Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Leonhart looked out his bedroom window, yet saw nothing. He was too lost in his own mind, reeling in the news. Leonhart knew one day this would come. He was king; this was expected of him. The rest of the castle, perhaps even the whole kingdom, knew at this point, everyone suddenly delighted. More smiles on servants’ faces, congratulations and well wishes followed the king with every step. Leonhart couldn’t feel that joy everyone burst with, although fear or anxiousness also didn’t quite fit his mood either. At best, he supposed knowing your whole world had changed in a few short hours made it hard to accept. He let out a small huff. There were far more important things to concern himself with, rather than his own strange moods.

“Leo?”

He glanced up to see Sariphi slowly toddling over to him, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Their few years together changed her subtly, an inch or so in height, hair now reaching her shoulders.  Yet she was still much like the maiden who once sat before him as a sacrifice, bold and strong in her own right. He quickly scooped up his wife. “What are you doing up? You need rest.”

The queen slowly nuzzled against his fluffy chest. “I should say the same thing to you. Everyone knows how grumpy you get. And you know it’s too cold without you in bed.”

“Very well,” he replied and carried her over to the bed. He settled in the bed, letting her lie on his chest. He squeezed her close.

“Am I holding you too tight?”

“No, you are good,” Sariphi murmured, enjoying her new pillow.

The two laid there in a comfortable silence but then Sariphi spoke up.

“You know, Leonhart, it’s okay if you are not happy about the baby.”

The king stiffened around his queen. “You know?”

Sariphi shrugged. “You’ve been really tense all day. Plus, you did say that you did not know if you could love the children. With a father like that, I can see why you’d be scared to have children…if you ended up being like him.”

He curled around her now, knees close up, tail wrapped around his legs, just grazing her cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine and if I’m honest…I’m not sure how to feel about the baby either…”

Leonhart pulled backed his head and blinked. “What?”

“Well, the head priest told me I’m pregnant and I believe him. But I don’t feel pregnant…I feel just rather sleepy or hungry. It’s hard to imagine that there’s actually a child in here,” she stated as she pressed a hand to her stomach. “I was raised to be a sacrifice, not a wife and certainly not a mother. I never imagined a life outside that. Even if someone offered books on housekeeping or child rearing, I wouldn’t have read them. What was the point?” Sariphi offered a little shrug.

She took in a long breath. “And while my pare…those people who raised me were never outwardly cruel and never neglected me when it came to food or clothes, there was always a distance between me and them. Looking back, even before I knew of my fate, I knew my parents loved my sister more than me. They gave her warm eyes and smiles, compliments with every achievement, and hugs so tight as if they couldn’t get close enough to her. While they never spoke of my status after that night; their eyes always kept that coldness, reminding me that I was not their child. Just something to put up with, like…garbage until someone else can take it away.” Sariphi wrapped an arm around her husband’s neck, squeezing herself closer. “I suppose I could try to the same parent they were to Maria, yet I don’t feel like I could. I never felt that warmth, so I’m not sure how to give it.”

Leonhart stared in awe at his wife. In a few encounters with humans, they often described her as “an old soul”. She had gone through so much in her relatively short life, yet she possessed foresight and wisdom that even centuries-old beasts couldn’t fathom. He certainly couldn’t. Yet he adored her for that. Though he filed his claws shorter for ease and to be closer to his loved one, he still didn’t want to risk hurting her, so he slowly lifted her chin with a single claw.  “You speak for both of us, my dear. I’m sorry I can’t give you joy for this child. At least now. But I swear you’ll certainly want for nothing now. I’ll do everything in my power so your aches and pains will be as few as I can make them. I just wish for you to be healthy.” He looked down at her stomach. “And for this child to be as well.”

Small sniffs brought his attention back to Sariphi, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m sorry.” She swiped away the intruding tears. “I guess I have to be pregnant to get this emotional so quickly.”

Leonhart quickly sat up and set his wife right in the diamond gap of his legs. He took his wife’s hands away from her face, holding them tenderly. “Tell me what you’re thinking, what you’re feeling. As you’ve said to me far more often than I’d like to admit, I can’t help or comfort if you keep it to yourself.”

Sariphi’s mouth, once a small circle, stretched into a smile, from cheek to cheek. “Don’t worry yourself. I just…wished that this…our child will have your kind heart.”

Leonhart smiled himself. “I see…I am hoping that our child will have your boldness. They will certainly face more dukes and kings than you did.”

A newfound warmth grew inside the royal couple, like a small candle now lit, a mixture of love and hope slowly growing.  It did not dispel all of the darkness they found inside their hearts, but did push it aside.  They smiled at each other, tenderly, silently, enjoying this newfound feeling.

Sariphi climbed onto her husband, laying herself against his chest. He quickly hugged her so she felt secure.  She traced his horns and asked, “I’ve been meaning to ask…When did your horns start to curl?”

“What?” Leonhart asked, tilting his head so his horns were closer to her.

“In thousands of years, none of your ancestors ever bothered to have a single picture of a baby or even young prince in the castle. Yet each one has a different set of horns, curling out or in, up or down.  It’s hard to imagine such large, fierce-looking men started out as babies with just little nubs of horns on their heads,” the queen said, her arms now a cradle to demonstrate her point.

The king blinked down at her arms. It suddenly struck him how small she was. Not because he was delusional about her size. In fact, he enjoyed having someone so dear be so easy to place on his shoulder, sit right in his hand, fit so well right now, lying on his chest. And now there would be a smaller version of her in their lives…

“Leo?”

He now snapped out of his thoughts. “Ah right, my horns. I’d say I was a teenager…around my sixties. In my forties, they started to grow but they didn’t curl right away. For some time, I feared my human blood slowed their growth and I would be exposed. However, Sirius explained to me that gaps between growing and curling were common enough in my family. I supposed the lack of portraits caused me distress as well.”

“Is that when you grew your fangs as well? I’ve noticed not every king has them.”

“Indeed. Though the first king’s portrait was lost centuries ago, his statue does bear them. It’s said those who bore his fangs were blessed to be great rulers. The last one before me was my grandfather.”

“Your grandfather…oh, I remember him. He’s the one that really wanted more land for Beasts so he tried to conquer parts of the human realm. He certainly looks like a strong leader in his portrait with his horns curled outward. Looks like he’s always ready for a battle.”

“Indeed, he was heralded for putting Beasts first. He called upon various tribes and countries that Ozamargo conflicted with, in order to get troops to fight for his cause. In a way, he helped unite Beasts for a common goal…” The king scratched at one of his fangs.

“Did they hurt growing in?”

“A bit.” The king looked up, pulling the memories back to him. “At first my upper jaw ached when I opened my mouth too wide. I couldn’t think of anything I had done differently, so I wasn’t sure the priest could figure out why it was happening. However, one morning, Sirius took one look at me and dropped his papers. He was so stunned; I couldn’t get a word out of him. Fortunately, Jor appeared and exclaimed that I had fangs.” He smiled at the memory. “I remember feeling such great joy, knowing I had the first king’s fangs, hoping the fangs were proof that my…the previous king was wrong about me being cursed and bringing the kingdom to—”

Sariphi’s tiny hands squishing on either side of his muzzle stopped his words. “What have I told you about mentioning that man?”

“Don’t?”

“Good.” She gave him a nod. “That man did only one good thing in all his life as far as I’m concerned, so let’s just give him credit for that and never speak of him anymore.” She laid herself down, using her husband’s arm as a pillow.

The king hesitated, but still asked, “What did he do?”

Sariphi turned slightly, hand now gently caressing his face. “I’m looking at him. You’re the best thing that’s happened to this kingdom in a long time. And you’re the best thing that happened to me.”

Beasts would have to squint to see the red now on the king’s face. He settled his muzzle close to her cheek. “Bold woman,” he said with a smile.

