Dedicated to Stee Parker, cos she/he wanted to be number 1!! flamer :P ( I think it was Shinigami Clara) Your flame was much appreciated. Also dedicated to la dame noirE, because due to my notoriously bad French, I didn't remind her of the
adjective/noun thingy.
Chapter 12: Getting to know
Joren moved through the packed ballrooms, stopping only to flirt subtly with women. He knew he wasn't meant to, but everyone knew he had spent the night with Narcissa, no one expected him to be faithful.
Joren walked swiftly, pushing through the large groups of people in the packed ballroom, with it's magnificent high ceiling, and beautiful decorations which complimented the guest's costumes.
He had no idea what Keladry was wearing, so he wouldn't be able to recognise her. Narcissa and Nadir probably wouldn't be in costume though. It would be unbecoming for people so close to the king.
He spotted Narcissa standing with her clique, and smirked. She had thought that she had been careful, but she had let a few things slip throughout the night. She had told him that Scanra was running out of men, and that since they had been unable to produce any more killing machines, they had a chance of losing. Of course, Blayce had been mysteriously killed a year ago, so they didn't know how to make any more. She had also mentioned that Nadir Zenith, who had introduced Blayce and the King to each other, was going through Blayce's notes, trying to find a way to once again start the construction of the machines.
All this she had let slip in a few sentences, seemingly intended to reassure Joren that once the machines were back, Scanra would stand a chance at winning. Joren had already written his report, ready to send back to Sir Myles, saying that he thought there was just enough time to assemble the army's full strength in the places where he thought Scanra would strike once they actually managed to decipher Blayce's notes.
Joren started to make his way over to Narcissa, when a hush fell across the room. He looked across to see Maggur standing in front of his throne, waiting for silence.
Joren waited as a hush spread, still watching Maggur, the cogs in his brain turning wildly. He had a strange feeling, as if he had forgotten something. Maggur began to speak, his voice loud and majestic.
"Friends. Subjects of our noble country of Scanra. You are made welcome here today, to celebrate the most auspicious time of year."
What had he forgotten? Joren ground his teeth. It was like something itching him as Maggur continued his speech. Joren let the words wash over him. There was usually no information to be had from a public speech.
An outbreak of cheering signalled to Joren that the brief speech had come to an end. He looked up again, as the announcements started. It was just things like betrothals, sorting out arguments, debts being paid, prizes being claimed. The last thought stirred Joren's brain. There was something he was meant to do, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember what.
Joren watched with mild interest as a man who didn't have the money to pay his debt attacked another, a short-lived brawl ensued, the man was sent to the dungeons, to starve to death. The announcements continued.
Something suddenly clicked in Joren's brain. He remembered a duel, for... for something important. His insides washed with cold as Stevan of Cranmoor walked up onto stage. He had duelled with him, but for what?
Stevan smirked down at the crowd, and Maggur was smiling in a similar sinister way.
"Stevan is here to claim the prize for which he duelled yesterday with Joren of Lansborough." Maggur said. Joren panicked, he gazed around himself wildly, to realise that people on all sides enclosed him. Luckily no one had recognised him behind his mask.
"A kiss, from the Lady of Lansborough." Joren's eyes widened, of course! Then, he froze again. He had never told Kel what had happened. He was sure that she was right now thinking up plans for his slow, painful death.
Maggur began to speak again, explaining something. Joren didn't hear, he was busy looking for an escape. Glancing around again, he looked for any possible opening in the crowd, through which he could slip out.
Nothing. Everyone was standing still, watching the stage, murmuring jovially with their neighbours. This was a show for them. Anyone moving would be seen from the stage at the front in an instant.
Joren focused his attention back on what was happening. If he couldn't get out, at least he could try to blend in, and hopefully not be recognised. He hoped that Kel would have the sense to do the same thing, a vague thought immediately forming in his mind that he had to stop thinking of her by her nickname. He had become far too used to her.
Maggur made some comment, and the crowd muttered, and moved away from a woman standing at the side. A woman with long, silky red hair, which made a pleasant contrast with her white dress. She began to protest, as the guards closed in around her, and escorted her to the stage.
Joren saw her face clearly for an instant, and frowned. What he could see of the woman's face was coated with face paint. It was well-applied face paint, but it was as thick as the mask which obscured the top half of her face. The jaw line was right, but the eyes which glinted out were too green. Kel's eyes were a mixture, greeny-brown, the colour of fresh mud with tufts of grass, Kel would find that funny.
Joren pushed the last amusing thought away. Now was not a time for thinking up things to humour himself. But he was still unsure, the woman who was being dragged onto the stage looked like Kel, but there were small differences which only certain people who were close to her, for example, the man who slept next to her, would notice.
Before Joren could again rebuke himself for including himself in the group of 'certain people', the guards left the woman swaying on the stage. Stevan abruptly placed his hands on her shoulders. Like clamps, Joren thought, a flare of strange emotion breaking the almost unreal numbness which had settled. If that was Kel up there on stage, then no doubt blades would soon be flashing, unless she had decided to endure it for the sake of their mission.
Stevan leant forward, and pressed his lips against the woman's mouth, which was still uttering objections.
He said it would only be on the cheek! Joren thought furiously, although maintaining his cool appearance. And he kisses like a leech. Joren's last thought came as Stevan pulled away from the lady. Joren was outraged, partly because Stevan had broken a promise to only kiss Kel on the cheek, even though Joren had half expected him to do something like this, and partly because he was angry with himself for not taking care of this, or at least warning Keladry. And also because...
Stevan pulled the mask off in one swift motion, and stepped back with a gasp. Maggur's face twisted, as Joren craned his neck along with everyone else to see what was happening. He had already guessed, but he wanted to make sure.
She turned to face the crowd, and a few titters started. Joren let himself rock backwards onto the balls of his feet. Stevan had found the wrong woman. That gave him some time to think of a way to get out of this. Perhaps an accident for Stevan could be arranged.
"He got the wrong girl dear." Joren heard a lady titter. The laughter was growing, people who didn't know what Kel looked like were either having the situation explained to them by their neighbours, or had guessed what was going on.
Maggur turned, and made a brash gesture for silence. The laughter stopped, and Joren kept his triumphant smirk on the inside, not letting it touch his face.
Maggur began to talk quietly to the Herald, who was visibly shaking. His face twisted into an even deeper scowl at the answers he received. He turned back to address the crowd.
"As Stevan of Cranmoor appears to have observed the wrong lady, I shall not allow him to have his kiss tonight. 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 was standing next to Maggur, his hands hanging at his sides, looking annoyed, and unsure. The level of noise was growing, as people began to mutter again.
"Meanwhile." Maggur continued, "I'm sure that Lord Stevan would be very grateful for any information anyone would be willing to offer"
A bribe. That was unexpected. Why was this man so desperate to get at Kel. From the way he had kissed the other woman, he hadn't looked as if he were doing it for pleasure. He looked more as if he enjoyed embarrassing her, hurting her. Why?
"Now. If we don't have any more announcements, we shall let the dancing commence." Maggur finished. The bustle began again, with people pushing, and talking. Joren finally caught sight of the door to the gardens, he needed to get away for a while.
