Merchant Of Cats

Chapter Eleven: Interlude of the Cat

Chapter Eleven: Interlude of the Cats

As soon as Avinel and Elsareth left the room, the smile fell from his face, as if it had been just a mask. Leaning back in his throne, Kavenan could only hunch over and cover his face.

“Is she…” he asked hesitantly.

Roland nodded. Kavenan had always been a smart child, from the moment he heard her name it was obvious that he knew who she was. It wasn’t such an amazing feat, considering he’d been a full sixteen years old when she “disappeared”. And unlike the rest of the royal brats, except perhaps Naelem and Kavenan, she looked like her mother more so than her father.

“She is your sister.”

Kavenan let out a strangled breath, and looked as though he was about to cry. Something that Roland only had the opportunity of seeing twice. Once when his sister and father disappeared and another when his mother left.

“And…She is the One?” Roland nodded again.

“It is not me who thinks so, but that witch Lylcaleif.” he added to show his stance on the matter. “She is your littlest sister, no doubt about that, but that is all I feel to be true. She is weak and meeker than a mouse being hunted. That is why I ask this of you; do not disclose this about her to anyone.”

Kavenan glanced up. His grey eyes wet with tears. “For you, and for Lyla, I promise on my honor as King of Orlion. I promise. Though it pains me. My Elsa…”

Roland looked away. While he enjoyed seeing people cry, he did not enjoy it when it was the usually stoic Kavenan. He respected whelp of a prince that stepped up and became a king his mother and grandfather could be proud of in a way that was utterly foreign to him. It made him uncomfortable.

He knew why Kavenan cried. The girl, barely a toddler when she was kidnapped had been his pride and joy. He doted on her, for she was the only girl that shared his dark looks. Elsareth had been everyone’s joy. Even Roland couldn’t help but fondly remember holding her in his arms as she cooed and smiled at him. Unlike her siblings, she did not cry as he tossed her in the air or yowl as he pinched her cheeks. She only gurgled and smiled. Back then she’d been his favorite, yet that had changed the moment he’d met her again.

She was much too pitiful. So much so that it bore down on him, leaving him nothing but annoyed.

It was wrong. A child whose grandparents were Roseim and Marfa, whose mother was the proud Queen of Light, couldn’t be such a sniveling runt of a thing. And then he was filled with a violent anger. It wasn’t directed towards her intentionally.

And perhaps the reason he’d not recognized her at first glance had been because she lacked the proud bearing of those that shared her blood.

Either way, the girl caused him to feel something he didn’t understand and it bothered him. Roland knew he was a jerk, but when it came to her, it was magnified by ten. He just wanted to torment her, yet he also wanted to protect her. It was so odd.

“Oh, quit crying.” he finally admonished, his voice gruff with annoyance. “She came back, be happy. You may tell your Queen. I’m sure she’ll be delighted that your long lost little sister has been found and she won’t have to hear you whine about it anymore.”

Kavenan laughed and wiped away a tear. “Roland, you are an insufferable ass, but I know, deep, deep- so very deep- down, you say such things because you do care.”

Roland wanted to puke. Like his grandfather, the boy knew him too well and it annoyed him.

“That is a lie and if it was true...” he replied. Kavenan smiled halfheartedly. “You and I are the same, boy.”

“Indeed we are. Why do you think I send Avi to you every time I need to bring you here…” Kavenan grinned deviously. “Because deep down, I care…” and with that, he laughed as loudly as he could. Roland could only grin.