***********This Chapter has been edited!!! Not a big thing, but you may
wanna skim over the ball another time if you've already read it! It has
been requested that Kathryn have someone, so yeah, I changed that a bit.
Anyway, just skim over if you want. No big deal if you don't but it may
make more since later*************
A/N: *is still banging her head on the wall* okay, I posted this chapter as chapter 2 by mistake earlier. This is really chapter THREE. Some people may have read it, but it may make a bit more since now. And I'm ending it in a different place so. . .yeah.
Disclaimer: jeeze you guys, you really think I could come up with these cool people on my own?! *shakes head* no. only Kathryn and Fae are mine. So considering the large amount of characters in this story and only two of them are mine? Yeah, I have a while before I'm on the same writing level as Tammy *bows deeply* and thinking up spiffy characters like she does. So yeah, leave me alone with the whole court thing. Suing me would only waste perfectly nice peoples time, so just don't. just read the story!!!
Kel walked through the crowded room looking for her friends. She saw them standing in the back of the room in their group of knights: Neal, Cleon, Faleron, his cousin Merric, Seaver, and the newly made knight, Owen. She strode towards them. "Hullo!" she said smiling. Their conversation stopped as everyone stared at her, open mouthed. She grinned wickedly at them and asked, "What? Never seen a woman wear a dress before?" They all blushed and looked away except for Neal. He seemed to be in shock. "Neal!" She tweaked his nose, bringing him to his senses. "Nealan of Queenscove," she said sternly, hands on her hips, "you have seen me in a dress before!"
"Well, you were a kid! None of this!" He waved absently at her chest making her blush furiously.
Cleon growled, "And why are looking there, Queenscove?"
"I'm not! I swear!" Neal stuttered, taking a step back from the scowling Cleon. Kel covered a smile with her hand and patted Cleon's arm. The conversation slipped back to what they were discussing before Kel arrived.
* * *
In her rooms, waiting with Fae, Kathryn paced nervously. She was wearing a forest green silk dress that looked like liquid when she moved. She had emerald bobs in her earlobes and an emerald necklace hanging low to mask the incredibly low neckline of the dress. Her brown curls were pinned up on top of her head in an elegant knot that took Fae an hour and a half, and would take longer to take down. She had on a dab of facepaint-"You don't need it! You're already pretty." Fae had insisted. Back and fourth she walked while Fae sat on the bed, sewing up a rather large hole in a pair of breeches. "Is it your goal in life to work a hole into every room you wait in?" she teased Kathryn.
This was a mistake. Kathryn's eyes flashed dangerously. "Oh I see," she hissed. "You think it's easy to just walk up to a man you haven't seen in over a decade and say 'Oh, hello. I'm your betrothed. We're going to be married in two months.' do you?"
Fae sighed. "Well I'm sorry, but I would think that you'd try to make this as easy as possible! If you worry yourself sick, it's going to be harder! Relax. Besides, you have to do it soon. They're probably ready now." Fae set the breeches aside. "Do you want me to walk down there with you?"
Kathryn shook her head. She tried a smile. "Thanks but.I should do this myself." She was about to walk through the door when she turned around and hugged her best friend. "Wish me luck," she whispered.
"Good luck!" Fae called as Kathryn ran down the corridor.
* * *
"Lady Kathryn of Jagged Rock!" the herald announced. If Kathryn was nervous out of her mind you couldn't tell it as she strode down the entry stairs and curtsied to the monarchs. King Jonathan, though now in his forties, was still considered the most handsome man in Tortall. His sapphire blue eyes smiled as he nodded to Kathryn. And no one could replace Queen Thayet as most beautiful woman, though from the looks Kathryn was getting from the other ladies there, she might give Thayet a run for her money.
Kathryn turned searching for someone she didn't have a clue as to what he looked like. She stopped a young man in a uniform with a tray of drinks. "Excuse me," she said, grabbing his arm softly, "can you direct me to Sir Cleon of Kennan by chance?"
