Claws and Teeth
King Nicholas's bedchamber was much bigger than the room Judith shared with her siblings.
Instead of making a circle it formed a perfect rectangle. Where the walls floor and ceiling of the burrow consisted of dirt, this consisted of gray brick.
At her left was a large four poster bed covered in deep reds, on her right was a large fireplace that already had a roaring inferno lighting up the room. Beside the fireplace was a small and comfy looking couch.
Across from Judith, on the other side of the room, were two large glass doors that led out into a miniature balcony where beyond you could see the fields, forests, and even a few lakes, of Foxhollow.
And in the middle of the room, atop a intricately detailed rug, sat a pile of presents, coronation gifts for the brand new king. And Judy belonged in that pile of objects.
Though she suspected she'd fit in soon enough.
Still bound she was roughly pushed into the chamber by one of the antelope guards, causing her to trip and fall to her knees next to the gifts. The antelopes shut the door behind them.
Now all Judith had was her terrified, sporadic thoughts to keep her company. And they kept jumping from her home, to her mourning family that she would probably never see again, to the glass case above the fireplace that held an antique looking sword; to the king she had just met.
Nicholas Wilde was younger than she had thought, his russet fur had been well-groomed, the green eyes that had stared at her with confusion then indifference striking. He hadn't looked like he would want to hurt her…but she shouldn't let herself relax. It could have been a trick to make her let her guard down so she didn't try to run when he went for her throat. Judith swallowed past the lump in her throat, her limbs shivering.
Suddenly the chamber door opened, Judy jolted to attention, her heart hammering, expecting it to be the king.
But no, it was…a sheep?
An ewe, dressed in the blue dress of a castle servant and a bell around her neck, walking into the bedchamber like it was her own. When her bored eyes met Judith's she halted in her steps, blinking a few times as if it took her a moment to register what she was seeing.
And then she spoke, "Those guards were telling the truth."
"H-huh?" Judy stammered, wondering what the sheep was doing in the king's chamber. She wondered if she too was a present to the fox.
"They told me the king had received a bunny for a coronation gift," the sheep explained walking over, examining Judith. "I just didn't believe them."
"I'm afraid it's true," she tried to keep her voice from coming out as a terrified moan. "I had to become a gift to the king so my family wouldn't become homeless."
"Hm," the sheep replied in a disinterested tone. She had a feather duster in hoof and was cleaning up the corners of the room, Judy watched her.
"Are you a maid?" she asked the ewe.
"Unfortunately," the sheep groaned. "You can call me Bellwether."
The rabbit nodded, "I'm Judith Hopps."
Bellwether didn't clean for long, eventually placing her feather duster on the floor and walking over to examine the array of gifts. "Well, Judith Hopps, I am afraid your luck has officially run out."
Her words sent Judith's ears falling to her shoulders, her eyes widening in fright. If her wrists weren't bound she would rub them across her arms, she couldn't help but imagine claws grazing across her flesh.
"What is he going to do with me?" Judith asked in a frightened whisper.
Her terror had Bellwether looking up from a wrapped gift box, giving the bunny a funny look. She shrugged, "I haven't the faintest idea. But no need to be so horrified, we're prey. Our luck runs out sooner or later." She opened a box, despite that it belonged to King Nicholas, and pulled out a tapestry of a fox being crowned. Without further ado Bellwether ripped it in half with a satisfied sneer.
"We're prey living in a predator world."
Judith gasped in dismay, couldn't the sheep be beheaded for destroying the king's property. "Why did you do that?" she asked, breathless with fright.
"It's my coping mechanism," the sheep stated proudly. "It's how I handle living under the clawed feet of the sharp-teethed."
"But won't he found out what you did?" Judith wondered. Or worse, would Nicholas assume his new gift did it?
"Not if I throw it in the fire," Bellwether replied, doing exactly that. She wiped her hooves together in an accomplished manner, watching the beautifully designed tapestry burn. "He hasn't looked through his presents. He won't even know it ever existed."
