Chasing Stars

Shiny armor, prideful posture, the pure essence of good. That's what you see on the outside, but what about what happens inside the closed doors of the king's church?

A brunette marched down the long church hallways. His bangs fell to the top of his nose and parted where his eyes were. The back of it only fell half way down his neck, giving him a disheveled but clean look. Dark green eyes shone out from the parted areas in his bangs. Golden armor concealed his fit, toned body. He looked more thin than muscled, giving him a weak look at first glance. Though his thinness was also concealed behind the bulky armor, making him look more filled out and stronger.

His golden armor stood out all the more since the walls and patterns on the walls were trimmed with gold. Walking down the hall, his stride was purposeful and not a step was missed. There were two swords placed on his left hip, their hilts well worn with use. The sound of his armor clashing against each tile, itself, and his swords echoed down the halls, signaling that someone was indeed coming. He burst through the last door and right into a large open room meant for praying.

The high priest was currently praying before the alter as he entered. He knelt down before the priest and placed his right fist on the floor in front of his right knee that touched the ground. His armor made a loud sound as it connected with the ground, making the high priest turn around slowly to see who had interrupted his praying session. It was only when he saw the golden armor of a paladin did he remotely act presentable.

"You called?" The brunette asked after regarding the fact that the priest was indeed paying attention to him now.

"Yes. The King wants to see you. He said to meet him in the throne room as soon as possible." The priest replied before turning back around to continue his praying where he left off.

The brunette stood up abruptly before leaving the praying room. His strides were prideful, long, and steady. It gave others the impression that he was a perfect paladin, even if he didn't want them to think that way. Years of training had resulted in the constant excellent posture and prideful nature that he held. He burst through the door to the throne room in the same manner that he had into the church's praying room. Kneeling down once more like before, he regarded the man before him with respect.

"Paladin Kei." The King regarded the brunette before him. "I have a mission for you to go on."

"I accept, but if I may ask first, what kind of a mission is this your majesty?" Kei asked.

"I would like you to protect the carriage that is taking my only daughter to the ball of her future fiance." The King seemed almost bored, like he didn't like the idea of her going off to see her future fiance and needing protection on the way. "I trust that you will get her there safely?"

"I shall fulfill your request, my lord." Kei promised.

"Good. The carriage leaves in an hour, pack your things." The King waved Kei out halfheartedly.

"Yes, sir." Kei replied back quickly before leaving in the same manner he had entered.

The King watched him leave with the slightest hint of a smile. He turned to his assistant and made sure that Kei was out of earshot completely before adding, "I wish he would have been born with royal blood." quietly.

~!~

Kei had just finished packing some extra clothing for approximately two days travel. He strode down to the castle's front entrance where there was a carriage waiting. Bags were being thrown into the back of it, both the princess's bags and the escorts' bags. It wasn't long and Kei's bags were being thrown into the back as well.

He was given his completely white stallion and was told to follow beside the carriage. Prestigious paladins from the church were gathered around the carriage, placed in specific positions by the main escort and carriage driver. They set off at a slow, but steady pace. It would take them half a day to arrive at the castle that the ball was being held with two half hour breaks spaced throughout the trip. Then the party would last around five hours, they would then start the journey back. That would be another half a day with only two half hour breaks as well. Thus making a two day trip.

They traveled for hours on end without stopping. The princess never left the confines of the carriage. At the first break, the princess asked the driver for something and he went off personally to get it. None of the paladins were able to get her things or associate with her unless she was in a dangerous situation. Kei kept to himself and listened to the idle chatter of the paladins around him.

All of the paladins sat in a big circle and gossiped about what they had heard. They all shared in some food and drinks, chattering happily while still keeping a watchful eye out for danger but looking like they didn't have a care in the world. Kei listened in when he heard someone talking about a rumor he had come across a few days ago.

"I heard that the bandits around here got a hold of some new kind of power. What that power is, nobody really knows. Any of you heard anything specific?" The guy asked after a brief explanation for those that didn't know of the rumor.

"I was told that they managed to get a hold of our kingdom's sorcery chips and cloned them to make more. Then someone else said that they had gotten another kingdom's chips instead." Another added.

"Wait! I heard that they had made their own chips and focused more on power than protection. Someone told me that they had seen one of them try to use their power and explode. Guts went everywhere!" Yet another paladin chimed in.

"That would have been neat to see!" The first paladin exclaimed.

"Yeah!" The rest cheered as they bumped their metal cups together.

Kei tried to ignore them when they started in idle chatter about the bandits, the city's brothels and bars, and their past jobs. He noticed that the sun was starting to set for the day, which meant that they would be on their way again soon. Gathering up his things, Kei headed back towards the carriage and started to get his horse ready for the long hours of riding they had left to do. The carriage horses were already hitched back up to the carriage and the driver was getting situated. It would be a few minutes until the other paladins even considered getting ready to head off again.

The sun had went down by the time they were on their way again. Torches were lit and lanterns were attached to the carriage, giving it a ghostly appearance. They continued onward at a moderate pace to keep the horses from tiring out so fast. Kei was in the lead since he was the first paladin ready at the time. He pushed them onward until his white stallion reared up and paced around frightened.

"Shh, shh." Kei tried to console his horse so that they could continue.

"What's the matter?" The coach called out with an irritated tone.

"He's scared. Something must be bugging him." Kei answered while trying to calm both the horse and his rising nerves.

"We'll go on ahead. Catch up when he calms down." The most mature of the paladin bunch made his way to the front.

"Thanks. I'll catch up soon." Kei expressed his gratitude while dismounting his horse.

The small caravan of paladins walked past him with disgusted looks. It wasn't his fault that his horse was afraid of something, but they still blamed it on him. That's probably because he isn't a part of their little party.

"What's the matter boy? Did you see something?" Kei looked into his horse's eyes as he cooed softly. It wasn't like the stallion to be afraid of something.

He caught the reflection of something in the horse's eyes and whipped around so see exactly what it was. In the forest were silver strings that glinted in the moonlight for only a second before vanishing. Anyone traveling would have never noticed the silver strings unless they had stopped to rest and had went into the forest. Kei's white stallion had caught the glimpse and tried to warn them of the impending dangers that flock around hidden traps like these.

"Oh no..." Kei muttered before climbing back into the saddle and pushing his stallion into a gallop. There was only one kind of trouble that came with a set trap.

"Hey!" Kei yelled to the carriage when he spotted the last two paladins. "We have to turn around!"

"What the hell are you saying you little fuck?" One of the last two paladins turned his horse around to intercept Kei's stallion.

"We need to turn around right now and find another way." Kei growled out, keeping his temper under control.

"You're just trying to make us late aren't you." The paladin snarled back. "First your horse bitches about whatever then you try to tell us that we need to turn around and find another way. What are you up to?"

