Fic: The Vellesca Series, cont.

[meridian_rose]

Title: Zayn
Fandom: Original
'Verse/Series: Kat (High Queen)
Pairing/Characters: General Series
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 5663
Summary: After the tribunal the Tour take dinner at the local inn. As requested, Zayn attends and they discuss his past and future.
Notes: Thanks to my beta reader, dorothydeath. This fic takes place following "Choices"
Content Notes: Discussion of suicide
Index Page for this series: DW/ LJ


After the last of the penitents had pleaded their case, Tark approached Kat, trying not to show his disdain. He'd been so welcoming when they'd first met, Kat reflected. Some people warmed to her once they got to know her. Others, as here, came to despise her. It was fortunate she cared nothing for Tark's good opinion.

"With the Chief Official indisposed, it falls to me, as the most senior minister, to invite you to dine with us," Tark said.

Kat ran through the sentence twice in her head, trying to decide if he was merely being factual or if he was explaining that he was obliged to invite her to dinner but he didn't like it. Both, most likely. "Thank you for the offer," she said, with false sweetness. "However we have already made other arrangements for this evening."

Tark looked affronted, despite what Kat was sure was his reluctance to host her in the first place. This was where Honor would normally smooth things over, but he had even less love for Tark than Kat did, and he stayed stonily silent, apparently very interested in the roof beams.

"I see," Tark said at last, when the silence dragged on. "Perhaps another time."

"Perhaps," Kat agreed insincerely. Tark bowed the minimum amount that would be classed as respectful and left the room.

"What a horse-rear," Tara commented and Kat stifled a giggle.

"Yes, he is. Come on, I want to get changed before we eat."

Honor stayed behind with Ryan to wait for the merchant to claim his promised coin. The others headed back to The Talisman Inn. The owners, still awed at being hosts to Her Majesty, had outdone themselves. The finest bed linen, extra blankets, a flagon of wine in each room, fresh flowers, and – to Kat's delight – a bath ready for her.

"Just let me top up the hot water," Archie begged, deftly adding another kettleful to the lined tin bath. There were rose petals floating in the water, which Kat would have laid gold against being the first time in the history of the inn.

Kat ran her fingers through the water and assured him it was perfect. He bowed several times as he backed out of the room, almost banging into the doorframe. When he'd gone, Tara helped Kat unlace the corset she'd worn for the tribunal, but Kat could manage quite well beyond that, thank you, and Tara left for her own room.

It amused Kat that wine was provided but the best drinking vessel the owners could find to serve it in was a pewter tankard. She half filled it with the red wine – almost tasteless stuff, but what had she expected? – and climbed into the tub where she let the hot water soothe her muscles and mind, sipping at the slightly aged fruit juice.

The sun was setting when Kat roused herself from the tub. A decent sized towel, somewhat worn but very clean, had been left on a chair by the tub, and she gratefully wrapped it around herself. She spent ten minutes sitting on her bed, rubbing at her skin, and enjoying the luxury of indoor cleansing and dressing after their week outdoors.

She pulled on one of her travelling dresses, no corsetry or buttons involved, and brushed her hair, pinning it back from her face with two long silver clips. By the time Tara knocked on the door to escort her downstairs, Kat was pulling on her boots.

"How is your room?" Kat asked.

Tara shrugged. "Adequate. They've clearly made an effort."

"Did you get rose petals in your bath?"

"Yes." Tara sighed. "I'm not sure that was necessary."

It was probably pointless to explain that the petals weren't necessary and that was the reason they were included. Kat took Tara's arm, noting that she'd tied her hair back with a ribbon rather than re-braiding it. It was a softer look, and suited her.

The rest of the party was already seated. Two tables had been pushed together and a third moved out of the way for easier access to the seats. Her people were taking up rather a lot of the dining area. Kat had noticed this before. No matter how few of them there were, her group tended to spread out and take up more space than they actually needed. She didn’t mind too much – her guards preferred to keep non-Tour members at a distance where possible, and it gave everyone more elbow room.

