Reviewers:
S(): yeah, she's meeting the boys now. Should be interesting...
Mango Sam: oooh, even I don't know who she's going to end up with! And yes, she's keeping up her archery... as you'll see.
lilyfan(): I'm going to try to bring George in... don't know. Will have to write it first and see how it goes.
Chickenpuffs: erm, all I can say is that you really must be high on sugar!
Here we go....
Later that afternoon, Cythera came back and the two girls prepared for the banquet together. Cythera frowned over Alanna's clothes, and said, 'You'll have to get something smarter than these old things for the ball, Al. I think I know the perfect place in the city; there's a dressmakers which specialises in unique, one-off pieces. They'll be able to make something perfect for you.'
'Hmm,' Alanna said. 'I just want to get through tonight... Mithros, I'm terrified.'
'Don't be,' Cythera said. 'I'll introduce you to people. There's a lovely girl, about twenty three, twenty four, called Delia. She's from Eldorne, and she knows everything that goes on at court, trust me. She'll be able to find you partners for the first ball.'
'Good,' Alanna shrugged, 'as I was terrified I'd end up dancing with Thom for the whole evening.'
'You won't. Oh, you have to meet Gary- Gareth of Naxen, I mean. He's wonderful,' Cythera grinned. 'He's wickedly funny! If you ever end up dancing with him at a ball, he'll spend the whole time you two are together making snide comments about other people. And his father, Duke Gareth, is such a dear. I was seated next to him at my first banquet and he could see how nervous I was, so he just talked to me for ages about my home, because he'd known my father when they were training to be knights.'
As Cythera chattered, Alanna felt her nerves steadying. She could do this. She had not been at the Convent of the Mother Goddess for six years and learned nothing. She didn't have to worry about anything to do with the meal- she knew which knife to use for fish, and which spoon to use for soup; or indeed about when to arrive or leave (arrive five minutes after the bell or gong has rung, and depart twenty minutes after pudding has been served). She just had to maintain a level of conversation which was acceptable to those on either side of her.
'How is the banquet hall laid out?' Alanna asked Cythera as they descended for the meal, Alanna dressed in pale lavender silk which set off her eyes, and Cythera in dark blue velvet.
'There's two long tables for court, and then another high table where the Royal Family and selected guests sit. You won't be invited to sit up there until after your formal introduction at the ball.'
'Thank goodness for that,' Alanna sighed. 'I'm so nervous as it is.' And it was true; the butterflies were rising up in her stomach, and as they arrived at the doorway to the Great Hall, she was thoroughly relieved to see her brother standing there with a group of young knights who were obviously his friends.
'Ah, Alanna,' Thom said, smiling when he saw his sister approaching with Cythera. 'Gentlemen, may I introduce my sister, Lady Alanna of Trebond? You already know Lady Cythera of Elden.' Turning to his sister, he said, 'Alanna, may I introduce Sir Alexander of Tirragen, Sir Raoul of Goldenlake, Sir Gareth the Younger of Naxen, and his Highness Prince Jonathan of Conté.' And there they stood; almost exactly as her brother had described them. She curtseyed neatly, and all of them, even Prince Jonathan, bowed.
'Ah, Lady Cythera,' Gary said, his voice teasing. 'The last time we met for the banquet, it was that most delicious cured venison which you seemed to find so irritable. Alas! Tonight it is venison again.' Cythera smiled somewhat icily.
'Than I hope they have had the sense not to try to smoke it to death, this time,' she said, pronouncing every single syllable so clearly that Alanna almost gaped at her.
'Lady Alanna, your brother informs me that you are an excellent archer. Will we have the opportunity to see you participate in the ladies' archery tournament at the end of this month?' That was Alex of Tirragen, and Alanna, mouth dry, wondering how on earth she could get out of performing in public, said,
'I should love to partake in the tournament; however, I am afraid that I failed to bring my bow from Fief Trebond.'
'That will not be a problem,' Jonathan said almost immediately, and Alanna turned to him, startled. 'There are excellent armouries here at the palace,' he said quietly. 'A bow can be made to your specifications in a very short space of time.'
'Thank you, your Highness,' Alanna stuttered, and curtseyed again.
'Come, sister,' Thom said, and led her into the banquet hall after saying farewell to his friends. 'That wasn't so bad, was it?' he hissed.
'No,' Alanna admitted, 'but Thom, you know I hate performing in public! And now I've got to go to this wretched tournament...'
'You don't have to,' Thom argued.
'I do; any excuse I had was taken from me by Prince Jonathan,' Alanna said, then gasped as she entered the banquet hall. It was huge; the two long tables at which most of the court was seated were crammed with people, and the sheer number of them almost floored her. 'I can't cope with this,' she said, faintly.
'Yes you can,' Thom said, and gently steered her to her seat. 'Cythera's opposite you this evening; I'm next to her, and on the other side of her is Raoul. You're between Gary and Alex.' When Alanna opened her mouth to protest at being flung in at the deep end of the social world, Thom merely glared at her. 'You're a Trebond. You're my sister. You'll be fine.'
