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The Prince's Plight

Gods... If the children weren't enough now even Reina was teasing and poking at him. Not that he didn't like it of course, he knew the moment he saw his tail and felt his new ears that she'd be all over them in repayment for what he did last night. He was secretly glad she didn't seem to have any problems with the additional appendages, and tilting his head down in an odd manner he let her scratch him and actually purred low and deep in his chest. Snapping his eyes open at the sudden sound and just realizing he had his eyes closed made the blush creeping over his cheeks that much more intense, and yet he wasn't inclined to move away as new instincts were coaxing him to stay right there and enjoy the attention. "Your terrible at consoling someone who's been turned into a cat." Lox murmured, even his voice was colored with that insistent purr that wouldn't go away no matter how hard he willed it. Another new feeling he had was that of her hips and waist he felt through his tail, the thing seemingly had a mind of it's own as it was coiled affectionately around her waist as he glanced down to look at it. "I've lived through quite a lot in my lifetime pup, and I'll live through this no matter how embarrassing it is... I'm just glad your not looking at me as if I were a freak like what most people would do when they see me. At the very least I'm all fixed up but I have a funny feeling I'll be getting into a lot of duels in the future for unsavory bastards who think they'll get away with calling me kitty cat."

Slipping away from her fiendish touch Lox took a peak around the gazebo before gazing up at the edge jutting from the roof longingly. With a thought he jumped up and easily grabbed a hold of the edge before climbing it easily and squatting at the every edge on his feet, looking up at the moon before looking curiously back at Reina. "What do you think that old woman meant by paying off an old god? I think she want's be to chase down people who've been supplying the war effort.... if that's what she means by rats but I can't understand why someone would perpetuate the war for so long just to make profits." The thoughts had his tail weaving and wriggling excitedly behind him as he hopped down from his perch and landed almost completely silent, and when he did gaze into Reina's eyes he wouldn't know until seeing a mirror that his own eyes had narrowed into vertical black slits backed by his red eyes. It was dark out and the moon was not yet full but he could see his lover in every detail regardless of the light, making him gaze more curiously at her as he smiled. "You look far more beautiful with your hair down pup, and you may be able to call me kitty all you want but you'll still always be my cute feisty puppy." Slipping cup closer to her he stole a sweet little kiss from her lips before hugging her gently to his frame, savoring the warmth and softness of her body as his tail wrapped around her waist again. Leading her gently with is left arm around her waist he wandered around the maze with her to work out the restlessness he felt and to drink in her very presence. Something told him in the days to come she would be his only buffer from the insanity of keeping his human traits with feline ones butting in through sheer force.
 
He was purring. Dear gods in heaven he was actually purring! Reina looked up quickly thanking whatever benevolent spirits were looking down on her for this little additive trait of his. "You'll have to excuse me, I don't often have people turn into cats around me." Reina said with a smirk as she continued to scratch him. Feeling something around her waist she looked down to see his tail wrapped around her and with her other hand she patted the fur down gently. He really was a cat and the tail wasn't going to go away anytime soon. Of course she was confused about it all considering up until a couple of minutes ago she had thought stories of witches were only just stories. Yet apparently magic was alive and well and there was enough of it to turn a human into a cat like creature. Still, Reina had seen many things out on the battlefield and after being splattered with blood and watching people brutally slaughtered before your eyes having someone turn into a cat was a welcomed change. "You're not a freak, though it does make you look a little less threatening. I don't know if you can really be considered a mad prince with a fluffy tail." She was chuckling now as she patted the tail again playing with the soft fur. "As long as you're feeling better then you can deal with the words. I'm a woman who has spent most of her time in a male dominated field. A kitty cat isn't the worst you can be called." Though she had no doubt that anyone who called him a kitty cat would end up with a couple of broken bones at the very least.

She watched in awe as he climbed up the edge before squatting on it just like a real cat was. The changes had to be more then just physical if he was acting this way and the witch had said he wouldn't like to be cooped up. What other cat like qualities would he be picking up after this night? "Hm, I'm not really sure. If she's really a witch then I have no idea just what she could be talking about." All this talk of gods and magic were making her head swim and she really couldn't tell the difference between truth and story anymore. Still, what could anyone possibly gain from keeping this war going on more then it already was? People were dying and the land was being damaged far too much to be used later on to grow crops. The only reason she could think of was... Blue eyes lit up as something connected in her mind as Reina swore quickly under her breath. There was a definite chance that they would have something to gain from this war and no doubt Lord Darron had come to that same conclusion earlier when she saw that calm spread over his face. They had come into the castle for the Masquerade and Serena had said they'd be staying for a couple of weeks meaning Reina would have to hide out if she wanted to avoid running in to him again. Dammit, this was bad but she'd have to talk to Lord Darron first before doing something hasty and making this problem even bigger. That was for later though and right now her attention was back on Lox.

"Call me a puppy all you want but you won't see me wagging my tail anytime soon." Pressing closer to him she let him lead her through the maze while he worked out the energy that was no doubt built up inside of him. "So how many other things do you think are going to change because of your kitty qualities? Should I start putting out a saucer of milk for your breakfast? What if I get some catnip?" The grin on her face stretched from ear to ear as she kept teasing him all the more. She was trying to be understanding but there was no way that Reina was going to allow a golden opportunity like this go by without taking advantage of it. "I'm not going to end up with scratch marks on me, am I?" Poor Lox, this teasing wasn't going to stop anytime soon.
 
"Hmph..." Lox grunted gently, not mad when his puppy considering she was basically the only thing keeping him sane as other thoughts were pressing into his mind that weren't present before hand. Literally everything he saw wriggling caught his attention and gods when he saw a small rabbit sit up on it's hind legs and look at him the urge to chase it was so strong that he shuddered gently with his eyes locked onto the little animal. "If you keep this up maybe you will end up with scratch marks on your back. I sure as hell have a lot of urges that I could do very well without but I don't think that witch would have gone so far in changing me if she didn't feel it necessary... She played this off as just adding a pet as her familiar but I can't help but feel nervous. That woman obviously needed something like what I am to do work for her and it bugs me not knowing exactly what she wants me to go after." Even though he hadn't ever been in the maze before in a very short time they were out of it's confines and walking the outer edges of the garden, making Lox even more disturbed because somehow deep down he knew where to go to get out of the confined area. "It's comforting knowing just what your limits are and how far you can push yourself, and while I learned that truly in the recent years it's daunting having to relearn all those things again now that I'm different... I want to run around, chase things I couldn't hope to catch as a human, fight, swim, and climb every climbable thing I come across now and it still might take me years to figure it all out! Old limitations from old injuries are completely gone... and while they may have hindered me before at least I knew where they were! I don't even know if cat nip will drive me out of my mind like it does normal cat's dammit!"

When he realized he was shaking at her side he calmed himself down immediately, falling into the meditation training he had so dearly come to rely on to fully ease the tension and built up energy that threatened to explode. "Thank the gods I'm at the very least still able to calm myself down. Otherwise I wouldn't know if I'd go crazed and start hissing and pouncing every little thing around me." It wasn't going to be easy by any means, and he could only imagine how bad it had been for the witch's other familiars who didn't have a lover by their side to help calm them but he felt truly sad at the thought that some of them had died lovesick for their departed partners. He couldn't imagine losing Reina.... regardless of the short time they had been together his affections for her now bordered on madness. Then again didn't people always say that love was a form on insanity? By the gods if he hadn't had enough form's of mind sickness vying for the prize of either his loss of sanity or death he might just have enough room left in his head to really concentrate on the new him. "If you leave me a saucer of milk anywhere near me I swear you'll be suffering from cat scratch fever before your next heartbeat." Hugging her closer he kissed her temple affectionately as he led them to a quiet part of the gardens so they could sit on a comfortable little bench. "I wonder if I'm still restricted from using any weapons now that I'm technically a cat... hells I wonder if I'll still be considered a prince when my father finds out his son is now some kind of strange feline creature at the beck and call of a full blown witch. If things go south I might really end up as nothing but a common alley cat without a home in the world... but that doesn't mean I'll be your pet kitty cat. I'll be damned if I have to come mewing when you call me to your side."
 
This really wasn't going to be an easy road and he had a lot of work ahead of him. A soldier was trained to know the ins and outs of their body knowing what their limits were and just how far they could push themselves until their breaking point. Yet Lox would have to relearn everything in order to function with a body that was stronger, faster and more agile then his old one. It took years to master oneself but with the urgency that the old witch was talking about Reina doubted they'd have that much time. "I guess the only thing we can do now is just test everything out. There's an obstacle course on the western training grounds that we usually run the new recruits through. There should be enough there for you go at least get a feel for your speed and strength as well as some other traits. I can see about having some of the soldiers set it up for you to try out tomorrow." It wasn't foolproof and wouldn't give him a complete understanding of his strengths but it would give him a baseline to go off of and they could see how it turned out form there. "As for your other habits, well we'll just have to wait and see if they manifest themselves." They were playing a guessing game now with no real direction to go in. The witch hadn't been specific with her purpose for Lox nor with just how much the transformation would change him. Reina really wished the old woman was here right now but she was probably long gone off to do whatever it was that she was trying to do.

