Okay, so I've finally gotten this up (sorry for the wait!) I hope this rewritten version is just as good as the first one, maybe better!

This wasn't supposed to happen! She cried out silently. I was told I was being sent away to some lesser known fief in the country! Why am I here in Tortall, in the palace of all places?

She grabbed her kimono (which was actually a well disguised tunic) and bunched it angrily in her fists, glaring holes into the wall. Stone, I am stone. She reminded herself almost immediately and let down her dress with a sigh. The kimono that she would have to wear tonight, to the ball in her honor.

Remembering that, she almost grabbed her dress again, but bit her lip in an attempt of self-control. I can just blame Shinko later. She reminded herself as she glanced at herself in the mirror.

Perhaps they won't recognize me...

She knew that wasn't true. She wasn't a true Yamani and she looked just as plain as any commoner ever could. She wasn't a court lady and anyone who could recognize her would know that. She wasn't even good enough to be what she had wanted to be.. and got sent to the Yamani Islands instead.

"I'm sorry," he replied, looking up at her. "Girls aren't meant to be knights. I'm just going to have to let you go."

A knock on the door almost sent her heart bursting out of her chest. "Who is it?" She called weakly, recovering of the shock. She had never been surprised by anyone before..

"Only me, milady," came the chipper reply, and the door started to open. She inched towards the back of the bed, reaching for her glaive to attack the intruder-

Oh. It was only the maid again.

"Hello Ren," she said meekly and turned so it seemed like she was laying on the bed, not trying to attack her maid, who was carrying a bundle of towels. "What can I do for you?"

Ren seemed surprised, since she was usually the one doing something for the lady. "Nothing, milady, but some lord would like to see you.." She tapped her chin. "Can't exactly remember which one, there are so many in this palace, but something to do with a 'w.' Um, let's see, it wasn't Westerholt, wasn't Wyverne, oh, OH! It was Wyldon," Ren grinned to herself. "Got it."

Her heart stopped.

"Girls aren't meant to be knights. I'm just going to have to let you go."

"The-the-the Lord Wyldon?" She stuttered out as her maid looked surprised. She never stuttered. Ever.

"You weren't as good as the boys. You let their taunts get to you.."

She wasn't good enough. Her hand flew to her mouth. He.. he would recognize her and she would be through at her job as Shinko's protector.

"Girls aren't meant to be knights."

"Very well," she choked. "Tell him I will be there ... in a .. minute. I need to prepare .. myself."

Ren nodded curtly, looking slightly confused and left the towels on her dresser. As soon as the door closed, she exploded in a rage, remembering everything.

Once she was done, she fixed her bun and swept the broken pot into the garbage. After straightening her room back to the way it was, she was a stone once again. I'll show Lord Wyldon. I'll show him that I'm good enough. She thought with pride and left the room with her chin high up in the hair.

As she walked outside her room, her face twisted into the picture of misery, anger and nervousness. She fingered her knife underneath her belt, it was her favorite, and she could feel the dragon's head through the fabric of her kimono. It then occurred to her that she never asked Ren where he was going to meet her. Oh well, I know this palace well enough.

She was just about to walk to the ballroom to look for him when she ran into a statue. She grabbed it's arm to regain her bearings when she hear the statue clearing it's throat.

"Move it, you dolt!" She growled and tried to push the person-assumably a page (which she could be now)-aside so she could find Lord Wyldon and get this over with.

"Such coarse language for such a fine lady like yourself," a hauntingly familiar voice said and she stepped back in surprise.

"You aren't good enough."

She had just ran into Lord Wyldon. How ironic.

He tapped his foot, waiting for something. Her forehead creased as the tension between them grew. Finally, she said, "Well, I have to be on my way," she started, trying not to sound as angry as she would have liked. "I have to be at the ballroom sooner rather than later." Although it would be nice to show up late...

Wyldon chuckled. "All I ask is a favor, and it won't take very long. I've heard that you're the princess's protector?"

