Chapter 2
The next day Haru was sweeping the main room to the estate as her stepfather walked into the room wearing a brown suit along with a cane as he said, "Hey Haru, come here for a minute."
The brunette nodded as she set the broom up against the wall and approached her stepfather as she asked, "Yes Stepfather, do you need me to do something for you?"
"Actually I don't right now Chicky." Renaldo replied, as he fixed his bowtie. He then looked down at her as he went on with, "I just wanted to let you know that Louise, Hiromi, and myself are going to be heading into town for a few hours. But while we're gone I expect you to do nothing but your chores. I'm also expecting you to be done with them by the time that we get back. Is that clear?"
"Yes Stepfather, I understand." Haru replied, as she hung her head and went back to sweeping.
Hearing this caused a grin to appear on the white furred half cat's face as he said, "Good. So I'll see you when we get back then alright?"
The young woman just nodded as she then heard the right main door to the estate being shut. After she looked out the window and saw that the carriage had drove away she slightly jumped when she heard Baron's voice as he said, "I was starting to wonder if he was ever going to leave."
Haru then looked down at the orange and cream furred figurine as she asked, "Why were you so worried if my stepfather had left or not?"
Realizing what he had just said Baron let out a cough as he answered with, "It's nothing, Haru."
He then looked around the estate as he just sighed and walked towards the window. And when he was in front it he jumped up and stared out of it as his expression then soften from memories of his past. When Haru went to join him she noticed a group of three half cats were crowded around something or someone as she asked out loud, "I wonder what's going on over there?"
The Cat Creation instantly broke out of his thoughts and looked to where the brunette was looking not quite sure what was happening as he suggested, "Who's knows what's going on out there, Haru. But remember your stepfather as forbidden you from helping others so-" He stopped himself though when he saw that the young woman had dropped her broom while she ran up and opened one of the main doors to the estate and rushed out of it as he then added, "Haru, wait it's not safe!"
When Haru had reached the group of half cats though she let out a gasp when she saw that the three were beating up another half cat as she shouted, "Hey, what do you three think you're doing?"
The one half cat that was in front of her turned to face her as she then noticed that he was completely covered in black fur and had golden eyes as he commented with, "Well, look what we have here boys."
She then noticed that the other two half cats were now looking at her as well along with the one that was still in front of her. The one to the left was a dark blue furred half cat with gold eyes that the black furred one. The one of the right though was a dark red furred half cat who had green eyes as the three then surrounded her as the blue furred half cat asked, "Hey, now what's a pretty little thing like yourself doing out all alone anyway? Don't you know that you could get hurt being by yourself?"
The brunette though refused to be imitated as she replied back with, "Thank you for your concern, but what I want to know is what you three were doing to that other half cat?"
Hearing this caused the red furred half cat to look over at the lavender half cat who was still lying on the ground as he said, "Oh, nothing really this guy just seemed to look like a noble so we thought that we would jump him to see if he anything good on him." He then scoffed as he continued with, "But the loser was completely broke...it was a total waste of our time."
To her surprise Haru then felt a hand place itself under her chin as her eyes were brought up to the black half cat's level (well almost) as he commented with, "Well, that might be true, but if you think about we just got ourselves something a lot nicer then gold or sliver."
The comment just made the hazel eyed young woman scoff at the three as she shot back, "Yeah right, what makes you guys think that I would want to be seen with a couple of thieves like you?"
She then was caught off guard when the dark blue half cat smacked her across the face. She then realized that he had also dug his claws into her skin as small trails of blood ran down her face as he snapped back, "Shut up, girl! We don't need your sass!"
The young woman just continued to look down at the ground in slight shock that, that had happened as the black half cat grabbed the dark blue half cat and punched in the stomach as he shouted in his face, "You idiot! Why did you go and do that? Who cares if the girl has a little bit of an edge to her! If we're going to take her with us then I don't want you to hit her like that again, you got that?"
The dark blue half cat just gasped for air as he replied, "Yeah...I...got it, boss..."
