#we're ignoring that he's walkin away the expression is just funny

[cfkingdoms]

"Oh, I'm sure in his own mind it makes perfect sense. He gets what he wants, and the two of you will get tired of arguing and settle into a cold indifference. A royal happy ending." Their hand waves flippantly. Their father certainly wouldn't be making matches for the sake of love. They don't even know if he knows what that feels like. He isn't heartless, but such is the expectations of a king, they suppose. "And King Malcolm will likely blame William, so we'll break even. Honestly, though, if he continues to be this unreasonable, I can...see what I can do. Give him a pep talk, threaten to dangle him over a balcony, whatever works."

They and Eawyn had not had nearly as much trouble, but things had been so different. They'd both been young, neither of them familiar enough with the idea of romance to know exactly what their marriage could cut them off from. Kitty didn't have that luxury, and Augustus couldn't help but wonder if perhaps William was in a similar place. He's, what, twenty-eight? Somewhere around there. They were both at points in life where they likely knew what they'd want if they could have anything. And...perhaps Augustus had finally arrived at that point themself. They can't help but chuckle about the situation with the Dowager Queen. "Quite honestly? I couldn't tell you. The two of us have had the occasional conversation. We're both widowed, each with a child of our own, I can only assume some hopeless romantic was especially blind to the obvious."

"In mind...perhaps not for marriage. I've done the pomp and circumstance already. But, yes, alright, there is someone. I was, ah, hesitant to mention him too soon." They exhale, hands fidgeting. Kitty is going to call them an idiot at best for this, they just know it. Twisting the ring on their left pinky back and forth, a nervous habit they'd picked up in their teens and never quite shook, they continue. "You have not heard about him because he is...a guard. We've...I've...God, Kitty, at my age it sounds so ridiculous to say I've never felt this way about anyone before but I really, honestly, haven't. He's-- he's kind and he's earnest and Winnie's absolutely enamored with him and perhaps I've been a bit too interested in observing the training grounds when he's there but, Lord above, I'm only a man."

Well, if that was the case, their father had hit the nail right on the head. She and William were enemies now, and closer than ever. “Of course you wouldn’t. You would realize forcing two people who can’t stand each other to get married isn’t exactly a great way to foster peace.” Katherine knew she shouldn’t criticize their father’s thinking when he could stumble across them at any moment but the cover of night made her feel secure enough to voice such thoughts. “We’re going to end up screaming at each other at the altar, and then it’ll be my fault this ‘alliance’ failed.” 

The whole situation was a mess, botched from the start, but it did not erase her sympathy for Auggie’s situation. They had already been through this, only to face a tragic ending she hoped would not be repeated. Going through it again would be a particularly cruel fate. That they could face it with jokes was something she respected; they were stronger than she was, or very good at pretending. “Yes, yes, you’re perfect,” she joked back, “I can only assume he was after a full set when they had me, and our brother…” Her smile grew. “An accident, poor lad.” He wasn’t, of course, and she loved him dearly, but teasing her siblings was a favorite pastime, even if they weren’t around to defend themselves. 

“I did hear that little rumor,” Kitty mused, “What gave people the idea that the two of you might be… something?” Unless Auggie’s preferences had changed in the time they’d been in Scotland, she knew there was little to no truth behind it, but all rumors had roots somewhere. It wouldn’t be ideal, but if the two were friends… she pushed that thought away immediately. Friendship, she’d learned, was not the basis for a happy marriage. 

“Your choice? So you do have someone in mind then?” Ignoring all mention of deflection and sabotage, Kitty leaned forward, eyebrows raised. “Who? How did I not know about this?”