A large gurgle broke the moment. Leonhart eased away, now seeing the bright red his wife’s face had become. “Sariphi, why didn’t you tell me you were hungry?”

Sariphi shrugged, placing a hand on her stomach. “I didn’t really notice until now. Looks like our child doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

“What would you like?”

“Well…let me think…”

***

The king blinked as the queen sopped up the last of the red sauce on the plate with the last bite of her third roll. Small piles of food, now crumbs, and a few drops of juice clung onto the pitcher and cup. With one last bite, the queen sighed, holding onto her stomach again. The king commented, “I wonder how come we didn’t notice your pregnancy earlier.”

“I always heard of women throwing up in early pregnancy. When I started eating more, I put it down to stress eating, coping as I’m trying to get various clans to get along. If Amit hadn’t been so worried and took me to the priest to be sure I was alright, I don’t think I would have noticed for a while.”

Leonhart stared down at his wife’s stomach. “Indeed. I’ll have to thank her properly for that.”

Sariphi followed her husband’s gaze and grabbed one of his paws, gently placing it on her stomach. He paused for a moment, looking at her hand on top of his, but then spread his fingers wide.

“You know, they say children can hear things from inside their mother’s womb.”

The beast’s ears pricked. “They can?”

“Well, I’ve read it about a few times in passing. Plus, babies are born with ears so it makes sense they can hear some things.” She started playing with one of his ears. “Especially since they’ll have your ears, at least sometimes.”

Sariphi took in a deep breath, closing her eyes. “Hello there, Little One, I’m your mother. The warmth you are feeling is your father. I’m going to take care of you so I hope you grow up healthy and strong for when we meet, okay?”

The king felt nothing underneath his paw. With his other, he pulled in his wife closer. “I’m sure our child understands. Now I think you both need to rest.”

Sariphi yawned. “You’re right. Goodnight, Leo. I love you.”

“I love you too, Sariphi.” He pressed a small kiss to her cheek.

“And…. good night, Little One,” she said, hugging her stomach.

Leonhart slowly reclaimed his paws and slid down until his nose was just before his wife’s non-existent stomach. “Child. I am your father.” He pondered what to say next. He glanced up at Sariphi. She gave him a sleepy smile and a nod. “I do hope you grow up healthy and strong, but do go easy on your mother. She means the world to me. As do you. We…I do look forward to meeting you.”

With that, the king and queen settled down and rested for the night. They both dreamt of a small boy with his mother’s white hair and his father’s red eyes. Sariphi dreamt of a small beast cub climbing onto Leonhart’s shoulder, his arms and smile spread wide as they rode with him on Gwibber’s back. Leonhart dreamt of a human child with little black horns poking out of his hair, hands holding up a book for Sariphi to read. He would climb and snuggle into the crook of her arm, fitting perfectly as she told him a story. Both parents looked forward to those days, now hopeful and filled with love.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Leonhart stared down at his wife-to-be as she sleepily rose from the bed. He saw this every morning, but it was still surprising, nonetheless. This morning certainly was one of the more alarming times. 

Sariphi rubbed her eyes as she looked up at the king. “Good morning, Leo,” she yawned.

“Good morning,” he said flatly.

As she stretched, Sariphi caught him staring at her. “What is it?” 

“Your mane is messy again.”

Sariphi blinked, glancing at the two curls near her face. She walked over to the window, placing her hands on her blushing face at her reflection. All of the white hair was sticking out, in some kind of wave or curl. Some hairs on the top of her head even stood up, like soldiers at attention. 

She sighed, hands covering her face, “I keep forgetting this happens.”

“Well, you do tend to move around in your sleep.”

“It’s still a bit embarrassing,” Sariphi stated as she patted and settled all the hairs back into place. By the time she got her white hair back to its usual short cut, the king was dressed and ready for breakfast. “I’m sorry it takes me so long to get ready.”

“Do humans usually have such trouble with their hair?” Leonhart asked, glancing away as Sariphi stripped away her pajamas.

When she poked her head out of her dress, the maiden replied, “Well, humans have different kinds of hair, along with different amounts. I’ve got thick hair and a lot of it so it tends to get messy. I used to have a hairbrush that helps keep the hair down, but I’m not sure if Ozmargo would have one for me.”

“A hairbrush? Like the ones used for horses?”

“Hmm…I’m not sure…Back in Yoana, humans around me used hairbrushes with handles or large combs. I don’t think I’ve ever seen  a human hairbrush with a strap … Sariphi tilted her head, “What do brushes for Beasts look like?”

“We typically use our claws to help straighten and untangle but it is not often necessary. Brushing is seen as something that humans do to their pets. Thus, a demeaning act for beasts.”

“Really? So you brush horses, but not yourselves?”

“Indeed.”

“Well then, I know where I can at least get a hairbrush.” Sariphi stepped out of the room. 

Leonhart blinked at the door. “What?”

That evening, the king walked into his room to find Sariphi, her hand encased in a brush as she stroked her white locks. The other held a small mirror out in front of her. She glanced over her shoulder, smiling. “Welcome back, Leonhart.”

“What are you doing?”

“Brushing my hair,” Sariphi replied. “Feels just like hairbrushes back in Yoana. Actually, I think these go through better since the horses here have so much hair.” She slipped the brush down, twisting her head while looking at the mirror. “That’s better.”

“Where did you get that?” He pointed to the brush. 

“Well, you said horses get brushed, so I went down to the stables and asked if they had spares. They were happy to give me one of the smaller ones.”

The king stared for a bit. While there was still animosity and nervousness among the servants around the new human queen, after the speech with Duke Galos, most had slowly warmed up to her. They gave her small bows and more respect. Some even looked at the future queen with admiration. It warmed his heart, knowing that slowly but surely, Sariphi would be accepted by his people. It was only a matter of getting to know her. 

“What’s wrong?” Sariphi asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

“Just thinking, nothing more.” 

Sariphi glanced at the brush around her hand. “Do you want to try brushing your fur? I can do it for you.”

The king recoiled. “What? Of course not.”

The maiden tipped her head up. “Are you sure? It might help make your fur glossier and fluffier.”

“I don’t care for such things.”

“True, I don’t recall seeing you groom yourself…” She looked up at him with wide, sparkling eyes. “Are you sure? I can do it for you, Leo?”  

Now the king was struck with a dilemma. He found one side of his mind ingrained by him by decades of lessons and traditions bellowed, “We are not some pet! We are a Beast! The King of Beasts-we shall not be demeaned by such silly human acts!”

However, a much younger side, fueled by the love for his bride, roared back, “Sariphi is our bride! She hardly asks for anything from us-not even time! We must honor her request!”

“Bowing down to such things! Where is your self respect!?” 

“Were we not taught that the Queen must be treated with the utmost respect?”

The two sides  growled before lunging at one another. The king allowed the opponents to wrestle before deciding a champion. Eventually, the younger side stood confident over the older one on some ground, grumbling.  He sat down next to her, arms crossed. “Well, just for this night, I’ll try it.”

Sariphi brightened. “Thank you!” But then halted. “It’s rather unclean to share a brush. Let me go out and grab another.”

However, before she could rise, he pulled her closer to his side. “I’m still not convinced about this brushing habit. Just this once shouldn’t hurt.”

Sariphi smiled. “I suppose so. Let me just pick out my hair from it.”

He watched her pick and pull out the strands from the brush. She twisted it around, inspecting it for any more of her hairs. “That should do it.”

Saiphi crawled around the king, standing up right behind him. He could feel her body press against his back. “I’ll just do your mane for today, so you can get used to it,” Sariphi said as she placed the brush against the black fur. Yet at the smallest stroke, the brush stuck itself into the mane. The maiden pulled lightly, tugging at the king, causing him to growl. 

