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day 3 of catradora week july 2019 - futuristic/medieval
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It was supposed to be just another diplomatic mission. And it sure started out as such; Princess Glimmer, accompanied by her trusted knights, Sir Bow and Lady Adora of Bright Moon, arrived at the fort of Plumeria a day before the negotiations were supposed to take place. The fort lay right between the two kingdoms and was therefore neutral.
It was merely a trade deal that was supposed to be renewed (since the current one had been signed long before any of the living princesses were born), and not really a point of concern for either party.
The other kingdom was supposed to send their princess as well, accompanied by a knight. It was all supposed to be easy and uncomplicated. Or at least, so Adora thought.
After arriving, they were led to their rooms on the second floor. Adora unpacked quickly and changed from her travel attire to something more clean and decent – a white, long-sleeved linen shirt and brown pants, that she stopped into her boots. With her sword resting comfortably in its holster on her right hip, she took a last look in the mirror and tightened her ponytail, exiting her room and heading for the princess’s next door.
She knocked on the door three times before hearing a faint “come in!” She pushed the door open with her shoulder and entered the room to see the princess in front of her vanity, adjusting her cape in the mirror.
“Be honest with me,” she said and turned around to look at her knight. “Is this outfit appropriate for trade negotiations?”
Adora placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head in thought, taking in the princess’s outfit. It was simple, as always; the princess of Bright Moon didn’t care much for extravagance. She was wearing an airy, short-sleeved purple dress that stopped at her ankles, paired up with a light blue cape over one shoulder, both colors traditional for the Bright Moon court.
And yet, the princess had, of course, added her own spin on things. This time, it came in the form of a pair of fingerless gloves, that completely quashed the outfit, albeit them matching the dress.
“Your Highness,” Adora began, biting back a snicker, “I’m of course no fashion expert, but I’m pretty sure that you’re not supposed to wear gloves into the negotiations.”
Princess Glimmer let out a groan. “You sound like my mother.”
Adora shook her head with a smile. “The rest of the outfit is great, though,” she said, in an attempt to cheer the princess up.
The princess turned to look into the mirror again. “I know, right?”
Just then, the third member of their party poked his head through the doorway. “What are you two doing? The other princess has just arrived.”
Adora quirked a brow. “Already?”
Bow nodded. “Yep. So, her Royal Highness, accompanied by her knights, better hurry and greet her downstairs,” he said.
“I’m coming, I’m coming!” the princess said, walking across the room to join them. “All these formalities are ridiculous. Why can’t I just wait ‘till tomorrow?” she mumbled as they entered the courtyard.
Across the courtyard, they saw the Princess of the Crimson Waste, accompanied by a single knight, who Adora thought looked awfully familiar. At once, Princess Glimmer stood in her place, and Adora and Bow fell in line next to her.
“Ah, you’re already here Princess Glimmer, wonderful,” the keeper said when they came closer.
“Then, without further ado,” he cleared his throat before continuing, “may I introduce Princess Glimmer of Bright Moon, and her royal knights, Sir Bow and Lady Adora, of Bright Moon.” The Crimson Waste princess and her knight bowed for the trio, and Adora couldn’t keep her eyes away from the knight, because it was as if she had seen her before…
“ - and Princess Scorpia of the Crimson Waste, accompanied by her knight, Lady Catra of the Crimson Waste.”
Adora bowed, as the name echoed in her head. Catra .
And then it hit her. No. It couldn’t possibly be…
As she straightened up, her eyes caught the gaze of Princess Scorpia’s knight. One blue, one gold. She’d recognize those eyes anywhere.
“It’s you…” she whispered. The knight simply smirked at her.
“Adora? Is everything alright? You look awfully pale,” Princess Glimmer asked with a concerned voice.
Eyes still on Catra, Adora spoke: “Yes, I’m –” her voice cracked, making Catra lift a brow. Adora cleared her throat before speaking. “I’m fine, Your Highness.”
The princess hummed, unconvinced. “If you say so.”
