Katherine

Instead of being cold, there's a fire raging inside my body. There's also a stinging sensation on my cheek and a strong pain in my brow like somene threw rocks at it.

My mind is suddenly filled with images of a fight I don't recognise. I'm paralized by fear as a monstrous creature comes at me. His appearances morphs into something human and I'm seeing on the assassins striding towards me. An image of Peter hitting the ground awakes a feeling of desperation and protectiveness in me. I fire arrow after arrow, hoping the creature will look at me. And then it's over.

I wake up, gasping for oxygen. The pain in my brow intensifies and I have to lie back down. To my side, on top of a rustic bedside table, are three candles in different sizes. The brightness hurts my eyes as I focus too hard on the colours of the flame. I look away and notice a blanket over my legs and torso. Beyond the foot of the bed is a door and a crack of light shines beneath it. I face the ceiling and my forehead almost explodes with a extreme headache. I try not to scream, but I can't stop the tears from falling. I place my hand on my forehead and my fingertips touch cloth. What happened? And where's Peter?

I sit up very slowly and inhale and exhale. I get out of bed and the blanket pools around my bare feet. I pick it up and sway sligthly, but I close my eyes and then open them, hoping to calm my head. I wrap the blanket around me and walk to the door, swaying a bit on my feet. When I reach the door, I hear voices on the other side. I'm weaponless, but I lean my ear closer to the door and listen. I can't make out what they are saying and I wonder if they are whispering not to disturb me. I place my hand on the doorknob and the door is yanked open by someone.

"Katherine."

Peter breaths out my name and then I am pulled against his chest and surrounded by his strong and warm arms with mine locked in the embrace. I tense when he leans back just a few inches and places a soft kiss on my hair. His arms keep me frozen in place and I can't do anythign but stare at his translucid blue eyes. They display fear, concern, relief and-

"I might vomit if you do that one more time."

Immediately, I break free from Peter's arms and try to find the source of the voice. The woman is definitely taller than me by four or five inches. Her skin is a tone softer than mine, her hair is shorter than mine and her brown eyes sparkle, darkly. Her mouth is drawn in a croocked smile and the brown shirt and black pants fit her lean and muscular figure.

"We weren't doing anything." I say, defensively.

"You don't need to deny it, Princess." She teases, but my eyes widen at what she called me. I feel dread and then anger.

"What are you going to do?" I stride towards her. "Hand me over to the queen? Kill me right here and then take my head as a gift?" She doesn't budge and only stares at me as I stop right in front of her.

"Take it easy, Katherine." Peter pulls me back, to avoid any conflit between the woman and I.

"This is your fault!" I remove my arm from his hand, harshly, and point my finger at him. "You can't keep your mouth shut! You don't know how to keep secrets! What if this is a trap?!"

The woman chuckles and, quickly, I steal Peter's sword and aim it at her. She laughs louder. I throw myself at her, backing her up against the wall. The sword's blade touchs her neck like a feather's touch.

"I can slit your throat right now and not feel any remorse." I whisper, menacingly. Her brown eyes gaze into mine.

I'm pulled back, the sword falling from my hands, and whisked into the room with the bed. The door closes and then Peter grabs my shoulders and makes me look at him.

"What is wrong with you?" His eyes are frenetic as he stares at me.

The anger is subsiding, giving its place to an intense pain. My head is about to explode and I only have time to fall to my knees and clutch my head to keep it together. I feel Peter resting a hand on my back, caressing my stiff muscules and another on my shoulder.

"Breathe." He whispers into my ear.

I try to, but the pain only worsenes. My body is suddenly overcome with shivers, despite the blanket around my shoulders. I want to die... I have never felt like this. This is worse than having my heart broken. Why can't I die? Why do I keep fighting for survival? I can grab a knife and end this madness with a thrust to my heart.

"Is it better?" Peter's voice calls me from my thoughts.

I slowly glance up but I don't speak afraid it will hurt if I utter a single word. He takes my hands in his and massages them. His warm and callused hands soothe my trembling ones and it's easier to focus on my breathing.

"Why did you tell her?" I ask, hoarsely.

"She wanted to know why we were here." He shrugs. "It may have slipped from my mouth our true identities."

"You could have lied." I release my hands from his.

"I hate lying." His eyes harden. "And, besides, she gave us shelter for one night."

Great. Another debt. I'm starting to think my life will always be to pay debts and never get anything in return. People give and give and I have to give them more, because they will expect it after I take from them. I sigh and stand up, wrapping the blanket tighter around me. The pain in my head is now a small buzzing, but it will increase if I focus too hard.

"If she does anything that might endanger us, you're the one to blame." I stare down at him.

He nods and stands up, dusting his pants. We are too close and the only source of light, coming from the three candles, casts an endless number of shadows into his eyes. So many shades paint his blue eyes and they seem to dance as his eyes gaze into mine. A second freezes and I sense him leaning in to me. I close my eyes at the fearthely touch of his lips on mine, but a knock on the door startles us both. I open my eyes and there is no space between us. He quickly looks away and opens the door. What was that?

I focus on the woman and her eyes narrow at me. She glances at Peter.

"I apologise for ruining your moment but supper is ready." She smiles, sarcastically.

"Alright. Thank you." She nods and walks away.

"It's better if you put on some shoes." He suggests. He avoids looking into my eyes, and leaves, closing the door behind him.

...

Peter

I whack myself in the head for being so foolish. I should be able to control my action, yet... Yet, she looked so fragile and vulnerable. It made me want her more and realise the extent of my love for her. For the first time, I glimpsed a soft side of her personality. The one where she is just a girl in need of protection and care. I run a hand through my hair, frustated with all of this.

"How is she?" Johanna asks as we sit down to eat.

