Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character or places.
Contrary to most people's belief, Keladry of Mindelan did not hate wearing dresses. She even liked them sometimes. What she did have an objection to was standing around for three hours while Lalasaa poked, pulled, probed and fitted a dress. She could have practice jousting! Or swordplay with Alanna. Or something more useful than sitting around gossiping about what colour looked good on who.
She also objected to dresses that were so tightly fit that she couldn't really breathe. Or when the neckline was so low she felt like her breasts were going to fall out.
She had not been given any choices on her dresses. Since she had informed Yuki that she had gotten herself a date, just like she had been ordered too, Yuki had dragged her all over Corus to make sure she impressed her date.
Yuki had bought her high heels, which Kel couldn't walk in, a shawl to match with her dress and jewellery.
Throughout the day Yuki kept asking who her date was. But Kel refused to tell. Kel and Dom had talked about it and had finally decided; they would go to the ball together! They were going to come down the stairs arm in arm and dance the night away.
Yuki noticed that Kel had a dreamy look on her face, so she didn't bother to strike up a conversation. But she had a fairly good idea at who was causing her good friend such a 'in love' look. She was certain a pair of blue eyes were involved.
"Please tell me!"
"I'm not going to tell you Meathead!"
"Please!"
"No"
"Why not?"
"Because... I want the element of surprise! I want to see your face when you see the gorgeous vision of a woman that will be on my arm tonight!"
"Can't beat Yuki"
"Sure can!"
"Want to bet?"
"Sure! My date will turn more head than yours" said Dom
"Nope! My date is better than yours" replied Neal
"No mine is better than yours!"
"Can't be! Mine is better"
"OW" yelled both men. Neither had noticed that Yuki and Kel had walked in and Yuki had proceeded to whack them with her shukusen.
"What are you boys arguing about?" asked Kel
"Who has the most head turning date for tonight!" said Dom "I said I did!"
"You have a date?" asked Kel "Who?"
"That my dear protector of the Small, I will keep secret until you and everyone in the ballroom will turn their heads to see how magnificent she is!"
From the corner of his eye he saw Yuki and Neal exchange a glance. Apparently they had thought that him and Kel were going together and now they weren't so sure.
"A new court lady?" she asked
"You could say that! She is new at court!" replied Dom. "What about you Lady Knight? Do you have a date?"
"I most certainly do!" she replied "But I, like you, will not tell!" she finished with a grin.
Dom raised an eyebrow "Won't you?"
"No!" she replied "and I can tell you my date is better looking than all of your dates!" she told them. After all she did have the greatest looking man as her date!
"Impossible!" replied Dom with a grin. "Mine is amazingly gorgeous, perfect, beautiful and just amazing!" Only Dom saw Kel's blush.
"My date is the most amazing and most beautiful woman ever! You can't beat that" said Neal
Yuki rolled her eyes at their childish ways. "You guys never grow up do you?" she asked them.
"I'll let you know, beautiful wife, that I am a man and I'm very mature. This is merely a ..."
"Meathead, we all know you are immature" said Dom.
"It is my fate to be misunderstood! Such a ugly fate that is!" he cried to no one in particular.
"Now if you boys..."
"As I just informed you, I am a man" said Neal.
"As I was saying, if you BOYS would excuse me I have to go and get ready!" finished Kel.
As Kel started to walk away Neal screamed after her "Won't you tell me who you are going with?"
Kel looked over her shoulder "No" and kept walking.
Kel had gone to the bath again. There she had seen Lucy, Leia, Maria and Alice again. They kept asking her questions about her squiredom and knighthood. She answered all their questions while they gently massaged her scalp with shampoo. Still not sure she deserved that treatment, she protested at first. They had nicely informed her that she wasn't going to protest and that they would do it.
They were nicely chatting away when she looked at the clock. "Oh No I'm late!" she cried as she rushed to go get dry.
"Where do you have to be?" Lucy asked her.
"Well I have to be at the ball tonight and I need to get ready! The ball is in three hours and I have to go eat and get ready!"
"We'll help you!" cried Alice
"What?" she asked.
"Go eat, we'll come to your room and make you ready!" said Alice.
"But..."
"No buts" that was Leia "We'll help you!"
She looked at all four of them in the eyes "Thank you" she said sincerely. She hugged all of them and rushed to the mess hall to grab something to eat.
King Jonathan, Queen Thayet, Alanna, Raoul, Buri, all of Kel's friend, most of Thirs company, Daine, Numair, Lord Wyldon, George and many other were sitting together in the mess hall.
"So are they together yet?" asked Thayet.
"No!" replied several people angrily.
"Well, they'll end up together by the end of tonight!" said Neal.
"Who bet on tonight?" asked George.
Wolset checked the list that contained more than a thousand name. "The Queen, Princess Shinko, Sir Neal and Sir Seaver"
"I'll make so much money tonight!" yelped Neal.
Dom was grinning has he strode down the hall towards Kel's room. He couldn't wait to dance with her. He had donned his formal clothes and was now knocking on Kel's door.
"Come in!" she yelled.
As he walked in, he was mesmerized by the beauty that stood before him. He always thought that Kel was pretty, but tonight, in his mind, was gorgeous. He also noticed that he was slightly biased. Yes she was pretty, but she wasn't the most beautiful woman at court. Her shoulder were too large and her arms to muscular. She didn't have amazing curves either. But he guessed that beauty was an opinion. What he found beautiful someone else could find ugly.
He used to love small woman, with tiny waist that he could wrap his arms around and long flowing hair. Now his taste had changed. He loved tall woman, with strong shoulder, toned body and hazel eyes.
Tonight she was wearing a green dress. The dress was... beautiful too say the least. It looked like it was just two cloths of silk intertwined together. They were wrapped tightly around her stomach several time, to accent her smaller waist, and then moved to cover her breasts and finally be tied behind her neck. This made her seem like her shoulder were smaller. The skirts were just flaring out around her and reached the floor.
Her hair was pulled up into a lovely bun with strands falling out. She had even put a little bit of face paint on. Nothing like some court ladies who covered their faces with kohl and other product; No she just put a little bit of green eye shadow to make the hazel in her eye come out, and a little bit of lip rouge to make her lips look sensually glossy and pink.
She was standing with her back to him, looking in the mirror, putting on earbobs. Earbobs? She had her ear pierced?
"Lucy, Alice, Leia and Maria pierced them today. Maria told me that Her Majesty and Buri did the same to Alanna when she was a new knight to and she fainted" she informed him. It was evident in her eyes that she was shocked her hero had fainted while getting her ear pierced.
"Who are Maria, Alice, Lucy and Leia?" he asked
"Oh just women I met while bathing." She replied "They are so nice, they helped me get ready"
She turned toward him and her eyes bulged out in shock. She took in his appearance and told him "You look amazing! I told you guys I had the greatest date!"
He smiled at her. "No, I have to say that I have the greatest date! Look at you! You look amazing!"
She smiled at him "But, I can't breathe or walk!"
He laughed "Just lean on me" he whispered conspiratorially.
She smiled at him and walk up to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist. "I love you" she whispered.
"I love you too" he informed her. He put his hands gently on waist and drew her mouth up to his. As they parted he whispered "Ready to go shock Meathead?"
This is a chapter where nothing really happens! :( it's just a little anticipation for the next chapter, where the BALL will happen! Please give me feedback! Love you all!