Chapter 6: Aftermath

A few days after the disastrous wedding attempt, Baron got a letter sent to him by Prince Lune, apologizing for his father's actions. It read:

Dear Baron,

I apologize profusely for my father's actions. I did not know he was still up to his old tricks. Please apologize to Miss Charisse for me. On a brighter note, Yuki is now pregnant and I have been ready to take the throne. Under my rule, my father will be under tight watch and he won't be able to kidnap any more…brides. Please forgive me.

Sincerely,

King Lune

Charisse looked over the letter with a crinkled brow and frown. Baron could tell she was pretty disturbed over the past events. That, and she couldn't tell her parents what was wrong because they wouldn't believe her. She gave the letter back to Baron and crossed her arms over her chest. She was mad, Baron could tell. Reading her emotions were easy. She wore them on her sleeve.

"I don't forgive the Cat King," she said resolutely, simmering with quiet fury. "I can forgive Lune but not his father. I almost got married, for God's sake!"

Baron gave her a sympathetic look and rested his small hand on top of hers. "I understand, Charisse," he said gently, "but don't let it get to you. He can't hurt you anymore."

"I know," replied Charisse, calming considerably. "It's just…"

"What, dear?" he asked, giving her a soft look.

"I don't want to experience that ever again," she whispered, eyes welling up with tears.

Baron stroked her cheek with his small hand. "You have nothing to fear, my dear," he said in an almost loving tone. "I will always be here to protect you."

"Thanks, Baron," she said, smiling. "You're a really good friend. One of the best ones I've ever had. You're just so faithful to me."

"What are friends for," he answered, giving her a kind smile.

Charisse could feel the tension in the room. It was so thick that she could cut it with a knife. She could barely swallow, could barely breathe, because of the look Baron was giving her. It made her heart double in speed and her head whirl. His look was so gentle, so sincere. It made her feel loved. Her head was racing, her hands were shaking, and her body was feeling warm. What was this feeling?

"Baron…" she gasped, feeling her cheeks flood with heat.

"Yes, mein liebe," he said in a husky tone, making Charisse's heart flutter with delight.

Change the subject, she was thinking, feeling nervous. "What was Louise like?" she asked, trying desperately to change the subject.

Baron's eyes went thoughtful and it looked like he was many years in the past. "She was the love of my life," he replied sadly. "We were both made in Germany by an artesian who gave us the ability to love. Looking back now, I am glad that I have the ability to feel. I feel that my life has meaning because of how I lead it. You see, Charisse, Louise and I were always together. We planned to marry. Nishi-san and his German belle planned to buy both of us but Louise was out for repairs. Nishi and his belle pleaded with the shop owner to buy us. He didn't want to sell me without my companion. However, the shop keeper gave in and sold me to Nishi. Then, the war broke out and it kept Nishi from going to Germany. After the war ended, Nishi went to Germany to see his belle, but she was gone. He never saw her again, and I never saw my Baroness again. It still stings to know that she was lost in that barbaric war. What is even worse is that I will never be with her again."

When he finished his narrative, tears were streaming down Charisse's cheeks and she was sniffling. Baron was quick to grab a Kleenex and hand it to her. She wiped her tears and blew her nose. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her cheeks were flushed, and nose was dripping.

"Sorry," she murmured, wiping her eyes some more. "I'm such a wet blanket."

"Don't apologize, dear," he said kindly. "It is normal for a girl your age to be emotional."

Charisse grinned. "Gee, thanks, Baron," she remarked, giggling. "It's nice to know you care."

"Of course I do," he replied seriously. "You are my special friend." The warmth of his tone made my face flush even more.

She was flattered by his words. He considered her someone important to him. Of course, he probably meant it as paternally or brotherly. There could never be anything more between the two of them. It would be impossible, not to mention totally illegal.

"So, Baron, what does mein liebe mean?" Charisse asked, cocking her head to the side.

Baron laughed out loud and got up from his perch. "Look it up," he merely said before reverting back to his statue form.

Charisse narrowed her eyes irritably. "That doesn't answer my question, you infuriating pain in the butt," she remarked, glaring daggers at the statue. It seemed like the statue was smiling at her, though, as if he was proud to leave her annoyed.

