Katie groaned and blinked the sleep from her eyes. Untangling an arm from the form in her bed, she wiped her crusty eyes. "Sunwood?" She muttered.
The form shifted. "No." He mumbled into her hair.
Katie jolted and tried to fight the form in her bed. "Get out! Let go of me!"
Stephen wrapped his arms around her. "Wait, wait. You'll fall. Stop, you'll hurt yourself."
"Why are you in my bed?" She whimpered.
"Don't you remember?" Satisfied she wouldn't fall, he released her. "You were crying so hard. You fell asleep and took me out with you."
"Oh." She sighed. Sitting up, she buried her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry."
"It's alright, sweetheart. You need a shoulder to cry on, and I can just get a dry shirt."
"Um... I don't have extra shirts. Sunwood never wore any clothes... you see."
"Ah." Stephen blushed. "Well, that's not important. I'm here for your safety."
Katie nodded. "You're very kind."
He sat up beside her. "I'm sorry you lost your love."
Katie leaned her head on his shoulder. "I don't know what to do with myself. I... I have to stay here. I have to tend to the garden. I want to write my book..."
"Then do those things. I'll be here for you; in whatever capacity you need me to be. I mean, when I'm not at the training yard, of course. Grogek would have my hide if I spent more than necessary away. I spent nine years trying to get picked, I won't give it up now."
Katie's smile didn't reach her eyes. "I understand."
"In fact, come with me."
"What?"
"I can't offer much at the moment, but I can at least offer you company at the yard. Plus, don't you like sitting with Susan?"
"I miss him."
"I know you do, sweetheart." He rubbed her back.
"Oh, Gods." She buried her face in her hands and began to sob.
Stephen wrapped his arms around her and whispered. At the knock on the door, he sighed and left her on the bed. Pulling open the door he blinked down at Ryan.
"The fuck?" Ryan looked up at Stephen and back behind him at Katie on the bed. "Seriously, you fucker?"
"Don't start with me." Stephen snarled.
"What are you doing here so early? Can't you keep your damned hands off of her for five minutes?"
"Like you're one to talk." Stephen pushed Ryan out of his way before quietly closing the door. "She needs comfort, not a couple of assholes sniping over her like dogs. So, back off."
"I'll back off when you back off."
"Are you telling me you're only trying to help her out because I'm here?"
"I was here first."
Stephen put his fingers at his temples and rubbed. "Are you insane? Are you listening to yourself? She just lost the person she loves the most, and you're acting like... this. Go home and think about what you're doing."
The door opened and Katie frowned at them both. "What's going on?"
"Nothing, Sweetheart." Stephen smiled, even though a muscle twitched in his face. "We're just talking. How about we see this garden of yours?"
Katie shook her head. "He... That's where he was. I want to go away today. I just want to walk."
"I'll walk you." Ryan slid around Stephen and scooted to Katie. "We should go look at the portals. You like those, don't you?"
Katie wiped at her eye. "Yeah, I guess I do."
Stephen narrowed his eyes at Ryan. "Katie, I'm going to go see the execution. Do you wish to go? If not, I'm perfectly fine with that. I just want to be sure of your safety."
Katie shook her head. "I can't take the sight of any more death."
Stephen nodded. "I'll find you later." He eyed Ryan. "Take care of her."
--
Stephen waited and watched the Execution of Marie. He stood there for the longest time, even after they hauled away the body. Elunara found him standing by the platform.
"Where is Katie?"
"She couldn't see this." He shook his head. They stood together in silence. "Am I a bad person? He whispered.
"Why?"
"I can't be away from her. I know I should. I know I should just walk away. I started to several times, but she is breaking my heart. When she weeps it crushes my soul."
Elunara sighed. "You didn't kill her lover, and you're there for her. She needs someone to comfort her. I try, but I don't have the hours in the day. I'm glad you were able to take her home last night."
"I slept with her."
"You... WHAT?"
"Not like that. I slept. In the bed. With her."
"Oh." Elunara continued to blink.
"I just wanted her to stop crying, and she did. I would have been fine standing watch outside, but... she started crying." He held up his hands. "I couldn't let her cry by herself."
"You're a good man. Go to her, be there for her, for however long that is."
"But..."
"If you're worried about Grogek, don't. I'll speak with him."
"I might strangle Ryan."
"Ryan?"
"She says he's her friend... but his attitude is crawling up my ass."
Elunara's eyebrow went up. "What is he doing?"
"He's being clingy. I know, I know. I'm not much better. But he had the gall to tell me "I was here first". Like that gives him a right or something."
