Princess Belle and the Street Cheefox
Why did life in a castle have to be so BORING?
There were so many rules, so many expectations. Sure, Princess Belle was waited on hand and footpaw, but she always had to be so prim and proper. She had to sit a certain way, speak a certain way, eat a certain way. She wasn’t even allowed to dress herself! It was exhausting. Nevermind the expectation that she would one day have to marry a prince. Princes were even worse! The only one she could vaguely tolerate was her elder brother.
She had just finished her breakfast when her nanny entered.
“Come along, princess, it is time for our walk in the garden,” the old deer said.
Belle bit her lip. The fennec did NOT want to walk in the garden. It was so hot this time of year, especially in the many layers of clothes she was forced to wear. Her petticoats made her jut out to three times her size, and if she wasn’t careful she’d trip over them.
She knew better than to defy her caretaker, though. Princess she may be, but she was not spared the wrath of her nanny if she did not do as she was told. Spare the rod, spoil the child, as her father always said.
With a resigned sigh, the five year old stood and followed her caretaker out towards the garden. She knew there would be no escape. Might as well sweat it out.
“Worry not, young princess. You have almost reach the age of six. Then you’ll be sent off to the convent for your education!” her Nanny said.
What?! Her brother was educated here at the castle, with tutors! Why would she need to be sent away?
“Can’t I be educated here like Prince Beau?” she asked.
“Oh, most certainly not,” her nanny replied. “It is most unbefitting of a noble lady. No, you must be sent away for your education. You will only be gone six years.”
Her ears perked indignantly. Six years may as well have been forever! Six years where she couldn’t see her brother, her only friend in this miserable world? She’d rather die.
As they neared the hedge maze, a plan began to form. Perhaps she could escape out into the city. One of the gardeners had told her of a gate that was often left unlocked. If she could just get away…
She looked up at her caretaker. Belle had become somewhat adept at walking carefully, to the point where her carer no longer paid her close mind. As they neared the hedge maze, Belle made her decision. While her nanny walked into the maze, she took an abrupt right, continuing on for a few steps before gathering up her petticoats and bolting.
Running was such a freeing experience, even if she was rarely allowed to do it. The wind flying through her headfur and against her ears felt divine. As she ran, she tried to remember where she needed to go.
She spied the flower gardens she had been told about and darted left. Next, the topiaries. That was a right. Just one more little turn, and… there it was! The gate! She made a break for it as her sensitive ears picked up the sound of her nanny calling her name. Not today, fatso.
“Please be open, please be open, please be open,” Belle muttered.
The fennec came to a stop at the gate. No need to ruin her pretty dress, after all. She pushed against the metal bars. At first they didn’t move. No! She had come so far! She pushed harder, and began to feel it move.
Yes! That’s it! Almost… free! The gate scraped open, just enough for her to slip out without catching her dress. She pushed it back shut to cover her tracks, then ran.
She found herself on a small side street. Perhaps the servants lived here. Her ears picked up the sounds of furs, and she followed it, emerging onto a crowded city street.
Belle emerged onto a street teeming with life. Furs of all ages and species were rushing here and there. Stalls lined the streets, with vendors selling fruits, vegetables, and wares of all kinds. The princess had seldom been allowed out of the palace, and never alone. It was magical.
She set off into the crowd, dodging around grown-ups and cubs alike. Few seemed to pay much mind to the noblecub walking among them.
It wasn’t long before she spied two soldiers on patrol. She recognized one. If they found her, they would surely bring her back to the palace, and that just wouldn’t do. In a panic, she ran down a side street, and another, and another. When she came to a stop, she perked her ears. No one was following. But now she wasn’t sure where she was, either.
Oh no. She had no idea where she was! All of the streets and alleys looked the same. What was she to do? Her breathing quickened. This was a bad idea, such a bad idea.
“Psst. Hey, you.”
The fennec princess perked her ears. She looked around, and spied a white and pink spotted cub waving to her from around a corner. He looked like a curious mixture of cheetah and fox.
“Are you summoning me, sir?” she asked.
