Kat sat against the mountain of pillows while happily consuming her fourth bowl of soup, and what must have been a loaf and a half of bread with half a wheel of cheese. Though this was only a light snack following a breakfast of an entire leg of ham, and two bowls of fruit.

“This might be a record for you,” Tam observed mildly as he looked up from his book, his legs stretched out casually from his chair beside his sister’s bedside.

Setting down the empty bowl with a clatter, Katarina leaned back with a sigh. “Would you believe me if I said I was still hungry?”

“Yes, I would. Do you want me to send for more?” Tam slowly began to close his book as Kat turned her golden eyes to him.

“Maybe in a few minutes… I might want a roast… or pie. I could eat a pie…” Kat pondered aloud wistfully.

“I know that the more you use your magic the more food you consume, but you do realize you haven’t stopped eating since breakfast, right? You’re going to bankrupt the King,” Tam pointed out with a wry grin.

Kat rolled her eyes at her brother’s jibe before her expression grew more somber.

“So… when do you suppose Da and Mum will get around to my lecture about the whole ordeal?”

Tam’s good humored smile faded from his face before he then leaned forward in his chair to rest his forearms against his legs.

“Maybe by the Winter Solstice. Though I’m happy to try and make that happen a little sooner. I wanted to point out for them that it was a stupid thing for you to do to go back to the kidnappers anyway. You should have waited until Da and the elite Knights took care of things.”

“Mum was there too, which is odd. I know she’s good with knives, but why would the King allow her to come along…?” Kat mused suddenly, a small frown wedging itself between her brows.

Tam tensed for a moment, but his sister was too deep in thought to notice.“Don’t change the subject. Kat, I heard that Alina was the one responsible for making you go to see the bard in the first place, but you hadn’t slept or eaten properly in days. Why the hell did you go back to save her?”

Katarina raised an eyebrow at her brother. “I took a risk, and while I know it could have gone better… I’d like to think it says something about my character.”

Tam shot her a flat look. “That you’re reckless?”

“That I’m someone who is brave!” Kat fired back with dramatic indignation.

“Bravely stupid? In the face of the consequences to your stupid decisions?” Tam taunted with a smirk.

“Bravely willing to strangle the next person to insult my honor while I lay in bed recovering… from a godsdamn knife wound!” Kat shot back while pointing towards the aforementioned wound.

“See, this is why Mum and Da aren’t going to lecture you for a long time. You’re going to use that excuse to get away with everything from now on, aren’t you?”

“I’m sorry, are you saying I have no right to a little sympathy for being stabbed?!” Kat demanded exasperatedly while slapping her hand over her chest.

“If you were a normal human woman, sure. I’d pull out all the stops for a normal human woman who got stabbed, but you’re you, and I know you better.”

Kat crossed her arms across her chair while openly pouting. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t care.”

Tam rolled his eyes and stood, his book in hand. “What kind of pie do you want?”

Kat’s face lit up with a reinvigorated smile. “A peach pie would be the best thing in the world, I think!”

Tam chuckled. He wasn’t surprised. Peach was her favorite, particularly if it was made with rum or brandy…

As he moved to the door, and Kat stared at her brother’s back, her levity suddenly fading as a new thought crossed her mind…

“Did you mean it when you said I was right?”

Halting immediately, Tam only turned his head instead of his entire body to address his sister’s question.

“I did. I’ve already started working with Mum and Likon… once Da isn’t slaving away in the kitchen trying to cook for your every whim, I’ll be splitting my time between them. You were right that… it isn’t enough… to simply be present. I need to be able to protect people too.”

The shadow across her brother’s face made Kat’s gut twist with worry.

How was it that, after waiting what felt like her whole life to be told she was right, it only made her feel guilty?

“Will you… will you be okay?” she asked tentatively.

For a moment Tam didn’t say anything, and he turned his face back towards the door.

“Not sure, but I’m going to have to try.”

Then, he was gone, leaving Katarina feeling too many emotions for her to properly understand a single one. She knew that both she and her brother were pretending that things were normal between them, but the truth was that she didn’t feel normal anymore, and something was different about him, too.