The sheep turned to Judith, apparently finally noticing the rope binding the rabbit. "I imagine he wouldn't be overly pleased when he finds you unbound." She walked over and knelt beside the rabbit, starting to untie the ropes around her wrists, "Are you a runner? I won't stop you, just curious."
Judith wanted to say yes, that as soon as she was free she would run out of that unlocked door and not stop until she made it back to Bunnyburrow, to the loving arms of her family. But then she imagined King Nicholas hunting his new possession down, dragging her back, maybe even taking a few of her siblings along for the fun of it. And even if the king didn't, even if he didn't care if she ran away, she would have to worry about Gideon Grey. If she went home Gideon Grey would throw the Hopps family out into the cold.
Judith shook her head, she would not be running anywhere.
Bellwether didn't seem surprised by that, stepping back once Judith's wrist were free. She turned back to the gifts while the bunny untied her ankles.
Judith stood up, her legs cramped and numb from the long carriage ride there, she looked around the room, despite herself she ended up admiring the room. It really was beautiful, fit for a king. Speaking of…
"When will King Nicholas return?" she asked the sheep who found a box of sweets, she placed them in the bosom of her dress, her wool hiding its rectangular shape.
"I don't know," Bellwether replied. "And I really couldn't care less." She looked back at Judith, "But you should probably stay in here all the same, until the fox decides what to do with you."
"You're leaving?" Judith asked in horror as she watched the sheep head to the door.
"I'm going to eat these sweets then go to bed," Bellwether replied. She glanced over her shoulder, "I bring the fox his breakfast. I'll see you in the morning."
But I could be dead by then, Judith bit her tongue to keep from screaming the words. Watching, silent save for her pounding heart as Bellwether closed the door behind her. Judith was left with her blood-drenched fantasies once again.
.
The coronation party was over, the guests bidding farewell as they headed to their own homes. Amelia and Maxmilian had gone off to bed but Nicholas was in no hurry to return to his bedchamber. Not when there was a tied up rabbit waiting for him.
Instead he sat in the kitchen with Finnick, both enjoying mugs of ale while the red fox talked of his dilemma: "What am I suppose to do with a rabbit? Why did that farmer even bother bringing her?"
"He wants sucker up to you just like every other gift giver you've met tonight," Finnick informed before taking a large swig of his drink.
"It's been years and years since prey were given as coronation gifts," Nicholas reminded his friend. "I can't even recall what royalty did with them."
"Lucky for us both I actually remember what I read," Finnick replied, "Ready for a history lesson?"
"Wait," Nick took a long sip of his ale. "Go on then."
"Most prey were used as personal helpers," Finnick began. "They'd clean the royalty's room; hold up the trail of their dresses and capes so they wouldn't drag in the dirt, little things like that."
"But others?" Nicholas inquired.
Finnick bore an uncomfortable expression, "Some were used as…to put it in a light-hearted term: scratching posts."
Nicholas flinched at the words, "How's that light-hearted?"
"Fine, some were abused, frequently, by the predators that owned them, for fun. And since they were above the law they didn't get punished, even when the prey died. Do you remember reading about King Lionheart's ancestor: Skar?"
Nicholas nodded, that lion had been nothing more than a tyrant and both Kingsland and it's neighboring Regions had let out a breath of relief when he fell in battle.
"He had a flock of sheep he kept in a cell, whenever he was stressed he let his aggression out on them. He'd run his claws across their faces, scar them, and he didn't bother to bath them so their blood was stained in their wool."
Nicholas shuddered in revulsion, "I'm not going to do that to the rabbit."
"No, you won't," Finnick replied. "And of course you won't do the other thing prey were sometimes used for so there's no point bringing it up."
The fennec's words had Nicholas's brows narrowing in curiosity, "It can't be as bad as using a prey as…a scratching post."
"It isn't its just…unusual, not something predators do often."
"Finnick," Nick grumbled in annoyance, "Don't make me go to the castle's library and hunt down a history book. I've already done my time in there."
