Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Not all shields look as we expected... Not all shields are physical...

A/N: After many delays and six days of writing, here is the Valentine's Day chapter as requested by Lady Firewing. I hope it lives up to your expectations. To cut down on confusion, the first section is from Katerina's POV and the last two sections are from Oreius' POV. Enjoy!

Chapter Thirteen

14 Snowbrice 1001

How was it that I could be in a place where Hallmark (or any other greeting card regurgitating nightmare, for that matter) did not exist and I still couldn't escape the most ridiculous and over-commercialized fake holiday of all time? Honestly, I could hardly believe what I was hearing yesterday afternoon when Susan, Lucy, and Tuulea all ambushed me after I had returned from training (two weeks and Oreius was only just finishing the regiment of intensified training he had subjected Edmund and myself to as punishment for the flour incident). While they were in the midst of hunting through the formal (and I mean the complicated formal not the simple designs in more formal fabrics) dresses, I was informed that Narnian tradition dictated there was to be a ball in celebration of Sweethearts' Day (Valentine's Day in all but name) and they wanted to me to show up...oh joy. I had made a rather half-hearted series of protests (Lucy gave me the puppy dog look throughout them) and then...I caved into agreeing to consider going to the ball, which was all the overeager trio needed for an excuse to continue picking out the "perfect gown" while they quickly rehashed what happened at the Sweethearts' Day ball. I admit to tuning them out after a bit, but I still got the main gist of it all, which was the day was an opportunity for established sweethearts to enjoy themselves, new sweethearts to relish the changes (when Tuulea said that I couldn't help thinking about food...just something about the word 'relish'), and for those who desire to be your sweetheart to buck up and ask you to the ball. At least, I was safe from the last, unless some idiot lost a bet or just his mind and tried to ask me to be his sweetheart for the ball. Fortunately, one did not actually have to have a date to attend the ball (it's a party and Narnians love parties, feasts, celebrations, etc., etc.), which was the only reason I was even considering going for a little bit at least or until I could no longer stand being in the crowd.

I was the most surprised when Oreius informed us that morning that due to the ball there would be no training the next day. However, when I thought about it, I supposed it made sense, especially if Oreius didn't want to deal with twitterpated morons who might also be suffering from hangovers. Still, after being ambushed once again (can't imagine why I would expect to be able to walk into my chambers without being pounced on by Tuulea and her minions) and then forced into wearing the sapphire blue complicated formal dress (don't get me wrong, it was beautiful and comfortable but it was so...formal) with matching heeled shoes (only two inches but still I was already tall enough on my own), I would have taken another week of Oreius' training torture with the twitterpated morons if it would get me out of the entire affair. Unfortunately, that was not an option, which would explain why I was very reluctantly making my way towards the main ballroom (I wanted a surprise invasion of anything, even one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eaters, to give me an excuse not to go). The ball didn't officially start for another thirty minutes or so, but when Tuulea the Terrifying shoved me out the door of my rooms she had informed me that it would take me until the ball started to find my way there anyway so I might as well get started (or something along those lines). Admittedly, I intentionally did not bother to memorize any routes in the palace except the most essential ones, which consisted of the shortcut from my rooms to the library, the most direct route from my rooms to the great hall and out to the armory (of course, sometimes all I had to do was follow the blur of limbs that was Peter and Edmund when they were late for training), and the most direct route from my rooms down to the southeastern solarium for Lucy's training sessions. However, since the main ballroom was only a few corridors down from the great hall, I wasn't afforded the luxury of the excuse that I didn't show up because I got hopelessly lost (as Tuulea reminded me right before she forced me out the door).

I was close enough that I could hear the voices of various Narnians drifting out of the ballroom and probably the great hall too (in other words, I was far too close to my evening of torture for comfort). I paused just before I turned the corner that joined the current hall I was hiding in (I'm a big girl I can admit I was hiding...looking back) with the corridor that lead to the ballroom and the crowds...I still hated being stuck in a crowd...why did I agree to consider going again? Oh right, Lucy and her big puppy dog eyes...drat my inability to outlast the girl (on the little things anyway). "Excuse me, my lady."

