Thayet led him outside to sit on a stone bench that was under the entry way so it wasn't covered with the dusting of snow that had fallen. They sat down, Thayet spending her skirts before she sat. " Well I danced with Roald then he led me away. I met Lady Alanna, Buriram Tourakom and of course your mother. I had a lovely talk with her. Long and lovely. She is really nice, not quite as nobelly as I thought she would be. However she is very intimidating, especially when you think your going to get screamed at and killed for being an impersonator. But you'll never guess where I'm going tomorrow morning." Rill stared at her." I dunno. Where? And do I dare ask? " Thayet laughed and shoved him. " Actully I have to meet her tomorrow in the Grand Study and seven in the morning. Which leads me to something else. I need you to escort me. I have no idea where the Grand Study is, and if you don't know then I'm a cow." Rill folded his arms and gave her the eye. " Mmmm... I don't think so. I don't want Father to be able to see me through his magic. Plus I don't want him to be able to see my magic, for his magic is slightly more powerful than mine. He taught me the hiding spell, so I'm sure he can see through it. And I don't want to go back Thayet." Thayet raised her eyebrows. She leaned in and kissed Rill powerfully, putting all her soul and love into it. Rill was swept away. When Thayet pulled away, she asked him " Now will you?" she crossed her arms. " No Thayet, that's not going to work." Thayet smirked and kissed him again. This time he laughed. Wrapping his arms tightly around her, he whispered alright you win in her ear and they sat kissing for what seemed like forever. Finally Rill let her go. " Thank you Rill. Thank you so much." They kissed one last time, then returned to the ball. Thayet entered from a different way, so Glacia wouldn't suspect them. However, she entered next to where Princess Kalasin was leaning against the wall, arms folded across her chest, scowling. When Thayet entered, Kalasin just started talking to her without even looking at her. Thayet was baffled. " I really despise being Princess. It's all people see me as. I am not just the Princess. " Kalasin finally looked at Thayet. " Mother? No.... What is your name may I ask?" Thayet curtsied. " Thayet Kalasena Arilanna Schridtler of Nuestown Your Highness. And no, I'm not impersonating." Kalasin laughed." Of course not. You do look a great deal like Mother though. Forgive me, I tend to talk to anyone when I am mad enough. Sorry to bother you." Thayet shook her head. " Not at all Your Highness. I'm only sorry I can't do anything for you."
Kalasin smiled painfully. " Please don't. If I hear ' Your Highness' one more time I'm going to scream. Call me Kalasin. Say! Maybe there is somthing you can do. If you don't mind, will you come to the indoor practice courts with me? I know it's rather abrupt but I need to get away. And if I go away with you, it will look harmless since you look so much like Mother. No one questions if I leave with one of my parents." Kalasin looked so hopeful, Thayet couldn't turn her down. " Of course.... Kalasin." " Thank you soooooo much! You have no idea what this means to me. C'mon, lets go!" As Kalasin's face lit up and she motioned for Thayet to follow her, Thayet was having jumbled thoughts. Boy this is an interesting evening, she thought to herself. The only royal I have yet to meet and talk to is the King! Gods all Bless.
Thayet followed Kalasin down a number of long, beautifully carpeted royal hallways, they reached the practice courts. They were very large and wonderful. Thayet gasped. If only she could have something like this to practice in every day! " Can you use any weapons? " Thayet was snapped out of her thoughts as Kalasin asked her a question. " Yes. Lots of them. What did oyu have in mind.... wait a mintue...... Kalasin... it's going to be rather hard to practice in these lovely gowns were wearing. Don't you think?" Kalasin laughed. " True... but that's not a problem. Don't scream ok?" Kalasin waved her hand and Thayet's clothes were gone to be replaced by her favorite pair of breeches and shirt. Kalasin was also now dressed in a shirt and breeches. Their dresses were hanging on hangers on a coat rack against the wall. Her jaw dropped. " How did you do that?" Kalasin smirked. " It's simple really. I just took the clothes that loomed in your minds eye and brought them to you....well on you. Now. What can you use? I prefer the sword but if you don't know that one...." Thayet laughed. " Sword is my favorite too. Do you have one I could use? I don't carry mine with me to ball as such." Kalasin lead her over to a large store room. " Go pick one out. Mine's in a secret spot. I hide it so no one else uses it. " She said a word and a sword appeared against the wall. Thayet smiled and started testing sword weights. All the swords were hung on a special rack. This rack was enclosed in extremly tough glass and hanging on a wall. Thayet picked out a rather normal looking sword, it's weight seemed pretty good. " Alright."
