The brightly lit hall spun in front of my eyes as I fell to the ground. Eric had let me fall just like that, out of surprise, shock or fear. Whatever it was, it sent me crashing onto the ground, where I was brutally stopped by rock-hard wood.

“It hurts!”

I rolled on the ground, desperately trying to fight the pain. It had been such a short drop, the guard had only held me at the height of his chest, but to my fox body that small, unprepared fall was already too much to handle.

While I was still struggling with myself, I could already hear a wave of noise flooding the hall. Dozens of strangers stared at my now human body, at the tail and the ears, but also at those parts of my body that made me into a woman.

The king was the worst of them all. He had even stood up from his chair so he could have a better look at me, who had been tossed onto the ground right in front of his table.

“She really has turned into a girl!”

“Why isn't she wearing anything,” a woman's voice asked.

“This bitch!”

I somehow managed to sit up so I could protect myself from their stares, using both of my arms and hands.

“Itembox!”

A large, green screen appeared in front of me. It blocked away the king and his family, which was still busy trying to stare at what I had hidden just now. 

I hurriedly selected the dress and pulled it out of the fox-shaped portal, not even giving the underwear directly next to it as much as a single glance. It would take me far too long to get them on, at least when being stared at by all these strangers.

After spreading out the dress, I hurriedly put it on and, after making sure that it hid everything it should, raised to my feet. The king was still staring at me, even more in disbelief as before.

“... greetings your Majesty.”

Something in his expression changed as he mustered my body which was now hidden under a green and white fabric of the finest quality anyone could think of. He probably wasn't the least interested in the dress itself.

“Why didn't you show yourself like this from the beginning,” he asked.

“...”

“Explain yourself.”

How could I explain this? Does he want me to tell him that I was trying to trick my way out? So that I did not need to meet him or at least make him think of me as a waste of time? Naturally, something like that wasn't possible. I had to lie to him, right into his face. Sadly enough, I had become far too good at that by now...

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“I was afraid, your Majesty…”

“Why would you be afraid? You are my guest, nobody will bring you harm.”

“Strangers treat me like a slave,” I explained, this time stating the painful truth rather than a lie, “they insult me, make fun of me and even threaten me. Some even tried to molest me! I was nearly killed at one time.”

“Nothing like that will happen here.”

“But how am I supposed to believe that?! There has only been one human who has been good to me all this time, one that has always protected me. And you separated us!”

“Your lover?”

“I have no lover!”

“That's fortunate.”

I couldn't help but stare at him in disbelief.

“Fortunate? Why would he think of this as fortunate? Does he think I will join his harem to become his plaything?!”

No, that couldn't be it. Nobody would be shameless enough to basically kidnap a stranger and force her to become his lover! This couldn't be the reason why he called me here. He was the sovereign of a whole country, the one guy who could make a whole kingdom rise and fall with his decisions alone! He had to have some sense of reason.

“Your Majesty, may I ask what it is that you wish from me?”

“I wish to protect you.”

These five words, that was all he answered. And they weren’t a lie, either. I could see it in his eyes, in his soft smile, in the way he bent his body forward slightly. He looked at me as something that needed protection, not as somebody that needed a leading hand.

I still couldn’t accept that. Accepting his care would mean being trapped here for who knew how long, likely with nobody to talk to and care for me. Well, they would care for me, that much was a given, but still…

“Your Majesty wants to protect me?” I couldn’t help but ask back. “There is no need to! I can protect myself just fine.”

“You have no idea how precious you are.”

“Precious?” I couldn’t help but ask. “Just because I am a foxkin?”

“Who knows who might end up stealing you away, enslaving you and abusing you and your powers for their cause.”

“Why would they do that? Only because I know a little magic? I know an elf that is far more powerful than me!”

He frowned. “A little magic? Foxes are said to carry the strongest nature and holy magic of all races, capable of healing even the most grievous wounds! They can revive the dead and turn barren lands into oases of life!”

“I can lick wounds?”

“Are you trying to joke with us?”

“No, your Majesty, I would never dare to.”

“You don't know healing spells?”

“I tried to learn magic from a magician, but I couldn't use any of them…”

My words cut off as I tried to come up with a fitting excuse. But in the end, there just wasn't a single good one. Well, there was one, but I wasn't sure where it would lead me. If I was lucky, he would just accept it and let me go, but if I wasn't, it would make things even harder. But what could I do now but try?

“I can only use the magic the goddess gives me,” I revealed with some hesitation.

“The goddess? Which goddess are you talking about?”

“Got him!”

I immediately opened my Itembox magic again, reached for one of the tusk figurines I had made of Cilia and presented her to the king.

“Her name is Cilia,” I explained, “she gave me all of my magic.”

“But isn't that you?”

“...”

“She is telling the truth,” the royal guard that had tossed me into this mess revealed. “She has the titles to prove it.”

“Titles?” The king asked. “Tell us about them!”

“Damn it!”