"I'm not up to anything. You need to move now! Do you want the princess to die or not?" Kei hissed angrily before slipping past the other paladin and galloping towards the carriage.

A group of bandits shot out from the bushes and ambushed the carriage before Kei could get anywhere near it. The paladins jumped off their horses and took arms against the band of thugs. Their small caravan was outnumbered, six to eighteen. Kei pushed his stallion faster as the bandits started to tip the carriage over a small drop off. He didn't make it in time and the carriage tumbled downward, taking the princess and the two carriage horses with it.

Kei rushed past them and his white stallion glided through the air and jumped down after the tumbling carriage. It had tumbled far out of sight but he wasn't about to abandon his king's daughter and destroy the little trust that the king had in him. The bandits were startled by the flash of white that rushed past them, most not even knowing what had passed.

It took Kei a good minute or two to reach the carriage. He slowed his horse to a trot as they neared the damaged means of transportation. The carriage horses had miraculously survived and Kei had to cut them loose from the carriage or they would have strangled themselves. They ran off into the forest, taking the direction back towards the castle. Kei carefully picked his way around the carriage while trying not to get impaled by broken pieces of wood that was jutting out.

He slowly tried to pry the carriage doors open only to find them stuck in place because of a broken piece of wood. Kei gently peeled the broken pieces away from the door. There was a chance that the carriage could collapse at any given moment due to the pressure, even if it was slight. It didn't take Kei long to pry the doors to the carriage open and take a tentative peek inside.

A piece of broken wood was swung at his head, making Kei stumble backwards out of reach. His white stallion snorted and stomped its feet cautiously. Another piece of broken wood was thrown out of the carriage's door and hurtled towards him. Kei dodged the flying chunk of wood easily, leading his horse out of the way as well.

"You dirty, stinky, rude, disgusting thug! Don't you dare try and touch me or my father will hear about this!" A female voice rang out from within the depths of the carriage.

"Uh... I'm not a thug." Kei sighed before slowly and carefully walking up to the side of the carriage.

"Yes you are you dirty, sticky, cruddy, disgusting thing!" The girl screamed out again and Kei had to dodge yet another flying object, this time a heeled shoe.

"Can you please stop throwing things at me. I don't want to lose an eye here." Kei tried to reason with her only to get another shoe thrown at him.

"Stop? Why should I?" The girl tossed another chunk of broken wood. "All you're going to do is tie me up and send mean notes to daddy!"

"Will you at least try to reason with me here. The only thing I'm going to do to you is take you home." Kei stated carefully, dodging another object, this time a stick.

"Reason? Who are you to ask for reason?" She screamed, tossing yet another stick at Kei's head.

"I'm a paladin of the church. I was asked to escort you from the castle to your future fiance's ball. If you don't allow me to do my job, then how am I supposed to get you there and back?" Kei asked after a moment of consideration.

"A paladin?" The girl poked her head out of the upturned carriage. "Why didn't you say so earlier."

"You were too busy throwing things at me and verbally bashing me for me to say anything." Kei stated bluntly.

"You still should have said something. You're too passive!" The girl pointed out.

"Excuse me for being passive aggressive." Kei sighed.

"Whatever... now get me out of here. I'm too short." The girl whined.

With a slight sigh, Kei walked over to the upturned carriage. He easily climbed onto it despite the bulk of his armor. Kei reached a hand down into the darkness of the carriage interior. There was a moment where nothing happened, then she grabbed a hold of his outstretched hand. After a slight pull, Kei helped her climb out of the carriage with ease.

It was then that he was able to get a good look at the princess before him. She had brown hair, and chocolate colored eyes. Her hair was all down in loose curls with a delicate crown adorning her head. The pale blue dress she wore made her look ethereal in the moonlight. A sight that would normally catch a man's breath in his throat. Kei just brushed it off like it was nothing, his years of training coming back to bite him in the butt.

Then the princess got a good look at the paladin. His golden armor gave him bulk, but not too much. He looked strong and dependable, but still had a messy but clean look. The dark green of his eyes melded together with his brown hair. This all gave him the look of a "hero" to most. Seemingly not too messy, but not too clean and pristine either. Even the way he stood was straight, confident, and proper. It was all everything that a woman could want in a man and more. Not to mention the sharp angles of his face that gave him that "bad boy" look.

"Now, my lady..." Kei bowed before the princess like he had the king and the priest earlier. "Would you like to continue to the ball or go back to the castle?"

"Continue to the ball! I don't get to leave the house every day you know!" The princess demanded. "Plus, I get to go on an adventure to get there."

"Yes, my lady. Let us be on our way before the bandits come down looking for what remains of the carriage and its passenger." Kei requested.

"Ah, first. My shoes. I can't get anywhere on bare feet. Secondly, it's not 'my lady'. My name's Kathrine and I expect to be called that much." Kathrine declared.

"Alright, m- Kathrine." Kei shivered through the obvious breaking of one of the rules he learned during training.

"Better." Kathrine smiled, watching as her 'Knight in Shining Armor' searched out her heels and brought them over to her. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." Kei replied automatically.

"Stop being so stiff! It's like someone stuck a stick up your ass." Kathrine berated as Kei's eyes went wide.

"My lad- Kathrine! A lady of high standards such as yourself shouldn't throw around profound words like that!" Kei scolded.

"Yeah, yeah. That's what you all say." Kathrine hopped down from the carriage and approached the white stallion slowly, Kei currently holding the reins. "It slips sometimes. Not my fault."

"Still. Think about what you are about to say before you say it. Some things may catch you off guard and you must take in consideration the time, place, and situation you are in." Kei recited.

"You sound like the old man who teaches my manners lesson." Kathrine growled. "Stuck up and wise as always Mr. Manners Police."

"Your manners teacher is most likely right. One can not get by alone without thinking before they act, speak, or decide." Kei sighed, already starting to get mentally exhausted.

"That's what you're for!" Kathrine giggled, making Kei cringe slightly.

"Let's be off then." Kei huffed, getting onto his horse swiftly.

"Off we go." Kathrine tried to do what the paladin had just done and failed miserably.

Kei reached down a hand, offering the princess some help. She took his hand without complaint. After a rather gracious tug, Kathrine was pulled up behind Kei. Her dress fluttered out around the rear end of the horse and draped half way down. She gave a small smile, signaling to go onward.

"I'd hold on tight if I were you. He likes to show off sometimes." Kei warned, taking the reins.

"Show off?" Kathrine questioned, wrapping her arms around the brunette's midsection securely.

The brunette didn't have to say another word as his horse lurched to the side harshly. Kathrine let out a light squeak while Kei just continued on his way. As he turned towards the hillside, the group of bandits had started to slide down to get to the carriage. They waved knives and axes around dangerously while they slid. Whooping and calling out.

