Two weeks passed and autumn was coming upon them quickly. Prince Jonathan's birthday banquet was that night, and all the friends of Jonathan celebrated that they would be allowed to join the festivities this year instead of serve at them. Kimi and the boys were struggling along with school work and training practice, but finally getting used to the long days and hard work. Kimi used her healing talisman as much as possible, but not so to compromise her gaining strength. She refused to go back to the healers because it still had the memory of her words to her father, and so became dependent on the talisman to keep her in the prime of health so she would not get hurt easily.

"Look, it's the Yamani Yam. Your face even looks like a peeled potato," Frantisek taunted softly. He had just passed her desk on the way to sit with his friends. The teacher was letting them catch up on their work in celebration of the Prince's birthday. "I didn't know potatoes could be such whores."

"Leave me alone," she snapped. She was getting weary of Frantisek. Theo was listening intently, until suddenly he gasped.

"Frantisek of Rezek?"

"Yes?" he replied suspiciously.

"I've heard about your sister! Alisande, isn't it? She's the girl that got herself pregnant? It's unfortunate she still doesn't know who the father is."

Frantisek turned a purple-red color and stomped off, unable to say anything but a string of curses at Theo.

"Thanks," she smiled at Theo gratefully.

"It was nothing! I love gossip, and using it to good use is like dipping strawberries in cream. Though you might want to be careful, he isn't going to be happy for a few days until he comes up with a reasonably good comeback."

Kimi grinned at him and returned to her math problems.

The entire palace was busy that afternoon preparing for the Prince's banquet. It was not a large affair, but it was a political move for the royal family when they invited the nobles – and their children that were around the prince's age – to dine.

Both Chiyo, Shinkokami's lady in waiting, and Jonathan were absent from afternoon combat training. The moment Kimi reached the training courts she knew something was wrong. Lord HaMinch was talking to Hatsumomo, and Hatsumomo was having trouble understanding.

"Due to the festivities this evening, each of our allotted times with the pages have been minimized so that we may halt practice sooner than usual."

"I do not understand you, my lord," Hatsumomo said.

Lord HaMinch raised his voice and said the same thing. Hatsumomo shook her head and HaMinch looked agitated. "Queenscove, get over here!" Kimi trotted up closer and looked at the training master expectantly. "Can you translate for us?"

"I – uh…"

"Good." He repeated the message.

"He said…" Kimi squeaked in Yamani. Shaking her head, she told Hatsumomo in Common, "He said that because of the Prince's banquet tonight, your combat lesson has to be short."

Hatsumomo nodded at Lord HaMinch, who walked off, and then turned to look at Kimi with a still face. "And you could not have told me that in Yamani?"

"We are in Tortall. We should speak Common." Kimi replied.

Hatsumomo nodded slowly, and then took her place in front of the pages. "Today we will run. I am not happy with your breathing. Run around the area three times." And off the pages went, Kimi struggling to keep up behind them. Hatsumomo watched.

That night Kimi put on her best page attire and admired herself in front of the mirror. She could never be beautiful in page clothes, but she did look handsome. She was braiding her hair into two long strands when a knock came at the door. She opened it and a servant gave her a box. "For you, Page Kimiko," he recited and turned away. Kimi nodded and took the box over to the bed and knelt before it. Inside it was the most beautiful kimono she had ever seen. It was a lovely rust color with deep yellow leaves etched into the fabric. The underrobe was a coordinating dark pink and gold pattern that accented the kimono's colors. The obi was plum-colored with silver threads, and the entire outfit was stunning. Inside was also a note, which Kimi read with shaking fingers.

Dearest daughter, it read, here is a gift from your father and me for you to wear to Jon's birthday banquet tonight. I have talked to the training master and he says it is perfectly acceptable for you to wear it tonight. I will see you at eight. Your mother.

"Oh, no," she whispered. Her voice trembled as much as her hands. "I can't go." She did not know how long she sat like that, but another knock sounded on the door.

"Kimi?" It was Jon. "Are you ready to go? I know it's a bit early, but since I am the guest of honor…" His voice trailed off when Kimi flung open the door and leaned against the frame.

"I can't go." she said quietly. She was close to tears and she refused to look at him.

"Why not?" She showed him inside and he glanced at the kimono spread over the bed. "What's wrong? You don't need help with that or anything?"

Kimi finally looked at him. He wasn't wearing the Page outfit, but a nicely tailored blue shirt, tunic, and hose that brought out the few resemblances he had to his Tortallan relatives. She felt herself grow hot with envy.

"No, I don't need help with it. Besides, it's a lot more complicated than you could imagine." She didn't say it meanly, but more as if stating a fact.

"That's probably true," he inclined his head respectfully to her. "So, what's the problem?"

