Lady Katherine Harrington of Johanne

13 September, Year 32 of King Frederick V of Monrique's reign

Bordeux Castle, Bordeux

Monrique

"You look beautiful, Kat."

One of my best friends, Lady Alyssa Hale, Countess Consort of Warwick, smiled softly at my reflection in the looking-glass. She adjusted a few brunette curls that had escaped my headdress, before squeezing my shoulders with a soft sigh.

I chuckled, winking at her. "I know."

Indeed, I was well aware that I was attractive. My smooth, healthily bronzed skin and my round, grey eyes were the envy of many of the ladies at the royal court, and my curves were more than able to make any man look twice at me.

However, during the time I had formally trained as an Archery Mistress in the army, I had been taught to give no importance and form no attachment to my physical beauty – this fleeting, physical beauty that could be easily destroyed in a battle. Today was the first time in several months that I was wearing a gown that was not my army robes, rouge that was not used for camouflage, and accessories that were not my bow and arrow.

But then again, today was no ordinary day.

Lisa simply rolled her eyes. "You are most welcome," she muttered dryly, "we need one more thing, and you will be ready. Jules?" She called the last of our trio, who was seated across us.

No answer.

Lisa did not look up. "Jules?" she tried again louder instead, still working on my curls, "give me the box, please."

Still no answer.

This time, Lisa craned her neck, frowning in bewilderment. When her gaze landed on our best friend, however, her frown gave way to an even darker scowl.

The said best friend, Crown Princess Consort Juliette Seymour of Monrique, was immersed in II Principe, by Niccolò Machiavelli, comfortably inclined on the armchair yonder. Her soft, brown eyes seemed to absorb each word on the parchment, with equal parts shock and wonder, as she held her book with one hand, and unconsciously cradled her swollen belly with the other.

A pop of laughter left my lips, as Lisa stormed towards her and snatched her book out of her hands none too gently. "You are incorrigible!" she scolded in exasperation, "how many times must I tell you not to read books of such nature when you are with child?"

The latter blinked, startled for a moment. She had been so deeply involved in the book, that she found it difficult to return to the present world.

When she realised what had happened, however, her lips turned down into a sulk – an all too common occurrence during her pregnancy.

"Lisa, I have nothing else to do," Jules complained, "Her Majesty has confiscated all of my favourite novels, and I have not walked out of the Castle grounds in weeks in the name of confinement. Come now, do not vex me further and return my book." She held out her hand expectantly.

Lisa did not budge. "The Queen confiscated them for good reason," she argued, "reading immoral texts will give rise to immoral thoughts, and they may affect the child – "

Before she could finish, I had pulled the book out of her grasp. "If the child is affected, it is only because you have upset its poor mother during her confinement," I pointed out, "here you go, Jules. And turn that frown upside down."

I handed Jules her book, who took it from me with a large beam on her face, all annoyance forgotten in an instant. She then stuck out her tongue at Lisa, who simply rolled her eyes.

"Do what you will," she gave up, sensing a lost battle, "but at least give me the box we bought for Kat before you return to your book."

Jules nodded, her brown eyes alight. "We shall give it to her together."

With that, she and Lisa sat me down on my seat once more, before she began to speak again. "You will receive lots of presents today," she started, chuckling, "but we hope – nay, are certain – that ours will be your favourite. Our best wishes to you." She held out a shiny, blue box towards me.

I was stunned. Among the three of us, we never bought each other presents, even for our birthdays.

"You did not have to buy me anything – "

"This is no ordinary day," Lisa reminded me, smiling softly.

Indeed it was not. Today was a day I had only been able to dream about for many years now. Today, I was going to be formally betrothed to my beloved, Prince Richard of Monrique.

Through the carefree years of our childhood friendship, through the ten, dark years he had been kidnapped and held in captivity against his will, through these past couple of years after his rescue I had been reacquainting myself with him, and beginning our friendship all over again - I loved him through it all, even though he was not physically present next to me for more than half of that time.

I was crystal clear about what I felt for him, and I could feel it burn, strong and true, like a bonfire on Harvest Festival Night within me.

And I had never hidden it from him. Above all, we were the best of friends, and we were always honest with each other. He knew that I was in love with him, and I knew that he was still uncertain about how he felt about me. Still, he agreed to court me during the time he needed to make up his mind, and promised me that he would only commit to a formal relationship with me if he was truly ready to.

