I want to thank ZeroXSeed (on SV) for taking a look at the first part of this chapter and giving me some reassurance when I was feeling down. Also, I want to thank Raiseth (on SV) and Volossya (on AO3) for beta-reading and offering suggestions that helped me to shape this chapter into its finished form.

The Adopted Brother

On the morning when her new brother was due to arrive at the Claes Manor for the first time, Katarina got up early, roused Sienna from her slumber as well, and tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen, which was bustling with activity even at first light.

The ovens were lit, the kitchen staff were hard at work, and the air was suffused with the homely scent of freshly-baked bread. Katarina watched, fascinated, as it seemed like all of the day's meals were being prepared at once: pastry was kneaded together, rolled out, and skilfully crafted into various shapes; vegetables were washed, peeled, and chopped; hunks of meat were cut up into smaller pieces and added to a large stew pot or left to marinate in trays of rich, savoury sauces; plates of bread, cheese, and cured meat were being set aside ready for breakfast, as were several jars of jam and a bowl of fresh fruit. One of the kitchen boys was stirring a pot of porridge on the stove.

This was not the first time Katarina had entered the kitchen: she knew that both her mother and Anne would rather she didn't – they thought it wasn't ladylike and that she should leave the servants to get on with their jobs – but she had an insatiable curiosity, which made her want to explore and understand the world around her, and her devious mind could always come up with an excuse for why she should be allowed to go wherever she pleased. Even so, whenever she saw the excitement and agitation of the kitchen staff going about their daily routine, she was surprised by how much effort went into preparing every mouthful of food she ate.

She continued to watch as a little wheeled cart was loaded with uncooked pastries and pushed into the larder, which was a cool room adjacent to the kitchen.

"Are those sausage rolls?" she wondered aloud. "What are they going to do with those?"

"Cook them, perhaps?" Sienna suggested. She hadn't appreciated being woken up early; irritation had sharpened her tongue and made her unusually acerbic.

"I mean, when are we going to eat them?" Katarina clarified. "Are they for later, when Keith gets here?"

Sienna gave a weary shrug. "Probably."

"I bet he'll enjoy those!"

When she saw her best friend bouncing up and down in her excitement, Sienna couldn't help but smile amusedly at her. "I'm sure he will," she agreed.

As if encouraged by these words, Katarina scurried down the stairs, entered the kitchen, and accosted one of the kitchen boys. "Are you going to make any of those lemon cakes I like? I'm sure Keith will like them too!"

"Um… I think your father set the menus for today's meals," mumbled the kitchen boy. Despite his job title, he was several years older than her: a pallid young man with a pockmarked face, who looked anxious to have been approached by Duke Claes's young daughter. "If he wanted us to make lemon cakes, we'll make lemon cakes. Maybe later on."

"My father?" asked Katarina, taken aback. "But… isn't that normally my mother's job?"

The kitchen boy shrugged helplessly. "I dunno." As if looking around for an escape route, he glanced through the open door, saw Sienna standing at the bottom of the stairs, and gave a terrified squeak. "Be careful!" he called out to her. "Don't come any closer!"

"Miss Sienna Nelson is a highborn lady," Katarina reminded him. "You can't talk to her like that."

"Sorry! I'm sorry, but… isn't she the one who was cursed by a witch?"

"What has that got to do with anything?"

"Uh, well, I don't think she should come in here," said the kitchen boy. With a gesture that swept around the entire room, he indicated several sharp knives, skewers, graters, slicers, and a lethal-looking cleaver, as well as multiple open fires, pots of bubbling hot liquid on the stove, a kettle that was at the point of whistling to the boil, and various other potential hazards. "Too dangerous." He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I was a bit rude, but that's better than her ending up dead, isn't it?"

"Yes, of course," said Katarina, suddenly deflated. "I'll just…" She sighed. "I should go."

The kitchen boy nodded at her retreating back, sighed with relief, and returned to his work.

