Contingencies

After leaving Gwen's farm and the cold hills of Cheve, the royal convoy, true to Leo's word, continued northeast, towards the polar coast and the foothills of Mount Garou; they stopped at every village along the way to speak about agricultural reform. From there, they turned sharply back northwest, journeying back up barren tundra and into the dry, sparse woodlands of northern Nohr.

For Katonah, this return leg of the journey was a lot more uncomfortable than it should have been, mainly because she was in a lot of trouble with Leo.

"Heavy scrutiny" were his words, but "lockdown" was more accurate — since the Dragon Vein at Gwenore's farm, he'd saddled her with both of his retainers, meaning that when she wasn't within Leo's line of sight, she was under Odin and Niles' supervision. It also meant that anywhere she went, she went with an escort, which, these days, wasn't beyond the perimeter of the camp — she was no longer allowed to enter the villages either, another facet of her punishment.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Niles also undertook his new task with a disturbing enthusiasm, all but gluing himself to her shoulder each day and taking amusement in her discomfort over his hovering.

"You'll have to forgive the close proximity, milady," he'd say whenever she gave him a rankled look. "But I've only got one eye, you see. I've got to make sure that I keep you on my good side at all times."

Honestly, Katonah thought that Leo was overreacting over what had occurred at Gwenore's farm. Yes, maybe she should have asked for his permission before she'd utilized such a powerful conduit of divine power, and yes, it was only expected that he'd punish her in some way after acting so recklessly. But she'd been prepared for a lecture, maybe some cursing, not Niles and Odin staring over her shoulder every second of every day as though she, yet again, warranted suspicion.

Because she didn't. After all, had she hurt anyone? Destroyed anything? Tried to escape? No, no, and no, even though she certainly could have attempted all three. But using the Dragon Vein to somehow help herself had not even crossed her mind when she'd activated it. If that wasn't a sign that she could be trusted, she didn't know what would be.

Unfortunately, Leo wasn't inclined to hear her protests on the matter of her lockdown. In fact, after Gwen's farm, he never seemed to be in the mood to hear much of what she had to say at all. Either the cold weather had shortened the fuse on his temper, or her using the Dragon Vein had upset him more than Katonah had anticipated. Either way, his bad mod appeared to be here to stay, making it hard to raise the issue of her new "guardians".

"Leo, I'm sorry," she said on one of the many occasions where she'd tried. "I know I should have asked before I did what I did at Gwen's farm. I acted without thinking, and I—"

"The food stores," Leo snapped at one of the servants. "I said bring me the records for the food stores, woman; you keep handing me farming inventory!"

The attendant paled and apologized, skimming through the stack of parchment she had pinned under one arm before handing him the correct paperwork. Several other servants, plus Briarus, stood around the prince of Nohr, each of them either with paperwork for him to review or a matter they needed his authority on. It made standing there in the middle of camp, trying to get his attention, difficult — not to mention awkward. Katonah would have spoken to Leo in private, but with Odin and Niles — an angel and a devil, respectively — on her shoulders, that was no longer possible. It was even more embarrassing with other servants listening, though — all she could do was make her plea and hope that she didn't somehow shame herself in front of them.

"Finances," Leo commanded after he'd sent the girl with the food records off. Another young woman in uniform immediately stepped forward, handing him another pack of paperwork. He flipped through the papers grouchily, then shoved them back towards the maid.

"Have someone check your sums," he said. "If I see that many mistakes again, you're back to dishwashing. Inventory," he snapped as the girl stammered and backed away. Another ream of paperwork was placed in his hands.

Briarus caught Katonah's eye and inclined his head towards Leo. Clearing her throat, she tried again.

"Leo," she prompted.

"Next," Leo said, gesturing to who was next in line: a soldier, there to give a report of some kind; he looked distinctly uncomfortable with Leo's peevishness and stepped back a little, gesturing vaguely at Katonah.

"Um, milady can go next, if she wishes," the soldier said.

"Milady isn't in line," Leo said before Katonah could reply. "Now are you going to deliver your report, or am I going to have to speak to your superior?"

Katonah's teeth gnashed, and she heard Niles snicker loudly from where he stood behind her. Everyone else just looked uncomfortable. All right, now he's just being churlish. Though if she needed further evidence that Leo was upset over what she'd done at Gwen's farm, she now had it. Apparently, besides pinning her under Niles and Odin's scrutiny and confining her in camp, giving her the cold shoulder was another way he was punishing her for that slight.

And at one point, such a thing would have made her cower, back off, and try again later. But after the way they'd embraced in Cheve, a deep, hard part of her refused to let...whatever was between them revert to suspicion and thinly-veiled insults, not when that same, growing part of her was still reliving that embrace and craving another. And besides, she knew how to break through Leo's moods — again, it was by doing the unexpected.

So she smiled kindly to the soldier and said, "He's right, sir. I'm not in line. In fact, I've decided to come and speak to Prince Leo later, when he's not acting so childish. Hopefully, the chill will have cooled him off by dusk."

