Happy New Year!! All you lovely people.
This chapter is dedicated to all those people who have reviewed me faithfully, come rain or shine. This includes Sammydoodoo, the first Tamora Pierce fan I met, VampiricEternity, for the blush-worthy praise, Stee Parker, for maybe knowing Keita's secret, Imperfectionist ;D, Crowdove, JESSIEWESSIE, Princess Sanidaylene, la dame noir, because her name reminded me to get on with my French homework, instead of gloating over my reviews, CrystalLili, AngelStreet, for being wonderfully honest, and everyone and anyone who has ever reviewed me. I hope this chapter will be slightly less pathetic than the last.
Chapter 11
Kel smoothed down the skirts of her dress nervously, and glanced again at her reflection in the full length mirror, mounted on the wall of the bedroom.
The maid behind her twitched and fidgeted nervously, until Kel dismissed her with a nonchalant wave of the hand, looking every inch the haughty noble. The maid bobbed a curtsey, and scurried out of the door.
Kel licked her lips, and continued to watch herself in the mirror. She hadn't wanted to request the help of a maid, but it would have looked strange if she hadn't asked for at least one, to help her prepare for the biggest ball of the year.
Unlike Midwinter in Tortall, where there would sometimes be grand balls, and sometimes the courtiers would be allowed a quiet Midwinter with their families, Scanra always a massive, full blown ball, with a sea of nobles dressed in their finest frippery. It was the biggest event of the year, and most people went masked, and in some kind of elegant costume, fighting desperately to be the most original.
And Joren had not yet arrived.
Ever since he had rushed out last night, he had not returned. And Kel intended to have words with him. She grimaced at her reflection, hating the person who stared back.
Her dress had a beautiful dark green, velvet bodice. Instead of the deep necklines which were in fashion now, the dress had a wide neckline, which formed an oval around her neck, just wide enough to show her collar bones, and ended in two points at the very end of her shoulders, almost wide enough to fall off. Kel winced at the idea of her dress falling off in the middle of the ball.
Her skirt was made of the same dark, lush material. It billowed down from her waist in heavy folds, and was lined at the bottom with green stones, which caught the light, and glinted in all directions. Both her sleeves, and her waist were lined with soft strips of dark green lace, and the entire dress was embroidered in dark green thread, forming a pattern of exquisite leaves, and flowers, which were hardly noticeable, until you got close, and your eye was drawn to them.
Her hair was tied up, her face brushed with face paint. She looked better than she had in her entire life.
She hated feeling like someone she wasn't, but at the same time revelled in actually looking like a girl for once.
It had been sent in a small parcel to her, two days ago, along with a few other small tokens, and another dress. This particular package was signed
"I'm sure these'll come in useful at some point. L."
Kel smiled. Her friends, and especially Lalasa, could be very persuasive when it came to sending Midwinter gifts. They had probably bullied Sir Myles into giving them her whereabouts.
A bell chimed in the distance. Kel turned from her reflection, and glanced out of the window. The sun was setting. It was time to leave for the ball, Maggur did not appreciate tardiness, and Joren was still not here.
Kel frowned, and slipped a green mask, edged with phoenix feathers, over the top half of her face. She would have to say that Joren was unwell, and hope that he would turn up eventually.
She walked silently down the corridors, ignored by most. When she finally reached the ballroom, she walked up to the herald, who held up his guest list, pen poised to strike her name off, with a bored expression on his face.
"Lady Kaitlin of Lansborough." She informed him, walking up to the grand doors, and sweeping through them when her name was announced.
Her name couldn't be heard over the noise inside, so no one looked up. Kel quickly darted down the steps, to mingle with the crowd.
She picked a glass of spiced juice off the tray of a passing waiter, and decided to try to find out what she could about the other man they had been instructed to spy on. Nadir Zenith.
*****
Joren started as the distant bell tolled, announcing dusk. He sat up in alarm, realising that he would have to be at the ball in no less than five minutes. He glared at the bathroom where Narcissa was smugly preening herself. As the King's mistress, she could afford to be a few minutes late. Joren could not.
Joren gritted his teeth. She had probably lied to him about the time to make him late. He heaved himself out of bed, and tugged on his simple shirt and breeches, before running out the door, ignoring Narcissa's shouts for him to come back.
