“Kasia!” Andrew called out from down the hall as she left the library. “You missed breakfast, woman.”
Kasia could feel a painful void in her stomach. She had missed dinner the night before as well.
"Well, it's our rest day. I was thinking of going to the inn and eating and maybe getting some drinks and cards in. You game?"
"Sure, yeah. Janie and I will just grab a room and.." Andrew waggled his eyebrows.
"You know no one is jealous of your sex lives, right?"
"Everyone is jealous of our sex lives!" He retorted.
"They're really not." Kasia sighed.
"Spoken like a proper jealous lass." Andrew teased, wagging his finger at her.
Kasia glowered, "You think I'm not having sex because I can't find someone to fuck?"
"I think you don't have sex cause you're in denial. Plus, you're kinda obsessed with being daddy's perfect princess hunter– so you actually have a reputation to uphold."
Kasia tilted her head, shrugging, "Ehh, you're not wrong. But it's also just because I'm terrified of getting pregnant and not becoming a knight."
Andrew gave her a look that might have been pity, "Janie and I are being careful. And we believe in enjoying life now, not someday. You might want to consider it."
Kasia smiled coyly, "Perhaps someday.” she joked, “Let's go grab Janine."
Because it was a rest day, Janine and Andrew had breakfast with her mother (and her father, when he was home from hunts, which wasn’t often), switching to Andrew’s family farm on Family day. That meant, Janine was still at her mother’s house.
Kasia and Andrew headed to the comfortable cottage sheltered within the castle’s protective walls, like all the families of the knights. That was another perk of enlisting– your family never had to worry about bandits or raiders while you were off hunting. They enjoyed the full protection of a well fortified castle and trained guard. The village enjoyed many of the same protections being right outside the castle, after all, who would raid a village with an armed and trained militia next door? but sometimes a monster would show up in the woods or sea and claim a few lives before the knights caught and killed it.
Janine opened the door when she heard them knocking and greeted them happily. Her mother called out a greeting from inside, and Kasia and Andrew waived in reply.
“We were going to head to the inn so Kasia can catch up on all the meals she missed, and play some cards. You game, Janie?” Andrew asked.
“YES!” Janine bounced with excitement. “Bye Mamuska! Kocham ci?!” (Bye Mother! I love you!)
“Te? Ci? kocham, córka! (I love you too, daughter!) You, too, Kasia and Andrew. Take care of my sweet!”
“Tak (Yes), Pani (Mrs.) Lewandowska. We always do.” Kasia assured her.
Pani Lewandowska beamed at them happily and waved them off.
The three friends headed to the inn and Kasia ordered one of everything they had. Then changed her mind and ordered two of everything.
“My, my- hungry today, aren’t we, darlings?” Sondra, the inn keeper’s wife, beamed at them as she took their order. Sondra was a staple of the inn and one of the many reasons they loved coming here. She was a mix between a doting mother and caring friend, always eager to lend an ear and gossip or offer advice.
“You have no idea,” Andrew laughed, wrapping an arm around Kasia’s shoulders, “Kasia here decided to piss off the entire initiate class and hasn’t eaten since…when was it? Lunch yesterday?”
Sondra studied Kasia with alarm, eyes landing on Kasia’s new ‘necklace’. “A new accessory?” she raised an eyebrow at the red rope cinched tightly around Kasia’s neck. “You might want to consider satin, it’s far more gentle on the skin.”
Kasia grimaced and rubbed the skin around her neck where the rope continued to chafe, waving off her concern. “Please, plenty in the village have gone much longer without food, and on a far regular basis.”
Andrew’s face sobered. Worry about his siblings and parents came to mind. He had joined the knights, instead of working the farm like his brothers, so he could be one less mouth to feed and, eventually, send money back home to help his parents.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean-” Kasia apologize seeing the look on Andrew’s face.
“Don’t be.” He cut her off. “It’s the truth.” He squeezed her in a half hug and then pushed the dour thoughts away.
Sondra, sensing the need for a change in subject, immediately began gossiping about farmer Rick accusing his neighbor Leon about stealing some of his chickens. Leon, of course, asserted that he had bought the chickens, but couldn’t say where from. Much of the townsfolk were divided on whose side they were on.
