promised with a grin, standing. As the others followed her lead, she said, "Daylight's wasting. Let's get those wagons unpacked and enjoy our first night home."
Katerin found herself herded outside towards the barn with the rest of the troupe, a mix of emotion stirring her heart.
Chapter 6
Drumbeat.
Panting, heart thumping, crashing through the wilderness. Noises everywhere, the call of wild animals urging her on. Behind her, she knew the Invader and his soldiers were chasing her, tracking her down to kill her. She was royalty and her life was forfeit; she'd been instructed since a toddler that she lived for her people. Her people were gone.
Bursting from behind a bush, she screamed silently at the armored figure before her. Moonlight on blade flashed above her and she cowered, afraid of the deathblow that was coming. Cuddling her doll to her chest, she could only hear the scuffle, the rattle of armor, could feel the ground tremble as a heavy body hit it.
A gentle touch on her shoulder and she peered fearfully at her savior. The minstrel smiled down on her, a bloody dove in his hands. "Hush, child. You're safe now."
Struggling to consciousness, Katerin felt hands grasping at her shoulders and tried to push them away. When she finally awoke, it was to a dark room and Ilia's whispered assurances that all was well. Panting, fighting against tears of fear and relief, the princess stopped resisting her handmaiden's calming words. Several moments passed, however, before she relaxed into the other woman's embrace.
Katerin pulled away, glad of the dark that hid her blush of embarrassment. "Thank you, Ilia. I'll be fine now."
"Are you sure, Kat?" the willowy blonde asked, long past the days of referring to her as royalty.
"Aye," the dark woman nodded, wiping at an unseen tear from her cheek. "It was just a nightmare. I've had them often since…that night."
Ilia held her, squeezing gently. "As do I sometimes. It must be the strange surroundings that have triggered them."
"It must be." Katerin gently disengaged from her handmaiden. "Let's go back to sleep," she whispered, lying back down on the large bed. A vague sense of relief filled her as Ilia complied. Curled up on her side, the princess stared into the darkness, the noises of a strange building about her. Behind her, she could hear Ilia's breathing slow and deepen until a gentle snore was all that was heard. Only then did Katerin relax.
How odd it is , she mused, that I should miss Ros' presence. Especially since it's not the first night I've slept with Ilia beside me. When Gemma and Lucinda had moved on to their home, Ilia had moved her meager belongings in to the circus owner's wagon. The women had been sleeping together in the same bed for two weeks, Ros having shown a strange sense of chivalry and bedding down on the floor.
Despite the residual terror of her nightmare, Katerin's eyes closed and the beginnings of sleep stole over her. Reaching out, she brushed the wall beside the bed, knowing that Ros' room was on the other side.
"Thought you'd be asleep, scamp," Emerita said, looking up from her stitching.
Ros, her expression contrite, scratched at her unruly curls. "As did I." She fetched up a stool and settled down beside the old woman. "You shouldn't be doing that at night, Em. Your eyesight will be ruined."
Emerita chuckled. "Aye, Ros. I'm an old lady and my eyesight is ruined anyway. Stitching in firelight isn't going to make a difference anymore." With a shrewd gaze, she studied the circus owner's profile. "You've been having nightmares again?"
"Some," the blonde admitted with a grimace. Her eyes shifted to the left of the fireplace, to the wall that divided Katerin and Ilia's room from the main area. "I'm not sure what woke me. It might have been Kat."
"Aye," Emerita said with a nod. "I believe I heard something from her room, as well."
"Did you? She must have had another nightmare." Ros stared into the fire. "Do you think I should check on
Katerin found herself herded outside towards the barn with the rest of the troupe, a mix of emotion stirring her heart.
Chapter 6
Drumbeat.
Panting, heart thumping, crashing through the wilderness. Noises everywhere, the call of wild animals urging her on. Behind her, she knew the Invader and his soldiers were chasing her, tracking her down to kill her. She was royalty and her life was forfeit; she'd been instructed since a toddler that she lived for her people. Her people were gone.
Bursting from behind a bush, she screamed silently at the armored figure before her. Moonlight on blade flashed above her and she cowered, afraid of the deathblow that was coming. Cuddling her doll to her chest, she could only hear the scuffle, the rattle of armor, could feel the ground tremble as a heavy body hit it.
A gentle touch on her shoulder and she peered fearfully at her savior. The minstrel smiled down on her, a bloody dove in his hands. "Hush, child. You're safe now."
Struggling to consciousness, Katerin felt hands grasping at her shoulders and tried to push them away. When she finally awoke, it was to a dark room and Ilia's whispered assurances that all was well. Panting, fighting against tears of fear and relief, the princess stopped resisting her handmaiden's calming words. Several moments passed, however, before she relaxed into the other woman's embrace.
Katerin pulled away, glad of the dark that hid her blush of embarrassment. "Thank you, Ilia. I'll be fine now."
"Are you sure, Kat?" the willowy blonde asked, long past the days of referring to her as royalty.
"Aye," the dark woman nodded, wiping at an unseen tear from her cheek. "It was just a nightmare. I've had them often since…that night."
Ilia held her, squeezing gently. "As do I sometimes. It must be the strange surroundings that have triggered them."
"It must be." Katerin gently disengaged from her handmaiden. "Let's go back to sleep," she whispered, lying back down on the large bed. A vague sense of relief filled her as Ilia complied. Curled up on her side, the princess stared into the darkness, the noises of a strange building about her. Behind her, she could hear Ilia's breathing slow and deepen until a gentle snore was all that was heard. Only then did Katerin relax.
How odd it is , she mused, that I should miss Ros' presence. Especially since it's not the first night I've slept with Ilia beside me. When Gemma and Lucinda had moved on to their home, Ilia had moved her meager belongings in to the circus owner's wagon. The women had been sleeping together in the same bed for two weeks, Ros having shown a strange sense of chivalry and bedding down on the floor.
Despite the residual terror of her nightmare, Katerin's eyes closed and the beginnings of sleep stole over her. Reaching out, she brushed the wall beside the bed, knowing that Ros' room was on the other side.
"Thought you'd be asleep, scamp," Emerita said, looking up from her stitching.
Ros, her expression contrite, scratched at her unruly curls. "As did I." She fetched up a stool and settled down beside the old woman. "You shouldn't be doing that at night, Em. Your eyesight will be ruined."
Emerita chuckled. "Aye, Ros. I'm an old lady and my eyesight is ruined anyway. Stitching in firelight isn't going to make a difference anymore." With a shrewd gaze, she studied the circus owner's profile. "You've been having nightmares again?"
"Some," the blonde admitted with a grimace. Her eyes shifted to the left of the fireplace, to the wall that divided Katerin and Ilia's room from the main area. "I'm not sure what woke me. It might have been Kat."
"Aye," Emerita said with a nod. "I believe I heard something from her room, as well."
"Did you? She must have had another nightmare." Ros stared into the fire. "Do you think I should check on
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