Fiction Time

Footsteps echoed on polished stone tiles. The steady click click grew louder as the person, most likely her mother, came closer. Kathrine continued playing her violin. There certainly wasn't any reason to stop. The woman who had given birth to Kathrine and her two siblings was not a woman to trifled with, which was exactly the reason for Kathrine's reluctance to acknowledge her mother's approaching presence. Both their tempers were legendary, known far and wide across her father's kingdom. The clicking stopped. Kathrine played on, her back to the doorway. There was a soft noise behind her. It sounded like crying. Kathrine wondered why it sounded like that. She turned to face the person and let out a gasp of surprise. The violin fell from her hands and shattered on the hard tile, unnoticed by either person. Regaining her poise, Kathrine turned a critical eye towards the young woman standing before her. It was one of her mother's handmaidens. Kathrine almost didn't recognize her. Her face was red and puffy, one eye was swollen shut. Blood liberally coated her dress, hands, and face.