Tension

Cathlinn hadn't been as nice as she would have liked on the trip back. She wanted to be; she wanted to tell them everything would be fine but the raging chaos that infected her brain wouldn't allow it. The three hardly spoke to her even, their eyes always shifting to look at her hands. They had only seen a taste of her world through that, only a small piece of what she meant by explosive and quick and she could tell it scared them. It probably made everything seem mundane and slow afterwards even.

Cathlinn ignored the stares from them, and the people in the streets alike as she rode on the back of the hound. They had only heard about them and hadn't seen it in the flesh. It raised its head as it sniffed around, "You don't seem happy to be back."

"Because there's another fucking fight coming," Cathlinn fumed quietly. "Another fucking fight I don't want to have."

"You can rest before it," the hound slowed its pace, letting the three walk farther ahead. "You don't have to be there immediately. It won't be going anywhere."

"I want it over with," she muttered. "I just want to lay down and not get up. I don't want to have to get up because of some dumb shit they decide to pull."

"Is this about the so-called magic," it asked softly.

"It's not just the magic. It's also the fucking back stabbing bitch that is everything wrong with my mother," Cathlinn growled. "It is everything I fucking hate. It's the fact I fucked up not only an alliance, but a whole ass government."

"You had right to," he replied calmly.

"I had no right to join in and end a war that didn't fucking need our involvement," she rubbed her face and dug in her pocket, pulling out her glasses. The castle was quiet as they wandered in, people glancing up from their quiet conversations as Cathlinn walked towards the throne room. She pushed the doors to the throne room open herself, stopping short as the air began to freeze on her skin. The queen sat in the throne, a more than displeased look on her face as she tapped at the arm rest. Cathlinn slowly walked up, mocking a curtsey as best she could.

Whatever hit her head made her ears ring as she stumbled to right herself. It had so much as caught everyone off guard as they all stiffened.

"You vile thing," the Queen spat. "You disgusting, traitorous liar."

"Where is father, mother," Cathlinn asked. She kept her head down, her hands stiff at her sides.

"You involve yourself with the Tribes of Trosinger. You attack the whole of a wealthy country. You disrespect a king in his own throne room," she yelled.

"Where is the king," Cathlinn snapped. The Queen flinched back, as did everyone else in the throne room. "I will take whatever punishment there is but it won't be from you. It will be from the old fucking geezer himself and not some whining fucking poodle. So where is he?"

"Sick in bed," the Queen stood, storming down the small steps to stand in front of Cathlinn. Cathlinn stopped the hand from flying across her face, her chest bubbling with angered heat.

"Sick in bed huh," Cathlinn asked. The Queen was wide eyed, staring at Cathlinn's hand as her grip tightened. "That's fine then, you can tell him. The Tribes of Trosinger are only uniting themselves and I have offered an alliance in kindness and faith instead of fear and distain. The insulted king is just a lily live red bastard who wanted my hand so he could add me to his collection of whores. And that country just tried to sell me off as a fucking slave because I was calling them out on their bullshit.

"So go ahead and tell him about the distasteful shit I did. Go ahead and call me whatever you fucking want," Cathlinn cooed, "I am not a pawn and I will not let myself be treated as such."

The Queen was speechless for a moment before she pulled her hand away, a bruise forming where Cathlinn held her, "Your use of magic was illegal and unsanctified."

"Then fucking punish me for it," Cathlinn growled. "And you do it yourself just so you can see how unfair that fucking law is." The room roared up in murmurs, the queen's face paling. Cathlinn knew she wouldn't want to be the one to hit her daughter like that. She had Simon explain the punishment to her on the way. A whip wouldn't have been bad if not for the fact this one was supposed to hurt and rend flesh to ribbons.

"Your majesty, your highness," Mei curtsied before standing close to the two. Her shoulders were shaking and her hands were even worse as she held them up, "There must be a different way to settle such a matter right? I mean-"

"Who gave you permission to-"

"Don't you fucking dare interrupt her," Cathlinn snapped at the Queen. "She has every damn right to speak."

"You go so far for those that are loyal to you, but would they go so far for you," the Queen questioned. Whatever aura was in the throne room, a few people had to escape. Cathlinn watched them from the corner of her eye only to turn her gaze back to the Queen.

"We would," Simon was the one to speak up, something in his eyes blazing. "We would and we will."

"The. You all can share the lashings," the Queen barked. Cathlinn grabbed the collar of her dress, wrenching her closer so they were almost nose to nose.

"They will not be punished for what I did," Cathlinn growled quietly. "You will not harm them in any way, do you hear me? If they are, you're the one that's going to be on my shit list." The silence stretched itself again as the queen studied Cathlinn's face, her eyes becoming stone cold.

"Tomorrow at dawn. In the square," the Queen muttered. "You're to wear your nightgown."

"Oh good. You can be straight with me," Cathlinn let go and turned.

"Are you insane," Mei pulled Cathlinn to sit and her hands began playing with the other's hair. "Have you ever been whipped before? It hurts and takes days, if not weeks to heal properly!"

Cathlinn stared at her neck in the mirror, her fingers mindlessly playing with the scar that was there, "And?"

Mei stopped and stared at Cathlinn's face in the mirror, "You don't deserve that. The Queen won't go easy on you."

"I know," Cathlinn secretly wanted the pain; something to feel. She couldn't in the moment, her insides processing the void of emotion. "I don't expect to be taken lightly and I don't expect anyone else to either. Let it happen."

"You aren't going to fight it, are you," she muttered.

"I don't have the energy to," Cathlinn nodded a bit. "There's not much I can change right away." Cathlinn felt Mei's hands continue to move and she let out a breath, "Have we received a letter from Trosinger?"

"Two," Mei confirmed.

"Two," Cathlinn leaned forward, turning to stare at Mei. "What do you mean two? We were only expecting one."

"Well, it's the second one I think is more interesting," Mei held out both letters, each one with her name written in brown ink. She took them, turning them over before opening them both.

"He will accept the alliance and asks for an escort so we may discuss the exchange," Cathlinn nodded slowly. She picked up the other one, blinking as she read it over. Her face turned a little red as she set it face down on the desk.

"What is it," Mei asked quickly.

"A personal letter. It's like he wants to be pen pals," Cathlinn shoved the letter in the desk, reaching and pulling her pendant.

"Pen pals," she asked.

"Friends that write to each other," Cathlinn nodded. Mei stared before grinning and wiggling her eyebrows.

"He was the one that saved you from the traders right," she sang.

"Mei," Cathlinn warned.

Mei giggled, kissing Cathlinn's cheek gently, "You know, he's almost like a prince from a fairy tale for you."

"Mei," Cathlinn grunted. She pouted and rubbed her cheek into Cathlinn's.

"He knew how to treat a woman. He's probably worried about you is all," Mei giggled. "And to top it off, he's cute. In my opinion, I wouldn't care if I became his concubine."

"Mei," Cathlinn laughed. Mei stared down and gave a soft smile, kissing the top of Cathlinn's head.

"There you are," she hummed softly. Her arms wrapped around Cathlinn, Mei's eyes watering. "Don't cry. We're right here for you, okay?" Cathlinn blinked and reached her cheek, pulling it away to see the tears now on the tips of her fingers.