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 3

A year slipped by quietly. Ashline’s belly was rounding with her first child, proof of the gods favor. She head that King Brock had married a lovely girl, Princess Suzie. The servants ran the household well, and Gary had become gentler, so Ash was truly enjoying their lovemaking.

She had taken back those harsh words long ago.

As long as Gary was not drunk, it was all right. And he usually did remember to prepare her adequately, and the pain was much less.

Wasn’t that the best they could hope for? Things happened. And the High King was nice outside of bed too…

She was soon to discover that this state of affairs would not last.

High up on Mount Silver, the gods were quarreling.

There had been a wedding almost sixteen years ago. King James of Chartreuse had wed a sea-nymph, feisty and bold, by the name of Jessie. All the immortals had been invited, with the sole exception of one. Crystal, the Goddess of Discord, had been kept away, for she brought strife wherever she went, and a wedding was no place for her.

Alas, even uninvited, she had shown up on the Threshold, and into the great gathering tossed an apple, beautifully wrought gold, with the inscription ‘For the Fairest’ written on it in.

Three goddesses had immediately begun clamoring for it: Charlotte, with her flashing golden eyes and night-dark hair, the Goddess of War and Wisdom, queenly Fantina, robed in purple, Zapdos’s Wife and the Queen of Heaven, and sensuous Lorelei, her lush curves heaving in indignation, the foam-born Goddess of Beauty and Desire.

Zapdos squawked, fried them all, and let them stew in anger for years before he sent his son, Ruby, the messenger, to find an impartial judge.

Ruby brought them to a young man herding goats on Mt. Coronet. The boy’s name was Paul, and he one of the many sons of King Volkner. However, at his birth, his sister Misty, a prophetess, had foreseen that his birth would destroy Hearthome City. Thus, his parents had given him to a goatherd, with orders to kill the boy.

The goatherd was much too kind-hearted and instead raised the child as his own.

Now, Paul eyed the three goddesses standing before him, trying to judge. Which one was the most beautiful?

“Choose me,” Fantina whispered, “And I shall make you ruler over the nations.”

“Choose me,” Charlotte smiled, “And you shall gain wisdom beyond measure, and be always victorious in war.”

Lorelei laughed and ruffled his hair. “Silly boy. What need you of their gifts? Give me the apple; and the most beautiful woman in all the earth shall be yours.”

That appealed to Paul very strongly, for he wanted to conquer and dominate. So he handed the golden apple to Lorelei, who laughed and promised him that if he followed her instructions, soon he would have his reward. But Charlotte and Fantina turned away with anger smoldering in their hearts, and from then on, hated Paul and all his family.

Lorelei brought Paul down the mountain, and there, at the gates of Hearthome City, his sister Misty saw and recognized him. But upon seeing him handsome and a man grown, his parents heeded her words not and welcomed him into the bosom of their family.

Weeks later Paul left on a trade delegation to far-off Viridian, heeding Lorelei’s words. King Gareth saw his ship approach, and greeted him cordially, one noble to another, and bade him welcome.

But when Queen Ashline saw Paul, a flutter of something pierced her heart.

Poor child! She had no way of knowing that Lorelei’s son Cupid had drugged her, and now, she felt desire roar to life in her heart for this stranger.

She was not unhappy with Gary, and yet…

Yet…

The first night, there was a magnificent feast, and as Gary and several of the others began to sway unsteadily on their feet and were carried out, Paul stared at Ash hungrily, and she was unable to look away.

… Why?

Their first copulation was hasty, in a storeroom dusty and long disused, but it awoke in Ash’s body a flame that could not be quenched.

It was a dangerous game, for a week later, Gary received news that his uncle, King Green had died, and he hastened to make preparations and sailed away for the funeral not two days later.

Paul caught Ash in his room.

“Run away with me.”

She stared.

“You hate it here with Gary, don’t you? Come with me. You’ll be a Princess of Hearthome – of Shinou! No one will think any less of you.”

Ash glanced at the cradle, where her first child, a daughter, slept.

Paul waved a hand impatiently. “You can bring her with you.”

Yes, she desired Paul, but was that enough?

She was fond of Gary. She enjoyed their quiet talks, enjoyed riding together through the fields, though she did not so much enjoy the sex.

Besides, Gary was her husband! How could she leave him? Alas, she had already betrayed him by sleeping with Paul…

What could she do?

“Come.” Paul said, and there was something in his tone… something that was stronger than all else, all rational thought and reason and yes, his love for Gary. For Ash did love Gary, with all her heart.

But against Cupid’s arrows, what could she do?

As if in a dream, she moved, and together they went down to the storeroom. Paul swiftly slew the guards, and from his ship, the sailors came and helped them load up treasure, all the beautiful wedding and betrothal gifts Ashline had been given, and many others besides, talents of gold and tripods, bolts of fine cloth…

Wasn’t this robbery?

But the Queen thought of none of it, spellbound, and she walked down the steps herself, and left Viridian, as they sailed away in Paul’s swift ship, not looking behind once.

Ashline did not know that this act of fleeing, drugged or not, would set in motion a death toll unmatched by any war previous. She thought no longer of Gary, or of her poor daughter, a stranger in a strange land.

Paul wrapped an arm around her waist possessively, and she listened to the waves lapping against the boat, unthinking.

But back in Hearthome, Misty woke, with tears on her cheeks, for she knew now that it was inevitable. They were all doomed.

Damn him…

Damn them both…

In Blackthorn, Lance felt a chill run down his spine. Charlotte glanced down at her favorite mortal, and shook her head.

He could not fight his destiny. He would find love, true, but he would find much else… and he would never return home.

In Cerulean, a girl named Red frowned as she plucked idly at her lute, her body hidden beneath robes of flowing linen. Her mother Jessie had hidden her here, along with the King of Cerulean’s many daughters, to try and keep her safe, Amazon though she was. It was no use. Their fates were all set.

Soon, the tides of war would come.

End Chapter

Completed 9/16/07

Edited 5/27/09

Ash: I’m such a slut!

Phantomness: *Smirk*

Lance: *Grins* So… I get Red. *Molests*

Red: *Smirks also* I’m a much better catch than Ashline!

Phantomness: Now, it’s not really Ash’s fault that she fell in love with Paul. In Greek mythology, no one, not even the gods, could resist those arrows of love… so yeah. I am so not a Comashipper…