Hello everyone,

New chapter is here and again I would like to offer my special thanks to BCRE8TVE for helping me out with edits. Much appreciated, my friend!

Thank you all for the reviews and comments, it's very heart warming! :)

Let us get on with the story!

Chapter 13

Sir Nicholas pushed the double door to his parent's study and walked in, scanning the room for the elderly fox. His feline servant followed closely, not daring to say a word in this place without clear permission. He was well aware of the duke's standing on those below him in hierarchy. Only those of noble blood were allowed to talk to him. Servants were only for following his instructions and not allowed to talk back, unless given the rare privilege to do so. Slaves were at the rock bottom of the old fox's view of social ladder, living trash that were good only for dirty, manual labour.

The room could be described with one word – suffocating. Heavy cupboards of dark mahogany wood occupied every wall, their shelves filled with numerous books. The walls themselves, as well as the ceiling, were a dark depressing color that made one feel almost trapped. The only space by the walls not occupied by the wooden furniture was filled by a grandfather clock, its pendulum ticking away even portions of time. The single tall window provided the only source of illumination, the sharp and bright rays of the afternoon sun splaying themselves across the mahogany desk placed beneath it. Sat behind the massive piece of furniture, the elderly aristocratic vulpine read from an old volume, is pages yellow from the passage of time.

There were no servants in the study, the duke didn't tolerate their presence around him unless absolutely necessary. One maid was allowed to stand outside the door, waiting for any order from her master, but was not allowed to step into the room without a direct order.

Albus Wilde raised a brow when his son stood in front of the desk.

"Father."

The seated fox raised his head slightly and his eyes widened when he took in his son's appearance.

"What in God's name happened to your face?!" shock was slipping through his words.

"I had some disagreements with a certain mammal and it ended up with drawn blades," the explanation rolling swiftly off Sir Nicholas' tongue, the fox not fazed in the slightest by his father's reaction.

"At least tell me that you have settled the matter successfully!" Albus demanded. "We cannot afford anyone roaming around, claiming to have bested you."

A nasty smirk decorated the younger fox's face. "It is hard to claim anything when one's carcass is buried in the soil."

Hearing that, Benjamin shivered behind his master's back, as the way the fox said this mirrored his earlier behavior in the torture chamber with the feline mercenary. It was something that suddenly appeared in the fox's repertoire of expressions after his return to the mansion. Only the years of service under Sir Nicholas and the closeness only the cheetah was privileged to, stopped Benjamin from taking a step back from the fox, from whom a cold aura suddenly emanated. What was even more worrisome for the cheetah was the fact that it was a complete lie. That wound was inflicted by Miss Judy and Benjamin couldn't recall a single time where his master would raise a paw against her. To conjure such a malicious expression from nowhere was an ability to be wary of.

The wounded fox's answer seemed to be satisfactory for the duke. "Very well then. I have summoned you quite some time ago. Pray tell, why has the fulfillment of my order been delayed so much?" He stated with a stern voice, his paw marking the page with a silken strip and putting the book aside.

"My apologies, father. I had urgent matters to attend to," Nicholas replied in a formal way, a smile on his lips, but his face not betraying any thought.

A grimace of disappointment flashed on the old fox's face and was gone immediately. "There is nothing more urgent than my orders," he said casually while leaning on his large armchair.

"If you declare so, father," Sir Nicholas responded with the same tone of voice and a slight bow of his head.

This time clear irritation painted itself on Albus' expression, staying there for longer. "Are you mocking me, Nicholas?"

The younger fox bowed again. "Hardly so, father. I am merely confirming your statements. Please forgive my rudeness if I have sounded offensive," the smile was still there, and no change on Nicholas' face.

The head of the Wilde family glared at his firstborn child. "Hmph! Ever since your return your manners have been deteriorating. I find that highly improper. Mammals of our standing must uphold certain standards, Nicholas."

