Winter Vixen

The Tragedy of Adeline Evyntyr

It was some time before Nouren had found another fox, who then directed him back to the dining hall with stuttering words and too many 'your Majesties' for his liking. He entered the warm room, the festive event still in full swing. Cora caught sight of her brother and trotted over to him, Prince Liam attached to her hand.

"I was wondering where you went off to!" she exclaimed. "Did you find yourself a fancy little lady?" Cora teased. Liam chuckled, his gold eyes sparkling curiously.

"Dear, I do believe he was chasing Nix's tail." Nouren eyed Liam suspiciously.

"What's it to you who's tail I chase?"

"Nouren!" His sister scolded, but Liam squeezed her hand.

"It’s alright," he soothed his future queen. Liam bowed his head at Nouren. "You have nothing to worry about, Nouren. I promise your secret is safe with me." He stepped closer to Nouren to speak in a lower tone. "I advise however, you keep your distance with her when my father is near."

"Can someone explain to me why?" Nouren growled in frustration. "Is she a forbidden fruit?" Liam shook his head.

“Not entirely, father just strictly believes slaves and nobles, especially royalty, should not under any means mingle. But she is the only white fox known to our kingdom, or any kingdom that we know of, and therefore a treasure to my father.” Liam took on a distant look in his eyes, and Nouren could see sadness. Cora squeezed her fiancé's arm in reassurance, and he gazed at her with a small smile. “Let us retreat to my quarters, where I can explain more."

After a few minutes, Liam had led Cora and Nouren to his lavish bedroom. Liam and Cora snuggled up on a gold velvet couch, while Nouren took to the matching chair, the wood carved regally in intricate designs of running wolves. A beautiful oak table sat between them, the same carving of human wolves etched under the glass top, holding up their golden goblets of wine.

“You've heard of my sister's tragedy, yes?” Liam asked them, his golden eyes looking between them. The siblings nodded their heads, Cora sinking further into Liam's side.

"I know you had a sister, but father wouldn't really discuss with us what had happened. Only that she had fallen from a cliff," Nouren replied. Liam nodded his head, sadness and grief written all across his face.

"That is true, she had fallen from a cliff." Liam had taken on a faraway look. "My sister, Adeline, was very beloved by the kingdom. She was my older sister, and looked a lot like mother with curly black hair and golden eyes like mine. Father was a very different man then, when she was alive. She had father wrapped around her finger," Liam chuckled. "But in a good way. Somehow, having her in our lives just kept us grounded. We never knew of the love affair that was taking place right under our noses, she was so careful about it.

I guess now, looking back on it, I should have known something was happening. She was even more joyous, giddy all the time. More prone to say yes to everything, and would be distracted at the most inconvenient of times. Our tutor would scold her more and more, but she was always a daydreamer. Somehow, she always managed to do really well in her studies anyway, always the smart one.” Liam sighed, realizing he was rambling on. He leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees, and his movement caused Cora and Nouren to lean towards him as well.

"It was awful, we had no idea she had ever snuck out to see him, a slave." Cora let out a small gasp and Nouren’s eyes darkened, having a feeling where the story was headed. "I can’t recall the boy’s name, just that he was larger than most tods his age." Liam noted the confusion in his audience's faces. "Male foxes are referred to most commonly as tods, while the females are called vixens." Nouren smirked internally when he heard the word vixen.

'Vixen indeed.'

"No one really knows what happened, whether they were horse playing, or maybe there was an argument?" Liam’s voice cracked, and Cora instinctively held onto him, a lone tear trailing down the shape of her nose before disappearing into the crease of her trembling lips. "The guards heard a startled scream, assuming it was the Princess, and ran towards the sound. Before they got there, they heard him screaming, like he had been wounded, and had found him laying out halfway over the cliff, his arms stretched out as far as they could go, reaching for my dead sister." Cora let a small sob escape.

"My love," her broken voice pleaded. "You don't have to continue on." He smiled sadly, stroking his thumb over her small hand in reassurance.

