~~~

  Princess Fluffy was growing very concerned. It had been weeks since she’d sent a report to her father, the king, and yet there was no news.

  She let out another sigh as she looked out at the village just beyond the forest. Standing on the fort’s tall ramparts, the view was one of the only comforts she could seem to find as of late.

  “Princess.” Sir Maximus gently intoned.

  “Yes, I know. It’s unbecoming of me, but even you must admit that this is a tense state of affairs.”

  Maximus chuckled mirthily and looked out at the view as well.

  “Indeed, your highness. I didn’t mean to sound like I was reprimanding you. I share those same worries right now.” He spoke with a soft understanding tone, yet his scaly face remained as stoic as ever.

  “Your highness, there has been no news coming to us nor to the village for weeks despite new messengers leaving infrequently… We both know that means we have likely been put under siege already.”

  The Princess’s bestial side came out as she let out the growl of an angry lioness.

  “But how?” She growled in annoyance. “And why would they cast such a wide net and also not even show themselves?!”

  She turned to Sir Maximus with a smoldering rage in her eyes.

  “Why go through all the trouble if all there is here is me and a batch of hatchlings?! There have been no prior events like this before! How did they even sneak enough forces past your patrols to blockade us in the first place?!”

  Maximus still looks out across the top of the trees. It’s clear to the Princess that he’s collecting his thoughts.

  “Excuse any impertinence this may cause you, but the first part of that is very simple. It may be true that this has never been done before, but it isn’t all that shocking it happened. When else has the beloved princess of a nation been resting on a border fort for so long? The hatchlings being here might even be a simple bonus to them. Two goals for the price of one or some such.” Maximus finally looks over to Princess fluffy. “As for the second part… I have a theory.”

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  They both stared at each other for an awkward moment before the Princess realized what he was waiting for. She held back from rolling her eyes as she told him, “Continue.”

  “Recent reports from the town have mentioned continuous complaints of multiple residents feeling or hearing rumbling underground. It is my belief that the fey might be tunneling right past us.”

  “What? Why would they do that? They could tunnel right under us if that were the case. Why would they choose to go past?”

  Sir Maximus knelt in deference to her. “Apologies, but I’m unsure as of yet, your highness. I have been having Smith investigate for now and had planned to tell you if anything more was found out.”

  “Hmm, by the way, if the hatchlings are down there aren’t they in danger of these supposed tunnelers digging right into their enclosure?”

  Maximus looked up at the Princess in surprise.

  “You didn’t know Princess? That enclosure is actually-“

  ~~~

  Bixxy was the bravest newt. Everyone told her so. She liked playing outside and exercising way more than sitting around and reading like her other friends her age. She had snuck out to play with the kids in the village once. It was a lot of fun! The kids there were very active like her! But then Smith had found her and brought her back and her dad had scolded her for being “impopper” or something. That’s when he’d introducted her to her friends Snooty and Owlish.

  That’s not their actual names, but that’s what they were, so she called them that. They wore dresses, and played with dolls, and were boring! They had no sense of adventure at all! Bixxy didn’t hate them or anything, but they just weren’t very fun friends. And they weren’t even around much!

  So one day, when Bixxy was alone and bored, exploring somewhere under the fort, Bixxy found new friends! They were these really big lizards that came in all shapes and sizes! She heard Smith mention that they were babies once and that was crazy! Bixxy was already a big girl, but these lizards were waaay bigger than her!

  She talked to them all the time because she liked them. None of them ever really talked back, but that was okay! The other beast-kin always told her she talked too much anyway! So she talked enough for each of her dragon friends.

  She was pretty sure they all liked her too! Except for the cranky one. But he was old, and everyone knows that old people don’t like anyone. How did she know he was old? Well, she was already a big girl! And he was older than her!! That made him old!!! The logic logicked.

  Anyway, a new friend came a while back in a big cage, and then all her friends and the new one got put in this big upside down bowl place, and she hadn’t been able to play with any of them in forever! It sucked.

  But right now Smith was outside the fort, so Bixxy had decided it was time to also try being the sneakiest newt! She was gonna get into that place and play with all her friends and play with the new one and maybe they’d be sneaky together and she could show them around the fort! … or not. The new friend was veeery big and long when she saw it.

  Even though she couldn’t get in, she’d made sure to rememberize the guards patrolling the single small way into the place. They would turn and start walking that way riiiiight now!… Now! Ha ha! Bixxy knew it!

  She dashed to the door and was able to slip inside before they turned back around.

  Past the little doorway was a normal beastkin sized corridor that went straight to another door, yet this one was bigger and covered in fancy scribbles.

  Welcome to the Daycare Dungeon!!!

  Bixxy giggled at the over enthusiastic words as she quietly knocked on the doors, needing only wait a few more moments before they began to open on their own, slowly revealing a place she would consider paradise.

  ~~~