“Well whose side are you on?” Janine asked Sondra.
“Both.” Sondra winked at Janine, “The eggs taste the same regardless of where they come from.”
Janine cackled, delighted with Sondra’s mischief.
After they finished chatting with Sondra, they settled into a table and began to pig out, laughing and chatting.
"Excuse me, Kasia, but apparently your meal has been paid for," Sondra mentioned as she cleaned up some of the empty plates.
Kasia choked. She had ordered A LOT, and no offense to the locals, she didn't think any of them could afford such a generous gift. Even if they could, she'd rather they kept the money for their own families. All her needs were provided for by the Knights.
"I'm sorry, by who?" she demanded.
"I was told that should you ask, to tell you, ‘by the 'rugged and handsome man near the fireplace’." Sondra pointed further into the inn to a man sitting by himself. The man’s eyes were shamelessly fixated on Kasia.
Andrew immediately cackled and wolf whistled, causing Kasia to flush bright red.
"He's cute, you should talk to him." Janine giggled.
"He wants to fuck. I absolutely should not." Kasia retorted, slightly panicked.
"Okay. Well then you can just sit here all alone while that guy eye fucks you from across the room, while Janie and i go have some alone time."
"Y'know it's really rude to come hang out with me and then ditch me so you can go fuck. You two can do that anytime!"
"True, but it's also rude to let someone pay for your meal and not thank them." Andrew and Janine were both grinning at her, snickering.
"Good point. Sondra, would you please return the man's money? I'll pay for my own meal."
"I can't.” Sondra shook her head, holding up her hands in defense, “Not without you 'leaving a complaint' with him and him 'approving' it. I don't understand what he means, just that he somehow got me to agree. If you don't talk to him, then you'll have to accept his generosity."
"We'll be here when you get back, Kasia." Janine assured her as she nudged Andrew in the ribs. "I like Andrew well enough but we'd never abandon you. Your only interactions are with the knights and Sondra, who sneaks us alcohol. Expand your horizons. Besides, he does look amazing."
Janine playfully sighed as Andrew slapped her arm.
“Kasia, just talk to the man. When was the last time you talked to a boy about anything other than hunting? You’re like the female version of your father and it’s creepy! Be a girl for once in your life!” Andrew urged.
Kasia groaned and stomped her feet twice like a toddler before taking a deep breath, schooling her features into a bland smile and walked over to the handsome stranger.
"I understand you paid for my meal, sir. That was a very thoughtful gesture, but I'm afraid it was much too generous, and I must decline."
The man smiled at her shrewdly, "If you must, but I would gladly pay double for you to sit with me. I have not thought of anything else since your beautiful face came through the door. Would you grace me with your presence?" The handsome man pushed out the chair across from him with his foot.
Kasia’s flush deepened. "Wow… that was... Did you practice that? Oh, heavens, that was rude, I'm sorry. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but… you're not from around here, are you?" Well, my general lack of social grace will probably make him reconsider sleeping with me…' Kasia thought cheerfully. 'I should get out more, I'm shit at this.
"I am not. Thus why I am staying in this wonderful establishment." The man reached out and grabbed her hand, then with a strong gentleness pulled her towards the chair, "please relax, sit."
It was the softest command that she had ever heard, or perhaps a strong suggestion. And the voice was powerful and sweet.
He really must not be from around here. None of the locals would dare touch the Lord Commander’s daughter… It’s…kind of nice to have someone not know who I am. To not be afraid to speak to me for fear of my father’s retribution.
"Are you from around here? I do not believe that you are. You look as out of place here as I do."
Kasia practically fell into the seat beside him. That was the kindest way anyone had ever described her general lack of charm. "Believe it or not, I've lived here my whole life… which is about as interesting as it sounds. Where are you from, sir…?" She left the question at the end to request his name.
"I am from a far distant village that no longer exists." He looked distant for a fraction of a moment.
Kasia resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the obviously practiced ‘air of mystery’ he was trying to cultivate.
A charming smile spread across his face. "'Sir' will do fine for now. I look forward to sharing my name with you, but I would like to see where we go for a bit first. And you shall be 'lady', my lady."
