Make Your Move Katherine

Mr. and Mrs. Julian

“Oni- what is the name of this place?”

“Castle Wen?” Oni answered holding the towel open for Kat as she walked out of the huge bathtub that night. A good soak is what she needed to relax, Oni and Sheila recommended and while she did feel better it did nothing to ease her mind troubles.

She had since gotten accustomed to Oni being present while she showered and the girl always tried to encourage Kat to ‘bath’ instead. Thank goodness it was Oni alone and not the crowd of people she would usually have waiting outside of the bathroom- little difference that made for they still see her in her undergarments. While it was deemed normal to them it wasn’t for her. Kat preferred to shower alone and without an audience.

“Don’t ask too many questions Katherine- just follow Miss Moon’s advice?” Oscar had warned her previously. Miss Moon is the elder woman who was in charge of teaching her proper mannerism, for she lacked she was told. Kat didn’t think she lacked, they just went overboard with it. Overly overboard.

She was feeling agitated despite the massage she just had. She was to be married tomorrow without her parents, friends, family and in less than two weeks of being here. The groom was not Simon either. Her face was swollen from crying and nothing Julie said to her, could convince her to allow Miss Sheila, the beautician to come in to fix her face earlier.

“But Miss Katherine you must be dressed properly at all times for you never know when you might have a visitor,” Julie had cried when she had refused to even get dressed that evening after she had returned alone from an interview with a local tv station with Oscar.

“I don’t care! I want to go home!”

“But- you are home. This is your home.”

“Home? This is not my home. I-“

How could she tell them about her personal contract with Oscar? Her contract prohibited anyone from knowing. Oscar had warned her about being too friendly with ‘the help’ already. I can’t have servants calling the Queen by her first name as if you are friends,” he had said after overhearing her tell Oni to call her Kat.

“But-“

“No buts Katherine! You cannot be friendly with your staff! You are queen not CEO of a f*cking company!” Oscar’s screams from earlier echo in her mind when she had protested.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by Oni’s gasp and she looked at where the girl’s eyes were. Her right arm. She had scratched it unconsciously while in the tub. The red scrapes were not exactly bleeding but it would be sore for a few days she noted.

“What would the King say?”

Kat ignored the girl, for the King will never see it. He would be busy banging the love of his life.

“Where is this place?” she repeated.

“Oh- ” the girl looked uncomfortable and answered, “- the country? Demkas?” It had Kat wondering if she too had been warned about her just as she had been warned about them. Did Oscar really warm them about giving her information?

Why?

She had a niggling at the back of her head a few days now- of course, she knew she could not trust them for they were loyal to the crown aka Oscar but still…she thought she had been friendly enough to them- for them to at least talk to her about where she was being held.

Shedding some more tears she muttered to Oni, “Pills,” and the girl brought her the sleeping aid with her head bowed. “Sleep well Miss Katherine for you have a big day at Destiny Collegiate- ah,” Oni clasped her hands smiling in awe, “Today is the last day I call you Miss.”

Kat offered her a thin smile and she swallowed the sleep aid closing her eyes for she didn’t want to see the teenager’s eagerness. “Before you are Queen, I want to tell you-“ Kat’s eyes opened up in hope with the girl’s words but Oni finished with, “Your eyes are the prettiest I have ever seen in my life. And I hope you receive all the happiness you deserve.”

Oni clasped her hands together against her face gushing like a typical teenager and Kat felt her little glimmer of hope die. She knew her eyes were sort of unique with the violet sparks they contained that lit up her irises from time to time- she had thought Oni would have said something along the lines of, ‘I sneaked in my cell for you to call your family.’

“No wonder the King said he was marrying for love and not who they chose for him. I want to fall in love too.”

An image of Simon flashed on her mind. His handsome smile- his warmth, his charm. 

‘So did I Oni- in fact, I did but your King is unbearable.’

But Kat couldn’t say that for Oscar is King and he was paying her to marry him- so she would be out of place to bad mouth him. She was being ungrateful. Oscar would pay for the treatment and the bills from the previous one…she hoped. She could only hope for he…wait- why was Oscar expecting her to just trust him? Why did she sign?

Since when was Kat so foolish to believe anything, anybody said?

‘I had no choice- dad… you have to recover-please.’

Kat bent her head to hide her sadness from Oni but the girl thought she was blushing for she sang out in her bubbly voice, “Ooh I can’t wait to find the love of my life.”

Kat felt the tears brimming her eyes as Simon's fading image faded from her mind and she focused on tomorrow’s ceremony instead- Julie had told her that the wedding would not be happening in the throne room as she had imagined… for her books had said that Royalty got married there. But at a church. An actual church which was about a mile outside of the castle walls- and heavily guarded.

