" May I have this dance my lady? " he bowed and held out his hand. Thayet looked at Rill who had a glazed look. " I'll be right back Sirus."
Thayet didn't want to leave Rill however she didn't think she could refuse the Prince. She did a perfect curtsy, pleased with the elegant sigh of her skirts. " Of course your Highness." Then as they he began to whirl her about, he asked her for her name.
" It's Thayet Your Highness. To what do I owe this great honor of dancing with you?"
Prince Roald laughed. " That's what everyone asks me. Please don't. Sometimes I think that that's a requirment they teach at the convent. Do I have to have a reason? And is that where your from, the convent?" " No you don't and yes, I'm from the convent."
They danced for the rest of the song, Prince Roald asking her questions that were rather uncomfortable for her to anwser. Like what her full title was, and where she grew up. She didn't want the Prince to think she was an impersonating a noble, so she told him her full title was Thayet Arilanna of Nuestown. However she told him she had grown up not in Nuestown but in tiny little Treth where technically she had been born. She was glad when the dance was over, but afterwards, she thought she would rather have had it go on forever.
" Come with me will you? There is someone I want you to meet." Once again, she was afraid to refuse the Prince so she agreed.
Roald led her through the crowd to a short woman with short, coppery hair in a shirt and breeches, although she could tell they were for dress use only. She was talking to another lady, who was also in a shirt and breeches. They were also for dress. This lady had black hair and black eyes, although her hair wasn't as dark as the royal family's. Her face was stern and forbidding.
" Alanna, could you tell me were milday is?" Roald asked as he tapped the coppery haired womans shoulder. She spun around.
" Oh. Roald it's you. I believe she's with Gary over by the lounge room. Who's this?"
Thayet was trembling. Before her stood the famed Alanna the Lioness. She was about 5 foot 3 with her famed violet eyes and the emberstone around her neck. Her sword was even strapped to her waist.
" Don't be afraid youngling, I won't bite. I only bite my enemies." Her eyes laughed. " Alanna this is Thayet Arilanna of Nuestown. Thayet, this is Sir Alanna of Pirates Swoop and Olau. Or the Lioness if you prefer. The one with the black hair is Buriram Tourakamm, the second in command to the Queen's Riders and the Queen's personal guard. " Thayet curtsied perfectly again and blushed. " Thayet?" Buri directed this at Thayet with raised eyebrows. Thayet turned even redder. " Does my name offend you lady Buriram? " Thayet was afraid to look directly at Buri. " No. You just have a strange, scary really, likeness to the Queen. Her name is Thayet also."
Thayet then remembered her first question to Rill. She blanched. " I... I have to go.....please forgive me." She went to walk away but Roald held her back. " I am sorry ladies," he said to Alanna and Buri, " but will you excuse us?"
They nodded and watched as Roald led Thayet to the lounge. To the Queen he called, " Mother!" and she looked up. Thayet's breath caught in her throat. The Queen was stunningly lovely in a dress of black velvet with a black velvet collar and gold emboridery. The skirt of the dress was full and long. She had long sleeves with gold belled cuffs and a string of diamonds glinted on her neck and at her earlobs. Her hair was left down and was ringlets that looked exactly like Thayet's. However a silver crown with diamonds set in it, sat atop her head. Her eyes sharpened and widened as they set upon her sons companion and she excused herself from her conversation with a tall, important looking man. All the people in the room continued talking, unaware that it looked as if the Queen's twin stood in the room.
The Queen motioned for the two to follow her into a room off the lounge. She held open the door as Roald and Thayet walked past. They were now inside what looked like a study. There was a large window with a desk and chair in front of it and many bookcases. There were maps pinned to the darkwood walls and the floors were stone. As the Queen closed the door, Thayet felt as though the air supply was leaving the room.
