Chapter 4

"Forgive me, Princess,  but was it really necessary to ruin my dress like that?"

Merees shrugged.

"My apologies, I acted in the heat of the moment."

The two girls were alone in Merees' bedchamber, the princess having dismissed her maid.
At the moment, Merees was seated on the edge of her bed, watching Risha slipping into the dress that the Princess had picked out for her from her wardrobe.

"Besides", she added. "You look great in that dress." I want you to keep it, to replace the one you lost."

Risha looked down at the dress she was currently wearing. She had to admit that it was pretty, with its pattern of silver-colored birds against a pale green background. Still, the lynx-girl couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret, as she looked at her old dress, which now lied in a pile on the floor. That dress had been a favorite of hers.
Of course, she reminded herself, that was not something that Merees could have known.

"Thank you, Princess", she said and, after a moments hesitation, curtsied.

"Think nothing of it", Merees replied. "More importantly, what was it you wished to tell me, that couldn't be told in the dining-hall?"

Risha took a deep breath to steel herself and then, she told Merees what she and Leorin had learned. The princess listened attentively without interrupting, though Risha couldn't help but notice that Merees eyes had begun to flare and smoke was streaming from her nostrils. Risha had barely finished before Merees rushed up from the bed and, to her shock and surprise, pinned her against the wall.

"Liar!" The Green dragon snarled.

Instinctively, Risha unsheathed her claws and swiped at Merees' face, it only brushed past the dragon's nose, but it caused her to release her grip for a moment, allowing Risha to slip past her.

"Princess", she said, in an imploring tone. "You must believe me. Why would I lie about something this serious?"

Merees glared at Risha and then, she curled up on the floor, hiding her face in her hands. Risha found herself unsure of what to do. At times when her brother felt sad, she'd hug him to make him feel better, but somehow, she wasn't sure if that was the appropriate thing to do in this case. Finally, she hesitantly reached out her left paw and slowly patted Merees on one of her head-spikes.

The gesture caused the Princess to look up, she swallowed and wiped the tears that were streaming from her eyes and down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry", she said, with a sigh. "Of course, there's no reason for you to lie to me. Its just
that...Argath has always acted so kindly towards me, despite our difference in age and she's our father's most loyal supporter, the one who will surely inherit his throne. Why would she want to kill him? Or any of us for that matter?"

Risha thought about this, she had to admit that her story sounded fantastic. Then, she remembered something.

"The fox who was with your sister".... she began.

"I know who you mean, what about him?"

"He said something about it being a shame that you'd have to die, since you were innocent." Risha's eyes became wide like saucers and she made a little gasp. "Princess, can something have happened that could have caused Argath to harbor a grudge against the rest of your family?"

Merees furrowed her brow in deep thought for a few seconds, then she shrugged.

"If so, it must have happened before I was born. I'll ask Keron about it when this is over. Perhaps he knows something."

"What will you do now?" Risha asked..

"Do you have any proof of this, that we may present to my father?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Well, in that case, we can't accuse Argath directly. All we can do is try to prevent her plans, I'll speak to the Captain of the guard, telling him to double the security around my father."

"What if the dessert itself has been tampered with?"

"Somehow, I doubt that. Argath knows that my father won't eat anything that hasn't been sampled by his food-taster beforehand."

Risha had to concede that the Princess had a point there. Then, another thought hit her:

"Once Argath notices that her plans have been thwarted, won't she try again later?" She asked.

"Don't worry", Merees replied and for a moment, a flame burned in her eyes. "She won't get that chance, I'll make sure of it."

Risha swallowed, the Princess' word had an ominous ring to them.

"Are you going to kill her?" She asked, in a small voice.

Merees sighed.

"I'd much rather have Argath's treason exposed, but if that's not possible, than, yes, I would kill her.
Before she could do the same to me, or anyone I care about."

Risha shuddered inwardly. For a moment, she felt glad that she was not a member of a family in which you could trust no-one, not even your own  kin.

 Suddenly, she became aware that Merees had said her name.

"Forgive me, Princess" she said, lowering her eyes. "My thoughts wandered."

"I noticed", Merees replied and put her hand on Risha's shoulder. "I want you to know that even though these revelations are painful, I'm thankful that you told me about them. Whatever happens, you and your brother will always have my gratitude."

Then, the female dragon did something unexpected; she leaned forward and gave Risha a quick peck on the cheek.

For a moment, Risha stood there, frozen on the spot. She could feel herself blush under the spotted fur. As if in trance, she brought her paw up to the place that, for a brief second, Merees' lips had been in contact with and touched it. It was than that she realized that she was alone in the room. Shaking her head to get her bearings, the lynx-girl hurried out the door, after the Princess.

****

When the two girls returned to the dining-hall, Merees immediately signaled for a nearby guard to come over.

"Tell the Captain I wish to speak to him", she said.

The Rhinoceros-guard saluted and went away, a moment later he returned with the Captain of the guard, a dignified-looking eagle, whose face was only marred by the dueling-scar that ran across it.

"I am at your service, Your Highness", the Captain said and clicked his heels together.

"Captain, there have been rumors from a reliable source that an attempt on the king's life will take place during the desert. I need you to make sure that this attempt is not a success."

"I shall double the security, Your Highness", replied the captain and after a quick salute, went to fulfill his task.

"There we go", Merees said. "Now, I don't think we can do anything but wait."

Risha agreed and so, the two friends went and took their seats at their royal table. As they sat down, Risha turned to look at Leorin. For some reason, her brother seemed to be in a bad mood, he sat with his arms crossed and his ears laid flat on his head.

"What's wrong, Leo?" She asked.

"I couldn't warn them", the kitten said in an angry voice. "Both mother and father were to busy talking and when I tried to tell them about what we heard, they brushed me off."

"That's too bad. Well, cheer up, little brother, you did what you could."

"I guess. So, how did it go for you, sis?"

Before Risha could answer her brother's query, King Sharan rose from his chair and, with a gesture, demanded everyone's attention:

"Everyone", the king said. "I hope that you saved some room for dessert."

"What are we having?" Someone among the guests called out, the mood in the dining-hall was at this point sufficiently relaxed, that no-one no longer cared about this breach of etiquette.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that", answered the king. "However, I've been told that our esteemed head of the kitchens, Master Bureno, considers it his master-piece. Well, I imagine that all of you are as excited as I am to see what he has created. So, without further ado, let's bring in the dessert.

King Sharan snapped his fingers and immediately the doors opened and the kitchen staff paraded in, as if they had been standing outside, waiting for the right moment. In the front walked a large boar, upon whose head the kitchen-master's high, white hat sat like a crown. This was, of course, Bureno himself. After him came his assistants and sous-chefs, all dressed in their white uniforms and wheeling in front of them, trays loaded with coffee, tea, spoons, plates and cups, which they proceeded to set the tables with. Finally, the dessert itself came and when they saw it, a collective gasp came over the guests' lips:
The dessert was a large cake, made out of marzipan, chocolate and meringue, depicting various important events in Vinoli's history.

"Look, dear!" Nasari said to her husband, pointing at the cake. "You are on it!"

 Indeed, a tiny, marzipan version of Jeraddin, leading a small group of soldiers, made out of the same material, could be seen on the cake. Of course, the general was not the only one represented in this way; at the very top of the cake, a younger version of Vinoli's monarch could be seen, striking a majestic pose.

"Magnificent, Bureno" said King Sharan with a nod of appreciation. "It almost seems a shame to eat it."
The head of kitchens beamed, looking as proud as a peacock.

"Oh, but your majesty, I have poured my very soul into this cake. It is my magnum opus, so naturally, it tastes even better than it looks."

The King could not help but chuckle at Bureno's lack of modesty.

"Very well", he said. "You may begin serving it."

