Lady Katherine Harrington of Johanne

4 December, Year 1 of Sebastian VI, Emperor of the Longbournian Nations' reign

Amöneburg Ballroom, Amöneburg

The Longbournian Nations

As the Dowager Empress and Queen Eleanor continued to expound the benefits of the Treaty of Amöneburg, the Emperor and I stood frozen. We stared at each other, shocked and horrified into silence.

Was this truly happening?

How did they even - How could they -

Just then, I heard a barely suppressed snarl behind me. I turned around to find the Princess trembling, looking ready to murder the women on the dais.

Her eyes were bright red, burning with fury. Her lips had thinned into a pink line, and her fists were clenched tightly by her sides, as if she was trying hard not to punch everyone surrounding her.

She was the very portrait of what I was feeling inside.

The Emperor sighed. "Natalya - "

"Brother-mine, you will deal with that nonsense before it escalates," her gaze was flinty, as she gestured to the dais, "and you will not let either of them bully you into agreeing to anything. I swear to God, if you bring that Madeleine girl into our home as your wife, I will castrate you in your sleep, make no mistake."

I flinched at the image she painted, but the Emperor took it in his stride. He nodded tersely at the both of us, before he began to stride forward towards the dais, his eyes promising trouble ahead.

I closed my eyes. By God -

"We, in the meanwhile, have another pressing matter to attend to," her voice broke into my thoughts, "look at that." She pointed to my far right.

At first, I could not tell what she was pointing at. The ballroom was too crowded with jubilant people, moving and jumping about. I squinted, until I recognised a familiar countenance that stood out in the sea of happiness in its misery.

A well-dressed Richard was rooted to the spot where he stood, his grey eyes filled with horror, and a healthy dose of pain. While the unfamiliar blonde woman clinging to his arm was cheering at the news of the Emperor's marriage, he was running a hand through his hair, utterly conflicted, lost in his thoughts.

"He came to the ball after all," I observed numbly.

"He did," she murmured, "and I can bet you my fortune that he will leave for the pleasure house in a few moments."

I turned to her, incredulous. "We are not following him tonight," I refused, "there are enough problems here to solve - "

"Do not worry. If Brother-mine values his manhood - which I am certain he does - he will set my Lady Mother and Queen Eleanor straight, and remind them who is the Emperor of the Longbournian Nations," she smiled wryly, before it faded, "but that is not the issue."

"Then what is?"

"The question is, when all of this blows over," she kept her gaze on me, "can you accept his hand in marriage whole-heartedly? Without the shadow of your past clinging to you?"

I had no words.

"You need to make peace with your past before you can look to your future," she continued softly, "and so do I." She admitted.

At that moment, Richard turned his gaze away from the dais, and began to stride towards the doorway.

"You had best follow him first," she gently pushed me, "I will find Arielle and Michelle, and ask them to cover for us in the event Queen Eleanor or my Lady Mother look for us. I will meet you outside the pleasure house."

I nodded, squeezing her shoulder. "May the Lord go with you."

"And also with you."

***

I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder.

I jumped, reaching for my dagger at once, as I turned around. When I recognised the Princess in the darkness, dressed in her military attire like me, I sagged against the tree trunk I was hiding behind.

"What took you so long?" I hissed.

"Convincing Arielle and Michelle to cover for us was harder than I expected," she shrugged, before a small smile played about her lips, "and I had stopped by to watch Brother-mine give my Lady Mother and Queen Eleanor a royal dressing down."

My eyes widened. "In front of everyone?"

"Nay, in private," she giggled, "but eavesdropping is a particular skill of mine. Every moment of those ten minutes, stuck behind the pillar, was completely worth it. Goodness, I have never seen my Lady Mother so stunned."

"A pity I missed it," my voice was wry, "in any case, shall we go in? We are late enough as it is." I started to walk forward, but she pulled me back none too gently.

"Not through the front door, Mistress Harrington," she hissed, "the old hag chased me out with a broom the last time I came here. I am sure to be recognised, and we will be thrown out again."

With that, she grabbed hold of my wrist, and began pull me with her. We skirted around the trees lining the path to the pleasure house, keeping to the shadows, and away from the moonlight. When we reached the end of the path, the Princess drew us to a stop.

She narrowed her eyes at the men and women chatting by the entrance of the pleasure house, worrying her lower lip.

