"I don't understand you."
Kate looked back to where Rick was walking slightly behind her, her eyes well-adjusted to the dark and walking by the light of the moon.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Kate said, unsure of what an appropriate response to that would be.
"It has got to be at least midnight…" he said, ignoring her answer, "…we've been walking since the sun set, and you haven't slept in over a day," he paused, cocking his head to the side and looking at her.
"How are you still moving?"
She smiled in the dark, "We had some tea before we left."
"Tea?" He said incredulously. "Your reasoning is tea?"
She laughed lightly, shrugging slightly, "Tea keeps you awake."
"For possibly an hour or two!" Rick said, his tone like that of a child, "One cup of tea does not keep you awake for half the night."
"Oh come on, Rick," she said, "You took a nap before we left! Stop whining and keep walking."
He stopped walking, his mouth dropping open.
"I am not whining!" he said indignantly. "I am simply pointing out that the amount of energy you have for someone who wakes up as early and sleeps as little as you do is uncanny… I would even go so far as to say it's inhuman."
She choked out one sharp laugh, cognizant of the darkness and what might be lurking in the shadows before she controlled herself, turning to look at him with a teasing smile.
"Inhuman, huh? So, tell me Richard… If I'm not human, what am I?"
He didn't even pause to think about it.
"I don't know… A goddess, perhaps? An angel? A sorceress? I can't decide."
Kate rolled her eyes, thankful that the darkness covered up her slight blush.
"I'm sorry to inform you, Rick, but I really am human. I bleed and laugh and cry just like everyone else."
He picked up his steps, until he fell into step beside her. She felt his eyes on her face, but she didn't give him the satisfaction of looking at him.
She heard him suck in air past his teeth before he quickened his pace to step in front of her. She was about to side step him when he turned around, walking backwards in front of her.
"I don't believe you."
She rolled her eyes again even though she knew he couldn't tell.
"I doesn't matter if you believe it," she said, "I'm human."
"Then you're an extraordinary one," he said, "and by the far the most mysterious one I've ever met."
"Well, I can't have you knowing everything about me, Rick."
"Unfortunately for you, Princess," Rick said, "I don't like mysteries to remain unsolved."
"Oh, Rick, if you solve the mystery, you'll stop coming back," she kept her tone light, trying to keep the fear out of her tone.
"However, there is no doubt in my mind that there is much more to you than meets the eye…" even in the dark, she could tell he was smiling, "… and I have plenty of time to figure you out."
"Are we the-"
"Rick."
"My apologies."
By the time they finally arrived in Kyra, the sun had just risen over the horizon. They walked directly into the town square, taking in the sight of the few lonely people milling about the streets. Rick asked them where the closest inn was and the people told them without much enthusiasm where to find one. They did inform them, however, that the closest inn was by far the closest inn of them all, by a good mile or two. Rick and Kate thanked them and began walking in the direction they pointed them in.
Rick leaned over and whispered in her ear as they walked away.
"Well," he deadpanned, "they're pleasant."
Kate shrugged her shoulders, feeling the heaviness in them.
"Maybe they don't have anything to be happy about."
Kate knew that he was surprised by her reaction without even looking at him.
"Why Princess," he said softly, "that's quiet cynical of you."
Kate stopped at the threshold of the inn they had just arrived at, before she looked back at him.
"So many layers to the Princess," Kate said, the self-deprecation and disdain for the title clear in her tone, "Are you sure you still want to see them all?"
She walked through the door, not giving him a chance to respond as she approached the front desk, the woman behind the counter looking up at the two of them.
She wasn't one for small talk.
"It's 3 for a night, 18 for a week," she clipped, her accent coating her words.
Kate approached the desk.
"We need two rooms," she said.
"We don't have two rooms."
"Well, how many rooms do you have?"
The woman looked up with an annoyed sigh, "one."
Kate pursed her lips, far too tired to deal with this woman.
Rick grabbed Kate's arm gently and began pulling her away.
"Thank you for your time ma'am," he said.
Kate shrugged him off. "No, we'll take it."
She felt him stiffen behind her at the same time she saw the woman's eyes widen. She looked between the two of them.
"You're married?"
Kate kept a straight face as she nodded.
"Yes, newlyweds. I'm Nicole, and this is my husband, Jameson Rodgers…"
Suddenly, Kate realized that she probably should have asked Rick if he was comfortable sharing a room with her. Kate was too tired to care, but he might. Perhaps that was why he had frozen.
She spun around and put her hand on his chest.
"You don't mind, do you Jameson? I know you like your space but it'll only be for one night…"
Rick shook his head numbly, the idea of staying in the same room with her creating equally powerful and conflicting thoughts. He was still trying to figure out why she would blatantly lie about them, and why it was so damn important that they stayed here.
