"Well, this is terribly embarrasing." Katya stated as she viewed the broken carriage wheel. As she had instructed Captain Ivan and his men to not join their trip, they were now left without transportation.
"We will head back to the monastery at once, Your Imperial Highness." The coachman said as he went on his way to find assistance.
"And we shall continue on foot." Trixie replied, knowing her return home would come much too late if they did not continue.
"Valeriya, it is almost half a day's walk." The Grand Duchess told the girl, astounded by the very idea of a courtier wanting to wander about the woods almost entirely unprotected for half a day.
"Honestly, Your Highness, where is your sense of adventure?" The girl replied with a teasing laugh as she started walking. The other woman ran after her moments later.
"Well, I suppose if you put it that way." Katya said with a slight laugh herself.
They walked for hours, taking in the beautiful scenery and listening to the sound of birds singing as they learned eachother to know.
"You are remarkable, you know? Every woman I have ever met I could instantly understand and read, always being prepared for whatever answer will leave their lips, but you... with you I can never truly know." Katya said after listening to the other woman talk passionately of works of art once again.
"What do you mean?"
"You argue with me shamelessly and yet worry when my feelings seem hurt. You disappear like a ghost and yet you are more present than anyone in my life has ever been. You challenge me and my views, and for some reason I am addicted to that whilst I surely would find it exhausting were it anyone else." The princess spoke honestly.
"You flatter me, Your Highness, more than I deserve. I think I only live by the words of my dearest writer; What part soever you take upon you, play that as well as you can and make the best of it. Perhaps that is also why I expect so much of you.. as you have the potential and power to do so much." The girl responded.
Katya considered this and had to admit that there was truth to it. However much it bothered her to admit, and however little responsibility she herself wanted, she could not deny that she held the power to do much more than what she was doing.
After a while they found themselves lost, and Trixie being used to climb trees and rocks quickly stripped off her heavy ballgown and climbed to the top to look for the palace.
"You would think I would know the way to my own castle." Yekaterina said, frustrated with her own incompetence.
"Ah! There it is! It is back that way!" Trixie yelled from the treetops.
"And I still can not believe that I am down here while you are up there, and in your undergarments no less." The princess added.
"I couldn't very well climb up here in that gown, could I?" Beatrice countered, completely ignoring the real meat of the argument.
"That was not my point, as I am sure you are well aware."
"Well, you might break your royal neck, and then where would we be?" Trixie stated looking down towards the beautiful princess who was staring up at her as if she was one of God's angels.
"You swim alone, climb rocks, rescue servants... Honestly, is there anything you don't do?" Katya asked in awe and wonder.
"Fly." The girl responded as she lifted her arms out, imagining what is might be like to live as freely as a bird.
She had often regarded them as they took flight, envied their freedom to leave whenever they wanted. Beatrice remembered her father once saying that larks never sang when held captive. Now, while she never truly believed it to be true, it had stuck with her for life, the young girl herself often feeling like a lark in captivity after her father's death. For while she tried to make the best out of life despite her misfortune, she could not deny that the song of her heart had disappeared the same day he did. She wanted to learn how to make it sing again, for if she could not fly like birds could, she would at least like to sing.
"Turn around so I can climb back down." Trixie said, making the other woman laugh a bit. Still, she respected the girl's request and turned around accordingly. When she did so however she was met with the faces of armed men pulling our their swords, the same band of thieves who had attempted to steal from Louis Caravaque days before.
"Oh no, it is you again." The Grand Duchess said as she retrieved her own blade. Sword fighting was not commonly something a lady would engage in, but Katya was quite a skilled fencer, having begged her father to allow her lessons just as he had her half-brother.
"Stay aloft, Countess. There are games afoot." She told Trixie, who was in the midst of climbing down from her sky castle.
A man attacked but Katya was swift on her feet, her blade striking his away skillfully. Her dance was elegant and restrained, the other's uncoordinated and forceful. But still she was greatly outnumbered and knew the chances of winning were slim.
"My wife thanks you for this fine garment, my lady." Another one of the thieves spoke to Trixie, holding up her dress with his blade and waving it like a flag.
"You will give me back my dress, sir!" The girl yelled to him forcefully.
Beatrice tried her best to hurry in order to come to the aid the other girl, but as she reached the ground a man grabbed her and put a blade to her throat.
"Let her go, your quarrel is with me." Katya told the man.
"Release her." Their leader spoke, his man releasing the innocent girl moments later.
"I insist you return my things at once. And since you deprive me of my escort, I demand a horse as well." Trixie spoke confidently and strictly, leaving the leader of the thieves surprised and slightly impressed. Katya found herself feeling the same at the sight of the young unarmed girl speaking so forcefully to a hoard of men who could easily overpower her.
"Milady, you may have anything you can carry." The man responded.
"May I have your word on that, sir?" Trixie asked.
"On my honor, yes, whatever you can carry." The leader confirmed.
Beatrice picked up her dress from where it layed on the ground before making her way over to the Grand Duchess, slinging the girl over her back and walking away as she carried her. The men started laughing at the humorous display of the highly confused princess slung over the back of a woman in her undergarments and waved the girl back moments later.
"Come back, come back. I'll give you a horse." The leader laughed out.
YOU ARE READING
Ever After ✔~ trixya
Fanfiction"Her name was Beatrice Mattel. And this, was her glass slipper. Perhaps you will allow me to set the record straight?" The Grand Duchess says as she picks a beautiful shoe out of the silver box. "Then it's true? The story?" The writer enquires. "Yes...
