A Princess's Duty

•Chapter Nine• The Woods

The morning air was fresh and crisp, and cool breezes brought shivers down Kathryn's spine. She didn't mind the cold, in fact, she reveled in it. The first light of day had not yet peeked through the trees, and creatures of the night still flourished in the forest.

The boys trailing behind her almost looking as if they regretted following her out into the woods this early. She had refused to reveal their location, though Charles knew that they were headed to the same place she had meant to bring them yesterday.

They wouldn't be stopping at Beth's today, because first off, she didn't approve of Kathryn going to the ghost town shrouded in shadow and mystery, and also because the old woman would probably beat both her and the boys with a broom for waking her up at this time.

Neither Charles nor William spoke, and she was glad. Silence often spoke louder than words ever could, and the best part about listening to silence was that most people didn't.  Hardly anyone took the time to read into the lack of pointless polite conversation, to observe the expressions and mannerisms of the people around them.

But Kathryn did. People were so fascinating, saying one thing while their eyes or hands betrayed another. It was by observing others that Kathryn had learned to silence herself, and only reveal what she wished. She may have been caught off guard some of the time, but she was usually good at bearing the weight expected of a princess. At least in the public eye.

It was easy to feel the unease and curiosity exuding from both boys. William was on the defensive, hand poised over where a sword usually hung. He looked about ready to lunge at any threat that came calling. Charles, on the other hand, may have been trying to put up a brave face, but the tremor of his clenched fist and deep frown adorning his face revealed otherwise. When put in danger, it was clear that William was the fight, and Charles was the flight.

In all honesty, Kathryn had no clue how she would react to any life or death situation, given that she'd never been in one. It was nice to delude herself into thinking that she would be brave enough to fight back, but logically, running seemed like the best option for self preservation.

Odds were, as the heir of her kingdom, more than one threat would eventually come her way. Her parents did their best to remain widely liked throughout the kingdom, but assassination attempts had happened in the past. None so far had succeeded, but as she had been told, it never hurt to be cautious.

As daylight began shining from the east, Kathryn glanced back at the boys once more. Charles was no longer shaking, and William seemed to have calmed a fraction as well. Trees beckoned them deeper into the forest, swaying in the gentle morning breeze.

They were about to arrive.

It took well over half an hour for them to reach their destination. By the time Kathryn finally stopped moving, Charles was completely exhausted. He had never walked this far on foot before, and his legs burned with exertion after every step he took. It was nerve wracking enough that for at least half of their journey there had been no source of light but the stars. The moon had set long ago in wake of the coming sun, whose rays were just beginning to peek over the horizon that was obscured by trees.

William had a smile on his face, and unlike the other prince, looked invigorated by their little trek in the woods. Charles sighed. Some prince he was. A prince was meant to be a pillar of strength for his subjects to rally behind.

What could a simpering fool like himself ever do for any kingdom? Even Kathryn was stronger and more fit to rule a kingdom than he ever would be. It was no small relief that he felt whenever he reminded himself that his elder brother would be the one to ascend to the throne.

If his parents indeed decided to pursue a marriage alliance with Maelden, it would be his responsibility to serve as king consort, and, if he managed to secure a sable and trusting relationship with Kathryn, it was possible for him to be crowned a full fledged king.

Though some dark and greedy part of his mind hissed that he needed to marry Kathryn to secure his power, his fear of the responsibility clawed away at any lust for power that lingered within him.

William's crooked smile lit up his face, and for once, he didn't find himself hiding the smile to conceal his true feelings. Here in the forest, there were now prying eyes or expectations, and he understood why Kathryn looked so alive beneath the canopy of trees.

She may have been eye-catching at the ball, but here she was stunning.

He couldn't begin to understand it. Nor could he process his innate desire to watch her, to observe and appreciate this wild, effortless beauty. That unruly hair, dark as night, pulled back into a haphazard bundle. Her spring green eyes, fresh as grass, but saddled with a tinge of sorrow he couldn't understand.

He shook off his thoughts and found himself staring into the very green eyes he had been so stupidly daydreaming about.

"Got something to say, pretty boy?" she said, crossing her arms with the raise of an eyebrow.

"Not a thing," he replied without missing a beat.

She smiled at him then, her entire demeanor shifting in a fraction of a second.

Addressing Charles this time, she spoke again. "You alright over there?"

Charles stood a few meters behind them, looking almost as if he wanted to heave his guts up. Kathryn briefly wondered if his head injury from yesterday was getting to him. While he had seemed fine, it was possible that he was concussed.

"Perfectly alright, thinks," Charles replied with an obviously forced smile.

Kathryn nodded, worried.

"We're here," she finally said after a long stretch of silence.

Both princes looked around, unsure of what she I was talking about. They were still standing in the middle of a first path.

William was the first to speak. "And where...is here...exactly?"

A grin slowly crept across Kathryn's face, and mischief danced in her eyes. She stepped of the worn path, inching back into the trees.

"Fenhallow, of course!"