By the time the soup course was finished, Alanna was certain of two things. Firstly, that her brother was a very, very popular young man. He seemed to hold the whole end of the table spellbound with his conversation, and Alanna was exceedingly grateful for that as it allowed her to make slightly more gentle additions to the conversation, which that evening seemed to revolve somewhat around old tales of their childhood at Trebond. The second certainty in Alanna's mind was that court was where she wanted to be. Whatever bug had bitten Cythera of Elden, it had bitten her too, and hard. The buzz of everybody around her, the pretty clothes, the civilised conversation, and the admiring glances thrown at her by young men... all these were contributing to Alanna's certainty.
'You look lost,' Gary said to her gently in the middle of the game course, which was the cured venison (which in Alanna's opinion was delicious). Alanna struggled briefly.
'Oh, it's just... so different to home, and to the convent, that's all,' she said, smiling wanly. 'I'm sure I'll be used to it in time.'
After the meal, Alanna retired with Cythera to the Elden apartments, which were, Alanna noted worriedly, far larger than the Trebond apartments. However, that was not her greatest concern at that moment; what she needed to do, with Cythera, was to gossip and enquire.
'Who was that pretty girl with the green eyes and dark blonde hair sitting at the end of our table nearest the Royal Family?' she asked. Cythera grimaced.
'Princess Josiane of the Copper Islands,' she said, as if the words were poison in her mouth. 'She arrived about a week after I did, and she's after poor old Jon with a vengeance. But she still hasn't been formally introduced, so she can't get what she wants- a seat at the high table and a good, honeyed whisper in the Queen's ear.' Cythera sighed, and gazed out of the window. 'She's trouble if I ever saw it. Oh, but Gary was funny tonight! He kept making faces at me throughout the game course; I could barely stop myself laughing.'
'You like him, don't you?' Alanna said, appraisingly.
'Is it obvious?' Cythera asked, and when Alanna nodded, she grinned. 'He's so lovely. Oh, I wish this dratted ball would hurry up! We can't dance at the weekly balls until we've been properly announced, and I do so want to dance with him.'
'The ball's the least of my worries,' Alanna said, 'I've gone and got myself roped into this archery contest.'
'Don't worry about that,' Cythera said. 'You're an excellent archer, and you know it. Worry about the ball instead. That's productive, at least.'
S(): yeah, she's meeting the boys now. Should be interesting...
Mango Sam: oooh, even I don't know who she's going to end up with! And yes, she's keeping up her archery... as you'll see.
lilyfan(): I'm going to try to bring George in... don't know. Will have to write it first and see how it goes.
Chickenpuffs: erm, all I can say is that you really must be high on sugar!
Here we go....
Later that afternoon, Cythera came back and the two girls prepared for the banquet together. Cythera frowned over Alanna's clothes, and said, 'You'll have to get something smarter than these old things for the ball, Al. I think I know the perfect place in the city; there's a dressmakers which specialises in unique, one-off pieces. They'll be able to make something perfect for you.'
'Hmm,' Alanna said. 'I just want to get through tonight... Mithros, I'm terrified.'
'Don't be,' Cythera said. 'I'll introduce you to people. There's a lovely girl, about twenty three, twenty four, called Delia. She's from Eldorne, and she knows everything that goes on at court, trust me. She'll be able to find you partners for the first ball.'
'Good,' Alanna shrugged, 'as I was terrified I'd end up dancing with Thom for the whole evening.'
'You won't. Oh, you have to meet Gary- Gareth of Naxen, I mean. He's wonderful,' Cythera grinned. 'He's wickedly funny! If you ever end up dancing with him at a ball, he'll spend the whole time you two are together making snide comments about other people. And his father, Duke Gareth, is such a dear. I was seated next to him at my first banquet and he could see how nervous I was, so he just talked to me for ages about my home, because he'd known my father when they were training to be knights.'
As Cythera chattered, Alanna felt her nerves steadying. She could do this. She had not been at the Convent of the Mother Goddess for six years and learned nothing. She didn't have to worry about anything to do with the meal- she knew which knife to use for fish, and which spoon to use for soup; or indeed about when to arrive or leave (arrive five minutes after the bell or gong has rung, and depart twenty minutes after pudding has been served). She just had to maintain a level of conversation which was acceptable to those on either side of her.
'How is the banquet hall laid out?' Alanna asked Cythera as they descended for the meal, Alanna dressed in pale lavender silk which set off her eyes, and Cythera in dark blue velvet.
'There's two long tables for court, and then another high table where the Royal Family and selected guests sit. You won't be invited to sit up there until after your formal introduction at the ball.'
