(A/N this is based on Tamora Pierce's books, don't sue me she created most
of this)
Chaper 1
The Beggar
Thayet paused in the open market square, the hood of her brown cloak weighed down on her head in the heat, but she had to keep it on if she was going to move as a commoner. She didn't have a reason for the disguise but sometimes it was easier to get honest answers out people. She hurried along heading for a dressmaker's shop on the far corner, Lalasa's talents were known throughout the realm and the window's were hung with bright fabrics and patterns.
Huddled in the alley just before the shop was a young woman caked in dirt with old clothes and stringy hair. Thayet would have just uncomfortably passed her a couple of coins, but the woman was playing a little pipe and the music that was floating out was a haunting melodic tune. She stopped to listen. When the last notes floated out into the oblivious square the woman looked up into Thayet's eyes.
"Your highness." Her voice was lilting and soft not at all the harsh brash voice Thay et was expecting.
"How did you?"
"I've been watching you in this market, you're uncomfortable around the poor and you motice the dirt and thing's we all learn to forget." She smiled "and of course there's your nose."
Thayet gave a self concious tug and smiled, "you seem familiar, do I know you from anywhere?"
"No, I'm fairly sure, I'm not from Tortall."
"Is anyone?" They both stared into the sea of Bahzir, Yamani and many other backgrounds. When Thyet turned back to the woman she had gone. Shaking her head in confusion Thayet turned and hurried into Lalasa's shop.
Inside she was wrapped in a barage of hectic chatter and the smell of perfumes fabrics and fire. Samia a big chested red haired woman was standing by the front door.
"I'm sorry mam," she said without looking up from her ledger, "we're quite full up today, maybe ye should try back tomorrow…" Her voice faded on the last note as she noticed Thayet's shining green eyes.
"Is Lalasa in the back Samia?"
The woman gave a flushed nod and pointed to a small doorway covered in a heavy green cloth embroidered with gold. Though many commoner's had excepted the relaxed nature of their nobels some like Samia still found it hard to talk to them as if they were another person, and not treat them as the royalty they were.
"Lalasa?" Thayet called her eyes adjusting to the darkness. "Are you back here?"
The young woman hurried out from behind a huge bolt of pink fabric. "Magesty, how wonderful of you to come see me." She swept into a low curtsey and then motioned to the fabric she had been carrying. " This just came in from a merchant of the Yamani's I know you needed a new dress for the summer and this fabric is super light." She fingered the fine weave.
"But, pink?" The Queen scrunched up her famous nose in uncertainty. " I mean it's a lovely colour but don't I suit better a green or a white, maybe a deep red?"
" This colour is the new thing in a lot of other nobel courts, I know you're not one to put yourself on a pedestal, but you're complexion works well with most colours, I think this will highlight the flush in your cheeks." She smiled and motioned for the Queen to remove her hood.
~*~*~*~
Thayet sat down across the table from her husband, whose head was buried in a map Sacran Raiders had been hitting various towns all spring and now that summer had come Jon was worried they would grow in numbers.
"I saw someone in the market today who I thought looked very familiar." Thayet stared at her husbands bent head.
"Mm," came his muffled reply.
"But she was homeless and she played the most beautiful music it made me want to cry." She stabbed a pea with her fork and continued. " I think I must have met her before I became royalty, but it's been so long I can't place her."
"Yes," Jon said, obviously not listening.
"And then she turned into a witch screams curses on me and set my robes on fire, now I only have one leg and my arm is limp forever."
"mmhmm."
"Jon you've been sitting there for the past 10 minutes not listening to a word I've said. I understand that you have business but can't you take an hour to listen to me and eat a family dinner?"
The king looking up at his wife with big blue eyes, " sorry dear, really, it's just these dratted maps they print are so small and hard to read." He bowed his head ofver the map which covered half of the table.
"Jon, have you considered spectacles? That map is huge." Thayet sighed, it was impossible to talk to him, and the children were all too busy for there parents. Without a word she got up and left the room..