He managed to arrive at the ball only a few minutes later, looking collected as usual, and dressed in his finest. Keladry had not been in their rooms, and he had no intention of finding her. He had done his bit for today, being with Narcissa and not giving anything away had been hard enough. Then again, it wasn't like Kel could do much without him. Why else had he been sent on this mission?
With a sigh, Joren set off to find Narcissa, or Nadir.
*****
The atmosphere in the ballroom was loud and raucous. Kel had spotted Nadir twice, but both times crowds of people had blocked her from getting close to him. She decided to wait and see if he entered the gardens, where there would be less people, and it would be easier to trail him.
By now, everyone had entered the main ballroom, which was large enough to fit them, and all the tables at the side, comfortably. In Scanra, people helped themselves from the side tables, and ate whilst standing. Kel proceeded to do exactly that, not noticing the stares, which were sent her way. Admiring from the men. Contemptuous, or Jealous from the women.
Gradually, as people finished eating, the centre of the ballroom was filled again with dancing couples, as the musicians struck up. A few men came her way, probably looking for a dance, but Kel managed to tactfully avoid them, by making sure that she was always near one of those large groups, which she could slip behind, and not be seen. Kel knew she would have to dance eventually, or risk arousing suspicions, but she was determined to wait for as long as she could.
The fifth dance was just ending, and it was approaching the time when the King would make his traditional Midwinter announcement, when Kel caught sight of a familiar group of people. Narcissa, and her entourage were standing around, drinks in one hand.
Kel edged closer to them, pushing her way through two groups of people. Now she was near enough to see Narcissa give her throaty laugh, her drink slopping over the side of her glass, and all the other men chuckled weakly and the ladies giggled, red faced from the alcohol.
Kel was about to creep closer again, when a crowd of people swarmed in front of her, placing themselves between Narcissa, and herself. Kel gritted her teeth, and waited for them to pass.
Suddenly, a hush fell at the side of the room nearest to the King. The rest of the room looked over, to see what was happening, Kel included. The King was stood on a small platform, in front of his throne, holding his hand up for silence. It was said that he had had a throne placed in every public room in the palace, so that wherever he went, he would always be seated higher than anyone else.
Finally, after a lot of shuffling of the feet, and coughing, silence fell. The king spoke, his voice magically magnified.
"Friends. Subjects of our noble country of Scanra. You are made welcome here today, to celebrate the most auspicious time of year."
There was a chorus of murmurings, and nodding around the room. Maggur spoke clearly, with expression.
"Our war is progressing steadily. We are gaining more and more land, and our soldiers are fighting valiantly."
Maggur observed them all, looking each and every one of them in the eye. Kel fought the urge to hide, forcing herself to stand taller.
"Victory seems to be near."
At these words, there was an outbreak of cheering. Kel stood numbly. Maggur waited for the cheering to subside.
"Beyond that friends, I have no more to say on the topic, and indeed, I think that no more need be said. So let us continue with the other announcements."
Kel breathed in a sigh of relief, having unconsciously tensed herself during Maggur's brief speech. At least now he wasn't examining everyone, looking at them all as if he could see their souls. Kel reflected on what he had said, whilst the betrothals were being announced, and beaming couples clasped each others hands happily.
If what Maggur had said about victory for Scanra being near, then Tortall must have dilapidated rapidly since they had left. Kel knew that just six months ago, their forces had been stronger than ever, and they had been pushing the Scanrans back.
Of course, Maggur could have just been lying to keep the morale up. So that people would go on supporting him, and not rebel. But when he had talked, there had been such confidence in his gaze. His eyes had been completely steady. He had looked as if he truly believed it.
Kel was jerked out of her thoughts at a sudden roar of indignation at the front. She caught a glimpse of two men rolling around on the floor, their fists flying, before a mob closed in on them, dragging them apart. Kel craned her head to see better.
The two men were dragged upright, one was led off to the side, as his friends surrounded him, the other was hauled in front of Maggur.
"You owe a debt which must be paid." Maggur said firmly, staring at the man, "Until you feel you can pay that debt, you will be kept in the dungeons, with no food but the rats." The man's face grew horrified. He was still panting, staring about him wildly for help.
"But...my wife...my children... I have no money, how can I pay?"
