Cat Opera

Show- Fall Art Auction And Masquerade Ball
Horses- SFR's Master of Vipers 8382 (pirate steed) and SFR's Flightless 8291 (wedding party)
Riders- Cecelia and Luc Williams as the Maiden and the Pirate King
Raelens (from back left to front)- Import 1, #13 - ASC Lady Fortuna, SFR's Morrigan 28, Import 64, and 21 Orion
Random Little Cat- Butterscotch

Never let me do things again because I make overly large things and they look like nope. This didn't come out as nicely as I wanted to (ran out of time and motivation), but I'm putting it up because I did enjoy doing, at least, the story portion of it. Please don't hate the cheese-ness. I think its cute. 

WEEEEEEE

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“I’m not wearing a dress.”
“But it’s a ball. A masquerade ball.”
“Don’t wanna.”
“Cece, you have to wear a dress, or a skirt even. It’s in the invitation. Formal dress only.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yesss.”
“No.”
   Luc sighed, rubbing his forehead in frustration. A piece of paper, the infamous invitation most likely, was clutched in his other hand. He pulled his hand away from his face and dropped down onto the bed. His wife sat perched atop a nearby chair, looking equally frustrated. Around her were scattered the remnants of Cece’s discarded outfit choices. The tension in the room was palpable.
Their room was a disaster zone: shelves of makeup had been emptied on the floor, piles of clothes slumped off their hangers, books littered the floor. One of the cats, Butterscotch, had discovered one of the clothe piles and curled up to watch the argument. Purring, she jumped up to sleep in her owner’s lap. Luc absentmindedly petted the feline, but kept his eyes on Cece.
“You know we have to go, right?”
“Why?” was Cece’s sullen reply.
“The Queen, the queen, personally invited us to attend.”
“You can go. I don’t want too.”
“The letter said she has something for you. To quote: “The Queen wishes to honor Lady Cecelia Williams for her valor in the Battle of Iridis”. You can’t just not go.”
“But I don’t want to.”
Luc sighed again. “Look, I get that you’re upset that Prime is gone. You miss him. But sitting here sulking isn’t going to help anything. Just go to the ball.”
“No.”
“He’s coming back in a few weeks. Poor guy needed a break after you all went galloping from one end of the Earth to the next. YOU might as well take a break too.
“Still no.”
“Why? And don’t you dare say “I don’t want too.””
“Because… I don’t want to wear a dress. Luc if you keep pulling your hair, you’re going to go bald. Stopppp.”
Luc ignored her and continued to run his hands through his hair. He leaned backwards until he fell onto his back. Butterscotch’s purring got louder as she shifted to lay down on his chest. Cece hopped down from her chair and walked over to look down at the pair. Luc’s eyes were closed as though he was sleeping.
Cece reached down to pull his hand away from his hair. Luc caught her outstretched hand and pulling her down to lay beside him. She landed with a squeak. The cat squeaked too as her position was invaded, but quickly found a new spot to curl up. Cece smacked her husband’s hand away from her own and sat up. She scooted back, forcing Luc to adjust himself slightly.
“Still won’t go,” she muttered.
“Please.”
“No.”
“Pretty please.”
“No.”
“I’ll let you buy that horse.”
“Which one?”
“Whichever one you've currently found.”
“No.”
“Ok, then you can buy two new horses.”
That shut her up. She contemplated the idea for a minute. “Three and that cute new puppy.”
“Only if you wear a dress.”
“Deal. Thank you sweets.” Cece leaned down, kissing his cheek as she grabbed their still purring cat. “And don’t forget to pack your riding boots.” Then she was gone in a flurry of laughter and giggling.
Luc glanced at the now-empty doorway. “I’ve just been played…” He sighed and flopped back down on the bed. Still, at least she was going. There’d been a minute when Luc was sure Cece would refuse to visit the castle without her beloved horse.
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“Cecelia!” Luc’s booming voice startled his wife from her daydream. She sat down the hairbrush, turning to see what it was that had drawn his ire. He rarely used her full name and it was never a good thing when he did. The door flew open as her husband strode into the room. He used the foot to kick the door shut as he continued into the room. Luc stopped opposite the footrest where Cece sat.
“What, what is it?” Cece asked, worried. Luc still hadn’t changed into his masquerade outfit. It was another custom piece from Jasmine. They needed to be downstairs in less than fifteen minutes if they wanted to be on time.
“When were you going to tell me that this was a show?”
“A what? Do you mean the ball?”
“Yes the ball!”
“Of course its a show. We walk out, wave, and then go dance or something. Isn’t that what balls are like?”
Luc stared at her in open-mouth shock. “You didn’t read the program card, did you?”
“No, why? I’m going to assume that we not just smiling and waving now.”
“YES. We have to perform something.”
“Something? That’s a bit vague, dontyathink?” What is this “something”?”
“It’s up to us. Interpretive something.”
Cece paused for a moment to think. “Uhhh, how about a play.”
“A play. What play do you know that involves a pirate and a…. cat? Woman? Lady? Cat-woman-lady.”
“I’ll think of something we can do. Go get dressed and I’ll meet you downstairs. And bring Butter!” Cece ushered her now-confused husband from the room. As he returned to his room, she began plotting just how to save the show. What transpire
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    From all eye-witness accounts the ball was amazing. Astounding. Completely original. Everyone attended and performed with great vigor. The Queen opened the festivities with thanks to the Knights of the Crown. Cece, dress included, stood among the crowd of distinguished nobles. No one can say who's face was more funny when the Queen handed her Morrigan- her's or Luc's. The new felines running lose around the ballroom probably had something to do with the short play she came up with. With a bit of magic to hide the ballroom walls, she put on something that was nothing short of.... well, interesting to say the least.