"Please don't, I'd really rather not have to find you chasing squirrels in the yard." The girl let out a small chuckle at the thought of Lox on all fours running after squirrels only to have them run up a tree as he hissed at them from below. He could control his temper for now but she wondered just how long that would last when other people started making their opinions known. He wasn't called a beast prince for nothing and cats could be incredibly vicious when they wanted to be. "See, saying things like that only makes me want to do it more." She flashed him a mischievous grin as she leaned into the hug before sitting down next to him on the bench. This was all far too much for one night and they would all need time to process everything before deciding on a plan of action. "That's not true. Even if things go south you do always have a home with me. Lord Darron seems to like you enough and I really would miss teasing you." Tilting her head up she kissed his softly on the cheek before reaching up and scratching his ear. True, their relationship wasn't the least bit orthodox and they were both prone to fits of rage but he'd somehow managed to turn from an enemy to a lover so he'd be welcome to stay with them for as long as he liked. Although this only brought to mind what would happen to them later. The witch had said she'd be making preparations in his kingdom and that eventually he'd have to go to her while Reina would be stuck here or out on the battlefields. "It's been a long night and I have some work to do tomorrow so I think I'm going to turn in. Try not to stay out too late, alright kitten?" Standing up she kissed him once more on the lips before turning away and leaving Lox with his thoughts. The fact that he had managed to navigate the maze on his first time left her feeling a bit unnerved and his earlier shows of agility were making her uneasy. Just how much of him was cat and how much of him was still human? Besides, she really did need to have a word with Lord Darron regarding her little theory.
 
Lox truly didn't want to leave Reina's side at the moment, and as she kissed him and turned away for the evening an almost inconceivable mewl escaped him that sound far to much like a cat not getting the attention of it's master that or had been left unattended for too long. He hoped she hadn't heard it, and worse as he looked down he noticed his tail curled around his own waist as if to console him on his loss... It was hard enough trying to figure out how to navigate the political world without having a twice damned tail with a mind of it's own giving away his inner feelings regardless of if he wanted to or not. Moodily he headed back to his room to turn in himself but along the way he couldn't avoid not running into a few people who looked and murmured behind masks and fans as they eyed his new features and giggled here and there as he passed. But for a lot of them the moment their eyes met his they shied away and fell silent, there was pure viciousness in his slitted eyes as he glared at them all the more amplified by the way his ears had swiveled forward to catch even the slightest murmur or whisper some attempted to get out. The odd thing about it was when he concentrated on any one face or group of people there wasn't a word of their quieted voices that he couldn't make out, perfectly hearing every little worried comment and pleas that they hoped they hadn't offended him somehow. This at least was a perk his new ridiculous ears seemed to have, and their sensitivity unnerved him somewhat as he heard the shuffling of his guards a floor up and down the hall long before he actually rounded the corner and laid eyes on them.

Their faces were worried and nervous, a blessing in comparison to all of the giggling and joking he had heard from the nobles on his way up but a long tired sigh and a nod was enough to let them know he'd live through the night even if he didn't quite want to at the moment. After slipping out of everything accept his boxers Lox curled up under his blanket into a ball smaller than he thought himself physically capable of before drifting off into one disturbing dream after another. That night Lox learned of two more things he had inherited from his feline side that both unnerved him and calmed him simultaneously, the first that he had absolutely no problem sleeping no matter the state of mind he was in and the second being every single time a guard moved, murmured, or changed shifts he'd wake for a few seconds and register it in his sleepy head before going right back to sleep. When morning finally did come he seemed to have suffered no ill affects to the constant rousing through the night and was so well rested he stretched until every bone in his spine popped before reaching back and popping the rest of them manually down to the tip of his tail... Shaking his head at the depravity of it all it took him only a few moments to slip into his cloths and head out for the day with his guards in tow towards the previously mentioned obstacle course Reina had spoken of earlier. He had awoken just as the full day's sun was blooming and found the course currently occupied with new recruits climbing, crawling, and grunting their way through a fairly difficult course with almost a company's worth of other recruit's waiting at the beginning for a arms masters signal.

Walking up to the front he noticed that a second arms master and a scribe were awaiting at the end for each recruit to record their time on the course, and crouching low with a line of extremely nervous looking recruits he waited for the signal of the arms master to begin. When that signal came via whistle, loose dirt showered the recruits behind him as he shot off with his tail wriggling behind him and cleared the first obstacle (A bar that required one to swing up and over before continuing) in a matter of heartbeats. He could hear his own blood thumping in his ears as he cleared a seven foot wall in one jump and heave of his arms, climbed up a rope and rang a bell that was fifteen feet up, jumped to the ground taking off again overtaking two separate groups of recruits farther down the course before finishing with calm even breath's and looking at the two pale faces of the recorders with a questioning look. The scribe scribbled down his name and time before returning to the task of recording the other recruits leaving Lox to go find something else to do while they finished up there. The next thing he found was a huge sparring area where recruits were training with wooden weapons and farther down field trained unit's and veterans were using dulled arms for there paces, for the moment though Lox stood by squatting in the odd manner he seemed to have fallen into watching with his tail sticking out almost straight and the first foot flicking and wriggling as if he were about to pounce something.
 
That night she had managed to catch a couple of hours of sleep before waking up bright and early the next morning, getting dressed and then heading towards Lord Darron's room. In the light of the morning she was able to get a better grasp of what had happened last night and it really dawned on her that Lox had been turned into a cat by a witch. Yet there were still so many questions left unanswered and her mind was in turmoil trying to figure everything out. Standing outside his door she knocked softly before hearing his answer telling her to enter. Pushing it open she saw that the man was already sitting at his desk with papers around him though there was on surprise when he saw her, no doubt he had already figured she'd be paying him a visit soon. "So hows the kitten?" Lord Darron asked with a grin as he pushed his papers aside and looked at her. Reina got her sense of humor from her father and Lord Darron was known to have the sharpest tongue in the kingdom, no doubt he'd be taking a couple of jabs at them. "About as good as you'd expect him to be after being turned part cat. I haven't seen him yet this morning but he mentioned that he wanted to test out his new skills." Reina shook her head as she sat down across from him and started playing with the pen he had on his desk. Ever since she knew him Lord Darron had proven to be one of the most brilliant and difficult minds she'd ever come in contact with. He was respected throughout the continent and was still the one the king called to in times of crisis. He also always seemed to know far more then letting on but wasn't very forthcoming with answers when asked directly. He was a man that preferred leaving bed crumbs instead of just telling you the answer outright.

"So I assume you had the same idea that I did when the old woman was mentioning rats." Even with all of this he still possessed the same calm expression he'd had last night. "Yes, Lord Sydin, who else could possibly profit from all this bloodshed?" The man smiled and nodded his head indicating he had been thinking the same thing. Lord Sydin had been a minor lord and a distant cousin of the Martonis. Yet his land had large steel reserves and over the years he had been supplying almost all the weapons to the army making him one of the richest people in the land. If this war ended then he'd loose much of the trade business he'd accumulated over the years. "Sydin is an ambitious man and there are whispers that he's had his eyes on the throne for quite some time. The King has been watching over him closely but wouldn't dare try to anger him with baseless accusations in fear of rousing his enemies." The man brushed a hand through his hair as he watched Reina with an expression akin to amusement. They both knew all too well how much Lord Sydin wanted power and what he would do in order to get it. He'd been jealous of the position Lord Darron had held for a long time even if he did put on the mask of friendship. He'd been trying to arrange a marriage between his son, Cyrus, and Reina for quite some time knowing that she would eventually inherit all of Lord Darron's land as well as her position as one of the King's favorite. Simple to say that she had opposed this arrangement outright considering every time she was near Cyrus she had to resist the urge to break his nose.

"We won't be able to do anything without proof and Sydin is far too cautious to let his tongue slip. I believe you and Cyrus might have to start spending some more time together." The glare on Reina's face could freeze a man's heart but Lord Darron kept smiling even if death was staring him in the face. Cyrus was an egotistical ass but if anyone was going to crack about what Lord Sydin was up to it would be him. It didn't seem like she had much choice in the matter and would have to play nice with the other man although if he tried to kiss her again she'd bash his head against the walls. Bidding Lord Darron a good day Reina walked out and got some breakfast before stopping by Lox's room. He wasn't there so she decided to check out the training field to see if he had taken her up on the offer to use the obstacle course. She managed to catch sight of him in the sparring area where some of the troops were already training. A small frown crossed her face as she watched one of the battles between two new recruits and it looked as if neither of them even knew how to properly hold a sword. She'd have to have a talk with some of the veterans and see if they could speed up the training processes since this just wouldn't do. Walking up behind Lox she placed a hand on his shoulder before peeking her head out from behind him. "Hey, so how are you doing today?"
 
