Chapter One: Caterin of Trebond
"Aunt Rispah!" Caterin of Trebond called out running in. "Uncle Coram! I'm back." The kindly woman that had been mother to Caterin since shortly after she'd been born stood in the doorway of the castle at Fief Trebond.
"How was the hunt, Cat?" she asked. Cat grinned, pushing short black hair out of her eyes.
"Easy," she replied, purple eyes dancing. "I bagged two rabbits. They're down at the stables." Rispah nodded, and held out her arms to embrace the girl.
"Come inside," she offered. "It's your fourteenth birthday, and we've got a celebration planned." Cat smiled.
"I'll go bathe, shall I?" With the easy grace of a self-confident fourteen year old, she scampered up the stairs inside the manor. Rispah smiled, looking after her. She was mother to the girl in everything but actuality. The girl's mother had renounced all claims to the child, and she didn't know who the father was, though Coram did.
As though her thought had summoned him, he came to stand beside her, smiling. "How is she?" he asked.
"All well," she replied, still thinking. "Coram, what are you going to give her for her birthday? You said you had something." she looked at him expectantly. His smile faded slightly.
"I got her present fourteen years ago," he said quietly. "Alanna said to give her a letter on her fourteenth birthday, and I have a pretty good idea of what it says." Rispah's eyes grew worried.
"You don't think-"
"I do." His voice was soft, but serious. "She'll be leavin' for Corus within a few days, if she's anything like her parents."
"No use spoiling a perfectly good celebration with gloom," Rispah said matter-of-factly after a silent moment. Coram laughed.
"You're right." He threw an arm around her shoulders and steered her inside the castle.
Caterin called her Gift to help her light candles in her room. The flame on the candles was momentarily blue, before settling into the normal color. She smiled, staring around her tower room. It was her domain, apart from her pesky younger- well, they weren't exactly siblings, since Rispah and Coram weren't her parents. She called them Aunt and Uncle, but that's not what they were either. So, the twins were really only friends. Gloom settled momentarily, in spite of the fact that she was having a perfectly good day. Rispah had said her mother couldn't properly care for her, though why she never said, so she'd handed her care over to them, old family friends. That was the confusing part, because very few people ever came to Trebond and when they did, Rispah or Coram always conspired to get her away. She wondered why, then dismissed the thought and went to bathe. If her past birthdays were any indication, she would be up late tonight.
An hour later, she was in the great hall wearing a purple silk shirt -a gift from Lanna and Mark, the twins- and white breeches -impractical, but it was her birthday. She was having a wonderful time. There was good food, happy talk and best of all, gifts!!! She hadn't gotten anything from Rispah and Coram yet, but they had said it was very special and needed to be given to her in private. It was because of this, she supposed, that they feast ended earlier.
She followed Rispah and Coram upstairs to their rooms. Their first room, the one you entered through, was a sitting room. The next was their study and then the bedroom. Rispah had a seat in the sitting room, and gestured for Caterin to take one also. Coram went into the study and returned shortly with a sealed piece of parchment in his hand. He sat next to Rispah, across from Cat who perched expectantly on the edge of her chair.
"Cat-" Coram started, and then stopped, as though not sure what to say.
"Happy birthday," Rispah said. "This- was from your mother." Cat's eyes widened with shock. She didn't even know who the woman was. Hesitantly, she took the parchment from Coram's outstretched hand. Her hand shook as she broke the seal. The design nagged at her memory, like it was something she should know.
She unfolded the parchment slowly.
Caterin- I have given you nothing but life and a name. For that I am sorry. There were circumstances surrounding your birth that you wouldn't have understood
until now. If Coram has done as I asked, it is your fourteenth birthday today. Happy birthday. You of course want to know who your parents are. The bluest blood of Tortall runs through your veins, my daughter. You have my eyes and your father's hair. And you are an illegitimate child, or to be blunt, a bastard. Your father is about to marry and so am I, though not to each other. I turned down his proposal before discovering I was with child. Caterin, you are not Caterin of Trebond, though I am now of Trebond, but not for much longer. This is hard to write, but I owe it to you to tell the truth. Come to Corus, my daughter. It is time we met and your father knew the truth. You cannot live in hiding all of your life, for your eyes would label you as mine and George does not have black hair. Caterin, if you wish
to take your father's fief, you are Caterin of Conte. King Jonathan of Conte is your father. Again, I am sorry Caterin. Sorry for more than you
know.
Your mother,
Alanna the Lioness of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, the King's Champion
Caterin dropped the letter in shock. She now knew where she'd seen that seal before. It was a lioness rampant, the crest of the King's Champion, Alanna the Lioness- her mother. Rispah picked the letter up and skimmed it. Reaching the last line, she turned pale. "Jonathan-" Coram nodded.
"She never told me, but I knew," he admitted. "They were lovers while she was a squire, and then when she was a newly made knight. They fought right before Alanna discovered-" Caterin stared at them both in shock.
"Are you okay, catling?" Rispah asked, concerned. Caterin looked at her, eyes wide in her pale face.
"I- I'm going to pack. I'll leave for Corus in the morning." Coram nodded.
"I'll take you there, then leave," he offered. Cat nodded.
"Thank you." She picked up the parchment before leaving, tucking it into her pocket.
A/N So, you like? If you like, review. If you review, I update. Kapeesh? And thanks to all my reviewers!!
