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Katherine, while not a dumb nor uneducated girl, found herself hardly enjoying the ‘liberties of learning’, as so many had described it to her. Perhaps it was the people who had taught her, their less than fit ability leaving a detrimental impact on her in her formative years, but she just could not put energy into entertaining the idea she was interested in schooling.
The girl did have a strong appreciation for art ever since childhood, however; specifically music, from when she was younger, and though her passions had changed since then, her understanding of the pieces she consumed hadn’t wavered. She understood art better than she understood herself, finding it unbelievably beautiful in many ways despite how ugly it may seem, the way others described it to her as well.
One way she had rediscovered this love for art was by attending church with Catalina and Jane, the stained class and large paintings captivating her attention quicker than the words of any pope, though a small wooden statue of Saint Thérèse, or Thérèse of Lisieux, specifically caught her eye every time. Something about the little thing made her reminiscent of her own internal being, less so of the religious aspect and instead of being renowned for being exactly that; little.
Beyond that, Katherine hardly entertained the idea of devoting herself so heavily to the church. She was Catholic, no doubt, it was how she was raised after all, but she had always seemed to struggle to connect herself to the religion in its entirety.
“I’m simply not pious,” She’d mumbled to Catherine Parr and Anna one day while in the kitchen, sounding almost ashamed of the fact despite the two women before her being Protestant.
“Perhaps you should tell Catalina, then?” Catherine suggested, using the spatula in her hand to flip the sizzling homemade fries on the pan as they cooked.
“It would be better to let her know than to make her find out the hard way,” Anna agreed, nodding her head as she leaned against the counter informally.
“I would,” Katherine explained hesitantly, her pads of her thumb rubbing against her opposite palm, “But something keeps bringing me back. There’s this statue of a saint, Thérèse, and I just… I don’t know, it captivates me, in a way.”
Catherine hummed in consideration, bouncing her foot as she furrowed her brow before shrugging, “I wouldn’t know what to tell you.”
Katherine sighed dramatically and grabbed an apple from the small bowl of fruits beside the fridge, staring at it as if it would give her the answers of what to do, a small twist of guilt in her stomach the longer she looked at and held the thing.
“I just wish I was more like Jane,” She whispered to herself, leaving the kitchen in favor of Anne’s room. The older woman was probably the closest she was to, besides Anna.
Anne, while also of Catholic faith, had never been quiet about wanting reform in the church, and Katherine silently admired that… at least to a degree.
With a sigh of preparation, she knocked on the door of their resident frenchie, waiting until she heard a ‘Come in!’ from the other side before pushing open the door.
“Anne,” She started with a whine, the woman in front of her groaning at Katherine’s tone and closing the book she was reading.
“Yes, Howard?” She looked up, expression utterly exhausted of the conversation already, though Katherine knew it was nothing but lighthearted.
“I need to talk to you about religion,” The girl pushed out quickly, Anne staring at her for a moment before waving her hand dismissively.
“Go to Jane or Catalina, then.”
“I can’t.”
“And why not?”
“Because I feel bad.”
“…Over what?”
Katherine sucked in a breath, filling her lungs with as much air before she rambled, “I go to church with them but I’m starting to feel bad about it because I don’t particularly care about all of the teachings they talk to us about and I want to but all I can focus on is the artistry and there’s this one little statue of Saint Thérèse and my interest in her is making me question whether or not I’m actually dedicated to my faith or if this is just a lull due to everything going on and I’m too scared to talk to them about it because,” she heaved, taking in another breath, “because they’re scary… Can you help?”
Anne blinked a little blankly at Katherine for a second, as if processing the run-on sentence the girl had just spewed at her before nodding slowly and offering her with, “Why don’t you come to church with me for a few days?”
Katherine hesitated, glancing behind her into the hallway before asking, “Are—Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude, and don’t you think Catalina would get upset—?”
“Don’t worry about Catalina,” Anne reassured quickly and gently, “Her own goddaughter is Protestant, she’s not going to disown you.”
The girl swallowed thickly and nodded, “Okay,” she breathed out, “Okay, I’ll come with you for a few sermons… Thank you.”
“Of course,” Anne waved her hand again, “You know I’m here for you, ma puce.”
Katherine nodded her head and sighed quietly out her nose, “Right, I know, I know… Again, thank you.”
“Hush, Howard,” Anne waved her hand once again, “Don’t thank me for things as simple as that. Go and play with Barbie’s, or something.”
Katherine rolled her eyes, a grin spreading out across her face as she took a step back towards the door, “Barbie’s are for kids, I’m not a kid.”
“Maybe not socially, but you’ll always be my baby cousin,” The woman countered, sending Katherine a grin of her own as she reached for her book and reopened it.
“Eugh, I am not a baby,” She groaned, turning on her heel entirely and grabbing the handle as she stepped through the doorway.
“Yes, you are!” Anne called as the door shut, a loud laugh erupting afterwards.
Katherine stood there on the other side for a moment before turning her gaze towards Catalina’s room.
’…Here goes nothing, I guess.’