Kalasin and Thayet walked back out to the courts. They stood in a special sword training circle, which Thayet's Da had always had to draw out on the ground with a stick for her to learn it correct. Kalasin flicked a finger and the lights in that particular court lit up to provide ample light to see with. As Thayet assumed the guard postion, Kalasin laid out rules.
" Alright Thayet. This is going to be a proper duel. I want you to conduct yourself as you would with anyone else, I'm not the Princess right now. Also, not to brag but I'm a good hand with a sword. I was taught in secret by my mother and the Lioness. I can't best them but I'm pretty good. The only person I can't best is my brother. This will be a normal duel, same rules and everything. Sound fair?" Thayet nodded and reassumed the guard postion. Kalasin attacked first, bringing her blade down hard onto Thayet's. Thayet parried and followed the attack, bringing her balde up in a reverse butterfly. Kalasin blocked and swung around, and Thayet then followed the second half of the attack. Kalasin was good, but she wasn't better than Rill. In a matter of a minute, Thayet had won. Kalasin stood up, awe in her eyes. They were both sweating but that was normal.
" Where'd you learn to fight like that Thayet? Your very good. I think your probably better than Mother. I don't know about the Lioness but your good! " Thayet blushed and bit her lip. " Sorry. I don't mean to show off or anything. I had every intention of losing but I get really into it and then I can't stop myself."
Kalasin laughed. " Well neither can I most of the time." Thayet watched her. She was good for a girl of what looked like 13 or 14. " How old are you... Kalasin?" " It's Kally. All my friends call me Kally. I'm 14. I wanted to be a page when I turned 10 but Papa said no. Gods I was so mad. I believe the whole palace could have heard me scream when he told me no for like the 10th time. I rememeber it well....' No Kalasin! For the last time, no daughter of mine is going to become a knight! You are going to grow up and be a Princess like your supposed to! If you bother me about this one more time you'll be on kitchen duty for a month with the deliquent pages and thieves!' That's Papa alright. He likes change in everyone but his family. It's so aggrivating. I got that kitchen duty too, for screaming like 'some wild hoodlam and waking people from a coma up in the glaciers of Scanra.' I was pretty impressed with it actully. Mother taught me. She was K'mir and her people had beautiful war crys. " When Kalasin grinned, Thayet had to laugh. She loved the girls spirit, which made her sad to see Kalasin so pinned in being a Princess. " Did the Queen want you to become a knight?" Kalasin thought for a moment. " Well she said she didn't really want to see me a knight but if it made me happy, she'd let me. Only problem was I had to get Papa to agree. That didn't work, as you can see. I wish I could be more like Mother. She's a warrior at heart. She set up the Queen's Riders and she's the Commander in Cheif as well. She fights with them alot, and it sounds wonderful when she tells us tales of fighting here and in her birth country of Saraine."
Thayet let Kalasin talk about the Queen and fighting while they put away thier swords. She was anxious to learn more about the Queen and Rill's mother, and what Kalasin was telling her made her like the Queen more and more every mintue. Once their swords were put away, it was Kalasin's turn to question Thayet.
