16

I Care

A lot needed to be done, yet there I sat in the middle of the royal garden with the head of a former Queen, now war criminal, face down in my lap; Say that three times fast. However, I still would like her to tell me a few more things about Mr. Henry. My hope was that she’d give me the information I needed if I took her out of her cage. After all, while not really my plan, I did have him killed so I felt it was my responsibility to see this through. The scary part wasn’t necessarily the fact that I had his killer in my lap, who cried herself to sleep, it’s the fact having him killed was extremely easy. Still, this cat-like former Queen was a wild card yet here she was, purring in my lap. While I’m sure Mr. Henry had some involvement, I must be sure to write down my evidence for a proper trial. I can’t help but suspect my mother had some involvement, though. After all, she brought me Apple half dead and she didn’t even react. The same could have been said for grandmother so…. there’s that. I wonder if she really was watching my every move, I thought, slightly getting sidetracked. I racked my brain trying to figure it all out, but if what Alais says is true, then the fact Ms. Cat Burglar is outside her cell really does mean someone wants me dead… or wants somebody else dead and have me take the blame.

“Ms. Cat Burglar?” I whispered

“Go away, can’t you see I’m busy?”

She took a deep breath of my lap and let out a trembling sigh, instantly making me feel uneasy. With a sigh of my own, I gazed up into the sky before looking back down with an idea.

“Okay,” I sang while lifting myself up, letting her face fall into the flowers that magically sprang back up only to be pressed down by her face.

Ms. Cat Burglar clawed my left leg and said, “Wait… don’t go.” She pleaded while slowly opening her eyes to gaze at her surroundings, no doubt happy to not be in her cage.

“You know you don’t need me to open your eyes,” I said, trying to keep my composure from the pain in my leg. “And you’re scratching me.”

“Those aren’t scratches,” She said with a smirk. “That’s just how I mark my territory. I could piss on you, how about that?”

“You really are like Alais.”

“My drinking buddy?!” She perked up. “You know we almost took over the world together? I order you to take me to her.”

I stood there staring at her with a small smile. While she was rude, she was adorable. Like a smaller version of Alais, but slightly worse and still bigger than me.

“Ms. Cat Burglar? Do you have a real name?”

“I guess I’ll give it to you.” She sighed, smiling at me in a way that somehow made me feel pathetic for not already knowing her name. “It’s Queen Kimi Soft Paws.”

“Queen isn’t a name, it’s a title that you no longer have,” I challenged.

“You know for a dream you talk back a lot.” She said leaning in close with a grin. I took a step away from her, and she followed looking a tad uneasy. “Haha, hey? Don’t… don’t step away while your Queen is talking. I’ll… kill you, you know,” She said with a nervous tone. Standing there for a moment longer, I quickly turned and ran. “Wait stop, please! I’m sorry! I’ll only kill you a little!” She cried.

It was a blur but something flew past me before a loud clang could be heard. I stopped running to look back seeing Violet’s rapier sword being stopped by the tip of Kimi’s claw.

“You’re in my fucking way,” Kimi said softly.

“My brother lets you out of your cage and you threaten him? I’ll have your head.”

“I’ll bend him over and make him call me big sister before I ever show my gratitude,” Kimi retorted.

Violet’s rage overcame her channeling all of it through her arm rapier. Her movements became a blur to me however to Kimi who simply stood there with her arms partially crossed, the former beastly Queen parried each strike with just the tip of her claw, causing sparks to fly with every strike. While I was amazed by the clash of speed and somehow sparks created from metal to fingernail, they were cutting my grandmother’s flowers.

“Violet, you’re destroying grandmother’s garden!” I yelled.

Violet quickly jumped away, while Kimi simply stood there a tad confused.

“Flowers?” Kimi began. “You’re sad about some pathetic flowers? If you like flowers so much then stare at me. If you sniff me however I’ll eat your left lung.” She smirked only to frown when I wasn’t paying attention. “Hay, are you listening to me!”

“No! So hush.” I yelled as I tried to tend to the flowers as best I could. Not many were cut compared to how big the garden was but it was still enough to hurt me. Kimi walked up next to me while I was crouching. She wore a small frown on her face though she remained silent. Pointing her claw, a ball of light formed on the tip, causing the damaged flowers to glow and start growing back.