He pulled her hand up and kissed it. After he released it, he reached behind her and began to lightly stroke the nape of her neck. "There's a castle full of hunters and woods nearby. If you catch the right breeze then you can smell the ocean. Living here couldn't possibly be dull." He took a quick glance from her face to Andrew and Janine who were now sharing a chair as she stroked his hair. "Besides, I bet having friends like that makes things interesting as well."
Kasia felt heat rise to her cheeks as the man touched her. It was very forward of him…but she liked it, and so she didn't say anything.
"No. Just lonely." Kasia said a tad too bitterly. She caught herself and smiled superficially, "I just mean since they got together it's felt less like being their friend and more like being a third wheel on their trysts." Fuck. That wasn't any better. "But yeah- the sea. Very nice. Fish. Good stuff. Do you like fish?"
The man laughed warmly. The sound was rich and full of color.
"I like fish well enough. It is far less interesting to fish than it is to hunt. It's akin to trapping." He brought his hand from her neck gliding gently along her arm and began caressing her fingers. "That is bittersweet news to hear. It is a tragedy to hear that someone as lovely as you feels lonely. Loneliness is painful. But! It is something that I can address!" His eyes lit with mischief, and desire.
The two teenagers at the other table were now shamelessly making out in the middle of the inn. Kasia glanced at them and sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Have you never thought to join them?" The man jested. "Anyone would be blessed to share the experience with you." His fingers continued to stroke her own.
Kasia bit her lip, embarrassed and pleased by his shameless flirting. His touches made her heart beat faster.
"Well, sure, I've thought about it. But, you see, if a knight or initiate becomes with child…well, she's retired from service, if she is the former, and expelled from the program if she's the latter. It's not something I am willing to risk."
This was also her tactful way of letting him know that she was part of the order of knight hunters at the castle he had so casually mentioned, and that she would not be sleeping with him.
“You’re so serious for someone so young,” the man commented, eyes crinkling with mirth.
Kasia’s face grew hard, “I know what I want, and I’m not going to allow anything to get in the way of the future I’ve worked my whole life to build.”
The man laughed at her, making Kasia’s temper flare.
“I’m not laughing at you— well, yes, actually, I am,” He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, “But only because your naivety is so, well…cute.”
Kasia surged to her feet, “Pierdol si?!” (Fuck you) she cursed him.
He rose to his feet as well, grabbing her hands to keep her from leaving, “I’m sorry- I wasn’t trying to upset you. It’s just, when you’ve lived as long as I have, you realize how no matter how hard you work or what dreams you make…life can take them away from you in the blink of an eye.” Again, something like pain flashed in his eyes. Kasia suspected that maybe he was speaking from experience…
“I’m sorry for whatever dreams you lost, but I’m not going to give up on mine just because something might happen.” Kasia replied gently.
The man nodded, his smile rueful. “Good. I was not suggesting that you should. I only meant that denying yourself pleasure and happiness today is naive because there may never be a tomorrow.” He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her into a savage kiss.
Kasia was so stunned she froze. His tongue plundered her mouth, filling her with the taste of him. It was hot and heady, the sensation overwhelming. Then it was over, and he was grinning at her, “I have work to do, my lady, but I will rest easy tonight knowing I did not risk missing the chance to know how sweet your lips were.”
He walked away, leaving Kasia to stand there, eyes wide like a startled doe. After a few minutes of her standing there numbly, a gentle hand rested on her shoulder.
“Are you alright, kochanie?” (dear) Sondra asked gently.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“I-yes, I…” Kasia stammered, shaking her head.
“Feeling overwhelmed?” Sondra suggested.
“Yes!”
Sondra gently pushed her back into the chair, “I’ll get us some tea and you can tell me about that kiss I just saw.” she chuckled, “I hope it felt as good as it looked.”
“Better, probably.” Kasia muttered.
Sondra returned with the tea, correctly intuiting that Janine and Andrew would both have materialized by Kasia and she served them all cups, sitting down with a mug for herself.
“You kissed him!” Janine crowed with delight.
“No, he kissed me! I-”
“Froze up like a startled goat?” Andrew suggested helpfully, making everyone laugh.
