Disclaimer: Despite popular beliefs (according to a survey consisting of
myself), I do not own any of Tamora Pierce's works.
Author's notes: Surprised at the update? Me too... I hadn't intended to continue this fic due to complications (a.k.a., laziness) but found myself with the time to write the next chapter. I'm hoping to start up Spades once more and update far more often.
IMPORTANT NOTE: When I started writing this, I had forgotten that it was supposed to be a three-week stay and not two, so just pretend a week has passed with no occurrence and I'll make up for it by cramming everything that was supposed to happen in that week into this week, okay?
~ ~ ~ ~
"Never flirted in my life..." Audrie muttered, pinning up her hair violently "Never. Not once."
"Then what was that conversation with Raoul, M'lady?" Sarri smiled and was nearly stabbed by one of Audrie's hair pins.
"Accident." Audrie muttered and stood up once more. "Sorry." Shoving a green dress over her head, Audrie quite nearly stomped out of the room, only to see Prince Jonathan standing at the door. "Highness?" Audrie raised an eyebrow expectantly.
"Lady Audrelinia!" Jon grinned. "Just the lady I wanted to see."
"Oh really. How nice." In terms of oceans, Audrie's tone was a desert. "Why would that be?"
"I was hoping that you could, uh..." Jon trailed off, unwilling to continue.
"Yes?" The desert suddenly froze over.
"Well, you're a lady, right?"
"Unless I'm gravely mistaken and I've been tricked since birth, then yes."
"And all ladies get along with each other, right? Well, I mean..." Jon searched for the right words, "You all talk. About... things..."
"If you're wondering what Delia's said about you in bed, you'll be disappointed. I'm not particularly acquainted with her."
Jon turned cherry red indignantly. "That's not what I was going to ask!"
"Oh really? Then dare I ask what you were planning to ask?" Rather than forcing a smile, Audrie was trying to hide hers.
"Whether you would ask her how I was doing in bed." "Such is the difference, your highness!"
Jon took on a surprised face. "Then you'll do it?" "No. I told you, Delia and I are not on intimate terms. Feel free to ask her yourself though, you highness. No doubt she'll shower you with praise."
Again the prince blushed. "Ah, yes, well... Lady Audrelinia, I'll see you at the ball tonight then."
"The balls start tonight?!" Audrie felt as though she had just heard her death announcement.
"Yes, didn't you know?"
"Well, I knew they started soon, but..."
"Well, you had best pick out your dresses right now. Most ladies are, so lunch will be particularly lonesome without you all."
'Don't you mean interesting?' Audrie thought to herself as she turned back into her room to plan her doom.
Sarri brighten as she entered the room. "You're back, m'lady?"
"The balls start tonight."
"You say that as though it's a bad thing."
"Isn't it?"
" I dare say you'll have a lovely time, and I'm sure you'll have a lovely time if," Sarri whisked out a particularly revealing off the shoulders aqua dress, "you wear this lovely dress. All the men will notice you."
Audrie massaged her temples. "That's exactly what I don't want. You'll have to kill me to make me wear that dress." An evil glint in Sarri's eye told Audrie she shouldn't plan to let Sarri near her corset strings any time soon.
At last they decided upon a blue-grey with loose sleeves and a unusually high neckline. Unusually high meaning that it didn't reveal half of Audrie's breasts.
But by the time Audrie was even near putting on the dress she was ready to scream. Sarri had insisted upon scrubbing Audrie's back raw while bathing her, despite Audrie's insistance that she could bathe herself. After that, Sarri spent what, to Audrie, seemed like an eternity on makeup and hair. Yet afterwards, Audrie looked into the mirror, mesmerized by the calm beauty before her.
"I guess this is why noble ladies are always preening. So they can look like this every day. It must do wonders for their egos." Audrie scoffed and then made a face. "I don't like it."
"You don't like it, m'lady?" Sarri frowned. "Did I do something wrong? Was the blush not blended quite right?"
"Don't be silly. I look perfect. That's the problem. Perfection is unnatural. It bothers me." Audrie stood and swept a shallow curtsey. "But if porcelain skin is what the nobles want, fine. It's only a few more days..."
A sudden knock caused Audrie to jump out of her gracefulness. Opening the door carefully, she was surprised once more to Ballin standing in front of her. "What do you want?" She snapped, but looked away.
"You look amazing." Ballin grinned. "I never knew our Audrie could look so lovely."
"I can't. It's a disguise." Audrie's expression turned to that of annoyance.
Ballin sighed,"I know, but it would be nice to think you had some femininity in you."
