The young man smiled as he jumped off the wagon. Waving goodbye and shouting a “thank you!” to the old farmer that was kind enough to drop him near his aunt's cottage. The old man giving only a smile and tip of his hat as a reply before he and his horse-drawn wagon disappeared down another dirt path.

Turning away from the crossroad, he found the familiar cobbled path, a large black gate visible in the near distance, and farther down the path, a little deeper in the woods would be his aunt's home.

Sprinting down the long path the boy raced down the cobblestone road. Leaping over the gate with little effort and continuing down the path until it narrowed to a small cobbled sidewalk leading down to the cottage.

Coming to the front door of the home he knocked on the door. A loud “Meow” from his aunt's only other housemate, Agatha, alerting the woman to her visitor. As the sound of light footsteps resonated through the home, the boy checked his bag for the present.

After a few moments, the door swing open and an older woman in her fifties stepped out. Her bright brown eyes almost seeming to glow with glee as she threw her arms around her only nephew.  "Peter, oh thank goodness your here!" The woman cried, pulling away from the hug and resting her hands on the teen's elbows. "I feared you wouldn't come when you didn't arrive yesterday morning. Why Agatha and I were so very worried for you."

Guiding Peter into the house, she stopped him at a matt by the side of the door, instructing him to take off his boots and hang his scarf on the rack, while she locked the door.

The brown-haired male’s smile only grew as he took in the small home. It hadn't changed a bit in all his seventeen years of life, but it was nice and comfortable as opposed to boring and old. A little fact that had kept him and his twin coming back to the home in their spare time.

Eventually, as his aunt sauntered off to the kitchen to finish preparing dinner, the boy decided to settle by the small fireplace. His Aunt's cat, Agatha, sitting right next to his new spot. Her eyes closed and posture relaxed as she lay on the stool. That was until she began to sniff the air, her eyes opening to reveal her piercing green eyes.

At the sight of the boy, the white chested, black feline’s eyes narrowed into a heated glare, her tail tapping, and twitching. The feline so annoyed with the boy's tardiness, that she turned her head, continuing to glare at nothing in particular as she almost appeared to scowl.  "Aww, Aggie, I love ya, I didn't mean to be late.”

The cat's tail stopped twitching, her tail movements starting to become more like an angered swat to his shoulder. The feline turning to him once more with another glare. "Come on Agatha, theirs no need to be angry with Peter. I'm sure he brought something for giving you such trouble," the older woman spoke, causing the feline to soften her gaze just the slightest. Almost as if she were asking if he had in fact, brought her a gift.

Grinning, the boy reached into his bag pulling out an ornate little, royal blue, box that was trimmed with what appeared to be gold leaf and had a pearl crank. "It's Elijah's old music box, but I remembered how much you favored it."

The felines green eyes brightened at the sight of the beautiful object. A small purr resonating up from the animal as the boy turned the key and the music filled the home.

"Oh, thank you, Peter, that was so sweet of you," His aunt said, "You know Agatha just hasn't been the same lately." She lamented, a frown coming to her features.

Snapping out of her sadness, his aunt sighed and brought the food to the table. Taking a seat and having Peter take the seat opposite to her.

"While your here, Peter, could I ask you to help with taking some things to the church? A few of the people in town passed away recently and the gravediggers will be home late. I would like it if you could take them some dinner."

"I wouldn't mind. When do you want me to go?"

The woman smiled, letting out a breath of relief. "Oh, how sweet of you dear. You can go after dinner."

•••
With three meals packed away in his bag, the boy had set off down the path once more, running down the dirt path. The fields of grass and wildflowers outside the forest quickly shifting into the buildings of the nearest town. The people all treating the boy and smiling towards him as he passed by.

One nice woman even giving him directions to the church that his aunt had spoken of. “Down the main road and turn right at the first fork in the road…” Peter repeated to himself like a mantra, attempting to remember the directions. Thankfully the turn came around quickly, leading the boy straight to the church.

Once there he came to see the two older males, standing at the door of the church. Two pairs of eyes turned to the teen, likely in wonder of who he was and his purpose of being there.

One of them, a lanky male with bright red hair, stepped up to the boy. “And what are you doing here, boy?”

Peter pulled the food from his bag, holding it up. “Uh, my Aunt Mary sent me to give you guys these,”

The other, a muscular blond haired male of average height, chuckled. Shacking his head at his companions' actions. “Glad Mary cared enough to send us food and an extra worker! Quite nice of her.” The male smirked as Peter stared at him with a confused look. “No, no your aunt didn't know. The other gravedigger hasn't shown and we really need to get the graves dug.”

The teen sighed, scratching the back of his head. “Yeah, I guess.” The boy mumbled. Both older males grinning to one another, took the food inside, coming back with a hawk. The redhead tying a note on the creatures foot before his companion released it. The beast soaring off into the sky.