Katarina shut the kitchen door behind her, trudged up the stairs to where Sienna was waiting, took her by the hand, and said, "Let's go back to my room."

"Yes, let's," said Sienna with an eager nod. "We'll need to wash and get properly dressed so that we're ready for Keith's arrival."

"Good plan," said Katarina, giving her hand an affectionate squeeze.

However, before they could get very far, they were confronted by Anne Sherry, Katarina's personal maid. Ordinarily, it was her job to rouse them from their slumbers, assist them with getting dressed and arranging their hair, and make sure that they were ready for the day. However, on this particular morning, she had undoubtedly been surprised to discover that they were already gone from their beds.

"Where have you been?" she wanted to know. Her voice trembled with suppressed emotion and the effort of keeping her tone as flatly neutral as possible.

This was unusual. Katarina had rarely known her maidservant to be anything other than stalwartly professional, so she was dismayed to see her looking so flustered. "We went down to the kitchens to see them preparing food for when Keith arrives later today," she explained, after a moment's consideration.

"Oh. That sounds… potentially dangerous," said Anne, with an uneasy glance at Sienna. "I hope there were no unfortunate accidents."

"There weren't. She waited for me just outside," her noble mistress assured her. "There was no danger. Or… well, I suppose she could have fallen down the stairs, but she didn't!"

Silence followed this pronouncement. Anne's mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out. She stared at Katarina as if searching for something in her wide eyes and earnest expression.

Finally, she said, warningly, "Be very careful, milady. Next time, you might not be so lucky."

At that, Katarina averted her gaze and mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"Thank you for worrying about me, but there was no need," said Sienna, trying to defend her best friend. "I'm fine."

Anne blinked, took a deep breath, and said, "That's quite all right, Miss Sienna. You gave me a fright, that's all."

"It wasn't her fault!" declared Katarina. "It was mine!"

"Yes, of course, my lady. Now, let's go upstairs and get you dressed, ready to meet your new brother, shall we?"

Anne was speaking in such an absent tone of voice that Katarina wasn't sure if she was being listened to. She wanted to protest on general principle; but, even as she tried to do so, she realised that she didn't really know what she wanted to say or why. "But," she said and then immediately fell silent. "But…"

"But what, my lady?" asked Anne, turning to look at her with what seemed like genuine concern.

"Nothing," Katarina muttered. "Let's just go."

After they'd washed off yesterday's grime with the aid of some warm soapy water, Katarina and Sienna donned pretty dresses, combed out their long hair, and pleaded with Anne to help them style it as artfully as she ever did. When that was done, they took the books they wanted to read and went to sit in the parlour, where they planned to wait until Keith was due to arrive.

Katarina's book was a biography of Lemwell Grafton, an explorer who had travelled all over the world and had many thrilling adventures. She very much admired and would have liked to emulate him, even if she doubted the veracity of some of the more far-fetched tales of his visits to foreign lands populated by giants, talking horses, or tiny people who were no more than a few inches tall. Meanwhile, Sienna was reading a tome of religious philosophy, which looked so deathly dull that, in Katarina's opinion, it was a wonder that she could keep her eyes open for long enough to read even a couple of pages.

"What is it that fascinates you about that book?" she asked, after they'd been sitting reading together for a while.

"I could ask you the same question," Sienna replied, wryly glancing at the thick volume Katarina was holding in her lap. "But I suspect that we have similar reasons for spending so much time engrossed in these books."

Katarina felt rather foolish. Try as she might, she couldn't understand what her best friend was hinting at: she could see no connection between their preferred reading materials. Putting on a feeble smile, she said, "Oh? What do you mean by that?"

"You long for excitement and adventure – but, more than that, you long to be free – and that is why all your favourite books are about bold explorers in faraway lands. Whereas I…" Sienna's breath caught in her throat. She shook her head and muttered, "Never mind."

"No, I want to know," Katarina attempted to cajole her. "Please tell me."