A sharp glare from Audrie quieted Ballin. "I just wanted to tell you that we've discussed your presence here and decided we can't change our plans."
Audrie's distracted glance was brought swiftly to Ballin's face with a raging anger he had seen only rarely before, but was quickly covered by a look of sad loss. The loud rant Ballin was expecting was replaced by only, "If that's what you've decided, I don't have much choice in it, do I?" Audrey sighed and looked away once more.
"We... We just wanted you to know." Ballin nodded and left, softly closing the door behind him, but heard a soft "Fool" as the door clicked behind him.
~ ~ ~ ~
Audrie sighed and plunked herself down on her bed. Then she noticed that Sarri was still in the room. "You're still here?"
"Who was that handsome young lad, m'lady?"
This received a dry laugh from Audrey. "No one you'd care to know." Then she remembered that Sarri knew George, so she would have little qualms knowing Ballin. "I ran away years ago. I was seven... My parents wanted me to marry and be lady, but I couldn't stand the idea. I ran away and joined a band of thieves. He was in the group. We were old friends. It seems that they've left Tusaine to come and loot here, where there's less starving people."
"Why did you come to Corus without them, if you joined them when you were seven?"
"I... was ready to leave. I was 15 then. I had been with them for eight years... It was fun though. I collected scars and tricks over the years. It was with them I got my nickname Ace of Spades, for cheating constantly with it in cards, though we all cheated. I guess you could say we were a desperate, collected family." Sarri sensed a touch of nostalgia in Audrie's voice. "Do you miss them? Still?"
"I don't have time for nostalgia, especially when their practically asking to be killed by palace guards. My loot is my loot this time." Standing once more, Audrie looked out the window to find that the sun had begun to set. "So late?"
"I suppose we spent more time preparing than you thought we would."
"I suppose so. When is the ball?"
"Dinner's to be two hours from now m'lady, once the sun's fully set. After that will be the dance. The dining hall will be set up exceptionally of course."
"Let's just pray to the Goddess that I can actually be seated next to someone interesting for once."
~ ~ ~ ~
Audrie's pray was obviously not answered, for she was seated next to some of the oldest visiting court ladies in all of Tortall.
Scanning around the dining room while 'listening' to the eldest lady's comments on 'young ladies who lack proper manners', Audrie spotted the squire Alan serving the prince, who sat with his mother and father and, apparently, three guests.
Abruptly, Audrie stood and fled from the room, barely avoiding tripping in her heels, but not avoiding the curious gazes of nearly everyone in the room.
~ ~ ~ ~
"What in Mithros' name are they doing here?" Audrie sat in her room, gasping for breath. Still slightly out of breath, she didn't answer to the light tap on her door. The door creaked open a sliver to reveal Raoul, who stood there quietly for a moment, looking at Audrie sitting on her bed, head in her hands.
"Lady Audrelinia?" Raoul fully opened the door. "What was that all about?"
"Hm?" Audrie looked up for the first time.
"Are you all right?" Raoul's face was one of concern.
"Hm, oh, yeah sure." Audrie stood and started going through the many things on her desk, gathering up a few yellowing letters absent mindedly. "What's wrong?" Raoul grasped Audrie by the shoulder, forcing her to look up.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." A weak smile formed on Audrie's lips before falling away entirely. A sad look passed over her face as she placed the letters back on the desk.
"Why did you leave the dining hall."
"Ah..." Audrie faltered and flailed for an excuse, "Nervous. About the dances, you know? I couldn't eat."
"Of course," Raoul nodded but still looked at Audrie warily. "That makes sense, I suppose. But you should have stayed."
"I felt sick."
"You don't have to dance every dance, you know. You can sit out a few."
"I'm bound to sit out half of them. Not that that's a bad thing. But no doubt I'll have to dance some." 'At least, enough to steal a good deal.' Audrie added silently.
"You'll be fine, I'm sure." Raoul supported her, "Come, the dances should start in about a half an hour."
"I'll just wait here until then."
Raoul knew this as a dismissal, and didn't want people to wonder why he had been in Audrie's rooms for so long. With a brief glance to the old letters on Audrie's desk, he left.
~ ~ ~ ~
As the dances began, people migrated from the dining hall to one of the ball rooms. Audrie appeared only once the dances had fully began, as to avoid too many curious glances. She swept in quietly, and the only person to notice her entrance was squire Alan, who pointed her out to the group he was talking to, which included the prince, Raoul, Alex and several ladies.
Planting a grin on her face, Audrie walked over to the group. "And how is everyone this evening?" Her false manners were unusually stiff this evening, but Audrie plastered on a smile bright enough to cover it and thereupon decided to forget everything and focus most on surviving through the evening.