"Yes, my lord," she said. "And I have been for a couple of years now."

"You aren't good enough."

"I trust you know more about Yamani weapons than I?"

"Yes, most likely. I have been using them practically my whole life." Lies. I was using a sword only a couple years ago. I was using a lance only a couple years ago..

"So, would you mind teaching my pages about Yamani weapons? It would give Tortall an advantage over Scanra in the upcoming war, we would have our knights using the weapons of the Islands and it could just be enough to win," Wyldon explained, tilting his heads towards her in question.

It sounded to her just like, "You weren't good enough to pass the first time, but I'm giving you a second chance.."

She almost said no. She almost said no to the man who ruined her and crushed her dreams. But the thought of proving him wrong made her grin, which caused her to nod, causing her to agree to this whole thing.

He smiled. Why did I say yes? "You may go now, I suspect they are waiting for you on the ballroom stairs."

She nodded and bowed, before taking her time to get to the ballroom. What was the rush? After all, a ball was just frippery and dancing, nothing more.

Once there, Shinko pulled her into a hug and whispered into her ear, "You're late. And you forgot your shushkin."

She winked and motioned for her to go forwards. "It's almost time for the ball, you better get to the top of the stairs!" The girl whispered back and shooed Shinko away, following a few moments later.

The King-the King who had put her on prohibition-would announce Shinko, her, Yuki,and Haname-and they would descend down the stairs. In. Front. Of. Everyone.

Including all her page friends. Who would be in their fourth year, probably. And they would probably recognize her. This was her biggest worry, out of everything.

Shinko was called. She wiped her hands on her kimono and only had time to think one thought-Stone, I am stone.

"Natsumi noh Dorrumu," he said, winking at her as she went down. She rolled her eyes, she had never, ever liked the King. It didn't help what he had done to her either.

The lights of the ballroom temporarily blinded her so she shielded her eyes with her hand. (If she had a shushkin, she could have used that.) Thankfully, that horrible staircase was done in no time at all and she was able to find Shinko and blend back into the crowd. She was nobody again.

It was at this moment that she remember that she hadn't bowed to the King or Queen like the other Yamani women had. Oh well, I didn't want to bow to that man anyway.

They were led to their table by a page she didn't know-probably a new first or second year. The only pages she would know would be the fourth years ones, which were probably the only ones able to recognize her.

As she sat down, she worried about her friends. It's been three years now, they should all be fourth year pages, except for Cleon, Faleron and Roald. She thought as adjusted her skirts to fit in the chair. We should have been here earlier, to introduce Shinko to Roald. Perhaps Roald's knight master will permit him to meet her.

A page who looked older than most came up to their table and she resisted the urge to slink down under the table and get away from there. Instead, she kept her eyes trained on her plate and vowed not to look up.

"Hello ladies," he drawled, handing them each a napkin for their laps. "Apparently, the Stump has assigned me to your royalnesses table. Hope you don't mind." She bit her lip to hide her smile; Neal hadn't changed a bit.

"So, what can I get for you lovely ladies tonight? Cakes? Our dinner special? Your wish is my command," he said with a wink, looking over their table. She sighed. Hopefully, my voice has changed enough so that he doesn't have a flashback at the sound of it.

"Vegetables for me," she said, and the other ladies at her table laughed behind their fans.

"Get something else, Natsumi! It's always vegetables for you!" Yuki teased as the girl shot her a look.

"Say that to me when I'm the strongest out of all of you," she retorted as Shinko gave her order.

Haname butted it, "You're already the strongest, don't worry about that!" Shinko's eyes crinkled with laughter, as well as anyone else eavesdropping on their conversation.

Neal looked a bit flabbergasted. "Well then, I'll be getting you your orders in no time. Don't go anywhere, ladies, I'll be back." He left with a clumsy bow. He hasn't changed, has he? His bows need work though, I should have whacked that into him a long time ago...

"What a charmer," Yuki sighed, staring after him. "If only men were able to speak as freely at the islands, I don't think I'm allowed to fall for some Tortallan page."