“Ow! Ow! Ow!”

“Sorry, looks like I hit a tangle. I’ll try to get it out.” 

She wove her fingers through his mane, wiggling here and there. After a few pokes here and there, Sariphi took the brush from the mane. She took one look at it and sighed.  

The king roared in her face, sending her hair flying, “That hurt!”

Sariphi pouted, “I’m sorry. But look!” She offered the brush for him to see, gesturing at the tangles of black locks now clinging to the brush’s bristles. “Looks like you don’t take care of your fur.”

“I will now.” He huffed back and sighed. “That’s enough brushing for one lifetime.” The king rose, but a small tug on his sleeve halted him. He looked down at Sariphi, almost pouting at him.  

“Absolutely not, Your  Majesty! You’ve got too many tangles that I have to get out. As your future wife, I can’t let you leave knowing you are walking around like this. It’d be like letting you walk around in a filthy coat.”

“It’s fine. No one else knows.”

“I’ll know.” She then sighed, wrapping herself around his arm. “I do want to take care of you. I promise I’ll go as gently as I can. Let me try again, please?”

“Fine,” the king huffed, sitting down with his arms crossed.

“Thank you,” Sariphi said and started with a long, slow stroke. There was less resistance, fewer growls as the future queen brushed. The king focused on the feeling of his wife stroking his fur, the gentle warmth of her fingers as she coaxed tangles to loosen. “Are you enjoying this, Leonhart?”

He grunted, “Yes.”

“Good.” Sariphi smiled. She set the brush down and caressed his black locks. “Looks like I got all the tangles out. Doesn’t that feel better?”

The king twisted his head. “Indeed,” he said, slowly surprised. “I guess all that dead fur was heavier than I thought.”

Sariphi apologized, “Sorry your first brushing was so rough. I guess you won’t be wanting it again.”

Leo glanced at his bride, arms a bit tighter now. “Well, it was folly on my part for not having tried it sooner.  It was rather enjoyable towards the end so perhaps we can do it again sometime.”

Sariphi’s smile brightened. “Thank you, your majesty! Would you let me brush your fur in other places too?”

Leonhart’s eyes slid to his tail, hanging on the bed. “You might need a bigger brush.”

“Indeed,” Sariphi agreed. 

However, the king noticed that her blue eyes were on his chest rather than his tail. He gripped the edges of his coat, shielding himself. “I’ll take care of that part myself.”

“If you wish.” Sariphi shrugged. “Maybe I can brush your human hair too!”

The king groaned, “I can’t imagine how bad that will be…”

Sariphi placed her head on his shoulder. “Well, I’m here now. I’ll definitely take care of you from now on.”

Leonhart smiled, setting his head on hers. “I know you will.  Thank you…dear.”

Over the next few days, many would comment on the new glossiness and fluffiness of his fur. Whenever asked, he would simply reply, “Just something Sariphi does for us.” He wouldn’t speak any more of it, partly because he knew it was enough scandal to have a human wife. If they found out, the council would see it as Sariphi corrupting him; Anubis would pull out his fur. To think the king would indulge himself in such a human habit! But mainly, he just liked having something private yet simple to share with his dear one.

Chapter Text

Words

It is a truth universally acknowledged that if a man desires a woman, he’ll find some way to spend time with her.

Jormungand sighed at the pile of paperwork in front of him. Compared to the mountains he saw towering over the chancellor’s and the king’s desks, this was a molehill. Yet as he stared at all the squiggles, a sense of discomfort made him shiver. 

He had an assistant who usually took care of this work. However, an accident left him with a broken arm and leg. He would be fine, but for at least a few weeks, he couldn’t work. Thus, leaving Jormungand alone with the papers.

“Abi will probably grumble, but will take this paperwork. Still…” the captain lamented, resting his head in his hands.

There was a soft knock at the door. “Captain Jormungand? Sir?”

He looked toward the sound of Princess Amit’s voice. “Ah, come in, my lady.”

The princess stepped in, slightly shaking with each step, carrying a tray covered in a small teapot, a cup, and a plate of cookies, all  jumping with each movement.

“Are you alright, my lady? You seem nervous.” 

“No…no, I guess. I’m just tired, my lord,” the princess said, slowly setting the tray down. “I…I thought that with all the extra work that has come regarding new treaties with the human countries, I’d offer some help and offer snacks around.”

Jormungand felt a small smile creep up on his face. “Very few could match the princess in kindness,” he thought. “Thank you.”

Her hands snapped back in front of her. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No…” he started but then glanced at the paperwork. It would only be this one time, at least until he could find other solutions. Maybe find someone else who could help him later on. “Well, if you would—”

“I’ll do it!” the princess declared, hands clasped in front of her chest, like she was pleading. 

“Yes?” The soldier blinked. 

“Whatever it is you need, I’ll do it.”

Stunned, the captain cleared his throat and said, “I…need you to read some papers out to me.”

The princess looked at the papers and then jumped a bit, hand on her snout. “Oh of course. I supposed you’re tired from all your usual duties. I’ll happily read to you.”

“Thank you…I apologize for any confusion you may face while reading.” He motioned to the chairs, mainly reserved for scolding soldiers or comforting families. “Please take a seat.”

“Thank you, my lord.” She sat down. “These documents are for you, are they not? So as long as you understand them, that’s all that matters, right?” 

“That is true...” the soldier admitted with a nod. 

“Let me see…” The princess picked up the papers. “The swords currently in the armory…” 

The two continued like this for a while, taking a break for the occasional snack or drink. The time eased away gently, and even warmed the tension between the two reptiles. Jormungand watched as the princess’s shoulders relaxed, her grip on the papers easing as time went on. 

“...Thus we need to seek out available smiths and leather workers in order to repair most of our stock in the armory,” Amit finished, shifting the papers from her face and taking a breath. 

“Thank you, my lady.” 

The princess nodded, handing him the papers. “There’s no need for that, my lord. Anything I can do to help you, I would be eager to do it.”

As the captain took the papers, he blinked. “Truly?” 

“Of course.”

The captain pondered for a moment. “Well… would you be so kind as to write my responses for me?” 

“Write for…ah your hand must be rather sore as well.” She took a sheet of paper and a quill that sat before him, untouched. “Shall we begin?”

Now the guilt clenched around his heart. He knew that she admired him in some way. Pretty much every reptile he met gazed at him so warmly. After all, he was the first reptile to join the royal army, the first to become captain of the royal guard. Why else would she keep a scarf from a common soldier and return it decades later?  She meant so well, truly wanting to help him for pure kindness’s sake, and here he was deceiving her. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Of course. Sometimes I take dictation for my queen, so I know what to do. And I did say I’d do anything to help you.”

Jormungand sighed, hands gripping on the table. “My lady, I have something to confess.”

Amit’s eyes grew wide. “Yes?” she asked softly.  

“Well,” the captain sighed. “You see…I don’t know how to read or write very well…” 

“Oh.”

A silence closed in, suffocating the captain. His mind pulled up the jeers and snarls of yesteryears, from his early days of being the only reptile in a platoon of mammals. With the shake of his head, he shoved them away. 

“It’s well known that I hail from a common family and in the days of the old king, education wasn’t widespread throughout the classes. When I was a teen, I’d already dedicated my life to the sword so I didn’t bother with formal education much then.”

The princess tilted her head. “Did you have some education at least?”

“As I progressed through the ranks, Abi—I mean, Anubis, would give me a few lessons. But things were rocky in those days; the shifting of power from the council to the king, it made him too busy. I do know some words, but it was easier to hire someone to do the paperwork so I can focus on traveling and battling dissenters. Unfortunately, the man I hired is currently injured, so I’m in a bit of trouble. If you could continue assisting me, I would be most grateful.”