It wasn't all their fault either, this time. Archie and Baxter had laid on a spread suitable for, well, a queen. Bowls of fruit, flagons of water, and wine, and ale, and seemingly most of the plates and drinking vessels they possessed were heaped upon the wooden tables along with dishes of small delicacies, bread, fruit, and a couple of flagons filled with more flowers. She supposed they'd run out of vases by filling all the guest rooms with bouquets.

Cal was already seated on Honor's left, munching a handful of nuts, when Kat arrived. She sat to Honor's right and opposite Riku, who was sipping her drink with a relaxed expression. Tara moved to the other end of the bench to sit next to Cal, and opposite Barton. Next to Barton was Ryan and between Ryan and Riku was Larae, who was currently trying to find a matching knife and fork, because these details bothered her.

"What's on the menu?" Kat asked, smoothing her dress over her knees and admiring the napkins, clearly newly purchased.

"Everything they have in the kitchen," Cal told her. "We don't get to choose. We get everything, like it or not."

As long as there was something edible, Kat wasn't inclined to be fussy, given how hungry she was. She picked up a piece of bread to nibble on while they waited. "So, talk to me. I've been stuck in court all day. What have you all been doing?"

Riku had seen every statue and holy site Vellesca had to offer – all ten of them. Eight were dedicated to the Great God of All and not really to her taste. The other two were shrines to the Unknowable Truth, some sort of local faith represented by water; one well and one pond.

"You'd think rocks would be more unknowable," Cal said when Riku explained what little she'd learned of the faith. "Water has depths. All sorts of things live in ponds. But rocks...it's a lot harder to know anything about a rock."

After court had finished for the day, Ryan had taken a quick hike up the Big Hill to see the Commonwealth memorial, but, like the rest of Vellesca, the effort was there but the final result was somewhat disappointing. Barton had ensured the horses were taken care of and had then ridden around the perimeter, finding nothing to report. Larae said she hadn't discovered anything more of interest, though the people were chatty and friendly enough.

"I must thank you again for the recommendation of the inn," Kat said. "I'm sure this hospitality is more heartfelt than the more sumptuous feast the Chief Official would have laid on. Or Tark."

Larae examined a knife with a critical eye. "I did hear rumours that you upset Minister Tark," she said. "Called him a cruel tyrant."

Kat blinked. "I don't remember saying that. Honor?"

He rolled a grape between his fingers and shook his head. "You said the system was cruel. You were remarkably restrained today. You didn't insult anyone personally, at least in public."

"I don't suppose the rumours are saying anything nice about me?" Kat asked hopefully. She'd rather be fair and true to her morals than liked, but being hated got very tiresome.

Larae nodded. "Oh, lots of people think Tark is a cruel tyrant. He's especially harsh on tax evaders for some reason, so he's not at all popular. And you're giving someone a horse or a house?"

"A cart."

She nodded. "That must be it. Well that's impressed people. They're used to the officials taking, not giving. Oh, also, people think you can tell when someone is lying, which is why you get to preside over the Tribunal."

Archie and Baxter bustled out into the room at that point, arms full of hot dishes, four apiece. Potatoes, lots of vegetables, chicken, some sort of soup. Then they dashed off, only to return with even more food.

"Dinner is served, Your Majesty," Archie said, when the last few inches of table space were filled. He wiped his hands nervously on his apron and gave a deep bow. "Please leave room for dessert." Then he and Baxter dashed off again.

Kat reached for a flagon of ale. "I thought more people might have been dining here," she said.

"Tara told them not to," Cal said, earning himself a punch in the shoulder.

"I did not," Tara said hotly.

Riku shook her head, amused. "Archie told his brother Jonas to keep out the gawkers. That couple over there by the fire have the only room we're not using, so they're allowed in, but nobody else is permitted to dine here tonight."

