Chapter Text
1887
For the first time in weeks, Rudolf feels like he can breathe. Hunting in the Wienerwald is among his favourite ways to escape the stifling atmosphere of the court, and it’s no different this time. The sky is blue where slivers of it are visible in the cracks of the canopy; the trees sway softly in the spring breeze. The moderate size of the party improves his mood further - Philipp and Johann Salvator are always good company, and walking with them while their adjutants hang behind makes Rudolf feel much more like any ordinary man. They all shoot well; so far, there’s a considerable bunch of birds strung up, even though they haven’t got to the boar yet. They’re determined to, though, and that’s why they’re on the lookout for any rustling on the forest floor.
As they come to stand at a place where the landscape slopes downhill, Rudolf hears the soft sound of four feet against the ground before he sees the animal. He’s not the only one; his companions also perk up. Since he got the previous kill, he lets Johann take aim. Then, he sees the poor creature emerge from the undergrowth.
“It’s a cat”, Rudolf says, confused and a little stunned. Not only because he’d never imagined he’d see one of those wandering around so far away from any village that would keep them as mousers; the cat also looks quite distinctive, with its pale golden fur and black paws. It’s very neat and well-kept for something that lives in the wild.
“Game is game”, Johann says, and cocks his gun. Rudolf looks back at the cat anxiously, and just as Johann gets ready to fire, springs forward to sweep the cat into his arms. A shot rings out, and he falls; surprisingly, the cat doesn’t scratch him as they painfully roll downhill. They go through a bushy thicket and land in a clearing underneath that’s almost too narrow for him to sit up in.
As Rudolf lies there, bruised and panting, he hears cries of distress from the hunters above. He doesn’t pay them much heed, though, because the cat has sat up and turned into the most confusing sight Rudolf has ever seen.
He’s a man, that much is clear; but his skin seems to almost glimmer with how pale he is, and two cat ears sprout out of his head of long blond hair. He retains the whiskers and tail as well, and is very catlike in how he wipes at his face with his human hand. Then, as if only now noticing Rudolf, he looks at him and smiles. His eyes are startlingly bright.
“Thank you for saving me”, he says, and to Rudolf’s shock, bows to him. “Words cannot express how grateful I am.”
“Wha - I - you’re welcome?” Rudolf splutters. The cat - or the man, or the cat-man - tilts his head.
“I must go now, but I assure you that you will be handsomely rewarded for your selfless bravery”, he says. With a grin, he leans in to press a quick kiss against Rudolf’s cheek before he turns back into a cat and runs off.
“Wait!” Rudolf cries out, full of questions, but the creature - person? - is already gone. He hears frantic footsteps from very near, and before he knows it, he’s pulled back through the thicket and comes face-to-face with the deathly pale faces of his friends.
“Rudolf, are you alright?” Johann asks, his voice wavering. Philipp drops down to kneel beside him, putting his hands on Rudolf’s body.
“It spoke to me”, Rudolf says, stupefied.
“No bleeding, you missed him”, Philipp says. “Thank Christ. My God, Rudolf, you can’t do things like this. If anything happened, your father would have all of our heads.”
“The cat”, Rudolf reiterates. “It spoke to me.”
Philipp and Johann share a concerned look. Rudolf frowns at not being understood, but lets Philipp push him up into a sitting position and takes the hand Johann offers him to pull him up. He winces, making the others flinch in alarm, but they all sigh in relief as he stands up straight without any issue.
“The barrel’s bent”, Johann says, and Rudolf looks down at his hip to see that his rifle has, indeed, been less lucky than he was. “Maybe that’s a sign that this is enough hunting for today.”
Rudolf is still too confused by what he saw to protest. He’s quiet for the entire ride back to Mayerling.