"I don't have any real control over my own life. Neither do you," said Sienna in a monotone. "And that is why we read the books we do."

For what seemed like a long time after that, Katarina was speechless. Brooding, she stared at the wall as if gazing far into the distance. She thought about what Sienna had said, trying to come up with a suitable rebuttal – or even a few words of encouragement for her best friend, who was clearly under a lot of strain – but she couldn't think of anything to say.

While they were sitting together in silence, listless and dejected, Katarina's father entered the room. "You look lovely," he said in a jovial voice. "What's the occasion?"

"Don't be silly, father," Katarina chided him. "You know full well that…" She hesitated, struggling to find the right words. "My… your… the young Lord Keith is due to arrive today. Sienna and I want to welcome him to this house and our family. When will he be here?"

Her father put a hand on her shoulder. For a moment, Katarina thought that he might draw her into a hug, or kiss her on the forehead, as he had done when she was a much younger child. Instead, perhaps because he thought she was too old for public displays of affection, he awkwardly patted her shoulder a few times and then withdrew. "That's very kind of you both," he said, sounding as if he had a lump in his throat. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, father," said Katarina, bobbing her head at him. "And… when will he be here?"

"Around midday, I believe, barring unforeseen circumstances," said Duke Claes. He hesitated, moistening his lips, as if there was something else he wanted to say. After a few moments, he managed it: "I believe that… at his previous home, Keith wasn't treated very well. So, I am especially glad that you are inclined to be kind to him."

"But why, father? Who would dare be unkind to your son?!"

"He hasn't always been my son, of course," her father replied, in a tone of tolerant amusement, which Katarina took to mean that people had only recently found out that Keith was the son of the rich and powerful Duke Luigi Claes.

"And… those people who treated him badly before, how do they feel now that you've claimed him as your own?" she asked.

"I don't see that it's any business of theirs," he replied, somewhat frostily. "I suppose that they had better hope that Keith is not the sort to bear grudges."

"You're not going to punish them for what they did?" Katarina pressed him.

"I appreciate your strength of feeling – and your sense of justice – but no," her father replied. "It would cause too many problems. Sometimes, there are no good options."

Katarina stared at him for a moment, took a deep breath, and asked, "Before I meet him for the first time, is there anything that I should know about Keith?" She half-expected him to admit that Keith was his illegitimate son, like her mother had said he was.

Instead, her father said, "Very thoughtful of you," gave Sienna an aside glance, and continued, "He is a powerful earth mage, but he is not fully in control of his powers. A tragic accident could all too easily happen if, for example, you ask him to show off for you. Therefore, no matter what the temptation, I would prefer it if you didn't do that."

"I won't!" cried Katarina, shaking her head. "I promise I won't, father!"

"Very good," said the Duke, giving her an indulgent smile. "Now… I'll send one of the servants to notify you when Keith is due to arrive, shall I?"

"Please do."

When the Duke left the room, the two girls were left alone to sit in uneasy silence again. At least, that is what Katarina assumed would happen. So, she was surprised when Sienna gave her an adoring smile and said, "Thank you for thinking of me. You're so considerate!"

Katarina didn't have the heart to tell her that, when she had asked her father if there was anything she should know about Keith, she had only been thinking about her mother's accusations. Instead, she smiled back at her and said, "What are friends for, eh?"

By the time the carriage finally arrived at the Claes manor, Katarina and Sienna were ready and waiting. They watched as it pulled through the main gate, up the driveway, and then to a stop. While the coachman tended the horses, the groom pulled open the carriage door, and a pale, thin boy got out.

When Katarina first saw him, she thought that there must be some mistake: surely this could not be the real Keith? In the theatre of her mind, her mother's dire warnings had turned him into a fearsome ruffian: she had imagined him looking like a roguish, scar-faced villain dressed all in black. However, in reality, he was so small and underfed that he looked much younger than his true age. Although he was twelve years old, only a few months younger than she was, there was no mistaking him for anything other than a child. Moreover, he had a pathetic air about him, like a whipped dog.