Kat hadn't meant to close off the inn's trade. She'd mention to Honor that they ought to leave a very generous overpayment for their room and board, though he'd probably do so without her urging.

For a short time they ate, talking only of light-hearted matters in between bites. Then a man pushed open the front door. Of average height, he had a thin moustache and a determined look on his face. He saluted Kat, which amused her, and she dabbed hastily at her mouth with a napkin to cover a smile.

"Your Majesty," he bellowed, as if addressing her from somewhere far away. "There is a man requesting to be allowed in your presence, Majesty."

Quite where he'd got his ideas about etiquette from, Kat wasn't sure, but he was trying. It really was a Vellescan trait.

Archie came out of the kitchen. "What are you hollering about, Jonas?"

"Man trying to breach the perimeter," Jonas told him. "You told me to keep out the gawkers. He says he's not a gawker. He says the Queen – Bless Her Royal Majesty –" and he turned to Kat and gave a sharp bow, "requested his presence."

Jonas certainly didn't seem to believe the man's story but Kat nodded. "Yes, yes, that will be Zayn. Please let him in."

"He has a companion with him, Majesty!"

Kat shrugged. If Zayn needed moral support, so be it. "I'm hardly ever allowed to so much as take a bath alone," she commented. At Jonas's look of momentary confusion she smiled and said, "Let them both in."

He gave her a dubious look as if he suspected Zayn and his companion might be planning to assassinate her, but saluted again. "Yes, Majesty."

Archie watched him head back to the door. "Apologies, Your Majesty. My brother means well."

Kat assured him it was fine, and complimented him on the vegetables, at which he blushed and disappeared back to the kitchen.

A moment later Jonas returned with Zayn and a man Kat didn't recognise. Jonas saluted. Zayn bowed. His companion hesitantly saluted and then bowed. Jonas left, still clearly not happy about the newcomers, but needing to get back to door duty in order to prevent further miscreants getting inside.

"Zayn," Kat said warmly. "Thank you for coming. Who is your companion?"

"This is Alden," Zayn said. "We've been friends for many years and we've rented a cottage together for some time now."

Alden bowed again. "Your Majesty. Alden, Son of Otis. I didn't intend to intrude. I was going to get a drink and sit at the bar. However your guard demanded I present myself."

"You're both very welcome here," Kat said. "Please, take a seat, and help yourselves to food."

Riku shifted along, causing everyone on her bench to move. Barton had to get up and move to a chair at the end of the table, squeezed in against the wall.

Zayn slid onto the bench next to Riku and Alden, still not liking his chances of sitting comfortably on the bench, pulled up a chair to sit not quite at the head of the table, but near the corner of it, by Zayn.

"Your summons was unexpected," Zayn said hesitantly. "Did I do something wrong, Your Majesty?"

"Not at all. Please, dispense with the formalities. This is not an official dinner party. You may call me Katerina." At his look of vague horror, she gave him an encouraging smile.

"Have some potatoes," Cal said. "They're very good."

Zayn and Alden cautiously took a plate each and began to take a few items of food. Kat let them be for a moment. Riku passed Zayn some cutlery.

"I knew a Zane," Ryan said, apparently trying to get the conversation going again. "He got seasick all the time, though, and when he got married he moved inland to a sheep farm."

Zayn nodded with a look of polite confusion.

"Ryan's people are largely fisherfolk," Kat explained.

Zayn looked at her hesitantly. "It's only that my name isn't Zayn." He pronounced it as Tark had, to rhyme with grain. "It's Za-yen."

Chastened, Kat tried it out in her head. Two syllables. So Tark couldn't even get people's names right. Horse's rear indeed. "Apologies," she said. "Names are important."

Seeing she wasn't angry at this correction seemed to make Zayn relax. Alden poured them some drinks and for a while everyone ate and resumed their conversations.

"I didn't see you at the Tribunal," Kat said, addressing Alden.

