Behind the Curtain

The town was bigger than the one near the border, almost a small city. With the help of Sam's magic, Nathaniel was disguised as a brown-haired, blue-eyed stranger that was still as handsome as his actual appearance, but way less menacing.

Looking up at him, Katherine grinned. Independently, she herself had decided for the same colors and now they looked somewhat like siblings roaming the streets, with Sam as the old guardian watching over them. Well, that was only at first glance. Until one noticed the possessive glint in Nathaniel's eyes whenever he looked at her, and the way their fingers were inter-laced. Despite the bustling street, her husband didn't let go for a moment and she was more than elated about it.

"If it wasn't for the danger, I would pull you in an empty street and teach you not to wear such clothes in public", he now grumbled near her ear, making her stomach flutter.

Cheekily, she gave him contra. "You already tried that at home. Besides, it's easier to move in this, in case we have to run."

"I know." He again scrutinized her from top to toe, his gaze slowing as it came to the leather pants that hugged her legs tightly like a second skin. "I want to try it again. That, or I have to kill all those men goggling at you."

With a giggle, Katherine raised her brows. "Goggling? The men? Nonsense. If anything, they're wary because of you. The women, they are really goggling. See, that one over there? She's clearly checking you out. Really, why do you have to be so tall and handsome? I feel a bit inconspicuous beside you."

Helplessly shaking his head, Nathaniel realized that his woman was blind to her own charm. Especially her charm in a body-hugging training attire. "What a shame, I'm already sold. To my not-so-inconspicuous wife."

Defiance and mirth flickered in Katherine's eyes. "I don't think she'd care about that."

"I care about that. Now that I think about it, why don't you give me a kiss, so everyone knows we're both off the market?" The smirk on Nathaniel's lips showed clearly that he knew it was impossible right now, since everyone would see her magic then.

The women and men on the stands framing the main street of cobblestone were already gazing curiously at them. It was not every day they saw a woman in pants, especially not when she and her partner looked to be somewhat wealthy. Every merchant here hoped to strike a deal with them. If possible, they would sell all their goods for a higher price. Showing them magic would let them assume they were nobles and the price as well as danger would more than double. Though, if they knew who they really were, they wouldn't be nearly as thrilled. Probably, they would run to the next imperial institution and call any guards they could find.

With a huff, Katherine turned away, then her eyes lit up. "Why don't we go in there? Maybe we can catch a break between the curtains."

She pointed at a clothing store across the street. Nathaniel squinted his eyes as his gaze wandered from the sign above to Katherine's rosy mouth. "Why do I feel you want to catch more than just a break?"

As if deep in thought, Katherine tapped her lips with her finger. Then her smile blazed once more. "Well, maybe because I need a few clothes as well?"

Nathaniel grinned, slowly and knowingly. "My mischievous little wife, if you want something, you only need to ask."

Behind the couple, Sam could do nothing but roll his eyes in exasperation and sigh. "Kids these days..."

Although he had planned for them to find each other, he was a bit disturbed at how openly they displayed their affection. The whole day now, they only got eyes for each other. If not for the short motion of his hand in Sam's direction, the old man would've even doubted Nathaniel had noticed the unusual amount of conspicuous people on the streets. For example, the woman Katherine pointed out. She could be a spy or part of a gang. In either way, she clearly played her affectionate trance to rob the person beside her.

With another sigh, Sam gestured for Dorian and the other guard who accompanied them to secure the store and its surroundings, before he himself vanished in an alley. He might as well gather information about what was going on here.

.

The doorbell rung, and a thin woman bustled through a curtain into her shop. Katherine noticed that her smile seemed a bit tense, and her blonde hair was lackluster. Her dress though, was of a simple elegance, adorned with a small necklace of blue beads that made her eyes shine.

"Hello, Jasmin's my name. How may I help you?" A second later, her gaze fell on Katherine's attire, and she pursed her lips, as if about to say something. Yet in the end, she decided otherwise. A good decision, Katherine thought. Any derisive comment would let her leave this shop again without even getting one kiss.

"We are looking for a traveling dress for my wife", Nathaniel explained in a relaxed tone. He was already scrutinizing the shelves. Soon noticing most of the goods were folded to save space, he frowned, then focused on the shop owner. "Something comfortable, but beautiful. Maybe violet or -"

When he felt a tug on his hand, he halted and looked at Katherine, who smiled up at him innocently, but with a decisive glitter in her eyes. "Darling, why don't you go sit over there while I decide on my dress?"

She pointed at a chair with the humorous label "for husbands and sons" above it in a corner of the room. Nathaniel blinked, blinked again, then the corners of his mouth lifted in a sexy smirk. "As my Lady commands."

Before wandering over to his seat, he lifted her hand to place a kiss on her fingers in the thin leather of a women's riding gloves. Katherine giggled and glanced at the shop owner from the corner of her eyes. The woman's pale skin was now adorned with a slight blush, but she didn't seem disturbed by the affection. If anything, her smile appeared more real now. Good, Katherine thought. Maybe I can like her after all.

The next few minutes showed that the shop owner knew her craft. She first measured Katherine's waist and high, before pointing out three dresses that would accentuate her skin tone, hair or eyes. Since the latter two were faked, Katherine only took the first to test in the cabin. The fact that nobody else was there to occupy the owner so that Nathaniel and her could hide in the cabin and snatch a kiss or two, saddened her a bit.

When she entered the cabin, however, that inkling was silenced. Her whole body and mind came to a screeching halt. At the high of her head, three wanted posters stared back at her, their eyes seemingly flickering with evil intent. Above each of the pictures, a line read "Wanted for the murder of King William Icefall". It was her, Nathaniel, and Aston.

Jasmin's voice reached her as if through a tunnel, muffled and resounding at the same time. "Everything okay? Are you uncomfortable? Oh, these. I can take them down if they are disturbing you."

A white hand stretched out for the pictures, but Katherine stopped her with a shaky smile. "No. It's okay. I... I was just surprised to see criminals so suddenly."

Her gaze involuntarily wandered to Nathaniel, who seemed to be concerned, but not as frightened to the core as she was. Another gaze at the pictures let Katherine exhale as well. The painting didn't catch his features good enough to recognize him without his signature colors. She didn't have to worry about her own picture, since that totally looked like a different person. No wonder when the painter might have never seen her.

Straightening her shoulders, Katherine turned to the owner again. "Thank you, Jasmin. I think I will try the dress now."

Yet the first thing she did when she closed the curtain, was to inspect the pictures very thoroughly. Each of them was adorned with the line "dead or alive" beneath the picture, but Nathaniel had a second and third line attached as well. Somehow it made her proud to read "extremely dangerous - approach with extreme caution". Yes, that was her husband for them! They should better take care and leave him alone.

Then she furrowed her brows. Damn, why didn't she get such a cool slogan? Next time, she would make sure to get one as well. Suddenly, she laughed sheepishly. Her, extremely dangerous? Yeah, right. And who was she fooling now?