The soldier watched as the princess’s face slowly reddened, snout to eyes like a piece of fabric soaking up ink from its corner.

“My lady?”

The princess started to speak, her body wobbling in her seat, “I…I would be more than h…happy to help you…and if I could be so bold…I…I could give you some lessons. Her Majesty spends more time in m…meetings now so she doesn’t need me to tend to her as much. I…I have plenty of time.”

“Are you sure?” the soldier asked. 

The color faded just a bit as Amit took in a few deep breaths and continued, “Pardon me, you still need assistance either way. Whenever you get a break from work, I can give you some lessons. When shall I see you again?”

“Well, I don’t have any expeditions planned in the future, so…around five o’clock in the evening tomorrow, when I break the men from training. We can get to any paperwork first and then go from there. If I can keep imposing on your kindness, I would like to start tomorrow.”

“Won…wonderful,” she said in what Jormungand swore was a sigh. But then feverishly waving her hands: “And please, sir. You are not imposing at all. I’m more than happy to do it!”

He watched as a small puff of steam came out of her head. “Are you sure you’re fine with this?”

Amit quickly shook herself, dispersing the billows. “Yes, absolutely.” She quickly picked up the pen. “Now let’s get those responses down, shall we?”

He smiled at her. “Thank you again my lady.”

More steam rose from the maiden’s head as she wrote down the captain’s words.

Later on, Jormungand watched as Amit stiffly walked out of his office and then heard her steps race away. “I hope I haven’t stressed her out with this.” He sighed.How could he overcome this? “Okay, let’s think of this as a mission. I don’t often fail missions. I won’t fail this one. I’ll need to truly focus this time. Otherwise…”

His mind conjured up images of the past, mammals towering over him as they pointed and sneered. Those images didn’t hurt as much as a new, potential one. One of Amit, disdainful, glaring, and turning her back on him. That hurt so much worse. He didn’t know why, but he would do everything he could to prevent it. 

The Captain of Ozmargo’s Royal Guard sat up straight, ready for conflict,tea and some snacks at his side. He was ready for anything. 

He did not flinch when there was a knock on the door or Amit’s calling out, “Pardon me, I’m here my lord.”

“Yes, come on in.”

Amit came in, a bag over her arm. “I hope I haven’t kept you…” She took one look at the man at the desk and then slowly stepped back. She quickly said, “I’m sorry. I see you’re busy. I’ll come back later.” With a bowed head, she left the office, shutting the door behind her. 

Jormungand bolted out of the office after her. He found her a few paces away, head down. He quickly reached out to her while closing the distance. “Wait! Miss Amit! I’m free!”

Amit twisted back, hands clenched. “Are you sure? It looked like you were about to enter hostile negotiations rather than a reading lesson.”

The captain replied, “I just wanted to be prepared. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Amit glanced around the hallways, seeing no one else in sight. “I think we should take this in your office.”

“Yes.”

They both sat at the desk in silence, steam wafting from cups.

Amit clenched her hands on the table, looking at them. “If you don’t want lessons, it’s fine. You don’t have to force yourself to learn. If you just want me to be your secretary and go on as you have done before, that’s fine. I apologize for pressing this on you.”

Jormungand sighed, holding the back of his neck. “No no. I’m grateful for your offer. I should have learned earlier, not to mention I should do my own work. No need to rely on others all the time.”

Amit took in a deep breath and then faced the captain. “Lord Anubis is often…vocal about his opinions. I suspect if he didn’t want to deal with your work, he would have thrown his paws in the air and not touched your work at all. Plus, it’s not anyone’s fault that your assistant is gone. I heard he was a pretty good soldier when on the battlefield as well. I’m sure he was happy to help you. As…as am I.”

He now looked at her. If he had to describe the princess to anyone, it would be surprising. When she first arrived at the castle, she seemed so timid and nervous. Yet time and time again, she showed boldness, such as declaring she would be strong, presenting him again with her charm. Once again, he was taken aback by this lady. 

Amit set her hands on the table. “Can you tell me why you want to learn to read? I’m not saying there’s no wrong reason to learn something, but forcing yourself to learn something isn’t always helpful. If I know why it’s so important to you, then I can help ease your fears.”

Fears…They seemed numerous. There was a small section of mammal soldiers that envied him, thinking he didn’t deserve his position. The beasts of higher rank couldn’t believe a commoner reached such heights. He could usually push such fears down, use them as fuel to succeed. What could be holding him back this time? 

“I don’t want you to think less of me for being illiterate.” 

The words escaped his mouth, fleeing the turmoil in his mind without notice. Once he realized what he said, he immediately held his mouth and looked away. 

“Sir…I would never think of you in that way. You’re…one of the greatest men I know.”

He slowly turned to the woman. He saw nothing but admiration in her wide warm eyes. “Really?”

“Of course. I mean you’ve led countless battles and saved so many lives. Most of my life I’ve heard praises for you from all kinds of beasts, not just reptiles. There isn’t a man in your command that doesn’t speak highly of you.” 

“I suppose so…” He rubbed the back of his neck, setting his other hand on top of the table. “In the early days, the mammal soldiers would often mock me for being different. Scales, eyes, tongue, the physical things that made me reptilian. Of course, I couldn’t do anything about those, so I decided to focus on what I could improve: my sword skills, my strength, and my endurance. And I'm proud of how far I’ve come. Yet, even in this time, I know there are still people waiting for me to fall, waiting for any moment of weakness and they’ll tear me down. I don’t mind the bullying, but I’d hate for the men who trust me with their lives to be slandered by it too.” 

Amit placed a hand on top of his. “Sir, I’d say with all of my heart: not knowing how to do one thing doesn’t make you lesser than anyone else.”

The knight released his neck, sitting up straighter . “You think so?”

“Of course, your men would follow you anywhere. I don’t see how not being able to read or write would affect that. In addition, you don’t have to know everything right away. There are those with innate talent for things, but if someone is attacked by bandits, you wouldn’t really expect them to know how to defend themselves with a sword just by picking it up. I certainly didn’t get every recipe right the first time I tried it and even now I still mess up pastries from time to time.”

“Really?” He tried recalling the few snacks he indulged in; they were always so delicious. He couldn't imagine them otherwise. 

“Yes. And there’s nothing wrong with making mistakes. There’s nothing wrong with taking your time to learn something. But it is rather tragic that you fear failing so much that you don’t let yourself try.”

He sighed, now smiling. “You’re right. Let’s begin.”

Amit smiled and then noticed her hand on top of his. Her face flushed and she took her hand back, as if the contact burned her. "Well now that we’ve gotten that cleared up, I hope you’re looking forward to our lessons.” She started pulling books out of the bag. “Since you said that you know some words, I've brought some children’s books to start off with.”

Jormungand reached for one of the brightly colored books and opened it up. He could make out some letters, but it all looked like nonsense to him. “Looks like I have a long way to go.”

Amit looked at the book and placed a hand over her snout. “Pardon me, sir.” She took the book briefly so she could flip it around. “I think this will help.”

Now most of the nonsense looked like words to the captain. Now it was his turn to blush. “Ah, thank you.”

She stared for a moment, her eyes wide, and then smiled, “You’re welcome so now let’s begin.”

A few weeks later, Jormungand found himself walking in a daze. Every step the captain took felt like lead strapped to his ankles, heavy and uneven. True, emergency missions were, by their nature, a surprise. When Anubis first told him the news, he accepted it with regular ease, mind figuring out the best route and writing mental lists on what to pack. The shock struck him when he realized that he would no longer be seeing her ladyship most of the time. True, they didn’t hold lessons every day. Yet it was often enough that he would usually see the princess waiting for him with some book in hand. He tried to shake the thoughts off; it was ridiculous. Lessons could resume as soon as he returned. Yet there was still a little ache when he thought about leaving her. As he reached his office door, he took a deep breath and headed in.

