A/N-Kudos to my reviewers-Dark.Angel.of.Tortal-007, Lela-of-Bast, Daine's Twin and Daine's daughter. This chapter is dedicated to the four of them. They gave me my warm fuzzy feeling.
Disclaimer- I never have and never will own the characters.
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Kalasin knew that it had been three years since Daine had wrecked havoc among the palace; it looked liked it had been three days.
The entire west wing was being rebuilt. Dust and soot covered both the ground and air. Men were shouting, dogs were barking, and chaos reined. A massive ditch in the ground to her left marked where the Astronomer's tower had been.
She was on the docks, waiting for something to happen. They had easy passage, and had arrived a day early. No one had appeared to notice that the soon-to-be Empress was watching the building. Since Tortallan ships frequently went in and out of the harbor to trade silk, no one thought anything unusual of it.
She had been told to bring almost nothing personal to Carthak, since it would either out of style or out of date. And the Empress simply could not have something personal.
She had only two bags, and no servants. That was it.
Tortall was now a distant country, along with its people. Her friends, family and everything she once knew was now her past.
And she was thirteen.
She was to rule a country.
Finally, one of the skippers came up beside her.
"Yeh might wanta tell 'em ur here. Majesty," he said as an afterthought.
"I must thank you for the passage. Send my regards to your captain," she said, voice formal.
"Aye. Good luck, Majesty. I'd send some un' with yeh, but I haven't a foggiest to whom!"
" Understood. Good luck to you to."
He walked away. She picked up her bags, one in each hand, and began searching for someone or something to tell her where she should be.
She walked over to where she saw a regal-looking man overseeing something done on the Astronomer's Tower. He wore a yellow tunic with full, billowing sleeves with a red vest overtop. His cape clashed horribly with its red and purple insignia. His scepter marked him as a member of the Katchéà family. Kalsasin had learned in her studies that the Katchéà family was the Tortallan equivalent of a family in the Book of Gold.
"Excuse me," she said, trying to have some sort of dignity. "Where…should I be?"
He looked at her, while still carrying on a conversation with a worker, obviously distressed. A look of disgust came upon his face.
"I cannot worry about your problems, my dear. The princess is arriving tomorrow, and we simply must clean this place up!"
She sighed.
"And what if the princess is already here?"
He swore.
"Is she? Where? Take me to her. By the Graveyard Hag, why does this always happen to me? And at the worst possible time!" He started having a conniption. "Is that a Tortallan ship in the harbor? It is! It is! Where is the princess?"
Silence, with the exception of the massive amounts of noise around them.
"You're looking at her."
"What do you mean? The only person I'm looking at is…you."
"Well your eyes work. How about your brain?" Kalasin didn't even regret that remark. She could do whatever she wanted.
He stiffened.
"Well I never!" he muttered. "I think someone should put you in your place!"
Some of the men working around them started to listen in. No one had ever talked to a member of the Katchéà family like that before. They were enjoying it, especially how a girl was doing it.
"My place?" she retorted. "My place is higher than you could ever dream."
"Why would I dream about living in the streets, eating naught but rats!"
She was tempted beyond belief to slap him.
"What," she said, through clenched teeth, "is your name?"
"I highly doubt that you will ever need nor use it. But so you can have a story to tell your lice-infected friends, tell them that Lukiem Hashamr of the family Katchéà spoke to you. I would tell you the rest of my titles, although I don't think your short-term memory could hold all of that information."
"Thank you. I appreciate your time. Now, back to my question. Where should I be? And before another stupid answer come out of your mouth, think I about this: I am the princess."
Silence, including every worker. This was a nasty surprise.
"Well I be darned," someone exclaimed.
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A/N-Sorry about the wait. It's summer vacation! But anyways, I do know the plot, although I am completely open to any suggestions. It will hopefully end up being K/K.
Yesterday I ran into a pole. About 20 times. The thing is, it was the same pole. Long story. Anyways, tomorrow is my birthday! Yay! Although I'm not sure if I got enough warm&fuzzy feelings, a.k.a. REVIEW!