"You should have thought of that before you duelled with him. Attacking him as you just did has added to the insult, so you will pay twice the fine." Maggur said, his gaze deepening. He made a dismissive gesture with his hand, and the man was dragged away, his stylish clothes sweeping across the floor, his cries ringing into the silence.
The silence remained as Maggur turned to face the room again.
"On to the next announcement." He said, his sinister smile looking strangely out of place.
The next few announcements washed over Kel, as she stood, feeling hollow. How was a man supposed to pay a debt, if he couldn't work to get the money to do so? Then again, attacking the man he owed it to had been a rash and foolish action. Kel stood half heartedly watching the next few announcements, for various different things, until a person whom she recognised stepped up onto the platform. Her attention was immediately on him.
"Stevan of Cranmoor." She whispered. A few people started muttering to their neighbours, grinning. Kel caught sight of Narcissa and her group tittering about something.
Steven stood gazing down at them, his mocking smile fixed in place.
Maggur was also smiling, in a very strange way. He began to speak.
"Stevan is here to claim the prize for which he duelled yesterday with Joren of Lansborough."
Kel felt herself go numb again. Joren had never told her exactly what they had duelled for. What if they didn't have enough money? If Joren were chucked in the dungeons, she'd have to break him out. The mission could be ruined!
"A kiss," Kel's eyes widened.
"from the Lady of Lansborough." There was an outbreak of tittering, and muttering, as people looked around expectantly.
Kel froze. For a whole five seconds, she felt absolutely nothing. Then, panic. He must have been planning this, after she got away from him yesterday, and now he was standing up there, smirking at the world. She remembered the Lioness's famous saying without mirth, She'd sooner kiss a pig.
"As is customary." Maggur continued. "since this is a masked ball, Lord Stevan has observed which of the beautiful ladies here is Kaitlin of Lansborough, as I'm sure it could take quite a while to find her amongst all the lovely women in attendance today."
There were giggles from the women around her; Kel touched her mask surreptitiously, before realising that would probably attract attention, and giggled along with the others, fighting to control her rising horror. Maggur waited whilst Stevan whispered in his ear, before grinning.
"Would the lady in the white dress over there please come up." All eyes turned to look at the woman standing alone at the side. Her red hair trailed down the back of her white dress, and her white mask obscured half of her face. Kel had to admit that the woman did look somewhat like herself.
"But I'm not..." The woman protested, as two guards came up and took hold of her arms. The woman continued to protest.
"Seriously. Look..." The rest of her words were drowned out, as she was pulled up to the front, struggling. She was dragged across the platform, up to Stevan. He took hold of her shoulders, as the guards let go, and pressed his lips against the woman's protesting mouth. There was a series of catcalls, cheers, and whistles, as everyone craned their heads to see over each other. Kel winced in sympathy, as Stevan finally pulled away.
The woman swayed for a moment, as Stevan pulled off her mask to reveal a young woman, who, although she had the long red hair, identical to Kel's since she had dyed and grown it, and a similar jaw line, was not Kel.
There was a pause, before a few people started laughing. Those who didn't know Kel by face, realised what had happened, and started to laugh as well, as their neighbours mumbled to them. The elder ladies started to titter, and gasp, the old men chuckled wheezily, until Maggur turned, and made a harsh motion fore silence. Everybody stopped laughing.
Stevan was staring in shock. The guards, probably out of pity, led the woman off stage, stopping to pick up her mask which Stevan had dropped, and place it in her hands.
Maggur turned to the herald, who had positioned himself next to the platform, for the announcements.
"Is Kaitlin of Lansborough here tonight?" He asked. The herald swallowed nervously, before muttering a reply which couldn't be heard.
"Can you remember what she is wearing?" Maggur asked, in a dangerously quiet voice.
The herald swallowed again, and shook his head.
There was another swarm of murmuring, before Maggur again turned to address them.
"As Stevan of Cranmoor appears to have found the wrong lady, I shall not allow him to have his kiss tonight."
There were a few jeers from the crowd, which faded.
"Instead, he may try again at the feast tomorrow evening. If he does not find his lady, then I will commend her for managing to avoid him expertly, and we will say no more about the matter."
Stevan looked like he wanted to protest, but didn't dare.
"Meanwhile." Maggur continued, raising his voice to be heard over everyone else. "I'm sure that Lord Stevan would be very grateful of any information anyone would be willing to offer."
