A Is For Arranged Marriage

“Engaged…” Amy whispered to herself; her face had a blank look to it now as she tried to process the information she just learned. Sonic stared at her with worry.

“Amy? Are you alright?” She continued to have the same blank stare for another minute more, continuing to whisper the word over and over again before a small laugh escaped her, which bubbled into a bigger laugh, until she was loudly cackling and snorting. She pressed a hand onto her stomach and laid down on her back as she continued to laugh.

“I think she’s truly lost it.” Sonia chimed in. The three siblings watched her roll around, laughing so hard that tears started to prick the corners of her eyes before spilling down her cheeks.

“Amy, you’re starting to scare me.” Her laughter got even louder after that sentence. Finally, after a total of six minutes, she calmed down, soft breathy laughs coming out until she fully quieted down. “Ames, please say something.” Her green orbs turned to look at him, the sun reflecting in them to give them a radiant shine.

“That’s a horrible joke, Sonic. You should know that it’s not okay to joke about engagement, let alone your own.”

“It wasn’t a joke, Amy.”

“I’m not in the mood for games today. You made me laugh; you can stop now.”

“Amy!” He snapped, voice raising in agitation. “There is no joke! I am engaged! And Prince Shadow is my fiancé. We are to be married next summer and that’s the big event. My wedding!” He huffed out a few short breaths and stared at the pink hedgehog in front of him. She was silent for a really long time, and Sonic found himself getting worried again before she spoke, tears of sadness welling up this time.

“You’re being serious?”

“Why would I lie about that?” She sat up then, composing herself.

SMACK!

Sonic’s cheek stung, bringing a hand up to his now red muzzle. Had Amy really just slapped him? He looked at her with a frown on his face, and she had an angry frown on her face, tears trailing down her own muzzle now.

“You’re horrible, Sonic! Just horrible!” She yelled, and the royal siblings watched as she ran away. As soon as she was out of earshot, Manic burst into laughter, cackling loudly.

“Manic, this isn’t funny!” Sonic yelled, which just caused the other boy to laugh even more. Sonia had a disappointed look on her face as she shook her head at the blue hedgehog. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You broke her heart, Sonic. She’s liked you for ages and you just yelled in her face and practically told her that nothing between you two would ever happen.”

“What else was I supposed to say, Sonia? She was going to find out eventually.”

“Well, you could have been less harsh. Let her down easy.”

“I just can’t believe she slapped you.” Manic snickered, wiping a tear away from his eye. “Your cheek is still red, and it looks like it’s gonna bruise.”

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.” He let out a sigh, getting up and heading towards the exit of the garden. He couldn’t be seen with a bruised cheek if Amy really had slapped him that hard. He made it back to his room and grabbed a spare hand towel, wetting it to help the ache of his cheek. The warm water both soothed the pain and made the area sting. How does one go about treating a slap on the face?

“She really did a number on you.” Sonic jumped and saw Shadow leaning against the doorframe to his bathroom.

“What the hell are you doing in here? My mother will have your head if she sees you in here.” Sonic remembers an old conversation with his mother where she told him that couples were only to be in the same bed chamber if they were married. It was drawing the line of intimacy. Afterall, if you’re fiancé was in your bedroom, it could lead to rather…passionate activities.

“Nobody scares me and that includes your mother.” 

“You’re about to be scared of me,” he growled. “Especially after that stunt you pulled.”

“She was all over you, and it was obvious you were uncomfortable. I was trying to help.”

“Well, your help resulted in me getting slapped in the face.” He pressed the wet rag against his cheek again and hissed in discomfort. Shadow walked closer, gently pulling the rag out of his grasp.

“Allow me.” he spoke, setting the rag back down on the counter, and pulling a nearby stool over with his foot. Sonic sat down on the stool as Shadow began rummaging around the bathroom.  

“I’m not helpless. I can do it myself.”

“Ha, clearly not.” He chuckled amusedly. “If you don’t want your mother to see the nasty bruise that girl left, then you’ll let me do it.” Sonic crossed his arms over his chest with a pout, tilting his cheek up towards the ebony furred hedgehog. Shadow had pulled out a small jar of soothing cream that he had found in the drawers of Sonic’s vanity. Before Shadow could do anything more, Sonic grabbed the jar out of his grasp.

“I said I can do it myself!” He huffed before dabbing a small amount of the cream on his fingers and rubbing into his cheek. Shadow stared at Sonic through the mirror, his natural frowned expression and deep red eyes boring into Sonic’s reflection. The cobalt hedgehog seemed to sense the other man’s gaze as his eyes looked back at Shadow through the mirror. Shadow doesn’t think he’s ever seen those emerald eyes look so alive and emotive. So full of passion.

