1 Two years later
The Shang Phoenix sighed as she entered Corus for the first time in two years. She gave her horse a bit of a nudge and guided the mare though the streets. She rode up to the palace and was greeted by the stable hand.
"Hello, Stefan. I hope your day has been a good one?" She asked, dismounting.
"It's been good. And yours?" He asked with a grin. "It's been too long Loki."
"Aye, it has. Is the family home?"
"In bed. All of them. It's not even yet dawn."
"Who's in the chapel tonight?" She asked, grooming her horse, Shadowbane.
"Kelandry of Mindelan."
"Indeed. I believe I'll go refresh myself. After all, I shan't looked like this when I greet the parents."
"Off you go, Princess." He said. "I'll care for the horse."
"I'm not a Princess anymore, Stefan."
"Of course you aren't."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She stopped and looked up at the place she chose to stay at. The Dancing Dove. How long it had been. Slowly, she pushed the door open and walked into. There were several drunks snoozing at the tables. Walking up to the bar she called,
"What does a person have to do to get some service around here?" She watched with a grin as the barkeep stumbled down the stairs.
"I should have know it was you." Errol growled seeing that the person was Loki.
"Nice to see you too, old man. Some breakfast? Or if you'd rather, I'll make it. You go back to bed."
"I'm up now. I'll do it. I don't trust you youngsters in the kitchen. Burn my pots you will." He grumbled. She laughed and looked about the Dove. It hasn't changed much.
"May I pour myself a drink?" She called.
"Go ahead you crazy fool." She laughed and raided his fruit juice stores.
"Errol?" she heard a familiar voice call. She sucked her breath and straightened up so that Thad could get a go look of her. "You!" he growled.
"Good to see you too, Thad." She returned. A few minutes later, Errol walked into the room where the two still had not exchanged as much as another word.
"Your breakfast." He dumped the plate on the table. She finished it and thumped a few coins on the table.
"Thank you, Errol. If I may use your courtyard, I wish to practice."
"Go ahead crazy Shang…" He mumbled. "Get rid of these drunks on your way out, will ya." She grins, grabbing the first man and hauling him to his feet.
"Off you go, you old drunk." She shoved him out the door where he rolled up into a ball and returned to sleep. She grabbed the other drunkard and a basin of cold water. Throwing the man onto the other man, she released the basin and drenched the two in cold water forcing them to wake up. They glared at her and staggered off, mumbling about crazy women.
"Good." Errol said cleaning his pub. She smiled and grabbed her weapons.
"I'll be practicing." She walked outside and began her normal routine starting with her glaive, and ending with her ribbons. After she was done, she began her hand to hand practices.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Errol! A hot bath, if you'll please!" she called into the pub as she finished a few Shang kicks.
"I'm gittin it!" he called. A bit later he appeared at the door. "Milady's bath is ready."
"Thank you, Errol." She walked back inside. Thad was nowhere to be seen. It didn't matter. She bathed and paid for her bath. When she finished, she walked outside to see that the city was awake and there were hundreds of people milling about.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Well…" Loki said as she walked into the most famous dressmaker's shop. There were bunches of people there. City girls running to retrieve fabric and pins, nobles demanding that they be seen to, ladies trying on and taking off dresses and above all, a distraught Lady Knight among them. Loki stifled a laugh.
"I don't see anything funny, Loki of Olau!" Kel cried out. Everyone froze and turned to Loki. She bowed.
"It's just that Shang training has taken so much time, I've never seen a knight amiss a dressmaker's shop." She answered politely.
"Well it's not funny!" Kel finished, grabbing a girl as she walked by. "Lalasa, see to the Shang lady."
"She'll be seeing to my daughter's dress, not some Shang hussy!" A duchess yelled.
"I'll have you know that I am not a 'Shang hussy'. I am a fully trained and certified Shang Warriors. In fact, I am the Youngest Shang warrior in over a century. And I am not just a Shang warrior, I am the only living Shang Phoenix!" Loki yelled, angry.
"Please, my lady. 'Tis nothing to be angry over. I'll see to your dress." Lalasa begged with a look of fear in her eyes.
"No, Lalasa. See to Duchess of Irelif's dress. I'll wait." Loki answered, going to sit by Kel. "Lady Knight is it?" She asked.
"You know very well than you are more than just a Shang. You should be attended to before that woman. All she wants with that dress is to stuff her daughter in it and throw her to my lord knight, Raoul's feet. She doesn't seem to understand that he's spoken for. Besides, you are a Princess." Kel hissed.
"No, I'm not anymore! Remember?"
