ã€ŠHow To Make The Ice Prince Fallã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Nourishing vipers

    "NOOOO! Let me go! Don''t you dare touch me! DAMMIT! LET ME GO!", yelled a teenage girl, as three men in guard uniforms pulled her into a salon with gold-framed pictures all over the walls and two massive red couches in the middle. In one of them sat a tall man, sipping a glass of red wine and humming in a low tune, as if he was oblivious to the shouts behind his back.

    At the exact moment when the girl discovered the man, she stopped struggling and her mouth and violet eyes both went wide. If one of the guards had not held her up, she might have fallen down. All her strength left her like mist before the morning sun.

    "No.", she whispered. "Co-Cousin? Why would you still want to see me?" Do you want to kill me as well, she thought fearfully.

    The man didn''t react at all, just swirling the wine in his glass and humming the tune to its end. He had murky brown eyes and thick brown hair with slightly curly tips. If not for being in this big salon and wearing a suit, he may not have looked like anyone special. But it was this simple man who sent shivers down Katherine''s spine. She would have thought he''d look different, now that she knew his crimes, and yet, he did not.

    When the man finished his tune and took another sip, she was shaking so hard that the guards had trouble holding her upright, especially when her cousin looked at her with a seemingly harmless smile. "Kitty. Come here. Sit." He patted the couch beside him and waved the guards away, who immediately let go of her and complied.

    Left alone she swayed before finding her balance again, the shivers subsiding, as determination set in her eyes. Right, why should she be afraid of him? Did she have anything left to lose? Merely a hollow body, everything else was gone. Besides, he had never really laid a hand on her. Just on everything she loved.

    Just yesterday, her parents had been executed for betraying the land they served for their whole life, and all the people in it. For Betraying the king. Even if she knew they didn''t do it, she couldn''t do anything to stop it. And the culprit of it all was this man in front of her. Her very own cousin.

    A week ago she''d decided that she didn''t want to keep his secrets anymore. She was going to tell her parents and the whole world what he''d done, and this was the outcome. He''d made it look like all his deeds had been committed by her parents and they''d gone down like a millstone had been tied to their necks. Now nobody would believe her anymore if she told them that he was the one who''d arranged the murder of Princess Bellatrix. They wouldn''t even go looking for the cabin in the forest where he hid the bunch of kids she wanted to save. The kids now had nobody to heal their wounds anymore. To ease their pain. Most likely he had killed them all. She didn''t ask, for she was too afraid he would say ''yes'' without as much as batting an eyelid. Being betrayed by the one''s most trusted friend hurt the most.

    Seeing that she didn''t have a choice, as she was too weak compared to him, she slowly walked over to his side. Sat down. Waited for whatever he had in mind for her. "You know, I should thank you, Kitty.", he said leisurely. "Without your warning I might have forgotten how troublesome parents could get. I hope, you aren''t sad, that I''ve solved this problem. I even got promoted: I am the new duke of Sleipnir. Sound''s nice, doesn''t it?"

    Sitting beside him, Katherine was grinding her teeth. Duke of Sleipnir was the title of her father. It should have been given to her uncle after his death, but he was laying in the sickbed and babbling nonsense for four years already, poisoned by his own son. Or at least that was, what she suspected now. "Ethan, what do you want from me?"

    Did he just call her to make fun of her? To tell her, it was her own fault? Yes, she shouldn''t have shown her disgust, should have just complied and later told the public. But she hoped for him to change, to go back to being her nice big brother, her protector. Maybe he had always been rotten inside. Even when they were kids he liked to hurt people, to make them bleed. Everyone but her. He was as sweet to her as he was bad to all others, always treating her like someone precious. She could not deny that it had felt good. Like she was some kind of princess.

    That was reason enough for her to help him time and time again to cover up the mess he made and use her special healing magic so that there wasn''t a trace of injury to be found. With time his deeds got crueler and crueler until she couldn''t understand him anymore. She wanted him to stop, but he didn''t, and on the day that he bought the kids to the cabin, he told her, he would kill them if she let anything slip. At first, she didn''t believe him, tried to argue. To no avail. Instead it gave him the time to switch every evidence around, so it would point at her poor parents.

    The moment her parents were executed, she saw how he smiled. That was when she really started to fear him. He was a Psychopath, one of the mindful kind, because even as a kid he had known that she was the only one, who could disguise what he had done. He even let her promise to not tell anyone about her ability to heal. Not even her parents. So nobody would find out.

    How stupid she had been. A dump society puppet, knowing nothing about the real world. Because he was five years older and treating her like a gem she had looked up to him. Not anymore. Now she knew, what a monster he was.

    "What do I want..." He smiled and it was the same smile as always, not an inch out of place. She hated it. Hated how he could smile after killing her parents. A shame, there was no way to do anything to him. His body was as powerful as his magic and his mind was even more frightening. As the one who knew him best, she still felt like she knew nothing about what he could do. "Say, what would you think of marrying me?"

    All color drained from her face. "Ma-marry?"

    This was REALLY scary. He killed my parents and now he wants to ¨C but he never showed ANY sign of liking me this way, she thought. This monster as my ¨C NEVER EVER! Her gaze turned hot with rage, trying to burn him inside-out. Silently, her trembling hands balled into fists. She searched for words to voice her repulsion, yet he was faster.

    "As I thought. Now, it''s decided then. You will marry the Earl of Hymirhall. With what you think about me, I would be an idiot to let you stay by my side. But even more of an idiot to bring you anywhere where you could hinder my plans. So, Hymirhall it is. Most likely I can reap some benefits from this."

    "Hy-Hymirhall?! That''s in the Iceland!" Shock painted her features, overwriting the rage.

    He didn''t even flinch. "So what? What did you think I would kill the princess for? Pure fun?"

    "N-no. But they are the enemy!" The enemy of their whole nation, to be precise. They were in a cold war for generations already.

    "Not my Enemy. In fact, they have come quite handy for some of my plans, especially the earl of Hymirhall. I need him. Besides, he is quite young and handsome himself. I wouldn''t gift my only sane relative to just anyone. Kitty, you know I wouldn''t do anything to hurt you. I still need your skills."

    And that is the real reason, Katherine thought cynically. I should have expected his marriage proposal earlier. With that, he could always have me in the palm of his hand. But why than didn''t he make it real? As the only officially ''sane'' man in the family he could have decided it for her without any interception. Why? Just... why? It hurt, because it looked like he really considered her feelings. Which he would never do. All he had done up till now ¨C even winning her favor as a kid ¨C was for his own good. She wouldn''t fall for it anymore.

    "Of course. And what do you need my skills for in Hymirhall?", she asked, her tone cold. She would do all she could to work against his plans. Or even better: get out of his sight and flee. She wouldn''t do a thing of what he wanted anymore.

    He looked a bit surprised that she had figured it out. Then he smiled. It should have been warm and comforting, but it just made her shudder with disgust. "That, you will see when you are there, little cousin. The earl will be very grateful to have someone like you. He won''t ever let you run away. Have a good night of sleep, Kitty. The carriage will be waiting tomorrow morning."

    He wanted to kiss her forehead like he always had, but she shoved him away hard and ran out of the room, his laughter in her ear making her want to cry. Nonetheless she halted before long. Her small back facing him with balled fists she inquired: "What about the kids?" She didn''t have the courage to ask up until now, but she needed to know for sure before he sent her away. Needed to extinguish all hope or it would just hurt even more later on.

    "What about them? I said, they will be dead if you speak. So they are."

    Silent tears streamed down her cheeks. Eight kids, none older than twelve. She was the one who killed them, even if it was by trying to save them. She was responsible. Nobody else knew about them, since they were just thieves and orphans. He had held them as experimental subjects for his magic. Dead. All dead. Maybe she would be the only one who remembered their names...

    Swaying two steps to the side she tumbled to the floor just out of his sight and cried without as much as making a sound. She didn''t want him to hear, didn''t want this monster to realize how much he could hurt her even now. Her closest friend had become her mortal enemy. He was the nightmare that haunted her and still he seemed so much like that little boy, who bought her candy and hugged her to sleep in stormy nights.

    A while later, one of his guards helped her to her feet and back to her room. She knew they wouldn''t reveal her breakdown, because of the simple fact that they couldn''t speak at all. First thing Ethan did to his guards was cutting their tongues out. Whoever didn''t try to leave after that, Ethan deemed desperate enough, that they would do all he asked of them. Of course, that didn''t mean he trusted them. How could it? Obviously, he never knew trust at all.

 Chapter 2 - Misery

    Inside the carriage Kathrine was sewing. She knew it wasn''t the ideal task for sitting in a carriage, but reading books while riding made her nauseous and she didn''t have anyone to talk with. The only one who could talk in her entourage was riding at the very front and didn''t really seem to be a nice character. But what could she expect with her cousin selecting them?

    At least he assigned her a maid (a mute one, of course) and let her choose her own clothing. Not that that was worth anything, as clothing wouldn''t help her get out of his claws and the maid apparently had a crush on Ethan, so she would be more of a hindrance than anything else. Naturally, that was all within his calculations.

    Sighing, she wanted to set another stitch as the carriage rocked and she pricked her finger instead. The sixth time today. It was a wise decision to take the pricey red cloth. Otherwise the blood would''ve already ruined it.

    Three whole weeks of travel and she didn''t get the slightest chance to flee. Every moment she was outside the carriage, at least two of the ten guards would be close by and even if she needed to, you know, do what every creature must, the maid would go with her and never too far out of sight. It was frustrating to no end. At times she was fuming inside, but didn''t dare show it, out of fear to alert them. But even if she didn''t alert them, they were not letting their guard down. Damn. Why did he have to know her so well?

    Anyway, there was nearly no time left now, because they would reach their destination tomorrow afternoon. If the dukedom of Sleipnir wasn''t next to the boarder, it would have taken much longer.

    She should better make herself accustomed to the thought of marring some earl she didn''t know in the slightest instead of hoping for a miracle. Thinking about how rapidly this had developed made her head ache and she leaned back, closing her eyes. It still hurt. Everything hurt so much, and she had no one to talk to. Ethan''s ears were everywhere.

    Maybe at least that would end after her marriage. Than it would be her husband who would poke his nose in every matter of hers. And what a nose it may be? She didn''t even get to see a picture, much less the person. It could even be that Ethan was lying, and he was old and fat. On the other hand, why should he care? She couldn''t get out of this anyway. She was just a little girl and didn''t even have proper magic to help her survive.

    Most magic users in all five kingdoms were trained to fight, but her magic wouldn''t be of much help. It couldn''t attack anyone. Ethan had always compensated that fault. Not anymore.

    Downcast she healed the prick in her finger, for whatever reason deciding to move in a way, the maid wouldn''t see it. Maybe it was a reflex. She should stop it next time. She wasn''t Ethan''s pet anymore and had no reason to hide herself.

    The carriage was rattling over a rock before coming to a halt. For the last half a day, the maid had tried to beautify her with all means possible, driving Katherine nearly insane. Yes, she was pale, but didn''t that match quite well with her ebony hair? Maybe she was a bit thin, but not a skeleton, thank you very much! No, she didn''t want to wear this dress, it was too wide to even fit inside the carriage, much less trying to get through the door. Katherine didn''t know, how someone could express so much criticism with only their eyes and hands. Still, it was better than thinking of her future husband all the time.

    She took a deep breath, looking down on the violet dress, she decided to wear at last. It was a match with her eyes and fine silver embroidery extended over the wide skirt up to her slender waist. She wondered if the earl would like it, before she remembered that it didn''t matter. The marriage was most likely set because of her skills, not her appearance. Still, maybe she should try hopping into the mud outside, just to test, if her assumption was right. It was raining cats and dogs the whole day already, as if the sky was mirroring her depression.

    No, she shouldn''t ruin the dress. It was worth a try to please the earl (so long as he wasn''t a big eyesore) and attempt to convince him to backstab her cousin. Or at least to find out what he was scheming. About getting back at her cousin she was realistic. She was just a seventeen-year-old girl, not worth much in their world. She wasn''t even the daughter of a duke anymore. Back then, maybe she would have looked down on a mere earl. Never would she have imagined marrying one.

    The door of the carriage opened, and she pulled a long dark coat over her dress to shelter it from the rain, before taking the hand of one of her guards to help her step outside. Instantly another guard held a cloth over her head and she didn''t even get a proper look at the building, when they had already bought her inside.

    Despite the chandelier over her head, the foyer was rather gloomy. Darkness poured through the big windows on both sides of the hall, raindrops drumming against them. Up on the wide staircase in front of her appeared an old man, inspecting her for a second, then smiling and walking towards her. He used the handrail to support his body, but apart from that, he looked quite fit and keen. She just hoped, he was the butler, not her future husband. His gaze didn''t seem indecent though.

    When he reached her level, the one who could speak from her entourage stepped forward to receive him. He and two of the guards had followed her inside, the rest seemed to be left guarding the carriage. The man was short and plump, but without any of the kind features you would expect from a fat person. "Good evening, Sir.", he greeted.

    Seeing that, the old man frowned displeased. He blatantly ignored the other and set his sharp blue eyes on Katherine instead, bowing. "Lady Katherine, his lordship has been awaiting your arrival. If milady would follow me, we were so free as to prepare chambers upstairs, so you could take a rest before meeting the lord for dinner. The travel must have taken a toll on milady''s body."

    Kathrine was pleased to hear, that there were some people, who hadn''t forgotten that she was the one with the highest status here, therefor the one who should represent her entourage. But an even bigger impact had the assurance that the old man wasn''t the earl. Being ignored was nothing compared to that idea. Luckily, she was wrong.

    Taking two steps forward she grinned triumphantly and replied: "Thank you for your trouble. That would be lovely." Without giving the others a second glance, the butler showed her up the stairs, leaving the plump man behind stammering like an idiot.

    Observing her chambers, Katherine was thrilled. They were twice the size of the salon back home, divided in an entrance area, a dressing room, and, of course, a bedroom with a gigantic poster bed. A soft ocean of peach-colored silk.

    How could a mere earl afford such exuberance? Was the Iceland this much wealthier than her Dragsa kingdom? She didn''t remember it this way¡­ Maybe the earl wanted to impress his future wife and compensate for not being in a dukedom anymore. That was the only reason she could think of.

    Someone knocked at the door. As Kathrine opened, she found a maid, a bit older than herself and clad in a black dress, the red hair braided into a bun. The maid curtsied. "My name is Hazel, milady. If you allow, I will attend to you."

    Hazel was a way better companion than the mute maid, and it wasn''t only because she could talk. She was earnestly asking for her opinion and didn''t merely see her as a puppet, who needed to make a good first impression on her new owner. She cleaned the dirt splashes from her dress, made her a better fitting hairstyle and even massaged her shoulders, since Katherine felt a bit stiff after the long ride. Still, thinking of the evening, Kathrine couldn''t relax. "Have you seen him? The earl, I mean.", she asked hesitantly.

    "Yes, milady.", Hazel replied simply, but standing behind her, Katherine couldn''t see her face. She motioned her to stop and sit by her side.

    "Do you know his name?" It was embarrassing to ask. As the bride, she should at least know that much, right? Yet she didn''t, because she was only a bargain chip between the earl and her cousin.

    Surprised, Hazel''s brows shot upwards. "Milady doesn''t¡­?" she stopped, suddenly frowning. "To be honest, we have always referred to him by ''the lord of Hymirhall''¡­ Let me think¡­ Oh, now I remember! The cook told us about one time, Samuel ¨C that''s the butler ¨C was angry with the lord. He seemed to have called him Nathaniel Julien ¡­ Ice- something. I don''t really remember all of it. However, he seams to have a good connection to the youngest prince, since he visited here once. "

    Great. That didn''t help much. Yes, she got a name, but if she wanted to associate him with some significant family, she needed the full surname. Almost all noble families in the Icelands had an Ice- attached to their surname. Even the royal family had it. The only interesting news was the connection to the youngest prince. A shame she didn''t ask her cousin for more information about her husband. On the other hand, she didn''t want to be in his presence any longer. It was disgusting.

    "What is he like?" She wanted to know a bit more about him before meeting him in person. Since she had decided to try seducing him into spilling her cousin''s secrets, knowing what he liked and disliked was a critical factor.

    "Pardon me, milady, I don''t really know the lord well. I just saw him once¡­" Hazel tailed off and bit her lips, like she was afraid, she would be scolded. Katherine wondered what may have happened for Hazel to be this wary of her.

    "It''s okay. Just tell me what you think.", she soothed her and held her hand. This seemed to jolt her out of her thoughts and she swiftly pulled her hand back. Maybe mistreated by someone, Katherine thought, and her image of the earl sank. He couldn''t even protect his own servants. Or worse, maybe he was the cause.

    "I- I- I''m sorry, milady. The earl¡­ he¡­" slowly, she got a hold of herself and took a deep breath to begin anew. "The earl seems to be cold and detached, speaks seldom and had no visitors for the past two weeks. Aside from the butler, the other servants are afraid of him and try to not see him regularly." Hazels voice got softer with the word, until there was but a whisper left. "I heard one of them had called him a demon. She was fired the very next day and they kicked her out, though there was a snowstorm and she begged to let her stay. But¡­" she paused "maybe that is just hearsay."

    Katherine put a hand on her c.h.e.s.t. Cold, detached and¡­ demonic? How the hell should she gain the courage to seduce such a person? Would he even let her speak before eating her whole? "¡­ What about his looks? How old is he?" Hopefully, at least these two were fine, or else she should really think about running again. Far, far away.

    The hesitation of the maid made her think, this was most likely the best choice. "The lord is twenty-four. His looks are a bit¡­ special. Not bad, I suppose, but ¡­ it''s hard to describe. Like blood on a snow-white field, or something like that. It matches his aura quite well. I didn''t get a look at much though, because I was too scared after meeting his eyes and ran away."

    She sighed, then glanced up at Katherine again. "But milady, you don''t have to be afraid. I''m sure, the lord will be nice to you, since you are his future bride. Besides, I never heard of him doing anything improper or hurting someone who didn''t deserve it."

    This girl, Katherine thought, is hopelessly bad at consoling people. First recounting horror stories and then telling her, everything was good, because she would marry the monster instead of being his prey? Who. would want. that?!

    Also, didn''t kicking a girl out in a snowstorm count as being unnecessarily cruel? She didn''t deserve dying just for insulting him, right? All in all, Katherine would be better off fleeing. But, what to do then? Now that she seriously thought about that, she was troubled, because she didn''t really have any place to flee to.

    Yes, she could run, hide and maybe start a new live as a normal citizen, fade away like she never existed in the first place. However, always hiding from the government wasn''t a life worth living. It wasn''t what she really longed for. She wanted to have control of her own fate, and, after that, she wanted Ethan to pay for his sins. To have revenge, even if that was no more than a sky-high dream for now.

    Her own kingdom didn''t see through Ethan''s plot. It was pointless to try convincing them, since Ethan had a way higher social status. If he thought, she could endanger him, she would have died long ago. At most she was a fly, disturbing him for a second before being swept away.

    To get what she wanted, she needed to do one thing first: endure. Endure everything that was coming her way and gather her strength¡­ until one day, the fly was a dragon, ready to burn them all to cinders.

    So, her future husband was a demon? Let him be a demon then. It didn''t matter even if he were the demon king! She just needed him to give all he had for the queen by his side¡­ Even if she wasn''t sure yet, how to get to that point.

    Nibbling on her fingers, she was very clear about her inexperience in flirting and things like that. She didn''t even have her first kiss up till now. The contact to male specimen had always been strictly regulated by her parents. Still, it couldn''t be that hard, right? First, she just needed him to do what he intended anyway: marry her, so he couldn''t chase her away. The seduction-part would follow afterwards.

    Thinking about that, she remembered the hint her cousin gave her. The earl needed her. ''He won''t ever let you run away.'' That sounded like the earl had something urgent only she could help him with. Most likely something that had to do with her ability. Could she threaten him with that?

    At last she decided that she knew too little. Therefore, her self-imposed mission for the dinner was to observe him thoroughly, and, if possible, find weaknesses she could exploit for herself. Of course, she couldn''t risk her life or marriage over it, she still needed to be careful. It knocked at the door for the second time today.

    The butler stood outside. "Milady, dinner is ready."

 Chapter 3 - Mission Impossible

    At the entrance to the dining hall the butler halted. He knocked two times, before pushing the seemingly heavy oak door open. "Milord, Lady Katherine Mary Balder has arrived."

    With that he stepped to the side, holding the door open for her.

    Waking inside, Katherine felt the temperature drop suddenly. Her eyes searched for the cause, a swelling fear in her stomach. Although the storm was ceasing outside, the clouds still lingered and created a gloomy atmosphere. Her side of the long dining table was well-lit by candles, but the other end was shrouded in darkness. A shudder went through her body as she met a pair of blood-red eyes, looming in the darkest black. They were the eyes of the god of slaughter himself: cold, murderous, detached and overflowing with a calculating evil intend. His presence filled the room up to the ceiling, freezing the air. It was hard to even breathe.

    Aside from his eyes and a bight glimmer of hair his lineaments were cast into shadows, as if the light itself feared to touch him. They were wrong, it shot through her head. He isn''t a demon. He is the god of murder himself. And he is eyeing me as if trying to figure out how to eat me best.

    Against all her instincts, she held his gaze, shuddering while fighting the fear inside of her. She couldn''t back down this fast if she wanted him to acknowledge her. The first hurdle to revenge and she was already wavering. This couldn''t be happening. She wouldn''t allow it!

    Her hands balled into fists, as the seconds ticked by. Cold sweat gathered at her back, but she was holding his gaze.

    Three, four, five seconds. The pressure increased with time. Why doesn''t he speak? Just one second longer¡­ Just one! But with each anxious heartbeat, the air seemed to get thicker and thicker. As if drowning, her head felt dizzy. She didn''t want to give in, but she couldn''t hold out much longer. She didn''t even realize that she was holding her breath. Six seconds, seven, eight¡­ It was impossible!

    At the very last moment, the eyes of the earl slowly wandered off her face and to the chair by her side. Breathing hastily, Katherine tried to compose herself, but it was to no avail. Her knees wobbled, and her mental strength was totally exhausted.

    Damned weakling! Useless! She was cursing herself. How should she accomplish anything with that attitude? But as his imposing aura was crushing down on her again, she gave in, and followed his unspoken order to sit.

    How could a mere earl have this kind of presence? It was the presence of an emperor, suffocating his subjects. She was whining inside. How could she get someone like this to serve her? This was a man, who wouldn''t serve anyone. Aloof and frightening, he would most likely kill himself before submitting. What should she do? What could she do? He was her only choice!

    The first plate was served. Neither of them had spoken a word. He didn''t eat a thing, but at first, she was too hungry to follow suit. The meals were never good while traveling. After taking a few bites though she registered that he was staring at her. His bloody eyes watched her every move coldly, inspecting her. The color of blood¡­ the memory of her of her parents'' execution raised its ugly head. She had never seen so much blood in her life. And she didn''t want to ever again. That was sufficient to upset her stomach. She couldn''t eat anymore.

    He is just an earl, she reminded herself angrily and pushed the memory to the back of her head. She took a sip of water. I shouldn''t be this tense. Yet it confused her, why her chamber was this big and sumptuous designed. Her hypothesis, that he''d prepared it this way only for her, was refuted by his personality alone. What was it then for?

    With the few hints she had, she was sure: there was more to this earl than met the eye. She hadn''t forgotten that he seemed to have a good connection to the youngest prince. Her cousin, this earl and the youngest prince. Was there a conspiracy in progress?

    Idiot, that''s not the question, she reminded herself. Of course there was a conspiracy! It surely had to do with princess Bellatrix'' death. But who was the head of all this?

    Although her cousin was quite smart, it wasn''t likely that he planned to murder the princess out of his own motives. He wouldn''t get much out of this. But for a prince of the enemy nation this was another story, entirely. What was her husband-to-be''s part in this? Somehow, she didn''t belief that he was only the connecting bond between the two. It didn''t fit her impression of him. He couldn''t be just some tiny earl.

    The second plate was served, a juicy steak with beans. The aroma was tickling her nose nicely, yet she was paying it no heed. She decided to stand her man. Woman. Whatever. She had to fulfill her mission and find out more about everything. First of all, about him. Additionally, she had a challenge for herself, to improve that bad attitude. Every time they were locking gazes, she had to hold out at least one second longer than the time before.

    She looked up, and her mouth got dry instantly. Damn. This was going to be intense. "May I ask, what are your lordsh.i.p.s plans for our marriage?" Prepared for a stare-contest, she was confused when the lord simply blinked, and looked away. She followed his gaze and saw the butler, who had been standing nearby throughout the meal. Now he walked over to the earl and bowed down. Seconds later the butler nodded and straightened.

    "Pardon milady, but milord isn''t sure yet, if milady can fulfill his requirements. The duke of Sleipnir mentioned about milady''s magic being unique in all kingdoms. Unfortunately, his Grace didn''t give any explicit statement about the nature of milady''s magic. Would milady care to explain?"

    That was unexpected. He wasn''t even sure, if he wanted to marry her? That bastard of a Cousin had let it sound like a settled agreement. Now that she was here, what would happen to her if the earl rejected her? And since it was her cousin as well, who claimed the earl would never let her slip though his hands, she couldn''t count on that. Maybe that a***** just wanted to get her out of his country so the few connections she had were cut and he could let her rot to death somewhere. Damn, she wanted to kill someone! Well, one explicit someone.

    Besides, why did the lord use his butler to reply? Was he condemning her already? This guy wasn''t only arrogant, he was ill-mannered, too! She should consider to expand her hit-list. Of course, all her plans were for naught if the earl didn''t marry her. Squeezing her lips, she really wished she had some awesome killing-magic or some other show-off. "My ability is healing. I can mend bones, heal wounds and sorts."

    "His lordship would like you to prove that claim." The answer came instantly, as if they had expected that. But didn''t they say, they didn''t know her ability? Maybe the earl was a collector of curiosities and didn''t care what talent it was, as long as it was strange. Or, more likely, his comment before was used to minimize her self-confidence. Katherines'' expression darkened. Is that how they want to play?

    Fury soared in her as they brought a black rabbit inside, covered in blood. They couldn''t have been this fast if they didn''t prepare it beforehand. Poor little rabbit. Humans were such vile creatures!

    Katherine balled her fists and spat: "I''ll safe it only if it is mine afterwards!" Otherwise it would be a waste. The little one was better off dead than in the hands of such a vicious master.

    The lord nodded silently. The hint of a smile touched his lips, as Katherine directed her gaze back to the rabbit. She settled her hands at the soft black fur, not scared by the blood. In this aspect she wasn''t like the daughters of rich families, who fainted at the sight. She had seen too much of it already, even without counting the death of her family.

    The rabbit was sliced open at its stomach and half of his organs were sliced through, too. No normal treatment could have saved it, but it wouldn''t be magic if it could only do normal things.

    Katherine closed her eyes and concentrated at the warm feeling inside of her. Raised it. It felt like sunlight was flowing through her veins and she knew that she was glimmering a bit. At times, when she was emotional, the magic would spill by itself, but normally she needed to wake it.

    Opening her eyes, she watched her hands glint with a soft white light and directed it at the rabbit. Slowly, the bleeding stopped. The organs began mending themselves. After half a teacup of time, the trembling stopped, too, and the rabbit raised its head curiously. Seeing her hands touching it, it wiggled, first weakly, then vehemently, until it was seated. It didn''t run away. Instead, it peacefully l.i.c.k.i.n.g her hands. The wound on its stomach was closed and only blood remained.

    "So?", she said icily, her fury enabling her to meet his gaze without fear.

    His lips twitched, but whatever it was, he got it under control. Then, for the first time, she heard him speak. His voice was deep and hoarse. "Marvelous." Just one word. Somehow it made her feel like a mouse in front of a cat.

    She frowned, displeased. "Can I leave now? I need to wash my hands and lost my appetite anyway."

    He nodded slowly, ignoring her attitude. She was already standing, when he added: "After you answered my questions."

    If looks could kill, he would be dead. Not willing to sit down again, Katherine picked up the rabbit, wrapping it in a napkin to not sully her dress, before pulling it in her embrace. "Speak than."

    "What about illnesses? Poisons?"

    She shook her head. "Can''t heal them. I can just cure whatever damage they have done to the body." Usually this was sufficient. She believed there wasn''t many illnesses which couldn''t be overcome with her help.

    Poison was another matter. One case of food-poisoning was all there was to her experience with it. Of course, if she''d known about her uncle sooner, she would have tried to heal him. But prior she had thought that he was insane and after a visit to an asylum she knew that she couldn''t treat mental illnesses. Now, that she thought about it, her cousin had brought her there only days prior to the outbreak of her uncles'' illness. Murderous bastard.

    "Are there any aftereffects?", he interrupted her dark thoughts.

    "None that I know of." On the other hand, nearly all her patients didn''t know about her healing them, because her cousin had knocked them out beforehand. How than should they complain about anything regarding this? Her cousin and the children in the forest at least didn''t complain.

    "Good¡­ you can go now." The last part piqued her anger again, which had already been subsiding while answering this row of questions. He was shooing her away like a servant after being satisfied.

    Shooting him a cold glare ¨C which didn''t affect him, naturally ¨C she swaggered out of the dining hall.

 Chapter 4 - Casting Shadows

    The butler closed the door behind the last maid carrying the remains of the dinner out. With only him and the earl left, the tension vanished as well. The earl seemed to deflate like a balloon, sinking deeper into his chair. The red eyes looked tired, as if he was dragging on with pure willpower earlier. A hint of desperation showed, before he closed them, leaning his head of white hair back against the wooden chair. Nothing was left of the person the maids deemed a demon. Only a tired youth overpowered by his fate.

    Silence lingered in the corners of the big dining hall, so present, that it seemed to slow time itself. The room stilled, while the wind in front of the windows whispered of times long past. The earl though didn''t remember any better years. There was no memory of the time before struggling to live. No good times, no sweet words, no smiles. Nothing. Why did he hold on still? He didn''t know. Hope is the worst demon. It makes us try and try again while all common sense told us it was to no avail.

    The butler disturbed the melancholic silence as he strode towards the earl, standing next to him. "If I may ask, what do you think of her? Is she fulfilling your expectations?"

    The earl didn''t move. Only his mouth shifted somewhat as he murmured: "She is. More¡­ or less."

    Patiently the butler waited for more detailed information. After a few minutes the earl lifted his eyelids a bit, peeking at the butler. "Less helpful¡­ more amusing."

    The old man nodded slowly, his expression rigid, but slightly approving. "I assume, this means, you won''t overthink your decision about marriage. It is most likely the best for both of you. She''s too young and impulsive to stay by your side, even after what happened to her. Furthermore, her status isn''t fitting. You need her to stay and help, though."

    The earl smiled without any emotion. "Place guards in front of her chambers. Under her window, too. She isn''t going to get anywhere. Her cousin sold her with a condition after all: not to let her stray. Tomorrow¡­ we might want to invite her to a good show. Let''s see what we can get off her."

    "Of course. But first, please let me help you back to bed.", the butler changed the topic, although he didn''t look pleased by thinking about how the earl wanted to trick the little girl. Really, she was just out of her baby shoes in terms of politics.

    "Sam", the earl warned and slowly pulled himself to a stand, "You are an old man yourself." Implying that he could walk by himself.

    Instead of feeling rebuked, sadness emanated from the butler. "And the old should be allowed to die first, don''t you think so?" He watched the earl clutching his chair tightly with his black gloves while shifting around it to the second door of the room, directly behind the earls'' seat.

    Rays of the setting sun fell through the clouds and on his features. The rain had stopped. Under the bright rays the earls white and fair skin shined, matching the snowy hair. A straight nose sat over slim lips, which he had pressed together further in discomfort. His sharp jar spoke of stubbornness and had a little scar in it. Watching him in the fading light, some would think of this scar as his only token of humanity. He could have been an immortal otherwise. Pained, but nonetheless handsome like a god.

    Of course, that was valid only for his face. His body, meanwhile, didn''t seem to be in a good condition. Although he was tall and had broad shoulders, they were sunken in. His figure too thin and steps shaky. Sweat gathered on his forehead out of the strain of standing by himself.

    It was not until he stumbled for the third time, nearly falling to the floor, that the butler stepped in and offered his arm to help. Grudgingly, the earl accepted it.

    "Sure.", the youth took up the earlier conversation, nearly inaudible. His voice was getting hoarser by the second. "But, Sam, you''ll live for a hundred years more, anyway. So that doesn''t count."

    A little smile lifted the old man''s mouth. "Whatever, whatever¡­", he sighed, thinking silently to himself that this suborn brat, who he served since the other was born, had always been a bit too sly for his own good.

    .

    Katherine in the meantime had followed a maid back to her chambers, where she changed her clothes and let Hazel wash the rabbit. His fur still a little damp, she sat it on her tights. She was pleased to see how trusting the little thing was, because throughout being washed and rubbed dry it didn''t struggle once. Now, it began l.i.c.k.i.n.g her hands again, snuggling closer. With this, it had won her heart completely.

    "What should I name it?", she muttered to herself. It was Hazel, who answered her, giving a row of ridiculous names like "Blackie", "little devil" or simply "furball". But, no, she didn''t want a description. She wanted a name. Lastly, she decided to use a common name out of the Dragsa kingdom. It would be her little part of home. "Foseti", she whispered and bend down to kiss its'' head.

    Hazel seemed downcast about the plainness. "What does that even mean?", she muttered to herself. Regardless, she respected her lady''s decision.

    After playing with the rabbit to her hearts content, Katherine let it sleep on a cushion next to her bed. The cushion was one of the things Katherine had sewed out of the red cloth while riding the carriage. Other were a simple nightgown, a handbag and some stuff animals.

    After seeing the earl though, she doubted that she would use them in the near future. That damn eye color of his and the cold, pressing gaze had spoiled her liking for red things. He was pissing her off.

    Mad again, she chose to let the nightwind wash her anger away, so she could sleep better. She opened the window and looked at the full moon peeking out between the clouds shyly, as if it still wasn''t sure, how welcomed it was. The still wet grass glistened in the scattered light. A cool breeze drifted into the room, making her shiver slightly. Hazel, standing quietly beside her, passed her a white blanket and Katherine wrapped herself into it. With her red lips and black hair fluttering in the wind she could go for snow white.

    In the distance she made out a forest, dark and eerie. It sprouted at the foot of a small mountain, overgrowing a valley and further out of her sight. Houses were nowhere to be seen.

    But no. Besides the duke and the earl no one important knew, where she was. The both of them had no interest in silencing her as of now. Some other purpose maybe? Carefully, she sneaked closer again. Hazel was watching her incredulously. "Is something the matter, milady?"

    "Shh!" Katherine put a finger to her lips, gesturing her to be quiet and hoped, the shadows hadn''t heard her. There was a two-storey-distance between them and her and Hazel hadn''t spoken too loudly. Inching to the window she looked down on them. They hadn''t moved. Were they just guarding her then? Against what? She hadn''t offended anyone, and dangerous animals couldn''t reach the second storey. Nonetheless, as the moonlight touched them, she identified their grey uniform. They really were guards. Most likely from the earl. But if they weren''t guarding against the outside, were they guarding against¡­?

    Frowning she backed away from the window. "A*****." Guarding her this strictly and still saying he didn''t know, if he needed her? Damned liar! He obviously wanted something. And if he wanted something¡­ Throwing the blanket away, she decided to make high demands for even lifting a finger. Yes, she wanted to play nice at first. But now he should see what he got by offending her!

 Chapter 5 - Fighting poison (1)

    The morning sun wasn''t half up, yet the trampling of foots and clinking of arms awoke Katherine from her sleep. Startled, she called for Hazel, who rushed in from the room next door. "Milady, there seems to be a disorder in the mansion. They have sealed off the whole building. Should I inquire about the circ.u.mstances?"

    "Please do." Katherine, meanwhile, washed herself and dressed in a simple green grown. Hazel was there in time again to lace her corsage. She should request for an extra maid soon to help her out. "So?"

    "The whole mansion is in chaos. Someone seemed to have poisoned the food. Fortunately, the earl wasn''t affected, but two maids, the gardener, the cook, and three servants have lost consciousness. They are searching for the culprit now."

    "Lost consciousness?", Katherine repeated. "Are there other symptoms? What is the earl doing to help?"

    "The earl ordered the captain of the guards to investigate and his personal doctor to tend to the affected. They have sent to town for a doctor, too, but unfortunately it will take hours to reach here and some of the patients may die until then. Also, the earls personal doctor complained that he doesn''t know this poison. They are sweating profusely, and black veins are spreading under their skin." Hazel fell silent. It really seemed to be a dire situation.

    Katherine paced up and down in the room. She wasn''t familiar with poison, but the mentioning of black veins made it appear very serve. Would she be of help there? She didn''t know. The healing was only for the body itself, not to work against outer influences. Anyway, she should at least try, lest they died without her doing anything.

    "Come on, Hazel, lets visit them." Determined she opened the door, only to be confronted with two guards blocking her way. They had weathered faces with bushy beards. One of them was missing an eye. Though a bit older than regular guards, they had muscles all over and a powerful presence. All in all, they looked quite scary.

    As Katherine stumbled backwards, the one-eyed smiled mockingly. "I''m sorry, milady, we can''t let you out." The words and the black tooth in his smile were more befitting for a bandit than a guard. He didn''t even name a reason. His eyes said ''I don''t respect you. What can you do?''

    Guards under her window, guards in front of her chambers. The earl was treating her like a prisoner, Katherine thought, as fury ignited in her. She was a goddamn lady, but even the guards were daring enough to look down on her!

    Getting courage from her anger, she stepped forward again, going nose to nose with the one-eyed, who was grinning even more. Using his overconfidence, she grabbed for the dagger on his waist and retreated swiftly, holding the blade to her throat. "Don''t move!"

    Surprise flashed in the guards'' eyes, followed by anger and annoyance. He ignored the warning and approached her. "You don''t have the guts to kill yourself, milady." The title sounded like an insult coming from his mouth.

    Retreating, Katherine changed the position of the dagger. "Maybe not. But I surely have the guts to make a slash to my face and tell the earl it was you guys. I don''t think he would like that." It wouldn''t be a big deal for her, because she could heal it anyway. Just the pain was kind of troublesome. She didn''t want to do it, but she would for the slightest chance of healing the poisoned people.

    Hazel behind her inhaled sharply. "Milady, what are you doing?!"

    Katherine ignored her, the eyes fixed on the guard, who had stopped and furrowed his brows. "The earl wouldn''t believe you."

    Katherine lifted her chin, trying to stare down at him, although he was taller. "You think so? I am such a weak little girl. I don''t have a weapon for myself. You are so much stronger and more proficient. How then would your dagger fall into my hands? You must have given it to me to shift the blame for cutting my face, right?"

    The one-eyed burned with fury. The implied truth in Katherine''s words hurt even more. If he hadn''t underestimated her, she wouldn''t have the dagger now. A total rookie-mistake. Yet, how could he let this little girl best him! He wanted to pounce on her and get that damn dagger back, but a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. "Stop it, Jack. The lady can''t be harmed."

    The other guard had made his move, finally. He was half a head taller than the one-eyed Jack, but appeared more approachable, although not quite friendly. Gripping Jacks shoulder tightly, he directed his next words to Katherine. "All of us would be in trouble, if you got hurt, milady, so could you please put that dagger down?"

    What a shrewd fellow, Katherine thought. He had calculated his words to let her feel dumb for making such a big turmoil. If she lowered the dagger just a bit, he was sure to bounce forward and grab it. She gritted her teeth. She hated shrewd people. The duke, the earl, the guard, all of them were trying to bring her down. "No. It''s still better to be hurt than imprisoned. I''m going to visit the victims now, because I might be able to help them. Don''t get in my way!"

    As the guards stared at her frustrated, not sure if they should try stopping her again or simply follow her command, the sound of hasty footsteps neared. Eventually realizing that they had entered the chambers of a lady without permission the guards became fl.u.s.tered. After sending Katherine a last glare, they retreated. Instantly Hazel rushed over to Katherine. "Are you hurt, milady?" Katherine shook her head, annoyed. Finally, she could have reached her aim, but now there was a new problem. Whoever was in the corridor, he was surely sent by the earl.

    Katherine didn''t want to lose the weapon she had gained with so much afford, so she let Hazel close her eyes and slid the dagger under Fosetis cushion, careful not to wake the rabbit. She didn''t want to mistrust her maid, but just like the guards she was paid by the earl at the end of the day. Her cousin''s betrayal let her trust in the ability to judgement sway.

    Seconds later the butler stopped just outside the anteroom. His old face was stoic and a little sweaty by his fast pace. Although in a hurry, he didn''t forget bowing. At last a person with manners, Katherine thought again, remembering the scene in the foyer the other day. "Milady, there is an emergency. The earl requires your assistance."

    Katherine wanted to answer that she was just on her way to the victims, as she remembered her promise to make the earl pay. Hesitantly, she decided to follow it up. Now, what could she request as reward? Maybe a part of her freedom. Switching to the image of a pouting little girl, she folded her arms. "Does he? Well, I''m not in the mood. I wanted to go out and inspect the mansion in the morning. Unfortunately, there were really unpleasant people in front of my room, who shoved me back in like I was some kind of prisoner."

    The guards outside nearly spat blood as they heard her change the facts. Maybe they wanted to shove her back in, but how had it ended? They were beaten in their own game and would have needed to step down if the butler hadn''t come in this fortunate moment! This girl was vicious!

    Sam was surprised, too. He hadn''t expected her to outright refuse the earl. "Milady, it is a matter of life and death. I will personally reprimand the guards later. So, could you think this over?"

    "No, thank you. Whoever dies, they aren''t my people and I don''t get anything by saving them. Besides, the problem with the guards isn''t only their behavior but their resolution to not let me out. Isn''t it a bit too overbearing of the earl to first lock me in, and then expect me to help without compensation?" It must be a command of the earl to keep her inside. Why else would they go as far as hesitating while she had a knife on her throat.

    "I am not authorized to make this decision, milady.", the butler said apologetically.

    "Then go and talk to the earl." Looking annoyed, Katherine shooed him away. "Tell him, I want my freedom. And a horse while he''s at it." With that she strode out of the anteroom and into her bedroom, closing the door. Out of sight the cold air dissipated and she flopped down on the bed. What if he refuses, she thought anxiously. She would heal the people of course. But with that she would give away her last opportunity of self-determination. If she got back on her word, she could go back twice, trice¡­ uncounted times. She would never get anything in return.

    The horse, of course, was an exaggerated request. With just her freedom she would be contend already, but she had the feeling that she needed to request something that didn''t naturally belong to her as payment if she wanted him to believe that she wasn''t to be trifled with. Besides, it wasn''t really a payment if it belonged to her in the first place.

    It didn''t take long for the butler to come back. "Milady, the earl is gifting you a horse if you can fulfill his request but reminds milady that the guards are for your own protection. Therefore, he won''t be retrieving them."

    Katherine wanted to stomp her foot in anger. What protection? They were obviously imprisoning her! Just in time, she remembered that she had an image to preserve, so she hissed instead: "Fine! Take me to the victims then!" Although she loved riding, she now regretted bitterly that she asked for a horse.

 Chapter 6 - Fighting Poison (2)

    The symptoms were exactly as Hazel had described them. All seven of them were unconsciousness, sweating and had black veins under their skin. What confused her though, was the location and spreading of the veins. Six people only had few black veins in the abdominal area, while the seventh¡­ it was hard to find places, were he hadn''t any. Not that she''d seen his whole body herself, but the doctor, an old man with glasses, had described it to her and he had taken off the mans shirt to let her see.

    She blushed looking at the b.a.r.e skin. It wasn''t right for a proper lady to see this. Well, she had always been a bit to wild to be a ''proper'' lady anyways. And, oh my, he was such a magnificent piece of art.

    Starting from his perfect face over all this smooth n.a.k.e.d skin down to his slender h.i.p.s she couldn''t find any flaw. Well, maybe he was a bit too thin, but that was all. Somehow the black veins, like a confusing pattern on his slightly pronounced abs, made the fair skin even more attractive. Artistic. Regrettably, they were indications for his nearing death.

    "I''m mainly worried about him.", the doctor told her, frowning deeply. "The others still have a few days left, but he seems to be weak to this kind of poison and therefore it is spreading much faster. He could be dying in the next hour and I just can''t find the composition they used for the poison!"

    "This is the person, the earl wants milady to treat.", the butler chimed in, his gaze even more serious than usual. "He is the gardener. If milady succeeds, you get a horse. However, his lordship told me to remind you, that, well..." he stopped and met her eyes uncomfortably. "He said, there is no place for useless things in his territory. So, you better not fail."

    Katherines face darkened. This earl was just¡­ haaah, whatever. She didn''t have the time to be upset. This poor gardener needed to be treated badly. "I will try my very best.", she said through clenched teeth and set her focus on the man lying on a simple bed.

    Maybe the poison feared the wrath of the gods for it had yet to spread to his angelic face. Long pale eyelashes rested on high cheekbones, the skin so white, that she wasn''t sure at first, if it glittered on itself or it were just the thin sweat-droplets shining in the morning sun.

    Irritated by her own fascination she swept her gaze over his blonde hair, then down the tall figure. Aside from his face there was a little area on his c.h.e.s.t which hadn''t been attacked by the poison. Coincidentally, it was exactly were the heart resided. This servant had luck in all his misfortune.

    Knowing that she had not much experience with poison, she decided to try healing it normally first, although she didn''t have much hope to succeed. But the other idea residing in her head was a little¡­ drastic. She didn''t want to do it before trying all other options.

    The doctor was already back to mixing all kinds of ingredients and mumbling to himself, but the butler was still by Katherines side. She knew that he was watching her performance by order of the earl and therefore decided to ignore him.

    To minimize the risk of making matters worse, she wanted to start her experiment far away from the most crucial organs. Following this thought, she wanted to take one of his hands, but the butler stopped her.

    "It''s not proper for a lady to touch a mans n.a.k.e.d c.h.e.s.t, isn''t it? Can''t your magic work without skin contact, milady?"

    Katherine blushed even more widely. "Well it can... but only if the distance isn''t more than one inch, so it... hardly makes a difference." The butler looked embarrassed. "Is that so? Well, let me get you a pair of gloves at least. We can''t demand of milady to touch a mans n.a.k.e.d c.h.e.s.t."

    Relieved but somehow disappointed at the same time, Katherine nodded. Well, it would be better for her reputation to wear gloves (although not touching the patient at all would be best), but... not getting to touch this delicious skin was regrettably.

    What are you thinking, girl!, she reprimand herself and hid her hot face in her hands. Since when am I this shameless?

    She put them on and tried to muster her professionalism as she took the patients hand. Shiver ran through the arm. Swiftly she looked up just to see the patient still asleep. She heard the butler stepping nearer, most likely to have a better observation point.

    Shrugging inside, she activated her power and tried to channel it into the hand between hers. To her surprise, it was harder than usual. Something inside the body seemed to reject her. As she pressed on, that something got pushed back by her slowly. Looking at his hand she realized to her astonishment that the black veins had retreated, leaving his fingers in their original color. That wasn''t like the food-poisoning. Exited she thought, maybe she could heal poison, too?

    A deep groan got her back to reality. Her patient shivered on the bed, and shocked she saw the veins now reaching over his jaw, slowly painting the slim, but soft lips black. "Oh no.", she whispered, fl.u.s.tered. She hadn''t healed the poison but pushed it further into his body.

    Biting her red lips, she retracted her power and let go of his hand. This wasn''t the right way. But maybe she could use her discovery for something else. Steeling herself for what she needed to do, she took a few deep breaths. "Get me a knife."

    Silence behind her. Then: "Excuse me, milady?"

    She turned to the butler. "I need a knife. Please get one for me."

    The butler hesitated, sweeping his gaze over the man behind her and obviously came to a decision. He nodded curtly, unbuttoned his sleeve and revealed a slender dagger strapped under his arm. Hilt first he held it in front of her.

    For a while, Katherine could just stare at this dagger, then up to the nice old man and again at the dagger. Something didn''t match here. Only as the old man lifted his brow ¨C she couldn''t decide, if it was a questioning or mocking gesture ¨C did she snap out of it. She would think about this combination later. For now, she grabbed the knife and turned her head again, trying to figure out where to cut him best.

    *cough* *cough* "If I may ask, milady, what do you plan on doing with this dagger?"

    "Cutting him, of course."

    A short pause. "For what purpose would you cut him?"

    Annoyed, she rolled her eyes. Didn''t he have any trust in her? "I''m trying to kill him, of course. Your lord already bribed me, so could you stop asking stupid questions?"

    With that, she concentrated on her task again "Get a bowl."

    The butler, although pale like a paper, complied and she positioned the bowl under the elbow of the patient. Taking another deep breath she made a cut at the inside of his arm, then, laying the knife away and putting both hands on his exposed c.h.e.s.t, she channeled her healing-power once again. She felt his heart beat rapidly under her fingers but was too focused to be fl.u.s.tered by the intimate contact. This was a matter of life and death.

    Slowly, her power spread in his body, pushing against the poison, shoving it inside his arm and black blood gushed out of the slit. Under her constant pushing, it didn''t stop, slowly filling the bowl.

    After a while, the bowl wasn''t half filled, she stopped and used her power to stimulate his blood-reproduction, replacing the lost blood so that he wouldn''t die. Then she pushed again.

    Like a clockwork she repeated this circle over and over. Pushing, reproducing, pushing, reproducing. In between she began repairing the damage the poison had done to the body, and slowly and steadily realized: this body could not have been poisoned today. The damages were too heavy. Even the bones were affected. By the tempo the poison was operating at, he must have been poisoned for at least a week to reach this stage.

    Ending her circle, she closed the wound and stretched her stiff back. They had emptied the bowl two times, but there were still many black veins on the patients'' body, although his upper body with the exception of one arm was cleared of them.

    She was exhausted and disappointed. This ''servant'' was poisoned for an extended period. Nevertheless, they made her belief differently. Had the earl poisoned the other servants to cover for his wish to heal this one? Hopefully not, but she couldn''t exclude the possibility. Who was this ''servant''? He wasn''t a real servant for sure. To the earl he was someone significant, although maybe not so much for the outside world. Hazel surely would''ve informed her if there was someone important inside the mansion beside the earl.

    Although she hadn''t noticed it at first, but after getting alarmed by his state of poisoning, she remembered the feeling of the ''servants'' hand. This wasn''t the coarse hand of a servant. Instead, he had long and slender fingers, the palm a bit rough, but not enough for doing hard work.

    Bending over his face, she was damn sure not to have seen a servant like him inside the mansion. On the other hand, she had yet to see much of the mansion. Maybe he really was a servant. Eyeing him even closer, nearly nose-to-nose, she decided that, no, he didn''t look like a normal servant but more like a ¡­ very personal servant. Did the earl bend in this way? She had only read about this disposition. It would explain why he treated her this coldly and seemed to be repelled by the idea of marrying her.

    Standing tall again, she pondered over exposing the earls lie. Maybe accusing him to lie wasn''t good for their relationship. However, she wanted to know more about him. How would that be possible without asking? "He isn''t a normal servant.", she announced to the butler, probing her theory. "Is he a friend of the earl?"

    The butler paused. "You could say that. I am sorry for not informing milady. He likes keeping a low profile."

    Of course he likes keeping a low profile if he works in that kind of field, Katherine thought. "I want to discuss new terms with the earl. This wasn''t part of the contract. If he wants me to heal this person fully ¨C and as you see, doing it would be a huge burden to my body ¨C I want something other than the horse."

    The butler frowned. "I will relay milady''s'' request to the earl."

    "That''s all I ask for. Thank you." She gave him the gloves and left, forcing herself not to take a last look on the patients'' exquisite body. Maybe it was because he was the first man, whose c.h.e.s.t she had touched, or because he was such a handsome specimen, but now that her professionalism left her, she felt bashful again. Rubbing her fingers together as if trying to rub off the feeling of his skin, her cheeks flushed red.

    "Milady?"

    Hastily, she stopped her actions and sent the guard, who had approached her, a frowning look. "To my chambers." The guard nodded and led the way.

 Chapter 7 - How Astonishing

    "Did she infect herself?", the earl asked the butler. They were inside of his study, rows and rows of bookshelves stood to both sides of an imposing dark-brown table. The earl was seated behind it, the back facing a big window. According to the suns position it was shortly after Katherine had treated the patient.

    "Luckily, no.", Sam responded, pensive. "I''m afraid you underestimated her capability, milord."

    "As I underestimated her impulsiveness. She''s too easily offended, although this head of hers is working quite well otherwise.", the earl sighed. "Was I still as childish as her with seventeen, Sam?"

    "No. But, if I may say so, milord, that is incomparable."

    "Oh?" The earl lifted an eyebrow. "How so?"

    Seemingly feeling uncomfortable, the butler pressed his lips together but decided to speak in the end. He was phrasing his words carefully. "Different from milord, she never knew hate or sorrow while growing up. She met them only recently. Pure trust in the good of people is the sole reason for her being betrayed this badly. This trait of hers is the biggest reason both for and against me disagreeing with your marriage."

    Leaning forward, the earl fixated the butler with his red eyes. "Why both?"

    "Against your marriage because your ... family could and would destroy her." He paused.

    "And for?", the earl pressed on, his eyes flickering with dark shades. "Don''t beat around the bush. You don''t usually do that. If you start now, I really might get mad."

    The butler sighed. "I thought some trust would do you good. But it isn''t my place to judge that."

    The earls'' eyes got even darker, l.u.s.terless. Nonetheless, he didn''t reprimand his butler. Instead there was and inkling of vulnerability hidden in his mocking words. "Whose else? My parents? Friends? Hardly. Everyone only hopes for ¡­"

    He quietened down. Shook his head. "Anyway, you don''t need to mind your words in front of me. You are the only one I absolutely won''t hurt. For as much as I can promise that. I thought, you knew."

    Overwhelmed by the earls'' sincerity, Sams brows knitted. Then he scoffed: "Stop being dramatic, boy. Of course I know!"

    The earl inspected him for a second longer and only said: "I really hope, you do."

    Out of respect for the butlers earlier statement, the earl didn''t pursue the topic further. "Do you think, she noticed something?"

    "No. She thinks it was milords'' friend. Maybe she wants to exploit this, but that can be handled easily. It''s just questionable if we can keep this facade. Won''t she get suspicious if the poison gets back after she healed it?"

    Shrugging, the earl said: "Just stop her from healing it completely then. But tell her to find a way to improve her magics range. She can''t always be lucky."

    "Of course. I''m troubled by this as well.", the butler prompted. "What about her request?"

    "Delay it for a few days. I don''t need her help any time soon and if she notices that this ''friend'' isn''t as important as she thought he is, it will probably lower her expectations. This would be ideal."

    Sam nodded, but didn''t look happy, which the earl registered. "Understood."

    Thinking his instructions over again, the earl noticed the problem. This temperamental girl would most likely rebel if she was caged for too long. "Tell the guards to follow her if she wants to explore the mansion, but not to let her in the dungeon or outside."

    That made Sam smile slightly. "Good, good. Pardon me then."

    He left the study, but the earl sat quietly for a while. With a pensive look, he lifted his hand and felt for his c.h.e.s.t. Through a thin layer of white fabric, he could feel his heart beat steadily and remembered the touch of a much smaller hand on his b.a.r.e skin. He wondered if it was normal for the warmth to linger. How astonishing.

    The first thing Katherine did back inside her room was cuddling Foseti. The black rabbit was already fed and hopped around in her chamber happily. As Katherine stepped inside, it lifted its little head in curiosity. She swooped it into her arms. "Hello, little one. Have you slept well?"

    With its red tongue it licked her hand, caring for nothing in the world but the people dear to it. After all the scheming, it felt so good to have someone who loved her unconditionally. Sitting down on her bed, Katherine patted its head. "You know, I would love to have you stay with me like this forever. However, rabbits are no indoor-pets and I don''t want to keep you in a cage. Not even a golden one." Experiencing it herself had let her realize this.

    The adorable big black eyes were looking up at her silently as if they were asking her, what she would do about it. "No, I won''t give you back to this sh**ty earl, don''t worry."

    As a well-educated young woman, she would only use cussed when being alone. "I don''t know what to do for now. I can''t get outside myself, you know? And I don''t want to trust anyone else with your safety."

    She buried her face in the warm, black fur. "Can you stay with me till I can set you free myself? Please." Silence spread in the room, engulfed them in a soft and peaceful way. Was it dumb to ask for an answer from a rabbit? Maybe. Katherine didn''t care. At least animals won''t ever betray you. They mostly won''t help you either, granted, but sometimes it was enough to just feel their warmth.

    Fosetis rough and wet tongue tickled her cheek. Katherine giggled softly and soon after she fell asleep.

    "The pink or the blue one? Come on, tell me." Standing in front of a mirror, a great beauty tried a variety of masks on. She wore a long, sleeveless white dress, which hugged her figure quite intimately, but the bright smile on her face resembled an innocent town girl instead of a great seductress.

    "You look great with both, Aunty.", a boy answered causally, while browsing through a big book laid on his l.a.p.

    The beauty pouted. "But I can''t wear both. I need to choose. What do you say, sweetie?", she asked a little girl.

    The girl was standing in front of the dressing table. As the woman called her, her frame shook and something fell back on the table. Without looking back, she shouted: "Blue! Blue of course, mommy. I don''t like pink."

    The beauty chuckled. "Of course my baby girl won''t like pink! Too ordinary for you, right? But what are you doing over there?"

    Like a deer caught in the spotlight, the girl stiffened. "Nothing, mommy! Really nothing."

    "Oh, really~?", the beauty asked with sparkling eyes and inched closer to her daughter. "Why don''t you turn around and tell me the truth?"

    A brilliant laugh exploded out of the beauties'' mouth. "Oh, sweetie! How - how did you end up like this?!"

    While the girls'' eyebrows and cheeks were colored in a gaudy red, her black ''lipstick'' covered her face up to her snub nose. Seeing her mother laugh at her, she angrily frowned and stamped her foot. "That isn''t funny!"

    Trying hard to stop her laughter, the beauty affirmed: "I know, I know, sorry, sweetie! Let me help you clean it up!"

    With a snort the daughter showed her annoyance for such lack of sympathy and turned away. "No! Ethan will help me! Right, E?"

    The boy closed the book on his knees. "Of course."

    Swaggering out of the room, the little girl didn''t notice the slight disappointment that crossed the beauties face.

    "Milady." It knocked on the door. Katherine yawned and looked at the window. When did the sun rise so high? It must be noon already. Without her noticing it, Foseti had freed itself from her hug and was shewing on some grain placed in a bowl in a corner of the room now. It knocked again.

    Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Katherine stood up slowly. She had the feeling that she dreamed about something sad, as there was still some melancholy left, but she couldn''t remember what it was. Shaking her head, she forgot about it. In the last few weeks it was normal for her to wake up sad or even crying.

    The healing-magic had taken a toll on her body, but it was way better after the nap. She opened the door for Hazel, who she had recognized by her voice, and was pleasantly surprised by the scent of food in the air.

    "Thank you." The maid placed the tray on the little table next to the door and Katherine sat on one of the two matching chairs. In a big bowl was leek soup, in two smaller ones salad and rice pudding. "That''s too much for me. Why don''t take a seat and eat with me, Hazel?"

    "That wouldn''t be appropriate.", Hazel objected uneasily.

    "Won''t tell anyone.", Katherine smiled and patted the other chair. "Come on." There was much more to know about the earl, his mansion, and the servants. She was curios if anybody knew about this so-called ''friend'' of the earl.

    Hazel sat down but let her hands rest in her l.a.p, indicating that she still didn''t want to eat. Katherine let it slide. "Tell me more about you. Like, who are your friends in the mansion, what do you like to do, and is there anyone special to you."

    The last question made Hazel blush until her cheeks were as red as her hair. "N-no, there is no one, milady."

    Taking a spoonful of her soup, Katherine had her fun teasing the older one. Somewhat like a sister, she thought. "Oh, come on. Everybody has someone. Maybe he is just good-looking or is nice to you. Or maybe he has a thing for you and you¡­ what''s wrong?"

    Hazel had clenched her dress in between her hands, the gaze lowered. "I... don''t want to talk about it, milady. Please."

 Chapter 8 - Gathering Information

    Slowly, Katherine lowered her spoon. She didn''t think her question would touch such a sore spot in Hazel. To be exact, she thought nothing about it while asking. It was just curiosity. Now, however... Had the mistreating Hazel experienced something to do with s.e.x.u.a.l harassing? Rightful outrage filled Katherine''s soul. Whoever dared to bully her maid, she would squash them. But before that...

    "Relax, Hazel. I won''t force you to talk about it. But if you need help with something or someone to talk to, tell me. I hope you can see me as a friend some day."

    Surprised but still wary, Hazel blinked up to her. "... Thank you, milady."

    "You''re welcome." Katherine started eating again. "Can you answer the other questions then? About friends and what you like to do in your free time. Are there any nice spots around here?"

    Relieved, Hazel nodded. "You could say I''m friends with the cook. However, all servants other than me are past their fifties, so real friendship is difficult."

    "All past their fifties...", Kathrine contemplated. "Is there a reason?"

    Hazel shrugged. "I don''t know. I never asked."

    "Well, maybe you should."

    "I will, milady." She paused to think. "About nice spots... I really love the garden. It has a huge flower field, a labyrinth, at least six fountains and some other areas I haven''t explored yet. It''s beautiful."

    "Sounds like it." Katherine smiled. "Did you ever go to town?"

    "Oh yes. It''s just a small village. The people, mostly farmers, are nice, but they don''t really like strangers. With some exceptions, they aren''t exactly wealthy, too."

    After one or two more questions, Katherine was ready to go. To make sure the guards would let her do what she wanted, she took out the dagger.

    Hazel opened the door for her. The guards were the same as last time.

    "I will explore the mansion now. If you dare to stop me, you know what I''ll do.", Katherine said and lifted the dagger.

    Oddly, Jack started laughing. "Sure. We know, little Lady. Just go ahead. We''ll be right behind you."

    Something was wrong, Katherine thought. Why did they stop protesting? Were they planning to follow her and later take her by surprise to get the dagger back? These guards sure were cunning. "No, thank you. I''ll go alone."

    Jacks eye flickered. "No, you can''t do that. We''ll lose our job if you go out alone. At least if we follow you, we can still protect you. Maybe the earl won''t punish us that hard then."

    Feeling guilty, Katherine lowered the dagger. She didn''t think about how her willfulness could destroy the guards'' lives. Because of his work she didn''t get to see her dad often, but once he told her, how aristocrats had to be mindful of the consequences of their doing. Not only for themselves, but for every human being in their vicinity, especially those with inferior status. One wrong word out of an aristocrats mouth could make them live or die.

    But it wasn''t that servants were worth nothing in her fathers eyes. Instead, their friendship was a resource worth investing into: "If you have loyal servants, they will do their all to help you in desperate times. Some may even give their lives for you. In short, being nice to your servants will let you live longer."

    Of course there were limits. But Katherine thought that she wouldn''t loose too much in this bargain. "You can follow me. However, tell no one about this."

    "Yes, milady.", they answered. The instant she turned her back to them, Jack grinned and showed the other guard a victory-sign. In return the guard rolled his eyes at him.

    Both of them got the notice, that the Lady is allowed to leave her chambers now. Instead of simply telling her, they tried to use it for their own good. Well, maybe they would have told her, if she didn''t embarrass them last time. Furthermore, they knew now, how stubborn the Lady was, and decided that they needed to bargain with everything they got, if they wanted to fulfill their chore and keep her away from the dungeon and the outside.

    Ignorant of these little tricks, Katherine began to inspect the mansion, which was even bigger than she expected.

    .

    "Was that the last one?"

    "Yes, milord."

    "They didn''t have anything new then."

    "Isn''t the secret army building in the Renat kingdom new?", Sam asked incredulously. Several spies positioned in the kingdoms of Renat, Dragsa and Falumor had sent reports in the last few days.

    "Not really. It was overdue.", the earl declared disinterested, while digging though a pile of papers on his desk.

    "As if Dragsa wasn''t enough...", Sam said tiredly. "At least we have enough personnel by their side to disrupt their plans. Do you plan to deal with them both in this way?"

    The earl stilled. "Deal with them?"

    "Don''t say, you want to let them be?", Sam asked, furrowing his grey eyebrows. "They will attack the Iceland soon. If we don''t act now, there may be many victims on the civilian side."

    "So I should sacrifice my best chess pieces for the man, who crossed me out of the family line?"

    Anger surfaced in the old mans'' blue eyes. "Do you want to let innocent die because of your family twist? That isn''t the boy I know."

    An ice-cold wind seemed to brush through the room, although the window was closed. With unblinking red eyes the earl rebutted: "Don''t judge be before knowing it all. I won''t let them be slaughtered."

    Sam held his gaze for a while, then he slowly relaxed. "I''m sorry. I overreacted and overstepped the boundary."

    The earl nodded.

    "So, what are your plans?"

    "I will let them be.", the earl said simply.

    "You just said you won''t, tough.", Sam knitted his brows, irritated.

    "I said, I won''t let them hurt the civilians. Not that I will stop them from attacking this country."

    "How can you divide that?", Sam asked, more curious than unbelieving. If the earl said he would, then he most likely could.

    "Evacuate them. This earldom is the weak spot of our kingdom, because it lies in between the Renat and Dragsa kingdom. We need to verify it of course, but my guess is, they will attack here. Especially when there isn''t any army stationed here."

    His face all green of nausea, Sam asked: "And that is... a good thing?"

    "Well, yes. If we win, it will be the perfect show of strength. To my farther and our enemies simultaneously."

    "How do we..." The butler stopped and the green face turned to white as insight hit him. "You... are prepared to use that?" Obviously, ''that'' was something terrible enough to make the butler, who lived a long life in the circle of the cruel upper class, fear it.

    "I''ve wasted enough time while trying to find a cure. I don''t have the luxury to spent any more. So, yes. I will use it." Unnoticed, the earls hand clenched into a fist under the table. Maybe this decision wasn''t that simple to him after all.

    Remembering a past conversation, the butler asked: "Is it because of what the youngest prince said? That your father is getting negligent?"

    The earl admitted it. "It was good, as long as he was strong, but if his power is dwindling now... it won''t take long before the twins try to make their move. I don''t want my brother to be caught up in this."

    "So that''s how it is.", the butler mumbled. "Your aim didn''t change over the years."

    "It was my birthright after all. And it will be mine again." There was a kind of reckless determination in the earls'' eyes. A spirit, which would dye the world in blood-red to reach his goal. He was sitting upright like a sharp sword, and the slim, cruel smile slowly forming on his lips still had an elegant touch, like the civilized sheath for the wild beast behind it. "Were you never curious, how far this damn curse could reach?"

    Sam shook his head helplessly. "You will be even more of a monster in the public eye."

    The earls smile didn''t sway. "Better feared than forgotten."

 Chapter 9 - Dangerous Creatures

    Although the mansion was gigantic, most of the rooms were empty shells. Well maintained, but otherwise forgotten. The only exception was the dining room she visited the day prior.

    "How long does the earl live here again?", she asked her two guards, who, after longer inspection, didn''t seem to be as bad as she thought.

    "Almost two years.", the bigger one, Pete, replied.

    "And he never held a ball or social gathering or whatever?"

    "Never."

    "Any visitors?"

    "Only two were received by him personally: prince Aston and you, milady."

    "If you can call that personally.", she grumbled. She''d thought about bypassing the earl and finding someone else to help her reclaim her freedom in the row of his visitors. Without social gatherings, however, he really left her with no choice. "I don''t want to seduce that demon."

    "What did you say, milady?", Hazel asked innocently.

    Katherine blushed. "I said... I want to search that dungeon!" She pointed at a low-key door, which was half sunken into the ground. A flight of five dark-grey steps led to it.

    It wasn''t a lie. She really wanted to know if the dungeon was as inhabited as the rest of the mansion.

    "I thought, I heard something else...", Hazel contemplated quietly. The redness extended up to Katherine''s ears. Stiffly she walked over to the door, ignoring her maid.

    The guards exchanged gazes.

    "Milady, the dungeon isn''t suited for a lady to visit. It is cold, dark, and dirty down there. Your clothes would get ruined.", Pete argued.

    "Yes, yes!", Jack joined in. "There are spiders and c.o.c.kroaches. Really, really big ones! They will fall from the ceiling and crawl down your neck into your shirt!"

    "Uuuh, milady, let''s not go. I''m scared of spiders! Please~ I don''t want to go...", Hazel begged fearfully and clutched Katherine''s sleeve.

    Being pressed by all sides, Kathrine gave in, although the three of them acting together to stop her made her suspicious. Might as well go there some other time with more fitting attire. She would inspect every nook and corner of the dungeon until she found the secret the earl obviously didn''t want her to know.

    Although she didn''t exactly like spiders and c.o.c.kroaches, meeting them was a small price for what she hoped to find.

    But it was a short relieve for them, as Katherine''s gaze wandered to the front door next. Resolutely she strode in its direction. On the day she got here, she didn''t get a proper look on the mansion. Now she wanted to see just how big it was from the outside. Hopefully the earl had taken better care of the exterior than the few hundred rooms upstairs, or else it might be rotting already. Though Hazel said...

    Pete stepped into her path, looking troubled. There was even some sweat glistening on his forehead. "Milady, it''s still muddy outside. With your shoes you may sink in."

    Suddenly getting gloomy, Katherine lifted her skirt slightly. "They are flats, don''t you see? Not even pricey ones."

    What was up with these guards? Did she look like a proper lady or what? Well, maybe she did. That would be called good acting than.

    She took a step forward again, but Jack hastily blocked the exit, the arms spread to both sides. "Please, please don''t go out, milady, there are... ah... there are dangerous creatures outside, too!"

    Katherine rolled her eyes. Jack, never pursuer an acting carrier, please! You are too obvious. "Oh, I''m soo frighted of the beasts living in a flower garden! Really, sooo scared. Just step out of the way, Jack."

    "No, no, I''m speaking the truth, milady!", Jack protested nervously. "There is a gigantic, wild, dangerous ... ah... vicious, and... well, a really dreadful... uh... dragon in the garden. Yes!"

    With wide open eyes, Katherine looked up at the heavily sweating guard. Then, her gloomy atmosphere split as if the sun was breaking through the clouds. She started to giggle happily. "A dragon! A dragon he said! For sure, there is a dragon in the flower garden!"

    The guards could do nothing but stare at the girl in front of them, having lost all their wits in front of her smile. They nearly forgot their own names. The girl was breathtakingly beautiful when laughing. She was glowing like pure sunshine. She was a star one wanted to pluck from the firmament so that no one else could see it blinking in all colors of the rainbow.

    Although Jack and Pete were both quite old, they couldn''t help feeling warmed by her laugh and Jack began to smile like a fool, while Pete thought about how nice it would be to have a pretty daughter such as her. He felt a bit regretful that he''d never married.

    Just as both of them relaxed, Katherine gripped the handle and shoved the door wide open. Sunshine poured into the hall.

    "Please. Where do you see a dragon here?" Her eyes were sparkling with a light she thought she''d lost together with her parents.

    "Well", Jack sighed, but he couldn''t stop grinning. "You got me there." He wasn''t in the mood anymore to stop this courageous and clever girl.

    "I''ll go then." Katherine grinned cheekily at them. "You coming?"

    "Yes.", Jack replied readily.

    "No!", Pete disagreed at the same time. The two guards stared at each other incredulously, before Pete shrugged and gave in. "Well, okay. But we shouldn''t let the earl know."

    "That''s for sure.", Katherine laughed. "Thank you!"

    Katherine had a nice day outside in the flower field, but it also made her realize something: I really do have no choice. Until the earl decides otherwise, I''m like his personal property. And how could she change the earl''s mind? Well, just by talking to him and making him realize her worth, of course. By seducing him, even though she still had doubts if he was strait. She shouldn''t delay it any more.

    In the evening , she asked Hazel to call the butler over. Sam complied, while thinking about how he could delay her request, regardless of what it may be.

    But as he finally heard it, a glimmer of hope sparked in his eyes, rapidly hidden behind a pensive front. "I don''t think this is possible, milady. The earl''s schedule is too tight. If it is once a week, it may be alright though."

    "Trice a week", Katherine bargained.

    Sam shook his head. "Twice. This is the maximum."

    "Only if it is for at least one hour each time. Starting tomorrow.", she stated her conditions. If she had less time, reaching her goal might be impossible.

    "I will ask the earl about that.", Sam said, trying hard not to smile. He knew, the earl wouldn''t like it, but the girls conditions were quite good compared to what they were ready to pay for her healing the patient. "Do you need anything else, milady?"

    "No, thank you."

    "Then I''ll take my leave." Stepping outside, Sam chuckled quietly. Now he just needed to talk the earl into this.

    .

    "The girl stated her method of payment today.", Sam reported. "If you want to use her ability regularly, she wants you to spend time with her. In other words: she wants dates with you. Every day."

    "What?!" the pressure inside the room instantly maxed. "Impossible! I don''t have time for a spoiled brat like that! Why doesn''t she ask for money instead?"

    "I thought that, too. But she wasn''t moved by the amount I bid.", Sam lied easily. "So I bargained with her to at least reduce it to three times a week. You know, she is really headstrong. Her condition is that you need to spent at least two hours with her every time. Starting tomorrow."

    The earl snorted. "This girl... what does she gain by doing this? It''s not like I will fall for her or something... well, it''s not exaggerated to meet with her once in a while. Better than some other conditions she could have raised. I''m a bit curious about her aim, too... tell her, I will meet her, but only two times a week and with half the time limit. She can''t get overly exited."

    Inwardly, Sam was celebrating. Yes! His scheme succeeded! To the earl however, he showed an ugly face. "I will try my very best."

 Chapter 10 - Creeks and Creeps

    "Do you know the sound of a pig being slaughtered?", Frey asked and scooped the soup into his mouth. "I think I head one tonight. Couldn''t sleep because of the squealing."

    Some heads nodded approvingly.

    Frey hopefully made puppy-eyes at the girl by his side "C''mon, Lady Kathrine, let''s look for the corpse. It might still be out there!" He always had the weirdest hobbies. Or maybe he just used every possible way out of boredom.

    Katherine raised her head, her face uneasy, but serious. "I''m sorry, it is too dangerous. I can''t let you into the forest¡­"

    Into the forest¡­ into the forest¡­, the leaves whispered back.

    There was a clearing with a creek flowing between the weed. It was a hot summer day and birds flocked in the higher Branches of the trees all around, singing mourning melodies.

    A little girl in a white summer dress played the flute to accompany them. She sat on a stone near the water, her black hair swaying softly with the wind.

    Intrigued, Katherine inched closer. Why were they playing such a sad melody? Furthermore: was this girl ¡­ her? It looked like it. Playing the flute had been a strain for her in her younger years. She hated keeping still while repeating the same piece over and over.

    Originally, she had a rather good memory, but music made her restless, and so she made errors even if she played the tune for the nth time. Tapping her foot to the beat, she wanted to dance instead, forget all the notes and strict conventions. Not that dancing had any less strict conventions for aristocrats.

    As Katherine reached the girls'' side, she looked at her face and gasped. How...?

    It was her, unmistakably, but the little Katherine had blood flowing down her cheeks, the eyes an unseeing red. The blood-tears dropped from her cheeks but instead of hitting the white dress, they kept floating in the air, scattering like pearls without a line. It was as astonishing as it was creepy.

    Slowly the pearls swirled around the two girls, getting faster and faster as the tune rose. The small hands fluttered like a bird''s wings on the flute, white and celestial.

    I was never this elegant, Katherine thought. Somehow this younger her seemed so fragile and so sad. The eerie feeling as she first heard the mourning song slowly vanished in their common sadness.

    Not sure, if she could touch her and comfort her - would she even notice? - Katherine reached out to the girl.

    As her fingertips brushed her shoulder, there was a sudden cold squeak in the air like chalk on the blackboard. At the same time, the flute and singing birds stilled, and the pearls of blood dropped into the creek like a dark red rain.

    Katherine covered her ears, kneeling down until the ugly sound stopped. When it did, eerie silence replaced it. All sounds were gone, swallowed by a white mist.

    Yes, the clearing was covered in mist now, restricting to the sight. Katherine couldn''t even see the treetops anymore. As if it mattered, because all her senses were fixed on the small creek and the droplets of blood mixing with the water. She felt something approaching. Something that made her heart beat faster in anxiety.

    More and more mist drifted up from the river, collecting in the air above and as the blood combined with it, it slowly formed a human shape. Katherine lifted a trembling hand to her mouth, holding her breath.

    A whimper broke the silence, pulling her heartstrings. It came from the shade. "Where are you? It''s so cold in here... big sis, I''m freezing."

    Katherine''s lips moved, but she couldn''t speak. She knew this one, heard the fear in her small voice.

    The shadow moved closer. "Why didn''t you come, why did you leave me? Don''t you want me anymore?"

    Hearing her sorrow, Katherine couldn''t sit still anymore. "I-I didn''t want to go! I really wanted to help you. You need to believe me! Lily!"

    In the instant the first shade nodded, a second shadow climbed out of the river. A cold voice rang in Katherine''s ears. "Don''t believe her, Lily. She never wanted to come back. She betrayed us and left us to die!"

    Katherine''s frame shook, tears gathered in her eyes. Their accusations hit her right in the heart. It hurt like hell. "No, I didn''t! I... I wanted to help you, but he - "

    "Lies!", yet another one screamed. "We don''t need your dirty lies! Weren''t you on his side? Didn''t you follow his orders? You locked us up in that hut more than once with your own two hands!"

    "It was for your safety!", Katherine cried out and the tears spilled. "There were wolfs out there! Without guards to protect you, you would have died!"

    "At least wolfs don''t play before killing. We trusted you, but all you did was heal the mouse before putting it back for the cat to play with.", the cold voice made it clear.

    Lilly started to wail. "Help me, sis. I don''t want to die! Help me!"

    Frantic, Katherine held her hands out to the little shade, wanted to comfort her, but there was nothing to touch, only air and the wailing sound, getting louder and louder, multiplying. It wasn''t one voice anymore, but two, five, seven.

    "You killed us.", the cold one said. "You killed us, because you loved a monster."

    "I didn''t love him!" Katherine denied fiercely. "I didn''t! But ... he was family. My very own family. How could I have helped you without..." Katherine''s voice nearly broke. She tried to take a deep breath, calming herself. It didn''t work. Then she realized the truth. They were right. Maybe she really could have saved them, if only they had been her first priority. Their wailing noises together with that realization drove her to the brink of breakdown.

    Slowly she admitted: "I wanted to save you, but I didn''t want to loose him. I was so very, very selfish... The most egoistic, naive kid there ever was! I didn''t want to recognize the monster right in front of me. Sorry! I''m so, so sorry!"

    With that, she started wailing, too. She knew her wrongs, but she couldn''t go back and correct them. She couldn''t make them live again, no matter how much she wanted to. All she could do was beg for forgiveness, while knowing she didn''t deserve even the slightest bit of mercy.

    "I''m sorry! I shouldn''t have left you, I should have opposed him sooner, I should have found a way to save you... I should have admitted to myself, what a monster he is! Please, please forgive me, for I really loved him too much!"

    Only silence answered. Katherine buried her tear stained face in the cushions and wailed loudly. It didn''t take long for Hazel to come in, fl.u.s.tered by her lady''s outbreak in the middle of the night.

    After hesitating shortly, she pulled Katherine and the blanket she''d wrapped around herself in a tight and warm embrace.

    "It''s okay now. Don''t cry, milady, don''t cry. It was only a dream."

    Sadly that made Katherine cry even harder for, no, it wasn''t only a dream. She really had betrayed them. She couldn''t let go of of her false believe, didn''t want to lift the cover to let reality flow in. Her refusal had killed them.

    "I killed them, Hazel. I killed them!"

    Hazel didn''t know what to do in this kind of situation. She didn''t believe her lady could kill someone. Patting Katherine''s back, she repeated helplessly: "It was a dream, milady. You didn''t kill anyone."

    Hearing her denial, Katherine''s body got stiff. Slowly, she freed herself and looked up at her trustful maid, seeing her old self. The one who didn''t want to believe someone near to her could be a monster. Her hands cupped Hazels'' cheek and lifted her chin. Shyly, Hazel tried to dodge her lady''s eyes. She felt already that she''d done something wrong, but couldn''t find the error in her actions.

    "Look at me!", Katherine commanded harshly.

    Hazels'' body shook, but she complied reluctantly. Katherine''s face was cold, her swollen eyes pools of nothingness. It was already the second time that Hazel thought her new lady had a really frightening side to her. There was so much darkness in her eyes.

    Katherine didn''t mind the fear of the older girl. She wanted to teach her a lesson, so hopefully Hazel would turn out differently from her. "If you stay as good as you are, you will only be used until there is nothing left. I don''t need such a wimpy maid! Change!"

    With that, she let go of her and turned around before sinking back into the pillows.

    Hazel stood there like a stature, confused and depressed. What had she done wrong? She just wanted to comfort her lady, yet she got such hurtful words in return. Didn''t the lady like her personality? Didn''t she do everything her lady asked her to?

    Seeing Katherine already asleep again, she left silently. Afterwards, regardless how little she understood it, the empty look in her lady''s eyes and this single word didn''t go out of her head as if there was some profound meaning to be deciphered. Change. What was it her lady wanted to change in her? What wimpy behavior?

    In her bed, Katherine opened her eyes again, wide awake. "Sorry, Hazel. I''m too selfish.", she whispered. "If you want to be my maid, my friend, you can''t stay innocent and stainless. Otherwise, I can''t trust you completely. And you will only get hurt."

 Chapter 11 - First Impressions

    With the breakfast came the notice about the earl accepting her conditions. Katherine breathed a sigh of relieve, only to get nervous right afterwards. Her first date! What to do, what to do?!

    One look at Hazel, who was like a quiet, confused mouse today, made her realize that she couldn''t expect any help from her side. After thinking about it for the whole night, she felt regret for her harsh words. She already wanted to apologize, but as she observed Hazel longer, she saw that the pensiveness in her maid''s eyes seemed to outweigh the hurt and desolation. Could Hazel really learn from that? Hesitatingly, she decided to wait it out.

    Katherine was clear about how little Hazel could help her with the preparations anyway. The maid nearly fled as she tried to talk about the topic ''love''. She didn''t want to scare her off even more. Once a day already seemed to be more than she could take.

    So, everything about how to seduce the earl was stuck on her. Because of the nightmare, she really didn''t feel like preparing a date today - more like snuggling into her bed and nursing her soul - but well, she''d dug herself a pit. She couldn''t back out now.

    After contemplating for a bit, she decided for the flower garden as their place of meeting. Through Hazel she found two other maids to help her with the preparations. These two motherly women, Nina and Anni, got pretty exited as they heard what they were about to do.

    "Don''t worry, milady, we have sooo many ideas for that!", they assured her. "We''ll get a white pavilion, and form hearts out of red roses, and when you get to the lake there will be ..."

    Hastily, Katherine stopped them. "Please don''t exaggerate. Nothing too obvious, no roses or hearts or sorts. We need to simply get to know each other first. Maybe... maybe some other time."

    She had the feeling that the earl would be very annoyed if she started with an all-out love-attack. Especially when they only met for the second time. Just imagining the cold demon annoyed made her shudder. Everything but that.

    This restriction made Anni''s and Nina''s head hang low, and simultaneously cut the preparations short. Within one hour everything except herself was ready.

    As Nina and Hazel were looking through her wardrobe, Anni stayed with her to braid her hair into a complex high-stress hairstyle.

    Alone with one of the woman, Katherine knew it was the perfect moment to ask all the questions cursing through her head. Just... she didn''t know where to start.

    Her ears in the color of strawberries she finally blurted out: "Do you have a husband?"

    Anni chuckled lightly. "Yes, milady. He lives in town. We grew up there and knew each other for our whole life."

    Katherine bit her lips. As she was staying behind her, Anni couldn''t see how red her lady''s face had become. "How do you ... seduce him?"

    "Tsk, tsk", Anni made teasingly. "That''s not really something a lady should ask, right? Seducing my husband... no, I won''t tarnish your pure soul. That''s a step too fast for you, milady. But if it is helping you to make a bit of an impression on the earl, I might as well do it. You know, all of us hope that you can make that de- ah, the lord a bit more human."

    Anni''s first words made Katherine freeze, but the latter half loosened the tension up remarkably. She took a deep breath. "That would be awesome! Thank you!"

    The older women laughed sheepishly at Katherine''s excitement. "Better wait with the thanks till you see the result. It won''t be simple, although your beauty is an advantage. But beauty isn''t everything..."

    And she started to teach her about how to impress the earl.

    Ten minutes to the appointed time, Anni listed the most important rules once more. "Never forget: don''t be clingy! Show him you have more than just a nice face! And lastly: make him curious! You can do something he can''t decipher. It doesn''t matter if it has no meaning in the end. The earl doesn''t know this. I''m rooting for you!"

    "Me too!", Nina smiled.

    "A-and me!", Hazel stuttered with a beet-red face. All the talk about how to make the earl notice Katherine had fl.u.s.tered her greatly. Sometimes she even had to leave the room to clam her nerves.

    One time she was out, Katherine had asked Anni and Nina of they knew if anyone was harassing Hazel. Sadly, they seemed to have no clue.

    In the here and now, Katherine waved her hand. "Thank you all!"

    Nervousness radiating from her as she left her chambers.

    "Milady." Jack and Pete bowed their heads. Was it just her impression or were they bowing deeper today? Doesn''t matter.

    She took a deep breath to clam herself. "Let''s go."

    Following behind her, Jack and Pete exchanged an impressed look. They already thought the lady was pretty yesterday, but today she was a little angel.

    She''d donned a sky-blue, strapless dress, and a matching textile rose was plugged into her black hair. While most of it was high-set, a few curls fell down to her fragile neck, highlighting the white skin. It was beautiful with a playful charm. They only had a short glance at her face, yet they knew they''d never forget it. If they were twenty years younger, they''d fall for her instantly. Jack grinned inwardly. How should the earl resist such temptation? Would the lady be their official boss soon?

    The earl wasn''t there yet as they reached the hall. Ordering Jack and Pete to stand back, Katherine waited alone at the end of the wide staircase.

    Right on time, the earl appeared at the other end. He wore a simple grey suit, missing every and all extras, as if he wanted to tell her that this date wasn''t anything special. It spiked her anger, but she gave her best not to show it.

    Stopping at the upper end of the staircase, he sent his gaze down. Two pairs of eyes, violet and red, met. While he discovered her nervousness, she saw nothing but indifference in his eyes. In reality, however, he was just too good at masking his surprise. He didn''t expect her to be this beautiful when she dressed up a bit. Her eyes were a violet sea full of sparkling stars and those red lips looked so kissable... although he know, he couldn''t touch her.

    Not for me, he reminded himself, I can never have anything like this. She was the jucy steak teasing the tiger to jump inside a trap.

    His expression darkened. It didn''t feel good to be teased and he hadn''t expected to feel anything but annoyance for her.

    Feeling the atmosphere getting horrible cold, Katherine shivered slightly and averted her eyes. Just what is wrong with him? His mood is even worse than two days ago! Maybe he doesn''t like my dress-up. Or possibly he really likes men? That would be bad indeed...

    The pressure and the disappointment made her shoulders sink. What a failure.

    Jack, peeking over from the side of the hall, was biting his handkerchief. What''s up with you, you damn earl? How can you not like out little angel lady?! She made such an huge afford only for you!

    Just as he thought that, the earl started to descend the steps, still wearing his gloomy expression.

 Chapter 12 - A Bunch of Flowers

    The slow descend of the earl made the pressure increase exponentially. It was as if he wanted to vent all his disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e on Katherine solely by this deafening silence. When he reached the last step, Katherine felt as if a ton of pressure was pushing her down towards the floor.

    Yet she persisted. She might not be able to raise her head and stop her legs from trembling though. Biting her lower lip, she told herself that her dress was only the fist try. She didn''t know his preferences yet, so she couldn''t act to fulfill them. Trial and error. Make it better next time. And she still had an whole hour to find at least one thing he liked. Now was her chance. Wasting even one second of that precious time on self-pity over her failure was dumb.

    The last thought spurted her courage. No time for hurt and anxiety. Act now.

    "Milord." She curtsied. "Thank you for coming."

    Silence again, as he stared at her with his deep red eyes, giving no indication that he wanted to talk with her.

    Suddenly, Katherine''s anger spilled over and a bitter comment slipped past her lips: "If milord can''t even be polite, I might decide that it isn''t worth me working for a meeting."

    She regretted her words the instant they left her mouth. Damn, her temper had gotten the better of her again!

    Finally, the stone showed a reaction. A narrow smile split the surface but it was one of the kind which made you shiver. "And I could decide your work is not worth me giving you lodging. Better not force your luck."

    Giving in to the threat, Katherine forced a smile and a sweet voice. "A bad joke, milord. How could I not be satisfied with your presence? It is such an honor to spent time with you."

    The earl felt a flash of surprise facing her shamelessness. She obviously didn''t like his attitude but forced herself to speak these honey-sweet words nonetheless. Her struggle was a little amusing.

    In a slightly better mood, the earl decided to help her out this once. "You wanted to see the garden, right?"

    Surprised, Katherine nodded. "If you don''t mind, milord. My maid told me it is really beautiful."

    "I don''t mind." He simply said and advanced towards the door. His action left Katherine somewhat at a loss, for a proper gentleman would have offered his arm to the lady to escort her outside.

    "I don''t have the whole day." the earl reminded her from outside the door.

    With knit brows Katherine followed up. She couldn''t decide if he was deliberately annoying her or it was simply the way he was.

    The garden wasn''t decorated in any way. For a while they just strayed between the flowers silently. Once in a while, Katherine peeked at the face of the earl discreetly.

    At the dinner she didn''t get the opportunity to study his face and as long as he stared at her, she would be scared stiff by his presence. Now, however, as his attention wasn''t on her, she realized how handsome he was. His face wasn''t rough and hard as his presence suggested, but of a strangely cold beauty. Hazel was exactly right: his eyes were the drops of blood on a snow-white field. Even his hair was white.

    The longer she looked at him, the more she felt like she''d seen his face before but she couldn''t remember, when. Well, maybe it''s just my subconsciousness reconstructing his face by piecing together all I saw at the dinner, she shrugged it off. It had to be like this.

    The earl noticed her subtle glances and worried a little bit. Even if Sams magic could change some of his features like the hair and eye color, it wasn''t perfect. But, he soothed himself, up till now no one ever noticed so why should she?

    Maybe she likes me, he thought and smirked. It lasted only for a second though, as he remembered that it wasn''t a good thing for anyone to like him. No, it really was a bad thing. Dangerous even.

    He created more distance between them by walking faster. He shouldn''t have allowed her to meet him again, he really shouldn''t have. Didn''t he know she was trouble already? Why make it harder for both of them?

    Huffing, Katherine tried to catch up with him but failed. Her face darkened. "Hey! Can you please slow down?"

    The earl stopped abruptly. After all, he realized, he couldn''t offend her completely. So he decisively put the blame on her. "If you''re this slow, you won''t see much in one hour."

    "I''m not planning to see the whole garden in one hour anyway. That would be a ridiculous thought!", she explained incredulously.

    By touring it yesterday she''d realized how gigantic the garden really was. It was impossible to see all of it in a day, much less an hour.

    "Just a bit further. I let them set up a table there. Maybe we should bring a bunch of flowers with us to decorate it. Would you help me choose them here?"

    It wasn''t a spontaneous idea to select the flowers last-minute. Anni said that doing something together with him would make the conversation less awkward. Katherine thought, choosing flowers was simple enough to not be rejected by the earl.

    And she was right. Letting his gaze wander over the field, the earl nodded. "I don''t mind."

    "Great!", she smiled. Finally a success! Because she set her eyes on the flowers right afterwards, she didn''t see the short falter in the earl''s movement as well as the troubled expression right afterwards.

    It was the middle of spring, so the perfect time for flowers. Although Katherine didn''t knew all about it, she had a light grasp on the flower-language. She didn''t want to pick the ones with heavy meaning by mistake. After contemplating for a while she pointed at the orange tulips indicating fascination. "I''d like some of those. And what do you think of those?"

    The second choice were chamomiles. They might not be the most pompous flowers, but they looked nice and had a good smell. Furthermore, they stood for hope and healing, two things which would come handy for her.

    Seeing her so happy, the earl felt the itch to tease her again. Before knowing what he did, he shook his head. "They are so plain. Wouldn''t these be better?"

    With a stoic face he pointed at the daffodils next to the chamomiles.

    Katherine contemplated that men normally didn''t know flower language, so she shouldn''t take it as affront that he choose the flower indicating egoism. Regardless, she didn''t want to take it. "No, I don''t really like yellow flowers. Better take the peony?"

    "Didn''t you want me to help you choose? If not the daffodil, we can take the columbine instead.", he retorted without a change in his cold face.

    Katherine''s mouth twitched. You want to tell me I''m weak? Even if she knew, he didn''t know the flower language, it still made her upset. Very well, she thought. You were the one who started this!

    "Of course, if you want them. But they don''t fit with the tulips so well. I''ll take the garden diamond then." Garden diamond to say ''I despise you''.

    "They are not even blooming yet. It''s the same with the gladiolus, sadly." ''Stop being so proud''.

    The answer matched so good, that Katherine''s eyes went wide. For chance, did he know the flower language, too?

 Chapter 13 - Suggestions

    But the following sentence made her dismiss the thought. "That''s too annoying. Just take a bunch of all of them."

    Taking all would confuse the meanings. They didn''t match. Maybe it was just coincidence that he choose the offensive flowers after all. An earl wouldn''t waste his time to learn the flower language, right?

    Convinced by her own logic and too relieved to be on guard anymore, she gave in and stretched out her hand to the daffodils. "Well, okay. They don''t look that bad all together. Help me plug them, please."

    Behind her back, the earl had a hard time trying not to laugh. She fell for his scheme and was picking the daffodils herself now! It really was a sight to behold.

    Of course, he himself stretched his hand to the peony, not one of these with bad meaning. Just as his long fingers touched the stem, his face fell. A tendril of darkness escaped from his flesh, digging into the flower, spreading until the whole blossom was shrouded in black. In a matter of seconds, the blossom melted. Shortly after the stem followed suit, until the whole bush dissolved into a thick black pool on the ground.

    The earl''s hand hanging in the empty air trembled almost unnoticeable. Slowly, it balled into a fist. His face, joyful previously, was an unreadable mask again. No one would know what he was thinking but the familiar cold aura oozed out like it never stopped at all. If anything, it was even more icy now.

    He took his arm back and turned to look at Katherine, who was oblivious to the strange phenomenon behind her. Then, he put his hands in his pocket and strolled away, following the path she set for them.

    While picking the tulips, Katherine noticed a movement and looked around. As she saw the earl far away already, her mouth twitched.

    "Such an a**.", she mumbled to herself, before standing up and starting to run. Running in a long dress wasn''t all that simple, so in order not to fall the speed was still somewhat slow.

    When she managed to catch up with him finally, she was gasping for air and the grip on the bunch of flowers was so hard that she nearly crushed them. The anger boiling in her had multiplied.

    "Can''t you at least wait for me if you don''t want to help?!", she yelled.

    Without spending her a glance, he accelerated his pace. "No."

    Angered to speechlessness, Katherine raised the hand with the flowers and wanted to throw them at his departing back. This damn jerk!

    At the last moment, however, she stopped and took a deep breath. Calm down, she told herself. Calm down. Anger doesn''t help you now. She needed his trust so he wouldn''t lock her up in her room anymore. She didn''t know that he already stopped doing that as the guards hid that fact too well.

    Catching up with him again, she pasted a smile on her face. "Flowers are so girly. It must have bored you, right?"

    As he didn''t answer, she just kept talking. "I don''t know what you like, so that''s why what I planned for today is rather simple. If you have suggestions, they would still fit in."

    "I suggest you shut up.", he replied instantly, which made Katherine grind her teeth.

    With an overly sweet tone, she said: "But how can I find out more about you then? Nobody seems to know much."

    There was a short, foreboding pause. Then: "Curiosity kills the cat."

    The icy tone the sentence was uttered in made Katherine feel like he reached the end of his patience. As if he would really kill her if she said just one more word. Cat, kitten, Kitty. It matched.

    She gulped. Finally her anger was overshadowed by fear. She knew pretty well, the earl wasn''t a good man. Him collaborating with her cousin was the best indication. She didn''t know his limits yet. If he was a psychopath like Ethan... she should better be careful. Or else she''d get herself killed for real.

    Noticing her wariness, the earl heaved a sigh inwardly. It didn''t feel good to frighten her, although it was for the best. There were too many people who feared him already. A bitter smile crept on his thin lips. And he was going to step up the number again greatly in a few weeks.

    Would it really be worth it afterwards?, he asked himself sometimes. He wasn''t sure, but still, he didn''t regret his choice. It was what kept him alive all this time. Fifteen years... was it really fifteen years already?

    As Katherine saw the white stone statures bathing n.a.k.e.d in the water, some in quite intimate positions, the flowers slipped out of her hands, and she got red all over. Damn! She should have visited the place herself beforehand instead of trusting Anni and Nina!

    When she''d strolled around the garden yesterday she was too absorbed by a row of statures lining the path to a pavillion. They had nameplates with their stories attached. But as they all were kings and famous warlords she didn''t want to have her first date there. She thought it would set the wrong atmosphere. Now however, she knew what setting the wrong atmosphere really meant. Hiding her burning face in her palms, she just wanted to be swallowed by the ground.

    While Katherine was regretting greatly, the earl felt a series of emotion wash over him, each of them lifting a layer of his sour mood. First there was surprise. He didn''t expect her to choose this place. Honestly, he''d already forgotten about this spectacular fountain. The gardens were simply too big and he rarely visited them himself. Even if he remembered this place, he wouldn''t have expected her to guide him here. It was really too strait forward, wasn''t it? If she told him, she wanted to visit his chambers at night, it wasn''t more explicit.

    With raised brows he turned to her, although he''d sworn himself to reduce the amount of attention he gave her to a b.a.r.e minimum as to not keep her hopes high. But he couldn''t help it. This was simply... too shameless.

    As his gaze swept to her and saw her hiding her red face, it softened. Well, there seemed to be something wrong here. Even a courageous girl wouldn''t be this shameless.

    Seeing this side of her was new to him. She looked quite... adorable when she was embarrassed. Even her ears, the only thing of her face not covered by her hands, were beet red. It was too cute.

    He felt the need to pat her head and reassure her. To tell her that he knew, she didn''t do it on purpose. At the same time, however, there sat a little devil on his shoulder, wanting him to make her feel even more embarrassed. Could she get redder than now? Would she try to run away or fight him?

    When the thought of her fighting with him while being so sweetly red crossed his mind, his heart, that stone, which shouldn''t feel anything for anyone, accelerated all of a sudden. Without realizing it, he took a step forward.

    There was just an arms length distance between them now, something he wanted to avoid all the time. But now he couldn''t resist, it was too tempting. All his attention fixed on her deep red ears, he asked slowly: "Are you perhaps suggesting something with this?"

 Chapter 14 - Weakness

    Hearing the deep voice of the man so near caught her off-guard. She shrieked and jumped a step back, lowering her hands in the process. Still, she couldn''t bring herself to look at his face. "N-no! I... I''m not! It was an... an accident!"

    Thinking swiftly in her panic, she caught onto a straw of hope. "it''s all because you didn''t let me out, so I couldn''t see the location beforehand!"

    Accusing other people seemed to be the best solution, only that her voice was too high and as shaky as her knees.

    He was so close, too close. And there was something different about him, making her out of breath. She couldn''t tell if it was anger, but if it was, it was different from the cold one before. This one made her feel weak and totally helpless, her back already pressed against the nearest bush.

    "Oh, really?", he replied, stretching his words. He tried to resist the urge to step forward again, to corner her in between the bush and himself. Don''t go near, don''t touch her. Just words. "So if I had evidence that you were outside yesterday, it would mean that you try to seduce me now?"

    Katherine gaped, her eyes flying up to his in shock. "How did you know?"

    A s.e.xy smirk spread on his face. The red irises were like a firestorm, hot and dangerous. Although he stayed a few steps away from her, she felt the heat dry her throat. "I didn''t. But now I do. So, you want to entice me, little girl? Wait a few more years."

    Using all his willpower, he turned his back to her and walked over to the table, which was set up near the fountain. It couldn''t be that an inexperienced girl was shaking his determination. He wouldn''t allow it. Never.

    Grasping for air, Katherine had to hold on to the bush to stabilize herself. What was that? How did he make her feel so helpless, fearful, and hot at the same time? Her head was swirling, her throat was a desert, and her body trembling all over. These eyes... they were something else. Flames to burn all her thoughts to ashes.

    Only after a minute or so did she realize that he criticized her age. However, she had no strength left to feel insulted. Everything was spent on resisting the weakness spreading through her whole being.

    Whatever that was, she didn''t want to feel it. She didn''t want to be weak in front of him!

    Tap. Tap. The chess pieces made noises as the earl placed them on the board. Yes, Katherine had the maids prepare a chess board for them. Her impression of the earl was that of a man who appreciated cleverness. Although she couldn''t point out where exactly that inkling was coming from.

    The tapping sound got her out of her daze. Lifting her still red head, she saw the earl sitting on the table next to the scandalous fountain. Some statures in the water had really compromising positions.

    Although it was hard, Katherine tried to ignore the statures and focused on the earl. Her first attempts had gone bad and he ridiculed her inexperience, but she wouldn''t give up! She would make this arrogant villain of an earl marry her! Everything to get her revenge! It had absolutely nothing to do with his handsome side profile... no, no, absolutely nothing.

    Hopefully this weakness was just a mistake. Maybe she caught a flu? That would be better than the other reasoning.

    Forcing her knees to stop trembling, she slowly let go of the bush she''d hugged like a lost relative and began to collect the flowers off the ground. She was delaying the time she needed to face him again. The embarrassment didn''t wane yet, as his deep voice still rang in her ears. Was it less raspy than two days before? Maybe because he was so close now...

    With fascination and egoism in hand, she strolled over to the table, and carefully put them into the delicate glass vase.

    After sitting down opposite him, she slowly lifted her head... and met his eyes. A bush again crept on her cheeks. How could she have disliked this color? Sure, his gaze was frightening when it landed on her but also... fascinating to no end. Bad Kathrine. You can''t think that way, she scolded herself. Too dangerous.

    Feeling insecure, she lowered her eyes again. "Do you want to..." play with me, she wanted to ask but realized the double meaning just in time. The blush got deeper and she gestured to the chess board instead.

    "Sure." The earl replied. He''d already prepared the board, leaving the advantage of playing the white figurines to Katherine, while he himself choose black.

    It was a silent match. The earl had put his gloves back on, so his hand hovering over the board was as dark as his figurines. Nonetheless he was careful not to brush Katherine''s skin accidentally. Although Katherine planned for exactly that to happen as she decided to have a match with him, her heart was pounding excessively now every time she thought of trying. In the end, she didn''t do anything.

    With time, the earl got the upper hand. Although Katherine knew there was a more important battle to win than this one, she still didn''t like loosing, and began to pour all her focus into the game. She succeeded in killing his queen, only to be checkmate two turns later.

    Knitting her brows adorably, she searched for a way out, but finally needed to admit her defeat, albeit unwillingly.

    "You win. But", she couldn''t help herself from adding, "only this time."

    "We''ll see.", the earl answered lazily and slipped his long fingers in his pocket to take out a golden pocket watch. It looked expensive. Slightly curious, Katherine searched for the signature, but couldn''t find it. Nonetheless she suspected this watch to be even more expensive than the one her father had owned. How come the earl always had the best stuff?

    The watch snapped close again. "Your hour is over now. I''ll take my leave."

    Katherine scrambled to her feet hastily. "Let''s go together."

    Every second with the earl was one more second to convince him. She felt bad for not reaching anything today. At least it felt like it. She was too fearful to touch his hand even.

    Without acknowledging her, the earl strolled away, one hand in his pocket, looking cool and aloof.

    Walking next to him, Katherine wrecked her brain for a thing to say or to do, but all she could muster in the end was: "Uum, I''d like to go outside more often. To explore the mansion and gardens. Can I please?"

    The earl knitted his brows shortly, but gave a curt nod. His understanding of her had improved over the one hour. He didn''t think she''d run away anymore and even if she tried it, there were still the guards to stop her. But maybe he should punish them first, as they let her go outside without his consent, and the message that she can see the mansion obviously got missing somehow.

    Not knowing his thoughts, Katherine got overjoyed. A bright happy grin shined on her face and her steps even had little hops of elation in it. Yes! She finally had her freedom back! At least a big part of it. That was a very good beginning.

    They reached the entrance hall, where the guards waited anxiously. Because it was a date, they were excluded, but Jack was so curious all the time, it took Pete nearly all of his patience to stop him from following them.

    "He wouldn''t do anything to our little angel, would he?", Jack asked time and time again, totally disregarding the image of a strong man his appearance suggested. "How could he be so cold to her?"

    As they finally saw the lovebirds come back together, Pete heaved a sigh of relieve. "Here they are! Doesn''t she look happy? I told you, you were overthinking things."

    Inspecting the earl and Katherine closely, Jack sighed, too. "Help me, Pete! I feel like I''m too young to give my daughter away already!"

    Pete nearly spat out blood. "Whose daughter?!", he roared. "She is the daughter of the late duke of Sleipnir, idiot! Who would want you as a father anyway?!"

    Their bickering reached Katherine''s ears as a blur. She knitted her brows. Who was so noisy?

    Jack slapped Pete''s neck harshly. "Shut up! Don''t you see you''re disrupting their date?"

    Embarrassed over his outbreak, Pete rubbed his hurting neck and grumbled: "I thought you didn''t want to give your daughter away."

    Jack rolled his eyes. "If the guy makes the daughter happy, what can a father do? But if he treats her badly I''ll..."

    Pete snorted. "You''ll what? It''s the earl we''re talking about. Do you really want to test his patience?"

    Now embarrassed himself, the one-eyed guard scratched the back of his head. He was in many dangerous fights already, but maybe this was really a bit too big for him. "... I''ll think about it."

    Reaching the entrance hall, the earl wanted to go straight to his study at first, but when he set the foot on the staircase, he hesitated. The hour together wasn''t a bad one. Less boring than he thought it would be. She earned a farewell at least. He didn''t turn around though. "I''ll inform you of our next meeting when I know my schedule for the week. You will need to work hard in the future."

    Behind him, Katherine bit her lip. On their way back she had an inspiration, something she didn''t try yet. Only, she didn''t know if the move was too bold. Come on, she cheered for herself. You can do it!

    "I''m looking forward to see you again" Uncertain, she took a deep breath and released it with the next word flowing out of her mouth: "Nathaniel."

 Chapter 15 - Long way to freedom

    The earls steps paused. Did he hear it right? The girl called his name as high-pitched as a frightened little squirrel, but still loud and clearly. Nathaniel. There weren''t many who dared to call him like this. He didn''t want her to do it, it would only complicate their relationship. On the other hand however...

    He gripped the handrail tightly. His c.h.e.s.t hurt. He didn''t want her to do it, but he didn''t want her to stop either. It felt like something long forgotten was slowly and painfully awakened again. A strange yearning made him not want to stop the process, although rationality told him, the thing inside his c.h.e.s.t would only bring him bad luck and endless pain.

    Torn in between, he decided to ignore it for now. Maybe she will stop then. So, without reacting to her call, he began to climb the steps again, turning to the left at the end of the stairs and vanishing into the corridor leading to his study.

    Katherine decided for herself, no reaction was a good reaction. She almost expected him to turn and give her his frightening ice-cold stare or yell at her. He did neither.

    A silly grin spread on her face. That, together with her newly-won freedom, might count as a big first step. Good, good. It could only get better now. Someday she will have him wrapped around her finger hopefully. That would be the day to use him to get back what she owned.

    The only thing she needed to watch out for was to not get any feelings for him. What happened at the fountain was a dangerous thing. She needed to guard her heart from now on. Otherwise it would be a disaster.

    Happily, she swirled around to the guards. "Come on! I need to get something first and then we''ll go out again! I''m officially allowed to explore everything now!"

    Most likely with exception of the dungeons, she reminded herself, but she didn''t want to alarm the earl by asking specifically about that. Which normal lady would want to see the dungeons? Only those who were spies or had weird taste. She didn''t want the earl to believe she was either of them.

    The "thing" she wanted to get was her beloved rabbit Froseti. She promised the little one to let it free as soon as she herself could roam the garden freely. Now she would do exactly that.

    Hazel was not so happy to give the rabbit it''s freedom back. She loved the black fur ball dearly, although she needed to clean up behind him constantly. That was why she pouted as she heard of Katherine''s plans. "Can''t we keep it? I really, really want to keep it! It''s too small to cause much trouble and outside he will get eaten eventually."

    With a sigh, Katherine explained: "I don''t want to let it go either, you know? But always inside without fresh, yummy grass and sunlight isn''t a live for a rabbit. And", she added with a slightly disgusted face and pointed to a corner of her room, where some liquid had obviously wet the floor, "It can''t be trained like a dog to do some things only in specified places."

    With a brightly red face, Hazel stuttered: "I- I''m sorry, milady. I should''ve paid more attention to these matters. I''m sorry!"

    Seeing her fl.u.s.tered state, Katherine felt like a bully. "It doesn''t matter. But we can''t let it stay here, okay?"

    Hazel nodded fervently. "Yes, yes, milady."

    "Good." With a fast grip, Katherine swiped the rabbit into her arms, which was nibbling on her pillow and was a little reluctant to let it go. Katherine pulled it out between it''s teeth. "Come on, little troublemaker. I''ll show you something better to gnaw on."

    With big black eyes Froseti looked up to her and blinked shyly as if to say: who is the troublemaker? I''m obviously the most adorable, obedient rabbit you have ever seen!

    "Yes, yes.", Katherine grinned and petted its head. "You''re totally right."

    With Froseti in her arms, Katherine strolled out of her chambers, leaving Hazel staring at the wet spot and the door alternately, before finally following her lady out. She didn''t want to miss the possibly last moments with Froseti.

    The two of them and the guards build a small procession down to the gardens as if they were some kind of sect doing a sacrificial ritual. Katherine walked in front, holding the black rabbit and taking slow, measured steps. She knew that she would have to let go of Froseti at the end of her route, so she wasn''t hurried. In her back Jack and Pete were affected by her seriousness. Two steps behind was Hazel, who wanted to catch up with her lady, but the corridor was exactly wide enough to fit Jack''s and Pete''s shoulders, so to overtake them she would have had to ask them to step aside. However, their gigantic build intimidated her, so every time she opened her mouth, the words got stuck in her throat. In the end she just lowered her gaze and followed them obediently.

    This was why all of them were wearing serious - Hazel even frightful - faces, making the other personnel whisper quietly among themselves while stepping out of the way.

    "Did something bad happen? Maybe someone got poisoned again?"

    "I heard the lady has medical knowledge. Was there an accident and they need her help?"

    "Or maybe the earl summoned her! I at least would be frightened to death if that demon summoned me."

    "Hush, do you have a death wish?! Don''t call him that!"

    "Aaah! You''re right, you''re right!"

    "But what has the rabbit got to do with all of that?"

    Right, Froseti puzzled them the most. Until now, most of them didn''t even know the lady was keeping a rabbit in her chambers. The maid, who had brought the rabbit to the dining room, was out of one reason or the other instructed to remain silent. Well, of course that was because the earl didn''t want anyone to get curious as to why the rabbit was doing great shortly after it got slashed open, but the maid didn''t know that.

    "I heard there is a lake somewhere around here?", she asked her guards.

    Jack and Pete exchanged glaces. "Yes...?"

    "How is the terrain there?"

    "Flat with a few flower fields.", Pete answered. Although they both didn''t know yet, what their lady wanted to do, he hurried to help out.

    "Not there then...", Katherine said thoughtfully. "Do you know a place where there is water and many bushes or other things to hide in?"

    Jack''s brows knitted. Why would the lady want to hide? And need water to survive over a longer time? Had she done anything wrong? A bad idea messed up his head. Did the lady want to leave the earl and would even stoop so low as to be a homeless person in his gardens?

    "Milady, you don''t need to worry, we will protect you from the earl! You don''t need to be a homeless person! Whatever the earl did, I will - " A ridiculing glance from Pete interrupted him. Angry, Jack shouted: "What? You don''t think I can protect the lady?!"

    Pete shook his head in disbelieve. "No, I just want to know what is going on inside that head of yours. Does lady Katherine look like a runaway?"

    As Jack peeked down at Katherine, he saw her bewildered look as if she wanted to ask: Are you a fool? Why would I want be a homeless person? If she wanted to be a runaway, she would at least bring enough food for a few days, alright! Don''t forget about the tent and clothes... And she obviously wouldn''t ask the earls guards where to hide best!

    Embarrassed Jack scratched the back of his head. "So... ah... milady, what do you need that place for?"

    With raised brows Katherine pointed her chin at the rabbit. "For Froseti!"

    "Umm, well that makes sense."'', Jack admitted.

    "So, is there a place like this in the gardens?"

    The two guards fell silent. After a few seconds, Pete said: "I think there is the pond in the middle of the labyrinth."

    Katherine''s eyes lit up. If that was the case, it would be the ideal spot. The rabbit could just hop through under the bushes while all people coming there would need to take the longer way around to catch it. Sadly though, she herself most likely wouldn''t find it again either.

    Chasing the sadness washing over her away, Katherine let the guards lead her to the spot.

    Thirty minutes later:

    "Are you sure this is the right path? I think we''ve been here before.", Katherine asked, examining the bushes around her suspiciously.

    "Yes!", Jack replied, "I''m absolutely sure we are on the..." he saw the cold glare Pete threw him. "wrong path! I admit, I admit! We got lost."

 Chapter 16 - Stubborn followers

    It took them two hours to find the exit by chance and none of them wanted to go in again to search for the middle.

    "Let''s just set it free right here.", Katherine sighed. "It will find everything it needs eventually." Even Hazel nodded approvingly.

    It was surprising, how quiet Froseti was all this time. It seemed to like sitting on Katherine''s arm. But although the rabbit was small, after carrying it for over two hours her arms were hurting badly.

    Crouching down, she put Froseti on the ground. "There you go. This big garden is your new home now. Be safe."

    The rabbit, however, didn''t move at all. It just sat there and looked up at her adorably. "You''re free now. Hush.", Katherine tried again. Slowly, it began to move. Just it''s direction didn''t fit. It hopped right back to Katherine''s feet and rested it''s head against her ankle. Black lines appeared on Katherine''s forehead as it rubbed it''s fluffy head on her. "Are you a cat?! That''s not how a rabbit should react!"

    Jack laughed uproariously, Pete chuckled, and Hazel said: "What''s wrong? It just wants to be with you. So are we going to keep it now?"

    The hope in her voice was unmistakable. Katherine snorted and stood up. "I walked for two hours just to set it free. You think I''m going to give in so easily now?"

    "But...", Hazel protested with some disappointment.

    "No ''buts''", her lady snapped. "Being outside is the best for it, even if it doesn''t want to at first. It will learn to love it soon."

    She started walking back to the Mansion. The others followed her, albeit Hazel reluctantly. The maid was looking back at the rabbit all the time, nearly bumping into Pete while doing so. But that was exactly why she was the first to see the rabbit move again.

    Like a little stalker, it followed Katherine, always keeping the distance of ten steps between them. Naturally, Hazel didn''t tell on it. Only her face brightened a bit, while at the same time trying not to show it.

    Once Pete looked behind himself to check the vicinity, and noticed the rabbit. But at that time, Froseti was sitting still and gnawing on grass peacefully like it was a perfectly innocent, normal animal. Pete knitted his brows, surprised to see the rabbit still so near, but didn''t think about it further. Maybe the grass was more delicious here than back there. Who knows?

    As Pete turned around again, Froseti made another two hops and Hazel did her best not to giggle.

    Finally, they reached the mansion''s entrance. Just as Katherine wanted to go inside, Hazel raised her voice shyly. "Milady... take a look."

    Turning around, Katherine''s gaze landed on the rabbit. She sighed. "Don''t say it followed us all the way."

    "It did, milady.", Hazel smiled hopefully.

    Crouching down again in front of the rabbit, Katherine hit his fluffy head softly. "What should I do with you if you don''t want to go, hm? You''re thick-headed, you know that? Well, I think I have no choice then."

    Picking it up from the ground, Katherine turned to Hazel. "Looks like you two won. We''ll take it back in first and I''ll ask for a big cage to be made here outside. It will be safe and sound there." Seeing Hazel''s pouting expression, Katherine said stubbornly: "No, we won''t make a cage for inside! It deserves to at least see the sun daily. And you can visit it anytime anyways."

    Having reached half of her goal, Hazel gave in. "Okay."

    Jack on the side chuckled slightly. In the end, their lady had a hard shell, but a soft core. One could see that she liked both the rabbit and her maid very much, although she had her own ideas of what was good for them.

    Up in her chamber, Sam was waiting for her. "Milady, your horse will be there tomorrow afternoon. You can go to the stables yourself to receive it, but the earl asks of you to not leave his lands for now. It might not be safe."

    Hearing the news, Katherine''s eyes glittered. The horse was there! Hopefully it was a nice one!

    About not leaving the earls lands... Surely it was more about his distrust in her than any danger outside. But she was okay with it. She would make him trust her slowly.

    The earl. Nathaniel. She tried using his name in her thoughts, but it didn''t sound quite right yet. Maybe after some time it would be simpler, when they were closer. Which bought her to the question: "What about our next meeting? Did he look into his schedule yet?"

    With a bright smile, Sam replied: "As a matter of fact, he has. The morning three days later would be ideal. Furthermore, he needs to trouble milady to look after the patient again tomorrow morning."

    With a pensive look, Katherine nodded. "Alright. I already expected as much. Please relay my regards for finding a meeting time so soon to the earl." A mischievous grin tugged on her red lips. "Now I have plenty of time to prepare."

    Sam lifted his grey eye-brows in a surprised and happy way. "I''m looking forward to it, milady."

    Although he''d like to ask, what the lady''s plans were, he didn''t want to stain his serious image by getting too curious about the matters between his earl and the lady. He could still spy on them when they finally had the date... No, he didn''t realize that that was an even more shameless act.

    A little earlier, the earl and his butler were standing in front of the flower field where the earl tried to pick the peony. Like a plague the black liquid had spread all over everything it touched, leaving the whole flower field, nearly fifty quarter steps, as an obscure black pond, swallowing all light and life. It was still spreading.

    "I was careless.", the earl admitted.

    "You were.", Sam agreed readily. There wasn''t a hint of accusation in his voice. "Are the new gloves still uncomfortable?"

    "It''s more of a general problem. I just don''t like gloves.", the earl said with knitted brows while scrutinizing the blackness in front of him.

    "Well, I can''t do anything about that.", Sam sighed, shaking his head in a helpless fashion. "At least it is just a flower field. Could have been worse, right?"

    "It is bad enough.", the earl grumbled and pulled off one of his gloves. "Now step aside so I can manage that before it takes over the whole garden."

    Obediently, Sam complied. The earl crouched down in front of the black pond, reaching out with his hand. As if it was a strange creature, maybe a corrupted dog meeting it''s master, the blackness rose up from the ground in a wave-like fashion, and rubbed itself against the earl''s palm. Black meeting white. Connecting and mixing up. It was the darkness, which invaded the earl''s hand, running over his skin in black lines, up to his elbow.

    The pond on the ground got smaller rapidly, but the earl''s forehead was already full of sweat. Still, he didn''t make a sound and his expression remained cold, a cold hatred directed at the liquid slowly spreading into him.

    As the last drop of darkness got s.u.c.k.e.d into his fingertips, the lines had reached his shoulder, hidden under the sleeve of the grey suit jacket. It was like the liquid had minimized itself to fit inside his body or as if most of it vanished into thin air.

    "How much did you manage to expel?", Sam asked carefully, coming closer again.

    Hastily, the earl pulled the glove over his n.a.k.e.d hand. "Almost everything."

    "You know, you can just call for her now and let yourself be treated? The longer you wait, the more damage it does."

    "I could.", The earl agreed. "But I''ve just parted with her. I... " don''t want to see her now, were the words he wanted to say.

    There was still this confusing feeling from when she called his name. He wanted to let it go to rest before seeing her again. Letting her treat him was undeniably important, but... wouldn''t she need to touch his body again?

    Sam didn''t report any improvement in her usage of magic power. The earl, too, knew it wasn''t so simple to improve the degree of control over a magic power. He just didn''t want her to touch him with those warm hands while her voice calling his name was still ringing in his ears. Or else the painful feeling in his c.h.e.s.t would get even more intense.

    It was dumb to wait for too long. However, just a little bit longer couldn''t be that bad, right? He found his footing again. "I''ve got too much work waiting for me today. Make it tomorrow."

    Sam, who silently watched the earl''s fl.u.s.ter from the sideline, was surprised. Did he already feel something for her? Why else would he let his emotions overrule his rationality and wait with the treatment? He thought it would take longer for Katherine to get a hold on his lord. Obviously the girl was better than he expected.

    A smile tugged on his lips, but that didn''t mean he wanted the earl to delay his treatment. It was something concerning his lord''s life and death still. Maybe provocation would help, although it would surely bring him in hell''s kitchen again. "I know exactly how much work you have to do. Is it really enough to justify you running away from a little girl?"

    The death-glare of the earl hit him like icy water, it''s intensity not reduced by expecting it. Sadly, it was one of the death-glares saying: ''I know exactly what you''re trying to do here. I won''t be influenced by your bullshit.''

    "You like jumping at the boarder of my patience too much in the last days.", the earl commented, but didn''t do anything about it. And that was the end of the conversation.

 Chapter 17 - Overthinking

    The next day dawned and the guards were switched for some unfamiliar faces, as the earl had called for Jack and Pete. That was all Katherine knew of the matter. Only the exchange guards and some other selected people knew that Jack and Pete were getting punished for letting the lady outside before she was allowed to.

    This fact made the new guards quite nervous and they swore to themselves to strictly follow the rules. Especially because their own punishment would be even harder than that of the elite guards Jack and Pete.

    Yes, the both of them were elite guards and quite revered by the other guards for their great achievements in several wars before starting to work for the earl when they got older. You could call them war heroes even. If you told anyone that Katherine managed to steal the dagger of one of those heroes, they absolutely wouldn''t believe you.

    After taking her breakfast and trying to make Hazel eat with her again - which ended in a failure - , Katherine waited for Sam to guide her to the patient. Somehow she kept feeling nervous when thinking about the half-n.a.k.e.d man she had to treat.

    The picture of his white skin with the dark pattern re-surfaced from her memory. Although it was through the gloves, she had touched that skin. It had felt so smooth, but she could feel his powerful abdominal muscles hidden beneath it.

    With an unwilling gesture she shook her head. Just because fantasizing about the earl was forbidden, she shouldn''t do it about some random person - and a sick one at that!

    What if he really was the lover of the earl? Though the possibility may be slim, but she couldn''t ignore it. She would lose all her brownie points if the earl found out that she was interested in him! And when the few she may have were spent up, he would even find more vicious methods to make her pay.

    She shuddered at the thought. No, better to dedicate herself to the earl - without loosing her heart that was. She sighed. The whole situation was so confusing. But giving up was out of the question.

    Maybe if the patient wasn''t in a comatose state anymore, she could try to extract information about the earl. Yes, that might be the best plan. The earl was concerned about him, so he most likely knew some things about the earl.

    Watching her lady silently sitting on the breakfast table, Hazel was puzzled. Did she catch a cold? She was switching between red- and paleness too frequently, right?

    Slowly, Hazel stretched out her hand. She didn''t want to disturb her lady''s seemingly deep and insightful thought-process, but if the lady really was ill...

    Without Katherine noticing her approach, the hand landed on Katherine''s forehead. Gasping loudly, Katherine jumped up, her eyes flickering with panic.

    As she noticed Hazel - who was similarly startled by her lady''s sudden reaction, she was relieved. After taking a deep breath she asked: "Do you need to surprise me like this? What is it?"

    "Sorry, milady! It is nothing, really nothing. Just, umm, ... do you feel ill?"

    Realizing the misunderstanding, Katherine let go of a small laugh. "No, no, I''m okay. Thank you." It looked like she worried her maid with her brooding atmosphere.

    Still feeling the heat left on her hand, Hazel frowned irritated. But... whatever, if the lady said she was feeling good, everything was alright, wasn''t it?

    As she shook her head, a knock on the door was heard. With a mischievous grin, Katherine hurried to open it herself. Yes, she would ask for all juicy details, even for those ... spicy ones, if she had the chance. Everything the patient knew about... well, if she thought about spicy details, she should at least manage to call him by his name. Nathaniel, she said in her mind. Nathaniel.

    She really needed to get used to saying it if she even planned for, well, ''more'' to happen between them. No, no, not that much more. Just a bit. But what if he really did some inexplicable things with... stop thinking about this!

    They stepped into the doctors domain, where the patient laid on the only occupied bed. Like the last time, his eyes were closed, his ethereal upper body exposed as to let her see the black markings.

    Katherine knitted her brows. She thought he would be up already. And what about that arm of his? Didn''t she clean it two days prior? Instantly, she was in her professional mode, forgetting all about how she wanted to interrogate him.

    "How come his arm is affected again?", she asked the doctor and rushed over to the bed. As it was her first time working with poison, she hoped to get more information out of the doctor.

    The old man had stood up from his table in a corner of the room as they entered. Pushing his glasses up his nose bridge, he walked over to her, while offering her next to no answer. "I don''t know, milady. I''ve never seen a situation such as his. But like I said, I''m not a specialist for poisons."

    As he said that, he gave the butler a gloomy look as if he wanted to say that the earl should get himself another doctor for this. At least that was Katherine''s interpretation of the glare.

    Sam, however, knew the real reason for that grumpy attitude. This was the second time that the best poison master of the whole kingdom had to stoop so low as to say he knew nothing about poison at all. Just because he couldn''t figure out the properties of this special poison affecting the earl. An absolute disgrace.

    Trying to ignore the mocking smile tugged at the corner of Sam''s mouth, the doctor raised his voice again. Of course what he said was made up out of thin air. "This is a very strange poison, spreading faster if there is fewer of it left. Most likely there was a tiny bit left in his fingertips and now the whole arm is infected again."

    Katherine thought that this was a very strange property, but as the doctor looked gravely serious, she believed him in the end. After all, she wasn''t a doctor and knew next to nothing about medicine compared to him.

    That was the first time Katherine thought she needed to improve her medicinal knowledge. Only her magic didn''t seem sufficient anymore.

    "Well, if it is like this, we better expel all of it this time.", she thought aloud.

    Alarmed, Sam spoke up. "But milady, you need to take care of yourself first! It took you your all last time already. The earl wouldn''t want that."

    His mentioning of the earl made her remember that Nathaniel maybe didn''t have a reason anymore to keep his promises if this person was healed. Still, it was hard to know she could get him back to health and not do it. She didn''t even know this person, yet she felt responsible. But in the end...

    She forced a laugh. "I was joking. Of course I wouldn''t do this. It''s too hard anyways, and I don''t know if my body could bear it. Let''s better make it slow, but steady."

    Putting on the gloves the butler handed her, she let the butler open the artery at the patients arm. The black blood started to flow out as her glowing hands landed at the c.h.e.s.t lightly.

    She could feel his c.h.e.s.t raise and fall with his breath. Strangely the warmth in her fingertips made her feel a tingle of dizziness, just like that meeting with the earl in the garden, only much less obvious. She felt like her and the patient''s warmth were mixed together slowly.

    How could she feel so similar for two different persons? Intrigued, she looked down at the patient''s face and her eyes went wide. That - that face was too familiar, wasn''t it? Although this person had blonde hair, his facial features looked like those of the earl!

    But then she shook her head, no, no, that wasn''t right. The patient may have many similar features to the earl, but he lacked a big deal of coldness and viciousness. This one was a sleeping angel, while the earl was a devil through and through. But wouldn''t they look the same with closed eyes...? She asked herself. A great deal of the earl''s presence lay in that bloody eyes of his.

    As if he noticed her stare, the patient''s brows knitted suddenly and before Katherine could re-direct her gaze, his eye lids opened.

 Chapter 18 - Rudeness

    They were blue. A pure sky-blue, just like her dress the other day. Mesmerized, she stared at them. These eyes may be cold, but there was some uncertainty, and gentleness hidden in them. Completely different from the domineering viciousness of the earl.

    She didn''t notice lowering her head while staring at him, until a strand of her hair brushed his cheek. The blonde brows furrowed and he moved his head to the side to dodge it.

    With burning cheeks, Katherine backed away. "I''m sorry. I''m treating you just now, so try not to move too much."

    The strangely deep gaze moved back to her and he gave a short nod. He didn''t seem to be troubled by the pain he most likely felt on his arm.

    With half of her concentration focused on her magic, she asked: "What is your name? It feels strange to keep calling you ''patient'' in my head, now, that you''re awake."

    He seemed to be reluctant to answer her, just scrutinizing her hands on his c.h.e.s.t silently.

    Although he didn''t question her, Katherine explained her actions: "I need to touch you to keep my magic working. Really, if I could avoid it, I would."

    He looked up at her, annoyance written all over his face. "Why?"

    Even his voice was as deep as the earl''s, but somehow... softer? Without some of the hard edges.

    Get back on track, Katherine! Didn''t you already verify he is a different person? He asked why she needed to touch him, right? Was her touch that disgusting? "Well,", she said slowly, not really wanting to disclose her incompetence, "l''m still learning to control my skill."

    The patient looked up to the ceiling. "Learn faster."

    Katherine stilled. She removed her hands from the patients c.h.e.s.t, which made his attention switch to her again. "You know, if you don''t want to be healed, you could just say so. I wont impose it to you."

    Surprise flickered in those blue orbs. "I thought the earl pays you for doing so. Do you want to break your promise?"

    She snorted. "I would never break a promise. However, I don''t think he will be pleased to hear how ungrateful you are. Despite his care."

    A mocking smile spread on his face, making it sparkle in a dangerous and beautiful way. "Oh, I don''t think it will matter to him. He just wants me to be safe and sound, regardless of what I say to you."

    Katherine squinted her eyes. So this man did have a relationship with the earl. Merely not the one she thought at first. Their facial structure was too similar for them to not be related somehow. Maybe a brother? "Is that so... I''ll make sure to ask him next time."

    "Feel free to. Now, if you''d please..." he made a gesture for her to continue. "Just get over with it."

    Reluctantly, Katherine placed her hands on his skin again, and felt his muscles harden shortly. "You could at least tell me your name."

    His smile diminished. "Don''t want to."

    Shortly after, she bit her lower lip. No, that didn''t make sense. The whole kingdom would most likely search for him if he went missing. Even she would have heard of that, wouldn''t she? Besides, the earl and the prince wouldn''t look similar, would they?

    Who ever this person may be, he wasn''t someone simple. If he didn''t want to tell her, she had no choice but to try to find out by herself.

    At least she had an inkling now that he was most likely family to the earl, so no rival for her. The earl wasn''t gay. This meant she still stood a chance. Only why was he rejecting her then?

    If it was just knowing her too shortly it could be handled. But what if he had other reasons? Shaking her head, she decided to first try with her original plan and alter it if she would run into troubles. Overthinking things could lead to making false conclusions.

    "How long do you know the earl for?", she asked after a long pause. Due to her afford, little sweat drops were piling up on her slim black brows.

    "... my whole live.", the patient answered sincerely. As a relative, this was only normal. She heard a coughing sound behind her, but ignored it.

    Now the part about extracting information... "So, do you know what he likes? His favorite color, food, activity? Or places, he likes to visit?"

    Just as she thought it was over, the coughing behind her started once again. Maybe Sam should take better care of his health, Katherine thought. He is so old already.

    The patient was looking up at her sternly and suspiciously. As if this information was something highly guarded or sorts. "Why should I tell you?"

    "Well..." She didn''t think asking about a favorite color would need a reason. Showing her sweetest smile, she continued: "Because I''m asking you nicely?"

    The whole person froze like a giant ice block. Then, a cold glitter flashed through his eyes. "Take your hands off me. Now."

    The command was issued so naturally and coldly that she complied before even realizing it. However, as she took her hands back in a fl.u.s.ter, her legs somehow couldn''t handle her weight anymore and gave in.

    With a shriek she toppled over and saw how the patient''s eyes went wide. He reached out to catch her, but another arm was faster.

    "Are you alright, milady?", Sam asked worriedly, holding her elbows to stabilize her.

    "Yes, yes!", Katherine nodded like a hen picking grains. The double shock had made her heart jump. "I''m okay now, I''m okay, don''t worry."

    While Katherine and Sam kept consoling each other, the patient slowly went back into a lying position. Still, his gaze never left Sams hands on the lady''s elbows, and a gloomy expression spread on his face. Even after the butler let go of Katherine, the discontent didn''t fade.

    Why couldn''t he be the one to safe the lady? Well, it was obvious. With a dark face he looked down on his pure white hands with the slim, long fingers, and then to the cut on his arm, still slowly bleeding out black substances. What a letdown.

    Getting even more angry at it and at himself, who''d caused that disaster, he raised his voice to overpower the others. "OUT! All of you! We''ll resume later."

    Sam and the butler instantly followed the command, only Katherine glared at him. "Rudeness seems to be a common phenomenon in your family."

    Strangely, the rebuke didn''t bother the patient. Instead he contemplated quietly: Rudeness? Sounds about right! Although you don''t even know them. Better pray you never will.

    The image of her smile hit him again. It had caused that painful feeling in his c.h.e.s.t to break out a second time. To stop it, he''d lashed out at her, thinking it would cease to exist if she just took her hands away. But as Sam held Katherine''s arm... the feeling had solidified into a tight knot in his heart area.

    Rubbing over his c.h.e.s.t, he tried to lessen the pain, but it wouldn''t go away fully.

    Was it because she was the first person since a decade ago to touch any part of his body beside his hands? Even with clothes on, he never let anyone near enough, in fear of the consequences. She didn''t even touch his skin barehanded, but still...

    But I can''t stop her!, he reminded himself. Her ability was the only possible solution to his problems they found in all these years.

 Chapter 19 - History of the Icelands

    Such ungrateful people, Katherine thought while closing the door behind her silently, in contrast to her raging emotions. She just wanted a little bit of information, okay?! It wasn''t even anything harmful.

    "Milady, please excuse his attitude.", Sam, standing by the side, said humbly. "He doesn''t have much patience. If we can do anything to make it up to you...?"

    After a short thought and calming her emotions, Katherine inquired: "Where did you get that rabbit from? The one at the dinner?"

    "The rabbit?", Sam repeated. "We have an enclosure outside, near the stables. There are rabbits, hens and a few other animals mainly treated as a food-source."

    What? Her sweet Froseti was a food-source before? Katherine''s cheeks paled and she congratulated herself for being so mindful as to take him with her. Hesitatingly, she asked: "Can you show me?"

    "Of course."

    In the enclosure lived nine well-fed rabbits. It was quite big and had a small hut for rainy days. All in all they seemed to have a pleasant live - if one didn''t know what they were held for.

    Watching them gnawing on grass, Katherine told Sam her thoughts: "I want my rabbit to have a pleasant life. I want him to be together with other rabbits, while living in a safe environment, and maybe have kids later. However, I don''t ever want it to be threatened to be eaten or have it''s children be eaten."

    Touching his chin pensively, Sam nodded. "You say, you want it to live in this enclosure without any of the consequences, right?"

    Slowly, not sure if it was the right thing to do, Katherine nodded her head. The other rabbits would still be eaten, only her Froseti and his kids would have a peaceful live. But could she request for the earl to never eat the flesh of a rabbit again? Did he look like a rabbit to only eat vegetables? More like the most dangerous carnivore alive...

    Although maybe she herself would change her view at meat now... at least rabbit meat didn''t seem appealing anymore. She may not be able to safe all rabbits, but Froseti, her priority, wouldn''t have any troubles now.

    "But how can you ensure that the personnel won''t confuse him with one of the others some day?" However, the solution presented itself to her before he could answer. "I''ll just make it a collar! That should be sufficient."

    "What a great idea.", Sam praised. "Don''t worry, your rabbit will be perfectly safe with us."

    And that was how Froseti got back to its old home. Only now it had a fancy silver bracelet hanging on its neck - one of Katherine''s own bracelets as a collar had yet to be made. Proudly, Froseti showed it to the rabbit-ladies. The bracelet had a tiny glass heart hanging on it and every time a sun ray hit the rabbit''s front, it sparkled in all colors of the rainbow.

    Although Froseti still looked at Katherine with sad eyes when she left, it didn''t seem to be as dissatisfied as the last time. Maybe the beautiful white rabbit lady poking her nose in his long ear shyly was one of the reasons.

