An Account of the Accession of Queen Mary IV to the Imperial Throne

A cat gets sucked into a world ruled by Victorian wolves and turned into their regent. Mature.

As requested by Her Majesty Queen Mary IV, Lord over all States of the Dominion, the following is an Accounting of the divers Events which preceded the Accession of H.M. Queen Mary IV to the Throne. The personal Account from which this History is constructed is my own as Royal Attendant Miss Abigail Hartford, and has been supplemented with other Accounts taken by Interview of others present for the Queen's Accession.

These Events began on a day in the Spring, upon which the kindly Weather was well disposed to Hunting. Thus I had left the Imperial City, having taken along with me Provisions and Victuals for the Day ahead, my Hunting Coat, and my Rifle. My Dogs carried my Sledge far afield into the Tundra, with the scent of some Beast (I had hoped to return with a Bear) in their Noses.

There was no Beast to be found, certainly not as such, that day. Instead, my Sledge was rocked by a Sound so terrible that my Dogs were frightened and which nearly knocked me into the Snow. As my Dogs were rendered useless through Fear and Shock, I resigned to leave them tied there on the Ice, and investigate the Source of the Sound on foot.

Laying on the Snow before me, not twenty yards from my Sledge, was a Feline the sort of which I had never seen. By the small, black Mask he wore across his Eyes I presumed he had been in attendance at a Masquerade, but as to his other Clothing, I fear Explanation flees from me even now.

"O my Head, it hurts me greatly," the Feline moaned.

Though there were much more surprising Idiosyncrasies in his Nature, I also noted that, despite his lack of a thick Coat (in both possible Meanings) he neither shivered nor complained of the Cold, though indeed it appeared to be his Wont to complain about all the Ailments that afflicted him in great Detail.

I approached him to offer Assistance, but, forgetting to remove my Hood and Goggles, I must assume I was a fearsome Sight. Later would I learn that he was very provincial, and had not seen any of the Wonders of modern Technology, but I have no desire to get ahead of my own Story.

"Fuckke! What the Hell are you?" the Feline said.

Out of Stress, he rose to his Feet and quickly backed away. In defense, he had balled his Hands into Fists, and around them streamed Frost, which coalesced into jagged Chunks of Ice drawn from the very Snow of the Tundra. He made these Daggers of Ice to levitate threateningly, but seeing the Royal Gift, I became astonished enough to remove my Goggles and Hood.

I state for Posterity here that I am no great Beauty, but now the Naivety of the Feline worked to my Benefit. He seemed to be struck by my Appearance, and began to offer his Apologies, and to cause the Ice which he had accumulated by the Royal Gift to fall to the Ground.

"O, I had not known you were a Wolf under all that Stuffe," he said, along with other Words I will not reproduce here but Her Majesty in her Mercy will, I hope, understand the Vagarities of Youth which made me blush and laugh to hear them (for the Feline was only a young Gentleman, only a few Years my junior). Yet it was charming to be complimented, even accidentally and in an uncultured Manner as he so did, on the Size of my Bosom, despite my Attempts to explain that I was entirely average in such Areas.

"Pray, tell to me which Way is Empire City," the Feline asked, once his own embarassment had ceased. I was beginning now to understand that he was likely from the Colonies, as they have divers Dialects and misunderstand Names (such as of the Imperial City) which come easily to our own Tongues.

I promised the Feline that I would take him there, and led him back to my Sledge, which he received with Wonder and no small Delight. At the Time I was still considering what his possession of the Royal Gift might mean, and though I had Suspicions that he was the Queen reborn, I did not want to alarm him before I had gained Suretie.

I allowed him to ride the Sledge standing on the Back, in front of me, for he would have hardly fit beside my Victuals and Rifle in the front. I am unsure what was the Cause, but once I had joined him behind the Sledge, his Body became stiff and his Cheeks gained a Blush not borne by the Cold. The Feline turned his Head upward and gave me a sheepish Grin whose meaning I do not understand. Once I had snapped the Reins, his Face was buried within my Bosom.

During the Travel, the Feline talked at great Length, telling me his Name, a Master Celsius, as well as asking whether we were in a Place called Siberia, which I took to be his Home, and wherefore my Manner of Speech was so 'Stuffie'.

"Do let me guess, a tall white Wolf as yourself, is your Name Freya or Sonja or Snow-Something?" he asked of me. I do believe he thought Abigail to be an uncharacteristic Name for myself though I have never had Issue with it.

Upon Sight of the Imperial City, the young Master fell into Awe, and I admit I may have chosen a particularly scenic Approach. We had risen over the Snowbank and all at once from the gleaming Spires and rippling Banners of the Palace down to the white Buildings of the City proper below appeared before him.

