Chronicles of a Royal Pet: A Princess and an Ooze (Royal Ooze Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  Chronicles of a Royal Pet:

  A Princess and an Ooze

  Ian Rodgers

  Text copyright © 2017 Ian Rodgers

  All Rights Reserved

  For Fantasy lovers everywhere, and for the people who helped make this dream into a reality.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1: How it all began

  Chapter 2: A new home, and a new family

  Chapter 3: Lunch in the garden

  Chapter 4: Bath time for a slime!

  Chapter 5: Two mages and a potion tasting

  Chapter 6: The azure teacher

  Chapter 7: A slime and his body

  Chapter 8: The smiles of Goddesses

  Chapter 9: A picture and a premonition

  Chapter 10: A display and a dark plot

  Chapter 11: Danger senses, awaken!

  Chapter 12: A day of dress up

  Chapter 13: The adventurer’s night

  Chapter 14: Falling amidst the feast

  Chapter 15: A shadow stained interlude

  Chapter 16: A new member of royalty is born

  Chapter 17: Magic in the family

  Chapter 18: To apprentice a princess

  Chapter 19: The way to learn magic

  Chapter 20: Crimson and ebony deaths

  Chapter 21: A triumphant return

  Chapter 22: Under the light of truth

  Chapter 23: A Promise of new beginnings

  Chapter 1: How it all began

  The first thing I could remember about my life was a conversation. I’d existed before, but it was this point that marked the moment I changed. I’d had instincts and primal, animalistic urges I’d acted upon. Yet I was not aware of them, and could make no conscious, informed decision about these things. I simply ‘did.’

  However, whether it was fate, a divine will, or mere happen-stance, that was when events started for me. For better or worse, those were the first words I’d ever heard, and these were the first two people I had ever met.

  “Your highness, please! Such a filthy creature is beneath you! There are so many other wonderful animals here that are so much more befitting a woman of your stature!”

  “No thank you, Orleen. I want this one.”

  “But, but, but! Look at this male Qoatl! Such magnificent plumage! And these feathers become even more vivid in the spring! Such beauty is worthy of one such as yourself! Or how about this Lily-lynx? Such soft and supple fur must surely be better than that clammy wet sludge in your hands?”

  I recalled how hands tightened around me after the older female voice said that, and I remembered the feeling of going ‘Squish!’ in her palms. Such tiny, delicate hands refused to let something like myself go. If I’d known what gratitude had been back then, I’m certain I’d have felt it.

  “Again, no thank you, Orleen. I’d much rather have this little fellow.”

  “My lady! You are a daughter of high standing! You are Liliana Augustine Roan! To have a creature like that as a pet would tarnish your family’s name!”

  “If such a little thing could tarnish the name of my family, I’d wonder how we have possibly survived all these years.”

  “Guh.” A strangled grunt was the only response, and I heard something move away from me and the young woman holding me tight. I had no eyes at that point. As such, ‘seeing’ was an impossibility for me. I also did not have ears, either, so I suppose ‘heard’ would be incorrect. Rather, I registered the vibrations that passed through the air and my body and translated them into words.

  “There, there, little fellow. The mean lady is gone,” the person holding me cooed, as if I were a baby. Well, alright, I was technically only self-aware at that moment, but I still remember feeling irked at that treatment. I also immediately remember forgiving her as she stroked my top. I shivered in delight at her caress, and she giggled as I moved around in her hands.

  “You’re so soft and squishy. Like warm, yet dry, jam. Firm, too. Such an oddly pleasant sensation.” A quiet hum of contemplation came from the woman as she stroked me.

  “I think for now I’ll call you ‘Jelly.’ We can think of a better name at a later date. What do you say?”

  Having no mouth, I could merely make a burbling sound in agreement, and my owner laughed airily.

  And that was how I, a mere slime, became the pet of a princess, and Fate began to move.

  Chapter 2: A new home, and a new family

  “Here we go. This is going to be your home from now on, Jelly.” I had been carried away by my new owner a few hours ago, and was now being set down in a room with a plush carpet covering the entire floor.

  I had been purchased from a well-regarded pet shop of sorts. Magical creatures were seen as status symbols if made into pets by the wealthy. The store I’d been in before I was self-aware specialized in taming such potentially dangerous animals and then selling them to those who could afford them.

  There were all sorts of rare and exotic creatures my owner could have chosen from. The rainbow feathered flying snakes, the Qoatl, renowned for its amazingly colored plumage and ability to blind foes with seizure inducing bright lights. The small and cute Lily-Lynx which only eats flowers and could control plants much like a Druid. There was even a Carbuncle, a rare fairy-like being with a large precious gem set in its body, available that day.

  Any one of them would have made a person of her standing an excellent pet. But instead, it was I that caught her eye. I’d been found as a newly spawned little vermin rooting around the store’s garbage one day and the owner thought he could try and make a few silver coins off of me as a piece of novelty merchandise. I did not know any of that at the time, though.

