30 . 5 . 08
Happy Birthday to SIMBA! (a touch late)
ALERT: After a bit of prodding from EVA and hours of thought, I slightly changed the Rod-Jody-Creepy Guy part of last chapter. You can reread, but I'm not sure you'll really notice anything different, so let me correct your subconsciouses here.
1. The man had a strange accent ("It was almost as if his lip caught a little on his teeth as he spoke.")
2. The room got a little darker as the men arrived, and little brighter after they left. Jody didn't really notice, but if you had read it, you would have noticed, most likely, because you're more observant than the average blacksmith. --grin--
3. His reason for wanting Meriwether was because she was "a royal" instead of "Terriotian."
Sorry for the change!
"I mean that you've played the Ice Princess long enough. It's time you had your happiness. And you won't have it until you go and do something about it."
"I can't make him love me back," said Lavender shortly.
"But you can at least find out whether or not he does love you," countered Betony. "You assume he does not because he hasn't told you of it. But it takes a very proud and vain man to declare love when he has received no encouragement. And Lord Alain is neither proud nor vain. And you have surely been the most discouraging woman that ever lived." She paused, letting this sink in. It had its effect. Lavender's hard expression gave way to one of doubt.
"You can't go through your whole life wondering if you might have been happy," Betony resumed. "I'm not wise like you, Lavender, but I do know that making choices as to what will make one happy is hard. You have to give happiness a chance. Even if he doesn't love you, at least you'll not spend the rest of your life thinking about what might have been. Ten years is long enough. You've carried so many burdens, Lavender. Give this one up. Promise me."
The Twelve Dancing Princesses --Queen Eleni
Celeste walked down the hallway yawning, almost forgetting that the Princess was asleep in their shared room. She thought of it just in time to quietly slide the door open and sidle through. The candle that Katharine always lit was standing on the small table away from the bed, casting eerie shadows about the room.
Grateful as always that Katharine kept to her side of the bed without fail, Celeste edged under the warm, woolen blanket.
"What?" Katharine gasped, sitting upright and looking around wildly.
"It's just me," Celeste said softly.
Katharine's figure relaxed and she caught Celeste's eyes for a moment.
"Yes, naturally. Forgive me," Katharine said laying back down.
"There's nothing to forgive," Celeste said with a yawn. "I'm sorry for startling you."
"There's nothing to forgive," Katharine echoed, and Celeste couldn't tell if it was a tease or a genuine statement.
It was the closest, however, to personable that Celeste had ever seen Katharine outside of Michele or Mara Leigh's company. She decided to try to talk to Katharine and see where it went.
"Do you need any help with the bandages on your arms? And I saw one on your neck. I just wondered, you know, because I don't want them to get infected or anything…" she trailed off.
Katharine was silent.
"I probably should change them, yes," she said, quietly. Her voice sounded almost vulnerable, and Celeste had to repress a desire to squeeze her hand under the blanket. "Let's do it now."
She paused, and Celeste was surprised at her insistence, but was about to agree when Katharine added one more word. "Please."
Celeste smiled in the darkness.
"Sure. We can do it now."
It didn't take long to heat some water and clean the jagged wounds. They looked infected, so Celeste did the best she could to care for them with the limited resources she had at her disposal. Though Celeste's lips were pursed and her eyebrows furrowed, she didn't ask Katharine what had happened, and Katharine didn't offer any information. She never made a noise through the whole operation, her face set in the cool, calm mask.
After Celeste tied the bandage securely over the small knife wound on her chest, Katharine allowed herself a sigh.
"Is that better?" Celeste asked.
"Yes, it is," Katharine said with a wry smile, carefully rubbing her newly bandaged arms. "I didn't know my subjects were so skilled at healing."
"Growing up with Lee and Jody, if I didn't know something, they would have died," Celeste chuckled.
"Jody loves you, you know," Katharine said out of the blue.
"I'm sure he does, in his own way," Celeste said, taking her strangeness in stride. Maybe if she kept the conversation going, she might learn more about this perplexing woman.
"He loves you too deeply to really understand," Katharine said, narrowing her eyes as she stared into Celeste's.
Celeste almost shivered at the cold, dark depths.
"The Prince really loves you too," she replied.
"I know he does," Katharine said softly, looking into the fire for a moment. "I know he does."
Celeste wasn't sure to think of what she had just said, so she smiled tentatively and changed the subject.
"How do you know Jody loves me?" she asked.
