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Owain was not bothered. To suggest such a thing was to slander his very name. Being bothered would imply his impenetrable guard to be cracked by something beyond his control. There were, on occasion, moments in which he wavered. Namely, when irritating members of the kingdom tended to act on personal whims rather than according to the will of their monarch, or when sticky fingers found their way into his pockets.
However, this was not comparable to those tiny annoyances. This was different. This should not have fallen into the category of events that could bother him. In order to be bothered, he would first have to care.
And caring about a member of the Red Kingdom… was not something he was capable of doing.
It hadn’t been a massive incident. In fact, Owain doubted another soul had even noticed it happen. He had simply sent a pigeon off to the Red Kingdom and never received a response. Now, he was not one to hastily fall upon conclusions. There were many valid reasons as to why Kitty would not be able to immediately write him back. She was occupied, talking to someone, or asleep.
Owain had waited, expecting them to reply at their earliest convenience. It wasn’t a pressing matter anyway — simply a request for them to meet for their next lesson soon. Except, hours passed. Hours, and eventually, an entire day. Not a word from Kitty. She hadn’t even stopped by the Blue Kingdom to randomly insert herself into conversations.
Suddenly, Owain found himself pacing, or checking the skies at frequent intervals, as though he had been the one to miss her message, instead of the other way around. The knight wasn’t bothered, of course. That was preposterous. No, it was only that he hated to waste a pigeon, hated for his time to be eaten up by someone else’s inability to respond in a timely manner.
It’d come to a bit of a head after two days of failing to hear back. Owain began to make excuses to bring Kitty up in conversation with the others in his kingdom. The hope was that one or two would be able to tell him what exactly was keeping her away. He wanted to say he did so subtly, but Graecie had noticed something amiss immediately. She was perceptive, that one, almost to a fault.
“Y’know, it’s strange,” Graecie had interrupted to say. “Strange for you to talk about Kitty when they’re not around. Even when it’s just to comment on how nice it is not to find string everywhere.”
Owain had barely repressed his urge to tense. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“Hm,” had been the most she’d given him. Blessedly, she offered a topic change of her own, and they’d moved to discussing her latest trip to the night market. Owain was unimaginably grateful. One more skeptical look, and he would have been reduced to ash under the weight of his own sins.
Others were far more helpful. Scott commented that it was odd the cat hadn’t been around to scour his tall grasses for mice, and both Nom and 4C mentioned not bumping into her for a while. Owain’s mind had taken a turn after speaking to them, a low thrum of undeniable anxiety forming in the pit of his stomach. He was no longer the only one to pick up on Kitty’s change in behavior.
Surprisingly, it had been Eloise who had provided him with actual answers.
“Kitty? No, I suppose she wouldn’t be here much these days,” El had said, combing a hand through her feathers while she thought. “The poor thing has been holed up in the Red Kingdom since their coronation. I’ve seen her only briefly while attempting to visit with Ser Bek.”
His curiosity had piqued at the swan’s wording. “Attempting to visit? Were you not successful?”
“I suppose I was,” Eloise hummed, but her brows furrowed. “It is only that the kingdom is in such disarray that we were not able to speak for long. Honestly, in the midst of that chaos, Ser Bek was sweet to make any amount of time for me.”
Ah, the Red Kingdom was troubled, wasn’t it? Kitty had shared a bit of information with him when they’d encountered each other on the day of her coronation, and he’d inferred more from word of mouth.
Owain had bid farewell to the swan not long after their conversation, his feet leading him in a direction he tried not to stray too often. An idea had been borne from Eloise’s words.
If Kitty had been too busy to see his pigeon, then he would just have to deliver his message in person. They were occupied, but exactly as Ser Bek had done for Eloise, Owain had little doubt that the cat would not be able to find a sliver of time for him too.
He had never expected to be wrong.
“State your business.”
Owain raised his arms placatingly as the point of Ser Bek’s spear tapped his breastplate.
The Red Kingdom had turned out to be devoid of life beyond the castle walls, and upon attempting to enter, the knight had been stopped by the aforementioned Ser. He tried to sidestep, urgency nipping at his heels as he swore he could hear Kitty’s voice echo from inside, and that had been when the weapon was aimed his way.
He sighed, “I am… here to speak with your monarch.”
“Our Empurror,” Ser Bek corrected, and Owain failed to suppress the slight smile that rose behind his mask at the ridiculous title. Kitty had been so thrilled when they’d come up with the idea, so to find it being used was heartwarming, in a way. “Anyway, you cannot.”
