Come Little Children: Book I

Let the games Begin

*Warning*

 This chapter contains sexual intercourse between two of the main characters. This is to say that if you do not like to read these sort of things, I strongly suggest you skip onto the next chapter. If not please do enjoy.

*End of warning*

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Evening meal with the King's Court hadn't been a comfortable affair. King Edward had been good enough to make an attempt in trying to make Katerina, the beautiful newcomer, feel welcome but after being studied as if a baron being tried for treason, with her every graceful movement being watched and scrutinised, she couldn't bring herself to feel welcomed. How could she when she felt them all eying the tear in her gown gown, the imperfections of her snood?

Cecily's daughter, Margaret was quite the conversationalist and seemed more than willing to include Katerina in several conversation topics. She was on of the few members of the King and Queen's party that did not scrutinise her every breath. This seemed to please Katerina, so much so that she did not bat a lash in agreeing to answer to questions of the home that did not exist.

Katerina, true to her deceptive dancer, created the most intricately crafted web of lies that did not give presice detail, nor did it really answer the question, not that anyone seemed to notice, but it seemed to suffice all those who listened. She'd crafted answers that no one would dare argue with. The deceptive dancer took a bow and resumed its position in her mistress' mind.

Every so often, when Margaret said something she perhaps shouldn't have, Cecily would send her a meaningful glance from her seat but maintained a pleasant face for all those who spoke to her. Katerina seemed to notice how Margaret ignored these glances. She would smirk ever so discreetly to her mother from the corner of her eye, as if daring her to voice her silent reprimandation.

"You see, Lady Katerina," Margaret said in a hushed voice that made Katerina lean in so that she could hear this 'secretive' observation. "I've discovered that with the size of a man's foot, one could easily determine-" She was soon cut off when she realized her mother had read her lips and had sent her the deadliest of glares, one of her specialities, so Katerina had been told. Margaret blanched but straightened herself and haughtily went on by speaking of frivalrous things.

'Twas rather amusing to watch the two women argue in complete and utter silence, as if a play without a script and an entertaining one at that. It became especially entertaining when Margaret asked how far along Katerina was and Cecily sunk into her seat, so slightly that few could have noticed and kicked Margaret's leg from under the table.

The younger woman, who's position had been relaxed, straightened her back before inhaling so sharply it could have cut through silence. Calmly she stated, "That was my foot, lady mother".

Cecily looked to her daughter coyly, with a slight bat of her lashes that made her look sympathetic.  "Oh my, was it? I am terribly sorry, darling, truly."

As soon as the meal had come and gone, with soft laughter and some sort of comfort of relaxation on Katerina's part, Hastings approached her, not quite in a drunken stupor but with enough to drink that one could easily smell it on his breath. With a gallant bow, he rose to ask, "May I have the pleasure of escorting you to your chambers, Lady Katerina?"

Having found herself intrigued with the way the duchess and her daughter spoke without using any words at all, Katerina found herself wanting to do the same. And so, she curtseyed and accepted his arm, bidding the others with a radiant smile, one that her vanity dancer had been kind enough to grace her with.