Infamy

**"Infamy"**is the eighth episode of *War* and the 57th episode overall.

The episode was published on February 14, 2021.

In the episode, a betrayal rocks the Kingdom of Felexa and forces the Lazoy royal family to make decisions that will determine whether they live or die.

## Appendix

Episode Title Card**A:** Map of the War, 712**B:** Felexan Royal Family, 712**C:** Leprolian Royal Family, 712**D:** Talonclaw Castle, Tabitha, Felexa**E:** Burrow Court Palace, Sylvia, Leprolia
**A:** Note the occupation of Capricon and its six zones.
**B:** Note that omission of Zamora Lazoy from the line of succession.

## The Episode

*—Diary of Lana Loudoun—*

*-January 1, 712-*

*Enter Year 5. No end in sight, no exit, no surrender. We continue down our path of destruction, the trenches becoming inhospitable ditches that will never refill with natural life. I think about the “after,” the time when this is over and we look back and reflect on the horrors we inflicted upon one another. Some say it will be a worse life than the one we are currently living, and that the fortunate are those that die on the battlefields as martyrs.*

*The Summer Sun is spreading rumors that the Granite Bloc is torturing the goats of Capricon under occupation. This I cannot believe as true. The rumors are originating primarily from Vulpus, and I am not likely to trust a fox. They’re just trying to distract us as our alliance pushes south into Felexa. Nearly half the country is under our control. If the cats fall, the deer will have no one to defend them.*

*We may just earn the advantage!*

—Talonclaw Castle, Tabitha, Felexa—

—Kingdom of the Cats—

-May 17, 712-

Lionel Lazoy stalked down the corridor with his mother. She was weighted down with jewels, as one would expect from the reputable Madonna Jacquetta Lazoy. One newspaper referred to her as Madonna Dazzle.

“Her Majesty the Madonna and His Highness the Prince Royal Historian!” the guard at the door announced as the two entered the Queen’s study. Lionel’s sister, Queen Roxanne II, was seated at her desk. Her face was cross. It usually was these days.

“Sit,” she demanded. Lionel wordlessly sat across from her, while Mother took her time ambling over.

“What is it, dear? I’m told this is urgent.”

“It is,” Roxanne replied, her voice sturdy. “In the course of this morning I have been forced to take stock of the actions committed by my own family, and I daresay that your transgressions tower above my desk.”

Roxanne lifted a bundle of envelopes and slapped them down in front of Lionel.

“What are these?”

Lionel recognized his handwriting in the ink, and the addresses.

“They are letters,” he responded. Roxanne clenched her teeth.

“Letters to whom?”

Lionel sighed.

“To Minerva Taylor and Maximilian Walters. The royal historians of Willie and…”

“*Canis*,” Roxanne seethed. “Our enemies. You have been writing cordial, friendly, cheerful letters to our *enemies* for *years*. You never thought to mention this to me?”

The Queen had never been so angry with Lionel before. She was usually level-headed and calm, but not today.

“They’re just well-wishes,” he defended. “I don’t put anything confidential in there.”

“Oh really?” Roxanne scoffed in reply. She snatched the most recent letter from the top, penned to Minerva Taylor, and read teasingly,

“Dearest Minerva, I regret to say that Felexa is on its last legs, as Granite Bloc forces grow closer…”

She tore it in half. “Do you not think that Minerva would share this letter with King Mickey? That all of the ones you wrote to Max found their way to Bentley?”

Lionel was silent. He hadn’t really thought about it. His friendship with Minerva and Max was sacred, and surely above alliances?

“One of these letters,” Roxanne went on, “was intercepted by a Vulpine soldier, and I was able to locate the rest. The Vixen Queen knows about your recalcitrance, and has already been convinced that this family is duplicitous. We are *allies* with Vulpus, whether the two of you like it or not. In war, allegiances are everything. I am furious that while I am doing my best to fight this war for Felexa’s best interests, my mother and brother are skulking behind my back in a blatant attempt to undermine our allegiance to the Summer Sun!”

Mother finally spoke, her tone defiant.

“I think the Vixen Queen is looking for any excuse to turn on you, dear. Just as she did with Capricon and Gallix.”

Roxanne rounded on her next, narrowing her green eyes.

“I suppose you’ve heard the recent bout of rumors crawling around Talonclaw Castle?”

Mother was perfectly calm.

“Rumors? About what?”

“I have heard from numerous sources,” Roxanne continued, “that the Petukinaus of Gallix are alive and well, living here in Tabitha as our prisoners. Namely, as *your* wards, Mother. They think you rescued them.”

Mother blinked thrice.

“Well, that is plainly absurd. The Stag of Cervidium published images of the Petukinaus’ dead bodies. Clear as day. There’s no substance to these rumors.”

“It doesn’t matter!” Roxanne cried. “Of course they’re false notions, but the *perception* remains that you had something to do with them escaping this castle in 709. We were supposed to send them back to Cervidium, but then the entire family disappeared overnight. Next thing I know I receive a call from the Stag saying that their bodies were found near the Cervidian border. They had help breaking out of this castle, and I am certain you are responsible.”

It was true, of course. Lionel and his mother had sprung the Galligasque royal family from Talonclaw Castle and sent them to Leprolia. They never received word that they made it, and it was likely they died in the harsh winter as they raced for freedom. Cervidium never made public the cause of death, and Roxanne refused to ask. She had to do damage control to keep the Summer Sun from turning on her.

A feeling of nausea overcame Lionel as he pictured the corpses of the four chickens, wearing the same clothes in which they escaped.

“It’s been three years,” Mother sighed. “Is the Vixen Queen still hung up on this? The Galligasque royal family is dead, and that is far more important than worrying about how they managed to break a lock on a bedroom door.”

Roxanne gripped her desk with her paws.

“*This* royal family will be dead next if we don’t do everything we can to placate the Vixen Queen.”

