Through Kate's desire to leave the dull, dreary life of being an invalid, for all that Kate wished she could be outside in the sun and elements, she couldn't get her mind off of how great a kiss Dante could give her when she wanted one.
One week's time had given her plenty of opportunities to discover that little fact, much to Annali's pleasure. The spritely, young Healer was the envy of her circle of friends, now, and was blossoming in the spotlight. It meant that she was a sight more cheery during the day; if, Kate shuddered, it was humanly possible.
She was altogether fed up with being kept in the tiny, plain room, and wished ferverently for something else to look at besides pale green walls and an equally pale ceiling.
"A mirror! Give me a mirror and I'd be happy!"
Even looking at her own reflection was better than the same four walls day in and day out!
There was a gentle knock on the door just then, and Kate's voice quieted at the prospect of seeing - she hoped - a new or welcome face. "Who's there?"
"It's Caelan. . . may I come in?"
'Damn,' Kate grimaced, 'More dancing glee and sunshine.' She schooled her expression into one of neutrality. "Uh. . . Yeah?" It sounded more like a question, to Kate's ears, and she hoped it didn't come across as one to Caelan.
The door eased open and Caelan's red-haired head peeked in. "Bright the morning, Kate!" she chimed sickeningly, and Kate stifled the urge to moan in disgust. "You know, a little birdie told me that today is to be your last day in Healers," Caelan said, and let herself into the room in one fluid motion, "Well - actually it was a big Companion, but I didn't think it'd work the same as 'little birdie.' Anyroad -- Annali and the others think you're well enough now that you can have your own room in the Palace long enough for us to figure out where to keep you."
"Keep me? So; I'm to be held captive, then? Some 'little birdie' in a nice flashy cage?" she threw the phrase back into Caelan's face.
"Oh, don't be bitter. Would you rather stay here? I could tell the Healers for you, though I don't think they'd be too pleased with that. . . Someone who's perfectly capable of living elsewhere taking up the space they need for those who are-"
"That's enough, thank you," Kate interrupted. "You know, you certainly have an ability to talk. I think that should be your Heraldic Gift, Caelan. We'll call it 'the Gift of Gab.' " Kate grinned evilly and folded her legs beneath her in the chair.
"Very funny."
"I thought so. Did you come here to talk my ears off or did you have some other purpose? Or maybe they sent you over instead of Annali because you're expendable? That must be it. Healers are hard to come by, but they've got plenty of Herald trainees to shove around. . ."
"Kate! How dare you say something like that!" Caelan was indignant. "We are NOT expendable! None of us!"
"Then why don't they send someone important over to get me?"
What Caelan *wanted* to say was, 'because you don't deserve it,' but instead - being one to value feelings of others over her own - she shrugged. "It isn't my place to decide who does what around here, you know. I just follow orders. I don't give them."
"Funny," Kate scoffed, arms folded, "I'm used to quite the opposite."
Caelan shook her head and sighed. Sometimes there was no dealing with Kate. Whatever anyone said, she had some sharp comment to retort with. 'I think she'd bite me if I gave her a compliment!'
"I only came here to tell you you're allowed to leave the room, that's all. . ."
"Thank you, Monarch's Own Messenger-Service," Kate's retort made the 'thanks' a bitter one, "Now - take your leave, if you please."
Another sigh on Caelan's behalf. "Fine, fine. Maybe I'll see you around the Collegium some time." And with that, she took herself out of the room, off to - presumably - do more Heraldic things.
'Like bathing the homeless, feeding lost puppies and befriending tiny woodland creatures.'
"What's with the venom?" a voice boomed from the doorway, and Kate turned her face away from the window to see Dante standing in it. "You just about took poor Caelan's arm off! Gods, Kate. . . are you so upset at staying here that you must make life hell for everyone else?"
"No," Kate quipped, "Just Caelan." She forced a smile and turned away again.
"Listen - it isn't going to kill you to be a little bit nicer to people around here, Kate. You should hear the talk in the halls about 'that foreigner in room 3.' Ever since you threw that tray of food at Jakur four days ago, the whole Wing has been buzzing."
Jakur was a little blue-eyed boy who served the Palace as a page. He ran errands for the most part, and everyone in the palace was very fond of him. Everyone except Kate, of course. For all that he seemed as angellic and perfect as a little boy could be, he had a terrible stutter when he was nervous. Apparently Kate scared the wits from the boy, because he could barely speak when he was in the room with her. It had annoyed Kate so terribly that, in her temper, she'd overturned an entire meal upon the boy as he stuttered over the phrase, 'here's your supper, ma'am.'
They hadn't sent him back into the room since then, and every time the child passed Kate's open door, she made sure to send him a glare that could melt the ice off of a frozen pond.
"You can't tell me you wouldn't have been annoyed at that, too, Dante," she pointed out rather smugly.
"I would have been annoyed, yes, but I would NOT have dumped an entire meal of hot soup and buttered bread upon his shoulders!"