Bureno bowed and went to the task of cutting a large slice of the cake, which he elegantly placed on the king's plate. King Sharan was just about to bring a spoonful of the sweet delicacy to his mouth, when a voice interrupted him:

"Father, are you not forgetting something?"

The King slowly put the spoon down and turned towards the speaker.

"And what would that be, Merees?"

"Why, aren't you going to let your food-taster try it first? Just to be on the safe side?"

Upon hearing these words, Bureno stiffened visibly and glanced at the princess with the look of wounded pride written all over his broad face.

"Your Highness", he said, "I assure you that I myself have prepared this cake with my own two hands. There is nothing mischievous about it."

"No-one is accusing you of anything, Bureno" the King said. "However", he continued, looking pensively at the slice of cake sitting in front of him. "As you may know, Telias here  has the finest taste-buds in all Vinoli, It would be a shame if he missed out on your masterpiece."

With those words, the king waved for the food-taster to approach. Using a tiny spoon of his own, the hare chipped off a small piece of the King's cake and brought it to his mouth. Around the table, everyone's eyes were focused on the food-taster, as he savored the small piece, rolling it around in his mouth, before swallowing it.

"Delicious", he said, his tongue sweeping over his lips.

"Have the whole piece" King Sharan said, magnanimously. . "I'll take another one."

"How are you feeling?" Merees asked the food-taster, somewhat brusquely.

"Perfectly fine, Your Highness" came the reply.

"Well, Merees" said the king. "It seems you owe master Bureno an apology. "

"You're right, father", the princess agreed and with that, she rose from her seat and looked at the head of the kitchens.

"Please accept my apologies, master" she said. There was a stiffness in her voice as she uttered these words, but Bureno either did not notice it or pretended not to. Instead he gravely nodded his head, showing that the apology was accepted.

"Well", said King Sharan. "Now, that we've cleared things up, I'd like to try the cake myself. You may begin serving it, Bureno. Again."

Bureno did as the King ordered and soon everyone was enjoying the cake, praising its taste and the skills of its creator. No, not everyone; around the royal table sat four guests who did not partake of this treat. 

One of these four was Keron, who, not having a taste for sweets, had politely declined his slice and was now sipping contently at his coffee. The other three were, of course, Risha, Merees and Leorin, whose slices sat untouched on their plates. It wasn't so much that the cake didn't look appetizing to them, but rather that they were too tense to enjoy it: Argath's assassins, whoever they were, could strike at any moment. Risha looked around the room, there seemed to be more guards in it, than before. Hopefully, they would be enough.

At that moment, the general revelry was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a chair being pushed back. It was none other than the King, who, standing up, leaned on the table with one hand, while clutching his broad forehead with another.

"Is something wrong, father?" Merees asked, with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"I..I don't feel so well", the King replied. "I think I need to go and lie down for awhile".

He reached out for his cane, but as he was about to grab it, a choking sound erupted from his throat and he fell to the floor, red foam appearing in the corners of his mouth.
At once, every guests were on their feet, the dining hall filling with a multitude of voices:

"Your Majesty!"

"Father!

"What's going on over there?"

"Something's happened to the King!"

"Where's the court physician?"

"There he is!"

"Move aside! Let him through!"

The royal physician, an aging griffon wearing a pince-nez on his beak, made his way up to the royal table.

King Sharan, meanwhile was not the only one who was in need of medical attention. Thekros, too, had collapsed on the floor, with the same symptoms as his father. The doctor crouched down on the floor and began to examine the fallen monarch.

"What's wrong, doctor?" Merees asked, anxiously. "You must save him!"

The Doctor's only response was a sigh and then, he turned his head upwards and looked at the princess and the others.

"There's nothing I can do, Your Highness" he said. "His Majesty is beyond any help I can give."

Queen and Country

Dear reader, are you by any chance, familiar with the TV-series, The Sandbaggers? If not, I should tell you that it was a British espionage-series, created by Ian Mackintosh. The series, which ran for three seasons, before ending abruptly due to the mysterious disappearance (and most likely death) of its creator, starred Roy Marsden as Neil Burnside; the ruthless, but oh-so effective, head of operations of the British secret service. As spy-fiction goes, The Sandbaggers had much more in common with Le Carré than Fleming, meaning that an episode consists of about 90% of people talking to each other, either on the phone, in the street or in an office and the remaining 10% (or less) are dedicated to action-sequences.
I love The Sandbaggers, it is, hands down, one of my all-time favorite TV-shows. However, as you have undoubtedly figured out by looking at the title, its not the main subject for this post. The reason why I brought up the show, is because writer Greg Rucka has acknowledged it as the inspiration for his comic, Queen and Country.

Of course, there are some notable differences between the two. For example, Queen and Country began publication in the early 00's, meaning that the Cold War is over and that terrorists, not communists, are the chief enemies of the Western world. Another difference lies in the main characters; rather than letting the head of operations be the main character, Rucka decided to focus on one of the field-agents (or minders, as they are called) instead. Furthermore, said field-agent is a woman; Tara Chase, who deserves a place among the great female lead characters in comics. She's backed up by a solid supporting cast, including her boss, Paul Crocker, a worthy successor to Burnside.
I've currently read five volumes of Queen and Country, each one better than the last. Rucka does a great job at spinning suspenseful plot-arcs that keeps the reader intrigued all the way to the end. All the while keeping his characters and their relationship, both professional and otherwise, interesting.
Like all the great works in its genre, Queen and Country comes with a dose of moral ambiguity as Tara and the other agents on occasion have to compromise their morals and ethics in order to carry out their mission. One particularly memorable example of this occurs in the fifth volume (drawn by Carla Speed McNeil, each volume has a different artist), in which our heroine commits an act that, while perhaps understandable, in some ways, nearly pushes her into villain-territory. I won't say what it is, you'll have to find it out for yourself.

If you're a fan of good spy-fiction, Queen and Country is a must-read.

Chapter 3

The Great dining hall of the royal palace was a long, rectangular room, with enough space to house hundreds of guests without trouble. At the time our story takes place, the dining hall was seldom in use; the king and his children tended to have their meals, or entertain any visitors in their respective quarters. This evening, however, the hall had been opened up for the festivities and the guests had now begun to take their assigned seats at one of the tables. Jeraddin, Nasari and their children, were seated at the same table as the royal family. Aside from King Sharan, who occupied the seat of honor and Thekros, there were two more dragons present:

The First one was Keron, who was known throughout the kingdom as a scholar of some renown. As the King's oldest child he had been originally chosen to succeed his father. Unfortunately, Keron had been born with a weak constitution and the doctors had told Sharan that ruling a kingdom would be too demanding on the prince's health.
The Other was Merees, the youngest of the King's children and considered by many to be the most beautiful. After having helped her oldest brother to his seat, the young princess took her own seat, which happened to be next to Risha.

When all the guests had taken their places, the King tapped his jewel-encrusted goblet, with one of his claws, in order to call for attention. All the guests turned towards their monarch, the king cleared his throat and began to speak:

"My friends and loyal subjects", he said, his voice reaching to the farthest corners of the room.   "I know that you're no doubt eager to feast upon the various delectable dishes that my chefs, under the supervision of master Bureno, has prepared for us. Before that though, there are a few things I'd like to say. Do not worry, I promise, it shan't take long."

Here, King Sharan paused, took a deep breath and looked at the guests, who were all hanging on to his every word.

"It has been my privilege", the King continued, "to have been the head of this nation for over three centuries now and I hope that I've proven myself worthy of the task bestowed upon me. However, I could not have done it myself: Your ancestors helped me to bring peace and prosperity to this land of ours and you have followed in their footsteps. You have served me and the people of Vinoli well and I have no doubt that your descendants will do the same. I thank you."

At this moment, King Sharan raised his goblet.

"My friends, a toast: To Vinoli."

"To Vinoli!" Everyone shouted at the same time, the sound of their cheer causing the walls to vibrate.

