---------------Alter-Ego---------------
Chapter 3

She couldn't recall his name, but she remembered his face. He had been a senior page a year or two ago. Presumably he was a squire now, back at the castle with his knight master during a lull in the bandit season. She had never been very good friends with him but she had thought him kind and strong from what little she had seen of him.

She pulled herself together and mustered a tiny smile. "It's a little embarrassing, but I'm new to court and I don't know where I am at all..."

He grinned. She noted his short, scruffy hair was a darker brown than it had been when he was a page. "I'm Yancen of Irenroha. I know my way round the palace better than most – I'm a squire. The corridors around here are a little daunting. Listen, if you don't know how to get about, I could escort you to the ballroom. That way you won't get lost."

"You're too kind, thank you," she accepted after a short pause. The monstrous difficulty of the hours ahead suddenly hit her – she didn't know anything about the manners she would be expected to use or the way she ought to walk and sit. Dancing wouldn't be too much of a problem; all the pages learnt dancing and she'd known a little from home as well. If she observed the other court ladies, she might be able to copy them and scrape by.

As she took Yancen's offered arm, he looked at her closely and, after a moment of silence, asked her name. Mind frantically whirring, she hid her stuttering, swallowed hard and invented, "Mia of... Polar's Cliff."

She had once known a girl named Mia in the Yamani Isles, a very pretty little girl with strange amber-orange eyes. Kel therefore thought that, as her own eyes were now a similar caramel hue, it was ironically appropriate. Polar's Cliff had spewed from her mouth without her thinking; it seemed oddly familiar. She hoped desperately that it wasn't familiar because it was in Tortall or the learning curriculum of the pages' academic lessons.

"Mia... a beautiful name. But Polar's Cliff? I don't think I recognise it..."

"It's in Galla," Kel supplied quickly. "I lived there before coming to the Tortallan convent."

Yancen looked at her in a way that made Kel feel uncomfortable. "You should tell me about Galla. I'd like to go there one day."

I'd love to, but there's one tiny little problem; I've never been there in my life...

Kel let the edges of her lips curl up sweetly and answered, hoping it wouldn't sound rude, "Maybe another time?"

He smiled back slyly. "That sounds like a plan... I'll look forward to it."

As they reached a crowd of nobles waiting to be announced, Yancen was distracted, and Kel looked to the side and let her mortification slip through. What she'd just said was practically flirting! And from the way he'd reacted, he certainly thought it was too...

Yancen led her through the crowd to the huge wooden doors, making a beeline for the herald. Kel realised they were skipping the entire queue. "Wait! Shouldn't we be waiting our turn like everyone else?"

Yancen grinned and tapped the side of his nose. "Tonight's herald is a friend of mine, and he owes me a favour," he explained.

He made to continue walking, but Kel held out her arm. "Please don't waste your favour on me," she said anxiously. She felt so phony underneath the wig and all the make-up and she hated to think that Yancen might waste something on someone who wasn't even real, just an ugly female page in disguise.

"Don't be ridiculous," he insisted, stepping round her arm. "I want to."

Kel supposed that would probably be something her sisters would describe as "sweet", if you could compare a boy to honey or anything similarly sugary. I probably wouldn't describe him as 'sweet', she thought, but he is very kind.

He took her silence as one of acceptance and exchanged a few words with the herald. The next thing Kel knew, she had taken his arm and they were standing at the top of the grand staircase, gazing down at the heads of everyone else. A few faces looked up at them. Kel recognised one or two, but she couldn't see Neal or any of her other friends.

"A bit daunting, isn't it?" Yancen murmured out the corner of his mouth. "Just smile, it'll be over soon." He reached across with his other arm and patted her forearm reassuringly. Their names were called in the herald's clear, echoing voice.

Gliding down the steps, Kel saw more heads turning and noted (with distinct anxiety) that some were turning to whisper to their companions. She hoped that they were not muttering because she'd somehow screwed up her lady-act before the ball had barely even started.

The throng of nobles was almost overwhelming. As they reached the bottom, Yancen glanced up at the herald standing by the huge doors and smiled at him, and then he turned to Kel. "The music won't start for a while yet, so would you like to meet some of my fellow pages and squires?" he asked, a ghost of a smile on his face.

I've probably met most of them already, she thought jokingly, but replied, "Certainly," with as much enthusiasm as she could gather. He led her through the thriving crowd of nobles to a group of boys at the back, clumped together in their wait for the music to start. Apparently none of them had the courage to go up to speak to any of the ladies until the musicians began to play.

As they approached, she saw one of the tallest of them turn, see them, and nudge a couple of the boys beside him. Kel swallowed hard. She was more nervous than she had expected to be.

"Hey Yancen!" one of the boys greeted. Kel saw it was Faleron of King's Reach. "Long time no see!"

