Chapter Three: A Foolish Knight and a Boneheaded King
The court was silent as Caterin walked down the stairs, fighting the urge to turn tail and run. She walked over to the raised dais where a man with hair the same color as her sat on a throne next to a beautiful raven-haired woman. A short redheaded woman was quickly walking in the same direction as Cat. Her face was worried.
The man -the king Cat assumed- stood up as she reached the dais. When she rose from her curtsy, he spoke, voice cold.
"What is the meaning of this?" he asked. She met his blue eyes with her amethyst ones and saw his widen with understanding. The color drained from his face. He glanced at the redhead who was by this time standing next to him, a brown haired, hazel eyed man at her elbow. "Alanna," he said almost inaudibly, voice strained. "Please, PLEASE tell me this isn't who I think it is."
"Meet our daughter, Jon." she said softly so only he, the queen, Cat, and the hazel eyed man could hear, her purple eyes on Jonathan for a second before resting on Cat. "Well met, my daughter. Now let's go while we still can." Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and walked towards the door, Cat and the hazel eyed man following. After a moment, so did the monarchs, making polite excuses as they went.
Caterin reached the door only to find Numair and Daine waiting for her. Daine looked confused. "I thought you said you were of Trebond." she murmured, looking hurt. "Why did you lie to me?" Cat sighed.
"I didn't want to," she admitted. "I didn't know how you'd react. I only found out three days ago. I needed a friend." Her purple eyes pleaded for Daine to see her point. To her relief, the older girl smiled.
"It's just a shock, that's all," she reassured Cat.
"That's for sure," a dry voice behind Cat's shoulder said. Cat spun around to meet the hard emerald eyes of the queen. King Jonathan looked distinctly uncomfortable.
"Why don't you go somewhere private?" Numair suggested diplomatically. "Thayet, I'm sure the explanations can wait until then." Alanna smiled weakly at the queen.
"My study," the king offered, leading the way. Cat thought he wanted an excuse to get away from Alanna and Thayet. Unfortunately for him, both of them kept pace with him. Thayet glared at him and Alanna just smiled, slightly amused. The hazel eyed man dropped back to talk to Cat.
"I'm George," he introduced himself. "I'm Alanna's husband." Cat's gaze fell.
"Are you upset?" she inquired nervously. He shook his head.
"I knew," he told her. "Alanna was staying in Port Caynn with me when you were born. If I was ever upset, I had fourteen years to get over it. I'm the one who arranged for you to be brought up by my cousin, Rispah." Cat looked at him in surprise. George grinned at her. Before either of them could say anything else, the five of them stopped at a door which the king unlocked. He let the queen enter first, before entering himself. Before long, all of them were sitting somewhere. Cat ended up between Alanna and George.
"Jonathan, Alanna," the queen said icily. "You have a lot of explaining to do." She glared at her husband.
"But Thayet," Jonathan pleaded. "You knew-"
"That you and Alanna were lovers," Thayet cut in sharply. "Not that you had an illegitimate child! For Mithros' sake, Jonathan!"
"He didn't know," Alanna explained. "I never told him." Jonathan glared at her.
"Why?" he demanded. "Shouldn't I know I fathered a child, however illegitimate?" Alanna met his gaze stare for stare.
"You were acting like a prig at the time," she said coolly. "And if I remember correctly, you dropped my pregnancy charm as you were leaving the tent! First off, I was furious with you. Second, I did not want to marry you, and I was afraid that was exactly what you'd force me to do if you found out I'd had your child." Thayet glared at Jonathan.
"You what!!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe you! This is entirely your fault, you idiot!"
"I wasn't thinking-" Jonathan attempted feebly, but George cut him off.
"I'd say you weren't," he said coolly. "If I were judge, I'd pin you with all the-"
"Hold on!" Cat interrupted. "First, I don't appreciate being spoken about as an object, thanks! I'm a person named Cat and it's not my fault my parents were a king who was being such a bonehead he did a gods damned stupid thing and a knight who had the bad sense to sleep with him! But I exist now, and pinning blame won't do anything!" Everyone stared at her.
"She certainly got your temper, Alanna," Jonathan observed. Cat glared at him.
"Don't judge me, you stuck-up stubborn idiot! If I remember correctly, this is mostly your fault!" She was turning bright red. Alanna looked impressed.
"And to think I thought I was the only one who called Jon names," she murmured. Jonathan looked furious.
"Wait just a minute-" he began. Thayet rounded on him.
"She's your daughter, Jonathan of Conte," she pointed out. "It's your fault she's in such a sticky position. And if I do say so, I think she's got the right of it. You are a stubborn idiot sometimes. I'm just too much of a lady to say it, or you'd hear it almost daily." Jonathon looked as though he were about to explode. Then, he stormed through a connecting door.
A/N I wasn't going to update, but I felt so guilty leaving you guys with that cliffy that I did. To find out what happens to Cat, press that little purple button down there. I know you want to!!!!!! Review and I update.