A predator like smile played on Delia's lips as Audrie's gaze fell upon her. "Quite well, thank you." Turning to Raoul, her green eyes swept over him. "Raoul, would you be so kind as to dance this song with me." It wasn't even a question. Delia took Raoul's arm and swept him into the crowd of dancers.
As they left, Audrie vowed to do something terrible to her, like steal all of her loincloths. And judging from the prince's face, she wasn't the only pair who resented Delia.
But before Audrie could even consider planning something for Delia, an old, though obviously rich, noble walked up to her and asked her to dance. Though culture forbid her refusal to dance, her stomach squirmed at the idea of dancing with him. But with a smile she curtseyed shallowly and accepted with what she hoped to be some grace.
As the old man danced with her, he spoke of, much to Audrie's displeasure, the need of a wife and heir at this age. Every once in a while his hand would attempt to wander, at which Audrie would promptly 'accidentally' step on his toes with all her weight. Each time this happened, she would smile apologetically and, without his knowing, steal something of his. By the end of the dance, she thought she would have to start stripping him if she continued to steal. All of his rings were in a hidden pocket in the folds of her dress, along with his watch and several other valuables she had stolen off his person.
This occurred several times, though with less lecheries and varying ages. Over an hour had passed before Audrie had the opportunity to rest her feet. Groaning inwardly, she walked over to the group from before, which had regained Gary and Raoul and several other knights but lost the prince and Delia, along with the other ladies.
"Nyuh..." Audrie rested herself against the pillar the group stood by.
"Tired?" Gary grinned. "You act as though you've never been to a ball before."
"I'm a noblewoman. Do you really think I've never been to a ball before?" Audrie avoided the truth neatly. She left the lies up to their prejudices that noblewomen went to hundreds of balls in their free time.
"Of course. You just seemed so tired." Gary shrugged but grinned maliciously, "Care for one more dance?"
Audrie eyed him warily, "What do you mean? If your asking me, it's a solid n-" Audrie spotted Roger walking happily towards her. "Oh shit!"
The men nearly jumped backwards at seeing Audrie curse. Several looks were exchanged among them all.
"What, you've never heard a lady curse?" Audrie muttered under her breath as Roger neared.
"Never once," was a unanimous response.
"Then you've obviously never gotten out enough." Audrie retorted through her teeth as she plastered a smile on for Roger. It was this transformation from cursing cynic to bright and chipper lady that made the men wonder when Audrie was acting and when she wasn't.
"Roger, what a pleasure to see you enjoying the ball." The plastered on smile began to twitch ever so slightly.
"Indeed," The duke's smile seemed much more genuine than Audrie's. "Perhaps you'd care for a dance?"
Audrie's smile twitched even more and there was a moment's hesitation as she looked around desperately for help. Finally, she answered, "Of course. There is little else I could desire but a dance with you."
The duke grinned and swept a sickly looking Audrie off to the dance floor once more.
"Poor soul," Gary commented to Raoul, "She must hate dancing as much as you do."
"Are they gone?" Raoul came out from hiding behind the curtains, where he had been to avoid a group of giggling court ladies that had come in search of him saying "He needs to flirt a little. We'll just help him."
"Yes," Gary replied, "Along with Audrie."
"Who's she dancing with now?" Raoul looked out onto the dance floor trying to spot her.
"The duke." Alex supplied.
"But she hates him," Raoul contemplated Audrie's wanton dancing habits. "Why would she dance with him?"
"Apparently she was most reluctant to agree." Alex added.
Raoul found Audrie out on the dance floor, obviously not happy with her current arrangement, though the duke seemed oblivious to her dislike.
At the end of the dance, Roger seemed most unwilling to let go of Audrie, who finally had to beg exhaustion from constant dancing. She returned to the group once more, with a dark look on her face.
"He's a terror," She muttered, plunking against the pillar once more. "I think he's trying to kill me with boredom. Really."
"I don't believe he'd really do that."
"I do,"Audrie replied, "And besides, if he doesn't bore me to death, my feet will still kill me. Where was the chivalry in all of you when he asked me to dance? Not one of you tried to save me from him." Turning her glare to each of them she warned, "I'll get my revenge for that..."
Within twenty minutes she had found some of the most annoyingly chatty ladies in the room (including several who sat at her table during dinner) and turned them on the group, saying the men needed dance partners. Several begging and desperate looks later, Audrie was very pleased with herself.
~ ~ ~ ~
The evening finally ended as Audrie laughed with the group about the old ladies, though she still sent Raoul and Gary out to dance occasionally. She left the room, though no one noticed, with her dress a good deal heavier than when she came in, nearly half of her booty from Roger alone.
