Stubborn Deposition:

Disclaimer: It's amazing how my name isn't Tamora Pierce and yet I like to play with her characters. Too bad that I only own Eriko and her family but what are you going to do when all you have is an overactive imagination and proudly make no money from this.

A/N: Wow! I can't believe over 300 people read this fic. Makes me happy, which is why I'm giving you guys two more chappies! So yay! Thanks to HyperKathryne and nativewildmage for reviewing. I was going to make Dom take Kel but I wanted something different so there's that. As for the portraits... you'll just have to wait and see. Muahahahahaha! (Did I just do that?)


"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because as one of my ladies, it's one of your duties to attend any and all balls, functions, and parties with me."

Shinko was so calm with her mask on, that it was hard to tell whether she was irritated or amused, but I'm pretty sure it was both. I had told her earlier that I would be out of the Palace by the time the Ball rolled around but she had refused to acknowledge it, which was why I had come to her room.

"Cut the duty crap will you? I want a legitimate reason," I said.

"Why are you leaving the Palace again?" Shinko asked casually.

"Because I can't stand the thought of perverted old men leering at me all night like a piece of meat."

"Eri, they do not do that," Shinko said finally losing patience with me.

"Oh fine. I can't stand the thought of most perverted noblemen and sloshed knights leering at me all night like a piece of meat," I scowled.

"Eri!"

"What? It's true. If it's not one of the new court ladies they're leering at, it's one of us they're making a pass at."

"Eri, just shut up," Shinko stated, sitting down and rubbing her temples.

Dropping my scowl, I walked over to her and placed my hand on her forehead, watching as a bit of my blue-grey Gift seeped in. I felt really bad for annoying her but I was serious when I told her my reason. I'm the only one who would ever push Shinko's buttons to the breaking point, which I feel guilty about... half the time.

"Please? Can't I just stay out for one night?" I asked her like a child.

"I said no...besides, you didn't even come to the last ball," Shinko said smiling exasperatedly.

"That's because I was needed back at Heathercoves," I said throwing my hands up.

"You left the night before the ball without telling me or anyone else for that matter," she frowned.

"I did too! I told Kai and he said he didn't mind."

I was acting like a child and I knew it too, especially when Shinko replied 'tut tut' and patted my head in a very patronizing way.

"Fine, I'll go but I swear if even one of them tries to make a pass at me, I'll make sure they can't have children," I huffed.

"Good girl but do you have to threaten their manhood?" Shinko questioned.

"The reason women can survive, thrive, and protect themselves is based on that threat," I commented before leaving her room.

Seeing as how I had nothing to do at the moment, I wandered down to the stables. Walking up to Dust's stall, I leaned against the door watching him eat for a while before I heard some high pitch giggles and laughs coming my way. Opening the stall, I shut it quietly before hiding from view. Dust's head shot up when he heard the door shut and turned to glare at me. He hates it when someone interrupts his feeding, which makes me wonder how spoiled he is sometimes.

"Oh like I want to be out there right now," I retorted. Dust only snorted a response before going back to his oats.

Peeking through the hole in the door, I saw that it was a few of the new court ladies, fresh from the Convent. They were wearing the latest fashionable dresses, flirting with every living thing that came their way. Catching their faces, I saw that they were Lady Delina, Harriet, and Emmeline. I swear they thought everything around them was fascinating, including Shinko and the Yamani customs. Being sighted by any one of them meant an overload of the stupidest questions known in the realm.

Can you walk like that?

Is that thing even real?

Aren't you supposed to be ladies?

Shinko was the only one lucky enough to escape them due to 'royal duties' but I'm sure she just hides in her room till one of us comes and gets her. Kel is scary enough to keep them away, what with her being a knight and wielding a glaive in plain sight. Yuki gets the worst of it all, always being hunted down by them... either that or they have a very good sense of where she is. (Shinko's other ladies, three of them, keep mostly to themselves and can pretty much keep people away from them with just a glare. They scare the wits out of me sometimes but at least they're nice to us.)

The only time they question me is when I'm appropriately dressed but other times, wearing a plain skirt and blouse wouldn't give me a second glance. Since I had to go see Shinko today for tea, I had to dress appropriately. Dust only neighed in disdain as another waves of squeals and high-pitched giggles permeated the air around us. Looking away, I tried to suppress a shudder as they closed in on a group of knights like Stormwings.


Faleron, Seaver, Dom, Merric, and Owen had just entered the stable area when they ran into some ladies.

"Good day ladies," Faleron greeted.

"It certainly is," they replied.

"We haven't seen any of you around before," Owen commented.