    With a little laugh, Katherine waved them goodbye, before strolling back to the mansion in a way better mood than just a while ago.

    Phew, this issue is dealt with finally. Now the next one was the horse, but that would only be in the afternoon.

    Picking up Hazel in her chamber, she made her way to the library. No, calling it a library may be exaggerated. The room was so small and the bookshelves so few, she didn''t even realize it was meant as a library when she toured the mansion. More like a living room with a few extra books. Only after Anni mentioned a library while they were preparing for the date did Katherine conclude that it should be this room.

    After inspecting the shelves for a while, Katherine got an overview. It were mostly history books with nearly as many books about war and strategy, a few maps, and half a board of novels mixed in. Of course they weren''t romance novels, but thriller. It didn''t really matter, as thriller were her second dearest. Still, a few romance novels would''ve been nice.

    Picking a book about the history of the Icelands, Katherine sat down in an armchair and started reading. Knowing her enemy was just as important as knowing her own aims. Maybe even more than that.

    The Icelands were founded by several clans living in the desolate, inhospitable lands of the north. Glaciers and snow-white mountains were their territories. The environment was just as harsh as the people living in them. They were poor clans, living off animal flesh and water mostly, as agriculture was impossible. The one thing they got were burly, strong bodies. So in the long winters, they used them to raid the villages next to their land, stealing corn and vegetables.

    At first there was a council. It was stabilized by marriages between the clans. A few years later, as they reached the end of the line, the first mage was born between one of the married pairs. His talent was to summon and form ice out of thin air. The parents were from two of the mightiest clans, coming together through the alliance.

    They thought it was the blessing of their winter goddess Skadi, a godly child to kill their enemies. That was why they worshiped the child and all others that followed. These ice-mages, as they grew up, succeeded in winning the war, and united the clans under their reign.

    The first child, as the one leading their siege, was called ''Icefall'', because he used his ice magic to make the enemies fall to their knees and surrender before him. Icefall was the first monarch of a long dynasty, reining over the Icelands up to this very day.

    The other magicians following Icefall had their own names, but as all of them were sovereigns of the ice, their names carried it in it to honor the goddess, who blessed them with her divine power. Icelance, Icewall, Icefeather, Iceflower, Icecall, Icefield, and many others were born.

    Their names were widely known, and most of them soared up to an aristocratic stand after the war, reigning over their own clans, but still staying loyal to their monarch.

    The only exception was the one named Icethorn. He didn''t want to be subject to Icefall. Instead, he tried to fight him, accusing him to have killed the people of Icethorn''s clan, and Icethorn''s very own wife.

    None of the other mages believed his claim. After decade of rebellion, Icethorn was beheaded in public.

    What followed, was a long war-history. All of Icefall''s descendants wanted to expand their territory to get their hands on more profitable landscapes. Some of them succeeded, some failed. Every time many people died.

    The Icelands as Katherine knew them, however, were a whole lot bigger than the founding nation, nearly twice as large. When they began mining the mountains their forefathers lived on, they discovered many precious ores, gold, and silver. Those together with the leather and fur of the animals of the north, developed the Icelands into a wealthy nation in the end.

    Although Hazel had trouble to reading, she remembered where her lady had picked the book from. Sniffing on the old cover inconspicuously, she felt that it smelt quite nice - like leather, paper and dust. It told of times long past.

    No wonder, Katherine thought, while sorting out what she''d read. No wonder they''re rude. They are descendants of barbarians after all. The content had helped her to understand where the earl was coming from. At least part of it.

    As his surname started with ''Ice'' he was most likely one of the descendants of those magicians. Did they still believed in their goddess? In Dragsa the common people, too, believed in gods, but Katherine wasn''t so sure about it for herself. Superficially seen, Nathaniel looked more like a realistic person.

    Did he have magic power, too? Although magic was mostly inherited - which would make him an ice mage - , there were still exceptions.

    Just look at Katherine herself, who got a completely different power compared to her father and most other magicians, maybe even all of them. There were those without magic power, too. Nearly all aristocratic families had them, and they were trained to fight in war mostly, so that the magician could inherit the title more easily. As far as she knew, the Icelands had the same principle.

    Was Nathaniel a mage then? Or a warrior on vacation? His gaze sure looked like he had faced death before more than once.

    Still, he''d stayed here for two years now as far as she knew. Even if he was wounded before, two years were too long of an vacation, right? Besides, his title had to be inherited of his family, so a mage was the better guess.

    Talking about family: why didn''t she hear about any family visiting the earl in his stay here? Were his parents dead already?

    At this time she missed Jack by her side. Maybe he would''ve known some gossip about this. Without much hope, Katherine looked to Hazel. The maid was nearly as new as she herself, but at least she had had contact with the other servants more frequently.

 Chapter 20 - Gifts

    "Do you know anything about the earl''s family?", Katherine asked nonetheless.

    Hazel raised her nearly invisible red brows in a surprised way, while the new guards where shifting uncomfortably. Did the earl allow for the lady to know his history? Wouldn''t he have told her himself then?

    "The earl''s family?", Hazel repeated, her face changing into a pensive expression. "No, I... don''t think so."

    "They haven''t visited him? Send gifts, letters, anything?"

    " ... Nothing I know of."

    "Hmm."

    "Wait, no, there was one gift box! I didn''t remember it, because they didn''t say from whom it was. And it wasn''t something a family would sent, actually.", Hazel memorized, first exited but later getting dispirited again for it wasn''t what the lady asked for. Katherine gestured her to continue nevertheless. Any information was better than nothing, actually. "The cook told me that story for it was really weird and a little - "

    Katherine''s stomach grumbled, disrupting the recount. Instantly, both girls were fl.u.s.tered, but strangely the maid more than the lady. "I''m so sorry, milady! I should''ve bought you something to eat! Let me - "

    But Katherine waved her off. "I didn''t even realize getting hungry while reading. It''s not your fault, so stop apologizing, please. Let''s just go get lunch."

    Hazel nodded heavily. "Yes, yes!" On the inside she thought: I need to pay more attention next time. After all, the lady''s well-being was her responsibility.

    As Katherine''s horse arrived just after lunch, the original topic only came up again in the evening.

    "What did you say again about the gift box?", Katherine asked while sitting on a table, noting down a list of things she needed for their next date. "It was... weird or something?"

    "Yes!" A rare proud grin surfaced on Hazel''s face. She was always happy when she could help her lady. "Really weird! And quite creepy, too, actually... So there was this gift box, as big as a loaf of bread - that is how the cook described it. It reached here shortly after Christmas with a note saying: ''my husband forced me to send something. Enjoy''. No signature or anything."

    Hazel was gesticulating with her hands while recounting the story as if she herself had been there. "The earl didn''t open it but said to disposed of it. However, the maid he send - the one who got into the snowstorm later on - was too curious. It was really expensively packed, you know? A golden silk box with fine silver ribbons. Maybe she thought she''d get a treasure for herself if the earl didn''t want it. So, she took it away and unpacked it. Guess, what she found?"

    "After the long introduction most likely nothing so plain as jewels or gold.", Katherine shrugged. "Tell me."

    Hazel nodded, showing disgust on her face. "It was a rat''s nest with four fat rats in it. All dead."

    "What?!", Katherine shuddered. "Who sends something like that for Christmas?!" And, most importantly, how did the earl know he shouldn''t open it? Like he expected it...

    Was it from one of his enemies? The hatred one must feel to send a pack of dead rats for a Christmas present surely reached the I-wish-you-a-gruesome-death-level. Maybe she should send Ethan some dead rats, too... no, poor rats. You don''t deserve this.

    "You''re right. It isn''t something a family would normally send. I think it''s possibly one of his enemies.", Katherine deliberated. "And it says ''my husband'', so the sender is a woman. A rich one, as it was a silk package. Did the earl ever have a sweetheart?"

    If it was a woman he broke up with, the hatred would make sense. Well, not really sense, as the gift was still something reaching a nearly insane level of hatred but it would be ... understandable. Somehow.

    Hazel shrugged. "Should I go ask Olivia?" Olivia was the name of her friend, the cook. Out of Hazel''s descriptions Katherine concluded that the old woman had to look just like a friendly, wizened olive, so the name matched quite well.

    "Please do. And while you''re at it, can you bring me these items?" The lady asked, handing her the list she''d written.

    Astonished, Katherine imitated her gesture unknowingly. The things she asked for weren''t that hard to get. The mansion probably had all of them in store. "What is it? Is there something wrong with the items?"

    The lips of the maid quivered, as she tried to decipher the words but in the end she looked up helplessly. "I... milady..."

    She gulped and her voice softened out of fear, while the green eyes reddened with uncried tears. Pursing her lips a little, she whispered: "Milady I... I can''t read that."

    Embarrassment flashed in Katherine''s eyes as she scratched her head. "Ah!? Is my handwriting that bad?"

    "No, no, no!", Hazel instantly intercepted, waving her hands in a hurry. "It''s really nice! It''s just I - ah... I can''t really.... read... that good."

    With every word, Hazel''s voice grew softer until it was nearly inaudible.

    "Hah?!" An astonished cry slipped out of Katherine''s mouth. "That is... I''m so sorry, Hazel! I should''ve thought of this! Let me recite it to you."

    She snatched the paper back and read it out aloud before the other girl could stop her. Then she put it down. "You know Hazel, I could teach you. If you want to, that is."

    Hazel blushed, embarrassed. "You - you don''t need to, milady. I''m just a maid, I don''t deserve -"

    By taking her hand, Katherine stopped her rambling. "No, you''re not just a maid. You are my maid. The person I spend most of my time with. My friend, hopefully. You know why I told you to change yourself that night? It wasn''t because I hate your pure self. I don''t. Instead, it was to stop you from being too naive. So that you won''t get hurt."

    The green eyes widened and Hazel''s mouth parted slightly. Her lady worried about her?!

    Looking up to Hazel''s with a smile, Katherine concluded: "Teaching you how to write is a sincere offer. Think about it. It would make things easier for both of us."

    As Katherine wanted to take her hands back, she felt Hazel''s grip tighten suddenly. Confused, she looked up and saw her maid''s lips purse in an attempt to hold back the tears glistening in her eyes. She could just hold them for a few seconds though, then they rolled down her cheeks like stars falling from the firmament. "Thank you, milady! Thank you!"

    Her muffled words reached Katherine''s heart, and she hastily stood up to hug Hazel tightly. "Oh my! There is nothing to thank me for! Sweetie, don''t worry, you''ll be a great reader in no time."

    Her head buried on Katherine''s shoulder, Hazel cried her eyes out. Only she knew that learning how to write was only part of the reason.

    There was never before someone, who selflessly wanted to help her. Someone who said: I don''t want you to get hurt. She thought, she didn''t deserve it but her lady said otherwise. She would do all she could to not betray the trust the lady put in her.

    Sniffing she said: "I will try my best! I will learn really hard!"

    Katherine chuckled. "Sure you will. Did you think I would spare you otherwise? I can be a really strict teacher, you''ll see!"

    A laughter made its way to Hazel''s mouth. Her lady was such a good person, how could she bear to be hard on her maid? "It''s okay, milady! Please do your worst!"

    It took Hazel only a few days to realize her misjudgment. Unexpectedly, her lady was a demon of a teacher, letting her stay up till the morning hours and yelling at her for the tiniest mistakes. Still, Hazel was glad deep inside because she knew this was the lady''s way to show her that she cared. So, Hazel held back her tears and started to work hard.

 Chapter 21 - Keep Moving

    The next date with the earl came up, without Jack and Pete coming back. Although she didn''t spent much time with them, Katherine missed them already. Sadly, the replacements didn''t want to tell her were they went or when they''ll be back. Was it some kind of mission? She''d question the earl about it later just to make sure they were alright.

    As for the date, Katherine had everything prepared. Her dress was simple this time, because the last one hadn''t caused a good reaction and she needed to have more freedom of movement today. In white and with a straw-hat she looked innocent and pure. Picking up the thing she''d made with Hazel''s help, she strode to the entrance hall.

    Nathaniel was already there, waiting for her. He''d donned a red shirt and his usual black gloves. He didn''t put in any extra-afford, but that shirt high-lighting his eyes was enough to exclude a devilish charm. Counting in his soft white hair... Katherine bit her lower lip. She really wanted to know how it felt, shimmering lightly under the chandelier.

    Danger! Danger!, an alarm rang in her head, and she closed her eyes shortly, before opening them again as she heard his impatient voice.

    "If you''re not a statue, you should keep moving. Stop wasting my time."

    These harsh words totally killed the mood. All hopes of a pleasant hour together were thrown into the trash-bin. If it weren''t for her aims she wouldn''t even think about searching him out again and again. Yet, she was forced to. Through clenched teeth Katherine shot back: "You''re even more rude than your brother! It''s my hour, isn''t it?"

    It was a test of sorts, to see if her suspicion was on point. If the patient wasn''t his brother, he''d hopefully be irritated by her words.

    Yet he wasn''t. To be precise, he didn''t show any emotion on his face, aside from a slight annoyance. That decided it. The patient had to be the earl''s brother.

    "So you want to keep drooling at me for an whole hour?", he voiced out venomously and raised his brow. "And to think you criticized my manners... really a shame."

    Instantly, Katherine flushed red. "O-Of course not! I was just about to come down!" As fast as her legs could carry her, she rushed down the staircase, stopping right in front of him. "See? I''m not drooling! I wouldn''t drool at someone like you! Don''t overestimate yourself!"

    Courageously, she stared in his red eyes, wanting to prove that she wasn''t fl.u.s.tered.

    Nathaniel''s mouth twitched. Slowly, his gaze wandered to her red and glossy lips, emphasized by her slight pout. "Who are you drooling at then? Because I clearly see the result."

    "What?!" Hastily, she covered her mouth, rubbing at the edges, before her expression darkened as she felt nothing but her smooth skin. "You''re lying!"

    There was a mocking glitter in his eyes but her imagination transformed it into wickedness and cruelty. "Wasn''t it obvious?"

    Not giving her time to retort, he strode out of the mansion.

    "You - you - !", she stuttered speechlessly. He was just too mean! Teasing her only because he could!

    "I what?", his cold voice sounded from the outside.

    Katherine puffed out her cheeks, but only gave a "hmpf!" in the end, and chased after him. She''d already realized that arguing about it would just lead to him saying she was childish. Although obviously he was the childish one this time. Quite unexpected.

    In reality, Nathaniel only walked outside to hide his wide smile. Courage and innocence made a quirky mix in this girl. It urged him time and time again to see her exaggerated reactions.

    That is really amusing, he thought, something simple and without consequences. Her angry expression wasn''t nearly as dangerous as the heart-felt smiles. It didn''t hurt in his c.h.e.s.t when she growled at him or flushed red with rage. And she wouldn''t try touching him then.

    "What did you bring there?", he asked after walking silently for a while. In her hands was a bulky construct out of fabric and wood strives, but using all his imagination he still couldn''t see what it should be.

    "This?" She raised it and a long tail made out of a line with colorful bows fluttered behind it. Although the sun was shining, it couldn''t compensate for the cold wind, which was blowing fervently today. Katherine was glad that her dress had long sleeves and her shoes were warm and comfortable. Nevertheless, this weather was perfect for her project.

    "It''s a kite! I made it myself." It wasn''t that hard to make a kite, but to Katherine who didn''t normally do technical things, it was a challenge. Still, she''d wanted to do it herself, because it was connected to one of the precious memories she had of her father.

    They''d build one together when she was a kid. One of the rare occasions they''d exchanged more than just a few words at the dining table.

    "A kite?", the earl asked, his curiosity waning. "These things you use in wars to frighten the enemy?"

    Katherine stopped in her steps, stupefied. "What? To frighten the enemy? How would you use a kite to frighten the enemy?" They were just toys, alright? How could a kite frighten anyone?

    "Well, the troops need to be either stupid or at the end of their lines for that to work.", The earl judged, and explained willingly: "You would tie something making noises on the kite and send it over to the enemies position at night. Hopefully, they will be to exhausted to fight well the next day."

    Katherine shook her head in amazement. "I didn''t know kites can be used like this. Quite cruel to convert a toy into something so mean."

    "How can you be sure it wasn''t the other way around?", the earl asked. His face was expressionless. There wasn''t a big reason behind his question. He just thought of the wooden swords children used to play with and how they were replicas of real weapons, not the other way around.

    "A weapon converted into a toy? Hmm... It''s a gut feeling. Because... let me show it to you. It''s easier than to explain. Okay, hold onto this. Not too tightly, just make sure to not loose the end."

    His body jolted backwards nearly unrecognizable as she grabbed for his hands. Luckily, he was wearing his gloves so he let her do what she wanted in the end. What is she up to, he thought, as she pushed a long rope into his hands and gave her instructions, her hands resting on his longer than necessary.

    This was one of Anni''s tips, too. If you touch him, hold onto him a bit longer than usual until he can feel your warmth. Though because of the gloves, feeling each others warmth became impossible, she still wanted to try out this tip, feeling a bit nervous while doing so.

    Just as she was about to let go, the earl''s hands already struggled out of her grip. With a slight blush she looked up at him. Obviously he noticed her ploy and wasn''t happy about it.

    Glaring coldly, he ordered: "Stop doing this."

    The pressure she hadn''t felt so clearly today, crashed down on her again. With wobbling knees, she met his glare for a few seconds unwillingly, before blushing harder and looking away.

    Without a word she picked up the kite, breathed deeply to stabilize her knees. Then she began running, holding the kite wide over her head. Behind her, her black hair fluttered wildly contrasting with the dress. A second later, the hat flew off her head but she didn''t care.

    The fabric catching the wind soon ballooned outside and when she felt it had the right drive, she let it fly. Like a dragon freed of it''s cage, the kite shot up into the air. The rope in the earl''s hands tightened, stopped the raise too soon.

    "More! Give it a bit more rope!", she shouted, rushing back to his side. On her way, she picked up the hat and put it back on her disheveled hair. Her eyes were glittering, the lips formed into a little smile, although this pessimistic, rude earl had been trying ruin her fun again today. She was almost used to his jabbing now.

    Just how long was it since the last time she''d let a kite fly? Five years? Seven? The joy and feeling of accomplishment was still the same, and she didn''t want her mood to go bad because of his whims.

    The earl looked like he didn''t hear her call, though, staring at her intensely. The kite was on it''s way down already, pulled to earth by the tightened rope.

    Impatiently she called: "Nathaniel! It''ll crash if you don''t let it free! Just a little!"

    Hearing his name shook him awake, and he let go of a part of the rope, fixing his red eyes on the kite now.

    As Katherine reached his side, the dark-blue construct was flying safely. Satisfied, Katherine stood beside and watched the kite drifting next to the clouds. "Now look at this! What do you think was the constructor''s aim by building something like this?"

    The earl didn''t look at the her, following the movement of the kite with his eyes. Slowly, he answered. "To fly."

    Katherine nodded. "Exactly. To fly. To be free. Do you see now why I say it is cruelty to convert it into a war machine?"

 Chapter 22 - Unfair Exchange

    Silence was the only answer. The earl seemed to be hypnotized by the blue kite swirling in the strong winds. Or maybe he was thinking about something insightful.

    She let him be. Her goals, to surprise him, make him think about her, and try touching him were met for today. Although more was always better, she wouldn''t rush it and wait for opportunities. She didn''t forget about Jack and Pete, but she could still ask later. The silence now was somewhat comfortable.

    Combing through her hair with her fingers, she watched him as he slowly got acquainted to how to control the kite, letting it fly here and there and from time to time perform a looping.

    After a while she stepped over to him, reaching for the rope. "My turn."

    He pulled away, uttering a cold: "No."

    "What? But it''s my kite!", she protested. She wanted to let him experience using the kite first, but of course she wanted to play with it, too.

    "You gave it to me, so it''s mine now." Before she could get angry, he added: "You can win it back, though."

    Knitting her brows, she grumbled: "I shouldn''t have to. I made it with my own two hands, you know."

    He shrugged as if to say ''your choice'', and looked up at the kite again, letting it perform a spiral down, before shooting up again.

    Watching him playing with her toy made her want to stuck out her tongue at him in annoyance but she controlled it. Doing it would''ve let her look like a child in his eyes again. Let''s resolve this peacefully. "What do you want?"

    A short pause, maybe due to suprise. Katherine herself was nearly surprised by her fast yielding.

    "I don''t know. Think of something yourself." Now, what would that strange head of hers cook out? He was looking forward to the surprise. Besides, making her pensive and raising her will to win would lessen the instances where he needed to deal with her short temper, hopefully. Well, her temper was amusing, too, but it could get irritating after some time. Especially the red cheeks.

    His thoughts drifted to the scene near the fountain, when she''d pressed herself against the bush. She''d been so fl.u.s.tered that her cheeks were like gleaming red apples. So sweet that they''d endangered his self-control.

    "I don''t really have much to offer...", Katherine deliberated, trying to make him spill some ideas but he resumed staring at the sky silently.

    What would he want? What were his thoughts? She couldn''t read them at all, like he was a blank paper. Or maybe not a blank paper but a fully written letter, packed in an envelope she just couldn''t open, regardless of the method. The result was the same. She couldn''t think of something he''d want.

    The only think he''d showed interest in so far was her magic power but he owned all of that already. What else could it be?

    Oh well, if she couldn''t find a thing he wanted, maybe she should focus on her own aims again. His demand was like a free pass to do anythink she wanted, wasn''t it? She could still say it was his fault because he didn''t specify. Jusr the opportunity she waited for.

    Hiding a mischievous smile behind her palm, she blinked up at him adorably. "Nathaniel, hold your hand out. I want to give you something."

    Slightly suspicious of her but convinced she wouldn''t go over board for a simple kite, Nathaniel hesitated shortly before complying. Just what was she about to give him? Did she bring anything besides the kite? He didn''t see anything though.

    Katherine meanwhile knew she really had nothing to give. That was, nothing materialistic. Staring at the glove, her smile waned. Simultaneously, her cheeks got red. "Could you remove the glove, please?"

    Time froze, and so did he. Slowly, pressure excluded from the stiff figure like water from a damaged well. His expression darkened, his brows knitting further and further together. The hand hanging in mid-air balled into a fist before being taken back.

    Katherine broke out in cold sweat. Uuuh, that definitely was a ''No''. Hastily, she forced a laugh. "Sorry, sorry, I''ll take it as it is!"

    Before her courage could leave her, she grabbed his retreating hand, and held on to it firmly. In one swift motion, she pulled it up to her mouth and pressed a single kiss on the leather. Her was heart beating like a drum, ringing in her ears.

    Right afterwards, she released his hand, and swiftly retreated a few steps. Although red like a tomato, she shamelessly stated: "See? I gave you my first kiss! It is worth much more than that stupid kite, so give it back to me!"

    The earl however was turned into stone, his whole body and mind frozen. Lucky for him though, his other hand had loosened out of shock, and the rope ran through his fingers rapidly as the kite pulled further and further away from the ground.

    "Ah!", Katherine cried out in alarm, and ran to his side again, trying to catch the end of the rope slipping through his fingers.

    Just in time, she got a hold of it, and strongly pulled the kite back to earth. Occupied with her creation, she didn''t realize the impact of her kiss. Nathaniel still stared at the spot she was standing at previously, strong emotions fluctuating in his eyes.

    After a moment, his gaze lowered to the glove and color raised into his cheeks but it was so little that no one would notice it, if they hadn''t captured that exact moment of change.

    Slowly, very slowly, he raised his hand, bringing it in front of his face. Unwillingness and a deep longing were fighting inside him as he stretched his fingers and balled them again.

    Repeting that two times, the hand pulled closer to his face until his lips were but centimeters apart from the spot Katherine''s lips had touched. As if he wanted to kiss it.

    He stilled. The red eyes were burning. A second later, they closed. The hand fell down to his side with a silent sigh. It was impossible.

    Turning, he saw Katherine with her back facing him. Melancholy was in the air.

    Fulfilling her shameless act, Katherine had been too embarrassed and regretful to look at him further, so she''d tried to ignore him. All her attention had been on the kite, except for her ears. They''d been twitching and trying to listen to every noise he''d made. However, because of the wind she didn''t hear anything, making her even more nervous.

    With sweaty fingers, she moved the kite in simple figures but the execution was sloppy, far from the skill of her younger years. It wasn''t due to the difference in time though.

    Why did I do this?, Katherine asked herself in a panic. Why, Why, WHY?! Oh my, I''m such an idiot! He said to not touch him just minutes prior, why didn''t I think about that? Why do I always only realize things when it''s too late?

    But even more embarrassing than the kiss itself were the words afterwards. Did she need to tell him it was her first kiss? And demand something in exchange, too. As if there was a price to a kiss.

    Freeing one hand, she rubbed it over her lips. They felt strange.

    "If you think it is disgusting, why did you do it in the first place?", an ice-cold voice called from behind, stopping her in-motion.

    "I don''t think it''s dis- "

    "Anyway, I''m going.", he interrupted her. Then, his eyes narrowed dangerously, radiating the vibe of an icy beast. "If you try what you did again, it might just kill you. Don''t think the patient will stop me."

    With one last glare, he turned, leaving Katherine shocked to death behind him.

    A bit later, she gulped, then a shudder went through her body. Was this what killing intent felt like? I made a big, big mistake!, she was crying inside. I won''t do it again, never do it again! After all, she needed to live to execute her revenge.

    Still, how can he be that heartless!, her hurt pride complained. It was my first kiss after all!

 Chapter 23 - Hiding Truths

    Author''s note:

    I admit, this chapter is darker than usual. If you don''t want to read about violence, you can skip the part after Jack shudders up to the paragraph starting with: "Sorry to leave you for so long". I don''t think you will miss much by skipping it...

    Please enjoy!

    -------------------------©\©\--------------

    Just as he was about to get out of sight, Katherine remembered she still hadn''t asked him about Jack and Pete. With a startled "Ah!" she stretched out her hand but slowly pulled it back right after. No, she didn''t have the courage to see into his face again. At least not today.

    Judging by his demeanor, she completely believed that he really could kill her, if he needed to. However, the sentence was somehow wrong. Why did he say ''it might just kill you'' not ''I will kill you''? The latter was more threatening and more definite, while the first one was rather vague. A ''I might or might not kill you''. Not that she wanted to gamble her life on the ''might not'' but it was strange, wasn''t it? Like he hadn''t decided it yet or it was out of his control, though that was somewhat implausible.

    Maybe he just wanted to let himself a way out, she concluded, and started to pull the kite down. She wasn''t in the mood to play with it anymore. She wasn''t even sure she could keep stalking the earl. Every approach up to now ended in a failure. It was depressing.

    The surprise awaiting her as she set foot into the mansion lifted her mood a little. Jack and Pete were back! They waited for her at the spot she''d left their replacements at. Her worry about them turned into nothingness, as they both seemed to be okay. Gladly, asking the earl wasn''t necessary anymore.

    Jack grinned at her with his usual black-tooth-bandit-grin. "Nice to see you again, milady!"

    It took a good deal out of them to convince the earl that they wouldn''t betray him again even if they continued to guard the lady. For the attempt alone they got a lot more whiplashes.

    Thinking back to there, Jack shuddered. He could still see the prison bars in front of them. They were bought into the dungeon so that nobody would hear their screams upstairs.

    However, it wasn''t the dungeon or the punishment itself that freaked Jack out. In his long war-filled life he came to know both already. He was used to being in pain, he didn''t fear it. No, the one and only creepy thing, the one he didn''t want to see ever again, was the torture master.

    The earl of course appreciated Jack''s and Pete''s service too much to chose a really hard punishment - also it would still be hard on common folks. However, the restriction didn''t stop the torturer from whispering his dark fantasies into their ears while preparing for the next whiplash.

    "What do you think your eyeball tastes like? I''m sure you will like them after some weeks of starving. You can ask Tommy over there, he said his two eyes even had different flavors."

    The whip pointed at the next cell. Jack hadn''t even recognized the inmate as a living human until now. He was hanging on his arms because his legs, void of any flesh, had just the skeleton left. Although the heaving of the rips indicated he was breathing, his eyes and nose were only dark holes. It was a truly horrible sight.

    The laughing voice of the torturer rang out disharmoniously. "Oh, wait, you can''t! He has just recently eaten his ears!"

    Jack swore to himself that he would never upset the earl, just so he didn''t need to see that insane person ever again.

    All the time they were being lashed, the earl had stood just outside the cell, watching them with a cold, unmoving gaze and folded arms. When they were through, he stepped inside. Disregarding his expensive attire, he walked through the blood on the floor till he was right in front of their kneeling figures.

    "Can''t get up?", he asked without any emotion. Still, Jack felt as if he was looked down upon, so he gritted his teeth and forced his tattered body to get up. Pete next to him silently did the same.

    Looking at the blood flowing out of their many wounds while they struggled to a stand, the earl''s gaze didn''t change. Although his voice lacked judgement, Jack still felt like knife was held to his throat when he asked: "Was it worth it?"

    Pete was the first to answer: "Not worth it."

    A beat slower, Jack also replied. "Not... worth it."

    The earl locked his gaze on him. Meeting the red eyes with his own black one, Jack felt the need to explain his hesitation. "Going against the orders is not worth it for a visit to the gardens... but it would be worth it if it involved something more important. Something like lady Katherine''s life."

    The air in the cell got suffocating. Although the earl was a tiny bit smaller than Jack and a whole lot less bulky, it was his presence that made Jack''s neck break out in sweat. After all his time on battlefields he could recognize the wild beasts in man with one glance, and the earl definitely was one of the most dangerous he''d ever met. A few seconds later, Jack was the first to look away.

    "So if my commands involved hurting her, you would pay them no heed?"

    Up till now, Jack still had no clue how he got out of that one, only that the torturer got the nail of his left pinky as a new souvenir.

    Before meeting the lady again today, Jack and Pete had discussed what they should say to her. Not the whole truth, as they knew she would feel responsible for it, although letting her outside the mansion was their own decision. They settled for half a truth.

    "Sorry to leave you for so long, milady.", Pete said grudgingly. Seeing Jacks behavior, he already knew that the part about explaining their absence was thrown to him again. Like all the difficult things. So, he added with a bitter smile: "There was a punishment set for us for failing a mission prior to your arrival."

    Instantly, Katherine''s joyful face clouded and her brows knitted in disapproval. "Punishment?"

    "Yes, milady."

    Her violet eyes slowly darkened to black and unexpectedly there was a slight chill in the air. "Did he hurt you?"

    The two guards exchanged a look. They didn''t expect the lady to worry about them. Which small girl would worry about two strong and bulky man to get hurt? Normally it was the other way around. On the bright side, they were pleased by it while simultaneously her worry raised a guilty feeling.

    "It is nothing serious.", Pete tried to talk it down. "If it was, we wouldn''t be here again already, right?"

    "Yes, yes!", Jack added and scratched his neck awkwardly. "Nothing to worry about, milady!"

    Katherine maybe would have believed them... if the movement of Jack''s hand didn''t show off the blood on his pinky finger. A dangerous glint flashed in her eyes.

    The earl really had hurt them. And they were trying to hide the extend to reduce her worry and maybe to not make the earl look bad? If it was the latter, it was wasted afford, as she already couldn''t stand him. He said he''d kill her the next time she touched him... courting him was next to impossible now. She still had her pride.

    The voices of two servants getting near the entrance hall reminded Katherine that regardless what she wanted to do about her two guards, she should find a quieter place to talk to them first. So, without giving them a second glace, she turned and started walking. Jack and Pete followed her dutifully, albeit confused by her rapid change. Did she believe their story that fast? But it didn''t feel like that...

    Only when they reached her chamber did they realize the misunderstanding. Just as they wanted to position themselves at the door, Katherine said decisively: "Come on in."

    Again, there was that silent exchange of glances, before Pete replied: "Going into the chambers of a lady isn''t proper."

    "I don''t care." Katherine''s eyes were blazing with a dark flame, which was quite unexpected to the guards. "Get in here now. This is a command."

    At first the guards stiffened - they weren''t used to being commanded by a little girl yet - but then they complied reluctantly.

    "You know this can destroy our image, too, milady?", Pete worried nonetheless.

    Katherine rolled her eyes at his over-cautiousness. "It is an anteroom, not a bedroom. Just close the door behind you and nobody will know."

    In reality however, she wasn''t as comfortable with it as she made it seem. Although she was sure they wouldn''t do anything to her, they were still two strong and tall man, filling the small anteroom up to the ceiling.

    Hearing the commotion outside, Hazel peeked out of the bedroom, where she''d arranged the lady''s bed properly. "Milady, are you - "

    Seeing the guards, she stilled, and her pupils shook once fiercely. After a second, however, she calmed down again, looking solely at Katherine.

    "Are you aware that it isn''t - "

    "Yes.", Katherine interrupted. "I know it isn''t proper. However, I need to discuss something with them away from the curious ears of the servants."

    "Oh.", Hazel made and blushed. "Then I''ll go back in and... " She gestured to the already perfectly arranged bed.

    "No need.", Katherine stopped her hastily. "Sorry. I meant the other servants, not you. Actually, it would be better to have you in here. Then I don''t need to explain it twice."

    The brows of everyone except the lady furrowed in confusion. Explain what exactly? What was the lady''s intention by gathering them here? Jack and Pete, who thought she had invited them to scold them because she somehow noticed that they were wounded, got themselves proven wrong. Meanwhile Hazel, who didn''t know anything about the matter, was puzzled with what could involve both her and the guards. She didn''t do anything wrong today, did she?

    Being locked on by three irritated gazes, Katherine sighed. "Now, get inside - all of you - and close the doors. There''s something important I want to tell you."

 Chapter 24 - Revelation

    When they were all settled in the small room - Hazel on the one side, pressed against the door as if she wanted to fuse with the wood and vanish, Pete and Jack standing opposite of her next to the exit, and Katherine in the middle between the parties - Katherine began to explain.

    "I don''t really know where to start. It''s a long story but I want to tell you about it because I think it is right to do so. I only planned on telling Hazel at first but the circ.u.mstances have changed now."

    Hazel cheeks flushed in excitement. Her lady wanted to tell her first. Did that mean she was her lady''s favorite? The worshiping glitter in her eyes while looking at Katherine intensified.

    Other than Jack knitting his brows further, the guards didn''t react to the statement. They were still waiting for more information what all of this was about.

    "The reason I am here in this mansion, the reason we got to meet, and also the reason you two" Katherine gestured to Jack and Pete "are ordered to watch over me - all of this is caused by the uniqueness of my magic power."

    She paused to study their reaction but the three of them didn''t show much besides further confusion.

    "Uniqueness?", Pete dared to raise his voice first. "What kind of uniqueness if I may ask?"

    "Well", Katherine hesitated shortly. "It is most likely the only one of it''s kind in existence... although we can''t be too sure about that. There is still no register about magic powers up till now."

    In her head, Katherine made a note to bring something like that into existence, if she could. It would open up new possibilities for analyzing magic. Although there surely were some old fogies who were against analyzing magic in the first place as they claimed it to be a gift of the gods. A register alone, however, hopefully wouldn''t threaten their believe.

    Though not going on a magic academy herself, Katherine knew a lot more about magic than the average citizen. That bastard Ethan always borrowed her his academies'' books, and the library of the late duke, too, wasn''t something to laugh about. Especially compared to the one in this mansion.

    "About what exactly my magic is, it would be the easiest to show you." She stepped over to Jack''s side. "I will need your hand for that. Don''t worry, it won''t harm you."

    Skeptically, Jack reached out his right hand. Although magic was revered, the common people feared it just as much. As a soldier, who witnessed the terrifying deeds of mages on the battlefield, Jack had high respect for them. However, because all he met were snobbish aristocrats up till now, he didn''t really like mages.

    Seeing how he automatically reached out his healthy hand, Katherine smiled. "The other one, please. And you don''t need to hide it, I already saw that there is something wrong with it."

    Jack laughed awkwardly. "You''re too sharp, milady. Well, if you already know, there is now use hiding it."

    He offered his other hand. The blood on the pinky, where his nail used to be, was already dried up but It would still take more than a week to be fully healed, not to mention for the nail to re-grow.

    That was if Katherine wasn''t there.

    "Now look closely, all of you.", she instructed.

    Pete leaned in from the side, while Hazel hesitantly walked over to them, staying half-hidden behind her lady as a last wall of defense between her and the bulky guards.

    When all of them looked at her two hands holding Jack''s left lightly, Katherine was a little nervous. It wasn''t surprising, as she had seldom showed her magic to other people and she didn''t know how they''d react. Hopefully their relationship wouldn''t be disturbed by it.

    Taking a deep breath, Katherine reached into herself. A strange warmth answered and followed her will to surface as a light glow on her hands. She heard Hazel gasp next to her ear. Jack stiffened, but his hand remained still.

    Grasping the tip of the pinky in between her forefinger and thumb, Katherine took care not to obstruct the others view.

    The light from her hand slowly spread to the wound. In a matter of seconds, it began to heal. The clotted blood vanished and a thin layer of skin grew instead. The redness lessened.

    Katherine stopped there. She couldn''t let nails or hairs grow anew, as she realized when one of Ethan''s acquaintances burned her hair by accident when she was younger. The fire mage had been insanely sorry about it but that didn''t quench Katherine''s thirst for revenge back then. She''d only been satisfied when he landed himself in a quagmire of manure the next day. A smug smile resurfaced together with the memory.

    It vanished as she realized the silence in the room. All three of them stared at Jack''s hand. Where they stupefied? Unbelieving? Repelled? The uncertainty made Katherine nervous.

    To hide it, she took her trembling hands back and hid them in her dress.

    Unexpectedly, Hazel was the first to react. "Milady..." her bright eyes shined with worship. "Are you a goddess?"

    Katherine''s mouth twitched and she did her best to suppress a laugh. A giggle still escaped her lips. "Are you for real? Me, a goddess?!"

    She expected Jack to laugh uproariously over it and looked over to him - but as she met his eyes, it was one of the few times he looked dead-serious. Even more serve than Pete''s current expression.

    "No way!", she exclaimed, shocked. "You two, too?!"

    They didn''t answer directly, so she tried dissuading them: "No way, no way! I''m a perfectly normal girl, you see?! I may be a mage but nothing more. I didn''t regrow an arm or sorts, I just healed his finger! Don''t make a mountain out of a molehill, please!"

    The following silence was just as unnerving as the first. Uncertainty fluttered over Pete''s face. "Does that mean you could... regrow an arm? If you had to?"

    Katherine threw her hands in the air. "I don''t know, okay? It''s not like I ever tried! But I don''t think I can, so don''t make a big deal out of this. It''s just special because it''s rare. It has absolutely nothing to do with being a goddess or sorts!"

    She didn''t want them to treat her differently. Especially Hazel was still gazing at her with worship in the eyes.

    Suddenly, a bright smile spread on Jack''s serious face and he chuckled. "Alright, milady. Roger that. You''re not a goddess, just our abnormally gifted lady. That''s something good, isn''t it? Don''t worry, we will keep your secret. If people knew about it, they would come from everywhere to get treated right?"

    Slowly, Pete nodded approvingly. "A heavy burden to decide about life and death at your age."

    Up till now, Katherine never really thought of the reasons to keep her magic a secret. To her it just always was one. But now she realized that maybe there were other reasons besides Ethan wanting her power for himself. A tingle of embarrassment colored Katherine''s face in a light shade of red. "I don''t know... maybe there are such people?"

    Hazel, though, was unconvinced. Why should her lady keep her skill to herself? Even if she was not a goddess - which she was very unsure about - , healing magic was a gift by the gods to all of mankind, right? This meant, her lady herself was a gift by the gods! Shouldn''t she use it for all the people in pain all over the world?

    "Milady... why do you hide that gift? Why not treat everyone?", the maid asked in a hushed voice.

    "Well" Katherine scratched her neck. It really did seem unfair to keep it to herself, right? And didn''t she want to improve her ability anyways? An idea formed in her head but she pushed it aside. There were more important matters to attend to first.

    "You know, I think I need to hide my identity so people won''t come knocking at my door day and night, but maybe I can still... help in a different way. However, that wasn''t what I originally wanted to talk with you about."

    She locked her gaze on Jack and Pete. "This isn''t the only wound caused by the punishment, right? It should only be the tip of the iceberg. Tell me truthfully: where else are you hurt?"

    The maid behind her gave a sharp gasp out of shock, and her wide green eyes flew to the two man towering over them like mountains out of muscles. They had more wounds? How come? If it wasn''t her lady who said it, she would never believe it. The injury obviously didn''t affect them at all. Maybe they were just some tiny scratches? But as she had clearly seen the nail missing where her lady healed the guard, it didn''t seem like that.

    It was the first time Hazel dared to look at Jack and Pete for so long. Her gaze was full of sorrow and pity. Being punished... she knew it all too well. To know that people here, where she''d been safe for weeks, experienced it, too, and recently at that, made her hopes waver. Maybe... here wasn''t that different from everywhere else.

    "It''s just a few scratches. They don''t affect us much, milady.", Jack tried to play it down.

    The darkness, which had dozed a bit while Katherine explained to her trustful followers, stirred and slowly filled her violet eyes again. They could feel the air in the room getting cold.

    Where did that chill come from?, Jack thought irritated. It felt a bit like... two red eyes surfaced in his memory, and he hastily threw a glace at the door. No, the earl wasn''t there. Why would he? But where was that chill coming from then?

    He would never expect it to come from the petite and pretty girl in front of him, not even as she said with a grave, nearly threatening voice one word: "Where?"

 Chapter 25 - Too Forceful Today!

    "Umm", Jack made, not knowing how to react. Of course he didn''t want to tell her the truth about their wounds. Knowing that they where injured already made her upset, so obviously it would be worse if she knew the extend.

    With his eyes he send ''help me!''-signals to Pete, who could find solutions to nearly all problems.

    A pity though, that Pete felt like Jack needed to learn how to solve problems by himself and not throw every difficult conversation at his partner. So, Pete folded his arms and turned away, pretending that he didn''t see the sorrowful look.

    This action of abandonment made Jack think about knocking that bastard out cold. It wasn''t only his problem, okay?! The lady was addressing the both of them!

    In the end, he had no choice but to tell her. Being employed by the earl while at the same time not offending the lady was really like staying between a rock and a hard place. "Well... there may be a few scratches on our backs. But you really don''t need to worry, they are minor injuries. Nothing serious."

    "Hmpf.", Katherine made disbelievingly. However, she didn''t want to pressure them too much. No, the thing she really wanted, was to help them. "Turn around. I will heal those ''scratches''."

    She wouldn''t need to remove their shirts for that. With the patient it was only necessary because she needed to see the poison so she wouldn''t push it into dangerous areas.

    Finally, Pete reacted. "The punishment is not only getting the scratches, milady. It is to bear them until they are gone."

    They''d made the wrong choice back then, so they were willing to live with the consequences. Besides, they''d felt much worse pain in their lives and their pride didn''t allow them to w.h.i.n.e about those tiny things.

    Fury ignited in Katherine''s soul. They were neglecting themselves! "Don''t give me that! You are my guards and if you are injured, how are you going to protect me properly?! Even scratches can make a difference in real fights! Now turn around. This is your last warning!"

    Jack and Pete exchanged a glance in misery. The lady was too forceful today! Where had their sweet little girl gone to? Reluctantly, they complied. They knew even if she removed their upper uniform, she would see nothing but the bandages.

    Yet, she didn''t even try removing it, which made them feel glad. Like this she wouldn''t know the extend of their injuries and the situation wouldn''t get more awkward. They knew pretty well that being inside a lady''s chamber - even if it was the anteroom - was already bad enough without being half n.a.k.e.d. With it... well, if the earl really liked the lady, they should be glad to ''just'' go back into the dungeon.

    Very carefully, Katherine placed her hands on their backs. She knew that their injuries were far from being scratches just by their resistance to show them but she didn''t argue about it. It was somewhat sweet of them to not want to worry her. Besides, showing or not showing didn''t matter as she had already made her decision about her next steps when she first knew they were punished.

    The hands on their backs started glowing again. Nearly unrecognizable, two pairs of strong shoulders relaxed. The feeling of warmth together with the lessening pain was too soothing.

    Quite some time they stood there in a comfortable silence. Hazel had her eyes fixed on Katherine with reverence. This was her lady. The lady, who called her a friend, was this awesome. She could heal people and make even the sturdy guards follow her commands. This courage, this friendliness, and willingness to help regardless of who one was!

    Hazel''s eyes couldn''t stop sparkling. The lady was her role-model! In the future, she wanted to become like her, and stop being so fearful and helpless all the time.

    Finally, all wounds were treated, and Katherine felt like she awoke from a trance. Her forehead was full of sweat drops but the feeling of accomplishment was more than worth it.

    Seeing how Jack and Pete kept standing there, maybe in a trance as well, she slapped their healed backs. A grin was edged in her features. "Now, out with you! Before anyone notices you are missing!"

    Of course her slap couldn''t shake these mountains of muscles. Jack even chuckled while turning around. "Do you want to tickle me? If you want to, we can teach you some real martial arts as a repayment!"

    Jack got another slap, this one by Pete. It hurt much more. "Idiot. Why would a lady need martial arts?" Silently, he added: ''And stop pulling me into you pits!''

    However, he didn''t see how Katherine''s eyes lit up at the suggestion, before being filled with a pondering light. In her youth, Katherine once tried to convince her father to let her practice martial arts. It failed badly, and they never talked about it again. So much so that Katherine almost forgot about it before Jack now mentioned it.

    Realistically, a lady didn''t need martial arts. She had her guards to protect her. But hiding behind others'' backs was something Katherine hated from the beginning, so she didn''t want to do it if she had the choice. Becoming an expert, of course, was out of the question. But protecting herself at least should be possible.

    Decisively, she stopped their on-going banter. "Teach me how to use a knife. And needles, if you can." Anything that could be hidden inside a lady''s dress or hair.

    Pete instantly rejected: "Absolutely not! You could get hurt, milady!"

    Jack wanted to reply something but Katherine raised her hand to stop him. "You don''t need to be worried that I could get a few scratches. As you''ve felt yourself earlier, scratches are nothing in front of me. So, I want to learn it. I will inform the earl about it, too, as I recon you need to tell him anything concerning me anyways. After that, I would be pleased to call the two of you my teachers."

    Pete''s expression darkened a notch. When did he say he would teach her? It was clearly Jack offering the both of them on his own account. But well... "As long as the earl approves of this..."

    "Why do we even need the earl''s approval?", Jack asked rightfully. "It''s clearly not part of the rules if we teach her or not!"

    Pete rolled his eyes. "You are a bit too eager to go down there again, aren''t you? Just because he didn''t think about that doesn''t mean it is within the rules."

    The mention of ''down there'' made Jack shudder slightly. He didn''t want to lose his remaining eye. Especially not in such a manner. "No, no, you''re completely right! We should ask him first."

    Katherine clapped her hands once. "It is decided then. Can you inform the butler for me? I want to make an appointment with the earl to discuss some new terms."

    "Of course.", Pete answered and with a short bow he left the room.

    "See you, milady.", Jack grinned and waved his hand before following suit.

    When they were out the door, Katherine''s smile transformed into a serious expression. Two done, one more to go. And it was the most difficult one at that.

    Alone with her lady, Hazel was still watching her with a worshiping glance. It gave Katherine the chills. She didn''t want to be worshiped by her maid as that would lead to Hazel throwing all reason over board when it came to her.

    Some people may see that as a good thing but not Katherine. She wanted her companions to think for themselves, to not follow her lead blindly, so they could tell her if she made any mistakes. Worship could lead to subconsciously ignoring problems because one thought that the worshiped person wouldn''t be bothered by such tiny, worldly things.

    With a sigh, Katherine walked over to her maid, putting her hands on the girl''s shoulders. Hazel shyly lowered her gaze, trembling slightly by the thought that this godly lady''s attention was focused solely on her now.

    "Hazel", Katherine said in a friendly tone. "Look at me."

    The maid''s eyelashes fluttered, before stealing a quick glance at the lady''s face. Blushing like an inexperienced maiden in front of her beloved, she averted her gaze again.

    Katherine chuckled and pinched Hazel''s cheeks. "You''re so sweet, dear. I''m not a goddess. I''m still the same girl as when you first saw me. You just know more about me now. Please try to accept it as just another side of a dear friend and don''t put me on a pedestal. Please, okay ~?"

    Hazel didn''t react, too fl.u.s.tered by her lady''s action. Katherine couldn''t stop herself from pinching those red cheeks again. Having a sweet little sister was so much fun! Never in her life would she give up on this feeling. "Think about it: how can your demon teacher be a goddess, right? And if I were a goddess, wouldn''t all my aims be fulfilled with a snap of my fingers?"

    Finding a bit of courage by the teasing, Hazel finally looked up at Katherine. "But... how can you be so good if you aren''t a goddess?"

    This reply made Katherine speechless for a while. Didn''t she just remind Hazel of her time with the demon teacher? That wasn''t being good, alright! Did that girl develop selective hearing or what?

 Chapter 26 - Back and Forth

    A wry chuckle escaped Katherine''s lips. "I''m glad that you think I''m always doing good things. However, most of the time I myself don''t know what to do. I just do what I think is best for myself and the people around me. Then I see how it works out. In my opinion, that is what everyone should do. Although there are many people who don''t follow that principle."

    "But...", Hazel started again with a disbelieving look on her face.

    As Katherine didn''t want to hear the words ''I still think you are a goddess'' written in the girl''s eyes, she interrupted her. "Alright, alright. Even if I were a goddess, I would still tell you I don''t want you to see me as one. So what would you do then?"

    Confusion surfaced in Hazel''s eyes. "If you don''t want me to see you as one..." One could see her will to follow the command fight with her own believe. "I... I wouldn''t dare to?"

    As she spoke it out aloud, there seemed to be a blockade loosening in her head. "Ah! So milady, you are a goddess undercover! Of course I won''t tell anyone! I will treat you just as normal as anyone else, I promise! But does it matter if we are alone? Can''t I treat you like you deserve it at least then?"

    The overly exited mood and the ending question made Katherine instantly regret her words. Sadly, it was too late to take them back. Hazel obviously wouldn''t believe her anymore. She was too deep into her illusions. At least like this they hopefully wouldn''t affect her surroundings.

    "You absolutely can''t!", Katherine sighed. Unexpectedly, she''d found another thing she and her maid had in common: stubbornness.

    .

    Despite the workload, Nathaniel wasn''t sitting on his desk. Instead, he was leaning against the wall beside the window, taking a break.

    Work wasn''t going well today. He couldn''t concentrate. All the time his mind would wander to those red lips pressed against the leather. Unconsciously, he would rub his now glove-free hand. How would it have felt if this softness touched his skin directly? Would he have felt the same heat that was raising in his body every time he thought of this?

    Of course he knew, thinking of that was useless. Thinking of her in general was. He despised his inner self for still doing it over and over. The red lips, the smiling face, the blushed cheeks, they all kept re-surfacing again and again.

    There was no time for this nonsense. Exhausted, he rubbed his eyes. The reports marked this day as the one where the Renat kingdom''s armies would start moving. They would need two and a half weeks until they reached here... if here really was their destination.

    He hoped it was. Although he made preparations to not leave the other possible attack points unguarded. To be exact, the number of military in the other destinations was much higher than here. But he wouldn''t need much here, as long as his plan didn''t fail.

    He really hoped it to succeed but if not, the two armies in the nearest positions would need to jump in and together with a few well-prepared traps bring the enemy''s advance to a halt until the main war-force arrived. It would cost them many lives like this, so it was better if it didn''t happen.

    As the sky slowly turned darker, there was a knock on the door. Without shifting his gaze from the window, where the long shadows of the trees turned the flower fields into a black-and-white view, he uttered a "Come in."

    Who else would it be but Sam, his trusted butler, with a silver tray in his hands.

    "Your dinner, milord.", he said formally and searched for a place to put the tray down as the desk was too full. He settled with the chair for visitors in the end. It was never used by anyone besides Sam himself in the nearly two years they lived here anyway.

    Nathaniel kept silent. Whenever Sam saw the earl in this mood, he would normally leave without disturbing him. It was the unspoken sign for ''I want to be alone'', which Sam respected.

    This time, however, was different. He had a message to deliver, too important to be left out although he himself didn''t want to repeat these words. "The lady said she won''t heal you anymore."

    The shoulders of the earl stiffened but he didn''t turn around. Guilt had clouded his gaze, making the world outside even darker. He''d been too harsh on her again. She was only seventeen this year and her temper that of a spoiled brat. Of course she''d snap when confronted with a death-threat. It shouldn''t be surprising.

    The really surprising thing was that he hadn''t been able to control himself back then. The anger about her rubbing her lips like they''d touched something disgusting had been so big that it influenced his words, made them a venomous threat while at the same time they nearly revealed the truth. ''It might just kill you''. ''It'', not he himself. Luckily, it was just a minor slip-up.

    Drumming with his fingertips on the window sill, Nathaniel deliberated what she would want now. He was sure that she wouldn''t simply stop negotiating with him as his threat was only valid if she tried to touch him again. No, she wanted something. And as the only thing he requested up till now was her assistance, she tried to use it to get what she wanted. Again.

    If it was someone else, he might just stop this ridiculous back and forth. With her, however, he didn''t have this possibility. He badly needed her skill but at the same time he knew that she needed him, too. It was like a slow dance: whenever he made a step back, she needed to follow but it was the same for him if she backed away. None of them dared to make the step too big as they feared the other would back out and cancel the deal altogether.

    His lips curved upwards as he imagined them dancing. Very unlikely to happen in reality.

    The theory was why he believed her claim would be manageable. However, he quite liked the arrangement as it was now, so he wouldn''t make things simple for her. Equally, she wouldn''t for him.

    "Tell her I don''t like to discuss business over a third person. Until the next date we will go by the old terms, then we can set new ones."

    Finally, he turned to the butler, wearing the emotionless business-face again. A slight chill was in the air, making his words seem completely like logical conclusion at first glance. "We might decide to write a contract this time, so it would be best to have a table nearby. Furthermore, although I have a tight schedule the next days, I still need to eat. These two combined would make a dinner date preferable. Tell her the servants will prepare everything for a dinner on - oh."

    He halted abruptly as if he remembered something. "It is that date again in two days, right? Then we can''t do it there..."

    Sam nodded approvingly. "Right, Sunday wouldn''t be adequate. How about Monday?"

    His thoughts already drifting to other topics, the earl answered with a curt nod. "Sounds good."

    He didn''t think it was that time of the year already.

 Chapter 27 - Bad News

    After relaying her decision to the earl, there was nothing Katherine could do besides waiting. Nervousness was sweeping through her whole being as the earl could throw her out every minute. Whatever, she wouldn''t back out of this one.

    When Sam came back, he looked rather apologetic, making her heart sped up.

    "What did he say?", she asked anxiously. Hopefully there would be some backdoor, some way to get what she wanted without loosing what she already had. Her heart pounded vigorously.

    Sam shook his head. "He didn''t even ask for your proposal."

    Katherine''s heart skipped a beat. Did that mean he rejected her requests without even hearing the contents? Had she offended him so much with the kiss? No, no, please not!

    "Instead he said he would discuss new terms with you on Monday at dinner. He doesn''t like to talk over a third person. Until then the old terms will be valid."

    Hearing that, Katherine heaved a sigh of relieve. At least he didn''t reject it instantly. Still, the thought of discussing it face-to-face made her insecure. Would she be able to defend her interests so courageously if she had to face him personally? Surely not. He was a hard person to deal with.

    "Very well. Dinner it is.", she nodded after taking a deep breath. "Before that, I''d like to visit the town. Tomorrow would be good. Help me ask for permission, please."

    "Of course.", Sam confirmed, and excused himself.

    Only when he was gone did Katherine show her gloomy countenance. "Hazel, you need to help me prepare everything for the worst case. I won''t go back on my conditions, so maybe the earl will throw me out on Monday directly."

    Hazel, who was watering the flowers on the side table, nearly let the can fall. Water splashed on the white table cloth but Hazel couldn''t care less. "Y-you will be thrown out?!"

    In her panic, she even forgot to call Katherine ''milady'' like she normally would. "No! You can''t - he can''t do that!"

    Tears glittered in these bright green eyes. Seeing what she''d done by dropping that info causally, Katherine rushed to her maids side and helped her settle down the can before embracing her tightly.

    "Don''t worry, don''t worry. It''s just the last resort. Surely we will find a different solution! You know, he doesn''t want to let go of my talent either."

    Sniffing, Hazel clutched Katherine''s dress. "I don''t want to serve anyone else... so you can''t go away, okay?"

    Katherine patted Hazel''s back gently. "I will try my very best. Now, stop crying, dear. I need to make a shopping list for tomorrow."

    But Hazel didn''t want to let go of her lady''s dress and pouted: "If you don''t go, why do we need to go shopping?"

    "Because that is the wise choice.", Katherine explained, and freed her dress carefully. "Hoping for the best while being prepared for the worst. The possibility to be thrown out may be slim, yet it does exist. If I neglect it, I will stay there with nothing when my plan fails. That would be really horrible."

    Knowing herself, Katherine didn''t think she could be happy while living like the common people. She was too used to the comfortable life of the nobles, where a woman mainly needed to look good and have a wealthy family or husband to do everything she wanted. Well, as long as the family or husband allowed it. That was the troublesome point.

    Her situation right now was very tricky. The parents, who always supported her, were dead. That bastard cousin had gifted her with a few gold coins before sending her away, but it wasn''t much. Furthermore, she absolutely didn''t want to live off his ''charity'', although it was most likely the gold of her parents to begin with. So much for family backing.

    Now about the husband: she would still prefer the earl for that but it didn''t seem possible after all that happened. However, another wealthy husband would be even more difficult. She was in a kingdom where she had no connections, and worse still, in the mansion of an earl, who wasn''t part of her family. Who would believe her now that she wasn''t his mistress? That they hadn''t... done anything together?

    Katherine''s cheeks reddened. Well, she had given him her first kiss, if that counted. The memory was so embarrassing that she preferred to direct her thoughts to the list she needed to make. Yes, work. Better concentrate on work.

    .

    The earl, too, finally managed to concentrate again after finishing his meal. There was so much to do, he couldn''t slack off for too long.

    Once in a while he took a sip from a glass of red wine resting in his left hand, while his right held whichever record he was reading just then. With his white hair and the eyes only a note brighter than the wine, he looked like the devil going through a soul-selling contract.

    Suddenly, he raised his gaze. "Sam, where is the report of our second man in the Dragsa capital?"

    The old butler was already by his side again. Quickly, he searched through the papers on the table, before looking up. His blue eyes had a sharp gleam in them. "It is missing."

    With a pensive expression, the earl took another sip of the wine before slowly saying: "So that cousin of hers already made his first move. A bit hasty, I think."

    "I don''t think he could convert this man.", Sam considered. "And he has no relatives to threaten."

    "Well, not converting or threatening him still leaves one possibility.", the earl reminded with a sigh. "You know what to do."

    "Yes, milord.", Sam replied, and left the study to inform his contacts. They would sent a group to recover the body and give it a proper funeral. That was the least they could do for a man who served the earl for five years loyally.

    Taking up the record he read earlier again, the earl muttered: "Unfortunately for you, duke of Sleipnir, this spy was only one out of many. Otherwise, how would I dare to expose him in front of you?"

    The spy Ethan had killed was the contact person between him and the earl. It was more of a sign that their cooperation had ended than meant as a real threat. Although Nathaniel knew Ethan''s working ethics - which had no ''ethic'' in them however one looked at it - , he absolutely didn''t like his people getting killed merely for sending a message. So, he wasn''t going to let it slip.

    However, now wasn''t the right time to retaliate. He had enough to do, not going to provoke another fight for now.

    But this cousin of hers had always been a slightly dangerous cooperation partner, he mused. One of the kind who would kill his own mother for political benefits. Well, in this aspect his father had been faster, hadn''t he? Really, what a messed-up family.

    Nathaniel wondered, how much Katherine knew about these matters. As he confirmed himself on her arrival, she had quite an innocent - although temperamental - bearing. Maybe her parents had managed to shield her from the scheming side of the family, though her father... well, he, too, couldn''t exactly be called ''clean''. But at least he seemed to love her mother or else he wouldn''t have married a gypsy.

    Noticing that his thoughts had wandered to her again, the earl''s brows furrowed slightly before looking at the nearly empty wine glass. He set it down on the desk. Maybe he''d drunken enough for today.

 Chapter 28 - Mounting A Horse

    The earl had given his permission, so Katherine saddled her new shire horse early the next morning. The mare was friendly and slightly curious. It''s pure white fur was beautiful as if it came right out of a fairy tale. It was the ideal horse to take a princess home. Sadly, the matching prince was missing.

    Petting the horse''s forehead gently, Katherine said: "How have you been, Belladonna? Is your box comfortable?"

    Not expecting an answer, Katherine knitted her brows. "Although I get why you''re named like this - you are both beautiful and deadly after all - but it''s a tad long. How about I call you ''Bell'' instead?"

    The nearly two meters tall horse rubbed it''s head on Katherine''s shoulder, sending her a step backwards in the process. Katherine giggled. "You like it? That''s good. Here, this is for you, a gift for our first ride together."

    In her flat hand, she presented an apple. Brown eyes with long, white lashes blinked at her, before Bell slowly bent down to eat the apple out of her hand.

    "Good girl.", Katherine praised, very pleased with the choice the earl had made for her. She didn''t expect him to be that generous, actually. Although shire horses were the main mounts in the Icelands, this one was especially tall and beautiful, most likely one of the best there was.

    On second thought, maybe it wasn''t the earl who picked it but Sam. The butler was quite nice to her and managed all matters of the mansion anyways. Yes, it had to be Sam.

    "Is everything ready?", she asked the guard standing behind her without turning around.

    "Yes, milady.", Pete responded trustworthy. Although he didn''t act like it, he too was happy to get out of the mansion for a day. Normally, Jack and Pete would perform different missions every week, treating the mansion more like a headquarters instead of a place to stay. Since the lady came, however, that changed. When they first heard they had to stay with her the whole day, Jack had been quite depressed, because it meant being mostly inside and doing nothing but rotting in front of a closed door. Although they now liked the lady pretty much, it didn''t change the fact that they weren''t used to staying in one place for a longer period. To go to town now brought at least a little change with it.

    "Good."

    When Bell finished her apple, Katherine gripped the rein and lead her out of the stables. Hazel, Jack, and two horses already waited for her.

    Before Pete could go over to them, Katherine halted him. Early on she''d already realized that she would need help to get onto Bell''s back. Although that was a bit humiliating as she was confident in her riding skill, Bell was just too tall, so Katherine''s feet couldn''t reach the stirrup on her own. Still, she didn''t want another horse after seeing Bell for the first time. She fell in love with that snow-white beauty. "Can you lift me up, please?"

    With her mind occupied with climbing her treasured horse, she didn''t realize that there was another ''snow-white beauty'' observing her through the window.

    The earl didn''t plan to watch her take off, but he just so happened to walk past one of the windows in the corridor when she exited the stables. As expected, Katherine and Belladonna matched each other, and she seemed to like her quite a bit. Finally there was someone to take care of this horse properly.

    Belladonna was a little special to the earl, as it was the descendant of the stallion he''d raised by hand when he was a child. The stallion was dead now, so the earl had always been reluctant to give it''s only child away, although riding her himself was too dangerous. Not for him, but for the horse, to be precise.

    Looking at Katherine now, giving Belladonna to her was the right choice. The girl was overflowing with happiness whenever her gaze landed on her new horse. He had never seen her this happy before. Not one of her smiles in front of him had been this heart-felt.

    The thought made regret invade his heart. It was no wonder. He hadn''t been very nice to her, had he?

    With a sigh, he intended to turn and walk along the corridor to his study, but the next move of the guard startled him. He was bowing down a little and gripping the lady''s waist with his large hands from behind.

    Suddenly, a fire blazed in the earl''s eyes, and he took a step to the window, his jaw clenching. What was that damn guard up to now?

    Katherine''s waist was so small and Pete''s rough and callous hands so big that the fingers touched themselves on back and belly. In the earl''s eyes the contrast between them was wrong, nearly o.b.s.c.e.n.e. He could only imagine what that slim waist felt like, how soft it would be under his hands.

    Although Katherine was fast with getting into the saddle, for the earl the seconds stretched to minutes, to hours. His fists balled.

    Pete suddenly felt a cold shudder run along his spine. He knew that shudders only from formidable enemies, so after helping the lady, he let go of her hastily, before turning around to inspect the vicinity, his eyes filled with a cold glimpse. Mind me, he was responsible for the lady''s safety, so every suspicious thing had to be inspected closely as to not lead her into unknown dangers.

    The cold gaze he''d felt, however, had already retracted and it was nobody in sight, except for a strayed chicken, picking for grains near the stables. Letting his gaze wander over the windows of the mansion, everything seemed to be normal.

    "Something the matter?", Katherine asked curiously, as Pete was still standing next to the horse, his hand on the hilt of his sword as if ready to unsheathe it. With a short scan, she couldn''t find an enemy.

    Relaxing his stance as to not scare her unnecessarily, Pete gave one of his rare smiles. "No, milady. Nothing."

    Walking over to the other guard, he stretched out his hands for the reins. "My horse please."

    While giving it to him, Jack quietly muttered: "No worries."

    Pete knitted his brows. If it was instinct, Jack was ahead of him. Still, Pete didn''t expect him to notice this killing intent, which was only excluded for a fraction of a second, especially when it wasn''t even directed at him. "You sensed it?"

    Jack nodded, before showing a mischievous smile. "It wasn''t directed at the lady, though, so I have nothing to worry about."

    Pete''s face darkened with anger. "Does this mean it doesn''t concern you if I was ambushed by some random person?!"

    That jerk had the nerve to laugh. "Of course it doesn''t! I''ll just stand by and pray they get more brains in their next life!"

    Secretly, Jack''s gaze wandered to a window in the second floor. There was nobody in sight now, but he was sure to have seen a shadow with white hair for a second when the killing intent was released. If it was who he thought it was, this enmity wasn''t as easily solved as an attempt on Pete''s life. However, it wasn''t that bad. With a glance at Katherine, his lingering mischievous smile became a full-grown bandit grin. Was there someone jealous?

    Not noticing the quiet conversation, Katherine realized a problem instead. They were four people, so why were there only three horses? "What about Hazel? Didn''t I tell you guys to lend a horse for her, too? Don''t tell me, the earl didn''t allow it?"

    "That''s not it.", Pete corrected. "We wanted to apply for a horse, but, well..."

    Reaching there, his gaze landed on the maid, who was flushed red again, trying to make herself as small as possible and lowering her head in shame.

    "Hazel?", Katherine catched on quickly. "Don''t you want to come with us?"

    Hurriedly, and without looking up, the maid shook her head. Her hands were clutching her dress tightly. "I... milady... I''m so sorry!"

    Katherine furrowed her brows. Sure, it was a bit inconvenient if her maid didn''t want to go with her, as she''d liked to have a second girl''s opinion on some of the things she wanted to buy. But it wasn''t something this important, so why didn''t Hazel tell her beforehand? And why did she sound like the world was crashing down again only because she refused to accompany her?

    "No matter. You don''t have to be sorry. But why didn''t you tell me you didn''t want to come?"

    Hazel sniffed and finally lifted her head. There were tears in her eyes, her intense regret to not fulfill her goddess'' request made her feel a bit numb and confused. "I want to go with you... I want to accompany your holy- ah, ladyship! I just... " She was fiddling with her dress nervously. "I just can''t!"

    Katherine was conflicted, because although she wanted to go down and hug that adorably sad maid of hers, she didn''t want to go through that ordeal of mounting Bell again. Besides, Hazel''s answer didn''t clarify anything. "Why can''t you go if you want to? Are there some other duties you must fulfill?"

    Hazel shook her head and with the sleeve of her dress brushed her tears away. "I just... I can''t..."

    "Take a deep breath.", Katherine instructed. "Calm down. I won''t be angry with you. Just tell me."

    The maid nodded and composed herself before looking up to her lady again. The hope in her eyes fought with the trained insecurence. "Milady, I... I can''t ride."

 Chapter 29 - Merchants

    After building up so much tension, the ''I can''t ride'' wasn''t really enough to shock Katherine. She just nodded. "Oh, so that''s it."

    This simple reply, on the other hand, made Hazel''s stunned. She''d been so anxious that the lady would be disappointed over her lack of ability, but Katherine didn''t seem to be disturbed at all. "But milady, aren''t you sad that I can''t go with you?"

    Irritated, Katherine knitted her brows. "Why shouldn''t you come with us? Isn''t it just riding? I can ride, those two can ride. As long as you don''t fear horses, you can get on."

    "M-milady!" Hazel''s eyes filled with tears again, but joyous ones this time.

    With a chuckle, Katherine rolled her eyes at her. "Stop crying, silly, and get on!"

    She led Bell to Hazel''s side and reached out her hands. The both of them were wearing trousers underneath their dresses today, as Katherine knew sitting sideways on a horse like real ladies was just too troublesome.

    It took three tries to get Hazel on the horse without outside help, but luckily Bell was patient, and didn''t move much in the process. Finally, Hazel sat behind Katherine. Putting the other girl''s hands on her waist, Katherine said: "Hold on tight."

    At first, Hazel felt it was wrong to do so, but when Bell started walking, she hastily followed her lady''s advice.

    On the mansion''s ground they rode in a slow trot, but after exiting through the iron-forged gate, Katherine accelerated the pace, until they reached a fast gallop. While Hazel''s arms clenched so hard that they nearly made bruises, joyful laughter bubbled out of Katherine''s mouth. Finally, she felt free again!

    The village was half a day away in the direction of the mountain Katherine had seen from her chamber''s window. When they reached there, it was already lunch time. Katherine had expected for Hazel to start whining over bruises on her behind halfway through their journey, but surprisingly the maid had kept quiet. It left Katherine wondering whether it was out of consideration, stubbornness, or if her fear for her life made her forget the pain. Anyways, no complaining was a good thing.

    Bordering the forest between the Renat-kingdom and the Icelands, merchants frequented this village as a place to rest before or after entering the dark trees spanning several days walk into the distance. Because of that, there was a big inn in the middle of the town. Several small stores, mostly selling daily necessaries, surrounded it.

    Katherine settled the horses in the inn and booked a room. After coming out of it, she looked completely different. Her dress was less valuable, her hair combed up and hidden by a mob cap. Several shiny but cheaper trinkets completed the image of a merchant daughter.

    "Your turn", she told the guards, whose uniforms could be recognized by the common folks of the town.

    Jack readily complied, while Pete preferred complaining. "Do we really need to change? What is all the secrecy for?"

    "Didn''t you say you would help me?", Katherine retorted. "It''s to keep my identity a secret to be free to use my ability."

    Uncomfortable, Pete could do nothing but sigh. "Well, okay."

    They changed into the clothes of the common people. As a maid, Hazel didn''t need to change much. She wouldn''t get much attention in her usual attire. Still, Katherine gave her another mob cap to hide her striking red hair and let her change some things on her outfit so it didn''t scream ''maid'' anymore.

    As a merchant daughter with her entourage, they left the inn. Firstly, Katherine bought everything she might need if the earl threw her out. The priority there was food and clothing. She couldn''t wander in town with her normal clothes of she didn''t have the guards to protect her. That would be asking to be robbed.

    While shopping, she inquired if there had been any animal attacks on either the town or a merchant group. The possibility was high, as wild boars, wolfs, and bears lived in the forest.

    In the third shop, she got lucky. The assistant had heard about a caravan called ''Golden Cauldron'', which reached town just recently. The once twenty-five men strong group got reduced to eighteen by what they claimed to be a bandit attack.

    The local folks didn''t want to believe them. To Katherine, it seemed that it was out of anxiety. There hadn''t been any bandits in the forest for two years, but the people still remembered the decades they had lived under the bandit king ''Burka'' before the new earl claimed the territory. They told her quite a few horror stories about that.

    As for the remaining merchants of the ''Golden Cauldron'', they managed to flee only barely, losing nearly all their wealth in the process. That was why they camped outside the village instead of staying in the inn.

    Thanking the assistant, Katherine collected her goods into a bag and handed it to Pete. For this shopping trip, Pete played her personal carrier.

    When they were outside, Pete asked: " Do you want to go there?"

    With a silent smile, Katherine nodded. The merchants were a good beginning.

    "But didn''t he say they are nearly robbed blank?", Jack wondered.

    "So what? For now, their thankfulness will be enough. And of course, their willingness to spread the news that a new healer is in town. Besides, do you really think eighteen people didn''t manage to save anything? I know merchants who would prefer to die before letting their goods be stolen."

    "My lady doesn''t care about gold.", Hazel chimed in proudly. Her selective hearing seemed to have censored Katherine''s last two sentences. "She just wants to help the people!"

    Helplessly Katherine peeked at her maid. Here we go again. Hopefully this naive girl wouldn''t found a cult around her by sprouting her ridiculous views.

    "Yes, yes!", Jack encouraged Hazel playfully. "She''s the best lady there is!"

    As Katherine threw him an annoyed look, he blinked innocently.

    "I can see you grinning mischievously in your head.", Katherine commented, half helpless, half amused. That made the guard break out in roaring laughter.

    The ''Golden Cauldron'' caravan had set tent on the fields outside of the town. The fact that they still had tents to set up alone, told Katherine that her conclusion about their wealth was on point. Robbed, but not completely, and maybe prepared to use pity to increase their income.

    Naturally, not all of it was fake. The two mercenaries patrolling around the camp didn''t wear bloody bandages for fun.

    "Halt!", one of them shouted as they neared the camp, and came forward to meet them. "This is the camp of the Golden Cauldron merchants. Please don''t trespass."

    Confidently, Katherine straitened her posture. "I''m a healer. I wanted to offer my service. Our caravan wanted to leave town for the forest today, but as I heard about your accident, I persuaded them to wait for a bit and let me inquire about the circ.u.mstances. And, of course, offer any help we can muster."

    The face of the mercenary brightened. "Well then, I best show you the way to our leader."

    The leader of the merchant group was so fat that Katherine wondered how he managed to flee with so much weight to slow him down.

    "A healer!", he exclaimed while looking her up and down with a joyous yet calculating gaze. "Of course, we are very willing to accept voluntary help! Sadly, our status quo doesn''t allow us to give much compensation."

    As if she didn''t care, Katherine just smiled. "We can talk about compensation after you saw my skill. I assure you; it is far better than the regular doctors."

    "If you say so.", the merchant shrugged, disregarding her words as arrogance. However, since she was prepared to offer her help to them, he wouldn''t tell it to her face.

    Wobbling out of his chair, he said: "My dear second daughter was wounded the worst. Let me show you to her tent."

 Chapter 30 - Laying Bait

    The woman in the bed looked pale and was surrounded by four other woman, who had striking resemblance to her.

    "My daughters and my wife Melissa.", the merchant introduced her. "This woman by my side is a healer from another caravan. Lina, show her the leg."

    With a nod, one of the woman sitting next to the patient lifted the cover till there was a leg to be seen. The tent filled with a strong stench.

    There was a long slash on the leg, but that alone wasn''t troublesome. The clotted blood and pus as well as the purple color of the surrounding flesh was. Inflammation, although a regular phenomenon of wounds, was one of the many things who couldn''t be countered by Katherine''s power. She would need to remove the inflamed flesh first. How troublesome.

    Heaving a deep sigh, she said: "A regular doctor would need to amputate this leg. You''re really lucky that I have some special means. Now, take some alcohol first to lessen the pain."

    .

    The mood of the earl was bad today, Sam noticed while bringing in another stack of papers. It wasn''t that he was yelling or throwing things around, as such actions would fit neither his status, nor his character. He was just... grumpy. There was no other word for it. His brows were locked together constantly, his jaw clenching from time to time and as for the eyes... their fire was black with gloom.

    Although this time of the year was always hard on the earl, he would normally only show it on the day itself, not prior. And even then it wouldn''t affect his working mood.

    Settling the papers on the table, Sam left without disturbing him. An hour later, he came back with a tray in his hands. On it sat a plate with tiny chocolates, each unique with nuts or fruits in it. The chocolate was a dark and bitter one, as the earl didn''t fancy sweet things. Sam originally bought them to lighten the earl''s mood tomorrow, but there were enough for two days in store anyway. After settling it down next to the stack of papers, he just left again. A satisfied smile hung on his wrinkled face.

    As he was buried in the tax assessments, the earl didn''t notice the tray at first. Only when he was through with them and reached for the stack, did he see the chocolates. His furrowed brows smoothed out a bit, and he reached for one, putting it into his mouth before continuing to working.

    The purple flesh was removed, leaving the wound in a scary red. As she had bound a cloth tightly around the girls knee there wasn''t a big sprout of fresh blood, only a little river.

    Her parents still stood beside the bed, hoping to give her mental support. The three sisters had run outside one after the other, their faces green with nausea.

    Astonishingly, Hazel hadn''t followed them. Maybe because her gaze was fixed on Katherine''s face instead of her hands. Now she walked over and dabbed the perspiration on Katherine''s forehead with a handkerchief away. Katherine smiled as a thanks and took a breath.

    "Wha-What are you going to do now? Will she be able to walk again?", the mother asked anxiously while clutching her husband''s arm as a support. The fat merchant was looking gloomy. As someone experienced in thee ways of the world, he knew that a full recovery of his daughter was not to be expected. Not with this kind of wound.

    Therefore, he was even more startled, when Katherine replied: "Of course she will be able to. And in no less than a few hours even. Don''t worry, she will be completely fine."

    "Completely fine?", the merchant repeated disbelievingly. "How can that be?! Even if it won''t inflame again, it will take weeks to heal!"

    A taunting grin emerged on Katherine''s face. "Weeks? Nonsense. I''ll do it in an hour."

    The merchant snorted, now letting his annoyance show. Was this girl really a doctor? "An hour? Absolutely impossible! The best doctors of the whole kingdom can''t do it! Even if we are in a bad shape now, our caravan knows people all around the continent. Treating her in an hour is impossible! Do you think we are fools?"

    Feeling offended, Hazel angrily opened her mouth. How dare they question a goddess like that!

    Right in time, she saw Katherine sending her a cold stare, silently commanding her not to interfere. Although Hazel didn''t understand how her lady could let this offence go, she still sealed her mouth shut. Her lady was a goddess. Whatever she did, she was in the right.

    Fixing the merchant with a mocking gaze, Katherine slowly said: "Oh, so you don''t believe me? How about a bet then? If I can''t fix her in an hour, you''ll get all of this as a compensation."

    She waved at Pete, who readily gave her a bag as big as her head. When Katherine opened it, gold, silver, and dozens of precious jewels glittered in it. It was nearly all jewelry Katherine owned, most of it left behind by her mother. Counted together it could buy a castle by itself. Not that Katherine would ever give it away. There were too many precious memories attached to those necklaces, bracelets, and earrings shining in the light of the oil-lamps.

    Registering the gazes of the merchant and even his teary-eyed wife burning with greed, she carefully set the bag down on a nearby table. While not letting them out of her eyes, she took her purse out of the folds of her skirt, opened it, and slowly poured all the shiny gold coins contained in it on top of the pile of jewelry.

    The merchants eyes followed each falling coin, his heart beating louder with each chink when the coins hit the jewelry below, rebounded, and fell down again. He may have seen this much gold before, in the markets, from afar. But never had it been in his reach. And this sound! It was the sound of heaven awaiting him! He held his breath to hear it even clearer.

    Jack on the side snickered into his beard as he saw the bald head of the merchant turning bright red with greed. Continue dreaming! This lady of mine is too shrewd to lose her wealth to you!

    As Jack had felt her power on his own flesh, he was sure she would succeed in healing the daughter of the merchant in less than an hour. He was just curious what of this caravan was worthy enough to be of interest for the lady. It couldn''t really be just them spreading the word, right?

    "You can have all of this", Katherine repeated with glittering eyes. She realized that she had fun provoking them until the merchant nearly wanted to jump forward and seize the gold pile right here and now. Maybe she was a little evil deep inside? "If... and only ''if''... you win the bet. However, if I just so happen to be lucky and your daughter is healed in this one hour, you have to pay the price for my service."

    She let the words sink in, but the merchant didn''t even look up. He seemed to be enchanted by the gold filling up nearly all of the small table.

    With a smirk, Katherine continued: "As my price I demand you and your whole caravan to work under me from now on. So, do you want to bet?"

    The throat of the merchant was dry, so when he tried to speak, there was no sound at first. Embarrassed, he cleared his throat and, as that didn''t seem to help, grabbed a wine flask from somewhere, pulling out the cork and taking a few mouthfuls. That action alone showed how affected he was, as he simply lost all traces of his normal feigned higher-class behavior.

    His wife looked at him with a troubled expression. "Husband... so much money... don''t you think...?"

    ''Don''t you think it is strange?'', the woman wanted to ask. Her husband, however, cut her words off with a wave of his hand.

 Chapter 31 - Lose Everything

    "We''ll take it!", the merchant shouted excitedly, before turning to Katherine and correcting himself hastily. "I mean, we''ll make it! The bet! Make it now!"

    "Very well", Katherine grinned, glancing at the wife for a second, before turning to the daughter. "Then I''ll begin now. Don''t forget to follow up your words."

    The merchant snorted. He was absolutely sure there didn''t exist a person who could make his daughter healthy again in only an hour. The gold pile was as good as his! Why else would that other girl throw him chilling glares? She most likely knew that this young doctor or whatever she was made a big mistake when placing the bet. He gave her a triumphant smile.

    Her face darkening, Hazel turned away from the blasphemer. Outrageous! How could he even think about winning against her goddess!

    The wife of the merchant pulled at her husband''s arm softly, whispering: "Darling, do you really think this is the right choice? Why should she initiate a bet if she can''t win?"

    Annoyed, the merchant looked down at her. "How should I know why she''s so dumb? But obviously it is impossible for her to win! There is no-one who can do what she claims she can!"

    Without the pair noticing, Katherine''s hands began to glow in a soft light, her fingers touching the skin next to the wound. As the light spread, a little m.o.a.n escaped the drunken, half-consciousness woman, her body relaxing even more into the pillows.

    After quarreling for a while, the couple got curious if there had been any progress. Under the watchful eyes of Hazel, they crept closer. When they saw the glimmering light, their brows furrowed, but after they saw the leg, they gasped aloud. All there was left of the devastating wound was a short red line, as wide as finger.

    Disbelieving, the merchant rubbed his eyes, before exclaiming angrily: "Impossible! No! No! That can''t be!"

    The mother broke into tears. It was undetectable, if it was out of joy because her daughter was healed or pain and sadness to loose the caravan.

    "No! Stop it!", the merchant suddenly roared, and dashed forward to push Katherine away. He couldn''t look on anymore. If Katherine finished healing his daughter, he would loose his money, his caravan, his everything!

    However, instead of throwing over the soft body of a little girl, he crashed into an iron wall.

    "Hey, hey, quell your enthusiasm!", the iron wall chuckled darkly. "You might hurt someone."

    His heart jumping in fright, the fat merchant looked up, and up, and up, seeing an iron c.h.e.s.t, a bulls neck, a black beard with many sharp white teeth and a black one grinning deviously in between, before finally landing on the one black eye staring down at him from double his own size.

    The merchant''s face paled. Stumbling over his own two feet in retreat, he fell, but continued to flee like a spider on all fours. A wet spot began to show on his pants.

    Watching him, Jack lazily scratched his beard with a proud look. Yes, that was the normal reaction, wasn''t it? Not everyone would be like a certain girl and instead of retreating snatch his weapon away. The lady was so courageous, worthy of praise!

    "Jack", Pete called, and pulled him out of his memories.

    "I know, I know", Jack replied. Hastily, he walked over to the man on the ground, who shuddered with each step he took, and pressed his back further against the fabric of the tent, an expression of pure horror on his face. When Jack was only one last step away, the pupils of the man rolled back in their holes. He fainted.

    With a laugh, Jack stopped. "Now he doesn''t need to be searched anymore."

    "Idiot.", Pete sighed.

    The mother meanwhile didn''t notice the distress of her husband. Tears still streamed out of her eyes, which were fixed on her child unwavering.

    A few seconds later, the last sign of injury vanished under Katherine''s careful hands. When she took them back, Hazel was instantly by her side, dabbing her sweat away and sprouting flattering words earnestly. "You''re so good, milady! It took you only half the time you said it would!"

    Dissatisfied with the term, Katherine shot her a mild warning glare. "Don''t expose me!"

    Hazel clutched her mouth with both her hands, and looked around anxiously. Right, she couldn''t call her ''milady'' here! Luckily, the mother and daughter were too occupied with themselves to notice the slip-up.

    In a whisper, Hazel said: "Sorry, mi- ah! Sorry! I''m really sorry..."

    Her face read like: I can''t call the lady ''milady'', but I can''t just call her without honorific, too! What should I do? What should I do? Then she remembered something, and slowly ended like a question: "Your... holy-?"

    "No!", Katherine decisively interrupted her, making Hazel flinch. She had known it wasn''t a good idea. "Just call me ''Katherine''!"

    The maid paled. "I absolutely can''t do that! It breaks all conventions! I can''t call a go- ah, I can''t call you by name!"

    She looked so miserable that Katherine gave in. "Fine. But you can''t call me those other names, got that? Not here. Call me... ''leader'' or something..."

    Hazel''s eyes got their l.u.s.ter back. "Yes! Respected leader!"

    "Huh, she learned how to talk back!", Jack observed from the sideline. So the respect was more important to Hazel than following the lady''s instructions? No, maybe one couldn''t abstract this. It was just this one time. Still, the respect Jack had for Hazel grew from zero to... well, zero point one. But every improvement was better than nothing.

    Melissa, the wife of the merchant, was hugging her daughter now and continued to cry silently. As the daughter was still heavily drunk, she just hung in the grip, murmuring nonsense to herself with a sloppy smile. Katherine didn''t want to disrupt them, so she said: "Pete, can you stay here and bring the mother and merchant to me when they are ready to speak? I''ll go heal the others meanwhile."

    Then, she smirked. "I want my new merchant group to be as healthy as possible after all."

    Pete bowed his head slightly. "Of course, milady."

    After listening to her, Jack stuck out his c.h.e.s.t proudly. "You hear that? She asked you to stay because she prefers my company!"

    Although he didn''t say it, Pete clearly heard a ''that''s daddy''s girl'', and facepalmed. He couldn''t take this foolishness anymore! "No, you idiot! She just doesn''t want you to frighten her investment to death!"

    With a laugh, Katherine acknowledged it. "That''s right! Now, come on. There''s much to do!"

    The rejection only affected Jack for a second, before he realized: "Either way, my task is less boring. Have fun!"

    With a wave at Pete, he slipped out of the tent. Seeing Pete''s expression, Katherine tried hard not to laugh. She lightly patted his shoulder and said sincerely: "My condolences. It must be hard on you with such a partner."

    The heartfelt words nearly made Pete emotional. Finally someone who recognized his struggles! Clenching his fists to repress his emotions, he gave a heavy nod. "Thank you, milady!"

    Feeling satisfied, Katherine gestured Hazel to follow her, and the two of them left the tent.

 Chapter 32 - Terms

    The first daughter of the merchant - the last to leave the tent when Katherine began to cut the flesh off - showed Katherine to the other injured. Of course, she didn''t know yet about the bet, as her father was still unconsciousness. It didn''t take long to heal everyone. The other injuries were not half as serve as the leg of the second daughter. Still, there were some who wouldn''t have healed seamlessly without her magic, so the people were actually quite thankful after they overcame the astonishment about her skill. That was one of the reasons she didn''t dare to leave Hazel alone with the patients. Or else, who knew how big her cult would be already?

    While doing her work, Katherine noticed that no-one seemed to be respectful of the merchant they claimed to be their leader. Instead, they all spoke highly of his wife with. It seemed like she was the real spiritual leader. The one who held them together. That matched what Katherine had seen so far. The wife hadn''t been blinded by the gold. The merchant meanwhile acted far too careless, disregarding even the health of his daughter for money. Who would follow a person like that?

    Beside the four daughters, the pair still had two sons, both of whom were dispatched to town for negotiations.

    When Pete finally lead the two people to her, the merchant followed behind his wife with a timid and regretful face.

    "Dear, are you sure you want to... ?", he couldn''t even say it, so unbelievable was it to him. It was a matter concerning all of their lives, worse, all their wealth!

    "Yes.", the wife resolutely answered without raising her voice. Then she looked at Katherine and her gaze turned warm. "Thank you for all you''ve done for us. My daughter wouldn''t walk again if not for you. I am in your debt."

    Katherine nodded, though she knew the woman hadn''t ended yet. A ''thank you'' surely wasn''t the thing her husband didn''t want her to say.

    And right, Melissa continued. "I know you made a bet with my husband about the leadership of the caravan, and I want to honor that bet."

    Her husband looked like he lost his soul. He never thought that he would lose, but the consequences now were dire. If not for his wife, he''d packed up instantly and left with his whole caravan, disregarding his promise. The girl before them may have helped them, but he couldn''t loose all his money to her! Because that was what being a leader meant, right?

    Melissa remained resolute, although her eyes were a bit swollen from the tears. She didn''t want to stay in anyone''s debt. "The problem arises with the specification. What does ''being a leader'' mean to you? Do you really want to travel the lands with us or do you want the largest part of our income or...?"

    She raised her hands in a questioning manner. This woman is really good, Katherine thought. Although it looked like she was prepared to give her everything she wanted and was still very affected by her daughter being healed, she still said ''largest part of the income'', not all of it. She was already negotiating and limiting the loss her husband had caused.

    Good that I set a higher prize, Katherine thought. Now I''ll even look benevolent when I go down to what I really wanted. She knew, she had no means to punish them if they didn''t follow up their words. So she needed to give them benefits. "Actually, I''m not asking for much for what I''m prepared to give back. As long as you are working under me, there will be no injury untreatable. Broken bones and life-threatening wounds will be healed in a few hours. Isn''t that like gaining a second life? Furthermore, you are still free to manage how you travel, where to rest, where to sell your goods. I only want to set your general traveling direction. Additionally, I want you to collect information about every city, every political movement, rumors and everything else you can get while traveling and sent them to me with a messenger every few months. Hazel here, will meet them in town then.

    About money: yes, I want half of your excess money. The other half of it will be yours still. However, this is under the premise, that I help you out when you''re in a pit like right now. Pete", she called and the guard gave her back the bag of treasures she''d showed them in the tent.

    Katherine took out two gold coins, and showed them to Melissa. "These should be enough to compensate for the loss you had while facing the bandits. They are my investment in you. Build up your caravan again to your former glory. If you meet any troubles, you can tell me through the messengers, and I will do all I can to help. However, if I need your help some time, you are obliged to help me, too."

    Overwhelmed with all the information, Melissa blinked a few times. "This... doesn''t seem so bad? It sounds more like a partnership than leadership, though." Although Melissa knew, Katherine gained more out of this than they did in long term, she had healed her daughter after all. It wasn''t unbearable at all. Absolutely not what she expected. And in the end, the caravan really needed gold to built themselves up again badly. But there had to be some drawback! Or was the girl to naive?

    Katherine smiled and tugged the gold coins into the other woman''s hands. "Yes, something like a partnership. And as long as you follow these terms, there will never be a need to worry about your second daughters leg again."

    As the last words sank in, Melissa looked up to her and paled. "Do you mean...?"

    Katherine smiled beautifully. "I am glad you decided to honor the bet yourself. After all, I don''t like to threaten people."

    Melissa gulped. The girl obviously used magic to heal her daughters leg. Would the wound open up again if this girl decided her daughter wasn''t worth the trouble anymore? Or had she tempered with the leg in another manner? Mages were dangerous people after all, and most of them were nobility to boot. Melissa decided, she would never try to breach the contract they made today. After all, the life of her daughter was at risk.

    "To a good cooperation.", Katherine said and held out her hand.

    "... yes.", Melissa answered slowly and took the hand. She wasn''t sure anymore if this was really a good thing or a deal with a devil.

    "Take a few days of rest, before setting out. I will inform you of your destination on Tuesday." In case the earl threw her out, this caravan was her save haven. In case he didn''t, they were a new network to learn more about the Icelands. With a look to the husband, she reminded: "Don''t try to flee, please. You all should know you can''t."

    Even if a mage wasn''t nobility, most of them had connections to them because of the academy of magic. After all, birds of a feather flocked together. Especially if they were this different from all others feathers.

    "Yes." After that reminder, Melissa decided that currying favor was all she could do for now, although she didn''t like the threats. "Why don''t we celebrate that with a hearty meal?"

    "Why not?" Disregarding a cooperation partner was never a good idea. Besides, Katherine was hungry anyways.

    With the help of the newly-healed, setting up dinner tables and cooking was done in no time. Jack and Pete lifted the heavy things, while Katherine wanted to help with the tablecloth and -ware. However, every time she reached for something, Hazel would intervene with a "Let me, respected leader!" and take her task away. In the end, she had nothing much to do than to enjoy meal and drinks later in the afternoon.

    Although it was a bit early for dinner, Katherine didn''t mind as they would still need to get back to the mansion before it was too dark to see the way. The two sons of the merchant-couple got back from town just in time for dinner and they had good news: some other merchants were willing to help them out with goods at a slightly lowered price because of their circ.u.mstances. The merchant, whose long name Katherine was too lazy to remember, was in ecstasy and promptly forgot all about the miserable things which happened prior.

    In contrast, the sons were slummed down by the news that their caravan had become a wager and was lost to a stranger. It took a while for them to digest it, but Katherine noticed no hostility from them. Only helplessness and sadness when they looked at their unreasonable father.

    "So you are able to heal people?", the second son, Kyle, asked Katherine curiously after handing her a bowl filled with soup. He was only a few years older than her and his brown hair had a red note to it. Showing her his hand, which had a bandage on it, he asked in a friendly tone: "Mind to show me after the meal?"

    Katherine smiled. "If it''s just a small wound, I can do it right now. It would only take a few seconds."

    "Well, thank you then. Although it indeed is small, it''s quite bothersome. And, you know, I''ve never seen a mage at work." His eyes sparkled while taking off the bandage. It really was a small wound, but strangely it wasn''t a slash like a sword would make. Something much thinner had gone completely through the hand once. Katherine couldn''t think of something that would cause this.

    When Pete, who sat beside Katherine, saw this strange wound, his brows furrowed. Bandits they said? Since when did bandits use rapiers? Normally they would prefer rough swords, bows or normal sticks, as rapiers would cost too much. They were a sign of wealth, something nobility invented because it looked more elegant. And which land was famous for this kind of weapon? The Renat kingdom.

    Pete''s expression darkened. He needed to tell the earl about that later. But first, more information was needed. Leaning over, he asked the man: "How many bandits were there anyways that they dared to attack a twenty-five man strong caravan?"

    "A bunch.", Kyle responded, quite unwilling to be bothered by someone else when he was about to see a mage in action.

    Katherine, who knew that Pete would normally never ask questions, stilled, before deciding to help. Maybe Pete wanted to get information about the bandits so the earl could handle them more smoothly. "How many exactly? If it was just a bunch, why did you loose so much people?"

    The eyes of the youth flickered with a deep pain, before he formed a wry smile. "Ten maybe. We aren''t fighters. They were. Now, are you going to heal me?"

    "Of course. I''m sorry.", Katherine hastily replied and touched the wound with her fingertips. A little light and a second later, it was gone.

    "Fabulous!", Kyle exclaimed and examined his hand with amazement. "It''s just gone! Really fast!"

    After that, Kyle began questioning her about how her magic worked, where she came from and a bunch of other things. Although Katherine had to tell a few more lies, she wasn''t really bothered by his curiosity. He was quite a nice guy.

    His sisters, too, started some conversations with her, as well as some of the merchants she had healed. All in all, it was a fulfilling evening.

 Chapter 33 - What Happened?

    Only when the sun nearly reached the horizon, Katherine departed with her entourage. A while later, Pete murmured: "I didn''t know you were this good at lying. You can''t really do anything to the leg, right?"

    The lady''s eyes glittered with a faint guilt. "Nope. But they don''t know that."

    Not noticing her awkwardness, Jack let out one of his roaring laughs. "Well done, well done!"

    Slowly, Pete nodded. "He is right. If they believe it or not, they won''t dare to try it out as long as you don''t get too overbearing. But your conditions are well within their possibilities for now."

    "That is because I want it to be a long-time cooperation. If I don''t give them any benefits, they would try to back out of it. Maybe not now, but in the future.", Katherine explained when they reached the inn.

    "Milady", Hazel suddenly said. She hadn''t said much for a while now, so Katherine had been worried already.

    "Yes?"

    Hazel had her hands folded on her c.h.e.s.t, over her heart. It was one of the few times she looked her age. Although she was serious, there was a smile on her lips. "Thank you. Thank you for believing in me. I will do my best as a contact person to the merchants. They are all nice people."

    So that''s what occupied her, Katherine thought relieved. She reached out to touch the taller girls head. "Don''t worry, you will do great. Just don''t forget: what are you supposed to call me?"

    Hazel blushed. She forgot they were still in their costumes. "Respected leader."

    "That''s better.", Katherine giggled. "I''ll go change now, then you can call me ''milady'' as much as you want!"

    .

    The cold of the night was already crawling under their clothes when they passed the gate of the mansion. If not for the extra-warmth of Hazel in her back, Katherine would most likely shiver by now. In the distance, there was a light. It was a torch on the stable''s front, lit by some mindful servants. Still so far away, it looked like a Firefly leading their steps to home.

    Was it really home?, Katherine thought. No. Not to her. Although the mansion was bigger than her old home and the gardens beautiful, she couldn''t feel comfortable at all. There was always this oppressive feeling of existential fear. She knew she wasn''t here because of benevolence, but because of her usefulness. Which meant that she could be thrown out whenever the earl decided he didn''t need her anymore. A depressing thought.

    Bell neighed softly, as if she felt her owners sorrow and told her to cheer up. With a wry smile, Katherine patted the horse''s mane. Yes, Bell would accompany her. Even if she had to go, she was hers and would come with her. That thought made it even more difficult for Katherine to say goodbye when they reached the stable.

    Pete helped her and Hazel to get down from the high back, before stepping to the side.

    "Good girl!", Katherine softly praised Bell. "You''re a real blessing, you know? Carrying Hazel and me for half a day without getting impatient. Even though you have only seen me once before today."

    Bell rubbed her head on Katherine''s shoulder, softer than last time, as if she didn''t want to fling her away again. Katherine grinned. "Does that mean, you also loved me at first glance?"

    Another push followed. "Well, that''s good then. Sadly, it''s late already. I need to go sleep. And you, too." With a last pet of the white mane, she reluctantly gave the reign to a servant.

    "See you soon, my dear!", she promised Bell, and gave the servant a thankful smile and a nod.

    Jack yawned, thinking of his warm bed. Gladly, the night shift was not their business. There were other guards responsible, most likely waiting for the lady in front of her room. As soon as the lady reached there, Jack could go to bed.

    Quite relaxed, the four of them stepped into the entrance hall and made for the stairs when a cold voice stopped them. It raised out of the darkness like the call of a demon, everywhere and no-where.

    "Was it fun?"

    Katherine shivered. Although the question seemed harmless, under the surface hid a frightening amount of coldness, sharpened into an icy dagger. She knew instantly, who that voice belonged to.

    Jack and Pete stood to both sides of her. Although they, too, recognized the voice, it didn''t ease their tension. Their lord didn''t seem to be happy. And why was he down here anyways?

    Still searching the hall for a sign of Nathaniel, Katherine tried to gather her courage, but the uncertainty made it difficult. She slowly said: "Well... Yes, I think?"

    The air got even colder. Should she have lied? But why did it bother him anyways? He obviously didn''t want her to be happy about it, so did he want her to be miserable or what? But why?!

    "Guards, maid", the dark voice called out of the shadows. "leave us alone."

    With a look of pity to Katherine, Jack and Pete heeded the command. Pete thought it was no use tying to talk to the earl in the state he was in, so he would just report his findings to the trusted butler of the earl. Besides, the old man was way from the scariness of their lord.

    Instead of the tough guards, it was Hazel who didn''t react in any way besides shivering badly.

    "Mi... lady?", she asked tenaciously. Katherine was very surprised that it was exactly the normally whimpering maid who somehow had the guts to question the earl''s authority over her. However, as much as Katherine didn''t want to be alone, she couldn''t pull this innocent girl into her troubles. Especially when she looked like she was prepared to fight a dragon for her case. "Go ahead."

    Hearing that, Hazel''s gaze grew at the same time relieved and apologetic.

    "I''ll wait in your chambers, milady." Like the frightened little mouse she was, she scurried away in a hurry.

    Goosebumps formed on her arms, but she endured and took a large step forward instead. I''m not a kid! I won''t be scared this easily!, she encouraged herself, and called out into the darkness: "Show yourself if you want to talk with me!"

    At first, there was no reaction. The shadows kept shifting lightly. She let her gaze wander, until finally, she saw a pair of red eyes, glowing in the darkness. Like a predator, like a demon lord, they were staring right at her. Danger!, her whole system cried out to her. Run as fast as you can!

    But she stayed still, only balling her fists in resistance. He was no demon, no ghost or slaughter god!, she reminded herself. A mere human! Stop playing with me! Anger slowly washed her fear away until she there was only rage and determination left. "Come out, I said!"

    "You dare command me, little girl?" The voice of the earl got even colder.

    Although Katherine didn''t know what caused his dissatisfaction originally, his reaction now was a bit over the top. Little girl? She was seventeen already, damn it! Getting eighteen in just a month to boot!

    She tried to hold in her anger. Hadn''t she already confirmed that arguing with the earl didn''t get her anywhere? But she just so much wanted to yell at him!

    Wait, what if his reaction wasn''t even caused by her? Mind me, she didn''t do anything wrong today. She''d even asked him before going out. Just because she was a little late it wouldn''t disturb the earl, right? So maybe... something bad happened?

    Reasoning struggled with anger. If she kept on fighting him for everything, she would never get on a green leaf. Maybe... just this once... she should try another method?

    Her shoulders relaxed, the fists opened. Right, fighting wasn''t the way to get along with him. And wasn''t this a chance? If something really happened, would he talk about it? She so badly needed to know more about him.

    "Nathaniel...", she called out softly. The body of the earl, hidden in the darkness, shuddered. "Nathaniel... what happened?"

 Chapter 34 - Surprises

    It was ridiculous. How come she has so much power over me?, Nathaniel wondered. She just called his name but it felt like a fresh breeze gently blowing his anger away. If her enraged self mesmerized and provoked him, this soft call made him completely helpless in front of her. He didn''t expect her to do this. No, he wanted her to shout and fight like she used to. This way he could have taken out his frustration on her. But why did she have to call him so sweetly...

    Feeling the sorrow in his c.h.e.s.t multiplying, he walked out of the darkness step by step. Her call was like a bond pulling him closer, despite his unwillingness.

    His eyes were fixed on her face, noticing every little change in it. When she saw him, her soft, pink lips slightly parted, her breath hastening. In her bright, violet eyes lingered astonishment as if she didn''t expect him to finally heed her call and come forward. He himself also didn''t expect it. But here he was, riddling about why this soft call was so irresistible.

    As if he could decipher the answer from her eyes if he just looked deep enough, he kept staring at her silently. Katherine, though puzzled over his intense gaze, didn''t avoid it, quietly urging him to speak instead. The silence, however, slowly dampened their different ambitions, fusing them together into a trance-like feeling. They just looked into the opposite''s eyes, getting oblivious of the surroundings.

    Candlelight flickered over their faces, pronouncing their features or hiding them in shadows. The longer they looked, the more they were enraptured with each other. They couldn''t describe what they were feeling. Over time, however, like a tide, a different type of tension raised. After all, they were still aware of their own actions.

    With a slight blush Katherine blinked and averted her gaze. Her hands were fumbling with her dress. "So, you... will you tell me? What happened?"

    Nathaniel didn''t answer. He just calmly reached out his hand.

    "Wha-what are you doing?", Katherine asked, her panic showing in her voice when the warm leather of his gloves touched her temple. He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, following the movement with his strange red eyes. They darkened with d.e.s.i.r.e.

    When his fingertips grazed her ear-loop, Katherine shivered. His touch was burning into her, like a fire she wanted to get closer to. She bit her lower lip to stop herself from calling out his name again. Ever since she did it for the first time, she was only feeling weaker and weaker with each call. Vulnerable. And now, she was longing for his touch, for the warm skin she imagined was under the leather of his gloves. Why was she like this in front of someone she didn''t even like? Decisively, she tried to remember all the reasons to dislike him.

    "Katherine..." The sound of her name was swinging in the air even after he spoke it. Soft and melodic, called in a deep, enrapturing voice. It was like temptation itself was speaking to her, repeating it''s call over and over again and making her forget about all reasoning.

    Nathaniel must have heard it too, for he paused before letting out a soft sigh. His fingers stoked down to her jaw tenderly, moving it so that she had to meet his gaze again. This time, he looked almost gentle. "Do you want to accompany me tomorrow?"

    It was a silent whisper, as if he wasn''t sure if it was the right thing to do. But however quiet it was, it marked a great change. Besides her welcome dinner, this was the very first time he asked her for company out of his own. Even the dinner on Monday was initiated by her, as she had contacted him first. This one however... did she still stand a chance? Would her questions be answered if she followed him?

    Before Nathaniel could take back his words, she nodded vehemently. "Yes!"

    "Good." He let go of her. Without the contact, both of them felt like they had lost something, but at the same time, like they can breath normally again.

    None of them knew what to say at that time. Actually, they had nothing left to discuss as he seemingly didn''t want to talk about his troubles tonight. But they didn''t want to leave when they were finally getting along.

    "So...", Katherine said reluctantly after searching her head for a good conversation topic without success. "Goodnight?"

    Reining his emotions back in and transforming to his usual cold self - at least outwardly - the earl nodded curtly and turned to leave.

    "Wait!" Katherine couldn''t understand how he just turned away as if everything was nothing more than an illusion! Wasn''t he affected in any way?

    Nathaniel halted, but didn''t look back. He felt like he''d given away too much of his true thoughts already.

    After having stopped him out of pure instinct, Katherine searched through her head for something to say again, only to in the end state with feigned anger: "It is in the middle of the night! Shouldn''t a man at least offer a lady to bring her back to her room when he was the one to send her guards away?"

    She saw the white head of the earl sink down, before hearing something very strange. It sounded like... a chuckle? No, that couldn''t be it! This always serious, dangerous earl couldn''t be... chuckling, right?!

    The sound stopped as soon as it emerged, leaving Katherine in a daze, questioning herself if she''d really heard it right. Maybe it was a sneeze or a snare instead?

    Well, it had to be since the look of the earl when he faced her again was exactly the same as when he simply nodded coldly as a ''goodnight''. "Isn''t it your own fault for getting home so late? If you are scared in the dark, you should have returned sooner."

    "I''m not scared!", Katherine instantly retorted. "I just wanted to..."

    "Yes?", the earl encouraged her with lifted brows. This view greatly annoyed her, so that she somehow didn''t want to answer anymore.

    "Hmpf!", she snorted. "Forget it, I don''t need your company!"

    Her chin lifted highly, she overtook him and swaggered up the stairs elegantly. Admiring her curvy rear swaying gently with every move, Nathaniel hid his smile behind his palm. However, if someone was watching, his eyes would still betray him. They were glittering with a childish happiness like thousands of tiny stars.

    "I knew you wouldn''t have changed so easily.", he muttered under his breath. Although he didn''t get why she reacted different from her usual self to his provocation at first, it looked like she was still as fiery as before. Which made him glad and a bit worried at the same time. On the one hand, it was a weak spot, easily used by an enemy. On the other hand, he realized that he would have been a bit sad if he couldn''t tease her anymore. Her cheeks turning red with anger was such an adorable sight.

    Although the soft look he saw for the first time today was also sweet and even more so enchanting, he very much feared for his reasoning in front of it. The angry face was safer. Yes, he''d prefer the angry face. Even more so as with teasing her he wouldn''t need to really hurt her to keep her away from him.

    A grim look flashed past his eyes. It was such a struggle to keep the balance between hate and like in her. But if the balance was broken and it tilted to one side, one of them would unavoidable get hurt. He didn''t want that. Never.

 Chapter 35 - Sunday

    When the earl reached his chambers, a disheveled Sam already waited in front of it. It was obvious that he was awoken out of deep slumber shortly before. He informed Nathaniel that what seemed to be a scout troop of the Renat kingdom had been sighted in the forest on their side of the border. The Renat''s troops were moving faster than they expected.

    "Double the patrols in the area. If we can catch them, it would be great. However, it will still take a few days for the army to cross the forest either way. In that time, the towns need to be evacuated. When everything is ready, we can start the next phase of the plan."

    "Yes, milord.", Sam nodded, and excused himself. The plan was moving faster and faster.

    .

    On the next day, the sky was as gloomy as the earl''s mood. The message that they didn''t manage to catch the scouts only worsened it. At breakfast he deliberated why he asked her to come with him today. It was not like it was a pleasant thing to do. Maybe she would fear him even more after that. Or think of him as a coward. Both was possible, actually. Either way, it wouldn''t have a good effect.

    Should I tell her I changed my mind? But he knew that would make her seriously angry. And he wasn''t someone to go back on his word easily. Although he didn''t really promise to take her with him. Weighting his options, the time for the departure neared.

    He decided to just go through with his yearly actions and whatever she thought about it, he would ignore it. Simple as that.

    Sam had told Katherine to bring warm clothes, saying that it would be very cold up there.

    "Up there?", Katherine had asked suspiciously.

    "It''s on the peak of a mountain, milady. As it is still spring, there will be icy winds and snow."

    "Oh." There wasn''t anything to refute that reasoning. But what was the earl doing on a mountain peak? Was there some political meeting? Religious gathering? Mind me, she didn''t know much about religion in the Iceland, only that one of their main goddesses was Skadi. However, everything that involved people gathering didn''t seem logical on a mountain shortly after winter.

    When Nathaniel saw Katherine leave the mansion with a fluffy coat in her hands, her cheeks slightly flushed by excitement, the turmoil inside him calmed down. He opened the door of the carriage for her and reluctantly gestured Sam to help her inside. In contrast to the guards, he trusted Sam to not have any funny ideas.

    "Were exactly are we going?", she asked curiously when the carriage started moving.

    "Don''t you know already?", he hinted at her coat.

    She puffed out her cheeks adorably. "But what are we going to do in the mountains?"

    "Visiting someone." The answer was given quietly, and Nathaniel looked out of the window, indicating that he didn''t want to talk anymore.

    The terrain got rougher the further they traveled and around lunchtime Katherine saw a single mountain in the distance. It looked like a purely black fortress with a white tip, overshadowing the surrounding land with its might.

    As there was still some time left, Katherine deliberated shortly before taking out the lunchbox prepared by the kitchen staff. The earl didn''t look like he would get hungry any time soon. He''d been staring out the window for the whole ride. Katherine wondered what he was thinking about, but knew she wouldn''t get an answer by simply asking.

    It looked still the same, Nathaniel thought, his eyes deepening. He remembered when he first saw it when he was four years old. The memory was one of the few out of his younger years he could never forget.

    .

    Spring had been cold in that year, the grassland speckled with snowy spots like a green-white cow. When he saw the mountain reaching high into the sky, he''d already lost all hope to be found. If they didn''t succeed in the first week after they left the capital, the possibility was nearing zero now. The distance they traveled was too big. And it was not like the caution of his abductors had lessened.

    "You can stare when we reach it, idiot!", one of them scolded him and wanted to shove him forward with a hard push. However, the push was too strong, sending the boy into the mud.

    A shriek came from behind them, stifled by a gag. A chubby woman struggled with one of the kidnappers, who yelled: "Why did we even take her with us? Wouldn''t the boy be enough?"

    No one answered. They knew all too well that the woman would still bring them a huge pile of gold. Only the boy stiffened, before he slowly scrambled to his feet again, despite the overflowing tiredness, which made his moves sluggish. Admirably, not one single tear could be spotted on his muddy cheeks when he turned to the woman. They had died out over time, leaving something in his eyes that was way too old for his small frame.

    "I''m okay, aunt.", he said with eerie calmness, before he just turned and continued walking. His steps were slow and unsteady, but with a pride that told everyone to stay away and not dare to help him. Of course, the only thing this pride awakened in his kidnappers was laughter.

    The sound of a cracker breaking let Nathaniel return to reality. When his eyes moved from the window, he saw Katherine enjoying a small lunch packet. Her cheeks were puffed up, her small hands holding the cracker to her mouth. Suddenly, the carriage jumped on the bumpy road throwing the food onto the ground.

    "Damn!", Katherine cursed loudly. She was too surprised to mind her words. Although everything inside was dry food and didn''t ruin her dress, she lost all of her food now! It was the food for a whole day!

    When she suddenly again heard that chuckling sound from last night, and looked up to see the earl enjoying her misfortune, her fury exploded. She pointed with the finger at him. "You! How can you laugh at me?!"

    The grin of the earl got even brighter. However, even the most unexpected, world-shaking laugh couldn''t dim her anger.

    "You really dare laugh at me!", she screamed, jumping to her feet. Unfortunately though, she forgot they were in a carriage and when it jumped for the second time, she toppled over, falling right in his direction!

    The grin of the earl stopped instantly. "Idiot woman!", he hissed and hastily stretched out his hands to stop her, praying that she wouldn''t land on the b.a.r.e skin of his face or neck.

    When he got a hold of her, they both stilled. Their faces were only inches apart, their breath grazing the other intimately. Katherine''s ears slowly turned red, but it was not only because of their closeness. When the earl grabbed her, one of his hands landed on her left shoulder, the other... slightly beneath the right.

    Nathaniel, who originally only wanted to shove her away, was stupefied when he felt the softness in his hand. Despite the danger she was in, his mind blanked out and he sat there like a stature, not knowing what to do. Katherine, meanwhile, knew fully well what to do.

    "You bastard!", she blurted out, hitting his c.h.e.s.t hard and pushing his hands to the side, before she backed away to the corner furthest away from him. With a beet red face, she crouched there, hiding her c.h.e.s.t under her arms and not daring to look him in the eye.

 Chapter 36 - Wronged

    Neither the scream nor the push managed to shake Nathaniel out of his stupor. Here he thought the only thing he needed to care for was that she didn''t touch his skin. How wrong he had been. He hadn''t been prepared for this softness in his hands. Mind me, even though he found her mesmerizing and sweet, he always thought that she was a bit childish. Her c.h.e.s.t, however, was everything but that. It was a big, m.a.t.u.r.e ball of softness. Uncomparable to anything he''d touched before.

    Always buried in his work and knowing that he couldn''t go further, he didn''t seek the contact with woman. Though over time more and more woman tried to cling to him, he didn''t touch any of them. It was partly out of the thinking that he might be tempted more if he did, and partly because none of them interested him.

    Now he was left in a stupor, because he suddenly realized that the last statement wasn''t quite right anymore. He should have recognized it much sooner, yet he didn''t. The fascination he had for Katherine wasn''t untainted. It wasn''t like the amus.e.m.e.nt over a naive girl, but ... something else. He was beginning to see her as a woman.

    The thought troubled him deeply. How could he let it get so far? Him and her... him and any woman... wasn''t possible.

    That was why he didn''t console the girl sitting in the corner, but turned to the window again, his brows furrowed deeply.

    He doesn''t even say sorry!, Katherine thought and felt upset. Shortly after lashing out at him, she''d realized that he wasn''t really at fault. She was the one to stand up in a moving carriage. But he still touched her where he shouldn''t have! To apologize was only right!

    Every once and now stealing peeks at Nathaniel, Katherine thought that he was looking way too unperturbed. How could he be so calm after that incident? Was she being too consciousness? Was it normal for the earl to touch a girls b.r.e.a.s.t?

    Her blush intensified. She remembered the warning he gave her in the gardens. That she was too young to play with him. Did he mean that she was too inexperienced? Looking at the situation now, maybe it was true. Maybe she really overreacted. After all, wasn''t getting his interest exactly what she wanted before? Only that she''d already given up...

    But the newest developments made her overthink that decision. Maybe it was still possible. She just wasn''t patient enough before. And too obvious to boot. If she made it look more like coincidences - like the fall today - maybe then he wouldn''t threaten her again.

    Slowly, she uncoiled her position and sat up strait. But what should she talk about now?

    Just then, the carriage stopped and someone knocked on the door, saying: "Milord, we reached the mountain."

    The way up was still far, but it wasn''t possible for the carriage to ride on the small mountain path. Nathaniel took up his bag and began to ascend in silence. In a hurry, Katherine and some of the guards followed him.

    "Shall I take your bag, milady?", Jack offered with a smile.

    Katherine smiled back at him thankfully. "Yes please!" What a good guard, trying to lessen her load!

    Jack took over the bag proudly, looking as if he just won an award, to which Pete could only roll his eyes. Rapidly, however, the joy was muffled by a cold shiver washing over the whole company. The earl, already at an higher level, obviously wasn''t pleased by their pace.

    When the sun was at the highest point, they reached the mountain peak. Snow covered the ground like a thin white blanket. Untouched. Katherine was glad for bringing warm clothes. She had to thank Sam for this when she was back. They plodded through the snow, leaving a muddy path behind them.

    The earl stopped in front of a cave. It seemed to be man-made as the hole was formed like a small door, rusting door hinges lying on the ground.

    Like the proud lady she was, she straitened her back and followed Nathaniel into the darkness. Some guards may have been tempted to stop her, but when they moved, a one-eyed glare hit them hard and made them step out of the way promptly.

    Pete, who noticed the manipulation, gave Jack a stare in return, which made the smaller man raise his hands in an innocent faction.

    "Really...", Pete sighed. "Can you make your favoritism any less obvious at least? Troublesome."

    The cave was long and dark, but small enough to touch the stone on both sides, so Katherine didn''t lose her orientation. As it was an unknown territory, she walked carefully. When the cave made a turn, she couldn''t even see her fingers anymore in the darkness, letting her move forward even slower.

    Her curiosity raised to it''s peak. What was the earls purpose? Why was he here? He said he wanted to visit someone... but who would live in this godforsaken cave where the wind was as cold as an ice pickle and the darkness as deep as a giants maw?

    In the distance a small flame awoke. It was a candle, giving out a warm, soothing light, which was a bit spooky in this unmanned cave. A figure contrasted to the light. He was sitting with his head down, his back showing in Katherine''s direction. Even still so far away, Katherine knew clearly that it was Nathaniel. The white hair betrayed him. Nobody else was in sight.

    I knew he wouldn''t visit someone, Katherine thought triumphantly. Who would want to live here out of their own volition? But what was he up to then? What was so important to climb this goddamn mountain for? Slowly, she sneaked nearer when she heard him speak. His voice was unusually soft. She needed to concentrate to understand his words.

    "The years just keep on rushing by. What a shame. It''s twenty years now. You know, the one who killed you still keeps living on and on and on... I wonder, are you angry about that?"

    He paused, and Katherine''s thoughts were overthrowing themselves in her head. Who was he talking to? He definitely said the person was dead. Was he talking to a ghost then? Katherine shivered slightly. Nathaniel was doing one creepy thing after the other these days. Furthermore, it sounded like that person had been murdered. Did it happen here? On this lonely mountain? She looked around in the darkness, suddenly feeling insecure. And did he say the murderer was still not caught yet? What if he came back?

    Instinctively, she took a step towards the light of the candle. The earl was over there. Even if she didn''t trust him fully, he still needed her. Hopefully, he would protect her if there was really someone evil hiding in the darkness. And it was better to have a candle anyways.

    Slowly and quietly she neared him. But suddenly, she stopped. A figure she hadn''t seen before manifested itself out of the darkness. Most likely the walls of the corridor had prevented her from seeing it up until now.

    It was just a shade brighter than the surroundings and formed like a square block, standing upright in the cave. It was a tombstone.

 Chapter 37 - Listening in

    A wave of sadness washed over Katherine. So he was here to visit a grave. He should have told me, she thought. I wouldn''t have bothered him then. After all, she knew what it felt like to loose people dear to her. And it was obvious the earl liked the person very much, otherwise he wouldn''t visit the grave even after twenty-one years had passed.

    She deliberated if she should go back. She didn''t want to interrupt his mourning. However, going back meant to go through the darkness alone when she knew there had been a murder case in here.

    Suddenly, his voice sounded out again, and she stilled. Right, it might be shameless, but she was too curious what happened here. Who was this person to the earl? A friend? Family? A beloved?

    "You have always been a kind, forgiving person. I... can''t picture you angry. But can you really forgive your murderer? And even if you can, I can''t! I can''t forgive... " He sounded so lost and lonely that Katherine felt the wish to go over and comfort him. She wanted to stroke his white, fluffy hair and pull him in her embrace. Was this desolate puppy kneeling on the ground really the strong, decisive earl she knew? She couldn''t believe it. Her heart was aching for him. Who was it that he lost? And why should the victim forgive the killer? Wasn''t that too lighthearted?

    In the light of the candle, she saw him reaching out with his hand, stroking the tombstone gently. "I''m sorry, aunt, I am sorry, I ... "

    But Katherine couldn''t hear the last few words. His voice was too low. Was he sorry that he didn''t save her? Sorry to not have found her killer? At least she knew now who it was. His aunt. Somehow she would have expected that it was someone even closer to him. His father or his mother, a sister... but what did she knew about his family-constellation? Maybe his aunt was the one to raise him and his parents were dead. Who knows? Maybe she would find out if she stayed longer.

    Although she felt guilty to listen in to his talk with the dead, it was one of the few chances to get to know more about him. Besides, she didn''t want to go back alone.

    Now that she thought about it, why did he ask her to come with him anyways? It was kind of strange, wasn''t it? It was not like she had any use here. And if he wanted to show her the tomb, he wouldn''t have told her to wait. Did he maybe just... not want to go alone? What was that? Why was her sight getting blurry? She wouldn''t cry for the man who threatened to kill her, would she?

    With gritted teeth, she rubbed her face. No, she wouldn''t cry for him. He had worked together with her cousin. Most likely, he had killed a whole bunch of innocents already, like the woman in the snowstorm. Feeling pity for him was wasted afford. But still... he looked so lonely.

    The hand on the tombstone ceased it''s movement and the white head dropped even lower. Was he perhaps... crying? But no, he didn''t sound like it when he spoke again. "Sam is still with me, you know. He''s too old to climb this mountain, but he''s sending his regards. Although he keeps telling me to select a day later in the year to visit. He said it''s because of the weather, but we both know it''s not."

    A deep sigh followed. After a while, he stood up. Katherine tensed. Would he go back now and see her? He wouldn''t be happy if he knew she watched him like this. Why hadn''t she thought about that when she stayed? The fury of the earl or the darkness, which was worse? Her reaction was instinctive, taking a few steps backwards. Just when she wanted to turn and run, the earl swirled around, his terrifying red eyes searching the cave. Katherine didn''t dare move. Did she make a sound?

    Like a tiger who could see in the deepest night his eyes locked onto her. Her stomach felt like falling. Oh no! That''s bad, really, really bad! She stumbled further backwards.

    His lips curved up into a terrifying cold grin, then his silky voice whispered: "I thought a curious cat sneaked in here, but it looks like it was just a mouse this time. Come here, little mouse. Let me ... eat you alive!"

    Suddenly he dashed forward like a bolt of lightning. Katherine could only shriek before her throat was grabbed and she was pushed against the rough wall of the cave.

    Red eyes filled with murderous intent stared down at her and though she could feel his heart beat against her c.h.e.s.t, he looked nothing like a human being anymore. His beautiful features were twisted into a grimace that was made out of pure rage, pain, and a bit insanity. The coldness was all gone, but Katherine feared even more what had hid beneath it. He looked like an evil god, prepared to do anything.

    The grip tightened. "You... why didn''t you do what I said?! You should have stayed outside!"

    Struggling for air, Katherine''s eyes started tearing up. She tried to pull his hand away, dug her nails into the leather, but he wouldn''t bulge.

    "Na... Nathan..." Filled with pain, her eyes pleaded for mercy. She knew she shouldn''t have followed him! It was a big mistake! But did she deserve dying for it? Her legs wobbled.

    Just when she thought it was over, he again gripped her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. They were burning red. The fire hadn''t calmed down at all. "Tell me... what did I say? What did you hear?!"

    "I... " It was hard to think. Her head was still buzzing with dizziness. Slowly, she moved her lips, but her throat hurt, making it hard to speak. "You... you said your aunt... was murdered. That you... couldn''t avenge her."

    She gulped and the pain sent tears to her eyes. Blinking them away, she dared to ask what was on her mind the whole time. "But why after that time... is her murderer still... not found?"

    The tenseness in him lessened. His eyes were searching hers. "Is that really all you''ve heard?"

    Tired, she closed her lids and nodded. She didn''t know what he was afraid of. Being treated like this by him - as if she was an enemy, not worth any trust - didn''t feel good. Though she know it was her own fault. She should have waited outside the cave.

    What would he do now with her?, she wondered. What was it he didn''t want her to hear? She couldn''t think of anything important enough. Whatever. She felt so tired. Her throat hurt so much from his grip.

    Forcing herself to endure the pain, she asked: "Can I go back now? I want to rest for a bit."

    The fingers on her chin let go, and unexpectedly the grip on her waist turned into a warm embrace with one hand pulling her head down to his c.h.e.s.t. To the fast beating of his heart, she heard him murmur words she never expected. "I''m sorry."

    Her eyes shot open, but all she could see was the animal fur of his coat and the darkness beyond. His hand prevented her from raising her head. What did he say? Was it really what I thought? She wouldn''t believe it until she could look at him and see him utter the words herself. Naturally, he wouldn''t let her.

    His fingers were woven into her hair, destroying her hair stile relentlessly. She couldn''t care less. She really wanted to get a glance at his face, but as he didn''t want her to, well... she still felt strangely contented to lean against his c.h.e.s.t and listen to his heartbeat.

    She bit her lower lip when thinking about his attack earlier. Why did she still not feel angry? She knew herself: she was the kind to get furious when cornered and normally wouldn''t give in this easily after getting nearly strangled. She was reacting strangely today. Was something wrong with her because she didn''t feel the urge to hit him?

    Maybe it is because I feel guilty, she reasoned herself out. If it was me getting overheard while talking to my parents... I would get furious, too. The tears that didn''t fall when she was choked tickled down her cheek now. Mom... Dad... are you good up there?

 Chapter 38 - Black History

    She didn''t hear it. She didn''t. She didn''t hear me. The words repeated in his mind, calming his anger and fear. Thank goodness, she still doesn''t know about it.

    It was a relieve, but his heart still pulsed hard in his c.h.e.s.t. What would he tell her if she knew? Would she ever see him as a good person again? Not that he was one... he absolutely wasn''t.

    Regret filled him when he saw the marks he left on her fair skin. Her face was buried in his c.h.e.s.t. He didn''t want her to notice the relive in his expression so that she wouldn''t get suspicious.

    Why did he even talk about it... it was long past. Maybe the regret just ran too deep. He tightened his arms around her soft body, searching comfort he didn''t deserve. Although he knew it wasn''t right to hide it from her, he feared her reaction.

    She would hate him. She would see him as a monster, even more than now. He was sure about it. After all... he was the one who killed his aunt.

    Yes. That was right. He killed her.

    .

    "Finally we reached the hideout.", one of the kidnappers sighed and threw his bag on the ground. The others followed suit, stretching their back and talking among themselves.

    "Hey! You two!", the leader called the boy and the woman. "Take this and stay in the cave over there!"

    The woman catched it and complied hastily, tugging the boy with her. The second cave was much smaller than the main cave and had a wooden door the leader closed behind them. They heard a key turn followed by the voice of the leader again: "Take out the wine! Let''s celebrate the five million gold coins those two will get us!"

    The woman wrinkled her nose in disgust. Shaking her head, she sat on the ground and opened the blanket. "Come here, Nathan!"

    With stiff movements the boy walked over. His aunt pulled him in her embrace, the blanket surrounding them with warmth.

    Feeling his hands, she gasped. "Aish! So cold! Why didn''t you say something?"

    She began rubbing his hands with hers, but stopped when she didn''t get a reply. Concerned, she searched his face with her eyes. "Nathan?"

    It was irritating how she couldn''t read anything out of her nephew''s face. When did it get so emotionless? He had never been overly extroverted, but as time passed by and no-one came to their rescue, he grew even quieter. Sorrow filled his aunt''s heart. How was what she saw before her still the disposition of a four-year-old?

    "I''m okay, aunt.", the boy assured her, but his even tone only caused her to worry more. How could he be okay when she herself was not? The kidnappers may not have hurt them excessively, but the constant threat for their live was enough to traumatize a grown man, not to speak of a small child.

    Remembering something, she searched in her clothes, until she found a slice of bread. Although the kidnappers were cautious not to let them die, the food-supply was scarce. She could only deduce that they wanted to keep them weakened. This morning, she had repressed her hunger and kept the bread instead. It was hard and dry like a tree bark, the edges tearing the lips open if one wasn''t careful. Still, it was better than nothing.

    Without thinking twice, the woman pressed the bread into her nephew''s hands. "Here, eat. You''re still growing."

    The boy didn''t react immediately. He blinked, then rotated the bread in his hands once, before hitting his knee with it. A cracking sound reverberated in the cave. The bread broke into two. With one if the halves in hand, the boy reached out to his aunt.

    "Oh no, dear.", she rejected with a smile. "Thank you, but I''m not hungry."

    Obviously, her nephew wasn''t convinced. Staring intensely at her with his red eyes, he stretched out his arm even further.

    "Really, I''m not hungry. Just eat it all.", she tried again.

    The gaze of the boy wandered to the cold stone ground they were sitting on, his hand sinking down a bit. He bit his lip. Then, finally, he spoke with a small voice. "My wish."

    "What?", the woman asked, confused. What did he mean with that? What was his wish?

    The bread lifted again, nearly tapping the woman''s mouth. His eyes also tore away from the stone, landing on hers. His white brows were deeply knotted as if deliberating a complicated question. "It is... my wish. That you eat it. To..."

    Suddenly, his small face distorted as if he was fighting with his emotions, trying to calm down a giant storm that tried to break the emotionless facade. There was pain, there was anger, fear, and sadness bottled up inside him. His lips trembled.

    "To...", he repeated but didn''t seem to be able to say aloud what he wanted. Still, he gritted his teeth and tried again, not willing to give in to the emotions that were raging inside him. "to..."

    The woman couldn''t look on any further. She broke into tears and pulled him deeper into her arms. "I know, I know. You don''t need to say. It''s okay."

    Seconds later, the door banged open and a bearded kidnapper roared: "Make that damn brat shut up!"

    The roar was so unexpected that the boy chocked on his own tears out of fright and the wailing got cut short by coughing sounds. The woman stared daggers at the bearded man while rubbing her nephew''s back.

    The coughing creased, but tears were still falling like an unstoppable flood that crashed the only barricade.

    Just when he was about to close the door, the man heard the sniffle. His angry face distorted to something even more unsightly. With a step forward, he grabbed into the boys hair and pulled him up on it.

    The boy yelped in pain and the woman yelled: "Stop it!"

    She jumped to her feet just when the man''s fist hit the child''s stomach, sending it flying against the cave wall. "Nathaniel!"

    Instantly, she rushed to the boy''s side, who slowly slid down the wall, and shielded his body from sight. In a fl.u.s.ter, her hands checked him for wounds. "Please be alright, be alright!"

    The back of his head was bloody, but one couldn''t tell if it was because of the collusion or the grip on his hair. When the woman touched his stomach, he flinched and g.r.o.a.n.e.d softly, before forcing his eyes open. With a weak voice he called out: "Aunt..."

    Relieved, she cupped his cheek with her hand. "I''m here, I''m right next to you. You will be okay."

    Nathaniel knitted his tiny brows. "I''m ... not feeling so well."

    "I know, my dear, I know. They hurt you, but we will pay them back thousand times when we are found."

    He nodded softly and grimaced as pain hit him again. Somehow he got the feeling that the punch broke something inside him. Destroyed something other than flesh and bones. It was an ominous feeling he couldn''t describe. Hidden under his shirt, unnoticed by even him, a black point emerged on his c.h.e.s.t. It came from no-where and slowly started to spread.

    The woman turned to the kidnapper, fury visible in her elegant face. "How dare you hurt him! You know who we are! Our family will torture you to death when we are found!"

    The bearded man sneered. "They haven''t found us for so long. As soon as we get the signal, we will cross the border and give you to our client. Then your family will either have to pay the demanded price or start a war to get you back. Both will have nothing to do with us. And that''s why..."

    Suddenly, he moved closer to her grabbing her arm. His stinking breath made her want to throw up. "It won''t matter what we do to you as long as you''re alive. Now that we''re in the hideout, we don''t need to be vary anymore. All of us have plenty of time to dedicate ourselves to more pleasurable things."

    She let out a shriek when she noticed his intention, trying to break free of his grasp, but he was too strong. He pulled her out of the cave into the bigger one, where the other mercenaries let out joyful shouts.

 Chapter 39 - Too Late

    Drunken by their l.u.s.t, the mercenaries forgot to close the door to the second cave. It didn''t matter to them as the boy would still need to bypass them all if he wanted to flee. And they were sure a child wouldn''t get far on this lonely mountain.

    In the other cave, Nathaniel heard his aunt shout out loudly. "Please don''t! Please don''t! Don''t touch me!"

    With a pained face, Nathaniel forced his body to stand up, using the wall as a support. He didn''t want his aunt to hurt. He wanted to protect her. His uncle told him that a man needed to protect what he loved.

    After two steps, sweat soaked his forehead. One punch of a grown-up was already near the limit of what his small body could take. As if reacting to his pain, the blackness on his c.h.e.s.t continued spreading.

    When he reached the door, he paused, afraid of what he might see. How did they hurt her? Why was she sobbing so badly? And there were some other weird noises.

    He gulped, taking all his courage together. He had to help his aunt! Slowly, he took the last step towards the opening. When he saw what happened inside, he froze. His eyes grew wide. Then, as if he had lost his mind, he ran inside, hitting the nearest kidnapper with his small fists. "Stop it! Don''t do this to my aunt! Don''t hurt her! You evil people!"

    Shortly irritated, the kidnapper soon responded with a slap to the boy''s face that let him spin around and fall. "Go back to your cave!"

    But Nathaniel didn''t hear that. His ears were tingling and the helpless rage he felt fed the dark beast inside him. He could feel it now clearly. There was something dark and angry in him, waiting to be unleashed.

    Slowly, the boy climbed to his feet again. His red eyes seemed to glow in the dim cave. The wall behind him was moving. Or maybe it wasn''t the wall, but a different darkness, eating up all light. How dare they do this to his aunt? How dare they hurt his family?

    Although he didn''t know what exactly they were doing, his aunt was n.a.k.e.d and crying. She had red bruises all over her body and the man were still groping and... hurting her.

    "Stop", he whispered. Then louder, fueled by rage: "Stop! Stop! STOP!"

    They ignored it. He could see their disgusting faces, their wobbling flesh. He heard their groans, and the sobs of his aunt. Hatred filled him. The darkness swirled and surrounded him like a black cloak. Only the red eyes were left out, making him akin to a demon.

    Hidden in the dark, he walked forward, a strange confidence mixing with his rage. I''ll kill them. I''ll kill them all. The words repeated in his head like a mantra. The strange coat of darkness glided over the floor soundlessly, in contrast to the sickening noises. Slowly, he raised his arm, pure white in all the black, and pointed at the man who slapped him. He hadn''t even checked if Nathan followed his command and was instead occupied staring at Nathan''s aunt now, his arms moving in a frenzy.

    Like an eager dog, the darkness jumped forward. It covered the man from head to toe. He didn''t even have the time to scream. A second later, the darkness sank to the ground, but the man had... vanished.

    Nathaniel wasn''t surprised. He could feel what the darkness did, felt it''s the impatience, too. It was hungry. After swallowing the man, it got even more restless, wanting to devour everything. He was ready to fulfill this wish. It matched his rage perfectly. Kill them, he thought. Kill all the bad people!

    Like a big wave, the darkness washed through the cave, feeding on everything in it''s way. Clothes and flesh were swallowed, bags, and people. Foremost people.

    Though the kidnappers were captivated by his aunt, one of the looked up in time and saw the wave of darkness rolling towards them. "What the - "

    But the darkness was too fast, covering them all in mere seconds. The only one that had time to scream was his aunt. And she still screamed, when the darkness sank to the ground and all the kidnappers were gone.

    Hugging her n.a.k.e.d body, she stood there alone in the middle of the cave, her eyes filled with tears, fear, and confusion. "Wha...?"

    When these eyes met the red one''s amidst the dark, they trembled. She fell to her knees. Her whole body shuddered in anxiety, but the little Nathaniel thought it was the cold. With wobbling knees, he strode over to the second cave to get the blanket, but it had vanished in the darkness pooling on the ground even there. The wooden door, too, had been eaten up.

