An Arranged Marriage
"___________" = Very unprincess-like word *...* = Kally's thoughts
^...^ = Mind speech
Disclaimer: see chapters 1-8 A/N: wuz ^ peeps. I just wanna thank everyone for all the reviews, it means alot.I said before that I might put up tow chp 12s if no one liked this one, but I've decided against it. This chapter has to happen for the story to work. Sorry for the delay. Merry Christmas!!!
" Your Highness, Their Majesties would like to see you," the servant bowed and left.
Kally made her way through the couples on the dance floor and stood in front of the thrones. Her father was talking to a knight and Thayet looked over to her daughter and mouthed the word "sorry". Kally expected what was coming and did not like it at all.
" Oh Kally, you're here," Jon said. " We have exciting news for you, we have arranged a marriage for you. This is Sir William of Turtle, your betrothed."
The man turned around. He was about 5 years older than her with blonde greasy hair and brown, squinty eyes under a thick unibrow. His nose was crooked and overly large. Food and wine stains covered his white tunic.
" How," Kally fought the urge to scream gross, " wonderful."
Sir William didn't seem to notice the sarcasm and anger laced into those words because he bowed and drooled over her hand, the asked her to dance. Kally grudgingly accepted.
He led her to the dance floor as the music started. As Kally twirled around the dance floor, she could see Roald laughing and pointing, she glared at him, then winced as William stepped on her feet for the fifteenth time.
* ugh! * Even Robbie dances better than this oaf does! * * This is your future husband* said a nasty part of her mind. * Shut Up* she told it.
*Ive got to talk to father about this*
*What if he wont listen? * * I'll run away again, it worked last time* *A Tigress shouldn't run away from her problems*
She pulled out of the fight between her multiple personalities when she realized that William had asked her something.
" I'm sorry, what did you say?" " After we get married, how long do you want to wait before we have kids?" " I dunno, I've always thought that I would be able to marry whoever and whenever I wanted." " Well, at what age did you envision yourself getting with-child?" " I never really thought about it, I was always too busy training." " Oh"
The song ended but as Kally turned away, William pulled her back.
" Where are you going?" " I'm gonna go and tell my brother the joyous news." " But shouldn't we * cough* get to know each other better?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively. * Oh ____ no* she thought. " I want to be the one to tell my brother. And there's no hurry, we have all eternity to get aquatinted." She said.
*Damn that was close, I finally got rid of him, Praise Mithros. * she thought.
" Goodbye beautiful tigress!" she heard him shout to her. "Whatever," she muttered.
"So Kally, new beau? He's not exactly Prince Charming, but I'm sure you won't notice at night." Roald teased.
" Eww! Gods, mother and father arranged a marriage between me and that creep. William of Turtle, what kind of name is that?!"
" The name of one of the worst knights of this generation, an ugly conservative, and your future husband!"
" Shut up you________!" " Language missy!" Roald exclaimed. " Screw language! I dont want to get married!" " Then tell father!" " He won't listen." " Of course he will, you're his favorite, he does whatever you want." " He didn't let me become a knight!" " He was afraid you'd get killed." " I dont believe you!" " Cause I'm right?" " You are not right!" " Yes I am. And you know it." " Fine, I'll go talk to him, just to shut you up and prove you wrong."
Kalasin walked into her father's study and carefully closed the door.
" We need to talk", she said as she sat down in a chair across from him.
"Oh? What about?" he wanted to know.
" This whole getting married thing. I'm not ready."
" You're at the age when noble ladies marry. If you think you're not ready we'll postpone the wedding a few months."
" But I just got through Shang training, I want to have adventures, and I want to marry someone who loves me, someone who wont make me give up years of training just because it embarrasses him that his wife can fight better than he can."
" Marrying for love is highly over-rated, besides, you might learn to love him anyways. Look at Roald and Shinko, neither were ecstatic about an arranged marriage, but as the wedding draws nearer, they fall more in love."