"I fully agree with you on that, father," the corner of Nicholas' lips slightly tugged upwards, his smile now bordering a smirk. If Albus noticed this change he hadn't commented on it. He also didn't return to the events of their shared meal, something that must have shaken him quite a bit, seeing such resistance from his son. Apparently, he decided to brush it aside as something that didn't fit his worldview.

"We have an important matter to discuss," the duke turned his hard gaze to the silent cheetah. "In private."

Benjamin immediately understood the order. He bowed before the elderly mammal and was about to turn towards the door when his master raised a paw to stop him. "Benjamin has my complete trust regarding private matters of our family, father. What I see, he sees. What I hear, he also hears," Sir Nicholas stated in a calm matter, his gaze never leaving Albus' face as he spoke.

The duke narrowed his eyes. "Servants are not meant for trust, Nicholas. Their only role is to obey orders, nothing else. I have taught you that, many years ago," he stood up from his seat. With arms now folded behind his back, Albus Wilde circled the desk and approached his son. "I have granted you certain leeways so far, for you to grow and learn about the world, but that ends now," he stood right in front of the younger fox, being about three inches shorter than him. "Since you have returned from your… escapade, you will now bear the responsibilities as my future successor."

Sir Nicholas' face didn't even flinch, his smile still present. "And what responsibilities would those be, father?" he said while meeting his parent's gaze.

This time it was the duke's turn to smile. "We are talking about your marriage."

Behind the younger fox, Benjamin held up a paw to his mouth, his eyes widening a bit. This was a truly serious matter. Marriages in high circles worked for a completely different purpose than those between common mammals. For aristocrats, purity of blood was often worth more than mountains of gold. After all, gold could be earned, mined or stolen, but you couldn't buy lineage. Therefore, marriages between nobles were a subtle game, where both sides weighed the benefits of joining members of their families through a marital bond. If one would be extremely lucky, there could be some mutual understanding or indications of acceptance from both parties, but hardly ever was there love. It was a trade deal more than anything else.

"Marriage?" Sir Nicholas said with unwavering calm, though there was the sliver of amusement present in his voice now. "I see. And who would be the unlucky lady you have in mind?"

Hearing this, Benjamin hid his face behind his paws.

For the first time in this conversation, Duke Albus' eye twitched. "Just this once, I will choose to ignore what you just said, considering it a mere slip of your childish tongue," the shorter vulpine's voice gaining a harsh undertone and he leaned slightly towards his son. "Mark my words, there will not be a second time."

"I shall bear that in my mind, father. Still, I would like to know the name of the lady you consider worthy of marrying into the Wilde family," the amusement disappeared from his voice, but the smile remained.

The older fox eyed his son for a bit more, before turning around and returning to his chair. Sitting down, the duke put his fingers together in front of him.

"You will marry Julia Silkpaw, daughter of count Balthasar Silkpaw," he announced. "This marriage will strengthen both our families and ensure continuity of our bloodline."

At this point Benjamin glanced nervously at his master, searching his face for whatever reaction that could come. Younger generations had no say in whom they would marry, it was considered a matter far too important to be left to youngsters with no real knowledge or experience.

"I understand, father," Sir Nicholas simply bowed his head with respect. "Is this the only matter you wished to discuss today?"

The duke waved one of his paws at Nicholas, gesturing for him to leave, while reaching back for the book with the other one, clearly already losing interest with his son. The younger aristocrat's eyes narrowed by the slightest margin as he saw this gesture. Apart from that, his face remained unchanged.

"Then I shall take my leave," with these words the fox turned around and headed to the door, Benjamin following him after giving a respectful bow the head of the Wilde family.

Once out in the corridor and out of ear sight of the old aristocrat or his servants, the cheetah steward dared approaching his master with a question.

"Sir, are you really going to-"

"Follow father's instructions?" Sir Nicholas cut in with a smile.

