Temper Issues

Noticing that Nathaniel was missing, Katherine shed all her anger instantly, and seriousness took its place. She knew very well that this powerful husband of hers was not unbeatable. Even though she only knew later that it was him, she'd nursed him for weeks. The patient was someone who could not move at all in her memory. He'd seemed almost fragile with those black veins all over his body. Overlapping this image with the Nathaniel she knew was hard at first, but it made more sense when she saw his magic firsthand. Every power had its price. And his was just too powerful.

He'd used this power just recently, so it would be no wonder if the repercussions overwhelmed him. Besides, she reminded herself a little late, none of the walls were inherently friendly places. Not the one they passed, and not the one they were in now. If he was ambushed somehow, he would be wounded like any other person.

"We should just return to the Icelands", Lady Brandon complained, but Katherine wasn't listening. Instead, she opened the door to ask where Nathaniel was. Just to be confronted with the man himself giving the two soldiers that she didn't know were guarding her door a deadly stare.

While the soldiers were trembling, Katherine's first thought was: he looks so exhausted. The shadows were deep around his eyes, the fighting spirit diminished to an inherent stubbornness that just wouldn't back down. Despite all this, he still followed her here.

In her eyes, his image suddenly overlapped with that of a wounded puppy, that would growl at anyone besides its owner. Now it followed its owner here and was abandoned outside the door without knowing why.

Katherine hid her smile behind her hand, for it seemed a bit disrespectful in this situation. And when Nathaniel's angry eyes flashed to her, it vanished anyway.

"Will you apologize?", she asked quietly.

His red eyes drilled into her, and she saw his jaw tensing once, then twice. "It depends."

"Oh, so we are back to this kind of answer?" Somehow, two words in this irritable tone of his sufficed to rail up her subsiding temper and bring it back in full force. "Suit yourself then. The bed here is not big enough anyway. Since you can still stand, I guess you can also find yourself another room."

His hands fisted, the voice dark like a growl. "Katherine..."

"Don't 'Katherine' me!", she snapped, but instantly felt guilty for it. Closing her eyes for a few seconds, she tried to breathe out the anger, but it didn't work. Nonetheless, she opened the door a bit wider. "Let's talk inside."

But when Nathaniel took a step forward, the soldiers crossed their spears between them.

"Entering the Lady's chamber is forbidden", the left one blurted out as a heavy red glare dangled above his neck like a sword.

"I am her husband." Nathaniel's voice was cold like ice.

"There is... no registration of marriage in the dragsean civil registry", the soldier answered and swallowed his anxiety. "The Duke of Sleipnir - "

"My dear cousin is a liar", Katherine broke him off with a smile gleaming like a silver blade. In her head she added so many worse terms but they were unbefitting in the situation. "Now, let my husband through."

"We cannot do that." Obviously, the soldiers had overcome their fear, because the spears remained crossed, and they straightened their backs. "Milady, we are forbidden from letting any man enter your chambers. Please forgive us."

Katherine was just about to explode when Nathaniel raised his hand. "Then we will talk in another room. I suppose, you do have free rooms here?"

"That - " The soldiers exchanged gazes.

"You don't mean to say that I'm trapped like a prisoner, do you?" Slowly realizing what was played here, Katherine's anger turned from hot to cold. Her meager size seemed to expand when she put her hands on her hips, glaring down at the soldiers from far above with dangerously squinted eyes as she sprouted poisonous words. "Did my dearest cousin tell you to treat me like this? Did he tell you that I'm a little girl that ran away from home in a fit of rage? Or that I'm mentally challenged like my uncle, believing a stranger is my husband? Is that it? Yes? Yes, the way you look at me, you really do believe that."

Forcefully, Katherine suppressed the angry laugh that burned in her throat. It would only make her look like a maniac. Well, these men belived her to be one anyway. But before she proved herself worthy of the title, she had to try it in a friendly way.

The smile that she put on her face now was so sweet that the soldiers felt sick inside. Her voice, light and beautiful, carried a tension that was about to snap into something ugly. "I am no little girl. I'm not insane as well. Now, would you please, please give me and Nathaniel a bit of privacy in any way possible?"

Hearing this voice, even Ella, who couldn't see her friend's face from behind, felt goosebumps rise on her skin. Around Katherine was a certain glow, barely visible to the naked eye, that told of the strength of her feelings. In the silence that followed, the glow got brighter and brighter. With her whole body encased in a halo of light, she looked like a goddess that wanted to smite these blaspheming mortals.

"Alright", one of the soldiers finally gave in with a tremor in his voice. "We have no - no intention to imprison you, Lady Balder."

Satisfied, Katherine calmed down, and gave them the most natural and friendly smile. "Yes, I thought so."

Without another hitch, the soldiers escorted her and Nathaniel to a room close by. This one didn't even have a bed, only three big closets. When the door closed behind them, Katherine turned to Nathaniel. "Now, about you..."

But she didn't come any further. With two long strides, Nathaniel reached her, and pulled her in his embrace. His lips descended on hers, hot, wet, and hungry. She felt his strong arms lifting her up until she lost her footing. Confused, she could only cling to him and give in to the breath-taking kiss.

Finally, he pulled away to bury his head in the crook of her neck. A whisper in a raspy voice then reached her ear. "Damn you, woman, I just can't stay mad. You are too sexy."

She laughed. A breathless, helpless laugh that took all her anger away. "Dummy, what was sexy about that?"

A second late, she realized who she'd called a 'dummy', and anxiously searched his gaze. However, the red eyes that met hers when he raised his head didn't mind at all. Instead, they were full of admiration and love. He stretched out his arms to lift her high above his head, his eyes never leaving hers. "What was sexy? It's you. My sexy, irritable, majestic wife. You were amazing."

Tenderness flooded Katherine, and her heart went wide. She couldn't help but laugh and didn't even know tears of relief were falling from her eyes as she stretched out her arms for him. He obliged her wish and lowered her so they could cling to each other like two parts of a whole. Unavoidable, their lips met again. The kiss was salty and full of indescribable feelings.

Unable to reach the ground, Katherine coiled her legs around his hips. It was easy because she only wore her fighting attire since the day they had left their entourage. Now she was glad for that, because she could feel Nathaniel's hand supporting her behind, kneading it lightly. And they kissed. Their fight, Ethan, their precarious situation, and even the soldiers outside the door were forgotten. Only her and him.

The hunger sparked again soon, a hunger that was familiar already, yet new in its vigor every time. Pressing herself against Nathaniel's hard body, Katherine wanted nothing more than to feel his naked skin. He seemed eager as well, his one hand entangled in her hair and pulling her closer.

When she opened the cords of his shirt, something black came in view below. Suddenly, she paused, and pulled back. Dazed red eyes watched her, and the white brows locked together in a frown slowly. Yet, when he came closer again, she held him by the hair in his neck.

"Nathaniel", she said in a scolding tone, "Why didn't you tell me about this? I could have healed you yesterday already!"

On his shoulder, running down his left arm, was an ominous black pattern.