A trip to the north side of London wasn’t particularly unusual for the Todd family, but to move the family of five anywhere, planning was usually required. The carriage was stacked with luggage and the horses were biting at their bits and pawing their hooves at the ground. An observant passerby might have seen a large grey and red fox peeking out from just within the interior of the open door, but the location of the Todd home was on the outskirts of the borough and generally had little traffic.
Kit had been one of the first seated, her face already staring out a window as her mother came in next to sit beside her. Kit had been meticulous in her packing for this excursion but despite that, she couldn’t help but feel as though she had forgotten something as the cart pulled away from their home. As she watched the familiar landscape of her home roll away, her thoughts drifted to the implications of this journey. She reminded herself of Edwin’s advice. The words had burned in her mind and largely contributed to the anxiousness she felt in settling into a marriage as soon as possible.
For this particular occasion, every member of their clan was present. Kit found it rather annoying to be trapped in such a tight space for the hours it would take to get to their destination, but it was a necessary evil. Benjamin and Francis spent most of the trip teasing one another. Henry was broody, as per usual. Mrs. Todd kept up an idle chatter but for the most part, the entire family seemed peculiarly pensive. Kit kept her hands folded in her lap as the English countryside scrolled past her window.
It was late in the evening when they finally arrived at the Hendricks estate. The Hendricks were a very well off family, owning several hundred acres of land. As they pulled up the drive to approach the enormous grey house, a long row of trees lined the pathway on either side. The home itself was massive in comparison to where she had grown up. This was a family that had been here for many generations and was well established.
Kit felt the wheels finally pull to a stop and the subtle rock back of the carriage as the horses drew the cart into position. Her two youngest brothers bounded out. Henry followed. Kit was the last to finally exit. She could feel a familiar thudding in her chest as her heartbeat quickened in anticipation to meet the man she would inevitably call her husband.
She found her voice caught in her throat as her brown eyes scanned the perimeter. Waiting in front of the house was an entourage of sorts that she hadn’t entirely been expecting on the first night. She felt her mother’s hand at her elbow as she was guided up the main steps. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a small red fox chase a deer, trying to nip at its heels. She cracked a brief smile before the gravity of the evening washed it away.
As she proceeded up the steps, she finally laid eyes on the adult versions of the Hendricks boys, who were standing beside their parents in front of the large door that made up the entrance of the home. Both sons had their father’s strange hair: black with a streak of white on either temple. They were easily recognizable. When they had been younger, she had always thought it was rather intriguing, but now it seemed a bit unfortunate as it made them appear older than they actually were.
Her gaze remained neutral as it settled on Gregory, the taller of the two boys, as their fathers made introductions. She offered a shy smile to him instinctively. Gregory was broad chested and stocky, with a smug expression permanently affixed to his features that she guessed was the result of being brought up in an especially well to do family. She hardly paid attention to anything that was said, instead studying Gregory’s demeanor the entire time as pleasantries were exchanged. They were welcomed into the home and the door seemed especially loud as it closed behind them.
As was customary, a traditional dinner kicked off the evening with a full spread with all of the trimmings. Kit was ushered towards the center of the long table and seated beside her intended; with her family, the Hendricks and the other guests filling in the rest of the chairs.
Tonight, those gathered would bear as witnesses for the test, she thought to herself as she looked around the large room. Once passed, their families would iron out the rest of the negotiations before heading home in the morning.
Admittedly, she was rather looking forward to any time she would be able to spend getting to know the person she was expected to spend the rest of her days with. It had been years since they’d spent much time together and she was desperately curious to find out what his thoughts were on this whole arrangement. What his hobbies were. What church he attended. When and where the ceremony would be held… She had no shortage of questions for him.
That was until she felt the press of his hand on her knee beneath the table. Then just one prominent question came to mind. She flashed him a confused look that did nothing to discourage him. She had to shift her position several times before he finally seemed to catch on, to which she chalked up to a simple misunderstanding. They obviously had more things to talk about than she realized.
The rest of the meal proceeded rather uneventfully. She felt too nervous to eat very much. As a result, several comments were made that they she ate like a bird and wondered if they had perhaps mistaken her for a Todd. She handled it graciously, trying to laugh along with the joke. It did little to help her appetite.
As dinner was being cleaned up, the party was moved to one of the grand ballrooms. People shuffled in with full bodies and snooping minds. A giant crystal chandelier hung from the center, causing her to look up at it in wonder as she approached it. It momentarily provided distraction as she was led to a side room to change. A handmaiden unlaced the tight bodice her mother had wrapped her in, helping her to undress. She was instead draped in a simple black robe, as they begin pulling at the pins in her hair to let her unruly curls free. Despite the clothing, she felt exposed as she was chauffeured back into the main room.
