Well, well, well. It seems that my mind has led me here…now if only I could type fast enough to keep up with its chatter to concentrate on writing!
Chapter Four
By the time Thom had seated himself in the ballroom, he was fuming with suppressed rage. He could not believe that Lady Harriet was capable of committing such as awful act, even if it was her rival in gaining his affections. His mood had not lighted when he was pushed from Emilie's rooms to get changed for the ball and told not to meddle in court games.
As if I couldn't handle myself in a fight. I am well trained in weaponry as well as magic! What can Emilie possible do to affect Mahi's stance in the courts if she is dead! Just typical of Emilie to leave me out of the planning stage…she must think I'm a complete fool. Well, she is wrong!
Thom, if he had been honest, was more in a sulk with Emilie than wanting to take Lady Harriet for a good whipping but he wouldn't listen to the voice in his head. So, Thom of Pirate's Swoop in his dark blue robes with a white shirt and black trousers kept one eye on the ballroom entrance and another to look out for the appearance of Lady Harriet.
The magnificent hall was filled in fresh flowers which brought an intoxicant, sweet scent into the room. There were large flowers displays dotted around the room bringing every pale colour into the room as well as low hanging basket which had the appearance of floating in the air, and each table had a peculiar and sometimes rare flower to indicate the seating arrangement. The room breathed in a new life as if the gods themselves had decided to have a hand in letting the old, stone hall live again.
"Good evening Lord Thom," said a sultry voice at his elbow, "alone I see."
Thom cursed his wandering mind for not focusing. Maybe I am more like Master Numair than I thought! But I don't want to be a scatterbrain at twenty one!
"Good evening to you Lady Harriet," Thom replied stiffly. Thom edged his body slightly to gain some room away from the clutching viper. He would not cause a scene and embarrass Lady Trudi by making her accident publicly known – that would be playing into Mahi's hands and he refused to become a pawn.
Lady Harriet's eyes fluttered up at him and she smiled coyly through her low lashes. "You look slightly tense, my lord", she purred at him, "If there is any way in which I could play you relax, please name it."
Thom had to stop himself from flinching away from her bold statement and remained passive on the outside. "I'm completely at ease, thank you. It's the coldness of the ballroom."
"I'm sure that I could be some assistance in helping you warm up," Lady Harriet emphasised her secret meaning with another smile and a challenging gaze in her eyes.
Thom was about to retort and lose his temper at such a lady. And on an odd occasion Thom could rival his mother's outburst easily but before he could get a word out, a trumpet sounded to notify the honoured guests.
So instead, Thom turned his back on her and faced the long, gold staircase down. As the fanfare ended, he noted with his sharp, violet eyes that it was not Emilie who was coming down the staircase on Prince Roald (since she is known to the court as the official organiser of the Spring Ball and all court functions) but Lady Trudi.
He was amazed. Thom quickly scanned the ball to see if anyone else detected the change but then no one knew that Emilie was suppose to be at Roald's side. There were a few stunned glances but a break of small whispers could be heard as the walking party headed to the King and Queen's thrones.
Thom stared at Lady Trudi's transformation. She was quite unrecognisable. Her brown hair had been rescued from the tar incident by fashioning the cut to below her cheek bone which emphasised her eyes and made her look even prettier. However it was the dress which caught his attention, made out of an emerald green in satin with a stitching of small white roses on the collar and bodice, encrusted with small diamonds. The skirt filled out slightly but the object of the dress was to make aware of the wearer's slime figure, and Lady Trudi had pulled it off, yet it was Emilie who had bought it a week ago.
He remembered visiting the dress shop with her as they had been in town to gather more ink and a few birthday gifts' for Thom friends. She had stopped in to see about a fitting from Lasala and immediately fell in love with the green dress which Lasala had been working on as a pet project. Thankfully it had been a new creation and was not already purchase. The happy glee in Emilie's face was catching and Thom had laughed at her childish face which, of course, earned him a slap on the chest.
What is Emilie up too? Why would she give up her dress for Lady Trudi to wear? Although it is eye catching and suited her build…but what has this to do with revenge?
Before he had anytime to comprehend the answer to his own private query, dancing was already in full swing however Lady Harriet was still at his side as he turned round again, hoping that she had disappeared. However he was disappointed that not only she had stayed but she seem to gather a group of her closest friends to have a little tete a tete which Thom was forced into the middle of.
"I see that Lady Trudi is not here tonight", said Lady Harriet, not able to conceal the smugness in her voice, "which means Lord Thom that you won't have act on courtly manners."
Thom's eyes blazed with fury again but he held his tongue from producing a scathing remark and looked beyond Mahi's head.
Taking his listen to venture on Lady Harriet continue to point fault with Lady Trudi's up bringing, her sense of style, her lack of finery and courtly manners. The small group which had gathered was beginning to agree with Harriet's remarks on such new noble families being unable to adapt to the court life and that they were tainted such a tradition with their uneducational ways.
"They must be taught when they are needed", stated Lady Harriet, "of course the King needs them for certain manual tasks and this new title giving is only to think that they are important but do we really have to have them mixing with us."
A murmur of agreement reached Thom's disbelieving ears. He wasn't stupid enough to know that most of the arrogant and old nobles did not like the way the King was setting about handing over land for new baronys as gestures but it was uncalled for.
"I wouldn't be so damning if I was you, Lady Harriet", voiced a blue eyed man with dark hair.