"Wow, even I'm impressed by the douchebaggery of that statement."
--
Katie stood by the edge of the lake and frowned at the portals. Ryan reached out several times and rejected the idea. Katie started walking forward as if in a daze. Ryan watched her walk into the lake.
"What are you doing? You'll get your dress wet."
She wasn't listening, just kept on walking, her fingertips trailing through the cold lake water.
"Are you sure you want to go for a swim right now?" He called.
Leaning forward, she looked at herself curiously in the water, before going face first into it. Under the water, she felt herself floating. Letting go of all emotion, she began to sink. Without warning, arms came around her middle and yanked her free of her watery prison. She struggled, even as she gasped for the life-giving air that rushed into her lungs.
Stephen hauled her out, her dress clinging to his arms. "Are you out of your mind?" He yelled at Ryan.
"I thought she wanted to swim."
"What part of that was SWIMMING?" Katie clung to Stephen, sobbing and gasping for air. Stephen turned down the path and started for the cottage.
"Hey, where are you going?" Ryan demanded as he ran to catch up with the pair.
Stephen freed one of his hands and plowed his fist into Ryan's face. Watching the man hit the ground, Stephen readjusted Katie in his arms and headed back down. She was shivering with the force of the cold as Stephen murmured to her. Once at the cottage, he shoved the door open with his shoulder and placed her on the bed. Digging around the cottage, he came up with some oversized towels and wrapped her up in them.
Kneeling in front of her, he fiddled with a wet lock of her hair. "Katie, sweetheart... would Sunwood be happy with you if you took your own life?"
She shook, and her teeth chattered. Shaking her head, she sobbed.
"I know it hurts, but you can't just end everything. That would defeat the purpose."
"T-the p-purpose?"
"To keep his legacy alive. You loved each other. That much is obvious. But more, he loved your life, your happiness. He wouldn't be happy to know you took your own life. I don't know a thing about gardens. How would I keep that lovely garden in the back alive if I don't have you to help me?"
"G-garden?"
Stephen nodded. "The one you wanted the orchid for?"
Katie looked around as if just noticing the room for the first time. "The garden outside?"
"That's the one."
He began to rub her down with the towels. "Come on, let's get you out of that wet dress and get you dried off." He went to the small cabinet and pulled out a dress at random. Tossing it on the bed, he took the towels and held one up high. "I can't see you, so you can get undressed."
Katie hesitated a moment, before pulling her wet dress off. Letting it drop to the floor, she picked up the dry dress. Staring at the soft blue color and silver filigree, she began to sob again. Hugging it to her chest, she closed her eyes and curled in on herself.
Stephen heard her and bit his lip. Finally, he dropped the towel around her shoulders and wrapped it around her body, pulling her into a hug. "Shh, my beauty. It will be alright."
"How... how can I love and hate a dress so much?"
"What?" Confusion clouded his mind.
She tossed the dress on the floor and turned around, burying her face in his chest. "That is the dress Tulani gave me... after I was attacked. After I was attacked by the man that woman killed my Sunwood over." She scrubbed her face against his shirt. "I can't wear it. I'll never wear it again."
"We'll get you new dresses. An array of them. Please don't cry over a little dress. Hold on, I'll get you another one." He tried to wiggle free of her grasp, but she held tightly to him. Leaning over, he managed to get the tips of his fingers on the edge of another dress. He was struggling to grab it when the towel fell.
The door burst open and Stephen froze in place. Ryan was standing in the door, both of his fists bunched. "You fucking asshole! You pun—" He stopped and stared at the scene before him. A naked Katie was wrapped around Stephen, her dress in the floor, a discarded towel at her feet. "This was your plan all along!"
"Plan?" Stephen blinked.
"Plan?" Confusion rippled across Katie's face.
"You just hauled her off so you could get her naked and have her to yourself. You fucking PUNCH me in the face so I'm out of the equation."
"Oh, dear Gods." Stephen muttered. He pushed Katie gently on the bed, before scooping the towel out of the floor and shoving it at her. "There is no PLAN, you goddamned cock sucking asshole."
Ryan pulled his sword. "You say that to my face!"
"You're going to attack an unarmed man in a tiny cottage?" Stephen held out his hands and snarled. "You're out of your damned mind."
"Pull your sword then, we'll settle this like men."
"Like me— You ARE out of your goddamned mind. I'm not fighting you. Not here, not now, not ever." Seeing Ryan's intent, Stephen stepped to the other side of the room. Ryan charged at him, but Stephen dodged effortlessly.
