FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

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Chapter 3

Prince Aylmer rolled his shoulders, sighing as he examined his form in the polished silver mirror that hung from one wall of the palace bathhouse. Stroking a paw over a bit of brown fur that had laid wrong when he emerged from the warm water, he mentally reviewed the events of the past few days. His father seemed to be constantly in the throne room with his advisers, the door closed and guards posted outside. That never happened, so he could only assume that something important had taken place, and he wasn't in the know. It galled him that his father still didn't think him ready to handle important matters of state. He was almost twenty-five, for Fenris's sake. But no, the only thing he had been told was that there was a diplomat coming to Port Ceodre later in the week, and he was supposed to go and greet him. He snorted. He would comply, like a good little puppy. His father could still make his younger brother the crown prince if he so chose, so it wouldn't do to upset the old dog.

Messengers had already been sent off to the Mayor of the port, and Aylmer was sure that they were in an uproar over his coming. Trying to get out of being accompanied by just his guard proved futile, the Lord and Lady Sibbald were determined to do their duty of hissing suggestions in his ear for every word that was said. Sometimes his would come to bathe just to get away from them for awhile, but even then the Lord sometimes joined him and he'd be forced to listen to dry economic policies while he tried to take a relaxing soak.

Aylmer walked towards the door, grinding to a stop as he realized that he had been so caught up in his thoughts that he had neglected to put his clothes on. For a moment he considered just walking to his room without any, but he realized that if his sisters saw they would tease him endlessly. If any of the other ladies looked though...Aylmer brushed away the thought as he felt his sheath start to swell. He had to check in on how the preparations for the trip were coming along, and he didn't have time to rub one out. That would have to wait for tonight.

It was a sad thing, the wolf thought, when the prince of an entire country had to resort to his paw night after night. But it was a necessary evil, if he accidentally tied a bitch, she would become his mate. He couldn't risk knotting some random girl, that would spell disaster for his chances of becoming king. Pulling his pants on, he set out for his rooms.

"How close are you to finishing?" He asked, walking into his room. The canine that had been packing his clothes for the travel yipped slightly, turning to bow to the Prince, forehead touching the floor.

"I am nearly finished, Master."

"Good." Aylmer grabbed his sword from where it had been leaning against the wall and swung it over his back, belting the scabbard there shortly after. When he finished, he walked out the door, calling over his shoulder. "After you finish, you can take it out to the carriage." After he heard the reply of "Yes, Master!" he continued down the corridor.

He was about to walk around the next corner when he heard a regal voice barking out orders. Slowing down, he looked around the corner cautiously, wincing when his eyes confirmed that Lord Sibbald was personally overseeing the loading of his carriage. Gritting his teeth, he stepped around the corner and into the other wolf's field of vision. He was immediately recognized, and the wolf walked over to him.

"My Lord! The servants have almost finished loading the carriage. In a few minutes, we will be ready to leave at your pleasure."

The Prince stared the smaller wolf down. He was always amazed that this runt of a wolf could've produced his cousin. He still wasn't entirely convinced that the Lady Sibbald hadn't had a roll in the hay with one of her guards. Some of them were big enough to make it more plausible than this shrimp. "I will leave tomorrow."

The Lord smiled up at him patronizingly. "My Lord, it would be prudent to leave early to make sure that all the preparations are taken care of before the ambassador arrives."

Aylmer growled as he turned away from the shorter wolf and looked over what was packed on the carriage. He hated dealing with people like this, they were always trying to control him. It was tiring, trying to figure out what they really wanted. He sometimes wished he could be like a chieftain of old, without all this political maneuvering. Sighing, he supposed that even back then there would be people like the Lord and Lady of Sibbald. Tail stretching a little straighter in a dominant fashion, he turned to the brown-furred wolf. "I will leave when I wish, Lord Sibbald, and not a moment sooner."

The wolf opened his muzzle to object, but the Prince seized the front of his shirt and yanked him forward, gleaming white fangs inches from his nose. "Not another word about it, Lord Sibbald, understand?" Lord Sibbald whimpered and nodded. "Good, now leave." Aylmer said, releasing him. He chuckled as he watched the wolf scurry off, tail between his legs. He laughed mentally, all the runt needed was a little yelp to complete the picture. Turning around, he walked up behind a young wolf that was handing one of his packages up to the cat on top of the carriage.

"So, you are almost finished?"

