Bitterblue's Grace

by Haili73

Graceling from Bitterblue's point of view. Done for a school project. NOTE: to preserve accuracy, most of the dialogue is taken verbatim from Graceling. I DO NOT OWN IT. I do own Bitterblue's inner thoughts and monologues. I thought it might be interesting to explore how she reacts to Po's Grace. This was written well before Bitterblue, so there are no references to that.

5. Part 5: A Ring, A Castle, and a King

p class="MsoNormal"strongPart 5: A Ring, a Castle, and a Very Dead King/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"I never thought I'd see a more beautiful sight as a fire that style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanAs Katsa, tending to my wounds before hers, of course, worked ointment into my chapped hands and called me a strong girl, I fell into a style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI couldn't help style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me and I wanted – needed- to thank Katsa for her sacrifice style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWe fell asleep clutching each other that night./p
p class="MsoNormal"The next day we found an style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI wanted to go in, sure that Leck's stories hadn't reached this style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanBut Katsa wasn't sure, and didn't want to provide these people with a story that could Leck and his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanNo inn would be style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWe had to get from Sunder to Monsea without anyone seeing style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWhat would Katsa do?span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKill everyone we saw?/p
p class="MsoNormal"We ended up staying at a storekeeper's house; the only reason being that he was a friend of Katsa's style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa mainly told the truth except that she said that the Lienid Prince Greening Grandemalion, whom we'd been traveling with (now you see why he goes by Po), had style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanAt least I fervently hoped this was a style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanMaybe Katsa's Grace allowed her to see if someonespan style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanshe cared about style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanNo, I thought, watching her face, she would be much more heartbroken if she knew by her style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanShe was lying; my cousin style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThey gave us warm baths – two apiece, and new style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThey cut my hair short like a boy' style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThey sent us on our way under the cover of style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa and I went to the docks to search for a Lienid ship to board, one that would take us to Po's home./p
p class="MsoNormal"When we finally did find a ship suitable to Katsa's requirements, a bandage covering Katsa's green eye, both of us dressed as boys, Katsa asked the sing man on the dock where their ship had come from./p
p class="MsoNormal""Ror City," said the style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThat was Lienid, I knew from my geography classes./p
p class="MsoNormal""You depart tonight?" Katsa questioned./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Where do you go?" Katsa inquired./p
p class="MsoNormal""To Sunport and Southbay, Westport, and then to Ror City again," he replied./p
p class="MsoNormal""Not to Monport?" Monport was the sea port on the southern coast of Monsea./p
p class="MsoNormal""We have no trade with Monsea this time around," he informed style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal""Have you any news of Monsea?" Katsa asked carefully./p
p class="MsoNormal""It's clear enough we're a Lienid style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanFind a Monsean ship if its Monsean news you're wanting!" The boy retorted, growing impatient./p
p class="MsoNormal""What kind of man is your captain? And what do you carry?" Katsa asked./p
p class="MsoNormal""This is a good many questions," the boy was growing suspicious style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"You want news of Monsea, and news of our style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYou want to know where we've been and what we're style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIs Murgon employing children to be his spies then?"span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanMurgon was the king of Sunder./p
p class="MsoNormal""I've no idea who Murgon employs to be his spies, but we seek passage west."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You're out of style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWe don't need extra hands, and you don't look the type to pay."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh? Graced with night-vision, are you?" Katsa asked testily./p
p class="MsoNormal""I can see you well enough to tell you as a pair of ragamuffins who've been fighting, by the looks of that bandage on your eye," he explained./p
p class="MsoNormal""We can pay," Katsa informed him./p
p class="MsoNormal""Either you're lying or you're style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI'd wager both are true."/p
p class="MsoNormal""We're neither," Katsa reached for the style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThe boy style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Hold, sailor, I only reach for the style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYou can take it from my pocket if you style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI'll put my hands in the air and my friend will stand back."span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI obeyed and the boy reached toward her style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanOnce he had the purse, the boy shook a few gold coins into his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in" /p
p class="MsoNormal""This is Lienid gold!span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanNot only are you thieves, but you've stolen from Lienid men!" The boy cried, infuriated./p
p class="MsoNormal""Take us to your captain and let him decide whether to take our gold or style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanDo it and a piece of it's yours, regardless of what he chooses." The boy finally consented./p
p class="MsoNormal"He took us to Captain Fawn, a Graceling woman with grey and blue style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThe ship rocked and made me feel wobbly and style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI found it hard to breathe in the captain's workroom./p
