'He's not right for you. You know it will never work out between the two of you.' Fergus rehearsed in his head all last night what he wanted to say to Katalyn ever since he caught her kissing Ser Gilmore. However when he stopped at her door early next morning, he could not bring himself to knock on her door. He promised himself he would try again to catch her after breakfast. That would be a good time, she would be all sluggish from all the food she normally ate because did have quite an appetite already and she couldn't be as easily angered if he spoke to her then.
Nevertheless, that time came and went. She seemed so happy at breakfast, kissing each one of the Couslands on the check before taking her seat. Everyone was surprised including his poor son, Oren, who wiped the spot immediately claiming need a mage to cast a spell to get rid of his aunt's girl cooties to which everyone laughed. Fergus couldn't bear to bring her down with mentioning that he needed to talk to her, so he let it go. He even tried to tell her when she stopped him in the hallway to ask if he had seen their mother, but he couldn't. He resigned himself to his room by mid-day, wondering if this was some sign of the Maker telling him that he shouldn't tell her anything when he saw her past by on her way to her room. She was back into her leather armor apparently she had found a way to convince their mother to allow her to have it back.
He took a deep breath before walking over to his sister's room. Her door was open and he walked right in. She was busy searching through the chest stored in her room where she kept all her swords. "What is it, Fergus? I'm busy at the moment if this can wait to later." Katalyn said not even looking up at him as she picked up each sword and examined them. "No, this can't, Kat." He said knowing she get the seriousness of the chat he wanted to have. She placed the sword she was holding down immediately. She looked up at him, knowing from the nickname alone that he meant business.
"So you've finally gathered up the nerve to talk to me, huh?" She stated standing up. Her words resulted in him looking puzzled making her have to clarify herself by adding, "I know you like an open book, Fergus. You been giving me looks all day like a Blight was coming and it is all my fault it was happening. Now, please just tell me what it is. It can't be that bad, can it?" She asked searching his eyes for any sort of clue why her brother was so serious. He knew she would try so he avoided looking at her as he closed the door before gesturing to her bed. She sat first on the shortest edge and then he sat opposite of her.
Katalyn and Fergus sat in silence for a long while. Each second that ticked by was making her more and more nervous that her brother had somehow found about yesterday. She did tell him that she was going to the Scaredwell, but she did not tell him that she went there to look specifically for Ser Gilmore. Fergus was a great older brother, but he could be a little too over protective at times over her. It was if he would sometimes take her father's place especially when he felt she was doing something that could put her in harm's way. Finally, she could not take it anymore and broke the silence. "Fergus, does this have something to do with Rod-I mean Ser Gilmore?" She asked straight to the point, catching her mistake. If Fergus knew anything about what happen last night he would have been very angry with her. That was something they both got from their mother, their temper.
"Yes." Fergus answered before looking away from her. "I saw you kiss him last night. I had waited for you to return like I always do. When you did, I followed you to your room. I saw you kiss him." He continued, pretending to find something more interesting in the wall then catching his sister's eye. Katalyn heard him and was shocked. "What? You were watching us? How could you invade my privacy like that?" She asked doing her best to keep calm but she could feel anger rising within, threatening to take over. "I was just trying to look out for you. It was late and I wanted to make sure you didn't do something you would regret." He stated looking back at her, trying to plead his case. His sister didn't seem to be listening though as stood up and began to pace agitated.
"Well, you have no right to decide what is right for me, brother. I am the only one that can do that. Furthermore, whatever happens between me and Roderick is our business." She said angrily, for herself and for Ser Gilmore. "I do get some say in what happens to you because I am your brother. I only want what's best for you. I heard you call him that last night. Tell me, sister, why did you start calling Ser Gilmore, Roderick?" He questioned as he followed her movements with his eyes. "Because last night in the Scarewell, he confessed that he like me and has felt that way since the very beginning. I told him the very same thing...right before I kissed him the first time." She stopped near the far wall, looking away from him.
He let the news sink in for a second before replying, "Why did you do that? You know that you should not mislead him, Katalyn. You know as well I do that it will never work out between the two of you. Maker's breath, he's a knight and you're a Cousland." "So what if I'm a Cousland and he's a knight? You're a Cousland too, Fergus, 'less you forgot, Couslands don't look down on anybody, no matter where they come from or what they do." She stated looking back at him. He could see the anger in her eyes and it was getting him angry as well, so much for having a calm, thoughtful discussion on convincing her not to keep seeing Ser Gilmore romantically. If she wanted to take this conversation to one filled with anger, he would happily follow in suit.