"I was forbidden."

"Forbidden?"

Alden hung his head. "I campaigned for Zayn's release, and in a moment of anger I threatened Minister Tark. As such, I am barred from being in any building while Tark is inside."

Kat could think of worse things than not being the same room as Tark, but she was angry that Alden hadn't been allowed to attend the Tribunal and support Zayn. "I see. You're a good friend, to speak up for him."

He nodded. "Thank you."

When a few more minutes had passed, Kat said, "So, Zayn," making sure to get the pronunciation right, "it must be a relief, to be free?"

He nodded. "Yes, Maj- Katerina. Of course. Thank you."

"Is there anything in particular you're looking forward to?"

Zayn gestured to the room. "To be able to eat and drink what and when I want, that is just a start. To be able to choose when to go to bed. To be able to have control over any aspect of my life. I'm very grateful, Katerina."

It wasn't quite what she'd wanted. She was hoping he had plans that would prove he wanted to live. "You're welcome. But tell me, what will you do now?"

He looked to Alden and then back to Kat. "I'm not sure. I've only ever been a book keeper and I cannot return to my employer for a number of reasons."

Alden turned to Kat, and with pride in his voice, explained, "Zayn was the only accountant willing to help people accused of tax evasion. He's been sadly missed."

Zayn went up in Kat's estimation, though he was reluctant to accept the praise.

"I did what I could. To be honest, I never chose the trade and had no love for it. Helping people made it more bearable." Zayn gave a sad smile. "Yet I have no other skills and the stigma will make it hard for me to get anyjob, even though the High Queen herself pardoned me." He poked at the vegetables with a fork.

Kat leaned forward. "Would you mind telling me the circumstances of your..." She hesitated, not wishing to be indelicate.

"My crime?"

She shook her head. "It is no crime. That is why I let you go free. Tark can go hang – metaphorically speaking." Poor choice of words. At least it hadn't been in court.

Zayn chewed a mouthful of food and swallowed. "He lost his brother to suicide some years ago. I have some small sympathy for him. "

That explained his bias. Of course Honor was biased too, but he didn't feel the same way Tark did. She supposed everyone reacted differently to difficult circumstances.

"No one deserves to be imprisoned for harming only themselves," Kat assured him again.

"Are you going to free the others then?" Zayn asked innocently.

Others? Kat exchanged a glance with Honor. Of course there were other suicides languishing in the prison. She should have thought of that.

"The High Queen only rules on the sentences of those brought before her," Honor told Zayn. "To change a law is beyond the scope of the Tribunal."

"There must be a way!" Kat protested. She was never one to let something like mere legal precedent get in her way. She hadn't got to be High Queen by listening to her detractors, but by having her allies support her in beating the system at its own game.

Honor considered a moment. "We could write to Briana," he said. "She could prepare a report of statements from physicians and healers, clergy and lawmakers, and suggest that more humane methods of dealing with the desperate should be employed by any civilised society. Tark and the Chief Official might listen to evidence sent under the Council Seal."

It would have to do. For the moment. Kat turned her attention back to Zayn. "We will do what we can," she assured him. "Diplomacy is sometimes painfully slow, but we shall put the wheels in motion. Now, we were talking about the circumstances behind your imprisonment." She was rather pleased with the turn of phrase. She hadn't mentioned suicide once, yet.

Zayn nodded.

"It was a moment of desperation," he said. "The short story – I was in love, she rejected me, I felt ashamed and humiliated, and unworthy of love." He lowered his gaze to the table. "She tore my heart out. I thought nothing could compare to that. I went for a walk, ended up on the bridge, and…I don't even really remember jumping, but suddenly I was in the water and before I knew what was happening a peacekeeper pulled me from the river."

Alden reached over and put a comforting hand on Zayn's shoulder. The gesture was one Kat was used to giving and receiving from her friends and it touched her deeply.

