Author's note: Yuki and Neal never fell in love in my story. Instead,
we'll pretend it was Yuki and Faleron. (
****
"I'll see to you now." Lalasa walked over to where her mistress and the Shang warrior sat. Her shop had cleared out with the exception of a few. "You first, Kel. You've been here longer."
"Wow. Kel in a skirt." Kel scowled at Loki for that remark.
"Cleon likes me in skirts." She whispered.
"You should be knighted in a skirt. Remind everyone of who you are." Loki suggested.
"Good idea but no. I don't want to cause anymore trouble."
"Good. I want to be the troublemaker tonight. Now tell me of your Cleon."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Good Goddess! You should have his mother talked about. You two are perfect together."
"His fief needs the money. He has his marriage arranged with an heiress." Kel sighed. "They need the money and I don't even have a dowry."
"I'll fix that." Loki announced before Lalasa declared Kel perfect and made her jump of the stool to start on Loki.
"Don't do anything stupid. Now how is Lalasa going to sew you a whole dress in just one afternoon?" Kel demanded watching Lalasa take Loki's measurements.
"Don't be a dolt! She can't. I commissioned a dress two years ago. I told her to leave growing room." Loki told her while Lalasa scampered of to get the dress. She returned a few minutes later with a box.
"Open it, Loki." She ordered. Loki sighed and bent to open the box. First she pulled out her porcelain doll, Rosie.
"It's been two years, Rosie." She told the doll before setting it down. She bent and pulled the oiled cloth away from her gown. "It's so pretty!" Loki held up a blue evening gown that matched Rosie's.
"Put it on!" Lalasa begged. Loki got up and changed into the dress. It fit perfectly. Lalasa held up a pair of slippers and some accessories. "Your tiara is hidden in my office." Lalasa disappeared again and returned with a velvet box.
"You'll help me later, right? Lalasa?" Loki begged.
"Of course! Silly duck! No need to get emotional."
"Thank you!"
"Be here before sunset and I'll curl your hair."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Lalasa? Hurry! I don't want to be late!" Loki said impatiently.
"Calm down! Sit still." Lalasa lowered the hot iron one last time and helped Loki into the tiara. "Exquisite." Lalasa sighed.
"Thank you again, Lalasa." Loki stared into the looking glass. Most girls would add face paint but Loki didn't need any. She had deep blue eyes framed by long black lashed. She had a wonderful complexion and naturally rosy cheeks. Her lips were a full deep red.
"Come now. We mustn't be late to Kel's knighting." Lalasa led the way out to the carriage Loki had rented.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Arise, Lady Knight." Jonathan said. Kel stood up with tears in her eyes as she received her shield.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Lady Knight, Kelandry of Mindelan!" The herald called out. Kel walked down the stairs and bowed to the monarchs. She turned and called out.
"Princess Lianne of Conté, Shang Phoenix!" Everyone froze and watched Loki/Lianne descend down the steps, floating it seemed like. She stopped in front of her parents and curtseyed deeply.
"Lianne!" Roald cried out after several minutes of awkward silence. He stepped forward and pulled his youngest sister into an embrace. Jonathan recovered and was quickly on his feet to greet his youngest daughter. Thayet looked on. Lianne pulled away from her family and looked up at her mother.
"I hope you aren't still upset, Mother." She whispered.
"You look like your doll." Thayet finally said before bursting out in tears. She ran to her daughter and they hugged while they both sobbed.
"I've missed you so much, Mother."
"So the wench is back!" Liam said, bitterly. Lianne glared at the boy who was younger than she was.
"Liam. It's good to see you too." She said softly.
"You aren't wanted." He hissed.
"Nonsense! If you insist on acting like a child, I suggest you leave, Liam." Jonathan said firmly.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So tell me about yourself, Princess." A new knight asked her.
"What was your name again? I can't remember." She asked, truthfully.
"Neal. Nealan of Queenscove." He answered, throwing his brown locks from his beautiful green eyes.
"And I'm Owen of Jesslaw. I'm only a fourth year squire." He admitted. She decided to make him feel better.
"And a handsome one at that. And to answer your question, Neal, I've been training as a Shang warrior since I was six. I'm best with the glaive and the ribbon."
"Ribbon?" Merric asked.
"Yes. A weapon I created. I'll show you sometime if you'll like."
"Yes, please!" the boys chimed.
"I'm for a dance." She announced. "Anyone care for a try?"
