George could not help but grimace whenever Jonathan's eyes and hands began to wander over the various court ladies that encircled the Prince from the moment he entered a room. In his various disguises at palace functions over the years as a waiter, a priest, a footman, or even the otherwise enjoyable evening he had spent as a jester, George had never seen how the Prince could get away with his constant womanizing. Did these delicate flowers not realize that in the eyes of their perfect prince they were nothing more than a conquest-in-waiting? Jonathan never suffered any ill will, either, from his less than pure nights. Most of the young woman were too thrilled having been bedded by the prince and would spend the next fortnight waiting to be summoned back to his chambers. More often than not the summon never came and the girl would leave court a few moons later, her reputation ruined and her value as a bride severely diminished.
George shook his head and turned away, he couldn't bare to watch another lady go down that path. In his disguise tonight as a wealthy merchant from the north, George casually strolled around the glittering hall. Truly the servants had outdone themselves tonight. The Hall glittered with what seemed like thousands of candles. Delicious red wine was flowing freely, and the normally stuffy Hall was kept cool night by the wide doors to the courtyard catching the early fall breeze. Truly, it was a wonderful night to be at the palace.
"What an awful night to be stuck at the palace!" Alanna bitterly exclaimed to Faithful. "The weather is fabulous, the party is lively, and gold to bronze Jon will be bringing back some blonde hussy and spend the night making the best with two backs!" Alanna angrily tossed her brush on her bed. Today had not been a good day. Moonlight had thrown a shoe and so she had spent the day on a mean old warhorse that had promptly stepped on her foot the moment she dismounted. As a result she had had an awful afternoon with archery, the throbbing pain from her foot keeping her from concentrating. To make the day even worse, after she had finally gotten back to her quarters, bathed, put some healing on her foot, and picked up a book to get ready for a cozy night reading by the fire, stupid Jon had come practically skipping to proclaim that there was going to be a most fabulous ball tonight and that she had to attend, she simply had to. "What a toe rag! I am hardly being productive at a stupid ball dancing with mindless women two feet taller than me using me just to get to Jon so I can later hear them banging against the wall later that night. One day he'll encounter a girl who gives him what he deserves, and I only hope that I'm there to see it!"
Faithful looked up from the rug in front of the fire. If you are so upset about going to this silly ball why don't you just stay here? Who is going to notice another royal squire in a room full of pages and squires?
"Because Jon commanded me-" Alanna paused. Then, a slight grin began to spread across her face.
Alanna, faithful looked up, whatever you're thinking, don't.
"He only said I had to go. He didn't say I had to go as his squire." With that she began to clear the blankets off of the chest that sat at the foot of her bed protected not only by several locks, but also by some rather nasty spells she had found in one of George's books. From the wooden chest she pulled a delicate green gown. The gown was new; one George had bought her for midsummer, but one that she had not yet had the opportunity to wear. It didn't feel right, somehow, wearing a gown George had given her when she was going to be dancing with Jon, and the luscious silk would simply never fit in at the Dancing Dove. Still, there was no way she was going to be dancing with Jon tonight, and as much as she had wanted to wear the gown where George would see it, the idea of the smooth green silk and matching slippers was just too much. Not to mention the best thing about the gown. George had had a silk headpiece made to match. Arching over her head and covered in gold beads, the green cap and golden veil hid her flaming red hair. With a few touches of magic she could easily make her eyebrows brown and her eyes blue. These simple changes would more than disguise her. No one would think to look for Squire Alan in the pretty court lady that this outfit would transformer her in to.
Faithful sighed. Just be careful. I'm too comfortable here to want to follow you, though I probably should.
"Oh, hush, I'm not going to get caught. Jonathan is the only person there who will have seen me in a dress. No one is going to suspect, and if anything they can just think I'm some country bumpkin who spends her summers behind a plow and so walks like a ox." Every moment she loved the plan more and more. She would go to the ball, all right, but for once she was going to have a good time!
For George the evening was beginning to grow dull. Perhaps he should have come as a priest, if only to allow himself some moments of peace. He could hardly remember what had even made him want to come to the palace tonight in the first place. Something about asking a fur merchant how productive his recent trades had been in order to see whether his ware houses were worth robbing, but the man had not shone, and judging by the smug looks on the other fur traders faces, George was fairly confident that his particular merchant had not had as good a year as Light Fingers had suggested he had. Just as he was getting read to call the night a complete failure, his sensitive ears happened to catch the seemingly most trivial piece of conversation. Why he happened to catch these words, when they sounded so much like every other piece of conversation tonight, he did not know. But as he walked past two palace servants their words made him pause.
"Oh yes, my sister's cousin says she knows the man who makes those gowns, Paul Boryan. He is a dressmaker is Port Caynn, and his gowns are ever so fabulous! She must be from Port Caynn to have such a gown."