"Well, yes…." The feline wheezed a bit, trying to match the fox's pace.

A mischievous smirk decorated the vulpine's face. "I wonder…"

"But…" Benjamin kept talking despite shortness of breath. "The courting… the tradition…"

"Worry not, Benjamin," Sir Nicholas waved off the cheetah's worries.

The fox kept walking with his energetic stride that he used from time to time, a feat that was another legacy of his three-year absence in Zootopia. The feline by his side had trouble keeping up with him.

"Sir, must we be in such a hurry?" Benjamin panted, yet doing his best to follow. Seeing this Sir Nicholas stopped, glancing at the breathless steward.

"Hurry?" he raised a brow. "I am merely walking in a casual manner."

The cheetah nodded, gasping for breath. He placed a paw on the nearby wall, leaning heavily on it. "Then… could we… casually go slower?"

Sir Nicholas shook his head with a smile. "Benjamin, you continue to strengthen my belief that a proper diet is in order for you."

A pale shadow of panic nestled itself on the plump feline's face. "Sir… such cruelty… why do you torment me so?"

"Maybe I would not like my steward gasping for breath during the wedding ceremony," the fox patted him on the shoulder while sending him a wink and strolled on. "Now, let us move on. We have a bunny to visit and her relatives to pick up on the way."

The feline's ears perked up at those words. "W-wedding already? You have but only once met Lady Silkpaw! Sir? Sir!" managing to rest a bit and breathing slightly less heavy, the cheetah scrambled after his master.

.

.

After that internal squabble with herself, Judy turned to the little vixen, who was observing her with a raised brow. "Miss Sylvia, we're not in that kind of relationship!" she blurted out quickly, doing her best to slow down her pacing heart.

To Judy's horror, the girl's smile widened, reminding her once again of the male fox. "I never said anything about a relationship."

The doe's nose twitched from her sheer panic. She would never suspect such a thing possible, but right now she wished that Sir Nicholas would return to the room. I can't handle this girl at all!

"I…I…" she mumbled, her mind in a state of paralysis.

Lady Sylvia patted her paw. "No need to be ashamed of your feelings, it is-"

"I don't have any feelings for him!" Judy yelled fiercely, startling the little vixen. The bunny gritted her teeth and kept her small paws clenched on the fabric of her night gown, ignoring the warning pangs of pain acting up in her recently healed joints.

Lady Sylvia leaned away a bit after Judy's sudden outburst, but after a moment she relaxed and scooted closer to the doe who looked even more shaken than the vixen. The girl placed her paw on the bunny's forearm.

"I am sorry Miss Judy. It was wrong of me to make such assumptions," she said in a soothing voice. "I was just overly happy, thinking that my brother could find a kindred soul," the girl's ears were drooping behind her head and she adorned an apologetic expression.

Judy shook her head. "I… I'm sorry for shouting. I'm just a simple farm bunny and I have nothing to do with aristocracy…"

After confessing her background, the doe half-expected the aristocratic vixen to distance herself from her, maybe cringe from disgust. However, she did not anticipate Sylvia's eyes growing wide and her smile even wider.

The girl snatched Judy's paws in her own and her ears shot back up. "You are a farmer?! How marvelous!"

Judy's jaw dropped down.

The little vixen almost bounced on the bed. "I have never personally met a farmer! My papa and caretakers have always kept me away from the countryside and almost any mammals, apart from totally boring social parties with some snobby kids, brr!" her arms shivered slightly at the memory.

Hearing these words, the doe raised a surprised brow. An aristocratic girl calling other upper-class children 'snobs'. Now I've seen everything… she thought with an internal nervous giggle.

"Say, Miss Judy," Sylvia spoke again.

"Just Judy is fine," the doe corrected her automatically and it brought another bright smile to the vixen's face.

"As you wish, Judy. I was wondering if we could visit your home? It would be so exciting to see a real farm!" Sylvia chirped, with her wide, expectant eyes fixed on the doe.