*****
Joren walked through into the gardens, which were just starting to fill with people. The palace gardens were vast, and carefully cultivated. He was flushed from the heat, noise, and drink inside, and was trying to get away from the whispers that followed him, from those people who were contemplating whom he could be that he still had his mask on half way through the ball. Most people had removed theirs by now, so that others could admire their classic noses, or large, kohl lined eyes.
Joren strolled along silently, a small glass containing bubbly liquid in one hand. He walked through the purple gardens, lavender fluttering in the breeze and brushing his legs, vines with purple flowers trailed over archways, gleaming in the moonlight.
Couples huddled in the shadows, and Joren could hear the occasional whisper, or giggle.
He entered the water gardens, and continued to meander through them, not even noticing the small waterfalls, and beautiful streams which graced his surroundings, as he trudged on, deep in thought. He was about to enter the next set of gardens, when he heard voices. Not the usual giggles and whispers of couples, but the urgent voices of men.
He turned, and saw a group of men, standing in a shady part of the garden. Joren crept closer, keeping to the shadows. He heard snatches of their conversation.
"Going to be hard enough... interfering."
"Up to something...spent the whole night..."
"But the King...got to...before they leave..."
"Bound to be...go look for them"
The atmosphere changed, and the men began to leave slowly, in pairs, or alone. When they were all gone, Joren contemplated what he had heard. They were looking for someone. Perhaps they were planning a conspiracy against the King. Perhaps they had suspicions about Keladry and himself. No, there were too many options for Joren to be completely sure of anything.
He grimaced and left the shadows, moving towards the Yamani themed gardens. Ducking under some trailing vine had grown haphazardly, strewing itself across the top half of the archway, he saw a person. He was surprised; most people didn't make it this far. Couples only entered the gardens to get some privacy, and they usually headed for the maze, or got caught up in the first large sets of gardens. No one else really came here, apart from the men he had seen earlier. And desperately confused men of course, he thought with a wry smile.
Joren hung back in the doorway, watching as the woman dressed in green kicked her feet around in the water, her skirts shoved up to the knees so that she could dangle her legs in, displaying a pair of beautifully muscled legs. Her dress hugged her form invitingly, her hair was tied up in a bun. Joren mouth twisted into a smirk, which faded.
He used to joke with Vinson and Zahir and his other friends about liking muscled women because it was more fun when they fought. They had always laughed raucously, pounding his back. Then Zahir had stopped laughing, and had started to seem ashamed of them, and had drifted away, after telling them that it was time to grow up. He had sneered at Zahir then, he wasn't sure what he would do if Zahir told him the same thing now.
With a sigh, he decided that talking to a stranger would be better than nothing. This woman didn't exactly look to be like the women inside, who would never raise their skirts that high except for in a bedroom or a broom closet, and only when pleasure was involved, and it would give him something to do with the time that remained for which he was confined to the ball. Joren wasn't in the mood for going back and flirting. He crunched over the gravel towards the woman, purposely making a loud noise so that she wouldn't be startled. She seemed started anyway.
She twisted around, and watched him approaching with wary eyes. Most of her face was hidden by a green mask, edged with phoenix feathers. She stared at him as he eased himself gingerly onto the planks beside, studying his face, before flushing abruptly as she realised that he was staring at her too, and turning back to fix her gaze determinedly on the stream below them. The light was too dim for him to see the colour of eyes clearly.
Joren wiggled his toes in the water, before offering a hand out to her, in the universal gesture of greeting between equals. If she were the kind of woman who appreciated the whole bowing and kissing the hand thing, then surely she would be inside, flirting with ten men at once, whilst trying to keep them from noticing that her face paint was melting in the heat.
"Ralph of Reynolds Hill" He said, and making his voice sound sore and gravely on purpose. It wouldn't do to be recognised since Stevan was bribing people to find them.
She stared at him, and he began to wonder if a Ralph of Reynolds Hill really did exist. He was about to withdraw his hand, when she put hers out and clasped his, shaking it warmly. Her fingers were calloused, but her grip was gentle. Surprising in a Scanran lady. It was normally the other way around. Joren grimaced, remembering his night with Narcissa.
"Ella of Kishuvanderk." She said, her voice soft and low. Joren's eyes widened. The name she gave was that of one of the oldest Scanran families, with too many children to count. They released each other's hands, and she returned her gaze to the stream.
"What is it about the water that has you so fascinated?" Joren asked, staring at her. She turned to look at him, the shadows stretching across the contours of her face as the light rapidly faded.
"I was just...thinking. Water always helps me to do that." Ella gave a small laugh. "When I was little I always used to go down to a brook near our house whenever I had something important to decide. The water seemed to calm me." Joren nodded.
"Many of the decisions we make as children affect our lives, and too many of them are made hastily." His brow furrowed, as he remembered the various times when he was younger and he had followed whichever path he thought would give him the approval of his family, and bring honour to them. He shook his head, ridding himself of the memories.
"What were you thinking about?" He asked abruptly, before realising that he probably sounded rude. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to sound-"
She cut him off with a wave of the hand, and hesitated before answering.
"Someone whom I thought I could trust has betrayed me, in a sense. We never exactly liked each other, but I still thought...seeing him after so long. I thought that he had maybe changed."
Joren didn't bother to put on a sympathetic smile. He realised that he was paying more attention to this stranger than he had to anyone in a long time. Perhaps it was because she wasn't nearly poking his eyes out with a fluttering fan, or tugging on her neckline suggestively. He didn't know why, but he felt...comfortable somehow. Like he could open up, like he didn't have to pretend. Like he had around Allison.
Joren swallowed down a sob, pushing away painful memories of his sister being thrown against a stonewall.
"People don't change." He said, injecting a hint of bitterness into his voice. He heard her turn to look at him.
"Do you really think that?" Ella said. Joren could tell from her voice that she was frowning. "I've always believed that people can and do change, with help. I've known people who've left behind their bad ways and turned to good."
An idealist, Joren thought, raising his eyebrows behind his mask. And maybe a woman who actually knows her politics. He surprised himself with this thought. In the past he had always gone for the slightly more fluttery women, but recently he had found himself tiring of them.
"What sorts of people?" He asked, wondering whom a sheltered Scanran girl could possibly know who had turned from 'bad to good'. Personally, he didn't actually believe in the whole idealist black and white thing. The world was a mess of colours, and you tried to live your life without getting too tangled up in the threads.
"Just people who passed through our home town. Convicts who were mending roads." She replied, tilting her head to look at the sky.
There was a pause, and she cleared her throat.
"It's getting dark...maybe we should head back inside. They'll be allowing some guests to escape soon.
Joren drew himself up.
"And what if I want to spend the rest of the night at the ball?" he asked, teasing her.
"You wouldn't be sitting here then talking to a stranger, would you." Ella pointed out in a matter of fact voice, as she pulled her legs up and dried them off with the inside of her skirt. Joren watched in amusement, pulling his own legs up, but not bothering to dry them as he slipped his shoes on.
She pulled herself up, and offered Joren a hand, which he declined in surprise. Most women he knew wouldn't offer a man a hand if their lives depended on it.
She dusted herself down, and began to walk away, when Joren caught her arm. She stopped and turned. Joren stared down at her, wishing that her face wasn't obscured by a mask.
