GAH!!!! I AM SOOOOO SOOOOOO SOOOOOO SORRY!!!! I posted the WRONG chapter! Same story, but wrong chapter! *bangs head on the wall* *feels very stupid* well, since some of you have already read the third chapter I'll go ahead and post it tonight too. . .*still feels very stupid* You will meet Kathryn and get some back ground info in this chapter. *can't get over how stupid she was* anyway, here it is.

The Entirely Pointless Disclaimer: *robotic voice* They aren't mine. They aren't mine. They aren't mine.

A/N: I'm back! Mwahahahaha! *ahem* yeah, this chapter will be longer. We meet Kathryn and her friend Fae (oh, and if y'all read the review by "Twinny" she said "an heiress named Kathryn, eh?" that's because she knows me, and my real name is Kathryn. When I came up with the character I had a Name-Brain-Fart so I just used Kathryn!) anyhow, enjoy it. And I do rather appreciate ratings!



"What's she like?" Nealan of Queenscove-called so only by his least favorite aunt. Anyone with a liking for the shape their nose was in, called him Neal-asked Cleon later that week.

"I don't remember. Last I saw her I was ten, and she was six. That was at my father's funeral. Five years later my mother writes me, saying that Kennan is doing so poorly without Father's old income, that she had to arrange my marriage with Kathryn of Jagged Rock-a fief not far from ours. Kathryn's mother and mine were friends when they were growing up and Jagged Rock is over flowing with money." Cleon sighed. "Mother wrote last week that the ceremony will be in two months, but she wants Kathryn and me to be 'acquainted' first. She'll be arriving here at the end of Midwinter." Cleon sighed again, thinking of Kel. He hadn't told her that Kathryn was coming to the palace. He couldn't bring himself to after she had broken down so easily just for finding out that the wedding was in two months. But he knew he had to tell her. Soon. She would be hurt as it is, knowing that he had kept it from her. He would just have to make sure she was well out of range of her glaive when he told her. . .

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Seventeen-year-old Kathryn of Jagged Rock paced her room nervously. The carriage that was taking her to Corus to meet her future husband would be here any minute. She was of average height with light brown, curly hair and dark blue eyes. Her maid, and best friend, Fae, grinned at her.

"You're about to wear a hole in that poor floor, you know," Fae joked with another fox-like grin at her friend. They were more like sisters, really. She had straight red hair. Her green eyes flashed mischievously.

Kathryn glared at her companion. "I'm nervous," she said flatly.

"Oh I couldn't tell!" Fae said sarcastically. "I'm sure the people downstairs can't tell either." Kathryn continued to glare at Fae, who was absolutely enjoying herself. She and Kathryn had already packed more clothes and other necessities. Fae would accompany Kathryn on her journey into the city to meet Cleon of Kennan-her husband-to-be. Kathryn was horrified. She was so young! Fae actually had to agree. Kathryn had just returned home from the convent, and even if she normally would be going to court anyway to find a husband, that could take quite some time. Kathryn already had someone. And they'd be married in two months. What terrified Kathryn the most is that she hadn't seen this boy-or man rather-since she was six! Further more, both girls wanted to join the Queen's Ladies. Actually, Fae wanted to join the Queen's Riders, but Kathryn wasn't a good enough fighter for that and they didn't want to split up.

They both jumped when they heard horses and a carriage outside. "Come on girls!" Kathryn's mother, Danelle, called from downstairs. Fae was still grinning at Kathryn as she mock-bowed her friend and mistress out of the room. "It'll be fine, sweetling," Danelle cooed as she and Fae walked outside. She pulled Fae aside "Watch over her, Fae. And yourself. You're like a daughter to me to, you know. Don't get into any trouble!" She tweaked Fae's nose and scooted her out of the house.

Fae's mother had died giving birth to her and her father had died soon there after. Fae had been raised by Kathryn's family as much like a noble as possible, but it was hard when she wasn't legally adopted and no proof of noble blood except for Danelle's word. Danelle had wanted to send Fae to the convent with Kathryn as another student, not a personal maid, but that was not possible.

"I'll see you girls in two months!" Danelle called as the carriage pulled out.

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"She's coming /here?/" Kel asked Cleon, stunned.

He nodded sadly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier Kel, but you were just so upset.I didn't want to hurt you. I'm sure it probably hurt worse this way, but-" He was cut off.

A young page stuck his head in the door. He looked nervous. "Sir Keladry?" he asked timidly. "Urm. . .Baroness Ilane wants to see you. . ."

"Very well, I'm on my way." She turned back to Cleon and was about to say something when she saw the page was still in the doorway. "You can go now, page," she said sharply. He jumped and hurried down the corridor. She turned back to Cleon, smiling weakly. "We'll talk later," she promised. She kissed him quickly and left the room before he could say anything.

"Kel!" Ilane of Mindelan jumped up and hugged her knight daughter as she entered the room. "Kel, sweet, I assume you know of the ball at the end of the tomorrow night?"

Kel nodded. Of course she knew! Everyone in Corus knew! She waited a moment, wondering where her mother was going with this.

"Well. . .I thought that. . .well, it would be nice if you wore a dress to one of these things for once." Ilane continued.