I turned to see a Faun who looked vaguely familiar, oh right, he had been one of the soldiers who watched when I lost the bet to Lucy and Edmund and was forced to perform a gymnastic routine down the hall. I wondered what he wanted; maybe it would be something that could get me out of going to the ball. As soon as he saw that he had my attention, the Faun quickly bowed his head before giving me a grin (I suddenly had a feeling that this wasn't going to end well...for him). "Good evening, Lady Katerina, please permit me to introduce myself. I am Cassius, and I simply had to approach you tonight and ask...where have you been all my life?"

Oh, for the love of all things that are bright and good in the world! He did not just try to use that pick up line on me (I'm in Narnia and the horrid pick up lines still crop up...unbelievable). I stared at him as I immediately retorted, "Avoiding you. Now, if you will excuse me, I clearly need to find a new hiding spot." I had hoped shutting him down would make him go away...it didn't work (big shocker there).

Cassius obviously thought of himself as a Narnian version of Casanova or Don Juan as my refusal just seemed to encourage him to try again. I quickly reminded myself that wiping the self-confident smirk off the Faun's face with a well-placed fist was not allowed as the persistent gnat stepped in front of me and started talking again. "I feel I should apologize for not offering to be your escort to the ball sooner. It would be a shame for any lady as beautiful as yourself to appear alone tonight. In fact, I must say that tonight you look as beautiful as a spring lily in Quickening and your eyes are blue...like the ocean, and I, I am lost at sea." Oh, please make it stop before I break something...like Cassius.

"Well, I hope you're a good swimmer because you'll be really lost when I leave." I turned to go down the corridor that led to the ballroom (the crowd would serve its purpose for losing this nitwit and then I would leave) and Cassius the clueless wonder of a wannabe Casanova got in my way again...now I was irritated. He didn't touch me (even the idiot knew better than to break courtesy in such a way...plus I was giving him my best 'do it and die' glare), but he did once again block my path and he was a bit too close for my personal happiness and comfort.

If he didn't get out of my way soon (i.e., the next two minutes or so), I was going to do something that I would appreciate, he wouldn't, and I would be in trouble...at the moment, I was almost inclined to say it would be worth it. Cassius ran a hand through his curly brown hair (was I supposed to be impressed? Oh, I know he wanted me to swoon... I don't know how to swoon, sorry) and gave me another smug grin (I was going to end up decking him on principle if he kept it up). "Lady Katerina, I must say your humor is...matchless. Shall we proceed to the ballroom together?"

Was he really that thick or was the idiot Casanova-wannabe actually trying to bait me into doing something rash? The answer was anybody's guess. I congratulated myself for maintaining a calm tone as I tried to get rid of the bothersome gnat, "I'm afraid that's not possible, Faun Cassius." I paused and then I forced myself to grind out something polite. "However, I thank you for the offer."

Why is it that being polite just seemed to encourage the bothersome, annoying, idiotic gnats of wannabe Casanovas? I have no idea, which might actually be a good thing since I don't really want to know what goes through the minds of said Casanova-wannabe gnats. I tried to step to the side, so I could move around him and Cassius once again blocked me. "Lady Katerina, I think you have misunderstood my intentions-"

"No." That got his attention finally. "No, I have not misunderstood. For one reason or another, you have decided that I should allow you to be my escort to the ball tonight. I have tried to be polite, but apparently, I've not been clear enough. So, please allow me to clarify my current position on your offer. I am not accepting your offer nor am I attending the ball tonight, so as you can see, an escort would be a pointless waste of both our times. I would greatly appreciate it, however, if you would cease to continue your quest and also allowed me to continue on my way." He gaped at me in shock and then he made the mistake of reaching a hand out to touch me, "If you touch me, Cassius, you will not be able to attend this ball either because you will be in desperate need of a healer."