The wolf yelped and dropped the package, causing it to fall to the ground and break open, clothes scattering in the dirt. "Master! I-I didn't notice you!" Looking at the ground, his ears fell to the sides as he noticed the clothes. "Sorry about the clothes, Master, I didn't meant to drop them." The scent of fear swelled around him. "Please don't punish me?"

Aylmer swallowed the anger he had been feeling ever since talking to the Lord Sibbald, realizing the scent was making the young wolf more nervous than he had cause to be. Reaching down, he rubbed between the young wolf's ears a bit, making him murr in pleasure. "It's alright, Becan. Emma probably packed twice the amount of clothes I need anyway, given how empty my closet was after lunch. Just take them down to the launderers when you can." He noticed that the cat that had been securing the luggage to the top of the carriage had climbed down. "So, you're finished with the packing?"

The cat nodded, "Yes Master."

He nodded in affirmation. "Go tell the captain that his men need to do more three-step drills. He'll know what I mean." Bells began to toll, and his ears swiveled to catch the sound better. Counting six bells, he turned away. If all went well he'd not have to worry about his nosy advisers following him around everywhere.

The Prince made a quick brush-over of his fur as he neared the dining hall. His mother hated when he would come in with it all out of place, and he had learned long ago that either he fixed it before he came, or he would have to stand the snickers of whichever of the courtiers had been invited as she fussed over him. He looked down at the polished marble floor as the insides of his ears blushed involuntarily. The last time he had forgotten to brush out his fur, his mother had put the entire banquet on hold while she fixed his fur in front of everyone, even giving him a lick on the muzzle for good measure. He hadn't been able to walk out of the palace without someone snickering for months. Satisfied that his fur was now acceptable, he pushed through the thick doors of the dining hall.

Stepping through, he froze and looked around. Besides for his family and the few slaves that would tend to them, nobody else was present. Aylmer couldn't remember the last time his family had eaten alone, without at least one extra person at the table. Stepping forward slowly, he allowed the doors to swing shut behind him with a heavy thud. He mentally checked off the people at the table. His Father was at the head, where he would one day sit, and his mother was seated to his left. To his right, the chair was empty, but that was good since it was his chair. The next chair was occupied by his younger brother, a medium sized wolf with brown fur. Across from him sat their sister, with chocolate-colored fur and a slender figure. Muriel's form attracted so many suitors that their father had to assign her a score of guards every time she left the walls of the palace otherwise she'd never get anywhere, what with all the swains bidding for her paw. Some didn't even realize she was the princess until the guards told them, but that only increased their amorousness towards her.

He realized that he had been standing there for quite some time, and he coughed gently before walking over to his chair and sitting down, feeling the cool, smooth wood underneath his arms. "So, what's the occasion? It's been awhile since it's just been us."

His father grunted and looked pointedly at the food, and the slaves jumped forward to begin serving them. His mother watched him for a moment, before sighing and turning her attention to him. "Your father wasn't going to tell you, but I felt it best for the sake of both parties that you knew. After all, it is a bit of a surprise."

Aylmer's eyes narrowed, his ears drifting back slightly with apprehension. "What are you talking about, Mother?"

She smiled sweetly. "Oh sweetie, your mate of course. The ambassador that you're meeting is bringing her along with him. I heard she's a nice girl, quiet, pleasing to look at, and a vir-"

"What?" Aylmer couldn't keep his temper in check. All the frustrations of the day came pouring out at the news. They had been telling him what to do his entire life, and now they were going to pick out his lifemate as well? "No! I don't want some foreign bitch that probably can barely speak properly! I'll take who I want, when I want."

"You'll do as your told, whelp." The rumble of his father's voice quieted him. Both of his siblings were staring, wide-eyed at their father, who had actually stood up from the table. The King's fur was fluffed, his teeth were bared, and he was the very image of a dominant wolf. He slowly pushed his chair out and walked around it until he was behind Prince Aylmer. The younger wolf could hear the grinding of his elder's teeth as the wolf paced back and forth behind him. "First of all, you do not talk back to my mate, Pup." He flinched at the insult, but bit back a retort. One of the reasons his father was king was because of his fighting power, and Aylmer knew that he hadn't matched that yet. "Secondly, you'll do as you're told and knot the girl like a good puppy. I'm not about to loose out on major mercantile concessions just because you want to find a non-existent lifemate. Love is for commoners, Pup, get that in your head. Now, you'll meet the ambassador at the port, thank him graciously for the papers he will hand you, and then you will meet your mate. You will bring her back here and we'll preform the ceremony, you'll knot her, and life will go back to normal. Understood?"

Aylmer's eyes burned with barely contained rage. "Yes Sir."