"I understand things," Katharine said with a half shrug. "It was fairly obvious, from the way you acted, that you were missing him. And, you do have a child, which I've heard tends to bring people together. Although, knowing how relationships work in court, I'm not sure I fully agree with that statement – but I digress. Past that, I just understand it, I suppose. I thought you'd want to hear it. Women usually want to."
"Well, Mara Leigh isn't Jody's child," Celeste said with a smile. "Jody is my second husband. Lee was my first husband, but he died in the war and Jody came to my rescue. I thought it strange that you would say that, since the whole reason he left to join the army again was because he refused to love me, or admit that he did. So, how do I know your information is valid?"
She smiled, half in jest, half in earnest.
"It was a fairy gift. Take that as you will," Katharine said, equally in jest and earnest.
"I feel like such a child," Celeste said, ducking her head and giggling. "I have far too many questions."
Celeste's infectious laughter even coaxed a chuckle from Katharine.
"Since I'm asking, I might as well ask some things of consequence. I have been dying to know who those two men were."
"Oh, them? They called themselves members of the – oh, what was it – the Justice Preservation Association, or something," Katharine said, giving Celeste a cockeyed look. "Zealots. They did save me from my kidnappers, though, and they were planning to keep me alive, so I can't complain."
"So, what are you going to do now? You can't stay in the countryside forever."
"And I can't exactly go riding into the city's capital alone, either, when I'm supposed to be dead."
"You have a point," Celeste conceded. "Do you have a plan, then?"
Katharine sighed in annoyance.
"No. I can't think of a way out of here, and it's driving me batty. My only chance is to wait for those Zealots to come back. I think they have a plan to get me safely home."
"They'd better come back soon, before these children do you in," Celeste said dryly.
Katharine beamed.
"Oh no, I love the children. They're perfectly grand."
"Do you plan on having any of your own?" Celeste asked, then realized that it was more of an awkward question out loud than it had sounded in her mind.
"Why should I, when there are so many others I can borrow?" Katharine replied with a grin.
Celeste chuckled appreciatively.
Conversation strayed to many other topics before they both simultaneously realized that if they didn't go to bed soon, it would be time to get up, and they both slipped into bed, Celeste with a smile on her face, and Katharine with her unreadable mask.
Roderic and Jody set off toward Albertte with the morning light, keeping their eyes peeled for Joseph.
Hopefully he was smart enough to ride on and keep out of sight, Jody thought, stealing a glance behind him at the rider that was obviously from the kidnappers. His hands flexed on the reigns, wanting nothing more than to wring the necks of every single filthy man in that party. Kidnapping innocent children was a low blow, one that Jody could not tolerate with any amount of patience.
Roderic was lost in thought, guiding the horse out of instinct.
Trying to formulate a plan, no doubt, Jody thought. I sure hope one of them gets cocky and confronts us by himself. I'd love to show him what I think of cowards, he seethed. Somewhere back there was a girl, naïve and silly, but now lonely and frightened, and his helplessness made him grind his teeth in frustration.
Concentrate. How to save Meriwether and the Princess both. When we don't even know where the Princess is. Golly.
Neither man talked much on the long ride toward Albertte, but in the silence, the two men began to better understand each other, and irritate the other less and less. Jody respected Roderic more, and Roderic began to understand that comfortable silence meant more to Jody than frivolous words.
They hardly saw Meriwether, except when the men would approach them to order that they move faster. Meriwether looked thinner, but stronger, each time. It was the kind of strength that rippled through her eyes, even under Roderic's frantic scrutiny. She even managed to smile at him once before she was hustled away.
Jody felt a growing determination in Roderic that swelled with every passing day.
As Roderic and Jody rode into the town, they realized something that hadn't really occurred to them before, though the other towns had looked more or less similar.
The town was grey.
It wasn't colored grey, but grey was the first word both men thought of as they simultaneously narrowed their eyebrows at the deserted marketplace: the place that made them notice the abnormality to begin with. The storekeepers looked grim and wary, and any people visiting the stalls talked in low voices, hardly glancing at the two men on horseback.
The fear was almost tangible in the air. As they rode past a small huddle of people, Roderic wondered how he didn't notice the growing fearfulness among his peasants. Even his dreams had been darker of late, but he had assumed it was due to his darker mood.
He and Jody shared a strange look. Quickly, they stabled their horses in the town's inn and walked in, guarded against the creeping dismal air. It took a while to find a man that looked like he would talk to them. Most of the men and women eyed the strange pair and deliberately busied themselves with something else. They came to an older man, sitting in the corner and looking like he had not moved in many days.
A full mug of some drink sat in front of him. Warm blue eyes watched them easily as they approached.