For the first time since he had kissed the woman, Stevan smirked, confirming this. Kel stiffened. This meant a reward. He was willing to pay money to find her? Why?
"Now. If we don't have any more announcements, we shall let the dancing commence." Maggur turned to talk with Stevan; Kel saw Narcissa, and the cluster of people who stayed with her, hurry over as well. Kel decided to go in the opposite direction, into the gardens. She turned, trying not to walk too fast, and praying that no one had realised who she was.
*****
Well, that's done. I was going to put in Joren's view of the whole thing as well, but I decided to save that, and the rest of what happens at the ball, for the next chapter. No folks, it's not over yet. It also took me ages to write the kiss scene, then when I read it over I realised I had rushed it a bit but I couldn't be bothered to redo it.
The spell check on this chapter took me ages. I had to put the entire dedication through spell check, and I was pressing 'ignore', for every single name. Why can't people have names which are acceptable to my computer? Then again, mine isn't exactly acceptable, so I can't talk. Oh well. Not, making much sense here, am I?
I'd also like to mention that it seems strange to me that so many people comment on the way I'm taking things slowly with the whole fluffiness Kel/Joren thing. This either means:
1. It's a hint that people are getting fed up with it, and want some porn.
2. People decide to review because they are moved by my pathetic pleas, but can't think what to say in their reviews, so they look up the previous reviews, and decide to say the same thing that everyone else does.
3. People actually like the way I'm writing the whole K/J thing. Nah, too strange to contemplate. I was expecting a bunch of evil flamers here, whom I could take the piss out of, and what do I get? A bunch of perfectly sane reviewers who are so bloody nice!! Grrrr
Fugitive: Why thank you! See what I mean! You're all so nice. It brings a tear to my eye. I'm sobbing with happiness here. Stop laughing.
Imperfectionist ;D : lol, nice guess. I did contemplate the whole swift punch in the face thing, but I decided to go with this. The bit about Narcissa is close, though not totally correct, although I may change the story. Okay, I'm getting muddled now. And you're not over the top. One can never have too much praise *beam*. I'm contradicting myself again, aren't I. Yeah, I'll shut up now.
VampiricEternity : Awww, thank you! See, I did dedicate, but then I decided to dedicate it to everyone else as well. Don't worry! I still love you!
Crowdove: heh, very true. Kel's in denial. Don't worry, the next chapter should be very interesting. *Smirks evilly and rubs hands together*
Stee Parker: aww, you are special, *innocent smile*, hmm, you probably know the secret. I've dropped a few hints. Then again, I may decide to change what the secret is, and make it something totally unexpected, like, Keita has an imaginary rubber duck for a best friend. Whaddya mean that's cheating?
Jess131346: Hah, you'll never get me Jess!! Mwahahahahahaha, oh damn, yes you will. And I forbid you to do any more pulling of the headscarf, okay??? Jess?? Or...I'll...I'll, I'll lock you in a room with your sister for a month!!! Mwahahaha!!
Bella: Do you know, I've actually been considering making Stevan action figures, seeing as he belongs to ME!! If I do, I promise, you'll be the first person I send one to.
Mystic_Moon_Empress: Thank you! Glad you liked.
WB means Wind Blown: *sigh* I guess Sammydoodoo and horses just go together. Yup, the e-card was pretty! Christmas was fun. I just watched TV, and ate.
Princess Sanidaylene: Hey look! I typed your name without having to consult the reviews!! I know the spelling off by heart. How sad am I. Thank you, for the lovely review, and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter.
La dame noir: See!! This is exactly what I mean. You're all so nice, that I don't have the heart to make fun of any of you. If you don't have a clue what I'm talking about, it means that you didn't read the author note!! Bad person * slaps la dame noir on the hand for not reading my note* Seriously, thank you for the spectacular, incredible, beautiful, heart warming, tear jerking review. It made my day.
CrystalLili: lol, here's another chapter for you to gobble up, though personally I think I could have improved the beginning. The bit with Kel and the mirror seemed a bit out of place, but I really wanted to have at least one soppy, out of place bit in my story, with Kel in a pretty dress.
I just want to seriously thank all of you again. I really feel I don't deserve all the praise some of you have given me, but hey, that doesn't mean you have to stop. You know, that little review button is just flashing there in the corner. Look, your mouse is edging towards it. Go on, you know you want to!