"Good." The King sat down. Aylmer turned to leave the room, but a harsh bark stopped him. "Sit down, Pup."

He slammed himself down into the chair and began shoveling food into his muzzle with a vengeance. There was no way he'd mate with some random bitch that he had just met. Not on his life.

The horses nickered softly into the pre-dawn air as they stood saddled, waiting to be off. Aylmer wished they'd be quiet. He may have to go meet with some ambassador who was probably a stuck-up conniving bastard, but at least he should be able to do it without those 'advisers' breathing down his neck all the time. When he had settled comfortably into his saddle, he nodded to his guard captain, who signaled the rest of the company to start moving. The sentinels at the small side gate they left from chuckled as he passed. It wasn't the first time that the Prince had ditched his entourage. The wolf shot them a glare. He was still furious from the dinner conversation last night. It had taken a long, hard training session to cool down enough even to go to bed.

Guilt nudged the back of his mind as the horses trotted down the path. Becan had worked hard to pack everything neatly, and now it would never be used. More than anyone else, Aylmer had a soft spot for the little wolf. He promised himself that he would spend a day with the pup to make it up to him. He just hoped he could calm down enough by then that he wouldn't be growling half the time.

"Sir? You're making the horses nervous."

He jerked slightly in his saddle. "What?"

The guard next to him looked away respectfully. "Your growling, sir. It's making the horses nervous."

He hadn't even noticed, but the mere thought of the news his parents had pulled on him was making him growl. Aylmer bit his tongue softly and silenced the noise. "What are the conditions of the road between here and the port?"

His captain, a wolf himself, looked back. "We haven't gotten much rain recently, so all the roads should be dry. They were all clear as well when the messenger came back from the port. I've taken the liberty of sending three scouts on ahead of us, with orders to stay within bugle range. They'll warn us of anything unusual."

Nodding, Aylmer settled in for a long ride. The Port was a day's ride away, not too much by any means, but still long enough that night will have fallen before they reached the gates. He wondered if Lord Cedric would let him stay at his home as long as the Lord and Lady Sibbald weren't with him. That wolf was a strange one. Most lords he could just show up and order a room and it would be provided, but with Cedric that wasn't the case. The one time he had tried that, the younger wolf had laughed at him and sent him away. He had learned since then that to get anything from that wolf he needed to request it, and even then there was a distinct possibility that the request would be denied. Aylmer thought it likely that his first request had been denied on the grounds that Cedric's parents had been there. They had scolded Cedric for refusing hospitality to his Prince, but had backed down when their son had snarled in their faces and called for his guards to escort them off his grounds. Aylmer grinned, they had stayed silent for a long time after that, which had given him plenty of time to himself.

Aylmer sighed as he remembered the nagging Sibbalds. Soon he wouldn't have just them nagging him, but a mate as well. He promised himself a compromise. The more she nagged him, the more he would put her mouth to other uses. He smiled, put that way, he didn't think he'd mind the nagging.

It was a couple hours later when he noticed his guard slowing down, ears flicking towards the shadows of the forest as they looked around. Aylmer slowed down as well and concentrated, but he couldn't hear anything. Turning to the guard next to him, the one that had asked him to stop growling, he whispered. "What's wrong? I can't hear anything..."

The mutt glanced over at him. "That's the problem, there's no sound, noth-" Like lightning, the dog swung his footpaws over his horse and planted them on the equine's side, leaning forward and launching himself towards Aylmer. With a thud, they collided, and as they fell off the horse, Aylmer watched an arrow sprout from the dog's shoulder. They both crashed to the ground as the rest of the guard shouted and swung into a circle around them. Two of the guards had pulled out bows and they sent an arrow each in the direction of the shot. There was a short gurgle, and a mouse fell from the trees, bow slipping from his paws as he fell. One of the guard, a ferret, dismounted and quickly ran over to where the mouse had fell, making sure that he was dead before slipping into the trees.

Aylmer wondered if that was wise, but his Captain of guard had already anticipated the question. "He'll be fine, My Lord, Thurgis is a master of stealth.

There was a rustle of cloth and another one of the guards, an otter, was kneeling next to him. "Are you hurt, M'Lord?"

He growled softly. "I'm fine, take care of the dog with the arrow in him before asking me anything else!"

The dog was rolled off of him, and Aylmer watched as his face contorted with pain. "Gods, that hurts." He hissed as the medic felt around his shoulder.

The otter pulled a flask from behind him and offered it to the dog. "Whiskey?"

He spat to the side away from the prince. "I can't do my job if I'm drunk off my paws, Rorc."

