The Nightingale and His Golden Cage

Just a fox

My name is Renard. I am aware that I am a fox and therefore I should not be able to read or write but in all honesty, who gives a rat's ass about can talk or write, they are both overrated. Speaking of rats, I am incredibly hungry. I stand up and jump unto the large  soft bed and climb atop Marius I lick him in order to wake him up. He groans and tries to keep his eyes closed but he does not succeed. "Renard It's  far too early to be hungry" Well, my stomach doesn't lie pal. I jump on him again and again, before he gets out of bed and rings a bell. He grabs a few raspberries he still had laying around and smiles while he gives them to me."Patience is virtue Renard." I know, I know Marius, but hunger by makes me annoyed.

Some servants enter the room most of them like me and pet me when I look at them. "Good morning Marius what special occasion is this that you are up this early?" Lady margot asks. "Renard is hungry." He responds with a genuine smile, even though he isn't a morning perso . I'm sure he takes a liking to lady Margot but to be frank who wouldn't? a cynical woman with a heart of gold, it is is truly everything you can ask for. Your breakfast is almost ready, oh and there is a guest for you." She says, "Already?" Marius asks, a is a quest bit perplexed because hasn't had the chance to make himself look proper (As he would say). "Don't worry, it's only francois Just throw something on." she says with a smile. "Come on, Get on with it prince! Or you food will get cold" He chuckles.

 We walk towards the dining room through the light blue cabiner and we arrive at the carmine red dining room with it's absurd amount of gold and art, but what can I say about that? I am only a fox. Francois, marius' dear cousin is already sitting at the table. I honestly am indifferent to Francois company. With his pale blue eyes, stolen from Marius, and his auburn red hair with his fox like white tuft at the back of his hair. You can see rather clearly that those two are related, the elegance in their movements is the same although the elegance less present with Francois. But everything that makes Marius truly beautiful seem to be less present in Francois.

"Herbert!!" Marius says to annoy hin. Francois official first name is the rather....... Unfortunate name of Herbert which he hates and never uses it. So it is Marius was to get under Francois skin, in a loving way. "I thought you would visit yesterday. I even lost a bet for your honour" He chuckles "How much?" "Not enough to let you pay it Francois." "Depending on the phrasing you actually won. I was plaming to be here yesterday evening but unfortunaly we had trouble with our means of transport." He says. "Well. were the horses too stubborn?" Francois rolls with his eyes while smiling and grabbing some food. "No the humans were"

If I would have to compare thee to a summer's day, sorry digressing, If I would have to compare these two friends to animals. I would compare Marius to a deer: innocent, excited and happy. However, I would compare Francois to a fox, I cannot explain why but the way he talks and moves. The elegant clumsiness of my graceful kind. But also the way he sometimes looks at life and his.....aura.

Marius doesn't eat much when he has company. I do not know his reasons but he must have some. Marius can still fascinate me sometimes. "Francois?" Morius asks in a serious tore "Yes?" "Could you perhaps ask my father if..... if I could perform something on the piano in palais venais? The audience can be as small as he wants to." Francois looks at him for a second, before chuckling and shaking his head. "No marius" Marius looks rather disappointed "Can I at least visit Palais Venais for a day? I miss the memories, I miss...." But he cannot finish "Who gave you such a silly idea Marius?" Marius sighs. "Cecil wants me to play and frankly I'd like to and I am simply longing to see the palace again" Francois chuckles and shakes his head "oh dear that is simply ridiculous." Marius frowns and stands up. "You do not have to mock me!" "I simply do not get your desire to be there, you have all of this beauty for yourself." Francois says while pointing at the walls. "You want to trade? disclaimer: feelings of abandonment, imprisonment and utter hopelessness included. Still want it? Did I mention that you won't have any normal social contacts whatsoever and all your days will be filled with dread and the wish to leave?" He screams with tears in his eyes/ I walk up. to him, hoping to console him to some degree. "Do not exagerate now. Marius, you can leave whenever you want to you just don't do it." "For God's sake Francois, you don't get it do you? do you have the emotional range of a Marmot? I do not mean litteraly!" "Don't bring God into this marius." "God, Jesus, the whole array of the olympians I do not care. You are not my father don't act like you are!!"