After that, the group split up, as the keeper led the Crimson Waste duo to their rooms, while the Bright Moon trio stayed in the yard.
“What was all that about?” Bow asked, sitting down on a bench by the small fountain in the middle of the courtyard. Princess Glimmer sat next to him and they both stared at Adora expectantly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Adora said, not meeting their gaze.
“Liar,” Princess Glimmer pointed an accusing finger at the blonde knight, “you totally knew the knight!”
Adora bit the inside of her cheek. “Maybe…” she mumbled, daring to look up at the pair.
They stared at her with a matching curiosity in their gazes, so she added with a sigh, “It’s a really long story…”
“Adora, as your Princess, I order you to tell us,” Princess Glimmer said.
Adora pouted. “God, I hate when you use the Princess card.”
The princess shrugged in response. “It’s the only card I have.”
Adora rolled her eyes, an amused smile appearing on her lips. “Fine. But it’s not as interesting as you think it is.”
“Considering the fact that you became as pale as a ghost at the sound of her name, we’re willing to take our chances,” Bow said.
Adora rolled her eyes again and sighed. “Fine. Catra and I were orphans at the same orphanage, and we were really close, too. Like, really close.” Adora gave them a knowing look.
“ Oh .” Bow and Princess Glimmer nodded with wide eyes.
“Yeah, well, we decided to become knights together, but when we had to choose where we wanted to be posted, I chose Bright Moon and she chose the Crimson Waste. Of course, this created some, uh, tension, and we had this huge fight and haven’t spoken since.”
“Oh, that’s tragic,” Bow said.
Adora nodded. “Yeah, it is. And stupid, too. I should’ve tried harder to get her to come with me, or something, because, well…” Adora trailed off, looking past them and into the distance in thought. She should’ve tried harder. She should’ve just come with Catra. She should’ve –
“You love her,” Princess Glimmer finished.
Adora met her gaze with a somber smile. “Yeah…and she probably hates me.”
Bow nodded in sympathy. “That’s rough, buddy.”
“Sure is,” Adora said.
“Well, maybe you can talk it out, now that you have the chance,” Princess Glimmer said.
“Yeah, considering how things ended, I really doubt that,” Adora said with a bitter smile.
“Well, how did things end?” Bow asked.
Adora bit her lip. “You know that scar I have on my stomach, that you guys keep asking me about?”
“No,” Princess Glimmer gasped.
“Yes,” Adora said.
“She stabbed you ?!” Bow’s eyebrows flew up to his hairline.
“It wasn’t really a stab as much as a mere flesh wound, but basically, yes,” Adora said sheepishly.
“Okay, well then maybe don’t try and talk to her. At least not without a weapon on you,” Princess Glimmer said.
Adora nodded. “Duly noted, Your Highness.”
…
Feeling a little restless, Adora grabbed her sword after dinner and headed for the courtyard to practice, to get her mind off things.
As she trained, she could hear the birds chirping in the forest just beyond the walls, and the setting July sun baked against her back, as she stabbed the air in front of her with meticulous precision. It cut through the air with a whoosh each time, making her the corner of her mouth quirk upward in a satisfied smirk.
Little did she know, the very person she was trying not to think about stood leaning up against one of the pillars and watched her every swift move with two colored eyes.
“Hey, Adora,” Catra drawled. Adora froze in her spot, and her shortsword almost slipped out of her hand in shock.
It’s been so long since she’d heard that voice, and yet it hasn’t changed the slightest.
Catra stepped into the courtyard, and slowly swaggered towards her. Adora kept her eyes on her as she came closer, taking in her appearance – it hasn’t changed much in two years; her dark hair was still an unkempt mess on her head, the scar that ran through her left brow prominent, a mischievous smirk played on her lips, paired with a matching look in her eyes. She was wearing a simple white shirt and dark pants and boots, an outfit almost identical to Adora’s.
She stopped in front of Adora and traced her body with her eyes, making Adora feel very self-conscious.
“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” Catra said, cocking a hip as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Adora quirked a brow and put her sword back in its holster.