The otter put the flask away. "True, but you still earned it." Leaning in to look at the dog's shoulder, he stuck his tongue out in concentration. "Lesse here...aha, it's not as bad as I thought." Leaning over, he looked the dog in the eyes. "Hey Dylan, want to go out with me?"

The dog's ears went off to the side and his eyes widened. "Wha-Yipe!" He collapsed back to the ground, shuddering slightly in pain.

Rorc eyed the arrow in his paw. "Well, that wasn't too hard, was it?" Helping Dylan to sit up, he began to wrap the dog's shoulder.

"You're a jerk."

The otter grinned before mounting his horse again. "Only when I need to be."

Aylmer realized that Thurgis had already returned and the captain looked like he was ready to move on. Hopping on his own horse, he waited until Dylan was settled into his saddle, then nodded to the Captain, who started them moving again.

The rest of the journey went off without a hitch, and aside from spooking a herd of deer as they neared the port, they saw no living creature aside from birds and squirrels. As they rode up to the gate of the port, Aylmer had half a mind to just turn around and ride out to Lord Cedric's house and visit with him, but he knew that the Queen would kill him if he was anything less than gracious to the foreign dignitaries. In the interest of keeping his skin whole, he decided to stop first at the Mayor's manor to make sure that rooms were prepared for them. Afterward he could walk around the shops on the sea side of the port, there were always exotic things to be had in the open markets.

He took a sniff of the salty air. It had been ages since he had smelled the sea, the last time also being the time when Lord Cedric refused to let him into his house. He was hoping to actually sit and talk to him this time around, and if his advisers showed up, he was prepared to order his guard to occupy them while he went and did just that.

Movement caught the corner of his eye, and Aylmer chuckled when he noticed the german shepherd guard at the gate standing ramrod straight, face pale as he realized who was riding past him. Turning his head forward, Aylmer ignored the dog. It didn't take long for them to ride through the port and arrive at the Mayor's manor. Perched on top of a hill at the northern edge of the city, it gazed over it like a watchful eye.

The man who lived in it had a similar nature. Before he was appointed Mayor of Ceodre, he had hung around the palace court as much as was allowed, always possessing those calculating eyes. The Prince had a feeling that if he didn't pay attention the stag would milk him for all he had. Riding up to the gate, he nodded to the guard there. Apparently he was expected, as the guard simply saluted him and let him pass on through.

Aylmer sighed in relief as his feet touched the even cobblestones of the manor courtyard. It felt wonderful to stand on his own paws again after an entire day in the saddle. Handing the reins to a nearby slave, he let the pup take his horse into the stables. One of his guards followed him in to make sure that everything was done right. He wouldn't stand for a shoddy job when it came to his horses. Crossing the courtyard, he mounted the steps to the large front doors of the mansion. Grabbing the knocker, he banged it twice. Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed that his guard had walked up behind him, minus the one in the stable. He grunted, "You can leave now, your assignment is complete."

Dylan, who was cradling his arm, looked at his captain before speaking. "Sir, you were nearly killed on the way here. We will stay at your side to make sure that a second attempt does not succeed where the first failed."

Aylmer shrugged as the door opened. "If you insist."

"How may I assist you, sirs?"

The wolf turned back towards the door. Lowering his gaze, he eyed the young pup that had answered the door. "We wish to speak to the master of the house."

The dog pulled the door open the rest of the way and bowed, "Right this way, sir." He walked in and was guided up the marble staircase that dominated the entrance hall. Taking a few more turns, they stopped before a dark wood door. The pup turned to him. "Who shall I announce?"

Aylmer cleared his throat softly. "Prince Aylmer."

The dog's ears flicked back and his tail tucked between his legs. "Sorry, your highness, I was rude."

"You are forgiven." The wolf answered, "Now, will you show us in?"

The dog started, "Yes, yes, of course." Pushing the door open, he entered a few feet. "The Prince is here to see you, Master."

The middle-aged stag seated behind a large cherry desk looked up, surprise coloring his features. "My Lord! If I had know you were coming so early I would've come to the gates to greet you and show you around our magnificent markets!" Pushing back his chair, he stood up and walked around to the front of the desk, bowing deeply to the Prince. Turning his attention to the dog, his face became stern. "Go fetch the Prince some refreshments, and make sure that none of them are burned!"

The dog's ears flattened and his tail shot between his legs. "Yes, Master." Turning, he scurried out the door, tail still tucked.

The stag turned back to Prince Aylmer. "I hope he showed you the proper respect when showing you in? I have found him...lacking...in such matters."

