- - -
Catherine wandered around the palace aimlessly. Father had told her to go hunt, preferably with the prince or influential friends, but she had no idea where he was or where to find any of the ladies she barely knew. Lady Bryant had gone to a morning tea party, and Father had been swept away by his friends to hunt. Her knight had looked longingly towards the forest, so she'd let him go too. She was all alone.
Was life really better than the bookstore? Catherine wasn't sure. It certainly wasn't what she'd expected or wanted, yet there was no going back, so she might as well try her best to enjoy it. Catherine had always liked animals, watching children play in the streets with their pets from her window at the bookstore. She didn't want to kill anything, but if Father told her to hunt, she should at least try. She probably wouldn't hit anything anyways.
"Ah, Lady Catherine. How delightful to see you again."
Catherine whirled around and saw Lady Delilah and Lady Annalise approaching, along with a few other ladies. She beamed.
"Hello! Nice to see you too! Are you all going hunting?"
"No, we're dressed in hunting suits because we think they look pretty."
Catherine laughed nervously, fairly positive that Lady Annalise was being sarcastic. Their outfits were indeed handsome, but didn't have nearly as many adornments as usual, likely for practicality's sake. Lady Delilah seemed especially comfortable and striking in hers, like a true hunter.
"Would you like to join us, Lady Catherine?"
"Oh! Could I? I'd love to! But I'm sorry if I slow you down."
Lady Delilah smiled graciously.
"There's no need to worry. We're only going to the grounds between beginner and intermediate, and most of our friends have little experience."
"Then, thank you so much for inviting me!"
Catherine was incredibly happy to have the company of friends, and though no one talked to her much, it was better than being alone. She was so excited she had trouble getting on her horse, though that was perhaps more due to her lack of riding skills. Uncle would be disappointed, but fortunately, he wasn't here. Catherine immediately regretted the thought and scolded herself for being ungrateful.
Lady Annalise kindly extended a hand.
"Here. I'll help you."
"Thank you! I'm sorry I'm so clumsy."
"You're welcome. Do tell us if you need any more help."
A burst of warmth filled Catherine's chest and she smiled contentedly. They were so good to her, like Lady Valentina! Catherine felt a rush of guilt. She hadn't spoken to Lady Valentina directly since the tea party, and whenever she saw her at balls and public events, she smiled at her like nothing was wrong. At the tea party, she'd shown Catherine vulnerability because she'd trusted her as a friend, but Catherine had wounded her instead.
As they rode into the forest, Catherine's conscience tormented her painfully. Lady Valentina was not with them, but Lady Annalise and Lady Delilah rode on either side of her, like guards. Timidly, she spoke to them.
"Um, is Lady Valentina not hunting with us?"
"She's hunting with the royal party. His Majesty, His Highness, Grand Duke Avington, my mother, and a few other nobles. She told us to invite you along with us if we saw you."
"O-oh. That's very sweet of her."
"It is. She's terribly fond of you."
At Lady Delilah's words and Lady Annalise's piercing glance, Catherine wanted to disappear. Why, of all people, did Prince Oscar have to be her fiance? How would Uncle and Father possibly make everything all right? Powerless as she was, the only thing she could do was believe, but that was getting difficult.
Catherine was momentarily saved from her mental anguish by the distraction of a loud gunshot coming from right next to her. It made her jump and almost fall off her horse. She spun to see a light trail of smoke emerge from the barrel of Lady Delilah's pistol. It pointed a distance away, to a small bleeding creature that laid still. A rabbit, its brown fur stained red.
"Nice!"
Lady Annalise's congratulation and the round of praise from the other ladies were met with a pleased smile from Lady Delilah, but Catherine felt rather sick. Her heart still pounded from being startled by the shot, and the dead animal seemed awfully pitiful. It was so tiny and weak, with its whole life and future snuffed out before it even realized it.
"There's another one in the bushes over there. What a silly little thing, so scared that it doesn't know to run. Get it, Annalise."
Lady Delilah gestured with her pistol. Annalise fumbled with her crossbow and fired. The bunny, perhaps finally beginning to comprehend the death of a parent, tried to dart out of the way just in time for the arrow to cut deeply through its back. It fell, whimpering, but kept twitching.
"Ah. It's suffering. Would you like to end its misery, Lady Catherine?"
Catherine couldn't speak, couldn't take her eyes off of the feeble and desperate animal. Despite its pleading gaze, she hadn't the courage to do anything. She just wanted it to all go away. Breathing heavily, Catherine shook her head.
Without hesitation, Lady Delilah aimed and fired. The bunny stopped moving. Other than the ugly wound on its rear, it could've been almost peaceful. Catherine was glad it was over, though she was a little frightened of the darkness in Lady Delilah's gleaming green eyes.
