The ball ended and everyone retired.
"May I walk you to your room, Princess?" Neal asked the Princess.
"Yes. You may. Please don't call me Princess. I've lost any Princess privileges. I'm only a Shang warrior now." She said modestly.
"Shang Phoenix at that. And you'll always be Princess in my eyes, Lianne." He took her hand and they walked down the halls.
"Don't call me Lianne. No one has used that name with me in twelve years. Call me Loki. Did you know while training, I used the name Loki of Olau?"
"No, I didn't." He leaned down when they stopped in front of her room and place a kiss on her lips. "Midwinter's luck, Loki." She kissed him back.
"Midwinter's luck."
"In what ways have you lost your Princess-ism?" He asked, curious.
"Well…" She blushed. "I didn't know if I was ever going to return to the Palace or even get married so I guess Princesses should be…" She blushed harder. "Virgin brides." Neal's eyes bulged and he nearly choked. "Neal?"
"I'm alright." He murmured after a while. "I should go." He placed another kiss on her lips ad turned to go only to be stopped by her hand on his arm.
"Neal…wait. Don't go. I hope you don't think any less of me." She whispered.
"I don't princess." He said then passionately kissed her. He released her and fled down the hall.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
What was I thinking? Manhandling the Princess like that! Neal hit himself on the head, still pacing across his room. Suddenly, there was a quiet knock on his door.
"Who is it?" He called.
"It's me." Neal opened the door to reveal Loki in men's wear. "I couldn't sleep so I thought I would come see you." She bit her lip.
"Come in. May I offer you something to drink?" He went about his room to find glasses and wine. "Some fruit?"
"Sure. Neal, you don't…" She started. "You don't think any less of me do you? Truthfully? I never thought I would come home. If I knew fate would lead me home, I never would have done anything."
"Loki…you're beautiful. Any way you are. Most of these noble families believe that a woman is only pure if she's untouched when she marries. Men take pride in virgin brides. I could care less. If I loved a woman, it wouldn't matter. A woman's body is hers and hers to decide what to do with it." He answered, staring the girl straight in the eyes.
"That's good to know." She whispered, burying her face into his broad, muscular chest. Neal smiled and kissed the top of her head. She looked up and waited for his kiss and was granted her wish. Soon, they were fumbling at one another's shirt laces, their tunics having been discarded. Suddenly, he pulled away.
"I can't…" He whispered his voice husky. "I can't…"
"I understand, Neal." She planted a kiss on his lips and put her clothes back on. "I should go." She slipped out of his door and hurried down the hall.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Lianne!" Jonathan called from his office.
"Yes, father?" She stuck her head into the room. She wore her normal practice clothes.
"A word. Marriage? Your views?" She sighed. "You're a Princess. Eighteen years of age. It's about time you take a husband."
"Papa…" She looked up into his eyes. "I'm not a princess anymore…I'll marry whom I love and I won't have you arranging my marriage. I've been on my own for twelve years and I can take care of myself. Don't take over my life." She said, firmly.
"Very well. Lianne, you are a princess. Whether you believe it or not, the people still consider you a princess."
"Thank you, Father." She turned and left.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Who do you think you are, Lianne?" Liam demanded, blocking her way to the courts. "You come in and take over acting like you are the queen of the world! You can't do this!"
"Liam, I'm not the queen of the world. I'm no one. I'm just the Shang Phoenix. Nothing more, nothing less. I only came back to see Roald married and I'm off. Don't worry, Liam. I'm not going to take your place." She shoved past him.
"Dirty whore! I know you bedded Nealan of Queenscove. That rat!" She grabbed her brother and shoved him against the wall.
"If you say another word about Neal, I will…"
"You'll what?" Neal asked watching the angry girl from the steps. "He's nothing, Loki. Let it go. He can believe whatever he pleases."
"You heard what he said, Neal…" She protested.
"There's a jousting tournament tomorrow. Settle this there." He offered.
"Fine." She dropped her brother. "I'll see you in the field, Liam." She hissed and left.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Raoul? Sir? May I ask a favor?" Loki stormed into the field where Raoul and Kel were practicing.
"Ask away." The tall man replied.
"Jousting. Can you teach me how in one afternoon? I've a challenge for tomorrow's tournament." Raoul sighed.
"You've been back for barely a week and already in trouble."
"I know how to joust, I'm just not very good. If we could, I'd rather have hand to hand combat or archery. Or glaive fights." She admitted, bringing Shadowbane around.
"Jolly. Who are you jousting against?" Kel asked.
"Liam of Conté." She whispered.
"Your brother? Why?" Raoul asked.
"He spoke ill of a friend of mine. Of myself as well. If you had been there, you would understand."
"Well, I can tell you Liam is excellent at jousting." Raoul started.
