Repent
Preparations for the trip took seven days to finalize and complete. According to Elise, that was quite a feat — any supervisor than Leo might've taken at least three weeks to accomplish the same task. Still, it seemed to take its toll on the prince: when Katonah saw him at dinner and in the halls, he always looked tired, the circles under his eyes growing more pronounced every time she saw him. She wondered how much sleep he was getting. Not much, if his more prevalent temper was any indication.
Unfortunately, Katonah didn't get a chance to ask him personally, as he was so busy working with Briarus and Xander on preparations. That greatly disappointed her. Not that she didn't understand; of course she did. Yet, she was incredibly eager to speak with him again, mainly to ask him more about Anankos's War and his legendary sisters. And about Hoshido too, the country on the other side of the Bottomless Canyon. And more about Anankos, and the Twelve, and Garon's demonization...
In fact, she had so many questions for him that her own curiosity startled her. She'd been greatly insulated from the rest of the continent in her quiet life on the Moorland Scythe, she realized, protected from wars and dragons and demons. But she was in a completely different chapter of her own life now, a chapter where she had cause to wonder about the wars that had shaped the country by which she'd been captured.
But with Leo, Briarus, and Xander crammed up in the council chambers for most of those seven long days, she, again, had no opportunity to ask him, and so passed the time by going back to work in the gardens. Elise and the acquaintances she'd made with the castle staff assisted her, of course, and one day, while working with the others to overturn the mulch, she realized that she could probably ask the cheerful princess her overabundance of questions on Anankos's War.
But when Katonah remembered sitting in the prince's room by the fireplace, remembered them bantering, remembered him playfully flicking her nose, she found that she would rather ask Leo.
(/\)
At length, preparations drew to a close. At dinner at the beginning of the second week, Xander announced the establishment of a temporary encampment on the surface, not far from the edge of Krakenburg's chasm. Preparations had been made for it to begin receiving the farming equipment and consolidating it into an organized convoy in three days. Now, the king said, was the time to organize the royal entourage, which would include Leo, Briarus, Katonah, and any staff they needed to make their tour around Nohr as painless as possible.
"Have you worked out a list of who you would have attend to you?" Xander asked Leo.
"Not yet." Leo rubbed at his eyes, whose bruising spoke of too many nights spent staring at parchments by firelight. "I plan to work on that today — tonight. It'll be done by Wednesday."
The king nodded, then directed his gaze towards Katonah, which made her tense.
"General," he said, "you may as well start packing. By how smoothly things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if you departed at the end of the week."
That evening after her bath, Katonah took some time to do just that — ten whole minutes, in fact. She was surprised that it took even that, with the sparse amount of clothing that occupied her wardrobe. She was able to fit all her dresses, shoes, and hair accessories into one trunk, despite the fact that she had three at her disposal. She had to laugh a little at that, especially when she imagined Camilla performing the same task — no doubt the vixen had enough clothing to fill ten trunks of the same size.
She paused, however, when she came to her tribal clothing: her austere, wolf-fur tunic, cloak, and leggings. She wondered why the fur, which had all her life felt like the softest down, now felt to her like the bristles of a porcupine. Why the tunic didn't seem long enough, insulating enough, and why the lack of proper footwear seemed strange.
Then, she thought of Iseabail. She felt her heart ache with worry for the old woman, deep, throbbing worry. Was she okay? She and the other Earth Tribe warriors? How were they fairing now that Xander had cut out some of their meals, taken away some of their comforts? She hated that Nixkamich was unable to synchronize with Chi'dzigyak — how was she to know if she couldn't contact the fortress via Communion?
She twisted her fingers into her cloak, the gray wolf hide tickling her palms. She wondered if Leo...or Elise...would inquire about the matter if she asked...
A knock came at the door.
Leo? Remembering the night he'd delivered to her the paper and ink, Katonah sprang to her feet and hurried to the door, heartbeat pounding in her ears. Her palms were slick with sweat as she wrangled open the door, expecting to see the prince standing on the other side.
Instead, she was greeted by Elise's pretty smile. "Hi, Kat!"
"Oh...Elise, hello." Katonah tried not to let her shoulders droop. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to help you pack, of course!" Elise paused, cocking her head. "You look disappointed... Expecting someone else?"
"What? No. Of course not." It was a struggle to say the words evenly, despite a furious blush coloring her cheeks. "What can I do for you?"
