In the desert lands of the Sahara, lived a kingdom ruled by a rabbit sultan and his queen. They had many offsprings including their first born son who would rule after them someday and dozens of daughters they had to marry off. They had been successful in doing is with their eldest daughters but when it came to their next daughter, it was a struggle.

Princess Judith had turned down suitor after suitor and this made her parents worried.

They called their daughter in the throne room one afternoon, along with their Captain of the Guard, Bogo, who would always stand on the other side of the room keeping at his post while watching his sovereign talking things with his council, which was most made of prey, that are rabbits and sheep including the royal advisor a rabbit named Jasper and his assistant, a small sheep named Dawn.

But that afternoon, Bogo and council heard everything the sultan and his wife were telling her daughter.

"We're just concerned about your well-being, Judith." said the sultan.

"By marrying me off to a stranger?!" she demanded.

"Strangers who are nobility, sweetie." said her mother.

"Nobility or not, I rather marry for love!"

The council members glanced at each other feeling awkward about the whole thing.

"Look, another prince is coming, at least see if you like this one or not." motioned her father.

"Fine. But if I don't like him, he goes, just like all the rest." and she walked out of there in a fast pace.

Once she was gone, her parents sighed heavily, not sure if they ever would get through to their daughter.

"I just don't understand it." he said, "Her sisters were never this picky."

Dawn whispered something to Jasper who addressed his liege. "Your Highness, it's possible that the princess is being picky is because she's trying to find a good candidate to allied the kingdom with, you know how much she cares for her home."

The queen smiled, "That we do, any suffering mammal that comes to us she is on our case to make sure we take care of them."

"Especially the predators." added the sultan.

The queen sighed, "I just want to make sure she has a future, and is provided for."

"That's right, our sons will inherit the kingdom and its treasures but that leaves with our daughters nothing so they have to be married off." he turned to his council, "So any suggestions you have I would be glad to hear them," he faced the captain, "And that includes you, Captain Bogo, because frankly, we're reaching the end of our rope."

The captain was bit surprised that his sultan would ask for his opinion, but he voiced it anyway, "I think the princess should listen and obey her parents. And if she cannot choose then you should choose for her."

The queen glanced at her husband as he was deep in thought and turned to the council, asking, "What do you think?"

There was muttering among them until Jasper spoke up, "You should follow on the captain's suggestion and give her a time limit to choose. If she reaches the time limit by her twenty-fifth birthday, then you have nothing to worry about but if she goes pass the limit then that's when you should choose for her."

The rabbit rulers glanced once at each other as if making a silent agreement before the sultan stated.

"Alright. We give her a time limit."

Jasper unrolled a scroll, "Now that we have that out of the way, we should move on to the next item of business-"

He was cut off when a rhino guard rushed into the room going before the captain.

"Sir!"

"What is it, Mchorn? Can't you see the sultan is busy right now?"

"Sorry, sir, but there's trouble on the streets, a street-rat, or rather a street fox has stolen a loaf of bread and he is proving to be too elusive to catch."

The sultan shook his head, "Foxes… you can never trust them…"

The queen nodded, "It's in their nature after all."

Bogo said, "Not to worry, Your Highnesses, we'll catch this fox and put him in the dungeon where he belongs."


"Stop, thief!" a guard shouted while they were in the middle of a pursuit of two foxes making a run for it.

A red fox and a fennec fox were doing everything they can to get away as they climbed to the top of a building.

"All this for a loaf of bread?!" the fennec fox yelled at his companion.

"Hey, we got to eat somehow!" the red fox yelled back.

"If we had to steal something why not some fruit or pasta? You know, something actually filling!"

"I'll make a note!"

They made a jump for it and slid down the clothes' lines attached to the building, making down to the street while landing in a pile of clothes. They were about to get out when they heard a hard voice giving out orders. They turned to see it was none other than the captain of guard!

"Great… Captain Buffalo Butt…" muttered Nick.

"That's it, we're dead."

Nick looked down at the clothes they were in and a smirk spread across his face, "Not necessarily…"

In seconds they were wearing robes to cover their heads, and they went passed the guards and ducked into a nearby alley.

Taking off their disguises, Nick exclaimed, "And now we feast!" he broke the loaf in half. Giving Finnick his half, he immediately started gnarling on it.

Nick was about to take a bite when he noticed two tiger cubs looking through scraps. Finnick noticed the look on his friend's face.

"Forget it Nick."

"Aw, but Fin…"

"Hey, we had enough trouble stealing this bread for ourselves!"

"But look at those cute, hungry cubs…" he mocked a pout.

