"I can assure you these stories always have the very best of endings," Lorkan'Tak said as he adjusted his balance upon the branch. It was dark now and he figured that once his story was done he would simply sleep up in this tree with her. There was little point in wandering around at night through the tall grass just to find another tree that may or may not already be occupied. "I should hope so. I would not want to be mated to some stuffy prince and I don't see how being a princess would change that. I mean what sort of nonsense did they raise her with?"
He repressed a chuckle, "Well now. The prince and the herbalist's son were approaching the pride lands. They had nearly reached the royal court when the prince, desperate to win, raced forward ahead of the troupe to claim his prize."
"That is unfair! He's a cheater! A liar! They can't possibly accept that!" Ila interjected.
"Quite so," Lorkan nodded. "And while the king recognized that he had co concede that the prince had reached him first. The princess, not willing to step down so easily demanded that they recount the story of how the prince should come before them in such a ragged state while the herbalist's son now stood before them with enough followers to practically start his own pride! The herbalist's son, who had not yet objected to the proceedings, though his face showed great disappointment in them, was glad to recount his story.
"The prince did try to object but was silenced by the princess and the herbalist's son was permitted to continue. What he told her follows what I have already recounted to you on this night so I will not repeat it. The only thing he did not understand was how the prince came to be in such a poor and ragged state.
"Royal as he was, and while he was not ashamed of his actions, he was too ashamed of his state and how his fellows had abandoned him to suffer a retelling now."
"Serves him right though," Ila commented, a low growl in her throat.
"Do you think? Does he not receive any credit for how he was raised? For his desire to please his parents? Perhaps in his heart he was a good leopard and truely loved the princess."
"I just like the herbalist's son better."
"Well I suppose you are welcome to your preferences, good Ila," he yawned and shifted again on his branch. "Come face to face with the shame that had come to pass the prince backed down and fled the pride land. This story does not tell whether he returned home but I have heard say that he went on in other tales to become a great hero indeed."
Ila's ears perked up at that, "Really? I would never have thought."
"Perhaps that will be a story for another time," he said with a wink.
She smiled and turned to look at her paws. Perhaps, Lorkan thought, was she hiding a blush?
"With the prince out of the way the princess turned to her father and gently asked if she was now to marry the herbalist's son as she had desired to do from the start. The king seemed resistant yet he sighed and announced that the herbalist's son had shown great moral character and as his daughter's intended suitor had run off he would gladly offer his blessings to the herbalist's son should he wish to wed her.
"The herbalist's son stepped forward and knelt before the princess and asked for her paw. The princess accepted enthusiastically and they were married not five nights later."
"Did they have any cubs?" she asked, rolling over ever so slightly as she could in the space restrictions provided by her branch.
"I hear tell that they did. Three litters if I remember correctly, a whopping twenty cubs in all. You may be surprised to learn, or perhaps not, that the kingdom was inherited by their eldest daughter, not one of their sons, and that she was permitted to marry as she desired."
"The only real shame is that the princess... queen? Had not been allowed to do so to begin with!"
"But then we would not have much of a story, now would we."
"I suppose not," she conceded. "And I suppose the prince would never have gone on to become a great hero though, otherwise."
"This may be true. Though there's no way of knowing for sure. What has passed has passed and we will never know if it could have happened otherwise."
"Is that so? Is there no god who could reveal what may have happened should different choices be made?"
"I know not," the grey male sighed. "Either way I doubt very much that it is our place to ask such questions."
She looked up at him, "Is that the end then?"
"Yes," he nodded, "and they lived happily ever after."
"Certainly. Do you know any others?"
"I do... But I would prefer not to recount them tonight. It is getting late and we have already stayed up far too late for this one tale alone. Perhaps in the morning once we have risen I will tell you another. In the mean time please take some time to think of what sort of story you would like to hear."
"I will," she said lowering her head again. It was unclear whether she had intended to sleep or to think, though that was quickly answered. "What sort of stories do you know?"
He repeated the various genres and added a few which he had not mentioned yet. It was all in vain though as she began to snore long before he'd come to the end of his list. Perhaps he'd recite them again in the morning. He wondered idly if she would allow him to hunt with her for their breakfast as he closed his eyes and softly drifted off to sleep.
1003 words - Continued in [SRP] And beside you I go onwards (Lorkan'Tak & Ila'Vamala).
