“Kat…?” Alina asked while eyeing the dimming light of the woods warily.

“Yes?”

“What exactly… are we doing for this grand adventure?”

The lithe redheaded woman turned in her saddle and smiled innocently, her golden eyes already beginning to glow in the nearing dusk.

Alina shifted her aching backside in the saddle to face the Lady better. “Kat… you said we could be back by nightfall.”

“And we can! If we run these horses to the ground,” the Ashowan finally admitted before clearing her throat and attempting to dullen her smile.

“Kat, are you serious?! My father will be terrified! They will send out a search party! What if there are bears, or… or… bandits!” Alina spluttered while nearly dropping her reins. She was still getting used to riding the horse astride like a man… though she had to admit she feared falling off the beast significantly less.

“I left a note! I just said we are going on a small outing, completely safe! They know I won’t actually get you harmed or anything,” the Lady defended while beginning to look apologetic at her friend’s incredulous expression.

“Where are we even going?!” the Princess demanded as she felt anger rise in her chest.

“We’re going to camp outside! Don’t worry, we are actually within an hour of the hunting party, so your father is nearby.”

Alina’s jaw dropped. “You… took us to the hunting grounds?! Kat, that party is for the men!”

“Precisely! So we’re having our own party! I’m sorry I didn’t really tell you, I am! But… you’ve been so tense lately, I thought maybe having a night away from all your maids and expectations, and just joking around with a brilliantly fun friend might help.” Kat glanced at Alina with a small smile, instantly lessening the Princess’ anger.

“This was still too reckless, and we are going back tomorrow morning.”

Kat’s face lit up then as she finally pulled on the reins to her chestnut mare and swung off the mount with great ease. “Excellent! I will set the camp up, you don’t have to worry about a thing!”

“I’m not lazy, I’ll help. You just have to- oof!” Alina, while attempting to dismount her own steed, stumbled and nearly crashed to the ground were it not for Kat swiftly catching her.

“Ahh, sorry. You got Patches here for a reason.” Once Alina had steadied herself on her aching legs, Kat patted the horse’s rump. “He’s got a fat arse, but is a sturdy horse that doesn’t scare easily and takes directions well. I figured if you aren’t used to riding like a man he’d be the best one for you.”

Alina barely had the energy to nod as all at once her eventful day caught up to her, despite there being a few more hours of daylight.

Sensing this, Kat gave her friend’s shoulders a reassuring squeeze, and turned to her own horse that carried their supplies.

“Wait… do you not have a tent… or a covering? What if it rains?” Alina slowly realized the majority of the redhead’s provisions seemed to be food.

“It isn’t supposed to rain, and if it does, we have our cloaks... I think... but we'll be fine!” Kat replied happily as she clicked her tongue and brought both horses over to a grassy patch by a nearby tree where she tied them to allow them to graze.

“How can you predict if it will rain?” Alina asked suspiciously.

“I’m a witch,” Kat replied teasingly.

When she noted the noble’s less than enthused response. she let out a small sigh then responded more seriously. “There isn’t a cloud in the sky! My bet is it may rain tomorrow afternoon, but by then we’ll be back.”

The Princess did not look convinced, but was too tired to argue further, so she walked over to where the Lady was pulling out a loaf of bread, seven apples, seven sandwiches, sausages, a hunk of cheese, two flagons of water or ale- Alina couldn’t tell which, and then even more food seemed to spill out of the bags.

“Did you rob your father’s entire pantry for a reason…?” the Princess asked faintly as she stared at the items that Kat was in the process of setting on a blanket.

“Oh, you’ve never seen me at meal times, have you?” the redhead asked brightly.

Alina grew alarmed. “You eat this much?!”

“Well, my brother did tell you I’m the skinniest pig you will ever meet. It’s part of my magic. My body burns through the food- it’s even worse if I’m being really physically active. Like today. After most of this I’ll still be pretty hungry, and will probably go hunting.” The Lady shrugged and then straightened.

“Right, do you want to join me and help me find firewood, or would you like to rest for a while?”

Alina blinked dazedly up at her friend who was retrieving a hatchet from one of the horse’s saddles before walking across the clearing towards a wider gap between the maple trees. “You’re… You’re going to hunt? It’s almost dark! Even if you can see at night, isn’t that dangerous? Also, why do you know how to hunt?!”