Catra shrugged. “Take a guess.”
Adora searched her face for something sincere, something to indicate that she didn’t just come here to taunt her for old times sake. Catra’s smirk never wavered, but there was an apprehensiveness in her eyes as if she was expecting something.
“You haven’t changed one bit,” Adora said, her voice lower now, and almost soft.
Catra’s eyes narrowed just a little at the statement, and she lifted an unimpressed brow. “Have you?”
Adora shook her head. “Not really, no.”
They stood in silence for a moment, taking each other in. Adora mindlessly let her eyes wander down to Catra’s lips, thinking back to the countless times she had kissed them, and they had kissed her, both on her own lips and in places that weren’t her mouth.
Her cheeks darkened at the thought, and she quickly pushed them back. Desperate for a distraction, she glanced down to the sword on Catra’s hip.
“You wanna spar?” Adora asked innocently.
“I don’t know, Adora, last time we fought you barely came out alive,” Catra drawled. Adora stepped back and drew her sword, the tip of the blade pointing at Catra’s chest.
“Well, I’ve gotten better since then,” she said, a smirk growing on her lips.
Catra quirked a brow as she drew her own shortsword. “Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I can’t wait to see it.” And with that, the fight began.
Although Adora hadn’t spared with Catra for years she could still predict her every move, and avoid her small tricks here and there.
They moved around the fountain, as their swords clashed against each other.
“So,” Adora began, as her eyes searched for a hole in Catra’s defense, “how’s the Crimson Waste kingdom?” She went for a strike on Catra’s left side, but the brunette effortlessly blocked her attack.
“Oh, you know,” Catra went for her leg and Adora barely managed to step away in time, “just like any kingdom. Although, I must admit,” she swiftly avoided Adora’s sword as she spoke, “the sand is a nuisance. It gets everywhere .”
Adora snickered. “I can imagine.”
Catra smirked. “I’m sure you can.”
Adora rolled her eyes. A split-second distraction was all it took. Catra lunged her sword through Adora’s defense, cutting a small hole in her left sleeve, and with it, her arm. The cut began to bleed, and blood from the fresh wound tainted the fabric red. Adora glanced down on it, and her eyes darkened when they met Catra’s again.
“Was that a new shirt? Oh, I’m so sorry,” Catra teased.
Adora let out an unimpressed hum. “Sure you are,” before swinging her sword again, only to be met by Catra’s blade with a metallic clink.
“So, how’s Bright Moon?” Catra asked nonchalantly, as she jumped up on the edge of the fountain. Adora followed her suit, and they balanced on the narrow stone, swords clashing into each other.
“Oh, you know,” Adora answered with the same nonchalance, “being the Princess’s knight has its perks.”
Catra let out a laugh. “I can imagine.”
“Oh, can you?” Adora said.
“Yes,” Catra said nonchalantly.
Adora wasn’t getting tired per se, but her sword was getting heavy in her hand, and for a moment, she considered the unthinkable – how far would she go to win this petty fight against her ex? She glanced at Catra, sporting that cocky smirk on her lips, and decided then and there: as far as she had to.
Without a second thought, she lunged for Catra’s legs, and sure enough, Catra took the bait and stepped on her sword, trapping it under her feet as she grinned down at Adora. But Adora simply smirked back and twisted her sword, making the brunette trip on her feet and fall straight into the fountain.
She came up after a second or so, completely soaked, and understandably pissed.
“You cheater!” Catra exclaimed.
Adora’s smirk grew into a grin. “I learned from the best,” she shrugged.
“Oh, you…” Catra clenched her jaw, the grip on her sword tightening. “Get in here, coward,” she said, splashing water at Adora with her hand.
“Gladly,” Adora said and jumped into the fountain, splashing more water onto Catra.
“I’m gonna make you pay for this,” Catra said lunging forward. Adora blocked her attack with ease.
“Is that so?” She swung her sword and Catra barely blocked it in time.