"Shit," she muttered, "how do we get past them?"

I patted her shoulder in reassurance, before I looked around the ground beneath us. Once I found a suitable sized rock lying by the tree, I bent down to grab hold of it.

I then threw it in an arc, such that it flew by the people chatting at the entrance, and fell behind them, hitting one of the women on their legs. When she cried out in pain, everyone around her turned to her and became busy with checking her injury.

In that split second, I dragged the Princess past them around the sides of the pleasure house, careful to crouch as we ran to avoid being seen through the windows.

We eventually reached the back, which comprised a small, well-tended garden, bordered by high, whitewashed fences that ran all along the perimeters of the house.

Beyond the fence lay the dark, dark woods.

"Damn, that was a smart move," the Princess whispered to me just then.

"Well, I have done it many times before," I tossed her a smug glance, "I can teach you one day, if you like."

"I will be eternally grateful," she rolled my eyes.

"Hold," I skidded to a stop in front of the back door, which was locked with a brass padlock.

"Why would the Housekeeper lock the door from the outside?" I wondered, huffing.

The Princess grew grim. "Some of the women do not work here by choice, you know," she murmured, "they have tried running away before, and worse, jumping into that well to take their own lives." She pointed to the well yonder.

"They could still run out the front door if they wanted," I pointed out.

"You saw how many people mill about at the entrance. Runaways would be caught in a heartbeat," she shrugged, "and if they somehow manage to get out through the back door...well, the forest can shield them for a good few days."

I was truly disturbed. "And then?"

"And then the old hag hunts them down, by hook or by crook," her voice was full of sadness, "and punishes them...appropriately."

I shuddered, thinking of Dela and her friend Hanna. "Those poor women," I murmured, turning to her, "how do we get in, then?"

It was her turn to pat my shoulder now. "Watch, and learn."

She took off her beret and strode forward. She pulled the iron-wrought, prongs-like pin that held her bun in place, and proceeded to ease it into the keyhole of the paddock.

I held guard for her, checking every now and then to see if anyone was walking around the sides of the pleasure house. In the meanwhile, her eyebrows furrowed, as she concentrated intensely on the lock. She patiently negotiated her pin in strange contortions, until a distinct click impinged on the silence of the night.

The Princess smiled at me in triumph. "Success."

I hurried back to her side. She tossed the padlock into the bushes, before she gently pried the door open. We slipped in as soundlessly as we could, trying not to draw any attention to ourselves.

However, it seemed we need not have.

A cramped, endless corridor stretched ahead of us, lined by chambers with small doors on either side – none of which were closed completely. Unlike the front room of the pleasure house, this corridor was completely empty.

The air, however, was overpowering with the stench of sweat and booze, the creaking of beds, and the deafening gasps and frantic pants of both men and women alike.

"Well, they certainly are busy," I muttered dryly.

I received no answer from the Princess. When I turned around to look at her, however, her countenance was as white as sheet. Her lower lip quivered, and she looked ready to throw up.

"Mistress Hohenstaufen?" I touched her forearm.

Her gaze snapped to me. "If Richard is one of these chambers...with...with - " she gulped, her eyes shining with tears, "Mistress Harrington, I thought I could do this, but – "

Pain was clear in her voice, and my eyes softened.

"Hush now," I squeezed her hand, "you are so strong, Natalya. You have come this far, we have come this far – the truth is mere steps away from us. Whatever it is, we will face it in the eye, internalise it, accept it – and then we will move the hell on. Together. All right?" I told her fiercely.

She gripped my hand for dear life. "All right."

"Good," I took a deep, steadying breath, "good. Now, we have to find Dela's chambers. These doors are numbered in order..." I frowned, as I tugged us down the corridor.

"Thirteen," the Princess' voice was hardly audible, "Dela's chamber number is thirteen."

I stared at her, coming to a stop. "And how do you know that?"

"I managed to follow her until her chambers when I came here last?" she answered sheepishly, "the Housekeeper caught me just as I was about to go in after her and Richard."

"Good work," I was impressed, as we tiptoed along the corridor, searching for the number thirteen.

We eventually reached the dreaded door. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I heard the Princess' breathing quicken as well. We looked at each other, gripped each other's hands tighter, and somehow found the strength to push open the door.

I held my breath.

It was a small, cramped room. There was only sufficient space for one bed, and a dressing table, on which a set of white linen, tins of rouge and kohl were neatly arranged.