Today was the day that promise was going to be fulfilled. Today was going to be one of the happiest days of my life.

"Go on, Kat, open it," Jules' soft voice broke into my reverie, "even if you hate it, please tell us you love it all the same."

I laughed, amused, as I took the box from her. I lifted the lid, to find a long, slender barrette nested in a bed of cotton. It had a small head, shaped into a cream rose, and there were intricate, floral inscriptions on its silver surface.

"It is utterly beautiful," I breathed, as I looked up at them, wide-eyed, "you truly should not have."

"Of course we should have," Lisa waved it off, "it is the perfect gift for you! You can use this when you are on duty in the army."

I shook my head. "Nay, I cannot wear something so fine when I am training, Lisa. I will be certain to break it, or worse, lose it," I ran a finger along its silver length, "I will save it for special occasions. Thank you, truly."

She and Jules took one look at each other, and burst out laughing. "This is no ordinary barrette, my friend. It is meant to be used when you are on duty," Jules took out the barrette from the box, and placed it in my hand, "come now, look more carefully."

I raised the barrette up to the light, and twirled it slowly between my fingers. After a few moments of scrutinising it, I noticed an almost indiscernible break in the border near the rose. When I tried to push it apart, it gave way easily. My eyes grew wide in surprise, as I tugged on the rose, and found myself pulling out a small, but extremely sharp dagger.

"Ah, a dagger disguised as a barrette. Feminine and deadly," I was most impressed, as I clapped my hands together in delight, "merveilleux! I absolutely love it. Thank you."

Lisa beamed. "You are most welcome."

In the meanwhile, Jules took the parts from my hands, and reassembled the barrette, before fixing it across my headdress firmly. "There," she released a breath in satisfaction, "now you are ready for your engagement."

At that very moment, the chamber door flung open without warning. A petite older woman, one of Jules' ladies-in-waiting, stumbled into the room, out of breath and her eyes wide with terror and grief.

The three of us turned around at once, shocked.

The woman's face was red, as she sunk into a curtsey. "I have been told to inform you that His Highness – "

Jules and I stepped forward at once. The title 'His Highness' could mean two people: Jules' husband, Crown Prince Nicholas, or his twin brother and my fiancé, Prince Richard.

Jules swiftly waddled towards the woman, and raised her by the shoulders. "What happened, Lady Hortense?" her voice was tense.

But the woman's eyes were trained on me. "P-Prince Richard," she panted, "is missing."

My heart almost stopped. "Another kidnap?" I was flabbergasted, "but he was rescued from one only two years ago – "

Without another word, Lady Hortense handed me a piece of parchment. I snatched it from her, and read the three inadequate lines written in Richard's distinctive messy scrawl over and over again, feeling my heart shatter further with every repeat.

Dear Mama and Papa,

I am very sorry. I had to leave Bordeux, because I was feeling suffocated here. Please do not search for me.

~ Richard

"Well?" Jules and Lisa burst out.

I raised my hollow eyes to them. "He left out of his own accord."

***

Three knocks sounded on my chamber door.

At times like this, I wished I was far and away from Monrique, where I could waddle in my misery in peace. I buried myself deeper into my bed and pulled my blankets over my head, hoping whoever wanted to see me would simply assume that I was not around and leave me alone.

Just as the thought crossed my mind, three knocks sounded again.

Pause. And again.

Pause. And again.

A burst of irritation rose within me. After initial condolences for my broken engagement, most of my family, friends and acquaintances had mercifully left me alone these two weeks to pull myself together, and truth be told, I was grateful for it.

So who the hell was this insistent, insensitive person who would not cease knocking on my door?

I hurled a vase on my bedside table at the door. "Go away!"

A deep, familiar voice spoke up from the other side. "We are sorry to intrude, my dear. However, it is imperative that the Queen and I speak to you without delay."

I froze under my blankets. It was King Frederick V of Monrique.

With much reluctance, I raised myself upright on my bed. My vision was blurred and strands of brown hair were stuck all over my tear-stained face. I swiftly pulled all my hair back into a bun, and donned a robe over my nightclothes, before I hurried forward to open the door.

The King and the Queen stood waiting on the threshold, looking as exhausted as I felt. His Majesty, especially, grew pale at the sight of me.