Now everyone looked horrified — except Niles. Leo's retainer was holding a hand to his mouth, wheezing a little as he struggled not to burst out laughing. Katonah didn't see how he could be so amused, seeing how Leo was now staring in their direction with an expression toxic enough to wilt flowers, had there been any flowers around.

"What was that?" he hissed.

Katonah turned her back on him and marched off. "Odin, Niles," she said. "Can you escort me back to my tent, please? I'm feeling tired, and I'd like to sleep." She walked past a stiffened Odin, but hadn't taken three steps before Leo's voice rang out behind her.

"Odin! Turn that woman around. Now."

The retainer obediently stepped in front of her, looking very uncomfortable. Katonah turned back to see Leo wearing a scowl more twisted than a tangle of briars, eyes kindling with a rage fierce enough to make her falter. Maybe I went too far...

She really began to grow afraid when Leo barked, "Leave us." The surrounding crowd of waiting workers hurried to obey, scurrying away until the immediate area was clear eavesdroppers. Briarus gave her a sympathetic look as he passed. No doubt he didn't envy her position at all.

"You two," Leo said without looking away from Katonah. "Wait over there." He pointed vaguely behind him, and Odin and Niles moved off; Niles was still wearing a slight smile, and he winked at Katonah as he passed behind Leo. Or perhaps he just blinked — it was hard to tell, as he only had one eye.

Finally, the two were alone. Katonah didn't feel as relieved as she should have been, though — if anything, Leo's belligerent stare was making her feel increasingly anxious. But there was another part of her that was also strangely excited — after all, the last time she'd been so close to Leo, he'd had his arms around her.

Unfortunately, he wouldn't be doing that again, if the stiffness of his shoulders was any indication — in fact, he was probably more likely to throw her into the prisoner transport at this point.

Hissing through his teeth, he said, "Did you enjoy insulting me in front of my own men?"

She looked away, glancing down at the way her shoes scuffed the frosty soil. "No," she admitted.

Pause. It seemed that Leo hadn't anticipated an honest reply. Now that was insulting.

"So I'm sorry," she continued. "Now can you please stop ignoring me so that we can talk about how I'm also sorry about the Dragon Vein?"

He backed off a little, rubbing at his nose. Thankfully, some of his hostility seemed to be draining away. "Katonah, we already talked about this," he grunted. "I'm not inclined to discuss it again. You will remain under the supervision of Odin and Niles until we return to Krakenburg. And no amount of eyelash-batting will change my mind on the matter."

She hadn't batted her eyelashes at him yet, but it had crossed her mind. "I'm sorry that I acted so rashly," she said, forging ahead. "But I wasn't trying to hurt anyone or cause any trouble. I just wanted to do something to help out Gwen and her family, since I might not even be here if it hadn't been for her and Otto. I know it's no excuse, but I didn't expect for something so grand to happen when I touched the Dragon Vein, so I didn't think there'd be anything to be punished for... But it did happen, and I do deserve it. Still, Leo, I'm sorry, I really am."

He sighed, looking resigned. "I believe you."

"You...do?" Then why... "Then why are you overreacting? And punishing me?"

He glared at her. "I'm not overreacting," he said. "You said it yourself: your actions warranted punishment. And I wish an apology was enough to absolve you, but it isn't."

Why wasn't it? "How about my word that nothing like that will ever happen again?"

"That was almost funny. Almost."

"I'm being serious!"

"Even worse. You don't get it do you? There's a lesson to be learned here, General."

"I do get it," Katonah said, growing upset. "Insubordination and rash behavior won't be tolerated. I'm an enemy of the state, after all. I can't be trusted."

"That's not it," Leo snapped. "If I didn't trust you, Katonah, you would've been riding in the prisoner transport this entire journey. You are no longer an enemy of Nohr. Not to me, at least."

Just like that, her frustration was gone, to be replaced by rush of hot blood that made her cheeks turn pink. "R-really?" she asked, looking back up at him hopefully. Her tone must've startled him, because his scowl returned, his expression obviously trying to hide the red tips of his ears.

"Really," he grunted, moving on. "But you are reckless — these days, you're more prone to acting without thinking, and sometimes I don't think you realize the kinds of consequences your actions have."

She frowned. "What do you mean?" How could she not know that, suffering as she was from cabin fever and Niles and Odin's combined scrutiny?

Leo nodded, as if he'd expected her response. "That's something you're going to have to figure out for yourself," he said. "And the sooner you do, the better. I don't know why, but I have a feeling that when you do, it'll prevent major heartbreak in the future."

With that, he left, returning to commanding the servants and signing paperwork. Katonah was left staring after him, his words mystifying her. Indeed, it seemed that she was going to have to figure out what he meant on her own; it was growing more apparent that that was the prince of Nohr's style.

