Throughout the palace, excitement was buzzing in the air, despite the heavy levels of stress and panic among the servants as they triple-checked that everything was just right for the ball that night.
Haru, away in her chamber, lay awake on her bed thinking over Baron's farewell words the previous day.
"I think my stepfather is planning something, I don't know what, or why I think this, but please be careful Haru," he had said as he helped her into her carriage.
She had dutifully promised and kissed his cheek in farewell before he closed the carriage door for her and waved her off.
The princess knew that she should be sleeping now so that she would be awake through the night for the ball, but an uneasy feeling had roused her rather than Hiromi parting the curtains – which the maid had not done that morning in order that the princess would sleep longer.
Baron was pacing his chamber.
"Humbert, relax. Haru said yesterday that she would wait for you personally at the gate for you so that the servants wouldn't turn you away by mistake," Muta said, chewing his way through a roast goose.
"Has it occurred to you, lard ball, that our friend is worried about something else?" Toto demanded harshly from where he stood on the mantelpiece.
"Of course it has, I'm no bird-brain," Muta countered with a growl. "But unless Humbert can figure out what de Tourney is going to do, there isn't anything that he can do, so what point is there in worrying about it?"
Toto stared down at the friend he loved to fight with.
"That was surprisingly insightful, Muta," the crow said. "Are you feeling well?"
"Very funny. Just because you couldn't see the obvious," the fat cat said, returning to his meal of chicken.
Baron sighed and fell into his chair. Muta had a point. Worrying wouldn't help, but still, he wished he had some idea of what his stepfather was thinking.
Lord de Tourney and his sons were, for a rare moment, shrouded in dark cloaks rather than glamour to hide their disfigurement. It wouldn't do to have one spell affected by the presence of others.
"Our little Baron will regret having ever met the Princess, and she him by the time this spell is done," de Tourney said, wicked eyes narrowing in hateful pleasure as the elder of his two sons stirred the spell pot.
Gustavo laughed horribly, adding an ingredient to the spell.
Damien grinned sickeningly, stirring it in properly.
"We'll have to put in a cut-off clause for this one though Father," Damien said. "It wouldn't do us any good for the whole court to be feline forever."
"Too many enemies," agreed Gustavo, nodding.
"Ah my boys, so smart, I'm proud of you. Yes, by dawn the court may return to normal, the royal family however…" the lord let the delightfully tantalising thought hang for a while.
"Dependant on us for glamour so that they may rule the country without upset," Damien said at last, a hunger in his voice at the power they would then be able to wield with the monarchy under their thumb.
"Oh Father, do let me make it a challenge for the Princess," Gustavo said, his deformed hand reaching for another clause to the spell they were mixing.
"A chance for her to break the spell? Where is the fun in that?" de Tourney asked.
"An impossible chance Father," Gustavo assured. "With every court member of a feline disposition, she will have a very hard time finding little Baron among them, and an even harder time getting them to all calm down so that she can state she shall marry him, and before dawn. She shall have an even harder time, if she has to find the right Baron," Gustavo said.
Lord de Tourney laughed.
"This idea pleases me," the father said. "Do it."