He stared in Awe, and here I determined that he had to be from the far Provinces, as to have never seen a modern City of the Size of the Imperial City. I told him briefly of the Building of the Walls, and the way in which the Palace was carved directly out of the Mountain that once stood in its Place. He remained in Wonder throughout the entire Transit from the Hills outside the City to the Walls themselves.

As my Dogs entered one of the Gates, I told him that he was now in the Imperial City, but after a few Moments of Thought, he seemed to become distressed.

"This is not Empire City! Empire City has Skyscrapers, and Cars, and Roads, and...and..."

The young Master became exasperated, but I assured him that he would soon see the Matriarch of the Imperial City, and she would sort everything out. He seemed uncertain still but I continued onward.

As we moved through the Streets, his Distress was alleviated by his curiosity in seeing only white Wolves among the Buildings, as well as at the Size of said Wolves. I explained to him that unlike in the Provinces, most Residents are of our own Race, and that we are known among the other Races not only for our Empire but our large Stature.

Our Ride through the Streets ended in front of the Steps of the Palace. My Sledge was taken to the Stables, while I led him inside, and requested an Audience with the Matriarch.

I was convinced more and more that Providence had brought the young Master to me, as there are few others who could request such an audience with the regent of the Empire, who could tell with certainty whether the young Master was the Queen reborn.

As while we walked through the high marble halls of the palace, the young Master made divers Jokes (or at least I assumed to be such) regarding things such as 'Kansas', and 'Oz', and tin Men without Hearts, I understood none of them, and he seemed upset that I did not appreciate his Humour.

I brought him before the Matriarch in the royal Chambers, and chose to allow her to examine the young Master first, which she did in a desultory Manner before she brought me aside.

"I do hope there is some Meaning behind this Interruption," she told me. It was then that I elected to reveal the Royal Gift to her, and asked the young Master to reproduce what he had done when I had met him. After a Moment of Concentration, he drew Snow from the nearby Windowsill without touching it, causing it to float in the Air, and formed it into a Ball of clear Ice.

"Mother's Grace!" the Matriarch said, then turned to me, and told me, "Find the coronation Dress, if you would."

The following is a Synthesis of my own Account and that of Matriarch Elizabeth VII of the Imperial City:

"We are inestimably delighted at your Return, my Queen," the Matriarch said.

"But I have never been here before! And I am not a Woman! I just wish to return to Empire City," the young Master insisted.

"Do not worry my Queen, we will set everything right Today," the Matriarch said. She pressed him closely, and in his Hurry to back away, she was able to snatch away the Mask that he wore, as well as his Shirt.

I was in the Closet at this time, searching for the Coronation Dress, which I had heard described to me but never seen in person until that Day. Quite understandably it had been packed away in the Back of the Closet, but when I found it, I could hardly help but to hold it out to admire its Majesty.

The Dress, which still sits in Her Majesty's Closet if she should wish to see it, is made of rich blue Satin, draping in carefully sewn Folds along the Skirt. The Top is embroidered in White along the blue Silk, and is cut close to the Bust. The Sleeves puff out around the Shoulders, but continue only a short Distance along the Arms. The Whole of the Fabric glimmers in iridescent Colors under the Light of the Sun.

While I was thus disposed, the Matriarch had cast a Charm on the young Master, to keep him from fidgeting while she removed his Clothes. He howled a Storm of Curses the likes of which neither of us had ever heard before or since and protested at every Step. When I had returned with the Dress, he was already clothed in a Petticoat and Corset, while decrying both vehemently.

"O you Bastards, let me go and I will shove this Corset up your fluffie Arse!" the young Master shouted, in a Manner hardly fitting a Queen.

The Matriarch made a Motion between her Fingers, finishing a second Charm, and the Laces of the Corset tightened against the young Master's Chest. Amid his steady Protests, my Ears could detect the Change within his Voice as his Waist was reshaped.

"...And I shall rip off this frillie Shitte and stuff it down your Throat, and I will become very cross with you. Oh my Dear. What ever have you done with me?" he asked. His Tone had become far more pleasant, and both I and the Matriarch could continue without Shame and Remonstrance.

"You horribly naughty Wolves! I shall have to become very stern if you do not let me go!" the young Master said.

The Matriarch completed another Charm upon the body of the young Master, and thus the Bulge of his Obscenities began to lessen. It was a Feeling which produced no small Measure of Delight in the young Master, given the tone of his Cries and Moans, but which he still opposed.

"What are you doing to me now? By Heavens, I shall be a Woman!" the young Master cried.

"That which is not a Woman cannot be Queen," the Matriarch told her.

The young Master made divers Noises but was unable to dispute the Matriarch's Argument.

"Well then," he said. His Voice was softer and more full of Melodie, with the Timbre of a fine Lady. "Perhaps I shan't be Queen."

At this point it was Clear to all who could hear that the young Master was a young Mistress. Not only her Voice told of it, but it showed in her Face, which was softened and sweeter, and her Body, which had grown more slight.

