I couldn't stop my eyes from flickering back to the cats, curled up so peacefully on his desk. They looked perfectly content—three little troublemakers completely at ease in the presence of someone who was anything but comforting. It was strange, really. My cats were usually skittish around anyone unfamiliar, yet here they were, as though they belonged.
His Majesty caught my lingering gaze, and without missing a beat, he turned slightly toward the corner of the room. "Sabastine."
Almost instantly, the door creaked open, and Sabastine entered, silent as a shadow. He bowed his head slightly.
"Take the cats away," His Majesty ordered smoothly. "She's gotten better, but there's no need to keep them here."
"No!" I blurted before I could stop myself. Swallowing hard, I quickly tried to compose myself. "I mean, I've recovered enough, haven't I? There's really no harm in letting them stay."