Returning to her rooms, she emptied the stash from her hidden pockets into her closet, and undressed, prying her shoes off her feet. After massaging her tender toes for a few minutes, Audrie winced but rose and grabbed her combat boots out of the closet, along with her usual thief's outift.
Before leaving, Audrie untied her hair, brushed out the ringlets and took off the false attachments, allowing her hair to fade to its natural black hand her eyes to their green. Wiggling her toes a bit to appreciate their newfound freedom, Audrie smiled evilly and left the room at 15 minutes to one o'clock in the morning.
~ ~ ~ ~
This time Audrie's rounds included the guest rooms where the nobles who were merely visiting for the week were staying. She knew they would assume they had only lost their rings under the bed, or that the servants had taken it. Audrie felt vaguely guilty about the concept that the servants would be blamed for her thievery, but shook it off with a dismissal that servants, frankly, were used to those assumptions, whenever a lord or lady suddenly lost their ring under the bed.
After taking a few things from each room- from one she took the bath towels- she moved onto the pages' rooms. There was nearly nothing there of worth that wouldn't be missed, though one boy owned several knives, and apparently had snuck a cat into his rooms, though the cat obviously hadn't been fed in some time. Picking up the two knives and finding them to be of little worth, mostly due to their bad craftsmanship, she ignored them and simply scooped up the cat, deciding it was to her liking. The cat purred instantly, since obviously the young page didn't take good care of it.
Audrey returned to her rooms briefly to drop off what she had already stolen, along with the cat, which she set out some crackers she had stolen from the kitchen for. With that, she headed out once more.
This time she went to the prince's room, where, much to her surprise, Delia was not there. Gracefully, Audrie swept several fine pocket watches and rings into a few pockets (for there were many in this pair of breeches). Grinning with an eery malice, Audrey went into Delia's room and stole several love letters, lightly erased the original receiver's name and wrote in the names of some of the ugliest men in court, and hand delivered them, courtesy of revenge.
After that, Audrie went into Gary's rooms and found the usual terrible prose and poetry arrayed on his desk. Audrie was tempted to add in lines again, but the author decided against it because she doesn't like repeating tricks. Instead, Audrie stole his fine calligraphy pens, leaving a note that said, 'perhaps you'd be better off without these.'
Finally, she snuck into Raoul's room, and surveyed it with a keen eye, conjuring up an image in her mind of what damage she could do. A smile crept onto her lips as she began heading toward Raoul's closet, an evil thought dancing in her head. She had been sifting through his closet, when a voice came from behind her.
"And what exactly are you doing, Lady Spades?"
Audrie whirled around to see that Raoul, who had been asleep on his desk, had either awakened or never been asleep in the first place.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" She sneered visibly, but felt vaguely sick. Raoul was far closer to the door than she was, and the window was closed, and she didn't particularly feel like crashing through it and having people ask her what on earth happened to her arms and face the next day.
Raoul looked at her contemplatively, and the smiled with a deceiving warmth. "I've been wanting to meet you for some time, you know." (Audrie snorted) " But your assistant informed me that you were traveling in Serain. She will be surprised to find you in Corus."
"My assistant need not know everything I do." Audrie looked away slightly, hoping Raoul wouldn't notice her lack of eye contact. "In this case, it is to my advantage that she is not aware of my doings."
"Now why would that be?"
"If she knew I was in Corus, she would only be a hindrance to my work." Audrie gave Raoul a look that said 'And if you have to ask that, you've obviously never worked with assistants.'
"And what sort of work are you doing?"
'Stealing half your closet, to leave you with only dresses and night shirts?' Audrie considered the real answer but decided against it. "Nothing of import to you, My Lord." The touch of acid on the last two words was mostly due to annoyance, but an odd look passed over Raoul's face.
"The last time I heard someone refer to being a noble as derogatory, it was from a court lady. Interestingly enough, she seemed to know a lot about you. Dare I ask if that was merely coincidence?'
"Thieving knows much of coincidence." At that instant, Audrie snapped into movement, dashing the four steps to the door before Raoul even noticed she had moved from where she had standing. Running out into the hall, Audrie barely heard the footfall of Raoul running behind her.
~ ~ ~ ~
Author's Notes: Yep, there's more. I haven't posted in about, oh, four months? So this chapter was pretty long, and I'm getting to work on the next one as soon as I post this. Really. So I hope you enjoyed the chapter (I'll be surprised if I get more than four reviews, but that's okay) and don't forget about the whole pairings deal: 150th reviewer gets to pick the final pairing.