p class="MsoNormal"The boy, who was called Jem, handed Captain Fawn our gold after explaining why we were bothering style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Where did you get this?" she asked./p
p class="MsoNormal""We're friends of Prince Greening – it's his gold," Katsa style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThe two soldiers in the room erupted with protests and style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanBut Captain Fawn was staring at Katsa./p
p class="MsoNormal"Finally, the captain asked, "You want me to believe that Prince Po gave a purse of gold to two raggedy Sunderan boys?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""I think you know we're not Sunderan boys," Katsa style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"He gave me his ring so you may know to trust us," Katsa explained,, reaching for Po's ring around her style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanNow I don't know much about Lienid rings, and I hadn't realized that Katsa wore Po's identity ring – the ring that matched the tattoos on his upper arms, the ring of his princehood, of his identity, the ring no Lienid ever gave style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThe captain was shocked and Jem and Bear, the other soldier in the room, cried out in style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanBoth jumped at style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa thought fast and acted style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanShe pushed me into the corner, and before I knew it, she had knocked Bear out and had Jem's knife at his own style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI felt sick./p
p class="MsoNormal""Prince Po would never give that ring to a Sunderan urchin!" Jem protested, gasping for style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanCaptain Fawn ordered Katsa to drop her sword and Katsa warned Jem to stay away./p
p class="MsoNormal""I don't know what you've done to Bear, but he'd better wake up," Captain Fawn warned./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count:1" /span"He will," Katsa assured style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI still didn't feel any better./p
p class="MsoNormal""He'd better," the captain style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Now, about our style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanLast we heard he was in the court of Randa, training with you, if I'm not mistaken."/p
p class="MsoNormal"I vomited, leaning against the wall for style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt was the constant moving of the ship, and the stale style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa came over to see if I was all right, and I told her shakily, "The floor is moving," clinging to Katsa's shirt./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, you'll get used to it, " Katsa promised./p
p class="MsoNormal""When?" I pleaded style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"When will I get used to it?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Come child," she said softly and led me to the middle of the style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Captain Fawn, " she style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"This is Princess Bitterblue of Monsea, Po's style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanAs you've guessed, I'm Katsa of the Middluns."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I would also guess there's nothing wrong with that eye," Captain Fawn said, and Katsa removed the cloth style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHer Graceling eyes stared unevenly at Captain Fawn' style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal""The Princess is in great danger," Katsa style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"I'm taking her to Lieid to protect her from…those who would harm style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanPo said you would help us if I showed you his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanBut if you don't, I'll do everything in the power of my Grace to force your assistance."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Let me see that ring more closely," the captain style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa held the ring out without taking it off to Captain style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanShe studied it for a while, then asked, "Where is our prince?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Some distance from here, recovering from an injury," Katsa said, surprisingly truthfully./p
p class="MsoNormal""Is he dying?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""No, of course not," Katsa replied, hurriedly./p
p class="MsoNormal"Fawn peered at her, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Then why did he give you his ring?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""I told you, he gave it to me so a Lienid ship would help us!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Nonsense!" the captain style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"If that's all he wanted, why didn't give you the king's ring or the queen's?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""I don't know!" Katsa replied, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"I don't know the meanings of rings, aside from which people they represent!span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThis is the one he chose to give me."/p
p class="MsoNormal"I finally spoke up, sounding as queasy as I was, "Po did give the ring to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe meant for her to have it, and he didn't explain what it style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYou should explain for him, right now." Because, truth be told, this constant arguing was making me feel sicker than I already style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI stubbornly stared back when Captain Fawn stared at me, and she began to explain./p
p class="MsoNormal""It's very rare for a Lienid to give away one of his rings," she began, "But almost unheard of for him to give away the ring of his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanTo give that ring is to forsake his own style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanPrincess Bitterblue, your lady has around her neck is the ring of the seventh prince of style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIf Prince Po had given her that ring, it would mean that he'd advocated his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe'd no longer be a prince of Lienid, he'd make her a princess and give her his castle and his inheritance." Katsa sat down hard on a chair./p
p class="MsoNormal""That can't be," she said, shell-shocked./p
