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Visit at Night
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2024-10-29 19:42:56A commotion in front of her chambers shook Katherine out of her sleep. It was dark night outside, so she unwillingly turned to the other side and hoped that whoever it was would go away. She just had a dream of her early childhood when her mother took her for a trip, and she wanted to soak in this wonderful memory a bit more.
It was the first time she had been away from home, a spontaneous adventure. They had left the castle of Sleipnir secretly at night. She might have been four or five as her magic hadn't awakened yet. Furrowing her brows, Katherine tried to remember every detail to edge it deeply into her mind.
"Your father is no fun", her gypsy mother told the little Katherine while saddling the horse. "So, we have to force him to play for his own good, you understand? We'll play hide-and-seek. You have to remember to hide well. We can't make it too easy for him."
They traveled day and night, Katherine sleeping between her mother's arms in the saddle. Maybe
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He is staring at me, Katherine thought. She felt it on her skin. His gaze was burning into her, but it wasn't a pleasurable kind of heat. More like he was furious but held it inside. At least his anger didn't seem to be directed at her. Couldn't he turn his gaze away then? Why stare at her if his mind wasn't even there?Since she had already healed Froseti's injury and now only helped him produce more blood, she didn't need to concentrate so hard anymore. That was when her mind went haywire. She really wanted to know what was going on behind that stern looking forehead."Stop staring", she grumbled finally. "You are irritating me."He blinked, then his eyes moved away. No apology. Not even an explanation. Did he really think he could stroll in here with her dying pet and she'd just let him go?"Explain. What happened to Froseti?", she demanded. He had to know something about it. The only way for Froseti to appear in the capital again when it had vanished
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Nathaniel scoffed and opened his mouth for a flippant reply, but the words were stuck in his throat. He wasn't able to refute her words. So, instead, he narrowed his eyes. "Are you perhaps jealous?"Katherine was so red now that anger and embarrassment couldn't be distinguished anymore. Steam seemed to come out of her ears. Putting her hands on her hips, she snapped: "Jealous? Me? You wish! You can do whatever you want, but don't bring my people into danger! And yes, the rabbit counts as 'my people'."Taking in her furious attitude, Nathaniel chuckled, the ice melting away. "I see. You really are jealous."Katherine stomped her foot. "As if! Never ever! Why would I be jealous over you?!"His smile widened. An unknown feeling brightened up his heart, coupled with warmth and playfulness. "Gorgeous little puppy. Come here, let me pet you."When he reached out for her, Katherine slapped his hand away and retreated. "No! I'm not a puppy!"Unpertu
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Katherine opened her mouth, but she didn't know which question to ask first. What was he searching for? What was the woman's role in this? When had all of this started? He wanted to find out since twenty years ago, he said. The same time his aunt died. Did it have to do with her murderer then?Finally, she asked the most pressing questions: "What kind of danger? Who is behind it?" Suddenly, her thoughts turned, connecting with the events of the night. "Froseti was a warning?""Smart.", the earl assessed and nodded. "That woman doesn't want me here. If it doesn't work, she might use more desperate means.""You say there are several, but you only talk about 'that woman'.", Katherine realized and thoughtfully nibbled on her lip. "Is she their leader? Who are the others?""I don't know." Nathaniel's eyes locked onto her mouth before looking away. Deliberately, he slipped out of her grip and sat down on the bed again. Now that she calmed down, he didn't fear h
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