The next day

“The nurse is here,” she heard Miss Moon's voice as if far away.

The wedding was about to take place and she couldn’t breathe. Kat breathed in and out trying to relax. The dress was so tight. She had seen her reflection and was amazed by how stunning she looked. The pearl white long-sleeved, scoop long floor touching, laced ball gown she wore fitted her as if designed with her in mind- of course, Marie had a part to play in it. 

Most importantly it hid her scars, Oscar said when they did a recital of what they were expected to do and say three days back. Practicing vows were a waste as Katherine felt all she needed to do was say “Yes, I do,” and sign the certificate. 

The baby blue eyeshadow laced with white and silver lit up Kat’s face. She looked beyond gorgeous- as if stepping into a bridal photoshoot…which she had just done with Oscar. Almost two hours of camera flashes and Oscar’s dedicated fans and reporters in their faces and make-up being slapped on every few minutes, before they were finally done.

Her foot now almost healed so she didn’t limp but Oscar left nothing to chance and he had the nurse see to her.

Of course, he had been his usual pretentious self and had all the staff fawning over how attentive he was to her. But Kat alone heard the threats he whispered to her. She alone felt his stiff body and his hands tightening on hers every step of the way.

“Smile- wider. Brighter. Blush now. Look at me and be in love, please. Curve yourself onto me. Your hands on my chest…” he commanded her in whispers, for her ears alone with a smile on his face that had the onlookers covering their mouths as they gossiped about how in love they were.

He had worn his Royal red silk robe, which was corner edged in gold along with a jeweled cane- no Royal scepter; an item of royal or imperial insignia she was told that was part of the Royal wear. The ornamental scepter was held by only a ruling monarch as a symbol of power and very much an important part of his wear, just as his crown and robe, for ceremonial purposes.

She now had ten minutes before it was her cue to walk down the aisle. She would be walking alone for her father wasn’t here. Her eyes flooded with tears and Kat bent over for them to fall on the floor and not her face. Missed. They fell on her dress.

Simon.

Kat’s sobs brought the ladies who were behind the door, for she sent them there- rushing in to aid her.

“Oh- your tears will smudge your-“ the cold fish, of a beautician, Sheila started saying but Kat interrupted her with, “It’s not on my face you stupid b*tch!” straightening up and glaring at her. The room became silent and everyone stared.

‘Good. I have stopped crying thanks to this *ss.’

Sniffing she looked at her reflection again with her hands on her small elegant waist. Pulling in a deep breath she fanned her face looking at Sheila, “Do what you are paid for, please.”

But, she did not walk the aisle alone. Oscar walked with her, still wearing his crown and kingly red robe over his suit and a royal scepter perfectly but she knew it was only for show. He wanted his people to see he was a kind soul who cared for his bride. If he was up to his threats, she did not hear them and if he squeezed her hands into submission- she did not feel it.

The ceremony was passed in a daze-like state to her for Kat felt numb. She saw the same shaman-priest who performed their engagement doing a similar ‘bowl ceremony’, chanting again before producing wedding bands. It was officiated by the old graying hair, archbishop, dressed in white with gold lapels on his robe.

She heard the, “I now pronounce you husband and wife- Mr. and Mrs. Julian,” then in a booming voice, “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the new Queen Katherine Julian!” Kat wasn’t sure if it was the priest or the archbishop who made the announcement as Oscar leaned forward and kissed her cheek lightly holding her chin up to meet his eyes, with his left hand. 

Violet eyes met grey eyes- yellow infused with a bright blue in Oscar’s irises before the usual dark grey returned and a startled Kat gasped.

“Don’t be alarmed my Queen,” he muttered as his thumb played with her chin before guiding her to turn with him to face the room full of guests and Kat felt her body relaxing.

“Flashes,” Oscar warned her just as she was blinded by the cameras. She did not flinch or squint her eyes as warned to avoid from before. She had even practiced with Julie and Oni flicking the lights on and off, much to Miss Moon’s chagrin; for they weren’t allowed mobile phones when they were with her. It was nothing compared to the blinding lights in front of her now though.

Katherine Julian. She was no longer her… Katherine Sky Turner.

Kat heard the roar of applause that almost deafened her, inside the echoing church. “I give you…King and Queen of Demkas!”

The country of Demkas, in the city of Proteus and in Castle When, Kat noted even though her mind was numb. Her tears fell like rain but the televised audience as well as the ones in attendance thought it was of joy, for they saw Oscar’s award-winning acting as he beamed at her and wiping her face with his kerchief.

“Do you wish to throw your bouquet dear Wife- or do you wish to keep it?” Oscar mocked her.