"May I walk you to your room, Princess?" Neal asked the Princess.
"Yes. You may. Please don't call me Princess. I've lost any Princess privileges. I'm only a Shang warrior now." She said modestly.
"Shang Phoenix at that. And you'll always be Princess in my eyes, Lianne." He took her hand and they walked down the halls.
"Don't call me Lianne. No one has used that name with me in twelve years. Call me Loki. Did you know while training, I used the name Loki of Olau?"
"No, I didn't." He leaned down when they stopped in front of her room and place a kiss on her lips. "Midwinter's luck, Loki." She kissed him back.
"Midwinter's luck."
"In what ways have you lost your Princess-ism?" He asked, curious.
"Well…" She blushed. "I didn't know if I was ever going to return to the Palace or even get married so I guess Princesses should be…" She blushed harder. "Virgin brides." Neal's eyes bulged and he nearly choked. "Neal?"
"I'm alright." He murmured after a while. "I should go." He placed another kiss on her lips ad turned to go only to be stopped by her hand on his arm.
"Neal…wait. Don't go. I hope you don't think any less of me." She whispered.
"I don't princess." He said then passionately kissed her. He released her and fled down the hall.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
What was I thinking? Manhandling the Princess like that! Neal hit himself on the head, still pacing across his room. Suddenly, there was a quiet knock on his door.
"Who is it?" He called.
"It's me." Neal opened the door to reveal Loki in men's wear. "I couldn't sleep so I thought I would come see you." She bit her lip.
"Come in. May I offer you something to drink?" He went about his room to find glasses and wine. "Some fruit?"
"Sure. Neal, you don't…" She started. "You don't think any less of me do you? Truthfully? I never thought I would come home. If I knew fate would lead me home, I never would have done anything."
"Loki…you're beautiful. Any way you are. Most of these noble families believe that a woman is only pure if she's untouched when she marries. Men take pride in virgin brides. I could care less. If I loved a woman, it wouldn't matter. A woman's body is hers and hers to decide what to do with it." He answered, staring the girl straight in the eyes.
"That's good to know." She whispered, burying her face into his broad, muscular chest. Neal smiled and kissed the top of her head. She looked up and waited for his kiss and was granted her wish. Soon, they were fumbling at one another's shirt laces, their tunics having been discarded. Suddenly, he pulled away.
"I can't…" He whispered his voice husky. "I can't…"
"I understand, Neal." She planted a kiss on his lips and put her clothes back on. "I should go." She slipped out of his door and hurried down the hall.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Lianne!" Jonathan called from his office.
"Yes, father?" She stuck her head into the room. She wore her normal practice clothes.
"A word. Marriage? Your views?" She sighed. "You're a Princess. Eighteen years of age. It's about time you take a husband."
"Papa…" She looked up into his eyes. "I'm not a princess anymore…I'll marry whom I love and I won't have you arranging my marriage. I've been on my own for twelve years and I can take care of myself. Don't take over my life." She said, firmly.
"Very well. Lianne, you are a princess. Whether you believe it or not, the people still consider you a princess."
"Thank you, Father." She turned and left.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Who do you think you are, Lianne?" Liam demanded, blocking her way to the courts. "You come in and take over acting like you are the queen of the world! You can't do this!"
"Liam, I'm not the queen of the world. I'm no one. I'm just the Shang Phoenix. Nothing more, nothing less. I only came back to see Roald married and I'm off. Don't worry, Liam. I'm not going to take your place." She shoved past him.
"Dirty whore! I know you bedded Nealan of Queenscove. That rat!" She grabbed her brother and shoved him against the wall.
"If you say another word about Neal, I will…"
"You'll what?" Neal asked watching the angry girl from the steps. "He's nothing, Loki. Let it go. He can believe whatever he pleases."
"You heard what he said, Neal…" She protested.
"There's a jousting tournament tomorrow. Settle this there." He offered.
"Fine." She dropped her brother. "I'll see you in the field, Liam." She hissed and left.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Raoul? Sir? May I ask a favor?" Loki stormed into the field where Raoul and Kel were practicing.
"Ask away." The tall man replied.
"Jousting. Can you teach me how in one afternoon? I've a challenge for tomorrow's tournament." Raoul sighed.
"You've been back for barely a week and already in trouble."
"I know how to joust, I'm just not very good. If we could, I'd rather have hand to hand combat or archery. Or glaive fights." She admitted, bringing Shadowbane around.
"Jolly. Who are you jousting against?" Kel asked.
"Liam of Conté." She whispered.
"Your brother? Why?" Raoul asked.
"He spoke ill of a friend of mine. Of myself as well. If you had been there, you would understand."
"Well, I can tell you Liam is excellent at jousting." Raoul started.