#daisukexrosa

Takeru didn’t stop frowning. “How is this going to convince her brother to let her marry you? If he sends you away like the others, that will make her unhappier, and that’s not what I wished—”

“Hey! Who’s in charge of the wish-granting here? I’ve got this under control,” Daisuke pounded a fist into his hand. “The sultan will be impressed by my daring! And the princess will be so in love that he won’t be able to say no, of course!” He hopped onto the flying carpet hovering next to them. “Just watch the master.” At his gesture, the carpet ascended to the balcony of the princess’s rooms, leaving Takeru and his dubious face behind.

His landing was a thing of beauty and he took a moment to arrange his turban and cape before placing his hands on his hips and smiling winningly at the sheer curtain. “Princess! I am the Prince Davis, here to take you on the most amazing journey of your life.”

The curtain parted. Daisuke took a breath to begin his speech, only to find himself face-to-face with a snarling black feline. It gathered itself into a crouch and leapt for him, claws flashing in the lamplight from the palace. Only a quick teleportation two feet to the side saved him from getting his throat torn out by the beast.

“Rosa!” The actual princess rushed outside as her guard-demon of death wheeled to face him again. “I’m so sorry. Are you alright?” Princess Hikari, the picture of gentleness and grace, looked at him as she held back the fiend, both hands on its neck.

And she was concerned for him. “Never fear!” Daisuke hurriedly resumed his confident pose. “All beasts love me. What’s not to love?”

The princess blinked. She seemed bemused for some reason, and stroked the ears of the black panther, who was no longer snarling but watching him with lashing tail and pricked ears. “If you say so…She won’t hurt you, though, even if she doesn’t like you. I promise.”

Daisuke felt himself bristle. “Hey, look—” The bonds of Takeru’s wish tightened around him. The words on the tip of his tongue would probably hurt her feelings, his magic warned. And he couldn’t contravene the exact wording of the wish so directly. “Ughh…I mean….thanks,” he managed. The binding loosened again.

Before the princess could respond, her feline friend advanced on Daisuke again. For a panicked second, he wondered why she’d stopped holding her back and then he realized that the cat was purring now. She twined around his body, blinking large and surprisingly intelligent eyes up at him.

“Oh! She does like you!” Hikari smiled at the feline, then paused and looked at Daisuke again. “Um…what are you doing here?”

Daisuke’s chest swelled. He was so close! “To see you, of course!” He took a step toward the princess, hand out held, only to trip as the panther caught the leg of his trousers with her claws. “Hey, watch it!” He went careening over the balcony railing.

“Prince Davis!”

He landed on the carpet, momentarily winded. Catching his breath and standing up with a huff, he found himself face to face with that cat, perching with her front paws on the railing. She purred again.

Hikari rushed to the rail, too, and stopped short at the sight of the carpet. “Are you—what’s that?” She sounded more confused than awed but Daisuke wouldn’t let that stop him. He motioned for the carpet to fly him out of reach of the cat, just above the princess.

“May I present, The Magic Dragon Carpet! It will show you the wonders of the world. Besides me, Prince Davis. Since I’m already here.” He rubbed the back of his neck, then remembered himself, and grinned down at her. “Ready, princess?”

She did not look as delighted as she should. The panther circled her, staring at him and still purring, almost frenetically. He felt his magic twinge. “Ready for what?”

Daisuke put a few extra watts into his grin. “For the romantic flight of your life! To make all your dreams come true. I’m the prince you’ve been waiting for; the one who will convince your brother to let you get married!” He posed dramatically upon finishing this speech. Surely she’d be impressed now.

“Oh.” He was sure that her voice had gone so quiet from amazement. She clasped her hands together for a moment and then reached up to take his. “That’s good,” she murmured.

As Daisuke pulled her onto the carpet, her panther reared up and tried to climb aboard, too. The carpet dodged her wicked claws without prompting. She fell back to the balcony and lashed her tail, making a sound somewhere between a growl and cry. “Rosa?” The princess looked back down.

He couldn’t help but feel sorry for the cat, too, when she looked like that. That noise was making his ears buzz, though. He smacked the side of his head with one hand.

Shaking it off, he locked eyes with the panther one more time. “Never fear! No harm will come to her while she’s with Prince Davis!

“Come on, Princess.” Daisuke pointed and the carpet soared upward, making the princess fall back against his chest. The sounds of the panther faded behind them, but his ears kept buzzing for as long as he could feel her watching them go.