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“Goodness...It's late already?” said Marianne, gazing up at the sky.
A while ago, it was a bright sunny day. But now, it was early twilight. She could already see the stars starting to appear one by one, and the moon has grown more visible.
Marianne couldn't believe how much time flew by. When taking care of Dorte and the other horses in the stable. She must’ve lost track of time at some point. Or maybe, since she was in kingdom territory, the day felt much shorter than where she lived. Either way, she started to wonder what to do at this hour.
For a moment, she thought about heading to the dining hall, so could get something to eat before going to bed. When she heard a faint noise that sounded like a cry for help.
“Huh? What was that?” She looked around, searching for the source of that sound.
Her sight landed on a nearby birch tree. As she approached it, Marianne could hear it much clearer. There was nothing at the base of the tree, but once she looked up. Marianne let out a small gasp from what saw.
There was a small, tabby kitten that was clinging onto a branch. Desperately cried for his mother because he couldn't get down.
"Oh, you poor thing. Don't worry! I'll get you down from there.” She then started to search for anything that could help her rescue the helpless kitten. Fortunately, some of the torches were lit around this area providing enough light for her to see. It took her a while, but she did end up finding something that could be useful.
There was a big wooden crate beside some barrels. She made sure to check it was empty before she decided to move it close to the tree. Marianne carefully got on top of it, giving her enough height so she could reach for the frightened kitten.
"Please don't be afraid. I'm here to help you." She spoke to him, softly.
When her hands got a bit close, the kitten hissed and almost scratched her hand with his little white paw. However, she didn't flinch at all. Marianne was fully determined to rescue him no matter what.
"I know...People are scary, but you can trust me. Once I get you down, we'll go find your mama. Okay?"
The small creature just stared at her. Still unsure if he should trust her or not. It wasn't until her hand finally reached him, and gently scratched behind his ear. The kitten was startled at first. But soon enough, he became more relaxed by her touch. Enough for Marianne to grab him before he realized it.
"There, you see. It wasn't so bad—Ahhhhhh!"
Somehow, Marianne accidentally lost her balance and fell off the crate. Her eyes immediately closed, holding the kitten protectively in her arms. Bracing for the impact; however, it didn't happen. She instead felt her body landed into somebody's arms. And when she opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was a pair of winter blue eyes.
"Marianne," He said, worriedly. "Are you alright?"
"D-Dimitri!? When d-did you get h-here?" Marianne stammered and was unable to answer his question.
"Well...I was looking for you." The young king admitted.
"For me?" She was confused.
“Indeed,” He just nodded, "It's a good thing I did. You could've been hurt."
"Oh..." Her gaze shifted downward, feeling a bit of shame. "I'm sorry to cause you so much worry."
"Don't be, Marianne. I'm just glad you're safe," said Dimitri.
Marianne's face began to glow red as her heart fluttered by his words. And before she could respond, suddenly, a much older tabby cat approached them. She started meowing at them to get their attention. While the kitten started crying as he squirmed in her hands.
"Oh…Is this yours?" Marianne suddenly realized.
The cat meows even louder.
"I see," She seemed to understand the feline creature. "Um, I'm sorry...but can you please me down, so I can return her kitten?"
"Of course, Marianne." Dimitri understood.
Once she was back on her own two feet, she handed the kitten back to his mother. The cat grabbed him by the scruff before running off to some nearby bushes. Probably their homes, Marianne assumed.
"Well, at least they're together again." Marianne said, quietly.
Dimitri nodded, "I must say, you have an amazing gift."
"Huh?" She glanced back at the king confusedly.
"You always seem to know what they want and need." Dimitri further explained."Seeing you do it with my own eyes was extraordinary, Marianne."
At this point, Marianne's heart was beating harder against her chest. She didn't know what to say because her emotions were all over the place. Before she could say anything else, Dimitri continued speaking.
“It makes me wish that I could understand animals like you do.”
“Maybe you can, Your Majesty.” Marianne decided to speak up.
“You think so?”
“Yes,” She moved her head up and down. “If you like…I can teach you how.”
“That would be wonderful, Marianne! When do we start?”
“Oh! Um….How about tomorrow morning at the stable? Would that be alright?” Marianne nervously suggested.
“Certainly! I'll make sure of it to be there on time.” Dimitri agreed, excitedly.
“Okay, it’s settled then.” Marianne couldn't contain her smile. “I'll do my best to teach you the best I can.”