A Katarina Interlude
"Surrender, hex you!"
"Never! For the glory of La Sable!"
"For the glory of La Sable!"
"As a prince of Sorcier, I give you my word that if you surrender— GAH! All right, I take that back!"
The La Sablicans facing Zorayas and Nicol, seeing they were now heavily outnumbered as the Third Prince and Alan pressed at them from behind, had thrown caution to the wind and started attacking with no regard for themselves, trying to inflict what damage they could, Zorayas and Nicol had stepped back, and now the two La Sablican's stood back to back as they stood surrounded. Prince Jeffery and Prince Ian were keeping watch for more La Sablicans approaching as Mary, Selena, Susanna Randall and Lady Markson hurried towards Katarina, Keith watching their backs with his sword out. Sophia had disengaged to join them, and Keith eyed her gun warily.
"Lady Katarina!" Mary exclaimed, rushing towards Katarina ahead of the others, only to slow down as she approached. Katarina turned to face her, Hyetta held in one hand, her sword in the other. "Lady Katarina, don't just leave the group like that! it's really dangerous! Please don't—"
She cut off as Katarina gently unwrapped her left arm from Hyetta and grabbed Mary's hand. "Mary, could you take care of Hyetta?" she said. "I need to go help the boys, they seem to be having problems." Gently but firmly, she lay Mary's hand and put Hyetta's hand in it.
"Lady Katarina?" Hyetta said. She sounded distressed. "No, please don't go!"
Katarina patted her on the shoulder. "I'm not going far," she said reassuringly. "In fact, I'll just be a few steps away. Can you stay with Mary until then, Hyetta?"
Even with the blindfold, Hyetta looked sad. "Please come back soon…" she said.
Even if she knew Hyetta could see her, Katarina put on a wide smile. Everyone knew you could tell if someone was smiling just from their voice. "Don't' worry, I'll be right back," she said. "Mary, take care of Hyetta for a sec, all right? I'll just go get Zorayas and Nicol."
"Wait Lady Katarina, don't go there! it's dangerous!"
It probably was, but as long as she wasn't facing the black-hearted prince or Keith, she should be fine!
Sword in hand, she walked towards Zorayas and Nicol, who were facing the two La Sabilcans with Alan and the Third Prince, picking up her metal ball off the ground. It wasn't perfectly round anymore, since it had hit someone and then hit the ground, but it was still throwable. The other two were on the ground, and she picked those up too, putting them in her belt pouch. She needed to remember to close the pouch before she rolled next time.
Nicol and Zorayas were no longer standing tightly together, instead spacing themselves so that they surrounded the La Sablicans. That left plenty of room for Katarina to walk between them.
"Katarina?"
"Damn it Katarina, get back!"
Katarina ignored the exclamations, focusing on the La Sablican facing her. He'd turned to face towards her as she came close, drawing agro from Nicol and Zorayas. "You are surrounded," she declared as Maria had taught her. "Surrender and I will ensure your fair treatment."
"Fuck you, bitch!"
"That's a no, then?" Katarina said, trying to stay polite. She was not a bitch! She'd never even had sex!
"Lady Katarina, stay back," Nicol said, voice slightly raised.
"Nicol, don't panic!" Sophia cried. "Breathe Nicol, don't do anything rash! Ah, Lady Katarina, get your cute ass back here!"
Katarina just stepped forward, sword held in both hands. It wasn't her preferred low guard, but Dame Maria had made clear that her sword should be on the same level as the weapon of the one she was face so that—
As if on cue, the La Sablican charged at her, sword held high and swinging down as everyone started yelling. As it swung down at Katarina, she moved with the ease and perfect grace of ten years of constant practice and over half a year of Dame Maria's training.
There was a metal ring of metal on metal as she parried the La Sablcian's sword with hers, leaving him unbalanced and wide open. Gripping her sword in both hands, Katarina raised it over her head and imagined she was swinging her hoe.
Her sword swung down.
There was a familiar burst of blood as her sword slammed into the man's face, breaking his nose. He let out a cry of pain and stumbled, then swayed and fell backwards into the other La Sablican, making him stumble as well at the unexpected contact. Alan and the Third Prince moved in immediately to take advantage of the distraction, and despite herself, Katarina flinched and looked away as they swung. When she looked again, there was a body lying in a growing pool of blood.
Almost against he will, her eyes moved towards the swords in Alan and the black-hearted prince's hands. It was strangely comforting to see the fresh blood on Alan's weapon instead of…
Katarina shuddered. She hadn't been trying to kill him, only disarm him so they could tie him up, but…
She shook her frantically, turning away. All right, she was done helping, so she needed to go and get back to Hyetta! Katarina hurried back the way she'd come.
Mary and Hyetta were still where she had left them, and the other girls were there as well now. For some reason, Keith, Mary, Selena, Lady Markson and Susanna Randall were string at her, while Sophia had a handkerchief to her face, clearly covering up a nosebleed. What was with them? Well, no matter. "Hey, Hyetta! I'm back!"
Hyett'as face turned towards her, reaching out a hand. "Lady Katarina? Are Zorayas and Lord Nicol all right?"
"Don't worry, they're fine." Katarina reached over to take Hyetta's hand. "And I'm here. You're safe. We're all safe."
That seemed to get to Keith, who shook his head. "Sister! That was dangerous! What did you think you were doing!-?"
"So hot…" Sophia breathed. What? Katarina couldn't hear what he was saying.