" Have a seat young one. Roald, where are you manners? Introduce me. " She leaned up against the desk. " Mother, this is Thayet Arilanna of Nuestown. Thayet, this is my mother, Queen Thayet of Conte. "
Thayet curtsied lower, you always went down the farthest when in the presence of a King or Queen. " Good evening Your Majesty." Thayet almost whispered. The Queen smiled. " You have good manners and an impecable curtsey. Now I'm sure you don't need me to tell you what my son sees and so do I. I'm sure your already aware of this. However I do know for a fact that the last Nuestown folk are too old to be your parents, and they have no kids, so would like to explain to me who it is exactly you are? For there had never been a time when along comes a person who could be my younger twin. Roald dear, I must ask you to go now. Is that alright? You may come back when young Thayet and I are done talking." Roald bowed and grasped Thayet's hand firmly, brushing his lips against it while looking at her. " I shall see you later milady." Then he left.
Thayet just sat on the couch, unable to look at the Queen. The room lay in silence until Queen Thayet spoke. " My son seems quite taken with you. However, might you tell me who you are my dear?" the Queen waited for an anwser. Thayet took a deep breath and started talking.
" I came here a few months ago with my sister, Glacia. She was going to the convent and Mother said I was to come and be her servant and to protect her. " The Queen interupted." Protect her?" Thayet had a bit more confidence now. She could do this. Smiling, she sat up straighter. " Yes your Majesty. Not to brag but I am good with a large range of weapons." " Can you give me examples?"
" Yes Your Majesty. My first and favorite is my sword. I know people like me aren't supposed to use them but I love the fighting thing. Then there's my dagger, well daggers, my longbow, crossbow, sling, axe, and I can use a glaive too. I am good at hunting and tracking, mapping, horseback and things that are unlike a girl. That's why she sent me. Plus I am a hard worker and I love to learn. So I went. I go to all the classes with her." " Who's your sister? " " Glacia Amore Schridtler of Nuestown. She's two years older than I am. She's 17 and I'm 15. Now I'll explain the Nuestown situation. My Father was Nuestown. His parents are the late Crythia and Herald. He always said that he hated growing up there and hated them so as soon as he was ten, he ran away to join the Kings Own, which he did. He was in the King's Own for maybe 2 years when he met my mother. Then they had my sister and he dropped out of the Kings Own. When he did that, his parents sort of disowned him, although they love all of his children. So Father dropped his title and went to live with my Mother in Treth. He never speaks to his parents, as they don't speak to him. However, they gave Mother the permission for Glacia to use Father's old title at the convent. They are proud of her, and want her to do well. I am technically a Nuestown as well if Glacia is. Plus.... I didn't want to seem as though I was impersonating a noble when His Highness asked who I was. I overdressed a bit tonight. I was not supposed to use the title, Mother forbade me too. I am the oddball in my family. They are all blonde haired blue eyed like Scanrans. This is why Mother does not really care for me as she does her other children. Neither do Father's parents. I was always an outcast in my family. Glacia is the family 'hero' if it comes to that. I hope you do not think badly of me for looking as I do, nor for using that title. I am but a servant normally and that type of contact with royalty is rather frighting. "
The Queen smiled at Thayet. " I could not think badly of you my dear. You sound like a very useful person. The only thing I don't like is that you talents are put to use serving as a servant. I hope you don't mind dreadfully if in the morning, you came to the palace to show me what you do know? Then, depending on how you fair, if you wish you could join the Queen's Riders in a year or if you really want, you could become a knight. I'm sure Jonathan would let you." Thayet's mouth dropped and she abruptly closed it.
" But your Majesty, I'm not of noble birth! Surely you wouldn't want someone like me defending a kingdom?"
The Queen pasued, thinking over what to say. " My dear, noble birth counts for nothing in the Queens Riders. I'm sure it does in being a knight... but things like that are counting for less and less. I've heard tell from Lady Alanna's daughter that most people from other countries are thinking that every female and peasent alike in Tortall use swords and fight like warriors. That's not strictly accuret however. Many peasents are aloud to use weapons, Jonathan encourages it. That dosen't mean that they like to though. Things in the realm have changed greatly ever since Jon took the throne. There are still some very fussy conservatives that will never change, but some are learning to accept that the ways things are is the way things are. Does that make any sense?"