He finally realized that I was dead serious in both my refusal and my threat. I was more than a little irritated with having to endure the entire debacle and if he had so much as breathed another stupid pick up line... Cassius was fortunate that Tuulea had taken my knives and refused to let me stash them somewhere on my person otherwise he would be beyond the healers' help. Fortunately, for the both of us, the Casanova-wannabe at last decided to cut his losses and leave while he was still able. Cassius bowed his head again then he silently retreated and I just barely avoided sighing aloud in relief. I watched as the Faun disappeared around the corner towards the ballroom and then, right before I turned to leave, I suddenly heard laughter coming from...behind me. Ugh, now what did I have to deal with before I could make my escape?

I turned around and had the sudden inexplicable urge to hit someone again when I saw Peter and Edmund chuckling as they walked up to me. I could tell by the twin mischievous looks that I was not dealing with the Kings of Narnia, just the fourteen-year-old and eleven-year-old boys who did so enjoy teasing their friend (that would be me, oh joy). The brothers grinned at me and I already knew I wasn't really going to like whatever was about to come out of their mouths. Edmund started it. "You could have given him a chance, Kat."

I raised an eyebrow, "No, no I couldn't."

Peter glanced at his brother then at me, "Well, you could have at least pretended to consider it. After all, Cassius isn't really that bad."

"Oh yes, Kat, it could have been much worse and who knows, if you had given him a chance, you might have found something in common."

Peter agreed with his brother before I had an opportunity to respond. "That's true, Ed. They might have had something in common and now she shall never know because she wouldn't give him a single chance."

I rolled my eyes at their teasing. Boys could be so annoying at times, such as right at that moment. "Cute. The only thing I have in common with Cassius is that we both live in Narnia. I will not be forced into feeling guilty over how I responded to his overtures. I did nothing wrong. I will not be made a fool of by anyone, I refuse. Please give my regards to your sisters and, if you would, please extend my apology to Lucy. It seems I'm unable to join the festivities after all. And, if you'll excuse me, I will take my leave now." By the end of my quiet speech, I had succeeded in dumbfounding Peter and Edmund who obviously didn't expect me to react that way. I was quietly seething and, if I hadn't thought it would be a pointless exercise, I would have truly lit into them. As it was, I just walked around them and hurried back up the corridors, putting as much distance between the festive crowd (not to mention, Peter and Edmund) and myself as quickly as I could manage. I heard them call my name softly as I was leaving, but I ignored them and instead concentrated on heading to a far less crowded and more comfortable place for me to hide away from the rest of the world. I had had enough for one day.

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"You owe us three silver Trees each, Cassius. And, I told you it wouldn't work."

Normally, I ignored the friendly betting between soldiers unless it somehow interfered with their duties or violated the code of conduct every member of Narnia's army was expected to follow. I also wasn't that surprised that the Faun Cassius had lost a bet, he had long ago gained the reputation for wagering a bet that he would be able to gain a small favor from any given Narnian lady, especially since he fancied himself to be an expert at wooing them. In reality, he only won those bets when the ladies he pursued either agreed to do something with him in order to make him stop pestering them or they agreed because they pitied him. Cassius must have tried to become a very last-minute escort to one of the ladies that others suspected would refuse him if he owed three silver Trees to each of his companions. I recognized the speaker as the Satyr Laurus, which made me wonder if Cassius had attempted to escort the Birch Nymph Amaryllis or perhaps her sister, Amarantha, as nearly everyone in the army was aware that Cletus was smitten with Amaryllis. It would be like Laurus to steer Cassius towards one of the sisters, especially since he knew very well that neither one of them had much patience for Cassius.

I shook my head in mild amusement as Cassius protested, "I was making progress, but then she changed her mind. Besides, I could not predict what thoughts go through the head of such a lady." I heard the others with him start a round of some good-natured ribbing as I continued up the corridor. There was no reason for me to get involved in the wager, which had apparently already been concluded.

The snippet of conversation I had overheard seemed unimportant until I made my way closer to the main ballroom and happened on another conversation, though this one was clearly not about a wager between soldiers. "What were you two idiots thinking?"