"Yes?" She asked, waiting for him to speak.
"I...I was wondering, if maybe you'd come with me to the carnival tomorrow. My...er...my partner for the costume competition just left me, and we'd already entered, and Maggur doesn't like withdrawals, so I need someone to go with."
Ella seemed taken aback for a minute.
"Of course, I'd love to go. You have the costumes?" He nodded. "Then I'll come."
Joren felt an involuntary smile widen under his mask.
" Your costume will be at the launders then, you can pick it up anytime." He paused. "Thank you, this means a lot to me. I'll meet you in the outer courtyard when the carnival is announced then?"
She nodded, and smiled. She left, after reassuring him that she didn't mind coming. Joren pounded his thighs with his fists.
Why had he fabricated that tale? Why oh why?? Now he would have to find two costumes, and mange to get himself and Ella entered in the competition before tomorrow.
He knew exactly why he'd done it. It was because being with her made him feel relaxed and happy. He could tell this after talking to her for about a quarter of an hour, and he wanted to hold onto that feeling for as long as he could. He hadn't felt like that since Allison had died. When he was ten, his mother had stopped kissing his hurts better, and had told him to stand tall and become a man. He hadn't felt so strangely open since then.
Still, if he was going to see her tomorrow, then there was work to be done. Giving one last glance down the archway through which she had disappeared, he headed down the other route to the caste, on his way to find two last minute costumes, and lay on some heavy bribes.
*****
Kel sat down heavily on a bridge in the Yamani themed gardens, letting the sound of the water trickling in the surprisingly large stream below soothe her. She glanced around, making sure that no one was watching, before pulling off her slippers, and dangling her feet into the water with a sigh, letting the pull of the water push the crook of her knees against the edge of the planks.
These gardens were about as far from the actual ball as she could get, without really leaving it. She just needed to get away and sort her thoughts out, especially after what had happened in there.
At least she knew now what Joren had duelled for. All she had to do was avoid Stevan at the next day's Carnival and feast. It should be fun, she thought glumly.
She was surprised that Joren had forgotten to tell her the details of the duel, it did involve her. He must have been pretty preoccupied.
*With Narcissa* A small voice whispered inside her head. She brushed it away, hardly noticing that she was clenching her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white.
She sighed, what else could you expect from Joren? It wasn't like he actually cared what happened to her. She had thought that he cared about the mission though.
No, what had really surprised her was the actual duel, and the wager. Why on earth would Stevan of Cranmoor, a man she had met only once, a man with whom she'd never exchanged a word, be willing to duel with Joren for a kiss from her. She was hardly stunningly beautiful, the day that a man called her beautiful would be the day that Joren came home arm in arm with Rat, acting like that odd man she had seen recently, scarred from the war, dressed as a pirate, and begging people for scraps for 'pretty polly'.
Kel smirked at the thought, continuing her musings without noticing that she had thought of the quarters which she shared with Joren as home.
Who was Stevan of Cranmoor then? How could a simple Scanran noble have so much interest in her. Unless he had somehow realised who they were. The thought chilled her to the bone. Scanrans were merciless with spies.
She forced her mind to clear; he couldn't have discovered their identities, she had only met him a little while ago. Although there had been something strangely familiar about Stevan. She had strange, half-memories of that face, but plumper, with puppy fat. She could remember those eyes tightening, narrowing-
A foot crunched on the gravel behind her. She turned, slightly red faced at being caught in such an improper position.
A man dressed in blue satin made his way over to her. He eased himself down to sit next to her, removing his shoes, and dangling his feet into the water as she did. Shoes, Kel noted. Not slippers like most courtiers.
He was a few inches taller than Kel, not much. His hair looked to be blonde, but it was hard to tell in the fading light. A white mask covered most of his face, leaving only a pair or thin lips, and a weather worn chin bare. She realised that he was studying her as well, and turned abruptly back to gaze at the stream water which flirted with their feet, tugging and pulling their legs.
He stared at her for a bit longer, before holding out a hand.
"Ralph of Reynolds Hill." He said, his voice was harsh and gravely, but it had an oddly reassuring quality to it.
Kel stared at the hand. Most Scanren men held with the belief that women were below them, and should be patronised and indulged. She had never seen a Scanran man actually offer his hand to a woman to shake.
She reached her own arm out and shook his hand.
"Ella of Kishuvanderk" She said, pitching her voice a tone lower. Being recognised was not a good idea right now. Stevan had the look of a man with money. How much he was willing to spend on a bribe for her, she didn't know, but she was willing to bet that it was a fairly large sum, which would tempt even the most principled of people. Kishuvanderk was the name of one of the largest Scanren families. Not even they knew all their relatives, so she should have no trouble passing as one.
Ralph's hand was strong and rough. An ex-soldier, Kel thought, or perhaps one on leave. They let go, and Kel, not knowing where else to look, turned back to look at the stream.
"What is it about the water that has you so fascinated?" Ralph asked, obviously trying to make conversation. Kel turned to him, trying to see the half of his face which was visible, whilst she decided what to say to him. She couldn't, the light was too dim, soon men would be coming out to light the fresh torches placed in brackets in the walls, though she wasn't sure that they would come this far.
"I was just...thinking." She said hesitantly. "Water always helps me to do that." She gave a small polite laugh. "When I was little I always used to go down to a brook near our house whenever I had something important to decide. The water seemed to calm me."
Ralph nodded, clearly understanding. "Many of the decisions we make as children affect our lives, and too many of them are made hastily." She could make out a vague frown on his face, and she felt a sudden urge to cheer him up. She'd known this stranger for less than two minutes, but she already felt close to him. He had a comforting presence, and he seemed to be more than just another soldier or courtier.
"What were you thinking about?" He asked suddenly. Then he hesitated, obviously unsure if he had offended her. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to sound-"
She cut him off by waving her hand in what she hoped was a nonchalant way, thinking about how she could put into words the way she felt about Joren, without making Ralph suspicious.
"Someone whom I thought I could trust has betrayed me, in a sense. We never exactly liked each other, but I still thought...seeing him after so long. I thought that he had maybe changed." She said finally.
"People don't change" He replied, after a while. Kel could hear the acid in his tone.
"Do you really think so?" She asked, twisting her body round to face him. "I've always believed that people can and do change, with help. I've known people who left behind bad ways, and turned to good."
"What sorts of people?" He asked. Kel froze, knowing that she couldn't mention the convicts whom she'd been referring to, the ones she had met at Haven, who had gone on with her to New Hope. She stared at him though. He had asked her like someone who was genuinely interested, not like an idiotic fop, who was asking her for the sake of making conversation.
"Just people who passed through our home town. Convicts who were mending roads."
Kel breathed a mental sigh of relief. She had seen convicts mending roads on their way to the palace. She tilted her head back to look at the sky. It was dark now. Joren would probably be waiting in their rooms to discuss what had happened. And he'd better have a good explanation, she thought, gritting her teeth.
"It's getting dark...maybe we should head back inside. They'll be allowing some guests to escape soon. She said reluctantly.
Ralph drew himself up.
"And what if I want to spend the rest of the night at the ball?" He said teasingly, his voice playful.