“Why are you staring at me?” He asked angrily.

“I get the feeling you are mad at me.” Sonic let out a huff of laughter in disbelief.

“I am more than mad at you. I am unbelievably pissed at you.”

“Why? She’s just a girl.”

“She isn’t just some girl!” The young prince defended, slamming his hands on the vanity as he stood up. He turned around to face Shadow and the two were practically chest to chest. “She has a name. Amy Rose. And she’s been by my side ever since her mother started working as the castle seamstress when I was ten years old. She’s smart and passionate and one of the most dedicated people I’ve ever met. She is one of my best friends and even though she throws herself all over me, I don’t care because she is one of the only people I’ve got in this cold, miserable castle. I would rather be with her than with the likes of you any day!” He yelled out, breathing rapidly from his angered rant.

Shadow had the same frown on his face as before but now a smirk adorned his features. 

“No, you don’t get to laugh at me!” Sonic grabbed the collar of Shadow’s black button-up shirt, pulling the ebony-furred hedgehog down even further. “You are the most arrogant man I have ever met! And all you do is toy with my heart like it is a pawn in your own game! What’s so damn funny?” He barked. Shadow looked away for a moment before crimson met emerald again.

“You look quite divine when you’re angry. Perhaps I should provoke you more often.” Sonic gasped in shock and disgust, pushing Shadow away and continued to push him toward his chamber door. He quickly opened it, and Shadow found himself being forcefully shoved out of the room before the door was slammed shut behind him. He heard the lock click and angry stomps receding away, and Shadow was chuckling to himself in amusement. 

“What have I gotten myself into?”

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Sonic refused to speak to Shadow for several days, and then days turned into weeks. He did everything he could to avoid him, even if it meant spending more time around his mother and doing boring paperwork. His mother didn’t seem to mind, and she actually was acting a bit kinder to her eldest child. She’d given Sonic an apology for all of her recent behavior, saying she understood why Sonic had been so upset lately. In an effort to have her son forgive her, she spoiled her son a bit, getting him all sorts of gifts ranging from jewelry, clothing, and some artistic tapestries for his bedroom.

He'd been thankful for it of course, but deep down, he knew this was just his mother buying his affection so he would be obedient for a while. 

Currently, he wasn’t with his mother. In fact, he was standing right outside a white wooden door that had a small sign painted on the front. It read Miss Rose in perfect cursive writing, and Sonic swallowed before extending a shaky hand to knock. He waited a moment before a soft voice allowed him to enter. Turning the knob and walking in, he was met with the familiar sight of Miss Rose, a slightly taller and older hedgehog who was the head seamstress of the royal family. Her fur was a dusty rose color, and her blue eyes looked at him with warmth and familiarity. Her quills, while longer than Amy’s, were adorned with a white ribbon holding them together as they cascaded down her back. 

“Hello, Your Highness. Congratulations on your engagement!” She clapped her hands together and a big smile graced her peach muzzle. Sonic tried not to let the thought of Shadow sour his mood. He was hear for Amy, not his dumb, handsome fiancé.

Wait, handsome?

“Thank you, Miss Rose. Is your daughter in, by chance?”

“She’s upstairs in her work room.” Sonic nodded thankfully and slowly made his way up the white spiral stairs. Upon making it to the open door, he noticed Amy sketching out a design on a large sketchpad that had been propped up on an easel. She was very concentrated, and Sonic noticed that her sketch was of him, a rough design of a possible outfit for the ball that would be happening at the end of summer. He knocked gently on the door frame, and she turned to look at him. Her eyes had gone from interested to upset in a matter of seconds, and Sonic felt his heart tighten in pain.

“Oh, it’s you.”

“May I come in?” She looked at him with a frown before gesturing for him to enter. He sat down on her plush pink chaise lounge chair, and she avoided his gaze and returned to her sketching. He tried to find the words, racking his brain for what to say, anxiously twiddling his thumbs as he did so.

“Are you going to say something or just waste my time?”

“I-I’m sorry.” It was quiet and he took that as a sign to continue. “I never meant to hurt you, Amy. You should have been the first one to know about the arranged marriage, seeing as you are one of my best friends.” He took a breath. “I…I care about you deeply, I do. But not in the way you think. I see us as nothing more than friends and that’s all I will ever view us as. I should have told you a long time ago.” 

The only sound that filled the air was the sound of pencil on paper.

“I cherish our friendship. It’s special and close to my heart, and without it I wouldn’t even be close to where I am today. I understand how you must be feeling, like I played you for a fool. Believe me, I know what it is like.” Sonic sighed, willing his brain to not think of a red striped hedgehog. “If you don’t want to speak to me again, I understand.” He stood up, walking over to the door.

