The Celestial Princess

Chapter 3, Wild Waltz in the Night Sky

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Chapter Three
WILD WALTZ IN THE NIGHT SKY

I.

As the stars twinkled by the sides of her sight, and as the prince stood as adamant as a rock, Ashley's singular thought etched a slight smile on her face:

What a hell of an afterlife this is.

"Excuse me?" she said.

Gideon pursed his lips. "It's my mother's interest—and also the reason why you're still here."

Ashley smirked. "You guys want me to be your princess? Look, I know I'm cute, but—"

SNAP!

Ashley staggered to her side as a powerful force shoved against her. She looked at it and saw, for a split-second, the air warped like a vortex. Purple fur spun into existence from the center of the distortion, eventually materializing into a bizarre animal as the air reverted into shimmers.

The orphan blinked a couple of times to make sure she was seeing it right: a cat with tiny clouds for wings.

"O... kay?" She turned to Gideon. "What the hell is that?"

The prince eased. "That's a flypurr—mother's gift to you. Curious little creature. Rare and deeply studied, and sometimes trained. She is intelligent enough to remain loyal to you so long as you're here."

Ashley eyed the flypurr closely as it hovered a feet above her, closing in on her as it allowed its cloudy wings to drift inwards. The bizarre cat cocked its head, with its sparkling green eyes beaming with curiosity.

"H-Hello?" she muttered to the cat. "What's her name?"

"She doesn't have any," Gideon replied. "She's your pet. You give her that."

Ashley continued watching the flypurr. Soon, the air around it spun violently again—and in an ear-splitting snap, the cat disappeared in thin air, reappearing in a vortex way above their heads. It allowed its playful gaze to bounce around the numerous rooftops of the castle town as its tail danced like a snake.

"You better get some rest now, Ashley," the prince said. "Tomorrow, we'll meet with mom again, and I expect you'd understand things a whole lot better."

Gideon turned his back on her and began to walk away. Ashley watched his bald head shine with the light of the stars.

"Wait," she said.

The prince turned around, his eyes droopy.

"What's with that other kingdom?" she asked.

Gideon's mouth twitched. "They're a bunch of evil monarchs who cook their princesses in their sleep. You cannot possibly be interested of paying them a visit."

With that, the prince's iron boots clanked and clanked as he marched away, disappearing through the door at the farthest other side of the narrow castle walkway. All alone, the orphan felt the blowing of the evening winds on her fair face, cold and foreign like the skies around.

Rolling her eyes, she first fixed her glance at her new pet flypurr, with its tail wagging about and its fluffy fur swaying with the wind. Then, she switched to the distant outline of the other kingdom's tower again, obscured by the grazing darkness. Though deathly far, she pointed out the many clouds ahead, which drifted by like lazy tortoises above the townspeople's heads. Alight with the moon's glow, their presence loomed perfectly for a wild, wild waltz.