Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Tamora Pierce. OK? I am NOT trying to steal them...sell them...anything like that! OK? OK.
Summary: Some adventure, some romance...ya know, all that fun stuff.
Chapter one: An Invitation (I know, I'm SO original...)
Keladry of Mindelan slouched onto her bed. She was so BORED! It was late spring, and she had only one more day until she left for her parent's house in Corus for the summer, her third year as a page finished. And until then all she had to do was sit around and wait for something interesting to come along. True, she could pack, but she preferred to put that off until the last minute. Lalasa had taken Jump to see Daine, to heal a cut on his leg. Why she hadn't gone with was beyond her, except that deep down she knew it was because Neal had said he would try to pop by before leaving for the summer. She sighed, and looked out the window at the sparrows, flitting happily around on their tree. She was in the middle of a day-dream involving gigantic sparrows attacking Tortall, imagining a certain page named Joren running away screaming like a girl, and was quietly laughing to herself when Lalasa returned.
"M'Lady? What's gotten into you? What could be so funny?"asked Lalasa, staring at Kel giggling to herself on the bed. Kel started, and looked up sheepishly. "Um...nothing, sorry....how's Jump?" She said, trying to change the subject. "Oh, he's fit as a fiddle, that wild mage fixed him up like magic." replied Lalasa. "She also sent something for you." Lalasa handed her a piece of snow-white paper, folded in half and held together with a pale-blue ribbon. Kel stared at it, while Lalasa, overcome with curiosity, implied impatiently, "Well, are you going to open it?". "Mmmhmm" Murmered Kel, her attention on the paper. She slowly unfolded it, revealing sparkling silver writing in a beautiful scrolling hand. "It's an invitation!" cried Kel, "for her wedding!"
She re-read the silvery message aloud, not believing she was invited to such a grand occasion ~It is the dearest wish of Veralidaine Sarrisri and Numair Salmalin that Page Keladry of Mindelan should attend their wedding ceremony on the 6th of June. It will take place at noon in the Northern Pasture on the outskirts of the Royal Forest. It is our great hope that you will be able to attend. For further directions apply to the head servant in the palace.~ The letter was signed by both of them, in the same silvery ink. Lalasa let out a gasp. "Oh M'lady, how grand! You shall need a new dress, for such an occasion! Perhaps in blue...no pink...oh! What an exciting event, I shall go right now to the palace seamstress to find the newest styles!" And with that, she scurried out of the room.
Kel was left standing in shock, with Jump staring at her oddly, then coming over to nudge her leg. She absent-mindedly petted him, then looked at the invitation again. Lalasa was right, it WAS exciting. Finally something interesting had happened! But then again, now she had to wait for the wedding, making the time go even slower. She wanted the wedding now! She chuckled, imagining herself pounding on the door to Daine and Numair's quarters and demanding they get married at that moment.
The laugh over, she looked around. No one was here...Lalasa had left in such an excitement it would take her a while to decide what kind of dress Kel should wear to the "grand occasion"....she was all alone at the moment. She wandered over to her closet. 'No time like the present' she thought to herself, and began digging through her dresses. She found her favorite, a pale blue silk dress, and quietly put it on. She then pulled up her hair in a mass on her head, like all the ladies at court. Looking in the mirror, she twirled around, making the dress swirl at her sides. If this was so much fun, Kel couldn't wait for the wedding. Or maybe she was just way to bored.She twirled around her room again, imagining herself dancing with a certain green-eyed fellow. As if the gods could read her mind, or just wanted to play a mean trick on her, she froze as Neal burst through door, yelling as he came in: "Hey Kel, where are you, I came to...." He froze, staring at Kel, dressed up like a lady at court.
They stood staring at each other, Kel turning a deeper red than Neal had ever seen. "Hey...listen...Kel...I'm really sorry if I...interrupted...something, just popped in to say goodbye..." Kel put her face in her hands. 'the gods have some great sense of humor' she thought to herself, not able to look up. Finally, she slowly raised her head and took a stab at an explanation..."I was...just...practicing...for a wedding...with you...I MEAN....AND you came in and....yeah..." she looked at him, blushing harder every minute.
Neal stared at her for a moment, and then, by all appearances, just shook it off. He grinned at her evilly. "So, our famous lady page DOES like to act like a lady once and a while!" Kel glared at him. "You don't have to rub it in." Than she grinned and evil grin back at him. "Unless you want try it again at the practice courts" Neal lifted his hands in defeat. "You have me there, Page Keladry" Then, seeing the card on her table, he smiled. "You got an invitation too, huh? I guess that explains the whole get-up." He was pointing at her dress. "If it makes it any less embarassing, you look nice." Kel glared at him, but deep down she felt warmed by the complement. "It would make it less embarassing if you'd stop staring at me and say what you came here to say!" Neal looked taken aback by the sharp comment, and Kel felt awful.
Before she had a chance to apologize, Neal spoke up. "Yeah...well, I just came to say goodbye for the summer. Although I guess I'll see you at the wedding, huh?" He smiled at her, and it made Kel feel even more awful. "Yeah...I guess so." She told him, and did her best to smile. Neal looked at her, and took a step closer, as if to hug her, but then turned around and walked to the door. "Well...Ok.." He said awkwardly "See you then. Bye Kel." And with that, he walked quickly out of the room. "Bye Neal", whispered Kel, staring at the door. Then she threw herself on her bed and started to cry. Why was she so mean to him? He had just tried to complement her.
Now she was dreading the day of the wedding. She slowly got up and took off the dress, and composed herself when Lalasa scrambled in, her hands full of cloth. Then she sighed, and threw herself with as much enthusiasm as she could muster into the preperations.
Well, that's it so far. Don't worry, the next chapter gets a lot more interesting. There's the wedding (duh!) and some stormwings, and other fun stuff....OK? But I won't continue if I don't get reviews, cause I assume no one cares if I continue! Ok then! Bye!