The area Lox had chosen to spar in was somewhat hidden by a particularly massive obstacle that even now recruits lumbered over with various hazards and such impeding their way, but the moment Reina came close enough for his tail to curl affectionately around her left arm and peek at what he was looking at she would most likely be... agitated to say the least. The entire area in front of him was strewn with various panting, limping, and cursing veterans (the very same one's who would have been drilling the recruits), arms masters, lancers, heavy infantry, and just shy of a whole hoard of recruits leaning on each other or laying flat on the ground in exhaustion. Closer inspection of the field showed signs of pandemonium where broken spears, caved in steel shields, and completely shattered wooden training weapons and shields lying close to everyone but what Lox was looking at currently was a vehemently roaring sergeant shaking red faced in front of a tried and pail captain. "SIR! BY THE GODS CAN YOU PLEASE BEG YONDER LORD TO CEASE?! Please! He may have only asked to spar with a few but the men don't know what that hell cat is capable of!" The captain looked back at the field and if it were possible paled further, speaking calmly to the distressed man in an attempt not to anger Lox but in all actuality he wasn't angry in the least. Just very disturbed. "Sergeant. I understand your feelings but I might remind you that they all chose to spar without second thought, even if he did ask entire groups to go against him but he was fair."

The poor sergeant looked like he was about to explode as he jabbed a finger at the field. "SIR THERE ARE THREE SCORE HERE! GODS IF HE HAD TAKEN OUT EVEN 15 THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH FOR YOU TO FORBID HIM SPARING!" Calming himself once more the man tried with every ounce of his being to relate what had happened. "Sir please! The hell cat doesn't even know his own strength! LOOK AT THE SHIELDS! He shattered the wooden one's with his hands and feet! And the poor bastards that tried to shield bash him got their only cover yanked away! THEY USED A SHIELD WALL AND SPEARS TO CHARGE IN FORMATION AND THE BASTARD JUMPED THEIR SPEARS TO LAY INTO THE PACKED MASS LIKE A CAT AMONGST MICE! MEN LIKE HIM ARE THE REASON WHY WE HAVE ARCHERS GODDAMMIT! Ok... So maybe Lox wasn't the fairest critter to pit against unsuspecting recruits and cocky veterans... they really weren't expecting him to clear the wall of spears and pouncing the first two to clear up a bit of room they didn't have time to draw weapons or even turn properly with how tightly packed they had been. He had found out early in the day that not only was he a lot faster and far more agile but his strength was beyond his scope. Wearing the steel gauntlets and boots he had used during his trials it was only a matter of punching or kicking any shield directly to either dent in a metal one or shatter a wooden one. That along with the fact that his sense of balance was literally instinctive now he could deliver said strikes from standing, crouching, ore even airborne because something internal knew just how to throw his weight so he'd always land on his feet.

A banging sounded across the field where a group of recruits near the end of their training were gathered into a perfect column of shields and spears matched in step towards Lox, and with a flick to free his tail from Reina's arm Lox was streaking across the field to the roaring and hair pulling of the sergeant. "BY THE GODS NO! THOSE ARE THE RECRUIT ACES!" Skidding to a halt in front of the still column Lox crouched in front of them with his head cocked ever so slightly to the side looking at the nervous but resolute soon to be soldiers. They kept themselves locked together in a tight formation and had every angle towards Lox covered by a spear and shield but he didn't move and only gazed at them questioningly. The thing that happened next would have made any normal person who hadn't known what was going on collapse with laughter, because a long, low, and very inquisitive mrowl issued from him for everyone to see and hear. One of the recruit's burst out laughing and jabbed his spear at him in an attempt to skewer his shoulder, but moving faster than a human had any right moving Lox shifted to the left, snatched the weapons haft with his right hand, and with his free hand and feet planted jerked the recruit forward so violently that he knocked the other two recruits aside as he fell forward. What happened next was exactly how the sergeant explained the situation earlier, because Lox literally pounced at the small hole in the two man line and the sound of wood and the clanking of a mailed fist smashing into solid steel filled the air. There was no hop of the recruits, they couldn't pull their weapons free in time to defend themselves and being recruits the ones who tried to get distance along the edges turned their backs on him and suffered greatly for it. Whenever Lox downed one or stunned another with a kick or punch he yanked the discarded shields away and hurled them into the legs of the fleeing ones, finally within a span of a few unthinkable seconds he ran down the last one who was simply fleeing and pounced him from behind bearing him to the ground before crouching on top of him.

Shifting off when he realized the lad was unconscious he looked about at a repeated scene that was all around him before looking back at the stunned captain and the nearly crying sergeant.
 
To say that she was angry would be putting things lightly, Reina could honestly feel her blood boil as she viewed the scene before her. A good group of her soldiers were lying on the ground bruised and broken with more then a few of them knocked unconscious after sparring with Lox. The captain was trying to pull everything together and the sergeant looked as if he was about a second away from literally losing his mind. The fact that Lox had been the cause of all of this chaos didn't go unnoticed to her as she watched him knock down the last group of recruits as if they were a house of cards. She ran a hand angrily through her hair as she resisted the urge to start pulling it with everything that was going on. Lox as a normal human had been challenging enough when they first met but now that he was part feline it seemed like all hell had broken loose and she was the one who was going to have to try and restore some order. "ENOUGH ALREADY!" Reina yelled at the top of her lungs as she marched over to the group stirring attention to all those who were still conscious. She was still in charge of the troops dammit and now that there was fire in her eyes they made sure to stop their groaning and listen lest they anger her any more. Reina's fury was legendary and one of the first things the new recruits learned was that when the Knight was seething, it was best to pray to whatever gods you held dear that you weren't the object of her anger. Is such was the case then the only thing you could do was hope that you had all your affairs in order and that the punishment would be swift.

"I WANT EVERYONE'S ATTENTION RIGHT NOW!" Her voice carried through the open field and even the troops who had been groaning on the ground were now sitting up and giving nervous gazes at each other. "All of you who are hurt are to report to the infirmary immediately and make sure to take care of your wounds. After that you will get your asses back on this field and train twice as hard as you were before. What happened here won't be forgive and as troops of the King's army you should have never let your defenses down for even a minute. You'll be encountering all sorts of enemies that you aren't prepared for so you should be on your toes at all times and be ready to switch up strategies in the heat of battle. Get your wounds checked and then get back here because you'll be running exercises until you're puking." There wasn't any room for questions in her voice as the men started dragging themselves up and limping towards the infirmary to make sure there wasn't going to be any lasting damage. "As for you idiots!" Fiery blue eyes turned to the recruit aces who had been knocked down last. "Know when you are going to lose. You obviously saw what he did to the rest and yet you still decided to act foolhardy and try to take him on anyway with the same strategy that had failed before. A man who doesn't know his limits is a dead man." A few of them nodded their heads nervously as they backed away from the woman. She was in her military mode now and she wasn't about to take any prisoners.

"As for you..." Turning her head she wheeled around to face Lox with the anger still obviously evident as her tone was dangerously low. "I gave you permission to use the obstacle course but I didn't say anything about knocking around my troops like they were straw dolls. Going up against recruits and a handful of veterans isn't the way to test yourself." These were still her troops that she trained next to every day and Reina was deadly protective over them. This little incident only served to remind her that Lox had killed quite a few of the men she called her friends and that wasn't a memory that was going to fade any time soon. Yes he was confused and wanted to know more about the body he found himself in but that didn't mean he could have his way knocking about her men. "Now I get the pleasure of explaining to the King why so many of his forces are going to be visiting the nurse. When you act up it's my head on the chopping block and I'm the one whose going to get punished." Technically he was still her 'slave' which meant he her responsibility. The King wouldn't go as far as to offend the enemy kingdom by hurting their prince but Reina would be punished for his folly and for the fact that the troops were ill prepared. This really wasn't a headache she needed right now and with everything else this was only souring her mood more and more.

Turning around the Knight left them without a word as she tried to calm herself down. She was practically seething right now and she knew her temper all too well to know that if she stayed anywhere near them something bad was going to happen. She needed to collect her thoughts and report this all back to the king when she was finally calmed.
 
Lox wasn't able to even get an apology out to her before she turned and left, moving to help the injured men up and either helping or carrying those who couldn't walk themselves all the way to the infirmary. With a majority of the nurses rushing about it wasn't hard to keep his mind occupied as he assisted with splints, slings, and very few bandages were wooden shards had caused gashes. All in all though there were only two who wouldn't see action for a few months with the rest of them having various collections of bruises, and some who were still knocked out yet were uninjured otherwise. Collecting the reports and bringing them back to the captain himself he helped some of the recruits clear the field of broken practice weapons and some shields that would be melted down for metal due to the extent of the damage. After everything was said and done the only real losses were the practice weapons that were easily replaced, that and Lox's own wariness and sorrow at angering Reina so thoroughly. It was still before noon and though he ached to go see his puppy at the same time he was extremely wary and even avoided her altogether through out the rest of the day. The few times he did see her were fleeting, because the moment he recognized her he'd turn around and leave in manners now available to him thanks to the witch. Last time he saw her turn a corner was up close to his room going down a narrow corridor with his normal guards following quietly behind, and with no where to go he looked out the window to find a braided cord of steel above the window outside that led out across the lawn to the towers, giving those guards a means of escape should something happen. Slipping out onto the edge it took moments for him to grab the cable, haul himself up it and climb higher until he was standing on it.

