Chapter 119
Despite myself, I jumped slightly in my saddle. The sudden movement startled my horse, causing it to step back from the soldier. I had to take a moment to regain control of the beast, forcing it to stand still once more.
“A wedding?” I leaned forward, feeling a strange compulsion to speak quietly. “Who’s getting married?”
The man seemed almost surprised by my ignorance. He said, “Why, young Lady Oakcrest, of course.”
I had to forcibly stop my eyebrows from shooting up. It couldn’t be. No, that would be impossible. I tried to rack my brain, wondering if Lauren had any sisters—perhaps I had stumbled upon the wedding of a sibling. I said, “Uh, which young Lady Oakcrest is to be wed?”
The man paused, assessing me again. I realized how strange I must have sounded, displaying ignorance of the family while professing to be a friend. More slowly and measuredly, he said, “Lady Lauren.” His eyes narrowed, as though measuring my reaction.
How do you imagine I felt at that moment? You might expect feelings of loss or rejection. I won’t pretend those emotions didn’t brush past me briefly as I heard him speak her name. But, being completely honest, the overriding emotion I felt was relief.
So, Lauren had been married off to some noble, which meant she was explicitly off the table. It simplified matters so much. A little part of me mourned the fantasies of being wedded to her—her long-legged, curvaceous, doe-eyed beauty. I would miss admiring her stoic yet personal nature. But as a thousand musings of a hypothetical future with her melted away, I felt a strange sense of peace.
It was Katya, then. Katya was to be my focus. It made sense. She was the one I had spent the most time with, the one who had shown explicit interest in me. And, when I thought about it, she was the one whose character appealed to me most. Yes, she was strange and awkwardly forward, but I knew that someone like me—so uncomfortable with intimacy and romance—would benefit from someone like Katya. Her forwardness, even near-aggression, would help me break through my own barriers.
After a moment, I gathered myself and said, “May I ask… I believe Princess Katya is staying here at the moment? It is she I came to visit.”
The soldier continued to look at me, making little effort to hide his bemusement. Slowly, he said, “Princess Katya is in the courtyard, downhill of the castle, to the east.”
I thanked him and turned my horse. I rode with a much lighter heart as I guided my mount through the warren of little houses and streets. The indecision was gone, and I felt blessed. Now that Lauren was spoken for, I realized Katya had always been the right choice. Oracle knew, she would be easier to approach. All I’d probably need to do was stand around for a few minutes, and she would be the one to propose.
Finding the orchards was effortless. The land sloped away from the castle sharply to the east, and from my elevated position, I could easily see the orderly rows of fruit trees below. I paused for a moment, hearing my dutiful bodyguards rein in their horses as I stopped. The landscape fell away dramatically before me. Below the castle were some lawns, and beyond them, low stone-walled pens for animals, though none were occupied. Further still were substantial plantings of apple and pear trees. The scenery tumbled steeply for maybe two miles until it abruptly met the rolling blues of the sea.
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In the center of the fruit trees was a pavilion in a large, intentional clearing. Its lower sections were finely shaped stonework, with heavy timber construction above that. It was a place for nobles to while away their idle hours, looking down over the sea, smelling the apple blossoms, drinking tea, and musing on the banalities that interested them. From where I stood, I thought I could make out a single figure seated beneath the arches of the structure.
For a moment, I paused and considered how easy it would have been to peer at that shape, know it was a person, and see clearly who it was if only I possessed the Griid-suit. Soon, I thought.
I urged my horse forward, and soon we were trotting between the trees, heavy with unripe fruit. Wasps buzzed in the air around me as I neared the pavilion. As I drew closer, the figure in the pavilion turned their head and rose. Even from a distance, I could identify the lithe figure of Katya.
I dismounted and walked toward the pavilion on foot. Katya descended the steps with a curious hesitance. I’ll never forget that moment—the green scent of leaves and fruit, the frantic drone of insects above, the fresh, salty air rolling up the slope from the sea—and Katya, beautiful, perfect Katya. Even with the intensity of my feelings, I felt a strange calm as she looked at me: detached yet intense, amused yet serious, and so exotically alluring.
"Tiberius! What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice lighter than I was used to. She was interested, amused even, but her usual intensity was absent. I gathered my courage and said, "I came to talk to you."
She raised an eyebrow as I crossed the clearing to reach her where she stood on the pavilion steps. She wasn’t dressed in riding clothes. Instead, she wore a simple cotton dress that moved in the breeze, highlighting every detail of her petite form with overwhelming perfection.
“I would speak with you, Katya, if you would allow me,” I said. Her face shifted slightly, a look of concern appearing. I wouldn’t be denied, so I pressed forward.
"Katya, I am one round away from becoming the Sword, and I... I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I fear that thinking about you will be the thorn that rots me, that my distraction over you will cost me the round. So, I’ve come here to discuss our arrangement."
She stilled. “Our arrangement?”
“Our agreement," I clarified, "the agreement you proposed, that we be wed if I win the suit.”
I should have noticed the way her expression shifted then, the concern that flickered in her eyes. In truth, I probably did, but I was too focused on my goal to be diverted.
"I know you proposed marriage from a place of practicality," I continued, "but the more I’ve reflected on it, the more I’ve come to know you, the more I’ve thought about you, I realize that it’s exactly what I want. It’s exactly what I need. Katya, if we were to be betrothed, I know my victory tomorrow would be assured, and I know we would be happy.
"Katya, I didn’t realize it at first, but after time has passed, after I’ve let my feelings mature, I think… no, I know... Katya, I’m in lo—"
"Stop!" she interrupted. The intensity and volume of her voice made me reel back slightly.
"Katya, I—" I started, but she raised a hand to stop me. Her expression had shifted completely—worried, sad. Her eyes searched mine, inspecting, measuring. I thought she looked concerned.
After another moment, she said, “Tiberius, we cannot be wed.”