“I’m sorry,” She whispered before crouching low next to me. She started helping me pick up the cut flowers. It was the first time I’ve ever seen magic and I was absolutely amazed by it, but I refused to say it. There was something wrong with her and I felt complimenting her even a little would make things worse even if I was losing my mind inside. I mean, she just used magic and she just fought my sister with a finger. I swear, it all seemed like a dream to me. I heard my sister walk over as she started helping out as well. Before we knew it, we had a pile of flowers.

“I’ll go get a basket to put these in. Perhaps you can gift them to someone, hmm?” Violet asked.

I refused to reply as I finally took Kimi’s hand erm… paw? Before exiting the garden. Back inside the palace, I could feel her claws digging into my palm.

“You’re not in a cage nor will you ever be,” I said looking back at her with concern. My patience was wearing thin but maybe it was because I’d been scratched and covered in a dead man’s blood.

“You can’t promise that you fuck!” She snapped.

And insulated time and time again.

“Please show a bit more decency,” I begged.

“What do you think I’m doing, you little shit?” She said through gritted teeth.

“Where do you think you are?” In the palace hallway, I stopped walking to face her.

“In my cell and this, my dream. So if you don’t wanna disappear, you should show me a bit more respect, boy.”

She gave a toothy grin as I placed my hand on my hips lost in thought. She believes all of this to be a figment of her imagination. I wanted to say this was real but how do you prove something to be real? In fact, how do I know I’m not real and nothing more than a character in a book or someone’s dreams?

“Can you feel pain in a dream?” I asked.

“Of course not you stupid b… ooooh! That’s a good idea.”

Using her tail she smacked me across the face, hard enough to send me to the floor. Tears filled my eyes as I held my right cheek.

“The Prince was assaulted!” The royal guard yelled.

Yelling and the clash of metal filled my ears to go along with the ringing in my head. I turned to see Kimi lost in thought as she blocked every blow of the guard’s spears. They didn’t move as fast as my sister but there were a lot of them.

“I didn’t feel a thing,” She said with disappointment. “So I must be dreaming.”

“Let me help you with that.”

Alais parted the guards with her size, before placing a palm on Kimi’s shoulder with a smile.

“Alais?” Kimi whispered before she vanished.

She didn’t disappear or anything, Alais just kicked her so hard and fast that it seemed like it. Kimi went flying, smashing through the palace window. A small army of guards came rushing to the scene along with my mother. And before I knew it, I was in the Queen’s throne room. Alais and Kimi stood off to the side however Kimi was forced into a cage, bound and gagged, something I found to be odd. Couldn’t she be ordered not to move like Alais, I asked myself. Kimi’s eyes looked as if they wanted to pop from her head as she struggled. I couldn’t help but feel bad. After all, I did tell her she wouldn’t be in a cage again.

“Adam,” Mother began. “You’ve committed five horrible acts in this palace. One, you fought your sister. Two, you vandalized the royal garden. Three, you struck the prince. Four, you resisted the royal guard.” My mother said.

“But, I did none of those things!”

“And five, called the Queen a liar. You took responsibility for these monsters did you not?”

“They’re not monsters, Your Majesty. Maybe Kimi is, however.”

“Six, calling the Queen a liar again. Did you not take responsibility for these monsters.”

“They are not monsters,” I said, refusing to back down.

“That makes seven… you know, you’re lucky. I originally planned to remove a finger for every punishment but at this rate, I think you would be fingerless before the end of the day… and maybe one less sister if she keeps… staring at me.” My sister Violet whose face normally held a loving calm about it was emotionless and cold. She finally looked away and my mother went on to say, “So instead of removing fingers and feeding them to your pets, I’ll settle for lashings… by your sister’s sword.” Violet quickly pulled her rapier from its sheath and took a step in the Queen’s direction. My mother seemed unfazed. “Alais, if my daughter moves even a little without my permission, I command you to eat Prince Adam alive.” Violet froze, motionless like a statue. “And because of her refusal to punish her brother, I also command you to bite off his left hand. If he screams, eat the other one.”

Alais approached me, her every step rumbling the marble floor beneath me. It all felt like a bad dream. It quickly became worse the moment I saw my youngest sister Mary casually enter the throne room riding on Apple’s back.

“Mother?!” She yelled. “Why couldn’t I have gotten this creature as my horse?”

“Mary dear,” The Queen began with a sigh. “Mother’s in the middle of something.”

“Is that so?” She slipped off Apple’s back right next to me. Mary gave Alais a glance as the former Orc Queen took my hand into her mouth. “Ew, I command you to put your disgusting face to the floor, I hate looking at it. Will surely give me nightmares.” My sister Mary ordered, causing Alais to ignore Mother’s command and plant her face to the floor.

