A/N For those who like long chapters this is long. For those who like short chapters just pretend that it is many short ones. Dark Lady, I'm glad you like Jasson (and this story). The ball will be soon. PenMage, I will try to update both more regularly, and don't feel selfish because it makes me feel good when you want me to update. Yes I have thought out basically the whole plot and I have given Antitheos a whole history. I had to because Tortall has this whole rich history and I have to make Antitheos just as real. I'm glad you like it. ZuriZip you have a prize at the bottom for being my 100th reviewer. Dictionary gal thank you for your loquacious review. Hannah here is the next chapter. Golden Goddess, what do you expect from Windows now macs I won't get into my computer beliefs, I'm glad you liked my history of Old Magic. LILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU'RE BACK. I was so happy to see for the Love of a Dream updated, and now the very selfish side of me is very happy to see you reviewing. happy dance I love your reviews. I'm glad you're liking it, I love your story. You're back you're back! Daemon thanks for the review. Imaginatrix thanks for the review, I don't think I could live with out spellcheck (well at least no one would ever understand me). Thank you to everyone (wow over 100 that is quite the achievement). Thanks again, please read and review, and above all ENJOY!
Chapter XVI: Preparations
Zira was quiet that evening, and stayed awake late into the night staring at the strange shadows projecting themselves onto the ceiling.
"Why does Jasson like me?" she asked herself over and over. "I can't like him like he wants me to. I just can't, we're friends. I don't want to change our friendship. Falkin on the other hand," she smiled. Falkin with his radical ideas, and gentle voice. His strong arms, and intelligent conversation. "Falkin said that I was the most intelligent person he had ever met." She shivered agreeably. "But what about Jasson. I love him, as a friend, I couldn't hurt him." Her thoughts whirled around in her brain. She watched the stars change through the night until she drifted into sleep.
She awoke to Shae throwing the windows open as she did every morning. Zira looked over at her friend with her thigh length ebony hair, and deep bronze skin, which glowed in the sun. She was indeed a beauty. Zira stood and walked over to her, long lashes blinking over sleepy amber eyes. Zira's golden toned hand touched Shae's slightly darker one. They turned and grinned to each other.
"Is it true that the Queen said that we could dress in her rooms?" Shae asked covering her yawning mouth.
"Yes, what time should we go over there?" Zira asked.
"Let's go there right after lunch," Shae said as she gazed out over the rooftops of Corus. There was a loud knock on the door.
"Zira," a tired and irritable Neal called from the other side. "Do you want to help me this morning with mixing some remedies?" Zira tossed on her kimono, and made sure that the hair net was in place.
"Yes, Neal," she called. "Just give me time to get dressed."
"Meet me in the infirmary," was the reply. Zira laughed. Neal was not very patient in the mornings. Shae yawned again.
"I think that I will go for a walk today," she said with a smile.
"And accidentally run into Tobit," Zira replied laughing, as she changed into a pair of beeches and a loose tunic.
"Of course," Shae said matter of factly. "There would be no point in the walk if I didn't meet up with him."
"Well I'm off," Zira said as she folded her nightdress. "I'll meet you at lunch and we can go to Thayet together."
"Have fun," Shae said with a wry smile.
"Oh I will," Zira replied sarcastically.
The infirmary was clean and smelled sweetly of bitter herbs and minerals used for the medication. Zira breathed in deeply as she entered. She loved the smell. Neal was at the end of the room.
"Come here, Zira," he said looking closely at the crushed herbs in a bowl in front of him. She smiled and strode over to him. Neal probed them with his gift. "Yes," he said. "Could you crush some more feverfew and chamomile." Zira reached up and removed a mortar and pestle from a shelf above the desk.
"Are you going to the ball with anyone," Neal asked as he opened a drawer full of the herbs. She took a handful of the dried herbs, and mixed them in the granite bowl.
"Yes, Falkin is taking me." Neal looked at his squire shrewdly. He saw the almost imperceptible smile curling the corners of her lips up.
"You must be happy," he drawled. She looked at his lanky laid-back form and grinned.
"Yes," she said. "I am."
At lunch Shae met Zira in the dining hall. She was dressed in a light green summer sari, with a dozen thin gold bracelets on her wrist. Her hair was down except for two thin black braids crowning her head. All of the pages, squires and knights, turned their heads to catch a glimpse of the goddess like young woman.
"Shae," Zira whispered to her best friend. "You will break all their hearts with a glance." Shae grinned wickedly.
"And glance I will," she said as she walked towards Tobit. Tobit smiled as she approached him knowing that everyone in the room was jealous of him.
"Well maybe not everyone," he thought as his eyes landed on Jasson who was staring fixedly on Zira. Shae reached him.
"What color should I wear for the ball?" he asked her smiling. They had already gone over this on their walk but he had to say something. Shae considered for a moment, playing along.
"A dark blue might be nice, or dark red."
"Right," Tobit said grinning at his partner to the ball, his love. He kissed her hand, and she blushed. "See you tonight." Zira and Shae left laughing, and giggling among themselves. When they reached the royal chambers they had composed themselves somewhat and knock lightly on the imposing door before them. A maid opened it slightly then smiled.