"It's what I can do for you, my friend." Elise stepped aside, gesturing to a tall, thin woman that was partially wreathed in the shadows of the hall behind her. "This is Ms. Downing, Krakenburg's royal seamstress. Well, actually, it's her husband that's the official royal tailor, but they design clothing together. But Mr. Downing is out with cold today, so she's picked up his duties for the meantime."
"Milady." Ms. Downing bowed low, but when she rose, Katonah could see her thinly veiled curiosity — no doubt there was a lot of gossip about Xander's future bride amongst the servants' ranks. Katonah wondered how many of them knew about the disaster that was the betrothal ceremony.
"It's nice to meet you," Katonah said to Ms. Downing. "But, um...why is she here?" she asked Elise.
Elise gestured. "To get your sizes, of course! So that we can make you some stellar outfits for your trip! Ms. Downing and her husband are the best of the best. Their family's designed clothes for Nohrian royalty for generations!"
Katonah tried to protest, claiming that she had more than enough clothing for the trip, but soon found herself standing stiffly in the center of her room, arms outstretched at Ms. Downing's behest. The seamstress flitted around her like a well-dressed whirlwind, winding bits of rope around her waist, along the span of her arms, and down the length of her back, muttering to herself as she did so. She borrowed a piece of parchment from Katonah's desk and scribbled down an assortment of notes, at the same time asking Katonah a series of questions: her favorite colors, her preference between wool and kidskin, how low she liked her necklines. Katonah answered as best she could, but a lot of the questions she had no idea of how to answer. Despite the fact that she had been wearing Nohrian-style clothing for months, she paid the materials and designs of her outfits little mind.
Despite that, Ms. Downing seemed satisfied with all the information she'd gathered ten minutes later. "I believe that I have all I need," she said eventually, straightening and unwinding the rope she'd belted around Katonah's chest. She turned to Elise. "And what was your final order, milady?"
Elise cocked her head. "How much can you do in the next several days?"
Ms. Downing considered. "Two pieces, for certain," she said. "Anything else will await milady when she returns from her trip."
"Make it a winter coat and one fall dress, then," Elise decided. "They're going into Ice Tribe territory, so they'll definitely be a necessity. Anything else we can brainstorm while they're out gallivanting around Nohr."
"By your command." Ms. Downing bowed low to them both. "I shall take my leave. It was a pleasure to meet you, Lady Katonah."
"Yes, you too," Katonah said. "And thank you."
Ms. Downing bowed again and left the chamber. Katonah sank onto the bed, tired from standing for so long.
"Prepare yourself," Elise warned her. "You are about to be decked out in some of the most fashionable styles in Nohr. No one knows how to design better than Ms. Downing and her husband."
"Are you sure that they'll be done in time for the trip?" Katonah hated the thought of burdening the two tailors with a pressurizing timetable.
Elise made an offhand gesture. "They're fast," she said. "They have to be, in their line of work. Don't worry, you'll be strutting out of this castle in style, my friend."
Katonah sighed. It was impossible to resist Elise. She was a force of nature. All you could do was ride along and hope that you landed safely on your feet. So she said, "Thank you, Elise. I can't wait to see what they make."
For some reason, the words brought a change over the young princess: her smile disappeared, and her face darkened into an expression so serious that it actually sent a thrill of uncertainty through Katonah. Abruptly, the girl came over to the bed and sat beside Katonah, taking her hand.
"Katonah," she said, for the first time in a long time saying her full name, "we're friends, right?"
Katonah blinked, perplexed. "I...yes, we're friends. Why do you ask?"
"And you like me, right? You trust me?"
She didn't know why the princess was asking these questions, and they made her nervous. "Yes, I like you. And..." She paused. "Yes, I trust you." It was impossible not to, where Elise was concerned: she was too genuine to warrant skepticism of any kind.
"Do you trust me as much as you trust Leo?"
Heat washed into Katonah's cheeks, and she fumbled. "I-I don't know what you mean...? W-what is this about?"
Elise stared directly into her eyes, her own severe and unabashed. "I just want you to know," she said, "that you can trust me, Katonah. Really. I know that we've only known each other for a short while, but I like you, a lot — like a sister — and despite you technically being from enemy country, I hope that you see me in the same way."
Katonah was suddenly unable to look the girl in the eye. "I do," she mumbled, looking down at her lap.
Elise's voice was low and severe. "Then will you tell me what happened the night after the betrothal ceremony?"