Chaper 1
The Beggar
Thayet paused in the open market square, the hood of her brown cloak weighed down on her head in the heat, but she had to keep it on if she was going to move as a commoner. She didn't have a reason for the disguise but sometimes it was easier to get honest answers out people. She hurried along heading for a dressmaker's shop on the far corner, Lalasa's talents were known throughout the realm and the window's were hung with bright fabrics and patterns.
Huddled in the alley just before the shop was a young woman caked in dirt with old clothes and stringy hair. Thayet would have just uncomfortably passed her a couple of coins, but the woman was playing a little pipe and the music that was floating out was a haunting melodic tune. She stopped to listen. When the last notes floated out into the oblivious square the woman looked up into Thayet's eyes.
"Your highness." Her voice was lilting and soft not at all the harsh brash voice Thay et was expecting.
"How did you?"
"I've been watching you in this market, you're uncomfortable around the poor and you motice the dirt and thing's we all learn to forget." She smiled "and of course there's your nose."
Thayet gave a self concious tug and smiled, "you seem familiar, do I know you from anywhere?"
"No, I'm fairly sure, I'm not from Tortall."
"Is anyone?" They both stared into the sea of Bahzir, Yamani and many other backgrounds. When Thyet turned back to the woman she had gone. Shaking her head in confusion Thayet turned and hurried into Lalasa's shop.
Inside she was wrapped in a barage of hectic chatter and the smell of perfumes fabrics and fire. Samia a big chested red haired woman was standing by the front door.
"I'm sorry mam," she said without looking up from her ledger, "we're quite full up today, maybe ye should try back tomorrow…" Her voice faded on the last note as she noticed Thayet's shining green eyes.
"Is Lalasa in the back Samia?"
The woman gave a flushed nod and pointed to a small doorway covered in a heavy green cloth embroidered with gold. Though many commoner's had excepted the relaxed nature of their nobels some like Samia still found it hard to talk to them as if they were another person, and not treat them as the royalty they were.
"Lalasa?" Thayet called her eyes adjusting to the darkness. "Are you back here?"
The young woman hurried out from behind a huge bolt of pink fabric. "Magesty, how wonderful of you to come see me." She swept into a low curtsey and then motioned to the fabric she had been carrying. " This just came in from a merchant of the Yamani's I know you needed a new dress for the summer and this fabric is super light." She fingered the fine weave.
"But, pink?" The Queen scrunched up her famous nose in uncertainty. " I mean it's a lovely colour but don't I suit better a green or a white, maybe a deep red?"
" This colour is the new thing in a lot of other nobel courts, I know you're not one to put yourself on a pedestal, but you're complexion works well with most colours, I think this will highlight the flush in your cheeks." She smiled and motioned for the Queen to remove her hood.
~*~*~*~
Thayet sat down across the table from her husband, whose head was buried in a map Sacran Raiders had been hitting various towns all spring and now that summer had come Jon was worried they would grow in numbers.
"I saw someone in the market today who I thought looked very familiar." Thayet stared at her husbands bent head.
"Mm," came his muffled reply.
"But she was homeless and she played the most beautiful music it made me want to cry." She stabbed a pea with her fork and continued. " I think I must have met her before I became royalty, but it's been so long I can't place her."
"Yes," Jon said, obviously not listening.
"And then she turned into a witch screams curses on me and set my robes on fire, now I only have one leg and my arm is limp forever."
"mmhmm."
"Jon you've been sitting there for the past 10 minutes not listening to a word I've said. I understand that you have business but can't you take an hour to listen to me and eat a family dinner?"
The king looking up at his wife with big blue eyes, " sorry dear, really, it's just these dratted maps they print are so small and hard to read." He bowed his head ofver the map which covered half of the table.
"Jon, have you considered spectacles? That map is huge." Thayet sighed, it was impossible to talk to him, and the children were all too busy for there parents. Without a word she got up and left the room..