A/N: Hey hey, new
chapter. This one has Alanna and Kel's first meeting. Yay! Ummm… Congrats to
Corrianne for getting the quote first. Yeah…I know I mixed the order up…oops.
Oh, what's that red headed guys name? The one with all the funny quotes? He has
the best lines. Wai! Okay new quote, same rules and such, maybe I'll put you in
as part of the Yamani royal court…Kourin, signing off ^.~ (I always wanted to
do that.
Section: Winter
Chapter: Festivities.
Kel yawned and winced, as her
stomach growled for the tenth time that night. Yet, she was still alert enough
to see the shadow moving toward her.
"Khari?" she asked. "What are you
doing here?"
Khari winked and put a finger to her
lips.
"Call Faleron and the other," she
whispered.
"I thought you guys might be hungry,
so…" She reached into the huge oriental style of her kimono (brought into
fashion just recently), and pulled out several pieces of ham stuck between
bread (all wrapped in a napkin, of course).
'sorry I couldn't gat anything to
drink." Khari said.
Kel smiled. "thank you, I'm sure a
lot of us need this."
Approaching steps told the girls of
Master Oakbridges' arrival. Khari disappeared silently into the shadows of the
kitchen and made her way back to the banquet hall. Kel hid her very important
parcel in her jacket, and made her way to the boys, where it was much
appreciated.
"It's great to have a friend in the
hall." Merric commented, secretly munching on his food.
"Khari's a jolly good girl." Owen
said cheerily.
"Except when she hits." Neal said.
"Like Kel." Owen agreed.
Kel smiled to herself and picked up
the finger bowl and a towel.
Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and
Malories' Peak sat at the highest table, along with their Majesties. Kel frowned in concentration, she wanted
desperately to make a good impression on her knight master. She bent her waist
into the perfect bow, and murmured, "My lord?"
Raoul smiled at his squire and
washed his fingers.
"Don't be so nervous squire, relax."
He said. "Have a look around, and enjoy the sights."
Kel straightened and bowed to the
man seated next to Raoul. He quickly washed his hands, and smiled at her. Kel
grinned back, he seemed the kind of man who didn't care whether or not one was
a girl.
"so," He said, eyes' sparkling. (His
eyes reminded Kel of Owen. You're the lass, aren't you?"
She nodded dumbly, feeling stupid.
Of course, hardly anyone could talk to her without pointing out that she was a
girl.
"We've heard much about you." He
said in a lilting voice. "Good luck, lassie." He winked at her, and Kel's grin
returned.
Kel straightened herself up and went
on to the lady sitting next to the man.
"My lady," she murmured. "The lady
rinsed her hands."
Kel finally got a good look at the
lady she was serving. She wore a beautifully flowing gown of light se foam
green, and had her read locks piled on top of her head. Her strong shoulders
emerged from the gown. Frank violet eyes stared at Kel, looking her up and
down.
"Violet eyes? Kel thought, her brain
catching up with her eyes.
"Yama!" Kel breathed. "you're Sir
Alanna!"
Kels'
finger bowl dropped from her nerveless hands, and shattered on the stone floor.
*************************************************************************************************************************************
"Faleron?" Khari asked. "What are you doing here?" isn't Owen serving here?"
"Not anymore." The squire replied,
offering his bowl to a lady. "Oakbridge didn't want him to spill salmon on the
beauties." A couple of the ladies giggled in delight, Khari sighed. Faleron
offered the bowl to her.
"Ugh." Khari whispered, so only
Faleron could hear, "Kaliana insisted on sitting here. At least I'll be
somewhere else tomorrow, away from this bunch of giggling sheep."
"Why don't you want to sit here?"
Faleron asked amiably, she was so close to him! His heart pounded.
"I'm not a lady, like they are. And
I'm not as spectacular as they are." Khari whispered. Faleron offered the fingerbowl to another lady, and straightened
up to leave for the first course.
"But I think you're spectacular." He
said. In his head, he slapped himself multiple times.
She whirled on him and stared
openly. He winked at her (pummeling himself in his head), and went on serving.
Khari blushed furiously, and noticed, in irritation, that the other court ladies
were giggling furiously.
When Faleron left, the brunette
sitting next to Khari (called Lady Ivonne of Drenn) turned to her.
"Looks like you've made quite a
conquest!" she giggled.
"Yes, and he is so handsome." Lady
Julia of Hawkton sighed. Khari felt the irresistible need to throw up. Who knew
court ladies were so annoyingly sick?
"What conquest?" She asked, "All the
boys act like that."
"That must be nice, seeing such
adorable men everyday."
"real nice. Khari said dryly.
"Especially when they accidentally knock you to the ground with a wooden
sword.'
"Oh!" Lady Julia exclaimed, "They
fight in your name?"
Khari stared at the stupidity of the
two. Thank Mithros, not all the ladies were like this.
"And do they joust for you?" lady
Ivonne asked. 'With those sharp sticks?'
"I heard," Julia said in a gossipy
tone, "That the GIRL jousts too."
"Such a hideous thing for a lady to
do." Julia replied, "Although she isn't a proper lady, is she? Always
roughhousing with the boys."
"At least not a pretty one." Ivonne
agreed, as Faleron came with the next course. "I mean, she's built like an
ugly horse!" Falerons' face darkened in
anger, and was ready to defend his friend, by saying something very rude…
"Enough!" Khari said. Then continued
in an icy, yet polite tone, "I wish you both luck in your search for a husband,
though I doubt there is a dolt out there stupid enough to choose you two. You
might try the stables, though I don't think the horses will like you either."
Khari stood up. "Excuse me, I need a breath of air. And, by the way."
Khari added, "It's called a lance…Hello!"
Faleron whistled in appreciation.
A/N: Review please. But first:
Thank you to ::takes a deep breath::
Lou Lou, Anna, tally, Larzdim,
Japorra, Smiley, Tazy Silverpen, /, ~, Caitie, The Shang Unicorn, NaaviO,
Czarina of the pink squirrels, Mysty, Kusa, ndblue123, Magelet, Lady Ev, Jung,
SyDra, Gretchen, Camilla, and ~Angel Fairy~.
Special thanks to:
Harry's Crush 9my first reviewer)
Saphron (companion stalker of TP, at
least in the imagination)
Corinne Cassandra Valard (Person who
alerted me to my need to thank everyone. Hope this makes you feel loved enough
to sign in!)
Aeris (you reviewed so much! WOW! On
email too!)
Iggly Wiggly (Ramen-Chan my
private lyncher)
Sam (My private stealer of first
copies of scripts.)
Thanx to all of you,
and if I forgot to mention you, give me a pummeling, kay? And tell me. There
will be another thanx in the very last chapter. BTW, I seem to be running out
of chapter names, any big words for: Romance, Attack, Present, or Fun? Also,
who here has seen A Knights' Tale?
A/A/N: See? I am
capable of writing long chapters!