Judy blinked. This… Is this girl even an aristocrat?! It was inconceivable for the bunny. Why in God's name would a girl who could have anything she wanted with her family's money, be so happy to visit the farmlands? No member of the aristocracy would even want to be seen in such a rural and poor area. Her confused mind was almost spinning from the number of confusing situations she kept experiencing in this household.

A knock on the door came to her rescue and Judy quickly answered, grateful for a distraction. "Enter!"

It turned out to be Mrs Otterton and two goat maids. The female servants were carrying a change of clothes for the doe. Judy was never happier to change her clothes, even considering the time when her brothers decided to throw her into a pond on a chilly day one Autumn.

The clothes turned out to be the ones she received earlier from the fox for their trip to the auction house. She gladly slipped into the plain, brown dress, politely refusing any help from the servants. The doe would never accept the concept that someone would assist her in dressing up. That was what aristocrats did and Judy despised the idea of ordering someone to do something she was perfectly capable of doing herself.

After re-emerging from behind a wooden screen which she used to preserve some modesty while changing her attire, Judy thanked the maids again for bringing her clothes.

Little Lady Sylvia Wilde approached the doe and surveyed her from top to bottom. "These are your clothes, Judy?" she inquired with a slightly disbelieving voice.

If this was Sir Nicholas, Judy would treat the words as mocking ones, but she could feel that the girl meant no offence. Figures. Growing up in such a rich environment she probably has dozens of elegant dresses. This must look like a rag in her eyes.

"Actually, it was a gift from your brother…"

Hearing this, the little vixen tensed up and puffed her cheeks, matching it with a frowned expression in a show of annoyance. "Really, what is he thinking? First he offers you his room and then presents you with such a mundane set of clothes!" She huffed.

Judy sneaked a peek at the servants in the room, wondering how will they react to such words. Especially, when all three of them also had rather plain, simple uniforms. To her surprise Mrs. Otterton simply smiled and the goats chuckled quietly. Apparently, they were used to these kinds of situations and didn't mind the little Lady's choice of words.

Still, pointing it out wouldn't hurt either.

"Um… Miss Sylvia," Judy began, thinking how to phrase her thoughts properly.

"Oh, just Sylvia is fine!" the little vixen beamed at the doe.

"Alright…" the bunny showed a small smile. "Sylvia, you may not be aware, but… calling these mundane," sheindicated her clothes. "Is… Is not a nice thing to say when someone wears them all the time and can't afford something better."

The girl blinked, clearly surprised by her words.

Then Judy subtly nodded towards the servants behind Sylvia. This made the girl to turn around and look at the three females. They all adorned panicked expressions and Mrs. Otterton shook her paws in front of her.

"N-no! It's nothing like that, Lady Sylvia! We really don't mind-" she paused her hurried explanation when she noticed the guilt stricken face of the little vixen. Sylvia opened her mouth and let out a heart-wrenching wail.

"I am sorry! Dear Lord, how rude have I been all this time!" she jumped forward and wrapped her small arms around one of the maids, planting her face in the goat's apron. "Lydia, Olga, Elizabeth I am so sorry!" she cried, her voice muffled by the clothes. "Please do not hate me!" she gripped tighter.

The flustered servants gathered quickly by her side, Mrs. Otterton gently petting the girl on the head. "Lady Sylvia, it's alright, everything is fine."

The female goat by the name Olga crouched by the vixen and brushed her back with her hoof. "Elizabeth is right. We would never hate you, Lady Sylvia."

The now teared up girl squeezed harder, still sobbing.

Judy watched this scene with drooping ears and raised brows. While the little lady formed her sentences in a rather sophisticated manner and was quite observant during their earlier conversation, the sight before her eyes showed that she still was a child. Judging from her reaction to the sudden realization how she could have insulted the servants that lived with, the girl must have been very scared of losing her connection with them.

