CHAPTER II: STEEL'S FORM
A rustle of clothing, gracefully emphasized, a few light footsteps, and the door shut close. Caterina sighed with relief, removed her monocle, and leaned back into her plush armchair. Sometimes she suspected the man of being a sort of mental vampire, draining the lifeforce of people he came in contact to. Oh, wait. That would be her older half-brother. At least with Antonio one could be somewhat entertained. Before he starts talking about himself, that is, which would be about five minutes into the conversation.
She winced and mentally berated herself. She's that tired, if she's being mean like this. Antonio's just being, well, Antonio...
"So, what exactly do you think he's planning now?" a voice nudged her back to reality. She looked at the figure near the window and raised her eyebrow.
"Oh. Abel. I forgot you were there."
"That's horrible!"
She ignored his whining. "I don't know what he's planning because I don't care what he's planning. I have more important things to do than indulge a little prince's whims. I have no plans to be involved."
"That's way too many 'no's', you know..." Abel smiled. Before she can react, he disappeared out the window.
She smiled despite being annoyed at not having the last word. Moments like such with her friends-too few, a small voice inside her piped in-were precious, no matter how silly and simple they are.
'I was born in bad times,' she mused as she walked to the draped windows. The wind came in gently, carrying the fresh scent of spring. The lilies-of-the-valley were in full bloom in the garden below, a sea of pure white in stark contrast to the blood-red roses separated from it by tall hedges. It was her father's personal garden, she was told. Pope Gregorio XXX, they said, did not believe in the complete unity of mankind. 'No two people are ever the same. There will always be an aspect or two that differs. And in time, those differences will wipe out the human race. A separation between each kind is a must, for our continued existence," he had been quoted saying. Humans. Methuselah. The old race prey to the new. For the nth time Caterina wondered when all these would end. There were times when she just wanted to tell everyone to go to hell and let her be. She sighed, shaking her head. She longed for the nights she spent back home in Milan when she was young, when she was free to do whatever she wanted without having to think of the consequences.
She thought of Antonio de Borgia. The man is dangerously smart, and the Vatican is lucky to have him on their side. Still, he sometimes grated her nerves. Caterina has no time for courtship, especially for empty words and praises. Besides, the man courts every living female within 200 meters of him, as Abel had warned her the first time he saw Antonio give Caterina a red rose. She hugged herself, feeling a chill. She felt a sudden envy towards the Prince of Hispania, with his carefree ways and manners. Something she very well could not afford to have.
"Lady Caterina…" Her earpiece buzzed. Sister Kate. Caterina sighed once more. 'So little time, even for my own thoughts…'
"Yes, Sister?"
Uh-oh. Seems like the Woman of Steel would be hard to please :D
HONTOU NI GOMEN NASAI. My laptop broke down, and has just recently been resurrected. I have actually written the next few chapters, but I lost them and I don't want to change a lot of what I have written before T_T I have also been caught in the struggles of everyday life, and have only recently regained stabilization of my fanfiction thought processes. Rest assured, I'll be working my ass off now :D