26. Reunion.
26. Reunion.
Catherine
In the end, I had to feign being over come by emotion to escape the clutches of Edward yesterday, although I cannot say my tears were entirely falsefied. His groping has left behind the painful blemishes of his bruising fingers on my bosom. How I hate his grasping hands and the way he has taken to pawing at my body, it is as if I belong to him already. I find there is a quiet anger brewing within me at the restrictiveness of my position; and all because I was born a member of the gentler sex, bound to be at the mercy of men for the entirety of my life. At least with Edward, his wandering hands aside, I know I will at least be taken care of. Thankfully I have excused myself from this afternoon's gathering due to being unwell and Mrs. Macrae kindly brought me some refreshments to sup on, while I hide from them all.
Now, I have two more hours till I must be deemed presentable enough for dinner with His Grace and his guests. Edward has kindly gifted me with a new dress for the occasion of meeting his father. I must admit, the silken fabric is unbelievably soft, and the colour is a most vibrant red. But, the cut and the style... Well, I feel like I would be humiliated entirely if I were to be seen in it. Worryingly, my modesty cloths have all disappeared for laundering as well and have not yet returned; it will leave me so exposed.
I am miserable with the anticipation.
At least for once, I need not worry myself about falling at the Duke's feet when I meet him because of my leg. It has strangely become stronger throughout the past few days. The scarring on it has not decreased any, but the pain is almost non-existent. It is my one relief in my current self-inflicted torment; otherwise I may fall when I curtsey and expose myself entirely in that ridiculous dress.
I am not sure if I am expected to curtsey or merely nod in acknowledgement of his rank, but he is related to the King, so I am prepared for both.
I sigh, puttinng down the small book of poems from Edward that has still failed to take my attention from my own inner emotions, then turn my head to look outside the large window. The grey overcast sky has almost turned black. I believe a storm is about to hit us.
My decision comes quickly, and I add to the fire burning in my room, piling the logs high enough that I am sure the room will be warm upon my return.
I think I must be mad, or maybe I have simply lost all sense of decorum and possibly survival.
But, I cannot help myself.
I unlock my door, slip outside into the hallway and run. I haven't ran painlessly for so long, the sensation is entirely liberating. I make my way to the one place I know no one will find me. Because, Edward would never look for me here, and I feel giddy with the thought of what I am about to do. I am panting heavily by the time I can see the exit of the tunnel onto the private terrace.
The first thing I see upon reaching the outside is that the wind has picked up considerably and is beginning to ravage Kaleisha's garden with vigor.
I am definitely mad.
I step out without hesitation, gladly embracing the wildness of the storm as I am embraced by the rain that has started to fall. The smile on my face is the broadest it has been for some time despite the dampness of the rain quickly soaking through to my skin. I am laughing so loudly I fear I may be heard for a moment, just as a loud flash of lightning streaks across the sky and is almost immediately followed by an angry rumble of thunder; I can feel it in my bones, and it is thrilling. My wet hair has been completely blown loose, and is sticking to my wet skin as I spin around under the eye of the storm. Reveling in it's ferocity.
I haven't felt so free in such a long time.
Free from my grief. Free from the pain in my leg. Free from my guilt. Free from Edward's undesired advances.
Free in the wilds of the storm engulfing me.
Despite the weight in my now soaked dress, I merrily skip across the little overflowing streams where the koi fish are hiding and jump up standing on a stone bench seat as I look down through the mountains. I watch as the dark storm attacks the land, and more lightning streaks and cracks its way across the sky. The rain is hitting the ground so hard now, that the drops are bouncing as high as my fet upon the bench.
It is feral , almost dangerous...
Yet, still I do not care.
This storm reminds me of the sea on an rough day.
Violent and angry, seeking a retribution that us mere mortals will never comprehend.
And I love it.
It feels as though it embodies my pain and sorrow, my inner torment and all the emotions I must now keep bottled up because of my position. There is an undeniable freedom within this weather, and it may have become my new favourite climate.
I jump from the bench, relishing in the splash I create when I land. The wind only howls louder around me in response and I can resist answering it no longer. I scream back to the mystical maker of this storm, releasing my turmoil for him to carry it away for me; disappointed I cannot be carried away as easily. Then, I continue my strange dance with the weather, laughing at my bedraggled state and smirking at how disappointed Edward would be to see me now.
-----
Caspian
I cannot stay with these fiends in the form of men a moment longer. I have excused myself under the guise of getting ready for dinner and left them to their discussions of malice and debauchery. The final straw was the Duke's son complaining about not being able to watch my Catherine as she bathed, due to the screen in her room being moved to block the false wall; I could have beaten him to a pulp with my fists then and there.
I slowly pace the halls on my way to my room, taking in the structural changes that have been wrought upon the tunnels that now make up their hallways. I can feel the pulse like heart beat of the rivers deep below me, and I sorely wish they would be enough to take Catherine way. But alas, I must get her to the sea, freshwater will not be enough to complete her transition, it must take place within the ocean, or I would lose her.