“Sonic.” He turned around, stopping in his tracks to look at Amy who was looking back at him. “You are by far one of the most foolish men I have ever met.” Sonic could barely blink before he found the life being squeezed out of him in a tight hug. He returned the pink hedgehog’s embrace, recalling the feel of her comforting hugs. Gods, he really didn’t realize how much he had missed Amy over the past couple of weeks.

“I’m so so sorry.” He felt a tear escape his eye, hugging Amy even tighter.

“It’s alright. Our friendship is too important for me to let go of it just because you don’t feel the same way I do. That isn’t fair to either of us.” She pulled away, looking at Sonic’s teary emerald eyes that he was desperately trying to cover. Stifling a giggle, the pink hedgehog pulled his hands away from his eyes.  “You know this means you have to catch me up on everything right? I want every detail.” 

He laughed and nodded his head. 

“Well, it all started on my eighteenth birthday.” 

He recounted everything to her; the party, the library, the kitchen, even the fight in Sonic’s bedroom. She was a good listener, intently paying attention to everything he said and asking an occasional question. When he was done, she was practically on the edge of her seat, hands clasped together, and a huge smile was on her face.

“I’m not even sad anymore after hearing that. You two are destined to be together, Sonic.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Ames. That guy is a total ass and I never want to speak to him again after he almost ruined our friendship.”

“Fair point, but just hearing what you’ve told me is enough for me to know that you two were made for each other.”

“Now you’re just reaching.”

“Well, whether you want to listen to me or not, I’m right. You two are a match made in heaven.” Sonic pretended to make a fake gagging noise and Amy laughed at his antics.

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Sonic found himself restless one particular night in early August. He had been trying to sleep the entire night but after tossing and turning for several hours, he stopped trying. He sat up in bed, stretching his arms out and yawning before quickly getting out of bed. Making his way to his closet, he took off his pajamas and exchanged them for a soft pair of black leggings, a long flowy black tunic, and a brown leather belt to tie around his waist to secure the tunic. Slipping on a pair of long brown boots, he quietly left his room, softly shutting the door behind to assure nobody heard him leave. 

He made his way to the far wing of the castle, and found the set of stairs, walking up to them till he got to the fifth and final floor of the castle. The fifth floor wasn’t used for anything other than storing weapons, artifacts, and money mainly. It was heavily guarded at all times, no matter the time of day. Sonic easily spotted the familiar red echidna who stood and watched guard over everything valuable.

Sonic did his best to quietly sneak by, hiding close to the wall and praying to the Gods that Knuckles wouldn’t see him sneaking around in the middle of the night.

“Who goes there?” The deep voice questioned, sword withdrawn from its sheath now and armed for attack. Sonic cursed to himself before stepping out of the shadows that were keeping him hidden. “Sonic? What the hell are you doing out at this hour?” Knuckles put his sword back in its sheath and stepped toward the prince, placing a hand on Sonic’s shoulder. 

“I can’t sleep. Figured I could watch the sunrise since sleep isn’t an option.” 

“You really shouldn’t be leaving your room at this hour, Sonic. I understand you can’t sleep but- “

“Please, Knuckles.” The cobalt prince pleaded, crossing his fingers in a begging motion. “I can’t spend one more damn second inside my room.” He did his best attempt at puppy eyes and Knuckles immediately looked away.

“Oh no, that’s not going to work on me this time.” Knuckles glanced over and saw Sonic’s pupils expand larger than ever, a pout forming on his lip. “Not…a chance.” Tears were forming in the young prince’s eyes now. Knuckles growled, trying his best to resist. 

“Pleaseeee?” Sonic begged, and Knuckles swore he saw stars in his eyes. Those sad, sad eyes that reminded him of a baby chao.

“Fine! But I never saw you. If you get caught then it’s your head, not mine.”

“Thank you, Knuckles!” He tightly wrapped his arms around his friend. “Thank you so much!”

“Just get off of me.” He grumbled, gently prying Sonic off of him. “You owe me big time.” Sonic nodded his head vigorously before running off towards the big window at the end of the hallway. He sat on the window sill, climbing his way outside and placed his hands onto the old bricks that jutted out more so than others. Scaling the brick, he lifted himself up onto the ledge of the roof with ease and hoisted himself fully onto the roof. He walked up the incline till he made it to the flat part of the roof that assured him he wouldn’t slide off.  

