Title: Grandiose
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #24, Grand Balls/Dances
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Warnings: AU, het, established relationship

She walked through the halls silently, hearing the faint strains of music wafting up from the brightly lit pavilions below. The air was thickly scented with jasmine and honeysuckle, but she took little notice of it.

Her father had finally remarried. Her new stepmother was barely older than she, with long dark hair falling to her waist and piercing green eyes. The King was besotted with her, devilishly so. The Princess needed no divining glass to see what the future held.

Her new mother was a witch-queen, an enchantress. She wore a cape of puppy skin, and ropes of rubies and diamonds around her throat and wrists. No doubt her father was already under a spell.

Lance returned to her room, where she changed out of her fancy dress. She carefully collected her jewels and sewed them into the inner pockets of her plainest cloak, a thick, heavy black velvet affair.

Then, she called her guard.

Red was surprised when he saw his Princess dressed in a simple tunic and pants. “Princess! What are you doing?”

Her parents would be furious!

“I’m leaving, Red.” Lance said. “And I want you to come with me.”

He stared at her. “Me…”

“Yes,” She said firmly. “Surely you do not wish to stay here now that Queen Alanna is on the throne?”

Truthfully, Red had seen the Queen treat several servants cruelly, and she was supposed to be a witch, but could he abandon his oath of service? He had sworn to her father to protect the kingdom, and he did not make promises lightly.

What would her father think? Or, would King Drake even care? His new wife occupied all his time; and several of his ministers had already been disposed of.

Moreover, his friendship with the Princess was not a well-kept secret. Should the Queen decide to eliminate him as well, he would have no protection. He was only a guard, and not highly-ranked.

He spent several moments more deliberating. The celebrations would probably continue for a few weeks, and no one would miss them. In addition, he did love her, though with the prying eyes in the palace, they had never admitted the depth of their feelings, nor consummated their love.

Could she be his kingdom? Could he swear his loyalty to her, instead?

He believed that he could.

Red nodded. “I will follow you, then, my Princess.”

Lance smiled. “You are a true friend.”

If he had not said yes, she would have left regardless. However, now that he had promised, she was willing to marry him.

They crept away that night, and true enough, slipped away unnoticed. A quick visit to a Priest sealed them as man and wife. Now, they would be together.

A few days later, Lance found a jeweler and sold her belongings, and they had enough to buy a modest house. The Princess was strong, and could take care of herself, though it was Red who cooked and cleaned. He did not see it as a woman’s work. In truth, he had once wanted to become a chef. She tended the garden, growing vegetables and useful herbs, her long hair cropped short now, and her piercing golden eyes dyed with walnut to hide their color.

Yes, it was a harder life, but it was also freer. It was better to work hard than live a pampered slave.

Occasionally, they heard news of Lance’s father, but his kingdom was deteriorating and civil war had broken out, as expected. Red and Lance had more important things to do, like getting on with their lives, to pay attention.

And so they lived productively after all.

End Fic

Completed 9/17/07

Weird, definitely~! No lemons in this one… though I might want to RP it sometime!