Kei pushed his stallion into a run, straight for the hillside. Kathrine's eyes went wide as the white horse shot forward. They took off past the bandits and up over the hillside with ease. For good measure, Kathrine stuck her tongue out and waved at the thieves, making them angry. The brunette just sighed in response as he pushed forward, letting his stallion go as fast as it wanted.

"You shouldn't have done that." Kei stated rather quickly.

"Why not? It was fun enough for me." Kathrine giggled.

"Now they are going to try to kill us. Let's hope they don't have a base or another group nearby." Kei sighed.

"Kill us? Just because of that?" Kathrine asked blatantly.

"You hurt their pride. Of course their going to try to kill us for compensation." Kei grumbled.

"That's just stupid." Kathrine snorted.

"That's life." Kei muttered.

"That's even more stupid." Kathrine complained just before an arrow barely missed them.

"Damn..." Kei hissed, kicking his horse to go as fast as it could.

Another arrow zipped past them and Kei veered off to the side of the road. Looking over his shoulder, he watched as another group of bandits jumped out of the bushes and joined their fellow comrades in chasing Kei and Kathrine down. There was a loud pop and something dented the side of Kei's armor as Kathrine screamed. Making a split decision, Kei forced his horse into the woods as deep as he could manage.

After a while of running constantly, Kei finally decided that they had gotten a safe distance away and slowed his horse down to a steady walk. The horse panted, tired from the full-speed chase. Kathrine clung tightly to Kei's waist while looking around nervously. Kei was trying to slow his beating heart and keep a clear mind. If the bandits showed up again, he needed to be ready to make a move before it would be too late.

"We should be a safe enough distance away for now." Kei reported, taking deep breaths.

"Are you sure?" Kathrine looked around once more before focusing on the dent in Kei's golden armor. "What the hell was that?"

"Mi-Kathrine. Language." Kei sighed, looking at the dent as well. "I'm not sure. There was a loud sound that came with it. That might come in handy for dodging purposes later."

"Is that all you ever think about?" Kathrine grumbled. "By the way, I believe that I had forgotten to ask you what your name was."

"Paladin Kei Kurosawa." Kei introduced himself.

"Japanese heritage? That's rare." Kathrine mused.

"Only one in the royal church." Kei muttered.

"That must be awesome! Being the only one their of your lineage must make you highly respected." Kathrine smiled joyously.

"It's not all that great. The complete opposite, in fact. Nobody likes me because I have Japanese blood. More so because my blood is a mix of Japanese and European." Kei said slowly. "Enough about me... how's it like in the castle? I'm not allowed to go past the throne room."

"Like one giant cage. I'm not allowed to go past the throne room either, but in the opposite direction than the path you take. Just like you, it's not all what it's cracked up to be." Kathrine growled angrily.

"Then this whole trip must be like vacation." Kei thought out loud before looking over his shoulder at Kathrine with a smile. "How about we make it as fun as we can?"

"That would be great!" Kathrine smiled back brightly.

~!~

After traveling for about an hour or so, Kei returned to the road after making sure that it was safe. They seemed to have lost the bandits somewhere along the way, either from crossing into another gang's territory or out of sheer distance. Kathrine had complained that she was getting sore and tired, but Kei reminded her that if they stopped now they wouldn't be able to stop later, nor could they make up for lost time. That meant that she would miss her ball.

"Do you even know where we are going? I feel like we're lost." Kathrine muttered as they turned onto a dirt road.

"I know exactly where I'm at. There was a sign a little bit ways back that allowed me to get our location. We have another hour or so of travel left before we arrive." Kei replied.

"We'll be there early. How did we get so far already?" Kathrine's eyes widened at their progression.

"I told you that he could be a show off sometimes." Kei snickered. "Running away from those bandits made for a few hours of walking time. That's how we are so far already."

"Then can we take a break since we'll be early? Please?" Kathrine begged.

"In a bit. I want to be somewhere a little more populated in case some more bandits or thugs try to get us again. Plus we can get something to eat and drink." Kei reported.

"Alright. My butt is sore." Kathrine grumbled.

"Have you never ridden a horse before?" Kei asked with amusement in his voice.

"No. I don't leave the house, remember?" Kathrine's face turned bright red from embarrassment.

"Of course, of course. How could I forget?" Kei struggled not to chuckle.

"Stop making fun of me! Fiend!" Kathrine lightly smacked Kei's back, rattling his armor a bit.

"This 'fiend' is going to pay for your meal and take you home safely. Not so much of a fiend now, huh?" Kei laughed, kicking his horse into a steady trot.

"You're such an asshole when I got to know you. You started off so proper and stiff." Kathrine huffed bemusedly.

"Mila-Kathrine, language." Kei scolded. "I'm not an... asshole... you just think I'm too much like your own teachers to admit that I'm not an... ass."

"Oh look! He cussed!" Kathrine shouted to no one in particular. "I knew you had it somewhere in you!"

"I was just making a point." Kei went emotionless for a moment before returning to normal.

"Whoa, what was that? You went all stone faced there." Kathrine giggled, poking the brunette on the cheek.

"Nothing. Just sit back down where you're supposed to be so you don't fall." Kei grumbled, pushing his horse into an easy gallop so that they could get to the town sooner.

"Whatever you say, escort." Kathrine drew out the last word just to irritate Kei a bit and it worked.

"I'm a paladin, not an escort." Kei shot back, losing his facade for a moment.

"Ooh! Look who's getting all angry now!" Kathrine teased, rubbing Kei the wrong way on purpose. "Escorts aren't supposed to talk back."

"Zip it." Kei growled before his facade returned nearly instantaneously as someone walked out onto the road in front of them.

Kei pulled harshly on the reins to come to a complete halt. Since Kathrine wasn't sitting properly, she went falling forward and landed head first into the dirt. The poor townsman that had been walking up the path stumbled backwards and fell onto his butt with wide eyes. With the sun sitting behind Kei, his armor shone brightly along with the white of his horse. To a townsman that had never seen the capitol's paladins, Kei seemed ethereal and godly.

"Sorry!" Kei apologized as he settled his horse and gracefully dismounted. "I shouldn't have been going so fast this close to town."

"No, no! It's fine, really." The old man waved it off as he tried to stand on his own.

Kei walked right past Kathrine, who was still face first in the dirt, and extended a hand to the elderly man. The old man took it without hesitation and allowed himself to be pulled back onto his feet swiftly. He mumbled a couple words of gratitude before beginning to dust himself off. While the old man was occupied, Kei turned back to Kathrine and extended a hand for her to take.

"You are very disloyal." Kathrine mumbled lowly, still taking Kei's hand.

"You are also younger and more able." Kei grumbled just as lowly before turning back to the old man. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yup! Nothing's broken my bones yet and I don't plan to let that happen!" The old man replied cheerfully. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"No. We came from the kingdom's capitol. The archduke should be holding a ball, am I right?" Kei smiled politely. "We're here for that ball."

