This is one of the stories I made that actually aren't fanfiction. It's all from my shitty brain. Yep.))

1

In which Orb Weaver mugs

someone for pocket change.

-

Weaver's eyes parted, the sun peeking through her window as her sheep-skin bed which was really just a dip in the floor became less and less comfy. Fine, she'd get up. Orb Weaver was your average looking royal, a long tail with feathers that acted like a dress, great posture and a constantly lifted chin, pure white fur with black legs and white speckles on her hindquarters, along with white paws. Her neck fur was like a majestic half-mane, silky and soft. No noble could even wish to compare. Her wooden mask covered her face perfectly, only allowing a single blue eye to be seen. She was, as her parents claimed, perfect. Her hooked retractable claws made her excellent at self defence and she was raised to be respectful and kind. At the very tip of her tail sat a scorpion-like stinger, she was trained how to hide it in plain sight beneath her feathers and how to use it to knock someone unconscious. Weaver was the only heir, who didn't seem fond of any of anyone from this kingdom. It was a back and forth argument, which she always won.

Being royal, nobody except her doctor, parents, and spouse could see her face. This made her the target of many attackers in class, trying to rip her mask from her face as some sort of sick joke. She always came out on top, though. She was taught her fighting skills by only the best in the kingdom, however only her parents would know of her stinger. She walked down the hall, single watching blue eye glancing at all of the rooms she did not yet know the use of. She made her way toward the dining hall, figuring that her mother was hosting breakfast. She was, and the chefs were just getting ready. ''Hello mom.'' She gave a smile, hidden by the mask. Her mother wore her mask in the same fashion, one eye visible and her entire face covered.

''Ohh! My little Orby-Worby is awake!'' She cupped her daughter's face with her talons, pressing her mask into hers as if she were kissing Weaver's forehead. The princess's front paws flailed until she pulled away, frowning. ''Oh, don't look so bland, the food will be ready soon, be a doll and go get your father, please.'' The queen waved her talon, sending her daughter off to go get the king. The Western kingdom's king was the only one that still lived, for he had not participated in the petty wars over territory disputes. Weaver sped through the halls, drifting at each turn and continuing to run. She wasn't supposed to, but she did. She passed her father who was sitting on the balcony, overlooking the town. She came to a stop, running over to him.

''Dear, I heard you running through the halls.'' He blinked. He too wore a mask, although his fur wasn't two colors, it was three. Black, dusty tan, and a sandy colour. He was from the East kingdom, but he had adopted the customs of the West. He had a visible stinger, which was something only crosses or Easterns had. ''Don't you know you shouldn't do that?'' He asked rhetorically.

''Yeah yeah, mom wanted me to tell you that breakfast is almost ready and to come to the dining hall. Okay, bye dad!'' She turned around, running a few feet down the hall before her father's loud voice disciplined her.

''Ah-ah, walk. Princesses should not run down the halls, if you fall and break your mask you will have to go to your room until we get a replacement. Don't want that, do we?'' He sounded as if he were smirking.

''Yeah yeah, unlike you I use all my limbs to move and don't walk on my hind legs. But fine, if I have to.'' She snorted. The white and black molly walked until she was out of earshot, then started to run. ''Meh-meh meh meeh.'' She rolled her eyes, slowing her pace to a walk as she got closer to the Dining hall. Weaver lifted her chin slightly as she walked toward her mother, tilting her head. ''Dad's coming. I'm gonna sit down now.'' She pulled out a chair, then sat in it. Being upright was uncomfortable but technically everyone could do it- and that meant she had to in order to look proper. She just liked not being upright. She placed her paws on the table, which were quickly slapped.

''Hands off the table. Put them on the armrests.'' The queen frowned, hidden by her mask.

''Hmpf.'' The young heir put her forearms on the armrests, waiting for her father to take a seat from across her. Then he walked in, doing exactly that. ''Oh! Mom, what did the queen of the North say about the food trade?'' She asked, grinning.

''She told me that all they had were caribou and seals. They have surplus of that. Then she told me about her son. Didn't know she had a son.''

''Son?'' The king and Princess spoke at the same time. They looked at eachother, resisting the urge to knock on the table. They then looked back at the queen.

''Yes yes, Famine told me a tiny bit about him, I don't think anyone else really knows about him. You two can't go blabbering about him, though. It could be dangerous.'' The queen was mainly talking to Weaver when she said that last sentence.

''I promise.'' The princess responded.

''Alright then. From what I know, he looks like her, those batty wings she has, y'know, they lead from her arms to legs to a bit of her tail? They're blood red, which means she did at some point have a hidden husband too and didn't just adopt him. He has totally black fur and blood red freckles, and a dotted streak of that same red leads from the corners of his eyes to his tailtip. He's around Weaver's age, and he likes to wear a cape with a hood. She didn't tell me anything else, only his appearance. Maybe so we can introduce properly next time we have a meeting.'' Weaver's mother explained. From how he was described, he sounded odd. At least, that's what Weaver thought. She was already imagining a conversation with him, daydreaming for a while before a loud bell rang.