She is that worried about what servants think? That girl, who lives in this grand mansion, that- Judy paused in her thinking when the realization dawned on her. 'Grand mansion', that was the key phrase. The doe's features softened when she recalled her own home, small, crowded and never quiet. Sure, they've always complained how cramped it was in those small cottages and having 'too many' siblings, but she couldn't even imagine living in any other conditions, without her cheerful, bustling family. So how lonely this little vixen must have felt in this gargantuan building, regarding other children of her standing as annoying snobs, and most likely having little to no friends.

From how she reacted to Judy in their first meeting to how she talked with her own brother and the compassion she showed seeing the doe's wounds, the little vixen was a child with lots of positive emotions to share with the world. Her reaction to the truth of how she behaved towards her, most likely, only friendly companions in this palace of a house, only strengthened Judy's image of her – a cheerful, lonely girl, that was desperately looking for friends.

At this point the female otter placed paws on Sylvia's shoulders and gently turned the girl around. She pulled out a pawkerchief from her apron and dried the little vixen's tears. "There, there. It's nothing to cry about, Lady Sylvia. None of us would ever think badly of you because of this. We simply didn't mind, so we never raised this topic and, well… It would feel inappropriate of us to correct the young Lady," she gave her explanation to which both goats nodded.

The one named Elizabeth placed a hoof on the girl's shoulder. "We all know how good of a mammal you are, Lady Sylvia. All of us enjoy your joyful character," she said softly with a smile.

The small vixen turned around and rested her forehead on Elizabeth's apron. She was still sniffing a bit, but very little. "It's just Sylvia," she mumbled between sniffs, causing the servants to smile and all females got closer to hug their master.

It was another unique experience for Judy, who could only witness the aristocrats and their lives from an outside perspective. Still, she was certain that in the circles of mammals of high birth, such behavior must have been extremely rare. That thought made this scene even more memorable for the young doe who, despite the rather short time of acquaintance with the little vixen, started to grow fond of the girl. She had her delightful childlike innocence, combined with an utter lack of the snobbish taint that plagued practically all aristocratic mammals. Her natural joy and playfulness gave her a magnetic personality, and one could easily be influenced by her, smiling along with the little Lady.

Judy smiled too, glad that she had a chance to meet someone like Sylvia, allowing the doe to learn something important about the mammals of high birth – they weren't born with the high and mighty attitude, but it seemed to be an effect of their upbringing. It was somewhat sad that in ten years or so this radiant girl would most likely will yield to the pressure of the society and would be forced to adapt to the environment typical for mammals of her class.

Sylvia finally separated from the servants, sending a thankful smile to each one of them. "I am sorry," she said once more, wiping her eyes one last time. The little girl turned back to Judy and took a step forward. She lifted the edges of her dress and curtsied before the bunny.

"Thank you for correcting my rudeness and inexcusable behavior," the girl said this with a very solemn face. "I realize that there are many things I have yet to learn."

Judy waved her paw dismissively. "Oh no, I didn't do anything. I simply…" She racked her mind for a proper answer. "I'm just glad that everything was solved peacefully."

Sylvia nodded at her with a smile.

That smile… Judy thought to herself. The cheerful expression that most likely will disappear after she sees the darkness in this world… But… Could this girl somehow grow up, not losing that joy?

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"It is Nicholas," said the fox's voice from the corridor. "Are you decent, Miss Judy?"

Judy was about to answer when she saw a mischievous grin blooming on Sylvia's face.

Oh no…. Nonono! She could feel it in her bones that this smile didn't forecast anything good.

The girl spun towards the door. "What kind of answer would you like to hear?" She called to her brother, teasing playfulness obvious in her voice.

Oh sweet… Judy pulled both ears over her face to hide the blush that decorated her cheeks. How can she be so frivolous?!

Silence on the other side of the door lasted several seconds before someone else let out a stifled chuckle. The sound stopped abruptly, as if that mammal was suddenly silenced by a glare.

