Come Little Children: Book I

En Route

The walk to Court was an unpleasant one, at best. Katerina, who hadn't had the good sense to think  to slip on her shoes before leaving the cottage, trudged through the woods barefooted. Ten minutes in her walk, she thought to go back to the cottage to retrieve her discarded slippers but the fear of her dead mother somehow surviving the song made her keep moving despite getting cut countlessly by twigs and whatever sharp objects were in her path. She prayed William would meet her soon, he was to meet her after all.

But by the time the sun began to rise higher up onto the horizon, Katerina was more than half way and there was no handsome man on a black horse in sight. Katerina came to an abrupt stop to pin up her hair with the sash at her waist and sat cross legged to pick at whatever had gotten caught in her foot. She was cold, hurt and unhappy but she wasn't hungry, not after what she had drank last evening.

Her dress was in ruin, the dirt caking through the delicate fabric to make an atrocious brown color instead of the once beautiful rose pink and her feet probably needed to be soaked in boiling water for hours to rid them of the twigs and debris that wedged inside of them.

 Katerina screeched with such frustration that the birds that were chirping softly stopped dead into their merry melody with fright. Such screeching would have been deemed childish and savage-like by her mother but seeing as Jacquetta was not there to chide her, Katerina was free to do as she pleased which she now realized was a very relieving feeling.

Katerina stood, dusting the dirt from her poor dress though she knew it wasn't of much use anymore. She took a deep breath, allowing herself time to compose herself. That's quite enough. Calm yourself. You shall bathe and dress soon enough, She commanded herself sternly.

She trudged through the wood for what seemed to be another hour before she could make out the faint galloping of a horse. Katerina looked straight forward to find a black horse that seemed much like William's. There may have been a strong possibility that this was not William but perhaps she could come to an agreement in which the man could bring her to Court himself, it may have sounded ridiculous but 'twas worth a try.

Quickly, Katerina prepared a dialogue in her head in which she would play out for the young gentleman, it all sounded ridiculous but perhaps it would appear sane if spoken aloud. Katerina was very much relieved when she heard, "Katerina my love!" She threw her head back to look up into the heavens, whispering her thanks though it was to no one in particular.

"William!" She called, her voice sounding lighter and more joyful when truly, she was exhausted and pained not only from the twigs in her feet but from the sun that was beating murderously despite the weather at her head. It's all about appearance, She thought to herself.

Katerina balled up her skirts, not paying the torn hem any mind and ran towards him, paying the twigs that pinched her feet no heed. Hastings looked to his beloved in surprise.

She was barefoot and her dress was filthy but she couldn't have looked any more beautiful. Her lips looked as red and as plump as cherries and her hair, though pinned looked silky and most probably smelled of lavender, as it did the day before.

"What happened to you?"

Katerina waved her hand dismissively, accepting his hand and hoisting herself onto the back of the horse. What would she tell him? She couldn't very well admit to murdering seven children to maintain her youth and then her mother all by singing. No, she couldn't do that at all. Katerina would have to be vague. "Nothing you should concern yourself, my love."

Hastings looked at her skeptically, prepared to protest that leaving the house with out footwear must have called for something urgent. "But-"

"Now, now. You musn't worry. 'Tis but a scratch or two there and a dress that needs to be mended. I am well and in good health." She assured him, putting her arms around his waist and rested her head against his backside. What he couldn't see was Katerina's urgent face, begging him not to reply.