"Come on, Lucy," I said as we walked through the forest. It was supposed to be a nice day today, and we'd decided to take a stroll and talk about things that didn't involve me becoming Queen of the Southern Kingdom once our father died.
His health was deteriorating a little more with each passing day. I had never wanted to become Queen, but because I was the eldest, and our father, King Harold, never produced a male heir, the title was to fall on my head—literally—with a resounding thud of "hell no" if you asked me. I wanted Lucy to take the throne. She'd always been the more responsible one and had the ability to lead. Me, I only wanted to protect our kingdom and fight alongside our royal army.
"I'm coming," Lucy said. "Slow down, Catherine. This isn't a race! Why are you running, anyway?"
I glanced back and had to stifle a giggle. Lucy's long black hair was a dishevelled mess, and she'd worn a pale blue dress that fell below her ankles, knowing we were going to be in the woods. When she saw me laughing, her sky—blue eyes darkened and narrowed into slits.
"What? You should've worn trousers. I told you where we were going." I watched as she snagged her dress on yet another branch.
"Ladies do not wear trousers." She was giving me the stink eye, and I couldn't stop laughing. "It's hot and I'm done walking. Let's just stop and have our meal here so we can chat for a bit."
"Good thing I'm not a lady then, huh?" I winked at her, causing her face to go tomato red. I decided to stop aggravating her even further and indulge her delicate sensibilities. The forest had never been her thing; she enjoyed making dresses for ladies within the kingdom. It wasn't every day I could get my little sister to leave the castle. At twenty—two, she was all business—prim and proper—and almost no fun, but I loved her dearly.
"And therein lies your problem," she countered. "When are you going to get your priorities straight? Daddy doesn't have much time, and you need to be prepared."
"All right, we can stop here." I changed the subject, not wanting to have this conversation, then walked to the small clearing between the trees, and pulled my pack from my shoulder. "You're so adorable when you get all huffy, Sis," I teased her as I shook out the blanket for our picnic. "Here, have a seat. I know you must be tired."
"Thank you, Catherine. Have you thought at all about what you will do once you've been crowned? Your life is about to change, and I'm worried about you." She glanced up at me with a doe—eyed expression, and I shrugged, handing her the sandwiches we'd had prepared earlier that morning.
I sat beside her on the blanket, after pulling my long red hair away from my face into a ponytail, and then picked at an invisible thread on my white shirt. "I honestly thought we weren't going to have this conversation today, Lucy. You know how I feel, and I want you to become Queen. I'm just not cut out for it. I'll make an excellent General in your army, though." I nudged Lucy with my elbow, attempting to get a smile out of her.
"You can't slay dragons and monsters all of your life, Catherine. What about a husband and having children? Don't you want to settle down at some point? You're twenty—six now and, by most women's standards, no spring chicken." She took a bite of her sandwich to cover the grin she was sporting.
"Hey! I am not old, and I have no intention of settling down, or having royal little rugrats chasing after me. No. Thank. You." I snatched my sandwich from the small bag, unwrapped it, and took a huge bite. "Why do you want to marry me off, anyway?" I enquired around a mouthful of food.
The withering expression on her face was priceless. "You're just so—uncouth. You have no manners whatsoever. Stop talking with your mouth full, or you're certain to never find a husband."
I took an even bigger bite, and then opened my mouth to show her my food.
"Catherine!"