George stopped. He knew this Paul Boryan, he had paid the man's shop a visit last time he had been in Port Caynn. It had been over the summer, he had been in the area to speak with the local thieves and had happened to pass the man's shop window and had seen the most delicate gold and green slippers. Oddly curious, George was not one to frequent female dressmaker's shops, the thief could not help but take notice of the small slippers. His curiosity got the better of him and next thing he knew the poor shopkeeper was complaining that he had spent weeks on the shoes, but that the merchant who was going to buy them had given him the wrong measurements and they were now too small for the lady they had been made for, and weren't selling due to their size. George did not really care about the shoes one way or another, but the bolts of silk that lined the room were hardly something a trained thief could mistake for anything but the finest silk money could buy. It seemed like almost a crime, to see such fine fabric sitting almost forgotten around the shop. He would have loved to see what the maker of such delicate slippers could do with such fabric, but who did he have to buy clothes for? Much as he loved his mother, she was hardly the silk type, and there were no other females in his life he cared enough about to want to spend so much money on.
Except Alanna, a small voice said. George grinned; she would look beautiful in such fabric. He knew how she spoke about the court ladies and their finery. While to her fellow squires she might not appear to have even noticed that they were wearing clothes, to George's trained ear he could hear the hidden desire. He knew Alanna liked to wear pretty things, hadn't he been there the first time she served tea at his mother's house? And suddenly, without really thinking about it, George was giving the shopkeeper her measurements as best he could approximate. George determined that he would let the muse inspire the dressmaker and only requested that the gown be green and gold, to match the slippers, and that it come with a veil that would cover Alanna's flaming locks. While he doubted she would ever actually wear the gown in court, something made him want to give her the option.
"Excuse me," he flashed the serving girls a small smile, "I couldn't help but over hear you talking about Paul Boryan. I am such a fan of his," George gushed, putting a slight emphasis on such and shifting his weight ever so slightly and effeminately to the right. "Is there someone here tonight wearing him?"
The taller girl nodded. "The brunette, by the bottom of the stairs. She's pretty enough in the gown, who wouldn't be, but she walks like a man."
George nodded. He did not like the way the girl had described 'the brunette,' for Alanna was certainly more than 'pretty enough,' but walking like man would aptly describe a girl who had hidden her sex for the last seven years. Still doubtful, George began to slowly make his was to the staircase. While the lady in question was mostly likely not Alanna, something made him want to double check.
Alanna had quietly entered the hall through a servant's door shortly before the two maids who had distracted George with their conversation had begun talking. She had successfully changed her eye color to a light blue and was feeling quite beautiful. The dress fit like a dream, hugging her thin waist and flaring out to cover her small feet. The gold veil seemed to float above her hair, and, she admitted shyly to herself, the dress did flatter her unbound chest rather well. True, she had yet to manage the gentle gliding walk of a true court lady, but she hardly thought that one mistake would uncover her whole disguise. With a smile she confidently stepped out of the shadow of a hanging tapestry and made her way towards the grand staircase. She had no reason to be uncomfortable here! The palace was her home, she was a noble lady, and by the goddess she had every right to enjoy this evening.
The room truly was beautifully decorated, and the wine she picked up from a passing server sweet and chilled. I've never been to one of these when I wasn't serving or being forced to dance with Jon's admirers. And the last time I wore a dress out… her thoughts trailed off. Despite her best efforts it seemed like Jon would still ruin the evening. Of course she would think of him while wearing a dress in the palace, after he had made so many crude remarks after seeing her at Mistress Cooper's serving tea. It seemed Jon was even determined to invade her thoughts and ruin her evening without even being there.
"Why the long face?" A warm voice broke her chain of negative thoughts. She looked up.
"George?" Alanna gasped. She had never seen the thief so finely dressed. The studded brown leather jerkin and white shirt gave the thief a rather debonair look, something Alanna was not used to, but had to admit she liked. George was always well dress, yes, but he generally gave off a rather ruffled appearance, like he had just spent the hour before in a back alley scuffle, which he probably had.
George could not help to stare at Alanna as soon as he spotted her from across the room. Despite the changes to her appearance, he was not fooled. For him nothing could mask the familiar play of emotions he saw acting out on her face. First almost shy, then sudden confidence, then, to his dismay, a sorrowful frown, which quickly turned into a grimace of disgust. His eyes immediately shot across the room to where he knew Jon to be, thinking perhaps Alanna had seen him with his latest conquest. He knew how Alanna felt about Jon's cavalier attitude towards women. To his relief, Jon remained hidden from view. Why the grimace then? George drew closer. "Why the long face?"
Alanna's head shot up, her eyes widening as she seemed to take him in. "George?"
The thief smiled. "You look beautiful." She did. The dress fit her beautifully. He had seen her in skirts before, but never in a true gown. And her face paint, delicately accenting her best features without overwhelming her face, only served to make her lovelier.
"You're just saying that. Thank you for the dress, I had hoped you would be there the first time I wore it." Alanna paused. "George, why are you here? The Provost does know what you look like!" She suddenly tried to pull him behind the tapestry while the thief just laughed.
"I'm fine, lass," he whispered, "I didn't know you cared."
"Don't be silly, George. So, why are you here?
"Lass, can't you for one night stop trying to protect me and just relax?" He extended his right hand. "I'm here to dance with a pretty lady, if she'll accept."
Alanna put her head down a grinned. She worried for George, but the thief always did make her smile. "I would be delighted."