This chapter is dedicated to all those people who have reviewed me faithfully, come rain or shine. This includes Sammydoodoo, the first Tamora Pierce fan I met, VampiricEternity, for the blush-worthy praise, Stee Parker, for maybe knowing Keita's secret, Imperfectionist ;D, Crowdove, JESSIEWESSIE, Princess Sanidaylene, la dame noir, because her name reminded me to get on with my French homework, instead of gloating over my reviews, CrystalLili, AngelStreet, for being wonderfully honest, and everyone and anyone who has ever reviewed me. I hope this chapter will be slightly less pathetic than the last.
Chapter 11
Kel smoothed down the skirts of her dress nervously, and glanced again at her reflection in the full length mirror, mounted on the wall of the bedroom.
The maid behind her twitched and fidgeted nervously, until Kel dismissed her with a nonchalant wave of the hand, looking every inch the haughty noble. The maid bobbed a curtsey, and scurried out of the door.
Kel licked her lips, and continued to watch herself in the mirror. She hadn't wanted to request the help of a maid, but it would have looked strange if she hadn't asked for at least one, to help her prepare for the biggest ball of the year.
Unlike Midwinter in Tortall, where there would sometimes be grand balls, and sometimes the courtiers would be allowed a quiet Midwinter with their families, Scanra always a massive, full blown ball, with a sea of nobles dressed in their finest frippery. It was the biggest event of the year, and most people went masked, and in some kind of elegant costume, fighting desperately to be the most original.
And Joren had not yet arrived.
Ever since he had rushed out last night, he had not returned. And Kel intended to have words with him. She grimaced at her reflection, hating the person who stared back.
Her dress had a beautiful dark green, velvet bodice. Instead of the deep necklines which were in fashion now, the dress had a wide neckline, which formed an oval around her neck, just wide enough to show her collar bones, and ended in two points at the very end of her shoulders, almost wide enough to fall off. Kel winced at the idea of her dress falling off in the middle of the ball.
Her skirt was made of the same dark, lush material. It billowed down from her waist in heavy folds, and was lined at the bottom with green stones, which caught the light, and glinted in all directions. Both her sleeves, and her waist were lined with soft strips of dark green lace, and the entire dress was embroidered in dark green thread, forming a pattern of exquisite leaves, and flowers, which were hardly noticeable, until you got close, and your eye was drawn to them.
Her hair was tied up, her face brushed with face paint. She looked better than she had in her entire life.
She hated feeling like someone she wasn't, but at the same time revelled in actually looking like a girl for once.
It had been sent in a small parcel to her, two days ago, along with a few other small tokens, and another dress. This particular package was signed
"I'm sure these'll come in useful at some point. L."
Kel smiled. Her friends, and especially Lalasa, could be very persuasive when it came to sending Midwinter gifts. They had probably bullied Sir Myles into giving them her whereabouts.
A bell chimed in the distance. Kel turned from her reflection, and glanced out of the window. The sun was setting. It was time to leave for the ball, Maggur did not appreciate tardiness, and Joren was still not here.
Kel frowned, and slipped a green mask, edged with phoenix feathers, over the top half of her face. She would have to say that Joren was unwell, and hope that he would turn up eventually.
She walked silently down the corridors, ignored by most. When she finally reached the ballroom, she walked up to the herald, who held up his guest list, pen poised to strike her name off, with a bored expression on his face.
"Lady Kaitlin of Lansborough." She informed him, walking up to the grand doors, and sweeping through them when her name was announced.
Her name couldn't be heard over the noise inside, so no one looked up. Kel quickly darted down the steps, to mingle with the crowd.
She picked a glass of spiced juice off the tray of a passing waiter, and decided to try to find out what she could about the other man they had been instructed to spy on. Nadir Zenith.
*****
Joren started as the distant bell tolled, announcing dusk. He sat up in alarm, realising that he would have to be at the ball in no less than five minutes. He glared at the bathroom where Narcissa was smugly preening herself. As the King's mistress, she could afford to be a few minutes late. Joren could not.
Joren gritted his teeth. She had probably lied to him about the time to make him late. He heaved himself out of bed, and tugged on his simple shirt and breeches, before running out the door, ignoring Narcissa's shouts for him to come back.
