Good morning! I hope you like this chapter. Let me know what you think, and if you can spot my reference to season five...

-owl

It was nearly noon when the shouting started. Tony wasn't sure what to make of it, though. If it had been something to do with a military invasion, the warning bells would be ringing. As it happened, they weren't. So Tony decided to ignore it, and trust that if it was something that needed his attention, someone would come and get him.

Besides, Tony was working on something important. Not important in the grand scheme of the kingdom, but for Ziva. He had been contemplating what he was going to give her as a gift. He had taken the opportunity the day had presented him, as Abby had 'kidnapped' Ziva for the day to work on things for the Christmas party that was to be eight days hence.

However, only a little while later, the shouting began again. It was louder this time, and accompanied by a loud growl and the sound of running footsteps. Sighing, Tony left his office to see what was going on, only to promptly be knocked down by a young boy. If Tony remembered correctly, the kid's mother was one of the cooks, and he was often running errands for her and the other cooks. As they both fell to the ground, Tony was a furry tail rounding the corner.

"Are you alright?" Tony asked the kid as he stood up, brushing dirt off of his clothes. He also held out a hand for the boy.

He looked up at Tony, blinking before shaking his head as though to clear it. Then shock filled his eyes as he recognized Tony. "Your Majesty! I… I'm so sorry. Please forgive me!" he begged, ignoring Tony's hand.

Tony shook his head. "I'm fine. It was my fault anyway, I should have checked the hallway first."

Though he still looked hesitant, with Tony's encouraging smile he took the offered hand and got off the floor.

"What were you chasing?" Tony asked once the boy was standing.

"Some animal got in. Mother sent me to help the soldiers catch it."

"And where are the soldiers?"

He shrugged. "I lost them because I was following the animal in a really tight secret passageway, and they couldn't fit."

Tony nodded in acknowledgement. "Well," he finally said, "it's probably got a pretty good head start on us now. Do you still want to help track it down? I'll go with you." Now, Tony did not like kids, but on occasion, one wasn't insufferable, and the poor thing was so scared he was going to be in trouble after knocking down the king that he deserved a chance to feel like he fixed it.

"Do you really have time for that?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"I wouldn't offer if I didn't"

So the pair began combing the castle for the animal. When they passed people, they would ask if anyone had seen anything. The answers they received were not cohesive. One person would say it was a huge reddish-brown dog, and the next would say it was a black bear cub. Another one even claimed that it was the offspring of a wolf and a fox. Therefore, they didn't know what it was until they happened across it.

It was a large dog, with blackish brown fur on its body and brown legs. It had pointed ears and a long, bushy tail. They found it licking at some blood covered bandages in the physician's chambers.

Just as Tony was about to lunge for the dog and yell at the kid to find some length of rope, the dog noticed the two and stopped licking the bandages to walk over and sniff them. The dog didn't, however, try to harm either of them.

Tony breathed a sigh of relief before turning to the boy. "I think I've got this under control. Although, if you could find me some rope quickly, that would be great."

He nodded and ran off to find the asked for rope. In the less than five minutes that he was gone, Tony was able to get the dog to let him pet it. Using the handkerchief that he normally kept with him, he gently wiped at some of the blood residue on the dog's muzzle.

When the boy returned with the rope, Tony tied it around the dog's neck gently and handed it to him. "I want you to bring the dog down to the kitchens, have your mother give it some broth and keep it there for now. Then I want you to find the soldiers you were with earlier and let them know that the 'animal' has been found."

The boy nodded and ran off, the dog happily following. As Tony made his way back to his office, he ran into Timothy.

"Tony?" he asked, falling into step with him. "What was that kid doing with a dog?"

"The dog got inside somehow, and he helped me to find it. I told him to bring it to the kitchens and feed it."

"You better hope Abby doesn't get wind that there is an unclaimed dog in the castle. She'll beg you to let her keep it."

Tony chuckled. "Would that be so bad, Timothy?"

"She will get her hopes up, and if you already have a plan for the dog, she won't be able to keep it."

"She could keep it, though," Tony said softly.

"What?" Timothy asked, confused.

Tony spoke louder this time, not the whisper he had been using. "I wasn't going to throw it out of the castle, but it seems too friendly to be any sort of skilled hunting dog. I'd feel terrible if it had to live outside on its own, especially during winter. Maybe it would be good to stay with Abby. That is, of course, if you don't object."

Timothy smiled. "She would love that! Can the dog stay here until closer to Christmas, though, so it can be a surprise?"

Tony nodded. "Sure. but good luck keeping her from finding out there is a dog in the castle, as you warned me a few minutes ago."

"It's going to be a long month, isn't it?" Timothy asked himself, the realization of his task sinking in.