"My dear Katherine, are - "

"Pardon me, Your Majesties, I was not expecting any visitors," I sighed, as I curtsied twice, "please, come in and make yourselves comfortable." I opened the door wider to allow them in.

The monarchs stepped into my chambers warily, allowing me to lead them to the inclined chairs set up in the presence chamber. I discreetly closed the door to my bedchambers, hoping that they would not notice the battle-worn territory within, as I sat down across them.

Once they were seated, the King began to speak. "It appears you have not been taking care of yourself at all, my dear," he sounded very concerned, "both Ella and I have been very worried about you – "

The Queen cut in. "I am not."

The King closed his eyes, his patience already wearing thin. "For the Lord's sake," he muttered, "keep your silence, Ella."

It was only in that moment that I began to sense a tension of sorts building up in the chamber. It was clear that the King was trying his very best to put me at ease, maintaining a wan smile for my sake, while the Queen's disposition was a very different story.

Her blue eyes now pinned me firmly in my seat with an icy gaze. If not for the King's hand resting on hers, I was quite certain that she would have hurled the flower pot next to her at me.

She had disapproved of me, and my match with Richard from the very beginning. As a daughter of an impoverished Earl who had little social standing, I was, in her eyes, not suited to marry into the royal family. Moreover, she seemed to be under the misconception that I only wanted to marry him for the wealth and prestige, like all the other Ladies who clamoured after him.

Now that Richard had run away, she was of the opinion that I pressurised him so much into marrying me that he felt the need to flee from me, and his family. She blamed me entirely for his departure, and she had made that very clear to me on the very day he disappeared.

More often than not these days, I found myself wondering if she was right.

The King cleared his throat at the moment. "I apologise on her behalf, my dear. She spoke out of grief," he remarked quietly, "in any case, one of the reasons why we have come is to give you this letter in person." He extended a folded piece of parchment towards me.

I accepted it, frowning, and began to read.

Dearest Kat,

There are a thousand things I know I ought to apologise to you for. However, I also know that no number of apologies or explanations on my part will ever be enough to deserve your forgiveness, especially for what I have done to you today.

Do not think, even for a moment, that it is your fault, or it is because you are lacking in any way. You are beautiful, you are intelligent, you are kind-hearted and your sense of humour never fails to brighten even my darkest of days. You are an amazing woman, Kat, and any man will easily fall in love with you. I, for one, am so blessed to have had you as my best friend all these years, and also your fiancé for these few months.

However, there are many things that I have had to hide even from you. Even if, by some miracle, I can bring myself to tell you the truth, I would not know where to start, and I doubt you would understand. No one can.

Please do not send anyone to search for me, and please do not worry about me. I am all right at the moment, and I will be all right in the future as well.

I do not know if or when I will return, and therefore, I suggest that you move on with your life. Truly, Kat, I do care a lot about you and want nothing more than your happiness, even if my actions do not quite portray that.

All the best in everything that you do, and take care.

Always yours,

Richard

Tears were already streaming down my cheeks, silently, constantly. Truth be told, I had been doing nothing but cry for the past few weeks since the day he fled, and I was so sick of it.

Yet, I could not seem to be able to do anything else.

In the meanwhile, the Queen's hand made a loud noise as it clenched on the wooden armrest. "Dare not cry," she hissed at me, "you, of all people, are not allowed to sit there and sob as if he has wronged you – when it is the other way around."

The King shot her a warning look. "Ella – "

Her eyes flashed, as she turned to him. "How dare she cry thus? Our son is missing – for the second time in this decade, mind you," she continued heatedly, "and this woman, who is wholly responsible for it - "

"Ella!" the King's voice cut sharply through the air, "that is quite enough."

"But -"

"Stop it," he cut her off firmly, "we agreed we will not blame Kat. Richard made that very clear in his letter."

I trembled in my seat, cold and miserable. There was something amiss here. How did the both of them know what Richard had written? Unless -

The words left my mouth even before I thought of them. "Where was this letter found?" I whispered, "if Richard indeed addressed it to me, then why am I receiving it from you, Sire?"

The King had the grace to look abashed. "We searched all our chambers, as well as yours, after we discovered the note Richard wrote to us," he admitted to me, "and we found this on your dressing table, my dear."

A chill ran down my spine. My chambers had been searched without my knowledge, despite the fact that I hardly left it in these two weeks?

The next question came out even shakier. "And you read it?"

