Cathellyn slams down the mug onto the wooden table, wiping her mouth hastily with the sleeve of her blue dress and shouts, "Another! " The drunk crowd surrounding her roar with cheers. A smiling servant comes and replaces the empty mug with one that is full of red wine and the servant withdraws, bowing.
Caspien is laughing, taking a gulp from his own goblet of wine. He seems unfazed by the alcohol, unlike Cathellyn. Her once pale face is now red and her eyes are half-lidded. She can feel the wine burning throughout her body and it feels good. She can't remember her father, the king or anyone. The only thing in her mind is the fire, in her belly and heart.
The drunken girl takes hold of the handle of the mug, tipsy a little before draining all of it in one gulp, earning yet another cheer. A servant is already coming to fill her mug but Ethan waves her away, scowling. He didn't know she's such a heavy drinker, no doubt she will have a headache tomorrow.
When Cathellyn looks like she is about to fall, Ethan catches her arm and let her fall against his body. He lets out a heavy sigh and looks toward the grand chair where his father should be seated at but he is not there.
He must've gone inside, Ethan thought, a hint of relief in his heart. The king will not be happy if he sees the girl Ethan brought home like this.
The proper ladies and lords also had gone home and there is only Caspien's close friends here, all of them drunk. They won't remember Cathellyn doing this, Ethan hoped.
Cathellyn chuckles a little when she falls against his chest and closes her eyes completely, finally passing out. Ethan catches her before she can fall to the ground. He sighs, he seems to do that a lot tonight and shoots Caspien a look that could kill.
Caspien gives him a shrug and an apologetic smile before turning to the crowd. " It seems like the feast is over now, my friends. " He hears loud groans from the crowd and the scowls in their faces. " You lads are already drunk enough now. Better you go to bed now and face the headache less tomorrow, eh? Now go home you lazy bastards. " The crowd laughs.
As he talks to the crowd, Ethan hoists Cathellyn to his back so her arms are over his shoulder, her chest against his back and Ethan catches the crook of her legs. She groans when Ethan stands up easily. Cathellyn is quite heavy but he carried a drunk Caspien once. Compared to Caspien, she is as light as a feather.
The crowd starts to thin out but there are people still staying to talk to Caspien in drunken slurs, a few of them women. Ethan shrugs off his gaze from Caspien and hoist Cathellyn up slightly.
He can feel the warm breath against his neck and his skin tingles. Ethan tries to ignore it as he walks up to the stairs, taking careful steps and into the castle.
A few servants rush to him to help but he waves them off and after a second thought, Ethan tosses them each one gold coin to keep their mouth shut. Without saying anything, the servants nod and scurry away, stuffing the coin into their pocket.
Ethan knows they won't tell anyone, he is a prince, disobeying him would mean punishment but he gives them the coin because he can't stand their hollow cheeks and thin arms.
After a few turns into a few halls, he arrives at a door of gold. Pushing it open with his shoulder gently, he walks into the room that is lit with torches and the moonbeam coming from a window. Ethan sighs in relief to see his bed and he drops Cathellyn onto it.
He stretches his back and arm, groaning at the sound of cracks. His eyes are hurting from the lack of sleep and his back is aching. Cathellyn is splayed on the bed, face in a pillow, sleeping silently, Ethan suspect.
He can't be sure, sometimes he can see the flashes of her violet eyes. Her braided bun has already unraveled itself when he carried her here, silver hair covering most of her face.
Seems like I'm sleeping on the floor tonight, Ethan thought. He could go to another room for a bed but that would raise too much gossip and that's the last thing he needs. It's not the first time he slept on the floor. When he was small, Caspien and him would take turns watching the monster under the bed to make sure it never comes out.
Ethan walks to the side of the bed, taking a pillow for comfort. He doesn't need the blanket, the night isn't that cold though he can feel the Spring wind blowing slowly from the window. He can feel his skin rising from the soft winds but the cold never really bothered him. He just let it through without fighting. It is a good kind of chill that Ethan gets. The one that makes you feel alive and wanting to sleep at the same time.
The floor surrounding the bed is lined with fur carpet, that is where he will sleep tonight. He tosses the pillow onto it, landing with a quiet puff and he brings his palms to the back of his head, laying down. As he is about to close his eyes, he hears a quiet mumble from the bed and he knows Cathellyn is awake.
He is far too comfortable to sit up. " What? " Ethan calls out. Cathellyn instantly crawls to the side of the bed and looks down to Ethan with a crooked smile. She is still drunk, he knows by the slight tipping of her head and her half-lidded eyes. He looks up to her face, shadowed by the moon's pale light. " Are you awake, Ethan? " she asks.