Casting her eyes down to the emerald green coverlet pensively, Kat debated throwing the thing off as her body temperature began to resume its normal high, when a slight breeze had her casually glance at the window.

She was startled to the point of giving a small start when she saw Likon climbing down from the window ledge, then winced against her stitches that protested her sudden movement.

“How the hell did you- Never mind. What are you doing here?!” Kat demanded as Likon slowly walked over to her bedside and seated himself down, his light brown eyes slightly bloodshot as he stared quietly at the bruises along her temple and cheek.

“I’m fine, I swear it hurt more when Mum taught me self defense,” Kat snorted and waved her hand dismissively.

Likon still stared, and it was the look he would give her whenever he was able to see straight through whatever facade she was putting on, and… right then, right there, it made her throat begin to close.

“It finally happened, didn’t it?” Likon asked, his soft voice cresting the quiet in a way that made Kat’s heart skip a beat.

“What do you mean?” Kat attempted to laugh, but when she finally risked meeting Likon’s eyes, it grew too painful to hold.

He didn’t have to say anything. He had known the answer before he’d even asked.

“You killed someone. Just like you were always worried you would.”

Tears rose in Kat’s golden eyes, and for some reason she couldn’t speak.

“So, has it changed that feeling at all? That feeling that you could go off and-”

“I don’t know,” Kat interrupted while finally looking away.

For a moment, Likon didn’t say anything as he waited for the woman he loved to regain control of her emotions.

“If you need anything, you know you just have to ask.” His soft voice nearly broken the redhead's tentative control of her composure, and sensing this, Likon stood from the bed once more and began walking back towards the window.

“Is my brother really going with you when my Mum sends you to check on her businesses?” Kat asked while clearing her throat in an effort to loosen the tightness that had gripped it moments before.

“He has come on an outing already, yes.” Likon turned back to face Kat, a small smile on his face. “When you were gone he was… lost, and since then… he’s at least trying to find his way.”

“So you think it’s a good thing? Didn’t you want to be Viscount?” Kat asked with a small note of teasing in her voice.

“Gods no, most nobles I'd have to deal with would be very annoying, and you know it. Of course I’m relieved Tam’s starting to step up. Besides, if for whatever reason I did happen to need a title, I’m sure I could purchase a Barony. Especially with your parents sponsoring me.” Likon winked before turning back to the window to leave with Kat grinning at his back.

Once the young man had disappeared yet again, Kat couldn’t help but feel a small knot in her chest loosen.

At the very least, Likon hadn’t changed his view of her despite knowing the truth…

Casting her eyes down to her knees, Kat’s momentary lift in mood immediately crashed down, as she couldn’t help but think;

‘Even if I don’t see myself the same way at all…’

*

Alina stood in the hallway outside of Kat’s room nervously fiddling with her thumbnails, as Brendan shot her a sidelong glance with a raised dark eyebrow.

“Why are you nervous to see your friend?” he asked slowly.

“Well… I… she came to save me, and… because of that she… she…”

“She killed the man who made you both suffer. His life was hers to take. Or yours, but you weren’t in the condition to.” Brendan shrugged.

Alina’s cheeks turned pink. “I wanted them to have a fair trial, and-”

“You are too generous-”

“-I wanted Roscoe more than the others to be the one begging at my feet,” Alina cut Brendan off, and earned his startled reaction, followed by an impressed nod.

“It’s true I don’t have the stomach for violence, but even I’m not a good enough person to want him to get off without any revenge…” Alina murmured, her normally soft friendly features firm and serious.

“Are we going to stand here and wait for her to rise from her sick bed then?” Brendan pondered aloud while turning his gaze to Katarina’s door and folding his arms.

Alina could tell that he was being completely serious in the question. If she hadn’t seen him waiting by her door while she had been recovering she would’ve thought him jesting…

Slowly, the Princess raised her hand to knock, when the door swung inwards all on its own, to reveal Katarina in a strange contraption. It looked like a chair with wheels attached on the bottom, and her brother, Tam, stood behind her, his hands wrapped around handles attached to the back.

“Alina!” Kat burst out with a stunned reaction.