Kat chuckled while brushing a stray strand of flaming hair behind her ear. “Ah, my mother always said people should know how to take care of themselves, and so we often went camping as a family. Da hated the hunting part, but Kraken could never get enough of it. One time he caught a rabbit and ate its head, then the rest of the body was strewn-"

Alina held up her hand, cutting off the rest of the story. “I can’t believe your mother, the Viscountess, would go out into the wilderness with her children like that! She is a pillar of elegance in our kingdom.”

At the description of her mother, Kat rolled her eyes. “Ah yes. Most people see Mum that way. She may be an overbearingly strict teacher, but even I have to admit that the truth is she can take care of herself really damn well. She says it’s because she grew up in Troivack that she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty.”

Alina frowned. “Troivackian women are treated like valuable items in that country. Amongst the kingdom’s many flaws, their devout commitment to their wives and protecting them is one of their lesser evils.”

“I think you mean protecting their breeding stock,” Kat snorted while shaking her head. “Honestly, the women are expected to keep quiet and stay in control at all times. It sounds like their marriages are so horribly serious and dull.”

At this, the Princess’ cheeks flamed, and she felt herself growing rather irritated. “Well you haven’t ever left Daxaria so you can’t know that for certain. They are people just like the rest of us, so of course they love and can have fun and-”

Kat laughed. “They may look like the rest of us, but their thinking about such things is radically different. What isn’t to be grim about a kingdom that prides themselves on backstabbing and slaughtering each other. I imagine everyone has to sleep with one eye open. My mother is from there, remember?”

“Well maybe they are ready for change! Your father managed to persuade several units of Troivackian men to surrender or even help us during the war! As for your mother, she's from there, and she doesn't sound like a push over either!” Alina was on her feet then. She didn’t want to stare up at someone who was agitating her so fiercely.

A strange look crossed Kat’s face then as she beheld the small blonde. “Why is this making you so upset?”

Folding her arms across her chest, the Princess narrowed her gaze and forced herself to take a steadying breath before replying.

“I’m betrothed to the Troivackian King.”

The hatchet that Kat had begun to pull from her pack fell out of her hand as her eyes grew round and her jaw fell open.

“He wants women to carry a voice in the Troivackian court, and wants to change the laws so that they can hold titles and lands without a spouse,” Alina added as her heart hammered in her chest.

The redheaded woman continued staring at her and saying nothing.

“Oh, for pete’s sake! Say something! It isn’t that surprising, and he is not as beastly as you think,” the Princess snapped exasperatedly.

“You… You trust him?” Kat asked slowly as she took another step closer.

“I do. Of all the poor social habits he has, dishonesty is not one of them.”

“How can you know that? You only met him a few weeks ago,” the Lady was visibly shaken.

“I only met you a few weeks ago, and you’ve lied to me more than he has! Dragging me out here into the woods- for your information, I hate the woods! I hate the bugs, and beasts…”

“Alina, if you go to Troivack he could change his mind and you won’t have anyone to help you! You could be trapped and-”

“Maybe I can protect myself! Have you ever thought of that?!” the Princess roared as her nasty affliction of angry tears began rising to her eyes. She clenched her hands into fists so tight that her nails dug into her palms.

“This isn’t about you being strong, it's about you getting legally trapped!” Kat began desperately, her eyes wide with fear.

“That won’t happen! I’ve met countless nobles in my life, and I know Brendan Devark is not going to be dishonorable!”

The look of distrust on the redhead’s face was making Alina’s anger begin to bubble up once more, when her friend surprised her.

“I’ll go with you then.”

The Princess froze, completely taken aback.

“Wh-Why? Because you think he’ll bully me and that I won’t be able to do anything?” Alina asked, her tone accusatory.

“More like I think it sometimes helps to have someone on your side and no one else's when you are faced with a whole Godsdamn kingdom biased against you,” Kat replied heartfeltly. “...And, yes, I admit I don’t like him. However… If you want to try and change a bad place into something better, I know I want to try and be a part of it. You’re special, Alina. You’ve got this light in you, and… I don’t want to see anything happen to it.”

