Author's Note: I don't know what it is but I haven't had anything to say to you guys, except review. Well, my life's boring, but that's better than what it could be. Enjoy!
Chapter 8 - Presented at Court
Shinko and Yuki were to be presented at court along with me. Shinko would be their princess after all, Yuki was staying behind to attend to Shinko and would be accepted as Tortallan, and I was a native born Tortallan. Most people thought I was being presented at court for the same reason as Yuki, but they thought wrong. I would be presented as the Emperor's Rose, but it would only be a matter of time before they realized who I really was. For now, Neal, Roald, Dom, Cleon, Owen, Merric, Faleron, and Eitaro were escorting us into the city so we could shop for dresses. We had brought dresses, but they were all fabricated based on the trends of the Yamani court. We thought it would be best to wear a dress created to match those found in our new home, and my mother had not been to Tortall recently enough to relay what the styles here at the palace were. We decided to wait to have some made here, since most girls already had their dresses made so we would not have to fight for seamstresses. However, we thought we would have more time, but we would soon go on a grand progress to show Tortall's nobles their princess-to-be. There was not enough time to have one made personally for all of us, so here we were on our way to try to find the perfect gown in the large city of Corus.
We smoothly made our way through the inner and outer gates of the palace. We rode a carriage to the palace and were stunned to see the bustling city. Things were not like this in the Islands. I had seen all of this before, but my memory had failed to remember Corus being this hectic. The men smirked at our stunned silence, and then moved us along. We quickly passed the temple district and made for the boutiques found by the market place. The boys circled us, to protect us from any strangers who might get any funny ideas. They did not seem to think that we could not protect ourselves, but they wanted to protect our purses and spare us of any violence if should come along. I did not mind. I felt more like a girl being surrounded by these huge, strong males. I know I am not the tradition women caught up in the thoughts of having a man, but my feminine side often made me feel delicate and precious when gentlemen are concerned for my safety and happiness.
Hordes of people milled through the streets trying to find what they wanted and at the best price. Venders had carts stationed outside of stores and shouted to passersby to buy their product. It was a feast for your eyes. The colors, voices, sights, and smells were all so overwhelming and exciting. Roald led us to a wooden door hidden from sight by the food of a vendor had displayed. It was a contrast inside the store. It was amazingly quiet with a clean wooden floor and walls. It was a small part of the store with only a counter. Customers were taken to other parts of the store if the owner willed it. A young woman about twenty-three years old was at the counter. She paled when she saw all of us, and turned as white as a ghost when she recognized Roald as the prince. She wobbled down into the lowest curtsy she could manage while staying upright. She spoke carefully, "How may I be of service, your highness?"
"Yes, I would like you to help m'ladies here. They need gowns proper for being presented at court," Roald stated business like.
"Please, come with me, your highness," the woman whimpered.
She led us to small room. It was filled with plush armchairs, lounges, and small wooden benches that could seat only one or two people. There was a small platform at the center of the room for the seamstress to fit and tailor the dresses. Doors lined one of the walls and apparently led to changing rooms. The boys plunked down into the cushiony armchairs and made themselves comfortable for a long day of watching us try on countless dresses.
The girl left us and came back with a tray. She served the men tea, but we could not have any because we would be trying on expensive gowns and no one could afford for us to ruin one of them by spilling the hot drink. An old woman entered the room looking frazzled. Her hair was matted, her eyelids drooped, and her hands shook. She was clearly the owner of the store and would want to take care of important clients like us herself. To be perfectly honest, I do not want those quaking hands near me with sharp needles.
The woman curtsied clumsily to an empty lounge, and mumbled something unintelligible. She collapsed into the chair behind her and fell asleep. She twitched in her slumber and the boys snickered at her crazy behavior. As usual, all of the Yamanis stayed stone cold, hidden behind masks of no emotion. Eitaro's tense presence next to me showed that he disapproved. The young woman looked much stressed. She rushed to her master. She tapped her lightly, but the older woman slept on. She struggled, but was able to pull her master to her feet quickly with muscles gained from hard work. She stumbled under the weight of the woman who was unable to hold herself up. Neal and Cleon rushed forward and relieved the girl of her burden. They took her into another room to rest.
"I am sorry for my mistress, but I think I have some lovely gowns that would please you very much and work beautifully for a court occasion," she apologized.