The Queen of Felexa rubbed her forehead. “Our position in the alliance is fragile. The other monarchs think that I am improperly leading the defenses of our northern borders. We’re low on troops, and bereft of morale. And even though I seem to be hell bent on currying the favor of the Vixen Queen, I *am* wary of her.”

Lionel nodded understandingly. He could empathize with the intense weight that pressed upon her head, encapsulated with a crown.

“Brother,” Roxanne broached, “the polls I’ve ordered…do you have any results?”

Grateful for a topic other than a castigation, Lionel acquiesced and filled her in on his research. Surreptitiously sending his most trusted allies to the frontlines, Lionel had organized a survey of public support for the war. With the fall of Capricon last year and the Granite Bloc’s push into Felexa, it was hoped that the country would rally. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

“Morale is, as you say, abysmal. The soldiers are living in rank conditions and constantly having to dig more trenches. Supplies are low as well, especially shovels, of all things. Most importantly, the armies feel as if no one will support us, that the Summer Sun cares not what becomes of us.”

Roxanne clucked her tongue and thought for a few minutes.

“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered, but so quietly that Lionel barely heard. He doubted that it was directed at either of them. Mother, ever the Vixen Queen’s rival, did not miss the opportunity to influence her daughter.

“Roxy, I know you do not wish to betray your allegiances, and that you believe Felexa will achieve victory with the Summer Sun. But that is simply not the case. We are fighting on the wrong side of history!”

Roxanne slapped her paw on her desk, knocking over a pencil cup.

“History!” she cried. “Who cares about *history*? What are we even fighting for, anyway? What does either side wish to gain? Land? Glory? Money? Revenge?”

“Justice,” Mother stated. “There spreads across Cartonia a great cancer in the form of absolute power concentrated in the hands of some of the most ruthless monarchs in history. The Vixen Queen, the Stag, the Macaw, and the Chequer. A compass of evil, and we are caught in the center of it. The Granite Bloc wishes to destroy these corrupt nations and reinstate peace on the continent.”

Roxanne rolled her eyes.

“Oh, really, Mother. I know these people; I sit at their tables. They’re nothing as you describe.”

Mother crossed her arms, gazing intently.

“Why was the Harmony Crown abolished?”

The Queen shook her head firmly.

“It was not *abolished*. It was temporarily shelved due to the war. The Vixen Queen will restore it once the war is over.”

Lionel could not believe how blind his sister was. The Harmony Crown was not only disbanded, but it was rumored to be lost.

“It is a lie,” Mother avowed. “A false promise to convince Queens like you!”

“You are just impossible to please,” Roxanne grumbled. “To you I’m just a terrible daughter and a terrible Queen. Here I thought the most intolerable you could be was around the issue of my infertility…”

“I resent that!” Mother barked. “You are not infertile. You merely have not born an heir. The doctors insist you are ripe and…”

Lionel coughed. “May we change the subject?”

Roxanne, apparently, did not wish to do so. She and Mother got into yet another shouting match about Roxanne’s empty nursery. She had been married for seven years, but had not yet fallen pregnant. With their older brother dead and other sister excluded from the line of succession, Lionel was heir presumptive to the throne of Felexa, an office he hoped he’d never serve.

“Enough!” Roxanne shouted. “I am done with both of you. I’m…I’m done with court, too. I will take a sojourn to Litter House. I’ll visit my subjects and inspect the troops.”

Mother shrugged.

“If your Majesty pleases. Would you like for Lionel and I to stay in the capital and administer…?”

“No,” Roxanne answered at once. “I’ll leave my husband to attend to government affairs in my absence. Perhaps you and Lionel should take your own vacation away from Talonclaw. I think everyone can use a break from your petulant machinations.”

With a simple flick of her paw, they were dismissed.

—

Jacquetta stormed down the hall, afire with fury. Lionel was trailing at a distance behind her. She was breathing heavily, irate at her daughter. Roxanne was the quintessential stubborn monarch, exemplified more so since the war began. She spoke to Jacquetta without regard for her station as Madonna, the Queen’s Mother. It was insulting.

Jacquetta stomped down a flight of stairs and tossed open the door to her third child’s bedroom. Zamora Lazoy was propped up in bed, reading. She jumped at her mother’s sudden entrance. Lionel appeared behind her after a few seconds.

“Hello,” Zamora muttered. Jacquetta’s heart loosened.

“Hello, darling. Mama just wanted to pop by.”

Zamora set the book down and turned back to the door.

“Oh!” she exclaimed. “Mother! Good afternoon.”

Lionel sighed behind Jacquetta. Zamora had early onset dementia, extremely rare for someone so young. She was in her late twenties but had a hard time remembering anything in the short-term. Physicians expected that soon the dementia would affect her long-term memory as well, and she’d soon forget nearly everything.

“Come here, Zamora,” Jacquetta beckoned, sitting by the window. Zamora joined her in the other chair. Lionel went to tidy her bookcase. “I see you’re reading. Tell me what you’ve learned.”

Zamora thought for a few seconds, straining her brain to remember what she had just read.

“I learned about feline anatomy. The…righting reflex. And I read the history of Serengeti Castle. Have I been there?”

Jacquetta wanted to cry. Zamora had learned the same things for the past four days, and forgot.

“Yes,” she whispered. “You’ve been to Serengeti Castle. It was once home to lions and tigers before the Harmony Crown.”

Zamora nodded absently, as if she could recall that from her books. Her condition had worsened over the years, and she was removed from the Felexan royal line of successions, leaving Lionel as heir presumptive. Hence the reason why Jacquetta always pushed Queen Roxanne to have a child.

“I would like to visit Serengeti Castle,” Zamora said, glancing out the window. “It would help remember the information.”

Jacquetta patted her daughter’s shoulder.

“I think we can arrange that.”

She remembered Roxanne forbidding Lionel and Jacquetta to supervise governmental matters while she was away on her own retreat. The thought angered Jacquetta all over again, and she wanted to escape as well. Serengeti Castle was magnificent and located deep in the countryside. It was close to the Leprolian border, but the trenches there were quiet.

