Celia could tell that the servants didn't know who she was either, but she was glad
they played along and showed her to a vacant room.
"Wow, this is nicer than I thought." said Celia to herself. It was nice. In her room
which was the standard for visiting nobility, there was a beautiful lush purple material
covering everything from the bed, to the couch, to the curtains. She found warm water in a
pitcher that she figured she was supposed to pour in to the coordinating basin to wash her
face and hands. She suddenly heard a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" asked Celia sweetly.
"It's Keladry of Mindelan, at your service my lady." answered Kel. Celia walked to
the door and opened it, inviting Kel to come in. Kel walked in and sat down.
"Good afternoon Keladry." said Celia.
"Good afternoon my lady. I have just been to visit with the prince." said Kel,
sounding very suspicious.
"Oh, the prince. And how is his highness?" said Celia, not sure what to say. She
was uncomforted by Kel's stare.
"Lady Celia, I can't beat around the bush. Prince Roald says he's never heard of you
or of Bolshevik. Can you please explain to me how that could be?" said Kel, seeming
relieved to have blurted it all out.
"Uhhh…ummm…Kel…I can explain…" said Celia. Should she tell Kel her secret?
Kel could keep a secret, she's Kel! But she's close to Neal, would she tell him? Yes? No?
She wouldn't tell him if she asked her to keep it secret. Kel was training to be a knight,
knights kept secrets… didn't they? "Kel, can you keep a secret? Something you can't tell
anyone else even if you don't believe me?" pleaded Celia.
"If I don't believe you? What have you got to tell me? Are you a spy?" asked Kel,
getting anxious.
"Oh no! It's nothing like that, believe me. I am not from around here… at all. I
was walking to my class, and when I walked through the door I was here and I fainted and
you found me and now I'm here and now and now…" Celia was getting hysterical.
"I believe you." answered Kel simply. Celia was searching for a brown paper bag to
breathe in to when she heard Kel's reply.
"You… what? You believe me? Does this happen often to you? Do you think I'm
crazy?" said Celia, bewildered. Kel laughed.
"No, no. You're not crazy. You were there and now you're here. To tell you the
truth I didn't think Neal's spell would work. We've got to get you back. Where did you
come from?" said Kel. Celia was speechless. A spell brought her there? Magic? Magic
didn't exist. Kel acted like this was normal and Celia just another one of Neal's tricks.
"I'm from Seattle; Seattle, Washington." said Celia. "We don't have court or
anything like that there. We have nightclubs and bars." Duh? Nightclubs and bars? What
was she supposed to say? " Everything is way different." said Celia explaining to Kel.
"You will have to tell me. Neal didn't think his spell worked either. I should tell
him you're it, but you didn't want me to tell anyone right? Why not?" asked Kel.
"I wanted to try and fit in for a while, if you don't mind." replied Celia. "Wait a
second, what spell brought me here? You mean magic? Real magic?" asked Celia.
"Neal has the gift. He used his "transport spell" to bring you here. There are others
around the palace who have the gift. It runs in certain families and sometimes skips a
generation. I am not gifted." said Kel. The Gift. Celia remembered now. Daine had wild
magic. Celia remembered again where she was.
"The Lioness has the Gift right?" asked Celia. Kel started.
"You know of the Lioness in Seattle?" asked Kel.
"In a way." replied Celia. Celia somehow knew Kel would think she was crazy if she
told her that, in Seattle, Kel and her whole world was fictional. "Can I ask you some
questions?" asked Celia.
"You just did, but go on." said Kel smartly.
"Are Daine and Numair married yet?" asked Celia.
"You know of Daine and Numair? No they are not yet married, the opinion is that
it wouldn't be proper for Daine to wed until she is eighteen." answered Kel. Kel wasn't
surprised by this strange girl any longer. She was a bit eccentric, but she was kind. "Oh
Gods, you need to be introduced at court!" exclaimed Kel. Introduced? Celia hadn't
thought of that.
"Oh…" said Celia.
"I think I can get Sir Raoul to do me a favor. I think he will introduce you. I'll get
Lalasa up here to find you a dress and do your hair." Kel didn't often have the chance to do
this with other girls and she was enjoying it.
"Um, okay then. When will I see you again?" asked Celia, a little worried that she'd
lose her only friend at the palace.
"You'll see me tonight, but I'll be serving so don't distract me." said Kel.
"I'll see you tonight then."
"Tonight. Good luck."