“Well, our little friend will get the message to your aunt, in the meantime let’s go.”

•••

Night had fallen quickly for the three, and between them, they'd gotten three of the graves dug by midnight. The other two having finished two more at some point a few hours later. Both of them going home to the insistence of Peter. However, he didn't know that without his singing companions it was impossible to stay awake.

“Peter Smith,”

At the call of his name, the boy snapped awake, stumbling onto his feet. Eyes darting across the dark graveyard, only to land on a rather peculiar sight.

Nine cats stood on their hind legs, front paws holding the frame of a large black coffin. A heraldic crest printed atop the coffin giving it the look of something which carried a royal. Multiple large cats, so large they rivaled a dog in height, mournfully walked after the nine, crying out every once in a while. As if it were a true funeral.

As they neared the boy, one of the nine stepped away from the group, it's torch-like golden eyes flickering from the still moving “funeral pretension”, then back to the boy.

The boy blinked a few times, then took to rubbing his eyes in an attempt to dissolve what he thought was an illusion. However, it didn't work, the large feline now sitting before him.

“Peter Smith, when you return home tell Agatha Moon that Evan Wright has died.”

With the message given the feline ran off to join the others. The boy left there to stare into space processing what had just transpired.

•••

The door slammed open with such strength it narrowly broke. The noise of the wooden object slamming into the wall causing the woman and cat to awaken from their slumber. Both of their eyes instantly locking onto the slightly terrifying figure of Peter stumbling in.

“Aunt Mary,” The boy breathed out, “I saw the weirdest thing this evening.” The woman blinked, unsure of how to respond as her nephew staggered over to her.

“The others had gone home and I had fallen asleep after finishing the last one. When I woke up I heard a voice call my name. Do you know what I saw when I woke, Aunt Mary?”

“I’m not sure Peter, what did you see?” Aunt Mary questioned, eyeing the boy with concern.

“Nine cats, standing like a human, were carrying a casket. It even had an emblem on it… kinda like a royal’s coffin would. One of them even talked to me…” The boy's words only seemed to cause the old woman more concern as she held her hand over the peter’s forehead, checking for a fervor.

While his aunt continued to fuss over him Agatha looked almost intrigued. Coming up and hopping onto the highest piece of furniture close to the two. An expectant look in her eyes.

“Peter, dear, you haven't gotten a fever. Are you alright otherwise? Have you eaten anything that might make you sick? You do remember not to eat wild berries unless you know-” The woman frantically asked questions, hoping to understand what was wrong with her nephew.

The boy placed his hands on his Aunts shoulders, guiding her back to her seat near the fire. “I never finished, Aunt Mary.” The boy spoke. “The cat told me to tell Agatha Moon that Evan Wright has died. Not sure who those to are, but…”

“Agatha, there isn't anyone near the town by the name of Agatha Moon. The only Agatha I know-” Both of them stared at the feline standing beside them. The cat staring at nothing as she almost looked contemplative.

“Evan has died.” The cat mused, “Then that makes me… King of the cats.”

Looking up to the two humans she let a puff of air from her nose. “I am sorry to leave you both, but I fear I must leave. Goodbye.”

Agatha stood there for a moment before sprinting out the door. Peter not far behind. However, the boy couldn't run as quickly as the feline. The boy helplessly watching as her form grew from that of a normal housecat to the size of the felines he'd seen earlier. Her form disappearing into the remaining darkness.

•••

It had narrowly been a year and two teens walked through the forest surrounding their Aunts house. The white-haired girl, Elijah, gripping on to her brother's arm with one hand and the old music box with the other. “Do you think that's she's still here, what if she doesn’t even hear the music box?”

Peter smiled, nodding his head in response to his sister's questions. “Yes, I used to feel her presence here, even if I can't see her. She watches over Aunt Mary… I just know it.” He spoke, grinning down at his sister. “That’s why I want to do this for her… I really miss her.”

Elijah sighed, “Yes, I do as well, she may have been a cat to most, but she always seemed much greater. She was almost like a queen and we were like her royal subjects as children.” The girl giggled.

“Yeah, kind of,” Peter responded back. The two fall into a brief silence as they walked.

“Right here!” The boy stated, pulling his sister towards a large, ancient oak. Elijah whined the music box before setting it down, smiling up at her much taller sibling.

“I hope she's happy wherever she is." Elijah mused. Peter simply nodding in agreement to his sister's words.

~~~~~

Words: 1991
Submitted: August 6, 2018

[A/N]
I found the story of The King of The Cats, while researching the Cait Sidhi (Fairy Cat) for my feline cat in my JustWriteBits entry. I felt like it was a interesting story and decided to retell it. Adding a bit more to the story of the feline from the previous story.