“Lionel?” Jacquetta called. “Would you like to join Zamora and I for a country sojourn?”

The royal historian enthusiastically nodded.

—May 20, 712—

-Three Days Later-

Something woke Giulio Lazoy. The King Consort, husband of Queen Roxanne II, opened his eyes and lifted himself to his elbows. With Roxanne out in the countryside, he had the enormous bed to himself and was properly sprawled.

The room was dark, and exhaustion plagued his senses. With a yawn, he registered the noise that roused him: music.

He glanced with irritation toward the door. Was one of the musicians playing at this hour? He lit the lamps by his bed and trudged to the hall. But the music was fainter here. Spinning around the room, he realized it was coming from outside. Giulio dragged himself to the windows.

Something was going across the lawn toward the castle. A night creature? One of the guards?

Another figure. Then another. Running.

The fatigue bled from his body as he realized they were people, and that there were hundreds. An army, sprinting toward Talonclaw Castle. Giulio yelped and ran to raise the alarm. The Granite Bloc was invading! They had reached the capital!

He rang the bell by his door, and told the attendant what he’d seen.

“Yes, Majesty!” the attendant cried, and ran to give the order to defend the castle. That music was still playing over the cries of the marching soldiers. Giulio went back to the window, wondering where he’d heard it before.

Below, on the lush green lawns of the castle, were foxes.

*Foxes*?

Giulio pressed his face all the way against the glass to confirm his fear. Indeed, it was foxes. Along with deer, and parrots.

And that song…that music…that was the Vulpine Ballad of War.

The room jolted, and Giulio went weak in the knees. The Summer Sun was attacking Talonclaw Castle. They were turning on them.

*Roxanne*, he thought wildly, *she’s safe*.

She wasn’t here. She was away at Litter House, but what if they had gotten to her first?

Giulio ducked as a fiery arrow shattered the glass and blazed across the room. It struck a tapestry, and ignited it. Giulio raced for the fire extinguisher in the closet and put out the flame.

The siege began in earnest against the capital seat, a siege against which the defense was woefully underprepared. Giulio knew that over the past months, the Summer Sun had bolstered its forces around Tabitha, but that was for the defense against the Granite Bloc! When did they decide to turn inward and attack their own ally? What good would that do?

“Majesty!” the Head Palace Guard shrieked as she careened into the bedroom. “What do we do? There are no troops in residence, just the palace guard and the courtiers.”

Giulio was inclined toward surrender, as a siege was fruitless. Then, he heard a megaphone announcement outside.

“QUEEN ROXANNE, SURRENDER YOURSELF AND YOUR CASTLE TO THE SUMMER SUN, AND THERE SHALL BE NO BLOODSHED.”

Giulio grinned, to the shock of the Head Palace Guard.

“They don’t know the Queen’s not here,” he chuckled. “She has the opportunity to escape to safety so long as they think she’s within these walls.”

He took the guard’s shoulder. “Defend the castle, at all costs.”

—Antlerstag, Lyme, Cervidium—

—Kingdom of the Deer—

-May 21, 712-

In the middle of the night in the war chamber of Antlerstag, three of the Summer Sun leaders awaited news of their attack on Talonclaw Castle. All three were pacing, which was unusual for one of their meetings. Then again, this was not a standard gathering. This was the attack on their ally: Felexa.

Macaw Arini of Psittancyna, his radiant wings behind his back, was chewing on his beak. The Stag had his hoof under his chin, thinking. The Vixen Queen mimicked their actions even though she wasn’t nervous. This was inevitable, and months in the making.

The decision to turn on Felexa came quickly when the Summer Sun leaders met without her following the fall of Capricon last autumn. Felexa’s handling of the northern defenses was suspiciously awful, and the Vixen Queen began to believe that Roxanne was deliberately allowing the Granite Bloc to grow closer so she could defect to their side. Doing so would radically alter the war landscape, and the fox-led trenches in Felexa would be under threat.

Lionel Lazoy’s letters to other royal historians in the Granite Bloc were discovered just a few weeks ago, adding fuel to the theory that Roxanne and her family members were plotting against the Summer Sun. It was obvious that Jacquetta Lazoy had helped Alexander Petukinau and his family escape Felexa and enter Leprolia. If it wasn’t for King Cottontail IX sending their bodies to Cervidium, the Galligasque threat would remain alive.

Too long had the Vixen Queen allowed Queen Roxanne to meddle with her plans. She had become extremely distrustful, and what kind of an ally was that?

The Macaw was an interesting bedfellow in this attack, because his motivations for wanting to attack Felexa were historical in nature. Nearly a thousand years ago, way before the Harmony Crown, the cats and parrots warred against each other. The cats were victorious and, as punishment to the parrots, ordered their wings clipped to prevent them from flying. The clippings continued for decades, until the mutilation was so severe that it automatically affected future generations. Thus, parrots had not flown in centuries. The Macaw had jumped at the chance to invade Felexa and avenge his ancestors. Apparently the parrots had not forgiven the cats, and had not forgotten.

Whatever the cause, the Vixen Queen was grateful for the support as the joint forces invaded Tabitha.

The phone rang at the center of the conference table, and the Macaw lunged for it. He put the call on speaker.

“The Castle remains under siege, but we have reason to believe the Queen is not here.”

“WHAT!” the Macaw exploded. “Where is she?”

“We’re not certain, but she has not been found. The Castle’s staff is quite depleted. It’s likely she took most of her household with her to another location prior to this attack.”

The Vixen Queen was furious. Roxanne had not reported her movements, as she was supposed to do with her allies.

“*Find her!”* the Vixen Queen commanded.

—Serengeti Castle, Felexa—

—Kingdom of the Cats—

Jacquetta was jolted awake. She groggily gazed at her son, Lionel, whose face was frantic.

“What is it?” she said quietly, searching for the time on the clock.

“Mother,” Lionel urged. “Talonclaw Castle is under siege.”

