CONTINUED * @hylianremnants
she had need not rush, she assures herself for the hundredth time, & yet, she finds it impossible to put aside her anxiety. for every minute she spends with her head bowed, carefully pinching & plucking heads of chamomile from the ground for the apothecary, she spends another two with her back to the flowerbeds, eyes trained upon the temple of time, ears straining in anticipation for the ringing of a bell ― the long ― agreed upon warning for one of her father’s appearances. the basket by her side is hardly half ― full, & when she glances towards it, she can see where she has pinched too high or too low upon the stems, where some of the petals have torn or come loose, & she quickly turns away from it in quiet frustration, twisting around to look over her shoulder once more at the temple looming in the distance.
the queen from across the sea is in there, she knows, speaking with her father, & she wonders what she thinks of them; what, when they meet, she will think of her. another spike of anxiety sends her to her feet, & she busies herself with brushing dirt from her ( borrowed, much too short ) dress to distract herself when something ( someone ? ) rattles the gate behind her. she spins quickly on her heel, certain that, somehow, her father has crept upon her to catch her, but no ― before her is only a cat, & she gasps quietly in delight. pets are disallowed by those who have taken holy orders, & if ever a stray has crossed the great plateau, she has never seen it, but the sight of the animal distracts her for a long enough moment to forget her nerves. she is content to watch it, & murmur a soft hello, &aren’t you pretty, until another voice rings out, & her head snaps up once more, looking for all the world like a fawn caught in a snare.
❛ o ― oh, please, don’t apologize ! ❜ she knows everyone who calls the great plateau their home, & so she knows she has never before seen the young man standing opposite the gate, who bows so sweetly to her, & for a moment, she wonders if, somehow, he knows her ― but then, wouldn’t her true title have already passed between them ?you assume too much, her father’s voice rumbles in the back of her mind, & she swiftly moves to silence it. ❛ she’s no trouble at all ! in fact, i find her very sweet, ❜ she makes to bend & scoop the animal up, but it seems to sense her intentions, & quickly slips between her fingers, & when she rises, it is with the faint flush of embarrassment on her cheeks. ❛ sweet & determined, it seems, ❜ she mumbles, clasping her hands together before her, as if to signal to the cat that she will make no more attempts to return her to who she assumes is her owner. ❛ i cannot blame her for wanting to be outside on such a beautiful day, at least, ❜ she offers, before turning her gaze back to the stranger. he is handsome, she is quick to note, handsome & well - dressed, his clothes much fresher & fancier than her own beloved hand ― me ― downs, & she quickly comes to the conclusion that he must be part of queen kettricken’s retinue.
she is safe, then, as a result of his assumed ignorance.
❛ might i ask your name, sir, & the cat’s too ? ❜ her gaze has drifted back to the animal, to ensure it’s not seized with the notion to begin biting at the plants ― she has no idea if it would be harmful to her or not, but she would rather not take the risk. ❛ what brings you both to the grounds here ? ❜
there is a girl in the garden, and she turns at the sound of his voice like a doe that heard the hunters’ horns. she looks the part, too, dutiful thinks in passing, with eyes as green and wide and soft as a fawn’s. she is clad in the white dress of the temple’s apprentices, he notes, though most of it is currently obscured by a gardening apron that’s clearly seen its fair share of use. and there, right at her feet, is cat, happily winding around her ankles and looking for all the world like a little child begging for a treat. i found someone willing to give me the attention i deserve, she seems to say with a flick of her spotted tail. he resists the urge to roll his eyes at her ; they are in polite company, after all.
❛ even so, i must insist. it would have been troublesome had she decided to dig up your flower beds. ❜ come back here, he coaxes cat, in gentle little touches upon her consciousness. she decidedly ignores him, and slips between the girl’s fingers like water when she attempts to retrieve her. ❛ oh, i’m sorry, ❜ dutiful gasps. ❛ it’s⎯it’s not that she doesn’t like you, i swear. we had a long ride, is all, and i couldn’t let her out… ❜ ah, but what does someone else care for the mild inconveniences of their journey? he’s already disturbed her day⎯he hardly needs to fill her ears with his rambling on top of it.
the prince crouches, making little pspsps noises as one would for any little cat’s, wit-bound or not. the mistcat levels him with an unimpressed look, but - after a tense few seconds - deigns to pad back to him, though she refuses to climb onto his offered hand and back to her preferred spot on his shoulder. ❛ didn’t even introduce yourself to the nice lady before treading all over her hard work? how rude, ❜ dutiful mumbles at his companion, scratching her behind the ears, before turning his attention back to the apprentice.
❛ she’s just cat, ❜ he mumbles, suddenly feeling somewhat awkward. surely a royal friend as she is deserves a more dignified name, but in all their time together, she’s never objected to it. ❛ and i’m⎯ ❜ should he introduce himself so formally? they are all alone, after all, and he finds he doesn’t want to deal with the pump and circumstance of their arrival any more than he has to. ❛ ⎯dutiful, that’s my name, ❜ he finishes in a rush, hoping it rings no particular bells with her. ❛ i’m part of queen kettricken’s retinue, and was given leave to pass the time as i will before she returns. ❜ that, too, is a perfectly good half-truth. ❛ have i disturbed you? i’ll gladly take my wandering elsewhere, if you’d rather have some peace and quiet. ❜