“What?” Owain’s expression dropped. “Why not?”
“The Empurror is quite occupied with matters of the kingdom,” Bek replied. “Matters which do not concern any member of Blue. I’m sure you understand.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but could not think of a comment that might change the mind of the steadfast knight before him. At least, without admitting to a much more shameful truth. Owain straightened, and turned around.
If Graecie had noticed his slumped posture afterwards, she was merciful enough not to comment.
However, Owain was not one to give up so easily. The next day, he arrived around noon, certain the cat would have free time then. She was never one to skip lunch, and should he just so happen to stroll up and suggest they eat together, it was a sure way to guarantee they had ample opportunity to chat.
When he stepped past the gates and spotted her across the way, his confidence only grew. Kitty was not alone, currently flanked by both Cam and Katie, but Owain did not fear either of them. He approached without hesitation.
The cat was distracted, unaware of his presence. As such, he was able to catch a piece of their conversation with their companions. Soluna was mentioned once or twice, as well as something regarding the frog. He recalled the secret she’d entrusted with him about the former monarch escaping with the crown.
Owain opted to lead with that when he finally stepped into her field of view. “Planning for that big farkle match?”
Kitty startled, and Katie’s sword was drawn in a blink. Owain instinctively reached for his own weapon, but did not attempt to unsheath it. He hadn’t come for a fight.
“Oh dear,” he tutted. “Jumpy today, aren’t we?”
The only one of the three that hadn’t been surprised by his appearance was Cam. The mage glared at him, unphased, and looking quite a bit more confident than he ever had during his own monarchy. Owain suspected he was harder to sneak up on nowadays, likely due to the Blue Kingdom’s current monarch and his tendency for invisible antics.
“None of your concern,” Cam countered, pushing his glasses further up on his nose. “Come on, Your Majesty, we should really be going.”
Kitty was a sight for sore eyes. Owain would never admit in a million years that he missed her, but he supposed that was the closest interpretation of the soft feeling within his chest. Their daily presence within his life was something he hadn’t realized he’d accepted until it was gone.
She was not, in all honesty, his first pick for a monarch. However, looking at Kitty now, it was impossible to deny the spirits’ choice. Though she wore no crown, the woman stood much straighter now, chin raised and gaze calculating. Even the slight bags under their eyes contributed to the regal air about them.
Although, at the exact same time, Owain’s confidence drained the longer she stared at him. It was almost a given that she greeted him enthusiastically anytime she saw him. And yet, she offered him nothing now.
“Right,” Kitty said finally. She sighed, rolling her shoulders and frowning deeply as something popped. “Yes. Yes, it is true. We should… go. There is much to discuss.”
“What?” Owain’s jaw dropped. “But… You just…”
“We have a meeting with the frog,” Kitty replied, swaying a step closer and taking his hand. He felt a small squeeze against the armor there. Only then did her lips tip upwards. “Sorry, Lion.”
Her smile was so tired.
Kitty released their grip, and pushed past him. Owain whirled to watch her start towards the mountain. Katie and Cam followed.
She was leaving? Just like that? Without exchanging any other words? Without even a proper greeting? Before he could so much as think to ask her to lunch?
“Wait,” he said, shocking himself. He hadn’t noticed his mouth opening. Kitty paused, glancing over her shoulder. Owain straightened, recovering. “I’ll come with you.”
Focusing so intently on the cat, he nearly missed Cam blocking his path. A presumptuous finger was shoved in his face, waggling back and forth. “Nuh-uh,” the mage spoke. “We have enough problems without Blue spies in our midst.”
“But—!”
“Really, man,” Katie interjected. “It took us so long to get Frogue to agree to another meeting before the Farkhall is ready. If you tag along, he won’t let us anywhere near.”
“Then, I’ll stay on the outskirts,” Owain proposed. “Let me just—”
“Lion,” Kitty said, and his mouth fell shut. The monarch was pinching the bridge of her nose, her brows furrowed. “Please.”
She sounded almost desperate. He’d never heard them use that tone before.
All at once, a gruesome awareness shot through Owain.
He was the cause of the frown spreading across their face now. He was the one delaying their hard-earned meeting. He was inconveniencing them.
He had become another source of stress for Kitty.
“Oh. Oh, yes, of course.” Owain took a step back. “Right, um… I’ll take my leave. Enjoy your… meeting.”
