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English
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Published:
2020-05-26
Updated:
2020-05-31
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1,670
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2/11
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One hundred and one ways to say 'I love you'

Summary:

(Katarina and her peers, across a lifetime or two.)

Chapter 1: 1-10

Chapter Text

1. "Nee-san?" Katarina turns at the sound of Keith's voice. "What is it Keith?" she asks. The small boy blushes slightly. "Thank you," he says, as he hands her a bouquet of flowering chives, and refuses to explain any further.

2. In her second year of the magic academy, Sophia returns home on one of their days off to find an unfamiliar novel on her nightstand. 'Thought of you', a note beside it says in her brother's flowing script. 'See you when I get home tonight. -Nicol'

3. Katarina can feel the smile on her face stretch wide, even with her mouth full of food. "Maria, these are amazing!" she mumbles. Maria blushes, a small smile on her lips. "They're really nothing special," she demurs. Katarina shakes her head wildly, swallowing hurriedly, eyes sparkling. "No, they are!" There's a certainty in the brightness of her voice, and Maria cannot bring herself to doubt the words.

4. "Get some sleep, Geordo-sama." There's something softer in the voice than he's used to hearing as he lifts his head from his Student Council President desk, only to see Lady Mary standing there with a stack of papers in her hands. He blinks slowly for a moment at his rival, then looks down at his desk. His empty desk. He looks up, a frown taking shape on his lips, but before he can protest, she tells him, "I'll finish filling out the numbers and you can double check everything before you sign them. In the morning. We don't need Katarina-sama to start worrying about you, after all."

5. Alan passes Keith a buttered croissant. "Here," he says, "saved from Katarina-sama's rampage." He stifles a snicker at Keith's expression as the other boy accepts the pastry.

6. "Maria," Lady Katarina pauses, looking uncertain. "Katarina-sama?" Maria asks. "Ah, not that I think you'll need it; who wouldn't fall hopelessly in love with you? But just in case- something happens- here-" she shoves a small package into Maria's hands, with a quick, strangely nervous smile, and before Maria can process any of the sentences that had just been presented to her, Lady Katarina darts out the door of the student council room. Maria blinks, and suddenly Lady Katarina pokes her head back into the room. "Keep it a secret from Geordo-sama unless you need it, okay?" she says quickly, before rushing away again. Maria looks down at the bundle in her hands; when she opens later it in the privacy of her room, she has to wonder when she would ever need such a realistic toy snake.

7. "If I were to be reborn," Sophia mumbles sleepily one warm and sunny summer afternoon, leaning against Katarina's side as they consider what book to read next, "I would like to be your friend again." There is a strangely soft feeling in Katarina's heart, even as she feels as though a ghost had tapped her tombstone on the shoulder.

8. "Acchan, thank you so much for helping me study all these times! I would never have passed without you!" Acchan grins at the girl in front of her. "Any time," she says brightly. "After all, what would I do without my best friend?"

9. "If I ever have to go far away," Katarina says suddenly, quietly, "so far away that not even Prince Geordo could find me, what would you do?" The small girl sounds miles away already, and Mary Hunt turns on her side to face her first and most beloved friend. But Katarina is not looking at her; she is staring up at the canopy of her bed, short arms outstretched, eyes glittering in the dark. It's so strange to see her this way, still and solemn, but Mary does not hesitate to reach out and clasp her nearest hand between her own. "I'd go with you of course," she promises in a whisper, fiercely. She sees the tiniest hint of a smile on the other girl's face as they both drift off to sleep.

10. "You are very lucky." Geordo pauses at his doorway, and turns to see that Nicol had followed him back to the dorms. The third prince cocks an eyebrow. "You'll have to be more specific, I'm afraid." His oldest friend only blinks at him slowly, but Geordo can see the tiniest wistfulness in his expression as he replies, "Katarina is very lucky too." There is the barest breath of hesitation before he continues in that same level voice, "I look forward to your wedding."

Chapter 2: 11-20

Chapter Text

11. Alan's sword clatters across the practice area for the fourth time. He furrows his brows even as he straightens and Katarina allows him to retrieve his weapon. "You're really getting good at this," he says thoughtfully to her. She smiles at him. "Not good enough yet. Thanks for letting me practice this with you so often! It must be pretty boring, thinking of how to attack me all these different ways just so I can do the same thing all the time!" Alan shakes his head with a small laugh. "It's no problem. Any time."

