sometimes I disagree with s/b myself, but I kind of like it, in a way. sucker for traditional fairytales, noble and street rat, rich and poor, all happy in the end.
oh and star- the cat is bad. i love cats, don't get me wrong, but its bad. its not an innocent damn kitten, its bad.
as a comment, a tris/niko story would be cool, but like daine and numair, and even worse this time, he's a bit too old. i always thought for like a pairing they would get along the best, but too bad he isn't a whole bunch younger.
and this is a stupid, clothes oriented chapter. i wasted a whole bunch of time writing it...and don't worry, there will be a bit of conflict, not a kiss and thats it, maybe they will have to work a bit harder. theres a bad guy, too. those are annoying sometimes, i know because i write them.
Ah shits, this chapter is mushy and awful too. its silly and steriotypically romantic...dammit
by the way, are you guys able to upload a new story? because the site doesn't let me, and i dont know if its just my comp or if its the entire site.
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"Well," Sandry said critically, staring at both Zak and Briar, "How about this?" Rummaging neatly through the piles, in her hands appeared a blue and silver tunic, stitched with a network of sunbursts, stars, and moons, and a dove grey breeches and soft white shirt for Briar.
Zak stared at the bright cloth, his country-bred eyes dazzled, but Briar stared instead at the closet, piled high with embroideries, clothes, tunics, dresses... "You've been really busy."
Sandry grinned. "Well, I have had a bit of time in my hands. Uncle let me sit in on his Council meetings, and some of his chauvanistic ministers protested until they saw me doing domestic tasks while in the room." She shrugged, her outrage barely supressed. "Uncle doesn't mind, and when I'm old enough perhaps I can be his scribe or helper. If I don't attack his ministers."
Zak laughed. "So you made shirts and clothing."
"Sewing, second nature. I still listened, but..." she grinned. "I ended up with this stash. That's how I got to know Samer a bit, and his guild. Buying more stuff to do." Sandry handed him a shirt, pale blue with matching silver embroideries on sleeve ends. "I have to fit you all now, " she told them, pointing to the painted Nemornese paper screens at the other end of her room. "Call me when you're ready." She slipped out the door quietly, leaving them with the finery.
As soon as she left the room, Zak let out a held-in breath. "Man, she's something," he commented wistfully. "Any girl or woman from Yanjing wouldn't dare defy the council...and look at this! I've never seen such fine work." He held up the darker blue pants and smiled. "I've never worn anything so nice."
"This is nice," Briar said, stroking the soft nap of the white shirt. Peering at the smooth, thickly woven cloth, he saw that a pattern of leaves and briars had been woven into the shirt cuffs. "This must have taken her forever."
From outside, Sandry had returned to the doorway and was shouting, "Can I come in?"
"Yeah," Briar called out. "We're decent."
She only had to slightly alter the clothing for both of them, though Zak jumped visibly as her magic plucked at his slightly-long sleeves. After it had been altered, with magic-wielded string, she sent him to search for the "light blue room," three doors from the end of the hall, left side.
Sandry frowned at Briar, standing stiffly in the fine clothing. "It fits rather well," she said critically, "I'm sorry it isn't green, but I think the only green tunic I had would have been too small- you've gotten taller. And anyway, it was pretty much made for you."
"Really?" he asked, incredulous. She made it for me?
"Actually, yes, it was." With small, flicking motions, the cloth settled smoothly to his shoulders and conformed. "I think it's the same silk as my dress, the shirt. It was so nice I had to get a lot of it, for some reason. Only a few adjustments...are you set for anything else? Regular clothes? Stuff?"
"Yeah," he said, "At least I think so. I'm just glad to be back." He crossed through the bathingroom. "Am I here, or somewhere else this time?" He peered into the green room, and greeted the shakkan, sitting happily in the corner.
"Here," she said happily, watering the infamous and now very timid ficus tree in the corner.
Zak returned a few minutes later, in his regular clothes. "Hi," he said, sitting in one of the chairs. "Oh, so soft," he said happily.
Both Briar and Sandry grinned. "It's nice," she replied. "Sometimes, I sleep on the couches. It's comfortable too, and sometime the beds are awfully oppressing." She pointed to the huge canopied thing in the corner, draped with ornate brocade. "And the fireplace is closer to the couches, too."
The Yanjing boy looked so content that Sandry just had to laugh. "Is your room okay? Because theres a lot more, if you would rather..."
"Oh, but its great!" he said enthusiastically. "I've never been in a room so big!"
Briar laughed. "Then you're in for a shock, Zak. You gotta see the ballroom."
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