Foxies - 3. Part 3 + Side Story

::

Clearing Uncertainties

::

The next morning, Renael had his back facing Sept. His cough sounded wet and he was freezing. The power had been out half the night. A radiating heat he felt all over his head was the final sign that he had fallen ill. Ren had subconsciously even turned away from Septimus in the middle of the night, as if to keep the other fox from falling ill, as well.

Sept, on the other hand, had scooted closer to the blond when he felt the feverish heat coming off him. He immediately lifted himself onto an elbow and checked Ren’s temperature with the back of his hand. "Shit," He hissed. "I knew it."

The brunet quickly jumped out of bed and searched for aspirin. When he came back into the room it was with a bottle of water, a bowl of cold water, and a cloth to dampen. “Take these,” He said as he helped Renael take the aspirin and settled the cold cloth on his forehead. "I'm going to make you some soup."

Renael felt like he was already a burden to Sept and the taller fox had only been there a few days. The dark-haired man provided nonstop support to Ren, but at what cost? He didn’t want the other fox to fall ill because of him. When his partner came back, he spoke up.

"Are you sure you should be in here with me? You might get sick."

Septimus returned with a tray of soup and juice for Ren. "If I get sick, it would just be your turn to take care of me. I think I'd enjoy that a little too much, you know." He placed the tray on his beloved’s lap and kissed the top of his head.

Renael laughed weakly at Sept's response. "Deal." He replied with before falling into a fit of coughing. As he took in a few calming breaths, he caught the scent of the soup. Despite how stuffy his nose was becoming, it smelled Devine. “Can you feed it to me?”

Sept smirked at the request. "It would be my pleasure." The peach-eyed fox worked carefully, making sure to be ready with a napkin in cased anything spilled. When Renael ate more than half, he helped him hold the juice as well. "Drink as much as you can."

Though he didn't like the idea of Ren getting sick, Sept felt rather grateful that he could be the one to take care of him. Being by his side made him feel whole, as if all the years spent apart had left him incomplete. So, even though they couldn’t do much while the blond was in this state, the taller fox felt content.

Renael smiled at Sept, since he had to hold back his coughs for fear of falling into another fit. "That's all I can handle right now..." He admitted. While Septimus set the tray on the night stand next to the bed, Ren sneezed into one of the tissues from a box that the other fox had placed beside him. The blond had long lost his embarrassment of blowing his nose in front of Sept, since he was frequently ill when they were younger. So, it took around four tissues before he was able to breathe enough to speak.

“Would you like to look at some of my sketchbooks? I have them on the bottom shelf on my bookcase."

Sept grabbed a few of the sketchbooks and sat back down at the edge of the bed. As he flipped through them, he saw how far the blond fox's art style had evolved. And then, he came across some sketches of himself. His mouth fell open in surprise. It was as if Ren had combined his memories with whatever photos Sept had sent and drew a portrait of the brunet with whatever emotion he had been feeling at the time.

"Ren..." Septimus gasped, feeling a knot in his throat of emotion. He looked at the blond, back at the book, and back at the blond before his face turned red and he face-planted softly onto Ren's stomach. "I wuv yoo." Was the muffled response.

"W-what? Sept, I can't understand you," Ren pointed out with a sniffle. For a moment, he worried that the taller fox hadn’t liked his renditions of him. Were the drawings that bad?

Sept nuzzled his face all over Ren's stomach over the blanket before peering back up at the blond. "I love you. I absolutely adore you." He reiterated before sneaking under the covers and holding the ill fox to him.

"I love you, too...so much, Sept." He responded with a smile. "You were really fun to draw. I think I drew so many of them because every time I finished a picture, it was like getting to see you..." He trailed off as he thought back to the sadness he felt whenever he completed a sketch.

"I missed you just as hard. But, I‘m here now, as I intend to be for the rest of our lives."

Renael gave a light laugh as he recalled a memory. "Remember how we would try to sneak behind our parents when it was time to go so that we didn't have to leave each other? I always got caught." He was never as sneaky as Sept was. When he tried to sneak into Sept's parents' car, he would start giggling and would get caught.

Sept snorted. "Yeah, and I wouldn't get caught until I was already at the door and your pops turned around." Ren would always have to guilt-trip him into going back to make sure his parents stopped worrying about him.

"You always were much sneakier than I was," Renael admitted, snuggling against Sept and under the covers in search of more warmth. "Yet, our parents couldn’t say no whenever we visited each other’s houses."

Sept raked his fingers through Ren's hair. "That's probably why we suffered such horrible withdrawal. I think I cried for an entire month until I got your first letter. Then, I cried some more."

"W-well, you did better than me at least. I think I cried twice as long." Renael confessed with a sad smile.

While Sept was a lot rougher around the edges then he was, he understood him more than anyone else. And, unlike other kids, he didn't get frustrated or teased him for being such a girly cry baby when they were little. The memories had always been bittersweet.

"Hmm, guess I'll have to make up for a lot of time lost. You're going to be simply exhausted by the time I'm through with you." Sept warned with a shark-like grin.

"I won't mind one bit,” Ren replied with a blush. "I say, as soon as I start feeling better and when things have calmed down outside, we should take you shopping for clothes. It didn’t look like you brought much with you."

"If it were up to me, I'd simply use your body as my clothing and walk around naked."