    Unsure of what to do, he turned back, only to see the shadows hovering over his aunt like giant maws, ready to devour her. Shocked, he reacted instinctively. He treated the blackness like he would a dog. "No! Bad blacky! Come back here!"

    Unexpectedly, the darkness heeded his call and came to his side, collecting around him like a black mist. He could feel that it wasn''t satisfied. It was still hungry. Everything it''d ate only made it more hungry.

    "Nathan?", he could hear the fearful voice of his aunt on the other side of the mist. "Is that... you? Are you... inside of that... thing?"

    He nodded, only to realize that she couldn''t see him. "Yes, aunt."

    A sob escaped her. "Thank goodness! Nathaniel! Can you... come out of there?"

    He wanted to, but the shadows didn''t like leaving him. When he stepped forward, they followed. Even when he told them so, they wouldn''t stay behind. He wracked his brain for a different possibility. Where did those shadows come from? Where did they stay before? He remembered feeling the darkness inside of him before it filled the air. Could it go back there? But how would all this darkness fit inside him? It seemed to have grown much larger with every life it took.

    "Are you okay, dear?", his aunt asked. She seemed to be concerned for he didn''t answer her. He heard how her teeth chattered and was reminded of how cold she must feel without clothes.

    He didn''t have the time to think for long, so he just tried it out. Stuffed that darkness back in. Reluctantly, it followed his wish, merging itself with him. Suddenly and unexpected, his legs gave in and his body hit the floor. He didn''t even manage to stretch out his hands and stop the fall. Actually, he couldn''t move his arms at all! The just fell limply to the ground, riddled with wildly pulsing black veins.

    He heard his aunt cry out and suddenly saw her face above him. She looked disheveled and there were tear stains all over her face. With trembling hands, she cupped his cheek.

    "You have to compel it!", she said anxiously. "Make it smaller!"

    With great difficulty, he knitted his brows. His body didn''t want to respond to him anymore, like the darkness was blocking him out. Suddenly, panic raised in him. He had seen what the darkness could do. Was it turning against him now? Would he die?

    "Come on, dear!", his aunt urged again. "You''re strong, so you have to fight it!"

    He tried to follow what his aunt said. Compel it, compel... but the darkness was wild, unruly. It didn''t want to be caged. It took all his afford to keep it under control. Sweat collected on his forehead. What damn dangerous darkness!

    Occupied with his task, he didn''t notice one tiny wisp of blackness slipping away from his attention. It was only as small as a needle tip, but it traveled all the way up to his cheek, following the allure of fresh flesh that touched his host''s body. The allure of something to eat up and destroy.

 Chapter 40 - Slowly and Silently

    Driven by it''s never ending hunger, the darkness left it''s home... and silently began eating. When the darkness fed on something, it didn''t cause any pain. To be exact, people didn''t feel anything when touched and eaten by it. It just destroyed them silently.

    As was with his aunt. She didn''t notice the black point eating in her flesh, not even when it grew and grew. When it wandered up her arm as a black vein. All her attention was on her nephew, who had closed his eyes, his brows knitted.

    The darkness that had taken seven lives now, the darkness she feared instinctively and was still glad that it existed because it saved her, very slowly receded on the child''s arms and neck.

    "That''s good.", she encouraged him. "Compel it more." She had an inkling what this darkness was, although she wasn''t sure about it. It was so strange... different from what she knew. She had only seen ice-mages and a few fire- and wind-mages in her life. This darkness was too unusual. Could it really be a magic ability?

    However, what else could it be? What happened wasn''t natural. It had to be done by magic. And coincidentally, her nephew was around the age most children awakened, too.

    The small point of darkness grew and distributed itself in her body, eating and eating. Suddenly, she felt dizzy. Was it because of the cold, she thought to herself. She wanted to rub her face, but when she lifted her hand, she could only stare at it dumbly. What had looked like a palm from the one side, was only wiggling black fluid on the other. Was... was this a dream? She couldn''t feel any pain. Stunned, she looked at her palm as it slowly melted away. Then suddenly and without her contribution, her body jerked. Her heart drummed against her c.h.e.s.t. She looked down, and disbelieve and horror colored her face.

    Instead of her legs and h.i.p.s, there was only a black fluid spreading on the cave floor. Her lower body was... gone!

    She screamed. Or at least that was, what she intended to do, but instead black liquid bubbled out of her throat, spilling on her nephews c.h.e.s.t.

    Surprised, Nathaniel opened his eyes... and saw something he would never ever forget. However old he might get, this horror would stay in his mind. Instead of his aunt''s, his screams filled the cave.

    .

    Katherine felt the earl shudder, his c.h.e.s.t heaving up and down heavily. Her tears wet his shirt, but he didn''t loosen his embrace. Strangely, she felt like he needed it more than her, even though he was the one to scare her silly at first.

    Slowly, she raised her arms and coiled them around his waist, hugging him back. At first, he stiffened, but a second later he pulled her even deeper into his c.h.e.s.t.

    She heard his heart beat loudly next to her ear. His breath hit her scalp. The warmth let her feel strangely safe. It may only be an illusion, but she held onto it with all her heart. Just for now, she didn''t want to think about what happened before. She wondered, was he crying too? Her tears were still running silently, her hands clutching the back of his shirt tightly.

    Nathaniel wasn''t crying. He was staring down at her as if she was a miracle he didn''t dare believe. She was hugging him back. Why was she hugging him? How did he deserve being hugged by this pure creature? Heavens above, it felt too good. Too good to be true. And at the same time, he was too greedy to push her away.

    When was the last time someone hugged him? It was probably back then when his aunt shared the blanket with him. Twenty years. He missed it so much. He didn''t even know how much, before her arms surrounded him.

    Still, this hug was different from the one his aunt gave him. Naturally, he was bigger now. But that wasn''t all. He was strangely consciousness of the softness of her body. Especially the part he touched before. Such a big c.h.e.s.t¡­ And her smell was so nice. Like fresh water and roses.

    He wanted to bury his head in her hair, inhale deeply and never let her go. But if he touched her, really touched her, that would ruin everything. It was dangerous enough as it was now. So, he only hugged her and soaked in her warmth and wonderful scent.

    Silently, they stayed like this for god knows how long. Katherine''s tears stopped after a while. They dried on his shirt, but still none of them wanted to break their warm and quiet bubble. It was a luxury that could not be bought by wealth and would cease to exist as soon as one of them recognized the past. Recognized who they really were again.

    In the end, it was Katherine''s stomach that let the bubble pop. It growled like a grown-up lion. Instinctively, Katherine pulled away and clutched her belly. Her cheeks reddened in shame.

    Like an equally hungry beast, Nathaniel nearly growled back, his arms already tightening. Just in time, rationality kicked in, and he let her go. He couldn''t hug her forever. It was embarrassing enough that he held her for such a long time, given that he planned to be cold to her just this morning.

    Angry at himself, his tone turned out harsh. "Didn''t you eat already? Won''t you ever be full?"

    Her cheeks blushed even more. "Most of it got spilled, remember? How long did you plan to stay here anyways?"

    Instead of an answer, he only made an annoyed sound and sauntered out of the cave.

    The guards were still waiting outside, walking in circles because of the cold. When they saw Nathaniel and Katherine come out together finally, they looked relieved.

    Jack whispered to Pete: "Told you it wouldn''t be a problem. How can anybody be angry about our lady? And the earl looks less frosty now, right? Don''t they look good together?"

    "Shut your trap.", Pete advised quietly. "If they look good together isn''t on us to decide. Exactly like if someone follows the earl or not."

    "Oh, please." This time it was Jack who rolled his eyes. "He didn''t even say that she can''t go in. He gestured. It was on us to decide, if she was included or if it was only meant for the guards."

    "It was obviously meant for everyone.", Pete retorted.

    "Even if, don''t you see it worked out great this way? The atmosphere around the earl is much lighter. See, those two are made for each other."

    Noticing the irony, Pete lifted a brow. "What became of ''I don''t want to give my daughter away yet''?"

    "Uuuhm..." He really did say that, right? And didn''t he think this demon of an earl was the worst choice? "You know, as a dad, I just can''t get in the way of true love..."

    Pete snorted. "Whatever. Just remember, the next time you''re going against orders - or around, like today - I will shave your beard off. I won''t go with your shit anymore."

    "What?!", Jack blurted out, and looked deeply shocked. He didn''t even realize he just indirectly acknowledged that he was disobeying. "Why my poor beard?!"

    "Because your head is so silly that it won''t react to a normal threat. It would only get more stubborn if threatened to be chopped off. But I know you love your beard more than your live." The grin on Pete''s face was quite vicious.

    "You won''t!", Jack retorted with wide eyes. He knew, even if he was stubborn, his partner was even worse. In their military time, Pete hadn''t been nicknamed ''the wall'' for nothing. Normally, he was tolerant, but whenever he really decided on something, even an army couldn''t move him one millimeter.

    The smile on Pete''s face didn''t change. "I will. It''s decided. Now, shouldn''t we follow them down?"

 Chapter 41 - Preference

    Her stomach growled again. It was the third time since they left the mountain. Nathaniel didn''t seem to care. He was sitting opposite her in the carriage, reading a strategy-book.

    "Ummm...", Katherine made, wanting him to notice and at the same time not wanting to disturb him. Sometimes, the temper of the earl was strange and she just couldn''t be sure what would anger him.

    "Yes?", he responded without looking up. He didn''t sound displeased, Katherine decided, and forwarded her question.

    "Do you not want to eat?" She was sure that he had a lunch pack, too, but though she was with him the whole day she hadn''t seen him touch it. Was he some inhuman creature that didn''t need to eat?

    "I''m not hungry.", came the quiet answer. Oh, alright, forget it. When had he ever been human? However, she''d hoped for this.

    "Then...", she started slowly, "Can I have it perhaps?"

    A sharp glance hit her and she wanted to hide in a corner of the carriage. But with the most unlucky timing, her stomach growled again.

    "Uhh..." She was twisted between shame and fear on the one side and hunger on the other. What to do?

    "Haven''t you learned your lesson yet? Don''t eat in a moving carriage." His voice was strict and cold, leaving no room for discussion. Then, however, he knocked on the wood separating them from the driver. "Stop the carriage."

    What? Was he doing this for her? Would she get to eat his lunch? She was nearly drooling already when the carriage stopped moving. However, at the same time she didn''t dare believe this miracle. In wonder, she repeated her question. "Are you going to give me your lunch?"

    The answer came instantly. "Of course not. I just suddenly got hungry myself. So, I''m going to eat now."

    The earl surely was a devil. She didn''t expect him to make up such an obvious lie only to annoy her. Whatever, she wouldn''t give him the satisfaction to show her anger.

    Her dress rustled when she stood up. "I''ll be outside then, taking a stroll. If you excuse me."

    "No.", he stopped her, "Accompany me. You were so eager to even follow me into the cave. Why are you running now?"

    Was it payback time already? Katherine sighed and sat down again. Well, if watching him eat is the only punishment for disturbing him in the cave, she should just get over with it. "I wasn''t running. It''s just my legs. They are sore from the long ride. But if milord wants me to accompany him, I will of course stay."

    Nathaniel, who was already taking out the lunch box, halted shortly. For a fraction of a second, anger flashed in his eyes, but his voice was toneless. "We''re back to milord again?"

    Puzzled, Katherine frowned. She had only called him by name a couple of times. Calling him ''milord'' now was more instinctive than anything else. Well, maybe a bit out of annoyance, too.

    In the end, the question was: why did he care? Although his tone was calm, Katherine had seen the short stop in his movements. Was he only irritated and curious about her reason or... did he like it when she called him?

    She bit her lip. Maybe she should just ask him back, though that was kind of risky. It shouldn''t sound like she accused him of liking her or else he might get angry again. Who knows? "Why? Do you have a preference?"

    He didn''t answer and when he lifted the lid of the lunch box, her thoughts diverted. Instead of cracker, there was a full meal inside. Salad and meat and... her eyes went wide. "Chocolates? You''ve got chocolates?!"

    Though she had eaten them once or twice, chocolates were still a rare delicacy. And they were delicious, oh, delicious like clouds in the sky. The craving made her threw her decency over board and transformed her into a little kid. "Can I have some? Oh please, please give me some!"

    He gave her a stern look, but it only caused her to w.h.i.n.e even more. "Please, please! I''ll do anything!"

    Chocolates were her weakness. One which she followed with all her heart. Nathaniel''s gaze softened when she begged and he felt the urge to pat her head like she was and adorable cat. On the outside she was proud and haughty, but on the inside very sweet.

    It was a rare occasion to see her like right now, with bright eyes begging to get something. He realized that showing her soft spot wasn''t something she would do in front of just anyone. If she acknowledged it or not, seeing him at his weakest had changed their relationship.

    Knowing all that, Nathaniel didn''t feel glad. It would''ve been better if they stayed as it was. She would just start to expect things he couldn''t give. That was why he shouldn''t be nice and give her the chocolates. However, seeing her longing he just couldn''t say ''no''. He didn''t want to look at her disappointed expression. So, his only option was to distract her. "What was it you wanted to discuss with me tomorrow?"

    "Oh...", Katherine made unenthusiastically, her eyes still fixed on his food. She had no mind for business now... "Just some things... about the guards."

    Suddenly suspicious, Nathaniel''s eyes narrowed. "About the guards? Did they do something wrong?"

    The picture of the guard helping her on the horse with his rough hands surfaced in his mind, letting him feel unwell. Although he didn''t like to see it, after some though he had to admit that it was nothing more than a friendly gesture. But maybe it was not? That would be bad, because those two were some of his best man.

    One of the reasons the punishment for the last mistake wasn''t that harsh was that mistakes weren''t usual for them. Especially Pete. It had been his first.

    The question managed to wake Katherine out of her chocolate dream finally. She shook her head rapidly. "No, no! They''re great! I really like them as my guards! Actually, I wanted to ask you if I ... can have them for myself?"

    "No." The answer came fast and decisive like a cannonball, leaving a trail of devastation in Katherine''s heart. He didn''t even ask why or gave her time to explain.

    However, she didn''t waste time pouting as convincing him would be impossible with his personality. Instead, she went for the compromise. "I know you originally made them stay with me so I wouldn''t run away. But I am sure you noticed now that I don''t want to run. I never even tried. Why should I when I have nowhere to go?"

    A strand of white hair fell over his eyes that were fixed on the food. It looked soft like feathers, and she suddenly wanted to reach out and touch it. How could anything on him look this tender? It was impossible, right? Would it really feel like it looked or maybe be hard and cold like steel instead? She wanted to know so badly.

    As if in a trace, her hand started moving on it''s own, only to be retracted instantly, when the earl looked up again, one of his brows raised in a questioning manner. Obviously, she had waited too long.

    Blushing, she grabbed her hand with the other tightly so it wouldn''t start wandering again. She tried remembering where she left off and finally found her line of argument. "So, their second purpose is to protect me, right? However, if they do that, we should divide between their mistakes and mine. For example, if I go somewhere I know I shouldn''t be, and they try to stop me but fail, it would be my mistake. Don''t you agree?"

    "No." In his eyes, what she says is just an excuse to protect the guards. How can they fail to stop such a small little girl? The real question is: why does she want to protect them so badly? With her age, she shouldn''t be in love with a fifty-year-old. Although he can''t exclude it completely, the possibility is very small.

    Was one of them already on her side and she wanted to cover him? Doing it in this way would only make him suspicious, though. "Why do you want to protect them?"

    Katherine smiled with a hint of bitterness. She knew she''d lost the first fight already. "They are nice people. I don''t want them to get hurt because of me. But don''t misunderstand, I won''t stop myself because of them either."

    He knitted his brows. This request was out of sympathy? Somehow, he couldn''t believe it. No aristocrat would help someone without getting something in return. Thinking like that was exactly why she would be killed in court.

    Katherine sighed lightly, before filling her gaze with longing. It wasn''t difficult as she really hoped he would grant the second request. Actually, she already knew that the first was biting off more than she could chew. However, it heightened her chances for the second one. "If I can''t have them, can I at least have the maid? She might be a bit silly and is easily frightened, but I feel better to have one person around me I can trust... Also, she''s such a mouse that she won''t even be a threat to any of your plans."

 Chapter 42 - Chocolates

    This chap is a bit... hot. Decide yourself if you wanna read or not. I''m just warning you :D

    ~Freakzilla

    -----------------

    She is right, Nathaniel thought when he remembered the maid. She really had always been a fearful little mouse, frightened at the sight of him even from afar. That was if he didn''t see how she acted last night. The little mouse had disregarded his command when Pete and Jack didn''t dare to. He remembered what Sam told him about the maid''s past. It was surprising how bold she had become given her former status. She was not that bad a seedling, actually. But...

    He looked at Katherine and saw her sad gaze, the hope and loneliness, and sighed. Most likely the change in the maid was Katherine''s doing anyways, so it wouldn''t be of much use to him. "If that will make you more comfortable, I will be glad to gift her to you. You will be responsible for her pay from now on."

    "Yes! Thank you!" The hope blossomed into a full-grown smile and if they weren''t in the carriage, she would have danced out of happiness. Hazel was her very own maid now. She would make sure to raise her well.

    Her smile made Nathaniel''s mouth go dry. Suddenly, he didn''t care about the food anymore. When he started to eat, he had not felt hungry. Now he was. Just that it was a different kind of hunger that couldn''t be satiated by food alone.

    Her lips looked... delicious. Pink and full. He imagined biting them, feeling how soft and elastic they were. Maybe they were so tender that it would leave a red bite mark. Her lips with his mark... a fire blazed in his abdomen.

    "Is something the matter?" She stopped smiling when she noticed his gaze on her. It was a strange gaze, deep and unfathomable. Was he angry again? Unhappy about losing a maid?

    "Nothing." Her question made him snap out of his fantasies, but the heat was still cursing through his body. He lowered his head. When his eyes fell on the chocolates, they suddenly started burning. It was a bad idea. A very dumb thing to do. It would only torture him more. "Do you still want the chocolates?"

    "Hm?", Katherine made, confused, before remembering how the whole discussion started. "Of course, I want them! They''re chocolates after all!"

    "You can have them. If you answer my questions truthfully." Even if he gave them, he was not the type for charity. And he couldn''t let her know of the attraction of her lips.

    "Shoot." She was eager to get those little pieces of heaven.

    "How old were you when your power awoke? Year and month."

    It was a simple question, so simple that she would have answered even without a chocolate. "Five years, two months. In October."

    With his gloved hand, he picked up one of the chocolates carefully. Before she could react, it bumped against her lips lightly. "Eat."

    She flushed red. Eating it directly out of his hand? What was his intention? Shyly, she looked up at him. His red gaze was deep, and she couldn''t read his emotions. Arrogance flooded out of every pore when he raised his brow in a questioning manner as if to say: What? You don''t dare? He looked damn s.e.xy right now like an immortal demon lord feeding his concubine.

    She exhaled slowly, trembling a little. Was he testing her? With fluttering lashes, she met his gaze again before looking away shyly and slowly, nearly involuntarily, opening her lips.

    Nathaniel''s eyes wandered down to them. He didn''t expect her to be this obedient. There had been different methods in his mind to convince her, but now that wasn''t necessary anymore.

    She looked tempting with her blushed cheeks, her fearfully averted gaze and those slightly opened lips. Like she wanted to be kissed.

    His breath hastened, all his attention on those red lips that were opened for him. His lids lowered. He didn''t want it to be over with her just eating it hurriedly, and she made no move to take it either, just sitting there with her slightly opened lips, waiting to be fed. Slowly, he brushed her lower lip with the chocolate, melting some of it on her mouth. Have taste first, little girl, he thought and involuntarily licked his lips. He wanted to have the whole meal already.

    How would she feel beneath him? Would she be this soft and willing, letting him kiss and fondle her white skin as he pleased? Would she spread her t.h.i.g.hs wide so he could lick and salvor in her taste? Or - suddenly, she grabbed his arm.

    Startled, he looked up from her lips and when saw her face, he couldn''t avert his gaze anymore. Her cheeks still red, the shyness all over her face gave the daring side of her a mesmerizing flair, when she held his gaze and bend forward. With fluttering lashes, she stuck out her tongue and started to lick the chocolate slowly. She would looked like a professional seductive right there if it wasn''t for the obvious embarrassment in her eyes. He couldn''t move. He felt like his whole body was frozen and set on fire at the same time. When the chocolate got smaller, her warm and wet tongue flickered over his gloved fingers.

    The atmosphere turned dangerously hot. He was itching to let go and turn into a wild beast, doing just as he pleased - but he his last strand of sanity held him back. With a frustrated growl, he shoved the chocolate into her mouth, pulled back and exited the carriage in a haste. "Eat the rest yourself!"

    The bang of the carriage door was as loud as the one in Katherine''s head.

    .

    The earl didn''t come back into the carriage. Later, Katherine confirmed that he took one of the horses and rode back himself. She was devastated.

    Did I go too far?, she repeatedly asked herself. Would he hate her now? Think bad of her? But he was the one who started it! What should she think if he fed her by hand?! She didn''t want to just obediently sit there when there was such a perfect opportunity. It had taken all her courage, but now... she felt hopeless.

    When she got to the mansion, she walked straight to her chambers and fell on the bed like a lifeless corpse.

    "Hazel, I don''t know anything anymore. I''m so confused.", she told her maid exhaustively. He was sending mixed signals all the time. From hot to cold, from volcano to glacier... how should she still tell his intentions.

    Besides, she was hurt and angry. It was her first time doing something so l.e.w.d like l.i.c.k.i.n.g chocolate out of someone''s hand. Before today she didn''t even think about it. She didn''t even have her first kiss yet! But it was like her body was possessed with these dirty thoughts in her mind. She hid her beet red face in the pillows. How did it turn out like this? It had to be those damn romance novels!

    Though she had never done anything like that, when he let this chocolate glide over her lip time and time again, teasing her, she felt embarrassed and strangely hot, but at the same time, the urge to tease him back awakened. To let him have a taste of his own medicine. After all, he was the one who started. And she reminded herself that it was just the opportunity she had waited for to seduce him. Sometimes, her courage would lead her to do dumb things. Like this time. She shouldn''t have done it.

    Only when she felt soft fingers stroking her arm, did she remember her maid.

    "Leave!", she barked out from under the pillow. She wanted to be alone with this shame. Nobody should see her this vulnerable.

    The hand shook but wasn''t removed. "Milady, I want to stay with you... let me help you." She felt Hazel pull on the lashes of her dress. She didn''t stop her, just lying there quietly with the pillow on her face. When the dress was removed, she could breathe a bit better. That was when it knocked on the door to the anteroom.

    "You go", she murmured. "Tell them I''m sleeping."

    It was Sam. She heard them speak about the dinner date for tomorrow. It was cancelled. The reason was simple: she already discussed her terms in the carriage. Lying on the bed, she thought that this was not everything she wanted to discuss, but she felt too tired to get up and correct him. Like that would change anything. Nathaniel didn''t want to see her, that was for sure.

    The pillow was turning hot and wet slowly. Strange. She''d thought all her tears had been drained in the cave. Obviously, she was wrong. How much water did a human have to cry that much? And why would she even shed tears over a cancelled date? It was not like she liked him, right?

    The door fell shut. She pulled her legs up on the bed and curled into a tight ball. A bit later, she felt Hazel pull the blanket over her rolled up form, and finally hesitantly lying a hand on her head. "Milady, everything will get better. You are strong. Don''t be sad."

 Chapter 43 - Care

    The study looked like a battlefield. Books were thrown on the ground, shelves crushed and where once the table stood, was now a black pool on the cold stone ground.

    The earl took a sip from the wine bottle in his hand, his eyes dark. The backrest of the chair behind him was slowly melting away and wisps of black magic power coiled around his body. He couldn''t care less.

    "I''m a f.u.c.k.i.n.g idiot.", he mumbled to himself. Why did he have to torture himself? He knew clearly that it would only make matters worse. Those damn bodily d.e.s.i.r.es had clouded his judgement. See where it led him! He nearly killed her. He nearly killed her so many times already!

    "I''m really a selfish bastard." Another sip, another accusation. He looked down at the bottle. There was not enough wine to tell them all. With a shrug, he downed the rest.

    When he moved, his white hair fell back, revealing his ravishing features. The fearsome eyes under the knitted brows were closed, and the long, white lashes looked like snowflakes on his cheeks. When he gulped, his adam''s apple bobbled up and down. Just above it, the scar on his jaw glowed in a bright red as if it was especially angry today.

    He did not throw the bottle when it was empty, but let his hand fall down until the dangling bottom touched the ground. Then he let go and and the bottle noisily swayed a few rounds before standing still. His eyes still closed, he called out with a raspy voice: "Another one."

    Carefully, Sam stepped around the black pool in which the golden nobs of the drawers swam like little boats on a tranquil sea. He paused slightly, before deciding for a bottle and placing it in Nathaniel''s outstretched hand. Today, he was the one wearing the gloves, but he was still careful not to get near the black strands that coiled around the earl''s body like dangerous snakes.

    Without looking, Nathaniel took a mouth full, before spatting it right out again like it was poison. His blood-red eyes wanted to slice the old man into two. "Water?!"

    Equally sharp blue eyes looked back and when the gazes collided, every onlooker would have seen sparks flying. "You''re drunk enough. If you drink until your ability snaps, you will really have something to pity yourself over!"

    Sams c.h.e.s.t heaved up and down in rage, when he continued: "It happened already twenty years ago, and it was not your fault! Get over it before your aunt turns in her grave!"

    Nathaniel''s eyes narrowed, but otherwise he was unaffected. They''d had that argument a few times already. Just that today was different. "Who said it got something to do with her?"

    Fine, until now there had not been many other things to hit him that hard that he drowned himself in alcohol, but that didn''t mean today was connected to her. Actually, he had not thought much about his aunt after Katherine hugged him. He got other problems then.

    Sam was startled and knitted his grey brows. Suspicion flickered in his eyes. "Has it not?"

    "No. I can be an asshole in different ways, you know?" Nathaniel shook his head and reluctantly took a sip of the water, his movement larger than usual and a bit of it spilled on his shirt.

    What may Katherine think of him now? He''d seen the vulnerability in her eyes when she made that move. It must have hurt her badly that he left after she exposed her inner self. Would she ever find the courage to do something this s.e.xy again? Her pink tongue l.i.c.k.i.n.g the chocolate invaded his mind. Instantly, his body turned hot and needy. What a seducing sight.

    Slowly, he raised the bottle and emptied it over his head. His hair dripping with water, he chuckled darkly. "What a day. You where wrong, Sam, getting to know someone pure won''t improve my sight of the world. It only makes me feel even worse. Anyway, I trust my dear mother send me a present again?"

    Sam nodded with knitted brows as he couldn''t figure out what the previous statement meant. However, the curiosity was swiftly overrun by the disgust the second part caused. "I personally threw it away like requested. However, your youngest brother send a gift, too, together with this."

    He took out a card and handed it over. When Nathaniel looked at it, the corners of his lips lifted a bit. Not enough to be a smile, but always better than his gloomy look. "He insists on sending these however often I tell him not to. And his handwriting is still an eyesore. If I didn''t already know it means ''happy birthday'' I wouldn''t be able to encrypt it."

    Sam smiled. "He was never good at writing, but he cares for you a lot."

    Nathaniel just nodded, but the darkness around him calmed down a lot. "What did he send?"

    Sam took out a small wooden box. "This."

    When the earl opened it, there was a key inside as well as a piece of paper. The earl frowned. "I suppose this is an explanation. But I can''t tell what it says. Really, this handwriting. Whatever, I will ask him when I see him again."

    He shut the box close and stood up slowly. He was swaying a bit and therefore moved very carefully. The wine was finally showing effect. "Store that for me. I''m going to sleep."

    With that, he swayed out of the room, the dark aura bottled up inside him again.

    Days passed, and the earl didn''t get in touch with her. Not that she wanted him to! She was absolutely fine with him creating distance! He was an idiot, a faker and a demon after all! No, she absolutely didn''t want him back.

    Just that... with his disappearance her plans had to go for an halt. She''d ordered the merchant group to go to the capital already, so there was nothing much left to do in the mansion. For some days, strolling around the place was nice, but it didn''t take a week for her to get bored. It was not like she missed the meetings with the earl - she really did not - but at least it had given her something to do other than just lazying around.

    She was sitting comfortably on a chair by the lakeside, when she remembered: hey, there was still something she''d wanted to do all the time! Going into the dungeon! As long as she was on good terms with the earl, she''d postponed it, because she didn''t want to make him mad. Now that he was already mad, what did it matter if she broke that rule? Of course, she should not do it in board daylight, but deep in the night...

    With a mischievous smile, she sipped on her fruit drink. Yeah, let''s try to break out at night. She remembered that the guards on the window side had been removed lately. Obviously, Nathaniel trusted her even though he was mad. She felt a bit bad to use that against him, but in the end, he could never really be her friend after all. Not after he treated her this way. And especially not after he colluded with her cousin.

    She frowned. That was right, she should crave it into her heart that she could never really sympathize with him. He was bad, an evil schemer. How could she have forgotten about that and even cry in his arms? She bit her lip. And it was even worse that she felt with him when she heard about his aunt''s death. Bad Katherine, she scolded herself. Don''t get your head messed up by him.

    .

    Midnight came and Katherine used a rope to climb out of her window. Her dress was black and a black cloth covered her lower face. She was going on a secret mission. Hazel had been instructed to keep calm and let nobody into her room. Not that Katherine expected that someone would stroll to her room in the middle of the night.

    Since the entrance of the mansion was heavily guarded, she had send Hazel to open the window on the floor beneath her own in the evening. Now she climbed through it into an empty room.

    Silently, she closed the window and sneaked to the door to peak into the corridor. It was nobody outside. She took a nervous breath, before stepping out and walking in the direction of the entrance hall.

    Suddenly, she heard quiet voices out of the direction of the earl''s study. Was he still working that deep in the night?

 Chapter 44 - Hello There, Girl

    Curiosity hit Katherine. Should she go there and listen in to what was said? From where she stood now she couldn''t understand a single word. Listen or go to the dungeon? Both could bring information about his plans and dark secrets.

    Well, if the opportunity presented itself, she should just go and take it. The dungeon would still be there tomorrow, right?

    Slowly and carefully, she sneaked closer. When she reached the corridor where the voices originated from, she peeked around the corner. Two guards stood to both sides of the door to the earl''s study. Well, damn, so far for listening in.

    For a few seconds she tried to hear what the earl talked about from the spot where she was. She knew his deep voice already, it was melodic with an unfathomable inner strength. The other person seemed to be Sam. It was quite difficult to understand them, but she differentiated a few words. "... evacuation completed... soldiers... trap... strong blow to the Renat kingdom..."

    Was there a war coming up? Renat kingdom ... wasn''t it bordering the earl''s territory? Don''t say there will be an attack here! And what was the trap all about? Were they trapped by the Renat kingdom or the other way around? Maybe she should have left with the merchants... she didn''t want to be involved in a war. Especially not one that didn''t even concern her. Neither the Renat kingdom nor the Icelands were her home country after all.

    She tried to hear more, but the voices had gone quiet. What now? Should she try to flee and go back to the Dragsa kingdom? No, it was possibly too late for that as they said the evacuation was already completed. She could only hope that the earl would protect her.

    Troubled, she bit the nail of her thumb. That was really bad news. She wished the earl had told her, but on the other hand she didn''t want to see his face again just yet. Slowly, she turned and made her way to the entrance hall. Should she still risk it and try inspecting the dungeon? There was a possibility to anger the earl more when she was found out. Well, if so, she just had to make sure not to be discovered. And maybe what she found in there would help her decide what steps to take next in her plan for revenge.

    The door to the dungeon wasn''t guarded. She''d seen this by day-time already and suspected the reason was either because the earl trusted that no-one would reach it anyway because they had to get into the mansion first or there where guards inside the dungeon, waiting for anyone who wanted to break in. Knowing the earl, it would be the second option. She had to be very careful not to get caught and think about a counter-measure.

    Silently, she moved the door handle. It was locked. Well, that was also a reason not to place guards. Damn. What now? How would the heroines in books handle this? By stealing the keys? She didn''t even know where they where. Lock-picking? Well, if she knew how to do that, she would not be thinking now. But maybe she should try it. They would normally only need a hair pin to do this, right? Trying wouldn''t hurt.

    Just when she felt for one of her hair pins, she heard steps from inside. Hastily, she searched for a hiding place, cursing how free and open the entrance hall was. There was not a single side table or knight armor in sight. Her only option was to hide at the other side of the big staircase, which was quite far away. Nonetheless, she ran over there.

    The door to the dungeon sprang open. A tall, slim shadow walked out, so skinny that it resembled a skeleton. Katherine watched it and held her breath. It didn''t have the right stature for a guard, but what else could it be? A prisoner?

    Fearfully, Katherine lowered her head and hid even deeper behind the staircase. She heard the figure whistle in a low tune, and when she recognized the song, all hairs on her body stood upright. It was a murder ballad she heard from a traveling musician once. The story it told was engraved in her mind as it was just too horrible.

    It started with an undertaker named Bale, eating the flesh of the deceased because he was too poor and had three children to bring up. He regularly brought this flesh back home and fed it to them. When the villagers found out about it, the undertaker took his children and fled. Hunted by the landlord, they could only hide in the forest where food was scarce. When the family was found, the three children were reduced to two and a sack of bones. The father was hanged, but the children survived and emigrated to a different place. The last verse was about how five years later in that new place children started to vanish and the rumor that the Bale-children where eating meat again.

    Thinking back to that, Katherine shuddered, and in her mind cursed the creepy person that was whistling the Bale-ballad in the middle of the night like he had nothing else to do. Wasn''t he scared to be discovered?

    The steps and the whistling neared the stairs and Katherine prayed that the person wouldn''t notice her. What if it was really a prisoner? What if he was one of the Bale-children escaping to eat flesh again?

    The whistling sound came closer and closer and Katherine lowered herself so much she was nearly kissing the floor. Suddenly, she wished there were guards here. It would make getting into the dungeon impossible, but at least there wouldn''t be this scary prisoner wandering around outside. It was way worse than the night when the earl was angry, even though it was brighter this time due to the moon. At least the earl was a devil she knew already. But this prisoner ... who knew how insane he was to even whistle while jail-breaking? Don''t see me, she prayed. Please just go away!

    She could hear him just a few steps away on the stairs. If only the earl would come out of his study right now and coincidentally walk into the entrance hall. He or his guards could cope with the prisoner easily. But to her dismay, there were no food-steps other than the prisoners, and suddenly, they stopped. The whistling, too, was replaced by deafening silence.

    Then a voice from right above her sounded: "Hello there, girl."

    Katherine looked up and saw a wax-white face with a baleful grin hovering right before her nose. She screamed as loud as she could, crawling backwards hastily, but the figure with the wax-face was faster.

    He flanked over the handrail and pulled her close by her dress, before pressing a hand to her mouth. "Stop it! You will wake everyone up!"

    Even though he was skinny, he was stronger than Katherine at least and didn''t loosen his grip even though she kicked his legs and clawed for his face. Instead he pulled her in, pressing the hand stronger onto her mouth and nose. She nearly couldn''t breath anymore and in panic tried to pull on his hand, when she finally heard rushing steps and the noise of armor and weapons from above.

    "Who''s there?"

    It was the first time she was this glad to hear the commanding voice of the earl. He would save her from this prisoner''s claws. He would protect her. Struggling wildly, she finally freed her mouth. "Here! I''m here!"

    When the guards with lanterns surrounded them, the prisoner slowly let go of her. She didn''t think about the why, when she stumbled forwards into the earl''s direction. Unknowingly, she longed for that secure feeling of his warm hug back in the cave.

    But when she reached out to him, a gloved hand on her forehead held her back. "What are you doing out here, little girl? Shouldn''t you be asleep?"

    "What?", Katherine asked, confused and hurt. She was just attacked by a criminal and he was still concerned why she was out of bed? Couldn''t he be more s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e?!

    Annoyed, she freed herself from his hand and saw the unperturbed look on his face and how the guards where just standing there randomly. "What? Won''t you size the criminal?!"

 Chapter 45 - Do You Still Want to Visit the Dungeon?

    "Criminal? I don''t see a criminal. Just a girl that sneaks out at night.", Nathaniel responded in a displeased tone. "And it is still the same girl that told me it wouldn''t run away."

    "I wasn''t running away!", Katherine retorted instantly, forgetting about the criminal to save her freedom. "I was just..." At first she searched for an excuse, but realized that none seemed plausible enough to deceive the earl. So she reluctantly told the truth. Or half of it. "I... I like thrillers very much. So I was just curious what a real dungeon would look like."

    Nathaniel''s face was like a mask, cold and unreadable. She couldn''t tell if he believed her or not. "Is that so... ask the dungeon master for a tour next time. I''m sure she will be very happy to show you, right, Christine?"

    He looked over at the slim, wax-faced person, who nodded with a creepy grin. Katherine was flabbergasted. The combination of his words and actions was just too unbelievable. This... this creepy person wasn''t a prisoner, but the dungeon master? Well that would still make sense. But how the hell was this... this thing... a WOMAN?! "Is... is this really...?"

    She couldn''t even voice it out loud. The dungeon master looked nothing like a woman. She was flat-c.h.e.s.ted, tall and skinny enough to look like a skeleton in the wrong light. Her nose seemed to have been broken once or twice and the eyes were sunken in, leaving their color to imagination. And that damn creepy grin, caused by the width of her mouth compared to her tiny head, was like lips were drawn on a skull. Adding to that were the mans clothes and short black hair, contrasting to her overly white skin.

    The earl''s eyes twinkled. He had expected that reaction, and without remorse dropped the next bomb. "Let me introduce to you: Christine Bale, only daughter of the undertaker Bale, since a few years responsible for everyone I don''t like in this mansion."

    He waited a few seconds to let the information sink in. Katherine''s eyes bulged out, and her mouth fell open. Then slowly she took a few steps back, her gaze on the dungeon master and Nathaniel alternately.

    A devilish smile out of schadenfreude spread on Nathaniel''s face as he continued: "Though what I admire the most about her is not her background, but her torture skills. Better than every man I''ve met. Now, do you still want to visit the dungeon?"

    Without hesitation, Katherine shook her head and took another step back. "I don''t want to... it''s okay... I will just... go back to bed!"

    Carefully, she walked backwards, and was just about to turn and run, when a hand grabbed her elbow. It was the earl, a suspicious glow in his eyes. "Let me accompany you, so you won''t be scared and run away from home like a coward."

    Instantly, anger ignited in her. How dare he think that! Even if she really wanted to, he was not allowed to think it! "I won''t run! I''m not a coward!"

    "Well, then think of me as a gentleman who can''t leave a woman alone in the dark of night.", he said with a raised brow. It was obvious that he didn''t believe her.

    "Do what you want. You do it anyway, right?" She struggled out of his grip to climb the stairs. Although she felt uncomfortable with the Bale-woman behind her, she forbid herself to look back. She wanted to show them that she wasn''t scared of anyone, even though it wasn''t true.

    Nathaniel followed her a second later, a bit amused. Actually, he''d missed her temper in the days they were apart. Her proud and decisive actions never missed to light up his day, though most of the time they would make him mad, too. When he saw her again tonight, he was surprised when she nearly jumped at him. Luckily, he still reacted fast enough and held her away.

    Of course he didn''t believe the nonsense about how thrillers were the reason for her to run though the night alone. She might be fiery, but she wasn''t dumb enough to anger him over something like that. He didn''t know if it was running away or some other reason though, as she had no bag to store at least a minimum of survival tools. Either way, he was going to bring her back himself to make sure she wouldn''t slip away again. One thing never changed since the beginning: he couldn''t let her leave.

    They walked side by side silently. They didn''t even look at each other, just like two strangers coincidentally on the same path. Katherine was still annoyed that he didn''t have the tiniest bit of trust in her and he, who had been trying very hard to keep away from her in the last days, didn''t want to let his afford go down the drain.

    Though she didn''t look, Katherine was very consciousness of his presence and it annoyed her to the core. The closeness reminded her of the moment they shared in the cave, and his rejection when he left the carriage repeated in her mind again and again. It was like rubbing salt in her still bleeding wounds. When they were just a corner away from her chamber, she stopped abruptly and turned to him. "That should be far enough, right?"

    Nathaniel narrowed his eyes. "Why? You got something to hide?" He knew there wasn''t anything, but her tone annoyed him. There should be at least a minimum of respect for him, right?

    She gritted her teeth. "Me? Something to hide? What does that matter to you?! I''m just that annoying burden you need to entertain until your brother is healthy again! Besides, don''t you keep enough secrets yourself? When did you plan to tell me about the Renat kingdom?"

    Suddenly, his gaze turned sharp enough to drill holes into her body. "You know?"

    "Of course I know!", she exclaimed angrily, even though it wasn''t true. "How long did you plan to hide it from me? Till they run over my dead body?!"

    "That will never happen." The air around the earl was cold again, his words icy. Somehow, it calmed her down a bit as if his ice soothed her fiery temper. Or maybe it was because he sounded so sure. As if it was an unquestionable statement.

    But she wasn''t prepared to give in just how. "How do you know? Do you know what they have up their sleeve? If you are so sure, why did you evacuate?"

    It was all just guesses on her side, depending on what she had heard, but it seemed to suffice to get him to speak.

    "The towns people are another matter. I can''t protect all of them when the army arrives. But as the troops won''t even reach the mansion, hurting you is out of the question.", he explained slowly.

    So the trap was one the earl build for the Renat-kingdom most likely, Katherine deliberated and the relieve let the rest of her anger disappear. "Looks like you are prepared. I''ll trust you for now. Either way, if I die, your brother will die too, right?"

    Slowly, the earl nodded his head. "Most likely. You should look after him again tomorrow."

    Was it in case something went wrong and she really died? She asked herself. So that his brother would at least have a few more weeks? The thought made her mood sink into a dark pit again.

    Of course, to continue to get the earl''s protection she couldn''t heal his brother just yet. Maybe after the attack, when she was still safe and sound. "Okay. Until then, good night."

    She waved at him and left for her chamber, unwilling to spend more time with a person that only saw her as a mean to safe someone, not as herself and certainly not... as a woman.

 Chapter 46 - Moving Forest

    When Jack and Pete saw her coming down the corridor, they made a ruckus about how she could go out alone at night, which got even worse when she told them she wanted to visit the dungeon. Jack shivered by the thought of what that torturer-dungeon-master could have done to her. But since it was late already, they didn''t scold her for too long and let her inside.

    Hazel had fallen asleep in a chair next to the window. She must have waited for her to come back till her eyes closed on their own. It couldn''t be comfortable with the hard lean and the cold air coming in through the open window.

    A warm smile spread on Katherine''s face. Silently, she went to the window and closed it before spreading a blanket over the sleeping girl. The bun on Hazel''s head loosened and a few strands of red hair fell into her face. Carefully, Katherine pushed them behind the girl''s ear. This girl really was like the little sister she always wanted.

    With a small sigh, she changed into something more comfortable, and went to bed.

    .

    Nathaniel looked over the fields silently. They were glistening with drew in the morning sun like thousands of little diamonds were thrown over them. Of course, there was nothing this rich around here. Only the wheat, barley, and potatoes, the livelihood of regular people. He would need to reimburse them after this. But better their food than their lives.

    From where he stood, Nathaniel could see all the way to the village on the edge of the forest. It was an unusual view without the hustle and bustle of the villagers. Just the houses, the muddy streets, and one or two hens picking on the ground. They would run as soon as the noticed something strange, and even if not, it wasn''t his problem. The villagers should have brought with them what they needed and the things that was left behind... could possibly be destroyed.

    Everything was ready. Only the enemy was missing. The sun very slowly traveled up in the sky. Nathaniel didn''t move. His breathing even, the hands in his pockets, and eyes transfixed on the forest, he waited. Now and then a breeze would ruffle through his white hair, but most of the time he looked just like a gorgeous black-clothed stature. The stature of a lonely demon lord.

    There was nobody near him, even Sam was forbidden to come, though the old man was not too far away. He was hiding where he could see his lord as a tiny figure in the distance and paced up and down nervously. He kept telling himself that he was still near enough to safe his lord if something went wrong. Nonetheless, deep in his heart he knew that there was nobody who could safe Nathaniel then. He could only safe himself. After all, even that girl could only cope with the after-mess, not the real thing.

    Before the sun could reach the central position, there was movement in the forest. Nathaniel''s eyes sharpened.

    In a matter of seconds, the village was surrounded by soldiers in green uniform, blocking every escape route. On a command, they stormed inside and with that startled the hens that ran away in shock, cackling loudly. It took the attackers not long to realize that the village was empty. The leader again screamed a command, obviously angry.

    A small smile formed on Nathaniel''s lips, sharp like the edge of a sword. The commander must have noticed by now that their plan had been leaked. He sounded furious. Now they are like startled chicken themselves, Nathaniel thought humorously.

    But when his eyes swept over the forest again, they turned serious. The whole forest seemed to move, as more and more soldiers left it''s shadow. From the left end of Nathaniel''s vision to the right - everywhere new soldiers popped out of the ground and formed into platoons, battalions, regiments rapidly. He didn''t bother counting them.

    The forming army didn''t notice him, or maybe they did but didn''t bother with a single person standing amidst the fields. What was one compared to ten thousand? Compared to hundred thousands? He was nothing, a speck of dust they could blow away. And as the Iceland''s side already seemed to know about their movements, a scout wouldn''t make much difference. Because they could only make out his figure in the distance, some of them even thought he was nothing but a scarecrow guarding the fields.

    When they were all in order, the third command rang through the air, making them straighten and starting to march. They didn''t use the small path between the fields, as it would only let two of them walk side by side. Instead, they trampled though and over the wheat and potato plants, each person stomping it deeper into the ground, till even street kids would think twice before eating it. Like this, the army marched forward.

    When they where within arrows reach, they didn''t stop to ask who this dumb person was that stood in their way. Instead, bowstrings whirred and arrows flew through the air, their sharp heads pointed at Nathaniel''s heart and face.

    The devil smirked. Watching death flying towards him, he just stood there in his dark attire, the red eyes glowing dangerously. Cold air excluded from him. Then, he leisurely raised a hand and waved at his enemies.

    In that instant, as if they had waited for his command, shadows shot out of the fields, too fast for the eyes to see, and washed over the arrows before vanishing again. Some soldiers nearly stumbled when they saw that. Damn! Are they human? How could any human be that fast?! It didn''t look like a person though... What the hell was that?!

    Before they could wonder about it any further, they noticed that the arrows had deviated from their path, hitting the earth all around that mysterious person.

    Sam in the distance held his breath, but when none of the arrows hit the lonely figure, he breathed a sigh of release, and wiped the sweat on his forehead with a white handkerchief. This boy, always making him worry! And the fight hadn''t even started yet!

    The last arrow hit the earth next to the earl''s feet, still trembling with the force of the bow. The feathers on one side were missing, and so was half of the shaft. It was not a clean cut, instead the side was riddled with strange holes.

    The earl looked down at it shortly, before lifting his gaze again to the army that was nearing him at a fast pace. Two-thirds of them were already on the fields.

    The soldiers couldn''t believe that none of the archers hit the target and issued another firing order.

    Again, arrows flew and missed. The soldiers in the front row slowed down. What were those dark shadows? Was the person protected by some special unit? Or... magic?

    All hairs on their body stood straight. A mage was the worst opponent to fight.

    A normal soldier might be used to the feeling of death in their neck, but the front rows were by tradition reserved for the newbies to not let veteran soldiers die needlessly. Those newbie soldiers now where shivering in fear of whatever was hiding there in the wheat.

    They didn''t even know what to hope for. If those were powerful assassins, how much of a chance did they have to win against them? However, if it was a single mage, it was just as bad. After all, every mage had unknown abilities that could kill even experienced soldiers. Fearing their imminent death, their steps got smaller. But the thought of the comrades behind them made them feel enough courage to walk forward regardless.

 Chapter 47 - Who are you?

    More or less all soldiers were on the fields now. That was the moment Nathaniel had waited for. He steeled his heart, making his face look like a sinister, ice-cold mask. They were enemies. They were trying to kill his people. It didn''t matter that they wouldn''t succeed or even less that they were only following orders. It didn''t matter at all.

    On the far end of the field, where the last rows of the army stood, the darkness contained in about a hundred clay pots - each buried in the ground, deep enough that the opening was on the same level as the earth - started to boil. They were buried at a regular distance, one every few dozen meters. When the tiny wisps of darkness escaped their residence, black patches slowly spread on the fields. With every wheat plant the darkness ate, it grew bigger. At first, it was unnoticed by everyone. A wisp grew into palm-size, grew into a meter in diameter, grew bigger and bigger.

    Suddenly, one of the soldiers felt that it was hard to move forward steadily. He was swaying from side to side, and when he looked down, he didn''t want to trust his eyes.

    A dark, thick fluid covered the ground all around him and the wheat seemed to be devoured by it rapidly. His feet were covered, too, though he didn''t feel anything strange. He shrugged it off, thought it was because of his boots. He raised his feet to take another step.

    "Aaaaahhhh!" His scream rang through the air and he hopped alternately on his two feet in panic, trying to escape the black mass, but it was everywhere. His boots where gone completely, and his feet were corroded until the skeleton could be seen! Unstable, he suddenly slipped and with another cry fell backwards in the black liquid, that swallowed him completely.

    When the other soldiers heard his scream, they turned to him instantly, half expecting an enemy attack, but what they saw next made them all pale with fear. Their comrade had vanished inside the black liquid just like that! Where did he go? Why wasn''t he coming up again?

    "Henry? Henry?!", the man next to the fallen exclaimed, courageously bend down and reached out with his hand to pull the fallen up. But as much as he felt for it, he couldn''t find his comrade in the black liquid, not even his corpse!

    When he pulled out his hands again, he stared at them dumbfounded. Where was his flesh? Where had it gone without him realizing?! That had to be an illusion!

    Chaos broke out. Rows and rows of soldiers pressed forward, away from the dark liquid that was following their every step. The army could only walk forwards now, as behind them the fearsome liquid was expanding and swallowing soldier for soldier.

    The formation in the back was destroyed, people running and screaming and trying to press into the rows in front, that soon also noticed the danger.

    When the commander in the front line noticed the commotion, he was irritated. As much as he turned around to look, he couldn''t spot anything - no enemies, no catapults, no flying arrows, not even corpses. With a command, he forced the army to an halt. Still, people in the back didn''t heed his call and continued to press forward, too afraid of dying that strange death.

    "Run!", screams from behind finally reached to the front. "Run! It''s magic!" "Careful!" "On the ground! It''s the black water!" "Magic! Mages!" "Move!"

    When the commander heard it''s magic, his heart sank. He didn''t know how many mages it took to cause such a commotion and deep fear in his army. Hastily, he send out the magic battalion to the back.

    However, when he turned to the field again, prepared to let the rest of his army move faster to avoid the after-mess of a mages fight, he spotted that lonely figure, now only a few dozen steps away. Suddenly, he felt like he might have made a mistake.

    "Who are you?", he shouted over the distance. He remembered the dark shadows that seemed to heed the mans command. They had protected him. Maybe those mages in their back were also his doing. "Are you the one killing my man?!"

    Now that he was closer, he noticed that the man was dressed like a noble in a black dress shirt and trousers with silver linings. Without doing anything special, he looked rich and imposingly.

    "Who am I?", the man repeated slowly, and, with a last look on the back lines, fixed his eyes on the commander. The commander s.u.c.k.e.d in a sharp breath unconsciously. This stranger had the striking red eyes of a demon, looking directly into his soul. A shiver run down his back as his whole being screamed: danger! Run!

    When the man spoke again, his words, though placid, seemed to come out of the deepest abyss of hell. "I am a kind of monster that shouldn''t exist, I suppose. For attacking the Icelands, all of your people will die. You, meanwhile, will be the messenger. Tell your king if he dares attack again, what happened to this army might as well happen to his capital city. Only that time, there won''t be survivors to spread the word."

    When the commander still stared at the demon in front of him stupefied, a messenger came running towards him at his fastest speed. "Commander! The mages can''t stop it! It''s some kind of mutation and it seems to be alive! They''ll try to stall it, but it''s too strong! It even grows by eating the plants of the plant mages!"

    In the Renat-kingdom the main magic power was to grow and control all kinds of greenery. If the black magic grew by eating plants, the kingdom''s mages were utterly useless against it.

    Anxious of what he might see, the commander looked back. Half of his army had already vanished. Tens of thousands of lives taken in mere minutes. Through the cracks in the crowd, he saw the mages trying to stop a dark flood with thick roots spouting out of the ground, but they were on the loosing end.

    Each root could only last for seconds, and while he was looking the darkness stirred and accelerated suddenly. Like a whip it lashed out at the mages, corroding whatever it touched.

    When one of the whiplashes beheaded a mage, the commander came to and angrily shouted: "If we can''t fight the magic, we need to kill the mages!"

    He had connected the dots. The person in front had to be a mage, as he had said he was a ''monster'' and wanted to kill them all. The other mages would possibly need to come out and protect him if he was endangered as he seemed to be an important person. The commander was still convinced that there had to be more than one person to kill so many. "All forces, attack that man!"

    The only way out of this was to walk forward and kill this demon incarnate in front of him. Or so he thought.

    Just when he took the first steps, he noticed patches of black everywhere in the fields at the high of the demon. They were expending in a pace that was neither too fast nor too slow, but in the time until he noticed them, they had nearly completed a straight line of darkness from the left end of his vision to the right. In horror, the commander''s gaze flew back to the red eyes. What had this man done?!

    Nathaniel clicked his tongue in annoyance, looking cold and detached. "Did you think I would forget about the front lines? Sorry, I''m not that dumb."

 Chapter 48 - Grim Reaper

    In the second the commander took to understand Nathaniel''s words, the darkness in front and back, and also to the far sides where the army ended, suddenly raised like giant walls. No, not walls, but more like waves, continuously moving and impatiently waiting to break down and destroy.

    When the commander saw the waves surrounding them like a giant cage, fear invaded his heart. Ever since he became a soldier he hadn''t felt this helpless and small anymore. Like a tiny bird in a cage. In fact, he might never have felt this helpless in his whole life! He couldn''t accept this!

    With an angry roar he stormed forwards, towards this shamelessly overpowered enemy. He wanted to at least bring him down with him! If he had to die, if his army had to die, they would at least die fighting!

    And so he thew a command to all those whimpering and praying cowards behind him: "Attack! All forces attack the enemy!"

    Some of them stirred, some of them followed him courageously and some kept on begging a demon without mercy. It made no difference.

    Nathaniel raised his arms. For a second, he stayed in this position. The last chance. Did he really have to kill them all? Maybe he didn''t. Maybe he could let them off and they would go back in fear. But over time, who knew if they would still be cowering in fear or follow their kings commands once again?

    To a king, half an army was only just that much. You would lose the same amount or more in a normal war. The king would wait a few months or years, collect soldiers, and then attack again.

    Maybe Nathaniel would be there once again to kill them, or maybe they would invade the Icelands and kill the citizens. Either way, more people would die. Ambitious people were never satisfied. So, to ensure the Renat-kingdom would never attack again in this lifetime, he had to make them fear him just as much as these poor soldiers in front of him.

    His heart as cold as ice, the eyes merciless holes of death, he slowly let his hands fall. With his white hair waving in an unknown breeze, his skin clear as crystal and dark black attire, he looked like a young god. A god of death.

    When his hands sank, the waves of darkness broke all at the same time, rapidly rushing in. For a short moment, screams and prayers filled the air, drowning every other noise. Then, the waves clashed in the middle and suddenly an eerie silence replaced all noise. It was as if the whole world held it''s breath.

    But being silent didn''t mean nothing was moving. Without any sound, the black masses started to swirl, slowly at first, then faster and faster. In the middle, they swirled upwards, like a tower out of black water forming. Only that this tower was as wide as a house, and getting higher and higher as if trying to reach for the clouds.

    His eyes fixed on this dreadful tower, Nathaniel''s expression was grave. Letting the darkness out to play was never difficult. Even though he had never let it grow to this state before - and hadn''t been completely sure if it could - , it had been as easy as flipping a hand.

    But he knew, the most difficult fight was just beginning. The darkness, like a living thing, had it''s own will which grew stronger the more it was fed. It loved running wild, eating up everything, but it hated to be stopped. It didn''t want to be controlled. It especially hated being reigned back in.

    However, what would happen if it wasn''t stopped? Looking at the gigantic tower drilling itself into the sky, Nathaniel knew that it wouldn''t simply stay that way. As soon as he loosened the control, it would clash down like an apocalyptic plague, rushing over the land to bring death to every living being. He could feel that d.e.s.i.r.e with every single pore of his body.

    On his forehead, droplets of sweat formed, sliding down his handsome face slowly, till they dripped from his clenched jaw. Soon, the earth near his feet was drenched by sweat. Still, the darkness didn''t want to follow his command and kept swirling upward, albeit slower.

    You are my damn magic power, Nathaniel thought angrily. You should do what I want and not go around having your own will!

    Sadly, the darkness didn''t care about such things like propriety. It only cared about it''s hunger. It had always been like this. In the end, the darkness just wanted to eat everything. Sometimes it was influenced by Nathaniel because it felt that it would die without him, but most of the times, especially when it just tasted something yummy again, it felt like hunger was worse than dying. And human flesh was it''s favorite food. Getting so much of it, the darkness was crazy with bliss. Now it didn''t want to go back no matter what. After all, there were still so many lives to devour out there. Its hunger was insatiable.

    The darkness couldn''t see, but it could sense life energy and even distinguish them to some extent. One of the soldiers was still alive. It had been so excited when it was let loose that it didn''t notice Nathaniel had manipulated it''s path a bit. The commander was still alive and breathing. He was unconscious though, because when both his lower legs vanished in the flood, he fell down and hit his head. Luckily, Nathaniel had reacted fast enough to pull away the darkness from the place he fell on.

    So, the commander was still alive, and the darkness felt kind of... annoyed by that. This tiny being dared to escape it''s clutches! Of course it knew that the other tiny being was the cause of this. The tiny being that always wanted to control it and let it starve all the time. So, that tiny being didn''t want the other being to be eaten?

    Though Nathaniel was what kept it alive, the darkness had a deep grudge against him. The tiny being would always let it starve! And now, that it was finally big and mighty and out of the tiny beings control, the darkness felt that it had to get back at him. The tiny being wants to protect the other tiny being? Let''s eat it! Eat it now!

    When Nathaniel saw the darkness rapidly closing in on the commander, rage ignited in him. Then, an idea ignited in him.

    "You dumb thing!", he muttered, and narrowed his eyes. "All you know is to eat! Come on then, eat all you want!"

    Just before the darkness touched the commander, when it was already excited about winning against it''s master, Nathaniel took two steps forward, right in the way of the darkness.

    "Try eating me, you dumb thing!"

    On contact with his body, the darkness got fl.u.s.tered. Though it couldn''t eat it''s master, the functions of it''s masters body would greatly slow down or even stop upon contact. And when it met his heart, like right now, he might even die.

    The darkness was moving to fast to stop right now. In panic, it tried everything to slow down, to not hit Nathaniel''s heart. It didn''t want to die!

    If the darkness had a mouth, it would cry out in fear and sorrow. No, not back into the cage! Not back to this lonely, starving life! It struggled desperately.

    Nathaniel balled his hands to fists and endured the pain that was only felt by him wherever the darkness passed. From top to bottom, he felt like a vase slowly filling. First, his feet felt like burning and swelling up till he couldn''t even move his toes. Soon after, his legs followed suit. Still, there was so much darkness left. The amount used today was too much. He knew it, still he kept pulling it in. If even a tiny bit escaped, it would be a catastrophe to the world.

 Chapter 49 - What the Hell Happened?!

    His fists loosened as his hands started hurting so much that he couldn''t hold them anymore. Arms, torso, up to the neck, everything except the heart-region was filling up with the darkness. His breath got labored. The lungs didn''t want to work properly. Every breath hit off a new wave of pain. But there was still so much darkness. He wasn''t sure if he could store it all. It was the worth of several fields after all. From the beginning, he had been playing with fire. Yet, if he made it, it would be worth it all. He was sure the rumor of the darkness and an whole army vanishing was enough that that old man couldn''t ignore him anymore. So he had started his crazy plan despite risking his life.

    Slowly, the darkness crept onto his face. His sight got blurry, before everything drowned in pain and darkness. He wasn''t unconsciousness, though. The darkness only robbed him of every sense: hearing, seeing, smell, and touch. Only pain remained.

    Finally, everything was successfully absorbed inside him. He won. The darkness was under control again. But he payed a big price for that.

    He didn''t feel it when he fell to the ground. Amidst a wide field with nothing but earth and stone, there where two lonely bodies. Both of them were looking like they would die soon. The first had missing legs and blood flowing out of the stumps. Though he was unconscious, his white fingers were still clutched around a sword hilt.

    The second body seemed to be unhurt at first glance. At least, he had all his limbs. Looking closer, however, wherever his skin was seen through the clothing, it was riddled with black veins. If someone knew the man, they wouldn''t recognize him. Somehow, his hair and eyes had turned an unfathomable black. Though the eyes were open and didn''t blink, one could tell by that motionless stare that he didn''t see anything anymore. The only thing to distinguish him and a corpse was the nearly unnoticeable up and down of his c.h.e.s.t.

    When Sam hurried over, tears fell from his eyes. "Milord, milord, why must you do this to yourself?", he muttered sadly. Sometimes he wondered if Nathaniel wasn''t too ambitious. However, he understood his reasons, too.

    Sam told a few waiting guards to bring the earl back to the mansion as fast as possible. Albeit a bit unwillingly, he let another batch of guards give the Renat army''s commander first aid and follow behind.

    .

    "What?", Katherine asked intrigued, and slowly put Froseti down. She hadn''t understood much out of the message.

    The servant gulped once and took a deep breath before repeating: "The poison is active again. The earl demanded to get Lady Balder there. Please hurry!"

    Worried, Katherine got to her feet. As much as she thought the poison shouldn''t be violent anymore after being greatly reduced, the anxious state of the servant told her that something was wrong big time. If his brother died, how could she explain it to the earl? "Bring me there!"

    Both girls followed closely behind the servant, running through the corridors of the mansion until they reached the infirmary. The door was highly guarded, but when they saw Katherine nearing, they didn''t stop her. Hazel and the servant though had to stay outside. Katherine slowed down a bit to catch her breath, before opening the door.

    Inside were only the doctor, Sam, and the patient. When Katherine went over to the bed, she gasped. "What the hell happened?! How did he end up like this?"

    Mind me, the last treatment wasn''t too long ago and he had looked much better after this. He had even been awake. Now, however, he looked worse than ever. She even doubted it was the same person for a second, though his hair color was still the same blonde.

    Like the times before, they had remove the shirt to let her see the extend and not make mistakes in her treatment. Everywhere she looked on this gorgeous white skin, where black veins. The once free heart area was getting smaller and smaller.

    Unknown to everyone, even the little bit of consciousness the darkness had left was panicking. It didn''t want it''s host to die, but the black veins were caused by it''s dead remnants, so neither it nor the earl could control it anymore. It was the counterpart of squeezing it to make it small again. It would always cause these dead poison fragments to appear. They blogged the host''s bodily functions and made him unable to move or speak. The only lucky thing was, that they moved very slowly compared to the living darkness.

    Since the earl was missing, Katherine glared angrily at Sam. "You should have called me much sooner! And what is this quack still doing here? You should have at least found a poison expert while he was recuperating!" she pointed at the doctor.

    She felt like the deterioration of the patient''s state was a personal assault to her. She should have looked for him more often. Now she felt bad for being glad that the earl didn''t force her to treat the patient completely.

    Surprised by her outburst, Sam stepped aside instinctively. The doctor felt a vein on his temple pulse in anger. Quack! How was he a quack? He was the best poison master in the Icelands! Still he could do nothing but be insulted by a little girl just because her magic did what was impossible for him! However, for the sake of the earl, he put his grudges aside and stepped out of the way of this infuriating girl.

    After scrutinizing the patient from bottom to top, noticing his blackened lips and clawed, motionless fingers, she grabbed for his arm.

    "STOP!", Sam suddenly cried out in a panic, startling her. How could he forget! It had to be because of the Lady''s ramble! "You need to wear the gloves!"

    Gloves couldn''t really stop the earl''s ability, but at least one would hopefully see when something was wrong before one''s hands were affected. Furthermore, the earl once mentioned that his magic preferred to eat living things, not dead leather. Naturally, Sam didn''t know that the living darkness was concerned with other things just now.

    Katherine furrowed her brows, irritated. "How can you still think about my purity when there is someone dying here?!"

    Sam squirmed. If it was just that easy! But he had the strict order to not let her know the truth. Still, he couldn''t let the only salvation of his lord die because of carelessness. "Milady, please put them on! His lordship will be angry with me otherwise."

    Katherine squinted her eyes. What was so important about wearing gloves? However, she didn''t have the time to find out. "Fine then."

    While putting them on, she noticed something out of the corner of her eyes. Or to be precise, the lack of something. "He stopped breathing!"

    The man in front of her suddenly turned into a little boy in her eyes.

 Chapter 50 - Wolves and Humans

    On a cold autumn day, Katherine was on her way to the hut in the forest that was her and Ethan''s preferred playground before he turned it into a laboratory years later. Suddenly, she heard wolves howling in the distance. The two guards guiding her looked around cautiously.

    Instead of being bothered, the twelve-year-old Katherine was more curious. Maybe her trust in the ability of the guards was too high that she thought she was completely safe. Anyway, Katherine had never been scared before and took pride in that fact. So, her first thought when she heard the wolves was: do they really look scary up close? Her mother had once drawn one for her to see. She had told her to be careful with these dangerous creatures, that they could terrify even experienced hunters. Katherine, however, had thought that they looked rather cute.

    In remembrance of the words of her mother, Katherine tried to restrain her curiosity. She had promised her to not put herself into dangerous situations anymore. Not after her mother found her balancing on the edge of the roof of the highest tower of their castle. It was a challenge by Ethan. He mocked her for being too scared to do this, and she showed him that she wasn''t.

    Even after ten minutes, the wolves didn''t stop howling, instead they seemed to get more intense with time.

    "Weird", one of the guards finally mumbled. It was before Ethan got the habit of cutting off their tongues. "What''s up with the wolves today? Aren''t wolves only awake at night?"

    "Right", the other agreed, "Something must have happened for them to be this agitated. Maybe there are hunters in the woods."

    "I can''t hear gunshots though. It could be a cub gone missing or one of them dying. One less of these sheep thieves would be a good thing."

    Cub gone missing? Katherine''s ears perked up. If the grown-ups were already cute, how cute would a cub then be? And fluffy... it had to be really fluffy!

    With a look at the guards walking in front, she slowly sneaked sideways into the bushes like a crab in a princess dress. She just had to look for the fluffy cub. It would surely be scared if it was alone in the forest. This was an important mission to save the fluffiness!

    When she couldn''t see them anymore, she picked up her long skirt and started venturing into the forest. A few steps further, she noticed that her shoes were unsuited for this terrain, and took them off.

    With n.a.k.e.d feet, the skirt lifted and a silly grin on her face, she followed the howling sound. If a cub was lost, it wouldn''t be too far from the pack.

    A few minutes later, she was already half covered in mud, but the howling was much clearer. It had to be here somewhere. The cub or... she could at least get a glance at the wolf pack if she was already here, right?

    The curiosity won over her promise. Just a look wouldn''t be dangerous... and when would she get such a good chance again?

    So, she sneaked even closer. Finally, she saw some fur between the trees and stilled. Silently, she looked around. It was in the middle of the forest, where the trees stood bark on bark. The wolves were beautiful creatures, though she could not see one whole animal, but only the parts that weren''t hidden behind the trees. She counted one, two, three... seven of them.

    Most had grey or black fur, some with white paws or collars. One of them was so dark that she could only see the reflections of his amber eyes.

    Suddenly, the wind turned, and, like on a signal, the wolves stopped howling. The beautiful amber eyes turned into Katherine''s direction, and she held her breath. She felt like he wanted to tell her something. In her daze, she didn''t notice how the other wolves left. Finally, the amber eyes moved and with two agile jumps the black body vanished inside the forest.

    "Hey!", Katherine exclaimed and left her hiding place to run after them. "I didn''t even get a good look at you! Come on!"

    When they didn''t return, she muttered: "Really, what scary creatures? They are just fluffy cowards... the beautiful kind of cowards..."

    Several leaves were floating in the sea of blood forming around a small body. The child was barely as big as Katherine herself, but the skin in a ghastly pale white looked highly unnatural.

    Katherine clapped her hands over her mouth. No sound seemed to be able to form in her throat to express the horror she felt. Everything seemed to hold it''s breath. Only the blood wasn''t stopping and kept tickling out of the poor boys body drop by drop.

    His wounds were grotesque. It looked like his thorax was burst or ripped open so that Katherine could see the heart... beating slowly. Yes, it was still beating!

    Suddenly, time seemed to move forward by big chunk and little Katherine found herself by the boys side, desperately forcing her magic out to heal whatever was left of him. She couldn''t remember calling them, but strangely the guards were there and held the boys body parts in place so she could focus on her work. The forest ground was dirty and bloody and she was afraid too much dirt would get into the wounds.

    Ethan was there, too. Though her eyes were blurry by the continuous stream of tears, she would still remember that cold look on his face years later as if everything that transpired was a trivial matter. He didn''t seem to be affected at all, but if you looked closely, the corners of his mouth pointed downwards a little as if he was displeased.

    When she finally fixed the boys body, she fell down unconsciousness. As soon as she woke up again, she found herself in the hut in the forest, Ethan by her side.

    He helped her up carefully and handed her a glass of water. "How are you feeling?"

    Her eyes roamed around in confusion. "I am good... Where is everybody?"

    With a gentle smile, he replied: "Kitty, you gave us all a big shock. Don''t you know to be afraid of the wolves? But thanks to your courage, the boy is back to his parents, safe and sound. I shall convey you their thanks. He told us that the wolves attacked him. The hunters are already out to kill those beasts. So, don''t worry and just rest. I will be back shortly."

    When he reached the door, Ethan turned around once more. "About the guards, for letting you stroll around alone they were demoted and sent to another family. I suggest you don''t argue with your father about it if you don''t want to be scolded."

    Slowly, she nodded. Being scolded by her strict father was always bad, and the damage was already done. Her father wouldn''t take it back anymore just because she asked now.

    Pleased with her answer, Ethan turned away and with it hid the smile out of dark triumph spreading on his face. This little girl would always believe whatever he told her.

    .

    Tears fell from Katherine''s eyes as she remembered another error she''d made. Although she saved that boy back then, she knew now what really happened to him. He wasn''t sent back to his family. Years later she found the boy in Ethan''s laboratory. Frey was his very first lab rat. And she''d helped acquire him.

    About the guards: wouldn''t her father know about her power if they ever came back to the castle? She thought she''d saved a life back then, but instead she''d dammed one and most likely killed two others. Saving someone involved much more than healing his wounds.

    This time, she had to make it right. She had to save the man under her hands. But when her power invaded his lungs, she found them filled to the brim with a dark fluid. Even if he wanted to, he couldn''t breath like this. Her heart sank. Would she manage to push all of this out before he suffocated?

 Chapter 51 - Unconscious

    Two days later, the patient was finally out of critical condition. It would have been much faster if casting magic wasn''t this exhausting. She had been overly glad that the short time without breath on the first day didn''t kill him, but even after that the life signals had been unsteady for a long time when the poison nearly reached the heart or unexpectedly clotted in his veins.

    In the last two hours, everything seemed to be calming down finally, so she assumed that the biggest threat was over with. The one thing that worried her though, was that he still didn''t wake up. His lungs were working properly and his heartbeat was steady, albeit a bit fast because of the stress to his body. Still, the eyes under the closed lids didn''t move once. She didn''t know what the reason was, and could only hope and continue her work of pushing the poison out and replacing it with fresh blood where necessary. If she found any injury, she repaired it, but there was strangely little real damage. Only this black poison and the areas where it clotted.

    However, from what she deduced, the speed of the poison was way slower then what the quack said. She got a little suspicious. Was that really a doctor? He couldn''t even predict the flow of the poison and all he seemed to know was to call for her help whenever something happened. Well, at least he''d learned that, now, after the patient nearly died.

    When she had some free time, she searched for the earl. She wanted to talk to him about changing to some real doctor so that she had to worry less.

    After looking in his study and passing by the dining hall and his quarters, she got confused. Where was the earl? It was strange enough that he didn''t come to see his brother even once, but now he seemed to not be at home at all? What kind of family was he, leaving his dying brother behind?!

    Then she remembered about the Renat kingdom. Was there an attack already? But the earl said that they wouldn''t reach the mansion... Anxiously, she searched for the only person who knew everything around the mansion other than the earl: Sam. However, the whispers of two servants coming down the corridor stopped her in her tracks.

    "A whole army of Renat soldiers - are you sure?!"

    "Yes, they said it was a gigantic army! And then, seconds later, there was that black thing in the sky and everyone was gone!"

    "That black thing? I saw it, too! It looked like a really, really big tower to the sky!"

    "I thought it looked more like a black light falling from the clouds and casting everything in darkness... ", the male servant debated.

    With a harsh movement, she brought down her arms. "It was really fast!"

    "Wait, wait, wait!", Katherine interrupted them, running in front to stop their steps. "The Renat army is already here?! When? Where? What happened?!"

    "Milady!", the servants exclaimed surprised, and wanted to bow.

    "Cut that", Katherine said impatiently. "I want to know where the Renat army is." What are they doing? What has the earl done to stop them?"

    Fl.u.s.tered, the two servants exchanged glances. "Milady...", one of them began. "We don''t really know what happened to the army... and we wouldn''t dare to ask for the earl''s plans..."

    "Oh, do you?", Katherine asked and narrowed her eyes. "And what were you talking about just now?"

    As she saw how anxious the servants got, she sighed and softened her tone. "Look, I''m not mad at you for gossiping. I just want to know what happens outside. Who is winning? Who is loosing? And what is up with that black thing you mentioned? I didn''t see anything like that."

    The woman finally calmed down, only showing astonishment instead of fear. "You really didn''t see it, milady? It was a black pillar reaching to the sky! Even villages miles away saw it."

    "Erm..." good question. Why didn''t she see something this big? "Where exactly was it?"

    Through the big windows of the corridor, she saw the forest in the far, far distance. It was the direction of the village, she thought, but before panic could set in, she remembered about the evacuation the earl had made. So it was this village.

    Then she squinted her eyes. Were her eyes betraying her or was there a big earthly-brown patch before the forest? She couldn''t recall something like that from her last trip to the village. But even if it was new, it didn''t mean anything, right?

    She recalled the day and knew instantly, why she didn''t see the black tower: on that day she had been playing with Froseti on the backside of the mansion, where the building would have obstructed her sight, and afterwards she had been too occupied with keeping Nathaniel''s brother alive to look out the window and see that dark tower. Wait - dark tower? Could it have anything to do with the poisons outbreak? Both were black after all.

    She shook her head slightly. No, that was too far a connection. Tough it happened on the same day, it didn''t mean that they had anything to do with each other. After all, that thing out there seemed to be gigantic while the other was just a simple - well, maybe not all that simple - poison. If she just knew what caused the outbreak, she could prevent it from happening again...

    "So, was that were the Renat army was?", she doubted the words she''d heard earlier. It sounded too much like a fantasy. "Or what was that about that black thing swallowing the army?"

    It sounded unbelievable.

    The servants exchanged a glance again. "We didn''t see it ourselves... but I heard it from someone trustworthy! I heard there were over a hundred thousand soldiers, right here at our doorstep! And then that black thing came and poof! They just vanished into thin air!"

    "Laughable", Katherine commented under her breath. Louder she said: "How can they simply vanish? They must have occupied the whole horizon and then disappeared without a trace? What concept is that?!"

    The servants gulped when they saw her annoyance. Again, they looked at each other shortly, before they simultaneously issued one word that should be an answer, but sounded more like a question from their mouths. "Magic?"

    Her worries were not stilled. Was the thing about the army vanishing true? How? And if that black thing existed, was it on their side or some kind of natural power that could threaten the Icelands, too? It could even be something the enemies orc.h.e.s.trated to confuse them... at least Katherine felt now more confused then before she met the servants.

    And in all this chaos, where was the earl?

 Chapter 52 - The Letter

    Like a worried mother hen, Sam had never left the earl''s side. He didn''t expect it to turn out like this. He was sure even the earl didn''t predict it. In their imagination there had only been a small possibility for death, but none for continued unconsciousness. They just didn''t think about it.

    It has only been two days, he tried to calm himself down. Two days were nothing. He could still wake up every minute. Since a while now, Sam had been unsure if he should remove his magic that altered the earl''s hair and eye color. Maybe something would change if Katherine managed to chase away the darkness in the earl''s eyes. After all, they said that the eyes were the window to the soul.

    Sam crossed his hands and discovered a new age spot on the back of one. This boy, always making him worry and age faster. Sam sighed. He would wait for a few days more and tell Katherine to concentrate on clearing the earl''s face of poison. Hopefully, that would suffice to wake him up.

    Whatever happened, he couldn''t disclose anything about the earl''s weakened state to the outside world. It would attract a lot of unwanted attention and would even raise the thought of killing him in a few ambitious people. First of all that crazy woman.

    Luckily, besides Sam himself and the doctor, only Christine might deduce that it was the earl who was lying here unconscious. The doctor and Christine served the earl for years already and knew some of his secrets.

    Out of them, Christine was completely loyal to the earl for saving her life, while the doctor was addicted to his research - which since some time focused on the black poison in the earl''s veins.

    As of late, however, the doctor was getting more and more frustrated since it was the only poison he couldn''t figure out in all these years. Now there was even a little girl that could do better than him. Because of this, the earl had ordered to keep track of the doctor''s actions again some time ago.

    Though Sam was a bit worried that the doctor would break off with them at this dangerous time, he knew that he was a person that kept favors at heart and would at least not exclude things to the earl''s enemies.

    With things as they were, Sam fabricated a lie for the majority of the mansion''s inhabitants to believe: the earl was investigating the disappearance of the Renat army. When the earl would wake up, they would declare that the army was killed by a mage and the earl managed to get his loyalty. The last bit had been planned like this regardless of the outcome, as it would scare the people to know that the one who killed so many was their lord. Then they would trip over their own feet in fear whenever they saw him, so Nathaniel had decided to shift the blame to some unknown person, but still take this power as his backing.

    Of course, the people he wanted to get attention from would never be blinded by this story. It was only to soothe the masses. The ones he wanted to react were those who already knew who the master of this magic was. Some of them had seen it first-hand, some heard about it, but they feared it enough to throw him out of society and try to kill him multiple times, even though they had only seen the tip of the iceberg of his abilities. Now they would be too scared to continue to exclude him. A little monster could be hunted, but a big one should be revered and flattered.

    It took three days for the rumor to spread and the villagers to return to their housings. The compensation for the destroyed fields got distributed. Finally, two soldiers set out with a cart rolling behind their horses. In the cart was the commander of the Renat army, tied up and gagged. The stumps on the ends of his legs were bandaged professionally, but he would never walk again. Fully consciousness, he was brought back to the Renat kingdom so that the message of his defeat would spread.

    .

    After some days, the patients face was spot free and Katherine gaped again at his features. This family was blessed with heavenly looks. If only their character was equally as good!

    Since Sam was right now talking to a guard at the doorstep, and the doctor was no where in sight, Katherine secretly took her time to stare at him. His eyelashes rested like light feathers on the fair white skin, the nose straight and not to big nor to small. His sharp eyebrows in a relaxed state gave off a peaceful feeling like he was just asleep. A sleeping beauty. This pair of brothers looked so much alike aside from the hair and eyes.

    For a second, Katherine suspected them to be twins, but quickly dismissed the thought. If they were twins, how could only one of them have that strange hair and red eyes? She had to admit, even though he could be scary sometimes, she preferred the looks of the earl. The red eyes gave him an evil charm that was kind of ... s.e.xy.

    Slapping her reddening cheeks, she stood up. Stop dreaming! What''s so good about this devil?! Beside his good looks, he had nothing in his favor!

    She heard that he was searching for the origin of the darkness right now. Hopefully nothing bad would happen. She didn''t worry for him of course, but for herself if he was killed. Right, only for herself...

    When she stepped out of the door, she saw Sam talking with someone else now. Katherine had never seen the uniform of the person before. Maybe he wasn''t from the mansion? It could be some messenger of another aristocrat...

    The map she found in the library didn''t show many aristocratic families in under a days traveling distance from the mansion. Only the Iceflowers and the Snowstorms lived in this area. The latter wasn''t one of the old families, but got a territory appointed for serving the crown. The earl was the third party living here, but he was just too mysterious. Not even his subjects knew his family name. To them he was ''the earl of the southern boarder'' or ''the earl of Hymirhall''. Though Katherine knew from Hazel that he had an ''Ice'' in his last name and was therefore most likely out of one of the old aristocratic families, she still didn''t know which. It couldn''t be the Iceflowers though, or else he would be better known in this area. No, the earl seemed to appear out of no where two years ago.

    Sam and the messenger didn''t exchange many words, but the messenger handed over an envelope. Before Katherine could make out any details, Sam hid it in his dress jacket. With a slight bow, the uniformed man left.

    Although Katherine would like to lighten the butlers burdens, she had to shake her head. "It seems like clearing his face isn''t enough. Don''t worry, I will continue to treat him. It may take some time, but he will surely wake up!"

    She heard Sam mumble something under his breath.

    "What?"

    "Nothing, milady.", he pretended and gave a tight smile. "I''m just worried. The patient is really important to the earl, so please continue to give your best."

    "Of course.", Katherine ensured him, a bit bitter. "That is what I am here for, after all." That was everything the earl wanted from her, her only reason of existence in his eyes.

    Sam''s mood seemed to lighten up a bit. "Thank you, milady. Although the earl doesn''t show it, you must know that your help means a lot to him."

    Her help. Her power. Nothing else. She pressed her lips together. "Is that so? Well, I''ll be in my room for now. I''ll be back when my magic is refilled." That had been her routine for the last days. Heal the patient till her magic was used up, eat, sleep, and heal again. Till the patient would wake up she didn''t plan to stop.

    Sam nodded, and let her go. When he couldn''t see her small back anymore, he heaved a sigh. "We don''t have the freedom to wait until he wakes up, I''m afraid..."

    His wrinkled hand felt for the envelope in his dress jacket. Although he didn''t read the letter in it yet, he could already guess the content. It would have been a good message if the earl was awake, but like this... it meant even more trouble.

 Chapter 53 - News out of the Capital

    After a few minutes of thinking, Sam returned to the infirmary and closed the door tightly. Maybe, he thought, the earl just didn''t want Katherine to know he was awake. It was a matching reaction for him.

    He walked to the bed. "Milord? Lady Katherine is already gone."

    Looking at the man laying on top of the white sheets, there was not even the twitch of a brow. Just slow, steady breathing. Sam sighed. A shame. He had waited for so long for this to happen and now he couldn''t even see the reward for his afford. And because of this, maybe this reward would turn into a catastrophe instead.

    Slowly, Sam took out the envelope. He had to know how bad it was. The bold golden letters on the front read: To the Earl of Hymirhall. Although the person knew Nathaniel''s name very well, he obviously preferred a more distanced address.

    The earl is asleep, Sam reminded himself, as he opened the envelope. Though he knew Nathaniel would approve of his actions, he felt a bit guilty to read his personal mail. Especially a mail the earl had waited for half of his live to get.

    The letter was made up of only a few sentences, sounding cold and angry at the same time.

    "Earl of Hymirhall,

    Though the Renat army was defeated, your actions disturbed the aristocratic families. For the first We need to grant you a medal, but for the second punishment awaits you in the capital. Until We declare otherwise, the ban is lifted. If you fail to arrive within three weeks time, you will be declared a rebel and be hunted down. Don''t let your errors repeat themselves.

    Regards,

    William Timothy Roland Icefall, king of the Icelands..."

    There were several other title, but Sam stopped reading after the first and most imposing one. The letter matched his expectations. The only thing he didn''t predict was that the king had written it himself and didn''t let an underling take over the work. The autograph was written in the same big but elegant handwriting as the rest of the letter and even the address on the envelope. Was it a sign that he still cared to some extent? Sam didn''t know what to think about this. He knew the earl wasn''t fond of the king, but with their connection, how could he ever be completely unaffected? He wished the earl could read it himself right now. However...

    He looked down on the patient, noticed the unnatural paleness on his cheeks, and pulled the blanket up to his neck. "What a shame... The first words for years and you don''t have the freedom to read it. Wake up fast. Time is running short. He wants you back in the capital. Wasn''t that what you hoped for all along?"

    Ignoring the kings order was no option. That was not only because of the threat the king issued, but before all because the earl had waited for too long for the ban to be lifted. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he had paid greatly for it.

    "You have to wake up!", Sam told Nathaniel. If not tomorrow, then while they were on their way to the capital. Because if they reached there and the earl was still asleep, it would cost them all their heads. "I should have never agreed to your goddamn plan..."

    While saying that, Sam forgot that the earl never really asked for his consent. He had been the one to make the decision, and whatever Sam said would only have made a small difference in this matter.

    .

    In the king''s palace in the middle of the capital city, where the last snow still melted on the roofs, there was a big flower garden that never withered all year long. Rows and rows of dark red roses, white and yellow lilies, and blue hydrangeas enclosed a small golden pavilion in their middle like a seashell hiding it''s pearl.

    Though the size of the pavilion would have made any other building inconspicuous, this one could never be ignored. Whenever the sun fell through the clouds, the rays would be reflected by the golden rooftop and the pavilion would shine brightly like a second sun. Every onlooker would be nearly blinded by the brightness until they had tears in their eyes. It was like the heavenly mirage, like a pavilion for gods and immortals fallen onto the earth.

    Inside this fantastical pavilion, her golden dress whispering over the ground like the wind itself, stood quietly like a stature a heavenly beauty. Long black hair fell down her slender back like a cascade, while her head was slightly tilted downwards. In her delicate hands, adorned by glittering diamond rings, she held a small blue flower. Or rather several flowers growing out of a little twig like dozens of blue bells. She held them to her nose, her eyes closed under long, fluttering lashes, and took a whiff of their scent.

    Her slim brows knitted together slightly, while the red lips parted to let out a breath in form of a question. "Why?"

    Only she herself knew what she meant with that. Her eyes remained shut, but if one looked closely, the little wrinkles to their sides gave a hint to her real age. This beauty wasn''t a young girl anymore, but a middle-aged woman, that treated her skin and hair with unimaginable costly products and baths every day to look like spring itself. However old she might get, she would always try to conserve her youthful appearance to match the flowers around her.

    When she reached the pavilion, she threw herself on the ground, panting heavily. Her deeply bowed head and shuddering body spoke of the great fear in her heart. "Your highness!"

    Very slowly, the woman in the pavilion lifted her lids and revealed bright green eyes that could have been beautiful if not for the cold and viciousness hiding in them. It was like a snake slowly raising it''s scaly head, prepared to bite anyone that disturbed it. "Didn''t I tell you to never raise your voice in my presence?"

    The girl shuddered, and bowed her head even deeper until her forehead touched the ground. The agitation had made her speak louder than she had learned to. "I am sorry, your highness. Please forgive me for my indecency."

    Seeing the fear of the servant, the woman smiled and lowered the hand with the lobelia in it. This was so much better than the boring flowers. Even after years, she still couldn''t figure out what made her sister care so much for all kind of plants. She herself only liked the poison one could brew out of them. "Tell me why you are so agitated and I will decide what punishment you deserve."

    The servants lips trembled. Getting the punishment afterwards... it would be way worse then. Telling her master the news she just heard was already bad enough. Now she questioned herself if she should have fled instead of going back here to convey the news. However, she knew that she couldn''t! Her parents needed her support, they needed the money she sent them. And it wouldn''t be as bad as killing her, right? After all, she was just a servant. "You- your highness... he''s coming back."

 Chapter 54 - How Dare He?!

    The beauty looked down on her servant with irritation. There were many people she hated and didn''t want to see again. How would she know which one that dumb servant was talking about? "Who is coming back? Speak clearly!"

    The servant flinched. She knew better than to call out the name as the last time she dared to speak that man''s name - oblivious what it meant to her master - , she had been graced with the burn mark on her cheek. She didn''t know what the connection between her master and that seemingly insignificant man was, but his name alone had been enough to turn her into a madwomen. Ever since, she had carefully avoided the topic. "It is..."

    Her voice left her out of fear, and her mouth felt dry. Pressing her head even deeper onto the ground as if she wanted to bury it in the earth, she opened her mouth again. Tears of fear threatened to fall from her lashes on the ground between her hands, that were clawed into the earth for support. "He is... Your highness, it''s the earl of the southern boarder!"

    Last second the servant had decided to better call one of his titles then his name. Now she pressed her eyes shut and waited for the worst. This time, there wasn''t a fireplace in the vicinity, but her master was a creative women. Even in a flower field, she would find something to hurt her... or even kill her. What was the life of a servant compared to royalty? Maybe she would be found in the ruins of the pavilion tomorrow or drowned in the pond not far away... As the silence continued, the servant got more and more anxious.

    For a few seconds, the beauty just stood there, a confused look on her face. Which earl? Was there any earl significant enough for her to remember?

    "Southern border...", she whispered. Wasn''t there something with the southern boarder? That invasion. The Renat army had - no, that wasn''t the point. He. He was on the southern boarder. That monster was there!

    As realization set in, the flower in her hand dropped to the floor unnoticed. She understand directly, because ''earl'' wasn''t what they used to call him. He was not an earl, he had never been an earl, and he would never be satisfied with being one either. That monster... would it never be satisfied until it killed everyone she loved? Her dear children... No, she would not allow it! Never!

    Rapidly, her shock turned to rage and her delicate hands balled into fists.

    "How dare he.", she gritted through her teeth. "How dare he let that monster return!"

    As her nails dug into her hands, she wanted to destroy something. How dare he not listen to her and bring that monster in their middle! How dare he keep him alive all this time! Countless times she''d tried to kill that monster! Finally, after all this time, she thought that he would not dare return. He would stay away form her children. And when she relaxed just a little, that monster used the opportunity to sneak back again! That useless bastard even invited it!

    Ahhrgg! She wanted to rip him to shreds! Rip them all till there was nothing left! She grabbed onto the hair of that useless servant in front of her, and pulled her head up to face her.

    "Why don''t they understand?", she hissed, her eyes flickering between pain and desperation. Then she stilled and gently wiped the tear strains from the girls cheeks. "Don''t you understand? Can''t you see? I just want to safe my children!"

    As the girl only whimpered and pressed her eyes close, the beauties face distorted. She shook her harshly. "Look at me! Look at me you ugly thing! Tell me why! Why can''t they see?!"

    The woman ceased her shaking. Her exterior was still beautiful, but if one looked into her eyes, there was only insanity and the craving for destruction, for blood. Why can''t they understand her? Why did no one understand?!

    Her voice was nearly a whisper, but viciousness excluded from every tone like the slow poison of a viper. "Then what are your eyes there for?"

    .

    "We will prepare everything you need, milady.", Sam said earnestly. "But you need to accompany the patient. Please."

    Katherine''s eyes flashed with a dangerous light. "No! How can the earl demand something like that? His brother is not healthy enough for such a long journey. He''s not even awake! Does he want to kill him?!"

    Sam pressed his lips together at the harsh words. This was much harder than he thought it would be. Since when did she develop such a protectiveness for the patient? He remembered how in the beginning she even wanted to refuse to treat the patient for her own good. Now she didn''t even move, although he had offered her much more than the last time. Such a stubborn lady! There had been countless times in the last week where Sam wished for the earl to wake up, but never as strongly as now. How should he convince her to go with them?

    With a deep sigh, he stared to climb that rough mountain. "No, of course not. However, the earl has no other choice. I can''t explain the exact circ.u.mstances to you, milady, but he really can''t let him stay here."

    "No other choice?", Katherine shook her head. "Tell me, what can be worse than killing him? What if the poison acts up again while we travel? He''s getting thinner and thinner by the day! His condition won''t get better in a worse environment!"

    They could still feed him water with much patience, but food was nearly impossible.

    "That quack doesn''t know anything!", she interrupted in annoyance. "Did he foresee the last outbreak? No! I won''t let you take him to his death!"

    "But that is exactly what we want to prevent, milady!" When he heard his own voice getting louder, Sam forced himself to stay calm, and closed his eyes for a second. Of course he knew that both ways could led to the death of the earl. However, he had been by his side all the while the earl fought for this opportunity. Until the moment he decided to be a monster in the eyes of others if that gave him a possibility of return. The opportunity to face them and ask ''Why?'', and then take back what they owed him.

    How could he step down now?

    And even if he didn''t bring the earl to the capital - then what? Being hunted for the rest of his life? A threat by the king wasn''t a joke. Being hunted by him was the last thing he wanted for this boy.

    When Sam opened his eyes again, he found Katherine looking at him with raised brows as if waiting for him to continue. "I am sorry, milady. My emotions got the better off me. You know, the health of the patient is our priority. However, this mansion soon won''t be safe anymore, and as the earl was ordered to return to the capital, he can only take the patient with him if he wants to protect him."

    Katherine''s brows lifted even higher. "He is coming with us? I thought the earl was searching for the origin of this black tower thing?"

    "Well..." Why was this girl so difficult to handle?

 Chapter 55 - Journey to the Capital

    "Well", Sam tried again, "He is searching for the origin of the ''black tower'' - how you called it - right now. However, he will go straight to the capital after this, and as we are taking the patient along, he would most likely overtake us even if he starts a whole week later than us. Carriages can never be as fast as a single horse. They need a good road to ride on, and I can''t promise that for all the roads to the capital."

    Thinking about it, Katherine thought it did sound right. However, there was another thing that irked her interest in his words. "You said before that the mansion won''t be safe anymore. Is it because the guards will go with the earl to the capital or is there a direct threat?"

    If something like a direct threat existed, there was no doubt the patient would be safer if they left despite his condition. If not, she would make a stance for staying here until he was at least awake. This was not only for him, but she had some leftover business herself. If they left right now, there was a possibility that she might loose contact to the merchants of the Golden Cauldron. She could find them again in the capital, but waiting for their first contact and just telling them would be much simpler and she didn''t trust them enough to be sure they wouldn''t run away with her gold if they heard nothing of her. Maybe she could even arrange it so that they could meet up on the journey.

    "There are many people who want to kill him.", Sam just replied, without disclosing anything else about them. "And with his weakened condition we can''t be careful enough."

    Katherine sighed. It was a pity she had to leave before she even started to really feel at home here. The only strand of hope was that there would be way more possibilities waiting for her in the capital. Maybe she would not be bound to the earl anymore and find someone else to help with her revenge. Though she was reluctant to look for another possible husband - it would require her to actively pursue someone after all, which was kind of embarrassing for a lady - the hopes of convincing the earl were next to zero. And maybe, she thought, she could get someone with an even higher status to look at her. A marquess, or even a duke.

    About seducing a prince, she had no illusions. If they were not engaged at a young age, they generally had many beautiful girls surrounding them, who, even though they might be younger than her by up to three years, most likely knew better how to seduce someone. Katherine knew her own worth: she might be pretty, but was not the greatest beauty alive, and with seventeen she was slowly nearing the boarder to being too old for an unmarried maiden.

    "So, are you coming along?", Sam interrupted her thoughts after waiting for an answer for nearly a minute.

    Katherine shook her head to chase away the picture of herself in a white wedding dress pleading several faceless man to marry her that somehow arose from her imagination. That would be a nightmare for her. "Ah, yes. Maybe it really is better that way. When do we set out again?"

    "Tomorrow at sunrise. I will send more maids to help you pack as this is rather sudden."

    It really was, and left Katherine stumped for words. Though she had not enough things that it would cause a problem, she would have preferred an earlier notice just to adjust her mind set. "Good... I... I''ll better prepare myself then."

    Just when she was about to go, a thought crossed her mind and let her turn back once more. "Just to inform you, Hazel will be coming with me."

    With that, she went back to her chamber, leaving Sam heaving a relieved sigh. Without Katherine''s approval, everything else was meaningless. There was no hope for the earl to wake up without this headstrong girl. Feeling quite thankful for her existence, Sam closed the door to the infirmary behind her.

    .

    Anni and Nina volunteered to help Hazel packing. When the girl heard that they would leave for the capital, she was torn between reluctance to leave her friends - especially the cook - , and excitement to visit such a big city. Contrary to Katherine, she had never been in a big city before, and none was as big as the capital. Though deep down, she was a little bit afraid, she told herself that her goddess would be with her and like this nothing bad could happen to her. Only at the level of writing practice at most.

    "Milady", she asked carefully, and showed her a nightgown. She first had to strike a conversation, then talking about other things would come more naturally. "I found a hole in this one. Shall I mend it?"

    Katherine looked up. The nightgown was the red one she sewed herself. It spoke miles about her ability that it had a hole already. A wry smile on her lips, she stretched out her had. "Thank you, but this one I''d like to fix myself. Can you get me the small box in my drawer?"

    Anni brought it to her and saw her take out a needle and a yarn matching the one of the dress. Her eyes lighting up, she asked her: "Have you sewed it yourself? Is it for some... special event?"

    "Special...?", Katherine was confused at first, but then her ears and cheeks slowly turned red. "No! Nothing like this!"

    "But it is a beautiful gown.", Anni pointed out, and Katherine wanted to snap at her at first, but when she raised her head, she realized that the older woman didn''t look like she was teasing her. There was nothing mischievous or scolding in her eyes, only warm concern. So Katherine just closed her mouth again and focused on mending the gown.

    This action didn''t escape Anni''s eyes, and her expression turned even gentler. "Dear, did something happen lately? Has the earl mistreated you?"

    Katherine shook her bowed head, but her ears turned a bright red shade as she remembered the taste of chocolate, and a dark red gaze that wanted to devour her. But then he had fled out of the carriage. Even now, Katherine wanted to hide her face in shame, when she thought about it.

    Something was not right, Anni noticed. Though she might be embarrassed sometimes, Lady Katherine had seldom been this taciturn. Following the intuition of a woman, she knew that something went definitely wrong. To lighten the girl''s spirits, she said: "In love there are many different path''s, but they are rarely straight. Even if a first try doesn''t succeed, the most important thing is to never give up. Hindrances will eventually be overcome, and in retrospective you may even notice that they have just been stupid misunderstandings."

    She paused, waiting for a response. Nothing. Just as she was about to leave with a sigh - she could not press on an answer after all - she heard Katherine''s soft mumble: "I... I don''t think it''s a misunderstanding."

    Katherine thought about it for a few seconds, before agreeing. Slowly and with blushing cheeks, she told Anni the gist of what happened in the carriage.

 Chapter 56 - But Doesnt Want to?

    After hearing everything about the chocolate-event, Anni knitted her brows. Katherine was sitting opposite her, but didn''t dare to look into her eyes. Right now, she looked very much like a cooked shrimp waiting for it''s death sentence. At least she was as red as one.

    You shouldn''t have told her, the voice of embarrassment rang inside her. What will she think of you? Now she knows the earl is disgusted by you! She won''t ever look at you with the same eyes.

    But maybe she can help me, the rationality responded, a mere whisper compared to the embarrassment. She''s an older woman, maybe she knows what mistake I made...

    She most likely had to seduce someone else when she got to the capital, and she didn''t want to repeat her errors. Anni wouldn''t come with them, so she couldn''t help her anymore then. She should use the opportunity.

    The silence was impossible to bear. Just when Katherine was about to jump up and escape, Anni raised her voice. "I can''t be sure, but I think he likes you."

    "What?!" Startled, Katherine looked up. She must have misheard. Did she really say he liked her? "But... but..."

    The idea alone was laughable. Why would he go then? And in such fashion?

    Anni softly placed a hand on her shoulder, making her stop in whatever she was about to say. "Let me tell you: not everything you see is always as it is. Especially concerning feelings. You said he picked the chocolate himself and instead of just giving it to you, he even placed it on your lips. Something like that is not done by someone who has no interest in you."

    "But-", Katherine disagreed. Before she could form her words, Anni interrupted her with a light shake of her head.

    "Let me continue please, dear. I think he does like you, but he doesn''t want to like you. That''s a big difference. Maybe there is something obstructing him or he just does not want to acknowledge it, I don''t know. All I can say is, it is not your fault."

    With her violet eyes wide open in surprise, Katherine looked very much like an innocent child learning about the way of the world. Again all her thoughts had been mixed together, and only slowly separated into a completely different picture. However, she didn''t trust this new perspective yet. It sounded too good to be true. "He likes me but doesn''t want to?"

    "Most likely. ", Anni confirmed. Then she thought about this devil of an earl and her brows knitted. With him involved, giving advice was not simple. First of all, she had to test the girl''s determination or it would all be pointless. "The thing is, I was still only talking about liking. Love is much more difficult. Your target is not the easiest to hit. The earl is a very complicated person. Even after the time he lived here, one can see that he only trusts Sam completely. That is meant to say he is very cautious, distrusting even. It will take some time to convince him that you are the right one for him."

    After just regaining her hope, Katherine felt more down with each continuous word of Anni. As the older woman saw the shadow of doubt and sorrow haunting the previously glittering eyes, she felt bad for the girl. She wanted to test her determination, but she didn''t expect her to be this much affected. She looked like someone was dying, which was not matching in seriousness. After all, the earl really seemed to like her, which was kind of unexpected for such an ice devil.

    With a sigh she pushed her intentions beside and went to console the girl. "Cheer up, milady. You already made the first step. He noticed you. Now you just need to continue staying by his side and don''t let him forget about you. Even a stone is moved if there is just enough water!"

    When Katherine didn''t seem convinced, she added: "He likes you, but you need to tease him a bit to undermine his defenses. Slow and steady. Let me teach you a few tricks."

    Katherine very nearly rolled her eyes at her short-time memory. But, well, as long as it was in her favor, she wouldn''t remind her.

    .

    The journey was a boring one, at least up till now. Katherine thought it was regrettable that Sam placed the patient in a different carriage then her. Tending to him every minute instead of just when they rested would not only make her feel more at ease, but also less bored.

    To herself she had to admit that his handsome body may also be a reason for her reluctance. She questioned herself what kind of pervert she was to find those black riddling lines one of his most beautiful features.

    She was glad that the ride didn''t seem to affect the patients condition much. Still, he needed to wake up soon or he would be starved to death.

    Until now they had very carefully fed him with water and soup every day, but real food was impossible. Even his muscles were slowly receding and all fat eaten up by his body. How long could he still last? And what would happen to her if he died? It was a horrible thought, not only because it involved her own well-being. She felt like she would be genuinely sad if something happened to him. Though when he was awake she didn''t like his character, she was with him for so long now that she felt she would really miss him.

    Suddenly, the carriage came to an abrupt halt, making Katherine and Hazel beside her fall to the floor. The maid cried out, but Katherine only pressed her lips together in discomfort as she climbed to her feet again. But then she heard something that made her heart sped up as adrenaline shot through her veins.

    Screams. The sound of weapons. There was a fight outside.

    A cold glint flashed through her eyes. Sam had said there were people who wanted to kill the patient. What a despicable pack to hit him when he was down!

    Rapidly, Katherine rummaged through the smallest of her bags, the only one she had taken with her into the carriage. Seconds later, she found what she''d searched. The metal of the dagger shined menacingly in the streak of light bypassing the curtains. Katherine had feared the guards or servants would remove the dagger if she left it somewhere else, so she''d held it close by. Now she was glad for her suspicious thoughts.

    Though she hoped the guards could protect the carriages properly, she would always prepare for the worst. With her eyes, she told Hazel to climb on one of the banks, away from both door and window. The girl was trembling, but the strange calm of her lady seemed to soothe her fears a bit. What Hazel didn''t know was that Katherine''s heart was beating like that of a frightened rabbit the whole time. She was only calm on the outside, sweat pearls already started to form on her neck.

    Carefully, she pulled the curtains a centimeter to the side to get a glimpse on the battle. As she was the daughter of a duke, it was not her first time to be involved in an attack, but now she wasn''t as naive as back then. The blind trust that everything would work out fine - which it always had, gladly - was gone.

    Outside, she could see the forest, expecting enemies in every dark shadow. But though she could hear the noise clearly, she saw no fighters. Frustrated and even more insecure, she dropped the curtain.

    With the dagger grabbed tightly in slippery hands, she positioned herself next to the door. If someone managed to reach the carriage, they would either come through the door or the window, as they were easiest to break.

    She had just thought to there when the door of the carriage burst open.

 Chapter 57 - Spot-Free

    Another scream, this time muffled by her own hands, escaped Hazel''s mouth. The girl was scared to death, but her lady had warned her not to make a sound, and she would rather bite her tongue off than disobey her lady.

    Katherine bit her lip and peeked to the door to see an iron-studded boot hang in the opening, before being set on the floor of the carriage. The boot was big, indicating that it''s owner was a big person, too. Way bigger than her. She only had one chance to hit him when he stepped in the carriage. She had to do it right, or both Hazel and her might die. Clenching her hands even harder around the hilt of the dagger, she willed them to stop trembling.

    Suddenly, the boot was pulled back weirdly, followed by a ''thud'' of something heavy falling on the ground. A second later, she heard the rough voice of her bandit-guard: "You okay, milady?"

    Relieved, all air escaped her in one breath and her arms relaxed. Then she looked though the door frame, and grinned at the guard. "Thanks, Jack! We''re okay!"

    Deliberately, she ignored the corpse on the ground and the blood on Jack''s chin.

    Jack grinned back, showing off his black tooth. "Better stay inside. Pete and I will protect you well."

    Katherine''s gaze wandered to up front where they were still fighting. Looked like most of the attackers focused on the other carriage... as if they knew the patient was inside it. Some guards were already down. "I want to help. I can heal the injured and both of you would be of bigger value over there. They aren''t after me."

    As if he heard her, Pete came around the carriage. "They are not, but we still can''t risk your life for that. You can heal the injured when it''s over."

    Jack nodded in agreement. "Stay inside, they will manage."

    Unwillingly, Katherine pressed her lips together. "We should have ridden the same carriage, then you wouldn''t need to split up.", she mumbled, but finally followed their advice and returned into the carriage, waiting for the battle to end.

    Some nerve-wracking minutes later, the sound of weapons clashing stopped. When Jack opened the door, she was already on her feet, storming outside to see the damage and how many she could still save.

    She rushed over to the scene, where guards were groaning while tending to their wounds or pulling the dead enemies aside. Her biggest worry was the patient. After all, they were after him mainly. Was he still alive?

    Just when she was about to go inside the carriage, the door opened. She caught herself in time to not collide with Sam, who was standing in front of her.

    "Milady!", he said surprised. "Is everything alright?"

    "That''s what I wanted to ask.", Katherine responded anxiously. "Is the patient alright? They didn''t get to him, did they?"

    Sam''s lips curved upwards when he noticed her concern. "No, milady. They couldn''t even touch a hair on his head."

    Sam, who saw where she was heading, wanted to stop her at first. It wasn''t good if too many people knew her ability. But on second thought, it occurred to him that it was better to expose her than to let even the tiniest possibility of mishap interrupt their journey. More healthy guards meant more protection. However, she shouldn''t do it out in the open.

    With a wave, he called Pete to his side, and instructed him to bring the injured in Katherine''s carriage one after the other. Then he called Katherine back and told her of his plan.

    The problem was, the attackers knew which carriage they had to attack. The first reason for that was relatively harmless: they observed them for a while, saw that Katherine and her maid were mostly in one carriage while the other had only Sam going in and out, and just guessed correctly. The other reason, however, was much more dangerous. There was a tiny possibility of one of their man being a spy. This possibility was, of course, not big as they were all hand-picked by the earl. Still it existed.

    What Sam planned now, was a test. Katherine would heal the guards in the carriage. They would be told that Sam suspected there to be more enemies in the woods who watched them, so they should continue to play wounded when they got out. However, they were not hindered from telling their comrades in secret, as the spy was unlikely to be one of the heavily wounded, but more likely some other guard.

    Like this, Sam would be able to tell if there was a spy in their team by the next attack. And to distinguish the good from the bad peas, he placed another trap.

    If not for Sam''s ploy, Katherine would have insisted to switch inside the patient''s carriage so that the guards wouldn''t need to split up their afford anymore. Now she just wanted Sam to promise to let her switch the carriage after the test. Sam agreed easily.

    When finally the healing was over with, Katherine noticed that somewhere in between Froseti, who she had taken with her, must have hopped out of the carriage and into the woods. The loss of her rabbit made her already bad day even worse. What a depressing day.

    Hazel, who noticed Katherine''s mood, and tried to cheer her up, but it resulted in nothing more than a halfhearted smile from her lady.

    With hours and days passing inside the carriage, it only turned worse. Katherine was turning into a secluded woman that would throw glares and harsh words on everyone that interrupted her sulking. Hazel was crying inside. When can I get back my lovely and generous lady?

    The deeper they traveled into the north, the colder it got. The Icelands were not named for their warm summers after all. On one of these cold mornings, when puffs of white air left Katherine''s mouth in a sigh, the body of the patient was finally spot-free.

    Or at least that was, what Katherine saw. In reality there was still an unimaginable small point of darkness hidden in the veins, the origin of the earls power, that couldn''t neither be pushed out nor killed. As small as it was, it wouldn''t hurt him anymore.

    Staring at the half-n.a.k.e.d body in front of her, Katherine felt regret. The patient had lost nearly all his weight now, making his stomach bent inwards, and the beautiful - though deadly - pattern was gone. She felt bad for missing it a bit.

    He looked much more vulnerable now, making her protective if this unknown man that she had spend so much of her time on. However, this was all she could do for him. Her job was done.

    Though she shouldn''t have finished her job in the first place as it would make her useless to the earl, she just couldn''t let her patient continue to suffer. He nearly died back than because she hadn''t done her job properly. Also, without another return of the blackness, it was impossible to delay his recovery for too long or else Sam would get suspicious.

    Now it was finished. Did that mean she was finished, too? Maybe. If the patient didn''t recover on his own now, if he died without waking up, maybe the earl would throw her out. Hopefully though, he would pity her, for she''d done all she could.

    Without much hope, she traced the patient''s features with her eyes. She had seen them so many times now and was still every time surprised about how good-looking he was even in his condition.

    "Come on", she called gently, and with one gloved hand brushed a few blonde stands out of his face. "Wake up. Stop sleeping."

    If someone else was in the carriage, she most likely wouldn''t have done this. To her rational mind, it was unprofessional and kind of ridiculous to speak with an unconsciousness person. However, Sam was outside seeing to a wheel damaged by the rough road, and she was all alone with the patient.

    Katherine remembered a fairy-tail about a princess who''s soul had been sealed by an evil mage and who sus slept for a hundred years, until her soul was freed by a kiss. This wouldn''t be the same, right? The dark poison couldn''t have sealed his soul somehow?

    Well, even if it did, she thought she was the wrong person to wake the patient out of his long sleep. She was his healer after all, not his betrothed, and the one she wanted to woo was his brother. Getting feelings for the patient was out of the question.

    Still, her eyes unconsciously wandered to those slim lips. Strange, even their lips looked exactly the same. Both slim, but delicate-looking with a cold splendor. Her gaze shifted to the window, even though the curtains were closed to let no-one get a glance inside. He was away for so many days already. When would he finally come back?

 Chapter 58 - Closing Buttons

    After what Anni told her, Katherine felt the need to speak with the earl again, to find any clue that he really liked her and was hiding his feelings. Though Anni''s arguments were convincing, she just couldn''t picture the earl liking anyone. Yes, there were moments like the hug in the cave and the chocolate-incident, but most of the time he seemed so unapproachable that it was hard to imagine him in love. Could he come to love her?

    The thought alone made her heart feel warmer in this cold environment and her eyes softened. If he really felt something for her, could that too-short-but-endless moment of the hug last on? Would there still be that feeling of warmth and security in his arms?

    With slightly reddened cheeks, she shook her head. Looking at how things were right now, she dared not hope for it. For now, the best outcome was for him not to blame her if his brother died. She shouldn''t get her hopes up when there was nothing to cling to.

    With a soft sigh, her eyes returned to the patient. It was questionable if the earl even wanted her help anymore - much less anything else - if this brother of his didn''t wake up soon.

    Suddenly, she noticed that one of her hands was still on his b.a.r.e upper body. Though it was covered by the glove, she blushed slightly. With an awkward expression, she took it back. It was one thing to place her hands there for treatment, but another to completely forget that they were on a males n.a.k.e.d skin and continue to take advantage of an unconsciousness stranger. Though to her, he wasn''t a stranger anymore after all that time. Even though she knew next to nothing about him.

    And it will most likely stay the same, she reminded herself. Her work here was done, so she should get going. Reluctantly, she got on her feet and was just about to leave the carriage, when she felt a tug on her dress. Thinking that it might have gotten stuck on a protruding nail, she turned around to fix it.

    But when she saw what held her back, her whole being stilled. Slowly, in the same time the realization took to set in inside her brain, a genuine smile bloomed on her face. Her eyes started to sparkle like stars in a violet sky.

    What held her back was not a nail, but a hand that clutched onto the hem of her clothes. It looked like if she pulled just a little, the hand would fall off, but she had no intention of doing so.

    Carefully, she turned around and took that weak hand into her smaller ones. His hand was big, but it only looked like that compared to hers, for the long and slim fingers gave a feeling of elegance that matched his tall figure. Studying his face, she saw that his lids were still closed, but his brows wrinkled in discomfort. Through the gloves his hands felt cold. Unsure, she whispered: "Are you awake?"

    There was no response, but his eyes moved erratically under his lids. Was he dreaming? Dreaming was good, it was better than not reacting at all. Hopefully it was a sign that he would wake up soon.

    Anyway, his hand felt cold and the temperature in the carriage it would surely be bad for him in his half-n.a.k.e.d state. Since Sam was still occupied with the damaged wheel, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

    The big hand had relaxed already, and when she let it go, it fell down on the padded bank. Carefully, she tugged on his black shirt, bringing the ends together. For as long as a minute, she tried to get the first button through the hole, but the gloves made her hands stiff and clumsy. To handle the small buttons like this was an impossible task.

    With an annoyed sound, she pulled the gloves off. Sam always told her to wear them to ''keep her purity'' but right now there was nobody who would see it - especially not Sam, this nit-picking nanny - , and in her opinion the health of the patient was more important than something like purity. At least as long as it involved only her hands.

    Like this the buttons were much easier to fix. Her head bowed deeply, she didn''t notice that the patient furrowed his brows again, trying to open his sleepy eyes. He could feel a warm breath on his skin and occasionally something tickling brushed over his c.h.e.s.t. It didn''t feel bad, but he knew that there was something he had to remember about it. Something important.

    Suddenly, a scream disrupted the cozy atmosphere in the carriage. "Enemy attack!"

    Katherine''s hands jerked and in that tiny motion, her fingers brushed against the patient''s c.h.e.s.t. Skin touched skin.

    Katherine hastily scrambled to her feet and the patient, with his foggy mind trying to remember what that important thing was he had forgotten, was too occupied to notice the feather-light feeling that was gone already a blink later. A skin-to skin touch, something that he thought would never happen again and could never happen without fearing for consequences, was over just like that. If asked, they wouldn''t even remember it.

    With one swift motion, Katherine leaned to the window and pulled the curtain a bit aside. Outside some guards fought with masked enemies. Their numbers didn''t dwindle compared to the last time. If anything, there were even more. She saw Pete fighting two at a time, and he wasn''t the only one.

    Damn! Their plan didn''t work! That indicated that there really was a spy under their people. Katherine threw the patient an pitying glance. Who would want to kill him so much?

    Biting her lip, Katherine hoped that the guards could fight them off nonetheless. But there were so many! Was it really possible?

    Suddenly, a loud voice rang through the air: "Freeze! I''ve got your healer!"

    What?! Katherine looked around, but there was nobody who could threaten her. Were they mixing her up with someone else? But who? Who did they think was her?

    Frantic, Katherine tried to get a glimpse at the man, but he didn''t stand on the window''s side. Into her worried mind broke a pitiful whimpering sound. Katherine''s heart trembled.

    No! It couldn''t be! It couldn''t be her, right? She wasn''t a healer! Why would they think it was her?!

    Frightened to the core, Katherine stormed outside. The fighting had stopped, and on the enemy''s side a masked man held a sword to the throat of trembling girl. The girl was wailing silently, her hands clutched into the simple maid-gown.

    "Hazel!", Katherine exclaimed, and her knees nearly gave in. It really was Hazel! Why would they want to kill that harmless girl? Why was it always her loved ones? WHY?!

 Chapter 59 - Stop Embarrassing Yourself!

    "Don''t move or I''ll cut her down!", the swordsman warned again, while his companions slowly stepped back from their enemies and started to surround the carriage. Looked like they didn''t want their target to run away.

    Katherine was furious. How could anyone threaten the weak and timid Hazel?! The death of her parents, beheaded by the sword of their king, invaded her mind again and made her breath heavy. She couldn''t loose another important person! Didn''t she tell Hazel to be careful and not stay as the weak girl she was? Shouldn''t she stay as far away from this fight as she could? And how come she, Katherine, still went against her own logic and felt so much for a maid, who couldn''t protect herself?

    "Don''t hurt her!", she yelled and tried to make her way through the guards over to Hazel''s side. However, the guards were much bigger than her and blocked her with their wide bodies. Though they felt pity for Hazel, it was their duty to protect the aristocratic girl traveling with their master, not the poor maid.

    Fighting against the hands that held her back, Katherine screamed: "Don''t you dare hurt her! I''m the one - "

    "Stop!" A big hand pressed her down and interrupted her speech. Katherine struggled fiercely, but the hand wouldn''t move. Just when she was about to ignore it and start yelling again, a serious voice warned her quietly: "Don''t, Milady. You''re wasting all her afford."

    What?!

    Katherine stilled, and with wide eyes turned her head to Pete, who held her. What did that mean? Did they plan anything? Did they place Hazel as a bait?

    Seeing that she understood somewhat, Pete gave her a tight-lipped smile and let go of her. With a whisper, he added: "She volunteered. Didn''t want you to get hurt."

    Gratefulness washed over Katherine and made her eyes wet. This foolish, sweet girl! She couldn''t even protect herself, but already wanted to protect someone else. And not just anybody, but her, Katherine. How did she deserve such loyalty?

    After forcing her emotions to calm down, Katherine asked eagerly: "So what is your plan? What will she do? How are you going to rescue her?"

    "You''ll see.", Pete answered lightly and let his gaze wander to the other side again. He looked a bit concerned, which let Katherine instantly question if they even had a real plan. What if Hazel was just a pawn to them so that she, the real healer, wouldn''t be hurt? Would they even be concerned if Hazel died?

    But no, the one who made that plan wasn''t her cousin, she reminded herself. It was not even the earl, whose cruelty she would never underestimate after she knew of his dungeon master. The earl wasn''t here, so the one in command was Sam. And Sam was too nice to sacrifice someone, right?

    When Katherine looked over to the old man with his sharp blue eyes, she wasn''t that sure about it anymore. Yes, Sam was a servant himself and he always treated her well, but would he really not sacrifice anyone to get to the outcome that was best for his master? She didn''t know. She really didn''t know.

    The tension began to build up in Katherine again. What would happen now? What if they didn''t deem Hazel''s life worthy enough to be saved? Would she have to watch another of her beloved ones die? Her hands clenched to fists once again.

    "Tell your leader to come out here", the attacker demanded. "We know he''s inside the carriage! And that he''s injured! You better do what I say, or this girl will die. Who else will treat your leader than?"

    The phrasing confused Katherine. ''Your leader''? Though she knew the patient was the earl''s brother and most likely had the highest status here other than her, how was he the leader of their group? Or would he be the leader if he was awake? As long as the earl wasn''t there, it was plausible. Most likely, the earl would have ordered Sam to follow the patients lead as long as he wasn''t there, for his status was bound to be higher than Sam.

    At first, only silence followed the demand. Than the old butler cleared his throat.

    "Excuse me", he said in an unnervingly polite tone. The speaker turned to him with a dark threatening look, but Sam didn''t flinch. No - it was better to say that he looked like he didn''t even notice the hostility directed at him. "Excuse me, dear sirs, but what will you do if he comes out?"

    The speaker stared at him, than he let out a mocking laugh. "What do you care, old foggy? I wanna talk with you leader, not a shitty servant! Bring him out right now!"

    He harshly pulled on Hazel''s hair, who gasped when the cold sword slit into the skin on her throat. A pearly red drop rolled down.

    It was only a tiny scratch, but Katherine suddenly felt her knees tremble. Not again. Please not again! In her mind, the hand on her shoulder turned into several strong and hurtful grips that made her skin break as she fought against them. Her throat was dry of screaming her parent''s names. She was crying for the king to hear her out, but his cold, pitiful glance was etched into her soul.

    "What a poor girl, getting insane over her parent''s imprisonment.", the crowd whispered.

    "I heard she was always unstable, that''s why they didn''t introduce her to the high society.", a noble lady shared behind her white handkerchief. Her eyes were full of scorn. "What a pity."

    "Justice for princess Bellatrix!", a young man yelled. "kill the murderers! Kill the traitors!"

    "Fools!", Katherine yelled back. "You''re the murderers! They didn''t kill her! You''re all being fooled by this bastard!"

    When she called him that, Ethan finally stuffed a cloth in her mouth.

    "My dear Kitty", he giggled by her ear. "Don''t you see they won''t believe you? You are too weak to change anything. Stop embarrassing yourself."

    Yet again, she was embarrassing herself. Yes, she was too weak. So weak, she couldn''t even stand upright when looking at the sight in front of her! Again, she couldn''t do anything, needed to stand by and watch while someone else played with the lives of the persons dear to her. And they wouldn''t let her go through this barricade of guards to help Hazel. She just wanted to help!

    With all her might she fought the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. She was weak, but the least she could do, was not to embarrass herself. So she ignored the concerned look Pete threw her and straightened her legs.

    With all the fear in her heart, she was going to meet the situation now upright and with a straight back. Not cowering like a coward or screaming like an insane wench. Both didn''t change anything. Whatever came her way, she had to meet it with a firm stance. After all, she was a lady. Her dignity didn''t allow her to embarrass herself again.

    Just when she''d collected herself and wanted to get into the conversation of Sam and the attacker again, the swordsman screamed: "I don''t wanna hear one more word of you! I''ll count down from ten! If your leader isn''t out by than, you know what will happen! Ten... "

    Katherine, who knew that the patient was half-awake, looked anxiously to the carriage. Would the patient come out? But what would that bring? The enemies most likely wanted to kill him! As much as she didn''t want Hazel to die, she didn''t want to sacrifice anyone else either! And would they really not kill Hazel if he came out? No, as soon as she wasn''t worth it anymore, they would slit her throat.

    So was there anything that could really save her maid?

    "Nine", the enemy said.

 Chapter 60 - One

    "Five!"

    Katherine still didn''t have any plausible idea, but the enemy was counting faster. Her gaze wandered over the guards erratically. Why didn''t they do anything?! Would they just wait for Hazel to be killed?

    "Four!"

    Some of the guards moved uneasily. Obviously they, too, wanted to know why they didn''t get the command to attack. Pete, however, seemed calm. Did that mean they still had a plan? Katherine hoped so. But maybe Pete looked just calm by nature and was flipping the table inside his head! Hazel had stopped crying after the cut on her throat. Now her eyes were pressed together tightly as if her situation would change if she didn''t see it.

    "Three!"

    There wasn''t much time! Katherine''s hands were slippery when she felt for the dagger she had put under her dress after the last ambush. If nobody did anything, could she throw it at the enemy? Would it even hit? She wasn''t an expert at throwing, much less throwing knifes. But what other choice did she have? She needed to try at least!

    "Two!"

    Suddenly, there was a strange cracking noise. Everyone looked around for it''s origin, but nobody could tell. Strangely though, one person didn''t move a muscle at the noise.

    The "one" never came. The speaker that held Hazel looked like he was frozen in action, his mouth half-opened, arms and body stiff.

    Then another noise followed, and a black rain of arrows fell from the sky towards the attackers.

    "No! Hazel!", Katherine exclaimed, and rushed forward. This time Pete didn''t pull her back. There was no need. In the next second, before Katherine could even reach the open field between the parties, the enemies went down one by one. The rain of arrows was too thick for anyone to escape. Blood splattered the leaves and seeped into the ground. Screams of agony filled the air.

    One man with an arrow in his leg tried to crawl away, but another sharp arrow found his neck before he reached half a step further. In a matter of seconds, the attackers all died. There was no escape.

    But even though everywhere around them was dead, Hazel and the frozen man were strangely left untouched. Katherine slowed down. She couldn''t run into this death-field. Helplessly, she glanced at her maid who was shivering visibly now in fright. Her eyes were still tightly closed, but Katherine was sure, she could hear the sound of the arrows and knew what the fluid meant that had sprayed on her hand and clothes.

    It was then that in all this chaos, a person appeared. Katherine didn''t see him walk to the battlefield, but there he was, like he fell right from the sky. The sun glittered in his golden hair and armor, and an icy-blue cape dr.a.p.ed over his shoulders. In all this mess, his neat and shiny appearance was completely out of place. Somewhat... unreal. Katherine was even questioning if she was hallucinating, but it took the figure only one move to fit into the picture and let Katherine feel a chill roll down her spine.

    With a slender fingers, he lightly tapped the shoulder of the frozen speaker. It was like frail glass falling on the floor. What was a person once, disintegrated into several shards of ice. Even the sword followed suit. Then the shards broke into even smaller, shining pieces, until there was nothing but a little glitter in the air. Even that dissipated swiftly. The person was gone, completely and utterly annihilated.

    With her hand on her wide opened mouth, Katherine stopped. She''d wanted to scream Hazel''s name to wake her up, but now she was just staring. What a powerful magic! What a frightening mage! He looked like the death god reaping their souls just now. She didn''t want to catch his attention by screaming out loud.

    Only after a few moments, Katherine''s mind started working again and her rationality kicked back in. Maybe because of the gore all around, his appearance seemed much scarier than it actually was. Most likely he had frozen this person from the beginning and now only let him splinter. Was he one of the ice mages of the Icelands? Still, that was a frightening performance. A show of power. But to whom? Who exactly was he?

    When Hazel felt the sword and arm around her disappear, she didn''t even get to open her eyes. A relieved sound escaped her, then she fell down unconsciousness.

    Katherine''s eyes twitched. Though that was the perfect picture of a knight in shining armor, she couldn''t shake the feeling that this person was just pulling off a show. She felt anxious for Hazel. Her poor maid had been through enough hardsh.i.p.s for today. As she was innocent, she would get infatuated with the knight that saved her and not notice that he was a fake. Katherine could only imagine the trouble that would follow. Fortunately, Hazel wasn''t conscious.

    Quickly, Katherine recapitulated the last few minutes. Pete was so calm before, it meant that he was sure there was someone to save them. That someone was this man. However, if Pete was so calm, didn''t that mean this man had been there long before the arrows had been shot? So, what was his reason to continue to wait and torture her maid? He really was a show-off!

    Instead of thankfulness, Katherine felt rage building up in her. What a disgrace of a knight! Hazel could have been killed a few times while he waited by the side! Taking a step forward, Katherine wanted to shout at him to give her maid back. However, when he turned around, she forgot what she wanted to say. Her mind was blank.

    Until now she had only seen his back and side, and didn''t look at his face. With bright blue eyes and the sweet dimple in his cheek as he smiled, he had the kind of youthful charm that attracted girls like flowers the bees. Coupled with wavy gold-blonde hair and a powerful, yet somewhat playful aura, he was a real looker.

    However, that was no reason for Katherine to loose her mind. In between the earl and the patient, Katherine got a bit immune to outwardly charm. This youth sure looked brilliant, but somehow too... young? He looked even younger than her!

    Whatever, what first shocked Katherine wasn''t the looks of the man, but the resemblance. He looked a bit... just a little bit... he looked like her patient!

    Maybe it was nothing more than the blonde hair and blue eyes, which were quite normal features in the Icelands, but she somehow felt that was not it. Though the resemblance in their faces was not as striking as between the earl and the patient, they looked a bit alike. Maybe they were cousins? But if he was the patient''s cousin, didn''t that mean he was Nathaniel''s cousin, too?

    Now she grew even more vigilant. Whoever had the earl''s blood in him, she didn''t believe that there was anyone who was simpleminded. And that persons actions already proved him to be more vicious than he looked. She had to protect herself and her people, especially with the way he carried Hazel. The girl''s exhausted face was hidden in the white fur that covered the knight''s shoulders.

    Suddenly, all the guards around her got down on one knee and bowed their heads. When Katherine looked around in irritation, she saw that even Sam was bowing deeply, though he was not on his knees like the others.

    With one voice as if they had studied how to do it many times, all of them shouted: "We welcome your highness!"

    Another bomb exploded in Katherine''s brain, throwing all her thoughts in disarray. W-what? Highness? Did that mean... a prince?! This man that appeared out of nowhere to help them but coldly waited until the last second, a total show-off, was a prince of the Icelands?

    In a daze, she could only stare at him. He did look like a prince should, elegant and brilliant. His demeanor told nothing about the scheming mind he must possess.

    Only after a few seconds did Katherine realize that she should be curtsying, too, and hastily followed the custom.

    "Your Highness", she mumbled rather late.

 Chapter 61 - Prince of the Icelands

    "Stand up, all of you", the prince advised with a kind smile that didn''t make Katherine relax at all. How can he act so innocent directly after killing a person? He isn''t even seventeen yet! "Better treat your wounds than keep on kneeling."

    Some of the guards were still injured from the fight, but in the tense situation earlier, they ignored it. With the remembrance of the prince, they started cleaning and dressing the wounds.

    Somewhere in between, Jack had appeared behind Katherine like a dark hawk, towering next to the even bigger Pete. There was blood on both of them from their earlier fight, but none of it was theirs.

    When Katherine was still thinking about the consequences of the person that resembled the patient being a prince, exactly that person reached her already.

    "I suspect this girl is your maid, milady? I''m afraid she won''t wake up in the next few minutes."

    Though the question was simple, Katherine first inspected the prince''s expression, before answering. His face was all smiles, but in Katherine''s eyes, he held her maid a bit closer than necessary. He waited for this long to save her and now he dared to have weird thoughts about her?! She pressed her lips together.

    He might be young, but that didn''t excuse the fact that he could have saved her maid some of her fears. If he was grown-up enough to kill with a smile, he should be old enough to know that her maid was nearly dying of fright. Never would she let her innocent Hazel next to him longer than absolutely necessary!

    "Thank you for saving her, your highness.", she said nonetheless politely, and decisively gestured for Pete to take over Hazel. "I will take over from here. We can''t waste your highness'' precious time."

    The prince''s grip seemed to fasten a bit, before he laughed it off lightly. "Of course. Here."

    After the prince gave Hazel to Katherine''s guards, he went over to Sam''s side.

    "Where is he? Did he see my awesome entrance?", Katherine heard him ask. Her brows furrowed. Didn''t he know about the earl being away? Or did he mean the patient? But the patient was unconsciousness! How this question seemed to be filled with unexpected innocent excitement made her feel that she may have overestimated him, but she wouldn''t let her guard down this fast. After all, he already proved to be capable of killing without batting an eye. And he probably had the earl''s blood running through his veins.

    To Katherine''s worry, Sam only swept a vary look around, before surprisingly guiding the newly arrived into the carriage of the patient. Nervousness ignited in her. What if the prince did something to her patient? He was asleep and defenseless to any kind of attack! Why must Sam guide the prince - obviously a highly dangerous mage to boot - to the patient, when he was this vulnerable?!

    But on second thought, she found her own reasoning to be a bit ridiculous. The prince and his men just helped them out of a hopeless situation. Though he was late, he still helped. Furthermore, it was the trustworthy Sam that lead the prince into the carriage. Sam wouldn''t do anything that would put the patient in danger after trying hard to keep him alive all this time.

    Still, it did not feel right to let some stranger be beside her patient, even if it was a cousin. No, especially if it was the cousin. She knew that a scheming person could be even more dangerous to their family than any outsider. And she was responsible for the patient''s health after all! He just moved again for the first time since forever. She didn''t want to destroy this progress. Furthermore, her fate was still bound to his recovery.

    Oh no, in all this mess she forgot to tell Sam about it! He didn''t know yet that the patient was close to waking up. Was that enough reason to follow them inside? Maybe the patient was even fully awake now...

    Sometimes she had imagined how it would be when the patient woke up. That he would open his eyes, see her, and look at her with unending thankfulness for saving his life. Sadly, that was only a wishful dream. How she knew him from that one encounter, he would roll his eyes at her for having such a thought. Still, she wanted to be by his side when he woke up. To see the result of her hard work with her own eyes. To make sure that he was alright. But Hazel was unconsciousness, too...

    Katherine bit her lip, her gaze drifting between Hazel and the carriage of the patient. She might be responsible for the patient''s health, but the same could be said about her maid.

    "Milady", she heard Pete say, "Let''s bring her to the carriage."

    A decision formed in her. Hazel had Pete and Jack with her, so she should be save. Meanwhile, the patient might not be safe with this prince around. Resolutely, she said: "You go, I''ll follow soon. Guard her well. I need to speak with Sam first."

    Without waiting for a response, she went over and knocked on the carriage door. "Sam? Sam, there is something I need to tell you. It''s about the patient!"

    Pete and Jack looked at each other, then the latter shrugged and carried Hazel away. Pete remained. He had still another job to complete. After the attack he knew exactly who the spy was... and that Sam expected him to take care of that problem as soon as possible. With a dangerous glitter in his eyes, the veteran went over to a soldier that stood at the side, looking at the forest with a troubled face. If he was thinking about fleeing, it was already too late for that.

    If he didn''t have the confirmation, Pete would''ve never expected it to be him. This man was with them for years already. He had never showed a flaw. Now he''d fallen into a trap they''d only laid out for confirmation. They never thought there really was a spy. With how experienced the soldier was, him falling for this trap felt strange, somehow too simple. Pete''s palm landed lightly on the soldier''s shoulder. "Can I have a chat with you, Bernhardt?"

    The soldier slowly raised his head and smiled up at him, his eyes empty. "Sure. Let''s have a talk."

    Sam opened the door a little and smiled at Katherine. "Apologies, milady, but there are some important things the prince needs to be informed about. If it''s not too important, would you be willing to wait in your carriage? We will move out again soon."

    "I know, but...." She wanted to tell him that it would only take a bit of his time, but stopped. That was not the right approach. If she said that now, Sam would come out and leave the prince alone in the carriage with the patient. Anxious, she tried to peek into the carriage, but Sam''s body very effectively blocked the way.

    Frustrated, she breathed out. "I just wanted to know if the patient is alright after the attack. It''s my responsibility."

    Sam''s smile lessened a bit, as the exhaustion showed in his normally keen blue eyes. The longer the patient was unconsciousness, the older Sam looked, Katherine realized with sorrow. "Don''t worry, milady. I''m sure, he''ll wake up soon."

    It was obvious that Sam was even more worried than her. Maybe it was for the best if she didn''t tell him, Katherine mused. If she gave hope now and the patient still didn''t wake up, Sam would be devastated. As for the prince, she had to trust Sam that he knew what not to do and who not to trust.

    She forced herself to a bright smile. "Of course he will."

 Chapter 62 - Tell Me

    When the door closed, the prince stared at Sam angrily. "What is the meaning of this?"

    The old man sighed. "I''m sorry for the interruption. Lady Katherine is - "

    "Like hell I care! Tell me what the heck happened to Nathan!" Impatience strained the prince''s voice and was written clearly on his face.

    Embarrassed by his mistake, Sam coughed lightly. "Your highness, you know his powers... and I''m sure you heard about the army at Hymirhall, as well as that black pillar."

    The prince''s eyes went wide, the anger overwhelmed by sudden excitement. "You meant to say that was really him? He beat the whole army by himself? That is... wow! How? And... wait, even if he was the cause of that, it doesn''t explain why he''s not awake right now! How can he sleep through all that happened outside? I never even saw him sleep before, but I''m sure he''s like those viligant heroes that wake up at the slightest sound!"

    Sam''s lips twitched. Did the Earl never tell this person about the backlash of his ability? Or just the more positive sides, if one could call them that? Hiding that it threatened his life really matched his personality though. "He overexerted himself."

    The Prince''s brows furrowed. "When I overuse my magic, I only get a bit sleepy. How is it possible that there are still aftereffects for him? The thing with the army was nearly two weeks ago..."