"May we sit here?" Roderic asked.
"Be m'guest," the man said, clearing his throat.
"Have you heard where the Birdie's gone?" Jody asked quietly, though he really didn't know why he was being quiet.
"She's gone on to Albertte, no doubt about that," the man said. "You aren't the only one that's been asking. I don't know who you're for or what your aim is, and I don't want to know. You look like an honest man, and looks are as good as words these days. All I can say is be careful where you ask. Rijhad is in a bad way, with the Prince and the foreign princesses both missing. I'm not sure there's a side anymore that's right, but if there is, I hope you find it. Raids and searches from the royal guard and the Philettins have everyone watching their friends and foes. Whoever this Birdie is, her days are numbered. The royal guard is chasing her like a dog, and no one can hide from them forever."
"Raids?" Jody asked. "Where?"
"All around Albertte, even deep into the country," the man said, shaking his head. "I've lost my half brother and his family already, and they thought they were safe."
"Celeste," Jody said, turning abruptly away from the man and striding out of the pub.
"Jody, wait," Roderic said, jogging to keep pace. "We have to follow the Bird. I know you are worried about your family, but—"
"I know, I know, the Princesses," Jody almost shouted, slamming his foot into the stirrup and causing Majestic to snort in fear. "Golly, but I think my two girls should be as important as yours!"
"I am truly sorry," Roderic said, swinging onto his own horse and keeping pace with Jody. "Something is going to happen soon. Whether for better or worse, with all these people looking for Meriwether and myself, someone is going to find us. I can only hope that we find Katharine before anything happens to her. But, either way, you will be on your way home soon. And what of your friend? Can he not defend them?"
"Christopher's a great guy, and he has all the farm hands," Jody admitted, cooling somewhat.
Roderic nodded, biting his lip to refrain from saying anything else, and they both nudged their horses into a faster walk. Jody's silence was indicative of his reluctant agreement, and Roderic knew that.
Knock, knock, knockKNOCKknock!
"Celeste, could you—"
"Kayla, the—"
"I'll get it!" Suzie yelled, balancing Mara Leigh expertly on her slim waist.
The baby blubbed casually, gnawing her fingers and watching everything with her snapping green eyes. Suzie pulled the door open, and the polite "Hello," was delayed a moment by the disheveled figure in front of her. A young man, a good five or six years her senior, had his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.
"Is the birdie here,
Did she land near?" he sang in between gulping breaths.
Suzie cocked her head to the side. Mara Leigh chirped and waved a drool covered hand.
"You have a lovely voice," she commented.
"Aye," he replied without hesitation, then blinked, freezing mid-gasp. "I do," he said again, and Suzie noted that his voice seemed sweet and sing-songy, even when he wasn't singing. "I — I'm back!" he whooped, grabbing Suzie and Mara Leigh and spinning them around, a truly elated smile lighting on his angular features. "You fixed me!"
Suzie couldn't help smiling, too, against her better judgment.
"Who are you?" she asked firmly, trying to keep a secure hold on Mara Leigh, who was bouncing excitedly.
"Joseph, friend of Jody the blacksmith. He was from around here, wasn't he?" Joseph said in a rush, obviously distracted by his newfound liberation. "OH! The Birdie! Is she here?"
"What birdie?" Suzie asked.
Joseph stared at her, and seemed to just register that she was not the woman of the house.
"Where's your mother?"
"MOTHER!" Suzie bellowed, then smiled sweetly at Joseph. "She'll be here in a moment."
The pair stood in awkward silence, Suzie looking shyly up at the older boy.
"How'd you do it?" he finally blurted out.
"D-do what?" Suzie said, surprised at the sudden question. "I… called her."
"Called— no, not that! How did you fix me?"
"Fix you? How do you mean?" she asked, resettling Mara Leigh on her hip before she toppled forward.
"I couldn't do anything but sing and rhyme, and you fixed me somehow," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets.
Her big, grey-eyed stare made him nervous.
"Have you been like that forever?" she asked in awe.
"No…"
"This sounds like magic," Suzie said, in a very matter-of-fact manner that hearkened towards the woman she was about to become.
"What do you need, Suzie?" Kayla yelled from somewhere near the back of the house.
"Someone at the door wants to talk to you!" Suzie shouted back.
"I'll be – right there!" Kayla grunted, and there was a crash.
"'kay!" Suzie called, happy to be out of harm's way, entertaining the stranger.
"Well, however you did it, you're a wonderful person," Joseph said.
Kayla arrived before he saw her blush.
