A/N I hope that this chapter isn't boring, nothing much happens in it but I
wanted to stress the transformation that will occur. Also I must admit I
had fun writing it (that usually is the first sign that it should be gotten
rid of, but oh well). I want to see which of the guys that I have made the
characters up you like the best. Because I have kind of a confusing love
story coming up that in order for it to work I need to know who you find
the most appealing (Liam, Jasson, William (does anyone remember William he
isn't important if you don't), Clive (see note on William) Falkin, Tobit,
Reese). So if you would choose your favorite, it would be much appreciated.
Ammarice, there is no such thing as a review that is too long. Yours was
wonderful, thank you. Chibi Chingo yes I did jump into the squire years in
the last para. Zurizip part 2 has the same title, I'm staying with the same
story. Daemon, you got a name! Thanks for the review. Ivy I'm glad you like
Shae's new name. Galenbrethil yes the chip is off the dominion jewel, and
yes there will be horses. Thanks for the review. PenMage I'm very jealous
that you are on break, Jasson is the same age as Zira, maybe half a year
older. I haven't said who Falkin's brother is, all we know is that he died
in the Antithean wars, thanks for the review. The Dark Lady, hehe (ahh the
power to create whatever I want), I can't tell you what will happen, thanks
for the review though. Golden Goddess I really don't know how to pronounce
Shae's name it is either (shay) or (shy). I haven't decided the answers to
those questions, Hehe.
Chapter XIII: Cleaning Up
Zira ran down the hall her legs stretched out into a long easy stride. The people of the palace were used to her, and automatically got out of her way; she flashed smiles at them and ran on.
"That girl runs everywhere," one of the older clerics said as he flattened himself against the wall. His companion looked at the receding form.
"I'm sure if you can call her a girl, she never acts like one," he said primly. Zira ran down to the royal apartments, her willowy sixteen- year-old body slammed into the door. She stopped, and rubbed her nose. King Jonathan opened the door, arms full of papers. He looked at her suspiciously, still wary of the young royal.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. Zira stiffened.
"I'm here to see your wife," she said coldly. Jonathan ran his fingers through his graying black hair.
"Well go on in then," he said impatiently, and walked down the hall, surveying the documents in his hands. Zira watched him go.
"I guess he'd be alright if I were less cold, he's a good king, but still why did he invade my country, and why can't he let my father rule? Antitheos is its own country, it doesn't do well trapped." She sighed and pulled the door open.
"Thayet!" she called. A reply came from one of the inner rooms.
"I'm in here!" Zira walked into the room; it was hung lavishly in burgundy silk, and mahogany. Thayet stood up from her desk, and hugged Zira. "How has my son been treating you?" she said with a laugh.
"Which one?" Zira replied and sat down on the deep wine-red carpet. Thayet smiled. "Thayet."
"Yes?" she answered. Zira shook her head.
"What am I going to do? No one has asked me to the midsummer's ball. Well Neal said he would take me if no one else would, but other than that," Zira trailed off. Thayet smiled.
"Someone will ask you I'm sure of that." Zira made a face.
"The only time when the boys realize I'm a girl is during dancing class, and even there I'm the second choice, everyone wants to dance with Shae." Zira smiled thinking of her friend. "Everyone in the palace under the age of twenty five has asked her to the ball."
"Who is she going with?" Thayet asked. Zira laughed.
"Tobit, she has been in love with him forever. We used to have argument over him, but I was more fickle than she." Zira sighed and looked up at the queen. "My problem is that I almost never take my hair down so at the moment it looks like rats sleep in it each night." She made a face. "You're good with untangling hair, picking out dresses and doing makeup and such things." Thayet laughed, and tossed her thick curls that now was salted by white hairs.
"Of course I'll help you, in fact I've been dying to see you with your hair down." Thayet really was curious. She knew Zira had a lovely face, beautiful eyes, and a slender figure, but most of these features were hidden under loose clothes and the severe hairstyle she wore. As Zira took her hair down from battle style the formally straight hair had kinks and was frizzed in many places. She ran her fingers through it; they caught a snarl every half-inch. Zira laughed.
"I used to be so proud of my hair," she said with a smile.
"This is going to be a job," Thayet replied. After two hours of hard work they had it untangled, it frizzed out though. Zira felt it tentatively.