I immediately stopped walking, not wanting to intrude any further on a private conversation between the Royals, yet I had the dilemma of being heard if I moved again even to retreat and give them full privacy. So, I stood still and waited even though I could clearly hear the displeasure in Queen Susan's voice as she continued lecturing her brothers. "You should know better than tease her like that, especially you Peter."

King Peter sounded contrite and somewhat puzzled as he answered his sister, "We didn't expect her to react like that, Su. Normally, she has no problem taking our teasing and then returning the favor."

I frowned slightly as my suspicions about the identity of the lady in question were confirmed by the Gentle Queen's answer. "Yes, well obviously this time she had a problem with it. Do you know how long it took for Tuulea, Lucy, and I to convince our Katerina to even consider attending tonight's ball? Hours, and even then, Lucy was the one who finally convinced her to agree."

There was a pause in the conversation where I was certain that the Kings were contemplating their sister's words. Somehow, I was not surprised that Katerina Alambiel had become irritated with the Kings and then changed her mind about attending the ball. I had noticed that she didn't care much for parties in general, after all, she had only willingly attended the ball held in Frostmoon for King Edmund's eleventh birthday. King Edmund broke the silence first, "Should we try to find her, Su?"

I doubted that would go over well with Katerina Alambiel. I heard no hesitation as Queen Susan responded, "No, Ed, I don't think you should try tonight at least. We are to officially open the ball in only a few minutes' time, and you two are Lucy's and mine escorts, so you can't leave now. And, I rather doubt that you would be able to find our Katerina anyway."

"We will make amends with Kat tomorrow then. By the way, where is Lucy?"

"She's coming down in a moment, Peter. Consider yourselves fortunate that you don't have to explain to Lucy why Kat will not be showing her face at the ball tonight until tomorrow. Oh, and you two had better hope that Kat is in a forgiving mood tomorrow, otherwise I suspect she will find a way to thrash the both of you in training next Firstday...and Oreius will probably let her too."

I just might allow Katerina Alambiel to do so even if she did forgive the Kings tomorrow. I heard Queen Lucy join her siblings and then their voices faded as they proceeded to the main ballroom. I had a feeling that the wager I had heard between Cletus and Laurus was tied in with Katerina's displeasure with the Kings. I quickly turned around and walked up the corridors. Katerina Alambiel would have sought out one of the places she felt most comfortable with and one she was certain would be nearly deserted. I knew exactly where I would find her.

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I stepped into the library and was immediately greeted by the sight of Stonebrook and Tuulea holding a whispered conversation. They both fell silent at my entrance and Stonebrook quietly nodded towards the back right corner of the room. Katerina must have hidden herself somewhere amongst the shadowed shelves. I nodded my thanks and was about to search her out when Tuulea broke her silence. "Oreius, in thirty minutes time, you'll find refreshments in the solarium." She didn't even wait for me to nod before she turned back to her husband and, accepting the dismissal, I walked towards the back of the library. "Come on, Stonebrook, we do not want to be late for the ball."

I couldn't help smirking when I heard Stonebrook's muttered question, "We're going?"

"Of course, we are. I want to see if Illusin asked to be her escort." Apparently, Silverstone had been correct when he mentioned that Tuulea was focusing her efforts on pushing her eldest son to get married. I shook my head in amusement as I heard Stonebrook sigh then his hooves echoed on the marble floor as he followed the lighter steps of his wife before the doors to the library were closed in their wake. Now, I just had to figure out where exactly in the back right corner Katerina had hidden herself.

The library of Cair Paravel was a huge maze of shelves, so it took almost twenty minutes of careful searching before I finally found Katerina Alambiel, and it would have taken even longer if I had not known she was in a specific corner. She was at the very end of the row, leaning back against the wall with a single candle illuminating the area around her and the thick book in her lap. She looked up from her reading as soon as she heard me. I didn't say anything until I stopped just in front of her. "They meant no insult, Katerina."

She closed her book with a sigh, "I know that, Oreius. But, the idiots just had to tease me right after I had to put up with that Casanova-wannabe of a Faun, and I had no patience for it tonight."

