Fox O' Nine Tales: Larissa Of Foxwood

Chapter Seven : Foxtails

A Fox O'Nine Tale

By R.W. Slavin

Book One: Larissa of Foxwood

Chapter 7 : Foxtails

Lord Chamberlain Reynard suddenly tilted his head back and raised one of his finely-cuffed and manicured (pedicured?) furry hands heavenward, apropos of nothing in particular, as far as Larissa could tell, and addressed the newly arrived trio of guests.

"Larissa! Reggie! Bea! Come right this way! Quickly! Quickly! The Royal Princesses are assembled in expectation of receiving you!" Reynard had already turned and launched himself back up the red carpet into the Castle foyer as if he were late for an appointment. Larissa, Reggie and Bea had to dash after him to catch up. They followed at the heels of the tall, dapper fox as he continued to accent his own words with dramatic sweeping flourishes of his arms as he walked and talked.

"I'm afraid that the usual tranquility of our peaceful Kingdom has been disrupted by some sort of preposterous folderol which has in turn precipitated a fair amount of public relations rigmarole which the Council of Princesses are presently dealing with even as we speak. Alas! This means I must deposit you for what will hopefully be just a short while in the Royal Waiting Room as if you were gem miners from the North seeking to peddle pendants to the Princesses! Never fear! I will send refreshments right away if the wait is more than a few minutes!"

Reynard ushered the three visitors about three-quarters way down the broad main hall and then through a door most cleverly hidden in the hallway wall that was the entrance into a swanky anteroom. The hidden chamber had several comfy-looking sofas and divans luxuriously appointed with tons of throw pillows. The moment Larissa, Reggie and Bea were inside, the (doorknobless!) door was quickly closed behind them and they could hear the heels of Reynard's fancy shoes clicking away down the hallway. Larissa was grateful to have a sit-down on one of the divans to collect her thoughts. Reggie and Bea, though, had had their "fox inquisitiveness" sparked by Reynard's hurried hallway remarks and, the moment the door was closed and Reynard was gone, they clutched each other's paws and actually bumped their noses together in their excitement to recap and analyze the developing situation.

"Oh my goodness!" whisper-shouted Bea. "Just what do you think is going on in Foxwood?! Why are the Princesses in dire convention at this very moment?!"

"It has to be the intruder! The alien!" whisper-shouted Reggie. "First the word was that the Council was denying an intrusion! Then that Wolfen Guard Commander has actually stated officially that Knight Nathaniel had captured an intruder and turned him over to the Council! And there's been no official word from the Princesses yet as to sorting out these discrepancies, so far as I've heard!"

"Oh!" exclaimed Bea, "it's all too exciting! And we're right here in the capital as it's happening! Isn't it exciting, Larissa?!"

Larissa shook her head as she tried to process all the incoming information.

"What's the problem, though? I thought you guys were happy to have visitors?"

"Invited visitors, yes!" said Reggie. "But not uninvited intruders!"

"Well, since visitors like me 'invite' ourselves, anyway," said Larissa, "what's the difference in someone just walking in? Isn't that just cutting out the paperwork?"

"Oh, heavens, no, child!" said Bea. "Invited visitors have expressed their sincerest desire to be here with us in Foxwood! Through their drawings and paintings and poems and stories and songs! An uninvited intruder sneaks in for, well, who knows what reason?! That's the very, very big difference!"