"No, no, you are not making me change my mind." but once he saw the one of the cubs holding an old sock his face started to sag in pity. "No, I won't fall for it…" now the another cub was clutching his stomach showing how he was on the edge of starvation. "Oh… fine!" he gave his piece back and Nick went over to the cubs.

"Hey, there." he greeted them. They looked up at the fox in confusion until Nick showed them the two pieces of bread. "You look like you could use something better. Go ahead."

They hesitant for a bit until they took it and starting eating.

Nick just smiled and went back to Finnick.

"Look on the bright side, now we go steal that fruit you wanted."

"Except we got to lay low until the guards call off their search. And whose knows when that will be."

Suddenly they heard trumpets and looked out to the street as mammals gathered, the foxes decided to see what it was all about. They saw a small entourage making their way to the palace as two camels carried a jeweled carrier with a prince inside it. That was a pig dressed in royal robes.

Nick heard a bear and a hippo commenting.

"No doubt it's another suitor for Princess Judith."

"That's her tenth one this month."

Nick couldn't help but mentally chuckled to that and smirked while thinking, Whoever the princess does chooses will have my highest respect. Because no one has been able to make our princess happy so far.

Just then the two tiger cubs he just gave bread to were playing and ended up in the street that the prince was traveling on. His camel servant had to stop and the pig got annoyed, yelling out.

"Out of my way, you filthy brats!"

Nick scowled at that and without thinking, he called out, "Funny you should say that, since pigs and filth go hand and hand!"

There was a collective gasp from the crowd and pig prince started fuming, "Who said that?!"

Nick stepped forward while Finnick uttered under his breath, "Bad idea, Nick, bad idea…"

The prince saw the fox and demanded, "You dare insult me?!"

Nick said coolly, "I was merely stating a fact."

There was some chuckling from the crowd.

"I'll teach you some manners!" he signaled for his camel servant to push him to the muddy ground then they moved on to the palace gates.

Nick wiped some mud off his face before he called, "Wow, whoever guessed you were part donkey!"

Another gasp from the crowd but there was also some laughs.

The prince turned his head back in fury, "Ha! You are a worthless street fox, you were born a street fox, you will die a street fox, and only your fleas will mourn you!" and the palace gates then closed.

Nick gave off no emotion until Finnick came to help him up, then he had a small smile on his face, "Joke's on him. I already knew that."

Finnick scowled toward the palace gates and said, "I hope the princess throws him in the mud."

"Yeah, except, he would probably like it. Come on, let's get on home." and he started walking away with his partner right behind him.


In the princess's chambers, Judith was getting her fur bushed by her lady's maid, Fru-Fru, as she was getting ready for dinner but she wasn't look forward to it.

"I hear Prince Porcine is one of the richest mammals of the seven deserts." Fru-Fru said.

"Riches don't matter to me, you know that."

The shrew giggled, "Uh-huh, especially since you already have those."

"I just wish my parents would let me choose for myself of what kind of mammal I could love."

"And to think, that's actually the one luxury you don't have."

"I got to live in a palace my whole life, I have everything I could ever want, except… a mammal to love…"

A knock came at her door and Dawn entered in.

"Pardon me, Your Highness, it is almost time for you to go down to dinner and meet your latest suitor."

Judith sighed, "I know, I'll be there in a moment."

"Your time is running out, Princess, and I mean that literally."

Judith turned back in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Dawn shook her head, "I'm sorry I have to be the one to tell you this, but the council and your parents agreed it was for the best. They have decided to give you a time limit by your birthday."

"What?!" She stood up in shock and Fru-Fru was also taken back by this news.

"Yes, you must choose a suitor by then or they will have to choose for you."

Tears were starting to escape from her, "They can't!"

"I'm afraid they can… I'm so sorry, if it were up to me, I would have bought you more time, but I'm not." she gave sympathetic look before she left the room.

Judith put her paws to her face, "Fru… I can't take this anymore, I have to leave…"

Fru-Fru sadly nodded, "Normally I don't condone running away but in this case you may have to…"

"Tonight then, once everyone has gone to sleep."

The dining hall was full of the royal family, since there were so many of them. On the side of the hall a belly dancer by the name of Gazelle was providing the evening entertainment along with other gazelle belly dancers. Prince Porcine was sitting between the sultan and Judith who had a grim face on toward her father and the suitor.

The sultan asked the prince, "Won't you tell us a bit about yourself, Your Highness?"

The pig put on a smug look, "Where do I even begin?"

Judith rolled her eyes, thinking, Oh brother… As the prince rambled on, she thought, Well, at least I know he's related to the boar…

For the rest of dinner the prince kept on bragging about his life, he never even asked what she liked or anything about her.

Time limit or not, I am not marrying him!

She remembered what she told Fru-Fru and she vowed she would follow through.

I am out of here…