"What is a "Casanova"?"

Katerina paused for a moment, and then she responded in a careful tone. "Casanova was an infamous rake and ladies' man; his name became synonymous with any man who was extremely...popular...with the ladies, or at least thought he was. Calling someone a Casanova-wannabe means the person in question fancies himself to be so suave and such an expert on women that he thinks he can sweep just about any one of them off their feet."

Well, that certainly described Cassius. I grinned down at her, "In Narnia, we say they are trying to be the next Adonis."

Katerina tilted her head, "And, he was who exactly?"

"A very foolish Faun who tried to woo twenty Nymphs at the same time without any of the Nymphs in question or their respective relatives finding out that he was doing so. Most of the Nymphs indulged in a harmless flirtation with him; however, three of them wanted a true courtship, not a flirtation. Adonis agreed to speak with their fathers who were all esteemed elders of their peoples, the Centaurs, the Satyrs, and the Fauns respectively. Unfortunately, for Adonis, he did not remember that there was a very high probability that the three Nymphs and their fathers knew each other, which they did and he was summarily found out. The story doesn't say what happened to him other than the fact that none of the twenty Nymphs gave him more than a passing word afterwards, and his name lives on only as the label for any male who engages in flirtation with as many ladies as he can or believes himself to be such an expert at wooing ladies that he could successfully court any one of them."

Katerina shook her head, "I suspect that his fate was somewhat unpleasant, if even one of the fathers had taken strong exception to his actions. And, he would deserve it."

I chuckled, but I could hardly disagree with her assessment since that had been my suspicion from the first time I had heard the story. Besides, I knew what I would have done if I had been one of the fathers in the story...the original Adonis would never have had a chance to face the other two fathers. Glancing back down at Katerina, I changed the subject. "What are you doing back here, anyway?"

She raised an eyebrow before she answered in a wry tone, "Hiding from everyone, except you apparently, Kentauri. How did you know where to find me?"

"I knew you would come to the library because it would be nearly deserted tonight...and because you wouldn't be able to find your way to any other hiding spot."

I hadn't been able to resist teasing her and she responded by rolling her eyes, "Wonderful, he tells jokes now."

I smirked at her, and then I offered her my hand. "Come, we can continue our conversation in a more comfortable place that does not have Elwood as its primary caretaker."

She smiled at my reference to the Badger who strongly objected to anyone coming into his library and using it like it was a "watering hole for dumb beasts" as he had put it the time he came upon Katerina and I talking to each other in the library and not even about books. Accepting my hand, Katerina allowed me to pull her to her feet and carefully put the book she had been reading back in its proper place before she crouched back down to pick up the candle she had been using. We wove our way through the long rows of bookshelves and finally reached the door to the solarium on the far side of the library. Entering the room, I was pleased to see that Tuulea had kept her word as the large table along the opposite wall was burdened with more than enough food and drink to satisfy both a Human and a Centaur. Katerina looked bemused when she saw the refreshments, but for once, she didn't argue about whether she needed to eat something or not. We didn't speak much while we enjoyed the meal, instead Katerina paid more attention to the snow falling on the other side of the balcony doors than anything else.

She was still being rather quiet when she joined me in front of the fireplace. I glanced at her and smirked, "Do you have enough chocolate, Katerina Alambiel?"

She looked at me, then at her full mug of hot chocolate and the plate holding a large slice of chocolate cake, then back at me before she shrugged, "We'll have to see, Kentauri."

I chuckled as she shifted her position, "Are you comfortable now?"

She didn't answer, instead she carefully set her mug down and held up a finger before she reached down and pulled off first one shoe then the other and tossed both of them to the other side of the room. She looked at me and grinned, "Now I'm comfortable, Kentauri. Those heels make my feet hurt and it's silly to wear them when I already stand about six feet without any shoes on."

"Then why were you wearing them?"

"Tuulea made me."