With the speech over, his majesty gave order for dinner to be served. The collective mouths of the guests began to water as they saw the variety of meticulously prepared dishes, that were being carried out in front of them. Naturally, the king was served first and he was just about to start eating, when a thought entered his mind, like a thief sneaking into an unguarded house:
What if the food had been poisoned?

Long, long ago, when he was a relatively young and inexperienced ruler, King Sharan had fallen victim to an assassination attempt, when a jealous pretender to the throne poisoned his food. The Poison had been strong enough to kill a horse, but fortunately not strong enough to kill a dragon. However, the King had been ill for some time after. Ever since, he had employed someone to taste his food, to see if it had been tampered with. As luck would have it, there had never been another attempt to poison the King, aside from that time (perhaps the failure of the first attempt served to discourage others, who can say?), but the fear that one day, someone would find a poison strong enough to take his life, lingered deep in the dragon-king's subconscious and occasionally that fear woke up and made itself reminded.

King Sharan looked at his food, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it and besides, his daughter had been in charge of everything. Surely, Argath wouldn't try to poison her father? The mere thought was preposterous. Still, what if someone else had persuaded the chefs to put poison in the food? Someone like Thekros, for example? 

King Sharan looked at his son through the corner of one eye, he had never liked Thekros and that antipathy had only grown stronger over the years. The King's low opinion of his son had only been strengthened further by reports from his spies, who had often seen the Prince in places of ill-repute, consorting with shady and uncouth individuals. Yes, if anyone was capable of poisoning their own sire, it would be Thekros.

Having made his decision, king Sharan held his plate out for his food-taster.

"Try some of this. A little bit of each", the King commanded.

The food-taster, a skinny hare with sunken eyes, who had inherited his position from his father, when the old man had died of a brain-aneurysm at the age of 70, sent a silent prayer to the appropriate deity and produced a small fork and knife, with which he proceeded to cut a slice of each piece of food, which he then popped into his mouth. As the food-taster chewed vigorously, the king studied his face with a mix of hope and anxiety.

"How do you feel?" He asked after awhile.
The food-taster swallowed and seemed to be pondering the question.

"Like usual, your majesty."

"You do not feel ill or anything?" The king asked, hesitantly.

"No, your majesty, I feel fine."

Feeling more at ease, king Sharan took the plate from the food-taster and started eating, as he swallowed a morsel, a look of pure bliss came over his face. The servant, seeing that the king was satisfied, began serving the other guests.

As the hours passed and the drink and food were consumed, the mood became less and less formal; the guests conversed more freely with one another and soon the hall was filled with a plethora of noises, including someone bursting impromptu into song, heated arguments (some of which ended with both parties clearing their schedules for a duel, when the time was right) and laughter. At one point, Leorin turned to his mother, reached out and nudged her shoulder.
Nasari, who had been talking with Keron about a treatise of his that she had read and found interesting, excused herself and turned towards her son.

"What is it, Leo?" She asked.

The kitten looked around and motioned for his mother to bend down. Nasari did so and Leorin whispered into her ear:

"I need to go."

Nasari turned to her eldest child, who was engaged in conversation with Merees; the two of them having discovered that they shared some similar interests and had hit it off quite well.

"Risha, go with your brother", she ordered.

Risha sighed, annoyed by the interruption.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes. Make sure he doesn't get into trouble."

Reluctantly, Risha got up, excused herself and left the dining hall, along with Leorin. As the two siblings walked through the corridors, she turned to her brother.

"Let's find a bathroom, so we can get back. There has to be one here somewhere."

"That's fine", Leorin replied and smiled mischievously. "I didn't really need to go, that was just an excuse."

The lynx-girl shut her eyes and groaned in frustration. She loved her brother, but there were times when he really got on her nerves.

"We're going back", she said and reached out to grab hold of Leorin's paw, only to find that he was gone.

It didn't take long for her to find him, he was climbing the stairwell up to the second floor. Risha could move quickly when she wanted to, in the wink of an eye, she stood at the bottom of the stairwell.

"Leo, get back here!"

Alas, her brother did not listen.

"You'll have to catch me first!" He replied and bolted upstairs.

Cursing all younger siblings over the World and their obstinacy, Risha dashed after him. Upon rounding a corner she found Leorin crouching by a door, his ear pressed against it.

Risha approached, intending on giving her brother a peace of her mind. She was just about to speak, when to her surprise, Leorin turned around, signaled for her to be quiet and waved at her to come closer.

"There are people in this room", he whispered, excitedly, as if he was revealing some great secret.

"I heard that one of the King's daughters was sick and couldn't enjoy the party", Risha whispered back. "This must be her room. Anyway, we shouldn't be here, let's go back."

"She doesn't sound sick", Leorin replied. "Listen."

Against her better judgment, Risha found herself intrigued, she put one ear to the door. Two voices, a male and female could be heard on the other side, this is what they said:

"Its almost time for dessert, isn't it?" Said the female voice.

"I believe it is", answered the male voice and burst into laughter. "A toast to your ascendance, princess", it proceeded to say in an almost comically formal tone. "May your reign be long and prosperous."

"Thank you, Lorenzo" the female voice replied. "Its been hard, forcing myself to feign loyalty to the father I despise all these years, but it will all be over with, soon enough.

"Shame about Merees though. After all, she has nothing to do with this."

"Yes, that is a shame. Among all my relatives, she's the only one I retain any genuine feelings of kindness towards. Part of me wishes she could spared, but sadly she has to die with the others. Though I will shed sincere tears over her corpse."

Risha felt her heart beat faster, a mix of fear and excitement mingling in her mind. Somehow, she and her brother had stumbled upon a royal conspiracy, just like in the novels she loved to read. She was just about to tell her brother that they should leave and tell someone about what they had heard, when the door opened and a one-eyed fox, dressed in elegant clothes, stepped out. The two siblings pressed themselves against the wall. Fortunately the fox did not seem to notice them and hurried down the staircase.

Risha and Leorin waited until the fox's footsteps had died away and then sneaked downstairs, as quietly as they could.

"Who should we tell about this?" Leorin asked as they headed back to the dining hall. "The King?"
His sister thought about it for a second and then shook her head.

"No, somehow I doubt that he'd believe us. After all, it seems like this Princess is very close to the King and besides, we have no proof."
"So, what will we do? We have to tell someone."

"Well, Princess Merees is one of the targets, I'll talk to her. Meanwhile, you can talk to dad, since he's one of the kingdom's heroes, maybe the king will listen to him."

"OK."

While Risha and Leorin were gone, Merees had remembered an amusing story, which she felt the need to share with someone. However, everyone else at the table were busy talking to each other and it would be rude to interrupt, so the princess was delighted when her new friend and her brother returned to the dining-hall and sat down at the table.

"You have to hear this...", she began, smiling brightly. Then, she stopped abruptly, as she noticed the serious look on Risha's face.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, sympathetically.

"Princess, there's something I must tell you", the younger girl answered. "Its very important."

"Well, what is it?"

Risha was just about to reveal everything, when she noticed that the fox she had seen coming out from Argath's room was present in the dining hall, he was leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed over his chest and maybe it was Risha's imagination, but she could swear that the fox was looking directly at her. Had he noticed her and Leorin after all? No, he couldn't have, could he?

"Princess, this is really something that needs to be discussed in private."

"Really?" Merees looked surprised. "Well, I can't just leave, not without a good excuse and besides, I need you to come with me."

The Princess tapped her chin, pondering a solution. Then she suddenly reached out and swept her glass off the table, causing it to land in Risha's lap. The glass was still almost full and the stains started to spread over the lynx-girl's dress. Risha looked at her ruined dress in disbelief, then at Merees, who stood up. with a shocked expression on her face.

"How clumsy of me", she said. "I've ruined your dress! Come with me, you can have one of mine!"

Having said that Merees turned to the king and curtsied, Risha followed her example.