"May I?" Neal asked with a question in his eyes.
****
"I'll see to you now." Lalasa walked over to where her mistress and the Shang warrior sat. Her shop had cleared out with the exception of a few. "You first, Kel. You've been here longer."
"Wow. Kel in a skirt." Kel scowled at Loki for that remark.
"Cleon likes me in skirts." She whispered.
"You should be knighted in a skirt. Remind everyone of who you are." Loki suggested.
"Good idea but no. I don't want to cause anymore trouble."
"Good. I want to be the troublemaker tonight. Now tell me of your Cleon."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Good Goddess! You should have his mother talked about. You two are perfect together."
"His fief needs the money. He has his marriage arranged with an heiress." Kel sighed. "They need the money and I don't even have a dowry."
"I'll fix that." Loki announced before Lalasa declared Kel perfect and made her jump of the stool to start on Loki.
"Don't do anything stupid. Now how is Lalasa going to sew you a whole dress in just one afternoon?" Kel demanded watching Lalasa take Loki's measurements.
"Don't be a dolt! She can't. I commissioned a dress two years ago. I told her to leave growing room." Loki told her while Lalasa scampered of to get the dress. She returned a few minutes later with a box.
"Open it, Loki." She ordered. Loki sighed and bent to open the box. First she pulled out her porcelain doll, Rosie.
"It's been two years, Rosie." She told the doll before setting it down. She bent and pulled the oiled cloth away from her gown. "It's so pretty!" Loki held up a blue evening gown that matched Rosie's.
"Put it on!" Lalasa begged. Loki got up and changed into the dress. It fit perfectly. Lalasa held up a pair of slippers and some accessories. "Your tiara is hidden in my office." Lalasa disappeared again and returned with a velvet box.
"You'll help me later, right? Lalasa?" Loki begged.
"Of course! Silly duck! No need to get emotional."
"Thank you!"
"Be here before sunset and I'll curl your hair."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Lalasa? Hurry! I don't want to be late!" Loki said impatiently.
"Calm down! Sit still." Lalasa lowered the hot iron one last time and helped Loki into the tiara. "Exquisite." Lalasa sighed.
"Thank you again, Lalasa." Loki stared into the looking glass. Most girls would add face paint but Loki didn't need any. She had deep blue eyes framed by long black lashed. She had a wonderful complexion and naturally rosy cheeks. Her lips were a full deep red.
"Come now. We mustn't be late to Kel's knighting." Lalasa led the way out to the carriage Loki had rented.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Arise, Lady Knight." Jonathan said. Kel stood up with tears in her eyes as she received her shield.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Lady Knight, Kelandry of Mindelan!" The herald called out. Kel walked down the stairs and bowed to the monarchs. She turned and called out.
"Princess Lianne of Conté, Shang Phoenix!" Everyone froze and watched Loki/Lianne descend down the steps, floating it seemed like. She stopped in front of her parents and curtseyed deeply.
"Lianne!" Roald cried out after several minutes of awkward silence. He stepped forward and pulled his youngest sister into an embrace. Jonathan recovered and was quickly on his feet to greet his youngest daughter. Thayet looked on. Lianne pulled away from her family and looked up at her mother.
"I hope you aren't still upset, Mother." She whispered.
"You look like your doll." Thayet finally said before bursting out in tears. She ran to her daughter and they hugged while they both sobbed.
"I've missed you so much, Mother."
"So the wench is back!" Liam said, bitterly. Lianne glared at the boy who was younger than she was.
"Liam. It's good to see you too." She said softly.
"You aren't wanted." He hissed.
"Nonsense! If you insist on acting like a child, I suggest you leave, Liam." Jonathan said firmly.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So tell me about yourself, Princess." A new knight asked her.
"What was your name again? I can't remember." She asked, truthfully.
"Neal. Nealan of Queenscove." He answered, throwing his brown locks from his beautiful green eyes.
"And I'm Owen of Jesslaw. I'm only a fourth year squire." He admitted. She decided to make him feel better.
"And a handsome one at that. And to answer your question, Neal, I've been training as a Shang warrior since I was six. I'm best with the glaive and the ribbon."
"Ribbon?" Merric asked.
"Yes. A weapon I created. I'll show you sometime if you'll like."
"Yes, please!" the boys chimed.
"I'm for a dance." She announced. "Anyone care for a try?"
"May I?" Neal asked with a question in his eyes.