Katonah felt her knees go numb — if she hadn't been sitting on the bed, she might've sank to the floor. Her hands began to tremble as the memory she'd finally managed to banish suddenly eclipsed her thoughts, forcing her to recall the way Xander had hurled her onto his bed. And that kiss. That disgusting, grotesque kiss... Her eyes went to the ring on her finger, the black dragon banded around her pale flesh. It suddenly felt twice as heavy, twice as cold, as it had been a moment ago, a shackle of ice binding her to Xander.
Elise's fingers tightened around her hand. "Xander summoned you to his room," she said lowly, "and later, when I came up to get you, I saw you in the halls. You were crying, and that made me think..." She trailed off, then started again. "Xander didn't...do anything to you, did he?"
Katonah's throat dried as she remembered struggling, struggling so hard, with all her strength, and then giving up when she realized that it was pointless. She remembered how scared she'd been, how she hadn't been able to run from his chamber fast enough. Her stomach twisted, and it was suddenly hard to breathe again.
"Did he hit you?" Elise asked gently.
It was so tempting, right then, to just tell Elise the truth. Yet, when the words rose to the tip of her tongue, they burned her mouth like acid. Was there any point in telling Elise what had happened? It wouldn't undo what Xander had done. It wouldn't wipe away that awful stain on her mouth, left over from having to endure his on hers. It was done and over with — there was no going back.
So she said, "H-he...scolded me. That's all."
Elise studied her face. Slowly, the girl's eyes darkened with disappointment — somehow, she'd pulled Katonah's thoughts from her expression and found that she was not telling the truth. And yet still, she gave Katonah's hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Okay," she said. "Okay." Smoothly, she rose from the bed. Katonah folded her hands together, feeling incredibly guilty — here was this sweet, honest girl offering to accept some of Katonah's pain, and she'd shunned her, just as she had shunned Leo, twice, when he'd given her the same offer. She suddenly felt disgustingly unworthy of Elise's abnegation.
The young princess paused when she reached Katonah's door and turned. "Listen," she said back to her. "What I said before about Xander is true. He's a good man, and a great brother, and I love him very much. But he's human, and he can make mistakes." She smiled. "You're my friend, Katonah. And...even if you don't trust me completely yet, I do trust you. I trust in the integrity of your word. And if Xander has treated you questionably, then you should tell me. Or Leo. Or Camilla. We may be his siblings, and his subordinates, but that doesn't mean that we don't hold him to standards befitting his station. We all work to keep him in line, to give him the familial support and criticism that our father never really had. And we've been known to give him a good scolding from time to time." She winked. "So if you ever need help...ask. Okay?"
With that she ducked out. Katonah was left feeling strange, shaken under the pressure of a hundred different emotions. But mostly, she wanted to cry.
(/\)
For the next few days, Castle Krakenburg was a hive of raucous activity.
Leo had completed the list of castle staff being drafted into the trip, and after the orders were issued officially by Xander, hardly a moment went by when couriers, chambermaids, and castle staff weren't bustling about, gathering provisions and having them shipped to the encampment on the surface via teams of wyverns. All of the noise quickly became too much for Katonah, and she soon found herself spending the lengths of those few days before departure down in the gardens, tilling soil that didn't need to be tilled and straightening and tending to plants that didn't need to be straightened and tended.
The Dragon Vein soil had worked more than Katonah could have hoped: the castle gardens were now a rainbow of vibrant color, the flowers and trees in bloom, despite the frost, and stretching up towards the sky as though they were being bathed in sunlight. The cheery color hurt Katonah's eyes every time she came down to the pavilion — it was a hard shift, after the gloom of the castle halls.
It saddened her to know that she would be parting ways with her work for quite a while — she'd decided to hand the reins off to Elise, and when the princess headed off to Cyrkensia with Xander, she would abdicate supervision of the garden to Selena, Camilla's retainer. It was a good choice — the girl was a hard worker and Katonah had noticed that, despite her severe expression, Selena seemed to enjoy tending to flowers.
On the day of the departure, Katonah was woken up at the crack of dawn by Elise and Camilla, who barged into her room with Ms. Downing in tow. The seamstress had several bolts of cloth neatly pinned under one arm. One was a deep violet color, and caught Katonah's eye.
"What are those?" she asked as Camilla pulled back her covers.
"Your new dresses!" Elise said excitedly. "What did I tell you? The Downings work at the speed of light!"
