by Diana Steele
Katrina paused for a moment. Kirrowind watched her eyes dance back and forth as she considered his proposal. He waited with anticipation for her answer. Finally, Katrina opened her mouth to answer.
“It's a good idea. Like I said at the treaty signing, I will get married when I want to, not because I have to. However, I do not think it is very wise for me to simply leave. We will have to inform my father.”
“I think you are right. Your father should know of our plans. I would not want him to think that I've kidnapped you again,” Kirrowind said with a smirk. “I will go and speak with him. You stay here and get your things packed.”
“Thank you for doing the right thing,” Katrina said, giving Kirrowind a quick kiss.
“For you, Princess, anything,” Kirrowind said with a wink and he walked out of the warm house and back into the icy outdoors of New Atlantis.
It was a short walk to the palace from where Katrina lived. Kirrowind knew the area quite well from his many visits with Katrina, but he had never dared to actually enter the palace itself. Kirrowind's veneer of confidence that he had worn in front of Katrina began to fade with each step towards the palace doors.
Kirrowind thought that perhaps the best place to find King Pieter would be in the throne room. He walked down the hallways of the palace, nodding politely to the guards who had gotten used to his presence as well as the workers who were constantly busy building new additions to the palace. Soon enough, Kirrowind stood in front of the large wooden doors that lead to the throne room. He took a deep breath and waited for one of the guards to open the door for him. As the heavy wooden door swung open, Kirrowind stepped in and saw King Pieter sitting in his massive seat of gold and jewels.
“What are you doing here?” King Pieter roared seeing Kirrowind enter.
“I have come to speak to you, sir,” Kirrowind said, bowing respectfully.
“You certainly have a lot of nerve to speak to me after what you did to my daughter,” King Pieter said as he stood from his throne and crossed the room.
Standing nose to nose with the burly King Pieter, Kirrowind felt very nervous. He thought about his next words very carefully knowing that one wrong word could send the King into a frenzy. He gulped as he felt the King's thick fingers begin to wrap around his neck, not tightly but with just enough force to be frightening.
“Your Highness, I apologize. I understand that you are angry at me. Katrina is pregnant and I'm sorry,” Kirrowind said hoping to calm the infuriated King.
“So, you have already spoken to my daughter,” King Pieter said tightening his grip a bit more around Kirrowind's throat.
“Yes. That is why I want to speak to you,” Kirrowind managed to spit out.
“There is nothing left for you to say. I should have killed you when I had the chance.”
Kirrowind felt the King's hands tighten even further around his neck and he struggled to pull air into his lungs. He tried and failed to pull the King's hand off of his throat, but to no avail. He began to fear that he was going to be strangled there on the spot when he saw the Queen enter the throne room from the door in the rear of the room.
“Release him, Pieter. Let's not start another war,” the Queen said walking over and putting a gentle hand on the King's shoulder.
Kirrowind dropped to his knees and enjoyed the sensation of air filling his lungs again. He stood up and massaged his sore neck. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said to the Queen bowing again. “I am glad you are here. This is something that perhaps both of you should hear.” Kirrowind paused for a moment as he tried to think of the best way to phrase his next sentence. He looked at the faces of the King and Queen. King Pieter was still boiling with barely contained rage. Queen Anna had a kind smile on her face and waiting patiently for Kirrowind to speak.
“I have spoken to Katrina and learned of her pregnancy,” Kirrowind began tentatively, “and I have come to the King to inform him that I am taking her back to Oldwoods with me so that we may raise our child together.”
“No, I won't allow it,” King Pieter shouted immediately. “Katrina will marry Erik and they will raise the child here in New Atlantis. My family name will not be tarnished by my daughter moving off to live with some wild native.”
“King Pieter, I understand that you want what is best for your child, but I beg of you to allow me the same opportunity. I want to be there to raise my child and do what I see best for it,” Kirrowind replied.
“He is right, Pieter,” Queen Anna chimed in. “I love Katrina as well and want her to be here with us, but she is now tied to Kirrowind for eternity whether we like it or not. And you may see him as 'some wild native', but do not forget that Kirrowind is a prince among his people. The child and our daughter will be well cared for.”
“You may take Katrina to your land and raise your child how you see fit,” King Pieter said to Kirrowind after a moment of thought, “but you must know that I will not allow a bastard child to ascend to rule my kingdom.”
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Kirrowind said happily. “Katrina and I will be leaving as soon as possible. I would like for us both to be settled into our new home before the snows begin to fall heavily.”
“The King and I will be by shortly to say good-bye to Katrina,” Queen Anna said.
“I will go tell Katrina the news,” Kirrowind replied. He bowed to the King and Queen and quickly retreated from the throne room. Once he was past the large doors, he walked out of the palace to inform Katrina that her father had given permission for him to bring her back to his home.
Katrina sat in her favorite chair by the fire with her packed bags sitting around her feet. She stared into the fire and thought deeply about where life had been taking her in recent months. Just last winter she was sitting in her room in a beautiful and ancient palace in Atlantis without a care in the world. Now, she was in a small, humble house just outside her parents' palace that still needed a lot of work. She was pregnant with the child of a native man that she barely knew and was now leaving her family to live with him.