Jacquetta sat up and gasped.

“The Granite Bloc…?”

Lionel shook his head.

“The foxes, deer, and parrots have attacked us.”

Jacquetta stared, her brain refusing to accept the truth.

“How…how can you be certain?”

Lionel handed her a red telegram, urgently sent from Tabitha. A copy had been rushed to the Queen at Litter House.

“The country is falling,” Lionel muttered. “We’ll be under Summer Sun occupation by dawn.”

It was the middle of the night, just past 3am.

“We have to run,” Jacquetta murmured. “How many of us are here?”

Lionel counted on his fingers.

“Seven. Three of us plus the four staff.”

In her head, Jacquetta pictured the distance between the castle and the nearby Leprolian border. Surely if the Summer Sun had turned on them the Granite Bloc would accept them as refugees?

“It’s a twenty-mile ride to the Leprolian border,” Lionel informed. “We must take the car. If we cross the border, we can request asylum.”

“What about Roxanne?” Jacquetta asked, wondering if her daughter was as scared as she was.

“I don’t know,” Lionel sighed. “We just have to hope she is able to escape too. You know what happens when the Summer Sun gets ahold of royalty.”

Beheadings. Murders. Death.

They made the arrangements as quickly as they could. Two of the staff members chose not to flee, wanting instead to return to family. The other two agreed to help the Lazoys to the border, but would too turn back and stay in Felexa. They packed food, water, but ultimately precious little. Their lives were far more important than any material possession.

In a matter of minutes, Jacquetta, Lionel, Zamora, and the two members of staff were clambering into one of the cars and driving as quickly as they dared toward Leprolia.

The dark countryside was serene, and one would never imagine that the nation was dying. This was still the Felexa that Jacquetta knew and loved, and would remain so until a Vulpine, Cervidian, Scuridian, or Psittancynesian flag flew over Talonclaw Castle.

The drive lasted just under twenty minutes, and signs indicating the rapidly-approaching border—and therefore the trenches—warned them to turn back.

Suddenly, the chauffeur halted. They had been driving without headlights, and thus were unnoticed by the phalanx of foxes guarding the final bridge far ahead.

“Foxes,” the chauffeur whispered. Jacquetta squinted through the windshield. They were three dozen of them, lingering around the bridge, as well as several cats. The foxes were probably from one of the trenches. She didn’t know if they had been informed of the Summer Sun invasion, or if they were simply here to defend from Leprolian advance.

“We can’t cross,” Lionel murmured. “We’ll have to go around.”

The chauffeur spread a map over the dashboard.

“You can go this way, through the woods. You’ll have to cross the river, and you may encounter Leprolian trenches. Identify yourself as quickly as possible and beg for asylum. I can’t drive you there…”

Jacquetta kissed his paw.

“You have done more than enough, Tigron. Bless you and your family.”

She turned to her maid, who was crying.

“Do not cry, Cate. Stay strong, and fight on.”

Pulling Zamora by the paw, Jacquetta egressed the vehicle. Lionel came after her, with their only backpack. The car backed up and turned toward the main road. It noiselessly disappeared into the night.

With nothing but moonlight to guide their path, the Lazoys crept through the brambles of the thicket, going west along the creek. Thankfully it was neither deep nor wide, and would not be too difficult to ford.

“Careful,” Lionel uttered as he stepped over a large puddle. Zamora was silent, probably unsure what was going on. Jacquetta kept her focus on where she was going, and not on Felexa and the Queen. They eventually had trekked far enough to be completely out of view of the bridge. Lionel slid down to the water.

“That’s Leprolia,” he whispered pointing to the top of the opposing riverbank.

“It’s so easy,” Jacquetta replied, shaking her head. “Why isn’t it guarded here?”

Lionel gestured to the forest behind him.

“Who’d want to cross that?”

Jacquetta shrugged. She stepped into the water and began to swim. It came up to her waist. Lionel carried Zamora on his shoulders. She remained quiet, sitting on her brother’s shoulders in a daze. When they reached the other side, Zamora climbed off Lionel, and the three climbed the riverbank.

Jacquetta yelped. Directly below her were the Leprolian trenches. Rabbits were waiting for them, guns raised.

Lionel stuck his arms straight up, and ordered Zamora to do the same. Jacquetta, however, dropped to her knees.

“ARMS UP!” a soldier screamed. There were too many to count, and the vast Leprolian trench network showed Jacquetta why no one had dared cross the creek. She cursed herself for being so gullible.

“I am Jacquetta Lazoy, Madonna of Felexa!”

“I am Lionel Lazoy, Prince of Felexa!”

“Zamora,” Jacquetta’s daughter put simply.

The rabbits all stared.

“Bullshit,” one of them scoffed.

“Here is the royal seal of my family,” Jacquetta proclaimed, sliding a ring off her finger. She tossed it into the trench. Everyone dove away from it, as if it were a bomb. Then, one picked it up.

“Holy…” he muttered.

“We are fleeing the Summer Sun,” Jacquetta announced, anxious to get off the riverbank and into safety. “They have attacked our capital and are no longer our allies. We seek asylum in the Kingdom of Leprolia.”

The rabbits did not move. The one with the ring finally blew a whistle. The guns lowered.

“Let them in. We’ll bring them to General Oldman.”

Jacquetta shivered.

“Glaucous…?” she whispered, knowing his ruthlessness from his pursuit into Capricon. The rabbit with the ring laughed.

“Not in this trench, Madonna. General Azure Oldman is in command, son of Glaucous.”

A makeshift staircase was shoved against the wall of the trench, allowing the Lazoys to descend into the dirt. The conditions were horrible, and Jacquetta could not imagine living like this. Most of the rabbits were young men and women, their uniforms torn and faces worn. She was suddenly subconscious of the glamorous jewels strung about her neck. The rabbit with the ring returned the stone to her.

“What’s your name?” she asked, replacing the ring on her finger.

“Mallon, Madonna. Trent Mallon.”

