Sorry for the wait on this. My computer likes to be difficult. And sorry if anyone seems a little out of character, I haven't read this series in a while.

------

When Kel got out of her bath she put on the breastband and loincloth and walked out, Lalasa, her maid, had joined Orie an Adie. The minute she saw her, Lalasa pulled Kel into a tight hug.

"Oh, Lady Kel, your sisters told me that you have a date for the ball! Is it true?" she asked.

"Um, yeah it's true." Kel replied, feeling a little nervous. She hoped that none of the boys would act weird.

"You need to let her go, Lalasa. We have to get Kel ready." Orie said.

Lalasa immediately let her go with a gasp. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's ok, Lalasa." Adie said. She grabbed Kel and pointed at her desk chair. "Sit down."

Kel sat down with a groan. Adie and Orie walked towards her, wearing identical grins.

Orie dug into the bag they had brought with them and pulled out a brush as well as some unlabeled containers, which Adie grabbed.

When Kel saw the containers she started to get up out of the chair. "Adie, don't you dare put too much face paint on me."

Adie forced her back down into the chair. "Don't worry, I won't. You'll look beautiful. Those boys won't know what hit them."

Before Kel could say anything else Orie and Adie converged on her. Orie immediately attacked Kel's hair, brushing out all the tangles, while Adie applied face paint onto Kel.

-------

Kel stared at herself in the mirror. A beautiful lady with a tumble of brown curls and large hazel eyes stared back at her. Adie had been right; the face paint she'd put on wasn't very noticable at all. All it did was make her eyes and skin stand out more.

The color of the dress brought out gold highlights in her hair and the neckline bared her collarbone and neck, nothing more.

Orie looked at her critically. "Hmm. Needs something else. What do you think, Adie?"

Adie gasped and dug around in her bag. She pulled out a small black box and opened it. Inside was a necklace, a thin, delicate gold chain with a glass rose strung on it.

Kel gasped. "It's beautiful, Adie. But I can't take it, it's yours."

"No it's not." Adie said. "Me and Orie bought it. We were going to give it to you on your birthday but Orie's right. The dress does need something else to complete it." She got behind Kel and fastened it around her neck.

Kel turned around and hugged Adie, then Orie. "Thank you, both of you."

"You're welcome. Now go or you'll be late." Orie said and pushed Kel out the door.

-------

"So, Owen, who'd you ask to the ball?" Esmond of Nicoline asked.

"He asked Kel." Neal of Queenscove answered.

"Kel? Our friend Kel?" Seaver of Tasride asked. "As in Squire Keladry of Mindelan?"

"No, as in my sister Kel." Neal drawled. "Of course I mean our friend Kel."

"Wow. How'd you manage that?" asked Faleron of King's Reach.

Owen scowled at them. "I just asked her. She said yes. End of story. It's not that hard, you know."

Roald of Conte looked at them. "You guys shouldn't give him such a hard time. Or is it that you're jealous that he got to Kel first?"

"Wha - No - That isn't it!" Neal sputtered, turning red.

They were interrupted by a voice announcing "Squire Keladry of Mindelan." They all looked up and, as one, their jaws dropped when they saw Kel.

------

So what do you think? Good? Bad? Please review.