-- FLASHBACK --
- one year after I was claimed from the trainers and Bonded -

--

I heard the Prince return from his daily tasks and enter his chamber with one of his councils.

I hurried in behind them and assumed my position on the rug at the foot of his bed as was the custom I had well learned already.

They were talking in exasperated tones and I with nothing else to do but wait for his commands, cocked an ear and listened.

Ït has happened again I am saying!", as he was tossing off his dusty riding coat.

"Prince", said the councilor, "The Kanistans raided another village this week, Pontac village, and took away about 15 children and you can only get exasperated at that?! You need to go see your father, the king, and get an army together to end this now!"

"Councillor, I will do what I can in that regard, but we must have patience" He said, sitting on the bed fumbling with the laces on his riding boot.

"Really Prince!"the Councillor shouted, "Do you know what will happen to those children? Do you know most will become slaves, indentured servants, laborers, and who knows what all terrible treatments they will have to go through under those, those, canids."

I took my cue and spoke gently during the pause, "Let me get that Prince," and scrambled to the bedside where the Prince was sitting fumbling with his boot, I swished his paws away and started unlacing his boot for him, as he looked at me his eyes went wide for a second, before he fell back on the bed with a sigh.

As I worked one boot loose and pulled it off, instinct took over and I sniffed his foot, he was the Prince and I knew it, but the olfactory instinct in me had to get its quarter.

"That is why we need to..." the Councillor started to say until the Prince intervened.

"ENOUGH!" The Prince shouted, "We will continue this tomorrow, Councillor, GOOD NIGHT!"

And with that he about faced and left the bedchamber.

I tugged and got the second boot off as well as the Prince sat up afterwards.

He stood up in front of my kneeling form, and by habit, I started to undo his trousers, and as soon as those were off, i caught his scent and quickly helped him remove his undergarments.

I instinctively grasped his sheath before me in a paw, and quickly coaxed his tapered member out before quickly covering it with my maw. At this point, my eagerness got ahead of me and I scraped one tooth on his member. Not badly, but he felt it.

"Oww"he shouted and i immediately removed my muzzle from him.

"I am so sorry, Prince, I should have been more careful" as I sat back on the rug, and continued, "Perhaps you might want to rethink your decision while i was in training to having my teeth pulled then, as it was what happened to the rest of my group."

He looked at me with a frown, then looked away in thought.

I turned around with my tail high presenting myself to the him.

"Perhaps you might be more welcoming to something else tonight, Prince?"

He stood up and approached me, gently hitting me on my butt with his paw.

"Get up" he commanded, "and just get into bed."

I did so and as he climbed in next to me, I had to ask,

"I am sorry if I displeased you, I know you have much going on in the Kingdom now you are thinking about, so let me pleasure you so you can rest."

He rolled over and pulled me in his arms, my back against him and he sighed again.

"I have much to think about my bonded conc... my bonded..."

He stuttered and paused with some long deep breaths before he finished.

"I have much to think about, but right now, the woes of the Kingdom are not at the top of my list."

I got a brief squeeze, and he said, "No more talk, lets sleep."

As we laid together, I think neither of us got any sleep really.

He hugged into my warmth, and I came to love his form pressed up against me.

Through the night I thought about how I ended up here, what I went through, and also, what those Cervidians recently taken will go through.

It will be the same story for them.

As I wondered what the Prince thought, I was sure it was all matters of state.

I said under my breath as more of a sleepy comment, "what are you thinking, Prince?"

I got back the same sleepy response, "One day I will fix this, if the universe allows me.

With that, I fell asleep in his embrace.