  I slowly inched my way around a large, wide room filled with well-made objects. I was atop a carpet made of thick, shaggy fur and fibers which lay on top of thick oak panels. Against one of the walls a massive canopy bed sat, finely crafted and with silk and cotton sheets with fine gossamer veils encircling it. Feather stuffed pillows were heaped on the bed like a fluffy mountain range.

  In a corner stood a vanity made of soft brown wood with a polished glass mirror resting on its surface, with boxes of jewelry open on its surface. A towering wardrobe stood nearby, with a walk-in closet to the left of the two pieces of furniture. Warm sunlight filtered in through windows set high on the wall, well above the bed and angled so they illuminated everything in the solar rays.

  How was I able to know any of that without eyes, though? My body sensed things as both shapes and what they were composed of. It was like an advanced form of echolocation, greatly enhanced with my own innate magical energy. With it, I could tell what was edible, what was good to rest on, and who was around me at any given time. Color was much harder to observe. It took a concentrated effort on my part to grasp the color spectrum. Even then it was dull and muted.

  I only had a visible range of ten feet in all directions, though. Within that scope, I could sense intimately who or what was around me. I could tell that there was a frayed, worn edge on the bed’s sheets but also that there was a spot of rotting wood on the corner of the wardrobe due to some moisture damage leaking in from the other side of the wall. I could see so much, and more.

  And, of course, there was my savior; my owner. She lit up the room, at least to my senses. A faint sheen of magical energy enclosed her skin, like a second body just barely restrained by her physical form. The perfume my owner wore was a light, lilac scent while her dress was of fine, soft wool and cotton. She wore a few pieces of simple jewelry; elegant pieces of silv
er and semi-precious gems. The one exception was a ring on her left hand that pulsed brightly with sealed magical power; an enchanted item of sorts, likely to provide protection of an arcane nature. But even that glow paled before the intensity of her own existence. I didn’t know why she shone so much brighter than everyone else. It was selfish to say, but I felt that it was due to her importance to me.

  Beyond ten feet the ability to tell what something was made of decreased rapidly. At twenty feet, there was nothing but emptiness. Between that, things became blurred and fuzzy, but still noticeable. I was also able to “see” through the thin walls of the vanity and wardrobe to examine the items within, but the much thicker walls, floor, and ceiling of the room itself were impenetrable from my senses. I wasn’t sure why that was. Maybe there was a limit to the density or solidity I could observe and peer through? Eh, it didn’t really bother me.

  *Giggle!* “How cute! Look, Orleen! Jelly really likes his new home!”

  My owner watched as I scooted around as quickly as I could, exploring my surroundings under the gaze of her and an older woman who stood nearby. The second person dressed in cheaper clothes that had a much different design than that of my owner’s. I assumed it was because she was something called a “maid.” Again, information I had no business possessing was somehow in my mind, informing me of this and that. What a maid was, exactly, was vaguer. But it seemed she served my owner, helping in a variety of ways. She had also been the voice I’d heard beside my owner, trying to convince the princess to pick another pet.

  “It’s certainly… energetic,” the woman called Orleen replied. She, like most of the other people I’d met so far, seemed to be keeping their distance from me. I was an unusual creature to own as a pet. Even I knew that!

  “I wonder if it can climb walls?” my owner mused.

  “I do not know, my lady. I am unfamiliar with the abilities or habits of slimes.”

  My owner suddenly clapped her hands in excitement. “Look, look! He’s trying to do it! Go on, Jelly! Climb that wall!”

  Her words had made me curious about what I could do. Until now I had acted instinctively; I just did whatever it was I did without thinking about it. Suddenly though, I was trying desperately to cling onto the granite stones that made up the wall.

  It didn’t work. I wasn’t able to get my gelatinous body to cling or stick to the stone. I felt vaguely disappointed that I wasn’t able to meet my owner’s expectations, and I slumped slightly.

  “Oh, come here, Jelly!” I was swiftly scooped up in my owner’s arms. “There, there. It’s alright if you can’t crawl on walls. You’re still impressive. You’re a good slime, aren’t you?”

  I quivered in agreement, and my owner nodded. “That’s right! No need to be sad.”

  “My lady, it’s time for supper.” Orleen said up after a few moments. My owner just nodded her head in acknowledgement. She turned to the door and strode out, with me still cuddled in her arms. The maid opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it and instead suppressed a sigh, following her mistress.

  I was carried through countless hallways, corridors, and rooms. I had no more than momentary glimpses of the places I passed, but I was able to tell a few general features. Most of the corridors were made of stone, while the rooms tended to be wood paneled. Lamps dotted the walls everywhere interspersed with slit windows. Everything was of exceptional quality. Well-crafted, designed for both looks and sturdiness, even the heavier and more robust pieces of furniture were elegantly made.

  My owner moved through and around it all with practiced ease. It was her home, after all. Even if it was expansive, you’d feel rather silly getting lost in your own house. After a few minutes, she emerged into a medium sized room, at least in comparison to other rooms I’d been in so far. It was rectangular and too wide for me to “see” all of it. I was able to get a grasp of its relative size because my owner walked around the edge of it to reach a certain spot.