There was Amit, smiling softly as she read over the last pages of a light green book. She shut the book and held it close to her chest, sighing happily. 

There was something about the sound that made him sigh too. His heart jumped a bit at the sight. “It’s been happening more often lately. Maybe the priest is right and I should take more than one rest day a month…”

“Oh sir!” She rose, setting her book on the desk, and gave a quick curtsey. “Good to see you again. You’ve progressed so much, I thought we could get started on a longer book. I’ve found some novels I think you might enjoy. She started to plop down books, mainly with brown, blue, and black covers, but when she saw the look on his face, she paused. “Pardon me, but is something wrong?”

The captain watched the woman, admitting sadly, “It looks like our lessons will have to be postponed for a while. I’ll be leaving on a mission tomorrow. “

“Ah I see, more conflicts I suppose.” The princess’s snout and shoulders dropped, her hands clasped demurely before her. 

“Indeed, Her Majesty often helps resolve conflicts between clans. Still, some will insist on fighting over one thing or another.” 

“True,” the princess sighed. But then she brightened, clapping her hands together. “Well, just because you’re going away doesn’t mean you have to stop your lessons.” 

“Pardon?”

“It’s actually a perfect exercise. Pick out a book to read on your journey. Try to read a few pages, when you have the time, such as before you go to bed. I’m not asking you to finish the book, just make a little progress. I’ll ask you a few questions about how far you’ve gotten in the story and we’ll go from there.”

He stared at the woman blankly. “Really? You think I can do tha?.”

“Of course, it’s been a great honor to help you. I’d say you’ve learned so much…And…” She glanced away fiddling with her skirt. “I’ve been so happy to help you and I must say…” Now she added in a softer voice, her face flushing a familiar red, “I enjoy spending time with you…very much.”

For a moment, the captain watched the woman taking in her words. He felt himself warm a bit, so he turned away. “Ah yes, your lessons are quite enjoyable.”

“I’m glad. Thank you sir. ” The princess took in a deep breath, regaining her composure. She held a hand out, fingers aimed at the books. “ Now please choose whichever book you like.” 

Jormungand viewed all the covers, sitting neatly in rows like soldiers waiting for orders. Yet his eyes kept snagging at the light green novel, set down crooked in haste. When he tilted his head, he could make out the title, Combat and Confidences. He stepped over and picked up the book. “May I have this one?”

Amit blushed. “Really? That one?”

“Yes, forgive me, but I did come in on you reading it and it looked like you enjoyed it. If you are done with it, I’d like to read it for myself.”

“Of course, but…” She started to fidget. “I’m not sure you would care for the story.”

“Really, what’s it about?”

“Well…”

“Well?”

“At its core, it’s a love story sir.”

He blinked and then commented, “Oooh. That sounds pleasant.” 

“Are you sure? I fear that this story may bore you. Perhaps you’d like a more adventurous or action-filled story.”

“I’d say I deal with ‘action’ and ‘adventure’ on a daily basis. I think a change will be good.” He idly flipped through the book. “So, is it a story about two people loving each other?”

“Not quite, it’s a story about two people falling in love.”

“Really? How does that happen?”

Amit suddenly brightened, clapping her hands. “Oh, well you see the heroine is having a hard time managing her estate thanks to her relative so she requests a lawyer to come help settle matters. However, when visiting his office, both the lady and the lawyer are kidnapped. They are able to escape, but they fear the villains will try to damage her reputation, so the two team up to figure out who had the heroine kidnapped.” 

“That does sound interesting. I look forward to it.”

“Good…. I guess I’ll get going then.” Amit collected the other books and placed them in a bag. “Take care on your mission. I do hope you enjoy reading after all. You just have to try, my lord.”

“Ah yes. Goodbye.”

She gave a small bow. “Goodbye.” And with that she was gone. 

He was then left with the green book. It certainly looked a bit thicker than other ones Amit offered him. He wasn’t sure why he wanted to read the book so badly at that moment. The only thing that came to his mind was the little sigh and smile the princess wore…

He picked up the book, carrying it underneath his arm. “I don’t have to read it right away…It can wait until later.”

Jormungand left on his trip. With each passing day, the book somehow grew heavier and heavier in his bag. Even after making camp, finding the attacker’s base, flushing them out, and assuring the locals would be safe, he hadn’t even glanced at the first page, let alone read the book. He knew that Amit would be disappointed in him. Deep down, he knew she would try to brush it off. She would state he probably did not have much time anyway. Maybe just a little sigh and move on but still…

Sitting on his bed, legs and arms crossed, he stared down at the green book. “ I can do this. I’ve dealt with far worse enemies. All I have to do is read a few pages. Just a few pages. Miss Amit said I didn’t have to finish the book, so…” He knew this, but all he could really do was glare at the book like it was a spy not giving up his secrets.

“Captain, are you available?”

He quickly jumped from the bed, in a perfectly alert posture. “Ah yes, come in.”

A young gecko man came in, arms filled with a large rolled-up paper. “There’s been reports of a recent landslide in the area. No casualties, few injuries, but it does block the path we were supposed to take to get back to the capital.” The man spread the paper out. “We need to know which way to go now.”

“Ah good let’s see.”

They spent a few minutes plotting a new course. It would put them a few hours behind schedule, but they should still arrive on their expected day. No need to send a messenger beast to alert anyone of this new development. 

“Thank you, sir.” The man picked up the map and started to head to the flap when he spotted the book on the bed. He picked it up. “Huh what’s this?”

Jormungand felt heat crawl up his neck and face. “Uh that…is a book I was reading.”

The gecko’s eyes widened. “What really? You can read?”

Now icy fear filled the captain’s veins, “You…didn’t think I could?”

“Well, most of us reptilian soldiers came from commoner families, like yourself. Most of us couldn't afford schooling, but we still wanted to make a better life for ourselves and families. We just assumed that you were like us in that respect. But I guess that you’re really a cut above us.”

Jormungand looked away. He knew that his men looked up to him. He liked to be an example of what a soldier should be like, especially for reptiles, to show them they can be just as great as their mammal counterparts. However, he never really wanted them to think they were that different. He wasn’t that special, at least not to himself.

“Well, actually I only started to learn recently.”

“Oh really...ah that’s why we’ve seen the princess coming out of your office! People have been wondering what kept bringing her there.”

“Ah yes. She’s been giving me lessons.”

 “Oh…” As he set the book down, the gecko muttered, “Well there goes several coins down the drain.”

“What was that?”

“Ah nothing, just a thought sir. Think she’d be willing to give us lessons? Can you ask for us please sir?”

A moment of hesitation. A part of him thought of her gently teaching his men, and it warmed his heart. However, that was quickly overrun by the thought of his soldiers pestering her like a bunch of unruly children, overwhelming her poor ladyship.

“Well, I will pass the idea along to her ladyship, but it will have to be her decision.”

“Thank you sir.”

Once the man left, Jormungand got back on his bed. “I do hope you enjoy reading after all. You just have to try my lord.”

“Just try…” he said as he picked up the book and opened it to the first page. 

Chapter 1 In which a sensible young lady must choose between the peril of a careening carriage and mud….deep mud

“Huh, I’ve never worried about such things. But then again ladies are more worried about their appearance. Plus, she might get stuck if the mud is really deep and sticky. Hope she’ll be okay.”

…

“All thoughts of ballrooms and inquisitive glances were instantly drowned by the flow of marvelous sensations coursing through her body and a sudden desire to drag Randolf into the shadows. 

They would go back into the ballroom soon…but not yet.”

Jormungand then sighed as he shut the book. What a story! So much tension, even right from the start! He swore he held his breath as the kidnapping occurred. He never saw who the villains were at all until they were revealed! And he was also glad the lady and the lawyer were together now…

“My lord, are you alright sir?” 