The young man nodded to a small group of people consisting of mostly knights and a tall woman at the back of the room. She thanked the boy and headed in their direction.
* * *
Kel watched the woman turn around from the king and queen and search the room. She stopped a passing squire to ask him something. He looked in Kel and her friends' direction. The woman-Kathryn of Jagged Rock-said something else to the squire and began to walk towards them. So this is her, Kel thought grimly. This is the girl Cleon has to marry. She turned away, not bearing to look at her.
* * *
As Kathryn made her way to the back of the room she looked at the group, trying to figure out who was Cleon. She remembered he was a red head, so they ruled out all but two. But it had been too long ago. And even if she did remember what he looked like when he was ten, wouldn't he have changed at twenty-one?
She reached the group of knights and curtsied. The tall woman had her back to her. She was very tall Kathryn realized. Nearly six feet. Kathryn usually felt tall around Fae, for all that she was two years older, she was also about two inches shorter. Now Kathryn's five feet, four inches didn't seem like something to brag about.
All of the knights bowed and one of them hit the tall woman in the middle of her back. Kathryn was shocked. She was surly glad she knew this one wasn't Cleon. How dare that man strike a lady? She was about to say so when the woman whirled around and knocked the man, hard, on the head. "Don't hit me, Owen!" she snapped. "I would think you'd know better! Or has becoming a knight, with the rest of us gone to your head? Or we can always go to the practice courts before the night is over?" she offered the knight, smiling sweetly.
Kathryn gaped at her. A handsome man with brown hair and green eyes grinned at her. "I guess no one told you, this is Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan." He motioned to the tall woman who had just challenged the chubby knight. Kathryn gulped. She had heard stories of the Lady Knight. Both of them. She wasn't sure weather or not to curtsy, so she nodded deeply instead. Lady Keladry nodded quickly in reply. Her face was unreadable. The handsome knight cleared his throat, "I am Sir Nealan of Queenscove, but please call me Neal." He kissed Kathryn's hand. "Would you care to dance?" he asked as the band started up.
Kathryn curtsied once more, taking Neal's arm. "I would be honored, Sir Neal," they grinned.
One of the knights called after them, "Don't let Yuki catch you flirting Neal!" to which he blushed. On the dance floor Kathryn saw one of the two redheads and Lady Keladry dancing. He was a giant. Six feet and three inches tall, he towered over even Lady Keladry. From the way they looked at each other, they looked to be in love. Kathryn did hope that this wasn't Cleon. How awful would it be to ruin a relationship between people who loved each other for someone you barely knew? Kathryn would hate to be that person. If only to confirm her thoughts on love, they kissed quickly and looked around, hoping no one saw.
The dance was ending and Sir Neal was leading Kathryn back to his friends. The large redhead and Lady Keladry were also coming back. The knights began talking about weaponry and tactics, leaving Kathryn feeling foolish. No one directly talked to or addressed Cleon so she was still unsure as to who he was. She was too shy to come right out and ask.
The large redhead and Lady Keladry danced several times when talk got too boring for them. A lovely woman from the Yamani Islands and Sir Neal spent a great deal of the night together, and Kathryn danced when any noble asked. She was asked several times by one of the knights, Faleron of King's Reach. A handsome man, he was very nice and seemed interested in the things Kathryn talked about. She was more than happy to agree when he asked her dance.
Several hours later, after many nobles had already left, Kathryn excused herself back to her rooms. Lady Keladry also bid her friends goodnight and followed Kathryn out of the ballroom.
"Are you nervous about your wedding to Cleon?" Keladry asked Kathryn.
Kathryn smiled. "I'm scared witless," she said with all seriousness. She still couldn't read anything behind Lady Keladry's stone face. Kathryn was about to admit to Lady Keladry that even after tonight she was still unsure as to who Cleon even was, until Keladry interrupted before she began, "I go down this hallway," she pointed the right. "Good night Lady Kathryn," she said.
"Good night Lady Keladry," Kathryn replied.
"It's Kel," she said. "Everyone calls me Kel." She nodded to Kathryn and strode down the corridor on the right.