Knights collected the hunts and they continued riding, though Catherine was still unsettled. Moreover, her legs were quickly growing tired and sore, but she didn't want to ask anything and hold the others back. Though most of the ladies didn't hunt as masterfully as Lady Delilah, they all seemed proficient with horseback riding. Thankfully, Lady Annalise came to her rescue.
"Let's slow down."
The group agreed and they went at a more lenient pace. Lady Annalise turned her head to look at her.
"Stamina is something you build up over time. We've had dancing, riding, and other lessons our whole lives. Though of course, it's not your fault you had a poor upbringing."
"I see. I guess I've always had a weak constitution."
When Catherine had first come to live with Father, she'd noticed her health improving with the increased amount of food and exercise she got. However, she'd gradually begun to feel weaker than she had been at the bookstore, likely from the strain of people. She hadn't known how much effort it took, so much that her fitness was among the least of her constant worries.
Her mind strayed back to wondering if Lady Valentina blamed her for her fiance's late night visit. Concerns she'd once considered possibly romantic, but now that she was in the midst of it, absolutely horrid. What could her dear friend be thinking…?
- - -
I deliberated on whether Catherine was sensing the effects of the poison yet. Usually, with the specific type of rare and slow poison I was using on her, reactions grew more noticeable after six months, which was about now, not to mention the side effects of the infertility poison. She would continue to wilt until she was dead or no longer a threat, whichever came first, like an animal caught in a trap.
"I think we've scared off all the critters in the area! Where shall we head next?"
Duchess Finley's proclamation was met with assent. A few suggestions were offered for our direction, but they were all old and known spots, satisfactory, but nothing new to arouse enthusiasm. I seized this opportunity.
"What about Calemore's Point? It's a small cliff towards the east, not very well known, but I went there last year and it was excellent."
Based on the descriptions from the novel, years of analysis, pouring over maps, and scouting it out personally last year, Calemore's Point was the best fit for the place Catherine had been attacked by demons, and the cliff she and Oscar fell off of. Without Catherine's divinity, hopefully the demons would be attracted by the holy dagger, or we could simply wander around until we find them.
My recommendation was received with pleasure. We headed towards Calemore's Point, which wasn't very far away, as I'd done my best to inconspicuously guide us towards it the whole time. It was a charming spot, with a fair share of animals to be hunted, as promised. We enjoyed ourselves hunting and I encouraged us to make as much noise as possible.
My efforts were not in vain. Damian was the first to notice.
"Val! Watch out!"
I whirled around as a tiny ball of purple light whizzed past me. It hit one of the creatures rapidly approaching out of nowhere and spread through it, making it stumble and snarl. Damian used a gun powered by magic as it allowed him to control it incredibly precisely, and his bullets were custom made and imbued with magic as well. He quickly cast spells as he fired, hitting a target and dealing damage with every shot, some with extra abilities, slowing and binding the beasts.
I couldn't tell what animals the demons once were. They were all contorted differently, some with extra horns, fangs, eyes, claws, or even limbs, and they smelled disgusting. Their pelts were black and streaked with purple, and their sizes varied in different degrees of huge. Such was the power of the demon lord's contamination.
"Knights! In formation!"
The captain of the royal guards reacted swiftly to the situation. Every knight in our party listened to him and formed a collective shield in front of us. There were some screams, and the captain assigned some knights to help us retreat.
The demons attacked the knights furiously, easily pushing back their defensive line with abnormal strength. Swords and guns did not wound them in the slightest and angered them more. While Damian's magic did manage to hurt them, it wasn't enough. In a sense, he was finally fighting against equals. He was almost like them, but I would save that troubling thought for later.
"Valentina, let's go!"
Father shouted to me, but I held tightly to the reins of my horse, refusing to turn. The demons instilled in me fear I had not experienced since my past life, against the disappointment and chastisement of my old parents, and I hated every bit of it. Anger filled me up. I was no longer the helpless little girl, and I would not run, even as my heart pounded in my chest. I was Lady Valentina Avington, and how dare these animals think they were more powerful than me?
I was no skilled knight, but neither was Catherine when she sealed the demon lord in the novel. On the other hand, I'd been practicing for this everyday for the past decade. Dagger against beast, with my life and sainthood on the line. I was more prepared than she'd ever been, and I was superior in every sense. I may be betting the lives of our entire party, but I was arrogant enough to believe I could win it.
I pulled out my dagger as a demon leapt high above, breaking through the line of knights. It bounded towards Father, who was facing me with his back turned, so I pushed him aside and let my training take over.
Were my years of dedication and hard work enough to match Catherine's blessings from God and the author? Either way, this would be the moment of truth.