[RP] Love Lost, Love Rekindled...Gawain & Katarina's Home

[Katarina]

The sun was just crossing the noonday horizon as Katarina arrived in yet another town. She had been traveling for days in search of a new home after leaving her parent's abode. Now that she was a grown woman, Katarina HAD to leave her parents' home. Her father, while a respected and good man had refused to allow Katarina to marry the man that she loved deciding instead to arrange a marriage that HE felt was more appropriate, to a man whom he owed money. Although her mother was on her side and much more supportive of her daughter's happiness, she was helpless to do anything other than help Katarina escape the fate of an unhappy life.

Katarina's life up until that point wasn't a bad life. She learned all the things that a good daughter was suppose to, to cook, clean and sew but she also felt different when she was among other children of the village. While the other children played games and made up stories, Katarina spent her time alone in the forest among the creatures she found there. There was a kinship that she felt with the creatures she found there.

Years went by as Katarina grew into a beautiful young woman, always being drawn to the forests, she began to learn about the plants and animals that lived there. As her wisdom and knowledge grew of the forest she soon found herself knowing which plants could heal and be useful and which plants were dangerous. It was then that she knew that she wanted to be a healer. It was during one of her days in the woods that she met a young man. He too had a kinship with the woods and they soon formed a deep friendship. After many months which turned to a year, they discovered that their friendship had grown to love and they wished to marry...but her father forbid it. It was then that she knew that for her own happiness, she would have to leave.

The dusty road soon brought her into town where she knew immediately that this was home. She felt comfortable in this quiet little place and hoped that she would soon find a small building to make her home. Hopefully somewhere near or in the forest.



EDIT: re-written to develop backstory more fully
changed the title when they became married.

[Katarina]

Katarina's searched for days, walking down wooded pathways and through open fields. She knew that she when she found that special place, it would speak to her that she would feel safe and at home.

It was yet another day of searching and Katarina was beginning to become disillusioned. She had felt comfortable when she arrived in Paz but the actual building where she was to live just kept alluding her. She was just about ready to call it another day, the sun was beginning to fade behind the horizon and her feet were growing weary when she turned the corner on a shadowy path which opened up to a small meadow. She paused as she looked at the building that appeared before her it was just what she had been looking for.

Opening the red gate, she headed towards the door. She could tell from the growth in the front yard and the vines on the walls that nobody had been living there for a long time. "Yes, it will need some work" she muttered to herself "but it's perfect." The back of the house laid just under the canopy of the trees and off to the side a stream gurgled it's way down to a pond at the far edge of the meadow. "There's plenty of room for a garden and it's peaceful, close enough to town yet far enough away for some privacy." Katarina couldn't help but smile.

Entering the building, she discovered much to her pleasure that it had several rooms off of the kitchen that she could use to store and dry plants that she would need for her healing along with a spare room that she could use if anyone needed to be tended to. As she left the building, she felt the pressure of finding a new home had been lifted off of her shoulders. Returning to the inn she packed up her belongings, stopped by the merchants to purchase a few necessitites and headed back to the building she would call home.

The sun rose the next morning with Katarina in her new home. True it was rather dirty from the lack of an owner but Kat wasn't discouraged. Picking up a bucket, she headed toward the stream to get to work.

[Katarina]

Sweat rolled down Katarina's brow as she scrubbed the dirt from the corner of the kitchen. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that a place could get so dirty. She sighed as she carried the bucket yet again out to the backyard to toss the dirty water and head down towards the stream to refill the bucket.

As she finished the last of the cleaning, she stood back to admire what she had done. The kitchen was spotless, the bedroom walls was free of the dirt and the bugs that had taken refuge there. She smiled as she saw the living space and the small amount of furniture that she was able to purchase from town. It was finally beginning to look like home. Taking the last of the stew that she had simmering while she finished the cleaning, she headed out to sit on the porch and watch the sun finally set.

Katarina always loved the beauty of the sky, the morning sunrises, the peacefulness of the fluffy clouds and the invigorating colors of a sunset. Tonight though brought bittersweet memories to her. Tears swelled as she remembered the night just a year ago. It had been a beautiful night like tonight, the stars just beginning to appear in the ebony sky when the man she loved handed her a rare lavender rose and asked her to share his life with him as his wife. At that moment she was the happiest woman in the world......only to have that happiness shattered when her father refused to give them his permission. Now, here she was in Paz....alone remembering yet again of that love they shared and wishing that she would have another chance at the love.

[Gawain]

Gawain looked up at the sky, the last of the sunset colours had just disappeared and the stars were now starting to appear. It was a beautiful night, he remembered that night in the woods a year ago when he had given Katarina a lavender rose and proposed to her. She had accepted and he had been the happiest man in the world until he had asked her father for her hand in marriage. He had been denied permission and been told why - it was because he had not much money, clearly her father did not consider him good enough for Katarina. A few days later, Katarina's mother had approached him in the village marketplace and told him it didn't matter to her if he had only his love to give, she only wanted Katarina to be happy and she herself would keep in contact with him. Almost a year later, he heard from Katarina's mother, she had helped Katarina to escape an arranged marriage and that Katarina now lived in Paz.

