Chapter 1: Awake

"Vulpine….Vulpine?? VULPINE?!" Vulpine's eyes shot open as she jerked bolt upright. "Goddess sake.. how are you to be the next queen if you can't even get up at a decent time my child?!" The harsh sharp nagging tone tugged at vulpines ears already sensitive caused by the previous yelling her mother had just done. Though usual for her mornings vulpine groggily got up as to her mother's wishes with a snide "Aye, Ma. Wonderful to wake up to your kindness. You may need to speak louder though your voice may be quite faint for the other side of the world…" Though not part of their duties the newer maids took it upon themselves to creep upon the door and listen in to the Queen and her daughters feverish argument of manners and timeliness. Vulpine was sure the guards below them had assumed the castle cat had gotten ahold of one of her mother's precious song birds with the squabbling on the floor above. As quick as it came the queens temper fizzled out. Vulpine picked up the sound of footsteps scattering outside her door as her mother approached it. Once the door was thrown open by her mother the lights from the corridor illuminated the soft fur covering her mother's figure. A brilliant caramel color was across the tops of her arms and on her face,while a lighter gray invaded the caramel from the underneath of her arms and down the middle of her neck. Vulpine grunted as she shut her doors. Alone at last! Perhaps I'll go back to sleep...what could another scolding do other than hurt my ears? Vulpine began to sink back into her bed when she heard the clearing of a throat. This startled her enough to jump into defense as her father had taught. "You know your ma wouldn't like that eh?" The familiar voice of her personal maid put her mind at ease but only for a second because as Allith finished her sentence she flung the curtains open. The sudden blinding bright white filled vulpines vision with spots. "Eeeeh perha-...…..ok aye! She wouldn't be very pleased…" a harsh glance from allith pushed sense into vulpines head and shook the sleep from her. " alright then. In the bath with ya. You know your ma likes your coat to shine. " A loud groan was met with the stare again and the princess begrudgingly got off her tail and went to her bathroom. As per the usual allith bathed and dried the teen and left her to brush herself to get her clothes. Vulpine looked at herself in the mirror prodding at her own face deciphering which features she were given was her fathers or her mothers. Her light gray fur tone with an almost white belly is a trait only her father could give. Snow leopard and lynx. Her ears were pointy with tufts of black fur atop as her mother and instead of the spots along her body being black or gray they were her mother's lovely caramel tone. Vulpine brushed her fur paying special attention to the long tail that draped across her lap. "Don't want it to get knotted again ey?" Allith poked at vulpine as she came through the door with clothes. "As we both know those knots gave me a bald spot on my tail. I am never going through that again." Allith laughed as she set the clothes out across vulpine's bed. "Yes but really it was your fault seeing as you didn't listen to your mother about the briars and tail protection." Ignoring vulpines harsh glare through the mirror Allith smiles to herself " speaking of your mother I persuaded her to allow you to wear trousers instead of a dress." Vulpines eyes go wide, "why I could kiss you allith!! That's wonderful!!" The joy over vulpines face made allith pleased with herself. "Aye then over here on the cheek! I knew ya couldn't survive another day. I'm surprised you lasted through your mothers festival." Vulpine rushed over and placed a big kiss on alliths cheek. "I really couldn't've!" A growling noise interrupted their talk. The both of them looked to vulpines belly which let out another snarl in resentment towards the slowness of her pace. Vulpine smiled sheepishly up at Allith "I best get to breakfast before the beast gets angrier", Allith responded with a nod and dropping the clothes onto her shoulder. "Be quick princess I hear your mother is becoming impatient. " as allith leaves a call of "when is she not?!" tugs a smile from her lips. Vulpine dresses quickly the angry gnawing pain in her stomach spurring her to get to the dining room as soon as possible. Usually she wouldn't be near as hungry but the festivities of the past few nights had left her too stressed to eat. The dresses she was wearing those nights wouldn't allow her to eat anyhow, so tight most of the time she could barely breathe. While their kingdom had more of a new age feel that was the one thing her mother had clung to. Vulpine shook the thoughts from her head when she pulled her trousers on. A sigh of relief exited her as she walked around in them tucking her semi loose shirt into her waistband. A shiver went down her spine as she stepped from the warm carpet of her room to the stone hallway, her fur lightly prickled as she padded down the hall to the stairs a loud growl rang through the silent hallway "alright alright!