She was shaken out of her trance by her door being slammed open. She jumped up and turned to face the door. She was relieved to see Kirrowind standing in the doorway.
“What did my father say?” Katrina asked anxiously.
“After some discussion, your father gave his permission for me to take you back to Oldwoods. Your parents will be by soon to say their farewells,” Kirrowind told her as he walked across the room to join her by the fire.
“How did you manage to convince my father to let me leave?”
“Well, your mother helped a lot. She is very understanding,” Kirrowind said.
“She has always been very kind. We both owe her a debt of gratitude for her help,” Katrina thought out loud.
Katrina and Kirrowind spoke about nothing for a few minutes until they heard a knock at the door. Katrina rushed to the door and saw her parents standing outside. Her mother had tears running down her face, but still held a smile on her face. Her father had a stoic expression on his face. Katrina knew that he was sad to see her leaving, but he was putting on a strong front as his form of protest.
“I hope that you and your child find happiness with Kirrowind and his people,” Queen Anna said giving her daughter a strong hug.
“Thank you, Mother,” said Katrina beginning to cry again. Breaking away from the hug, Katrina turned to her father. “I will miss you very much, Father,” she said wrapping her arms around the King.
“I wish you would stay here where you belong,” King Pieter said embracing his daughter.
“You know I can't do that, Father.”
Katrina's father released her from his thick, strong arms and stood up straight. “I love you, Katrina,” he said fighting back his own tears.
“I love you too, Father,” she replied.
King Pieter turned his back and walked away. Katrina knew that he struggled not to show his emotions in public. Perhaps if Kirrowind had not been around, King Pieter would have
broken down in tears and begged Katrina to stay. However, Katrina knew her father well and knew that just saying “I love you” in front of others was a big step for him.
“Take care of my daughter,” Queen Anna said to Kirrowind.
“I most certainly will, Your Highness,” Kirrowind said with a bow of his head. Katrina had noticed during Kirrowind's visits that he always treated Queen Anna with a high degree of respect and kindness. Perhaps, she thought, it was because Kirrowind knew how much she had done to save the Valley from total destruction.
Katrina shared one last hug with her mother, they said “good-bye” once again, and Queen Anna walked away. Katrina was overwhelmed with emotions. She closed the door and turned to Kirrowind who had stood quietly by the fire while Katrina bid her parents farewell. “I'm ready to leave,” Katrina said with a tear rolling down her cheeks.
Kirrowind stepped forward and wiped the tear off of Katrina's face. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and wrapped his arms around her. Katrina felt the warmth of his body radiating into her and felt comfort in her heart. Kirrowind had that effect on her.
“I'll carry your bags,” Kirrowind said letting go of Katrina. “I can come and get the rest of your things later.”
“Leave it here. I'm starting a new life with you. I don't need so many things except what I already have packed,” Katrina said as she looked around her house. She remembered a time not so long ago when her room was filled with fine dresses and shoes as well as ornate furniture and various toys and decorations she had acquired throughout her life. When she had to flee Atlantis, she only brought a small portion of her possessions. Now she was leaving yet again with nothing but her clothing and shoes.
Katrina walked behind Kirrowind through the bare trees back to Oldwoods. Her thick furs were just warm enough to keep the cold wind off of her skin. She couldn't understand how Kirrowind survived such cold weather with nothing but a thin leather cloak to keep him dry. As the sun began to set in the west, the village of Oldwoods opened up in front of them.
“We should go see my father,” Kirrowind said as they entered the village. “He needs to know about what is going on.”
“I agree. I just hope that he takes the news better than my father did,” Katrina said with a nervous grin.
“I really hope so, too,” Kirrowind said, laughing.
The two of them walked into the center of town to the Counsel Tree where they found Strotwater speaking with his two Mystics. Katrina had not seen the Counsel Tree since the treaty signing and had nearly forgotten how impressive it was on the inside. A large fire was lit in the center of the room that illuminated the entire cavernous room.
“Father, I'm back,” Kirrowind shouted gently setting Katrina's bags on the ground.
Chief Strotwater looked up and Katrina saw the surprise in his eyes when he noticed that she was there. “Welcome back, son. I have something I need to speak to you about,” he said before he turned his attention to Katrina and said, “Welcome again, Princess Katrina. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?”
“Hello again, Chief Strotwater,” Katrina said, bowing in respect.
“I have something I need to talk to you about as well, Father,” Kirrowind said, interrupting the formalities. “Katrina isn't just visiting. She is coming to live here with me.”
“This is sudden,” Strotwater said with surprise. “What made you decide to come live with us, Princess?” he asked Katrina.
Before Katrina could respond, Kirrowind continued, “She's pregnant and I have asked her to come live with me so that we can raise the child together.”
Katrina looked at the Chief nervously. She was not sure if he would respond with anger, happiness, or some mix of the two. Would she even be allowed to live there now? She waited for the Chief to respond and watched his face in an attempt to read his emotions. His face did not move. It remained as stoic as ever.