p class="MsoNormal""Not one in a thousand Lienid gives that ring style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanMost wear it to their graves in the style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanBut occasionally, if a woman is dying and wants her sister to care for her children or a dying storekeeper wants to pass on his store to a friend, or if a prince is dying and wants to change the line of succession, a Lienid will make a gift of that ring." Captain Fawn said to Katsa, "The Lienid love their prince, most especially the youngest, the Graceling style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanTo steal Po's ring would be considered a terrible crime."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I don't want style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThat he should give this to me and not explain…" Katsa moaned./p
p class="MsoNormal""Katsa, don't worry. You can be sure he ahd som reason," I assured her./p
p class="MsoNormal""But reason would he style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHis injuries weren't so bad," Katsa protested./p
p class="MsoNormal""Katsa," I said patiently and style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Think, he gave you the ring before he was style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt wasn't such a strange thing for him to do, knowing that he might die in the fight."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Katsa understood by the look on her face and the tears that were fighting their way style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Why in the Middluns didn't he tell me?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""If he had, you wouldn't have taken it," I said style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal""I wouldn't have taken it," she style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Can you see me taking such a thing from Po? Can you see me agreeing to such a thing?span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe was right to have given style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe is going to die," Katsa said pessimistically and I was about to protest when she style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Because I'm going to kill him when next I see him, for doing such a thing and frightening me and not telling me what it meant!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Of course you will," I said, rolling my eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal""It's not permanent, is it?" Katsa turned desperately toward the style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"I can give it back to him, can't I?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Bear, Jem, and Captain Fawn looked at us with believing eyes now, and the captain said, "Yes, Lady Princess."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Great hills, don't call me that!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""You may give it back to him at any time, Princess, or give it to someone else, or he may reclaim style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIn the meantime, your position entitles you to the power and authority of a Lienid style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt's ours to do your bidding."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I'll be content if you take us to Po's castle on the western shore." Katsa said and added, "And stop calling me princess."/p
p class="MsoNormal""It's your castle now, Princess." And with that, we started for style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa had to ask the captain to stay at sea as long as possible, to stay away from Monsea and Leck's style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanFawn was not happy about that, but she understood when Katsa style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa even started teaching me how to use my knife during the long style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt was hard, but I kept at style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanSoon I'd be able to defend myself from Leck./p
p class="MsoNormal"When we arrived at Po's castle, which was as small as he'd promised Katsa, there was a surprise waiting fro us that neither of had style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWhen we knocked on the door, a servant style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Greetings," he style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Please come into the receiving style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanQuickly, you're letting the heat escape." Katsa followed him, and I followed Katsa, shaky on my feet once again./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm Lady Katsa of the Middluns," Katsa began./p
p class="MsoNormal""This way," he style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"My master is expecting you."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Your master?" Katsa asked style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"You mean he's here? It can't be possible!span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWhere is he?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Follow me; the whole family's in the receiving room," was the only answer the speedy servant man style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal""The whole family…!" Katsa style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa and I exchanged astonished style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHow could Po be here? How could he have traveled here without being seen – and in his health?/p
p class="MsoNormal""How long as the prince been here?" Katsa inquired as the man shooed her forward./p
p class="MsoNormal""The princes have just arrived," he said and opened the door./p
p class="MsoNormal""How wonderful!" A familiar voice cried style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Welcome my friends!span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanCom in and take your place among our happy circle!" I gasped and nearly fell, but Katsa caught style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanFor I knew that style="mso-spacerun:yes" style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanMy father, who'd we'd been runningspan style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanfrom this entire time./p
p class="MsoNormal"I could tell that even thought Katsa didn't like him, she was falling under Leck's style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI cried, pulling back when Katsa stepped forward into the style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"He's lying!" I cried over and over style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"He's lying!" All Leck did was lie, like, lie, and why didn't Katsa seem to remember this?/p
p class="MsoNormal""My daughter is ill!" my father style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"It behooves me to see my daughter style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe turned to a woman next to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Help your niece," he ordered./p
