Chapter Twenty Eight: Mortification

Rue held Ahiru close to her chest, her heart frozen in horror. "Oh, Haru. We can't let this happen to her!"

Baron bristled angrily. "Now I'm really glad I told her how I truly felt. I believe the best way to prevent this from repeating is to go back to Haru's room right now and force her to come clean about everything."

"Isn't that a little backwards at this point?" Fakir asked, still shell-shocked. "I mean, we already know the truth about her."

"Ah, but she doesn't know that we know," Baron said with a grim smile. "If we can beat it into her head that she doesn't have to be the strong one all the time, perhaps she'll stop trying to be."

"What do you mean, 'tell her how you felt'?" Autor asked curiously. "You heard for yourself that she can't give her heart to a mortal."

"I'm not a mortal," Baron said with strained patience, tipping his hat politely to the flabbergasted librarian. "Thank you kindly for sharing her story with us, Autor. If the five of you would like to talk a little longer, feel free, but I'm going to go see Haru."

Toto flew down from his perch, with a sad grin. "I'll race you there."

Baron grinned back and ran for the door.

"Should we follow them?" Mytho asked numbly as the two Creations fled from the library.

Rue shook her head, a tiny smile finally working its way onto her face. "Let's give them a few minutes, first. Haru knows we're not going anywhere."

Autor was still staring out the door. "Not a mortal?" he whispered, his heart already beginning to relax. He sighed, a smile finally making an appearance. "In that case, maybe all hope isn't lost, after all."

ooOoo

"Baron!" Muta yelled at the top of his lungs, hopping through one of the windows of the castle to run at his friend's side as they raced down another hallway. "I know who killed Haru's father!"

"I'm no longer interested in that moron!" he hissed savagely, making another sharp turn.

"Get interested!" Muta snapped, beginning to pant a little. "A bunch of cats did it while he was alone in the woods!"

"What, why?" Toto asked, almost making a u-turn in the air as Baron stopped cold in his tracks from shock.

"It was on the order of their leader," the fat cat said seriously. "The stupid head's name is Cat R. Waul. Ring any bells?"

Baron stared at him incredulously. "You mean to say, he first murdered her father, and then tried to pay court to her?"

Muta nodded. "From what I've been hearing, he did it for revenge, but I couldn't find out what the guy did to offend him."

Baron sighed, shaking his head as he returned to running. "The sad part is I don't know if she'll be angry or grateful that Wally did it. Guards!" he called out to the men standing outside Haru's doors.

They fearfully stood up just a little straighter as he approached.

"Did anyone go near this door?" the Cat Creation asked a little firmly as Toto perched comfortably on his shoulder.

"No, sir," the right one saluted smartly. "No one came anywhere near her, sir. She's still sleeping peacefully."

"Thank you," Baron answered gratefully as the other one opened the door for him.

Smiling a bit, he walked through and headed for her bed, which strangely had the curtains drawn over it. Was the sunlight bothering her?

"Haru," he called softly, drawing the soft white curtain to one side. "We…"

He stared at the empty bed with open-mouthed horror. Well, nearly empty.

"Where's Chicky?" Muta asked in a high-pitched voice, even as Baron numbly reached down, and gently picked up the folded note that had been left on the pillow.

My Lord Baron-

However it is you've been keeping me from entering Haru's chambers, you obviously forgot to do it just now. That really was bad form of you, to leave her all alone with only oblivious soldiers to stand guard at her door.

Well, it doesn't matter anymore. By this time tomorrow, not only will she be my wife, she won't know or care who youare.

She's mine, now. You'll never see her again, so why don't you leave the island while you still can?

Farewell,

Cat R. Waul

"Baron?" Toto asked worriedly as his feline friend kept staring at the note, reading the words over and over.

"Well, where is she?" Muta snapped, licking one paw furiously.

"With the cat that killed her father, you moron. Come on, Baron! Say something!" the immortal crow begged.

"When I get my hands on that rogue," Baron said with a menacing growl. "I will skin him with my claws and use what's left to decorate the country side." He stuffed the note into his jacket pocket, and ran past the guards that had been lingering disbelievingly at the door.

They jumped back as Baron stormed through, and began running back to the library to break the terrible news to her sisters.

ooOoo

Reginald paced one of the longer caves of his underground manor, smiling as he looked at the remains of one paw.

What was there now was something in between a cat paw and a human hand. He experimented with his new fingers, smiling smugly as he passed a stalagmite. "I should have called on him sooner," he whispered smugly. 'What I would give, for my dear cousin to see me now. After all those years of listening to him brag about how he was the right size for her, and I wasn't. I wonder if Drosselmeyer made him shrink, to accommodate my own sudden growth. Oh well; that fool doesn't matter anymore. Nor does the immortal thief.'

A white cat, now shorter than his knee when she was standing, crept on silent feet from underneath a large white curtain. "She is ready, my lord," the timid servant said with a nervous bow.

"Excellent; leave us," Reginald commanded as he excitedly moved to the curtain.

"Ah, my lord," the servant girl said nervously. "I couldn't remove that gold pendant."

"Then I'll remove it myself!" he snapped impatiently, pulling the curtain aside so that he could behold his bride.

His heart melted, and then burst into song as he looked at her lovingly. She looked so calm and beautiful, lying across the bed like that. Since he had accidentally ripped the first dress he had given her, the one she was currently in was just a copy of it. It draped over her slim frame beautifully, making her look like the princess she was.