The view up here had always been spectacular. This high up, Sonic could see the entire kingdom, homes and buildings that varied in size. And how could he forget about the ocean? The ocean with its clear water that seemed to hold so many unknown things, unknown fate. In the early morning hours, the moon reflected across the still waves. The royal ships docked at the port were quiet at this time of night, and loud during the day as the sounds of chains and horns went off. The prince had never seen the city during the day really. He only went on the roof at night when he couldn’t sleep, or when he really needed to think. Sonic could see in the far, far distance the outline of the Doom kingdom castle, partially hidden by thick trees and forest.   

He wondered what it would be like when he would have to live with Shadow in the Doom kingdom. After spending his entire life inside of his own castle, not even able to see his own kingdom up close, the thought of leaving for the first time was both exciting and terrifying to him. Not to mention he hadn’t talked to Shadow for a little over a month now. He didn’t feel the need to speak to him, even though they saw each other during meal times every day. The other prince seemed to respect Sonic’s choice in not speaking to him. But surely Sonic couldn’t just ignore him for the rest of their lives. They’re still going to get married, they’re still going to rule a kingdom together. And when the time comes for children…Sonic didn’t want to think about that right now.  

“The moon is brighter here.” Sonic almost jumped out of his skin at the new voice. He turned his head to his left and saw the devil himself standing beside him.

“For Chaos sake! Why do you feel the need to sneak up on me?” He placed a hand over his chest to try and calm his rapidly beating heart.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you, Sonic.” Shadow sat down next to Sonic, looking at him with deep red eyes. Sonic avoided his gaze, drawing his knees up to his chest and looking back out at the ocean. “What are you doing out here so late?”

Sonic didn’t reply, continuing to admire the view even if it was tainted by Shadow’s presence.

“Oh. You still aren’t talking to me.” Shadow said, mainly to himself. “If you won’t speak then I will. I’m sorry. I can see how my previous actions could have been hurtful to you. She was obviously important to you and my actions could have ruined the relationship you two have. I don’t mind if you marry me and continue pursuing her.”

Sonic couldn’t hold in his laugh at that, letting it bubble out in waves. It got stronger the more he laughed, and at one point he was holding his stomach from how hard he was laughing. Sonic opened his eyes and peeked at Shadow and how confused he looked. That only fueled the fire as his laugh started letting out small snorts. Sonic only snorted when he laughed very, very, very hard which was practically never. He eventually was able to calm himself down and look Shadow in the eyes again without giggling.

“It’s nothing like that. Amy and I are just close friends.”

“Oh.” A deep green blush took over Shadow’s muzzle that he quickly covered with a hand and turned away. “I shouldn’t have assumed.”

“It’s alright.” He giggled. “Do you really mean it?”

“Mean what?”

“Being sorry for almost ending Amy and I’s friendship?”

“Of course, I am. Everything I said was sincere.” The two shared a moment of quiet before Shadow spoke again. “I don’t have many friends, but a few of them are very special to me, one more important than the others. I can see how my actions would’ve hurt not just you, but her as well. My friend would be disappointed in me if she knew of my actions.”

“Don’t be so down on yourself.” Sonic scooted closer to the other hedgehog. “You may be royalty, but you are still a person. A person who is allowed to make mistakes just like everyone else is.” He smiled at Shadow and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I forgive you.”

“Your forgiveness is much appreciated.” They stared out into the ocean; the moon having disappeared awhile ago and the sun just beginning to peak out from the horizon. An oddly cold breeze drifted by, and Sonic shivered at the feeling. The ebony hedgehog must’ve noticed because he quickly took off his cloak, laying it over the top of Sonic’s shoulders.

“You don’t have to do that, Shadow. I’m not cold.” Sonic tried to hand the cloak back, but Shadow simply wrapped it back around the blue hedgehog’s shoulders.

“You’re shivering. I run warm anyways, so this cloak is just making me heat up out here.” He figured that trying to refuse again would end in an argument, so he simply let the cloak keep him warm. Sonic noted the floral scent of the cloak. Was that…lavender? The scent was calm and comforting, and Sonic let a yawn slip past his lips.  

“Are you tired?” Shadow muttered, keeping his voice low to not startle Sonic.

“No,” another yawn came out. “Not at all.”  The crimson striped hedgehog closed the leftover space between them, and wrapped an arm around Sonic’s shoulders, drawing his body closer and letting Sonic’s head fall on his shoulder.  

“You should rest. I’ll make sure nothing bad happens while you’re asleep.”

“Okay.” Sonic felt his eyes droop closed, the last sight he saw being the rising sun. And the scent of lavender lulled him into a deep sleep.

Knuckles found them later, looking up onto the roof from the open window to find Sonic with his head on Shadow’s shoulder, and Shadow with an arm wrapped around Sonic’s waist to keep him steady, looking at the world before them. Eventually, they’d have to go back inside, but for now Shadow was content holding him, and Sonic was content to be held.