They spent most of the day talking there, by the fire. The entire time, Kasia couldn’t stop thinking about the man whose name she didn’t know and the feeling of his lips. Her cheeks blushed every time she started thinking about it– making Andrew, Janine, and Sondra tease her incessantly every time they spotted the tell-tale flush on her cheeks.
Because of how public the kiss had been, she was certain word would get back to her father…and tomorrow was family day. Knights got two days off a week– one rest day and one family day. Those who came from villages farther away would use both days to travel back to their home village to visit their families. Those from even further would take four days every other week, and so on.
But Kasia’s father and Uncles lived in the castle, and every week was family day. Which meant a day of her father and possibly her uncles cross examining her about kissing a stranger in public… Fuck.
In the past, family day had included her older siblings- Imka, Kornosz, and Jacek. But Imka had left when she married an Italian merchant prince ten years ago, then Kornosz had passed his initiation rites and went off to go hunt in distant lands; he was currently in England. That had been nine years ago. Then Jacek passed his and did the same seven years ago, going to France. So for the last seven years, it had been just Kasia, her father, and her Uncles, broken up by the occasional visit from her siblings, which never lasted long enough; it meant a lot of focus and scrutiny on her.
“Hello? Kasia?” Andrew’s voice reached into her reverie.
Kasia snapped out of her thoughts, wondering how long she’d been zoned out, “Huh? What?”
"Do. You. Want. To. Go. To. The. Beach?" Janine enunciated. She had asked the question several times while Kaisa was lost in her head.
"She is there!" Andrew exclaimed playfully. "We were trying to decide what to do with the rest of our day."
"I guess that's my cue to go back to work." Sondra sighed.
She winked at Kasia. "Don't get too lost in daydreams, dziecka (daughter)."
“Ehh that one was more a of a nightmare.” Kasia winced. “I was imagining my tatu? and wujeks tomorrow during family breakfast after they’ve found out about-about… well, a lot of people saw.” She grimaced.
Sondra laughed maniacally. "Jon's other little girl growing up. I remember him when your sister Imka grew up. The knights could have been hired to kill him with how monstrously he was behaving."
Sondra's eyes flashed with her words. Kasia likely would get an earful. But she had her father's heart. Many said, especially her older siblings, that the Lord Commander was wrapped around his youngest daughter's finger — but it certainly didn't feel that way with how stern he was!
Andrew sighed deeply. "Being punished by Lieutenant General Ren in training was bad enough. I'm not looking forward to the Lord Commander deciding to take charge for a day."
Janine pushed him. "Be nice, moje cerce (my heart). Jon won't punish us for Kasia's behavior.” Janine enjoyed pushing the line. If someone had overheard her, it wouldn't be the first time that she got into trouble using Kasia's father's name instead of his title. “Don't make her regret it. Look at her blush, she loved it. If you ruin this for her… well, you remember what happened last Yule..."
Andrew’s eyes widened, “You wouldn’t!”
“I would!” Janine crowed.
"Fine!"
“Don’t worry, Andrew. I’m great at ruining things for myself without your help!” Kasia added chipperly.
Janine pulled Kasia's ear. "Don't you ruin this for my best friend either! She needs to get out of her shell. Even if only for a little while." She released Kasia’s ear, adding, "You don't have to marry him. Hell, I hope you don't. You just met him."
Kasia’s eyes bulged, “Why the fuck would you even bring up marriage! You know I don’t want to get married for at least twenty more years!”
When she and Janine stopped needling each other, and Kasia finally responded to the question about the beach.
“Yes, let’s go to the beach. Sondra, can we get some kielbasa, potatoes, and a couple bottles of wine? I want to have dinner in our cave.”
"Of course." Sondra chirped. When she returned, she had hidden the bottles of vodka in a basket beneath the kielbasa and potatoes.
“Thank you, Sondra. You’re the best.” Kasia hugged the woman, then got up to leave with her friends.
—------------------------------------
The friends weren’t the only ones who had the idea. Despite the cold spring water, most of the initiates who lived nearby had decided to play in the sand. It was not going to be a quiet day on the beach. Even some of the stationed hunters had decided to come relax in the sun.
