Kate looked into the eyes of the Companion mare before her with an awe large enough to match someone who'd just witnessed a miracle. She was falling, and at the same time, she was rising, surrounded by warmth and comfort and joy. . . Her trembling ceased, her pulse slowed, and the flame that'd been threatening to break free of her loose grasp was snuffed like a candle in the rain.
"Kalia," she said aloud, both of her hands reached for the silken pelt before her and wrapped around the mare's neck. The mare nuzzled her head against Kate's chest - an embrace, of sorts - and therein, Kate found comfort unlike any she had ever received in her short seventeen years of life. Her slender fingers coiled themselves into the silken mane that drifted from an arched neck, her cheek pressed against the warmth of a perfect face.
:I will never leave you, Chosen,: Kalia said to Kate, blowing warm air into the girl's face, :I have waited so long to meet you, and now you are here, with me. We belong, you and I, and together we will do great things.:
"You - you were waiting for me?"
:Yes. . . I Searched for you, but could not find you, for you were so very far away from me. . . I have not slept in many days. You arrived here unconscious, and since then I have been waiting for the day when you would come to me. I knew you would. . . .: Kalia lipped Kate's hair, sighed happily. :And now, here you are!:
Before Kate knew what she was doing, she found herself standing, grasping a handful of mane, and hoisting herself onto Kalia's back with the ease of someone who has ridden bareback a great many times. She lay down upon the Companion's - HER Companion's - back, and closed her eyes, still stroking the silvery-white coat with one hand. Kalia took it upon herself to leave the bridge - which still smelled slightly of cinders and smoke - and picked her way across Companion's Field until she came to the shade of a grand, old tree somewhere near the river. Kate remained in a haze of elation and interest all the while, her own eyes a startling shade of blue, and so wide that it seemed - at a glance - that she was frightened. Not anything of the sort, however, Kate was marveling at how glorious it felt to be loved unconditionally by this horse-shaped guardian angel. Had Kate been an outsider to this event, she would have felt utterly sickened and probably would have tromped off in an opposite direction to mull over how disgusted she was. This, though, had happened to her, and now everything was different. This was new, this was exciting, and this was quite possibly the most wonderful thing that'd happened to her. It even bested the escape from death at the hands of her own father.
:Why Kate, I'm flattered!:
Kate blinked rapidly and sat up, apparently startled that Kalia was still there. She opened her mouth to protest, but stopped herself on account of the fact that she didn't quite know what to say to a horse. :I'm always going to be here,: Kalia said, amused, :In the back of your mind like a shadow. And should you ever need me, all you have to do is think of me.:
It was unnerving to think that someone had the ability to be an ever-present witness to her thoughts, but Kate had the distinct feeling that she could trust Kalia with her whole heart.
:You're right, of course.: Kate got the mental image of a blonde-haired, slender woman who was smiling, but it vanished in a wink and was replaced by approval, :I would never tell your secrets, Chosen. Not ever.:
And, since one could not lie mind-to-mind, Kate was inclined to believe her Companion. She slid off of Kalia's back and looked around - careful never to remove her hand from the mare's body as she walked. They were in a little aclove near the river, complete with a little ornamental bench and tiny, budding rosebushes. But, rather than sitting on the bench, Kate sat down on the ground next to Kalia and fell silent. It wasn't an akward silence, however. Kate and Kalia needed nothing more than the knowledge that they were together to be happy. It was dusk before Kate realized that she'd been sitting all afternoon. Both of her legs were asleep, her bottom was cold, and her stomach had been rumbling hungrily for quite some time.
:Perhaps you ought to go inside now, Chosen.:
"But-" Kate paused, closed her mouth. :But I don't want to leave you here.:
:I'll be fine, you know. . . I'd rather you left me and fed yourself than be here with me and miserable because you're practically starving, Chosen. Besides, I'm not going anywhere! All you'll need to do is think of me and I'll come around.:
:Really?:
:Truly.:
Kate stood up - with some difficulty - and brushed off her pants. :Then I'll come back out here to see you after Court, okay?:
:Oh, Court lasts a while, lovey, and I think you'll be ready for bed when it's over. We can still chat, though, while you bathe and get into your formal things.: The mare stood and shook her mane, then nudged Kate off toward the Palace. :They'll be wondering where you are, you know . . . you should get going!:
With a nod and a pat for Kalia, Kate reluctantly turned and began walking slowly away. She could hear the Companion moving behind her, but was a bit surprised when a warm nose pressed itself between her shoulder blades. :I decided I'm going to walk with you to the gate.: Pleased, Kate fell back beside her Companion and lay her head on the mare's shoulder as they walked.
