Chapter 8
"I will be escorting you back to your home." Elizabeth smoothly took hold of the conversation, leading her to a carriage to be taken home. She didn't wait back, rather following her to give her some advice.
"You will see him soon."
Katherine beamed in excitement at the good news, while the black-haired woman saw no reason how that was good news especially when it meant the opposite. Especially when one was aware of his track record.
"For a hearing."
The mood darkened, leaving only confusion in her eyes. Elizabeth could only sigh internally, giving nothing away to reveal her disappointment in her lack of awareness. Nothing she could do but lean her towards the right direction and let her learn like her mistress did under her father.
Eventually Katherine was escorted back to her home after the conversation had been adjourned afterwards. There had been no shouting competition, fights or claims that she expected when Leonard told her that he was going to publicly end the arrangement between him and Margaret. Even then, she thought the redhead would be angry and mad. Even hurt her for stealing her fiancé, but she did none of that.
'Only Leonard was angry and mad.'
She held her legs together against her chest, while staying in her room. It was simple but good enough for a commoner. Her father was rich, even if he hadn't attained a noble status despite how much he earned, because apparently that was what merchants were good at.
'Will he be upset that I did such a thing?' She thought to herself with a saddened smile, nearly tearing up. Remembering that she must have annoyed everyone and therefore, this would cause them
Either way, she stood up from her bed, picking up the woven baskets from the wooden wardrobe from her home before walking towards the stream. Having worn a simple blue dress, after changing before leaving the outdoors. Passing by the massive forest that she lived by with most commoners did, while nobles and royals were typically surrounded by water.
'No. I am not in love with Margaret.'
She shook her head at that, when she was aware of how the redhead was really like. She knew nothing about her but Leonard's remarks about her constantly of her being hardworking and trying to get him to be more of a prince.
She looked down to her feet, while holding her the hems of her clothes tightly. Maybe she was just as bad as Leonard for thinking that Maragret would handle everything for them both if Leonard took her as his consort instead.
And now? She might not even see him again because of it.
Even so, there was some truth to Leonard. Picking up her dried clothes from the
She remembered how he had personally taken her measurements and sewn clothes that fit her size right in front of her. Sneaking her into his palace and letting him watch the stars. She walked towards her home, even if it wasn't as massive as the dukedom or the palace. It was still better than most homes outside of Fellton.
"I wonder if I can see him again."
She knew it was bad to think of seeing him so soon, as she looked at her bandaged hand, considering the matters of the previous night and the chaos that it had led to for all sides involved. Margaret had her engagement called off, Leonard would be scolded by his parents, and she would have to answer the questions of her father when he heard word of such happening.
'Kate, my dear. Why would you do that?'
She knew that would be his exact question, wearing her woven sandals while walking towards the riverbanks, gently removing the clay from it and placing it into the basket. Waiting for the basket to seep out all the water from the soil to leave it dry and easy for her to carry away with her back to her home.
Softly humming to herself, while her neighbors had passed by, unaware of her stay or the incident from the crown prince's palace. As they waved at her with their friendly smiles, when heading towards the stream too. Starting their morning routines alongside her in the process.
Despite claiming clay from the riverside, water did naturally flow into the houses of everyone that lived in the towns, which wasn't far from the cities nobles and the royals had inhabited to match their status. Pathways had been built to allow water to pass through a sedimented stream before the water would be naturally heated up by the weather, leading towards the homes of many people, underground.
She opened the main tap in her room, letting it fill up the many baskets in her home for times where water would be scarce or flow slowly. She had been warned by her father to be prepared for such occasions as a child to prevent a day of her going without bathing or washing herself up.
Katherine, rather Kate. She preferred being called Kate. It was simple and less mouthful for her to say. Tilting her head in confusion while resting on her bed, placing her legs into the stream inside of her home. The accumulated clay in a basket was spread across the ground under the tap in her living room to add water.
Gently shaping the wet clay against her hands, molding it as she used a mortar to smoothen the surface while twirling it around to make a surface.
'One thing I can trust myself to do.'
Kate didn't drag herself down, but pottery was something she could trust herself not to fail in, while picking up a sharpened nap, gathering clay that didn't fully stick together with the rest. Her fingers had gathered it all back against the top of the pot to shape it accordingly until she was done.
"Perfect."
She smiled to herself. As boring as she felt like she was compared to Leonard and Margaret, she hoped she could see the former again and ask him why he did that to her.