"And why is that Sergeant Dom?" smiled Lady Harriet acidly at him.
"Because your claim of ill-breed Lady Trudi is now dancing with His Royal Highness Prince Roald," everyone looked out to the dance floor and found it to be true.
Lady Trudi was dancing excellently with Roald and looked graceful and relaxed. Although Roald was usually a quiet man, he seems to have no difficulties in talking to his partner.
Unable to fault her now higher status, Lady Harriet cried out, "Look at her hair! What is she thinking! A lady can not show herself in public. It is an embarrassment. The poor prince must have taken pity on her."
"And what is wrong with her hair?" challenged a new voice which Thom immediately recognised.
With relief, Thom spun round to come face to face with Emilie and stopped his welcoming greeting. Emilie had short hair. Her long, beautiful mane which he had gazed upon in delight was shaped into a bob. He felt shock.
What in Mirthos' name has she done to her hair! I loved her long hair and the way it would cascaded down her back! What has she done!
As she reached him, she gazed directly into his eyes and held them for a spilt second. It was she read what his brain was screaming about her hair style, and a sad expression filtered across before having a beaming smile grace her face.
He bowed and she curtsied while he held out his arm and drew her into the circle.
"It is short! Ugly cut and totally inappropriate for the ballroom", stated Lady Harriet. "Why she will never find a man looking like that."
Thom tried not to grin as Lady Harriet turned round to find that the leader of fashion in the court, Emilie of Queenscove, had her hair cut in the same style of bob as Lady Trudi. Harriet of Mahi paled but still held her ground.
"You don't worry about her finding a husband, Lady Harriet," said Emilie smoothly, "she knows how to keep a man interested. How is the Duke of Vehad these days?"
Lady Harriet blushed considerable at the mention of her supposedly arranged marriage partner as it involved a huge scandal on her part. No one ever had mentioned it to her face but Thom realised that Emilie was going to drag up everything that Harriet of Mahi had been connected to gossip.
"Or the Baron of White Lake, mmmh", continued Emilie, "I use to enjoy conversing with them."
"It is a shame that Gerrad of Basmai has been sent to do north border control hasn't it?"
The group that had surrounded around Lady Harriet were quietly dispersing away as to not be involved in a public shaming and have their own family name soiled by the renowned court flirt.
"I… I could say my lady," muttered Lady Harriet.
"Of course that was only a year ago, you saw them last," voiced Emilie in a airy manner, "must have been more, I assume."
Lady Harriet had gone an awful red colour and her hands were fidgeting.
"Dom, dear cousin," called out Emilie, "you got us wine. What a wonderful and thoughtful boy." And Emilie handed Lady Harriet a glass which she took and drank from with a bit too much haste. "You look a bit flustered, Lady Harriet everything alright?"
Harriet of Mahi nodded not trusting her voice and sipped some more wine as she glazed around to note with dismay that her friends had deserted her and that she was the focus of many curious glances.
"Prince Roald", Emilie gave a surprised gush, "and Lady Trudi who I am honoured to meet! Well, Your Highness what do you think of the style of the new hair?"
"I like it", said Roald softly but serious.
"The royal seal of approval!", emphasised Emilie, "Lady Harriet pronounced it ugly and distasteful."
Lady Harriet's head shot up and glared at Emilie before butting in, "I was only speaking on how it would look on me, Your Majesty."
"Really," interrupted Emilie, "Thom did you not hear her say Lady Trudi?"
All eyes were focussed on him and he found it hard to think of an answer.
What to say, what to say…I need help!
It was Emilie's green eyes that penetrated his thoughts as he glanced round at the others and he felt that Lady Harriet deserved it. "Yes, she did, Emilie. It was not ladylike at all."
Lady Harriet looked like she had been thrown to the wolves and she tried to apologise but the Prince guided Lady Trudi away with disgust which was noted by all. Lady Harriet saw this and realised her situation – she had been dropped from favour.
"Why are you doing this, my lady," she hissed at Emilie and took a step forward in a rage. "Why are you protecting that tramp?"
She looked ready to strike out and Thom made a move to intervene but Emilie was ahead of him and stepped up to her. "Because it's nobles like you that dirty the court with your filth."
"How dare you…" Lady Harriet could not finished her sentence as the next moment she threw up onto Emilie's dress and a quiet hushed filled the hall.
"Your drunk Lady Harriet!", exclaimed Emilie loud enough to be heard over the whispering. "What a disgrace you have become."
In seconds servants appeared and carried off a drunk Lady Harriet to her rooms as no one would come forward and help her. Of course Thom lead Emilie out of the ballroom into the garden to sort herself out and the ball returned to discuss the horrible behaviour of Lady Harriet.
"Look at your dress Emilie", said Thom, "it is a little repaid for what you have done!"
And he moved them to a bench in the rose part of the royal garden.
"Well, it was all for social justice," concluded Emilie as she shivered in the dark night which Thom noticed and put an arm round her, pulling her close to his body heat. She gentle laid her head on his shoulder before admitting, "I hate my new hair cut!"
Thom could do nothing but laugh out loud which was joined quickly by Emilie.
"You are amazing," muttered Thom as he stroked her new hair.
"I do try."
It took three days for Lady Harriet to realise that she was not wanted and returned to her home to stay until the gossip had died.
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This has not gone well as I thought but then I am please that it worked on some level! What do you think? Please the more brains involved that more likely I can ditched this old one!
Review please!