Despite the circumstances, Kat bit back a laugh at his obvious attempt to guilt her into going with him.
Awwww, so cute. :D

Kat watched MacBride stride off down the hallway as if he owned the place
Awwww, I love him! :D

She hadn't, mostly because she was trying to be polite and not cause a scene.
Yeah... trying to be polite with assholes... hoping they're not assholes, not truly... ugh.

He must have seen your distaste for him
Hm... Really?
I don't think I agree with Honor here. The guy seemed ignorant and too self-centered to notice anything other than his own ego. Which is not a crime in itself. Being too familiar and acting condescending, all touchy and hands on - that IS.
And distaste or no, I think it's inappropriate to touch a lady in such manner in public. Even if he thought there was a mutual attraction he simply had no right doing what he did.

You are more expressive than you think.
OMG. That's a dangerous trait for a politician. OMG OMG Will Kat get in trouble because of it? O_O

As if the curse needed to be freed sometimes.
What a fascinating - and scary - theory! O_O Gods, I love it!! :D

"Are you thinking of going riding with him tomorrow?"
For a split second I thought Honor meant Simkins, because they were discussing him just now. O_o

I don't know anything about him though."
Whose line is this? Sorry. My brain doesn't work properly today. o_O

Or she could go riding with MacBride and see what he wanted to tell her.
Oooh, just the two of them? Risky but intriguing. :D I need this piece in my life! :D Please, please, please, bb, please! *FLAILS*

"I've searched the room," he said. "After there's been trouble I thought it best."
Good thinking! Love capable characters! And looove your attention to such details! :D

"Dragonblood," he said. "A fanciful name for a wondrous concoction. It's often used to commune with the gods, allowing a trance state to be entered quite easily."
Interesting. :D Has anyone succeeded in speaking with gods this way? Or the gods are only in one's head? LOL. :D

and maybe, she thought wryly, some of the more stuffy religious types might experience a revelation and find that they were not supposed to be subjugating whole classes of people.
LOL :D Great idea! Love Kat! :D

If only to glare at MacBride some more.
LOLOLOL :D

Thank you for this piece, bb! :D Aaaand now I need another update as soon as possible because I'm super curious about everything! :D
I want to learn more about the curse and I'm dying to get to know MacBride better! :D I'm enjoying him A LOT. :D

Please, bb, write MOAR!!
*FLAILS HARD*