Zayn went on, more hesitantly, "I was hauled up before the Chief Official and nothing I said would prevent them from charging me with attempted suicide, especially once Mirra – the girl I loved - was brought before them and told them I was delusional."

When Zayn stopped speaking, Alden cleared his throat. "I spoke for him, Majesty, but they wouldn't listen. He wasn't even given a proper trial because the evidence was thought to be overwhelming. Mirra is the daughter of the Chief Accountant – Zayn's employer – and so her word carried more weight than mine."

"Of course they tried to seize my assets," Zayn said, "but I'd gifted most of them to Alden, because I'd been planning to leave Vellesca with Mirra and start a new life. It was a small comfort the Chief Official did not profit from my pain."

Alden nodded fiercely. "I buried his luggage in the garden of the cottage we share," he said, "or that would have been taken, all the coin he'd saved, his mother's jewellery, everything."

"So not only were you imprisoned, but you lost everything?" Kat was horrified. If the authorities wanted to drive people to further desperate acts, they were going the right way about it.

"Yes, Ma- Katerina; but for Alden, I would have nothing. The one mercy was that those of us thought weak, the suicides and the tax evaders and so on, were kept in a separate building than that of the more violent criminals. However unlike those convicts, we were never allowed visitors."

Alden made a noise of disquiet. No wonder he'd threatened Tark.

"Although Mirra once came to me by special dispensation," Zayn added. Oh yes, more of that rich girl privilege she'd used to incarcerate him. Kat had already taken a dislike to the girl on account of Zayn's testimony. "But I told her I would never speak another word to her."

She couldn't blame him for that. "I'm sorry for all that you've gone through," Kat said, and she meant it.

Zayn gave her a nod of acceptance. "I wish I had never gone to the bridge, and there also were days in prison I wished to die, not over Mirra, but because I was certain I would never see the outside of the prison again."

Kat couldn't imagine it. It was too horrible to contemplate such a fate, let alone one visited upon someone who'd done nothing wrong. "Yet you survived." She hoped her voice showed pride for his resilience.

Zayn nodded. "Neither of the major religions of Vellesca permits suicide. But I'd heard of the Lady, and of Yssbat, patron of suicides, and of the Wayfarer."

Tara nodded. Kat thought that Yssbat was one of the many deities within her faith; not one Tara had any particular fondness for, but a respected deity nonetheless. The other she hadn't heard of. "The Wayfarer?"

Riku spoke. "Sent by the Benevolent Father to guide the lost souls to the afterworld. He carries a staff with a star atop it to light the way. Those who take their own lives, those are who murdered and whose bones lie unburied, those unrecognisable on a battlefield; the Wayfarer finds them all, for no soul shall be left untended and alone, no matter the circumstances of their death."

Zayn smiled. "Yes, that's what I had heard. So I prayed to any of the deities who would listen. I said I wanted to live, but not like this, and they should let me die or help me be free. I applied to be heard at the Tribunal, and when the final lottery was held, I was victorious. I must give thanks to the gods who granted me my wish."

He'd probably been selected because it might have caused difficulties if she'd found out she hadn’t heard from all the types of non-violent prisoners – and clearly she'd been expected to uphold his sentence. Maybe he was the most presentable of the suicides. Maybe it was luck. Or, maybe it was the will of the gods, and who was Kat to argue?

Larae raised a hand. "Why did you not expect to see the outside of the prison? Two years is a long time, I grant you, but it is not without end."

Zayn looked lost as to how to respond. Alden swallowed a piece of bread. He addressed Kat rather than Larae. "Majesty, I don't presume to educate you, but here in Vellesca at least, some sentences are never fully served. Of those deemed suicidal who survive their sentences - and the terrible conditions don't always allow even that - most are taken back before the court and found still unsafe to be allowed their freedom. Occasionally someone gets out, but it's rare. You were Zayn's best hope. We cannot thank you enough for your benevolence."