Finnick snickered, his eyes glinting with dry humor. "Fine, Your Highness. There were times, though rare, that prey became consorts to royalty."
The words had Nicholas pricking his ears up, "Consorts?"
"Or a mistress…a harem if there was more than one…whatever word you prefer."
"I don't prefer any of them!" Nicholas replied, pressing his ears back against his skull and his tail bristling. "I'm not making that rabbit my mistress!"
"It's not any of my business what you do with her," Finnick replied, chuckling at his friend's flustered expression. "I'm just telling you what kings before you have done." He took another swig of his ale.
Nicholas guzzled an even larger amount.
.
An hour or so later Nicholas finally found his way back to his chamber, more than a little sloshed. Stepped inside his mind was full of scratching posts and mistresses as he made it to his wardrobe, pulling off his coronation cape and shirt as he did so.
He had thrown his wardrobe open with much fanfare, humming a tune that had played at his party while he decided which of his evening wear he desired.
"Ex-excuse me?"
The soft voice made Nicholas jump and whirl around; blinking to clear his fuzzy vision to see it was the bunny who had spoken. He had forgotten she was sent here.
She crawled out from under his couch, her lowered ears slightly red as if she was flustered, and her violet eyes big with fear.
"Were you hiding under my couch?" his voice was slightly slurred.
The rabbit shrunk into herself, "I didn't know what else to do. I'm not sure were I'm supposed to sleep."
Nicholas snorted rudely, "There's a couch right there." He pointed to said object before turning around and pulling out one of his night shirts, he threw it over his head without bothering to take off his breeches.
He moved toward his bed but the bunny's voice stopped him, it was still quiet, frightened: "Sir?"
He glanced back at her, she still looked like she wanted to hide, but along with the fear in her eyes there was curiosity. "What are you going to do with me?"
Nick's eyes narrowed at her words, he took a step forward, "What am I going to do with you?"
She flinched when he stepped forward, and it annoyed the fox, incredibly so. "What do you think I'm going to do with you?" he growled the question.
The rabbit just looked at him, her eyes brimming with fright and melancholy and it made Nick's insides twist with discomfort and anger. He had done nothing to earn this rabbit's fear…at least not yet.
He smiled his alcohol-addled mind sure to show off his sharp teeth as he did so, he walked over to the rabbit who stepped back as far as she could go, the back of the couch bringing her to a halt.
Nicholas knelt to be at eye level with the rabbit, "I actually asked the same question to a friend of mine. What did a king do when given a prey as a tribute?"
She slammed her eyes shut as Nicholas leaned closer, his breath rustling her whiskers. "I could make you my own little servant. Though as a new king odds are a stress reliever would be more useful." His eyes narrowed, becoming green slits, "There are two kinds of ways I could do this." He lifted a claw and traced it along her jaw line, making the rabbit let out a small squeak of fright. "I could sharpen my claws on your bones. I bet that's what you expect; I bet you think I'm going to eat you."
The rabbit forced her eyes open to meet his gaze, "A-aren't you?" she asked softly, breathlessly.
"Maybe," his claw lifted her chin up and he leaned even closer, his nose bumping against hers. "But I was told prey were sometimes taken as consorts as well."
The bunny's eyes bulged and Nicholas could no longer keep up the façade. He pulled away, bursting into drunken laughter. "Too bad for me," he said between bursts of mirth, "That not only do you smell like dirt you're also one of the ugliest things I've ever seen." He stood up and tripped over to his bed, shaking his head as he continued to chuckle.
Nicholas threw one of his many pillows to the rabbit, the lacy mound smacking her stunned face. Still grinned Nicholas crawled under his covers, curling into himself. In a matter of seconds his conscious slipped away, leaving behind a rattling, drunken, snore.
.
The smell of hot food roused Judith, her eyes blinking open and her stomach grumbling.
