Neko Shorts - 10. Prompt #368--Stupid Feather Duster

Prompt #368--First Line: "You'll get it back over my dead body!"

Stupid Feather Duster

"You'll get it back over my dead body! I just made this one."

Kayden cringed back at the shrill voice as the older woman swiped her dust-smearing contraption out of his hand. He didn't understand her attachment to the stick with Azule's feathers attached to it. It's not like she ever actually played with it. She just used it to scatter dust back into the air. It was a waste of Azule's perfectly good peacock feathers.

"Azule would hate to see what you've done with his feathers," Kayden grumbled.

Ysmenia pointed at him with the cluster of feathers attached to the stick that she'd just recaptured from the neko's grasp. "Don't think I don't know that you've been stealing all of that peacock's feathers."

"At least I'm not rubbing them around in the dirt," the young neko glared back at the motherly servant, ducking his head in case she was truly angry over his impertinence.

Ysmenia sighed heavily. "It's called dusting, kit. You know I need the feathers to make my dusters. These peacock feathers are nicer than the goose feathers used by the shopkeeper in town, prettier too. The feathers help to clean the dust off of furniture and stuff."

"It's not cleaning the dust off, just moving it around," Kayden countered under his breath, not wanting to test her patience too much. "The dirt still goes somewhere."

Ysmenia narrowed her eyes at her master's lover who was looking at the floor. She knew it was pointless to argue with the boy. He loved that peacock and its beautiful feathers. "I'm trying to finish cleaning for the nuptial dinner tonight. Lord Harrison's wedding is in two days, and they are having the nuptial dinner tonight to finalize things. The minister is going to go over their union vows and--..." She was nearly breathless with all the excitement of the wedding preparations that had been going on. She narrowed her eyes on the mischievous young neko who often got himself into trouble now that he wasn't scared of his own shadow. "Stop trying to steal my feather dusters," she warned.

"I need them," Kayden muttered as he turned back toward his bedroom.

"And what would you need them for?" she huffed. "To chase around the room?"

The neko glared back at the older servant. So he'd been caught once by John Drystan, his master's manservant, playing with a couple of the peacock feathers. It didn't mean he did it all the time. John had apparently greatly enjoyed spreading the story of catching Kayden jumping off the back of the couch in the master bedroom to chase the feather that he let the wind blow around the room. He didn't let them know that Ellis sometimes tied a string to the end and they took turns yanking it around for each other. Ellis would be mortified if any of his fellow servants knew he indulged in such a childish game. But it was fun to do when it was too cold to go outside.

"I was making something with them," Kayden mumbled under his breath as he disappeared into the elegant room. She had caught him sneaking the feathery contraption into the room and stopped him.

"You're what?" Ysmenia started, jerking back around at the top of the stairs.

Ignoring her, Kayden made his way back into the master bedroom that he shared with the Duke of Marsten. There was a side room that had originally been his bedroom as a slave. But he hadn't used it as a bedroom since he had become Damien's lover and companion. The room was still his, but it was more of a retreat for when he needed to be alone. That's where he hid the feathers of the peacock that he'd been able to collect. He'd been able to pilfer some string and ribbon and dried flowers as well.

He sulked as he dropped on the small cot in the room, pulling out a box he'd hidden underneath. He pulled out the beginnings of the fan that he'd started to make. He'd only needed a couple more of the beautiful peacock's feathers to fill in spaces in the wispy fan. He had hoped to give it to Miss Penelope tonight.

Damien had said the nuptial dinner was for finalizing the wedding plans, including the union vows. His master told him that the family often gave the bride and groom their gifts on the night of the nuptial dinner, whereas other guests would bring gifts to the wedding. He had watched Damien wrap a pearl necklace that was his mother's to give to Miss Penelope. He had also had an elaborate chest made for Harrison and Penelope's bedchambers.

Kayden had been watching all the wedding proceedings carefully over the last week. Servants, slaves, and the masters alike had been in an excited tizzy all week. Kayden smiled as he had watched Damien's face fill with love and sadness at the same time when he looked on his younger brother and thought of his impending wedding. Damien had been a bit distant the last couple of days as he worked to help keep his brother calm. Harrison had started fretting over everything, and Damien had managed so far to keep the man from snapping someone's head off.

So Kayden had found time to slip away to his little room, carefully working on the only gift he could give. He had nothing else of his own, so these feathers he'd been collecting from the peacock that had been gifted to them a while ago was all he had. He stared down at the feathers he had already woven together with the string in a wide fan shape. He'd managed to weave larger feathers into the fan shape along with a few of the intermediate and smaller feathers to fill in the gaps, making nice layers, but he had hoped to get a couple more to make it look even better. But Azule hadn't plucked any more out in the last couple days--if he had, Ysmenia had beaten him to them, to make her dust spreaders.