12. "Just remember, if you find someone you love, I definitely won't stand in your way." Geordo gives her a familiar expression Katarina still can't quite identify, but she's a little preoccupied realizing she hadn't been thinking of Maria or her future doom this time when she'd said it. Geordo is saying something, but she frowns thoughtfully, sounding out the words as though they're in some foreign language- well, she supposes they are, for her! Sort of. "I just... want you to be happy." Of course she wants him to be happy, he's her dear childhood friend- she doesn't know why it seems so strange to say it. "I just want you to be happy," she repeats.

13. Katarina beams. "It reminded me of you," she tells him solemnly, as she gently places a single, enormous, perfectly formed eggplant in his arms. It would be a large vegetable for an adult to hold, and for a boy his size it's a little unwieldy, but Katarina manages it with grace, somehow. Nicol shifts his grip to examine it properly, even as he hears his sister and Lady Mary break into giggles nearby. "I didn't expect such a wonderful harvest yet- I'm still so new at farming, and I have so much to learn! But without a doubt, this is a good year! And this is definitely the Nicol-sama of eggplants," Katarina explains with a decisive nod.

14. "What's that?" Sophia jumps slightly and looks up from her book to see Alan looking at her curiously. She blinks. "I'm sorry Alan-sama, what's what?" She doesn't think she was doing anything odd... "You were humming," Alan explains. "Or, sounding something out?" Ah. That. Sophia feels herself blushing slightly, even as she nods. "In this book, there's a lovely song," she tells him, "and the lyrics are so touching! I suppose I'm just imagining how it might sound." Alan looks at her and it feels like he's considering something. "Do you want me to take a look?" he asks hesitantly. "I might have some ideas."

15. In later years, Geordo sometimes finds bundles of home-made sweets left for him on his office desk. He sighs, a little fondly and a little put-upon every time; Maria's the only one who has ever realized he's nearly as fond of her baking as Katarina is.

16. Keith shakes his head, hand to his face, and mutters, "I see what she means about an angelic smile." Then he freezes as he notices Geordo turn to him with that very smile, turned just a little taunting. Keith hadn't known he was paying that much attention. He thinks, briefly, about scowling and grumbling about it, correcting himself. Then he sighs. "You heard me," he affirms. He's rewarded with the prince's eyes widening just a tiny bit. He feels a small smirk grow on his lips.

17. "Maria," Nicol calls her as they begin to leave the Student Council room at the end of the day. She stays back even as Katarina gives her a meaningful glance while she goes on ahead- Maria thinks with a little chagrin that Katarina has the entirely wrong idea again. "Nicol-sama? Did you need me for something?" she asks politely, regardless. She's at a complete loss for what to say when he tells her, smoothly yet still somehow a little awkwardly, "I heard you were looking for dessert liqueurs for some of your baking for Katarina," and then pulls a collection of gleaming bottles from a bag half-hidden behind him.

18. It's a late night spent poring over Student Council papers for the next year, as Nicol prepares to hand over his responsibilities. It's been a long year. Geordo feels his eyelids growing heavy, and for the first time since they were children, he lets himself lean against his oldest friend as he drifts off to sleep, for just a little while.

19. They really do glimmer like rubies, Mary finds herself thinking, catching Sophia's eyes. It takes her a moment to realize what she's doing, at which point she feels a blush rise to her cheeks. She sighs a little. "You really are quite pretty," she tells Sophia.

20. He arrives to find Katarina quite thoroughly telling off some students who insist once again on harassing Miss Campbell. Maria herself is staring at Katarina as though she'd hung the stars and moon, and Geordo can't help but allow a small smile to show on his face at the familiar expression he's sure he's worn a thousand times. "You know," Geordo says to her, quietly, so as not to interrupt Katarina's rather impressive speech, "if you need to, you may use me as an excuse to leave a situation like this, in the future." At Maria's somewhat wide-eyed look, he chuckles. "I'll corroborate it, obviously." He nods in Katarina's direction. "She is, of course, my fiancé- but we are all hers, aren't we." It's not a question.