Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot. sighs wistfully
Kel looked at herself in the mirror. She had just told Dom that she would meet him in the mess hall when she had finished her bath and had gotten "dressed up". Her reflection stared back, and sighed. Though she had lost most of her freckles, she still had most of them, and no dimples. Her being out in the sun most of the time had given her some blonde highlights and had turned her dark brown hair into an attractive golden brown. She admired a light brown curl as she straightened the imaginary wrinkles in her kimono. Her kimono was white with little birds, flowers, and green design patterns on it that brought out the hazel in her eyes and accentuated how long lashed they were. At first glance you would think she was a dreamer, only by looking closely could you see the fiery passion in them that burned so immensely in them when she was determined. She brought her hand up to brush back her hair-she had no idea of how to style it. And to add to the list, she had absolutely no idea of how to put face paint on. A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts. She groaned mentally; she hoped it wasn't one of her guy friends-especially Dom. She would hate them to see her as she was.
"Who is it?" she asked, bracing for it to be Neal.
"Its me. Open up!" that was Yuki's voice. Kel breathed a sigh of relief. She opened the door and hid behind it so that no one who was wandering the halls could see her.
"Come in, and hurry up!" Yuki raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow at the urgency in her voice. She walked in slowly, clad in breeches and a shirt with her hair pulled back into a horsetail, yet she still looked as beautiful as ever. As soon as Yuki was out of the way, Kel shut the door quickly. "I'm so glad you came, you have no idea," she babbled, going back into the bathroom as Yuki followed, silently amused. "I have no idea how to put on face paint and I still can't tame my hair!" Yuki's eyes crinkled, and then she pointed to the toilet, telling her to sit. Kel sat obediently. Yuki examined her hair, and then nodded.
"Close your eyes, and don't flinch. I'm going to do your hair first. You know, "Yuki said as she started to brush Kel's silky hair," You should really have let your hair grow a little more. Then it'll be easier to put it up." Yuki could see Kel roll her eyes behind their lids. Clucking, Yuki continued to brush her now shoulder length hair. "At least it has a respectable color," Yuki observed as she pulled Kel's hair up. She made it into a bun, letting loose a few loose curls down so that they framed her face. Yuki then set to work on her face paint. Kel felt her lips twitching as Yuki applied lip rouge. Finally, Yuki was done, and stood back to admire her work. "Open your eyes," she commanded, and Kel did so. Yuki gasped. "Ohhhhh Kel! You look beautiful!" she exclaimed. Kel stood up and turned to look into the mirror, and gaped. She looked like a lady. She looked like the Kel that she could have been if she had gone to the convent.
"Thank you so much, Yuki!" Kel whispered.
"That's what friends are for. Her eyes glinted wickedly. "I'll bet a certain Sergeant of the Kings Own will like this!" Kel gave an unladylike snort.
"He probably wont even recognize me!" Yuki rolled her eyes; she was starting to act like Neal.
"Oh yes he will. Now stop fussing and lets eat!" Kel cast one last look at her reflection, and did as she was bid. Luckily for Kel, they passed no one in the hallway. When they reached the door, Kel took a deep breath, and entered. The conversations immediately ended as a hush settled on the room, every pair of eyes on her. Finally Dom gave an appreciative whistle, and the whole room started to clap. Kel grinned and did a curtsy. Dom got up from his table and walked towards her, his sky blue eyes taking her in, as Kel gave a silent prayer to the gods that Raoul had convinced the King to let the King's Own marry. Bowing gracefully, he offered her his hand.
"May this unworthy sergeant have the honor of this exquisite lady to sit next to him?" Kel giggled and accepted his hand.
"You may," she grinned and Dom returned it. He pulled her to him then bent her back, giving her a kiss. The room cheered, whistled, and clapped as Dom led her over to the table. She sat elegantly, her kimono spread out on the bench. Neal winked across from her, and then started to eat his cake; leaving his vegetables grow cold on his tray.
"Neal, eat your vegetables," Kel and Yuki said at the same time. They grinned at each other. Neal made a face towards his vegetables, then took a small bite. He screwed up his face in disgust, then chugged his water. Yuki rolled her eyes, then picked up his fork and took a bite. Her face paled, but she hid her disgust behind her mask. Kel and Dom watched in amusement, then Kel got up and went to the food line. The cooks gave her a nod in recognition and she loaded up her tray. She sat down quickly, then the first thing she did was to take a hearty bite of vegetables. Neal crinkled his nose. Kel forced herself to swallow, then pushed herself to eat it all. When she had finished, she stood up to empty her tray to the servants. As she walked back, Raoul came up to her. His eyes twinkled mercilessly.
"Kel," he said, "Yuki tells me that you have to wear that dress for the whole day, with no exceptions," he drawled. Kel grimaced.
"Yes," she confirmed, knowing where this was leading.
"Well, then, how about you have a go with your old knight master? We're jousting," he grinned.
"You are a bad man," she said, then sighed. This was going to be a long day.
A/N: wow, this should be interesting. I just want to thank my reviewers, Rachel 132, who was my first and convinced me to continue writing this, miamouse, I want to thank you for your enthusiasm! I hope this chapter answers your questions! And lastly, dreamerdoll, thanks for that wonderful review! I love you guys so much!