"Well then allow us to introduce ourselves. I'm Harriet," the brunette said.

"My name is Emmeline," the blonde said with a small curtsy.

"And I'm Delina," the red head introduced.

"Now that you know who we are, who are you?" Lady Harriet asked.

"I'm Dom, and that's Seaver, Faleron, Merric, and Owen."

"Are all of you looking forward to the Ball?" Lady Emmeline asked.

"I supp-"

"Of course! Who wouldn't want to escort such beauties like yourselves?" Dom interrupted Seaver.

"It'll be a jolly good time too!" Owen added.

The ladies giggled to themselves before batting their eyes at them while Seaver looked a bit sick and Merric looked bored behind Dom. Owen, Faleron, and Dom were the only ones who were happy.

"Surely all of you already have a nice lady to escort?" Lady Delina inquired.

"Well, Dom and I do but Seaver, Merric, and Owen here don't," Faleron pointed them out.

"I'm sorry to be abrupt ladies but I need to be somewhere right now," Merric said excusing himself and bowing to the ladies. Flashing them a smile, he went past them and towards the stables.

"I really should go too befo-"

"Seaver! Could you escort Lady Emmeline inside while Owen guide Lady Harriet?" Dom asked interrupting him again.

Seaver looked like a cornered deer for a second before turning to the blonde and extending his arm to her, while Owen was ahead of them happily chatting to Lady Harriet.

"If you would," Dom said extending his arm to Delina, who took it gratefully before walking towards the Palace with Faleron following behind.

Peeking out from behind the stables, Merric was finally relieved when they walked back inside. Sighing with relief, he felt sorry for leaving Seaver behind like that and walked towards his own horse, only to see Flash very unhappy with him. Coming as close as he could, he patted the horse lightly before realizing why he was out here in the first place. Finding Stefan, Merric got two bucket of oats for Flash and carefully entered the stall.

"Sorry boy. I kind of got distracted back there," Merric said pouring the oats into the feeding trough.

Flash only glared at him once before he started to eat. Glad that Flash didn't bite him, Merric sat on a bale of hay and watched Flash. He was having trouble asking someone to the Ball, meaning he was having girl troubles. In the beginning, he would just go up to the first girl he saw and asked them but that became too monotonous and repetitive for him. So he started to wait a bit and flirted with some of them before choosing one of them but even that got too tiring. At the last Ball, Fal was the one to set him up with someone but that ended so badly that he swore to never be set up again. Now there was the problem of finding a partner, although, he could always go by himself but that seemed a bit pathetic at the moment.

"What about Eri?" Neal questioned.

"Sure, why not? I'm pretty sure she's not going with anyone, she never does anyways," Eric said.

For some reason those two lines keep popping into his head but shook it away as soon as it came. Groaning with frustration that was the third time today that he had remembered that. He's been thinking about it a lot since the portrait session and it was annoying him to no end. Just when he thought she was pretty and kind, he would hear her mocking tone and scold himself for thinking such a thing.

But she really is interesting, Merric thought to himself rationally.

Then again, she is impossible, Merric thought as his logically side pointed out.

At least she can stand up for herself.

Yeah when she's passing on scathing remarks.

She's nice and kind.

When she's not crazy.

Even when the logical side was winning, he couldn't help but think how endearing her attitude was. Making up his mind, Merric got up confidently and walked out of the stall but as soon as he did, he became nothing more than a blubbering idiot. It wasn't because he had chickened out but the fact that he could see Eri by her horse's stall. Okay, so he did chicken out but it didn't mean he was going to turn tail and run? Right?

Giving himself a good mental slap for acting like an idiot, he straightened himself and walked with long strides towards her. The closer he got the more nervous he became. She wasn't wearing her normal attire but actually wore a dress like any other court lady. It was a pale blue dress, which made her hair darker than it should be. The dress wasn't elaborate but simple much like her normal attire really but it fitted perfectly and didn't make her stand out so much in a crowd of nobles, just enough to blend in.

"Good afternoon Eri," Merric greeted but came out more of a squeak than anything else.

Either she didn't notice or she didn't care but either way she turned to look at him with boredom written all over her face.

"Hi Merric. What brings you out here?" she asked casually.

"I was feeding my horse," Merric answered, leaning on the door of the stall.

"Had to feed or forgot to feed?" Eri smirked.

"Uh...it's a little of both," Merric said embarrassingly.

"Then what are you doing over here?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Two."

"What?"

"You're asking three questions now."

"Why are you being so difficult?"

"Was that it?"

"No! I mean that's not it. It's something else-"

"Eri!"