Marius picks me up and wants to carry met towards another room but Francois puts his hand on Marius shoulder. I growl at him but before I can bite the unfortunate Herbert Marius has already put me down and turned around.

"Marius this is all for your protection for your safety. This" He points at the walls "Is all a testament to your fathers love and care. He loves you Marius, we care so much about you, This is how. Your father is a wise man he has his reasons. It is not our job to wonder why, that'll only make us anxious." Marius nods. "Let's take a little stroll I will ask your father for more time for yourself in your schedule."

I walk in between the two cousin, they are walking a tad too fast making it slightly hard for me to keep up with them. I push my head against Marius leg. "We should walk a bit slower, Renard doesn't have long legs." "How do you know that, how do you know he can't keep up?" Marius shrugs "you get to know your pets, just like with people." Francois look at me rather get fascinated. "Marius, today two guests will come by, these quests are rather important, I suggest you insist they stay here. it's a good strategy to show off weatlth while your father and I strike a deal with them." Marius nods, I roll my eyes, always needs something right?

I walk away looking for some new food. No, I am not hungry but food is always an indulgence and Octavio always has the absolutely best and freshest fruits. After a small stroll, I see him and  walk up to him, He puts his tools down for a second and pets me, sometimes it feels like Octavio must feel like me, he cannot communicate with anyone. But Marius. Marius always knows what to say, what to understand marius deserves more than the secrets in the walls. Octovio deserves more than these gardens which resemble the gardens of eden.

He gives me some pets and an apple. I bite into it, the sweetnes is perfectly balanced with the tart taste. I look at him, hopefully he he understands understands I am grateful he smiles and puts a flower in my fur next to my ear and he smiles as if he is making fun of me. Our joking is interupted by a viscious scream, we both jump up in fright as the old man limping towards us screams Octavio's name I know this man is the former head of gardens. I also know he is Octavio's cruek father. Octovio looks down "What are you doing? You should be working! You are useless" Octavio looks down and nods. "You shouldn't talk as much as you do with the prince, I con't believe you have the audacity to make him talk to you! You shouldn't care about that fox either" I hrowl towards the old man "The world wasn't made for freaks like you, and the prince for that matter" Octavio takes a deep breath an nods, not knowing what to do. So we both just walk away.

I enter the library, the place you'll probably find Marius when he's on his own. I walk up to him he's standing at one of the dozen bookcases. He is reading a book, he always seems to forget he has the ability to walk away and sit down somewhere when he reads. He just immediately opens the book and is immersed in the story. Strangely or well, not very strangely the library is one of the few rooms he seems happy in. It is also the only room he has been allowed to change, he made it bigger, connected it with his study and the other library on the ground floor with a hidden staircase, chose the art and and hand-picked every single book in the collection. he also gets he gets a chest of new books every month which be also chooses himself. When he is reading his worry becomes fascination, his sadness becomes empathy, his cage invisible and his loneliness unexcistent. I lay down at his feet and he sits down with his book in his lap, softly stroking my head with such love a mother could hardly give. Iook ot my saviour and sigh, I have a good life, I just wish Marius had one too. I yawn and before I know it, I fall asleep.

When I wake up Marius stands up with haste, I immediately follow hisn, "Look what you've done to your hair, you'll be too late for your guest and they'll deem you rude!" Lady Margot says. As soon as we enter his bedroom I lay down on my little bed, hopefully to sleep again but lady Margot's complaining about the messy bun and Marius arguing that is isn't all that bad bans my brain from going peacefully to dreamland. "Fine!" He says as he takes out his bun his beautiful hair streaming down his shoulders. After people finish his hair Mister Vontacure comes in. "Are they here yet" '"No, now being led to the Audience room." Marius nod, slightly while walking towards the windows and pulling the pearly white curtains a bit back as he stares outside his eyes seem to get surprised with something and after staring for a while he seems to startle as he walks back I see a slight blush on his face and a mischevious no, that's the wrong word. Shy (I suppose) smile. A beautiful smile. I do wonder what he saw.....

"we are ready for you your highness"