The Princess blushed as she dropped her hazel eyes for a brief moment. “That’s a bit rich coming from you. You look like you’re a mix of a Goddess, a beast, and pure magic.”

Kat chuckled weakly before once again growing serious. “I’ll bring it up to my Da that I want to go with you. At least for a little while- I don’t know that I want to live there permanently. My parents might even agree easily if it means delaying me getting married... ”

Alina nodded then shifted on her feet awkwardly. In truth, the idea of having a friend with her when facing a room full of men as terrifying as her affianced felt like the greatest gift in the world.

“Will your brother come, do you think?” the Princess asked a little quieter.

“Probably not. Tam on a boat with wide open space isn’t exactly a great place for him. Besides, the dummy needs to learn to stop hiding behind me to avoid his duties as the next Viscount.” Kat reached up and rubbed the back of her neck thoughtfully.

“Are you certain that they will let you go to an entirely different continent?” Alina asked as she felt the danger of a joyous spark of hope for her future begin to blaze.

“They’ll fight with me and make me take all kinds of classes I’m sure, but… at the end of the day, I think so. My parents kind of started the tradition of protecting your family. I’m not exactly like them, but… I promise, I will always be on your side, and I will always do everything in my power to protect you.”

Alina couldn’t help herself anymore, she burst out into a beautiful smile, that her friend before her matched in kind.

“Now… shall we get a fire built to ward off the mosquitoes?” Kat queried with a coy grin.

The Princess’ good mood immediately lessened as she once again remembered that she was, in fact, stuck sleeping outside, all thanks to the woman who had just sworn to be her guardian.

*

Brendan sat around the fire with the rest of the courtiers who all joked and drank merrily, seemingly without a care in the world. Henry was amongst them singing to them lewd ballads that had them all slapping their knees.

All of them except the Daxarian King who was staring with a frown towards the edge of the camp. Norman sat slightly set apart from the others, and no one seemed inclined to goad him into joining their revelry.

Slowly, the Troivackian King stood, making several of the men nearest him shift out of his way hastily. Striding over to the other monarch, he slowly seated himself in the empty chair on his right.

“Is there something amiss?” Brendan asked casually.

In truth, he didn’t sense anything wrong about their surroundings, nor had he heard anything during their journey to the site, but there was an alertness to the Daxarian King that made him wary.

“Lord Ashowan and Duke Iones were supposed to arrive by now,” Norman answered as his gaze remained lost to his worries.

Brendan leaned back in his chair and considered what he knew of the two men.

“It could be that the Duke arrived later than he anticipated and they decided to stay another night at the castle.”

The Daxarian King shifted in his seat. “A reasonable idea, but my gut tells me otherwise. I had a similar feeling the time I was on a hunting party just like this one, and on our journey back we discovered Ainsley was in danger of losing Alina early in the pregnancy.” Norman recounted more to himself than his companion. Though the story made Brendan straighten in his seat all the same.

“It was a difficult birth then?”

“Yes. Even with Eric it was risky… I worry Alina will face similar complications in her future.” The Daxarian King sighed wearily and shook his head before remembering exactly who he was talking to.

Turning to face Brendan squarely he evaluated the man openly.

“I do not like the idea of this marriage at all. I think your kingdom’s culture will be too domineering for Alina, and that she will be unhappy there, but… she says this is what she wants. So you better do your best to make sure my worries don’t come to fruition. Understood?”

Brendan bowed his head ever so slightly. “You have my word. I believe she will grow to be a strong Queen that my people will come to respect.”

Norman grunted skeptically before shifting uncomfortably and turning his gaze back to the edge of the camp. “I want you both to come visit. Especially with any grandchildren.”

Brendan almost smiled.

It was clear how deeply the King loved his daughter, and was desperate to see her well taken care of.

Such unconditional love was a rare thing amongst nobility in his estimation.

It also made him take to heart the man’s uneasiness about the Viscount and Duke’s absence.

Standing and giving Norman a bob of his head that was barely acknowledged, he headed towards his horse.

‘I believe in trusting my gut, but the Princess should be safe at the castle. The only danger she could be in is from that terror Lady Katarina Ashowan…’

Somehow, that thought made even the King of Troivack more assured in his decision to maybe ride back a short ways… just in case there was a messenger from the castle.