" Obviously. "
Cathellyn chuckles but is stopped with a sudden hiccup. " The feast was good. Thank you for bringing me here. But I would like to drink more. Who knows how delicious wine can be? " She says with drunken slurs, head lolling to the side.
" No more wine for you, m'Lady. " Ethan smiles at the word. If Cathellyn isn't drunk, he would receive a punch to the stomach but she just smiles for now.
"Ouh, how about rum? I heard that it's quite good too. Not as good as wine but gives the same feeling, I suppose. " Cathellyn rolls to her back, few chunks of hair falling from the bed and almost touching Ethan's nose. He tucks it back onto the bed.
" What kind of feeling? "
Cathellyn low chuckles have gone quiet now and she stares at the perfectly carved patterns on the ceiling blankly. " You can forget everything, you actually feel free of your mistakes and regrets. I actually feel free. "
" Don't you feel free at the forest? You said that's where you are happiest. " Ethan said, remembering their time at the forest. He silently wishes to be there now, with Cat. He remembered back at the night of the Winter Festival and he can't decide whether she looks better in this dress or the one she wore in the night before.
Cathellyn shakes her head, the sound of hair rustling with hair in the quiet room. " I am happy there, Ethan but I'm not actually free. I still need to feed my sister and mother and every day I have to go to a home that is filled with memories about- " Cathellyn chokes a tear. No, no, not now. Ethan doesn't need to know about father. Even in her drunken state, she can still think logically.
" But I can't complain. I love hunting and I love being in the forest. Besides, that's where I met you. " she sighs. " How can I ask for more? "
Ethan doesn't say anything. His heart rushed with affection at Cat's words. He didn't plan the evening to be like this but it is so new to find Cathellyn unguarded by her wits and strength that Ethan doesn't really care. Cathellyn has a great time, Caspien has an amazing name day feast and Ethan does not raise any problems for his father.
But when Cat say those words, it made Ethan feel appreciated, happy. It's had been so long since he felt like this. And he misses it so much.
Cathellyn rolls to her stomach so she can face Ethan. She's not smiling anymore though he can still see the drunken glaze in her eyes. She looks at him for a long time, not saying anything. Ethan doesn't break the gaze. He too looks at her, gazing into her soft but striking violet eyes.
"Ethan... " She whispers as if not wanting to break the silence.
Ethan sits up slowly. Now their face is level and neither of them wisps away from each other's eyes. He tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and Cathellyn closes her eyes when Ethan's fingers brush her ear and neck. Warm, Cathellyn thought, fluttering her eyes back open. Ethan is always so warm.
He withdraws his hand. She looks at him, eyes half-lidded. " Do you love me? " Cat whispers ever so silently.
Ethan's heart stops at the question. His mind goes blank and his senses felt like it will not work. Do I love her, Ethan question in his head. He looks to her silver locks, violet eyes and dull scars on her arms. He remembers how she sat by his side, high in trees. He remembers how Cat will not cry or shriek even when they encounter a bear or a wolf, how she stayed strong. He remembers when she wants him to be her friend despite the fact that they just met. He remembers how good it is too see her smile.
And now, he knows the answer and he has never been so sure in his life. He wants to say it, need to say it but he has to hear Cat say it first, he doesn't know why.
" Do you? " Ethan asks back.
Cathellyn blinks at his question and the softest of smiles comes upon her face. She reaches a hand to touch Ethan's cheek. He can feel raised scars on her palm from years of hunting but he couldn't care less.
She leans forward slowly, still staring into his green eyes before planting a gentle kiss on his cheek. It's so gentle, so faint like a whisper that Ethan couldn't be sure if she did that. But he felt her lips on his cheek and he felt the fire she left on his face.
Pulling back, she smiles a toothy grin. She laid back on the plush bed, closing her eyes as if nothing had happened. Sleep is coming to her and she can't lift her eyelids anymore. " I met the witch again, hope you're not mad, " she sighs before rolling to her side and slipping into a deep slumber.
Ethan snaps from the gaze after Cat had kissed his cheek and look to her. " You what? " But she is already asleep, snoring silently, the ghost of a smile on her face.
Ethan lets out a heavy sigh and slams his face into his pillow on the carpet. His fingers unconsciously brush the spot where Cat had kissed him and he remembered when he kissed her in the forest and his face redden. So that what it feels like. No wonder Cat blushed so hard.
How funny, the prince of Valaria, weaken by a kiss, Ethan thought before closing his eyes and letting sleep take over him after hours of fighting it.
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Quite a hard chapter to write. I hope you understand what I wrote.
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BYE BYE