He picked up the ribbon that he'd snatched from among some of the wedding decorations. The ribbon would hide the string that held the feathers together and make the handle. He hoped he could make it look pretty, with the pretty blues and greens and black. Miss Penelope deserved something pretty.

"What is that?"

Kayden jumped at the sound of Ysmenia's voice. He'd been so lost in thought about how to finish his gift without the last feathers that he hadn't noticed her approach the door. He figured she'd disappeared to do her dust flinging.

He dropped the fan back in the box, trying to hide it. He knew it wasn't as pretty as the pearls Damien had for the bride, or the shell necklace that Harrison had given her, and especially not the shiny ring she was going to get, but it was still the only thing he had to give and he didn't want anyone laughing at it.

"It's nothing," Kayden said softly, curling in around the box.

But Ysmenia's eyes had softened. They didn't seem as angry as when she had caught him stealing another of her feather dusters. She moved to stand in front of him, dropping to her knees as she unpeeled his hands from around the box.

She stared down at the peacock feather fan. "Oh, Kayden."

"I know, I'm sorry," he whispered quickly, worried she might be really mad now that she knew how many feathers he'd managed to pilfer. "I know you need them for your dusting sticks, but I just..." He broke off, sighing sadly. "I just wanted to give Lady Penelope a gift of my own."

He glanced up, startled to see her eyes glistening with tears as her fingers brushed over the fan. Was she that upset with what he'd done with the feathers?

"Please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he begged her forgiveness for taking so many of them. His pointy black ears drooped forward in defeat, he should never have stolen so many feathers when he knew that Ysmenia needed them. She'd always been so kind to him, and he loved her so much. It hurt to see her so upset about the loss of the feathers. He started to lift the fan and push it into her hand. "Here, take them back. I didn't mean--"

She grabbed his hands, causing him to drop the fan back in the box. He gasped as she held his hands tightly. She was scaring him with how tightly she was grasping them. Was she going to punish him? His heart raced at the thought that she might truly be that upset with him.

She stared at his hands for several long minutes, the tears sliding down her face. Abruptly, she pressed her lips to his fingers, kissing his knuckles, causing him to jerk in surprise.

When she looked up again, she wore a wide grin. Kayden cocked his head at the confusing sight of her smile and tears.

"Oh, kit, you should have told me what you wanted the feathers for," she said, sniffing back the last of her tears.

He ducked his head shyly. "I didn't want anyone to laugh at it and think it was silly."

"Sweetheart, no one would ever think that," she said softly.

He looked up at her, eyes wide with wonder. She wasn't mad? She didn't think that him weaving some feathers together as a gift was stupid?

"This is a beautiful gift you've made," she smiled down at the fan of feathers.

"Really?" he asked hopefully.

She nodded emphatically. "Of course! I bet Miss Penelope will think it's the best wedding gift ever."

Now he knew she had to be teasing him. Better than the pearls? Better than the ring? Never, he thought, shaking his head.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure she will," the older woman grinned. "And I'm sorry I yelled at you for taking my duster. Here, take it."

She held out the newest duster that she had been ready to use. Kayden shook his head again. He knew how much she liked using the peacock feather dusters instead of rags or the dusters made of goose feathers.

"Don't be silly. Go on and take it," she insisted.

"But you love them. And having Azule here, you've been able to have more of them."

She nodded solemnly. "That is true. But I can get them made from other feathers too. I just really liked the ones made from Azule's feathers. Don't worry. I'm sure Azule will eventually pluck out some more."

He held the duster hesitantly, biting his bottom lip.

Ysmenia abruptly took the duster back and started yanking at the rough string tying the feathers to the short stick. As she freed the rope, she grabbed a few of the longest, prettiest feathers from the bunch and placed them in the box with the fan.

"Now, finish your wonderful gift," she said. "I want to see Miss Penelope when you give it to her. She'll love it."

He smiled slightly, feeling a little embarrassed by the praise for his little gift.

Ysmenia's lips twitched as she grinned down at him. "Now here's a little gift for you," she said as she suddenly stepped back and tossed the rest of the feathers in the air.

The older woman laughed as Kayden's eyes widened and dilated abruptly with the feathers fluttering everywhere. His long tail flicked and his legs tensed at the thought of chasing the floating things. She caught a couple of them and blew them back into the air, laughing as Kayden snatched one out of the air.

"Oh, my sweet boy," she laughed. "Have fun."