we are living in a material world,
and i am a material girl
♦ ♦ ♦
Ketterley is not one of these children.
It's not that she doesn't dream – she most certainly does – but she does not dream in the abstract. She knows with absolute certainty that every dream she has will become reality, that everything, every moment, is leading up to her grand destiny. She knows with absolute certainty that she's incredibly important, that she is charming and adorable now, and that she will grow into a great beauty later. She knows with absolute certainty that she is the apple of her mother and father's eye. She knows with absolute certainty that, in short, she's something incredibly special. And that is both a powerful and dangerous knowledge.
She is neither shy nor scared of the stranger as she stands behind her mother. They just haven't yet said or done anything that interests her enough for her to come out and talk to them in their own right. Plus, she's come to understand that her mother likes feeling like she's protecting her daughter, and Ketterley is absolutely unwilling to displease her mother.
She listens with feigned interest as they talk of love. She is always interested in what the adults say, although she tends to at least think she knows better. She is of course very wrong, and someday she'll no doubt realize that, but for now her attention to their words is more humoring than anything else. If Ketterley is lacking anything, it certainly is not self-confidence.
When the other golden mare speaks to her, Ketterley remembers she's with her mother, and therefore makes a point to remember her manners. She acknowledges the mare's words with a sweet, dazzling, adorable smile. "I hope so!" she says, her voice shy and sweet, peeking out from beside her mother.
She's glad she's listening when they talk about a stolen heart. Ketterley has always been one for bedtime stories and fairy tales – that tends to happen when you firmly believe you're the princess in a fairy tale all your own. But she's never heard something like a stolen heart. She wants to ask more, but she's not sure that her mother would appreciate her interest. And so she simply responds by snuggling into her mother's side, gently gently. She is no fool; she knows that her mother seems weaker than some of the other horses, and she won't make it any harder on her mother than it already is.
Another horse approaches, a stallion, and Ketterley looks at him with interest for a moment, before deciding that he's about as interesting as Engelsfors was before she had started talking about the heart – which is to say, not very. They talk about how long it took Engelsfors to get there, and although Ket keeps her face outwardly polite and interested, inside she's about ready to be done with this subject. Were all adults so silly with their pleasantries? She understands well that a lady's conversation and courtesies are her armor, but still.
Finally, Engelsfors gets around to introducing her mother and herself. And Ketterley decides it's high time that Engelsfors (and this newcomer Killdare) learn her name. "Ketterley." she says sweetly, just after Engelsfors finishes speaking. "I'm Ketterley." she repeats again, smiling sweetly, every inch the adorable child, just precocious enough to count, not precocious enough to raise any eyebrows. She doesn't feel any need to rush into adulthood. Not any need at all. Especially not when her mother and father seem so taken with her just as she is.
Ketterley
perfect little princess of hurricane and pevensie
This was going to be a Cam post. And then Ket had to jump in :|