As King Kairen walked while carrying Nikita in his arms, he thought to himself what a strange girl he had encountered. At times she was fierce like fire, and at other times she was no more than a milk fed baby.
Laughing, the King began to say,
"Nikita, I have never seen such a bizarre and crazy girl like you in all my seven lifetimes. Are you truly from the future, or are you some kind of…"
He could not finish his sentence.
At that very moment, the huge white cat with the massive tail suddenly darted out of nowhere and ran straight between the King's legs. As it passed, it brushed its long fluffy tail against his foot, sending an odd ticklish sensation through him.
Despite having cat like eyes himself, King Kairen was utterly startled by the sudden tickle. He shouted,
"Oh heavens What was that"
In shock, the King jumped so hard that he lost his balance. His foot slipped and he fell backward with a loud crash. And of course, Nikita fell down with him from his arms.
The sight was something to behold. The King lay on the ground, with Nikita crashing down right on top of him. His royal crown flew off to one side, and Nikita's sky blue hair plastered itself across his face.
Nikita immediately screamed,
"Did you see that Did you see that The monster attacked you too Now do you believe me"
King Kairen lay there with a completely stunned expression on his scarred face. Inside his mind he thought,
"The entire kingdom fears me, and today I end up falling into a gutter with my future queen because of a cat's tail"
From a tree branch above, Nikita's blue serpent appeared, holding its tail over its mouth as it laughed. No one had ever seen a snake laugh before, but today it finally happened.
Both the King and Nikita rolled on the ground, one out of fear and the other out of embarrassment. The dignity of the entire royal palace was nearly swept away by laughter.
After lying there dazed for a few moments, King Kairen gathered himself. He never imagined that his royal dignity would surrender to a cat's tail. But the moment he saw Nikita starting to pout and prepare to cry again, he reacted instantly.
Without even brushing the dust off himself, the King quickly stood up, bent down again, and lifted Nikita into his arms for the second time.
This time, Nikita clung to his neck even tighter. Her sky blue hair tickled his face as she buried her face against his chest and muttered,
"You got scared too So why were you scolding me earlier"
King Kairen quickly glanced around with his cat like eyes to see if anyone had witnessed the scene. Then he gently tapped Nikita's forehead and said,
"Be quiet, you foolish girl I was not scared. I was just checking whether the ground was solid. Now come on, it is not safe to stay down here any longer"
This time, the King walked very carefully, making sure he did not slip again. Sitting comfortably in his arms, Nikita pulled part of his royal cloak over her face. She no longer wanted to see that tail monster cat.
From a distance, the white cat meowed as if laughing at them. Looking at it, the King thought to himself,
"Tomorrow morning, I will send you straight to the tiger's cage"
Carrying Nikita, the King headed directly toward his chamber. Wrapped in the warmth of his arms, Nikita felt safe, as if the King himself would shield her from every danger in the world.
When King Kairen stopped in front of his vast royal bathing chamber, the atmosphere suddenly became strange. He gently set Nikita down and looked at her with his mysterious cat like eyes.
With a serious face but a mischievous tone, the King said,
"Nikita, today was exhausting. After falling like that, my whole body hurts. I am going to take a bath now. Will you help me a little"
Hearing this, Nikita's sky blue eyes widened in shock. She froze in fear. Her magical courage vanished completely.
Stuttering like a child, she said,
"Huh Me Help But I am not your queen I am just a normal girl"
"And your bath chamber is huge. There are no ghosts in there, right"
"Do you mean I should rub soap on you Oh no I cannot do that"
Seeing her flustered state, the King was greatly amused. Nikita could not understand why the man who had just carried her like a baby was now making such a request. Panicking, she stepped back and tugged at her sky blue hair.
Her invisible blue serpent peeked down from above the bathroom door, thinking,
"Today my mistress's magical dignity is completely ruined. Will she pour water with a bucket or run away screaming"
The King stepped closer and said,
"Why are you scared, Nikita I only asked you to clean my back a little. Why all this mama talk"
As Nikita trembled and kept muttering nonsense, King Kairen smiled faintly. He studied her frightened face for a moment. Then without warning, he grabbed her hand firmly and pulled her straight into the bathing chamber.
"My King Hey Where are you taking me" Nikita cried out, but it was too late.
The massive royal bath chamber glowed with scented candles, and the stone tub was filled with rose water. The King did not release her hand. Instead, he pressed her lightly against the wall and said softly,
"When you are scared, you look even more beautiful, Nikita"
Nikita turned blue with embarrassment and fear. Her sky blue hair fell over her face as she stammered,
"You You are a very naughty King I will not help you Let me go"
Just then, something happened.
From behind the door, the huge white cat with the massive tail peeked in again.