"Oh, I see. That's why you're both so fancy!" The old man cracked a bright smile. "If you are going to the ball, I would recommend eating at the Inn in town before. Archduke Hummel doesn't know the taste of good food to save his life!"

"Thanks for the information. I'll make sure to hold my nose if I have to eat something he gives me." Kei chuckled. "That's also great news, since we were going to indulge in some of this town's cultural dishes after our long travel. A town's food is usually more comforting that that made in bulk in the castle kitchens."

"You have good tastes, I see." The old man winked. "Ask Heidi for her kingdom special. She'll know what to get for you and boy does it taste excellent."

"Thank you. Are you sure that you'll be alright? I don't want anything to happen to you because of me." Kei looked slightly worried while Kathrine tried to get back on the horse.

"Nah. I'll be fine. Nothing to worry about." The old man's eyes brightened for a split second. "I'd be more worried about your lady friend than me."

"What?" Kei blurted. Just as he had spoke, there was a thud from behind him. Turning around, Kei chuckled slightly as he saw that Kathrine was on her butt in the dirt after having fallen from trying to mount his white stallion. The old man waved goodbye and continued on his way. After waving back, Kei walked back over to Kathrine and extended a hand.

"If you know you can't ride a horse, then why are you trying so hard by yourself?" Kei smiled.

"Am I not allowed to learn?" Kathrine hissed, taking his hand stiffly.

"I never said that. Just allow someone to teach you properly." Kei pulled Kathrine to her feet in one swift motion. "May I?"

"F-fine! I'm not asking for your help though! You're offering it to me, got it?" Kathrine spluttered, her face turning red.

"Of course, Milady." Kei smirked.

"Stop calling me that!" Kathrine shouted frustratedly.

"Anything you say..." Kei muttered as he walked over to the side of his horse. "Now come here and use my hands as a step ladder. Put the foot that will be going in this stirrup onto my hand and swing the other over his hindquarters. Got it?"

"I... think." Kathrine moved over to Kei swiftly and managed to follow his directions exactly. "I did it!"

"Good, now straighten out your back, but don't make it too straight or you'll get a backache. I'll lead him for now, so just get used to the posture you should use. Later I'll show you how to ride him." Kei smiled softly.

"Got it!" Kathrine chirped as Kei started to lead his horse towards the town.

~!~

The roads were bustling with people. Decorations adorned every door and signpost. Market stalls littered the sides of the road and banners were hung from lamp to lamp. Kathrine's eyes lit up like a child's during Christmas. Kei kept his eye on everyone who passed by, picking out suspicious people and avoiding them like the plague. Lights and candles were lit everywhere, casting an eerie glow in the shadows.

"What's going on? It's so busy!" Kathrine asked as Kei pulled his horse closer to his side.

"A festival most likely. They must welcome the evening ball with a festival for the townspeople." Kei explained, still watching carefully.

"Can we look around after we eat? At least until the ball starts?" Kathrine requested before looking over to see Kei peering around tensely. "Unless, of course, it is unsafe."

"No. If we leave the horse at the Archduke's castle we should be fine. That is, if you can manage not to leave my side for a few more hours." Kei replied carefully.

"Yay! I'll stay by your side as long as you make sure to partake in the festivities as well." Kathrine shouted happily.

"Alright. Let's find that Inn." Kei muttered, looking around.

"Could that be it?" Kathrine pointed out a small Inn on a corner.

"That would be it." Kei stated, rather amused. "Nice advantage point you got there."

"It's no fair that you're always taller, so it's your turn to feel short!" Kathrine chirped, sitting back up straight as Kei started to lead towards the Inn.

They tied the horse up outside on a post near the Sheriff's office so that it wouldn't get stolen so easily. Walking in, Kathrine nearly tripped over her own feet in excitement. Kei carefully made his way towards an open table and sat down with Kathrine not far behind. The small inn was bustling with activity, but it was not nearly as rowdy as outside. A rather short barmaid walked up to the table with a smile.

"I haven't seen you two 'round here. Did 'ya come for the festival?" The barmaid's accent was as thick as the makeup that plastered her face.

"We came for the ball later, but discovering the festival was quiet something. I had only been told of the ball. Now I'm glad I came earlier!" Kathrine exclaimed with joy.

"Ah aren't yous' some big shot from the castle?" The barmaid smiled brightly. "Ya' don't look it little missy. Yer man there looks more like the big shot."

"He's my escort~!" Kathrine sang.

"I'm not an escort! I'm a paladin!" Kei growled.

"Oh my~! That's why ya lookin' a lot fancier." The barmaid giggled. "What would y'all like to drink?"

"What is there?" Kei asked calmly.

"We gots water, beer, wine, whiskey, milk, juice, mead, and some of dat fancy sake or whatever y'all call it." The barmaid listed.

"I'll take sake!" Kathrine spoke out before Kei could stop her.

"No." Kei snarled darkly while smacking a hand down on the table. "Not a drop of alcohol for you while away from home! I told your father I would make sure that you came home safely and that's how I plan to keep it!"

"But..." Kathrine cringed, her eyes starting to water ever-so-slightly.

"No buts! No is a no." Kei finished, calming himself down as much as he could before turning to the barmaid. "I would like water."

"Alrighty..." The barmaid lost her cheerfulness for a moment before bouncing back. "And what non-alcoholic drink would ya like young lass?"

"Juice..." Kathrine pouted.

"Got it." The barmaid stopped beside Kathrine's chair and leaned over to whisper in her ear while earning a harsh glare from Kei. "He's just lookin' out fer ya, ya know. I give 'em credit fer bein' a man and keepin' ya out of trouble."

The barmaid walked off to get their order while Kei looked around uneasily. He was being rather antsy for being so close to the castle and Kathrine could only sit there and wonder why. Kei stared down a few suspicious characters, but otherwise went on to watching the door like it would burst open any moment and a horde of demons would come flying in. Kathrine sighed quietly to herself before managing to get up enough guts to talk to him while he was in this mood.

"Why are you staring at the door as though it's going to eat us all at any moment?" Kathrine asked, flinching when Kei glared at her for a split second before his gaze softened a bit.

"I'm not." Kei stated bluntly.

"You are." Kathrine grumbled. "You've been all worked up since we entered town. What's going on?"

"Nothing." Kei growled.

"It has to be something. Otherwise you wouldn't be sitting there all tense and snappy. You just don't want to talk about it, am I right?" Kathrine smirked for a moment only for her smirk to fall the moment Kei looked at her with that same dark gaze he gave the door. Underneath the darkness was something akin to fear, but you really had to look hard. "You're scared, aren't you?"

"No." Kei bit back defensively. "I'm not."

"You are. Stop being so damn stingy and confess already." Kathrine huffed. "Relax. I'm not going anywhere and nothing's going to happen."

