Hey… I forgot to put in a disclaimer last chapter! O well… here it is…

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters… Only the Nameless Shang… but if I get into to technicalities, Tamora Pierce owns him too, b/c he is Shang… and I'll just stop here…I can wish, but I must face reality! The wonderful and all-knowing Tamora Pierce does…

Chapter 2: The Banquet and the First Day of Court

All of the Shang Masters had gathered in Corus in less than a day. This was quite amazing to outsiders, but not as spectacular to Shang members.

The Shang Children, or beginners, and the lowest Shang Adepts sat together at the lower tables. The lowest Shang Masters, the Order of the Sea, and the highest Shang Adepts sat at the next table. At the next table, the Order of the Land and the Order of the Sky Shang Masters all sat. The Order of the Immortals, the Shang King, the Shang Princess, and their guest, Lady Knight Sir Alanna of Trebond, Olau, and Pirates Swoop sat at the highest table.

The banquet was a quiet one, very unlike royal functions, which Alanna was used to. Every Shang member got along with the others, so everything went smoothly.

Kel was worried about the next morning when they would be holding court. As was customary, only and all of Shang was allowed and forced to go. Usually, someone challenged the king, or the princess, and they also had to go through with this year's Master's namings and ceremonies. These were Kel's least favorite. They just took so long, and the same people challenged the same people every year. Kel could scream with the frustration of having to organize reservations for court seats for the following days, as there were rules about that too.

No one could watch court twice in a row except on the first two days. Masters of different orders couldn't sit next to each other. Guests from the hosting country couldn't sit in the back, the front, or next to any Shang Masters, although they were permitted next to students. People bringing a subject up, could only bring up two in one session and had to sit in the front. It was all very confusing and the slightest mistake could get you in trouble. Which is why, of course, no one wants the job, Kel thought.

The next morning, Kel woke up three hours before sunrise and went to court. It turned out exactly how she thought it would… BORING!

But she was bombed with letters for reservations from the Tortallan court, which was very unusual. One was quite weird-it was a reservation for six squires without any knight masters…

VaialaVerikova: I will try to make her nicer, but it fit my story just then. I'm going to make something big that will explain why she is so cold…

Swapneshwari: Thanx!