"Kate!" a voice ahead of them called, and Kate could just make out a white-clad figure in the distance, "I've been looking all over for you!" It was Dante, and he'd quickened his pace to meet Kate half-way out of the Field. When he trotted within talking distance, however, his eyes grew wide. "Kalia?" he looked inquisitively at the mare, who winked. Dante stopped in his tracks, and for a moment Kate feared he'd turn and run back the way he came. But, to her relief, a wide grin spanned the man's features and he grabbed Kate up in a tight hug. "Oh, Kate! This is wonderful!" he exclaimed, swinging the girl in a circle until she punched his shoulder and demanded to be set down.
"Yes, it's peachy. And I have Court to attend, Dante. Has my gown arrived?"
The smile on Dante's face faded a bit. Apparently he'd been expecting a newer, cheerier Kate now that she'd been Chosen, but this was not the case. "Erm, yeah - yes. Yes, we have the gown, and it's hanging in your room . . ."
"Good. And how much time do I have until Court begins?"
"Uhm. . ." Completely flustered, Dante fished around in his head for the remaining amount of time Kate had until dinner. "A little more than a mark?" It was the closest estimation he could come up with. Kate nodded again and turned introspective, then meandered off in the direction of the Palace, seemingly deep in thought. Dante flashed a look to Kalia, who snorted softly and shook her head, and then he sauntered off after her just as the sun touched the horizon.
"I know what it means to be Chosen, Dante," Kate replied to the previous question as she half-stormed down the halls toward her room, "And frankly, I don't think I'd like to take part in it."
"But - you can't just ignore this! It's not something you can turn down, Kate!" He was completely, totally and irreversibly shocked. "No one has ever refused to become a Herald before! If you refuse, you can't just keep living here and go on as though nothing happened! Your bond with Kalia will be severed forcibly, and you'll lose her, Kate."
With her hand just inches from her doorknob, Kate paused. Lose Kalia. . . she'd lose the one and only creature that knew all of her faults, all of her misgivings and bad habits and quirks, and still loved her.
"Kate, listen to me. The instant you decide not to become a Herald, you'll regret it, and you'll have to live with that decision for the rest of your life. Kalia Chose you because you have what it takes to be a Herald. You have strength and intelligence and an iron will. . . hell, you've got a great deal more than most of the people in here, including me! Please, please, PLEASE think about this!"
"I have," Kate said, closing the door behind them both and moving about the darkened room to grab and light a few candles.
"And?" Kate could tell, by the tone in Dante's voice, that she had him ensared. "What did you decide?"
"And. . . I decided I'm going to give you my answer." She said, and watched Dante's face for a sign of suspense. "AFTER Court tonight." She resisted the urge to grin wickedly at him, and hid her face in the shadows lest her eyes - which would have been a playful violet at that moment - beguile her good humor.
:You're so very sinister, Kate.: Kalia chuckled, then faded away again until she was only a whisper in the back of Kate's mind.
Kate reached to pull off her shirt, standing near the water basin with the intent of sponging off before dressing, apparently not modest in the least, but Dante turned his back to her and gazed fixedly at the wall, his hands clasped behind his back. "You're a cruel woman for making me wait like this," he said, rocking on the balls of his feet as he waited.
"I know." Kate pulled the gown on over her freshly-cleansed body and admired herself in the mirror for a long beat before speaking. "You can turn around now," she said brusquely, "And tell me. . . what do you think?" Silence from Dante's corner of the room was the reply to Kate's inquiry, and Kate turned to investigate. Dante was standing, uncharacteristically slack-jawed, with his hands hanging limply at his sides and his eyes gazing at Kate's body. She smiled at him and said, "Well?"
"I - ah - it's - ah. . . " he breathed, unable to find words enough to describe his thoughts on Kate's gown. "Kate. . . it's. . . you look marvelous," he finally managed, and took one faltering step forward. The black velvet gown fit Kate like a second-skin from shoulder to waist, whence it cascaded from her hips in a veil of shimmering elegance framed by silver thread. The low neck cut just exactly between Kate's breasts, her milky-white skin exposed for all to see, and hanging perfectly at her throat was the necklace they'd purchased just that morning. And, with her long hair pulled away from her face in a simple, yet elegant braid, she was the epitome of beauty. "Gods. . . ." He took another step forward, seeming to have found his feet again, and Kate closed the distance between them in a breath. "Would that I could keep you from that Banquet," he said softly, as though afraid that the angel before him might vanish if he spoke too loudly, "I'd like nothing more than to have you all to myself, but-"
"A promise is a promise," Kate finished for him, and stroked his cheek with her fingers, "And I understand."