I can hear my anger as it lashes outside. There will be a flood tonight, there is no doubt about that. The rivers will fill and a torrent will rage, but it is not one I am controlling, it is an unrepentant anger, free to follow its own course.
Indoors, I am thinking of exploring, if questioned I could easily pretend I got lost. However, I do not trust myself not to simply follow the pull to my mate, the longing to see her again after so much time is painful, it lodges in my chest like a wound only her presence will heal. So, instead I slowly make my way to my room, but it seems fate has other plans when I am intercepted before I reach the door.
"You do not belong here, Seer" I comment to the woman, before I can bite my tongue.
"No, I do not, and neither do you, Prince Caspian." The woman responds, startling me. "Yet, here we both are."
I am instantly suspicious, as I evaluate her every move. She is standing unthreateningly, watching me as closely as I am watching her.
"Do not worry, Your Highness. I am not your enemy," She answers my unasked thought. "However, I would rein in that temper of yours. Before your mate gets hurt by it."
"What?" I ask in panic, instantly looking in the direction I feel Catherine's pull.
"You heard me fine." She smirks back, pointing down the tunnel which I am now angled towards, my body rippling with alarm. "You are her last hope at salvation, I have tried to protect her as best I could while she has been here. However, it has not been easy, nor simple to thwart Lord Sorrell's efforts, so I suggest you do not light her up before you can save actually save her, and waste my own efforts in the process."
With those words, I cannot contain myself any longer. I burst into a sprint, while fighting the urge to shift as I follow the pull to Catherine, every emotion and piece of sense I have, has been overridden by the knowledge that I must keep her safe. I feel the wind of the storm before I reach the tunnel's end and I hear her screaming.
It only spurs me on faster.
What has happened, why is she even outside in this unpredictable weather...
But my whole body freezes when I reach the tunnel's end. I am standing on a large garden terrace, and I am not alone. The rain is still hammering to the earth, and the wind is still howling, but the sight of her calms something in me as she bounces from one puddle to another, taking an obvious joy in the water my rage has provided. I step back into the shadows of the tunnel and watch. Catherine is looking up at my last streak of lightning scoring its way across the sky.
I know there will not be another. The incandesence of my temper cooled completely upon the moment she came into my eye line.
My Catherine.
My Love.
Mine.
-----
Catherine
I am completely soaked through. My jaw is vibrating as my teeth clatter in the cold, but still I cannot stop my juvenile playing.
I feel somewhat disappointed that the rain is slowing, the wind is quieting and the sky is sighing in relief. The tension of the storm it seems has passed.
I turn to head back inside, knowing without care that I will now likely be late for dinner. Yet, I cannot find any concern for that; this is the most fun I have had since I could be on the ocean, and I refuse to feel shame over it. I smile as I head towards the tunnel. Enjoying the last of the splashes I am free to make as I go.
That is when I sense him.
Someone is watching me and I brace myself for the scolding Edward will likely give me for behaving in such a manner. How will I even begin to justify my actions to him, how can I make him understand. It will not matter that I was alone. Nor will it matter that he is the only one who saw me. I have acted poorly, and now will likely have to face his lashing disappointment as he recants how I have failed him, when all he does is try to care for me and imporve my condition in life.
My own lack of shame will only exacerbate his own.
Sighing, I stare at the ground I am treading on as I make my way to the tunnel, trying to seem small and contrite in advance. But, the closer I get the more something feels off. The presence I can feel watching me... It is like nothing I have experienced here before. My shoulders and spine are tight with anticipation, ther nerves of my arms and legs feel alive with a fire I have only felt once before. I am both nervous and strangely excited to look up, and when I do, it is not Edward who steps from the shadows...
It is a man I do not know, except that I do know him.
I feel like I know him very well indeed.
But it cannot be, horses do not rise from the sea and turn into handsome men who stalk your dreams for months, and then appear before you after a storm.
It is just not possible.
Yet, here said handsome man is, and I am at a loss for words, frozen as I stare at him and he merely stares back, struck as dumb as I am.
Time feels like it is standing still. But, I do not know how to break this spell.
My mouth runs dry as I look into his large grey eyes, and I am forced to lick my lips in the hope of obtaining the moisture the storm has left behind there. Yet this only brings a frown to my face.
Salt.
The rain water on my skin tastes of salt.
The possibility of such a thing has distracted my weary mind altogether, and I whip my head around behind me, but the rain has ceased altogether and I am lost at what I have just experienced. How can there be salt in the rain? It makes no sense. I swiftly remember I am not alone, when I feel the pressure of his hand on my hair and turn back quickly to face the familiar stranger, longing to look into those eyes once again.
But he is gone, and I am left alone once more. I carefully make my way to my room again, pleased when the heat from the built up fire instantly seeps into my bones, and gets to work warming the chill I can now feel.
I raise my hands to my body, set on removing my wet gown and getting dry as quickly as possible, I will be expected at dinner soon. But, I become startled when my hair falls forward and I discover a truth I cannot fathom.
My hair is dry, all the water has been completely removed and it bounces freely as if no drop of water had touched it...
Author's Note: Finally, they meet again...