Chapter Seven: The Routine

Haru expertly tied the bow on the back of Elly's blue school uniform, and then stood up. "Is there anything else?" she asked Lily, who shook her head while adjusting her hold on the school bag.

"No, that should be everything, Haru. We better hurry."

Haru nodded, and followed the kittens out the door, making sure to lock it behind her.

"Do you really have to do that," Hashi asked as she slipped the key around her neck once more. "I mean, we'll only be gone for ten minutes."

"There are criminals everywhere," Thomas pointed out, shouldering his own school bag. "Better safe than sorry."

"Amen to that," Haru said as Elly once more slipped her hand into the human's, and squeezed softly. Together, they started walking to the cat side of the borderlands at a brisk pace.

The tiger-like kitten looked at Hashi from the corner of his eye. "You know, I bet Father would pay for you to go to school as well, if you asked him. Sure would be nice to have a decent study partner in that building."

The human boy laughed a bit. "As long as your father lets me and my sister read through his library after chores, I couldn't care in the least. Besides, it's a pretty big manor, and I'm not about to let Haru clean it all by herself."

The taller brunette smiled warmly, but restrained herself from reaching over to muss his hair while they were out in the open. Her brother was approaching the age where displaying public affection was well-nigh intolerable to bear. She herself had never gone through such a phase, but was willing to spare her brother's pride.

Eventually, they passed a long white fence that led up to the front doors of the most prestigious academy in the Cat Kingdom. She could see other noble kittens getting dropped off by servants, some barely even looking back to wave goodbye.

Her heart skipped a beat, wondering what the kittens expected her to do.

"Well, have a nice day, and I'll see you at three o' clock," she said finally as Elly stole one more hug. Thomas gave her a fond waving of the hand before walking away as Lily pulled her nanny's arm down enough to whisper in her ear, a slight trace of fear unconsciously present in her tone.

"Don't be late, okay?"

Haru smiled a bit, and stole a hug from the tawny kitten before she could move away. Her tardiness habits had all been beaten out of her by her last employer, almost literally so.

Which was why she left.

"Of course not. Now have a great day, and keep your siblings out of trouble."

That managed to sneak a smile past the eldest kitten's ever careful guard, and she ran after her brother and sister. Haru smiled a bit as she stood up, and her own brother slipped his hand into hers.

"So what's on today's agenda, Sis?"

She smiled a bit, and turned so that they could start walking back to the manor house. "Well, there's the ballroom floor that needs to be waxed, and the upper windows that need to be washed, both inside and out."

"How are we going to get the-" Hashi was suddenly cut off as a fully grown grey cat, with arms full of books, ran into his sister on the path to the gate opening, knocking both of them and the books everywhere.

"Oh no!" the shorthair cried out as he hopped back onto his hind feet. "I am so sorry, miss, I didn't mean to-"

"It's all right, sir," Haru said a bit calmly, rubbing the side she had fallen on. "I'm no stranger to klutz attacks," she continued as she started gathering his books. "Hashi, you okay?"

"Yeah," he grumbled, rubbing his head sorely. His sister handed the gathered books to the elegant feline.

He took them gratefully, but then stopped cold. Carefully, he looked at the human girl as she helped her little brother to his feet. "Pardon my asking, but what are you two doing in the Cat Kingdom?"

"Dropping off the von Gikkingens for school," Hashi groaned, rubbing his head. "Give me a nice safe library anytime," he muttered under his breath.

The strange cat's mismatched eyes of fire and ice suddenly lit up like firecrackers. "Wait… you're Baron's new nanny?"

"Yes," Haru said cautiously as the cat suddenly grinned fit to kill, grabbed her hand with his paw, and kissed it like a gentleman.

"Thank you. You have no idea how much you've helped both the Ulam and Cat Kingdoms."

"I beg your pardon?" the bespectacled brunette asked, confused as to why this complete stranger was getting so emotional over such a simple job.

The grey cat straightened a bit, still smiling at her. "Baron's been under a tight leash ever since his mother took ill, and it's a great relief to everyone that he can actually focus on his work while he's working, thanks to you."

Haru turned a little pink from the praise, but nodded her head politely. "Thank you, sir; but who are you, exactly?"

"Highness! You can't be late for your lecture!" interrupted a spotted brown cat from nowhere, taking a good portion of the books from the humans' arms. Haru's heart froze as the regal cat laughed sadly.

"Yes, yes. I'm coming, Natoru." The dark grey cat looked at the humans as he turned to run into the building. "I'm Lune, a friend of Baron's. Thanks again!"

Haru and Hashi stared shamelessly as the doors closed behind the royal feline, and the other servants began to file back through the gate opening.

Eventually, the dark lady grabbed her brother's hand, and started walking away from the fancy school. "Well. I never expected to meet a humble prince! Who would have thought that one even existed," she managed to say.

Hashi nodded, and tightened his grip on her hand, thinking about the nobleman that they had worked for before the Baron had hired him. "I hope the Prince of Ulam is like that one. Okay, so how are we going to clean the upper outside windows?"

Haru looked down at her brother, and grinned evilly from behind her thick glasses. Hashi groaned, knowing all too well what that look meant.

As the young lad begged her not to put him in a sling or walk on a roof again, they were passed by a frantic white cat running to the academy's gates, wearing a maid's cap and holding a small stack of papers to her chest.

"How could he have forgotten his notes again?" Yuki muttered to herself, though secretly delighted that she could be of a small service to the good prince.