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Ch. 41: Afterglow
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Catalyst CH. 42: Afterglow (part 2)
He sighed and shook his head. “We’ll figure it out. They’ll probably come back with me.” He took another handful of nuts and got up off the blanket to help her pack up. “Your mother may be a pain in the ass, and your father might be a little cold, but man, I’m still a little jealous. They don’t think of people as tools to be used. I mean, maybe a little—your mother wants you to marry me for the sake of peace—but not to the extent that they’ll kill friends and family for political gain.”She sighed. “It’s very sad that your family thinks that way, but I suppose it’s not altogether uncommon. My mom thought it would help peace, but I’m pretty sure after the whole trying to kill you bit she doesn’t think your safety and marriage as an alliance so much anymore. Which is both fortunate and unfortunate. I’d hate
Catalyst Ch. 43: Diplomacy (part one )
The king had been pouring over everything that had happened since Hayward had arrived in his study, the room to the side of his bedroom. No one entered it, not even his wife, unless it was an emergency. It was where he went to think and he alone. He’d asked for lunch to be brought up and placed outside so he could continue to think things over. It was necessary for him to have his thoughts in order before he spoke with the prince that afternoon. He knew he’d have awhile as Elissa had offered to take him to the mines, but he wondered if that had been such a good idea. She hadn’t looked like herself that morning. He thought perhaps that had something to do with the events of the day before. He knew she was grown and strong and could easily hold her own against anyone, but the fact that in the time since the prince had arrived she’d developed a liking to him (one of the first men she had ever done so), overslept for a hunt (which she had never done before), been in the line of fire for
Catalyst Ch. 44: Diplomacy (Part 2)
The king nodded. “Ranged soldiers are the one thing I have. Bows and arrows are very useful for hunting as well as for protection. When it comes to hand to hand blows, very few are skilled, but with a bow, most are quite proficient marksman.”“And we have small stations set along the borders for scouts to be based when not on patrol. We just haven’t needed them in years…” the last time he had sent someone to one had been the young soldier who tried to court his eldest daughter, but that had been spite, not necessity. “So sending soldiers out to them, especially along our southern border, is a good tactic?” They had enjoyed their years of peace, but he was foolish to think it would truly last. There would always be someone who chose greed over it. He would’ve given them whatever they asked for in return for peace, but instead, they would get nothing. And he would have to deal with the impending threat. “Is there... anything else?” He asked, looking into the young man’s eyes. Hayward
Catalyst Ch. 45: Cat Nap
She was lying on the floor snuggling with Sasha, who had been somewhat neglected since his arrival. “Come in! It’s open!” She called, lifting her head off the white fur to make sure the sound wasn’t completely drowned out. One of her arms was hooked around the neck of the gigantic creature, scratching her behind the ear, and she had Sasha’s muzzle in the crook of her neck. The giant cat was purring so loudly there was no way he couldn’t hear it through the door. She didn’t even look up as the door opened, expecting no one else but him. “How’d it go?” She asked casually, not even looking in his general direction. Hayward entered and quietly closed the door behind him. He looked briefly for Elissa before finding her on the floor with the cat and chuckling. “It went… well. Your father was more agreeable than I expected. I’m going to lie to the Aasleaghans about how difficult it would be to invade Treiaul, and he’s going to try to make those lies more believable.” He sighed. This was t
Catalyst Ch. 45: Dinner
She fell asleep almost immediately: sandwiched between Sasha and Hayward, comfortable and warm. When she awoke a little while later, Sasha had gotten down in favor of searching for something to play with, and she flipped over to find Hayward’s eyes still closed. She pressed her lips to his just to see if it would get a rise out of him, or if he would even wake up at all.He wasn’t quite awake yet, but he’d been pushed closer to it when she turned over in his arms. When she kissed him, he reacted more by reflex and instinct than by conscious thought. His arms tightened a little, and he pressed back. A moment later, his eyes opened, and he smiled. “Well, hello there.” He hugged her closer and kissed her again, more deeply this time. It was a pleasant response, and she smiled against his lips before kissing him back with the same fervor. As she pulled back once more to look at him, she beamed, “you know, I could really get used to this waking up next to someone thing…” It was nice to ha
Catalyst Ch. 46: Dinner (part 2)
Hayward turned and watched Elissa leave but didn’t go anywhere; he was still hungry. Internally, his mind raced. Well, shit. Now what? The queen will probably be scandalized. Her father won’t be happy either… ah, fuck it.When he needed to be, the young prince was utterly shameless. He would deflect matters simply by acting as if they weren’t important. And with humor. That was vital. He pointed his fork at Kohl. “That… that was a dick move.” He took another bite. “And someday, you may find yourself with a young lady friend, and you may do something that you don’t want your parents or hers to know about; and you will realize just what a dick move it was.” He took another bite. “And if you’re very unlucky, I’ll still be here to repay you in kind.” He grinned playfully at the younger prince. It was dangerous, of course, to address the prince and ignore the parents, but he was going to play it off like it wasn’t a big deal. Kohl just huffed. “I wouldn’t be as careless as you two are…” h
Catalyst Ch. 48: A Good Family
In another part of the castle, Elissa was still throwing a fit. She wasn’t sure what had or hadn’t happened after she left, but she was out for blood. She had noticed Kohl slinking into the gardens out her window and seriously considered going after him. However, she waited. Well, she paced. She paced back and forth, debating whether she’d be beheaded for killing their only heir, or how badly she could injure him without actually killing him. And to think she’d saved the little bastard’s life the day before! She was absolutely seething. As soon as Elissa heard a knock, she froze and turned toward the door. She didn’t know who it was, but the knob turned and in walked Hayward. In response, she smiled a little. “Oh good. Just you…” It sounded a little harsher coming out than she’d mean it to. Just you didn’t exactly seem warm and welcoming, but she was afraid it was one of her parents, come to chastise her. “Sorry... I…” she reached up behind her head, scratching her neck awkwardly. W
Catalyst Ch. 49: Ridiculous Politics
“So I know why you hate your dad. Rightfully so. But... what about your mom? Or your siblings? Why did you not have any common ground with any of them?” Hayward smirked. “This is going to sound strange, but it’s because I was supposed to be a girl.” He licked his lips. “There’s this… this expectation, among Aasleaghan noblewomen. Their first few children will be sons, and then they’ll have daughters. Supposedly, this is actually a common pattern, something in the bloodlines that causes them to have daughters instead of sons as they get older. But I hear more often about women who ‘fail’ to fit the mold than about the ones who succeed, so… who knows?”“Anyway, my mother was a perfect exemplar until I came along. Three handsome sons, a beautiful daughter… and then me. And then another daughter. See, political marriages are a big deal for us, and daughters are important, traditionally—can’t have marriages without them, you know. So while it might be better to have a bunch of sons in the
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