Looking behind her, Merric saw one of her brothers jogging towards them. When he got closer, Merric noticed that it was one of the twins, but he couldn't tell which one.

"Hey Mako," Eri greeted happily.

"Still beating them off with a glaive?" Mako grinned.

Eri only snorted, "Hardly. I doubt they would even be worth my time."

"Oh, hi Merric," Mako said.

Merric could've sworn that Mako frowned at the sight of him. He was confused as to what Mako and Eri was talking about but thought that he should just leave it alone when he almost lost his footing.

"-so I have to take you again?" Mako finished.

"What?" Merric asked.

"Not like I ever ask you to," Eri retorted to Mako.

"Yeah but if you go by yourself Papa would have a fit about it and then-"

"He'll end up blaming you guys for being irresponsible and all of that good stuff... yeah I get it," Eri said exasperatedly.

Eri was looking at Mako with annoyance and Merric knew why when he felt his chest tighten for a second. He was only able to catch the last bit before walking away, a lot less cheerful.

"This isn't a picnic for me either you know. I'd rather do this then listen to Papa's idea of a 3 second lecture," Mako told her.

"Why aren't you courting again?" Eri asked nonchalantly.

"I...wha- still look...oh shut up," Mako said after Eri's retreating back.

Mako stood there for a second before walking towards his own horse's stall to meet Kai and Matt. It was long standing duty of theirs to take Eri to every Ball since she came back from the Yamani Islands to accompany the Princess in Tortall. (Of course their father's 3-second lecture is another factor.) When it came down to it, they just didn't want to let their sister grow up and become a love struck girl or a woman. Even if Eric was just as protective, he at least wanted her to live a little, which was why Kai, Matt, and Mako didn't let him in on their plans.

"Freckles just walked by," Matt announced when Mako was within talking distance.

"Yeah and if I was a second late, he would've asked her," Mako replied.

"But he didn't right?" Kai questioned.

"No but tell me again why I have to take her?"

"Because brother of mine, you were the loser who asked a second too late," Matt stated.

"Only because you locked me in a closet," Mako scowled as Kai and Matt laughed.


I refused to budge as I sat on my bed glaring at one of the maids. Shinko had sent me two maids to help me dress for the celebration after I had told her that I was going to dress myself. I guess she thought I was going to run, so she sent two stern and elderly maids to my room.

"Now miss, you will get up and get dressed now," said the first maid.

"No."

"Milady, if we don't dress you now you'll be late to dinner," the second maid scolded.

"I can dress myself thank you very much."

"Now see here miss, we've got orders from the Princess and we-"

"No. I'm not a baby and I can dress myself. If both of you would like, just stay here and wait for me to dress myself please?" I asked.

"But we-"

"Fine," the first maid said cutting off the second one. She handed me my dress and I went behind the screen.

Slipping on the smoky blue dress over my light blue shift, I noticed that it was simple yet elegant. The dress was made from Yamani silk and was bordered with silver trimmings. It had a modest square neckline and the sleeves covered my arms like a second skin until the elbow, where it was split open to part the sleeves. The sliver-trimmed waistline was shaped into a wide 'v' at the front and then parted to show the light grey skirts underneath.

Stepping out from behind the screen, I saw the first maid looking me over with a critical eye while the second one tried to tighten my corset from behind. I say tried because I sat down before she could tighten it anymore than I could breathe.

"Lady, you'll have to stand up so we can tie the back," the second commented.

"I don't care if I don't have a small waist so as long as I can breathe," I told her.

Hearing them sigh, I smiled to myself. Sitting at the vanity, I pulled and twisted my hair into a nice bun, securing it with flowered pins the color of my dress. A few strands had fallen out of place but I only tucked them behind my ears before going for the face paint. I lightly put on some powder on my face and neck before putting on some lip color like Mama had taught me. I didn't bother with the eye paint or anything else, so I got up and put on my slippers before tying up the back myself. They soon left the room, all the while shaking their heads at my appearance.

Following the small crowd towards the Dining Hall, I met Mako, Matt, Eric, Yuki, Kel, and Neal at the door. Mako, Matt, and Eric were wearing our fief colors of grey and red, looking every bit as handsome as Neal. Neal and Yuki were wearing matching colors of emerald while Kel wore a light green colored dress with gold trimmings.

"I thought Shinko sent maids to dress you," Yuki said.

"She did, but I can dress myself," I told her cheekily.

"That's our girl," Mako and Matt said.

"You two are a bad influence on her," Yuki scolded them.

"Eh, we do try," Matt commented.

"Well I think you look beautiful," Eric told me standing next to Kel who nodded her head. I looked at them suspiciously for a minute or two until they both sported pink cheeks.