    Once upon a time, there lived a fair maiden in a small coastal town. Her home was a castle in every sense of the word. She was known far and wide for her great beauty, kind heart, and love for all the creatures of the world. She kept everything from dogs to birds as pets, but her favorite companions were her father’s prized horses. He’d been a travelling merchant in his younger years and had amassed a fortune large enough to be the envy of the king. When he died during her 18th winter, he left all his money and property to his beloved daughter. Unfortunately, the money was put in a trust until the day she was wed.

    Suitors came from the surrounding kingdoms to seek her out as a wife. The maiden accepted none of them for she was smitten with the local fisherman’s son. The two often snuck away to be alone together, exchanging short poems and sweets as tokens of their affection. At the death of her father, the young fisherboy asked for her hand in marriage, to which she replied yes. The two scheduled a spring wedding.

    Before that day could come, dreadful news came. He was to join his father’s men on an expedition up the coast. The maiden pleaded with her fiance to remain with her, but his resolve was absolute. He assured her he’d return before the wedding day. He begged her to wait for his return, to which the maiden agreed. The pair exchanged presents on the day of his departure. The maiden gifted her love the youngest of her father’s prized stallions, the mate of her own beloved mare. Her fiance, in return, presented her with a small kitten. The two embraced one last time before the fisher boy left.

    The maiden waited for his return with baited breath. She waited. And waited. Spring passed, turning to summer and later fall. She waited, until at last word came that the ship carrying her lover had gone down in a storm. There’d been no survivors. So overcome by grief, the maiden sold off all her remaining horses, keeping only her mare. She moved from her now-empty palace to a small cottage overlooking the sea. There she lived for many years in the company of her single horse and the cat her lost love had given her.

    Years passed. The maiden grew from a young woman to merely a woman. She spent her time tending to her garden and watching the sea for the lost ship. She took in any stray cats that her way. Her mare aged as well, dark coat slowly fading until a silvery gray. Suitors learned to stay away from the small cottage less they invoke the wrath of the mourning she-horse, who drove away anyone she deemed unworthy.

    But there was one suitor was unmoved by the mare’s hostility. He rode up to the college with no fear in his heart. The mare, unused to such bravery, left the man alone. The suitor introduced himself to the maiden as the Cat King. He’d heard many stories of her kindness towards feline creatures. Intrigued, he’d travelled to meet the famed Cat Maiden from his own kingdom. He proposed to her on the spot.

    His speech so moved the maiden that she accepted. The wedding was set for one day that spring. The Cat King showered his fiancee in treasures; only the finest of jewels were allowed to grace her person. News of the engagement travelled far across the seas. Everyone from the guardsman to the street urchin spoke of it. That is how the story found itself whispered in the ear of the much-feared Pirate King. The two had been rivals for years, since the Pirate King had begun to raid the Cat King’s ships for treasure. The Pirate King was amused by the Cat King’s proposal. So amused in fact he decided to see what type of woman could so capture the Cat’s prickly heart. He called his crew together and they set off for the small town where the wedding was to take place, mischief in mind.

    He arrived as the wedding procession made its way down to the town from the maiden’s cottage. From atop his large horse, the Pirate King made a fearsome spectacle. His band of pirates stood behind him. The Cat King’s guards prepared themselves for battle, as did the pirates.

    A cry from the maiden stopped both sides. She recognized the Pirate King, not as the Pirate King but as her long lost fisherboy. He had not been killed in the storm, merely stranded along with the rest of the crew. They’d lost their memories and been taken in by a nearby band of gentlemen pirates.

    The maiden ran to her long-lost beloved. No matter how hard the Cat King pleaded, the lady refused to leave his side. Instead the pair, accompanied by their horses and some of the pirate crew, swept back out to sea, leaving the very confused King and the lonely hilltop cottage behind. He instead married one of the remaining pirates; she turned out to be a lost heiress to a dukedom. And the lived happily ever after.
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“I still think it was a good story,” Luc muttered. He tightened his arms around his drowsy wife as the two swade in time with the music. The performances had ended hours prior. It was sometime after midnight, but the party was still going strong.
“They thought it was a comedy,” Cece complained into his shirt. She didn’t have the energy to lift her head high enough to look her much-taller husband in the eye.
“It was pretty funny. And I think you're remembering the play a bit wrong. The Pirates of Penzance had nothing to do with cats. Or kings. ” She punched him softly. “But it was still really sweet.” Luc kissed her hair softly. “Either way I’ll always be your Pirate King. I’d have to say I think these boots are growing on me.”
“Mess ‘em up and Jase will kill you.” A yawn broke up the rest of the sentence. “And don’t you dare think you can just dissappear for years and then show back up. I’ll punch you if you do.”
“What if I bring back a horse?”
“Still gonna punch you?”
“But horse?”
“But I’d have missed you, you silly pirate you.” The pair continued to quietly argue with one another, but they were smiling.

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tl;Dr version: Cece went to the ball and didn't realize she'd have to do something other than look pretty. She made up a horribly cheesy romantic comedy play based on a play she'd seen before (about pirates), then combined it with cats and more cheese. 
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Credits
Art (c) me
Les, Master, Cece, Luc, Morrigan, and Butterscotch (c) me
Import 1 and 64 (c) Cloudrunner64
Orion 21 (c) TealMagpie
Lady Fortuna 13 (c) Astralseed

Luc's redline by xXShymoonXx
Stream Team- Crissiesaurus, CasThePizzaMan, and KSN-Quality-Stock

Stock Used----> www.2leephd.com/wp-content/upl… (Morrigan), farm7.staticflickr.com/6089/61… (Fortuna), wallfon.com/walls/animals/crou… (Import 1), c2.staticflickr.com/4/3302/344… (Master), www.judysbridal.com/images/new… (Les and Cece)