“Don’t see anyone else around, do ya?” the strange cub asked.
Belle looked around. Indeed, there was no one else around. She approached this stranger. He looked to be about her age, certainly her height. The clothes he wore were simple, a pale green tunic and brown pants. There were holes in both. “And who might you be?”
“The name’s Kenzie,” he said. “And who are you? Never seen someone wearing clothes like that around here.”
The fennec looked down at her deep blue dress. She had certainly never seen a non-royal dress as well as she. But no matter. The princess turned her attention back to the strange boy. “My name is Princess Bellatrix Rose Vallencourt, but you may call me Belle.”
“A princess!” Kenzie said. “I thought you lived in the castle. Why’re ya out here?”
“I ran away,” Belle said. “My Nanny said I was to be sent away for an education, but I don’t want to go.”
Kenzie nodded. “Family’s important… I wouldn’t want to leave my brother and sisters, either.” He held out a paw. “If you want… I can show you how I live.”
She smiled and took the boy’s paw. “I’d like that.”
The mysterious boy grinned. “Come with me, princess.”
He was off at a run, pulling the fennec along. She squeaked, her free paw grabbing at her dress. “H-hold on! Not so fast!”
Mercifully, he paused. “What is it?”
Belle lifted her dress and began tearing at her petticoats. “I hate these,” she said. It felt good removing those blasted things. Her legs felt freer. When she was finished, she looked up and saw the boy blushing.
“What’s the matter?” Belle asked.
Kenzie squeaked. “Oh, umm, nothing, nothing,” he said. He turned away and took the princess’s paw again. “A-anyway, come on.”
She followed him, more easily this time, though she still had to hold the front of her dress up. He led her down back alleys, then came to a stop at the back of a building.
“Can you climb?” Kenzie asked.
The fennec shrugged. “I used to… but Nanny says it’s unbefitting of a lady.” She stuck her tongue out in disgust. How she hated the life of a princess!
The cheetahfox nodded. “Okay. I have an idea.” He reached into a pouch at his side, and pulled out a small clay amulet on a leather cord. Kenzie put it around Belle’s neck, struggling just a little around her massive ears. “There. That should help. Now, follow me.”
He grabbed onto one of the support beams of the building and began climbing. It looked so easy when he did it. She was convinced that her trying was futile, but she didn’t want to disappoint her new friend. The fennec grabbed onto the beam and tried to pull herself up.
Much to her surprise, it was very easy to climb. She reached the roof just after Kenzie did.
“Wow!” she said.
Kenzie grinned. “My sister Tarri made that. It helps make you lighter. Useful to climb or get away fast. Keep it on for now, it’ll help.” He grabbed her paw again. “Here’s the good part.”
He took off again, pulling the princess behind him. Running felt so good - the wind in her fur, the feel of the wooden roof tiles under her paws, everything about it was incredible. She had never felt so alive! They ran to the edge of the building.
Then they jumped.
Belle sucked in a breath as they sailed through the air over the gap in the building. The neighboring building looked so far away! And yet they landed light on their footpaws, not even losing momentum.
They leapt to another building, and then another. By the fourth, they were both giggling. She couldn’t remember ever having so much fun in her life!
The princess lost count of how many roofs they leaped across. When they finally stopped, they collapsed side by side, panting.
“That was amazing,” Belle whispered.
Kenzie giggled. “I know how to have fun in the city.” His stomach rumbled. “Uh oh. All that running made me hungry.”
“That’s okay!” Belle said. “We can just ask the cook to- oh.” She broke off, realizing what she was saying. In the castle, all of her needs were attended to. But out here in the city, she had no idea how to survive.
Her companion smirked. “Ain’t no cooks out here, princess. But I think I can find us something. Stay here, I’ll be back soon.”
The princess sat up as the cheetahfox got to his footpaws. Without a moment’s hesitation, he leapt over the edge.
Belle gasped. She clambered to the edge of the roof and looked down. His white and pink tail vanished around a corner. Seemed he was alright, at least. She settled back down on the rooftop (a good ways away from the edge) to await his return.