“Hey, look who it is! The troublesome trio. Gotten into any hijinks today, or is it a rest day for that, too?” A knight named Hugo waved them over with a grin. Kasia liked Hugo. He was kind and even-tempered (a surprising rarity among monster slayers), and reminded Kasia of her brother, Jacek. Kasia felt a pang of sadness remembering her brother. He was off in France now, likely having incredible adventures while she remained here, the last to leave the nest.
The trio trooped through the sand to join the knight.
“Oh and you have food! You’ll share, of course?” Hugo eyed the basket expectantly.
The three of them exchanged looks, then eyed Hugo warily.
“Uhh-” Kasia started to decline, but Hugo rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively,
“You think Sondra didn’t smuggle me alcohol when I was an initiate? Sit down, you’re not in trouble. Do you really think your father is stupid, Katarzyna? That he isn’t completely aware that all the initiates drink?”
Kasia turned red, while Andrew and Janine both raised their eyebrows in surprise.
“If he knows…then why doesn’t he enforce the rule? Why have the rule in the first place, for that matter?” Janine asked.
Hugo shook his head as if he thought the answer should be obvious, “The rule is there so if any of you knuckleheads show up to training or anything drunk, they can refer to the rule and give proper punishment. If the rule wasn’t there, everyone would spend rest and family day getting smashed, cause a whole lot of grief and trouble in the village, and show up to training the next day hungover. But, because there’s this big ban on it– you all are very careful about when and how much you drink. And if you’re going to get trashed, you do it in private where you can’t tarnish the knight’s reputation with the locals.”
“Oh.” was all Janine could think to say.
“So open the basket and share!” Hugo demanded with a smile.
Kasia fished in the basket and passed Hugo one of the bottles of wine, “That’s…really smart.” she admitted.
Hugo snorted as he uncorked the vodka with a small knife, “Your father didn’t become the most feared and beloved commander by being stupid, Katarzyna. It’s funny how much you all think you get away with. Not just you three, all the initiates. But, I did too. Then I joined the council and we all sit around and laugh about how clever you all think you are.”
Hugo was one of the newest members to her father’s councilors. They met to discuss all sorts of things such as assignments, castle upkeep, regional politics, monster sightings— and apparently initiate capers.
Hugo took a long swig of the bottle, then passed it back to them. Kasia took a drink and passed it to Andrew, and so on.
Some of the other knights and initiates came over to join them, and they ended up starting a bonfire to cook the potatoes, kielbasa, fish that some had caught from the ocean and so on. Hugo had a couple of initiates take some money to head back to the inn to get more food since there wasn’t nearly enough for everyone who was gathering.
“So, Katarzyna, how are your siblings? Have you heard from any of them recently?”
“Well, Imka is expecting her second child- I don’t know if you had heard yet?” Hugo was the same age as Imka, and Kasia knew they had been friends before her marriage to Blasio.
Hugo shook his head, no.
“Nothing much from Kornosz except that he’s going to come home for a visit after he finishes clearing out some harpy nests in England. And Jacek, apparently, bought the most beautiful crossbow in France and wrote an entire letter describing every detail of it.” Kasia rolled her eyes, but her smile was warm with affection for her siblings. “What about you, how is your family?”
“Well, Imeld just had twins, but she lost one of them, which was sad but not unexpected. She’d had a hard pregnancy. Mamuska and Tata are staying with her while she recovers to help with the other children.” Hugo explained. He talked about his older brothers, all successful hunters, and the rest of his sisters, all married with children. Hugo, like Kasia, was the baby of the family.
He then asked Janine and Andrew about their families.
Janine reported what little was new with her mother and step-father, and Andrew chatted about his many, many siblings for almost half an hour, with Janine supplying details from their most recent visit to his family’s farm.
“Katarzyna!” a sharp voice cut through the pleasant hum of chatter and laughter.
Kasia’s heart stopped in her chest. She knew that voice. Of course she did– all the knights did. It was Wojciek , her father’s second in command. Several hunters and initiates decided that was their cue to disappear.
“You know that alcohol is forbidden to initiates!”
“Relax, Wojciek , the vodka is mine. Katarzyna and her friends are behaving.” Hugo lied smoothly for them.
Wojciek looked at the pink flush in all their cheeks and was completely unconvinced, but didn’t challenge Hugo. Instead he just stared hard at Kasia.