"I'm not-" Kei snarled only to be cut off.

"You are! Quit avoiding everything I say!" Kathrine hissed angrily as she jumped out of her seat and hugged Kei from behind. "Now stop trying to act all tough and stuff. Calm down and relax. Nobody here is going to hurt you."

Kei tensed up more when Kathrine hugged him, but he slowly let his muscles relax. His breathing had quickened in the past few minutes and now he was trying to slow it down. The sounds around him were getting louder and seemed deafening. Darkness had tore at his vision as his mind went blank. Kathrine squeezed his shoulders a bit tighter when she felt him tense again. Something was up with him. This wasn't the practically emotionless paladin she had first met. Even though he had opened up to her in the past few hours, he hadn't completely lost his professional edge until now.

"Can you tell me what's wrong?" Kathrine cooed gently as though he was a small child that was about to break. "Kei?"

"There's... too many... people." Kei huffed out.

"Too many people? Could it be that you don't like crowds?" Kathrine muttered softly as she made sure to cover his field of vision with her hair and sleeves.

"Claustrophobia." Kei mumbled softly. "Fear of small places."

"So that's why..." Kathrine trailed off, relaxing a bit now that she knew it was something completely normal and a human reaction. "Here I thought that you had lost most of your human qualities, but you're just as normal as the rest of us."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kei grumbled, his voice finding its strength once more.

"Nothing. Do you want to move to a corner seat where you're further away from the other tables?" Kathrine asked slowly.

"I'll... be fine." Kei sighed. "I just needed a moment to clear my head."

"Did it work? That moment of head clearing?" Kathrine giggled.

"Quite well." Kei chuckled, his nerves finally calming down enough to let his muscles relax.

Kathrine felt Kei go completely limp in her arms and an alarm went off in her head. Her eyes widened with fear until she realized that he had relaxed and was still breathing. His eyes had fallen closed as he tried to take deep, slow breaths. The barmaid came back over and sat down their glasses with a questioning glance towards Kei. She waited for Kathrine to speak first to know that she could intrude.

"The drinks are here." Kathrine muttered softly.

"Food... uh... an old man recommended the kingdom special." Kei mumbled slightly, trying to get back on track and around his fears.

"Ah, yes. That old coot comes 'ere all the time. Fer both y'all?" The barmaid asked politely.

"Yes, please." Kathrine replied. She waited for the barmaid to disappear before continuing to talk to Kei. "I guess this means that we won't be able to enjoy the festival, huh?"

"No. You still can. We just have to take breaks here and there somewhere away from all the people." Kei explained. "Somewhere quieter and darker."

"Now you sound like some recluse." Kathrine chuckled. "Never thought that you, of all people, would have some ridiculously simple fear like claustrophobia though."

"Why's that?" Kei huffed, trying to block out every other sound but Kathrine's voice.

"You're like an iron wall. Unmoving and sturdy. Dependable and comforting. Having a fear... not just claustrophobia, but anything would seem far fetched. You don't show too much emotion and your head has got to be full of nothing but battle strategies and escape plans. It's just... you're so... perfect... that you wouldn't believe that you're still human. I mean, everyone has their faults... yours are just so low in number that it's insane." Kathrine breathed out.

"I spent most of my childhood training away all of my imperfections and faults so that I could proudly stand beside your father and show the other paladins that I'm not incompetent and that my blood lineage means nothing in terms of skills. Personally, I like the people who can proudly display their faults than what I've become over time." Kei admitted. "I feel as though I've become less human over time. More like a doll than anything."

"I think you're just fine the way you are. The way I see it, you get angry easily and it's easy enough to get under your skin. You think before you act ninety percent of the time. The other ten percent is where someone's life is involved and acting fast could mean life or death for them. Your fears are just as normal as everyone else's fears. Plus, the only time you really yell at me is if I am doing something that could endanger my life. Everyone else yells at me about my language, where you just scold me a bit and drop it." Kathrine smiled softly. "Nothing like a doll."

"Maybe..." Kei admitted slightly.

"Definitely." Kathrine smirked. "You good? Or do you still need my boobs on the back of your head?"

"I'm fine!" Kei snarled, a hint of a blush on his face before it disappeared for good.

"Alright~! Have it your way." Kathrine removed her arms from around his head and went back to her seat.

She saw a slight shiver pass over Kei, but it was gone as soon as it happened. He kept from looking out over the other tables and how close they were. Instead he stared at the water and ice in his glass or at the wooden table's swirls. Kathrine looked around a bit to see if their meal was done yet or not. As soon as she saw the barmaid head towards them, she kicked Kei's foot under the table. Kei glared up at her before he noticed the barmaid and their meal.

"Here y'all go. Hope ya like it!" The barmaid smiled cheerfully like nothing had been happening earlier.

"Thanks." Kathrine smiled back politely.

"No problem. Call me if y'all need somethin'!" The barmaid threw over her shoulder as she headed for another table.

"Time to eat~!" Kathrine's stomach growled slightly and she had started to dig in when she noticed that Kei hadn't moved. "You okay?"

"Yeah... got lost in thought." Kei shook a bit before putting his full attention on the meal before him.

They ate in silence and Kei paid for their meal. As they were headed out the door, Kathrine noticed that Kei had started to stare at the cobblestone road in an effort to calm himself momentarily. He had lead the way towards the festivities while focusing on the ground. Kathrine sighed, knowing that he wouldn't make it through the games and stands without getting bumped into and scared to death. No matter how much she would try, she knew that he would just say he was fine and continue on his way even if she told him she was bored and wanted to head to the ball early.

"The horse should be fine at the Sheriff's for now. We can enjoy the festival until closer to the time of your ball." Kei explained, pulling Kathrine along. "Don't leave my side. You promised."

"If I left your side, what would you do?" Kathrine wondered out loud.

"Have a major heart attack and keel over on the sidewalk until someone found me." Kei answered without emotion.

"I meant what you would really do..." Kathrine sighed.

"Go after you." Kei muttered.

"In this crowd?" Kathrine questioned out of disbelief.

"I said that I would get you home safely. I plan to stick to that." Kei growled. "Even if it means swallowing my fears and charging right into them, I would do it."

"Then follow me instead of pulling me along." Kathrine insisted.

"But that..." Kei mumbled.

"If you hold my hand, I can lead the way while you conquer your fears by doing what you've been doing. Instead of you having to constantly act tough and protect me, let me protect you in my own way. Don't look at the crowd. Look at me instead." Kathrine offered.

"That... works just fine." Kei forced a smile even though his stomach was twisting in odd directions due to the amount of people nearby.

"No forced smiles. Forbidden." Kathrine winked. "Let's go."

