OK, I'm sorry for screwing up the late Princess's name. I believe it's Chisakami, so yeah. Anyway, I do not own anyone but the merpeople, and any other random characters I come up with. Also, the concept of the Orcan race belongs to Erica Reis, not me. She is a very talented artist and I suggest that you read the manga Sea Princess Azuri. It's really cool. Now, on with chapter two.
By the way, thanks for reviewing.
Midwinter
"Does anyone know how long it'll take to clear this rubble up?" Cleon asked. "A while," Carri replied."Well, let's get to work, shall we?" Each of the pages grudgingly began their task, picking up the pieces of broken wood and helping the carpenters rebuild. They finished it the next Sunday.
One Noverber morning, Kel awoke and began her usual morning exercises. While doing her toe-touches, she heard a tearing sound. Her nightgown had gotten caught under the harness and torn. Before it had been loose. Now Kel was wondering if leather could shrink. She switched into a more comfortable position, and tried again. What had began as a small tear had grown larger. She muttered a Yamani curse.
"That won't help, my lady," said Lalasa, wrapping her robe around her. Kel swore again and tugged at the harness. Lalasa lifted the harness off Kel's shoulders and inspected it carefully. "You'll need a new one, my lady," she told Kel. She knelt down and tugged the hem of kel's nightgown. "You've grown an inch since this was made." Standing up, she dusted herself off and smiled. ''You've grown elsewhere, too."
Kel frowned and said gloomily, "My shoulders have grown, and my waist has gotten smaller." She sighed. Lalasa tried once more to make her point, but Kel didn't catch on. Finally, her maid cupped her breasts and let them go. Kel gasped. Oh, no, she thought. Not that. How could she have missed them?
I hurry when I scrub, she answered herself.
"My lady will need a breastband," Lalasa announced.
"Just what I need," muttered Kel. "Just what I need."
After finding Lalasa being harassed by a Palace Clerk, Kel decided that Lalasa was going to learn how to defend herself. And who better to teach her than Kel herself. After supper that night, she and Neal and Carri went back to her room to teach Lalasa self-defense. Reluctant, Lalasa learned how to punch, kick, and other devices on how to defend herself against attackers. By the end of it, they had an audience.
"Hey Kel," Carri said as she stood in front of Kel's mirror adjusting her tunic, "do you think we'll have time to go skating on the lake during Midwinter?"
"I guess. I'm just glad my parents are going to be here. Are yours?"
Carrigana nodded. "Of course. I wonder who'll serve them, and if Dory will give them a hard time." They were both checking their appearances when there was a knock at the door. There stood Neal, Esmond, Owen, Seaver and Merric, all in their very best uniforms.
"Reporting for enspection, General, sir!" said Seaver, giving a salute. One by one, the others did the same. "You take half, I'll take the other half," Kel told Carri. The two girls got to work, adjusting the boys' hair, tunics, shirts and hoses while Lalasa mended any tears. Suddenly Cleon burst in, red-faced and shirtsleeves undone. "Kel!" he cried. "I can't get my hair to lie flat."
Kel fixed the problem by wetting his hair. Afterwards, they all walked to the seavers' room where Master Oackbridge waited. They memorized their positions. Kel was to be serving members of minor guilds at the back of the hall, which suited her perfectly.
The pages gathered finger bowls and towels and took their positions. Kel offered the finger bowl to the five guild members and their wives, who washed and dried their hands. Kel then hurried away, looking out for people she knew. She saw her parents, the Yamani ambassador, and Carri's parents, all who sat on the king's right hand. There was Daine and her lover Numair Salmalin, and Sir Myles and who Keladry hoped was his wife Eleni.
During the second course, trouble began. First, Quinden told the guild members Kel was servingexactly who she was, and they refused to be served by her, and that meant they would not be served by Carrigana, either. Then Neal tripped over something invisible; the only one untouched was Garvey, who looked as if he knew beforehand. Each one of her friends had suffered humiliation, and now Kel knew why.
Joren and his friends hadn't given up; they had planned to humiliate them in the most public way possible. Now they all had banquet service practice after lunch the next day, and the day after that, too. Finally, all of the pages had had enough.
"I can't. I'm not senior enough," Kel said to her friends. "Kel, Neal is sixteen, Roald and Cleon and fourth-years, and Faleron's third. They'll be right behind you. We all will," Carri said. They all nodded their agreement. "Well, why can't you go?" Kel asked her friend. Carri glanced at her dryly. "I'll end up strangling them. You have a cool head when it comes to arguing with complete idiots like Joren and his goons."
It was decided. Kel stood up and walked over to the table Joren sat at. Once they turned around, she began to explain that they should stop tormenting the other pages. After quite a lot of persuasion, they agreed that there would be no more accidents.
On the fourth day of the festival, gifts were exchanged. Kel had already bought her most of her gifts during the summer. She gave Owen one of her thrwing-stars, Jump a meaty bone, and Lalasa got a silver coin. From Carrigana, she recieved a gold shell pendant with her name on it. From her secret benefactor, Kel got a box of cleaning and polishing equipment for armor and weapons. This was turning out to be a good Midwinter.
A short chapter, but I think its good enough. Read and review. Please and thank you!