"Of course we had to," the Queen snapped, "it is regarding our son's disappearance!"

I wanted to be angry, but I did not even have the energy to lose my temper with her. What little remained of my privacy and dignity were now no more.

The King pinched the bridge of his nose. "We did not come here to offend you or argue with you, my dear," he sighed, releasing a tired breath, "Richard has...taken a sabbatical for his personal reasons, and as much as it pains us, we will have to accept his decision."

I looked away.

The King reached out to pat my hand. "I also believe my son mentioned in his letter that he wants you to move on with your life," he reminded me softly, "and I recently received an opportunity for you that might help you to do just that."

I raised my eyes, lifeless. "Sire?"

"One of the guests who had come to Monrique to attend your engagement was His Imperial Majesty Emperor Sebastian VI of the Longbournian Nations," the King began, "do you know of the Longbournian Nations, my dear?"

"Made up of fifty-two grand duchies, all of which His Imperial Majesty controls, the Longbournian Nations is the largest and most powerful empire in the east," I recited the words I had read in books, "and I know that Monrique has recently signed an alliance with it." I added.

"Indeed," the King smiled weakly, "and as such, the Emperor stayed with us for several weeks as our honoured guest before your engagement. He watched our army training sessions regularly at the training fields, and he was very impressed with you in particular. Your skills in archery, and in training our young cadets did not go unnoticed."

I glanced up at the King, startled. Watched me? I had no knowledge of being observed and having my mediocre skills analysed by anyone during my army classes, let alone by a foreign Emperor.

I inclined my head. "I am very happy to hear that, Your Majesty."

The King then glanced at his wife, who huffed and deigned to continue. "First and foremost, you must know that the Emperor is new to the throne. At the moment, he is making many desirable changes to his deceased father's rule, and embarking on new initiatives that will greatly benefit his empire," she reluctantly explained, "and one of those initiatives is a military school for women, which he established around four months ago at the capital state of Amöneburg. It is a school that takes in Longbournian women who wish to fight for their country, and trains them formally to become soldiers one day. Did you know that?"

I shook my head, surprised yet again. Such a gesture was rare in the male-dominated world of today. Although I had never met this Emperor in person, I felt my respect for him rise by several notches.

I found myself smiling, albeit weakly, for the first time in weeks. "Nay, Your Majesty, I did not."

The Queen nodded, forgetting her anger with me for a moment. "The Emperor is currently recruiting army officers from allied countries, alongside those in his own empire, to teach these young women," she sighed, "and he has requested personally for you."

I almost choked on my own spit. "Me?"

The King was pleased by my reaction. "Aye, you, my dear," he was amused at the shock on my face, "it is a great honour, you understand, for both yourself and Monrique. The Longbournian army is one of the most formidable in the world, and you may pick up some valuable skills from your colleagues during your employment. What do you think?"

I was extremely overwhelmed. I was finding it difficult to believe that an Emperor had singled me out among all the other more qualified archers in the Monriquan army, let alone gave me the one opportunity I had been desperate for these few weeks.

My throat was dry. "How long would I be required to teach?"

"A minimum of one year, starting from the third week of October," he answered with a smile, "all your living expenses will be paid for by the Emperor, and you will be allotted a salary of 6000 Crowns per month."

I nodded for a long while, digesting this. My personal reasons for wanting to leave Monrique aside, the challenge of helping to train the first women's army in a foreign country truly appealed to me.

In Monrique, Jules had been the first woman to enlist in the army, when she had been a mere child of twelve. I had witnessed first-hand how hard she had struggled through her teenage years, battling society's narrow-minded views on and off the training fields, to reach where she was now. Only a precious few had stood by her through those difficult years, and to this day, she wished that she had had more people by her side at that time.

Just as Jules had paved the way for successive generations of Monriquan women, the Emperor's new initiative will ensure that no Longbournian woman aspiring to become a soldier would ever be discouraged from pursuing her dreams solely because of her gender.

It would be an honour to be part of such an initiative.

In any case, I knew I could not remain locked up within my chambers forever, haunted and grieved by memories of my lost dreams. I was sick of waking up every morning to my own tears and self-pity.

I was better than this.

"I am ready to leave for Amöneburg, Your Majesties."

***

A/N: This is the actress I envision Kat to resemble the most, but as always, you can imagine whoever you want to in her place :)