When Kel reached her rooms she didn't even take off her dress. She just fell onto the bed staring at her ceiling.
A/N: *is still banging her head on the wall* okay, I posted this chapter as chapter 2 by mistake earlier. This is really chapter THREE. Some people may have read it, but it may make a bit more since now. And I'm ending it in a different place so. . .yeah.
Disclaimer: jeeze you guys, you really think I could come up with these cool people on my own?! *shakes head* no. only Kathryn and Fae are mine. So considering the large amount of characters in this story and only two of them are mine? Yeah, I have a while before I'm on the same writing level as Tammy *bows deeply* and thinking up spiffy characters like she does. So yeah, leave me alone with the whole court thing. Suing me would only waste perfectly nice peoples time, so just don't. just read the story!!!
Kel walked through the crowded room looking for her friends. She saw them standing in the back of the room in their group of knights: Neal, Cleon, Faleron, his cousin Merric, Seaver, and the newly made knight, Owen. She strode towards them. "Hullo!" she said smiling. Their conversation stopped as everyone stared at her, open mouthed. She grinned wickedly at them and asked, "What? Never seen a woman wear a dress before?" They all blushed and looked away except for Neal. He seemed to be in shock. "Neal!" She tweaked his nose, bringing him to his senses. "Nealan of Queenscove," she said sternly, hands on her hips, "you have seen me in a dress before!"
"Well, you were a kid! None of this!" He waved absently at her chest making her blush furiously.
Cleon growled, "And why are looking there, Queenscove?"
"I'm not! I swear!" Neal stuttered, taking a step back from the scowling Cleon. Kel covered a smile with her hand and patted Cleon's arm. The conversation slipped back to what they were discussing before Kel arrived.
* * *
In her rooms, waiting with Fae, Kathryn paced nervously. She was wearing a forest green silk dress that looked like liquid when she moved. She had emerald bobs in her earlobes and an emerald necklace hanging low to mask the incredibly low neckline of the dress. Her brown curls were pinned up on top of her head in an elegant knot that took Fae an hour and a half, and would take longer to take down. She had on a dab of facepaint-"You don't need it! You're already pretty." Fae had insisted. Back and fourth she walked while Fae sat on the bed, sewing up a rather large hole in a pair of breeches. "Is it your goal in life to work a hole into every room you wait in?" she teased Kathryn.
This was a mistake. Kathryn's eyes flashed dangerously. "Oh I see," she hissed. "You think it's easy to just walk up to a man you haven't seen in over a decade and say 'Oh, hello. I'm your betrothed. We're going to be married in two months.' do you?"
Fae sighed. "Well I'm sorry, but I would think that you'd try to make this as easy as possible! If you worry yourself sick, it's going to be harder! Relax. Besides, you have to do it soon. They're probably ready now." Fae set the breeches aside. "Do you want me to walk down there with you?"
Kathryn shook her head. She tried a smile. "Thanks but.I should do this myself." She was about to walk through the door when she turned around and hugged her best friend. "Wish me luck," she whispered.
"Good luck!" Fae called as Kathryn ran down the corridor.
* * *
"Lady Kathryn of Jagged Rock!" the herald announced. If Kathryn was nervous out of her mind you couldn't tell it as she strode down the entry stairs and curtsied to the monarchs. King Jonathan, though now in his forties, was still considered the most handsome man in Tortall. His sapphire blue eyes smiled as he nodded to Kathryn. And no one could replace Queen Thayet as most beautiful woman, though from the looks Kathryn was getting from the other ladies there, she might give Thayet a run for her money.
Kathryn turned searching for someone she didn't have a clue as to what he looked like. She stopped a young man in a uniform with a tray of drinks. "Excuse me," she said, grabbing his arm softly, "can you direct me to Sir Cleon of Kennan by chance?"
The young man nodded to a small group of people consisting of mostly knights and a tall woman at the back of the room. She thanked the boy and headed in their direction.