(/\)

Stuck in the constant company of Odin and Niles, Katonah wiled her days away in camp as the convoy continued on its journey back to the Nohrian capital. The weather worsened as they drew near the Bottomless Canyon, the fathomless divide that separated Nohr from Hoshido. The black cloudbanks crouched over the canyon seemed to spread to nearby terrain, causing heavy winds, sleet and, in some cases, bursts of snow and hail. It made for a rough uphill journey to the plains of the highlands, but luckily, after three days of persistent travel, they pushed through the worst of the nastiness, reaching higher elevation with milder snowfall.

Those days Katonah spent gazing out of the window at Nohr's rugged country, her imagination overlaying the polar wastes with healthy blooms of green. Just like at Gwen's farm.

Even though she'd put her hands inside the Dragon Vein more than a two weeks ago now, Katonah still thought about it when she was idle, and dreamt about it in startling clarity at night: the cold, then the light, then the green. And what had happened after: waking to find Leo shaking her, his angry words quickly fading away as she looked around to see that her wishes had come to fruition. That she'd turned miles of barren soil into healthy cropland, turned dry earth into waving grass, induced seed to sprout into food, stands of food, spanning for as far as the eye could see in any direction. Wonderment and excitement and incredulity, all at once.

Barely, she remembered Gwenore and her mother coming down the hill, eyes wide, the former demanding an explanation as Leo, with an iron grip on her arm, loaded her into the wagon. And then they'd been moving up the hill and...wow, the view from on high had been even more breath-taking than being down there in the peat and grass. A sparkling green ring, shining in the wintry sunlight, spanning for at least several miles in every direction. Like a vibrant ripple, with the oak tree, and the Dragon Vein underneath, at the center.

The result had been totally unexpected. Yes, she'd put her hands in the Dragon Vein half-hoping that she could induce some plant growth in Gwen's farm somehow, give her rescuer and her family something to subsist on, but she'd half figured that it wouldn't work: that she would do more harm than good, rip up or break the earth as she had back at the border battle. But an entire world of possibilities opened up at her exaggerated success, ones she wasn't even sure that she wanted to think about just yet.

And she wasn't the only one who'd been amazed at the feat: rumors had been floating about the staff for nearly a week after they'd departed from Gwen's home, speculating at the bizarre and sudden transformation of the land around the farm. But Katonah had never heard her name in those conversations; she supposed that Leo hadn't offered anyone any explanations on the event, and had threatened anyone who might know the truth — Niles, Odin, several of the soldier escort, and maybe even Briarus — with an unpleasant punishment if they mentioned it.

Katonah wondered about Briarus the most. She wasn't sure how much he knew about her and Dragon Veins — several times after Gwen's farm, she caught him giving her curious looks, but, though she kept expecting it, he had yet to ask about it. It made her wonder if she should tell him about it — after all, they were friends weren't they?

But was that advisable? Would Leo approve? It was an important question — after all, she was already in hot water with him, and she didn't want to do anything else to get on his bad side and be stuck with Niles longer than was necessary.

But three days after her conversation with Leo, she found Briarus coming to sit down beside her near the fire, extending his hands towards the flames to warm them up.

"You're up early," he commented as he flexed his digits. "Couldn't sleep?"

"I slept enough yesterday." In fact, these days, she was doing precious little but sleeping. She recalled the heart-pounding terror after the riot in Cheve and actually felt a pang go through her chest. Funny that she'd actually wished for monotony right after that. Now she felt that she could do with some excitement. "You and Lord Leo are back early. Any luck in the village?"

The weather was steady getting worse up in this section of the Nohrian highlands, and since they wanted to depart as soon as possible, Leo and Briarus had opted to trek down into the nearby village to advocate reform sooner rather than later. Still, they'd gone off only an hour or so ago, and they were already back.

"Enough," Briarus said, drawing his hands back under his cloak. "It seems that news of our convoy's travels have preceded us: Lord Talley didn't need much convincing before he signed the contract. And we got several volunteers to make the transition into farmhands. Job well done, I say."

"Congratulations," Katonah said, wiggling a snowflake off of her nose. It was beginning to snow more heavily now, the sky turning a bland kind of gray and covering the camp in a fluffy white carpet. Luckily, it wouldn't be too long before they left behind this section of Nohr and returned to the temperate interior — relatively temperate, that was. Hopefully it wasn't as cold as it was towards the coast.

"Milady," Niles suddenly called from a ways away. "I've nearly annihilated Odin, so it'll be your turn again soon. Prepare yourself."

Katonah tried not to glare over at where the two retainers knelt near another fire, a chess board set between them on a small table. Odin was looking incredibly frustrated at the placement of his pieces — quite obviously, Niles had all of his units in his crosshairs.

"No, thank you," she said. "Odin, you can play again."

Odin looked horrified. "What? No, that's all right, Lady Katonah. I'd be honored if you would take my place."

"No, no," Katonah said hastily. "I'm sure that you want to redeem yourself, right?"

"Of course he does," Niles said, highly amused. "After all, this is your seventh loss in a row, isn't it?"

