When the doctor came back, we all entered my room. The crow disappeared so I assumed it flew out the window. The doctor gently laid the brown rabbit in a blanket on the coffee table. It looked like it was sleeping soundly. 

“Here he is, your highness,” the doctor said. 

“It’s a boy?” I asked, stepping close to the table. 

“Yes, I thoroughly examined the rabbit for any other injuries or health issues and determined its gender in the process. It’s a young male rabbit, probably a young adult in human years. He should be a lively little fellow who should’ve been looking for a mate in the forest.” 

“Do rabbits mate early?” 

“It can depend, but most rabbits mate early in life.” 

“Do they mate for life?” 

“No, they do not. They usually have multiple partners.” 

“I see… If I’m going to take care of him for a time, I should learn more about him, huh?” 

“I can teach you anything you’d like to know, or I can recommend some amazing pieces of literature by my colleagues!” 

The doctor’s eyes suddenly became excited and I felt I had no choice but to listen to him as he listed off books by his colleagues about rabbits and other forest animals. 

When he finally left the palace, the butler said he’d help me with the rabbit when I needed it. I’m glad the butler is knowledgeable about everything. I know he’s been a big help to my father and my mother in the past. 

The butler quickly found a big enough cage for the rabbit to stay in and provided everything it would need to live comfortably. 

“I remember when the lady wanted to raise animals she found outside in the palace,” the butler said. 

I gently set a still sleeping rabbit in the cage, thinking about his words. He must be talking about my mother. 

“My mother?” I asked. “She wanted to keep wild animals in the palace as well?” 

“Yes. You two are quite similar when it comes to loving animals. His Majesty had a hard time accepting the lady’s eccentricities. But since he loved her very very much, he did his best to find a way to let her keep wild animals in and outside the palace.” 

My father really loved her. I guess when you really love someone, you want to do anything to make them happy and grant their desires. My uncle flashed through my mind for some reason. I couldn’t be sure why. He didn’t like the crow, I get that. But a rabbit is different, isn’t it? It’s possible it won’t cause a lot of trouble. 

“What kinds of animals did she keep?” I asked. 

The butler told me about my mother for a long time. I never felt that close with him before. Since I was young, I thought he was a cold and scary old man. Yet there was warmth in his voice when he spoke about the past. 

When the butler had to leave to tend to other duties, he paused in the doorway. “Your highness, have you thought about when you’ll succeed the throne?” 

I wasn’t expecting the question. I didn’t want to think about the answer either. “No… I haven’t,” I said. 

“I understand. I promise to help you in every way I can for you to succeed the throne and rule the country. Until then, take the time you need to mentally prepare. I’ll take my leave now.” 

I stared at the door long after he left. It was only when the rabbit stirred that I moved.