p class="MsoNormal"She immediately ran up to me, with outstretched style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Poor child!" She tried to hug me and take me from style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"I began screaming, screaming for all I was style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI did NOT just go through those terrible cold mountains and the rocking ship with the moving floor and the hunger just for Katsa to give into Leck style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI slapped the woman and clung to Katsa, who held me and shushed style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI didn't know whether I was breaking through Leck's spell over her mind or not, but I didn't stop style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"Katsa and I recognized the woman as Po's mother, and she said, "She's hysterical." Talking of me, of course./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes," Katsa said, almost style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"I'll take care of her."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Where is my son?" the queen asked style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Do you know where my son is?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Indeed," Leck style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"You're missing part of your style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI hope he's alive."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes," Katsa replied./p
p class="MsoNormal""Is he really?span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanSuch wonderful style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanPerhaps we can help style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWhere is he?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Don't tell him, Katsa, don't tell him where Po is! Don't tell him!span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanDon't tell him!" I pleaded./p
p class="MsoNormal""It's all right, child," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal""Please don't tell him!" I was crying now./p
p class="MsoNormal""I won' style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI won't," she said reassuringly./p
p class="MsoNormal""Very well, I see how things are," Leck style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanLeck thought for a while, and his eye came to rest on style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa pulled me style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"My daughter isn't style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanShe's confused, she's style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHer mind is style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanShe thinks that I would hurt her," em style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"All things you would like to do to me, my king, /emI thought style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"I've been telling Prince Po's family about my daughter's style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI've been telling them about how she ran away from home after her style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanAbout how you and Prince Po found her, Lady Katsa, and how you've kept her safe."span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"Which is something you've never been able to do! /emI screamed at him style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThat word again – style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa could keep me style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanPo could keep me style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span:eck would kill me./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, yes, I've kept her safe," Katsa said in a style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanLeck wanted to know how we crossed the mountains, how he'd searched everywhere for me and of his love for me – all donkey style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa assured him that she'd kept me safe./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, and now you've brought her to me, at my castle on Lienid's wetern shore," Leck said./p
p class="MsoNormal""Your castle."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Now it's time for you to give my daughter back to me," Leck style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI'd collapsed against Katsa's sidenow, muttering to myself, muttering everything Leck said and trying to revers the power of his Grace."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, I will," Katsa style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI was falling under Leck's style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Pnce she's feeling better./p
p class="MsoNormal""No, bring her to me now," he demanded. "I know how to make her feel better." Was it just me, or did those words seem as creepy as I thought they did to everyone else in the room?/p
p class="MsoNormal""No, she will stay with me until she's feel better, " Katsa said, her chin up./p
p class="MsoNormal"Leck style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"The Lady Katsa is nothing if not style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanBut I don't suppose any of us should blame for being style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWell, no style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI'll enjoy my daughter's company – later."span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanLeck stared at me with his one eye again, scaring me./p
p class="MsoNormal""And now will you tell me of my son?" The queen style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Why isn't he here? He isn't injured, is he?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, comfort an anxious mother, Lady style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanTell us all about Prince style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIs he nearby?" Leck asked./p
p class="MsoNormal""I don't wish to talk of Po," Katsa said slowly./p
p class="MsoNormal""Don't you? That's unfortunate, because I style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe's a strong young man, that Po, a credit to his family, and a wonderful fighter, being Graced and style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI wonder if there's even more to his Grace than style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanAm I right, Lady Katsa?span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIsn't he Graced with…" Leck didn't get to finish his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanA dagger had flown straight and true – right into his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe should have stuck to his lies, because in the end, it was the truth that killed him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in" /p