Quiver and Crown // KateLena

Reflections

After a full night's rest, Yelena held out hope she may feel refreshed in the serenity of morning, more clear headed and prepared to conquer the nightmare situation her life unraveled into. Alas, as she sat on the bank of the gentle river, shoeless right foot tapping the water lightly, all she felt was bitterness and anger. The moment of Kate tackling Pietro to the ground, helmet flying off to reveal his emotionless face replayed in her mind on loop. She was a fugitive in her own kingdom, a princess with no palace. How one day can turn everything upside down, she thought.

"You know, when you left," Yelena mumbled, toying with the hem of her now dirty and torn ballgown, "I thought that was betrayal. My best friend taking off for the Plains, what could be worse than that?" She chuckled darkly. "I can't believe I trusted him. This. This is betrayal."

"Do not beat yourself up, Yelena. You never saw it coming," Kate said, strapping on her armor as the morning sunlight gleamed off of the now clean metal. "This was his mistake, his trespass. Not yours."

Yelena hummed, unsatisfied. "I should have seen it coming, though. I was suspicious of him for weeks I just... did nothing. I did nothing."

"If you would have accused him publicly, do you think that would have helped? We had no evidence, just a hunch. At least now we know for sure."

Frustrated and tired, Yelena rocketed a few pebbles into the water, frowning as they sank. Kate was annoyingly correct. Accusing Pietro of regicide two days ago would have been met with scoffs, especially from the queen herself, who clung to foolish hope that her husband's life was not terminated in an act of political chess.

"How are you so calm about this?"

"One of us has to be."

Guilt crushed Yelena again, and she visibly deflated. To be difficult was not her intent, and she understood that more moping and discontent would get the two nowhere. The princess needed to clear the air to allow the rest of the journey to proceed in earnest. "I'm sorry, Kate Bishop."

"Yelena, you don't-"

"Let me finish," Yelena commanded with regal authority, looking over her shoulder to a now fully attentive Kate. "Look, I'm sorry for a lot. I was cruel to you when you returned, and I should not have been. I held a childish grudge since you left, thinking that you abandoned me, but I see now that you had your reasons. Palace life is... dangerous. I have actual enemies to worry about, and you aren't one of them."

"I do understand why you were angry with me," Kate said softly, now kneeling beside the princess, one hand brushing over the bandages on her thigh. "I'm sure you missed me, because I missed you too. I thought about you all the time. And it's sad... I was just starting to like courtly life again."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I'd missed the muffins, and the armory. Missed you, mostly. Plus, it was nice to attend a ball as a guest and not have to sneak in."

Yelena smiled softly. "Yes, it was fun to pretend for a little."

"We'll throw a proper party when we get back," Kate said, attempting to keep morale high, "hire a juggler, maybe?"

"Natasha would like that. She would probably try to juggle with him." Yelena's smile grew and she almost laughed before her grin dropped as quickly as it had formed. "Natasha..."

"I'm sure she's alright," Kate offered softly, reaching for Yelena's hand. "She's a stubborn one. She had Steve and Wanda right beside her, and I'm sure Pietro wouldn't..."

"Kill his sister and her fiancée? Yes, I would hope."

"I'm confident they're alive."

"What about my mother? I mean, surely she was the target, right?"