He managed to arrive at the ball only a few minutes later, looking collected as usual, and dressed in his finest. Keladry had not been in their rooms, and he had no intention of finding her. He had done his bit for today, being with Narcissa and not giving anything away had been hard enough. Then again, it wasn't like Kel could do much without him. Why else had he been sent on this mission?
With a sigh, Joren set off to find Narcissa, or Nadir.
*****
The atmosphere in the ballroom was loud and raucous. Kel had spotted Nadir twice, but both times crowds of people had blocked her from getting close to him. She decided to wait and see if he entered the gardens, where there would be less people, and it would be easier to trail him.
By now, everyone had entered the main ballroom, which was large enough to fit them, and all the tables at the side, comfortably. In Scanra, people helped themselves from the side tables, and ate whilst standing. Kel proceeded to do exactly that, not noticing the stares, which were sent her way. Admiring from the men. Contemptuous, or Jealous from the women.
Gradually, as people finished eating, the centre of the ballroom was filled again with dancing couples, as the musicians struck up. A few men came her way, probably looking for a dance, but Kel managed to tactfully avoid them, by making sure that she was always near one of those large groups, which she could slip behind, and not be seen. Kel knew she would have to dance eventually, or risk arousing suspicions, but she was determined to wait for as long as she could.
The fifth dance was just ending, and it was approaching the time when the King would make his traditional Midwinter announcement, when Kel caught sight of a familiar group of people. Narcissa, and her entourage were standing around, drinks in one hand.
Kel edged closer to them, pushing her way through two groups of people. Now she was near enough to see Narcissa give her throaty laugh, her drink slopping over the side of her glass, and all the other men chuckled weakly and the ladies giggled, red faced from the alcohol.
Kel was about to creep closer again, when a crowd of people swarmed in front of her, placing themselves between Narcissa, and herself. Kel gritted her teeth, and waited for them to pass.
Suddenly, a hush fell at the side of the room nearest to the King. The rest of the room looked over, to see what was happening, Kel included. The King was stood on a small platform, in front of his throne, holding his hand up for silence. It was said that he had had a throne placed in every public room in the palace, so that wherever he went, he would always be seated higher than anyone else.
Finally, after a lot of shuffling of the feet, and coughing, silence fell. The king spoke, his voice magically magnified.
"Friends. Subjects of our noble country of Scanra. You are made welcome here today, to celebrate the most auspicious time of year."
There was a chorus of murmurings, and nodding around the room. Maggur spoke clearly, with expression.
"Our war is progressing steadily. We are gaining more and more land, and our soldiers are fighting valiantly."
Maggur observed them all, looking each and every one of them in the eye. Kel fought the urge to hide, forcing herself to stand taller.
"Victory seems to be near."
At these words, there was an outbreak of cheering. Kel stood numbly. Maggur waited for the cheering to subside.
"Beyond that friends, I have no more to say on the topic, and indeed, I think that no more need be said. So let us continue with the other announcements."
Kel breathed in a sigh of relief, having unconsciously tensed herself during Maggur's brief speech. At least now he wasn't examining everyone, looking at them all as if he could see their souls. Kel reflected on what he had said, whilst the betrothals were being announced, and beaming couples clasped each others hands happily.
If what Maggur had said about victory for Scanra being near, then Tortall must have dilapidated rapidly since they had left. Kel knew that just six months ago, their forces had been stronger than ever, and they had been pushing the Scanrans back.
Of course, Maggur could have just been lying to keep the morale up. So that people would go on supporting him, and not rebel. But when he had talked, there had been such confidence in his gaze. His eyes had been completely steady. He had looked as if he truly believed it.
Kel was jerked out of her thoughts at a sudden roar of indignation at the front. She caught a glimpse of two men rolling around on the floor, their fists flying, before a mob closed in on them, dragging them apart. Kel craned her head to see better.
The two men were dragged upright, one was led off to the side, as his friends surrounded him, the other was hauled in front of Maggur.
"You owe a debt which must be paid." Maggur said firmly, staring at the man, "Until you feel you can pay that debt, you will be kept in the dungeons, with no food but the rats." The man's face grew horrified. He was still panting, staring about him wildly for help.
"But...my wife...my children... I have no money, how can I pay?"
