I dump the books on the lounge and see Tsar at the window again. Man, this cat is needy. I wonder if he is hungry. I quickly dash out to the kitchen and find a blonde haired maid stacking the dishwasher, her frame stocky and solid.
"Excuse me?"
She bolts upright, her cheeks turn a rosy pink.
"Yes, Miss Collins isn't it?"
"Yes, Stephanie is fine."
"Of course, I am Ingrid."
I smile at her. "Do you have any prawns?"
"Of course."
She opens the refrigerator and pulls out a plastic container and puts them on a plate.
"How many would you like?"
"Just a couple thanks."
"Of course. Anything else?"
"No, that is all, thank you."
She politely nods at me as I hasten back to my room. I open the windows and Tsar meows at me as he walks in.
"And good afternoon to you too. I got you something."
I put the plate on the floor and he sniffs at it, scoffing them down fast.
"Hungry much?"
I turn on my laptop, deciding an email to my parents to update them might be a good idea. I tell them about learning the history of the country and the size of this place, about my room and the lake, definitely omitting the X-rated parts, and of course, my little silver furred friend Tsar. He jumps up on the desk and all I can smell is prawns, gross. He sits and watches me type the email, purring and marking the top of the laptop with his cheeks. When I am done and have nothing left to say, I take one of the books and stretch out on the lounge, delving into it.
Somewhere around chapter two I think, I fell asleep. I wake to find Tsar on my lap, curled up in a little ball, asleep too. I gently lift him off my lap and put him onto the lounge and pick up the book off the floor. Tsar wakes and arches his back up, stretching his body.
"Oh Tsar, what is going to happen when this girl is found?"
I put my head in my hands resting them on my legs.
"Am I just a killing time thing for him?"
He sits and looks at me.
"Why am I asking a cat?"
He jumps down to the ground and wanders out through the window.
"And goodbye to you too Tsar."
He doesn't reappear until late evening. By that stage I have already fallen asleep and woken with another terrible nightmare of a shapeless figure in the shadows. He meows at the window, rubbing against the frame.
I open it and let him in, the cold breeze making me shut it again rather quickly.
"Good evening Tsar, where have you been?"
He jumps up onto the bed and lays down, almost like he is waiting for me to join him.
"Out frolicking with the lady cats?"
I lay down onto the bed on my side, he yawns. I scratch his belly as he begins to purr.
"I had another nightmare about the shadow, Tsar. I don't get them when you are around." I yawn. "But you weren't here." I sleepily say, drifting off.
I wake in the morning feeling rather ill. Of course my little silver perv has found his usual sleeping position and sleeps with a happy look on his face. I pick him up and put him on the bed.
"Morning sparkles."
I could swear that the look on his face is one of less than impressed.
"Well, sparkles, when you stop copping a feel during the night, I will stop calling you sparkles."
I scratch him on the top of his head.
"At least you aren't using me for sex."
I languidly wander into the bathroom and have a shower. As the warm water flows over my body Tsar jumps up on the ledge and sits there grooming himself. Joint cleaning huh? I look down at the water and realise why I feel ill. Great, first official day on the job and I get my period. My head dizzies and the smell of blood fills my nostrils. I can hear my heart beat loud and fast. Tsar stops cleaning himself and watches me, his eyes darken to an emerald green. He jumps down from the ledge and leaves the room. I press up against the tiled wall as my body shivers, from my toes right up to the top of my head. My body slides down the tiles, slumping to the floor as I pass out.
I wake in my bed; Alex is sitting on the lounge reading a book. As I sit up he gets up from the lounge and walks over, sitting on the bed beside me.
"Welcome back."
My head thumps with an almighty headache.
"What happened?"
"You passed out in the shower."
"Why?"
"Well the good doctor seems to think it has something to do with... you know."
He gestures up and down at my body. Oh.
"That has never happened before."
He shrugs. "You are still young; your body is still developing. Now, the doctor and I were discussing your dietary habits and he has expressed concern. So, new rules. You will eat what is put in front of you, no complaining. The kitchen staff have a set menu prescribed by the doctor."
Crap.
"Do I still get my steak?"
Alex rolls his eyes. "Yes so long as you eat the rest of the food on your plate." He kisses me on the head. "Rest today."
"Can you open the window please?"
"Sure." He gets up from the bed, opening one side of the window.
"My little silver perv might come back." I mutter as I roll over and fall asleep.
I wake to the sound of crockery clinking, I open my eyes and see Ingrid.
"Good evening Stephanie." She says warmly as she closes the window.
I begin to object but I see that Tsar has nestled himself right up against my body.
"Hello Ingrid."
"How are you feeling?"
"Much better."
"Who is your little friend?"
Tsar meows at her as she scratches his head.
"This is Tsar; I don't know where he has come from but he appears at the window every night."
"Oh." She says, her eyebrows raised with a little bit of astonishment.
Her hand instantly snaps back from the cat, her eyes show something strange. Concern maybe, no. This was embarrassment. Why? She cleared her throat and turned to the tray, fussing with the teapot.
"I have brought you some light refreshments before dinner. His highness has sent a message that he will join you shortly for dinner in your room tonight so that you don't have to leave your bed."
She smiles at me as she fluffs the pillows behind me.
"That really isn't necessary, I am sure I can make it to the dining room."
Jeez, they're all acting like my legs are broken. Her eyes flicker to the cat, slight worry shows in her face. As she passes me a cup of tea it rattles on the saucer, her hand shaking slightly.
"Of course. Would you like me to pass the message onto him?"
I can see Tsar looking at me. For a cat he certainly has a lot of facial expressions. This one is unimpressed.
"No, it is fine. I am sure I can put up with it for tonight."
"As you wish."
She quietly leaves the room, Tsar jumps off the bed and waits by the closed window, meowing at me.
"You know you could have just left before she shut the window."
I open the window and let him out, closing it again, the breeze too cold for me. Winter is starting early this year. The flowers in the garden outside my window look like they've been snap frozen, a dull haze settled around the trees in the distance. Dragging the curtains across I had hoped for some form of warmth but I doubt that would happen unless the curtains got a whole lot thicker. There is a knock at the door and I quickly dive back into bed. Alex sticks his head around the door as he opens it slowly.
"Hey."
"Hey, feeling better?"
"Much." I nod.
"Dinner will be here soon."
"Good, I am starving."