She decides to skip it for now and work on the main body. It goes about exactly as well and after another five minutes she has managed to produce more crossed out lines.
She crumples up the first sheet of paper of the two she has and throws it into the corner of her cell. The next five minutes are spend with her head in her hands, elbows on her knees. She'd always seen reading (and by extension writing) as an indulgence of something fun but ultimately pointless and almost frivolous. Now, in trying to put her thoughts and feelings to paper she realizes some of the importance that less 'practical', artistic skills have to offer, because she is abysmal at it. Just... focus on what's important. What you need her to know. It's too late to try and make her understand how you feel anyway.
Katarina,
I am sorry.
I do not want to try and excuse what I did.
I thought you were being led astray.
That Prince Alexander, as a Symkarian Noble, would remind you of the right path if he had something to make you listen.
I never could have imagined he would go to the length he did.
But he is not who failed you.
I swore to protect you and I broke my oath.
I was trying to protect Her Royal Highness Crown-Princess Karkov.
I should have been protecting Katarina.
If you even deign to read this far: thank youI love you
The last line she crosses out and scribbles over thoroughly once she realizes she's written it. If she had another leaf of paper she might rewrite the whole thing but she doesn't. She signs the letter 'Lieutenant Nika Novak', folds it and addresses it to Jez. It's much more likely for the letter to find it's way to her and then Katarina than for correspondence from a prisoner to be brought to the Princess.
