It was starting to get dark when Elaine woke up. To her surprise, she wasn’t on the window seat anymore; she was on a bed. Katherine’s bed, she realized, feeling both warm and nervous. She sat up and saw that Katherine was still at the window, gazing out at the city with a melancholy expression on her face.
Before Elaine could decide if she wanted to ask if something was wrong, Katherine looked over. “Ah, you’re awake.”
"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep." Elaine wasn't really sure why she was apologizing; maybe it was the now-unreadable expression on Katherine's face that made her feel apprehensive. We have only known each other for two weeks. Maybe…
Elaine didn't have much time to speculate before Katherine smiled. "No worries. It gave me some time to run about outside being chased, to keep up appearances."
"Is that why you looked… sad?"
Katherine's smile faltered. For a moment Elaine thought she might deny being sad, or brush it off, or not even speak at all. But then she said, "There's something I should probably tell you…"
A dozen possibilities ran through Elaine's mind at once. Katherine was actually engaged already. Katherine didn't want to keep seeing Elaine. Katherine didn't have the same feelings as Elaine; the kisses were just a result of Katherine's curiosity, or something.
Katherine finally made as if to continue, but in that moment the doorbell chimed merrily. Katherine gave Elaine an apologetic look and muttered that she ought to answer it since Stephan wasn't home.
Elaine watched her go and then moved to gaze out the window. The sun was setting, directly visible from here, bathing the city in soft light. Now that she wasn't lost in the giddiness of being close to Katherine, of wondering if they could fall in love, Elaine could feel the magic that had slowly been seeping into her these last hours, aching in her head and swirling in her stomach. Doubt and worry and pain gnawed at Elaine as the minutes passed without Katherine returning. I want to go home.
Elaine was considering doing just that when Katherine finally returned. All traces of her earlier unease were gone.
"Sorry about that! It was a messenger from the Watts household. They want me and Stephan to join them for dinner." Katherine made a face. "I did my best to refuse the offer, but as luck would have it, Uncle Stephan showed up and agreed, despite my making it clear that I wasn't feeling up to it, and that we already had company."
Elaine was looking at the ground, but then she looked up at Katherine, alarmed. "Oh, is he here now?"
"No, he went right with the messenger. And no need to look so worried," Katherine added with a grin. "He would love you."
"Right." Elaine watched as Katherine moved around the room, preparing to go. Suddenly, while Katherine was finishing redoing her hair into fancy braids, Elaine's exhaustion and doubt hardened into resolve and she asked, "What were you going to say earlier?"
Katherine paused, tied off the braid she was working on, then faced Elaine. "I only wanted to say…"
Katherine hesitated, then laughed a little, apparently at herself. "I like girls."
It was Elaine's turn to laugh, relief mixing strangely with nervousness. "I sort of got that impression."
Katherine rubbed her arm as if self-conscious, and laughed again. "Yeah, I guess it’s a little obvious by now, isn't it?
"But… I've never told anyone before. Not even Stephan, though sometimes I wonder if he's guessed. I just worry that if I were to tell anyone, they would try to convince me that I'm wrong, or that I just haven't met the right man yet, or that I need to give them more of a chance… Or even that it's irresponsible and selfish of me to want to marry someone I love, when I need to produce children with magic like mine so that we don't lose magic altogether."
Elaine nodded slowly. "I see… Well, maybe I don't. I have spent most of my life alone."
Katherine smiled a little but didn't respond, and Elaine asked tentatively, "Do you think you're wrong to… to like girls?"
Katherine dropped her gaze for a moment, then looked up again, right into Elaine's eyes. "Do you?"
Elaine blinked. Part of her balked at the direct query, confused because she had never considered she might love anyone, let alone be loved by anyone, and certainly not by a woman. The idea didn't repel her, it was just strange. She hadn't ever heard of women being in love with women, of girls liking girls. But then… even as tired and doubtful as she was in this moment, Elaine knew she had never felt or even imagined anything like what she felt when Katherine had first spoken her name, or called her beautiful, or kissed her. Nothing had ever felt so good and right.
Elaine stood and boldly took Katherine's hand in her own. "No. I don't think you're wrong, to like girls. And… and you know what?"
Katherine tilted her head just a little. "What?"
Elaine touched Katherine's jaw with her free hand and brushed her cheek with her lips. "I don't think I am, either."
Elaine felt Katherine smile before she moved her head and kissed her gently. When the kiss was over, Elaine pulled Katherine into a hug, and the two of them stayed that way for some long minutes.
Finally, Katherine took a deep breath and pulled away. "They're going to wonder where I am; we should get going."
Elaine blinked. "Am I going with you?" She tried not to sound dismayed, but she knew that staying out much longer was only going to make her feel worse, and she was beginning to feel desperate to get back home and disperse the thick film of magic building up inside her.
"Uncle Stephan said you could come along, and I thought that might make it more tolerable… But you're probably not feeling very well by now, huh?"
"Not really," Elaine admitted.
Katherine looked disappointed, but then she brightened. "Maybe I could help remove some of the magic from you and then you'd feel well enough to come?"
Elaine wasn't sure how her going to the Watts' dinner party— or whatever it was— right after their Lord who wanted to marry Katherine had seen Katherine passionately kissing some sliver girl could possibly be a good idea, and she felt a little doubtful of Katherine's ability to do the same thing her house did for her… But Katherine looked so hopeful, and she realized that the other woman was at least as apprehensive of the dinner as Elaine.
"Alright," Elaine agreed, and Katherine's eyes lit up.
"Thank you! Now, I'm sure this won't be any different from coming home after a long day in the city…"
Author Notes: Part 1: https://www.shortstories101.com/story/cat-part-1/
Part 7: https://www.shortstories101.com/story/cat-part-7/
Face your demons, Katherine! Let me know what you think!
Part 9: https://www.shortstories101.com/story/cat-part-9/
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