"Miss Judy?" The fox's voice sounded through the door, and she noticed it sounded somewhat tired.

The doe groaned quietly from behind her ears, before letting them go and brushing them behind her head. "I'm decent. You may come in."

The door opened and the aristocratic fox walked in, a smiling Benjamin trailing behind him. The feline's shoulders were occupied by Judy's siblings and the rabbit duo's eyes widened when they saw the gathering of new female faces in the room.

And Sylvia's eyes widened as well at the sight of two rabbit kits. "Oh my!" She squealed enthusiastically before addressing the grey doe. "Are they your friends, Judy?"

The bunny couldn't help but chuckle at the joy on the little vixen's face. "You could say that. They're my siblings, Sheila and Tommy," she introduced the little bunnies, "and they're staying here with me."

Sylvia ran up to the cheetah with a bright smile. "Is this true?! You are our guests as well?!" She couldn't contain her joy at the sight of the pair of bunnies that were roughly her age. "Oh, I am so happy to have more company here!"

"They are not staying here." Sir Nicholas interrupted her. "They will be shortly returning to their home, Sylvia." Her brother dampened her enthusiasm with his words. Still, she bounded over to Sir Nicholas and looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Oh, brother! Do they really have to? Please let them stay!"

The adult fox sighed and put a paw to his forehead. "Sylvia…"

"Is this about father?" She referred to the duke's known dislike of rabbits in general. "He does not have to know!"

"This is not about father-"

"Then why not?!" She closed the distance between them and thumped her little fists on the fox's chest, which he took without flinching. "Why are you against it?"

Judy watched the exchange between the vulpine siblings in silence. It was intriguing to watch the aristocratic fox being pressured by a small girl, even if she was his sister.

Sylvia took a step back to glare at her brother. "Seriously, ever since you came back you are acting differently!"

Huh? Came back? Judy's ear's perked up at this new piece of information.

"Sylvia…" He began, a hint of a warning appearing in his voice, only to be interrupted by the girl.

"I swear! You should have never gone to that stupid w-"

"Sylvia!" This time Sir Nicholas raised his voice to cut her off, his figure now emanating the aura of authority that Judy felt before in the dungeon and when they faced with Lord Wolford. It showed in the way his features aligned on his face into a stern and commanding expression, while his body stood tall and straight. The doe also noticed how his tail was aloft a bit.

The little vixen flinched nervously and took a step away from the fox. Still, a flare of defiance didn't go out from her eyes.

"I do not care what king Leonhart says! You are no hero! You are just mean!" The little vixen yelled at him and kicked her brother in the shin. Given the spot she had chosen for her strike, as well their size difference, Sylvia winced when her hindpaw connected with the fox's leg. Holding back tears, the little girl ran out of the room. Mrs. Otterton and the maids followed her in a hurried manner, but not before taking small bows before Sir Nicholas.

When the door finally closed, the fox let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his temples with one paw. "I apologize for my sister's behavior. She is usually well mannered but sometimes her emotions get the better of her."

Judy stared at him in silence, not even sure if she should comment it somehow. That and what she said… She studied the fox's face carefully. Where has he been? Why a hero? Again, she was getting more and more questions about this vulpine. He was a mystery. She knew that in a way it was dangerous for her, as Judy had always been attracted to mysteries and things she couldn't explain. She was curious and inquisitive, never able to settle down if she couldn't get all the answers to her questions. And he is a really big mystery…

"Now then," the fox spoke, gaining her attention again, "we should discuss the matter of going to Bunny Burrow." He crossed the room and pulled a chair closer to the bed, before sitting in it.

.

.

Judy frowned hearing the aristocratic vulpine's explanation.

"Going on horse? With just one mammal?" she was sitting on the bed, along with Sheila and Tommy.

"That is correct," Sir Nicholas nodded from his place on the chair. Benjamin stood behind him like an oversized shadow.

