Chapter 3: Punishment

Amy didn't force to pull herself back from the leash as Shadow the dark hedgehog lead her through the many twists and turns of the castle. Triangular stone sconces where on the wall scattered between the cobble stone walls that lined the edges of the hallway that Shadow lead her through. Large stone pillars like those she saw at the entrance of the castle also lined the edges which in the middle was the same red carpet she saw as earlier as well. Despite the walls being lit up by the bright orange fire of the sconces the area remained quite dark, as there were no windows in site.

The pink hedgehog then was halted as she came a crossed a large wooden door with a metal ring around where a normal door handle would be. Shadow commanded her to stay put as he opened the large dark brown wooden door. Yanking the handle with his white fingerless gloved hand he pulled at the door, causing it to open up.

Pulling taunt on Amy's leash once more, he pulled the pink hedgehog inside.

"Enjoy your last small bit of freedom, Slave, but try to escape and your breath will be your last." Shadow's stern tone hit Amy's ears as the flattened against her head.

They were quite strict in this kingdom, she knew their punishments where harsh. As she saw earlier with Geoffrey getting the ordered to be beheaded. Which she actually wished that would have happened to the one from her dimension, but they weren't as cruel there as they were here.

Amy didn't really look at her surroundings as she walked into the large room. Her gaze was fixated on the black hedgehog with the red eyes that looked at her with a look of agitation. "Alright here's his royal highness's room, he'll be here when he gets done with his duties."

Amy kept silent but sighed a bit of relief as he unhooked the leashed from her, still leaving the collar on, which she wished she would have taken off as well, but didn't let her hopes get high as she watched him walk to a nearby wall. Amy was taken back at what else she saw next to the peg with the leash on it. Besides there being other leashes and other collars that seemed to be regular collars that a non mobian dog would wear, she noticed an arsenal of whips and black leather riding crops.

Cringing inwardly as she turned away from the utensils as she tried focusing on something different. Turning she went to asked the black hedgehog a question but jumped when the sudden slamming of the wooden door made her fur stand on end. She decided to study the room a bit more.

To the back of the room a large metal framed window shown the light that was pouring from the sun outside, lighting up the room with enough light for her to make her surroundings out a little bit more than the darkened hallway she had just come from.

Amy looked to the side, on a lone chair in front of the window to see a long tunic, that she believed to be one of the kings. She jumped inwardly at the thought she was stuck in the room, that belonged to the mobian that looked just like the villain from her anti-verse. She couldn't believe that Scourge, the evil Sonic was actually the king of this place. All she hoped though is that he wasn't like the one she knew of.

Her thoughts went back to the rack she saw on the wall, she took that previous thought back, hopefully he wasn't cruel enough to use those things on her. She knew what they were, and she knew, he probably didn't just have those there for show. Shaking her head she turned back to the lone tunic.

"Whats the worse he could do?" she thought to herself picking up the cloth and putting it over her body. It reached to her knees which a sigh of relief hit her. Amy couldn't stand to be naked much longer.

Looking around she decided to take in her surroundings a bit more. The floor unlike the rest of the castle was laid out in a royal purple, soft carpet. Her eyes trailed to the center of the room, where there was a huge bed, with four large wooden posts at each corner of it, and a headboard with metal loops screwed into the frame, she assumed the worst. Shaking her head she admired the bed sheets. A dark blue silk, and a down filled comforter with an array of matching pillows at the head, made up neatly, with not a single wrinkle on them. Atop the posts above the bed, a dark light blocking canopy tied up at the front corner of the two upper posts held back by a hook that kept them from falling onto the bed.

On the end of the bed was a chest, a large cedar chest that was polished with a shine to where she could almost see her reflection in it. On the front it was decorated with an intricate design that resembled a strange single flame on it, that almost resembled the representation of a bird. It was also trimmed with a gold around the edges of it, as well as the lock that held its place.

Behind Amy to the right of the window was a large writing desk, with a wooden chair that was cushioned along with on the desk was piled scrolls, loose parchment and an ink vat with a quill pen stuck in a silver container holding it. There was also a small stack of leather bound books, which she didn't look to see what the titles where. Overlooking them, on the wall next to the desk was a large set of drawers that had black onyx handles on it, and had the same polished cedar as the chest in front of Scourge's bed. To the right of the draws there was a shelf with more books that were tightly packed within their crevices. They were decorated with different colors of leather as well. Towards the front of the room next to the door was a small wooden table with a oil lamp, she guessed it was for use at night when the moon light wasn't enough to light the room.

Taking a closer look past the bed, there was a smaller opening that she slowly walked through leading to an extravagant bath room. She noticed two sections of the room. One to the right, that was an iron claw footed tub that had a pipe leading to the front of it and what seemed like coils of a heading mechanism below it. From what it seemed this place hadn't quite adapted to full electricity yet, but most of it seemed to be used for manual labor for it. To the left a large open area that had sections that looked like a larger walk in floor where from the top the water would flow from the top like a waterfall. She looked up to see the workings of this extravagant bathroom. The coils once more lined a clear glass cling, that seemed divided off from the higher area where a vat of water was held.