"You should have thought of that before you duelled with him. Attacking him as you just did has added to the insult, so you will pay twice the fine." Maggur said, his gaze deepening. He made a dismissive gesture with his hand, and the man was dragged away, his stylish clothes sweeping across the floor, his cries ringing into the silence.
The silence remained as Maggur turned to face the room again.
"On to the next announcement." He said, his sinister smile looking strangely out of place.
The next few announcements washed over Kel, as she stood, feeling hollow. How was a man supposed to pay a debt, if he couldn't work to get the money to do so? Then again, attacking the man he owed it to had been a rash and foolish action. Kel stood half heartedly watching the next few announcements, for various different things, until a person whom she recognised stepped up onto the platform. Her attention was immediately on him.
"Stevan of Cranmoor." She whispered. A few people started muttering to their neighbours, grinning. Kel caught sight of Narcissa and her group tittering about something.
Steven stood gazing down at them, his mocking smile fixed in place.
Maggur was also smiling, in a very strange way. He began to speak.
"Stevan is here to claim the prize for which he duelled yesterday with Joren of Lansborough."
Kel felt herself go numb again. Joren had never told her exactly what they had duelled for. What if they didn't have enough money? If Joren were chucked in the dungeons, she'd have to break him out. The mission could be ruined!
"A kiss," Kel's eyes widened.
"from the Lady of Lansborough." There was an outbreak of tittering, and muttering, as people looked around expectantly.
Kel froze. For a whole five seconds, she felt absolutely nothing. Then, panic. He must have been planning this, after she got away from him yesterday, and now he was standing up there, smirking at the world. She remembered the Lioness's famous saying without mirth, She'd sooner kiss a pig.
"As is customary." Maggur continued. "since this is a masked ball, Lord Stevan has observed which of the beautiful ladies here is Kaitlin of Lansborough, as I'm sure it could take quite a while to find her amongst all the lovely women in attendance today."
There were giggles from the women around her; Kel touched her mask surreptitiously, before realising that would probably attract attention, and giggled along with the others, fighting to control her rising horror. Maggur waited whilst Stevan whispered in his ear, before grinning.
"Would the lady in the white dress over there please come up." All eyes turned to look at the woman standing alone at the side. Her red hair trailed down the back of her white dress, and her white mask obscured half of her face. Kel had to admit that the woman did look somewhat like herself.
"But I'm not..." The woman protested, as two guards came up and took hold of her arms. The woman continued to protest.
"Seriously. Look..." The rest of her words were drowned out, as she was pulled up to the front, struggling. She was dragged across the platform, up to Stevan. He took hold of her shoulders, as the guards let go, and pressed his lips against the woman's protesting mouth. There was a series of catcalls, cheers, and whistles, as everyone craned their heads to see over each other. Kel winced in sympathy, as Stevan finally pulled away.
The woman swayed for a moment, as Stevan pulled off her mask to reveal a young woman, who, although she had the long red hair, identical to Kel's since she had dyed and grown it, and a similar jaw line, was not Kel.
There was a pause, before a few people started laughing. Those who didn't know Kel by face, realised what had happened, and started to laugh as well, as their neighbours mumbled to them. The elder ladies started to titter, and gasp, the old men chuckled wheezily, until Maggur turned, and made a harsh motion fore silence. Everybody stopped laughing.
Stevan was staring in shock. The guards, probably out of pity, led the woman off stage, stopping to pick up her mask which Stevan had dropped, and place it in her hands.
Maggur turned to the herald, who had positioned himself next to the platform, for the announcements.
"Is Kaitlin of Lansborough here tonight?" He asked. The herald swallowed nervously, before muttering a reply which couldn't be heard.
"Can you remember what she is wearing?" Maggur asked, in a dangerously quiet voice.
The herald swallowed again, and shook his head.
There was another swarm of murmuring, before Maggur again turned to address them.
"As Stevan of Cranmoor appears to have found the wrong lady, I shall not allow him to have his kiss tonight."
There were a few jeers from the crowd, which faded.
"Instead, he may try again at the feast tomorrow evening. If he does not find his lady, then I will commend her for managing to avoid him expertly, and we will say no more about the matter."
Stevan looked like he wanted to protest, but didn't dare.
"Meanwhile." Maggur continued, raising his voice to be heard over everyone else. "I'm sure that Lord Stevan would be very grateful of any information anyone would be willing to offer."
