The Lost Princess

Chapter 6: Mio

LILIANA'S POV

A small white cat jumped onto the field from the stone wall. No cat was ever allowed inside the palace grounds. Only the stable horses were allowed.

It was pure white, soft, but its eyes were a strange deep blue... it looks familiar.

It hissed. Not at me. At Mia and Marina.

Before anyone could react, it leapt and attacked them, scratching their gowns, their arms.

"Ah! Get it off! Get this thing off me! Get this monster off me!" Mia screamed, falling onto the sand. Marina screamed too.

Their knights were confused, trying to grab a small fast animal.

Leo pulled me back instantly to protect me.

Then my heart calmed down. The warm burn on my wrist faded.

The cat stopped. Looked straight at me for one second — those blue eyes — then ran away over the wall.

Everything was quiet.

"Where did that cat come from?!" one of their knights shouted. "Who let a stray into the palace grounds! Search the wall!"

Williams frowned. "That was strange."

Leo was standing in front of me to protect me, but he was looking at the wall where the cat had jumped from. His eyes were narrowed, like he was thinking deeply.

Then Mia and Marina, with their knights, left still throwing tantrums.

We were left. me, Williams, Leo, and Rosalyn. We were going back to our chamber.

Then I heard a soft purr behind a pillar.

It was the same white cat that had attacked my stepsisters. Licking its paw, calm, like nothing happened.

Rosalyn and Leo were a bit unsure, they didn't want to let it get closer to me. Leo stepped in front of me a little. Rosalyn whispered, "Princess, don't..."

But I didn't listen. I went to meet the cat. I bent down and it rubbed its head against my hand. It wasn't scared of me at all, and I wasn't scared of it either.

"You... you helped me," I whispered, smiling for the first time today.

It was so white and soft. I picked it up. I carried it.

Both Rosalyn and Leo were still looking at me worriedly, but they let me.

I'll never forget how soft it felt.

"I'll call you Mio," I whispered. "What do you think of this name?"

It meowed softly, as if it liked the name.

I held Mio tight to my chest. Its warm body felt exactly like the warm feeling of the mark on my wrist.

Then everywhere started feeling foggy.

My head felt light. My legs felt weak. Everything around me... Leo, Rosalyn and Williams, started spinning.

"I... I feel..." I whispered.

All I know is that I think I lost consciousness. The last thing I heard, before everything went black, was Leo shouting my name.

"LILIANA!"