" Yeah well, they actually have things in common. If Roald were conservative, they definitely wouldn't get along. Besides, if I do marry Sir William, and he forces me to give up Shang, it'll bring the wrath of the Tigers down upon Tortall. I made a pledge, I intend to keep it, if I dont the country wont survive."
A searing pain ripped through her shoulder and the star scar blazed white. She pressed down on it in to stop the pain as she fought hard not to scream.
^ Kel? You there?^ she heard Chris's voice in her head.
^ Damn, that hurts.^
^ Really, I can't feel a thing. Anyways, some mercenaries kidnaped my sister. My father is just gonna wait for some ransom note, but I have a felling he wont get one, and even if he does, she'll still be tortured until he sends the money. I'm gonna try and rescue her, you game?^
^ Of course! I'm not gonna let some pathetic mercenaries torture a defenseless little girl, especially if it's your sister. And I've been waiting for some action anyways. So, tell me more about these captors.^
^ I'll tell you when I see you. Meet me at the Wandering Bard in Berat, Maren, one month from now.^
^ All right. I'll see you then.^
" Father, my friend needs help rescuing his sister. This is the adventure I've been waiting for my whole life. Please let me go?" Kally made it sound like she was begging, even though she planned on going, with or without her father's permission.
" Of course you can go," Jon said. " But of course, you'll have to take William with you."
Kally had been practically jumping up and down with glee, now she stopped.
" WHAT?! WHY!?"
" You need all the help you can get."
" William is NOT help. He'll blow my cover! He is completely inexperienced."
" You are too."
" I've taken special search and rescue classes for the past 10 years! The most he's probably ever rescued is a lady's cat stuck in a tree!"
" That's a little harsh."
" Yet so true. He won't be able to help, he'll just get in the way."
" Alright, bring him along, if cant help or refuses to let you help, send him back, but you have to really try to include him in the plans. Okay?"
" Fine, but if I send him back because he doesn't help or prevents me from helping, I dont have to marry him."
" Only if he tries to prevent you from participating."
" O.k. I better tell him we're leaving tomorrow."
" Good Luck."
" With him around, I'll need it."
"___________" = Very unprincess-like word *...* = Kally's thoughts
^...^ = Mind speech
Disclaimer: see chapters 1-8 A/N: wuz ^ peeps. I just wanna thank everyone for all the reviews, it means alot.I said before that I might put up tow chp 12s if no one liked this one, but I've decided against it. This chapter has to happen for the story to work. Sorry for the delay. Merry Christmas!!!
" Your Highness, Their Majesties would like to see you," the servant bowed and left.
Kally made her way through the couples on the dance floor and stood in front of the thrones. Her father was talking to a knight and Thayet looked over to her daughter and mouthed the word "sorry". Kally expected what was coming and did not like it at all.
" Oh Kally, you're here," Jon said. " We have exciting news for you, we have arranged a marriage for you. This is Sir William of Turtle, your betrothed."
The man turned around. He was about 5 years older than her with blonde greasy hair and brown, squinty eyes under a thick unibrow. His nose was crooked and overly large. Food and wine stains covered his white tunic.
" How," Kally fought the urge to scream gross, " wonderful."
Sir William didn't seem to notice the sarcasm and anger laced into those words because he bowed and drooled over her hand, the asked her to dance. Kally grudgingly accepted.
He led her to the dance floor as the music started. As Kally twirled around the dance floor, she could see Roald laughing and pointing, she glared at him, then winced as William stepped on her feet for the fifteenth time.
* ugh! * Even Robbie dances better than this oaf does! * * This is your future husband* said a nasty part of her mind. * Shut Up* she told it.
*Ive got to talk to father about this*
*What if he wont listen? * * I'll run away again, it worked last time* *A Tigress shouldn't run away from her problems*
She pulled out of the fight between her multiple personalities when she realized that William had asked her something.
" I'm sorry, what did you say?" " After we get married, how long do you want to wait before we have kids?" " I dunno, I've always thought that I would be able to marry whoever and whenever I wanted." " Well, at what age did you envision yourself getting with-child?" " I never really thought about it, I was always too busy training." " Oh"
The song ended but as Kally turned away, William pulled her back.