Gawain had arrived in Paz, looking for Katarina and because of the kinship with the woods that they had shared, he knew her home would be somewhere near it. It had taken a while searching for it and he decided to walk down one last path before calling it a night. The path which opened up to a small meadow near some trees and he looked at the house that appeared before him. As he approached it, he could see a woman sitting on the porch. Opening the gate, he headed towards the porch, intending to ask the woman if she knew where Katarina lived. Upon reaching the porch, to his surprise he discovered the woman was Katarina! "Katarina! I'm so glad I've finally found you!"

[Katarina]

Katarina wiped the tears from her eyes. The stars were just beginning to come out and making a wish on the early stars was one of her favorite things. Closing her eyes, she quietly mouthed her wish Starlight, starbright...may i have the wish I wish tonight. Please bring me my love.

A rustle on the path brought Katarina back to reality. She could see a figure coming closer but with the dim light, she couldn't make out who exactly it was. The house was far enough away from town to keep everyday citizens away so whoever it was, was a traveler....perhaps lost. As the figure grew closer, Katarina began to feel a chill through her body. "Gawain? Is that you??" Katarina knew in an instant as he reached the porch that it was indeed the love of her life. "Gawain! It's you!" she exclaimed as she ran to him. "How did you find me???" Tears of joy filled her eyes as she looked up towards the stars and mouthed a silent "thank you" to the sky.

[Gawain]

Gawain looked at Katarina and smiled."Your mother kept in touch with me, she has always been on our side, all she has ever wanted is your happiness. She told me where I might find you and our shared kinship with the woods and nature told me that far away from town was the place to try looking for you."

He stepped closer to her "I still love you, Katarina, there has been no-one one else in my life since that night.” He embraced her, kissing her and looking deeply into her eyes, his eyes mutely asked a question – that he hoped she still felt the same way...

[Katarina]

She listened with tears in her eyes as he spoke. She knew that her mother had always been on her side and had wanted nothing more than Katarina's happiness but she didn't know that she had been keeping in contact with Gawain. Wiping the tears from her eyes she couldn't believe that he was standing there in front of her.

She felt the warmth of his body next to hers as he looked deep in her eyes. Joy overwhelmed her "Oh Gawain, I still love you too....I've never loved anyone else but you." she held him tight tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. Reaching up, she kissed him...a deep passionate kiss that told him all that her heart felt. As their lips parted she took his hand and led him inside.

[Gawain]

Gawain was overjoyed when she told him she still loved him, her kiss told him that she still did and when she took his hand and led him inside, he wholeheartedly let her do so.

Removing his cloak, he opened the leather satchel that was slung over his shoulder and took out a long stemmed red rose, it was not rare like the lavender rose he had given her when he had first asked her to marry him a year ago when it had been love at first sight but this rose was now more a symbol of the passion that he still felt for her. Dropping both his satchel and cloak to the floor, he kissed her passionately before he handed her the rose and then knelt before her, looking up.

"Katarina, my darling, will you still marry me?"

[Katarina]

Katarina still couldn't believe that Gawain was there in her house and that he still felt the same way. It was all too good to be true. Setting her cup down on the kitchen sink she turned to find Gawain standing there with a rose in his hand, his cloak and satchel on the floor.

The heat of the passion filled her body as he kissed her, deeply...and passionately. A soft gasped escaped her as he offered her the rose and knelt before her.

"Katarina, my darling, will you still marry me?"

"YES!! Yes, I will marry you!.

Joy filled her soul as she raised Gawain from the floor and pulled him into her arms. "i love you so much" she said quietly as they held each other. Minutes had passed when she finally released her love from her arms. "Where are you staying? If you don't have a place to stay, stay here with me...in your own room. she said with a slight smirk. "Once we are officially married, then we can share the larger room as husband and wife." a gleam filled her eyes as she thought of being his wife.

[Gawain]

Gawain heard Katarina’s soft gasp and then “YES! Yes, I will marry you” before he was pulled up from the floor and into her arms. Elation completely filled his soul, exactly as it had done a year ago when he had first asked her to marry him.“I love you so much too” he replied quietly as they held each other.

When she finally let him go to ask him a question. "Where are you staying? If you don't have a place to stay, stay here with me...in your own room." He answered “Well, I am staying at the inn but I don't intend staying there for long. I wanted to find you first before finding a place of my own which I was going to start doing next but I know in my heart that I couldn't be apart from you anymore. I will stay in my own room until we are married as I am an honorable man and wouldn't want it to be any other way. Anyway, it is getting late and I had better start walking back to the inn.” He picked up his cloak, putting it back on and then picked up his satchel. “Good night, my darling. I will return tomorrow” He kissed her before reluctantly turning to head toward the door.