Cinders and Ashes

A/N: This chapter is not as long as I wanted it to be, but hey, at least this is something. And it will be another chapter out of the way before we reach the ending of this story! I guess that's a silver lining.

Well, I won't keep you guys waiting. Let's roll it!

Chapter 10

The Search for the Mystery Prince

The next morning, Giovanni had been summoned to the castle. He entered the throne room, where the Queen and her daughter were waiting for him, along with Captain Flint. There was also a scribe waiting there, a blank scroll in one hand, and a feather quill in the other one.

"Is everything alright?" He asked. "Has your so-called Mystery Prince arrived, Your Royal Highness?"

Dawn shook her head. "Sadly, not yet." She replied before maintaining a composed outlook. "But I have a plan on how to find him."

Queen Johanna nodded and then turned over to the scribe. "Please take this down, and then proclaim it across the land once it is finished."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The scribe nodded, and then got his quill ready to write as the queen began to speak authoritatively.

"All subjects of Her Imperial Majesty are hereby notified, by royal proclamation, that in regard to a certain Mystery Prince, it is upon this day decreed that a quest be instituted throughout the length and breadth of our domain. The sole and express purpose of said quest is as follows: that every single young man in our beloved kingdom shall attempt to produce a half of a wooden shield amulet to the Princess; who holds in her possession the other half, from its shape to the inscription on the back of it.

"Should one youth be found with said amulet half and can recite an inscription etched on the back of it from his heart, such youth will be acclaimed the subject of this search and the one and only true love of Her Royal Highness, our most noble Princess. And said Royal Highness will humbly request the hand of said youth in marriage to rule with her over all the land as Royal Prince and future King."

Dawn had noticed that while her mother was stating the proclamation, Lord Van der Wylen looked ready to explode with anger. Something about it seemed odd, but she maintained a look of grace and poise to mask her suspicion.

"Declare this all throughout the kingdom." The queen ordered gently. "We will start the search tomorrow morning."

"Are you quite certain that this search is necessary?" The grand duke asked them, making Dawn face him again, still suspicious about his bitter reaction to the search. "After all, this so-called prince just vanished into thin air that night! We don't know where he is or if he even lives in the kingdom. Instead of doing a fruitless search for some mystery prince, we should be extending invitations for other suitable men to court our fair princess."

Dawn glared at the older man as he continued. "The kingdom needs to know that they will be in good hands, that the monarchy has a future king, and that the land may have an heir. The people would want to face the future with certainty."

"Agreed, then let us be certain about one thing, Grand Duke." Dawn cut him off firmly. "I am your princess, and your future queen. This doesn't just concern my future, but the future of all the kingdom. I say that we seek out the Mystery Prince. Even if he doesn't want to be found, I have to see him again."

"And if he is not found?" Giovanni asked. "What choice must be made, for the good of the kingdom?"

Dawn took a deep breath, not wanting to think about making such a choice. But as much as she hated it, she had to admit that the Grand Duke had a point. What if the Mystery Prince wasn't found? Or if he doesn't want to be found? What will she do? Although she was sure that she will never find a love such as this again, she does have to think about the good of the kingdom, and her people.

"Then I will do this. I will eventually find another suitable man, regardless of station, to be king, but only after I am crowned queen." She said firmly.

"What?" The duke exclaimed. "Need I remind you, princess; an unmarried woman cannot be queen."

"I am quite aware of that!" Dawn shouted. "But now, as a sign of our kingdom's strength, I propose a motion to abolish this law to show the world that even an unmarried queen can still be a strong protector of her kingdom, and that a man who wishes to be wed to her must prove that he could good of heart and spirit to help her keep the people safe, regardless of noble blood or station."

She then turned over to her mother. "Will you please consider this motion, Mother?" She asked. "It will please both the people and me."

Dawn then walked up to her and whispered lowly, "You believed that I can be a good queen. And so did he."

Johanna thought about this for a moment before speaking. "I will take this motion into consideration." She proclaimed. "If the Mystery Prince is not found, then I will put this motion forward. If he is, then he and my daughter will be wed, and after they are crowned king and queen, then the motion will be put forward. Regardless, that law will be abolished with this motion taking its place."

Dawn smiled brightly at her mother before settling back into a poised figure as she turned back to the Grand Duke. "And you may even help me find the best suitor after my coronation, regardless of his station, if the Mystery Prince is not found. Are we in agreement?"

Giovanni felt his blood boiling at the infuriating stubbornness of the princess, but he had to admit, she thought of this very well. He couldn't find any loopholes, and it does appeal to everyone. He took a deep breath through his nose and maintained his composure.

"Very well. Agreed." He said.

"But one more thing, Grand Duke." Dawn said. "You shall spare no effort. Search every house in the kingdom to make sure that every man is tested."

"Of course, Your Highness." Giovanni said, bowing to her. "You have my word."

He then stood up and excused himself from the throne room, with Flint following a couple of paces behind him. Unfortunately, he was far behind so that he couldn't see the dastardly smirk that was appearing on the Grand Duke's face.

There was only one house that would be skipped, because he would make sure that everyone believed that no young man residing in that house. Just him and his daughters.

Dawn cautiously backed away towards her mother, her eyes trained on the Grand Duke. "Mother, I've been getting the feeling that Lord Van der Wylen is up to something." She whispered.

