People looked as Kel and Zonta rode forward into the city. They were unlike anyone these peasants had ever seen before.
Kel looked down at a guard standing in the road, keeping an eye on the peasants. "You there!" She said. "Excuse me!"
He marched over to her. "Yes, my lady?"
Kel smiled, though the guard could probably not see it through her cloak. "Pray tell, how can I get to the palace?" She knew exactly where it was, of course, but Ahndraya, ambassador of Chatra did not.
"Straight up that road, my lady." He said, pointing up the road they were walking up. "Would you like a guide?"
Kel nodded respectfully. "That would be wonderful, thank you."
So the guard led them up the road towards the palace. Zonta gasped when she saw it. She was used to the small palace of the king of Chatra, large enough only for the kings family and staff, as well as having room for social gatherings, not this great mass of gigantic buildings, large enough to house probably a few thousand people at a time.
They walked right up to the palace and dismounted. A herald at the doors approached them.
Kel passed the guard a silver coin, and he bowed and was on his way down the road, whistling as he went.
The herald offered to take the horses. Kel thanked him.
"Their names are Tiergan and Vega." Kel said. "Please make sure they are given a good home."
The herald bowed. "Not to worry, my lady. Stefan handles horses wonderfully."
Kel thanked him and walked briskly up the stairs, Zonta close behind.
When they were inside, Kel was told that she could indeed be granted an audience with the king, and would she kindly see him right away?
Kel nodded again. "Of course." She said.
The herald thanked her. "He has a small opening right now, in fact. Visiting dignitaries is always on the top of his list."
Moments later, they were admitted into a large room where the king was waiting for them.
"Welcome to Tortall, Lady Ahndraya." He said.
Kel curtsied deeply, and Zonta bowed behind her.
"I am sorry there is not a bigger reception waiting for you, we did not receive your messenger."
Kel shook her head. "Thank you, your majesty, but I did not send one."
Jon looked a bit shocked, but quickly covered it. "Of course. I am King Jonathan of Conte, and I welcome you to Tortall. I understand you come from the island of Chatra?" He asked. He pronounced the name harshly. Kel had at first, as well, but had quickly been instructed otherwise.
"Yes your majesty, but it is pronounced Sha-ra." She said. "There are no sharp sounds in it."
Jonathan nodded. "Ah. So sorry. Well, since you are obviously staying a while, and you have traveled far, I suggest you get some rest, and we discuss any issues you bring tomorrow?"
Kel nodded once. She had perfected the noble nod now; one slow nod, head cocked to the side.
Jon smiled. "Wonderful. I hope you enjoy your stay with us."
"What do you think?" Kel asked when they were alone in their room.
Zonta let out a low whistle. "I must say, Lady Ahndraya, it is beautiful." She said. "Just make sure you get lost a few times."
Kel laughed. "Whatever you say, Zonta."
Just then, there was a knock on the door. When Zonta opened it, a young messenger boy handed her an invitation.
"It's a ball." Kel said when she read it. "They are having a welcome ball for me."
Zonta clapped her hands. "That is wonderful!" She said.
Kel shook her head glumly. "I will never get to see my friends if I have to sit with the king!" She groaned.
Zonta sighed. "But now you will be recognizable to them." She said.
They discussed it for a while, and many other things. They lost track of time, and suddenly, it was very late, and time for them to go to sleep.
Kel did not sleep well that night. She worried much, about what her friends would say when they met her, about how she would approach them, about the chance of them seeing through her.
Zonta gathered breakfast the next morning and brought it back to the room.
She sat the tray down on the table silently.
Kel looked at her. "What's wrong?" She asked. Zonta was especially quiet. She was staring at the ground fiddling with the ties on her cloak, which she now pulled off.
"I saw him." She said when she got it off.
Kel felt herself grow cold. "Are you sure?" She asked.
Zonta nodded. "I am sure. He looked right." She looked up at Kel's silent face. "I know it was him, Lady Ahndraya!" She said, leaning forward. "I could not stand it any more. I approached him."
Kel winced. "Zonta, I can't believe you!" She said.
Zonta looked at her pleadingly. "I didn't tell him anything, I promise!" She said. "I just saw him and asked him where the dining hall was. He walked me there."
Kel sighed.
Zonta smiled. "I asked him his name, and he told me it was Dom." She looked at Kel with a glint in her eye. "He was very nice."
