When Kel was dressing that evening she tried on all of her dresses but, after Leah's comment, did not feel comfortable in any of them. She sighed and glanced at the remaining outfits in her wardrobe, noticing something she stopped and considered...it might look good.
Kel entered the ballroom reluctantly, she was unsure how her outfit would be received. Dom and Neal were standing alone in a corner talking quietly, Yuki was a little way of pretending not to listen, Kel strode up behind them.
"But what if she is not favourable to it?" she heard Dom ask Neal
"You have to ask her that yourself, you have to take that risk." He replied
"Risk what may I ask?" Kel said curiously, the two men spun round quickly and Dom blushed,
"Nothing, it is of no importance." He said quickly. Kel looked at them suspiciously but did not follow the matter further.
"What do you think, and I want an honest opinion." She asked them doing a very un- knightly twirl, Yuki turned to look at her with her head on one side.
"Lovely." She confirmed, "it suits you very nicely Kel." Kel was dressed in typical northern breeches made of velvet and a silk shirt of the softest dove grey whilst over the top she had placed a kimono style jacket, emerald green in colour with a pale green belt. Lalasa had made the jacket on a whim and having no use for it had found, unsurprisingly, that it fitted Kel perfectly and so had made a gift of it to her, Kel had never found the occasion to wear it before now.
"You look very beautiful." Said Dom his eyes wide, Neal smacked him on the arm
"You make it sound as though you did not believe Kel could be beautiful, that is very insulting- any woman can be beautiful if she put some effort in to it," he said sternly
"And there are those that can do it without trying." Said Kel glancing in the direction of the entrance. They all looked round, Leah escorted by Faleron, who looked astonished at his good luck, entered. She was dressed in a gown that looked as though it has been woven from ice, all over it ran silver and pale blue threads, diamonds glinted in the shape of snowflakes and decorated her black hair, which looked as though it had been hung with icicles. Her ebony staff rested in a clawed hand.
The ball was underway but three people stood out of the dancing in one corner. Kel who had no intention of dancing, Leah who had become bored of the admirers including poor Faleron and Lord Raoul who was looking for a chance to escape but had so far found none. They clustered around an alcove seat on which Kel and Leah sat talking of all manner of subjects when a belated fanfare interrupted them. Master Oakbridge appeared at the top of the grand staircase and the King and Queen quickly took to their thrones to welcome the newcomer. The Master of Ceremonies' voice rang clear through the room,
"His Excellency the Count and Countess of Cariack." A shimmer ran around the room and Kel could see Emperor Kaddar talking furiously to one of the guards. Anyone who had a good memory would have already worked out that the title of Countess of Cariack had already announced one Lady that Midwinter and she had mysteriously disappeared from Kel's side. Kel watched anxiously as the smiling couple, oblivious to the disturbance they had caused, made their way down the staircase and bowed to King Jonathan at the dais, the King looked nervous, his eyes flickered about the room searching. He graciously accepted the bow and signalled to Numair.
"Find her now." He whispered urgently. Numair nodded and began to scour the room.
"We've got to find her." Kel hissed to Raoul but at that moment the Count and Countess descended upon them escorted by Varice.
"Their Excellencies have heard much about you Lady Keladry and they wished to meet you." She said, a cruel smile on her face. After a few minutes of talk it was clear that their Excellencies had never heard of Kel and she hastily excused herself. She hurried over to the Emperor who was in a rage.
"I had no idea they were coming, if I had I would have forbidden Leah to use that title." He fumed
"But your majesty you could not have done it is still legally hers." Replied Numair "By law she is still Countess but by law also she was pronounced dead after going missing for three years, but even though now it is clear she is not dead the title is both still legally hers but also the Count's new wife's." he explained to anyone who was listening, Kel approached,
"Why are they late?" Daine asked, Kaddar rolled his eyes
"The Countess was heavily pregnant but still decided to come on the voyage, she went into labour along the way and we assumed she would go back home, obviously not." He said, exasperated
"Has she been found your majesty?" Kel questioned, he looked at her blankly as though she was speaking gibberish, Numair answered for him,
"Yes, on the roof of Balor's Needle."
"The roof?" exclaimed Kel
"It looks like she found the highest point in the Palace to sulk on, not that she doesn't have reason to sulk." Snorted Numair. Kel shuddered; he experiences with Balor's Needle had not been pleasant.
"Has anyone told the Count?" enquired Kaddar suddenly, everyone looked at him and at each other, "I'll take that as a no then," the Emperor said by way of conclusion. He started over to where the Count stood chatting merrily to several courtiers, before the Emperor reached him he went a funny shade of greeny white. In almost comical slow motion all eyes turned to the doorway, in it, flanked by two palace guards stood Leah, her head held high and a tiny smile on her face- she was enjoying the attention. Silence prevailed, everyone stood with bated breath to see what she would do. Those who had been hoping for some kind of a showdown were disappointed, she stood in the doorway and said in a clear voice,
"I renounce the title of Countess of Cariack with everyone here as my witness, for I see that I no longer have any claim on it." having said that she merely walked up to her former spouse and curtseyed neatly, he bowed in return a look of horror still in his eyes.
"The painting." His wife gasped, Leah smiled,
"Still have my painting do you?" she said triumphantly in Catharki, the Count eyed her nervously,
"My mother loved you like her own daughter, it was her dying wish for the painting to be hung in the gallery." He answered in a trembling voice, Leah's eyes clouded with pent up hate
"Oh yes your mother loved me, but you never did." She spat and turning on her heel left the room, the King, who had moved closer in an attempt to prevent any accidents happening, he signalled to the guards to follow her. The Queen clapped her hands and the minstrels began to play again. The ball continued without further mishap and Kel eventually staggered to bed in the early hours of the morning having been begged by Yuki and Shinko to stay. She took the shortcut to the Knight's Quarters through the Mage's, as she reached the top of the stairs she heard raised voices speaking Catharki- a language Kel had not yet mastered due to its impossible grammar. The corridor was empty and most people were still at the ball. Peering round to see what the commotion was she saw the Count of Cariack storm from Leah's room in a state of undress unbecoming to a man of his status. He was heading in Kel's way, she looked around for somewhere to hide and seeing no other way she ran up the next flight of stairs, he passed below her to his own room she hurried on to hers.