"Your Majesty, girls are here," she called and Thayet appeared at the door.
"Come on in," she said. "I have banished all the males and so we can prepare all afternoon." Zira looked at her confused.
"How could we possibly take six hours to get ready?" she asked. Thayet turned to Shae.
"It is a good thing you were the one to choose the time to come here. Zira would have come at 5 to 7:00." They laughed all of them giddy about the ball. Thayet tossed her head. "Shae brought your dresses and things over this morning." Zira and Shae looked at each other and grinned.
"I think you will love them," Shae said to the queen, a little shy, not knowing what to call her. "We made them ourselves, with a bit of help from the palace tailors."
"The fabric was imported from Antitheos," Zira said, and Thayet saw a longing in the young princess' eyes.
"Let's get started," she said, a maid came up on her right. "Zira, let your hair out of the hair net." Zira carefully unpinned the net and removed it from her head. Her hair cascaded down her back, a silky river of black. Shae smiled.
"Your hair hasn't looked like that since you were ten," she said fingering the perfectly straight tresses. Zira ran her fingers through it from the roots to the end. They did not snag once.
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In their old commons room all of the squires and new knights met, waited for the ball to begin. Falkin and Tobit looked at each other and nodded. They were dressed in their finery. Tobit wore a sky blue shirt, black breeches and jacket, his curly hair was somewhat under control, and his bright blue eyes matched the color of his shirt. Falkin was in a white shirt, forest green breeches and jacket. His straw blonde hair was in any direction it decided to go. They smiled in unison.
"Well," Falkin said. "Tobit you are one lucky boy. Shae is very beautiful." Tobit looked at Falkin. Jasson looked up from the window seat; there was no beautiful jelico cat tonight to comfort him.
"So is Zira, I guess," Tobit remarked with a laugh. "I is hard to tell. She is so much one of us now." Falkin laughed.
"Well as long as I'm with Zira I won't get bored. She is far smarter than anyone here." Liam stared at them.
"Falkin, you're going with a boy, practically," he said with a sneer. Jasson ground his teeth, but as ever he could do nothing. He couldn't stand up to his brother. Instead it was Falkin who leapt to Zira's defense.
"Liam, why don't you keep your mouth shut," he said. "Zira's a girl, and far braver than you so called man. Mithros you are a coward, do you want me to tell everyone about your exploits as a knight? I have heard a lot of tales." Liam stood up and glared at his accuser, a person willing to stand up for Zira. Zira was just a little girl/boy to him. He had never really assigned her a gender, she just was the reason that his power slipped, the reason why Jasson was different, and Tobit changed. Tobit stepped in as ever the peacemaker between the two enemies, his best friends.
"Liam, stop it. Falkin try to control your temper." Tobit would never understand why he was the one in the middle of the warring parties. He knew that Liam was not the best or the most noble, but he also knew that he needed him. Needed him in a way that he may never know. Falkin walked over to the mantel and leaned on it.
"At least I'm not taking a prostitute," he muttered under his breath so that neither Tobit nor Liam could hear. Jasson did though and he smiled.
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Zira, Shae and Thayet were dressed. Shae walked over to a small bag from it she removed some powders and oils. She deftly mixed a deep red concentrate with some of the oil and gently applied it onto her full lips with a brush. Thayet looked at the Antithean cosmetics and smiled.
"Shae," Zira said as she searched through the bag. "Where is the kohl?"
"What is kohl?" Thayet asked curiously, she had already applied her face paint earlier. Shae handed Zira a fine black powder, which Zira mixed with a few drops of the oil.
"It is eye make up," Shae explained, as she brush some onto her own lashes, then with a glance at Zira, "and the only cosmetic that Zira will wear."
"I just don't like paint all over my face is that a crime," she asked walking over to a box in the corner of the spacious dressing room, a box that had been sent all the way from Antitheos for that night, the box that contained Zira's mother's jewelry. She lifted from the box a collar necklace of solid silver with an amber crescent engraved on the front, five bangles, one for each of the first rulers of Antitheos. There also was a circlet of dangling moons; they alternated between the Antithean colors, amber and silver. The last thing that she removed was a nose button. She smiled sadly, remembering when it was first given to her, and laid her finger on the side of her nose, where it was pierced. It was a tiny amber starburst. She thrust it into the side of her nose.
"I didn't know your nose was pierced," Thayet said with a smile. "I just thought that it was a scar like the ones on your hands." Zira grinned.
"No the heir to the throne always has their nose pierced, the scars come from knife fighting," she glance sideways at Shae, "They are mostly Shae's fault."
"You're the one always trying fancy new moves." Thayet looked at the two friends.
"I wonder if you could take on the Lioness at knife fighting? She and her husband are back in Corus for a month." Zira stiffened and what seemed like a mask came over her face. Thayet looked at her, and saw the anger, pride and severity that Zira was famous for. She didn't understand, this was a different girl from the one she knew.
I have a rose for the first 100 reviewers (trust me there are 100).
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and for Zurizip who was number 100 ----------@