Kel gaped at her. "You flirted with my husband?" She cried.
Zonta laughed. "Of course not," she said, "I told her that I worked with you, and he didn't say anything. He did not seem very interested in me, don't worry."
Kel sighed. "You are so lucky, Zonta, that I am not ripping you apart."
"I asked him one other thing," Zonta said, biting her lip. "I asked him when he was practicing. I told him that we were very interested in the sport in Tortall."
Kel glared at her. Zonta just smiled innocently. "When does he practice?" Kel said with a sigh.
Zonta jumped up and clapped her hands. "After breakfast!" She squealed. "Oh, let's go now, Lady Ahndraya!"
Kel laughed. Zonta was acting like a little girl. But when Kel thought about it, she realized Zonta was a little girl, only seventeen years old.
They tied their cloaks back on and walked down to the practice courts, giggling. When they go to the door, Zonta whispered to Kel, "lost."
Kel smiled. Someone was walking up behind her. "Excuse me," she said, "can you please tell me how to get to the practice courts?"
She caught herself before she gasped. Yuki smiled at her. "Of course," she said, smiling. "I am heading down there now. My name is Yukimi."
Kel nodded. "Thank you, I am Lady Ahndraya, and this is my attendant, Lady Zonta." She said. Zonta and Kel bowed to Yuki, who bowed back.
"Where are you from?" Yuki asked, stealing glances at Kel's garb.
"Chatra. It is an island far off of the western coast."
"Oh!" Yuki said. "I am from a western island as well! The Yamani Islands, they are called. But it is not nearly as far away."
Kel smiled. "I have heard of your people." She said. "I cannot say I know very much," she said. "But I learned how to use a glaive when I was young. My grandfather had traveled to the Yamani Islands. I think that was where it was." She said.
Yuki nodded happily. "That is the one," she said. "Though I have not been there in a very long time. I have been living here with my husband and daughter for many years."
"Oh," Zonta said, "You have a daughter? How old is she?"
Yuki smiled. "She is eight years old next month." She said. "We are very proud of her." She sighed. "She says that she wants to be a knight. Alanna the Lioness is her idol." Her smile flickered. Kel felt a flicker of hope. Yuki was thinking of her! Talk of her daughter becoming a knight reminded Yuki of Kel, even after all this time!
"I am actually headed to the stables," Yuki said. "But the practice courts are right down there." The three of them bowed to each other, and they were on their way.
Zonta squeezed Kel's hand. "Don't worry, Lady Ahndraya." She whispered. "She was kind to you. She was happy to speak to you."
Kel took a deep breath and stepped forward.
They walked down the shallow slope to the courts. As they passed a patch of trees and looked upon the courts, Kel stopped in her tracks.
She felt a sharp pain in her chest and could not breathe.
"Breathe!" Zonta hissed. "Fainting in front of him will not make a good impression!"
Kel took a deep breath, then another. She could see Dom standing, leaning against the railing, watching two other knights fight with swords. She could see him lazily draping his arm over the railing, his legs crossed, his hair tousled from activity.
Slowly, they walked down to the courts. The knights that were fighting stopped and watched them walk, as did Dom and a few others that were standing there.
Kel felt their eyes on her, their whispering breath. She took a step forward until she was close enough to them to talk.
Dom smiled. "Good morning, lady." He said. "You must be Lady Ahndraya." He pushed himself off of the railing as Kel nodded jerkily. "Welcome to Tortall." He bowed. "I am Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle."
One of the knights in the ring shouted, "he's Dom!"
Kel smiled. The knight in the ring wiped his brow and grinned at her. "I'm Neal." He said.
Kel smiled broadly. The other three knights introduced themselves as Merric, Owen, Raoul, and Fhire. Kel was glad that her face was covered by her cloak, because she would have looked completely insane if she had not.
"I am very pleased to meet you." she said, bowing to them.
"Excuse us, my lady," Fhire said, "but we have some challenges to deal with."
Kel smiled. "May I watch?" Fhire nodded, and Kel stood in behind the fence, with Owen and Fhire inside. She stood behind Dom.
She did not realize it, but as she watched the fight, Dom was watching her. "You look interested." He said, afterwards. "Do you know how to fight?"
Kel nodded slowly. "I have been using swords for many years," she said, "since I was a young girl."
Dom grinned. "Would you like to give it a go?"
She looked him in the eye. "Why not." She said.