Reluctantly, Dante pulled away from her, but not before placing a soft kiss upon Kate's cheek. "Come," he said, and pulled her toward the door, "I'll escort you to the Hall." Only then - as the two of them left the room - did Kate notice that the white clothing Dante was wearing looked strikingly different than it had earlier. There was a distinct formality to the ensemble; Kate noted much more embroidery, and this was made of silk instead of wool like the more worn clothing she'd seen him in earlier. Dante noted her stares and smiled. "They're my formal Whites," he explained, linked arms with Kate and strolled toward the Old Palace, where the Hall was located. "I rarely get the chance to wear them, but the Queen decided that I should attend Court tonight, too."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Since you planned on attending, and I was the one who volunteered to go after you, she decided I should come with you."
That thought comforted Kate quite a bit, and she no longer dreaded sitting in a Hall full of strangers who'd be staring at the Princess from OutKingdom. If Dante was there. . . .
:And don't forget me, Chosen. I'll always be here if you need me.:
:How could I forget someone like you?: Kate smiled to herself.
"Here we are," Dante interrupted Kate's thoughts, "Now, you just go through those doors and make your way up to the High Table, I'll be in soon. You'll be sitting in the place of honor, which is on the-"
"Dante, I'm a Princess. I know where the seat of honor is."
"Oh. Right. Well -- I'll see you in a moment, then!" He waved cheerily and watched Kate let herself into the Hall before hurrying off. When Kate entered, the clamor of voices died down a bit. Not so much that a layman would notice, but to a young woman so used to noting small differences in everything around her, the change was immense. In fact, she thought she could distinctly hear a woman on one end of a table ask, in what she no doubt thought was a subdued voice, "Who on earth is THAT, Cedric?"
'Let them talk,' she thought to herself, let her eyes scan the room only once before making her way up to the High Table and seating herself - after a guardsman pulled out her chair - in the place of honor, to the right of the Queen's chair. Somewhere on the other side of the room, a bell rang, and the chatting died down a bit. From the curtains hanging directly behind Kate, Dante appeared, and pulled the Queen's chair away from the table just as the woman herself stepped into view. She smiled warmly at everyone in the Hall, and sat down as someone announced, "Her Majesty, Queen Selenae, and Queen's Own Herald, Dante Taite."
"Kalia," she said aloud, both of her hands reached for the silken pelt before her and wrapped around the mare's neck. The mare nuzzled her head against Kate's chest - an embrace, of sorts - and therein, Kate found comfort unlike any she had ever received in her short seventeen years of life. Her slender fingers coiled themselves into the silken mane that drifted from an arched neck, her cheek pressed against the warmth of a perfect face.
:I will never leave you, Chosen,: Kalia said to Kate, blowing warm air into the girl's face, :I have waited so long to meet you, and now you are here, with me. We belong, you and I, and together we will do great things.:
"You - you were waiting for me?"
:Yes. . . I Searched for you, but could not find you, for you were so very far away from me. . . I have not slept in many days. You arrived here unconscious, and since then I have been waiting for the day when you would come to me. I knew you would. . . .: Kalia lipped Kate's hair, sighed happily. :And now, here you are!:
Before Kate knew what she was doing, she found herself standing, grasping a handful of mane, and hoisting herself onto Kalia's back with the ease of someone who has ridden bareback a great many times. She lay down upon the Companion's - HER Companion's - back, and closed her eyes, still stroking the silvery-white coat with one hand. Kalia took it upon herself to leave the bridge - which still smelled slightly of cinders and smoke - and picked her way across Companion's Field until she came to the shade of a grand, old tree somewhere near the river. Kate remained in a haze of elation and interest all the while, her own eyes a startling shade of blue, and so wide that it seemed - at a glance - that she was frightened. Not anything of the sort, however, Kate was marveling at how glorious it felt to be loved unconditionally by this horse-shaped guardian angel. Had Kate been an outsider to this event, she would have felt utterly sickened and probably would have tromped off in an opposite direction to mull over how disgusted she was. This, though, had happened to her, and now everything was different. This was new, this was exciting, and this was quite possibly the most wonderful thing that'd happened to her. It even bested the escape from death at the hands of her own father.
