I known I was going to post this yesterday, but I didn't get around to doing it. I have a lesson for everyone. Never let little weaklings bowl with 14-pound balls (I only did it because it was the only ball my fingers correctly fit into). After I returned from bowling with my friends, my fingers hurt too badly to type easily, so I will be posting two chapters today. Anyway, thank you to ravenmist, Shayley Rain, Sunrunner of Summer, ladyknight, FantasyIsMyLife, shadow_kitty, Shinigami Clara, Mist*Tiger, and Sarai-IceElf. I'll write better thank yous for chapter 31. That should give most of you a chance to review all of the chapters even if you can't get on everyday or if I post after you have to get off. I'm going to try to stay on track with updating.

~Elscy

Chapter 28

~~:~~

            It was late afternoon before Lia awoke the next morning and she groaned as her body protested all of the movement, sleeping in a bed did odd things to your body. She thought before pulling on a cream skirt, she wondered how all of her other stuff had gotten here but immediately brushed the thought off. Walking to her mother's tent, she peeked in the door to make sure her father wasn't in at the moment.

            "He's not here, come in." He mothers voice called. Lia smiled and walked in.  "It's about time; I thought you were going to sleep all day. Sit. We need to talk." Yuki said smiling. Lia sat obediently. Yuki looked at her daughter. "Well, it seems you have achieved more than I'd ever have thought." She said smiling.

            "Ma," Lia said bashfully. Yuki's eyes crinkled.

            "So what do you need me for?" She asked; Lia smiled.

            "Well, see, there's this thing." Lia paused for thought.

            "Spill it girl." Her mother said Lia smiled.

            Don't be mad, but I'm having these feelings." Lia said and the whole story spilled out. Yuki's eyes widening in some spots, but mostly she tried not to smile.

            "You love him." She said wisely.

            "What?" Lia said, not expecting that at all.

            "Isn't that the way it works? When the Champion and the helper are of opposite sexes, they fall in love. In your case, you have a wonderful match, so don't worry. Things will work out" Yuki said smiling.

            "Thanks ma, you've been wonderfully helpful." Lia said sarcastically.

            "I know." Yuki said pleasantly. Lia rolled her eyes and Yuki laughed as she laughed.

            Lia walked to the edge of the beach. She saw the Selkie playing in the water. Daine had taken them hostage; Lia observed. She and Numair were sitting side by side watching them.

            "So what do you think?" Lia asked them.

            "I think we're going to southern Carthak." Daine said scribbling down notes. Numair rolled his eyes.

            "Erikk said you thought they were some king of Darkning. They are like that but they said they've never heard of them." He said confused.

            "I thought maybe Melodius had made her own form of Darkning, but they helped me." She said confused. Numair nodded.

            "Maybe we will never know." He said sadly. Daine shook her head.

            "I'm going to find out." She said taking down more notes. "As soon as we get to Carthak, I'm scouring those libraries."

            "Yes dear." He said patting her arm. Lia eyed Daine's stomach.

            "Is she?" Lia asked. Numair nodded happily.

            "Duke Barid thinks it's a girl," he said. Lia smiled.

            "Congratulations." She said before leaving Numair with his crazy pregnant wife. (Beta's note: I'm not going to mess with that. The author has obviously had Daine and Numair get married in the course of the time between Lady Knight and Yazlia of Queenscove. Please don't yell at me for that.)

(It's time for another of my random author's notes. This is almost over *sob* I don't know what I'll do with myself, math probably, I have a D. Oops, not that that has anything to do with my brainchildren. Anyway, back to sad and depressed Lia.)

            It seemed that everyone but she had someone to love. Everywhere she looked there, were people holding hands or kissing. She had yet to see John and Nia; and at the moment, she wasn't sure if she wanted to see any lovebirds.

            Maybe her mother was right; maybe she did love Erikk. On multiple occasions, he had made her stomach flutter and her head whirl; on multiple occasions, he had held her and comforted her. What did that mean? Was it just her girlish part kicking in and over analyzing things? Ugh, she groaned and went to find Nia and Erica.

