Growl For Your Soul

Chapter 14

Zinnex's POV

"Look at you! Look at this messy hair! Which part of you does show you as a fine maiden huh?!" Lady Sampurna questioned me while grabbing some of my hair. I looked away from her as she kept on questioning me.

The knight and maiden training lessons had became a routine in my life. But....it's quite tiring honestly. Morning was Royal Maiden Lessons , Evening was Soldier Lessons. I literally can't push out a rest time in my timetable. For the hair issue , that's some cat issue. 

I mean , I only licked to get myself average clean. I never got myself clean like , 100 percent. This cat have some water issues.

"Lady Sampurna was a bit judgmental , but your hygiene was quite a issue , Zinny." Nana said while grabbed some strand of my hair while taking a break after hours of heels walking. I chuckled awkwardly , "I tried to keep myself as clean as possible. But , nation issues, yeah...." "The fact Lionards was a sand covered nation and water crisis. I'm not gonna argue with it. But , you're in Paiogs. Who knows what the king would say?"

As Nashira said so , I immediately hit my head onto the table. 'Great...She pulled out the king card...' "Come on , Zinny! We sure have a fun time!" "What sort of...fun?" I said nervously. Suddenly , the two girl's had a creepy smile on their face as they grabbed me by the arm and dragged me in comet speed like last time.

"My....Gosh....Look at this gorgeous face.....such a shame to make it all oily." Right now , my face was squished by a lady with raccoon featured ears and tail. She had thick grey hair with white stripes and her raccoon ears. She had golden round earrings hanging my her ear and was dressed in a sleeveless maroon dress and black boots. 

"Eh....kind to introduce her to me , Mihi?" "Oh right , this was Lady Samira , a raccoon hybrid and she was the best beauty parlor owner on Paiogs!" Mihaka squealed in joy as she hugged Lady Samira by the neck and spun her around several times. "Raccoons? Aren't they only found in the north across the sea?" "Well , eventually darling , I migrate from my annoying parents , Lady Zinnex."

"Y-You know me?!" "You are quite famous with the first maiden and soldier by the meantime. i was impressed by how you get your time in great management." She said hold my hands tightly. I chuckled awkwardly since I was complimented by some other Aniture. 

"Here's the problem , Samy , " Nashira said while held her arm on my shoulder and her fan below my chin as she lift up to let Samira had a closer look , "this lady here was a Lionards. And when we said Lionards , which means water crisis and sand covered." Nashira said while me being a bit furious for her saying my nation yet I gotta admit the truth.

"So....she's a pure cat being?" "Oh definitely , she was attacked by one of the stupid maids in the palace who poured water on her." I turned to Nashira as I exclaimed , "H-How did you know about it?! I thought it happened like before you enrolled the-" Before I could questioned about this ,  she slammed my mouth shut with her fan on my chin and said ,"Lady Samira , your sweet royal customer had a request to let you serve her the best for her man. Imagine the poor Prince Agrona who kept caressing on her dry lips." 

She was masochist like always...

Wait a salmon-

"Wait do you mean 'Serve me the best for'-" Before I could say anything , Lady Samira has grabbed me by the wrist as she charged into a room , leaving the girls with a very suspicious aura.

"Lady Zinnex. You will be fine. It's just a moment with water." She said after I was dressed in a white robe and standing with bare foot on the wooden floor. "I-I ,Can I not to touch water?" "Lady Zinnex , spa was mainly included with water. You'll be fine , trust me." As Samira said so , I walked to the wooden hot tub. As I dipped my toe slowly into the hot tub , I was suddenly pushed into the tub by force , causing my skin burned by the high temperature water and the sudden heat.

 I jumped to the ceiling as I hissed at Samira who was responsible with this jump water scare. "What are you even trying to do?!" "I was just trying to help you to escape the fear of water , Lady Zin-" "Help?! Is this how you help?! I was pure cat being that never touched in my lives! Who knows if you're actually trying to drown me?!" I continued yelling at her , "I'm not some pure water creature like you okay?! I...." I gone speechless as I collapsed onto the ground on my knees when I saw a tear glided down from Samira's eyes.

A flashback soon came in my head.....

*Flashback*

"Come on , Clyde!" "Not so fast! I couldn't go so fast like you guys!" Clyde yelled at me from afar below the cliff. 

By the moment , I was only 12 when I still friend-zoned Clyde. But this day , this incident , had changed a lot about him... I was training his spider arms , by the order of King Windson with cliffs , of course with my father's permission.

