To be told goodbye suddenly left Katherine stunned for a second. She didn't expect he'd leave right after recovering. It was a shame, when they'd finally found a friendly basis with each other. Now he had to go and it didn't look like he planned to come back. "I thought you and the earl were brothers. Won't you visit each other?"
"We usually don't have much contact." Was she sad she wouldn't see the patient again? She would still see him as the earl, so she shouldn't start missing him. It felt strange to interact with her in two personas.
"Oh. Alright." She smiled a little awkwardly. There were a few other questions in her head, mostly about the earl, but she swallowed them back. The earl already payed for her service, so she shouldn't exploit his brother too much. "If you nearly die again, you know where to find me. But next time I will charge from yourself, so you better be careful!"
With that she found her usual confident self again and stood up. "And if you
"The earl of Hymirhall!", the herald announced loudly, as the folding doors to the throne hall opened.With steady, long strides, Nathaniel walked inside, Sam on his heels. Sam's magic already vanished, leaving behind the earl's snow-white hair and red eyes, glinting dangerously. His face was expressionless, and even colder than normal. As he strode forward, his hands were clasped behind his back. He wore his usual black attire, only the cufflinks on his dress shirt changed as a concession to the special occasion. They were red rubies, matching his eyes.The throne hall had a simple structure: four-sided, longer than wide, with a floor and walls of black marble, a high ceiling, and big windows to the left. If not for the latter letting sunlight flood in, it may have resembled the dark cave of some wild beast. Now it was more suited for the civilized predators that resided in it.Nathaniel's gaze first wandered to the end of the hall. More than a hundred meters i
With this question the king seemed to finally find his footing again, and turned stern. "Your punishment. You are not to take one step out of the palace for the time being. All your necessities will be moved here. You are not to make contact with your mother, as well as participate in events were she is present. The medal ceremony is an exception. Finally, for as long as you are in the palace, you will wear a vessel. You know how it works."A ridiculing smile lingered around the corners of Nathaniel's mouth. As expected, he still only sees the monster. "Didn't we already try this? In contact with my magic, vessels work for a few seconds at most. And they only restrain it to skin-contact. Surely you don't want something this unstable in your vicinity.""Indeed.", the king agreed. "That is why I asked for a special vessels to be made. It should be able to curb your full power for half an hour, which is more than enough time to kill you. It also has a warning mechanism to
Katherine had just finished her first bath after the long travel, when she heard that the earl had arrived. As fast as possible, she put on some clothes, and let Hazel make her a simple hairstyle. Then she rushed to the entrance hall. Her heart was bouncing in her chest. How long had it been since she last saw him?The entrance hall was like a smaller version of the one in the mansion. When she reached the stairs, she could already see the earl standing down below, discussing something with Sam. His white hair shined softly in the light of the candles that had just been ignited. Relieve and joy flooded her. He looked as healthy as always!Before she knew it, she rushed down the stairs, calling out to him happily. "Nathaniel!"The figure in black turned around, his eyes widening, but it was too late to step to the side. Two slender arms clutched around his waist and a soft body slammed against his chest. "You're back!"Her momentum nearly made him stagger
A finger on her lips, Katherine pondered. Yes, the compensation now didn't match the difficulty of the request anymore. Not if her life was on the line. However, living in the palace was also a chance. If she could influence the nobles, it was possible for the Icelands to attack the Dragsa-kingdom, hopefully killing Ethan while they were at it. Though she would prefer to do it with her own hands, she was realistic. She knew that she was way too weak. It may not be possible in the future and it certainly wasn't possible right now.The problem with influencing the society behind the scenes was the fitting social status. If she was introduced as a simple noble or even a maid, her influence would be next to naught. The proud nobles in the palace would just ignore her. Also, she wasn't beautiful enough to get a big number of suitors without having a fitting status, so this option was also not the best. Her status as a noble of the Dragsa-kingdom would be even worse than no status
Outside the lounge, Nathaniel exhaled. This deception play was too difficult. How should he stay unaffected when she made such cute faces? He wanted to kiss this sweet dumb face all over! Being affected this strongly took him unexpected, especially because cuteness had never been his preference. He liked beauty, elegance. Katherine was beautiful, too. He didn't know about elegant normally, but he could imagine her playing the elegant lady with a haughty face if he were to challenge her to it. A heavy bubbly feeling raised in his chest. Now he was already feeling in paradoxes. With a sigh, he rubbed his face. Why in the world was her cuteness able to affect him when cuteness in general couldn't? It had to be special because it was her. Because he knew her for a longer time now, had seen her vulnerable, unruly and courageous sides. They all had their own charm. Letting her be my fake betrothed will be torture, he realized with regret. Was his health really wort
The warmth of sunlight on her feet was what awoke Katherine the next day. While asleep her toes had found their way out of the thick bedding. With a yawn, she pulled them back in. Even with the sunlight, the temperature in the room was still cold. After some hours outside, her toes were now prickling as they warmed up gradually.Laying on her side in the middle of an ocean of white silk, Katherine slowly blinked her eyes. Though the foreign room was decorated nicely, she felt a bit disappointed when it entered her sight. She was missing the peach colored bedding of the earl's mansion, the warmer weather and a certain black furball by her side.When she reluctantly lifted her hand to pull away the blanket, her gaze fell on the flowery ring on her left ring finger. The amethysts glittered brightly in the reflecting sun rays.She stared at it for a while. How could this ring match her eyes so well? When she first saw it, this question didn't occur to her. There wer
The room seemed to turn darker when Katherine left, shadows lurking in the corners. Nathaniel stared at the door, his intense gaze drilling into the wood. The red of his irises seemed to gleam. Finally, he closed his lids. His hands balled into fists.You can't have her, he repeated in his head. You can't. It's too dangerous. Too selfish.But whatever he told himself, he still longed for her like a thirsty man in the desert for water. Which was exactly what he was.Leaning back against the chair, the image of her soft bosom barely hidden behind slender arms resurfaced in his mind. When her hand fell, an amethyst ring had glittered on her finger. Mine. The possessiveness had overwhelmed him together with triumph. From her gorgeous surprised face over this soft blushing bosom down to her tiny feet in blue shoes, all mine. Even now, his mouth turned dry.With a curse, his eyes snapped open. Falling for his own lie now, really! He didn't have the time to lose
Shortly before six p.m., Katherine nervously fiddled on her sky-blue evening dress. On her ears as well as around her slender neck and at the rim of her dress hang shimmering white pearls from the sentient sea. Her black hair was made in a classy updo with two thin braids extending from her temples and swirling around the high-set knot. Elegant white gloves covered her skin up to her elbow. Her sleeves began two fingers above them, letting her smooth skin blink out in between. "Hazel, do you really think I should put on a jacket? Wouldn't it ruin the whole outfit? Surely, they will heat up the dining room a bit, wouldn't they?""A jacket would be better, milady. Just a thin one. You aren't used to the cold yet and it's a big room. You might get cold even with a fire burning. Doesn't this white one look quite good together with the dress? And maybe a scarf, too?", Hazel suggested and held a pure white jacket on her lady.Inspecting herself in the mirror, Katherine pulle
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