The celebration of Francis's return was in full swing. The new king had gone off into a plague ridden unknown to find Lady Lola who was in the middle of a rough labor delivering his illegitimate son. He had returned with Lola and the baby, all three unharmed and the court insisted on celebrating the occasion.
Catherine was currently standing by the drink table, wine in hand, staring out at the party goers, judging them. With all the things going on, a party was a giant waist of time. They had plague to deal with and some new guests in the castle who definitely did not please Catherine.
One in particular was a man named Narcisse. Something about him irked her to no end. While he seemed sort of charming, Catherine was sure that was some sort of show he was putting on.
Not to mention they were celebrating the birth of a bastard. A thing Catherine found herself torn over. Yes the baby was her grandson, and as such she wanted to love him, but her heart sank every time she thought about it. She didn't want her son to turn out anything like his recently deceased father. She had seen Mary's face as Lola presented the child to them upon her return. She knew all to well what was behind that gaze and her heart went out to her. She had made every effort not to rub the child's existence in her face, she felt that coddling the boy in front of Mary would be a betrayal.
As the festivities went on she observed Lady Kenna flirting with a visiting dignitary from Spain. Her marriage with Bash had been rocky ever since the plague hit. They had been arguing over a young boy in their care. Bash believed that the boy needed to sacrifice a life to stop the plague as per what he heard from The Darkness just before he killed him. Kenna didn't believe it at all and wanted to protect the boy. Bash had gone against her wishes and forced the boy to do the deed. The plague did not stop but it did slow to a more manageable rate and there were no new cases in the castle since. Kenna was yet to forgive Bash and it didn't look like it was going to happen any time soon.
Just then Narcisse glided up to Catherine and reached out to kiss her hand.
"Your grace you look lovely tonight." he said still holding her hand.
"Thank you Narcisse, but may I implore you to return my hand?" she said with a bite to her tone.
"Of course your grace, I apologize. I was merely stunned by your beauty." he was obviously laying it on thick. Catherine wasn't fooled.
"Hmm, If you were enjoying the festivities at all maybe you should get back to them?" she urged.
"I am enjoying the view from here much better." he said with a suggestive look and reached for her hand once more. Catherine became a bit uncomfortable.
"You have captured my hand once more. If you would release it please." she tried to pull it back but he held tight.
"Come now don't be so quick to turn me away..." he was cut off by man's voice.
"I do believe the lady asked you to remove your hand." it was Bash. He had overheard the conversation and intervened. He didn't like Narcisse anymore than Catherine did. Catherine stared at him, utter shock glazed her eyes. He was the last person she ever expected to come to her rescue.
"I don't believe anyone asked you." Narcisse bit back. "Catherine and I were just having a pleasant conversation."
"It didn't look as though it was pleasant for her . I won't say it again. Remove your hand or I will remove it for you." Narcisse slowly pulled his hand back.
"No need to get testy. I'll be seeing you Catherine." he walked away, but not before giving her a creepy glare.
"I thank you for the intervention. Though I'm not quite sure why." she said still in a bit of shock.
"It was nothing. That man irks me. There's something amiss with him." Bash answered as he began walking away "Do tell me if he bothers you again."
Catherine stared after him a moment, confused until something else caught her eye...Kenna walking out of the room hanging on the arm of the Spaniard she had seen her flirting with prior. Catherine shook her head and turned back to see Bash's disappearing form vanishing in the opposite direction.
The party had gone on for awhile. Catherine watched as Mary avoided Lola like...well...like the plague. She watched Greer who couldn't seem to keep her eyes off that former kitchen boy turned soldier. She watched foolish people carry on their foolish lives and couldn't take it anymore. She quietly walked over to Mary to let her know she was taking leave of the festivities.
"Would you be so kind as to make an excuse for me should any one ask. I think I'm quite done here." she said.
"Is anything the matter?" Mary asked.
"No my dear, I just tire of this nonsense." she answered.
"Alright, I suppose. If it's really that bothersome to stay."
"Thank you." Catherine finished and walked out of the room.
As Catherine walked to her chambers through the quiet, abandoned, halls she heard some hushed voices from around the corner. She stopped and peered around the wall. It was Kenna and Bash.