''Your chefs are ready.'' A chef who walked on his hind legs called, holding three plates and placing them before the family. He started with the Queen, ''Your majesty, what would you like today?'' He asked. He did not wear a mask. Nobody but this kingdom did. Even then, only the royals did, since one queen long ago was scarred so deeply on her face she had to wear a mask so as to not scare anyone. Then the rest of the royals just picked it up.

''I'll just have the usual; Hog bacon, and an ostrich egg omelette, please.'' The queen gave a hidden grin.

''King?''

''I'll just have what she's havin'.'' The earth-toned male gestured to his mate.

''Princess?''

''Hmm.. Hog bacon, scrambled ostrich egg, and two waffles, please!'' She fluttered her eyes. As always, her order was large. She wriggled in her seat, eventually stopping as she watched their food arrive. She was given hers last, then a glass of water, then utensils. Weaver's parents were more proper when they ate, but the white and black molly prefered to use her hands. She forked the bacon and eggs into her awaiting jaws, at least having the decency to chew with her mouth closed.

''Hun.. Isn't that dry?'' The king asked, taking a sip of his water. Weaver shook her head, then stuffed an entire waffle, without syrup, into her mouth. ''Please, take a sip of water. I don't want you to choke.'' He frowned, his single visible eye showing worry. The princess sighed, rolling her eyes and chugging her cup of water. She then put it down, looking at her parents, as stuffing the other waffle into her mouth slowly.

''I'm gonna go now.'' She spoke eventually.

''Love you! Don't get into too much trouble!'' Her mother called, watching as the princess sped from her chairs and out the door. As she ran, she passed her room, stopping and going inside to grab her satchel. It had some coins, a snack, and a beeper that would alert her parents if she was in certain danger. She ran out, then out of the castle and into the town's streets. She passed the vendors, stopping at one that had a Phoenix egg. She looked at it, standing on her hind legs, and pulling herself onto the counter. The vendor looked at her blankly, lifting a brow.

''Whadd'ya want.'' He snorted, looking at her eye.

''How much for the egg?'' She asked, swinging her legs.

''A thousand bits.'' He blinked. ''No lower, I risked my hairs for it.'' He growled.

''Oh. I'm a hundred short..'' The princess frowned.

''Too bad.'' The vendor shrugged. Weaver slid onto the ground, upset. Then a thought came to her mind. The others here had money too, right? What if she.. shared? While she walked, she peered into the allies, looking for someone that was alone. She spotted someone, on a beeper call maybe? She stalked toward them, tainting her fur with dust and grime, then she put on a show.

''Sir! I'm lost! Do you know where the palace is?'' She could easily pretend to be helpless, she was like, five in human years. ''Please.'' She made her voice sound like she was on the brink of tears.

''Yeah hold on. Alright little one, where'd you say you need to go? I'll take you there.'' He gave a smile, standing on all fours and trying to comfort her. Weaver spotted his satchel. He looked upper class. Perfect. She'd only take a hundred..

''T-the palace.'' She cried.

''Alright, follow me little one.'' The stranger spoke. He turned his back to her, giving her the perfect moment to strike. She pounced, daring her claws to tear the flesh on his neck.

''Hand over the satchel.'' The stranger was terrified, so he did that, standing still. ''Stay there.'' The princess snarled. She dug through the bag, grabbing what she needed and sliding the rest back to him. ''Take it and go.'' Her fur prickled and the stranger wearily grabbed his bag before running away. ''I can buy that egg now, though.'' She giggled excitedly, cleaning herself off and scrambling back to the vendor with her newfound cash. ''Sir! Sir! I have the money now! I found it in an ally!'' She grinned. The vendor blinked before letting out a chuckle.

''Kid, someone just bought that egg. Said they were gonna make a nice dinner. Whatever pet you wanted is long gone now.'' He winked. ''You were too slow.'' He grinned. Weaver clenched a fist, slamming her masked face on the counter in defeat. Karma was much faster than she expected. ''Shoo, there's someone behind you that looks like they want to buy something.'' Weaver trotted away with a frown, looking around the marketplace for something else. A beetle caught her eye but she didn't really want to buy a beetle. She continued to look around; A Mantiod, some weird fish, another Mantiod, ooh, actually, that one looked pretty cool. She walked over to it, looking at the cage it was kept in. It had pretty blue scales that made it look like part of the sky. Its neck fluff looked like a cloud, and its eyes were a majestic sky blue. It was a she, with iridescent scales. Wow. Weaver turned to the vendor, a much nicer looking lady. Then she spoke.

''How much is she?'' The princess asked. The vendor put her hand to her chin, thinking.

''For someone older, I'd say a thousand and eight hundred. I don't expect you be be carrying that kind of money, though, so I'll knock it down to a thousand.'' The vendor gave a smile. ''Mostly because she won't be Easy to care for. She's straight from the wild, she's only here when we're open. She needs a big field to thrive.'' The vendor looked toward the Mantiod, who was sniffing around the cage.