"Don't get high and mighty on me, little sister. I've been a Cousland far longer then you have. I know what we do or do not do and I'm not looking down on Ser Gilmore. He is a fine knight. Knight, not husband, knights never make good husbands, sister." He responded angrily and it caused her to spin towards him. "What about you and Father? You and he had some knight training if I recall correctly as all the men in our family. Does that mean men like you don't make good husbands?" She snapped quickly. Fergus was taken back. Her and her quick mind had done him in again.
Katalyn smirked triumphantly. "I guess that answer my question. Who said I wanted to marry Roderick in the first place? It is still too soon to think about that. Maker's breath, I only just kissed him. You are so quick to have me be married off to some lordling's son from some far-off corner of Thedas, just like mother. I think Father's only one who's not trying to pawn me off like some gift of diplomacy. Aren't I at least entitled to pick my own husband, who I love dearly, in my own time?" She continued to rant in his silence as she walked to the other wall and stopped. "Mother and I are only hard on you because we trying to do what's best for you as clearly you don't seem to think past the present moment. We are not trying to get rid you, sister, far from it. We just want to find someone who is worthy of you and will treat you like you should. Aren't we allowed to do that?" He said getting to his feet and turning towards his sister, who now had her back towards him.
"No, you're not because it's my life, not yours. And as for you doing what's best for me, don't make me laugh. You are only trying to do what's best for you and the grand Cousland family name. No one in this castle seem to care about what I want, just what they think I should be doing because I am from a noble family. I just want to be able to live my own life and not one already planned out for me. Is marrying a noble from another country like you did right for me when I don't love them? Am I supposed to marry someone from a place like...Antiva, just because they belong to a well off family? Will that make things better? It's no secret that place is only full of assassins and prostitutes." She rebutted harshly, spinning on her heel towards him.
Her brother's eyes narrowed instantly knowing that last comment was a dig at his wife, Oriana, who was born there. "I would be careful with what you say, Katalyn, especially when you don't know anything you're talking about. Keep Oriana out of this, sister." He snapped, beyond angry now with her for sinking so low. "Oh, I do think I know what I'm talking about and you know full well what I'm implying, brother." Katalyn's anger continued to do the talking for her as she crossed her arms across her chest. Fergus was about to respond when suddenly a loud sobbing filled the room. It wasn't coming from either them and so they looked to the door only in time to catch a woman turn and run away crying. Fergus recognized the woman as his wife.
While they were arguing, they didn't realize their voices were being carried throughout the hall and it prompted Oriana to come check out what was happening. They didn't even notice she opened the door and happened to catch Katalyn's first criticism of people of Antiva before then applying to her. As she ran off, the color drained out of Katalyn's face. She had not meant for Oriana to hear any of that. She had not meant to say it either. It was just that Fergus had made her so angry that she went after the one thing she knew would hurt him the most. It was wrong, but she could not hold her tongue from being spiteful. "Fergus, I-" She tried to apologize but her brother cut her off with a wave of his hand.
"I don't want to hear it. I was just trying to help you like always, like an older brother to little sister should. You didn't want to see that. Now look what you did. You got poor Oriana upset for something she had nothing to do with. See Ser Gilmore or don't see him, I do not care what you do. Just know that what is going on between you two will always lead to heartbreak for one or both of you." He said walking to the door before stopping to look back at her to add, "And no matter what you think otherwise, I do not want see you get hurt as I can feel this situation will turn out, sister." Then he walked out the room closing the door behind him to leave Katalyn standing there, frozenly staring at the door.
As Fergus stormed away from her room and down the hallway trying to find Oriana, he passed Ser Gilmore on his way presumably to see his sister. "Nice day isn't it, my lord?" Ser Gilmore said as he passed him, with a smile. That smile dropped off his face just as quickly as it came as Fergus threw him a hateful glare before grumbling something he didn't catch. Ser Gilmore watched as he marched away seeming even more agitated. He wondered what happened to make Fergus so angry. He was going to have to ask Katalyn when he saw her. Speaking of which, where was she? She had caught him in courtyard and said she had decided that they were going to go out adventuring today in the woods just beyond Highever's walls that lead to Western Hill. He tried to talk her out of it, but as always, she eventually got him to agree.