* * *
Kel watched the woman turn around from the king and queen and search the room. She stopped a passing squire to ask him something. He looked in Kel and her friends' direction. The woman-Kathryn of Jagged Rock-said something else to the squire and began to walk towards them. So this is her, Kel thought grimly. This is the girl Cleon has to marry. She turned away, not bearing to look at her.
* * *
As Kathryn made her way to the back of the room she looked at the group, trying to figure out who was Cleon. She remembered he was a red head, so they ruled out all but two. But it had been too long ago. And even if she did remember what he looked like when he was ten, wouldn't he have changed at twenty-one?
She reached the group of knights and curtsied. The tall woman had her back to her. She was very tall Kathryn realized. Nearly six feet. Kathryn usually felt tall around Fae, for all that she was two years older, she was also about two inches shorter. Now Kathryn's five feet, four inches didn't seem like something to brag about.
All of the knights bowed and one of them hit the tall woman in the middle of her back. Kathryn was shocked. She was surly glad she knew this one wasn't Cleon. How dare that man strike a lady? She was about to say so when the woman whirled around and knocked the man, hard, on the head. "Don't hit me, Owen!" she snapped. "I would think you'd know better! Or has becoming a knight, with the rest of us gone to your head? Or we can always go to the practice courts before the night is over?" she offered the knight, smiling sweetly.
Kathryn gaped at her. A handsome man with brown hair and green eyes grinned at her. "I guess no one told you, this is Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan." He motioned to the tall woman who had just challenged the chubby knight. Kathryn gulped. She had heard stories of the Lady Knight. Both of them. She wasn't sure weather or not to curtsy, so she nodded deeply instead. Lady Keladry nodded quickly in reply. Her face was unreadable. The handsome knight cleared his throat, "I am Sir Nealan of Queenscove, but please call me Neal." He kissed Kathryn's hand. "Would you care to dance?" he asked as the band started up.
Kathryn curtsied once more, taking Neal's arm. "I would be honored, Sir Neal," they grinned.
One of the knights called after them, "Don't let Yuki catch you flirting Neal!" to which he blushed. On the dance floor Kathryn saw one of the two redheads and Lady Keladry dancing. He was a giant. Six feet and three inches tall, he towered over even Lady Keladry. From the way they looked at each other, they looked to be in love. Kathryn did hope that this wasn't Cleon. How awful would it be to ruin a relationship between people who loved each other for someone you barely knew? Kathryn would hate to be that person. If only to confirm her thoughts on love, they kissed quickly and looked around, hoping no one saw.
The dance was ending and Sir Neal was leading Kathryn back to his friends. The large redhead and Lady Keladry were also coming back. The knights began talking about weaponry and tactics, leaving Kathryn feeling foolish. No one directly talked to or addressed Cleon so she was still unsure as to who he was. She was too shy to come right out and ask.
The large redhead and Lady Keladry danced several times when talk got too boring for them. A lovely woman from the Yamani Islands and Sir Neal spent a great deal of the night together, and Kathryn danced when any noble asked. She was asked several times by one of the knights, Faleron of King's Reach. A handsome man, he was very nice and seemed interested in the things Kathryn talked about. She was more than happy to agree when he asked her dance.
Several hours later, after many nobles had already left, Kathryn excused herself back to her rooms. Lady Keladry also bid her friends goodnight and followed Kathryn out of the ballroom.
"Are you nervous about your wedding to Cleon?" Keladry asked Kathryn.
Kathryn smiled. "I'm scared witless," she said with all seriousness. She still couldn't read anything behind Lady Keladry's stone face. Kathryn was about to admit to Lady Keladry that even after tonight she was still unsure as to who Cleon even was, until Keladry interrupted before she began, "I go down this hallway," she pointed the right. "Good night Lady Kathryn," she said.
"Good night Lady Keladry," Kathryn replied.
"It's Kel," she said. "Everyone calls me Kel." She nodded to Kathryn and strode down the corridor on the right.
When Kel reached her rooms she didn't even take off her dress. She just fell onto the bed staring at her ceiling.