Author's notes: Surprised at the update? Me too... I hadn't intended to continue this fic due to complications (a.k.a., laziness) but found myself with the time to write the next chapter. I'm hoping to start up Spades once more and update far more often.
IMPORTANT NOTE: When I started writing this, I had forgotten that it was supposed to be a three-week stay and not two, so just pretend a week has passed with no occurrence and I'll make up for it by cramming everything that was supposed to happen in that week into this week, okay?
~ ~ ~ ~
"Never flirted in my life..." Audrie muttered, pinning up her hair violently "Never. Not once."
"Then what was that conversation with Raoul, M'lady?" Sarri smiled and was nearly stabbed by one of Audrie's hair pins.
"Accident." Audrie muttered and stood up once more. "Sorry." Shoving a green dress over her head, Audrie quite nearly stomped out of the room, only to see Prince Jonathan standing at the door. "Highness?" Audrie raised an eyebrow expectantly.
"Lady Audrelinia!" Jon grinned. "Just the lady I wanted to see."
"Oh really. How nice." In terms of oceans, Audrie's tone was a desert. "Why would that be?"
"I was hoping that you could, uh..." Jon trailed off, unwilling to continue.
"Yes?" The desert suddenly froze over.
"Well, you're a lady, right?"
"Unless I'm gravely mistaken and I've been tricked since birth, then yes."
"And all ladies get along with each other, right? Well, I mean..." Jon searched for the right words, "You all talk. About... things..."
"If you're wondering what Delia's said about you in bed, you'll be disappointed. I'm not particularly acquainted with her."
Jon turned cherry red indignantly. "That's not what I was going to ask!"
"Oh really? Then dare I ask what you were planning to ask?" Rather than forcing a smile, Audrie was trying to hide hers.
"Whether you would ask her how I was doing in bed." "Such is the difference, your highness!"
Jon took on a surprised face. "Then you'll do it?" "No. I told you, Delia and I are not on intimate terms. Feel free to ask her yourself though, you highness. No doubt she'll shower you with praise."
Again the prince blushed. "Ah, yes, well... Lady Audrelinia, I'll see you at the ball tonight then."
"The balls start tonight?!" Audrie felt as though she had just heard her death announcement.
"Yes, didn't you know?"
"Well, I knew they started soon, but..."
"Well, you had best pick out your dresses right now. Most ladies are, so lunch will be particularly lonesome without you all."
'Don't you mean interesting?' Audrie thought to herself as she turned back into her room to plan her doom.
Sarri brighten as she entered the room. "You're back, m'lady?"
"The balls start tonight."
"You say that as though it's a bad thing."
"Isn't it?"
" I dare say you'll have a lovely time, and I'm sure you'll have a lovely time if," Sarri whisked out a particularly revealing off the shoulders aqua dress, "you wear this lovely dress. All the men will notice you."
Audrie massaged her temples. "That's exactly what I don't want. You'll have to kill me to make me wear that dress." An evil glint in Sarri's eye told Audrie she shouldn't plan to let Sarri near her corset strings any time soon.
At last they decided upon a blue-grey with loose sleeves and a unusually high neckline. Unusually high meaning that it didn't reveal half of Audrie's breasts.
But by the time Audrie was even near putting on the dress she was ready to scream. Sarri had insisted upon scrubbing Audrie's back raw while bathing her, despite Audrie's insistance that she could bathe herself. After that, Sarri spent what, to Audrie, seemed like an eternity on makeup and hair. Yet afterwards, Audrie looked into the mirror, mesmerized by the calm beauty before her.
"I guess this is why noble ladies are always preening. So they can look like this every day. It must do wonders for their egos." Audrie scoffed and then made a face. "I don't like it."
"You don't like it, m'lady?" Sarri frowned. "Did I do something wrong? Was the blush not blended quite right?"
"Don't be silly. I look perfect. That's the problem. Perfection is unnatural. It bothers me." Audrie stood and swept a shallow curtsey. "But if porcelain skin is what the nobles want, fine. It's only a few more days..."
A sudden knock caused Audrie to jump out of her gracefulness. Opening the door carefully, she was surprised once more to Ballin standing in front of her. "What do you want?" She snapped, but looked away.
"You look amazing." Ballin grinned. "I never knew our Audrie could look so lovely."
"I can't. It's a disguise." Audrie's expression turned to that of annoyance.
Ballin sighed,"I know, but it would be nice to think you had some femininity in you."
A sharp glare from Audrie quieted Ballin. "I just wanted to tell you that we've discussed your presence here and decided we can't change our plans."