However, she never came back after gong to retrieve a real sword from her room. It was unlike her to not be eagerly prodding him to hurry up as he usually took longer to get ready. He worriedly set out for her room after that with Dane trailing on his heels as his mistress had told him to stay with Ser Gilmore until she returned. As they reached her room, Dane opened the door without hesitation. He remembered he didn't need to knock and he saw his mistress laying on her bed staring up the ceiling. He jumped on the bed right next to her barking as if tell her to get up. She bolted straight up, not expecting the sudden intrusion. This allowed Dane and Ser Gilmore to see her eyes were already red and puffy from crying with her tears still falling down her cheeks.
She hurriedly looked away and tried to wipe away the rest of the tears. "Dane...Roderick, what are you two doing here?" She asked having a hard time keeping her voice from breaking. "We came looking for you after you didn't show at the courtyard. You wanted us to go to the woods, did you not, my lady?" Ser Gilmore answered as he approached her from the other side of the bed from Dane. Katalyn had forgotten for a second about that with all that happened with Fergus. "I apologize, Roderick, I did forget. Suddenly leaving Highever for a little while seems like a very good idea." She said swinging her legs over the side of the bed before allowing him to help her to her feet.
"What is the matter, my lady? You're upset and I noticed Fergus seemed upset as well. Did something happen between you two?" He asked trying to catch her eye which she desperately avoided. "Yes, but please do not ask why. I do not feel like talking about it now." She responded shrugging out from his hold over her and walking over to her sword chest. She picked up the longsword from on top before turning to face them. "Let us be off then." Katalyn commanded and Ser Gilmore and Dane knew that was going to be the end of the conversation for now. They followed along as she led them out of the Cousland's castle keep and to the woods. Even when she was not suppose to be out of Highever without the permission from her parents, she did manage to find ways to outsmart the guards on watch to let her by. This time it was no different and soon the trio was traipsing through the forest in complete silence.
They only stopped as they arrived at the clearing they had found a previous time. Dane barked and ran off chasing after the birds as he was always fond of doing. Katalyn sighed watching him wishing to go back to the days where she was free to do as she pleased like Dane. Ser Gilmore saw the wistful look in her eyes and it made more concerned maybe this wasn't the best time for them to be outside of the castle. Katalyn seemed too lost in thought for her to be in an area where bandits were known to past through picking on those lost in the woods. Not that he would let any harm come to her under his watch, but still it did not hurt to be cautious for both of their sakes.
"My lady, I think we should head back now. I'm sure the long walk out here as given everyone a chance to cool down. What do you say?" Ser Gilmore asked, in a hopeful nudge to get her to turn back. "No, Roderick, I don't think things will be settled that easily. Fergus and Oriana will never forgive me for the things I've said." Katalyn stated with another sigh. He looked at her confused, noticing that she was chewing on her bottom lip. It was bad habit that he had come to realize meant that she was deeply troubled by something. "My lady, I'm sure you are worrying for nothing. I know you well enough to know if you did something unlike you that it was out of anger and did not mean it. I'm sure my lord knows this. Forgive me for saying this, my lady, but it's no secret that you do have quite a bit of a temper." He answered, stepping to the side just in cased she lashed out at him.
Katalyn looked at him in surprise and annoyance as she stated loudly, "I do not have quite a temper!" Her response caused his eyebrows to arch as he tried to hide a smile. She could see the disbelief written all over his face without him having to say a word. "Fine...Fine, so I do have a temper. It still doesn't change anything. He...You just wouldn't understand." She said defeated. "So explain it to me. I will not be able to understand anything if you do not explain it to me." Ser Gilmore responded trying to get her to open up to him. After what happened yesterday between them, he thought there would little else to keep secret between them, but apparently he was wrong. If Katalyn did not want to tell him after all that, it was something very serious.
"Please, Roderick can we just do something else? How about we spar? I forgot to tell you that Father said that if I practice hard enough and prove myself worthy against one of Highever's best knights, I can be knighted. Then I can be knight just like I always wanted." She said as she smiled, backing her way further into the clearing. "If that's what you wish, my lady, then we will spar. Forgive me for saying this but somehow I do not image the Teyrna was very pleased when she found about that." He said amused following her, pulling his sword and shield out. "Well, Father and I have yet to tell her, so this stays between us for now." She warned him before she pulled her sword and shield out as well, glad he had reminded her to grab one before they left Highever. Katalyn did need to brush up on her shield talents.
