Chapter 389: Morning of Chaos

Chapter 388: Morning of Chaos

Lyria’s POV

I was awoken by a gasp.

And then the unmistakable sound of something shattering against the floor.

I sat upright with a start, my heart pounding violently against my ribs. For several seconds, I could scarcely make sense of my surroundings. The remnants of sleep still clung stubbornly to my mind, and the morning light filtering through the curtains was far too gentle for the disturbance that had so rudely dragged me from my rest.

Then I saw them.

My maids were gathered near the doorway, their attention fixed upon the centre of the chamber.

And in the centre of it all stood Bridget.

A broken vase lay at her feet, its fragments scattered across the polished floor. Water had spilled over the rug and pooled between the shards, while the flowers Earl Hawthorne had given me lay sadly among the wreckage.

But it was not the broken vase that held my attention.

It was the cat.

The black cat with the striking golden eyes stood several feet from Bridget, its back arched and its fur raised along its spine. Its tail had become twice its ordinary size, and a furious hiss escaped its throat.

Bridget, however, appeared entirely unwilling to be intimidated.

She was growling at it.

The sound was low and threatening enough that I stared at her in bewilderment.

The other maids looked equally astonished.

For a moment, nobody seemed inclined to intervene.

I blinked several times before finally finding my voice.

"W-what is the m-matter?"

The cat’s head turned immediately.

The instant it saw me awake, its hostility toward Bridget vanished.

It lowered its back, flicked its tail once, and turned away from Bridget with such deliberate disdain that I could not help wondering whether the creature had understood every word spoken.

It leapt onto the bed.

Then it crossed the blankets without the slightest hesitation and came directly to me.

I held out my hand and the cat pressed its head beneath my palm.

I smiled.

"Good m-morning."

It purred.

I stroked its soft fur, scratching gently behind one of its ears.

Apparently satisfied that I had given it the attention it demanded, the cat turned in a small circle.

Once.

Twice.

It then settled beside my pillow, curled its tail around itself, and closed its eyes.

It looked entirely pleased with itself.

As though it had not just caused a minor catastrophe.

As though Bridget were not standing across the room looking personally offended by its existence.

Silence descended over the chamber.

Elara was the first to break it.

"How has that creature come to be here, Your Highness?" she asked, her brow furrowing. "I was under the impression that it remained with Elinor, yesterday."

I chuckled softly.

"The c-cat came for m-me."

Elara blinked.

"I beg your pardon, Your Highness?"

"After my j-journey with K-Kathryn," I explained, "we f-found the cat in our p-path. It refused to l-let anyone touch it except me."

Elara glanced toward the animal.

The cat did not so much as open an eye.

"I see," she murmured.

Bridget, meanwhile, had crouched down and begun gathering the scattered flowers.

"I dislike cats," she declared flatly.

Debbie raised an eyebrow.

"If you had not taken issue with the creature, I doubt the vase would have met such an unfortunate end."

"The creature took issue with me," Bridget replied. "I had done nothing whatsoever to provoke it."

Margery sighed as she helped gather the flowers.

"Perhaps you ought to have spoken gently to it."

"I was not afforded the opportunity."

Margery glanced at her.

"Indeed? From what I recall you shooed it away quite violently."

"It stared quite violently too." Bridget replied.

Debbie chuckled at her words but quickly covered it with a cough.

Bridget gave her a suspicious look before returning her attention to the broken vase.

I watched them for a moment, amusement creeping into my chest.

Then the cat opened one golden eye.

It looked directly at Bridget.

The stare lasted several seconds.

Then it closed its eye again as if deciding she was unimportant.

Bridget’s eye twitched.

"I eat stubborn cats for breakfast," she muttered.

The cat’s ear moved.

A moment later, it hissed.

Bridget’s head snapped toward it and she growled.

The cat’s eyes opened.

Its fur rose once more.

"Enough."

Elara stepped between them before the disagreement could escalate any further.

She gave Bridget a stern look.

"Conduct yourself with some dignity, Bridget. You are a member of Her Highness’s household, not a beast defending its territory."

Bridget straightened.

"Yes, Elara."

"And stop provoking the animal."

"I was merely responding to it."

"Then respond by ignoring it."

Bridget pressed her lips together.

"Yes, Elara."

The cat watched her for another moment before settling its head upon its paws.

I suspected it was quite pleased with itself.

Elara turned her attention back to me.

"The owner of the cat has still not been identified, Your Highness," she said. "Elinor has continued making inquiries. We know remarkably little about the creature."

She glanced toward the bed.

"Cats are not ordinarily seen within the palace. Indeed, they are scarcely seen within the capital at all."

I looked down at the black animal curled beside my pillow.

It appeared perfectly at home.

"I a-am the owner."

Margery’s head turned so quickly that I thought she might have hurt herself.

"Pardon? How..."

I smiled.

"I b-became the owner y-yesterday."

Margery stared at me.

"Yesterday?"

I nodded.

"Yes."

She looked toward the cat, then back at me.

"Your Highness, forgive me, but I confess I am rather astonished by the speed with which you have acquired a pet."

I laughed softly.

"I d-did not e-exactly acquire it. I-it c-chose me."

Debbie smiled.

"That sounds remarkably like acquisition to me."

I gave her a small look.

"Perhaps."

I stroked its head. The cat answered with a quiet purr.

"We shall continue searching, Your Highness. If Elinor discovers anything of importance, you shall be informed at once." Elara said glancing at the broken vase. "And in the meantime, I believe we ought to address the state of your chamber."

"And also, Your Highness, you ought to bathe and dress." She paused. "And eat."

As though summoned by the mention of food, the chamber door opened.

Pippa entered, pushing a small trolley laden with covered dishes. She had evidently been prepared to announce the morning meal, but the words died upon her lips.

Her gaze travelled from the broken vase...

To Bridget...

Then to the black cat comfortably curled beside my pillow.

She stared.

"How?" she asked. "What...when..."

Margery chuckled.

"You are quite late to finding out more," she said.