For the first time since he had kissed the woman, Stevan smirked, confirming this. Kel stiffened. This meant a reward. He was willing to pay money to find her? Why?
"Now. If we don't have any more announcements, we shall let the dancing commence." Maggur turned to talk with Stevan; Kel saw Narcissa, and the cluster of people who stayed with her, hurry over as well. Kel decided to go in the opposite direction, into the gardens. She turned, trying not to walk too fast, and praying that no one had realised who she was.
*****
Well, that's done. I was going to put in Joren's view of the whole thing as well, but I decided to save that, and the rest of what happens at the ball, for the next chapter. No folks, it's not over yet. It also took me ages to write the kiss scene, then when I read it over I realised I had rushed it a bit but I couldn't be bothered to redo it.
The spell check on this chapter took me ages. I had to put the entire dedication through spell check, and I was pressing 'ignore', for every single name. Why can't people have names which are acceptable to my computer? Then again, mine isn't exactly acceptable, so I can't talk. Oh well. Not, making much sense here, am I?
I'd also like to mention that it seems strange to me that so many people comment on the way I'm taking things slowly with the whole fluffiness Kel/Joren thing. This either means:
1. It's a hint that people are getting fed up with it, and want some porn.
2. People decide to review because they are moved by my pathetic pleas, but can't think what to say in their reviews, so they look up the previous reviews, and decide to say the same thing that everyone else does.
3. People actually like the way I'm writing the whole K/J thing. Nah, too strange to contemplate. I was expecting a bunch of evil flamers here, whom I could take the piss out of, and what do I get? A bunch of perfectly sane reviewers who are so bloody nice!! Grrrr
Fugitive: Why thank you! See what I mean! You're all so nice. It brings a tear to my eye. I'm sobbing with happiness here. Stop laughing.
Imperfectionist ;D : lol, nice guess. I did contemplate the whole swift punch in the face thing, but I decided to go with this. The bit about Narcissa is close, though not totally correct, although I may change the story. Okay, I'm getting muddled now. And you're not over the top. One can never have too much praise *beam*. I'm contradicting myself again, aren't I. Yeah, I'll shut up now.
VampiricEternity : Awww, thank you! See, I did dedicate, but then I decided to dedicate it to everyone else as well. Don't worry! I still love you!
Crowdove: heh, very true. Kel's in denial. Don't worry, the next chapter should be very interesting. *Smirks evilly and rubs hands together*
Stee Parker: aww, you are special, *innocent smile*, hmm, you probably know the secret. I've dropped a few hints. Then again, I may decide to change what the secret is, and make it something totally unexpected, like, Keita has an imaginary rubber duck for a best friend. Whaddya mean that's cheating?
Jess131346: Hah, you'll never get me Jess!! Mwahahahahahaha, oh damn, yes you will. And I forbid you to do any more pulling of the headscarf, okay??? Jess?? Or...I'll...I'll, I'll lock you in a room with your sister for a month!!! Mwahahaha!!
Bella: Do you know, I've actually been considering making Stevan action figures, seeing as he belongs to ME!! If I do, I promise, you'll be the first person I send one to.
Mystic_Moon_Empress: Thank you! Glad you liked.
WB means Wind Blown: *sigh* I guess Sammydoodoo and horses just go together. Yup, the e-card was pretty! Christmas was fun. I just watched TV, and ate.
Princess Sanidaylene: Hey look! I typed your name without having to consult the reviews!! I know the spelling off by heart. How sad am I. Thank you, for the lovely review, and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter.
La dame noir: See!! This is exactly what I mean. You're all so nice, that I don't have the heart to make fun of any of you. If you don't have a clue what I'm talking about, it means that you didn't read the author note!! Bad person * slaps la dame noir on the hand for not reading my note* Seriously, thank you for the spectacular, incredible, beautiful, heart warming, tear jerking review. It made my day.
CrystalLili: lol, here's another chapter for you to gobble up, though personally I think I could have improved the beginning. The bit with Kel and the mirror seemed a bit out of place, but I really wanted to have at least one soppy, out of place bit in my story, with Kel in a pretty dress.
I just want to seriously thank all of you again. I really feel I don't deserve all the praise some of you have given me, but hey, that doesn't mean you have to stop. You know, that little review button is just flashing there in the corner. Look, your mouse is edging towards it. Go on, you know you want to!