Audrie's distracted glance was brought swiftly to Ballin's face with a raging anger he had seen only rarely before, but was quickly covered by a look of sad loss. The loud rant Ballin was expecting was replaced by only, "If that's what you've decided, I don't have much choice in it, do I?" Audrey sighed and looked away once more.
"We... We just wanted you to know." Ballin nodded and left, softly closing the door behind him, but heard a soft "Fool" as the door clicked behind him.
~ ~ ~ ~
Audrie sighed and plunked herself down on her bed. Then she noticed that Sarri was still in the room. "You're still here?"
"Who was that handsome young lad, m'lady?"
This received a dry laugh from Audrey. "No one you'd care to know." Then she remembered that Sarri knew George, so she would have little qualms knowing Ballin. "I ran away years ago. I was seven... My parents wanted me to marry and be lady, but I couldn't stand the idea. I ran away and joined a band of thieves. He was in the group. We were old friends. It seems that they've left Tusaine to come and loot here, where there's less starving people."
"Why did you come to Corus without them, if you joined them when you were seven?"
"I... was ready to leave. I was 15 then. I had been with them for eight years... It was fun though. I collected scars and tricks over the years. It was with them I got my nickname Ace of Spades, for cheating constantly with it in cards, though we all cheated. I guess you could say we were a desperate, collected family." Sarri sensed a touch of nostalgia in Audrie's voice. "Do you miss them? Still?"
"I don't have time for nostalgia, especially when their practically asking to be killed by palace guards. My loot is my loot this time." Standing once more, Audrie looked out the window to find that the sun had begun to set. "So late?"
"I suppose we spent more time preparing than you thought we would."
"I suppose so. When is the ball?"
"Dinner's to be two hours from now m'lady, once the sun's fully set. After that will be the dance. The dining hall will be set up exceptionally of course."
"Let's just pray to the Goddess that I can actually be seated next to someone interesting for once."
~ ~ ~ ~
Audrie's pray was obviously not answered, for she was seated next to some of the oldest visiting court ladies in all of Tortall.
Scanning around the dining room while 'listening' to the eldest lady's comments on 'young ladies who lack proper manners', Audrie spotted the squire Alan serving the prince, who sat with his mother and father and, apparently, three guests.
Abruptly, Audrie stood and fled from the room, barely avoiding tripping in her heels, but not avoiding the curious gazes of nearly everyone in the room.
~ ~ ~ ~
"What in Mithros' name are they doing here?" Audrie sat in her room, gasping for breath. Still slightly out of breath, she didn't answer to the light tap on her door. The door creaked open a sliver to reveal Raoul, who stood there quietly for a moment, looking at Audrie sitting on her bed, head in her hands.
"Lady Audrelinia?" Raoul fully opened the door. "What was that all about?"
"Hm?" Audrie looked up for the first time.
"Are you all right?" Raoul's face was one of concern.
"Hm, oh, yeah sure." Audrie stood and started going through the many things on her desk, gathering up a few yellowing letters absent mindedly. "What's wrong?" Raoul grasped Audrie by the shoulder, forcing her to look up.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." A weak smile formed on Audrie's lips before falling away entirely. A sad look passed over her face as she placed the letters back on the desk.
"Why did you leave the dining hall."
"Ah..." Audrie faltered and flailed for an excuse, "Nervous. About the dances, you know? I couldn't eat."
"Of course," Raoul nodded but still looked at Audrie warily. "That makes sense, I suppose. But you should have stayed."
"I felt sick."
"You don't have to dance every dance, you know. You can sit out a few."
"I'm bound to sit out half of them. Not that that's a bad thing. But no doubt I'll have to dance some." 'At least, enough to steal a good deal.' Audrie added silently.
"You'll be fine, I'm sure." Raoul supported her, "Come, the dances should start in about a half an hour."
"I'll just wait here until then."
Raoul knew this as a dismissal, and didn't want people to wonder why he had been in Audrie's rooms for so long. With a brief glance to the old letters on Audrie's desk, he left.
~ ~ ~ ~
As the dances began, people migrated from the dining hall to one of the ball rooms. Audrie appeared only once the dances had fully began, as to avoid too many curious glances. She swept in quietly, and the only person to notice her entrance was squire Alan, who pointed her out to the group he was talking to, which included the prince, Raoul, Alex and several ladies.
Planting a grin on her face, Audrie walked over to the group. "And how is everyone this evening?" Her false manners were unusually stiff this evening, but Audrie plastered on a smile bright enough to cover it and thereupon decided to forget everything and focus most on surviving through the evening.