For next hour or so, Katalyn and Ser Gilmore sparred with each other. Attack for attack, parry for parry, block for block, they were pretty evenly matched as always. Katalyn knew it was because Ser Gilmore shared mostly everything he was taught from the older knights to defend her. Whatever he didn't share, she would pick up from watching him. She did have her own moves she had figured out by herself in middle night in her room. She would eventually teach him that too. The whole process made it seem that they were learning together rather then either of them just being the student or the teacher. They made each other better fighters and better friends.
Ser Gilmore picked up that Katalyn seemed to be slowing down and decided to let her win. He didn't want to push her too hard worrying about her ankle. Katalyn was not oblivious to the fact that he had allowed her to win and usually she would complain demanding that they finish the fight fairly, but this time she didn't say a word. Secretly she was grateful for him doing that as her ankle begun to throb during the last half of the fight. With all that happened this morning, it had slipped her mind to go to the mage and have her ankle checked. As Ser Gilmore put away his weapons, he sat down by a tree on the outer edge of the clearing, exhausted. She followed in suit before sitting right next to him. They sat enjoying the quiet and each other as they rested.
"He said we're not right for each other." Katalyn stated out of the blue which caused him tilted his head to look her as he asked. "Who said that, my lady?" "Fergus, he said that it would never work it between us." She answered. "I can see why you got so angry then. You know he just wants the best for you. I suppose he thinks us being together is not right because of your status." He responded with sigh. His response shocked her and she turned to look at him. "Don't tell me you agree with him?" She said raising her voice. How could he have said that after admitting that he liked her just yesterday?
"My lady, please calm down. I did not mean it the way it sounded. I meant that people are going to judge that we're together, whether we're just friends or something more. It is because they all can see that you are too good for me and they are afraid that I will somehow bring you down. Maybe they are right, I will bring you down. I knew I should not have told you my feelings for you in the first place." Ser Gilmore's voice was getting smaller and smaller with each word making Katalyn have to strain to hear the last part.
"Don't say such things, Roderick. I'm glad you told me your feelings. I am not any better then you and you know full well that I am not the princess all of Highever wants me to be. If they want some woman perfect for taking over as Teyrna, they should put Fergus in a dress and on my father's and mother's throne. He seems to do a better job of listening than I do. Then we can just run off together to a corner of Thedas and stay there forever away from all the judgment." She stated defiantly as she looked at him with a smile.
"And as silly and wonderful as that sounds to me, my lady, you know we can not do that. Your duty compels you to stay here as does mine, at least until our parents see otherwise." He said with a serious look to her, earning him a wrinkled nose gesture from Katalyn. "Well, fine, at least until then if people at Highever are going to talk about us, let's give them something to talk about, Roderick." She responded as she leaned toward him before she kissed him. Ser Gilmore smiled as she did, not minding that at all. He knew they should have been watching for bandits and not be kissing in the middle of the woods, but the latter was so much better then the alternative to him.
A minute later, a frantic bark caused them to pull apart. "Dane, what is it?" Katalyn asked as the mabari skidded to a stop at their feet. He turned immediately and growled at bushes in the direction he came from. A group of men came through as Ser Gilmore and Katalyn got to their feet. As they stood, they exchanged a look thinking the same thing, 'Bandits.' One look and it was easy to see. It was not hard to know these were not normal travelers as the five men were covered in cheap armor with their swords tarnished with old blood and they reeked of old ale.
"Ah, look alive, gentlemen it appears we do have company in these areas of the woods." One of the men said as he stepped into the clearing, apparently being the leader of this particular group of highwaymen. "Ere...they don't look much like them others, you know. Uhh, maybe we should leave these ones alone." The dim-witted one next to him stated looking nervously over the very armored targets in front of them. "Nonsense! Greeting lovebirds! I hate to interrupt but it seems you did stumble upon our territory of the woods and normally that would mean death but I do realize that you were probably too busy to notice. For a simple 20 silvers, I'll let it go and you can be free to be on way. Isn't that very reasonable?" The leader said with a sickeningly sweetness of someone who had tried these act one too many times and each one no more successful then the last.
Before Ser Gilmore got to say anything to the bandits or stop Lady Cousland from doing anything either, Katalyn stepped forward toward the bandits with her shield now out. He caught the mischievous twinkle in her eye as she did. He knew she had something in mind and that always meant trouble was sure to follow for him, for her, and for everyone involved. He would be proven right that she at least had a small plan as Katalyn pretended to fish into her pouch looking for the coin, saying, "I like you, my good man. It sounds very reasonable in fact, come closer I have something extra for you for being so agreeable." Her words and a bit of greed lured the bandit leader to walk closer to her and just like that the trap was set.