"I should hope so, milady," Ms. Downing said with a wry smile. "You don't pay us for nothing." She smiled at Katonah and patted the clothing under her arm. "I was able to finish three pieces for you, milady. There're several others in the works, but they won't be ready for you until you return."
The seamstress, indeed, had three articles for her: a thick, liberally lined, earth-colored, long-sleeved dress, complete with a hood and scarf; the violet piece, which was also long-sleeved and high-necked; and finally, a sea-green gown with shorter sleeves and a looser bodice—an article suited for warmer temperatures.
"The brown can function either as a coat or a singular dress," Ms. Downing said as Katonah marveled at the clothing. "The buttons down the front allow you to take it on and off, if you wish. But for today, milady, I would suggest the violet — I've heard whispers in the hall about it being tolerable on the surface today, even warm towards eastern Windmire. It may yet turn into a lovely enough day to soak in the breeze."
Katonah agreed, but it was more because she just wanted to wear the purple dress — the color was just so fabulous. Two maids entered and assisted her in layering into it, and when the last button was fastened and the last knot tied, she was astonished at how well-made the piece was. Unlike her hand-me-downs from Camilla, which had been forced to endure adjustments from a thousand pins and extra stitches, this dress was constructed for her frame, and was comfortably form-fitting. Not only that, but, when she glanced at her reflection in the mirror, she found that the dress did well in coaxing some curves out of her willowy frame — some padding around the waist and chest gave her some attractive dimension.
She couldn't help but grin widely at Ms. Downing — master seamstress indeed!
It was time for hair next, but when the maids stepped forward, armed with brushes and combs, Camilla waved them off and set about the task herself. While Elise sat on the bed, chattering nonstop, the vixen brushed Katonah's hair into a dark green sleekness before weaving it into a braid that she then twisted into a bun atop her head. "As Ms. Downing earlier stated, it's windy today," she explained as took a proffered pin from a maid and pinned the bun in place. "Not a day for wearing your hair down."
Katonah had never worn her hair in a bun before — it felt odd to have all of it heaped atop her head. But when she looked in the mirror again, she liked what she saw. The absence of a green curtain brought some more emphasis to the shape of her shoulders and the contours of her face and neck. The other three women seemed to agree — Camilla looked pleased with her work, as did Ms. Downing, and Elise actually clapped.
After that, Ms. Downing was dismissed, and the three of them went down for breakfast. Excitement induced an uncomfortable pressure on Katonah's stomach, making her head pound and her palms sweat; Elise did not exactly help when she burst into the dining room, saying, "Hey, guys! Check Kat out! Doesn't she look great?"
Katonah bristled, turning beet-red as Leo, Briarus, and Xander, already seated, turned. Xander's face, predictably, remained neutral, but Leo paused, his wineglass halfway to his mouth, to take her in. His eyebrows arched.
"Wow!" Briarus said cheerfully. "You look beautiful, Lady Katonah! That color's fabulous on you."
"Right?" Elise said, waggling her brows. "Thank Mr. and Ms. Downing. Thanks to them, she just may be turning heads from here to Nestra!" She winked at Briarus. "How many extra soldiers do you have, Mr. Tankard? You may need to station some with Kat, to ward off the ravenous men that will be—"
"Do you enjoy embarrassing people, Elise?" Leo said, finally getting the wineglass to his lips. "Because you're making it a habit, where the General is concerned."
Elise glared at her brother. "Quiet Leo! Don't act like you aren't impressed!"
"At least I have the decency to be more subtle about it."
"A-ha!" Elise pointed accusingly at him. "You admit it! You are impressed!"
Leo's face turned red — if Xander hadn't been there, Katonah might've laughed. How was it that a man that was so scathing and unshakable could be embarrassed so easily?
"When you're both quite finished," Xander said testily.
With that, they sat down to eat. It was a conservative meal: gruel and wine. Quickly, it was gone, and Xander's personal escort was leading them up through the Great Hall, down into the hallways. Leo fell back beside her as they made their way out into Krakenburg's cold abyss.
"Are you riding with me?" he asked, bending close so she could hear him.
Her heart fluttered wildly as she became aware of his height — he towered nearly a full head over her. "I don't know... Can I?"
"If you want. Where're your things?"
She indicated the small trunks she was carrying. He plucked them from her grasp and handed them off to a footman, instructing the man to take it up with the rest of the luggage. "Don't worry," he said to Katonah's anxious look. "If he loses it, he loses his job."
