"What?!"
The shout resounded throughout the hall, causing many to turn their heads.
"What ball?! Haven't we had ENOUGH?" A woman with soft copper hair paced around a small room, looking every bit her nickname. The King's Champion, the Lioness, Alanna Cooper, of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, the legendary first woman knight in centuries, was throwing a fit.
The sides of Sir Raoul of Goldenlake's mouth twitched up in amusement. As her old friend, he'd gotten used to this. Alanna rounded on him.
"Just what is so funny?" she demanded. "You're required to come, too, you know."
Raoul sobered up. "Yes, I know," he muttered. "Don't see why Jon can't just take these stupid balls and..."
"You know he only does it to humor Thayet.... And I think those representatives from Maren are coming, too." Alanna interrupted tiredly, sitting down in a chair. "Honestly, that woman has a party for everything..."
"Alas, she is doomed to be the Queen of such gloomy party-goers," Raoul sighed with an exaggerated hand motion. She just glared.
"And you had to tell me the day before it happens, didn't you?"
Raoul grinned. "What, and listen to you go on like this for another week? Nah, we thought it best to inform you when you wouldn't have time to fuss," he informed her. "Because, you know, Thayet WILL expect you to dress.... nicely." Alanna stared at him blankly.
"I don't get..." a look of horror washed over her face as she realized what he meant. "No....no way.... can't I just go in nice breeches?" she pleaded, though she realized it was futile.
"No," Raoul smiled wickedly. "Her Highness said that I'm to inform you that you shall dress properly for our guests," Alanna groaned. "In fact," Raoul continued "She has set up a meeting with one of the best seamstresses in town for you to get fitted. Today." She groaned again.
Suddenly she sat up.
"Wait... George is still at Pirate's Swoop! He said he'd come in another week! I can't go without him!" she cried. Frantic, Alanna nearly tipped over the chair as she stood up. Raoul put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.
"You can go to one ball without him..." Raoul assured her. "People have gotten past thinking that a woman can be just as good as, and, sometimes, better," Alanna blushed. "...than a man, so I'm sure they can get past thinking that a married woman alone at a party, or anywhere else, isn't right."
"Raoul, that made absolutely no sense," she informed him as she resumed pacing. "Neither does Thayet arranging for me to get fitted for a... formal female outfit." The lady knight made a face. "Can't I just...wear something I already own?
"Oh, so, I don't have that many dresses," she snapped at Raoul's blank stare. "I could dig something out from...somewhere..."
"That's what her Highness is afraid of,"
Raoul was interrupted by a knock on the open door. "Um... Lady Alanna?" A runner with close cropped gold hair stood in the doorway clutching a parcel. His eyes darted from Alanna to Raoul, obviously nervous about being in a room with two of the most famous knights in Tortall. He realized they were staring.
"Oh, yeah..." he cleared his throat. "I have a package for you..." He thrust out what he was carrying. As soon as Alanna took it, he was out the door and running, after a hasty bow. Raoul raised an eyebrow. "Twitchy fellow..." he lost interest in whatever he was about to say as he looked down to see what it was Alanna had recieved.
"Oh, wow..."
The shout resounded throughout the hall, causing many to turn their heads.
"What ball?! Haven't we had ENOUGH?" A woman with soft copper hair paced around a small room, looking every bit her nickname. The King's Champion, the Lioness, Alanna Cooper, of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, the legendary first woman knight in centuries, was throwing a fit.
The sides of Sir Raoul of Goldenlake's mouth twitched up in amusement. As her old friend, he'd gotten used to this. Alanna rounded on him.
"Just what is so funny?" she demanded. "You're required to come, too, you know."
Raoul sobered up. "Yes, I know," he muttered. "Don't see why Jon can't just take these stupid balls and..."
"You know he only does it to humor Thayet.... And I think those representatives from Maren are coming, too." Alanna interrupted tiredly, sitting down in a chair. "Honestly, that woman has a party for everything..."
"Alas, she is doomed to be the Queen of such gloomy party-goers," Raoul sighed with an exaggerated hand motion. She just glared.
"And you had to tell me the day before it happens, didn't you?"
Raoul grinned. "What, and listen to you go on like this for another week? Nah, we thought it best to inform you when you wouldn't have time to fuss," he informed her. "Because, you know, Thayet WILL expect you to dress.... nicely." Alanna stared at him blankly.
"I don't get..." a look of horror washed over her face as she realized what he meant. "No....no way.... can't I just go in nice breeches?" she pleaded, though she realized it was futile.
"No," Raoul smiled wickedly. "Her Highness said that I'm to inform you that you shall dress properly for our guests," Alanna groaned. "In fact," Raoul continued "She has set up a meeting with one of the best seamstresses in town for you to get fitted. Today." She groaned again.
Suddenly she sat up.
"Wait... George is still at Pirate's Swoop! He said he'd come in another week! I can't go without him!" she cried. Frantic, Alanna nearly tipped over the chair as she stood up. Raoul put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.
"You can go to one ball without him..." Raoul assured her. "People have gotten past thinking that a woman can be just as good as, and, sometimes, better," Alanna blushed. "...than a man, so I'm sure they can get past thinking that a married woman alone at a party, or anywhere else, isn't right."
"Raoul, that made absolutely no sense," she informed him as she resumed pacing. "Neither does Thayet arranging for me to get fitted for a... formal female outfit." The lady knight made a face. "Can't I just...wear something I already own?
"Oh, so, I don't have that many dresses," she snapped at Raoul's blank stare. "I could dig something out from...somewhere..."
"That's what her Highness is afraid of,"
Raoul was interrupted by a knock on the open door. "Um... Lady Alanna?" A runner with close cropped gold hair stood in the doorway clutching a parcel. His eyes darted from Alanna to Raoul, obviously nervous about being in a room with two of the most famous knights in Tortall. He realized they were staring.
"Oh, yeah..." he cleared his throat. "I have a package for you..." He thrust out what he was carrying. As soon as Alanna took it, he was out the door and running, after a hasty bow. Raoul raised an eyebrow. "Twitchy fellow..." he lost interest in whatever he was about to say as he looked down to see what it was Alanna had recieved.
"Oh, wow..."
