Kat had spent her week creating food rations for the upcoming winter and splitting every penny they had for their needs. Even if the days were still warm, the nights had turned cold and she'd had to venture into the woods to chop down some wood for the hearth.

Sophie proved invaluable with both carrying the wood and helping Kat reach higher branches to cut. She didn't have the necessary strength to try to chop down a full grown tree, so she got all she could. Every second, her hearing was strained as she listened for any wild animals or intruders. They owned no land and no forest, so her little stunt could get her arrested. But it was either that, or freezing to death, and she supposed they could get away with taking a few branches.

Still, as the days grew shorter and the nights colder, the little food she'd managed to save started running out. In a desperate attempt to bring more coin in, she took an extra hour of work at the inn and dedicated one hour each day to searching for a better position.

For a few days, she begged her father to look for work too, but in a fit of haughty anger, he blatantly refused and claimed he needed to focus on his inventions because that was where the real money was. Even if he'd considered irrigation, he'd decided it would only be a cute side project and that his entire attention should focus on the rain makers.

Kat wanted to scream. For the first time she could remember, she dedicated some of her precious time to crying. Out of sadness, out of spite, out of helplessness... Out of loneliness.

As much as she tried to keep a smile on her face and accept everything because this was her life, it became impossible. Her stomach constantly cramped from hunger, her arms ached and felt heavy from cutting, brushing, carrying things, her fingers had blisters, and her shoes had torn from how much she'd walked, first through the village and now the forest. She had no money for new shoes and winter was coming.

When she'd mentioned all this to her father one night during dinner, he'd stared at her with glazed eyes, as if her words were nothing but the growling of a badger. Not only had he offered no solution, he'd offered no sympathy. Acted like she wasn't even there. Her, his only family, starving alongside him.

So crying herself to sleep became the norm as fall bled into winter and the grass froze under her feet.

One day, as she cleaned the frozen yard of morning dew, Joshua came strutting out of the house, a huge smile on his face.

"Katherine," he called. "My dear Kathy!"

She stopped sweeping and straightened her aching back just as he reached her and took her hands, pulling her into a merry dance.

"All our troubles are over," he sang. "We will be wealthy and fed and live a life of leisure."

The smile that had timidly pulled the corner of her mouth instantly disappeared at his words. "What have you done?" Please, don't let him have sold her off to Donnie or some traveling noble as a trophy wife.

He let go of her and prodded his chest with his thumb. "I have signed up for the inventors' fair next week. I will display my invention for all to see and sell my idea for huge profit."

Kat blinked. As it had become their usual habit, her tears emerged and showered her eyes. Joshua had no chance to sell an idea that didn't work. He'd come back empty handed and disappointed, with nothing to show but...

"Wait. Where is this fair?"

"In Valona, of course," Joshua said as if she were a silly goose with no sense or knowledge.

She'd assumed that much. Where would an inventor's fair be if not the capital city? But it was days away. "And how are you getting there?"

"With the cart and Sophie, of course."

No. No, no, no. "You can't take Sophie. I need her to gather firewood. And the cart is filled with our potato harvest. There's nowhere to put those."

He waved her away. "I took care of that. The potatoes are in Sophie's stall. Should be nice and warm in there. And you can do a few days without the horse. This is my big opportunity!"

She gritted her teeth, trying not to yell that potatoes didn't need warmth to last the winter and that he had no idea what it took her and him to survive.

"It is perfect! I have just enough money left for the trip after paying the entry fee."

"Entry fee?" The ground seemed to be running out from under her feet.

"Don't worry, I'll be back a wealthy man and we will never want for anything again."

Oh, she worried. She worried that he'd spent half their gold on a stupid entry fee and was about to take the rest with him and leave her with nothing.

"You can't do this. We won't make it through the winter." They already couldn't make it through the winter.

Joshua scoffed. "Have a little faith, Katherine. All will be well. I will have none of these negative thoughts."

That was it. She'd have to sell herself to men for food. Or marry Donnie. She had her pride, but it was already crumbling under the constant cold and hunger.

She didn't want to leave her father, her home, take the easy way out. But for the first time in her life, she felt like maybe she should. Just ask Donnie to get married and solve all her problems. Let her father fend for himself.

The thought made her feel dirty, like a gold digger, even if it wasn't the wealth. It was the warmth and the food. But she wouldn't sell herself, not even for that.

Her father seemed pleased with the effect of his words and grinned at her like the deluded idiot he had become. He then whipped around and stalked to the barn, proud of having convinced his daughter that they would starve.