"All right." She started a little when he leaned down again, this time so close that his lips nearly brushed her ear.
"I received word from the armory," he whispered. "A reply's come back from the Northern Fortress."
Her breath left her. That's right! When they'd gone to the Underground and delivered her letter to Dod's messenger pigeon service, Leo had put down the local armory as the return address instead of Castle Krakenburg. That meant that her letter had safely gotten to the Northern Fortress and returned with a receipt.
But what did Leo mean by "reply"? A reply written by whom? Iseabail? Or some soldier that had received the letter?
"Can we stop by the armory and get it?" she whispered back.
"My falcon already brought it back," he replied, surprising her. "I'll let you see it once we leave." To her frown, he said, "Xander will be with us until then."
"Oh. Okay."
"Be warned: I've already read it."
She didn't know whether or not to be annoyed at that. Still, she understood the necessity, so she just nodded.
They reached the castle's landing pad, where a group of wyverns and wyvern handlers were gathered, waiting for them.
"Riding with me?" Elise asked Katonah as they began to board the lizards.
"Next time," Leo said before Katonah could reply. He loaded onto his wyvern, and after inclining his head towards her, Katonah climbed on behind him. Elise scowled.
"Leo, you sneak! That's cheating."
"I asked her first. How is that cheating?" Leo waved her away. "Why don't you partner up with Tankard? He's looking like he could use some guidance."
Indeed, Briarus was standing some distance off, gazing about at all the thrashing lizards and looking a little ill. Katonah recalled her first ride with wyverns and could sympathize.
Elise poked him in the shoulder. "Okay, fine, Leo. I can play that game, too. Kat! I call dibs on you, next time!" She stomped off, calling over her shoulder, "Don't forget that, Leo!"
"Annoying spitfire," Leo grunted.
Katonah chuckled, then trailed off abruptly at the sudden feel of eyes on her. She glanced across the way to see Xander watching her, his dark eyes calculating as he wound the reins of his own wyvern around his hand. There was something in his expression that made her nervously tighten her arms around Leo, a subtle shift away from neutrality. But she couldn't tell if it was in the positive or negative direction.
Soon they were off, a group of winged lizards and their riders powering up towards the opening of Krakenburg's chasm. As they passed over the lip, a brisk but warm wind greeted them, roaring in their ears and slicing at their cheeks. Katonah took shelter behind Leo's shoulders, suddenly grateful for her bun — Camilla was right, this was no day to wear your hair down.
The wyverns took advantage of the wind, spreading their wings and allowing the breeze to carry them across the expanse of waste separating Windmire from the edge of the abyss. Soon, they began to decelerate: peeking around Leo, Katonah saw them rapidly descending towards the encampment Xander had spoken of, a busy complex of tents and campfires, people and horses. It all looked unorganized and jumbled at first, but as they drew closer, Katonah saw that the tents seemed to be flanking a long line of carriages and wagons that split the encampment into two halves. Dozens of people milled along the line, loading provisions and equipment into the vehicles. That must've been the convoy that would carry all of the farming equipment.
Camp activity came to a halt when they landed — as they all unloaded from the wyverns and moved towards the center of camp, the workers made a path for them, parting and bowing as Xander passed. Katonah followed Leo and Elise, shocked at the amount of soldiers about: there had to be at least four for every other professional she saw bowing around them. She tugged on Leo's sleeve.
"Why are there so many soldiers?" she asked.
"Protection," he said. "You do remember about the rebels, don't you?"
She'd nearly forgotten. "Are you saying that we're in danger of being attacked?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if we run into the trouble the second we step into Windmire," Leo said, crossing his arms. "This convoy is a massive target for the enemy — remember that they want Xander to fail as a ruler, and this, this farming equipment—" He gestured—"is Xander's attempt at placating the public and reviving our economy, which is the last thing they want. Taking that into account, I'd go so far as to say that we don't have enough soldiers."
Some of Katonah's excitement drained from her belly, leaving an ugly fear behind. Danger. They were actually in danger, a lot of it, from the same people that had tried to kill her and Elise on their initial flight from the Northern Fortress. How childish she'd been, to see this trip as an adventure, something to look forward to. In reality, they were goading the enemy, almost recklessly daring them to aim and strike.
Leo had been right: this was anything but a sightseeing tour.