The captain looked around his tent, seeing light peeping from gaps between the fabric and ground. He then turned toward the opening, seeing light purple clouds from behind a beaver soldier. 

“It’s morning?” the captain said.

“Yes sir.” The beaver nodded slowly, looking over his commander.

“Ah forgive me, I didn’t sleep well last night.” He quickly stood up, sliding the book back on the bed. “Let the men have breakfast and we shall leave in about an hour.”

The mammal nodded. “Yes my lord.”

Once the soldier left, exhaustion smacked Jormungand and he collapsed onto the bed. He couldn’t believe he spent a whole night reading a book! Then again, he couldn’t believe he read an entire book at all! 

As he prepared himself for the long road ahead, yawns pausing his usually efficient packing, he said, “I wonder what Miss Amit would say….”

He could just imagine her clapping her hands. “ You’ve done so well, my lord! You must tell me what you liked!” And then her face flushing red. “ Well if you liked it. It’s alright if you don’t.”   He could also see her waving her hands frantically. “What?!? A whole night, sir please! You must rest!” 

All of these thoughts greatly appealed to him, but really, he just wanted to see her again, discuss this book, share some snacks, maybe even get another book recommendation. 

He let out a yawn. “Well perhaps after some sleep. Hopefully the next one won’t be as exciting.” 

Chapter Text

“Little prince, what are you doing?” Sariphi asked her son, an amused tone in her voice.

The voice of the queen brought Anubis out of the paper he’d been looking at. First, he noticed the queen at the desk next to his own. A few years older and not much taller than the girl who once called him, “Mr. Dog Person,” Sariphi was now Queen of Ozmargo. Despite all the effort he had put into trying to drive her out of the position at first, he now admitted that she was a good ruler. With her wisdom and clear intentions to help others, she helped the people of Ozmargo in her own right. He would now admit his mistakes, yet he still thought there were some parts of her that needed reining in. 

His gaze followed to the playpen set up in the middle of the room. The queen, with her ever-growing list of eccentricities, insisted that she would watch the prince most days. Rather than leaving him in the hands of nursemaids and her lady-in-waiting, she would let him stay in the office. More than that, she took several breaks to feed, care, and play with him, all while Anubis watched from his desk. While it was nice to see the queen caring for the prince, he still thought perhaps they could get a bit more work done if she didn’t leave her work any little moment the prince squeaked. 

However, this time it turned out the distraction was worth merit. Anubis clearly remembered the white cub in his little cloth diaper in the middle of the crib, chewing on a seashell that Duke Galos gave to him at his birth. Yet now, the prince leaned against the left side of the pen, making small squeaks,a paw sticking out of the bars.

“How did he get there?” Anubis asked.

“I wonder…” Sariphi pondered and got up from her desk. She leaned into the crib, swaddling her son in her arms. “What have you been up to, Richard?” 

Yet the prince continued to wiggle, wanting to be out of his mother’s arms for once. “Let me see…” Sariphi set Richard down on the floor at her feet. 

“Your Majesty, what are you—” Anubis started, but then watched as the prince of Ozmargo rolled across the floor, stopping at the chancellor’s feet. The little cub looked up, red eyes shining, little paws up in the air. 

Sariphi let out a high-pitched squeal, causing the chancellor to cover his ears and the prince to whine. “I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!” she stated with a breathless smile on her face. She dashed to pick up her son, this time twirling him around. “That was amazing, Richard! You are so smart! Yes, you are.” She proceeded to kiss him all over his face, the prince’s tail wagging. 

“What was that?”

Sariphi broke herself away from her son’s face. “Richard’s figured out how to roll over. Isn’t this exciting?”

“What?”

“Roll over. He can move around by himself now.”

“But…babies crawl. They don’t do…whatever that was.”

Sariphi frowned, holding her son up a bit. “Yes, they do roll. Babies move in all kinds of ways. Some crawl, some don’t. We’ll have to see.”

“Of course, a ridiculous queen has a ridiculous son…” the chancellor muttered. He did find himself smiling, mouth hidden by his veil. 

That’s when the King of Beasts burst through the door. “Everyone, are you alright? I heard a scream,” he panted. 

“I’m sorry, Leonhart. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Sariphi stepped towards her husband. “But now you’re here, Richard has something to show you.” She set her son down. Leaning over him, she cheered, “Go on Richard. Show your father what you can do.”

The prince blinked, then rolled over to his father, getting up on his claws before landing on his back with a plop and giggle. 

The king watched, his eyes glistening. He crouched down, placing a paw on his son’s cheek. “My son…” he said, his voice filled with awe. Richard grasped onto as much of his father’s paw as he could, snuggling and cooing. Leonhart glanced at his wife, smiling warmly and gently. He gently took his paw, pushing his child with the other one. “Go on son, go back to your mother.” 

With a coo, the prince obeyed and rolled back to his mother who quickly scooped him up in her arms and peppered his face with kisses again. He nuzzled against her, now chewing on his paw. 

“Aw my clever boy,” Sarpihi sighed, rocking him back and forth. She glanced around. “Now where is his…”

Leonhart stepped over to the crib and picked up the shell. He then stepped over to his family and gently pressed the chew toy to the boy’s mouth. The prince released his paw,  eagerly took the shell, and started to chew on that. The king smiled and hugged his family in his arms.

Anubis watched and sighed with some annoyance, “Well I don’t suppose we’ll get any more work done now. I’d say we call it a day.”

“Thank you, friend.” The king offered his friend a nod. 

“Say bye-bye to Anubis, little prince,” Sariphi cooed. She took one of her son’s paws off the shell and waved it. “Bye-bye.”

Once his mother let go of his paw, Richard let it drop. He watched Anubis for a bit, chewing on the shell, before letting out a little yawn. Then he snuggled into his mother’s chest, closing his eyes.

And with that Anubis left the family, not breaking the bubble of graceful joy they wrapped themselves in. He would stay close enough to keep them safe, to let them have their joy, but that was it. He would keep his distance. It was his duty. 

Just as Anubis turned the corner, he heard the voices of the queen’s two assistants. 

“Go, Your Highness, go! 

“Go! Go!”

Then a small cry of “Eee!” followed. Now it seemed those two were the prince’s playmates as well. 

Anubis stepped into one of the smaller kitchens of the castle, one he knew that Princess Amit often used, to check up on some orders for an upcoming banquet. He first saw Cy and Clops bouncing towards him, floating high and eager, but they halted at the sight of the Chancellor—the eyeballed one all wide and the mouthed one, mouth pressed shut. Something thudded against Anubis’s leg. He looked down to see the prince on the ground, little hands in front. He looked up and waved. “Awu.”

“Hello there, Your Highness,” Anubis stated. The chancellor watched as the boy pulled himself by his small hands into Anubis’s legs. And then again. And again. The prince looked at him, red in the face, letting out a large yell.

“What’s wrong with him?”

That’s when Amit rose from behind the counter, a large cake tray in her mittened hands. She peered around it to see the chancellor. “Oh, good morning, my lord. I’m just finishing up with these cakes. I’ll be with you in just a moment,” she stated, setting the cake on the counter and placing smaller cakes next to it. The prince continued to ram himself into Anubis’s legs in the meantime. 

“Do you know what the prince is doing?”

Amit set down one small cake tray and leaned over to see the boy. “Oh my, he’s getting so fast at shuffling.”

“Shuffling?” Anubis repeated as the princess made her way towards him.

“That’s what Her Majesty calls it when the prince pulls himself around,” Amit offered. “And it looks like you are in his way.” The princess picked up the small prince and set him down just a few inches away from the black dog’s legs. The prince squealed in delight and shuffled away quickly. The two black blobs followed in pursuit. “I must admit Prince Richard is a clever little thing, but I guess there are still some things he can’t quite figure out at this age.”