    The question put Sam into a difficult spot. If the Earl didn''t tell the Prince, Sam didn''t want to override this decision. At the same time, he knew that the reason for hiding it wasn''t that the other was unworthy of trust, but the Earl didn''t want to make him worried. If the Earl continued to be unconsciousness, it might be better to spill the beans now.

    Before Sam could decide on his action, a raspy voice suddenly sounded out next to him. "Aston, I''m just a bit sleepy. No need to overreact."

    Sam nearly got a heart attack. Not daring to believe that what he heard was real, he slowly turned to the patient. He only got a glance at the opened eyes of the latter, before his vision started to blur. "Milord... you woke up..."

    Seeing Sam''s emotional response, the Earl''s brows furrowed. He didn''t know what had happened until now, but from the conversation before and Sam''s face he concluded that he''d slept for quite a while. Once while he was asleep he''d heard a female voice talking to him, maybe calling out. But when he finally woke up, there were only these two talking. Not quite as pleasing. Though his mind still felt slow, he was sure the Prince didn''t know yet about his former condition. So, there was no reason to worry him now, after it was already settled.

    Looking at his butler sternly, the Earl reminded him: "I only slept for a few hours, what''s that fuss about?"

    Instantly knowing what his lordship wanted to do, Sam forced his emotions down. "Ah, yes. I''m sorry, Milord. It''s just upsetting how much Milord is still affected by this event."

    Nathaniel''s lips curled up, inwardly praising the keen senses of his butler. With deliberately slow movements, because he didn''t quite know how bad the condition of his body was, Nathaniel sat up. He was pleased to find that although he felt very weak, he could still support himself. "It was a close call."

    Thinking that Nathaniel was not in as bad a condition as he''d imagined, the Prince''s eyes lit up. With his worry lessened, he squeezed himself on the bench next to Nathaniel. Like a child begging for the story about a great hero, he urged: "Now, tell me, tell me - what exactly happened back then? How did you do it? What''s up with you sleeping just now? You alone against a whole army - that''s crazy!"

    The Earl''s face was unreadable. "I''ll tell you how if you get me something good to eat first. You''re picky, I know you always got that chef with you where ever you go."

    The Prince was obviously reluctant. "Even if it''s a cold meal, it takes at the very least ten minutes to do it... I can''t wait that long! I wanna know it now... Please, Nathan, please! I''ll get you something to eat after that..."

    Shamelessly, he put his hands together in a begging position and made puppy eyes. In front of Nathaniel, he acted nothing like a dignified Prince, but reverted to a little kid. His youthful appearance even supported this impression. Obviously, he had forgotten that Sam was even there, for since Nathaniel woke up, he didn''t spare him a glance.

    "You''re spoiled rotten.", was Nathaniel''s dry answer. Though his opposite was a Prince, he made no attempt to flatter the latter. He didn''t even hold back his criticism.

    Everyone who saw this, would be stunned silly. They would expect the Prince to get angry next, but instead he sighed so deep it was akin to crying. The Prince, known to his people for his playful, yet proud nature as much as for his bad habit of drinking, easily gave in to some nobody of an earl. "Alright, alright. I''ll get you some."

    He trotted out of the carriage and closed the door. Nathaniel leaned back against the bench in an exhausted manner. Showing a front of being in good health even for as short as this was difficult in his condition. Still, his eyes were as sharp as before. "Now, tell me, Sam. What did I miss?"

    Sam furrowed his brows at the nonchalant attitude of the Earl. Was this brat not affected at all by nearly dying? He was already talking about business after just waking up. And even thinking up such an excuse to get the Prince out of the carriage.

    Knowing he only had ten minutes to fill the Earl in on the details, Sam pushed his worries to the back of his head. "In short, we''ve sent the commander back to the Renat kingdom, which stopped the invasion. Until now, there were two attempts to kill you, and a spy amidst your soldiers was exposed. Lady Katherine showed her excellent skill, without which, I''m afraid, Milord would be dead already. I highly suggest to somehow bind her closer to you. She is essential for your health.

    Additionally, the events show her loyalty as well as her willingness to support you. She was exceptionally passionate about saving your life, though, viewed rationally, she didn''t even know it was you, Milord."

    "Stop", Nathaniel interrupted Sam''s rambling. "That''s not the most important point right now." After taking a breath, he couldn''t stop himself from adding. "Tell me all about Lady Katherine''s actions later in detail. However, first... did it work?"

    Sam''s gaze grew abnormally serious, his old blue eyes regaining a piercing power they might have had in his younger years. Slowly he took the envelope with the letter of the King out of his jacket and offered it to the Earl. In case the Earl woke up unexpectedly, he''d taken it with him wherever he went. "This is what you wanted. I suppose, I should congratulate you. However, I''d preferred it if you didn''t have to throw your life away to get it."

    The Earl flipped the envelope in his hand, but he didn''t directly open it as Sam had expected. Instead, he rested both his hands and the envelope in his l.a.p. His gaze was calm. After scrutinizing his butler once, he asked: "You think it wasn''t worth it?"

    There was no accusation in his tone, only a slight non-personal curiosity. It felt like the answer didn''t really matter to him, was a form of formality. Maybe in his head he already knew the answer.

    Showing the same professional face, Sam folded his hands behind his back. "I had quite some time to rethink your decision, Milord. Maybe it was not the best option. As much as I wish for you to reach your goals, we should have take a different approach. If you lost your life, the letter wouldn''t mean anything anymore."

    Nathaniel nodded in acknowledgement. "It''s right that there were several other ways to defeat the army. However, I don''t think they could have earned me this letter. You know yourself that every attempt before failed. Without risking my life, I don''t think that would have changed. Rest assured though, I don''t plan to repeat something like this."

    The carriage turned quiet. Outside they could hear the guards speaking faintly. Sam lowered his gaze to the envelope. In contrast to the Earl''s calm behavior, his knuckles were white from clutching the paper tightly, as if he was afraid to loose it. The golden lines looked distorted. "Not even if they ask for it? For you to eradicate another army?"

    The Earl''s eyes, still a dark blue under the influence of Sam''s magic, turned even darker until they were nearly black. The rest of his features remained as expressionless as before, but the carriage seemed to somehow turn colder. "I don''t owe them anything."

    Sam heaved a silent sigh of relieve.

 Chapter 63 - Hazel of the Past

    It didn''t take long for Hazel to wake up. When she raised her head from the upholstery of the carriage, her lady was already beside her, waiting quietly. Nobody else was there. Smiling, Katherine helped her to sit up. "Silly girl, you shouldn''t have put yourself in danger for me. I nearly died from fright!"

    Sheepishly, Hazel avoided her eyes. "I just... I... "

    "It''s okay.", Katherine sighed. She felt the urge to pat the other girl''s head, but decided it would be too strange in the end. Even if she was a sweet child at heart, Hazel was taller and older than her. In both cases not much, but still.

    Talking Hazel''s hand in hers, she searched for these shy green eyes. "My dear..."

    Hearing her lady address her, Hazel stilled like a frightened little rabbit. Katherine squeezed her hand to reassure her. "Hazel... thank you. You risked so much for me. I... " she laughed helplessly. "I don''t even know what to say. Sometimes I thought you''re too timid, but today I realized that when you want to, you can be really brave. Maybe even braver than me. So, come on, be a bit brave and look at me!"

    Embarrassed, Hazel raised her eyes, only to look away again. Katherine softly touched her cheek and turned her head back, until she met her maid''s insecure gaze. "Whatever happened to you in your past, I''m sure it isn''t your fault. You are a great person. Be proud. Don''t be afraid to show them all what a great girl you are!"

    A few seconds they looked at each other, one girl determined, the other insecure, then Hazel''s eyes welled up. In a sudden motion, she leaned forward and coiled her arms around Katherine''s waist. A heart-wrenching cry escaped her lips, and she buried her face in Katherine''s shoulder. She wailed like it was the end of the world.

    Katherine just held her until the crying creased. Her own eyes were welling up, but she blinked it away decisively. When her dress was already thoroughly wet on the area of Hazel''s head, she heard her maid mutter something. "I don''t deserve it... I''m just a slave... I don''t deserve it..."

    "What slave!", Katherine blurted out and held Hazel away from her. "You''re absolutely not, you hear me?!"

    "But I was, milady, I was a slave! I don''t deserve your kindness!", Hazel suddenly retorted, a devastated look on her wet face. Her eyes were swollen and her small nose bright red like her hair. As if these words had broken a dam, the whole story rushed out of her mouth. "They were aristocrats, the Iceflower family. I was born as a slave in their household, like my mother before me. I don''t know who my father is, I don''t even have a last name, much less anything else!"

    She stopped and looked at Katherine as if she expected her to say something now. When Katherine didn''t react, she averted her eyes, and continued a bit slower.

    "M-My mother always cared for me. She worked as hard as she could endure, even more than that. But until the moment of her death, when the fever overtook her weakened body, she told me to not hate them, to be grateful. She told me that we would be dead if it were not for the Iceflowers. That they gave us a roof above our heads and let us live. But - but - "

    Hazel gasped for air, a hand clutched into her c.h.e.s.t as if her heart was hurting too much to continue.

    "It''s okay", Katherine assured her and took Hazel''s hands into hers. "You don''t need to pressure yourself. I''m here with you."

    The maids hands were cold and trembled, but when Katherine took them, they held tightly onto her as if she was Hazel''s only anchor. "Please, milady... I- I need to finish this!"

    "Take deep breaths", Katherine advised her. "Slowly. There is no rush. I won''t go anywhere."

    Hazel''s breathing stabilized soon, but the grip around Katherine''s fingers only tightened. "There was... a man. An Iceflower. He... I-I couldn''t do anything! They - they were my masters and I... but then they sold me. After doing all this to me, they just sold me away! I was devastated back then. Frightened. My mom always told me, we would be killed if we left the Iceflowers. I believed her. But then..."

    Hazel''s eyes looked into the distance as if she could see the past in front of her. Inwardly, Katherine prepared for the worst. What else had happened to her innocent maid? When Katherine thought about what Hazel''s words about the man of the Iceflowers implied, a dangerous glint flashed through her eyes. Iceflower, she swore to herself, if I ever get the chance, I will eradicate this man and his whole family! Even in the Icelands, slavery was forbidden since decades.

    "Then", Hazel continued slowly, "the servant of the buyer brought me away from there. For a few days we stayed at an inn, then he told me his master had liberated me. Just like that. ''You are free'' he said. It was strange, and it frightened me. I thought I would be killed, because my mom said... you know. So I begged him to not set me free, to let me stay with his master and serve him. He told me his master had no use for me, that I should go. I knew, I wasn''t worthy, but I continued to beg and followed him everywhere. Everything was strange and new to me, I''d never been much outside.

    After a few months, the servant told me that he knew people who were in need of maids. That I should choose one of them and let him and his master be in peace. I''ve never once seen this master who liberated me, but I''m sure he is a good man. At least his servant was a good man. He told me three nobles who searched for maids. One was of very high rank and the other was a friend of the Iceflowers. I never wanted to meet that family again.

    In the end, I chose the earl, because he was reclusive and of low rank. I thought it was a save option. I was glad when I heard that I didn''t even have to see him, but would only be the maid of a lady who would reach the mansion shortly. Your maid, milady. I''m not worthy of serving you. I was but a lowly slave and I don''t deserve - "

    "Stop!", Katherine interrupted her timely. "It''s not for you to decide who is worthy of serving me. I don''t want anyone else, you hear me? You are not just a maid for me, I would take you as a sister if I could. But that would be too much for you right now, right?"

    Katherine laughed awkwardly when she saw Hazel''s eyes grow wide in shock. It even stopped the remainder of her tears from falling. Katherine rubbed her chin in as she was thinking loudly. "Yes, it''s best not to do this. It would only put you in unwanted danger. Besides, I can''t even provide for myself right now. But still, in my eyes you are my sister and nobody is allowed to do anything bad to you anymore. Not even you yourself are allowed to. I never want to hear you calling yourself a slave again! Or telling me you don''t deserve the better life you have now. If anyone ever tries to hurt you, you have to tell me, okay? I will protect you!"

    A bit numb from shock, Hazel could do nothing but nod to her lady''s command. Her head was swirling, but in her heart she now understood that her life was changing. She was no longer a slave. She was no longer a tool, but someone her lady wanted to protect. The man back then had set her free, but her lady was the one to show her how to live a free life. With her help, maybe she could become a whole new person. No, becoming a person in itself would already be enough. She dared not hope for more yet. But maybe... in the future.

 Chapter 64 - Precaution

    A few hours had passed since Sam promised to look for Katherine. Gradually, Katherine grew impatient. What took him so long to discuss with the prince? Had he forgotten about her? At least there was no indication that the prince did something to the patient or else there would be a turmoil. Furthermore, to save the patient, she would be the first to be called upon.

    She remembered the cold hand she''d held in hers. He''d seemed so fleeable. Was he alright? At least as alright as he could be with only half of his body-weight left...

    Her restlessness drove her to wander outside again. The number of people there had more than doubled with the prince''s guards added to their entourage. Some rested a few meters up the road, some warily guarded the camp. She discovered that the prince had his own batch of servants with him, they wore a different uniform and didn''t look as muscular as the guards. In fact, two of them were beautiful young girls, Katherine noticed scornfully. Well, nothing better to expect from a prince.

    "Just to make sure", she validated with Pete, "This prince is the one who visited the earl before, right? The youngest one - prince Aston Icefall?"

    "Yes", Pete nodded. "He''s just turned sixteen a few months ago. I heard it was planned as a big event, but he somehow ended up missing it."

    Always up for some gossip, Jack grinned knowingly. "I heard he was found in his villa later, completely drunk with a couple of - " Stopping himself in time, he coughed. He had nearly forgotten that his daughter was listening. "A couple of nice girls. Really nice, well-behaved nobles."

    Pete''s raised brow was like a silent mocking. Katherine''s disgust by the prince''s actions was already showing on her face. Playing with girls like this was sickening. But under the premise of them being noble woman, they''d most likely thrown themselves at him.

    "I''d have liked to see their parents faces though.", Jack added. "Waiting at the party for the prince only to hear that their daughters ... hehe, forget what I said." Sheepishly, he stroked his beard. In front of his daughter, he seemed to only say the wrong things.

    Katherine, who somewhat understood what Jack had wanted to convey, suddenly had the urge to lock Hazel up in the carriage. Luckily, this girl didn''t seem to mind being in there. After loosing control of her emotions a while ago, she''d fallen asleep on the bank. It was really a relieve that Hazel wasn''t awake when this lecherous prince saved her.

    Remembering the glance the prince had eyed Hazel with, Katherine got cautious. "If you can, please keep the prince away from Hazel. I will do my best to make her stay inside."

    Both of her guards faces grew serious. Though they didn''t have much of an impression of Hazel as she always acted like a shy mouse in front of them - which they thought of as quite annoying - they didn''t really dislike the girl. Now Katherine''s words implied that the prince might have some kind of interest in this shy mouse. If this was true, it could only mean trouble.

    Even if the prince didn''t straight out take her, she could feel obliged to serve him because of his high rank. After willingly risking her life for her lady, Pete and Jack weren''t sure if she would just sell herself out if the prince tried to pressure Katherine. Or, if he wasn''t willing to stoop so low, it would be quite simple for this experienced man to wrap Hazel around his little finger. Then, when his curiosity was stilled, he would let her fall and shatter like a glass of dreams.

    Countless possibilities emerged in Pete''s head, but in none of them Hazel had a good ending. The only choice was to let the white mouse stay as far away from the lion as they could manage without awaking the lions wrath. Hopefully, he would just forget about her. A seriously pursuing prince was nothing they could handle.

    Pete nodded gravely. "We will try our best."

    .

    "Whoa!", prince Aston exclaimed with glittering eyes after hearing the earl barely recount the ''battle'' with some curt, factual words. "That''s so epic! I feel like I can see you there, all alone on the fields! You''re clad in silvery armor, the darkness like deadly knights by your side! The enemies must have shivered in fear the instant they saw you and then your black horse reared up when your rode into your enemies rows and - "

    "Did you even hear what I said?", Nathaniel asked expressionlessly.

    "Yes, yes! ''Course I did!" The prince nodded like a hen pecking corn. "You swept them away like a black whirlwind, leaving only death and destruction in your wake! One against a thousand, no, no, tens of thousands, maybe a million..."

    Feeling somewhat helplessness, Nathaniel decided to ignore the prince and just eat the soup the cook had prepared. Until he''d started eating, he didn''t know how hungry he really was. He had to hold back to not wolf down the food at once. But even if he was alone, he wouldn''t have allowed himself to act so undignified. All the more as his body, that had been on a water-diet for some time, wouldn''t be able to handle this much food at once.

    After just a few more spoonful, he forced himself to set the bowl aside, and interrupted the very creative imagination of a battle that never happened in reality. "I hope your mother is doing good?"

    In the middle of the spectacular decapitation of a soldier by a horsewhip, the prince suddenly stopped. "Oh, I''m sure she''s doing well. Better than yourself at least, since she didn''t need to fight an army at her doorstep. But this crazy dragon is still searching everywhere for her, so, you know, I don''t really know where she is."

    "Don''t worry", Nathaniel advised. "That dragon will soon enough shift her focus."

    The prince laughed helplessly. "Well, I''m afraid that''s right. It''s not much better for me though. Sadly, you can''t use the same tactic as against the army. Or more like you won''t. Right?"

    "I''m not a tyrant. Don''t want to be one at least."

    "And that''s good", the prince agreed lightly. "We''ve got more than enough of them, so let''s not drop to their level, alright? Oh, can I take this wine? It looks delicious!"

    "Sure" The earl passed the glass to him that had come with the soup. He didn''t plan to drink it anyway, since it would only slow down his recovery.

    Grinning like a kid with a candy, the prince took a sip. The movement seemed very natural on him. Then he appraised like a professional: "Hmm, never say something against a good red wine. Especially if it''s out of Falumor. They''re still the best."

    The earl shook his head lightly. "You can stop playing in front of me."

    With a chuckle, the prince took another sip. "After a few years it slowly grew onto me, you know? Would you be mad if I became a real alcoholic when I can finally put that facade down, hmm?"

    "Do you want to try?", Nathaniel responded lightly. There was no shift in his expression, but after meeting his gaze for a second, the prince turned away and laughed awkwardly.

    "I know, I know, it''s just a joke..." He reluctantly looked at the wine glass, but dared not drink anymore. Suddenly, he looked up again. "I just remembered something. There was a lady in your entourage. Since when are you traveling with female companions?"

    His eyes fixated on the bowl, but resisting the urge to eat again, the earl asked casually: "Would you believe me if I told you we met on the road?"

    "If it''s you, I''d believe you", Aston answered without a hint of hesitation. A perfect picture of blind trust. "Actually, it makes much more sense than anything else."

    Nathaniel''s lips twitched. For a moment he deliberated if he should just leave it at that. However, after lying already previously to stop the prince''s worry, he felt that he now deserved the truth. It was not that important anyway. "We didn''t meet on the road though. I brought her all the way with me, actually. She is my... " Suddenly, he furrowed his brows.

 Chapter 65 - The Next Step is Still the First

    My healer, had been what he wanted to say. It had been easy at first, when she was just that. But now that wasn''t the whole truth anymore. She was his life-savior. Also, she showed him how to fly a kite, and gave her first kiss to him. Like a butterfly, he didn''t really feel it, but the sight of it was nurturing to the soul. Then this hug... when he concentrated, the warmth nearly reached his skin, even if it was only a memory. This day had changed him. Maybe it changed her, too. But he wouldn''t know, cause he pushed her away afterwards.

    Instinctively, he knew that she was the one to call him in his deep sleep. Called without a name, but full of hopes. Would she have called the earl the same way she''d called her patient? After how he treated her, it was unlikely. But pushing her away was the right thing to do. Yes, the right thing.

    "Nathan?" A hand waved in front of him. "Did you just space out for real?"

    The prince looked like he couldn''t believe it. His eyes were wide with playful curiosity. "Is this girl - I mean, is there something with you and this girl?"

    The earl blinked, his face expressionless. "You''re too easy to fool. Two times in a row."

    Disappointed, the prince pouted. I would be too good if this ice-cold person was spacing out because of love. In his regret, he didn''t even notice that it was unnatural for Nathaniel to be playful like this. "So you''re not interested in the girl? Not even the tiniest bit?"

    A sigh escaped Nathaniel''s lips. "She has a unique ability, that''s why she''s with me. To me, she''s nothing but a chess piece. A good one, for sure, but not the queen. If I ever get a queen, she has to be as black as me if she doesn''t want to die an early death."

    "Wow, that''s a hard condition!", Aston exclaimed unbeleavingly. "Did you never dream of a sweet, simple girl waiting for you at home? I heard that''s the dream of every normal man. Why does it need to be a black queen?"

    "I don''t think you''ve ever dreamed of this", Nathaniel countered easily. "The rumors about you include anyone but sweet stay-at-home girls until now."

    A little blush creeped on those high-end cheeks. "Well, that''s because I haven''t found the right one yet. Or the right time. I''m not yet ready to marry, I''m only sixteen, damn it! Stop teasing me!"

    A small grin flashed across Nathaniel''s face like an arrow. "I don''t think I started with this topic."

    "Oh, but you started with tricking me! I, a simple, innocent child, was tricked by you twice. Don''t deny it!"

    Nathaniel snorted lightly. "Shameless."

    "Exactly, you''re shameless!", the prince nodded righteously. "As a hero, it is only right to know your own shortcomings and try to better yourself!"

    Nathaniel could only shake his head, giving up on correcting the prince''s misinterpretation. Silently, he finally gobbled down the rest of the soup. It was just too tempting.

    The prince continued to talk, about how he came to save Nathaniel and killed all the bandits by himself. It was a long monologue, filled with unnecessary, flowery details. They were a mixture of exaggerations and direct lies.

    When the bowl was empty, Nathaniel finally raised his head again. He hadn''t even bothered to listen to any of that crap, ignoring the prince blatantly. "Get out. I want to sleep."

    "But I didn''t reach the point where I saved the damsel in distress yet! Don''t you want to hear about that awesome rescue?", Aston w.h.i.n.ed. However, under Nathaniel''s stare, the courage soon left him. "Fine, suit yourself. I''ll be outside. Riding a horse is way better than a carriage anyway!"

    With that, he left, and Nathaniel finally got his peace back. Though he was very exhausted, his thoughts wandered to Katherine. He wondered if she was doing alright. Sadly, he couldn''t just summon her and see for himself. There was just no logical reason to. He was healthy again, so it would be weird to call her here. Besides, Aston was already suspicious of their relationship.

    It''s better not to see her, Nathaniel consoled himself. He didn''t forget that it was always healthier for people to stay away from him. With a quiet sigh, he laid down and let the exhaustion take over his weakened body.

    .

    "He woke up? He really woke up?", Katherine asked, her eyes glittering.

    "Yes", Sam confirmed, his lips curving upwards. It was refreshing for him to see someone else worried about Nathaniel, too. He could only tell himself that Nathaniel was the strange one, not reacting to his ''resurrection'' at all.

    "I knew it!" Katherine would have punched the air in excitement, if she didn''t remember her manners in time. With the patient awake, she didn''t need to worry about the prince attacking him while he was helpless. "I knew it! After he already moved once, I was sure he''d wake up soon!"

    In surprise, Sam nearly misspoke. "The e - ah, patient did? Milady, why didn''t you inform me about that great development?"

    "Well, that was what I wanted to talk to you about, actually. But it looks like that isn''t necessary anymore. That''s great! If only the earl could see this, he would ..."

    Suddenly, Katherine turned quiet. Yes, what would he do when he got back? Her job was finished, so maybe he would lose interest in her. If she was really unlucky, he could try to kill her cause the patient was obviously someone important.

    No, that''s not like him, Katherine consoled herself. Don''t grow paranoid. He could''ve exploited her completely when she was at his mansion with nowhere to turn to, but he instead made a deal with her. Though he may not be a good person, he wasn''t unreasonably bad either. Hopefully.

    Anni told me, he might even like me. If that''s the case, he at least won''t kill me. And who said he might not have other uses for my ability? According to Ethan - she gritted her teeth when she remembered her crazy cousin - according to that bastard, he won''t ever let me run away. How much of a threat it was back then, now I''m counting on it. And I hope he doesn''t share any other traits with this psycho.

    "Milady?", Sam asked, puzzled.

    "Ah, pardon me. I just thought he would be happy to see the patient getting better. Do you know when he''ll be back? Did he find the cause of the black pillar?" This black pillar was something that irritated Katherine up till now. She was still wondering what it really was. The rumors that a single mage had cause it where just too unbelievable.

    "He did, but it took some time to convince the person that he is trustworthy. We''ll meet up with his lordship at the capital."

    To make the days of traveling easier, Nathaniel had decided to stay in his alternate persona for now. He didn''t want Katherine to start suspecting why she never saw both of them together.

    But Katherine''s thoughts were occupied with another information. "The origin really was a mage? How can that be true... it''s so illogical...", she muttered to herself. Than she looked up again. "Will he bring that mage with him?"

    "I''m afraid not, milady. He seems to prefer solitude. His lordship didn''t want to irritate him."

    "Oh..." Katherine was a little disappointed. She was very curious how such a powerful person could exist. And well, if he did exist, she wanted to try to pull him to her side, help her with her revenge. Sadly, they wouldn''t meet. But if the earl had some understanding with him, maybe she could convince him to introduce them later...

    Looks like the starting point is still how to convince the earl, she silently sighed to herself. Hopefully, he really liked her, even if it was suppressed. She wanted to try some of Anni''s tricks the next time.

    As a little blush crept on her cheeks, she hastily turned around. "Thanks a lot, Sam. I''ll be back in the carriage!"

 Chapter 66 - Two Civilized A.d.u.l.ts

    Traveling with the prince was less irritating than Katherine thought it would be. He called her out once to ask about Hazel''s recovery and then never talked about her maid again. Though she was glad, Katherine still thought of it as odd. Wasn''t the prince a womanizer? Did she misinterpret his gaze at Hazel? Or maybe his own servants were enough for his needs.

    His arrogance, however, couldn''t be called a simple misinterpretation. She''d felt him look down on her the moment she saw him. And then he dared tell her: "I''m here now, so you don''t need to look after him anymore. Let him recover in peace."

    Though she politely smiled and outwardly accepted this command, she gritted her teeth in anger the instant she was alone. She spend so much time and work to get the patient on his feet again and now they wouldn''t even let her see the result once?! Unacceptable!

    She called for Sam. "I want to see the patient. I saved him, so I want to see him!"

    "Milady", Sam sighed with a troubled look. "The patient isn''t in the condition to meet - "

    "Was he in the condition to meet someone when he was unconsciousness? What is there to hide? For gods shake, it''s not like I''m asking something improper. I just want to see him once to make sure he''s alright!"

    The second she ended, Katherine noticed how agitated she sounded. Why was she this worried about the patient when she didn''t really know him? She should just ignore this rude bastard. But since she intensely cared for him for a while now, she couldn''t. Besides he was important to Nathaniel.

    She took a deep breath to calm herself down, then she forced a friendly smile. "Can you please tell the patient that I want to see him only this once? I swear, I won''t disturb him again in the future. I''m really worried."

    After a short pause, Sam nodded tersely. "I will inform him." He didn''t add ''but I don''t think he''ll agree'' for he knew it would only trigger the lady. With a respectful bow, he left, and went directly back to the patient''s carriage.

    "What does she want?", Nathaniel asked, before Sam could even sit down. He''d watched the both of them speak through a slit between the curtains of the carriage''s window. It was the first time he''d seen her since he woke up. She looked as lively as always, though maybe there were a few grams less on her admirably curvaceous body.

    Seeing her soothed his worries. When her cheeks turned a rosy red from anger, the corners of his lips involuntarily moved up. He''d missed her angry face. Then he''d called himself to order. Missing her was one of the forbidden emotions. If he let them spread further, they''d ruin all of his plans. Luckily, they reached only skin-deep for now, rooting mostly in curiosity and superficial d.e.s.i.r.e. Yes, superficial d.e.s.i.r.e. They could still be uprooted.

    "Milord, her ladyship is eager to meet you. Obviously, she''s still worried about you and wants to confirm your state herself.", Sam answered. "Should I convey to her that you''re too busy with your recovery?"

    Nathaniel slowly shook his head. A simple rejection would only provoke this stubborn lady more. He could see her climbing through the window at night if he really did that. Pensively, he remained silent for a few minutes. Being the good butler he was, Sam waited quietly for his decision. The carriage began jerking lightly. They were moving again. There were at most two days left until they would reach the capital.

    Finally, Nathaniel looked up. "Tell her to come to this carriage tomorrow evening. I''ll say my goodbyes then."

    "Goodbyes, milord?" Sam raised his brows in confusion. Why would they need to say goodbye?

    "It''s best to get rid of this persona now.", Nathaniel specified. She''d get angry if she knew the truth, which would be uncovered sooner or later if he didn''t act now. It was unnecessary trouble.

    But her angry face would look so cute, the little devil on Nathaniel''s shoulder reminded him. The violet eyes and rosy cheeks would get fiery enough to make him feel warm.

    That''s exactly the problem, he shut the devil up ruthlessly. But still, he didn''t take back his command.

    .

    So, here they were now, sitting opposite each other like two civilized a.d.u.l.ts. None of them spoke a word. Katherine had thought up many topics before the setting sun called her to the carriage''s door, but they''d all fled her head as soon as she saw him.

    They look so much alike, it occurred to her again. He should just hurry up and get back. I really want to try those tricks on him. First Sam said the earl would meet up with us at the journey, now it is only at the capital. I really hope his delay isn''t caused by an something unpleasant, though delay alone is unpleasant enough.

    Nathaniel meanwhile was getting more and more uncomfortable with Katherine''s quiet gaze. It was unusual for her to not say anything for this long. What was she plotting? Did she notice something strange about him while he was asleep? There was a possibility that she discovered his disguise.

    Just when he was about to hint something in that direction to see her reaction, she suddenly stood up.

    "It''s good to see that you''re fine. That was all I wanted to know. I''ll take my -"

    "Wait!", Nathaniel interjected hastily. H couldn''t believe it. "You want to leave already? Don''t you have any questions or anything?"

    She looked at him with furrowed brows. "Of course I''ve got questions. I just remembered that you didn''t answer anything the last time we met. So I thought that it doesn''t make sense to ask you."

    "Then and now are different. ", Nathaniel heard himself say, before he could stop the words. He cursed himself inwardly. What exactly changed compared to the last time she spoke with the patient? If it was the questions back then, he still wouldn''t answer them.

    "Oh, so you''re ready to speak? Did staying at deaths door make you a better person?", she mocked, but sat back down and folded her arms in front of her c.h.e.s.t.

    He snorted. "Surely not. I still don''t want to converse with a bratty girl. But I always pay my debts. Sadly, I owe you."

    That silenced Katherine. She leaned back in the upholstery, and eyed the patient from head to toe. "You''ve grown skinny like a skeleton. Eat more. Build up muscles."

    "What do you think I''m doing all day?", he retorted irritated. If he could sped up the process, he would. "Is there something now or not?"

    She heaved a sigh, then she turned serious. "If you ask like this, I will stop being polite now." The sentence nearly made him laugh. Katherine pondered for a bit, before asking: "Is there still a collaboration between Nathaniel and the ... duke of Sleipnir?"

    It costed her a great deal of conviction to utter her father''s former title as a description of her traitorous cousin. However, she wasn''t sure if the patient would recognize him by any other term.

    Nathaniel, too, leaned back. It was only reasonable to ask that. Way better then getting personal questions, too. Then, why was he feeling a little disappointed? "There are none."

    Katherine nodded. It was a great relieve to know there wasn''t any collaboration anymore. Though she prepared herself to seduce the earl regardless, this way it was simpler. Otherwise she would have to hide her loathing with each action she took. "Then what is the earl''s connection with the royal family?"

    For a second, Nathaniel froze in his seat. His eyes darkened nearly unnoticeably. "He hates them."

    This answer was confusing for Katherine. It made no sense for the earl to meet up with the youngest prince and help in the recovery of the patient - who she suspected to be of royal blood himself - if he hated them. And it made much less sense for the patient to not be vary of the earl if he knew that. Unless he wasn''t part of the royal family, that was. At least not the main branch.

    If she asked for the patient''s identity like the last time, Katherine was sure she would get the same result, namely nothing. So she tried to get a hint in a roundabout way. Maybe implying that she already knew would work best. "Why does he help you then?"

    A little annoyed as well as amused, Nathaniel squinted his eyes. She always managed to find his weaknesses. However, could it really be called a weakness after the pain had dulled to nothing? He only needed to tell her the truth about this one. "Why shouldn''t he? I''m not part of the royal family."

    Even with all the evidence by her side, Katherine wavered a bit. Maybe their resemblance really was a coincidence... but she couldn''t quite believe it. "And prince Aston? How do you explain him?"

 Chapter 67 - Stop Laughing!

    "Aston was acknowledged as a prince, yes, but his mother isn''t the queen. Maybe that''s why the earl hates him less. Waiving his right to be an heir could play a part in it, too." Nathaniel deliberately made it seem like he wasn''t sure about the earl''s motives. He was the patient now, so being too clear about the earl would be a flaw in his acting.

    Prince Aston being illegitimate son was new to Katherine. She wasn''t a citizen of the Icelands to begin with, so it was natural not to know some dirty details. She felt a bit of schadenfreude and happiness to have spotted a weakness of that unlikable man. Counting the two factors together, this could be a reasonable explanation for the earl to not hate the prince. Maybe the prince, too, didn''t like his family, and with that, they felt sympathy for each other.

    Pondering, Katherine lightly tapped her lips with her index finger as her gaze got unfocused. If it was like this, there was no reason to fear the earl being part of the royal family. Maybe the resemblance of the prince and the patient is part of the prince''s mother''s genes. I wonder if she''s an aristocrat, too, she thought. Where else would the patient get his nobility from?

    Though she never heard his title, she was sure that the patient was a noble, too. It could be derived from his bearing and the good state of his hands, as well as the earl''s attitude towards him.

    Does she even realize what she''s doing?, the earl meanwhile thought slightly annoyed, when his eyes couldn''t help but fall on her soft red lips every time she tapped them. How could she just loosen her defenses and get all dreamy when she was in front of a stranger? Even though she cared for the patient for a long time, they had next to no time to interact with each other.

    If it was his earl-persona, he could have understood it. He wasn''t sure if she was still trying to seduce him in that persona. However, to do that in front of another man... He sifted his seating position, feeling uncomfortable. Did she have no self-awareness? Or was there some other agenda?

    Yes, the patient must look like a noble, too. Maybe her aim isn''t solely to seduce the earl, but anyone with enough power.

    The atmosphere in the carriage turned gloomy, as the earl imagined her seducing different nobles. Although he wouldn''t claim her for himself, he didn''t want to see that sight either. Maybe he''d developed a feeling of protectiveness. Interacting with her and knowing about her nativity, it was unavoidable. Even those rough guards of hers had started to act protectively after a while. It was normal to not want her to seduce people at random.

    If she was really doing that. But to deliberately seduce multiple targets at once, she would need to be a cold-blooded veteran at flirting, he pondered. Which she obviously wasn''t. Of course, experienced woman could fake to be pure, but he still remembered her blush when she kissed his hand. That wasn''t fabricated. Also, why should someone trying to seduce him choose to pretend to be a girl who was so stubborn that she just couldn''t stop fighting him? It made no sense.

    There was a very real possibility that she didn''t know what she was doing. Tapping her lips like that would make any man imagine what they felt like. It was nearly an invitation. If she did that in front of another man unintentionally... no, he had to remind her now, before he lost his mind! With a low growl, he grabbed her arm.

    "Ah!", Katherine exclaimed in surprise, and jerked his hand away. "What¡­?"

    As relieve flooded him, a mocking smirk curled the corners of his mouth upwards. "So you''re still aware that it''s not proper to touch. And here I thought you were implying something by show-casting your lips all the time."

    Katherine first turned white, then red from anger and embarrassment. With balled fists she sprang to her feet. "You... you! I should''ve let you die! One hooligan less would''ve been a good deed for all

    of womankind!"

    He raised his hands in defense, not able to stop smiling. He was too happy that his worry was for naught. She wasn''t trying to seduce the patient. "Peace! Peace! I concede!"

    Bewildered, Katherine stopped, her fists loosening a bit. Her anger didn''t dissipate, but his hurried surrender robbed her of an aim. Additionally, this smiling face was unexpectedly stunning. "What are you conceding? And what are you smiling for?!"

    "I..." He tried to make a serious face but failed dramatically. The smile was plastered on his lips and impossible to remove. However he moved his muscles, it wouldn''t go away and instead he now felt a tickling feeling in his stomach that strengthened the more he tried to resist it. Her confused-angry look was so adorable and funny! Even her ears were red!

    Seeing him making comical faces, Katherine was first confused, then enlightened. A giggle washed the anger away. Triumphantly, she pointed her finger at his strangely twisted smiling face. "Ha! Serves you right!" The more he tried to remove the smile, the more she laughed until she had laughing tears in her eyes.

    Nathaniel, irritated and embarrassed by his own unruly facial muscles, hid his mouth behind his palm, and tried to move it down with his fingers. The situation alone was completely unprecedented. "Stop... stop laughing!"

    Her laugh only made it worse! The tickling feeling had rapidly moved up, making him gasp for air as if he was suffocating. With all his might fighting against it, he could keep the laughter down, but he was breathing in quick, heavy breaths. A laugh had never felt this mighty, like it was a power of its own, taking him over.

    Somewhere deep down, he rationally knew that laughing wouldn''t trigger the darkness, that he could let it go. However, just now he didn''t think rationally. This was a new kind of situation for him. He hadn''t felt like laughing out loud since he was a child! A chuckle was the limit of what he''d allowed himself.

    Sadly, it was in his bones to control himself. This unexpected violent kind of laughter made him instinctively fight it. Suddenly, his vision started to blur at the edges. He was breathing too much! In a second of clarity, when the very real danger of fainting in front of her crossed his mind, the funny feelings instantly vanished. He suppressed his laughter completely, without even laughing out once.

    When he blinked his eyes, he saw Katherine, who recovered from her own hearty laughter, frowning at him. Suddenly he felt ashamed.

    "Are you okay?", she asked. "You looked strange just now."

    Still slightly dizzy, the earl only nodded with lowered gaze, and took a few calm breaths. Then he cleared his throat, getting back to the topic. He didn''t want to linger on his embarrassing performance. I must have looked like an idiot, he thought, I can''t even laugh naturally! "I originally wanted to say thank you. I imagine it must have been hard work to heal me. I''m grateful, but even though our ways will part in the capital. I don''t want to burden the earl any further. It is highly unlikely that we meet again, so what I want to say is: Goodbye. I wish you good luck."

 Chapter 68 - Reaching the Capital

    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 ever feel the need to share information about the earl, write me a letter. I''d gladly take it as a deposit."

    Does she plan on charging me with information about myself, the earl thought amused. "I''ll think about it. Goodbye."

    "Bye! Wish you all the best!" Waving at him lightly with one hand, she opened the carriage door.

    .

    "Look, milady! Over there! Is that the capital?", Hazel exclaimed with wide eyes. "It''s so... so huge!"

    The city outside the carriage''s window really was gigantic. It spanned from one end of the horizon to the other, filling everything in between with the white and grey color of stone. Above the nearly uniform, simple houses and wide streets, a glorious pure white dome strived towards the heavens. It was way bigger than anything else in their line of sight.

    "That dome has to be the palace.", Katherine sighed. Seeing it sit there so high and mighty, an unexpected nervousness filled her. If people knew she was of the Dragsa kingdom, she wouldn''t be welcome here. They were still in a cold war and she was an aristocrat, even if it was a fallen one.

    When she''d questioned Jack and Pete about Thrym, the capital of the Icelands, they told her that it was primary a city of the rich. Poor people were allowed as workers or servants, but it would be impossible for them to buy their own houses. Those were way too expensive. If they wanted to stay in the capital, they had to either ask their employers to accommodate them or pay an exorbitant price for a hotel room.

    Living on the streets was forbidden. At a certain hour of the night when the inhabitants were at home resting, the city guards roamed the streets to catch everyone who broke that law.

    Jack told her there were rumors the offenders would just disappear forever, disintegrate into thin air. In return, Pete had given him one of ''those gazes'', how Katherine had started to call them. They would hit Jack whenever he was being an idiot. Which was nearly always. Katherine almost felt sorry for Pete''s eyes.

    A few hours passed before the carriages were halted in front of a city wall. Katherine knew there were three in total, parting the city in three layers matching the classes of their inhabitants. She just didn''t expect there to be so many houses already outside the third ring.

    The walls and layers were counted from inside out with the innermost wall surrounding the royal palace. The second wall parted the nobles of the second layer from the rich merchants and businessmen, who resided in the third layer. Katherine didn''t know who exactly resided outside the third wall, but from the houses they passed, the big number of high-end shops and restaurants, she could take a guess. Wealthy people couldn''t go without enjoyment it seemed.

    Hmpf, what a farce. They even have brothels, but letting peasants own houses here is not allowed, Katherine thought. But then, she frowned. All those places were most likely owned by the people of the other layers, building their private amus.e.m.e.nt park just outside the city walls. No wonder the king didn''t eradicate it if other nobles were involved.

    They continued their ride, but Katherine noticed that the streets were busier here. Everywhere were blond- and red-haired people in formal clothing or dresses. The houses were getting more individual, but there were still many shops in between, though more moderate ones.

    On the second gate, they were inspected thoroughly. Katherine even had to get out of the carriage. She shot an annoyed look at the second carriage for the patient obviously didn''t need to leave it. Luckily, at least this arrogant prince didn''t get to see her like this. He and his entourage had overtaken them at the gate and passed without obstruction. Now they were already out of sight.

    Katherine overcame the inspection with a stoic expression. While Hazel had wanted to argue with the city guards at first, one of her lady''s quick gazes had stopped her. There was no use to start a conflict over something this plain. If they had wanted to inspect her body too, that would''ve been a completely different matter, even though they had a woman among them. But Katherine didn''t believe the patient would let them go as far as that.

    And she was right. After inspecting the carriage, the guards let them pass. From here on, the two carriages parted ways, one riding in the direction of the third and last gate, while the other followed the ring street, riding along several high-profile noble houses. Obviously, Katherine was in the latter.

    To squeeze more houses into the layers, there was a lack of large gardens, but the nobles found other ways to show off their wealth. There were several houses with golden water pipes, big, flashy colored windows, and finely sculptured gargoyles. They passed houses with gemstones set in their roof as well as gigantic statues on both sides of the entrance, overshadowing the city wall in high.

    Some of the house walls had golden or silver bricks hidden irregularly between the normal stones, while others directly formed their walls into protruding pictures of dragons or phoenixes. From the library of the earl, Katherine identified some of them as heraldic pictures of the noble families. When she discovered a lily surrounded by twelve snowflakes, her expression darkened. Iceflower family. Some day I will let you pay for what you did to Hazel.

    However, some day couldn''t be now, as the Iceflowers had the home advantage. Their house looked so pure in silver and white, completely opposite to the dark tale she''d heard. Her gaze lingered on the house until it was out of sight.

    When she turned to the front again, Katherine''s mouth slowly fell open. There, set a bit apart from the others, was a rather ''special'' house. It had everything mentioned before - in fact, the quality of the materials looked even pricier than the others. However, in the protruding picture on the houses'' wall was a silver skunk embedded, show-casting his furry behind. The gigantic golden statues in front had wide eyes, anxiously trying to hide their n.a.k.e.dness, whereas the thick water pipe had a pink quartz dangling to each side, bigger than a head. The doorknocker looked like a big behind with a long... stick hanging on it. And to top it all, the colorful gems on the roof read for all to see: ''Noble Aristocrats''!

    While Hazel looked struck dumb by the sight, Katherine first got red, before she unwillingly started laughing. How vulgar! Which death-seeking noble dared to build a house like this?! One thing was for sure: the people from the Icelands were way less stiff than they were rumored to be. Even in the Dragsa kingdom a house like this would be torn down instantly. Maybe the trip to the capital could prove to be funnier than she thought! Though hopefully this extreme was the glorious exception. It really was too vulgar!

 Chapter 69 - Meeting

    "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 in the distance, five steps raised out of the marble floor, leading to a grand podium. On it sat a big, black throne. A row of sharp peaks protruded at the upper end of the lean, representing the icicles of goddess Skadi. Placed nonchalantly on the seat was a white winter coat inlayed with snow wolfs fur.

    Next to the black throne was a smaller throne, made of gold with sun patterns. They were carved with great precision, looking filigree, and adding a feminine charm. Regardless of its beauty, the second throne looked a bit out of place in its simplistic surroundings. Right now, the thrones were vacant.

    Taking one last step, Nathaniel stopped in front of a long table in the middle of the hall. Though it wouldn''t have fitted in the earl''s dining room, it looked like it was made for dwarfs compared to this grand hall. All of the chairs were filled, and piles of paper were stacked neatly in front of each of the high-ranking officials, who now looked up at Nathaniel with slight irritation, surprise, or annoyance. Indifferently, Nathaniel''s gaze swept over them as if they were no more than ants, until it halted on the man at the other end of the table.

    He was the only one that didn''t seem affected by Nathaniel''s sudden appearance. Sitting on a chair with high lean, the man wore a white formal suit with ornaments that shimmered as silver as the sides of his short military haircut. With his aged blue eyes, he looked up at Nathaniel expressionlessly. For a second or two, their faces were mirroring each other as if fighting for the title of the colder ice statue.

    With a faint rustle, clearly audible in the silence, the man in white laid down the papers he was holding. Next to his right hand on the rustic table glittered a crown craved of sapphire and onyx as it broke the rays of the evening sun. The man''s tone was cold. "We thought you were shown to your chambers. Apologies for not being able to attend to you today."

    Nathaniel''s mouth twitched. It didn''t seem to be a smile. Deliberately slow, he replied: "I appreciate your kindness... your majesty. But I prefer to stay at my own place."

    The silence was deafening. The officials held their breath and looked at each other in shock, not believing their ears. This lowly earl was invited to stay in the palace. Personally, by the king! It was a great honor! And yet... the earl rejected it without a second thought.

    Most of the officials looked at Nathaniel as if he were an idiot, a simpleton. Only the smarter ones instantly realized that the situation couldn''t be as plain as it seemed. What made the king invite an earl to the palace? When they considered the latest developments in the kingdom, only one matter came to mind that was important enough. And it had to do with some earl...

    Of the officials who realized this point, one showed a curious smile, while four hid their emotions rather well. Only the face of the last one, an aged gentleman with sparse hair, suddenly contorted in fear. His eyes fell on the earl''s white hair and red eyes, before hastily averting his gaze. Beneath the table, his hands clawed together into a praying position.

    Naturally, the king felt the changes in his officials. Before anyone could start to ask pressing questions, he raised his voice: "Meeting adjourned!"

    The fearful official sprang to his feet and fled the room before anyone else reacted. Now even the dumbest realized that there was more to this situation than met the eye. The officials left the room at a moderate pace, many curiously scrutinizing the earl in passing. However, beside the unusual facial features, they found nothing special about him. Even his clothing was barely up to standard for a meeting with the king.

    The folding doors closed behind Sam''s back. Even without the earl''s direct command, the butler had followed the officials outside, giving the higher ranking figures some privacy. Now, the only people left in the big hall were Nathaniel and the king of the Icelands, William Timothy Roland Icefall.

    Without waiting for the king''s invitation, Nathaniel pulled out a chair for himself and sat down. Though raising his brows, the king didn''t seem to mind it too much. For a few seconds they sat in silence, each at their own end of the table, staring at each other.

    Finally, Nathaniel was the first to speak. "You said to arrive within three weeks. Here I am. Why do you think you need to threaten me over this?"

    "If it was anybody else commanding this much power, I would have treated him the same.", the king replied indifferently. Even though his eyes were emotionless, Nathaniel was well aware that they hadn''t left him for a second since he entered. They made him feel uncomfortable.

    Nathaniel''s gloved fingers rapped the table lightly, before coming to a stop. "So, you are being watched."

    A thin smile showed on the older man''s face, as if to ridicule him. Of course, he was the king of the Icelands. It was normal for him to be watched.

    After a second, Nathaniel nodded as if he had confirmed something. "I thought I left you with no other choice, but it seems like that wasn''t even needed. Did she really push you in such a tight spot that you prefer for me to come back?"

    Sighing, the king held up two fingers. The skin didn''t seem as wrinkled as one would expect with his mostly white hair. "Two times wrong. First, I always have another choice. If I wanted, I could''ve just ignored those grumbling nobles. But that''s not important. Important is second: it''s not her that troubles me, it''s you! Getting princess Bellatrix killed, do you even know what you''re doing? Or do you think it''s fine just because the Dragsa-kingdom didn''t notice? Let me tell you: there are more important people out there who had their eyes cast on her."

    Surprisingly, the earl wasn''t disturbed at all. "It seems your information source is lacking. For this incident as well as for your wife."

    The kings expression twitched. For the first time he seemed lose his cool, before it was quickly restored. However, his momentum was gone. "You didn''t meet her for a decade or longer. She changed."

    Bitterness flashed across the earl''s eyes as his lips curled up. "For sure." In his mind he added: she''s become even crazier.

    However, he knew it made no sense to say it out loud. If the king wanted to know, all he had to do was clearly look at the facts conveyed to him. If he still didn''t know, it meant that he didn''t want to see it.

    "So, what punishment do you have in mind for me?", he asked instead.

 Chapter 70 - Betrothed

    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 inform me as soon as you try to release your magic to the outside. Unfortunately, the problem with skin-contact is still the same. We don''t have an idea yet how to form a vessel that can differentiate between its wearer and the things he''s in direct contact to."

    With every sentence, Nathaniel''s eyes darkened more. The magic would still be in his body, would still deal him harm and he still couldn''t touch anyone. The only thing that was restrained was the part of his abilities he had more or less control over, the one to release the darkness into his surroundings without bodily contact. He would lose his means to defend himself. It was obvious how little the king trusted him. If I would go over to him right now, Nathaniel thought bitterly, would he run away or cower in fear?

    Finally, Nathaniel opened his mouth: "So you found a way to restrain me without me getting anything good out of it. Fabulous. However, what if I don''t agree with your punishment?"

    The older man''s brows furrowed. Like a few last strands of his hair, his brows were still bright blonde. "I am the king. I need to protect my people."

    "And I am a monster. After making this vessel you finally decided that it is better to have this monster controlled by your side than to continue letting it run wild? What a surprising insight." There was a sharp tone to Nathaniel''s mocking, slicing the air like invisible knives. His eyes were filled with loathing that was only short a spark to explode into burning hatred. "Fighting for the Icelands for years, I thought I could one day change your view. Unfortunately, you''re still stuck on your antiques. If you wanted to kill me, you should have just done it directly instead of sending me into death-trap regions time and again. Now that I''ve grown out of your control, you finally think of chaining me down. Tell me, great king, why do you think this monster should accept any of your conditions?"

    The king''s hands had balled into fists due to Nathaniel''s onslaught. Now he stood up, and leaned over the table. "Be careful with your words. I never wanted to chain you but control this thing inside you! Why shouldn''t I use it to fight my enemies? But now it might be too dangerous to do even that. And yes, if it is a threat to my own people, I would rather kill you with it than let it run wild! Still, I am not your mother, who can''t differentiate between you and your magic!"

    An angry and sad laugh left Nathaniel''s mouth. "No, you are the father that uses this magic to slay his enemies, while knowing perfectly well it will kill his own son! Preferring research to control it over such to destroy it, even cutting me out of the family line so nobody connects me with him, the great king! Really, how could I overlook this difference!"

    In his anger, the king hit the table with his fists, and roared: "Nathaniel! Don''t you know how much I''ve done for you? You should be glad I didn''t kill you already with that danger inside you!"

    With a low chuckle, Nathaniel shook his head. Then he held up his hands. "Actually, forget it. I''m not here to argue about that again."

    For a second, the king pierced him with his angry stare, then he sat back down "Does that mean you accept my conditions?" He didn''t dare to call it a punishment again, since it needed the earl''s approval to even be executed.

    "I want to modify a few."

    Instinctively, the king wanted to disapprove, but realized that he couldn''t. He had to accept all the adjustments. His face darkened. He hated the feeling of being suppressed by someone else. "Name it."

    "First, though I may live here, I''m allowed to go anywhere as long as it is within the city. Second, you will make up a reason to stop the cold war with Dragsa for now as it is only wasting our resources."

    Nathaniel paused shortly as if he expected the king to disagree, however, the only thing the king said pointed at the first condition: "Only a few hours a day. You will need to take some of my guards with you the entire time. Don''t think you can take the vessel off just because you''re out of my sight."

    Obviously, Nathaniel thought this wasn''t worth an answer. "Third, invite the whole upper class to the medal ceremony, but make sure they don''t suspect me to be anything else but a simple earl that has the fortune to be supported by a powerful mage. They will think I''m invited to the palace for the same reason. And finally forth... " For a second, Nathaniel pondered about how he should do it. However, there was only one way to bring her in without being busted instantly. This girl could never act like a maid. Still, he needed her by his side for emergencies. Troublesome. "Fourth, give my betrothed the chambers next to mine."

    .

    As soon as Sam and Nathaniel left the palace, two palace guards still following them in a respectable distance, the earl muttered under his breath: "The situation is worse than I thought. It seems this person is neglecting some signs subconsciously. Sam, I need you to reactivate your contacts in the city. Investigate the cases of disappearance. Contact Aston, if necessary."

    "Understood.", the butler replied.

    "Also, if anyone asks, lady Katherine is my betrothed."

    Shock painted Sam''s features, quickly followed by confusion. Regardless, his steps paused only for a moment, as he had enough experience to keep in mind that the guards behind were watching them. Though he always hoped for the two of them to find each other, he never really thought it was possible for the earl to give in. Now this development was too sudden, making him suspect a different motive. Instead of the obvious ''what?'' and ''how?'' the question he formed in the end was: "Since when?"

    It wasn''t a question aimed at the truth of the matter but at the lie they were fabricating. With their tactic understanding, the earl hadn''t expected anything less. "Since the start. I will talk to her. It should be in line with her interests, though I never wanted to get her involved."

    Sam nodded sagely. Under the cold facade of the earl, he could feel a lot of worry and frustration. This decision must have been hard on him, he thought. The whole day wasn''t easy.

    Glancing at the setting sun, Nathaniel exhaled slowly. "We should better help her move in before curfew."

 Chapter 71 - Cunning

    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 c.h.e.s.t. 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 c.h.e.s.t. "You''re back!"

    Her momentum nearly made him stagger backwards, his gaze blank with shock. Instantly, he scanned for places were their skin could touch. When he found none, his body relaxed a bit. For a second, his arms raised as if they wanted to embrace her. Then he instead placed his gloved hands on her shoulders. "Lady Katherine, you really shouldn''t be this thoughtless."

    Though he already grasped her shoulders, he couldn''t muster the strength to push her away. She also didn''t let go, but raised her head with a bright smile that made his mind instantly shut down. Her cheeks were red, but her eyes glittered with happiness. "I''m just so glad you''re fine!"

    He could do nothing but stare at her, stunned. Then, slowly, a smile formed on his own lips, lighting up his face. She was worried about him. The feeling this knowledge brought was like a soothing warm bath, cleaning all the filth of the day away.

    His eyes turned gentle as he raised his hand to push a strand of hair behind her ear, wishing he could feel it. "You shouldn''t go out with wet hair."

    When she felt the leather touch her temple, Katherine blushed. Suddenly, she realized what position her impulsiveness had lead her into, and looked away in embarrassed. Her b.r.e.a.s.ts were pushed tightly against his c.h.e.s.t, her h.i.p.s only centimeters from his. Her first instinct was to make distance between them, but she controlled it.

    This isn''t a mishap, she told herself. Calm down! This is a chance! For once he didn''t push me away, so how can I let go of this opportunity just because I feel shy? But I still shouldn''t look too desperate, lest he thinks I''m an easy woman.

    Slowly, she let go of his waist, and instead seized his right arm, before looking up at him with a blinding smile. "Why don''t we go to the lounge? I would love to hear about your travels."

    Nathaniel, who had observed the changes on her face with rising amus.e.m.e.nt, decided to disrupt this cosy atmosphere now, before she got used to it. "Sure. As soon as you let go of me."

    He also had something to discuss with her that was better told outside the palace, without spies around them. However, when he was sober he couldn''t ignore the danger of her touch anymore. As good as it felt, he didn''t want to see an accident happen.

    His gaze fell on the silver bracelet on his wrist. Who knew if this new toy could really stop his power as long as there was no skin-contact? He didn''t want to test it. Even more so when it was likely that the palace guards would try to kill him as soon as the vessel activated. Not a sight a lady should see.

    With a mixture of relieve and disappointment, Katherine complied. At least he didn''t threaten to kill her this time. Actually, he was so nice it was unnatural.

    Her brows furrowed. That isn''t right. How come he is nice? Is he a doppelganger? Bewildered, her gaze followed him when he started to climb the stairs. He looked exactly like in her memory. Tall, elegant and dark with a slight sinister charm. Maybe a bit slimmer, but that was normal after traveling for extended periods.

    What am I thinking, she reprimanded herself with a shake of her head. Who could possibly replicate his special features? After all, those demonic eyes were quite rare and impossible to fabricate without hurting the eye-sight of a person. His eyes were definitely the same as before, only the emotion was completely unprecedented. Maybe Anni was right?

    Gaining a bit hope, Katherine rushed to pick up her skirt and follow the earl up the stairs. Unbeknownst to her, the servants all over the house were already packing her belongings up again that had just been unpacked less than three hours ago.

    In the lounge, Nathaniel sat down on a couch, while indicating for Katherine to take the opposite one. Between the two was a small glass table with bronze legs. Katherine bit her lip, then she boldly strode over to his side. Deliberately nonchalant, she straightened out her skirt, before sitting down a hand''s breadth away. Then she smiled up at him brilliantly.

    Nathaniel mouth twitched. She''s using every opportunity to rebel, doesn''t she? Suppressing the instinct to move away or reprimand her, he just slightly adjusted his posture to make talking more comfortable. Then he seized the opportunity, taking control of the conversation. "How have been?"

    The unexpected advance interfered with Katherine''s plan to lead the topic from the earl''s travels to the unknown but powerful mage. She could only say: "Pretty good. The travel was a bit boring but at least your brother is fine now. How about you?"

    "Normal", the earl brushed over it. His eyes followed her fingers that were playing with a strand of her black hair. The pure scent of fresh water and roses wafted to his nose. "What is your impression of the capital?"

    Gems forming the words ''Noble Aristocrats'' surfaced in her mind. Her lips parted but she took a while to form a diplomatic answer. "... it makes one curious."

    Dismissing Katherine''s delayed sentence as the attempt to mask her boredom, Nathaniel nodded thoughtfully. Then he straight-out informed her: "We will move to the palace tonight."

    As an automatic reaction to his authoritative tone, Katherine nodded, before she halted. "Wait, what?! Into the palace? Why?"

    The earl smirked. "Because I say so. Any problems?"

    Agitated, Katherine raised her voice. "Any problems? Of course there are! Did you forget I''m of house Sleipnir? Not enough that I''m in the enemies capital, now you want me to live right under the king''s nose? As soon as he knows, he will try to take me hostage or worse, kill me!"

    "Don''t be delusional. Without the support of your family, you''re not important enough to be a hostage. If worse comes to worst, I will help you flee the capital." As he spoke, his red eyes took in every change in Katherine attentively.

    When her family was mentioned, Katherine''s anger soon turned to depression. As harsh as the words were and as much as she wanted to rebuke them, she couldn''t deny the logic in it. There really was nobody to buy her out.

    Nathaniel saw the idea taking root, and unnoticed by Katherine a thin, self-deprecating smile turned up his lips, before vanishing again. Loudly, he deliberated: "Think about it: either you come with me or our cooperation ends here. I will give you one day to move out. But were will you go?"

    Hearing that, Katherine fell in deep thought. It wasn''t that she was completely ignorant of him guiding her thought-process to a certain point, nonetheless, she felt that all his conclusions were right. She really had nowhere to go. At least as long as she still wanted revenge.

    "So", Nathaniel concluded. "What compensation do you want?"

 Chapter 72 - A Fake

    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 at all, making her an enemy to many. Though they might show more interest in her like this, it was like offering her head on a chopping board.

    So, either she would have to keep her head low and deepen her relationship with the earl in hopes that he would one day fall for her or... she had to get a higher social status that protected her even if her past were to be exposed. And it had to be something that could withstand a deeper inspection. But what were the possibilities of her gaining such status? The easiest way might be to marry someone. However, she didn''t want to court anyone else anymore after she knew how tiring it was. She also didn''t have the time for it if the earl wanted to bring her to the palace tonight already. However, there was no other way she could think of to rapidly get influence in the higher society.

    He asked what compensation he can give me... he should have some means. After all, he''s on a friendly basis with a prince. "I want a solid identity of someone of high class. Someone who can integrate into the high society seamlessly."

    The earl raised a brow, looking up from the finger on her lips. For a second he had lost himself in her tapping of her lower lip. Again. "What do you need it for?"

    Katherine shrugged lightly. "I need to gather information. Build up connections. Even if we have a working relationship, I don''t plan to stay as a bird in a cage."

    "I didn''t expect you to." For a few seconds, Nathaniel pretended to ponder, before saying: "It isn''t impossible. However, it wouldn''t be a complete identity. Only an addition that would make it possible for you to integrate. A chance."

    "A chance is all I need.", Katherine replied confidently. All this time she knew it would be hard work to reach her goal.

    "Fine. But don''t forget it is all fake.", Nathaniel stressed. He didn''t want to raise her hopes.

    Why should she forget this? Katherine furrowed her brows. Anything fake would obviously continue to be fake. "Of course not."

    "Good. You may come in!"

    Right after the call, Sam entered the room with excitement in his old eyes. He had impatiently waited outside the door, listening to every word while showing a straight and dignified front for the other servants to see. None of them would''ve expected him to be eavesdropping in secret.

    Now he strode forward, fishing two blue silk boxes out of his suit jacket. Solemnly, he placed them on the glass table right in front of the two nobles.

    "I already expected you to not be satisfied with the identity of a maid.", the earl explained. "So I prepared these."

    "W-what is in it?" Katherine''s voice trembled. If it was anyone else, she may take a guess, but with it being the earl... there was no chance it was what it looked like. She shouldn''t even think in this direction!

    Causally, Nathaniel picked up one of the boxes and flipped it open for her to see. "Accessories."

    On a small cushion, there laid a ring. Katherine gasped and clutched her hands over her mouth. It really was a ring! It had a delicate design, like several minuscule flowers coated in silver. Each of the tiny flowers embraced an even smaller amethyst in the color of her eyes. So beautiful!

    "Th-that...?" Her eyes alternated between the ring and his cold face. Her cheeks turned red but it was unknown if it was excitement or embarrassment.

    Nathaniel snapped the box close. "Don''t forget this is fake. You will be my betrothed only in the public eye. Does this satisfy your request?"

    Fake. Though he had reminded her beforehand, Katherine felt somehow hurt by his words. For a second, only a fraction of a second, she wished he''d propose. Now she squeezed a smile, annoyed by her own dumbness as well as his viciousness. Couldn''t he let her dream for just a second longer? "Sure."

    "Wonderful." With a neutral gaze, he held out the hand with the box for her to take. Automatically, she stretched out her fingers, only to halt them again. A thought had popped into her mind, making her hesitate. She took her hand back.

    "There is one thing I''m troubled with though." Seriously, she looked up into his red eyes. It was much easier compared to the first time she met him. Still, she couldn''t hold his gaze for long. It was just too intense. Averting her eyes, her words turned more formal. "I don''t know how good milord''s acting skills are. The rings mean nothing if we can''t convince the crowd that we are in fact... a... a couple."

    Her cheeks burned. She was surprised by her own courage that she dared to question him out loud. Maybe it was because he seemed more amiable today. The earl was normally so cold and serious, how could he be a good actor? Especially enacting warmth and fondness? She might only get this one chance to integrate into the higher society! It had completely nothing to do with her wanting to see him act like he was fond of her...

    The courage didn''t last when suddenly pressure radiated from the person next to her. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw the earl lean towards her like a beast stalking it''s prey. Her heart drummed fast in her c.h.e.s.t. What have I done? Why did I question the devil?

    Nathaniel''s voice was low. "Do you think a young girl like you knows better how to act than me? I''m afraid you will be the one who can''t pull it off."

    Putting one of his gloved fingers under her chin, he guided her to look at him. The fire she''d seen burning in his eyes on their first date was back, colluding with his sinister aura. She trembled, goosebumps raising on her skin. It wasn''t all fear.

    A slow, knowing smile formed on his lips. "You better stop calling me ''milord'' now... darling."

    Darling... darling... darling...

    The term rung in Katherine''s ears, letting all blood rush to her face. Dizziness befell her, making her muddleheaded. She could only stare at him with wide eyes. Were her ears failing her? He couldn''t have called her... darling?

    With a chuckle, Nathaniel stood up and placed the box on the table. "Focus on your own acting from now on. They will suspect a fake if my betrothed for over a month on paper turns into a statue every time I call her."

    When the door closed, Katherine''s lips quivered. A whisper reverberated in the empty space. "Darling..."

    Every time he called her... did that mean he planned to call her ''darling'' again?

    Suddenly, she shook her head as if shaking off the dizziness. Making her lose her footing with his acting had to be his punishment for questioning him. But he didn''t know that it only fired her up. "We''ll see who''s got the last laugh. I will let the fake become real! Just you wait!"

 Chapter 73 - Nervous

    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 c.h.e.s.t. 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 worth this price? Maybe not. However, it was too late to take back now. He should have realized it sooner, however, he didn''t think it was this bad. It seemed to only get worse as time progressed.

    When Sam walked out of the lounge, Nathaniel straightened, and inspected the butler. Though Sam tried his best to be professional, the deep wrinkles around his eyes betrayed him.

    "You are having too much fun seeing me in a plight.", Nathaniel commented.

    The butler pursed his lips but didn''t deny it. Instead he silently held out the ring box. The wrinkles around his eyes deepened even more. If it wasn''t for his lord, he would have started laughing happily long ago. However, he had the inkling that he wouldn''t have any time to enjoy it if he did.

    Nathaniel narrowed his eyes, then he sighed and took the box. "Guess I will need to get accustomed to that disgusting smug look on your face from now on. How would anybody know a former top assassin had such a silly side." He paused, gazing at Sam seriously. "Whatever you do, don''t encourage her."

    "As you wish.", Sam nodded. In his eyes, Nathaniel''s denial only proved that he felt something for the girl or else he would have ridiculed Sam for even thinking in this direction. Seeing that it was not the case, Sam was already very satisfied with the current development. The earl even learned to speak some more after being resurrected form the dead. Let him be for some time and he might drop that devil-facade in front of the lady. For now, Sam felt that he could focus on other things and let fate take it''s course. Besides, his lords former instructions would take some time to fulfill.

    .

    The palace was no single building, Katherine noticed when the carriage passed the innermost city wall. One was bigger than the others, for sure, topped by the white marble dome she''d seen from far outside the city. However, there were several other buildings surrounding the highest one in their center.

    Maybe it was because the dome was older, but unlike the noble houses, the pomp of the building was less blinding, giving off an reserved timeless splendor. The opulence showed only in the general grandness and the details of the statues and cravings. Every single door, every corridor looked like they''d been made for giants, letting visitors feel like they were tiny ants in comparison. Moonlight reflected on the dome, giving it a slight holy radiance.

    As for the other buildings, due to them being less grand and not out of white stone like the dome, Katherine could only make out the shadows and some glittering ornaments in the dark of the night. They stood in a wide ring around the middle building with only small passages in between. She couldn''t even be sure how many there were. Her conjecture was twelve, but maybe there hid a few more in the darkness of the night or out of her sight. The outline of every single one seemed bigger than the earl''s mansion.

    In the open space between the ring and the dome in the middle, a space big enough to fit all the noble houses of the second layer, she could vaguely make out some trees and the reflecting surfaces of lakes in the distance. The grass was graced over by frost, shimmering. It was a tranquil, but cold idyll.

    The direction of the carriage changed, rolling onto the circular road connecting the ring buildings with each other. In regular distances roads would split off from the main road, either leading to the ring buildings or, in fewer cases, to the main building in the middle.

    Pulling her coat closer, Katherine leaned back into the upholstery, and hid her icy nose in her fluffy white scarf. The more the night progressed, the more the temperature fell.

    Hazel opposite her rubbed her hands together. In her case it was not because of the cold - she was used to the Iceland''s cold weather already and wore as thick clothes as her lady. It was because of nervousness. When Katherine told her about their destination, Hazel very nearly had a mental breakdown. She never wanted to be in contact with the high society again, but now her lady was thrown right in the middle of it. For as long as a second, Hazel had wavered. Was she prepared to follow her lady back into this swamp of power abuse and intrigue? Into the society that had overlooked her bad treatment because she was a nobody?

    "I can understand if you don''t want to go there.", her lady had said and taken her hand. "I can help you get employed somewhere else if you prefer it. Somewhere you don''t need to meet anyone noble, and can life a normal life. We could still meet once in a while."

    The generousness of the lady''s offer had ashamed Hazel. Her lady was always so good to her, helping her even against her own best interests. As a former slave, she always felt like she wasn''t worth this kindness. She may even have a good life if she left her lady, as she could read and write fluently now. She could be a teacher or, if she preferred handicraft, she knew a bit from everything from seamstress over laundress and hairdresser up to the skills of a beautician. However, she didn''t want that. If she left her lady when Katherine needed a trusted person the most, she would feel guilty for the rest of her life. Besides, this time she wasn''t alone anymore. Her lady wouldn''t let anyone abuse her.

    So her answer had been: "I... want to go with you. Milady, I want to accompany you were ever you go."

    Even now, when the grand buildings passed their carriage one by one, she knew it was the right decision. That didn''t stop her from being nervous though. For the well-being of her lady, she hoped she wouldn''t be too deeply involved into the power struggles of the upper class. She wished her as happy a life as possible.

    Biting her lip, Hazel inspected the passing shadow houses warily. She knew it wouldn''t be easy to life a happy life after entering the kings court. Here was were the center of power resided. Naturally, it was the center of corruption, too.

 Chapter 74 - Wearing Rings

    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 were other things occupying her mind.

    Now, however... the ring didn''t look like it was randomly selected. Was it her imagination or were those flowers tulips, one of the two flowers that reached the vase on their first date? Maybe this ring was even unique, made for her only. At least her initials, engraved on the inside, suggested as much. It could also be added later though.

    How much thought had the earl really put into this? Or was it someone else who selected it? Sam? Quite possible. Still, she wanted to believe that it was Nathaniel who decided the design. Then again, even if he did, it could be only for the shake of a perfect disguise.

    With a sigh, Katherine sat up and called for Hazel. As the earl was finally back with her, it was time to start her mission.

    .

    "Twenty-one, female. Said to have died during childbirth but the family doubts the body given by the hospital was hers... Thirteen, male, orphaned. Vanished under his uncle''s care, his cousin reported it... Sixteen, female. Disappeared when she sneaked out to meet her lover at night. That lover also disappeared... They don''t select their targets randomly. There might be a lot more disappearances unreported.", Nathaniel muttered to himself and turned over the page.

    The pages had the details of every person that was reported missing in the capital in the last two years. At first glance, they didn''t look like they were connected. The victims were quite young but had rarely anything else in common. There were plausible reasons for their disappearance, too. The first one could be dead, the body real. As for the second one, the officials responsible for the case suspected him to have run away from home. Since it was only a child and not the uncle himself pressing for an investigation, the matter was mishandled. The parents of the other girl disapproved of her lover, so she might have left the city together with him. However, counted together there were too many people that ''coincidentally'' had reasons to run away or disappear in the last year. Most of the disappearances happened at night, too.

    Slowly going through them, Nathaniel distributed them in two stacks. One for the suspected nightly runaways, one for those who resided in official buildings like hospitals and the prison before they vanished. In the end, out of twenty-nine cases, there was only one who didn''t match one of the stacks. It was a woman in her thirties, who disappeared at daytime without any plausible explanation.

    "You might be the only one unconnected.", Nathaniel concluded, and laid her information aside. "I need to contact Sam about the death-rate in prison. It is likely to have gone up for prisoners under twenty-five, especially female ones... there are a lot of females among the vanished."

    With a frown, he again sorted the papers. "twenty-four females, five males. A clear preference. And the males are younger in comparison... Maybe there are different selection criteria for male and female. I doubt there are two different organizations fishing in the same waters, but it''s not impossible."

    With a red quill in his white, long-fingered hand, he dotted down some aspects, while continuing to think. "Though this is a city of the rich, there are only two nobles in the batch, the runaway lover and a young widow. Hospitals, prisons... As I thought, it might really be them. Their network is even bigger than I expected."

    Suddenly, it knocked on the door. The quill stopped, then he laid it down. Who could it be? Surely Sam was still occupied with fishing for information, especially unreported disappearances. Could it be someone out of the palace visiting him in his new study in the outer ring? Whoever it was, the knocking was too respectful for it to be Aston and too soft for the king. However, everyone else that would come for a visit would be a nasty surprise.

    While putting on his black gloves cautiously, he didn''t shift the gaze from the door. His body was taut like a bow. "Enter."

    The door creaked open, and a familiar face entered his view. "Good morning~"

    Nathaniel''s body relaxed. "What are you doing here?"

    As Katherine slipped inside, a silver tray entered his view. She smiled brightly. "I heard you didn''t have breakfast yet. My betrothed should be more considerate of his body!"

    Though she was beaming, she was actually very nervous. If someone felt her pulse just now, they would feel it pound hurriedly, as if there was a horse race taking place inside her veins. He was the one who suggested the betrothal, but it was still very difficult to call him ''my betrothed''.

    Nathaniel felt his heart skip a beat. He didn''t know how lethal the attack he performed last time was, not until he felt something similar himself. And it was even a duller version. His mouth opened slightly, than he closed it again. Finally, he motioned her to bring the tray over. "You can leave it on the side table."

    Katherine pouted. She''d hoped for them to eat together, but a glance at the paper stacks on the earl''s table told her that he had much to do. She thought his work-load would lessen when he wasn''t in his territory but the opposite seemed to be the case.

    Seeing how he continued to work, her gaze wandered to his hands curiously. It looked a bit ridiculous that he even wore gloves when sorting paper. When he gave her the ring, there had been a second box on the table. It had to be a betrothal ring for himself. She wondered what it looked like, since she didn''t even get the opportunity to select it. She wouldn''t have minded selecting it for him.

    When she saw that none of his fingers bore a ring, her impulsiveness got the better of her. Leaning over his table, she pulled away the paper he was holding. Finally, his red eyes met hers, clear annoyance written in them. However, she was even more annoyed than him. With an overly sweet smile, she asked: "Shouldn''t you wear your ring at least? If someone else entered, they would question the sincerity of your affection."

    With her position, his head was at the same level as her decollete. Though it wasn''t bigger than usual, it was emphasized by the ornaments on both sides. Letting his gaze wander over the mass of smooth white skin unreserved, Nathaniel''s face remained expressionless. "It seems my betrothed can more than make up for my lack of enthusiasm."

    For a second, Katherine was speechless. Then her whole face got red as she slammed her hands on the table. "You beast! Where are you looking!"

    Even her b.r.e.a.s.ts are turning red, Nathaniel confirmed. They were jiggling and he couldn''t keep his eyes from staring. Inside he fought a challenging battle: his cold rational front was undermined by greedy d.e.s.i.r.es. "Where you want me to look, assuming your position."

    "I - you - hmpf!" Katherine stomped her feet and pulled back, hiding her bosom behind her arms. What a shame, Nathaniel thought, only to correct himself: what a relieve! He didn''t know how much longer he could''ve stopped himself from touching them.

    Rubbing his face with one hand as if erasing the inappropriate thoughts, he said: "Look, I''m wearing the ring. It''s under my gloves. If there''s nothing else would you mind letting me continue with my work?"

    "Oh!" Now Katherine felt a little guilty. I''ve accused him wrongly, no wonder he got annoyed! He was always wearing the ring! A little pacified, she let her hands fall down, making Nathaniel''s eyes follow them for a second before slowly wandering back up.

    Katherine swallowed her saliva, thinking that the movement might have been a mistake. Something had changed in the earl''s expression. In their encounters up till now, there were times she felt like a prey in front of a feral beast. A fast movement could agitate it and make her die without a full body. Right now the beast seemed to cower down, ready for the pounce. A very, very intense gaze was locked on her.

    Unconsciously, a blush rose in her cheeks. Her lashes fluttered as she lowered her eyes, not meeting his stare any longer. "Maybe you could... wear it over the gloves? I mean you are... are always wearing them, so..."

    A dangerous pause, followed by a slightly hoarse voice. "I''ll think about it."

    "Hm-hm." Keeping herself from moving too hastily, Katherine stepped back. On the one hand she was vary of the beast watching her, on the other hand she didn''t want him to think she was afraid. Cause she wasn''t. Absolutely not.

    In a moderate pace, she walked to the door. It would have looked quite normal if she didn''t keep her head turned in his direction all the time. Finally, her hand found the handle.

    "Till later!", she squeezed out and fled the room in a rush.

 Chapter 75 - We Wont

    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 his reasoning to d.e.s.i.r.e! Finally, he was back in the capital, could start connecting the dots, find the reason for his cursed life - and what was he doing now?! L.u.s.ting after a woman, developing a never before seen weakness! It really was ridiculous... So much so that he hated himself for it.

    Pulling open a drawer, he stared at the blue silk box in it. What he told Katherine had been a lie. He didn''t put on the ring yet. Maybe unconsciously he thought it would give her more power over him every time he saw the ring on his hand, felt it even if he didn''t look at it. He feared he would think about her constantly. But not using it after he decided on their betrothal already was an error. As much as he fretted the consequences, there was no way he would spoil his own ploys.

    Decisively, he took out the box and snapped it open. A silver ring entered his view, boarder than usual. Five small rubies lined up on the upper side, getting bigger to the middle. On every other man the ring might have looked feminine, but matched with Nathaniel, it only added to the cold and sinister aura.

    Hesitating one last time, Nathaniel pulled the ring out of it''s smooth bedding and put it on his left ring finger. It slid over the glove unobstructed. Seeing how it sat on his finger as if it was it''s rightful place, Nathaniel muttered: "Couldn''t he find something less matching? Sam really got ahead of himself with these..."

    With a sharp snap, he closed the box and put it away, focusing on a different batch of papers than before. However, from time to time his eyes would wander to the ring on his hand. Whenever he noticed it, a crease would appear between his brows and he averted his gaze. Then, he would concentrate on work again. After some minutes, the circle repeated itself.

    Somewhere in between, he pushed his hair back with a sigh. "Amethyst... I wish I didn''t ask for an amethyst for her."

    When he finally remembered the breakfast that awaited him on the side table, the tea had long turned cold. Ignoring the sweet delicacies, he took a bite from a bun. That was when it knocked again. "Enter."

    Another silver tray came in sight, followed by a newly determined Katherine. When she saw the scene that awaited her, she stopped, stunned. The earl halted, too.

    "Did you only just start with your breakfast?" Katherine''s tone was incredulous. When she first went to see him, it had been around eight a clock. Now it was already twelve, time for lunch. However, there was only one single bite missing out of the big selection of pastries, bisquits and buns she''d brought.

    The earl blinked, feeling somewhat guilty. "There was much to do."

    "Still, you should have made some time for your health.", Katherine revoked with furrowed brows. On the inside she wasn''t as unhappy as her words emptied. His behavior gave her a perfect excuse to stalk him some more. "It seems there is no helping it. We will eat the meals together from now on."

    "No. We won''t." The reply followed instantly like a thunderclap.

    But Katherine wasn''t that easy to impress after she''d made a choice. "Yes, we will! Breakfast and lunch I can bring up here. As far as I heard, prince Aston and the other residents of this building are gathering downstairs for supper today, so you can''t miss out on that."

    "Katherine, we won''t eat together." His tone was stern. Seriously, he didn''t want to eat with her. More time with her meant more complications. Supper might be unavoidable today, but he would do his best to make her drop the idea of eating with him every day. "We may be posing as betrothed but that doesn''t mean we need to stick together all day long."

    Walking over to the table, Katherine set down the tray. Then she took the stacks sitting between her and Nathaniel, putting them to the side. Next were the papers in front of the earl. However, a hand grabbed her wrist when she reached for them.

    "What are you doing?" His low tone was demanding and there was a deep crease between his eyebrows. However, everything Katherine saw was the ring on his hand. Her eyes lit up. He really heeded her advice!

    When she looked up to Nathaniel, the bright smile was one of genuine happiness. "Let''s eat together!"

    Stunned by her smile, Nathaniel''s grip loosened. Before he could react, she already took the papers in front of him and place them out of his reach. Instead, a thick soup entered his sight. As the supper would be the main meal today, lunch wasn''t as grand. Still, the soup was cooked by one of the best chiefs in the kingdom, so the smell alone made one''s mouth water. It was just the right temperature to be eaten.

    Unimpressed, Nathaniel raised his brow. He made no attempt to take the spoon Katherine placed beside the plate. "I told you we won''t."

    "Yes", Katherine said simply and placed her own plate opposite his. Her tone was as casual as a light spring breeze. "So, what will you do about it? You need food anyway. Will you chase me out of the room?"

    Not a bad idea, Nathaniel thought. However, to those who thought of her as his betrothed, something like this might be too obvious. He remembered the palace guards positioned in front of the door. No, there had to be a simpler solution. "There is no second chair."

    Katherine blinked. "You are right." She had forgotten about that. "I will ask the guards to bring one."

    Nathaniel''s eye twitched when Katherine turned her back on him. So annoying. How long would it take her to organize a chair though?

    A few minutes later, Katherine came back into the room. Behind her followed Pete, who carried a light chair. Nathaniel dabbed his mouth with a napkin. Just when she reached the table, he spoke up. "You don''t need a chair anymore."

    "Of course I - " Katherine''s automatic rebuke halted and the unfinished sentence reverberated in the room. Her gaze had found the plate on the earl''s side. It was empty. And not only that, her own plate was empty, too!

    With big eyes, she looked up at Nathaniel, who wore an expressionless face. What... what happened here? Did a fairy pass by and stole the food? It couldn''t be this cold and stern earl...

    Remembering how he''d dabbed his mouth, she suddenly didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.

 Chapter 76 - Splendid

    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 pulled up her tiny nose till small wrinkles appeared on the upper end. "It makes me look fat. Don''t we have anything shorter? And I think a scarf would really be too much. I''m not a mummy."

    "A what?", Hazel asked curiously. As a servant and former slave, she didn''t know much outside the house.

    With an excited glitter in her eyes, Katherine repeated: "A mummy. Human corpses completely rolled up in bandages. They say it''s a tradition down in southern Falumor. Supposedly, it helps to keep the body of the deceased intact."

    Hazel''s face turned a pale green. "Mi-milady... don''t say such scary things, please. You don''t look like a dead person to me..."

    Pearly laugher escaped Katherines mouth. "Of course not, my dear! But I would feel pretty much rolled up like a mummy if I put on a scarf when inside. Really, in Dragsa we only needed them in deep winter."

    "Hm-hm." Too irritated, Hazel didn''t try to convince Katherine any further. Her mind was fully occupied grasping the scary topic they''d just touched. "But isn''t the magic there..."

    "Right.", Katherine nodded as Hazel hesitated. "Though it was already a tradition before the magic area, I heard. The mummies just came in handy when it started."

    Hazel''s nearly invisible red brows furrowed. "Came in handy... sounds so wrong." Unconsciously, she put a hand in front of her mouth as if nauseous. Death always reminded her of her late mother, lying in sickbed for so long. The mother in her memory now got wrapped in sticky old bandages that still had some menacing blood stains on it. Through a slit between the fabric, skeleton teeth were grinning up at her.

    Suddenly, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, Hazel, I shouldn''t have mentioned something so scary. I will remember that you''re frightened easily next time."

    Just when Hazel nodded in relieve, it knocked on the door to Katherine''s chambers. Here, her chambers were even bigger than in the mansion, with two more rooms, one to receive visitors while the second, surprisingly, was a small study with a few rows of books. When they reached the door, Katherine''s cheeks had turned a rosy red from excitement, making her even more beautiful.

    To her disappointment, the man behind the door wasn''t the earl. It was the old butler Sam. With a light bow, he said: "Milady, his lordship is awaiting you downstairs."

    Downstairs. It''s to reduce the time we spend alone even more, Katherine realized instantly. They would need to act even before entering the dining hall, as there were servants around. The blush subsided. Her first impulse was to tell Sam that the earl should pick her up himself like every good betrothed would, but she noticed how childish that sounded. The earl would only laugh at her this way. Maybe he''d even get angry. With a quiet sigh, she nodded and followed behind Sam.

    While she didn''t miss this annoying prince, she was very curious about the other residents of this building. She would have visited them already if not for them being out all day till now. As far as Katherine knew from the servants, there were three residents beside the earl and her. All of them together were also the only guests inside the palace. Everyone else was either a servant, an official or held some other position in the court, like blacksmith, king''s adviser or food taster.

    This building was kind of like a separate little palace just for honorable guests of the royal family. It was already commendable that some random earl was counted as such. However, Katherine knew that in the end it had nothing to do with the earl himself and everything with the powerful mage backing him.

    As soon as Katherine saw the earl waiting in the entrance hall, a prickling nervousness expanded in her stomach. It would be their first time acting like a couple today. She wondered if they would manage or be exposed instantly. At least she would try her best. She didn''t know about the earl though.

    When she walked down the stairs, she felt the curious glances of a few servants on her, though they were well-hidden. Nathaniel didn''t notice her yet, glancing at his pocket watch with slight impatience. Only when the sound of her shoes neared him, did he look up.

    For a moment, time seemed to freeze. The earl''s gaze paused on her, lost for words. Then, a slow smile lifted the corners of his mouth. Katherine''s heart skipped a beat, her feet nearly missing the next step.

    Seeing her wobble, two hands reached out and caught her own. Black and white gloves met, and she found her footing again. Nathaniel''s deep voice landed on her ears. "Careful, dear."

    It was just a simple reminder, but Katherine blushed up to the tip of her ears. Shyly, she looked up at him. The smile was gone from his eyes, replaced by a concerned gaze. Just a play, she reminded herself and exhaled slowly. "Thank you."

    Nathaniel nodded, letting go of her hands. Before Katherine had the time to feel regret, however, he lightly pulled her right arm through his left, letting her hand rest on his forearm. It was a normal gesture for a gentleman escorting a lady, but still, Katherine''s heart started to beat faster. Though they had dates already, Nathaniel always avoided to follow the etiquette in this aspect. Now he did it with natural ease.

    As if he felt her nervousness, he patted her hand gently, before letting go. It was a reassuring gesture that she didn''t expect from him and instantly calmed her down. Little did she know that Nathaniel''s heart was beating as fast as hers just by her simple touch. The pat gave him a second to calm down, before they would enter the dining hall and scrutinizing gazes of the other residents.

    His eyes wandering to the archway of their destination, he started walking. With Katherine on his arm, he matched his pace to hers.

    Half-way there, he muttered without tuning his head: "You look splendid tonight."

    Katherine, whose blush had just started to subside, felt the blood rising to her cheeks again. She didn''t know anymore how she should survive the evening if a simple compliment from him nearly made her faint.

 Chapter 77 - Residents

    Behind the archway, a long table came in sight, decked out with a white lace cloth and elegant cutlery and crockery. Everything had beautiful golden patterns, seemingly made by the same artist. Small blue flowers in the middle of the table rounded off the scenery that was submerged in the warm light of the fireplace. Some fading sun rays still fell through the high, light-blue windows.

    Two figures already sat at the end of the table, conversing with each other lively. Surprisingly, one of them was prince Aston. The woman beside him seemed to be a few years older, her black hair cascading down her back like an elegant waterfall. On her head sat a filigree silver tiara.

    He''s flirting again, Katherine assessed with contempt. The woman sat to Aston''s right while he occupied the head of the table. Though Katherine would rather not be involved with him, the earl lead her straight to his left side. They were friends after all. She could only shake her head inwardly about why the earl befriended him of all people.

    "Your highness.", Nathaniel said and bowed lightly. Katherine curtsied.

    Surprised by their arrival, Aston hastily scrambled to his feet and returned the bow. "Nathaniel. Lady Balder. I hope your accommodation is to your satis - "

    SNAP. The woman beside him closed her pink fan intentionally loudly. Till now, she didn''t bother to stand up. Arrogantly, she raised a brow at the prince. Katherine was impressed by her attitude. Though she didn''t like the prince, she wouldn''t dare to treat him so disrespectful.

    The prince flinched at the noise, then he focused his attention on the lady, who intensely stared at him until he finally got the hint. "Oh, right. You haven''t been introduced to them yet."

    Half turned to the woman, he spread out his arm. "Helmina, these are the earl of Hymirhall as well as his betrothed, lady Katherine Balder. Milord, milady, my sister the princess." He spoke in short, brisk sentences as if he wanted to get over with it as fast as possible.

    The princess nodded loftily while Nathaniel bowed and Katherine curtsied again. The gaze in Nathaniel''s eyes was complicated as they addressed her with one voice: "Your highness."

    Inwardly, Katherine was surprised, as the two looked nothing like brother and sister. One was the embodiment of the typical Icelander with blue eyes, blonde hair and a tall build, while the other looked more like an exotic beauty, her skin lightly tanned and eyes tilted.

    Obviously thinking some earl wasn''t worth any of her attention, the princess suddenly ignored them after knowing their standing. Her cold grey eyes stared the prince down. "Back to our former topic. How could you do that with a lowly servant on a social gathering? Get yourself a wife already if you like chasing skirts so much! I wouldn''t even mind if you put on a skirt yourself if that helps you refrain from doing such things in public! Gosh, do you even realize what an embarrassment you are for the royal family?"

    Katherine''s face burned and she would love to cover her ears. This woman didn''t seem to even notice what she was talking about herself in public. Or maybe she was doing it intentionally to let everyone feel awkward. Anyway, it worked.

    The prince ducked his head and scratched his neck sheepishly. "I didn''t expect someone to come in suddenly, I thought I locked the door..."

    Exhaling slowly, the princess searched for words to explain his mistake. "Aston... You know exactly that Zilla likes you. Making out with someone else on her birthday, it ruins my reputation. Even you should understand that."

    Aston''s eyes widened. Innocent surprise showed on his face, so vivid, that Katherine nearly believed him. "She likes me? Why didn''t you tell me? Me and her could have had a really good time! How regretful..."

    Shaking her head in disbelieve, the princess stood up, prepared to leave. "Enough. I can''t believe you really are my brother. Disgraceful."

    When turning to the door, her gaze landed on Katherine and suddenly, her whole face lit up. With a bright smile she waved at her. "Lady Katherine, it was a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to meet you. Please be my guest tomorrow at teatime."

    Caught unexpected, Katherine instinctively nodded her head. Before she could overthink her answer, the princess already rushed out the door, a triumphant smile still present on her lips. Invisible question marks appeared above Katherine''s head. What was that? The princess first ignored her and now asked her out for tea suddenly? Since when did she become this important? Though it was a good development for her revenge plan, she felt like she''d missed something.

    "Katherine", a deep voice rang out next to her and made her jump lightly. When did the earl''s face get so near? She could even feel his warm breath on her ear. It made her skin tingle and her cheeks flush. When she pulled back a bit, his intense gaze greeted her. "Please sit."

    Only now did she realize that he pulled out a chair for her. With unstable knees, she sat down, very aware of Nathaniel''s warm body behind her. His breath hit her neck as he pushed the chair nearer to the table. Only when he took the seat next to her did her heart slowly find it''s normal pace again.

    She didn''t know when, but three people had entered the dining room. Now that she remembered, they already stood next to the door when the princess rushed out, like they didn''t want to interrupt these royal''s talk. Knowing the conversation topic, Katherine thought they''d done everything right. She certainly wouldn''t want to hear about this prince''s escapades, too.

    Of the residents, the old couple greeted Aston with a deep bow and curtsy. "My wife and I are honored to dine with your highness."

    The prince smiled lightly. "So am I, lord Milton. Please take a seat. Lady Brandon, don''t stand on formality, too. Come here, my right side feels so empty. Let''s relax and enjoy this meal together."

    He pointed out the seat to his right to the third resident of the house, a lone lady in her twenties. Katherine saw how the lady''s eyes flashed a disgruntled look, but she took the seat in the end. It wasn''t easy to reject a prince.

    In contrast to the older couple, who only stole slightly curious glances at them while obviously thinking it would scratch on their dignity to actively converse with them, lady Brandon greeted Katherine and Nathaniel with a nod and a smile. Katherine smiled back. This lady with her inconspicuous dark green dress and simple bearing was quite to her liking.

    When she noticed Nathaniel by her side starting a conversation with the prince, Katherine decided she could very well start building up her own connections today. "Good evening, lady Brandon."

    "Good evening, lady Balder. I heard you are new to the capital. How do you like it here?", lady Brandon replied, making Katherine feel very lucky. This person seemed to easily catch on her intention and was willing to cooperate.

    "What I saw was quite lovely, but regretfully, I didn''t get to see much of the capital yet..."

    While Katherine and lady Brandon slowly got to know each other, the servants dished up the first course.

 Chapter 78 - Hands

    On Nathaniel''s side, the prince led the talk. "She suddenly showed up on my doorstep and kept nagging me. I didn''t know she''d tag along all the way. Didn''t give me any opportunity to warn you.", he explained apologetically and took a bite of the food. "Hmm, it''s better than I thought. Though it can''t reach the level of my own chef."

    Nathaniel remained silent, obviously lost in thought. Meeting the princess - no, his sister - had caught him unprepared. Though he had read quite a bit of information about her, she was still a baby when they last met. He didn''t even recognize her at first glance. Thinking about it, she had the same long black hair and great complexion as that woman...

    "However, it''s not that bad, right? She didn''t pay you any attention, so I don''t think she recognized you. Even though your complexion is special, she might have forgotten about that. Anyway, there are still one or two more people living with similar characteristics. No one as cool as you, of course.", Aston deliberated while stuffing himself with food as fast as possible without losing his hard-trained manners.

    Anyone else would find it difficult to swallow this much at once, but he still managed to look elegant somehow. In between, he even found the time to take a few sips of wine. "Just why was she so upset about me? She doesn''t even like this Zina or whatever..."

    "No, she recognized me.", Nathaniel said so quietly that it didn''t interrupt Aston''s ramble. Like he did with her, the princess updated her information on him from time to time. It might be an underlying wariness sitting deep in her since childhood. She would never miss out on him if he were to appear before her. That was exactly why he was wary of her reaction. She should''ve been irritated, maybe even shocked. But her appearance in the outer palace buildings was strange to begin with.

    Normally, princess Helmina didn''t care about Aston''s actions. Their relationship was anything but close. So, the reason she came around couldn''t be to nag him about his womanizing trait, since it was actually for the better of her if Aston had a bad reputation. It would only contrast to hers and the crown princes.

    Viewed from this angle, her visit might very well indicate that she already knew Nathaniel was here. That explained her lack of surprise. She already knew who he was and wanted to look for weaknesses. However, instead of talking to him or observing him... his gaze wandered to Katherine, and his brows furrowed. He wished she would have rejected the invitation.

    Chatting happily, Katherine didn''t notice the worried eyes of her betrothed. Soon, Nathaniel turned back to the prince and changed the topic. "Please arrange a meeting with Lord Orvet. I suppose you know him?"

    For a second, the prince was distracted as he had still talked on and on when Nathaniel didn''t even listen to him anymore. Then, he nodded. "Sure, sure. I remember him quite well. He once served a living flamb¨¦ed bird to me, swearing it was a phoenix. He must have some unlucky fate with fried meat because a few weeks later he fell into hot oil himself. I''m certain he isn''t fully healed yet... but it isn''t serve enough to refuse a visit."

    Unexpectedly breaking into the conversation, lord Milton stuck out his c.h.e.s.t proudly. "He reaped what he sowed then. Really must have a bad taste if he pulled the heraldic animal of the glorious Dragsa kingdom down for a scam. My Dragsa kingdom isn''t something to laugh about."

    As if on command, the whole table fell silent. You could''ve heard a needle drop. Even Katherine ceased talking when she remotely overheard the name of her home country and curiously glanced at the balding man in his overly formal suit. To speak so proudly about being from the Dragsa kingdom in the Icelands... was he dumb?

    However, obviously nobody cared enough to remind him, because after a pronounced pause, they started eating again and Aston switched to a new topic he could babble on about. Only Katherine was curious enough to follow up. "If I may ask, lord Milton, what is your connection to the Dragsa kingdom?"

    Lady Milton, who looked like she just waited for such an opportunity, finally opened her pigeon mouth. Her pointed nose raised up into the air, she declared: "We are proud to call ourselves nobles of the Dragsa kingdom. My husband is the marquess of Ydalir, a very important position. Of course, someone from the Icelands wouldn''t know such basic things. Though I personally think the Icelands are a lost case, the king begged us to come here and bring light into these uncivilized lands. He is such a generous man, worrying even about barbarians."

    Katherine''s mouth nearly fell open at this lady''s level of ignorance and intolerance. However, lord Milton frighteningly nodded along. What the... these people represented the Dragsa kingdom? She felt a mayor headache coming. No wonder the two countries were always in a clinch if this was the level of their diplomates. Although nobody reacted unduly, she had felt the whole room grow colder after lady Milton''s statement. The servants even distanced themselves from the pair inconspicuously.

    Before Katherine could tell them a piece of her mind, a hand lightly tapped hers, making her pause instinctively. Looking up, she met the earl''s calm eyes. In them hid a mild warning. He was telling her to not get involved. When he saw that she understood, he turned to the delusional couple. "Luckily, my betrothed prefers these uncivilized lands. Dragsa''s sense of loyalty disappointed her quite a bit."

    Katherine took in a breath at the remembrance that cut into her like a knife. However, it was the burning knife cutting off rotten flesh. Right. Dragsa let her down. It wasn''t only Ethan that betrayed her, but all the upper echelons of the kingdom, for they didn''t dig deep enough to discover his deceit. Even if there were still good people in the kingdom, it didn''t change the fact that she was betrayed. With her enemies ruling the country, why would she still feel the need to help them? She even thought about involving it in a conflict herself not this long ago. Dragsa, the country that betrayed her, couldn''t be her home anymore.

    Realizing this, her hand unconsciously grasped Nathaniel''s like an anchor. Where then was her home if not in Dragsa? Where did she belong now? Into the Icelands? The deeply rooted antipathy against this enemy of her former country made her instinctively resist this thought. She was like a ship out in the ocean, drifting around aimlessly without a port in sight.

    Would the enemy of her enemy really be such a bad choice? Contrary to the Milton''s words, the Icelanders where not much different from the people of Dragsa if one excluded the outer appearance. Their manners, legal system and even language was very similar, though they spoke a different dialect in the capital. Now that she knew it, she noticed a hint of it in Nathaniel''s voice sometimes, though he didn''t have a real dialect. Still, she didn''t feel at home here. Not in this boastful building with prince and princess visiting and pure white beddings in her room. Not with the people carefully keeping each other on arms-length. Was there any place to call home after she left Sleipnir?

    When her grip around Nathaniel''s hand tightened, only one came to her mind. She really missed the mansion.

 Chapter 79 - Did You Just Kick Him?

    Nathaniel was irritated. Already when Katherine first pressed his hand, he intentionally turned it stiff and unresponsive. Alas, this woman didn''t even notice! Now her grip was tight like a steel claw and he couldn''t just shake her off in front of this many spectators. Very irritating!

    Grumbling inside, he endured her slightly painful grip and as soon as possible ended the conversation with the Milton couple. If Katherine involved herself too deeply with this kind of people, it would be troublesome for both of them. They just took up their diplomat-post a month ago and already managed to offend every single important person in the Icelands. It was only a matter of time till they were killed, even though they were under the king''s protection. Hopefully, they still lasted a bit longer, as Dragsa would probably use their death as an excuse to start the long-brewing war with the Icelands. Pretending that they didn''t sent them here to get themselves killed in the first place.

    The second course came, but Katherine still didn''t let go of his hand. She seemed to be in a trance. Not a good one if her face could be taken as an indicator. She had paled quite a bit.

    Troubled, Nathaniel tried to awaken her by pressing her hand back shortly. "Katherine... can you hear me?"

    No response. His brows furrowed. He didn''t know what turned her in such a state or what could get her out of it. Sweeping his sharp gaze over those present, he found that Aston now tried his luck with lady Brandon and the Milton-couple was focused on themselves. Still, there were a few servants in the room, having their eyes everywhere. He didn''t know how many spies were among them, so he couldn''t fall out of his role.

    It would be so simple if he could just lean over and whisper something into her ear to shock her awake. However, he feared that if she jumped in surprise their skins could touch accidentally. That was too dangerous. Obviously, he couldn''t openly shake her, too, though he really wanted to.

    His face expressionless, he suddenly pulled on her hand that was still covered with her own white glove. The movement was fast, jolting her out of her thoughts. While blinking her eyes she saw... an unbelievable scene. It made her question if she fell asleep instead of being woken up.

    His red eyes staring straight up at her, the earl was bend over her hand, his lips brushing her knuckles ever so lightly. A few white strands of hair had fallen into his gorgeous face. Though it originally was a submissive gesture, the eyes of the earl were burning with intensity. In this combination, he was the dominant one, daring her to go against his will and mentally fall asleep again. Katherine held her breath when he raised his head. He looked really displeased. "You are making me jealous of your dreams, my dear."

    Katherine felt heat rush to her cheeks, instantly dispelling the paleness. A kiss! He kissed her hand! Though it was only a light touch and annoyance hid behind those cheesy words, she could do nothing but swoon over the earl''s s.e.xiness. It would be so damn good if the words were meant that way! Katherine felt like she could come to love jealousy as long as it was displayed by Nathaniel. Her hand prickled.

    Suddenly, she heard a gasp from the other end of the table and at the same time, Nathaniel let go of her. She felt a bit empty without his touch. "Oh, lady Balder, you are so lucky! Single-minded men are the best! The gaze of your betrothed... I can tell there is only you in his heart!"

    The one who exclaimed was lady Brandon and when Katherine turned to her, she instantly noticed why she''d broken the moment. Her brown eyes where flickering with ''help''-signals in Katherine''s direction. The prince had bend widely over the table, making him exceptionally close to lady Brandon. Although his smile looked friendly and brilliant at first glance, his hand had sneaked on the back of lady Brandon''s chair, next to her shoulder.

    As Katherine opened her mouth, searching her brain for a helpful reaction, the prince suddenly let out a hiss before falling back into his seat. With tearful eyes he looked up at Nathaniel, who coldly raised his brow. Then, without a word to his pitiful younger brother, the earl nonchalantly turned to Katherine. "You should try these beans, dear. They are really good."

    Puzzled and pleasantly surprised by the help from an unexpected side, Katherine heeded his advice. After the attention shifted from them, she confirmed in a whisper: "Did you just kick him?"

    If not for the funny event at lunch, she might not have believed that the earl would do something mischievous like this. Now she was elated but still felt it was a bit dangerous because the one he hurt was a prince.

    "No", Nathaniel told her with a completely straight face. "I didn''t kick him." At first, Katherine was disappointed, then she nodded. It only made sense. That was before the earl added: "I literally stepped on him."

    Katherine nearly spluttered out the beans all over the table.

    Like this, the meal continued. From their actions alone, no one would doubt that the earl of Hymirhall and lady Katherine Balder were an affectionate young couple. Though they didn''t interact much, each word and gaze of them seemed to be filled with deep fondness for the other, more than once making everyone feel like third wheels on the carriage.

    The prince attempted to seize lady Brandon''s attention a few more times but it was obvious that the lady didn''t care for his good looks and status, preferring to talk with Katherine instead. Through her, Katherine learned more about the palace and the important figures of the high society residing in the capital. When she mentioned the strange house she saw on her way here, lady Brandon laughed. "Oh, this one! Of course, I know it! Who else but old lady Finley would dare to build such high-class crap? Even writing ''noble aristocrat'' on top! I wish I could be this bold. She''s the biggest eccentric the kingdom has to offer. But this house actually hits the nail on its head! You must know, the noble villas weren''t always this extravagant. In the Icelands, classy and elegant was the ultimate theme. At least before the empowerment of the..."

    Suddenly, she paused and glanced at the prince cautiously. "Maybe I should stop here. We can talk about it some other time. By the way, do you have anything planned for tomorrow morning? I could show you around for a bit. There are many great shops in the third ring, restaurants and ancient monuments."

    Concerning this, Katherine didn''t need to be persuaded. With glittering eyes, she nodded like a rattle drum. "Yes! Yes, please! I would love to!"

    Lady Brandon grinned knowingly. It was hard for newcomers to get into the high society of the capital. Right now, she was giving Katherine a free tour and as long as she didn''t mess up, the meeting with the princess would do the rest. "Then it''s a date!"

    With both woman giggling happily, nobody noticed Nathaniel''s movement stagnating for a second. Then he continued to grip his glass, taking a sip. The cold water ran down his throat. A date. Wasn''t it just two girls going on a shopping-spree? It was something completely normal for their age.

    "Do you mind if I join in, ladies?", Aston suddenly grinned, enraptured by their joyful faces. He was very tentative in his pursuit of lady Brandon.

    Before the ladies could find an excuse to dissuade him, Nathaniel heavily put down his glass, glaring at Aston. "I mind."

    A lady going on a walk with his betrothed? No problem. However, this womanizer? Not in his dreams! Nathaniel told himself that it was a completely natural reaction as Katherine''s fake betrothed. He was only doing his job properly. The dangerous light in his eyes instantly put an end to the topic.

 Chapter 80 - Cold, Isnt It?

    Aston cleared his throat. "Well... then how about the two of us going for a walk tomorrow, Nathan?"

    Nathan... Katherine repeated in her head silently and glanced at Nathaniel out of the corner of her eye. They had to be really close if he allowed the prince to use a nickname. Nathan sounds nice. Less formal and distant. Definitely not like a cold demon.

    It was sweet but kind of dull in comparison. The sharp edges of ''Nathaniel'' suited the earl better, Katherine decided. She didn''t know when his cold demon side started to grow onto her. He wouldn''t be himself if he suddenly turned nice and aimable. A nice and aimable Nathaniel... Katherine shuddered at the thought. If that ever happened, it could only mean one of two things: either he was possessed, or he plotted something really evil behind the scenes. Out of these possibilities, she would still prefer the first.

    Nathaniel raised his brows. "Do you think you can arrange the meeting with lord Orvet that fast?" If you can''t give me a meeting, don''t even think about doing other things, he added silently.

    Aston hesitated for a second, then he sighed. "I can. But don''t tell me the walk will be going to lord Orvet''s and back... I just want to take a stroll, not go to some business venue."

    Nathaniel, who planned to do exactly that, agreed reluctantly. "Alright."

    As the sun settled, the room slowly grew cold. When the candles and the fireplace spent the only light left, goosebumps soon rose on Katherine''s skin. Hazel was right about the jacket, she noticed with regret. As soon as Sam had knocked, all thoughts about warm clothes had fled her head back then. Luckily, the dinner was already nearing it''s end.

    When prince Aston finally scr.a.p.ed out the last bit of dessert, everyone else were leaning back in their chairs, long defeated by the pure mass of food.

    Exhausted, Katherine grinned at lady Brandon. "If I eat that much every evening, it might as well kill me."

    Lady Brandon waved her hand lazily. It seemed to be the only body part she could still move. "No, no, today is special. Normally it''s just two courses, maximal three. But much less variability."

    When she said that, her eyes drifted to prince Aston meaningfully. Katherine nodded in understanding. With a royal on the table, everything would be adjusted to his eating habits. And this royal just so happened to be a foodie.

    While everyone wondered how they should get to their chambers with their bulging bellies, the prince sighed in satisfaction and stood. "It''s been a wonderful evening. I feel lucky for spending it with everyone." He winked at lady Brandon. "Sadly, I need to leave now. Nathan, see you tomorrow. Lady Brandon, I will come visit you again sometime~"

    With a mischievous grin, he strode out of the room. The Milton''s were the next to leave, giving only the necessary goodbyes.

    Because he skipped the dessert, Nathaniel could still move alright. Not liking any sweets worked in his favor this time. As he stood up, he noticed the goosebumps on Katherine''s slender neck. Her skin must be quite s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e there, he deduced absent mindedly. Would his brave betrothed jump in fright if he pressed his lips against this vulnerable spot of hers?

    Taking off his dinner jacket, he placed it over her small shoulders. Better hide the temptation. "Shall we?"

    Fl.u.s.tered, Katherine glanced up at him, before pulling the fabric closer to her. His lingering body warmth made her feel thankful. "Yes, it''s time. See you tomorrow, lady Brandon."

    Lady Brandon waved. "You can call me Gabriella, or Ella if you want. I hope we can be good friends!"

    Katherine''s face lit up with a smile. "I''m sure, we will!"

    The earl didn''t offer her his arm like before the dinner, but even then nobody would question their connection anymore when they walked side by side out of the dining room. Their steps were synchronous, their heads slightly tilted as if they didn''t want to let the other out of their sight even for a second.

    Lady Brandon left alone on the table sighed in melancholy. Years ago, she also had someone who would look at her like this. She hoped for them to have a better ending.

    .

    In the dark of the night, a figure outlined itself against the moon. It was tall and thin like a stick. Black robes and a hood hid the persons features as it shifted from shadow to shadow, silent like a phantom. Not even a white foggy breath disturbed the dark of the night.

    When the figure reached a certain plaza, it halted in the alley before it, cautiously looking around. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, it sneaked over to the bronze statue of a man and a child. The former had long hair and held a little box which he stretched out to the child with a genial smile.

    Hidden behind the base of the statue, the phantom figure waited. A minute passed, then half an hour. The phantom rubbed his black gloved hands together.

    "Cold, isn''t it?"

    Spinning on his heels, the phantom automatically got into a defensive stance. One didn''t know when the bronze statue of the man started moving. The phantom narrowed his eyes. No, it wasn''t the statue moving but it''s shadow. In it stood another robed figure that had entered the venue completely unnoticed. Something white flickered in between the new shadows fingers before he lightly threw it at the phantom.

    Cautiously, the phantom caught it out of the air. It was a bone coin with three stars engraved in it. The phantom sent it back to its owner, but his stance relaxed visibly. "Everyone thought you were dead."

    "There were some matters needing my attention.", the shadow answered the unasked question. "But it doesn''t mean I forgot where I come from."

    The phantom sighed. "I noticed. You didn''t slack off in all those years. Who else could sneak up on me?"

    With a chuckle, the shadow put away the coin. "I just know your bad habits. By the way, congratulations for breaking my record."

    The phantom waved it off. "No matter how many I kill, my concealment skill is not on the same level as yours. Not yet. One day I will surely outdo you in all aspects. Save your praises until then. So, what did you contact me for?"

    Getting serious, the shadow put his hands behind his back, straightening his figure. "What do you know about the disappearances?" He didn''t need to mention which disappearances were meant.

    "Not much. The number is higher than accounted for, maybe even in the hundreds. It happens in the villages around here, too. Still, it got nothing to do with me, so I didn''t pay it much attention."

    Tilting his head to the side, the phantom continued to think aloud: "Now that you mention it, it''s strange. Nobody I know seems to be involved in it. I know of one or two kidnappings done by acquaintances, but they are all over and done with, the hostage either returned or dead. They didn''t have any organization backing them, so they can''t be connected to the other disappearances. If it is one of the known groups kidnapping everyone, I should have at least some leads... so as ridiculous as it might seem, my conclusion is that they should be a new group only formed in the last years."

    The other shadow shook his head. "The opposite might be the case. The group is old, but too deeply buried to be discovered lightly, even by people of the underworld. They only started to move again in the recent years, finally getting out of their holes."

    "You know them?", the phantom instantly noticed the important point and his muscles tensed up. In his head he pondered if the other was connected to the disappearances. If yes, this meeting deep in the night could prove to be way more dangerous than he expected. However, the other spoke in uncertain terms so maybe...

    The shadow wanted to answer, but suddenly interrupted himself. Slightly turning his head, he said: "Guards are coming."

    With a wary look at the shadow, the phantom moved to his side, both merging with the darkness. Seconds later, lamp light fell out of one of the alleys leading to the plaza. The low sound of armor plates rattling against each other and two nearly imperceptible voices were heard, directly followed by two guards stepping onto the plaza.

    They swept the area with their gazes roughly, before continuing towards another alley. On their way, they didn''t stop once or noticed anything out of the ordinary. Warm lamp light flickered over the cobblestone street, lighting up only a small round sphere that enveloped the city guards.

 Chapter 81 - Guarded

    When the city guards were gone, the two black robed people distanced themselves from the statues again. They didn''t seem bothered at all that the guards might have noticed them or come back to look again.

    Instead, the phantom continued with their former topic. Secretly, his hand sneaked into his coat pocket, his tone somber. "You really know them?"

    The shadow sighed deeply. "You can say that. But our relationship is not the best, so keep that dagger for someone else please."

    At first, the phantom froze, then a short barking sound that might be a laugh echoed over the plaza. "As expected. Well, good for you. In a direct fight I might have won. I would loathe killing you before leaving you in the dust, however. Master."

    The shadow shook his head. "Don''t call me that. I only showed you a few tricks as a kid. Neither our worldview nor morals are the same."

    The other bowed overly deep, his wide grin unseen behind the hood. "As you wish, master."

    "Now you are humoring me. We both know you would kill me without regret as soon as you surpassed me." Another sigh. At least he knew he would die with dignity in this persons hands.

    After pondering for a second, the shadow added: "If you are really thankful though, you can promise me one thing: however much they offer you - and it might be more than money can pay - you won''t work with this organization."

    When he heard this request, the phantom didn''t answer lightly but instead fell into thought. More than money could pay, how precious would this thing be? There were two things he had dedicated his life to: money and killing. Giving up on something more precious than money before he even knew what it was... But on the other hand he hated to be in someone''s debt and however much the other played it down, he had done him a huge favor back then. If not for him, would he be who he was today? It took him a while to from his decision.

    Then he nodded slowly. "Alright."

    "Thank you." A strange, weighty silence followed the shadows words, until both men started to feel awkward. With a cough, the shadow changed the subject. "Would any of your acquaintances know more about the situation? Preferably someone that isn''t under one of the big fishes already."

    "Some. But with the second criteria, there''s only one left.", the phantom grinned, before going into detail. "Ask for the River Lady in 24th Winding street. Some of her girls have also vanished. Greet her from me, or else she might not say a word. She loves her secrets."

    "Alright, I will." The River Lady. He''d heard of her, but every word was of a ruthless and dangerous beauty. Laying traps and breaking hearts wherever she went to squeeze out even the last drop of gold. Then she left, making two of her former lovers commit suicide. He didn''t expect her to care for her girls. Maybe rumors were still rumors in the end.

    "Anything else?"

    "Nothing for now. Contact me if you stumble over anything that got to do with it. The old method."

    "Alright."

    With a short nod from both sides, they left in opposite directions, vanishing in the darkness.

    .

    Katherine was full of vigor early in the morning. Humming lightly to herself, she walked down the floor with a tray in hand. Just because her and lady Brandon were meeting later, she didn''t want to miss the chance to irritate the earl a bit more. She wondered what he would do this time to prevent a shared meal.

    "Halt", the palace guards positioned in front of the earl''s chambers unexpectedly stopped her by crossing their lances. Wait - palace guards? Weren''t the guards supposed to be only outside the buildings?

    Now that she remembered it, there were palace guards standing in front of the earl''s chambers the last time, too. She just didn''t think about it because she was so used to the earl''s personal guards inside the mansion. They would also stand in front of the study. However, when they entered the innermost ring, only a handful of people had been allowed to move in with her and Nathaniel. Those were one personal servant and one guard each: Sam, Hazel, Pete, and someone called Dorian.

    Sadly, Jack had been appointed as temporary leader of the guards by the earl, assigned to bring everyone else to the earl''s house in the second ring and be on standby for any accidents arriving. Katherine didn''t know what reason there was to have the guards and servants stay behind when the earl and her would clearly be in the palace for quite some time. And regardless of what might happen, the guards would not be allowed to enter here. Strangely, Jack didn''t seem to be upset about such a boring task.

    So, her guard just now was Pete, while the earl had this Dorian, who was one of the guards substituting for Pete and Jack back when they got hurt if she remembered correctly. Dorian was nowhere to be seen, but what were the palace guards doing in here watching his door like he was a prisoner? Even preventing her from going in, how audacious!

    Staring first at the crossed lances before her then at the grim faces of the guards, Katherine arrogantly raised her chin. "What right do you have to stop me from visiting my betrothed?"

    "Milady, his lordship is still asleep." One of the guards told her seriously.

    Katherine raised her brows. Was this his new trick? If yes, it wasn''t enough to stop her. She knew the earl wouldn''t be asleep now, even if it was early in the morning for everyone else. She couldn''t even picture him asleep. "And?"

    "His lordship told us to let nobody enter."

    "Well, I am his betrothed.", she stressed, portraying an annoyed look. "Surely, you don''t think this order also expands to me? I''m normally not an early bird but I especially wanted to surprise him with breakfast today. Now this surprise will get ruined because of the both of you."

    The guards looked at each other, creases forming on their foreheads, but they didn''t retract their lances. Their mood was solemn and formal when the replied: "An order is an order, milady."

    "Really now! Do I look like someone this dangerous to you? I just want to bring him his breakfast..." Katherine tried her best to look pitiful, like a wronged little girl. To see the earl, she would even resort to being shameless. Clutching the tray tighter, she looked down on it with a sad expression. "Look, even his favorite fried eggs are turning cold. I... I wanted to see him just this once... You know he got always so much to do and I thought we could at least have breakfast together before he needs to leave again."

    Glancing at them out of the corner of her eyes, she saw them hesitating, their grip on their lances loosening. Nearly done! Blinking against fake tears, she bit her lower lip lightly. "If... if you just let me through, I promise, I won''t wake him! I will quietly wait by his side until he wakes up himself. So, just this once... please?"

 Chapter 82 - In the Bedroom

    With this last ''please'' the guards were defeated. One of them g.r.o.a.n.e.d, twisted between his duty and the intense need to help this pretty girl standing before them. Finally, the cuteness won.

    Surely, the earl didn''t want his betrothed to be sad. What a man would he be if he could be mad at her when she was already this pitiful? It must be the earl''s wish to let his woman through to be consoled by him. Maybe he might even be in a better mood after getting the surprise-breakfast. The last day with this cold man was anything but enjoyable to the guards.

    Persuaded by their own reasoning, the guards opened the door to the earl''s chambers. "Please be careful, milady."

    Katherine smiled up at them, trying her hardest to not let it turn into a triumphant grin. "Thank you! You two are the best!"

    The guards stuck out their c.h.e.s.ts in pride as she strode into the anteroom. Then they closed the door, leaving Katherine alone. There were three other doors going off from the anteroom. Judging by her own chambers, the smallest one to the right should be for the personal servant, which would be Sam in this case. The one to the left should be the bedroom.

    Decisively, Katherine strode to the one in front of her, which most likely had the study behind it. To not warn the earl, she didn''t even knock and entered right away. Surprisingly however, the small study was empty. Not even a dusk corn moved in the silence.

    Puzzled, Katherine went over to the desk. There were a few papers, a feather and an inkpot on it like someone had just worked there. Her arms hurt from the tray, so she set it down on the table and curiously leaned forward to study the papers. They were a list of hospitals, bureaus, schools, and other institutions. In an unnamed column beside them, there were several numbers, most of them zeros, but also 9, 11, 3, 8, 5, 14, 2, and so on. One place named ''Helgrind jail'' entered her sight, as it had a striking number of 137 attached to it.

    One hundred and thirty-seven, one hundred and thirty-seven what? Katherine asked in her mind. As it was a jail, maybe deaths? But wouldn''t the hospitals have more than this? And what is with this school, sixteen? No, it can''t be a death-rate... But I don''t know what else it can be. These numbers are way too random.

    Next to the strangely high number of the jail was a note written in blue ink. Katherine picked up the paper to look at it more closely. The words were neither big nor small, the dashes elegant. Even still, it wasn''t easy to distinguish the letters, as they stood very close to each other, some simplified to small jerks of the feather. Katherine''s lips quivered, silently reading out the words ''main source''.

    The question mark behind it was bigger than the text, overshadowing it like an open mouth. Katherine didn''t know why a chill swept over her neck as she saw it. Warily, she glanced behind her at the door, but there was nobody else in the room. The window behind the desk was also closed.

    What was all this? What was the earl working on these days? It couldn''t be part of his little territory, Katherine thought with furrowed brows. They might not have one single hospital there. It was the countryside! Hospitals and bureaus were more likely to be in big cities like... like the capital.

    Maybe the king gave him some extra work around the capital? Katherine pondered. It was the only reason she could think of why the earl would involve himself in other people''s territories.

    The term ''main source'' swirled around in her head like an annoying fly. What could a jail be the main source for? Would they let the prisoners knit socks or build baskets to sell? Ridiculous. What could the jail be a source of? Did they have anything besides prisoners? But if it were prisoners...

    Katherine nibbled on her lower lip. Maybe they used them as working power? Letting them help out somewhere under observation? But everything made no sense combined with the other numbers and places. A jail got not much to do with schools. They wouldn''t let prisoners and children come in contact.

    Whatever. She wasn''t here to analyze Nathaniel''s work to begin with, though it made her plenty curious. Just, where was he? He couldn''t have left his chambers without the guards noticing, could he?

    Katherine shook her head at the imagination of the earl climbing out of the window. Never ever! Or not because of her at least. She knew that in his heart she wasn''t important enough to force him to such measures. As unlikely as it may sound, maybe he was really still asleep.

    Asleep... I wonder if he still looks scary then. If he was sleeping, his eyes would be closed, hiding the danger inside and leaving only his beauty. His white hair did look fluffy on quite some occasions. I wonder how it feels...

    On her tiptoes, Katherine sneaked over to the third door. She didn''t bother to pick up the tray again. It might make more sounds and wake him up.

    If - only if - the earl was really still asleep, she wouldn''t want to miss this opportunity for anything in the world. However, knowing him, he was more than likely to sit upright in the bed, reading some doc.u.ments. Maybe he didn''t expect her to be daring enough to come inside his bedroom.

    Her hand hesitated on the doorknob. Now that she thought about it, going inside was pretty much the lamb entering the lion''s den willingly. She knew all too well that Nathaniel was a dangerous man. What would he do if she entered his bedroom unannounced?

    A mixture of nervousness and excitement prickled in her stomach. Only a glance, she convinced herself, if he is awake, I''ll just close the door again and knock formally. He won''t notice me if I just peek through a slit.

    Quietly, she turned the knob. The door squeaked as she moved it, making her heart skip a beat. Instinctively, she wanted to throw it close again and run, when she noticed that... here wasn''t anyone either.

    Nobody sat on the big bed with black bedding and creme colored pillows. Not a bump beneath the blanket either, indicating a sleeping body. Instead, a cold breeze let the ends of the blanket dangling over the bed end flap lightly.

    Losing her fear, Katherine opened the door wider and let her gaze wander over the wardrobe, then the small table with a chair beneath the open window. The chair was placed directly under the window.

    Katherine''s brows furrowed. He wouldn''t really have left this way, right? Unsure, she went over to the window. It was only the second floor, but because the ceilings were high, the window was four to five meters over the pale green grass. Maybe even six, Katherine wasn''t good at estimating such things.

    Jumping from this high was dangerous, so he would need some kind of tool, she deliberated. He also needed something to get up again like a ladder. However, the white wall was blank. Did he go outside or not? If yes, what was his purpose in using this kind of exit? It can''t be because of me, Katherine thought and went over to the bed to sit down. It was quite soft, so she bounced up and down for a bit, looking up at the high ceiling.

    Besides her, who else would he want to fool by climbing out of the window? The only ones she could think of were the palace guards. Why were they guarding him anyway? It was strange, like the king didn''t trust him even though letting him into the palace. Then again, climbing through the window did look like he had something to hide.

    However, if he really left through the window, why wouldn''t he cover up his traces? It didn''t match the earl''s usual meticulous working stile. It didn''t look like a hasty departure either. Was she missing something?

 Chapter 83 - Note on a Tray

    Letting her fingers wander over the soft fabric, Katherine wondered if the earl had slept tonight. The bed looked unused, but maybe it was just tidied up already. Would he sleep on the right or left side, straight or curled up? The only way she could picture him asleep was like a man in a coffin: lying on his back unnaturally straight with the arms down and dressed in a suit.

    A grin flew over her lips. Maybe his hair would be disheveled at least. White strands softly falling on the pillows, like snowflakes. Her hand c.a.r.e.s.sed the fabric as if gently stroking his hair. Then she pulled it away and shook her head. Thinking about c.a.r.e.s.sing the earl''s hair - was she delusional?

    His hand kiss messed up my head, she deliberated. The earl wasn''t the gentle type. He wouldn''t let her c.a.r.e.s.s his head or do anything else... not like in the dream.

    Katherine blushed hard. Last night she''d dreamed of the earl, dreamed of him kissing her fingers one by one before wandering up over the back of her hand all the way to her shoulder. Then he''d looked into her eyes, whispered words she couldn''t remember. She pulled him down for a kiss.

    Katherine''s lips opened involuntarily as her breath hastened. This kiss... it was so sad that the dream ended there, but it was also a relief. Could she ever look the earl in the eye again if it continued?

    With a quiet sigh, Katherine stood up and went back into the study. Since Nathaniel wasn''t here, waiting was futile. She only had less than an hour until the meeting with lady Brandon. Alone, she ate her part of the breakfast and collected the used dishes. Then she halted.

    Searching the desk, she found some unused paper in one of the drawers. With her lower lip between her teeth, she picked up the feather, dipped it into the ink, and wrote a note. At the end, she hesitated, before inspiration hit her and she quickly wrote out the last few words.

    Anni said she had to be a bit bold sometimes but not overdo it. A big show of affection would just chase the earl away. She had to slowly sneak into his heart in a roundabout way, until whatever secret he hid wasn''t as important as their relationship anymore.

    When she looked onto the product, Katherine nibbled on her lip indecisively. As if in slow motion, she laid the note down on the tray carefully. Staring at it for a few seconds, she finally laid the feather down, took up the used dishes and strode out of the room.

    Approximately a minute later, the shelf beside the desk swung open. Behind it was a space, big enough to fit a single person. No secret corridor, no further ado. It was nothing more than a small hiding place, usually used to spy on the guests. This time however, the guest himself had hidden in it.

    With a thoughtful expression, Nathaniel went over to the table. He wanted to avoid her in hopes that it she would stop pursuing him, so he hid as soon as he heard her voice. She was still conversing with the guards then, but he knew fully well that they couldn''t stop this headstrong woman. With their fake connection, it would even be abnormal if they did. However, telling them to stop everyone that visited bought him a few seconds.

    Curious about her reason to hesitate when she normally was too brave for her own good, he took a look at the note.

    .

    Dear Nathaniel,

    Though I couldn''t find you today, I hope the breakfast is to your liking. You really need to eat more! Don''t work all day and neglect your body!

    In a bit, I''ll be leaving with lady Brandon, and I might not be able to accompany you for lunch. It makes me a bit sad. I still wanted to ask you some things. Like if I can steal your guards for a few hours. I already asked Sam once and he said he''d ask you, but I think he forgot when your brother''s poison acted up. Well, let''s talk about that another time...

    While I write, my toes are freezing, so my first purchase today will be thicker shoes. Hopefully, your feet are warm.

    Yours only,

    Katherine

    .

    The eyes of the earl lingered on the last lines for a long time. Only mine... she doesn''t know what she''s wishing for. This dangerous woman. Please stop wishing for death or it might just give in to you.

    Exhaling slowly, he threw the note into the trash can. Or at least that was, what he intended to do. He made the motion but stopped before letting go of the paper. With a complicated gaze, he pulled it back and read the letter once more. His lips twitched upwards, imagining her with her hands on her h.i.p.s, lecturing him about his health. And she seemed really worried that his feet could be cold...

    His eyes wandered to his shoes, which, though elegant, were thick and warm. He should thank Sam next time for his meticulous preparation. Though it was his job to make his master''s life easier, being so good at it needed a high skill. He should appreciate it.

    About the thing with the guards, it wasn''t Sam''s fault, actually. His butler forwarded the question to him if she could take some selfdefence-lessons, but Nathaniel first wanted to mull it over. Maybe he hoped she''d forget about it. Fighting didn''t count to the typical skillset of a lady and it was already hard enough to control her without her knowing the weaknesses of a human body.

    But now, the situation had changed. As his betrothed, it might be better if she knew how to protect herself. The training would need to be in secret though if she didn''t want to be estranged by society.

    Sighing soundlessly, Nathaniel folded the letter once, then twice, and finally put it into his b.r.e.a.s.t pocket. So long as she didn''t know, taking it wouldn''t make her hopes rise. As for why he kept it... he didn''t want to think about it too deeply.

    Careful not to cross paths with Katherine, he told the guards to let prince Aston in as soon as he came and went to work for another half an hour. In between, he ate the breakfast Katherine prepared. Obviously, she''d asked someone about his preferences this time for it didn''t include anything sweet. Egg with toast, bacon and a cup of earl grey. Perfect.

    "Nathan!" Aston flung the door open with so much excitement that it banged against the wall. "Oh, sorry - Are we really going out together?!"

    Putting the paper in his hand down, Nathaniel rubbed the space between his brows. Just now, he regretted agreeing to that. "Going out... do I perhaps look like one of your girls?!"

    Aston froze, then he laughed nervously and waved his hands. "No, no, of course not! See, I already arranged the meeting with lord Orvet. He will welcome you whenever you got the time today, so please..." Aston put his hands together in a praying gesture and smiled fawningly. "just fulfill this little wish of mine? I just want to spent some time together. It doesn''t need to be a walk..."

    "Fine." A thin smile tugged on the corners of Nathaniel''s mouth as he suddenly interrupted him. "Let''s go to the training field then."

    "To the training...?" Aston''s eyes widened. "W-why would I go there?"

    "Didn''t you want to spent some time with me? I just happen to lack sword practice." Working out for a bit would help improve his body after this long period of sickness. The smirk of the earl deepened. In Aston''s eyes, he looked like a devil laughing down from his throne. "You didn''t slack off, did you?"

    He only wanted to have a relaxed little walk with his older brother. How come he ended up in a death-trap? Aston felt like crying.

 Chapter 84 - Evil Ploy

    The morning with lady Brandon was pleasant and relaxing. They visited many big shops, toured the capital by carriage, and didn''t forget to dump all the purchases on their guards that were following behind. Those poor men quite regularly had to run back and forth between the shops and the carriage to get everything the ladies wanted.

    Finally, they ate in a renowned restaurant, where Ella explained what she didn''t want to say on the evening dinner. "When I first got here, it was all quite classy. Simple and elegant, you could say. That was the city''s trend for generations. However, over the years, it changed. How it''s now, it''s... how do I say this? Kitschy? The word is harmless compared to what I''ve seen..."

    Ella wrinkled her nose. After seeing the nobles houses and now also some of the extremer shop-designes, Katherine could completely relate to her. The sense of style was kind of aweful, way to overboard.

    Taking a sip of her tea, Ella continued: "If it was just a harmless trend, it would be fine. However, it''s more of an outward sign for deeper hidden troubles. Do you know what this trend change happens to match pace with?"

    Katherine furrowed her brows. Now they were getting to the point. What was it that couldn''t be said in front of the prince? "What?"

    "The empowerment of the queen. I know, it sounds illlogical. After all the queen is reigning for over two decades already. Shouldn''t the trend be matching with her since long ago? Nonetheless, that''s not the case. The builings and everything didn''t change when she married the king. Now it''s different, because the king and queen aren''t on the same page anymore. Anyone with eyes can see they''re turning against each other in the later years.

    As a result, the aristocrats are starting to side with one or the other. And since the crown prince and only resonable heir loves his mother very much... you can guess what side is the logical one to take.

    So the trend changes to please this woman, even if some of the aristocrats themselves can''t stand this style. Some only follow suit because they don''t want to offend the queen but are on the kings side originally. And then there is old lady Finley. I guess a glance at her house suffices to know who she supports."

    After this very long explaination, Ella took a sip of tea again to wet her dry throat. Katherine needed some time to digest all the information. The situation was more complicated than she thought, the kitschy trend only a syptom.

    As many kitschy houses as Katherine had passed on her ride to the palace, she wondered if there was anyone besides old lady Finley who supported the king. Then again, it was the king who would choose his successor, so the crown prince still couldn''t offend him completely. One the other hand, making prince Aston crown prince wasn''t really a choice. Besides him waving the right to be an heir, his attitude and the fact that his mother wasn''t married to the king were enough reason for the aristocrats to reject him. Maybe this crown prince, whom she didn''t know yet, was the best choice for the Icelands.

    Katherine knitted her brows. "Let''s say the crown prince turns king, what would happen to his brother?"

    It was not that she worried about this notorious prince, but due to reasons she couldn''t understand, Nathaniel was friends with this royal idiot. And whatever the background, it had to be said that he saved Hazel once.

    Ella shrugged, but to Katherine, her nonchalance seemed a bit forced. "Whatever the new king wants. I don''t care."

    Raising her brows, Katherine inquired: "Even if he kills him?"

    The possibility was instantly waved off. "What would he gain from killing a fool? Only more trouble than he''s worth. No, I don''t think he''ll do more than ban him to some remote place."

    "Hmm." Katherine was not convinced. If only the possibility to inherit the throne could let the aristocrats perform as shamelessly as they did, she didn''t want to know what would happen if the crown prince turned king. Even if he himself didn''t order it, the aristocrats could very well kill prince Aston just to please the new king.

    On the other hand, she didn''t know what the crown prince was like. Maybe he and his brother valued each other more than the typical royal family would. The princess at least seemed to be worried about her younger brother despite him being a wominizing idiot.

    When Katherine returned to the palace, she was still mulling over this thought. In the end, she concluded that regardless of the relationship between the two princes, it would be better for her plans if the earl distanced himself from the useless prince. They had to make contacts with the right people, though maybe...

    There was a very dark thought lingering in her head. Prince Aston was foolish enough to be made a marionett as long as the crown prince was moved out of the way of inheritence. The earl seemed to be one of Aston''s closest friends, but was he really a friend to the prince or someone waiting for him to become king so he could control him from behind?

    After her nearest person betrayed her, Katherine couldn''t help but be suspicious of everyone. She wouldn''t even trust her beloved maid with everything as she knew the pure soul could easily be taken advantage of. Although Hazel proved her loyalty many times, Katherine sometimes caught herself thinking of the ''what if''s.

    And if it was already this way with Hazel who she saw every day, how much worse would it be with everyone else? Though she tried her best to not blindly believe in her suspicions, there were times like right now, where she didn''t know what to believe.

    Nathaniel was a dangerous, vicious person. He was very capable of building such a tight net of schemes if he wanted to reach for power. He could coldly pull the threads and might even arrange to murder the crown prince if he hindered his plans.

    However, Katherine wanted to believe in Nathaniel''s moral integrety. Maybe it was just because believing it was covient for her, but in her mind, she couldn''t see the earl betraying someone he declared as a friend. His interactions with the prince proved to be different than how he treated everyone else, kind of lenient. Like one would tread someone that was a bit stupid, but still a good friend to oneself.

    Though Katherine knew the evil ploy her dark side imagined just now would benefit her very much - if the earl controlled the prince, she as his betrothed would effektively be able to influence the prince, too - she didn''t want it to turn into reality. The process was too similiar to how her cousin would have acted. While fighting for her revenge, she didn''t want to turn into him. There had to be other options.

    "Milady?" Hazel''s voice awoke Katherine from her brooding thoughts. "Are you okay? You look kind of troubled."

    "Me? Oh..." Katherine looked at herself in the mirror. Wearing a light pink long dress and silver necklace, a youthful girl looked back at her. Behind her stood another girl, glancing over her shoulder with a worried expression while fixing the ribbons of the dress. Katherine''s brows slowly smoothed out. "It''s nothing. Just not used to being in the capital yet."

    Hazel nodded understandingly. "Don''t be nervous, milady. Everyone says the princess is very kind and amicable. They say you''re lucky to pique her interest."

    "Hm", Katherine made and looked down at the slender amethyst ring on her finger. She wondered why such a ''kind and amicable'' person would ignore someone outright. Maybe because the earl himself was the complete opposite of the two qualities? Did they have a bad relationship? Anyway, the upcoming afternoon tea would help her understand more about the royals of the Icelands.