A few weeks ago, Wojciek had gone to Kasia’s father and asked for her hand in marriage. Jon, of course, had asked to know what Kasia thought. Wojciek had been surprised by this, expressing that he would make a good match for Kasia. Jon had informed him that Kasia would choose her own husband, and that if she chose him, then he would grant his blessing.
When Wojciek went to Kasia to ask for her hand, Kasia had exploded on him for going behind her back to ask her father for her like some kind of livestock without ever so much as courting her or caring to ask what she thought. While it was normal for suitors to ask fathers for their daughters, most at least spoke to the prospective bride first. It was also common practice to court and woo the prospective bride as well. Wojciek had done none of this.
Wojciek promised that he would be a good husband to her, care for her and their children and do all in his power to make them happy. This had only infuriated Kasia more. Wojciek had thought to simply take Kasia and make her his wife and that she would be happy to give up all of her own dreams of hunting to stay home and care for his children.
Her loud refusal had been difficult not to overhear, and Wojciek had been quite humiliated. Ever since then he had treated her with a strange mixture of hostility and flirtation, seeming to believe he could convince her to change her mind. It was utterly confusing.
It might have also been the reason that Harold now seemed to pay special attention to her. The other two women in the order, Janine and Dorota, had lovers and were planning to marry them sooner or later. Kasia, on the other hand, had refused a match that, by all appearances, would have been perfect: The current Lord Commander’s daughter and the future Lord Commander. Though, of course, it also could have been that Harold had taken her rejection of his older brother as a personal slight to his family.
“Have…have you been enjoying your day off?” Wojciek asked Kasia, making her head do a complete 180 with how fast he switched between anger and pleasantness. It was one of the many reasons she did not wish to marry him.
“I-uh-yes. It has been…most rejuvenating… yourself?”
Wojciek nodded, seeming happy enough with her answer, “Mine has been as well. I enjoyed an excellent ride this morning, and read a book on battle tactics that was quite well researched.” Wojciek had taken to telling her things like this, Kasia assumed, as a way to help her get to know him.
“That…uh… that does sound like an enjoyable day.” Kasia replied after an uncomfortable silence when she realized he had been expecting her to comment.
Andrew and Janine were holding back their laughter. They, of course, had found Wojciek ’s humiliation absolutely hilarious.
“I thought to come to the beach to enjoy the sunset over the waves. Will you join me?”
Saints alive and dead. Fuck no.
“Um, sure.” Kasia looked at Andrew and Janine with absolute panic in her eyes, but they looked at her bewildered and shrugged as if to say, You’re the one who said yes– you’re on your own.
Of course Kasia had said yes–she wanted things to go back to normal. To before Wojciek had shaken everything up with his marriage talk. They had been friendly before– like she was with Hugo. Not friends, but friendly. Now? Some days they were bitter enemies and others… well others were just uncomfortable, like right now. Wojciek was the knight’s highest commanding officer after her Uncles and trusted right hand of her father. He could make life extremely difficult for Kasia, and had been, since her refusal. Nothing too overt– nothing that would cross any lines and risk his relationship and position with her father. But enough to let her know that he was doing it on purpose.
Kasia got up and brushed the sand off her pants, following Wojciek a bit away, near the rocks and cliffs that led to the cave Kasia and her friends liked to hang out in. For a moment, it seemed like Wojciek was going to try and put an arm around her, but then seemed to think better of it, for which Kasia was grateful.
They stood in uncomfortable silence, watching the sky turn pink and listening to the gulls cry over the waves crashing into the rocks. Kasia wondered if she just stayed silent long enough if Wojciek would get bored and let her go back to her friends. She also wondered if there would be a point that she could politely excuse herself without pissing him off and going back to being enemies.
"Your father is a great man," Wojciek murmured, in what Kasia assumed was his attempt at casual conversation.
Kasia smiled at the mention of her father. She adored him. “He really is. I hope to be half as incredible as him, someday. Though I’ve given up hope of growing another two feet taller. I think that ship might have sailed.” She joked.
"Two feet wouldn't be nearly enough for you to catch up." He joked.
Kasia folded her arms, "Rude."
Wojciek smiled but pressed on, "I plan to follow in his steps. To be a great man also."