“Mary, my love. Your mother is quite busy,” The Queen said trying to calm her needy daughter.

Mary’s gaze scanned the throne room. It was full of guards, sister Violet was frozen in place and I looked like I just saw a ghost.

“What’s going on here? Whatever it is, it clearly has nothing to do with the promise you made me, Mother. You’re quick to be a Queen but you can’t keep a promise to your own daughter? How am I supposed to be a great Queen one day when my Mother breaks her promises?” She whined.

With a sigh and a wave of her hand, Mother said, “I wish to be alone with my daughters, everyone leave. As for you Adam, go bathe. You’ve been tracking blood on my floor all morning.”

“Yes ma’am. Alais, please get Kimi. We’re leaving.”

It wasn’t a command but I don’t think she needed much to take her friend from the cage or kick her out the window it seems. My legs shivered too much to move very fast. Luckily Apple was there to help me along. When we got outside the throne room and down the hall, Apple finally spoke.

“What happened to you? You’re covered in dry blood and your clothing is ripped.”

“A hot bath, please, Apple.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

He started to move faster toward my chambers while Alais and I walked side by side. Kimi was still tied up and gagged. At least the look of fear wasn’t on her face anymore but she did seem annoyed now. For now, I was a little happy that she couldn’t speak. I didn’t think I could take much more of her remarks… let alone walk. I caught myself stopping a few times as I stared at the floor, my heart racing. I found it hard to catch my breath and it only made my knees feel weaker. Alais said nothing as she continued to hold the wiggling former Chaton Queen on her shoulder. There was nothing that needed to be said from me nor Alais. After all, she already told me if I managed to get Kimi out of her cage, I was simply being set up for something. And while I almost had my hand bitten off, I was sure trouble still lurked in my shadow.

“You’re Highness, the bath is almost ready. I’ll disrobe you and wash the blood off first.” Apple said the moment we finally entered my chambers. There was a large wooden tub in the middle of the room now, slowly being filled with hot water that came from another part of the palace. Brought to the door by the elven servants, I found myself lost in thought about there being a better way to get hot water. This somehow made it easier for me to stand. Focusing on something as complicated as getting hot water to my room kept me at ease. “Your Highness?” Apple’s voice cut through my thoughts as I stood naked. I had to admit, Apple’s pretty gentle and soft-spoken; I barely even noticed him.

“I’m sorry Apple… While you were away… I may have found out that Mr. Henry tried to kill us. The food wasn’t supposed to just put us to sleep but to stop our hearts. However here we are…” I took a deep slow breath and sighed. “I believe it has something to do with your fast recovery… and maybe the mask that Alais lost.”

A thud came from the side of the room as Alais dropped Kimi on the floor. Alais stretched a little before laying down on my bed, drifting off to sleep, as if what happened in the throne room never happened. I’m kind of happy that she didn’t undo Kimi’s bondage and gag. However by the looks of it, Alais was more interested in getting sleep than risking getting into another fight with her old friend. Kimi wiggled around on the floor, slowly inching herself closer to my feet and kind of in the way of Apple who had to step over her.

“And who is this?” Apple asked.

“This is Kimi… she ate Mr. Henry.”

“Ate him?!”

Apple flinched away from the Chaton that crawled like a worm.

“I asked my sister to put him in the same cell as her to find out any useful information… but it seems she’s a tad… unstable.”

I watched her coldly before frowning. She chewed on the cloth gag shredding it and swallowing the scraps.

“Finally!” Kimi gasped. “You didn’t tell me you were a prince!”

“She’s also very loud,” I said to Apple.

“I’m not loud!” She yelled again but this time in the form of a whisper. “Hey, if you died and came back, does that mean your mother is some kind of undead monster?” She asked, causing me to stare at her in bewilderment at the odd joke. “Haha, I’m kidding, your mommy is just a bitch. I can go eat her if you like. In return you have to be my betrothed, I’m a Queen after all. You should be grateful. Also from down here, I can see this horse has no balls but he has a penis. Really fucken strange if you ask me.”

“Kimi? If I share my bath with you… will you stop talking?” The Chaton slowly started to grin but said nothing else. Apple was a little too scared to get near Kimi after I told him of the former Queen’s last meal. So I personally scrubbed the dried blood and filth from her fur while he focused on filling the tub. In the background, Alais snored, removing most if not all of my anxieties. After I finally lowered myself into the hot water, it felt like all my troubles were melting away. That was until Kimi smacked me in the face again with her tail as she climbed into the tub. “Share my bath as in after I’ve already gotten out.”