Kel frowned slightly. "Alright. . ."

Ilane smiled. "Oh good! I'm sure Lalasa can make you a beautiful one tonight!"

"Mama, is there a particular reason why you want me to wear a dress? You never seemed to care before."

"Oh, well, I just thought it'd be nice, that's all." Ilane smiled again. "Come on, Lalasa's shop is still open, I'm sure!"

Kel was dragged away by her mother, messured by Lalasa, prodded by many fingers, and poked by countless pins (because she kept squirming). After several hours (most of which were during when Lalasa's shop should have been closed) Kel carefully climbed out of the pinned up dress so Lalasa could sew it together. It was scarlet velvet, with quite a lower neckline than Kel requested. (A/N:hehehe. . .I made it red because I was listening to the song "Lady in Red" at the time in which I wrote this part) The sleeves were long and wide so they flowed when she moved. Despite the low neck, Kel had to admit, she looked forward to wearing this tomorrow night.



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Kathryn and Fae walked through the palace, following the servants with their bags, to their rooms. Kathryn's fingers were trembling. The servants unpacked their things and prepared a hot bath for them both before bed.

Fae sighed as she sank into her bath. "This is /exactly/ what I needed after all that riding." She said quietly. "Are you ready?" she asked Kathryn through the partition that separated their tubs.

"Hm? Oh. . .you mean about meeting Sir Cleon." Kathryn thought for a moment and said, "As ready as I can be." She closed her eyes. "Fae?"

"Um-hum?" Fae sounded as if she was about to fall asleep in the tub.

"What dress do you want to wear at the ball tomorrow?"

"What do you mean? The ball's are for nobles. They don't let personal maids come."

Kathryn gave a skeptical look at the outline of Fae through the partition, even though she knew Fae couldn't see. "But you /are/ noble."

"First of all, don't look at me like that," Fae scolded her young friend. She always did seem to know exactly what Kathryn was thinking and doing. "And secondly, I'm not a noble anymore. I stopped being noble when my family died."

Kathryn was about to voice her opinions about the fairness of Fae's education, but Fae cut her off. "I know enough. I'm perfectly happy not being a noble. I feel sorry for them-er, I mean. . .you know what I mean. I don't even /like/ balls. They look extremely dull. Don't worry about it, sweetling." Fae climbed out of the bath and began to dry and dress. "Besides, I have some mending to do. And I'd like to explore when I won't run into anybody. The ball will be a perfect time to do that."

Kathryn had also climbed out of the tub and was dressing as well. "Fine," she gave in. Fae was going to her room next to Kathryn's. (They were connected) "Good night, Fae," Kathryn called sleepily.

"G'night, youngling,"

"Hey!" Kathryn said indignantly. "I'm seventeen! And what's more, you're only two years older than me! You can't call me 'youngling'!"

Fae grinned and squinched up her nose at her friend. "Alright. Good night!" she called through the closed door.



The next day. . ..



Kel stood in front of the big mirror in Lalasa's shop. /By the gods/. . . she thought to herself. The dress was perfect-as would be anything made by Lalasa. Ilane and Lalasa stood by smiling. Kel looked herself up and down in the mirror.

"You look beautiful, Kel," Ilane said quietly. Lalasa and her friend Tian, who had walked in with more material, nodded in agreement.

Kel ran her fingers through her hair, which was now down to her shoulders. (She had just never gotten a chance to trim it) "I can help you with that my lady," Lalasa told her. She rushed up and tied Kel's hair up out of her face. Kel wasn't exactly sure what she had done, but it looked good for all the little time spent on it.

Kel turned around and hugged her friend. "Thank you so much Lalasa," she whispered. Kel and Ilane left the shop and rode back to the palace. Kel was happy that none of her other friends had seen her on her way back; she wanted to surprise them all at the ball. (A/N: doesn't 'ball' seem very Cinderella to y'all? Kinda bugs me. . .oh well)

Fae brushed Kathryn's hair, as Kathryn got more and more nervous. In a few hours she'd be meeting the man she was intended to marry. A man she hadn't seen for eleven years. "Keep still!" Fae ordered. "Do you /want/ me to rip a chunk of your hair out? Stop fidgeting!"

Kathryn glared at her friend in the mirror. Fae didn't notice, or if she did she ignored it, and continued to fix Kathryn's long, thick brown hair. Kathryn sighed. "I hate my hair," she muttered, and winced as Fae hit a hidden knot with the brush.

"Why?" Fae asked shocked. "I /adore/ you're hair! I wish I had curly hair like you."

Kathryn snorted. "Everyone with curly hair wants it to be straight, and everyone with straight hair wants it to be curly. Actually, it's not really the curliness I mind so much, it's the color. Brown hair is so dull. I would gladly trade for yours," Kathryn glanced at Fae's cherry red locks and sighed again.

Fae just shook her head and finished dressing Kathryn's hair.



A/N: and that's chapter 2! The next one is the Ball. Hope you liked it! Pretty please with sugar on top, review! They make me happy. . .even flames. . ./they/ make me laugh! Teeheehee. And since I accidentally posted the 3rd chapter already, I'm gonna post it again, IN THE RIGHT PLACE. *sigh* anyway, it's up now.