At the Campfire

In the evening, they made a campfire in the wild, acting like any other insignificant noble family on a journey. Even the crest of the carriage was changed, presenting two crossed white lances. Small tents were erected to shelter against the cold and the king, still in a bad mood from being called a 'mascot', demanded to be brought to his right after supper.

Lady Orchid sighed as she stared after his retreating figure. Strongly supported by a guard on either side, the king gave a miserable picture, despite the remaining stiffness in his back and the head that was held high. The low sound of his feet dragging over the ground was luckily swallowed by the eating sounds of the guards.

"His voice is still strong enough", Aston whispered next to his mother. "He will just navigate everyone to fulfill his needs, like before. He'll have it covered in no time, you'll see."

"You're right, probably." Lady Orchid smiled, but the sadness in her eyes remained as she stretched her hand to tousled Aston's blonde hair. At the last moment, she noticed that the strands were soaked through with sweat from his long run and opted for his shoulder instead. "Just make sure that you take after me and stay healthy and always out of trouble, alright?"

"Sure thing", he promised with a tired grin. "I never make trouble."

The latter sentence resulted in another sigh from Lady Orchid, a sigh with the knowledge of experience that this was completely untrue. Looking at Nathaniel on the other side of the flickering fire, she hoped that this older brother could make up for the thoughtlessness of the younger one. With all her heart, she wished that both of them would stay safe and sound.

Having eaten her fill of soup, Katherine leaned against Nathaniel's side, listening to the crackle of the fire and the quiet conversations of the guards. Only those that weren't forced to run chatted merrily, the others - with exception of strong figures like Jack and Dorian - silently leaned against the trees or laid where they'd fallen after their marathon and snored with abandon. While Jack wasn't sleeping yet, he still felt half dead, and after coordinating the night watch, he and Dorian retreated into their tents. Even Aston with his youthful vigor couldn't stand the exhaustion for long. When he finally excused himself - the number of his words only slightly influenced by his tiredness - his mother followed suit.

That left Nathaniel and Katherine next to the fire, and the night watch around the camp. The latter fused with the quiet and darkness of the night, giving no sign of their presence anymore.

"I'm not sleepy yet", Katherine murmured and snuggled closed to her husband. Even the fire couldn't expel the cold completely. Nathaniel though, was surprisingly warm.

Noticing the goosebumps on her skin, he positioned himself anew, making space between his legs. "Come here."

With wide astonished eyes she blinked up at him before moving over, as if she was afraid he would change his mind. It reminded him of a little rabbit that couldn't believe its luck that the dangerous white wolf invited it into its warm lair. Smiling at the thought, he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. Now finally, he didn't have to think hard about each time they touched. Feeling her relax against him was so natural and new at the same time that it filled his heart to the brim. Exactly simultaneously, they exhaled, and with it, every tension they build up over the day vanished.

Contented silence filled the air, the quilt below them sheltering them from the cold of the earth, the crackling fire and their own bodies enough to keep them warm. After what felt like hours but might've as well been only a few minutes, Katherine opened her mouth again.

"This is the first time I'm sitting on a campfire. I traveled with my mother once when I was young, but even the night was way too warm for fire back then."

Her voice was heavy with melancholy, the mind intoxicated with the beauty of fire and stars. Yet Nathaniel's warmth in her back made her feel protected. It was a dreamy feeling she didn't experience in a long time. Like a safe haven approaching out of the mist when the ship had seen nothing but the blue, foam-tipped waves of the ocean for years to count.

"When was your first time seeing one?", She asked, her hand wandering to entangle with both of his in front of her chest.

"When I was twelve, if we don't count the fire on the dome." His voice bore a hint of amusement that faded as he continued. "I was on the way to my first big battle, to act as a weapon of mass destruction... Fortunately or not, the battle was already lost when we reached there."

Another bout of silence filled the air. Katherine pressed Nathaniel's hand reassuringly, but when the latter spoke again, it wasn't about the past anymore. "I wonder, will you be alright?"

"Huh?" Genuine surprise spoke from that sound as Katherine turned her head to look into these deep red orbs full of mysteries. "What do you mean?"

Nathaniel blinked slowly, suddenly distracted by the glow the fire painted on her skin. It looked deliciously soft, especially her full pink lips. In his eyes, she was as beautiful as a fairy of love and war. Inevitably, desire awoke, and his voice turned lower. Yet, he still owed her an answer, and it would not be one she liked. "If we need to retreat to Dragsa, will you be alright?"

Katherine flinched when she heard the name of her former country. It dampened her mood like a bucket of cold water. If possible, she would not have wanted for anything to disturb their peace, but now it was already too late. She sighed. There was no reason to blame Nathaniel, as this was surly a topic that had to be discussed eventually before they reached the border.

Seeking comfort in the indifference of nature, she returned her gaze to the burning logs. "I... I'm not sure. The land itself did nothing to me. But it is ruled by those that killed my parents."

Her hands fisted and only after a while did she calm down enough to continue. Nathaniel let her be, knowing that what she wanted wasn't comfort right now. Her following words proved this. "I want revenge. First it was only my cousin, since I didn't dare hope I could reach for their judges, the ones who sentenced them to death without a proper investigation, but..."

She took a deep breath, glancing up at Nathaniel with uncertainty. "If I'm true to myself, that isn't enough. I want them all to pay. The king, the queen, Ethan, even the common executioner."

Nathaniel was quiet for a while, looking deeply into her eyes. Finally, he said: "You know that I am involved with princess Bellatrix' death as well, right?"

Hastily, as if wounded by a hidden dagger, Katherine turned her face away, and curled together around her knees. "I know... I know, but you're not the one that blamed it on my parents. You didn't judge them guilty."

Taking it as a good sign that she did not push him away, Nathaniel dug deeper. "I knew the culprit, though. I could have revealed the truth and saved them. I might not have known you, but I knew fully well that innocent people were about to - "

"STOP!", Katherine cried out and suddenly sprang to her feet. "Stop, stop, stop! I know all this! Do you think I didn't? You've got your people everywhere! Of course you would be aware that they were about to die!"

"Then", Nathaniel said and stood up as well. Sharp and hard like a sword, he prepared for the final blow, which could also be a double-edged one. Yet this was a topic they had to clarify first and foremost. "Why don't you blame me? Why am I not in the list of people who need to pay? I should be there, shouldn't I?"