I chuckled at her tone, and then I changed the subject to something that peaked my curiosity. "What did Cassius say to you that irritated you so much that you lost your sense of humor?"

She gave me a bemused look, "You know the Faun was Cassius? What am I saying? Of course, you know because you're you. He just managed to irritate me by being a bothersome gnat with his attempts at sweeping me off my feet, not to mention he kept blocking my path. I declined his offer four different times before he finally stopped pestering me about accepting him as my escort to the ball."

I shook my head at hearing about Cassius' behavior, even with Katerina Alambiel leaving out details, I could tell that he had overstepped his bounds with her. "Cassius is a fool and he was involved with a wager concerning whether or not he could get you to accept him as your escort tonight."

Katerina took a drink before muttering, "Well, that explains why he was being so persistent and I no longer feel guilty about threatening him."

I raised an eyebrow, "You felt guilty about threatening him?"

"Well, I had this very minute twinge of guilt for resorting to threatening to make him miss the party because he was in need of a healer. But, it's gone now."

I had to resist the urge to laugh as I commented, "I didn't think you would be able to wear your knife harness with that style of dress."

"I don't have my knives on me, but that doesn't mean I couldn't have put Cassius in the healer's wing if I had made the effort." I believed her. Before I had a chance to respond, Katerina gave me a thoughtful look as she asked, "Out of curiosity, what color are lilies in Quickening?"

"They are white, or at least the ones that opened early are."

She narrowed her eyes slightly, "What do you mean?"

"Most lilies do not bloom until Mayblossom."

Katerina shook her head, "And, I actually thought he had managed to get one true compliment in before he followed up with the next comparison that was so terrible it was sad."

"What did he say?"

She looked at me clearly contemplating her answer, and then she just shook her head again. "No, I'm not telling you. It was so bad that I feel embarrassed for the idiot."

Even after several minutes of trying, I could not persuade Katerina Alambiel to share what exactly Cassius had said to her. I would just have to wait until Cassius tried boasting to find out what he said, but I decided it would be better for Cassius if Katerina did not know about that particular habit. I decided it was as good a time as any to shift the focus of our conversation once more. "Why didn't you want to go tonight?"

Katerina shrugged unconcernedly and rose to put away her empty plate and mug. She poured herself another cup of hot chocolate before she finally answered. "I didn't want to go because I don't really see the point of Sweethearts' Day."

A filly who didn't see the point of Sweethearts' Day? I hadn't expected that. "You mean to say that you do not see the point of a day dedicated to celebrating love and romance?" The moment I mentioned romance, Katerina rolled her eyes with a faint grimace. "You do not believe in romance, Katerina Alambiel?"

"No, Kentauri, I don't. Romance is an illusion that people use to delude themselves into thinking that what they claim is love is even remotely close to anything other than what it really is. The gushing, flowery speeches of twitterpated morons about their current object of affection's hair, eyes, and any other body part they can think of is not romance. It is merely their means of trying to get what they want from who they want...and it's usually sappy enough to be gag-worthy. What I have seen people claim is romance is nothing but a fantasy that ultimately falls apart under close scrutiny."

That was more cynical than I had expected. I didn't know what she meant exactly when she referred to 'twitterpated morons' but I could guess. Still, I was more interested in what else she had to say about the subject than figuring out the exact meaning of some of the phrases she used. "And, what of love? Do you deny its existence as well?"

That cynical gleam reappeared in her eyes as she responded in a low tone, "Not exactly, Oreius. I believe that there is such a thing as filial love and familial love. Romantic love, on the other hand…most people don't even seem to understand what romantic love is actually supposed to be, much less experience it for themselves. Romantic love is based on physical attraction more often than not, which would be why it is hardly ever true." That was not how it worked in Narnia, but I could see she had more to say on the subject, so I kept my silence. "Look, I know that I am rather cynical when it comes to the whole love and romance aspect of life. But, I have my reasons. And, yet I cannot deny that love exists; otherwise, people wouldn't want it for themselves. In the orphanage, I could see the desire for every type of love. The little ones' greatest desire was for familial love...for parents and maybe a sibling, if they were fortunate. Once they got a little older, their desire for familial love didn't exactly fade instead it shared space with the desire for filial love...for the love and trust shared between the closest of friends, no matter whether their friends were many or if it was just one person. But, when they grew older, especially when they came closer to aging out of the home, their greatest desire was not for familial or filial love, it was for romantic love. I watched girls allow themselves to be used like they were objects because they thought that was true love and that it was a form of romance."