            They were sitting on the beach surrounded by their ladies in waiting. Nia looked like she was going to scream as one of the girls shrieked as another gull flew over her head. As soon as she saw Lia, she jumped up and ran towards her.

            "Lia, thankyouthankyouthankyou," She gushed. "Ah! You're here! I heard about your little party in the south, very interesting." She said smiling as she gave Lia a hug.

            "Lia!" Erica squeaked. "You saved us; it was horrid with out you." She said smiling. "How're ya doin'?" She asked smiling. Lia smiled.

            "Actually, I need to speak with you about something, but that can wait. How's the married life?" She asked.

            "It's fun. John's quite the slob, kind fun to but him about. Anyway, girl problems come first, step into my tent." She said guiding Lia across the camp." John out." She ordered smiling.

            "Lia!" He said happily.

            "Later hon; we girls need to chat."

            "But," he protested.

            "Later, love you, out." She said closing the tent flap. They heard him squeak before Nia did a silencing spell. "Sit." Erica ordered, and then it came out in a big rush Nia and Erica grinning the entire time.

            "You love him." Nia said flatly.

            "That's what my mother said." Lia grumped.

            "She was right." Erica said happily. Lia rolled her eyes.

            "Fine, but how do I tell if he feels the same way?" Lai whined.

            "That my dear, is why you came to us." Nia said grinning.

            "You're taking your ordeal this midwinter right?" Erica asked; Lia nodded. "We'll have an outfit ready for you to stun him with." She said smiling; seeing Lia's opening mouth, she silenced her. "Not a dress, don't worry." She said smiling. Lia nodded, "Show up around two. You'll need to sleep first." Erica said.

            "Mara!" Nia yelled as she dropped the silencing spell. A young maid scurried into the room.

            "Yes'm?" She asked.

            "Take Lia's measurements. When the maid finished, both Nia and Erica were frowning.

            "What?" Lia asked.

            "You lost a good ten pounds doll." Erica said frowning. "Want to let us know what that's about?" She said sternly.

            "I died."

            "What?!" They yelled.

~~:~~

            The next three months passed in a blur. Lia brushed up on her archery again. She still wasn't good at it, but she was passable. The king had pulled a few strings so that she could take the tests like a normal fourth Year so she wouldn't have to take the extra exams. She was a little worried about the ordeal though. The only thing she had ever been afraid of was Melodius, and she had killed her.  Erikk had told her repeatedly not to worry about it.

            And she tried not to.

            They had reached Corus two days ago, and Lia had enjoyed her bed the most.  It was so warm, inviting, and comfy. Erikk finally dragged her, protesting all the way, from her room on the second day.

            "You must socialize." He said.

            "Why?" She asked, not seeing the point.

            "Because a knight is a social person, we have to go to banquets and parties all the time." He said reciting the same phrase, she'd heard all the way through her page years.

            "But I can be social. I've had years of training on the subject. Remember?'

            "Yes but that was training for a lady, not a knight."

            "But I am a lady." She protested. He sighed.

            "Fine, I want you out of that room." He said.

            "You could have just said that." She whined.

~~:~~

            Lia was counting down the days until Midwinter. She was nervous, none of her other year mates were taking their ordeals this year. Arron had said he'd experience it soon enough, why make it sooner. Jasson had looked at her like she was insane, so she was left alone with her fear of the chamber.

            But she couldn't just sit and brood, she had to do something. Picking up Chemise, she walked out of the room. Chemise had stayed with the progress while she'd been in the South; in fact, Lia had forgotten all about Chemise. For once, the cat didn't seem to mind being left behind though. Lia saw why; Melodius had been terrifying.

            Her feet led her to Nia's suit of room as Erica had moved in with John. She knocked on the door. She waited a few moments before it opened. Nia stood in the doorway wearing breeches and a shirt, as she had adapted to Tortallan customs quite readily claiming dresses were much to stuffy.

            "Lia! I was just coming to find you!" She exclaimed before pulling Lia into her rooms. "We need to make a few adjustments to your outfit." She said. "Put this on." She said handing her a pair of loose blood red breeches and a black shirt. Lia pulled them on as Chemise paced around the room, sniffing herbs and then sneezing.

