To Love a Prince
Disclaimer: I only own the characters you don't recognise, the rest are Tamora Pierce's wonderful creations….even Neal sob
This is my first fic so I hope you like it! Constructive criticism welcome.
Chapter Two
Lady Embeth, or Aunt Emma as she was known to her nieces and nephews, hurried down the corridor with her daughter, Margaret. A page had just informed them that Lady Jayne and Lady Katherine had arrived. As the two women speed through the passageway Margaret began her usual torrent of speech. "I can wait to see the girls, Mama, I wonder if little Katherine has grown?" she said, conveniently forgetting she herself was only three years older than Kate, Embeth thought of this and smiled to herself, she was very used to Margaret's ways, after having her for a daughter for nineteen years, while Margaret started up again. "Oh, I shall introduce them to all the sweetest boys and take them to the nicest shops and have the most fashionable, beautiful gowns made for them…apart from mine, of course…and yours, Mother…and the Queen's…well…they shall have nice dresses, none the less." Embeth rolled her eyes. "I just hope you do not tease these boys, I would not want any daughter of mine breaking hearts!" Embeth said, also forgetting she had broken one or two hearts as a girl.
As they came to the courtyard the two visitors were in Margaret answered. "No, Mother, I would never- Jayne!!" Margaret was interrupted when she caught sight of her cousins. "Kate!! Oh, how are you both? Did you have a nice journey? I know how it is, two weeks in a horrible carriage but you're here now, oh, it is so nice to see you both again!" She finished by wrapping an arm around each girl's waist.
"Now, now, let them breath, Marge. How have you been, girls?" Embeth smiled at the two awed, overcome, country girls, she knew what they were feeling, she could remember her first arrival at court. How big and spectacular everything had seemed. The towering walls, the huge knights wondering around and mysterious mages walking barely three feet away from you; it was enough to intimidate anyone, especially a young, country-born, teenage girl.
"We have been fine, thank you, Aunt Emma." Jayne answered timidly, Kate merely smiled weakly. "Come, we'll show you to your rooms, then change for dinner." Embeth said, while indicating to a servant he could take the luggage up to the rooms.
"Yes, you do know you're staying in our wing don't you? You must show me your new gowns" Margaret said "Of course, I have this lovely pale yellow one" Jayne answered. "That is wonderful; yellow is a very popular colour this season…" The two girls continued their conversation, taking the lead in the small procession but Kate hung back so she could walk with her aunt.
The other two women exchanged smiles. Kate had never been one to spend hours over her appearance and loathed talking about dresses and all the rest of it, a fact her favourite aunt knew quite well. Despite their age difference the pair got along well.
"How are the rest of your siblings?" Aunt Emma questioned. "Oh, they are fine, Luke and Amelia are as thick as thieves, always causing trouble." Kate smiled in memory of her two youngest siblings and various pranks they had pulled. "No doubt they will be heartbroken when Luke goes to start to train for knighthood next year," she continued.
"The poor dears," Embeth said. "And Ignatius is soon going to be married." Kate added. "Yes, I've met his fiancée, a wonderful girl." "Yasmeen is wonderful, but, you know,the Bazhir disowned when she disobeyed her parents and broke off her engaged marriage and ran off with my brother!" "I heard and it is so sad, the way, even now, people treat others badly because of their culture, still, it takes guts for any girl to do something like that, especially as Yasmeen is so timid and hesitant." Katherine nodded fiercely in agreement, she knew of Yasmeen's hard life, she adored her soon-to-be sister-inlaw and they had become very close.
As they approached their rooms Aunt Emma said, "You know we will be dining in the Great Hall, with the other noble at court, tonight, don't you?" Kate felt her insides clench, she had known they were coming, the unavoidable fancy dinners, but she had not expected one on her very first evening in court. Perhaps she could wriggle out of it, pretend the long journey had exhausted her, but as she looked into Aunt Emaa's beaming face she knew she would have to brave it. "Oh, yes, how could I forget?" There were times when you had to lie to even your favourite aunts, Kate pondered as they stepped into the room. "I'll go get ready now."
Jane and Margaret were already busy applying makeup and slipping on dresses.
"Here let me help you with that," Margaret practically attacked her and started pulling a pretty blue dress over Kate's shoulders. "I love the style of this dress, Katie, darling, it really suits you, I have one a bit like it, they are the fashion now, except mine has little bows around the neckline…"
Kate prepared herself for a long evening.
Hoped you liked this chapter! Roald is coming in next chappie, I promise! R&R!
One review! C'mon guys, you just have to push the purple button and write a few words!
Thanks heaps to wild-wizard-women, i'm really glad you like it and as you can see I tried to make the names a little more olden day! (with emma and embeth and all that).