True to his word, his return was swift. The cheetahfox climbed deftly back up to the rooftop. He held a loaf of bread in his mouth.
The fennec giggled. “That’s one way to carry bread.”
Kenzie grinned and sat down next to her. “You use what you have.” He broke the loaf in half and offered her the portion that hadn’t just been in his mouth.
She leaned against him as they ate their bread. He was blushing again.
“Are you alright?” Belle asked. “You’re flush. Are you getting ill?”
The cheetahfox wiggled. “No, no, it’s not that,” he said. “I’m just… not used to getting to spend time with a girl like you,” he said. “My sisters never wear dresses or pretty clothes. They cause too much trouble when we’re working most of the time.”
“Working?” Belle asked.
He nodded. “We, uh, have to earn a living somehow, right?” He finished off the last of his share of the bread, then stood. “You should come meet my family!”
“Your fam- eek!”
Before the princess could even finish her sentence, she was on her footpaws again, being dragged along behind the young cheetahfox. He leapt right off the edge of the roof, pulling her with her. They landed far more lightly than she would have thought possible. It didn’t even hurt!
Then they were away through the city streets again, winding through darkened alleys. She had never run so fast. Perhaps the doing of that amulet that Kenzie gave her. That must be it, she decided. As they ran, her sensitive ears picked up new sounds. Men yelling, clattering. Were they nearing the docks?
Her question was soon answered. They emerged at the edge of the docks, along the riverbank. Belle had been to the docks only once before, for a trip to the coast. A boat on the river was the faster and safer way south, though coming back they came by land, in carriages escorted by a complement of mounted knights and horsefurs.
She had never been this far from it, though, and never on foot. Kenzie slid down towards the bank. Surely he wasn’t going to drag her into the water!
He turned at the last second, leading her along the water’s edge under the docks. It was very dark, only illuminated weakly by beams of light cast through gaps in the planks above. She squinted to see ahead as her eyes adjusted to the low light.
“Where are we going?” Belle asked.
“To my home,” Kenzie said. He led her to a collection of broken barrels and crates stacked up under the docks. It looked all the world like a pile of junk. The cheetahfox pushed aside a slab of wood, revealing a door. He opened it and stepped through, leading her in with her. “I’m home!” he called.
Belle blinked. It was far roomier in here than the outside suggested. Brighter, too, though the source of the light was a mystery. There seemed to be no lanterns or candles. It was quite different from what she was used to. Smaller, dirtier, but she didn’t particularly mind it. If anything, it was an exciting change of pace, a glimpse into a different kind of life. Maybe less comfortable, but charming in its own way.
A white tigress greeted them. “Kenzie, you’re ho- w-who is this?”
Kenzie released Belle’s paw. “This is Princess Belle,” he said. “I found her out in the ci-“
“A princess?!” the tigress said. “Are you MAD?! You’ve kidnapped a PRINCESS?”
The young cheetahfox pressed his ears down. “I didn’t kidnap her!” he said.
“I escaped,” Belle said. “I didn’t want to be sent away…”
Two more cheetahfoxes emerged from another chamber. They looked very similar to Kenzie, though their spots and stripes were blue.
They blinked as they saw the princess. “Kenzie, what…” one of them said.
“He brought us back a princess!” Tarri said.
“Kenzie, are you insane?” the other older cheetahfox said. “You can’t just bring a royal here!”
He whined softly. “I just thought that if she didn’t want to live at the palace…”
One of the older cheetahfoxes dragged the other back into the chamber from which they emerged. The tigress sighed and shook her head.
“Kenzie, Kenzie, Kenzie… you’ll learn one of these days,” the tigress said. She turned to the princess. “Well, since you’re here, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tarri. I’m… Kenzie’s older sister, I suppose. We’re all family, blood or not.”
The princess curtsied. “It is an honor to meet you,” she said.
Tarri scoffed. “That should be my line,” she said. “Never thought I’d ever meet a real princess… least of all like this.” She sighed. “I’m sorry we can’t offer you much in the way of hospitality. We aren’t used to receiving royal guests, you see.”
