"If trouble has beautiful black hair and a flat brain, then yes." Nathaniel smirked. He wanted to talk to her. If everything went the most reasonable way, he only had two days until she would shy away from him and realize his unsuitableness. He wanted to spend this time with her, even if it was a dumb thing to do.
"Flat brain!", Katherine snorted and took another sip of her drink. "You can search for your flat brain elsewhere!"
"What a shame. I really like this one's fire. I also like her lively eyes, her silliness and especially..."
Her sweet lips, he ended the sentence in his mind. However, he didn't say it. With each word in her ear, Nathaniel's arm had inched forward and now he finally reached his goal. He stole the glass out of her hand. "You really shouldn't drink so much, dear."
While Katherine was confused with her breath stuck in her throat from his earlier words, he took a sip of her wine. Only he knew that his lips touched exactly the spot hers
Since none of them wanted to fight right now, they danced a bit more before starting to gather information. Of course, to Nathaniel it was a continuation of what he'd been doing beforehand. He already knew the names and occupation of every guest by now.When they wandered from one group to the next, Katherine saw Felix standing in a corner alone and looking depressed. She suddenly felt the urge to rush towards him and comfort him. Knowing his backstory, she felt sorry for him. However, Nathaniel pulled her back and nonchalantly placed his arm around her waist."What - ?!""You should be more vary of him. Magic researchers are very likely to be involved with the organization", Nathaniel explained in a low voice. He didn't say that it was suspicious that Felix seemed to know his magic power. He had recognized Nathaniel by name and flinched back. Besides the royal family and his own servants, this was rare. It had only been a random test when he reached out his bar
"LAYLA!" The King's fists banged on the table. "Don't you dare talk about her like that!"Though she flinched, the Queen rebuked: "I will call a bitch a bitch if I see one! I wouldn't have cared if you only fucked her and left, but that bitch just had to get pregnant! Did you think about my reputation once when you acknowledged him as your son? If this is how you respect me, I should just give you a taste of your own medicine!"With his blonde hair with white strands the King looked very much like an aged lion when he growled: "Didn't you do that already? If you want to count, I am still one behind!"All color drained from the Queen's face, her trembling hands grabbing for her necklace. It was a strangely simple gold chain with a flower pendant out of emerald. She looked like her spirit left her from the shock and the pendant was the last straw she could hold on to. "You -- I didn't -- ""I hope you know now how well I treated you.", the King interrupted
Katherine had not taken the window. On her return from the banquet, she had been surprised to find a messenger of Princess Helmina in her chambers. Said messenger told her about a fire outside the city walls, urging her to help the victims. In a bout of confusion, Katherine had told Hazel to let nobody in. If the Earl heard that she used her power on others, she was sure he'd try to stop her like Ethan did all the time.The messenger led her through a secret passage she herself had no idea existed, before they entered the Princess' carriage at the gate to the second ring. Everything went so fast that Katherine had no time to think. The horror raised by the Earl's words that were so similar to her cousin's had no time to settle. The logical part of her of course knew that the both of them weren't the same, but it was the shock. She was afraid to again love someone that didn't care about other people's life. Someone that was a cold-blooded killer.After treating the inju
Nathaniel narrowed his eyes at the closing door. He never expected to be reprimanded about manners by his own younger brother. The King was just as stupefied. Only after a few seconds did he regain his calm. "Where were we?" Nathaniel cut right to the case. "My betrothed vanished. Out of the innermost ring. What do you know about it?" "Vanished?", the King rubbed his chin. "Impossible. She is strictly guarded, in the shadows as well as in the open. If she went somewhere else after the party last night, it should've been reported." "That is why I am here." Though Nathaniel had his own guards, only Pete and Dorian were allowed to enter this ring. And Sam was the only 'shadow' he had taken with him. None of them knew Katherine's location, though they were searching for her now with all their might. Pete was especially affected, since the Lady vanished under his care. "You surely don't know where she is?" "Would I hide it if I knew?", the King asked back
"Mother."Though spoken softly, the word cut through the scene like a knife. And it invoked a direct reaction."Monster!" The woman sprang up from her seat, and fled to the other end of the pavilion. When the part of her long dress that was stuck under the instrument got pulled out, the harp swayed and loudly crashed onto the ground. "Stay away from me!"A sharp pang of pain let Nathaniel narrow his eyes. "As if I want to be near you. There is only one reason to - ""GUARDS!", she cried out. "Help me!"As Nathaniel's face darkened, he rushed to her side. However, she was nimble like a weasel and escaped his grasp. That was until he set a foot on the hem of her dress and pinned it down.Her green eyes widened, her chest heaving with fear. Just when she wanted to shout again, he pressed his hand against her mouth. The other held her on her waist. Since he couldn't have a normal conversation, he would only fulfill his purpose. "Where is she? Wh