The golden eyed half cat then let go of his lackey as he bent down and cupped Haru's chin in his left hand as he said, "Sorry about that darling. " He then glared over at the other golden eyed half cat as he went on with, "That moron over there doesn't know how to treat a lady." He then helped her onto her feet and looked into her hazel eyes as he ended with, "So what do you say will you leave where ever you're living at and join us to live a life on the road?"
Haru was not expecting the offer from the thief as she thought about it for moment before her expression sadden as she replied back with, "I'm sorry, but I promised my mother when she was on her death bed that I wouldn't leave my home."
Her eyes then widen in fear when she saw the half cat pull out a dagger as he responded with, "Well, it's too bad that you just made a bad decision. Because if you had said yes then I wouldn't need to kill you since you saw what we had done to that loser earlier."
Haru closed her eyes thinking that this was end. But when she had noticed that the small sharp object had not made any kind of contact with her body she opened her eyes and gasped. Standing right behind the black furred half cat was the lavender one who had been lying on the ground earlier. She then saw that he had a sword pressed against the side of the other half cat's throat as he said, "I'm afraid that I can't allow you to do that." The brunette continued to watch as the mismatched eyed half cat then pressed the sword a bit closer to other cat's skin as he continued with, "Now kindly drop your dagger and back away from the girl."
Before the black cat could do anything though Haru jumped up a bit when someone shouted, "Prince Lune!"
The hazel eyed young woman then leaned over to her right and saw that a tan furred half cat wearing a blue uniform was running up to them along with quite a few other half cats of the same color only they were wearing a red version of the same uniform. She then watched as the white clad half cat smiled and turned his head as he replied, "I'm glad to see that you made just in time. Now please take these three back to the castle and put them in the dungeon. For not only did they try to severely injury me they also harmed this young lady who tried to stop them."
"Yes, sire." The blue uniform wearing half cat replied, as he bowed to him and then ordered his men to take the three away.
Haru watched as the three thieves were being dragged away with looks of disbelief on their faces that they had tried to kill the cat prince. She then noticed that the prince had put away his sword and was now looking at her with concern as he asked, "Are you alright, miss?"
The brunette nodded as she answered, "Yes I'm alright thank you for saving me, Your Highness."
"Actually it is I who should be thanking you." The Prince responded back with, as he walked a bit closer to her. He then went on with, "If you had not stepped in when you did then I never would of had gotten the chance to get my sword out." He then noticed the small claws marks that were on the right side of her face as his expression sadden while he ended with, "My apologizes miss, I had failed to notice that, that scoundrel had dug his claws into your skin that deeply."
He then took out a handkerchief and gently pressed it against her face while Haru protested with, "I, um, this is very kind of you to want to stop the bleeding, sire. But I'm alright really I am."
She then watched as the lavender furred noble nodded in understanding as he pulled the item away from her face and put it back into his pocket as he then bowed to her and said, "Again I thank you for your assistance, Miss-" He then looked up at her as he added, "I apologize once more since I had not asked what your name was."
Haru soon became a bit nervous as she curtsied and replied, "My name is...Haru, Your Highness."
She then watched as the half cat prince stood up and gently grabbed her hand as he kissed it and then said, "Well Miss Haru, I apologize for doing this but I must return to the castle." She also noticed that before he turned to leave he looked into her eyes as he ended with, "I hope that I will see you again someday soon."
A light blush appeared on the young woman's face as she nodded in agreement. And as the prince walked away with some of his guards that had stayed behind she thought, "I-I just saved the Cat Prince, Prince Lune?" She then placed a hand on the right side of her face as she added, "I'm also going to have to ask Baron if maybe he could get rid of these cuts for me. Because if Stepfather were to find out about this I'm pretty sure that he would not be too happy with me."
the brunette then made her way back inside to not only finish sweeping. But to ask if Baron wouldn't mind getting rid of the cuts that were on her face before her Stepfather and stepsisters returned to the estate.