"Aunt Rispah!" Caterin of Trebond called out running in. "Uncle Coram! I'm back." The kindly woman that had been mother to Caterin since shortly after she'd been born stood in the doorway of the castle at Fief Trebond.
"How was the hunt, Cat?" she asked. Cat grinned, pushing short black hair out of her eyes.
"Easy," she replied, purple eyes dancing. "I bagged two rabbits. They're down at the stables." Rispah nodded, and held out her arms to embrace the girl.
"Come inside," she offered. "It's your fourteenth birthday, and we've got a celebration planned." Cat smiled.
"I'll go bathe, shall I?" With the easy grace of a self-confident fourteen year old, she scampered up the stairs inside the manor. Rispah smiled, looking after her. She was mother to the girl in everything but actuality. The girl's mother had renounced all claims to the child, and she didn't know who the father was, though Coram did.
As though her thought had summoned him, he came to stand beside her, smiling. "How is she?" he asked.
"All well," she replied, still thinking. "Coram, what are you going to give her for her birthday? You said you had something." she looked at him expectantly. His smile faded slightly.
"I got her present fourteen years ago," he said quietly. "Alanna said to give her a letter on her fourteenth birthday, and I have a pretty good idea of what it says." Rispah's eyes grew worried.
"You don't think-"
"I do." His voice was soft, but serious. "She'll be leavin' for Corus within a few days, if she's anything like her parents."
"No use spoiling a perfectly good celebration with gloom," Rispah said matter-of-factly after a silent moment. Coram laughed.
"You're right." He threw an arm around her shoulders and steered her inside the castle.
Caterin called her Gift to help her light candles in her room. The flame on the candles was momentarily blue, before settling into the normal color. She smiled, staring around her tower room. It was her domain, apart from her pesky younger- well, they weren't exactly siblings, since Rispah and Coram weren't her parents. She called them Aunt and Uncle, but that's not what they were either. So, the twins were really only friends. Gloom settled momentarily, in spite of the fact that she was having a perfectly good day. Rispah had said her mother couldn't properly care for her, though why she never said, so she'd handed her care over to them, old family friends. That was the confusing part, because very few people ever came to Trebond and when they did, Rispah or Coram always conspired to get her away. She wondered why, then dismissed the thought and went to bathe. If her past birthdays were any indication, she would be up late tonight.
An hour later, she was in the great hall wearing a purple silk shirt -a gift from Lanna and Mark, the twins- and white breeches -impractical, but it was her birthday. She was having a wonderful time. There was good food, happy talk and best of all, gifts!!! She hadn't gotten anything from Rispah and Coram yet, but they had said it was very special and needed to be given to her in private. It was because of this, she supposed, that they feast ended earlier.
She followed Rispah and Coram upstairs to their rooms. Their first room, the one you entered through, was a sitting room. The next was their study and then the bedroom. Rispah had a seat in the sitting room, and gestured for Caterin to take one also. Coram went into the study and returned shortly with a sealed piece of parchment in his hand. He sat next to Rispah, across from Cat who perched expectantly on the edge of her chair.
"Cat-" Coram started, and then stopped, as though not sure what to say.
"Happy birthday," Rispah said. "This- was from your mother." Cat's eyes widened with shock. She didn't even know who the woman was. Hesitantly, she took the parchment from Coram's outstretched hand. Her hand shook as she broke the seal. The design nagged at her memory, like it was something she should know.
She unfolded the parchment slowly.
Caterin- I have given you nothing but life and a name. For that I am sorry. There were circumstances surrounding your birth that you wouldn't have understood
until now. If Coram has done as I asked, it is your fourteenth birthday today. Happy birthday. You of course want to know who your parents are. The bluest blood of Tortall runs through your veins, my daughter. You have my eyes and your father's hair. And you are an illegitimate child, or to be blunt, a bastard. Your father is about to marry and so am I, though not to each other. I turned down his proposal before discovering I was with child. Caterin, you are not Caterin of Trebond, though I am now of Trebond, but not for much longer. This is hard to write, but I owe it to you to tell the truth. Come to Corus, my daughter. It is time we met and your father knew the truth. You cannot live in hiding all of your life, for your eyes would label you as mine and George does not have black hair. Caterin, if you wish
to take your father's fief, you are Caterin of Conte. King Jonathan of Conte is your father. Again, I am sorry Caterin. Sorry for more than you
know.
Your mother,
Alanna the Lioness of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, the King's Champion
Caterin dropped the letter in shock. She now knew where she'd seen that seal before. It was a lioness rampant, the crest of the King's Champion, Alanna the Lioness- her mother. Rispah picked the letter up and skimmed it. Reaching the last line, she turned pale. "Jonathan-" Coram nodded.
"She never told me, but I knew," he admitted. "They were lovers while she was a squire, and then when she was a newly made knight. They fought right before Alanna discovered-" Caterin stared at them both in shock.
"Are you okay, catling?" Rispah asked, concerned. Caterin looked at her, eyes wide in her pale face.
"I- I'm going to pack. I'll leave for Corus in the morning." Coram nodded.
"I'll take you there, then leave," he offered. Cat nodded.
"Thank you." She picked up the parchment before leaving, tucking it into her pocket.
A/N So, you like? If you like, review. If you review, I update. Kapeesh? And thanks to all my reviewers!!