Meanwhile, the Princess stood, her hazel eyes wide and her hand still suspended in the air prepared to knock.

Kat’s golden eyes flitted to the Troivackian King, and her excited expression faded slightly, her shoulders drooping . “Oh… hi… Your Majesty.”

Brendan couldn’t help but scowl for a brief moment before he rolled his eyes and let out a long sigh. “Lady Katarina, you really will need to fix that poor habit of yours of displaying your dislike of me before journeying to Troivack. Otherwise my kinsmen will place us both in an uncomfortable position.”

“Wait– Troivack? That means you two are…?” Kat trailed off, her eyes darting between the King and the Princess as her finger pointed at her friend then back to Brendan.

The King frowned at being pointed at, but Kat was too flustered to care.

Tam was the one to gingerly reach out and flick the back of his sister’s head to snap her senses back into place.

“Oww-Ah, right then, I… will… work on hiding my true feelings better…” Kat managed once she had returned from her daze.

Alina fought off a smile as Brendan let out a soft agitated growl only loud enough for her to hear.

It really did speak wonders of the man that he was willing to suffer her friend that she knew annoyed him horribly for the sake of her happiness.

“What is that you are sitting in?” Alina asked, changing the subject quickly, and smiling brightly down at her friend.

“Ah, this is something that an inventor in Austice came up with in the past few months. Tam tracked it down when he realized I’d be a raging bitc- I’d be unpleasant… if I were bed bound for another while.” Kat caught herself while managing to bat her eyes prettily up to her friend who couldn’t resist a laugh.

It was good to see her friend every bit like herself as always.

“Princess, would you perhaps like to try pushing the chair? I have a missive to discuss with His Majesty from my father,” Tam interjected, suddenly while bowing his head.

Everyone’s eyes jumped to the young Lord, whose gaze remained downcast as usual.

Even Kat tried to twist around to look at her brother, only to cringe in pain from the wound in her side.

“O-Of course, Tam!” Alina stepped forward hesitantly.

“The Princess is still herself recovering from her sickness, so perhaps-” Brendan began gruffly, only for Alina to wave him off.

“We’ll just do one lap of this floor. I’ll take a rest if I need to. I need to start building my strength, don’t I?” the Princess asked, shooting Brendan a knowing smile that immediately softened the man’s features.

“I suppose. Don’t push yourself, and you.” Brendan turned a scowl to Kat. “Don’t make her take any unnecessary risks, such as shoving the chair to see how far it’ll take you.”

Kat’s jaw dropped. “Your Majesty! I never- How could you have thought of… well… Now that you mention it... that does sound rather fun…” Kat’s grin turned wolfish as she faced her friend who was already laughing and grabbing onto the handles that Tam had released.

The King let out another guttural snarl in the back of his throat, but neither of the women paid it any mind as Alina slowly began pushing the chair out of the chamber, leaving Tam and Brendan alone as the two young women chattered away happily to one another, as though nothing had happened.

Brendan turned to face Tam who was in the process of exiting the chamber and closing the door behind him.

“His Majesty has allowed us use of his council room.” Tam gestured down the corridor towards the stairs while inclining himself respectfully.

After studying the future Viscount carefully for a moment, Brendan began the journey down to the second floor, where he wondered what in the world the Ashowan family wanted from him. Especially with news of his and the Princess’ engagement being continued still not being known publically. The main reason being that he still had to found time to speak with the Daxarian King who was making arrangements for the official court hearing of the kidnappers…

As Brendan moved, it then occurred to him that he couldn’t hear Tam’s footsteps behind him, and so he stopped and turned to stare to see if the young man had fallen behind. Instead, he found that Tam was nearly standing beside him, his face blank as he halted at the King’s side.

Brendan hadn’t sensed him at all, and it... gave him a small surprise. Which was strange, in the past whenever Tam had lurked nearby the Troivackian had always been able to sense him…

Had that been because Tam had consciously chosen to be noticeable back then?

A small frown formed between Brendan’s eyebrows as he resumed walking.

‘The Princess was right, someone silently appear can definitely be disconcerting…’