Renael blushed a deeper shade of red and poked the other fox in the stomach. "Y-you're such a perv sometimes." He muttered, resting his head against him. "Well, if we go look for some clothes for you, we can also look at the apartments in person. You could at least do what you want there. We both could."

Sept checked himself to make sure that his nose wasn't bleeding. All of Renael's suggestions about doing whatever he wanted in an apartment with the blond had spawned several fantasies in his head. "Y-yeah."

"H-hey, is it normal to be a bit scared thinking about moving out? I-I mean, I know we'd be living together. But, I dunno, thinking about it makes me both excited and really nervous." After all, he would be leaving behind his father, too, despite the short distance.

"It'd be a good long while until that happens, and we'd be as close as possible to your dad," Sept explained. "I'd do my best to make sure nothing bad happens to you."

"I didn't have a doubt about that. We've always looked out for each other." Renael smiled weakly, though it turned sad. "I guess I'm more worried about my dad being alone here. He still hasn't dated anyone all this time." He sighed.

"After your mom, I don't blame him," Sept snorted. "She was a knock-out." He nuzzled the top of the blond's head. "But, your dad can still tun heads. Someone will come around to make him change his mind, I just know it."

Renael nodded with a small smile. "I wish I could have gotten to know her." He mused aloud. "I sure hope he does find someone again. Heh, maybe if he sees us together it could help push him in that direction, too. Or, at least, get him to talk about it."

Sept snickered. "Yeah, if he doesn't throw a water bucket at my head and toss me out of the house for trying to steal away his only son."

The blond fox laughed. "I highly doubt he would do that. You're all I talk about and I've missed you so much. He knows how much I've missed you."

Sept massaged the back of Ren's scalp and neck. "But, he doesn't know how much I love you." He said with a sigh. "He doesn't know that I plan to take you with me, that I don't plan on ever giving you back."

"He probably suspects it, though, since...since I was talking to him a while back about knowing when you really, really like someone. And since you're pretty much the only person I openly communicated with, it's probably pretty obvious." Ren replied nervously.

At that, Sept actually blushed. "Wh-when did you talk to him about that?"

"A-about two months ago, I think?" He answered. "I had actually been wanting to tell you for a while, but I wasn't sure what I was really feeling. Then, when I knew what it was, I didn't know how to say it. P-plus, I was a bit scared that it wouldn't work out and I'd mess up what we did have."

"Oh, Ren..." Sept purred. "It wouldn't have ever affected what we had. Either way, I do feel the same. I would have come as soon as I had the funds even if I didn't feel the same. Though, I probably would have waited until spring."

Renael felt so much better hearing that Sept felt the same. "I-I know that now...but, back then I was still afraid on the off chance that wasn't the case." He explained with a yawn before turning his head away to cough a bit, making a bit of an angry pout afterward, since he was already tired of the wretched cold.

Sept rubbed Ren's back. "Get some rest, love. We'll talk more tomorrow. The more rest you get now, the faster you'll get better."

Ren nodded with another yawn, nuzzling up against Sept, and quickly falling asleep.

::

The Key to Recovery

::

No one could leave due to the storm. Kender ended up falling asleep on a small couch in the patient room that Silkes occupied. The lilac-eyed doctor had checked in on the silver-haired fox in the middle of the night and the exhaustion of the days prior won-out.

When Silkes woke up that morning, his gaze was immediately drawn to the sleeping blond. A ridiculous grin formed on his face. The silver fox was rather touched that the medical professional thought to check in on him. He was even more pleased that Kender trusted him enough to fall asleep in the same room.

The conjurer slowly made his way over to the couch and brushed some strands away from Dr. Atwood’s lovely face. He wanted to keep him for his own. But, they were from completely different time periods. A frown formed on his face even as he knelt down next to him and pressed a kiss on Kender's forehead.

Kender stirred in his sleep, rubbing one of his eyes. "Oh, good morning. Feeling any better?" He drawled.

The frown on Silkes's face didn't go away even when the other fox woke up. However, he nodded sagely when asked about his health. One of his hands reached over to cup and caress one of Kender's cheeks. He was already saddened with the idea of having to part from the shorter man when the time came for him to go.

Kender placed his hand on the fox's. Why did the beautiful man always appear so sad? What events could have possibly led for Silkes to have been abandoned in the snow?

"Is something wrong?"

"Kender..." Silkes spoke carefully, and he was relieved when his voice returned to him. "Kender," He said again in a clearer tone. "I have to leave soon."

The blond’s ears twitched. He hadn’t expected to hear his name coming out of the silver fox's mouth. Such a deep, masculine voice. "So, you can speak," He replied. "How soon are we talking about? You still need rest. Besides," Knder insisted as he looked out the window. "We're probably stuck in here for now."

Silkes pressed a finger to the shorter fox’s lips to quiet him for a moment. "As soon as the snow clears up. There is something urgent I must attend to...it is a matter of great importance. If it were not so, I would not care to leave your side so soon."

"You talk like you're going back alone...I told you I was going to help you." The doctor grumbled. He didn’t appreciate being treated like a child. When was the last time someone tried to shush him?

"I do still need your help. I need to find a private, open space."

"Right now in this weather, we can’t. When it dies down, I’ll take you to my home. It's the closest thing to a private, open space you'll probably get."

"Thank you. For all that you have done for me." Silkes responded before quickly dipping down to press a soft kiss on Kender's lips.

"Gods, I have been wanting to do that from the moment I first saw you. Forgive me." The silver fox warned as he kissed him again.

