numbness encased the princess - now former princess, she supposed - as she fled cold summers’ territory. her entire life, she had been prepared to eventually take over as the next leader of cold summers. that had all changed within a matter of hours, and she was left with a chill that settled deep inside her chest. there was so much that had happened in such a short amount of time - she had four new siblings, the only home she had ever known was now possessed by a complete stranger, and she was now on the run. from the man she was betrothed to or from the demons that haunted cold summers, she was no longer sure.

it was akuji’s presence at her side, the warmth of his body radiating onto her’s and the steady inhale and exhale of his breath, that kept her grounded in this moment. it was as if he was the only one she could rely on now, to be there when she needed him. he had led her from the pack meeting without saying a word - either knowing that she needed the silence to let her thoughts battle it out, or too caught up in his own to initiate conversation. she did not know his reasoning, but she was glad for the lack of discussion. she was unsure if she could speak of her entire world crumbling around her without breaking down - a weakness she could not show him when his own shattered psyche needed her to be strong.

she followed her knight blindly, trusting that he would lead her to malignant felicity. she knew very little about the pack, save for that it was now under the command of a brujo named lucifer. katia had taken to diplomacy well, a skill her father had never favored and had been proud to see his daughter have, but she was left in the dark about this. she would have to tread carefully - she was no longer a princess and did not have the protection of cold summers at her back. she was a refugee, a fact that made her stomach clench. her mother was buried in cold summers, and the thought that these newcomers and this new alpha could stumble upon that sacred space made her feel physically ill. from what she knew of her mother, she doubted that sophie would have been pleased at any of this.

she paused mid step when she realized that akuji had slowed slightly, coming to her flank instead of leading her along. katia’s gaze swivelled to him in confusion and then realization dawned on her - they were very nearly at the border. Her heart pounded in her chest as she froze, wide eyes still on akuji. she forced herself to take a steadying breath, and then returned to walking, stopping once they reached the border. ”thank you, for coming with me,” she said aloud, not daring to look at her knight again before she tipped her crown back, her howl piercing the otherwise silent afternoon. once her call was completed, she settled back onto her haunches to wait.