The face of the Queen turned red as she gasped for air. Nathaniel had only eyes for her, his features twisted with a deep hatred. He didn't see the guards behind him, nor the sharp swords coming for his back.The Queen's green snake eyes, though bulging in agony, were filled with gloating when she saw the guards attacking him. The wish to see him die was big enough to surpass her own pain for a few seconds. But it got disappointed.Shortly before the swords hit him, someone jumped in between and a shield of ice deflected the blows."Stop!" The voice was young, but stern. Aston stood before Nathaniel's back, holding a sword in his right and a magically formed ice shield in his outstretched left. The authority he wanted to display, however, got undermined by his messy hair and clothes. He looked like he came straight out of bed. "Nobody touches him. I dare you to touch him and I will show you the consequences!"The gleaming tip of his sword wandered over th
"Thank you, Sam." The relieve Nathaniel felt was neither in his tone nor bearing. They were calm and straight like usual, way calmer than in the last few hours. To know where she was and that the location wasn't connected to any evil fraction, already pacified his anger and anxiety tremendously. It irked him that the promise to his father forbid him from personally looking for Katherine outside the city gates though. All in one breath, he uttered a few commands: "Ensure her safety. Investigate how she got there. Is she injured?""No, Milord, but in a state of exhaustion and deep sleep."The possibility that she fled from him and hid by her allies - he knew the Golden Cauldron from Pete's report - gnawed at Nathaniel's heart. Did he overreact? But was she really hit so deeply by his casual words?He remembered that there were a few things that didn't match up with this theory: for example, she had no purpose to come to the palace before, and the state of exhausti
Her lids felt heavy. Warmth and drowsiness made her unwilling to open them. It was so comfortable. She wanted to sleep a bit more..."Katherine."His voice was like a warm breath on her face. She knew who it was without thinking, but the surprise that he was here while she was asleep, opened up her eyes.There he was, slim lips and high cheekbones under beautiful red eyes. Even though his brows were locked together, the gaze was softer than usual."How do you feel?", he asked. When she realized that it was worry that made him look so vexed, a fuzzy feeling raised in her chest. The cold wall he raised to keep people away was lowered right now."Tired", she murmured and closed her eyes again."Don't sleep." It wasn't uttered like a command, but more like a wish, a hope. It made her unable to refuse, however much appealing the darkness and warmth of sleep was.While slowly blinking her eyes, she noticed that her arm was out of the beddin
Five years later"Your Holiness - Uh, ah, Majesty, I mean!"Leaning on the newly-built rails atop the dome of the palace, with the view of the Capital in the background, Katherine scolded lightly: "Shht, Hazel, she just fell asleep."In her arms rested a baby, maybe a few months old, with a tuft of black hair and fair white skin. If she opened her lids, angelic blue eyes would blink up innocently at the viewer.Hazel's head appeared at the end of the staircase leading to the roof. Apologetically, she bit her lip and whispered. "I'm sorry, your Majesty. A letter arrived from Dragsa, and Prince Patrick hurt his knee while playing. He's on his way here.""Dragsa...," Katherine muttered and stretched out a hand to take it. "I wonder what they want. They were very quiet in the latter years."Lowering her head, she took a glance at the paper. Instantly, her brows furrowed, later followed by a deep sigh. "I almost expected it. What a shame."Her gaze wandered to the west, in the direction of
For once, the third wall belonging to the palace let nobles and commoners alike pass. They flooded in in masses and coagulated on the streets and the grass field before the dome. Everywhere, where they could hope to catch a little glimpse of what was about to happen in the throne hall.In front of the dome, Nathaniel dismounted and reached his hand out to Katherine to help her off as well. For a second, Katherine remembered how Pete helped her when she mounted Bell for the first time, and her smile grew shaky. Pete and Jack. One retired after suffering grievous wounds, and the other fell in battle when the undead attacked the palace to free the Queen, Emilian, and Helmina.The burial was in the time of Katherine's long travel back but she and Nathaniel visited the grave two days ago. Still, she could not believe that her funny, one-eyed companion was truly gone. It was delusional but she could not shake the thought that if only she'd been at the Capital, her power might have saved him
Weeks later, the couple reached the Capital and was welcomed with much tom-tom. Aston, it seemed, was back on his feet. The new scar parting his right brow even suggested that his exaggerated description of a battle with the best undead swordsman in history might be more than just bragging. Infuriatingly, however, the scar made him even more handsome, and he confidently put it on display at any opportunity he got. Especially in front of the ladies.Shortly after their return, King William officially announced his retirement in favor of his nephew. Though the commoners were confused at Nathaniel's sudden emergence, the prepared aristocrats soon placated them, and the rumors of his activities as the illusive sixth General did the rest.Katherine was surprised to hear that word of her ability had elevated her picture in the icelandic society to somewhat of a saintess. King William obviously prepared on this end as well, and thus nobody dared suggest that a dragsean noble was unfit to be