It would take more than one act of benevolence to put things right. That report was going to be essential if she was to put a stop to such dreadful practices.

Honor bit his lower lip, eyes fixed on some distant point. Kat knew that look. She nudged him and he blinked. He orientated on Zayn, eyebrows drawn together in concentration. "You say the officials attempted to seize your property? And this is a common practice?"

Kat had been surprised at that too. How were people supposed to live, once released, if released, without their possessions and with the stigma making it impossible to find work? It was terrible.

"Yes," Zayn said. "They take the property of unsuccessful and successful suicides. The same for murderers, though not attempted murderers, which is unfair since I was only an attempted suicide."

Kat's eyes widened in understanding and she turned to Honor. "You think the council is corrupt?"

He shrugged. "I think seizing property is a good way to line one's own pockets, especially when the victims are ostracised and no-one will protest it."

Kat shook her head. "That cannot be allowed. I think an audit is required."

"We'd need cause," Honor said, clearly open to suggestions.

"The tribute looks a little light," Cal said, helping himself to the last of the soup. "For such a prosperous place."

Honor nodded and Kat smiled grimly. There was going to be a lot of letters going back to the Citadel over Vellescan policy.

"You say you're a book keeper?" Honor asked Zayn, and Kat wondered what he'd thought of now. "And you were dating the daughter of your employer?"

Zayn gave a curt nod. "Yes."

Was this going to be one of Honor's hypocritical speeches about not courting those you worked with? Because she was going to stamp on his foot if it was.

"I wonder if that might not have had some bearing on your case," Honor said.

Alden and Zayn exchanged glances and it was Alden who spoke up. "It's true that her father didn't approve," Alden said. "Zayn's fatherless – his mother never even said who his father was. My father died when I was two, so I grew up without a father too, but it doesn't carry the same sense of disgrace."

Another way to have your reputation tarnished, Kat thought. There were some nasty undercurrents to life in Vellesca. "But you were introduced as Son of Hassan."

Zayn took a swallow of ale. "I am not allowed to bear my mother's name." Two of the men in Kat's party chose to identify themselves as descendants of their mothers and the Citadel had no issue with it. That it was Vellescan policy to insist on a patriarchal name scheme would be due to the wonderful influence of the Great God of All, Kat thought, shooting Barton a dark glance for daring to be part of such an awful religion. "Hassan is my grandfather."

And from his tone, there was conflict there too. It wasn’t the time to pry further into his personal life however and Kat filed away the information for later consideration.

"And you used to help those accused of tax evasion," Honor pushed. "But your employer did not?"

Zayn gestured uncertainly. "Well, no..."

"Even I know where this is going," Cal commented. "You were making a nuisance of yourself, romancing your superior's daughter, helping people pay less tax. Thorn in their side, I'd imagine. Lucky for them how you ended up on the bridge."

Or, as Cal's tone suggested, it wasn't all luck. Kat thought about that for a moment as Zayn paled, as chilled by the suggestion as she was. There was a lot more to Zayn's situation than she'd imagined when he'd first been brought before her.

Alden cleared his throat. "Your Majesty. If I may be excused, I'd like to go outside to smoke a pipe." Kat gestured that of course he was excused.

"I'll come with you, for some air." Zayn bowed and followed Alden, likely glad of the excuse to get away from the scrutiny of the Tour. Kat watched them go, hoping they would come back. Though Jonas might corral them if he thought they'd left without permission.

"You know, most of the people here are lovely," Kat said, clearing her plate. "And everyone tries so hard. They'd get the first place ribbon for being Second Place At Everything. But then there's all this cruelty, and probably corruption?"

"You think the Citadel is any better?" Honor asked. "There are those who work against you and your interests. Two years ago Cicely was removed from the Council for taking bribes. Corruption is rife everywhere. You cannot stamp it out completely, merely root it out wherever it is found and make it as difficult as possible for it to flourish."