Scourge sure had luxuries. Then again, he was the king, so it wasn't like he wasn't going to be living like a common slave, or citizen, as Knuckles had put it earlier. Amy was quite amazed at the place, but her thoughts still raced a bit, as she looked to her left at a shelf that was adorned with what seemed like different colored bath oils and soaps. Grabbing one of the bottles that was made of a bright blue glass with a green liquid she picked it up pulling the glass cork and sniffing it.

"Having fun showing yourself around?" The Dark voice of Scourge broke her from her curiosities as she jumped, dropping the bottle and it shattering at her feet, causing her to make a yelp and jump away from the broken pieces. Turning her ears flattened as a light chuckle rose from the green hedgehog's throat.

His blue eyes shining with amusement.

"I see you also decided to try on my own clothing as well." he curled his finger beckoning Amy to walk toward him, "Come out out of there before you cause more trouble."

Amy looked back down at the broken glass, "I'm so sorry I didn't-"

"Hush." he threw his hand up, "I hated that one anyways. Now out of there." His voice rose a bit with sternness as he placed his hand on her back as she slowly walking past him.

"I was meaning to talk to you." stated Amy, "You see I woke up in the woods after trying to grab a ring for-"

"You are quite a rebel, most slaves wouldn't talk to any one like they were a friend, much less to your King like that."

"That's what I was trying to tell you, you see I'm not-"

Scourge grabbed Amy's arm firmly, "You are gonna be harder to get under control that those other Slaves," huffed the green hedgehog, "But that's to be expected. For one like you."

"I'm NOT a SLAVE!" Amy screamed out, "Quit calling me that! I woke up here, and I don't know where the hell I am, ALL I know is that where I'm from no one belongs to any one we are free people, NOT slaves!"

A cross look came onto the Verde hedgehog's face, "Make that extra hard." Swiftly he threw the pink hedgehog down to the ground, "I'm not interested in listening to you insecurities, you are going to learn to bite your tongue or so help me-"

Amy shut up, her green eyes aflame.

"That's more like it." huffed Scourge, "You can keep the tunic on for now, but I'll be appointing you another attire later. First you need a name."

He started pacing in front of her, "Now what should I call you?"

"Call me?!" she spat, "I'm a mobian, NOT a pet! My name is Amy Rose!"

Scourge cut toward her at first with a look of anger, but then took in a breath, "It can't be helped, and this is a first time a slave actually gave out a name of their choosing, but I do like Rose. So you will be called Rose from now on, like a thorn, a stub, that's going to bloom into a beautiful flower once I'm finished growing you."

To poetic. Amy cringed.

Scourge pulled Amy to her feet and commanded her to sit on his bed. "Alright, since you are now my High Chosen slaves, I must give you a small run down as to what your duties are."

"M-My duties?" Amy stuttered, "I already said-"

"You are to clean my room, top to bottom each day, even a speck of dust, and a punishment will be in order." stated the green hedgehog, "My meals will be brought by a cooking slave each morning, you are to have it laid out and ready for me to eat, as well have my attire ready for each day. I don't care for what it is, surprise me for all I care."

Amy began to growl, her eyes shooting daggers.

"I am a lone king, I'm in no relationships with any of the women in this kingdom, with that said, when my urges occur you must-"

"URGES?!" Amy stood up with a gleam of hatred flashing in her eyes, "I'm ALREADY PISSED YOU HAVE ME TO DO YOUR DIRTY WORK, AND YOU ALSO EXPECT ME TO... NO! I WILL NOT! I've stated I'm not a slave, I'll never be a slave, and for all I care you can go to hell Scourge, cause I don't give a rats ass that you are the king of some WACKED out dimension, where you treat people as if they are play toys and pets! I WILL NOT COMPLY TO YOUR WAYS NOR WILL I take this!"

She began to storm past the green hedgehog, as she heard a dark chuckle emit from his throat. "I hate to do this to you Rose, especially with how beautiful you look wearing my tunic around your pick body, but I believe, your defiance can't go unpunished, and maybe after this, you'll learn a valuable lesson."

She turned, "Oh yeah?! Whats that?" Amy growled.

"First the door is locked," Scourge showed a key that dangled from around his neck, "Secondly, I do not tolerate any disobedience, even from a rare color like you, and thirdly," he walked over toward the wall and reached toward the rack where Shadow had placed her leash on the pegs earlier grabbing a small leather whip and a pair of cuffs, "You can't out run me."

Amy's eyes narrowed as he watched her try clawing at the door, but turned as the green hedgehog grabbed her laughing.

"A punishment is in order."