As the medical professional that he was, a firm protocol was in place on becoming too close to patients. Hugs and kisses were not only frowned upon, but subject to a dismissal from the clinic, or worse. Yet, Kender couldn’t quite help but wrap his arms around the silver fox as he kissed him back. Kender had to come to terms with them fact that, not only did he find the taller man attractive, but he was also drawn to him.

Silkes practically melted when Kender actually kissed him back. The blond had tried to keep them at an appropriate distance. So, given the opportunity, the silver-haired fox did not hesitate to hold the doctor within his arms in a tender hug. The sound of a cart being pushed down the hallway, however, startled them apart.

"Wh-what can I help with while we are snowed in?” Silkes suggested when they recovered. “Consider me a volunteer."

"You can help me with my rounds here soon. It will probably be little things right now like changing bandages or simple checkups. So, you could hand me what I need. You have to wash up first, and wear a mask and gloves."

Silkes agreed, surprised that he was given the opportunity. As he did his best to help Kender the nurses kept shooting him looks and giggled at him, but he didn't mind. All he cared about was the smile on Kender's face as he did what he did best.

Kender lived for helping others. His studies into medicine were largely influenced by the illnesses of his wife and son. While a combination of a complicated pregnancy and her illness were what led to her death, Ken was relieved that Renael seems to thrive year after year in their new environment.

Though he was not a professional in terms of medicine, Silkes was quite the entertainer. His magic tricks brought joy to many of the patients they visited. The hours seemed to fly by in his company, and that day was no different.

"Looks like some of the patients like having you around, too." Kender commented with a smile.

"I do not know about that," Silkes drawled. "I keep plotting for a way to steal their doctor away for myself. One would think that they would hate me."

"Even so, it’s nice to see them smile,” the shorter fox admitted as he fought down a blush. "Laughter is one of the keys to recovery."

The silver fox admired the strong and kind heart the Healer possessed. Kender’s beauty was as radiant on the inside as it was on the outside. Silkes felt cheated for not having been born in the same time period as the lilac-eyed fox. "I am simply happy to help while I can."

"And it's greatly appreciated." Kender responded as he put away the last patient chart. "That's it for now. How about we go back to your room to check on the news about the storm?"

Silkes nodded and followed the doctor back to his room. He hoped that the snow cleared off enough to be able to leave the building. Though he couldn’t call his time there having been wasted, he had obligations in his own time period to fulfill.

"From the looks of it, we'll be able to leave tomorrow. They have to clear ice and snow from roads and entrances.Do you think you can wait that long?"

"Yes, that would be fine," Silkes replied. "I look forward to meeting your family when the snow does clear."

"I do have to warn you, my son may not be too talkative." Kender warned. "He's a bit shy around new people. Renael used to get picked on a lot, so it's not much of a surprise. But, maybe since his friend is here, he won't be as nervous."

"His friend?" Silkes asked, raising a silver eyebrow.

“His friend, Sept, who was with him last night when the storm hit. I guess he planned a surprise visit." He explained. "But, they've been friends since they were in diapers. He's about the only person my Ren’s really open and close to besides me."

"It is good that he has someone aside yourself to confide in," Silkes mused aloud. "I, myself, have never known anyone from childhood."

"Not many people go that far back. I guess you could say they have a special relationship." Kender concluded, resting his head on Silkes's shoulder.

Silkes reached down to thread his fingers through one of Kender's hands. He lifted the hand to his lips and pressed a kiss onto the back of it. He wished he could develop his own personal relationship with the lilac-eyed fox even further, but he didn't know what kind of chaos such a selfish act would create.

"You make me want to stay."

"Why can't you..?" The blond questioned. He hoped that things wouldn't end between them so abruptly. Kender hadn't liked someone so much in a very long time. In his youth, he’d heard of ‘summer love’ to describe a short-lived romance. But, they were well in the middle of winter!

"I am not worthy of you," Silkes whispered. "Not yet. But, I would do anything to find my way back to you."

Kender straightened back up to look the silver fox in the eyes. "Just what makes you think that?" He countered.

"Where I am from, my kind are persecuted," He continued in a soft voice. "But, I plan to right all wrongs."

"What do you mean by 'your' kind? Why would you be persecuted?" The blond continued to question. "What on earth could you have done?"

"I ran, thinking of nothing but my own survival," Silkes replied. "That is why I have to go back. I want to help avoid what I once thought to be inevitable."

"Allow me to help you. Helping others is part of my job description, after all."

When Silkes remained quiet, Kender frowned and stood up. “Listen, we all make mistakes, no amount of age changes that,” the lilac-eyed man insisted.

His gaze shifted towards the window, where only the light of the moon seemed to shine through. Ken let out a long sigh. The days seemed to always go either too slow or too fast.

“It’s getting late. So, get some rest for now,” The blond fox told Silkes in his most authoritative tone of voice. “We’ll leave in the morning.”

::

The Portal

::

 

Renael felt much better the following day. He was still sniffling and had a lingering cough, but the fever was gone. Though he was ill often, he noted that he seemed to recover much faster than when he was a child. He stood to look out the window and smiled. "Looks like they cleared out a lot of the snow." He said aloud as he thought of his father. He was eager for the man to see Sept in the flesh.

"One day closer to spring," Sept commented in a hopeful tone as he wrapped his arms around Ren's waist from behind.