Kate smirked, remembering just how humorous she'd found the entire thing. Blue eyes and egg-noodles happened to compliment each other very well. "And his little blue uniform. . ." she said aloud, without thinking.
"What?"
"Nothing."
He quirked an eyebrow at her and sighed. "Look -- just lighten up, okay? If not for the rest of the Palace, then for me." He offered her a smile, then held out his hand. "Come, Princess. I must now escort you to your room."
And, since anywhere was better than this tiny room in Healers', Kate took Dante's hand and stood up. "All right," she said, "Lead on."
So Dante lead Kate out of the little tiled room, and into the long hallway just beyond the door. Kate had never been outside of that room - this was something new to her. She looked around and blinked, surprised at herself that she never took the time to poke her head out of the door and examine the hallway. Well - she'd been . . . occupied, and now was a good a time as any. Her ever-changing eyes watched the walls as they passed, making a mental note of every doorway, every window, every decoration. Dante noticed this - it was common procedure for a royal in unexplored territory. No doubt that this action was ingrained into her head by years of schooling. Find escape routes, find defence methods, find offense methods. . . Dante didn't doubt that Kate could attack anyone in the halls as well as he could, and HE carried a sword. Kate didn't, but he had the feeling that she could use the tapestry on the walls as well as a sword or even better.
"Why do you keep doing that?" he asked, pausing and tugging Kate aside so as to keep from blocking traffic. One never knew when a group of Healers might come rushing in with an emergency or some other urgent necessity. He didn't wish to be scolded by a woman ten years his junior about blocking the halls with his idleness. It'd happened before, and was something he'd rather not repeat. A Healer, when provoked, reminded Dante of a Wyrsa mother chasing enemies away from her pups.
"Doing what?"
"You know what I'm talking about. We're not going to assassinate you, Kate. We're HERALDS and HEALERS here. Well, there're Bards too, but it isn't as though THEY can do anything!" He strummed an 'Air-lute' for a moment, then cried, "DIE, KARSITE SCUM!" And gave a great swing with his arms.
Kate, despite herself, laughed. "Nut. You ought to join the Gypsy circus, Dante. They'd LOVE a comedian like you! Besides . . . I think you'd look positively ravishing in a dress!"
Dante took a bow and grinned. "I DO put on a great show, don't I? Now -" his face was a trifle more serious, "Be truthful. Do you honestly think you're going to need all of the information you seek?"
"Old habits die hard."
"Well," Dante looked at her, continued walking again, "We'll just have to break you of those habits, won't we, Kate?"
Kate smirked at him. "I'd like to see you try."
One week's time had given her plenty of opportunities to discover that little fact, much to Annali's pleasure. The spritely, young Healer was the envy of her circle of friends, now, and was blossoming in the spotlight. It meant that she was a sight more cheery during the day; if, Kate shuddered, it was humanly possible.
She was altogether fed up with being kept in the tiny, plain room, and wished ferverently for something else to look at besides pale green walls and an equally pale ceiling.
"A mirror! Give me a mirror and I'd be happy!"
Even looking at her own reflection was better than the same four walls day in and day out!
There was a gentle knock on the door just then, and Kate's voice quieted at the prospect of seeing - she hoped - a new or welcome face. "Who's there?"
"It's Caelan. . . may I come in?"
'Damn,' Kate grimaced, 'More dancing glee and sunshine.' She schooled her expression into one of neutrality. "Uh. . . Yeah?" It sounded more like a question, to Kate's ears, and she hoped it didn't come across as one to Caelan.
The door eased open and Caelan's red-haired head peeked in. "Bright the morning, Kate!" she chimed sickeningly, and Kate stifled the urge to moan in disgust. "You know, a little birdie told me that today is to be your last day in Healers," Caelan said, and let herself into the room in one fluid motion, "Well - actually it was a big Companion, but I didn't think it'd work the same as 'little birdie.' Anyroad -- Annali and the others think you're well enough now that you can have your own room in the Palace long enough for us to figure out where to keep you."
"Keep me? So; I'm to be held captive, then? Some 'little birdie' in a nice flashy cage?" she threw the phrase back into Caelan's face.
"Oh, don't be bitter. Would you rather stay here? I could tell the Healers for you, though I don't think they'd be too pleased with that. . . Someone who's perfectly capable of living elsewhere taking up the space they need for those who are-"
"That's enough, thank you," Kate interrupted. "You know, you certainly have an ability to talk. I think that should be your Heraldic Gift, Caelan. We'll call it 'the Gift of Gab.' " Kate grinned evilly and folded her legs beneath her in the chair.
"Very funny."
"I thought so. Did you come here to talk my ears off or did you have some other purpose? Or maybe they sent you over instead of Annali because you're expendable? That must be it. Healers are hard to come by, but they've got plenty of Herald trainees to shove around. . ."
"Kate! How dare you say something like that!" Caelan was indignant. "We are NOT expendable! None of us!"