Odin groaned. "Lady Katonah, mercy," he begged.

"Aw, quite complaining and play," Niles said. "I want to see the look on your face when I assassinate your queen."

Relieved, Katonah turned back to see Briarus grinning at her. Smiling slightly back, she explained, "I don't know how, but he knows that I hate losing at chess, so he's been asking me to play nonstop for the past five days."

"And?"

"And at first I played because I thought he was worse than Leo, but it didn't take long for him to prove me wrong. It makes me wonder if I'm the only one in Nohr who's this bad at the game."

Briarus was sympathetic. "Don't feel ashamed. I wager I'm not much better. I still don't remember all of the pieces and the moves."

"For some reason, they both think that if I keep losing, I'll start winning."

"And have you?"

"No, and I'm not likely to, either." Sighing, Katonah extended her palms out over the fire, heating up her chilling fingertips.

"Don't worry, Lady Katonah," Briarus said. "It's not long before we're back at Castle Krakenburg, and Niles and his chess board will be occupied with something more productive."

Katonah smiled. "Yes, and the sooner the better."

"Indeed," Briarus agreed. "What about your conversation with Leo the other day, Lady Katonah? Were you able to change his mind about your guardian angels?"

She shook her head. "No...they'll be with me until Windmire. Unfortunately."

"I'm right here, Lady Katonah," Niles said cheerfully.

"I see," Briarus said, giving Niles an annoyed look. "Well, maybe we can think of some things for you to do, seeing as you're confined in camp. Something besides chess games."

That was an issue that Katonah had been trying to tackle for the past few days. The problem was there she didn't really have any tasks or obligations: as Xander's betrothed, she had no chores or responsibilities, other than to simply be present and take in the countryside, as Xander had asked her to do. And even that had lost its appeal — again, there was only so much that she could appreciate about Nohr's sparse woodland and rugged, cold wastes. Perhaps she could have tried doing some needlework or writing a letter to Elise, but she'd quickly run out of steam on both — she grew bored with the former, and tongue-tied with the latter. Once, trying to contact Tormod had even crossed her mind, but with Niles and Odin nearby, that was nigh impossible.

Letting out a foggy breath, she said, "I just wish that Leo hadn't blown all of this so out of proportion. I already apologized about what happened, but he thinks that I've become increasingly reckless, and says that my actions have consequences..."

She stopped, not just because she was rambling, but because Briarus was now watching her, curious. She swallowed, realizing that she'd opened herself up for questions about what had happened back at Gwen's farm. She quickly looked away, hoping that he wouldn't ask for details. Details she wasn't sure she should give...

But he didn't. Instead, he said, "Lady Katonah, forgive me for being forward, but I think you're being incredibly one-sided about this."

She turned back, surprised. "One-sided?" she echoed.

"Yes," Briarus said. "I know how this arrangement may seem to you: blown out of proportion, you said, and unfair. But think about how Lord Leo must feel. This must be doubly stressful for him."

Katonah dug her fingers into her dress, wringing the thick material. "I know that," she mumbled. "I told him that I was sorry. I didn't mean to upset him, least of all make trouble for him."

Briarus scoffed. "He knows that," he said. "And that's not what he's stressing over."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Then what are you talking about?"

"You, of course. Your well-being. He cares for you a lot, you know."

Her cheeks heated. "I don't understand..."

"You do realize that Lord Leo has to periodically send progress reports to Lord Xander, to keep him abreast of the progress of our journey?"

Katonah's spine straightened at Xander's name. "Yes, that makes sense..."

"And forthright as Lord Leo is, I doubt he's inclined to omit any major happenings from his reports, including whatever happened at the farm back in Cheve. And since you seemed to play a hand in it, how do you think Lord Xander would receive such news?"

Understanding dawned on Katonah, brutal enough to turn her stomach. Gods above... Of course. That was what Leo had meant about consequences, and she should have seen it coming a mile away. Of course Xander would want to know anything major that happened on the journey, and as his subordinate, Leo was obligated to tell him everything: the speeches, the villages, the riot, and the Dragon Vein. So the king of Nohr would know — probably already knew — that she had utilized very dangerous magic without permission. No one had gotten hurt, Leo might say, but did it really matter? Xander would see it as insubordination, and the last time she'd been insubordinate...

Iseabail's face flashed through her mind, and now Katonah felt deathly ill. Yes, consequences. Sickening, far-reaching consequences, involving her tribesmen suffering, once again, for her mistakes. What would Xander do to them once he found out? What might have already done to them?

Briarus nodded, seeing the realization darkening her face. "Lord Leo's not trying to punish you, not really," he told her. "What he's doing is making sure that you keep a low profile for the rest of this venture, and that you don't do anything else to jeopardize your situation." The liaison sighed, winding his long ponytail around one finger. "Honestly, you should be flattered. From what I hear, Lord Leo's done a lot worse to others for less."