"What do you mean, darling?" The queen whispered back.

"It's just that..." Dawn trailed off before speaking again. "I feel like he knows something that we don't. And I need to know what it is."

"How do you plan on finding that out?" Johanna asked.

Dawn lightly bit her lip. "Please promise you won't be upset." She pleaded.

***********************

The following morning, the proclamation was issued, and word spread quickly throughout the kingdom of the search. Everyone was on pins and needles as the amulet traveled throughout the land. But none of the young men could either identify nor produce its other half. If one claims to know it, they would then fail the test since they couldn't recite its inscription by heart.

Despite his initial hesitation, the Grand Duke was true to his word. He spared no effort to demonstrate to the royal family that the Mystery Prince was not to be found. He made doubly sure that every eligible young man was tested.

However, hours were going by, and the Mystery Prince had still not been found. The weary search party was starting to lose hope of finding him, but oddly, not the Grand Duke. It was as if he knew something that they didn't.

*********************

Meanwhile, back at the castle, Pikachu had finally arrived in the palace gardens, panting for breath. He had been running all day and all night, only with the hope that he could get Dawn to Ash in time. He kept pushing away the image of that nasty Persian attacking his master and best friend from his mind, trying to focus on his goal of bringing the princess to him.

Just then, he crashed into something, hard. Or rather someone, and they both came tumbling down. Pikachu groaned and held his head before looking up. It was a Piplup, a very familiar Piplup. The penguin Water type then began squawking with indignation, his words only understandable to another Pokémon.

"Hey, do you mind watching where you're going?! I am the Princess's starter Pokémon!" He then looked over and quickly recognized the Pikachu in front of him.

"Wait! It's you! You're that Pikachu who was with the Mystery Prince."

"Yes, I am." Pikachu replied, getting back up on his back paws.

"Well then, where is he?" Piplup asked. "Is he here?"

Pikachu looked down at the ground in somberness, and then held out the amulet. Piplup immediately recognized it.

"Hey, that's the other amulet half that my mistress is looking for." He said, pointing a flipper at it.

"My master sent me to bring it to her." Pikachu replied.

"Well, why didn't he just come here and present it himself?" Piplup asked.

Pikachu lightly gripped the amulet tighter. "He's being held captive." He said.

"CAPTIVE?!" Piplup squawked in horror. "Oh, no! We gotta help him! Do you know where he is? Who did this to him?"

"Why don't you ask that murderous and jealous Grand Duke and his hungry, savage Persian?" Pikachu muttered bitterly.

For the first time, Piplup was rendered speechless. "The... Grand Duke?" He asked.

Pikachu sighed and began to tell Piplup the whole story. How he first met Ash when they were young tykes and how he became his best friend, when Ash's father died due to a strange illness, and then later, his mother when he was in his teen years. Then how the Grand Duke took Ash in because of his mother's promise, but treated him so badly for the past six years. How the Grand Duke and his daughters treat Ash more like a slave rather than a stepson and step-brother respectively.

As he was telling Piplup the story, neither of them noticed that Dawn's other Pokémon friends had started to gather around them and listen to the story. They were all amazed and teary-eyed as Pikachu got into the part where Jayce and Delia's spirits came to help them go to the festival for all three nights. But then it turned to horror when Pikachu revealed that the Grand Duke discovered Ash's secret as the Mystery Prince, and that he revealed that he was responsible for his parents' deaths, which were attributed to murder. His father on purpose because he was jealous of him for marrying Ash's mother; and his mother by accident because she was trying to protect Ash from meeting the same fate. He then concluded with Ash giving him the amulet half before the Grand Duke could and telling him to run and find Dawn.

Everyone was shocked to hear how Pikachu's master and best friend had been abused and mistreated so badly over the past few years. Then Piplup stepped forward.

"Where is he now?" He asked.

"He is locked in the attic of our house, out in the country." Pikachu explained. "Near the border of the kingdom."

"There's a chance that they will find him." Buneary said, coming up to Pikachu.

"Not if the Grand Duke is leading the search." Piplup came in. "He could easily just say that he and his daughters live there by themselves, and no one would be the wiser."

"Piplup's right." Pikachu said. "We need to let the guards know that he's lying."

Togekiss then came up to them. "Hop on my back." She said, crouching down. "I'll take you and Piplup over there."

Pikachu jumped onto her back, followed by Piplup. "Will the guards even listen to us?" He asked her.

Togekiss just smiled, and Piplup had the same grin on his feathery face. "Well, we know that one will for sure."

Pikachu was a little confused by this, but he trusted his new friends. He'll just have to take their word for it, and hope that they're not betting Ash's life on the line.

Togekiss then spread out her wings and took off into the air, with Pikachu and Piplup hanging on tight to her. The other Pokémon cheered and waved up to them, wishing them good luck in the mission. Pikachu really appreciated it. This mission must succeed if Ash is to be safe once and for all, and finally live the life that he deserves after so many years of abuse.

A/N: We're in the homestretch! To make up for the past couple of short chapters, the next chapter will be the last one and bring this story to its predestined happy conclusion. No matter how long it might be.

Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a comment about what you think, and remember to stay healthy! And warm, depending on where you live is pretty cold at the moment.

Got to fly! ;)