"Father, I'm afraid that I've ruined the General's daughter's clothes. Will you excuse us, while I attempt to fix things."

"Very well", said the King. "Just don't take too long; dessert will be served soon."

"We'll be just a second", the princess replied and grabbed Risha's paw. "Come with me."

With that, the two girls left the dining hall, as they walked past the place where the fox stood, Risha couldn't help but take a quick glance at him. Her heart almost got caught in her throat, when he looked back at her and winked slyly.

A Collection of Great Characters

Perhaps the most important part of a work of fiction for me and I'm reasonably sure some of you would agree, is the characters. Now, its of course possible to have a great work of fiction, which relies less on the strength of its cast, than things such as plotting, world-building, etc. For example; I'm a huge fan of the stories written by Jorge Luis Borges, but if you asked me if I had a favorite character from his works, I'd be hard-pressed to think of one. Those are exceptions though, as a rule I find that a cast of well-drawn, engaging characters is the key to a truly great story. With that in mind, I've picked out ten characters that I've found particularly memorable over the years. These aren't all my favorite characters, of course (that would be a way longer list), but they're ones I found particularly worthy of recognition, for a variety of reasons.

Al Swearengen (Deadwood)

If you asked me what my favorite TV-show is, than there's a pretty large chance that I'd answer Deadwood and one of the many things that contributed to the brilliance of this sadly short-lived series, was its cast of characters, one character in particular: Al Swearengen played by Ian McShane. Based on a real life Saloon owner of the same name (though the character's personality and mannerisms are obviously the invention of the show's writers), Swearengen is a man willing to commit any crime, provided that he will profit from it in some way. He's also charming, funny and strangely likable, which probably serves to make him even more dangerous.
As the Deadwood went on, Al transformed into something of an anti-hero, frequently going up against people even worse than him, such as the show's ultimate big bad; George Hearst. However, no matter which label you want to put on the guy, Mr. Swearengen remains one of the finest characters ever to appear on Television.

Ed (Digger)

I'm a fan of characters that start out relatively simple and gradually reveals themselves as deeper and more complex as the plot goes on. Ed from Ursula Vernon's web-comic, Digger, is a great example of this type of character. Introduced early on in the story as a weird hyena that tries (and fails) to eat Digger (the main character), Ed comes of at first as the character who will play the role of comic relief and little beyond that, an impression which his tendency to refer to himself in third person does nothing to help. However, as Digger continues, Vernon starts to reveal more sides to Ed's character; showing him to be both courageous (its he who performs the most heroic act in the comic) as well as surprisingly insightful regarding a variety of topics. Of course, one can't talk about Ed without at least mentioning his back-story. I won't go into too much detail, but suffice to say that its a sad one, containing both abusive relationships and murder. Ed is by far the most purely sympathetic and lovable character I have on this list, I'm pretty sure its impossible to read Digger without wanting to give the poor guy a hug.

George Smiley (George Smiley series)

Who is the greatest secret agent or spy in fiction? A lot of people when asked this question would probably go with James Bond, but for me, another name comes to mind. That name, is George Smiley, the star of several books written by John LeCarré, most notably the trilogy which consists of the following books: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People. Now, Smiley has none of the style of 007. Instead, he's a grey, middle-aged man of the kind that you wouldn't look twice at if you saw him on the street, or on the bus. However, he is a far more compelling character than Fleming's super-spy. Discreet, clever and manipulative, Smiley's the kind of guy who'd go into your country, figure out its secrets and you'd never even knew that he was there.
Plus, he's been portrayed by both Alec Guinness and Gary Oldman, which is not something to be sneezed at.

MacBeth (MacBeth)

When I was a kid, my mom took me to see a local performance of MacBeth, it made a huge impression on me and to this day it remains my favorite of the bards' plays and its titular character my favorite Shakespeare character. I'm pretty sure that my affection for villain-protagonists can be traced back to this play. No, MacBeth wasn't my first of these, I was already familiar with the Brain from Pinky and the Brain and Edmund Blackadder, to mention just two examples. However, unlike these two characters, MacBeth's villainy was not played for laughs, something which no doubt contributed to my fascination for the character. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Thane of Cawdor, like most of Shakespeare's creations is an extremely complex character and I never get tired of either reading about, or watching him wrestle with his conflicting emotions, whether its his doubt, his guilt or his ambition.
Hail, MacBeth, king hereafter.

The Nameless One (Planescape: Torment)

If there's a game that proves that games are capable of telling stories just as deep and involving as any other medium, it must be Planescape: Torment, a game which took the hoary old "amnesiac protagonist" cliché and made it interesting. The main character of Planescape wakes up in a morgue, without no idea how he got there or who he is. However, one thing soon becomes clear; he is immortal and so, our "hero" begins his journey through Sigil: City of Doors in order to learn his identity. During his journey he's joined by a variety of characters, some of which he shares history with.
Planescape: Torment is a game that has been rightfully praised for its strong writing, something which is particularly true when it comes to its characters. This game features one of the strongest and most memorable casts to be found in the medium, from a wisecracking floating skull, to a succubus, thorn between her desire to live a life of Good and her nature as a creature of Evil. However, its the Nameless One who is the heart and soul of the game and the developers deserve a lot of credit for making a character whose personality is largely dependent on what choices the player makes, into a deep and intriguing protagonist, regardless of the path he pursues.
What can change the nature of man? I may not know the answer to this question, but I do know that the Nameless One is one of the greatest characters in gaming.

Oscar Francois de Jarjayes (The Rose of Versailles)

I wanted to include at least one female character on this list and so, I thought long and hard which one to choose. Eventually, I decided to go with The Rose of Versailles' Oscar Francois de Jarjayes. From an early age, Oscar was raised as a boy and trained in all manners of manly activities, such as sword-fighting and horseback-riding, which she, of course, does better than any man in France. Of course, being a badass isn't enough to make a great character. Fortunately, Oscar also benefits from a strong, memorable personality, which makes her very easy too root for. As the story moves on, we also see her being thorn between her loyalty towards the crown she has sworn to serve and her increasing sympathy towards the people of France. She is, in short, one of the best heroines to ever appear in a work of fiction.

Pfirsich Rommel (The Desert Peach)

The fictional, homosexual younger brother of Erwin "The Desert Fox" Rommel, created by Donna Barr. Much like Ed, Pfirsich can, at a first glance, come of as pretty superficial and shallow, the vehicle of cheap jokes. However, he soon reveals himself to be intelligent, brave, compassionate and honorable, while also being a fully rounded and believable character. Possibly my favorite hero in comics.

Philip Marlowe (Philip Marlowe series)

I have a deep affection for the old-school, hard-boiled private-eye and out of all the representatives of this particular archetype, Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe is, by far, the best one. A tarnished knight, Marlowe wanders the mean streets of the city, solving crimes and waxing cynically about the society he inhabits. Anyone who has the least bit of interest in crime and mystery-literature, owe it to themselves to make Mr. Marlowe's acquaintance.

Don Quixote (Don Quixote)

What list of great characters is complete without The Knight of the Mournful Countenance? Don Quixote is certainly an interesting character: On one hand, he's a figure of ridicule; a deluded kook who fancies himself a knight in shining armor. On the other hand, in some ways, Don Quixote really is the knight he imagines himself to be; the wizards and giants he fights might be products of his imagination, but that doesn't really makes the chivalry or courage he displays on his quest any less real. Its easy to laugh at Don Quixote and the mishaps he gets into, but I must admit that there's a part of me that can't help but feel admiration for the man.