“Yes,” she said, dead serious, her eyes shooting sparks in Adora’s direction.
“Okay. Just – please – don’t stab me this time.” It was meant as a half-joke, but judging by the look in Catra’s eyes, Adora could expect that outcome exactly.
“Oh, please, it was barely a flesh wound,” Catra said, lunging her sword through Adora’s defense, and stabbing the air next to the blonde’s ear.
“It still hurt,” Adora retorted, taking a step back and making the water soak her pants further.
“Well, it hurt when you broke my heart too, so,” Catra said with a dry smile. Adora halted in her attack.
The setting sun glittered in the water around them and reflected in the small droplets in Catra’s hair. It shone softly on her features, highlighting her cheekbones and jawline. Catra scowled, but it was undone by the somber look in her eyes.
Adora lowered her sword. “I didn’t mean to,” she said quietly.
Catra lowered her sword as well. “Well, for the record, I didn’t mean to stab you either.”
Adora quirked an unconvinced brow. “Oh, really?”
Catra averted her gaze and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, I mean, I didn’t mean to stab you that deep.”
Adora laughed out loud. “Oh, God, I’ve missed you,” she sighed.
Catra met her gaze. “You have?”
Adora smiled at her. “Of course I have.”
“Hm,” Catra hummed, her face unreadable.
“Catra…” Adora stepped closer, and Catra’s eyes widened.
“Don’t,” she said.
“Don’t what?”
Catra sighed. “Don’t same my name like that. Like everything is okay.”
Adora pouted. “I know it’s not. But I want it to be.” She reached out and took Catra’s hand in her own. “Don’t you?”
Catra looked between their hands and Adora’s face for a moment. Her gaze hardened and she snatched her hand away. “We can’t always get what we want, can we?”
She stepped out of the fountain, sword still in hand, and began walking away.
“Catra, wait!” Adora called, getting out of the fountain as well, and leaving her sword behind in the water, as she began walking after her, her soaked boots and pants leaving a water trail behind her.
“Why do you do this? Why can’t we talk about this?” Adora said, reaching out to grab Catra’s shoulder. The brunette grabbed her wrist and turned around.
“Because! There is nothing to talk about!” she growled, jaw clenching as her eyes narrowed on Adora.
“Well, obviously there is, or else you wouldn’t have stabbed me.”
Catra groaned. “Oh my God, will you ever let it go?” She sounded as if Adora was fussing over some harmless prank and not a near-fatal wound she had inflicted on her.
“I’m sorry, but my girlfriend stabbed me mid-fight and then ran off, after which I didn’t see her for two years , so no, I will not let it go.” Adora could feel her blood boiling, as her nails dug into the palms of her hands. She was, actually, still very angry about the fact. Who wouldn’t be?
“I’ve told you; it was an accident!”
“And I’ve told you that we need to talk about it!” Adora jabbed a finger in Catra’s chest. Catra glared.
“Fine. You wanna talk about it? We made a promise, Adora. To stay together, no matter what. To look out for each other. But the first chance you get, you sign up for a job on the other side of the country, and then expect me to follow you.”
Adora’s mouth parted to object, but Catra didn’t let her.
“You didn’t even ask me if I wanted to go to Bright Moon, you just expected I would because you did. But I don’t want to be some Princess squire, Adora.”
Adora furrowed her brows. “But, aren’t you Princess Scorpia’s knight?”
“For hire , yes. I’m a Lady of her court and she happens to be a good friend, so I agreed to accompany her. But back at the Crimson Waste, I have my own place and my own servants, and I teach knights in training.”
Adora’s mouth formed an ‘o’. “Why didn’t you just tell me that? That you didn’t want to be a princess’s knight?”
“Because, you already had it all planned, and I knew you really wanted it, and I couldn’t – I couldn’t take that away from you.”
“So, you stabbed me?” Adora’s brows furrowed in confusion.
Catra rolled her eyes. “No, I broke up with you, so you could live out your dream and I could live out mine.”
Adora frowned. “Wow, that’s actually very nice of you.”
