The Conquerors Path

After she finished speaking Catherine turned towards Austin who sat beside her, his face seemingly agreeing with her story but no words of pity or understanding, came out of him, he just sat there listening to her story, 

"Nothing to say?"

She asked to which Austin shook his head, making her feel more intrigued about his choice, with sparkling eyes she spoke,

"You know, you're not the first person I said this story to but you are definitely the first to have nothing to say"

Hearing her words Austin kept his silence a bit before which he replied, 

"What is there to say? you are no weak woman, you are someone strong that overcame your problems, you don't need my recognition"

Reaching till here he turned to look at Catherine eye to eye as he continued, 

"You don't need pity nor compelling words, for they are useless, hence I did the best I know, I listened to what you had to say, a friend willing to listen and if needed to help"

Catherine's eyes sparkled with several emotions that were playing in her mind but in the end, nothing came out, 

"I see, that's nice...."

Is what she told as she rested her head back on the wall, her thoughts unknown, Austin didn't say anything else as he too leaned back into the wall, but he could see what others couldn't.

+500 affection!

'A story.....huh'

It's something that Austin had come to realize, every capture targets had something within themselves that made them unperfect, to the world outside the princess are the parking icon of perfection and beauty but in truth and hidden they too have their broken side, wounds that have yet to heal.

Be it Carmel, Olivia, Marlene Catherine, or any other princess target they have their hidden dirt that only Austin knows, the ones he could use to get their heart or here to cheat upon them, to everyone Catherine is the perfect jolly beautiful girl that every male desired but that's the outer shell she had created from the past, its not simple words that....

....The saddest people smile the brightest....

Focusing back on reality Austin too leaned back to the wall, they stayed like this for five minutes before which Catherine sparkled back to life as she jumped up and screamed, 

"Yosh~let's get cleaning!"

With a bright smile that could light up anyone's day, she took some of the stuff and she started to clean the top floor, 

"I got this floor! you take the bottom!"

Catherine gave her command as she started to clean the floor with a renewed vigor 

"La~la~la~la~time is riding by~flying away far and high~"

Catherine's voice by nature was beautiful and soul steering, even if her powers were gone, her voice was still stunning to listen to, hence she began to sing a song she hadn't sung in a long time, it was one that she used to only sing with her mother. Hearing it even if he knew it had no power Austin still felt much more relaxed.

Sprouting a smile he walked down to the lower floor and he began to clean up, in truth if he were to use a spell all of this cleaning would have been done within seconds but then it would have negated the real reason he was doing this, it was to get Catherine's mind more focused on the present.

If she were to stay with her current thoughts, it wouldn't have taken her long to be swallowed by her own imagination, plus there is always a certain mystique feel to cleaning a home by hand, an attachment to the house they are in will bloom with great might,

'What's going to happen will definitely bring Catherine to the brink of emotional and physical demise.....'

Austin knew that this house wasn't just what it looked like, a horror that couldn't be imagined will soon be coming and he needs Catherine to be at her best to deal with it, there was a reason he went this far, within the trial he will definitely get Catherine's heart, by the time this finishes she would be head over heels for him.

Time passed by as the two of them cleaned the house, the dust-ridden house was quickly cleaned and neat, 

"Didn't know you could clean so well"

Austin spoke, seeing that the top floor was prim and proper, 

"Humph did you expect that I can't clean?"

Catherine asked with an adorable pout to which Austin shrugged his shoulder, 

"A man has his own belief"

His answer got a playful paunch to his shoulder, and soon the two of them walked to the kitchen placing down all the stuff, looking at all the ingredients present Austin looked at Catherine as he asked, 

"What do you want to eat?"

Austin asked to which Catherine raised her eyebrows as she questioned, 

"You can cook?"

"Surprised?"

He asked, 

"A woman as her own belief"

Catherine playfully replied back similar to Austin,

"Touche"

Austin said as he walked to the stuff placed around his hand moved with expert control as he started to handle all the ingredients and utensils around, 

"Do you like things sweet or spicy?"

He asked, 

"I enjoy a bit of both"

She immediately replied to which a smirk lit up Austin's face, 

"Then be prepared to be amazed"

Saying so he threw out Catherine as he began to cook, an hour later the tantalizing smell of his food filled the house, 

'Gulp, he can really cook?'

Catherine thought with a mild shock, while the intrigue in her increased, having uncovered one more of the mysterious surroundings of Austin, she felt her innate curiosity heighten to another level, as another half an hour later Austin came to the dining room as he started to place all the food around,

"My...my is someone tempted?'

Austin asked with a smirk as he saw that Catherine was already seated at the table and was just waiting to dine in, 

"Well, as your friend isn't it my duty to taste your food?!"

Catherin retorted with a focused expression, one that showed the expression of a good supporting friend,

"Tsk, shameless"

Austin said,

"Thanks"

And Catherine took it with pride as she soon looked at all the food with sparkling eyes after which she started to place them all on her plate, after which she didn't even wait anymore as she started to stuff her mouth with different foods, her eyes sparkling brighter and brighter, 

"Delicious!"

She spoke after finally swallowing everything down, her gaze looking at Austin as she pointed at him, 

"Become my cook!"

She demanded, 

"Rejected"

Austin replied, 

"At least think about it!"

Catherine asked as she dived into the food, her gaze already having lost Austin as she was reeled into all the delicious things that were placed before her, 

'And another falls to my cooking'

While thinking so he too started to eat, thus the two of the spend a relaxed time together eating, after doing so there wasn't much to do as they just sat in the living room and started to talk with each other as time passed by.

A few hours later the natural light in the house diminished, instead, it became dark as the lights in the house lit up, 

"It would seem that its night, now"

Austin said seeing the current situation, Catherine nodded to it as she sipped the juice in her hands, 

"Looks like it"

She said after which her eyes started to get sleepy, her face losing its focus as she started to shake about, the same started to happen to Austin as he too felt his body grow heavier as a need to sleep like never before filled him, if Austin wanted to he could stop it but he let it happen as the two of them fell into blissful sleep.

And so when the next morning came....

"Daddy!"

"Mommy!"

The duo had children.