Return of the Prince

"Renat?"

The word hung in the air thicker than the misty rain. The voice, no matter how distorted, undoubtedly belonged to her husband.

She rushed to the collapsed wolf and pulled his head into her lap. Pushing his injured muzzle against her stomach, the brown creature gave a contented sigh as he breathed in her familiar scent.

"Mairwen," the lanky wolf was filled with remorse. "I'm sorry. I failed you."

The Princess's eyes filled with tears at the sound of her name. "No, no! You made it back to me, just like you always do. Do not even talk about failure!"

She was far too relieved to even think about the fact that her husband was now one of the wolf creatures like those who had attacked the palace. All that matter was he had returned.

Renat raised his paw to touch her cheek, careful not to rake his claws against her. The small spark of hope that had kept him alive seemed to burn a little brighter. "I love you," he told his wife gently, his raspy voice sounding weak.

Renat's eyes suddenly rolled back into his head. His hand dropped as a tremor ran through his body.

"Renat!" The princess gasped. She laid her hand on his chest, trying to discern the source of the problem.

The shaking stopped as quickly as it came. "Nothing to worry about," the canine prince said unconvincingly, "I've been through worse." Looking at his beautiful wife's concern, Renat smiled, and for a moment Mairwen could clearly see the man beneath the monster.

"I am glad you're back," she cooed, stroking the brown fur on the top of his head.

Renat let out a contented sigh. His nagging fear that his wife might reject him was wrong. He was home. Pushing his face against her stomach, he inhaled her glorious scent once more.

A voice not too far off interrupted the tender moment. The Emperor was speaking to someone as he neared the watchtower.

"I have to find Mairwen. I cannot leave things with her as we did. We are family. Family works through things. I know we can come to a compromise which hopefully doesn't end with my daughter getting mauled by a wol—"

The Emperor's voice went up an entire octave as he saw his daughter in the clutches of a mighty brown wolf.

"No!" Devrim cried, drawing his sword.

The image of nearly losing his wife and infant child to the mangy creatures flashed through his mind.

The fear and pain were channeled into his hands as he prepared to slay yet another of the enemy before it could take any more from him. The Emperor only hoped that he was not too late.

Junayd, who had accompanied him, drew his weapon in an ominous flash of steel. The advisor might not be a general anymore, but he was still a capable fighter. There was no way he would let Devrim face off against this creature alone.

"No!" Mairwen cried, her face full of fear.

At first, Devrim assumed she was talking to the beast, whose teeth were dangerously close to her stomach. He had already begun his deadly downward stroke at the creature's heart when the princess's next words caught him off guard.

"Father, stop!" she pleaded desperately.

But his momentum would not allow it. Renat turned his head to face the Emperor, too weak to escape his blade. Seeing that his heart was about to be pierced, the scientist came to terms with the fact that his message had been delivered and he could go see the Maker in peace.

Renat closed his eyes, awaiting a death pang that never came. Instead he heard a clatter and a groan. When he opened a his eyes again, both Junayd and Devrim were in a heap on the floor next to him.

"Sorry, Your Majesty," Junayd climbed off of the man he had tackled.

"What is the meaning of this?" Devrim looked between his advisor and his daughter. Then his eyes fell on the pleading gaze of the wolf. It did not have the blood lust that he had seen in the other creatures' eyes.

The woman motioned to the wolf laying his head in her lap. "Father, it's Renat." The pincess's words struck the Emperor like a hammer.

Devrim wanted to deny her claim. There was no way his son-in-law was one of those creatures. He was human, not a monster. However, upon closer inspection of the couple, he could not deny their connection, and more than that, there was something about the brown creature that screamed 'lanky scientist.'

Had Renat been hiding this ability since they met? Maybe the scientist had been like this all along, playing them for a fool, but the Emperor did not think so. If that were the case, the young man would have turned back into human form before returning. Yet here he was, a monster.

"How?" he asked, unable to form any other coherent thought. Sheathing his sword, he repeated his question. "How?!"

Renat coughed and tried to speak, but his injured mouth and throat from the day before had done all they were going to do. He was spent. Closing his eyes, the wolf lost consciousness.

"We need to get him some food and water, father. I am sure he will be able to explain things when we get back to the manor." Mairwen did not know much about wolves or their anatomy, but by the thick way Renat had been speaking, his tongue was very dry.

And she guessed he had not eaten since she saw him the night before. That combined with the effort to reach Oblivion would make anyone tired.

"Are you sure it is wise to take him to the duchess's manor? There are still so many unknowns?" Devrim's duty was to protect everyone, not just his daughter and her husband.

Mariwen looked out the window. "It is safer than leaving him here. At least at the manor we will have additional help."

It was logical. The castle also had a place to contain him and a halfling who could deal with him if it came to that. "You are right," Devrim agreed, "We should get him to the manor as quickly as possible."

Junayd winced. "A slight problem. How are we supposed to get a wolf through the streets without arousing suspicion."

For the first time since entering the watchtower, the Emperor gave a small smile. "I believe there is a wheelbarrow at the bottom of the stairs. I think it is time to reprise our roles as bumbling servants, Junayd. I only hope Renat thanks you as much as Nanny thanked me back at the palace."

The advisor gulped, "How much gratitude should I be expecting?"

"You don't want to know..."

---------------

The journey back to the palace was uneventful. The three humans were able to get the wolf down the stairs and into the wheel barrow. With the help of a large cloth sheet, they transported Renat through the city streets. They did not actually try to disguise themselves; the few people out in the streets in the misty rain had their own to jobs to complete.

Reaching the castle, Junayd sought out Alaron, and also found Gandr in the process. The extra muscle allowed Mairwen to keep an eye out as they transported the semi-concious canine to a secluded room inside the manor. As soon as he settled in a bed, Renat began to breath more easily. Mairwen pulled a stool up beside him, took his paw and stroked it soothingly.

He gave a her a wolfish smile, yet somehow it calmed the princess's nerves.

There was a disturbance in the hall. Pushing past an objecting Junayd, Duchess Ashleigh burst in the room. "What is the nonsense about me not being allowed in to enter a room in my own house? I will not...oh!"

The old woman saw the wolf and the princess holding his paw with a broken expression on her face. It only took a moment for her sharp brain to connect the dots. "I'll get some food and water right away." The duchess rushed out of room without commenting further.

"Thank you." Mairwen was relieved that her cousin had a good head on her shoulders. It would make explaining when Ashleigh returned that much easier. Though to be fair, the princess was not exactly sure what had happened herself.

Once Renat was given fresh water, he repeated his warning to the room. "They are coming. The lizards, wolves and more!"

"We know. We have been making preparations. Do you know how many there are?" Devrim didn't want to strain the prince, but any information would be helpful.

"I didn't see all of them, but there were many…" Renat answered. Devrim whispered something to Gandr, who went to complete the task before returning.

The group waited until Renat had eaten before questioning him further. He told them of the enemies he saw and any of their plans he knew.

The Emperor made some adjustments to his own plans as he listened.

"Thank you. That is most helpful." the Emperor dipped his head in appreciation.

Mairwen, Ashleigh, Gandr, and Junayd, who were all seated at various places in the room, all nodded in agreement. Only Alaron, who was perched unceremoniously on a nightstand by the bed, stared at all of them in disbelief.

"Seriously, that's it?" The Guardian crossed his arms. "No one is going to ask?…" he looked at his brother-in-law. "You've been gone for days and come back looking like…that. So…what in the world happened to you?!"