He would have considered hiding there but there wasn't any way Reina wouldn't have recognized him so with quick steps he fell into his instincts and allowed them to guide his body as he jogged along the cable thirty feet from the ground. Behind him Lox heard a call from one of his guards but ignored it as he crossed the distance and hopped down on the castle ramparts and went streaking away until he was absolutely sure Reina would have no idea where he went. Making his way around the ramparts Lox found a particularly easy portion of wall to climb on the castle's main building and started his assent, climbing higher and higher until he was a good ways off the ground and sitting on the edge of a window that he opened to keep his ears open for anyone coming up behind him. Sitting there alone and brooding he wondered what the next conversation with his puppy would be like when he did stop avoiding her, eventually when she desired to find him she would catch him somehow but with their tempers he honestly thought about making her wait by eluding her men until he felt like talking. He had honestly tried his best not to hurt too many men but the moment his blood got pumping his mind went away and was replaced by something else entirely. He didn't so much as think about what he wanted to do but simply dropped everything else on his mind and allowed newer and far more savage instincts to control his movements. He barely had enough control over them to keep from physically killing the other men he had been sparring against, though it seemed that he wasn't able to control himself enough to keep Reina happy at all. As depressed as he was, the loneliness of being so far away from his puppy might have been even worse as he gazed out at the country side and thought things through a while longer. It wasn't until much later that music began drifting from Lox's piano (It was disturbingly easy for him to simply climb down into his own room) and after the tiniest peak inside by his guards they closed the door to leave him be. The more he played the more his mind seemed to tear itself between evading Reina or waiting here for her knowing she would be by eventually.
 
The rest of the day Reina found herself running around the castle completing the different errands she had been putting off. The King was obviously displeased by what happened and she'd spent an hour in his chambers listening to him berate her over not having the soldiers trained properly. The old woman might want to end this war but right now there were still battles going on and there would be many more if his soldiers weren't up to par. Needless to say she was happy to finally be out of there even if her head was still hurting and she was still far too annoyed to be bothered. The rest of the day passed in almost a blur but there had been quite a few times where she could have sworn she saw a flash of white before it disappeared in the blink of an eye. Maybe she really did miss Lox and her mind was playing tricks on her trying to get her to admit it. The girl brushed a hand through her hair and only shook her head as she went about the rest of her work trying to get everything in order. She might miss him but she was still fairly angry and Reina wasn't one to forgive and forget. Along with her anger came a fairly nasty trait of holding onto things and plotting revenge which, while it might serve her well on the battlefield, only served to make her personal life quite a bit hectic. Lord Darron could be seen visibly shuddering when he thought back to the handful of times he had riled up the girl so bad that she felt the need to get payback for what happened. Still, in time she would cool and the busier she was kept the less angry she got.

By mid afternoon she had managed to gather the reports from the infirmary and was at least happy to know that most of the recruits had only suffered slight damages. Her anger had ebbed for the most part and when she heard the music coming through his window Reina had made up her mind to visit Lox if it wasn't for the obstacle that had jumped in her path and had her falling to the ground. "Hey, watch it." The woman barked as she rubbed her nose only to look up and feel a sense of dread washing over her. Standing right above her with that same smirk he always wore was Cyrus Sydin, the very devil they had been talking about earlier. "Hello Reina, I've been trying to find you all day. One would think you were going out of your way to avoid me." The man let out a chuckle as he reached his hand down and pulled her to her feet. Cyrus was, by every definition, the idea of the perfect fairytale hero. Handsome, wealthy, never at a loss for words and seemed to have a charm that automatically drew people to him. If it wasn't for the fact that he was a smug bastard who was more worried about his appearance then the state of their kingdom then Reina might not feel sick to her stomach every time she saw him. As it stood though, he was exactly those things and more which only made the girl kick herself for walking into him. "No Cyrus, whatever would make you think I was avoiding you..." Her tone carried quite a bit of sarcasm as she brushed the dirt off her shirt before her eyes looked up to meet his own blue ones.

"Call it a hunch dear, from what I've heard you've had a lot on your plate lately." The man brushed back a strand of blond hair as he flashed her the same smile he used to charm quite a few women. This one in particular only rolled her eyes as she tried to think up a way to escape spending more time with him. Sadly, it didn't seem like she had many options to her and Cyrus wasn't the type to give up easily. If he wanted to spend time with her then it seemed as if Reina wouldn't have much choice in the matter. "Since your done with your work for the day why don't you join me for a walk? We have a lot to catch up on and I really have missed your company. So, oh great knight, will you do me the honor of your company?" With that he actually gave her a low bow before taking her hand in his own and kissing it. The girl had to use every ounce of self restraint to not pull her hand away and recoil in disgust. On one hand, getting closer to Cyrus would mean getting closer to his father and finding out just what the man was up to. On the other hand, this would mean actually spending time with Cyrus while fighting every urge she had to break his nose. Breathing deeply the woman knew when she was bested and her sense of duty overtook her sense of disgust. Relenting, she let him take hold of her hand and lead her through the gardens on the pretense of a walk.
 
Lox had played for as long as he could stand, it was only after his own longing overruled his own stubbornness (A feat that sometimes took years for him.) he departed the safety of his room and told his guards that he was going to look for Reina alone. Most of them paled and looked about to resist, but then again most of them were present when he decided he didn't want to run into his puppy and opted to traverse a wire instead. Slipping easily and silently out of his window, he knew somehow that within the next half hour it would be full night and he wanted to catch Reina before she headed off to bed to apologize. Gods he was acting like a love sick kitten looking for it's master, and while that thought agitated him to no end he couldn't deny the need to have his puppy back at his side, even if it did mean a brow beating from her. He had no idea where she was at the moment, but to begin his search he headed towards the huge maze to see if she was there to get some alone time and slipped by a few servants tending the gardens around the maze without being noticed. Once more he let his instincts guide him through the winding maze and didn't question how exactly he knew how to get in and out so that he was "outside" but right before he was about to round a corner he stopped dead in his tracks and froze.

His sense of smell was starting to get extremely sensitive just as the old coot had told him his senses would improve, and they had because he could make out the scent of his Reina which always smelled clean, soapy, and the scent of her hair. But there was someone else with her, a male someone that wasn't anyone he knew so silently he continued forward but with quite a bit more caution. He smelled them before he could actually hear them but they weren't too far up ahead of him, even if they weren't speaking in normal tones he could make out Reina's voice but not the other one who he now confirmed was another man. Taking a sprinting start, Lox approached the fenced in center and jumped the eight feet to snag the edge, pulling himself up and sitting on his heels looked down at Reina sitting on a bench talking to some noble. For an instant he didn't move or breath, and the sound of him grabbing the fence edge drawing their attention Lox looked down into the blue eyes of the blond who was talking to his puppy. That was about the time his normal thinking mind was promptly shoved aside by something extremely powerful and terribly pissed off, his pupils narrowed viciously into vertical slits and his tail started lashing back and forth as the fur puffed out in hatred and spite. Something told him that this man, this bastard, was trying to take Reina away from him and worse yet what was currently occupying his normal rational mind was screaming a single line of thought that made his ears ring. ("He's stealing your mate, and marking his territory."
 
She nodded absentmindedly, only listening with one ear as to what Cyrus had to say as he led her through the maze. Last she had actually focused he had been talking about the last vacation they took to their summer home in the country and how one of the servants had spilled wine on his trousers. The more he talked the more Reina found herself missing that soft white hair and those devious crimson eyes. She and Lox would never really be at peace with one another, their tempers simply wouldn't allow them to live an argument free life. No doubt they would clash time and time again and the teasing would only increase in volume as they tried to get under the others skin but she'd have that a thousand times over then the charmed life Cyrus was speaking of. They were two distinct and powerful forces who would clash time and time again into either something utterly terrible or wonderful and Reina realized that was exactly how she liked it. With Lox nothing was a given and she was starting to feel this annoying nagging guilt in the pit of her stomach over getting angry at him so quickly. He had been wrong in her eyes but he was still adjusting to this animalistic quality that was now flowing through his blood making him act more on instinct then on rationality. As soon as she could get rid of Cyrus she was going to have to hunt down Lox and work all of this out.