:Why Kate, I'm flattered!:
Kate blinked rapidly and sat up, apparently startled that Kalia was still there. She opened her mouth to protest, but stopped herself on account of the fact that she didn't quite know what to say to a horse. :I'm always going to be here,: Kalia said, amused, :In the back of your mind like a shadow. And should you ever need me, all you have to do is think of me.:
It was unnerving to think that someone had the ability to be an ever-present witness to her thoughts, but Kate had the distinct feeling that she could trust Kalia with her whole heart.
:You're right, of course.: Kate got the mental image of a blonde-haired, slender woman who was smiling, but it vanished in a wink and was replaced by approval, :I would never tell your secrets, Chosen. Not ever.:
And, since one could not lie mind-to-mind, Kate was inclined to believe her Companion. She slid off of Kalia's back and looked around - careful never to remove her hand from the mare's body as she walked. They were in a little aclove near the river, complete with a little ornamental bench and tiny, budding rosebushes. But, rather than sitting on the bench, Kate sat down on the ground next to Kalia and fell silent. It wasn't an akward silence, however. Kate and Kalia needed nothing more than the knowledge that they were together to be happy. It was dusk before Kate realized that she'd been sitting all afternoon. Both of her legs were asleep, her bottom was cold, and her stomach had been rumbling hungrily for quite some time.
:Perhaps you ought to go inside now, Chosen.:
"But-" Kate paused, closed her mouth. :But I don't want to leave you here.:
:I'll be fine, you know. . . I'd rather you left me and fed yourself than be here with me and miserable because you're practically starving, Chosen. Besides, I'm not going anywhere! All you'll need to do is think of me and I'll come around.:
:Really?:
:Truly.:
Kate stood up - with some difficulty - and brushed off her pants. :Then I'll come back out here to see you after Court, okay?:
:Oh, Court lasts a while, lovey, and I think you'll be ready for bed when it's over. We can still chat, though, while you bathe and get into your formal things.: The mare stood and shook her mane, then nudged Kate off toward the Palace. :They'll be wondering where you are, you know . . . you should get going!:
With a nod and a pat for Kalia, Kate reluctantly turned and began walking slowly away. She could hear the Companion moving behind her, but was a bit surprised when a warm nose pressed itself between her shoulder blades. :I decided I'm going to walk with you to the gate.: Pleased, Kate fell back beside her Companion and lay her head on the mare's shoulder as they walked.
"Kate!" a voice ahead of them called, and Kate could just make out a white-clad figure in the distance, "I've been looking all over for you!" It was Dante, and he'd quickened his pace to meet Kate half-way out of the Field. When he trotted within talking distance, however, his eyes grew wide. "Kalia?" he looked inquisitively at the mare, who winked. Dante stopped in his tracks, and for a moment Kate feared he'd turn and run back the way he came. But, to her relief, a wide grin spanned the man's features and he grabbed Kate up in a tight hug. "Oh, Kate! This is wonderful!" he exclaimed, swinging the girl in a circle until she punched his shoulder and demanded to be set down.
"Yes, it's peachy. And I have Court to attend, Dante. Has my gown arrived?"
The smile on Dante's face faded a bit. Apparently he'd been expecting a newer, cheerier Kate now that she'd been Chosen, but this was not the case. "Erm, yeah - yes. Yes, we have the gown, and it's hanging in your room . . ."
"Good. And how much time do I have until Court begins?"
"Uhm. . ." Completely flustered, Dante fished around in his head for the remaining amount of time Kate had until dinner. "A little more than a mark?" It was the closest estimation he could come up with. Kate nodded again and turned introspective, then meandered off in the direction of the Palace, seemingly deep in thought. Dante flashed a look to Kalia, who snorted softly and shook her head, and then he sauntered off after her just as the sun touched the horizon.
"I know what it means to be Chosen, Dante," Kate replied to the previous question as she half-stormed down the halls toward her room, "And frankly, I don't think I'd like to take part in it."
"But - you can't just ignore this! It's not something you can turn down, Kate!" He was completely, totally and irreversibly shocked. "No one has ever refused to become a Herald before! If you refuse, you can't just keep living here and go on as though nothing happened! Your bond with Kalia will be severed forcibly, and you'll lose her, Kate."
With her hand just inches from her doorknob, Kate paused. Lose Kalia. . . she'd lose the one and only creature that knew all of her faults, all of her misgivings and bad habits and quirks, and still loved her.
"Kate, listen to me. The instant you decide not to become a Herald, you'll regret it, and you'll have to live with that decision for the rest of your life. Kalia Chose you because you have what it takes to be a Herald. You have strength and intelligence and an iron will. . . hell, you've got a great deal more than most of the people in here, including me! Please, please, PLEASE think about this!"