At this point, Katonah was no longer listening. Her heartbeat roared in her ears, and her temples throbbed in anxiety. A part of her knew that she might be overreacting — perhaps Leo had not written about the Dragon Vein incident in Cheve, and Xander was none the wiser. Or maybe Leo had, and Xander was debating how to torment her tribesmen. She had no way of knowing, which was borderline maddening.

So what do I do? Honestly, there was only one thing to do.

Saying her farewells to Briarus, she rose to go and find Leo, Niles and Odin falling into step behind her.

(/\)

Unfortunately, Katonah was unable to speak with Leo alone until much later that day, when they'd traveled a couple dozen miles and then set up camp in a sheltered niche in a steppe carved into the tundra. Thankfully, the wind was blowing south, meaning the outcropping protected them from the bitter gale. The bad news was that they were camping on bare rock tonight, which sucked the warmth right out of any blankets or coverings that tried to hold them. It was going to make sleeping difficult.

But Katonah wasn't even thinking about closing her eyes right now. She was anxious and frightened for her tribesmen at the Northern Fortress, and couldn't rest until she knew whether or not Xander was aware about her using the Dragon Vein, information that only Leo could possibly know. It meant standing outside his tent in the deathly cold and the heavily falling snow while he finished hearing reports from all the soldiers and support staff and assigned patrols, but she didn't care — she would stand out in the chill all night if it meant getting some answers.

That meant that Niles and Odin had to suffer with her though, and for once, Niles didn't look amused — being made to wait out in arctic weather was enough to wipe the smile from even from his face. Katonah couldn't help but take a mote of pleasure at that fact, remembering how the retainer had been aggravating her for days on end.

Finally, she saw Leo making his way up the slope, the growing dark shadowing his face and making him look tired. He scowled a little when he saw a crowd waiting outside his tent. "Shouldn't you all be asleep?" he asked, sounding a little grumpy. "It's almost midnight."

"Leo, I need to talk to you," Katonah burst out. "I'm sorry that it's so late, but it's important. Please."

He narrowed his eyes at her, looking a little suspicious. He must've thought she was there to ask him to call off his retainers again. Still, he lifted the flap of his tent for her and gestured. "Come in, then," he said. To Odin and Niles, he said, "You two are dismissed. I'll have one of the patrol escort her back to her tent."

"Thank gods," Niles growled. Katonah made a mental note to make him stand out in the cold more often.

She ducked inside his tent and immediately gravitated towards the lamp glowing in one corner — it wasn't much of a heat source, but it was better than nothing. Leo shifted inside behind her and then took a seat opposite her, in front of his bed roll, which lay in the far corner. "So?" he asked, extracting a small table from a stack of supplies and folding it before him. "What's so urgent, General?"

Katonah watched him as he stacked a pile of parchments onto the folding table, along with a quill and a small bottle of ink. Some of the parchments were covered in neat script, a style distinctly different from Leo's loopy scrawl. Xander's handwriting? Despite the cold, beads of sweat dripped down her temple. Leo had been communicating with his older brother all right. So how much did Xander know?

There was no point in beating around the bush. Scooting so that she sat directly in front of him, she said, "Does Xander know about how I used the Dragon Vein in Cheve?"

Leo flinched, and Katonah's heart sank to the depths of her abdomen. So he did. Her fingers dug hard into her knees, enough that her nails bit through the material of her dress, causing actual pain.

"There's nothing I can do," Leo said, looking away from her. For some reason, he looked ashamed, as though he'd been caught red-handed doing something he shouldn't. "He was quite clear: one progress report every week."

So Xander didn't just know, he'd known for a while. Long enough for her tribesmen to have been hurting for at least two or three days by now. If he'd punished them. "Was he angry?" Katonah asked.

Leo tapped his fingers against the table. "I don't know," he admitted. "He's only replied to a few of my reports so far, and the one detailing what happened at Gwenore's farm wasn't one of them. We'll just have to find out when we get to Windmire."

When they got to Windmire? That wasn't good enough. That wasn't soon enough. Did he really expect her to just sit and wait until they got back to Castle Krakenburg to learn whether or not Iseabail and the remaining Earth Tribe warriors at the Northern Fortress were still being fed? Clothed? She had to know now. If not now, then soon. Else the nightmares would come. She was certain of that.

"Leo," she said desperately.

He shook his head. "There's nothing we can do, Katonah," he said again. "You're just going to have to be patient: we'll be back in Windmire within three weeks, and then you'll know." He sighed. "I know you're thinking about your tribesmen, but you don't have any reason to panic just yet. No doubt Xander will allow you to explain what happened before he decides to do anything."

Katonah wrung her hands together. She wished she could take comfort in Leo's words, but she could not. If Xander stayed true to form, the last thing he would do was allow Katonah's goodwill to cloud his judgment on something like this. She gnawed on her lower lip, stomach curdling again. There must be something I can do to soften the blow. Because there would be a blow. If she was certain of anything, it was that.

