Reign of Rain [Pokemon Watty Awards 2015]

Chapter 34

CAITLYN

 

            "You promise you'll return my brother to me if I sign this paper?" Caitlyn asked, through sobs.

            They had arrived and took over the treetop fortress with little effort. When she and Absol had woken up the next morning, light blue flags were being flown on top of every building, even high above the green tree of the Forrest family. There had been no fight, just quick surrender.

            Now, the beautiful woman stood in front of her in the hall of her father. Her own family's servants and court stood behind Caitlyn, while behind the woman stood soldiers and commanders holding swords and bearing the blue flags of Sootopolis. The golden trident she bore seemed to be the only source of light. Outside, it had not stopped raining. Caitlyn was used to it after weeks of no sun.

            "You are Caitlyn of the House Forrest, are you not?" she asked. "I thought the Forrest family kept the Sceptile line as their Spirit Pokemon."

            "We do," Caitlyn answered nervously. The woman wore a smile on her face, and her voice was kind. But something about her made Absol's white fur bristle beneath her fingers. "Well, most of us. I bonded with the Pokemon of my mother's family."

            "That's fine, dear," she said with a smile. "Just fine. You're just a little girl, and I know that you had no part in your brother's treachery."

            "Treachery?" Caitlyn asked wonderingly. She had never thought of her brother in that way.

            "Oh you poor innocent soul," the Empress Glamour said. "Your brother Solomon has waged a war of aggression against and killed my friend Miguel Starfall, the lord of Mt. Chimney. I didn't want to tell you this, but he even tried to kill me."

            The words hit Caitlyn in the chest like a falling tree. She knew that Solomon had gone off to war... but she had never known the details before. She tried to picture her older brother in her head. Always understanding, caring about others, with his calm collected Sceptile.

            Caitlyn looked down on the words on the paper. It was a very long letter. She had spent most of her childhood running away from her schooling and letter lessons. "Tell me again why I have to sign this letter."

            "Of course," the Empress used her trident like a walking stick as she approached Caitlyn. With every step, the air seemed to become colder. It must be a draft coming in through the open windows. "Since you are still but a young girl," she began, "by signing this, you are giving Chief Specter Lordship over all what once was the Foretree Kingdom."

            Something in her words didn't feel right. "What once was?" she asked.

            "Yes my dear," she said. "If truth be told, I have united the entire region under my rule. I am kind to my friends, though, and that's why I'm going to let you hold on to your family's post as Chiefs of Foretree."

            "But my father and his father and my whole family has been Kings for as far as the history goes back. We're not just Chiefs." She looked up at the beautiful blonde woman. She seemed unfazed, the kind smile stuck to her face.

            "Yes, awfully it's unfortunate," she answered. "I didn't want to punish your entire family, but your brother's actions have left me no choice. Couple that with the fact that you are... how old again?"

            "Thirteen," Caitlyn said quietly. Why was she letting this woman intimidate her? She was no nice. But the words she said made her angry. But then again, Solomon tried to kill her... She didn't know what to believe anymore.