The King's Collie

Part V, Chapter 2: Of An Observant Lioness

With that semi-serious vow taken, it seemed as if the world was perfect again. The summer passed on by, with the days spent in pure bliss and the nights spent similarly, though much more secretly. Bliss, indeed, for everyone. Marco and Lætitia celebrated their months together with the only thing they needed to do so, being their love itself. The Kingdom rejoiced at their merciful King, who somehow snapped out of the typical grumpy and hermit-like way of life. Spiritual and physical poverty, with how efficient recent rulings were, washed away. People's faces were washed and clothes were new, and they worked their debts away.

Cameron, too, gained fame for his songs. He had become, in a way, a national celebrity. His praises were sung from Aquitania to Alemania, from Aragonia in the near west to as far east as the gates of Kyiv, according to some whispers.

Everyone found their reason for celebration except for Ophelia. She had started to wake a few times in the night, as she did in the summer. Sometimes she had to stand in front of the window for a while, to catch a cool night breeze. This was nice, in a way, but there was another aspect entirely in which she started to grow disturbed.

Whenever she would wake up like this, earlier in the night, Felix would be gone. Where to? That was his own question, one she didn't want to answer. Probably taking a late bath, or just taking in the nightly atmosphere. Still, she became paranoid about the growing of their royal infidelity. She always remembered the situation, though: he wouldn't be able to get to that level with anyone else, either. At least, not to her knowledge! If not herself, what other woman could Felix possibly manage to muster lust for?

She of course knew not the fallacy of that question, and assumed her husband was innocent of any such immorality. An unheard of possibility. A king, to love another man like that? Impossible, very simply.

Ophelia was always asleep by the time Felix came back, in the quietest hours of the early morning. Another sweet night was still fresh in his mind. Oh, how he loved the dear dog.

He looked to his wife, and felt such a deep sting of guilt.

Why can't I love you like him? He ran a hand across Ophelia's cheek as he gently grieved. He blinked a few times, observing her as she rested.

He so often slept with what was surely the most beautiful lioness in the kingdom, at least in his eyes. And he loved a collie off the streets. The nights grew longer with Cameron's embrace, where he'd lay so snugly in his own lion arms that he always hesitated in having to depart. Felix still knew sense yet, though, and stayed with his wife, at war with himself over who and how he loved. The queen's warmth put him to a quick sleep, but his troubled mind ensured that it was a short sleep and knew it was a vain warmth. Such thoughts led him to much more of a realization, early the next morning, and, with a head full of sadness, he left the bedroom and went out to his favorite balcony.

It had such a grand view of the sea, as well as a fair amount of castle land beneath. Felix stared outwards, at the sea, his mane rustling with the coastal breeze. Was he being a good king, or at this point, even an admirable man?

—

The gardens had shed their flowers by now, but that didn't stop Ophelia from taking her daily leisure in the garden. The air was nice, and the sky was streaked with wisps of clouds. It was a slightly windy, but still warm, day. Beside her, as always, was Cameron. Indeed, though he and Felix were so close of lovers, he couldn't imagine getting rid of this way of passing time, of meeting the Queen in the garden. The children passing by started to peep over at the duo, and got their good listen to the songs behind the fence and hedges. They were, as always, beautiful. Wild birds chittered in the leaves of the trees and bushes, providing a soft backdrop to the lute and singing.

"I might need to get some tablature," Cameron said after a bit. "My mind's blank when it comes to improvisations today."

"Want me to get it, then?" the lioness offered, standing.

"Sure, just pick out anything you want to hear, Your Majesty. You know the drawer," the dog laughed as he casually said.

With that, Ophelia got up, and went to fetch a sheet, walking through the hall, and into Cameron's room.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty," Lætitia shortly but kindly greeted as she walked past.

"Good afternoon, Lætitia," the feline replied, her paws opening the drawer of the collie's nightstand. It was filled to the brim with smaller works and things in-progress, with Cameron's completed grander works now sitting collected in the library. She flipped along through, then raised an eyebrow, as she pulled out one. It was sealed and signed, but she opened it carefully. It was titled only with a heart, but had sufficient lyrics. She read the clear writing to herself, chuckling, and wondering who in God's name this could possibly be for. Did this dog secretly admire someone? She somewhat answered her own question, though. The words started to hint to desperation as the lines went on.

What a hopeless love this seemed to be, that the collie wrote of. This started to dilute the possibility that this was something platonic for someone else, like Marco and Lætitia. Ophelia, befuddled, then read the last verse, a few words scribbled out:

Crinera d'or,

Llum de l'alba

el teu amor brilla

com del sol . . .

Ophelia lowered the parchment, too shocked for words. A golden mane. She laughed it off at first. She was surely reading into it wrong.

—

It was time of night again. Cameron made sure he looked his best, and that his fur was all clean. Even if it wasn't, he knew, his king would love him anyhow. He combed his slightly lengthened hair, and the fluff on his cheeks, as he then stepped out, wearing only some loose cambric pants.

Felix was doing the identical job, making sure he was all fit. It filled his hear to know he looked his best for his collie. He waited by the door, then, before hearing a knock, and letting Cameron in.

"Hello again," Cameron chuckled. "Looking amazing tonight..."

"Oh, you shush," Felix said, flattered. They kissed, and the rest was routine in plan, but still unexpected and exciting as ever in execution.

Ophelia heard every word. She stood outside the door, having gotten up and secretly followed with her suspicion. She covered her mouth, her face reddening, as she heard words of deeper love shared, of lust and need. Then, she went right back to the bedroom, with no further need to listen, and lied, baffled. After all those "I love you"s. After all of those assurances that being platonic was enough.

After, most of all, the drama surrounding the suspicion that she was in bed with Cameron!

"Oh, that hypocrite," she whispered to herself, fuming.

"...You're awake?" Felix asked as he walked in a little later, noticing his wife in a different position than earlier. With no response, though, he inquired no further, and slept as usual, next to his wife. The lioness let out a fake snore to be further convincing. It was a close call, to be sure, but a successful gambit, as Felix soon enough lied asleep, beside her, like what was thought to be normal.

She knew right where to go tomorrow, now, and who to, too.