Once upon a time, there was a Princess.
Not that she'd been born that way, no. She was adopted - since everybody said that her Father had only been married once, when he was much younger, and his wife had died a long time before she could have been born, that had to be true.
Probably.
She still thought that maybe she was her Father's child by blood, though, as many people did, even though she didn't really look much like him at all. Or maybe related to him in another fashion.
Why would he ever adopt her, otherwise?
She'd been happy at her Father's house, Cagalli Yula Athha thought bleakly. And the problem was - she still was, probably.
She remembered when she'd eaten most of her meals with Yuuna and his father, long before. That was when she was - what, three? Two? Something like that.
And then, one day, Father had said that they were eating together now - and that when he couldn't be there, he'd try to Vid her. She remembered wondering why he hadn't done that up till now - Yuuna's Papa did that all the time, after all.
But that had been a long time ago, when she thought her Father walked the world like the Gods of legends, and she thought he could do no wrong. Which was idiotic, she knew now - her Father was mortal, and as imperfect as any other mortal.
But she was still angry. Because her Father wasn't perfect.
...Stupid, wasn't it?
(His Lordship loves you, Cagalli-sama)
Who had said that...it had to be Kisaka, she supposed. And it even was true.
Probably.
And she loved him, and she loved Orb.
Yes.
Which was why she had to do this.
"Kisaka...."
Teach me how to shoot. Please.
She drifted over to the little figurine on a cushion, at the corner of her room, that night. Clean dishes, change water, arrange food. Dried dog-food, in this case.
Even if the thing still insisted on looking like a short stocky little cat.
Greetings, sir or lady dog, if that's what you are, that is. I'm not sure how long I'm going to be gone, or even whether I'm going to be, but I'll try to get my ladies-in-waiting to take proper care of you while I'm not here, alright?
She fancied a tail-wag, then. ...Maybe it was a dog.
Maybe.
(You don't seem to mind that I "borrowed" you from the Seiran's, anyway...)
Not that they'd notice that one guardian figurine out of thousands was gone, she supposed...
She still remembered that day, even though the details had gone hazy.
"Go away you bloody mutt, and leave me be..."
Who had that been, she wondered.
Ahh, no matter. She still had to figure out how to avoid Yuuna, if she was to have any chance of carrying out any of her plans at all.
She didn't think Lord Unato was really joking when he said Yuuna had Princess Cagalli-Rader, even though he pretended to be.
What she really hoped, though, Cagalli thought as she at long last drifted off, was that nobody noticed that it went both ways.
She always could tell where Yuuna was.
Still somewhat runny around edges but much improved eyes, check.
Blue dress with yellow sash, check.
White stockings and little felt shoes, check.
And a little choker around her neck, complete with a shiny blue, silver and green medallion hanging off it.
She was still a bit on the damp side, though. The man known as Lord Djibril sighed.
(*...Mama always puts me in hot waterrrr...*)
"Yes I know, but you are housecat and therefore get bathed twice a week. And it's not that hot..."
He remembered trying to take her T-shirt off a while back, when he'd decided he had to try to wash her himself, and snickered. It wouldn't come off, of course - cat's fur is not detachable. Not to mention that he thought it was probably fundamentally "imaginary" clothing to begin with...
"Now get in your harness - "
He tried not to think about what his hands were actually doing, while he put her hands and feet in the thing. It turned out to look like a perfectly ordinary tether connected to her waist, and least to his eyes, anyway.
He turned his camcorder at her, just to make sure. Small well-washed black kitten, bigger then before, still slightly damp. With a brand new collar - well, it was more like a thick ribbon - and harness.
OK, then.
"Now, now, cat - we're going to go to the Ball..."
Muruta Azrael snickered. A certain "cousin" had actually brought that cat he'd dug out of a dumpster to the reception.
Though it was much better looking then it was when he'd seen it last, he had to admit... It looked black and sleek, now, with a round fluffy face with golden eyes from what he'd heard, though he wasn't close enough to actually see the eyes...
And it wasn't like he was the only one who had brought pets, now that he looked around the area, though most of the other people with cats or dogs in there arms were either older matrons or servants attached to older matrons. ...Well, a particular "cousin" would have some people to talk too, at least, for a change, he supposed...
This wasn't a BC get-together or a even strictly a LOGOS get-together, though LOGOS connected people were paying for most of it, so he couldn't really work the Old Boy's and Girl's network like he really wanted too - but there were still people worth talking too here, he supposed.
And there went the Seirans, Yuuna Roma Seiran following his father Unato and talking a kilo a minute. The blonde girl in the elaborate dress reluctantly walking with them was - ahh, so that was the Princess Cagalli, was it?
Which probably did mean that the Uzumi Nala Athha, ORB Rep, had actually managed to turn up in person. Well, well, well.
Wasn't that interesting?
OK, then? It probably wouldn't be very politic to embarrass the Seiran's too much - but if he could find a way to talk to the Princess Cagalli, even just a little...
Before he talked to Lord Uzumi, if possible, since he'd be damned if he passed up this chance to actually try and get the "Lion of Orb"'s measure in person.
OK, OK, now what to do...
The matron looked at the man known as Lord Djibril.
Djibril looked back.
Alright, she was vaguely familiar, and she probably was one of the people he happed to be related with...but then, he had so many "cousins" and "kinfolk"...
"My. What a pretty..."
A handwave indicated the little girl in the blue dress with the yellow sash -well, that was what she seemed like to him, whatever anybody else and his camcoder said - in his arms. He'd decided to carry her around himself this time, as his position didn't warrant more then one bodyguard following him about according to protocol, and he wanted the man to concentrate on guarding him, not carrying the cat - cat-thing - thing about.
"She's still a kitten, ma'am. Thank you."
She chuckled, then, and gestured for one of her servants to come forth.
"This is my Poozie. Isn't he sweet?"
A very elderly and rickity-looking poodle looked out of the middle-aged female servants arms.
"Very cute, to be sure."
Well, it didn't look too unhappy for the moment, though he wondered if the pooch could see anything at all. Djibril petted it gingerly. It snorted, faintly.
"Isn't he just? And so is yours."
A elderly veined hand petted the little girl's head.
(*...nice touchiesee...*)
Well, good, then.
"Good baby-cat. Her eyes seemed to have cleared up nicely, too..."
-Whoops. A matron with rather good info-sources, here.
"I am Delingham Solcher, Lordy dear. Your, ahh...Great-Aunt? I think. You probably don't remember me at all, do you?"
Ew. Not "Lordy", please.
She must have seen his appalled expression, then, for she laughed, faintly.
"I'm glad to see you're doing something with your life, at least. I was rather afraid you'd just ...Ahh, never mind."
Djibril almost imitated a snorting Poozie, then. Why did everybody seem to be so surprised that he hadn't killed himself, anyway? Did he seem like the type?
"Oh, here, Lordy. Helena, do you remember..."
Djibril groaned. He was being surrounded with people with cats, dogs and ferrets in tow. Who would no doubt "Lordy" him till the sun came up.
And a Mini-pig. Let us not forget the Mini-pig.
Though it was better then not having anybody to talk with to at all, he supposed. People you were trying to "convince" didn't really count, somehow.
Muruta Azrael watched his "cousin" get drawn into a crowd of people with lots and lots of animals in tow, and snorted. Though playing nice with the matrons and their ilk usually was a good move, of course.
Ole' "Lordy" might even manage to get married properly, if they actually noticed he existed. Heh.
Well, now, then...let's see where the Orbian Princess was up to now...
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(Posted Fri, 26 May 2006 16:53)
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