" Forgive me for saying so, but you don't look like a Nuestown. There all Scanran looking. Blonde hair, blue eyes and such. "
Thayet and Kalasin sat down on a window seat. " Well my Da is technically Nuestown. His parents hated him and he hated them so as soon as he could, he ran away to join the King's Own. He was in the King's Own for 2 years when he met Mother. Then when he dropped out to marry her, his parents basically disowned him. They love all his kids though, except for me because I'm the oddball. My sister Glacia is why I'm in Corus. Mother sent me to protect Glacia and be her servant because she's in the convent. Her, Gary and Kerila all have blonde hair and blue eyes and act like spoiled brats... basically like nobles since most of them live at Crythia and Herald's all the time. All my family hates me, except for Da. He loved me like he didn't love anyone else. Even Mother. He taught me sword and long and crossbow, sling, axe, mapping, tracking, hunting, and my best friend who lived in the Yamani Islands with his mother for ten years taught me how to use a glaive. I suppose then only weapon I can't use is a lance. Da never taught me to joust." Kalasin's eyebrows went up. " Wow. You sound like you had a pretty bad time of growing up. But you know how to use almost every weapon on earth. Plus you do everything that a page is required to do except maybe serving people. You could be a knight! Well, that is if you can ride a horse anyway. Can you? " Thayet laughed. " Yes of course! That's what the Queen said. I want to but yet... I'm kind of old to be doing it and I'm sure people don't want me being a knight. I'm kind of not a noble and I'm a girl and people would be screaming impersonator through the streets. Do you know what I mean? I do look like the Queen, and I can't help it."
Kalasin nodded. " That's true, the only difference I see is eye color and..... wow. That's it. OH! Your noses. Hers is more strongly boned, your is more delicate. Actully yours looks like Lady Alanna's."
Thayet and Kalasin talked for a long time about family and looks. They had begun talking about something else when Rill popped his head in the door.
" Thayet what are you doing?! You've been in here all through supper! I couldn't pry myself away from Glacia or else I would have come sooner. I saw you slip away. Good evening your Highness. " he bowed to Kalasin who was frowning slightly. Thayet grinned. "I was escaping with the Princess. We needed to get away."
"How'd you get in here sir? I do believe I warded the door with royal magic....Wait what's your name?"
Thayet swallowed hard. Rill looked nervous. " I... uhhhh..."
Kalasin spoke a few words and Rill face went from nervous to scared. " No!" Right before Thayet's eyes, Rill was stripped of his fake color eyes and hair, as well as his magic binding spell. Kalasin gasped and Rill shut his eyes tight. Thayet's face went stark white. There went half of her plan.
" Jasson! What in Mithros's name?" Kalasin stood up. Quietly Rill replied. " Hello Kalasin." " Hello Kalasin?! Is that all you have to say to me?! Gods you have no idea how mad and upset I was Jasson! I was flipping out! I cursed Papa's name blue because I thought he had sent you away! Mother was in hysterics! Roald went even quieter than normal if that's possible! Where have you been?!" Rill sighed. " Kally calm down. I'm fine. I ran away to get away from Father and the life of sercecy. I was sick of it Kally. I was in a trap. You know me... your just like it or else you wouldn't be here right now. You'd be at the party being the little princess your supposed to be. " Kalasin ran over and threw herself at him, crying into his tunic. He whispered and hugged her tight. " Oh Kally, I'm sorry, I never ment to hurt you. I didn't want to but I had no choice. If people didn't and weren't allowed to know about you, wouldn't you run away? I'm sure Roald didn't care though, I'm sure he and father didn't care. It's alright... shhhhh...." Rill rubbed her hair as she continued to cry into his tunic.
Thayet was touched. Rill looked at her over Kally's head and she smiled lovingly at him. He was so sweet and he obviously loved his sister deeply. He smiled back. Kally pulled away and wiper her eyes on her sleeve. Rill laughed. " So Kally, will you let me have my disguise back? I know you, father and I are the only one's with magic in this family. Also, we should probably return to the party. Glacia will pine for me." Rill rolled his eyes and Thayet laughed. She got up and walked over to Kally and Rill. " Our dresses might help to Kally." She pointed out, once Kally had given Rill back his disguise. Kally laughed and soon they were walking out, back to the Hall of Crowns dressed up just as before. Thayet stayed with Rill and Kally went to the study to find Roald. She had promised not to tell anyone about Rill, for Thayet had told her of her plan, and Kally had agreed that it was a good one. Thayet's rest of the night went without incedent, although she did dance with Roald a few more times at his request. Rill walked her and Glacia back to the convent, where Thayet managed to slip away with Rill to share one last kiss goodnight before going up to bed to get ready, plan and then sleep.