I suspected that it was more than just her experiences at this orphanage that contributed to her cynical view of love and romance. Of course, I also did not fully understand the concept of the orphanage she spoke of as orphans in Narnia who were not yet of age would be taken into the homes of relatives or a guardian and become part of their family as well. But, to press her on those details would require me to break my word that I would not push her into telling me her secrets, so I could only question her carefully about something a little less intrusive. "The way you speak makes me wonder if you do not believe in true love."

Katerina gave me an indecipherable look before she responded in such a careful tone that I could tell she was weighing each word before she spoke it. "Actually, I do believe that there is such a thing as true love...if only because I've seen a few couples who could have been the epitome of the phenomenon known as true love. It's just...rare, a lot rarer than one would suppose when listening to people who foolishly mistake brief infatuation for a love that should last a lifetime and grow through both the good times and the bad. True love is not in the romantic trappings and all this frip frap of elaborate gestures and extravagant speeches to show one's love. It is what's left when all that extra stuff has been stripped away. True love is not the romance, but it is what makes the romance something worthwhile. I do believe that true love exists, it's just that I don't think it happens very often."

I ran a hand over my beard as I considered what she had said. Some of it I agreed with, but other parts I did not. "So, you believe people marry for reasons other than the fact that they share a true love with one another, such as a fleeting infatuation? That hardly ever happens in Narnia, though it apparently happens with surprising frequency outside of Narnia. Those who do so often believe that even though they married without love, they can learn to love each other. And, what is that look for?"

She hadn't expected me to turn the conversation back over to her so soon. Katerina shook her head but the cynical gleam in her eyes didn't change as she candidly replied, "I don't believe you can learn to love someone to the extent of true love, well, at least I couldn't. However, I salute those who do manage such a feat."

I raised an eyebrow at her, "Ah, so you do believe in true love...and you want it for yourself."

Katerina rolled her eyes, "Oreius, just about everyone wants true love. However, just because everyone wants it that doesn't mean everyone will experience it. I don't see true love in my future because I have too many ghosts, which would make it a bit unfair of me to expect someone else to deal with them every minute of every day, oh and I tend to scare the few potential suitors away."

Ghosts...not real ghosts, but those from her memories of the past that she still refuses to share in full. This was the first time she had admitted that she did have those haunting memories, though I had been able to see them in her eyes the few times she dropped her guard. Her tone had changed almost immediately after she mentioned them to a self-mocking tone as she mentioned scaring her suitors away and I recognized the sign that she had come perilously close to revealing some of the secrets she still clung to and was now trying to divert my attention. I honored my promise and indulged her silent request. "Why do I have the feeling that you, Katerina Alambiel, are not very remorseful for scaring your suitors away because you do it on purpose?"

I watched as the slight tension that had shown up after she mentioned her ghosts drained away as she willingly switched to a lighter vein of conversation. She smiled and I could see the cynicism in her eyes be replaced by a more mischievous glint. She raised her hand in a carefree gesture as she spoke in a far lighter and more playful tone. "Well, like Charlie always said, "If they can be scared away, they weren't worth your time anyway." Of course, then he would usually follow that sage piece of advice up with something along the lines of "Get your hands up, girl! He's trying to kill you! Block or you deserve the bruises!" What? Charlie taught me how to fight, so I can blame him for part of the reason I scare off suitors. The other part is I think it's rather funny to see their reactions to my way of doing things, not to mention it's always interesting to see how long they last after getting a good dose of my personality. So, now you know why I don't have a sweetheart. What's your excuse?"