(/\)
They remained in the camp for an hour. Xander called Leo and Briarus over to one of the tents and held council with them and a few other soldiers that were in charge of the convoy. Katonah spent most of that time with Elise, wandering around the camp and greeting the soldiers and workers.
At one point, they reached the back of the convoy, where there were massive, uncovered wagons carrying Xander's twelve tons of farming equipment. Katonah studied them, big, bulky pieces of iron and steel, but for the life of her could not figure out what they were for. The farms on the moor were small, tended to by hand, but these monstrosities were obviously manufactured for huge fields, designed to generate massive harvests. She wondered how much it had taken to make them.
It was getting towards midmorning when the two finally heard Xander's voice, calling everyone towards the center of camp. The massive crowd was gathering around a big tent, one that must have been erected for the Captain and his immediate subordinates. Xander stood before it, speaking, and Elise pulled Katonah towards the front to stand beside Camilla.
Apparently, all preparations were complete, and the time for departure had come. "Thank you all for your hard work, perseverance, and, most of all, your loyalty," the king of Nohr said. "I understand that many of you have families in dire need, families that do not like me or my attempt at overhauling this great country's economy, and yet you continue to do your best in my name, even when given the task of escorting equipment that will no doubt be a target of the rebels threatening our country's stability. Make no mistake, this a dangerous mission on which you embark — do not expect friendly receptions from the cities on your route. I have provided you with all of the protection that I am able, but, though I pray that it will not come to pass, prepare yourselves for violence." Xander turned and gestured to a man standing at his shoulder, one wearing black robes and holding a large, silver staff, one much more elaborate than Elise's. A priest. "I've asked Father Samuel to say for us a prayer. Father?"
The priest stepped before Xander. "Please bow your heads," he said.
The crowd obeyed, and as Father Samuel invoked the protection of the Dusk Dragon and the security of its shadows, Katonah prayed to a different dragon, prayed that she'd be able to see the moorland one more time before she was ever to be taken from the realm of the living.
"Godspeed," Xander said after the final "amens". "Take your positions. You may depart when ready. General," he said before Katonah could move away. Her title stopped her in her tracks. "I'd like to speak to you, before you go. Alone."
Despite the bustle of moving workers, an awkward silence spanned between the royalty clustered around her. Katonah's heart thudded in her chest — she squeezed her hands, struggling to keep them from shaking, and looked away from Xander, uncertain. Her eyes naturally went to Leo, and found him looking back at her, face unreadable. Yet, he was the first the break the silence.
"I'll send Odin over to collect you when you're finished," he said, drawing from Xander's side and stepping around her. He tapped her shoulder as he passed, a friendly knock — that alleviated a bit of the painful constriction in her chest. Camilla, Elise, Briarus, and the soldiers quickly followed, soon leaving Xander and Katonah alone in front of the tent.
"Step inside a moment," Xander said, lifting the flap of the shelter for her. Heart pounding, she obeyed, ducking underneath his arm and entering the small, sparsely furnished space beyond. Now one free from curious eyes.
He ducked inside behind her, and the low ceiling of the tent only served to emphasize his intimidating height — his blond curls nearly brushed the top. And the command in his voice was now twice as loud — she flinched when he began to speak.
"Over the past week, both Elise and Leo have approached me in regards to your fellow Earth Tribe warriors. Both requested that I allow your tribesmen a fixed amount of exercise per day, as you suggested before." Pause. "I agreed."
The news blindsided Katonah. "What?" she gasped.
The king of Nohr crossed his arms, glancing up at the ceiling of the tent. "In all honesty," he admitted, "I should have agreed to the idea the first time you suggested it. I've always been determined to step right where my father stepped wrong, especially in regards to his enemies and prisoners of war." Xander pinched the bridge of his nose, and closed his eyes briefly. "They are leverage for you, yes, but they are also human beings, and deserve to be treated as such. I suspect that my being away from the Northern Fortress helped objectify them, and I forgot that they needed care. So." He opened his eyes. "I have sent word to the Fortress to allow them an hour of exercise a day, under heavy supervision. The Captain is to report every three days on their behavior. If they keep to themselves, I may allow them outside after that. I have also restored all of their daily meals. Does that suffice?"
Katonah stammered, still reeling from the fact that this uncompromising man had actually approved her attempt at helping her tribesmen. More shocking still at the news that both Elise and Leo had gone to their older brother, separately, on her behalf. She shook her head, trying to shake out of her knees a rising, dizzy kind of relief. Thank gods. The Old Mother and the other two Earth Tribe warriors wouldn't be stuck starving in steel cages until Xander decided to remember them.