Neal smiled weakly at her and Roald nodded his head. She bustled out of the room and returned with some of the loveliest gowns I have ever laid eyes on. They were fabulous in the material and exquisite sewing. Just add a few precious gems and you would have yourself a dress that any lady at court would envy and every man drool over. I raised my eyebrow at the timid girl and asked her what her name was. "My name is Lalasa, my lady. My mistress allows me to sew when business is slow and I enjoy it ever so much. We would not have dresses already made and appropriate for court if it had not been slow right before the rush of girls about to be presented at court. They all wanted custom dresses and did not even bother to look at these. I think these are more than satisfactory," she answered asked and unasked question.
"Well, Lalasa, these are profoundly more than satisfactory. You have a gift and you must enjoy it to craft these on a whim," I compliment her.
She blushes at the flattery for she is quite modest. She showed us each of the garments and gave Shinko the one she liked the best to try on. Yuki took a gown to try on but I stood back and debated which one would be the best choice for me. I wanted something I could fight in if need be, but it was not necessary. I would have to be pretty, but with this selection that was not a problem. I wanted something that would catch the attention of a certain someone, but I'm still contemplating over who that certain someone I feel the need to impress is.
I had decided on one to try on, but when I picked it up I saw that it was hiding another gown underneath it. It was a midnight blue. Silver and pink thread embroidery depicted tiny rosebuds. It was accented with rubies, my favorite precious gem. The soft velvet was perfect for softening my somewhat muscular build. I picked it up and rushed to the empty dressing room.
Shinko and Yuki were receiving everyone's thoughts on what they were wearing when I unlocked my door. It creaked open and Lalasa gasped. I moved forward and stepped up on the platform. The sleeves were fitted and went all the way to my wrists. Silver thread was crafted into a lace and trimmed the edge of the sleeve. It flared to make my thin forearm flow into my larger hands instead of cutting my arm off and making my hands look like they belonged to some field worker. The material wrapped around my shoulders and fell into a low neckline. It clung to my curves and cascaded away from me into a full skirt. The men all stared open mouthed at the site of me. My hair matched the pink thread and I pulled it into a quick bun so that it was out of the way for the fitting. Tendrils of hair tumbled down to frame my face. The wind of the streets had made my cheeks and nose rosy. I looked up at a mirror and my breath caught in my throat.
I always knew that I was not something to gag over, but I was not anything special among all of the Yamanis. Right now however proved me wrong and I had the looks to rival the prettiest lady at court. I could see the glazed eyes of the girls I had known for years and they seemed to glow with pride. I had come back to Tortall, faced my rejection, made something of myself, and was able to pull all of those straining things off while looking dazzling.
Eitaro gathered us in the ballroom just before dinner. It was filled with servants trying to get it prepared for the festivities. We had some entertainment for the people of Tortall and tonight was perfect for a performance. He brought us all together for practice. It all went smoothly and we would surely impress the monarchs. I was worried though. Eitaro said there was going to be a surprise, but we would not have to worry about it because we would know what to do. He said that it was something we were all very familiar with, but for some reason, my stomach was churning with apprehensiveness. I can not take time to fret over nothing, I have to get ready.
The men would go to the feast together. Shinko, Yuki, and I were to be escorted by knights of the realm. We waited in Shinko's front room for the knights to arrive. A guard always stood at these doors. There were not assassination attempts in Tortall like there were in the Islands. No, there were far less. I did not bother to mention this to anyone because there was always a chance. I knew that better than anyone else, having saved the emperor countless times. I know I would be haunted with guilt if something happened to us and it could have been prevented if a guard was there, but I sent them away feeling it was silly to have one around.
A speedy rapping on the door gave away the fact that they were running behind. We were the females here. It should be us holding them up, but we know tardiness could mean deaths. It always shocked me how Lord Wyldon's teachings finally proved themselves true to me and I took them to heart. The stump had evidently not gotten his vital messages through to these select few.
The guard opened the door slowly. He had his sword poised and peaked around carefully. It was not a threat to the lives of his charges, just his ladies three breathless escorts. They complimented our kimonos that we were wearing to dinner. We accepted their admiration courteously.
