A/N  Okay, Stef speaking.  This has been written for quite a while… in fact, since before I moved.  We're in the midst of finishing part two, but… Okay, we're about a third of the way through 'Nightgowns and Nymphs,' and Chloë has it, so I don't know quite when she'll finish her part.  Hopefully soon, so I can write some, and… it'll get finished.  That could take any time from a month to six, so be patient.  In the meantime, we're posting this and actively writing a second chapter of 'Warped.'  Hope you like it, hope you haven't forgotten the story, and please review!!  We don't own much, but we're proud of what we do. 

~Stef

The next morning, Kel and Neal woke at dawn and went down to the stables to saddle up their horses for the seven day journey to Blue Harbour, where a diplomatic vessel would take them to the Yamani Islands.

They worked in silence, Kel tending to Hoshi and Peachblossom, Neal caring for his grey mare 'Mist.' Next to them, Stefan was feeding the horses.

"Ye'll be needin' a wagon," he observed, "If ye want to bring somethin' to the Yamani Islands."

"There's one reserved for the Queenscoves," Neal said lightly, "But we'll have breakfast before we pack and hitch it up to the horses."

"So ye didn't get any packin' done last night, then?" and a wicked smile spread over his face

"Not exactly," said Neal airily as Kel put on her Yamani 'Lump' face

At breakfast, a grinning Cleon and Carra came to greet them as well as eat. To Neal's chagrin Carra was wearing only a thin green nightgown with a pink robe over it. Cleon was dressed in last night's clothes. Kel and Neal exchanged suggestive glances.

"Uh, Carra?" Neal said.  "Maybe you'd like to put on something… oh, a bit more substantial?"

Carra just looked at him blankly, so Kel saw fit to translate the unspoken with the spoken, "He thinks you should put on something thicker, not to mention that he doesn't approve of you coming to breakfast in a nightgown." She suppressed a smile. 

"Oh, right.  Brothers!"  But she grinned at Cleon, and went back to her rooms to change. 

"I notice you're wearing the same clothes you were last night." Neal said blandly.  He liked Cleon, but Carra was his sister.  Friendship warred with protectiveness. 

"Oh for the gods' sakes!" Cleon burst out.  He shot Neal a glare, not entirely in jest, and went back to his own rooms to change. 

"Somebody needs a little more sleep," Kel commented softly.  She grinned when she saw Neal stiffen.  "Give her a break!  She's betrothed, and Cleon's a good man.  C'mon, eat your fruit, and we'll go and pack." 

"Okay," Neal said reluctantly. 

They were packed, and ready to set off on the journey to Blue Harbour, the closest port in Tortall to the Yamani Islands.  The trip would take a week, one that Kel intended to put to good use.  After the first day, Kel and Neal dismounted from their horses, and set up the tent.  One tent. 

As they were settling into bed, Kel said softly to Neal, "You know, you'll have to learn to hide some of your emotions.  Being a Tortallan, they won't expect you to be perfectly rigid, but basic emotional hiding you've got to master.  Would you like me to teach you on the journey?"

Neal sighed.

"All right. So, what do I do first?"
          "First of all, you don't sigh." He grinned in reply, "And you don't smile. No kissing in public. Hide all emotions."

"How can I try that?"

"Don't laugh at jokes. Don't pull faces if someone tells you to do something you don't like. Obey all orders, that's very important, but don't let anyone of lower status push you around." She leaned forward and kissed him. Unsure of whether it was a test or not, Neal was uncertain as to how to respond and settled for a head nod.

"Taking all of this to heart, aren't you?" said Kel with a short smile

"I don't want to embarrass you in front of all your stoic Yamani friends," he told her wryly, "Are there any taboo conversation topics?"

Kel smiled, "Oh yes, and you can get executed for some, even. In fact, you can get executed for not bowing to the emperor right." Neal didn't respond for a few moments and then he winced.

"Harsh."

"Yes. Maybe instead of dawn exercises I should teach you how to bow; really, there's no difference between Yamani etiquette and gruelling Tortallan army training."

"No wonder you were always the best in everything," grumbled Neal, but he was smiling.  "But Master Oakbridge taught us all the bows and stuff before Shinko came!"

"That's another thing… never shorten a name in public, even with the person's permission. Private is fine, but when you're talking about a princess in front of the emperor… mistake.  And Master Oakbridge only taught you the basics.  The raw basics.  But at least you won't have to start from scratch."

"Maybe you can teach me…" he yawned, a not-so-subtle hint, "You can teach me more in the morning?"

"Yes…dear," muttered Kel, grinning, and she blew out the lamp.

