Oh yeah- this is very belated and all… but I don't actually own any of these characters. As much as I would love to take credit for their creation, I can't. I can't even take credit for the grass cause it was already thought of too… so the only bit of this that is mine is the plot… well, mine and Achenar's. The bad spelling is all mine though.
"Dove! Dove!" Nuritin stuck her head around the door of Aly's room. "Have you seen Dove?"
Lady Nuritin was dressed in a deep blue court gown made of a heavy material that Aly knew to be stifling in this humid weather.
Aly shook her head. She was wearing a pale purple sarong with gold thread woven throughout, She'd let her hair grow and it now fell to just below her shoulders. It was held back with a purple ribbon. She felt like they were trying to turn her into a Lioness-Look-Alike: all red hair and purple and gold clothing and accessories. The idea was ridiculous. No one knew her mother, unless this was Dove's idea of a joke.
"Drat that girl." Nuritin's hands wrung at the skirt of her gown. Her voice was still slow and slightly slurred from the blow she'd taken. "She knows better than this."
Aly concealed a smile at the older woman's worry. She knew Dove wouldn't have done anything impulsive therefore she wouldn't be in trouble… except from her aunt and therefore Winna.
"What has she done?"
Nuritin threw her arms in the air. "What has she done? I'll tell you what she's done… that little slip of a girl has fled her rooms: wearing her coronation gown."
At that last comment Aly didn't bother trying to hide her grin. Over the past couple of days that dress had been the bane of everyone's existence. Dove refused to wear something with "more pearls than stars in the sky". She was a Raka Queen so why couldn't she wear a sarong. While Winnamine and Nuritin stormed, raged and ordered her to wear it the palace servants had tiptoed around the two women for fear of gaining the attention of their tempers. It was no wonder, thought Aly, that Dove had taken things into her own, quite capable hands.
She noticed that Nuritin was now looking at her with a rather calculating expression on her face.
"I suppose I should help you look for her then?" Aly blushed under that forbidding gaze.
"I think you should." Was the reply. "Considering you look like you know just where to find her."
Aly turned redder and inwardly cursed. Of all the times for her mother's genes to show up!
"Well, I have an idea… I mean, that's all it is, an idea. I don't know for…"
Nuritin cut her off. "Dunai doesn't know?" She gave her a final appraising glance before sweeping majestically out of the room. Aly stared after her. Dunai? How in Mithros name did she know about that?