Kitty and the King

by Fern

Standing atop a hill, the castle with its lines of flags could be seen for miles. For one kitty, who lived in a small village beneath the shadow of the turrets, the castle might just as well be on another planet. This kitty, you see, worked for his food and tiny straw bed at the stables in the village. Each evening as he swept the yard and hunted for any mice eating the grain, kitty watched the knights as they rode up the hill on their magnificent steeds. The colors of the knights’ flags and cloaks were duplicated in the colors of the steeds’ blankets, and this sight always took kitty’s breath away because of its beauty. He would stop, lean on his broom handle and just watch until each knight was in the gates or until the owner of the stable noticed and yelled for him to get back to work. Kitty would start his sweeping but with a dreamy look in his eyes for Kitty was still young enough to believe he could better himself and maybe, even someday, ride one those steeds. As fall closed in around the castle, the local folk knew that it was nearing gathering time when all the people from surrounding towns and villages would come to the castle for games and dances, to sell their wares and to eat and drink the summer food and wines. Kitty knew he needed to work all morning to settle the horses of the visitors but would have the afternoon and evening free to himself. The morning dragged by for Kitty who worked feverously to complete his chores. As the sun began to dip in the sky Kitty got ready for the festivities and could barely contain his excitement. He wore his best garments which, though homespun, were clean and neat. Kitty hurried to the castle keep. As he was running he heard a voice behind him, “You, out of my way.” Kitty turned and saw what appeared to be a giant tabby knight astride an enormous horse. He was so stunned he was nearly run over by the animal. He hurried aside and stood as the knight rode by him. Three more knights followed, each appearing larger than the previous. Kitty followed behind them hoping to sneak into the depths of the castle, a forbidden place. He was able to reach one of the garden doors of the castle, went inside and crouched as close to the dirt floor and castle wall as he could so as not to be seen. He followed corridors blindly until he found himself inside a huge room with flags covering the wall and tables filled with food while cats and kitties worked about the room and tables. Figuring this was not a safe spot, he moved on though tempted to linger because of the smell of the rich food. As he slinked through the next corridor Kitty began to hear two cats whispering. He stopped to listen. They spoke of the princess, a beautiful Persian named Lorelei. They were discussing their plans to abduct the princess and the amount of the king’s ransom they might receive. Kitty was in a panic. He listened for more but there was no more. As they left one way, he ran the other. Kitty heard a hissing and a growl from behind him where the tom cat who served as castle steward hissed, “Get back to the kitchen, you lowly feline.” Kitty ignored him and kept running despite the loud meowing from the steward. Who to tell? Who to tell? Kitty ran into another corridor. He felt someone grab his front paw and looked up to see who it was. In front of him was a magnificent knight dressed in armor with black and gold colors. With his helmet removed, the cat was a handsome Manx. “Why are you running, little one?” Kitty was too awed to answer. “Well, what are you running from or running to, little one?” Kitty tried to answer but was still a bit afraid. “It’s okay, kitty, I’m Sir Feles, and I only want to help.” Kitty slowing began to tell his story. Sir Feles listened patiently and then told kitty to follow him. Kitty had to run to keep up but managed to follow the knight through more corridors until they came to a giant wooden door. The knight knocked and kitty heard a commanding voice say, “Enter.” Both of them did. The knight bowed and kitty stood there with his jaw opened. It was King Baldrick, an Abyssinian, tall and regal with sleek brown fur. “Sir Feles, why have you interrupted my afternoon nap,” asked the king as he rose from his cushion and stretched as far as his front paws could reach. “My liege, I am here to tell you about a plot to abduct your daughter. This is Kitty, and he can tell you what he heard.” Kitty wobbled and nearly fell over in front of the king. Sir Feles grabbed him and gave Kitty a comforting pat. “My Majesty, my King, my Lord,” began Kitty. “Please just tell me the story,” prompted the king, and kitty did. Immediately the king began giving orders and directed that his daughter be protected. Both he and Sir Feles left the room to implement their plan to save the princess and capture the nefarious felines who were plotting her abduction. Kitty was left alone in the room. He couldn’t believe he had not only seen the king but had also spoken to him. None of his fellow stable paws would believe his story so Kitty took one of the small banners hanging near the king’s cushion. No one noticed as he left the chamber and found his way to the front gate. He returned to the stables and slept soundly in his hay bed with dreams of the king and knights sweetening his night. The next day, Kitty was back to his sweeping. It seemed as if the night before had never happened. Kitty then heard a hubbub from the front of the stables. He ran to see and before him was the knight he had met the evening before, Sir Feles. “Where did you go, Kitty? Why did you leave?” Kitty had no answer. “The King wishes you to come to the castle.” Kitty was nervous and brought the banner with him in case its absence had been noticed. Kitty followed Sir Feles up the hill to the castle and then throne room. Sir Feles ushered Kitty into the room. There sat King Baldrick with the beautiful Lorelei beside him. “Kitty, come forward,” and Kitty slowly moved toward the throne. “You have saved our princess and helped find the culprits. We owe you our thanks.” Kitty bowed and told the king he was pleased that the princess was safe. “You are a brave Kitty and we want to reward you.” Kitty said that a reward was not necessary, but the king had other ideas. “Kitty, you will join us at the castle as a page to Sir Feles. You will learn to be a knight. We need kitties that are curious and brave and selfless.” Kitty could only gasp and nod to the king. “Let’s go to the stables and move your belongings to the castle. Ride with me, Kitty, as you’ll be starting your training right away,” responded Sir Feles. Kitty, the page, was so excited he could barely keep his seat. When they arrived at the stables, he told the owner he was going to live at the castle. The owner was dumbfounded as Kitty grabbed his meager belongings, was helped to the saddle and rode away with Sir Feles to the castle. Kitty, atop the beautiful steed, rode to his new home and to his future.