The next morning, as Neal stumbled around the camp, yawning, Kel was busy drawing charts on Yamani manners. Long, long lists of what to do and what not to do could have filled a book.

"Neal, come here! I need to show you some bowing."

"All right. What do I do?"

"Stand there. Pretend I'm a…noble lady. A Duchess."

"I don't need to pretend."

"What?"

"You are a Duchess. Remember? I'm Duke Sir Nealan of Queenscove, and you, as my wife, are Duchess Sir Keladry of Queenscove."

"Oh…anyway, I should teach you Yamani rank first. What do you remember?"

"Emperor is the most important, followed by empress and the royal family. Their equivalent of a duke or duchess is called an osaibai and osaiba. Next comes the renobai and renoba. Next the yamatai and yamata. Then comes the tilobai and tiloba and arainai and araina. Their knight is called tenkonai and a knight's wife is called tenkona. I've no idea what they'd call you… they'll have to re-write the etiquette books!  But anyway… when referring to a person, first say his hereditary or matrimonial title depending on gender, then whether the person is a tenkonai or a tenkona. Say their name followed by 'san' for adults and 'chan' for a girl and 'sai' for a boy."

Kel was impressed. "Very good.  Did you memorise all of my father's book on Yamani etiquette?"  

"Actually, I went over it once I met Yuki…" he had the decency to blush.  Kel laughed. 

"Okay, okay.  So you know the theory… that will help.  It's the practical you'll need to learn.  Tell you what; we'll practice emotion-hiding for the next week, and then the bows etcetera on the boat.  Sound good?"

"Anything sounds good coming from you, dear wife." Neal replied, grinning.  Kel swatted him, but grinned too.  Then they mounted their horses and continued on their way, Kel schooling Neal in emotion-hiding. 

The first emotion she taught him to hide was pleasure and amusement.  Kel thought they were by far the easiest to conceal. 

So she spent the day continuously paying him compliments and telling him jokes.  He did an extraordinarily good job of hiding his amusement at her jokes… but that might just have been because they weren't funny.  He didn't do badly at hiding his pleasure at the compliments, though, and Kel thought that he would do passably with another day's practice. 

By the time they arrived at Blue Harbour, he was pretty good at emotion hiding.  She asked him to check them into a hotel room for the night (the boat left the next day), while she went to check on their boat passages.  Or so she told him.  In reality, she went to ask a favour of the sailors.  They were Yamani sailors, which Kel didn't know whether that was a good thing or not.  She went up to one and said, with a properly straight face, after bowing,

"I am one of the new ambassadors from Tortall in the Yamani Islands, Duchess Sir Keladry of Queenscove, and daughter of Piers and the renowned Ilane of Mindelan."  The order of the ranks had taken a bit of thinking.

The sailor's eyes widened marginally, and he bowed deeply, as he would to a princess.  Her mother's honour, she thought disgustedly.  Everywhere in the Isles, I'm famed for my mother!

"I would be happy to assist you, my lady… sir… Ambassador." The sailor stumbled over his words, but his face did not look at all embarrassed.  He was a true Yamani, all right.  His accent was, however, not the one in use by commoners, which meant he was probably a man of rank on the ship. 

"My husband is new to the Isles, and I do not wish for him to bring embarrassment upon himself in the Islands.  My favour was this… if you and your associates would care to try and provoke emotion from him, I would be deeply gratified."

"Yes, Keladry. We will try to assist you."

The next morning, as they walked on the boat, Kel warned Neal,

"Remember, these men are Yamani sailors, and trained to fight off pirates and enemies.  Hide all emotion."

"Yes," he replied stoically.

They unpacked in their cabin and went on deck, where there was more space, to practice bowing.

"I am an osaiban, of the same rank as you," she told him, "Pretend I'm a stranger and I'm standing in your way. You want to pass, not meet me. How do you bow?"

Neal bent at the waist and murmured an apology

"Please allow me to pass, my lady."

Kel sighed.

"No. I'm a woman, so you shouldn't speak to me unless you wish to meet me. Keep walking and as you pass me, bow at the waist while still moving and spread out your hands, like this," she demonstrated, "If it's an elderly woman, bow more deeply. The greater respect you have for someone the deeper you bow."

Neal tried again and stumbled; moving at the waist while moving his legs in tandem was hard.

A sailor laughed and called out something in Yamani.

"What did he say?"

"Oh, nothing," said Kel, too cheerily. The soldier had actually made a comment about the colour of Neal's tunic, but she wanted to see if Neal could control his emotion, so she didn't tell him that.

Neal shrugged and Kel replied to the soldier that she agreed, that yes, Neal looked very nice in green. Neal did not inquire and stayed practicing.