"I have," Kate said, closing the door behind them both and moving about the darkened room to grab and light a few candles.
"And?" Kate could tell, by the tone in Dante's voice, that she had him ensared. "What did you decide?"
"And. . . I decided I'm going to give you my answer." She said, and watched Dante's face for a sign of suspense. "AFTER Court tonight." She resisted the urge to grin wickedly at him, and hid her face in the shadows lest her eyes - which would have been a playful violet at that moment - beguile her good humor.
:You're so very sinister, Kate.: Kalia chuckled, then faded away again until she was only a whisper in the back of Kate's mind.
Kate reached to pull off her shirt, standing near the water basin with the intent of sponging off before dressing, apparently not modest in the least, but Dante turned his back to her and gazed fixedly at the wall, his hands clasped behind his back. "You're a cruel woman for making me wait like this," he said, rocking on the balls of his feet as he waited.
"I know." Kate pulled the gown on over her freshly-cleansed body and admired herself in the mirror for a long beat before speaking. "You can turn around now," she said brusquely, "And tell me. . . what do you think?" Silence from Dante's corner of the room was the reply to Kate's inquiry, and Kate turned to investigate. Dante was standing, uncharacteristically slack-jawed, with his hands hanging limply at his sides and his eyes gazing at Kate's body. She smiled at him and said, "Well?"
"I - ah - it's - ah. . . " he breathed, unable to find words enough to describe his thoughts on Kate's gown. "Kate. . . it's. . . you look marvelous," he finally managed, and took one faltering step forward. The black velvet gown fit Kate like a second-skin from shoulder to waist, whence it cascaded from her hips in a veil of shimmering elegance framed by silver thread. The low neck cut just exactly between Kate's breasts, her milky-white skin exposed for all to see, and hanging perfectly at her throat was the necklace they'd purchased just that morning. And, with her long hair pulled away from her face in a simple, yet elegant braid, she was the epitome of beauty. "Gods. . . ." He took another step forward, seeming to have found his feet again, and Kate closed the distance between them in a breath. "Would that I could keep you from that Banquet," he said softly, as though afraid that the angel before him might vanish if he spoke too loudly, "I'd like nothing more than to have you all to myself, but-"
"A promise is a promise," Kate finished for him, and stroked his cheek with her fingers, "And I understand."
Reluctantly, Dante pulled away from her, but not before placing a soft kiss upon Kate's cheek. "Come," he said, and pulled her toward the door, "I'll escort you to the Hall." Only then - as the two of them left the room - did Kate notice that the white clothing Dante was wearing looked strikingly different than it had earlier. There was a distinct formality to the ensemble; Kate noted much more embroidery, and this was made of silk instead of wool like the more worn clothing she'd seen him in earlier. Dante noted her stares and smiled. "They're my formal Whites," he explained, linked arms with Kate and strolled toward the Old Palace, where the Hall was located. "I rarely get the chance to wear them, but the Queen decided that I should attend Court tonight, too."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Since you planned on attending, and I was the one who volunteered to go after you, she decided I should come with you."
That thought comforted Kate quite a bit, and she no longer dreaded sitting in a Hall full of strangers who'd be staring at the Princess from OutKingdom. If Dante was there. . . .
:And don't forget me, Chosen. I'll always be here if you need me.:
:How could I forget someone like you?: Kate smiled to herself.
"Here we are," Dante interrupted Kate's thoughts, "Now, you just go through those doors and make your way up to the High Table, I'll be in soon. You'll be sitting in the place of honor, which is on the-"
"Dante, I'm a Princess. I know where the seat of honor is."
"Oh. Right. Well -- I'll see you in a moment, then!" He waved cheerily and watched Kate let herself into the Hall before hurrying off. When Kate entered, the clamor of voices died down a bit. Not so much that a layman would notice, but to a young woman so used to noting small differences in everything around her, the change was immense. In fact, she thought she could distinctly hear a woman on one end of a table ask, in what she no doubt thought was a subdued voice, "Who on earth is THAT, Cedric?"
'Let them talk,' she thought to herself, let her eyes scan the room only once before making her way up to the High Table and seating herself - after a guardsman pulled out her chair - in the place of honor, to the right of the Queen's chair. Somewhere on the other side of the room, a bell rang, and the chatting died down a bit. From the curtains hanging directly behind Kate, Dante appeared, and pulled the Queen's chair away from the table just as the woman herself stepped into view. She smiled warmly at everyone in the Hall, and sat down as someone announced, "Her Majesty, Queen Selenae, and Queen's Own Herald, Dante Taite."