"You really like spring, don't you?" Renael said, wrapping his arms around Sept's neck and kissing his cheek. "If it weren't for the really bad allergies I get, I'd love spring a lot more." He looked out the window once more, pleased to be able to see things a bit clearer compared to the day before with the storm. Before he could say much else, his stomach growled in hunger. That was when he remembered that he didn't eat much the day before. "Maybe we better make some brunch?"

"I like autumn, too..." Sept pointed out. His own stomach echoed Ren's in growling. "Yeah, definitely time for some sandwiches at least."

Renael made a toasted peanut butter sandwich for himself, and he was halfway into eating it when his ears twitched. The pink-eyed man heard a car door slam. "Ah, that's gotta be my dad!" He beamed rushing over to the nearest window to see. His blond eyebrows lifted when he noticed that someone was with his father. "Oh? I wonder who that could be…"

"Haven't the slightest idea," Sept responded, as if he lived there long enough to even tell who the other townspeople were.

::

Kender stopped the car and took the keys out of the ignition once he was parked. He looked over at Silkes and studied the other fox's tense body language. "Is everything alright, Silkes?" He asked after going over to the door to let him out.

Silkes finally managed to pull himself together after the fascinating car ride. Horseless carriages were amazing! "S-so, this is your home?" He asked quickly in an effort to not appear so disconcerted.

Kender nodded, and then let out a laugh when he caught Ren and Sept peeking out the window. "And it looks like someone knows we're home." He stated, gesturing towards the window.

Silkes peered over at the young adults. "Indeed."

"I don't think it's anyone from work..." Renael theorized, watching as they started heading for the door. When his father caught sight of them, he gasped. "G-guess we've been caught." Neither Sept nor himself would make very good spies.

Sept snorted and took Ren's hand as they walked to the front door to meet the other two. "Long time no see, pops." He greeted. "Who's the silverhead?"

Kender felt a sense of deja-vu when he was greeted by both his son and Sept. Good lord, the dark-haired fox towered over him now, too! "And I thought it was crazy that Ren was taller than me. You've shot up, Septimus."

Sept smirked as if being that much taller was a great compliment. "Thanks, it's nice being able to heft Ren over my shoulder more easily now."

"Boys, this is Silkes. He was a patient of mine who I've recently befriended." He explained. He then looked at the silver fox. "Silkes, this is Renael, my son…and Septimus, his best friend." He introduced.

Renael was a bit surprised, to say the least, that his father brought someone from the hospital home…especially since he generally didn't want him to be around foreigners due to his tendency to fall ill so often. "I-It's nice to meet you," Renael replied with a smile.

“And it’s an honor to meet you,” Silkes responded as he shook his hand.

“You wanna bone the doc, don't ya," Septimus stated unabashedly when it came to his turn to shake his hand.

“I am sorry, I do not understand...”

Both Renael and Kender ended up with red faces upon hearing Sept's words.

"Sept..." The younger blond muttered nervously. He had almost forgotten how Sept didn’t usually have a filter, even when it came to guests. He gave the taller fox a slight pinch on his arm.

“Ok, ok, sorry...” Septimus apologized immediately.

"Ah, Mr. Silkes, are you hungry?" Ren came to the rescue. "Sept and I were just making sandwiches before you both came in." He offered as his dad regained his composure.

"Ah, yes, thank you very much," Silkes told Renael, following the blond into the kitchen.

Sept rubbed his arm, feeling a bit more chagrined when Ren called him out on it. "You know how sometimes my mouth speaks at the same time my mind thinks." He sent Kender a sheepish smile. "Sorry pops," He apologized before whispering into his ear. "But, he sure is a handsome one, isn't he? Niiiice going."

"Okay, that's enough," Kender replied as he shoved the younger fox away. He was, trying to keep his cool, but he the slight blush on his cheeks betrayed him. The lilac-eyed man decided to change the subject. "How did you both do last night?"

Sept snickered when he was chided once more, but he stopped the teasing. The peach-eyed fox was genuinely glad to see Kender again. He was, after all, another father to him. "The storm was pretty bad," He replied in a more serious tone. "Electricity went out and despite doing my best to keep Ren warm, he seems to have caught a cold."

Kender frowned at the news. "Well, don't beat yourself up over that. As you can see, he's at least recovering faster than he used to."

"Anything specific you want? We have a lot of sandwich stuff so tell me what you want and I can make it," Ren told the silver fox, not worrying in the slightest about his cold.

"Cheese and bread would be fine," Silkes replied. He didn't know exactly what the rest of the sliced items were, though he detected the scent of different meats.

"Is that all?" Ren asked but shrugged, figuring he wanted a grilled cheese sandwich. He never knew of someone eating just plain cheese and bread together, otherwise. He then began to make a sandwich for his dad as well.

Silkes simply smiled at the blond. He was an excellent host, and clearly had more than a bit of his father's spirit in him. "Thank you."

Kender smiled as he observed his son and Sept. "So, my guess is things worked out?" He asked his son, motioning to the both of them fitting so snuggly together.

The blond boy's face glowed red, but he nodded and gave Sept a hug as they waited for the sandwiches to heat up.

Sept actually tried not to smirk that time, behaving himself, even more, when his beloved blond hugged him. He hugged him right back. "I'll take good care of him," He told Kender with a serious expression on his face.

"I expected no less." Kender told Sept, enjoying the fact that his son looked happier than usual.

"Sept took care of me while I was sick," Ren added, nuzzling his head against his love.

