlyn whispered a command in the white beast’s ear and it kicked up a plume of sandy dirt at the woman.

            Caitlyn laughed on Absol’s back as they bounded through the trees on the small wooded area on Mt. Pyre’s base.  I’m not hungry tonight, she thought. Just because Susan isn’t having fun here doesn’t mean that I don’t have to. Solomon had already taken the two funny guards with him, Ares and Hermes.

            While most of her own family’s guard were stern and obedient, Ares and Hermes were playful, and taught her how to tie knots and even a little bit about hand to hand combat. They were from Oldale, she remembered. Solomon had ransomed them at the edge of the desert on their way to Mt. Pyre for Susan’s wedding.

            The sun began to set, and its rays became beams of light shining through the branches of the small wood. She thought about Ares and Hermes again… and then remembered the young man they had served. King Chris, she recalled. Absol must have felt the little bit of despair in her thoughts as it turned its head back to look at her.

            “Do you remember what he looked like?” Caitlyn asked her Spirit Pokémon as they watched the sun set in the west. The sky was a brilliant shade of orange, and it reflected off of the lake that Mt. Pyre sat in. “Chris Marsh, I mean.”

            Absol tilted its head to the side, trying to recall.

            “I don’t remember, either,” she said. Caitlyn did remember how brave he seemed, and how strong. The youngest Princess of Fortree didn’t know much of plots and alliances and wars, but she knew that her brother, Solomon, was upset when he heard the news. She remembered lying awake in her chamber next to Susan’s, listening her older brother and sister speak of him. Solomon voice was hasty and anxious, where Susan was much quieter, and calming. Though Caitlyn could sense the wavering in her voice when she spoke about it.

            “Gro,” croaked a voice and Caitlyn and Absol turned in unison to see the green lizard Pokémon with a long leaf on its head standing next to a tree, beckoning them. It was one thing to shrug off her sister’s handmaiden, and quite another to defy her Spirit Pokémon.

            “I guess we’ve been found,” she grudgingly said to Absol. The white Spirit Pokémon let out a whine as they followed Susan’s Grovyle back up the road to the catacombs of Mt. Pyre.

            Grovyle didn’t even let her go back to her room to change as normally she would for a fancy dinner with fancy Chief Specter’s court. Susan’s spirit Pokémon took her straight into the dining hall, and directly next to Susan.

            Chief Specter stood up and clapped his hands as his large Dusknoir looked up from the table. “There’s the little princess,” he said. “Your sister and I couldn’t wait any longer, I fear. We’ve begun eating without you.”

Caitlyn looked at Chief Specter’s belly. I bet you couldn’t wait for any meal, she thought. Caitlyn gave a smile and a quick bow, however, before plopping into her seat next to Susan. Absol eagerly began eating a plate of berries, but Caitlyn simply crossed her arms, trying to make it noticeable how much she disliked being cooped up for dinner.

“You’re going to be hungry, sweet sister,” chided Susan, as she politely sliced a berry on her own salad. “I’ve known you your entire life. I know how you get without your dinner.”

“I’ll get some later, in the camp at the foot of Mt. Pyre where the rest of our host is staying.”

Susan put her fork down and shot a look at Caitlyn. It was the same, disapproving look she always gave her. “Must you be so difficult? My husband here has prepared a fine meal as befits your birth and you’d rather have roasted Wurmple with the guards and soldiers that Solomon left with us?”

Chief Specter dabbed at his pudgy round face with a napkin. “It’s quite alright, my wife, truly, we can bring her some food to her chambers should your sister ever hunger.”

“No,” said Caitlyn. For a second, Chief Specter looked like he wanted to punish her himself. Caitlyn uncrossed her arms and began playing around with the green salad her sister called “dinner.” “I like to eat with the soldiers, and hear their stories, and listen to them sing their drinking songs.” Caitlyn heard one of Susan’s handmaidens gasp. The sound made her smile.

Susan’s voice got a little bit sterner. “Caitlyn, for once in your life I need you to. Oh,” she moved a hand and grimaced as she clutched her slender belly. “I need you to behave, just for a few more weeks, and then you can...” she grimaced again. “If you would excuse me, my husband, it seems I have captured some sudden sickness.”