The second he was in her range, Katalyn reacted and swung her arm with the shield attached outward slamming it into the leader's chest. The result of the shield bash knocked him flat on his back as Katalyn had the element of surprise and strength on her side. She pulled her sword from her back knowing Ser Gilmore, Dane, and her had now exactly three seconds to even the odds before the leader would be back into commission. "Nice move, my lady, but next time for my own piece of mind, don't ever do something like that again." She heard Ser Gilmore say as he stopped at her side, throwing her an amused look. "Now, you know I can't make that promise, Roderick. Anyway, we will have to talk about that later. Look!" She said pointing at the bandits that were coming towards them.
Side by side, Katalyn and Ser Gilmore fended off the enemies one by one with Dane. By the time the leader arose, he saw his men were gravely injured and he was now outnumbered. He quickly surrendered without putting up much of a fight, begging for mercy. "Hmm, fine, just get your men and clear out the forest for good. I advise that you keep running to the other corner of Ferelden because if I ever see you again, you will wish I killed you now." Katalyn warned sternly. The bandit leader nodded before hurriedly doing as she asked and leaving, taking his men with him.
With them gone, she turned back to Ser Gilmore who was now staring at her sternly. His attention made her smile sheepishly. "What? Was that too much?" She asked looking away. "A little, my lady, it was only a little." He said before laughing. "Don't do that, Roderick, you had me worried I did something wrong." She commented before she laughed along with him, happy to find he was only joking. "You can never do anything wrong in my eyes, my lady." He said pulling her towards him. Katalyn smiled as she closed her eyes expecting him to kiss her, but unexpected happened instead.
She felt herself be whipped around as Ser Gilmore's swift movement made them switch places. She opened her eyes wondering what happened to make him change his mind. She looked at him just in time to catch his eyes closed tightly in pain before he stumbled towards her. She caught him. Her knees buckled from the sudden effort. That's when she caught sight of it. There was an arrow sticking out from the back of his head. Someone had actually fired an arrow at him attempting to kill him...Or was that her, considering that she was the one that was standing at that exact spot only seconds ago? She didn't have time to process any of her emotions as she worriedly helped Ser Gilmore to the ground.
Katalyn went straight to work using whatever supplies she had in her backpack to at least make him hang on a little longer until she could go get help. She was glad she had listened a little bit to her lessons at the castle about how to treat a wound. She separated the arrow shaft from the tip. She was too afraid that if she tried to move the arrowhead that it would cause further damage to Ser Gilmore. The little care she did seemed to do something as he came back to consciousness a few seconds later. His lips moved weakly as he tried to tell her something but she shushed him immediately, "Please, Roderick, don't say anything. Save your strength." She hovered over him with concern written all over her face.
"No, I must say...Ugh, something. I saw...I saw the archer. He was aiming to hit you..." Ser Gilmore started as he struggled to talk. He did not know how much Katalyn caught as she seemed so far away from him now, under his drooping eyelids. "Roderick, please don't close your eyes again. I need you stay with me. Listen to my voice and hang on. Roderick? Roderick?! Roderick! Maker, please don't take him from me. I can't lose him like this." He could hear her say as her face dissolved in the red haze before his eyes shut close completely. She was crying for him and surely his impending death. Even though that this could have been how his story was supposed to end, him sacrificing his life to save a Cousland, especially the Cousland he cherished, but he never thought it would come this soon.
This was all because of one man's fault. Ser Gilmore had seen the emblem on the shield of the archer who tried to kill Katalyn. He knew that heraldry well indeed. It resembled a bear on a checkered background, the heraldry belonging to none other then Arl of Amaranthine, Arl Rendon Howe. As Ser Gilmore's life slip further away from him, so many questions arose in his mind. Why would Arl Howe want Katalyn dead? Why would he want any Cousland dead? He was one of the family's closest friends, wasn't he? What could he gain by killing her in such a matter? He would have succeeded if Ser Gilmore had not caught sight of the archer before he was about to kiss Katalyn. Ser Gilmore would have rather died before he let any harm come to her...Well, correction, he was dying before he let any harm come to her. Yet as long as Katalyn remained safe, he was happy to do it.