"You have a wonderful son," Silkes praised as he was handed his sandwich.

"I do, and he has a wonderful boyfriend now." Ken teased, watching the two interact.

"So, silverhead, you're not from around here are you?" Sept asked in a curious tone.

Silkes frowned slightly, remembering his purpose. "No," He replied. "I'm sorry, but could I use the restroom?" He asked, feeling grateful for one of the children at the hospital that helped him realize that a 'latrine' was a 'restroom' in that time period. Once directed, he made as if to head in that direction.

In reality, the silver fox took a little detour to the backyard. He quickly wrote symbols on the snowy ground in a circle and began to cast the incantation needed to return to his own time period. When the familiar surge began around his feet, Silkes glanced back at the house and the life he could have had with the lovely Kender.

“I hope you find someone more worthy of you..." He whispered to himself before walking towards the portal.

Renael watched as Silkes walk off with a frown, wondering if something was wrong. When he looked back up, he caught sight of silver hair outside. Silkes was outside? What in the world? They didn't have a bathroom out there!

Kender followed the direction of his son's gaze, glancing outside just in time to see the portal open. "Silkes!" He gasped, running out to the backyard to try and catch up with him before he did anything rash.

Renael watched in confusion, seeing his father hurry off. "What's going on?" He wondered out loud, running after his dad.

Sept had no idea what was going on, but he followed after the blond foxes. He paused at the open glass door just in time to see Silkes and Kender seemingly fall into nothing. When he saw his beautiful Renael chasing after them, he cursed and took off at a sprint. His fingers barely brushed the edge of Renael's elbow before blackness filled his vision.

::

Scattered to the Winds

::

"Heavens, that hurts! How dare you fall on me...from, from nowhere!"

The person that sat beside him was similar in stature and hair volume, but he was not Renael. "Who the hell are you?" He questioned aloud as he looked the fox over. He was blond with waist-length, wavy, pale blond hair. Similar to his Ren. Only, the fox before him was too blond…there was no pink anywhere, not even in his inner ears. And his eyes were a vivid green. He had such a strange get-up that he wondered if he crashed some sort of historical drama being filmed in the woods.

"Just how hard where you hit on the head for you not to recognize your own prin-" Calum quickly covered his mouth before he blabbed any further. If this strangely dressed fox didn't know who he was, then perhaps he could help him escape to the kingdom of his beloved prince Cean. "That is to say, we should help each other...reach the neighboring village."

"Right," Sept snorted as he gave the pale blond fox another once-over. "How about you spin tales to the next sucker to fall on you, I have to find someone." He tossed over his shoulder as he began to walk through the woods. The dark-haired fox had been far enough away to realize a bit of what happened to them. As impossible as it sounded, the group of them must have fallen through some portal brought up by that silver-head. Not having a single clue as to where he was at the moment, Sept's sole priority was to find Ren.

"W-wait! Have you no sense of propriety? How rude to just walk away from someone without a proper dismissal!" Calum whined as he followed the taller fox reluctantly. "Do you even know where you are heading?"

"Alright then," Sept replied with a roll of his eyes. "Goodbye, brat."

"How dare you call me such an uncouth name?" Calum gasped and gaped at Sept. "You shall refer to me as Prin-err, as Sir Calum from henceforth." When Sept said nothing, despite continuing to trudge forward, he folded his arms in front of him. "I gave you my name, do you have nothing to say for yourself?"

"My name is none of your business, and I have no desire to give it to a brat." Sept sighed.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever-"

"Shhh!" Sept hissed as he covered Calum's mouth with a hand. "You are too damn loud. What do you want from me?" When the shorter fox glared at him, he sighed. "Fine! My name is Septimus."

"Now then, Sir Septimus," Calum beamed, extending a hand as if expecting the other fox to kiss it. "If you promise to aid me, then I shall do everything within my power to help you find whoever you are searching for."

"Fine," Sept grumbled before shaking the hand, to the blond's surprise, sealing the deal.

::

"Oh my!" Was the collective cooing of the harem as they found the sleeping form of a lovely man upon some of their body-sized, satin pillows.

"What should we do with him? He must be a traveler with such strange clothes..." One of the concubines wondered aloud.

"Maybe he's part of the dancing troupe that came through town the other day!"

Kender stirred awake hearing voices. A strange scent made him sneeze…either a strong perfume or incense. Lilac eyes tried to focus as he woke up. Crap, someone must have his glasses. He couldn't see a thing! Everything was a blur, especially the objects that were further away. The doctor looked bewildered when he noticed the women hovering over him.

"Oh, you poor dear, my name is Adelah" A concubine purred as she handed Kender his odd spectacles. "You must have been left behind. The troupe's caravan just left. Do you have a place to stay for the night?" When the blond fox shook his head, she continued. "Holden would give you room and board, but you would have to do something for him in return."

Kender took the glasses from the concubine, finally able to fully see his surroundings. He was shocked to find himself in a harem, of all places. An entertainer? Is that what they thought he was? Sure, he could dance a bit, but a professional entertainer? The lilac-eyed fox peered out the windows and realized that it was nightfall. That mere thought made him frown. He needed to find everyone, but it was pitch black outside. He didn't see a single streetlight at all!

"Seems like I have no choice but to stay here for the night. What , exactly, would I need to do?"

::

"Have you heard the latest from the castle?"

"No, I've been running errands for the last few days."

