The Next Step (3/24, Katalin and Sebastian, C)

[Lady Katalin de Winter]

"Oh, of course not," Katalin looked as innocent as a newborn lamb when she smiled at her brother. "We would not know the first thing about being stubborn, not we de Winters. We are as meek and mild as... as... kittens." Patently untrue, obviously. One had only to look at their elder brothers to see the very personifications of stubborn; listening to Jasen and Christopher fight was like watching a war of attrition, both so convinced they were right and the other wrong that they refused to hear a word otherwise.

Watching him approach the sideboard, she laughed softly. "Cook has been working all morning to on that, and promises a feast fit for a king... or your stomach for dinner."

[Lord Sebastian de Winter]

"Speaking of kittens, how are our elder brothers doing, anyway?" A teasing flash of a grin was cast toward him, "Has Christopher given you every possible instruction in self defense and warned you of all the places to avoid in Triadon? And has Jasen given you lectures on how to deal with men and their advances?" The smile softened to show how fond he was of his brothers. They could be a little overbearing when it came to precious Katalin, but it was understandable. Sebastian would do practically anything for her.

His plate now heaping with food, he returned to the table. "Well, you know, that does raise a question," he gestured toward the sidebar, "What are the rest of you going to eat?" A teasing glint formed in his eye.

[Lady Katalin de Winter]

Katalin sent an odd look at her brother. Sometimes Sebastian was just a little ridiculous. Their brothers weren't that bad... most of the time. "I think they're saving all of that until we're actually in Triadon." She laughed, going to fill a plate as well. "Jasen seems to think you and I can't possibly travel without Christopher with us, that we'll get lost or worse without him watching over us." On more than one occasion, she found it more than a little trying to be the youngest and only girl with three protective older brothers. "I'm hoping we can talk them both out of it. I can handle myself just fine, and so can you."

Even if that was not necessarily true of herself, she knew it was of Sebastian. And really, what was going to happen to them on the patrolled Kingdom highways? Only idiots attacked travelers on the King's roads, not that there weren't idiots to be found in Demeria. Shrugging it off, she chose what she wanted, then grinned over her shoulder at him. "If you can eat that all, we'll just roll you back to the city. How do the Masters manage to keep you fed?"

[Lord Sebastian de Winter]

"On the other hand, I think it might do Christopher some good to get out of Oakdale and stretch his legs," Sebastian reasoned before putting a large bite of meat into his mouth. Fortunately, he had the manners not to speak again until he had properly chewed and swallowed his food. There was no doubt in his mind that his mother's hand would reach from beyond the grave to smack him upside the head if he did otherwise.

After taking a sip of water, he answered her next question, "Well, it's not so much the Masters but the cooks at the university that give me the wary eye. The master chef has, indeed, put a limit on how many servings I am allowed and has told me to go to a tavern in the city if I want more. Hmph. I argue we're paying the university enough as it is!" Sebastian wasn't really that upset about it, but it did amuse him.