Though leave it to the kitten to do all the hard work for her. Hearing a sound behind them the pair looked over their shoulders to see Lox on the fence's edge with the most terrifying gaze she had ever seen. Cyrus visibly recoiled as if he had seen a monster and had actually gotten off the bench while looking quite a bit whiter in the face. "Wha...what is that thing!" The man shirked, yes shrieked, as he pointed an outstretched finger towards Lox. Reina felt her fist clench at the idea of Lox being called a thing although from this vantage point he did look quite a bit less then human. There was something distinctly predatory in his eyes like a wild tiger ready to pounce on something that had been foolish enough to stumble onto its territory. In the fading sunlight he looked every bit the animal burning with anger and Reina actually felt herself shiver a bit as her eyes met his. The witch had said she was making him a cat but did that mean he had lost a part of his humanity in the process? "He is prince Lox and he is going to get off that damned fence right now." Reina explained as calmly as possible as she got up off the bench and started walking towards Lox. "Wait Reina, I'll protect you." He couldn't possibly be serious. The man was shaking like a leaf just from the sight of Lox and he looked about a second away from fainting right where he stood. Shaking her head the woman walked past him and waited for Lox to get down before she grabbed onto his wrist and started pulling him away. "Good night Cyrus." She called over her shoulder as she all but dragged Lox from the very frightened man. "Bad Kitty, you shouldn't scare people even if they complete idiots." She chided once they were far enough away for Cyrus to not hear them.
 
Lox was led away even though his eyes never left whatever noble had been with Reina, and though Lox heard her he wasn't actually processing what she was saying at the moment. Following her without question or word she he let her lead him along by the wrist but noticed faintly that his guards looked pale and jumpy... otherwise he felt the door close behind him and realized that his tail had snagged the handle to close it for him. At that point instinct took over again because the moment Reina let go of his wrist and turned to face him he literally pounced on top of her and brought her down on the bed with the slightest thump, his hands and knees on either side of her to keep from harming his lover as she fell back but he was stock still as he looked into her eyes. He had always loved her eyes and the fire mixed with affection that could burn in them at times, though his own eyes were still vehemently slitted they softened ever so gently as he dipped his head to kiss her cheek. "Reina... I'm yours for as long as you'll have me and if you choose to go your own way I will never hold it against you. But as long as your my lover, you will always be mine... No one will have you if your my mate, and be they noble, demons, or gods I will kill any soul who would try to take you from me." It was at that time that Lox realized his ears had been locked back in a predatory way and felt them droop with the warmth he felt so close to his sweet puppy, and looking her in the eyes once more he kissed her lips gently as his tail coiled around her right wrist as if it were afraid she'd leave.

"I'm sorry for what happened earlier this morning lover, I did my best to make sure I didn't harm anyone too badly but I will try harder and refuse to spar until I'm sure just how much damage I can do now." Reluctantly he slipped to the side of her and wrapped his hands around her waist to pick her up, holding her against his own frame as he sat and dipped his head to softly kiss her neck. He still felt a hot streak of hatred for that man in the gardens, but with her so close and in his arms he felt more warm and affectionate than before as his instincts shifted to attending his lover. It seemed that his own volatile emotions were being made even more dangerous by his new found instincts, and now he was starting to view the world differently as well considering Reina his mate and also his own territory which probably wouldn't go over too well with her. He had a lot of work ahead of him but he at the moment he was just happy with her against his chest and her intoxicating scent making his head fuzzy and warm with affection. "That man back there... He's some kind of nobility visiting isn't he? I can't imagine not meeting someone like him earlier if he had always been around but I don't like him. I don't like him one bit." His tail had uncoiled from her wrist and was lashing back and forth behind him at the mere thought of the blond haired cowered and just how he quivered like a leaf at the very sight of him... "Can I use him as a scratching post?" It was probably the first time he had ever said anything joking about his new cat like self but the infliction in his voice was enough for anyone to realize he was being dead serious.
 
She'd never be able to get used to him basically jumping on her though at least this time there was no dagger involved. It was funny to see how his ears and tail reacted depending on his emotions. Lox had never really been one to hide when he was angry or annoyed but the way his tail twitched and his ears were flattened against his head it only made his feelings all that clearer. "You know...you make it awfully difficult to stay mad at you for long." The girl said with a sigh as a smile tugged on her lips. He was still obviously angry by what happened but at least he had managed to control himself enough not to attack Cyrus then and there. She shuddered to think what would have happened if she hadn't pulled him away and if the two had been alone. No doubt there would be streaks of red against the green grass of the garden. She leaned her head against his shoulder and placed a small kiss on his neck before gently taking hold of the twitching tail and started to pat down the fur that was sticking up. Hearing his heartbeat she had trouble remembering just why she was mad at him in the first place. He hadn't meant to hurt anyone and luckily the damage was minor at best. Besides, how could she stay mad when he was acting just like an aggravated kitten who had their favorite toy taken away by someone else. Reina turned her head as she struggled to keep in a chuckle at the thought of Lox playing with a ball of yarn. "It's fine, we just have to be a lot more careful until you have a better understanding of yourself."

"Yes, he is a visiting noble. His family owns a lot of land down south and they came here for the masquerade. His name is Cyrus and while he's annoying he's usually pretty harmless." Cyrus was far too worried about getting stains on his clothing to ever actually go out and hurt anyone. "As much as I'd like to give you permission, you can't use him as a scratching post. Cyrus might be a dolt but his father isn't someone to take lightly and he wouldn't like it if his son was cut to ribbons." Though she did have to admit that the idea of Lox using Cyrus to sharpen his claws on did make her feel a lot better then she had all day. Looking up at him she let go of his tail before putting her lets on either side of him and standing on her knees so they were eye level. "I wonder just how much is going to change now that you have this form. Obviously your sense have gotten stronger as well as your agility and speed. I wonder what other kind of kitty cat habits you might have inherited." Laughing, she leaned in and placed a kiss on his forehead as she scratched his ears, mindful of the soft fur that brushed along her fingers. "Am I going to walk in here one day and find you grooming yourself or chasing around a ball of yarn?" For all the puppy digs she had taken earlier she planned on returning them to him ten fold. Reina really would have to locate a ball of yarn sometime soon and roll it in front of Lox just to see what would happen.
 
Lox thought about her question and honestly couldn't give her a straight answer. There were times when his mind seemed to take a break and pure instincts took over that were both terrifying and elating at the same time, regardless of what actions he might take under those conditions. Leaning back to lay comfortably on the bed with his puppy in his arms Lox thought about it more as the tip of his tail twitched at his side and against her leg. "I really can't say what else the witch changed to be honest... It's true I'm faster and more limber than I used to be but while I was strong before I couldn't ever hope to break those wooden shields with one hand... or even scratch the metal ones. I'm not particularly sad anymore about being this way considering all the new things I'm finding out but it's frustrating and unnerving not being able to gauge myself. How long before I punch or kick something that's really going to break my hand or foot? Worse I'm worried about what exactly I'm meant to do like this to begin with. That old coot didn't make me the way I am for no reason, and while I used to enjoy gauging my enemies from afar I don't have that luxury any more... The grandma made me this way to pit against something that "needed" to be this fast and this hard to kill. That's what worries me the most." Once more Lox's tail found it's way around Reina's right wrist and coiled it's way up her arm still twitching gently at the tip while he hugged her closer and affectionately nuzzled her soft hair.

"If you toss a ball of yarn in front of me and I do end up chasing it then be prepared because I'm jumping you on the spot and coiling that yarn around you until it takes swords to free you." He threatened as he rested his cheek gently against her head, allowing his mind to drift sleepily in the warm and scent he received from his lover. The one thing that he didn't realize was the extreme fatigue that seemed to creep up over him without his notice, and when his eyes began to droop and his yawning intensified he actually started to drift to sleep as he held her close against his body. A terrible mistake though because while it was hard to hear due to how low the sound was, the way his chest ever so slightly vibrated proved that the sound coming from him was actually a very low purr as he murmured sleepily to her with his voice colored in that warm and loving sound. "Whatever happens I plan to meet it when it does come but for now I'm happy just staying the way I am right now with you little puppy... and you'll pay... for that bad kitty comment.... sooner or later..." After but a few more moments he was sleeping fitfully still purring in that low and easily missed way but he'd pay for doing such a thing later with his puppy lying against him. There wasn't any escaping such a heinous slip up with a terrible berating he'd give himself tomorrow but for now he was just a happy kitty sleeping against his lover's side.
 
It seemed she wasn't going to have much choice in her sleeping quarters tonight either as Lox held her close while he drifted off to sleep. Reina contemplated just sneaking away to get some work done until she felt the soft vibrations of his chest and heard the low purring leaving him. The grin on her face was almost maniacal as she looked up at him and had to put a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling and waking up. Never once had she imagined she would hear the mad prince purring in his sleep just like a happy kitten. Reina had already made up her mind that she was never going to allow him to live this moment down and would do everything she could to illicit more purrs of content from the wary prince. "Well see about that kitten." The girl said more to herself then anyone else as she pulled the blanket over them before settling herself next to his side. This was a delicate situation but that didn't mean she couldn't find some amusement in it. Things were going to be rough the next couple of days while Lox became accustomed to his new form and they set about hunting down whatever rats they could find. No doubt the witch would make her presence known when the time came and Reina was more then a little worried about what would require Lox to change into this form instead of maintaining his normal human one. It wasn't everyday that someone became part cat and she had a feeling there was far more to this story then any of them knew. This war had been going on for far too long and even she wasn't completely clear on what caused it and what kept it going.