Sept slapped a hand over Calum's mouth and ducked behind a few bushes to keep them both from being seen as they listened in on the conversation of a group of foxes on the nearby road. The two of them had walked along the woods and the dark-haired fox followed a trail that seemed well-traversed. They were talking about a castle?

"They say that someone's kidnapped, Prince Calum! Found signs of a struggle in the young lord's chambers. His canopy was shredded and his clothes were tossed all over the floor."

"The king's gone just about mad searching the kingdom for him."

Calum's green eyes widened. Struggle? What struggle? A mess on the floor? The two foxes stayed close to the ground until they heard the voices become softer and softer in the distance. When they heard the voices no longer, they slowly stood up.

“If someone tried to kidnap you, and you’re with me," Septimus began as he pieced what he understood together. “Then, wouldn’t people think I was the one who kidnapped you?”

"I took off on my own, I do not understand how such a rumor has spread...”

"Whatever, listen...I’m looking for a silver-haired guy and two blonds. One of the blonds is the love of my life." Sept explained. “I don’t know where you’re heading, but so long as we keep walking in the same direction, I ask that you help me look for them.”

“Blond is such a common color, are there any other details you are willing to give me about their appearance?”

“Well,” Sept responded with a sigh. “Other than your eyes, Ren is the spitting image of you...”

::

"Where the fuck is he!?" The assassin hissed under his breath. It was the middle of the night and he had searched high and low for Prince Calum and found no trace of him. In a fit of rage, the fox tossed around the pillows and bedsheets and stabbed at the prissy canopy drapes, shredding them with his dagger. If he didn't find the prince soon…

"Shit!" The man gasped when he heard a thump behind him. The dark-haired assassin squinted his light brown eyes at the collapsed form on the ground. "Found you!" He whispered in a sing-song voice. On the ground rested the silhouette of a blond, curly-haired fox.

::

Ren woke up in a daze of confusion. What in the world happened? He remembered running after his father through that weird swirling door...

 

Wait, where was his father? And Sept! Where was his beloved Sept? He looked around at the unfamiliar area and instantly felt scared. "Dad? Sept?" He called, hoping to hear at least one of their voices.

"Ah, so the little mouse is awake," the assassin drawled as he slowly turned a knife in his hand. His light brown eyes glanced at soft pink ones before the knife came down to cut into a slice of bread. "Here, have something to eat while I ask you a few questions." He said, handing over the bread and motioning to a wooden cup full of water. "Who are you, and what were you doing in Prince Calum's room? Are you some kind of royal decoy?"

Renael sniffled, his body still trying to fight off the cold he had caught before. "Prince Calum...decoy? M-my name's Renael." He explained. "I'm not sure how I got here...I was running after my father and the rest is a blur."

The older man moved closer and took hold of Ren's chin, moving the boy's face from side to side. "You sure have a striking resemblance to Prince Calum...I'm sure by now that the word's spread of the prince's kidnapping."

Ren gulped nervously. "I-I may look like him but I'm not him." He muttered as his body trembled in fear. He bit his bottom lip to stop himself from getting teary-eyed. He was too worried about everyone else to even bother with the bread and water he had been given earlier. "If you don't mind my asking, who are you? Y-you know my name after all."

"My name is Arius," the assassin replied. "I was hired by the queen to kidnap and murder Prince Calum, and to toss his dead body somewhere no one would ever find..." He explained. "I was going to make a compromise with the Prince for his life, but when I took a good look at you, I realized I took the wrong fox." He waved his hand in an impatient manner. "Oh, don't look at me that way, I'm not going to kill you."

"The queen asked for her own son to be killed?" He questioned with a pitiful frown. While he never knew his mother Paige, his father had told him all about her. How she loved him even before he was born and until her last breath. "Why would she ask someone to do such a thing to her own child..?"

Arius had never come across such a sensitive kid. The young fox was practically aching for the prince's predicament, though it had nothing to do with him. "You’re clearly not from around these parts if you don’t know about the royal family. The queen is his stepmother, and I suppose that wants him dead to keep what little power she has. The prince is betrothed to the princess of the neighboring kingdom. Once married, he would be king of both lands and the queen would hold no power."

"That's still not a good enough reason to go and kill someone that's supposed to be your child, blood or not," Renael replied testily, but then he tried to summon up a small smile for Arius. "You are kind enough to at least consider not killing him in spite of it all. " He began coughing into his elbow. "Ah, I'm sorry…I've been ill." The blond fox added with a shiver. He looked out the window mournfully, wishing he knew where everyone was.

“For the time being, you can rest up and tell me how you ended up in the castle in the first place,” Arius insisted. “It wasn’t easy for me to sneak in, and you weren’t in the room when I first scoped it out...”

“I don’t really know. I saw my father and his friend disappear into a swirl and immediately followed them.”

“A swirl?” Arius mused aloud. “Maybe a portal of some kind. Sounds like you’ve a conjurer amongst you.”

“A conjurer?”

“They’re the only ones with enough magic to make a portal out of thin air like that.”

“I see...” Ren responded, worried if he was ever going to find the others this way.

“I’m sure your people didn’t fall too far away. When you’re up to it, I’ll take you ‘round the town to see if you can find them.”

The tears fell then, freely from the blond’s pink eyes. “You really are too kind to be an assassin,” Renael insisted.

“I may have been hired as an assassin,” Arius responded. “But, I’m a hunter and woodsman above all else. I’ve a feeling she only hired me because I live closest to the castle, and she’s seen me hunt before.”

