Kamui lay quietly in the darkness of his room. He was silent, in fear of a strange noise. Sure, he was well beyond the point of being afraid of the dark, but this was a special circumstance. With the war heating up, and his list of potential people that would kill him growing all the time, he had begun to fear the unknown servants that wandered the halls of his Norhian castle.
Just as he had begun to settle in his sheets, he had heard a strange noise. It was odd, almost like a sniffing sound combined with the shuffling of limbs on the floor. The prince's mind immediately flashed to strange nightmare-creatures with nine legs and the body of a spider, before being banished by rational thoughts. Kamui reached under his pillow slowly, withdrawing the hidden dagger. If he was going to be attacked by an assassin in his nightclothes, he might as well go down fighting.
There! To his left, the strange noise once again. This time, louder. Kamui shifted in his bed, wincing as the mattress squeaked in protest. Sitting up in his bed, Kamui debated whether or not to yell for help. Patrols of armed guards frequently roamed the halls, but he would have a tough time gauging when to yell. If he yelled too late or too early, he risked the chance of no one discovering him until the morning, alive or otherwise.
The prince felt a weight fall on the bottom left corner of his mattress, making his heart skip a beat. He drew the knife closer, holding his breath in anticipation.
"Kamui, why are you holding a knife? Is it one of your treasures?" A cheerful voice broke the tense air. Kamui jumped back initially, but sighed and tucked the knife away to its hidden spot. He knew the voice almost immediately, and he knew he was going to regret the next question.
"Velour, what are you doing here?" Kamui sighed, leaning over to light the small lantern on his nightstand.
"I was sniffing around, and something smelled really nice, so I followed the trail." Velour appeared in the faint lantern light, her smiling face illuminated by the flickering flames. "It started around the men's baths, then ended here!"
"You were around the male baths?" Kamui asked, incredulous.
"So, I think it was you who smelled good!" She replied, ignoring his last question.
"Thanks...I guess?"
"Mhm! So what are you doing?" Velour asked, shifting around on the bed so she was facing the prince, her tail wrapped over her legs like a white blanket.
"I was going to sleep..." He mumbled, suppressing a sigh. "But, I think the better question is how did you get in here?"
"Oh! That's easy!" Velour grinned. "I climbed in the window-don't worry! I shut it after I came in."
"Thanks." Kamui sighed. "You know, I think I'm actually kind of glad you did that."
A confused look passed over her face. "Why's that?"
"Well, if someone saw you opening my door and coming inside this late, they might assume things." Kamui said, his face tinged red.
"...Oh!" Velour gasped, jumping backwards. "I-I really s-should go, then..." She put a foot on the floor before Kamui's hand stopped her.
"No one will know." Kamui said sheepishly. "Besides, I wanted to ask you something..." He scratched the back of his head.
"Oh...okay..." Velour said nervously, setting herself back down on the bed in the same position as before. An awkward silence descended on the two of them, making Velour shift around on the oversized bed. "Y-your question?" Velour said quietly, her face red at the implications of her unannounced visit still bouncing around in her head.
"W-would it be okay if I touched your tail?" Kamui asked, his eyes locked on the deep reds of his blankets.
Velour stayed quiet for a brief second before raising her hand to stifle a giggle. "Hehe, of course, we are engaged now..." She said, her face a little red. "In fact, if you are so insistent on touching it, would you brush it for me?" She asked, pulling out a small purple comb from her pocket.
Kamui raised an eyebrow, but opted not to say anything.
"Be careful with it, that brush is one of my treasures!" Velour warned, laying on her stomach beside the prince.
"O-of course." Kamui nodded. Gently, he lowered the comb to the garou's tail, gently brushing through her surprisingly soft fur. Velour smiled, her arms supporting her chin as she closed her eyes in happiness.
Kamui delved into the simple task of running the brush back and fourth, gently combing through her tail. He was happy, unsure what to think of the specie's opinion of their own tails. He was afraid of offending her in some way, to simply reach out and touch her, but those fears were set aside. At one point, Kamui thought he heard her growl, or something similar.
Minutes ticked by, until Kamui was satisfied with his work.
"Velour..." Kamui spoke quietly, putting the brush on his nightstand. When the girl didn't react, Kamui leaned forward. He noticed her eyes closed, her chest rising and falling at a slow pace.
"Velour, you have to go back to your room..." Kamui urged, shaking the girl slightly.
Velour stirred in the blankets, rolling onto her side and cracking open one eye. "Nhh...this bed is too comfy..." She yawned, curling herself into a small ball.
"What will Felicia say in the morning when she comes to wake me?" The prince said with concern.
"Mhm...she will say what she wan...ts..." Velour groaned, drifting off to sleep.
Kamui though
t for a few moments about what to do, then ultimately came to the best conclusion. He reached over and extinguished the lantern, then lay down beside the girl. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing the blankets over them both.
Damn what the maids, Camilla, or gods forbid-Flannel, said. He was going to enjoy this time with his fiancee. Blushing, he leaned forward and placed a small, chaste kiss on her forehead.
"Goodnight, love."