~o0O0o~
Only a Cat of a Different Coat
A Ser Pounce SI
Chapter 2
Being the Prince's cat pretty much guaranteed a nice and spoiled lifestyle. Well, as much as being a cat can be called a spoiled lifestyle.
I'm more or less given free reign to go wherever I please, so long as I return to Tommen's room at night. The kid gets overly worried about me, but I can't really blame him. Not with the likes of Joffrey prowling the Red Keep. I'm given more fish than I can eat, along with whatever mice or birds I manage to murder in my spare time. That's... something that's a bit unnerving about being a cat. I am now a sociopath, apparently. I take great pleasure in toying with my prey and torturing the poor animals to death, and only realized what I'd done after the fact. Despite this realization I kept on doing it again and again, so the part of me that's trying to stay as human as possible has more or less given up.
Still, I never thought being a cat would actively turn me evil. Or maybe it just made me an active player in the food chain, rather than simply removed from it like humans tend to be. Food for thought. Ah, who am I kidding? I'm trying to justify turning into a monster.
Anyway, after the initial shock of figuring out where and when I was (which involved a mad dash through the castle with a panicked Tommen stumbling after me, right until I arrived at the foot of the monstrosity known as the iron throne), I determined that 1) this was not some dramatic recreation. It was too elaborate, too real, and who the hell would pay to put some random dude's brain in a cat? Was that even possible yet?
2) It wouldn't be that long before Jon Arryn's mysterious death and the King's family traveling to Winterfell to fetch their new Hand. Could I do anything about this? Was it really in my best interest? I mean, my owner would be declared a bastard if Arryn lived, and as much as Joffrey and Cersei would have deserved it, Tommen and his sister Myrcella were innocent. I kept the Arryn situation at the back of my mind.
3) The servants love me. I seriously have no idea why. They all smile when they see me and scratch my head with dirty, calloused hands. I really don't mind them, though. They seem nice enough, and I supposed it would have been much worse if they didn't like me. The nobles of the castle, on the other hand, consider me invisible. If I'm noticed at all it's because I'm in the way or because some highborn lady or other is bored and wants a distraction. So long as they're not Joffrey, I really don't care. The ladies are never overly cruel, but they are careless at times, and hold me wrong, and for whatever reason expect me to act like some bumbling kitten even though I'm full-grown.
It's sad that I have more action as a cat than I did as a human. God damn it.
~o0O0o~
"Ser Pounce, wait!" Tommen was bent over, trying and failing to catch his breath while I waited patiently a few yards away. His chunkiness was not helping him out, that was for sure.
"Meow?" Damn, I miss being able to talk.
Tommen looked up, and his face filled with determination. He made a dash for me, and I darted out of the way and between his legs, causing him to stumble and fall over himself. He cried out in pain and pushed himself up into sitting position with a groan, and I inched a bit closer to see if he'd actually hurt himself or if it was just a bruise.
"You're too fast, Ser Pounce," Tommen complained, rubbing gingerly at his butt. I meow'd at him in what I hoped sounded like a sarcastic tone. This was a game I'd managed to prod Tommen into-catch the cat, just like Syrio made Arya do in canon. Not only would it make Tommen lose some weight and make him a bit stronger, but it also helped occupy my time. Win-win! It had taken many failed attempts at communication, but eventually he'd gotten the message and it became a daily affair.
Thankfully, his parents spent little time with the boy, so they weren't around to tell him to stop playing too often with his cat.
"What's this?" a voice sneered. "My baby brother playing with his pet?"
... God fucking dammit.
Tommen turned white and scrambled to his feet, and I quickly went behind him and stared as Joffrey aggressively made his way over to us.
"H-Hello, Joffrey," Tommen greeted, clearly sounding like he desperately wished to be somewhere else.
Joffrey either didn't notice or didn't care. "You've always spent too much time with filthy animals, dear brother," he said, spitting the word 'brother' like it was an insult. "I, ever so concerned for my blood, have always striven to help you, have I not? When you had that wretched little fawn to take care of, I got rid of her and freed you from taking care of her! Do you remember how happy you were?"
My fur stood up on end as I bristled.
I really don't like where this is going...
I glanced up at Tommen. The poor kid had tears in his puffy red eyes, and his face was twisted as he desperately tried not to break down crying.
Joffrey smiled at his brother with sweet poison. "I would be most delighted to help you once more, dear little brother. A Prince of the Realm should never fall so low as to have to care for an animal. Such things are for stablehands and other lesser men. Even peasants." Joffrey's smile grew wider. "You're no peasant, are you?"
My first and loudest instinct was to bolt. I could see the bored resignation on Clegane's face behind Joffrey. The man didn't particularly want to help kill me, but he didn't give a damn either way. Why would he? I was just a cat. If push came to shove he'd follow his orders without hesitation.
But at the same time, if I ran, I'd be leaving Tommen behind to Joffrey's mercy. And even if I was the only one in physical danger at the moment (as even Clegane would stop Joffrey from hurting his siblings) I didn't feel right just abandoning the kid. He was just barely six. I couldn't do it.
Next best thing, then. Very carefully, without taking my eyes off the monster in human skin in front of us, I nipped Tommen's pants and tugged at them, catching his attention for just a moment. I meow'd at him in the same way I always did before we played catch-the-cat, and then I took off down a random hallway. I didn't have to have a cat's hearing to know that Tommen was following me, but unfortunately so was Joffrey, and behind him the Hound. It took nearly half-an-hour of nonstop running before I couldn't hear that brat's screams anymore.
I stopped, my tongue lolling out of my mouth as I tried to get rid of the excess heat. I miss being able to sweat. Do humans even know how amazingly useful sweating is? I don't think most of them do. Ungrateful bastards.
Next to me, Tommen collapsed, wheezing. We'd been playing catch-the-cat for about two months now, but even so, the kid was only six, and we'd been running really hard. I meow'd at him in concern as soon as I had the breath to spare, and Tommen smiled at me. "Don't worry, Ser Pounce. I'll never let Joffrey get you."
If I had a human face I would have smiled, but I settled for purring as he scratched me behind the ears.