Nicholas crumbled to his knees and looked fearfully at the bear. Anything but that! Nick then realised he had said that out loud.
"Oh, and why's that Prince Wilde?" The Warden asked in a mock-innocent voice.
"If they found that out/ The next thing I know is I'll be a pelt on their wall!" Nick exclaimed. He had heard of Foxes that were caught by the Hopps and tortured to death unless they told them where he was. Nick would forever give them his thanks for not giving that information away.
"That's the point!" Lefty shouted, laughing like a hyena when told a joke. His companion started slowly laughing.
"Please, I'll do anything!" Nick now begged.
'Wow look at this, a prince, begging to a bear, I don't think my dignity will be what is used to be.' Nick thought. Never in his life would he think this would happen. The bear stroked his chin thoughtfully. He then let out a pent out a sigh.
"Fine Fox, I'll show you some mercy, only because the Wilde Kingdom gave me some extra gold. I won't tell the Hopps who you are, but it doesn't matter as they'll find out soon enough." The Warden said, not sounding happy at all, but it was enough to make the tod cry.
"OH THANK YOU!" Nick shouted in releif. The warden rolled his eyes.
"Take this filth to the Carriage and have him escorted to the Hopps Kingdom." He commanded the ram's, they banged their hoofs on their chests, the international salute. They picked the almost crying fox up and dragged him to a heavy duty Carriage with the Badgerfield crest on both sides. Tossing the fox in like a potato sack they hopped in and slammed the door. As soon as they did they slammed heavy metal cuffs on his dark velvet paws. Then the trip started with the rumbling of gravel underfoot. The horses (Paid) trotted out of the gates, mammals saw the 'prison bus' and pointed. Nick couldn't really see much thanks to the bars and the reason that is was night time. But thanks to his night vision he could see the late night villagers looking and pointing, some laughing. Leaning back into the wooden seats Nick closed his tired green eyes and let out a shaky sigh.
'What would Mother think of this?' Nick thought to himself. He quietly chuckled at the image of an old Vixen with earthly brown eye scolding him. The thought instantly made the shackled fox miserable. And the image in his mind instantly turned to the image he tries to forget, blood pouring out of knife wounds, two Foxes sprawled in bed, dead. Nick whimpered slightly at the memory. But before Nick knew it he fell asleep, it's cold hand leading him to a nightmare.
Screams, that's what woke me. Snapping my eyes open I stayed still, ears twitching. There it was again, a scream and some crashing. I slipped out of the warm thick blanket of my bed and padded my way where the noise was coming from. My tail puffed when I heard the scream coming from my parent's room. Running I opened the door
"Mama? Papa?" I asked, my voice slightly cracking in fear. Opening the door fully I saw the scene. My heart stopped, blood running cold. Blood was gushing out of two Foxes on the bed. I looked up to see a grey stubby face looking at me, Icey blue eyes. The mammal was short and was wearing a cloak. Before I could look any longer the figure disappeared, leaving me alone in a room. It was when truth collapsed and tears sprang into my eyes, watering my vision. I jumped up onto the bed and waddled slowly to my dead parents. Clutching my dad's head I let all of my emotions out, sobbing and weeping, clutching onto red fur. I wanted them to wake up, me to wake up and find warm blue eyes looking down at me. I didn't notice guards flooding the room, or the bells and mammals screaming.
"The King and Queen are dead!" It was all muffled out as I cried over my loved parents. I looked up to see cold blue eyes staring deep into mine, his eyes looked smug. Anger boiled as I started shaking.
"I'll kill you!" I yelled at the mammal.
The Guards looked where I yelled at, saw the eyes, and shouted at their comrades, they chased him. The figure saluted then flipped into the shadows, leaving a handkerchief. A golden letter H and on its white surface. The Hopps.
"Welcome welcome!" A cheery voice spoke with a tint of a foreign accent.
Slowly orange eyelids opened, then closed again. Whining softly at the piercing sun Nick stretched- Which was hard considering the paw cuffs- and looked around. The red fox saw lefty and righty looking at him. Then at the door. Nick followed their gaze to see a fat Rino wear green clothing standing outside. Lefty got up and opened the door. A cool breeze swept in, making Nicks' eyes close in slight pleasure. The carriage had been stuffy and had smelt like the unwashed sheep. Grunting, lefty grabbed Nick and brutally pulled him up. Letting go as soon as Nick's hind paws touched the hard soil. Nick looked up at the castle and saw Purple eyes looking into his
"Oh a Fox, haven't gotten out the whip in a month." The Rino's gruff voice spoke breaking Nick's eye contact with purple. He didn't sound like the voice who woke me, but that didn't care. Whip?! Nick thought, eyes going to the Rino and ears plastering onto the tod's scalp. The Rino inspected the tattered fox, then nodding to the guards who turned and left into the carriage.
"Hello!" The same cheery voice said. Nick looked left and saw a deer buck walking towards the Fox and Rhino. He was slim and wearing a red suit which seemed to fit comfortably. He bowed and introduced himself.
"I am the King's chamberlain, Lord Jonathan, And you must be the new slave." The buck greeted, standing up. Nick simply looked at him.
"I am here to give you a Tour of this marvellous castle." Lord Jonathan said gesturing to the massive stone walls behind him. In response, the vulpine gulped, scared of his life.
"Now, if you could follow me then that would be great." The deer said, the same cheery voice, Nick knew it was a command, not a suggestion. Once again gulping the fox trudged forward, his hind paws dragging across the dirt ground, creating dust flying around. Nick could hear the carriage behind start to move again, Nick couldn't help but look back at the dirt road then back at the towering stone kingdom.
"Don't look so glum Senõr, it's not that bad." The buck said.