"This is MY hair," she exclaimed. "It used to be so smooth." Thayet laughed as she ran a brush through the damaged hair.
"I have some healing lacquers I use on my hair. You can use them. The ball is tomorrow, so if you go into the bathroom and use them it will be perfect by the ball."
"You will let me use the royal bathroom?" Zira said in amazement.
"I don't see why you shouldn't," Thayet laughed. "I don't believe there are any laws against it, and anyway you're a royal." Zira smiled, then felt her hair again.
"It feels so weird, I only wear it down when I wash it then I put it right back up. I don't really remember wearing it down much." She walked into the queen's huge bathroom. In the centre was a tub with brass taps and ceramic tiles. Zira smiled and remembered her bathtub growing up; it had been made of pure amber, with cat's feet to hold it up. She grinned contentedly as she spun the taps and watched the scented water pour into the tub. She stripped and slipped into the hot water. It was divine. She reveled in the feeling of heat flowing through her veins. There were some glass bottles on the edge of the tub. They each had little labels on them. Jasmine flower, hyacinth cream, hair calmer with lily of the valley scent. Zira smiled, and lifted the delicate bottle containing the hair calmer. She poured the cold blue fluid into her hands; lily of the valley filled the air. She breathed in the delicate fragrance and then massaged the cream into her hair. When she got out of the tub, and wrapped herself in a kimono, Thayet had just finished laying out her own choices of dresses. Zira looked at them.
"I think you should wear that one," she said pointing to a rich green dress. Thayet picked it up.
"I think I will. I always wear red, I want to look different. How was your bath?" Thayet asked. "Your hair is already much more under control."
"It was absolutely beautiful," she said and started to put her hair back into battle style. Thayet put out her hand.
"Don't do that," she said. "You'll make it worse, the hair calmer needs time to work." Zira frowned.
"But I want my hair to be a surprise though," she said.
"Use a hair net then," Thayet said as she walked over to her dressing table in a business like manner. She picked out a simple net with a hexagon design, and gently folded the long black tresses into it. "If you and Shae want to get ready with me I'd be happy to have more servants on tomorrow night," she said.
"That would be wonderful," Zira giggled, Thayet smiled at that, Zira was not the giggling type. "We want it to be a surprise to everyone." She slipped back into her breeches and shirt. "Our dresses are gorgeous." Zira said good bye to the queen, and ran back down the hall out into the open air. She felt the hair net to make sure it was firmly in place. She wandered out down the road into Corus, then into the surrounding countryside. The air was clear and the sky was blue. It was a beautiful day. In the distance she saw a horse cantering towards her. She looked at the tall figure on it, and began running herself.
"Falkin!" she yelled. Falkin waved, then as he approached leaned down and swung her up in the saddle with him. He reigned his horse in then they both dismounted and hugged. Falkin's shield hung from the saddle, on it gleamed a golden falcon on a blue background.
Chapter XIII: Cleaning Up
Zira ran down the hall her legs stretched out into a long easy stride. The people of the palace were used to her, and automatically got out of her way; she flashed smiles at them and ran on.
"That girl runs everywhere," one of the older clerics said as he flattened himself against the wall. His companion looked at the receding form.
"I'm sure if you can call her a girl, she never acts like one," he said primly. Zira ran down to the royal apartments, her willowy sixteen- year-old body slammed into the door. She stopped, and rubbed her nose. King Jonathan opened the door, arms full of papers. He looked at her suspiciously, still wary of the young royal.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. Zira stiffened.
"I'm here to see your wife," she said coldly. Jonathan ran his fingers through his graying black hair.
"Well go on in then," he said impatiently, and walked down the hall, surveying the documents in his hands. Zira watched him go.
"I guess he'd be alright if I were less cold, he's a good king, but still why did he invade my country, and why can't he let my father rule? Antitheos is its own country, it doesn't do well trapped." She sighed and pulled the door open.
"Thayet!" she called. A reply came from one of the inner rooms.
"I'm in here!" Zira walked into the room; it was hung lavishly in burgundy silk, and mahogany. Thayet stood up from her desk, and hugged Zira. "How has my son been treating you?" she said with a laugh.
"Which one?" Zira replied and sat down on the deep wine-red carpet. Thayet smiled. "Thayet."
"Yes?" she answered. Zira shook her head.
