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Dedicated to all my wonderful readers. Thanks for all your support 💜 I'm sorry I couldn't update all these while we haven't had loght for the past three days and they only brought light last night. So I had to stay up writing till this morning. I'm very slow. Still trying to see if I can gather chapters to avoid all this. Really sorry I kept you waiting. Enjoy

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She moved closer to the bed and the sheets moved again. This time they shifted to reveal the cat.

It stretched and then rolled into the bed. " Meow, "

Clarissa closed her eyes and opened them in anger. Her blazing eyes narrowed in on young Dante who cowered in fear knowing that he was in trouble. " I thought I made it clear that that cat wasn't to be allowed in this palace. "

Dante looked from the cat to her with a sad expression. " I'm sorry. I just wanted a pet. And it was right there on my window. I thought if you didn't know, you wouldn't be mad at me. "

On his window? How did it get there? Clarissa wondered. Their rooms were located in the tallest part of the castle. The maids or guards must have left his door open. This annoyed her even more. She would see to it that they were punished.

" Well now I know and I want that cat out of the palace," she said, sounding even angrier than she was earlier. " I told you I hate liars Dante and still you lied to me. You're lucky I'm not having you punished. "

Dante picked up the cat. " Can't I keep him please? " he asked with teary eyes and wobbly lips. " I won't lie anymore. I'll be good. "

Nothing would move Clarissa.

" No, you disobeyed me and so you'll face the consequences. " she crossed her arms over her chest. " You," she said to one of her maids. " Get the cat from him. "

The maid obeyed but she felt bad for the child. She gave him a consoling smile but that did not stop his head from dropping.

" Meow, " it cried, protesting as it was taken away.

He went to the bed and began to cry loudly. " You're mean. I don't want to talk to you. Go away! " He wrapped himself in his bedsheets, so sad that he forgot to take off his shoes.

" You are acting like riff-raff and nothing like a gentleman! " Clarissa scolded him.

He sat up, his eyes teary, hair was strewn all over and face red with anger. " I don't care! " he yelled, causing her to gasp. " I don't want to be a stupid gentleman. They're boring and old, just like you! I want to be a cat, then maybe you'll throw me out as well. " Then he lay back down and resumed his loud cries that went something like " Ahhhh...ah...ah! "

He sounded more like a broken music chord than anything else.

Clarissa was angry but knew the child was simply upset.

" When you get back to your senses, we'll talk about your manners. They are downright despicable. Guards for no reason will you let him out of his room. " she said, stomping away.

She was boiling mad. After everything she'd done for the child, he would treat her that way. He seemed to have more of his parents in him than she liked.

She turned to the maid who took the cat earlier. " Have that cat thrown out of the palace and tell the guards stationed at the gate that if I see it within the palace walls one more time, it won't be the cat being thrown out the gates but their heads being thrown to Mari. Trust me, dumb heads who tend not to listen to instructions make wonderful meals for her. "

The maid gulped and bowed before turning in haste to do as the princess had ordered.

But the cat wouldn't have it and jumped out of the maid's arms. It went straight for the princess and hid beneath her gown.

The maids were confused as to what to do. They obviously couldn't dive under the princess's gown to get the cat so they looked at her hoping she would tell them what to do rather than get mad and order for their heads on a platter.

The cat came out a little while later and Clarissa narrowed her eyes at it. It moved around her ankle purring and meowing, almost as if begging to stay.

She wanted badly to throw it out and never see it again but the sudden change of the cat's attitude from arrogant to a pleaser had her reflecting on Dante's attitude.

It meowed one more time and looked at her with its eyes glistening in the way most cats tended to do.

She looked at the cat again and found herself admitting that it wasn't as ugly as she'd thought or as dirty. Perhaps she should study the cat, she thought.

She bent down to pick it up and it jumped into her arms without hesitation.

She told herself she was only examining the cat to see what was so special about it that had Dante throwing a tantrum.

Her maids waited for her to hand the cat to them but rather she cleared her throat.

" I will have the guards throw it out later. It won't go with you and I'm very busy," she said walking to her room.

The maids were confused. It felt like the princess wanted to keep the cat but she'd made such a fuss about throwing it out that they weren't sure. So they kept quiet before their words would get them killed.

Her guards opened the door for her.

Her maids were about to enter as well. " Wait outside," she said to them.

They obeyed wondering what was going on.

When the doors closed behind her, the cat jumped down and went straight for the door that was linked to Dante's room. It scratched against the door meowing. But the child could not hear a thing as no sound was permitted to penetrate both rooms.

The cat turned and meowed at Clarissa as if ordering her to open the door. But she only rolled her eyes at it.

" So all you wanted was to be with him. "

She sat there refusing to let the cat through. She wondered how it even knew that door led to Dante's room.

This time she was sure the cat narrowed its eyes at her, then it raised an eye and sat staring at her as if saying let's see how long you can last.

Clarissa found herself accepting its challenge and they both stared at each other unmoving.

It licked itself unbothered and she tried finding something else too but she soon found herself succumbing.

" Oh well, fine. "

As she stood up wanting to open the door but it opened suddenly shocking her.

That was weird. She was quite sure it had been locked.

Author's note

Thank you so much for reading. Don't forget to vote, comment, share, rate/review, add to your libraries and reading lists. Don't forget that you can gift the book now. Thanks again💜