~!~

Kathrine led Kei through the busy streets, stopping only at places where there were less people crowding the stall. They looked at several things along the way such as masks, firecrackers, artwork, and jewelry. Pulling Kei to her side, Kathrine moved over to a booth with a game. The game was to shoot an arrow towards a stack of tin cups and knock them all over with only three tries. Depending on how many tries it took you to knock it over depended on the prize.

"Let's play this one!" Kathrine pointed out the stall as she dragged Kei to it.

"Alright... just stop tugging so hard." Kei had been going pale for a while, but he tried to force it back down.

"Is it getting that bad?" Kathrine asked, turning to see his lightened complexion.

"No. I'm... getting there... getting better... slowly." Kei smiled weakly and earned a glaring pout from Kathrine.

"If you say so... just don't push yourself and tell me if you start to feel bad." Kathrine sighed. "Can you do one game before we go sit down?"

"Yeah. I should be fine." Kei muttered while Kathrine looked at him skeptically.

"Okay. This one." Kathrine pointed to the stall again and watched as Kei's eyes lit up slightly. "Can you do it?"

"Of course. I trained in more than just horse riding in order to become a paladin." Kei smirked. "This should be easy."

Kei straightened up and swallowed his fears. He approached the stall and asked for a round. Kathrine watched bemusedly as a wave of calm washed over him and he took aim with a breath in. Letting out the breath slowly, Kei released the arrow and watched as it soared through the air and hit his target dead on. The group of cans toppled over now that they didn't have a base to sit on.

"Whew... One shot and they're all down. Those are some spot on archery skills." The stall manager smiled at Kei before looking to Kathrine. "Any prize is yours and you have two more tries if you wish."

"Just one is fine." Kathrine chirped, taking into account how pale and nervous Kei seemed. "I would like the hair clip."

"Here you go! Thanks for playing." The stall manager handed the hair clip to Kei with a wink and Kei's eyes went wide for a split second.

"You're welcome and thanks for letting us play." Kei replied automatically while Kathrine tugged his hand onward.

"Come here." Kathrine pulled Kei into a dimly lit alley where there wasn't any people. "This better?"

"A lot." Kei huffed, steadying his breath before handing the hair clip over to Kathrine. "Here."

"Can you put it in so that it looks nice? I don't have a mirror." Kathrine asked shyly.

"Sure." Kei breathed, straightening up and sliding the hair clip in. "There."

"Thanks!" Kathrine smiled.

"No problem." Kei looked up at the sky. "It's getting dark. Your ball should be starting soon and we have yet to make it to the castle."

"Will you be alright? With the ball?" Kathrine carefully took his hand and started to head back towards the Sheriff's Office.

"I should be fine. The other paladins would have participated, but I can always ask to tend to my horse after the opening ceremony so that I don't have to be surrounded by people." Kei explained.

"Alright. I'll check up on you every now and then, so don't go too far. Okay?" Kathrine muttered as they got within sight of the Sheriff's and Kei's white stallion.

"You don't have to. I'll be fine in the barn by myself. Plus you'll just get dirtier and your father's going to ask me what the heck happened if you show up caked in more mud then normal." Kei chuckled.

"I'm already dirty from when my carriage fell and also when I fell off your horse a few times." Kathrine pointed out. "It'll make for a good story to tell though."

"Until your father starts yelling at you for attempting something so dangerous." Kei snorted.

"I'll just tell him it was your idea." Kathrine smirked as they reached Kei's stallion.

Kei let his hand slip from Kathrine's and leaned against his horse slightly. "You wouldn't..." He breathed with the most incredulous look on his face.

Kathrine started to laugh uncontrollably, which made the look on his face get worse as he thought of what would happen if she told the King that it was his idea to let her attempt to learn how to ride a horse. He would be locked in the dungeons for weeks until she decided to tell her father that it was all a joke and was entirely her idea. Then he'd be let out, but only if the King thought she was telling the truth. If not, then he'd be in there for a month at least.

"The look on your face is priceless." Kathrine giggled.

"You..." Kei deadpanned.

"It was a joke! A joke~!" Kathrine punched Kei's chest lightly while laughing. "Lighten up a bit."

"You're so dead." Kei growled.

"Ooh, scary~." Kathrine feigned. "You can't hurt me even if you wanted to."

"Shut up." Kei grumbled, untying his horse from the post.

"Gasp... he talked back again. A new record! Two in one day." Kathrine snickered, walking over beside the stallion to wait for Kei to give her a hand up.

"I hope you don't plan on waiting for me to help you, because I'm not." Kei seethed quietly, standing completely still.

"You wouldn't..." Kathrine's grin fell and she glared the brunette down.

"I would." Kei growled lowly.

"Fine." Kathrine pouted, moving closer to the stallion and attempting to mount up by herself.

Kei sighed quietly as he watched her make her first mistake, attempting to swing the wrong leg up over the horse's hindquarters. He gracefully moved to her side in two strides just as her feet left the ground and she tried to get on. Grabbing her waist, he soundlessly hoisted her up onto the horse the right way with ease. She made a light noise out of surprise until she realized who had grabbed her from behind. Moving back to the front of the horse to lead, Kei took a hold of the reins and turned to look at Kathrine.

"Straight but not too straight. Yell if anyone tries to do anything while I'm not looking, and you always swing up over with the other leg from that side." Kei listed before beginning to lead the way towards the castle.

"Got it..." Kathrine mumbled quietly, smiling slightly when Kei was no longer looking.

They made their way through the crowd and up towards the castle. Kei had staggered slightly half way there when the crowd had gotten thick to the point of congestion. Kathrine watched him carefully the whole time to make sure that he wasn't going to give up and curl up in the streets. After they had gotten out of the crowd, the way to the castle was almost desolate. Barely anyone walked the streets the closer they got to the castle itself. Getting closer to the castle, Kathrine decided that she wanted to walk and let Kei ride for a bit.

"Hey... Kei." Kathrine called quietly.

"Yeah." Kei answered back automatically in seconds.

"Can I walk for a while?" Kathrine asked before finishing her thought. "You can ride for a bit to rest."

"You can walk, but I'm not riding." Kei replied. "If something were to happen I wouldn't be able to reach you fast enough in a situation if I was stuck riding on top of a horse while you were walking."

"But you're able to reach me fast enough while I'm up here and you're down there?" Kathrine questioned the paladin's methods.

"Yes. I can pull the horse forwards and am beside you in seconds." Kei explained, stopping.

"Oh... okay." Kathrine made a move to get down, but Kei came up beside her and helped her down instead of letting her get down on her own. "I'm a grown woman. I can get down by myself."

"And I'm a grown man. When I see a woman struggling I have to help her." Kei smirked slightly.

"I wasn't struggling." Kathrine bit back.

"From what I've seen, you're not the most graceful thing in the world when you get off a horse." Kei chuckled. "You head straight for the ground."

