Alternate Endings
Chapter Four
To say Kel wasn't nervous as she stepped off the ship onto Tortallan soil in Port Caynn would have been a lie. A very big lie. She was very nervous. Now, with two handmaidens and a bodyguard assigned to her, she felt awkward. She'd never even had a personal maid before. It was just her good luck that one of the young women, Lady Yukimi noh Daimorou had been a friend since childhood. The other, Lady Haname noh Ajikuro, was from an old family and older than Kel and Yuki, but was fun and easy once they got to know each other better.
Keladry was wearing an outfit that had been made for just this very moment when they were on the ship (there had been a seamstress there just to make clothes for her that were fit for a princess). The inner kimono was cream and the outer was a royal blue with Yamani blessings embroidered on it in a soft gray. Not exactly the colors of royalty, but her house's colors.
They were received by the Third Company of the King's Own, a group of the Queen's Riders - the seventeenth, Group Askew - and Queen Thayet and her Ladies.
This whole matter was touchy. Technically, Kel and her mother were Tortallan, but they were representatives of the Yamani Islands. Though filling the role of a princess, Keladry was not actually royalty, and hardly even nobility here in Tortall. No one, therefore, really knew how to treat the situation. Queen Thayet seemed to have an idea. To just treat the expressionless girl in front of her as a daughter and Ilane as a good friend.
Near to trembling, Kel bowed - Yamani style then Tortallan - to the entourage of a welcoming party. When she straightened, Queen Thayet embraced her and kissed each of her cheeks in greeting.
"My dear Lady Keladry. Welcome home." She felt her future daughter-in-law's quakes. "Calm down. You'll be just fine here. I get the over-whelming feeling that you belong in our Court." The queen released Keladry to curtsey to Lady Ilane.
Baroness Ilane, in her kimono and all her glory, bowed to her daughter's mother-in-law to be.
"Shall we allow you to rest or shall we proceed to the capital? As our guests, the decision is yours to make." Everyone looked at Kel for the answer. This was going to take a lot of getting used to.
Kel had been bored to death on that ship. She had plenty of practice, though, playing fan-toss and working with her glaive on the rolling sea. Gods help any pirate she might fight at sea. She almost grinned at the prospect. But back to the matter at hand, "We shall proceed, if it pleases your majesty." Kel informed the monarch.
"It does please me. If you could just give me a minute though. I would like to change into something easier to travel in. Do you wish to do the same?" She eyes the kimonos.
"We are content your majesty." Kel rode in kimonos all the time in the Islands. Though she found breeches decidedly more comfortable to ride in, what would all of Tortall think if Prince Roald's future wife was riding around the countryside in breaches? Although, a reasonable part of her mind came up with the image of Tortall's present queen. She even fought alongside the men, not just dressed like one.
In just a short space of time, they were riding along a dirt Tortallan road. Kel rode beside the queen and found that as time passed, it was easier to talk to, and learn from, the personable queen.
"I think that my son will adore you!" The queen stated. "You're pretty, nice, seem to have a good sense of humor, and a good head on your shoulders." She smiled at Keladry.
"Thank you, your majesty."
"I thought we got rid of that nonsense an hour ago! Call my Thayet unless we're in a situation that has to be dreadfully formal. It's easier and if all goes well and as planned, we'll be family.
Not quite sure how to answer that remark, Kel nodded, then said, "If you would please call me Kel, then? My family and friends do." The queen - Thayet - smiled.
"Kel, then. Well, Kel, my son is spending time at his knight-master's castle in Port Legann, and will not be home for some time." She though a moment. "You're that young lady who wanted to train as a page, are you not?"
That memory embarrassed Kel, but she confirmed the queen's question. "Yes."
"Well, then. I'm sure my Kalasin will want to meet with you. And the Lady Knight." She broke off, turning to the female commander at her left. "Buri, why wasn't she here?"
"Problems at the Swoop, Thayet."
"Ah yes. Well, anyway, I'm sure there will be enough to keep you entertained."