“Yes, like crawling,” the chancellor said dryly, watching the prince come around the corner. 

Amit pressed her hands together, beaming, “I’m sure he’ll start crawling soon enough. Or perhaps he’ll just pull himself up and start walking, wouldn’t that be a sight.”

The chancellor watched the young prince, letting out a small sigh. “Indeed, it would.”

Just as the prince approached the two adults, his hand slipped on the tile, sending his face to the floor. The two blobs screamed, “Prince!” And they hovered to his side.

 The baby looked up from the ground, face red and tears in his eyes. He tilted his head back, bawling. 

“It’s okay Richard!” Clops declared. 

“Okay!” Cy repeated, rubbing his small digit over the prince’s white locks. 

The prince continued to wail until Anubis scooped him up in his arms. “It’s alright now, Your Highness,” the chancellor murmured softly, stroking the boy’s back. “You’re feeling better now, aren’t you?”

Richard sniffled a bit, rubbing his face against Anubis’s chest. The chancellor flinched, thinking about tears and snot on his shirt. Good thing he didn’t have any more meetings today. But he still rubbed the prince’s back. 

“There, there.” Anubis looked at the princess. “So, about the cakes. Will they be ready for tasting soon?”

Amit nodded. “Ah yes of course. I’ll have them iced and we can decide which one we’ll have at the banquet.”

“Good.” The chancellor held out his hands, offering the prince to the princess. “Thank you. I must be going now.” 

“Are you sure? His Highness is content in your arms now; it would be a shame to leave him.”

Anubis stared down at the baby who looked up at him with wide red eyes. “I have no time to watch the child. I have important papers to attend to. Please take him.”

“Alright.” Amit reached for the child, securing him in her arms. 

The prince let out several small whimpers, reaching out for the chancellor. 

Cy and Clops, quickly floating in front of the prince, blocking his view of the chancellor. “Prince, look at us!” Clops stated and started wiggling his tongue around. “Bleh-Bleh-Bleh!” 

“Bleh-Bleh!” Cy repeated, waving his little digits, rapidly blinking his eye.

The prince let out a small giggle and clapped. 

“There we go, you’re feeling better now, Your Highness?” Amit asked, rocking the prince back and forth. “I’ll make you a snack and then we’ll get you down for a nap, okay?”

“Aya,” the prince said in probable agreement. 

And with that, Anubis left the room, unseen and unheard by anyone else. No one saw the conflict in his features or his mind. It was true that he had work to do, but it wasn’t that pressing. He could delegate it or just leave it aside. He could spend just a little bit of time holding onto the small prince. But the other side of him, the louder side, the side he’d been living for so long, won out. He would stay away from the royal family. A companion and ally, yes, but there were lines not meant to be crossed. It was for the best of the kingdom.

He would not mourn the absence of warmth he felt both on and inside his chest, holding the boy. He would not. He wouldn’t allow it. 

“Make way for his Royal Highness of Ozmargo! Make way! Royal heir with important royal business to get to! Make way!” Lanteveldt cried out, waving his paws like he was dismissing a crowd. 

Anubis growled. He really didn’t want to look, but unfortunately their paths seemed fated to cross. He groaned as he looked down on the ground. True, the prince had finally learned to crawl. Unfortunately, he did it backwards, his fluffy white tail leading the way. The Chancellor took a step aside, no longer in the prince’s way. Richard continued,  looked up at him and sat down with a plop. “Nubi!” he cried, paws up in the air. “Up up, Nubi, up up!”

“Hello, Your Highness,” the chancellor greeted.

“Up up, Nubi, up up!”

“I suppose the crawling and the new name is your fault,” Anubis accused. 

“Don’t look at me,” the queen’s knight said with a shrug, “He’s been doing this all on his own. I have been trying to get him to say your name right.” He picked up the prince with one arm, pointing a digit towards the chancellor. “Richard this is Mr. Grumpy Veil. Grum-py Vei-l.” 

Richard blinked and pointed his own paw at Anubis. “Nubi,” he declared, tilting his head. 

“Stop insisting he call me that.”

“Hey, it fits you better.” The hyena offered a one-arm shrug. 

The prince wiggled, trying to climb down the hyena’s front.  Lantedveldt set him down and the baby crawled again, smiling widely at the two men who followed him. 

“You know it’s kind of weird, seeing him crawl around like this,” The knight started. 

The chancellor nodded, “Yes, backwards certainly isn’t appropriate. Must get it from his mother’s side.”

“Nah not that. I mean he used to be this little, tiny thing that would just lie in our arms and stick his tongue out at us. Now he’s learning words and moving around by himself. Though I gotta admit it’s hard to imagine him being taller than me or you, let alone king.”

Anubis could easily see that. Richard would stand as tall as his father, his white fur brightened by the traditional dark cloak of kings. His horns might curl differently but they would shine. He would command the kingdom with confidence. An earthshaker and tradition breaker, just by being there. Perhaps Anubis would live to see that day, perhaps not. But he knew how to best help the prince on that path. By drawing the line and keeping them separate. Others could play family with the prince, but not him. 

Someone stepped in the way of the prince, causing him to stop and sit with a small squeal and growl. But then he looked up at the person and immediately brightened. “Jorgi!” he cheered, little paws and tail wagging. “Upeas! Upeas!”

Indeed, it was the captain of the king’s guard. The usually stoic soldier cracked a small smile and picked up the prince, wrapping him tightly in his arms. “Hello, Your Highness.”

Richard wiggled his paws free. “Mo upeas.” 

“What?”

“Mo upeas.” He raised his paws over his head. 

“The kid wants you to lift him up higher,” Lanteveldt said.

The captain looked at the gripping paws and little face. “That doesn’t seem safe…”

“Eh he’ll be fine. He’s got a great grip.” Lanteveldt waved a paw. “Hey Rich, wanna do a flip?”

The prince twisted, ears wiggling, tail wagging. “Flip-flip!” he agreed, reaching out for the knight.

The chancellor and the captain of the guard glanced at one another. “What do you mean by–?” Jormungand started. But he lost his voice seeing the prince now clinging onto Lanteveldt’s leg. 

“You don’t mean…” The captain began. 

Lanteveldt ignored him, his gaze only on the prince, “Ready Rich?”

“Ready!” Richard replied.

The chancellor and the captain could only watch in stunned horror as the knight jumped. He twisted in the air, so he landed on one paw, his leg in the air. The prince was still on it, squealing with delight. 

“See?” 

However, Lante found himself on the ground, a bump on his head and stars spinning in front of his eyes. He heard Anubis yelling, “You fool. How dare you endanger His Highness!” When the stars cleared, he could see Anubis looming over him, still continuing his tirade. Jormungand now gripped the boy tightly to his chest.

The prince looked up at the soldier’s face. “Uppeas.”

“Uh…”

“Just put him on your shoulders,” the hyena groaned from the floor.  

“Ah right.” The soldier set the boy on his shoulders slowly, gripping tightly to his legs. The boy yelled, “No!” 

Lantevedlt slowly rose, rubbing his head. “Geez Sir, ease up on the kid.”

The captain glanced up at the prince. “Ah sorry, Your Highness.” 

The prince responded with a few pats on the snake’s head. “I okay,” he said nodding. 

Once the grip lessened, the prince giggled and clapped his paws. “Go!”

“As you wish,” the captain nodded, heading forward. Lantevedlt followed the two. 

Anubis watched a bit before shaking his head. He was dallying, no need to spare the boy more time. He left quickly.

He didn’t see the little paw reach out to him. 

