The Cold Northern Princess

chapter six

A Z U L A

CHAPTER SIX:

| rufus |

•••

I nursed him back to health, and I had to stay for the same place for a little while just to make sure he regains his strength.

Rufus, my only and beloved male in my past life, was alive. How? Why? What?

He died when I was sixteen. I died when I was twenty or something.

I was full of questions, and I was so confused but one look at his green eyes made me melt. I decided to screw the questions off and just be glad whatever deity sent him to me. I know for a fact that this cat was my Rufus. He recognized me, and he did what Rufus would do. Walk over me, rub himself to my outstretched palms, and fall asleep. When he woke up, he curled at my neck and nuzzled my cheeks. The last evidence that he was Rufus? He said so himself.

Rufus had always been a smart cat— but if he reincarnated to this world with magic, I think he can understand me far more better than he did in the last life.

"Okay, Rufus," I beamed at the kitten who just curled around the snow, his wound all healed up "one meow means yes and one meow means no, do you understand?"

He didn't respond.

"I'm going to give you a piece of jerky if you follow me on this one, tomcat." His ears perked and he settled on sitting before me.

I scoffed "if that ain't Rufus I'm going to go back to that miserable castle." I cleared my throat "okay, let's start."

He stares at me.

"Are you dead?" Meow meow.

"Are you alive?" He rolled his eyes before meowing. What a sassy kitten.

"Okay, little tomcat–" he glared at me and I grinned, he never did like that nickname "now tell me, are you Rufus or not."

He looked at me as if I was dumb "I meant," I gave him a sheepish smile "You are Rufus?"

Meow.

My eyes watered but I blinked it away, and just smiled. I already believed it was him the first time I saw him but admitting it... Gods. How long have I not seen Rufus?

I gently grabbed Rufus and pulled him towards my chest. I was small, and he was smaller. But we cuddled like it was the sixteen year old me and the adult cat he was.

"I missed you, you dumb cat." I murmured, stroking his fur "you aren't allowed to die, do you hear me?"

Meow.

I giggled "and you better give me lots and lots of kittens— yeow! Rufus!"

This stupid cat, I thought fondly as Rufus glared at me, hissing. This stupid, stupid, stupid cat.

I won't let you die this time.

°°°

Something weird happened.

I was asleep on a tree with Rufus on my chest, and I was dreaming. Rufus was talking. Rufus was calling my name. Rufus was talking.

"Addy."

But that couldn't be possible right?

"Addy, wake up."

Haha, I think I'm getting too much Rufus drug. I was kind of obsessed with him. Which was weird. Because I have never felt obsessed with any of my exes. Never. Huh. Weird

"Addy–"

My Rufus can't be talking. If he talks then that means that—

"Wake."

But that would be really, really, really cute. I mean, if he talks, then he can't have the excuse of having a language barrier. I would so—

"UP!" And then feeling sharp tiny claws slapping on my face, I jolted awake and screamed.

Rufus slapped me in response.

Oh, would you look at that. Rufus does talk.

Awesome.

•••

"So, since when was this 'talking' thing begin?" The fire cracked while Rufus, the currently kitten cat, stretched over the log, yawning "because I swear, Rufus, if you could talk from the beginning and made me look like a fool, I'm gonna—"

"What." Rufus stared at me "Or else what?"

My mind blanked, my mouth dried, while my voice wouldn't come out.

Rufus gave me a smirk which should NOT be on a precious baby kitten's face. I flushed, what am I thinking? I could never scold Rufus unless he was stealing food and even then, I just give it to him afterwards. God, I was such a lapdog to him.

I forgot how much of a jerk my Rufus was...