Steerpike (Gormenghast)

He has neither magical powers nor dark armies or evil henchmen at his beck and call and yet, Steerpike, the arch-villain of Mervyn Peake's first two Gormenghast novels, is one of the greatest evil-doers to come out of the fantasy-genre. One of the things that make Steerpike so interesting is the fact that its very easy to root for the guy, at least when the first book begins. After all, Steerpike starts out at the lowest rung on the castle's hierarchy ladder, so its understandable that he would want to improve his lot in life. Not to mention that he's both intelligent and charismatic. However, Steerpike actually achieves this goal when doctor Prunesquallor agrees to take him on as his apprentice and it soon becomes clear that Steerpike is only planning to use his new master as a stepping-stone to climb higher and higher.
A consummate actor and manipulator, Steerpike cares for only one thing: Power, but he's quite skilled at making other people believe that he cares about the same thing they do and that he's on their side. He reveals himself as more and more evil as the plot progresses and its a testament to Peake's writing that even when I had reached a point where I just wanted Steerpike to die, I was still fascinated by him and wanted to know what he would do next and that, dear reader, is the sign of a truly great villain.

Tales of Vinoli: Chapter 2

Having climbed the stairs to the palace's second floor, Argath reached her quarters. To her surprise, she found that the door which led to them, was ajar. Before she had gone outside, earlier that day, the only other person left in the place had been one of Argath's chambermaids, who had been busy  cleaning. She wouldn't leave without telling her mistress, so who else could be in there? Lorenzo? No, as far as she was aware, he had not yet returned from his journey and besides, he would never enter her chambers unannounced.

Like all of her kind, Argath possessed an innate talent for magic, something, she now decided to make use of: Under her breath she muttered an incantation, while at the same time moving her fingers in the air.

A dagger, whose blade seemed to be made out of dancing, blue flames, materialized out of thin air. Argath grabbed the weapon and approached the door cautiously. If the person who had chosen to invade her domicile was after her life, they would soon find out that she wouldn't sell it cheaply.

Once she had opened the door and stepped over the threshold, the princess found that the intruder was not some unknown assassin, though the look on her face (which resembled that of a person having just taken a bite out of a lemon), said that in this case, an assassin would actually have been preferable. Reclining in Argath's favorite chair, his shirt unbuttoned and clutching a bottle of wine, one which Argath recognized as coming from her own supply, was her half-brother Thekros.

The chamber-maid, a white mouse, was seated on the floor. Once Argath entered the room, she stood up and looked at the dragoness with beseeching eyes.

"Your Highness", the girl said, nose and ears twitching. "He just walked in here, I couldn't stop him. "

"Leave us", Argath said, barely sparing the chambermaid a glance.

Looking as if she was on the verge of tears, the chambermaid left the room. As she disappeared, Thekros ogled her tail lecherously.

"She's pretty cute", he said, taking a swig out of the bottle. "I've got to hand it to you, Arg: You sure know how to pick'em."

"What do you want, Thekros?" Argath asked in a tone of voice which caused the temperature to drop several degrees.

"Why don't you put away that little toy of yours first?" Her half-brother said, pointing to the dagger. "I'm not here to hurt you, I promise. Besides, we both know that when it comes to magic, I am your superior."

"To make up for the fact that you are my inferior in everything else, brother" Argath snarled. Still, loath as she was to admit it, Thekros was right. She made a gesture and the dagger vanished.

"Satisfied?" She asked. "Now, tell me what you want. I assume that you didn't invade my privacy just to get drunk and harass my servants?

Slowly, Thekros got up out of the chair, he was shorter than his father and sister, with a lean, muscular frame and a face that many would consider handsome, was it not for the insolent smirk that seemed to have been permanently stamped onto his features.

After taking another swig, he put the now empty bottle down and stood there, swaying back and forth with a cunning gleam in his eyes.

"I'm here to tell you, my dear sister", he begun, before letting out a burp. "Excuse me, as I was saying, I'm here to tell you that I've seen through your little game."

Upon hearing this, Argath stiffened. Could it be that this fool had discovered her plans? No, he couldn't have, she had been so careful in concealing them.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, her voice cold and level, not betraying any sign of anxiety.

Thekros snorted contemptuously, smoke coming out of his nostrils.

"Do not play dumb with me", he said, pointing a  finger at Argath. "You mi"

Argath breathed a sigh of relief.

Oh, Thekros, you poor fool, she thought. You have no idea. I'd feel sorry for you, if I didn't hate your guts.

"Well, it seems I have underestimated you, brother."

"As have you all. Did you think that all I've done the past decades is drinking and partying? No, I've gathered quite a large support base in this city, one filled with people who would do anything to see me on the throne."

"Is that so? And why are you telling me this? Seems a bit careless, in my opinion?"

"Because I recognize that you are a clever person and as such, you will no doubt realize that standing behind me is your best option. You simply can't win; pledge allegiance to me and once I am King I will merely send you into exile. Or perhaps, I'll give you to one of my followers; at least one of them mentioned that he found you attractive, though I've never understood why."

"A tempting offer and what about our other siblings? Are you going to give them the same opportunity?"

Thekros shook his head.

"Why should I? Neither Keron nor Merees have any interest in ruling a Kingdom. You are my only rival."

Having made this declaration, the Prince went up to the door and opened it.

"I'll take my leave now, sister. You have until tomorrow to consider my offer. Don't get in my way, remember Argeron?"

Upon hearing this name, Argath reacted as though she had received a blow. She staggered and had to grab hold of a table, as she looked on her brother with rage-filled tears filling her eyes.

"Well, well, it seems I have overestimated you, dear sister. Apparently, all it takes is one word and you break just like a little girl."

With that, Thekros let out a laugh, which felt like needles in Argath's ears and left the room. Now that she was alone, Argath could feel the frustration well up in her. A frustration which was directed not just at her brother but herself as well.

Calm yourself, she thought. Thekros is a dead dragon walking. Nothing what he says matter. Its beneath your dignity to be provoked by the words coming from his mouth.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" She called out.

"It is I, Lorenzo, Princess",a voice from the opposite side of the door. replied "May I come in?"

The Voice of her confidant, caused Argath, who had been slumped in an armchair, to perk up. 

"Yes" she called out. "Enter!"

The door opened and Lorenzo stepped inside. He was a fox, wearing a wide-brimmed hat with a feather in it. His left eye was covered with an eye-patch and his clothes were covered in dust from the road.

He looked at the broken pieces of glass lying by the door and gave a little shrug. He then doffed his hat and bowed to the chair's occupant.

"Greetings, Princess. I have returned to you after a long absence, with my mission completed. Forgive my appearance, but I have just delivered the goods to the man in the kitchen and have not had time to freshen up." 

"You're excused, Lorenzo" she said. "Oh, and you have my gratitude. As usual you've carried out your duties to my satisfaction."

"Thank you. If I may, Princess; our man asked me to tell you not to forget your promise to him."

"Tell him that he can rest easily: Princess Argath knows how to reward those who have served her well.

"You need not tell me that, Princess. Incidentally, may I ask how the preparations are going? For the festivities, I mean."

"Oh, they are going fine. Its a shame that I'll have to miss the whole thing."

"Indeed. Naturally, you've already come up with an excuse for being absent."

"Yes, today I simulated a migraine in front of the king, he bought it completely. I have a feeling that its only the beginning for something much more serious. Why, it wouldn't surprise me if I became bedridden just in time for the celebration. Such a shame."

As she uttered these words, Argath pretended to swoon theatrically, the back of her hand touching her scaly forehead. Then, she threw her head back and began to laugh uproariously, like someone who had just recalled an extremely funny joke they'd heard once..

Lorenzo decided to take advantage of the Princess' good mood, to ask a question.

"How about a toast to celebrate your success?" The fox asked, making a smacking noise with his tongue.

"No", said Argath and shook her head. "We can celebrate when this operation has been carried out successfully, but not until then. I could use a pick-me-up though."

She got out of the chair and walked over to a cord, which was attached to the wall. She pulled the cord and the next moment, the doors opened and the chambermaid entered the room.

"Make us coffee Argath commanded. "Strong coffee."