Kat soon found that she had no choice. She had found no work in the village. Their little hamlet was a very closed community and everyone already filled the spot they were raised to fill. Everyone except for her. Because she had been raised to marry well and not have to work. Even her position at the inn was given out of pity.

Her father had already spent half of everything they had on preparing his journey to Valona, and the rest of the money was locked away in his laboratory for him to take when he left in two days' time.

So now, she had no other choice but to do what she'd been avoiding to do ever since she became betrothed to Donnie: ask for his help.

If she didn't, she and her papa would both be dead by the end of the winter.

So, like the hussy she had been forced to become, she put on her best dress, the only one without holes in it, braided her golden hair in an elaborate crown on top of her head, put on her tattered shoes, and headed into town.

Donnie was not hard to find. He spent most of his time at the tavern, surrounded by his friends and lady admirers, showing off his latest trophy or telling tales of his newest adventure.

Now was no different. He towered over a rowdy bunch, by the looks of it reenacting a hunting tale. The crowd oohed and aaahed appropriately, the ladies covering their mouths and letting out yells of delight and surprise. Donnie beamed at them, basking in their attention. Yet, when his hazel eyes found her, the smile on his face grew even more.

"Katherine!" he called, waving her over. "Did you hear that?"

She nodded as she approached, the obedience in her own posture making her sick.

"You look ravishingly beautiful today," he said, wrapping a thick arm around her. "Any special occasion?"

She nodded, hating herself, because she was sure he'd think she would finally give him a date for their wedding. "Can I talk to you in private, please?"

His face brightened instantly and he flashed his white teeth. "But such a joyous occasion should be celebrated among friends!"

"Yes, of course, but it should start intimately."

This won Donnie over. With a wide grin and obvious wink to all his friends, he took her hand and left the table, leading her outside and around the tavern, to the small garden. Kat's legs shook, but she did her best to keep walking.

"So," Donnie said once they stopped next to a rose bush.

There was no point delaying this. There was no way she could say it that would make it less painful or less embarrassing. K had been right. She did have someone she could turn to, even if she loathed the idea. Knowing that Donnie should look after her didn't make this any easier.

"Donnie, I need help," she blurted out before she lost her nerve.

His smile instantly morphed into a frown of concentration. "What do you mean?"

"My father wants to leave for the inventors' fair and spent all our money on the entrance fee and the trip. My job at the inn hardly pays enough and I'm afraid we won't make it through the winter."

Donnie's frown deepened as he grasped her shoulders. "You're right. You're entirely too skinny."

"Please, I need a better paying job."

He stepped back, his jaw dropping in shock.  "What?"

"Anything. I could be a maid in your house, help around at the stables--"

"No. You're my fiancée. You're not going to be my servant!"

"But I need the gold, Donnie, and no one else will hire me. I know you could talk to your father--"

"Stop it, Katherine! My father wouldn't ever  agree to something like this. I don't agree with this. You shouldn't be anyone's servant. I swear, that imbecile father of yours has done nothing good in this life except sire you."

Kat bristled, the insult stinging, but Donnie wouldn't even let her open her mouth as he kept ranting.

"He's ruining you for me. You'll grow skinny, your hair will grey and your skin will lose its softness from so much work. And I'm not going to just stand by an let that happen."

"I don't want you to give me money," she interjected.

"Give you money?" Donnie knocked his head back and laughed. "I'm marrying you with no dowry. Do you think my father will, on top of that, give you money? No Katherine. You're my whim, the favor he is granting me based solely on your beauty.  Without that, you are nothing. And if what you say is true, every day diminishes your value. So you're either marrying me right now, or the engagement is off."

Her jaw dropped open. "What? Now?" It was that last bit that she chose to address first, while she tried to process everything else he'd said.

His whim. Her value. She'd liked him. She'd long since gotten used to the thought of marrying him, but his ultimatum, his words hit her like a hammer, leaving her dizzy and disoriented.

"I'm giving you two weeks to think about it," Donnie continued. "You either give me a wedding date or you find someone else who will take you."

Without your beauty, you are nothing.

Without a backward glance, he strutted back inside the tavern.

Kat watched him go and her legs crumpled underneath her. Her best dress would be filled with mud, but it mattered not. Not at all. She would either get better dresses soon or learn to live in rags for the rest of her life. Because Donnie had left the biggest issue unsaid.

Without a dowry, no one would take her. Beauty or not.

Joshua found no problem with Donnie's request. He couldn't understand why she'd dragged her engagement out so much in the first place. He refused to acknowledge that Kat's wedding to the son of the Baron might be the last time he'd ever see her.