"How could you? We made a promise to each other. You swore you would never be with anyone else. You don't even know that man!" Bash whispered angrily.
"Well, apparently I don't know you either! You forced Pascal to kill that man and it didn't even help. You turned a poor, innocent boy into a murderer." she argued.
"I did what I had to do to stop this plague. In case you haven't noticed there haven't been any new cases in weeks. I didn't want to do it but there was no choice." he argued back.
"Oh you and your stupid pagan superstition. It's ridiculous. It's just a coincidence. I'm tired of it. I want to be with someone who doesn't believe in all that crazy talk. I'm done." she added storming off.
"Kenna! Kenna!" he called after her but she just kept walking. He turned and kicked the wall. He leaned forward putting his hands flat against the wall and looked down trying to gain control of his emotions. Just then he noticed Catherine standing in the shadows.
"Well I bet that was a good show. I bet you got your entertainment seeing that. My wife cheating on me must be some kind of poetic justice for you." he said scoffing at the situation.
"Not really. Your existence was never to my pleasure but you're not to blame for your parents indiscretion. Having the person you love be unfaithful isn't something I'd wish on anyone who hasn't done it themselves." She answered flatly.
Bash looked at her surprised at her answer. He looked back at the wall.
"I would've thought you'd be amused by my predicament..." He thought about why she might not be. "Not that it means much to you, but as much as I love my mother, I never agreed with what her and father did to you...even as awful as you can be, it was wrong...damn it she promised me. What a fool I was." he shook his head.
"Well if I'm so awful, why are you telling me all this?" she was honestly curious.
Bash gave a breathy laugh "I have no idea. You were there I guess...well...you understand." he said
"I suppose I do." Catherine oddly felt sorry for him. She wasn't sure why but something made her continue. "I'm sorry about...Kenna...but why care so much about a girl who was once your own father's mistress anyway? You aren't exactly surprised are you?"
"I thought she actually loved me. We started to care about each other after we agreed to let go of the he past. Or at least I thought we did. I did anyway." he was as still looking at the wall but slowly started to turn towards Catherine.
"You...actually... fell in love with her? Your madman of a father forced you to marry his whore and you fell in love with her?" she said a little more sternly than she intended. Bash stared at her for a moment and laughed again.
"You're right. It's completely ridiculous. I guess I just wanted It to work so badly, I let myself be fooled." he was slowly moving closer to Catherine the whole time they were talking without realizing it.
"Sometimes the heart blinds us to harsh realities." she thought of Henry "No matter Henry's indiscretions, for some reason I could never truly stop caring..." she stopped abruptly realizing that she'd let something slip she didn't want to.
Bash looked at her almost for the first time, realizing that her disdain for Henry all those years was just a mask. Catherine wasn't at all the he person he'd thought. "My father was a fool." he said quietly.
Catherine looked up at him, stunned. "What do you mean by that?"
"He had a smart, beautiful woman who loved him and he ruined it. Seems foolish to me." he stated still migrating closer to her.
"Beautiful?" You...think...I'm beautiful?" she said amused.
"Well I didn't mean I...well that for him you... not that I think..." he stammered as she glided closer. "...well fine...yes...you are... so what."
Catherine smirked trying to hold back a laugh at his expense.
"Your laughing at me." he said
"No...no I'm not laughing at you." she said unconvincingly.
"Yes you are, your laughing at me." he insisted.
"Alright, fine, I am. You can hardly blame me you, retreated faster than a losing army." she allowed.
"Yes I suppose I did." He was now only inches from her and paused for a moment before adding, "You should laugh more often. It suits you." he said glancing into her eyes.
"Does it?" she said leaning closer as her breath hitched. Realizing how close they were she cleared her throat. "I um...I should retire to my room, it's late. If you'll excuse me." she said breaking off the connection leaving Bash frozen.
'What on earth was that?' Catherine wondered. A strange feeling had come over her she couldn't explain. She had come frighteningly close to the type of thoughts she most certainly should not be having about her late husbands bastard.
Bash was still stuck to the same spot as he turned to watch her walk away the corners of his mouth formed a small smile. 'What the hell just happened?' he wondered. He wasn't sure what came over him, but he sort of liked it. 'I think I might be in trouble.' he thought to himself as he decided it might be time to retire to bed himself.