"Hello," Kayla said pleasantly, and Joseph immediately saw where Suzie got her beautiful eyes.
"Did the Birdie fly through here?" Joseph asked.
"Birdie?" Kayla echoed, subtly pushing Suzie into the house. "I don't know what you're talking about. Are you feeling alright?"
"I'm fine!" Joseph said, giving her a strange look. "Have you not heard of the Birdie?"
"Who are you?" Kayla asked, one hand on the door.
"You need to get better at introducing yourself," Suzie muttered under her breath.
"Joseph, friend of Jody the blacksmith."
Kayla's eyebrows lifted.
"Any friend of Jody is a friend of ours. Come on in. Have you seen him recently? He hasn't dropped by or sent a letter since we last saw him."
"He's detained elsewhere," Joseph said tactfully, following Kayla into the house.
"Who's this?" Celeste asked, coming in the back door and seeing the boy.
"Joseph. A friend of Jody's," Kayla explained.
"Is he alright?" Celeste asked, eyes widening.
"I'm not sure how to answer that, exactly. How do you all know Jody?"
"He's my husband!" Celeste said, more forcefully than the situation expressly called for.
"Oh," Joseph said, looking taken aback, and glancing at the children who, in the absence of both mothers, were beginning to congregate and see what all the fuss was about. "I didn't know he had so many children. Actually, I didn't know he was married."
"They're mine, mostly," Kayla said, brushing off his questions. "Why are you here? Is Jody in trouble?"
"No. Or, yes. Well, I don't know. Look, I have to start at the beginning. There are rumors that the princess isn't dead, that she's really kidnapped – or on the run – or something, and we chased after her, but then the others got held up by a nasty group of men who then kidnapped Princess Meriwether, and I escaped to find the Princess before the nasty group finds and her and does who-knows-what with her and Meriwether. I was hoping you'd have information for me, but if you don't, I really must be on my way, because they're catching up to me."
"Dolt," Katharine said, striding into the room with Michele at her heels. "Why does it not surprise me that my sweet cousin has gotten involved?"
"Princess! We meet again," Joseph said, leaping comically into a stiff formal position, then bowing deeply.
A small smile ventured onto her features.
"Jester. Crazy Joseph?"
"Formerly," Joseph agreed. "I've reformed. So," he said, turning to Kayla with narrowed eyes, "are you the nefarious villain with malevolent intent?"
"No," Kayla said decidedly. "She was dumped here, and the pair of men that rescued her has gone ahead with every intention of returning."
"I see," Joseph said.
There was a pause.
"Now what are you going to do?" Barb asked, hopping up to his side.
"I'll – we'll – I actually don't know," Joseph said, wide eyed, as he realized he had forgotten a very important part of the rescue mission. "I was so worried about finding the Princess before the others did, I didn't even think about what I would do once I found her…"
Pete and Steve giggled. Suzie glared at them. Mara Leigh burped.
"Joel and Anthony should be coming back any day now," Katharine said, then furrowed her eyebrows. "Actually, I think they're coming now."
"How do you know?" Michele asked eagerly.
"I just do," Katharine said firmly, sharing a look with Celeste.
"Who are they?" Joseph asked, confused.
"The rescuers," Celeste explained, "and apparently they have a plan."
"Someone has to," Markin muttered, earning a punch on the arm from Suzie.
Knock knock knock!
"I'll – get it," Kayla said, giving Katharine a strange look.
A moment later, Joel and Anthony had rushed into the room.
"Princess, we haven't a moment to waste," Anthony said. "We must ride to the capital! Cordelia will distract them long enough to keep everyone safe."
"I'm coming with you!" Joseph said, quick to be sure he wasn't left out. "And everyone who? You mean the Prince and Princess too?"
"Yes, them," Joel said, looking the unimpressive boy up and down. "We'll get acquainted on the way. You look like a true Rijhaddite."
"Uh, thank you," Joseph said, quirking an eyebrow as he followed them out the door.
"Well, bye," Kayla muttered, disgruntled.
The children crowded at the window to watch them all ride away.
"Don't say thank you. It's quite alright. I suppose it was implied," Kayla continued, grabbing a rag from Markin's hand violently and wiping the mud off the floor where the two men had tracked it in.
"They were in a bit of a rush, Kayla," Celeste said. "Off to save the country or something, no doubt."
"Who isn't?" Kayla grumbled.
Celeste just smiled and shooed the children from the window.