"He wouldn't let me take care of you, Papa," she moaned, her face buried in her hands as she sat on the front steps of her house. "Please don't go. Maybe we can get the entrance fee back and make it through the winter."

"Nonsense, Katherine! I am the adult and you are the child. I don't need you to take care of me." He wagged his finger at her for good measure.

She glanced at him between her fingers. He'd forget to eat if she didn't bring him food and leave it under his nose.

"Besides, after I sell my invention, I'll be rich. As rich as the Baron. Then he'll have to let me see you. He will be happy to be in-laws with such a famous inventor."

Would his delusion never end? But it wasn't even what hurt her most right then.

"Papa, do you think I am worth nothing outside the way I look?"

Joshua blinked at her question, looking like an aging turtle. "What kind of question is that, Kathy? You are smart, resourceful and kind. Of course you are worth a lot more. Your beauty is just an added blessing. Who dared claim otherwise?"

She didn't want to get into that, not when her heart filled with love for her father and she was reminded exactly why she refused to leave him. He saw all of her. Not just the outer beauty, but her heart and her aspirations. He encouraged her to be different.

He walked to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "All will be well, my Kathy. I will suceed and our life will be so much better."

Kat smiled because she liked to imagine that her father was right. Maybe she really should believe that he would win and all would be well.

"Alright, Papa. Go to your fair. You'll be back right on the day I have to give Donnie my answer and we'll go from there."

"Atta girl." He pinched her cheek. "Though you know I think you should marry young Donnie anyway. That boy has a bright future in front of him, and with you by his side, it will be even brighter."

Kat nodded and stood. Once she was sure her father could survive on his own, she would marry Donnie and take him for what he was. And opportunity. But for now, she still had a week and a half of freedom. Time she could spend figuring out how to survive without food and her trusty horse.

"I'm going to stock up on firewood so I'll have enough until you return," she announced.

Joshua cheered her idea on, but by the time she reached the stable, Kat's mood plummeted again. As much as she tried to stay positive, she was worried. But she pushed past that and took Sophie out.

"Ready for one last round, girl?" she asked, petting her muzzle.

The horse neighed serenely and the two of them headed for the woods, Kat securing the small ax under the chord of her apron.

They had to go deeper into the forest since she'd already scoured all possible branches at the entrance. Brown leaves crunched under her tattered shoes and fallen twigs scratched her ankles, but she pushed on. The deeper they went, the darker and quieter it became.

"I think this is far enough," she said, stopping next to a tall, old fir tree.

With a huge sigh, she chopped off the tiny branches at the base of the trunk then went as high as she could reach. Sophie pounded the ground with her massive hoofs and tried finding some leftover grass in the sea of brown.

Kat moved a little further, chopping off all she could reach and putting them in a pile on the forest floor. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she returned to Sophie, sweat dripping down her brow.

"Sorry, girl, but I have to climb higher. This wood would only last me a day."

Sophie shook her mane, but stood still as Kat climbed on top of the saddle and reached out to chop higher branches. The horse's strong body vibrated under her feet with each breath the animal took, but the warmth emanating from her was comforting.

All of a sudden, Sophie stopped all forms of movement. A shiver of unease ran up Kat's spine and she looked down at the horse. She was perfectly still, her ears twitching and moving as if searching for a specific sound. Kat strained her hearing as well, but could hear nothing. Not even the usual sounds of the forest.

"Hello?" she called.

There was no answer. She was surely imagining everything. There was nothing around, no sound of movement. She was just being paranoid. But if she was, what was wrong with Sophie? The horse kept staring in the same spot, her body tense.

Kat squinted in that direction as well, trying to gauge something through the thick undergrowth. The dead foliage crunched when one stepped on it, so she would hear anyone or anything long before they could surprise her. There was nothing but silence.

Something glinted in the bushes, like eyes of a hungry predator catching lantern light at night.

With a panicked neigh, Sophie reared. Kat flew off her back, and before she could make sense of anything she was spinning in the air, shades of brown and dark green filling her vision. With the sound of a crack and powerful pain on the back of her head, all swirling colors faded to black.

Hi, have you met me? I hurt people. I make them miserable. I make you feel sorry that you ever started caring for them in the first place. Yes, I'm that evil.

Did you enjoy this chapter? I'm still trying to find my proper Kat voice so all comments are very welcome.

What do you think will happen now? You should know already, but how shall I twist it? What surprises do I have in store? What am I doing????

Don't forget to hit the star if you're enjoying the story.