Without waiting for another word, the knight promptly left. He did not look back. He did not waver. And he especially did not notice the way Kitty’s eyes tracked him until he was too far to be seen any longer.
Owain wasn’t able to pause for a single breath before he’d reached the gates of Blue. A strange sickness had gathered in his gut, a guilt heaving alongside his breaths, and a sense of utter confusion to round out the mixture. He ignored Mae, Shan, and Graecie, slipped past Nom and Scott, and hid himself in his quarters before he could encounter any others.
Kitty was… too busy to see him.
For the first time since the moment they’d met, Kitty had brushed him off.
He sank to the ground, leaning the whole of his weight against his front door, and spent the rest of the afternoon trying to rid his mind of the image of the cat’s tired expression that insisted on making a home there.
It took three more days before news from the Red Kingdom reached him again. Eloise was squealing about something below his window as he awoke, and he’d confronted her about it shortly thereafter. The first thing he noticed about the swan was her nearly manic grin.
“Ser Bek has sent me a pigeon,” she blurted upon seeing him. “Their conflict with Soluna has concluded!”
Owain frowned under his helmet at her words. “Their… conflict with Soluna?”
“Mhm! Oh, I suppose you may not have known,” El went on. “Since the discovery of Lady Katie’s involvement with the prince’s passing, both the Solunians were refusing to interact with any member of their kingdom. It was quite the headache for the Empurror and Ser Bek apparently.”
Owain’s eyebrows shot up. He cleared his throat.
“You are correct. I had thought they were dealing with the aftermath of Frogue’s reign alone,” he replied, doing his best impression of someone who was completely calm. “Would you say this means they… now have more time to relax?”
Owain winced at his own predictability. Were El not consumed with her own excitement, she might have caught on to his interest. He glanced around for Graecie, making sure she hadn’t heard it.
Eloise nodded furiously. “I do hope so!”
Then, the mage paused, chewing on her lip. A blush bloomed across her cheeks, and she glanced up at him sheepishly. Owain gave in and inquired, “What is it?”
“Well, I would like to go check on the nature of their free time right now, but,” Eloise trailed off, coughing a bit. “I would not like to appear too eager. Do you think you—?”
Owain nearly jumped out of his skin at the opportunity being presented to him on a silver platter. “Yes, I would happily accompany you.”
Her eyes widened. Clearly, she had been anticipating a denial, or perhaps even a small scolding for being so excited about seeing a member of the Red Kingdom. On another day, under separate circumstances, he might have given her exactly that. Today, however, was very different.
Eloise barely kept herself from skipping as they made their way into enemy territory. Ser Bek was grooming a horse in the stables when they arrived. She waved them over, and they approached.
“Greetings to you both,” Bek called, formal as ever. Owain exchanged pleasantries, though his eyes drifted elsewhere. “I take it you have received my news?”
“Oh, yes,” El confirmed, thankfully doing the majority of the talking for them. “We, uh, wanted to come and check up on you folks now that the worst of it’s over.”
The tips of her ears were red. There was a slight stammer to her tone when she spoke. She kept looking up through her lashes, as if meeting Bek’s eyes directly was too difficult. Owain wondered if he was this obvious when around Kitty. Once again, he was thankful for his armor.
“Your support is very much appreciated,” Bek laughed. “I am doing far better, though I must say, it is because of our Empurror that things have gone semi-back to normal.”
“Oh? Kitty?” El tilted her head. Owain thought he caught her glancing at him as she said the cat’s name, but he couldn’t be sure. “Is she adjusting well to diplomacy?”
“As well as a cat can. He has not been very fond of how little time he has for naps,” Bek mused. “But otherwise, Kitty is excelling and their role. They are patient, and a fast learner.”
“Yes,” Owain whispered, barely audible. “That they are.”
Bek shot him a private smile, as if she knew something he did not. “She is taking stock in the barracks if you want to stop in. I’m sure she would enjoy the company.”
“Oh?” Owain glanced between Bek and Eloise, then over at the barracks. He had an inkling that he need not feign indifference before this particular audience. He sucked in a breath. “I suppose I will, uh, see the both of you later.”
Owain left, crossing the rest of the way to the knight barracks before he could talk himself out of it. Truthfully, he wasn’t entirely sure of where he was going, having limited his visits to Red when possible. But, he’d been in many barracks before, so it didn’t take him long to find the weapons, and subsequently, Kitty.