On the medium-sized, white bed sat Richard and Dela, with their backs facing us. However, completely contrary to my expectations, both of them were fully clothed, and what more – their heads were bent over a thick book, with a respectable distance between them.

They clearly did not seem to have heard us enter.

I glanced at the Princess, wide-eyed. She had walked a few steps away from me, and was staring intently at Dela's side profile.

I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"She looks familiar," she murmured, her forehead creasing, "I did not manage to get a full glimpse of her countenance when I followed them here the last time, but..."

"We will find out soon enough."

With that, I walked away to shut the door firmly behind us.

The couple's heads snapped up at the sound. Dela began to turn around at once, her blue eyes twinkling.

"Oh, come, Derik, what took you so long - "

Her smile died on her lips when she caught sight of us, and her countenance drained of all colour. She began to frantically hit Richard's shoulders hard.

He turned around, ruefully rubbing the spot she had hit him, before his lips parted in shock. The horror on his face was almost comical, and I would have laughed, if I had been in any mood to appreciate the humour.

The book in his hands dropped to the ground. My eyes followed it for a split second, and the title vaguely registered in my mind. It was an old Monriquan folklore - Charles Perrault's Petit Chaperon Rouge.

My forehead creased in confusion. Did he come all the way to the pleasure house just to read old children's books with her?

When I looked up again, I found his grey eyes gazing straight into mine.

"Kat," his voice was soft, "I – "

I shook my head. "I need to know only one thing, old chap," I cut in quietly, "is Dela the reason why you broke our engagement? Are you in love with her?"

The both of them exchanged dark glances, but did not answer me.

"You could have told me," I was utterly weary, "regardless of my feelings, you are my friend, first and foremost. I would have helped you. You know I would have."

Dela was the one who eventually spoke. "Lady Katherine, Richard is..." her accent was heavy, like her friend Hanna's, and she struggled to speak in English, "what I mean to say, is that he does not – "

"Dela," he warned her.

She gave up. "It is complicated."

Before I could ask her anything further, the Princess cut in. "Of course it is complicated," I heard her snarl beside me, "nothing is ever simple and honest when it comes to you, you two-faced whore."

I turned to her sharply, shocked by her tone. Betrayal was etched upon every inch of her countenance. Her sea-green eyes were blazing with recognition, and an unhealthy amount of fury, as they burned Dela where she sat.

Dela paled. "Princess – "

I looked between them, confused. "Do you know each other?"

"Dame Delores used to work at the Palace as one of my handmaidens. She had fast become one of my dear friends," the Princess answered me, not taking her eyes off her, "until a few months ago, that is."

"I was caught stealing her sapphire-studded necklace," Dela hurried to explain before the Princess could, "and I had also been keeping an eye on her for the Dowager Empress for many months before that. I was dismissed immediately."

"What?" I gasped, "and you did not think to let me know of this minor detail?" I asked the Princess.

"I did not even recognise her until a few moments ago," she was shaking, "nor did it even occur to me she could be the same woman. I never expected to find her working here."

"Good point," I turned to Dela, frowning, "why would you choose to work here, of all places?"

"No one else would hire me after I was dismissed," the young woman mumbled, "and my family really needs the money."

"The Dowager Empress had made sure of that," Richard added, scowling.

The Princess, however, was growing angrier with every passing moment. "Of course you cannot find work. You are a thief," her eyes hardened, as they landed on Richard, "even then, I never expected you to steal Prince Richard's attentions away from me."

"By the Lord, Natalya, I never loved you, and I never wanted to marry you," he sighed tiredly, running a hand through his hair, "you – "

"I was not talking to you," she snapped at him.

"I swear, I can explain," Dela begged her, her eyes filling with tears, "Richard and I are not – "

"Do not lie to me!" the Princess lashed out at her, "you were my friend, but you have done nothing but break my trust all this time. You knew how much I loved Prince Richard. Hell, you listened to me talk about him for hours! How could you do this to me?"

"Mistress Hohenstaufen," I gazed at the door in warning, "we are too loud – "

"I truly did not," Dela pleaded, "please – "

She paid no heed to the either of us. "And you!" she swung around to face Richard, "just because you do not return my affections, does not make mine any less significant. For all I know, you could have fucked her the very night after I told you I loved you – and by God, that is such a shitty thing to do." The tears in her eyes spilled over.