"If he’s going to understand the madness of my father, he needs to know everything that happened.

My father later ordered the slave to be snatched up from his cell to question him, but he had mangled his own throat with a sharp rock. I assume he succumbed to his own grief, which gives me a glimmer of hope that he might have actually loved her and despaired over her death. After father had questioned the other fox’s and learned that they were lovers, his rage spiraled more out of control. He became a little more distant and dark, and mother became terrified of him. Father completely lost himself with her death, and took it out on all the slaves, especially the males. He more or less became mad," Liam whispered the end, as if even he was afraid of speaking of his father's insanity. "It’s been quite a few years, but time has not diminished his grief or anger. He knows mother and I grow more and more distant with him, but all it's done is frustrate him more, not made him see how much he’s hurting those around him."

Liam stared down Nouren, his golden eyes blazing. "Father might be friendly or stern in his first warning, but if you do not listen, Nouren, he will come after you. He cannot stand it, not even for a Prince.” Nouren averted his eyes away from the piercing gaze Liam held him under, realizing the consequences that lay before him. There was no way he could let Nix go, but they needed this alliance more than anything. More importantly, he was going to be leaving his sister here with Liam, out of his sights. He let out a frustrated breath before nodding in understanding.

“Okay, I understand now,” he huffed. Cora studied her brother.

“Do you? I know that look, Nouren. You’re my brother.” The three of them stood up to depart for the night, and Cora laid a caring hand on her brother’s arm. “You have to be careful. Things here are not like they are at home.”

“Why didn’t father tell me? You seem to have known this whole time, yet he’s blatantly lied to me about the Patet kingdom having slaves.” He glared a little at Liam, feeling just as betrayed. “And you played along as well, calling them servants too.”

“I’m sorry, your father asked me not to. And, to be honest with you, they weren’t always known as slaves. I did some research growing up, the fox’s used to be treated fairly.” Liam sighed heavily. “Let’s talk more tomorrow, I can see you have more questions about all of this.”

“You’re right, I do.” Nouren paused for a second. “I get it, after hearing your story. I will do what I can to be more cautious, but Liam, I’m sorry, I can’t give her up. There’s just something about her, in my soul, I just…” Nouren trailed off, not even sure how he could describe the intense feeling in his heart. Cora patted his shoulder.

“It’s okay, brother.” She kissed his forehead, having to stand a little on her tip toes, and he leaned down for her slightly. “You need to get some sleep, it’s well into the night, and we’ve had a long day.” Nouren bid them both goodnight, and he walked himself out of Liam’s room, knowing his sister would want a little more alone time with her future husband before she retreated to her own room. His mind was racing with what Liam had told him, and for a brief moment, he felt sorry for King Regus. To lose someone you loved over something that could have been prevented, Nouren understood some of the grief the King might be feeling. But what he couldn’t understand were the years of harsh treatment that came afterwards, and he had a hard time understanding where the madness came from. His parents had lost Nouren’s grandfather in a war before he was born, but not once did his father go mad with grief. ‘I guess people handle it differently, even if it is extreme.’

Nouren found himself at his room, and tiredly pushed the door open, closing it behind him with a soft click. He sighed to himself, removing his crown and stripping down for the night. The prince laid in the unfamiliar bed, and struggled to fall asleep. He was swarmed with thoughts about Nix, the way her hair glowed a beautiful shade of silver, unlike anything he’d ever seen. Some of the wolves of his home kingdom had grey hair at a young age, dictated by the strong genetic of their fur, but none so silver as Nix’s.

Nouren caught himself wondering what she might look like as a fox, and he daydreamed about her beautiful blue eyes, wishing he could run with her with his wolf. He wondered just how big she would be compared to him, thinking of how cute it would be if she were really as small as he was picturing her. Nouren blushed to himself, and rolled onto his side facing the big bay window. The moon was large and full, taking up half of the window with its size. His steel eyes soaked up the moonlight, transforming them liquid silver in the illustrious and calming light. Nouren’s eyelids drooped, and he finally succumbed to the call of sleep.