Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns all of her characters. Any you have never
met are mine.
Rating: PG-13
Taryn of Eagle's Rock
Chapter One: Corus
Taryn slowed her blue roan mare, Sapphire, to a stop at the edge of a cliff and looked down to be met with the sight of Corus, the capital of Tortall. Her only servant that she had brought with her from her home in Maren stopped behind her.
"Princess?" asked Geri, her servant but also her friend.
"Here I am not a princess, I'm just Taryn. Taryn of Eagle's Rock. Let's move out."
She brought Sapphire to a gallop again and they continued down into Corus. When they reached the central part of the city, Taryn slowed Sapphire to a trot and tried to take in all the sights at once. 'There's so much stuff!' she thought looking at stalls of goods. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going and ended up stepping on a man in a cloak's foot.
"Oh sir! I'm sorry!" she cried.
"It's alright sweetling," he replied looking her over. Taryn was a beauty, no denying it. From her dancing blue-green eyes that changed color constantly depending on her mood, her golden brown curls that tumbled down her back, and her full red lips to her perfectly curved figure, she was a natural beauty. "I'll be seeing you again," he said. She smiled at him but said nothing and continued on her way.
When her little band reached the palace and had been admitted by the guards she gasped. The palace was like a whole new marketplace. There was so much stuff going on! She looked around and saw what she assumed to be the front door and trotted Sapphire toward it. She was passing the practice yards used by squires and knights when Jon looked up. He stared for a minute and then nudged his squire, Alanna. She looked up and was just as shocked as he was. Here was a beautiful girl but the only thing was, she didn't have the parade of servants most girls did and she was wearing breeches and a shirt instead of the usual gown. Gary and Raoul, who were sparring, also stopped to look at her. She grinned and waved at them and then continued to ride to the palace.
Taryn smiled at her reflection. 'I do look good in this gown,' she thought. She had left her curls down and had no makeup on. Her eyes were blue-gray danced. She was wearing a peach gown with spaghetti strap sleeves, ivory slippers, a diamond necklace and eardrops. She smiled again and turned to Geri. "I'll be back as early as possible. You know how I hate social functions. Don't wait up for me and go have some fun." With that she walked out the door and went to the head of the great stair where she would be introduced to the court.
While all this was happening, Alanna was also preparing for the ball. She had on her best squire's uniform and had brushed her copper locks into place. She smiled at her reflection and decided with herself that she was going to talk to this new girl. She might even share her confidence. She then received a kiss from Jon and left for the great stairs to lead another beauty into court life.
When she got there, Taryn was waiting.
"Hello squire…"
"Alan. Nice to meet you, my lady," Alanna said with a smooth bow.
"Nice to meet you to Alan," Taryn said with a smile.
"Lady Taryn of Eagle's Rock and Squire Alan of Trebond," the herald called. On cue the two of them descended down the stairs. People all over the room looked up and tapped their neighbors until the whole room was looking at her. 'Oh Goddess. And I didn't want to be noticed! This does not look good…'
Rating: PG-13
Taryn of Eagle's Rock
Chapter One: Corus
Taryn slowed her blue roan mare, Sapphire, to a stop at the edge of a cliff and looked down to be met with the sight of Corus, the capital of Tortall. Her only servant that she had brought with her from her home in Maren stopped behind her.
"Princess?" asked Geri, her servant but also her friend.
"Here I am not a princess, I'm just Taryn. Taryn of Eagle's Rock. Let's move out."
She brought Sapphire to a gallop again and they continued down into Corus. When they reached the central part of the city, Taryn slowed Sapphire to a trot and tried to take in all the sights at once. 'There's so much stuff!' she thought looking at stalls of goods. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going and ended up stepping on a man in a cloak's foot.
"Oh sir! I'm sorry!" she cried.
"It's alright sweetling," he replied looking her over. Taryn was a beauty, no denying it. From her dancing blue-green eyes that changed color constantly depending on her mood, her golden brown curls that tumbled down her back, and her full red lips to her perfectly curved figure, she was a natural beauty. "I'll be seeing you again," he said. She smiled at him but said nothing and continued on her way.
When her little band reached the palace and had been admitted by the guards she gasped. The palace was like a whole new marketplace. There was so much stuff going on! She looked around and saw what she assumed to be the front door and trotted Sapphire toward it. She was passing the practice yards used by squires and knights when Jon looked up. He stared for a minute and then nudged his squire, Alanna. She looked up and was just as shocked as he was. Here was a beautiful girl but the only thing was, she didn't have the parade of servants most girls did and she was wearing breeches and a shirt instead of the usual gown. Gary and Raoul, who were sparring, also stopped to look at her. She grinned and waved at them and then continued to ride to the palace.
Taryn smiled at her reflection. 'I do look good in this gown,' she thought. She had left her curls down and had no makeup on. Her eyes were blue-gray danced. She was wearing a peach gown with spaghetti strap sleeves, ivory slippers, a diamond necklace and eardrops. She smiled again and turned to Geri. "I'll be back as early as possible. You know how I hate social functions. Don't wait up for me and go have some fun." With that she walked out the door and went to the head of the great stair where she would be introduced to the court.
While all this was happening, Alanna was also preparing for the ball. She had on her best squire's uniform and had brushed her copper locks into place. She smiled at her reflection and decided with herself that she was going to talk to this new girl. She might even share her confidence. She then received a kiss from Jon and left for the great stairs to lead another beauty into court life.
When she got there, Taryn was waiting.
"Hello squire…"
"Alan. Nice to meet you, my lady," Alanna said with a smooth bow.
"Nice to meet you to Alan," Taryn said with a smile.
"Lady Taryn of Eagle's Rock and Squire Alan of Trebond," the herald called. On cue the two of them descended down the stairs. People all over the room looked up and tapped their neighbors until the whole room was looking at her. 'Oh Goddess. And I didn't want to be noticed! This does not look good…'