A predator like smile played on Delia's lips as Audrie's gaze fell upon her. "Quite well, thank you." Turning to Raoul, her green eyes swept over him. "Raoul, would you be so kind as to dance this song with me." It wasn't even a question. Delia took Raoul's arm and swept him into the crowd of dancers.
As they left, Audrie vowed to do something terrible to her, like steal all of her loincloths. And judging from the prince's face, she wasn't the only pair who resented Delia.
But before Audrie could even consider planning something for Delia, an old, though obviously rich, noble walked up to her and asked her to dance. Though culture forbid her refusal to dance, her stomach squirmed at the idea of dancing with him. But with a smile she curtseyed shallowly and accepted with what she hoped to be some grace.
As the old man danced with her, he spoke of, much to Audrie's displeasure, the need of a wife and heir at this age. Every once in a while his hand would attempt to wander, at which Audrie would promptly 'accidentally' step on his toes with all her weight. Each time this happened, she would smile apologetically and, without his knowing, steal something of his. By the end of the dance, she thought she would have to start stripping him if she continued to steal. All of his rings were in a hidden pocket in the folds of her dress, along with his watch and several other valuables she had stolen off his person.
This occurred several times, though with less lecheries and varying ages. Over an hour had passed before Audrie had the opportunity to rest her feet. Groaning inwardly, she walked over to the group from before, which had regained Gary and Raoul and several other knights but lost the prince and Delia, along with the other ladies.
"Nyuh..." Audrie rested herself against the pillar the group stood by.
"Tired?" Gary grinned. "You act as though you've never been to a ball before."
"I'm a noblewoman. Do you really think I've never been to a ball before?" Audrie avoided the truth neatly. She left the lies up to their prejudices that noblewomen went to hundreds of balls in their free time.
"Of course. You just seemed so tired." Gary shrugged but grinned maliciously, "Care for one more dance?"
Audrie eyed him warily, "What do you mean? If your asking me, it's a solid n-" Audrie spotted Roger walking happily towards her. "Oh shit!"
The men nearly jumped backwards at seeing Audrie curse. Several looks were exchanged among them all.
"What, you've never heard a lady curse?" Audrie muttered under her breath as Roger neared.
"Never once," was a unanimous response.
"Then you've obviously never gotten out enough." Audrie retorted through her teeth as she plastered a smile on for Roger. It was this transformation from cursing cynic to bright and chipper lady that made the men wonder when Audrie was acting and when she wasn't.
"Roger, what a pleasure to see you enjoying the ball." The plastered on smile began to twitch ever so slightly.
"Indeed," The duke's smile seemed much more genuine than Audrie's. "Perhaps you'd care for a dance?"
Audrie's smile twitched even more and there was a moment's hesitation as she looked around desperately for help. Finally, she answered, "Of course. There is little else I could desire but a dance with you."
The duke grinned and swept a sickly looking Audrie off to the dance floor once more.
"Poor soul," Gary commented to Raoul, "She must hate dancing as much as you do."
"Are they gone?" Raoul came out from hiding behind the curtains, where he had been to avoid a group of giggling court ladies that had come in search of him saying "He needs to flirt a little. We'll just help him."
"Yes," Gary replied, "Along with Audrie."
"Who's she dancing with now?" Raoul looked out onto the dance floor trying to spot her.
"The duke." Alex supplied.
"But she hates him," Raoul contemplated Audrie's wanton dancing habits. "Why would she dance with him?"
"Apparently she was most reluctant to agree." Alex added.
Raoul found Audrie out on the dance floor, obviously not happy with her current arrangement, though the duke seemed oblivious to her dislike.
At the end of the dance, Roger seemed most unwilling to let go of Audrie, who finally had to beg exhaustion from constant dancing. She returned to the group once more, with a dark look on her face.
"He's a terror," She muttered, plunking against the pillar once more. "I think he's trying to kill me with boredom. Really."
"I don't believe he'd really do that."
"I do,"Audrie replied, "And besides, if he doesn't bore me to death, my feet will still kill me. Where was the chivalry in all of you when he asked me to dance? Not one of you tried to save me from him." Turning her glare to each of them she warned, "I'll get my revenge for that..."
Within twenty minutes she had found some of the most annoyingly chatty ladies in the room (including several who sat at her table during dinner) and turned them on the group, saying the men needed dance partners. Several begging and desperate looks later, Audrie was very pleased with herself.
~ ~ ~ ~
The evening finally ended as Audrie laughed with the group about the old ladies, though she still sent Raoul and Gary out to dance occasionally. She left the room, though no one noticed, with her dress a good deal heavier than when she came in, nearly half of her booty from Roger alone.