Final word count: 3205
Whew, what a busy chapter! Celeste got Katty talking! Any comments? What did you think of Jody and Rod's discovery of the state of the country? And what of Joseph's being rescued from singing?
silliana: I was dying of boredom too, actually. Heh. --sigh-- To be fair, I never expected, in the beginning, for Kayla and Katharine to get together, or for Joseph to ever return to the story, I named them without thinking. The rewrite is probably going to have name changes. Ugh.
Ellsbeta: You like the Blooper Reel idea? Oh good. I've now realizing exactly what number of deleted scenes I'm going to end up with. It's killing me, paring off all these cute scenes that are irrelevant to the plot. --sigh!-- At least they won't be collecting dust in the archives of my computer. Katty is a magnificent brat. Though, she is getting better. Marginally. A little at a time. --chuckle-- Kayla probably loses track of the children quite easily. They're not really meant to stand out, though; they're side characters, for comic relief, mostly. --chuckle-- Yes, they are.
daring2dream: You like the Blooper Reel too? Oh goodie. I now have two people who will read it! The kids are so funny! The confrontation, well, it came of its own accord. --chuckle-- Ah, you know I can't really answer those questions. But I'm glad you're thinking of them! Those are good questions to be having. Thanks? I think. --smile-- Oh, thanks for the congrats. I love long reviews! (But what author doesn't?) Of course you can! Ah, exams. Study hard! Do well! --laugh-- Sorry I gave you a craving. I'm glad the character are still coming along. --deep sigh-- I have to admit, I'll be relieved when this is over and I can do something easier.
Bingo7: Ha, I'm glad you liked the title! Kayla's house really is controlled chaos on most days. Heh. Relating is good. Burnt pancakes? I think most people could relate to that part of it, anyway. Oh good, another person who likes the Blooper Reel! I'm glad I won't be the only one chuckling at the outtakes.
Crayola Color Sky: Oh, don't seethe. That's bad for your emotional health. Have some more cobbler. Hum? Twists? Moi? --looks innocent-- You'll read the Blooper Reel too? Great!
Mazkeraide: Ah, exams. That's understandable. I hope you did well! --laugh!-- Well, you have a point with that, but Jody was also sending her off with one of the least noticeable people in the group, so they have more of a chance of escaping. His plan was to get them out of there, and leave the ones who could defend themselves behind, if that makes sense. He didn't exactly realize they were kidnappers going after Meri. You're not the only one that finds that funny. Golly is a rather old-lady-ish thing to say, so I can see why it would be funny. Ah, a Katharine proponent. You make good points. Vampirates! Ah! That made me laugh. Lowering stress is a good thing. I'm glad I can help. --grin--
slipshod: Ah! I never thought of that. That's true. Poor guy. Well, poor girls. That part of the chapter was probably my favorite to write. Kids are just such a hoot!
FaylinnNorse: The children are great. They are my favorite characters, I think, in the whole story. --laugh-- They're getting somewhere, don't worry. Yeah, I'm glad Jody did, too. Rod needed to hear it, and Jody needed to stretch out a friendly hand. They're progressing, slowly.
Pixel Fairy: Roddy can be quite kingly, in the right situations. And, Jody can be sensitive, if he thinks about it. --chuckle-- I did kind of have him show up out of nowhere, but I did do that on purpose, to some extent. --shrug-- There isn't much foreshadowing if that happens in real life. But, eh. Kids make everything ridiculous. Mopping with a diaper? --shakes head and laughs-- Comic relief. Kayla is down-to-earth. So is Katty, but in a more cynical way. That's probably why they don't get along – they're too similar! Oh, I've imagined Katty loving kids for a long time. It is a weird thing, given the rest of her character, but it does add a necessary soft element to her. She has six children. They aren't all terribly important, but in case you were wondering, their names are Markin, Suzie, Pete, Barb, Steve, and Michele. I can't answer question number two. But, you probably knew that. --grin-- As for three, you'll find out. Probably. Number four: I know, but you don't yet, so I can't really tell you. Ah, the Birdie: she's whoever you want her to be. --mystic vibe-- No, I can't say.
Darth Chocolate: Good guesses! You can have an extra big scoop of cobbler for that. As you can see, Katty did kind of open up to Celeste. At least, they opened communications. Aw, thanks.
As always, please point out my mistakes. I'd love to hear about grammatical errors, plot holes, blocky flow, weird dialogue, or anything else.
Reviewers for this chapter get a slice of strawberry pie. If you've never had it, just rest assured that strawberry is the single greatest pie on earth. If you're allergic to strawberries (poor unfortunate souls) you can have some blackberry pie, which is also quite good.