Catra gave her a small smile. “Yeah, I know.”
“But –”
“But?” Catra quirked a brow.
Adora took her hand in her own and met her eyes with a tender gaze. “My dream wouldn’t be complete without you,” she said and kissed Catra’s knuckles.
Catra rolled her eyes as her cheeks darken. “You’re so stupid, you know that?”
“And yet, you still like me,” Adora smiled, letting go of Catra’s hand to cradle her face.
“I guess I do, don’t I?” Catra said against her lips, before closing the distance between them. She let her sword fall to the ground, as she wrapped her arms around Adora’s waist, making the blonde hum against the kiss in approval.
Oh, how Adora had missed this – Catra’s arms around her, her lips on her own, exactly where they belonged.
Adora broke away for a moment to breathe and rested her forehead against Catra’s.
“Promise you’ll write to me,” she said.
Catra met her gaze with a tender smile. “Only if you promise to come visit me.”
Adora nodded with a smile. “Deal.”
The kiss became more passionate after that as they realized that they would probably not be able to see each other for some time after the negotiations were over.
…
The next morning, Adora walked into the dining room for breakfast, sporting not one, but two purple hickeys on her neck that she prayed to God no one will ask about. Knowing her luck, her prayers were probably in vain.
And lo and behold, as she smeared butter on her bread, Bow asked her in a hushed voice “Adora, what’s that on your neck?”
She felt her cheeks burn, as she instinctively looked across the table at Catra, who, almost cheerfully, spread marmalade on her bread, while humming to herself and blatantly flashing a set of hickeys of her own.
Not ready to admit to her friend, and especially not to the Princess, what exactly happened between her and Catra last night, Adora simply cleared her throat and said, “It’s the mosquitos.”
Bow nodded, although Adora easily spotted the unconvinced brow that rose on his forehead. She made the horrendous mistake of taking a sip of her apple juice as he began to speak: “And does this mosquito, by any chance, happen to belong to the court of Princess Scorpia?”
At that, Adora choked on the content of her mouth, and almost spit it out on her plate. She swallowed, hard, and proceeded to cough uncontrollably. The two princesses and knights, plus the servants, stood by with concerned looks. Bow patted her on the back until she stopped coughing.
Adora took a swig of her glass before saying “I have,” she cleared her throat, “no idea what you’re talking about.”
Bow nodded, unconvinced. “Sure you don’t.” And then, he did the unthinkable.
“Excuse me, Lady Catra?” Adora’s eyes widened and she almost choked on her beverage again.
“Yes?” Catra said, a shadow of an amused smile on her lips.
“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you get those marks on your neck?” Bow touched his own neck for emphasis.
Catra’s mouth formed an ‘O’. “Oh, that’s…” she glanced at Adora, who in her turn, wished to be swallowed by the ground in that very moment, seat and all, “the mosquitos. You know, it’s the season and all.”
Adora glared daggers in her direction. Subtlety, she thought, was definitely not Catra’s strongest suit.
Bow, however, seemed pleased. “I see. Just a follow-up question, really quickly,” Catra nodded for him to proceed. Adora noticed that the two Princesses had stopped eating, and were following the exchange with wide eyes. Her own face was practically burning at this point.
“Does this ‘mosquito’ as you call it, happen to be around 5’5, blonde, and a skilled swordfighter?”
Catra’s eyes wandered to Adora again, who in turn, hid her face behind her hands and tried to slide under the table.
“Perhaps,” Catra answered with a sly grin.
Bow nodded. “Very well. That’s all I needed to know, thank you.”
Catra’s eyes were still on Adora, who, by this point, had slid so low in her chair that her red forehead was on the level with the table.
“Anytime,” Catra said.
Bow turned to Adora, sporting a smug grin on his face. Adora glared daggers in his direction.
“You’re lucky I don’t have my sword on me,” she said, loudly enough for the rest of the group to hear, “or else I would’ve stabbed you both.”
Bows grin simply grew and he shook his head. “Whatever you say, mosquito.”