Knights Are Brave and Strong

Chapter 5: The Night Watch

Scott found the path again quickly, but by the time he did, the sun had set.

"Can we camp?" He asked. "I haven't had a good night's sleep in five years."

"Alright," Katherine agreed. "I'll guard."

"Okay," Shelby said, stifling a yawn. "You're sure?"

"Yep," Katherine said. "Can you start a fire? I'm going to try to hunt."

"Alright," Scott agreed. "Come on, Shelby."

Katherine walked away from them, caught a rabbit, and then returned to camp. Shelby and Scott were talking. Not wanting to disturb them, Katherine lit a fire quietly.

"Hey," she heard Shelby asked. "If you know the way out, why haven't you left?"

Scott smiled ruefully. "Ice Prince's dying curse. I can only leave with someone else, and nobody's been brave enough to come in here for five years."

Shelby sighed. "That's rough. Sorry."

"Hey, guys?" Katherine called. "Dinner."

They sat around the fire, eating the roasted rabbit and not really talking.

"Wow," Scott mumbled around a mouthful of rabbit. "Forgot how good cooked meat tasted."

Katherine laughed. "Time for bed."

She watched as they curled up on the forest floor and drifted off. Yawning, she settled on a fallen log. 

She tried to keep her eyes on the fog, but her gaze kept drifting back to the sleeping princess. When she was awake, Shelby was constantly happy, while keeping up a good leader face. Sometimes, she seemed to think she had to be perfect. But now, asleep on the forest floor, eyes closed, breathing even, and hair falling across her face, Shelby was frowning, brow furrowed. 

Without really thinking, Katherine crept over and held her friend's hand. Shelby's was smaller than Katherine's, and warmer, too. 

Watching her face, Katherine saw how she relaxed when Katherine took her hand. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards in a smile.

Katherine had missed Shelby so much while they'd been separated, but she'd managed to find a way each day to see her, or even speak a few words. She'd pass by the castle gardens, or be riding in the woods the same day that Shelby was. When she looked for fruit for the castle kitchens, she searched carefully for apples, Shelby's favorite.

The whole time, she'd told herself that she did not have a crush on the princess. Katherine was a commoner. A commoner training to be a knight, but a commoner nonetheless. Having a crush on the princess would only end up breaking her own heart.

But now, in the quiet woods, alone, at night, with Shelby's hand in hers and Shelby wearing commoner's clothes rather than royal silk and velvet, Katherine admitted to herself that maybe she liked the princess as more than a friend.