"Damn it, Katarina!" she heard Alan cry from behind her, making her turn. Ah! She'd accidentally pulled Hyetta towards her! She reached out with her other hand to keep the woman from falling as she stumbled against Katarina, holding her to make sure Hyetta regain her balance as she turned back to Alan. "You're too old to do dungpie things like this! What if you'd gotten hurt!"
"He's right, my dear Katarina!" the Third Prince said from next to his brother. He'd pulled his cape over his right shoulder to cover his arm and his sword, but Katarina wasn't fooled! She knew the sword was under there! "That was dangerous! Those men were armed."
"Um, I'm armed too," Katarina said, patting her sword at her side… she glanced down. The peacebond ribbon was gone. She hadn't even felt it stop her from drawing her sword. She saw it some distance away, fallen on the floor and looking stepped on. "See, I have a sword and everything."
"That's not the point!" Keith cried. "Sister, you can't just—"
A high-pitched, very loud whistle interrupted whatever Keith was about to say, the sound making Hyetta wince. Nearly everyone turned towards Susanna Randall, who pulled two fingers out of her mouth. Ooh, Katarina had seen people whistling like that in old gaijin anime, but she'd never actually seen someone do it in real life! Maybe she could ask Susanna to teach her!
"Is this really the best time to scold Lady Katarina for being heroic?" the fiancée of the eldest prince said. For once, she usually smiling face was set in such a serious expression she almost seemed like a different person. "Save it for when we're no longer in imminent danger! If you big, strong men are so concerned, turn around and face what's coming!" She pointed towards the room.
The fighting hadn't ceased, although it was slowing down. There were so many people fallen on the floor, clearly injured and their blood mixing with dropped drinks and—Katarina felt sick—fallen food! They were just lying there like garbage, sitting on puddles of wine and blood, too far gone even for the five second rule…
"Uh, is Lady Katarina crying or drooling?" she heard Lady Markson say.
"Yes," Selena sighed.
Katarina shook her head. No, don't be distracted by the food. The wasted, poor, forgotten food… Look around… Uh, people had joined together in groups by now, the fighting mostly stopping as people drew back, not wanting to attack such big groups by themselves. The La Sablicans had also pulled back and grouped up, and unfortunately, they'd picked the worst place possible to do so: in front of the doors out of the ballroom. La Sablicans too far or in groups too small found themselves being surrounded by groups of armed non-La Sablicans and were being swarmed.
Tables were being dragged and flipped over to make barricades as the La Sablicans—still a pretty large group of armored men—were making a mess to make it harder to get at them. Over at the other end of the room, however, Maria could see a group around the elevator that the king and Dame Maria had gone up.
"I think that's father over there," Prince Jeffery said, pointing towards that group.
"You see him?" Prince Ian said as held Selena. Even now, it was still cute.
"No, of course not, but I see Dame Maria's hat. If she's not right next to him… she better have a damn good explanation."
Maria was there? Katarina turned, craning her head to see—oh, yes, there she was! Or at least, her hat. Despite the number of people who'd taken to cosplaying as Maria, many of them were in bright colors or had some kind of feather or plume or flowers or even a bird's next on their hat. Maria's hat was just… well, the hat. And that hat was walking, and there was Maria coming out of the group, and next to her was the king, as short and girl-looking as ever, his ahoge sticking up from the top of his head.
"Warriors of La Sable!" the king's voice filled the ballroom, carried on Wind Magic. "Your Lord Presider has fallen and is our prisoner. Surrender, and you will receive a fair trial. But if you stand against me in my own house… you will burn."
The echoes of his words had barely faded before the La Sablicans could be heard jeering and sneering, repeating their cries about the 'glory of La Sable', or simply chanting their country's name.
"Oh dear," Prince Jeffery sighed. "The fools have chosen death. Come on men, let's stand by father. He'll need every able sword to put down these invaders. Susanna, keep the other girls out of trouble, all right?"
"Careful, Jeffery," Susanna Randall said. "If you're seen doing something classically heroic, you might find yourself gaining popular appeal."
"I'll simply have to risk it. You coming, boys?"
Prince Ian sighed, turning to Selena reluctantly. "I have to go, my Selena."
"My Ian… be careful…" Selena said.
"You two have time to kiss, you—oh, they're at it already," Jeffery said. "What about you two, littlest brothers? Father is still marching dramatically across the ballroom, you have a little time. Lady Mary, do you have something for Alan?"
Alan turned to Mary, a weird look on his face.
"Don't die," Mary ordered.
"Wasn't planning to," he said with a sigh. Ah, Mary, still so proper she wouldn't kiss her fiancée in public.
The black-hearted prince turned towards Katarina, a smile on his face. "My dearest Katarina…" he said, stepping forward.
"Yes?" Katarina said, eyes on the sword under the cape.
"Could I have a little something to take with me to battle to remind me of you?" he glanced towards Ian and Selena, who were… actually, don't they need to breathe? "Something to inspire me to keep fighting?"
"Seriously?" someone that sounded suspiciously like Nicol said.
"She will not!" Keith said. "Sister is going right to that group over there with the rest of the girls where mother is and joining the rest of the ladies!"
"Oh come on, Keith. You can't expect me to be the only one who goes into battle without some reassuring token from my fiancée."
"Don't worry," Katarina said. "You won't. I'll be right there with you."
For a moment, there was only the sound of the king and the increasingly large group of knights, men and… servants, for some reason… walking towards the La Sablicans at the other end of the ballroom and Ian and Selena trying to suck each other's brains out.
"What?" Keith said flatly.
Katarina patted her sword. "Like Prince Jeffery said, the king will need every sword, right? I have a sword." She grinned.
Why was everyone looking at her like that?
In the background, Ian and Selena were still at it.