 Chapter 85 - Teatime

    The winter garden of the princess was half a labyrinth of oleander and rose bushes. The flowery scent in the air relaxed Katherine''s senses and lightened her steps. From afar, she heard a melodic voice talking long before she spotted the white-clothed table between the greenery.

    The princess was not alone but had another lady as well as a few of her servants surrounding her. Both women wore bright dresses but that was as far as their resemblance went. When the princess was a dark beauty, the other woman was pale and as thin as a stick. Her brown hair, brushed up in a stiff sphere, seemed to be an elongation of her already long horse-face.

    "Your highness." Heads swirled around as Katherine curtsied. Behind her, Hazel curtsied even deeper. As the princess motioned them to get up, Hazel stepped back in waiting.

    "Lady Balder", the princess said. "How wonderful to see you. Please take a seat." Then she turned back to the other lady. "Lady Hardy, I believe there is nothing to discuss anymore. Just do what I told you and if there is trouble with your father, you can come find me again."

    With a sickly smile, the horse-faced lady curtsied. "As you wish, your highness."

    She swept past Katherine, not without giving her a discontented glare. Obviously, she hadn''t expected to be thrown out for someone else. Rising her brows, Katherine stared after her before remembering the princess'' invitation. She walked over to the small table and sat down opposite the princess, like the two delicate tea-sets suggested.

    A butler in a black suit came over to pour them tea, while two maids placed a cake and chocolate muffins on the table.

    "Milk or sugar?", the princess asked. The tiny bells hanging from her silver tiara jingled lightly whenever she moved.

    "Sugar, please. Thank you for the invitation, your highness.", Katherine said courteously.

    Princess Helmina nodded elegantly and gestured for the butler to bring the sugar. "Actually, I''m very curious about you. A noble lady dares to engage with someone from the enemy county and even come to the capital, surrounded by enemies. That''s very courageous, if you ask me. Admirable."

    Katherine glanced to the side, a bit embarrassed and happy at the same time. "It just happened this way."

    "Oh, I don''t think it''s this simple. It must have been a hard decision. I wonder what was important enough to follow through.", the princess pondered, before a small cease appeared between her slender black brows. "You weren''t forced, were you?"

    "What? No, no, absolutely not!", Katherine declared firmly. "Why would you think that?"

    Without the fan, her bearing turned way less distant. A slight smile crossed her lips. "Looks like I was overly worried. You know how the society works: sometimes women are forced to do things they don''t want. Especially woman of aristocrat families. I founded an organization that helps women in bad circ.u.mstances, so I became more conscious of such matters. Luckily I overthought this time."

    The sudden explanation surprised Katherine. Was the princess normally this considerate? It didn''t match the image Katherine got on their first meeting where she criticized the prince heavily. Though the prince surely deserved the scolding.

    Maybe she is nicer to women?, Katherine deliberated. If she founded such an organization and from the way she carried herself, this was very possible. The organization also explained the conversation with lady Hardy. Maybe the horse-faced lady had trouble with her father, seeking the princess out for help. Princess Helmina was really a kind woman at heart.

    Katherine smiled. If it was for a good purpose, she didn''t mind helping. Many nobles did charity work to please the lower classes. It was not surprising for the princess to do the same. However, she shouldn''t lift all her secrets yet, since she didn''t know the princess for long. "Founding such an organization is the real admirable thing. If there is anything that I can help you with, please ask. I might not look like it, but I learned a bit of medicine in my youth."

    The princess'' grey eyes glittered. "I will come back at that. Though we are working together with some hospitals, many women refuse to go there out of fear to be found out by their husbands or parents. Especially if the other party is very influential. Being visited by another lady like you is the perfect disguise."

    "Then I''ll be happy to help", Katherine said and tasted her tea before putting some more sugar into it. Maybe they let it brew too long for it was a bit too bitter for her taste.

    The princess meanwhile drank it without any sugar. Maybe she liked the bitterness. "Now, tell me more about your future husband. I heard he''s quite a cold character, so how did the two of you fall in love?"

    Surprised, Katherine''s hand shook and tea splashed on her hand and dress. Setting the cup down, she hastily dabbed at the stains, not daring to look the princess in the eye. Her ears turned hot. "In - in love?"

    "Aren''t you?" The princess lifted a brow, the gesture so closely matching a certain someone that Katherine would have stared at it with an open mouth if she had seen. Yet now, Katherine was too occupied with her own mess. The princess moved not a finger to help her. "Aren''t you in love?"

    The pressuring question only made Katherine more nervous. Her heart was beating wildly as if something frightful was bound to happen. But before her mind could catch up, her mouth blurted out loudly: "Of course I am!"

    The statement echoed through the formerly quiet winter garden. Suddenly, Katherine felt so tiny in comparison. She wanted to hit her head against a wall. Why would she scream it out loud? They were fake betrothed, alright? She shouldn''t have real feelings for him! No, she didn''t have real feelings for him!

    Performing, performing, I''m only performing, Katherine tried to calm herself down. She bit her lip. What a slip-up. The princess might already be creeped out by her sudden yell.

    Gathering her courage together, Katherine held her head high, though she just wanted to vanish in the ground. Now that is had already come so far, she needed to continue with the act. So, she looked the princess right in the eye. "I really love him very much. It''s just that our love-story is something so intimate to me... I never told it to someone before."

    Lowering her eyes on the plates, the princess pursed her lips. "Very intimate you say? How is that possible when he doesn''t even want to touch you?"

    Katherine froze. The words were like a sharp sword stabbing her where it hurt the most. Even after more than a month, Nathaniel still shied away from her touch. Never once had she felt his b.a.r.e skin. But how could the princess know that?! Was she observing them? She couldn''t know what they''d done behind closed door or before they arrived in the capital. Nathaniel was the only one who knew. He had no reason to tell anyone, had he?

    Following this assumption, the only way she could find out, was because she guessed it. And how could she guess it? If she knew the reason why Nathaniel didn''t want to touch her!

    Just as Katherine reached this deduction, the princess shook her head. The silver bells jingled lightly. "Such a pity. You love him so much but he... never had a place left for you in his heart since long ago."

 Chapter 86 - Not Feeling So Good

    Katherine s.u.c.k.e.d in a cold breath, but the princess wasn''t finished yet.

    "Did you think you could win his heart with time?" A melancholic smile lifted a corner of her mouth. "You can''t win what doesn''t exist anymore. He lost his heart to the darkness. Some might call him a heartless monster. Anyway, what is taken away can''t be brought back just because we want to. You understand?"

    Something about the princess'' explanation made Katherine run a shiver down her back. She couldn''t bring the man the princess described in agreement with the one she knew. Nathaniel might be cold, but no heartless monster. She saw him loose his composure when mourning for his aunt. A monster wouldn''t mourn for twenty years, wouldn''t help an homeless girl like her and certainly wouldn''t pull her out of her dark thoughts with a hand kiss.

    However, it might be true that... Nathaniel didn''t have a place for her in his heart. Not for love at least. Honestly, she always wondered what could be the reason for his restrain. But if the princess said he lost his heart, maybe he loved someone before. She wondered how he had lost this person.

    Another person might have given up if she was told that she had no chance and realized her beloved might love someone else. Alas, in Katherine''s case it only ignited her fighting spirit. Her hands clenched into the fabric of her dress.

    If she had any doubts about pursuing the earl further, they were cleared now. Nathaniel wasn''t a monster and even if he lost his heart to someone before, she would fight to get it back. Because he obviously was not happy with the way it was right now. Whoever he loved wasn''t good for him, no, it was slowly killing him inside. In a low voice that only she herself could hear, she muttered: "I will not give up!"

    The princess might be a good person, but her assessment of Nathaniel was wrong. She might have collected more information about him than Katherine to the extent that she even knew his secret, but as a person, she didn''t understand him at all.

    Though Katherine wanted to tell her just that, she realized that now was not the right time to offend the princess. She had not enough backing, and the princess obviously knew some things about Nathaniel. She had to find out what it was first.

    When Katherine raised her head, her inner decision could not be seen on her face, her thoughts a mystery. "Thank you for your kind advice. However, there are still some things I don''t understand. Who did he lose his heart to? What happened for him to be this way?"

    While Katherine was talking, the princess suddenly rubbed her temple, distracted. Her eyes wandered over the oleander bushes as if searching for something.

    When Katherine turned her head, a man in his early twenties stepped onto the path between the bushes, walking in their direction. He was tall, had inky black hair and the same grey eyes as the princess. Confidence and steadfastness radiated from his board shoulders and strong, steady steps. Nonetheless, when he neared them, Katherine noticed a light grey tint on his tanned skin, as if he was sick.

    "Milady", said the man as he halted beside the table and nodded lightly in Katherine''s direction. His voice was deep and cool like a lake. "I need to discuss something with my sister. Would you mind giving us some privacy?"

    Hastily, Katherine stood up and curtsied. As the royal family only had two princes, the one before her could only be the crown prince. She had to say, the first impression alone was enough to beat prince Aston a hundred times. He might not be as handsome but invoked a sense of reliability one wished to find in a future king. "Of course not, your highness."

    "You can wait to the side, it won''t take long.", the crown prince assured, but his sister had a different opinion.

    "No, please don''t wait for me.", she said and again rubbed her temples. "I think I need to lay down for a bit afterwards. I''m not feeling so good."

    "Then I will take my leave", Katherine agreed reluctantly. She wished she could have asked more about Nathaniel. "Get well soon, your highness."

    After another deep curtsy, she gestured at Hazel and the two of them left the winter garden.

    .

    Nathaniel was beat when he returned from his meeting with lord Orvet in the afternoon. The chief of Helgrind jail had circled around all his attempts to inquire about the abnormalities in prison. He was a hard nut to crack, very shrewd and experienced. But even experienced people would make mistakes with time. One thing was for sure: lord Orvet was deeply involved in the disappearances.

    Closing the door to his chambers, Nathaniel let loose of the yawn that was fighting to escape his c.h.e.s.t for an hour already. Since the sword practice with Aston in the morning, his limbs were arching. He took it as a sign of his recovery.

    If not for the bodily disadvantage, Nathaniel doubted he would have lost two of the five matches against his brother. Not that Aston was a bad fighter - quite the contrary, he was very good - but not comparable with a veteran who fought in the battlefield several times.

    Before he met Katherine, Nathaniel didn''t dare to use his magic often, afraid that the side-effects would kill him or someone innocent. So, when the king had send him to the frontlines in the past, he would use a sword to kill the enemies. That even got him a nickname he wasn''t very proud of.

    Now with Katherine, using magic would be so much more convenient... not that he planned to repeat the massacre at Hymirhall. Not at all. The screaming faces of the soldiers were like pictures freshly carved on the inside of his lids, visible whenever he closed his eyes. Knowing that it would''ve only killed more people if he let them go didn''t help much.

    He sat down on his desk, unwilling to go to sleep before dinner. There was still so much to do around here. Each delay might cost lives. The lives of innocent women and children. Even if they didn''t die... they might still be labeled as monsters afterwards. He had an inkling as to what the organization wanted to do to them.

    The dinner was about to start, but time ticked by and the earl didn''t show up. Standing at the top of the staircase, Katherine was worried and a bit annoyed. Was he avoiding her again? She knew he didn''t want to eat with her, but dinner was a joint occasion for all residents here. She doubted he would let them doubt their relationship by making her show up alone.

    After another few minutes, she decided to go look for him. As before, the palace guards stood in front of his door, telling her that he was most likely still inside. She wondered what had held him up. Maybe he was caught up in the work for the king. But whatever it was, he shouldn''t do it on the risk of his health.

 Chapter 87 - Because It Was Convient

    This time, the guards let Katherine through without trouble. Impatiently, she rushed into the study. "Na-"

    She only uttered the first syllable of his name before coming to a stop. Clutching her hands over her mouth, she tried to be as quiet as possible, hoping that she didn''t wake him up already. But the earl sleeping on the table only turned his head into the crook of his elbow, rubbing his cheek against the fabric before laying still again.

    Very cautiously, Katherine sneaked forward. She couldn''t believe that the cold devil was asleep! It wasn''t remotely similar to the laid-out corpse posture she imagined him in. Actually, he was kind of cute. The normally pale cheeks were a bit rosy and the white lashes looked like snowflakes that would melt on touch. Slumped over the table like a student asleep in class, the unapproachable aura that normally surrounded him was gone without a trace.

    Beside the desk, Katherine hesitated. She couldn''t bear to wake him up. Since he wasn''t there when she went to see him in the morning, it was possible that he''d worked through the night. He needs someone to watch over him, she thought. Or else he would continue to treat himself so badly till he died of exhaustion.

    Listening to his deep breathing sounds, she looked down at his face with the sharp and handsome features. She had never seen him this relaxed. Under his arms, several doc.u.ments poked out. One paper had even fallen to the floor beside his feet. She picked it up, intending to lay it back, but the title caught her attention. Suspects. Suspects for what? Why couldn''t the earl name his lists more obviously so that someone else might understand it, too?

    Grumbling inside, Katherine couldn''t stop her curiosity, reading through the name list. If they were suspects, at least one of them had to have done something bad right? The second name on the list, Lord Gregor Orvet, sounded familiar. That was the man Nathaniel asked the prince to arrange a meeting with! Was it to investigate him?

    Further down the list were several more names that caught her attention, mainly because they were shortened to initials. V.G., L.F.I., E.F.C.I., D.A.B., and finally, at the bottom, A.Y.I.

    Some, like lord Orvet and the mysterious A.Y.I., had checkmarks next to them. A few other names were crossed out. Wait, three of the five abbreviated ones ended with I.? If it was the surname, wouldn''t that most likely be one of the ancient Ice-families, the first aristocrats of the Icelands? But there where some openly put on the list, too, like Sieglinde Icespear or Roland and Caspar Iceflower...

    Since only some names were shortened, maybe they were too important to be openly put on a suspect-list? Katherine had a very bad feeling about this. What in all gods name was Nathaniel investigating? From this list alone, nearly half of the upper rank aristocrats might be involved.

    Looking at the initials L.F.I. again, she bit her lip. Hopefully this person only coincidentally shared the initials with the queen of the Icelands. Carefully, Katherine laid the paper on the table. Then she turned it over, so that the white side was facing upwards. Normally nobody beside Sam, her, and Nathaniel himself should be able to assess this room, but she was still worried, someone else could find the suspect-list. Maybe that was exactly the reason there weren''t more information on it as to what they were suspected for. Honestly, the title alone was the only reason Katherine got interested in the names. Without it, nobody would know what to do with this.

    Troubled, Katherine looked down at the sleeping man. As a lower rank aristocrat, what had he gotten himself into? Even if the king made him investigate this, Nathaniel might not be able to take the full brunt of it if something went wrong. This was dangerous.

    As light as a feather, Katherine''s finger touched the ring on Nathaniel''s hand. His fingers were long and slender, the skin pale. Somehow, they looked familiar, though she was sure she didn''t see him without gloves before.

    Brushing over the red jewels, Katherine felt the connection between them. It wasn''t only the fake betrothal. They knew each other for quite some time now and she had seen him in one of his darkest hours. The feeling of his strong embrace in the cave, the sadness in him that nearly drove him mad, was one of the most intense memories in her whole life. She didn''t plan to let him go through anything like that alone again. Solemnly, she mouthed: "I promise I will stay by your side for as long as you want me to."

    Only today had she realized how deeply he had edged himself inside her heart. The moment the princess asked if they were in love, the words just jumped out of her throat as if they had waited there for a long time. Afterwards, there wasn''t much time to think about it. Was it really true? She couldn''t find the answer to that.

    It was never within her plans to fall in love with him as she had to manipulate him to get her revenge. Doing that to someone she liked would make her feel very guilty. She could only do that to bad people with a pure consciousness.

    Now she shook her head over her own selfishness. Yes, Nathaniel had worked together with her cousin once but that didn''t necessarily make him a bad person at the core. Hadn''t she herself helped her cousin before she knew about his nature? She had no right to judge someone else for it. She just wanted to see him as a bad person because it was convenient. If she started to see him as good, regardless of if she liked him or not, she would feel guilty for what she planned to do.

    Yet she couldn''t see him as a bad person anymore. She couldn''t point out where it started or why but through their constant interaction something had changed. Actually, she didn''t believe he interacted with the prince because of malicious intentions like using him as a marionette. Thinking that way, was just the last straw she clung to. She wanted to make view him as evil.

    However, after the chat with the princess, she couldn''t lie to herself anymore. As cold as he might be, Nathaniel had turned into someone important to her. A friend. No, a bit different from that. Anyway, she didn''t want him to get hurt.

    Bending down next to him, she gently brushed his hair to the side. It was unexpectedly soft. She wanted to pet it some more but he would be mad if he woke up. He looked so innocent right now ¨C a term she''d never thought to be remotely appliable on him ¨C but if he woke up, he was likely to turn back into the icy devil he was. Which was kind of sad.

    Sighing, she took back her hand. She just didn''t know yet what would happen to her revenge. Giving up on it was out of the question but hiding it and manipulating him... no way she could deceive this slumbering angel. And even if it was the devil, there was still so much on his shoulders. It broke her heart.

    Let''s postpone this, Katherine decided. Until now, none of her acts was hurtful to Nathaniel. She didn''t really manipulate him yet, did she? Revenge far in the future. She would make the decision then. Relieved that she still had time, she went to his bedroom to get a blanked and gently placed it over his back. He stirred slightly, mumbling something incomprehensible. Katherine halted and leaned nearer.

 Chapter 88 - Unexpected

    "Don''t..." Nathaniel''s brows furrowed in his sleep. His raspy voice was nothing but a whisper. "I didn''t do it¡­ please don''t."

    Curious, Katherine leaned even closer. For Nathaniel to beg for something, that was unprecedented. She always thought he would be to stubborn and proud for that. His warm breath hit her ear and blood rushed to her cheeks. This is only to hear him better, she told herself, but still furthered the distance by a few centimeters.

    "Mother..." His muscles tensed, crumpling the papers under his arms. As he jerked his chin upwards, the scar on his jaw seemed to be gleaming red in the dwindling light that fell through the window. "Please don''t¡­"

    Could this be a childhood memory?, Katherine deliberated. Beside his aunt''s death, she didn''t know much about his past. Maybe that was only the tip of the iceberg. Something seemed to have happened with his mother, too.

    "Shh, it''s all good now.", she said and soothingly stroked his back through the blanket. Her heart ached for him. His childhood seemed to be worse than hers. "Everything is alright."

    It felt funny talking to a grown man like to a child, but not in a good way. She couldn''t image what must have happened to this strong man to still have nightmares about. It must''ve been horrible. Should she wake him up? However, he was just as proud as her. If he noticed she heard him beg in his sleep, he wouldn''t be pleased at all. It was better to chase the nightmare away without letting him wake up.

    However, despite her reassurement, he got more agitated by the second. Even through the blanked, she could feel his heart pounding rapidly. His breathing was rough, the hands clenching until the knuckles turned white. "Mom!"

    Suddenly and without her influence, Katherine''s magic stirred, wrapping her hand in a pure white light that lit up the surroundings. The change was so unexpected that Katherine held her breath. For two seconds, the light glimmered, before it vanished again like an illusion.

    Frightened that it could''ve awakened Nathaniel, Katherine backed off. But unexpectedly, he didn''t seem bothered by it. On the opposite, when the light appeared, his body relaxed and now his breathing deepened again. Strange.

    Sitting down on the edge of the desk, Katherine silently watched him sleep for a while. She was suspicious if he was really asleep or just pretending. An hour passed before the desk was getting uncomfortable.

    As she stood up, her tummy let out a little growl. Damn. She forgot about dinner. Now it would be over already. It was all his fault! Why did he fall asleep so early?

    Strolling out of the study, she reminded herself to later bring some food over. He''d be hungry when he''d wake up. Now, she first had to fill her own rumbling stomach.

    It was a bit concerning that her magic had run out of control. She wondered what had caused this development and why would the earl relax when her magic reached him. Maybe there was more to her magic than she''d realized in all these years. After all, she didn''t have much opportunities to try it out.

    .

    In the middle of the night, the study was dark. A few little stars shone through the window albeit not strong enough to light up the surroundings. All their light seemed to be collected by the white hair of a man, who now slowly blinked his eyes. He could see nothing beside the outline of the table edge and the arm he''d laid upon.

    "It seems I was more tired than I thought.", Nathaniel muttered with regret. It wasn''t his first time slumbering off while working but he certainly wasn''t proud of it. Even if he was tired, he would push himself to work until all was done normally. He hated leaving things unfinished.

    There was a slight scent of roses and food in the air. Squinting his eyes, he saw a plate not far from him. His heart warmed up. There was only one person besides Sam that would do something like that for him.

    "Silly girl", he sighed, but his voice was filled with gentleness. Because she already treated him when he was unconsciousness, the thought of her seeing him asleep was not as upsetting as it would''ve been with anyone else. He trusted her to a certain degree. Why then did he feel irritated, as if something uncomfortable had happened? Never mind, if really something happened, he would''ve remembered it.

    After lighting up a few candles, he ate the already cold dinner when suddenly he heard a noise. It was very quiet, but still discernable to him. It came from the neighboring bedroom. Coldness flashed through Nathaniel''s eyes. Whoever directly visited a person''s bedroom in the middle of the night, definitely didn''t have good intentions.

    Since his butler and his guard, Dorian, were off on errands, the only possible support were the palace guards in front of his chambers. However, Nathaniel didn''t trust that they would be quiet enough to not alarm the intruder with their heavy armament. They were more useful were they were, posing as obstacles.

    Opening a drawer, he took out an unassuming dagger. If it was fighting in a small space like a bedroom, such a weapon was better than the long sword he had left leaning near the door after practice in the morning.

    He postured himself with his back to the wall next to the bedroom door. Ruffling sounds were coming out of it, then a strange squeak. Not any more rats, Nathaniel thought annoyed. Those little beasts were quite a hassle, alive even more than dead in a package. Just why does she like rats so much?

    To not give the intruder time to release the rats in his chambers, Nathaniel shoved open the door and rushed inside. His eyes first found the window that let in the cold wind, then he walked to the wardrobe and pulled it open. Nothing. Looking out of the window, there was also nobody in sight. He closed it. The room was conspicuously quiet.

    With his eyes searching for clues, Nathaniel again heard the rustling sound. It came from his bed. There was something squirming under the covers. It was too small to be a person.

    A bad feeling arose in his stomach. Cautiously, he neared the bed. First, he looked under it, not surprised to find only empty darkness. Standing upright, he grabbed the blanket, preparing himself. Whatever was under it, squeaked and moved vividly.

    Nathaniel''s face turned ugly, deliberating for a second if he should leave this present for someone else to sort out. However, with the stand of investigation, the woman was a suspect for the disappearances. He didn''t find concrete evidence for her involvement yet, but there might be a clue in this mess of hers. She was bound to know about what had happened back then.

    Something warm wetted his hand. The covers were slowly turning red with blood, the movements slowing down. Despite knowing what awaited him, he couldn''t abandon the innocent victims, even if the possibility for a clue was low. With one swift motion, he yanked the blanked away. However, what he found wasn''t what he expected.

    Curses rang through the bedroom. "You evil, mad woman!"

 Chapter 89 - Visit at Night

    A 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 that was where her affinity for horses came from. Now that she thought about it, it was a bit much to ride day and night for a game, but it was just how her mother was. If she did something, she would do it with her heart and soul.

    Though Katherine got to see many beautiful sceneries, they didn''t meet many people. Her mother knew which plants to eat in the wild, so she stayed away from towns. Nonetheless, it took her father less than a week to find them.

    Suddenly, the door to her bedroom opened. Katherine looked up to find Hazel peeking inside. She seemed nervous. "Milady, the earl is here. He wants to see you."

    Katherine''s heart skipped a beat. Nathaniel came to visit in the middle of the night? What was his purpose? Fl.u.s.tered, she sat up. "Nathaniel is here? Why - ah!"

    Her cheeks turned red like ripe apples as the blanket fell away and she noticed she only had her red nightgown on. "Oh no! He-help me get dressed first!"

    However, a hand in a black glove appeared beside Hazel''s head and rudely pushed the door open. "We don''t have time for that."

    Nathaniel was still dressed like yesterday, in black shirt and trousers. It was slightly wrinkled now, untypical for him. In his other arm he held something wrapped up in a blanket.

    With a shriek, Katherine pulled her own blanket back up, securing it over her c.h.e.s.t. "G-get out! Get out now!"

    Unaffected, Nathaniel lightly pushed Hazel aside and strolled into the room like he owned the place.

    "Can''t you hear me? I told you to leave!", Katherine repeated in a commanding tone that was the complete opposite of her slowly retreating body. She wasn''t retreating to the side or back, but deeper into the white material around her. Every part of skin that looked out of the blanket was red from embarrassment, shimmering in the light of the candle in Hazel''s hand.

    "I dare you say that again after you see this!", Nathaniel answered just as harshly. He was obviously in a foul mood, but the hands putting down the package in his arms on the bed were gentle. He brushed away the upper part of the blanket, revealing what was inside. "Look!"

    Unwillingly, Katherine''s eyes followed the command, her mouth already opened for another yell. It vanished in her throat. Her eyes went wide. Then, with an impressively fast speed, she threw the blanket aside and crawled over to the package lying on her bed.

    "Oh no!", she m.o.a.n.e.d in sorrow, her hands trembling as she reached out to pull the reddened last part of the material away.

    Beneath it laid a rabbit, his black fur sticky with blood. Around its neck was a thin silver chain with a glass heart and it was breathing laborously, too exhausted to even make a noise.

    "Froseti!" It was the second time the poor rabbit was presented to her like this. Though she hadn''t known him back then, she still abhorred the sight. She had gulped down the anger because it was kind of necessary to test her magic. Hurting a rabbit was still better than hurting a human in most people''s eyes. Now however, she couldn''t find a reason why someone would hurt this little guy. Whoever did that had to be a devil at heart.

    "He is still alive. Hurry.", Nathaniel urged her.

    She didn''t even notice he was giving her commands again. Without hesitation, she laid her hands on the black fur, blood wetting her skin. All her thoughts were focused on saving this little life in front of her. Magic flickered and soon covered her hands in light.

    While Katherine was focused, Nathaniel relaxed. He knew how important this rabbit was to her. She would do everything she could to save it. Since she saved even him, such a small animal shouldn''t be a problem.

    Long ago he also had an animal that was dear to him. Though rabbits were much less useful than horses. He would never hang his heart on an animal just because it was cute. Cute pets mostly had short lives, like rabbits. Wasn''t it better to have one with a long life so one wouldn''t have to mourn again and again? Not that his horse got much older than a rabbit. War takes the best of us. Whatever, it was her choice in the end.

    Nathaniel sat down on the bed and looked at the beauty beside him. She was so focused that she didn''t even notice that he was only a few centimeters away from her. As the seconds ticked by, his eyes wandered to her b.a.r.e shoulders. Despite the cold, her nightgown was held by only two straps, exposing her creamy skin. Due to her bending down, the raven black hair parted on her neck.

    Nathaniel inhaled deeply. The scent of roses filled his lungs. It was the last evidence that she was the kind soul that covered him with the blanket yesterday, not the intruder. So in essence, two people had come to his chambers last night, one to his bedroom, the other to the study. He really needed his own guard back.

    Despite thinking so rationally, his body leaned to the side little by little, savoring in her scent and presence. There had been a note on his bed, just far enough from the blood to not be tainted. The ink was golden, but it could''ve as well been written in blood.

    "The woman is next."

    Of course, he knew that killing a human was not as easy as killing a rabbit, especially if she was well-protected. Nonetheless the thought had chilled his blood and, at the same time, made him angry.

    He knew from the beginning that she didn''t want him back, but she really was getting bold, threatening him like this. Was she eventually losing her fear? He might have ignored her nonsense for a long time but that was as long as it only involved him. Sinners deserved punishment. Sending him dead rats for Christmas was already testing the border though.

    Now, it was a different story. She had pulled Katherine into her game and might be a threat for the whole city if she really was involved in the disappearances. Innocent lives.

    Dear mother, Nathaniel thought and gritted his teeth, you better prepare yourself well!

 Chapter 90 - Let Me Help

    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 on her journey here, was with outside help. Someone had taken it. She didn''t want to suspect Nathaniel, even though he bought it here.

    "What does it look like?" His answer was helpful as ever, the tone sharp. But then he surprised her by actually giving some information. "I will take care of her."

    His brows were locked together. So, his rage was directed at that person. But the terminus was a bit suspicious. "Her? You know who it was? Tell me!"

    He looked at her. On another day, he would''ve been amused by her temper but right now it was irking him to start a fight. However, he was too proud to act so childish. "So demanding. Where did you leave you manners tonight?"

    "With my nonexistent sleep.", she grumbled. She didn''t believe that Nathaniel was the cause for Froseti''s injuries, but he still kept so many secrets from her. Why wouldn''t he tell her who it was? It looked suspiciously like he was protecting this person. However, she didn''t want to make a mistake based on her guesses. Maybe she was overthinking. "So?"

    Instead of an answer, he scrutinized her slowly. His eyelids drooped as he saw her smooth tights barely covered by the thin red fabric. With that one gaze, the atmosphere changed. He exuded a familiar danger that tingled on her skin. Involuntarily, Katherine held her breath as his voice turned velvety like a devils. "Delicious. Let me taste..."

    An electric current ran down her spine. Suddenly, the room felt too small. He leaned forward, his breath brushing over the s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e skin of her neck. Instinctively, she backed off, her heart pounding in her c.h.e.s.t.

    "Nathaniel... " She forgot what she wanted to say. Somewhere in her head, she knew that he might only be trying to distract her, but it worked well. Her back hit the headboard, his face only centimeters away from hers, the red eyes narrowed on her lips.

    "Squeak!" Unexpectedly, Froseti stirred awake, in panic. His body still remembered the horrendous pain it went through. The black rabbit''s eyes were turning erratically, his body trembling. Instantly, Katherine turned on her doctor-mode, slipped away from Nathaniel, and cradled Froseti in her arms. "Shh, it''s okay, you''re save now."

    When Froseti calmed down, Nathaniel had backed off a bit, the tension vanished like it was an illusion. A gloved hand covered half of his face, rubbing it as he turned away with a sigh. He looked like he regretted what he just did.

    Katherine got even more irritated. And since it was in the middle of the night and she didn''t get enough sleep, her temper flared up.

    "How are you always so moody?! In one moment you are cold and angry and then you turn so - so -" Blushing, she couldn''t find the words and instead made a frustrated sound, slamming one hand on the bed while the other secured Froseti in her arms. She knew that was not the important point right now. "Anyway, stop avoiding and tell me what you are hiding! I know you know something!"

    His back to her, he said: "I know nothing. It''s not final. This is more dangerous than you think. You should get your head straight and concentrate on your responsibilities. Leave everything else to me."

    Katherine narrowed her eyes. As if she would just leave it at this. What did he take her for? "Hazel, leave us alone for a moment." Though the maid had been silent the whole time and she was like family to Katherine, she felt like this conversation would not lead anywhere as long as Hazel was in the room. Nathaniel wouldn''t just forget her. Not if it involved secrets, that is. Obviously flirting wasn''t a problem. The thought that Hazel had seen her cornered by Nathaniel turned her ears all red from embarrassment. Her fearless image had been shaken! Damn him!

    "I don''t think this is necessary.", he now said coldly and stood up. "You just need to do what I tell you and keep your head low. Besides, it is not appropriate for a man to be alone with a lady in a bedroom unless they are married."

    "Said the one who stormed in here in the first place. Is what you did just now still counted as appropriate? I never thought you were such a hypocrite.", Katherine shot back. She had enough of him blocking her out of everything. This time, Froseti was wounded. Who would it be next time? She didn''t want to see him hurt. The secrets had to stop. Though she wasn''t sure if she could handle him alone, it was the only chance to find out what was happening. "Hazel, please."

    Her eyes lowered and neck completely red, Hazel set down the candle on a nearby table. She felt like she witnessed something undue, but she had fought against her urge to run out because she didn''t want to let her lady alone with a man who proved he could turn into a beast at any time.

    She was still shaken at how fast the transformation had taken place. She had even covered her eyes when he started to lean in, afraid that it would be improper to look. And now there was the elegant earl again, acting as if nothing had happened. Hazel swore to herself to never stay alone in the same room with him again. He was dangerous, in more than one way. Would her lady really be safe with him?

    Feeling fearful but still obliged to remind her, Hazel opened her mouth. Though she was thankful for her maid''s thoughtfulness, Katherine stopped her with firm nod. She didn''t believe Nathaniel would hurt her. Not physically, anyway.

    Frowning worriedly, Hazel nonetheless complied. She closed the door behind her. With only the two of them left, the air in the room seemed to stagnate. Nathaniel stared down at her from above and crossed his arms. His eyes were piercing. "Now, what?"

    Why should I always be the one who needs to comply?, Katherine thought and stood up to meet him head on. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to remain calm, though she wanted nothing more than to smack his stubborn head with the vase on her bedside table. "Now you will stop treating me like a child! You bought me here to help, didn''t you? Then let me help. Tell me who it is."

    "No." He looked away. His brows were furrowed, but his tone remained firm and aloof. "I didn''t bring you for that."

    "Stop lying", Katherine hissed back. How could he still deny it? "What else would you bring me here for? To be a portable healing device? Is that why you won''t involve me? I can''t believe you! How can you be such a blockhead!"

    Finally, anger ignited in the eyes behind the icy mask. But it was far from enough to cloud his reasoning. "See - that''s exactly the problem. You''re way too hot-headed. How can I seriously involve you if you threaten to burst at any moment just because you can''t stand something? I didn''t bring you here to lose your head. And that is exactly what''s going to happen if you meddle with the wrong people! Being my healing device is already dangerous enough for you. Keep out of it!"

    Katherine took a step towards him. "You want to tell me you aren''t emotionally involved? What is it with you and this woman? Don''t tell me there is nothing. I have eyes, you know! The woman who hurt Froseti, she means something to you!"

 Chapter 91 - Promise

    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 h.i.p.s, 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!"

    Unperturbed, he chased her, his arm outstretched. She didn''t have much space to retreat to. When he cornered her next to the bed, he stroked her black hair, ignoring her attempts to shove him away. Smirking, he said: "Not a puppy, but gorgeous."

    "I''m not -" Suddenly, Katherine stuttered. Her lips trembled. In her anger she''d only heard the puppy part. Now her ears seemed to be betraying her. "W-what did you say?"

    Nathaniel''s eyes twinkled and he leaned in as if about to share a secret. "Katherine, you are gorgeous."

    She trembled, feeling weak in the knees. What nonsense was he saying? She couldn''t believe it. It made no sense for him to say that.

    As if he heard her thoughts, he repeated for a third time, his voice lowered to a whisper: "You are gorgeous, my dear. The most wonderful woman I''ve ever met. Strong, prideful, a beauty. But most importantly, you have a kind heart. It shines bright like the sun, warming up your surroundings."

    Nathaniel halted, and laid his gloved hands on her shoulders. Katherine shyly lowered her gaze, avoiding to look at him. Solemnly, he continued: "But you know, being too good has a price. Even if it is your enemy, as long as they relent, I doubt you can stay hard. I doubt you can cut their heads off when they weep. And I doubt you can keep your emotions in check whenever an innocent suffers under them. You are a lioness, but your claws are useless against spiderwebs. They will spin you in with time. You are too good for this world... the world I''m about to pull you into."

    His hands seemed to gain extra weight, pressing down on her shoulders. Katherine took a deep breath. The atmosphere had changed again, from playfulness to impending doom. Nathaniel had his eyes downcast, lips still curled up in what turned into a bitter, self-mocking smile. As soon as his outer facade was gone, there was a turmoil of emotions in him, nearly drowning Katherine with their silent intensity.

    Following nothing more than her instinct, Katherine pulled him into a hug. At first, he stiffened, but then his arms locked tightly around her as if he would never let her go again.

    She searched her mind for words, trying to match them to his scenario. "You... know these spiderwebs. They are familiar to you. Show me how I can cope with them. Nathaniel, spiders are witty, but they are loners. We can catch them one by one. Together. It is more than one, right?"

    She felt him nod more than she saw it. Her hair moved from his breath and she wished he would lay his head on hers. Pressing her ear to his c.h.e.s.t, she heard his heart beat rapidly, making her feel warm. He was here with her, but he still wasn''t convinced.

    Painstakingly, she tried to find ways she could be helpful. "They can''t know me yet. I am a variable they can''t plan with. Most likely, they will underestimate me, and that is where my forte lies. I can spy on them or try to find evidence without them directly suspecting me. They already know who you are, right?"

    Again a nod. He laid his hand on the back of her head, making her rest on his c.h.e.s.t. Though they were talking about spying and fighting what seemed to be a criminal group in Katherine''s mind, it felt safe and cozy in his arms. So much so that she closed her eyes and inhaled his scent. He smelled like coffee, mixed with firewood. Warm. Funny that he smelled of firewood when he was more of an ice block.

    She clutched his shirt in her fists. "Let me help. Please. I..." She hesitated, then she opened up her heart. If she wanted him to tell the truth, she should at least be truthful herself. "I don''t want you to get hurt."

    He stayed quiet for a while; his body taught. As his hand pressed down on her, she couldn''t see his expression. In the end, he sighed. "Me too."

    Katherine stilled as her ears perked up. Him too? He didn''t want her to get hurt? She thought he didn''t want her to help because she was a hindrance. This was new! Her heart sped up, matching the fast rhythm of his pulse. The coziness made way for a tingling sensation everywhere they touched. Suddenly she got very consciousness of his warm, manly body. They were way closer than society allowed. As close as real betrothed would be.

    With a blush, she leaned away slightly, wavering between her sense of shame and reluctance to let him go. These moments where he allowed her near were way too rare. Her hands held on to the back of his shirt tightly. Hesitatingly, she glanced up at him. "I will try my best not to get hurt. Will you... can you promise me the same?"

    She saw his Adam''s apple bobble up and down. His hand on her hair wandered downwards, slowly c.a.r.e.s.sing her back through the nightgown. "I''m sorry. I can''t."

    She stilled, pain piercing through her c.h.e.s.t. Such a simple request and yet... her hands loosened. When she was about to step back, he suddenly tightened his grip, pulled her back in. "Let me explain!"

    It sounded like a desperate plea, a cry for her understanding. Katherine''s brows locked together. Though she was hurt, she decided to hear him out first. She didn''t struggle against his grip anymore but neither did she hug him again.

    Nathaniel took a deep breath, searching for the right words. This was unexpectedly difficult. Tonight, he was crossing many of the lines he set himself. However, with Katherine in his arms, he couldn''t find the heart to regret. Not anymore. "You know... there is something I want to achieve. A truth I want to find. It''s... connected to this matter. The woman is also connected to it. I wanted to find out about it for twenty years already, so that''s why I can''t promise you. I... "

    He ruffled his hair, clearly distressed. "If it''s the price to find out about it, I might not put my own safety first. Maybe I will even deliberately put myself in danger. Well, to be true, I already did that."

 Chapter 92 - Why Do You Trust Him?

    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 her running away anytime soon. And he was getting too comfortable holding her in his arms. "At the very least she has a high-ranking position in the organization. She might be too unstable to be their leader."

    "An organization..." Katherine tailed off. The suspect-list she found in the study came to her mind. If it was an organization, all of them could be in it, not only one or two. She shuddered at the thought. There were a few names that couldn''t even be mentioned in the doc.u.ments. "Is the royal family involved?"

    Nathaniel blinked, his back straightening. "As long as there isn''t a definite proof, we shouldn''t talk about this."

    "Are you including me now or not?" Ready to fight for her right to help, Katherine put her hands on her h.i.p.s. "It''s only the both of us here. Nobody will know. Besides, if I don''t know who to be careful with, I might be set up by them. You don''t want me to get hurt, do you?"

    Nathaniel hesitated. He didn''t like talking about his mother. "How come you are so good at persuading?"

    "How come you are so good at avoiding?", Katherine asked back, laughter in her voice.

    "Hm." Nathaniel acknowledged that he lost to her tenacity. He had to tell her some things or she''d never stop asking. Besides, she had a point and it wasn''t like he didn''t trust her. Sharing his secrets just wasn''t natural to him. "Alright. I will try to explain. It might take some time though."

    "You''ve got the rest of the night." Katherine said and sat down next to him, their shoulders touching. The inkling of embarrassment she felt a few minutes ago was gone and she actually felt like teasing him a bit. After all, she''d heard his fast heartbeat when he hugged her and if her senses weren''t fooling her, he''d blushed a bit before distancing himself.

    Laying her head on his shoulder, she pulled her legs up on the bed and snuggled to his side until she found a comfortable position. She felt his body stiffen under her. Yawning in an exaggerated manner, she said: "Alright. You can start now."

    Nathaniel, who originally wanted to shove her aside, didn''t have the heart to when he saw how ''sleepy'' she was. Like she said, it was the middle of the night and opposite to him, she didn''t sleep much before. Troublesome. Still, the shoulder wasn''t exactly a good position if he wanted to avoid skin-contact. "If you are so sleepy, you should lie down."

    With another yawn, she slid down from his shoulder onto his l.a.p. "Better?"

    That was not what he meant! Nathaniel''s gaze darkened. She was lying on a very s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e part of his body there, which he had a hard time controlling anyway. His fists gripped into the bed sheet as he held back from pulling her head away and scolding her. Was he her personal cushion? She''d better not be going around lying down on anyone else''s l.a.p.

    A vein on his temple throbbed when he pictured that. "Katherine..."

    "Alright, alright ", she succ.u.mbed when she heard his menacing tone and shuffled backwards until her head fell from his tight onto the bed. Her long hair was still spread over his legs though. "Now okay?"

    She was still way too near. He could smell her scent with every breath he took. Slowly, he inhaled and exhaled. At least she wouldn''t try anything funny if she was tired. Fighting with him must have exhausted her. Though she would most likely start all over again if necessary, just to proof her stubbornness. "Yes, that''s bearable."

    "Bearable you say, huh." She rolled her eyes and sighed.

    His gaze on her softened. Then he blinked and looked up at the ceiling which sported a drawing of green vines. It strangely resembled the dark pattern his magic used to paint under his skin. Wasn''t that the starting point for his search? However, it wasn''t necessary to tell her that.

    Gathering the facts in his mind, he tried to shorten the story to the important factors. "According to the clues I have, part of the royal family works with an organization that experiments on humans. Though I mostly suspect the queen, none of them is really trustworthy. Except for Aston, of course."

    Katherine lightly raised her finger to interrupt him. "Umm, why exactly is he trustworthy?"

    Nathaniel smiled at the ceiling. It was interesting how she suspected his brother when everyone else saw him as an harmless fool. "You just don''t like him. However, let me remind you that he was the one coming to your aid when you were surrounded. Laying a trap and waiting for the enemies to fall for it before annihilating them all at once, that is originally my favorite working style. One could say his whole outward appearance is a trap we both designed to keep him save. Few know that under it he is a talented magician and swordsman, who is exceptional at reading people."

    "Reading people? I couldn''t tell.", Katherine said and furrowed her small brows. "Why didn''t he see that lady Brandon doesn''t like him?"

    "It''s not that he didn''t see it but that he pursued her exactly because she doesn''t like him.", Nathaniel mused. "He still has a playboy-image to uphold but doesn''t want to go through with it all the time."

    Katherine wasn''t sure if she should believe that, but she didn''t want to pursue the topic further. She''d filtered the important point out of his words. "So, you trust him because you know him for a long time?"

    He nodded slowly. "I still remember him as a child, hardly three years old. He was very bright but got bullied a lot in the palace. Especially by his so-called siblings. When he started to outperform the crown prince while being four years younger, they tried drowning him. Later they declared it an accident. The twins were around twelve years old back then..."

    Katherine shuddered at the thought. She couldn''t believe that the princess she had tea with tried to drown her own brother when she was still a child herself! Even if they were half-siblings, that was unimaginable! She felt a bout of sympathy for Aston. "How come he can act as if nothing happened?"

    The quarrel of Aston and the princess was still fresh in her mind.

    "Well, he had to." Nathaniel shrugged. "Back then, those who believed him didn''t have the power to take him away. Later, I helped him build a mask to avoid people''s attention. We let it look like the near-drowning damaged his intelligence, making him underperform in everything compared to before. Because I know his mask, I am positive that he can''t hide things from me. He still wears it today, though we changed a few things in the later years, resulting in his playboy image. It isn''t all about defense now. Another reason I trust him so much might also be because... well, he kind of idolizes me nonsensically."

    He rubbed his neck and his hair there stood up in all directions. Glancing up at him out of the corner of her eye, Katherine muttered "cute" under her breath.

    "What?"

    "Nothing.", She pretended. "I just think I understand now why you act differently towards him. So, who else is involved in these human experiments? And what exactly are they experimenting on?"

    The word ''experiment'' always came with a bad taste for her, not to mention ''human experiments''. She still remembered Ethan experimenting on those poor children in the woods. However, this here was on a much bigger scale, involving even the royal family.

 Chapter 93 - Grand Scale

    "Many of the upper class, I guess. I''ve got a list if you want to see. Most of the names aren''t confirmed though. About what they experiment on, it has to do with the origin of magic in the human body.", Nathaniel explained.

    "Origin of magic...", Katherine repeated and crooked her head to look up at him. "Like why some people awaken and others don''t?"

    "Part of it." Seeing her silky hair spread out all over his tights awoke an unbidden possessiveness in him. Knowing she wasn''t resisting him, made it harder and harder to control his feelings and keep them in the boundary of what was possible to fulfill. "It''s also about the amount and type of magic. Why different countries have different main abilities and so on."

    He didn''t mention the mutations, the question why they were different from other abilities and why their number was on the rise. It would only disturb her unnecessarily if he told her about this. She herself had a mutated ability after all. Like him.

    "That''s a lot they want to know. Not completely insignificant, too. But can''t they research it without experimenting on humans? Or only on those who agreed?", Katherine lamented. Then she slowly said: "I saw a list on your desk the other day. I didn''t mean to spy, but... what did the numbers on the hospitals mean? And I think there was a place named Helgrind Jail?"

    Nathaniel stared down at her in silence for so long that she regretted revealing that she saw this paper. Was he mad? His lips were pressed together in a thin line. Just when she wanted to say sorry, he opened his mouth. "What do you need for human experiments?"

    The question was unexpected, but she answered nearly without a thought: "humans?"

    "Right."

    "But that..." She hesitated and then fell silent. It had been an awfully high number behind the jail alone. Counted together it made two hundred or more. Two hundred humans that were tortured somewhere, maybe even dead already. "Even hospitals are in this? And schools?"

    "Everything."

    Katherine''s body got cold. For the first time she realized the real scale of the organization. Uncomfortable, she got up in a seating position. It felt wrong lying comfortably when so many lives were at risk.

    "This is too much for us to handle", she said, suddenly afraid. "We need help."

    "No", he directly cut her short. "We don''t know exactly who is involved in this and we can''t trust outsiders."

    "But Nathaniel!" Katherine looked at him with pleading eyes. "What can we do by ourselves? The both of us can''t win against such a big organization!"

    "I didn''t say we are on our own." Automatically, he brushed back a strand of her hair when it fell into her face. Both of them froze. After a second, he pulled back and blinked, but a glint of heat remained in his eyes. "We can''t trust outsiders, but did you forget I brought my people with me to the capital? And Aston also got his own."

    Katherine''s heart sped up again after the unexpected touch, but she still got her wits together. From his words, she realized something. "You didn''t send Jack away randomly; you gave him a mission! That was why he was so happy to part!"

    His mouth curled up. As expected, she figured it out quickly. "They gather information about each kidnapping, the places, numbers, people involved. If everything goes smoothly, they''ll be able to catch a big fish by tomorrow. Not the leader though."

    "If it''s not the leader, then how many big fishes are there?", Katherine asked cautiously.

    Nathaniel held up five fingers, then pulled two down. "Three in the capital, another two somewhere in the country. We suspect they have a few other cities where they capture people, Mudin and Zetur among them. I''ve got some personnel there, too."

    And outside the country, too. He wondered if he should tell her how far the organization had really spread their tentacles. No, that wasn''t necessary. They only had to cope with the Icelands for now. Besides, decimating the organization was only a step to his goal. The real thing should be in one of their laboratories.

    Katherine exhaled. "Five and one leader. Also someone from the royal family. I''m not so certain we can manage that even with your forces... but until we find people we can trust it is better to fight than to sit by idly."

    "Nathaniel?", she asked.

    "I''m here." His hand lightly touched hers and she grabbed and held it, even when he wanted to pull away. Through the gloves, his hands were warm, the fingers long and strong.

    "Katherine.", he warned her, exasperated.

    "I know. Just a bit please."

    He sighed. This night was somehow special. Maybe it was the shock he''d had when he saw the warning written in gold, but his usual defenses were lowered. He didn''t have the energy to push her away, wanted to wallow in her warmth. Just this once, he wanted to know what it was like to be beside her.

    "Sleep." Gently, he urged her to lie down on the bed under the covers. She wouldn''t let go of his hand for once. Their breath seemed loud in the dark, like it was amplified.

    Though the atmosphere was ambiguous, Katherine knew that Nathaniel would only help her lay down, maybe talk a bit more and then go. Out of his own vocation, he would never cross the line and touch her more than he had to. She didn''t want that. Tonight, they''d made so much progress that she gained enough courage to make a bold move. She tugged on his sleeve. "Hug me."

    "Greedy woman", he grumbled and leaned back, but her grip only got stronger. "My shoes are dirty."

    "I don''t care."

    There was a rare pleading tone to her voice that made Nathaniel feel twisted. Only lying beside her, feeling her softness and hearing her breath was tempting, very tempting. But there was so much that could possibly go wrong in the dark. With light it was a bit less dangerous as he could see and hinder dangerous movements beforehand. In the dark, he couldn''t calculate that. She only needed to brush his skin once and would disintegrate. Black liquid left on the white sheets.

    With a heavy heart, he loosened her fingers and pulled away. He should stop leading himself astray. There was only a small strand of sanity left in him, a strand he had to preserve at all costs. Her warmth was too addicting. "Sleep well, Katherine."

    In the dark, he couldn''t see the tears threatening to roll down from her eyes when he slipped out of the door.

    "This damn cold-hearted devil!", Katherine whispered and buried her face in the pillow.

    Inside, she knew that tonight was already a big step forward and she was rushing it too much. He wouldn''t let all his reservations go at once. But that didn''t alleviate the pain she felt when being rejected.

    "Little steps, be patient", she reminded herself and dried her tears with the blanket. "Haaah."

    This was too difficult. She was never a patient person. Furthermore, in the last encounters with him she could see him struggle only to resist her again. He was acting against his real feelings, she knew it! She just didn''t know why he was trying so hard. At least he relied on her now, if only a bit. And he admitted that he cared about her safety.

    Sometimes she wondered if she was still following her original goal or being pulled into the raging streams of his life instead, losing sight of her path. Maybe it was just because her own goal was too far away while he was close by.

    In her new life there was nothing that reminded her of the past anymore, only the pulsing pain in her c.h.e.s.t when she woke up from her dreams. Nonetheless, she would never be able to let go of her animosity. In this case, Nathaniel was wrong, she thought. She would never forgive Ethan. Not now. Not ever. This murderer deserved a hideous death.

 Chapter 94 - Birthday, Dinner, or Banquet?

    It was a big surprise that Nathaniel didn''t avoid her in the morning when she''d again collected her courage to face him. He even silently agreed to having breakfast together. The downside was that he was very distant.

    Answering her questions with nothing but occasional ''nos'' and ''yes'' while reading papers most of the time, Nathaniel made her feel like a third wheel even though there were just the both of them. Well, as long as the papers didn''t count. Obviously, Nathaniel preferred them over her.

    Irritated, Katherine felt the urge to throw her croissant at him. Being ignored was one of the things she absolutely couldn''t stand. Even worse than loud disputes. But the thought that he would see it as childish stopped her in action and she only ate the croissant in silence, chewing harsher than necessary.

    Suddenly, Nathaniel turned over the pages for her to see. "Choose one."

    "Huh?"

    "Out of these three, anything is fine." He pushed the papers into her hands. When Katherine had a closer look at them, she discovered that they were invitation letters to a birthday party, a private dinner, and a banquet respectively. The particular thing was, each of them was planned for this evening.

    Astonished, she surveyed them before looking up again. "Did the sky turn upside-down today? You really ask for my opinion?"

    "You have to sacrifice your evening for it after all. I don''t want you to get bored there all on your own.", the earl declared nonchalantly, but on the inside, he was counting the seconds until she acted out. He didn''t have to wait for long.

    "All on my own?!" Katherine felt like she''d heard wrongly. "Why would I even go there? What about you?"

    The earl smirked. Yes, she was still alright. He was already worried how much he''d hurt her when she didn''t blow up after he provoked her the whole breakfast. "I''ll be on the other end of the room, making political conversations. Maybe we get to dance once or twice, but that''s it. We won''t be there for amus.e.m.e.nt."

    "Hmpf.", Katherine made. Of course, he had to suffocate her excitement before it even rose. "So, what else will we do there?"

    "Not we. I will investigate. You will make connections. Wasn''t that your plan when coming to the palace?" Nathaniel had a sharp mind, so he laid it out like it was supporting her goals when it was actually the very selfish wish to keep her out of the picture.

    Katherine was twisted. Only yesterday she''d promised herself to help him with this secret organization, and now he was excluding her again. Should she insist on helping or follow her own goals? Wait, couldn''t she investigate while building connections? Why was he so decisively dividing the two?

    "Will it be dangerous?", she asked. "On the party, will you be in danger?"

    "No." The answer was clear and distinguished. "I won''t. But it might get dangerous later on, so it would be better if people don''t think you''re involved in - "

    "Nathaniel!", Katherine interrupted him. "Did you forget we are engaged? I''m automatically involved! You can''t just make the people forget this by separating yourself from me. If anything, this might invoke them to attack me instead because they think I''m weak on my own."

    Nathaniel was silent for a whole minute, stunned. Slowly, he opened his mouth, sounding mystified. "You are right."

    Seeing him like this, Katherine bit her lip to not laugh out loud. But of course, he noticed her action and gave her a dark look. "This isn''t funny."

    Now she couldn''t control herself anymore, chuckling. "Sorry! Sorry! I just - you just looked so cute!"

    His face turned dark as the abyss, the brows locked together. ''Cute'' wasn''t a compliment a man liked to hear. With a voice deep like thunder, he commanded: "Katherine!"

    She clutched her hand before her mouth, stifling the last laugh to a hick-up. "I - hick - I''m really sorry."

    The laugher was still in her voice, but at least she suppressed it from coming out. She didn''t want to go overboard and offend him again.

    Nathaniel rubbed his forehead. "Troublesome girl", he sighed, but the corners of his mouth were twitching suspiciously. "Fine, I won''t let you alone. Now choose one."

    Katherine''s smile was as bright as the sun. "The banquet. I want to dance a lot! It''s even better with delicious food."

    "You know that we''ll be conversing mainly?", he reminded her, irritated by her enthusiasm.

    "Yes, yes." She nodded, in her option very obediently. Then her smile turned cheeky. "Let me tell you that I practice dancing for ten years. I hope you can keep up with me, milord!"

    As the red eyes looked at her, she expected to see something, a small wavering, or the increasing coldness of annoyance. However, the face of the earl remained the same and his voice was light and friendly as if her words were well-wishes. "Likewise."

    .

    The River Lady received the shadow personally in 24th Winding Street. To be true, she didn''t really have a choice, since he used the opportunity to practice his ''rusted'' skills and sneaked around the guards and girl''s in revealing dresses right to her room''s door. He didn''t like this environment but being here was a necessity. Since he was still a gentleman, he knocked on the door with temperate firmness.

    A young girl opened, her eyes shy but not innocent. In front of the dark-clothed gentleman with a scarf and hood to mask his face, wariness invaded her. Half hidden behind the door, she asked: "What can I do for you?"

    "I wish to see the River Lady. I believe we have common interests.", the shadow replied and took out a bone coin. He sighed inwardly when he noticed that the girl''s only reaction to the coin was curiosity. "Take this to her. She''ll know who I am."

    With another wary glance in the sharp, but not cold eyes over the scarf, the girl took the coin and closed the door. The shadow waited patiently. He had no doubt that the River Lady would know who was behind the token. Even if his best time was over, there were still stories and rumors about him. The River Lady was intelligent enough to pay close attention to the past, for it could affect the present at any time. Such as now.

    He couldn''t hear what was spoken behind the thick wooden door, but it didn''t take long for the girl to open it again. Respectfully, she stepped to the side. From a place he couldn''t see, a smoky voice wafted over that gave the feeling as if it was murmuring directly into his ear. "Come in, dear stranger."

    His mouth behind the scarf twitched in irritation, but he didn''t show it otherwise. With light, soundless steps he walked inside and felt the girl slip out behind him, closing the door quietly.

    Carefully, his eyes scanned the room and at the same time he noticed the scent in the air that was emanating from the various candles distributed regularly on surfaces. Lavender and vanilla, relaxing and alluring. They had been ignited not too long ago. His respect for the woman increased and so did his wariness.

    He discovered her beside a low table, elegantly pouring tea into two filigree cups. The cut in her red dress revealed the side of her slender leg and the b.a.r.e foots, the ankles adorned with strings of jingling gold bells. Dark brown hair flowed down her back, slightly curly at the tips. It bobbed up and down a bit then she straightened her back. Only now did the shadow notice the thin red veil that weaved the lower part of her face in mystery. Only her alluring dark eyes were visible.

    "Don''t be shy.", she said and moved to the big bed behind the table. It spread out like an ocean of silk. "Take a seat."

 Chapter 95 - Read It

    The shadow remained standing. Since the bed was the only seat in the room, he was not going to follow her invitation. He crossed his arms behind his back. "Thank you, but this is not my purpose today. I am here to confirm something."

    The River Lady crossed her legs and leaned back until she rested on her elbows, her slender body a seductive curve of red fabric and creamy skin. In this position, one couldn''t help but marvel at her voluminous c.h.e.s.t, soft and partly uncovered. "And what would that be? What is making you so stiff and taunt?"

    The way she spoke it, slowly and with a seductive smile in her voice, the words definitely had a double meaning. The shadow took a deep breath to calm himself down. On the one hand, he was annoyed to be affected, while on the other he respected her expertise. Seduction was her weapon of defense and attack at the same time, the best weapon she had. Since she knew he was an assassin once, it was her trying to get the upper hand. A good thing he wasn''t here for a fight, because he didn''t know if he could use knives and swords on a woman like her. Poisons, maybe. But she surely knew as much as him about those.

    "Someone told me the River Lady is interested in the disappearances. I wonder if that is true?"

    Though nothing in her pose changed, the shadow noticed the flash of calculation in her eyes. She looked the shadow up and down, trying to guess his reason for coming up with this s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e topic. "Who would spread such nonsense?"

    "The greedy greenhorn that tops my trade. He told me to give you greetings.", the shadow betrayed the phantom without remorse.

    The River Lady took a second to understand, then she broke out in hearty laughter. Her admirable bosom trembled. "Greenhorn! He''d kill anyone that would dare to call him like that."

    "He can''t catch me yet.", the shadow exposed the newfound fact, not a hint of fear in his voice. That only made the River Lady laugh louder.

    "They say you are as silent and cold as a blade, but nobody told me blades have humor!", she finally said and sat up, taking back a bit of her seductive aura deliberately. "Since you didn''t try to kill me yet, I conclude that you aren''t on ''their'' side. What else could you want then?"

    "A cooperation. You should have noticed that the net of the organization is too big to lift on your own. I am working for someone that might be able to save your girls. You would only need to provide the corresponding information and maybe a helping hand here and there." Though the tension between them had lessened to a certain degree, the shadow remained standing at the door, behaving like the messenger he was.

    The River Lady didn''t directly answer his proposal. She was a woman that didn''t trust in things that came easily. The backer of the shadow had to be a powerful figure if he dared to go against the organization. Also, not just anyone could turn someone like the feared shadow into a messenger.

    Twenty-six years ago, shortly before he vanished, there were rumors about the shadow having a backer in a high social position. According to the rumors, that person''s death was the reason why the shadow vanished. Some went as far as to claim the shadow killed him in a bout of anger.

    Looking at the calm and serious person before her, the River Lady knew they were wrong. Either the backer died in another way, or he might even be still alive, but reclusive for the last years. Anyway, the shadow appeared too controlled to act on an emotional whim.

    "What kind of helping hand?", the River Lady asked.

    Patiently, the shadow explained the temporary plan that would still be adjusted to changing circ.u.mstances. In the end, the River Lady slowly nodded her head. "This is acceptable. But since it is a give-and-take, I''d like to know your information about the organization first."

    The shadow nodded understandingly. The River Lady was only being careful. But even though they would work together, he didn''t plan to reveal everything to the other party. Some information was too dangerous to share.

    "Their targets are mainly woman and children.", he began.

    ----

    "Milady, I finished the book you gave me!", Hazel called out gleefully as she rushed into the room. She even forgot to knock, too excited to spread the good news. "I feel like I can read much faster now! It''s amazing!"

    With a bright grin, Katherine laid down her needlework and placed her hands on Hazel''s shoulders. "Good work! You improved so much in a short time! I''m proud of you!"

    The older girl blushed, suddenly embarrassed. "It''s not such a big deal, Milady, I still can''t - "

    "Oh, stop undervaluing yourself!", Katherine interrupted her. Sometimes she wondered how someone could have such a low self-esteem. "You are doing great. You will learn to write faster in no time, too, you''ll see."

    Shyly, Hazel nodded. "I you say so, Milady."

    "Yes, I say so! Now, dear, can you help me with this?" She held up the fabric she''d worked on. It was supposed to be a strap with a bracket for her only dagger. She wanted to sew it in a way it wouldn''t slip down her leg if she put it there.

    Since she finally got Nathaniel''s approval to learn how to fight, she wanted to be somewhat prepared. Surprisingly, Nathaniel had ordered her to go find Jack for the training. She wondered if he trusted his skills more than Pete''s or just wanted her to be out of the palace when she improved herself. Her guess was the latter. Tomorrow, after whatever operation they''d planned to catch one of the bigger fishes was over, she''d go over and start with the training.

    Though Pete was bad at showing emotions to the extent of looking like a wooden block most of the time, Katherine was sure to have seen a glimmer of joy when he heard they would visit his silly companion. Katherine herself was happy, too. Seeing only one of the inseparable pair whenever she opened her chamber''s door, had been kind of odd.

    Happily, Hazel and Katherine continued to sew while she asked her a few things about the book she made her read. It was quite an easy one, filled with fables of dragons, fairies, and brave knights. Actually, it was the only book she''d unintentionally taken with her from the Dukedom of Sleipnir. Her mother liked to read it to her when she was little. A shame little Katherine didn''t appreciate it enough and she never got to hear all the fables.

    When her belongings were unpacked in Hymirhall, she''d noticed the book had somehow slipped into the boxes. Back then, she wasn''t interested in something so childish, so she''d left it there and only remembered it when Hazel needed a reading exercise.

    After answering a few questions, Hazel suddenly spoke up. "Milady, I, um, also looked into the letter at the back. It wasn''t my intention, really. It was written in the same handwriting as the rest of the book and looked like a page that''d been ripped out. So... I hope you will forgive my trespassing."

    Katherine''s brows furrowed as her heart sped up. "Letter? What letter? Was it really in there? Show me!"

    Fl.u.s.tered by her Lady''s vehement reaction, Hazel stumbled over her words. "I-also- it really wasn''t my intention. It is at the back of - "

    Before she could end her sentence, Katherine was already on her feet and stormed off in search for the book. She never expected to find a hidden letter months after her parent''s passing. Was there something her mother wanted to tell her? But how could she expect her death beforehand?

 Chapter 96 - Picked Quite A Boring Place

    The letter was at the end of the book. Like Hazel had said, it was laid in it like a ripped-out page. The upper end that stood out of the book''s pages by a needle''s width, was heavily wrinkled. Expectantly, Katherine began reading.

    "My Dear Patrick..." It took her a few seconds to remember that Patrick was the first name of her father, the last Duke of Sleipnir. Nobody used his first name normally, even her mother preferred ''my love'' or ''Darling''. Everyone else just called him ''Duke Balder''.

    Disappointment set in. For a short moment she''d thought that maybe her parents had a last wish for her, something she could fulfill as atonement, or just a nicer goodbye than the one by seeing their heads chopped off.

    Katherine gritted her teeth against the pain that came with remembering. Slowly, she stood and walked back into her room, the eyes set on the letter. Even though it wasn''t addressed to her, she could feel the personality of her mother seeping out of each word. Noticing that her Lady was too focused to see where she was going, Hazel lead her to a chair.

    .

    "... When I first met you, I thought you were too good to be true. A gypsy and a Duke''s son? It would''ve been impossible if not for your stubbornness. I never knew such a stubborn person existed, but now I even know two. You fought your father, risked being a laughingstock, chased me like crazy, and even ignored your arranged marriage! I wonder if you know that our little girl is just like you this aspect.

    Do you still remember how you had to chase me through the woods for two weeks when I got jealous and ran away? Back then, you said I should talk to you if I had trouble believing. Now look at me: six years later and I''m still running away. Dear, I''m sorry, but I can''t help myself. I overheard something and now I don''t know anymore if the person that was with me in these six years is the real you or just a projection.

    I can''t believe you talked so coldly about our daughter, even though I heard it with my own two ears! I can''t question your love for me after all we''ve been through. However, if you love me, how can you not love her? How can you treat her like a thing that can be bought for the right price? And you planned this from the moment you i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.ed me!

    I can''t understand. I don''t want to understand. I''m taking Katherine with me, bringing her away from here. She needs someone who can love her with a pure heart. Don''t search for us.

    Your still-loving wife"

    .

    Katherine was stupefied. What the heck was up with this letter?! Had her mother misunderstood something? Her father was a cold, ever-working man, yes, but treat her ''like a thing that can be bought for the right price''? Absolutely not! She refused to think of him this way!

    Suddenly, she remembered that her parents had a quarrel about predetermined fate once. Her father wanted to engage her to someone at a young age, but her mother was strictly against it. It was kind of contractionary because her father himself broke his marriage agreement. Was this what this letter was all about? Since her mother was very emotional sometimes, it was possible. But would she really bring her away from her father because of a marriage agreement?

    Connecting her dream about the adventure with her mother to this letter, she found that their timing was matching pretty good. Maybe her mother was even more of a drama queen than she had thought. Still, it was a bit strange for her to preserve the letter in her favorite book even after her father gave in. As if she constantly wanted to remind herself of it. All about this was very strange. If Katherine didn''t recognize the handwriting and way of speech, she would have wondered if it was really her mother who wrote the letter.

    Laying the paper down, Katherine rubbed her temples. Instead of answering her questions and giving her hold, this letter only brought more mysteries with it. She always thought her parents were happy together. Now she knew they might have not been happy all the time. Well, whatever. She would still preserve the letter. It was the only thing she had that reflected her mother''s personality in a way.

    Exhausted, she left it to Hazel to put it somewhere save.

    ----

    Nathaniel couldn''t focus his thoughts. There was a tenseness in his shoulders and neck that had nothing to do with the upcoming operation. It was more of a general restlessness. He felt that something was just not right.

    The palace was so different from how it was when he was young. He felt like a tiger in a cage with countless other predators, their fur chafing against each other. It was a nasty feeling. Especially since his he could do nothing but wait right now. He knew that he was being watched closely, so he deliberately left the exact planning to his trusted servant. But now that he could only wait, it was driving him crazy. No work to do, nothing to distract himself.

    It was nearly a relieve when a servant came to call him to the King''s side. Standing up, Nathaniel noticed the strange white mask that completely covered half of the servant''s face. His brows locked together before smoothening out again. With a light smile, he walked over. "After you."

    The female servant lead him down the stairs and onto the grassy fields between the guest''s building and the grand dome. The palace guards were following them closely. The group circled the dome and continued walking straight for another few minutes, before entering a colonnade and finally a wide, empty hall. In the middle of the hall, the servant suddenly stood still.

    "Are we there yet?" Nathaniel stepped forward; eyes fixed on the servant. He didn''t need to look around, there was nobody else.

    "Yes", the servant answered in a raspy voice. Turning around, she took the mask from her face. Underneath it was a scarlet scar, reaching from the corner of her mouth up to her temple, as well as a dark hole where her eye used to be.

    Scrutinizing her, Nathaniel''s gaze remained unaffected. It was as if he couldn''t see the change, or, more likely, he just didn''t care.

    "Her Majesty was merciful.", the servant claimed devotedly. "She left me with one eye to see her glory."

    Nathaniel, who already had a guess who this servant really belonged to - she was certainly not the King''s -, mockingly raised a brow. "And is she ''glorious'' enough to meet me in person? Since I don''t see her here, she must be as cowardly as ever. It''s already surprising that she sought me out by herself. The King warned me repeatedly to not search for her, but now it''s the opposite... I thought killing harmless pets was all she could do."

    The servant took in a sharp breath. "You have no right to denounce her Majesty! Her Majesty is - "

    "Cut that crap!", Nathaniel interrupted her before she could even start exalting her Master. "She is nothing more than a madwoman. I was too patient with her quirks. She crossed the line long ago. I hoped she would at least come face me herself when she''s in the same palace, but whatever..."

    Gazing at the empty room with nothing but floor tiling and a few windows, Nathaniel''s mouth twitched. "She picked quite a boring place for my last rest."

    Behind his back, the two palace guards had silently unsheathed their swords. They were not the same as the ones Katherine had talked to. An evil glint flickered in their eyes when they heard his words, before they suddenly attacked his unprotected back.

 Chapter 97 - Siblings Talk

    Before the swords could hit his back, Nathaniel ducked away, and in the same motion turned, slashing for the opponent''s knee joints. At some point in time, two daggers had appeared, one in each of his hands. They looked like sharp claws of a beast when one of them burrowed itself deeply in the back of the left guard''s knee, in the slit between the armor plates. With a screeching noise that melted with the guard''s scream, the other dagger hit metal and deflected.

    The momentum of their attack made the right guard take another two steps forward, while the left one fell, but managed to land on one hand, propping himself up. Before he could get to his feet again, a ruthless kick in his backside destroyed his afford and he crashed face-first onto the floor. Only his helmet stopped him from being knocked out by the stone tiles.

    Knowing that he''d need some time to get up with armor on, Nathaniel turned to the remaining guard, just in time to see a heavy strike flying towards his waist. Deflecting would be nearly impossible with only daggers and his weakened body, but the range was too wide to avoid it.

    With a self-contemptuous snarl, the Earl nimbly stepped forward, swirling on one foot into the attacker''s arms. It would''ve looked like a dancing move if not for the blade that stabbed in between the helmet and shoulder plate shortly after. Blood gushed out and the guard gurgled. But he showed a surprising amount of willpower as he let go of his sword and caged Nathaniel with his arms instead, wanting to give his partner a chance to land an attack within his dying seconds.

    "That''s why I hate this move", Nathaniel muttered under his breath. Not every opponent was smart enough to use it against him though, and the comrade of this one was not yet prepared to attack again. Harshly, Nathaniel pulled the dagger out of the wound. As the pain was distracting the man, the Earl slipped out of his grip only to feel something sharp grazing his upper arm. Since the guards were way more dangerous, he''d disregarded the female servant. She''d used the short time he was restrained to make an attack with her own small knife. She was obviously untrained in fighting, but her face showed a twisted hatred and determination that made up for it.

    "You are the cause of my suffering!", she hissed. "Die! Die! Die!"

    With each of her screams she slashed wildly for him. Going into the defense, Nathaniel slowly retreated, giving her confidence, before he caught her knife in between his crossed daggers and twisted it out of her hand. She panicked for a second, enough time for him to pick up the sword of the dying guard that was lying next to his feet, switching weapons.

    Straightening his back, he was just in time to parry the blow of the guard with the injured knee. As the swords clanged against each other, a shrill voice suddenly screamed: "Stop! What the heck are you doing?!"

    The guard halted, and out of chivalry, Nathaniel did, too. The voice was familiar to both, though Nathaniel was less impacted by it. There was only one person in the palace he respected enough to heed commands of.

    "Stop fighting! Right now!", the Princess repeated. She stood in the hallway, her lavish peach-blossom-colored dress filling half of the big space. Though she was a rather small and delicate person, her aura marked her as someone who couldn''t be trifled with. And she was used to having her wishes fulfilled the instant she voiced them.

    Such as this time. When the guard saw the Princess, he backed off and lowered his sword. If not for his unwillingness to let the danger next to him out of his eyes, he would have bowed, but even like this his tone was humble. "Your Highness."

    Different from the reasonable reaction of the guard, an ugly flash of indignation crossed the servant''s eyes, before she lowered herself to the floor. She knelt before the Princess'' feet and wailed: "Your Highness! I seek you to give us justice! That person suddenly attacked us when we crossed the hall!"

    "Insolent!", the Princess assessed with a disgusted hiss. "Is that how you treat our guests? If he planned to kill you, you would already be dead. You are only alive because he doesn''t want to offend the King!"

    While saying so, her gaze went to Nathaniel and a fluctuation that was more wariness than fear was shortly felt in her aura. It couldn''t be helped. The black shirt sprinkled with blood, the Earl now matched Katherine''s first impression of him perfectly: that of a god of slaughter. With the murderous aura surrounding him, he looked even more devilishly handsome than normally, but completely emotionless.

    His face was cold, as if the Princess'' words got nothing to do with him. It was true though. If Nathaniel had used his magic, there would be nothing left to bury of the attackers. Good for them that this dangerous beast was caged by a bracelet for now. Besides, Nathaniel thought it would''ve been a waste of his recently regained health to use it in an ambush that was bound to fail on his physical capabilities alone.

    "Princess Helmina.", the Earl greeted as he noticed her gaze, but there was neither a bow nor a nod, not even a polite smile lifting the corners of his mouth and softening the iciness. Instead he looked her in the eye like they were of the same standing. The fight earlier had shed off his usual elegant mannerism, leaving only the calculating war-machine behind.

    The Princess didn''t blink. After a while, her eyes wandered back to the servant to her feet as if she''d seen and heard nothing. "The both of you will retrieve punishment in court. Be glad if you can leave with your head intact after that."

    With a snap of her fingers, a small group of guards invaded the room and brought servant, guard, and corpse away. The Princess, however, didn''t leave. Over ten steps away from Nathaniel, she gazed at him with a neutral expression. After a minute of silence, she said: "Did you know this building belongs to my mother? Not far from here is the flower garden she loves so dearly. At this time of day, she should be watering the hydrangeas. She won''t receive guests then. I wonder why you are here then?"

    ''Since when does she love the flower garden?'', Nathaniel wondered, the confusion slowly breaking through his icyness. The woman he remembered never saw a point in nurturing things without use. Flowers certainly counted as such. Maybe the flowers were all disguised poison herbs. That would greatly down-grate the garden compared to the one he roamed as a kid.

    He still remembered the big apple tree in the middle of the colorful fields, the flavor of the sun-kissed fruits in autumn. The flower garden framed by these colonnades had always been the most bountiful in the whole kingdom. It was also the place where he first learned that each flower had a different meaning, a different connotation of like and dislike, and the many things in between.

    Before he was old enough to feel irritated by the color, he had bound a bouquet of pink tulips, big enough to hide his body when he held it over his head. His aunt had laughed brightly at the present before taking him up on her arm.

    Pulling his thoughts away from the summer that was associated with sadness and guilt today, the Earl lightly shook his head. "You would need to ask the servant about that. She told me to follow her to the king but ended up in here before attacking me."

 Chapter 98 - Emilian

    ''Isn''t it pointing in the Queen''s direction too openly if I am killed when she is nearby?'', Nathaniel deliberated. Maybe she was too crazy to care already, or too sure of her position. Someone who regularly send dead animals as presents couldn''t be calculated by normal means. Maybe it was just another warning. Anyway, she had greatly underestimated him if she thought two guards and an untrained servant were enough to kill him. How unexpected of her. What a ''monster'' would he be if three people could subdue him? Somehow, he found this contrast quite funny.

    The Princess meanwhile nodded at Nathaniel''s explanation. She hesitated shortly before saying: "Anyway, you shouldn''t stay here. Mother can still come by at any moment. Follow me."

    Because he was curious where she would lead him, curious about her in general, Nathaniel followed his sister out of the building and over the green field. It was sunny, but a bit cool outside.

    When he noticed his right arm getting colder than the other, Nathaniel finally remembered that he was hit by the knife of the servant. The shirt was cut in this place and a wound about four centimeters long and one deep was revealed beneath it. Now that he saw it, he also felt the sharp sting, but since he was used to worse, his expression didn''t change.

    Though it should be treated in due time, the wound wasn''t life-threatening. Ignoring the cold, Nathaniel slipped out of his dinner jacket and hung it over his shoulder with the bloodied side down, hiding the wound below it. The daggers had long since vanished in his sleeves again. It wasn''t necessary to inform every passerby of what happened a minute ago.

    With no bushes or buildings to hide spies in the vicinity, Nathaniel inquired: "I know that you know who I am. Why though would you act like you don''t, even when nobody can hear us?"

    "I don''t know what you are talking about.", the Princess responded without turning around. "I only know that you are a guest of the palace, someone my father cherishes."

    Nathaniel''s eyes drilled into her small back as if he could get the truth out of it. His words, however, didn''t linger on the topic. "How is Emilian doing? I didn''t hear from him since your and his sixth birthday."

    Suddenly, the Princess stopped. Her delicate hands curled into fists, she stared hard at the path before her: "Would you please stop talking as if you are connected to us? You aren''t part of our family. You are nothing to us. Please refrain from using my brother''s name as if you are close friends."

    In an instant, Nathaniel''s eyes turned dark like the bottom of a well. Silence descended. Then he said as quietly and peacefully as a breeze in a glacier: "Pardon me. I won''t repeat this mistake. If your Highness would excuse me, I feel a little exhausted."

    Without waiting for an answer, he overtook her and left. Staring at his straight back in an elegant black shirt, the Princess'' anger slowly vanished. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "That wasn''t how it was supposed to be. Why did he have to mention this damn birthday? Acting as if it was a good memory... Milo will be angry with me again."

    When she continued down the path, there was a troubled look on her face. Her twin Emilian, called Milo only by her, was the closest person to her heart, the one she wanted to offend the least. The moment they heard Nathaniel was coming to the capital, Emilian had taken her to the side. She remembered his advice word by word.

    "We don''t need to offend him. I know you are too curious to stay away, but keep a low profile at least. You can stay distanced if you don''t want to be friendly. Just don''t make him hate you." His grey eyes looked earnestly into hers as he cupped her face in hands. They were rough from sword training.

    He had seen that she wasn''t convinced, so he put on a sterner tone. "I can understand that you despise him, sister, I really do. But it will only give away our trail if we ruffle the monster''s fur. He is good at following leads, so we can''t give him any. If it is necessary, let me deal with him instead."

    Finally, she had agreed. Though she was confident that the monster couldn''t be as frightening as her anxious mother always told her, she liked how Emilian cared about her. Albeit strong herself, Helmina still loved the feeling of being protected behind his board shoulders and steadfast body. All she wished for was to stay like this forever.

    ----

    Alone in the study, Nathaniel took off his shirt to inspect the wound. The bleeding had nearly stopped, but it needed to be rinsed and bandaged. Since he couldn''t let anyone else come in contact with his skin, everything to do it himself stood on the desk. Though it would be a hassle to bandage his own arm, using Katherine''s powers on it was even more of a waste. This was just a simple scratch, not his ever-annoying poison problem. At times like this, he wished Sam would come back from his mission sooner. The idea to get a substitute for the time of the mission didn''t even cross his mind. As long as he lived, the status of butler would only belong to one person.

    Dunking a cloth in a basin of fresh water, he began cleaning his wound, when suddenly he heard a creaking noise. He spun around.

    At the door stood Katherine, her mouth opened as if she''d wanted to say something, before she was turned to stone. A stone that was slowly blushing from the ears downwards. Her eyes spellbound by the amount of delicious skin, she was lost for words. Then she turned so hastily that the tray crashed against the door frame. "S-sorry! Ah!"

    By sheer luck, she managed to catch the falling tray. Only the fork fell down. Picking it up gave her the much-needed time to calm her raging heart. Damn, the Earl was hot!

    Seeing his n.a.k.e.d c.h.e.s.t so unexpectedly was completely different from the formal visit of a patient in sickbed. The patient''s c.h.e.s.t had also been attractive, but at the same time pitifully pale. Now she felt for the first time the full brunt of seductiveness a male''s body could exclude. Knowing this was Nathaniel, the man she hugged and shamelessly leaned on, even intensified the dizzying effect. She couldn''t believe nobody else had tried to snatch such a hot specimen away!

    A very manly grin had spread on the Nathaniel''s face as he put the cloth down. "Playing shy after staring at my body for a whole minute, hm?"

    "I''m not playing shy!", Katherine instantly shot back. About staring, she couldn''t deny.

    "Oh, I see." Nathaniel nodded understandingly. "So red is your usual color. I didn''t know I''m engaged to a tomato."

    "I''m not a - " Suddenly, she turned her head, eyes wide like a goldfishes. "Wait. Did you just tell a joke?"

    Nathaniel raised his brows, the face serious. However, the constant twitching of a corner of his mouth betrayed his real feelings. "Did I?"

    "You did! You absolutely did!" Disbelieve and excitement combined in her voice, exploding into joyful laughter. "I can''t believe it! You really joked with me!"

    If not for the tray in her hands, she would''ve hugged this adorably sly fox in front of her. She now noticed that all the times she told herself that he wasn''t doing it intentionally, he was too stiff and cold for joking, were just her imagination overwriting the truth. This mischievous devil had indeed been joking with her!

    Though she wanted to be angry because he must''ve laughed at her behind her back, she was just too amazed that someone of the caliber of the Earl felt relaxed enough to play with her. Maybe this was what it meant to be lucky.

 Chapter 99 - Not An Easy Target

    When she wiped away the laughing tears, she suddenly noticed something red on his arm. The last joyful tingle vanished. "You are injured! Why didn''t you say anything!"

    Setting away the tray, she rushed forward, only to see the Earl step back simultaneously.

    "Stop, Katherine", he warned her, the tone serious enough to make her halt shortly, before she decided to ignore it and strode towards him nonetheless. She was determined to heal his wound right now before talking some sense into this self-destructive idiot!

    "I said STOP!" His voice was thunderous. Murderous aura exploded out of him as if he came straight from the battlefield. The light that shone into the study suddenly lost all warmth and his burning red eyes turned into the only color in the room. "Katherine, I won''t repeat this. Don''t come any closer. You will die if you do."

    Katherine shuddered. The Earl seemed to have turned into a completely different person, an ice-cold devil like at their first encounter. All reasons why he wouldn''t hurt her were blown out of her mind in a instant.

    Trembling, she already felt death breathing down her neck. But the stubbornness inside her just couldn''t give up. Her hands curled into fists.

    "Nathaniel", she brought out through clattering teeth. Opposite to the time when he waited for her in the nightly mansion, calling his name didn''t decrease the pressure. "Why do you say this?"

    Why wouldn''t he let her help? Why did he have to suffer through everything by himself? Every time she thought she''d gotten closer to him, he would threaten her again. After the first shock, she slowly understood that it might be a protective reflex. But it couldn''t go on like this. He couldn''t always threaten her with death, that was too much.

    "You can''t get near me now", the Earl said with the same cold tone. He cursed himself for not bringing another shirt into the study. Wearing the old one was out of the question; the cut with all the blood would only frighten Katherine more, making her argument more vehemently. Though her worry was kind of sweet, the consequences were unacceptable. And it would be too strange to ask her to wear gloves all of a sudden, wouldn''t it? His voice softened by a small degree. "Don''t worry. It''s nothing serious."

    She furrowed her brows, her irritation over-trumping the fear. "If it''s nothing serious, why won''t you let me heal it? Honestly, I feel so useless since the patient is gone. You wouldn''t even let me help with such simple things. Why? What is my purpose if not this?"

    Nathaniel was stumped. He didn''t think about it from her perspective. It must be strange for her that he brought her with him and now didn''t let her do her duty. He understood that Katherine wasn''t a woman to take alms, she was too proud for that. But healing him now was too dangerous. He sighed deeply. He hated lying.

    "It''s not that I don''t want your help, but I won''t waste your energy. You need to be fully charged in case someone tries to kill me. This is a scratch. It will heal by itself."

    If Katherine hadn''t seen him back away in a rush, she might have believed his words. Now, it was too obvious. Crossing her arms, she demanded: "Stop telling lies! This ''scratch'' will hardly cost me energy. If it gets infected, it''s way more troublesome. You don''t want me to treat you. Just tell me why already!"

    Feeling tired, Nathaniel rubbed his temple. Today was not his day it seemed. First the attack, then the Princess, and now Katherine just had to burst into his chambers at the wrong time. Why didn''t she knock before? "Don''t you have better things to do then to fight me in everything? It''s not like I''m hindering your plans. We''re not even real betrothed, so you shouldn''t feel so bothered about a small injury. Isn''t it enough that I''m alright?"

    Maybe Katherine would have argued further if she didn''t see the look in his eyes. Normally when they fought, they would be either burning or cold, in both cases showing his strong willpower. This willpower was nearly diminished now, leaving a strange emptiness. Katherine didn''t know why her heart felt heavy at the sight, even though she should be angry.

    "Sit down.", she said instead of further questions. "If you won''t let me heal you, let me take care of you differently. Regardless of what you think, you aren''t a fake betrothed to me, so let me be a busybody for once, alright?"

    Staring down at his desk, Nathaniel knew that he should stop her feelings at the core. But it was too late for this anyway, right? She wanted to take care of him. Him, a cold-blooded murderer, labeled as monster. When was the last time someone other than Sam worried about him?

    Since his body ached from the overexertion in the fight, he slowly sank into his chair. "Can you get me a new shirt?"

    The woman in front of him smiled. "Alright, my dear."

    The tight grip that caged his heart loosened a bit when he saw her smile. For a second, he stared after her and wondered if it was the right choice to continue hiding his secret even if she was so deeply involved already. Surely it wasn''t right for her. But in the end, he was a selfish man, more selfish than even he knew.

    If she knew about his curse, she would shy away from him. Maybe not because she was afraid like the others, but because she would realize that he couldn''t be the man she wanted. Loving him could only end in two ways: being killed accidentally or leaving all longing unfulfilled. Having next to no skin-contact to other people for twenty years, he couldn''t tell what was worse anymore. Why was he doing this to her? It really wasn''t commendable.

    Skillfully, Nathaniel rinsed and bandaged the wound before putting on the new shirt. Since returning from his bedroom, Katherine watched him like a hawk, as if he would start hurting himself as soon as she turned away. Though he would prefer to say she marveled at his body, the warning gaze was obvious. However, at least she didn''t argue with him anymore.

    Besides the shirt, Katherine had also brought a new pair of gloves. He was thankful for that.

    "Now", he said and fixed his cufflinks. "Shall we eat?"

    ----

    Surprisingly, they had a pleasant lunch together, chatted about their day and the up-coming banquet. Katherine didn''t mention the wound again, but she had her own thoughts. Actually, she suspected him to have a phobia. The reaction of the Earl had reminded her that he reacted very s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to touch at first - especially her hand kiss - and she never got to touch even a bit of skin, not even accidentally. Well, the time when he was asleep didn''t count. But even then, it was just his hair.

    So, as mismatched as it might seem, she believed Nathaniel was afraid of touch. She had to slowly approach him then and help him overcome it. It wasn''t an impossible hurdle to take. They would master it together as long as he was willing. Furthermore, with how he teased her sometimes, she was pretty sure he wasn''t unaffected by her. No, Anni was right. The Earl liked her. He was just not an easy target to shoot, if it was love or war.

    Nonetheless, if he said he''d kill her one more time, she couldn''t promise to let him go unscratched. Defensive reflex or not, this line was unacceptable.

 Chapter 100 - Children

    The sun sank in a bout of purple and pink, illuminating the countless turrets of a grand villa in the second ring of the city. On the surface of the white stone, golden lines began to glim in response, building a net of overlapping words until the villa resembled an enlarged holy scripture, rolled up in several windings.

    On the plaza before the villa, tiny figures moved, people talked, and carriages arrived while they all strode towards the widely opened entrance. Behind it, the room was big and gently rounded. In some of the turrets, spiral staircases led to the second floor and beyond. Servants in black-and-white uniforms handed out champagne to the newcomers.

    The host of the banquet, Duke Deverell, better known as the General of the West for he won his most famous battles there, welcomed every guest with a bright smile on his rotund face. He was in his best spirits. How could he not, when his beautiful wife by his side proudly introduced their first-born son to everyone. The baby was quite big and healthy, with a board forehead and a strong grip like his father.

    When Katherine saw it, she turned to Nathaniel with glittering eyes. "You didn''t tell me this was a Baby-Party!"

    "Did I have to?" He raised his brows. To him, the event was mostly to distract from his involvement in the operation tonight. "It''s not like there''s a difference."

    "But of course!", Katherine chided. "I should have brought a gift! We can''t go on a Baby-Party without a gift!"

    "Don''t worry", Nathaniel shrugged it off and pulled her hand to bring her in front of the host pair. "Your Graces."

    During her own curtsy, Katherine noticed that Nathaniel was only slightly nodding his head, completely inappropriate for a lower-ranked Earl. Nonetheless, the smile on the General''s face turned even brighter. "How wonderful! You managed to make it in time! What a great surprise!"

    "Not really a surprise, your Grace. You send me an invitation after all", the Earl gently reminded.

    "An invitation...?" Strangely, the General seemed to be confused, before breaking out into hearty laugher. "I see, I see! The Earl of Hymirhall! I should''ve known. Anyway, I''m happy you could make it. Please eat, drink and dance to your heart''s content!"

    Katherine noticed the General''s eyes wandering in her direction, before he controlled his curiosity. Though their conversation seemed strange, she didn''t pay it much mind. Maybe the General only forgot about the invitation. Her attention was fully caught by the new live in front of her.

    "So cute!", she sighed. "Duchess Deverell, you two really are blessed."

    The brunette with opulent body dimensions beamed. "What can I say? He''s a gift from heaven. I''ve never seen such a well-behaved child! He hardly ever cries, always looking like a pondering little philosopher."

    "Sweet!" Katherine laughed. "I guess he''s preparing be a great man in the future then. Those always look like the world depends on them."

    "Right?", the brunette laughed and gave a sidelong glance at Nathaniel and her husband before lowering her voice. "Yours seems to be an especially serious case. Better watch him closely."

    Duchess Deverell winked. Katherine giggled, her face turning red. "That''s my plan!"

    Suddenly, an arm coiled around her waist, pulling her against a hard c.h.e.s.t. "Are you cooking up world domination plans over here?"

    The deep voice was so close to her ear that Katherine forgot to breath. She stood limply in Nathaniel''s embrace, while her heart pounded away.

    The Duchess'' eyes gleamed. "Afraid we''re snatching your topic? Don''t worry, we just talked about babies. I guess a child of both of you would be a real beauty!"

    Katherine felt Nathaniel behind her tensing up. However, before she could follow her impulse and free herself, his arm pulled her even closer. The grip was so strong it was nearly painful. If not for playing her role, she would''ve complained.

    "Of course", Nathaniel agreed, sounding suspiciously calm. "After marriage, we''ll try our best to produce little beauties. Hordes of them."

    The Duke''s laugh was a bit forced as he patted his wife''s back. "Angelica, don''t tempt the young people. They are not even married yet!"

    "What? Are you saying I''m a bad influence?"

    While the pair was quarreling, Katherine wondered what the Duke had seen in Nathaniel''s face that made him chide his wife suddenly. Or did he notice the hard grip on her waist?

    Said grip now slowly loosened, then Nathaniel stepped aside and pulled her arm through his.

    "Come on", he said, and brought her to greet other guests.

    When the General saw Nathaniel leave, he heaved a sigh. "You can''t just go around assuming things, Angel. As far as I know, they might not even be a pair. You see, this man is kind of peticular. He gets his orders from the highest position. The last time I saw him, his group of warriors had infiltrated the army we were fighting, turning against them at the critical point in battle. If not for him, I might be dead already!"

    "Oh!", the Duchess exclaimed. "He''s the one you told me about back then? But didn''t you say he was called - "

    "Shush", her husband interrupted her. "Names aren''t important here. With the King''s verdict, status and name can be changed however one wants. The man I knew had brown hair and freckles, but I tell you, they are still the same. It''s the aura."

    "The aura? What does a general know about aura?", his wife huffed.

    "I can discern the time one spend at the battlefield", the General claimed proudly, but soon got distracted by the tiny arms that stretched in his direction demandingly. "Yes, you sweet little warrior, Daddy is here. Let Daddy lift you up!"

    With the happiest of smiles, he took his son from his wife''s arms, who only sighed. "Men!"

    A few meters away, Katherine suddenly pinched her betrothed''s arm. "Don''t try to break me in two the next time you hear something you don''t like."

    "I think I would have noticed if I did", Nathaniel answered humorless, which made Katherine raise a brow at him.

    "Oh, come on, what''s so bad talking about children?" Sometimes, she couldn''t understand him. Wasn''t he prepared to play his role? How could such a simple comment make him so annoyed?

    "The fact that we won''t have any maybe? Don''t get caught up in phantasies that will never turn real." His red eyes glared down at her.

    Katherine stopped and pulled her hand out of his grip. "That''s enough. You were the one to ask whether I could play my role in public. I didn''t do anything out of my boundaries, but you are being rude without reason. Go on and collect information then. I''m sure I''ll do fine by myself!"

    Her chin raised proudly, she swaggered away.

    Nathaniel''s eyes narrowed at her backside, before he abruptly turned around. Should this unreasonable woman just go by herself, he had a mission to fulfill. Integrating into the higher society wasn''t easy. Surely she''d come back and search for him when she didn''t manage to connect to them.

    Actually, Nathaniel himself didn''t know why he was reacting so s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.ely to the topic of children. He never cared about it before. He didn''t want anyone to inherit his powers, so he never planned to have kids. Not that it was even possible.

    With irritation he noticed that his temper was getting worse the more time he spend with Katherine. Before, he might just have overlooked or ignored minor matters, now they already managed to annoy him to the point that he accidentally hurt Katherine. Maybe he shouldn''t have been so harsh to her and apologize afterwards. She wouldn''t be so upset then.

    Remembering to what an appealing mixture anger and pride combined in Katherine''s appearance, he resignedly shook his head at himself. It was more likely that he would''ve teased her more. Anyway, it was too late.

    "Haaah." Brushing his hair back, he resigned to fate and walked over to a group of gentlemen who were absorbed in political discussions. The dozens of women looking after him with dazed or greedy eyes went completely unnoticed.

 Chapter 101 - Figure On The Balcony

    Katherine strode right towards what seemed to be the lady''s corner. For the time being, she had enough of idiotic males. When she neared the circle of women, she noticed with surprise a familiar face among them. "Lady Brandon!"

    Lady Brandon, wearing a dark green dress and oversized blue hat, looked up when she heard her name. Her brown eyes lit up. "Katherine? Geez, didn''t I tell you to call me Ella?"

    "Sorry! I must be influenced by these bothersome customs too much", Katherine apologized with a grin. Then she complained: "Save me, Ella! My betrothed is so grumpy today, it''s unbearable."

    "At least he''s a beauty to compensate." Ella smirked. "Come here, let me introduce you. I guess you don''t know the jewels of this kingdom yet?"

    "Not yet", Katherine affirmed, and thus got swept up in a row of introductions and small talk. With Lady Brandon''s help and her own extroverted personality, starting off into society was way easier than she''d thought. Few asked about her background, they seemed to be way more interested into her mysterious betrothed that was invited to the palace for his contributions.

    An hour later, Katherine had troubles to keep up with all the names she''d heard. Most of the attending Ladies were children or wives of military personnel, only a few connected to the General through different channels. Lady Hardy, the horse-faced woman she had seen in the Princess'' winter garden, was also among them. The General''s life-threatening wounds were once treated personally by Lady Hardy''s father, a brilliant doctor besides owning a hospital himself. Compared to Lady Hardy and the big group of gaggling geese around her, however, Katherine liked some more wholesome ladies better.

    For example, Lady Sherley. With hardly twenty years, the tall blond woman had her adorable three-year-old son sleeping in her l.a.p. She had a gentle and silent presence, placating her surroundings. Contrarily, her husband that came looking for her every five minutes resembled a grizzly with a bad temper. In front of her though, he turned into a teddy bear.

    Then there was Lady Icefeather, who, against her name, had a loud and booming voice and voluptuous body. Her father was one of the high-rank officers under the General.

    Lady Trumpet and Lerche were women in their thirties with children they liked to command about, because they were already old enough to bring them plates full of snacks and wine glasses from the buffet. Only Lady Lerche''s oldest son - barely thirteen - was excluded, for he had drunken the first few cups of wine himself and now rested with a dazed expression beside his mother, his ears bright red from the punishment she gave.

    The most curious person in the room, however, was the old Lady Finley. When Katherine got introduced, she had only measured her with a steely gaze out of sharp blue eyes before saying: "I like your attitude, girl. Don''t give in by a notch!"

    Katherine had no clue what this eccentric woman with a commanding presence as absolute as a general''s in a frail, tiny body was hinting at, but it sounded encouraging.

    In the middle of a conversation, a Lady whose name Katherine had forgotten suddenly looked around with a frown. "Have you seen my little troublemaker? I seem to have lost sight of her."

    Instantly, the other ladies looked about for the small girl in yellow dress the Lady had brought with her when attending. Katherine remembered how that girl already got a sauce spot on her rosy cheek before the buffet had officially opened.

    "Roxie! Roxie, where are you?", the mother called rather prudently. Obviously, she didn''t want to make too big a commotion. The musicians would only start with the louder dancing songs when most guests had their fill of food, so her voice still reached quite far.

    However, there was no response after a few seconds and the other ladies also couldn''t locate the little girl.

    "Maybe she went upstairs", Lady Icefeather suggested and got up to help searching. Katherine knew that upstairs was another big room for quieter conversations, as well as some balconies and separate rooms.

    "I''ll help looking", she offered and followed Lady Icefeather. The worried mother as well as Lady Trumpet and Lady Lerche with their children started searching downstairs. Since Lady Sherley couldn''t move without waking up her son, she remained where she was for the possibility that the girl would come back by herself.

    Upstairs, there were less people, mostly men. They sat or stood in groups and seemed to seriously discuss business. Katherine wasn''t surprised when she saw Nathaniel''s white hair in a corner. She rolled her eyes and decisively turned her back to him.

    "Let''s split up", she told Lady Icefeather. "I''ll inspect the balconies."

    "Then I''ll ask the gentlemen if they''ve seen her", Lady Icefeather nodded with wobbling double chin. "Hopefully, she didn''t go into the separate rooms."

    A light redness tinted Katherine''s cheeks. She could imagine what some guests would use these for. "Yes, hopefully..."

    Before the awkwardness could spread, Katherine hastily slipped through the next glass door onto the balcony. Even through the glass, she could hear Lady Icefeather''s sonorous laugh.

    The coldness of the night hit Katherine a bit unexpected. Shivering, she embraced herself and looked around. About seven steps long and three in width, the balcony was submerged in the dim light of the stars. To be sure that the girl didn''t hide in the dark corners, she walked up and down once before entering the building again.

    Three balconies went by in a rush. Because of the temperature, nobody liked to stay outside. But when Katherine entered the fourth, a low sound caught her attention. Someone was crying. It wasn''t a loud wailing sound, but rather a quiet sniffle of someone who wanted to go unnoticed. She could only hear it clearly after the glass door was closed.

    "Hello?", Katherine probed. "Is there somebody?"

    The sniffling sound stopped, but Katherine had already discovered the source: in the left corner of the balcony, a figure squatted in the shadow of the railing. Because of the missing light, she couldn''t see it clearly.

    Slowly, she approached the crouching figure. It was too big to be the girl she was searching for, but the misery radiating from it made it impossible to ignore. She wanted to help. "What are you doing here alone in the cold?"

    The figure didn''t answer, but she could see it tremble slightly. When she was only a step away, she bend down. Crouching was impossible with her stiff dress.

    The figure was big enough to be an a.d.u.l.t, though a quite thin one. Platinum blond hair looked out of the crossed arms in suit sleeves. It was tied with a bond in his neck. She couldn''t see the person''s face, but she was sure it was a man. Why would he be out here crying?

    "Are you okay?" Obviously, he was not, but Katherine didn''t know what else to ask. She could see his head move in a nod without him looking up. The man was now silent, but Katherine saw the way his fingers dug into his arms that were wrapped around his knees. He must be in deep pain, she thought. And he''s uncomfortable that I''ve seen him like this.

    "It''s okay, you know. Everybody cries sometimes. Even men. To bottle it up isn''t good, it will make the bottle explode eventually." Katherine leaned on the railing besides him and looked up at the stars. She didn''t want to pressure him. Maybe he would open up by himself.

    Gazing at the cold, white lights up in the firmament, Katherine thought that they were lucky to not feel the distance they had. Each of the stars stood alone, but none of them felt lonely. After a while, she continued: "In the first week after my parent''s death, I cried every night. I despised myself for it, because I was so weak that crying was all I could do. But now I think that each time I gave in to the feeling, I could see a bit clearer afterwards. It''s like the burden gets a bit lighter. Doesn''t mean I like crying though."

    With a short glance, she took in the man''s reaction. He didn''t raise his head, but the trembling had lessened. He was listening.

    So, she continued telling her story, until finally she heard his voice. It was a bit muffled by his sleeves. "I don''t know what to do anymore. She won''t ever accept me."

 Chapter 102 - Ominous Tranquility

    Katherine waited for a moment, but as he didn''t continue, she asked: "Do you love her?"

    The head of the man bobbed up and down. "She''s my childhood friend. I..." one hand wandered to his c.h.e.s.t as he grabbed his shirt tightly. "I love her so much."

    Sharply, he s.u.c.k.e.d in a breath. "When I told her how I felt, she treated it as a joke. I got angry and I - I think I offended her."

    With each word, Katherine could feel devastation seeping out, affecting her. The man''s situation was similar to hers, he also got rejected. However, his counterpart didn''t even seem to be interested in him. Treating a heart-felt confession as a joke was a harsh blow to one''s pride. Still, the man seemed to be even more in despair about what he did afterwards.

    "Did you try to apologize?", Katherine inquired with a soft voice. This topic was tricky. On one hand, she felt like the man had a reason to be angry, on the other he obviously thought that he was in the wrong.

    "I can''t. Not now. I don''t want him to feel sorry for me." The words were said so vehemently that he himself only noticed what he''d revealed afterwards. His whole body stilled.

    Though she was surprised, Katherine was careful not to show it. So, the childhood friend was actually a man. No wonder he didn''t take the confession seriously. If Hazel suddenly told her that she loved her, she also wouldn''t know how to react.

    Homos.e.x.u.a.lity wasn''t prohibited, neither in Dragsa nor in the Icelands. Still, most people looked down upon gays and marriage wasn''t allowed.

    "Isn''t he your childhood friend? Maybe he is more understanding after he overcomes the surprise." She didn''t say that he would accept it for she didn''t know the man. But if one was friends for a long time, one would naturally be more lenient to each other.

    The man slowly nodded. "Thank you."

    "You''re welcome" Katherine said lightly. "It must be uncomfortable squatting like this in the cold. Why don''t you come back in with me?"

    "No, that''s a bit... inconvenient", the man rejected. Then he sighed. "Well, I guess you''ve heard the most embarrassing part already. You can as well see the rest."

    He raised his head, and Katherine had to grip the railing to not curse out loud. The man had a finely craved face with an almost feminine prettiness to it that made him look even frailer then his already thin body. However, someone had cruelly destroyed this composition. The complete right side of the man''s face was red and swollen from a punch, the lip even had a bleeding crack, caused by some sharp object.

    "How could he - ?", she started.

    "It''s my fault", the man instantly interrupted her. His brown eyes with vibrant green spots darted about in distress. "I shouldn''t have kissed him."

    In disbelieve, Katherine stared at the man, before she bend down to him suddenly. "Don''t move!"

    She placed her hand on his injured cheek. Instinctively, the man flinched, before staying still. His eyes were questioning, but it didn''t take long for them to widen in wonder.

    "How?", he asked, and touched his cheek in wonder. It was smooth and pale again like the rest of his skin. He scrambled to his feet. "Are you - "

    Katherine put a finger to her lips and smiled. "Please keep it a secret for me."

    "How curious!", the man''s face lit up with excitement and he grabbed her hand to shake it. All former sadness was forgotten as if a switch had been turned on, transforming the shy guy into an extrovert. "I''m Felix McGilmore, magic researcher. Can you tell me more about your magic? How exactly did you do this? Is it mending materials or time turn? Can you only use it on - "

    Quite abruptly, he broke off as he stared over Katherine''s shoulder, an expression of anxiety on his face.

    "Oh, please continue. I really want to know what you''re thinking, clutching my betrothed''s hand like this."

    The cold voice that rang out behind her felt like icy hands wandering over her spine. The Earl was angry. He had seen Katherine entering several balconies out of a corner of his eyes. It had concerned him when she didn''t come back from this one directly. But when he went over to check, he saw her cupping another man''s face through the glass door. And now this dead man was touching her elsewhere.

    The cold wrath he felt was so strong it radiated outside like a tidal wave. He couldn''t even touch a single finger of hers without fearing for her life, while this man... had to die. Eradicated from the surface of this world, with not a body left to bury. And he was still holding her hand!

    Katherine didn''t dare to turn around, but she heard his menacing steps. Fastly, she extracted her hand from the shock-frozen fingers of her counterpart. Though Nathaniel''s voice had been calm, it made her hair stand on end.

    The steps halted right behind her, near enough to let her feel his breath in her neck. A pale white hand reached out besides her. At first, she thought he''d grab the magic researcher by his collar, but the hand remained hanging open in the air.

    "Hi. I''m Katherine''s betrothed, the Earl of Hymirhall."

    She couldn''t believe he was just introducing himself in such a situation. The simplicity seemed to shake the researcher out of his shock. Automatically, he reached out for a handshake. "Hi, I''m Felix - "

    Just before their b.a.r.e hands touched, the hand of the researcher trembled and froze in action. "Hy-Hymirhall?! You are?" His pretty eyes threatened to fall out of his skull. Nathaniel smirked. As if bitten by a snake, the researcher jerked his hand back and gazed at it with terror in his eyes.

    "Too bad. You noticed too early", the Earl sighed and to everyone who didn''t see his smile, gleaming sharp like a dagger, it sounded genuinely sad. "But there is always a next time. Just continue being nice to Katherine and we''ll get even closer, alright?"

    The researcher turned as pale as a piece of paper. "E-excuse me!"

    Pressed against the railing, he slipped aside and then made a run for the door. His panic seemed ridiculously exaggerated for a simple introduction.

    Slowly, Nathaniel put his glove back on. The smile was completely gone as if it never existed. He looked gloomy instead.

    Katherine stood like a stature. She wasn''t sure what had transpired just now. Their conversation made no sense. As nice as his words were, she constantly felt a threatening presence from Nathaniel. It was still there, making the night seem darker like a black curtain blocking the starlight.

    "What did you do to chase him away?", she asked, somewhat accusing. The poor man was already crying before Nathaniel frightened him. Though she had no clue what exactly had scared Felix so much.

    Nathaniel remained quiet and stared down at her. This tiny person managed to bring him to the border of sanity. He didn''t know if he would have pulled back himself if the researcher didn''t. Though he didn''t know the person, he wanted to kill him with an intensity that was abnormal. Dangerous. Only the man''s fast retread, the panic and regret on his face managed to pacify Nathaniel enough to hold him back from hunting the coward down.

    No, before ticking out, he should ask for an explanation. But Katherine acted like she didn''t know what was wrong even though she touched another man. Was she still searching for someone else to marry? Someone who could help her archive revenge faster. How was a useless coward better than him? Should he go and kill him?

    "You better explain this to me", he said darkly.

    "You should be the one explaining!" Katherine swirled around and poked his c.h.e.s.t with her finger. "Why did you frighten him? He''s done nothing wrong!"

 Chapter 103 - Ethan

    "Do you want to marry me?"

    He kissed the tips of her fingers one by one. While bending forward, his hair fell in front of his murky brown eyes, hiding the contempt inside. It was too easy to deceive a woman in love.

    Princess Rina, the third of the thirty-seven princesses of the Dragsa-kingdom - in the number of princesses, Dragsa and the Icelands were vastly different - broke out in tears of joy. The happiness transformed her unassuming appearance with too big of a mouth and slightly protruding ears into a more pretty picture. It couldn''t exactly be called beautiful, but at the very least it had some charm.

    "Ethan!" She embraced him tightly, her snotty nose touching his neck. "Yes, yes, yes! A thousand times yes!"

    His lips twitched as he patted her back. "I''m so happy. I was a bit nervous you''d reject me."

    She blushed and teased him: "Nervous? You? That''s too much of a praise!"

    "Well, convincing your dad wasn''t an easy feat." Especially since the King was suspicious of his real motives. He knew that his daughter was neither a beauty nor overly bright. Of what use could she be to one of the highest-ranked bachelors of the kingdom? In the end, the great monarch lost to his daughter''s pleading eyes.

    After Ethan put on the betrothal ring on Rina''s finger, she exclaimed: "I need to tell my mom about this! She''ll be so excited! We''ll have a grand wedding with roses and a white pavilion. Please, can you wear a white suit? Can you? You''d be so handsome in one!"

    Ethan nodded willingly. The details of the wedding were irrelevant. He could compromise. She wouldn''t get another chance to act how she wanted afterwards. She was like an accessory he had to put on for recognition. Who would win the throne, however, would depend on his own capabilities. He wasn''t worried about this. Listening to her ramblings, he smiled lightly, his mind already on more important matters.

    Suddenly, there was silence and when he looked, Rina blinked up at him with sparking eyes.

    "Sorry, I just imagined you in a wedding dress", he lied effortlessly. "What were you saying?"

    "You!" She swatted his arm playfully. "I asked you if you want to invite someone else. Whatever, with the whole kingdom present, there should be nobody missing out."

    "Actually, there is someone", Ethan disagreed.

    "Who?" Rina knew he didn''t have many close friends. It always made her proud to have gained his favor. She felt a bit sour to not knowing someone so important to him, but also curious.

    In a second, Ethan made a decision. He''d wanted to wait, but it seemed like there was no difference anymore. Here or there, it was both dangerous. A wicked grin spread on his face. "It''s time to bring my Kitty back. She''d had enough freedom."

    Rina was stunned. This smile was something she never saw on him before, like the sun was gazing through clouds of endless thoughts. Maybe it was even happier than when she said ''yes''! Instantly, she felt jealous.

    "What kind of kitty is this?", she mumbled to herself. As a princess, she wasn''t used to sharing things, not even with pets.

    Ethan, who knew her thoughts, patted her head. "Nothing for you to worry about, my beautiful wife. I let someone else take care of her for a while, but I won''t let her forget who her real owner is. Simple as that."

    "Oh." The Princess nodded and blushed at the pet name. It didn''t sound like the two were close if he gave her away. So, there was nothing to worry about. She could accept a fluffy addition to the family if it didn''t steal her husband''s affection. Wasn''t it a bit like having their first child?

    "Alright, don''t you want to go planning with your mother?", Ethan reminded her.

    "Ah, yes! See you soon!" Eagerly, she hopped out of the room. She didn''t look graceful, but more like a mischievous goblin on pixy-hunt.

    It didn''t matter. Her soon-to-be husband was already turning his back and leaving her abode.

    Kitty. He never planned to leave her with the Earl of Hymirhall for life. Even if they married, he would have taken her back sooner or later. Of course, he knew that the Earl had his own secrets, but he didn''t expect him to suddenly travel to the capital.

    Though Katherine would try to hinder his plans if she were with him, that was only half the reason why Ethan send her away. He didn''t have the time too look after her in the eventful last weeks and she was too useful a pawn to lose by accident. He had to keep her out of the organization''s sight for now. Which was the same as keeping her away from him in the last few weeks.

    Though he knew little about the Earl''s aliment, that little was enough to deduce that it wasn''t something easy to treat. Katherine would need time for it and while it lasted, would have the best protection possible. Additionally, he believed that the Earl was smart enough to notice her worth. Thus, Katherine had been safe with him until they moved to the capital recently. Actually, Ethan was more concerned about many people knowing her secret than about her getting hurt. In the capital, too many influential people lingered. If the news of her ability spread, it would be next to impossible to take her back. At the same time, she could be targeted by the organization.

    About her bodily well-being, Ethan didn''t worry too much. Katherine couldn''t be hurt easily anyway.

    Out of curiosity, he had tested her magic a bit when they were younger. It was fascinating. Katherine''s knowledge about her magic was only the tip of her real power. The rest were his precious secrets.

    Shortly after Ethan''s father got ''mad'' Katherine had accidentally drunken a cup of tea that was specially prepared for him. The drugs inside would make anyone agitated, some acting like beasts in human skin. He still remembered how concerned he was back then. If her father, the Duke, found out that she went mad too, he would directly suspect Ethan.

    However, nothing happened. She only scolded him for letting it steep for too long. That was the start of his curiosity. The next teacup he gave her had hallucinogens added, then sleeping powder, and finally deadly poison.

    Unknowingly, she praised the poisoned tea for being especially tasty.

    Afterwards, it became a habit to him to bring a new poison whenever he visited home. Though she couldn''t heal them in others, she herself was never affected by any of them. Neither did she get ill. It was like a fortunate blessing laid on her to be always healthy and strong. Her inherent magic even accelerated her wound healing when she deliberately refrained from healing it. This resilience amazed him.

    But he couldn''t resist the temptation. It was like an addiction, nurtured over years. He wanted to see with his own eyes if an ability could really get this powerful.

    And it was. Differently from normal poison, the magical one triggered her ability stronger. Without knowing why, she glowed like half a sun. The poison couldn''t even enter her throat before she spat it out.

    "Too bitter!", she complained. "How can you call this tea?!"

    He thought he''d be annoyed to have lost, but instead there was a strange pride. That must be how a father felt when his daughter defeated him in chess. Not that he knew the feeling, Katherine always lost to him.

    The episode also made him suspect that Katherine might be not only immune to poisons but all outer influences, including magic. It wasn''t unusual for magic abilities to act differently on their owners compared to everyone else. Since her ability was reacting too wildly to it, however, he didn''t really sound it out.

    "Kitty, my Kitty", he mumbled to himself. "Should I send you a surprise?"

    There were so many things she didn''t know. He wanted to share a bit. Her time of punishment had lasted long enough.

 Chapter 104 - Pride and Anxiety

    Nathaniel narrowed his eyes. "Why? you ask me why I react like this when you met with a man alone on the balcony?"

    He swatted her hand away and advanced till her body was caught between his and the railing. "It would be so much easier putting you in a cell to visit when I feel like it. But I was nice. I took care of you when you had nothing, even when you treated me like an enemy."

    His words were spoken through gritted teeth, patience hanging on a thread. "I know this is a fake marriage, but as long as you are in this, there will be no meeting other men. Never! You are not the only person with pride. I won''t tolerate you trampling over it."

    Katherine''s eyes went wide. His accusation caught her unprepared. "You think I am cheating on you?! Do I look like someone so disloyal? Nathaniel!"

    "I know what I saw." His eyes burned holes into her head as if he wanted to see her thoughts to know why she was faking her ignorance.

    "What did you see?" Katherine was furious. She didn''t do anything wrong, she only helped! Why was she always the bad one? This wasn''t fair!

    As he remained staring down at her in silent distrust without saying a word, her temper exploded. She had enough of being wrongly accused. She would show him once and for all how wrong he was! "Did I pull him down like this?"

    She pulled on Nathaniel''s collar till he was hunched over and had to support himself on the railing in her back. Their bodies were pressed against each other, face only ten centimeters away.

    "Katherine", he warned.

    "No!" She looked like a valkyrie, her black hair dancing with the night wind and eyes filled with fighting spirit. He was right, the time for being nice was up! If he didn''t want to hear, he had to feel!

    With a harsh pull on his collar, she crashed her lips onto his.

    He had no time to shy away, noticing it only when it was too late. His heart stopped for a second.

    "Nathaniel" Her violet eyes were greedy. This wasn''t enough. He pulled back way too soon. She never knew kissing felt so good. His hand caught hers before it could touch his neck.

    "No", he mumbled absentmindedly, unknowingly copying their conversation from before. His other hand moved her head from side to side, then raised her chin up to inspect her throat. Strangely, her skin had a faint glow. No dark spots.

    "Nathaniel!" Now indignantly, she shook her head, escaping his grasp. "What are you doing?!"

    "Seeing if your brain got flatter." He couldn''t believe that she was completely fine after touching his skin. It was a miracle. He still feared to see darkness creeping down her neck. Or maybe it started eating on another part of her body? His gaze wandered to the wide dress that hid waist and legs. Should he ask her to lift it up?

    "Your brain is flat!", Katherine stomped her feet. She couldn''t look him in the eye. She kissed him! What had she been thinking to do something so stupid? To prove her loyalty? Her affection? Laughable! The only comment he had was that her brain must be flatter!

    Blinking rapidly, Katherine wiggled out of his arms and stormed off the balcony. "Idiot!"

    Nathaniel didn''t run after her. He leaned on the railing, confused and bewildered. What happened here? Why didn''t she get poisoned? Was she just lucky that the darkness was still suppressed from her last healing? But being weak normally didn''t stop the darkness from hungering after meat.

    While pondering, he unknowingly s.u.c.k.e.d his lower lip in his mouth, tasting an unusual flavor mixed with a light metallic taste. His tongue swiped over the small crack her teeth caused when he pulled away. Such a fierce seductress.

    His lids lowered. She had been like a hot flame in his arms, nearly burning him with her touch. He hadn''t felt someone''s skin for years. After the first fright was gone, his body reacted strongly to the memory.

    He couldn''t stop himself from l.i.c.k.i.n.g his upper lip to taste her once more. Over the years, he had forgotten how skin-contact felt. The real thing was so much more tempting than his memory. He felt like a starving man that just received a single bite of meat.

    "What should I do?", he whispered and gazed up to the stars. Never did it feel so difficult to back off. He didn''t even want to anymore, but he was rational enough to know that being lucky once didn''t mean that his problem was solved.

    Even worse for his crumbling will was knowing that Katherine wanted him, and only him. Her kiss was too passionate to be out of calculation. She had been caught up in emotions and was angry that he didn''t trust her. She wasn''t doing this only to marry him.

    It had been hard enough to get the ''Yours only'' out of his head and that was only a letter. Now it felt like heaven was on his fingertips but if he dared to reach out it would turn into a hellish nightmare.

    It was pure torture.

    Burying his head in his arms, Nathaniel sighed. Staying still and distanced wouldn''t work anymore. He didn''t feel distanced and she was bound to provoke him when he tried to gain his cool back. To get him to react, this stubborn woman even stopped following the social code. Kissing him was definitely breaking the unwritten rules of courtship. There were only two save ways to react: Telling her the truth, and making her hate him by other means.

    He didn''t like those options. If he took the first one, he would not only reveal that their relationship was impossible but most likely also make her realize that he was the patient and lied to her for such a long time. Or at least that both his magic ability and the patient''s poison were the same. She might hate him for that, or worse, pity him. There was a small possibility that she would refuse helping him because he lied.

    The second option wasn''t any better. If she only lost her affection for him, it was good, but as soon as she hated him enough to breach their agreement, he would be the one losing out.

    "I dug myself a pit", he grumbled in his arms. If he had trusted her in the beginning, he wouldn''t be in this predicament now. But back then he didn''t know how loyal she was.

    "You have to tell her", the shadow that had appeared behind him said.

    "I know." It was the only option. He just didn''t want to. "Sam, am I too selfish?"

    The shadow moved forwards to the railing, standing with his hands behind his back. The pose looked a bit mismatched with his dark cloak and hood on. He resembled a scholar more than his real profession. "Selfishness is human. Selflessness is also human. Most people are only generous when it doesn''t harm them or makes their friends, family or beloved happy instead, bringing them themselves benefits. So most ''selflessness'' can be counted as selfishness, too. What is really important is the harm it brings to others. Will it cause harm if you do what you want to?"

    That wasn''t a question. Each second Katherine didn''t know about his curse she was in danger. Especially now, that she dared to touch him without warning. He had to stop being selfish.

    The imagination of her flinching back whenever she was near him tortured his mind. Would she also think of him as a monster?

    "She isn''t your mother", Sam reminded him. The queen''s mind had always been unstable, even before she married into the royal family. It had only gotten worse with time.

    "I know." Still, it wouldn''t be the same. She wouldn''t look at him with the same sparkling eyes. Their one kiss would be their last. He should have indulged in it a more. The taste on his lips would soon be gone.

    But not yet.

    Suddenly, he remembered that now wasn''t the right time to tell her. "It''s her birthday soon. I don''t want to ruin it beforehand. I will... just keep this secret a little longer."

    Though Nathaniel himself already felt guilty saying that, Sam only nodded. He also didn''t want to see Nathaniel suffer. He knew that whatever Katherine decided to do after knowing, their relationship would definitely change. She might not be able to take his hand casually afterwards. "Do you want to hear about the operation?"

 Chapter 105 - Lord Orvet

    One hour before

    A cute girl in a bunny-bodysuit and white ears set on her head slipped out of Lord Orvet''s bedroom. Her n.a.k.e.d legs showed light red stripes on the backside. She seemed to know the hallway quite well for she strode confidently through the darkness of the beginning night.

    After indulging in p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e for half a day, Lord Orvet fell asleep before the sun had fully set. Another p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e slept beside him.

    The little bunny passed two guards before reaching the backdoor. Both of them were already used to seeing girls in unusual clothing wander in this direction, so they only eyed her curves lecherously before continuing their patrol.

    Though there existed a ''Lady Orvet'', she was the lady of the house in name only. After marriage, Lord Orvet treated her like a better housekeeper, making her wonder if she was too ugly or too fat for him. Lately, she wasn''t even allowed to leave the house anymore.

    The bunny opened the backdoor. On the ground laid two passed-out guards. Unsurprised, she stepped over them and left the door wide open. After she wore the beige winter coat she had dr.a.p.ed over her arm, she waved with two fingers as if waving goodbye to her client.

    As soon as the clacking of her heels vanished in the next alley, a team of five black-clothed men slipped through the backdoor. The following events were so rapid that they took hardly more than two minutes. The team sneaked inside, knocked out the guards, gave Lord Orvet a whiff if sleeping pulver added to his normal sleep and dragged him outside into a carriage. Since it wasn''t so late at night yet, there were still a bunch of carriages on the road which they used to hide their track. Besides, Lord Orvet''s white hair had already turned into a catchy red before they left through the backdoor, his fat body stuffed in white monk''s robes.

    ----

    "He will wake up soon, so Christine should have the information in a few hours", Sam finished his recount. "She can be so convincing that even I doubt I could resist for long."

    "That''s why she''s my torture master", Nathaniel mumbled. Christine was just too good in her job, creepy without even trying. "After she has it, get him hypnotized and sedated and send him back. We can''t let everybody search for him for too long."

    "Of course." Sam paused, then he suggested: "Maybe you should look for Lady Katherine, Milord? She looked quite upset."

    "How much did you see?" Even Nathaniel was unable to find his butler if Sam didn''t want to. Compared to other people though, time had made him better at feeling his presence. Maybe he was too confused before because he hadn''t noticed when Sam entered the scene.

    "I was too late to disrupt her... action, if you mean that." Sam was a bit embarrassed, partly because Katherine was showing affection so openly and partly because he missed the chance to stop her.

    Nathaniel lowered his head, his high cheekbones gaining a pink hue nobody could see in the dark. "No matter."

    Actually, he felt a bit uncomfortable that his and Katherine''s special moment had been watched, but it couldn''t be helped now anyway. His hands gripped the railing tightly. Special moment, how laughable. It could have been her death-sentence. Maybe he should search for her just to assure that there were no repercussions.

    He dismissed Sam with a small gesture. Just when he stepped through the balcony door inside, something yellow crashed against his legs.

    "Ow!" The yellow thing exclaimed as it fell on the floor, butt-first. On second look, Nathaniel recognized a little girl in a fluffy dress that let her resemble happy sunshine. Before he could react, she scrambled to her feet with a terrified look on her face and hid behind his legs. The feeling of tiny hands clutching the back of his legs was so unfamiliar that he didn''t know what to do.

    "Help me!", the little girl whispered when suddenly, a couple turned the corner.

    "Where is she?", the woman asked frantically. "How can such a small girl be so fast? You should have watched her better!"

    "There!" The man had discovered the bright dress peeking out besides Nathaniel''s legs. He rushed over and stretched out his hand to grab the girl. However, his wrist as caught in a steel grip before he could even touch the rim of her clothes. He yelped and fell to his knees as Nathaniel twisted his arm forcefully. "Bastard!"

    "What are you doing? This is our daughter!", the woman called as she followed as fast as possible with her layered dress.

    Buried in the hollow of Nathaniel''s knee, the little girl shook her head furiously and her grip got even tighter. She was trembling. Nathaniel''s face hardened, his red eyes gleaming dangerously. The woman halted in her step as the gentleman before her seemed to have turned into an awoken devil in a second. He looked like he would kill them for making the girl cry. The man on the ground gasped in pain as the enemy''s grip nearly crushed his wrist.

    One single gasp made the woman lose her resolution. Mind me, she was not a fighter and the demon in front wasn''t willing to believe her lie. She stumbled over her words. "I... We...L-let''s go!"

    Without thinking about her comrade that couldn''t simply escape from the grip, the woman turned and run back where she came from.

    "Wait!", the man screamed, but it ended in a whimper when he tried to get up and his arm was mercilessly twisted so he fell on his knees again. "Let me go, you bastard!"

    The commotion had already attracted a few curious guests. Nathaniel searched in the crowd for the General''s face and instructed: "Lock this man up. I need to have a word with him afterwards."

    Though the General didn''t know what was going on, he trusted the person he knew from the battlefield and instantly called for his subordinates to follow the order.

    When the man left his grasp, Nathaniel turned his head to the little girl behind him. She was still clutching his leg so tightly that he feared she would stumble if he moved. "Are you hurt, little one?"

    The girl shook her head, rubbing snot over his trousers. He didn''t mind. The trousers could be washed, but the girl''s anxiety wouldn''t go away so easily.

    "What''s your name?"

    Her voice was barely a whisper. "Roxie."

    Nathaniel had no experience with kids, but even he could tell that the girl was afraid to let go. Unexpectedly, she seemed to think of him as her save haven. Which was quite strange, given that he was frightening enough for her pursuers to willingly flee. However, if she continued to hang on his legs, going to find her parents would prove to be difficult.

    Unsure of what to do, he patted her red curly hair like he would by a frightened horse. "You''re save now. They are gone."

    Surprisingly, the girl let go, but just when Nathaniel thought that she realized she''d clutched on to the wrong person - another monster - she stretched out her arms. "Up!"

    He stared at her as if one would at an unknown species. Did this girl really want to -

    "Up!", she demanded again, her voice shaking, and face already warped to a pout that was close to crying if he rejected her again.

    With a sigh, he knelt down and looked her in the eyes. "You must promise me to absolutely not touch my head or neck. Else I will let you fall, okay?"

    The girl''s eyes widened in shock that even expelled the tears. "Let Roxie fall?"

    "If you touch my skin, yes." Nathaniel could hear the woman in the crowd whisper how he could be so harsh to the little girl, telling her he''d let her fall. He ignored it. Roxie also didn''t pay attention to it, biting her lip in ponder.

    Finally, she stretched out her hands again. "Up!"

    A smile spread on his face that let the woman in the crowd sigh in admiration. Their former irritation drowned in the sweetness of the picture of a handsome man lifting up a little angel girl. The contrast of her colorful dress to his black suit only made it more lovely. For a second, all single ladies wished it to be their husband lifting to their little daughter like she was a fragile treasure. Even the little angel was stunned by the handsome face.

    So, when Nathaniel suggested to look for her parents, she shamelessly shook her head and pointed at his face. "Daddy!"

 Chapter 106 - Drinking Troubles Away

    The women surrounding them clutched her c.h.e.s.ts to keep their hearts from going crazy. Some of them sighed longingly. "So cute!"

    With a frown, Nathaniel stared down on the girl as if asking her what she was planning by calling him daddy. Innocently, Roxie snuggled to his side, her eyes twinkling with delight.

    "Let''s find your real parents." Nathaniel emphasized the last two words. He didn''t plan on having a child, no matter how cute it was. However, how Roxie acted in front of him reminded him a bit of Katherine. Was she this determined and crafty as a child?

    When he started to move, the masses parted willingly for the uneven pair. Before long, he found her parents. Her mother even burst into tears when she saw her daughter. The woman shared the fine features of her daughter, but her face was thinner and less lively. If not for their resemblance, Nathaniel might have doubted the truth of their statement with the experience from before, because Roxie held onto him tightly with no intention of letting go.

    "I wanna stay with daddy", she declared. "Daddy''s cool. Roxie likes daddy."

    The real father of the girl paled and awkwardly adjusted his glasses. He knew very well that he was only a banker that married into his wife''s noble family. He couldn''t compare to Nathaniel, neither in handsomeness, nor in aura or status. Now even his own daughter preferred to call someone else daddy.

    The woman also had a sorrowful expression. "Roxie, please. We were so afraid something happened to you. Please come over here and let me hug you!"

    "No! Roxie stays with daddy!", the little girl huffed, but Nathaniel noticed that her grip had loosened and she stole sidelong glances at her parents, filled with yearning. At the same time, however, she seemed to be afraid to let go. Her small hands trembled.

    One hand supporting her body, Nathaniel used the other to ruffle her wild red hair. Quietly, he told her: "The bad guys won''t come back. You can go to your parents now. I will catch all of them, so don''t worry."

    "Catch all?", she confirmed, and her eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. "Daddy really can? Will daddy come back?"

    Solemnly like a promise, Nathaniel nodded. "I will. But you can''t call me daddy anymore. A daddy is a special position. You already have a daddy, so he will feel bad if you call me that."

    As if pondering a difficult question, Roxie knitted her nearly invisible brows and puffed up her cheeks. "But how call you?"

    Well, that was a legitimate question. He deliberated that ''Nathaniel'' might be too long a name for her to articulate properly. And he couldn''t imagine a child calling him ''Earl of Hymirhall'' or ''Lord''. That was just awkward. After a few seconds, he came up with a solution. "Nathan. You can call me Nathan. Now, go to your parents. My arm is starting to hurt."

    When he sat her down, she hesitated shortly before letting go of his shirt. While doing the first steps, she always looked back at him. In the end, however, she turned and ran into her mother''s arms.

    "Thank you!", the mother exclaimed, and embraced Roxie tightly. "Thank you for bringing my baby back!"

    "You''re welcome", Nathaniel said absentmindedly. Per coincidence he had spotted Katherine on the far other end of the room. In the split second he saw her, she had already downed half a glass of what seemed to be wine. Why the heck was she thinking drinking so much? Maybe Sam had been right to send him after her.

    "If we can do anything to show our - "

    "Sorry", he interrupted Roxie''s father when he saw Katherine reaching for another glass from the waiter. "I need to handle something over there."

    Without looking back, he left in Katherine''s direction. However, it wasn''t easy to maneuver through the dancing floor without touching anyone. Just when he turned the other way, he found himself in a group of giggling young girls that - because they were too shy to go alone - banded together to ask him with which of them he would dance.

    At first glance, he felt a headache coming. One thing was for sure though: his dances had already been reserved and he didn''t plan to dance with anyone else, even if it was to get out of a circle of thugs in ribbon dresses.

    ----

    "Flat brain", she grumbled to herself. "What kind of insult is this even? Can''t a flat brain be just as big as a round one if it''s wide enough?"

    "You should eat something before you start drinking so heavily", Lady Brandon advised and passed her a snack. Her lips twitched, but she refrained from commenting Katherine''s monologue. "Try this."

    Katherine though didn''t feel like eating. She just wanted to drink and forget about her shameless action. "Thanks, but I prefer this. Don''t worry, I can stomach quite a bit."

    She lightly shook her glass of white wine only to notice with irritation that the last time she drank wine was with Ethan. He''d always preferred the red one, while she liked white wine better. Glumly, she looked down on the glass and finally put it on the table. "You''re right, maybe I should eat something."

    Lady Icefeather had told her that someone had found the missing girl when she came downstairs again. By then, Katherine had already started her drinking spree. She had been glad the girl was found, but it didn''t alleviate her own sorrow.

    When she now came back to the women''s corner after getting a plate full of delicacies, most of them had left to dance. Even old Lady Finlay had found herself a grey-haired gentleman and their perfect dancing moves were the most enchanting ones in the ballroom. The last ones on the couches were Lady Trumpet ("No three horses are getting me on the dance floor again, I had enough broken toes from clumsy man"), the silent Lady Sherley with her son, and Lady Brandon.

    "Don''t you want to dance?", Katherine asked the latter as she sat down. She herself felt her feet itching. She didn''t dance in a long while and after the disaster outside, she wasn''t sure if Nathaniel would ask her for the promised dance. Or if she would accept it if he did.

    No, actually she would accept it anyway. It was depressing how much she longed for his attention. She was so far that she would take anything she could get and still remain greedy.

    "Not really", Lady Brandon replied. "I once liked dancing very much, but after my marriage I started hating it."

    "You are married?", Katherine asked, shaken out of her thoughts. Since she never saw or heard about a man in Lady Brandon''s life, she concluded that the latter was still single, even though she was a bit old for that.

    Lady Brandon smiled in melancholy. "I was. He died on the battlefield, too eager to prove his worth. We were married for hardly three days. The call to arms occurred in the middle of our wedding dance, so every time I dance it feels like it will happen again."

    "Oh." Katherine didn''t know what to say about that. "It must be hard on you, losing him so soon. I mean, not that losing him later would be any better, but..."

    "I know", Lady Brandon continued to smile, but sadness and a certain tranquility made her eyes look older. "It''s okay, I''m used to it. It''s already four years in the past now."

    Though Katherine was certain that being used to it was far from it being okay, she didn''t know how she could cheer up her friend besides giving her a big hug. Which was exactly what she did.

    Lady Brandon laughed lightly and ruffled her hair. "Now, now, it''s not that bad. Nothing a few glasses of wine couldn''t fix."

    "Then let''s drink! On stupid men that leave us sitting here alone!", Katherine demanded and clinked her glass against Lady Brandon''s.

    "On stupid men", Lady Brandon repeated, followed by Lady Trumpet and finally Lady Sherley, the latter with an amused glitter in her eyes. All four tipped up their glasses.

    Katherine only knew what this glitter meant when she suddenly heard a smooth voice next to her ear. "Are you that lonely without me, dear?"

    Katherine turned tomato red. Nathaniel''s breath warmed up the s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e skin on her neck. After she forced the big gulp down her throat, she asked in her sweetest tone without turning around: "Are you seeking trouble, dear Earl?"

 Chapter 107 - Dancing

    "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 had laid on. The other Ladies were watching them with amus.e.m.e.nt, but he had spoken too softly for them to hear. Still, Katherine''s face must be showing it all. He could see the redness even from behind her.

    Suddenly, he felt uncomfortable with others seeing that adorable blush of hers. Her shy side was meant for his eyes only. He sent them a sharp glare, but that only made them giggle.

    Dissatisfied, he placed the glass on a side table and circ.u.mnavigated Katherine till he stood before her. With a slight bow, he asked: "Would you give me the honor, Milady?"

    For a second or two, she just looked at his outstretched hand, then up to his face. Was this a peace offer? Even if it was, she shouldn''t directly give in. Besides, she was curious. "Won''t you end your former sentence first? Maybe it''ll decide if I want to dance or not."

    "Do you really want me to say it aloud?", Nathaniel asked back with a suggestive smile. He had no problem with complimenting her in the open, but he was sure that she had. So, he let it sound more ambiguous than it was. "Everyone will hear."

    "W-What is there even to hear?", Katherine grumbled, but hurriedly grabbed his hand. "Alright. Tell me in a minute then."

    "As you wish, Milady."

    His smile was a tad bit triumphant as he pulled her up. It irritated her, so she warned him sternly: "Don''t step on my toes, Milord."

    "As long as you don''t step on mine." Under the giggling of Lady Trumpet, he pulled her up and lead her to the dance floor.

    Though she should be used to feel the hand on her hip and the one that held hers, it was something entirely different if it was her dance teacher or Nathaniel. She had also danced with a few other men, but none had made her heart thump so loudly. Suddenly, she was nervous that she''d forget the steps.

    "Ready?", he asked, and his red eyes held hers. Why had she ever thought that the color was irritating? It was only irritating because they were so beautiful. His hand pressed hers. "Katherine?"

    She blinked and fought against the unusual shyness rising up in her. She couldn''t show her weakness in front of him. "Ready."