She hated that he was right. Things ought to be simpler. People ought to be more honest, especially when lives were at stake.

Archie removed some of the empty dishes and brought out dessert and Kat dug in, determined not to insult his hospitality, even though she was already feeling rather full.

Zayn and Alden returned a few minutes later and Riku poured them some more ale.

"I feel we still haven't talked about your future," Kat began. "You said you had planned to leave Vellesca."

"With Mirra," Zayn said. "We were going to Resceldine. It's bigger, more bustling than Vellesca, or so I've heard, a good place to make a new start. Alden's cousin lives there and Alden wrote to him, asking him to help us find somewhere to stay. But now? To go there alone? I don't see the point. I don't think I can."

Alden clapped Zayn on the shoulder. "Look, if it were up to me, you'd stay here. But I'm worried for you. I couldn't bear to see you in prison again, Zayn."

Zayn looked into Alden's eyes, overwhelmed. "I couldn't bear to go back. But I can't go to Rescedline alone. Come with me."

Alden shook his head sadly. Kat listened as he spoke of his elderly mother who couldn't be left alone. Cal actually stopped eating at that, perhaps reminded of his own mother, though Llara was not in the least bit frail and gods help anyone suggesting otherwise.

It was a lot to ask, Kat thought, to leave your home and loved ones behind, not for a year to go on the Tour, but permanently. Larae had been glad to run, but Zayn was reluctant and Alden unable to do so in good conscience.

"I don't know what to do," Zayn said, tearful.

Kat understood. All the advice in the world couldn't make a difficult decision for you. But perhaps she could help.

"The Citadel requires book-keepers," she said. "You're clearly skilled in accounting, though you said your heart was not in the numbers."

"He'd still be alone," Tara pointed out, mopping at her plate with a piece of bread.

"Not necessarily. Zayn, how would you like to join the Tour?"

Honor stared at her, though Kat pretended not to notice. Another stray. Yes, first Larae and now Zayn. He'd complicate the numbers, but the further they got from the Citadel, the less Kat worried about those superstitions. There were enough prophecies and her curse to worry over, and the numbers were folktales in comparison. Besides, Larae wasn't with them the whole time. It was more like eight and a half people.

"I...to do what, Majesty?" Zayn gave her a stunned look.

"There are plenty of titles to go around," she said airily.

"But I'm the Harbinger," Larae put in fiercely, to Kat's surprise and delight. Larae enjoyed her position. It was a good thing they'd rescued her. "And sometimes the Lady's Maid."

Cal was shaking the flagons, trying to find one with something left in it. "What's he good at?"

"You might ask Zayn," Honor said reproachfully, passing Cal a flagon. Cal addressed the question directly to Zayn, who shrugged.

"As I said, I've been a book-keeper all my life. I could look at the accounts of the kingdoms you visit."

Which might come in useful for places like Vellesca where the accounts were in question. "But what you do like?" Kat pressed.

He thought about it for a moment. "I like animals," he said at last.

"Horses?"

"Yes."

Kat nodded. "If Vince doesn’t bite you, you can be our ostler. I'm sure Barton would be glad to have someone take on full responsibility for our mounts."

Barton looked surprised and nodded, though with a slight frown as if he distrusted her motive. She was trying to help Zayn, and if Barton wanted to take it as a compliment that she was relieving him of a duty below him, or as an insult that she was taking away one his responsibilities, that was up to him.

Kat looked to Cal. "Is he an ostler if he's not stationed at an inn? Or would he be a groom?"

"I think the Tour title is Her Majesty's Groom," Cal said. "Which sounds a bit like he grooms you, but I assure you this is not the case."

Kat told Zayn of the prophecy that might still be valid, but after all he'd been through, he didn't seem much concerned. Mostly he was still shocked by the offer to accompany her.

"Go home and think on it," Riku advised.

"And if you wish to come, then bring your bags to the stables tomorrow morning," Kat said. "You will be most welcome." They'd need another horse, but he could ride with someone until a suitable mount could be purchased.