Google, here I come, she thought, heading upstairs to use her computer.

…

As soon as the computer warmed up, Charisse brought up the search engine and typed in the word "liebe". The result surprised her. The word was German for "love" and in the way Baron used it, he said "my love". In other words, Baron was calling her his love. Why would he call her that? Surely, they were just friends, weren't they? It felt hard for her to swallow.

The sound of the front door opening woke Charisse from her daydream and she heard her mother's voice from downstairs. Charisse exited out of her web browser and walked down the stairs to greet her mom. They looked exhausted from working. Sometimes Charisse cooked dinner for them but she was so preoccupied with her problems that she didn't have the time. Mom took off her shoes and placed them in the basket before collapsing on the couch in a heap.

"Hey, Mom," she greeted softly, smiling at her. "How was work today?"

"Stressful," answered Mom, putting a hand to her brow. "The meeting went longer than I imagined. How was your day, sweetie?"

"Well, I can't complain," replied Charisse, shrugging. "School was pretty boring."

Mom looked over on the table and saw Baron in his statue state. "Charisse, why is the creepy cat statue down here?" she asked, eyeing it like she was expecting it to explode.

"I was brushing its fur," she lied, smiling fondly at the statue. "I must have left it down here when I went upstairs. Sorry." She picked the statue up and cradled it in her arms.

"Why did Mrs. Amasawa give you that statue anyway?" Mom asked, staring at the statue.

"She thought that it would be happy with me," Charisse answered, stroking one of Baron's small ears. "Why do you find the statue so creepy, Mom?"

"It's not that it's a statue," replied Mom, quirking a brow. "It's those eyes. I feel like they're staring into my soul."

"That's a result of a flaw in the design of him," said Charisse. "Mrs. Amasawa told me that." That wasn't a complete lie. Baron told her that was why his eyes glowed in the sun.

"How old is it?" asked Mom, touching Baron with two fingers.

"He's pretty old," replied Charisse, smiling fondly. "Mrs. Amasawa's grandfather-in-law got him from Germany before the Second World War. He had a female companion and they got separated. Ever since then, she was never found again."

"That's sad," remarked Mom, looking downcast.

"Yeah," said Charisse quietly, frowning. "I'm gonna ask Mrs. Amasawa about more details."

Mom suddenly stood up. "I'm going to make dinner," she announced. "Do you want anything specific? We can have chicken, breakfast, or leftovers. What are you hungry for?"

"Leftovers sound good," answered Charisse, standing up. "I'm going to take Baron upstairs. I'll be down later."

"How much later?" asked Mom, but she got no answer.

…

Charisse sat on her bed and stared at Baron. "Baron," she said aloud, "tomorrow I'm going to ask what Mrs. Amasawa about the woman her grandfather-in-law loved. If I get a name, I can look it up and find an address."

"You can do that?" asked Baron, suddenly coming to life.

"Yeah," replied Charisse, smiling. "The Internet will probably have some records on Mister Nishi's past lover. Finding people isn't so hard to do anymore."

"Amazing what technology can do," mused Baron, looking thoughtful.

"Mm-hmm," hummed Charisse, nodding slowly. "Don't worry, Baron. We will find Louise and you two can be together again."

"You'd do that for me?" asked Baron, looking like he wanted to kiss her.

"Of course," answered Charisse gently. "It's the least I can do for you. You saved me from getting married so I want to repay you."

"Thank you, Charisse," he said in an almost loving tone. "I'm looking so forward to finding my Louise." The way he said her name was the same way anyone would say "miraculous" or "wonderful".

Charisse nodded, lowering her gaze. "Well, I'm going downstairs. Mom's almost done with dinner. We can talk later." Before Baron could respond, she got up and darted out of her room.

It was when she was walking downstairs that she realized she was crying. Why am I crying? She asked herself. Baron will be with his true love again. They deserve each other. It may hurt but it's true. I won't deprive Baron of his Louise because I…I love him…

Suddenly, Charisse wasn't so hungry anymore.

A/N: Oh God, drama! The next few chapters will be Charisse searching for Louise (Nishi's old girlfriend) and the cat statue.