I pulled on the young Mistress's arms, and rose her up to stand on her Feet, almost like a Doll beneath my Fingers was she. The Coronation Gown I pulled over her Head, and down around her Body until it sat comfortably on her Hips, and began I to tie up the Back with a fine Bow.

"Why then would you wear such a Dress as is worn on the Queen's Coronation unless you were Queen?" the Matriarch asked.

"O you Rogues! You are the ones who put me in this Dress!" the young Mistress complained. "Oh dear me, such fine Silk never have I seen," she added shortly.

As I watched with my own Eyes I saw her Fur taking on the milky white Color of our own, and the shorter Muzzle of the Feline extending into the longer of the Wolf such as we.

"And if you are not Queen why then are you of our Kind?" the Matriarch asked.

"You dear Fools, I am a Cat and not a Canine such as you," she insisted, though even as she spoke she was looking far more the latter than the former. "I am by no means a regal and noble white Wolf, so how ever could I be your Queen?" she asked. I could see her Eyes had turned to gaze into a Mirror across the Room, and she raised a Hand to pull on a Lock of her lightening and lengthening Hair with no small Measure of Delight.

"Who but a Queen could have such a beautiful and comely Countenance, and one so full of Grace?"

"Oh, how wonderfully Kind! But I am not nearly half so Beautiful as you say," she insisted.

As she spoke her Corset was growing tighter, and shaping her Figure into further delicate Beauty, while a growing Weight sat upon her Bosom. Her Fingers, slim and slender, plucked at the Neck of her Dress, as if she meant to adjust it to better suit her Bust.

"Oh dear me, they are so soft," she whispered softly, and pressed her Tongue to her Lips with a small Shudder of Delight. I stepped forward with Grace and assisted her with divers Makeup to highlight her natural Beauty. By the time I stepped back, having graced her appearance with rich Blue upon her Lips and Eyes, her Hair was thick and fair, golden and shimmering in the Light.

"I will have all the Heroes of my City come to save me!" the young Mistress insisted. "They will make you naughty wolves very sorry and they will take me back to my castle."

The Matriarch retrieved the Crown Jewels from where she kept them, and approached the young Mistress, holding them out with utmost Care. The young Mistress was attempting to squirm away, but the Charm kept her Body held so tightly that all she could accomplish was to make her Bosom bounce back and forth in a very pleasing Manner.

"The Lords and Ladies of my Realm are so very Powerful in their Magicks. You would be wise to give me over to them with Haste as they will certainly want their Queen back," she said.

The Matriarch lowered the Crown onto the young Mistress's head, and her Eyes drew blank as Pools of Water. The Charm which held her from moving was broken, and so she slid down to sit on the Bed. First she blinked, then looked around the Room, then up at the Matriarch.

"Pardon me, your Holiness, but it was my Belief that Coronation is to occur on the Steps of the Palace," she said, though she did not remove the Crown from her Head.

"Of course, your Majesty. We only needed to see that the Crown would fit you," the Matriarch told her.

"Very well. I shall expect to attend the Festivities for my Coronation this Evening. If you would, your Holiness? I do believe I require my attendant's undivided Attention."

The Matriarch nodded, and she bowed lowly to the Queen.

I was left alone with the Queen, and indeed I was as joyous as any could be to see the Return of the Royal Line. She set me to my Tasks to prepare her for Coronation: combing her Hair, brushing her Fur, and fetching Shoes for her to try.

Queen Mary gazed into the Mirror while I was tending to her Hair. She asked of me, "My dear, am I the fairest in the Empire?" I told her that of all the Men and Women in the Empire, she was the most beautiful I had ever seen. "I am ever so beautiful, aren't I?" she said to herself, and smiled pleasantly at her Reflection.

"It would seem then, that if I am to find a proper Suitor, I shall have to look beyond my own Realm, yes?" she asked

"I suppose that it does, yes," I told the Queen. She drew into Thought while I continued to prepare her for the Celebration.

That Evening, when the setting Sun lit up the Imperial City in Purple and Gold, and the coronation Banners were unfurled from the Spires of the Palace, and Ribbons of fine Blue ran along the Streets, I stood on the Steps of the Palace and watched the Ceremonies with an overflowing Heart.

The Queen in her Dress came down the Steps to thundering Applause, until she reached the Matriarch, who held the Crown. The Crowd was silent as she bowed her Head, then split with a roaring Cheer as the Matriarch crowned her Queen Mary IV.

Thus ends my Account of the Events which culminated in the Restoration of the Monarchy and the Coronation of H.M. Queen Mary IV, Lord over all States of the Dominion. May she reign for ever more and may the Empire ever stand.

The Year of our Lady MDCXXVIII, Mar. 12

Signed Abigail Hartford, H.M. Royal Attendant