Ultimatums

Cathlinn rummaged through her things, certain items cast out onto the floor as a maid patiently waited. "My lady, is there a certain item you're looking for," she asked softly. This one looked like a stereotypical country girl; her hair brown braided and freckles covering her fair skin. Cathlinn looked over at her and then in her hands where the needle and thread were held.

"No. I just need something to do since I can't train," Cathlinn walked over to her and took the items, looking them over.

"I'm sorry, your highness," she tilted her head and Cathlinn stared at her before smiling and motioning to the dresses on the floor with her head.

"I'm redesigning," she hummed. "Because I'm tired of having just dresses delivered. I need to be able to move better."

Her eyes widened and Cathlinn giggled at the excitement, "You can do that? You never cease to amaze me, your highness!" Cathlinn chuckled a bit and sat down as the maid brought over the clothing items. "Are they going to be like the clothes you normally wear? Are they going to be different style dresses?"

"It can be a bit of both," Cathlinn nodded. "I don't plan on always wearing male clothing after all. It's nice to feel like a girl once in a while." The maid nodded as Cathlinn set the dress out, stopping and staring at the girl with a raised eyebrow. "What's your name?"

"Your highness," she asked.

"Your name," Cathlinn repeated.

"Oh," the maid nodded slowly and gave a curtsey, "I am Tatiana Westburrow. Second daughter of the Westburrow house."

"Tatiana," Cathlinn's fingers drummed on the table before she sighed, "You seem new here."

"Is that a bad thing," she squeaked.

"No, not at all. It just means the games in the castle haven't gotten to you," Cathlinn nodded. Tatiana stared before she smiled warmly and sat next to Cathlinn.

"It was the king's order surprisingly. Normally it s the queen requesting new maids," she nodded.

"And that's not always a good thing," Cathlinn sniffed. "Well, I'm glad though. It means I can trust you right?"

The girls face turned red as her smile grew, "You mean it, your highness?"

"One less snake in the grass," Cathlinn nodded.

"Snake in the grass," the maid frowned as Cathlinn began tearing along a seam of the dress in front of her. "You mean you have enemies?"

"What political figure doesn't," Cathlinn countered. "I won't be here all the time so I need eyes. You think you can do that for me, Tatiana?"

"Isn't that dangerous, your highness," she asked slowly. Cathlinn stopped realigning the dress, glancing at the girl.

"Everything is dangerous," Cathlinn nodded, "it's the purpose that makes it worth it all though."

"And what would the purpose be for me," Tatiana hummed. "You're asking for services but aren't supplying a trade."

Cathlinn stared and blinked, rubbing her face as her mind started digging through the crash courses Simon put her through, "True. That's because I have nothing but my word that you will be compensated."

"Your word means almost nothing, your highness," she smiled coyly and Cathlinn blinked before a grin came to her face as well, shocking Tatiana.

"What if I said there'd be positions opening that would be highly important and constantly watched? The king has been silently reviewing plans I submitted and an appeal I made," Cathlinn offered.

"A responsibility for a responsibility? That doesn't sound fair," Tatiana hummed. "It seems you're asking a tall order that could endanger my life."

"I'm trying to teach commoners the basic knowledge we get as nobles," Cathlinn informed her. Tatiana froze, her eyes wide and the smile gone. "Teaching them to read and to write, to know history and basic politics; they deserve to have the knowledge that we do." There was a long silence and Cathlinn started sewing the aligned pieces together.

"You're offering schooling but at what cost," she asked.

"None. It is all volunteer based," Cathlinn stated. "Free for the masses and it allows the nobles to be more involved with them. A sort of reaching out."

"There could be chaos. So many biased opinions, so much opportunity to indoctrinate ideas that would flood the system," she gasped.

"And someone will need to monitor that floodgate, won't they," Cathlinn rubbed her side carefully, looking up as the door opened to Romano and Istvan. "If you can do as I asked the position could be yours."

Tatiana stared at the men before standing and looking down on Cathlinn, "I will have my answer." She turned and walked out, the men watching her as she lowered her head by them.

"It sounded a bit like you were getting a spy there," Romano sang when the door closed after the maid.

"Would it hurt anyone if I did," Cathlinn raised an eyebrow and kept her hands moving. "Is there a reason you're here?"

"Actually, no," Romano chuckled. "There is a reason for Istvan to be here though." Cathlinn looked up and stared at Istvan, his face dark and almost terrifying.

"You never said anything about marriage propositions," he stated. Cathlinn felt ice get dumped down the back of her shirt at his glare and her heart began to speed up. "If you get married, there will be no alliance between our people."

"What is that supposed to-" Cathlinn cut herself off and her eyes went wide as she quickly stood up. The pain caused white spots to blur her vision and she leaned forward a bit. "Istvan, you didn't even specify what you wanted in the alliance. You can't expect the system to just wait."

"If I had known I would have said no," Istvan stated bluntly.

"I would make you wait," Cathlinn snapped. "I would make whatever one passed judgement wait."

"Half those men are fools and liars," Istvan walked straight for her, making her stumble back as her head swam. He caught her before she could fall backwards, watching her cover her mouth. She felt like throwing up from the pain, her eyes squeezing shut as she fought back the vertigo. Just like that, it was gone and it left her bewildered. "My people need a warrior, they need someone who isn't scared to stand up for them, who knows better than to play with their lives."

"And I'm not- oh wow," Cathlinn gasped and grabbed onto him as she opened her eyes. "I'm not a person someone would follow, Istvan."

"You're calm and collected when your heart is racing through your bones," he pulled her upright and stepped back as she felt at her back, blood coating his hand. "I don't know what illness ails you, but there is no reason you aren't worthy enough to lead my people to what they deserve."

"And what if the people here," Cathlinn snapped. She grabbed at her pendant, taking a shaky breath. "I have an obligation to them if I like it or-"

"You're not from here," he snapped. She widened her eyes and glanced to Romano who blinked. "Your world was explosive, quick, angry, and precise."

"It wasn't just that-"

"You're implementing things that are ahead of their time. Encouraging changes that are reshaping the very ground you walk on," he grabbed her jaw and she froze. Her chest caved on itself as she grabbed his wrist, her breath audibly getting shorter and shorter as they made eye contact. "You are to be my wife if this alliance is to be made. I will take nothing less as there is nothing worth more to me."

"I want to love my own husband," Cathlinn muttered. It was getting hard to speak and the whole moment was overwhelming her as tears pricked her eyes. This one was bad and her anxiety over someone witnessing her breakdown was only making it worse, giving her the embarrassment before she should have been embarrassed. His eyes widened and he slowly let go, the grim expression giving way to something akin to worry and his own panic mixed with some sort of awe and understanding.

"So not only do I have to beat those fools at this game, but I have to win your heart too," he smirked and gave a dry laugh. "You're such a confusing woman. Who kills only when pushed to a certain point? Who has the capability of ending fights with a snap of their finger only to battle on equal terms? Who offers knowledge that has been coveted for nothing in return?"

"It's not- I don't," Cathlinn choked and reached for the chair, stumbling a bit as she rubbed her face. "I do."

"And that is why nothing less will do," Istvan claimed. "So heed the warning, little princess, because a wise man prepares for war but doesn't wish it." She stared at him, her fingers drumming as her panic attack forced her to sit down.