"Milady," Mako said in a snooty voice, extending his arm to me. Taking it, we followed them in except for Matt who was waiting for his lady to come.

Dinner was a formal affair and I was bored out of my mind. The only thing that kept me from falling asleep then and there was Mako, who did everything he could discreetly to keep me awake. Neal, Yuki, Eric, and Kel were seated at a table behind us and even then it wasn't within talking distance.

"Purple and gold, left about 45 degrees to your right," I heard Mako say before turning slightly to see an old man trying to pick his teeth while his wife tried to cover it up with a napkin. Unfortunately when he tried to swat her hand he missed and upset the bowl of water in front of him, which splashed the couple.

Mako and I turned away very quickly to cover our sniggers but when the lady next to me glanced at us, I nudged Mako and turned the sniggers into light coughs. After another long speech, King Jonathan and his family finally led the guests at the High Table to the ballroom.

Getting up, I pulled Mako through the crowd to catch up with the others. Entering the ballroom, I saw how much effort the servants and maids had to put in to make the ballroom elegant and magnificent. Looking around the room, I spotted Kel and Eric on the other side of the room and once again pulled Mako through the multitude of people.

"See, this is why I didn't want to court anyone yet," Mako complained as I yanked on his arm.

"Oh stop being a baby and give Mama another grandchild already," I retorted.

"Yeah right. I think I'll leave that to Matt and Kai," Mako said.

Rolling my eyes, I let Mako go and pushed him into the direction of where I thought Kai was. Losing myself into the crowd, I finally came out of the masses and walked up to Yuki and Kel.

"Finally. We almost thought we had to call the palace guards," Yuki said pulling me into their circle.

"Almost thought?" I questioned. Looking around the small group, I noticed two new faces but Kel saved me the trouble of asking.

"That's Esmond of Nicoline and Prosper of Tameran," Kel told me.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Eri," I introduced myself to them.

No sooner had we gotten in two sentences that music started to play and couples made their way to the dance floor. I suppressed a groan of frustration as I made my way out of the open and into the small corner behind me, all the while smiling like I wasn't going to make a run for it. Our group started to get smaller as they all started to walk into the dancing crowd.


Mako grumbled as he weaved through the small groups searching for his sister. Mentally swearing, Mako finally noticed her in a semi-dark corner hidden by a bushy plant. Pushing through the last throng of people, Mako stood against the wall catching his breathe while watching Eric try to persuade a tight-lipped Kel into dancing. Eric was blushing furiously but it wasn't as bad as Kel's whose face could very well match her lip paint.

His eyes darted back to Kai and Matt but was very surprise to find them glaring at him with dark expressions. Turning back to his sister, he saw Merric making his way towards her and walked as quickly as he could to prevent any mishap. Too bad that didn't mean that he couldn't give Kel a nice little shove into Eric's direction on the dance floor along the way.

Merric had decided that if he wanted to dance that Eri would be his partner. When their group had dispersed, he was pushed onto the floor while she seemed to disappear. It took Merric a few moments to realize that she had hidden herself behind a plant. Gathering his courage once more, Merric made his way towards her but his steps seemed to falter when he was within speaking distance.

Even as she sulked in the corner, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. Granted she wasn't wearing as much face paint or jewelry as the other ladies but he didn't mind at all because if she had, she wouldn't be the same snarky person. He observed as an errant curl fell before she tucked it behind her ear once more, smiling at her gesture.

I'm supposed to be a man! Not some court lady! Merric scolded himself as he made the final steps toward her.

"Hiding?" Merric asked but mentally slapped himself for the lame start.

"Thank you for stating the obvious," Eri answered blandly.

"Well I di- I just thought... uh-Did you enjoy the dinner?" Merric stammered.

"It was boring except for the entertainment Mako provided," she said not looking at him.

"Entertainment?"

"Mako pointed out all of the nobles amusing antics. Don't know if I should feel sorry for their wives or the husbands yet though."

While Eri looked at the dancers, Merric discreetly glanced at her trying to work up the courage to ask her for the next dance but Fate once again decided to be mean.

"Eri, if you ever decide to disappear, a warning would be nice," Mako told Eri.

"Disappear? I did no such thing," Eri said casually.

Glancing at Mako, Merric could've sworn he just glared at him rather darkly. Swallowing involuntarily, Merric lost all thoughts of asking when Mako did it himself.

"My dear sis, might I interest you in the next dance?" Mako asked with a dramatic flair.

"Might as well keep with tradition," Eri responded before getting up and walking with Mako to the floor.