The ship of the king of the Glaciar Coast was a gigantic vessel with a kind of lofty wretchedness to it. In fact, Katherine thought that the silver ornaments on the dark wood looked like bones, and if the sail had been a bit more tattered, the "Charon" would've been the perfect ghost ship. When she mentioned it to Lady Brandon in jest, the sister of said king laughed out loud."Oh, he'd love to hear that! If his crew wasn't ridiculously superstitious, I bet he'd search the whole ocean floor for a sunken vessel to serve him!""Is that so?" Katherine lifted her brows, perplexed. "Isn't it already enough that it can fly?"Granted, the hovering of the gigantic vessel wasn't completely 'flight' as the ship was only lifted by the water the Glaciar Coast's mages manipulated with much afford. It could also only be implemented for short periods close to a water source. For the unsuspecting viewer, however, it looked exactly as if the ship was flying.It was this practical fea
Katherine woke up feeling fresh and well-rested. The plush cushions under her head were like soft clouds, and the blanket bore just the right amount of heat. The air smelled of salt and herbs, an unusual but welcoming combination."Hmmm." With a blissful sigh, Katherine stretched. She didn't feel so good since they resided in the hut in the Icelands with King William, his mistress, and son. Did she only dream of that long, arduous journey to a mountain in Dragsa?"You're awake." Her eyes snapped open when she heard that voice. It was undoubtedly the deep timbre of her husband, Nathaniel. And there he was, sitting next to the bed in a cushioned chair, a gentle gaze in his eyes.Eyes that rested strangely deep in his pale face. A face that was bare of the slight smile that sometimes tugged on the corners of his mouth when he looked at her. Instead, he seemed solemn, exhausted, plagued by a deeply hidden sadness that he maybe wanted to hide. Yet to her eyes, his feelings were an open
Deep satisfaction brought some power to Katherine's exhausted body, yet she did not like the feeling at all. The guilt over hitting an innocent civilian clouded her mind, together with the question if it was the right thing to do. Trapping Ethan in the other dimension was too easy. It didn't feel right.Days and nights she'd dreamed of how to take her revenge, how she would torture him and finally look into his eyes when he died. Now, she'd acted impulsively, and the results were anything but what she imagined. Yet, should she have let the chance slip by?When she'd heard him giving orders, she'd finally stopped in her path because she felt like a coward who ran from the only real battle she'd sworn herself to fight. At first, she only wanted to observe and hid where the canyon's wall stood out a bit, just in earshot of Ethan. But the opportunity was too good. She didn't know how her smart and cunning cousin could act so dumb. It didn't match his usual approach, yet maybe
It was Ethan. He stood just outside the rift, his usual harmless smile on his face, and the hands hidden in the pockets of his dark trousers. "Kitty. Fancy meeting you here."If Katherine had been raised in any lower class than aristocracy, she would've spit in front of his feet. Even so, her face soured as if she'd bitten into a raw lemon. "I don't... fancy it at all."Stepping aside to give the rest of the dark stream free access to the rift, she noticed that Ethan'd brought two helpers who lingered in the back nervously. The white lab coats outed them as researchers. She glanced them up and down and decided not to ask where Ve was. After all that happened today and with her magic nearly depleted, she wanted nothing more than walk away from this whole mess.So, she did just that. Turned around and walked along the canyon that was now almost free of the dark substance.After a second of surprise, Ethan called after her: "Hey, don't you want to know what I'll do with this? Aren't
Meanwhile, the Duke of Sleipnir got comfortable on the edge of the cave. Shortly after he'd disposed of the corpses by sending them into the rolling dark river below, some of Loki's staff came over. They were shocked to see only one person left in the cave. "Um, your Excellency, where... where is the leader?""Hm?" Ethan turned and blinked. "Oh... he... how should I put this? He was too enthusiasistic when he saw his experiment finally succeed. Look, the brilliant result of all his hard work is below this cliff. He didn't want to wait anymore and took everyone to follow him down. Which might have been the wrong decision, so to say."The staff carefully crept closer to the cliff, and when he saw the darkness below, though it was more a creek than a mighty river now, his eyes widened. "Do you mean to say the leader is...?""Dead." Ethan nodded unemphathetically. "Most likely."Unexpectedly swiftly, the staff got over his shock. For a moment, he pondered, then asked: "But the experiment
"Ahhh! It hurts! It hurts! You're tearing me apart!" Nathaniel felt the unusual urge to roll his eyes. He never knew that his magic was such a sissy. First, it asked for his help, and now it screamed like a pig on the slaughter bench because of a little pain. And why could it even feel pain? Its body was nothing but insidious black smoke that appeared like a black liquid in its compressed form. There were no tendons, no bones, no flesh, and no nerves - in short, nothing that could hurt. "Shall I stop pulling then?", Nathaniel asked sarcastically in his mind. Well, if that magic of his wanted to go by itself, all the better for him. "No, no, no! Please don't let go! Don't let goo-oo-ouuuuuuch!" It felt like mentally pulling on an elastic band, Nathaniel decided. Somewhere where he couldn't see, something else was pulling the other end, turning the band longer and longer. It got harder for him to hold on with each passing second. Then, with a last loud howl fr