The Alpha In The Fox Kingdom

o

water into a bowl, soak a towel in it and

s. "You should close your eyes

lies from a dry throat

much slaves as they want since our population keeps rising. If they cannot kill us through unneces

ia says and blinks weakly. "Watch out for a plant whose flowers have pink pe

belongs to the queen," I ob

e wall construction site," says M

serve as cover. Then I pick a little basket and make to leave. But Madam Mia

ith lots of double bunks arranged in rows and columns like we're in prison. Only Madam Mia

ace has been my home for seventeen years, so I know its nooks and crannies as if they are the lines of my open palms. I remain behind the pillar until the guards have passed along, then I step out onto the corridor to continue my

he exit and stroll i

behind the palace. If one looks up well enough, you'll be able to see the balcony of the

Truth be told, what Madam M

are meant to self-heal. Even if you pierce them with an arrow, their wounds close up in nanoseconds.

s si

s back, the fox

t

multiple times. How

le. But she's gotta have one weakness somewhere, a tiny fault

y have to die. She only needs to be absent fr

. "The queen," I objected to Madam Mia, "has actu

raise images to her honor, organizing religious services in her name, bowing down to worship her molded statue. So the fox queen herself descend

ed fox head and is securely hidden in the innermost chambers of the palace, just behind the Queen's own living chambers so that only she has access. If this rod is stolen and buried in the sand when the queen is away on her earthly duties, every slave

king, finally I'm at

der the shades of tall shrubs.

hat has pink petals and purple stalk, and I bend

But then I am well hidden from the gossiping field workers. Som

and starts racing to c

lcony is the prince himself, Pr

has he been

reverence, eventually raising my head to look up at him.

sket are enough for Madam Mia, y

ox prince himself has caught me plucking leaves from the queen's garden and has done nothing, then I could just tell that to anyone else that catches m

oors leading straight to the underground. I heave a sigh of relief and stroll in to see

been a