She ducked under the railing into the ring. "Give me a moment." She said. Her fingers quick, she untied her cloak and handed it to Zonta.
No one expected her to take it off; they all assumed it was something she needed to wear all the time. She smiled. "No sense in keeping it on." He said.
She was given a wooden sword, as was Dom. They readied themselves in the starting position.
"This must be a wonderful welcome." Dom said.
Kel smiled. "The best there is." With that, they began. Kel anticipated Dom's every move. She blocked or dodged every shot, and proceeded to push Dom against the railing, then knock him over. She moved quickly and nimbly, faster than anyone, including herself, thought she could do in a dress.
Out of breath and tired, Kel declined offers from the other knights to fight. Dom held out his hand for her. "Good match." He said. "And I hope you enjoy your stay here."
Kel smiled. "Thank you, Dom." His name sounded strange in her mouth. She had said it to the dark expanses of the night so many times, but now she was calling him by his name. It was odd.
She tied her cloak back up and walked up the long slope to the palace.
Zonta hugged her when they got back to the room. "You did wonderfully!" She cried. "They love you!"
Kel smiled weakly. "I guess so."
-----
Dom watched Lady Ahndraya walk back up the hill with her attendant.
Neal came and leaned on the fence beside him. "She was good." He said, also watching her.
Dom nodded blankly. "She was. Her fighting style reminded me of someone, but I don't know who."
Neal shrugged. "I couldn't tell you."
Dom shook his head. "She is a mystery."
-----
That night, Kel went to the ball, just as was planned.
She did not exactly know how the meal was going to work- until a boy in a page's uniform came to retrieve her before dinner.
"I have come to show you to your table, my lady." He said, bowing deeply.
Kel smiled weakly. "And Zonta, of course?"
The boy looked nervous. "I'm not sure... you would have to check with the king."
Kel nodded. "Of course. Thank you." The boy led them down the hallway to the dining hall, and into it, where she was then led up to the head table.
The king stood up. "Welcome." He said, bowing.
Kel smiled. "Your majesty, I must ask. Is there a spot at this table for Zonta?"
Jon looked at the table quickly. "I'm afraid not, my lady. But we can make room!" He clapped his hands, and a page came running. "Please bring another setting." He said. The page nodded and a moment later, another chair and table setting was brought in.
"Well," said the king, "I am sorry for the inconvenience."
Kel smiled. "Not at all, your majesty." She said. "The grounds here are beautiful, I must say. I quite enjoyed walking them."
The king smiled. "Thank you," he said. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."
Kel, much to her disinterest, spent the evening discussing economics and politics with the king.
But it was not all lost. As Kel was leaving the table that night, someone walked up behind her and Zonta.
"Well, Lady Ahndraya," Neal said, "we saw how bored you were. Personally, I can understand. You talked about politics, right?"
Kel nodded, and Neal grinned. "Wonderful. We are here to relieve you of your boredom. If you want it, of course."
She smiled. "That would be wonderful." She said. "I must say, I did not hide it very well, did I?"
Dom shrugged. "Just not well enough for us." He said. "I hope you don't mind us acting like this. Seeing as you are a visiting dignitary, and such."
Kel shook her head. "I don't have a problem at all. That sounds very enjoyable."
Kel followed them down the hallway, thinking. She was having serious problems with keeping herself hidden, and serious problems with not being Dom's wife. She looked at him every chance she could. She tried to talk to him, without giving anything away. She went back to her room that night and lay on her bed, holding back tears. When she was sure that Zonta was asleep, Kel let the tears flow from her. Her whole body ached from stopping herself from running into his arms.
She had to do something about the situation.
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Well, there's another chapter! Hurrah!
GrapeStarburst: ha ha! NEVER! Jokes. It will happen, someday soon. Don't worry! Hmm.. maybe I will go to another story and leave you all on edge for a while... jokes!
Wake-Robin: It is good to see her! I am trying to include her more...I've got such a kickass idea!
Ossini: I will!
Laelai: thanks! Not much is happening here, I don't know what I am going to put in the next two or three chapters (as that is how long I want this to last, round abouts), so it might take me a while. Plus, I ended on a non cliff hanger... very bad!
Well, I don't know how long this will take. I am having some trouble with this story and with Aftermath, so I might work on my Harry Potters while I'm thinking. We'll see!
"Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words - "mank" and "ind". What do these words mean ? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind."
-unolimbo