"Shut up asshole." Kathrine snarled.

"Language." Kei huffed, lightly pushing Kathrine forward.

"Fuck you." Kathrine grumbled, taking the lead while Kei followed behind.

~!~

They reached the castle with time to spare. Kathrine went with Kei to get his stallion settled in since there was time. After the horse was all settled in with fresh water and hay, Kei turned to Kathrine to ask what she planned to do next when suddenly someone came into the stables and caught sight of them. Going tense and rigid, Kei moved to put himself between Kathrine and the person heading straight for them. Pushing Kathrine closer to his horse, Kei readied himself.

"Are you Princess Kathrine? You're early. I'm Archduke Hummel's sister. I was told that I'm in charge of seeing to your needs this evening." The young lady made her way closer to them with a smile until she noticed Kei's threatening stance and aura. "No need to be so cautious paladin. I am who I say I am."

"How can I be sure?" Kei snarled, backing Kathrine up a bit further the closer the woman came.

"This is proof." The woman pulled out the Archduke's family crest and showed it to Kei. "Now stand down paladin."

Kei tentatively straightened out his posture and stood down, moving out of the way slowly. He watched the woman's every move just in case the crest had been acquired by killing for it. Tensing as she got closer, Kei's professional mask slipped back on and he went stiffly emotionless. Kathrine noticed the sudden change in Kei's behavior, which made her tense up and get scared. She tried to tell herself that he wouldn't let anyone dangerous near her, but it did little to ease her tension.

"Look at you Princess... your clothes are all tattered and ruined. I was expecting you to show up with a bigger escort party." The woman approached quickly, taking Kathrine's hand and looking her over.

"We got separated when some bandits attacked. I don't have a clue what happened to the rest of the paladins that were supposed to be escorting me." Kathrine explained carefully.

"That must be why you look like such a mess. I hope he's been treating you like the princess you are and isn't the one responsible for how dirty you are." The woman grumbled, stealing a glare towards the placid paladin.

"Oh no... It's my fault that I'm this dirty. He's been trying to keep me from getting any worse." Kathrine chuckled lightly.

"You're fault? I'm not even going to ask about that. Let's get you inside and cleaned up. You're about my size, so I'll let you have one of my old dresses that I don't wear anymore so that you don't have to wear this cruddy thing." The woman fussed, dragging Kathrine along.

Kei immediately followed them closely. He was still on edge and Kathrine knew he was going to end up being like this the whole evening because of the sheer amount of people who were going to be attending the ball. The woman was obviously not happy that the paladin was following them. She took a few sharp turns and grumbled under her breath as they made their way through the castle. Although it eased Kei a bit knowing that the woman was obviously from inside the castle, it didn't help with the tension he was having due to not knowing her personally.

They came upon an elegantly styled door and the woman opened it up and led Kathrine inside. It was a bedroom decorated in golds and reds. Kei went to follow them in and the woman whipped around and turned on him. Kathrine spun around quickly as her heart raced at the possible situations that could happen to her without him there. She had been so reliant on Kei since they met that she couldn't fathom leaving his side for more than a second in case something would happen. The woman pushed Kei back out the door and glared at him.

"You wait outside. She's going to be changing and men are not allowed in my bed chambers unless they're my brother, fiance, or husband. Now go wait in the ballroom after you get cleaned up. I'd rather not have rubbish at my brother's ball, even if you are a paladin. So you might as well wait in the stables until it's over." The woman snapped harshly as Kei's eyes widened slightly at her last two sentences before she slammed the door in his face.

Kathrine watched in horror as the events unfolded before her. She didn't know Kei's lineage, so she hadn't the slightest clue what was going on, but she could easily read the hurt and pain in his eyes as his mask slipped slightly. As the door slammed shut, Kathrine jumped slightly and reeled. Taking a step or two back. The woman turned around and huffed, moving over to her closet to dig through her old dresses.

"You didn't have to be so mean to him. He was just trying to make sure I was safe." Kathrine grumbled slightly.

"He's trash that shouldn't hold the title of paladin. Anyone who knows anything would know that he doesn't belong in a castle, or in the nearby town for that matter. You had a bout of bad luck getting stuck with him as your only escort. I wish it would have been someone else." The woman sighed, shaking her head as she leafed through her dresses.

"What do you mean?" Kathrine asked curiously.

"That boy used to be a thief when he was a child. He was orphaned at a young age an his living relatives refused to take care of him, so he took matters into his own hands and began stealing. A paladin of the church had caught him one afternoon and saw something in the young thieving boy. So the church adopted him on the note that they would clean up his act and get him to stop stealing. From what I've heard, he went from criminal to paladin over the course of his life. Whatever possessed that paladin to take in a thieving orphaned peasant is beyond me." The woman frowned.

"Potential." Kathrine breathed out.

"What?" The woman turned to look at Kathrine, confusion etched on her face.

"The paladin saw potential. He didn't see a thieving orphan, he saw the potential to become something greater." Kathrine explained.

"Well that potential was wasted." The woman snarled, returning to her dresses. "All that boy will ever be is a potentially dangerous situation waiting to happen."

~!~

Kei had been wandering around the stables for the past half of an hour. Checking up on all the horses there while returning to his own to brush the stallion or give him a soothing pat. Kathrine had been gone way to long for his liking, but he wasn't going to go back there with that woman around. He was definitely sure that she was a noble of some sort, if not who she said she was, just by what she had said. The words had been a harsh blow to Kei's emotions. Usually he heard it from a distance. Whispers and harsh words from a distance that he could take and tune out if need be. It had been quite a while since someone had said it with such maliciousness right to his face.

Sighing, Kei started another lap around the stables. He made sure to groom all the horses this time just to keep his mind off of what that woman had said. When he finally finished, he took a seat in his own horse's stall and checked the time. Kathrine had been gone an hour, which means that woman wouldn't let her leave until the end of the ball. With time to waste, Kei decided that a quick nap would be nice. Just before he could drift off to sleep, the door to the castle was swung open rather violently. Standing up, Kei went to check what was going on.

As he approached the stable's entrance, someone came whipping through the door. A long red dress billowed slightly as the person came to a sudden halt. Kei looked at the person and felt his heart stop. It was Kathrine. She wore a long red dress that came to the floor in a circle around her feet. Her hair was done up in a high, ponytail like fashion using the hair pin that she had gotten earlier that let her curls fall in layers. He slowly started to breathe again as she made her way over to him.

"You look... stunning." Choking on the words at first, Kei managed to get them out as she got closer in a breathy gasp.

"Th-thanks." Kathrine looked a bit flustered. "I couldn't find you earlier when I first came out and that damned woman wouldn't let me leave her sight until the ball got going and I lost her in the crowd."

"I was here. Like I said I would be." Kei chuckled quietly.

"No. You said that you would stay until the opening was done, then come to the stables." Kathrine pointed out accusingly.

