Sorry for the long wait! To make up for it, I've gone back and edited the old chapters, so if you need to re-red them, they should make a little bit better sense now. We're very close to the end, so I'll hope you'll stick around!
The moonlight created a silhouette of the figure behind the curtain. The outline of an ornate gown on the petite frame gave the impression of a china doll placed on the windowsill.
Entranced, the prince rubbed the sleep from his eyes and slid out from under sheets to perch on the edge of the bed.
A second figure materialized. A cat. No, it was a man. How could he have mistaken it? The man, around the same height and build as himself, yet baring a sword at his side took the hand of the maiden and the two began a dance.
Prince Yuki stood from the bed and reached for the curtain, but it was a long way off, such a long way, no matter how far he stretched and strained.
Then finally, he did connect with the curtain, but it was the sheer fabric that had reached out to him. It wrapped around his wrist, pulling mercilessly tight. The second panel engulfed his head, covering his mouth, making it impossible to cry out…
The sunlight bouncing off the vanity mirror finally awakened Tohru. She was usually able to wake up on her own before the sun hit that particular angle, but she been restless last night, tossing and turning, mind swirling with potential, and yet completely unfeasible, ways to kiss the prince and lift his curse.
After laying awake for a moment, the realization suddenly hit her- Tonight was the night of the ball! She bolted upright, then scooted out of bed. She had probably missed breakfast, but dressed quickly nonetheless.
After jogging down to dining room, she was met with Kisa, carrying out a tray full of empty dishes.
The small girl's eyes widened as she looked form the other girl to the tray, then back again.
"Oh no! It's okay! It's my fault for sleeping in. You really don't need to worry about bringing more food just for me…"
Kisa shook her head vigorously, a gesture Tohru took to mean that she'd still be receiving a meal regardless.
"Did the prince leave already?" she questioned nervously. Being late for breakfast on the one day when she wanted to make the best impression was embarrassing, to say the least. She wasn't sure what would be worse, if she had missed him entirely, or if he was still sitting there waiting for her.
The young maid continued her head-shaking.
"Thanks, Kisa." Tohru steeled herself, opening the dining room door.
Though the door groaned as it allowed the princess through, Yuki didn't look up from the book he was engrossed in.
No breakfast plates remained on the table, instead, two books were spread open in front of the prince, one smaller than the other and containing lined paper, in which he would occasionally scribble something with a fervor that Tohru had yet to see from him before. In fact, each time she had seen him in the mornings, he had always been a groggy zombie, struggling to even butter his toast properly.
"Um, Prince Yuki?" Tohru attempted. There was no response beyond another jot in the little book. "Good morning!"
The prince's head jerked up from the books, eyes wide as he regarded the princess.
"Princess!" He bolted up from his seat, rushing to pull Tohru's out for her. "I'm very sorry that I didn't see you come in…"
He returned to his own place at the table after making certain she was situated.
"It's really okay, don't worry about it," she replied. "Can I ask what you're working on?"
Yuki shifted in his seat, eyes leaving the princess to rest on his books once again. "I had a nightmare last night. I think it might have been an omen about the ball, so I've been trying to research more about it."
"Hmm…Well, my mom says that we have nightmares in place of things happening to us in real life, because God wants to show us that bad things do happen, but much like waking up in the morning, there will still always be end to the bad… Ah, Kisa! Thank you! You really didn't have to…"
The maid happily placed a platter of pancakes before the princess.
As Tohru was being served, Yuki quickly scribbled in his notebook once again, before looking back to the princess. "The Queen is a very wise woman. I'd like to meet her someday. …Oh, by the way, have you seen Kagura yet today? It's not like Kagura to leave all the work to Kisa. Come to think of it, The Cat didn't show up for breakfast either…"