Clarissa Beheads The Villainess

[39] Blame

  
"If I killed him after we got married I would've had the castle." Katherine speaks to herself. She stares out the window of her now own chambers. The whole night that was- felt thrilling to her, for once she felt like she could do something.

She thought that her own blood abandoned her and that Katherine Horak will be the first useless Horak to have breathed air in this world. Still, throwing a rich duke off a cliff is nothing compared to slaying beasts and toppling kingdoms. There were no dragons alive to slay even if she wanted to.

Yet her parents were still up to something.

"Now for the next phase of my plan." The lady leaves her chambers and heads to the smithy to look for Vixen. The man is there more often than anywhere else so it's anyone's first guess when looking for him.

He was there. Melting old swords to make new ones that are even better.

Vixen had a tunic with his sleeves rolled up high his entire arm was exposed, sweat dripping down his biceps. His dark skin had a glow whenever he worked himself hard. "Good morning Vixen."

"Katherine, you're here again." Replies Vixen, with his eyes still glued to his work. Katherine watched him for a bit before saying anything.

"Orias disappeared..."

"What!?" The man stopped what he was doing, leaving the metal to cool off with a deformed shape. "What happened?"

"The other morning after he woke up, he told me had to leave and look for Clarissa. He has to do it for Astaroth." Katherine feigns a troubled expression. Her voice always sounds nervous, for once it did her good. "And then... I heard the voice of the gods telling me Clarissa will kill him and I won't be able to stop her."

"Huh? But Katherine I thought you said-"

"I'm a late bloomer it seems. But I'm still a Horak after all."

Vixen wipes sweat from his face. "I need to go find them."

"N-no!" She grabs his arm and hugs it. "If you go I'll be left here all alone. Please stay with me."

The man runs his free hand through his fiery hair, letting out a sigh. "I can't let Clarissa kill Orias."

"But the gods said there's nothing that can be done! It's fate!" Katherine holds his arm even tighter like she's trying to absorb it. "Please stay with me?"

Vixen bites his lip, unable to say no to a begging lady. Or anyone who begged to him. No was just something that would rarely escape his tongue. "Alright. But why would Clarissa kill Orias? What motive does she have?"

"It was Orias' order to burn those with the crow disease."

"He wasn't happy about it either."

"W-well you know Clarissa... Her whole issue with the princess is because she killed her cat."

Vixen stares off into the distance thinking. Clarissa doesn't seem to be the type to kill people that carelessly, yet he remembers the look of rage in her eyes that time they kidnapped Princess Freya. "I don't know."

"We can't deny the possibility."

"Come, lets go have breakfast and talk to Peter about it."
 
Katherine drags Vixen with her to their dining area, they take their usual seats by the long table. It was so empty and sad now, being just the two of them when it was once five of them that ate together.

As breakfast was being brought to the table Vixen explained the recent events to the rat who didn't really seem to buy Katherine's reasoning on Clarissa's possible motives. Peter suspected Katherine herself but said nothing.

What is said within the castle's walls, Peter can hear all. Katherine has a greater motive. And all her mumbling about how she hates the duke, he's heard everything. But this is the kind of thing he doesn't want to get involved in.

"So long story short you think Clarissa is going to kill Orias to avenge Astaroth? I see. Unfortunately I have other things to do so I can't stick around to chat."
Peter scurries of.

"He's not usually that nonchalant. Something is off." Vixen comments before stuffing greens in his mouth.

"Peter is scared of Clarissa. Perhaps she forced him to do something and he has a role in Orias' disappearance."

"That's possible."

"The gods told me Clarissa will return. I think the best we can do for now is wait for her."

"No. I will still be sending out warriors to go search for both your fiancé and Clarissa." Katherine shivers at the word fiancé. "We have bigger things to worry about now, not just that disease."

"You're going to put them at risk!?"

"The people grow bored here."

"Oh... uh, we could throw another event? Last we had was the cooking contest ages ago."

Vixen shakes his head.

"Ugh he's so frustrating!" Katherine wants to throw her mashed potatoes at him. But it'd be a waste of tasty mashed potatoes and also fail this part of her plan. "Can I ask you for a favor, Vixen?"

"Depends what it is. But you know me, I can never say no."

"Will you sleep with me tonight?"

"Sleep with you!?" He pushes his chair backwards, eyes widen with shock. "You're going to marry Orias!"

"No I don't mean that kind of sleep. I'm talking about the literal kind. I feel too scared to sleep alone now that the situation is like this."

"I still don't think that's right."

"Please? I won't tell a soul about it. Pleaaase?" The short lady is another please away from throwing the mashed potatoes at him.

"Fine! Fine. Just this one night?"

"Just one night?"

"Until Orias is back then."

"Perfect. Now my dearest dead lover, time to put the training you taught me to use."
 
"Thank you Vixen! You're such a sweet friend."

The man has a feeling he's about to regret this decision, really badly. But how could he say no to her when she makes such a face? It's like saying no to a wide eyed dog that just wants to show you love.

Oh,
Oh no.
 
 
Because you do eventually love those wide eyed dogs.