"And why not a carriage?" She questioned the fox's idea, keen on understanding his way of thinking.

"Quite simple," he replied with paws folded on his leg. "To avoid attention. We would not want to give Lord Wolford any piece of information about your movements. Therefore, one fox as a guide, that will also act as a guard if necessary. He will take you and your siblings back to your family."

The two small bunnies exchanged doubtful glances, before looking up at their sister.

"Sis, is this really fine?"

"That fox won't eat us?"

Sir Nicholas rested his head on a paw and let out a sigh. "My kind has given up on eating rabbits ages ago," he turned his gaze to Judy. "Would you mind explaining to your siblings that there is no danger of being consumed on the way?"

"There isn't?" She asked of him adorning a serious expression and had a secret pleasure of seeing his face stiffen for a moment after her question. "I am merely joking," she stated with satisfaction, "though it would be good to have some guarantee of our safety."

"A joke, huh?" The fox shook his head with a smile. "Do not worry, your guide will be enough for a guarantee. If it soothes your mind, let me tell you that I would trust him with my own life."

Judy's nose twitched slightly at his words and, since she was observing him carefully, Judy noticed that for an instant his gaze left her eyes and turned downwards, directly at her nose. Curious about this, Judy decided to call him on it.

"What were you looking at?" The doe asked bluntly, refraining herself from showing a smirk. And she found it most amusing, the way he reacted to her words.

The fox blinked and his mouth hung slightly open. In the next moment he turned his head a bit to raise a paw to his mouth and clear his throat. "My apologies, I'm not used to-" he cast her a quick glance and caught her gaze, his explanation trapped in his throat. "To-" he slightly shook his head. "I was merely surprised how your nose speaks for your true emotions." The fox admitted, his voice now back to its normal, composed self. "Regardless, the guide shall await you at the eastern courtyard in an hour. You will receive proper clothes for the journey and Benjamin will guide you there." He waved his paw towards the spotted steward. "That is all I wished to say," he stood up from his chair, "so I shall excuse myself for now." Before Judy could reply in any way to his rather sudden ending of the conversation Sir Nicholas bowed his head and walked towards the door.

Judy was caught off guard by his behavior, surprised that he reacted in such a manner to her catching him staring. It didn't match his typical demeanor that he showed so far. Was he embarrassed? Irritated? These thoughts occupied her mind while she watched him walk out of the room.

"Judy…" Sheila pulled at the sleeve of her sister's clothes. "Will we really be okay?"

The doe pulled both of them tighter into a hug. "Sister will be with you, I won't let that fox harm you."

She received two happy smiles in return and the little bunnies cuddled closer to her.

.

.

Benjamin trailed after his master to his room, again short on breath as Sir Nicholas ventured through the corridor in his energetic step. "S-Sir… Is there a reason… for such a rush?" The cheetah wheezed when he walked into the room on wobbly legs.

"I would like to drink a cup of tea, Benjamin." The fox stated with his back to the steward, standing by the table.

"T-tea? We just had-" The steward stammered, not sure what his master had on his mind.

"A cup. Of tea." Sir Nicholas' voice dropped in volume by a thin margin, yet gaining the cold edge that caused a shiver run down the cheetah's spine.

"Y-yes, sir!" He squealed and hurried off in the direction of the kitchen.

Alone in the room, Sir Nicholas approached the tall mirror and glanced at his own image. He leaned slightly forward and wiggled his nose once or twice staring intensely at its reflection. He smiled, he frowned and even made an indifferent face, all the time watching his nose. After performing this strange act he straightened up, shook his head and headed to a chair with a disgruntled expression.

.

.

True to Sir Nicholas' words, servants delivered new garments for the bunnies to their room. They turned out to be hooded cloaks in plain, brown color.

Judy considered this to be the follow up on what the fox said about not attracting attention to themselves. She could see the logic behind this, as many mammals would question why a fox would travel with three bunnies.