She didn't say much about this Charlie of hers, but she was obviously very fond of him and based on what little I knew, I had a feeling that I would have enjoyed meeting the man. If anything, he was definitely a competent teacher in the art of hand-to-hand combat. Unfortunately, that thought didn't really comfort me when Katerina suddenly decided to turn the focus of our conversation back on me. "My excuse is that I've pursued no one as of yet because I am very busy right now and I've too many responsibilities at the moment to take the time necessary to properly court a filly."

Katerina gave me an amused look, "Right, so does that excuse actually hold water when the meddlers pester you about it? Oh no, wait let me guess, they haven't had time to focus on you yet." Well, that was true but she didn't have to say it in such a gleefully mocking tone. I forced myself to hide my own growing amusement and graced her with a mock-glare, which didn't faze her in the least as she tilted her head and asked, "Now, I'm curious, when you say 'properly court', does that include anything that would count as a romantic gesture?"

I shrugged, "Well, nothing too...extravagant as you put it, but what better way to indicate your love for someone than to show it through your actions? It is even better than words, though those work too."

For some reason she found my answer extremely amusing as she suddenly ducked her head and indulged in a fit of silent laughter. I had no idea what she had found so humorous about a simple observation, but at least she was enjoying herself. When she finally regained control she gave me a considering look, "So, since we both have our reasons for no sweethearts, and therefore, no real reason to enjoy the frip frap of Sweethearts' Day, what would you say if I told you I intend to plan a coup for next year's Sweethearts' Day?"

And, I should have known she would not be able to leave this conversation without once mentioning a desire to plan a coup. I shook my head at her and then I gave her a conspiratorial grin as I leaned forward and whispered, "I'll help, but we should start planning now."

She was trying not to laugh as she whispered back, "Why?"

I barely stifled my own urge to laugh as I quietly replied, "Because it will take us a year to figure out how to plan a coup for Sweethearts' Day and not get caught by Tuulea, who will then take our heads for daring to interfere with it."

I was impressed when the laughter in Katerina Alambiel's eyes did not find its release as she countered, "You mean to say that Tuulea will take your head, Kentauri. Because she actually likes me."

"She won't when she learns throwing a coup on Sweethearts' Day was your idea, Katerina."

"Not if I tell her that it was all your idea, Kentauri."

Sadly, she had a point and I was forced to cede the argument to her, much to her amusement. The rest of our conversation was focused on lighter topics, such as what she planned to do to the Kings in revenge for their ill-thought teasing...I managed to steer her away from some of the more potentially painful retributions she had contemplated. She didn't tell me what she finally decided on doing to them, so I had to admire her ingenuity and join in the laughter when they showed up at training on Firstday with bright orange hair; apparently, Katerina had enlisted their sisters' help with carrying out her revenge and the Queens were more than willing to help. Katerina Alambiel was still an enigma to me, but I was slowly beginning to learn about how she viewed the world if not always why she viewed things the way she did. Some of her views I could agree with without hesitation, but others left me perplexed. Perhaps if she should one day trust me completely with all of her secrets, I will understand then and be a better, truer shield for her. Until then, I was content to watch, wait, and listen whenever Katerina Alambiel needed me to do so.

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A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay...so after a month (many, many apologies), I finally finished and posted the Valentine's Day chapter. This is technicallly the last chapter of Shields as all that's left is the epilogue. I'm going to go ahead and warn y'all that the epilogue will contain MAJOR SPOILERS for both Shadowed and Revealed since it is set after Shadowed and in the time break found in the first chapter of Revealed. So, if you haven't read Shadowed and Revealed yet, I strongly suggest catching up before reading the epilogue. It will also be the chapter that contains the true hurt/comfort portion of Shields. I can't give any estimates for when the epilogue will show up as I'm about to start a huge project for school, but I will get it up as soon as possible. Click the little review button below and let me know what y'all thought about this chapter (virtual cupcakes to anyone who can guess why Kat laughed at Oreius' statement about actions being better than words ;)) and if you have a request for a future story/one-shot leave it with your review and I will do my best to write it up.