The Foxes in Time

(SHORT STORY)

Over the time span of one-hundred years, the kingdom, Megora, was forged. Four giant towers stood mighty, touching the clouds with their spires. Marble walls connected the towers, forming a great castle. Stained-glass windows created pictures for the townsfolk; most of them being of the king and queen. A ring of mountains surrounded the kingdom. The castle was built on top of the tallest one. A mighty wall enclosed the village. A large moat encircled the wall, and a drawbridge was the only entrance and exit. Outside of the wall were farms that replenished the kingdom's crops.

The kingdom was merry, and more merry did they become on the news of the queen's forthcoming child. Later, in the faithful month of October, the new prince was born. The kingdom of Megora rejoiced. Parties were thrown and contests were held in celebration of the newborn prince. Everyone was filled with joy, except for one miserable soul.

Calicore, an old sorcerer, lived outside the village in an invisible tower; veiled with an evil spell. The songs and laughter of the new prince's arrival filled Calicore's ears with distain. He demanded silence, but the King's subjects were too distracted to hear his complaints. That day, the new baby prince had claimed an enemy and would be in grave danger for the next few years. . .

It was once again the faithful month of October, and today was the Prince's seventeenth birthday. Of course, the villagers were excited and couldn't wait for the prince to exit his castle and come to the annual parade.

During these parades, the prince would sit upon a throne in the middle of the king and queen. Young women who lived in the towns would toss roses, tulips, and lilies for the prince, in hopes he'd notice them. Of course, the prince would smile and wave and the girls would faint and topple over into the grass.

Now the prince sat at the end of the large sixty-foot-long dining table. A mountain of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and hash browns sat on a plate before him. A small glass of milk was set to the side. The prince immediately dug in, his stomach rumbling from starvation.

"Michael!" called the queen. The prince looked up at the sound of his name, his mouth full and syrup dribbling down his chin. "Use your manners! You will not receive a queen if you are not proper!" Michael rolled his eyes and wiped his mouth. Even though he could finish this food within seconds, he ate it slowly to please his mother.

The parade drew near and the town was as lively as ever. Michael stood on a small stool, while a butler straightened out his clothing. A gold crown was perched on top of Michael's blonde hair, which tilted slightly, threatening to fall off. Michael pushed it back up and smiled at himself in the mirror. "You are looking as handsome as ever, sir," said the butler, bowing. The butler's arm sat parallel to his chest, with a white cloth draped over his forearm. Michael turned and smiled at his servant. A maid walked in, holding a large stack of freshly folded laundry. "The parade is about to begin, sir!" she called, rushing out as soon as she finished.

The annual parade was louder than usual. The drummer boys started off, beating their drums to a lovely tune. Then came the dancers. They twirled and hopped from side to side. The men sat watching astonished from their beauty. The court jesters were next. One juggled swords while riding a unicycle. The other danced around and occasionally fell, causing the crowd to erupt in laughter. More acts of different entertainers passed by. And at the end was, of course, the king, the queen, and Michael sitting upon their thrones. Michael smiled at all the women as he passed by. They fainted one by one as they threw their flowers. A girl with long brown hair, and a hood over her head stood alone to the side. Michael flashed his smile at her, but she didn't react. She just stood there, staring blankly at him as if he wasn't there. He tried to wave, but the girl merely looked the other direction. Michael frowned. Instead of smiling at the rest of the townspeople, he stared at his feet in deep thought. It was the first time he'd ever seen this girl. . . Why didn't she take interest in him?