“What kind of compromise were you going to make with the prince?”

The hunter rubbed the back of his neck in a bashful manner. “I was just gonna help him get to another town to be safe, that’s all.”

“Thank you, Arius,” Ren responded with a sniffle as he wiped his tears away. “I can’t imagine what situation I’d have been in if you weren’t the one that found me.”

“Don’t think too hard on it, little mouse,” Arius replied as he ruffled the top of Ren’s head. “You’re safe now.”

------------------------

::

Side Story- Princess Calum

::

For the first few months of Cean being courted by princesses from other lands, Calum had kept quiet and distant. His jealousy all but ate at him inside and out. He did not want to risk the fragile balance between their special relationship by being an awful friend with the intent of ruining his dates. So, instead, he kept his distance and watched sadly from the sidelines. After all, what if a princess from a different land was actually meant to be with Cean? What if his selfishness kept Cean from his one true love? They were only sixteen, after all...Cean could always change his mind.

After seeing the white-blond prince suffer in silence for weeks, Calum's cousin had had enough. She, too, had come to court Cean from a distant land...but, she had no interest in him. Princess Dulce placed her hands on her hips and glared down at her cousin on the bed. "That is enough, stop being so miserable or you will make everyone else just as miserable!" She chastised. "If you are so unsure of his feelings, then you should court him yourself!"

That being said, she dragged him off the bed and made him up like a princess. When she was through, the two of them could have been mistaken for sisters. "Hmm, of course! No one knows that I don't have any siblings. You could pass as my younger sister!"

Calum looked at himself in the mirror with a mixture of horror and worry. He certainly made a lovely princess. Dulce had dusted his hair a copper color and she had braided the tresses with ribbons and tinsel. One of her golden tiaras was fastened around his forehead, and she placed a light layer of make-up on his face. The dress he wore was a dark green color and gave the illusion of small breasts that he certainly did not have. In short, he was unrecognizable even to himself. "Dulce..."

"Just be careful not to talk too much...I can disguise your looks well, but all the makeup in the world cannot hide your voice from Cean," Dulce warned.

If there was one thing that Calum was grateful for, it was of the simple flat shoes that Dulce had him wear beneath the dress. The dress was, thankfully, long enough to cover any shoes and he was glad he didn't have to wear heels. Dulce had trained him for days on how to walk and act like a princess. Luckily, it didn't take much for Calum to pretend to act like a girl, since his face was rather feminine and blended into any female posture. He was announced at the entrance to the throne room as 'Princess Dilian.' When brought before Cean, he made a perfect curtsy.

::

As Cean and Calum grew older, the two had become busier with princely duties as well as the fact Calum and his sister had been having to get together since they were engaged to be married one day. The brunet's mother was afraid he was feeling left out and decided that her son should be courted as well. However, it was not what he wanted at all. The one he wanted to be with was already engaged, and he still wanted to find a way to end that engagement to take Calum for himself. He bided his time until he could formulate another plan.

The brunet waited at the throne room to meet yet another princess. When she was announced, he was a bit confused. She looked familiar. Something felt strange about this one. At the moment, he needed to put on a show for his parents. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess Dilian." He stated as he held out his hand to take hers.

Knowing that his voice was about the only thing that could betray him at the moment, Calum spoke in a soft, brief tone that was an octave higher than his normal voice. "Pleasure to meet you, too, Prince Cean." A light blush formed on his face when he placed his hands in Cean's.

How peculiar, Cean thought to himself. This particular princess acted differently than the others. She kept avoiding his gaze. The brief glimpses he caught of her eyes unnerved him. They were quite similar to his Calum's eyes. Wait, no, they looked exactly like them! Was he imagining things? He hadn't seen Calum in a while, but was it truly possible? He summoned up a smile. "You have very stunning eyes, my lady. Come, a carriage is waiting for us." He declared as he led her to a horse-drawn carriage.

The disguised prince concentrated with all his might to not blink nervously when Cean pointed out his eyes. However, he managed it and he didn't look away, knowing that any tense movement would give him away before their date even began. He nodded in response and carefully sat in the carriage.

Cean wouldn't dare call the other out in front of so many people. He still was unsure that the princess before him was truly Calum, in any case. He certainly had a very high suspicion. Once they were in the carriage, he glanced towards her. "Princess Dilian, I hear your family has extended family in a nearby kingdom. What is that like?" He asked innocently. After all, he was a bit curious. No family of his really had any other princes and princesses. His father was an only child and the heir by default. His mother had come from a far off kingdom and they rarely saw her side of the family.

Calum once again adopted his slightly lighter, airy voice. "An island full of rivers, as you have probably already heard from Princess Dulce," He replied. Dulce's home kingdom was described truthfully, but he still felt a slight unease at deceiving Cean, even if for only a day.

The prince chuckled. He could tell that she was becoming uneasy. "No, I actually meant what it is like having family in a nearby kingdom. After all, you have a cousin nearby, is that not correct? I heard that he can be quite the handful."

The prince chuckled. He could tell that she was becoming uneasy. "No, I actually meant what it is like having family in a nearby kingdom. After all, you have a cousin nearby, is that not correct? I heard that he can be quite the handful."

A little smirk formed on Calum's lips. "Calum would not be himself if he was not a handful," He replied carefully, his voice falling to a mere whisper as turned to glance out the window. "Though, he is not a 'handful' very often these days."