Nightgown, indeed! He hadn't even shown her what he had lined up for her nightwear!

Moving softly, in case the sleeping powders were starting to wear off, he walked to her bed, and sat on the edge of it. He reached into the side pocket of his red button-down shirt to retrieve a small paper packet. Taking just a pinch of the powders inside the packet, he held it over her nose and slowly worked it free from his fingers, so that she could breathe it in.

He loved her plenty, but knew that she'd throw a huge fit if she woke up before the ceremony at dawn was concluded. It was quite lucky for him that she had hesitated when he used his familiar teleportation spell to sneak into her room unchallenged. If he hadn't been so quick to give her that first dose of sleeping powder, the immortal might have heard her cry out, and come back to fight for her.

Shaking slightly with anticipation, Reginald reached forward with one hand to hold hers. He reveled in the feel of it for a few minutes, loving how soft and comfortable her hand was in his. Her touch was cold, despite the many transparent blankets that had been thrown over her. But Reginald was confident that after the ceremony, he would have all the time in the world to warm her up.

"There, my love," he told her tenderly, unable to take his slanted eyes off her. "I told you that dress would suit you wonderfully. Silver has always been your color. Blue, as well. You always looked good in blue." Playfully, he held a hand to his chin. "There's something missing, though," he mused aloud before snapping his fingers in mock-enlightenment. He reached into his other pocket, and pulled out the crystal comb that he had ordered made for her, as soon as he heard that she was returning to her ancestral home.

Tenderly, he slid the jewel-encrusted comb into her soft brown hair, a couple inches over her left ear. "I knew it wasn't too fancy for you, love. I doubt you truly understand what you're worth. You never could," he confided softly, struggling to keep his sudden anger at bay. "That… insect that sired you was too much of an idiot to realize what he had in you. So much would be different, if you had anyone but him for a father. But I won't make the same mistake, I'll tell you every day just what you're worth," he promised, kissing her limp hand caressingly.

"I know your heart's weak, love. I'll never ask you to dance again, and I'll use all the magic at my disposal to ensure that you'll live for many years yet. If you're strong enough for children, we'll have those as well. I will give you the happiness you've longed for your entire life. After we're married," he purred in that same soft tone, drawing her hand over his face, so that it would feel like she was touching him of her own will. "You will sing that song for me alone. You know; the one you sang for your sisters, about wanting to be with the ones you love? That will be our song, no one else's."

He sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, love, but I can't ever let you see your sisters again. After you return to your true self, you will think that they are still dead. If you find out differently, and seek them out, they will tell you of the immortal doll, and I would lose you all over again. I've been waiting for you since before you were born, love; I'm not about to give you up to someone else." He kissed her hand again, turning fierce about the action.

As he jerked her arm around, the bit of gold around her neck caught the weak light of the single candle next to her. He snarled under his breath, and reluctantly released her hand to start caressing her long slim neck, so much like a swan's. "I suppose you got this trinket from him?" he asked her tartly, taking the chain by both hands and shifting it around so that he could find the clasp. "Well, I can't think of anyone else that would give you a gold fish for a pendant. We can't have that, dear."

He frowned, and turned the fine chain a few more times around her neck. The necklace had no clasp! It literally looked like it had been forged around her neck! He hissed, and took out a small knife from his pocket to start sawing at the chain, since there wasn't enough of it to slip the pendant over her head.

Within seconds, the shining blade was reduced to garbage, rusting even as it ran over the thin gold.

"Magic," Reginald spat, dropping the pendant so that Haru's neck wouldn't suffer from his anger. He sighed while brushing the rusty dust from her neck, knowing that nothing would remove the trinket. "As long as it's not something that will lead your immortal to us, I don't care what the bauble does." He chuckled grimly, and sat next to her to once again take possession of her hand. "It couldn't be that, anyway. If it were, he would have found us by now. I'll just tell you it's a gift from myself. Such a shame it isn't silver. Surely that fool could have seen that you were born to wear silver."

He caressed her hand, and drew it over his face and chest in longing. "Oh, if I weren't a gentleman, I would make you mine right here and now," he groaned in pleasurable agony, kissing her hand and arm again and holding it to his heart. "But we both deserve to wait until tomorrow night, when it will be official, and nothing will be able to take you from me again."

He should leave her now. He needed to rest as well, and there was no telling how much longer his willpower would hold out.

It didn't even last until he reached the curtain. Making a sharp U-turn, he pounced back to the bed in a single bound, and pressed his lips fervently against the sleeping princess'.

If she hadn't been deep under the influence of sleeping powder, his passion would have surely awoken her.

He forced himself off the bed after stealing the one kiss, knowing that it was the very least that she owed him for now, and marched out of her little cave. He snapped orders at underlings as usual, and managed his usual stride back to his personal quarters, which had just been outfitted with trappings more suited to his new height.

He pinned the curtain to ensure his privacy, pulled off his gentlemanly attire, and tossed himself onto the large bed he would soon be sharing with the princess of his dreams. He pressed one finger to his freezing lips while closing his eyes dreamily. A passionate moan escaped his lips, as he thought about the joys that the next day would bring him and his bride.

"Just think," he whispered to her, although she was on the other side of his underground manor. "Our kiss will be all the better when you actually participate in it tomorrow. I can hardly wait!"