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Part IV - The Cat and the Dragon

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The only moments of his life that Sir Claudius enjoyed being a dragon were the ones spent alongside Athena. Prior to that late November night when she saw him for the first time, he would try to sleep and forget about his monstrous form. But with her, being a dragon was almost tolerable. He knew by the way she looked into his eyes, the way she recognized him, that she saw the man inside and not the monster.

He still despised being a dragon; he still longed for complete humanity, but with Athena, he could at least feel human for a few hours during the night when she came to visit.

The first few months, Athena was completely infatuated with his dragon form. She would beg for him to burn up the stone walls of the dungeon with his flaming breath, which he did only because she asked. She wanted to know every small detail about his dragon form, from his smoking nose to the tip of his spiky tail.

Sometimes, he would let her climb on him, either in human or cat form, to feel his scales. She even asked to ride on him through the woods under the moonlight, to which he declined firmly, ensuring her he was not some pet, but rather, a ferocious beast.

"Well, I am, too," she would argue. "Cats can be ferocious too, you know. I could slash your eye out if I wanted."

"And I can burn you to ashes if I wanted."

As the months went on, and the snow melted into bulbs, Athena's curiosity diminished. Something about her demeanor changed. She ceased giggling and squealing, and instead only smiled demurely whenever amused. Sir Claudius was not certain what to make of this change, but he welcomed it.

On Athena's seventeenth birthday, in the heart of spring, the two of them spent time together in the tulip garden, picnicking. It was there that Athena revealed to Sir Claudius that she was beginning to feel like less of a child and more of a woman. She didn't care for children's books anymore and hadn't for a long time. She began wearing less and less of her girlhood gowns (not only because they no longer fit her, but because she didn't care for them anymore). And her mother let her. Her mother was finally letting her become a lady, instead of strapping her into pink and blue outfits.

Sir Claudius liked the change because Athena liked the change. He was happy that she started wearing more and more of the wardrobe her Aunt Helena had bought for her. Every few months, Aunt Helena sent Athena new gowns (sent with a handwritten note from Henri himself, wishing her well). Athena and Sir Claudius would read the note together, and then Athena would put on a show for Sir Claudius. She changed in one of the guest rooms and then surprised him with each new gown.

As for Athena's new house, she grew to like it. It was large enough for all of her family, unlike her old home. She never forgave her father for purchasing it without her knowledge, but she understood why he did it. Athena made enough money for her father to order a hand-tailored suit from Henri, and he wore it for a job interview in Dublin. He got the job. With both Athena's income and her father's, the family could afford only the best amenities for the house. They even hired four servants.

Mr. Everleigh assured his daughter she did not have to work for Sir Claudius any longer, since he was making money at a law firm in Dublin, but she wanted to stay. Sir Claudius began cleaning the house as well as Athena. She taught him how to sweep and mop and do the dishes, and he taught her how to write sonnets. Even with the mutual exchange, he still gave her his fair share of gold—even more than when she began working.

One day, late in the summertime, Athena got up the nerve to ask why Sir Claudius treated her so. He did not reply.

Autumn crept closer and Athena and Sir Claudius's bond only grew stronger. Throughout the day, they cleaned, read, and wrote together in the library, and tended to the tulip and rose gardens. At night, they huddled together by the fireplace. During those late-night hours, Athena informed Sir Claudius of her family's accomplishments as well as drama: how her father was a successful lawyer and loved being in Dublin—the only setback being he was closer to his sister.

Neither Sir Claudius nor Athena hardly got any sleep. Spending time together was more important. Sometimes the two worried Athena's parents would get suspicious because of all the hours they spent together—but Charles didn't care as long as Athena dropped a sack of gold in his hand at the end of each day, and Isolde trusted the púcaí's words that the two needed to spend as much time together as possible.

November of 1906 arrived. Sir Claudius soaked up as much time in the day as he could with Athena, and loathed the rest of the day when he was away from her. And every other time they were together, he would kiss her gently on the hand. Sometimes he wished he could kiss her somewhere other than the hand or arm (or seldom times, cheek), but he knew Athena wouldn't like it. He knew that he only kissed her for his own selfish reasons and that she didn't really want it. She only gave permission to be kind.

But every day his feelings for her grew stronger. Whether as a man where he could fully comprehend the feelings and control them—or as a beast where he felt only wildfires on the inside of his stomach, his feelings grew stronger.

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Author's Note

Also, in case y'all didn't catch on, there is a bit of a time skip taking place in this story. It's now late 1906 and Athena is 17. A year has passed since Chapter XXX.