"What am I going to do? No one has asked me to the midsummer's ball. Well Neal said he would take me if no one else would, but other than that," Zira trailed off. Thayet smiled.
"Someone will ask you I'm sure of that." Zira made a face.
"The only time when the boys realize I'm a girl is during dancing class, and even there I'm the second choice, everyone wants to dance with Shae." Zira smiled thinking of her friend. "Everyone in the palace under the age of twenty five has asked her to the ball."
"Who is she going with?" Thayet asked. Zira laughed.
"Tobit, she has been in love with him forever. We used to have argument over him, but I was more fickle than she." Zira sighed and looked up at the queen. "My problem is that I almost never take my hair down so at the moment it looks like rats sleep in it each night." She made a face. "You're good with untangling hair, picking out dresses and doing makeup and such things." Thayet laughed, and tossed her thick curls that now was salted by white hairs.
"Of course I'll help you, in fact I've been dying to see you with your hair down." Thayet really was curious. She knew Zira had a lovely face, beautiful eyes, and a slender figure, but most of these features were hidden under loose clothes and the severe hairstyle she wore. As Zira took her hair down from battle style the formally straight hair had kinks and was frizzed in many places. She ran her fingers through it; they caught a snarl every half-inch. Zira laughed.
"I used to be so proud of my hair," she said with a smile.
"This is going to be a job," Thayet replied. After two hours of hard work they had it untangled, it frizzed out though. Zira felt it tentatively.
"This is MY hair," she exclaimed. "It used to be so smooth." Thayet laughed as she ran a brush through the damaged hair.
"I have some healing lacquers I use on my hair. You can use them. The ball is tomorrow, so if you go into the bathroom and use them it will be perfect by the ball."
"You will let me use the royal bathroom?" Zira said in amazement.
"I don't see why you shouldn't," Thayet laughed. "I don't believe there are any laws against it, and anyway you're a royal." Zira smiled, then felt her hair again.
"It feels so weird, I only wear it down when I wash it then I put it right back up. I don't really remember wearing it down much." She walked into the queen's huge bathroom. In the centre was a tub with brass taps and ceramic tiles. Zira smiled and remembered her bathtub growing up; it had been made of pure amber, with cat's feet to hold it up. She grinned contentedly as she spun the taps and watched the scented water pour into the tub. She stripped and slipped into the hot water. It was divine. She reveled in the feeling of heat flowing through her veins. There were some glass bottles on the edge of the tub. They each had little labels on them. Jasmine flower, hyacinth cream, hair calmer with lily of the valley scent. Zira smiled, and lifted the delicate bottle containing the hair calmer. She poured the cold blue fluid into her hands; lily of the valley filled the air. She breathed in the delicate fragrance and then massaged the cream into her hair. When she got out of the tub, and wrapped herself in a kimono, Thayet had just finished laying out her own choices of dresses. Zira looked at them.
"I think you should wear that one," she said pointing to a rich green dress. Thayet picked it up.
"I think I will. I always wear red, I want to look different. How was your bath?" Thayet asked. "Your hair is already much more under control."
"It was absolutely beautiful," she said and started to put her hair back into battle style. Thayet put out her hand.
"Don't do that," she said. "You'll make it worse, the hair calmer needs time to work." Zira frowned.
"But I want my hair to be a surprise though," she said.
"Use a hair net then," Thayet said as she walked over to her dressing table in a business like manner. She picked out a simple net with a hexagon design, and gently folded the long black tresses into it. "If you and Shae want to get ready with me I'd be happy to have more servants on tomorrow night," she said.
"That would be wonderful," Zira giggled, Thayet smiled at that, Zira was not the giggling type. "We want it to be a surprise to everyone." She slipped back into her breeches and shirt. "Our dresses are gorgeous." Zira said good bye to the queen, and ran back down the hall out into the open air. She felt the hair net to make sure it was firmly in place. She wandered out down the road into Corus, then into the surrounding countryside. The air was clear and the sky was blue. It was a beautiful day. In the distance she saw a horse cantering towards her. She looked at the tall figure on it, and began running herself.
"Falkin!" she yelled. Falkin waved, then as he approached leaned down and swung her up in the saddle with him. He reigned his horse in then they both dismounted and hugged. Falkin's shield hung from the saddle, on it gleamed a golden falcon on a blue background.