With a deep frown that show-casted how the previous conversation irritated her, Katherine sat down next to the Princess. She half awaited to be called out again, maybe thrown out by the King. If so, she was angry enough to leave this kingdom altogether. There was nothing good in staying in a kingdom with such rulers.
When nothing happened, her anger lessened a bit. Maybe they also had their reasons for talking like that. Whatever news the King asked her about, seemed to be a big matter involving her origin country. It wasn't unusual for them to be suspicious. Only the undeserved hate the Queen had for her couldn't be excused easily.
"Lady Balder, we are so happy you could make it for dinner", the Princess started the conversation formally, while it was obvious that the maximum count of happy persons on this table ended with her. "I hope you had a pleasant birthday. I see you liked my gift?"
"Ah, yes." Flustered from her nonchalance, Katherine touched the crystal
Into the throne hall strode a middle-aged man with a thick mustache and a woman, roughly a few years older than the Princess. Both greeted old Lady Finley with reverence, but didn't get much of an answer. When the King frowned at the sight, they then bowed even deeper to him."Your Majesty", the man said with a rather melodic voice, "pardon the intrusion.""I already pardoned one intrusion today, a second doesn't make much of a difference", the King replied in not quite a friendly tone. Katherine got the feeling that if there would be a third party knocking after this one, they would be thrown out faster than flying. Even this man was greeted with unwillingness. "Long time no see, Sebastian.""Eighteen years are indeed a long time, your Majesty. I already thought you had forgotten about me.""Nonsense. Even if I wanted to forget your ugly face, I couldn't", the King harrumphed. His gaze halted on the woman. Then he sighed. "Luckily or not, Lily grew up to
Thanks to the interruption of old Lady Finley, the King seemed to have momentarily forgotten about the 'choice' he wanted to give Katherine. The dinner started, but the seat between Katherine and the King remained empty. The Princess didn't come back.Though she should be an enemy, Katherine felt quite insecure without her by her side. The Princess was the only one who defended her previously, and now she practically sat beside the King instead, who deliberated about killing her earlier.She told herself that she would be fine, that this was not as hard as facing off against Nathaniel the first time they met. But it was impossible to believe that. Though Nathaniel was more intimidating, at least she knew what he wanted from her. It would be so much easier when she knew what the purpose of this was!Everyone talked about things she didn't understand; only the veiled woman besides Katherine remained silent. Nobody bothered to explain to her who this 'grandson' who
Though it should be a difficult question, it took her only a second to find the answer. She didn't know if it was the right one or just impulsiveness, but that didn't matter. Right now, she felt like it was the most natural thing in the world, the only choice there was. She wanted to see Nathaniel happy. "I swear that I will be that person for him. I will put him above..." Her voice halted when she suddenly remembered her revenge. The whole purpose why she stayed with him, the reason she came to the Capital, was to get revenge for her parents and the orphans in the woods. How could she forget about this? What if promising this meant giving up on revenge? But that wasn't necessarily the case, was it? If he liked her just a bit, surely he would help her realize her goals, too. The one thing had nothing to do with the other. Despite this, she felt a bit guilty when she ended: "Put him above my former country." "Wonderful!", the King exclaimed and shook her hand
The veiled woman introduced herself as Samantha Orchid. She was of a lesser noble family that didn't have much influence, so it was more or less an accident that she met the King. "But let's talk about more relevant things", she said while guiding Katherine through the palace expertly. With her black veil back on, nobody seemed to take note of her. "You weren't comfortable about having your marriage tomorrow. I'm a bit concerned. Do you not like your betrothed or is there something else that troubles you?" Her bluntness shocked Katherine. Had she been so obvious? Hopefully, at least the King didn't notice. How much of the reason for her struggles did this woman guess? "I was just surprised. Nathaniel and I didn't really speak about marriage yet, and it's... too fast. Too much, too fast, I guess." "Ahh, if this is all." Relief washed the tension off Lady Orchid's slim shoulders. "I already suspected you don't want to marry Nathan. Then I would have to overthro
Way too early in the morning, Katherine got called out of bed in a new chamber that was prepared just for this night. It was inside the center building of the palace, where only the royal family was allowed to reside. Yawning, she followed Hazel to a bathing tub filled to the brim with warm rose water. It was a very enjoyable bath in the beginning. Just when she nearly fell asleep again, five of the maids from the evening before entered and began scrubbing her from head to toe until her skin was all rosy. Rapidly, the sleepiness was driven away. Even her nose and the nooks between her fingers weren't spared. They washed her hair four times in different ways before they were satisfied with the smell and texture. "Smooth like silk and fluffy like feathers", one sighed while drying it carefully. From the bathing tube she was led to the dressing table, where they filed and colored her nails, dabbed her skin with fragrant oils, and carefully chose her make-up befo
Katherine was stunned. How could he be here? Wasn't he dead? She looked all around, but she couldn't see anyone besides the priestesses. Was she having hallucinations or was this part of the bridal ritual? Something artificial? However, this wasn't funny anymore. With gritted teeth, she decided to ignore it. Even if he was alive, there was no way for him to be here. This had to be a bad joke. "Is it for your cousin?", the voice asked with a bitter laugher. "Are you begging for forgiveness because you want him to take you back? You really are pathetic." "I.Am.Not!", Katherine hissed. "I will never forgive him, neither do I need his forgiveness!" A few priestesses glanced at her curiously. They couldn't hear her conversation but were surprised why she looked so infuriated. "You are dead, so shut up!", Katherine added in a lower voice. For a while, there was silence. Relieved, she exhaled. It was only her imagination. Right, Frey couldn't
When everyone had arrived at the location and had their fill of champagne and canapés, that was when the King entered. He walked down the red carpet and whoever he was about to pass, knelt down and bowed their head. Silence descended.The King's face was expressionless when he walked along the lines, and finally stepped on the pedestal, up towards his throne.He was alone. The Princes and Princess had already entered the venue beforehand and waited down below. The Queen was nowhere to be seen."My dear subjects", the King started his speech and raised his hands. He looked like he wanted to embrace the whole world, however, his face remained cold. His subjects, who were already used to his habits, didn't think of his mimic as dissatisfying. Instead, they thought that it was reassuring."Today is a great day for a feast. All of you know why we are here, and I'm sure you anticipate seeing the one who saved us from the Renat army invading the southern
When the medal was given out, Katherine wasn't in the hall yet, but she heard the rumors from one of the maids, who had been told by a waiter.She was already a nervous wreck, now even her hands started to sweat. With trembling lips, she murmured: "This can't be right. Nathaniel isn't a prince, why would they say that? I even heard there was bad blood between him and the royal family.""Sometimes the truth is different from what we think.", an older maid sighed. "Maybe both is true, or one is nothing more than a rumor. However, they said the King announced it, so it should have some value. Who knows why he kept it a secret? Maybe he was just too shy to tell you. Anyway, none of us knew before."Katherine couldn't imagine a shy Earl of Hymirhall. She felt the stone in her stomach getting heavier when she thought about his stern and cold face. Was this really Nathaniel they were talking about? The one who played chess with her and hugged her like she was his only
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