"You wouldn't be sitting here then talking to a stranger, would you." Kel replied with a slight smirk. She heard him chuckle quietly as he she pulled her legs up and dried them off. Kel pulled herself up, and offered him a hand without thinking, cursing herself when he declined after a pause. Women here evidently didn't offer men a hand up.
Embarrassed, she dusted herself down, and began to walk away, but Ralph caught her arm. Slowly she turned to face him.
"Yes?" She asked, waiting for him to speak.
"I...I was wondering, if maybe you'd come with me to the carnival tomorrow. My...er...my partner for the costume competition just left me, and we'd already entered, and Maggur doesn't like withdrawals, so I need someone to go with." He blurted out, kneading his knuckles together. Kel was surprised, was he actually asking if he could...
"Of course, I'd love to go. You have the costumes?" She asked. He nodded. "Then I'll come."
"Your costume will be at the launders then, you can pick it up anytime." He paused. "Thank you, this means a lot to me. I'll meet you in the outer courtyard when the carnival is announced then?" He said, relief palpable in his voice.
She nodded, and smiled, reassuring him again that she didn't mind, before turning to go.
Her head buzzed even more as she made her way up to the palace. For a second there she had actually thought he was going to ask if he could court her. But that was ridiculous of course, why would a man want to court her? Ugly, disgusting Kel.
Without realising it, she was walking quickly, her normally soft footsteps clicking briskly on the floor, in the new high-heeled shoes which Scanran ladies wore.
She managed to press on through the ballrooms, where most of the palace would be congregated until the early hours, and slip out quietly.
She walked briskly through the hallways, getting her emotions under control, already surprised that she had shown them, even in such a small way. Quietly, she slipped into the rooms she shared with Joren, undressed, and fell into bed, already planning.
*****
*sigh* another chapter done. La la la. A pretty boring chapter on the whole, I know, but what the hey. This chapter is essential to the story!! *cough cough*
I know that this chapter was slightly long and tedious, especially with the whole both points of view thing, but I had to do that!! I couldn't choose between them, and I had things to say for both of them... oh well. And I know that it also seems slightly strange that he invited her to a carnival after exchanging no more than ten sentences with her, but hey! This is LURVE people!! And anyway...I'm just a struggling amateur trying to improve her writing and have some fun at the same time. WHAT ELSE WERE THEY SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT!!??
Ahem...
I mentioned in my last author note that I needed someone to flame at!! So thank you again to the person who flamed, I think it was Shinigami Clara!! Thanks!! This does not, of course, mean that you ALL have to flame. I mean, the occasional one now and then would be nice, but I enjoy all of your lovely reviews so much that it would be a shame to stop them. Plus they give me a reason to gloat, seeing as I have nothing else to gloat about. I would also like to make an official apology to la dame noir for the whole French thing despite the fact that she reviewed me twice in 1 chapter!!! I'm not good at languages!!! I can't help it!!
Erm...do I have anything else to say? Oh yes...The next chapter may be a bit late, due to the fact that I am working on 2 new story plots (not Tamora Pierce ones. These are gonna be original stories on fictionpress.com) plus there's the fact that I'm trying to learn Arabic, French, and keep up with all my schoolwork. Then again, I may just blow off all my work to do this story instead, so that was a waste of a few sentences.
Okay...since I have nothing else to say, we shall move on to the reviewer replies!!!
*collective groan* Hush children. I know you love them really! And look!! I did all your names in Bold!!
lfk214: weeellll...I did end it with the whole 'Kel plotting' thing, so maybe she's planning something drastic and interesting!!*cough*
an anonymous geek: awww, thank you!! I've gone all fuzzy!! Have a rubber duck!
Angel Street: Bad Alice *slaps Alice/Angel Street on hand* Oh well, hopefully you haven't skipped this chapter. Oh come on!! It wasn't that boring. *looks around at yawning readers*
carmen12341: Thank you!! You know, no one's mentioned the whole Joren's sister thing except you since that chapter!! Thank you so much!
Mystic_Moon_Empress: Thank you also. I think that most of this chapter is taken up with Joren's Point of View, however boring it may be.
Nawat Crow x2: 2 reviews hunny!! Yay!! And I'm used to your name changing by now!! I can tell when it's you. I don't think I've replied your email yet!! I was gonna but then I had to get off, and I got banned!! And thank you!! You'll always be my favourite reviewer and Tamora Pierce fan!!
VampiricEternity: aww, you're not babbleing. And thanks for the compliment.
Imperfectionist ;D : lol, good criticism. I have to start using your storylines, you could write this story better than I can. Everyone keeps giving me these storylines which are better than the ones I originally planned to use!! Where does everyone get these?!
Stee Parker: Look!! You're number one!! Feel loved!! I'll try to keep the fluff down then, but if you don't like more than kissing, then I'd avoid the story which my friend Jess got me to edit, which is on our shared account. Just don't read any stories written by the 'ickle freaks of nature' any time in the future. And I can cheat, it's my story *Rowana starts to cackle, but is cut off as Stee Parker straps her to a chair, and pushes a TV in front of her. Rowana looks away in despair, as the theme tune starts. "Not the Tele tubbies...NOOOOOOOO" She screams.
Yeah...little thing there...strange. I'll go now.
La dame noire: *sniff* I'm sorry!! I take back the slap! I love you really. And I like the whole Kel plotting against Stevan thing. And I am kinda crappy at the whole chivalry thing *sniff* sorry! (lol)
Jess131346 (or JESSIE WESSIE!!): Jess my darling...you can't flame. Don't even try, it's too pathetic to watch. I mean, if you want to flame. Go to Emina. Emina could flame anyone, because she's so darn scary. Nice try though!!
Shinigami Clara: Awww, thank you!! That means a lot to me. I hope this chapter wasn't too crappy.
Flamer :P : Who the hell do you think you are!! I bet you don't even have any stories you freak. And if you insist upon abusing the art of reviewing then I suggest you at least sign in you coward. I bet you're just a buck toothed, spotty, ugly, biter, miserly person who takes pleasure out of flaming other people. And if my story is crap, why bother reviewing!!?? [Thank you!! Lovely flame. You have a talent my dear! ]
S n o g g i n g withdrawal: aww, thank you!!
Eclipsa/Kaitlin: Thank you for the review!! It's odd about the name thing though, most people can't spell my name, when they finally figure out how pronounce it!
SaNgUiNe SiStaR : Thank you for the review!! As you can see, I decided to save Joren's POV for this chapter...I have no idea why. Hope you enjoyed, and thank you for the lovely praise.
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Siren Porter: You finally updated!! Yay!! Heh, nah, I don't like the name Jeff either *flicks through notes rapidly, and crosses out place where it states that the main character of the story was going to be called Jeff, replacing it with 'Wolfgang'.*
Yess...anyway thank you for the pretty review!!
CrystalLili: Thank you for the incredible praise, I will try not to disappoint. You'rs has to have been one of the best reviews I've ever had. I'm not quite sure either how two brawling men fit in...I think I had this vague inkling at the time that I was going to bring them in later...but I don't know what's happened to that. *blinks*, oh well, hopefully it'll come in useful later on.