"Whatever you want, my dear," Rick said.
The woman looked between them, her expression still disbelieving.
"Are you su-"
"Look," Kate said, cutting her off, "do you want our money or not?"
Kate knew she had said the right thing when she saw the woman's nostrils flare.
"For the night or the week?"
Kate mentally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Just for a night."
Kate dug into her pocket and picked out the fare for the night, handing it over to the other woman on the other side of the table.
"It'll be 2 more because you'll be here all day."
Kate rolled her eyes but fished out the money, just wanting to get up to their room as quickly as possible. The dark-haired woman counted it twice before unlocking a box with a key around her neck, putting the money safely inside before retrieving a key from another locked box. She handed it over to Kate.
"Go up those stairs," she said, tilting her head towards them, "It's the second room on your right. Water spigot's out back if you want to bathe. Buckets are in your rooms. If you need anything, I'm Paula."
Kate gave the woman a terse nod, grabbing Rick's hand and leading them over towards the stairwell.
Kate led them up the stairs as quickly as her legs could carry her, leading them up the door to their room. It took her three attempts to open the door, only finally getting it open when Rick wrapped his hand around hers and turned the key in the lock.
Rick opened the door for her and ushered her inside, immediately taking in the small room, the small metal tub in the corner next to the small table, the buckets stored snugly underneath. There was a small mirror on the wall above the table, and all of this was next to the small bed.
Even if they were married, he didn't think the two of them would fit.
It was fine. He would sleep on the floor. It's not like that was a new experience.
He felt her slip around him, moving further into the room.
Rick watched as Kate moved over towards the bed, immediately lying down on the edge of it. He watched as she curled up onto her side and closed her eyes.
Oh. Oh.
She was tired.
He had no control of his mouth.
"So your magical tea energy finally ran out?"
"It's not magic," she mumbled into her pillow, her eyes still closed.
He took her in for a moment, shaking his head at her. No wonder she had been so adamant about staying here. If they had to walk any farther he probably would've ended up carrying her to the next inn in his arms.
Hm… perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing.
"Aren't you tired?" she said, her words running together.
He shrugged his shoulders and then realized that she couldn't see him.
"I'll just take a nap on the floor."
"Don't make me hit you," she growled.
He blanched for a moment, unsure of what she meant.
"I won't bite," she continued.
His reaction was automatic and he had to fight the urge to slap his hand across his mouth.
"Even if I ask you to?"
He shook his head. He couldn't do it. He couldn't climb into bed and sleep with her, even if it was completely innocent. If he climbed onto that bed, he wasn't sure he could control himself. Sure, he had kissed other women before, even gone a little bit farther before… but this was completely different.
She was… Kate. Katherine. Princess. She was… different.
"I'll be perfectly comfortable on the floor."
He heard Kate sigh, watching her roll onto her back before lifting herself up off the mattress. She stood up and walked a few steps before lying down on the floor, curling up onto her side again.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"It's my fault we're in a room with one bed," she murmured, "if anyone's on the floor, it's me."
"Don't be absurd," he said, "take the bed."
"I'm perfectly comfortable on the floor," Kate said, using his own words against him.
He groaned. She was being difficult. He was trying to protect her and she was being stubborn. He couldn't let her sleep on the floor, not when she was so clearly exhausted.
He moved over towards where she was lying, leaning over and scooping her up off the floor. Her hands immediately clenched around the fabric of his shirt.
He walked her over towards the bed, leaning down slowly and dropping her back onto the mattress. He went to stand up, but her fists in his shirt made it impossible.
"Kate…" he said, "… let go."
"No."
He sighed, moving his hands to unclench her fingers around his shirt.
"Rick," she said, "I'll feel awful if you sleep on the floor knowing that I put us in this position. I'm sorry, this was so selfish of me…"
He cut her off, hating to see her get so worked up, his voice hesitant, "You… really don't mind?"
She pulled him down on the bed, scooting over so he could fit on it as well. When he was situated, she curled up into him, her body flush against his side, her cheek pressed against the juncture of his shoulder and chest. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, effectively hugging her against him (to make sure she didn't fall off of the edge of the bed. Obviously).
He felt her smile against his chest and he realized what had just happened.
"Oh, you're evil."
He just felt her smile grow.
"It shouldn't be so hard to get my husband into bed," Kate mumbled against his chest.
Rick bit back a laugh, trying not to disturb her.
He felt her exhale, her breath hot even through his shirt.
"Sweet dreams, Rick."
Oh, he had no doubt they would be.