Her father, who was at the head of a large welcoming party consisting of servants dressed in formal regalia, waited as the boy slowly, timidly, hesitantly approached him. At last, when he judged it appropriate, he said, "Good day to you, Keith. Welcome to Claes manor."

"Good day, y-your grace," the boy stammered.

"You don't need to call me that. I'm your father now," said Duke Claes. "And this is your sister, Katarina."

"It's wonderful to meet you, Keith," Katarina enthused, rushing over and throwing her arms around him. Even as she did so, he stiffened until it was as if she was hugging a bundle of knotted sticks. Realising that he didn't like being hugged, she hastily withdrew, holding up both of her hands as if to show that she was unarmed.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" she cried, stumbling backwards. "Forgive me!"

"What are you sorry for?" asked the boy. There was a befuddled expression on his face.

"I just want you to feel welcome! I hope you'll be very happy here! Please don't hate me!" cried Katarina. Then, having lost the last of her nerve, she scurried away as quickly as her legs would carry her, pausing only to grab Sienna's hand and drag her along as well.

Duke Claes gazed at Katarina's retreating back until she was out of sight. Then, he sighed, turned to Keith, and said, "I must apologize for my daughter's exuberance. She means well, but has a regrettable tendency to act without thinking."

"No… no need to apologize," said Keith, blinking dazedly. "She surprised me, that's all."

His new father surveyed him carefully for a moment, then changed the subject: "I expect that you're hungry after your long journey. Let's go to lunch, shall we?"

Keith nodded. "Very well, father."

At lunch, Katarina was sat next to Keith, who was at pains to reassure her that he didn't hate her: in fact, he was glad that she wanted him to be happy in his new home. Sienna sat on her other side. For some reason, she seemed even more nervous than Katarina was, but did her best to smile and give gentle encouragement to the two new siblings who were only just getting to know each other.

Duke Claes sat at the head of the table, but there was an empty seat next to him that should have been filled: his wife, the Duchess Miridiana Claes was absent. Claiming that she was feeling unwell, she had not emerged from her bedroom that day.

Remembering some of the things her mother had said about Keith, Katarina was somewhat relieved by her absence, for which she felt guilty. She tried to be a gracious hostess: to keep the conversation flowing, to top up Keith's glass without his needing to ask, to pass him each new delicacy to try – and to make sure that Sienna wasn't feeling neglected – but she worried that she was being overbearing, especially when Keith finally plucked up the courage to say, "No, I… I don't want any more, thank you."

"I'm sorry!" she cried. "Please forgive me! I should have let you choose for yourself!"

"Yes, you should have," said her father, taking a sip from his glass of wine. "But never mind. If you're going to make mistakes, it's for the best that you make them now, while you still have time to learn from them."

There was a smattering of sycophantic laughter from some of the other adults at the table – Maester Pycelle, Septa Selyse, and Katarina's music teacher, for instance – who seemed to think that he was being witty and joking.

The Duke's face became an expressionless mask of flesh. He regarded the various members of his household, one by one, as if he was examining them and speculating as to their motives. For a moment, his lips twitched as if he was tempted to ask what was so funny, but he remained silent. For the rest of the meal, he ate little, drank his wine, and held himself aloof.

Before the meal, Keith had been introduced to everyone who was now sitting at the table. Most of them had greeted him warmly enough, but since then had been more interested in filling their bellies than in paying attention to him or the two young girls he was sitting with. However, Pycelle was an exception: he seemed intent on observing the interactions between Katarina and Keith as if they were specimens in a jar. Though it was a warm day, Katarina struggled to suppress a shiver; she felt as if she'd been transfixed by the force of his gaze.

"What's the matter?" asked Keith, giving her a worried glance.