Thank you all for reviewing!!! If anyone wants to ask me anything at all, my email is on my profile.
~Rowana Silvakisma~
adjective/noun thingy.
Chapter 12: Getting to know
Joren moved through the packed ballrooms, stopping only to flirt subtly with women. He knew he wasn't meant to, but everyone knew he had spent the night with Narcissa, no one expected him to be faithful.
Joren walked swiftly, pushing through the large groups of people in the packed ballroom, with it's magnificent high ceiling, and beautiful decorations which complimented the guest's costumes.
He had no idea what Keladry was wearing, so he wouldn't be able to recognise her. Narcissa and Nadir probably wouldn't be in costume though. It would be unbecoming for people so close to the king.
He spotted Narcissa standing with her clique, and smirked. She had thought that she had been careful, but she had let a few things slip throughout the night. She had told him that Scanra was running out of men, and that since they had been unable to produce any more killing machines, they had a chance of losing. Of course, Blayce had been mysteriously killed a year ago, so they didn't know how to make any more. She had also mentioned that Nadir Zenith, who had introduced Blayce and the King to each other, was going through Blayce's notes, trying to find a way to once again start the construction of the machines.
All this she had let slip in a few sentences, seemingly intended to reassure Joren that once the machines were back, Scanra would stand a chance at winning. Joren had already written his report, ready to send back to Sir Myles, saying that he thought there was just enough time to assemble the army's full strength in the places where he thought Scanra would strike once they actually managed to decipher Blayce's notes.
Joren started to make his way over to Narcissa, when a hush fell across the room. He looked across to see Maggur standing in front of his throne, waiting for silence.
Joren waited as a hush spread, still watching Maggur, the cogs in his brain turning wildly. He had a strange feeling, as if he had forgotten something. Maggur began to speak, his voice loud and majestic.
"Friends. Subjects of our noble country of Scanra. You are made welcome here today, to celebrate the most auspicious time of year."
What had he forgotten? Joren ground his teeth. It was like something itching him as Maggur continued his speech. Joren let the words wash over him. There was usually no information to be had from a public speech.
An outbreak of cheering signalled to Joren that the brief speech had come to an end. He looked up again, as the announcements started. It was just things like betrothals, sorting out arguments, debts being paid, prizes being claimed. The last thought stirred Joren's brain. There was something he was meant to do, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember what.
Joren watched with mild interest as a man who didn't have the money to pay his debt attacked another, a short-lived brawl ensued, the man was sent to the dungeons, to starve to death. The announcements continued.
Something suddenly clicked in Joren's brain. He remembered a duel, for... for something important. His insides washed with cold as Stevan of Cranmoor walked up onto stage. He had duelled with him, but for what?
Stevan smirked down at the crowd, and Maggur was smiling in a similar sinister way.
"Stevan is here to claim the prize for which he duelled yesterday with Joren of Lansborough." Maggur said. Joren panicked, he gazed around himself wildly, to realise that people on all sides enclosed him. Luckily no one had recognised him behind his mask.
"A kiss, from the Lady of Lansborough." Joren's eyes widened, of course! Then, he froze again. He had never told Kel what had happened. He was sure that she was right now thinking up plans for his slow, painful death.
Maggur began to speak again, explaining something. Joren didn't hear, he was busy looking for an escape. Glancing around again, he looked for any possible opening in the crowd, through which he could slip out.
Nothing. Everyone was standing still, watching the stage, murmuring jovially with their neighbours. This was a show for them. Anyone moving would be seen from the stage at the front in an instant.
Joren focused his attention back on what was happening. If he couldn't get out, at least he could try to blend in, and hopefully not be recognised. He hoped that Kel would have the sense to do the same thing, a vague thought immediately forming in his mind that he had to stop thinking of her by her nickname. He had become far too used to her.
Maggur made some comment, and the crowd muttered, and moved away from a woman standing at the side. A woman with long, silky red hair, which made a pleasant contrast with her white dress. She began to protest, as the guards closed in around her, and escorted her to the stage.
Joren saw her face clearly for an instant, and frowned. What he could see of the woman's face was coated with face paint. It was well-applied face paint, but it was as thick as the mask which obscured the top half of her face. The jaw line was right, but the eyes which glinted out were too green. Kel's eyes were a mixture, greeny-brown, the colour of fresh mud with tufts of grass, Kel would find that funny.
Joren pushed the last amusing thought away. Now was not a time for thinking up things to humour himself. But he was still unsure, the woman who was being dragged onto the stage looked like Kel, but there were small differences which only certain people who were close to her, for example, the man who slept next to her, would notice.
Before Joren could again rebuke himself for including himself in the group of 'certain people', the guards left the woman swaying on the stage. Stevan abruptly placed his hands on her shoulders. Like clamps, Joren thought, a flare of strange emotion breaking the almost unreal numbness which had settled. If that was Kel up there on stage, then no doubt blades would soon be flashing, unless she had decided to endure it for the sake of their mission.
Stevan leant forward, and pressed his lips against the woman's mouth, which was still uttering objections.
He said it would only be on the cheek! Joren thought furiously, although maintaining his cool appearance. And he kisses like a leech. Joren's last thought came as Stevan pulled away from the lady. Joren was outraged, partly because Stevan had broken a promise to only kiss Kel on the cheek, even though Joren had half expected him to do something like this, and partly because he was angry with himself for not taking care of this, or at least warning Keladry. And also because...
Stevan pulled the mask off in one swift motion, and stepped back with a gasp. Maggur's face twisted, as Joren craned his neck along with everyone else to see what was happening. He had already guessed, but he wanted to make sure.
She turned to face the crowd, and a few titters started. Joren let himself rock backwards onto the balls of his feet. Stevan had found the wrong woman. That gave him some time to think of a way to get out of this. Perhaps an accident for Stevan could be arranged.
"He got the wrong girl dear." Joren heard a lady titter. The laughter was growing, people who didn't know what Kel looked like were either having the situation explained to them by their neighbours, or had guessed what was going on.
Maggur turned, and made a brash gesture for silence. The laughter stopped, and Joren kept his triumphant smirk on the inside, not letting it touch his face.
Maggur began to talk quietly to the Herald, who was visibly shaking. His face twisted into an even deeper scowl at the answers he received. He turned back to address the crowd.
"As Stevan of Cranmoor appears to have observed the wrong lady, I shall not allow him to have his kiss tonight. 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 was standing next to Maggur, his hands hanging at his sides, looking annoyed, and unsure. The level of noise was growing, as people began to mutter again.
"Meanwhile." Maggur continued, "I'm sure that Lord Stevan would be very grateful for any information anyone would be willing to offer"
A bribe. That was unexpected. Why was this man so desperate to get at Kel. From the way he had kissed the other woman, he hadn't looked as if he were doing it for pleasure. He looked more as if he enjoyed embarrassing her, hurting her. Why?
"Now. If we don't have any more announcements, we shall let the dancing commence." Maggur finished. The bustle began again, with people pushing, and talking. Joren finally caught sight of the door to the gardens, he needed to get away for a while.
