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     " Here have I this story to tell. One of a grand city in shell. Ruled by its King, master ‘n all. All remained peaceful, never to fall."
    
     "Delano!" A voice echoed through the long hallways of the modern day castle. Soft in voice yet loud in volume, it vibrated through the walls like movement on a TV screen.
     "Delano!" the voice seeming to get even louder as the owner trotted her lithe form up the massive steps.
     "Oh for a king’s sake! Delano!" the name finally escaping with a sheepish bleat, which wasn’t unheard of since she was indeed a sheep anthro, well part sheep anyway. She continued up the stairs, holding her long maiden dress of violet velvet and white silk as she did. She entered into a large crème room with several leather chairs sprawled around a small glass tea table. A large canopy bed lay just next to the glass sliding door that led to the stone balcony where the newly appointed king stood. Large muscular arms folding across a massive chest, deep tan oculars gazed out over their domain; the body to those eyes no more than that of a tan fox. Indeed he had the life, but as rules went, he was still a prince until he married.
     "Delano, what on earth, did you not just hear me screaming at the top of my l…" but her complaints where cut off shortly with a risen finger.
     "My dear, sweet Nurse" He turned around to greet her, resting both of his massive, gloved paws on her shoulders.
     "Liana, calm down. I enjoy watching the sunrise. You should take time to do so yourself. It may do you some good as to relax those tensed up nerves of yours." He bent over and gently kissed her on her forehead.
     "Oh just get your small, sunrise staring butt down stairs for breakfast before I have to smack it down there!" the sheep snapped, her other half clearly expressed by her attitude.
     "Your fox half is showing again Liana." He said with a chuckle as he slipped through the sliding door, his nurse following quickly behind his flowing cape. He wore no crown or anything fancy besides his cape that proved his royalty, but all knew one way or the other that he was king.
      After breakfast, Delano was due for the auditions for a future mate. He sat down quietly in one of the chairs next to one of his serving men who where helping to pick a fine mate for him. The show was a pitiful site indeed, but even so, he wished for someone he could truly love for her personality. A fine body would come next. These auditions where worthless to him but the council insisted. Liana’s opinion was the same as his but as the nurse, she could only stand there and watch. When he made his decision, when ever and who ever it may be, she would reinforce it, knowing he’d make the right decision. He sighed and stood in the middle of the audition, waving his hand limply and dismissed them all in disgust. He went back to his quarters and stood on the balcony, staring out at the city. He sighed as his attention was diverted from the city to the large courtyard where the previous king held monthly slaughters of prisoners. That of course was the first thing he banned from the city, finding it inhumane to watch someone get killed like that, even worse for the children. He noted that there where several hanging stands set up, each one with a body, whether it was alive or not he couldn’t tell, but it enraged him at the sight.
      He raced to the courtyard, which was no more than a block away from the castle so there wasn’t much contact between him and the people of the city. When he arrived, he encountered a massacre like none he’s ever seen, even children where being killed, all of them where foxes like himself, Fennec foxes. He hastily drew his sword and threw it at the rope tied to a young girl maybe no older than 12, the blade slicing through the rope like butter.
      When the executioner turned around, he was greeted with a vice grip around his neck, lifting him off the ground.
     "What is going on here?" Delano growled, his anger flaring in his eyes.
      The executioner shook in fear, trying to stutter out words, yet none came to his aid.
     "Well? Speak! I gave no orders to hold any executions!" Delano snapped at him, his voice deep and riveting. The executioner finally managed to speak; though soft and child-like.
     "But Sire… these are members of a band, we’re ordered by our general to search out bands and execute all members. I’m following through with orders, Sire."
     "Who gave you such orders? No rule is allowed to be installed unless approved by me! Free these…" but his orders and explanations where interrupted by another voice behind him as he dropped the man.
     "Sire, we where authorized by our previous king, King Donovan. All of these bandits, including this little pup here…Charlin … are to be executed." The general himself stood next to the girl whose rope had been sliced.
     "Let Amaris go!" the child screamed. "And momma too!" But the general replied to her pleas with an introduction with her face and his fist.
     "Stop it! As present king I order you to free them, no matter what King Donovan said." Delano yelled.
      The general gave the king a look before nodding to the executioner to free the captives. Each of the ten vixen bodies falling from their current hanging position. Though the Kings actions weren’t carried out in time, for only a mere four survived. Charlin ran to her mother and older brother who stood by their fallen father, one of the many of their clan who was murdered for no reason by the General’s cruel orders. She looked to Delano who just stood there in disbelief that such orders could be given by any king.
     "Mr. King, sir." She said quietly to him to get his attention in the most polite way she knew while tugging at his cape.
     "Could you please help my sister? Uhm … please… sir?" she continued to him.
      He looked around for a vixen that looked similar to the pup though he had never seen her sister before.
     "Where is she" he knelt down to one knee to meet the little vixen’s eye level.