My eyes widened. She was still hurting.

"It must have been so amusing, eh?" she was almost spitting her fury, "did you both have fun laughing behind my back?"

"Mistress Hohenstaufen!" I hissed, grabbing her arm, "keep your volume down, before - "

Too late. The door slammed open.

The Pleasure Housekeeper towered over us, smoke almost billowing out of her ears. She was accompanied by two, heavily muscled men, armed with swords and maces that they were swinging threateningly.

"Shit," I heard Richard swear under his breath.

The woman set those burly men on us without hesitation. She also joined the fray, yelling in a continuous stream of German, and headed straight for me.

Very honestly, I could not quite remember what happened next.

It was a messy, uncoordinated fight, largely due to the fact that the room was so small. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Dela jump onto one of the men's back, and pound his head, trying to prevent him from attacking the Princess.

He wildly swung his mace all the same, around which the Princess darted about, careful not to be hit by it, as she fought him.

In the meanwhile, I was all but wrestling with the Housekeeper, who had managed to push me to the ground and straddle me. Richard was trying hard to pull her off me while fighting off the other burly man at the same time.

There were too many fists and weapons flying around me, and God, that woman was so fucking heavy –

I remembered her slamming the side of my face against the ground, pressing her gigantic fist so tightly against my cheek and my nose that I could not breathe. I remembered the metallic taste of my own blood fill my mouth, even as I groped my pockets desperately for my dagger.

Where was it? I swear I had it earlier –

That was when I noticed it lying by the corner of the bedside table. I had no idea when it had slipped out of my pocket, but damn it -

The Housekeeper was all I could smell, all I could hear. Every last one of her endless pounds of flesh was squashed against my face, as she leaned forward to blind and suffocate me.

"Richard, get her off me!" I panted, unable to see anything, "I – "

"I am trying!" I heard him grunt, "but she is like a bull – "

I was running out of air -

I had no other choice. Even as she mercilessly slapped and punched me anywhere on my body that she could get her hands on, I twisted my arm behind my back and pulled the Housekeeper's hair to distract her. When she cried out in pain, I flung her off my body with one, swift turn on the ground.

Both Richard, and the man who had been fighting him lost their balance, and fell to the ground.

"Good job, Kat!" I heard Richard cheer lowly, "let me deal with this idiot, and I shall come and help you finish her off – "

I was only half listening to him. Before the element of surprise could wear off, I sat up, turned the Housekeeper on her stomach, and straddled her from behind, kicking and struggling, and tried to force both her arms into a deadlock behind her head.

Unfortunately, she quickly understood what I was trying to do to her, and put an end to it. She turned over beneath me, kicked me to the ground, and stepped on the back of my right knee to prevent me from moving away.

A sharp burst of pain shot through my leg. "Ouch!" I yelled, as I struggled to pull my leg away, "Richard – "

I heard his footsteps. "Hold on, I am coming – "

She straddled my back, as she had done earlier, and forced my wrists tightly behind my head with one hand, and painfully pushed my face to the ground with the other - in a weak attempt to do what I tried to do to her earlier.

"Get off her!" I felt Richard's weight combine with the Housekeeper's own, as he launched himself on her back, "you abominable buffalo – "

If she had not been sitting on me, and if my mouth was not filled with blood, I would have laughed at that – and at her locking technique.

The theory behind a deadlock was as important as the execution itself. I highly doubted she understood it. When held in a deadlock, one would not even have been able to move her hands or her arms even an inch, because her arms would have been held in a cross behind her head, and her hands facing up on either side of her neck, each hand unable to reach the other.

The Housekeeper had held me the wrong way. As a result, although I could not move my arms, although I could not see her - my hands were still free to roam.

I remembered combing my fingers through my hair, in search of the barrette that Jules and Lisa had given me for my engagement. I remembered closing my fingers over its cool surface. I remembered tugging the thin blade out of the barrette, and twisting my wrist in a quick flick, such that I slashed the underside of her arm that were holding mine.

I heard her cry of pain. Bullseye.

Her grip on my arm loosened. I did not waste time trying to turn on my back to face her, or hesitate, even for a moment. I twisted and raised my arm, and plunged it into flesh and muscle.

I heard another cry of pain. Only, it was not from the Housekeeper.

It was from Richard.

***