The young green eyed girl waited nervously outside her father's chamber, this was probably the most important conversation she would ever have with him. Her eyes sparkled fiercely, a trait she inherited from her father, while her face showed the Yamani calm perfected over the last five years of living in the Islands. She absentmindedly fiddled with her shukusen, which like her, was as beautiful as it was dangerous.
To an onlooker, Lady Lila of Queenscove looked like a perfectly respectable 10 year old girl. Her ebony hair was neatly braided down her back, her dress a mix of Tortallan and Yamani styles with a green silk shukusen tucked into the sash.
"You may as well come in, love. There's no use you standing out there waiting," her father, Sir Nealan of Queenscove stated humorously.
She silently cursed her fathers Gift that always gave her away and keeping her face as calm as ever, walked into her father's chamber. She cluttered room was filled with books, crystals and countless healing herbs, most of them so foul smelling that she dared not touch. She looked around, debating whether to sit on the parchment stacked chair or simply stand. Eventually she stood calmly before him, waiting until her nerves settled enough that she could speak again.
"Father I have an unusual request of you," she began, her father's eyes so much like her own sparkling with curiosity. When he did not object she continued. "I want to become a lady knight." She held his gaze firmly, her father was a gentle, humorous man and she had no doubt he would be fare to her request.
His head sunk into his hands and the muffled "are you sure?" came through eventually.
She nodded before realising that he could not see her, then managed a soft "yes".
"This is a very serious path that you are considering. It's filled with bruises and torment, you know Kel's stories better than any, its not all glory, despite what you might hear from me," he said, mentioning her godmother, Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan and New Hope, who had become the realms first woman to be dubbed a lady knight in centuries.
"I know it's hard, but I want to be like you and Kel, you've saved lives, you've helped those who can't help themselves and I know I can do that. I need to do that!" It was an odd picture, a beautiful young girl powerfully telling her father, one of the most powerful healers ever, that she was going to become a knight.
"Alright," he sighed, resigned to agreeing with her, he knew that look in her eyes and nothing was going to stop her. "I'll see you at dinner and we can break the news to your mother."
She nodded firmly before striding confidently out of the room. He smiled after his little girl, always the perfect lady, gallivanting off to save the realm, she truly was like her mother. Lady Yukimi was as beautiful as they came, with her almond shaped eyes and beautiful cream skin, but behind that Yamani still face was a strong will and a dangerous ability with weapons. So of course, Neal, the ultimate romantic, had fallen in love with his "cherry blossom warrior".
Lila skipped joyfully back to her room and immediately set to packing.
"Well young one, I don't think I've seen you this excited since we gave you your glaive," Kel mused, pointing to the deadly weapon on the wall that looked far too big for the small girl to hold.
Lila spun around with an excitement that would have been resented in the Yamani Islands. "Oh Kel it's just wonderful, truly wonderful! I'm going to be like you! But not like you, like a Shang beauty, deadly as ever but you'd never know," she spilled, her fantasy coming alive as she pulled Kel into the room.
"I'm sure that made sense to you, but for those who can't hear at lightening pace, could you please explain what a 'Shang beauty' is?" a very amused Kel asked, feeling like she was looking at a young Neal.
"I'm going to become a Lady Knight," she said proudly, standing with her chin held high. "A true lady with the skill of a knight, it's going to be fantastic." A grin broke out across her face as she continued madly darting around her room, gathering anything and everything she could ever need for her adventure.
Kel smiled politely, knowing this day would come. When New Hope was simply a refugee camp, not the lively fief she now was in charge of, a young seer girl Inari had predicted this would happen, though it took until now for Kel to believe it. Despite the change in the laws, there had still been no further female knights since she had earned her shield.
She slid out of the room quietly, deciding to head down to the stables and visit her new war horse, Sarunia, meaning power in Yamani. He was a more gentle horse than Peachblossom, who had unfortunately passed away years before. Sarunia had a pure brown sleek coat covering powerful legs. As soon as Kel entered his stall he started searching for the hidden treats she always had with her. Having successfully found a crunchy apple in her pocket, Kel set to work on grooming her beautiful stead.
