As Captain Antonio approached the King and Queen’s bedchamber, his face grim, he refused to meet anyone’s eyes as they watched him pass. Nobles whispered behind their hands, servants gave him a wide berth as though fearful that he would somehow place blame in them for Baron Gauva’s actions. So intent on not looking at anyone directly, that when he finally reached his destination, he failed to notice the bright smiles the guards wore.

“Please tell his majesty I have arrived,” Captain Antonio ordered while keeping his one eye fixed on the grain of the door in front of him. He had to be strong. If the Queen lay dead, there was no telling how broken Norman would be…

When the guard disappeared into the shadowy room, the Captain could hear the faint sound of sobbing, and immediately he found himself fighting off the surge of warmth in his eye.

“You may enter, Antonio,” the King’s voice called out quietly.

Stepping over the threshold and closing the door behind himself, Antonio at long last moved his gaze over towards where the Queen lay. Knowing it would be far crueler to delay the inevitable.

Instead of the peacefully arranged corpse of the woman he had come to love as a niece, Antonio instead found himself staring at Norman kneeling by the bedside holding Ainsley’s hand, his face tear stained as she gazed at him wearily…

She was smiling.

Alive, and smiling.

Antonio’s composure failed and the knot of emotion in his chest vanished so quickly that he couldn’t help but burst out saying, “Oh, thank the Gods.”

Norman smiled at his friend, and gestured Antonio closer.

“I was hoping to lay beside my wife and rest with her, however we didn’t wish to disturb Mrs. Ashowan. Given that her son is currently in our dungeon, I gathered you were the next best person for the job.”

Antonio’s eye turned to Katelyn’s sleeping form, and immediately he felt his joy dim.

She looked near death herself… She had clearly pushed herself far too hard for the sake of the Queen.

“She can rest for as long as she needs in Lady Jenoure’s former chamber. See to it that Ruby takes care of her as though she were royalty. We owe her Ainsley and Alina’s lives.”

Captain Antonio’s eyebrows shot up. “Alina is the new Princess’ name?”

“It is. Eric thought of it, and we feel it suits her. Though we will most likely call her Lina for short.”

“Yes, knowing Norman he will be mixing up her name and my own horribly if we don’t give him a bit of respite,” Ainsley teased, her smile warming the Captain’s heart.

“Aye. A good name.” Both Ainsley and Norman were unable to keep their eyes off one another as Norman bent his head and planted a gentle kiss on the back of her hand.

Wanting to give the reunited couple their privacy, the Captain moved towards the side of the bed where Katelyn lay. As he scooped her carefully into his arms, she didn’t stir even once as she was shifted from the soft bed into the Antonio’s firm arms.

Cradled against his chest, Katelyn felt small and vulnerable to him... Even her skin felt cool to the touch, and the Captain could feel his mind begin to leap into action on ordering her a bath and hot meal the moment she awoke.

Bowing his head slightly, he then wordlessly took his leave of the royal couple.

As he exited the chamber, he noticed the guards saluting Katelyn despite her not being conscious. As he moved the short distance to Lady Jenoure’s former room, he passed Physician Durand who also bowed to the fragile woman in his arms.

Antonio continued walking silently, when he felt Katelyn begin to stir, and so he glanced down briefly into her drawn face in time to see her eyes open with obvious difficulty. She blinked in confusion before lifting her face to him, and the Captain immediately felt his heart skip a beat.

“What’s… happening?” The healer asked faintly

“You’re to take a well-deserved rest."

“Oh… but… why are you carrying me?” Katelyn attempted to look around herself, but was obviously too weak to do so properly.

“Because you deserve to be treated as royalty for what you have done,” Antonio explained quietly as he hesitated before their destination.

Clutching her ever so slightly closer to himself Antonio maneuvered her so that he could open the door with one hand quickly before hastily returning his hold around her back.

“I just… did my… duty…” Katelyn protested softly before once again falling into a deep sleep.

Chuckling to himself, Antonio approached the made bed and lay her down upon its satiny surface.

Working with the utmost care, he tucked Katelyn under the cover, and gently brushed the stray strands of hair from her face. He smiled down at the woman who had made him, for the first time in decades, feel things he believed he had no right to feel any longer.

The very first night she had met him, he had been irritable and weary. He had not been in any mood for Sir Taylor’s antics, but when Katelyn had welcomed him in and they’d all played simple drinking games… he found himself more and more intrigued by her mind.

Their first day courting she had asked why he had worn a hat that covered his eyepatch, and when he answered that it was because most people feared him, she laughed and said:

“I’ve met men that should be feared, but Captain you are quite obviously one to be loved. Take off that silly thing, it’s far too hot out to wear that. While you aren’t fearsome to me, if you start to smell I am not going to hold my tongue.”

Moving back to the corridor, Antonio flagged down the nearest passing maid and gave her his orders for Katelyn’s treatment upon awaking.

He then returned to her bedside, the magnetic pull she seemed to have for him as strong as ever.

“I’d like to be honest with you Katelyn. You are a fine woman. A strong woman. However, I must confess that I am out of practice with all of this. It is strange how easy and wonderful it is to be with you… my last wife I had to go through brutal training for seven years before I could marry her, you see. But she was worth it. Every second… sorry. I don’t mean to talk about her excessively. I suppose I just mean that I don’t quite know what I’m doing. Especially with you being a witch and especially with Finlay being your son. I’ve gone drinking with the man he is… well more people should be frightened of him, that’s for certain.” Antonio took a moment and cleared his throat.

