Villainess WG - 05

“Katarina Claes, your moment of reckoning is at hand! It is time that we expose all your evil deeds!”

The accusations came out of nowhere, sharp and fast. The cupcakes she had been holding fell out of her open palm as for the first time in a long time, she stopped eating. Katarina felt her throat go dry as all moisture drained from her body which caused her to choke.

“My doom has finally arrived!”

Her mind whirred into motion, first demanding more sugar to continue the cognitive process as she slowly resumed eating, and secondly to try and analyze what they could have meant by such claims. The enormous woman considered all possibilities through another mouthful of treats, a deluge of possibilities for the sins she had committed.

“Sins like…”

Clearly they were referring to the time she had emptied out the steam trays at the lunch hall single handed. She had reasoned that the sign saying ‘all you could eat’ meant that she could do so…

“Or maybe…”

Then there was the time her butt had got wedged in a major hallway on the way to class and impeded foot traffic between the first and second floors until she could be successfully wedged out. To be fair, Katarina had offered to just tear her dress to push herself through but Sophia had been absolutely adamant that she was not to shame herself in such a way.

“But did they know about…”

Surely they hadn’t heard about the time she had found an extra meal ticket on the campus grounds and had decided to ‘cash it in’ even if it wasn’t hers. It was about to expire anyway and that was the last day of the chocolate filled cream buns being on the campus menu and it was just about closing time! What else did they expect her to do!?

Katarina’s body twitched in nervous anticipation as she realized that her crimes, though largely culinary, were more numerous than she had initially thought. This doom flag was one entirely of her own making and worst of all, it was inevitable. The ground shuddered as she took an enormous step back with thighs as thick as the very trees she used to climb as a child.

“We are of course talking about your bullying of Maria Campbell and the harassment of Prince Geordo and all their friends!”

Her accusers simultaneously plunged accusatory fingers into the depths of Katarina’s fatness as though to labor their point. Katarina could only blink a few times in rapid succession as she watched their bony digits sink right up to the third knuckle of her obesity. Her accusers coughed awkwardly as they withdrew their fingers and attempted to mask their surprise. Just how fat did she want to make herself anyway?

“Ahem, the proof is clearly before all of you!” said one of the detractors. “Her great size is not one which could easily be gained on a student budget alone.”

“Therefore, it is clear that she has been taking advantage of the kindness of so many in order to grow so large!” declared another.

The leader of the group, a regal yet almost forgettable woman dressed in finaries indicating her standing as a Nobel of high regard flourished a hand at the enormous young woman who still continued to eat in stunned silence.

“We have made a compilation of just how much food it would have to take to get this big on your own and have determined that no woman could ever eat this much unaided without taking more than her fair share of the city harvest! She is clearly coercing the royal families to bankroll such a slovenly lifestyle which must be brought to an end!”

With a click of her fingers, reams and reams of paperwork were brought out and distributed into the crowd of the dining hall. Shocked gasps and whispered criticism began to filter throughout the room.

As full as she was getting, Katarina could not help but feel the bottomless pit of her stomach grow slightly wider as all eyes descended upon her gargantuan form.

“Preposterous.”

Sophia and Nicol Ascart cut through the sea of people in a flash of black and silver hair. The brother and sister duo stepped between Katarina and her accusers without a second thought, clearly upset with what they had insinuated.

“We would have you all know that lady Katarina’s constant snacking has been kept under close tabs by the Ascart family and can tell you all right now that tonight’s snacks have been provided by us in earnest as a gift for all the wonderful things she has done for us as a tribute between noble houses.”

Though small, and sickly for most of her life, Sophia had never looked more intimidating as she boldly strode forward. With her brother’s shadow backing her, she pressed in until she was face to face with the ringleader of the women. She would have gone even further had Nicol not held her back.

“To besmirch her good name is to declare war with House Ascart as we have allied ourselves with Lady Katarina of our own free will.”

Sophia snatched up one of the papers in the crowd and waved it under the ring leader’s nose.

“At a glance, I can tell that almost all of these numbers have been fabricated. While Lady Katarina’s appetite is impressive to the average girl, only her true friends are fully aware of her daily schedule.”

Sophia clapped twice as Nicol dutifully reached into his pocket.

“Dear brother, if you please…”

“Certainly, sister.”

A scroll as thick as Katarina’s forearm, and probably the same width as an average woman’s thigh, unfurled itself. It rolled onto the floor and through the crowd in the dining hall before making its way out the doorway. Sophie cleared her throat as she began to read.

“Lady Katarina’s day often begins with food from the moment her eyes open. I ensure that she awakens to a full course meal with all the essential food groups including meats, eggs, fish, soups, grains, fruits, cereals…”

“Um, sister, please be mindful of the time, would you?”

“Oh yes, right,” Sophia resumed. “All of which are extracted from Ascot lands. I sit with her and ensure that not a single drop is spilt as we then hastily retreat back to the bedroom in order to change her out of her evening gown and into her daily wear.”

She scrolled further down the page.

“This brings us to her pre-lunch meal. Keeping up one’s appearance means also maintaining a healthy appetite at each engagement! Together, we ensure Lady Katarina has plenty of snacks as walking to and from the student council building into the courtyard is quite a trek!”

“It’s only one room awa-”

The ringleader was silenced by another scroll of paper which Nicol had unfurled in preparation for Sophia’s continued recount of Katarina’s day. Every minute of it was spent eating and under the watchful eyes of at least one of her friends. There was never a point in time where something edible wasn’t clutched within her chubby fingers or being dutifully swallowed to add to the ever expanding bulk of her body. The entire recount seemed to last for hours, draining all fervor from her accusers as they were quickly finding less and less opportunity for Katarina to have done anything other than eat from the moment her feet hit the floor to when she was heaved back into bed at night.

“Need I go on?”

“Okay…okay…we get it…” the ringleader wheezed, her wits drained by Sophia’s comprehensive argument. “We’re sorry…okay…we just wanted her to spend some time with us too…”

Sophia winced a little as she felt something resonate inside her.

“It’s so hard since she’s so popular now…surely you understand?”

It had indeed been rather difficult for her to get Katarina alone as she wanted, even with her brother’s help. They had been childhood friends for many years but the yearning she felt was different from these women who only sought to further their names by associating with her in public. Political gains were something which Sophia understood well enough that Katarina was simply not interested in.

Just like Katarina had done for her before in her youth, now she would pay back the favor. She would defend her princess like the hero of her favourite romance books.

“For your trespass, you must not only redeem yourself but prove yourself worthy. From now until the next chrysanthemum bloom, you are to provide a tithe of your allowances to be put towards maintaining Lady Katarina’s intake. For every pound she gains, you shall be granted a minute of her time.”

The women looked at Katarina as she continued to engulf the contents of the buffet tables on her own and realized that was merely enough to sustain her current weight. Making her bigger would have been an exponential effort, but one which may have put them in good standing with the largest figure on the school council.

Nicol withdrew a ledger from his back pocket and presented it to his sister who dutifully prepared to take notes. The women were prompted to discuss their next move in light of this potential business opportunity.

“Consider it an investment which is sure to grow.”