" Where are you going?" " I'm gonna go and tell my brother the joyous news." " But shouldn't we * cough* get to know each other better?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively. * Oh ____ no* she thought. " I want to be the one to tell my brother. And there's no hurry, we have all eternity to get aquatinted." She said.
*Damn that was close, I finally got rid of him, Praise Mithros. * she thought.
" Goodbye beautiful tigress!" she heard him shout to her. "Whatever," she muttered.
"So Kally, new beau? He's not exactly Prince Charming, but I'm sure you won't notice at night." Roald teased.
" Eww! Gods, mother and father arranged a marriage between me and that creep. William of Turtle, what kind of name is that?!"
" The name of one of the worst knights of this generation, an ugly conservative, and your future husband!"
" Shut up you________!" " Language missy!" Roald exclaimed. " Screw language! I dont want to get married!" " Then tell father!" " He won't listen." " Of course he will, you're his favorite, he does whatever you want." " He didn't let me become a knight!" " He was afraid you'd get killed." " I dont believe you!" " Cause I'm right?" " You are not right!" " Yes I am. And you know it." " Fine, I'll go talk to him, just to shut you up and prove you wrong."
Kalasin walked into her father's study and carefully closed the door.
" We need to talk", she said as she sat down in a chair across from him.
"Oh? What about?" he wanted to know.
" This whole getting married thing. I'm not ready."
" You're at the age when noble ladies marry. If you think you're not ready we'll postpone the wedding a few months."
" But I just got through Shang training, I want to have adventures, and I want to marry someone who loves me, someone who wont make me give up years of training just because it embarrasses him that his wife can fight better than he can."
" Marrying for love is highly over-rated, besides, you might learn to love him anyways. Look at Roald and Shinko, neither were ecstatic about an arranged marriage, but as the wedding draws nearer, they fall more in love."
" Yeah well, they actually have things in common. If Roald were conservative, they definitely wouldn't get along. Besides, if I do marry Sir William, and he forces me to give up Shang, it'll bring the wrath of the Tigers down upon Tortall. I made a pledge, I intend to keep it, if I dont the country wont survive."
A searing pain ripped through her shoulder and the star scar blazed white. She pressed down on it in to stop the pain as she fought hard not to scream.
^ Kel? You there?^ she heard Chris's voice in her head.
^ Damn, that hurts.^
^ Really, I can't feel a thing. Anyways, some mercenaries kidnaped my sister. My father is just gonna wait for some ransom note, but I have a felling he wont get one, and even if he does, she'll still be tortured until he sends the money. I'm gonna try and rescue her, you game?^
^ Of course! I'm not gonna let some pathetic mercenaries torture a defenseless little girl, especially if it's your sister. And I've been waiting for some action anyways. So, tell me more about these captors.^
^ I'll tell you when I see you. Meet me at the Wandering Bard in Berat, Maren, one month from now.^
^ All right. I'll see you then.^
" Father, my friend needs help rescuing his sister. This is the adventure I've been waiting for my whole life. Please let me go?" Kally made it sound like she was begging, even though she planned on going, with or without her father's permission.
" Of course you can go," Jon said. " But of course, you'll have to take William with you."
Kally had been practically jumping up and down with glee, now she stopped.
" WHAT?! WHY!?"
" You need all the help you can get."
" William is NOT help. He'll blow my cover! He is completely inexperienced."
" You are too."
" I've taken special search and rescue classes for the past 10 years! The most he's probably ever rescued is a lady's cat stuck in a tree!"
" That's a little harsh."
" Yet so true. He won't be able to help, he'll just get in the way."
" Alright, bring him along, if cant help or refuses to let you help, send him back, but you have to really try to include him in the plans. Okay?"
" Fine, but if I send him back because he doesn't help or prevents me from helping, I dont have to marry him."
" Only if he tries to prevent you from participating."
" O.k. I better tell him we're leaving tomorrow."
" Good Luck."
" With him around, I'll need it."