Cean noticed the little smirk. That was Calum's face, he was sure of it. But he wanted their impromptu date to last a bit longer. "I would not know," He admitted. "It has been a while since I last saw him. I mean no offense to you, but this courting has stolen away any time I have to see him." He let out a long sigh and noticed when the carriage stopped. He hopped off before helping the 'princess' out as well. "I hope you do not mind eating here. I enjoy eating away from the palace at times."

Calum shook his head as he followed Cean quietly. He thought of what the other prince had told him in the carriage. Did that mean that he was missed? "Has it been worth it?" He asked before he could stop himself. "Have you...found anyone you liked, I mean."

"Thus far, I have certainly not..." Cean replied as he frowned. "I feel as if my mother is wasting everyone's time. There is someone I have liked since I was very small. But due to to…certain circumstances, we cannot be together just yet. I fully intend to change that if that is what he still wishes, as well." He spoke with a small smile, leading her inside.

Instead of feeling the relief he thought he would feel when Cean admitted to not liking any of the princesses, the green-eyed prince felt guilt instead. Calum was starting to realize that he was asking for quite a lot when it came to Cean. Though Cean's sister already knew that the two of them wanted to be together, she was being kept from courting and finding someone, too! "It is not fair to anyone..." He whispered.

Cean nodded, ordering their food for them. He made sure to pick something he knew Calum would like. "I agree. No one is happy with the arrangement. But at the moment, there is not much we can do about it." He added. "I am sorry, I should be asking more about you. Tell me more about yourself."

Another blush formed on Calum's face when Cean ordered a meal that was one of his absolute favorites. Did the other prince do this with all the other princesses? Order Calum's favorite meals? "I have very little to say," He replied as he ate and picked at his food. "There is someone I miss terribly. I wish nothing but the best for them, but I cannot help but selfishly want to tie them to me..."

Cean inwardly smirked as he saw the blush as well as heard what Calum admitted. "I feel the same." If they were not in public, he would expose the other prince. But, the brunet knew exactly where and when to do so. He ate his food before having them taken back to the palace. "There is a place I want to take you specifically." He explained. After all, Calum did not know that he was the only one that Cean would ever bring to the gardens. "This is one of my favorite places here. It is the one place I can go and not have guards all around me outside the interiors of the palace."

Calum felt a slight pang at the thought of Cean bringing the princesses to their 'sanctuary', but he did his best to keep the disappointment off his face. "I-it is lovely."

Cean saw the disappointment in Calum's eyes and tried to not just flat out hug him then and there. "This way," He urged, leading the other prince further back towards the fountains. "I am quite surprised you did not throw a fit when I ordered for you. You hate when others do not let you choose." He mused out loud.

Calum followed behind the other prince, feeling a little glum deep inside. He was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he answered automatically. "You have always known just what to choose for me, Cean. You are the only exception-" Calum let out a loud gasp and covered his mouth with his hands as he realized that he had unwittingly outed himself. "You...you knew?"

Cean laughed when his Calum gave himself away. "For nearly the entire day. Though I have to say, your acting with that disguise did fool me at first." He confessed. He then pulled the green-eyed prince into a hug. "You should have known yourself. I would have never ordered your favorite food or brought you here, otherwise. I only do that with you, Calum."

The shorter prince felt his heart soar when he felt Cean's arms around him and let his words sink in. In Cean's embrace, he realized something that was both dreadful and wondrous. The feeling made him feel both joyous and afraid; anxious and content. "I truly have missed you so much. Forgive me for trying to trick you." He replied.

"Do not apologize. Though it was not quiet what Iimaged our first date to look like, I enjoyed being by your side. I have missed you so much..." Cean responded.

"Cean...I love you." Calum whispered.

Cean felt his heart skip a beat before it began to thump wildly. Those words...he wanted to hear them from no one else. "I love you too, Calum. You, and no one else." He muttered, nuzzling against the prince's neck. "No matter what happens, I will always be your knight."

Calum slowly pulled back enough to look into Cean's eyes. "Does that mean no more princesses?"

"You were the final one. I told my mother that I tired of it." Cean replied with a sheepish smile. He then kissed the shorter prince's forehead. "After all, I feel I prefer princes." He added with a small smirk.

Calum sent him a willful pout. "Do not tell her that part or she might have you court princes, instead!"

Cean couldn't help but laugh. "I would not. Now, how about we continue this little walk of ours, 'Princess Dilian'?" He suggested in a teasing manner, taking Calum's hands. "I have to say, you look rather nice in a dress."

Calum nodded, a bright blush forming on his face when Cean reminded him of the dress. "I would only wear one for you...and you would have to be grave or ill for me to wear a dress ever again!"

"Oh? If we get married, I certainly will not wear a dress." The taller prince insisted deviously. "That reminds me. I feel like practicing something…" He quickly snatched Calum up into his arms bridal style and started walking through the garden with a pleased expression on his face.

Calum's arms instinctively wrapped around the other prince's neck as his eyes sought out Cean's. He ignored the blush that was probably covering his face and neck. "I concede to wearing white...and I will only wear a dress if you ask nicely." In a smaller voice, he added. "And I would not mind being carried like this."

The taller prince smiled innocently at him, as he felt he won that round. "We have time to sort out the details later. For now, let us simply enjoy our day together." Cean prompted, kissing Calum's cheek as he carried him through the garden.