I stood high up on the cliff as I watched 14 years old Clyde climbing up the cliff slowly like a sloth. I got bored by his screams as I begun to wonder around the world above me. The world above the cliff was although with dry bushes but there's at least some grey leaves growing on tress! Unlike the unnatural habitat i was grew in ,  I begun to walk around and explore/

Till then.....I found this....pit of hole with clear transparent liquid yet endless. I have gone curious as I checked down. And like what father usually said , Curiosity killed the cat. I slipped and fell into the hole with liquid as I felt myself drifted away and sunk down.

"...nex! Zinnex! Cat girl! Wake up!" My eyes slowly opened as I coughed some water from my throat. "W...What happened?..." "Zinnex! You're okay!," Clyde yelled with happiness as he held me in his arms, "You almost drowned , why would you jump down?! Do you have any idea how much I was worried of you when you screamed?!"

"I-I'm sorry...." "Don't do that ever again. Please.."

*Flashback ends*

"I-I'm sorry.... I had fear with water... I didn't meant to..." I apologized to Samira as i was snapped back to reality. "I once almost drown in a random appeared pond. I almost died from it." "I- I'm sorry.... I have no idea about it...." Samira apologized as she walked to me. "I have no idea what I will face with water. It reflects me , and my fear." I sat there with hugging my knees.

"I had the same experience the same thing like you."

I looked at her who sat next to me. "Even I was born to be a raccoon , I had a huge fright to water. In order to do that , my parents ordered me to catch fish by the river every single day. They even kicked me into the river to made me face my fear. Eventually , I faced it and defeated it." She said then chuckled awkwardly.

"I trust you can do it , Zinnex , "She said confidently while held her hands on my arm , "Besides , I gotta help you to impress in front of the king and Prince Agrona himself. By Lady Nashira's order." 

Eh-

Wait-

"What do you mean 'By Lady Nashira's orders'?" "She told me that you need a clean since she guessed you had fear over water. So , she asked me to lend a paw , or claw since she knew that I have fear over water." 

"You two are friends?" "I mean , I guess so. She had been a frequent visitor in my parlor." She said innocently.

.....

So she was prepared all along-

Such a scheming Aniture....

must be concerned to be beware of...

"So..are we doing it?"

Agrona's POV

"Ugh , where is she?!" Once again , my brother was looking for his true love again around my office. Ugh , it's like my office was the only place where his mate will be.

Speak about mate , I haven't seen Zinnex for like the entire day. Not to mention , Lady Nashira who would usually spend time with the two of the maidens. She had been quite a busy bee these days since she's a knight and maiden.

"AGRONA! HAD YOU SE-" Once again , my brother kicked down my office door and make my paper flew out the window. "Last time, you made my papers flew around the room. I forgave you for it. BUT! , " I said while smacked my hand on the table hardly , as a dark aura emerged from the ground , "This time , you let my papers flew , OUT OF THE WINDOW!" I roared at him.

"I-I-I'm sorry?" "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'YOU'RE SORRY!? I HAVE SPENT MY ENTIRE AFTERNOON DOING THAT!!! AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU JUST-"

"What's with the roaring , Prince Agrona?" Lady Nashira who appeared nowhere questioned me along side Lady Mihaka. "Love~ Where have you been?~" "Spending time with my sisters , "Lady Mihaka answered Arkadius as she turned to me , "Prince Agrona , are you alright?" "Ask your mate! He knows EVERYTHING! BLOWING MY PAPERS OUT OF MY-"

"Agrona , what are your papers doing outside?" 

I looked at Zinnex who then approached in my office with all my papers in her grasp. "H-How you.." "I'm a cat being. Obviously that I have some skills." She said while passing me the papers. While I was handed with the papers , I sensed..something....very unfamiliar...

I pulled her closer to me as I sniffed her hair. "Lavender..?" "O-Oh , Nana and MIhi took me to Lady Sarima's place to get me a cleanup. I managed to get myself immune to water and 100 percent clean." She said while moved a strand of her hair.

"Why don't you thank your sister-in-law , Arkadius? For bringing my hard works back." I glared at the three of them as they quickly ran out of the room , leaving Zinnex with her mouth opened. I closed the gap of her mouth as I touched her smooth face , smelling her lavender like hair. 

"A-Agrona? I had to go-" "Stay Darling , I need your scent to calm myself from the rage." I hummed in her ear as I placed my lips on her neck , listening to her screams once more.