"I think we're going to have to protect our dear Nealan from loosing his head", she said quietly to her horse, knowing that he would understand her.
"And why would that be?" a wicked voice called out from the entrance to the stable. "What's our dear Meathead gotten himself into this time?"
She turned and faced her husband, Domitan of Masbolle and New Hope, commander of the King's Own. His blue eyes sparkled as she ran full force into him, kissing him passionately before stepping back with a scolding look.
"Don't you dare do that again," she warned.
"And what have I done this time mistress lady knight that I must repent for?" he teased her, bowing as deeply as his stiff body would allow.
She hit him softly, kissing him once more before helping him unsaddle his horse. Every time he went away they had the same conversation, she wanted to go help whatever was troubling the realm, but knew she had to stay in New Hope, or in this case, visit her friends who had been away for five years.
"Leave that to me milady," a voice came from the loft above the stables. A handsome youth of around 20 came swiftly down the ladder, his messy blond hair covered in straw.
"Tobe you know you're no longer my servant, you are free to do whatever you like," she once again told the young man, as she had been doing so for the last 6 years.
"Begging your pardon mistress, but you'll always my master not out of command, but out of gratitude," he swiftly took over the grooming of Dom's beautiful mare, his power with horses having greatly grown since she met him.
"Well who am I to argue with a mage," Dom teased, silently grateful he was able to go and soak. "especially a wild mage," he winked at Tobe, having grown very close to him as the years went by. "So what trouble has my Meathead cousin gotten into that we'll be needing to look after him?" Dom asked, remembering Kel's conversation with her horse.
"It's not what he's gotten himself into, its what Lila's commanded him to do," Kel answered, Lila's hold over her father was legendary. "She's decided that she's going to become a lady knight." Kel said, beaming with pride at her goddaughter.
"Neal must be having a fit," Dom said with a hearty laugh. "I always knew that girl would do great things." He slung his arm around his wife and walked to their rooms to prepare for dinner.
After Dom had a long soak, and Kel tended to her flock of sparrows that had significantly grown over the years, they headed down to the dining hall to join Neal, Yuki and Lila for dinner. Dinners here were much more relaxed than most, people showing up in whatever they had been wearing for the day. Kel and Dom entered the room, hand in hand, to be immediately welcomed by a very loud voice.
"Dom! What trouble have you gotten the Own into these days?" Neal teased, still wearing his ink stained shirt from before.
"Is that any way to greet me after a year apart? I was expecting a humbling speech about how much you missed me and were longing for my manly advice," Dom joked and went to hug his cousin.
Yuki and Kel greeted each other more silently as Lila charged at Dom. Despite their very large age difference, he treated her like a younger sister.
"I hear you've been making your father fret again," he teased as she nodded proudly. "that's a good girl," he said, tousling her hair. She glared at him as scarily as a 10 year old could and rearranged her hair to its former elegance.
Neal cleared his throat, "speaking of making her father fret, Yuki Lila has some news for you," he said, gesturing to his daughter to carry on.
"Coward," she muttered at her father, well aware he was avoiding telling his wife. "Mother I have decided, and Kel and father agree, to become a knight," she stated boldly, her voice never wavering despite her worry at her mothers response.
For a while there was silence, everyone holding their breath trying to guess Yuki's emotions behind her Yamani mask. Eventually she nodded calmly and said "Kel I trust you'll take her to Corus safely when you and Dom leave?"
Neal released a breath didn't realised he had been holding and took his wife's hand. Bringing it up to his mouth to kiss he said "I knew you'd agree."
The rest of the dinner was spent organising the logistics of packing and organising everything to go with Lila to the palace. She was almost bouncing with joy when she left the room to go start packing, despite not leaving for a week.