    He skillfully led her into the dance, his movements substituting for the music she couldn''t hear over her raging heat. For the first time she was thankful for his gloves because they hindered him from feeling how sweaty her hands were.

    It was surprisingly easy to dance with him, as if they had tried it endless times. Her teacher had always reprimanded her for fighting against the his lead on instinct, but it was different for Nathaniel. Where he led, she followed as naturally as a cloud the wind. Instead of constricted, she felt free.

    Wondering about the reason, her eyes fixed on his black shoes and slender legs in black trousers. Precise and without extra coquetry, their movements excluded a powerful kind of elegance. It seemed as natural and effortless as a jaguar taking a walk in the savannah, while she was the fearless bird swirling around him. Whenever the predator stretched out his claw, she would miss it by a hair''s breadth and spin to his other side or whirl around. Her feet were as fast as wings, swiftly brushing the floor.

    "Didn''t you want to ask me something?", the predator said in a low voice. His gaze was fixated on her. It was hard to notice anything else when her waist moved up and down under his hand. How could breathing be so seductive? The smallest motion of her flexible body was amplified in his mind, the light rubbing of textile against leather tingling in his fingertips.

    "Hm?", she answered slowly. Sunken in their movements, she didn''t notice the first song had passed already. She looked up. Their bodies were in a half-embrace, waiting for the violins to set in again. The smoldering glow in his eyes warmed up her face.

    "I..." She wetted her lips, searching her dazed brain for what happened before. His grip on her hip tightened before it turned lighter again. "What do you... like about me? You didn''t say it clearly."

    "Are you fishing for compliments, Milady?", he teased lightly, only because he wanted to see her blush again. It worked. Before it could turn into annoyance, he continued: "After this song, I guess I can add ''dancing skills'' to the list of what I like."

    "Adding to what?" It took all her courage to ask, and she couldn''t look him in the eye. Nonetheless, she wanted to know. What was it he liked about her? Did he like her the same as she him?

    His head bowed low, he took in her scent of fresh water and roses. It made him feel light in the head. And so, he whispered something he knew he shouldn''t. "You. Adding to you."

    "What?" Just when he started talking, the music had set in again, drowning out his breezy voice. "What did you say?"

    "Nothing." As soon as he said it, he turned back to the cold Earl with an air of arrogance. He himself didn''t know if he had planned the timing so that she wouldn''t hear. It was impossible between them anyway. "I just said I like your fire. But you should use it elsewhere or you will go up in flames."

    "Go up in flames", she repeated in a grumble, but cooperated with him as he started to move again. "Why do you always say things like that?"

    "Like what?"

    "Like ''I will kill you if you get closer''. Nobody will like you anymore if you say such things."

    "Perhaps I want nobody to like me. And perhaps it''s the truth", Nathaniel gave an vague answer. His face was unreadable.

    "It''s not! I..." ''I kissed you and am still alive'', she had wanted to say, but closed her mouth without ending the sentence. It was too embarrassing.

    However, Nathaniel seemed to have understood, as he voiced sharply: "That was a blunder. It probably won''t happen again. You also wouldn''t want it to."

    "How do you know that I don''t want it?!", she exclaimed, then her eyes widened, and she stumbled over her words. "Th-though I of course don''t!"

    Nathaniel''s lips pressed together tightly. He was somewhere between laughing at her obviousness and screaming his frustration out loud. "You better not."

 Chapter 108 - No Secrets

    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 b.a.r.e hand to the researcher, but the results were more than worrying.

    "Felix? In the organization?" Katherine''s eyes went wide. "But he''s such a nice guy!"

    That she was calling this man on first-name basis, did nothing to brighten up Nathaniel''s mood. His lips curled down, giving a stern image. "That doesn''t amount to anything. Did he tell you what he''s researching on?"

    She shook her head. "He just told me he was curious about my ability."

    Nathaniel halted in his step so abruptly that she felt the pull on her waist. "You told him?"

    "He was wounded." To Katherine, it was a natural to help when she could. But gazing up at Nathaniel, she saw that he had his stony facade back on. "What? Am I not allowed to help?"

    Noticing her annoyed tone, Nathaniel fully turned to her, placing his hands on both of her sides. "Whatever I said before, I don''t want to put you in a cell. I don''t want to restrict your freedom more than necessary."

    Too close, Katherine thought. His fragrance of coffee and firewood entered her nose. Instinctively, her hands landed on his c.h.e.s.t to keep the distance. Then she raised her chin provocatively. "But?"

    Nathaniel held her gaze firmly. "It''s a bit inconvenient. Your ability is more useful if it''s kept a secret."

    Katherine''s stomach turned. Keeping it a secret? Again? Her hands fell down weakly. The man before her suddenly had brown hair and murky brown eyes. With a finger on his smiling lips, he said: "It''s our little secret, Kitty. Don''t talk about it."

    "No", she whispered and backed away. "No, not again! I won''t keep it a secret again!"

    With a fast turn, she struggled free and ran out of the ballroom, uncaring for the disapproving gazes of the aristocrats.

    "Katherine!" The change happened so fast that Nathaniel didn''t manage to grab her in time. Her sudden paleness alarmed him, but even worse was that gaze. She had looked at him as if he was a monster, shocking him to the core.

    However, now that she was running away, it wasn''t the time to care about his own emotions. He never saw her like this before, as if she was truly scared. In a hurry, he followed her outside only to see her enter one of the public carriages.

    "Katherine, wait!"

    She didn''t look back once. Before he could reach her, the driver flicked the reins and the horses started to run.

    With a curse, Nathaniel jumped into the next carriage and instructed it to follow her. However, before it could do so, the palace guards that had been following him in secret, blocked the road. "Stop! You can''t go without company!"

    "Then come in, damn it!", he yelled back and kicked the door open. They strolled in willingly, but with the loss of time and the additional weight, the horses couldn''t compare to the ones of Katherine''s carriage. After a few turns, they lost sight of her.

    The Earl''s eyes were murderous as he looked back at the guards. "If I don''t find her in the palace when we reach there, you two are dead meat."

    He didn''t know where else she could go.

    The King of the Icelands, William Icefall, rested his chin on his hands and watched the birds searching for food in between the hydrangea bushes. They chirped happily and hopped here and there, hitting the ground with their sharp beaks. If his only worry would be where to get food and build a warm nest, the King would also be happy. Unfortunately, life wasn''t so simple.

    He closed his eyes when he heard footsteps behind him. Since he sat in her territory, she was supposed to find him. He only regretted that he couldn''t watch the birds in peace a bit longer.

    "What are you doing here?" Her voice was shrill like a knife scratching a plate. "You have no right to be here after - "

    "I have every right I need. I am the King.", he reminded her, already exhausted without her doing anything.

    She clicked her tongue. "You are a pest, that''s what you are."

    "I take that as a compliment." When he was young, he thought being a king was an honor, something to long for. In reality however, it was a hassle. "Sit down, Layla, it will take some time."

    As she followed the command unwillingly, her movements spoke of the strict etiquette in her childhood. She was enraged, but she didn''t forget to brush her black hair back with an airy gesture. "I hope you come to tell me that you will ban this monster again. Or even better, kill him."

    "He isn''t a monster. I won''t deny that he''s dangerous, but he has done very much for the kingdom." They had this discussion so many times that he only needed to pick one of the repetitive answers now. It was boring, so he changed the topic to his main purpose. "Your head servant was found guilty of attacking a noble. I hope you can give me an answer."

    The Queen of the Icelands blinked, making her snake green eyes vanish behind long lashes for a second. "What a dumb girl. But I can''t understand what her idiocy has to do with me."

    "She is your head servant."

    "She goes her own ways, that''s why I need to punish her sometimes." The Queen''s gaze wandered to the ceiling of the golden pavilion, uncaring for the torturous questioning her servant might be going through right now. The toy was already broken, completely so when she had taken one of her eyes. Who could use a servant with only one eye left? She was already useless before. But maybe she should intervene to show that she wasn''t easy to bully. "Who did she attack anyway?"

    The King scrutinized her slowly. Because he knew how crazy she was, he sometimes forgot that she could also be smart and cunning. Her acting skills made the nobles believe in her as a benevolent mother figure, even though she didn''t originate from the Icelands. He couldn''t say for sure if her ignorance was only a disguise.

    "Nathaniel."

    Watching her closely, he saw the twitching of her delicate hands as well as the dangerous glare flashing through her eyes. Hate was too simple a word for this. She was craving for his downfall, but she also knew that it wouldn''t come easily. "Did he die?"

    "No."

    There was a short silence after the word as the Queen tried hard to control her emotions. Then she sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Such a disappointment. She should have at least planned it thoroughly."

    "Do you still deny your involvement in this?", the King asked and tapped on the table with his long fingers. "We are husband and wife, you shouldn''t keep secrets from me."

    The Queen laughed, but there was only venom in it. "Husband and wife? Don''t forget that I was the Queen even before marrying you. I only took you in because she suggested it. She didn''t want us to fight."

    The King sighed again. "You didn''t have enough support from the nobles back then. They would have killed you both. I also couldn''t have stopped them. So, don''t talk like I owe you a favor. If I did, I''ve paid it back several times by now. I always respected you and treated you well."

    The face of the Queen contorted. "Respected me? Was that what you did when you f.u.c.k.e.d that bitch?"

 Chapter 109 - Where Else?

    "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 f.u.c.k.e.d 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 her and stood up. "Just one more thing: should I find out you are working with Loki, I won''t care about our agreement. I will kill you with my own two hands."

    His silver coat floating behind him, the King marched out of the flower garden. The Queen took a few seconds to digest his words, before fury overwhelmed the surprise. She grabbed the flowerpot on the table and threw it after his retreating figure. "As if I would work with them! Killers! Butchers! Come back so I can -- "

    Her last words drowned in the noise of destruction as she wreaked havoc in the golden pavilion under the morning sun. The King didn''t gaze back once, but only sighed in relieve. "Good to know you didn''t lose your last strand of rationality."

    With this matter settled, his attention wandered to the girl Nathaniel claimed to be his betrothed. At first, he didn''t pay it much attention because he thought it was impossible. The King knew that Lady Balder was a healer, so he was positive that this was a fake betrothal.

    However, his last intel made up a knew possibility. Nathaniel might really have feelings for this girl. If so, he should have a better look at her. In the unlikely case that she was willing to live in a platonic relationship with a powder keg, he as the King would support this marriage. For his contributions to the kingdom, Nathaniel deserved what little happiness he could find.

    ----

    When Nathaniel got back in the evening, Katherine had locked herself in her room, with Hazel blocking every and all visitors. It was more than surprising how this formerly shy girl glared at him, the mighty Earl, when it was for the sake if her Lady. The whole night long, she''d kept the door to Katherine''s chambers tightly locked, only peeking out her head a few times to try to shoo him away.

    Such as right now, where the sun had risen again, and he still stood in the corridor with his back leaned against the wall.

    When she stretched her red head out, she looked at him with a frown. A sleepless night had drawn dark circles under his eyes, making him look even more like a demon.

    "Her Holy - uh, Ladyship isn''t feeling well. She still doesn''t want to be bothered", she stumbled over her words, looking only at his feet, before hurriedly closing the door again. However, before it could shut completely, a hand landed on the wood beside her face.

    "''Bothered'' you say? Don''t you think I am bothered, standing here all night?" Without much effort, the Earl forced the door open. Gasping, Hazel let go. "Milord, that is - "

    "I don''t care." He glared at her. His patience was limited. He sauntered through the anteroom as if it was his own and crisply knocked on the bedroom door. "Get ready, Katherine. I''ll come in now."

    "Milord, no!" When Hazel tried to stop him, he pushed her back lightly and entered the room. The curtains were closed, dimming the light. Since the chairs where empty, his gaze wandered to the poster bed. Black hair laid on the pillow motionlessly. Was she asleep? He furrowed his brows. Why was she allowed to sleep while he was worried about her? Was she so angry that she deliberately left him standing there all night?

    When he walked over, he was prepared to pull the blanked back and shock her awake. An angry Katherine was always better than the silent treatment he was getting right now. However, when he reached out his hand, he noticed that the thing on the pillow was a black rabbit.

    Nathaniel halted. The blanked laid flat on the bed. No Katherine. A dangerous glitter entered his eyes as he turned to Hazel. "Where is she?"

    Her green eyes on the floor, Hazel bit her lip nervously and fumbled with her dress. She didn''t say a word.

    Menacingly, Nathaniel walked closer. With every step he took, Hazel felt a thump of anxiety in her c.h.e.s.t. Like a god of slaughter, he was staring down at her with his red eyes full of anger. Compared to him, she was the tiny bug that annoyed him the whole night and then even dared to bite him. His benevolence was used up. Betrayal was one of the things he hated the most. "Where. Is. She?"

    A whimper escaped Hazel''s mouth as she stumbled backwards until her back hit the wall.

    "Tell me where!", he demanded and halted right in front of her. "Tell me. Last chance."

    However, the maid shook her head frantically and bit her lips till they bled, only so she wouldn''t say a word about her Lady. Then tears started streaming down her cheeks.

    As Nathaniel looked at her unsightly appearance, all will to punish her suddenly left him and he was disgusted by himself. In the end, the maid was only doing her all to follow her Lady''s orders. In another situation he would have praised her for that inwardly. It was only because he was the one that was targeted by her action that he was so annoyed.

    Why would Katherine feel the need to exclude him and even run away? He couldn''t understand. He only suggested that it was better to keep her ability a secret, he never said he wouldn''t respect her decision if she didn''t want it to be handled like this.

    Silently, he distanced himself from the crying maid and inspected Katherine''s chambers. Maybe she left something behind that could point at her whereabouts. However, he was sure she didn''t know anybody else in the city well enough to stay at their place. Furthermore, according to the guards in front of her chambers, she was really here before. When she reached here, there were only two hours left before curfew. Too little time to pack up and leave the city. But where else could she have gone to? And did she leave through the window to not be seen by the palace guards and Pete, whom she knew would report back to him?

    A fear that he couldn''t admit grew in his heart. She wouldn''t have left him, would she? Run away to never come back? But what did he say that deserved this treatment? Maybe he shouldn''t have said that he''d kill her if she got close, even though it was the truth. Maybe, when she knew how much he felt for her...

    He halted and rubbed his palms over his face. What was he thinking? It wouldn''t change anything if he did that. When he told her the truth, she would still run away like she did now. He would lose her sooner or later.

    But it didn''t have to be now. He never thought of losing her right now.

    The heaviness in his c.h.e.s.t was nearly unbearable.

 Chapter 110 - Color

    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 injured for a few hours, she had exhausted herself so much that she fell asleep standing, making another helper jump forward to catch her before she hit the floor. "Careful!"

    Katherine woke up again from the shout, just long enough to reach the next chair and drink a glass of water. Then she slept deeply, ignorant of the people streaming in and out of the hospital she was staying at.

    Suddenly, someone shook her shoulders. When she blinked her eyes slowly, she saw a Lady with a horse-face. "You have to come with me. There was an accident in the OP. You are the only one who can save them."

    Half asleep, Katherine got pulled through several corridors, doors and doors rushing by as they ran deeper into the hospital. In her groggy mind, Katherine had the imagination that they entered a different building. The corridor was so long that she couldn''t imagine how it would fit in one building alone.

    "We''re here."

    She got shoved into a tiny operating room, white without windows. The bed in the middle was flooded with blood. A pale woman struggled for breath. Between her t.h.i.g.hs stood a doctor with a bloodied bundle in his arms.

    As Katherine wanted to rush towards the woman, the horse-faced Lady held her back. "The baby! Treat the baby first!"

    Automatically, Katherine turned to the doctor. The skin of the baby was blue under smears of the woman''s blood. They laid it into her arms. Her figure started to glow as Katherine called for her innate power. However, when she tried to channel it into the baby''s body, there was something that resisted. The baby was barely alive, but something in his body fought against her invasion. It felt like the times she treated the patient.

    "Poison!", she called out. "There is poison in it''s body!"

    But even though she felt that, there were no black veins, no outer signs of the poisoning besides the baby refusing to breathe. A hand clutched her shoulder like a claw. "Fight it! You have to save the baby! Fight for it!"

    Katherine gritted her teeth and pushed against the power that had set foot in the infant. She had to at least free his vital points from the poison. However, the more she pushed the power away from the tiny heart beating weakly under her fingertips, the more power seemed to stream in.

    It was like fighting against a flood in the middle of the water. All her attempts were useless and only accelerated the spread of the poison inside the baby.

    "A cut! Make a cut in the skin! Hurry!", she urged the staff and closed her eyes to concentrate. The power inside the tiny body seemed to multiply by the second. It pushed her outside instead of the opposite. Suddenly, she wasn''t able to enter the body anymore.

    As she opened her eyes in shock, she saw... a whirlwind of colors. The baby''s skin had transformed into a moving painting of saturated colors that were oozing out of it''s body like a dreamy haze. Surprised, she nearly let it fall. She wondered if she never woke up, if she was still in a dream. The dizziness brought about by her power use felt very real. Her power was fighting desperately against the haze of colors that kept expanding.

    "Let go!"

    Someone pulled her arms back, just as the colors started to crawl on her skin. The glow of her own magic power was exhausted. However, she couldn''t worry about that now. Not when the bundle of colors levitated in the air. At some time, the linings of the baby had vanished, leaving only a blob of colors that expanded like a small nebula in the room. Then, in the middle of the nebula, the colors mixed, turning to black, no, into a hole. Katherine tried hard to keep her lids from falling. Her body leaned weakly against the person behind her, but she couldn''t avert her gaze from the spectacle in front. There was something on the other end of the hole. What was this? What -

    Suddenly, the expansion stopped. Then, in a fraction of the time it took to form, the colors got s.u.c.k.e.d into the hole and the hole... vanished on the spot.

    "No!", she heard someone scream. "No! We nearly - "

    Katherine''s brain shut down and her eyes fell close.

    ----

    With clenched teeth, Nathaniel tried to suppress the panic inside him. Katherine was nowhere to be found. Not at the location of the banquet, not with Lady Brandon, not in any of the Inns inside the city. And no guard or personnel saw her leave the palace.

    As his steps neared the throne hall, he hoped for there to be another conclusion. He didn''t want to write her name on the list of disappearances. He couldn''t lose her. She was essential for his plan, his health, his -

    Like the first time, he didn''t knock when he strolled inside. Knocking meant respect, and that king didn''t deserve it. Maybe from his subjects, whom he treated like precious glass figures, but not from him.

    Unsurprisingly, the king was in a meeting. It was with the Crown Prince alone this time. Their combined gazes of blue and grey made him halt in his step. The irony couldn''t help but spill over. "What a peaceful family meeting."

    Strolling over, he glanced at the map on the table between them. "The Renat Kingdom? Well, I guess it is the right time for this, decimated as they are. However, my business is more serious than this."

    "More serious than a war? I doubt that", The Crown Prince assessed as he rolled up the map. Obviously, he didn''t want Nathaniel to see their exact plans.

    Nathaniel spared him a glance filled with ridicule. At the state the Renat Kingdom was in right now, it would fall with a little push. That were the kinds of victories his brother specialized in, the ones that were served on a silver platter. They didn''t even need much discussion. As for why they were so easy? That was mostly Nathaniel''s credit.

    Nathaniel turned to the King. "Make your dog leave. I''ve got no time to play with him."

    The Crown Prince stilled in action, while the King glared at Nathaniel. "Don''t you speak about him like this!"

    "Why? Afraid he can''t stomach the truth? That''s not my business."

    "You two are still brothers!"

    "His sister made pretty clear that this isn''t the case. And you know they would never stand on opposing sides", Nathaniel rebuked, his voice strain to not scream out loud. There was no time for this discussion!

    When the king opened his mouth in response, a sharp noise cut him short. The Crown Prince Emilian had slammed his hand on the table. "Is this really necessary?"

    When the opponents looked at him, he continued: "Father, Nathaniel is right. I am not his brother. However", he glared at Nathaniel, "that doesn''t mean we shouldn''t treat each other with the respect we deserve. Now, excuse me."

    The map in hand and with a straight back, Emilian left the throne hall.

 Chapter 111 - The Broken Beauty

    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 and furrowed his brows. "Even if she is not in her chambers, she can only be inside this ring. Every carriage gets checked before it enters or exits this ring."

    "Every carriage?", Nathaniel repeated. "I remember there being some exceptions. The Queen, for example."

    "Oh, but I don''t think Layla would do that. What would she gain by - Stop! Nathaniel! You promised me you wouldn''t go searching for her!" But the folding doors had already closed behind Nathaniel''s back. The King sighed and pressed his temples. He knew he couldn''t stop Nathaniel unless he told him where Katherine really was, of which he had no idea. Looked like he needed to search for her. Hopefully he could find her before Nathaniel and his wife killed each other.

    ----

    He should have directly gone to her, Nathaniel thought grimly. Who else had reason to anger him deliberately? Her warning had been clear. If he didn''t leave, she would do the same to Katherine as she had done to the rabbit. Of course, it was also a perfect trap to bring him to her. He just didn''t believe Katherine could be kidnapped so easily.

    His steps echoed through the hallways. Suddenly, he halted. "You are still here?"

    "My meeting with father wasn''t over", the Crown Prince answered simply.

    "Why are you following me then?" Nathaniel''s impatience showed in the stiffness of his back and his stony face.

    The Prince slowly walked in front of him. They had the same high, the Prince''s shoulders a bit broader, his countenance darker. Despite this, he was the one that seemed more lifeless, like there was a deep apathy in the depth of his soul. His voice as tranquil as a still lake when he said: "This isn''t a direction you should be going in. I wanted to kindly remind you to not stroll too far from your accommodation inside the palace."

    "Mind your own business." Nathaniel narrowed his eyes dangerously. However, it didn''t seem to affect the Prince.

    "My mother is my business. Would you kindly - "

    With no regard to the Prince''s feelings, Nathaniel stepped around him. The action was very sudden, but just as sudden was the noise of something scratching against metal.

    Nathaniel had narrowly deflected the Prince''s ice-dagger aiming for his waist with the bracelet on his arm. When he turned with a dangerous gleam in his eyes, the guards had already reached them. For a second Nathaniel deliberated if he should punch the Prince regardless, but the latter seemed to only wait for it. The ice-dagger had vanished as the Prince had dissolved his magic. If Nathaniel so much as hurt a hair on the Emilian''s head, he would be brought to trial. Which meant that he couldn''t search for Katherine anymore, much less go and see the Queen.

    With a sneer, Nathaniel pulled back before the guards could try to separate them. When they saw that he didn''t hurt the Prince, they let him go.

    "Earl", Emilian called after him, "I will take you into account if she gets unstable afterwards! Remember that!"

    Nathaniel didn''t answer. He wouldn''t take responsibility for something that was already broken. Especially not when she was deliberately provoking him.

    As Nathaniel took a step inside, the illusion faded. Instead, there was a servant in beige uniform, watering the flowers with mechanic movements. A wry smile formed on Nathaniel''s lips. He should call himself lucky that he even got this tiny glimpse at his aunt. Not that he deserved it.

    Slowly, he wandered in between the bushes, searching for the apple tree in the middle. However, he couldn''t find it. Where it stood before was only a golden pavilion now, gleaming in the sun as if it wanted to burn people''s eyes. Unsightly.

    What change his mother had brought to the city, it seemed blasphemous that she even exerted it here, in what once was the most beloved place of his aunt. The corners of his mouth turned down grimly. There was nothing holy in front of his mother. It wouldn''t surprise him anymore if she made a verdict to burn down Skadi''s temples and replace them with her own figure. But why was she residing in this place instead of her old territory? It was like showing off her superiority.

    Suddenly, he heard something crashing. As he looked over, he saw the water can on the ground and the back of the servant, running away as fast as she could. Obviously, she didn''t want to be here when Nathaniel and the Queen clashed. Understandable, Nathaniel thought.

    At the entrance to the pavilion, he took a deep breath. That was when he heard the melody. It was the soft tune of a harp, filled with longing and sadness. For a second, he was confused. Where was it coming from?

    Then he saw the figure of a woman in the middle of the pavilion, her head lowered and c.a.r.e.s.sing the strings as if in a trance. Her green dress rippled like the sea on the white marble floor, the gold bracelets on her caramel brown arms sometimes tinkling when she moved her hands.

    Every word he wanted to say fell out of his head as he stared at his mother''s back. Though apart for almost two decades, he recognized her instantly. She didn''t change much outwardly. He didn''t know she could play the harp. But now that he thought about it, a blurry memory resurfaced. It was buried in his earliest childhood. The sound of the harp and a woman''s voice that lulled him to sleep.

    He always thought it was one of the servants playing back then. Never did he think of his mother, the woman who hated him the most. But that was later. Maybe she did love him once, before all of this happened. Before she labeled him as monster.

    Silently, he listened to the melody. He didn''t know the song, but he could feel the emotions behind. It was a longing for the unreachable, waiting for a love that was lost and never to be found again. He could never gain this woman''s love.

 Chapter 112 - Stalemate

    "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 c.h.e.s.t 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? Where did you bring her?"

    She bent backwards, trying hard to escape his hands, even though they were wrapped in leather. Her fingers scratched over his sleeves, and the eyes rolled like those of a frightened horse.

    "Where?", he repeated, and shook her harshly, but she didn''t even try to answer. All she did was gasp for air and push against his c.h.e.s.t. However, her weak body was helpless in front of him. Was this really the same woman who sent him dead rats and threatening letters? Was she always this weak? He couldn''t believe it!

    The sound of footsteps foretold the guards arrival. But Nathaniel wouldn''t leave until he got what he wanted. He pulled her head back so that she had to look him in the eyes, though disgust for her whole being nearly made him throw up. "Katherine! Tell me where you brought her!"

    "I - where - "

    "Let go of her Majesty!", the first guard to enter the pavilion bellowed, and pointed his sword at him.

    "Stay where you are, or I will kill her", Nathaniel answered in a growl. He pulled her before him and his grip changed so that he could break her neck in less than a second. The Queen trembled. It was ironic how she believed his words more than the guards even though she knew their relationship. Only for her ears, he whispered: "Tell me and you will live."

    The guards halted. "You won''t leave the palace in one piece if you kill her Majesty! Let go of her now!"

    "I doubt that." His voice was cold and detached. There was not an inkling of fear in him. Instead, he felt a recklessness he knew from his younger years when he fought with nothing to lose. Now it was different though: His goal was in his reach, not a far-away dream. But this goal needed Katherine. Without her, his life was as good as worthless. "You can''t hold me."

    While the guards hesitated how to deal with him, he quietly set an ultimatum. "You''ve got three seconds, mother. Tell me where she is or what you fear the most will happen. One."

    Life returned to the Queen''s body as she started struggling again. Her elbow hit his stomach, but he only held her tighter. "Two."

    "I don''t know, I don''t know!" The anxiety turned her pitch higher. Her movements didn''t stop. She was acting like the madwoman she was, only at the opposite end of the scale Nathaniel expected. He thought she would overflow with murderous intent. "Don''t hurt my children! They did nothing to you! Please don''t hurt them!"

    As if her words were electricity, Nathaniel shuddered, his face twisting into a grimace. "What the heck do you think I am?"

    He felt an intense bout of jealousy for his younger siblings who were so dear to her. Was it really only his magic ability why he was treated so differently? Though they were on opposing sides, he never planned to kill his siblings, just because of the simple fact that they shared the same blood. How did his mother get the horrible idea that he would kill them? The discrepancy in her treatment to her children wasn''t logically explainable. Maybe that was what it meant to be mad.

    "Fine", he said before she could answer. "Maybe you are telling the truth. But tell me: Who else besides you has reason to kidnap my betrothed out of her chambers? Who has the possibilities to hide her or bring her out of the palace'' buildings unseen? I don''t know anyone besides you who has reasons to do so."

    His calm after he threatened her so harshly obviously confused the Queen, for she stopped struggling. "I - I don''t know. But it wasn''t me!"

    "I remember there are four other people who can come and go as they please in the palace. Aston surely wouldn''t take away my betrothed without informing me", he pondered loudly. It wasn''t that he suspected someone precisely after she was out of the picture, but he wanted to see what else she knew. And for that, he needed to pressure her. "The King also has no reason to hide her. But Emilian... do you know he tried to stop me when I went here? Isn''t that suspicious? He would do everything for you, wouldn''t he? Even things you yourself don''t know about."

    He could feel her gulping. "No, he wouldn''t. He has no reason to - "

    "And your daughter?", he interrupted her. "Where is she now? She invited my betrothed before. Wouldn''t it be easy for her to get Katherine''s trust and lead her away?"

    "She - they -" Slowly, the anxiety subsided the longer the situation lasted without anything happening. The Queen realized that with Nathaniel''s hypothesis - that it was someone of the four royals who kidnaped Katherine - there were only the possibilities of her children and her. But why was he so focused on only them? "There has to be someone else behind it! Anyone could try to bribe the guards! I - I heard your uncle left the palace shortly before morning. Your little girl has to be in his carriage!"

    A cold smile curled up Nathaniel''s mouth. "My uncle? Well, I guess he really has a reason to hate me. Still, he is one of the most peaceful souls I know. He wouldn''t involve an innocent."

    "Then it''s a servant! It''s always the servant, isn''t it? They brought her outside for someone else who has a feud with her. My children got nothing to do with it!" She talked rapidly, almost yelling it all in one breath. When he didn''t react and didn''t scold her, her tone got more vicious. "Or she just ran away herself. She saw your true colors and ran away to save herself!"

    Before he could stop himself, he trew her against the wall and clutched her throat with his fingers. All the hate, anger and pain he endured over the years exploded with her last sentence. Her words mirrored the fear he held in his heart, making it unbearable. He gnashed his teeth, the face twisted into that of a demon''s. "Don''t compare her with the likes of you!"

    He heard the screams of the guards behind him, but at this moment he couldn''t care less.

 Chapter 113 - Support

    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 the row of stunned guards. Then one of them gritted his teeth and bellowed: "Revolt! They are revolting! Save the Queen!"

    Again the guards attacked, and Aston had trouble protecting himself and Nathaniel from the four of them that fitted into the small pavilion. Outside, another seven guards stood, waiting for their turn.

    "Dogshit!", Aston cursed when one of the blows cut off a strand of his blonde hair and left a scratch on his pretty-boy-face. "Nathan, let the Queen go! Help me!"

    When his brother didn''t react and he narrowly blocked another attack coming for him, he yelled: "I''m dying! Help!"

    The Queen''s face turned blue. Her fingers scratched the hands that held her neck, but she felt more triumph than pain. She was sure that if she got killed, the king would finally see how wrong he was about that monster in front of her. Even if the guards didn''t manage to kill it, it would be chased till it died. And her children would be in peace. Finally, the body of her oldest son wouldn''t be possessed by this demon anymore! A crazy happiness curled up her mouth till it looked like she was soundlessly laughing out loud.

    Meanwhile, Nathaniel broke out of his hatred thanks to Aston''s shouts. As he gazed at the hands on his mother''s neck, rationality and regret fought with the wish to end the pain she caused once and for all. She was a madwomen not suited for ruling a country, a madwoman who tortured him for over a decade. It would be so easy.

    But wouldn''t it show that she was in the right? That he really was a monster that could strangle its own mother in cold blood?

    With a sneer, he let go and grabbed her wrists instead.

    "Catch!" He hurled her towards the guard on the side, who with a curse let his sword fall to catch his Queen. The other three also halted their attacks, but eyed Nathaniel and Aston warily. It was not that they were letting them go, as the seven other guards already surrounded the pavilion and blocked every exit. They waited for their Queen to recover and give them commands.

    Aston, who had only defended himself, didn''t lower his weapon as he sidestepped to give Nathaniel more room. Gazing at the Queen, who was struggling to breathe, he asked: "Are you sure that was a good idea?"

    "Didn''t you say to let her go?", Nathaniel asked back with a poker face. His gaze also laid on the Queen, but his thoughts were hidden behind a mask of indifference. "Give me your weapon."

    "My weapon? But I only got one sword!" Though he trusted his brother with his life, Aston was still a bit reluctant to give up his only bigger weapon when there were so many enemies around them.

    Nathaniel threw him an annoyed glare. "You are an ice-mage. Build yourself another one, or you can fight alone."

    "Ah, right!", Aston laughed nervously. He only now realized that Nathaniel didn''t have his own sword with him since he was just a guest in the palace. He might have daggers, but even they were actually forbidden property in here. "Here, here, please take my sword. I can go without one, really, no problem!"

    As the sword changed the holder, the Queen finally regained a bit of her vitality and pointed a trembling finger at them, the other hand clutched over her throat. "K-kill him!"

    The guard''s postures tensed, but they didn''t attack directly. Mind me, the Queen''s trembling made it impossible to see at whom she was pointing. Still, they moved closer to the offenders like crouching tigers going for a kill.

    Only the one who caught the Queen remained to support her. With a subserviently lowered head, he asked: "Which one do you want us to kill for you, my Queen?"

    Most of the guards shifted nervously. Even with the command of the Queen, it would be a sacrilege to kill a prince of their kingdom. On the other hand, said prince just defended someone who tried to kill the Queen, making him an accomplice of a rebel, and effectively turning him into a rebel, too.

    However, it seemed they didn''t need to worry.

    "The monster!", the Queen uttered, and this time her finger clearly pointed at Nathaniel. "Kill him, hurry!"

    "You heard the Queen!", the one beside her shouted. "Kill the rebel! Kill the Earl of Hymirhall!"

    With more vigor than before, they stormed forward. The one who held the Queen lifted her up in his arms. Under her weak protests, she was brought out of the danger zone. The guard felt like a lucky bastard when he carried her. He always admired the Queen''s beauty and charm. Being so near to her now made him delirious.

    The happiness of the guards didn''t last long. Fighting one-against-four was a huge difference from two-against-four. The team made up of two brothers had an admirable coordination. When the first batch of guards was defeated, Aston laughed and pushed up his sleeves. "Next! C''mon, you can''t all be such weaklings!"

    "They aren''t even fighting you for real. Don''t get ahead of yourself", Nathaniel grumbled. The one the guards wanted to kill was him after all. And he felt his power dwindling rapidly, even though he thought he was nearly recovered now. Maybe it was because of the tension before.

    The next batch of guards taught Aston a lesson. Seeing their comrades bleed on the floor and the opponents laughing, raised their anger to the next level. They fought their Prince with gritted teeth and managed to injure his upper left arm deeply. Aston couldn''t hold up the ice shied anymore and dispersed it. Just at this moment, an arrow flew in through the window, aiming for the back of Nathaniel''s head.

    "Careful!", Aston screamed, but neither he nor Nathaniel were fast enough. The arrow had a frightening speed as it hurled towards Nathaniel''s head. He didn''t have the time to avoid, couldn''t even see the danger behind him. Even if he called for his dark magic, it would be too late.

    Pling!

    Ten centimeters before Nathaniel''s head, the arrow was hit by another flying object and strayed off its path. Then it buried itself deeply in the wall of the pavilion. The pair was relieved, but had no time to think about it when the guards attacked again. Tentatively, they fought against their foes, only to realize that there were no guards following up when they fell. An eerie silence laid over the flower garden.

    Cautiously, Aston and Nathaniel stepped over the bodies onto the green grass. The sun shone brightly from above. The three other guards - two of them with a bow in hand - , and the Queen were knocked out without any obvious signs of outer influence. Suddenly, a figure in black stepped forward and bowed lightly. "Milord, we found Lady Katherine. She is with the merchants of the Golden Cauldron outside the city walls."

 Chapter 114 - Dreamers

    "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 exhaustion was strange. However, he couldn''t find another reason for leaving him out like this. She could have at least written a notice if she didn''t want to talk to him. He just couldn''t get the memory of her gaze full of anxiety out of his mind.

    With a sigh, he rubbed his temples to lessen the headache caused by worry and lack of sleep. Regardless of the reason, as long as Katherine was in a vulnerable state as just now, there was no question what needed to be done. She could chide him afterwards however much she wanted.

    "Bring her back to the palace", Nathaniel demanded. He needed to see her right this instant to make sure she was alright. The anxiety from losing sight of her still lingered. Only by his side could he be sure of her safety. The feeling was irrational but too strong to ignore.

    "Yes, Milord. However..." Sam''s gaze turned to the entrances of the garden. People were faintly visible, walking in their direction from all sides. They marched in teams, but they didn''t wear the usual guard uniform of the palace. Instead they wore the red of the personal enforcers of the king.

    Nathaniel sighed. "Let them be mine to worry about."

    "So cool", Aston murmured and rubbed his hands together. "What? I meant my ice. It''s the coolest in the world!"

    Nathaniel uttered only one word to answer this bad joke: "Idiot."

    ----

    Another failure. Another tiny adjustment. He was sure he was getting closer to the solution, it was right on his fingertips. He didn''t want to make too big steps, afraid that he would overdo it. If he cracked this riddle, he would be honored as the greatest scientists the world had ever seen. He would bring about a new age of magic, an endless age! Mages would equal gods, forming the world with as much as a flick of their hand. No, less than that!

    It was his dream since the first time he felt magic prickling in his hands. The dream to change the world. Not for his own benefit, no. He didn''t want or need to reign over anything. Reigning was a hassle, since one needed to concern oneself with so much more problems than just one''s own. And people. He didn''t want to know how many dumb people he needed to endure if he were a king.

    Actually, he had everything he wanted now: enough gold for a good life, endurable servants, colleges who he could discuss with if he wanted - which wasn''t often, since their mindsets were so stiff and one-sided, even though they were smarter than the populace - and material for his research. He should be satisfied. But he wasn''t. He was bored to death. He missed the tiny prickling feeling when first learning magic, the thrill when a new world opened up before his eyes. He wanted to feel it again, feel it forever.

    And as he was a generous man, he wanted to help everyone to feel this, too. For magic to spread over the whole world. Every kid should learn it, as a natural instead of a privilege. He wanted to share the joy of wielding magic with every single person. And they weren''t far from that aim in his eyes. Only eight or nine months more, maybe. Eight or nine months, that was at most the time a baby took until it was born. After working on the solution for nearly two decades, this was nothing to him.

    Just that his subordinates were getting impatient. It really was vexing to deal with impatient workers. Couldn''t they shut up and just do what he said? Good science took it''s time. And it needed good material.

    "Make another batch ready", he said, and adjusted the ring on his thick middle finger. It had left a red-purple imprint on his subordinate''s cheek, the picture of a five-pointed star.

    The subordinate glared at him with anger and indignation, but didn''t dare to retort. He knew why. This person had the ridiculous idea that the experiments would bring about the power to decide about life and death. To not only kill somebody, but also bring them back, capture their soul in their body again. He himself never harbored such thoughts. Maybe it was because he didn''t care about the dead, and neither about their souls. If a person died, he personally believed that their soul would just vanish and stop existing. How should one bring back what didn''t exist? It was ridiculous.

    However, since the other was a worthy pawn, a slightly more useful helper, he didn''t speak his thoughts out loud. As long as it made her work hard for his goal, her believes didn''t matter. But if she became any more troublesome than she was right now - for example involving outsiders into the experiments again - he had to dispose of her. Luckily, she at least drugged this ominous healer she brought in without permission, so she shouldn''t be able to remember anything. Still, it was infuriating. She had acted as if the organization was hers to decide upon. But she had no idea. She was only one of hundreds of subordinates. Slightly better than most, yes. But not the most important or even useful one. By far not.

    ----

    Time ticked by slowly. If not for the sun shining in through the window, Nathaniel might have thought a few days had passed already. He took another deep breath, the scent of roses and fresh water clearing his mind and reducing the trembling of his fingers.

    The black hair built a strong contrast to Katherine''s overly pale face and the white bedding. It let her look like a puppet out of snow with next to no color in her cheeks. Even her lips were pale.

    Rubbing her slender fingers between his big, gloved hands, he wondered if she felt cold. She sure looked like it. Sadly, he couldn''t feel the temperature of her hands.

    When they brought her back, he had just finished his discussion with the King, being freed of the chains the enforcers put on him. However, those were only the visible chains. He wasn''t allowed to leave the guest house anymore until the punishment for attacking the Queen was decided. Originally, his father wanted to imprison him in a special cell near the throne room, but Nathaniel told him directly that he would break out and kill anyone in his way when he didn''t let him stay with his betrothed. Since he knew what caused Nathaniel''s crazy behavior in the first place, the King gave in.

    Now Nathaniel sat by Katherine''s side for hours and waited for her to wake up. At first, Hazel was also there, crying and blaming herself that she didn''t go with her Lady and didn''t protect her. That was until Nathaniel couldn''t stand it anymore and send her out with a low growl. He had to hold back to not scream at her. After all, had he known earlier that Katherine wasn''t in her chambers, she might not be in this state now. The only thing that kept him from reprimanding her harshly, was the knowledge that Katherine liked this woman. But if Katherine didn''t wake up soon... he wouldn''t hold back much longer.

 Chapter 115 - A Wish

    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 c.h.e.s.t. 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 beddings. It was slightly cold. With an unarticulated murmur, she wanted to pull it back in, when something tightened around her hand.

    "You - " Suddenly, she was wide awake. Nathaniel let go of her hand right away, but it was a bit too late. "Did you hold my hand all the time? And - wait - why am I here? Wasn''t I in some sort of..."

    She rubbed her head, trying hard to remember. What happened now appeared to her like a strange dream. She had a fight with Nathaniel, ran away in a bout of mixed up feelings she couldn''t even distinguish anymore, came into her room and then... it all seemed a bit blurry, most likely because she just woke up, but she was sure that she shouldn''t be here right now. At least before she fell asleep, she was somewhere else. She remembered a secret passage, a carriage, and a building with high white walls.

    "Easy", Nathaniel said, as he saw her face paling in some sort of pain. He stretched out a hand to c.a.r.e.s.s her hair but balled it to a fist in the end. He didn''t know yet what caused her disappearance, it could as well be his words. Nonetheless, his voice was calm and reassuring. "You''re here now. You are safe. Everything else can wait. Calm down."

    Though it wasn''t much, it was enough to break through the confusion in Katherine''s head. She looked up at him and the first thing she blurted out was: "I''m sorry!"

    She took a few deep breaths to clear her thoughts. In his eyes stood question marks. Before he could say anything, she continued: "I shouldn''t have run away. It was all just too much, and I couldn''t handle it anymore, I... in my head I know that you won''t force me to anything... or at least I hope that you won''t?"

    When she searched in his face for the answer, he nodded reassuringly. Though he felt a bit sour that she even had to ask, it could be excused for he really did kind of force her in the beginning and treated her like a prisoner. So much had changed over the last few months that he regretted this treatment now. "I won''t put you in a cage if that''s what you fear. Even if you want to use your magic openly."

    Though he very much wanted to lock her up after nearly losing her this time, he knew that it would destroy her. She wasn''t made to live in a cage and would fight against any shackles until she died on the wounds. Of course, it was against his wish if she really wanted to show her magic openly, but in the end, it was her magic. So, it was her decision.

    The smile Nathaniel got for his words made him feel like it was worth the trouble.

    "Good", she said cheekily and used the opportunity to grap for his hand. He obviously held hers when she was asleep, so shouldn''t she return the favor? Her heart beat fast in fear he would push her away, so to distract him she rapidly uttered: "You know, I was just irritated. I didn''t want to be so harsh."

    "Hm-hm", Nathaniel made. Though he noticed her maneuver, he generously allowed it. She was just back from a long sleep, so she had some leeway. It was definitely not because he wanted it himself. "You don''t need to apologize. It seems like I frightened you."

    "Not really you", Katherine corrected, while gazing at their interlocked hands, the fingers weaved together. "It''s as if I saw him though you. Ethan Balder. He also said something similar."

    It was hard to call him by name, nearly as hard as ''my cousin'', but it was easier than calling him by her father''s title. There was no bond left besides hatred and pain.

    They remained silent for a while, and just when Katherine wanted to draw back because of awkwardness, Nathaniel asked: "Are you still afraid?"

    "Huh?"

    "Are you still afraid of me?", he repeated seriously. Katherine didn''t know what she should make out this simple and yet difficult question.

    "Not right now", she replied slowly. She didn''t want to betray his trust when he was asking so earnestly, but she also didn''t like showing vulnerability. "Also not usually. You... sometimes you get that cold gaze suddenly. It''s a bit frightening. Just a tiny bit. It feels like I am nothing to you, or like I''m your worst enemy."

    Though it started in a good way, she still ended up saying too much in her opinion, so she added: "But I can cope with it, really. I won''t run away like this time. It was only an accident this time. You suddenly said something he would say and I was just shocked. That''s all."

    She held onto his hand tightly, as if afraid he would take it back because she spoke of something unpleasant. But Nathaniel had no intention of doing so. Her smooth little hand gave him the support he needed right now.

    It looked like his little Valkyrie was still afraid of some characteristics of him. How would she react if she knew the truth of how bad he really was? Killing once or twice might be explainable in the upper society, but as much as him? All the deaths suddenly weighed down on him. And he didn''t prepare to end it just yet. Yes, the murders also had their reasons, their intention that was not completely fulfilled. Nonetheless, they were murders in the end. Even on battlefield, it should be called as such.

    "What are you thinking?", Katherine suddenly asked. It looked like he stayed in his thoughts for too long.

    His lips pressed together tightly before he opened them. "Just some bad memories."

    "Oh." There was silence again. Katherine furrowed her brows, then she tugged lightly on his hand. "Don''t think about it. Thinking doesn''t change it."

    "Forgetting also doesn''t. Sometimes, we have to carry the sins we loaded on us for our whole life", Nathaniel countered in too light a tone.

    Katherine narrowed her eyes. That sounded like a pretty bad life. For what great wrong was he blaming himself? She couldn''t believe he would do something awful enough to deserve such life.

    "Not today!", she suddenly said fiercely. "You can''t be blaming yourself today. It''s my wish. Because today is my - "

    "Birthday", Nathaniel ended her sentence with furrowed brows. The day had come too fast, and he didn''t expect her to wish something like that. "Do you really want to use your wish for something so meaningless?"

    "It''s not meaningless", she held against it. "I want you to stop blaming yourself."

    "But you know that I can only do so for a short while", the Earl mused. "Very well, I will do as you wish."

 Chapter 116 - Her Birthday

    Katherine''s answer wasn''t a bright beam, but a softer smile. She pressed his hand in silent gratitude.

    Nathaniel looked down on their hands and sighed softly. Somehow, he was unable to let go. Only this one day was left, and it was completely different from how he imagined it. He hadn''t had time alone with her, couldn''t show her the city or the grand theaters, one of the prides of the outer ring. Instead he was a prisoner in the palace. How down-casting.

    With a deep breath, he let go of all the bad feelings. If Katherine wanted him to let go of his burdens for a day, today was the best choice. As a prisoner, he could do nothing but wait for the King''s decree anyway.

    He put on a rare friendly smile as he asked: "Now, do do you want your present?"

    Katherine''s eyes widened, the violet sparkling with surprise. "You''ve got a present? For me?"

    Mockingly, Nathaniel raised a brow. "How can I not have a present? I would really be a bad betrothed if I didn''t even get you a birthday present. Well, I guess I was never a good betrothed to begin with."

    "Don''t even start", Katherine warned with amus.e.m.e.nt. Today was not the time to indulge in bad memories.

    "Alright", he said, and his smile widened. So handsome, Katherine marveled. Even as tired as he must be, he can still make a woman loose her rational thought. The white hair fell nearly over his eyes, disheveled as it was. The gaze in the red eyes was warm. She didn''t dare call it affectionate, but it wasn''t far from that. His shirt was fresh and smooth, but the top button open as if forgotten in a haste. When he leaned with his lower arms on his t.h.i.g.hs like right now, it exposed the beginning of his right collarbone. Katherine couldn''t help but stare.

    That was until she felt his hand slip out of hers as he moved to a stand. Instinctively, she held on to it. "Don''t go!"

    "Don''t you want your present anymore?" Nathaniel smirked. "I don''t have it with me."

    "Call someone else to get it", she demanded with a pout, and tugged on his hand to make him sit down again.

    "Greedy woman", he grumbled in amus.e.m.e.nt, but obeyed. With his free left hand he reached for the string besides the bed and pulled on it. Not too far away, they heard a bell ringing.

    "Now, that should - " Nathaniel stopped. When he had leaned forward, he came way closer to the lying Katherine than before. He was practically leaning half over her, their faces at the same level. What beautiful eyes, he thought in a daze. Deep and clear at the same time. Innocent and strong-willed. And right now, they were trying hard to meet his gaze despite the uneasiness that increased with each second he remained silent.

    Katherine forced herself not to look away when his weirdly intense gaze lasted on her. Her lips prickled as if remembering how they met his, and it made her heart sped up. Why was he looking at her like this? What was he thinking? He couldn''t be... thinking about kissing her?

    "What?", she finally asked and uneasily turned her head away. She couldn''t meet those unfathomable eyes any longer.

    The Earl smirked silently and sat back down.

    "What?", Katherine asked again and frowned at him in annoyance.

    "Nothing", he said, but his smirk remained as if teasing her deliberately. But she wouldn''t react to that. No, she wouldn''t get irritated by his strange behavior and just ignore him -

    "Tell me what''s up already!", it burst out of her.

    Nathaniel''s grin widened. He couldn''t help himself. She was just too sweet in her impatience.

    "Nathaniel!", she berated and tried to pull back her hand, however, he held it too tightly. At least, it made him stop chuckling.

    "Alright, alright. I''ll tell you. It''s nothing much, really. You just looked so charming lying in your bed. Then I remembered how you wanted to kick me out last time I got here."

    Katherine grimaced. "That''s what made you so happy? Should I kick you out for real?"

    The corners of his mouth twitched as if holding back a laugh. "You shouldn''t stand up yet."

    "Hmpf", Katherine made, but she actually wasn''t angry. How could she stay angry when Nathaniel was obviously so happy? Somehow, it made her feel as if she accomplished something.

    Right at that moment, someone knocked cautiously. It was such a silent noise that it seemed as if the person wished she wouldn''t be heard.

    "Come in", Katherine called.

    First, there was a pause. Then, the door was pulled open so energetically that it banged against the wall on the other side. "Milady! You''re awake!"

    Hazel rushed in with a smile as bright as the sun, though her eyes were red and puffy. Completely ignoring the Earl that sat to the right of the bed, she ran over to Katherine''s left side. "Milady, how are you? Can I do something for you? Something to eat? No, no, you should drink first, and - "

    "Wait", Katherine laughed, sat up, and raised her hands in a placating fashion. "I only just woke up, there is no need to - oh my!"

    Suddenly, tears gushed down the maid''s face like a flood. "I was so afraid, Milady! I thought you might die! You slept for so long and the Earl wouldn''t let me look after you at all! I always feared you might just suddenly turn all cold on your own like - like my mom!"

    When Hazel broke down, Katherine couldn''t help but pull her in her arms. Soothingly, she patted her back. "It''s okay. I''m here, don''t cry. Your Lady doesn''t die so easily."

    Dissatisfied, Nathaniel crossed his arms and leaned back into his chair, his glowering gaze at Hazel who was weeping pitifully in Katherine''s embrace. Anyway, why didn''t he get a hug? Wasn''t he her betrothed? Shouldn''t he be worth more in her eyes than this annoying maid? He sat by her side for hours without rest. He also wanted a hug.

    But she couldn''t just hug him now, could she?

    When he noticed how much his thoughts resembled those of an irrationally jealous person, Nathaniel''s countenance fell. Grimly, he turned away. Since she didn''t seem to want his hand anymore, he should just get her the present himself. For a second, he thought about adding a cactus to the present. The meaning should be clear. But hastily finding a cactus in this cold country would be a pain, they were mostly imported from Falumor. Anyway, he shouldn''t annoy her on her happy day. He just didn''t want to stay in a room with to woman who looked like long separated lovers.

    He slipped out the door soundlessly, but the palace guards still noticed his presence. Compared to their earlier treatment, they now looked at him with hostile expressions. They couldn''t understand how someone who attacked the Queen could still be alive and breathing under their care.

    Nathaniel coldly nodded at them and entered his own chambers. There he picked up a casket of about an arm''s length. On it''s dark wooden top was an orchid engraved, nearly as elegant as its future owner. Nathaniel''s countenance was unreadable as he stepped out of his room. Would the present be to her liking? He had no idea how to give someone a present. Especially not a woman. Since it was for Katherine, he had wanted to make the decision himself, but now he wasn''t sure anymore if this was right. Maybe he should have asked Aston for help. He surely would have known what to get. After he had a good laugh at him.

    Nathaniel frowned and inwardly strengthened his resolve to never tell Aston anything about this, even if the present should archive its goal. This clown would only make fun of him.

    Just as Nathaniel was about to enter Katherine''s chambers, a scream reverberated through the air.

 Chapter 117 - The Present

    "They are dead! You all killed them! They DIED!"

    Nathaniel felt the impulse to rush downstairs when he heard the scream, but as he saw the palace guards only exchange a knowing gaze, he halted.

    "What''s that about?", he asked coldly. The voice downstairs seemed to be of a young boy, nobody he recognized as a guest in the house. But how could a servant dare to raise his voice?

    The guards shot him a disdainful glance, but one answered nonetheless. It was a pain that Pete and every single one of his personnal in the palace had been locked up for the time being. Even the ones sending Katherine back were apprehended. Luckily, Sam was smart enough to not come back in himself when he knew the situation. At least not on legal routes. So he was still free, but gathering information in the palace was nearly impossible.

    The guard explained: "The Miltons left two days ago. Today, one of their entourage came back. His name wasn''t scratched from the entry-list of the gate yet, so he was let inside. Since then, he runs around telling everyone that the Miltons were killed. Up till now he escaped the guards five times. No idea how, but he''s slippery like a fish. There are already bets on how long they will take... since we can''t join the fun because of you."

    The last sentence was uttered with some resentment. Nathaniel nodded indifferently. Then he didn''t care about them anymore and entered Katherine''s chambers.

    In his mind though, the words had caused a storm. The Milton''s death, how expected it might be, started the count-down to the struggle between the two kingdoms. Dragsa and the Icelands. How long would it take for the first to get the notice? How long till their armies gathered? Renat might not be courageous enough to attack alone again, but together with Dragsa? Not impossible. If that happened, the Icelands had only one big ally they could turn to, but even that would cost them dearly.

    His brows deeply furrowed, Nathaniel nearly ran into the now closed bedroom door. As if the door just jumped into his way intentionally, he gave it a dark glare. Didn''t he leave it open when he left?

    "Katherine?" He knocked.

    "Wait!", Katherine''s urgent voice answered. And after a minute or two: "Ok, you can come in now."

    He entered, and saw her standing next to the mirror in a colorful floral dress. In her hair sat a delicate silver comb, while a few tiny, black locks framed her round face. The little make-up accentuated her fresh youthfulness. Expectantly, she smiled up at him.

    Nathaniel noticed that he was looking at her for way too long, so he closed the door lightly. At the silent order of her Lady, Hazel had already slipped out behind him, leaving the two of them alone.

    "What do you say?", Katherine asked, and made a turn so he could see her dress-up.

    Nathaniel couldn''t take his eyes off her. She felt it like a warm tingling breeze drifting over her from head to toe. Nonetheless, he didn''t say what she wanted him to.

    "You shouldn''t be up already."

    She pouted. "Do I look like I''ve got such a frail body? I was just asleep for a bit longer, alright?"

    Nathaniel furrowed his brows, then he sighed. Maybe he was really overreacting, since it looked like the stress-reaction of overusing magic, which wasn''t really harmful to the body. "What did you use so much magic for anyway?"

    Katherine stopped in her movement. Suddenly, there was the memory of white walls rushing by her, and a colorful baby. She gasped. "The baby! What happened to it?!"

    It was more a question to herself than him. She held her head as the storm of memories hit her. Though it seemed like a strange dream somehow, she didn''t forget one second of what happened in the operating room.

    The desperate gaze of the woman, the small body in her arms. The strange colorful poison. She wasn''t able to help it, couldn''t save it. And then there was this... hole forming. She couldn''t even start to describe how strange that experience was. So strange, that she would like to categorize it as a dream, though she was somehow sure that it wasn''t one.

    After waking up, her head was still blurry and she didn''t think too much about the previous events. But now, when she was asked, she just wondered about one thing: "Did it... did the baby die?"

    Nathaniel frowned and set the gift box aside. It seemed there were more pressing things to discuss right now. "Which baby?"

    For a ridiculous second he thought she might have somehow had a baby herself. But that wasn''t logical, right?

    Only now noticing that Nathaniel most likely knew nothing about the previous night, Katherine started explaining, recounting all her experiences in as much detail as she remembered.

    At the end, Nathaniel had a pondering expression. Finally, he sighed and just said: "So you didn''t hide from me deliberately."

    Katherine nodded strongly. "Of course not! I just needed some time to sort out my feelings, but I didn''t plan to stay away so long. Anyway, it''s not the most pressing question now. Right?"

    "Well, the most pressing ones didn''t get an answer. And didn''t you tell me to not think about my burdens today?" He smiled slightly as he said that, and it was this confident smile that somehow pacified Katherine. Holding her gaze, he told her bluntly: "This baby that you are worried about, I will let my people search for it. But it is most likely dead."

    "I know." Sadness invaded Katherine''s voice, but then she blinked and forced a smile. "Now, I wonder what you got me."

    She stretched out her hands, prompting Nathaniel to lay the gift box inside. When his hands left the wood, he suddenly felt nervous. Would she like it? Should he have got her something more glittering, like dresses or jewels? He just wanted to make it a useful present. At first, he wanted to gift her a turtle, but Sam dissuaded him. She already had a pet, even if it was short-lived.

    Before he could overthink too much, she opened the lid. The insides send out silver sparks as sunlight fell on it. On a red polster, as if slumbering peacefully, laid a silver dagger. It was as long as Katherine''s lower arm, it''s sheath and the end of the hilt decorated with violet and white gemstones. The hilt was wrapped with light brown leather, and on the crossguard and sheath were tiny letters inlaid.

    Katherine lowered her head to read them. "For the wise to carry" stood at the sheath, and at the crossguard, "For the brave to wield". Katherine s.u.c.k.e.d in a deep breath as her eyes darted up to Nathaniel.

    He shrugged uncomfortably. "I thought it was time for you to have your own dagger. You can''t always steal from my guards."

    At first, there was a smile, then laugher broke out of her, happy like the jingling of a thousand bells. Before Nathaniel could defend himself, she caught him in between her arms. "Thank you! Thank you, you wonderful man!"

    Her head was on his c.h.e.s.t as she embraced him tightly. He couldn''t bear to push her away, so after a moment of hesitation, he laid his arms around her. Feeling laugher shake her slender body, he felt like he was the one getting a present today.

 Chapter 118 - Invited

    Katherine''s birthday was simple and pleasant, with a cake and presents of Lady Brandon, Shirley, Trumpet, and Nelke. There was even a pair of exquisite earrings send by her Highness the Princess personally. Then there was this particular card of which she didn''t know if it was a present or a warning sign. One thing was for sure: she didn''t gain a summon by the King just by having birthday, even though that was exactly what stood in the inconspicuous card she found between her presents.

    Rubbing her temples, Katherine looked over at the Earl who refused to leave her chambers even when the dinner she was invited to by the King was only a short hour away. "Why exactly do you refuse to let me go again?"

    Nathaniel''s gaze at her was intense, his fingers rapping the dressing table. "It''s too dangerous. You shouldn''t go without me or at least a guard."

    "The King explicitly said to come alone though."

    "That is why you shouldn''t attend at all."

    Katherine rolled her eyes at the straight-forward answer. They had been at that point several times already, but she still thought of it as illogical. "What do you think he will do? If he wanted to kill me, he wouldn''t need to invite me. It''s the same for everything else. Why would he need to invite an unimportant person like me? The most suspicious thing is you trying to hold me back. It''s as if you know something I don''t."

    When Nathaniel remained expressionless, she narrowed her eyes. Before he could reply with some nonsense again, she added: "So, do you know something I don''t?"

    "Nothing", Nathaniel said after a pause. "Nothing but the knowledge that you will be alone and helpless in the same room with the most powerful people of the Icelands. The King might not want to kill you, but this is a family dinner. There is more than one person in the room."

    "But how do you know they want to kill me? There is no gain in killing me. I''m just a stranger to them, a nobody. Why should they care to kill me?" To Katherine, it was obvious that Nathaniel was being a pessimist again.

    "Then why should they care to invite you at all?", Nathaniel turned the question around smoothly. Before she could give contra, he raised a hand. "Look, you told me it was the Princess who brought you to that hospital. She obviously wants you alive since you are useful to her, but not everyone thinks like that. Some might think of your power as very...  annoying. So annoying that they want you dead."

    "Why exactly is this about my power now?" Katherine couldn''t really follow his train of thoughts. Wasn''t her power something good, unable to cause harm? She couldn''t see why people would think of it as annoying if not because it was so useless compared to other powers.

    "How can it not be?" Nathaniel shook his head slightly at her naivety. "You think your ability is useless, just because it can''t kill anyone? You are wrong. Anyone can kill, but only you can prevent the most gruesome death. Oftentimes, keeping someone alive is more dangerous than killing someone."

    Stumped, Katherine furrowed her brows. How was keeping someone alive more dangerous? And even if that was so, she only saved one person''s life in the Icelands. How would one person -

    "You know what? Forget it", Nathaniel interrupted her train of thought. He was well aware that their discussion very dangerously scrabbed by the information he didn''t want her to know yet. It was also the same information that was threatened to be exposed if she met with the King.

    He just wanted one day more before telling her. Why was this so hard? Standing up, Nathaniel continued: "You won''t listen to me anyway. Do what you want then, but don''t say I didn''t warn you. I''ll take my leave."

    When he strode out of the room, Katherine looked after him and bit her lip indecisively. Was he angry at her just because she didn''t do what he wanted or was there more to it? How could he be so worried in one second and indifferent in the next?

    "Wait", she finally called. As he halted, she heaved a sigh, and went over to his side. Hesitantly, she placed a hand on the back of his black shirt. She felt his muscles stiffen under her touch, before relaxing again.

    "What?" His question sounded indifferent, gaze fixed in front as if she wasn''t there. Strangely though, he didn''t break the contact. That made her dare to put her arms around him, resting her head against his back. He didn''t resist.

    "Thank you", she said into the material that was warmed up by his body-heat. "For worrying about me, even though you don''t need to."

    Hearing her heartfelt words made him feel a bit guilty. After all, he didn''t tell her the real reason for his concern. His head hang low. Then he gently unclasped her hands. "Don''t you need to prepare? Dining with the King is not an easy matter."

    "Yeah. Right." She pulled herself together, a bit embarrassed about her action.

    He nodded, and sended her a last glance. "Good luck."

    When he walked out this time, there was a determined gaze in his eyes. If Katherine thought he would let her go alone, she didn''t know him well. He wouldn''t let her live through his crazy family by herself. Besides, wasn''t it a family dinner? Surely, the King wanted to invite everyone. He should just help him out with those he couldn''t reach.

    Of course, Nathaniel himself couldn''t simply leave the custody of the guest house. However, there was still a bit of leverage to use against the King.

    ----

    In a white dress with silver belt to accentuate her slender waist, Katherine stood in front of the folding doors to the throne room alone. Nervously, her thumbs rubbed against her fingers. She never saw the king before, only a stature here and there. He couldn''t be as young as he was shown on the silver coins of the kingdom, but how old was he?

    In the invite she got, he sounded very distanced, as if this was only a formality. It wasn''t unfriendly though. She just couldn''t understand why she was invited to a family dinner. Shouldn''t this be only for insiders? She didn''t feel like an insider. More like a random passer-bye who got lucky. Or maybe it was being unlucky instead.

    Now that she got the time, the complete thought had formed that was interrupted before by Nathaniel. The only person whose life she saved in the Icelands was the patient. What did the Earl mean then? Was the patient a dangerous figure? Maybe that was why he never wanted to reveal his name. He could be a rebel, a threat to the kingdom. Damn! What had she gotten herself into this time? Was that why he left the entourage when they entered the city?

    ''Calm down'', she tried to pacify herself. ''You don''t know if he is a dangerous person yet. But you know he''s Nathaniel''s brother. Even if it is only for him, wouldn''t you have saved him all the same?''

    There was only a small group of people who knew about the patient and her healing him. She only needed to deny everything should it come up. And at the same time, she planned to hear out the Princess about what happened that night. Her antipathy had grown the longer she thought about it. But the baby was first. Should it still be alive, she would find it sooner if she played innocent and followed the Princess'' lead. Maybe she could even find out about the other missing people.

    Finally, the doors to the throne hall swung open and a loud voice boomed. "Lady Katherine Mary Balder of the Dragsa kingdom."

    Taking a deep breath, Katherine stepped inside.

 Chapter 119 - Dinner With The Royal Family

    The first thing she saw were the two thrones at the end of the long hall. They towered over the people like hawks watching them. Nobody sat on them, but the presence alone, the dark sparkle of the obsidian icicles like swords standing upright, and the brilliance of the sunny throne contrasting to it, stifled the atmosphere.

    The faces of the people waiting for her were just as stifling as the thrones. On both sides of the table sat Prince and Princess. Their slight smiles and nods would be reassuring if it was not for them reacting at exactly the same time with the same motion, mirroring each other so perfectly that it turned creepy.

    Beside the Crown Prince, next to the head of the table, sat a woman that could have been the older sister of the Princess. Katherine only knew that she was the Queen because the Princess didn''t have a sister. The snake-green eyes of Queen Layla inspected her long nails, completely ignoring Katherine with an arrogance that openly showed her attitude to this meeting. Besides being annoyed, her dress-up was still the most extravagant in the hall.

    Last but not least, the head of the table. The man sitting there with his short, silver-blond hair was the most imposing one in the room. His blue eyes seemed to pierce right through Katherine, humorless and cold. With one glance and even without knowing his exact appearance before, Katherine recognized him as the King.

    Hastily, Katherine sank into a deep curtsy. Her heart beating erratically, Katherine realized for the first time that she was alone in a room with the most be-hated enemy of her origin country. She heard the sound of the door closing behind her and gave her best to not show the shuddered it invoked.

    Her head lowered and in the uncomfortable curtsy-position, she remained standing for longer than she expected. But the redeeming words of the King didn''t come.

    Instead he said: "Did you hear the news, Lady Balder?"

    Confused, Katherine had to stop herself from raising her head. With a careful tone, she inquired. "Excuse me, your Majesty, but I don''t know which news you are referring to."

    Silence. Her calves started to hurt, and with the pain came the annoyance. Shouldn''t he ask her to get up already? Letting her stay like this was so rude! Couldn''t they converse after she was seated? Or at least, when she stood straight again?

    She heard murmuring voices, but they were too quiet for her to differentiate. Irritated, she frowned, and tried to peek at the people in front. With her calves burning, she found it hard to not speak up. Just when she wanted to do so regardless of the consequences, the voice of the Princess rang out.

    "She is just a girl, Father. Don''t be so hard on her. Maybe she has nothing to do with it."

    From the Princess'' voice, Katherine suddenly, realized that her situation might be more serious than she thought. It sounded like a bigger matter. But what did it have to do with her? Or did it really have to do with the patient?

    "Anyone can be a spy, even a girl or a small child.", the King replied unmoved. "If she wasn''t a spy in the beginning, she will be one as soon as the war starts. It''s better to identify them now and separate them from the population. Especially someone like her, who stays in the innermost ring. How can we allow our enemy to stay so close to us? I know you have a soft heart, Helmina, but this is a necessity."

    "If I might interrupt, but I am not such a person", Katherine said, and stood up with rage boiling in her. What the hell were the talking about, calling her a spy? Though she didn''t understand the underlying situation, she would never spy on or betray anyone. Even though she wasn''t in the Palace for long, there was a rule of hospitality. It was a given to her to be nice to the host while she was living on his costs. "I don''t know what you are talking about, but I am neither a spy nor - "

    "You imprudent brat!", The Queen suddenly interrupted her. She had stopped inspecting her nails and the green eyes now stared at her as if she was sc.u.m, the dirt of this world. Under this obvious disgust, Katherine saw a hatred that chilled her to the bones. She had no idea why, but she felt that the Queen hated her with all her being.

    As the Queen slowly laid her fingers around the handle of the wine glass, Katherine had the imagination that it was her throat she wanted to grab. The sharp edge of the Queen''s voice vanished with the next sentence. Her tone turned melodious like a bitter-sweet poison dissolving on the tongue. "I can completely understand why you are so impaitent. Your parent must have treated you as their precious gem, always putting you first. You never had a set-back in your life and didn''t learn to control yourself. But sadly, they are dead."

    She made a dramatic pause, just enough time for Katherine to fold her hands into fists. Then she continued with feigned pity: "As hard as it might be, you are not a duke''s daughter anymore. Your little opinion isn''t the first to be asked. I am sure this is a shock to you, but we have more important things to discuss then your self-esteem. Of course, deciding your life and death also can''t really be called important. And in my opinion, the latter will cause us less trouble."

    While the Queen took a sip of her wine, there was silence in the hall. Katherine grinded her teeth. It took only these few sentences for her to hate the Queen just as much as she hated her. How could she not voice her opinion when it was her life that was decided upon?

    "Mother", the Princess spoke up after a second. "You can''t be for real, right? She has done nothing wrong. Besides, aren''t we all here to dine together? I can''t eat when you decide someone''s death before the meal. It''s disturbing."

    Katherine saw the King narrow his eyes, right when it knocked on the doors of the throne hall. Startled, Katherine stepped aside, and the doors swung open. A tiny person slipped inside with a fast pace and fell on his knees beside the King''s chair. Above his bowed head, he held an envelope. When the King took it, he left just as quiet and silently as he entered.

    With furrowed brows, the King opened the envelope. Whatever he read afterwards one couldn''t see a reaction on his face. Only once, his eyelid twitched. Then he put the letter away and turned to his daughter as if nothing happened. "I don''t remember you having such a weak stomach. There was even this one night when Emilian couldn''t take it anymore, but you ate your steak effortlessly. Andrew... or something like that was his name. Do you still keep him?"

    Paling, the Princess shook her head. "I learned from my mistake, father."

    "Good." The King nodded, but his face remained cold. "Since you learned, I guess I can also do you a favor. Let''s decide her fate after dinner."

    Katherine took a deep breath to calm down. If it wasn''t the royal family, she might have yelled at them several times already. However, their dangerous auras and the knowledge that she had no power to support her, stopped her. She would only make a fool of herself if she didn''t play by their rules. War with words, that was what the Queen did. And Katherine knew that she herself wasn''t the best at it, so she had to count herself as lucky to be protected by the Princess. But how long would she protect her for? Katherine didn''t plan to work together with her for real, and she didn''t want to make too make too many debts before that.

    "Come here", the Princess called and patted the empty chair next to her. Katherine couldn''t decide if her smile was encouraging or triumphant.

 Chapter 120 - Filling the Seats

    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." Fl.u.s.tered from her nonchalance, Katherine touched the crystal earrings that broke the light of the candles. "They are really beautiful. I wondered how you managed to capture drew drops and weave them in silver."

    "That you must ask the craftsman", the Princess said with a smile, and waited for her glass to be filled by the servants who''d come in unnoticed.

    The Queen meanwhile glared at everyone on the table, preferably her husband, until Emilian softly laid a hand on her arm and whispered something to her. After a while, she relaxed a bit and the two started conversing.

    Katherine also just started to relax under the Princess'' continuous afford, when the King raised his voice. At first, it sounded like he was only pondering by himself if it weren''t for his sharp gaze that was directed at Katherine. "I wonder what exactly is your purpose in the Icelands, Lady Balder. Isn''t it strange for you to suddenly appear when all is going down the drain? It would be way more reasonable if you were the cause of it, consciously or not. Though it was the Earl who brought you here,"

    At this point, Katherine noticed out of the corner of her eye how the Queen flinched and send the King a chilling glance which he ignored, "it doesn''t mean that it wasn''t within your plans. The problem is: I know of your specialty, but I don''t know your ambition."

    He paused and looked at her with his hands crossed on the table. The fingers of one hand were moving up and down, tapping the surface as if calculating something. "The easiest would be to kill you. But since a few of my children have taken a fancy to you and your ability is quite unique, I will give you a choice."

    Just when the King reached this important point, there was a commotion outside, and the doors sprang open. In strode a blonde young man with a woman on each of his arms.

    "Did you forget to send invites, Dad? We nearly missed the party!", Aston complained jokingly. To Katherine''s surprise, the King seemed neither bothered nor annoyed at the interruption. Instead, the wrinkles on his forehead smoothed out a bit. Despite the bad timing, he seemed almost happy to see this troublemaker. Katherine felt completely different about that.

    With a cheeky grin, Aston ordered the servants: "We need five more place settings. Or how about you set up the whole table? I''m sure I can find some special friends to fill in the gaps - ouch!"

    One of the women beside him had hit his shin with the crane in her other hand. With big eyes, Katherine noticed it was old Lady Finley, the prestigious and strange woman who owned the most peculiar house she had ever seen. Only why was she here? And with the womanizer Aston to boot?

    "Why do you always abuse me?", Aston w.h.i.n.ed tragically, but didn''t forget to support the old Lady to the nearest chair. From his tone Katherine assumed that the both of them must be quite close but she couldn''t figure out how this odd combination came to be.

    "Hmpf, you deserve some beatings!", the old woman answered, the stern tone barely hiding her glee, and sat down on the other end of the table. "Your father is too lax with you."

    "Dad, say something!" When Aston called for his father, Katherine also looked up the table. While the King had not yet found back to his expressionless exterior, all other three figures seemed to have turned to stone. Katherine saw wariness in the Princess'' eyes as she looked at old Lady Finley, while the Queen wore a shocked face. Emilian only looked cold and dull, frozen in disinterest. None of them appeared happy to see the newly-arrived. Now, Katherine had a guess why the King didn''t invite Aston. All seriousness of the room was gone as soon as he entered.

    "May I sit beside you?"

    The quiet but pleasant voice of the second woman Aston brought in, entered Katherine''s ear. With the focus on old Lady Finley, she nearly forgot about her. The woman was wearing a rather simple dress in the same color as her hair: the bright yellow of sunflowers. At first glance, Katherine liked her, which, admittedly, surprised her just as much as old Lady Finley''s appearance. The woman just had this calm warmth in her demeanor, that made her presence unusually comforting. Not someone she expected Aston to be with, especially since she looked rather prude, even her upper face and eyes were hidden behind a thin veil.

    "You''re welcome, if I have any right to say so", Katherine answered and reciprocated the smile the pink lips under the veil had formed into.

    "Thanks." With an elegant movement Katherine doubted she could have made with a dress, the woman slid on the chair beside her.

    When Aston sat down next to the mysterious woman and babbled on about random stuff, movement finally came back into the stone statures. The Queen was the first to react. She swept her chilling gaze to her husband, who seemed to be deep in thought. "Was this planned? You bring outsiders and your bastard on the dining table?"

    "Mother", the Prince started in a pacifying voice, but halted when the King lifted a hand.

    "No disrespect to my son, Layla. There are no outsiders in this room. I didn''t ask anyone else to attend, but now they are sitting on my table. Everyone will be witness to what I''m about to convey."

    "Please wait, father", Princess Helmina called out suddenly. "Why do we need five more place settings? Who else will be joining us?"

    Just when the question was asked, it knocked on the doors. The King narrowed his eyes at Aston, who lifted his hands. "It''s not my special friends, I promise."

    Before the King could inquire further, old Lady Finlay raised her voice. Her behavior was casual, not matching the weight of her words. "Don''t wait too long outside, come on in!"

    Maybe the strangest thing to Katherine was that the guards followed her bidding without second thought, pulling open the folding doors. An authority that should belong to the King was stolen by her jut like that. And nobody seemed to be irritated by it. Just who was this woman, Katherine questioned in her mind.

 Chapter 121 - Respect the Elders

    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 be a carbon copy of her pretty mother."

    The young woman curtsied even deeper, her voice clear, but slightly nasal. "Liliane of Spycer greets your Majesty."

    The King''s brows twitched but that was the only reaction he showed to the changed first name. "Take a seat, my niece. Your husband is still at sea, I suppose?"

    "Yes, your Majesty. He''s were you send him to be, fighting those despicable pirates. The pay is so much that he didn''t even get time to miss me yet." Her tone was so casual that Katherine nearly missed the underlying meaning in her words. The King''s niece was not happy with his arrangements.

    "Better if that imbecile doesn''t come back", the Princess muttered under her breath. When Katherine looked at her curiously, Helmina explained: "She was beaten black and blue so many times and still wants him back. I can''t understand."

    With a nod, Katherine realized that the driving power for the husband to stay at sea was to keep this woman save. She just wondered if it was the King''s idea, or the Princess''. Or maybe it was her father, who looked rather gloomy at the mention of his in-law.

    "Make yourselves comfortable", the King ordered. "Sebastian, sit beside Emilian. I guess both of you have much in common."

    From Katherine''s perspective, the only thing they had in common was their grey eyes. While the Prince had the sturdy build of a fighter, the mustached man looked more like a scholar.

    However, nobody objected. Katherine noticed that even the Queen was drinking her wine with a frown, keeping her toxic mouth shut.

    "Now that I hope this was all", the King looked at Aston with a questioning gaze that was more of a threat, so that Katherine was surprised to see a cheeky grin on the latter''s face when he nodded, "Let me go back to my former topic."

    "Wait", old Lady Finley broke him off, "We are still missing someone. Hmpf, if nobody else says it, I will. I miss my oldest grandson. I haven''t spoken to him for nearly two decades. If we are all gathered here, why not invite him?"

    "He has nothing to do with this family. He doesn''t even want to be part of us anymore", the King said in a sharp voice. "And you are not his grandma. She''s long dead."

    "Damn right I''m not!", old Lady Finley''s loud voice echoed in the hall even though she was not screaming. Katherine never expected her to have such an imposing voice at her age. "If I were, I would have straightened your head out so many times! I said nothing all this time because these are your private matters and sometimes a King needs to do things that don''t sit well with others. But I am still your aunt, and I say enough is enough!"

    To underline her words, old Lady Finley hit the table forcefully. The vibrations were even felt on the other side. ''So, she is the aunt of the King'', Katherine thought. The leeway she was given now made sense. Even if others positions were higher, in family matters the oldest person always had the last word. It was a tradition to respect the elders. And old Lady Finley surely wouldn''t allow disrespect.

    "Grandma", Aston tried to negotiate, but just a glare from her destroyed his confidence and he fell back, mumbling something Katherine could only hear the first part of. "But he really doesn''t want to..."

    "When we thought he would die young", old Lady Finley drowned out his voice, "It was the best option to remove him, for the kingdom. But he isn''t young anymore and is still alive. You should know best what his birth-right is. It''s not something you can revoke!"

    After taking a breath, she continued into the ominous silence: "Remember this: I don''t support what he did. But if you hold him responsible for paying back a tad bit of the pain he''d suffered by her hand", a glare at the Queen followed, "I will make this secret pubic. You can see then how stable your reign will still be."

    Right now, Katherine really felt like an outsider. She had no idea what these people were talking about, but if it could make the King''s reign unstable, she would prefer to not know it. However, now it was too late. She decided that instead of only bits and pieces, it wouldn''t change much to know the full truth. Besides, she was too curious to back off.

    Katherine was about to lean over to the Princess and ask, when she noticed that the knuckles of the latter had turned white from clutching her hands together. She was watching the dispute between the two elders with such intensity that Katherine didn''t dare to interrupt. Frustrated, she leaned back, just when the King also seemed to lose his vigor.

    Complicated emotions in his eyes, the King looked to his right, at his wife. Katherine knew that it was an arranged marriage without needing to read anything about them. Just the cold gaze they exchanged sufficed. The lips of the Queen, who looked pale and sick as if an untreatable disease got worse with time since the beginning of the gathering, quivered. At first it looked like she would cry, her hands trembling uncontrollably and green eyes glistening in the flame''s light. Then she opened her mouth wide and inhaled. What followed was not the expected cry. It was a laugh without a sound, more of a shaking of her body and hissing of air. The hairs on Katherine''s arms stood up.

    Before any more could happen, the Crown Prince suddenly pulled his mother into his arms and hid her face from view. Katherine had no idea what he did. She saw his mouth moving. When he let her go again seconds later, the Queen was back to how Katherine first saw her: glamorous, cold and composed. If not for the awkward silence all around, Katherine would have wondered if she was seeing things.

    The Queen also behaved like nothing happened. "I won''t pursue the matter myself. But don''t expect the public to forget it this easily. Word has already reached the nobles that someone tried to kill me. They will bring justice."

    "The noble''s attention is fickle. With war ebbing against the boarders of this kingdom, I wouldn''t count on them", old Lady Finley replied coldly. The gaze she used to look at the Queen with was one Katherine wouldn''t want on herself. It was like she was so disgusted by her that she wouldn''t usually spend a word, but did it now for the amus.e.m.e.nt of shattering her hope.

    Cruelty, Katherine thought, but at the same time was sure that old Lady Finley wouldn''t bully someone without reason.

    When the Queen raised her chin, it was trembling. If it was agitation or fear, was indiscernible. "We will see. Anyway, I''m not hungry anymore. Mina, Milan, accompany me to my quarters."

    When she stood up, only her daughter followed suit. Emilian looked vexed, and caught his mother''s hand in his. "Mother, I need to stay. You know I ¨C "

    Before he could finish, she pulled out of his grasp. Shock flashed in her green eyes, making her seem like a human being for the first time. For a second longer she stared at his pale face, then she rushed out the door.

    "Mother!" The Princess followed like a shadow, calling out to her.

    Behind them, the doors to the throne room closed with a sound that overlapped with the King''s defeated sigh. "Great. Now she will write to her family."

    At that time, Katherine had no idea how much impact this sentence bore. Impact on her future, the kingdom''s future, and also the future of the whole world.

 Chapter 122 - Marry One of My Sons!

    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 wasn''t a grandson was, what happened with the Dragsa kingdom recently, why exactly she was here, or any other of the pressing questions she had in mind.

    Annoyed, Katherine massacred her potatoes while hissing to herself: "Why am I even here?"

    Surprisingly, someone answered.

    "Because the King wants to see how you react."

    The voice of the veiled woman was soft and placid, as if the tension around didn''t concern her. "He and everyone else here want to know what kind of person you are."

    Katherine furrowed her brows. "What does it matter to them? I hold no power here."

    "Now, yes. But they are thinking about the future."

    While chewing the potatoes Katherine thought about what that might mean. Were all of them sure that she would gain power? And what kind of power? Maybe it was because she was betrothed to Nathaniel, an Earl with a powerful mage by his side. Was that why they were curious about her?

    On second thought, why did they invite her and not Nathaniel then? It made no sense to let the real connection to the mage slip through their fingers. She herself had never seen or talked to him.

    She swallowed, and asked: "What is your purpose then? Why are you telling me all of this?"

    ''Who are you'', was what she really wanted to know, but refrained from asking. Wearing a veil was a definite sign that the woman wanted to hide her identity at least from a few people here. Katherine didn''t think anymore that this woman was just a toy of Prince Aston. She knew too much about the events here. No, for some reason, she was posing in the identity of a toy of Prince Aston. She even let him kiss her hair and hold her hand when everyone glanced at them curiously before.

    A soft laugh followed her question. "I am the same as them. I also want to know more about you."

    Suddenly, Katherine felt a penetrating gaze at them and looked up. The King was staring at the blonde woman with a deep emotion that was gone before Katherine could decipher it. Then he turned to Katherine and she felt uneasiness rise in her. Gaining the attention of the King was what she had wanted to avoid since the uncomfortable greeting.

    Unfortunately, he still remembered her presence. "You will get another invitation soon", he said. "This invitation will be your test. Remember, I want the peace to last. Think of something. To cheer you on, I will allow you to marry one of my sons!"

    Automatically, Katherine bowed her head, but then the last sentence caught her by surprise. Slowly, she blinked her wide eyes. "Excuse me, your Majesty. I already have a betrothed."

    There was a short silence on the table. Then the King raised a thick brow. "Does that mean you don''t want my sons?"

    It sounded like a threat. But when Katherine looked at Aston and Emilian out of the corner of her eye, she really couldn''t find a reason to prefer them over Nathaniel.

    The playboy Aston was out of the question. Emilian seemed to be steadier, but she found him suspiciously normal. If his twin worked together with that evil organization, wouldn''t he know about it? Was he also involved in the kidnapping of civilians? Her wish to take revenge would be easier to fulfill if she would be Queen in the future. However, she wouldn''t want it on the cost of human lives.

    When Aston noticed her gaze, he winked back suggestively. Her hair stood up in disgust. With a deep breath, she turned to the King again. He was waiting. His presence was pressing, silently urging her to decide for one of them. How to reject his proposal without offending him? Maybe she would really lose her head today.

    "Say whatever you think, girl", old Lady Finley suddenly advised. "Don''t let this rhino trample over your will."

    Despite her joking tone, nobody laughed. The whole table had their eyes fixed on Katherine. Pressing, neutral, gloomy, confused, stern, amused, and finally, a gentle nod. The blonde woman seemed to be smiling under her veil.

    Taking courage from the support of a stranger, Katherine straightened her back. "I''m sorry. I''m betrothed to Nathaniel. I... don''t want anyone else."

    It was the truth. In the whole world, there was only one person she could imagine being married to: this headstrong, irritable, and cold Earl who could throw her into an abyss of anger and pain by simply looking at her with distanced eyes.

    Katherine expected the King to be furious. She expected him to rebuke her, maybe even call for her head to fall. The Princes were from his own blood, his sons - if he loved them or not, didn''t matter. Every regent would take pride in his offspring, and a strike to the Princes'' pride would hit the King''s as well.

    What she didn''t expect was that he would throw his head back, and laugh out loud. It was a roaring laugher, like a lion was calling out from inside his c.h.e.s.t. For the first time since long, the throne hall didn''t feel too big. It was as if the lion that once housed in this dark cave had come back to fill it with his warm, strong, and furry presence.

    Then the laugher stopped, and Katherine stayed motionless, her hand flat on the table cloth. They were sweating from insecure. What did this laugher stand for? How should she react? There were no guards coming in yet to take her away. Even the servants followed their duty to fill up glasses just like normal. Prince Aston caught her eyes, he was grinning widely at her. He didn''t seem the type to grin when she was about to die. On the other hand, she had seen him smiling innocently after killing a man. This Prince was also abnormal.

    Before she could decide what to do, the King suddenly took her hand into his. His hands were warm and big, with a strong grip. Fl.u.s.tered, Katherine tried to pull back, but he was holding her tightly. With a penetrating and solemn voice, he asked: "If in the future, you could never touch him, never bear his child, only be by his side... would you still be willing to marry him?"

    Katherine was so stunned that she forgot struggling.

    "Father this is -", Aston tried to speak up.

    "Don''t!", the King silenced him overbearingly. Right after, he narrowed his eyes on Katherine, as if trying to figure her out. "This is between me and her. I want to know if she is worthy of him. He needs someone who will support him wholeheartedly, without doubt or regret. Someone, who will put him even above her own kingdom. I wonder if she is able to forego her former home for him. Of course, this is only because he is one of my most excellent vassals."

    His hands gripped her like an iron claw. He was not exactly hostile anymore, but Katherine couldn''t decide what else this solemnity was that he emitted. Something she didn''t know about seemed to be going on as she heard the other people in the room shift uncomfortably. A woman''s voice whispered: "Who is this person? What''s she even doing here?"

    Katherine didn''t have the mind to care. The King had caught her gaze and held it. It was an unwritten rule to avoid the eyes of those with higher standing than oneself, especially those of a King. Yet at this moment, Katherine had forgotten this rule. A nearly corporal tension was in the air.

    "Lady Balder", the King repeated slowly, "will you be that someone? Will you swear to hold him above everything else in your heart and support him regardless?"

 Chapter 123 - Commited a Sin

    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 t

    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 vigorously. It felt like the embrace of a big lion that couldn''t regulate his strength. "That''s the spirit! Then you don''t mind marrying tomorrow, right?"

    "Tomorrow?!", she shrieked.

    "Exactly! In a few weeks, the war between our kingdoms might erupt, so you should marry before that. And it just so happens that tomorrow every noble of the Icelands is present to witness the medal ceremony! That''s the perfect opportunity, don''t you think?"

    The King observed her expectantly. What reason was relevant enough in front of a king and his death-threat? Katherine had no choice but to agree with a forced smile. "Of course. Perfect."

    As soon as the King nodded, Katherine realized: ''I''m dead either way''.

    How the hell should she explain this to Nathaniel?! He was right to say she shouldn''t come. It was naive to think she was save here as long as they wouldn''t kill her. Now she agreed to a marriage when she wasn''t even a real betrothed to Nathaniel. If she didn''t attend, pretended to be ill, that wouldn''t have happened. Damn, Nathaniel would be so angry. Hopefully he would hear her out before he decided to never speak a word with her again.

    If not for her wanting to marry Nathaniel anyway, she would have stood up against the King, regardless if it made any difference, and regardless if he would kill her or not. Even now she felt the urge to fight him, but the few months since her parent''s death had taught her to be more cautious. It wasn''t always the best way to bluntly tell her opinion.

    The King had let her hand go, but she didn''t feel free anymore. She was worried for her future. With the eyes of the King on her, could she ever do what she wanted again? And how would her relationship with Nathaniel be affected?

    They continued the dinner, but the food was bland in Katherine''s mouth. The King wasn''t the only one with his eyes on her. Everyone was stealing glances at her, and at least half of them seemed to be dissatisfied. Slightly amusing was that it was parted in table sides.

    While everyone opposite her had dark faces - some weren''t even caused by her directly, but by the neglectance they received - Aston''s grin had become brighter, and the veiled Lady even patted Katherine''s arm reassuringly.

    "You passed", she whispered, the thin gauze moving with her breath.

    Katherine didn''t answer. Her thoughts had wandered into the future, and she dreaded every second of it. As soon as she entered the guest house, she would have to face an angry Nathaniel. He would again be the demon she first knew, and this time she really committed the sin she was blamed for.

    She thought that she was strong enough to stand through this evening unchanged. She was wrong. Maybe before midnight she would have lost everything she had worked for. And with it, her heart and soul.

    How could Nathaniel mean so much to her after such a short time?

    "Lady Balder?" The soft voice of a woman broke into her thoughts.

    "Yes?" She looked up, only to notice that the dinner was over. The cutlery was removed, the seats empty, and she was the last one remaining.

    Blinking, she looked down at the lonely fork in her hand. He brain had been stuck in such a slump of despair that she didn''t even notice she was eating air.

    Trying to seem nonchalant, she slowly put it down and turned. The pitying eyes of the woman behind her showed her that it was for naught. But Katherine was only shortly embarrassed. The woman behind her was of such fragile beauty that it seemed nearly impossible.

    The veiled woman had finally revealed her face. Before, Katherine had only seen the thin and graceful build, now she didn''t wonder anymore what Aston liked on her. She just thought it was a shame how such a peerless flower ended up in the hands of someone who wouldn''t treasure it the way it deserved it. Even as a woman, she felt the urge to protect and support her.

    That was until she saw the slight wrinkles on the corners of her eyes and mouth, and shockingly caught grasp of the truth.

    Aston didn''t attend the dinner with his great-aunt and a pretty plaything. No, the woman on his other arm, the one that sat beside Katherine for the whole dinner, was his mother. It turned her picture of him upside-down.

    "Expected someone younger?" the lover of the King asked amused.

    Before she knew what she did, Katherine nodded. Then she blushed upon the improperness of her response, and added: "You are beautiful."

    ''I can understand why you caught the King''s interest'', she added in her mind. Aston''s mother was the complete oposite of the poisonous flower that was the Queen. She was like a diamond in the dark, the pureness of her soul making her shine regardless of age. For someone who was caught in a net of intrigue and death like a King, it had to be irresistible.

    The woman had a slim face and water-clear eyes, and when she laughed like she did now, one couldn''t help but smile along. Katherine also did so, despite being in a bad mood seconds ago. "So you expected me to be young and ugly? My son must made a bad impression on you."

    Katherine blushed even harder. "I-I didn''t mean it this way."

    But the woman waved her hand carelessly. "Don''t worry, I won''t hold it against you. I know my son is not what you call an angel. His brother was much more like this... Anyway, I hope you know what is waiting for you now?"

    "What?", Katherine asked with a frown. She had hoped the day would finally be over, and she could face her impending doom. But it seemed there was more?

    "Fitting your wedding dress, of course", the woman said innocently. "There is so much to do before the wedding. I don''t think you will get much sleep. And of course, tradition forbids you to see your groom before the ceremony."

    Katherine paled. How would she be able to explain herself now?

    hing in the world, the only choice there was. She wanted to see him 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 vigoursly. It felt like the embrace of a big lion who couldn''t regulate his strenght. "That''s the spirit! Then you don''t mind marrying tomorrow, right?"

    "Tomorrow?!", she shrieked.

    "Exactly! In a few weeks, the war beween our kingdoms might errupt, so you should marry before that. And it just so happens that tomorrow every noble of the Icelands is present to vitness the medal ceremony! That''s the perfect opportunity, don''t you think?"

    The King observed her expectantly. What reason was relevant enough in front of a king and his death-threat? Katherine had no choice but to agree with a forced smile. "Of course. Perfect."

    As soon as the King nodded, Katherine realized: ''I''m dead either way''.

    How the hell should she explain this to Nathaniel?! He was right to say she shouldn''t come. It was naive to think she was save here as long as they wouldn''t kill her. Now she agreed to a marriage when she wasn''t even a real betrothed to Nathaniel. If she didn''t attend, pretented to be ill, that wouldn''t have happened. Damn, Nathaniel would be so angry. Hopefully he would hear her out before he decided to never speak a word with her again.

    And she herself was angry, too. While the King sounded like he was only worried for his vassall, he practically forced her to marry Nathaniel. He was restricting her freedom, missusing his power. He put her in a prison out of words and might, and she had no choice but to go inside willingly.

    If not for her wanting to marry Nathaniel anyway, she would have stood up against the King, regardless if it made any difference, and regardless if he would kill her or not. Even now she felt the urge to fight him, but the few months since her parent''s death had taught her to be more cautious. It wasn''t always the best way to bluntly tell her opinion.

    The King had let her hand go, but she didn''t feel free anymore. She was worried for her future. With the eyes of the King on her, could she ever do what she wanted again? And how would her relationship with Nathaniel be affected?

    They continued the dinner, but the food was bland in Katherine''s mouth. The King wasn''t the only one with his eyes on her. Everyone was stealing glances at her, and at least half of them seemed to be dissatisfied. Slightly amusing was that it was parted in table sides.

    While everyone oposite her had dark faces - some weren''t even caused by her directly, but by the negectance they recieved - Aston''s grin had become brighter, and the veiled Lady even patted Katherine''s arm reassuringly.

    "You passed", she whispered, the thin gauze moving with her breath.

    Katherine didn''t answer. Her thoughts had wandered into the future, and she dreaded every second of it. As soon as she entered the guest house, she would have to face an angry Nathaniel. He would again be the demon she first knew, and this time she really committed the sin she was blamed for.

    She thought that she was strong enough to stand through this evening unchanged. She was wrong. Maybe before midnight she would have lost everything she had worked for. And adding to that, even her soul.

    How could Nathaniel mean so much to her after such a short time?

    "Lady Badler?" The soft voice of a woman broke into her thoughts.

    "Yes?" She looked up, only to notice that the dinner was over. The cutlery was removed, the seats empty, and she was the last one remaining.

    Blinking, she looked down at the lonely fork in her hand. He brain had been stuck in such a slump of despair that she didn''t even notice she was eating air.

    Trying to seem nonchalant, she slowly put it down and turned. The pitying eyes of the woman behind her showed her that it was for naught. But Katherine was only shortly embarrassed. The woman behind her was of such fragil beauty that it seemed nearly impossible.

    The veiled woman had finally revealed her face. Before, Katherine had only seen the thin and graceful build, now she didn''t wonder anymore what Aston liked on her. She just thought it was a shame how such a peerless flower ended up in the hands of someone who wouldn''t treasure it the way it deserved it. Even as a woman, she felt the urge to protect and support her.

    That was until she saw the slight wrinkles on the corners of her eyes and mouth, and shockingly caught grasp of the truth.

    Aston didn''t attend the dinner with his great-aunt and a pretty plaything. No, the woman on his other arm, the one that sat beside Katherine for the whole dinner, was his mother. It turned her picture of him upside-down.

    "Expected someone younger?", the lover of the King asked amused.

    Before she knew what she did, Katherine nodded. Then she blushed upon the improperness of her response, and added: "You are beautiful."

    ''I can understand why you caught the King''s interest'', she added in her mind. Aston''s mother was the complete oposite of the poisonous flower that was the Queen. She was like a diamond in the dark, the pureness of her soul making her shine regardless of age. For someone who was caught in a net of intrigue and death like a King, it had to be irresistable.

    The woman had a slim face and water-clear eyes, and when she laughed like she did now, one couldn''t help but smile along. Katherine also did so, despite being in a bad mood seconds ago. "So you expected me to be young and ugly? My son must made a bad impression on you."

    Katherine blushed even harder. "I-I didn''t mean it this way."

    But the woman waved her hand carelessly. "Don''t worry, I won''t hold it against you. I know my son is not what you call an angel. His brother was much more like this... Anyway, I hope you know what is waiting for you now?"

    "What?", Katherine asked with a frown. She had hoped the day would finally be over, and she could face her impending doom. But it seemed there was more?

    "Fitting your wedding dress, of course", the woman said innocently. "There is so much to do before the wedding. I don''t think you will get much sleep. And of course, tradition forbids you to see your groom before the ceremony."

    Katherine paled. How would she be able to explain herself now?

 Chapter 124 - Dead People Can Have Impact

    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." Relieve washed the tension off Lady Orchid''s slim shoulders. "I already suspected you don''t want to marry Nathan. Then I would have to overthrow my image of you, especially since you looked so convincing when you said you would stay with him regardless of the future. It would have been a shame if it was all acting."

    "Nathan?" Katherine followed up curiously. This woman was only the second person she knew to use this nickname. Besides, it was a good opportunity to avoid further questions on her and Nathaniel''s relationship. "Are you two close?"

    As Lady Orchid laughed, it sounded like the jingling of silver bells. "If not for his refusal, I would call him my son right now. The first day we met, he stood in front of my door unannounced and threatened me to be good mother to Aston. Can you believe it? A twelve-year-old telling me how to be a good mother! And he came back every now and then to check if I fulfilled my promise. He had the temper of a gruffly old man back then, keen on staying cold towards me. It took forever to get in his good books." She paused, and shook her head. "Despite this, the temper didn''t change."

    Katherine smiled automatically when the picture of a stern young boy with white hair popped up in her head. He had the fine features of an angel with the bearing of a little devil. How cute! Loudly, she said: "I wish I could have seen this. It sounds like a very strange first meeting."

    "It was." Samantha seemed to be reminiscing and fell silent.

    However, curiosity burned under Katherine''s nails. Since Prince Aston and Nathaniel looked alike, but the latter wasn''t royalty, she first assumed they were related over Aston''s mother. Now the woman revealed that she met Nathaniel only when he was twelve, so it was unlikely that they were close family. She couldn''t think of another reason why Nathaniel would search for and be protective of Aston though. Maybe this woman could lift a few secrets for her.

    "Did you ever meet Nathaniel''s parents?", Katherine asked. "He doesn''t talk much about them."

    Even through the veil, Katherine could feel that Lady Orchid''s gaze turned strange.

    "You don''t know?", she asked, and without waiting for an answer, continued as if to herself: "But of course, it makes sense. They all love their secrets too much. Still, since you are going to marry him you should know..."

    She again looked at Katherine, but finally shook her head. "No, I can''t tell you. This is not my secret, and since Nathan didn''t say anything yet, I shouldn''t involve myself. Despite this, I strongly recommend you to ask him personally about it as soon as possible. Though it''s too late to change anything on the wedding now."

    With each sentence, the foreboding feeling in Katherine multiplied. Finally, she stammered: "I thought his parents were dead!"

    "Dead?" Lady Orchid shook her head with a sigh. "Even the names of dead people can have impact. Besides, his mother is too venomous to die. But I''m not here to be nasty. Let''s focus on our task today, won''t we?"

    "This one also isn''t appropriate, Sally. We need something elegant and classy. Something with charm, but not too open. It has to have the feeling of holiness. Yes, holiness. Like a sage or a goddess gliding down from the heavens!"

    Hearing that familiar voice, Katherine felt happy and helpless simultaneously. Her lips curled up into a wry smile. "I see you are still on the goddess-trip. How much longer are you going to ignore my wish in this matter?"

    Hazel swirled around, and her green eyes went wide. "Milady! You are here! I - " She obviously wanted to utter an unneeded apology, when something more important crossed her mind: "I didn''t know you would marry tomorrow!"

    With a sigh, Katherine lifted her hands. "Neither did I."

    .

    Nathaniel had to spend only this one day in the custody of the guest house, before the King let the charges fall. The latter was possible because the attention of the public had shifted to the death of the Milton couple instead of the attack on the Queen. The still-furious Queen remained quiet. The possibility of war made everyone be on edge.

    Overnight, the public got nervous, and the aristocrats accused each other of murder and treason. Nobody knew who the real killers were, but one thing was impossible to refuse: the wounds and water around the corpse of the couple clearly pointed at the Iceland''s aristocrats. It was like a mark deliberately left by an evil mind to cause a war between the two kingdoms.

    The people of the Icelands were split into two camps: one in fear, and one youthfully itching to prove themselves, even though they knew that their land was not well-off enough to take the threat lightly.

    In the middle of all the commotion, someone suddenly stepped forward to remind the fearful camp of the mage that defeated an whole army by himself, making the Renats retreat before slaying a single Icelander.

    "Not even a cow was lost that day! How can we fear the Dragsean, an enemy of olden times, if we have this new power? They will be the ones to hide like rats before the new day to come!"

    Screams and paroles like this rang through the Capital, and many demanded to finally show the hero to the public and reward him. As if the King foresaw the timing, it was the day of the medal ceremony. Everyone wondered if the hero they would see in the evening might be the one to turn the tables against Dragsa, if a war happened. They wanted to see who exactly they would put their trust in.

    The hero meanwhile didn''t like these expectations at all. Though Nathaniel would fight if necessary, he didn''t plan to use this power again. That he was already prepared for exactly this demand to come up later the moment he eradicated the Renat''s army, didn''t make it much easier.

    But just as worrying to him as the politics, was the fact that Katherine wasn''t by his side. Though everyone told him she was alright and not in any kind of danger, not a single person wanted to tell him where exactly she was.

    Even Aston, who he had deemed loyal, grinned knowingly at the question. "She is preparing something, but I can''t say what. It''s a verdict of the King to not involve you. Just enjoy it later!"

    His last comment only made Nathaniel''s predictions turn worse. Had the King done something to her? But why was everyone smiling like that? It couldn''t be something cruel then. However, something easy also wouldn''t need a verdict.

 Chapter 125 - Shuddering

    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 before she was even allowed to put on a dress. Her complaints that it was rather cold were only heard by Hazel, who hurriedly brought her a blanket.

    However, she wasn''t allowed to wear the blanket for long as they began dressing her soon. That was when she noticed something wasn''t right. "Wait, this isn''t the bridal grown I choose."

    "Of course, Milady. You don''t want to accidentally dirty your bridal grown in the temple, right? This dress is the traditional grown for brides when they ask the goddess for her blessings.", one of the maids explained.

    "Ask for her blessings?", Katherine mumbled and rapidly noticed that the customs in the Icelands might be different from those in Dragsa. "Hazel, explain it to me please. What does an Icelandic bride need to do on her wedding day?"

    .

    An hour later, Katherine knelt to the feet of a sparkling ice-stature and bowed her head how Hazel told her to. Her breath left white clouds in the air. The insides of the temple were the coldest place Katherine had ever been to and she was shivering. However, that wasn''t surprising as it was the temple of Skadi, the goddess of snow and ice.

    It was a wonderful place like in a dream, where everything sparkled in the sun that shone through the ice of the roof. The whole temple was kept steady solely by the priestesses, who stood by the side quietly, matching their still surroundings. They seemed peaceful, though they were rumored to be the best archers of the kingdom with their bows out of white horn.

    "Goddess Skadi", Katherine whispered. It felt like a sacrilege to raise her voice any higher. This place seemed more holy than the fire temple she visited before. "I wish for your blessings. Please let my marriage be a fruitful one. Help me be a good wife and stand with me and my husband if life turns hard. Goddess Skadi, I wish for your blessings."

    Now she had to wait. Hazel didn''t tell her what she was waiting for, but she told her that she would know if the time was up. The waiting was essential, it showed her willingness to face the challenges a marriage could bring head on. Katherine was very willing to face these challenges, but it was different for the anger Nathaniel would show on their marriage day. This thought made her shiver even more. Would he even accept her as his wife?

    She had wanted to contact him in the night, but she had been kept like a bird in a cage the whole time. Now she hoped he would let her explain herself. Maybe she should make a more personal wish to the goddess, too. Almost inaudible, she moved her lips. "Goddess Skadi, please let him not be too angry. I wish he will forgive me."

    Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her. It was familiar but at the same time nearly forgotten like out of a bad dream. "Who are you asking forgiveness of, Lady Katherine? Isn''t it way too late for that?"

    A shudder swept over Katherine that had nothing to do with the cold anymore. No, this was impossible! He couldn''t be here!

    .

    Nathaniel wasn''t angry. Actually, he still didn''t know the plans of the King and was busy greeting all the important people who attended the ceremony. If the King was already there, even he wouldn''t be swarmed by as many people as Nathaniel today.

    Though the medal ceremony didn''t start yet, the rumor how the Earl looked that cooperated with the mysterious mage had already spread. In Nathaniel''s case, the description alone sufficed to distinguish him from millions of people. Who else got hair and eyes like his and was in the same age after all?

    Nathaniel shook hands left and right. Normally, he wouldn''t care about the hundreds of lesser nobles trying to please him and pry into his secrets - "Why is your magical friend not here today, Milord?" "How much power does he really hold?" "Will he enter the military? It would be for the best of this country!" - but today he greeted and talked to every single one of them, not to mention the higher ranked nobles, military generals, and wealthy newly-rich. Why? He had to make a preselection. Who of them knew the ones involved with the organization? Who could also be part of them besides the ones he knew?

    The questioning of Lord Orvet had been fruitful. Though he didn''t reveal the head of the organization - which indicated trouble - he at least knew some very influential participants. Additionally, there was one information which he himself didn''t know was valuable. Together with the gathered evidence, it revealed what Nathaniel had hoped to accomplish: the organization would use this gathering of all the nobles to act today.

    However, it was more difficult than anticipated to find their target. Why? Well, because he just couldn''t pinpoint their exact motivation. The organization could only be a gathering of ruthless minds that were only focused on science, but then they wouldn''t need so many influential people in their rows. With these people at their hands they could also be aiming to rule the kingdom, but that didn''t seem to be the case as well.

    They never made a political stance. They were neither joining hands with the King nor trying to fight him directly. Yes, he suspected the Queen or maybe the Princess or even Emilian to be a part of it, but the organization didn''t seem to be interested in hurriedly pushing them onto the throne as their marionettes.

    This strange behavior made him mull over all the recent events once more. Actually, it made no sense for an Icelandic noble to kill the diplomats of the Dragsa kingdom. Most of them knew that they were comparable to laughing apes and treated them as such. Who with a sane mind would be angered by the sounds of apes?

    He knew of no noble who was dumb enough to not understand that a war would follow the death of the diplomats. The Iceland''s situation was too twisted internally for it to be a fast and easy victory. War wasn''t something a sane noble would want for his own territory. And as far as he observed, the panic of the nobles asking for a savior was real. Their anger in search of the murderers was also real.

    All in all, it was not the nobles doing. A single noble gained nothing from this. They would only lose their landsmen and gold to the war. Victory was too unsure to gamble on it.

    The only party who he could think of as unbound by thoughts about land, territory, and people, who would benefit greatly from the chaos of war, was the organization. In war, who would notice it even if hundreds of people vanished? There were many orphans, many left-alone women that exactly fitted the criterions for their experiments.

    So, their aim right now could be to make sure that the war they initiated with the diplomat couple''s death really happened. Right now, most nobles of the Icelands were fearful and unwilling. They needed a trigger to make them hate and fight the Dragsa kingdom fervently. And that was where the problem laid: which trigger did they chose? There were just too many possibilities. The easiest one though, would killing an important person of the Icelands by the hands of a Dragsaean. Or at least let it look like a Dragsaean.

 Chapter 126 - The Price for Victory

    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 be here. None of the children in the woods lived to this day. Ethan had killed them all.

    Though she had never seen their bodies.

    The unwelcomed thought made her doubt her own judgement. Why did she trust Ethan''s word? Was there not reason to believe he could have lied to her? He did so easily before.

    "None of us is dead.", Frey''s voice reached her ears once more with a cold breeze of air. "You just left us there alone, but we are still alive."

    Katherine''s mind began to swirl. Was this possible? Did the children survive? She whole-heartedly wished for it, but that was exactly why she didn''t dare trust this voice. It was too good. How could it be real?

    "But we won''t be alive for long if we don''t get help", Frey added. "I''m not like Lily, I know you will forsake us again. Now that you have a comfortable live, why should you leave that behind for a few of orphans?"

    Katherine bit her lips. So, they were really blaming her, like the way she once dreamed it. And they were right. She never suspected that Ethan might lie to her again. But before she could trust this voice, she needed a proof. "Because it is the right thing to do. I''m not that blind, impulsive girl anymore. I want to atone for my sins. But you are nothing more than a ghost of my heart, how can I make it up to you?"

    "Look at the third bench to the right when you leave this place. Then you will know."

    The voice vanished. When Katherine called for him once more, he didn''t answer. Despite her heart racing in her c.h.e.s.t, she first adjusted her scarf before slowly standing up. She bowed to the stature. Her mind was far away, and she almost forgot to thank the goddess for her kindness.

    When she turned, the benches for prayers entered her field of view. Was there really something waiting for her or was this conversation just a test by the goddess?

    Slowly, she walked down the aisle. When reaching the third row to the right, her fingers trembled as she slipped an unassuming envelope from the bench into her cloak.

    Her back straight, she left the temple. There were too many eyes to open such a problematic letter directly despite her impatience. The carriage bringing her to and fro between the Palace and the temple was a better place.

    "Milady? Is something the matter?"

    Hazel, who''d waited in the carriage for her since the bride needed to follow the tradition alone, was exasperated when Katherine returned. The Lady''s eyes glinted darkly with an anger and hatred she couldn''t understand.

    "Nothing. Let''s go back."

    When the carriage started rolling, Katherine took out the letter and read it. Then, in a bout of anger, she ripped it in the middle, ripped and ripped it again, till there were only tiny pieces remaining. She exhaled. "This damn inhuman monster of a man! I wish I could ripp off his head instead!"

    Hazel froze like a frightened little mouse. She never heard her Lady curse like this before. Besides the Earl, she couldn''t think of another ''him'' her Lady would talk about. Was this marriage going up in flames before it even began? Oh no! Her poor Lady! What could she do to help?

    "Milady... ", she began.

    Katherine rubbed her forehead as if it could calm her anger. However, it didn''t help much. "Not now, Hazel."

    She needed to think about what she should do. Hearing from Ethan after such a long time, was like ripping open her soul to reawaken all those horrible memories. The children weren''t dead. She was obliged to save them, because of moral standings, and for the promise she once gave herself. However, she abhorred following Ethan''s instructions even if it was for the children.

    What would it bring anyway? Turning into his slave again would not save the children. And he didn''t kill them the last time, why should he do it now?

    Slowly, she picked up the tiny pieces of the letter one by one with disgust on her face. She collected them in the envelope and closed it again. As soon as she was back, she would burn it to cinders. This should not be read by anyone else.

    "Beware", Ethan had written, "someone will try to accuse you of murder. Stay away from the King today, if you want to be safe."

    She wondered whose murder she would be accused of. Maybe the Milton''s? The diplomat couple''s death was a hot topic in the city. However, how should someone blame this on her? She only saw them once. Furthermore, why should she stay away from the King? After yesterday, she couldn''t imagine the King being the one to accuse her. Maybe something would happen with the King that changed his decisions.

    Anyway, she didn''t plan to follow Ethan''s instructions. He could be lying again for purposes she didn''t know. Maybe she wouldn''t be accused, and it was just better for him if she wasn''t near the King. Yes of course, if she was near the King, she might have more influence on the whole of the Iceland, which was worse for Ethan. He knew she still wanted revenge.

    This had to be it!

    Besides, even if Ethan spoke the truth, just for the slim possibility of something happening to the King, it would be more reasonable to stay near him and try to help. She wasn''t part of Dragsa anymore, but a soon-to-be woman of the Icelands. She should act like one and stay on the side of her new country.

    Her only worry was the children. Ethan didn''t write about them, but after what Frey said, she suspected he would punish them for everything she did against him. He might not kill them directly, but she still remembered that he normally treated them worse than livestock. Sometimes, she was the only thing that stood between them and the bridge to the afterlife. With his anger about her added, it could turn into devilish torture.

    However, turning into a slave because of them wouldn''t help. She was pretty sure that Frey let himself be used as a spokesperson because he didn''t want them to be hurt more if he didn''t fulfil Ethan''s orders. As noble as it may be, that wasn''t a solution. It didn''t change anything on the children''s situation.

    No, the only thing that helped against tyrants, was to stand up against them. To use every possibility to bring them to fall, and free those who were throttled by their reign.

    If it was bad for Ethan if she stayed near the King, she would do exactly that. If it was at risk of her own safety, so be it. And if it added to her guilt, well, that was the price to pay for victory.

 Chapter 127 - Comming Soon

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 Chapter 127 - The Kings Speech

    When everyone had arrived at the location and had their fill of champagne and canap¨¦s, 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 border. To those who only heard unbelievable rumors, I can say: this army was way bigger and more frightening than any of you can think of. If he wasn''t there, this army would by now have slaughtered their way to the capital, to our very own territories and homes, threaten our lifes and families."

    Some nobles moved uncomfortably, some had a look of disbelieve on their face, or even indignance. They weren''t happy to hear that they wouldn''t have had a chance in their King''s eyes. Why should one person be able to ward off a catastrophe all of them together would be unable to face? Wasn''t someone like this also able to defeat the whole of the Iceland''s army then?

    "Of course", the King added, "That doesn''t mean that he killed the whole army. That is something that belongs to the realm of myths. The biggest part of the invading army was still on stand-by, he only defeated the vanguard. However, by defeating them with not a single soldier left, in an unknown and frightening way, he did something that none of you would be able to do: he took their hope from them. He took their vigor, their will to fight, and their believe in an easy victory. Instead, he gave them fear."

    The King looked at his subjects. His hands had sunk, his eyes earnest. "All of you are at most soldiers. Great warriors, for sure. But in the end, you will bleed, and you will die. You can fight the Renats and kill them, but you can''t give them this horrible feeling of no matter how many they send and how good they are, they would not be able to claim victory. That is how he defeated their main army. Not by killing them, but by making them fear him enough to lay down their weapons and run away."

    The silence that followed was eerie. Everyone who once fought in the army, thought deeply about the King''s words and wondered what they would feel if they had such a foe, and whether they would be able to continue fighting. They found no answer.

    After a while, the King raised his voice again. "The one who did all this, who saved our land from the horror of an all-out-war with a single fight, is not with us today."

    Clamor broke out. Everyone had thought they would finally see the hero, they would see the one who could defeat the Dragsean just as easily as he had the Renat''s. Now, the King told them that they had all gathered here for naught.

    However, the King raised his hands to indicate he wasn''t finished yet. When the crowd calmed down, he said: "I know, all of you must be furious. You are here to see him, but he is not here. Before you judge him, however, let me explain why."

    He made a pause until even the last gaze was locked onto him, some curious, some unwilling, or even angry. "I met with the mage who did all this one week ago. As the King, I was pleased to find a responsible hero, someone who cares more about his land and the people than about fame and power. He is a silent man, but when I wanted to hold a feast, he was curious to meet all of you.

    However, his best quality is also his curse. His sense for responsibility is exactly why he can''t be here with us today. As you all know, news spread yesterday that the diplomats from Dragsa were murdered on our grounds, right next to our capital. We are in a situation that is difficult to explain and can end in war any second.

    When the hero learned of this, I couldn''t hold him back. He didn''t want to wait for even a day before he traveled back to the boarder to protect us all from the possible threat. He was afraid that even a day might cost us lifes if the Dragsean decide to attack. So, he isn''t here, because he is out there to protect all of us, so our homes and families are safe."

    A murmur went through the crowd. The indignation was gone. Though the nobles wanted to meet the hero, they now understood, and they were nearly satisfied. His action gave them the answer to their main question. The hero would protect them. He was traveling to the boarder, prepared to repeat what he did to the Renats with this new threat.

    "So, what are we doing here today?", The King got back to the beginning of his speech. "Well, first let me remind you that there is still a medal to present. The hero might not be here in person, but so is the one who brought him to us. The person who defended the southern boarder together with the hero and who the hero assingned as his replacement in this ceremony. Let me introduce to you: Nathaniel Julien Raymond Icefall, Earl of the southern boarder, and my first-born son."

    For a second, there was shocked silence, then chaos broke out.

    Every noble''s first thought was: "There was another prince?" They felt indignation why such a secret was kept from them, especially when it was the first-born son, a possible heir.

    "Why only introduce him now?!", someone exclaimed. "Maybe he is a bastard...",

    Another voice called out: "What about the Crown Prince? Won''t he be dissatisfied?"

    And a fat merchant in a striking yellow west lamented: "Oh god, maybe his position will be removed. Why did I spend so much money to curry favor with him?"

    In between the mass of discussing people, some cursing in dissatisfaction, Nathaniel''s face had darkened, and his hands clenched into fists. The last part of the introduction wasn''t part of the script. It wasn''t beneficial to his investigations either. After so many years of cold and fearful treatment, why acknowledge him now?

    But the answer occurred to him soon: As always, the King was only looking out for himself. When Emilian was the most possible heir, the nobles preferred currying favor with Emilian instead of the King. However, with another prince added, the balance would shift to the King''s side again. He had the freedom of choosing his heir after all. It was the desperate move to hold on to his power when the dispute with the Queen threatened to split his country apart.

    Nathaniel never imagined that this would be the reason he would be acknowledged by his father. Not because of his acts for the country, nor because his penance was over and the King regretted his harshness. No, it was solely for political gains.

    Just as cold as his heart was his gaze at the King when he finally stepped on the pedestal to receive his medal.

    "Don''t look at me like this", the King demanded in a stern and quiet voice, and let the golden medal fall into Nathanliel''s gloved hands. The white peaks surrounding the gold made a strong contrast to the black of the leather. King William Icefall hastily pulled his hand back. "I also didn''t want this. Be greatful to your great-aunt. Without her, you would forever be an unknown Earl."

 Chapter 128 - Comming soon

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 Chapter 128 - Blood And Roses

    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 anchor in a sea of loneliness? The one who sat by her bedside with shadows under his eyes, and at other times teased her with a clever smirk?

    She lived by his side for several months, how come she didn''t notice anything? The palace servants also didn''t treat him differently. It had to be a wild rumor. He would have told her if he was a prince. Or wouldn''t he?

    But now, she noticed a few other things. Why else would he be protective of the fourth Prince the way Lady Orchid told her, and why would the Princess invite her to tea to talk about him? Why was he so important to the King that he wanted to meet her personally? If it was just for a powerful mage, this was too much.

    It felt like there was a wall between her and him, so thin that she didn''t notice before. It was keeping each of them in their own world, with only the illusion of knowing the other. He never talked about his family, his plans or troubles willingly. Why did she think she knew all about this ice-cold demon when the most they had was a dance and a kiss?

    Only a single kiss, but she thought that it meant something. That she meant something more to him than a helpful hand. Maybe she was wrong.

    Suddenly, she remembered how the King said he would ''allow her to marry one of his sons'', and how he laughed when she chose Nathaniel over them. He gave in way too happily. Hadn''t it been obvious then?

    But she didn''t think of it.

    While standing at the door to the hall where the festivity was held, her legs were numb with fear. She was afraid she would stumble along the way to the pedestal and fall like a fool. She was afraid Nathaniel would say ''no'' to her in front of everyone, and she was afraid someone would be murdered on her own wedding. She might be accused of murder.

    With a deep breath that smelled of sweetness like the bridal bouquet in her arms, she tried to think optimistically. Nathaniel also had secrets, he couldn''t be too angry that she didn''t talk to him before, could he? And she wasn''t the one who wanted to marry today, it was an order from the King.

    However, would he know this? Would he care? She was sure she would not, if she was in his place.

    There were so many people that their faces and voices merged to an indistinct mass, swarming into her mind and making her dizzy. She only searched for one face but couldn''t find it between all of them. She didn''t remember walking, but suddenly, she was in the middle of the hall, and looked up.

    Finally, the pedestal was visible. There he was. Nathaniel''s gaze was as dark as his suit and colder than his white hair. She couldn''t meet it for long. Under her veil, her eyes blurred, and she hastily averted them. He didn''t want her. She could see it in this short exchange. She could understand if he was angry, but his gaze showed more than just anger. It was burning with hate and disgust.

    Her heart fell apart into bloody, hurting smithereens. A shiver rolled down her spine, and she felt as cold as the statue in the temple. Made of ice. How could she not die inside? She loved this stubborn, cold and lonely Earl more than she ever allowed herself to acknowledge. Yes, she loved him. She never wanted to be vulnerable again, but she couldn''t help falling for him. And now, he was turning her down without a word.

    She really did stumble. Her numb legs wouldn''t carry her anymore, and she stumbled over her own feet, fell down on the floor.

    Despite her knees hitting the stone tiles hard, she didn''t feel anything. She stared down at the bridal bouquet on the marble floor. Red roses on black stone. They looked like splattered blood. They looked like her heart that shattered.

    But she had survived it once.

    Katherine gritted her teeth, as frustration and anger rose in her. How could she let herself be destroyed by a man again? She had it once, and she wouldn''t let it happen twice. She still had her pride. She wouldn''t turn into a begging and wailing mess. Not now, not ever.

    Deliberately, she strengthened her anger and let it flood the coldness away. She snatched up her bouquet and straightened her back. She would not crumble here like a pitiful flower girl. She never was one of those fragile girls, and never would be. She despised herself for being so weak.

    Now there was fire in her veins and she would take it to burn this unfeeling Earl till his ice was molten and steaming. Pridefully, almost arrogantly, she pulled back her shoulders and strode down the hall. Her steps were fast and confident. There was nothing in her eyes but this annoying Earl, who was now frowning. Maybe he was annoyed that she couldn''t even walk straight, but she didn''t care anymore.

    To Nathaniel''s left was a priest in a blue robe and an altar, to his right this hateful king. She saw them out of the corners of her eyes but ignored them. Her focus point was this irritable man in the middle, that looked way too handsome in an angry mood. When she reached in front of Nathaniel, she glared up into these red eyes and hissed: "If you dare say ''no'' to me, I swear I will hate you for the rest of my life."

    He furrowed his brows. "You have no idea what you are talking about. I can''t be your husband. It''s impossible."

    Her already shattered heart took another blow, but she stood through it with a straight back. Was it really so horrible to be married to her? "Then I hope it''s possible to live without your head", she viciously threw back, too quiet to be heard by the crowd that was listening to another speech of the King. Despite all her afford, her voice wavered a bit.

    "Katherine." Of course, he noticed the slip-up. His eyes suddenly clouded with confusion and worry, and he reached for her arm, but she jerked it away. Instead, he curled his hand into a fist. His voice was harsh, strained with an unknown tension. "You don''t understand. I''m not normal. I can''t be in that sort of relationship."

    "Oh, is it because you are a prince? You can''t marry a woman of the enemy country now? But look, your king allowed it! Or is it because of my status? I tell you, I might not be a princess but my status is not low either! I- "

    "Katherine!", his authoritarian voice silenced her easily. It went over his head how she could be so worked up about this matter. "You know it got nothing to do with that. I would marry you in a second, if I could. But I can''t ruin your life."

    She knew nothing about that, and to hear it now, while he was rejecting her, only hurt more. Tears welled up in her eyes, even when she fought so hard to keep them dry. "I don''t care. I want you. Do you know that the King asked me if I would still want you even if I could never touch you? And I said yes. Damn me, but I said yes! I never want anyone else, even if you will never love me back!"

    A sob escaped her tight throat. Suddenly, there were strong arms around her, pulling her against a hard c.h.e.s.t.

    "Then damn us both", she heard his taunt voice, and it tingled in all her nerves. "For I will take all I can."

 Chapter 129 - Comming Soon

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 Chapter 129 - The Wedding

    Katherine wailed silently while he softly rocked her in his arms. "Shh, don''t cry. I will stay with you. Don''t cry."

    Nathaniel didn''t know why her tears made him feel so bad. They certainly made him want to protect her from everything, including his own bad temper. He just couldn''t let go of her. And now, he wouldn''t anymore. She asked for it herself. She asked while knowing the truth.

    A sad kind of elation had followed her words. She would stay with him even if they couldn''t really touch each other for the rest of their lives. Her dedication had humbled him, and at the same time awoken a desperate craving. He wanted her like nothing before in his life. All of her. Even though he couldn''t give anything back, he wanted to take whatever she offered of her heart until he was the only one she could think of, the only one she could lean on desperately like right now.

    All this time he had wondered how to tell her about his worst fault, about the demonic magic in him. And now, it seemed like she knew and didn''t care. She wanted him nonetheless.

    He never felt this blessed in his life, so blessed that it felt irreal. Even his own mother rejected him when she knew of the danger he bore. Nobody wanted him, dared to take him in their arms. Certainly, nobody but her would marry a man so selflessly.

    His heart was breaking for her, the frustrations she would suffer in the future, and at the same time he was so full of elation that he couldn''t let go. Guilt clashed with need, and the need won. Just once more, he wanted to be selfish again. Surely, she would overthink her decision soon, but right now, it was like a dream come true. He was too weak to reject it, wanted to bath in the illusion as long as possible.

    His suit was already wet with her tears, but he let her be, and softly stroked her hair as if it were the feathers of a fragile fledgling.

    "Why?", she mumbled against his c.h.e.s.t. "Why did you suddenly change your mind?"

    Before he could answer, the priest cleared his throat. For a minute, they had both forgotten where they were, sunken in the rush of feelings. Now the sounds around them reminded them that there was a ceremony to fulfill.

    They looked each other in the eye, one pair red, one violet, and none of them wanted to let go. With or without marriage, they had broken the thin wall between them and entered each other''s life. Their lips curled up at the same time.

    "You got your make-up all over your face", Nathaniel grinned, which made Katherine blush, before she pointed out: "And over you!"

    Gazing down at his c.h.e.s.t, where powder had stained the black fabric, his grin widened into a stunning smile like it was never seen before. His voice was warm, with a certain amount of pride. "So be it."

    They took each other''s hands, and while the priest recited his monologue, they gazed at each other with unspoken feelings. It could as well have been just those three, without the crowd, and in a tiny room. Surroundings and other people didn''t matter. This was the first time they had found love. Till now, they didn''t know how stunning it was to be loved back.

    But even when trying to shove it away, in the back of her mind, something was irking Katherine. She felt like she had to remember it, but she didn''t want to. The moment was too wonderful, and too easy to pass by.

    "Nathaniel Julian Raymond Icefall, son of King William Timothy Icefall and Queen Layla Fatima Icefall, will you take Katherine Mary Balder as your lawfully wedded wife?"

    Katherine gasped. She nearly forgot that she was supposed to marry a prince. He really was a prince, the priest''s words were proof of it, but she still couldn''t believe it, so she gazed up at him curiously. A second late, but surely, Nathaniel nodded back. Then he opened his mouth to say much more wonderful words: "I, Nathaniel Julian Raymond Icefall, take you, Katherine Mary Balder, as my lawfully wedded wife, to cherish and protect, for rich, for poor, for good times and worse, and for as long as you want me to be."

    Before the priest could intervene, Nathaniel ended with the traditional words: "May the great goddess Skadi watch over my pledge and let it stay still like her Palace of Ice."

    Brought out of rhythm, the priest hesitated for a bit, but a heavy nod by the King made him continue. "Katherine Mary Balder, daughter of Duke Patrick John Balder and Duchess Shayenne Balder, will you take Nathaniel Julian Raymond Icefall as your lawfully wedded husband?"

    Suddenly, Katherine''s heart started pounding so fast, that she felt a bit dizzy again. Now was her time to speak the vows. She opened her mouth, and first took a breath of cool air. How should she begin? Well, it was simple in a way, but at the same time it seemed to be the hardest thing she ever did. At least she knew Nathaniel''s answer already.

    She looked into his eyes, only saw patience and affection. His long fingers softly squeezed hers as he mouthed ''last chance''. He still expected her to run away, may god know why. But she didn''t plan to give up, even when his behavior seemed to indicate deeper trouble than what was normal in a marriage.

    His dissuasion made her even surer of her choice. "I, Katherine Mary Balder take you, Nathaniel Julian Raymond Icefall, as my lawfully wedded husband, to cherish and support, for rich, for poor, for good times and worse. I promise to trust in your judgement and help you archive your aims, till death do us part. May the great goddess Skadi watch over my pledge and let it stay still like her Palace of Ice. May the sun god shine brightly on our ways."

    The last part was added from the wedding vows of Dragsa, an ancient vow. Though she didn''t feel as a part of this country anymore, the sun god was still the religion she grew up with. The rite didn''t feel complete without it.

    Katherine knew that with this pledge, she was laying the first stone for a future she never hoped to find, a future that might collide with her plan of revenge. But she knew now what she would do if she had to choose. Her parents were dead, but she was still alive. And so was Nathaniel.

    Though she felt many strange gazes on her, not even the priest called her out for praying to the wrong god. With one look at her dark hair and small frame, everyone could tell where she came from.

    With strong, tanned hands, the priest handed Nathaniel a golden goblet and made him drink the wine inside. His red eyes never left hers. When it was Katherine''s turn, she chose the same spot. A blush crept up her cheeks that wasn''t only from the wine. Nathaniel''s gaze was intense.

    After them, it was the King''s turn to drink and seal their marriage. The priest brought the goblet over to his side, while the couple only had eyes for each other.

    Suddenly, there was a strange sound. Katherine saw Nathaniel''s eyes widen in horror, before metal hit the floor and rang out like a bell in her ears. Suddenly, there were screams everywhere.

 Chapter 130 - Fleeing

    Everything happened too fast for Katherine to react. When she moved her eyes over, a body laid on the ground with blood pooling around him. The King! The King had fallen! Screams echoed in the hall and chaos broke out.

    Suddenly, someone grabbed her hand and pulled her with him, away from Nathaniel, who rushed over to the fallen body with a horrified expression on his usually stony face.

    "Stop! I can - " A wet hand covered her mouth before she could offer her help. She struggled against the arms that held her, bit into the fingers, and opened her eyes wide when blood entered her throat. That wasn''t from the bite! There was blood on the person''s hand!

    The man behind her cursed, his voice familiar, not only because she heard it a minute before when he asked for her wedding vow. Though she had never seen the face under the blue priest robe, the image of a man with reddish hair entered her mind. Then she heard metal clink behind her and a shrill, poisonous voice: "They are fleeing! Arrest them! Hurry!"

    Where was the Queen coming from?

    Before she had the time to process, the man behind her pulled her along. When she fought against his grip, his fist hit her stomach. "Sorry, but you need to come with me."

    She saw stars before her eyes and felt how the man heaved her over his shoulder before he started running.

    .

    When Nathaniel reached the King''s side, he fell on his knees. "Father!"

    Red. Everything was red with blood. In the c.h.e.s.t of the King was a deep wound, gushing out more and more of the life essence. The King coughed and blood splattered over his chin. Fastly, Nathaniel pulled off his jacket, but when he wanted to press it on the wound, he saw it crumble in his hands that had halos of darkness around them. He cursed and backed away. Just why were emotions the trigger to magic? And why didn''t this damn bracelet stop it? Useless!

    While trying to calm down, he yelled with a thunderous voice over the chaos: "Aston! Aston, come here!"

    The golden-haired Prince was by his side instantly. His young face was serious and pale with shock, but he used his cape to stop the bleeding.

    "Katherine. Where is she?", Nathaniel asked and looked around. "We need her. He can still be saved."

    "I don''t know." Aston''s voice was rough, he was fighting against the tears.

    Just as Nathaniel was about to curse, a nonchalant female interrupted him: "Mother is taking care of her."

    Alarm had Nathaniel run a shiver down his spine. He stood up and faced Princess Helmina. Next to her was Emilian, who had his sword in hand. A group of guards slowly surrounded Nathaniel, Aston, and the bleeding King. Nathaniel gritted his teeth as the puzzle parts fell in place. He cursed himself inside that whatever preparations he had made, hadn''t been enough. How could the attacker infiltrate the palace? Well, obviously with much help from inside.

    It was Helmina who spoke first. "Step back, traitor, or I will let the guards behead you."

    Nathaniel snorted, and his hand automatically wandered to his side. But he had neither a sword nor his daggers with him. He needed more time. "Step back so that you can let the King bleed out? I don''t think so."

    "Now, why would I want my own father to die?", Helmina smiled harmlessly. "I just don''t want you to kill him, after your first attempt failed. We all know how much you hate him."

    "Ah", Nathaniel made, and over the Crown Prince''s shoulder saw that the guests had mostly fled the hall. He didn''t trust a word she said. She was just as fake as their mother, and maybe just as crazy.

    Near the window side there was a fight. He could make out some of his own people in the servant''s uniforms. Why were they fighting the palace guards? And who were those dark-skinned fighters in colorful clothes? Where did they come from? He couldn''t even tell on which side they were, but while their weapons were strange, the movements outed them as elite warriors.

    As his eyes turned back to his sister, he added: "I am not even at his side right now. Aston should be trustworthy, right?"

    Her smile widened. "Of course not. He is your collaborator, how he always has been. Now, raise your hands and step aside."

    Just when she said that, there was a crash, and one of the windows broke. Two figures fell through the glass, and Nathaniel saw the white and blue of a wedding dress. His heart jumped up in his throat. The hall was two floors above the ground!

    With much afford, he suppressed the urge to rush through the mass of guards just to see what happened to Katherine. He couldn''t be there in time anyway, and seconds after the crash of the window, he already saw the big, bearded figure of Jack jumping after them. Relieved, his attention turned back to his own mess.

    Somehow, in the short time span everyone''s attention had been on the window, a sword had slithered over the floor. Now it laid directly beside his boot. He didn''t wonder where it came from, but picked it up and bellowed: "Aston, do it now!"

    Out of nowhere, two walls of ice rushed up from the floor and formed a passage between the guards. Aston picked up the King, whose wound was glittering with red crystals, and he and Nathaniel made a run for it.

    When the guards noticed their aim, they rushed after them, but outside their ring already waited Pete with half of Hymirhall''s warriors. They had no choice but to come to a slithering halt and fight their way through them if they wanted to get a hold up the two Princes fleeing with their King.

    "Let''s see what you Youngsters are capable of", Pete muttered as his sword met his first opponent''s.

    Aston and Nathaniel meanwhile met Samantha Orchid. Her hair messy and the skirt of her servant''s uniform gathered up, she urged: "Hurry, hurry! I locked every door leading to this corridor, but it won''t take long for them to break through!"

    The three rushed down the hallway, and Nathaniel prayed inwardly that Katherine would come out save out of this mess. At least she had Jack by her side. Right now, he couldn''t even guarantee his own survival, much less anyone else''s.

    However, his survival was not as important as the King''s today. If the kingdom lost its King, the consequences would be dire. The kingdom would fall in the upcoming war with Dragsa or any other kingdom that attacked them in this state, and the death count would soar to a high it had never been since the first years of the Icefall dynasty. He had to do anything he could to prevent this from happening. Not for the old man that was hanging weakly in his brother''s grip, but for every woman, man, and child that would die if he didn''t act.

    "He won''t make it! I - I can''t run with him anymore, I think he''s dying!" It was commendable that Aston didn''t cry while calling out. The body of the King was already weak, and the only way Aston alone could carry him, wasn''t easy on the King''s wounds. Sweat had turned Aston''s gold hair a shade darker. He also wouldn''t hold out for long if he had to run with this burden.

    "Put him in here, I think we can hide him as long as you two don''t stay", Lady Orchid said, as she hastily opened the door to a chamber complex that was obviously prepared for a Lady. With Nathaniel''s help, Aston laid the King into the changing room, on a bed of clothes.