“Are you two going to get married?” Strotwater asked simply.
“No,” Katrina said quickly, “Kirrowind actually brought me down here so that I could avoid getting married. Even though he is the father of my child, I do not think he should be my husband at this time.”
“In that case, all I can say is congratulations and I am happy to be welcoming my grandchild into the world.” Strotwater smiled and hugged Katrina and Kirrowind in his long arms. “I will have Builders get started on a family dwelling for the three of you in the morning. Now, it is getting dark. Kirrowind, you should get the Princess to your dwelling and allow her to get settled. I want you back here once she is safely inside. I still have important things to discuss with you.”
“Of course, Father,” Kirrowind said and with that he picked up Katrina's bags again and the two of them left for Kirrowind's dwelling.
It was a short walk back to Kirrowind's dwelling, but after the emotional stress of the day and the long walk from New Atlantis, Katrina was exhausted. She took a seat at the table in the center of the room where she had sat the last time she was there and breathed a sigh of relief that she could finally rest. Kirrowind placed her bags against the wall near the door and began to light some candles around the room. Katrina was surprised that his home was so warm despite the lack of a fire.
“You can put your things wherever you like, Katrina,” Kirrowind said as he walked around the room. “This is your home now, too. I have to go speak to my father. I will return as soon as I can.”
“Can you bring some food back?” Katrina asked. “It has been a very long day for me and I am very hungry.”
“For you, Princess, anything,” Kirrowind said with a wink as he walked out the door.
Katrina loved it when Kirrowind called her “Princess”. It made her stomach turn and her heart race in ways that reminded her of the night she spent with him after she landed in Wandersend. Seeing him smile and wink at her in that way that she could only describe as flirtatious made her feel calm and happy and she could never resist smiling and laughing a little.
She began to unpack her things and exploring Kirrowind's dwelling. She had not had the opportunity to investigate the house last time she was there. Now she could see the cupboards and closets hidden in the walls that she had missed last time. Storage space was not an issue. She could see that Kirrowind did not own much. He had very little clothing and only two sets of wooden dishes. Katrina started unpacking and the last thing she pulled out of her bag was a small handheld mirror that was given to her by her mother and a matching hair brush. Someday, she thought hopefully, she might be able to pass these items down to her own daughter.
Katrina occupied her time by organizing and reorganizing her things in the closet until she was finally satisfied with the way her things were laid out in her new home. Shortly after she finished, Kirrowind walked back in with parcels of food wrapped in leaves in his hand.
“I'm back. Sorry that I was gone so long. Spiroot cooked up some venison and potatoes for us to eat,” Kirrowind said as he laid the food out on the table.
“It's alright. I got all my things unpacked and organized,” Katrina said laying out wooden plates and cups onto the table and filling the cups with water. “What did your father want to speak to you about?”
“The Mystics have been feeling some strange energies lately. They fear that when your people set up camp in the Flatlands, they may have upset some ancient spirits,” Kirrowind explained sitting down to eat.
“What does that have to do with you?” Katrina asked sitting across from Kirrowind.
“My Father just wants me to be vigilant of anything strange going on while I am out on hunts. He doesn't want everyone to know yet to avoid stirring up a panic. The Village has had enough stress this year,” Kirrowind said between mouthfuls of food.
“Do you think we are in any danger?” Katrina asked after taking a sip of water.
“I'm not worried. If there were any ancient spirits out there, I think they would have woken up when your father first set foot out there.” Kirrowind paused for a sec
ond then added, “on the other hand, if your people are still going across the river it might upset something out there. You don't think your father would be doing something across the Eagle River, do you?”
“No, I don't think so,” Katrina said. Honestly, she had no idea what her father was doing in New Atlantis. She knew that he was building mines in the mountains looking for precious metals, but she was unaware of any activity east of the river.
“Good. The Mystics say that the souls of all our ancestors since the dawn of time rest in the Flatlands and if they are disturbed, they will seek revenge. I say that it's just stories, but I would rather not test the story and find out,” Kirrowind added swallowing down his last bite of potato.
After dinner was finished, Katrina allowed the exhaustion of the day's events to overtake her. She stretched and yawned, struggling to keep her eyes open.
“You must be exhausted,” Kirrowind said when he saw how tired Katrina was. “You can have the bed. I'll sleep on the floor.”
“Kirrowind, we are having a baby together and we live together now. I think sharing a bed will be fine,” Katrina said with a tired smile. With that, the two of them went to bed. Katrina curled up against Kirrowind's body and relished the feeling of safety and warmth that she found when he wrapped his arms around her.
*****
Katrina quickly adapted to life in Oldwoods. She would wake up with the sun when Kirrowind crawled out of bed and join him at the Dining Tree for breakfast. After breakfast, she would travel just south of Oldwoods and bathe in the natural hot springs. She would then join Spiroot in the kitchens to prepare the meals for the rest of the day. Chief Strotwater was gracious enough to postpone her duty assignment until after the birth of the baby, but she decided to help out in the kitchens with the Cook tribe just to pass the time while Kirrowind was away with the Hunters. Her nights were filled with dinner and conversation with Kirrowind.