"Easy for you to say, I'm going to be a slave to the Hopps," Nick replied glumly, already defeated.
"I used to be a slave." The buck revealed. Upon hearing this his ears perked and Nick looked wide-eyed at Jonathan.
Chuckling slightly he nodded. "Yes, I used to be a slave here."
The fox looked around, only seeing Predators in rags staring at the unfamiliar sight of red, but no prey. Jonathan noticed this and gave a hearty laugh.
"Can't believe it can you? Well, prey slaves are very rare here anyway. I came here after being on a murderous rampage against Predators." Lord Jonathan stated.
Wide eyes Nick stepped back, already fearing this spotted deer.
"Do not worry Senõr! I am a changed mammal now! I had a seed planted into my mind by my papa, when he was murdered by my mama, she claimed it was by a pred, after that I went on a rampage, thinking all Preds were killers.
"Of course I was wrong I can see that now so don't worry my Fox friend," Jonathan told. Still sceptical Nick shuffled closer.
"Now let's get this show on the road!" Jonathan stated, turning on his heel and walking up to the door.
Huffing slightly Nick forced his hind paws to walk, the feeling he was being watched made me shudder.
The tour was not fun. The castle was not fantastic. And every mammal we'd pass would glare at Nick and snare in disgust. What a warm welcome to his new home. The Rabbit Guards walked behind the tod, small spears on the palm of their paws and resting on their shoulders, they seemed to lay back and calm, what years of training achieved, but he has come into many encounters to know they could throw their spear at the fastest cheetah and hit, and disarm you before you knew it. But they all had one weakness and that was using their spear. If they couldn't disarm you or throw their spear then they were basically dead.
Dumb bunnies Nick snickered in his bruised head.
The dear buck droned on about how great the castle was and kept on saying
"Long live the crown" The fox just zoned out and let himself be led around the terrible place.
The feeling of going down registered into his mind and Nick snapped back into reality to see them going downstairs.
The grey cobblestone was cold under his hind paws and the walls looked old and weak. Oil torches laid the walls emitting shadows in every direction. Nick gulped, coming to the conclusion he was going down into the dungeon.
"I think the Slave quarter stairs need cleaning for some good impressions don't you think?" The deer buck stated.
Oh, it's the Slave wing.
Nick just grunted in response.
As we seemed to get closer the Foxes right ear twitched as he could hear the drone of a conversation.
"No, since you are a fox I am sorry to inform you that we might torture you for information on your Prince, or is it King?" John said looking directly at me. Then the stairs stopped and turned into an open area, heavy iron bars decorated the walls with predators inside, some standing and some laying in hammocks.
"Oh hello, Queen Hopp's, Princess Hopps." The deer buck said then continuing to bow gracefully. He then addressed a large Rhino, Nick could only see half of him and not the owners of the vile names the buck had bowed to..
"My Lord, here is your new 'Friend'." The Deer buck moved aside and Nick could finally see two bunnies.
They both had violet eyes, the younger bunnies eyes were more vibrant than the older doe's. They both had grey fur and light grey fur under their muzzles that presumably went down to their stomachs. The older doe was wearing an elegant dress while the younger one was just wearing a plain brown tunic and pants. Compared to Nick they were wearing noble dressing.
His brown ripped tunic and pants barely could be called clothing. Where there were rips, his orange fur was matted and had dried mud. The only thing that could be considered clothing was Nicks blue scarf. The only thing that he had from his father. If it got ripped Nick would spend all the money he had, even if it would waste all of it he would buy thread and fix it himself. It was slightly lighter in colour than when he first had it, it used to be royal blue, the tod would have kept it like that but It would have raised questions so Nick painfully made himself make that scarf a lighter blue. The older doe, presumably the mother and the vile Queen Hopps inhaled deeply, while the younger doe, probably the Princess and daughter, had a scared look on her face.
Those eyes
They looked very familiar as if Nick had seen them before, they looked nothing like Queen Hopps'. They looked way different than the Queens, more full of life, warm not cold and seemed to have mamanity (Humanity but there are no humans so) The princess' ears were dropping but Nick had gotten a look at them before the went down and they had black tips on top of her long ears, something he hasn't seen on much rabbits.
"Diaglo, is there any other options?" The older doe asked with a very fake cheery voice while turning to the fat Rhino.
The Rhino adjusted his spectacles on his muzzle and looked at a long list that went down on the side of his desk. Nick could hear the Rhino mumbling names as he went down the list.
"Well…." He drawled out the word as he continued to be concentrated on the list.
"I regret to inform you that he is my only free slave we have, the other either take up jobs or are personal slaves," Diaglo said looking back up.
The Queen was fuming with rage and It was easy to see.
"Fine." She said in a stained almost fury voice.
Of course, during this, the fox was standing there, not liking being auctioned.
"Judith, take him to your room and get him out of those rags, Diaglo's assistant will bring clothes for the fox and a parchment containing his duty as a personal slave and rules, good day Diaglo." She said before storming up the stairs.
The young rabbit now revealed as Judith stood there awkwardly, rocking back and forth on her long hind paws.
'Well, at least she didn't seem the kind of mammal to whip me.' Nick mused to himself
She then opened her mouth to say something then closed it as her gaze went downwards, the suddenly looked down at the floor in embarrassment. She then walked past the confused tod with her head down. Blinking a few times Nick then looked down at himself to see what flustered the bunny. His shirt, if you could call it that, had a huge hole which showed his cream furred stomach, and showed his muscles, running and escaping the guards of every fief and his training with his father in his youth is to blame. Nick then smirked to himself and followed the flustered bunny.
Surprisingly he was already enjoying himself