“Trent in the trench,” Lionel snickered behind Jacquetta. She tossed him a glare.

“You’re being very kind,” she remarked as Trent led them through the labyrinth of the trenches.

“You’re a noblewoman,” he replied. “All three of you are of a high station. War doesn’t erase titles.”

“It blurs them,” Jacquetta said at once. The war had enabled many to rise to the top, while others at the apex were cast into their graves.

“I suppose.”

Trent walked with grace, his arms clasped behind his back, not unlike those in royal circles.

“Are you of higher station as well, Trent?” Jacquetta asked. “I’m afraid I do not recognize your surname.”

“You wouldn’t,” Trent noted. “I’m a farmer’s son. I’m honored that you would think I might have been born into nobility.”

Jacquetta glanced at her children, a prince and princess trudging in a trench.

“Are we safe here?”

Trent stopped walking and turned to them.

“If it were up to me,” he mumbled, “I would ensure personally that you reached a safe haven, far from this carnage. But alas, you are strangers in a strange land. Your fate rests with General Azure Oldman. I cannot say what his decision will be.”

Jacquetta looked away. She’d have to accept that.

“I don’t understand,” Zamora spoke suddenly. “We’re Felexans. You’re Leprolians. We are on opposing sides. Why would you want us to be safe?”

Trent angled his head at the princess.

“My Lady, I have no quarrel with Felexa. I am not myself at war with anybody. Do you think if we had not received draft notices that any of us would willingly be here?”

Jacquetta contemplated that as they continued on to the General. She supposed not. It was easy to imagine the entire country as one unit, pressing into the enemy as a jousting lance attempting to dismount the opponent. Easy to imagine because she was a former Queen who had made decisions to impact all of Felexa, and always assumed the entire population was on her side. But for most citizens, regular ordinary people, this war must be a severe disruption to their lives. And for what?

This was Jacquetta’s first time in the trenches. They weren’t even her own, and she was startled by the dismal life these soldiers were living. As they passed bunkers drenched in sweat and darkness, soldiers curled inside trying to achieve whatever measly sleep they could, she was disheartened. The troops ensconced here would return to their lives at some point as changed people. They would never be able to forget these years.

And this was just the homebase. What was it like on the battlefields?

“Here we are,” Trent voiced outside a standard trench dwelling. The only thing different about this one was a soldier posted at the door. “I’ll wait here in case I’m needed.”

Trent knocked upon the door, and the Lazoys were escorted inside. The barracks were cramped, dark, and reeked of mold. Azure Oldman, grandson of the King and fourth in line to the throne, was seated at a wooden plank which served as his desk. There were a few electrical lights overhead, but they were rapidly flickering. Azure was alone, his paw resting on his helmeted head.

“Your Highness,” Jacquetta expressed, dipping into a deep curtsy. Lionel and Zamora bowed. Azure lifted his head, then rose at once.

“Jacquetta!” he cried. “I—“

“We seek asylum,” Jacquetta said with a tremble. “We are fleeing an attack on our capital by the Summer Sun. Felexa has been betrayed, and we need the Granite Bloc to protect us.”

Azure gaped.

“An attack…?”

Jacquetta opened Lionel’s backpack and passed Azure the telegram recapping the siege of Talonclaw Castle. He read it in disbelief.

“What of the Queen?”

“I don’t know,” Jacquetta whimpered. “I don’t know…”

Azure had many more questions for them, and the Lazoys explained in earnest how they escaped. Jacquetta made it clear that while her loyalty to Felexa was unwavering, she had never trusted the Summer Sun. Azure, someone that Jacquetta had known since he was a boy, was near-frantic trying to get all the information out of them.

“You cannot stay here,” Azure declared. “At the border, I mean. I’ll arrange transport to get you to Sylvia. King Cottontail is at Burrow Court Palace and will receive you.”

Something nudged at Jacquetta’s brain. Something sinister. Something warning her not to go to the Leprolian capital.

“Alright,” Jacquetta replied with a gracious smile. “Thank you, Azure. We mean that sincerely. You have saved our lives.”

“Of course, Madonna. You’ll leave tonight. Mallon!”

Trent entered the barracks, and saluted.

“Sir!”

“Mallon, please bring the Lazoys to the dispatch area and recruit a truck to drive them to Sylvia. They will leave at once. I imagine the three of you are tired and hungry, but we have no time to waste. If Felexa is truly under attack, then we may be next. You have to go.”

“I agree,” Jacquetta replied. She was grateful to have Trent as their protector, but wasn’t sure they’d be absolutely safe once they were in Sylvia. Nonetheless, she curtsied to Azure, thanked him again, and followed Trent Mallon out of the barracks.

Once they were further down the trenches, away from Azure, she grabbed Trent’s arm.

“I need to send a telegram. Urgently.”

Trent glanced at her.

“Madonna, my orders are simply to transport you to the dispatch center.”

Jacquetta turned to her children, wondering if they felt the same. Lionel’s eyes were wide, searching. A look she recognized as the same Alexander Petukinau displayed as he fled Talonclaw.

No one ever knew what happened to Alexander Petukinau and his family, only that they died in Cervidium. Even of that Jacquetta was doubtful. They got out of Talonclaw Castle. She knew that. She told King Cottontail in Leprolia that they’d be coming seeking refuge. Then the bodies turned up in Cervidium.

What if they had reached Leprolia, alive?

She was walking in their footsteps now, heading toward what could easily be the same fate. The Vixen Queen, Stag, and Macaw would demand all members of the royal family be sent to the Summer Sun, so they could be executed.

Jacquetta lunged for Trent’s arm.

“Please,” she begged. “I beseech you. I need to send a telegram. I need to ensure my children’s safety!”

Trent gazed at her, seemingly confused. He had unusually bright orange eyes, two orbs of fire searching her for context.

“Madonna…?”

“Mother?” Lionel said simultaneously.

“Where can I send a telegram? Do you have a post office?”

