Chapter X: A 'Cat'astrophic Situation

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"How dare you come barging into my chambers?" asked the King venomously, but his question seemed to be directed towards the Meif'wa. "Speak now, before I have you thrown into the dungeon."

The Meif'wa giggled. "Nya! Your excellence, I bring to you a male Meif'wa."

The King seemed unimpressed. "We don't need you to betray your own people any longer, Michi. Why do you bring me this vermin?"

Hey! Laurance isn't a vermin unlike yourself, Arabella wanted to say, but she kept her mouth shut.

"I heard from a little bird that your son is going to marry one of the Meif'wa I brought to you. Nya!" said Michi. "Congrats! I told you she was a keeper."

"Get to the point."

"This male Meif'wa here; this is her lover." A malicious glint appeared in her eyes. "I have no need for him since he didn't want to have fun with me at all. Hmph!"

"There's not exactly much of you to have fun with," grumbled Laurance. Arabella missed that voice. Even in times like this, he was still humourous.

Michi's grin was replaced with an angry frown. "Nya? How dare you! I mean--heh, heh, I brought him here because it would be such a shame if he was allowed to roam around. What if he gets ideas to be with your son's fiancée behind his back?"

"I have already sent for the Prince to execute him," replied the King. Wait, what? "When I saw a male, I figured this was going to be the case. Good work, Michi. Now, take your diamonds and get out of my face."

"With pleasure. Nya!" Michi slyly turned to Laurance. "See you later, lover-boy!"

"I swear, when I get out of this," threatened Laurance, "I'll make you pay for what you've done to us!"

Michi smirked and waltzed out of the castle gates. Arabella wanted to smack that sly grin right off her face.

The King turned to Laurence. "Tell me, Meif'wa--"

"I am not a Meif'wa," interrupted Laurance. "I am a human. Now, you better let me and my comrades go, before I--"

"Do not speak out of line. Now, let me ask you. Are you truly the lover of the female Meif'wa, Aphmau?"

"Lover?" Laurance shook his head. "No, I am not. I am her guard. That's all I am."

"She's waiting up there on the stairs with my son. Look at her, and tell me that," said the King.

Arabella turned to see an identical staircase to the one she climbed up earlier with Aphmau, beautifully dressed with cat ears and a tail, too, and a guy with brown hair standing next to her.

Laurance looked at Aphmau in the eye, but his lip quivered. He looked down at his feet again without responding.

The King's nostrils flared. "I've seen enough. Fenrir! Come and commence the beheading."

"W--What?!" Laurance panicked. "I told you the truth!"

"You can't fool me," growled the King. "I saw that look in your eye. Even if you aren't her lover, you are a threat to their relationship. I will not have this. Let the execution begin!"

Wait! Not yet! Arabella silently cursed. She had to do something right now.

Aphmau unwillingly gripped the Prince's hand and walked down the stairs with him until they were situated right between Laurance and the King.

"Ah, my son!" greeted the King. "I trust Mino has informed you of the situation?"

"Indeed, he has, Father," quietly replied Fenrir.

"I see you brought your beautiful fiancée as well to see this. Marvellous! Let her know you won't put up with other men after her." Fenrir mumbled something under his breath, to which, the King asked, "Hmm? Did you say something?"

Fenrir took a deep breath and looked at him in the eye angrily. "In fact, I did. I said--"

"Yes," interrupted the King maliciously. "You should shout louder so your friend in the dungeon can hear."

That seemed to shut him up. He quietened his voice once more, and said, "I was trying to say, Father, that I want to wait until the night of Aphmau and mine's wedding to commence the beheading of this male Meif'wa."

Arabella was taken aback, and apparently, so was Laurance as he shouted, "W--Wedding?! What the--"

"Under what reasoning?" asked the King, ignoring the shell-shocked Laurance.

"We're getting married under the full moon," explained Fenrir. "Perhaps the Lunar Goddess would appreciate a... sacrifice. I'm sure you want to appease the spirits..."

What the hell was going on? They couldn't force Aphmau into this horrendous marriage, and they definitely couldn't kill Laurance. Not on Arabella's watch.

"Brilliant!" exclaimed the King. "I did not even think of that! Very well. We will commence this execution after the wedding. Guards, toss the male Meif'wa into the dungeon. This gathering is dismissed. Return to your quarters, son."

"Y--You won't get away with this!" yelled Laurance as the wolf guards gripped his arms and dragged him out of the throne room. "I swear if you hurt her, I'll--ugh, let me go!"

"Laurance!" Aphmau called after him to no avail. She looked like she was about to cry. Arabella couldn't blame her. If she was in that situation, she'd probably do the same.

This couldn't be happening. What exactly did happen, though? First of all, why were Laurance and Aphmau Meif'wa? Arabella presumed it had something to do with the dratted Michi. Second, why was the werewolf King forcing Aphmau into marriage with his son? Neither she nor Fenrir were inclined to it. Lastly, were they really going to kill Laurance?

It was the one question Arabella knew the answer to, and she wished she didn't. She couldn't let her friends suffer, much less die. If everything goes according to the werewolf King's plan, then they were doomed.

Just like Arabella had been.

"No, no, no, no, no..." Arabella repeatedly muttered the same thing over and over again to herself. It helped her calm herself down in disastrous situations like this, even just a little bit. "Stop panicking, Arabella. Focus. Deep breaths."

She inhaled sharply and let out a shaky breath. She was going to follow the guards that took away Laurance to the dungeons, let them out somehow, get Aphmau away from this marriage and save the day.

That was exactly what she was going to do. If everything fell in place, they would all be saved. If not...

They were dead.




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