"It's nothing. I'm fine," Katarina replied. Casting her mind back to what her mother had taught her about the duties and responsibilities of a hostess, she made an effort to be cheerful and friendly, put on a dazzling smile, and said, "What are your favourite pastimes? Are you a keen rider, a sportsman, a hunter? Do you like to read? Or perhaps you know some amusing games we might play later on?"

"Um… no, I don't," said Keith. "I'm not…" His voice trailed off into awkward silence.

"Well, never mind. I'm sure we'll find something you enjoy doing," said Katarina, still smiling. "I have plenty of books you could borrow. Or you might find something that interests you in the library upstairs. Or… uh, if you don't like reading, there are plenty of other things we could do!"

Keith stared at her for long enough that it made her feel uncomfortable. "I've never met anyone like you before, Katarina," he said, at last.

"W-what do you mean by that?" she stammered back at him.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" he asked, in a small voice.

In the silence that followed, while her best friend was still fumbling for an answer, Sienna took the opportunity to insert herself into the conversation. "Katarina has always wanted a little brother of her own," she lied. "This morning, before you came, she was so nervous that she couldn't sit still. She was worried that you wouldn't like her." She gazed at Keith with innocent blue eyes. "You do like her, don't you?"

He nodded vigorously. "I… uh… I do. Very much."

"I'm glad," said Sienna, giving him a satisfied nod.

Katarina gazed at her in open-mouthed surprise. She had never known Sienna to be deceitful before, so she was astonished to see her manipulating Keith with lies and half-truths. Even so, she couldn't bring herself to condemn her best friend for being dishonest, since it was obvious that she was doing it with the best of intentions and for the noblest of reasons: Sienna only wanted what was best for her, for her to be happy and to have a good relationship with her new brother. Her eyes prickled with unshed tears as she wondered what she had done to deserve such a loyal friend.

"Are… are you crying, Katarina?" asked Keith, sounding alarmed.

"No!" cried Katarina, quickly scraping a hand across her face and using it to dry her eyes. "I'm just… I'm happy, that's all!"

"Why wouldn't she be happy? It's a beautiful day. The sun is shining. Everything is fine," said Sienna, with a trace of melancholy in her voice.

Katarina gave her a sharp look, wondering why she was tempting fate like that. Did she not want Keith to know that Maggy the Frog had prophesied that they would both die soon? If so, it seemed unlikely that they could hide it for very long. Because her father had chosen Keith as his heir, he would undoubtedly inform him of anything he needed to know, including the fact that his sister was fated to die within a few years. In this case, there was no point in lying to him: he would discover the truth soon enough.

"Not everything," she said, taking Sienna's hand and clasping it in her own. Then, she turned to her new brother. "Keith, there is something you need to know. My dear friend Sienna is… she's unwell. She has a weak heart. And very bad luck. We need to look after her."

"All right," said Keith, with a solemn nod. "What do you need me to do?"

Taking a deep breath, Katarina said, "I have been told that you are a powerful earth mage, but you don't have full control of your magic. Is that true?"

"Um… yes."

"In that case, I beseech you to not use your magic when Sienna is nearby. Not if there is any chance that an accident might happen," said Katarina. "It wouldn't be your fault, not really, but she could easily be hurt or killed if you made the slightest mistake."

"I won't! I promise I won't!" cried Keith.

"That is all I ask," said Katarina, smiling at him.

Later that afternoon, when they were given some free time to themselves, Katarina led her two friends out into the garden to play.

"First, we need to check the surrounding area for any dangerous plants that have appeared overnight," Katarina explained to Keith. "Just in case… you know." She gave Sienna a significant glance.

"Oh. Does that happen often?" asked Keith, wide-eyed and worried-looking.

"More often than you might think," Katarina told him.

Fortunately, after a brief search, they were unable to detect any potential hazards amongst the nearby greenery, which meant that they could commence their game without needing to call a gardener and ask for help.

"What game do you want to play?" asked Katarina. "Keith, do you have any ideas?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Sienna, what about you?"

"I think you should choose, Katarina," her best friend replied. "I always enjoy your games."