Trent looked around him, probably making sure they weren’t being overheard.

“To whom do you wish to send this telegram?”

Jacquetta did not miss a beat.

“King Bentley of Canis.”

“Benny?” Zamora murmured. “He’s a good man.”

Trent cocked his head.

“I don’t understand…”

Jacquetta took a deep breath before speaking very quickly.

“Trent, I know you have just met us. I know you serve your country, and your loyalty lies with Leprolia, but I have misgivings about being sent to Burrow Court Palace. I wish only to enhance my security.”

Trent dug in his pocket and removed a scrap of paper and pencil.

“Here. Write down your message. I’ll send it on your behalf.”

It wasn’t enough, but it was all she was going to get. Jacquetta scribbled out the message, and pressed it into Trent’s paw. She bent over and kissed it. He immediately blushed.

“Bless you, Trent Mallon. You are the righteous amidst peril.”

The words of Alexander Petukinau. She prayed they did not seal her fate, as they did his.

—Telegram to King Bentley II*—*

*Dearest Benny,*

*Talonclaw Castle has fallen siege to the foxes, deer, and parrots in a betrayal that will forever be shrouded in infamy. My daughter and son have escaped with me to Leprolia, and we are being dispatched to Burrow Court Palace to seek asylum with King Cottontail.*

*I pray that you instead will sponsor our exile. I vow my allegiance to the Granite Bloc, to you, and your cause.*

*With and for love,*

*Jacquetta Lazoy*

*Madonna of Felexa*

—Burrow Court Palace, Sylvia, Leprolia—

—Kingdom of the Rabbits—

-May 25, 712-

The four days of worry and stress nearly evaporated when Jacquetta saw Prince Thumper Connelly of Canis standing beside King Cottontail at the front entrance of Burrow Court Palace. The flat brick mansion appeared infinitely homier with an envoy from Canis present.

Her telegram was received. By informing another nation of their arrival in Sylvia, Cottontail could not send them back to Felexa without consequence. The more she thought about the Petukinaus, the more she convinced herself that the Oldmans knew what became of them.

“Madonna Jacquetta,” Cottontail gushed, extending his arms for an embrace. She returned the gesture out of obligation, then bowed.

“Your Majesty.”

Thumper smiled at the Lazoys.

“King Bentley has offered to sponsor your exile. You’ll remain here for a few weeks until we know more about your situation. I am happy to inform you that Queen Roxanne has escaped into Leprolian-occupied Capricon and is being transported here to Sylvia. Your arduous journey is over. You are safe.”

Jacquetta, Lionel, and Zamora exhaled in delight. They held each other’s paws, completely and utterly exhausted.

—

On the vanity table in Jacquetta’s room, she inspected the rubies on her necklace. They were scuffed from her escape from Felexa. The piece was a gift from her mother when she married King Siam when he was still a prince. She wore it to her coronation, and intended to bequeath it to Roxanne when she died. The Jacquetta before the war would have never gifted this necklace in its current state. The old Jacquetta would declare it worthless and toss it at the nearest servant. She’d buy a new one, or have it forged from scratch.

But now, she would never part with it. It had sentimental and historical value, an encapsulation of the Felexan royal family’s flight from their homeland. She dug a claw into the largest ruby and tried to erase the scratch, but it only worsened.

“Jacquetta?”

She whirled around, nearly falling out of her chair. King Cottontail was in the doorway. His crown was framing his tall ears.

“Cottontail.”

He came inside and sat on the edge of her bed.

“Bentley told me that you asked him to sponsor your exile instead of me.”

She froze. It had been her sincerest hope that Bentley would not share that information with his ally, though she supposed now that was a foolish wish.

“Yes,” she acknowledged. Cottontail sighed.

“You don’t trust me.”

The two aged Cartonians stared at each other.

“I started to wonder what happened to Alexander Petukinau and his family.”

Cottontail nodded.

“I see.”

They were quiet for a while. Jacquetta was reminded of their Great Plot in the year 700 to steamroll the Harmonious Coronation of the Vixen Queen. Them, in tandem with Poultrus of Gallix and Horatio of Equine Isle. Then, Cottontail and Jacquetta had been allies. The war unfortunately pitted them as adversaries.

“Did they arrive here?” Jacquetta finally asked, dreading the answer. “Alexander, Xenia, Dyetka, and Ptitsa. Did the Galligasque royal family reach Burrow Court Palace?”

Cottontail did not break his gaze, but he hesitated.

“Yes.”

Jacquetta swallowed.

“And…what happened to them?”

The King closed his eyes. He took a deep breath.

“I ordered them to be poisoned, and their bodies shipped to Cervidium.”

Jacquetta whimpered and began to cry. She didn’t expect herself to do so, but now that the truth was before her she couldn’t resist it. The Galligasque family was innocent, and they were supposed to find refuge in Leprolia. Instead, they found their deaths.

“Why?” she gasped.

Cottontail stood and knelt before Jacquetta, but he did not touch her.

“Cervidium threatened an invasion of Leprolia if we sheltered them. This was right after the execution…we didn’t have a choice. If we sent them to the border, the deer may have invaded anyway. I’m sorry. I wish I could take it back. Of course now I regret it more than…”

Jacquetta let out a yell, startling Cottontail. He fell over on his back. She kicked back her chair, hard into the vanity table. The ruby necklace clattered to the floor.

“You’re a murderer! That was *regicide!*”

She clamped her mouth shut and clutched at the air as if she could take back the words, which had flown from her mouth with such velocity and impulse that rationality could not stop them. Cottontail was horrified.

“Were you going to kill us?” she whispered finally, getting down on the floor over him. “Was that our fate had I not beseeched Canis to grant us asylum?”

The King did not reply, but Jacquetta could see he was crying too. She stood, and then the King spoke.

“No, Jacquetta. I could not do that again.”

She lifted the ruby necklace from the floor, and dusted it off. Gazing at herself in the mirror, she fixed the necklace around her neck. The gold cuffs dug into her fur, but she ignored the minor pain. She turned and heaved Cottontail to his paws.