After Neal had perfected all the bows made to a person of the same rank as him, to cover almost all situations, two soldiers passed. One said, in a loud, audible whisper,

"He looks like a duck choking on gristle."

Neal raised an eyebrow and Kel fought a sigh. That one, single eyebrow twitch would cause him to lose respect in the Islands. She made a mental note to tell him so that night.

By this time, the boat had set off, and was moving.  It was past noon, and Kel suggested they have lunch.   Neal's face was eager as he replied in the affirmative, and Kel sighed inwardly. 

"Keep your face blank!  Come, let's eat."

Neal, properly ashamed and trying to hide it, nodded his head and followed.  They ate the Yamani food, rice and fish, and then Kel conducted Neal back up to the deck where she taught him the bows to someone only marginally higher than himself in rank.  He caught on quickly; his morning practice was paying off.  In the course of the practice, a Yamani sailor complimented him on his quick learning ability, and Neal responded admirably. 

"I thank you, your compliment pleases me.  May I know your name?"

The sailor's eyes crinkled almost imperceptibly.   "I am called Tikoni, osaiba tenkonai Nealan-san."  Kel bit back a laugh at Neal's poorly-hidden reaction to the elaborate title.

"I am honoured, Tikoni-san, and pleased to make your acquaintance."  The sailor bowed deeply to Neal, and, Kel suspected by pure luck, Neal bowed to the correct degree to the sailor.  The sailor turned, and (in Yamani) said to Kel,

"If you had not warned my associate, I would have been affronted by his open display of emotion.  It is amusing indeed, but perhaps he ought to learn better before he is presented to the emperor?"

Kel nodded  "I understand that he is indeed displaying rude behaviour. Had you been in my country, Tortall, you would be considered rude and aloof by not showing your emotion."

Neal understood very little of their conversation, although Yuki and Kel had both tried to teach him Yamani.

When they began practising again, this time on how to bow before the emperor, Kel told him amidst her instructions that he was still showing too much emotion.

"Back straight…" she added, rapping his spine with her fist

"Ow! Kel!" he hissed

"Sorry, Neal. This is how my teachers and mother taught me, and I've never forgotten it. Also, if you participate in training, it will be painful."

"I have a feeling that the next few weeks will be painful." Neal muttered to himself, but managed to keep his face blank.  Then he turned to Kel, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, and asked, "What will the emperor say when he sees me covered in bruises?"

Kel, her Yamani 'Lump' face on, replied evenly, "Why, he will think you a knight worthy of the Isles, sustaining bruises with no complaint."

"Point taken, Kel," Neal said.  He looked around, and finding no one in sight, grinned at her and then kissed her.  "Even if it wasn't very subtle." 

Kel rolled her eyes and grinned at him, finding, to her surprise, that she had to force the smile she felt internally.  Being back in the company of so many Yamanis had made her old reflexes come back. 

The training for the day finished with the sunset, and Kel and Neal, tired out, went back to where they had eaten.  Around the tables sat many of the sailors.  The captain beckoned for Kel and Neal to join him, and they had a pleasant meal.  The formalities were dropped at once, making it just that bit easier for Neal to go along with the customs. 

Neal was a credit to Kel's training; he didn't slip up once.  Soon, they were off to their cabins, and bed. 

The evening before they arrived at the Islands, Neal decided to contact his sister through the fire spell

"I won't be able to do it on the Islands," he explained to Kel as he built up a fire, "I can heal, not communicate."

"Then why can you do it here? The Islands aren't so far."

"We're on the sea here, my lady Kel," he said with a light smile, "And the sea acts as an amplifier for magic. I wonder what's happened since we've been gone. How long have we been?"

"Twenty-two days. And I really think you should've contacted Carra before now, you know."

Neal shrugged and mumbled the spell. The fire, green from his Gift, showed Carra sitting huddled in her room, crying.

"Carra?" he called, "Can you empower your fire? Otherwise," he added as an aside to Kel, "The spell's only one way, and I can talk to her, but she can't talk to me."

Carra's face was soon surrounded in a green sparkle, similar to Neal's gift. However, the green shade was mistier than Neal's, and black lights sparkled in it.

"Carra? What's wrong, mi cara?" Neal's voice sounded like his father's, and Kel recognised a term of endearment. Mi cara was Old Scanran for 'dear one', and Carra had been named for the term of affection.

"N-Neal!" she sobbed, "I-I-is K-K-K-Kel there?"

Kel leapt forwards. She didn't like the sound of Carra's voice. For one thing, Carra never stuttered.

"What is it, Carra?"