To his surprise, she was not up and taking stock as Bek had suggested. Rather, the rogue was curled up in the corner, her knees pulled to her chest and her giant feather sagging atop her head. Worried something might be the matter, Owain knelt down beside Kitty and shook her shoulder.
A small yawn emanated from her. “Mm? Bek? Is that you?”
“Oh,” Owain whispered. Relief flooded him. “You were asleep. My apologies.”
At the sound of his voice, Kitty jolted. She sat up with far too much ferocity, and knocked her head on the wall behind her. A yowl of pain and shock echoed through the room. Owain winced on her behalf.
“Lion?” She gasped for air, blinking rapidly. “What are you doing here?”
Coming from anyone else, the question would have sounded rude. Yet, Kitty had this way about her that made every single word seem completely sincere and earnest. Her big eyes stared up at him in wonder, and Owain felt part of himself melt from the normalcy of it.
She still had dark circles, but Kitty was no longer radiating stress, or brushing him aside. He had her full attention. The knight couldn’t begin to express how much he adored it.
“I came to make sure you were alright,” Owain expressed honestly, as sentimental as it made him seem. “I’ve been told you’ve done a phenomenal job so far.”
“Ah,” Kitty murmured. “Yes, I have.”
He snorted, shaking his head. “And you’re so modest.”
“I am, it is true!”
Kitty sat up straighter, and something fell from her lap — a notebook. Owain retrieved it, flipping through a few pages while she whined for him to give it back. The handwriting within was sloppy, and the sentences were rife with grammatical errors. On the most recent page, there appeared to be a list. Specifically, a list of weapons, and each had a number written beside it.
The cat snatched it from him before he could see more, but it was enough for him to understand. He gasped, “Kitty, are you writing?”
Kitty grumbled beneath her breath, “Barely… It is not very good…”
“What?” Owain’s mouth opened and closed. “I thought you were still illiterate. Where did you even learn how to do this?”
She clutched the notebook to her and glanced off. “I am having my scribe, Cam, teach me the basics. He says it is important that I can check over royal documents in case people try to take advantage of me.”
“He… isn’t wrong,” Owain replied. “I’m very impressed. You learned how to write so many words in so few days.”
“Oh, yes,” Kitty said. She leaned further against the wall, eyes fluttering shut. “I practice a lot. Many late nights.”
That much was obvious. Kitty knew only the basics prior to her coronation, and now, she had managed to write a list on her own. The content of learning she’d covered with Cam had to have been extensive. They had a long way to come, and a lot of refining would need to be done, but it was impressive all the same.
Though, the longer he stared, the more Owain began to think that ‘late nights’ was probably putting it lightly. Kitty was visibly exhausted, lacking every ounce of her usual energy. She could barely keep from nodding off at that very moment, despite being in the middle of a conversation. Ser Bek had mentioned that Kitty hadn’t been able to nap since taking the throne. The knight’s comment mixed with the cat’s mention of late nights meant that she was likely getting far less than her usual required amount of sleep recently.
And that was strange. Kitty valued her sleep and personal comfort more than most. She had a particularly one-track mind like that. Owain saw those traits in her most often during their training. If it went too late, or the sun was especially warm, she would suggest they stop and nap, no matter how much material was left in the lesson. The idea of her giving such comforts up for the betterment of her reign was… hard to visualize.
But Kitty was resourceful and stubborn. Anything they wanted, they would work hard to get. The cat had whittled down his resolve until he’d decided to train them, and had spent hours fishing every day just so they would be able to eat their favorite food when they pleased. Should she desire to run her kingdom to the best of her capabilities, regardless of the physical toll, then he could see her pursuing it in such a manner.
Owain sighed, reaching over and shaking Kitty again. She just groaned, not even bothering to open her eyes. “Come on,” he urged. “If you’re going to sleep, let’s at least get you into a comfortable bed or something.”
“Ugh, don’t wanna walk,” she complained, lulling forward again so her forehead rested upon her knees. “Right here is comfy enough. Leave me be.”
“I am not one of your knights you can simply command away,” Owain chuckled. He considered them closely for a moment. “Fine. If nothing else, then tell me where your room is so that I might bring you a blanket.”
Kitty gestured vaguely towards the stairs. “Up there with the rest of the knights.”
Closer than expected, actually. Owain eyed the spiral staircase, and the woman curled up beside him. It took him no time at all to come to a suitable conclusion. In one big movement, he slipped an arm underneath Kitty’s legs, and around the small of her back, and hoisted her into the air.