*****
Joren walked through into the gardens, which were just starting to fill with people. The palace gardens were vast, and carefully cultivated. He was flushed from the heat, noise, and drink inside, and was trying to get away from the whispers that followed him, from those people who were contemplating whom he could be that he still had his mask on half way through the ball. Most people had removed theirs by now, so that others could admire their classic noses, or large, kohl lined eyes.
Joren strolled along silently, a small glass containing bubbly liquid in one hand. He walked through the purple gardens, lavender fluttering in the breeze and brushing his legs, vines with purple flowers trailed over archways, gleaming in the moonlight.
Couples huddled in the shadows, and Joren could hear the occasional whisper, or giggle.
He entered the water gardens, and continued to meander through them, not even noticing the small waterfalls, and beautiful streams which graced his surroundings, as he trudged on, deep in thought. He was about to enter the next set of gardens, when he heard voices. Not the usual giggles and whispers of couples, but the urgent voices of men.
He turned, and saw a group of men, standing in a shady part of the garden. Joren crept closer, keeping to the shadows. He heard snatches of their conversation.
"Going to be hard enough... interfering."
"Up to something...spent the whole night..."
"But the King...got to...before they leave..."
"Bound to be...go look for them"
The atmosphere changed, and the men began to leave slowly, in pairs, or alone. When they were all gone, Joren contemplated what he had heard. They were looking for someone. Perhaps they were planning a conspiracy against the King. Perhaps they had suspicions about Keladry and himself. No, there were too many options for Joren to be completely sure of anything.
He grimaced and left the shadows, moving towards the Yamani themed gardens. Ducking under some trailing vine had grown haphazardly, strewing itself across the top half of the archway, he saw a person. He was surprised; most people didn't make it this far. Couples only entered the gardens to get some privacy, and they usually headed for the maze, or got caught up in the first large sets of gardens. No one else really came here, apart from the men he had seen earlier. And desperately confused men of course, he thought with a wry smile.
Joren hung back in the doorway, watching as the woman dressed in green kicked her feet around in the water, her skirts shoved up to the knees so that she could dangle her legs in, displaying a pair of beautifully muscled legs. Her dress hugged her form invitingly, her hair was tied up in a bun. Joren mouth twisted into a smirk, which faded.
He used to joke with Vinson and Zahir and his other friends about liking muscled women because it was more fun when they fought. They had always laughed raucously, pounding his back. Then Zahir had stopped laughing, and had started to seem ashamed of them, and had drifted away, after telling them that it was time to grow up. He had sneered at Zahir then, he wasn't sure what he would do if Zahir told him the same thing now.
With a sigh, he decided that talking to a stranger would be better than nothing. This woman didn't exactly look to be like the women inside, who would never raise their skirts that high except for in a bedroom or a broom closet, and only when pleasure was involved, and it would give him something to do with the time that remained for which he was confined to the ball. Joren wasn't in the mood for going back and flirting. He crunched over the gravel towards the woman, purposely making a loud noise so that she wouldn't be startled. She seemed started anyway.
She twisted around, and watched him approaching with wary eyes. Most of her face was hidden by a green mask, edged with phoenix feathers. She stared at him as he eased himself gingerly onto the planks beside, studying his face, before flushing abruptly as she realised that he was staring at her too, and turning back to fix her gaze determinedly on the stream below them. The light was too dim for him to see the colour of eyes clearly.
Joren wiggled his toes in the water, before offering a hand out to her, in the universal gesture of greeting between equals. If she were the kind of woman who appreciated the whole bowing and kissing the hand thing, then surely she would be inside, flirting with ten men at once, whilst trying to keep them from noticing that her face paint was melting in the heat.
"Ralph of Reynolds Hill" He said, and making his voice sound sore and gravely on purpose. It wouldn't do to be recognised since Stevan was bribing people to find them.
She stared at him, and he began to wonder if a Ralph of Reynolds Hill really did exist. He was about to withdraw his hand, when she put hers out and clasped his, shaking it warmly. Her fingers were calloused, but her grip was gentle. Surprising in a Scanran lady. It was normally the other way around. Joren grimaced, remembering his night with Narcissa.
"Ella of Kishuvanderk." She said, her voice soft and low. Joren's eyes widened. The name she gave was that of one of the oldest Scanran families, with too many children to count. They released each other's hands, and she returned her gaze to the stream.
"What is it about the water that has you so fascinated?" Joren asked, staring at her. She turned to look at him, the shadows stretching across the contours of her face as the light rapidly faded.
"I was just...thinking. Water always helps me to do that." Ella gave a small laugh. "When I was little I always used to go down to a brook near our house whenever I had something important to decide. The water seemed to calm me." Joren nodded.
"Many of the decisions we make as children affect our lives, and too many of them are made hastily." His brow furrowed, as he remembered the various times when he was younger and he had followed whichever path he thought would give him the approval of his family, and bring honour to them. He shook his head, ridding himself of the memories.
"What were you thinking about?" He asked abruptly, before realising that he probably sounded rude. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to sound-"
She cut him off with a wave of the hand, and hesitated before answering.
"Someone whom I thought I could trust has betrayed me, in a sense. We never exactly liked each other, but I still thought...seeing him after so long. I thought that he had maybe changed."
Joren didn't bother to put on a sympathetic smile. He realised that he was paying more attention to this stranger than he had to anyone in a long time. Perhaps it was because she wasn't nearly poking his eyes out with a fluttering fan, or tugging on her neckline suggestively. He didn't know why, but he felt...comfortable somehow. Like he could open up, like he didn't have to pretend. Like he had around Allison.
Joren swallowed down a sob, pushing away painful memories of his sister being thrown against a stonewall.
"People don't change." He said, injecting a hint of bitterness into his voice. He heard her turn to look at him.
"Do you really think that?" Ella said. Joren could tell from her voice that she was frowning. "I've always believed that people can and do change, with help. I've known people who've left behind their bad ways and turned to good."
An idealist, Joren thought, raising his eyebrows behind his mask. And maybe a woman who actually knows her politics. He surprised himself with this thought. In the past he had always gone for the slightly more fluttery women, but recently he had found himself tiring of them.
"What sorts of people?" He asked, wondering whom a sheltered Scanran girl could possibly know who had turned from 'bad to good'. Personally, he didn't actually believe in the whole idealist black and white thing. The world was a mess of colours, and you tried to live your life without getting too tangled up in the threads.
"Just people who passed through our home town. Convicts who were mending roads." She replied, tilting her head to look at the sky.
There was a pause, and she cleared her throat.
"It's getting dark...maybe we should head back inside. They'll be allowing some guests to escape soon.
Joren drew himself up.
"And what if I want to spend the rest of the night at the ball?" he asked, teasing her.
"You wouldn't be sitting here then talking to a stranger, would you." Ella pointed out in a matter of fact voice, as she pulled her legs up and dried them off with the inside of her skirt. Joren watched in amusement, pulling his own legs up, but not bothering to dry them as he slipped his shoes on.
She pulled herself up, and offered Joren a hand, which he declined in surprise. Most women he knew wouldn't offer a man a hand if their lives depended on it.
She dusted herself down, and began to walk away, when Joren caught her arm. She stopped and turned. Joren stared down at her, wishing that her face wasn't obscured by a mask.
"Yes?" She asked, waiting for him to speak.
