Chapter Three: Baron's Curse
Toto struggled to contain his mirth as he sailed underneath the branches of the trees; following the path away from Haru's estate in hopes of finding his master's party soon. He couldn't wait to tell Baron about his bride. The lord couldn't have gotten a more perfect girl for him if he could have designed one.
The night was starting to close in when Toto found the wagon, and only the wagon. He blinked; surprised that even the horses were gone.
"Baron?! Muta?! This isn't very funny!"
"Believe me; this isn't very funny for us, either."
Recognizing his master's voice, the crow perched on the side of the wagon and leaned into it; shocked to find several tomcats clustered together in a horse blanket. One cat had sat up from the group; his familiar green eyes locked on Toto, who gasped in disbelief.
"Baron? What happened to you?"
The orange and cream cat sighed as he nestled back with the other cats.
"The Cat Princess crossed our path after you left. She thought I was handsome, and tried to order me to marry her instead of Miss Haru. I politely turned her down, and she changed all of us into cats for the insult." He sighed. "I don't see much point in heading to the Yoshioka estate now, since Miss Haru doubtlessly won't wish to marry a cat."
Remembering his burden, he hopped to the other side of the wagon so he could be closer to his feline master.
"She sent something back to you, when I visited her. She wanted to know if you could read it."
Sighing a bit, Baron sat up again, and tried to untie the drawstring. But being unused to paws, he couldn't get it. Growling, he just cut the cord with one claw and pulled the bag open. Puzzled, he pulled out the handkerchief and lay it flat over the stomach of the fattest cat, a white one with a brown spot on the left ear. Toto made a mental note to pick a fight with the fatso in the morning as the orange and cream cat tilted his head around, in order to look at the strange markings embroidered on all the sides of the handkerchief.
Without warning, he started laughing, startling his company out of their slumber. Muta growled as he opened one eye to look at his lord.
"What's going on now?!"
Baron's laughter changed into tears of regret. She would have had to have known what was written, maybe even being the one that had sewn it on. And now they could never meet.
"Miss Haru has a sense of humor, and I can't even tell her that I like the joke she sent me."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Haru looked out her window, worried at how dark it was outside. She was pretty certain that Toto had told her that her fiancé was supposed to be here by now. Did her family just not tell her that the baron had arrived?
Her heart, which had previously been in turmoil, was strangely at peace. She hoped that Baron truly was the way Toto had described him to be. Would he mind terribly, if she told him she wished to further her education? He didn't sound like the type to chain her to a needle and pat her on the head like a child the way her father did, when she told him what she would like better than a new pony or party dress.
The door to her bedroom thumped loudly, distracting the girl from her musings.
"Who is it?" Her question was answered as the Count Yoshioka opened the door widely, grinning at her.
"The angel of darkness, here to steal your soul," the man said dryly, convinced that he was hilarious. "Well, tomorrow's the big day, isn't it?"
The brunette frowned, and gestured out her window.
"I've been keeping an eye on the road, but they haven't shown up yet."
Her father grinned even wider.
"Excellent! Good to know that Louise was good on her word."
Haru's eyes widened, and she set her sewing aside.
"Father, what does the Cat Princess have to do with this?"
The count blinked.
"Oh yeah; I never told you. Better late than never, I guess. Haru; there's been a change in plans, concerning the wedding tomorrow."
The brunette's emotions started rocking around inside of her like a tidal wave.
"Is it being called off?" Before she even had a chance to meet Baron?
"Of course not; there's just a little adjustment on the handkerchiefs and such. Haru, I knew you wouldn't like to be married to a complete stranger, so I thought you would like to know that someone you know has made a very generous offer for your hand."
"But, the von Gikkingens already paid the bride price. Are you going to return it?"
"Why on earth would I want to do that, especially when your new affianced offered to have his daughter take care of the good baron?"
Her heart froze over, realizing what her father meant.
"Father… please tell me it isn't King Phoebus. We're different species!"
The count waved one hand in an attempt to soothe her.
"I know, but a trip to his kingdom will fix that. He offered ten times what Humbert's father did; it's a business thing dear, you'll understand with time."
Haru had backed up against her large window, clearly hearing her heart beat in her ears.
"Business?! You prefer gold over your honor?! What happened to Humbert?!" She was careful to use the name she had been taught to, in order to avoid suspicion. The count shook his head at her.
"Why would you care? You never knew a thing about him besides his name, thanks to the Cat King's suggestion." He smiled warmly at her before leaving her room. "He sent a message; rest as well as you can tonight; he has a lot of big plans for you and the wedding tomorrow."
"But Father-"
He closed the door on her, before she could protest further. The slim brunette could clearly hear the turning of a key, as her father locked her into her room. Throwing down her embroidery, she rushed at the door, and started banging on it.
"Father! Don't do this! Please!" She kept banging on it, but then slowly sank to the ground as tears trailed down her face.
She shuddered as her hands bled slightly, remembering all the times the count would invite the Cat King over for tea or an afternoon picnic. Without fail, the feline monarch would tell her what a babe she was growing up to be, and how her father would make her hold the king on her lap while he took a nap.
If she had known before that they were planning for that to be her future, she would have followed her instincts, and gave the king a good kick for every time he flirted with her, knowing full-well that she had been promised to another for years.
'Oh, Baron… I'm so sorry.' The count's daughter stumbled to her vanity, and sank into the chair like a drunkard. 'I know you're a good man. You deserve better than whatever happened to you on my behalf.'
She looked at her reflection, the way she usually did when she was lost and wanted to see her mother again.
The young woman had grown up to look just like her dearly departed mother, dead now for twelve years. With one hand, Haru felt the long locks, remembering all the times that the Cat King had told her how much he liked it long.
Without quite thinking, Haru reached over for her fabric shears, and snipped off a large handful, close to her face.
Oh, how light her heart felt! Without thinking, Haru grabbed her hair again, and watched with glee as the chocolate strands fell to the ground, and into her lap.
By the time she was done, her hairstyle was a little uneven, but the brunette liked it.
'I almost look like a boy.' That was when it hit her.
Who said she had to stay here, and marry a cat? Who told her that she would not marry the man she had been promised to nearly all her life? Who had decided that her opinion didn't matter?
Her father.
Haru smiled evilly; a plan beginning to form in her head.
Her father had broken his word. And it was her duty to fix his mistake, by any means necessary.