Lord Watts didn’t chase after them, to Elaine’s relief. She and Katherine made it to a different house not too far off before Katherine slowed down, Elaine following suit.
Katherine’s worry seemed to have faded away, but Elaine suspected she wasn’t entirely at ease with the fact that Lord Watts had seen the two of them— well, together. Her voice was a bit too bright when she said, “This is my uncle Stephan’s home. Would you like to come inside?”
“I would.” As they walked up the path to the door, Elaine said, “I thought your uncle must live with you in the Central Manor?”
Katherine made a face. “It’s more the other way around; I only stay there when I have to, and spend most of my time— well, when I’m not working or otherwise out doing things— here.”
“Is the Central Manor that bad?”
Katherine paused when they reached the doorstep. “Just empty and drafty and echoey and lonely. It’s like the Spirits are just… all over the place in there, too close for comfort.”
“I didn’t realize that you could actually sense Spirits,” Elaine mused, half to herself.
Katherine seemed surprised. “It’s not too different from sensing magic,” she explained. “I don’t think everyone can, but I certainly can, and it’s a weird sensation.”
Elaine nodded. “It makes sense that you’d rather not stay there, then. Now, are we actually going to go inside?”
Katherine rolled her eyes, but smiled. “Yes, yes, in we go.” She opened the door. “After you.”
Elaine walked in to a surprisingly non-magical house. She hadn’t even realized she’d been anticipating an increase in the ache behind her eyes until it didn’t come. In fact, it almost felt better in here than it did outside. “It kind of feels like my home in here,” she commented as Katherine came in behind her. It smelled nice, too.
Katherine tilted her head. “I suppose it does, doesn’t it? Perhaps the warding enchantment here isn’t entirely different from whatever enchantment is on your house.”
Elaine leaned against Katherine, enjoying the sensation as she gazed around the neatly furnished front room. “I like it.”
Katherine laced her arms around Elaine. “I’m glad you like it.”
They stood like that for a while, Elaine listening to Katherine’s heartbeat for a while. Then she asked, “Can I see your room?”
“Sure.” Katherine let go and took Elaine’s hand to lead the way.
They went through the front room, into a large room without much in it, and from there up two sets of stairs that led to a hallway with two doors on either side and ended in a ladder that Elaine figured led to the attic. “Your uncle’s house is really big,” she commented.
Katherine laughed, giving Elaine an amused look. “About the same size as all the Lords’ and Ladies’ houses. In the end it’s not too different from any other house, just with more living space and enough room to have a lot of guests.”
Katherine gestured to the first two doors on either side of the hall. “These two are guest rooms, both of which can be divided into two partitioned rooms, and the two on the end are Stephan’s—” she gestured to the room on the left— “and mine.”
Katherine opened the door of the room on the right and allowed Elaine to walk in ahead of her. It was somewhat larger than Elaine had anticipated, though a good chunk of the space was taken up by a king-sized bed. There was a large circular window with a seat, looking over the city, and a few bookshelves and chairs. The floor was carpeted, and Elaine noticed that there was a door, which she presumed must lead to a personal bathroom. “Wow,” she said finally, looking at Katherine, who appeared to have just been watching Elaine. “It’s really nice. And it smells good.”
Katherine laughed, shaking her head. “The window is my favorite spot; people can’t see in from it, but it’s a great view out.”
Elaine stepped over to the window and sat down inside the alcove. “Ooh, it’s comfy.” And the view really was impressive; Elaine hadn’t realized they were quite as high up as they were.
Katherine sat down opposite Elaine. “I like to just sit here and read, or watch people go by. I know most of them around here, but sometimes I see someone I don’t recognize and wonder what they’re going about doing with their life.”
Elaine hummed. “It’s strange to think about how many more people you must know besides me, and for how much longer. I hardly know anybody.”
Katherine laid her head on Elaine’s lap and looked up at her. “Knowing a lot of people means very little compared to knowing the best ones.”
Elaine blushed and was suddenly unsure of what to do with her hands. “You haven’t even known me for two weeks,” she protested.
Katherine smiled. “That’s long enough for such an innocent girl as you.”
Elaine huffed. “Just because I’ve spent most of my life alone doesn’t mean I’m just an innocent girl.”
Katherine sat up again. “It doesn’t?” She traced her hand along Elaine’s collarbone and up to her face. “How much you’re blushing right now suggests otherwise.”
The heat in Elaine’s face— and most of her body, for that matter— testified to Katherine’s observation. “That’s hardly fair,” she said weakly.
Katherine grinned and sat back against the other side of the alcove, her knees drawn up. “As I said.”
Elaine shook her head, smiling in response to Katherine’s expression, and said, “Fine, maybe you’re right.
“…Would asking if I can sit with you over there only prove your point?”
The question didn’t make Katherine laugh, but Elaine could see that she was refraining from teasing too much as she simply said, “It might.” But Katherine spread her knees and opened her arms in an invitation, and Elaine moved to lean against her, her head on Katherine’s chest and her hips between Katherine’s legs. Katherine wrapped her arms around Elaine and rested her chin on Elaine’s head.
Katherine began humming a soft song, and Elaine ran her fingers up and down Katherine’s arm until she found herself drifting into sleep.
Author Notes: Part 1: https://www.shortstories101.com/story/cat-part-1/
Part 6: https://www.shortstories101.com/story/cat-part-6/
Fluffy fluffy fluff. Let me know what you think!
Part 8: https://www.shortstories101.com/story/cat-part-8/
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