''Oh! I have just enough!'' The princess dug through her bag, then placed all of the bits on the table. The vendor counted them quietly for a moment before sliding them into a bucket and unlocking the cage the Mantiod was kept in. She patted it, then jumped over the counter, leading her into the princess's hands. Weaver cupped the creature's chin, smiling at it which was hidden by her mask. ''Hello.'' She spoke softly, holding out a paw to let her new steed sniff it. The vendor was back behind the counter, and, as Weaver walked, the Mantiod followed closely by her side. ''I'm gonna call you..'' She thought for a moment, walking through the marketplace. ''Do you like the sound of Sirius?'' She asked. Sirius, in response, yipped excitedly. ''Nice. You're gonna be my best friend, okay Sirius?'' She smiled. The creature gave another noise, pressing her head against Weaver's. The pair walked and eventually came back to the palace. She hesitantly walked inside, Sirius refusing to wait on the stairs. The sky-coloured creature began to sniff around at this new place, her six pairs of legs making her slip on the shiny floor.

''Weaver?'' The king called. He'd probably heard the slipping of the Mantiod's paws and stubby feet and mistaken it for his daughter. He came down the hall, startling Sirius and causing her to hiss.

''No, Sirius, it's okay, he's my dad.'' She whispered calmly. The king looked at the scene, putting his talon to his chin.

''Weaver what did you do?'' He asked.

''I.. Uh.. I bought a Mantiod.'' Weaver responded skeptically.

''You bought a pet? Didn't I tell you that money was for snacks?'' The king's voice was stern, but he crept closer, walking on his hind legs. He reached out a hand, then gently pet Sirius. He then sighed, looking at his daughter. ''What did you call her.'' His single visible eye showed no emotion, as if he weren't impressed by these shenanigans.

''S-Sirius.'' Weaver sighed. The mantiod looked at her, already having picked up her name. ''Because- she looks like the sky and her mane is so soft and-''

''I'll see what your mother thinks we should do. For now, stay in the field. I believe they are protective animals, so you can go find her a nice stall to rest in.'' The king continued to pet Sirius, only stopping when the pair had turned to leave. Weaver eventually made her way to the field, which conveniently had a stable.

''Sirius, you can choose where you want to sleep.'' The princess led her though the structure, eventually stopping at a stall. ''Here?'' She asked, looking at the Mantiod. She seemed to nod then willingly walked onto the soft flooring of her new housing area. Something told her that Sirius was very tame and trained, or she wasn't actually from the wild. Hm, it was easier to not question it. ''Okay, I'm gonna have to go now. I'll be back tomorrow.'' She grinned, then, ran out of the stable, and back toward the palace. She slipped on the shiny floor, landing on her shoulder and letting out a yelp. Getting back up, she shook off and continued to run down the hall. Weaver ended up passing her mother, talking to her dad. She came to a halt, tumbling over and landing on her side.

''Weaver!'' The king hissed. ''I told you to stop running in the halls!'' The princess looked at him, sticking out her tongue and rolling her eyes. He gave a sigh, beckoning her over. ''As I had told you, little Weaver here bought a Mantiod, what was her name? Seri?''

''Sirius.'' The princess muttered.

''You named it after a type of cloud? But why?'' Her mother asked, stunned.

''She- uh- looks like the sky.''

''Hm.. I'll decide what we should do tomorrow. For now, I'll send some of the builders down to the stables to restore them. Haven't had a Mantiod in our possession for a while.'' She sighed, looking at her daughter. ''If you need me again, I'll be investigating a case of thefted money. Some man in an ally was ambushed and got a hundred bits stolen off of him.''

''Oh! That's terrible! Does he know what they look like at least?'' The king asked, walking beside his love as they disappeared down the hall. Weaver knew exactly what happened to him. She stole his money. Whoops. Walking down the hallway, she made her way to her room. The clock said that it was currently the evening. She could read a book or two to pass the time, right? Slightly closing her door, she walked over to her bookshelf. There were many things for her to read, some she hadn't seen yet. She randomly plucked one from the shelf. It was a poetry book, one made by a dragon called Mesa Lamb. Hm. Interesting name. Pressing her back against the wall, she snuggled herself into a bean-bag chair, flipping open the cover and starting to read. It was a while since she finished because she kept forgetting which line she was on, but she actually enjoyed it. Placing it back, she pulled out another book, there still being enough time in the day for a bit of reading.

The sun's rays began to die out as time continued, Weaver now having read three books front to back before she realised it was now about eleven PM. ''Oops.'' She always instinctively flicked on her reading light when it became harder to see words, but maybe she just had no concept of time. Placing her book back on the shelf, she scooted onto her bed, resting her head on her pillows, curling up and allowing her mask to loosen, but not possibly slip off in the middle of the night. Her eyes slowly closed as thoughts slowly began to drift out of her head, only one seeming so persistent in being answered. Who is the Northern prince?