Prologue:
Princess let out a long breath as she gazed down at the kit nosing its way through her belly fur. His long white fur stuck out in wild directions, and his paws worked powerfully against her belly. His small purrs grew loud as he found the milk he searched for. She leaned down and gave him a loving lick over his ear.
She had birthed this singular kit half a moon ago, and she could not have loved him any more than she already did. He was perfect in every way, and she never wanted to leave his side. She pulled her muzzle away from his fur and stared down at him again, her stomach twisting with the anxiety that formed.
Ever since she had discovered her pregnancy, she had been afraid. Every queen in the Housefolk Place spoke about losing their kits around three moons of age. Some queens spoke proudly of their kits finding their own Housefolk, but many were sorrowful for the separation of their kits. Princess knew it was the way of life here, but she had dreaded it since the beginning.
Soon after she had birthed her son, Fireheart visited her and a new idea had formed in her mind. During their brief exchange, he had spoken of his struggles with Clan life. He spoke more honestly then than he ever had with her, and she had been surprised by the feelings that he had portrayed. Despite all of that, she had known from the heartbeat that she saw her brother that he was her solution.
She rested her head on her paws as her son drank his fill. He was finally settling back down to sleep when her ears pricked and she heard a familiar voice from outside the nest.
"Princess! Princess!" The distant voice called, and she knew who it was immediately. It was Fireheart, just the cat she was hoping to see. With another bout of nervousness, she pulled away from her purring kit and leaned down to pick him up gently by his scruff. He let out a small mewl of protest, but she ignored it as she padded towards the cat flap and emerged into the cold air outside.
Her paws touched the cold snow and she shivered. Her brother was nowhere in sight, but that was no surprise. She knew that he was uncomfortable with Housefolk now that he was a wild cat, and she knew that she could find him just beyond her fence.
"We won't be out in the cold for long," she mumbled around the bundle of fur, trying to convince herself as well as her kit. She tried her best to shield him from the blasting wind as she ventured forward.
She swiftly approached the fence that hid the forest from sight. Bunching her muscles, she leaped up onto the thin ledge and paused at the top to steady herself. The extra weight in her jaws threw off her balance and she sank her claws into the soft wood. A purr of amusement rose in her throat as she looked at the forest below her.
It wasn't hard to find Fireheart. Though he tried his best to stay out of sight of any wandering Housefolk or curious kittypets, his bright ginger pelt was very easy to find under the leafless bushes and amongst the frozen ground.
His green eyes watched her closely as she dropped down from the fence and landed carefully in the snow. Holding the kit in her jaws still, she watched as her brother emerged from his poor hiding spot and approached slowly.
His eyes were following the kit in her jaws with sparking curiosity, and his usually sleek fur was fluffed up against the cold. As he reached her, she used one paw to clear away the thin layer of snow and set her kit down on the cold leaves underneath it. He squirmed and protested, and she brought her tail around him to keep him warm.
Fireheart, not knowing what to say, nuzzled her warmly in greeting. As he pulled away, he leaned down to sniff his new nephew. He gave the young tom a tender lick over the ear, and the kit only mewled in response. His small mouth opened wide to reveal a small pink tongue and a small set of white teeth.
Fireheart's eyes moved back to meet Princess's and she knew she had to ask the question that had been eating at her for several days. Her heart pounded in protest, but she knew that she had to at least try.
"We came here for you, Fireheart." She told him, meeting his gaze as she whispered her words. "I want you to take him back with you to your Clan so that he can be your apprentice."
Fireheart stared down at the kit, clearly at a loss for words. "I never expected…" he began lamely. He tore his gaze away from her kit and looked at her again.
"My housefolk will choose where he will live," Princess told him. She had to convince him to take them to his Clan, or her only plan to save her son will fail. "But this is my only kit, and I want to decide his future. I want to see him grow."
She raised her chin to boldly challenge him, but he was clearly lost in thought. She continued before he could reject her, "I know how upset you were about your apprentice. I thought if you had a new apprentice- one that is your kin- you wouldn't feel so lonely."
She reached forward and touched her nose gently to her brother's shoulder. The rain was starting to fall around them, but they both ignored it as she continued. "I don't understand all of your Clan ways, but seeing you, and hearing you talk about your life, I know I would be honored if my son was brought up as a Clan cat."
She saw something flicker in his green gaze, but it was replaced with doubt quickly. "But Princess," he told her, "This is your only kit. Won't you feel lonely if I take him with me to ThunderClan?"
"Never," she told him confidently, "Because I'm coming too."