"Then why don't they send someone important over to get me?"
What Caelan *wanted* to say was, 'because you don't deserve it,' but instead - being one to value feelings of others over her own - she shrugged. "It isn't my place to decide who does what around here, you know. I just follow orders. I don't give them."
"Funny," Kate scoffed, arms folded, "I'm used to quite the opposite."
Caelan shook her head and sighed. Sometimes there was no dealing with Kate. Whatever anyone said, she had some sharp comment to retort with. 'I think she'd bite me if I gave her a compliment!'
"I only came here to tell you you're allowed to leave the room, that's all. . ."
"Thank you, Monarch's Own Messenger-Service," Kate's retort made the 'thanks' a bitter one, "Now - take your leave, if you please."
Another sigh on Caelan's behalf. "Fine, fine. Maybe I'll see you around the Collegium some time." And with that, she took herself out of the room, off to - presumably - do more Heraldic things.
'Like bathing the homeless, feeding lost puppies and befriending tiny woodland creatures.'
"What's with the venom?" a voice boomed from the doorway, and Kate turned her face away from the window to see Dante standing in it. "You just about took poor Caelan's arm off! Gods, Kate. . . are you so upset at staying here that you must make life hell for everyone else?"
"No," Kate quipped, "Just Caelan." She forced a smile and turned away again.
"Listen - it isn't going to kill you to be a little bit nicer to people around here, Kate. You should hear the talk in the halls about 'that foreigner in room 3.' Ever since you threw that tray of food at Jakur four days ago, the whole Wing has been buzzing."
Jakur was a little blue-eyed boy who served the Palace as a page. He ran errands for the most part, and everyone in the palace was very fond of him. Everyone except Kate, of course. For all that he seemed as angellic and perfect as a little boy could be, he had a terrible stutter when he was nervous. Apparently Kate scared the wits from the boy, because he could barely speak when he was in the room with her. It had annoyed Kate so terribly that, in her temper, she'd overturned an entire meal upon the boy as he stuttered over the phrase, 'here's your supper, ma'am.'
They hadn't sent him back into the room since then, and every time the child passed Kate's open door, she made sure to send him a glare that could melt the ice off of a frozen pond.
"You can't tell me you wouldn't have been annoyed at that, too, Dante," she pointed out rather smugly.
"I would have been annoyed, yes, but I would NOT have dumped an entire meal of hot soup and buttered bread upon his shoulders!"
Kate smirked, remembering just how humorous she'd found the entire thing. Blue eyes and egg-noodles happened to compliment each other very well. "And his little blue uniform. . ." she said aloud, without thinking.
"What?"
"Nothing."
He quirked an eyebrow at her and sighed. "Look -- just lighten up, okay? If not for the rest of the Palace, then for me." He offered her a smile, then held out his hand. "Come, Princess. I must now escort you to your room."
And, since anywhere was better than this tiny room in Healers', Kate took Dante's hand and stood up. "All right," she said, "Lead on."
So Dante lead Kate out of the little tiled room, and into the long hallway just beyond the door. Kate had never been outside of that room - this was something new to her. She looked around and blinked, surprised at herself that she never took the time to poke her head out of the door and examine the hallway. Well - she'd been . . . occupied, and now was a good a time as any. Her ever-changing eyes watched the walls as they passed, making a mental note of every doorway, every window, every decoration. Dante noticed this - it was common procedure for a royal in unexplored territory. No doubt that this action was ingrained into her head by years of schooling. Find escape routes, find defence methods, find offense methods. . . Dante didn't doubt that Kate could attack anyone in the halls as well as he could, and HE carried a sword. Kate didn't, but he had the feeling that she could use the tapestry on the walls as well as a sword or even better.
"Why do you keep doing that?" he asked, pausing and tugging Kate aside so as to keep from blocking traffic. One never knew when a group of Healers might come rushing in with an emergency or some other urgent necessity. He didn't wish to be scolded by a woman ten years his junior about blocking the halls with his idleness. It'd happened before, and was something he'd rather not repeat. A Healer, when provoked, reminded Dante of a Wyrsa mother chasing enemies away from her pups.
"Doing what?"
"You know what I'm talking about. We're not going to assassinate you, Kate. We're HERALDS and HEALERS here. Well, there're Bards too, but it isn't as though THEY can do anything!" He strummed an 'Air-lute' for a moment, then cried, "DIE, KARSITE SCUM!" And gave a great swing with his arms.
Kate, despite herself, laughed. "Nut. You ought to join the Gypsy circus, Dante. They'd LOVE a comedian like you! Besides . . . I think you'd look positively ravishing in a dress!"
Dante took a bow and grinned. "I DO put on a great show, don't I? Now -" his face was a trifle more serious, "Be truthful. Do you honestly think you're going to need all of the information you seek?"
"Old habits die hard."
"Well," Dante looked at her, continued walking again, "We'll just have to break you of those habits, won't we, Kate?"
Kate smirked at him. "I'd like to see you try."