Chapter two- Gifts and Kisses

In the royal tax office, Lady Mau frowned. Her gray eyes fell upon some fish arranged in a gift basket sitting on her desk. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Who is this from?" the head tax clerk demanded, addressing the empty desks lay before her own in neat rows. A head looked up from its messy ledger. The only other cat working this late in the afternoon was a chunky clerk. She had long fluffy hair, and gave the distinct impression of a stuffed pastry covered with powdered sugar. Her nickname was Sweetie, but the Lady Mau said such a name was completely undignified, and refused to addresses her as such. She addressed her subordinate by her proper name.

"Sareen," Lady Mau asked. "Who delivered this gift?"

"Captain Marcus!" the white cat cried, clasping her paws together. "Oh you should have seen him, my lady! His armor was so shiny and he's so handsome, and brave and-"

"Return it." Lady Mau said sharply, cutting her subordinate off. "I have no time to play these silly courtship games."

Sareen sighed in open disappointment. She got up and took the basket and put it by the door. She flopped back in her chair.

"I wish I was as pretty you, Lady Mau." a female clerk pouted, putting her elbows on her desk. "I wouldn't return anything that anyone sent me."

Mau sighed.

"I mean why do you return all the gifts the warriors send you?" the girl pressed.

"Because they only see my face, kitten." Mau replied. "Not who I am beneath."

"So who are you going to the ball with?" the clerk asked.

"No one." Mau said, over looking her numbers.

"No one! But lady Mau! Everyone will talk!"

The tax clerk sighed.

"Did you check your calculations for the merchant quarter's last month property tax?"

"Of course I did!"

"Then check it again. You made three mistakes." the lady said directly. "Spend less time thinking about balls and dresses and officers and more time on your work!"

"Yes, lady Mau." the clerk said, looking down at her desk.

The supervisor sighed. She was thirty summers old, and it seemed that her subordinates got more frivolous with each passing year. She dreaded the fuss that would be made when the princes' came of age.

"What's this all about anyway?" Lady Mau asked.

"What?"

"This ball? What's it for? The princes are barely more than cubs still, so it can't be their debut to society."

"What? Oh no. Two of Thundera's greatest warriors are going to retrieve the Book of Omens."

"Ridiculous."

"No it's true! The king actually believes it exists! Can you imagine? My grandmother said King Tiberius would be livid if he was still around, ancestors bless me. Especially with who the king selected for the position of general."

Mau suddenly wished she did gossip like all the other ladies. She felt completely out of the loop. She tried to figure out how to approach the subject. Anticipation filled her. He had mentioned Claudus in their pillow talk as of late. Was he the one?

But Lady Mau's silence was too much for her younger assistant.

"It's Lynx-o! Can you believe it?" the cat squealed. "Blind old Lynx-o! At first I thought it was a joke, everyone did!"

"Mind your tongue." Mau said sharply. "King Claudus does not joke. If he appointed Lynx-o I'm sure he had his reasons."

"Then it must be something only the king himself knows."

"That's enough! Remember you are here to make up for your habitual tardiness. Don't make me find something else that needs doing." Mau threatened. Sereen bit her bottom lip. The conversation was over. She upset Lady Mau, though she did not know how.

The white cat pouted but said nothing more. She worked on her ledger. When she thought her supervisor wasn't looking she drew scribbles on the side of edge of Captain Marcus. When Lady Mau released her from her extra assignments, Sareen bolted from her desk to get prepare for the ball. Lady Mau left one hour later and proceeded to her own apartments.

However, she stopped in secluded courtyard. She stood before a Moon jasmine bush, running her paws over the leaves and blossoms. She always loved the smell of these flowers, and it was so delicate that most did not notice its faint perfume. But she loved these flowers and picked a few for her room.

"They are lovely, are they not?" A voice behind her said. He was standing in shadow, and had been standing there some time undetected.

A pair of strong masculine arms caught her, and pulled her close to him. She gave a soft cry of surprise, but not of fear. The flowers fell at the hem of her dress, but she forgot all them. She found herself lost in the pleasure of her lover's arms, his mustache tickling her face as he claimed her lips.

- To be continued