Hmm, I’m trying to minimize the Red x Whitney romance, since I want this to be championshipping…

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*

Chapter 8

Red called in on Monsieur Lugia, but the Captain could give him no new news. With a sigh, he returned to Lance’s apartment, only to find the landlady there in a state of absolute distress, wringing her hands and looking frazzled.

“Oh Monsieur Red! Your friend!”

“What? Has something happened to Lance?” Red gasped, immediately snapping to full attention.

“Six of the Cardinal’s men, sir, they came and took him away! They seemed to think he was you…”

“Go on.” So he must have been followed when he brought Whitney here! He should have been more careful!

“He went with them.” She shivered. “I think they were taking him to the Bastille!”

Red winced. * Poor Lance… *

The landlady leaned in and whispered. “He also told me to tell you this. “Red needs his freedom and I do not, so I’ll buy him time. In three days, I’ll tell them who I really am and they’ll have to let me go. If not, Lugia-sama can bail me out. Whatever it is you are doing, finish it quickly!”

“That’s all he said?”

“That’s all he said.”

“What about the woman I brought here? Did they take her away?”

“No, I don’t think they were looking for her, just for you.” Liza shook her head. “Be careful!”

“I will.” Red promised.

With that, he went upstairs to check on Whitney. Upon seeing him, she jumped p from the couch she had been reclining on and smoothed her rumpled dress. “Any news of my husband?”

“I am afraid I have none, Madame.”

Whitney sighed, and then nodded to Red. “Then I will tell you what needs to be done. It must happen tonight. It was lucky I managed to get away.”

“I’m listening.”

“Go to the palace. You will see a valet with white hair and red eyes named Ruby. Give him this password ‘For Star and Shadow’.”

“I’m listening.”

“He will lead you to my godfather, the Queen’s cloak-room attendant, Monsieur Norman. Give him the password “Kanto and Johto United.” After that, tell him that the Suicune has fled Ecruteak. He will understand.”

“I understand.”

“I must go now.” Whitney looked at the angle of the sun with an almost frightened gaze. Red urged her to eat a little, so she had some biscuits and then the two of them went their separate ways.

Sure enough, at the palace, Red met Ruby and then Norman. He informed Norman that his goddaughter was safe, and then left. Norman advised him to devise an alibi, in case the Cardinal pried.

Red had not thought of that, so he went in to chat with Monsieur Lugia, after having slipped in and set the clock two hours back. After an hour of discussion about Red’s family affairs, Red set the clock back and returned to his own lodging, where he fell into an uneasy sleep.

Sure enough, he was taken before the Cardinal the next day and pointedly interrogated about his whereabouts, but Monsieur Lugia was more than ready to back him up, looking dignifiedly insulted at the thought that one of his Musketeers was messing in court affairs. With that testimony behind him, Red was free to go.

But what of Lance, who was languishing in prison?

As it turned out, that very day, they had a sudden influx of prisoners and to make room, decided to put prisoners two to a cell.

Giovanni blinked as the door was opened and two guards entered.

“I am sure that after the isolation, some company would be welcome, Giovanni.” The lead guard said with a snicker. “I’ve brought a friend of yours, Monsieur Red, you might know him.”

Giovanni nodded dully, but as the man was shoved into the cell, blinked. “Wait a moment!”

“What is it?” One man said irritably. “We’re in a hurry.”

“But this man isn’t Monsieur Red!”

“He isn’t?” The guard gasped. “That can’t be!”

“It can be! Monsieur Red is only twenty, but this man could be thirty! They have different hair and eye colors, and while Monsieur Red belongs to Monsieur Kyogre’s guards, this man is wearing the uniform of Monsieur Lugia’s musketeers!”

“Mon Dieu, it’s true!” One man swore.

“We must take him before the magistrate immediately!”

Lance allowed them to lead him before a much-overworked man, the Magistrate Bill, who blinked.

“Well, what crime have you committed?”

“I would that I knew.” Lance replied flippantly.

Bill rang a gong. “Bring in Monsieur Giovanni. Let us see if he will talk.”

Giovanni was most unhappy with the situation. His mind had worked feverishly through the night, and he had come to only one conclusion. His wife must have been party to some heinous deed, and they suspected him her accomplice!
Lance patiently answered the questions, saying that yes, he knew that he had been arrested as being Red, but as he was clearly not Red, and there was nothing he could do about it. He had never met Madame or Monsieur Giovanni before, the Madame being Whitney, and he had no idea why he had been arrested.

“But you have to be Monsieur Red!” Said Bill, who was becoming steadily more muddled as the night wore on. Lance glared.

“Well, you think I’m Red too?”

“The guards arrested you as him!”
“Well then, isn’t that the mistake they made, and not mine? Here’s what happened. They said ‘Monsieur Red’? I said ‘You think so?’ They replied that they were sure of it, and so I let them take me here. After all, I wasn’t sure they were mistaken.”

“Sir, you’re insulting the majesty of the law!”

“You really think I’m Red too?”

“Take him away!” Bill said irritably, and turned to Giovanni. “Now as for you, sir. Do you know what your wife has been doing?”

Giovanni blinked. “What are you talking about?”

“She has been delivering secret messages for the queen.”

Giovanni laughed. “She folds laundry all day, Monsieur. I can hardly see what that has to do with delivering secret messages.”

“Never mind. We shall see how things turn out. Take him back to his cell.”

The guards saluted and did so, and Giovanni fainted.

Why had this happened to him? He was just a simple merchant who had made some money speculating, was that why they imprisoned him? Did they want his money? Gods, help me!

End Chapter

Completed 3/25/06