Kit took her place near the center of the room, facing Gregory who had changed into matching attire. Though she had done this hundreds of times before, she flexed her fingers and nervously shifted her weight from foot to foot as she felt every pair of eyes turn on them both. Her bare feet felt bold against the polished wood flooring. She had hoped a glance from him would exhibit similar anxiousness but instead his near black eyes remained cocky as ever. Instead, her focus shifted to her mother, who stood along the side of the room as part of the circle of people that surrounded them.
Mr. Hendricks approached her father with a posture that imitated friendliness. His silhouette sharply contrasted her own father’s, who was lanky and slender, with similar red hair to her own. Mr. Hendricks had a rounder stomach, shorter stature, and that trademark dark streaked hair that made him striking to look at.
“Now, we both know well enough these sorts of tests aren’t really necessary anymore but tradition is tradition, yes?” Mr. Hendricks asked with a chuckle. Her father nodded before both men turned their eyes towards Kit and Gregory in the center of the room. “Let’s get started then.”
Kit’s eyes drifted to Gregory, with a bit of a wild stare. They both understood what was expected and she could see him shivering already. The test was simple enough, but there was something inherently thrilling about the change regardless of the reason why. She inhaled a sharp breath, feeling that familiar itch run up and down her arms and legs. Her skin visibly rippled. As she exhaled the second breath, her form was already altered. The room broke out in muted whispers.
In the place where the woman had stood, a small delicate looking red fox with brown eyes stepped out from beneath the black fabric. The creature made a circle around the pool of cloth before returning to her spot on the floor to sit back on her haunches to watch what emerged from beneath the collapsed robe on the other side of the circle. It was hard to see the black nose that emerged first, followed by the form of a sturdy looking little animal. His fur matched the color of the fabric, aside from a white stripe on either side of his face. A badger.
Both fathers came together and clasped hands together. With the ability to shift proven, final arrangements could be made. Her tail flickered back and forth as the group of witnesses began to chatter more loudly amongst themselves, all undoubtedly shifters themselves.
“Very smooth,” an older man remarked.
“I wonder which their first born will be.”
The fox kept its distance from the badger in the center of the room, though he sniffed about as he let his empowered senses settle in. Hypothetically, foxes and badgers got along well enough, even burrowing together on occasion. Despite the assurance she had be given that they were an ideal match, she was glad Gregory wasn’t able to see her skeptical look as she took in his form.
“That was the easy part,” a woman said under her breath a bit too loudly. Kit did her best not to turn her head in the voice’s direction.
The transition back was less comfortable. Changing one way or the other expended a great deal of energy. It was a difficult task to do in quick succession and the next part was more or less a means for the families to show off now, more than anything else. Once they had proven their abilities and shown their true form, the next was a display of prowess. How seamlessly one could turn. How quickly they could do it. How fast they could go back. These were all points bloodlines bragged about. Strong lines executed each of these points flawlessly, despite the great deal of effort and energy it required.
As such, once the approval was given, Gregory was already back in his place twitching. Not wanting to be shown up, Kit took several graceful side steps back to her spot. She was competitive and despite how draining it would be to turn back so quickly, this was now a race. She focused her attention on the task at hand.
In a few more breaths, she was standing before the room nude. The handmaidens stepped forward quickly wrap the robe back around her. Men on the other side did the same for Gregory. No one in the room seemed bothered in the slightest at the brief display. Nakedness was one of those things that was tolerated leniently among her kind, as a result of necessity. Modesty couldn’t always be afforded, and this was one of those times that it was altogether thrown out the window. Kit had learned long ago not to be ashamed of either form.
The girls tried to help push her pins back in place but she waved them away as soon as she felt the first misplaced one. “It’s quite alright. Thank you,” she insisted softly. “…I think I will retire early,” Kit told them graciously, trying not to act at all fatigued. Undoubtedly, the spectators were comparing notes on who was the quickest. Who seemed most drained. Her mother had had the foresight to warn her about all of this and advised her not to give them any fodder to work with. As such, a quick exit was the most dignified way to handle it without risking a fainting spell.
The girls seemed to understand this and showed her the exit of the room. They didn’t touch her or give her an arm to lean on. With steady careful steps, Kit walked the length of the room with a solemn expression. Even when she was out of sight, she didn’t reach out for help. Not until she had reached the long wooden staircase that led to the upper floor of the home, did she finally dare rest a hand on the railing. Her entire frame felt weak. Her legs ached each time they lifted up to another step. Her body felt heavy and slow. At the top of the stairs, she was out of breath and could feel sweat on her brow.
The girls showed her to the room where she would be residing for the rest of the evening. Her things had been brought up earlier and as soon as she was able to, she waved the help away so that she could be left alone with her thoughts. As soon as the door closed, she collapsed onto the bed and stared up the ceiling with her robe still loosely clinging to her frame.
She was formally engaged.