The court was silent as Caterin walked down the stairs, fighting the urge to turn tail and run. She walked over to the raised dais where a man with hair the same color as her sat on a throne next to a beautiful raven-haired woman. A short redheaded woman was quickly walking in the same direction as Cat. Her face was worried.
The man -the king Cat assumed- stood up as she reached the dais. When she rose from her curtsy, he spoke, voice cold.
"What is the meaning of this?" he asked. She met his blue eyes with her amethyst ones and saw his widen with understanding. The color drained from his face. He glanced at the redhead who was by this time standing next to him, a brown haired, hazel eyed man at her elbow. "Alanna," he said almost inaudibly, voice strained. "Please, PLEASE tell me this isn't who I think it is."
"Meet our daughter, Jon." she said softly so only he, the queen, Cat, and the hazel eyed man could hear, her purple eyes on Jonathan for a second before resting on Cat. "Well met, my daughter. Now let's go while we still can." Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and walked towards the door, Cat and the hazel eyed man following. After a moment, so did the monarchs, making polite excuses as they went.
Caterin reached the door only to find Numair and Daine waiting for her. Daine looked confused. "I thought you said you were of Trebond." she murmured, looking hurt. "Why did you lie to me?" Cat sighed.
"I didn't want to," she admitted. "I didn't know how you'd react. I only found out three days ago. I needed a friend." Her purple eyes pleaded for Daine to see her point. To her relief, the older girl smiled.
"It's just a shock, that's all," she reassured Cat.
"That's for sure," a dry voice behind Cat's shoulder said. Cat spun around to meet the hard emerald eyes of the queen. King Jonathan looked distinctly uncomfortable.
"Why don't you go somewhere private?" Numair suggested diplomatically. "Thayet, I'm sure the explanations can wait until then." Alanna smiled weakly at the queen.
"My study," the king offered, leading the way. Cat thought he wanted an excuse to get away from Alanna and Thayet. Unfortunately for him, both of them kept pace with him. Thayet glared at him and Alanna just smiled, slightly amused. The hazel eyed man dropped back to talk to Cat.
"I'm George," he introduced himself. "I'm Alanna's husband." Cat's gaze fell.
"Are you upset?" she inquired nervously. He shook his head.
"I knew," he told her. "Alanna was staying in Port Caynn with me when you were born. If I was ever upset, I had fourteen years to get over it. I'm the one who arranged for you to be brought up by my cousin, Rispah." Cat looked at him in surprise. George grinned at her. Before either of them could say anything else, the five of them stopped at a door which the king unlocked. He let the queen enter first, before entering himself. Before long, all of them were sitting somewhere. Cat ended up between Alanna and George.
"Jonathan, Alanna," the queen said icily. "You have a lot of explaining to do." She glared at her husband.
"But Thayet," Jonathan pleaded. "You knew-"
"That you and Alanna were lovers," Thayet cut in sharply. "Not that you had an illegitimate child! For Mithros' sake, Jonathan!"
"He didn't know," Alanna explained. "I never told him." Jonathan glared at her.
"Why?" he demanded. "Shouldn't I know I fathered a child, however illegitimate?" Alanna met his gaze stare for stare.
"You were acting like a prig at the time," she said coolly. "And if I remember correctly, you dropped my pregnancy charm as you were leaving the tent! First off, I was furious with you. Second, I did not want to marry you, and I was afraid that was exactly what you'd force me to do if you found out I'd had your child." Thayet glared at Jonathan.
"You what!!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe you! This is entirely your fault, you idiot!"
"I wasn't thinking-" Jonathan attempted feebly, but George cut him off.
"I'd say you weren't," he said coolly. "If I were judge, I'd pin you with all the-"
"Hold on!" Cat interrupted. "First, I don't appreciate being spoken about as an object, thanks! I'm a person named Cat and it's not my fault my parents were a king who was being such a bonehead he did a gods damned stupid thing and a knight who had the bad sense to sleep with him! But I exist now, and pinning blame won't do anything!" Everyone stared at her.
"She certainly got your temper, Alanna," Jonathan observed. Cat glared at him.
"Don't judge me, you stuck-up stubborn idiot! If I remember correctly, this is mostly your fault!" She was turning bright red. Alanna looked impressed.
"And to think I thought I was the only one who called Jon names," she murmured. Jonathan looked furious.
"Wait just a minute-" he began. Thayet rounded on him.
"She's your daughter, Jonathan of Conte," she pointed out. "It's your fault she's in such a sticky position. And if I do say so, I think she's got the right of it. You are a stubborn idiot sometimes. I'm just too much of a lady to say it, or you'd hear it almost daily." Jonathon looked as though he were about to explode. Then, he stormed through a connecting door.
A/N I wasn't going to update, but I felt so guilty leaving you guys with that cliffy that I did. To find out what happens to Cat, press that little purple button down there. I know you want to!!!!!! Review and I update.