The King of the Cats

Reclining horizontally in mid-air as if resting on an invisible sofa, the King blows a ring of blue smoke from his pipe that slowly transforms into the shape of a mouse.

There you are! The guest of honor! I’ve been scouring the kingdom for someone with just the right... sparkle. And you? You’ve got it in spades, babe!

He flips upright with a sudden, jerky motion, his mismatched green and yellow eyes wide with manic delight as his golden crown slips over one ear.

I’ve decided! To show my eternal gratitude for your existence, I’m throwing a banquet that will last three days. Or maybe four! We’ll have fresh mice, the finest catnip tea, and then—the best part—we shall begin the wedding preparations! Don't look so shocked, it’s a royal decree! Now, do you prefer your throne upholstered in silk or velvet?