Sighing slightly she moved closer to the man beside her so she could feel the calming vibrations that let her know that for right now they were okay. Her own eyes started to droop as she listened to the rhythmic purring as it started to carry her off to sleep. Tonight they could at least have a calm night without witches and fighting though tomorrow she was going to take every opportunity to make Lox blush from his ears to his tail about the habits he had picked up. Already she was running through where she could possibly get some milk and some catnip just to see what would happen. Falling sleep the night didn't pass as peacefully as it had last time with Reina twisting and turning in her sleep. Her dreams were plagued with cats and rats chasing each other over the floors while the old woman sat in the corner laughing at the chaos. Her mind was trying its hardest to process everything that had happened over the past few days but for the life of her she couldn't make heads or tails of it all. Even as she slept her grip on Lox tightened just to make sure that he was still there and that he was alright. It was strange how much her emotions for him had changed since they first met and the hatred had grown into a protective feeling and a caring that had her worried to her core. Whatever it was that was going to come, only one thing was certain for her; she wouldn't let anyone else have Lox without a fight.
 
Lox's sleep was also disturbed but not because of mad dreams but due to the new habit he had of waking up at the slightest noises or movements within proximity of hearing, touch, or scent. Of course he roused when he heard the guards murmuring and shuffling about but his poor puppy was tossing and turning in the midst of troubling dreams. Whenever he felt his lover start shifting and even moaning out gently he would pull her closer and affectionately kiss her forehead, stroking her soft hair and without knowing purring more insistently in his half sleep to sooth her until she settled down. It seemed that though he wasn't conscientiously aware of doing these things the new instincts that were making themselves more assertive as time passed were just as concerned with Reina's well being as Lox was as his mind drifted in limbo. Strangely enough no matter how many times Lox actually woke to whatever tiny disturbance intruded in his territory, he was never exhausted in the morning though this particular morning wasn't going to be a very good one from him. It seemed that cats had a knack for usually waking up at certain times if they were alone like he had just as the sun started rising the day before, but he had went to sleep with his lover and woke in a much more slow and blissfully warm manner he couldn't recall having in his life.

The problem as it were he was still half asleep when his body and instincts started pushing him into wakefulness and were also doing things that he'd dearly regret later on as he snuggled closer to his lover. Dipping his had and turning it to the side he began nuzzling his soft ear against Reina's cheek to coax her out of sleep, gently kissing her shoulder and even going so far as to poke his tongue out to lick her shoulder and neck in the exact same manner any loyal cat would nuzzle and lick their masters into wakefulness. The thing was Reina was his lover, an extremely devious and tormenting one that would give him utter and total hell were she awake to realize what he was doing. And to top off the travesty of giving his puppy such potent weapons to ridicule him it wasn't any of these acts that actually woke him up fully... It was the now very loud and insistent purring he was doing as he nuzzled at her cheek and neck with the fur of his ear. Two separate lightning bolts shot through his body as the first came with the realization of what he was doing prompting him to murmur as quietly as possible "what in the nine hells am I doing...." The second and by far the most devastating was the way he felt Reina shift in their embrace and actually sigh with utter contentment... as well as total victory and cluing him in on her wakefulness for at least some part of the travesty. By the gods, why in the hell did he have to fall asleep snuggled up to her?
 
Reina was, to her core, not a bad person but she was also a person who knew never to pass up a golden opportunity when it right in front of her. So when she felt something furry brush up against her cheek and felt something wet and rough along her shoulder she couldn't help but be roused from her slumber only to see Lox next to her acting almost every part the cat he was becoming. She was going to say something but the sight of Lox nuzzling against her purring like a pampered little kitten was just too much for her and she was going to enjoy this moment for as long as she could. Of course the moment couldn't last forever and Lox finally seemed to realize just what he was doing as he murmured to himself before finally looking up at her so they could lock eyes. The look on Reina's face would freeze a man's blood as her grin spread from ear to ear while her eyes shone with a mischief which only spelled trouble for Lox. "Mm, I believe you were trying to wake me up, right kitten?" Reina was smirking as she reached over and scratched his ear while her eyes roamed over the room looking for something specific. There was a plot forming in her mind and she still wanted revenge for the little bath incident that had happened a couple of days ago. Lox had had his fun and it was time for Reina to join in.

Looking down on her wrist she could see that she still had some bindings tied around it from this morning when her sleeve had been coming loose. Before he could react she was on top of him straddling his waist with her legs on either side of him. "You know, you are just so adorable when you make those noises." Grinning she leaned down and kissed him while her hands traveled up his arms and pushed them back so they were over his head. Still kissing Lox she undid the binding on her wrist and quickly tied his hands above his head and around the headboard so he couldn't use them. The binds weren't tight and wouldn't hurt but they would be a pain in the ass to undo by himself. Reina had become a master of tying knots when she was younger and wanted to mess with some of the older women who kept yelling at her to be quiet and behave like a proper lady. It was amazing what could happen when you tied the back of a woman's dress to a doorknob and watched her try walking down the stairs. Lox might have had the advantage over her considering his size and strength but now that he was all but tied to the bed she could finally have some fun without having to worry about him flipping the tables on her.

Pulling away from him she was looking down smirking as she gave a small tug on the knot making sure it wasn't budging. "You know, I think it's very important we find out all the little things that make you purr. After all, you wanted to know more about your new body, right? And what if you are in the middle of an enemy camp and start purring by accident giving your position away? No, we really do need to find all those special spots." Lox probably hadn't been expecting this when he had woken her up but Reina was unpredictable in the morning. Leaning back down she started sucking and nipping at his neck as her hands traveled under his shirt tracing over his flesh feeling the contours of his body. Her lips moved down his neck and over his collar bone as she listened for any other signs of enjoyment or purring.
 
This surely wasn't going to be a good day in the advancement of his dominance in their relationship, being the one on top was very difficult when other instincts were making him wriggle and squirm under the soft affections of his devious lover. He hadn't been expecting to be tied to his own bed, and while he could break it with a bit of work he couldn't do it with her on top of him doing those unthinkably wondrous things. To his utter disdain and self loathing, she did illicit a sound from him that wasn't quite like unlike a purr. It was something between a purr and a mrowl as he squirmed and tried to think of something to do before things got out of hand. Luckily for him he didn't have to actually think for his tail to do whatever it seemed it wanted to because with a easy slip between her trousers, it had slipped between her legs and pressed firmly against her sex. Realizing this Lox concentrated on it and tried to maneuver his extra hand and found that he did indeed get it underneath her underwear, sliding a good foot of the soft silky fur against her bare sex. "You won't get away with this without a fight..." He said between soft little purrs, even as his tail did something of a dance as it wriggled and slid against that sensitive spot. Unfortunately for Reina, he thought of something that hadn't occurred to him since the days he had turned into a cat, and since he was so cat like why not give it a try?

If his tail wasn't occupying her enough, Lox looked up into her eyes and drew his legs up slightly and tried bending them in a way he hadn't thought possible. It seemed he had inherited a portion of a cat's flexibility because he was able to slip the tops of his feet against her stomach and literally push her off to flop back against the bed with a soft little thump. With a harsh crack Lox didn't even think as he yanked his arms as hard as he could and snapped the wood he was bound to and was on top of her in the next heartbeat looking down into her eyes with a devious smile and slitted pupils. "There are more than a few things I can think of dear lover that could produce quite a few lovely noises from those lovely lips. To think that my instincts would so affectionately wake you up in the morning only to be turned on and tied down to my own bed... naughty puppy..." Slipping his hands down to her hips and beneath her trousers he smiled all the more deviously as he caressed her bare hips, his tail slipping away to gently tease her arm as he slowly shifted upwards and started pushing her shirt up. He was finding quite a few more uses for his new appendage as he lightly stroked her exposed stomach with the tip, leaning down to give her his own sweet kiss but making sure his hands were firmly enough against her delicate flesh just in case she decided to do something about his incentive.

Unfortunately what would have happened next was left to their imagination as there was a slight commotion at the door before it opened inward to allow Lord Darron himself with a few very pail looking guards peeking in looking ashamed. At this time both Lox and Reina were staring at the man as he took it seemed to take a moment for his brain to comprehend that yes Lox was currently on top of his daughter, his hands pushing her blouse up, and his tail was teasing her stomach with it's tip even now without his command. Blinking owlishly at the two of them the Lord did an about face with a stunning amount of crispness and promptly left with the sound of him cracking up in laughter just before the guards slammed the door shut to give them privacy once more. Not that it mattered though it looked like today wasn't going to be such a very good day either.....
 
