I arrived at the tranquil gardens of the stately palace and trotted into the house. My heart skipped a beat when I noticed the empty seat at the end of the hall. Dadan was gone.

“There you are!” Puren scolded me as he strode out of a side room. He scooped me up in his arms and carried me down the corridor. “His Lordship has requested that I give you a bath.”

I wrinkled my nose and squirmed a little in his hold.

“He will not see you until you have been bathed,” Puren warned me.

Ouch. Game, set, and matched. I drooped in his arms as he carried me toward the platform at the end, but he turned left thirty feet from the end. We walked down a new corridor, the left side of which partially opened to a courtyard filled with trees and an emerald-green lawn bordered by flower beds. The flowers were a brilliant scarlet hue and their small dainty petals reminded me of thick daisies.

Puren toted me through a pair of doors on our right. A thick head of steam wrapped us in a soft blanket and I could feel my hair begin to curl. We stood in a large indoor pool with tastefully placed flat stones in the middle for sitting. Benches lined the walls all around and thick glass windows allowed light to come in without the risk of peepers. I could only imagine all the trouble Dadan would have had with so many lady goddesses.

Puren set me down at the water’s edge and I playfully prodded at the crystal-clear water. Only the steam kept me from seeing the bottom of the shimmering pool. Puren came up behind me with a towel and some cleaning products, all of which were contained in a large bowl.

He knelt on his knees at my side and emptied the contents before he dipped the bowl into the water. Steam rose from those captured waters as he set the bowl down behind us. He slipped his hands under my armpits and lifted me above the bowl. “Now please refrain from scratching me.”

A soft meow escaped me as I was dipped into the warm, soft water. The refreshing liquid lapped over me, soothing my muscles and washing away all the muck I’d accumulated over my many adventures in the land realm. Puren drew out a hand towel and scrubbed me until my coat shone, and then he applied the oils and bath salts. I felt like a goddess with this pampered treatment.

In no time I resembled a skinny wet rat and I couldn’t have been happier. Puren lifted me by my armpits again and drained me from the tail. I have to admit I got a little tired of hanging there and started wiggling about.

“Please be patient, Lady Cat. We are almost finished,” he pleaded as he set me on the towel. He wrapped me in the soft confines of the cloth and furiously rubbed me down. I came away looking like a slightly less drowned rat. Puren leaned back and admired his work as I sat hunched over and shivering as the heavy air touched my chilling skin. “I will fetch another towel if you will but wait a moment.”

Don’t take too long or I’ll freeze to death I grumbled to myself as he stood and hurried into a nearby linen closet.

I sat there thinking warm, happy thoughts, all the while shivering my tail off as the warm air did little to keep the damp chill off me. I had half a mind to jump into the warm water when something changed my mind.

That something was a breath of hot, steamy wind that blew around me. I sat up as specks of red floated past my nose, giving me a gentle kiss and drying the dampness. The twinkling flecks floated past my fur, wringing away the water and causing a cloud of steam to rise from my body.

It also made me fluffy. Very fluffy. My hair stood on end and a quick look over the edge of the pool showed I was one big puff ball.

It also showed the bemused face of Dadan.

I let out a yowl of surprise and scuttled back. Straight into the pool. The hot water encased me in its warm embrace as I got a mouthful of the spring. I also learned that I was no better swimmer as a can than I was as a human. Goddess. Whatever. I was drowning.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

A hand plunged into the water and grabbed my scruff. I was yanked from the waters and set several feet from the edge of the pool. Once again, I was a shivering mass of damp fur and chill. A tender kiss from Dadan’s magic cured the moist fur but I coughed up two lungs full of water.

Puren peeked his head out of the linen closet and his eyes widened. “My Lord!” He hurried over to us as Dadan knelt by my side. “What happened?”

Dadan brushed a hand over my back as his magic cast its tender touch over my fur. “Our little friend is easily frightened by her reflection.”

And drowned even easier I grumbled as I hacked out a few more spittles before I finished my un-drowning.

“Would you like me to take her to her cushion?” Puren offered.

Dadan cocked his head to one side and smiled at me. “I will care for her.”

Puren bowed his head. “As you wish, My Lord.” The servant slipped out of the pool house, leaving me alone with the bemused god.

I shook my body and my fur puffed up again. I eyed the pool with a wary look before I turned my back on the water and the god.

“You vanished,” Dadan mused as he studied me with those brilliant eyes. “Where did you go?”

I lifted my chin and closed my eyes. Not telling.

He brushed his hand down his back. My unwilling reaction was to let out a soft purr of appreciation. Damn this new body.

The stoic lord kept his sharp gaze on me as he lowered his voice to a whisper. “Do you know who left the drink on my table?”

I stiffened. That would have been the chocolate one my devilish magic had left. I could have beaten myself over the head just then. The chocolate was my signature food. He no doubt suspected something wasn’t quite right with me disappearing when the chocolate treat reappeared.

“Did you see a goddess slip into my house?” he persisted.

The tip of my tail twitched. I slammed my paw on it to keep it still.

“You will keep your secret?” he asked me.

You have to think of something or this is going to be the shortest sleep-over in your life! I yelled at myself.

So I did the only thing I could think of. I rolled onto my back and showed my adorable tummy to him.

Dadan leaned back and stared with bewilderment at me. I coiled to and fro and kneaded the air. “Meowr.” His hand twitched. I was winning. I flopped about until I managed to climb to my feet where I curled myself around him. “Meowr.”

Dadan eyed me with an indecipherable look in his eyes but his twitchy hand stroked my back. I raised my tail like a flag pole and tickled it against his chin.

“There you are.” The voice came from the door. I froze and jerked my head to one side to look past Dadan. Prince Yushir stood in the doorway with a bemused smile on his lips. He toyed with his ring as his gaze flitted between us. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Not at all,” Dadan replied as he stood and faced him. “But you are early.”

Yushir pursed his lips and his good humor faded. “His Majesty desired to know the current condition of the barrier. All is well, I hope?”

Dadan crossed an arm over his chest and the corners of his lips tightened. “No.”

A little color drained from Yushir’s face. “No? You do not mean to tell me there is an issue with the barrier?”

“Not at the moment,” Dadan answered as he stooped and scooped me up in one arm.

“Then what?” Yushir persisted as Dadan and I strode past him. He scurried after us and moved to Dadan’s side. “By all the realms, Dadan, what do you mean?”

Dadan continued to stare ahead. “There was an issue with the barrier that has been resolved.”

Yushir froze and his shocked, fear-laden face was enough to send shivers down my spine. A few hoarse, whispered words broke from his tight lips. “Then he almost escaped?”