The King's Collie

Part I, Chapter 9: Don't Leave

"Why must you leave, Cameron!?" Marco bewilderedly asked, as the collie got his things.

"Felix told me to," Cameron said, dull stains of tears below his eyes. He had a small satchel of things wrapped in a towel, as well as the clothes and lute on his back. "He told me to get out of here, and I don't want to try questioning any King— Lord knows what would happen if I did."

"I'm sure you misunderstood, Cam...?" the wolf whined.

"No. He made it very clear," the dog replied, picking up his little sack. "I was in bed with the Queen, I told you already."

"You were talking with her, Cameron! That's something entirely different! His Highness meant, you know, sleeping with her," Marco barked this euphemism. "It's really not what he assumed it to be."

"I know, but I doubt he'd even care. He wanted me out of here since day one, I know it," Cameron assured, stepping out of the hallway, and rushing his way to the exit of the castle.

"Don't do this, Cameron!" the wolf barked, running over and grabbing the smaller canine's shoulders. "The Queen will miss you dearly!"

"Stop saying I have a chance anymore— I don't! I never did!" Cameron assured, loudly.

"No! Don't you dare leave!"

These, much to the shock of whom they were heard, were not Marco's words. The roar echoed through the entryway, and the two canines turned around to face the area from whence it came, the other end of the room. There stood Felix. "Don't leave. Please. I lost control of my thoughts, and they led me to conclusions I shouldn't have made. I'm so sorry, just... please, don't leave."

Both of the canids stood and stared. The King... was apologizing for what he said? This was an unthinkable turn of events. Before either of them could muster the courage to say anything else, though, something even more startling happened:

Felix dropped to his knees, and sobbed a little. "God dammit... I've been such a brute. Maybe you don't even want to stay. I can't force you to, after how I treated you, Cameron. Just... please, give me one more chance. I swear I'll make it up to you somehow!"

The collie in question ran back over, and tightly hugged the weeping royalty. He didn't know that he was so needed, and so appreciated, by the King. It was such a surprise, that he too felt almost like crying. "I'm right here, Your Highness! I am! As long as you and the Queen want me, I'll be right here!"

Those were such strangely comforting words. He whined, and gave an equally tight hug back. Well... a hug with proportional effort. It ended up being much tighter, which would almost be discomforting to the canine had the situation not been as important. Ophelia finally caught up to see this, and sighed in relief, with a deep purr and a smile. "I guess this means you two have made up?" she asked, trying to confirm what she had most desired.

"I would guess so," Marco shrugged, smiling, seeing the discord finally arriving at what seemed to be an end.

Cameron and Felix hugged for some time more, and it suddenly dawned upon the dog what an honor it was to be embraced, nevertheless touched, by a king. He soon backed away, and sighed.

"It's about dinnertime," the Queen tiredly said, her eyes blinking away her previous tears. "I think we should all get to it. Have a nice meal, and forget such troubles."

"And you're invited, of course," Felix nodded along.

"Good, I'm famished!" Marco growled happily.

"I mean, I was talking about Cameron, but okay," the lion sighed reluctantly.

Thus, they feasted silently and contently, with nothing in particular to yet talk of. All was well.

~