“What?” She screeched, her big eyes going impossibly wider, obviously not expecting it. The incredulous look caused a mischievous type of joy to spread through his veins. Owain started towards the stairs, careful not to grip her too hard lest his armor cause some discomfort. “What is this?”
“Apologies,” Owain replied, his smile probably audible. “I believe you said that you did not want to walk. I am simply removing that aspect of the journey.”
Kitty went quiet, squeezing the journal in her hands ever tighter. He had provided her with the perfect chance to bicker with him, and yet, she did not utter thanks or further complaints at all. Owain paused at the foot of the steps to observe her.
Her cheeks were dusted a light pink as she stared up at him. There was a glimmer of something he couldn’t quite read in their expression — something secretive and curious in nature. Not malicious, though. Not even irritated. Nothing in Kitty’s expression was anything other than the same friendly person he’d met all those weeks ago. Owain wished, rather suddenly, that he had the ability to read minds, so that he might understand why she thought him worthy of such positivity.
Finally, when it seemed she would not reveal anything more to him, and when he could bear her silence no longer, he leaned in as close as his mask would allow. She grew just the slightest bit redder. From that angle, he was almost able to believe Kitty could see through the mesh in front of his eyes.
Owain wondered, dangerously, what they might think of him if they were able. Would the window to his soul scare her off? Or would she want to see more, want to know more? Would he be bestowed that same shining curiosity that she held for all other things that revealed themselves to her?
Today would not be the day in which he found out such answers. He cleared his throat, and proceeded on. “Is something the matter, Kitty? I can put you down if this displeases you.”
“No!” Kitty blurted, far faster than he’d anticipated. In their rush, their hand had landed against his chest. Were it not for the breastplate, Owain might have been able to feel her touch right above his heart. It was for the best he did not. He wasn’t entirely sure he would have been able to handle such an attack. “No, this is fine…”
Perhaps a bit too softly, Owain replied, “Alright.”
He carried on ascending. It was not hard to deduce where Kitty slept. Raised slightly and surrounded by coziness, her bed was unequivocally her own. He laid them gently upon it, and watched them sink into the pillows with a contented sigh. Their eyes were shut and their covers pulled up to their chin in a flash. It seemed there would be no issue falling back asleep.
Owain hesitated a beat longer than he really should have, though he couldn’t figure out why. He supposed it was because he was used to his visits with Kitty being far longer. It was, hypothetically, possible that being apart for so many days had left him… wanting.
Now that he finally had her attention to himself, Owain wasn’t sure he could give it up.
Treasonous bastard, the little voice in his head whispered, Yearning for company from an enemy is a new low.
He drew back as if he’d been burned. With a deep breath in, and a solid exhale out, he tried to purge those thoughts from his person. They were not constructive at the minute, even though they might have been true. Owain turned, and forced himself to start towards the staircase again.
He was not expecting to be stopped by a hand on his wrist. The knight glanced over to find Kitty blearily blinking up at him.
“Lion?”
“Rest now, Kitty,” he shushed. “I am heading home.”
“Lion, wait,” she insisted, her grip not budging. “Will you… come to visit again soon?”
Owain blinked. “I suppose I… could? Did you need something?”
Kitty frowned, an idea clearly on her mind. For a moment, he feared she wouldn’t answer. Fortunately, they were not the overthinker between the two of them.
“I miss our trainings,” she stated matter-of-factly. “They must resume.”
“Oh?” He chuckled. “And is that a decree, Your Majesty?”
Her lips parted in a cocky smile at his jesting use of her title. With the full force of her head, she gave a single, definite nod. “Yes!”
“Well, then so be it,” Owain responded, amusement swelling in his chest. Before he could stop himself, he was bowing deeply before her bedside, and bringing her hand up to the front of his mask, as if to imitate placing a kiss upon her knuckles. “I look forward to seeing you again soon, my lady.”
Kitty was quiet again when he released her, that pink hue returning to her cheeks. Secretly, they were matching in that regard. Not that Owain would ever allow her to discover it.
“Bye, Lion,” Kitty whispered.
“Farewell,” he replied, equally as quiet. “Take better care of yourself in the meantime.”
They let their eyes fall shut. “I suppose I will try.”
Owain basked in the fondness welling behind his ribs. Not another word passed between them. The knight watched her breathing even out, and when it seemed she was truly asleep, he took his leave. He would be back soon enough. He could not possibly stay away.