It was amazing she got any sleep last night, after the fox's threats, she was only half sure he was only joking. Not wanting to sleep on the cold stone floor she had dared to lie on the bed, resting her head on the pillow the fox had thrown at her.
The rest of the night was spent listening to the snores of the fox and his words running over and over through her brain until finally, exhaustion had her nodding off.
But now she sat up, the couch was much comfier than the floor she slept in at the burrows, and saw Bellwether walk in, carrying a tray of steaming bread, cheese, and a handful of blueberries, along with a drink that carried the scent of honey.
Bellwether smirked at Judith before walking toward Nicholas's bed, placing the tray on his bedside table. "Your Highness," she spoke loudly, "Your breakfast."
Nicholas had flinched at the sheep's volume. "I hear you, Bellwether. What's my morning schedule?"
"Nothing yet, Your Highness," Bellwether replied.
"Then I'm going to spend the morning sleeping off this hangover," Nick burrowed further into his pillows.
"As you wish," Dawn said in an uncaring tone, heading toward the door.
"Bellwether," Nicholas's voice halted her. "Take the rabbit with you."
Judith's ears popped up in surprise, she looked to the sheep who seemed just as surprised. "And do what with her?" Bellwether asked.
Nicholas lifted his paw and waved it in an uncaring fashion, "Feed her, bath her, put her in a dress with less patches, make her help you with her chores, I don't care, just get her out of here. I can't sleep with her fear stinking up my room."
Judith's ears flushed but she didn't hesitate to follow Bellwether out of the room, letting out a sigh of relief when they walked out into the hallway.
"He's crazy," Judith whispered in fright as Bellwether shut the chamber door. She didn't look surprised by the rabbit's words as she led her down the hall. "What did he do?"
"He-he threatened to eat me," Judith moaned in fright, "Or m-make me his mistress!"
Bellwether threw her head back and laughed, "Oh I wouldn't take those words to heart. Nicholas obviously had a keg or two before going to sleep."
Judith did recall the smell of ale on his breath, "So…he's usually kinder?"
"Oh no, he's still a complete ass. I'm partly convinced his mother had an affair with a mule. But he doesn't make the habit of 'eating' prey if you understand me."
Judith did and the words made her ears flush red once again.
"So," Bellwether changed the subject, "Is there anything specific you want to do?"
"I really need to relieve myself," Judith admitted, pressing her legs together.
.
After Judith handled that pressing matter she told the sheep she was also starving, having not even eaten dinner before she was taken from her home. Bellwether informed her she was about to attend breakfast too and led the rabbit to the kitchens.
Judith had to hold back a moan as the scent of doughy bread and steaming vegetables filled her nostrils, though she was less pleased to see that some of the kitchen staff was predators.
Bellwether and Judith got plates that had slices of bread and cabbage soup, Judith unable to help snatching a few baby carrots. They sat at an empty table, away from the other servants enjoying their breakfast. Judith took a few moments to scarf down the bread and carrots before starting a conversation with Bellwether.
"Would it be okay if I helped you with your chores?" she asked the sheep. "I really don't want to go back to that room."
Bellwether smirked at her pitiful tone, "I won't say no to an offer of help, it'll get my job done quicker. But first we are going to get you bathed and in a dress that fits the castle."
"Who's your friend, Bellwether?" a new friendly voice spoke up.
Judith looked up and nearly jumped out of her seat to see a chubby cheetah standing by their table, smiling widely all his sharp teeth on display.
Bellwether nodded to the cheetah who was adorned in the outfit of a baker, "Clawhauser, this is Judith. She's the king's new…guest."
What an amusing term to use but she supposed until Nicholas decided what to do with her there was no other way to put it besides words like 'gift' or 'tribute'.
"Hello there," Clawhauser friendly smile grew, "I heard the king got a bunny but I didn't think you'd be so adorable."
Judy cringed, never liking that term of endearment from animals that weren't rabbits. It made her feel more inferior than usual. But if she was being fair she doubted that was the cheetah's intent.
So she forced a polite smile on her lips, "A pleasure to meet you."