Chief Specter stood up from his chair as Susan beckoned for one of her handmaidens to escort her out of the dining hall. Susan leaned on Grovyle as she walked slightly bent over. The maid who had come earlier to bring her back to her sister shot Caitlyn a nasty look, as if it was her adventuring that had brought in some contagion that afflicted her perfect, ladylike sister. Caitlyn shrugged off the glance. She knew it wasn’t her own fault. Susan had often been ill since her marriage. Caitlyn and Absol could hear her through the stone wall that divided their chambers, throwing up and sometimes even crying.

She’s such a baby, Caitlyn thought. Whenever she was sick, she toughed it out, threw it up, and went right back to whatever she was doing.

             Caitlyn looked at Chief Specter, and there was anger in his eyes. “If you were my daughter, you’d clean your act up and act a proper lady,” he said. Dusknoir’s single eye made Caitlyn uneasy. Absol looked up from its plate of berries and moved closer to its human. “I would have already had you beaten like the little brat that you are. She cries, at night, you know. We have spent less than a handful of nights together, my lovely wife and I. It’s your behavior that puts her in such dour moods, she says. But since you are my King’s daughter as well, you should listen to your sister, to make her happy. I want my wife to be happy with me.”

            “Good luck,” was all Caitlyn said as she stood up and began to walk back to her chambers, and smiled as she heard Absol padding behind her. She had had it with people always telling her what to do. Susan needs you to help her, Solomon had told her. I don’t need Susan’s help, and she’s nine years older than me. Caitlyn was determined to get back to her chamber, pack a light back, and be off to find her brother Solomon. He had always let her be herself.

            When she opened her chamber door, however, it was Susan and the bitchy handmaiden both sitting on her bed. Susan’s eyes were puffy. More throwing up and crying, Caitlyn thought. She should be the baby sister.

            “Caitlyn,” Susan said softly. Her tone was much different than at dinner. “I know this is hard for you, but I need you now more than ever.”

            Caitlyn was about to turn around and walk right back out the door, but Absol stopped her and nudged her towards her sister.

            “You’re the only family I have for the next few months. Solomon is busy making plans for our Kingdom and Father is growing old and frail back home in Fortree,” Susan grasped Caitlyn’s hand. The younger princess hated this mushy-girly stuff. “Think about what mother would think of the way you act.”

            It was a soft spot for Caitlyn. Their mother had died giving birth to her, after a sudden fever took hold of her. Caitlyn felt her eyes begin to tear. A pang of guilt swept over Caitlyn’s heart. It’s not fair for you to bring up mother, she thought.

            “I need you to help me through an uncertain time in my life, Caitlyn. This is a new place, and I’ve never experienced something so terrifying in my life,” she said.

            Caitlyn tried to push back thoughts of her mother out of her eye. “What’s so scary about being a wife?” she asked. You just look pretty, be boring, and do that thing that the drunken soldiers sing about…

            “It’s not being a wife that scares me, Caitlyn,” Susan glanced up at her handmaiden, who gave her a small nod. “It’s being a mother. I’m with child.”

            Caitlyn’s sadness seemed to wash away, strangely, and happiness seemed to ease into her heart from somewhere. Why does this make me so happy? She thought. “Is it true?” Caitlyn asked the handmaiden.

            “Yes, your sister missed the last full moon, and has been displaying the same waxing and waning sicknesses typical of early pregnancy.” Even the bitchy handmaiden couldn’t help but smile.

            Caitlyn threw her arms around Susan. “This is wonderful! I’m going to teach the baby all about bugs and berries and climbing trees!” She wondered why she had acted so stubbornly lately. Somewhere in the back of her mind, it seemed as if she must grow up now. Caitlyn was going to be an aunt. “This is the best news I’ve had since we left Fortree!”

            Susan hugged her tight, and Caitlyn could feel her sister’s tear roll onto her own cheek as they embraced. “It is for me, too, Caitlyn.”