"I...I was wondering, if maybe you'd come with me to the carnival tomorrow. My...er...my partner for the costume competition just left me, and we'd already entered, and Maggur doesn't like withdrawals, so I need someone to go with."
Ella seemed taken aback for a minute.
"Of course, I'd love to go. You have the costumes?" He nodded. "Then I'll come."
Joren felt an involuntary smile widen under his mask.
" Your costume will be at the launders then, you can pick it up anytime." He paused. "Thank you, this means a lot to me. I'll meet you in the outer courtyard when the carnival is announced then?"
She nodded, and smiled. She left, after reassuring him that she didn't mind coming. Joren pounded his thighs with his fists.
Why had he fabricated that tale? Why oh why?? Now he would have to find two costumes, and mange to get himself and Ella entered in the competition before tomorrow.
He knew exactly why he'd done it. It was because being with her made him feel relaxed and happy. He could tell this after talking to her for about a quarter of an hour, and he wanted to hold onto that feeling for as long as he could. He hadn't felt like that since Allison had died. When he was ten, his mother had stopped kissing his hurts better, and had told him to stand tall and become a man. He hadn't felt so strangely open since then.
Still, if he was going to see her tomorrow, then there was work to be done. Giving one last glance down the archway through which she had disappeared, he headed down the other route to the caste, on his way to find two last minute costumes, and lay on some heavy bribes.
*****
Kel sat down heavily on a bridge in the Yamani themed gardens, letting the sound of the water trickling in the surprisingly large stream below soothe her. She glanced around, making sure that no one was watching, before pulling off her slippers, and dangling her feet into the water with a sigh, letting the pull of the water push the crook of her knees against the edge of the planks.
These gardens were about as far from the actual ball as she could get, without really leaving it. She just needed to get away and sort her thoughts out, especially after what had happened in there.
At least she knew now what Joren had duelled for. All she had to do was avoid Stevan at the next day's Carnival and feast. It should be fun, she thought glumly.
She was surprised that Joren had forgotten to tell her the details of the duel, it did involve her. He must have been pretty preoccupied.
*With Narcissa* A small voice whispered inside her head. She brushed it away, hardly noticing that she was clenching her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white.
She sighed, what else could you expect from Joren? It wasn't like he actually cared what happened to her. She had thought that he cared about the mission though.
No, what had really surprised her was the actual duel, and the wager. Why on earth would Stevan of Cranmoor, a man she had met only once, a man with whom she'd never exchanged a word, be willing to duel with Joren for a kiss from her. She was hardly stunningly beautiful, the day that a man called her beautiful would be the day that Joren came home arm in arm with Rat, acting like that odd man she had seen recently, scarred from the war, dressed as a pirate, and begging people for scraps for 'pretty polly'.
Kel smirked at the thought, continuing her musings without noticing that she had thought of the quarters which she shared with Joren as home.
Who was Stevan of Cranmoor then? How could a simple Scanran noble have so much interest in her. Unless he had somehow realised who they were. The thought chilled her to the bone. Scanrans were merciless with spies.
She forced her mind to clear; he couldn't have discovered their identities, she had only met him a little while ago. Although there had been something strangely familiar about Stevan. She had strange, half-memories of that face, but plumper, with puppy fat. She could remember those eyes tightening, narrowing-
A foot crunched on the gravel behind her. She turned, slightly red faced at being caught in such an improper position.
A man dressed in blue satin made his way over to her. He eased himself down to sit next to her, removing his shoes, and dangling his feet into the water as she did. Shoes, Kel noted. Not slippers like most courtiers.
He was a few inches taller than Kel, not much. His hair looked to be blonde, but it was hard to tell in the fading light. A white mask covered most of his face, leaving only a pair or thin lips, and a weather worn chin bare. She realised that he was studying her as well, and turned abruptly back to gaze at the stream water which flirted with their feet, tugging and pulling their legs.
He stared at her for a bit longer, before holding out a hand.
"Ralph of Reynolds Hill." He said, his voice was harsh and gravely, but it had an oddly reassuring quality to it.
Kel stared at the hand. Most Scanren men held with the belief that women were below them, and should be patronised and indulged. She had never seen a Scanran man actually offer his hand to a woman to shake.
She reached her own arm out and shook his hand.
"Ella of Kishuvanderk" She said, pitching her voice a tone lower. Being recognised was not a good idea right now. Stevan had the look of a man with money. How much he was willing to spend on a bribe for her, she didn't know, but she was willing to bet that it was a fairly large sum, which would tempt even the most principled of people. Kishuvanderk was the name of one of the largest Scanren families. Not even they knew all their relatives, so she should have no trouble passing as one.
Ralph's hand was strong and rough. An ex-soldier, Kel thought, or perhaps one on leave. They let go, and Kel, not knowing where else to look, turned back to look at the stream.
"What is it about the water that has you so fascinated?" Ralph asked, obviously trying to make conversation. Kel turned to him, trying to see the half of his face which was visible, whilst she decided what to say to him. She couldn't, the light was too dim, soon men would be coming out to light the fresh torches placed in brackets in the walls, though she wasn't sure that they would come this far.
"I was just...thinking." She said hesitantly. "Water always helps me to do that." She gave a small polite laugh. "When I was little I always used to go down to a brook near our house whenever I had something important to decide. The water seemed to calm me."
Ralph nodded, clearly understanding. "Many of the decisions we make as children affect our lives, and too many of them are made hastily." She could make out a vague frown on his face, and she felt a sudden urge to cheer him up. She'd known this stranger for less than two minutes, but she already felt close to him. He had a comforting presence, and he seemed to be more than just another soldier or courtier.
"What were you thinking about?" He asked suddenly. Then he hesitated, obviously unsure if he had offended her. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to sound-"
She cut him off by waving her hand in what she hoped was a nonchalant way, thinking about how she could put into words the way she felt about Joren, without making Ralph suspicious.
"Someone whom I thought I could trust has betrayed me, in a sense. We never exactly liked each other, but I still thought...seeing him after so long. I thought that he had maybe changed." She said finally.
"People don't change" He replied, after a while. Kel could hear the acid in his tone.
"Do you really think so?" She asked, twisting her body round to face him. "I've always believed that people can and do change, with help. I've known people who left behind bad ways, and turned to good."
"What sorts of people?" He asked. Kel froze, knowing that she couldn't mention the convicts whom she'd been referring to, the ones she had met at Haven, who had gone on with her to New Hope. She stared at him though. He had asked her like someone who was genuinely interested, not like an idiotic fop, who was asking her for the sake of making conversation.
"Just people who passed through our home town. Convicts who were mending roads."
Kel breathed a mental sigh of relief. She had seen convicts mending roads on their way to the palace. She tilted her head back to look at the sky. It was dark now. Joren would probably be waiting in their rooms to discuss what had happened. And he'd better have a good explanation, she thought, gritting her teeth.
"It's getting dark...maybe we should head back inside. They'll be allowing some guests to escape soon. She said reluctantly.
Ralph drew himself up.
"And what if I want to spend the rest of the night at the ball?" He said teasingly, his voice playful.
