Hubert Nip

CHAPTER 1 (The HighTower)

    A tall wooden clock was chiming in the corner of the room and Hubert immediately sat upward in his bed. He was waving at his reflection in the mirror then adjusted the purplish-red ponytail hanging down his neck. Everything seemed to be in order so he fluffed his pillow and laid back down.

   As soon as the chiming ended a door opened at the bottom of the clock. The first to exit was a tiny feline of black, white, and gray hair along with a tiny head that included a pink nose, protruding chin, big bubble eyes, and large ears that held her hood in place. Holding a warm tray of food with large cotton mittens she carefully walked to the side of the bed.

   Hubert placed the tray on a nightstand and thanked her for delivering his breakfast. "Good morning Dingles. Thank you, Dingles. That will be all Dingles." Then removing the lid to inspect an egg sandwich and side of oranges.

Dingles curtsied but did not immediately exit back through the clock.

   As soon as Hubert was about to take a bite, he noticed Dingles drooling from the side of her mouth, and returned the sandwich to the plate. "I almost forgot." And broke a piece off and handed her a morsel. "I will not tell." He promised.

   The tiny Dingles eagerly took the sandwich piece and mumbled while gobbling up the morsel. "I should tell you that the CastleKeeper is on her way to your bedroom."

   "Thank you for the warning." Hubert said while stashing the oranges in a napkin. "If you head down to the kitchen please tell Chef Caput that his meal was mediocre at best."

   Dingle's large eyes were sparkling and she asked in her extremely high voice. "You barely ate any of your meal. So, this entire egg sandwich is mine?"

   "You may eat in here but no crumbs on the bed because the CastleKeeper will find out." Hubert reminded the tiny feline.

   "And what happens if she does find out?" Asked CastleKeeper Dorcirca, who was a plumper and older feline that had silently entered through the clock door. Her hair was similar in color to Dingles but much longer."

   With food falling from her mouth the tiny Dingles took the warm tray and slyly snuck back through the clock door.

   "If you try to stop me I will have you whipped at the gallows!" Joked Hubert while taking the warm shirt she handed him.

   CastleKeeper Dorcirca giggled at his response and asked. "Master Hubert, what did I tell you about feeding the servants?"

   "You instructed me to have the servants taste the food for poison?" He answered in a sarcastic tone.

   "We both know that is not true because Chef Caput has one of the vermin do the daily poison tasting." Dorcirca then clapped her hands together and four more felines entered the room that were assigned the task of dressing the prince for every royal obligation.

   Hubert had no interest in the selection of maroon colored jackets the felines were displaying, but distracted by the purplish-red ponytail on the back of his head.

   Dorcirca asked him. "Master Hubert, would you care to select an outfit or do you wish for a different hairstyle?"

   "Remember last year when I was arrested and led to the guillotine?" Hubert reminded her. "This purplish-red ponytail saved my life."

   Dorcirca was laughing and asked. "Are you suggesting that you were saved from losing your head because of that hairstyle?"

   "Yes, when the Dungeon Master spotted this lock of purplish-red hair she hesitated to pull the guillotine lever." He answered her, but was now pretending to lookout the window as the felines continued to giggle.