Kari
I sat under Ashkyla's chair which was to the right of her father, the place of honor, in honor of her birthday. On her other side was her mother and on the other side of her father was the King of Nirdan. Ashkyla's feet were clenching and unclenching as she drew them out of her slippers, showing her agitation to me at least, although I was positive no one at the table above noticed anything. I couldn't see what was going on, as I was under a chair, but I could see the two kings' knees moving together as if they were turning toward each other. Was that what was bothering my princess? Was it something they were talking about?
There wasn't much two kings would be talking about over dinner. Wars, peace, treaties, hunting, food? Ashkyla truly didn't like war, something expected of her, but unless they were talking about it in great detail, she wouldn't be this annoyed. She disliked hunting too, but whenever anyone began to talk about it she turned her attention elsewhere, a skill she used with a number of topics. Why, then, would this be bothering her?
I crept slowly from her chair towards theirs. I crouched just under the table, where they couldn't see me but I could hear them, and listened for their voices. It was very noisy in the hall, and they were trying to keep their voices down, but I managed to catch snatches of their conversation, as cats have hearing far superior to human's, otherwise Ashkyla would hear them too. Or perhaps she did. I immediately picked up that is was about her. 'Ashkyla is getting older…it is a good time…put off too long… good match.'
Match? The last bit caught my attention as it was said with a slight chuckle. Match? Perhaps the other king bred dogs, and along with the smooth cloth he meant to pair her up with a puppy. They were going to replace me! King Phillip had never liked me much, claiming I was a nuisance, always tripping people up, that I should be locked in the rooms upstairs. I listened again, trying to catch a wisp of sound, but they were just agreeing to discuss it further after dinner, before the ball.
Theirs knees turned forward again and I scampered back to Ashkyla, in time to hear her ask her mother if she could withdraw early in order to get ready for the ball, as she wished to have extra time on her hair. Her mother agreed, the bit about the hair most likely convincing her. Queen Taralia is forever worrying about her hair, wondering if its graying or drying out, buying ornate hats for days when she feels she has bed hair, and fairly piling it around her head in styles designed to show it off on days when she thinks it looks shiny. As Ashkyla got up and graciously excused herself to the rest of the table, I walked under her dress, hidden as she left the hall, something I had done often and was quite good at. Once she got to the stairs, away from the eyes of the guests, she picked me up and hurried upstairs, pulling her skirt up to allow her legs more movement.
Once we reached her room, she closed the door firmly behind her and began to pace, talking to me of her most recent worries, animatedly throwing her arms about.
"Oh Kari, my father means to marry me off. The way they were talking together and looking at me. As if I didn't notice! I'm not sure if it's to that king or to a son of his, but whoever it is this is terrible. I won't meet him most likely till my eighteenth birthday, and they could be simply dreadful. I've heard of girls told their betrothed is handsome and wonderful for years and when they finally meet them they are old and ugly and mean. Then they have to spend their whole lives with a leftover fantasy that was real for years with a horrible man as a reality. It would be an awful life!" Ashkyla looked seriously scared, practically walking in circles and waving her arms around. "I have to know what's going on. They'll probably be going to the gaming room. I… I'll put on that page's uniform and creep over to them, and try and listen in. I hope they don't have guards everywhere, but I need to know. And if I find out… well, then I can try and do something about it. Anything. Well… actually, the man I would marry would be king and thus have a rather important position, so I suppose he couldn't be too old. Still…"
While she had been planning, she had spun toward her closet and was digging through the heavy, ornate dresses towards the back, emerging finally with a bundle of cloth in her arms.
"I knew this would come in handy one day. I hope it fits." She tugged off her evening dress and under-gown (a garment which always confused me, although it's hardly the only piece of clothing which does) and pulled the blue and white tunic over her head then pulled up the leggings. She wound her long dark hair up into a sort of bun and held it up with one hand while groping in her closet for the large floppy hat that went with the uniform, which she pulled over her head.
She still looked like herself, only less dressed up and formal. And she was wearing boy's clothes, but she didn't look like a boy, even though the tunic was too large and didn't show her chest. She looked in the mirror, made a face, and pulled down her hat farther. Still unsatisfied, she took some water from the cup by her bed and rinsed off the colors she put on in the morning. Then she took some black coloring and made her eyebrows thicker and lightly shaded her upper lip. Now she looked strange, definitely not Ashkyla and just barely a boy. It would do if someone only glanced at her, but not if they looked too long too close.
She shrugged at her odd image and turned to me. "Do I look ok? I know my disguise wouldn't work forever, but it might just last for tonight. I hope no one looks at my feet. I don't have any shoes that would work. I'll go downstairs in a little while, I'm sure dinner will be over soon. I have an hour until the ball, and I'm sure my father and King Gandon will be in the gaming room by the time I get downstairs. But you have to stay here Kari. If they see you, it will be obvious who I am."
Stay here? This was much more important than lessons which I was allowed to come to, and yet I wasn't allowed to come now? I would simply have to follow at a distance without being seen. It was fairly easy. I watched Ashkyla leave, then close the door firmly behind her. Wait! I can't open a door that's completely closed; I won't be able to follow her. She did that on purpose. I really aught to sulk.
I jumped off the bed where I had sat through the whole thing and ran to the door, pawing at it to see if maybe it was just a little open. It wasn't. I began to pace back and forth next to the door, trying to think of other routes out. Then, from the hallway, I heard footsteps. It was Para! She opened the door and poked her head in.
"My lady? Are you here? Do you need help dressing? Hello?" As she opened the door fully, confused, I zipped out between her legs and almost flew down the stairs before stopping myself.