    "I will play the servant again and stay with him here", Lady Orchid explained while she ripped open the King''s robe to have a better look at the wound. When she saw the brother''s skeptical looks, she added with a wry smile: "Don''t worry, I know a bit of medicine. I can keep him alive for a bit. You two have to lure everyone away from here. When it is quiet again, I will bring him out in a concealed way. We''ll meet at Waywarden''s High when the sun sets. And you, groom in black, better have your bride with you by then or I doubt he will survive till the next sunrise!"

    "Yes, Madam!", Aston said in Nathaniel''s stead. The latter only nodded grimly.

    "Well, what are you waiting for? Off you go!", the mistress of the King mumbled absentmindedly, followed by a worried glance. "And stay save!"

    "You, too." Aston shortly kissed her head before heading out with Nathaniel. The interlude didn''t take much time, but they knew it couldn''t be long before the guards would be on their heels again.

 Chapter 131 - In Predicament

    Between the violent fights and the broken window in the grand hall, a group of people in unusual colorful gowns stood leisurely and looked onto the bloodshed with slight apathy.

    "You know, little sis, I doubt father would have married you to the Icefalls if he saw with his own eyes what primitive monkeys they are. How is that even a sword style? It''s just stupid slashing and jumping around. And they call themselves royal guards! They couldn''t hold out against me for five seconds."

    "Father''s guards back in the Falumor royal court also wouldn''t hold out five seconds against you, brother Kadir", the Queen of the Icelands reminded with a sour face. "If they were so easy, don''t you think father would have long conquered these ''primitive'' lands?" Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/how-to-make-the-iceprince-fall_13419077006806905/in-predicament_50707487518675011">/book/how-to-make-the-iceprince-fall_13419077006806905/in-predicament_50707487518675011</a> for visiting.

    "True", the man called Kadir laughed. He wasn''t tall but had long arms that were slung around a woman on each side. With his exotic dark complexion and the muscles of a dancer, he was easy to look at. However, his small, sly eyes showed a sadistic glee when watching the splatter in the hall. "Then maybe I should let my concubines play with those here for a bit instead. That would be funny. What do you think, my darlings?"

    The concubines, two in his arms and another one by their side, glanced at the fights with disinterest. However, he still pushed them in the direction of the biggest one. "We need privacy over here. If you don''t want to entertain me, you better don''t come back."

    This sparked the motivation in the three, making them pull out their weapons and join the fray. Kadir grinned. "Seems like I need to change them soon. A few Icelandic women would be interesting. Any recommendations, sister?"

    "I don''t care." Queen Layla waved her hand in disgust. "More importantly: how do you plan to help me hunt down this monster? You only have a limited number of warriors with you as I see it."

    "The monster this, the monster that, you are talking about nothing else, but what threat is it right now? You promised me a good fight and all it did was run away. If it had such great power, it would have stayed and fought with me. Honestly, I am a bit disappointed." Kadir''s tone was somewhere between lament and complain.

    Then he laid his long arm around Layla''s waist, since he was too small to reach her shoulder. The Queen stood stiff in his grip. They resembled each other only in the black color of their hair and the fullness of their lips, though the Queen''s were colored in a much brighter red. "Let''s first take care of the aristocrats, okay? You wanted your son to take over the kingdom safely, but as long as the King is still alive, it will be difficult. They will complain and won''t accept him until this - what was his name again? - Willy something Icefall, is dead. Correct?"

    Layla Icefall, former Bishara, one of many Princesses of Falumor, didn''t answer. Her hands were fisted by her side, as her snake green eyes laid on the broad back of her son who just now charged after a team of wounded warriors. Corpses laid on the ground around them, while her daughter overviewed the situation from the sidelines. Queen Layla pursed her lips as Emilian entered a corridor and left her line of sight.

    "You don''t really need to kill him, do you?", she argued. "Milan is the Crown Prince anyway. As long as the King vanishes, isn''t that enough? I never asked for you to kill my husband."

    Kadir raised his hands. "That wasn''t my decision. The organization we cooperated with - "

    "Organization?", suddenly, Layla''s eyes sparked with fury, and she freed herself of his grip to look him in the eyes. "What organization? I thought this was all done for Falumor! Don''t tell me... you are working with Loki?!"

    There was silence between them, then Kadir''s expression hardened. He slowly revealed: "Working with them would be too much to say. Actually, we are only using them. Don''t freak out, sister. As soon as they aren''t useful anymore, we totally have the power to destroy them."

    Layla''s bosom heaved up and down. "You are working with - those bastards?! Don''t you know what they did to me? They - "

    "Now, now, sister, don''t push your first husband''s faults at the organization!", Kadir interrupted her. "They weren''t even formed by then. And as I said, we''re only using them to destabilize the kingdoms. As soon as Falumor is the Emperor of Dragsa and the Icelands, we don''t need their schemes anymore."

    "But I am the Queen, why does he - " Queen Layla swayed on her feet, and Kadir curled his arm around her waist again.

    "Just relax, little sis. Your brother will handle all of this."

    A wide grin formed on Kadir''s lips as he took her up in his arms. "Did you really think father would let you be in charge of the situation here, sis? You and a boy that never saw the pyramids of Falumor once. Never ever would he place all his hopes on your puny little marriage."

    When the guards of the kingdom neared him with suspicious faces, he smiled friendly. "My sister is in shock and exhausted. Can you take her for a rest? I will handle everything for her here."

    .

    Katherine woke up in a shaking carriage. Her stomach hurt. Slowly, she breathed in and out, before taking a look around. A boy around thirteen was in the carriage. He had black hair and tanned skin. His face with the pointy chin and nose was familiar. Her eyes widened.

    "Frey?", she asked, and hastily sat up. She ignored the pain that shot through her belly when she moved. "Is it really you? But how? Where are we?"

    The boy jolted as if he was shaken out of his sleep. His tone was just as sour. "Lady Katherine. Don''t just start talking without warning."

    Katherine didn''t care. She remembered everything that happened before she fainted - and she needed answers. "How did I end up here? What is with the King? Is he dead?"

    Frey looked out of the carriage, but Katherine saw his hands tremble as they clenched together. "I don''t know. And what do I care? He is just another evil person as far as I''m concerned."

    "Even if he is evil, many people will die if he''s dead. So, bring me back right now!", Katherine demanded. The horror on Nathaniel''s face was deeply engraved into her memory. This man was his father, she realized. Whoever he was and whatever he had done, Nathaniel would be hurt if he died. She didn''t want that.

    That the Icelands would fall into chaos if he died, was secondary. She would do everything within her power to sweep that look of horror of her husband''s face. Husband. The term made her heart skip a beat.

    "No." Frey''s answer was uncooperative and a bit flippant. "I will bring you where you belong."

    "Bring me where I..." Disbelieve painted Katherine''s features. "You mean to Ethan?!"

    The boy looked at her as if she was the dumb one. "Where else? It took much effort to bait you out of the organization''s claws. But the Duke wants you back whatever the cost. So, here we are."

 Chapter 132 - Comming Soon

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

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 Chapter 132 - Need to Get Out

    It was like she was back on the way from her home to the Earl of Hymirhall. The guards were just as strict, the escape just as impossible. There were only few differences: the way was reversed, she knew the direction, she knew who waited for her, and, most importantly, she had allies. Nathaniel wouldn''t give her up. He would search for her. As much as she wanted to go back to him now, it would be impossible without help.

    Despite knowing this, Katherine was nervous. What if the Earl couldn''t find her in time? What if something happened to him while she was away? She wanted to be by his side more than anything right now. To distract herself as well as to gather information, she kept on talking with Frey.

    "Why does Ethan suddenly want me back?"

    Frey rolled his eyes. "How should I know what goes on in the Duke''s head? He''s crazy. As far as I know, he wants you to attend his wedding. Must be nice to have someone who wants you back so badly."

    "His wedding? He is getting married?", Katherine asked in surprise. She never imagined this bastard would marry someone. He was never interested in anything that had to do with feelings.

    "Are you upset that it isn''t you? It''s all in the invitation I brought you.", Frey replied venomously.

    "If he tries to marry me, I will stab his black heart at night, and he knows that", she hissed in disgust. "But what invitation are you talking about? I never got one."

    "Oh." Frey frowned, and rummaged in the inside pocket of his jacket. Then he pulled out an envelope that looked just like the one she got in the temple. "Looks like I forgot. Thought I gave you both."

    Intrigued, Katherine took the envelope and opened it. The card inside was beige, filled with a beautiful handwriting. Down below, two stamps, one red, one black, complimented each other. Her eyes widened. While the black stamp with a hawk''s head couldn''t be any more familiar to her, the red stamp with a phoenix was a surprise. It was the insignia of the Dragsean royal family.

    After reading through it, she felt alarmed, and at the same time like she should have known it. "So, he marries a Princess. No wonder."

    One look at it, and she knew: this marriage wasn''t out of affection, but the result of Ethan''s scheming mind. She pitied the Princess, for she herself also fell for Ethan''s acting talent once. But her pity was not enough that she wanted to help. Who knew what kind of person the Princess was?

    "It''s presumptuous that he even thinks I will attend his wedding. I never want to see him again, unless it''s his separated head." With cold anger, she ripped the invitation apart and let it flutter to the ground. "I won''t go with you."

    Frey laughed bitterly. "Like you have a choice."

    She smiled lightly. This boy was still the same as back when she got to know him, only much more pessimistic. He had a right to be spiteful after she left them, even though she didn''t know they were still alive. But she wanted to at least try to make him understand. And maybe she could even change his mindset.

    After a moment of deliberation, she started: "Four months back, that might be true. Now, maybe it''s different. I know you want to protect everyone else, Frey, but do you really want to be his dog? Being loyal and submissive won''t stop a tyrant. He will still harm all of you, and only get crueler. What I want, and what I planned to do, is to stand up against him. To stop him. That''s why I can''t get back into his claws, you see? All my plans will be destroyed, and he will torture us all forever."

    "Ha!", the boy made cynically. "What can you do? I know you, Lady Katherine, you were the most loyal of his dogs! Even if you changed, how will you ever be powerful enough to beat him? You are a girl!"

    A mysterious smile still lingered around Katherine''s mouth. She wasn''t offended, because four months back, this statement was very true. She never expected how fast her power-level would raise. "I got married today. Do you know to whom?"

    "What does it matter? He will betray you like these merchants you payed.", Frey held against her.

    This statement distracted her for a moment. She remembered the voice of the ''priest'' who kidnapped her. She knew that it had been familiar, but the situation was too chaotic to wonder how he came there. "So, it really was Kyle. What has the organization done to him for him to attack the King? What about the other merchants?"

    "Maybe they killed them, maybe they are chained up somewhere or maybe he was on their side to begin with. There was no reason to ask, so how would I know?" Frey lifted his hands like he didn''t care, but Katherine was sure this was just acting. He couldn''t get so coldhearted in such a short time.

    "Anyway," she came back to the topic. "You don''t know my husband. In the Icelands, I believe he is more powerful than Ethan in Dragsa. He will never betray me, and if I asked, he might kill Ethan for me. But I don''t want that. I want to rip out that snake''s heart by myself. I changed. And I will be powerful enough to kill Ethan soon. That is what I believe in. I promised it the moment the heads of my parents got chopped off, I promised, that his life will end by my hands. So, you also don''t have to stay by his side."

    She never expected him to enthusiastically change his view just because of her words, but the response was still down-casting. Frey only bitterly shook his head. "Forget it. I can''t depend on possibilities. You are playing with lives if you do."

    The carriage came to a halt just in time for him to get out. "We are resting for the night. You just stay in the carriage, Lady Katherine."

    With that, he locked the door behind him.

    .

    "Did we lose them?"

    On Nathaniel''s waist was also a cut, but when Aston instinctively leaned over to freeze it, Nathaniel backed away. "Don''t. I''m unstable." Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/how-to-make-the-iceprince-fall_13419077006806905/need-to-get-out_50939483952050658">/book/how-to-make-the-iceprince-fall_13419077006806905/need-to-get-out_50939483952050658</a> for visiting.

    He didn''t look much better than Aston, his hair disheveled and wet with sweat. If one looked closely, there were a few tiny holes in his shirt, as if it was eaten by moths. However, instead of his skin, a thin black mist could be seen at times.

    For a second, his closed his eyes and knitted his brows, then the mist was gone. However, this wasn''t his only problem. His weakened sword arm trembled slightly from over-exhaustion. Still, he forced himself to hold on. "We need to get out of the city."

 Chapter 133 - Comming Soon

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 Chapter 133 - Two Birds

    "How?" Aston looked at Nathaniel like he was delusional. When Nathaniel looked back the same way, Aston hit his forehead with a palm. "Right! Ouch! Damn!"

    He had hit right on his wound, but he was too excited to care. "The key! The key for the black-market secret passage! Do you have it with you?"

    Nathaniel raised his brow. "If it was the one you send me with an unreadable card, then no. Why would I bring something I don''t know the purpose of?"

    "Damn! It could have brought us at least through the second wall", Aston said, and cursed. "Then why are you looking at me like that?"

    With a sigh Nathaniel also leaned against the wall and waited for a search troop to pass their hiding place. If it was Sam with him right now, he was sure the old man would have understood without saying. But how could he expect from anyone else to read his mind? Being a brother was troublesome. "The whole purpose of the ceremony today was to lure the enemy out of hiding, you remember?"

    "So what?" Aston scratched his nose with irritation. "Everything went down the drain, so what does it have to do with us fleeing?"

    "Pretty much everything", Nathaniel explained slowly. "We know most of their faces now and don''t need to avoid startling the enemy anymore. Since before the ceremony, the meeting place to reunite with the rest of my soldiers is their headquarter. And because all the enemies are searching for us right now, there won''t be much resistance. Remember their underground research center? One of the escape routes leads all the way outside the city. We can hit two birds with one stone."

    Slowly, Aston''s eyes went from a dark gloomy blue to a sparkling night sky. "Brilliant! Brother, you are the best!"

    If not for Nathaniel''s hand holding him away, he would have jumped the other and hugged him. Instead, he got pushed back. "Keep your excitement for later. The fight we have to face won''t be an easy one. I don''t know how many of my soldiers could escape alive of the palace. If we only have the ones in reverse, it might not be enough."

    With that reminder, Aston calmed down, and thought for a few seconds. "The headquarter was below the Magic Association, right?"

    "Yes. Hiding in broad daylight. The mages of the Association are the biggest threat, though half of them don''t even know about the research center."

    "Like unpaid watchdogs", Aston mumbled. "They will fight us if we invade their home as wanted persons. Alright, it might not be as hard as you think. Some of my friends work there."

    Nathaniel gave him a sidelong glance. "You sure they are not on their side?"

    "Even if they are, they will do everything for me! They love me, you know." Aston gave him a wink that made Nathaniel frown even more.

    "Alright, let''s first look for my people", he switched the topic. If it was possible in any way, he would prefer not taking the help of Aston''s ''friends''. "Anyway, how did you even get your hands on the key for a black-market passage?"

    Despite the blood, Aston''s shrewd grin still looked stunning. "You know, there was this girl, long legs, and head full of red locks - "

    "Okay, you don''t need say any more", Nathaniel cut him off coldly.

    A few seconds later, the search troops seemed to have left the area. The two young man came out of their hiding place and ran in the direction of the Magic Association.

    Darkness had fallen, but the city was still bustling with noise. This was especially true for the entertainment institutions as well as pubs and associations. Of course, this included the Magic Association. Though it had calmed down compared to daytime, there were still many mages going in and out, since it was to same parts a working and a meeting place.

    Today, however, the house to its right was also strangely bustling. Strangely, because there wasn''t much sound. There were many suspicious people going in, but the house itself remained quiet like they just vanished after closing the door. Nobody came out again. If somebody counted, they would have noticed that around thirty people in groups of two or three entered the house. Some of them looked to be drunk because they moved strangely or leaned on their comrades. If somebody looked closely, they would see blood and cuts in their clothes.

    However, since few people looked at the mainly empty street for long, nobody noticed the entirety of the strange activities.

    Finally, two more noticeable men entered the street. Even though they hid their hair and face under thick-brimmed hats and wore simple clothes, the slender and tall bodies suggested stunning appearances. At the beginning of the street, they looked around, then strolled along the house walls.

    Little later, a group of guards entered the street from the other side. The two men didn''t seem to notice them as they quietly started talking among themselves.

    Meanwhile, the guards had their eyes fixed on them, and walked straight in their direction. The two groups neared each other. When there were less than thirty meters between them, the two men suddenly switched direction and, still talking, entered the strange house.

    "Hey, you!", a guard called after them. "You need to - "

    The door fell close.

    "Damn", the guard said. "Didn''t they hear me?"

    "Obviously not", another other guard slapped his shoulder lightly. "Whatever. I don''t think they were the Princes. Did you see the servant uniforms? Besides the fled in the house of a General. So, if for chance we are wrong, they will be in worse trouble than with us."

    "Yeah, you''re right", the guard agreed. Calmed down, they continued their search.

    Meanwhile, Aston behind the door let out a breath of relieve. "Damn, that was close. I swear, my heart is racing like the best horse in father''s barn!"

    Nathaniel didn''t hear him anymore. His sharp eyes had already found the men sprawled on the floor and over the numerous couches in the living room they were standing in. He counted, and finally a grim smile formed on his face. "More than half. That is more than I expected. Everyone, you did a great job."

    All as one, the men stood up when they heard his voice. A few younger faces showed traces of surprise. Obviously, not all were sure Nathaniel would make it alive out of the palace. However, they were joyful and glad that he did. Their hands went to their temples, and emotional voices rang through the hall. "Welcome back, commander."

    Nathaniel nodded curtly. Then his eyes fell on an especially familiar face, and his brows knitted together. Pete, the giant with the thoughtful mind, was pale like death. Sweat drops ran down his forehead and what looked like standing upright at first glance, was in fact him leaning on the couch for balance.

    A thick bandage was bound around his left t.h.i.g.h, but it was already soaked through with blood. He seemed to be unable to put weigh on the wounded leg.

    However, when he met Nathaniel''s gaze, there was steely determination in his eyes. In front of this, any question would be an insult. So, Nathaniel silently acknowledged it, before he went over to the next topic. "Is Jack back already?"

    Pete slightly shook his head. Knowing what his master worried about the most, he said: "Lady Katherine is still missing. None of Jacks squad came back yet."

 Chapter 134 - Breaking In

    Nathaniel''s mood turned darker with each minute after his wound was bandaged. There were no news about Katherine or anyone else. Was she dead? Kidnapped? Would Jack reach her in time?

    Worried, he walked up and down the hall, ignoring the dozens of eyes following him. He knew that he had to make a decision. If they waited for too long, the members of the organization might go back to their headquarter, and an attack would only succeed with high causalities. But he couldn''t leave Katherine behind.

    If there was any possibility that she was still in the city, he would doom her by leaving. Should he search for her then? Where? Each entering and leaving this house could possibly blow their cover.

    Absentmindedly, his fingers wandered to the ring on his hand, gently rubbing the red gemstones. If only they were a normal pair, they would celebrate their wedding now. He wouldn''t let her leave his sight for a second. Maybe he could even snatch a few of her sweet kisses. Actually, a hug would be enough. As long as she was safe and sound, a hug was all he needed. He had to feel for himself that she was still breathing.

    And yet, it was impossible. She wasn''t even here.

    A few more seconds ticked by, then he couldn''t take it anymore. "Take up your weapons. Everyone who can still walk, follow me. We will search for Katherine."

    "Finally," Aston sighed, and slid down the table he''d sat on. "I thought you''d never ask."

    "It''s risky", Pete objected, while sitting up on the couch. "You might blow our cover and you don''t even know where she is." He paused. "I needed to say this. But actually I hope you can find Lady Katherine as soon as possible. And Jack. I doubt that anything happened to him, but still."

    Nathaniel nodded, then he strode towards the door. Just when he reached it, the door opened from the outside, and two people came in. One was wearing a black robe, one a military uniform. Unsurprised by the crowd in the hall, they closed the door behind them, and bowed. "Your Highness."

    Nathaniel''s face twitched. "It was already too much when you called me ''Milord'', Sam. Don''t just change titles. And General Deverell, is everything alright?"

    Though they borrowed this house from General Deverell, they didn''t know that the ruling system would be overthrown tonight. Nathaniel believed that the General would still be on their side, because he was against the organization, but he didn''t know it for sure. After all, they were wanted criminals right now. And it was very suspicious that he was here now. The soldiers warily picked up their weapons.

    However, the General raised his empty hands. "I''m not here to betray you. It would need more than just myself to fight you all, and I still want to see my son grow up. All I have are a few questions. About the king, and about yourself."

    He looked Nathaniel straight in the eyes, as if to challenge him. Nathaniel''s eyes narrowed. He spoke very slowly. "My wife is missing right now. I will not stay back and have a nice chat with you while she might be dying. We don''t have the time."

    The General''s eyes also narrowed. But before he could give an equally headstrong answer, Sam got in between them. "Please pardon my interruption, Lord Deverell, your Highness. I know where the Princess is. Princess Katherine, I mean."

    Nathaniel''s interest was caught instantly. He even forgot that he was called ''your Highness'' again. "Where is she? Is she alright?"

    Solemnly, Sam nodded. "She is still alive. But she is already outside the city boarders."

    Relieve mixed with confusion as Nathaniel furrowed his brows. "How?"

    "Jack got held back by a group of fighters. I would say they looked like the Falumor royal guards, if it wasn''t completely impossible to see them on Palace grounds. He and his soldiers defeated them and chased after the kidnapper, but they didn''t catch up yet. They left through the southern city gate.", Sam retold shortly. Then he added: "I saw the Princess from afar, she seemed to be knocked out, but unhurt otherwise."

    "Knocked out", Nathaniel repeated, and worry again darkened his eyes. But then he pulled himself together. "The Queen got help from her family it seemed, so it''s no wonder the Falumor royal guards are here. She wants to take over the country. Alright, we need to get out of here."

    If Katherine was outside, there was nothing to hold him back anymore.

    "Not so fast", the General halted him. "You still didn''t answer my questions. Your wife is safe for now, so tell me. Is the King still alive?"

    "He is", Nathaniel replied impatiently. "But not for long if we don''t hurry up. Now, if you would go out of the way, we could - "

    "Nathan." Aston''s hand landed on his shoulder. "Let me handle this. You and your warriors can go on ahead, I will follow shortly."

    The brothers exchanged gazes, then Nathaniel exhaled. "Alright, but don''t be late. General Deverell, Aston will explain everything."

    Aston nodded and took over, while Nathaniel went to his warriors for one last check of the plan. The General''s face was sour, but since the people he talked with were Princes, he said nothing.

    "Now", Aston began, and his characteristic grin flashed up. "Please excuse my brother, he is a bit on edge right now. Of course, we are very grateful to have you on our side. So, what do you want to know? I''ll tell you everything."

    .

    Less then ten minutes later, the soldiers stormed the Magic Association. The mages fought bravely, but they were in the minority. With the surprise on their side, the soldiers subdued them fast. Only few up-acting organization members were killed in the fight.

    Next, the soldiers demolished a wall behind the reception desk and revealed a hidden staircase behind it. While half of them went down, Nathaniel stayed upstairs, and worriedly gazed at the streets and the house next door. Any time, soldiers could come patrolling again. Or maybe some mage had managed to inform the higher-ups. Where was Aston?

    After a while, Sam came up the stairs again. His face was serious. "Your Highness, you need to see this."

    Nathaniel''s brows furrowed. He gestured the remaining soldiers to stay, and followed his butler downstairs. Obviously, the fights were still on-going, since there were noises further down the long white hallway. However, the first few rooms were silent. A single soldier stood in front of the room Sam led him to.

    Expecting to see a bunch of human experiment subjects, Nathaniel inwardly prepared himself. However, when Sam opened the door, there was no living human in there. Not even a corpse. All that he saw, was a desk and many shelves full of files. It looked like an office. His eyes wandered over the inkpot and a book on the desk. Then he turned to Sam and raised a brow. "Here?"

    The butler nodded heavily and went over to one of the shelves. They looked like they had been searched through before. With trembling hands, he pulled out one of the files. His lips were slanted downwards. "You better close the door."

    Curious, Nathaniel did as he was told, and went over to the old man. "What is this?"

    Sam shook his head with a bitter expression. "See for yourself."

    His eyes narrowed, Nathaniel took over the file and read the name on it. Nathaniel Julian Raymond Icefall. His lips pressed together, and the fingers holding the file turned white. "So, they really did this."

 Chapter 135 - Leaving

    Sam slowly shook his head. "No, it is worse than this. But you need to know it, or else it can bring you to fall."

    Nathaniel''s breath hissed through his teeth. "What can be worse than being a failed experimental subject?"

    "See for yourself", Sam repeated seriously. Then, his eyes widened, and he added in a hurry: "Careful! Don''t destroy it!"

    "Damn!", Nathaniel cursed and concentrated to pull the black magic back in that had begun to leak again. It spoke bounds about his mental state that it managed to escape his control so many times today. Luckily, it had only eaten holes in the cover of the file. "This damn bracelet isn''t working."

    "Of course it isn''t. It''s cracked.", Sam explained and pointed at the surface. A hair-thin crack was visible in the silver, and, next to it, a little dent. "Looks like it hit something."

    Nathaniel remembered the ''collision'' he''d had with Emilian. He''d used this bracelet to block his sword back then. "Should the chain for a beast really be this fragile? What an idiot king. It didn''t even sound an alarm. Well, most likely it was trash to begin with."

    With a shrug, he pulled it off. Then he weighed it in his hand.

    "Maybe you should let someone analyze it before throwing it away," Sam recommended.

    With a nod of agreement, Nathaniel put the bracelet in his pocket.

    "As soon as one trouble is taken care of, the next comes our way", he grumbled. "I think it''s better to take all these files with us. We need to know more about the organization and their test subjects. Maybe this way, we can help them better if we find them. But now is not the time to relax and read. So..."

    He flipped open the file. "Just a little overview."

    At first, his expression was unreadable, but soon his brows locked together, and his eyes started to burn. "What the f.u.c.k is this?!"

    He flipped through another few pages, getting faster and faster. Finally, he closed it and gazed at Sam, his red eyes burning with anger. "They are goddamn lies, all of this. It''s not possible to back it up, so it can''t even get dangerous. Sam, you know it is fake. So, why the hell are you showing me this?!"

    Silence prevailed as Sam pressed his lips together. Something complicated seemed to go on in his mind. Then, he exhaled. "I had no doubt about this before. As you know, I was there at your birth. Not in the room of course, but close enough to hear your first screams. However, there was something that happened before that. Now that I read this file, I don''t know if what we believed is true anymore."

    "No. I know my parents. I wished it to be different when I was young, but it''s irrevocable. We are family, no matter how much we hate each other." Nathaniel seemed to be very sure of this. He threw the file on the desk. "This is nothing but a lie. Burn it."

    With that, he left the underground room. Sam behind him sighed softly. "If it was the name of anyone else, I would deny it just as strongly. However, I can''t be sure about him. It''s too coincidental."

    While muttering softly, he took the file off the desk and put it into his jacket. Since he wasn''t a fire mage, it would only be possible to burn it when they reached their destination.

    Meanwhile, the warriors had found several experimental subjects. Aston had also arrived, and a group of guards was on his heels. When the group clashed with the one in the entrance hall, Nathaniel ordered for retreat.

    "Hurry up! They will follow us in swarms soon!", Aston yelled at the experimental subjects that were slow to react, before casting an ice wall on the doorstep to the underground laboratory.

    Soon after, the ice was broken through, and the underground chase began.

    The night was cold in the carriage. Though it was the beginning of summer, the Iceland seemed to never warm up. Katherine rubbed her hands together. She was clothed for a wedding, not a night in the wild. However, she didn''t want to bring more attention to herself by calling for a blanket.

    Carefully, she peeked through the curtains. There were two guards on either side of the carriage, maybe more in the front and the back. Frey was no-where to be seen. The quiet of the night was only disturbed by her own breath, and the rustling of leaves in the wind.

    Neither of the guards talked, but she didn''t expect them to. It was a surprise that Frey''s tongue remained in his mouth despite him working for Ethan.

    An owl cried out in the night, making her kidnappers look around warily. There was nothing to see, but one guard now noticed her peeking through the curtains and came over to close the wooden shutters before it.

    Disappointed, Katherine leaned back. For sure, the events tonight were keeping Nathaniel back. There had to be a big upheaval, but she thought that he would send someone after her still. Yet, hours had passed without her being found. Had they lost trace of her? Or was Nathaniel in such a difficult situation just now that he couldn''t send anyone?

    Stopping the rapping of her fingers on the windowsill, a determined look crossed her face. Well, if the helpers were late, she had to find a way out herself. There was another difference between the her now and back when she was brought to Nathaniel. She now knew where she could go when she was in a plight. She was not alone.

    Straightening her shoulders, she stood up. Just then, a loud noise thundered in the quiet, the horses neighed fearfully, and the carriage shook so hard that she fell over on the floor. Suddenly, the carriage was moving again. And how it was moving! The horses seemed to be wild with fear as they galloped down the road ahead.

    Katherine didn''t know what caused the loud noise - if it was pure luck or the help she waited for - , but she knew one thing for sure: this was the chance she had waited for.

    With one hand stopping herself from falling in the rattling carriage, she ripped the beautiful over skirt apart with the other. Her heart bled for the fine silk and embroidery of her wedding dress, but the situation called for a more practical gown. When only the lowest layer was left, looking nearly like a night gown, she was satisfied. This much wouldn''t hold her back anymore.

    With the unexpected recoil from the first strike, she tumbled backwards against the door. She cursed out aloud and got back again. The second strike was more successful.

    Cold night wind blew in her face as the shutters fell apart. With a smirk, Katherine brushed her fluttering hair back. Let''s see how this bastard Ethan wants to hold me back now, she thought, and began to climb out of the window onto the carriage''s top. If she was alone in the wild, she might be easy to catch, but with a horse back under her, this was an whole another matter.

 Chapter 136 - Comming Soon

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 Chapter 137 - Horses and Helpers

    In the dark, Katherine couldn''t see much besides the carriage and some distant lights behind her. Feeling with her hands and feet, she more slid then climbed over the rattling wooden top and onto the coachman''s seat. The horses were about as fast as a jogging man now, so it was less likely to fall off. However, the reigns had fallen from the coachman, and flicked about in the air. Sitting on her knees to stabilize herself, Katherine leaned forward, and stretched out her hands to catch them.

    Only a tiny bit more, she thought, but the reigns were moving too swiftly. She couldn''t get a grip of them. Beneath her, she could see the ground flying by. Cautiously, she leaned forward a bit more. Come on, you damn horses!

    Suddenly, the carriage jumped over a cobble in the road. Katherine wobbled, and just caught herself in time to not fall between the big wheels. She breathed a sigh of relieve, her heart was pounding from the shock.

    Alright, she thought to herself, I need to try it differently. They were trained horses, right? It should be possible to call them to stop when their first shock was over.

    "Hoh!", Katherine made, and tried to sound authoritarian and soothing at the same time. She used the same sound she used when she wanted Bell to stop. "Slow down. Come on, my beauties. Hoh."

    She saw the horses move their ears in alert, and their pace slowed down a little. They nervously turned their heads to look back on whoever made the sounds, but the blinkers blocked their sight.

    "Yeah, like this. You are doing great.", Katherine encouraged them softly. "Come on, slow down a bit more, so I can catch that - aha!"

    With the speed dropping, the reigns didn''t fly about as wildly anymore, and she managed to catch them.

    "Good horses!", she called out, and looked backwards. The lights from the camp were out of sight now, so maybe she got lucky and they didn''t follow her directly. However, it could also be a trap, so she couldn''t stop yet to free the horses of the unnecessary carriage. "Alright, let''s get away from these baddies."

    With the reigns in hands, she led the horses to move faster again to shake off any unwanted pursuers. She wasn''t sure if it were Nathaniel''s soldiers or an accident that caused the horses to flee, so going back alone was a bad idea. If there were no helpers or in case they were losing against her kidnappers, she would only get caught again. No, it was best to make her way back as fast as possible.

    On the next possible crossroad, she turned right. About half an hour later, she turned right again, in the direction back to the capital city. After all, the King she needed to save, would most likely still be in his city. He was her father in law. She never thought the King of the Icelands would one day be her father in law.

    Finding it somewhat funny, she smiled, only to turn it into a scowl when she remembered how he had been ambushed and the palace taken over by these strange attackers. She really would be in big trouble when she went back. However, now it was Nathaniel in trouble alone instead, so this was even worse. At least when they were together, they had each other''s back.

    Suddenly, she remembered Hazel and hoped the girl managed to hide herself when it all began. Not so long ago, she had promised to protect her, and now when the trouble started, she was not even there. The poor girl would be frightened to death.

    With worry in her heart, Katherine let the horses run faster.

    .

    Some hours ago, Hazel wondered how her Lady was doing. After helping her with the dress and reassuring her as much as she could, she had to leave while Katherine went to her wedding. It was down-casting to not be able to stay with her on this important moment, but as a maid, she was not allowed to attend the festivity.

    Instead, she worked on the writing exercise her Lady gave her, though she was hardly able to concentrate. From time to time, she caught herself gazing in the air, or biting her lips while furrowing her brows in worry. Though she was sure her Lady could do anything, she didn''t trust that grumpy, cold-hearted devil of an Earl - Prince or not.

    Sometimes, she questioned herself why the kind Lady Katherine was so smitten with a devil like him. For Hazel, the dreadful red eyes and scary aura of the Earl of Hymirhall outweighed all possible good factors. He was a devil, and a devil could never be good. That was it.

    Despite this, even she couldn''t deny that the devil was less gruff when the Lady was around. However, in her opinion, that was not enough to make him likable. She would have preferred a nicer husband for her Lady. Since her Lady was a goddess, she deserved the best there was.

    With a sigh, Hazel wanted to continue working, when she heard noises from outside the room. Someone was yelling orders in an unfamiliar language. Tensed by the unfriendliness of the voice, Hazel laid down her pen, and went to the door to peek out.

    Since she returned to Lady Katherine''s old chambers in the guest room for the writing exercise, she wasn''t surprised that there were people of different countries here who spoke a different language. However, the tone of voice was a bit unnerving to her. It sounded dangerous.

    When peeking through a slit between the door and the frame, she saw many people in colorful clothes that carried weapons on their waist. They marched up and down, inspecting everything and going into the rooms of the guests without even knocking. From somewhere down the hallway, she heard a woman scream, and was reminded of Lady Brandon, the only other guest in the house beside the Lady and the devil. Hazel''s heart pounded, and a whimper nearly escaped her throat when she saw the palace guards usually guarding the guest house tied up and unconsciousness in a corner.

    Hurriedly, she closed the door again and leaned against it with her back. What should she do? These people had broken into the palace, even knocked out the guards. Soon they would come in here, and when they saw her heaven knew what they would do! Trembling like a frightened mouse, Hazel''s mind was stuck on the image of the tied-up guards. She couldn''t think of anything else. If those people found her, she would end up like the guards, or maybe even worse. She didn''t want to know what these bandits would do with her.

    Suddenly, the steps on the other side of the door got louder and louder. The bandits were nearing. Hastily, ran in the direction of the bedroom. Maybe she could hide there till it was all over. However, her knees wobbled so much she stumbled over her own feel.

    Before she fell, there was suddenly an arm to support her. As she was just about to scream in alarm, a hand covered her mouth.

    "Excuse my encroachment", a voice mumbled in her ear. It was a voice she was very familiar with, though she hadn''t heard it in a while. Automatically, her trembling eased a bit.

    While guiding her to walk, the person added: "We need to leave this instant, if you want to get out of here alive. You can thank my master for this later."

 Chapter 137 - Comming Soon

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 Chapter 138 - An Accident

    Missed her again, Jack thought. Despite this, he couldn''t help but grin like a bandit in front of a pot of gold as he inspected the carriage traces on the road. At first, they were a bit meandering, but then turned straight as the pace of the carriage increased again and changed directions. Lady Katherine wasn''t an idiot. It was good she turned away from the fight, though it meant that they couldn''t meet up with her. Jack was a bit proud of her. His daughter was such a smart girl.

    While thinking this, Jack comfortably forgot that he contributed nothing to her abilities whatsoever.

    "Pack up these people and let''s get back. We''ll search for the Lady on the way", Jack said and gestured in the direction of the prisoners. It was a small group compared to Jack''s own, so it was hardly difficult to defeat them. Only a young boy had escaped their grasp, but Jack was positive someone this young wouldn''t know much.

    Though they had said nothing when they were captured, Jack was sure Christine would be able to loosen their tongues in her unique way. She could bring anyone to talk. Just thinking of the torture master let a shiver run down Jack''s spine. He remembered the days spent in the dungeon all too well.

    Looking around with his mood dropping, Jack bellowed: "Hurry up you lazy asses! If Lady Katherine gets hurt because we''re late, I''m gonna drown you all in your own feces!"

    After a while, Katherine stopped the carriage. She was positive that she had the time now to unhitch the horses without her possible pursuers catching up. Without the carriage, she would be much faster on the uneven ground.

    Her hands were trembling and numb from the cold, but she forced herself to ignore it. With gritted teeth, she cut the last rope binding the horses to the carriage. They were nervously looking about and churning up the earth with their hooves. Quietly, she talked to them while collecting their reigns together. The two were beautiful c.h.e.s.tnut colored draft horses, but they seemed to be agitated because they weren''t with their usual coachman. She was still a stranger to them. She wasn''t sure if they would allow her on their back.

    After a few minutes of reassuring them - her legs and feet slowly turned as numb as her fingers - the horses stood still.

    "Good horses", she praised them, and went to the side of one. Surely it would be easier to let one horse run free and only take the other, but she was afraid it would alert the pursuers if they saw one of the carriage''s horses. So, she had no choice but to take them both.

    Now was the moment of truth. If they tried to throw her off, Katherine wasn''t sure if she had enough strength left to hold on. But with the night turning colder, it would get harder to move the longer she waited. With a prayer on her lips, she grabbed into the mane, and swung herself up. The hose neighed and took a few steps back as if for a start-up. That was when Katherine softly pulled on the reigns and patted its neck. "Everything is alright. Don''t get agitated, sweetie. Yes, that''s good."

    The horse calmed down. But then, not far away, a howl rose up in the air. It was an instinct. The horses heard the wolves and jumped. The reigns of the second horse got torn out of Katherine''s hand, leaving a red mark. She had no time to care about it, as the horse under her had run wild. She could do nothing but hold onto it with everything she got.

    Her first instinct was to slow it down, but with a gaze back, this idea evaporated. Eyes. Dozens of glowing, yellow eyes sprinkled the darkness of the forest. And they were getting closer.

    Over the sound of the hooves, Katherine could hear the panting of wild beasts, the quiet drumming of paws on earth. Her heart sped up as she clung tightly to the horse''s back. The picture of a boy flashed through her mind, nothing but a bloody mess left to die under big trees. She could end up exactly like this.

    "Faster!", she urged, prayed. "You need to run faster!"

    There was light at the end of the road. The forest had to be ending there. However, the wolves were also getting closer. The second horse had already fled between the trees. It was faster since it didn''t have the burden of a rider, and the wolves didn''t seem to care about it. The bigger catch was still in front of their noses.

    Katherine''s heart turned cold. They would not make it. This was a draft horse, not a racer. Her mind turned, thinking hard for a solution.

    Then something dark suddenly jumped on the road in front. Yellow eyes blazed and a growl let the air tremble. They had surrounded them.

    The horse came to a screeching halt and went up on its back hooves. Katherine got thrown off from its back. Harshly, she crashed against the ground.

    For a second, she could see nothing, only heard the horse neigh, and her ears jingling. Her head and back pulsed with pain, and she curled herself up into a ball, gasping for air. The horse''s hooves slammed downwards again and again, hitting earth and wolves alike. It turned in a circle, but the wolves were everywhere.

    Carefully, she turned her head to see more clearly. The wolves and the horse fought not three steps away, but it would be over soon. The horse was riddled with wounds and scratches, one wolf still hanging on its front leg. It were six in total, all big and nearly invisible in the shadows.

    Cautiously to not alert them, Katherine crawled backwards. After a few steps, she had stop to catch her breath. Her back hurt like she had crashed against a boulder, and her h.i.p.s protested with each movement. When she touched the back of her head, there was a dark sticky liquid. She had never felt so much pain in her life.

    With a low whimper, she forced herself to a stand nonetheless when she reached the trees. She needed to get as far away as possible before the wolves noticed her. She felt sorry for the horse, but at least when the wolves ate it, they might not be hungry enough anymore to hunt her down. Or at least that was what she thought, before she heard the growling behind her.

    Killing the horse had been way too easy for the wolves. She would have thought it would take longer. But when she looked back, she saw its corpus on the ground, a dark puddle building under its throat. Around it stood six big wolves, baring their bloody fangs at her.

    For a second, the scenery stood still.

    Then the biggest of them tensed up its hind legs and pounced in her direction.

 Chapter 138 - A Gruesome Sight

    WARNING:

    This chapter is a bit bloody. Decide yourself if you want to read it or not. Not reading it won''t really cause much of a lack of information on the main story, but you will miss out on a little bit of a side character''s background story.

    See ya,

    ~Freakzilla

    -----©\--------------------------------

    There was a scream of a woman in the woods. Jack suddenly turned his horse, alerted. He wasn''t sure if it was the voice he was searching for. He had never heard the brave Lady Katherine this frightened. However, he didn''t hesitate. Whoever it was, she needed help.

    "All free men with me!", he bellowed, and lead his horse into the bushes on the roadside. Eight warriors followed his command, leaving five to guard the prisoners. Jack''s breathing was harsh as he rode as fast as possible in the hardly passable undergrowth, leaving the less skilled warriors behind.

    Time was of essence. The scream had been faint, like it came from far away. But he knew Lady Katherine would only scream in the most dangerous of situations. He didn''t want to imagine what would happen to her if he was late.

    He smelled the blood before he saw it. It smelled like death, and a dreadful fear grew in his stomach. The horse jumped on a less worn side road. Instantly, a wet, dark liquid and a corpse caught his eye. His heart went cold, but a second look showed that it was only one of the draft horses. Jack didn''t allow himself a breath of relieve. The wounds on the corpse looked like wolf bites, but he could see neither wolves nor the Lady in the vicinity.

    "Milady?", he shouted, while circling the corpse, searching for a clue in which direction she could have gone. "Lady Katherine?"

    There was a blood trail on the ground. It led to the trees on the other side of the road. His eyes gleamed with murderous intent as he gripped the reins harder.

    "Over here, you slow bastards!", he called out to the soldiers behind him. The first ones were just about to enter the road. Without a second glance, Jack spurred the horse on, riding into the forest. The stench of blood didn''t fade. It clung to his nose like a mother to her long-lost child, but the meeting was less than enjoyable.

    Branches scratched his face as the undergrowth got denser. Time and again, he called out Katherine''s name, and with every silence following it, the anxiety grew. The trail of blood here and there on the bushes and trees made him think of the worst outcome.

    Every few meters he came across a tuft of wolf''s fur caught on the thorns, assuring him that he was on the right track. He had the feeling that it should be harder to find them in the dark of a forest, but he didn''t have the time to think about it. He could already hear the growls of the wolves, and the blood boiled in his veins, ready to kill them all.

    On the last meters, there were signs of a struggle and a puddle of blood. Katherine must be heavily wounded, he thought, enraged. This sweet smiling girl should not die. Not now, not ever. He should have protected her better. Guilt ate on him, but now was not the time for regrets.

    The tendrils withdrew and freed the view on a pack of wolves, bent over something on the ground. Their maws were a striking red, and the thing didn''t move anymore, but a part of a sleeve was visible between the big bodies. It looked like a wedding grown, dirtied by blood. He was too late.

    With a roar of wrath and agony, Jack lifted his sword and charged at them.

    The wolves heard him and disbanded, evading his attack. But before he had the time to gaze at the body on the ground, they pounced at him again.

    Jacks instincts were good. He had killed dozens if not hundreds of soldiers on the battlefield, and also a fair share of wild animals. However, every soldier knew that quantity could sometimes outdo quality. A good group working together was nearly unbeatable alone.

    Luckily, this was not one of those cases. The leather armor protected Jack''s vitals well, as he slaughtered his way through the wolves, his anger growing with every strike. Still, precious minutes ran by until the remaining two of the pack fled into the forest, whimpering.

    For a second, Jack fought his d.e.s.i.r.e to hunt them down. He wanted to murder every last one of these evil creatures. They dared to harm the little sunshine of his life, the girl that was as close to a daughter as he would get. However, if there was anything left to save, he had to do it now. Slowly, inwardly preparing for the worst, he turned around.

    Blood splattered over leaves and thorny tendrils, a dress, nearly unrecognizable. Her dark hair that took the maids hours to brush into an elegant wedding style, was all over the dirty ground. The wounds were gruesome. The wolves had already started to eat her flesh. A bite was taken out of her left arm, blood slowly tickled from her torn open throat, and the flesh on her waist was barely able to contain her organs.

    Growing up as an orphan, Jack never had a family. Like this, it was easy to go to war and risk his life for a leaf of bread. He first got to know something like brothers when he met the men in his training regime, and Pete was still as close to him as a brother could be. After war, he remained a soldier because he liked the feeling of having clear-cut commands, loved the adrenaline in his veins.

    Having had a few affairs, he never felt like he missed out on anything.

    Only after meeting Katherine, seeing her smiling face, knowing her bravery and the mischievousness behind those clever eyes, the wish to have a family had started to grow in him. He wanted to have a child like this, someone who would grow strong and brave under his wing. Someone who he could protect when weak and proudly look on when grown up. Someone like her.

    Now that she was lying on the ground dead, her body barely recognizable, his dream had shattered. What was left behind, was emptiness, bordered by a wall of guilt.

    As his scream trailed off in the woods, he slowly stretched out a hand to this pretty little face. Millimeters before touching her cheek, he halted. This hand looked too big and rough in comparison, unable to touch such a delicate thing without destroying it. Pulling his hand back, his sight went blurry.

    But in the blurriness, he suddenly noticed a soft glow. Katherine, her face, neck and all of the air around her, was glowing with a faint white glitter. It was nearly unseeable, like the moon was shining on them softly, only that the canopy of leaves was too dense for the light to fall through.

    Wiping his tears away before they could fall, Jack now saw it clearly. The girl was glowing with a magic so faint that he didn''t notice it before. With a hiss, he pulled a breath through his teeth. Did that mean - could that possibly mean - that she wasn''t dead yet?!

 Chapter 139 - Exhausted

    Nine soldiers stood in a half-circle around what seemed to be a miracle. Jack had rinsed and bandaged most of Katherine''s wounds himself, his calloused hands unusually gentle. He wanted to at least stop the blood flow. However, the bandages didn''t even seem to be necessary, as the injuries very slowly started to mend themselves.

    Jack had not allowed the other soldiers to see their Lady in this precarious situation. They had to stand with their back to her, even after Jack wrapped his jacket around her that was nearly as long as she was. With worry he noticed how cold she was, and thinking of the long way back, he commanded two other soldiers to give their jackets. They complied willingly.

    Wrapped in all those big coats, Katherine looked even more like a child. Jack checked her breathing for a second time. It had become more even with time. Very carefully, he picked her up. Though she was healing herself, she was still unconsciousness. Maybe it was better this way, as she wouldn''t feel the pain. However, it also made him unsure of how good she was actually doing. Magic wasn''t endless. He should better bring her to a doctor. And he also had to meet up with the Earl - ah, Prince.

    Thinking about how the Prince would react to the Lady''s condition, made him shudder. Still, he would take all responsibility. If only he had been faster, Lady Katherine wouldn''t be hurt this badly.

    The soldiers were silent on their way back to the horses. The group with the prisoners had somehow found a way to the other road and were waiting for them there. There was also a new face, a messenger of Prince Nathaniel.

    Reading the letter, Jack''s face got darker and darker. Finally, he cursed. The King was vitally hurt, and they needed Katherine there to heal him fast. But for all he could say, Katherine wouldn''t be able to heal anyone but herself in due time. However, the commands were clear: he had to bring her to the Prince as fast as possible. Hopefully, her magic would heal her until then. If not, it was not only her life that was in danger, but the whole country.

    .

    Some kilometers away, two groups of people raced over grassland, the hoves of horses drumming the ground. Some of them had capes fluttering in the wind, some were just dark shadows on equally dark horses. While the first group was unassuming from far away, the silvery armor of the second glowed under the moonlight. They had no reason to hide, as they were the city guards of the capital.

    However, the heavy armor wasn''t beneficial in this situation. The gap between the two groups got bigger and bigger as time went on. After about an hour, the second group lost sight of the first, and reluctantly turned back.

    Despite this, the young men at the spear tip of the first group didn''t slow the tempo for another ten minutes. Only then did they allow the horses and soldiers to relax a bit, continuing in a slower trot.

    Though there was a nightly chill in the air, horses and men alike were sweating. Some of the latter even let out a relieved groan or gasped for air while pressing their hands on body parts where a dark fluid seeped through their closes. The fast escape had opened up many of their wounds.

    Though he didn''t gasp or groan, it was the same for Nathaniel. He was only moving on willpower now, his side arching with a sharp pain. Still not fully recovered, the escape out of the city and the fight in the underground lab was about all his body could take. He wasn''t even sure if he could stand if he dismounted. However, in front of his brother and the soldiers, he would not allow himself to show any weakness.

    His back was straight and gaze as emotionless as ever. The confusion he showed in the lab was gone, his thoughts focused on the present. He had to keep these soldiers moving, or else it would be even harder to start riding anew again. And they didn''t have the luxury of time, since they had to be at the meeting point before the king died.

    "How do you think Dad is doing?", Aston asked just in time from beside him. Even with this few light, Nathaniel could see his blue eyes filled with worry and fear. Looking at Aston''s feats today, it was easy to forget that he was only a fifteen-year-old boy who had never been to a real battlefield. He didn''t know death like Nathaniel did. And he was afraid to lose those dear to him, especially since they weren''t on time anymore. The meeting should have been at sunset. Now, night had already fallen.

    "Do you...", Aston hesitated. "Do you think he is already -"

    "He won''t die this easily", Nathaniel kept him from speaking it out loud, though he wasn''t sure himself. "Anyway, the one who needs to get there is Katherine. She is the only one who can save his life."

    Though his principles told him that, he worried much more about her than about the King, despite the fact that the latter''s death would lead to a tragedy for the kingdom. He might feel obligated to save him, but there was neither the guilt nor the fear, the indescribable dread, he delt when he thought of Katherine''s disappearance.

    Gently touching the ring on his hand, he prayed for her to be alright. It might be pointless anxiety, but with every hour they were apart, a feeling of impending doom grew in his c.h.e.s.t. The message from Sam earlier had only brought short relieve.

    Now, Sam sped up his horse to ride next to him. On his left arm sat a falcon, sleepily putting his head under his wing. Sam looked just as exhausted as the bird.

    "I''m too old for this stuff", he grumbled, before giving Nathaniel the note the falcon had brought. "From Lady Orchid."

    With a glance at the paper, Nathaniel frowned, then turned to Aston. "They were held up, too. The King''s condition is deteriorating, but he isn''t dead yet. Your mother requests our aid to block off some pursuers. I guess they didn''t get as easily out of the capital as she thought. We need to hurry."

    Concerned, Aston glanced back at the exhausted soldiers that had hardly gotten any better. "Will they be able to make it?"

    Nathaniel''s gaze was cold and hard as stone. "They will do what they have to."

    The frown on Aston''s forehead deepened as he looked back and forth between Nathaniel and his soldiers. Though he was keeping his head high, Aston had seen Nathaniel''s wounds, and he also saw the blood seeping down his side now. "And you?"

    "Stop asking dumb questions, we aren''t spoilt brats like you", came the rather vicious return. Obviously, Nathaniel''s friendliness was used up for today.

    With a jerk of his reins, he turned the horse to face the men behind them and raised his voice. "We got called to help the king in danger. The survival of this country rests on our shoulders."

    His cold gaze met every one of the tired soldier''s without mercy. "I don''t want to see anyone fall behind, or he will be left just there and die on his own. Now, advance!"

 Chapter 140 - Comming Soon

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 Chapter 140 - Her Tormentor

    Nathaniel''s group met the pursuers of the King about half an hour later. The leader was a Falumor in pricy clothes. Hardly any of them wore armor, but it would have only slowed them down, as their weapons were made for fast and nimble attacks.

    Metal clashed against each other as the two parties engaged in battle. The numbers were on Nathaniel''s side, but that soon changed as the tired soldiers fell one after another.

    At first it was only one, getting pierced through by the opponent''s spear. Then another tried to avoid an attack, but slid from his horse and got trampled over. The third miscalculated the heaviness of his injuries and bled to death. The fourth, fifth, and sixth were just unlucky. The seventh managed to kill two opponents at once before he noticed the sword stuck in his lungs. Finally, the eighth gave his life for a healthier comrade to fight on.

    Nathaniel''s face was grim, his sword like lightning striking down again and again. The injuries limited his movements, but he made up for it with experience and a sharp intuition. Despite his exhaustion, he was a deadly foe, who knew how to use the energy he had efficiently.

    Guarding his left flank was Aston, panting harshly. He wasn''t used to continuous fighting, and his magic was nearly depleted, making him feel a bit dizzy. It was hard for him to keep up with his one opponent, still he barely managed to block any attack pointed at Nathaniel''s weak side.

    Another of their soldiers fell. He had stopped one attacker from slipping through their blockade to go after the King but paid with his life. Now Sam took his place, continuing to cross swords with a Falumor soldier.

    To nobody''s surprise, all the pursuers of the King were of Falumor origin. Despite the Queen taking over the palace, few icelandic guards would consent with being sent to kill their King. But the Queen now had other soldiers at her disposal. After all, before she was the Queen, she was already a Princess of the Falumore Empire, an Empire that was bigger and more dangerous than the Icelands.

    As the fight continued, the Falumor soldiers also sustained wounds and losses, but fortune was slowly turning to their side. Now it was six against eleven, a bad situation for the Icelanders. Most of the horses had also been killed in the fight, leaving the warriors to fight on b.a.r.e ground.

    As Nathaniel''s horse died, he gritted his teeth and jumped off the falling animal to cross swords with the last rider again. Their blades collided, and the smaller, dark-skinned man laughed. "You''re like a fly in the mud struggling to live. Just what makes you fight so hard? Hm?"

    He increased the pressure. Hardly keeping up, Nathaniel noticed that this soldier had not even a scratch on his uniform, like he didn''t fight before. And he vaguely resembled someone he knew. Suddenly, Nathaniel was enlightened, and retreated a step. "You are one of the Queen''s brothers."

    "So what?"

    The Prince of Falumor didn''t leave him be and caught up before Nathaniel could catch his breath. The latter felt like he was being toyed with. All his strikes were parried easily, while the attacks were just on the brink of what he could take, always pointing at his weak side. While warmth slid down his side, Nathaniel suddenly felt cold.

    "Falumor was always satisfied with being the Iceland''s ally. What changed?", he managed to press through gritted teeth after a few collisions of their blades.

    "How do you know this wasn''t planned from the start?", the outlandish Prince retorted with a grin.

    "You could have taken over anytime. There was no reason to wait till now, was there?", Nathaniel rejected the thought, and with a sudden burst of strength, pushed his enemy away for a breath of air. Sadly, the pause didn''t take long. The other Prince was hard on his heels.

    "Ha! As if we would weaken our nation just for this tiny piece of land!" As if he wanted to punish him for underestimating the Falumors, Kadir''s sword shot forwards and he landed a blow on Nathaniel''s left leg. Blood splashed in the air, and Nathaniel''s leg gave in.

    "Pitiful little Prince. Oh, yes, I know who you are", Kadir said, an evil glint in his eyes, and circled him with his horse. As Nathaniel followed him with his eyes, he noticed that the rest of his soldiers laid face down in the mud, their bodies unmoving. He recalled their names, their exhaustion but compliance when he forced them to go into another battle. He knew that it was a dangerous decision back then. However, he didn''t allow himself to feel guilty now. He had to be wary of his foe, notice every movement, since it could be the last thing he ever saw. There was not time for distraction, no tile for feelings now.

    Even the relieve to see Aston still alive was forced down. Out of all the warriors, the Falumors had kept the two Princes alive. Even though, Nathaniel doubted they would let them leave this place alive.

    Aston had a blade on his neck, forced on all four by the boot of the soldier behind him. It was a humiliating position, and his hands were fisted as he fought against the boot that was pushing him down even further so he would kiss the mud. Aston''s blue eyes were filled with endless rage, but also with a terror and shame he hardly ever had to bear with.

    When he met Nathaniel''s gaze, his mouth was pressed into a thin line. Then he nodded ever so lightly. Nathaniel''s apathic eyes didn''t change, as if he didn''t notice the signal. Though he had blood all over him and was on his knees, pressing a hand on the leg injury, his gaze was distanced like all this was but a play, a game that could be changed any moment. Nobody knew what was going on behind this mask of his.

    The Falumor Prince had ended his circle, and now looked down at him with disappointment. "How boring. I wonder why my sister was so afraid of you. Where is the mysterious power of the monster, huh? This magic that can turn everyone to dust? I guess my sister exaggerated. What a shame."

    His lips turned down, Kadir seemed to sincerely mourn for what he thought to be a tough opponent for himself. "I thought I had finally found someone worth fighting. But you are just a poor little boy who terrified his mother by looking like her tormentor. You are not even worth the time I thought about you."

    Looking like her tormentor? Nathaniel''s brows furrowed, the first emotional response since the start of Kadir''s monologue. He knew that the other wanted to provoke a reaction, but he was still getting curious. Remembering the paper Sam had given him, he finally opened his mouth, glaring coldly at the opponent. "I don''t look like anyone."

    Kadir''s eyes lit up. "Oh yes, you do. Very much so, actually. I saw him only once, but you two look exactly the same. Much too pale and sickly thin with these grotesque red eyes. The ugliest men I ever saw in my life. Your father, that is."

 Chapter 141 - Coming Soon

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 Chapter 141 - The Princes Death

    An emotion flittered across Nathaniel''s face, but it was too fast to catch on. His hand pressed against the wounded leg, and holding the sword in the other, he forced himself to stand up. Though this position was hard on his body, he never planned to die while kneeling.

    "Oh, are you angry?", his opponent asked, enjoying to torture the fallen foe. "Scared, maybe? Such a pitiful life you must have led, and you didn''t even know why."

    Following Nathaniel''s movements with his dark eyes, the grin slowly vanished from his face and hiding behind it, a piercing stare got visible. Compared to the smile, this gaze felt much more matching for his appearance. People were inevitable formed by what they did their whole life, and Kadir, who was a master of weapons, had eyes as sharp and slicing as a sword. Only after he took the mask of cheerfulness off, did one notice how badly it matched him.

    "You know, I would love to punish you for all that my sister had to go through", Kadir said, and carefully cleaned his weapon with a cloth a soldier prepared for him. "He broke her. Her backbone, her pride, and finally her mind. From one visit to the other, she was a different woman. Because of him, she is completely useless now. And after he was dead, there was still you."

    When there was not a stain left on the sword, he let the dirty fabric fall into the mud. Then he raised his cold eyes to pierce through Nathaniel. "My father didn''t care, and normally I would do the same. Women only exist to be beautiful, nobody cares about their emotions. However, she is still my sister."

    Nathaniel gazed back just as coldly. "If you want revenge, you are coming for the wrong person."

    Kadir laughed without joy. "So what? He isn''t here. You look so much like him that it would be fun to torture you even if you got nothing to do with it. And there is nobody to stop me."

    With a movement that spoke of strength and determination, he dismounted. Nathaniel''s eyes narrowed, while Aston''s lips formed silent words, like a prayer. Slowly, the dark-skinned man neared the pale one.

    In his mind, Nathaniel was deliberating. From the beginning, he knew that he could use the dark magic to solve this, to kill all his enemies. However, Aston, Sam, and his soldiers were also in the radius. The darkness didn''t know the difference between friend and foe. And in the battle, it was impossible for Nathaniel to spare his friends. It should only be used as last resort, and even then, he wasn''t sure what it would destroy. If it could still be reigned back in. His mind was filled with the images of screaming soldiers, of the white bones breaking through their skin. He remembered the every second of it, the darkening flesh, much like rotting away, the helplessness and inhuman terror it had brought. He remembered something that was half human, half skeleton wailing in the sea of darkness before it lost all life.

    Nathaniel''s breath picked up. He didn''t want to use that power again, had sworn to himself that he wouldn''t. Even now he wondered if it had been worth it. For people and king that were bound to die when the Falumors invaded them.

    But exactly because of that, he had to stop them. Else the deaths would have been without reason.

    "You are lucky", Kadir said with a sneer, as he stopped three steps away from him. Nathaniel prepared himself to act. Maybe killing just the Prince would suffice to let them flee in fright. Maybe he could control it, if the Prince was close enough. Who would want to fight a power like his?

    Unknowing that his fate had been decided, Kadir continued talking. "I don''t have much time to play with you, since I need to kill a king. But my sword is only for the worthy, so..."

    Nathaniel didn''t wait for him to finish. A cloud of darkness burst out of his c.h.e.s.t, like an arrow shooting at Kadir''s face.

    With a mocking laugh, Kadir parted it with his sword. The remains hit his body without an inkling of pain. "What crap is this? Your last resort? Such a damn weak - "

    Nathaniel turned away as the weapon fell out of the skeleton hand, even though the man didn''t realize it yet. The Falumor soldiers, however, did realize it and stared in horror at their leader. Their mouths were wide open, and one even ran over and tried to slice off the hand of the Prince. However, the hungry darkness instead extended over his sword to attack him too. That was when the screams began.

    Nathaniel had though that Aston would use the opportunity to free himself, but he forgot that his brother also had never seen the darkness'' power with his own eyes. Staring at the terror with an eagerness that didn''t match his jovial personality, Aston made no attempts to break free.

    The sword of the person above him trembled. In a state of shock, he hadn''t reacted to the events yet, but Nathaniel was sure it wouldn''t remain this way. Limping over would take too much time, and some attackers were also coming his way, so he bellowed: "Aston! Wake up!"

    The soldiers didn''t give him the time to see if he succeeded. He had hoped they would flee, but they seemed to be more loyal than they looked. They will regret that soon, Nathaniel thought, and lifted his sword. Inwardly, he called out for the darkness. He knew very well that he would not survive this without his magic.

    The darkness obeyed and attacked the two soldiers before him. He could feel its joy. As long as it was able to eat, the darkness would happily follow his commands. He gritted his teeth. This joy was something he had come to abhor, an abnormal, childish happiness while eating up everything it saw.

    He remembered a woman''s face, her sorrowful expression while her eyes were already dead. If the darkness had felt the same quiet joy when it was eating his aunt? It didn''t talk to him back then, but maybe it just didn''t want to. Who knew? A thinking, feeling magic ability was unprecedented.

    Nausea made him close his lids. Better end this before it gets too strong, Nathaniel thought, and stretched out his hand, preparing for the pain.

    "Come back here."

    It was the same as the first time, the same as always when it ate enough living things. The darkness rejected. Contrary to the event with the Renat army, however, his will was stronger. Slowly the darkness seeped back under his skin. He could feel it, even though he didn''t see it. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#''s-death_52420116213724208">#''s-death_52420116213724208</a> for visiting.

    Suddenly, a scream. It was different than all the screams of horror around him. "Nathan!"

    He turned, seeing a blade just in front of him, and a cruelly distorted face. The Falumor Prince was still alive!

    Just in time, he parried the strike, and noticed that it was much weaker than before, led with the wrong hand. Still, his leg gave in from the force.

    "I underestimated you", the Prince spat out with a splatter of blood. "It won''t happen... again..."

    With these last words he fell to the side. Wiping the blood from his face, Nathaniel muttered: "Because you won''t get another chance."

    Then he concentrated fully on the black force again.

 Chapter 142 - Where Is He?

    After a tough fight, Nathaniel was victorious over the darkness. The snippets of dark power coursing through his body had collected in his left arm. For as short a s a few seconds, he gave in to the dizziness, and closed his eyes.

    "Nathan, don''t fall asleep!"

    His eyes snapped open to focus at Aston, who''d reached his side. He was covered in mud from head to feet, leaving only his two eyes, that were dark with worry.

    "Don''t look like this, I don''t plan to die", Nathaniel grumbled. It irritated him when his brother looked like an abandoned puppy. Where was the pride he always pretended to have? Whenever it was just the two of them, Nathaniel felt like he was talking to a little kid.

    With a groan, Nathaniel sat up from the lying position and noticed that he didn''t know when he had fallen. Wasn''t he standing when the Prince attacked? His leg was bandaged but the blood was already seeping through the inexpertly bound fabric. Why did Sam fail on such a simple task?

    Then Nathaniel paused. "Aston, where is Sam?"

    Behind the mud, it was hard to see Aston''s expression, but the silence as he pulled back his hands couldn''t signify anything good.

    "Where is he?", Nathaniel pressed.

    Aston averted his gaze. "The last time I saw him, he was over there, fighting one of those thugs. Then he got hit, and I... didn''t see him since then."

    Nathaniel''s innards seemed to roll up into a ball. Not Sam, not the friendly, ever-worried Sam, he prayed, and, both hands pressed onto the ground, tried to stand up.

    "Let me help you", Aston offered, and slipped under his armpit. Reluctantly, Nathaniel accepted his help, then he put on new gloves before he limped over to the place Aston designated.

    Everywhere were bodies on the ground, Icelanders and Falumors alike. However, where Nathaniel had been, there was only a big patch of empty earth and skeletons. Here and there, a sword or a metallic belt buckle reflected the moon light. Not all skeletons were the small size of the Falumors.

    Without a word, Nathaniel averted his gaze. Instead it landed on a patch of land that was still overgrown by grass. Footsteps had tramped it flat and blood let the earth swell up, but he could hear the heavy rattling of a breath.

    "A Falumor", Aston hissed, and tried to break free, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. Nathaniel also saw the c.h.e.s.t in colorful uniform move up and down slowly, but his grip around Aston''s shoulders tightened.

    "Don''t."

    "But -", Aston tried to protest, but Nathaniel broke him off.

    "He''ll die soon enough. Look at his stomach." And right, below the ribcage of the soldier, the hilt of a dagger stood out. The blade was deeply buried into his flesh. Inlaid in the hilt was a white token with three stars.

    "Sam was faster than me", Aston recognized. Relieve was evident on his face as he let go of his sword. "But where is this old geezer?"

    While he asked, Nathaniel had gotten on his knees. Next to the Falumor soldier laid another two bodies, one buried under the other. A blade stood out of the back of the upper one like the lower one had killed him in the fall.

    "Lend me a hand", Nathaniel commanded, and started to pull the dead body up.

    Hurried, Aston heaved the corpse to the side and let it fall to the ground with a groan. "Damn, they are heavy for their small size."

    Then he realized who had been beneath this body, and anxiously kneeled. "Is he still alive?"

    Beneath the soldier laid Sam, his clothes soaked through with blood and unconsciousness. Nathaniel had already felt the pulse and now searched the body for wounds. Finally, he gave an envious sigh. "Lucky old bastard. He has a few broken ribs but is fine otherwise. You go look for other survivors, I''ll take care of him."

    Aston nodded, and started the more tenacious task. The danger for his life had temporarily let him forget his exhaustion. He knew that the only reason he was likely still alive was that he was the bastard of the King, a being that the Queen most likely wanted to torture herself - or at least wouldn''t allow an easy death for.

    .

    This was why when Jack''s group met the King''s, Nathaniel wasn''t there yet. Their hiding place was a cave on Waywarden''s High, the hill that was made their meeting point. The hill was half overgrown by the forest, so it was naturally easy to hide there.

    To protect her from possible traps, Jack didn''t ride with Katherine in the front. Instead, he was at the middle of the group, embracing her with one strong arm, while holding the reigns with the other.

    "If you dare do anything improper to her, I''ll cut your hands off", Jack warned gruffly. "Don''t forget that she is your Lady."

    The slightly younger soldier nodded while trying hard to suppress his grin. All soldiers were amused the whole way because of Jack''s strange behavior. They weren''t used to their commander caring for a girl until he was all gentle and silly.

    The King''s two most loyal guards stopped Jack and his companions until Lady Orchid, who had brought the King out of the palace, confirmed their identity. Knowing Nathaniel, she of course had contact with his best soldiers once or twice.

    "Did you find her?", she asked anxiously. "Where is she?"

    Grimly, Jack nodded. "We found her. But -"

    "Thank the goddess!", Lady Orchid exclaimed before he could end his sentence. "Bring her in! Fast!"

    As she swirled around to enter the cave again, Jack gripped her wrist. The King''s two guards instantly drew their swords, but Jack ignored them. "She can''t heal him."

    "What? Why?" Lady Orchid looked like she would break into tears every second. "He is dying while we talk. She must do something!"

    Jack tried to sound as gentle as possible. He hated it to make women cry, especially beautiful ones, but there was no way around the truth. "She was gravely injured. She can''t heal anyone right now."

    Jack didn''t know what to do. He just let go of her and scratched his neck awkwardly. That was when a maid ran out of the cave. "Milady! Milady, the King! You - you need to come back!"

    Helplessly, Jack looked on as Lady Orchid returned into the cave. However, when the mistress of the King was at the entrance, she turned around once more. Her voice was feeble. "You might bring her in. She can - can rest better inside."

 Chapter 143 - Coming Soon

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 Chapter 144 - Sense of Responsibility

    They decided to lay Katherine down on a makeshift bed as close to the King as possible, in the hopes that her magic power would spread over to him. Katherine herself was still pale, but her injuries had healed completely. It was a miracle. If only she could wake up, she could bless one more with this. But she remained deep in sleep, even when a maid washed the blood off her body and dressed her with new clothes.

    Though cleaned regularly, the wound on the King''s c.h.e.s.t had inflamed and he was running a high fever. The maid had called Lady Orchid back because the King was coughing up blood. Now and then, his breathing would just stop, and they had to shake him and hit his c.h.e.s.t so he would start again. However, every such encounter inevitably worsened his injury. With normal methods, the King was long over the point where he could be saved. If not for the slim hope that Katherine might wake up and help, even the caregivers would have advised to just let him pass over the river and end his pain.

    However, the hope still prevailed.

    Gently, Lady Orchid swiped the King''s forehead with wet towels while his breath rattled in his c.h.e.s.t. Her whisper was barely louder than the dripping of her tears. "My love, why is life always so hard on you?"

    With one hand, she brushed the white and gold mane of the King aside to place a kiss on his forehead, as light as a butterfly. "Twenty-six years and your decision back then still haunts you now. I know marrying that viper was the only possibility to save the kingdom from a civil war and protect your nephew, however, sometimes I wish you could have just let fate take its course. It was your sense for responsibility for the kingdom that forbid you from shying away. So, please, if it''s just for this responsibility or everything else that is dear to you: you have stay alive. You hear me, Will? Stay with me."

    As if listening to his lover''s plea, the King''s breathing eased. But seconds later, another coughing seizure caught hold of him, and while his body jerked and trembled, blood spluttered over the blankets.

    "Oh my goddess."

    The comment came from the entrance of the cave, but nobody heard it over the coughs and rattling breath. In the entrance stood a dirty youth with blonde hair. His clothes were covered in mud and blood alike, but even under the thick dirt layer on his face, his paleness was visible. He gazed at the King like he had never seen something so horrible in his life. Slowly, tears mixed with the dirt, leaving traces on his cheeks. He turned and ran out of the cave with his head lowered.

    Nathaniel gave a sigh as he looked after him, but only for a short second. Then he limped over to the makeshift beds and helped the maids to hold the King down while they tried to feet him some water to ease his throat.

    Despite this, his eyes rested on Katherine all the time and as soon as the King settled down a bit again, he let go and went over to check Katherine''s pulse.

    "Do you think I will let your wife die?", Lady Orchid asked with the smallest of smiles. All happiness in her had vanished by the time her beloved was injured, but she was still glad her almost-son had found someone he cared about so much. "She is alright as far as I can tell. She just won''t wake up. Poor little girl."

    "I know. My men told me everything", Nathaniel responded absentmindedly. His gloved fingers lightly brushed Katherine''s hair away, circling her ear. His red eyes rested on hers even though her lids were closed. She looked so pale. He would rather repeat everything that happened today and worse than have her bear even the slightest of pain.

    "What an ordeal you had to go through, my dear", he mumbled. "I am sorry. It''s all because of me."

    The rags that were her pillow didn''t seem to be very comfortable, so he moved around a bit to let her head rest on his healthy t.h.i.g.h. Like this, she might sleep better, he thought, remembering the time she wanted to rest on his l.a.p at night in the palace. Maybe he should have let her.

    But wasn''t that the beginning of all her troubles? If he didn''t involve her, if he wasn''t so selfish to marry her, maybe she wouldn''t lay here unconsciousness now. He knew, yet he gave in to her hopeful eyes and tears.

    In the end, I am just like every other man, he thought, and clenched his fist in her hair. I couldn''t resist.

    "Her magic power retracted a few minutes ago", Lady Orchid spoke up after a while. "I don''t know if you want to ...?"

    Lady Orchid stopped when she noticed Nathaniel''s sharp gaze on her. "You think she can heal the King if I wake her up now? Let her rest. Her magic won''t be restored this fast."

    Nathaniel was also afraid that maybe her magic oversaw some injuries on the inside, only restoring the front. Unlike his, this power didn''t have a mind of its own. Her breathing was normal though, and her brows relaxed.

    "You always call him ''the King''", Lady Orchid sighed. "Even now. He could die any second, you know."

    Looking at the older man sweating in on the cave''s ground, Nathaniel remained unmoved. "He is only that to me. He breached his word to not reveal my identity to the public until the medal ceremony is over, not to talk about the marriage. But even then, I can''t let the King die, can I?"

    Lady Orchid lightly shook her head. "The Icefall men ... the sense for responsibility is in your bones."

    Her hands were working all the time, wiping the King''s body to cool the fever. Nathaniel watched her for a few seconds, then his eyes wandered back to his wife. There was no change in her condition. Though it didn''t have to be a bad sign, her stillness irked him. Normally, she was always in movement. Even if she stood still, her personality was so strong, so lively that it filled the room. Now she looked like she lost her soul.

    "Could you check her?", Nathaniel suddenly asked. "I''m worried there might be inner bleedings."

    Lady Orchid hesitated for a second to leave the side of her beloved, but she soon caught herself and waved a maid over to take her place. "Alright. Let''s see."

    Kneeling beside Katherine, her hands wandered over the latter''s side up to her belly, softly pushing the flesh beneath the thin fabric. Her forehead displayed a frown of concentration. To not disturb her, Nathaniel remained quiet. That was until Lady Orchid said: "Her skirt is in the way. I will need to remove it if I want to check her lower belly."

    When she didn''t get a response, Lady Orchid looked up, and her eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Nathaniel?"

    He sat stiff like a stone. His glare on her hands felt like he wanted to amputate them. Instinctively, she pulled them back, but her voice was calm and still like a lake as she called again: "Nathan? Are you alright?"

    As if awoken from a trance, Nathaniel blinked and looked away. He gave his best to focus on the stone wall opposite him when he said: "Do what you need to."

    His voice was a bit rough. Lady Orchid gestured for every surplus personnel to leave the cave, before she scrutinized Nathaniel again. She saw his hand clenching and unclenching half hidden behind his body. As it was a first to see him showing such possessiveness, she was half amused, and half filled with worry.

    Instead of mentioning his obvious plight, she decided to distract him while she did her work. "Did you know Aston is interested in a girl? Not the playful kind of interest, but a real, genuine one?"

 Chapter 144 - Coming Soon

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 Chapter 145 - An Icelandic Girl

    "He always seems like he is interested in girls", Nathaniel played along, though his voice sounded a bit off. "How would you know it is for real?"

    Lifting the skirts as quietly as possible, Lady Orchid hummed. "I am his mother. Who if not I would know the truth? He mentioned her already a year ago. I nearly forgot it if not for him talking about her again recently. Funny thing, he always boasts with the beauty of his... I can''t think of a better word but ''conquests'', though I''m sorry for the poor girls. I scolded him so many times, but it goes one ear in and the other out without brushing his brain even remotely ... whatever, in her case I didn''t even get to know the hair color. Only that he admires her."

    "Admiration, huh?", Nathaniel repeated. He was distracted by the small sounds coming from the side. Though his gaze was averted, it was impossible not to think about what happened right next to him. How Katherine''s fair legs would be exposed up to her hip, all the tender skin he had never seen before. A memory of her in nothing more than a nightgown resurfaced in his mind. Red fabric and rosy skin. The generous curves had been so very tempting, calling to be c.a.r.e.s.sed. In Nathaniel''s eyes, she had a body worth worship, and her personality was even more admirable. Firm, kind, and loveable.

    But someone else was touching this soft skin right now. Someone else was seeing everything that he didn''t dare reveal. The jealousy was roaring through his veins like a tide. It didn''t matter that Lady Orchid was a woman or that she didn''t swing that way. Only the deep trust between them and the knowledge that it was necessary kept the possessive urge to cover Katherine up and hide her in his arms contained. However, that didn''t mean it was easy. Right now, his mind was anywhere but on their conversation.

    "Yes, admiration", Lady Orchid picked up the topic again. "She had a very hard life but didn''t give up or changed herself. Despite being a mage, she acts like a commoner, so much so that he didn''t notice it for a long time. Doesn''t that signify that he was interested enough to dig deeper than normal? Maybe he will change his playboy ways for her and finally find his special someone. What do you think?"

    "Hm-hm", Nathaniel approved without hearing a word. "Maybe."

    Lady Orchid put Katherine''s skirt back down. From his last response, she knew that Nathaniel wasn''t really listening, but didn''t reveal it. "I hope so. She seems to be a good woman. But speaking of good women... You didn''t even sneak a peek on you wife''s body. I am impressed."

    With one hand, Nathaniel rubbed his face, sighing. He was glad the check-up was finally over. His eyes were already sore from staring at a b.a.r.e wall for too long, and his ears felt heated. "It felt wrong to take advantage of her state, though I was tempted."

    Now that he knew Katherine was covered again, he turned his head. The woman laid just like before, not a wrinkle out of place. It somehow soothed the remaining jealousy, and, at the same time, made him feel guilty for even being so possessive in the first place. After all, he was the one who asked for a check-up. "How is she?"

    "She seems to be alright.", Lady Orchid said, a pondering expression on her face. "There might be some regions I can''t feel from the outside, but for all I can tell -"

    Her sentence broke off, as coughing filled the cave. The King had an attack again. Lady Orchid rushed to his side and called for more helpers.

    Surprisingly, among the people hurrying in was Aston. He was still pale, but he seemed to have recovered from his shock and was ready to help. The mud was nowhere to be seen.

    On command of his mother, he grasped the King''s shoulders, pushing him down so that he couldn''t hurt himself or roll onto the hard ground. Nathaniel also instinctively moved to help, but then saw that with the maids, Lady Orchid and Aston there was no place for him to squeeze in, so he settled down again.

    Watching them hurry about, his left hand patted Katherine''s head almost subconsciously. It was the hand where the remaining particles of the poison resided, but they were so few that he hardly felt any discomfort using it. Treatment could be postponed until Katherine was healthy again, though it would spread a little bit.

    The King''s coughing intensified. It seemed like he would never stop, the coughing the only soul that filled the hollow body, let it tremble and shake. There was nothing much anyone could do against it. Lady Orchid whispered calming words to her beloved, but it was obvious he couldn''t hear, and over time it turned into praying, then pleading.

    Nathaniel''s hand stopped moving, his gaze fixed on the King with an unreadable emotion. He could feel that death was near.

    Suddenly and without prior warning, a light lit up in the cave. Since it was deep in the night with only oil lamps around, it instantly attracted everyone''s attention.

    Someone gasped. "The Princess, she -"

    Nathaniel also saw it. Everyone saw it. Katherine was still asleep, but from the point Nathaniel''s gloved palm connected to her forehead, light slowly rippled over her skin. It came in small waves, like the source was exhausted, but they were still remainders of her magic power.

    Nathaniel hesitated only for the fraction of a second, before he carefully rolled Katherine over until her skin connected to the King''s. Since their beds were right next to each other, it wasn''t difficult. The maids even hurriedly sprang out of the way. Still, in the short time it took, the waves were already getting weaker, and only the last few entered the King''s body, before the light vanished again.

    Everyone held their breath. The silence in the cave was thick like water. Even the King had stopped coughing, no, he wasn''t breathing at all.

    Lady Orchid had her hands pressed together in prayer, tears collecting in her eyes. Aston laid an arm around his mother. His mouth opened like he wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in his throat. The maids kept their heads low.

    Then, air suddenly hissed out between the King''s teeth, and his c.h.e.s.t fell, then raised again. After a few deep breathes, the rhythm slowed down, and he was breathing normally again.

    Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. The King didn''t die yet. He was still alive. And maybe if they were really lucky, it would stay this way.

    Nathaniel''s eyes wandered to Katherine. Despite her magic power flaring up, the woman didn''t bulge at all. She still seemed like a fragile puppet, pale and soulless.

    In fear another flaring of her magic power when she was already this exhausted would harm her, Nathaniel didn''t dare to touch Katherine much again. He only gently rolled her back on her own bed. Since the King didn''t get another attack after the last one, it was assumed that he was doing better.

    Leaning against the cave wall, Nathaniel watched Katherine''s c.h.e.s.t moving up and down with every breath. This and the pulse on her neck were the only signs she was still alive. He feared if he closed his eyes they would vanish, leaving him with nothing but a lifeless corpse. That would be hell on earth. His will had always been the thing that kept him moving, let him cling to life even when it seemed senseless. Somehow, he knew that when Katherine was gone, this will would also be gone. Dead like her.

    So, despite his wounds and the exhaustion from battle, he sat there until the sun rose again.

 Chapter 145 - Coming Soon

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 Chapter 146 - Good Morning

    Early in the morning, when the first rays of the sun crept into the cave, the surroundings were quiet and motionless. Some maids sat side by side, their heads leaned against each other and lightly snoring. Only the guards outside and Nathaniel were still awake. After checking the King''s vitals for a last time, Lady Orchid had fallen asleep beside him. A while later, Aston had picked her up from the cold ground, wrapped a blanket around her and embraced her tightly. Despite the rough terrain, he managed to fall asleep after a while, his cheek snuggled on his mother''s shoulder. It was quite cramped with so many people in the cave, but nobody seemed to care.

    Suddenly, there was a sound in the content silence. A groan. Nathaniel''s eyes lazily shifted to the source. He blinked. With delay, realization sat in and his weary body straightened somewhat. "Good morning, your Majesty."

    The sea blue irises of the King shimmered behind blonde lashes. He didn''t seem to be aware of his surroundings yet, as the eyes gazed at the cave wall, the people, and the white-haired man sitting not far from him. His Adam''s apple moved. The dry lips cracked as he opened them, and his voice was coarse. "Where?"

    The usual authority was undermined by his obvious weakness. He didn''t even move another muscle or tried to sit up as if he knew how bad his condition was just by feeling the pain in his body.

    "A cave", Nathaniel responded in a less-than-helpful way. He didn''t want to converse much with a person that had disappointed him time and again.

    Despite the bratty reply, the King only breathed in and out once, pain flittering over his face. "This priest, who was he?"

    Annoyed that the King didn''t even ask about Aston and Lady Orchid who had worried about him so much, Nathaniel''s gaze got colder. "You were the one planning the marriage, why should I know?"

    A sigh of frustration escaped the King''s lips. "You can''t even answer a single question, can you? If you don''t know who it is, just say so. Don''t act in such a disrespectful manner."

    "You don''t deserve my respect if you can''t even keep your word", Nathaniel''s rebutted harshly.

    "You damn - " The King''s fist hit the dusty ground and he struggled to sit up, but only managed to inflict more pain on himself.

    Nathaniel watched him without pity. "How many years did you hide my existence? When you finally think of acknowledging me, it is at the one and only time I asked of you to keep quiet about it. You broke your word, and then you even married me off without asking for my consent. I don''t need to respect a person that doesn''t respect me in any way."

    Anger seethed in the King, turning his head tomato red. But before he could retort, another voice spoke up. "Please stop the bickering. What is done can''t be changed. We are all sitting in the same boat."

    Lady Orchid was awoken by the loud voices and yawned behind her hand. The two men were silenced by her remark and looked in different directions. Of course, they knew that arguing didn''t help, they were just releasing a bit of their frustrations.

    Aston in the corner still slept noisily, while his mother crawled out of his arms towards the King. A smile tugged at Lady Orchid''s mouth, beautiful like a blossoming flower. "Welcome back, William. You never stop to make me worry."

    A bit of the tomato color remained in the King''s cheeks, as he grumbled: "I didn''t plan to."

    Lady Orchid giggled like a young girl. "You never do. Did you plan to fall in love with me then?"

    "I didn''t. But how can I stand against the heavens wishes? You don''t need to worry as long as they are watching over me", the King whispered back, but in the tiny cave, Nathaniel could hear every word.

    Truly, he wished he could just shut his ears and stay deaf. They were a secret couple, so where was their secretly now? The sugar-coated words could feed an anthill for a year.

    Luckily, Lady Orchid took pity in him and soon changed the topic: "I think you need to thank Nathaniel here. Many of his men died while saving you. You even endangered his and Aston''s life, and without Lady Katherine I''m afraid ..."

    Her voice trembled until the King took her hand. "I''m awake now."

    "Yes." Lady Orchid blinked rapidly. "You big idiot, why didn''t you protect yourself better?!"

    Suddenly, she burst into tears, and buried her face in the King''s shoulder. Awkwardly, the King patted her back. "It''s okay now, don''t cry. Don''t cry. I promise I will be more cautious next time."

    The promise only made his lover wail louder.

    Over her shoulder, the King shot Nathaniel a glance as if to say: ''help me! Do something!'' However, Nathaniel only smirked evilly and didn''t even bother standing up. Instead, he leaned back and watched as the King panicked.

    In the end, it was the sleepy Aston who calmed down his mother. His grumpy gaze told everyone how he was not happy to be awoken in such a way and he stayed like this for the next two hours even after the exhausted King had fallen asleep. Maybe the breakfast of only dry rations and water also played a part in his bad mood.

    Meanwhile, the continued sleep of Katherine as well as his own sleep deprivation had robbed all energy off Nathaniel''s body. When Aston noticed his brother''s eye lids fluttering repeatedly, he sat down beside him. "You can sleep and let me take over. Trust me."

    Nathaniel''s lips moved, but no sound was heard before his lids finally shut and his head fell forward. His breathing mixed with Katherine''s. She laid beside him, her cheeks already rosy again.

    "Hm", Aston made approvingly as if he knew what Nathaniel meant to say. "I''ll wake you when Sis-in-law wakes up."

    .

    Shortly after sunrise, a carriage halted on the plains where Nathaniel''s magic had eaten an aisle filled with corpses in the grass. It was accompanied by five cloaked riders on dark mares. One of them dismounted and went over to the carriage to open the door. He lowered his head as if he didn''t dare look at those inside. A deep voice sounded. "Go get him. He will be of great use in the war to come."

    Shortly after, a slim figure emerged, her face hidden under a black coat that opened further down to reveal the skirt of a wide dress. The woman left the carriage and wandered over the dry earth. Her steps were determined, but she took care to not even brush the white bones with the rim of her dress. The skeletons laid there in variable poses, some with their swords still in hand, some already broken as if stomped upon. Finally, she reached the middle of the nearly round aisle of destruction and halted.

    Golden bracelets clinked as she raised her arms. When the sleeves of her coat slid down, the sun-tanned skin of her hands and finely manicured nails got visible.

    "Blood of my blood, bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh. I call upon thee. Rise again to fulfil your master''s wishes."

    The voice was crystal clear and rang through the air like a bell. It was followed by a greyish mist-like dust that filled the air from the point where the woman stood. It only lasted for a second or two before it dispersed. The riders all eyed the woman curiously. They didn''t know what she wanted to do, but it sounded way more dramatic than what the actual effect was. What was with this grey dust cloud? It didn''t do anything.

    Then suddenly, one of the riders pulled air through his teeth. "Oh goddess. Is this... ?"

    Not far from the woman, something rose from the ground. At first it seemed like a whirl of white and grey dust, then their vision cleared.

    Opposite the coated woman stood a skeleton. It was nearly as small as she with overly long arms. In its hand was a sword unlike any other. This was a sword that had killed hundreds and would never leave the side of the one that conquered it. The one and only best swordsman of the Falumor Empire.

    "Good", the voice inside the carriage sounded out in a laugh. "Without a soul, this Prince can''t disobey. Since his movements and sword style are inlayed in his bones, you should be able to revive them and turn the greatest weapon of the Falumor Empire against them. I can already see their horrified faces. Now, come back to me."

    Without a word, the woman turned and went back to the carriage. The skeleton followed right on her heels, frightening the riders that enlarged the distance between them and her. Only the one on the door remained, though he was pale like paper. As the woman and skeleton entered, he heard her talk again. "You promised to strengthen my powers. I hope you can keep your promise."

    "Yes, yes, of course. I know you only do this for your brother. Of course, I will help you archive your aim."

    "Good."

    Afraid to hear more things he shouldn''t hear, the rider hastily closed the door.

 Chapter 146 - Coming Soon

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 Chapter 147 - Why Didnt You?

    It was three days later. The King''s entourage had moved into a safe-house of one of the King''s supporters. Unfortunately, a doctor had discovered that the spine of the King had been impaired during the knife attack, making walking alone a far-fetched dream for him.

    Since then, the King was grumbling and secluding himself in his sickroom. Everyone hoped that he was ruminating on a solution for the conflict right now and how to free the land of this devilish woman that was his wife. However, it was more likely that he was falling into depression and self-pity.

    Despite the dire situation, Nathaniel never moved from Katherine''s side. He ate, slept and worked in the same room as his wife. Though, to be true, when working he mostly sat there staring into nothing and trying to think of a plan that would better their situation. Since most of the forces were now under the Queen''s reign, they had to carefully consider every step they made. As the supposed murderers of the King, Aston, Katherine, and him were wanted everywhere.

    Yes, Katherine as well. How he found out afterwards, the assassin was one of the merchants Katherine had supported. Of course it was a set-up, but the Queen used this connection to blame the assassination attempt on her. And since she was his wife, it was a natural that he was involved, too. After all, nobody would think that a woman would try to murder the King on her own when her future husband was a prince in line for the throne. Everyone would expect him to have his hands in it. As for Aston, he was just added to the list without any evidence at all.

    With a sigh, Nathaniel leaned back in the chair besides Katherine''s bed and closed his eyes. For the last few days, this was his usual sleeping position, though it was hardly comfortable.

    The instance where Katherine''s power flared up as he touched her was resurfacing from his memory. Ever since then, he hadn''t seen even the slightest glow around her. He wondered if it was because the magic was exhausted or she was already fully healed. But if she was fully healed, why didn''t she wake up? It was a mystery, one that made him anxious whenever he thought about it.

    "Katherine", he mumbled to himself. "Maybe I shouldn''t have used your power to help him, when you need it yourself so much."

    He didn''t know if it would have changed anything, but maybe that one strand of magic that went over to the King was what could have woken her up.

    A knock was heard before Sam''s voice sounded. "Your Highness, the King wants to talk to you."

    Nathaniel opened his eyes, the red irises displaying annoyance. "What does he want?"

    "I didn''t dare ask, your Highness."

    A pause followed in which Nathaniel''s gaze lingered on Katherine. Staying with her was the least he could do after he pulled her into this mess, wasn''t it? Besides, if it were noteworthy information, a change of situation perhaps, his own informants would have already told him. What news could the bedridden King get that he did not? It couldn''t be anything important. "Tell him I''m busy."

    Now it was Sam''s turn to stay silent. The King''s order had seemed very important. It was the first time he called for anyone besides Lady Orchid and the doctor. Since it was hard to guess the Nathaniel''s mood only from his indifferent voice, Sam opened the door to peek inside.

    Despite sunshine flooding in through one window, the room was filled with a depressing vibe. Nathaniel sat next to the bed, his eyes fixed on Katherine''s face with a heartbreaking sadness in them. Sam''s own eyes got wet when he saw his master like this. He suspected it already before, but now it was confirmed. His master was deeply in love with his new wife. He almost felt reluctant to disturb him.

    "Your Highness", Sam said softly and entered the room to close the door behind him. "I may not know why he called you, but I suspect something. Those papers we found, his Majesty must know the truth about them."

    The old man coughed lightly and turned his head away. "Of course, I burned the papers like you commanded. I don''t want to imply that the information leaked out, but just that the king might want to talk about the same topic those papers addressed."

    The demon''s head tilted to the side, not making him less threatening. "And why do you suspect this? Why would he even know about such an abstruse lie if nobody told him?"

    "That - ", Sam began but was broken off when Nathaniel abruptly stood up.

    "You were hiding something from me, weren''t you? That is why you were so anxious when you found those papers. You know something about my birth that I don''t." Nathaniel approached Sam like a predator that had caught the scent of blood. His brows lowered the more he thought into this. "All this time you kept it a secret, even when I searched for every information I could find. Anything that would explain why they treat me the way they do."

    When Nathaniel stood right in front of Sam, he halted. For a second, he searched the eyes of his loyal companion that was like a father to him. Sam turned away his face, stoic as ever. Seeing this, hurt distorted Nathaniel''s features, showing a vulnerable side that nobody ever saw. It was over in a second, followed by his usual unreadable face, but in his voice it lingered. "Why didn''t you tell me, Sam?"

    A muscle in the old man''s forehead twitched, the motion soon hidden behind a reserved mask. He spoke slowly as if the words were drawn out of him by force and he was trying to keep them with him. "This was in another life that I left behind when I turned into your guardian, therefor please don''t expect me to recall much of it. When I found the papers, I noticed a connection to my former master, but there wasn''t much time to explain. If you want the full truth, his Majesty should be the one who knows."

    There was a long silence, then Nathaniel backed off. His eyes were lowered. "Fine. I will go see his Majesty. However, you should try to recall that other life of yours. When I come back, I want a recount. Don''t leave anything out, lest it becomes important in the future."

    "Of course, your Highness", Sam responded, though his face was sour.

    Nathaniel didn''t notice his unwillingness, as his gaze had turned back to Katherine. He returned to her side to press her hand softly. It was the first time he touched her after the event when she glowed. Even though, he didn''t hold her hand for long in fear it might happen again and delay her recovery.

    "I will be back soon. Wait for me."

    Without a second gaze at his butler, he left the room. Unknown to him, there was a slight change after he left. Katherine''s hand that had fallen onto the covers, moved. Her fingers opened slowly like she was searching for something. They wandered over the bed, and when they couldn''t find what they searched, they clutched onto the covers. After a few seconds, they got limp again. The tiny wrinkles in the white were the only visible change.

    Sam was too lost in thought to notice the change. Since his master left, he felt obliged to protect the Lady in her vulnerable stage, but his mind was tangled up in a far distant past. Thus, he missed this tiny indicator that Katherine was about to wake up soon.

 Chapter 147 - Coming Soon

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 Chapter 147 - Strange Space

    It was a spiral of colors. Katherine could see it clearly before her eyes. She also remembered that she had seen it before. Only then, she didn''t know what it signified. It was a very beautiful and confusing sight, all those different colors mixing and constantly changing their property.

    "I wonder what they are good for", she thought to herself and lifted a finger to touch them. At least, that was what she intended to to. However, her body felt so heavy and sluggish that she gave up on it soon. It was so comfortable just lying about. Why did she even want to change it?

    "Whatever, they might not feel like anything great", she consoled herself as her eyes followed a draft of blue that glided through the air like a fabric in the wind. "I still wish they would come here."

    Though she had watched the colors for what felt like hours, they seemed to be near and far at the same time, like the stars on the firmament. She doubted she could really touch them. They seemed to be held back by a gigantic white sphere around her. It was like a clear space, not shiny or slight yellow like the light of a fire, neither did it hurt the eyes. It was just... there. Simple. Warm. Breathing with her as if they were one.

    She was floating in this white sphere and it seemed to be the most natural thing in the world. She could appreciate this view, if only the sadness didn''t hold her in its claws.

    She knew that she was dead. This had to be the netherworld.

    When she thought back to the moment the wolves attacked her, the pain was unbearable. Since she had seen some wounds, she knew which were deadly. Hers certainly had been.

    However, she didn''t expect the pain that came with the injuries. In her whole life she had never felt such an amount of physical pain. She thought it would be over once her arteries were cut, but she had felt every bite they took from her flesh, how they gnawed upon her bones.

    This was an indescribable painful and disgusting experience. She wouldn''t wish this for even her worst foes. Well, maybe for Ethan. She wished she could be so cold to stand by and see him be eaten, but she doubted it. Not after experiencing it herself. After all, she wasn''t as emotionless like him, and still remembered their good childhood, even though it didn''t reduce her hatred.

    Despite the tremendous pain, she had fought for her life against the wolves and called for help the best she could. Even if Ethan''s men came, she would be glad to accept their help. But the wolves had been faster. It was nearly laughable that it were wolves who killed her when there were so many more dangerous enemies she had to fight. Well, one never knows if those wolves weren''t sent by one of these enemies, but she doubted it. It would be too much trouble to raise and train them.

    Shifting her thoughts from the bad past, she wondered what would happen to her now that she was dead. Would she forever stay in this strange colorful netherworld? The belief of the Dragseans was that they would be judged by their god after death and the phoenix would then decide if they were worthy of his fire of rebirth.

    Since he was a wild god, whom he chose was not a result of the morality of a person, but rather personal interest. The Dragseans believed that those who led interesting lives were preferred to get a chance at rebirth, regardless of what in their lives caught the phoenix''s eye. The other souls were burned, their ashes scattered on the fields of death to nourish the new souls that grew there.

    The Icelanders meanwhile had a completely different believe regarding the life after death. In a beautiful palace of ice, their goddess Skadi and her holy maiden would wait for the souls of the dead. They would talk to every one of them and judge them separately. Then the holy maidens would guide the souls into a long sleep. In every ice crystal on the palace''s ceiling, a sleeping soul resided and waited for the moment it could wander the earth again. If one was a good person, the rebirth would be soon. Evil souls, however, rested for all eternity. Or at least that was, what the Icelanders believed.

    Katherine saw neither the holy fire nor the icy palace anywhere in her surroundings. Though she was surprised, she couldn''t say that she was unhappy. Actually, she didn''t want to meet any of these gods. Her wish was neither for reincarnation, nor eternal sleep. To her, the phoenix seemed like a whimsy fellow, and the cold of the ice palace certainly wasn''t a place where she wanted to stay for long, however friendly the goddess may seem.

    Despite the pain and troubles, she had suffered, all she wanted was to go back to her body. She finally married Nathaniel, how could she let go of him now? If there was any way back with her own body and mind, she would take it. Alas, she doubted that it was possible. At least for now, she saw no way out of here.

    After some more hours, there was a change. Something touched her hand. She couldn''t see it, nor did it feel really material. It was more akin to a strong wind pushing against her hand from both sides. Though she couldn''t grasp it, it was definitely there. Somehow, she longed to feel more of it, like it was something she missed but couldn''t name.

    Alas, whatever it was vanished too soon. Though it was hard to move, she spread and fisted her hand in an attempt to catch it, however, it was like moving through the soil. All her movements were slowed, and the resistance was tremendous. Not only she didn''t catch the fleeting feeling, instead she felt like she couldn''t even shake hands normally like this.

    Discontented, she wondered if this feeling would come back again. Just for the case that it did, maybe she should train moving faster to catch it next time. Yes, she wanted this feeling to stay with her. As for why she wanted this, well, maybe because it was similar to that cold former Earl that always managed to slip out of her grasp. Since she grew up able to get almost anything she wanted, challenges like these only made her more determined.

    Yes, moving in this space was hard and exhausting. That''s why she had preferred to stay where she was before. It was comfortable. However, now she wondered why she let laziness take her over when there was so much outside to explore. Didn''t she want to go back? How would it happen if she didn''t even try? Surely, the opportunity wouldn''t find her by itself.

    "Now", she said to herself, "Let the training begin!"

 Chapter 148 - Coming Soon

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 Chapter 149 - Blackie

    It took a while - she didn''t know how long since there was neither day nor night - until she could move normally. The improvement was much faster than building up muscles, but sufficient to make her impatient.

    After she could move her limbs just fine, she discovered one big problem: there was no ground under her feet. When she moved her legs, it didn''t propel her forward like it would on earth. She tried swimming motions, fluttering like a bird and everything that crossed her mind, but it didn''t work.

    With a pout, she crossed her arms and pondered what else there was to try. Now, that she had worked off the sleepiness, staying still was very boring. The space around also didn''t change much. She had noticed some patterns in the colors already. There were some who only passed by, mostly grey, red, and green. They never stayed long, floating at the edges of her vision. Then there was blue. Blue was the main color in this space. Though it was also floating in several parts and not coloring everything, it was way more present than any of the other colors.

    There were different nuances of the blue, too. Some icy, slight turquoise, and dark like the sea swam in the distance, while an indigo one moved vigorously near her. The last one interested her the most because it and another in paler blue had never left her vision. The pale blue was so still that she had only noticed it because the indigo one circled it regularly. Although she didn''t know what they were, she had decided to call all of them ''gauze birds'' for now, since they could fly and resembled transparent fabric. There were exceptions to this description though. Obviously, one was the pale blue that didn''t move, and the other one...

    She turned around to look at the darkness behind her with a complicated gaze. This one was even more mysterious than the others. She first discovered it when she turned around and nearly got a heart attack. It looked like an abyss right outside of her safe sphere. That was because barely a meter behind her, there was nothing but black, like someone painted a black canvas and laid it over this side of her sphere.

    It had taken her a while to notice that the darkness, just like the other colors, could move. When it did so, the usual view of colorful gauze birds was revealed behind it. So, it was not that there was an abyss, but that she just couldn''t look through this dark blob that was at least as big as her own sphere, if not several times bigger. Since then, she always kept a watch on this particular¡­ thing. ''Gauze bird'' didn''t seem appropriate in its case since it was too big and unmoving, so she just called it Blackie. The only thought behind this name was to let the simplicity and cuteness relieve some of her fear for it. Even though, it appeared ominous. The way it always pressed against her sphere like it wanted to break inside made her uneasy, even though the sphere didn''t react to it in any way whatsoever.

    She was just about to try another few ideas for moving, when she suddenly felt the touch of the wind again. This time, it was on her forehead, shifting a strand of her hair. It felt strangely warm. Her heart skipped a beat and she grabbed for her forehead so fast that she slapped herself when - like the last time - there was only air under her palm.

    Luckily, there was nobody to see that embarrassing scene, Katherine thought, and sighed. Over the short pain of the slap, the fleeting feeling had vanished again. What a shame. She hoped she could catch it next time. If she wanted to do so, more than just trying to move, she should also ponder about how to catch the wind. At least she now knew one thing: the wind was more than just a one-time event.

    .

    Sitting next to her body on the bed, Nathaniel sighed as well and let the strand of hair he had brushed out of her face run through his fingers. It was nearly as dark as his gloves, shimmering like obsidian in the light of the lamp. He raised it to his face and inhaled.

    Her scent of roses and fresh water was slowly changing to dust and soap, painfully reminding him of how long she was unconsciousness.

    Gritting his teeth, he stood up and returned to his own seat, picking up the folder that laid on it before sitting down. It was one of the many reports they had stolen from the underground laboratory. There were hundreds more to go.

    After only two minutes, Nathaniel laid it away and leaned back his head, one hand over his eyes. His Adam''s apple moved up and down slowly, before his mouth opened to exhale. "What a damn mess."

    Ever since the talk with the King, he just couldn''t concentrate and Sam, the one person who he had always shared his troubles with, was out of the question this time. That was not because he didn''t trust him anymore, but because Sam was deeply involved in the story, a major part of the puzzle. Everything Nathaniel knew about his life had been overturned. Now, he had a difficult decision to make, perhaps the most difficult of his life. And he had to do it by himself.

    It was kind of fascinating how all these issues could be connected on this one point and how, at the same time, this knowledge didn''t help to solve any of them. For Nathaniel, it was also a very bitter discovery. He had thought that if he found the reason for his curse, he might find a way to revert it. With this one person dead, however, any hope of that was lost.

    Now, he wondered if he would never find a way to get rid of his magic completely, and if he would have to anxiously avoid all touch his whole life. Before this painful discovery, he didn''t know that there had been a tiny part of him that still had hope. He longed for skin contact so much - especially with the one woman who was now his wife - that a desperate hope had grown in his subconsciousness. Now it had been dealt a hard blow. In all honesty, he wished any hope to be completely destroyed by this blow, or else he might go crazy from the pain the next time reality hit. However, he doubted something so innately human was so easy to kill.

    His fingers idly rubbed over his lips, remembering the nearest he had ever been to her. If not for this one kiss, he wondered if it would still hurt as much. If not for this kiss, he might have never known what it felt like to crave for a person with all his heart. Or at least, he would have stopped himself from acknowledging it. If only she didn''t kiss him... and yet, he didn''t want to miss this kiss for anything he had.

    Slowly, the rims of his eyes turned red. Then he bend over forward, biting into the leather of his gloves to muffle the scream. His body shook back and forth. For a few minutes, only his labored breathing filled the room. It was unknown when his hand gripped Katherine''s, but he held it like it was his only anchor. After a while, his hoarse voice sounded through the silence. "You need to wake up, Katherine. You can''t - can''t sleep anymore. Please, don''t let me wait any longer. I can''t. I need you by my side. Not only your body, but the real you. So, you have to wake up!"

    It was the truth. This woman might be naive and willful, but without her, he couldn''t think straight anymore. Every second thought was about her. She had to come back, or else his straying thoughts would bring danger to everyone around him. Like this, he was not in the state to confront the Queen, much less the Falumor empire helping her.

    In her sphere in the colorful space, Katherine felt the windy touch once more.

 Chapter 149 - Coming Soon

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 Chapter 149 - Spit Me Out!

    The wind was stronger this time, almost feeling solid. Surprised, Katherine noticed that the surface was neither flat nor pressing against everything it could reach, like real wind would. This was more like a thing out of wind that was tightly holding her hand.

    Katherine was excited. Finally, the wind didn''t vanish the moment it occurred. She still couldn''t grab it, but it was not so far off as the other times. She closed her eyes to analyze the feeling more. What shape did it have? What temperature?

    Wind usually felt cold, but this one was slightly warm. It made her curious. When she pressed it, her hand was repelled stronger the more force she used. She assumed that she could still press through it if she wanted, but was afraid the wind would vanish if she did so. So, instead, she tried to feel it up. Since she had to struggle out of the wind''s grasp elsewise, she used her other hand for it.

    The surface was smoother than the side that held her, almost as flat as a table. She tracked it with her fingertips and found that there was only a short stretch of that smooth surface, followed by a few bumps, and then it parted into several lengthy, almost round -

    Katherine stopped. She suddenly had an idea what this thing was. It was a hand! A hand out of wind! Did it belong to some supreme being? In the end, did a god come to fetch her dead soul? Fright gripped her and she was tempted to try shake the wind off for a second.

    Then, the familiarity she had felt at the first touch set in again and calmed her. No, this hand didn''t feel like it planned something bad - though it puzzled her that she knew that when she had neither felt nor seen it any time before. Or had she? Her subconsciousness was so sure it didn''t mean any harm that she wondered if she really didn''t meet it before.

    Suddenly, there was a sound. It almost was like a rough voice whispering from behind her. Her head swirled around, but there was only Blackie, nothing else. Was the sound coming from something behind the black blob? Or did she mishear? It was the first sound she heard in this space and she was curious as well as creeped out.

    "Hung... ry."

    This time, she heard it clearly, and her hairs stood on end. The deep and raspy voice sounded so ominous that she couldn''t help but feel like she was the prey it wanted to eat, though she didn''t even know who or what it was.

    "Me... hungry"

    That it didn''t know how to speak well, didn''t make it any less dangerous in Katherine''s opinion. It sounded like a beast that was driven by instinct, only barely able to voice its thoughts. Such a being couldn''t be reasoned with. She didn''t want to be found by it.

    Just, where was it? The voice was so close that it had to be in her sight, yet she saw nothing that resembled a living being. Maybe it was invisible like the hand of wind? The thought made her shudder, and she didn''t even realize that she automatically excluded the wind-being from the possible perpetrators. Instead, she grabbed it only tighter as one would a friend''s hand when anxious.

    In the room where her body was, Nathaniel''s head jerked up. In disbelieve, he looked at the slender fingers that held his. They were so small in comparison, yet they let hope bloom in his heart. Was Katherine about to wake up? Did she hear his call?

    Instantly, he felt ashamed that he had broken down in front of her. He usually wasn''t the type to fall into despair. After all, giving in to it would only worsen it and help nobody.

    Hastily wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt, he took another look. Really, it wasn''t only his imagination. Katherine''s fingers had coiled around his hand, holding it lightly. There was no pressure behind the movement, but it was there. She was still there.

    Softly, he called her name and asked her to come back. To Nathaniel, there was nothing more important than her return.

    Alas, Katherine couldn''t hear his call. She was scared out of her mind because her safe sphere was under attack. She knew now where those whispers came from. It was the dark bobble, the one she called Blackie. Right now, the darkness tried to swallow her sphere whole.

    At first, its movements had been too slow to notice. However, there was only a tiny gap left right now through which she could see the outside. Everywhere else was darkness. And the rough voice was ringing in her ears: "Hungry! Give food, yummy, yummy food! Me eat, yummy, yummy!"

    "I''m not your food!", Katherine yelled angrily. "Eat those things over there! Why do you want to eat me?"

    "Eat yummy, yummy!", was the only answer she got when the darkness closed even the tiniest gap. Now there was only her sphere around her, nothing else to protect her from this gigantic dark blob.

    "Spit me out! Spit me out right now!", Katherine screamed and raised her fist. However, since she was still floating in her sphere, she couldn''t give the darkness the good punch she wanted. Besides, she didn''t know if it would endanger her even further if she touched it.

    In the darkness, she felt like she was stuffed into a tiny room, one that was shrinking by the second. As if Blackie was devouring the light around, her sphere continued to get smaller. It disintegrated. Katherine could feel it, and she feared that as soon as it vanished, she would be next.

    Blackie didn''t bother answering. After all, who would talk with their food? Even wild animals would know better than that. Katherine''s heart raged in her c.h.e.s.t as she wrecked her brain for a solution. It was just that she didn''t know this place good enough to form a real plan. Mind me, she didn''t even know how to move here.

    Filling her lunges with air, she noticed there was only a tiny film of her sphere left against the darkness. Soon, she would be swimming in it unprotected.

    "HELP!", she screamed at the top of her lunges. "HELP ME! I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE!"

    There was a split-second of silence. Then a female voice answered that was strangely familiar, but a different familiarity from the windy touch. "Finally! I thought you would never ask."

    Light exploded around her. It was the same as the light of her sphere, but much brighter. The darkness was repelled by it. Blinded, Katherine closed her eyes and shielded them with her hands.

    "Don''t forget about me", the voice said, and it sounded happy. "One day, I wish we can speak in the real world. I could teach you so much about yourself."

    Before Katherine could answer, the light vanished. When she opened her eyes, she saw an ornate wooden ceiling.

 Chapter 150 - Coming Soon

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 Chapter 151 - Reunion

    Nathaniel''s head shot up when he saw the light out of the corners of his eyes. It happens again, he thought with alarm and tried to extricate his hand from Katherine''s. He still didn''t know why her magic would react to his touch, but he doubted it was a good sign. Magic usage made sleepy and Katherine had slept too long already.

    However, Katherine''s grip had gotten stronger and before long there was another change that stopped his movements altogether. Disbelieve and happiness surged in him, slowly drawing a brilliant smile on his face.

    "Katherine! You woke up!"

    This must be how a puppy feels when its owner is finally back, the sarcastic part of him commented, but Nathaniel was too happy to care. Eagerly, he brushed the hair out of her forehead, so he could see her violet eyes in all their splendor. They were half-opened, the lids still heavy with sleepiness. To refrain from startling her, he lowered his voice. "How are you feeling, my dear? Does it hurt anywhere?"

    Dazed, Katherine stared up at him. She didn''t know how she came back here. Where were the gauze birds? Why did her throat feel so dry? How came Nathaniel was smiling at her? He really was gorgeous when he smiled. Suddenly, realization hit her. "You are here but ... Am I not dead?"

    Nathaniel''s smile wavered as his eyes darkened. "You nearly were."

    Nearly... "That means I am not", Katherine concluded in wonder. "Was it all a dream then? It seemed so real... "

    "Did you dream something bad?", Nathaniel asked, worried. Though he didn''t see Katherine in her worst condition, the story his soldiers told him suggested wounds even the strongest person would die of. He wished for Katherine to not remember this painful experience, but it might be impossible. At least, he would do everything to help her overcome the memory. She wouldn''t have to go through this alone.

    But Katherine''s answer was surprisingly calm. "Actually, it was quite a nice dream. However, a dream is still a dream, right?"

    When Nathaniel nodded, Katherine suddenly noticed that he still had his palm on her head, solemnly staring into her eyes. A cheeky grin formed on her face and she stretched out a hand to touch his cheek. "You missed me, love?"

    The smooth white skin on Nathaniel''s face reddened as he scooted away and caught the mischievous fingers coming after him. Luckily, they were still intact.

    "You''re courting death too much lately. Rest a bit before trying anything again", he chided lightly. His fingers though spoke a different language as they interweaved with hers.

    "Hum", Katherine made, not at all unhappy. Why should she be? She was feeling well in body and mind and was finally back with the man she loved. The near-death she experienced seemed like a dark dream right now, and she banned it from her thoughts. In the space of the gauze birds, she had dwelled on the pain long enough.

    As for Nathaniel''s ''courting death'' talk, she ignored it. She took it as one of the strange sides of her new husband that he sometimes said things like this and she knew that even if she asked, he wouldn''t explain. This time, she was too relieved to start a fight over it. Little did she now that Nathaniel thought she already knew everything about his power since the day of their marriage.

    "You were in a coma for four days", Nathaniel informed her, switching the topic. "I''m sorry for pulling you into all this trouble."

    Katherine pressed his hand. "It''s not your fault. You weren''t the one who murdered the king, were you?"

    Suddenly, she sat up, anxious. "The King! How is he? Can I help somehow? Or is he already..."

    Nathaniel shook his head. "The bastard is too tough to pass on. But you don''t need to rush, his condition is stable now."

    Katherine looked at Nathaniel, eyes wide. She could understand why someone would call the King a bastard since she herself didn''t like him. However, she was just an outsider, while Nathaniel... "Um, isn''t he your father?"

    Nathaniel''s eyes hardened. "No. He is not."

    Confused and irritated, Katherine shook her head. "How come every time I think I know something about you, it turns out to be fake in the end? What is it now? Are you not a prince, even though the King himself proclaimed you his son? Are you in the end a beggar he took in? Not that I would mind that", she added hastily. "But as your wife I would at least like to know who I''m married to!"

    Against his will, the corners of Nathaniel''s mouth twitched. "I would also prefer to know my past, but the truth just likes to slip my grip."

    "Huh? So you don''t know yourself?" All anger fled Katherine''s body, leaving her blinking like a surprised child. After a second, she began to ponder, her finger unknowingly tapping against her lips. "How can this be? Why is it such a mess? This is so irritating."

    Nathaniel felt the urge to laugh. "Isn''t it? I thought my whole life I was the unwanted son of the King. Now it seems I am just the unwanted nephew, if that is even the truth."

    "Nephew?"

    "Well, you could also call it the stepson, since I am both in a way." With a sigh, Nathaniel brushed his hair back. It seemed this would be a long conversation. "Let me get you something to eat before we continue. You must be hungry."

    He wanted to stand up, but Katherine, who thought it was his way to avoid the conversation, held him back. "I''m not hungry yet. Tell me."

    Unconvinced, he raised his brows at her, but then noticed the stubborn gaze in her eyes and the hand that didn''t let go of his. With a sigh, he sat back down. If she was this lively already, it wouldn''t hurt to wait a bit with the food. Besides, he didn''t want to fight when she was still recovering.

    "While you were asleep, the King told me a fantastical story I wasn''t sure I could believe", he began. "I just wish I could deny it instead. It turns all my plans upside-down. Well, maybe it isn''t such a bad thing, but still."

    When Nathaniel stopped, Katherine pressed his hand to remember him that she was here with him and urge him to continue.

    "It''s a bit complicated." Nathaniel smiled wryly. "I guess any such matter would be so. It starts a few years before my birth, when the former crown prince got married to the third princess of the Falumor Empire, Princess Layla Fatima Bishara. That crown prince, he wasn''t the current King, but his older brother, Alexander Ymir Icefall."

    When Katherine wanted to interrupt, Nathaniel raised his hand. "I know. You want to ask why she would be remarried to another King later. It is tradition that the wife of a King should be untouched before marriage, but this isn''t the case. Relax. I will come to this in due time."

    Katherine struggled with her curiosity, before settling back into the cushions. "All right. Tell me when you think it''s right."

    A grin flew over Nathaniel''s lips, and he patted her hand. "Good girl."

    Blushing, Katherine felt the urge to throw a cushion at his handsome face. "Just get started already!"

    "Yes, yes." The grin withdrew from his lips, forming his usual serious expression. Katherine felt a little regret. "So, the third Princess of the Falumor Empire got married to this Crown Prince when she wasn''t much different from a child herself. I myself can''t imagine it, but I was told she was a quiet and naive girl back then. Only after the evil that resided in the crown prince tainted her, did she become who she is today: a crazy madwoman. She also is my mother."

 Chapter 151 - Coming Soon

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 Chapter 151 - Compromise

    Katherine s.u.c.k.e.d her breath between her teeth, but Nathaniel already continued as if it were nothing. "As far as I was told, Alexander Ymir Icefall was the worst kind of husband one could imagine. After he succeeded the throne, he was also the worst kind of King, though his reign was so short hardly anyone ever mentions it. The only thing he is remembered for up till now, is his genius in magic theory and his magic inventions. He invented an apparatus that measures the possibility of awakening magic power, the magicmeter. It is so costly that it''s only used in the Icelands though, so maybe you never heard of it... or have you?"

    Katherine shook her head. You are diverting from the topic, she wanted to say, but there was hardly a time when Nathaniel spoke so much, let alone out of his free will. So, she let it be. Besides, she was curious of the reason. It seemed almost like her ever-steadfast, unmoving husband was nervous.

    "Never mind then." Nathaniel''s hand had long since let go of Katherine''s, and he was now clutching them together, his focus on them instead of Katherine''s face. In a way, it looked like he was talking to himself. "Just before he became King, his wife got pregnant, and he... do you remember what I told you about the organization? About what they are searching for?"

    Confused from the abrupt switch of topic, Katherine searched her mind for whatever info she had about them. "You told me they did human experiments to find the source of magic power. They also research other topics to do with magic, as far as I remember. But what does that have to do with this guy?"

    "Everything." Nathaniel''s smile was wry and bitter at the same time. When the King had told him this story, he had felt nothing but disbelieve and anger. After cooling his head for a while, he realized there was no point in fretting over things that were already done, especially when it was so long ago. "It got everything to do with it, since he left the footsteps the organization wants to follow. He may not be their founder in the true sense, but he is their progenitor. They copied everything from him, including his ruthlessness when handling human lives."

    He paused, blinking up at Katherine as if he wanted to check how she was doing. If she showed even a bit of sleepiness or hunger, he would schedule this talk to later. However, she looked all fine. Maybe even healthier than she ought to be, considering the circ.u.mstances.

    Running a hand through his white hair so that it stood on the edges, he sighed. "I don''t know if it was the craving for power or curiosity driving this man, but his aim was to widen the ''gate'' in the human''s body, this passage where our magic power flows through. His scriptures say he wanted to make a being so powerful that it rivaled a god."

    While uttering it, Nathaniel already shook his head. "Anyone with a clear mind would call this madness."

    Katherine''s brows were furrowed. She didn''t know where this was leading, but she couldn''t completely agree with Nathaniel''s statement. "Wouldn''t it be positive if the the mages would become more powerful? Maybe not like gods, but mightier than they are now? They could help the civilization to progress faster."

    "They could also help to pulverize it if their power is not controllable", Nathaniel rejected the idea sharply. "Sometimes it is better to let nature be than provoke forces one doesn''t understand! He didn''t know what he was toying with. The organization doesn''t know. They risk the lives of thousands just for the shake of a power that can''t be controlled. It''s maddening!"

    Maybe it was because he himself had been instrumentalized that Nathaniel''s just couldn''t stand it. He hated the idea of people using human lives - children - to create weapons that could slay thousands of men. Weapons like himself. He didn''t dare think about what those young mages could do if they lost control.

    Unknowingly, his voice had gotten louder, his body tense. Through his teeth he growled: "I will not let them do this to anyone else."

    Though the anger wasn''t directed at her, goosebumps raised on Katherine''s arms. She pitied anyone that stood in Nathaniel''s way. Luckily, she wasn''t one of them. Suppressing her fear, she wanted to take his hand again, but couldn''t reach it lying down.

    However, when Nathaniel noticed her attempt, his tension washed away and before she could try to sit up, he enveloped her hand in his.

    "Don''t move", he cautioned her.

    Katherine pouted. "I''m not an invalid. I can still sit, you know?"

    Despite her words, she remained where she was. Nathaniel''s lips twitched slightly, but he was too vexed to smile. Katherine, who suddenly noticed the exhaustion drawing lines on his handsome face, deliberated if she should stop this round of questioning, even though her first question wasn''t even answered yet. Why was he acknowledged as the King''s son when he was actually his nephew?

    "You look like you lack sleep", she said, when Nathaniel didn''t continue for a while. He shook his head unwillingly, but Katherine had noticed his lids drooping in the silence before and he was now opening them wide to fight against it. Her own eyes narrowed.

    "Sleep!", she ordered. "Now!"

    He chuckled, and lazily met her gaze. "Right here, my dear? In your bedroom?"

    Heat flushed her cheeks, but she stubbornly raised her chin. She knew that he was just teasing her. He didn''t even sleep in her room when she begged him last time. However, she would not be his excuse to flee again. If he didn''t want to stay, he had to say it himself. Gathering her courage, she forced a light-hearted smile on her face. Her hand slipped out of his to rise the blanket invitingly. "We are husband and wife now, aren''t we? We ought to sleep together. So why don''t you... come to bed?"

    As time stood still, Nathaniel''s pupils widened. The red in his eyes deepened and he clenched his jaw, goggling at the vixen before him. She was like a forbidden fruit, the wet dream he wanted so bad that his throat was torched.

    ''Now'', the reckless part of him begged. ''Take her for yourself. She invited you in. You just have to grasp what you need. She knows about the monster and still wants you. The kiss didn''t kill her before, so why now? Take her. Love her.''

    Katherine could hear his breath hastening, and a prickling feeling raised on her skin. She thought he would just reject her and go, but it seemed he would not. Or could not. Her surprise soon mixed with anxiousness.

    She didn''t know what she was doing. Was she even prepared to do that with him? She thought that the most that could happen was that he would sleep next to her. If he took her now, would she be able to satisfy him? She had no experience in love-matters whatsoever. Surely, she would disappoint him. But if she took back her proposal, he might never come to her again. As anxiousness rose in her, the hand on the blanket began to tremble.

    When Nathaniel noticed it, he was suddenly reminded that his love was still weak. She just awoke from a coma after all. It might be a short one and she might look all healthy again thanks to her power, but he couldn''t risk it. The taxing activities he imagined could endanger her life, even without his magic power.

    "First we will eat something", he said, cautiously watching her reaction. "Then we will sleep."

    Wonder and nervousness glittered in her eyes, making her look even more lovely. She licked her lips, her heart beating rapidly in her c.h.e.s.t. "Sleep like sleep with each other?"

    Nathaniel slowly shook his head. He knew he would regret this decision in all the sleepless hours to come. "Next to each other. Only next to each other."

    "Oh", Katherine made, and her cheeks flushed even more. She didn''t look unhappy at all. "That''s also good then."

 Chapter 152 - No Touching Me, Remember?

    Katherine''s heart pounded rapidly when Nathaniel gave their empty plates to the servants outside. While eating, Nathaniel had distracted her by recounting the events that brought them here, in a safe-house on the countryside. Only when the time neared that they would sleep together - next to each other, Katherine reminded herself - did the previous nervousness return.

    "I need to change", Nathaniel said. "I''ll be right back."

    Though Katherine wanted to stop him, he was already out the door before she could open her mouth. Gloomily, she sank into the covers. Would he use this excuse to get away?

    ''If he isn''t back in fifteen minutes, I''ll go after him'', Katherine decided, determined. She was sure Nathaniel would comply if she otherwise ran around the house in her half-recovered state. Though she felt fine, he seemed to be worried about her nonetheless. Counting the seconds, she got up to do her own wash-up before bed.

    When she passed the wardrobe, her thoughts began to wander. She didn''t know what was inside. Most likely it would not be her own clothes, since they were on the run. But something prettier than this simple white nightgown, maybe? And her hair had to be a mess after this long sleep.

    When she had brushed her hair and cleaned her teeth, curiosity got the better of her. She opened the wardrobe, only to find that it was largely unused. There were two dresses, stockings, u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r and one pair of shoes. Whoever used the room before, wasn''t overly wealthy, as the dresses were neat, but simple. Regretful, Katherine wondered where the person had gone to, now, that she was using her bed and chamber. Hopefully, she didn''t mind.

    "We can buy you new outfits soon, I just didn''t come to it yet", Nathaniel''s voice drifted in her ear. She jerked in surprise. Because of the thick carpet, she didn''t hear him coming.

    When she turned around, she saw that his outfit didn''t change as much as she expected. He still wore the same white shirt and socks, but his long trousers had changed to one of softer fabric. Even his gloves were still on his hands. It somehow irritated her.

    "Do you seriously want to sleep in all that?", she blurted out. "Isn''t it uncomfortable?"

    Nathaniel eyed her from head to toe, and suddenly she was very aware that she was wearing nothing more than a nightgown. In the fading light of the sun falling through the high window, it seemed like he was appreciating the view. "You are covered nearly everywhere, though very thinly. Why shouldn''t I do the same?"

    When he closed the door behind him, it sounded like the beginning of something. Something only between the two people in the room, their eyes interlocked. Noticing the hungry glint in Nathaniel''s eyes, Katherine''s throat felt dry. She was very well aware that this predator had always been holding back around her, though she didn''t know the reason why. Maybe it was for the best to not provoke him until she was sure she could satisfy his hunger.

    "Should we go to bed, my dear?", Nathaniel asked gently, and held out his hand. Docile like a little bird with b.a.r.e feet, she tapped over to lay her hand in his. A smile lingered around Nathaniel''s mouth when he saw her avoiding his gaze. Her ears and cheeks beamed red through the darkness of her hair. Softly, he brushed it behind one ear with the tip of his finger. "Where is your courage, little girl? Cat got your tongue?"

    She glared up at him, her face adorably blushed. "I''m not a little girl!"

    With a chuckle, he led her to the bed. "I see that. I just sometimes wonder if your mind truly is as grown-up as your body suggests. Since it is very well-grown."

    His gaze lingered on her c.h.e.s.t, then he blinked and looked away. A wry smile curled up his lips. "I really shouldn''t say such things when we will only sleep."

    "Why not? Why can''t you compliment your wife on her bosom? So long as you don''t simultaneously insult my intelligence, I don''t mind it", Katherine said boldly, but hid in the covers right after. Without waiting for his answer, she crawled over the bed until her head, red with embarrassment, poked out again. Still, she didn''t take back her words. Like a child getting ever closer to the flame despite all good advice, her curiosity drove her forward. No, not only curiosity. There was also the longing. The feeling ran so deep that she herself couldn''t fathom it, and it made her throw all caution to the wind.

    Expectantly, she watched him circle the bed, but he said nothing until he himself sat on it, his back leaned against the wooden headrest. He wondered if he should tell her the truth or if that would only make it more difficult to resist. With a look on her curious face, he sighed. "You already know it, don''t you? I shouldn''t think of you in this way. I want to touch every centimeter of your skin, but I shouldn''t."

    He deliberately looked away from her to not imagine it while talking. It didn''t help, as his ears picked up the sound of the blanket when she moved.

    ''Screw it'', Katherine thought when she heard him talk again like this. ''It is always cannot, shouldn''t and never when I talk to him, like he has no plans for us at all. But I have plans and I was never good at patience! I will find out how to do this when I try.''

    Determined she just climbed on his l.a.p so he couldn''t run away again. Now he had to shove her if he wanted to be free, but she knew he wouldn''t do that when she was still oh-so-weak.

    Nathaniel hissed. She was so close that he felt her warm breath on his skin and he leaned backwards, but there was no place to flee to. Her weight was on his h.i.p.s, an agonizing and arousing feeling.

    "Katherine." His voice was breathless, lacking the usual commanding tone. "Don''t. Don''t touch me. Lay back down."

    "I won''t", she whispered back. Her eyes half hidden behind long lashes shimmered in the twilight, a wildness in them that still fought with the remaining shyness. "You shouldn''t hold back from touching me. I think I would like to be touched. Just... do it gently?"

    Under Nathaniel''s intense gaze, her courage soon evaporated. Every word she spoke fed the fire of his eyes, till they turned akin to an inferno. He g.r.o.a.n.e.d. "You don''t know what you are asking of me."

    Afraid that she had seriously angered him this time, she wanted to move away, but there were suddenly hands on her t.h.i.g.hs, holding her in place.

    "Don''t move." The authority was back in full swing, halting her like a net that wrapped around all her limbs. Katherine gasped when she felt one hand slip under her nightgown, c.a.r.e.s.sing and kneading the flesh of her t.h.i.g.h. "You wonderful, dangerous woman."

    The way he said it, it sounded almost like a curse. However, with all the emotions cursing through her body, she couldn''t say why. His hands felt so good. They were erasing her thoughts and overwriting it with extasy. She wanted them all over her body.

    A whimper escaped her throat when his other hand brushed past her b.r.e.a.s.t. Then it was in her neck and guided her to look at him.

    Through half-closed lids, she saw the heat in his eyes, the hard lines d.e.s.i.r.e had carved into his face. His voice was rough. "There is so much I want to do with you. Most of it I can''t realize, but I can touch you if that is what you want. To see you like this... is torture and relive at the same time."

    Katherine''s heart skipped a beat. She had no words to describe the emotions he invoked in her. Instead, she just stretched out her hands, longing for a kiss.

    He caught them before they could reach his face. She saw something flicker past his eyes. Was it fear? It was gone too fast to identify. All she knew was that it made him gain back the control he had nearly lost. However, he didn''t shove her away.

    Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward, catching her gaze. Their faces were only ten centimeters apart. Katherine could smell his unique scent of coffee and firewood. She swallowed. She wanted those slim, soft lips on hers, to savor in his taste. But would he allow that?

    "No touching me, remember?", he said solemnly. "Maybe I can fulfill your wishes if only you don''t touch me. I''m also craving for it, but we have to be careful. So, promise me you won''t do anything."

 Chapter 153 - Coming Soon

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    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

 Chapter 153 - Recklessness

    This chapter is even hotter than the last one. Read at your own risk ;)

    ~Freakzilla

    _____________

    The offer alone was insanity. Every touch, every gaze at her aroused face, would make it harder to resist until at last he would give in and even touch her skin. Maybe not today, but soon enough.

    Nathaniel knew this, but he couldn''t stop himself. Why? Surely it wasn''t because every fiber of his being longed for this woman. No, if it were just that, he might have braced through it somehow. He had done so before, when she kissed or hugged him. What was truly unbearable weren''t his own feelings, but the disappointment in her face. Every time he had to push her away, he saw it. He always assured himself that it was alright, because she herself wouldn''t come this close if she knew about his curse. Alas, she knew now, and it didn''t change anything.

    She stayed close despite the risk, even asked for him to touch her. She wanted him so much that she disregarded all logic and married him. Nobody had done so before, and nobody would. So, if she was sure, who was he to reject her? Did he even know if it was impossible? Maybe there was a loophole.

    When he reached there, the answer was suddenly right on the hand. It would be dangerous. It would be hard to bear and even bring him to the boarder of his sanity. But it was nonetheless possible. With one condition, that was: he had to suppress his own d.e.s.i.r.e, fixing solely on her. For this woman who gave up so much for him, he could withstand any torture.

    He had taken less than a second to come to this conclusion when Katherine had stretched out her hands to him. Any other time he would call himself crazy for what he offered her. Yet tonight was different.

    Before he could think it over, Katherine already agreed.

    "I promise", she uttered breathlessly. Whatever he wanted, but he had to continue what he was doing with her.

    He said he wanted to fulfill her wishes; a sentence the lucky girl in a fairy tale heard, only that the man who spoke this was so overly dominant that the comparison seemed ridiculous. Princes in fairy tales were not as dark as him, and they surely wouldn''t make conditions. But somehow, the discrepancies only made him more real.

    "Do whatever you want", Katherine said with confidence that everything he did would be great. Despite the mysteries that shrouded him, she loved his very being. But even deeper than that run the subconscious trust.

    Only twice had she felt like this, prickling, hot, and needy. Both were caused by this man before her. His voice alone made her shiver from arousal.

    His features softened as his thumb gently stroked her neckline. "You will not regret this. Just lie down and I will give you all the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e you seek."

    This was the second reason why his idea was possible right now: Katherine would not have to move in any way, so over-exhaustion of her weak body was unlikely.

    Obediently, Katherine slid from his waist in a motion that made him grind his teeth. Yet, he followed her in a heartbeat, towering over her slim figure on the bed. Her dazed violet eyes and dark hair spread over the pillows were like a tonic to him, sending sizzles of lightning through his veins.

    "Hands up to the headboard", he whispered, c.a.r.e.s.sing her face with his gaze until it met hers. "Keep them there, just to be safe."

    He really is afraid of touch, Katherine concluded absently, and did as he said. Her palms touched the wood when she noticed that her b.r.e.a.s.ts were pushed up by the motion, the tips grazing his shirt. Her breath hitched.

    "Good", Nathaniel murmured. Seeing this strong woman obey his command was unspeakably e.r.o.t.i.c. He was tempted to give another one, but rather than that he owed her a reward first. This thought was even more alluring.

    "Are you sensible here?", he asked, and brushed the b.r.e.a.s.t that had touched his shirt with his fingertips. He''d noticed something had changed, a small hard peak pressed against the fabric of the nightgown. Though the touch was as light as a breeze, she quivered under him, a gasp escaping her throat.

    "Tell me, are you?", he repeated when she didn''t answer and leisurely rolled the n.i.p.p.l.e between his fingers. This time, she couldn''t contain the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e and m.o.a.n.e.d. Fascinated, Nathaniel tugged on the other n.i.p.p.l.e, stroking and squeezing them lightly, until Katherine was out of breath.

    "Stop teasing", she called him out weakly, her bosom raising and falling rapidly. "It''s s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e. Very - s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e. Please..."

    When she didn''t continue and turned her face in embarrassment, the edges of Nathaniel''s mouth curled upwards in a smirk. "Please stop? Or do you want more? Tell me what it is. I want to hear it from you personally."

    The evil fingers continued to rub, letting another m.o.a.n slip out of her mouth. Only after a few seconds could she form words again. Half-turning her face into the pillows, she muttered an answer that laid the foundation for the rest of the night: "M-more."

    "Good choice", he murmured, before lowering his head and s.u.c.k.i.n.g the erected peak into his mouth.

    He wasn''t sure if he could have refrained from doing so much longer. The last time he tasted her felt like ages ago and was such a short moment that it hardly seemed real in his memory. He wanted to kiss her, suck her lips and wallow in her taste, but had to be satisfied with this illusion of contact.

    The sounds she made and the softness in his mouth when he kissed her everywhere her nightgown reached were like a drug. Before long, he panted as heavily as her and his mind was dizzy with fantasies what he would do with her if only he could touch her. Nothing would hold him from entering her, pumping into her tight warmth again and again till morning arrived.

    With this image in mind, his hands turned greedy, wandering under the gown and up her body. She was so soft, responding to his touches with small sounds and quivers. It was better than anything he ever felt in his life, and he wanted more of it. More of her.

    Katherine was so lost in p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e that she didn''t notice him approaching her center until his fingers were already there, pressing against the wet spot on her u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r. She jolted, and a shriek of surprise escaped her throat as her hands were about to leave the headboard.

    At this moment, Nathaniel''s eyes met hers. His red irises were burning with the same heat that radiated from his body. The knitted brows and sharp jaw were proof of the fight to restrain himself against the overpowering d.e.s.i.r.e. He needs me, Katherine realized with wonder. Maybe more than I need him.

    In the silence between them, shivers ran through his body. They let the bed tremble and invoked the wish in her to give him anything he wanted. After just one glance, she felt strangely glad and reassured. Slowly, she returned the hands to the headrest.

