The King's Collie

Part I, Chapter 2: The Audition

"What are you bringing that carriage out for, again?" Felix asked, looking to his wonderful wife, as he robed himself for a more causal situation: to go down to the war-planning room and look at a few maps, assessing any international situations in need of dealing with.

"I'm contemplating bringing a musician, maybe keeping him around the palace," Ophelia described.

"Did Eliza meet him, hmm?" the king asked, brushing his mane and sticking his tongue out playfully.

"Yes, and so too shall Ophelia," she answered, anticipation in her voice.

"I hope he's a good one. Was he anything like the field-dog I heard on the streets during our anniversary celebrations, the one that I saw distracting the crowd a little?" Felix reminisced on the events nearly a week before, placing a small, golden tracing of a crown on his head.

"Him exactly, actually. Those sharp cat eyes, I swear," she replied, whilst getting her outfit ready. This was an especially lengthy process, one that took nearly an hour. She skipped over the pasty makeup, the sort that made her a little sick. That was no way to spend a day, all dreary and tight like the other royalty of the region was. She got on a good cape, and placed on her head a thin tracing of a crown, in gold that matched the gradient gold-bronze of her eyes.

She then received word that the carriage was all prepared, and, smiling, she went quickly, and stepped into the cushioned seating. Thus, the horse was beckoned to move, and so it did, neighing and whinnying before the doors were opened, and they all made way.

"Hail to the queen, long live our queen! Happy anniversary!" a crowd cheered, as a fanfare erupted from the natural-trumpet-wielding guards.

The celebration was loud, for the first few minutes of the ride. It quieted down soon enough, though, and that was, to the queen, quite a good thing. She got quite tired of all the noise after a while, and looked forward to at least have some interesting new music to drown it out with. She picked up a fork and picked away at a slice of a small cake, which was hearty and loaded with dried fruit.

The carriage soon arrived on the Old Trader's Road, and the queen stepped out, going to the house she remembered the directions to. Knocking on the door, she awaited patiently, with a response coming soon afterwards.

A collie opened the door, the very same one that Ophelia met those days ago. He had his eyes closed, having been enjoying a simple glazed bun. He had good standings with the owner of the nearby bakery, and luckily got a smidge of the produce the day before, to enjoy the next. He opened his eyes, though, and almost immediately dropped the bun to the small dirt path before him.

"Hello, Cameron. Remember me?" the queen asked, mewling out.

The dog fainted, knowing that he had been lucky enough to have met and played for the Queen herself, something any right-minded person would have given everything to have ever done.

—

He awoke in the carriage, blinking his soft brown eyes as he regained consciousness, and, first of all, dusting himself off. He looked beside him, and saw the Queen of Valentia, sitting beside him, clear as day. Was this a dream? He pinched himself.

"Oh, no need to do that, now. You should have something to eat after you fainted like that," the queen beckoned, handing the dog a piece of the lightly iced fruitcake she brought with.

Cameron took it, then ate quickly, then, putting his plate beside him, suddenly made a bowing motion. "Your Majesty. Oh, Your Majesty!" he loudly praised within the carriage.

"Ah, no!" Ophelia exclaimed, bending down a little and lifting the chin of this canine. "I hate seeing people, uh, grovel. Come on, you're royal company. Talk to me. Do you know why I came here?" she asked.