The chambermaid bowed. Like all the quarters belonging to members of the Royal Family and some of the wealthier courtiers, who were permanent residents at the palace,  Argath's  had their own, small kitchen. The maid was just about to go there, when the female dragon called her back:

"One more thing" she said. "Did my brother hurt you in any way?"

"No, Princess. Though he did show me when I tried to stop him from taking your wine."

"I see. Well, don't worry, I shall have a word with my father about that, I promise you."

"Thank you, Princess."

"There's no need to thank me" Argath said. After all, she thought. I can't very well let someone else lay their hands on my things.

*****

A few days after they had received the invitation, Jeraddin and his family arrived in the capital, Xerxes having returned there earlier. Both Jeraddin and Nasari had tried to convince him to stay, so that they might travel to the capital together, but the wolf had declined.

"I am sorry", he had said, "but I need to get back and tell the king that you've accepted the invitation."

Both of his hosts were disappointed, but realized that he was right and so they had seen him off, but not before telling him that he would always be welcome in their home.

As the carriage hurried through the streets of the city, the two children looked out the windows at the multitude outside. Leorin stared in wide-eyed excitement at all the commotion, frequently he'd turn to
Nasari, who was seated next to him and urge her to look at some new thing which had just caught his interest and his mother was more than happy to indulge. As for Risha, she looked out the window, with a deliberate air of disinterest. Being the older sibling, she felt that acting in a way similar to her brother, would be considered childish on her part. That said, as she sat there, next to her father, chin resting in one paw, the young lynx-girl was not able to completely contain her excitement, something which displayed itself in the way she  rhythmically tapped her feet on the carriage floor.

Eventually, the carriage reached the gates of the palace and the family climbed out. Jeraddin turned to the coachman, a portly ursine and paid him the agreed fare, complete with a tip.

"Thank you, my Lord" said the bear and touched the brim of his cap. "Would you like me to be pick you up when the party's over."

Jeraddin shook his head.

"Thank you, that won't be necessary."

"Very well, my Lord. Farewell."

The carriage departed and the family walked up to the gate, which was guarded by a pair of rhinoceros, each wielding a spear. Between the two guards stood a hippo, who wore livery and carried himself with an air of importance.

"We're here for the party", Jeraddin announced to the hippo. "Here's our invitation", he said, taking out the letter from the King and handing it over.

"Thank you, General" said the hippo as he examined the letter. "You may enter, the other guests are in the palace garden."

He signed for the guards to open the gate.

"Is his majesty there too?" Jeraddin asked, as the family stepped onto the palace grounds.

"I believe so", came the answer.

The garden was already filled with guests when the family entered it. Important members of every land-dwelling species could be seen hobnobbing with each other, while servants busied themselves carrying trays loaded with drinks. Underneath the tree a snack-table had been set up and close by, a podium had been erected upon which an orchestra was playing. The sound of the music mixed in the air with the conversation of the guests and the occasional excited scream or laughter from one of their children.

"The first thing we need to do is to find the King and pay our respects", said Jeraddin and gazed out over the garden.

"Is that him over there?" His wife asked and pointed in a certain direction.

"It is", replied her husband. "Come on, children."

King Sharan was engaged in a conversation, when Jeraddin and the others approached him. His conversational-partner, a rooster wearing a monocle, looked at the family and turned back to the king.

"Your majesty, I believe I monopolized your time enough. There seem to be a few other guests who'd like a word, with your permission I shall take my leave."

"Very well, ambassador. We shall talk more later, enjoy the party."

The rooster bowed and the dragon acknowledged the bow with a nod of his head. During this time, the whole family had been absolutely silent, not uttering a word.

As soon as the ambassador had left, King Sharan turned around to greet the new arrivals and his face was lit up by a bright smile, as he noticed who the guests were.

"Jeraddin", he exclaimed. "How good to see you."

"Thank you, your majesty" said the lynx. "May I present my wife, Nasari and our children, Risha and Leorin."

King Sharan bid each of them welcome and the whole family uttered their thanks and either bowed or curtsied, depending on what was appropriate.

Having paid the appropriate respects, the two children decided to go and explore the garden, while their parents remained to talk some more with the king. A servant came up to them and they each took a drink from the tray.

"I hope you will all enjoy this party", said king Sharan and took a sip of the gold-colored liquid. "Its my daughter who has organized everything."

It was at that point that none other than Lorenzo suddenly appeared by the king's side, as if the mention of the princess had summoned him there.

"Pardon me, your majesty" the fox said and bowed, "but I have a message from princess Argath."

"Oh", said the king and looked surprised. "What does she want? And by the way, where is she? I haven't seen her all day."

"The princess has sent me to inform your majesty that she's feeling a bit under the weather and can't attend the celebrations, much to her regret."

The king sighed and shook his head sadly.

"How unfortunate, poor Argath. Its nothing serious I hope?"

"She told me: 'Tell my father not to worry, I have taken a medical potion and shall be fine with some rest', replied Lorenzo. Is there any message you wish me to bring back to her, your majesty?"

"Just tell her that I'm sorry she couldn't attend and that I hope she gets well soon."

Lorenzo promised to do so and, having bowed once more to the King, left. Jeraddin looked at him with ill-disguised disapproval.

"I see that the Princess still keeps that fox in her employ" he said.

"Now, now, General" King Sharan chided him gently. "I know that you do not care much for Lorenzo, but my daughter swears by him. Anyway, he won't bother you while you're here."

Nasari and Jeraddin talked some more with King Sharan, until some new guests arrived that required the monarch's attention. The King and excused them and the two of them decided to head for the snack-table. While walking towards it, Nasari turned to her husband:

"Dear, what's the story between you and that fox?" She asked.

"Nothing in particular, my sweet" Jeraddin said. "I just don't care for him, that's all. He's one of those people who rub me the wrong way."

Upon reaching the table the couple soon found themselves the center attention,  with many of the other guests being eager to meet the famous war-hero and his spouse. Jeraddin, who had a bit of a vain side and enjoyed basking in the admiration of others, soon forgot about Lorenzo completely, as he regaled his fellow guests with a particularly thrilling episode of his career.

An hour after the family's arrival, a gong sounded. It was the signal that dinner was about to be served.

As the guests headed inside, the sound of the gong mixed with the noise from the street, where the citizens celebrated as well; enjoying the free food and drink, which had been handed out to them.

Regarding Lists

For awhile now I've been thinking of updating and expanding my old Top Animated Shows list. I'm not sure when I'll get around to it, but it will be sometime this year.

One thing I decided to do with this updated list is that I will no longer rank the shows on it in any particular order. This is mostly because I find it more and more difficult to do so. Yes, Revolutionary Girl Utena remains my number one (I doubt that will change anytime soon), but beyond that it gets a bit more iffy. After all, tastes are complicated and may change with time and while I haven't grown to dislike any of the shows on my old list, some of them I like a bit less than I used to.

So, yes, the new list will most likely be in alphabetical order, though I also consider listing the shows chronologically, with the oldest one first. I haven't decided yet.

Than again, other option would be to follow in Flawfinder's footsteps and simply do a list of things I like in any medium, without any descriptions. One advantage to this format would be that I could easily go back to it and either add new favorites or remove old ones that I feel no longer interest me. I must admit that its an idea I find appealing.

Tales of Vinoli: Chapter 1

In the kingdom of Vinoli, there lived a lynx named Jeraddin, He hailed from a long line of aristocratic career-soldiers and so, it was no wonder that, as soon as he was old enough, his father enrolled him at the most prestigious military academy in the land. 

At the academy, Jeraddin soon established himself as one of its most talented students and all his teachers predicted that he had a promising career ahead of him.