For some reason, that made her angry and protective of her old friend. There were going to be a ton of "what ifs" if Yuki and Neal fell for each other.

And for the millionth time, Keladry of Mindelan wished she was with these pages, serving the Yamani ladies, not being served.

Neal walked back to the kitchens where the other boys were serving. Hurriedly, he pulled Merric; Owen, a new page recruit in his third year; Esmond and Seaver over to the side with him.

He slung his arms over Merric and Esmond, the two boys close to him and gave them a hug. They squirmed out of his arms quick enough as he announced, "Men, I think I'm in love!"

Merric laughed. "First Daine, then Thayet, then practically all the court women! Now who is it?"

Neal glared. "If you're going to be so rude, then I'm going to leave you all guessing!" He stuck his nose up in the air and walked over to where the cook had taken his order, taking the trays towards the lovely Yamani ladies, sending his fellow pages a look. They were doubled over with laughter, like always.

"Don't worry, I am back!" He said with a smile, passing out the dishes to each woman. "If there is anything, anything else I can do for you, please, just call my name and I shall be at your side." He grinned and moved to the back of the room, grabbing a jug of water from a nearby page and holding, winking at Kel when she looked back at him.

She gulped and turned back to her vegetables. Did that wink mean attraction, goofiness, or .. recognition? If he knew, that would be the end of her. She hoped it was the second one, and even the first would be better than the latter.

Once they were done eating, Haname waved him over. He filled up their glasses and took the trays, holding them all at one time.

"You could take two trips," Yuki offered, giving him a nod of her head when he filled up her cup. "We wouldn't mind."

"Two trips are for pansies," he informed her and walked away, bowing slightly while trying to balance all of their dirty dishes in two hands.

"A real charmer," Kel muttered sarcastically. "A real charmer."

Around midnight.

Everyone had been hustled out of the room only a few minutes ago, and now they were being let back into the ballroom. Everyone except Kel gasped with amazement-the chairs were gone, floors clean, it looked like a real ballroom-since she had done this before. All it took was a little man power (or woman power) to get the job done quickly.

The pages and squires looked a little disheveled, some were even red in the face. Nevertheless, they still walked over to where the ladies were standing, bowed, and asked them for a dance.

Kel, of course, was the only lady sitting on the first dance. She sat with her arms crossed and a scowled on her face, with a look that said, "Try to dance with me and you'll regret it." That caused people to back away quickly.

"Dance, milady?" Someone asked.

"No," she responded. "I will not dance with you or any of your friends," she added with a snarl. "Make sure to tell them that."

After a few more dances and many more rejections, Shinko came over to her. "Why aren't you having fun?" She asked, nibbling on some sort of pastry. "This is supposed to be fun, Natsumi."

"I don't dance, Shinko, you know that," she responded hotly, leaning back into her chair.

"Well, you will!" The princess responded, wagging a finger in Kel's face. "I don't want my chief protector to look like a snob, so if you dance with the next boy who asks you, I'll buy you that new sharpening stone you wanted."

"I can buy it myself," Kel scoffed. "Try again."

"Please?" Shinko begged. "I don't want to force you to do anything, since you're practically my equal, but I will do what's needed."

"Fine, but only if," Shinko interrupted with a face of glee. "Only if you let me wear plain breeches and a shirt to the next ball. Deal?"

The princess sighed. "Fine, fine, but that's your idea, not mine. When you get in trouble, I'm not sticking up for you."

Kel grinned, knowing she had won in a sense. "Lovely. Someone's vying for your attention, Shinko, might want to go over and see what they want."

Shinko left with the "I'm watching you" sign and Kel laughed, knowing that no one now would be crazy enough to dance with the woman who would kill you if you asked.

That is, there was still one person who was crazy to come up to her. But Kel didn't think he would come up or anything, he was probably dancing with Haname or Yuki.

Gods, Kel didn't ever think she could be so wrong.