“Thank you,” she said flatly, “for accepting us into your home.”

“You’re welcome,” Cottontail responded, his eyes averted, “I hope that one day you will be able to forgive me for what I did to Gallix.”

—Highland Castle, West Terrier, Canis—

—Kingdom of the Dogs—

-June 19, 712-

Lionel Lazoy ducked his head to see out the window of the armored car as it drove up the hill toward Highland Castle. He had not been here since the war began, and was eager to see Maximilian Walters, his fellow Royal Historian.

Three long weeks had passed since the family’s flight from Felexa. Roxanne had safely made her way to Sylvia and was reunited with her mother and siblings. Her husband, Giulio Lazoy, remained a prisoner in Felexa. The nation was divided in three occupation zones. The parrots were laying waste to the west, and reports of widespread Felexan deaths were absolutely sickening.

To justify their betrayal, the Summer Sun issued an edict stating that Felexa was obviously intentionally allowing the Granite Bloc to invade from the north because it was always Roxanne’s wish to defect to their side. Roxanne was further blamed for failing to come to the support of Capricon as she faltered. Annoyingly, the Summer Sun had benefitted greatly from their invasion, as they now controlled the Felexan trenches. Cervidium and Vulpus had also regained their buffer state, and they could use it as they pleased.

The Granite Bloc was forced to retreat from the country as it fell under ruthless occupation. The trench lines moved back to the original Capricovian-Felexan border. Only eastern Felexa was unconquered, since the Leprolian and Felexan armies stationed there had advance notice that the Summer Sun had turned on them.

Lionel’s sister, Queen Roxanne II, declared herself Queen-in-exile and that Felexa was no longer loyal to the Summer Sun. They would soon publicly join the Granite Bloc.

For the past three weeks in Leprolia, all four Lazoys had been grilled by the Granite Bloc to ensure that the Summer Sun betrayal was not a trick. Their motives, actions, beliefs, and opinions were all rooted from them. Lionel had been cooperative, but he heard that Roxanne was hesitant to share strategic secrets with anyone except Bentley Connelly. She did profess publicly that she now regards herself as a pawn in the Vixen Queen and Stag’s game. She warned the Chequer of Scuridiae and Macaw of Psittancyna that they will likewise be betrayed in due time.

“We’ve all been bamboozled,” she angrily remarked when she reunited with Lionel, Jacquetta, and Zamora.

“As I’ve been saying…” Jacquetta muttered so quietly that only Lionel could hear.

The convoy of armored vehicles, transporting the Lazoys and the household and army that escaped with Roxanne, passed through the regal gates of Highland Castle.

“It’ll be good to see Bentley,” Jacquetta mused, looking more peaceful than she had in weeks.

“He’s going to berate me,” Roxanne grumbled. “I can’t say I’m excited.”

“Berate you?” Lionel inquired.

Roxanne plucked a bug from her face and tossed it out the window.

“I don’t have the highest opinion of him. He’s a party boy with unchecked lust who catapulted all of us into this war.”

Zamora gasped.

“Benny is not! He’s good and kind.”

Lionel could see Jacquetta was proud of Zamora for her defense. Roxanne waved a paw.

“I made my thoughts on his relationship with Victoria Vixen known when the news first broke. He won’t forgive me for that.”

Jacquetta clucked her tongue.

“I think you’ll find the King of Canis to be a most forgiving sovereign.”

Roxanne rolled her eyes.

“I don’t care.”

Lionel was eager to drop the subject, but Jacquetta was not finished.

“I am shocked at you, Roxanne. You of all monarchs should understand the peril of limiting love.”

Silence fell over the cabin, and the Queen did not respond. The cars parked in the courtyard of Highland Castle. Prince Thumper opened their carriage door. A regal purple carpet stretched from the circle to the open doors of the palace. Bentley Connelly stood in its doorway, with two rows of soldiers on either side of the steps.

Thumper put out his paw and aided Jacquetta and Zamora from the carriage.

“Welcome,” Bentley called from his perch, “to the Granite Bloc.”

—

“It is so good to see you again,” Maximilian Walters breathed as he showed Lionel Lazoy to his rooms. “I was worried when you never replied to my letters, and then when Talonclaw fell siege. You’ve traveled a long way.”

Lionel didn’t reply, but smiled to show he was listening.

“Minerva will probably visit at some point. She’s been in a panic ever since the invasion. Rest for now, and we’ll talk more tomorrow.”

Lionel pulled Max into a hug. The dog was twice his age but no less the friend. Neither one said anything more, lost in the incredulity of the occasion.

—

Queen Libby was reading in the library. She was not invited to greet the Felexan royal family, nor was she permitted to dine with them this evening. She was an outcast at court, and her son the King was responsible for it. Libby did not care much for him anymore, and found it odd that she had once loved him so passionately. But Bentley was a sinful son, and a rotten King. As a former Queen, she felt it was her duty to share those thoughts.

The door opened and closed, the echo passing over the bookshelves. Libby closed her novel and scanned the shelves for the new enterer. The soft click of shoes on the wood grew nearer, until Jacquetta Lazoy emerged from behind the poetry section.

“Hello, Libby,” she greeted, curtsying. Libby gestured at the open chair beside her.

“Good tidings, Jacquetta. It’s been a long while.”

“Indeed,” Jacquetta contemplated as she sat. “I didn’t see you downstairs.”

Libby scoffed.

“I am not allowed in certain parts of the castle anymore. You are sitting before the pariah of West Terrier.”

Jacquetta’s eyebrows went up.

“Oh, I am sorry. I did not know. What’s happened?”

Libby launched into a diatribe about Bentley, denouncing his war policies and his exclusion of his mother from the court. Jacquetta listened intently.

“Well, I won’t try to one-up you by telling you my plight, but I can relate to annoyance with a child’s rule. We raise these children to become Kings and Queens and then we lose all power the moment they take the throne. Neither you nor I were born into royalty but we were gifted a duty to fulfill as our child’s undying support.”