“You know more than anyone, Queens can’t see reason,” She said, giving a long soft sigh as she slid down into the bath. “I could cry, this feels so amazing… You know, I think I love you, hehe.”

She grinned as only her head was exposed from the water. She appeared to be a beast hunting its prey. While I already had a blush, thanks to the hot water, a look of concern came to my face.

“That’s just what people say to their captor,” I said.

“I see no captor here. Just a shrimp dick of a prince.” She said earning her my glare and the want to kick her in the chest. “Hey, check this out.” She whispered, clearly oblivious to my frustration. A glow could be seen under the water and the water started to bubble and pop. Slowly bubbles started to rise into the air, popping before they reached the ceiling. I stared in amazement, my negative emotions subsiding more and more with every pop. Apple was in the middle of reading next to the fireplace but even he had to stop and gaze at Kimi’s gentle display of power.

“Kimi, you’re amazing,” I said.

“Yeah, I know,” She smirked.

“How you were not able to break from bondage is beyond me. Now that you’re free, why do you not flee?”

“What are you a poet?” Her smile fell, replaced by an uneasy gaze at the water.

I waited for her answer that never came. Though I assumed she used up what little magic she had.

“Kimi?”

Her focus snapped to me and her mood bounced once again. She now wore a large grin.

“What is it? Have you become smitten with your Queen? I suppose ill allow you to wash the royal feet.”

Her foot rose up from the water in front of my face. I slowly pressed it back down into the water and said;

“I sometimes feel trapped in my own thoughts… and somedays I feel caged in this palace… A few days ago I left the palace for the first time but… before I could even see the city, Mr. Henry supposedly poisoned us. My sister came to save me.”

“Your sister huh?! The one that almost cut down the woman pretending to be Queen? Oh, that would have been a sight to see,” Kimi cooed.

“And when I woke up…” I went on, noticing her upbeat attitude falling from her face once again. Clearly not wanting to think about waking up. “And when I woke up… I was back in my room, in my bed. As if I never left home at all. The strongest memory I have at this moment is of an Owl woman… and watching other owls around me burn and die at my sister’s hands. Maybe at my hands… after all, if I never left the palace, they might still be alive and I wouldn’t have to think about the deaths of so many. Perhaps that’s why I’ve been procrastinating… In three days I am supposed to attend my first ball… I’m not ready… and I’m scared. When I was tied up, I panicked and raged against my restraints… Just the thought of someone poisoning Alais simply… boils my blood. I’ve known her since I was a baby… and Apple has just come into my world days ago with a mystery of his own. I can’t bear the thought of someone hurting my friends… and the fact that you did something I would never have the stomach to do myself… well… I suppose that makes me envious of you.”

We stared back at each other as the sounds of crackling fire and bubbles popping above us could be heard. I noticed that Alais had stopped snoring as well. Surly she was awake but pretended to be asleep.

“You’re going to die,” Kimmy said, causing my heart to sink into my stomach a little. She went on to say, “You’re friends with two Queens who are feared by the highest angels and the lowest demons, Queens who are allowed to roam free thanks to you. To my understanding, every crime the two of us commit will fall on you. Meaning… If we ran from this palace to finish what we started hundreds of years ago, you would be blamed for it. That woman asked your friend to eat your hand and she was about to.”

“It’s not Alais’s fault. She must obey every order given to her by a member of my bloodline.”

“Through some code of honor?” She asked, now seeming a bit annoyed.

“No, I believe it’s magic. Could you remove it?”

“Nope,” She sang. “If I don’t know the spell, I can’t remove it. Even trying might trigger a trap to blow her head off. That just leaves me… able to flee… and do as I please.” Her grin faded, as she focused on the bubbling water once again. “But I don’t… because… I’m afraid of waking up.”

“I see… then that just means we must destroy this person called, Waking Up,” I said with a small chuckle.

She stared at me, a tad confused for a moment before she said, “… Of course!” She quickly stood up from the water, placing her left foot on the edge of the tub. “I’ll find him and devour every last bit!” She yelled, looking majestic amongst all the bubbles. “You can have the toenails, of course.” She said glancing slightly in my direction.

“Uhm… no thank you.” I chuckled.

“Oh, I see,” She smacked her crotch with a smirk. “You prefer quality meat.”

Lunging in my direction I panicked with a small scream and palmed her face. Kimi’s head accidentally swung to the side and smacked on the edge of the tub.