.
It took Judith and Bellwether longer than expected to leave the kitchen, after finishing their breakfast Clawhauser, who had announced himself as the castle's head baker, refused to let them leave. He had to show them his latest sweets, introduce Judith to the other cooks, and made the rabbit promise to come visit him.
By the time she followed the sheep out of the kitchen Judith was pretty positive she had involuntarily made a friend out of a predator.
Bellwether led the bunny downstairs to the bath area, not wanting to fetch the necessary buckets of hot water to fill one of the servants' tubs she simply handed Judith a wet rag for her to wash of the dirt caked in her fur. While Judith did that the sheep fetched an old servant's dress that was purple.
"May as well look nice while slaving away to spoiled predators," the sheep stated, throwing the dress to Judith who swiped to catch it before it hit the ground. Unlike her other dress this one was in better condition, no patches or dirt stains could be seen. Slipping it over her head she found it draped over her shoulders an inch and it completely covered her feet. She held up the skirts so she wouldn't flinch as she followed Bellwether to the laundry room.
"We're fetching the clothes for the castle's apothecary," Bellwether told her, picking up a basket and indicating to Judith to grab the one beside it.
Arms full of fresh smelling linen she followed Bellwether up one of the towers of the castle, she had met an apothecary in town but she had heard the Wilde family had a personal one who intended to the royal family, nobles, and their servants.
The room was full of medicines, the air thick with herbs. Judith swallowed when she saw the apothecary, sitting at a desk and writing furiously. It was a jaguar.
"Good morning, Manchas," Bellwether greeted politely, placing the basket of laundry by the bed, Judith did the same. "Here is your clothes."
"Thank you," the jaguar said distractedly, still scribbling. The two females made their way toward the door when Manchas shot his head up, nose twitching; he turned to look a them. Judith started when she saw that one of his eyes was sealed shut by three nasty look claw marks. His one working eye widened in surprise, "So the rumors were true. King Nicholas was given a rabbit as tribute."
Judith tried for a polite curtsy, "Pleased to m-meet you, sir. My name is Judith."
Manchas looked her up and down before turning back to his parchment, "Some mammals will do anything to please royalty." With that final mutter he went back to work and Bellwether pulled Judith out of the room.
The rest of the day was spent similar to that, Judith helped Bellwether with her chores whilst being introduced to random servants of the castle, thankfully not all of them were predators. Though she had to admit the prey to leave the biggest impact were the gardeners known as Bucky and Prong. One could hear their fervent arguments from across the castle.
Judith spotted Nicholas only once; they passed an open door that looked like a meeting room, the fox pouring over a large piece of parchment, muttering something to a lynx who wore the clothes of a merchant. A guard spotted her peeping and closed the door with a disgusted snort. Though the rabbit had no qualms with staying away from the fox, even if last night had just been a joke it didn't ease her fears of living with him. A cruel trickster would be no less likable than a bloodthirsty or lecherous, beast.
But the sun went behind the trees and with it Judith's luck.
"Thank you for all your help," Bellwether told the rabbit as they stopped before the king's bedchamber. "I will see you tomorrow."
"Can't I stay in your room tonight?" Judith begged, not wanting to go back into that dreadful room.
The sheep smirked, "I live in the servants quarters, trust me, it's crowded enough as it is. You wouldn't be comfortable."
Bellwether was wrong; a crowded place was probably the one thing that could ease her nerves as she had slept in cramped rooms since the day she was born. But the sheep kept talking before Judith could say such. "Besides, Nicholas didn't say you could move to the servants' quarters. Best to stay here until he decides where to keep you… I like you Judith, but I'm not going to risk the new king's anger for you." With those final words she opened the door and urged the rabbit in, closing the door behind her.
The first thing Judith noticed was that the room was empty, her bones sagged in relief. The second thing she noticed was a new piece of furniture. Curious she stepped toward where it stood by the fireplace, her jaw going slack.
It was a bed fit for a rabbit.