I have a variety of other unpublished short stories not in my three main universes. From time to time, I will publish them here or link to where they have been published. These range from middle-grade fun to contemplative oddities, and all the normal SFF as well.
Appropriate Pets
Princess Fara wanted a dog. Not just any dog, mind you. She wanted a big dog that loved to play and cuddle and destroy her parents’ furniture.
Her parents objected.
Dogs to her dad were hounds, best used for hunting. They were obedient and outdoors. The dogs in his kennel had wild, hungry eyes with a magic sheen from eating wild animals hunted in the dark forest. Their coats were coarse and practical. When she studied with the kennel master, she was not allowed to show affection except, on occasion, a treat for following orders. She didn’t want to give orders. She wanted to love her dog unconditionally.
Dogs to her mother were small. Perhaps running the kitchen skewers, wiry and with little attention for anything outside of rest and the wheel. Or, perhaps nestling into the crook of Mother’s arm like the second child she had always wanted. They had high spirits, but no attention span to play fetch and a coat too thin for the outdoors in winter.
Either way, dogs were not for adolescent princesses who try to avoid their homework.
In fact, on this fateful day, she yet again avoided her homework. Her parents had no sympathy for her need for a dog, so she felt no sympathy for their need of an educated heir.
Fara tossed stones into the river, splashing mud on her delicate riding boots. She climbed trees, tearing her dress. Anything to avoid another dull moment alone with her governess, learning about the realm. Anything to avoid another day with no friends but the human variety that tended to judge her poorly.
She walked deeper into the woods of the King’s Forest, farther than she had ever gone before. The dark forest was off limits. Formally reserved for the king’s hunting pleasure, the water from mountain springs fed magic into its boughs, giving the trees an eerie intelligence. The forest protected their little kingdom, keeping the unwanted and careless out, but she ought to be able to walk in it. After all, she was a princess.
She came to the stream, which tinkled with false innocence. It had no bridge to cross, so she searched for a narrow crossing. Someone had searched before her. Their leather satchel lay crumpled among the stones. She prodded it with a stick. The water had wicked up the thread and a mildew smell made her crinkle her nose.
She left the cloth alone and forded the stream. The rocks were slippery and she slipped once, drenching her right foot. The squishy sensation of each step did not discourage her. Instead, she imagined it as part of the adventure. Perhaps it would add magic to her step.
She came to a particularly blackened thicket. A chill clung to her fingers, toes, and heart. Gnarled trees reached out as if to strangle her. She heard a low growl.
All at once, she remembered her father’s warning about going into the woods. Great boars and hungry wolves lived here, grown powerful from the mountain’s magic. She backed against a tree, a knot against her back and in her stomach. The noise grew louder.
Its head emerged first, the great snout of a wild beast. Its nose wrinkled into a snarl, mouth hanging wide to expose massive fangs. He stalked towards her. He had a thick coat over a barrel chest and a tail held high in the air. She shrank down, covering her eyes in fright. She felt its breath heavy upon her neck and prepared for the bite.
A great tongue licked across her forehead.
Fara looked up. The beast wagged its tail at her and licked her exposed chin. The wrinkles in its nose were simply excess skin. He rolled on the ground and exposed its belly. The thick coat felt luxurious and soft against her fingers. She pat his side, found an itch, and laughed as his leg moved with her hand. She ran her hand down the dog from his soft ears to his bushy tail.
She stood tall again and broke off a twisted branch from the tree. The dog leapt into the air in front of her, mouth lolling open. They played fetch until her arm hurt and the dog panted. After another belly rub and a roll in the pine needles, they sprinted back to the stream. The dog splashed on its way through then shook mud and sticky needles everywhere. They frolicked all the way back to her castle.
Her mother and father were quite irate. Fara hugged the dog close to her so they could not hurt him in their tirade. She had abandoned her studies and found a wild mutt that did not have the decency to be small nor obedient. When her father came close to check him for disease, the dog licked him right across the mouth. She giggled as he spat.
At last, they promised not to run him off and instead put him in the kennels for the night. She begged to let him stay in her room, but her parents drew the line at that.
The next day, she snuck out early to play with her dog. She threw sticks for him. She snuggled up and pet him. She got so distracted, she completely forgot about breakfast until her parents came out, brows drawn tight together and hands clenched into fists.
“You can’t take him away!” she argued. “I love him!” With that, she gave him a big kiss right on the top of his head.
Her dog pulled from her grasp, extending up above where she sprawled in the grass. His front legs lifted into the air and spine grew in length. His back straightened and features morphed.
“I am Prince Canan,” said her dog-prince, kneeling in the grass and delicately taking her hand. “I am the prince of a distant and wealthy land. On my travels, I became lost in the woods and caught a rabbit for my dinner. I was transformed mind and body into the dog you have been so kind to.”
She scrambled to her feet as would be the expected decorum for a princess, although she could hardly change the grass stains across her skirt or the dirt under her nails. Pretending decency, she looked upon this prince.
He was very handsome, eyes brightly dancing, mouth turned into a kind smile. The strength of the dog coursed through his arms and wide shoulders, yet his touch was elegant.
“My lady,” he continued. “I ask for your hand. My only wish is your happiness.”
She considered his offer. His charming words. The promise of a fortune to make her parents happy.
She thought long and hard and said at last, “I’d rather have my dog.”
Instantly, he shrank back against the earth, his fine clothes fraying into a fine coat. He danced around at her feet and leapt up for a dog dance. He sat on command and waited for judgment.
Her parents agreed: a dog who was also a prince was appropriate for a princess.