“What I am trying to say… well… I would like to have however many days I have left in this life with you. This relationship has moved quickly, but I cannot fathom a better way to spend the rest of my time. I knew the day I met my first wife, and I knew the night I met you.”

Letting out a long breath, Antonio turned towards the chamber door. He was keenly aware of his racing heart.

“Once you have recovered, and perhaps once I speak about this with Finlay, I would like to ask you while you’re awake. I just wanted to practice.”

Stiffly, he made it to the chamber door, then had the brilliant idea of how to get out of a truly difficult conversation later on. Dropping his voice so that it could barely be heard, Antonio bade one final message.

“Oh, I locked Finlay up in the dungeon for the night. For political reasons. I’ll see you when you-”

“FIN IS WHERE?!” Katelyn suddenly shot up out of her sleep, her bloodshot eyes honed in on the Captain who had leapt back against the door in shock.

His mind worked furiously to try and think of a reasonable excuse for having imprisoned her son, while also beginning to rethink which of the Ashowan’s he should truly fear in that moment

***

“You. Explain,” Fin demanded with narrowed eyes.

Kraken rolled around in the grime of the cell a few more times for good measure before finally meeting his gaze.

“I already explained that there wasn’t enough time to include you in my plan with the fire,” Kraken chirped impatiently.

“No. About there being other traitors in Austice.”

“Well those enemy men didn’t just appear. Boats brought them. People knew where to hide them. You need to find the ring cat. That place with all the strong smelling women... some of the men escaped there.”

“You mean Madame Mathilda’s establishment?”

“I don’t bother with human names. Your mate has been searching for all of these things on her own. She is a tiresome one to keep an eye on let me tell you…”

“Is she safe?” Fin demanded, alarmed.

“As safe as she can be. My new position of authority under Fat Tony has afforded me some perks… I must compliment your choice of mate if I am purfectly honest. She is as quiet and clever as some talented cats I know. Doesn’t lose her whiskers under pressure.”

Fin rubbed the back of his neck while frowning. Thanks to Kraken he knew what Annika was up to, but it was dangerous… She was trying to find out who was associated with helping the invaders all on her own.

He felt more than a little angry that she couldn’t confide the risky work she was doing with him, but also recognized the cost of treason… particularly when the prime example of that little betrayal was bemoaning his fortune mere feet away.

“Wait, who is Fat Tony?”

“The leader of one of the cat gangs of Austice. Don’t worry, he is a reasonable cat compared to some.”

“Why are you in a gang though?”

“To ensure your objectives are met.”

“What objectives?”

The feline let out a small breath that could’ve been interpreted as a sigh.

“A safe and happy home, witch. When we bonded I knew this about you instantly.”

Fin blanched.

He never would’ve thought such an abstract notion could be understood by a cat.

Then again, the familiar wasn’t an ordinary cat…

“What is it you want Kraken?”

The cat blinked up at him, then stood, and sauntered over to him, his tail swishing with every step.

“I want to sleep beside you in a warm soft bed, and be fed delicious food without any worry. I want you to be happy, because you are annoyingly difficult to please. What I have discovered in my short time with you, is that to help you, I must be the best I can be.”

Fin blinked in awe.

He had always known familiars were especially attuned to their owners, but to hear one’s love and well-being (albeit expressed quite dryly), was stunning.

“Well… thank you.”

“Oyy! Ashowan! As a witch, are you able to make any wench you bed more beautiful? I hear some witches can do that!” One of the Knights sharing a cell with Lord Gauva called out suddenly.

Fin sighed, he had blocked all sound from leaving his cell while speaking with Kraken, but immediately regretted not preventing sound from coming in. Lifting the barrier all together, he replied.

“No, I can’t. Goodnight.”

“So… the Baron said you could fold clothes, and we all saw, or rather felt the shield thing… but… why aren’t witches, you know... Ruling everything?”

Fin closed his eyes and let out a small breath. He knew it wasn’t a bad question, but it had been a long day, and he didn’t particularly feel like talking with the men who had tried to hurt his mother.

“We aren’t here to rule, we are here to maintain balance between humans and nature. To ensure you do not forget what you are apart of.”

“Ah… but… how does you being a- sorry what was it?” the Knight addressed someone else in the cell. It was too dark to tell given the late hour.

“A House Witch,” came the bitter reply from Lord Gauva.

“Yeah. How does you being a ‘House Witch’ bring us closer to nature?”

Fin opened his mouth to retort, then realized that once again the man was asking a good question.

“Well, what is important in life? Respecting what the Earth gives us, and the power it holds, but also… what that balance brings us. My powers show how to harmonize all things. Food from the earth, fire for the hearth, breath of air, and nourishing life sustaining water. A good home harnesses all of these.”

“Why the shield then?!” Lord Gauva barked.

“A home is also supposed to be safe,” Fin growled in response.

The dungeon fell quiet as the men all heeded his words. The redhead leaned against the damp stone wall and closed his eyes, knowing that there wasn’t any chance he would be able to sleep.

“Are you going to help us win against Troivack?” The somber voice of Baron Gauva resonated against the stones.

“No.”

Fin cracked his eyes open slowly.

“But I’m going to cook one hell of a dinner for everyone when we do.”

The men once again fell silent, and at last, it seemed it was for good. Fin closed his eyes, and felt Kraken clamber up into his lap. The silky top of his head pressing into his limp hand expectantly.

With a small yawn, the witch began scratching gently under the familiar's chin, and felt the satisfying purr rumble in Kraken's belly. At least one of them didn’t mind being stuck in a cell for the night…