The Shang Phoenix sighed as she entered Corus for the first time in two years. She gave her horse a bit of a nudge and guided the mare though the streets. She rode up to the palace and was greeted by the stable hand.
"Hello, Stefan. I hope your day has been a good one?" She asked, dismounting.
"It's been good. And yours?" He asked with a grin. "It's been too long Loki."
"Aye, it has. Is the family home?"
"In bed. All of them. It's not even yet dawn."
"Who's in the chapel tonight?" She asked, grooming her horse, Shadowbane.
"Kelandry of Mindelan."
"Indeed. I believe I'll go refresh myself. After all, I shan't looked like this when I greet the parents."
"Off you go, Princess." He said. "I'll care for the horse."
"I'm not a Princess anymore, Stefan."
"Of course you aren't."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She stopped and looked up at the place she chose to stay at. The Dancing Dove. How long it had been. Slowly, she pushed the door open and walked into. There were several drunks snoozing at the tables. Walking up to the bar she called,
"What does a person have to do to get some service around here?" She watched with a grin as the barkeep stumbled down the stairs.
"I should have know it was you." Errol growled seeing that the person was Loki.
"Nice to see you too, old man. Some breakfast? Or if you'd rather, I'll make it. You go back to bed."
"I'm up now. I'll do it. I don't trust you youngsters in the kitchen. Burn my pots you will." He grumbled. She laughed and looked about the Dove. It hasn't changed much.
"May I pour myself a drink?" She called.
"Go ahead you crazy fool." She laughed and raided his fruit juice stores.
"Errol?" she heard a familiar voice call. She sucked her breath and straightened up so that Thad could get a go look of her. "You!" he growled.
"Good to see you too, Thad." She returned. A few minutes later, Errol walked into the room where the two still had not exchanged as much as another word.
"Your breakfast." He dumped the plate on the table. She finished it and thumped a few coins on the table.
"Thank you, Errol. If I may use your courtyard, I wish to practice."
"Go ahead crazy Shang…" He mumbled. "Get rid of these drunks on your way out, will ya." She grins, grabbing the first man and hauling him to his feet.
"Off you go, you old drunk." She shoved him out the door where he rolled up into a ball and returned to sleep. She grabbed the other drunkard and a basin of cold water. Throwing the man onto the other man, she released the basin and drenched the two in cold water forcing them to wake up. They glared at her and staggered off, mumbling about crazy women.
"Good." Errol said cleaning his pub. She smiled and grabbed her weapons.
"I'll be practicing." She walked outside and began her normal routine starting with her glaive, and ending with her ribbons. After she was done, she began her hand to hand practices.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Errol! A hot bath, if you'll please!" she called into the pub as she finished a few Shang kicks.
"I'm gittin it!" he called. A bit later he appeared at the door. "Milady's bath is ready."
"Thank you, Errol." She walked back inside. Thad was nowhere to be seen. It didn't matter. She bathed and paid for her bath. When she finished, she walked outside to see that the city was awake and there were hundreds of people milling about.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Well…" Loki said as she walked into the most famous dressmaker's shop. There were bunches of people there. City girls running to retrieve fabric and pins, nobles demanding that they be seen to, ladies trying on and taking off dresses and above all, a distraught Lady Knight among them. Loki stifled a laugh.
"I don't see anything funny, Loki of Olau!" Kel cried out. Everyone froze and turned to Loki. She bowed.
"It's just that Shang training has taken so much time, I've never seen a knight amiss a dressmaker's shop." She answered politely.
"Well it's not funny!" Kel finished, grabbing a girl as she walked by. "Lalasa, see to the Shang lady."
"She'll be seeing to my daughter's dress, not some Shang hussy!" A duchess yelled.
"I'll have you know that I am not a 'Shang hussy'. I am a fully trained and certified Shang Warriors. In fact, I am the Youngest Shang warrior in over a century. And I am not just a Shang warrior, I am the only living Shang Phoenix!" Loki yelled, angry.
"Please, my lady. 'Tis nothing to be angry over. I'll see to your dress." Lalasa begged with a look of fear in her eyes.
"No, Lalasa. See to Duchess of Irelif's dress. I'll wait." Loki answered, going to sit by Kel. "Lady Knight is it?" She asked.
"You know very well than you are more than just a Shang. You should be attended to before that woman. All she wants with that dress is to stuff her daughter in it and throw her to my lord knight, Raoul's feet. She doesn't seem to understand that he's spoken for. Besides, you are a Princess." Kel hissed.
"No, I'm not anymore! Remember?"