"You wouldn't be sitting here then talking to a stranger, would you." Kel replied with a slight smirk. She heard him chuckle quietly as he she pulled her legs up and dried them off. Kel pulled herself up, and offered him a hand without thinking, cursing herself when he declined after a pause. Women here evidently didn't offer men a hand up.
Embarrassed, she dusted herself down, and began to walk away, but Ralph caught her arm. Slowly she turned to face him.
"Yes?" She asked, waiting for him to speak.
"I...I was wondering, if maybe you'd come with me to the carnival tomorrow. My...er...my partner for the costume competition just left me, and we'd already entered, and Maggur doesn't like withdrawals, so I need someone to go with." He blurted out, kneading his knuckles together. Kel was surprised, was he actually asking if he could...
"Of course, I'd love to go. You have the costumes?" She asked. He nodded. "Then I'll come."
"Your costume will be at the launders then, you can pick it up anytime." He paused. "Thank you, this means a lot to me. I'll meet you in the outer courtyard when the carnival is announced then?" He said, relief palpable in his voice.
She nodded, and smiled, reassuring him again that she didn't mind, before turning to go.
Her head buzzed even more as she made her way up to the palace. For a second there she had actually thought he was going to ask if he could court her. But that was ridiculous of course, why would a man want to court her? Ugly, disgusting Kel.
Without realising it, she was walking quickly, her normally soft footsteps clicking briskly on the floor, in the new high-heeled shoes which Scanran ladies wore.
She managed to press on through the ballrooms, where most of the palace would be congregated until the early hours, and slip out quietly.
She walked briskly through the hallways, getting her emotions under control, already surprised that she had shown them, even in such a small way. Quietly, she slipped into the rooms she shared with Joren, undressed, and fell into bed, already planning.
*****
*sigh* another chapter done. La la la. A pretty boring chapter on the whole, I know, but what the hey. This chapter is essential to the story!! *cough cough*
I know that this chapter was slightly long and tedious, especially with the whole both points of view thing, but I had to do that!! I couldn't choose between them, and I had things to say for both of them... oh well. And I know that it also seems slightly strange that he invited her to a carnival after exchanging no more than ten sentences with her, but hey! This is LURVE people!! And anyway...I'm just a struggling amateur trying to improve her writing and have some fun at the same time. WHAT ELSE WERE THEY SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT!!??
Ahem...
I mentioned in my last author note that I needed someone to flame at!! So thank you again to the person who flamed, I think it was Shinigami Clara!! Thanks!! This does not, of course, mean that you ALL have to flame. I mean, the occasional one now and then would be nice, but I enjoy all of your lovely reviews so much that it would be a shame to stop them. Plus they give me a reason to gloat, seeing as I have nothing else to gloat about. I would also like to make an official apology to la dame noir for the whole French thing despite the fact that she reviewed me twice in 1 chapter!!! I'm not good at languages!!! I can't help it!!
Erm...do I have anything else to say? Oh yes...The next chapter may be a bit late, due to the fact that I am working on 2 new story plots (not Tamora Pierce ones. These are gonna be original stories on fictionpress.com) plus there's the fact that I'm trying to learn Arabic, French, and keep up with all my schoolwork. Then again, I may just blow off all my work to do this story instead, so that was a waste of a few sentences.
Okay...since I have nothing else to say, we shall move on to the reviewer replies!!!
*collective groan* Hush children. I know you love them really! And look!! I did all your names in Bold!!
lfk214: weeellll...I did end it with the whole 'Kel plotting' thing, so maybe she's planning something drastic and interesting!!*cough*
an anonymous geek: awww, thank you!! I've gone all fuzzy!! Have a rubber duck!
Angel Street: Bad Alice *slaps Alice/Angel Street on hand* Oh well, hopefully you haven't skipped this chapter. Oh come on!! It wasn't that boring. *looks around at yawning readers*
carmen12341: Thank you!! You know, no one's mentioned the whole Joren's sister thing except you since that chapter!! Thank you so much!
Mystic_Moon_Empress: Thank you also. I think that most of this chapter is taken up with Joren's Point of View, however boring it may be.
Nawat Crow x2: 2 reviews hunny!! Yay!! And I'm used to your name changing by now!! I can tell when it's you. I don't think I've replied your email yet!! I was gonna but then I had to get off, and I got banned!! And thank you!! You'll always be my favourite reviewer and Tamora Pierce fan!!
VampiricEternity: aww, you're not babbleing. And thanks for the compliment.
Imperfectionist ;D : lol, good criticism. I have to start using your storylines, you could write this story better than I can. Everyone keeps giving me these storylines which are better than the ones I originally planned to use!! Where does everyone get these?!
Stee Parker: Look!! You're number one!! Feel loved!! I'll try to keep the fluff down then, but if you don't like more than kissing, then I'd avoid the story which my friend Jess got me to edit, which is on our shared account. Just don't read any stories written by the 'ickle freaks of nature' any time in the future. And I can cheat, it's my story *Rowana starts to cackle, but is cut off as Stee Parker straps her to a chair, and pushes a TV in front of her. Rowana looks away in despair, as the theme tune starts. "Not the Tele tubbies...NOOOOOOOO" She screams.
Yeah...little thing there...strange. I'll go now.
La dame noire: *sniff* I'm sorry!! I take back the slap! I love you really. And I like the whole Kel plotting against Stevan thing. And I am kinda crappy at the whole chivalry thing *sniff* sorry! (lol)
Jess131346 (or JESSIE WESSIE!!): Jess my darling...you can't flame. Don't even try, it's too pathetic to watch. I mean, if you want to flame. Go to Emina. Emina could flame anyone, because she's so darn scary. Nice try though!!
Shinigami Clara: Awww, thank you!! That means a lot to me. I hope this chapter wasn't too crappy.
Flamer :P : Who the hell do you think you are!! I bet you don't even have any stories you freak. And if you insist upon abusing the art of reviewing then I suggest you at least sign in you coward. I bet you're just a buck toothed, spotty, ugly, biter, miserly person who takes pleasure out of flaming other people. And if my story is crap, why bother reviewing!!?? [Thank you!! Lovely flame. You have a talent my dear! ]
S n o g g i n g withdrawal: aww, thank you!!
Eclipsa/Kaitlin: Thank you for the review!! It's odd about the name thing though, most people can't spell my name, when they finally figure out how pronounce it!
SaNgUiNe SiStaR : Thank you for the review!! As you can see, I decided to save Joren's POV for this chapter...I have no idea why. Hope you enjoyed, and thank you for the lovely praise.
Dracorium: heh, lovely review. Short but sweet. Me like.
Siren Porter: You finally updated!! Yay!! Heh, nah, I don't like the name Jeff either *flicks through notes rapidly, and crosses out place where it states that the main character of the story was going to be called Jeff, replacing it with 'Wolfgang'.*
Yess...anyway thank you for the pretty review!!
CrystalLili: Thank you for the incredible praise, I will try not to disappoint. You'rs has to have been one of the best reviews I've ever had. I'm not quite sure either how two brawling men fit in...I think I had this vague inkling at the time that I was going to bring them in later...but I don't know what's happened to that. *blinks*, oh well, hopefully it'll come in useful later on.
Thank you all for reviewing!!! If anyone wants to ask me anything at all, my email is on my profile.
~Rowana Silvakisma~