During his last year at the academy, Jeraddin was invited to a party in the nearby village, which was being hosted by a wealthy landowner. It was there  that he met a girl of the feline species, a few years younger than himself, by the name of Nasari. The two of them fell for each other quickly and it didnt't take long until a relationship began to blossom between them, until eventually, Jeraddin worked up the courage to ask Nasari for her hand in marriage. 

Delighted, she had accepted his proposal, her parents having given their blessing to the union. That same weekend, Jeraddin and Nasari took a trip to visit the former's father and introduce him to his new daughter-in-law. However, upon arriving at the estate Jeraddin was greeted by the terrible news that his father had died, the result of a duel over some insult. Jeraddin cried bitterly, for even though he and his father had not been particularly close, he could not help but feel sadness at his remaining parents' passing (his mother having died when he was still a small child). Nasari comforted her fiancé and Jeraddin wrote to the principal of the academy for permission of staying a bit longer to arrange the details of the funeral.

After the funeral,  Jeraddin returned to the academy, having left the care of the estate in the capable hands of a custodian. Eventually, he graduated from the academy at the top of his year and was finally free to marry the love of his life. 

After the marriage, on which no expense was spared, the newlyweds set up shop in Jeraddin's ancestral home, while he waited for his first real assignment. A year after their marriage, Nasari gave birth to the couple's first child; a girl, the spitting image of her father. She was named Risha, after Jeraddin's own mother.

Of these early years, there's not much to say, except that they were peaceful years. Then one day, Jeraddin received news that war had broken out between Vinoli and one of its neighboring nations and that he had been assigned to the staff of the famous general Ursus. Thus, Jeraddin kissed his wife and daughter farewell, told them not to worry about him and went out to war.

It didn't take long for Jeraddin to make himself noticed, not just by his superior officer, but by the ruler of Vinoli; Sharan the Dragon-King, himself. Through a combination of skill, boldness and luck, the lynx rose through the ranks. Whenever he had some spare-time, Jeraddin would write home, asking Nasari if everything proceeded well in his absence and asking how their child was doing. Occasionally there would be a lull in the fighting and Jeraddin would take the opportunity to go home and spend these days of respite with his loved ones. 

Eventually, a peace-treaty was signed, bringing an end to the war and all its horrors. Jeraddin returned home, medals on his chest and blood on his paws. Risha threw herself in her father's arms the moment she heard his voice in the hallway.

Shortly thereafter, Jeraddin was summoned to the court, where the King and his councilors presented him with the title of General. This was thanks in no small part to Ursus, who had signed a formal request to go into retirement after the latest war and had recommended Jeraddin as his successor. 

It wasn't long until the newly appointed general got the opportunity to show that the confidence that had been placed in him was not misplaced. In the south, a minor kingdom had been attacked by one of its closest neighbors. Long ago, the king of Vinoli had married one of the princesses of this kingdom, who had given birth to one of his sons. It had been decades since the princess had died, but the bond between the two nations remained and so, king Sharan dispatched the sixth legion, with Jeraddin at its head, to come to the smaller kingdom's aid. 

This war lasted for only a short period of time and once it was over, Jeraddin returned home to his family, hoping that it would be long before he'd have to be separated from them again. The Godess of Luck must have smiled upon him that day, for it so happened that a long period of calm came and laid itself like a warm blanket over Vinoli and its neighbors and although he was occasionally called away to inspect the troops or other things of that sort, these duties didn't require Jeraddin to travel outside of his country and they never kept him from home very long.

At home, Jeraddin and Nasari watched Risha grow up, with Jeraddin in particular doting on his daughter. Then one day, four years after the birth of their first child, Nasari told her husband that she was expecting. Sadly, Nasari suffered a miscarriage and the child that was growing inside her never saw the light of day. 

As a result of this ordeal, Nasari sank into a period of depression. She laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling, hardly touching the food that was brought to her. She was convinced that she was to blame for the child's death and was wracked with guilt and sorrow. Thankfully, she was not alone and eventually her sadness began to fade until eventually, it became one of many memories, sad or happy, that a person acquires during a lifetime.

It took many years before Nasari felt ready to have another child, but nine years after the birth of Risha, she gave birth to a son. The child was named Leorin after Nasari's grand-father and everyone who saw him couldn't help but comment on how much he resembled his mother.

At first, Risha did not care much for the newcomer. Having had a monopoly on her parents' affection for so long, she couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. As Leorin grew older, these feelings soon vanished, for Risha was not by nature a person given to jealousy. 

Eight years passed by with the family living a life that, although it had its ups and downs, could be described as idyllic and then, everything changed.

It all began on a pleasant summer-evening with the entire family gathered on the veranda, watching the stars.

"Come on, children" said Nasari as she stood up and straightened out her skirt. "Its time for you to go to bed."

"Aww, can't we stay up a little longer?" Leorin asked, looking up at his mother with big, pleading eyes.

"Yeah", Risha chimed in, putting one of her paws in front of her mouth. "I'm not the least bit - yawn- tired. Besides", she added. "I'm older, so I should be allowed to stay up longer."

"That's not fair!" Leorin shouted, glaring at his sister, his ears lying flat on his head.

"Well, life isn't fair", Risha retorted in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

Leorin wasn't sure how to respond to his sister's statement, so he opted instead to stick out his tongue at her.
Naturally, Risha was not going to take that in stride and she was just about to give her annoying brother a shove, when she noticed that her mother was staring at her and thought better of it.

"Children", Nasari said in a voice that her children knew all to well. "None of you will stay up longer. Go to bed. Now."

Risha and Leorin both realized that their mother was not open for argument, but there was still hope; both of them turned towards their other parent for support:

"Dad..." The two of them began, speaking in unison, but Jeraddin immediately cut them off.

"Do not argue with your mother, children"."We've let you stay up long enough."

Realizing that there was no point in pressing the matter further, the siblings each let out a disappointed sigh and then, dragging their feet, went inside.

"Shall we head back inside as well, dear?" Nasari asked, playfully touching one of her husband's ear-tufts.

Jeraddin smiled.

"Why don't we stay out a bit longer? It is a beautiful night."

The two of them sat there, close together, gazing up at the full moon. Their time together was interrupted, however, by the sound of a throat being cleared discreetly.
Both Jeraddin and Nasari turned and found that the family's servant; Albert, had appeared at the veranda.Something had evidently disturbed his sleep, for he was wearing his night-cap and slippers.

""Beg your pardon, Sir" said the goat and stifled a yawn. "There is a messenger waiting for you."

"A messenger?" Jeraddin said incredulously. "At this hour?"

"I'm afraid so, Sir."

"Who is it, Albert?" Nasari asked.

"He wouldn't give me his name, ma'am. All he said is that he has come from the capital and that you, sir (here Albert turned to Jeraddin), would recognize him."
Jeraddin stood up.

"Well", he said. "My curiosity is piqued. What say you, my dear? Shall we go in and see who this mystery-man might be?"

"Yes, let us", Nasari agreed.

"I told him to wait in the library", Albert said, as the three of them stepped inside.

"Very good, Albert" said Nasari. "You may go back to sleep."

"Are you quite sure, ma'am?"

"Yes, I believe we can handle things from here."

"In that case", replied the servant and bowed so that his night-cap almost slipped off his be-horned head, "I wish you both a good night."

After they had returned their servant's good-night wishes, Nasari and Jeraddin headed for the library. As the two of them entered, they noticed the visitor, a wolf wearing a blue cape, standing with his back turned, studying the bookshelves.

"You wanted to see us?" Jeraddin asked.

The wolf immediately turned around and as he did, a broad smile spread over Jeraddin's features, for the visitor was none other than a very old friend, one he had not seen in quite a while.

"Xerxes!" The lynx said, walking towards the wolf. "Is that really you?"

"In the flesh, General", Xerxes replied and made a smart salute.

"Darling", Jeraddin said, turning to his wife. "This is Xerxes, an old comrade in arms of mine. He saved my fur many times."