The chancellor grumbled, keeping an eye on the prince that crawled around in his office. Why the king left the prince to him while he stepped out was beyond him. He spared a glance at the boy who was almost racing around on his hands and knees. Still, the chancellor continued to write until a small thump caused him to look at the prince, now by his desk. 

“Nubi!” 

“Yes, yes, Your—” his words fell at the sight of the prince on his two feet, a little hand on the desk’s side, supporting him. Then the prince took one wobbly step, then another, letting go of the desk. He took several more steps, hands reaching up. 

Anubis knelt, arms outstretched, waiting. A few more steps and the prince fell on top of the man’s lap. The boy looked up beaming. “Nubi!”

He couldn’t stop his smile. “Well, aren’t you a clever little one. I do suppose you get that from your mother.”

The boy nuzzled into him. “Nubi.”

The chancellor sighed. He supposed that while he often compared the prince to his mother, he obviously was his father’s son. No matter how hard he pushed himself away, they would still pull him back in, into their warmth. 

“I suppose,” he muttered and set the boy in his lap, pointing to himself. “Anubis.”

“Nubi.”

“A-nu-bis.”

“A-nu-bi.”

“That’s fine for now. I do expect you to get better at that and soon,” he stated, patting the boy in between his small horns. Richard giggled at the contact.

“Ah Anubis, thank you for watching our son.” 

The two looked to see the king in the doorway.

“Papa!” Richard cheered and slid off Anubis’s lap.

Anubis smiled. “Alright, young man. Go show your father what you can do now.”

Richard took several steps, almost running. The king gasped and dropped to his knees, paws outstretched. However, the prince slipped and slammed into the ground, just out of his father’s reach. The boy raised his head enough to start wailing.

“Oh Richard,” Leonhart sighed. “You did wonderfully.” He stroked the boy on the back, then set him upright. “Come on, I know you can do it.” 

The prince sniffed but took small steps to his father. Once he reached his father’s knees, the father picked up the boy and swung him around, both erupting into laughter.

“There you go. That’s my son.” Leonhart nuzzled the prince’s cheeks, which he eagerly returned.  “Thank you, Anubis, for watching him.”

“It was nothing, my liege.” 

“Now, let’s go show your mother what you learned. Say goodbye,” Leonhart commanded, holding the boy so he could look over his father’s shoulder. 

Richard waved eagerly. “Bye-bye, Anubis.”

The two men blinked at the boy. The king spun his son around, pressing him right against his muzzle. “Father, fa-ther.”

The boy placed his hand on his father’s nose. “Papa!” he declared.

“I’m sure that His Highness will address you like that soon enough.” Anubis couldn’t stop the smirk on his face, glad to be wearing the veil that was hiding it. He fought to keep pride in his voice. 

“That’s right. Let’s go son.”

The king carried the prince out, his head bobbing above his father’s shoulder. He waved again. “Bye-bye Anubis.”

“Goodbye Richard,” he said quietly, waving back. 

“Your Highness, if you would be so kind, please stop dragging your feet, and let’s get to the library. We’re already late thanks to your behavior,” Anubis commanded. He could feel the veins popping out of his forehead.

Richard, now a young boy, with his nub of horns slowly growing out groaned but continued to walk as though he were shoulder-deep swamp bog, his ears pressed against his head, tail dragging behind him. “Your lessons are boring Abi. And they take for-ev-er!” He broke down the last word, making each syllable last a few seconds.  “Why can’t I have a lesson with Mother today?”

“Because she’s in charge of your Human History lessons while I am in charge of your Beast lessons. You need to understand both in order to be king.”

“But all your lessons are about dead kings and years and battles. They are bor-ring!”

“I’m sure your mother’s lessons are full of the same subjects. I daresay it’s probably a more cumbersome subject since humans pack many generations in such a short amount of time.”

The prince held his hands up, “Yeah, but I learn about all kinds of other things too. About people sailing to different countries. And what kind of goods people wanted back then and how they got them. And I learn about the lives of kings too.  Like there was this one king that got stabbed in the butt on the battlefield.” 

Anubis coughed. A nearby deer soldier snickered, but one glare from Anubis sent him standing up straight. “Your Highness, please refrain from such words.”

One ear bent down, head tilted as Richard asked, “Stabbed?”

“No, the word butt.”

“What’s wrong with butt?”

“It’s inappropriate.”

The prince placed a paw on his chin. “How about tuckus?”

“No. You can’t say that.”

“What about—”

“As I told you, if you say any and all unfamiliar words you’ve heard Lantelvelt say or when Jor has stubbed his toe, I have been given permission to wash out your mouth with soap.” He added a hard expression. "By both of your parents."

The prince stuck his tongue out. “Fine. But it’s true. I like stories like that.”

“Why do you care about such an inconsequential thing?”

“In-con-sequin-tial…” the prince tried out the long word. “Does that mean something out of order? Like when you start in the middle of the story rather than the beginning?”

Anubis couldn’t help the smile. While he felt like he had to drag the boy to lessons, Richard did possess a keen mind and interest in learning. “Excellent attempt, but not quite. Inconsequential means not important.”

“Really?”

“Indeed, it’s not important for you to know such details about kings.”

“I guess. But I like learning about those things. Makes history seem real.”

“Real? What’s not real about my lessons?”

“Well, they seem more like figures from something far away than a person I could actually talk to. You just give me details of what they did, what battles happened, who won or lost, what years it happened. But that all feels as flat as the paper it’s all printed on. Mother’s lessons make them sound real, like if they were walking in a crowd, I’d be able to spot them and talk with them about things.”

“I don’t see how that’s important,” the chancellor scoffed.

“But I’m a prince. Shouldn’t I know kings? Especially Ozmargo’s kings. They are my family, too, even if I have never met them.”

The chancellor pondered for a moment. “I suppose knowing one's heritage is important to kingcraft. I’ll see if I can find some works that detail more about the kings’ lives.”

“Yeah! Can you find some books about Beast Queens too? Mother’s lessons have lots of queens doing cool things. Are there any Beast Queens that did anything cool?” Richard’s tail wagged a bit. 

“Well, there is the first queen…”

“Any others? I hear her story all the time at the Consecration Festival.”

“Besides your mother? Can’t say I know of any off the top of my head.”

“Then we can learn together! That’ll be fun.” The prince clapped his paws together.

“I suppose so, but right now you need to go to your lesson. We still need to learn about the Reptile Wars fought between-”

Groaning, Richard cut him off with a” Ugh fine.” He now walked as if he were just waist-deep in sludge. 

Anubis watched the prince a few beats. He thought about some way to get the prince somewhat interested in these lessons. He didn’t want to use that method, but it did often work on the young prince. He just hoped he wouldn’t regret it later. The last thing he wanted was for her to be up all night because of the prince’s antics.

“Your Highness, if you pay attention to your lesson today, you may visit Hatshepsut afterwards.” 

That caused the prince’s ears to perk up, his eyes to sparkle. “You’ll let me play with Hattie today? Really?”

“Only if you pay attention. And pass your quiz afterwards.” He leaned over, almost groaning, “And please, Your Highness, don’t call her by that ridiculous nickname. You can say her name properly.”

The cub spread his arms wide. “But Hattie is so cute; she needs a cute name! Hatshepsut sounds like an old lady name, the kind that grumbles and yells at you to get out of her garden. She’s too little for a name like that.” The prince closed his eyes, paw on chin. “Though I suppose if she takes after her father, it’ll fit her someday.”

“What was that?” the chancellor asked, feeling a vein popping from his head.

“Nothing!” Richard dashed ahead. “Now lesson time! Then play time!” 

“Slow down, Your Highness! For that remark, prepare for an extra-long lesson today!”

“Aw come on!”

“It’s to teach you respect!” 

Anubis never expected to have a relationship like this with the crown prince, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything. Though he’d never admit it out loud.