"W-well you know how m-me and C-Cleon…" her voice trailed off.  Then she took a deep breath, and visibly calmed herself.  "Neal, can I… do you mind if I talk to Kel for a bit?  I want her to tell you…" she looked at him imploringly. 

"If it's anything Cleon did…" He started in a threatening tone, but Carra shook her head.

"Not… not as such.  Please!"

"Fine." Neal spat out.  He left, barely heeding Kel's last warning of,

"Don't show your emotion!  I know it's hard… but don't!"

Carra looked at Kel, and then took another steadying breath.  Kel sat facing the fire, as Carra began to talk. 

"I… you remember the morning you left?  I came to breakfast in my night-gown, and Cleon was wearing old clothes?  Well, we… we…"

"Yes, I can guess," Kel said hurriedly.  This was beginning to sound bad.

"Yes.  Well, my charm… it broke half-way through." Kel's face turned an interesting shade of white, but Carra was too distraught to notice.

"So you're pregnant?"

"I found out today," Carra whispered.  She looked up helplessly.  "And… we were going to get married when you and Neal got back from the Islands, so you could be maid of honour and Neal could be best man.  And now… what can I do?" 

Kel asked, "Does Cleon know?"

"Not yet," Carra said softly.  Kel thought for a minute. 

"I think you should talk to Cleon.  And then… I'll tell Neal.  Once you've talked to Cleon, call in on us in the fire again."

"I'll do that," Carra said.  She smiled weakly, "thanks, Kel."

Kel forced a smile for Carra.  "That's okay." 

They cut off the connection.  The Kel went to find Neal.  It might be best if she told him in the cabin… his Yamani mask had come along greatly… but this wasn't a thing you could hide after only three weeks of training. 

"Neal?" she came up on deck, "Carra wants to talk to you." It was a lie, but it sounded better than 'I want to tell you something Carra told me to tell you'. The Yamanis weren't forgiving over what they termed 'indiscretions'.

"She's not here!" he said as they came into the cabin

"No… Neal, she wanted me to tell you. You know the morning when Carra and Cleon came down, and Carra was wearing her nightgown and Cleon…"

"I can figure out what happened. What did he do? Hurt her? Was he with another woman?"

"No…Neal, her charm…"

"She's pregnant, isn't she?" Neal sat, then stood again. His fists were curled, digging into his stomach and his face was pale. His mouth tightened.

"What did he say? When did she find out? Did her charm break or just not work or-"

"It fell off halfway through." Neal shuddered

"She's my little sister!" he cried out, "She can't just- Kel! She's my baby sister! She can't be pregnant," he threw himself dramatically on the bed

The fire crackled to life.

"Neal? C-" But Neal was by the fire already, and soon he was bellowing to Cleon, who was standing next to Carra. Kel was half-amused, half worried. Still, her amusement grew, especially when she heard Neal use the phrase 'Make an honest woman out of her!', a phrase she thought only her father and Lord Wyldon used.

"Neal!" cried Carra finally, as he began to launch into his third tirade, "Shut up! Cleon and I are getting married in a week. I'm sorry you'll miss it," she said more gently

"Carra…"

"I know, Neal. You said it all to Cleon. I realise I'm just your little sister."

Cleon looked at Carra, compassion and love in his eyes.  "Carra, may I talk to Neal a minute?  It might bring things into… perspective."

"Please do," Carra said with feeling.

"I guess I'm banished too, hey?" Kel asked, making her tone light, so as to lighten the atmosphere. 

"If you don't mind, Kel."

"Not at all.  See you later, Cleon, Carra, Neal."  They said goodbye, and then both Carra and Kel left their respective rooms.  Kel took a book with her and went to sit on the deck.  She needed something to distract her. 

Neal didn't call her in until half an hour later.  When she came in, the fire was normal, not glowing green, and she couldn't see either Cleon or Carra in it.  Neal, however, was looking visibly relaxed, almost cheerful.

"If anyone had to marry Carra, I'm glad it's Cleon!" he told her.  That wasn't what he had been saying only an hour before, but Kel decided to use her tact for once, and not say anything.  Neal went on, undiscouraged by her silence.

"We talked, and brought it all out in the open.  Cleon is honourable, maybe more than I ever thought.  He knows, he understands, and he took full responsibility.  From the things Cleon didn't say, and how well I know my sister, I think she… well, I think she persuaded him to… you know." Neal began to blush, and immediately stopped talking.  Kel could almost see him thinking of cool lakes and stone.  His blush dissipated, and he continued to talk evenly.  "But he took responsibility, and blamed himself so much that I found myself calming him and telling him that it couldn't have been all his fault.  Anyway, a long story short, we're better friends then we ever were, and I'm glad Carra's got Cleon.  Besides, she always wanted children!"