Thayet thought a moment. The Queen had said alot and it took a moment to process it all. " Somewhat. Forgive me your Majesty but surley people don't want peasents being knights. Especially females for that matter."
The Queen hefted herself up onto the desk and let her legs swing. " Well it is true that many don't like females as knights, the two who are are very good. One of course is the famous Lady Alanna and the other, I don't know if you've heard is Lady Keladry of Mindelan. It was heavily debated when she wanted to become a page. Jonathan said yes but the training master at the time, Lord Wyldon, did not want her to. He was a very sticky conservative but he let her, only on that she had to go through a year of probation first. Also he made Lady Alanna swear she would have nothing to do with Keladry and Jonathan backed him up. That's why Lady Alanna went to the Copper Isles for so long to visit her daughter. Anyway, Lady Kel is now a very acconplished knight, and the commander of the refugee camp New Hope. Many people, although many are commoners, are begining to see that girls can be very good knights." Thayet understood. " I would be glad to serve your Majesty in anything she wishes. I shall be at the palace tomorrow." The Queen smiled. " Good. I shall see you there then at....7:00. Get up bright and early, and make sure you bring your weapons. " Thayet pasued. " Your Majesty?" " Hmm?" " I've never been to the palace until tonight. I have no idea where anything is. May I be permitted to have one of my friends escort me? Also I need to know where exactly you want me to meet you, because there is so much palace that I would search forever to find you, and probably still not."
The Queen laughed. " Of course. How silly of me. Does this friend know where the Grand Study is?"
" I'm sure he does." A vicious but wonderful plan was swirling in her mind. Rill proabably wouldn't like it but she'd do it anyway."What is your friends name?" Thayet fought back a smile. No hints, she told herself. " If your Majesty doesn't mind to much, would you let me keep it a secret, he's rather shy, and I'm sure he wouldn't want Your Majesty to know his name, he would think himself not worthy of his name upon your lips. I do have one favor to ask though. Could you bring His Majesty and Princess Kalasin and Prince Roald?" The Queen smiled again, revealing her beautiful straight pearly-whites. " Of course. Why, I won't ask. I have that affect on many people, though it annoys me sometimes. I'm only another human but most people don't think so. Now if you'll forgive me, but milord Wyldon is probably wondering where I've gone and Buri will accuse me of flauting off. Have a lovely evening Thayet, I shall see you tomorrow in the Grand Study at 7:00 sharp." she hopped nimbly off the desk. Thayet stood up and curtsied perfectly. " Goddess bless Your Majesty." The Queen inclined her head and swept out of the room, Thayet following in her wake. Roald stood outside the door, waiting. Thayet curtsied to him, unafraid of every noble now after her talk with the Queen. Roald raised his eyebrows. " You seem more.... not cocky... confident." Thayet smiled at him." I am. Do you have any idea how intimidating it is to have to talk to the Queen when you think your going to get screamed at for impersonation? Very. I was scared witless. Not to offend Your Highness but I believe my partner is probably looking for me. I must get back. " Roald bowed and nodded. " I hope to see you soon milady." Thayet smiled and curstied. " You will. If you wish you can get up at 7:00 tomorrow morning and come watch me practice weapons for Her Majesty." Without waiting for an anwser, Thayet hurried off to find Rill. She spotted him. Glacia had him back in her clutches and was dancing with him. Thayet rolled her eyes but went over anyway. Rill was smiling painfully at Glacia as she flirted shamelessly with him but she didn't seem to notice. His eyes went wide as he saw Thayet standing there smiling. He whispered in Glacia's ear, and they seperated. She went off towards the drinks table. Rill strode over to Thayet. " What happened? Where in the gods name did you go? Where's Roald?" Thayet laughed. " So many questions! Come on... I need some fresh air."