Chapter Four
To say Kel wasn't nervous as she stepped off the ship onto Tortallan soil in Port Caynn would have been a lie. A very big lie. She was very nervous. Now, with two handmaidens and a bodyguard assigned to her, she felt awkward. She'd never even had a personal maid before. It was just her good luck that one of the young women, Lady Yukimi noh Daimorou had been a friend since childhood. The other, Lady Haname noh Ajikuro, was from an old family and older than Kel and Yuki, but was fun and easy once they got to know each other better.
Keladry was wearing an outfit that had been made for just this very moment when they were on the ship (there had been a seamstress there just to make clothes for her that were fit for a princess). The inner kimono was cream and the outer was a royal blue with Yamani blessings embroidered on it in a soft gray. Not exactly the colors of royalty, but her house's colors.
They were received by the Third Company of the King's Own, a group of the Queen's Riders - the seventeenth, Group Askew - and Queen Thayet and her Ladies.
This whole matter was touchy. Technically, Kel and her mother were Tortallan, but they were representatives of the Yamani Islands. Though filling the role of a princess, Keladry was not actually royalty, and hardly even nobility here in Tortall. No one, therefore, really knew how to treat the situation. Queen Thayet seemed to have an idea. To just treat the expressionless girl in front of her as a daughter and Ilane as a good friend.
Near to trembling, Kel bowed - Yamani style then Tortallan - to the entourage of a welcoming party. When she straightened, Queen Thayet embraced her and kissed each of her cheeks in greeting.
"My dear Lady Keladry. Welcome home." She felt her future daughter-in-law's quakes. "Calm down. You'll be just fine here. I get the over-whelming feeling that you belong in our Court." The queen released Keladry to curtsey to Lady Ilane.
Baroness Ilane, in her kimono and all her glory, bowed to her daughter's mother-in-law to be.
"Shall we allow you to rest or shall we proceed to the capital? As our guests, the decision is yours to make." Everyone looked at Kel for the answer. This was going to take a lot of getting used to.
Kel had been bored to death on that ship. She had plenty of practice, though, playing fan-toss and working with her glaive on the rolling sea. Gods help any pirate she might fight at sea. She almost grinned at the prospect. But back to the matter at hand, "We shall proceed, if it pleases your majesty." Kel informed the monarch.
"It does please me. If you could just give me a minute though. I would like to change into something easier to travel in. Do you wish to do the same?" She eyes the kimonos.
"We are content your majesty." Kel rode in kimonos all the time in the Islands. Though she found breeches decidedly more comfortable to ride in, what would all of Tortall think if Prince Roald's future wife was riding around the countryside in breaches? Although, a reasonable part of her mind came up with the image of Tortall's present queen. She even fought alongside the men, not just dressed like one.
In just a short space of time, they were riding along a dirt Tortallan road. Kel rode beside the queen and found that as time passed, it was easier to talk to, and learn from, the personable queen.
"I think that my son will adore you!" The queen stated. "You're pretty, nice, seem to have a good sense of humor, and a good head on your shoulders." She smiled at Keladry.
"Thank you, your majesty."
"I thought we got rid of that nonsense an hour ago! Call my Thayet unless we're in a situation that has to be dreadfully formal. It's easier and if all goes well and as planned, we'll be family.
Not quite sure how to answer that remark, Kel nodded, then said, "If you would please call me Kel, then? My family and friends do." The queen - Thayet - smiled.
"Kel, then. Well, Kel, my son is spending time at his knight-master's castle in Port Legann, and will not be home for some time." She though a moment. "You're that young lady who wanted to train as a page, are you not?"
That memory embarrassed Kel, but she confirmed the queen's question. "Yes."
"Well, then. I'm sure my Kalasin will want to meet with you. And the Lady Knight." She broke off, turning to the female commander at her left. "Buri, why wasn't she here?"
"Problems at the Swoop, Thayet."
"Ah yes. Well, anyway, I'm sure there will be enough to keep you entertained."