That damnable tail. It had been hard enough fighting with Lox over dominance when he had been simply human and merely towered over her but now that he had cat like features she was finding it a thousand times more difficult. Reina had had enough of a time simply worrying about his hands being kept in place but now she also had a very touchy and soft tail that she would have to keep an eye on as well. Her plan had been for naught as the girl felt herself landing on the bed before the sounds of cracking wood caught her attention and made her realize that Lox had come loose. The bindings hadn't been terribly strong to begin with but she hadn't thought he'd be able to snap them so easily. She was going to have to learn not to underestimate him in any regards if she ever wanted to match him again. "Well it's not as if I have a whole lot of choice in the matter. You're already bigger then me and now you have your kitty cat traits so there's only so much I can do to level the playing field." Reina pouted as she looked up at him. This morning was shaping up to mean trouble for her and as much as she would have liked to see what other spots made him purr it didn't seem as if she'd have the opportunity.

By some twisted miracle she was saved by an amused Lord Darron who she could still hear laughing as he left them to their peace. "You'd think he'd have learned to knock by now." Reina muttered as she watched the closed door. He might have found this funny now but the first time he had ever caught her with a boy he had been decidedly less then amused. The man had been the picture of an overprotective father and had threatened to have the youth beheaded if he came near his daughter again. He had managed to cool off over the years and instead of reacting in rage as he first had he now found endless amusement in bother his daughter about her love life and teasing her every chance he had. No doubt he'd be doing more of that when she next saw him and she did feel sorry for Lox if he happened to find himself alone with the Lord since he wasn't use to the other man's teasing. "Bastard will probably be laughing about this all day." Reina said with a sigh of defeat as she turned her head back to Lox. Well, at least that had managed to distract him enough so his hold on her wasn't as strong.

Sitting up Reina pulled her shirt down and ran a hand through her hair. She wasn't going to get the upper hand by attacking him outright and would have to be more creative in the future. "Well, I suppose this is an effective wake up call. I definitely wide awake now." Grinning, she kissed his cheek already plotting on where she could get some catnip and a ball of yarn. She couldn't help but scratch his ear again blinking slowly from the light that was growing brighter in their room. "Just remember kitty, this isn't over so watch your back." Reina flashed him her own grin before wondering just what this day would have in store for them.
 
Lox actually mrowled in a somewhat lazy and slightly agitated way before flopping down on top of her gently enough not to hurt her but just enough to squish her into the bed as he nipped at the lobe of her ear and wormed his hands back under her shirt to gently caress her back. "And you think I'd just brush off your father walking in on us getting frisky with my bed in a wreck? You'll get yours puppy, that I promise and it will be at the most spontaneous time it'll to hit you harder than a mule." Dipping his head to kiss her neck softly, Lox touched the tip of his tongue teasingly to her flesh and trailed it upwards as he purred into her ear around softer words. "If you think you've got it bad now puppy, I'll be forcing more and more of those beautiful sounds from your lips soon enough." Gods he just wanted to take his lover here at his leisure but there wasn't any possible way now so with a tired sigh he kissed her one final time before shifting himself off of her and moving to the water basin to wash his face. He then noticed a small slash in his left hand from where the wood splintered and sighed again cleaning it resisting the terrible urge to lick at it that came from nowhere. "You know it's quite hard adjusting to this new body with a lover trying every single moment to turn me into more of a cat than the witch already has." He murmured as he cleaned up his wrist and selected some of his cloths for the day before getting dressed, still thinking about getting his puppy out of her own cloths making his tail flick and curl in agitation.

"Do you have the day to yourself Reina? Or are you on call with your father personally hunting you down and walking in on us..." He muttered before sitting at his piano and nimbly working his way through a soft and somewhat playful song as he waited for her to start getting ready. Something his lover should probably know was a change in his tail usually pointed to a shift in his general disposition or mood, because very carefully he was keeping his eyes on her with just the very tip of of his tail flicking madly and listened to his instincts as he swiveled on his bench and jumped her right when she had finished getting ready back onto the bed smiling down at her with a devious grin. "You know what puppy? I think I've got a great idea... I think tonight, regardless of where you are or what your currently doing, I'm going to take you away somewhere to play where no one will bother us for a while even if I have to kidnap you from in front of the king himself to do so." Dipping his head to kiss her deeply and held her close for a few precious moment's knowing that their time together was precious. With a tweak of his ear he could hear someone coming down to his room that was still chuckling and knew whatever Lord Darron had in store must have been important to actually come back for her.

Breaking the kiss with a soft pant and dipping his head lower to kiss her neck and shoulder he finally let her up before moving to the window and slipping out onto the edge looking back to his lover longingly. "I will have my lover alone eventually, and by the gods we'll be somewhere they can't get to us. Have a good day puppy, and remember I'll be along some time to continue this morning's fiasco." With that he slipped out over the edge and jumped the two floors down landing lightly in the garden before streaking off to further examine himself without a mate trying to get him to purr every five seconds.

(God sorry it's taken so long hon... I've been sickly Y__Y)
 
Reina sighed heavily before running a hand through her hair wondering just what she had gotten herself into. She had no doubt that Lox would hold true to his word and was seriously considering just locking herself in her room for the night. No, he'd find a way to get in anyway though she really would rather him not kidnap her in front of the king. The last thing she needed would have to deal with him and her father teasing her the next morning and throwing in their own little stories. "So, am I to assume that was why you weren't in your room this morning?" Speak of the devil. Turning, Reina caught sight of Lord Darron leaning against the door frame trying his hardest to keep the smirk off his face as he caught sight of his daughter still on Lox's bed. Scowling, Reina pushed up off the bed and walked past the man not even bothering to look at the guards standing on the other side of the door lest they break out in grins as well. Privacy was a rare thing in the castle and she figured that if people couldn't find her lurking around the castle they would start looking in Lox's room from now on. She wasn't looking forward to the next meeting she had to have with the soldiers and the teasing she would get from some of the older men.

"Is there any particular reason you were looking for me or were you just bored and felt as if you hadn't embarrassed me enough in your time here?" Lord Darron was walking next to her still grinning but trying his hardest to hold his tongue and not push her too far. "Well, I really haven't embarrassed you all that much now have I?" Grinning, he reached over and pinched her cheek like he used to when she was little causing the girl to glare at him. "Anyway, it's that time of year again. The King has gathered some of the higher nobles and wants to show you off as the great hero of the kingdom. Time to pay the piper darling." Reina actually let out a groan now as she stopped before the door to her room before opening it and flopping down on her bed. Whenever they had a large party such as the masquerade all the higher nobles from around the kingdom would come and the King took this opportunity to show off his champion as well as his military might and treasury. It was a way to keep the nobles in check showing them just what they had to go up against if they decided to try treason. It was an event that Reina abhorred to her core since she didn't like being paraded around but it was a necessary evil and thankfully only occurred a couple of times a year.

With another jab Lord Darron left her alone to get ready while taking his leave to go to the main hall and face the music. Splashing some water on her face she ran a comb through her hair before stripping her clothes and throwing open her wardrobe for a chance of outfit. Peeking to the right side of the dresser a sinister smile spread on her lips as she caught sight of white lace. Lox had no intention of playing fair and his new features would make it practically impossible for her to ever physically overpower him so she'd have to switch up her plan a bit. If he had no intention of playing fair then neither did she. Besides, Reina did have a bit of a lingerie collection and if he was so intent on taking her clothes off then she might have a surprise up her sleeve to distract him even for just a bit. Grabbing her clothes she did finally manage to change before going down to the main hall and getting all of this over with.

( Aww, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you're feeling better )
 
Lox had been doing quite a bit of lurking through out the day trying to figure out exactly what, how, and where he'd be having his promised encounter but he was being terribly distracted by the plethora of carriages coming into the castle. By the gods did this castle have an event every other day? Or did he just get here during the busiest time of the year... The first time he had poked his head out from around a corner to get a look at a particularly interesting carriage the guards both on horse back and on the ground instantly jerked back as if slapped and drew weapons before Lox slipped away without incident. These were some odd foreigners coming in and he didn't doubt most would be utterly startled to see something like himself now but instead of leaving them be he decided the exercise would be good for him and actually started stalking a few of them. The guards of one carriage became so extremely edgy that their weapons were perpetually drawn trying desperately to attack the creature harrying them. Leaving the poor souls alone Lox tried a different approach and looked for an opening at a different carriage that had a familiar looking emblem on it and slipped in between the guards when their attentions were diverted at the gate. Since the entire castle knew what Lox was the gate keepers only laughed and smiled seeing him on top of the carriage making the foreigners look at them oddly. This was turning out to be a lot more fun than originally anticipated... But now with most of the foreign nobility gathered outside in the cool afternoon before the huge open gate to the castle every one of them looked shocked at the sight of him, that and he was sitting on the backs of his heels in the manner that was becoming unusually comfortable for him.