The formal dining hall looked like it was sent directly from the realm of the gods. The dark stone walls were offset by a 3 walls of windows. The glass panes were frosted at the edges with ice crystals. The sunset shone over the city and the Olorun River. You could see nature untouched by man if you followed the road with your eyes. The same nobles I had seen at the Welcoming Ball went all out with their apparel tonight for it was the first day of midwinter. (Okay! My timing might be off. I can't remember if I hinted that it was summer. Just to get you straight, Kel's year mates was knighted last midwinter. It is now midwinter again and Owen's turn to become a knight!) Mistletoe hung at every doorway and intersection of the palace. Roald, Neal, and Fal acted as gentlemen and led us around the sprigs of greenery. The ceiling was painted with clouds and the gods. Everyone shined with the holiday spirit and the aspiration of a fun week of celebration. I do not like parties because everyone is stuffy, but today was different.
The royal family was on a platform along the wall so they had a straight on view of the evening's beauty. Shinko, Yuki, and I were permitted to sit with the other girls being presented at court as tradition mandates and the rest of the delegation was spread out among the important peace makers of Tortall. Everyone settled down into their designated seats and the nervous pages entered. They looked handsome in their red and gold tunics that they wore with pride. One of the youngsters approached with a water bowl and a towel slung craftily over one arm. I turned and dunked my fingertips in the warm water. I peered up at the page as I was brushing my wet hands dry with the cloth. It was a pretty page, like someone else I knew. Was this a cousin to Joren? It just might be so I demanded, "Tell me your name, page."
Their eyes widened with fear so I forced a smile. She meekly mumbled, "My name is Tyanne of Ginger Hill."
Ginger Hill is not Joren's fief or one closely related to him. That was a relief to not have to deal with a miniature Joren so soon, but Tyanne is a girl's name. "Wait! Are you a girl?"
The page blushed and nodded. She moved on around the table and kept staring backwards shocked. Why was a girl a page? I was a page and was told that I could not continue to train after one year. Why is this girl so special? Was she really a page though? I will have talk to Neal about this. It was probably just a misunderstanding. There were just not enough pages to serve people and squires had their knight masters. That's it. I knew I was trying to convince myself that the obvious was not true, but I was not winning my internal battle.
I concentrated on the girls around the table. They stared at us mystified by our behavior. Some seemed kind and warm while others gave the semblance of harsh and cruel people. I hoped only the best would become the ladies-in-waiting to my dearest friend. Shinko deserved to have more friends that liked her for her. Ones that she did not have to feel guarded around and pretend to be something she was not to keep them happy. First impressions mean a lot so I turned to the girl next to me.
Brilliant emerald eyes greeted my hazel ones. These were familiar but the body they belonged to was not. "Hello! I have heard so much about you. I'm Nealan, Neal, of Queenscove sister, Galena of Queenscove," she introduced herself.
It was Neal's sister that he had mentioned to me. She was shorter than me like he said she was so long ago. The person sitting beside her leaned forward to get a good look at my face. She was tall with ebony hair and the most unique eyes I have ever seen next to the purple ones possessed by the Lioness's family. They had a dark brown rim that turned into a shockingly bright blue. This was Princess Kalasin. She was twenty-four now and still being presented at court. She was possibly the most eligible woman on this side of the emerald ocean but was not married. The king thought that Kaddar from Carthak would be perfect for her and Tortall, but a rebellion and differences on opinions had left Kalasin husbandless during these prime years. She waited patiently for a man that she had met for a long period of time and fell in love with. I know the Yamani Islands wanted her to marry Eitaro but we caught the puppy love too late. After years of Kaddar putting her off, the delegation hopes her mind has changed about a marriage with Eitaro. She was lovely in a regal blue dress that crept only as low as protocol. She clearly was not looking for any suitors. That was refreshing, but the old prunes we brought with us will frown at her for turning up this opportunity.
Tyanne returned numerous times and always with something different on her tray. I tried to be kind to her. She was like me and all I wanted was to become a knight and make people accept me because girls could do anything boys could. We were the patron of the same thing. It just stung that she was allowed to follow the dream that I wanted so bad. It is over now and I did manage to become a warrior.
The king finally rose and bid us all to the go to our chambers. Everyone but the ladies being presented was to meet him in the ballroom. I only had a short time before being presented at court and getting all of the information about the girl Tyanne.