She helped her siblings into the new attire and they didn't have to wait long for Benjamin to appear and announce the time for the departure.

As they were walking through the corridors, which were nauseatingly heavy with gold framed paintings, Judy observed their surroundings carefully, just to make sure that they wouldn't run into the elder fox.

Benjamin, on the other paw, looked completely relaxed as he interacted with the doe's siblings. All three rabbits were walking next to the plump cheetah, not riding on his shoulders. The feline steward explained that it was his master's idea to not attract any unwanted attention and that small mammals next to a fairly larger cheetah would look like servants to anyone. Judy didn't comment on that but was curious why the secrecy would have to apply also here.

"Okay, this is it." The feline stated as they eventually approached a large double door. "Your guide is waiting outside, at the courtyard." He then kneeled down to be more on their level. "I know it may sound weird, but please try to put a little faith in your guide, alright? I know that he will get you safely to your home."

Judy raised a brow, her curiosity piqued. "Is there something we should know about him?"

Benjamin waved his paws in front of him. "No, not really! Now off you go, okay?" He stood up in a hurried manner and opened the door for them.

Judy eyed the plump cheetah with a doubting gaze, but didn't press the matter. They were going to find out what was this about anyway.

"Alright. Thank you, Benjamin. You've been really kind to us." She graced him with a smile and her siblings nodded in agreement.

"Yes!"

"You were very nice!"

"Unlike the fox."

"Yeah, you're better than the fox."

A faint blush decorated the steward's cheeks. "Oh you, stop embarrassing a simple servant! Now shoo, shoo!" He herded them toward the opened door, not even trying to hide a grin.

.

.

The bunnies walked out to the sun-bathed courtyard, a square shaped place surrounded by the mansion's walls from all sides, except for an open gate in one part of the building. The location was kept in a spotless state, with several bushes trimmed with precision and a few stone benches brushed clean. There was even a small fountain in the middle, not so grand as the one at the main entrance, rather a little one with no fancy statues and just a single, plain column that sprayed water to the sides.

The trio was also met by the sight of a hooded fox standing next to a saddled horse. While he was busy with tying the few remaining sacks to the saddle, the doe noticed the neck of a bottle sticking out of one of them. Most likely rations for the journey. As for the mammal, only the end of his muzzle was visible from under the cowl so Judy couldn't tell if she had seen him before, only able to recognize that the fur was red. The vulpine was wearing a plain soldier's uniform that had obviously seen better days. It was a brownish, long sleeved jacket that looked more like it had been dragged out of a pool of mud in the fields, rather than a uniform commissioned from a wealthy family's armory. Even the pants looked tarnished and in dire need of replacement for a new pair.

Judy wrapped her arms around her siblings' shoulders and held them closer to her sides. "I was told that you are going to be our guide," she said out loud with a strong voice, to be heard over the distance. The doe was reluctant to come closer with the kits before she saw the mammal's face.

The hooded figure nodded visibly, the paws not pausing in their work.

Judy's nose twitched, as she expected some kind of an answer, not just a tilt of the mammal's head.

"You'll also guard us?" she tried again.

One more time she received a nod.

The doe rolled her eyes. Oh great! We get a mute? Is this that fox's idea of a joke? She narrowed her eyes slightly, now determined to make the hooded vulpine talk. "Just out of curiosity," Judy said as she came a few steps forward, gently leading her siblings with her, "if we were to escape during the journey, what would you do?" She was certain that these words would get her a vocal response. And a response she got.

The vulpine stopped in his activities for a moment, before letting out a chuckle. The mammal turned towards them and his paws moved up to grab the hood covering his head and slid it off. Three bunnies stared wide eyed at the all-too-familiar face.

"I am hurt, Fluff," Sir Nicholas folded his arms and showed them an amused smile. "Why would you ever want to run away from me?"