"I only repaid the debt I owed you for saving mine, sir", Xerxes replied with a smile.


"There's no need to be so formal. After all, this isn't the army and I'm not your superior. You know my name, so why not call me by it?"
"That's really nice of you, si...I mean, Jeraddin."

"Think nothing of it", Jeraddin said jovially and patted Xerxes on the shoulder. At that moment, the noise of someone clearing their throat, made the lynx realize that he had neglected to do something important.


"Where are my manners?" He said, shaking his head. "Allow me to present my wife, Nasari."

"Welcome, Xerxes" Nasari said. "Its a pleasure to meet such a close friend of my husband's."

"Pleasure is all mine, ma'm" said the wolf, taking Nasari's paw in his own and kissing it.

"Oh, my", the female cat exclaimed and turned to her husband. "Your friend is quite a charmer, dear. You could learn a thing or two from him", she said, teasingly.

Jeraddin shrugged.

"He always had a way with women", he admitted. "More so than me. Still, I must have done something right? After all, I convinced the most beautiful woman in the World to marry me."

Having said those words, Jeraddin planted a kiss on his wife's cheek, causing her left ear to flutter, slightly.

"Do you have a wife, Xerxes?" Nasari asked.

The Wolf shook his head.

"I'm afraid my preferences lie elsewhere, ma'm" he replied. "I hope you don't mind?"

"Certainly not. I happen to share your tastes in men. Tell me, what do you think of this one?" She asked, touching Jeraddin's arm.

Xerxes immediately flushed red. Fortunately, his General once again came to his rescue:

"You had a message for me?" Jeraddin asked.

Xerxes reached into the folds of his cape and pulled out an envelope.

"Here it is" he said, handing it to Jeraddin.

The lynx studied the envelope, it was a typical example of its kind, except for the fact that it carried the royal seal: A dragon holding a scepter in one of its claws and the head of some grotesque creature in the other. Before opening the envelope, Jeraddin turned to his guest:

"I'm afraid I'm a poor host tonight", he said apologetically. "Your trip here must have left you parched. There are refreshments on the table over there, feel free to help yourself."

"Don't mind if I do", said Xerxes and headed over to the table which his host had pointed out to him. While the wolf served himself a drink, Jeraddin opened the envelope, using one of his claws. He took out the letter and read it, his eyes darting over its content.

"What does it say?" Nasari asked, curiously.

"See for yourself", Jeraddin answered and handed the letter over to her.
Taking the letter from her husband, Nasari read it and as she did, her eyes lit up. This is what the letter said:

To the esteemed General Jeraddin:

As you are no doubt aware, in a few days, five centuries will have passed since the people of Vinoli honored me by choosing me as their leader. Because of this, celebrations will be held throughout the nation, including in the capital. While the people will celebrate in the streets, the more prominent families of Vinoli are invited to a banquet at the palace. It is my wish to see you there, seated at my table, along with your wife and children.

With Regards, Sharan I (King)

"Darling, this is great news", said Nasari while clutching the letter to her breast as if it was a priceless jewel. "Imagine how excited the children will be when we tell them. Leorin has never been to the capital and Risha was too young at the time to remember any of it."

"Indeed", Jeraddin agreed and then turned to Xerxes. "You're of course welcome to stay the night, my friend", he said.

"Oh, I wouldn't wish to impose", the wolf protested. "Just point me in the direction of the nearest inn and I'll stay there."

"Nonsense", Jeraddin said with a dismissive gesture. "I insist that you stay here, we've plenty of room."

"In that case", Xerxes said and put down his now empty glass. "I accept your hospitality, si...Jeraddin and yours as well, ma'am" he added, bowing to Nasari.

"I'm glad to hear it", said the lynx. "Do you want another drink?"

He reached for the bottle and was about to re-fill Xerxes' glass, but the wolf put his paw over it.

"Normally, I wouldn't say no to another drink, but I need to get up early tomorrow. If you don't mind, I think its best that I head to bed."

"Good idea", said Nasari and yawned discreetly. "I'm starting to feel a bit tired myself."

"In that case, let us all go to sleep", said Jeraddin.

With that, the three of them left the library and went their separate ways: Nasari headed towards the master-bedroom, while Jeraddin escorted Xerxes to one of the rooms used to put up over-night guests.

*****

"Sorry to bother you, Your Highness, but where would you like us to put this?"

The Person being addressed in this respectful manner was a female dragon. The First thing one noticed about her was that she was uncommonly tall, even for a member of her species; dwarfing most of the men in the vicinity. The Second thing was her tail, which, unlike the long slender tails most dragons had, was short and misshapen. Now, she turned her eyes towards the canine servant whom had spoken to her, noticing that he and another servant, a cat, were carrying a large wooden table between them, their muscles straining under the weight.

"Put it over there", she said, pointing to a section of the palace-garden in which a low platform had been built.

As the servants trudged towards their designated goal with their burden, the dragoness gazed up at one of the tall trees, who cast their shadow across the garden.

"Make sure to spread the lanterns out evenly across the branches", she said to the falcon, who stood beside her, "and I want another green lantern over there in the elm."

"As you wish your highness", the falcon said and flew of to carry out her wishes.

The Dragoness took a deep breath and gazed contently at the activity which filled the garden; everywhere there were members of the staff doing something, from trimming the hedges of the bushes, to decorating the trees with multi-colored lanterns and garlands, to putting out tables and she was the one responsible for it all. She closed her eyes and smiled blissfully, thinking about the up-coming festivities and the plans she had made for them.
Her reveries were interrupted by someone calling her name:

"Argath! Ah, there you are."

Argath turned around and saw her father, walking slowly towards her.

In his youth, King Sharan had lived an active life. Many centuries ago, he had been part of an adventurer-group, which had traveled around the World, fighting monsters, thwarting villains and all of that other stuff that such groups usually does. These days, age had begun to catch up with the dragon-king and he had to walk with a cane, though he still cut quite an imposing figure, standing taller than most of his subjects, including his children.

"How can I be of service, father?" Argath asked. She bowed and the others followed her example.
"Oh, I just wanted to talk to you for a bit", her father replied, leaning forward on his cane. "You wouldn't mind if I borrow the princess for awhile, do you?" He asked to the servants.
Naturally, none of them did and so, father and daughter began walking together through the garden.
"How goes the preparations?" King Sharan asked, as he sat down on a wooden bench, located underneath an apple-tree.

"They are proceeding smoothly, father", said Argath. She plucked an apple from a branch and took a bite out of it.

"Good, good. Did you send out the invitations to the guests who live outside the city?"

"I did, the couriers left this morning."

"Excellent." The king rose from the bench and touched his daughter's cheek, while smiling at her affectionately. "I know I did the right choice in putting you in charge of the festivities. Out of my remaining children, you've always been the most reliable.

"You flatter me, father" said Argath, gazing humbly down at the grass. "I'm really not worthy of such praise."

"Oh, but you are. You have been my trusted right-hand for so many years. I know that, thanks to you, this celebration will live on forever in people's minds."

At that moment, Argath suddenly began to sway like a tree in the wind, then fell forward. King Sharan reacted quickly, catching his daughter before she made contact with the ground

"I'm fine", she said. "I'm just a bit overworked. With your permission father, I shall retire to my chamber and rest.

"Of course", the King said. "Shall I have the royal physician check up on you?"

"No need to bother the good doctor, I'll be fine with a bit of rest. I'm just going to tell the staff that they'll have to make do without me for a short while."

Argath was just about to do that when king Sharan blocked her way.

"I'll see to that", he said. "You just go inside and rest."

"Thank you, father."

As soon as she was indoors, the friendly look on Argath's face vanished, only to be replaced by a disdainful smirk.
You are absolute right, father, she thought to herself as she walked through the hallways of the palace, servants hurriedly moving out of her way.
The People of Vinoli will remember this feast forever, but it won't be for the reasons you think.