The moment Nikita saw it, she screamed and jumped straight onto the King, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
Caught off guard, the King lost his balance, and together they fell straight into the rose water tub with a loud splash.
This was no ordinary fall. Both of them were now flailing in the water. The King's scarred face was completely soaked, and Nikita's thin white dress clung tightly to her wet body.
Wiping water from his eyes, the King burst into laughter. Nikita made a mock biting motion at his shoulder and said,
"This is all your fault Now stay wet, Your Majesty"
From above the tub, the invisible blue serpent wagged its tail in amusement, thinking,
"She came to help, and instead my mistress has started bathing with the King herself" As King Kairen lifted his head from the water, droplets streamed down his face and mischief sparkled in his catlike eyes. Nikita, soaked from head to toe, splashed water at him in anger. The King calmly reached for a fragrant bar of soap from the stone slab and held it out to her.
Putting on a very serious face, the King said,
"Nikita, now that we are both completely wet, stop making excuses. Take this soap and scrub properly. Let me see how well you do."
Nikita stared at the soap in shock. Stuttering like a child, she protested,
"Huh Soap You want me to put soap on you Mother I mean I cannot even soap myself properly, and your body is like a mountain"
King Kairen turned around and presented his back to her. Beneath the water, the muscles of his back looked even more powerful. He said calmly,
"Stop talking, Nikita. Hurry up and start, or I will take you straight back to that white cat."
At the mention of the cat, Nikita froze in fear. With trembling hands she gently touched the soap to the King's back and immediately something strange happened.
The soap slipped straight out of her hand and disappeared into the depths of the water.
As Nikita stirred the water trying to find it, she accidentally tickled the King's waist.
King Kairen burst out laughing. Laughing loudly, he said,
"Nikita Are you trying to clean me, or are you planning to tickle me to death"
Blushing deeply, Nikita hid her face behind her sky blue hair and puffed out her cheeks.
"I told you I cannot do it The soap slipped away like a fish. I cannot do this anymore. I am leaving."
As Nikita tried to climb out of the water, the King suddenly grabbed her leg and pulled her back. With a loud splash, she fell straight into the bath again. The famous scarred smile appeared on the King's face.
From above the door, the invisible blue serpent watched everything and thought,
"If my mistress were a royal washer instead of a sorceress, this kingdom would be far more entertaining."
Nikita turned her face away in embarrassment and stiffness. Her bright sky blue eyes fixed on the carvings on the wall, pretending not to see the King at all. Water dripped steadily from her wet hair.
King Kairen stepped closer. The warmth of his body overpowered the coolness of the water. He slowly reached out and gently touched Nikita's wet forehead.
A shiver ran through her.
His fingers slid slowly downward from her forehead. Nikita closed her eyes in fear and emotion. His touch passed the tip of her nose, brushed past her lips, and trailed down to her throat.
The King whispered,
"Nikita, no matter how far you look away, your trembling tells me you are thinking only of me right now."
At his touch, a jolt of electricity surged through Nikita's body. She could neither open her eyes nor push him away. Her vampire fangs slipped out slightly under the rush of emotion.
Then, beneath the water, she felt the King pull her even closer. His catlike eyes were dark with desire, fixed on her neck.
Outside, the white cat was still meowing, but inside the bath chamber, a deep silence settled. Nikita thought to herself,
"Is my magic truly going to lose forever to the King's touch today"
The King kept his hand steady at her throat and said,
"From today onward, this sky blue hair and this enchanting beauty belong only to me. Do you understand"
Nikita could not speak. Like a small child, she simply nodded yes.
Under King Kairen's touch, Nikita felt completely frozen. She had lost the strength to move. When his powerful hand rested at her throat, the air around them seemed to grow hotter.
The King did not waste another moment. He leaned close to her ear. His warm breath brushed against her neck, making her shudder. Slowly, he pressed his lips to her soft white throat and placed a deep, possessive love bite there.
Nikita let out a soft, broken sound. She clutched the King's shoulder tightly. Her sky blue eyes blurred with emotion. She realized that this mark of his affection would now remain on her body as an invisible bond.
The King pulled back and gazed with satisfaction at the red mark on her neck. His catlike eyes were intoxicated. With a victorious smile, he said,
"From now on, this mark will remind everyone who you belong to."
Embarrassed like a child once again, Nikita buried her face against his chest and whispered angrily,
"You are very naughty What will people think if they see this My neck is all red"
The King laughed loudly and pulled her closer.
Just then, a heavy voice rang out from beyond the door. It was the Queen, the King's sister.
She shouted harshly from outside,
"Kairen What is all this laughter inside Come out immediately. Urgent news has arrived at the royal court."
Startled, Nikita tried to jump away from the King, but he did not release her. The scar on his face darkened with excitement as he held her firmly.