"Yeah, I've been out in the east fighting a wave of bandits," he said casually. Quickly he glanced sideways at Kel as though only just remembering that she was on his arm and his voice changed to a more polite tone. "Everyone, this is Mia of Polar's Cliff. She's new to court."

Kel curtsied on cue and a few of the others bowed back, introducing themselves, complimenting her dress or her hair, and kissing her hand. Kel attempted to smile and laugh politely and curtsey again at all the right times. Among the group of boys were Faleron, Neal, Merric and a few other boys she didn't know well. She didn't think she could remember their names, so she hoped that they wouldn't ask her to dance.

Neal hovered over to Yancen's side. "Did you see Roald when you were coming down the staircase?" he asked Yancen, but he was looking at Kel.

Yancen regarded Neal for a moment, and then replied in an emotionless tone, "No, but I expect he's with the King and the Tyran royalty."

"Oh," Neal said lightly, seemingly unhurt by Yancen's blank, slightly unfriendly voice. "I was thinking I could introduce Lady Mia to him, but if he's with the King we can hardly interrupt."

Oh, Kel thought, realisation dawning. Neal had been trying to draw her away from Yancen, or at least get her attention. Several conflicting emotions bombarded her; a strange tingling from all the looks and attention she was getting, warmth at the idea of Neal wanting to spend time with her, and dismay at the way she was enjoying it all. I shouldn't be happy about Neal, she told herself sternly. He only sees another pretty face.

"Would you like to come and get something to drink, Lady Mia?" Yancen asked quickly, already edging away from Neal.

"Yes, thank you," she replied gratefully. Her nerves were making her mouth extremely dry. She paused for a moment, and then added, "But please, just call me Mia." Kel couldn't think of a valid reason for her request, so she didn't add one. Instead she tried to pound it into her head that Mia was her name; she was petrified that, when someone said her name, she wouldn't understand they were talking to or about her, or that she'd say, "Who? Me?" or something similarly dimwitted.

Kel asked for wine when Yancen enquired as to what she wanted, and he retrieved two glasses from a nearby servant. Sipping from her glass, Kel decided the drink tasted disgusting, which was just as well as she definitely did not want a hangover in the morning. Suddenly, from behind her, a chord was struck, and a lonely flute began a melody. Other instruments began to join. Soon the room became a heaving mass as couples moved to the dance floor. Yancen asked her to dance, and Kel agreed, if only for the excuse to give her wine back to the servant.

"I hope you're not going to judge me for my dancing," Kel said quickly as he took one of her hands. "It wasn't really one of my strong points at the convent."

"I'm sure you're not nearly as bad as you think," he replied, smiling charmingly. She smiled back, hoping her nerves weren't showing; he was a little too close for her comfort.

He made small-talk as they danced. After a while, though, she grew bored of it. Instead of talking about anything interesting like his training or even bragging about all the bandits he'd killed, he mentioned a few events at court and enquired about her journey to Corus from the convent or how much she liked it at the palace. She was too nervous about possibly giving something away to ask about what a squire's life was like, so she politely answered all his questions and tried to keep an attentive look on her face while she daydreamed.

When the last note died away, Yancen told her that some of his friends would probably come to ask her to dance. Moments after he said it, a boy appeared at her side, and Yancen bowed to Kel and left.

"Hello," the boy beside her greeted, the voice making Kel's heart pound twice as hard. "Do you remember me from earlier? Yancen introduced you to my friends and I. I'm Nealan, though having said that, I'd much rather be called Neal."

"Neal... hmm, I think I remember you," Kel said, trying to add a subtle accent to her voice to disguise it.

"Well, I certainly remember you, Lady Mia. I spotted your beauty from afar, and I just had to come and ask -" Neal paused, grinning, and Kel briefly wandered how he got away with such comments, but then he finished, "would you perhaps honour me with a dance?"

Do I honestly have a choice? "Of course," Kel replied with a small smile, fighting to keep her stray emotion under check. Neal bowed again and began to move closer.

Oh Gods, Kel thought, heat flaring up her body as Neal positioned his hand on her hip. How am I going to get through this without blushing myself to death?

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Sorry for not updating sooner - I said it'd be up by the end of last week... I had English coursework, then I got a cold, and then on Friday Kingdom Hearts 2 came out in the UK (yay!). About the pairing: I have decided on one, but so many people mentioned KelRoald in their reviews that I'm not sure which to do. However, as I've already said, it WILL NOT be KN, KJ, KD, KC or KelYancen, no matter what. By the way, does anyone remember Yancen? I think he was mentioned once or twice in First Test/Page. Anyhoo, thanks to everyone for your reviews. Your response has been extremely helpful, but I'd like more feedback on the pairing if possible, please. I'll post the next chapter as soon as possible.