DISCLAIMER: Don't own it. Don't like it? Don't read it.
Just keep reading
Just keep reading
Just keep reading
Reading, reading
What do we do?
We READ!
Sorry, I just couldn't resist. It felt perfect.
Anyways... keep the reviews coming.
Quick Question: I'm in search of Tamora Pierce stories to read. It's easier to ask for suggestions, than to filter through the thousand-odd stories from this category. Don't care what rating, (I'm seventeen, so don't worry) longer stuff is good, but well written short stuff is also good. I like stuff with completely original characters, (by the way, read "Daughter of Nobody") but I also like other stories.
I would really appreciate some suggestions of stories to read.
Song of the Chapter: Falling For the First Time, by the Barenaked Ladies. (I'm on a Canadian-artist roll here.)
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It was midday by the time a seventeen year old Kel woke up in the infirmary. She looked around, only to find a distracted healer bending over a page.
She realized that everyone must be in the mess hall.
Looking down, she realized that she was still wearing her blue dress of the day before. She knew that the Daughters would scold her for wearing an old, now grass stained dress.
With a sigh, she stood up on the stone floor and walked to the chief healer's office. Duke Baird nodded to her when she told him that she was leaving. Kel took that as permission from him to go.
For a minute, she wondered where her friends were, before remembering that they had squire training, or in Cleon and Faleron's case, knight training.
First, she made her way back to her rooms. Slipping out of her old dress, she drew some warm water, and scrubbed of some of the dirt and fatigue from her body. Then she put on a loose cream coloured shift and dress. It had long bell shaped sleeves, and a high neckline, which was just like Kel liked it.
Being unable to fully tighten a corset herself, and not wanting to call a maid, she simply exchanged it for a tight leather vest over her dress. It slimmed her waist enough to satisfy if not please the Daughters.
Kel brushed and braided her hair, winding it around her head to keep it off her face. She had always scorned the girls who wore elaborate hairstyles every day.
She wandered along the paths of the gardens for a while, curtsying whenever she came across someone.
After about an hour of walking, she came across two Yamani ladies. She curtsied, and continued along her path, when she heard her name called out tentatively.
"Keladry of Mindelan? Is that you?" She turned to come faced to face with a small Yamani lady, who looked vaguely familiar.
"Yuki?" The woman nodded and bowed to Kel. Kel herself smiled and bowed, before turning to the other lady. She too was familiar. "Cricket? What are you doing here?"
The taller of the two Yamanis nodded. Yuki, or Yukimi noh Diamoru spoke up.
"Cricket here, is also known as Princess Shinkokami, Kel."
Kel started, before curtsying deeply to the soon-to-be Crown Princess of Tortall.
"Your highness, I had no idea."
"Nonsense, Keladry." Shinkokami's eyes sparkled with laughter. "Come with us. We were going to play a game of fan toss. Wil you join us?"
Kel hesitated, "I don't remember really. It's been a number of years since I've done it."
"You may not remember, but your body will." The two Yamanis each place a hand on one of Kel's elbows and steered her to an empty courtyard.
Yuki snapped open her crimson shukusen. "We'll go slowly, to start." With a flick of her wrist, the silk and steel fan shot thorough the air. Kel caught the weighted end awkwardly with both hands. It took a while to get used to again, but soon, she was tossing it with one hand, an catching it easily.
The ladies began to chatter, and Kel felt as though a large part of the pain around her heart vanish. Soon, she was laughing with the others.
"You know Kel, the Daughters of the Convent have returned to the City of the Gods." Shinko broke through their chatter, startling Kel.
It took all of Kel's Yamani training not to drop the fan tossed at her. Calmly, she responded, "Is that so?"
Yuki continued, "They said that they believe the ladies able to take care of themselves from now on, but rumor has it that one of them was commanded to leave by Duke Baird of Queenscove."
Kel nearly lost control of her visible emotions as relief, and ecstasy flooded through her. They were gone. For good now. She felt the pain in her heart shatter completely. She was free.
Yuki, noticing Kel's breaking mask, quickly changed the subject. "Keladry, I've noticed that you are friends with Nealan of Queenscove." she blushed slightly. Kel nodded. "I was wondering if-"
"If I could introduce you two."Kel kept most of the bitterness from her voice. Yuki nodded slowly. "Of course, Yuki. Anything for a friend."
"So Kel," Shinko cut in, "How's your glaive training going?"
Kel's face visibly fell. She nearly had tears in her eyes as she answered calmly, "They wouldn't let me practice. They burned my glaive." The other women gasped in horror. The glaive was a woman's sole weapon, besides her fan. Burning a woman's glaive was like burning a man's sword. It was removing her source of protection.
Yuki cut through her thoughts, businesslike. "Well, you will join us for morning practices then. We need to train you well."
"Kel hesitated. "I'm not sure about this. Maybe it's a bad idea."
Shinko spoke firmly, "No Kel. You will come, starting tomorrow morning. You can't get out of this. We'll wake you up. If you don't come, I'll order you as the future Queen of Tortall. Do you understand?" Kel nodded silently.
"Now that that's settled." Yuki finished, "Cricket and I need to continue wedding plans with Her Majesty. We'll see you tomorrow morning." The two ladies bowed, Yamani style and left.
Kel stared at the Palace for a while. This was turning out better than she had planned. Slowly, her life was starting to piece itself together again.
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TO ALL MY REVIEWERS:
How was that? A little short, I know. Still working here. Trying not to force stuff. My English teacher tells me that one of the number one rules of writing, is NEVER to force anything that doesn't naturally fit.
I've come to a decision. There will be no romance in this particular story. I've decided that the main focus of the plot is Kel's broken spirit being rebuilt. Any sort of romance will pull away from that focus, and it will make the whole story less... impactive, if you will. I hope that that made sense.
Don't forget that there are two sequels planned. I may very well set up a romance in them.
If at the end of the previous chapter, Kel falls asleep, then the next one is a flashback in her dream. Either way, it's a flashback.
This story is filed under General, because for one, i hate it when people are prejudiced against a certain type, for example, they think that everything under 'Romance' is sappy, like harlequin romance novels. For another thing, this should be categorized under 'Friendship' if anything, but that doesn't exist, so...
Not that this has anything to do with the story, Sarah McLachlan is big in Canada, (she's from Halifax Nova Scotia, out east). I don't know about the States, I don't live there, but here in Canada, she's recognized as being a really good singer. I suggest that you listen to her stuff. She sings a lot of slow songs.
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