An idea came to mind, and she instantly hated it. But she didn't see another choice; it was either this or trust that Xander would go easy on her, and she wasn't that naïve. Not anymore.

"Leo," she blurted. "I know how to make things grow in Nohr."

The prince's brows furrowed. "Pardon?"

"You saw what I did at Gwen's farm," she pressed. "You know that was because of the Dragon Vein, right?"

"Well...yes, I suppose. There's really no other explanation."

"You're right," she continued in a rush. "But that's the secret. I discovered it a month or so back, when we were in Macarath. Do you remember when I hiked up that hill while you and Briarus were speaking with Lord Crowley? And you grew angry at me and told me to stay close to the wagon next time?"

"Yes—"

"I wasn't meditating. I was speaking to those trees that were growing at the top. I'd been wondering for a while how plants like them could grow in Nohr, but crops couldn't. And you know what they told me? That it was because of the Dragon Veins. Dragon Veins are an energy source for plants, and though they're not the only one, they're the most powerful one. That's why in areas in Nohr where there are Dragon Veins, plants are able to grow even if the soil around them is dead and devoid of nutrients."

Leo was leaning forward now, intrigued. "Is all this true?"

"Of course! That's what the trees said, and they don't lie."

Leo rubbed at his mouth, expression shifting between amazement and fascination. "So at the farm," he said. "That's what you were doing? Using the Dragon Vein to make things grow?"

"Yes. I wasn't sure if it would work, but that it did just proves that the trees were right, and that Dragon Veins, not agricultural reform, are the key to reviving farming in Nohr."

Now Leo sat back, propping his elbows against the table and combing his fingers up through his bangs. He actually looked a little overwhelmed, which she could understand — as exciting as this revelation was, it was also a lot to process.

"So what are you saying?" he asked her.

Katonah took a breath, feeling a strange sense of doom, as though she were at the edge of a precipice. She didn't know why, but she felt as though her next words would come back to bite her sometime in the future: "Please write another letter to Xander. Tell him what I said: that Dragon Veins can be utilized to make Nohr green again. Tell him if that if he's willing to spare my tribesmen any suffering, I will be more than happy to show him how...as well as perform this service for him."

(/\)

True to Leo's word, the convoy cut through central Nohr and arrived back in Windmire in about three weeks.

By then, Nohr was caught in the dead of winter, and the snow clouds obscuring the sky became near-permanent fixtures, dumping snow to the earth at regular intervals and only clearing when the occasional gust came down from the north. The weather made the days shadowy and the nights darker and longer than usual — the moon and stars remained hidden at night, making traveling by day a must a by night a peril.

Katonah didn't know how she felt when she finally saw the skyline of Nohr's capital city rise from the snow-laden horizon. Relieved to be back at last, yes. Sick with anxiety, yes. Shaky with fear, yes. At her request, Leo had sent her letter off weeks ago by falcon but, like many of his other reports, he hadn't received a reply from Xander. So she had no idea of what to expect — would Xander greet her neutrally, as he normally did, or harshly, attesting to his anger? After all, he'd promised a fresh start after her return, a chance to actually get to know each other despite their difficult situation. Katonah realized that she might have just ruined that too.

Though the caravan reached Windmire early in the morning, they didn't actually get down to Castle Krakenburg until late afternoon, to Katonah's severe frustration. This was mostly due to the convoy unloading back at the encampment near Krakenburg's abyss — the soldiers spent hours unloading gear, furniture, and other supplies from the wagons and taking inventory. Leo was right in the middle of them, helping the workers organize all the material for storage or transport down to Krakenburg. Katonah spent those few hours sitting beside Briarus and watching the servants work as the liaison looked over some final paperwork, checking sums. Odin and Niles, as usual, stood nearby in the snow.

"Relax, Lady Katonah," Briarus told her, placing a consoling hand on her shoulder. "They'll be done before long, trust me. Why're you so anxious to get down into the castle? Many others would be glad to head in the opposite direction."

Katonah twisted her ankles around one another. "It's about what you said the other day," she told him.

His eyes glowed with understanding. "Ah, about Lord Xander. Do you know whether or not to expect a kindly greeting?"

She shook her head.

His smile became sympathetic. "Well, don't scare yourself just yet. Lord Xander's a fair man. Whatever your transgression, he'll hear you out, that I know."

People kept saying that. That Xander was kind, that he was fair. Sometimes it made her wonder if she was the only one who was truly afraid of him. Perhaps she was — after all, she was the only one unfortunate to be betrothed to him, and to have scratched his face during the betrothal ceremony.

Deciding to change the subject, she said, "What will you do now, Briarus, now that the journey is over?" She suddenly felt sad — was this the last time she would see him?

Briarus readjusted his cloak, considering. "That's up to King Xander, I suppose. I've done my duty, so there's every chance that he'll relieve me of my position and return it to Lord Leo, but he could also have further use for me. I did help establish the Council of Agricultural Reform, after all."