But a thought suddenly came to her, and she straightened. "B-but what about the moor?" she asked. To Xander's raised brow, she said, "Um, are you still going to...release them?"
"Yes." Katonah's shoulders sagged in relief at the king's reply. "I haven't forgotten."
"Will I be able to escort them?" she asked, tensing again.
"If it pleases you. Or, if you like, I can have one of them returned while you are away."
She shook her head quickly. "No, I'll do it." She hated that she was condemning one of the warriors to their cage for a longer duration, but she would much rather be there when they were returned to the Moorland Scythe, if only to make sure that they actually got there safely. And, of course, she wanted to see her father in the flesh instead of through Communion.
Xander gestured. "So be it. You may take one of them back as soon as you return from your trip."
"Th...thank you." It was hard to force the words out. He was the last one she wanted to say them to, after what he'd done. Dragging her to his room and forcing her into that gods-awful kiss. She suddenly wondered: was that why he was doing this? To repent for what he'd done?
She bristled when he seemed to read her mind: "What I did was wrong, General. It's no excuse, but that was one of those rare moments when I turned into a shadow of my father — he had a perilously short temper. I do not ask that you forgive me, and I do not ask that you forget it, but I do ask that you move past it, for it will never happen again. You have my word, upon my honor, on the matter." He moved back to the tent opening, raising the flap before ducking through. Just before he dropped it, he said, "To that end, I hope that we will be able to start over, General. This marriage is not one of love, but it does not have to be one of hate, either. I am not the man you think I am, and I wish to show that to you." He glanced back. "Enjoy your trip, Katonah."
She waited, listening to his footsteps as he moved away. Only when they'd faded completely did she realize that her hands were shaking again. Taking a breath, she moved outside, hurrying into the throng of people dismantling tents, putting out campfires, and loading onto the convoy. Odin appeared somewhere in all the commotion; bowing low, he escorted her midway down from the beginning of the convoy, to a line of carriages that were sleek and gilded, befitting royalty. Elise and Camilla were standing outside one, and the former wrapped her in a tight hug when she grew near.
"Oh, I'm going to miss you so much!" Elise wailed. "Send me letters, okay, Kat? I'll be at the castle for a few weeks before leaving with Xander to Cyrkensia. So write, okay? Okay?"
"Okay." Katonah tightened her arms around the girl, not realizing that she was crying until three tears leaked down her cheeks, coming to drip from her chin. Elise was astonished when she stepped back.
"See this?" she called into the carriage. "Why can't you cry when I leave, Leo?"
"She hasn't lived with you for as long as I have," came the grumpy reply.
"Enough, you two." Camilla, to Katonah's shock, gathered her close in a brief hug. "Enjoy yourself," she said. "And prepare yourself for your return."
It was a warning — a warning that the trip was another sabbatical from Xander's side and that she could not lapse into complacency. This time, though, the warning didn't scare her. Not as much as it had the first time.
Camilla opened the carriage door for her, but Katonah squeezed Elise's shoulder before she got on. "Thank you," she said. "For the... Xander told me."
Elise didn't reply, just winked.
Then, she was inside, and the convoy was moving, one carriage trundling after the other as they moved like a giant snake towards Windmire, which lay on the immediate horizon. Soon, Elise, Camilla, and their escort of wyvern riders were just a smudge in the parched wasteland that led up to Krakenburg's chasm.
Something tickled her nose — a cloth. Leo had shoved a handkerchief in her face. She took it and wiped at her cheeks.
"Thank you," she said.
"Why were you crying?" he asked, ignoring her thanks.
"Yes, is milady alright?" Briarus asked from across the aisle.
"No...it was nothing." Hesitantly, Katonah reached over and wound her fingers through Leo's, giving his hand one hard squeeze before releasing him. He blinked, surprised, but said nothing, just gave her a perplexed frown. Briarus tilted his head, looking just as confused.
Katonah directed her attention to the window, watching as Windmire approached from the east. Xander's words rang in her ears: I am not the man you think I am, and I wish to show that to you. For the first time, her gut did not twist when she thought of him. In fact, she felt hope bud within her, born from the promise in those words.
And she didn't know whether or not to feel incredulous at such a thing...or afraid.
Bit of a filler chapter... Their journey starts in the next!!