  It was a dining room. I made that assumption due to the wooden table laden with finely made dishware, glassware, cutlery, and platters of rich and hearty food. Four chairs were set up around the circumference of the table, two of them already occupied, whom my owner swiftly joined.

  The person seated to the right of her was a woman. Older than the maid Orleen, she sat with poise and grace that I felt my owner try and emulate as she took her own seat. That was her mother, I realized. I could “feel” the similarities between the two. Her hair had immaculate straightness and silkiness and shone like ebony in the light. It was drawn up into a tightly coiled bun. Everything about her demurely, yet pointedly, said ‘queen.’

  The other person was a younger boy seated across from me and my owner. That had to be her brother. They had a similar “aura” and it made me wonder if it was a lineage trait. His hair was brown like his sister’s with the faintest hint of curliness to them.

  “Liliana, how was your day?” her mother inquired.

  “It went well, dear mother. I went into the Purple District to get a pet.”

  “Yes, I remember you mentioning that. Did you finish your lessons first?”

  “Of course mother,” my owner said with only a momentary pause. My owner’s mother sighed, faintly disappointed.

  “You are already thirteen, my precious Lily,” the queen spoke. “You may not like your studies but they are important for your future. After all, you are nearly an adult, and you have responsibilities as a princess.”

  Her mother’s tone was clipped and scolding and Liliana meekly bent her head in acquiescence. The regal woman gave me a piercing and appraising stare when my owner’s head was bowed. She said nothing, merely wrinkled her nose before ignoring me for the other occupant of the table.

  “I suppose I also have to make sure you did your work as well, Julius,” the queen said with a knowing look at her son. As his mother’s attention fell on him the prince squirmed.

  “Did you complete your lessons before going out to the gardens? And please do not try and deceive me, I can see the grass stains on your pants.”

  “Yes, mother. I made sure. Even the boring ones,” Julius said with a grimace. His mother nodded, pleased.

  “Excellent. I understand boys like to be rambunctious, but you are the Crown Prince of Varia. Remember what is expected of you.”

  Dark green eyes looked down at the table as he nodded. “Yes, mother, I understand.”

  Despite her attitude and words, I could feel a potent love coming from her directed at her children. As much as she was a queen, she was also a mother. It just appeared she had a harder time expressing that love.

  A surge of power cut my off my musings as it disrupted my senses. I tensed up, and my owner looked down at me in confusion. Her mother raised a delicate eyebrow at my antics. The momentary flash of overwhelming pressure passed and I relaxed. Still, I warily regarded the man who’d just entered the room. He was tall and broad shouldered, with the same color of hair and the same feel to his aura as my owner and her brother. He was clearly a strong man, not just physically or with magical powers. He had a charisma that was practically palpable. He filled the room with his presence.

  He smiled widely at the seated family as he took his own spot at the table, across from his apparent wife with his children on either side.

  “Good evening.”

  “Good evening, father,” Liliana and Julius responded politely with respectful nods. His wife silently gave a warm smile.

  As soon as he sat down servants entered the dining room carrying trays of food and drink. Eating quickly commenced, and for the first few minutes companionable silence was all there was to be had.

  “How was work, dear?”

  The king chewed both food and words for a bit before answering.

  “Well enough. Geldstein has reported a slight boom in the trade of foodstuff passing through. No doubt Court Darpel will manage to hide all the profits from the taxmen again.” A look that was hard to identify crossed his eyes. It smoothed ove
r quickly as it came.

  “Then I had another meeting with Duke Tein. He requested another loan.”

  “That father of mine,” the queen sighed with a shake of her head. “I have no idea how my brother manages to keep the territory solvent with his reckless spending. He really should be pushing harder for father to retire already. Maybe you should say something, Tiberius.”

  “Amos Tein is a stubborn man and nothing short of death will get him to stop working. You know that Amdora. Besides, at least he uses the gold he mooches off of us for infrastructure instead of lining his pockets too much, unlike my other brother-in-law,” the king replied.

  “Is Uncle Darpel doing something bad again?” I heard Julius whisper, and there was a hint of fear in his voice.

  “No, my son, he’s just being difficult.”

  “It’s alright, Julius! He would never try and hurt us! Last time was just an accident,” Liliana said in an attempt to cheer up her brother. I saw dark looks cross over her parent’s faces at that. It seemed that things with extended family were complicated.

  “Enough unpleasant matters! If I recall, you were going out to the city today for some shopping,” King Tiberius said, dispelling the gloomy mood.

  He spared me a searching look before shifting attention over to Liliana.

  “So, this is your new pet?”

  “Yes, father,” my owner said. A thin current of worry appeared in my owner, and I nuzzled her arms in solidarity.

  “Where on Erafore did you get it? I cannot imagine any store around here selling a slime,” the king inquired. “You didn’t go down to the Slope or Wall District, did you?”

  “I got him from the Gilded Parlor Pet Shop, down off Kaleidoscope Way in the Purple District,” Liliana said. “He was on-sale as a novelty item.”

  “It looks funny.” Julius’s honest opinion caused some chuckles.

  “He does, doesn’t he?”

  “Can I touch him?” the prince inquired, quickly switching pronouns when referring to me.