Katonah's brows rose. "So it's official?"

"Oh yes, and they've been a great help to me, crafting duplicates of all of the farming contracts and sending reeves out to each contracted city to organize the division of labor on all of our farms. Now that our first trip around Nohr is complete, they'll likely continue to stay in contact with all of the contracted farms and keep tabs on their progress, and I'd love to assist them, if possible. This sort of thing is just my cup of tea, and though my father would probably prefer it if I went to an academy of magic, I'd really love to stay here and assist Lord Xander instead."

Well, that was a nice thought, Briarus sticking around — perhaps she'd see him in the halls of the castle from time to time, and they could stop for a chat.

Finally, Leo concluded his duties in the encampment, handing the reins off to an officer he trusted to keep things in order. By then, a wyvern escort from the castle had arrived to take them down, and Leo beckoned Katonah over, sliding atop the biggest lizard.

A company of five other wyvern riders accompanied them as they took off and slowly spiraled down into Krakenburg's abyss. Katonah's temples began to pound as they made their way down into the darkness, and an uncomfortable dizziness made her jaw ache — it had been quite a while since she'd ridden a wyvern, and the oppressive weight of the abyss didn't help the nausea.

Quickly, the castle rose out of the darkness to meet them, covered in a rime of snow that made it look like white icing on a very frightening cake. The watchtowers came to life as they passed, and below, the landing platform became illuminated by a ring of torches, guiding the group towards it.

"Are you all right?" Leo asked when they finally landed. They were expected by soldiers — the castle guard, it looked like, who formed a wall on either side of the pathway, weapons held at attention.

"Fine," Katonah groaned, relieved to be on solid ground again. The nausea didn't fade, though — intense anxiety at what was to come made it stick around. As the soldiers around them took hold of the wyverns, Katonah's gaze fell down to Leo's hand, and that burgeoning part of her suddenly wished to wind her fingers through his and squeeze hard. She used to do the same with Iseabail when she was much younger whenever she was frightened. Just barely, she managed to keep herself from reaching for him.

They slowly made their way forward, soldiers falling in behind them as they approached the roof of Krakenburg's keep. Someone met them halfway, someone running excitedly out of the darkness. Someone who tackled and nearly knocked down Katonah when she reached her.

"There you are!" Elise — the girl had her arms cinched unforgivingly around Katonah's middle, threatening to force all the air out of her lungs. "What took you dummies so long? You've been gone for forever!"

"Elise it's...nice to see...you again." It was a struggle to get the words out, caught as she was in the girl's fearsome hug. When the young princess finally stepped back, Katonah blinked, studying the girl in the light. "Your hair," she said, surprised. "It's..."

"Straight!" Elise said, putting a hand on her hip and striking a sexy pose. Her golden mane fell down her back like a bolt of silk, so long and straight that it nearly reached the backs of her knees. "Like it, Kat? It's all the rage in Cyrkensia! I can do more with it, too — Camilla said she'll weave me some plaits when she has the time."

Katonah gave a genuine smile. Leave it to Elise to help put her at ease. "I like it," she said. The straightness made Elise seem more...demure. If that were possible for someone with so much energy.

"Thanks!" The girl shifted in front of Leo, holding out her arms. When he scowled, she said, "Well, Leo? No need to keep me waiting for my hello hug. Don't worry — I don't bite."

Scoffing, Leo stepped around her, heading for the keep. Elise grinned.

"Jerk," she said. She grabbed Katonah's hand. "Come on, let's go. The others are waiting for us. Plus..." She winked. "I've got a surprise for you, Kat."

Leo shot his sister a suspicious look over his shoulder as the soldiers continued to file in behind them. "Surprise?" he asked. "What surprise?"

"You'll see, dummy," she said.

(/\)

"Why were you guys gone for so long, anyway?" Elise complained. In the light of passing torches, her now-pin-straight hair rippled across her shoulders like a sheet of golden rain. "I was bored for days on end, waiting for word that you were finally returning!"

"Well—" Katonah started.

"And why didn't you write me any letters?" Elise demanded, giving Katonah the eye. "You promised, didn't you? But the only things I remember getting in the mail were receipts for my dress for the Societal Ball and a couple of marriage proposals! How could you, Kat?"

Katonah lifted a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle a chuckle at the mention of the marriage proposals. Was that a common occurrence here at the castle? A sudden thought made her straighten: Has Leo ever received any requests for marriage? "I'm sorry, Elise," she said, sobering at the thought. "It's just...well, we were kind of preoccupied..."

"With what?" At Katonah's pause, Elise cast a curious glance over her shoulder. "Did something happen? Something interesting?"

That was one word for it. "It's sort of a long story..."

"I've got time," Elise insisted.

"I don't," Leo interrupted. "Where are we going? I thought you were taking us to Xander so that we could make our greetings."