"He did well." Aylmer stated, taking a seat in the stag's now-vacant chair. "I trust that rooms have been prepared for the...ambassadors?" He had to spit the word out, now that he knew what their real purpose was. He really needed to go to the training yard and beat someone up...

"Of course, My Lord. We have readied two of our best rooms for them." He hurriedly amended his statement. "But of course your Highness receives the best accommodations." Trying to draw attention away from his perceived error, he ventured a question. "Did My Lord find his trip here relaxing?"

Aylmer stood up suddenly his voice carrying an undertone of anger as he made his way to the door. "Yes, very, aside from one of my guard taking an arrow that was meant for me. You do have a qualified healer as part of your staff?"

The stag started, "My Lord! You were attacked?"

"The question, Mayor! The question!"

"Y-Yes, of course." The stag stuttered, pulling a rope behind his desk. "I'll send for her immediately."

Aylmer nodded and walked out the door. His guard was standing outside, and Dylan was blushing profusely. "Sir." He said in a low voice. "You don't need to get someone for me. I'm fine." He whimpered as Aylmer turned on him, pushing against his nose with a single finger. He stared cross-eyed at it, not daring to move.

"You will accept the ministrations of the healer, and you will stay here and rest." Aylmer said commandingly. And that's an order."

Dylan's ears went back and he whined pleadingly, but at a glare from Aylmer, he reluctantly consented. "Yes, Sir."

"Good." He turned to the rest of the guard. "I am going to look at the markets, but I leave it up to you whether or not to follow me."

Barely had the words left his muzzle before the Captain answered him. "We'll be at your side, Sir." Aylmer nodded to him and walked back towards the courtyard.

A small boat bobbed alone on the waves, a single figure at the oars. The girl, dress soaked with seawater, struggled to pull the oars, her slim arms failing her after hours of continuous movement. Pulling them in, she rested her head in her hands perspiration dripping down her tan skin. A lock of curly brown hair fell from its place in her ponytail to swing free in front of her face. After she caught her breath, she laughed bitterly. "I need to get out and see the world, right Dad? Well, a whole lot of the world I'm gonna see!" She fell silent for a little while longer before chuckling dryly. "Yelling at the waves now, am I? I'm sure that's a sign of insanity, probably from the sun. But, honestly, I must have the worst luck of any first-time traveler." Pulling out the oars again, she began to row, slowly, painfully. "Pirates." She muttered. "They can all burn for a thousand years for all I care." Staring out at the horizon, the motions became automatic, as well as her hissing from the burning in her arms.

She was in such a daze that she actually fell of her seat backwards when the nose of her little rowboat ground into sand. Picking herself out of the water the sloshed around in the bottom of the boat, she looked around. At first glance, the coastline she had beached her boat on looked uninhabited, but as she studied her surroundings, she noticed smoke to the north of her. Stepping out of the boat, she gazed down at her green dress, the wet fabric clinging to her legs, outlining her slim frame. She chuckled. "Well, that's another one gone. Mother would yell, but I think this one is more justified than the last." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Although playing ball in the mud was enough fun to justify that one as well."

She ran her hand over the outside of her dress, checking to see if the dagger she had concealed there was still where it should be. Satisfied that she wasn't entirely unprotected, she began to pick her way through the tide debris up the beach. Perhaps she could find someone who could tell her where she was.

The Dawning Time approached the shore, much to the delight of its occupant. Princess Mara paced the deck of the vessel, her long tail lashing behind her. Eagerly, she scanned the coastline, searching for the port city they were scheduled to land at later that day. She had been told that the prince had no clue that his mate was supposed to arrive on this ship, and she couldn't wait to see the look on his face. She wished that she had thought to bring an artist to capture the moment on canvas forever, but that wasn't an option anymore. She would just have to settle with the memory. She felt a slight twinge of anger that her mate had to be a dog, but the advantages of the union were too great to ignore. With this mateship her people would hold immunity to the raiding ships of the Wolves, and that was enough reason in itself. The fact that they would now have a say in the canine's politics was an added bonus. Feeling someone's gaze on her, she turned around, glaring at the leopard that had come up behind her. "What do you want, Haveral?"

The leopard shrugged. "I just came to get some fresh air, Princess."

She waved him away. "Go get your own, you're clogging mine. How are the preparations coming?"

Haveral bowed and began to walk away. "Aside from a few hitches earlier in our voyage, everything is going well."

Mara turned back to the coast, something akin to possessiveness in her eyes. "Good."