"Thanks, I'm gonna need it." said Celia.
they played along and showed her to a vacant room.
"Wow, this is nicer than I thought." said Celia to herself. It was nice. In her room
which was the standard for visiting nobility, there was a beautiful lush purple material
covering everything from the bed, to the couch, to the curtains. She found warm water in a
pitcher that she figured she was supposed to pour in to the coordinating basin to wash her
face and hands. She suddenly heard a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" asked Celia sweetly.
"It's Keladry of Mindelan, at your service my lady." answered Kel. Celia walked to
the door and opened it, inviting Kel to come in. Kel walked in and sat down.
"Good afternoon Keladry." said Celia.
"Good afternoon my lady. I have just been to visit with the prince." said Kel,
sounding very suspicious.
"Oh, the prince. And how is his highness?" said Celia, not sure what to say. She
was uncomforted by Kel's stare.
"Lady Celia, I can't beat around the bush. Prince Roald says he's never heard of you
or of Bolshevik. Can you please explain to me how that could be?" said Kel, seeming
relieved to have blurted it all out.
"Uhhh…ummm…Kel…I can explain…" said Celia. Should she tell Kel her secret?
Kel could keep a secret, she's Kel! But she's close to Neal, would she tell him? Yes? No?
She wouldn't tell him if she asked her to keep it secret. Kel was training to be a knight,
knights kept secrets… didn't they? "Kel, can you keep a secret? Something you can't tell
anyone else even if you don't believe me?" pleaded Celia.
"If I don't believe you? What have you got to tell me? Are you a spy?" asked Kel,
getting anxious.
"Oh no! It's nothing like that, believe me. I am not from around here… at all. I
was walking to my class, and when I walked through the door I was here and I fainted and
you found me and now I'm here and now and now…" Celia was getting hysterical.
"I believe you." answered Kel simply. Celia was searching for a brown paper bag to
breathe in to when she heard Kel's reply.
"You… what? You believe me? Does this happen often to you? Do you think I'm
crazy?" said Celia, bewildered. Kel laughed.
"No, no. You're not crazy. You were there and now you're here. To tell you the
truth I didn't think Neal's spell would work. We've got to get you back. Where did you
come from?" said Kel. Celia was speechless. A spell brought her there? Magic? Magic
didn't exist. Kel acted like this was normal and Celia just another one of Neal's tricks.
"I'm from Seattle; Seattle, Washington." said Celia. "We don't have court or
anything like that there. We have nightclubs and bars." Duh? Nightclubs and bars? What
was she supposed to say? " Everything is way different." said Celia explaining to Kel.
"You will have to tell me. Neal didn't think his spell worked either. I should tell
him you're it, but you didn't want me to tell anyone right? Why not?" asked Kel.
"I wanted to try and fit in for a while, if you don't mind." replied Celia. "Wait a
second, what spell brought me here? You mean magic? Real magic?" asked Celia.
"Neal has the gift. He used his "transport spell" to bring you here. There are others
around the palace who have the gift. It runs in certain families and sometimes skips a
generation. I am not gifted." said Kel. The Gift. Celia remembered now. Daine had wild
magic. Celia remembered again where she was.
"The Lioness has the Gift right?" asked Celia. Kel started.
"You know of the Lioness in Seattle?" asked Kel.
"In a way." replied Celia. Celia somehow knew Kel would think she was crazy if she
told her that, in Seattle, Kel and her whole world was fictional. "Can I ask you some
questions?" asked Celia.
"You just did, but go on." said Kel smartly.
"Are Daine and Numair married yet?" asked Celia.
"You know of Daine and Numair? No they are not yet married, the opinion is that
it wouldn't be proper for Daine to wed until she is eighteen." answered Kel. Kel wasn't
surprised by this strange girl any longer. She was a bit eccentric, but she was kind. "Oh
Gods, you need to be introduced at court!" exclaimed Kel. Introduced? Celia hadn't
thought of that.
"Oh…" said Celia.
"I think I can get Sir Raoul to do me a favor. I think he will introduce you. I'll get
Lalasa up here to find you a dress and do your hair." Kel didn't often have the chance to do
this with other girls and she was enjoying it.
"Um, okay then. When will I see you again?" asked Celia, a little worried that she'd
lose her only friend at the palace.
"You'll see me tonight, but I'll be serving so don't distract me." said Kel.
"I'll see you tonight then."
"Tonight. Good luck."
"Thanks, I'm gonna need it." said Celia.