"How come you get to wear Tortallan clothes?" she burst out before she could stop herself. "It's beautiful and I love it," she gestured to the kimono, "but I am supposed to be training to be a Tortallan knight! Not a Yamani noble lady."

"Then don't wear it," Jonathan said slowly.

"I'll break my mother's heart if I don't wear it. She'll think that I've abandoned our ways. It means so much to her, I know it, but I can't, I –" She struggled with her words. She couldn't tell Jon that she really did abandon the ways of the Yamani, and that she couldn't wear the kimono for that reason.

"You wear Tortallan style clothes all the time, why can't you wear a kimono for one night?" he suggest reasonably.

"Because everyone will see me tonight, that's why!" she hissed. She began to pace.

"You can be both Tortallan and Yamani, Kimi," he said, suddenly understanding what this was all about. "You shouldn't be ashamed of your mother or her culture."

"I am not ashamed!" she cried out. Her face was flustered and her eyes shone with passion. Her head dropped slightly and part of the fire went out of her. "Maybe I am, I don't know. I am learning to be a Tortallan knight, so I should be all Tortallan. Why is that so hard to understand?"

"I understand," Jon said quietly.

"Of course you do, I think you're the only person in the world that could." She hesitated; then decided to put it all in the open. "You do understand why I am giving up my Yamani heritage?"

"Yes, but I don't agree with it. You need to know where you come from before you know where you are going." He looked at her calmly.

She grinned. "You got that out of a book."

"Maybe I did, but as prince it gives me the excuse to use it," he teased.

"Oh, yes, our amazing hallowed prince." She dropped into a mock curtsy.

"It's my birthday, so be nice to me." He tried to act offended. He suddenly grew serious. "And since it is my birthday, I order you to wear that kimono."

"Jonathan!" she protested.

"Please, for me. You don't want to hurt your mother, and it's only for a few hours." He held the kimono up enticingly and gave her puppy-dog eyes.

She heaved a great sigh dramatically and took the kimono from him. "Fine, but go away so I can dress. I'll only be a few minutes." When the door shut behind him Kimi fingered the beautiful fabric uncertainly. Jonathan had given her a royal order, but she was pretty sure he'd yield if she resisted. She knew tons of blackmail material to use if he did persist. And she had to be Tortallan. She was going to be a Tortallan knight, not a half-Yamani, half-Tortallan knight. She had received enough grief in her life because of what she looked like. She knew that she could never pass for a full blood Tortallan, but putting on a kimono would only accent her foreign looks. She loved her mother, but being accepted as Tortallan was much more important that staying true to her ancestry. She had to be Tortallan.

In an instant her mind was made up. She placed the kimono carefully in its box and threw open the door. "Jonathan, can you see to it that my mother receives this soon with the message that it does not fit? Thank you." She knew he could tell that she was lying, that she didn't even try on the kimono, but she didn't care. She shut the door quickly and heard silence. Finally Jon sauntered away unhappily and left Kimi to finish her hair. She hoped she was doing the right thing, but she was no longer sure anymore. Her actions might cause a permanent rift between her and her parents. She had already alienated one parent, was she willing to alienate the other? But the kimono was already gone and it was too late to retrieve it.

---

Kimi entered the Banquet Hall and met the moment she had been dreading.

"Kimi!" her mother said when she saw her. "You are looking well. Jonathan came and told me the kimono did not fit. It is most disappointing, especially since I got the measurements from the palace tailors. It is fortunate that your page outfit seems to fit still."

"Yes," Kimi said. Her mother knew she had lied, and knew that Kimi had knowingly rejected her gift. There was nothing else to say.

"Hello, Kimi," her father said awkwardly.

"Hello, Da." Kimi felt and looked just as awkward. She could feel someone watching her and looked around to spot Hatsumomo staring at her from a little farther down the Hall. "Well," she said after a few more uneasy seconds, "I am going to go sit with Jonathan. I will talk to you later." And she walked away from her parents, refusing to meet their eyes.

The rest of the night passed easily enough, and Kimi avoided looked towards the table where her parents sat. After the dinner ended, Kimi returned to her bed late after calling good nights to her friends. On her pillow was a note from her mother. It said that it was unfortunate that they did not get to talk longer, but that she and Neal had to leave early to next day. Until Midwinter, the note said in parting. Kimi added it to her Yamani box then fell into bed exhausted. She was glad that the next day was Sunday, a free day, and that she could sleep in.

A/N Again, thanks for the reviews! It's so nice to have constant reviewers. :-) And don't worry, Kimi will have a strength sooner or later, but it won't be something she will be expecting. I will try to update this story at least once a day, so expect more chapters very soon. Thanks again!