Kasia shrugged noncommittally, "Tatu? must think you capable of it to have chosen you as his successor."
"There are few better than me. And soon none will be." After a few moments of silence he spoke again. "And you're the most beautiful woman in Gdansk. It's only natural that we should be together. Doe find strong stags and strong stags seek lovely fertile doe."
Kasia flushed and hugged herself tighter, "I know you think you're complimenting me, Wojciek , but I don't want to be someone's fertile doe. I want to be a hunter, like my ojciec** . I can't do that if I settle down with someone and have children. Maybe I will someday—” she held up her hands, “--years and years from now, just to be clear. But my dream is to travel and hunt.
"I didn't refuse your proposal because your skills are lacking, I did it because I am not a good match for you. We don't want the same things. And that was true before the whole asking my ojciec to give me to you, as if I had no say in the matter!”
“How was I to know that your ojciec would let you choose your own husband?” Wojciek protested.
Kasia ignored him, "Find a girl who shares your dream, Wojciek . You're right that you are a masterful hunter– it should not be difficult to woo a pretty bright eyed lass who would be overjoyed to tend your hearth and bear your children." Kasia was trying to be kinder in her rejection this time around. She didn't understand why he thought to keep asking after she'd said no just a few weeks ago.
Wojciek chuckled. "So ambitious. You'll come around. And I don’t want some simple farm girl– I want a woman who can fight as well as she sews. Someone who will still spar with me when all the other knights under my command fear to– like your matka did for your ojciek.”
Kasia was caught off guard by this rare mention of her mother. “My Mamuska trained with my Tatu??” She was always desperate for any scrap of her mother, collecting them in her heart like patches on the tattered quilt of her childhood memories. She took an unconscious step toward Wojciek, who smiled, pleased.
“Yes. This was when I was still early in my training, mind you, but I remember the Lord Commander demanding someone spar with him and being unable to find anyone willing on several occasions.” Wojciek’s smile grew wider at the memory, and his affection for her father was clear. “On those occasions, your Matka would come out dressed in trousers carrying a practice sword and offer to be his partner.” he trailed off. “I have always admired their relationship, just as I admire your Ojciek. I wanted a woman as fearless as his.”
Wojciek reached out and took Kasia’s hand in his, brushing her knuckles with his fingertips.
“I want you, Katarzyna. You will be my wife. An excellent support as I lead the knights. A powerful woman, wife to the Lord Commander. Strong enough to protect our children when I am called to fight the threat of darkness"
Kasia bristled and yanked her hand from his, "You haven’t been listening to me, Wojciek!" She stomped a foot in frustration. "Do you even know anything about me?! Do you care what I want?! Find some other pretty bauble to adorn your arm!"
Breathing hard, she pivoted and stormed off to return to her friends. She was done with this conversation.
"Run all you want, Kaisa.” Wojciek called after her, daring to use her familiar name without her permission, “You won't escape the world's best hunter."
By now Janine and Andrew had separated from Hugo and any the others and were snuggled together in the sand.
"I knew that would end with you yelling at him and storming off. What'd he do this time?" Janine chuckled as Kasia stomped up to them and flopped in the sand beside the couple.
"Disregarded that I am my own person who wants something other than what he wants!" Kasia snarled.
Andrew reached around Janine and rubbed Kasia’s back soothingly. "Ignore him. He's a great hunter, which means he can be as arrogant as he is skilled."
Kasia rubbed her face, "Can we go to our cave? I want to get away from everyone."
Prying eyes watched them from the cliffs above. Unseen, unknown, but watching and calculating. There was something unexpected about that girl that intrigued the observer more than her scent.
The trio of friends hiked across the beach to the cliff face and climbed the precarious route that led treacherously high above the ground to a cave overlooking the ocean.
Once inside, Kasia began building a fire out of the driftwood she'd been gathering on the walk over to the cliffs. Andrew and Janine added their share to the pile she'd been making, then sat down nearby and resumed cuddling on the bedrolls and pillows they'd smuggled here long ago.
After the fire was going, Kaisa sat at the lip of the cave and just stared out at the ocean. There was a whole world past those waters- one she was determined to see for herself.
Do you like knowing who the monster is from the very first chapter?