Zayn and Alden thanked her again and left, already deep in conversation. Everyone else began to ready themselves to retire for the evening.

"What should we do with the leftovers?" Kat asked, looking at the devastation they'd wrought upon the spread, which, despite the disarray, still had plenty of food left . "Ask Archie to pack it up for tomorrow or give it to the poor?"

"I imagine after serving us a breakfast to rival this meal, Archie will provide us with lunch supplies enough to weigh down the horses," Honor said.

"The poor," Kat said quickly. "They need it more than us."

As they climbed the stairs to their rooms, she found herself wondering if the Chief Official was truly indisposed. If he believed that she could see through lies, then it wouldn't be surprising that he wanted to avoid meeting her, as Larae had suggested.

How did these rumours get started? She rather wished this one were true.

She'd take lie detecting over the curse any day.

Comments

[eternal-moonie.livejournal.com]

YAY!!!

LOVE this one in the Kat series!!

[meridian_rose]

Thank you! *hugs*

[hrhrionastar.livejournal.com]

Another great chapter in Kat's world! I like how she spends so much of her time figuring out how to help people.


It was probably pointless to explain that the petals weren't necessary and that was the reason they were included. This made me smile :D

Vellesca sounds like a corrupt place. It's a great name, though ;)

[meridian_rose]

Thank you :) The people deserve better than the government they've got, which is unfortunately often the way of the world.

[dorothydeath.livejournal.com]

YAY!! for posting this, bb!! *FLAILS HARD*
You did a really awesome job with this one!! :D

And please let me just flail some more over the Tark/Kat scene (which is totally one of my favorite politely antagonistic conversations of all times and I love every word!!), Jonas (who is the most amazing minor character like EVER!!) and Zayn (who is a great addition to the main cast and I love him madly!) :D

I'm dying to read moar Kat soon!! :D
*FLAAAAAAAAAAAILS*

[meridian_rose]

Thank you, and thanks for all your help including of course making me map out the dining room because I had no idea where everyone was seated and it showed! *hugs*

[brontefanatic.livejournal.com]

Great addition to your Kat-Verse. You're always introducing such new and interesting culteral mores and deities, not to mention interesting characters.

I'm glad we got to see Zayne again, and learned more about his story. I'm anxious to see how joining the Tour will affect the others. But, hey - a good accountant is always valuable.

I loved the idea of The Wayfarer - the Wayfarer finds them all, for no soul shall be left untended and alone, no matter the circumstances of their death." A lovely, poignant image.

I also like the idea of having shrines to the Unknowable Truth - whether that's best represented by water or rocks, who's to know. But I like water.

Has the entire Tour so far, as you've written it, only lasted 1 week?

Horse-rear! Snort - I love it!

[meridian_rose]

Thank you :) I'm constantly worldbuilding – at least with Hiveword I now have a chance of keeping track of all the new facts and characters!

"Has the entire Tour so far, as you've written it, only lasted 1 week?" I'm not quite sure what you mean but I'm going to take a guess and say no, much longer. I write sections of the Tour as I get inspired/to fill a prompt, interspersed with backstory, so some fics take place further along in the story than others. At this point we've lost a Tour member, sort of replaced them, and now we're adding another in Zayn. So a few weeks or even months in for this particular piece :) At some point I do want to develop a very rough timeline so I can say "this is before X but after Y happened!" Which will become more important if I'm to be adding in new characters.

[brontefanatic.livejournal.com]

I think the 'week' question was inspired by a statement one of the characters made in this fic that I took out of context. Going back over all the fics in this universe, and all the places they have already been, it's obviously been much longer than that.

Sorry for the stupid question.

[meridian_rose]

Not stupid, I was just a bit confused for a moment! :) I honestly do need to get a rough timeline in place for everyone's benefit, because the constant hopping through the Tour plus the flashbacks is horribly confusing!