Belle giggled and looked around. “Perhaps not guests at all,” she said. “But that’s quite alright. Royalty can be quite boring at times. This is exciting!” She perked her ears.
From the other room, she could hear the other cheetahfoxes arguing.
“We could get so much gold!” one said.
“But she’s a cub…” said the other.
“It’s not like we’re going to hurt her…”
“We had better not.”
The princess lowered her ears. Maybe her escape hadn’t been such a good idea.
Kenzie squeezed her paw. “Maybe you can stay with us!” he said.
“What?! Kenzie, no!” The other cheetahfoxes had just emerged.
“Kenzie, we can’t keep a princess here!”
The younger cheetahfox puffed up. “Why not?”
“If the guards found her, they’d send the whole army after us!” said one of the older cheetahfoxes. “We’d have to flee the city, find a new place to live, and have to live in constant fear of being caught!”
“And we don’t do that now?” Kenzie asked.
They were quiet. “Not to the same extent,” one said.
The other sighed. “We can at least introduce ourselves… I’m Lysander, but you can call me Lyssie.”
His sibling glanced at her brother, then at the princess. “And I’m Lilly. Yes, we’re twins.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Belle said. “But… I couldn’t impose myself upon you.” She sighed. “I just… I don’t know what to do…”
The twins looked at each other.
“Maybe we could at least take her out on the town, show her a different view of life,” Lyssie said.
“I guess,” Lilly replied. “But we can’t have her going out there looking like THAT. The guards would spot her in an instant!”
Belle looked down at her dress. They had a point. She was dressed far too finely. “What should we do, then?”
Lilly grabbed the fennec’s paw. “First of all, we’ve got to get you some different clothes.” She led the girl into another chamber in the back. “Kenzie, do you have a tunic she can borrow?”
The youngest of the cheetahfoxes followed along. “I think so?” He opened a chest at the foot of the bed and rummaged around. “Here, this should fit her.” The kit held up a worn brown tunic and pants and held them out to the princess.
She accepted the offered clothing. “Umm… may I have a bit of privacy?”
Kenzie tilted his head. “Priva… wha?”
His sister rolled her eyes. “It means get out, butt head!”
The younger cheetahfox squeaked and scurried out.
Lilly was about to leave, too, until Belle grabbed her paw. “Not you. I… need you to help me undress.”
The older girl smirked. “What, the pretty princess doesn’t know how to undress herself?”
That got under her fur. The princess stamped her footpaw. “Can too! It’s just… they tie me into these so tightly…” She turned around and showed off the tightly bound lace holding her dress together.
Lilly sighed and rolled her eyes. “Alright, I’ll see what I can do…”
Belle could feel her fumbling with the knots. Slowly, she felt her dress loosening. It felt so freeing to be taken out of these blasted court clothes.
The moment she felt enough slack, she pulled her dress up and off. Her underclothes quickly followed. Once she was completely nude, she turned to face the cheetahfox girl.
“See? I CAN undress myself!” she declared.
The cheetahfox looked her up and down. “I see…”
The princess blushed and turned her back to the older girl, then pulled on the simple clothing that had been offered. It was so much easier to move in these!
“Excellent,” Lilly said. She took Belle’s paw once more and led her back out into the main chamber. “One last thing,” she said. “We have to conceal your face, too.”
The fennec lowered her prominent ears. “Why?”
Lilly rolled her eyes and wrapped the princess in a cloak. “We have to blend in with the crowd. The guards will be looking for you, and if you don’t want to be caught, we can’t let you be looking like you.”
She fussed but did not fight. It took a little doing to get her ears to stay down, but once Lilly was satisfied, she nodded.
“Well, then, family… let’s get going.” She and her brother grabbed swords from a rack and cloaks to conceal them, then marched out the door.
“I think I’ll stay back here,” Tarri said. “I had a long night…”
Kenzie gave her a quick hug. “We’ll be back soon.”
Belle followed the older cheetahfox twins out of their hovel. Kenzie followed along at her side. They wound a different path under the docks, emerging into an alleyway near the market district.
