Chapter Eight: Good and Bad News

Sighing a bit, Haru poked her husband in the belly. He opened his blue eye at her.

"Yes, Pumpkin Pie?"

'Would you like to introduce me to the newcomers,' she gestured to the two strange cats, 'or should I save time and ask Harumi?'

The tiny gray kitten watched her grandmother's gloved hand, being used to the half-cat's silent way of speaking.

"That's the Cat Bureau, Nana. The really fat one's Mr. Muta, and the skinny one is… is…" she pulled a face and looked over. "I'm sorry, Mr. Baron, but I forgot your full name again."

The orange and cream cat chuckled warmly and held his top hat to his heart.

"Baron Humbert von Gikkingen at your service."

Haru nodded politely at him, a bit stunned.

'So… that's the figurine with a soul?' She tilted her head a bit, studying the Creation she had heard about for years. 'He looks a lot more dashing than I expected him to.'

Without reason, the Cat Creation blinked, and placed his silk hat on top of his head. Did she spy a blush on his cheeks? It was a bit harder to tell such things here, with fur in the way. Besides, why would he blush at nothing?

With a heavy heart, she looked at the fatter feline again, who looked extremely nervous. She could tell that he knew her story, and she had to face it. How could he be in this castle and not find out about it?

'On top of everything else, I was even friends with a Cat Bureau agent? Well, it matches the rest of my luck: rotten.' She sighed tiredly and pinched one of her husband's arms so that he would let go of her. She stepped firmly out of his embrace, gave a polite curtsy to the Bureau agents, and followed Lune and Yuki out of the room.

'I don't even want to know why the king summoned them. But I guess I should be nice. I mean, how were they supposed to help me if I couldn't contact them?' She sighed tiredly, getting Lune to look at her as he limped along with his cane.

"All right, Haru. How did the visit really go? You seem more distressed than usual."

She held one finger to her lips and tilted her chin to say that she wanted to get to a secure place to talk to him. She didn't want word of this to get back to the king. His ego was big enough without provocation, and he'd probably try to use this as another ploy to get her to lean on him.

Not that she ever would. When a fawn feels lonely, it usually doesn't cuddle up to a wolf. Unless it was mentally deprived.

Finally, they entered her personal study. Haru switched Harumi from one hip to the other, so that she could run her fingers over the bolts of cloth that lined the walls.

She hadn't been all that interested in making quilts when she was a human, but now it seemed like one of the few ways to keep her mother's memory alive in her heart.

Lune sank into one of the big couches in the middle of the room with relief, pulling his son onto his lap. Yuki pointedly grabbed the notepad and pen lying on a messy desk and handed them to Haru. Harumi, used to the routine, allowed her mother to pick her up and sit across from her 'grandmother' so she could write. Lune and Yuki had become quite proficient at reading Human Japanese, but Haru decided to write her little revelation in Standard Cat.

Last night, I got a front-seat-view of my old crush proposing to my old best friend, so don't be surprised if I'm out of sorts for the next few days.

She handed the pad to Yuki, who shared it with her husband. As they read over her note, she beckoned for Haruhi to sit on her lap. He did so gladly, hopping on her like she was a trampoline. She wrapped both arms around him, and squeezed softly.

When his parents looked up from the note, she became grateful that she didn't mention that her crush had crushed on her, too. But would it have made a difference, if she had stayed? Would her friendship with Hiromi just have been torn apart as Machida struggled with his own feelings?

Maybe it really was for the better that she had disappeared.

"Oh, Haru… that's terrible." Yuki walked over enough to squeeze her friend deeply. The brunette soaked in both of the white cats' warmth, willing it to be able to take the pain away.

'How long have I been in a constant state of pain, years or centuries? It feels like even longer.'

Lune started growling.

"That does it! That is enough! Haru, I've got some news that might make you smile."

'After what I saw last night? Must be pretty good.' She nodded, giving him her full attention. The crown prince smiled grimly.

"While you were gone, a seer came to court. He said in absolute terms that my father is going to be killed soon by a member of his own family."

Haru's eyebrows shot up. It didn't make the pain go away, but it definitely distracted her from it.

"Are you sure?" she mouthed soundlessly. Her dear friend nodded, and grimaced as he actually got down on both knees. Haru stood up to help him back into his seat as his wife did the same, both knowing how much the action must have pained him.

"Please, Haru. Let me kill him for you. He's put you through so much grief, and he fully deserves a taste of his own medicine. He should know what it feels like to have everything he's ever cared about torn from him without hope of reclamation. I can even take down the Cat Bureau if they interfere, if you'll let me. Haru… I want my kittens to know what your voice sounds like. I miss hearing you talk. Shoot, I even miss hearing you scream."

A sad ironic smile played upon the queen's lips as she firmly eased her step-son into the seat again. Harumi pulled on her long black skirt, also sad.

"Please, Nana? I want to see your pretty smile more, and it goes away every time Grandfather walks into the room."

Haru looked at her younger namesake, her heart melting. Going to her knees, she wrapped the little kitten up in her arms.

'Oh, you sweet, sweet girl.' She held Harumi close, thinking about the eighth anniversary that was coming up quickly. The terrible years of being the Cat Queen had left a deep scar on her heart, one that she honestly expected to bear for the rest of her miserable life. Should she let Lune do the deed? He still considered his limp to be a badge of honor, and to be honest, so did she and his family. The Cat Queen looked at the bad leg, remembering clearly the day he had gotten it. Slowly, she looked up at his face.

There were physical traces of his father, to be sure, but the soul couldn't be more different.

For one, she had actually felt Lune's heartbeat.

She sighed, and beckoned for the notepad. Yuki eagerly gave it to her, along with the familiar pen. As she usually did when she wrote, she said the words in her mind.

As much as I would love to be widowed as soon as possible, I still refuse to let anyone shed blood on my account, enough has been spilled as it is. If a member of our family is supposed to kill the king, then I pray, as I always had, that it will be in self-defense or in defense of another. I had hoped that he would die a natural death, so that we don't begin the cycle of bloodshed again, but we should only attack him if he attacks first. There's little point to killing a monster if you become one in the process. And I'd rather it wasn't you or Yuki, Lune. There will probably be consequences to killing a monarch, and you need to think about your kittens. I can raise them if called to, but I'd prefer if you two did it, and so would they.

Don't worry about me. I'll be okay.

Hoping that would get her point across, she passed it to Yuki, who once again shared the message with her husband. Their darling children were dancing around with bright eyes.

"Well, Daddy? Is she going to let you do it?"

Lune reached the end of the message and looked down in shame. As tears began to caress his dark cheeks, the same flowed down his wife's.

Haru stood up, and walked over in order to hug them. They clung to her as they sobbed, as if she really was their mother.

Which, in a very peculiar way, she was.

On the other side of the curtain, Baron was leaning against the wall, with one hand to his mouth. He hadn't cried once in seventeen years, but now tears shamelessly flowed down his cheeks, as he gripped the silver watch with one hand.

'Haru… I think I understand, now, why you are so admired by everyone.'