'Thank goodness for that,' Alanna sighed. 'I'm so nervous as it is.' And it was true; the butterflies were rising up in her stomach, and as they arrived at the doorway to the Great Hall, she was thoroughly relieved to see her brother standing there with a group of young knights who were obviously his friends.
'Ah, Alanna,' Thom said, smiling when he saw his sister approaching with Cythera. 'Gentlemen, may I introduce my sister, Lady Alanna of Trebond? You already know Lady Cythera of Elden.' Turning to his sister, he said, 'Alanna, may I introduce Sir Alexander of Tirragen, Sir Raoul of Goldenlake, Sir Gareth the Younger of Naxen, and his Highness Prince Jonathan of Conté.' And there they stood; almost exactly as her brother had described them. She curtseyed neatly, and all of them, even Prince Jonathan, bowed.
'Ah, Lady Cythera,' Gary said, his voice teasing. 'The last time we met for the banquet, it was that most delicious cured venison which you seemed to find so irritable. Alas! Tonight it is venison again.' Cythera smiled somewhat icily.
'Than I hope they have had the sense not to try to smoke it to death, this time,' she said, pronouncing every single syllable so clearly that Alanna almost gaped at her.
'Lady Alanna, your brother informs me that you are an excellent archer. Will we have the opportunity to see you participate in the ladies' archery tournament at the end of this month?' That was Alex of Tirragen, and Alanna, mouth dry, wondering how on earth she could get out of performing in public, said,
'I should love to partake in the tournament; however, I am afraid that I failed to bring my bow from Fief Trebond.'
'That will not be a problem,' Jonathan said almost immediately, and Alanna turned to him, startled. 'There are excellent armouries here at the palace,' he said quietly. 'A bow can be made to your specifications in a very short space of time.'
'Thank you, your Highness,' Alanna stuttered, and curtseyed again.
'Come, sister,' Thom said, and led her into the banquet hall after saying farewell to his friends. 'That wasn't so bad, was it?' he hissed.
'No,' Alanna admitted, 'but Thom, you know I hate performing in public! And now I've got to go to this wretched tournament...'
'You don't have to,' Thom argued.
'I do; any excuse I had was taken from me by Prince Jonathan,' Alanna said, then gasped as she entered the banquet hall. It was huge; the two long tables at which most of the court was seated were crammed with people, and the sheer number of them almost floored her. 'I can't cope with this,' she said, faintly.
'Yes you can,' Thom said, and gently steered her to her seat. 'Cythera's opposite you this evening; I'm next to her, and on the other side of her is Raoul. You're between Gary and Alex.' When Alanna opened her mouth to protest at being flung in at the deep end of the social world, Thom merely glared at her. 'You're a Trebond. You're my sister. You'll be fine.'
By the time the soup course was finished, Alanna was certain of two things. Firstly, that her brother was a very, very popular young man. He seemed to hold the whole end of the table spellbound with his conversation, and Alanna was exceedingly grateful for that as it allowed her to make slightly more gentle additions to the conversation, which that evening seemed to revolve somewhat around old tales of their childhood at Trebond. The second certainty in Alanna's mind was that court was where she wanted to be. Whatever bug had bitten Cythera of Elden, it had bitten her too, and hard. The buzz of everybody around her, the pretty clothes, the civilised conversation, and the admiring glances thrown at her by young men... all these were contributing to Alanna's certainty.
'You look lost,' Gary said to her gently in the middle of the game course, which was the cured venison (which in Alanna's opinion was delicious). Alanna struggled briefly.
'Oh, it's just... so different to home, and to the convent, that's all,' she said, smiling wanly. 'I'm sure I'll be used to it in time.'
After the meal, Alanna retired with Cythera to the Elden apartments, which were, Alanna noted worriedly, far larger than the Trebond apartments. However, that was not her greatest concern at that moment; what she needed to do, with Cythera, was to gossip and enquire.
'Who was that pretty girl with the green eyes and dark blonde hair sitting at the end of our table nearest the Royal Family?' she asked. Cythera grimaced.
'Princess Josiane of the Copper Islands,' she said, as if the words were poison in her mouth. 'She arrived about a week after I did, and she's after poor old Jon with a vengeance. But she still hasn't been formally introduced, so she can't get what she wants- a seat at the high table and a good, honeyed whisper in the Queen's ear.' Cythera sighed, and gazed out of the window. 'She's trouble if I ever saw it. Oh, but Gary was funny tonight! He kept making faces at me throughout the game course; I could barely stop myself laughing.'
'You like him, don't you?' Alanna said, appraisingly.
'Is it obvious?' Cythera asked, and when Alanna nodded, she grinned. 'He's so lovely. Oh, I wish this dratted ball would hurry up! We can't dance at the weekly balls until we've been properly announced, and I do so want to dance with him.'
'The ball's the least of my worries,' Alanna said, 'I've gone and got myself roped into this archery contest.'
'Don't worry about that,' Cythera said. 'You're an excellent archer, and you know it. Worry about the ball instead. That's productive, at least.'
