"By Royal Command" by Sabrina E G Withers

Mr Jenkins had tattered ears and was patched in five places. His fur was scraggly and sparse from years of handling. He was dragged behind The Princess by day and sat on her bedside table by night. His two eyes did not match as he had lost one years before to The Queen's pet dog. His right eye was a cheerful blue and seemed to twinkle in the light. His left eye was dark and red; a strange stone The Princess had found and forced her mother to attach as an apology. His mouth was a lopsided smile that The Princess adored but that her maid considered too much of a smirk.

The King had been looking for his daughter for much of the morning. A rather daunting task in such a big castle had it not been for the list of hiding places that his Spymaster had given him. As irony would have it, it was the last place on his list in which he found her. She was seated on a windowsill, chatting away to Mr Jenkins just as he had done as a child.

"Daughter," he said, gaining her attention. "I have to speak with you."

"Yes, father." She slid from the sill and stood before him. Kneeling down The King took hold of her shoulders carefully.

"There have been some dire developments with our neighbours," he stated, refusing to shield her from reality. "We are at war."

"Did they do something we didn't like?" She asked and The King smiled sadly.

"No child. They just want something of ours that I am not willing to give."

"Oh," she said, not quite understanding.

"What I wanted to say is, that from now on you will have to have guards at your door and with you at all times, to protect you."

"Will someone try to harm you and mother as well?" The Princess asked, not disputing her father's words.

"Yes but we will have guards also. Now there will be two guards with you at all times to protect you."

"And Mr Jenkins," The Princess said, holding him up as proof of his presence. The King studied the toy cat carefully and nodded. He took hold of Mr Jenkins and looked him in the eye.

"Now Mr Jenkins," he said solemnly. "I hereby ask that you protect my daughter from any harm." His daughter threw her arms around him when he was done and The King returned the hug, neither of them seeing the brief sparkle in Mr Jenkins’ red eye.

The night was silent but for a few owls hunting in the royal orchards. The two guards had made their final rounds and were now stood outside The Princess's door. In a deep sleep The Princess lay curled up amongst the cushions on her bed. As the moon hid behind some stray clouds the dark shapes climbing the tower wall went unnoticed. A hand found the edge of the balcony with a sound too quiet for human ears. Pulling himself over the ledge, the man waited for his companion. As soon as the head appeared above the edge, he signalled his intent to continue into the room. The second assassin nodded and pulled herself up further onto the ledge. She only had time to register a small shape out of the corner of her eye before she felt the stab of pain in her arm. Instinct screamed at her to cry out but training took over. Clamping down on her lip, she grit her teeth, holding onto the ledge for dear life. She could tell that the wound in her arm would weaken her grip and if she did not pull herself up soon she would fall to her death. She swung her legs round as far as she could manage, her toe lodging onto one of the rails. A red sparkle drew her gaze and before she realised what was happening she felt herself fall.

Her companion sensed the moment when she finally hit the ground like a weight over his heart. Surprised, he rushed to the balcony, ignoring the girl on the bed. He leaned out over the edge and saw her body sprawled on the ground below. He shut his eyes briefly before turning back to the room; there would be time for tears later. He paused long enough to notice the blood on the stone and with careful steps neared The Princess.

"I hope you are prepared for death, Princess." he whispered under his breath. He reached for the knife that was by his hip. His hand froze as he realised that the scabbard was empty.

"How on…" he started to speak but the words were cut off by the knife at his throat. Not a muscle twitched as he took in this new information. Another assassin was watching over the girl. How else had they not noticed them? Taking a risk, he tried to speak, feeling the knife pierce his skin.

"I surrender." The moment he felt the blade move from his throat he flung himself backwards. Rolling onto his feet, he looked around him, his keen eyes searching for his assailant. A sharp pain in the back of his knee told him that they had found him first. Stifling a cry, he sank to one knee. He knew he would not get a second chance. Crawling forward, he tried to reach the window, pain shooting up his leg at every movement. He felt the knife withdrawing from his wound and turned in fear. The last thing he saw was a small shape launching itself from the shadows and a knife descending.

The next morning the palace found the two assassins side by side. A knife was lodged in the male's heart. The Queen had examined The Princess thoroughly but could find no mark on her. The King had commended the two guards for doing their duty; they, in turn, had glanced at each other but did not dare proclaim that they had been caught unaware. The room was cleaned carefully to remove any trace of the battle within. As for the blood splatter that the maid removed from Mr Jenkins’ tattered fur, she never spoke of it to anyone.