The next chapter will be posted next Tuesday as opposed to this Thursday as I will be on a short vacation for the remainder of the week. I'll see you then!
or the one where Lex went too far, and maybe Kara did too
Kara clenched her jaw and pulled the pendant out of her shirt. She couldn't believe the fact it was really here, and that somehow, Alex had managed to return the precious item to her. Tears welled up in her eyes; she didn't know how she was supposed to feel. If her sister were to attempt a 'rescue' Kara didn't know if she would leave with her or not. Kara loved her sister more than anything else but the palace, life with Lena and Maggie, had become her home.
She gave herself to the count of ten to gather her emotions. After a couple of gasps and a swipe at her eyes with the back of her hands, she managed. Kara replaced the pendant under her shirt and breast-band before beginning the now arduous task of getting ready for her day. When Maggie popped her head into the room to check on her, she was fighting to change the bandage on her shoulder.
"You don't have to do that on your own, Kara. This is why you have friends." Maggie smacked the back of Kara's hand and took the gauze and wrap to bind the wound herself. "Between you and my lady, we have enough stubbornness for an entire team of mules."
"I'm going to take that as a compliment." Kara decided aloud. Maggie rolled her eyes in exasperation, but the glimmer of humor in her dark eyes betrayed her.
"You should. You are everything I could have asked for in a protector for Lena." Maggie said as she helped Kara into a clean shirt and pants. The handmaiden even went so far as to tie her boots, much to Kara's amazement.
"No one has ever done so much for me before." Kara said softly. "My sister used to handle my dressings for me and all of my other treatments, but no one ever cared... "
The blonde trailed off and Maggie could tell there was something different, the former gladiator wasn't wholly present in the conversation.
"Don't get too used to it. I'm only doing this until you are back to normal." Maggie shrugged as she watched Kara fasten her gladius on the opposite hip from where it usually hung. Kara tried a few practice draws and offered Maggie a half-smile.
"I'm all good. Thank you for everything." blue eyes sparkled and perfectly white teeth gleamed. Maggie felt her heart melt somewhat. She couldn't believe this human embodiment of sunshine could hurt a fly... except for having seen the damage she could inflict first-hand. In Maggie's opinion, being so beautiful and so charming made her all that much more dangerous.
"You're very welcome. You had best go meet the lady, lord and His Highness in the hall for breakfast." Maggie sent Kara on her way and sighed heavily, unsure of what more she could do for the two women.
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"Thank you for your patience, my lady. Maggie very kindly helped me to get ready." Kara said with a greeting smile. "Your injury seems much better after some rest."
Lena and Kara spoke quietly until they reached the banquet hall where the king and J'onn waited.
"Good morning, your Highness, my lord uncle." Lena said with a shallow curtsy befitting her station as Crown Princess.
Kara placed a fist over her heart, ignoring the pain the gesture caused, and bowed deeply from the waist without another word.
"Little sister, have a seat. It is good to see you are well. Your woman seems to have bounced back some overnight." Lex complemented, though his tone suggested the opposite. Kara wondered if he had hoped she would have succumbed to her injury in her sleep. This harsh reality was more than possible, and happened to more than one of her fellows in the stadium barracks.
"Kara is a good and faithful servant. She has surpassed every expectation I had when you brought her home for me, my liege. I have no doubt she will continue to do so, injury or no injury." Lena's tone was neutral but firm and Kara saw something she did not appreciate flash behind the king's eyes in response. Nothing about her injury made her any less alert. Kara cleared her throat lowly.
"Sire, I wouldn't do that if I were you. Those gladiator types can be quite wild." J'onn said lowly, his tone thick with dire warnings, upon noticing the king's grasp on the sharp knife by his plate
"Hm. You may be right." Lex said softly and seemed to set his knife back on the table.
Lena was amazed to see that Kara's expression hadn't changed once. Then she caught the slightest glimpse of silver sailing past her face, followed by the solid thumping sound of steel sticking into the wood. She snapped around to see her guard had only taken the slightest of steps to the left and allowed the weapon to pass by her as though it were nothing.
With her good hand, Kara pulled it from the wall and juggled it up and down, blade over handle. Holding it by the blade, she flicked her wrist and sent it back, over the king's head to land right between the eyes of the stuffed boar hanging over the wall behind him.
Without waiting to see it stick, Kara stepped back into her place. J'onn laughed heartily at the look on Lex's face as Lena feigned a coughing fit to disguise her laughter. Kara continued to remain neutral.
"I did warn you, sire." J'onn said with a shrug. "I'm half-surprised she didn't scalp you, nephew."
"You haven't seen her in action the way I have, Lex. She seems pretty and innocent but she can be a force worth reckoning with when angered." Lena added, still eating.
"I have half of a mind to have her tried for treason." Lex growled. He seemed to gather himself shortly. "I guess you are correct though, Uncle. Creatures like her don't know any better, do they?"
Lena clenched her fists and bit the inside of her cheek at that. There was truly no way the three of them would be able to continue living together under these circumstances. Someone or something was going to have to break.