Her small cottage is built under the roots of a very old sequoia. A thick curtain of bindweed protects the entrance to a tunnel and keeps it hidden from predators. I was surprised to see her enter the tree trunk, but I followed her until we reached a wooden door. The walls, floor and ceiling are made of roots and some dirt. There is a small section for the cooking and the rest of the room, which isn't very wide, has a table, some furniture and a hearth. There is another door that leads to Johanna's room and where I lied Katherine when we arrived. Johanna doesn't tell me why she lives here, much less information about herself. However, she does ask a lot of questions. I gave in to some earlier.

"More calm." I grab a spoon. "She has a hard time trusting strangers."

"She always acts like that?"

"That was a first."

A door closes.

I look behind me and see Katherine staring at Johanna. She glances at me but it's a quick look. Her eyes are once again covered by an extra layer to protect her heart. I face Johanna and she gives me a tight smile. I have deduced Johanna is the kind of person who uses sarcasm and honest comments to protect her true self. Much like Katherine, yet Johanna has a thicker wall around her heart.

"Your Highness." She teases. "You're allowed to sit."

"Johanna, easy." I warn her.

I hear the irritated exhale from Katherine as she comes closer and sits next to me. Her shoulders are stiff and her hands clutch the blanket like a life thread. Katherine grabs the spoon and takes a spoonfull of soup into her mouth too harshly. I shoot Johanna a look and she raises her eyebrow. Shaking my head, I eat my soup. It doesn't taste like the ones back at the castle, but they are better than anything I have eaten in the last few days. It may sound shallow since Katherine hasn't had one in a long time and I am not even sure about Johanna. I guess I have always had plenty to eat, while the least fortunates go by with some scraps. Baluster isn't in bad condition, but now I am starting to see the reality of what the other kingdoms are going through. It's dreadful, so it comes has no surprise their decision to rebel against the queen.

"Princess," Johanna asks, trying to make small talk. "Pretty boy hasn't asnwered most of the questions. Perhaps you will."

"This isn't the best time for questions."

"Okay. Ask." The instant permission surprises me.

"Katherine, you hit your head. You need to rest." She glances at me and then away, ignoring my warning.

"Which kingdom are you from?" Johanna continues eating her soup as she asks.

Katherine doesn't react to the question. Too many minutes pass. "Alighter."

I am stupified with her answer. Alighter?

"You think I believe that?" Johanna rests her spoon on the border of the bowl. "There aren't any princesses from Alighter. They were all killed, along with the king, when the queen conquered the kingdom."

"I'm a bastard." The lies leave her mouth so easily. "I was forgotten by my father as soon as I was born."

My face must be a mask of surprise. Johanna is smiling, mockingly beneath her folded hands.

"One of you is clearly lying." She looks my way and then at Katherine. Our supper is completely forgotten as the lies hang around us. "How do you know each other?"

"We're childhood friends."

"We just met."

Frustation builds inside me. I am tired of lies and secrets. I was apprehensive with Johanna, but there is nothign wrong with telling the truth. She hasn't done anything to endanger us. I stand up and glance at Katherine. She doesn't look back.

"I am not sure what I should do. Should I say something or keep my mouth shut?" She keeps her head lowered. "Okay! I need some time to think."

I leave the cottage and follow the tunnel into the open air. The night is chilly and it cools my head. Not long ago, Katherine was letting herself create trusting feelings. Now, the wall is bak up and the lies are pouring out of her mouth. I can't take this anymore. I didn't push her. I let her decide what to do with our friendship and, in the end, she goes back to the closed person. She is playing with my feelings. I know she is hurting for the three years I didn't care or look for her. Perhaps I worry too much. Perhaps I shouldn't bother with her anymore. Perhaps... perhaps she has really changed. I just didn't want to see it.

I lean against the tree trunk. I won't do or say anything from now on. I will let her do what she wants and I won't comment. When she thinks I am not a threat, I will see if there's any loving feeling inside me.

...

Katherine

Peter leaves and it's just me and the woman, Johanna. He doesn't understand what I did. He doesn't understand that I have to protect myself. Johanna is a threat. Everything in this cottage is a threat.

"That went well." She finishes eating her soup.

I watch the carrot's slices and cabbage's leaves float inside my bowl. I find the soup too rich and I have a strong desire to throw up. In the last four days, I only ate a squirrel and now with the wound on my brow, I may have developed a fever. I scractch the spot where the cloth covers my brow.

"Are you going to eat the soup?" I look up. "I can't have people wasting my food."

"No. I am not hungry." She grabs my bowl and eats the rest of my soup, quickly.

"You should go to sleep." She advices, standing up. "You will faint at any minute. There are some blankets in the wardrobe."

I keep my eyes on her as she gathers the three bowls and carries them to another table to wash them. I clutch the blanket tighter and stand up. I walk back to the other room, but her voice stops me.

"I know you are lying." I turn around too quickly and sway a bit on my feet. She is focused on her task. "Don't you think for a moment I will believe your words, Katherine of Saldrian."

My body breaks at the mention of my name. An intense cold takes over my body and I have to look away and hid inside the room before I have one of my moments. I slam the door behind me and I feel my heart pumping blood too swiftly. The pain in my head is slowly returning. I walk, leaning in to the wall, to a corner. The three candles are still burning when I slide down the wall, hugging my legs to my chest. I thought I found a way out when I lied about my origins. I thought she wasn't smart enough to figure out my lies. How wrong I was. My name leaving her mouth only proves she doesn't play games.

The pain is bearable, but I close my eyes once it gets worse. I have to leave this place right away. I wasn't lying when I said I would slit her throat. I will do it and I won't feel a drop of remorse as I watch the life pour out of her.