Katonah's heartbeat sped into a gallop as his sister glared at him. "Will you stop always acting like you've got a bug up your butt?" she said as they turned up another hallway. "I am taking you to Xander. We were all having tea in Camilla's salon when you arrived."

Leo gazed about the corridor, lips falling into a scowl. "Camilla's salon? Then why are we going the long way?"

"To catch up! Obviously," Elise snorted. "Now Katonah, tell me about what—"

The mouth of a hallway appeared on their left, and very abruptly, Leo seized the underside of Katonah's arm and dragged her into it, entering a stretch of darkness that brought them to the foot of a narrow, steep staircase. The clatter of Elise's heels echoed about the dark hallway as the princess followed in a huff.

"Leo! What do you think you're doing?"

Leo ignored her, pulling Katonah up to the top of the staircase, a shallow hole that opened up to another level of the castle. This corridor was a lot wider, and lined with doors — chambermaids and hall boys ducked in and out of these, carrying sheets, pillowcases, and other laundry, and they all paused and bowed as Leo and Katonah passed. Another hallway appeared, this one squat, but nearly two times as wide, and Leo directed her into it. They paused near the end — a huge doorway loomed here, the iron plaque bearing Camilla's name etched with twining black roses.

"Leo, you are such a jerk!" Elise cried as she caught up with them. "I don't know how Katonah stands you."

"I don't know how she stands you," Leo grunted. "The last person I'd want for a sister-in-law is a clingy seventeen-year-old girl who still coddles her childhood teddy bear at night."

"And the last person I'd want for a brother-in-law is some snake-eyed, twenty-six-year-old brat who's already exchanged marriage rites with his textbook!"

He spun, anger blazing in his eyes. "Why you—"

"My word, what is all this noise?" The large door ground open slowly, revealing Camilla in the space beyond. The oldest princess was wearing a burgundy, oddly conservative evening gown, her earrings flat, circular plates rough with carvings of roses and vines. It seemed that Elise wasn't the only one who'd fallen into the new straight-hair trend in Katonah's absence: the vixen's hair, like Elise's, had abandoned its normal, wildly curly style, and was now as straight and sinuous as a violet-colored waterfall, stretching down towards her hips. The woman raised a brow, the only indication as to her surprise.

"Ah, General," she said, slight smile on her lips. "Leo. Welcome back. We've been expecting you."

Katonah nodded little shyly. "Hello, Camilla." She didn't know what else to say to the vixen — she suspected her uncertainty would be doubly worse when she finally stood before Xander. Gods, Xander... She took a deep, steadying breath. He'd promised her that he would show her his likable side. And that he would never again terrify her as he had after the betrothal ceremony. She tried her hardest to believe it... But there was still that tiny part of her, that part that refused to, especially now that he knew about the Dragon Vein in Cheve.

"Camilla," Elise complained, grabbing the older princess's arm. "They've barely stepped foot back inside the castle, and Leo's already being bothersome again. He won't even let me talk to Kat!"

"Katonah is too nice to tell you that she's too tired for the 101-question game," Leo said. "But I'm not. Camilla, can we come in? Lest I say something I'll later regret?"

Looking amused, Camilla stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter. As Katonah followed Leo inside, Elise stomped behind them, saying, "What does that mean? Have you got something to say, Leo? Huh? Huh?"

"Nothing I haven't already said ten thousand times be..." Leo very suddenly trailed off. And stopped dead in his tracks — Katonah thumped into his back, but was the only one who recoiled from the sudden collision. The prince stood still and stiff as a stone wall, his shoulders drawn up. In shock? Why?

Katonah peeked around the prince into the salon. She saw nothing out of the ordinary, nothing alarming that would warrant Leo's sudden astonished halt. A large fireplace was carved out of the far wall, several darkly-themed paintings of trees and mountains hanging above the mantle. The carpet was redder than blood and extremely plush, almost like fur. Several, stiff-backed armchairs and a black sofa surrounded a long, square table, one currently holding an assortment of dishes and a couple of tea pots.

Katonah's heart jolted when she spotted Xander sitting in one of the chairs. He looked exactly as he had when she'd last seen him: curly of hair and straight of back, jaw hard and square in the light of the fire, legs making him a little too long for the chair he sat in, commanding presence making him a little too big for the room he occupied.

Was Leo surprised at Xander? It couldn't be. So then what was it?

Perhaps...it was the woman who occupied the seat opposite Xander, a woman that Katonah had never seen before. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, wearing a long, dusty red dress cinched around the middle by a belt of gold; her hair was short, reaching her shoulders, but surprisingly wild — a bush of thick curls, barely tamed by a headband that restrained them behind her ears.

She, like Xander, was sipping from a porcelain teacup; when the butler offered her the kettle, she graciously held it up, refilling her glass and taking a sip. She nearly spat it back out when she saw Leo, Katonah, and Elise standing in the doorway.

"Leo!" she cried, putting down her cup and rising to her feet. As she came around the sofa, she said, "There you are! I was wondering when you would get in... Wow. It's been a while!"