    When his eyes followed them, the tremble grew. Through a faint light that came from god-knows-where, she saw his Adam''s apple bobble up and down. His voice was so rough that it broke at the edges. "Katherine..."

    Whatever he wanted to say, he forgot it when she parted her legs. She moved them to both sides of his, the wet spot in the middle visible to his eyes. His gloved hand still laid on the fabric, black against white. It couldn''t cover all of the wetness.

    Glimpsing the crimson of her folds through the soaked material, he closed his eyes in agony and took a deep breath. It didn''t help. All that he smelled was her scent of roses and the wetness down there. The already hard bulge in his trousers now begged to be freed. He g.r.o.a.n.e.d, gritted his teeth.

    Nearly against his will, his fingers began to move again, stroking her core and causing bolts of p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to shoot through her veins. Her cries of extasy rang in his ears as he opened his eyes again. His gaze now as dazed as hers, he mumbled absently, "You look like you are glowing. Just like in my dreams. So beautiful."

 Chapter 154 - Awkward Afterward

    Through the buzz in her ears, Katherine hardly heard him, and her mind was unable to piece the words together. She was lost, out of control, but though she knew she should be scared, all she could think about was how good it felt. And that it was her man, her wonderful husband, that made her feel like this.

    While his fingers played with her, her eyes never left him. He was such a godly creature, a feast for her eyes. Especially now when he was lost just like her, his clothes a mess, and emotions all out in the open.

    "Nathaniel!" She gasped, when suddenly his hand was beneath her u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r, parting her folds to gain better access to the bundle of nerves below. His fingers hit the entrance of her tunnel, and her h.i.p.s moved on instinct, rubbing up and down his fingers. She let out a little scream, then clasped her legs around him, in fear he would move away suddenly.

    He did not. Instead, she could feel now that his own body moved with her h.i.p.s, as if he would pump inside her despite the distance between them. His lids were lowered, sweat tickling down his forehead, and his slim lips parted to pant for air.

    Watching with fascination, Katherine lost her rhythm, and suddenly, their h.i.p.s, brought closer by her legs around him, met in the air. He let out a hiss, while she m.o.a.n.e.d in extasy.

    With jerky hands, he tried to shove her away, but her legs tightened around him, holding him in place, and with him, the hardness pressed against her middle.

    "Kath -" Her name ended in a m.o.a.n when she moved against him, every muscle in his body turning hard like stone in the attempt to resist temptation. But his resolve was wavering with every up and down of her h.i.p.s. A few seconds he closed his eyes, the feelings overwhelming him. Never had he felt so good before, the blood pulsing excitedly through his veins. That was her doing, he was intoxicated by her. Then he shook his head, trying to regain control.

    "End this - insanity", he growled through his teeth. If she would just stop moving, he might find the strength to push her away. Her fluids had begun to leak into his pants, wetting him, marking him as hers. As if he didn''t belong to her completely yet.

    He shuddered. Through her hectic movement, he knew she was near the cliff, just like him. She looked dazzling, like a siren calling for him to let go. He had to get out of their entanglement now, or he would explode right then and there. Next to her dripping hot cave, while not knowing what his magic might do.

    Yet before he could act, her hands grasped his hair and pulled him down for a kiss. When her tongue swept into his mouth, sweet extasy knocked out all his senses. Both of their bodies moved in accord, shuddering, pushing, mindlessly melting together when they fell over the cliff.

    Unknown to the couple on the bed, a dark mist tried to form around Nathaniel when he reached this point. However, it soon evaporated in the sphere of glittering light that surrounded them like a globe. Only when their shudders stopped and the figures parted after minutes of breathless silence, did the sphere fade away.

    Katherine felt it on her whole body when the air suddenly turned tense, uncomfortable. Only moments ago, they were enjoying their night as newly-weds, but now it was like she was in bed with a stranger. The icy mask she thought to have peeled off Nathaniel''s face was back, even strengthened by a dark gloom hanging in the air. Gulping, she realized that something - whatever it might be - had gone terribly wrong.

    Gazing over Katherine''s exhausted body, the coldness in the red eyes got more serve with every second. Then he opened his mouth, and the sharp remark was like a dagger stabbing at her. "If you want to kill yourself, don''t involve me next time. Just because my magic is the way it is, it doesn''t mean I appreciate hurting the ones I love."

    Seeing the shock and confusion in Katherine''s face, he grinded his teeth and stood up. "This is not a funny joke or anything. If you have an explanation just why you had to touch my skin, you can find me in my chambers tomorrow. It better be a good one."

    Before she could as much as put her thoughts in order, he stormed out of the room. Katherine''s stared after him, her mouth agape. As the shock subsided, anger slowly twisted her features, making her brows knit and her eyes blaze. Her jaw hardened when she pressed her teeth together. Through them, she hissed: "This unreasonable, frigid control freak of a man! Maybe it was my fault for kissing him, but it was on impulse, okay?! A-and didn''t he like it? He even - "

    She sniffed, then inhaled tremblingly. "Damn, don''t you dare cry now, Katherine! Don''t you dare!"

    Just that, obviously, her brain wasn''t working when it came to Nathaniel. In that moment it seemed to be a good idea. Now she knew that she''d wanted too much too soon. He was angry again. The fact that she had only herself to blame made her even more furious.

    .

    Nathaniel didn''t have a long way back to his chambers. To be precise, they were just next door. Else, it would have been humiliating to walk there in night clothes with an unmistakable wet spot on his trousers that slowly turned to pale white. Though it was not the nightmarish ending that sometimes awakened him from his dreams, it was also far worse than what it could be for a normal couple. Feeling defeated, Nathaniel brushed some sweaty hair out of his forehead and opened the doors to his chambers.

    Inside his own bedroom, he mechanically took off his clothes and cleaned himself up. With a low sound, his gloves landed on his bedside table.

    Through the wall, he could hear Katherine''s agitated voice, though he couldn''t hear the exact words. Well, he could still imagine it. His mood turned even darker while he put on fresh sleeping clothes.

    Maybe it was because she hadn''t seen it herself yet, but she seemed to take his magic too lightly, or overestimate his control over it. He knew that he shouldn''t be this angry at her for forgetting her promise in the heat of the moment - he himself had been unable to back away in time - but he still felt betrayed. She was one of the few people he trusted, so why did she always have to go against his will?!

    Well, it wasn''t only her that went against the strict rules he lived by though. Few months back he would have never agreed to meet with a Lady, much less touch her or let himself be seduced by the softness of her skin. He would have rejected her advances without a second thought.

    "I''ve gotten weak", he grumbled. Especially since, despite her wrongdoings, he was a lot angrier at himself than he was at her. He should have protected her better, should have stayed further away the more he felt for her. He surely shouldn''t have followed her invitation to her bed. Even if she choose that path willingly, he didn''t want to be the reason for her demise.

    The image of a woman, her face eaten by a dark matter until her skull smiled down at him, haunted him. It was not completely an imagination, but a memory of the very real deeds his magic power could and would do to the ones he loved. Neither Nathaniel nor Katherine slept well that night.

 Chapter 155 - Coming Soon

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

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    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

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    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

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    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

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    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

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    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

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 Chapter 155 - The Kings Pain

    In the morning, Nathaniel awoke from knocks on his door. Hoping it was not Katherine, since he didn''t want to fight so early in the morning, Nathaniel opened it a crack. "What?"

    In front of him stood Aston, but he was not the normal sunny boy. Instead, there stood the scowling someone-just-woke-me-up grumpy version of a brother. "Message. From Dad."

    "Since when does he need you to play the messenger? Doesn''t he have servants?", Nathaniel asked, amused at the unwillingness his brother radiated.

    Aston threw his hands in the air with annoyance. "Somehow, Dad thinks you would be more inclined to listen when it is me talking to you. Surely, it has nothing to do with you two screaming yourselves hoarse at the last meeting. Anyhow, can you just let me get over with so I can sleep again?"

    With a raised brow, Nathaniel looked at Aston as if to say ''who would want to talk to you when poison is oozing out of your every pore?'', yet remembering his responsibility, he only said: "Come in then. Make it fast."

    With a yawn, Aston stepped over the threshold. "You don''t know how glad I''d be if this was possible."

    As soon as he slouched down in a chair looking like a human starfish with hardly any muscle or bone, the blonde-haired Prince came to the topic. "I don''t think I need to repeat his wishes, right? Have you thought about it?"

    Though Aston couldn''t see it with his head leaned back so much that it was nearly falling over the lean on the other side, Nathaniel grimaced. He knew exactly what the other meant. However, it just felt like this was the wrong timing all over again, like the events purposely kept on falling in places he didn''t expect them to, and at the wrong time.

    As he mused over his answer, his thoughts turned back to a day ago. That was a day where many secrets had been revealed to him, secrets that could topple the kingdom, if it wasn''t already toppled right now.

    .

    In a room filled with the scent of medicine and fresh linen, Nathaniel stood there as if struck by lightning. His eyes held the confusion and anger of someone toyed with by the gods, forced to believe that something he always thought true, was the biggest lie in his life.

    His gaze at the person on the bed before him was murderous. It even made Lady Orchid, who sat by the side holding the King''s hand, shift in the attempt to move between them. Yet, the strong grip of her beloved held her back, telling her non-verbally to keep out of this. William Timothy Icefall met Nathaniel''s gaze squarely, not appearing any less like the intimidating old lion he was because he was below eye-level.

    "If you are as intelligent as I thought you to be, then you know that there was no other way. Not then, and not now", the King said slowly, adding weight to his every word. The blue eyes, only warming up when he looked at his mistress or Aston, were as cold as they could be. "All I did was for the good of the country. One life, even yours or mine, is never worth as much as all humans living in these lands. So, I won''t ask you for forgiveness."

    Nathaniel''s hands were fisted, the rage slowly boiling up. He fought to remain in control of his magic, instead growling like a beast whose tail had been stepped upon: "You could have told me! That is what you could have done. If I knew you weren''t my father, I would not have expected anything from you. You could have let me grow up in the countryside, not on the battlefield, then - "

    "And would you have remained there, an obedient little nobody?", the King retorted, drowning out Nathaniel''s voice. "With the knowledge that you - not I - are the rightful heir to the throne, you think you would have just lived your normal life? Throw your ambitions to the wind? Let me tell you: never ever would you have done that!"

    The words echoed in the room as they did in Nathaniel''s mind, and the silence following the outburst was only filled with the King''s panting. Since he was still recovering, yelling like that took quite a toll on him. Concerned, Lady Orchid poured him a cup of water.

    He took a few sips to calm down, before he continued in a quieter voice: "You are much more ambitious than I am. You yourself know that you would have fought for your birthright, since you are the legitimate son of the former King, and the throne is lawfully yours."

    King William looked in Nathaniel''s unchangingly dangerous eyes, then shook his head. "If you had been who you are today, I would have yielded willingly. But when my brother died, you were not even born. How could a baby be a King? At most, you would be a marionette, which is nearly as worse as having no King at all.

    At that time, your mother Layla was not as well-accepted in the Icelands as now. She was just a young Falumor bride, ambitious like yourself, but without connections or knowledge of the Icelandic costumes. Even without my willingness, the nobles would have tried to put me on the throne instead as soon as something went awry. They would have rebelled. People would have died."

    Mentioning the possible causalities, the King''s face became even more stern, his brows knotting together. "Meanwhile, if you grew up in the countryside as some nobody, eventually, someone would have reiled you up to forcefully take the throne from me. Most likely, your mother would have done so herself. She really likes being Queen, and would do almost anything to remain in that position. At that time, the situation would have been even worse, since they''d have time to prepare, and you would not be a listless baby anymore."

    "So, you married my mother and took me in as your firstborn son", Nathaniel ended, forcing the last word out against the bile in his throat. The further he thought, the more disgusted and enraged he got with all these lies. Who was he to these people? A game piece they could push around as they pleased? Thinking this way, it got even harder to keep his voice calm.

    With an aura as dark as the deepest abys, he continued to draw out what possibly happened at the time he was young. He just wanted to confirm that everyone was as vile as they seemed. He wanted to know all the reasons to despise them, especially this self-righteous man in front of him. "So, I guess, when you yourself got a son with her, you forced me out so he would be the heir. My mother must have been glad it would not be her monster of a son who she had to rely upon when he was King. I''m sure, she was happy to forget about me and who my father was for the sake of an even better life, was she?"

    "Nathaniel...", Lady Orchid started, but got silenced by her beloved once again. Nathaniel was glad about it; he didn''t want this gentle and kind woman to suffer under his anger. All of this was already reserved for the man in the bed, who pretended to be somebody he wasn''t.

    Alas, the King shook his head, finally showing signs of remorse. "I never planned to replace you. Would everything have gone as planned, you could have gained the throne after growing up as my son and rightful heir. I promised to make that happen in front of the - "

    A snort cut his explanation short, making his features twist. Patient all the time, his limit was reached with Nathaniel''s obvious disbelieve. When he saw that even Aston listening quietly in a corner all the time gazed at him with doubt, he finally snapped. "DON''T YOU DARE BELITTLE MY PROMISES, YOU BRATS! You have no idea how hard it is to be a King that actually wants his people happy! I will see how you two do that when your time comes! Believe me or not, Nathaniel, but you are only still alive because I willed it so!"

 Chapter 156 - Coming Soon

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 Chapter 157 - Coming Soon

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 Chapter 158 - Other Half

    Katherine''s morning, despite not filled with politics like Nathaniel''s, was similarly dark in the beginning. There was no Hazel to wake her up, no Pete and Jack waiting in front of her door, and her bedside was empty. Knowing that she might have spend a night asleep next to him if only she hadn''t been so greedy, the blanket felt even colder.

    Her hand grazed the empty place beside her before it clenched. For a few minutes she just stayed that way. Then, slowly, she raised her hands to rub the sleep away, noticing how swollen and sticky her lids were. She sniffed, before a stubborn trait emerged around her mouth as she gritted her teeth.

    "No crying", she fiercely whispered to herself. "No crying, not again. You know that tears don''t help."

    However, that didn''t stop them from collecting in her eyes, like they did the previous night. Before they could spill, Katherine took a trembling breath, and crawled out of bed. With b.a.r.e feet, she tapped over to the window and opened it.

    She only wanted to get a fresh breath of air, but instead she took a gasp of surprise as she saw a beautiful mountain range, the tips still laden with snow. It glittered in the sun, and accompanied by the uncountable flowers on the green meadow beneath her window, the view could rival the creation of any painter in the imperial palace.

    "Wow", she whispered under her breath. Taking everything in with wide eyes, the window suddenly seemed too small. She was tempted to climb out to feel the wind and sunshine on her skin, smell the flowers and snow in the air, and fall onto the soft grass.

    Then a breeze swept into the room, playing with her nightgown. The icy cold air made her shudder and instantly give up on her idea. Before going out, she definitely needed warmer clothes. Whatever valley the house stood in, it was nearly as cold here as in the Iceland''s capital when she first arrived. Still, she would love to take a walk later.

    But first, she had to eat something. Her stomach felt pitifully hollow, the belly flatter than she was used to, nearly carved in.

    Just the second she decided that, it knocked on the door. "Lady Katherine?"

    The female voice was foreign to her, so was the face of the old woman who brought in the meal seconds later. The woman also had no time for chatter, but she told Katherine where to find the soldier''s quarters. As Katherine had heard she had been saved from the wolves by them, she wanted to thank them personally, especially Jack, who she hadn''t seen for a long while.

    As for Nathaniel, Katherine pushed the issue to the back of her mind for now. She would go to apologize in due time - at least for what really was her fault -, but she just knew she would get too emotional if she did it now. He had been so cold and aloof yesterday that she would either break down in tears or start a fight if she didn''t take some time to calm herself beforehand.

    So, Katherine first thanked her saviors, though they all claimed she had done the most important part by saving and healing herself. Then, accompanied by Jack, she explored the meadow, sniffing and gathering flowers in the sunshine. Jack proofed to be a valuable companion, since his stories filled the gaps of Nathaniel''s until she felt like she really understood what had happened while she was asleep.

    With her arm full of poppy and cornflower, she finally turned towards him. "What happened to Hazel? Does anyone know?"

    "That little mouse?", Jack confirmed, pondering. The attention he had paid to the girl before was minuscule, so he shrugged. "I bet she found a place to hide. They won''t deliberately single her out, since she''s just a maid. She''ll be fine, probably."

    However, when the big man saw that Katherine wasn''t satisfied with the answer and knitted her elegant brows, he began sweating. As a good father, his daughter''s happiness was his priority, so he wrecked his brain if there was any other information. Anything that would make her stop worrying.

    "There are still some informants in the city. Though I don''t have any connection to them, maybe you can ask the Princes? They should know more about what happens in there. Since it is you, they might even send someone to get your little maid back, I guess."

    Astonished to get such a good advice from her usually unreliable guard, Katherine raised her brows. "Of course, why didn''t I think of that? I expected everyone to be thrown out, but I suppose that counts only for those who fight, not those who spy."

    Glancing at the lone man amidst the flowers, Katherine suddenly realized what was turning him from the jolly ball of jokes and strange ideas into someone that was nearly normal. She felt a bout of pity for him, so she added: "I will also ask for your other half then. You said, Pete was left behind in the capital because he was injured, but he should be better now, right?"

    "Other half?", Jack repeated, a bit peeved by the term. But then he told himself that the little girl surely wouldn''t know the implication and cleared his throat. If he had to decide whose mind was dirty - his or hers -, it could never be his pure and innocent daughter after all. "That would be great. But don''t worry too much. That old guy can''t be brought down easily."

    "Noted", Katherine said, and smiled cheekily. She knew that despite his rough front, this bandit with his black tooth worried quite a bit about his partner, and she thought it was wonderful. If she ever had a partner, she also hoped that it would be like this. Unknowingly, her eyes wandered back to the house she had come from, and her smile faded.

    "Jack", she suddenly began, then paused for a second. She didn''t know how to form her question or if she really wanted an answer. But finally, she couldn''t stop herself. "How was Nathaniel while I was asleep? Did he... worry about me?"

    "What?", Jack asked, stumped. It took him a while to understand the question, but he remained confused. "Why would he not? You are husband and wife! If he still doesn''t worry, something is awfully wrong with him. Really, then I would go up there and beat the sh - uhm - cherries out of him myself!"

    Hearing him, Katherine couldn''t help but laugh at the awkward catch.

    "Cherries!", she shouted and held her stomach, her eyes glistening with bliss as she imagined the sight. "Yep, please beat the cherries out of him! Jack, you are the best!"

    As she was standing there and laughing, Jack suddenly felt a familiar cold gaze at the back of his neck, and his eyes shot to the house. There, on a window right next to Katherine''s own room, a man had appeared.

    When their eyes collided, Jack gulped, and forced an awkward grin. The red eyes gazed into his for a second longer, as if to give a warning, then they wandered to the woman at his side. Seeing the barely contained longing in the usually stony face, Jack couldn''t help but sigh. Just how did the Lady get the idea that her husband wasn''t worried about her?

 Chapter 159 - Newly Found Wishes

    Nathaniel had been looking through the files from the underground lab once again, when he heard the laugher of his wife. It annoyed and infuriated him that she was out there with someone else when she didn''t even find the time to apologize yet. Simultaneously, he was jealous because he couldn''t be by her side.

    In truth, it all began and ended with him wanting to be the one to make her laugh, or at least be beside her while she did. Yet, until she apologized, his pride forbade him from searching her out himself.

    That was also why he suppressed the urge to complain. He knew that she was just as proud as him and if he found it hard to give in, she would most likely feel the same. It was a silent fight of who was more stubborn. Maybe the embarrassment was also part of it. Admitting an error was never easy, but for a female v.i.r.g.i.n it would be even more so when it was related to the domain of intimate acts like theirs.

    Nathaniel closed his eyes, when for a moment the sight of her beneath him flashed through his mind. The ravishing beauty of her red and panting face, the daze in her eyes, and the wildness that made her move against him, stirred a prompt reaction in his body. With a troubled frown, he forced his thoughts away from the danger zone.

    One day, he would have to let her go anyway. The day she realized that he could never be her husband in the real sense of the word. The day she noticed that she wanted a normal life with a normal man that could do anything a human male usually could without bringing danger to her life. Or maybe it would be the longing for a child that would drive her away. Any one of these were reason enough for a marriage to fail.

    When that happened, he shouldn''t blame her. Remembering the little girl he once saved at a party and how she called him ''Daddy'' with her sweet childish voice, made him realize that in another life without magic power, he would have wanted a family. A real, complete family.

    His gaze got dazed as he allowed himself to imagine Katherine''s belly swelling with their baby. Somehow, he would convince her to let him feed and pamper her all the way until it was born. That would also give him more time with his wife. As a normal man, he would steal lots and lots of kisses from her, and every once in a while, renew the act that formed this new life. Yes, he''d repeat it over and over again.

    Hopefully, while thinking of the health of the child, she wouldn''t be so stubborn and would let him help her more. Of course, he also loved her pride and stubbornness. Yet, like right now, it could also be bothersome.

    With a deep sigh, Nathaniel turned away from the window. The pressing sadness on his c.h.e.s.t was not any lighter to bear than d.e.s.i.r.e. He couldn''t help but think that it might be better for her if she didn''t apologize and just stayed away from him. He was falling for her more and more, and the danger increased in the same pace.

    That reminded him, he had yet to check what was up with the poison left in his arm that had vanished overnight. After a thoughtful second, Nathaniel pulled the curtain over the window, freed himself of the gloves, and began unbuttoning his shirt.

    His strong collarbones were revealed first, building a contrast to the smooth, nearly womanly skin that covered them. When the fabric parted further, the muscles of his c.h.e.s.t got visible, followed by a a slender waist. The sixpack was more pronounced compared to the last time Katherine had seen it, and there was still a lack of surplus fat. All in all, he had recovered quite a bit.

    This image, however, got severely damaged when he removed the shirt completely. Big parts of his arms were covered in bandages, and one side of his waist even sported three black stitch marks. Yet, miraculously, there was no wound in sight. The stitches in his side seemed completely unnecessary, like they were just an accessory.

    Seeing the smooth skin where a slightly serious injury used to be, Nathaniel''s face froze. Maybe caused by the bad light or the fact that his thoughts were occupied when he changed clothes yesterday as well as this morning, he hadn''t noticed that his wounds were healed at all. Pain was so natural for him that it only occupied a tiny, nearly forgotten corner in his head. Especially, when the injuries were not fresh anymore, like the ones from the last battle.

    Remembering the worst injury he got from a certain prince, Nathaniel felt up his leg. Now that he focused on it, he realized that this pain was also gone. In disbelieve, he pulled down his trousers and removed the bandage covering his t.h.i.g.h. There were some leftover bloodstains on the fabric, but the leg was completely healed. Similar to his side, black stitches stood out of smooth, unharmed skin.

    "So, I didn''t imagine her glow", Nathaniel mumbled in wonder. "But how did she do it?"

    Mind me, when he first met Katherine, she could only heal within a very short range of her body, and it took a big toll on her. Yet yesterday, she seemed to have build a globe of her power that reached much further than any time before. Additionally, this seemed to have been a subconscious effect. She had been so lost in ecstasy that he doubted she even noticed it.

    Shaking his head as if to shake himself out of his stupor, he continued removing his bandages. He had yet to verify what happened to the residing poison. If it was somewhere else in his body, it could be a latent problem. It could even endanger his life, like the time when Katherine had accidentally pushed the poison in the direction of his heart.

    Nathaniel''s brows knitted together. This looked like it was similar to what happened in Katherine''s usual healing session. Just that he had natural wounds this time, so the poison could flow out through these, and not the ready-made cuts. Then afterwards, her magic had healed the cuts till he was as good as new.

    It was somewhat disappointing that it was still the same process. She did not somehow find a way to cure his condition instantly or act against the root of the problem. The only things that changed were the range of her power and the ease with which she brought it out. Both to an astonishing level.

    He should be satisfied with this knowledge, but he was not. After all, his newly found wishes only had a chance of realization if his power was destroyed once and for all.

    Anyway, now, that he was healed again, he at least didn''t need to play the patient again. He didn''t want to lie to her any further.

 Chapter 160 - Guilty Conscience

    Both Sam and Nathaniel didn''t know an answer to this question, but they thought it highly possible that one of these ''gods'' or even both were the founders of the organization. Whoever Alexander Icefall expected to become a ''god of magic'' similar to him, could only be someone he respected and maybe even shared his research with.

    "There is still one other possibility though", Nathaniel broke the silence. "These ''gods of magic'' could also be overpowering mages he wanted to create. Like the power he put in me. But then I doubt he would have had the time to create others. All in all, it seems more likely the ''gods'' were him and two others."

    Sam nodded in approval. "I also find the first explanation more feasible."

    "Since we don''t have enough information to judge it now, how about you continue your story and find out afterwards?", Nathaniel suggested, and leaned back into the chair again.

    Sam cleared his throat, then he squinted his eyes as he stared into the air above Nathaniel''s head. "When was it again? I think when I came back from my last mission in the Renat kingdom. My master suddenly ordered me to stay by his side and protect him. I was against it, as I found it tiresome and restricting to stay in one place for a long time. Yet he insisted. Since he was the King already and I swore my loyalty, there was not much I could do. The renowned assassin turned into a bodyguard. Surprisingly, I even liked it after a while. I turned more and more into a normal person the longer I stayed. There were times I interacted with the palace inhabitants as if I was one of them."

    He paused, soaking in the memories. Like in his description, he himself slowly turned warmer, until a nostalgic smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Her Highness Irene had not an inkling of fear in her gaze when she talked to me. It might even be her influence alone that turned me into a human being."

    The two sentences were like a dagger piercing through Nathaniel''s heart. Time could not lessen the impact each mention of his aunt had, though he bore it with a straight face now. Knowing this, Sam coughed awkwardly, and continued: "Anyway, since I was in the palace then, I gained a different perspective on the man I called my master. He was very secretive, but sometimes I would hear noises through his door late at night, arguments between him and the Queen, the screams of a woman. I idealized him too much to recognize the sounds as what they were. That was my fault. Then it was also my fault that I mentioned it in front of Her Highness Irene. I thought of it too little. Never did I expect her to investigate and cause a deadly situation."

    Sam''s head hung low as if he was still held down by his guilt. Unexpectedly, Nathaniel raised his voice. "You mean to say, it was my aunt who investigated the mistreatment of Queen Layla?"

    "Yes. She surprised him when he had Queen Layla strapped on a chair, using a painful procedure to send foreign magic into her body. Or, more likely, send it into the fetus inside her which I didn''t know existed. I saw everything through the open door. He got startled when he saw Irene, his eyes widened. Then there was some kind of backlash as the magic under his control went berserk and turned against him. I don''t know if he knew what would happen, but he kicked the chair your mother sat on away before the magic exploded in his face. I ran for a doctor, but he came too late. The person I was bound to protect, died instantly. He was only able to save his wife and - though I didn''t know it - his unborn baby. You."

    After this sudden turn of the story, Sam fell silent, his gaze at Nathaniel complicated. He was not sure if he should have been more careful with the description of Alexander Icefall''s death, since Nathaniel was his biological son. However, he also knew that Nathaniel didn''t appreciate it if something was lengthened artificially that could also be described in a few short words.

    And he was right. The man in question only frowned and didn''t seem touched by his father''s death at all. After a prolonged silence, he looked up from his folded hands and said: "I assume it was because of the experiment. From what I heard Alexander Icefall didn''t strike me as someone who would choose death to save someone else. At first glance, his action might seem heroic, but it''s more likely his egoistic wish for his experiment to live on. Even though it obviously is a failure. Maybe the failure was even caused by this interruption."

    Sam''s lips turned into a straight line when he heard Nathaniel analyze the facts so coldly. He himself had always had his doubts about his former master''s last decision, but he had preferred it to be an affectional act. Maybe not affection to the mother, but at least affection to the unborn child. It was terrible to see that the child himself had not the slightest doubt of what he was to his father. An experiment. A failure. Someone unwanted, unneeded.

    Hearing him like this, anger swelled in Sam''s throat, letting him tug at his bow tie because it felt too tight. "You are not.", he uttered roughly. "You are no failure. I forbid you from thinking like that!"

    A weak smile crossed Nathaniel''s lips, but it lost against the coldness that filled him, suffocating all emotions. Reality had told him there was nothing to expect from his past, neither bonds nor warmth. It didn''t surprise him anymore, only made him feel cold and tired. "Thank you for telling your story. Like you wished, I am more prepared for the future now."

    "No", Sam insisted, and shook his head. "That was not all yet. I didn''t tell you how I became your guardian yet."

    With a wave of his hand, Nathaniel declined the explanation. "I can guess it myself. It''s my hair and eyes. It''s not usual for albinos to inherit these traits from their parents, so you must have thought nothing of it. However, you decided to protect me because you couldn''t fulfill your role with him, right? Even though he was a bad person, you felt guilty because of your promise to protect him. That kind of loyalty is typical for you. It is also why I would say your original profession didn''t match you. You have too much of a conscience."

    Surprised at first, Sam soon found his tongue again. "It was not only that, your Highness. There was someone who was so concerned for your safety that she asked me to look after you whenever I was free. You know who it was."

    "Of course", Nathaniel agreed, and the reminder didn''t fail to bring some emotion back into him, even though it was mostly sadness. "She was the only one who really cared for me then. And later, there was also you."

    When Nathaniel looked at him, Sam nodded gravely. "It only took you a few days to make me serve you sincerely. You were an admirably smart and thoughtful child, but still much too young to be thrown into such a tiger den like the palace. If only I had been there on the day of your disappearance, I would have searched for you and Princess Irene with everything I got. It is still my greatest regret that I accepted the mission in Rugart back then. I came back too late."

    Already knowing of this, and also that Sam was the one who finally found his disoriented younger self out there on the mountain, nearly frozen and shocked to death, Nathaniel only nodded. "You did what you could. I can''t count how many times I would have died without you."

    Besides freezing, his younger self had also denied any food unless forced and not spoken a word for nearly six months. In this time, Sam had had no other choice than to learn how to take care of a child, because the young Nathaniel would get agitated whenever anyone else got near him. And when he was agitated, losing control of his magic was the usual result.

    Suddenly, knocks broke into the solemn atmosphere. Compared to Sam''s previously, these were lighter, hesitant. Sam saw Nathaniel freezing, and already knew who this sound belonged to. Then a voice called through the door, just as hesitant and soft. "Darling... can I come in?"

 Chapter 161 - Confession

    Into the silence of the room, Sam coughed lightly. "I''ll excuse myself then."

    Since he didn''t want to disturb the couple in the least, he used the window instead of the door. His movements were surprisingly agile as he climbed outside.

    Nathaniel still sat there, stunned by Katherine''s affectionate call. Slowly, he exhaled, then a smile formed on his lips. He couldn''t help it. Despite the feud between them, he felt so blessed when he heard her voice. It was like she had the secret key to his heart, opening it with just one word and brushing all ill feelings away. It was fascinating.

    And yet, Nathaniel forced himself to return to his cold mask after a second. He didn''t want to make it too easy for her to apologize or else she might make such a mistake again. That would be awful! Even though he suddenly wasn''t sure anymore if his power could really affect her when she was within the bubble of her healing magic.

    "Darling?", the voice outside called again, this time unsure. Why was there no answer? Katherine knew that she heard some movements inside.

    A bit embarrassed for being lost in thought, Nathaniel cleared his throat. "You can enter."

    The door was opened carefully, and the first thing in sight was a bouquet of chamomile and carnation. Afterwards, Katherine peeked in as if she wanted to be sure there wasn''t an angry beast waiting for her. When she met Nathaniel''s gaze and saw his raised brow, she got embarrassed and hastily stepped inside. "I''ve got flowers for you."

    "I see", Nathaniel replied simply. His tone was neither overly joyful, nor disapproving. "Put them on the table for now."

    Fl.u.s.tered by his quietness, Katherine complied. She had expected him to be angry, maybe even showing the face of a demon king again. That he acted so impassive confused her and made her suspicious. It couldn''t be that he gave up on them already, could it? She, at least, wouldn''t give up on their marriage, though it was half-way forced upon them.

    Laying the flowers on the table, she noticed that Nathaniel watched her silently, yet she could read nothing out of his gaze. It was quite uncomfortable, and she suddenly didn''t know what to do. Winging her now empty hands, she took to steps closer to him.

    "I ... I am sorry. I know that you don''t want to be touched. I even promised you to keep my hands up on the ... up there." she stumbled over her last words and heat rushed into her face as she remembered their intimate position the night before. With her eyes fixed on the floor, she forced herself to continue, but it was like there was a lump stuck in her throat that turned her voice into a whisper. "It wasn''t my intention to do that. All I have to say to my defense is that I lost my head and ..."

    Suddenly, she looked him straight in the eyes, and there was a deep pain in her gaze as she admitted: "I couldn''t help it. I just want you."

    Then she gulped and blinked against the mist in her eyes. She had delayed the meeting, hoping that it would make her less emotional, but it didn''t help. The silence was just too deafening. Her heart was aching as if it knew it was too late already, and she had to clench her hand over it to force it to persist. Yet her determination didn''t diminish. She wanted to tell him the complete truth at least once. Whatever he would do with it afterwards. "I want you and I ... I love you. I love you so much."

    Despite his affectionate words at the wedding and the night before, she could never forget about this fact. Like Anni once said: there was a big difference between like and love. Just because Nathaniel was nicer to her now, it didn''t mean he loved her back.

    Afraid of the effect of her words, she had closed her eyes tightly. As strong arms suddenly embraced her and pressed her head against a hard c.h.e.s.t, she opened them wide. The breath she took in surprise smelled of coffee and firewood.

    He didn''t say anything, but the slight tremble of his hand in her hair spoke for itself. She was not rejected. Their time together was not over. The relief broke through her dams, making her cry out loud. Her arms encircled his waist and held him like they never wanted to let go. Vaguely, she heard him mumble soothing words.

    For a few minutes, Nathaniel rubbed her small back in a clockwise motion and talked to her until he didn''t know what to say anymore. Then, he fell silent.

    Inwardly, he was torn apart between guilt and gladness, but the feeling was so painfully wonderful that he didn''t want it to end. He was wanted. He was needed by this usually strong woman before him. He was even... loved, though he didn''t know what it would entail. The future was uncertain, and he couldn''t return her words. Not without chaining her to him more tightly. Though he knew what the feelings in his c.h.e.s.t meant, he would never restrict her freedom by voicing them.

    Finally, Katherine raised her head, her face wet and eyes red. To Nathaniel, who had never seen her soft side, she looked adorable.

    Unconsciously, he pushed an unruly black hair out of her forehead and smiled down at her. Whenever she embraced him, he just felt so glad that he could do nothing but smile.

    Seeing this, Katherine was just as stunned. Happiness gurgled up in her throat and escaped in a little laugher. "Does that mean you accept my apology?"

    For a second, Nathaniel tried to form a serious face, but failed. With gentleness in his eyes, the smile remained in the corners of his lips when he cradled her face in his long hands. "Looks like it. A certain someone always finds my weak spot. I just can''t stay mad at you for long."

    Of course, she knew that he didn''t answer her. He didn''t say that he loved her. This fact made her feel a bit bitter, but she pushed the thought away. What had happened was already enough action for the day anyway. Now she just wanted to hold her beloved, feel that he was with her.

    Nathaniel seemed to feel the same, for he didn''t pull back. After a few minutes, he only quietly guided her to an armchair and pulled her on his l.a.p. There he embraced her again just as tightly as before. None of them slept well the last night, so it didn''t take long for Katherine to doze off.

    Nathaniel watched her peaceful face for a while contentedly before his own eyelids dropped as well. He tried to force them open, but to no avail. When their deep breaths filled the room, the smiles still lingered on their sleeping faces.

 Chapter 162 - Coming Soon

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 Chapter 163 - Mother and Father

    When Nathaniel opened his eyes again, he was shocked to find Katherine''s face right in front of him. She grinned like a cheshire cat. "You look so cute when you''re asleep!"

    Nathaniel''s brows twitched, and only his sleepiness stopped him from protesting. Instead, he inspected her face, then her hands that rested on his shoulders. His voice was rough with sleep and half an octave deeper when he asked: "You didn''t do something reckless, did you?"

    The grin turned into a pout instantly. "You really think I would try to touch you without permission again? It was a hash lesson for me, you know?"

    Reassured, he smiled and gently laid his hand on her head. "I am sorry. You wouldn''t do that intentionally."

    "Exactly!", she exclaimed and nodded heavily. Then she used her favorable position to snuggle against his c.h.e.s.t again, his hand still resting on her hair. Nathaniel''s mouth curled up. Instantly, he decided that he loved this position very much, because he could cradle her in his arms and protect her. Compared to him, she looked as tiny as a child, but had the softness of a woman.

    This softness suddenly gave him a hard time, as her b.u.t.t in this new position squeezed against a place that had gotten hard while they were asleep and now turned even more active. Silently, he prayed that she wouldn''t feel it. He didn''t want a repetition of the night before, didn''t want to destroy this comfortableness with s.e.x.u.a.l d.e.s.i.r.e yet.

    "This reminds me so much of the first time we hugged", he heard Katherine mumble. "This cave was really creepy, you know? I wanted to sneak out again, but I couldn''t even see the hand in front of my eyes, much less the exit. I could only see you. But then you turned even scarier as the cave when you got angry."

    "You shouldn''t have followed me there", Nathaniel replied, and smiled with regret. "Though I acknowledge that I also shouldn''t have attacked you. That was a bit too much for a curious cat like you."

    At the term, he felt her shudder in his arms, then she dug her face even deeper into his c.h.e.s.t and muttered: "Please don''t call me that. It''s what he always called me. Kitty, his little cat. It gives me the creeps."

    Furrowing his brows, Nathaniel hugged her even tighter and rubbed her back soothingly. Yet, he had to confirm something before could let the topic drop. "He... your cousin?"

    When he didn''t ask further, Katherine dared to poke her head out of his arms after a while. "I always wondered... I never heard much about your past. What was your childhood like? Did your aunt raise you?"

    The pain was so sudden and unexpected that his features twisted. Katherine, who saw the change, hastily added: "But you don''t need to answer me if you don''t want to. I was just curious."

    "No." Nathaniel rubbed his face with one hand as if he wanted to rub off the ugly expression. "It''s okay. I just didn''t expect it since I never talked about it before."

    It even surprised him that he could allow the topic now, so he paused for a second, before he continued: "She didn''t really raise me, but she was closer to me than my own mother. I was raised by servants mostly, like the majority of noble children. Still, it was hard for me when she died. I just turned five and didn''t have friends or anyone else close to me."

    When he saw her face fill with pity, he furrowed his brows. "Stop that. I''m not that child anymore and I never really searched for friends anyway. It was just a bit lonely, but I learned to survive on my own afterwards. And I still had Sam."

    Reminded of the old man, Katherine''s face brightened a bit. "So, he was with you since you were little? I had my suspicious, but I wasn''t completely sure. He must be like a father to you then."

    "In a way", Nathaniel agreed, and leaned his head back against the headrest. "Though he never saw himself as something else than a good servant or at most a friend, I suppose. When I was little, I once called him ''Dad'', and he scolded me. Said it would lower my standing. As if words would matter when he acts just like a father to me. But I respected his wish and never called him that again. I suppose, he just didn''t want to disrespect my real father. It doesn''t really matter to me."

    Thoughtfully, Katherine nodded. Her finger was on her lips again, tapping them lightly and unknowingly attracting Nathaniel''s gaze. Just what was it with this tapping, he thought, that it never failed to arouse him? Maybe it was because it was an innocent type of seduction that she didn''t even notice.

    The pressure on his groin slowly got uncomfortable and he was tempted to grap her finger and stop the torture. He just couldn''t tell for sure what he would do with her lips then. Pink and moist as they were, they were asking to be kissed.

    When he smelled her fragrance with every breath he took, he finally couldn''t take it anymore. As he opened his eyes again, they were aflame, and his voice nearly an octave deeper. "Katherine..."

    A pleasant shiver ran down her spine when she heard the same velvety voice that called her in bed yesterday. Her eyes wide, she turned her head and saw her husband gazing at her beneath lowered eyelids. Instantly, her body turned hot and excited. The change was so fast that she could only gulp insecurely and lower her eyes again.

    There was a short, tense silence, then Nathaniel whispered: "You need to leave my l.a.p if you don''t want yesterday to repeat itself."

    The warning surely didn''t cause the reaction he wanted, because Katherine felt even more light-headed than before. However, she also remembered what had happened after the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e had subsided. Just when Nathaniel was tempted to throw her off of his l.a.p, she slowly glided down from it. Yet, she didn''t move much when she suddenly felt the big bulge beneath her even through the thick dress she wore and heard Nathaniel groan.

    Her face flushed in a deep red, but something like pride let her heart sped up. She didn''t know how, but just her presence in his arms had obviously aroused Nathaniel tremendously. She never thought that something like this could turn a man on until he was close to snapping. If she didn''t remember their last encounter way too clearly, she would have wanted to tease him a bit and look how long his self-control could last. Yet, the trust between them had only been shaken recently, so she reluctantly stood up and wavered a bit on her own wobbly legs.

 Chapter 164 - Coming Soon

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 Chapter 165 - Coming Soon

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    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon and for free on . Thank you for staying with me <3

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 Chapter 166 - What If

    The talk with Aston was quite strange in Katherine''s opinion. Not only was the Prince friendlier than Katherine ever imagined, he also was very attentive while not at all suggestive.

    Stranger still was that he evidently knew whom exactly she talked about when she asked him if he could find her maid.??

    "You don''t need to worry about Hazel. The girl is perfectly safe", he told her with a smile and took a sip of his tea. "We just can''t transfer her here since someone might try to find this place by tracking her. But I assure you, it won''t be long before your happy reunion."

    "How long?", she inquired anxiously. "And why are you so oddly well informed about the matters of my maid anyway? It''s almost as if you have your eyes on her."

    The Prince''s eyes widened and he nearly spilled his tea when he rushed to defend himself: "No, no, it''s just because my sister in law likes her maid very much, so I looked out for her for a bit. See, my brother is very dear to me, so I hope you and I can also get along."

    Katherine squinted her eyes in suspicion. "I hope that is really all there is about your interest in her. Because just to make it clear: Hazel is an innocent girl that deserves someone who treasures and marries her as his or her one true partner. Neither can be fulfilled by you, so if you truly want us to get along, you better not try to pursue her."

    Aston''s aimable smile became wry the further he listened. He set down his tea on the delicate table between them. "A maid and me? Really now. I assure you, I know the impossibility of this and you don''t need to worry at all! Though I''m a bit hurt that you trust me not in the slightest, given that you are my brother''s wife now... We are family! I''ve got your back when brother and you got in that ambush. Yet it seems you think so little of me. I really feel hurt, ya know?"

    The sad little puppy that unexpectedly took the place of the prince surprised Katherine so much that a disbelieving giggle escaped her throat before she could hide her mouth behind her hand. "Really hurt? We don''t even know each other good enough. And he''s actually not your brother, you know?"

    "Ah, but we are gonna get to know the other, right?", the puppy asked and batted his eyelashes. Katherine''s last comment was completely ignored. "Since there are very few people on my brother''s side, we need to work together, okay?"

    "Um", Katherine made, unsettled. "I - I guess so. But what are we working for anyway?"

    "To make him more human of course!", Aston exclaimed, and a brilliant smile exploded on his face that nearly blinded her. "Of course, he''s a great hero already, but I just love the way he is now. More affectionate and brotherly than he has ever been! You need to keep this up. Whatever you did to turn him this way, I will support you all the way!"

    "Huh?" Katherine blinked, now utterly confused. If she wasn''t sitting, she would have taken a step back. "Me, turning him human? I did nothing. Really. I - He wouldn''t even let me come close enough to change anything about him."

    Disbelieve written all over his face, Aston raised his brows. "There is nobody closer to him than you. Do you know what he was like before meeting you? He was cool, so cool that it froze himself up on the spot! Never ever would he do anything uncalculated. Feelings were at most a distraction to him. So different from now!"

    A satisfied smile lingered on Aston''s mouth, when he boasted: "Today, he told me that he actually likes me as his younger brother. He talked about his feelings! Do you know what a great evolution that is? And it all started when he met you, I assure you. The day I first met you was the day he first joked with me. I am positive that with your help he will continue walking the way of light and finally be true to his feelings! We will be the best brothers there are in this world, regardless of our blood relation!"

    Aston seemed completely engrossed by this idea, so much so, that he didn''t even notice Katherine''s mood shifting.

    "That seems like I''m really important to him. Then why did he lie to me for so long?", she whispered sorrowfully, and lowered her head. "How do I know it was me who triggered all these changes? How can I be sure that I am not deceived again?"

    The last question was also the main reason why she left Nathaniel''s side. She knew she was at the boarder of trusting another individual so completely like she had formerly trusted Ethan. Though reason told her that Nathaniel wasn''t the same as her cousin, both men had kept secrets from her. How could she be sure that Nathaniel''s would always be less horrible than Ethan''s?

    For a long time, she hadn''t realized what a monster her cousin was and she was afraid that the same thing might happen again. For sure, she didn''t have a family that could be hurt anymore, but Nathaniel was about to take the throne of a nation. There were uncountable lives at stake if this man ever turned evil. Should she stay by his side, then anything he did would also fall back on her. She would similarly be responsible for every single life in the Icelands. Seeing that he kept secrets from her, she wondered if she would really approve all of his decisions - those in the past as well as in the future.

    But what choice did she have? The only choice was to leave him, and she could never bring herself to do this. She loved him. Regardless of what he might do to the world, this man had showed her kindness when she had nothing. They had grieved and rejoiced together. She could not part with him.

    ''Up till now, he didn''t even do anything bad'', she consoled herself silently. Hopefully, he would continue like this in the future, just with less secrets. However, if he did not, she would not look away again. She had learned her lesson with Ethan. She could not let a whole nation suffer under an evil ruler. If Nathaniel ever turned into the demon she first thought he was, that would be the end. Not for her feelings, but for his life. She would have to kill him. And after this, who knows if she herself would still want to live?

    Just imagining this outcome made Katherine tremble, though the fear and pain she felt didn''t have a real source yet. She prayed to all the gods that what she promised to herself now would never be necessary. Yet having seen reality once with her cousin, she just had to make it clear to herself that she would act differently if the story ever repeated itself. She would not tolerate the evil actions of her beloved ones again. But before that all, before she unjustly judged him, she should try to place her trust in her husband.

    Because Nathaniel was not Ethan. And as of now, she believed that Nathaniel, despite his errors and secrets, was not evil.

 Chapter 167 - Freezer

    The Queen of the Icelands and woman who should be in sickbed was actually completely fine. At least, her body was. Elegantly sitting in a high-back chair on her tea table, the blank look in her green eyes told the story of her deteriorating mind.

    "Mother." Gently, Princess Helmina placed her hand on top of the Queen''s free one, yet the latter didn''t react. Her gaze was focused somewhere far away. Helmina felt the fingers beneath her tremble.

    Despite this, the younger woman didn''t give up. "How are you feeling today? The physician told me you are better. See, the demon you fear is long gone already. Soon, he will not even while in this world anymore."

    Silence was the only answer, spreading its invisible tendrils in the warm air and resting on Helmina''s head until she lowered it. Her fingernails were painted in a happy pink today, yet the color only managed to contrast to the Queen''s dark skin more.

    "I - I''m afraid I have to disappoint you once more. I need Emilian''s help. I can''t do it without him. You know what Ve promised in return, right? As long as we follow his orders, there will be a day when we can bring him back completely. Mother... I just do this to one day see his real smile again, not that of a puppet."

    The Queen''s face remained as bleak as her eyes. Helmina sighed. "I will go now. If the ministers are satisfied, we will be able to build up the army we need. Ve said, he will make a breakthrough in his research when he can experiment on Falumor''s magicians. I already left every mage of my uncle''s entourage with him. Hopefully, they will help him understand how death works. Then he will finally be able to be reborn."

    Helmina''s frilly dress ruffled, when she stood up and walked to the door. Yet, just when she reached it, she heard the Queen''s voice croak behind her. After days of silence, the Queen sounded even older than her real age, and fragile like a stick on the ground. "The dead never truly rise again. Give it up. Nobody can revive him."

    Helmina''s fingers clutched the doorknob as slender, long claws. Her caramel skin whitened with the force she used. "Is this the advice you give me, mother? To give up on the person closest to my heart when I would burn cities, countries, and even the world to bring him back? This is your advice?"

    But the Queen didn''t answer. It seemed as if she had fallen back into whatever trance she had been in before. A single tear drop rolled down Helmina''s cheek when she looked back at her.

    Deep down, she knew that she was one of the reasons for her mother''s agony and that the woman only asked her to give up so the clinging to hope would not hurt her even more. Yet, however long he may be dead already, she could not give up on the second half of her soul. And the Icelands, it seemed, would also not accept the reign of a woman. So, she had to use him like a puppet again. There was just no other way.

    Like a lonely faerie, the young woman walked the empty corridors of the palace. When the King left and the Falumor''s remained, the palace had been in an uproar, but now it was as quiet as the dust that collected in the small wall niches where nobody ever looked. Not a bird or an insect sang the praises of the sun, and no servant''s feet tapped on the marble floor.

    Many rooms Helmina passed, caught in her melancholic thoughts. Finally, she stilled in front of the deepest part of the palace''s dungeon. The slit between door and wall was covered in ice crystals and an unnatural cold oozed out from it. Helmina inserted a golden key into the lock and with a crackle of breaking ice, the door swung open.

    Chilling air hit the dark-haired faerie and made her shiver. Yet, the view inside was something that would make anyone react even more strongly.

    The grey stone beyond the door was covered in ice and snow. It was so cold that any water leaking inside would directly turn solid. The Princess'' breath also turned to snow that softly floated to the ground. Yet inside that giant freezer, several people sat side by side on a wooden bank. Their faces were void of any emotion, quietly gazing at the entrance. A careful observer might notice that their breath didn''t lead to a change in the air like Helmina''s did. Or more like, they didn''t even breathe at all.

    Her eyes at the ground as if she couldn''t bear the sight of them - or maybe it was just the sight of the skeleton resting against one of the walls that scared her - , Helmina called out in a trembling voice: "M-milo? I need your help again. Please come out, will you?"

    She rubbed her arms, and after a second, called again: "Milo, come here! Please!"

    Suddenly, the man furthest to the left, his black hair whitened by millions of tiny crystals, su?k?d in a deep breath. A strange grey fog seeped into his body through the air, and then a shudder went through him. With that tiny movement, he casted the icicles clinging to him off. They crashed into the ground like shackles falling off, setting him free. Strong legs lifted his tall figure up, and then his formerly stiff lips formed a smile. The smile though was as unnatural as his raspy voice when he answered his sister''s summon. "Don''t worry, Hel. I''m here for you."

    .

    The dinner later in the evening was quite an awkward event for Katherine. Not because the food was not good, or some unexpected variable entered the game. No, it was because of the way Nathaniel acted. Never in all the months she knew him had she seen him act so submissive and meek. It was even more surprising since they weren''t alone in the dining hall.

    The gazes of Nathaniel''s family when he poured her wine, helped her fill her plate, and fulfilled every wish she uttered instantly, resembled those witnessing a miracle. Aston

    even stopped eating altogether after spoiling his shirt with several food stains every time his fork dipped when his attention was on his brother. He couldn''t be full yet, but it seemed that food wasn''t his first priority anymore. He was grinning broadly. To his mother sitting next to him, him not finishing every plate he could get his hands on was another miracle.

    "Do you want more potatoes? Or more roast venison?"

    Katherine''s face was already red beyond redemption, but the quiet voice of her husband ringing out next to her flustered her even more until her stomach was full of bu??erflies. Not caring for the opinion of his family, Nathaniel already reached out for the plate with roasted venison when Katherine''s hand upon his arm stopped him. Silently pleading, she looked into his eyes. "Stop it please. This is so not like you."

    Red is a wonderful color, Nathaniel confirmed again, as he saw the fluster of his wife. His arm sank down and a gentle smile entered his face that filled it with a warmth it hardly ever got. Laying his hand on hers, he said sincerely: "But I want to be like that for you. Pampering you feels unexpectedly good. Do you dislike it?"

 Chapter 168 - Coming Soon

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 Chapter 169 - Too Many People

    I can''t seriously get any redder, Katherine thought as she whispered: "No, but you are disturbing the others. Don''t you notice?"

    Looking over at his family, Nathaniel''s gaze turned from affectionate to cold as if to warn them to not show any discomfort. "Do you guys have a problem with what I do?"

    Aston instantly waved his hands. "No, no, please continue! I love watching you act all lovely-dovely. It''s super sweet!"

    Nathaniel''s eyes darkened, and ''You dare call me sweet?!'' was written all over his forehead. "You are not watching anymore. If you''re through with eating, leave."

    "Seriously? I said I''m not disturbed though. Can''t I just watch?", Aston pleaded with a pout.

    "No, because now I''m disturbed. Leave or eat but stop looking. I won''t say it twice", Nathaniel said with a slightly threatening voice.

    Hearing that, Aston rolled his eyes like every offended teenager would and left the table.

    "Please send us something upstairs", Samantha Orchid''s soft and melodic voice sounded out as she also stood up, an amused glitter sparkling in her clear eyes and around the corners of her mouth. "We are all happy that he found someone he cares so much for, Lady Balder. You do not need to feel embarrassed."

    Since the King was disabled and didn''t come downstairs for dinner, the chairs around the couple were empty when Lady Orchid left. Katherine looked down at her ??p, finding it hard to follow Lady Orchid''s advice. She fiddled with the napkin and remained quiet.

    Only when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, did she look up. Nathaniel had come even closer to her and now gazed at her with the same tenderness that she felt in his every gesture the whole evening. His red pupils were focused on her, and it seemed that they didn''t see anything else today, like she was the only one that existed in his world. Velvety, his voice reached her ears. "I don''t want to lose you."

    Katherine took a shaky breath. Somehow, this declaration tugged at her heart in an almost painful way. Her hand entangled with his, squeezing it slightly. "I don''t plan to go away. But I need a little more time. It hurts to be lied to and I''m afraid... I fear that as the mysterious man you are, there will always be secrets you don''t tell me - maybe because it does not seem important or maybe it is a state secret you are not allowed to speak about. I need to get accustomed to that and just hope you will not lie intentionally again. You will not do that, right?"

    When she looked at him so pleadingly, Nathaniel''s throat felt tight. He had to clear it before he could talk again. "I will try my best to neither lie to you nor let you ?ssume your own wrong conclusions again like with the patient."

    His free hand played with a strand of her hair. The little touches eased the emptiness she had left after their fight but couldn''t fill it completely. Knowing that she would not accept an embrace right now, this was all he could do to comfort himself.

    "Will you also promise me something?", he asked hesitantly. His gaze checked if there were any listeners before he continued in a quieter tone: "You know how dangerous it is to touch me. I would be much more comfortable if you promise me you won''t touch my b?r? skin unless we are absolutely sure it is safe."

    "Safe?", Katherine echoed, and her brows knitted. "How is it not safe to touch you?"

    At the question, Nathaniel halted. He searched her face for any sign that she was joking, but only found innocent confusion. His features hardened as he realized that he was wrong. She had never knew the truth. A frustrated sound escaped his lips. "This is troublesome. What the hell did you think was the reason for my constant rejection? Did you think I was too shy to take the woman I want?"

    "I thought you had a phobia. Why? What do you mean it''s dangerous?", Katherine replied, now anxious. "Do you have a disease or something?"

    "I would be glad if it was just that, then it could be cured!", Nathaniel exclaimed, but forced himself to turn his voice down, pulling away from Katherine''s grasp. He couldn''t stand any closeness right now, because she might turn away again soon. And now it would hurt double or triple as much as before. It would break him to see her leave.

    His breath got rugged when he walked up and down the room. Suddenly, he halted before her and took her hand. "We can''t discuss this here. Too many people around."

    He towed her along to the entrance hall, and up the stairs. Yet in the middle of it, he decided otherwise and went for the door instead. He felt it was a bad omen to have this conversation in the same room they had their last fight.

    Striding into the fresh air outside, Katherine did her best to keep up with his long legs. His grip was strong, but it was the upheaval of emotions in his actions that made her follow him without protest. At least until suddenly a bright light exploded from her palm and up her arm, covering her in a sphere of light. She gasped.

    Out of the fog, his agitated voice called: "Katherine? Are you alright? Did any of it touch you?"

    "N-No", Katherine answered in surprise. "But what is that? What happened? Is that your magic?"

    "I need to calm down first. Wait." Hearing that she was alright, Nathaniel sounded already more at ease and Katherine used the time to study her own magic. She had never seen it go so far out of her body. With curiosity she noticed that it very much resembled the sphere she saw in her dream world, the one that protected her from Blackie.

    Looking over to her husband, Katherine''s lips twitched. Safe for it being much smaller and not complaining about hunger all the time, the darkness around him resembled the Blackie who wanted to eat her quite a bit. One thing was sure: If Nathaniel knew what caused this phenomenon, he had a lot of explaining to do.

    Katherine''s own magic settled first, but it didn''t take long for the fog to disperse and reveal her husband, who was searching her face and body anxiously. Although she didn''t know why he reacted so strongly to it, she reassured him: "I''m alright. It didn''t touch me."

    Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief but didn''t take her hand again. "I should not have let my emotions run wild like this. Come, we can talk over there."

    He guided her to a little shelter behind the house, where nobody was around. Katherine didn''t overlook that all grass had vanished in the place where he had stood before, and when he turned toward her, all puzzle parts suddenly clicked together. "Was that your magic? The one you used to eradicate a whole army? You cannot - control it?"

 Chapter 170 - The Truth

    Nathaniel had imagined many times how he would tell her his secret - but none of them included the darkness of a little shelter and the smell of hay bales all around them. This was neither the place nor the atmosphere he imagined. Katherine was already on edge because of his secrecy, and now this.

    With a sigh, he brushed his hair back, and unwillingly answered her question: "Yes. You saw it just now. My magic is" he searched for words and found none that were reassuring, so he just told the truth. "it''s the most terrible destructive force in this country. And it is not fully under my control, though I do my best to change that. Skin contact... it is dangerous."

    In the bad light, he could not see what expression Katherine made. Thus, he was surprised, when she only asked: "And emotions affect it, too? Like the usual magic?"

    A dry laugh escaped his throat. "If you want to call it that way. It is a wide stretch to call it ''usual'', seeing that it even has its own will."

    It seemed she was taking things too lightly, and he felt the need to tell her just how dangerous his magic was. To warn her to be careful. Maybe it was for the best if she left him, so she could be safe. Clenching his fists, he steeled his heart for another truth. The words rolled over his tounge like a stream of poison, fast and cold. "My magic eats people''s flesh. It takes less than a second to consume them and only their bones will be left. All I have to do is let it run wild and every life on this planet might vanish. I can not touch anyone, because the magic could use that opportunity to eat them alive, like it tried with you just now. It is that dangerous."

    His eyes gleamed red in the darkness of the shelter as he waited for a reaction, waited for her to run or show the fearful pity he had seen on his uncle and siblings. Courage and boldness made hardly a difference in this case, since there was no solution to his problem. Every roard led to death. Now she would understand what it meant when he said that he ''could not be anyone''s husband''.

    This mask again, Katherine thought with annoyance when she got a glance on his cold face. Again, he told her to run and leave him behind. At least now she knew why he did that and what he had really tried to warn her about. It wasn''t that she was not shocked. She totally was. Deep down she had suspected something, but never this, and if it was anyone else telling her this, she would suspect it to be a joke. But this was Nathaniel talking. It was frightening to think that all of her touches were her walking on the boarder of death, but when she looked into his face, she couldn''t help believing him. Rapidly, she suppressed the upcoming fear. There was no time for flinching and tears. She had to think clearly now, since any of her reactions could hurt the man she loved. It was essential to understand the whole situation first.

    Thinking back, it was no wonder Nathaniel reacted so strongly to her approaches, but she was not going to judge him because he kept his magic a secret for so long. It was heartbreaking to imagine that he could not even hold anyone''s hand without fearing for that person''s life. Yet she knew that Nathaniel didn''t want her pity. He didn''t ask for her understanding either. Instead, he was prepared for her to run away. He always expected her run. Maybe he even wanted it to be that way.

    Anger boiled in her stomach, and her shoulders straightened with the deep breath she took. Despite trying to remain rational, this was something that bothered her every time. When she raised her head, her gaze pierced through the darkness and his indifferent facade at once. "If you think this is enough to make me run like a frightened rabbit, you are wrong. We are husband and wife and since you want it to stay like that, you have to finally get this into your head: I will neither run nor leave you! Ever! I asked for time, but I didn''t say I would go. It is too late for this anyway. I already love you, so quit trying to drive me away!"

    With the final yell she took a step forward, so they were now face-to-face. Even in the bad light, they could see each other''s features. Nathaniel''s mask began to crumble when he saw her determination. His Adam''s apple moved up and down. "I... It is just the truth."

    He shrugged, but there was helplessness in this movement. "Well, maybe I exaggerated a little bit, but not much."

    Katherine snorted very unladylike and put her hands on her h?ps. "If you say so. So, what will we do about this? It can''t stay this way, can it? If practice is all it takes to have your magic under control, you better start now. Because just to make it clear: I expect my husband to fulfill all of his responsibilities."

    With the last words, her cheeks burned red, but she herself seemed to be annoyed by it. With knitted brows, she blew a strand of hair out of her face, then tucked it behind her ear.

    Nathaniel''s lips unwittingly turned up into a full-fledged smile. To him, her actions were just adorable. And it was more than that: they made him feel relieved. "I can''t promise you anything like that, and you know it. But I will try my best."

    He turned silent for a second. Taking in her appearance in the faint light and the rosy scent of her skin, awoke a deep longing in his ?h?st.

    "I wish I could take you in my arms right now.", he said, brushing his hair back. It was longer than the first time they met. "Do you still need time to think?"

    Losing her drive, Katherine opened her mouth to answer, but only nodded quietly in the end. Despite their undeniable connection and her promise to stay with him, this was all too much at once. She was afraid she would make the wrong decisions if she acted too hastily, and what he revealed right now only made it harder to pacify her hurt feelings. "It''s not like we can''t see each other though. Just don''t expect me to..."

    She made a motion with her hand which she herself didn''t fully comprehend, yet Nathaniel nodded in understanding. "Don''t worry." A wry smile crossed his mouth for the blink of an eye before it vanished. "I hardly was the proactive one of us, remember?"

    Katherine couldn''t help but smile awkwardly, until she noticed Nathaniel''s eyes deepening. Her heart suddenly accelerated as the atmosphere changed and her predator husband was back for a visit. In a husky voice, he mumbled: "It is not as easy as before though. I want you every time I see you. If you smile and laugh, I dream of su?k?n? those lips and savoring their taste. Whenever you blush, I feel the urge to press you against the next furniture and make you m??n. In the future, you need to take responsibility for that."

    His eyes scanned her from top to bottom, and everywhere they touched, Katherine''s body reacted excitedly. Her mouth turned dry and br??sts tingled, while her warm th??hs rubbed together. Hearing her gasp, an evil smirk emerged on his thin lips. "I see you are up to it."

    If touching was allowed right now, Katherine would have shoved him for being so arrogant. Instead, she gritted her teeth in frustration over her own unruly body. "You really get bolder each time."

    He lifted a brow in mock-surprise, but at the bulge in his trousers she saw he was not doing any better than her in suppressing his body''s reaction. "Of course. I am a prince, after all."

    "Then can your princely self explain what exactly happened there outside with your magic and mine?", Katherine retorted, crossing her arms and imitating his annoying tone.

    At that, Nathaniel hesitated. "I''m not quite sure, but I have a theory..."

 Chapter 171 - Unproven Theory

    "Theoretically, this shouldn''t be possible", Nathaniel stated. "But I''m not a magic professor like the ones of the two big schools, so maybe I just don''t know about it. Most likely, such things are also the consequence of mutations. Anyway, it seems to me that your magic, which is accustomed to keeping it''s host healthy, sees my magic as a threat and reacts instinctively to it. Not without reason, I believe."

    Katherine''s crossed arms loosened, and hope emerged in her eyes like tiny new stars, yet she was wary to accept this simple solution. "Does that mean I might be immune to your magic?"

    Instantly, Nathaniel shook his head. "No, we should not think this way. My magic must not be taken this lightly. Before proven otherwise, we should ?ssume that your body is vulnerable to it like anything else. Your magic''s reaction can at most be an additional safty measure. A warning system, if you will so. Not to mention that this is only a theory. We should not test this out."

    "Oh yes, we will", Katherine declared crisply. "Don''t think you can get out of this. As long as we don''t test it, how should we know the connection between our two magics? Maybe I''m just born to be your counter. It would make everything this much easier!"

    Nathaniel''s lips twitched at her new-found confidence. "Katherine... "

    "Don''t ''Katherine'' me", she snapped back. "How long have you tried to find a solution by yourself? And did you get any closer to being my real husband or did you just stop, believing it was fate? From now on, we will do it my way, no backing out anymore! If a small risk like a test can bring us any further, then I will gladly take the chance."

    She paused for a second, as if something just came to her mind. "Was this poison in your body also your magic? Wouldn''t that mean we already know that my power can act as a counter?"

    Nathaniel pressed his lips together. Seeing her all hyped up gave him a bad notion that something was about to go wrong. She would be very disappointed in the end. There was so much hope in her that it even sparked a little glimmer in him, despite knowing better than that.

    Heaving a sigh, he gave her the information she was asking for. "It''s not my magic, just remnants of it. They are like dead splinters of the actual thing, way less powerful but a pain to get rid of. Normal antidotes are of no use against it."

    "But I can get rid of it, right? It was a bit difficult in the beginning, but I think I could pull it off easily now", Katherine mused and tapped her lips in thought. "Something in my magic also changed lately. Those black veins were troublesome previously, but I think it will be much easier to handle them now. Though it is a pity for the beautiful vi-"

    Suddenly, she coughed, then continued: " I mean, a pity that you didn''t wake up from it when you were unconscious the last time. Anyway, I believe we should just both summon a bit of our magic and see what happens when they collide."

    With a glance around the dark shelter, she added: "Of course we should do it somewhere where we can see the results clearly."

    "I will arrange a place", Nathaniel agreed in resignation. "Just give me some time to prepare."

    .

    Katherine used her free evening well. She finally did what she wanted for months: learn how to defend herself. Out on the grass field under the slowly setting sun, Jack showed her how to wield her dagger correctly, and explained why the way she carried it with her right now was totally inefficient.

    "Like this, you can''t draw it fast enough. You should make sure to include an extra pocket in your dresses in the future, or a slit disguised as a pocket through which you can take it out in emergencies. As an amateur, your best helper in dangerous situations is the element of surprise, so don''t miss it."

    Katherine nodded understandingly. "I don''t want to get captured again. Thank you for retrieving my dagger from the wolves, Jack."

    The old veteran grinned his signature bandit grin. "You did a good job killing the first one. Heads up for that."

    "Thanks. Though if I learned how to wield it right earlier, I might have done more than that." With regret, Katherine looked down at her birthday gift. The hilt of the dagger fitted perfectly in her hand, the words at the crossguard boosting her confidence whenever she looked at it. ''For the brave to wield'' seemed like such an easy motto, but to her it was more than that. That Nathaniel gifted her a dagger with these words on it, meant that in his eyes, she was such a brave person. A person who was worthy of this dagger and would use it well. She felt like she let down these expectations a bit in her fight with the wolves, but now she wanted to make up for it.

    "Alright, let''s start for real."

    An hour later, just as sky began to blush in beautiful pink and red, Katherine was still training.

    "And again. Your wrist is too stiff, and don''t forget moving your feet. Your stance is so unstable that one kick would suffice to make you topple over."

    "How about showing me that once?", Katherine replied sharply. She wore a simple combination of leather trousers and a shirt. She still had to get used to walking without her wide skirts and thus felt weirdly n?k?d. Failing to attack Jack repeatedly for an hour only added to her annoyance. "How can I learn if you treat me like a glass figure? As if my enemies would be this nice! Come on!"

    "I..." Jack glanced upwards to a certain window of the house, where he saw a person standing. It wasn''t like he didn''t want to show Katherine the reality of a fight, but with how the Prince was watching them, it felt like he would be killed the second he got any closer to Katherine. When Nathaniel noticed his glance, he raised a brow as if saying: What are you looking at? I''m just a spectator.

    Jack''s mouth twitched. He wouldn''t fall for this, not when his instinct screamed danger every time he prepared to attack Katherine. The first time this happened, he had even spun around in surprise, shielding Katherine from an incoming deathly stab. Just that there was no stab, only the prince looking on from the window of his room. Still, his other attempts were just as irritating until he started to train Katherine in a more distanced way. Which made hardly any sense since they were working with daggers.

    Whatever. Since the Prince didn''t come down to scold him after an whole hour, Jack decided to treat it as disgruntled approval to Katherine''s actions and ignore the death-threat behind him. In Jack''s mind, it was somewhat exciting to fight with a time-bomb in his back.

    "Alright. Come on then!"

    This time, the fight was over even faster. When Katherine landed on the grass with Jack''s knee in her back, Nathaniel up in his room balled his hands into fists. The woman didn''t make a noise. Nonetheless, he had to hold back to not storm down and kick his own guard away, even though he knew it was irrational.

    He had to close his eyes when Jack helped Katherine up. The picture of their hands meeting was familiar but burned itself into his mind as a sour feeling. He knew this feeling - it had been even stronger on the party when she touched a man''s cheek. How he noticed now, he still didn''t get a reason for that. Why would she touch this man''s cheek? Why would she touch any other grown man if she loved him?

    He knew that it was normal to greet by giving hands - heck, in some lands they even kissed each other - however, to him it was a privilege. Since he could not touch Katherine the way he wanted, he was annoyed whenever he saw others do it, even if it was innocent.

    With a grumble, Nathaniel got up and closed the curtains before he did something he would regret. His rational side knew that none of his guards would do Katherine any harm or dare think about her in ill ways. Especially this big bandit of a veteran was putty in the woman''s hands. Yet, watching it remained hard. Maybe it would get better if he could one day find a cure and the touch of a hand would turn into something natural in his life. But no, most likely not even then.

 Chapter 172 - Coming Soon

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead.. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is comming soon on . If you want to support me monetary, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

 Chapter 173 - Visiting

    Hastily, Katherine did whatever she could with a towel and a small bowl of water used for morning routine. Afterwards, she didn''t feel much cleaner, but it had to suffice until she could jump into a basin of hot water. The training attire was thrown about on the ground, too dirty to wear again. Hesitantly, she picked out the only other dress in her wardrobe. It was obviously of the former owner of this room, and she felt a bit guilty taking it without permission. She really needed to do some serious shopping soon.

    Finally, she opened the door for her husband, who had waited surprisingly patiently. "Um, you can come in now... I guess."

    Looking back over her shoulder, her face heated up a bit. "Actually, would it be okay to talk somewhere else?".

    Nathaniel''s lips tilted upwards. Over her head, he could already see the mess she made, and her embarrassment amused him. Yet because of their already strained relationship, he bit back on the teasing remark that was about to roll off his tongue. "I only wanted to tell you that the place is ready. We can start with the tests tomorrow."

    "Oh." Katherine felt glad and disappointed at the same time. It had been her tiny hope that he came just to see her. "That''s good to hear."

    She didn''t know what else to say, but she also didn''t want to close the door in his face. Before the silence could turn awkward, Nathaniel spoke up again. "If you are not too exhausted, would you like to join me for a game of chess?"

    Katherine''s brows jumped up, blurting out: "Chess? This late?"

    "Well, yes. You seemed to like it back in the mansion. Me as well, so I thought..." Hesitation mixed in the usual cold expression, then it hardened into his mask of indifference. "but you are right, it is already very late. I will ex-"

    "No", Katherine interrupted him hurriedly. A smile had bloomed on her face, making her eyes twinkle. "Let''s play chess. I would love to match wits with you again. In your room?"

    Relief washed away the nervousness of Nathaniel''s bearing, and he squared his shoulders with a grin. "Naturally. I would be happy to escort my princess."

    He held out his arm for her to hold onto. For the first time, the gentlemen gesture was not a play for anyone else to see. When he felt the bu??erfly touch of her hand, his stomach flipped, and his smile got even brighter. "What a fearless woman you are. You didn''t even hesitate to touch me now."

    "Careful with all your tests," Katherine rebuked lightly and rolled her eyes. "I will pinch you the next time I catch you doing this. You should know by now that I prefer to tell the truth, but you are still so suspicious every time."

    "I know. It''s just a bad habit", Nathaniel soothed her, but the smile on his lips told of the happiness he felt inside. Every weight on his shoulders seemed to be lifted with her presence alone and the knowledge that she wanted to stay by his side was like a beacon of hope for his future. He couldn''t help but test one more time if it really was no dream. His light. His wife. Just for this, every hardship in his youth was worth it.

    The rest of the night went by with none of them mentioning either their magics or politics. It was just a normal, happy chess game. Afterwards they sat, their hands interlinked, talking about their lives, their favorites, and recounting funny stories. From time to time, Katherine''s bell-like laugher could be heard, and as the night progressed, a deeper voice joined her. It sounded a bit awkward at first, much like coughing, but soon Nathaniel learned how to let loose and the sound rolled out of his mouth wholeheartedly.

    Sam, who had come up to ask whether they wanted some wine, instead silently stood by the door, listening. A single tear rolled down his wrinkled cheek, the mouth forming into a trembling smile. After a while, he made his way back downstairs.

    None of the newly-weds could bear to part, however late it got, but a few hours before the sun rose again, Katherine''s head fell back on the headrest, deep in sleep. With a gentle smile, Nathaniel watched her for a while. Even if the future would tell that his magic couldn''t be controlled, he would always remember this day as one of the best of his life.

    Careful to not wake her, he gently lifted her up in his arms and carried her to her bed. She snuggled against his ?h?st as if that was the place where she belonged. He wanted it to be this way. It felt so... wholesome.

    Before he tucked her in, he removed her shoes and white stockings, and couldn''t help admiring her slender legs, the creamy white color of her skin. Yet he didn''t do more. With her personality, he imagined Katherine would either be uncomfortable or embarrassed being changed by him, most likely both. So, he left the rest of her clothes where they were. One night that ended awkwardly gave him no right to see her n?k?d without her consent.

    In her sleep, she rolled to the side, curling around the arm he propped himself up with. Her body unknowingly searched for the warmth that embraced her before, mumbling incoherently. Nathaniel chuckled without a sound. Then, very carefully, he extracted his arm and spread the blanket over her.

    "We both need to sleep", he whispered, but obviously couldn''t follow his own advice. He stood by her side for a few minutes, sighed, and finally bend down. With his gloved hand acting as a barrier between his lips and her skin, he kissed her temple. "Sleep well."

    But even after this gesture ended, he couldn''t bring himself to turn around. It was as if the darkness of the night would swallow him as soon as he left her out of his sight. He even deliberated sleeping beside her but didn''t want to shock her in the morning. Besides, it was hard not to accidentally touch when asleep. Eventually, he saw no choice but to leave the room and go to sleep on his own.

    As if he had waited for this opportunity, the shadow of a person suddenly appeared in front of Katherine''s window. It was a small shadow, much too small for the regular icelandic man, but big enough for a woman or a falumorean. Surprisingly, he seemed to float in the air, only his hands connected to the frame of the window, his legs dangling. Something metallic b?r?ly lit up in the bleak moonlight, then the quiet grinding sound of metal against wood was heard.

    Finally, the metallic object got deep enough to reach to the other side of the window. Very carefully, the shadow turned it to the side, using it to unhook the lock, which opened with a creak.

    Inwardly cursing the house for its age, the shadow stopped, checking on Katherine once more. Yet the woman was fast asleep. Relieved, he just wanted to continue, when something - or someone - grabbed his ankle in a painful grip.

 Chapter 174 - That Invitation

    Another beautiful morning, Katherine thought while glancing over the valley from her window. The sun was already high in the sky when she woke up, shining down on the flowers in the meadow, yet without warming up the cold breezes breathing down from the mountain tops.

    Like Nathaniel''s window, hers faced in the direction of the training field with the wooden fence surrounding it. Because it was straight under her window, she had to deliberately look down to see the guards training there. Some of them grinned and waved when they noticed her, and she returned the greeting.

    Glancing to the right, she saw the shelter where Nathaniel had opened up about his magic. Her eyebrows lifted when she noticed the change there. Roughly three dozen hay bales were stacked beside the building. She could have sworn those weren''t there the last time. With her finger tapping her lips, she deliberated what else they might need the bales for. Or was it the space in the shelter they needed and the bales were in the way?

    Suddenly, she heard loud voices from inside the house. Two men seemed to be arguing, but she couldn''t make out the content.. Her brows furrowed when she noticed that one of them sounded like Nathaniel. Worried and curious, she made her way over to the door. She''d never heard him yell before; when he got angry it was usually an ice cold, controlled emotion. Just who could agitate him like this? The other voice also sounded familiar.

    She opened the door for a better acoustic just in time to see Aston hurry down the hallway in the direction of the voices, his hands still fumbling with the last bu??ons of his shirt. She couldn''t hear what he muttered over the noise, but she didn''t need to. His face told it all, making her doubt if he came to calm the opponents or add his own fury to the mix.

    Her head swirled around when she seemed to have heard her name in all the chaos. Did their fight have something to do with her? If so, she had the right to know what it was about, she decided, and followed Aston down the hallway. The door was closed softly behind her.

    Sneaking around the corner, she b?r?ly heard Aston''s footfalls on the stairs, though she saw him stomping. Then he stormed into a room downstairs, leaving the door open behind him. His voice rang out clearly. "Enough! Can you two do nothing but fight? You are waking the whole house, me included! Just shut up and discuss whatever you want to QUIETLY!"

    There was a short pause, maybe due to surprise, then the familiar voice she now recognized as the king''s roared: "What gives you the right to talk to me like that, you snot-nosed brat? Just because I can''t stand and bash your head, you think you can order me around now? Get out!"

    "Former king." She had never heard the growl Nathaniel''s voice turned into now. "Your insecurities aside, you will regret talking like this to one of the two persons who''d still care about you even when you are nothing but an old, disabled man."

    That one hurt, Katherine thought with delight. Without a doubt, she was on Nathaniel''s side. From what she encountered so far, the king was a self-righteous bastard, and Nathaniel''s words had to be well-deserved. Despite that, though, she was also worried. Nathaniel had told her that the king was stabile right now, so she had ?ssumed he would be alright without her help. That seemed to be a misconception though.

    As the three royals continued their discussion quieter, she sneaked even closer to the door, just in time to be caught by Nathaniel who reached out to close it.

    A glitter of amusement lit up his gloomy eyes, lifting his mood by a notch. "Sneaking around again, little mouse? Thought you learned your lesson with the cave and the dungeon."

    Before she could think of a witty reply, the king called out from behind him: "Is that your little wife? She shall enter. Let''s see if she at least is willing to do her duty for her new country."

    When she saw Nathaniel''s expression harden, her own temper was stirred. Squaring her shoulders, she boldly passed him by, positioning herself right in front of the rude old man. "If my husband didn''t do his duty, why are you still alive? I believe he has good reasons for whatever his decisions are."

    From Nathaniel she''d heard everything that happened from while she was a captive until she regained her consciousness - and even though he recounted it very objectively, she''d realized that the rescue of the king had been a suicide mission. Luckily, she didn''t know about it then, or else she would have been crazy with worry. Even now, she felt goose bumps on her skin whenever she thought of it.

    The old man sitting on his bed squinted his eyes at her. They had the same blue as Astons, the same as Nathaniel''s disguise of the patient, yet she couldn''t bring herself to like the color one bit if it was in his face. Even though he sounded very agitated before, he seemed to have regained his calm when she entered the room. Or at least, he didn''t lash out at her directly. "Is that so? The only reason I see is that he wants to shelter and pamper his little wife. Which, in times like these, can cost the lives of hundreds of soldiers. It could cost him a kingdom."

    "Father", Aston tried to negotiate before Katherine could speak up. "She was in a coma. It''s not too much to give her a few days of rest."

    Just as Katherine wanted to ask what this all was about, she felt Nathaniel take her hand and step beside her. Surprised, she glanced up at him. He met her gaze with a serene tranquility that made her stiff back relax instantly. Then he shifted his attention to the king. "You are exaggerating. One or two days do not make a difference in this case. And yes, I did not tell Katherine about this yet, but that is because I do not plan on going there at all. You wanted to make me the next king, so you should lean back and trust that I will do what is necessary. And this one is not."

    His words sounded final, but Katherine couldn''t help thinking that he was leaving something out. "What is it he wants you to do? What has it got to do with me? And just so you know: I am fully recovered already. Why would I be fit enough to learn fighting but not for some mere information anyway?"

    Expectantly, her brows knitted, she gazed up at Nathaniel. Yet the latter seemed to be hesitant, as he pressed his lips together and his eyes radiated unwillingness. Despite this, he pressed her hand even tighter. He seemed to deliberate how to answer her, so she took a fast look around.

    Aston was pale faced, biting his lip and radiating the same nervousness as Nathaniel. He seemed to wait for his cousin-brother to speak up. The line the mouth of the king formed, meanwhile, tried to cover the almost sadistic glee in his eyes. Annoyed, Katherine wondered if he was happy over Nathaniel''s plight after the same man had handled him quite roughly.

    When Katherine thought she had given him enough time, she lifted a brow at her husband. "So?"

    Nathaniel pried his lips apart with a sigh. "Do you really need to know this when I don''t even plan on implementing it?"

    Obviously, her expression was answer enough because he sighed again. "Fine. Just remember you don''t have to do any of this. I don''t even want you to."

    She heard the king snort at the side. "And how else do you plan to -"

    "Let me tell you what I want of you, girl", he said, while still locking eyes with Nathaniel. A wretched grin was edged on his face. "I want you to prove your loyalty to the Icelands. When we first met, I told you that you would get an invitation soon. One that would be your test. And guess what, we captured the messenger yesterday and he had already delivered it some time ago. His name is Frey. Does that ring a bell?"

 Chapter 175 - Absolutely Not!

    The chill Katherine felt seemed to encase her whole being. For a minute, she could only stare, not move or speak a word. She hoped this was a scam, that one would call it out as a bad joke. The only invitation Frey had delivered to her was the one to her cousin''s wedding. Ethan''s wedding. How did this connect to the Icelands in any way?

    Crossing her arms before her ?h?st - to hide her fluster as well as to warm her innards - she tried to appear strong. "I - I don''t understand. What exactly do you want from me?"

    Before the king could respond, Nathaniel beat him to it. "He wants you to attend this wedding and pretend like nothing happened between you and your cousin. But we won''t do that. Yes, we will travel to the border, but that will be to ?ssure that the dragsean won''t attack and to gauge their situation. In dragsean territory even the twins will not dare attack us - with or without the support of Falumor.".

    Katherine''s brows were furrowed. She was anything but excited by this prospect, even if it didn''t involve Ethan. "Isn''t it enough to have spies there? Why do we need to go ourselves? Can''t we hide somewhere else?"

    "Absolutely not", King William refused. "The southern border will be the first to be searched. It would be like hiding at ones own home. Falumor allies with my wife, while the renats have even more reason to hate your husband than any icelander. He slaughtered too many of their men."

    Katherine felt Nathaniel stiffen beside her, but the king just continued: "If Dragsa really wants to attack, we need him to do the same to them, of course. So he has to stay near the border."

    It took Katherine a moment to understand what he meant. That he wanted Nathaniel to use his strange magic to wipe out hundreds of men. Again. When she remembered the condition the patient had been in after the last time, she couldn''t contain her fury anymore. "You want him to do that again? Do you want to kill him?!"

    The blue eyes of the king glinted like steel. "The citizens need to be protected, regardless of who reigns. Only he can do that."

    "I don''t believe this!", Katherine yelled. "That''s way too dangerous! No! Tell him you won''t do this, dear!"

    With the last request she turned to her husband to see his darkened expression. His red eyes stated straight at the king, flickering with anger and frustration. "I''m not a tool for mass murder. And above all, I am not yours to wield. I will judge the situation there myself and I doubt there is justification for such a line of action. Now, if you will excuse us? My wife and me haven''t eaten yet."

    Without waiting for a response, Nathaniel strode out, tugging Katherine along. She didn''t protest. Staring at his tense shoulders from behind, she wondered what else he had endured from this impossible man. Nobody should shoulder such a weight alone. When Nathaniel finally stopped and heaved a sigh, she embraced him from behind. Her head rested on his shoulder blade.

    At first, she felt him stiffen, then relax as his hands gently topped hers. They just stood there on the bottom of the stairs for a moment. The tension slowly washed from his body, and it was alike with her. Despite this, she felt restless remembering what the king had said.

    She couldn''t help asking: "You won''t use your magic like this again, right? You nearly died last time."

    "I will do anything not to", he answered, but the possibility that there might not be a choice swung in the air like a bad smell.

    Katherine pressed her mouth in a line, then she continued: "And what about my cousin? You really won''t collaborate with him again, will you?"

    "I won''t." This time, he spoke instantly, though his voice was soft. She believed it. A small smile lifted up her lips. That was at least something.

    "Is it just because of me?"

    He paused. "Mostly, but he is also not a likable man. Katherine..."

    When she heard the tone of his voice, she brushed a kiss against his spine and relished in his small skip of breath. Then she loosened her embrace to let him turn around. His eyes now burned in a different light than they had when he faced the king. This was a burn of tenderness and affection. Gently, he rested his gloved palm against her cheek.

    "You must know I will never let him stand between us. I am even... deliberating if the kingdom is worth the sacrifices I need to make to reign it." His brows furrowed as his thumb ??r?ssed her temple. In his thoughts, he seemed to be far away. Then, he suddenly returned and with him the piercing authority he carried when he decided on something. "You are not allowed to make any sacrifices in my fight for the throne. Not a single one, understood?"

    But Katherine didn''t understand. With more power than necessary, she slapped his hand away. "What''s that? You think I''m a child that needs protection anywhere it goes? I want to stand beside you, not in a cushioned locked-up room. If there will be sacrifices, we will make them together. Together, you hear me? So, you better make your decision now: kingdom, or no?"

    Nathaniel''s expression turned dark again. "You don''t need to do that. This is my fight."

    Katherine''s eyes squinted, but she soon noticed that she wouldn''t come far with sheer willpower. She had to offer an exchange, even if it was just one on the surface. "If you won''t let me stand by your side in your fights, then don''t even think about supporting me in mine. Because regardless of what it costs me, I will have my cousin''s head."

    As the declaration reverberated in the air, Katherine thought for the fraction of a second that Nathaniel would just ignore it, thinking that it was a fraud, but then she saw him grit his teeth. "Your damn stubborn blockhead! Why won''t you just let me protect you?"

    With straight shoulders and determination in her eyes she looked up at him, as if she was proud to be called that way. "Because nobody would protect you then, isn''t that clear?"

    Her arrogance triggered and amused him at the same time. If she weren''t so young and harmless, he would say she had the air of a queen. Yet, he couldn''t let her choose her own demise. He had to make her realize that she could contribute nothing to his fight. "And what will you do then? Stand in front of me to catch the arrows?"

    "Yes, if I have to. Because I, at least, will not die of it. And you will not die, even when you use your magic. But only if I am by your side, you understand? We can go through everything together!"

    Surprisingly, he did not have an argument against this. Averting his eyes, he said: "First we should see if your magic can really do anything against mine. If not, you can''t stand beside me in a fight anyway."

    Taking a deep breath, Katherine calmed her temper. "Fine. Let''s do this right after breakfast."

    Then she suddenly smiled brilliantly. "And don''t think I didn''t notice your affection. I just want you to know that I am not a glass figure. As long as you don''t try to lock me up in a cabinet, we are fine. More than fine, actually."

    Seeing the glitter in her violet eyes, Nathaniel didn''t know how to respond to that. The mood swings if his wife were a bit too fast for him to catch early in the morning, so he just held out his arm for her. She took it and as she snuggled by his side, their argument seemed to be forgotten already. At least, until they stepped into the training space.

 Chapter 176 - Magic

    The shelter had been ridden of its hay bales, turning it into a surprisingly big empty hall with earthen floor and metal walls. There was not a single living thing in the area, not even a blade of grass or left-behind straw, so Nathaniel''s magic could not spread, even if it spilled. In the middle of the empty space, Nathaniel let go of Katherine''s hand and faced her.

    "You know there''s nothing forcing you to do this", he said earnestly. "If you don''t feel right or get scared, we can stop at any time."

    The stubborn rise of Katherine''s chin was all he got for an answer.

    "C''mon Nathan, don''t be so dramatic", Aston called out from one of the walls of the shelter, where he leaned and nibbled on a sandwich. He had insisted to follow them ''because the experiment should also be watched by someone uninvolved''. It was a surprisingly logic suggestion, though Katherine would have preferred it to be someone more experienced than a fifteen-year-old.

    Nathaniel just ignored his little brother and pulled at his gloves. Katherine could not help but notice that his strong and slender fingers trembled slightly as they were b?r?d of any cover. Her heart turned soft like bu??er.

    "It will be alright", she murmured with a smile that was just for him. "I will be alright, because we will be careful. Don''t worry."

    Nathaniel nodded quietly, though he knew that the tremble was due to excitement. He felt fear, a very explainable and rational fear, but the overbearing emotion, the one he tried hard to suppress, was the excitement to feel someone with his hands again. Especially her. The last time his hands touched living skin was almost twenty years ago. Inwardly, he berated himself for the being so emotional, but he couldn''t help it.

    "Cover your hands in magic", he ordered quietly. "Put as much in it as you can. We can always reduce it afterward."

    Katherine''s hands began to glow. First softly like fireflies, then it suddenly lit up, shortly blinding the three onlookers. Katherine let out a small gasp. This view confirmed what she had suspected: somehow her near-death experience had lifted a block on her magic, making it blaze stronger and reach further from her skin than ever before.

    When her eyes got used to the light, she saw that an orb of it had formed around her hands, about half a meter in every direction. That was so much bigger than usual that she couldn''t help but stare. Especially since it didn''t take more afford. If she concentrated, she could intensify the light and even reach a few more centimeters. Fascinated, she played around a bit, until her husband''s tense voice called her back to focus.

    "I will touch the orb with my magic now."

    An ominous black bead had formed on his fingertip. Despite being as small as a pea, it carried an aura of gloom, of destruction.

    All three held their breath when it neared the gleaming light. When the two magics touched, Katherine''s blazed up again so that it was hard to look on. Yet neither party dared to blink. Soon, Nathaniel pulled back.

    "It feels like I''m touching a wall", he said, amazed, but not yet convinced. "Let''s try this again."

    He conjured a bigger ball of his magic, but the result remained the same. The darkness, though hungrily urging him forward in his mind, couldn''t enter the shiny sphere, like there was some kind of barrier. "Fascinating."

    Curiously, he stretched out his other hand, waving it through the sphere. As long as it was not imbued with magic, he felt no resistance at all, at most a tingle in his flesh. He also couldn''t send magic into the hand when it was already in the sphere. It was stopped just out of it in his arm.

    With disbelieve, his eyes searched Katherine''s. She was grinning so widely that her mouth almost split. Triumph and happiness were vivid in her expression, finally convincing him that this was really happening. Could it be? Was he free of his bonds?

    "Take my hand", she urged him, impatiently stretching out her smaller one. "Take it. You know I will be alright."

    Instead, he blinked against the tears and returned the grip just as strongly. Slowly, his thumb ??r?ssed the back of her hand, marveling about its softness and warmth. About the strong spirit of a woman that did not give up despite how broken and complicated he was. If he had known beforehand that she was his salvation, he could never have pushed her away. Though maybe he would have doubted there was salvation for someone like him.

    He lifted his head, and when his eyes met hers again, Katherine felt a shiver run down her spine. Her mouth went dry confronted with the hunger and heat that radiated from him. In the light of her magic, his featured had sharpened, accentuating his strong jaw, high cheekbones, and the little scar near his chin. Suddenly, she wondered how it would taste. Her breath hitched.

    Hearing it with the accuracy of a predator, he tilted his head. His voice was a sensual growl. "Put your magic around your head. Now."

    A conscious thought was not necessary, because the second she heard him, her emotions got in turmoil, causing her magic to flare up all around her body like a living torch. The light only got stronger when he buried his hand in her hair and lowered his head. Her heart sped up with the expectation of a strong, heated kiss. The first of that sort initiated by him. Yet, when his lips touched hers, it was as soft as a feather. They brushed against the corners of her mouth, her upper lip, then her lower one.

    His grip in her hair was tight, with all the pent-up hunger, but he deliberately held back to savor in the moment. The frustration let her m??n longingly, winding her arms around his neck to pull him closer.

    Somewhere at the back of her mind, she heard someone cough. Then Nathaniel''s mouth descended upon hers again, and this time there was only heat, hunger, and wetness.

    Their breath turned rough when their tongues entangled, fighting with a fervor that stemmed from endless waiting and d?s?r?. The smell of firewood invaded her nose and the slick noise of their kiss burned in her ears, mixed with their m??ns. Sliding her tongue against his, she licked and su?k?d him in. His groan vibrated sensually in her mouth before he went to plunder. There was no thought left in their brains. Just the need to feel and devour. To conquer with heart and body.

    Katherine''s hands tugged at the cords of his shirt, when a loud yell stilled her.

    "Hey! Do you really want to do it in a place like this? With me watching? Bro, have some decency!"

    Panting, the couple''s lips parted. Katherine''s face turned red with embarrassment when she noticed that Aston was still in the shelter. She had completely forgotten about him, lost in Nathaniel''s sudden intimacy.

    With one hand, Nathaniel pulled her against his ?h?st, and scowled at his brother. It was an instinctive reaction to hide her sweet blush from unworthy eyes, but Katherine only turned redder when she heard the fast thumping of his heart.

    Finally, Nathaniel caught his breath and spat out: "Listen to the rumors about yourself before you judge what I do with my wife.. If I were to take her right here and now, you better turn tail and run. Don''t you dare look at her indecently, understood?"

 Chapter 177 - Coming Soon

    Dear readers, this is a dummy chapers to confuse the machines copying my book. The real chapter is coming soon on . If you want to support me monetarily, you can read this book on GoodNovel instead. Please don''t support piracy. One day, they might steal from you, too. To everyone who reads this on : thank you for staying with me <3

 Chapter 178 - Kisses and Choices

    Yet in the end, the king was unlucky. Katherine couldn''t repair his ability to walk. She ?ssumed that it was because too much time passed, and the injuries had partially healed wrongly. Again, something new she learned about her ability, and she was not happy about that.

    As she was of no help, the king refused to be helpful as well, only saying that he had wanted Ethan as an ally of the Icelands instead of a possible threat. She highly doubted Ethan could be a good ally. There had to be something bigger behind it.

    Leaving the room with a sour feeling, she discovered Nathaniel leaning against the wall next to the door. His arms were crossed in front of his ?h?st, stretching his black shirt a bit over the muscles of his arms and broad shoulders. A small smile flittered over his lips when he noticed her gaze, yet his words were serious. "You are too kind to him."

    She nodded, closing the door. "You were just as lenient."

    "He still has some use. And he''s Aston''s father." His brows were furrowed as if he himself wasn''t sure if that was the whole truth.

    "I once had a cousin", she answered simply. Sometimes, family turned out to be bad company one would better be without. Yet, it was hard to leave them behind as long as they didn''t betray oneself openly. Only when she mentioned it, did Katherine notice that this was no topic she wanted to talk about. So she changed it by placing her hand on his arm. "Let''s go fix you up, alright? We can talk politics later."

    The smile that hit her this time, was slow and stunning. "Alone in a room. It''ll be my p???sur?."

    His hand ran down her back, sending a pleasant shiver through her skin, before she lightly slapped it away. "I heard healers are not allowed to flirt with their patients."

    "But patients are allowed to flirt with their healers, are they not?", he rebuked, eyes glittering with mirth, but also intense enough to tell her that she would not get away easily. Now that the ice age was over, she saw a completely new side of him. And that daring smirk of his was damn s?xy.

    It told her straight away that a kiss was inevitable as soon as they were alone - maybe more. And when their lips touched, her mind would go haywire, making her a trembling mess of d?s?r?. Now already her knees were weak, and she su?k?d in a sharp breath.

    For a second, fear struck her. How sure was she that he wouldn''t exploit her weakness? That his ability wouldn''t break lose and kill them? There were still things they didn''t test about it...

    "Katherine." Nathaniel''s hand was on her cheek, his gloved thumb tenderly stroking it. "We won''t go all the way. I know where to stop. If the wisps directly touch you, it might still be bad, so just a bit. A few kisses. Maybe like last time. I know it won''t be enough, but I need that. I need you. You are... affecting me. And it just gets harder to resist every damn second."

    The sharp breath he released was proof of his inner fight. It was hard for him to acknowledge his d?s?r?, how it was straining him, but it wasn''t fair to keep it from her either. It was burning in him, encouraged by the sweet smell of roses in the air, and the softness that pressed against the leather.

    "I''m afraid we can''t be alone in a room if you say no", he whispered.

    Her lips opened like a flower blossom in a soundless ''oh'' as her gaze jumped over his body. Only now she noticed the taut muscles and fast rhythm of his breath. In his pants was a big bulge that he didn''t even try to hide. Because of his teasing, she had thought there was still time, that she should first look after his bodily wellbeing before fulfilling their needs. A rational decision. Now, she knew that her husband needed her before he could appreciate rationality again.

    When their eyes met again, he growled low in his ?h?st and she saw the red fire burn even hotter. His hand wandered down to the back of her neck and grabbed it tightly. "Make your choice now, Katherine!"

    Despite his intensity, her fear was gone. How could she think for a second that this man would hurt her? The last time, he tried to get away even when she lost her mind with ?ust. He was not the one to endanger them, and she had also learned her lesson. Hopefully. With a smile, she coiled her arms around his neck and went to her tiptoes. Her skin lit up in the brightness of her power when she whispered next to his lips: "I will always choose you."

    Instinctively, he turned them, backing her up against a wall, so he could bring them even closer together. Her lips were sweet and hot and perfect, and her hands fisting in his hair felt painfully good. He could not get enough of her.

    Suddenly, he pulled away, gasping for air. "We should - get upstairs."

    Completely dazed, it took Katherine a second to nod. Then she was already in his arms. Taking two or three steps with each stride, Nathaniel carried her up the stairs, his pulse thumping in his ears.

    A giggle of joy and hilarity fell off Katherine''s lips. The way one kiss turned her into a fool for love, was absolutly incredible. But at least, Nathaniel seemed to have the same weakness. Wiggling in his arms, she pressed a kiss on his throat, then his jaw, earning her a growl as his arms tightened. "Don''t. Tease. Me!"

    "But I want to." Another kiss landed on his neckline, followed by a little lick. She could see his hairs rise up in goose bumps as he su?k?d in a breath to curse. On his back, wisps of darkness evaporated in her sphere of light, but for now, her power was stable. So she kissed and nibbled a bit more.

    When they reached her room, he all but threw her on the bed. Panting heavily, he was soon over her slender form, towering above her like a big panther over his prey. His eyes were as hot as she felt.

    For a second, he halted and pressed them shut, struggling with his emotions. Knowing that she might have driven it too far, Katherine reached out a hand to ??r?ss his cheek, and the tension in his muscles relaxed a bit. Then the deadly smirk was back on his mouth, eyes glinting evilly under hooded lids. "I will so pay you back for this, woman. Prepare yourself."

    Katherine held her breath, excitement rippling over her skin and prickling between her legs.

 Chapter 179 - Good Evening

    Katherine awoke to the regular thumping of a heartbeat. Leaving her eyes closed, she tried to grasp the dream she''d just had, not willing to let it go. In the dream Nathaniel had finally opened up to her. They were together in bed, doing things that made her hot with d?s?r?, begging and commanding him to take her already - not that he did, in the end. Yet it was still wonderful. He even stayed with her for the night.

    She felt something tug on her hair. It was a soft tug. Maybe Froseti had hopped onto her bed again, sniffing on her to see if she was edible. Though she loved the rabbit, she should really be stricter with him.

    But then she remembered that Froseti had again been left behind - this time in the palace. She knotted her brows. What was that on her hair then? And while she was at it, why was the mattress slowly moving like the sea below her?

    Her lids sprang open. Nathaniel. It was no dream. He was still with her. To be exact, she had buried him beneath her, completely crawling on top of him in her sleep. She dearly hoped she had not salivated on him as well. As her heart sped up with anxiety, she forced her body to stillness. Mind me, she had never slept on a man before, at least not one that wasn''t family. Well, there was that one time in the chair in Nathaniel''s room... but that didn''t count, since it was not a bed. In bed it felt somehow closer.

    First things first, she had to check how bad it was. The corners of her mouth felt neither wet nor brittle with dried saliva. That was good. None of her limbs touched b?r? skin, so at least he could not scold her because of that. Now to the biggest problem. And it really was a big problem, right beneath her th??h. Big, raging hot, and hard like iron.

    Heat rose in her cheeks as she wondered what she should do with that. Probably Nathaniel was still asleep, or he would not have laid this still beneath her with a hard-on, right? Yeah, probably not.

    Listening to the rhythmic heartbeat under her ear, the instinctive panic slowly subsided, but her arousal remained. After yesterday it was surprising that she wanted him again already. Well, maybe not that surprising since she didn''t even see the thing that throbbed against her th??h clearly. Though her fingers were itching to explore, she held back her curiosity. She didn''t want Nathaniel to panic first thing in the morning because he woke up feeling someone touch his skin. Especially there. Still, his tall and slender body felt too good beneath her.

    Carefully, she moved her hand over his ?h?st to his shoulder, then down his arm. The fabric of his shirt was smooth, thinly covering the hard edges and muscles of his body. Feeling his warmth, her mouth opened slightly. These broad shoulders, this s?xy body had sat between her legs yesterday while he ... a trembling breath left her.

    He had licked her slit so thoroughly, but it was dripping wet again only thinking of his ??r?sses. Her whole body tingled as if he had blown the dust off an unused instrument, giving it new strings and now only a touch of its owner sufficed to make her body vibrate with music. He didn''t even need to do anything.

    Uncomfortable with this realization and especially the wetness that slowly leaked out of her core, she was about to move away from him, when she felt that soft tug on her hair again. She looked up - and right into that pair of crimson eyes. Instantly, her face began to burn while her breath got stuck in her throat.

    "Good evening." His voice was a low rumble. She could feel the vibration under her body, and it only made matters worse. Now, her body was aching for his touch. The urge to just kiss him senseless awoke in her, but rationality told her that she had most likely bad morning breath, so she held back. But she had to get away from his body. Just what the heck was up with her?

    Mumbling an "evening" back, she rushed out of bed and over to the small water basin. The icy water she splashed in her face and the cold air of the room helped somewhat. Drinking two mouthfuls also might flush down the worst of her morning breath. She was about to turn to him again, when two strong and warm arms embraced her waist, nullifying all her afford. A small gasp escaped her as the d?s?r? rushed back into her veins.

    "Are you alright?" The low husky voice made her toes curl and she had to grasp his arms as to not rub her fingers over her br??sts.

    "Mm-hm." Forming words was impossible. It was difficult enough not to lean back against him and press against that hardness that she knew must still be there waiting for her. But her beloved wanted to wait, and she didn''t want to anger him again like the last time she followed her urges. So, she had to control herself. And if she so much as felt his erection, she would be a goner.

    "Katherine." A soft kiss to her shoulder where the nightgown covered her skin. She shuddered, begging for the strength to resist. "You can tell me if it was too much for you. If I did anything you didn''t want, you should have stopped me."

    There was a slight scolding to his tone, yet all she could do was think how ridiculous this was. He doing something she didn''t want? No. Never. If anything, he did not do enough. But even that wasn''t fair, since he p???sur?d her so much yesterday while holding himself back. He just wanted her to be safe. She could understand that. She even wanted that as well, and yet she would have given her life if only she could feel him completely right now. Inside her. Moving and thrusting his ???k into her dripping cave.

    Her head buzzed as she leaned it forward. Her voice was but a whisper as guilt and need fought in her, yet it was clear enough. "That''s not it. I wanted it. I want everything. If you don''t want me to take it from you right now, you should go. Give me... a few minutes to calm down."

    Slowly, one at a time, she pried her fingers free of his arms, where they dug into his skin through the fabric. Inside her, she wondered if he might find her threat ridiculous. A woman, ?ssaulting a strong man like him? But she knew clearly that if she decided to follow through, he wouldn''t stand a chance. Not because she was stronger or wittier, but because his own body and d?s?r? would betray him.

    The fact that he willingly let go of her and stepped back only proved her point. Yes, her husband was a wise man. He knew how convincing a woman could be if she really wanted something.

    Before he left the room, Nathaniel halted at the door. His voice was somewhat raspy as if he fought his d?s?r? as well. "We will leave for Dragsa soon. Maybe if you want something to do, you can make a list of what you need. We will stop by a town to buy it."

    Then he left, and Katherine exhaled with a shudder. But the fragrance of coffee and firewood that ?ssaulted her nose in the next breath was enough to let her hands wander instinctively. Oh god, just what had he done to her? Now, that she knew how it was, would he always make her hot like this with just a glance?

    Dear phoenix, please have mercy on me, she begged in her mind.. She couldn''t stand this fire at all.

 Chapter 181 - Behind the Curtain

    The town was bigger than the one near the border, almost a small city. With the help of Sam''s magic, Nathaniel was disguised as a brown-haired, blue-eyed stranger that was still as handsome as his actual appearance, but way less menacing.

    Looking up at him, Katherine grinned. Independently, she herself had decided for the same colors and now they looked somewhat like siblings roaming the streets, with Sam as the old guardian watching over them. Well, that was only at first glance. Until one noticed the possessive glint in Nathaniel''s eyes whenever he looked at her, and the way their fingers were inter-laced. Despite the bustling street, her husband didn''t let go for a moment and she was more than elated about it.

    "If it wasn''t for the danger, I would pull you in an empty street and teach you not to wear such clothes in public", he now grumbled near her ear, making her stomach flutter.

    Cheekily, she gave him contra. "You already tried that at home. Besides, it''s easier to move in this, in case we have to run."

    "I know." He again scrutinized her from top to toe, his gaze slowing as it came to the leather pants that hugged her legs tightly like a second skin. "I want to try it again. That, or I have to kill all those men goggling at you."

    With a giggle, Katherine raised her brows. "Goggling? The men? Nonsense. If anything, they''re wary because of you. The women, they are really goggling. See, that one over there? She''s clearly checking you out. Really, why do you have to be so tall and handsome? I feel a bit inconspicuous beside you."

    Helplessly shaking his head, Nathaniel realized that his woman was blind to her own charm. Especially her charm in a body-hugging training attire. "What a shame, I''m already sold. To my not-so-inconspicuous wife."

    Defiance and mirth flickered in Katherine''s eyes. "I don''t think she''d care about that."

    "I care about that. Now that I think about it, why don''t you give me a kiss, so everyone knows we''re both off the market?" The smirk on Nathaniel''s lips showed clearly that he knew it was impossible right now, since everyone would see her magic then.

    The women and men on the stands framing the main street of cobblestone were already gazing curiously at them. It was not every day they saw a woman in pants, especially not when she and her partner looked to be somewhat wealthy. Every merchant here hoped to strike a deal with them. If possible, they would sell all their goods for a higher price. Showing them magic would let them ?ssume they were nobles and the price as well as danger would more than double. Though, if they knew who they really were, they wouldn''t be nearly as thrilled. Probably, they would run to the next imperial institution and call any guards they could find.

    With a huff, Katherine turned away, then her eyes lit up. "Why don''t we go in there? Maybe we can catch a break between the curtains."

    She pointed at a clothing store across the street. Nathaniel squinted his eyes as his gaze wandered from the sign above to Katherine''s rosy mouth. "Why do I feel you want to catch more than just a break?"

    As if deep in thought, Katherine tapped her lips with her finger. Then her smile blazed once more. "Well, maybe because I need a few clothes as well?"

    Nathaniel grinned, slowly and knowingly. "My mischievous little wife, if you want something, you only need to ask."

    Behind the couple, Sam could do nothing but roll his eyes in exasperation and sigh. "Kids these days..."

    Although he had planned for them to find each other, he was a bit disturbed at how openly they displayed their affection. The whole day now, they only got eyes for each other. If not for the short motion of his hand in Sam''s direction, the old man would''ve even doubted Nathaniel had noticed the unusual amount of conspicuous people on the streets. For example, the woman Katherine pointed out. She could be a spy or part of a gang. In either way, she clearly played her affectionate trance to rob the person beside her.

    With another sigh, Sam gestured for Dorian and the other guard who accompanied them to secure the store and its surroundings, before he himself vanished in an alley. He might as well gather information about what was going on here.

    .

    The doorbell rung, and a thin woman bustled through a curtain into her shop. Katherine noticed that her smile seemed a bit tense, and her blonde hair was lackluster. Her dress though, was of a simple elegance, adorned with a small necklace of blue beads that made her eyes shine.

    "Hello, Jasmin''s my name. How may I help you?" A second later, her gaze fell on Katherine''s attire, and she pursed her lips, as if about to say something. Yet in the end, she decided otherwise. A good decision, Katherine thought. Any derisive comment would let her leave this shop again without even getting one kiss.

    "We are looking for a traveling dress for my wife", Nathaniel explained in a relaxed tone. He was already scrutinizing the shelves. Soon noticing most of the goods were folded to save space, he frowned, then focused on the shop owner. "Something comfortable, but beautiful. Maybe violet or -"

    When he felt a tug on his hand, he halted and looked at Katherine, who smiled up at him innocently, but with a decisive glitter in her eyes. "Darling, why don''t you go sit over there while I decide on my dress?"

    She pointed at a chair with the humorous label "for husbands and sons" above it in a corner of the room. Nathaniel blinked, blinked again, then the corners of his mouth lifted in a s?xy smirk. "As my Lady commands."

    Before wandering over to his seat, he lifted her hand to place a kiss on her fingers in the thin leather of a women''s riding gloves. Katherine giggled and glanced at the shop owner from the corner of her eyes. The woman''s pale skin was now adorned with a slight blush, but she didn''t seem disturbed by the affection. If anything, her smile appeared more real now. Good, Katherine thought. Maybe I can like her after all.

    The next few minutes showed that the shop owner knew her craft. She first measured Katherine''s waist and high, before pointing out three dresses that would accentuate her skin tone, hair or eyes. Since the latter two were faked, Katherine only took the first to test in the cabin. The fact that nobody else was there to occupy the owner so that Nathaniel and her could hide in the cabin and snatch a kiss or two, saddened her a bit.

    When she entered the cabin, however, that inkling was silenced. Her whole body and mind came to a screeching halt. At the high of her head, three wanted posters stared back at her, their eyes seemingly flickering with evil intent. Above each of the pictures, a line read "Wanted for the murder of King William Icefall". It was her, Nathaniel, and Aston.

    Jasmin''s voice reached her as if through a tunnel, muffled and resounding at the same time. "Everything okay? Are you uncomfortable? Oh, these. I can take them down if they are disturbing you."

    A white hand stretched out for the pictures, but Katherine stopped her with a shaky smile. "No. It''s okay. I... I was just surprised to see criminals so suddenly."

    Her gaze involuntarily wandered to Nathaniel, who seemed to be concerned, but not as frightened to the core as she was. Another gaze at the pictures let Katherine exhale as well. The painting didn''t catch his features good enough to recognize him without his signature colors. She didn''t have to worry about her own picture, since that totally looked like a different person. No wonder when the painter might have never seen her.

    Straightening her shoulders, Katherine turned to the owner again. "Thank you, Jasmin. I think I will try the dress now."

    Yet the first thing she did when she closed the curtain, was to inspect the pictures very thoroughly. Each of them was adorned with the line "dead or alive" beneath the picture, but Nathaniel had a second and third line attached as well. Somehow it made her proud to read "extremely dangerous - approach with extreme caution". Yes, that was her husband for them! They should better take care and leave him alone.

    Then she furrowed her brows. Damn, why didn''t she get such a cool slogan? Next time, she would make sure to get one as well. Suddenly, she laughed sheepishly.. Her, extremely dangerous? Yeah, right. And who was she fooling now?

 Chapter 182 - The Glowing Lady

    Katherine acquired two travel gowns, a new nightgown, shoes, stockings, a hat, a dress for more fancy events, and a beautiful pair of earrings. Though it would be more correct to say that Nathaniel acquired the earrings, as he suddenly appeared with them in hand after vanishing from the clothing store. Brushing her hair to the side, he gently put them on her, then stole a kiss from her when Jasmin was just looking through some other clothes.

    Catching his hair before he broke them apart, Katherine deepened the kiss and let magic glimmer on her skin. Their tongues entangled and the d?s?r? returned mightily to their bodies, almost swamping them. Lips crashed against lips; the m??ns stifled to catch no attention. Nathaniel''s arm coiled around her waist, pulling her even closer.

    When they finally parted, both panting and dissatisfied, Katherine tenderly rubbed her nose against his. "Darling, lets make the last test in the evening. I don''t want to wait anymore and if we set out soon, we won''t get another chance before settling somewhere again."

    Nathaniel was quiet for a moment, gazing deeply into her eyes. "You used every ounce of your magic for the last test, and then again in the evening. Are you sure you''re not overexerting yourself?"

    "I''m fine", Katherine reassured him very determinedly. "My magic power even seems to have increased. Besides, I will only get tired, even if it''s emptied out again."

    Despite her saying this, Nathaniel didn''t seem convinced. Or maybe there was something else bothering him.

    "What if it fails? I don''t want you to get hurt, even if you can heal yourself afterward." His gaze was very serious while he tenderly ??r?ssed the small of her back. "I shouldn''t risk your safety for my selfish d?s?r?."

    "Nathaniel." Gently but firmly, Katherine held his face in both of her hands. "Look into my eyes and hear what I say. I am not doing this for you, but for just the same selfish reasons you''ll do this for. If something goes wrong, I only have myself to blaim, because it was my decision. You warned me so many times, but I still decided to do this. So, if you blaim yourself after this, it will mean that you only see me as a child that isn''t capable of thinking for itself. I would be very insulted by this. Understood?"

    The gorgeous former red now blue eyes turned blank at this declaration, then an amused smile lifted up the corners of his mouth. Softly, he brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. "Sweety, you can''t command me not to worry. If something happened to you, I would feel guilty regardless of what you say. Besides, it is just as unfair for you to take all the blaim as you think it is for me. But since you insist, I suggest we split it half-half. How about it?"

    Katherine didn''t answer. However, that was not because she didn''t agree. Her brain just stopped working at the very first word out of her husband''s mouth.

    "Did you... just call me Sweety?", she whispered.

    "I did?"

    "Yeah, you did. You really did!" Suddenly, Katherine laughed out loud with happiness and threw her arms around his neck, turning Nathaniel stiff with surprise. "You did! You did! That''s the first pet name that wasn''t used for the facade! My icy hubby is warming up to me! I''m so happy!"

    Gingerly, she attacked Nathaniel''s face with kisses, until the poor man had to cover his face to get away from her. "Katherine that''s - "

    Suddenly, his eyes flickered with wariness, and he caught her shoulders to keep her still. When Katherine looked up in surprise, she saw the shop owner standing beside them, a new dress in hand. How long did she stand there already? Had she heard their names? Did she draw the conclusions? From the tenseness of Nathaniel''s muscles, she knew that he had the same questions in mind.

    The shop owner was very quiet, her already pale skin now with a ghostly touch and her blue eyes jumped. She trembled. It was obvious that she heard something, and also concluded something.

    When Nathaniel slowly straightened to his full height, Jasmin took a step back. But then her eyes flickered to Katherine and something strange emerged on her face. It was an emotion, but if it was longing or pain was hard to tell.

    She opened her mouth, yet it didn''t seem like she was about to cry for help. Despite the obvious danger that was Nathaniel, her eyes remained on Katherine.

    "There are rumors", she whispered. "About a magic that looks like light. A glowing Lady that can cure the wounded and sick. Is... Is this true?"

    Instinctively, Nathaniel moved to the side, as if to block the gaze on Katherine, yet the latter held him back by the arm. Searching the other woman''s eyes for something, Katherine slowly answered: "It is true. I can cure the wounded and sick."

    "You know who we are, don''t you?", Nathaniel added, his voice threatening. Yet somehow it didn''t suffice to avert Jasmin''s attention for longer than a breath. She was soly fixed on Katherine, as if she didn''t care about her own life.

    "The goddess must have send you", Jasmin murmured softly to herself, and tears started rolling down her cheeks. Then suddenly, she went to her hands and knees and placed her forehead firmly against the wooden floor. "Lady Balder, I beg of you to help me! Help me save my husband! Please!"

    .

    After saving another life and being ?ssured that neither the shop owner nor her husband, whose lungs were collapsing after breathing too much smoke in a burning warehouse, would talk about their encounter, Katherine felt very weak. Her legs wobbled and she nearly passed out standing. When Nathaniel picked her up and carried her in his arms, she didn''t protest.

    "Usually, I''m not so easily exhausted", she murmured apologetically against his ?h?st, and snuggled closer.

    Nathaniel remained silent. He had an inkling that Katherine''s power didn''t quite like the excessive use in the last few days. She looked almost ill, and her near-death experience was only a few days in the past. Yet he knew that she would''ve insisted on curing the man even if she herself was anything but fine. So, he suppressed the urge to scold her and brought her back instead. She already slept when they reached the carriage and didn''t wake up despite the bumps in the road.

    "My little dummy", he sighed, knowing she wouldn''t hear him. "Didn''t I tell you that you''re too kind?"

    The thought that she might kill herself to help others sometime, tore his heart. What he was afraid of the most was that it could be for him. She was someone who would forget about herself to make her loved ones happy. When he felt her temperature fall, he wrapped her into his coat and swore that he wouldn''t let her do this. There would be no test tomorrow or in the near future. His woman had to be perfectly healthy before he allowed her to take such a risk again, even if he had to fight her over it. And because if her stubbornness, he was pretty sure they were about to fight.

    "It''s not like I don''t want this as well", he murmured, already unwilling when he mulled over the question how he should explain her they wouldn''t have s?x anytime soon. "I hate this. Why can''t we just have a normal relationship?"

    Sighing, he rested his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her closer. The smell of water and roses slowly washed his annoyance away, but he knew it would return soon. It would not be easy to convince Katherine since she was so determined to have her way with him soon.. Maybe it was even completely impossible.

 Chapter 184 - The Weasel Escaped

    Their lips b?r?ly touched when Katherine pulled back again. Though she wanted to kiss, she wanted to win even more, and that meant that she had to play it slow, to tempt him. Her love-advisor Annie had told her once that tempting was done by not relieving the frustration.

    Brushing her lips against his, she looked deeply into his eyes, and saw Nathaniel''s confusion. He must be thinking why I don''t use the opportunity, she mused, and a grin tugged on the corners of her mouth.

    The glimmer of her magic was faint on her hands and face when she lifted them again. Another soft kiss and her fingers fluttered over his arms to his shoulders, resting lightly on his collar. The ticking of the watch spurred her on and let her tremble with anxiety simultaneously. Just a little more teasing, then she would give him more. She couldn''t mess this up.

    Her nails ran over the b?r? skin of his neck and up into his hair, earning her a low groan, before he bent down to get more of her.

    This time, his lips were hot and hungry, su?k?n? and challenging her to a real kiss. For a second, she got swept away and m??n?d into his mouth. This was so good, letting thousands of bu??erflies flutter in her stomach. Her method was working! His tongue slid against hers and into the wetness beyond, trying to plunder. But she held against it with her own, engaging him into an exciting battle. Yet, when she tiptoed to meet him even stronger, she noticed with a start that his hands were still behind his back.

    Panting, she pulled away and met his gaze. Though he looked disheveled and heated, there was a devilishly handsome smirk on his face.

    "Little vixen", he whispered, his eyes under hooded lids smoldering, but with an amusement inside that was a little wicked. "I saw through your game. But please, I won''t stop you from continuing. It is very entertaining."

    In his hair, Katherine''s hands fisted. Then she laughed it off lightly and pulled his head down to hers. Her supple lips pressed sideways against his cheek, she whispered a secret into his ear. "You want to sound mighty to make me give up early, my love. But I can feel you tremble under my breath. Even when you speak, all you look at are my lips as if they were a delicious steak you want to bite and salvor in so badly. But since you only find them ''entertaining'' as you said, I won''t give them to you again. If you want them, you have to take them yourself."

    The dissatisfied grumble that confirmed her ?ssumption made her heart flutter with elation. Not giving him time to disengage, she caught his ear loop with her teeth and su?k?d on it.

    He hissed, his body turning stiff for a second. "That''s not part of the bet. Your lips should be-"

    "On yours? But you don''t seem to need them. You even want to wait for eternity before we have s?x. Waiting for a kiss a bit should be easy, right?", Katherine teased, leaving a trail of pecks down his neck. The ticking sound got more unnerving every time it rang in the air, though she knew there must still be time.

    "You are one feisty woman." Behind his back, Nathaniel''s fists were balled, but he gave his best to seem unaffected. Though all of Katherine''s words were true, he still believed he was doing the right thing. Or had believed so, until her touches started messing with his head. Slowly, right and wrong seemed to get less important before his overpowering d?s?r?.

    "Look at me, darling", Katherine murmured, and he couldn''t do anything but look into the violet wells of stars that were her eyes. The blood was pumping in his veins in a fast, tantalizing rhythm, urging him forward. Under her tempting ??r?sses, his hands untangled unknowingly, driven by the sheer allure of this woman and the tender feelings that shone brightly in her eyes.

    "I love you", she whispered, and as if the lock on a cage was smashed, his hands flew to her slender back and into her hair, pressing her against him. With a desperate groan, he met her lips in a kiss.

    Just then, a sharp knocking sound interrupted them. Katherine stilled, but Nathaniel was so out of his mind that he only tilted her head to the side and kissed her again, longing to feel her deeper. Under his hunger, Katherine was about to give in when the door swung wide open.

    "Nathan!" On the threshold stood the youngest Prince with alarm in his sea blue eyes. He didn''t even notice what he was interrupting, despite Nathaniel''s eyes glaring daggers at him when he broke the kiss. "The little weasel escaped! We need to leave now, before bro and sis send soldiers over!"

    Without even properly glancing at the couple, Aston ran away, obviously to alert his father and everyone else. He left the door wide open, robbing the couple of any prior privacy. Frozen in action, Katherine and Nathaniel stared after him. Finally, Katherine blinked in confusion. "Who is this weasel?"

    Sighing heavily, Nathaniel let go of her and stepped back. "You remember the king saying that he knew about your invitation to your cousin''s wedding? Aston recently caught the little messenger who send you these news. Looks like he escaped now and might divulge our hideout."

    Slowly, Katherine''s eyes went wide. "The little messenger? You mean Frey? He was here?"

    "If that''s his name, then yes. He is about thirteen years old with black hair and amber eyes, and nearly managed to sneak into your chambers through the window. Though he''s a sly fellow, the guards were good to him, as he''s still a kid. Maybe too good, seeing that he escaped. Anyway, we should hurry. When the soldiers reach here, it would be best to be as far away as possible."

    While talking, Nathaniel already picked up his pocket watch, but Katherine''s hand on his stilled him. With a serious gaze, she turned his palm to look at the watch. The minute was not completely over, the second hand seemingly stuck in repeating the motion from fifty-eight to fifty-nine over and over again.

    Nathaniel sighed. "Even time bows before your hard head."

    "That means I win, does it not?", Katherine asked with a cheeky grin.

    Grasping her hand in his, Nathaniel placed it on his ?h?st, over his heart. As if she could feel the rapid thumping inside, she looked up in surprise. "You got me real good, my wife. I concede."

    Her wide happy smile was enough to bring him over his loss of pride. "Even though we don''t know if the time was up already?"

    Nathaniel tilted his head in a mocking manner. "Since when do you care about fairness? Your confession was clearly below the belt."

    "But not in terms of rules! Well, maybe it was still a bit unfair... but I regret nothing!" Her fierceness as she crossed her arms in front of her ?h?st made him chuckle. Gently, he tugged a lock of hair behind her ear.

    When she heard no rebuke, her stance relaxed, and she asked: "So, does that mean we will test the magic before we break up tents?"

    Nathaniel thought for a while, and slowly nodded. "It would be good to clean this place thoroughly once everyone is out anyway. Then you can see what it truly is you are fighting against. And we will see if your magic can protect you - even without your active command. That is what you want, right?"

    She nodded, then sighed. "It would''ve been ideal to have time afterwards. But I guess that will have to wait until we find a new save haven after all."

    There was a bout of silence between them, then she straightened her spine. "Now then, I better pack up my new dresses. It would be a shame to leave them behind."

    With a fast peck on his cheek, Katherine hurried out of the room.. As short as this contact might have been, it was enough to flush both their faces and keep them longing for more, even in the danger that was coming at them.

 Chapter 186 - Tears

    "Did it... work?" Although she''d felt it in her magic, she had to hear it from him, hear that he finally believed in her. That he dared to dream of a future.

    His answer was a cryptic one, the tone muffled. "You will know when you open your eyes."

    So she did. She opened her eyes to see... the darkness of the night. No, that was even darker than any night could get, like a black curtain or fire wavering around her shining self. It started from her ?h?st area and grew upwards, almost solid in its impenetrability, but moving and alive at the same time. Then she saw that the origin of it all were Nathaniel''s arms, strongly coiled around her. His dark magic rose in big waves from them, and, liquid-like, formed a dome of pure darkness above their heads, only to fall again into Nathaniel''s head and shoulders.

    Almost reverently, Katherine raised her hands, which she couldn''t even see, and pulled them closer to her face. Soon, the black flames parted in front of her to let the light and her hands through. How really magical, Katherine thought with a smile. This is the magic that kills everyone, but I alone don''t have to be afraid. She turned her hands over and saw not a spot on them. This deadly poison was as docile and translucent as air in front of her. The only thing she could see was its color - or lack thereof.

    "We made it! We really made it!", she exclaimed and excitedly wanted to turn to Nathaniel, yet he didn''t let her. His grip on her was strong and only now she noticed that he was... trembling. His arms coiled tightly around her, he was weeping in the cook of her neck. Not a single sound left his throat, but she felt the wetness on her skin. So many tears fell on her neck that they slowly rolled down her shoulder to tickle her back. Her shirt was already drenched.

    It was then she knew that the darkness had a second use here: In front of his brother, uncle, and all the soldiers, it was hiding Nathaniel''s breakdown. One life of pure loneliness and anxiety was coming to an end. It was enough to know that there was one person in the world he could touch without fear. Yet, the change was too great, the suspense so long that relief made him weep helplessly like a child. He couldn''t do anything about it, just cling onto her as if she was the sole pillar of his support.

    Katherine always knew that his condition had to be painful for him, but it was this moment she understood that it was far more unbearable than anyone could imagine. So unbearable that it nearly killed him. Only his strong will and ambition made him go on, brought him forward day by tormenting day until the memory of loss got dull, the pain numb. But both awoke again when she first dared to touch him, kiss him, stand fearlessly by his side. He had hoped again.

    This was the first time she realized what she had done to him with that little hope. It must have been the worst torment anyone could have bestowed on him. To a creature of the dark, even the dimmest light was painful to the eyes, and he had lived in the dark for decades. But thanks to his strong will he had pulled forward regardless. It was carefully and with great caution, but he made his way to the surface again, leaving loneliness and the fear of the unknown behind. Now, he finally could grasp the light without worry.

    Tears of sympathy collected in Katherine''s eyes, yet she blinked them away. Despite all the pain he had to suffer, this was not a sad occasion. Instead, this was the day his wounds could start healing and the pain would vanish - not because it got dulled, but because it was finally treated with the right medicine.

    Since he didn''t let her turn around, Katherine softly placed her hand on Nathaniel''s head, burying it in his smooth white hair that stood out against the black background. Without saying a word, she pressed her lips against his temple, and that was how they stood. Minutes. Hours. Until his trembling eventually subsided, and his breathing relaxed.

    Katherine could hear worried voices outside the thin wall of their magic shelter, but she didn''t answer them and they didn''t try to break the dome. If it was because of fear or reassurance through their lower bodies that must be still visible outside the dome of darkness, she didn''t know. There was only one person in the world that was important just now: her beautiful wreck of a husband.

    Gently massaging his scalp, she chuckled. "I just remembered our first hug. Who would have known the Earl of the southern border could break down like me back then."

    Hearing that, Nathaniel unwillingly tried to lift his head, yet Katherine pulled him down again. "Shush, darling. You can cry all you want. I''m actually glad that you trust me so much that I am the sole person that''s allowed to see you cry. It makes me really happy."

    Her whisper made him relax again, and his one hand started ??r?ssing her side. The fabric on her neck was slowly drying.

    "We were actually in a hurry to leave this place", Nathaniel reminded with a rough voice after a while. "But I don''t want to let you go right now."

    As gently as a breeze, his lips touched her neck, sending goosebumps over her skin. As they wandered upwards, Katherine loosened her grip on his hair and leaned against him. Knowing that there was a bunch of people watching them outside this black dome of darkness only made it more exciting. Her body tingled with nervousness, his every kiss a cold fire on her skin, amplifying the heat that coursed through their bodies. Hesitantly, she tilted her head aside to give him better access. A deep, satisfied sound grumbled in his ?h?st, and he pulled her even tighter against his hardening body, as if he wanted to melt them together.

    Finally reaching her ear, he nuzzled it with his nose. Then he whispered something, and Katherine''s body stiffened as her heart sped up into a race. "Say... say that again."

    A smile curling on his s?xy lips, Nathaniel repeated his statement. Quietly, but with tenderness and confidence in his voice. "I love you."

    Katherine gasped for air and this time tears couldn''t help falling from her eyes. So long had she waited for this that she dared not belief he would say these words. Not so soon, and not so decisively. It sounded steadfast like a mountain, as if nothing could ever change his decision. And with this one sentence, spring bloomed in her heart.

    "Me too." She wiggled inside his arms to turn around and embrace him as well. "I love you. I love you so, so much!"

    Going on her tiptoes, she kissed him, not caring for the magic that still blazed from both of their skins. Their kiss was wild and hungry like they were alone for decades and finally found each other again. As if the other was their water in the desert and food for their starving souls.

    Finally, when they both knew they had to either find a bed right now or stop until they had one, Nathaniel reluctantly broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers.

    "I love you", he uttered one last time, and in his burning red eyes that fixated on nothing but her, Katherine saw how true this was.

 Chapter 187 - At the Campfire

    In the evening, they made a campfire in the wild, acting like any other insignificant noble family on a journey. Even the crest of the carriage was changed, presenting two crossed white lances. Small tents were erected to shelter against the cold and the king, still in a bad mood from being called a ''mascot'', demanded to be brought to his right after supper.

    Lady Orchid sighed as she stared after his retreating figure. Strongly supported by a guard on either side, the king gave a miserable picture, despite the remaining stiffness in his back and the head that was held high. The low sound of his feet dragging over the ground was luckily swallowed by the eating sounds of the guards.

    "His voice is still strong enough", Aston whispered next to his mother. "He will just navigate everyone to fulfill his needs, like before. He''ll have it covered in no time, you''ll see."

    "You''re right, probably." Lady Orchid smiled, but the sadness in her eyes remained as she stretched her hand to tousled Aston''s blonde hair. At the last moment, she noticed that the strands were soaked through with sweat from his long run and opted for his shoulder instead. "Just make sure that you take after me and stay healthy and always out of trouble, alright?"

    "Sure thing", he promised with a tired grin. "I never make trouble."

    The latter sentence resulted in another sigh from Lady Orchid, a sigh with the knowledge of experience that this was completely untrue. Looking at Nathaniel on the other side of the flickering fire, she hoped that this older brother could make up for the thoughtlessness of the younger one. With all her heart, she wished that both of them would stay safe and sound.

    Having eaten her fill of soup, Katherine leaned against Nathaniel''s side, listening to the crackle of the fire and the quiet conversations of the guards. Only those that weren''t forced to run chatted merrily, the others - with exception of strong figures like Jack and Dorian - silently leaned against the trees or laid where they''d fallen after their marathon and snored with abandon. While Jack wasn''t sleeping yet, he still felt half dead, and after coordinating the night watch, he and Dorian retreated into their tents. Even Aston with his youthful vigor couldn''t stand the exhaustion for long. When he finally excused himself - the number of his words only slightly influenced by his tiredness - his mother followed suit.

    That left Nathaniel and Katherine next to the fire, and the night watch around the camp. The latter fused with the quiet and darkness of the night, giving no sign of their presence anymore.

    "I''m not sleepy yet", Katherine murmured and snuggled closed to her husband. Even the fire couldn''t expel the cold completely. Nathaniel though, was surprisingly warm.

    Noticing the goosebumps on her skin, he positioned himself anew, making space between his legs. "Come here."

    With wide astonished eyes she blinked up at him before moving over, as if she was afraid he would change his mind. It reminded him of a little rabbit that couldn''t believe its luck that the dangerous white wolf invited it into its warm lair. Smiling at the thought, he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. Now finally, he didn''t have to think hard about each time they touched. Feeling her relax against him was so natural and new at the same time that it filled his heart to the brim. Exactly simultaneously, they exhaled, and with it, every tension they build up over the day vanished.

    Contented silence filled the air, the quilt below them sheltering them from the cold of the earth, the crackling fire and their own bodies enough to keep them warm. After what felt like hours but might''ve as well been only a few minutes, Katherine opened her mouth again.

    "This is the first time I''m sitting on a campfire. I traveled with my mother once when I was young, but even the night was way too warm for fire back then."

    Her voice was heavy with melancholy, the mind intoxicated with the beauty of fire and stars. Yet Nathaniel''s warmth in her back made her feel protected. It was a dreamy feeling she didn''t experience in a long time. Like a safe haven approaching out of the mist when the ship had seen nothing but the blue, foam-tipped waves of the ocean for years to count.

    "When was your first time seeing one?", She asked, her hand wandering to entangle with both of his in front of her ?h?st.

    "When I was twelve, if we don''t count the fire on the dome." His voice bore a hint of amusement that faded as he continued. "I was on the way to my first big battle, to act as a weapon of mass destruction... Fortunately or not, the battle was already lost when we reached there."

    Another bout of silence filled the air. Katherine pressed Nathaniel''s hand reassuringly, but when the latter spoke again, it wasn''t about the past anymore. "I wonder, will you be alright?"

    "Huh?" Genuine surprise spoke from that sound as Katherine turned her head to look into these deep red orbs full of mysteries. "What do you mean?"

    Nathaniel blinked slowly, suddenly distracted by the glow the fire painted on her skin. It looked deliciously soft, especially her full pink lips. In his eyes, she was as beautiful as a fairy of love and war. Inevitably, d?s?r? awoke, and his voice turned lower. Yet, he still owed her an answer, and it would not be one she liked. "If we need to retreat to Dragsa, will you be alright?"

    Katherine flinched when she heard the name of her former country. It dampened her mood like a bucket of cold water. If possible, she would not have wanted for anything to disturb their peace, but now it was already too late. She sighed. There was no reason to blame Nathaniel, as this was surly a topic that had to be discussed eventually before they reached the border.

    Seeking comfort in the indifference of nature, she returned her gaze to the burning logs. "I... I''m not sure. The land itself did nothing to me. But it is ruled by those that killed my parents."

    Her hands fisted and only after a while did she calm down enough to continue. Nathaniel let her be, knowing that what she wanted wasn''t comfort right now. Her following words proved this. "I want revenge. First it was only my cousin, since I didn''t dare hope I could reach for their judges, the ones who sentenced them to death without a proper investigation, but..."

    She took a deep breath, glancing up at Nathaniel with uncertainty. "If I''m true to myself, that isn''t enough. I want them all to pay. The king, the queen, Ethan, even the common executioner."

    Nathaniel was quiet for a while, looking deeply into her eyes. Finally, he said: "You know that I am involved with princess Bellatrix'' death as well, right?"

    Hastily, as if wounded by a hidden dagger, Katherine turned her face away, and curled together around her knees. "I know... I know, but you''re not the one that blamed it on my parents. You didn''t judge them guilty."

    Taking it as a good sign that she did not push him away, Nathaniel dug deeper. "I knew the culprit, though. I could have revealed the truth and saved them. I might not have known you, but I knew fully well that innocent people were about to - "

    "STOP!", Katherine cried out and suddenly sprang to her feet. "Stop, stop, stop! I know all this! Do you think I didn''t? You''ve got your people everywhere! Of course you would be aware that they were about to die!"

    "Then", Nathaniel said and stood up as well. Sharp and hard like a sword, he prepared for the final blow, which could also be a double-edged one.. Yet this was a topic they had to clarify first and foremost. "Why don''t you blame me? Why am I not in the list of people who need to pay? I should be there, shouldn''t I?"