            "One of these days that cat is going to inhale some poison." Nia said shaking her head. Lia laughed.

            "So this is you big outfit?" Lia asked, slightly disappointed. Nia shook her head.

            "No, but I have to make sure this fits properly, no don't lace up the shirt." she said bating away Lia's hand.

            "But, but it's, I," She protested, the shirt showed her cleavage, something Lia had never exposed before.

            "I know. It's lower than you're used to, but you've got it so show it off. Pretty soon you'll be forty and sagging." Nia said, shocking Lia into oblivion, she had never heard her talk so bluntly. She just nodded and went along with her crazy plan.  "Here." She said handing her a floor length tunic with slits up to the waist. The tunic was a dark emerald, intensifying her eyes. Nia nodded in approval. "Perfect." She said smiling.

            "Whatever you say. I've got to go draw my time." Lia said; Nia nodded.

            "Come tell me so I know when to have this done by." Lia nodded as she changed. Picking up Chemise, she left.

            The five other squires taking the ordeal that year were crowded around the duke's door, milling about and talking amongst themselves. They nodded in acknowledgement of Lia but didn't say anything to her.

             The group waited for another five minutes before the Lord Provost opened the door, he waved them in.

            "You will each pick a piece of paper out of this bowl." He said, gesturing towards the stone bowl on his desk." There are only six days because there are six of you." He said picking up the bowl, each person drew a piece of paper and opened it. When Lia opened her's she gasped; she was dead last. The duke excused them and Lia ran back to her rooms. She ran smack dab into Erikk as he was on his way out of her room.

            "Whoa Li, where's the fire?" he asked playfully but quickly sobered when he saw how whit she was. "What's wrong?"

            "I'm last." She whispered; Erikk nodded.

            "Sometimes that's how it works." He said quietly. "Your families here; they want to see you.

            "Is he still..."

            "Mad that you slapped him? Probably. Your mother's probably punished him for that though." He said grinning, Lia shuddered; she didn't want to know her mother came up with, various ways to punish her father. (A/N: **cough cough**)

            She walked down the winding halls of the palace thinking about the ordeal. There wasn't very much to think about really. You walk in; you walk out. Easy as pie, but it wasn't, and pie was hard to make, she'd done it before. She reached the family suit and plastered a fake smile on her face

            Upon entering the room, she was bombarded with hugs, kisses and congratulations. Even her father had set aside all hard feelings for the night. She spent most of the evening trading stories with her sisters and brothers. It seemed the twins had been accepted at the royal university. Max was almost done training with the Wildmage even though he was only fourteen.

It was one in the morning before Lia reached her room and Erikk's lights were out. She sighed and changed into her nightclothes. She lay starring at the ceiling for a great period of time before falling asleep as the sun came over the horizon.

            Erikk entered her room around eleven and looking at her scrunched up face let her sleep. He knew this was torture for her. The first squire to enter had survived and there was a ceremony that night for him.  He knew she had nothing to worry about, but for some odd reason Lia thought, she did.

            The second day of midwinter Lia spent going through every sword dance she could remember, and then making up her own. Erikk watched her from a railing in the indoor practice courts waiting for her to collapse. Her body couldn't take it anymore, and Erikk caught her as she fell. Shaking his head, he gently laid his eccentric squire in her bed waiting for the oddity she would try to accomplish the next day.

            He found her sitting in front of the chamber. He let her stay there until after lunch at which point he came and pulled her out. He plopped her down in front of Erica and Nia and told them to amuse her somehow.

            The last two days before her ordeal Lia spent in a state of paranoia. She hardly ate anything and when she did it was a liquid finally Erikk stood in front of her and glared.

            "Look, you are the only person I know who has died twice. You have nothing to worry about. Damn Lia, I survived it, even Alex survived. You'll be fine. Why you're going insane over this I don't know. Tomorrow you take you're ordeal, go to bed." He said and then picked her up and threw her onto her bed. She landed with a soft thud and watched as he stomped out the door.

After closing the door, Erikk slid down against the door. He had just yelled at his best friend, the girl her was in love with. What was his problem?

All right, I'll post again later probably near seven or so. Please review.

~Elscy

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