“Oh, what fun,” Belle said.
“Shh,” Lyssie said.
Lilly led the way through the crowd. As they went, she bumped into a fur. The fennec’s sensitive ears picked up the jangle of coin, but she didn’t see any. Had that fur dropped their purse?
When she looked to Lilly’s right, Lyssie had disappeared into the crowd.
“Princess, duck,” Kenzie whispered urgently.
She did as she was told, bending over. All of a sudden she felt a fur falling over her.
Kenzie grabbed her paw and ran, leading her through the crowd.
There was shouting all around. Chaos. Someone was yelling about a thief. A thief! But where could they be? She looked around, her cloak slipping off her head.
“There she is!”
That was the unmistakable voice of her older brother. Belle’s heart froze. She turned and saw her brother in his traveling clothes trying to push through the crowd, four soldiers following close behind.
“Run!” Kenzie yelled.
Before she could process what he said, her feet were flying beneath her. Kenzie squeezed her paw, leading her through the winding alleys of the city.
“We can’t let him catch us,” Belle gasped.
“He won’t,” Kenzie said.
She would trust him. She had no other choice. The fennec ran as fast as her legs would carry her.
“Ack!” Belle cried out as she tripped over an uneven cobble. She fell to the ground, her nose hitting the pavement hard. “Ow…”
Kenzie grabbed both her paws and pulled her back to her footpaws. “Come on, we can’t stop now!”
And like that they were running again. Where were Lilly and Lyssie?
The two five year olds reached an intersection and stopped. Kenzie panted, looking left and right. “Uh… I think this way,” he said, pulling her to the right. They ran around a corner, and found… a dead end! Just solid stone walls around them. No way to climb up and away.
“Crap,” Kenzie said. “M-maybe if we go back.”
When they turned rounded the corner, they found themselves facing the prince, fury and fear in his eyes.
“Dearest sister, I have found you at last!” Beau said. The squirrel drew up short, his paw going to his sword. “What happened to your clothes? And who the devil is this?”
Belle steeled her gaze and stood between her elder brother and Kenzie. “He is my friend.”
The squirrel scoffed. “Your friend? Dear sister, this is common street trash! Come with me, return to the palace. Mother and father are worried sick about you.”
“No!” Belle said.
Her brother took a step back. “Sister, how dare you defy your brother and your mother’s will!”
She huffed and turned her back. “I will NOT go back,” she said.
“Sister, it is your duty as a noble of this land-“
“To the devil with duty!” Belle cried.
Beau was stunned. He took a breath. “Sister… you would abandon your duties as a princess? And for what? To live the life of a pauper? Do you know what this filth must do to survive?”
Kenzie growled and drew a dagger, rushing between the prince and his sister. “Well, you’re a jerk! I’m not gonna let you take her back!” he said.
The prince drew his rapier, though he seemed hesitant. He was not expecting to fight a cub half his size. “Threatening a prince is a death sentence, knave,” he said. “I’ll have your head for this.”
Belle glared at her brother. “You will not.”
“Sister, I will have you know tha-“
He stopped suddenly and dropped his rapier. From behind him another white and blue spotted cheetahfox drew up, grabbing him and holding a sword to the prince’s throat.
“No one threatens my brother,” said the prince’s assailant.
The squirrel gulped. “Have you any idea who I am? Harm a hair on my head, and I will have yours on a pike.”
“He’s a royal,” Kenzie said.
“Another royal? What are all of these royals doing outside the palace?” asked the assailant.
“Searching for my sister!” the prince said.
Belle stamped her footpaw. “Unhand my brother!” she cried.
“Listen to her,” Kenzie said.
Immediately the older cheetahfox withdrew their sword. “You better have a good plan in the works, Kenzie.”
As soon as he was free, Beau snatched up his sword and turned on his attacker. “The nerve!”
He found himself facing not one, but two cheetahfoxes. Both had weapons drawn. One held a sword the traditional way, the other weilded theirs in reverse, and both stood in defensive stances.
“Two against one, eh? The kind of odds I like,” Beau said as he drew forth a dagger in his off-paw. “Have at you!” he cried as he charged.
