A/N: First off, I really wanted to flesh out N's character, especially considering some stories that I've read that puts him into a really bad light—those really made me want to cry. I mean, considering the environment that he grew up in, I don't think that it's his fault that he turned out the way he is. So this story is my attempt at that…yeah.

This is an AU story in which a young White was brought to N's Castle for the sole purpose of being the trophy wife to the future king. The story events follow a similar outline of the game's events, although the things that occur within it will be very different. N still wants to free Pokemon, Team Plasma is still hypocritical, and Geechisu is still an evil bastard; the only main difference is White's role.

Also, N has yet to have his coronation because he wants to set out on the journey first to prove to mostly himself that he deserves such a role.

Anyway…enjoy the story!

She met him when she was five.

The people who had brought her to the fairytale castle had told her that he was a prince. A true hero that would save the region. A promising future king.

But all that she could see was a timid green-eyed boy who knew nothing of the outside world.

"H-hello," was the first thing that he had said to her—although he had whispered it so softly that she had nearly missed his greetings.

They told her that she was to be his other half: his queen. She didn't really believe them because she had never liked the stories in which the heroine was swept away to live happily ever after with some unknown prince. But with no family to come back to, her five year old mind figured that it wouldn't hurt to try and believe.

So she took his hand and said:

"Hello."

o

They used to play games of fairy tales and make-believe. He was usually (almost always) the princess—he did have the hair for it, after all—while her constant role was the knight with the boyishly short hair. They would both throw on their pretend personas and become someone else; they became who they wanted to be, and left what they were expected to become in the dust.

Eventually, their fake personas began to meld into their everyday lives.

The boy hero threw away his princely name and became the ambiguous N—an unspecific name; a name without a role to play.

Touko, the orphan with the set and unchanging role of princess, became White, a new beginning with a path of freedom to choose whatever she wanted.

But that was only the beginning.

o

"You shouldn't let your father push you around like that," White saidto the softly whimpering N, her skinny little arms crossed over the other in an act of defiance. "He shouldn't ever call you those terrible things. It isn't right."

"It's fine," the small boy mumbled and swiped the back of his palm under his runny nose. "He's always like this whenever he comes to visit."

"But it doesn't make it any better."

"I know it doesn't."

"Look," she grabbe his shoulders and stared him down until he stopped his tears, "I know it's hard, but you have to stand up for yourself; you can't keep letting him hurt you forever."

He laughed bitterly. "I wish I were more like you, White. Always so brave and defiant—it must be so easy for you to get your way."

And she couldn't help but wish that was true.

o

It was funny how easily a person was influenced by others.

Like the young, upstart recruits of Team Plasma. Or the people on the streets listening to the grandiose speeches of Geechisu. And even N, sweet and kind N who only knew of the world through his books.

She didn't know when it started to happen, but by the time she realized what was going on with her best friend, it was much too late to stop it.

They were both thirteen, young and impressionable—N even more so.

It was at the rare meetings with his father that she began to realize her influence on N.

It had started out all right—Geechisu was speaking to N about his duties and his roles, about how his coronation was drawing nearer, how the coming judgment day was to come. She didn't remember what set N off, maybe it was the way his father was pushing all those duties onto him, or maybe it was the way his father sneered and said how easily a defect like him could screw everything over—but whatever it was, it angered N. And for the first time in his life, the boy goes against his father.

At first there was a shocked silence; but then Geechisu suddenly stepped forward and swiped his fist across N's face in a fit of delirious anger.

"Wait! Please don't hurt him!" she begged, placing herself between the fallen N and Geechisu. "He doesn't mean it. I—

"You!" the man screamed. "You little bitch! How dare you get in the way; this isn't your place to interfere! Your only role is to be his queen—nothing more. I'll bet it's by your influence that this boy has been acting like such a spoiled fool!"

Geechisu stepped forward with a raised hand and she herself took a step back. White panicked. Everything was suddenly spiraling downhill much too quickly. "Sir—

"Shut up!" He glared at her with his blood red eyes and turned to the grunts standing guard outside the door. "Guards, take this girl away to the dungeon and keep her there until I give permission for her release."

"No, wait! Please!" she cried out in terror as they each took one of her arms and dragged her away. She sawa pained N reach his hand out to her and she tried to break free to run back to him, but it was all in vain.

Within seconds, he was gone from her view.

o

White emerged from the dungeon three days later a changed person.

"White!" N cried out in relief upon seeing her. There were black and blue marks everywhere on his skin, including the one on his right eye, as well as a slight limp to his left leg.

She herself was gaunt, pale, and cut up with whip marks.

The boy ran up to her and swept her into a gentle hug; but when he pulled back, even though he had lost all tears, she still had hers.

"White, what's wrong?" Concerned green eyes watched her as she stood immobile, sobbing silently before him. He took her to one of the red armchairs, sat her down, and patiently waited for her to calm down.

She could feel him watching her, examining every rip and tear that were visible on her body; and she positively hated it. All she could feel was shame. He had called her brave once, and she had taken it to heart and tried to live up to that notion. But here she was, crying her eyes out in front of him, remembering all the fear that she had felt in that cold, dark room full of silence and horror. She was supposed to be the brave one of the two—but that really wasn't true at all.

Brave people weren't supposed to cry.

o

"I was thinking of traveling Unova."

She looked at him for a moment, set her book down, and took a pen to her palm. For how long?

N shrugged. "I'm not sure yet, honestly; but if I am to save the Pokémon of this world, then I should learn about their evil captors as well. It's kind of like the saying: keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer."

White nodded in agreement and then turned back to her book with a differential air.

She heard a loud scraping sound and from the corner of her eye, she saw N pull up a nearby chair to sit next to her. The young prince did not speak, so the mute girl in turn said nothing, refusing to say anything until she was expected to.

She was rewarded with her patience when N finally spoke again. "I was...I was hoping that you would join me, White."

Why?

"Because you're my best friend," he said with a hint of annoyance—it was all too clear that her frigid attitude was finally getting to him. "At least I thought you were—but you've changed so much these past three years. I hardly know who you are anymore—

Alright.

"Huh?"

White simply shook her head in exasperation. I meant that I'll come with you.

"You will?" N practically shook with excitement. "Really?"

Yes.

Suddenly she found herself being lifted off of her chair and being spun around by N—and with her pen lying innocently on the floor besides the desk, White was left with only one option. She whacked the side of his head with her inky hand—but the force of the impact didn't faze the teen and they continued to spin around to a dance with a beat only known to N.

After a moment of hesitance, White allowed her body to relax and let the boy with the infectious smile to lead her to the rhythm.

And in that moment, they were just ordinary people with no care for the world around them.