The only good thing about having this aspect of his life ‘arranged’ for him, was that no one else was ever going to have the power to arrange him into anything else. Shinobu tired of rules. Endless rules, restrictions, things that were not laws but must forever be taken into account… the list was endless. Maddeningly endless. He enjoyed the secrets of his colaition, had liked it well enough as a cub. He had understood that, sometimes, there were rules to be concerned with. Sure. But as he grew older, he found that he outgrew none of them. As a child he had looked forward to a time when he would be free of an escort, of watching eyes. The time never came. As a youngster he had eagerly awaited his first adventures into the world beyond. That time too, never came. He was of royal blood, and quite proud of it. But rather than opening ways, it closed them. He had to behave. To be an example. To be a proper cheetah.
It sickened him after a time. His parents would not understand, his mother certainly not. She was too friendly towards him to be trusted, especially when his aunt’s furious argument had made such an impression on the young cub. A brother of his made her hate his mother? That didn’t make sense, not enough sense. There was more there, he just didn’t know what it was. Yet. But he did know that he didn’t like being tricked. Better to be the manipulator than fall into being manipulated. He would not be a tool for the throne to use. He would use himself, and he would do it as he saw fit.
This arranged marriage was his best chance. He had insisted upon going to the girl’s home. Whatever her name was, he didn’t much care. Not in this moment. She was a purebred cheetah he was sure, unlike his largely unknown cousins. Probably a ‘proper’ and finicky female. Too ‘proper’ to be properly engaging to someone with his interests. A fun and flirtatious entertainer, or a brave and bawdy fighter, they were much more entertaining than a sleek, ‘perfect’ royal would be. No matter. He would use this girl for his freedom, no other pride could possibly have as many restrictions upon its borders as his own had. And once he was free, well, his prissy little well-bred mate would probably know no better than what he chose to tell her.
Perhaps he would be loyal to her, perhaps not. Certainly it would be more entertaining to play with her than to sit and be well-bred and proper all the time. Proud, and enjoying his power though he might be, he still hated and loathed the boredom that came from being a good royal. He would decide about the girl when the time came. But in the time before his arrival, in the course of this journey, Shinobu intended for his first tastes of freedom to be sweet.
It was tricky to slip from the guards, tricky though hardly impossible. He was, after all, a cheetah. Dark was his fur, and fleet were his paws. He disappeared at twilight while the others settled down for sleep. If he were grumpy in the morning, well. Let them think him a spoiled princeling. He would have his fun tonight, yes, tonight and every night along the journey to the collation where his new mate would be awaiting him. Betrothed though they might be, he was not her mate yet.
If he had had a dancer to while the time away with, he certainly would have done so. He enjoyed watching them, so full of sensual grace, but as a royal it was ‘improper’ to have relations with such as them. No matter. He was outside of the influence of his former home now. And while he missed his dear little brother, well. Senji would just have to manage. Shinobu was not coming back. Not when the air out here was every bit as sweet and tantalizing as he’d always dreamed it could be.
Abruptly he paused, his body slinking low into the waving grasses as he watched. There was someone else out here. Soft pink fur, bright golden eyes… what a pretty pet he’d found. And leopards were pets, mother had been pleased to teach them that. Cheetahs were best, the others simply toys. There would be no guilt attached to playing with a leopardess. Silent as stone for a long moment, Shinobu watched to be certain she was alone.
She was.
Satisfied, he slipped down the incline to where she had paused beneath a dying tree, digging at the dirt by its roots. “What’s a lovely leopard like you doing out here sullying her paws?” he asked, his tone warm and playful as he padded into sight. He startled her, the leopardess turning sharply to face him with her pretty eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh! Oh hello,” she corrected herself with a small laugh, the alarm fading from her features as she spotted him. And ‘spotted’ was the right word, for the young cheetah was all over covered in little blue and teal spots. “I’m just, well, looking for an herb. A plant,” she added hastily, not wishing him to think she was trying to confuse him deliberately.
“A plant,” Shinobu repeated skeptically, eyeing her quizzically before sniffing at the dirt around his paws. “Why do you want a plant?” he asked, his charming flirtation brushed aside by her response. She was more matter-of-fact, he decided, a friendly one but focused on whatever it was she was doing. She would need a friendly approach, but not a flirty one. He might charm her all the same, but wooing her would take skill if she were what he thought she might be…
“Ah, well…” the leopardess drew herself up slightly, evidentially pleased to have been asked. “I am a healer. Not so talented as my father, not yet, but learning. And I am learning herblore right now. So I need the herbs, er, plants, in order to practice it,” she explained, before cocking her head and examining him. “You’re not hurt are you? Don’t need help, do you?”
“No,” Shinobu assured her, pleased that his guess, that she was one of those strange ones who liked to use plants, which no self-respecting feline would consume in place of prey, to mend ills. He wasn’t bad at reading people now was he? “I am well. Just a bit alone at the moment,” he added on impulse. Impulse, or instinct. “Perhaps I might help you with your digging for a short while? And you might keep me company?”
The leopardess laughed at that, the stripes about her head crinkling as she smiled. “I would enjoy company. My name is Kir’ella. I’ll show you the plant I’m looking for when I find it.”
“Nice to meet you, Kir’ella. Call me Shin.” Such fun it could be if he challenged himself not to tell a direct lie to this one. See how long he could keep it up. A test to see how he could play out the game. And what a game it could be.
“Nice to meet you too Shin! Alright, I’m looking for a plant that has these tiny little white flowers…” Shinobu nodded along at just the right moments, padding beside the young leopardess. It was, after all, still mildly interesting to learn about the plants. But it was more interesting to test his wits and skills against a stranger. His first night of freedom, and already he had such a pretty plaything.
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