Libby was quiet. She did not undyingly support Bentley at all. Not even close.

“Yet,” Jacquetta sighed, “this war is forcing us to turn on each other. I wish it had never happened.”

“I agree,” Libby mumbled.

Jacquetta grinned.

“If only we had all been as brave as Bentley and Victoria. If they had been accepted, wouldn’t Cartonia have been a peaceful world?”

Libby recoiled in disgust. She bounced from her chair and pressed her back against the window. When Jacquetta stood, her paws out in defense, Libby shook her arm at her.

“Get back! Don’t…don’t come closer.”

“Libby…”

“You’re revolting,” Libby spat. “I don’t want you in my presence. How could you support *Bentley*? And that *whore!*”

Jacquetta placed her paws on her hips.

“Your *son* and the love of his life. They loved each other. Unconditionally. There are far worse things in life than that.”

Libby shook her head, defiant.

“It’s unnatural!”

Jacquetta snickered.

“I think it’s more unnatural for a mother to abandon her child. To do so you must be in a dark place of hatred and stubbornness.”

Libby’s eyes narrowed.

“You have no idea what I—“

“I do know,” Jacquetta hissed, rushing forward and gripping Libby’s shoulders. “My eldest son, my Lorenzo, fell in love with a male cat. He wanted to live with him, start a life together. The King and I refused. We said it was unnatural, unworldly, unacceptable for the heir to the throne. He begged us, *pleaded* with us. But we were in that dark place. We were teeming with hatred for who he was.”

Jacquetta pulled away, tears wetting her cheeks. “He died by suicide. We denied him a love so strong that he could not bear to go on. We put him in a worse position. And I will spend the rest of my life trying to repent for that.”

Libby was shaking. Jacquetta wiped away her tears.

“Think on that, Libby. You don’t want that darkness to consume you, for no amount of light can drive it out.”

—

Roxanne followed Bentley hesitantly into the war chamber. He had asked for them to be alone. She would not even have time to shower and dress before he admonished her. Once they were seated, Bentley was the first to speak.

“I’m sorry about what has happened to you and your family. You did not deserve that. I hope you’ll be happy here.”

Roxanne was stunned.

“Thank you,” she squeaked. “You are most generous for accepting us.”

She hated that she said that. He was accepting her in her hour of need, even though she had not.

“I’m sorry we did not stand by you in the war,” Roxanne apologized. “My mother wanted to, as did my brother. But we had an alliance with Capricon and—“

“It’s alright,” Bentley assured. “I don’t have the luxury of bearing you ill will.”

Roxanne dropped her head into her paws.

“I’m a failure of a Queen. Felexa fell under my watch. My husband is imprisoned in his own home, and I seem incapable of choosing proper allies. I’m sorry for what I said…about Victoria. I shouldn’t have fueled the hatred. My mother was right. Of all Cartonian monarchs, I should understand—“

“Hush,” Bentley whispered. “The past is past. It’s the future I am concerned with.”

He leaned forward. “Tell me everything I need to know about the Summer Sun alliance.”

## Production

### Continuity and Story Arcs

Felexa was betrayed by her Summer Sun allies, who suddenly invaded and overtook the country. The Lazoy royal family managed to escape and enter into exile in Canis, establishing a remote government.

The parrots of Psittancyna hold a long-standing grudge against the cats of Felexa for a bygone war after which the cats clipped the parrots’ wings, precluding them from flying ever again.

The Siege of Talonclaw Castle was mentioned briefly, and therefore foreshadowed, in the season 3 episode “Truth Will Out.”

King Cottontail IX admitted to Jacquetta Lazoy that Alexander Petukinau and the Galligasque Royal Family had indeed reached Leprolia during their flight to safety, only for Cottontail to order their deaths to protect his Kingdom.

Dowager Queen Libby of Canis was shunned from court on the order of her son, and was therefore excluded from most events.

The suicide of Lorenzo Lazoy, mentioned in “Hollow Crown,” was revealed to be the result of his parents refusing him the ability to have a same-sex relationship with another male cat. Consequently, Jacquetta Lazoy feels tremendous remorse and adamantly supports Bentley Connelly and interspecies relationships.

### References

Felexa is partially based on Renaissance Italy, but more closely resembles Renaissance-era England.

Talonclaw Castle is modeled after Highclere Castle in England, the site for the filming of *Downton Abbey*.

Serengeti Castle is a reference to the Serengeti region and parks in Tanzania.

The Summer Sun turning on Felexa and attacking them is a parallel for the German invasion of the formerly-allied Soviet Union during World II.

## Trivia

* The title of this episode is a reference to the famous "Infamy" speech delivered by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Congress following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor: "Yesterday, December 7, 1941: a date which will live in **infamy**."
	+ The line was quoted by Jacquetta Lazoy in a telegram to Bentley regarding the attack on Talonclaw Castle: "Talonclaw Castle has fallen siege to the foxes, deer, and parrots in a betrayal that will forever be shrouded in **infamy**."
* This is the first, and only, episode to be published on Valentine's Day.
	+ This is a mere coincidence, as the episode's subject matter is unrelated.
* This episode is the only of *War* to only have one word in the title.
* Macaw Arini is the first parrot character introduced in the Storytime franchise.
* Felexa was once home to other large feline species, such as tigers and lions.
* Giulio Lazoy is named after Giulio de Medici, who would become Pope Clement VII from 1523-1534.
* The Siege of Talonclaw Castle was one of the first events of the War planned by the author.
* Trent Mallon’s name was deliberately chosen for its resemblance to the word “trench.” He was meant to be a one-time guest character but was expanded to main status during the writing process.
* Due to the presence of cats in Toontown and their known involvement in the flight from Cartonia, the side-switching of Felexa was not intended to be hidden from readers. The best example of this is how Felexa appears on the side of the Granite Bloc in the season’s title sequence.