The King's Collie

Part VI, Chapter 5: Everything To Me

The flight grew longer, but Felix had no intention of stopping. He tirelessly charged on, through cloud and sky, wishing to fly as far away as he could from where he was before, both from his heavenly and earthly troubles. Thinking hard all the while, he kept trying to tell himself that what Ophelia told him wasn't true, but he knew it was likely so. He flew blindly on now, both through clouds and ever-vibrant sky.

Eventually, though, even an angel got tired. It was a sudden need for rest, but one that Felix became aware he needed to fulfill. His back grew tired from maneuvering his wings, and his soul grew tired with every thought of hope that crossed his mind, not to mention the dread that would shoot that hope down afterwards, as it often can. He hadn't been flying for that long, either, but he knew he needed rest regardless. Far was he now from that place in Heaven where he was, anyhow. Now he could think things through.

What he came across when he landed was a sylvan wonder. This area of Heaven was a wide, wooded stretch, and it was so pleasantly of Earth that Felix would have been fooled into thinking that he was alive again, reborn unto the first morning. The dawn light was sufficiently shadowed and shielded by the trees, so the lion touched down, and took his repose where he could, beneath the biggest tree in sight, and felt himself doze off.

—

"What royal presence," a man said, waking Felix up, "in this part of the woods. Oh, my God."

"W— Huh, who's there? I apologize, I didn't mean to intrude," the lion stood now. He was in the same place he had fallen asleep, only now a collie was standing over him. Blinking, and rubbing his eyes, he gasped. It was who he had hoped for, and he was this close to deciding on giving this dog a kiss—

It wasn't Cameron, though. It was another collie. This much he could still tell, though with all the dogs there were in the world, this was merely a coincidence.

"King Felix. I had heard rumors of your death, Your Highness, though I know not how it came to be. I am honored, in any case, that you took refuge here in my woods," the dog said, apparently a Valentian.

"Thank you for allowing me to, despite my lack of permission," the King spoke. "Who are you?"

"My name is Orlando," the dog introduced, "and as I said, it is an honor. I feel further obliged to offer you further rest in my home, if it might be more comfortable."

"I accept, Orlando, kind soul," Felix replied. "It would help take my mind off of matters."

"I usually hunt to do that— to keep my mind happy," Orlando detailed, slightly lifting his bow. "I don't ever really need to, now, but it's my favorite thing to do. Up here I've been hunting like— well, like a king!" he chuckled with the last bit, seeing the royalty in front of him.

"I'll leave you to it, then, if I might know where your home is," the King asked.

"Over yonder. It isn't ever far," the canine pointed. "My wife, Isabella, would certainly be pleased to see you."

"Thank you," the lion smiled as he said, and started to head that direction. Indeed, in little time, he came out of the woods, and happened upon a wide clearing, and some well-spaced houses. Besides the backdrop of a pastoral paradise, it looked like the edge of the city of Valentia, with the farmers' fields and the small merchants he had seen on his various errands around. Outside of one, a collie woman with a splotched fur pattern was reading a book, turning the pages quickly, yet calmly.

"Greetings. Isabella, was it?" the King spoke.

Clutching her chest in shock, Isabella looked up, and saw who she knew, yet couldn't believe, it was. "Oh! A King, on my doorstep. Oh, why are you here, of all places in Heaven? King Felix!" she excitedly yelped, hopping down onto her knees and bowing.