Returning to her rooms, she emptied the stash from her hidden pockets into her closet, and undressed, prying her shoes off her feet. After massaging her tender toes for a few minutes, Audrie winced but rose and grabbed her combat boots out of the closet, along with her usual thief's outift.
Before leaving, Audrie untied her hair, brushed out the ringlets and took off the false attachments, allowing her hair to fade to its natural black hand her eyes to their green. Wiggling her toes a bit to appreciate their newfound freedom, Audrie smiled evilly and left the room at 15 minutes to one o'clock in the morning.
~ ~ ~ ~
This time Audrie's rounds included the guest rooms where the nobles who were merely visiting for the week were staying. She knew they would assume they had only lost their rings under the bed, or that the servants had taken it. Audrie felt vaguely guilty about the concept that the servants would be blamed for her thievery, but shook it off with a dismissal that servants, frankly, were used to those assumptions, whenever a lord or lady suddenly lost their ring under the bed.
After taking a few things from each room- from one she took the bath towels- she moved onto the pages' rooms. There was nearly nothing there of worth that wouldn't be missed, though one boy owned several knives, and apparently had snuck a cat into his rooms, though the cat obviously hadn't been fed in some time. Picking up the two knives and finding them to be of little worth, mostly due to their bad craftsmanship, she ignored them and simply scooped up the cat, deciding it was to her liking. The cat purred instantly, since obviously the young page didn't take good care of it.
Audrey returned to her rooms briefly to drop off what she had already stolen, along with the cat, which she set out some crackers she had stolen from the kitchen for. With that, she headed out once more.
This time she went to the prince's room, where, much to her surprise, Delia was not there. Gracefully, Audrie swept several fine pocket watches and rings into a few pockets (for there were many in this pair of breeches). Grinning with an eery malice, Audrey went into Delia's room and stole several love letters, lightly erased the original receiver's name and wrote in the names of some of the ugliest men in court, and hand delivered them, courtesy of revenge.
After that, Audrie went into Gary's rooms and found the usual terrible prose and poetry arrayed on his desk. Audrie was tempted to add in lines again, but the author decided against it because she doesn't like repeating tricks. Instead, Audrie stole his fine calligraphy pens, leaving a note that said, 'perhaps you'd be better off without these.'
Finally, she snuck into Raoul's room, and surveyed it with a keen eye, conjuring up an image in her mind of what damage she could do. A smile crept onto her lips as she began heading toward Raoul's closet, an evil thought dancing in her head. She had been sifting through his closet, when a voice came from behind her.
"And what exactly are you doing, Lady Spades?"
Audrie whirled around to see that Raoul, who had been asleep on his desk, had either awakened or never been asleep in the first place.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" She sneered visibly, but felt vaguely sick. Raoul was far closer to the door than she was, and the window was closed, and she didn't particularly feel like crashing through it and having people ask her what on earth happened to her arms and face the next day.
Raoul looked at her contemplatively, and the smiled with a deceiving warmth. "I've been wanting to meet you for some time, you know." (Audrie snorted) " But your assistant informed me that you were traveling in Serain. She will be surprised to find you in Corus."
"My assistant need not know everything I do." Audrie looked away slightly, hoping Raoul wouldn't notice her lack of eye contact. "In this case, it is to my advantage that she is not aware of my doings."
"Now why would that be?"
"If she knew I was in Corus, she would only be a hindrance to my work." Audrie gave Raoul a look that said 'And if you have to ask that, you've obviously never worked with assistants.'
"And what sort of work are you doing?"
'Stealing half your closet, to leave you with only dresses and night shirts?' Audrie considered the real answer but decided against it. "Nothing of import to you, My Lord." The touch of acid on the last two words was mostly due to annoyance, but an odd look passed over Raoul's face.
"The last time I heard someone refer to being a noble as derogatory, it was from a court lady. Interestingly enough, she seemed to know a lot about you. Dare I ask if that was merely coincidence?'
"Thieving knows much of coincidence." At that instant, Audrie snapped into movement, dashing the four steps to the door before Raoul even noticed she had moved from where she had standing. Running out into the hall, Audrie barely heard the footfall of Raoul running behind her.
~ ~ ~ ~
Author's Notes: Yep, there's more. I haven't posted in about, oh, four months? So this chapter was pretty long, and I'm getting to work on the next one as soon as I post this. Really. So I hope you enjoyed the chapter (I'll be surprised if I get more than four reviews, but that's okay) and don't forget about the whole pairings deal: 150th reviewer gets to pick the final pairing.