"Very well," said Katarina with a nod. "In that case…"

They played a game of make-believe, in which Keith was a noble knight who had set off on a quest to rescue the beautiful princess Sienna from the clutches of a wicked witch who had imprisoned her in a dark tower. Katarina acted in many different roles, putting on wildly different voices and grotesque facial expressions as easily as if she were putting on a new coat or a pair of shoes; she was the wicked witch as well as various monsters, innkeepers, peddlers, unwary travellers, suspicious-looking men in black cloaks, and everyone else Sir Keith encountered on his travels.

"If we play anything like this again, I would like to have a more active role," Sienna said mildly.

"Yes, of course," said Katarina, who decided that they would spend the next half an hour acting out Princess Sienna's daring attempts to escape the dark tower, meeting various peculiar creatures along the way, and finally succeeding in reaching the exit just as Sir Keith was about to open the door from the other side.

"And then what?" asked Keith, looking to Katarina for directions.

"Yes, what happens next?" asked Sienna.

Katarina hesitated, casting her mind back to the political lessons her mother and father had drummed into her. Although she remembered very little of what they'd tried to teach her, it occurred to her that a marriage between Sienna and Keith would solve a number of problems. If Keith truly was her father's illegitimate son, then it was likely that some of his future bannermen would make trouble for him, saying that he had no right to the title and trying to force him to give them concessions. However, if he were to marry Sienna, he would gain the support of the Nelsons, who would be delighted that their daughter was going to marry the future Duke Claes; with their help, he should be able to get the other bannermen to fall into line. More importantly, if Sienna married Keith, so long as they consummated the marriage fairly quickly, it would invalidate Maggy the Frog's prophecy. After that, Sienna would be free to live a long and happy life as Keith's wife, the Duchess Claes, one of the wealthiest and most influential noblewomen in all of Sorcier.

It had not escaped Katarina's notice that Sienna was blossoming into a lovely young woman: slender and graceful, with delicate features and soulful blue eyes. Not long ago, she had been a coltish little girl, but now she was developing into an almost ethereal beauty. Also, she was patient and kind and sweet and affectionate and quick-witted and so many other good things! Any man would be lucky to marry her!

She felt sure that Keith and Sienna would make an excellent match. But… how could she push them together without them realising?

"That's up to you," she said with a shrug. "How do you think the story should end?"

Keith looked at Sienna. Awkwardly, he waved at her. "Uh, greetings," he said. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Yes… thank you for coming to rescue me," Sienna replied, waving back at him. "I didn't need you, in the end, but… um, it's the thought that counts, right?"

"Let's go home," said Keith, offering Sienna his hand. When she didn't take it, he withdrew it and hid it behind his back.

"And they both lived happily ever after," Katarina said sardonically, shaking her head at them.

"Well, what did you expect?" asked Sienna, with a raised eyebrow.

"Never mind," said Katarina, still shaking her head. "It doesn't matter now."

The sun hung low in the sky, though it was not yet sunset, painting the land below with a mixture of rich, warm colours: orange, red, and gold. The humming of insects had stopped. It was early evening. Before long, Anne came to the door and called out to them: "Dinner will be ready soon!"

"Yes, thank you, Anne!" Katarina called back to her. She and her two friends went inside to wash their hands and put on some clean clothes before dinner.

Still, in her daydreams and late into the night, she continued to scheme: sooner or later, she would make Sienna and Keith fall in love with each other. It was the greatest gift she could give to either of them.

Author's Notes:
This time, it's been two and a half months…

Never fear, Procrastination Man is finally here! Lazier than a well-fed cat, more languid than a pipe organ, able to avoid deadlines in a single bound!

Seriously though, I've been unwell, I've been busy at work, and I've been struggling to write. I filled several pages of my notebook with plans and wrote more than 9000 words of drafting for this latest chapter, but I just couldn't get it finished. And it's not as if it's a particularly long chapter.

Ugh. I'm sorry, I can't promise regular updates.