“Brother, no!” Belle yelled.
Beau slid to a stop and looked at the princess over his shoulder. “Sister, you can’t be serious!”
She crossed her arms. “Put your weapons away.”
The prince turned his eye back to the older cheetahfoxes. Their swords were still drawn, two more remaining in scabbards, one at their right side, the other strapped to their back. “And leave myself completely defenseless against these scallywags?”
“All of you,” Belle said.
To the prince’s surprise, the older cheetahfoxes began sheathing their swords. The squirrel followed suit, though he kept his paw on the grip of his rapier, ready to draw again at a moment’s notice.
He turned, keeping the older cheetahfoxes in his peripheral vision. “Sister… why did you run away?”
Belle sighed. “Nanny told me that I was to be sent away to a convent to be educated… but I don’t want to go. I don’t want to be separated from my family, my friends. I’d rather die.”
“So you flee to the city streets?” Beau said. “What was your plan then, sister?”
She lowered her head.
“I thought so,” Beau said. “Sister, please, return to the palace with me.”
A clattering of footpaw falls fell on the royals’ ears.
“Your highness, are you okay?” a soldier called. A half dozen troops descended on the group, weapons drawn.
“Stay your arms, they mean us no harm!” Beau called.
The cheetahfoxes looked around, then at the prince. They were clearly surrounded.
Belle gritted her teeth. There was no way she would be free now.
Her brother took a knee before her. “Sister… I… I understand your fear. Your hesitation.” He leaned in and whispered, “I was never fit for a princess, either.”
The fennec tilted her head. “B-but you’re a boy,” she said.
Beau placed a paw on his sister’s shoulder. “I am, but not by birth. Don’t tell our parents that I told you. They swore me to silence.” He glanced at the other five year old cheetahfox. “You heard nothing.”
Kenzie tilted his head. “Dunno whatcher talkin’ about.”
The prince sighed, then looked back at his sister. “Look… I cannot promise to be able to sway mother and father’s will. But I can try. I think I can convince them to keep you here at the palace, at any rate. And if I can’t… we will figure out what to do. Together.” He turned his attention back to the young cheetahfox. “Am I to assume that you kept my sister safe while she was on her… outing?”
Belle slipped up next to the cheetahfox. “He did, yes. Kenzie is my friend.” She took his paw and glared at her brother.
“I see,” the squirrel said. “Then allow me to extend my sincerest apologies for my harsh words earlier.”
The cheetahfox’s ears folded down. Belle watched as his siblings - she still couldn’t tell Lyssie and Lilly apart - approached her brother, under the watchful eyes of the guards.
“You should be compensated for keeping my sister safe,” Beau said. “Perhaps I could convince you to come to the palace, where we can reward you properly.”
The older cheetahfoxes behind him scoffed. “So you can throw us in the dungeons, more like,” said one. Perhaps Lilly?
The prince sighed and arose. “I am a fur of my word. I intend no such malice against you, and while our parents are away, I am the reigning royal in charge of our household. But I understand your concern.” He reached to the satchel at his side and held out a pouch to the younger cheetahfox. “Kenzie, was it? Take this, at the very least. It isn’t much, but I was not expecting to be doling out a reward for the return of my sister.”
Kenzie took the pouch and opened it. Several gold coins lay inside. “Th-thank you,” he said.
“And take this as well,” Beau said. He slipped a ring off his finger and held it out to the cheetahfox. “So long as you carry my ring, no harm will come to you or your companions. Take it as a sign of my friendship. Should you change your mind, present it to the palace guards. I will instruct them to bring you straight to me, unharmed.”
His elder siblings had slipped behind him by this point. They looked wary.
“If your parents are away, how do you know they’re worried?” the other asked. That was probably Lyssie.
The squirrel put his paws to his hips. “You needn’t concern yourselves with the how we nobles commune. I’m afraid I never caught your names, either,” the prince said.
“I don’t think I gave it,” the cheetahfox replied. “Nor do I care to.”