Kel looked at herself in the mirror. She had just told Dom that she would meet him in the mess hall when she had finished her bath and had gotten "dressed up". Her reflection stared back, and sighed. Though she had lost most of her freckles, she still had most of them, and no dimples. Her being out in the sun most of the time had given her some blonde highlights and had turned her dark brown hair into an attractive golden brown. She admired a light brown curl as she straightened the imaginary wrinkles in her kimono. Her kimono was white with little birds, flowers, and green design patterns on it that brought out the hazel in her eyes and accentuated how long lashed they were. At first glance you would think she was a dreamer, only by looking closely could you see the fiery passion in them that burned so immensely in them when she was determined. She brought her hand up to brush back her hair-she had no idea of how to style it. And to add to the list, she had absolutely no idea of how to put face paint on. A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts. She groaned mentally; she hoped it wasn't one of her guy friends-especially Dom. She would hate them to see her as she was.
"Who is it?" she asked, bracing for it to be Neal.
"Its me. Open up!" that was Yuki's voice. Kel breathed a sigh of relief. She opened the door and hid behind it so that no one who was wandering the halls could see her.
"Come in, and hurry up!" Yuki raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow at the urgency in her voice. She walked in slowly, clad in breeches and a shirt with her hair pulled back into a horsetail, yet she still looked as beautiful as ever. As soon as Yuki was out of the way, Kel shut the door quickly. "I'm so glad you came, you have no idea," she babbled, going back into the bathroom as Yuki followed, silently amused. "I have no idea how to put on face paint and I still can't tame my hair!" Yuki's eyes crinkled, and then she pointed to the toilet, telling her to sit. Kel sat obediently. Yuki examined her hair, and then nodded.
"Close your eyes, and don't flinch. I'm going to do your hair first. You know, "Yuki said as she started to brush Kel's silky hair," You should really have let your hair grow a little more. Then it'll be easier to put it up." Yuki could see Kel roll her eyes behind their lids. Clucking, Yuki continued to brush her now shoulder length hair. "At least it has a respectable color," Yuki observed as she pulled Kel's hair up. She made it into a bun, letting loose a few loose curls down so that they framed her face. Yuki then set to work on her face paint. Kel felt her lips twitching as Yuki applied lip rouge. Finally, Yuki was done, and stood back to admire her work. "Open your eyes," she commanded, and Kel did so. Yuki gasped. "Ohhhhh Kel! You look beautiful!" she exclaimed. Kel stood up and turned to look into the mirror, and gaped. She looked like a lady. She looked like the Kel that she could have been if she had gone to the convent.
"Thank you so much, Yuki!" Kel whispered.
"That's what friends are for. Her eyes glinted wickedly. "I'll bet a certain Sergeant of the Kings Own will like this!" Kel gave an unladylike snort.
"He probably wont even recognize me!" Yuki rolled her eyes; she was starting to act like Neal.
"Oh yes he will. Now stop fussing and lets eat!" Kel cast one last look at her reflection, and did as she was bid. Luckily for Kel, they passed no one in the hallway. When they reached the door, Kel took a deep breath, and entered. The conversations immediately ended as a hush settled on the room, every pair of eyes on her. Finally Dom gave an appreciative whistle, and the whole room started to clap. Kel grinned and did a curtsy. Dom got up from his table and walked towards her, his sky blue eyes taking her in, as Kel gave a silent prayer to the gods that Raoul had convinced the King to let the King's Own marry. Bowing gracefully, he offered her his hand.
"May this unworthy sergeant have the honor of this exquisite lady to sit next to him?" Kel giggled and accepted his hand.
"You may," she grinned and Dom returned it. He pulled her to him then bent her back, giving her a kiss. The room cheered, whistled, and clapped as Dom led her over to the table. She sat elegantly, her kimono spread out on the bench. Neal winked across from her, and then started to eat his cake; leaving his vegetables grow cold on his tray.
"Neal, eat your vegetables," Kel and Yuki said at the same time. They grinned at each other. Neal made a face towards his vegetables, then took a small bite. He screwed up his face in disgust, then chugged his water. Yuki rolled her eyes, then picked up his fork and took a bite. Her face paled, but she hid her disgust behind her mask. Kel and Dom watched in amusement, then Kel got up and went to the food line. The cooks gave her a nod in recognition and she loaded up her tray. She sat down quickly, then the first thing she did was to take a hearty bite of vegetables. Neal crinkled his nose. Kel forced herself to swallow, then pushed herself to eat it all. When she had finished, she stood up to empty her tray to the servants. As she walked back, Raoul came up to her. His eyes twinkled mercilessly.
"Kel," he said, "Yuki tells me that you have to wear that dress for the whole day, with no exceptions," he drawled. Kel grimaced.
"Yes," she confirmed, knowing where this was leading.
"Well, then, how about you have a go with your old knight master? We're jousting," he grinned.
"You are a bad man," she said, then sighed. This was going to be a long day.
A/N: wow, this should be interesting. I just want to thank my reviewers, Rachel 132, who was my first and convinced me to continue writing this, miamouse, I want to thank you for your enthusiasm! I hope this chapter answers your questions! And lastly, dreamerdoll, thanks for that wonderful review! I love you guys so much!