     "She’s at the Chisel Courtyard" her voice seeming to tremble.
     "Why is she there? Only convicts go there”
     "They wanted to take her away from our family, because she is the oldest female in our family. King Donovan had ordered that the oldest daughter of each original family would be brought to him as mates for his many sons." The pups’ mother had begun to speak.
     "But she refused and has been on the run from them for awhile. Guess she was finally caught. Been about three years that she’s been outwitting them; staying in the city the whole time." Her older brother interrupted his expression of jealousy and rivalry.
      Delano nodded then looked in the direction of the Chisel Courtyard with an obscure look upon his face.
     "But the only way you probably know there would take too long. Follow me; I’ll take you through the short cut." Another fox spoke the last of that family to survive. A tall male red fox with a similar build as Delano if not smaller. Delano nodded to him and followed as he exited the courtyard and into an ally. They both ran straight through two more allies and straight through a wooded park when the male fox abruptly stopped, halting the king in his tracks. The male fox pointed ahead to the hanging station directly in front of them. The crowd was facing away from them so they where safe from peering eyes.
Delano withdrew his sword while he climbed out of the brush and with one swift motion, the blade sliced through the air to its new destination of behind the station. Along its route though, it came in contact with the rope attached to Amaris’s neck, freeing her from her death trap. She fell to her knees and held her neck, gasping for air from the tight rope. Delano walked up to the front and stood up on the station.
     "End this nonsense now! Go home, all of you. I am thoroughly disgusted with all of you for partaking in this act of evil. You find joy in watching the innocent die? I don’t know whether my ruling has been taken seriously or not when I say this ends, but it does now! Go home!" with that the crowd departed, heads hung low and voices at a quiet whisper of shame. Delano looked to the vixen next to him. Long tan hair tied back into a bun against soft crème fur. Huge Fennec fox ears sprouted out from that soft hair, yet they remained down, flat against the girl’s neck, she finally looked up, locking eyes with him. Twin sets of brown staring straight into twin sets of brown.
     "Thank you" she spoke softly, enchanted by his looks and heroic acts. He seemed speechless, only able to nod a “you’re welcome" to her. He, finally snapping out of his trance, helped her to stand her legs weak from the shock.
     "Oh, now what to do." Her voice still soft and even, yet it stank of uneasiness.
     "Would you like to come with me?" he smiled then realized how stupid of a general question that was. She looked at him kind of odd as he held her up.
     "Uhm… Let me try that again, Would you like to join me for some tea, maybe dinner, even?" with that she smiled and nodded.
     "It seems I have no choice anyhow. I’m elated in your grasp and enchanted by your eyes." Had his fur not been there it would have easily been noted that he was blushing. They both walked together to his Palace, going the long way around instead of through the ally ways talking together about what ever came up. When they entered he knocked on the door to inform Liana that he was back.
     "Liana, tell the chefs to prepare a magnificent dinner tonight, we have a guest with us." The sheep/fox, having heard his instructions did as she was asked before coming back out to see whom he was talking about. When she saw the vixen with him she smiled gleefully.
     "Dear Delano, who might I ask is this flower?" He smiled at Liana’s approval to the stranger.
     "Liana, meet Amaris, Amaris, this is Liana, my Nurse and caretaker if you will"
     "And indeed this boy here needs care taking!" she laughed as he rolled his eyes.
     "I’ll leave you two to your feminine talks." he left, Liana looking over Amaris for a second.
     "My child, I bet you’re uncomfortable."
     "Well, now that I think about it, I have felt a little unpleasant." Liana clapped her hands and laughed again.
     "Well then let’s get a move on! We have comfort to restore in you!" she took her by the hand and dragged her upstairs to the spare bedroom. Back downstairs in the dinning hall, Delano checked on the working chefs and encouraged them on before going up and changing himself. Moments later, back in the hall, he looked up to the door after countless pacing and worrisome minutes to see the Vixen clad in the finest cloth Liana could find in the large closet. The long dress of fine white silk and crimson lace adorned her lithe body. She stood there, smiling though slightly nerves, why she had no clue. He bowed politely to her and sat her down at one end of the table, taking his seat at the other end. Her eyes seemed to brighten as he sat down, the chefs coming out with their dinner of turkey, rice, gravy, potatoes and various vegetables. After eating he walked her around the palace for a tour before stopping at the room which she could stay in if she so desired.
     "You may stay here the night if you wish. I’d be delighted if you did"
     "I’d love to, but I should probably get back to my family. They’re probably worried." He nodded and walked her to the door after she changed back into her old dress.
     "Thank you very much, Miss Liana for everything. And Sir Delano, I don’t know how I could ever repay you. We will cross paths again."
     "That which we will." She walked out the door and left to find her worried family. Delano closed the door and sighed, pressing his forehead against the door as she walked on.
     "Delano? Is something wrong? You seem troubled." He shook his head.
     "We will meet again, my love."

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