Beau nodded and straightened his collar. “I suppose I should have expected that.” He held his paw to his sister. “Please, sister… come with me.”
Reluctantly, she took her brother’s paw.
The prince squeezed her paw, and looked at the cheetahfoxes. “Our parents will be in the countryside a few more days before their return. Despite their worry, they must keep up appearances on their tour of the land. I would suggest that if you decide to come to the palace, you do so before their return. They may not be as… lenient… as I am.” He turned to the guards and began walking towards them. “These three are to go free,” he said.
Belle sullenly followed her brother. Though she couldn’t help but to look back at her newfound friends as she was led away. “Brother, wait.”
The squirrel paused. “What is it?”
The princess pulled her paw from her brother’s, then ran back to Kenzie. She took the amulet off and held it out to him. “This belongs to you.”
Kenzie shook his head. “Keep it. I can ask Tarri to make me another.”
She nodded, and gave him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, then ran back to her brother and took his paw. Together, the royals began walking back towards the castle, escorted by their guards.
“Your highness, are you certain it’s wise to let them go?” one of the soldiers asked.
“It is the duty of a prince to know when to be harsh, and when to show mercy,” Beau replied. “I have opted for mercy, and I expect my will to be carried out, faithfully.”
“If you say so,” the soldier said.
Beau rounded on the soldier. “Dare you question your master? Do you wish to earn the wages of insubordination?” he snapped.
“N-no, sir,” the soldier said. He stared at his footpaws.
“I thought not,” he replied.
Belle sighed. She glumly followed her brother through the streets, escorted by the troop of palace guards. Her brother held her paw firmly. Clearly he didn’t trust her.
Once they were passed the gates and back on the grounds, Beau turned on his sister. “And how did you escape, dear sister?”
She wanted to lie, to say anything else. But a power emanated from the squirrel. She could feel it in her bones. It compelled her to speak true.
“A broken side gate,” she muttered. “One of the gardeners told me about it…”
The prince nodded and turned to two of the guards. “See to it that this gate is repaired at once. And I want a guard stationed at it all times. The rest of you are dismissed.”
He took his sister’s paw once again and led her towards the living quarters. Her escape route was gone. She was truly a prisoner in the palace now.
Then her brother began speaking. His voice was very quiet, barely a whisper, but her sensitive ears could pick it up where no one else would. “There is a corner of the food stores, behind where Mother and Father keep the wine, where there is a loose stone,” Beau said. “That was always my route out. In case you ever need to get away again for a little while.”
Belle flicked her ears. He couldn’t be serious, could he?
“And where would I go then?” she asked, as quietly as she could.
“My favorite place is a spot in the woods just outside of the city. The passage under the stores takes you out under the walls. There is a large willow by the river. I keep supplies there. If you are ever missing, I will seek you there,” Beau said. “Let it not have to come to that.”
The princess nodded and hugged her brother’s leg. Perhaps he wasn’t the tyrant she thought him.
When they reached her room, he led her in and pulled the string to summon her servants. “We must get you dressed into proper clothes again,” Beau said. “If… if Mother and Father try to send you away… I… I will find your friends… and we will rescue you. What we do from there, I haven’t a clue, but we can figure that out.” He took a knee and hugged his sister. “Just, please… do not frighten me like this again. Can you promise me that?”
The fennec trembled. She hadn’t expected this level of care from her brother. She hugged him softly and nodded. “I promise, brother.”
“Good,” Beau said. He kissed her forehead as her handmaidens entered the chamber. “Have her bathed and dressed,” he said. “Comfortable, loose clothing,” he added.
Belle found herself whisked away. She was bathed, then dressed, this time in a lighter dress. At her insistence, she kept on the amulet that Kenzie gave her. Her handmaidens didn’t argue. She was thankful to her brother. Once her handmaidens had finished their tasks, she sent them away, and stood at her window, looking out on the city.
In the distance, she saw three white figures on a rooftop. She raised a paw and waved. They waved back. A grin spread across her muzzle. No, she would not be sent off to a convent. And she had allies - no, a family - to help keep her where she belonged.
