The l.u.s.trous fountain of flow, decked with the millenary aged opal of healing and restoration. Discovered by feline sires of pseudoscience and elixir. Contact with the gem was forbidden, and the temporary loss of a body part was the lenient consequence.***
The princess growled as her human maid pulled a knot from her hair. The maid pulled her bodice tight, and she sighed before covering her face with her hair.
"Pardon me, My lady" once the human was given permission to leave, she scurried away. The cat girl could no longer see herself in the mirror before her, and she was aware she had a council meeting to attend.
At a young age, she was crowned the queen of her territory, and she was doing a terrible job at it. The death of her parents was unexpected, and the cause forever remained a mystery. She was the only kitten, and she grew up to be too meek and self-effacing. The elders held a periodical council meeting whenever they wanted to scold her for how lenient she was with everyone and everything. Even the guards care so little about their work and how important it is to stay fit.
She heard knocks at the door and she permitted whoever was there to come in. The guard went on a knee, acknowledging her superiority before he revealed the drama that was occuring at the fountain.
The news surprised her. Never had she heard about trespa.s.sers trying to steal the gem put in place by her forefathers. And the trespa.s.ser was just as shocking. Darren Livingston and an unusual human slave. She was already feeling sheepish thinking about conversing with the one that made her heart beat a love rhythm. She antic.i.p.ated and dreaded their contact at the same time.
"Princess Nalia"
"I"ll be right there!" She guaranteed.
*
Her hand was gone, yes, however it didn"t hurt like she thought it would, and there was strangely no blood. The guards were also dumbstruck. It was the first time seeing the gem react to unapproved fingers, and they expected dire consequences, especially to a human.
"What now! I need my right hand back!! Zircon!!!" She required answers or clues on what next to do, bust she couldn"t open the book because of the many eyes staring knives at her. "s.h.i.t" She cussed as she glanced around.
The princess was drawing close in her carriage, and once she got to the l.u.s.trous fountain gleaming under the red-orange haze of the sky, everyone present bowed but not Darren and Artemis.
"What"s going on?" She questioned as the small cat moved forward to meet Darren.
The Prince couldn"t make out a face from the thick ma.s.s of back-length hair. "Sir Livingston" She swooned and celebrated in her mind after calling his name as she inched further to meet him.
"Mind explaining what you are trying to do with the opal?" She was trembling behind her quiet disposition. But no one could see the true traits she"d learnt how to disguise properly.
"You should be princess Nalia. Am I correct?"
She moved a couple of strands covering her blue-b.u.t.tony eyes and took a gander at the attractive wolfman. "That is true" She closed the curtain of hair covering her face and all he could look at was the thread-like fortress.
"Can I discuss with you privately?"
"Very well."
"My hand please!" Artemis alarmed, but the Royal beastmen walked away, and the guards took her to a cell for an attempt to steal.
"I hope I"m not disturbing anything important?" Darren asked as he took a sit with the princess at the overhang of her château where they could get the best perspective on the whole city. The girl was silent for a while, then she decided to not leave his question unanswered. "I"m sorry for taking time to answer. Yes, I am busy. I was running late for a meeting, but I also have to address arrival."
"Thank you for giving me an opportunity." A smile spread across the face of the princess, but he couldn"t see what was behind the veil made of her own hair.
"That opal in your city"s fountain. This might sound strange because it has been there for years, but I need you to give it to me."
"I can"t. It"s very important to my domain. We need it for medicine."
"I expected your refusal, but it"s very important if I can get it. I"ll return it, I swear."
"I"m sorry sir Darren, but I can"t give it to you."
A sweat ran down his brow. It seemed like she would not consent to it no matter what he said.
"Just for a few days…"
"Leave sir, there"s nothing you can say that will persuade me."
She was about to get up but he gripped her hand, and she dwelled in the sentiments of his soft hand on the skin of her"s. "Please listen to me. I need it to get stronger. This is an opportunity for me. I can go on my knees right now to beg for it. Please i need your approval" He slumped to his knees and Nalia thought of it as a method of proposing.
"The gem will a.s.sist you in getting stronger?"
"Yes, your highness." He gulped as he waited for her to state something, and when her lips separated, she remained by her "no."
"What do I have to do to get it? What can I do so you"ll help my slave get his hand back?"
"Nothing can be done."
"Please," He didn"t want to cry. Not in front of her.
"There is something you could do."
"What?"
She played with her fingers, "Have dinner with me, and maybe…" her face was beet red because of what she wanted to say. "You can…"
*
"Argh!!! Zircon, why didn"t you tell me?"
"You were advised to wait, weren"t you?"
She pursed her lips then looked at her arm, "Will I ever get it back?" She was worried about it.
"You might, you might not. You can subst.i.tute it with a stick or a metal snare. That is sufficient for you." Zircon wasn"t making her feel any better.
"I wonder why it doesn"t hurt?"
"The gem isn"t one to cause pain to anyone. It does the opposite. It is for healing."
"How do you know so much? I thought your insight was distinctly about me."
"Yes, I know you as my human owner, and I also know about other historical facts about the past."
"Doesn"t that make the gem a nice and not strict one?"
"That is correct. There are chances it might not give you back your hand. You and Darren don"t have the ability to take it, the feline leader has. I believe prince Darren is negotiating at the moment. In case Darren gets both the gem, and your hand, make sure you say thank you."
"Never in my life" she refused to accept, but Zircon had a way to make her do it so her relationship skills would advance.
***
"There is something you could do?"
"What?"
She played with her fingers, "Have dinner with me, and maybe…" her face was beet red because of what she wanted to say. "You can kiss me."
Darren sighed, "Is that all you want?"
She nodded.
"Should I do it now?"
"No, we need to be in the mood. Do all that and i might consider."
Darren had no clue how much a kiss from him would mean to her, and she would use the opportunity to give him the dozens of letters she wrote. As long as he wouldn"t see her face fully, she was liberated from the embarra.s.sment.