"Sorry... the crowd was... too much." Kei muttered, moving to sit back down on the bench he was planning to use as a bed earlier.

"I thought so when I couldn't find you." Kathrine huffed. "Are you going to go in at some point?"

"Maybe." Kei sighed. "Depends on if that's all the guests that will be attending or not."

"That should be about it. There's one small group who hasn't shown yet and the Archduke who has yet to arrive." Kathrine grumbled. "So will you come in for a bit here soon?"

"I don't know..." Kei muttered, thinking of what might happen if he runs into another noble like the Archduke's sister.

"Please!" Kathrine begged. "I don't want to meet the Archduke by myself. Father said that he might become my fiance and future husband, but what if he's a complete ass? By myself I would end up telling him that right to his face instead of talking it over with my father and that would become a complete mess..."

"I'll be there with you so you don't make that much of a mess." Kei smiled, giving in to the brunette a little unwillingly.

"Thank you so much!" Kathrine squealed, hugging Kei forcefully. "I know you have claustrophobia, but thank you!"

"Calm down and release my head." Kei chuckled.

"Oops, sorry." Kathrine let go, face pink with embarrassment.

"Just try not to suffocate me..." Kei teased.

"I won't." Kathrine huffed before smiling softly and standing up. "Can you give me at least one dance?"

Kei looked shocked for a moment before smiling and standing up. "I'd love to."

"Inside though." Kathrine giggled as Kei's face went sour. "Otherwise it looks suspicious."

"Yeah, yeah. Be glad I know how to dance." Kei muttered with a light smile.

"We'll see about that..." Kathrine raised an eyebrow teasingly and Kei rolled his eyes.

Kei held out his arm and let Kathrine take it before leading the way back to the ball. They got to the ballroom to catch the end of a song and the beginning of another. Leading the way, Kei pulled her out onto the dance floor as the next song began and took lead. Kathrine smiled and followed, letting him lead her through the song. As they danced together, several people began to watch with awe. Both of them were like one elegant dancer moving gracefully across the floor. Others began to watch as well when they noticed until Kei and Kathrine were almost the only two left dancing. Those who had been dancing moved away to watch when the competition started to get too high.

Ending the song just as smoothly as they had started it, Kathrine and Kei moved off of the dance floor. Those who had been watching clapped. It drew their attentions and made both of them blush slightly with embarrassment, Kathrine more so than Kei who quickly his his blush. Someone approached them while clapping. A man wearing the robes of a noble of higher status. Kei bowed lightly as he spotted the family crest that adorned the noble's robes.

"Lady Kathrine. Paladin Kei." The man addressed the two while Kei straightened back up.

"Archduke Hummel." Kei nodded, the name surprising Kathrine.

"I see you fare well this evening. Lady Kathrine, I heard from my sister that you were attacked by bandits on your way here. I'm deeply sorry to hear that." Archduke Hummel completely ignored Kei after the first greeting, something that the paladin was used to by now when he stood beside someone of higher status than his own.

"Yes. I had a very good escort so I arrived safely. It's nice to finally make your acquaintance. My father had said some good things about you." Kathrine gave a full reply to the noble's greeting while taking a step closer to Kei once she noticed he was being ignored.

"Would you like me to arrange an escort back to the royal castle when this evening is over? I fear that one escort wouldn't be enough with those bandits hanging around." Archduke Hummel offered.

"No thank you. I technically have two escorts if you count the horse. I should be fine." Kathrine smiled while she turned him down.

"Are you sure? I'd be my pleasure to send you off with my finest paladins." Archduke Hummel insisted.

"As I said, one is enough for just me. Although I'm sure your paladins are great, but I have the best one I could get already. I thank you for the offer though. I just don't need it." Kathrine said bitterly with an innocent smile.

"Alright then." Archduke Hummel huffed, finally giving up. "How long do you plan on staying?"

"Not long. My father will be worried since he doesn't know that I'm safe yet. Plus I'd like to get home before any storms spring up." Kathrine admitted.

"Then I hope your short stay will be filled with joy and happiness. Ask a guard if you need anything. I'd also like it if you come find me before you leave. I would like to see you off." Archduke Hummel smiled kindly before leaving to attend to some other guests.

Kathrine smiled until he was lost in the crowd, then she snagged Kei's wrist and dragged him out of the castle and back into the stables. Kei shook his head the whole time knowing that she was taking him somewhere more private to voice her opinions. The horses threw a fuss over the sudden banging of the stall doors as Kei tried to slow her down a bit. She turned on him the moment they got far enough into the stables to be out of earshot and she looked around to make sure nobody was there.

"Oh my god. He was so pushy and such an ass!" Kathrine whined.

"He seemed nice to me." Kei said blankly.

"He completely IGNORED you because I was present! That was a dick move!" Kathrine hissed.

"That was normal. You're a princess and I'm a paladin. Plus he's male and men don't acknowledge low class men if there's a high class female present." Kei explained.

"That's not why and we both know it..." Kathrine sighed.

"What do you mean?" Kei asked, trying to dodge the conversation.

"I know... that woman told me why people don't like you and ignore you. They call you names and are rude to you just because you didn't grow up in a noble family and it pisses me off! Nobody should be treated that way... it's wrong." Kathrine growled, letting her emotions fly.

"You're going to make a fine queen someday with a kingdom who adores you because you don't judge anyone based on lineage." Kei smiled softly. "You don't need to worry about me. I've lived with the harsh words and sideways glances. This is a fact of life for me. Don't force yourself to have to worry about what others think of me. I'll get through it like I have all along."

"That's the thing... I'm not forcing myself." Kathrine took a step closer to Kei and looked him in the eyes. "I don't have to force myself. It comes naturally."

"I think you need to stop paying attention to what others think." Kei breathed, taking note on how close she was to him.

"Am I not allowed?" Kathrine mumbled. "Especially when they say mean stuff about someone I care for."

"You're just doing this out of pity now that you know where I came from." Kei muttered, taking a step back.

"No I'm not." Kathrine looked slightly hurt for a moment before determination set in. "I'm doing this because I care. I don't care what I know or don't know about where you came from. Even if I didn't know I would have noticed and still said something. You are who you are and your lineage doesn't change anything."

"My lineage holds a lot over me." Kei spoke in almost a whisper, but Kathrine still managed to hear him and took a step closer.

"Not with me it doesn't." Kathrine stated quietly in a soft tone.

Kei looked off to the side a bit, his eyes downcast and his gaze a soft sadness. They stood close to each other for a good minute or two before Kei returned his attention back to Kathrine. There was a million things running through his head right then. The biggest was the big warning sign saying that they were too close together for comfort. If anyone saw them and took it the wrong way, he'd never be allowed near Kathrine ever again, let alone able to speak to her. He rather enjoyed her company.