still {on HOLD}

chapter two

       {Etanna-Prior Kingdom}     ( POV of Queen Madison Elizabeth Etanna-Prior )

  It was cold, as usual up here in the high mountains. My husband and I were finishing breakfast when my informant burst through the doors holding a scroll. He walks over to me and begins to speak.

  "Your highness, Queen Adela Straugh-Torrence is on her way with her guards."

  "And she's left that no good piece of filth at the kingdom."

   "Yes, madam."

"Good. Now we must prepare. We should host a feast on her honor. Send out an order for a dozen hams, six turkeys, an amazing abundance of fruit, the finest wine, the best hot soup in all of the north region, and the richest grain you can find.
 
   "Yes, your highness."

"You are dismissed."
                                    ______

  After breakfast was finished, my husband Quincy and I went for a walk in the snow garden.

  "I can see something has been troubling you lately, darling." He says.

     "Yes. I think there's something missing from our family."

"But, my love, we have four children. What could possibly be missing?"

     "I don't know. I....I think I want a pet."

"Well, what kind of pet?"

    "I'm not exactly sure."

                                                                       _______

    Later that week, before Adela got to my kingdom, my husband and I visited a market which kept live animals in one of the bigger stalls. I'd heard this vendor had a wide selection of animals from exotic lizards to wolves to a grand variety of wild cats. It was not a long journey to the market from my kingdom, only an hour or two away.

    When we arrived there, my queens-guard, Mad-Dog, escorted my husband and I through the other stalls, back to the pet vendor. The front of the stall was a little bit appalling, at the site of all the animals who looked to be very tired.

    The owner of the whole thing was standing, walking around actually, poking pieces of bread into the cages which were stacked on top of each other. I looked around and saw some wild cats but nothing particularly stood out to me.

   "Hello," says the owner in his raspy, harsh voice, "is there anything in particular that I could interest you in?"

       "Well, I've come here today looking for a pet. Now, I live rather high in the mountains and the climate there is very chilly. Do you have anything you recommend?" I asked. The man gave me a once over and then spoke.

  "I think I have just the thing for you, my lady. Follow me." The man says as he leads us to the back of the lot of cages. I walk past them and notice most of them are pretty ordinary. The owner finally comes to a stop in front of a cage with a small spotted grey ball of fur inside. "Go ahead, my lady."

     I walk closer to the cage and slowly stick my fingers inside. One of the other animals makes a noise and the sleeping fur slowly begins to unfold itself. It's big grey-green eyes open and it looks at me and makes a small yawning noise.

    "I'll take this one." I say with a smile.