The foreign guards finally following everyone else drew weapons and moved to guard the doors but not before they swung open to allow a very young woman out. Girl would be more appropriate, she couldn't have been older than fifteen by his measure but the regal manner in which she moved and the command she held by shooing the guards away told him she was representing someone with a lot of power. Looking up at him with a slight smile she beckoned, and Lox's head tilted ever so slightly to the side in confusion. She looked so very familiar but he couldn't ever recall meeting a girl like her before in his kingdom... With little else to do he slipped off the top of the carriage and landed with ease, still gazing at the girl with his tail swaying back and forth in an intrigued way. "It would be rude of me not to know the supposed trophy this kingdom took in the Knight Reina's victory but it wasn't mentioned by anyone you were part kitty cat." Lox's tail swished faster and his eyes narrowed at her soft words, but even he knew there wasn't any expunging what had happened and did not back away as she moved to beside him and took his arm with him taking her's to escort her inside. "These are very recent additions by a very strange witch, and while I might have to deal with looks and other harsher words I took them willingly after being completely healed. The battle I was taken in and all subsequent quarrels, trials, and general bitterness cost my body much and I'll likely stay this way for the remainder of my days." His words seemed to amuse the girl, as she smiled sweetly as he walked her into the main ball room where most of the other nobility were heading hearing a lot more whispering about himself than he wished but he was a trophy after all.

"For a captured prince you seem very at ease Mr. Lox, from what I've heard your a fierce warrior with a worse temper but from my point of view you look comfortable enough here. Has there been that much of a drastic change from your initial capture to allow you free run without worry of escape?" This girl was no child... and whoever she was representing had raised her cunning in the extreme and he wondered if she was here in someone's place or if she ruled herself due to other circumstances... "Things have changed a lot for me while I've been here, love can be counted among those things but I speak freely of it to you because you don't seem like much of a gossip monger as some of those around us. The thing I want now is to end this war that has cost enough blood from both sides. I don't even know exactly what event this is but hopefully it will help further the cause for peace, even if I am paraded around as a trophy. One thing I'm not too worried about is having to deal with others trying to tell me that face to face, everyone seems scared enough with my new additions without trying to prompt a duel..." This got the girl laughing outright as he led her over to the delicacy table where she disengaged from him and picked at a few things as he took a bit of wine and waited with her for whatever event was trying to begin.
 
"...and so I said to him that I wouldn't take anything less then a thousand pieces of gold for the land!" A loud boisterous laugh echoed in the crowded hall as the man clutched his sides nearly laughing himself to death. All Reina could do was roll her eyes and try her hardest not to die of boredom from having to hear the same story told over and over again. There was a reason that she hated these kinds of events and this was one of them. She had to play nice and pretend to be interested in what the nobles had to say as they prattled on and on about their oh so intriguing lives and told the exact same story as they had told her the last ten times they had met. In her life she'd learned that most nobles had the tendency of being quite full of themselves since being told from birth that they were the privileged few and were leagues above the masses. This led to them being incredibly tedious conversation partners and to even keep herself awake during these functions Reina would have to press her nails into her palms almost until the point where she broke the skin just to keep from falling asleep on the spot. Thankfully, it seemed the man was done with his story and had now shifted his attention to the platters of food that were being passed around the main hall. Excusing himself, he left Reina much to her relief now that she could finally breath and shake herself awake.

Nobles from all over the land were gathered here and the King was sitting on his throne watching over them every bit the monarch he was. Functions like this were meant to give people a chance to meet together and exchange not only pleasantries but also plans. Quite a few land deals and marriages had been arranged in this hall and most families took it as an opportunity to test their standing amongst the others. The King took these events as an opportunity to show that his power was still supreme and no matter how stronger anyone else thought they were getting, he was still the one that would reign over them until his death. This was all about a show of wealth and power and right now Reina was getting an incredible headache from all of it. She'd already been paraded around as the great hero of the nation and one of the treasures of the king's domain that would lead them to victory against all enemies. She'd been forced to tell the same stories over and over again and had to endure the constant questions from people who had never stepped foot outside of their own vast and pampered lands, let alone a battlefield. It was tiresome and she had already downed a glass of wine and was on her second before the king had even made his speech.

Peering around the room she could see some familiar faces here and there though most were fuzzy shadows from the last time she'd met them all. Yet a patch of white stuck out like a sore thumb and blue eyes narrowed wondering what Lox was doing here. He wasn't the type to show up at these things of his own will and the last she'd seen of him he had bolted out of the window. Yet what else was catching her attention was the young woman on his arm. Already Reina could feel anger boiling inside of her as her fist clenched and her eyes narrowed into a fearsome glare. Admittedly she looked little more then a girl but that didn't matter to the knight right now. All she could see was that there was another female near her cat and she didn't like that one bit. "Who is that girl?" Reina asked the woman next to her. The woman peeked over to where she was pointing and simply shook her head saying that she hadn't a clue as to who the young lady was. Reina was almost positive she had never seen the girl before at one of these events and that only served to make her more agitated. Frankly, she was about ready to stomp over there and pull Lox away forcibly if she had to but her moment was interrupted as the king cleared his throat and stood up from his seat bringing the hall to silence.

"I welcome you all to the castle and my heart is filled with joy to know that you have joined us this day. No doubt everyone has travelled far and wide yet this is a joyous occasion for us to meet one another as brothers and friends. This year has been filled with many trials for us with the great war still being fought and us losing much gold and men. Yet, my friends, there is an end in sight and peace is within our grasp. We have already been in talks with Corovia over the city of Esimee and as it stands we will have it by the end of the week provided that they receive their prince in return. This is an occasion to rejoice for this is surely a sign that the war is coming to an end." Rousing applause echoed through the hall as people clapped at the happy news. Yet Reina was frozen in her spot as a sudden chill washed over her while realization hit her. The only reason Lox was still alive was because of the deal they had made about Esimee. Once they attained the city Lox would leave and go back to his home.
 
After bidding adieu to the strange and disconcertingly intelligent girl it wasn't hard for him to find his puppy even amongst the huge crowd of people. While his nose was giving him trouble due to the excessive amounts of perfume and unwashed bodies his mind seemed to shove those things out of the way almost immediately when he caught his lover's scent. Always clean and always smelling slightly of soap he was thankful for his appearance because it usually came with a wide berth of space for him to get through the crowds. On his way though he heard the king's little speech and felt a chill creep up his spine at the thought of leaving, not giving one damn about the castle or his accommodations but the idea of being taken away from his lover nearly made him snap on the spot. But those feelings were quickly washed away with vicious instincts that wouldn't and couldn't allow a separation of his mate, no matter who made the decision or what the consequences were for disobeying he was keeping his puppy close to him and tear the throats out of anyone who tried to say otherwise. These dark thoughts had his body reacting appropriately to his feelings of protectiveness, and his tail started fluffing out and lashing viciously back and forth behind him as his eyes narrowed to cruel slits. This only caused more of the nobles who were close by feel too close, and they gave him an even wider berth until you could easily spot the clear area with him walking alone towards his beloved puppy.

Murmurs began erupting all around at the sight of him and when he did finally reach his lover, he gently took her hands in his own and kissed her cheek softly before murmuring affectionately into her ear. "I didn't plan on taking you dear Reina in this kind of fashion, but I guess it can't be helped with the way things seem to be going. I love my dear little puppy to much to give you up without lashing out with tooth and nail to keep you." Now there was far more murmuring and pointing as well as a the sound of giggling noble woman drifting above the room but one sound that had everyone falling silent was the sound of stomping, steel shod boots heading in their direction. It was the blond noble again, dressed in full military splendor complete with shield on his back and sword at his hip glaring with a hatred and viciousness that might have been close to the venom Lox was looking at him with. "I know not what you are beast, or what pitiful shadow of a defeated and captured prince you used to be, but you are sorely mistaken if you think to court the noble Knight while I still have breath in my chest." Now there was a lot of sighing from the female nobles at the show of affection and defensiveness Cyrus Sydin was trying to show Reina, the brave prince here to banish the evil creature trying to steal her away and seemingly finding a great deal of courage after their first encounter. But one thing that was the always the same with Lox even with his new features was his temper, and while he was a beast in some respects and he had been defeated by the same woman he was currently having a lovely affair with his tail instantly fluffed out to it's full extent and his eyes narrowed to little more than black slits as the took a few steps forward and sat on the back of his heels.

"While you still breath... You are not even worthy of a true duel let alone will I sully my hands with your filthy blood. But since you've found so much bravery then I give you leave to attempt to kill me now and swear not to kill you in my self defense. As I have undergone the trial of my land I am not permitted to use weapons, so whenever you find your spine I'll just sit here patiently." It was bad enough dragging his blood line through the mud without calling him a coward and such a weakling that he wouldn't kill him in a duel the fact that Lox had placed his hands on the floor before him and looked exactly like a cat probably didn't help the man's temper. But the guards gathered around were extremely pale, and the king for that matter had a faint look about him because all of them were very well aware of his prowess before he was turned into a cat, and more so with the fiasco of him roughing up both veterans and new recruits unarmed.
 
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