Chapter 4

"Its social season again!" Eliena sang, entering her parents' study.

"Don't remind me," the queen groaned. The queen, who had once been the lady knight known as "the Lioness", had always been known for her hatred of social events. It had surprised many of Alanna's friends that "Squire Alan"—as she had been known—would be queen—there were so many social responsibilities!

"But, mother, why ever not? We all know that social season is your favorite time of the year!" Eliena remarked, grinning wickedly. The Lioness glared at her daughter, who was becoming known as "the Tigress." Eliena glared good-naturedly back at her mother. Jonathan—King Jonathan IV of Conté—laughed. His wife and daughter had identical violet eyes. Soon, Alanna and Eliena were laughing along with him. "So, you said you wanted to see me." Eliena collapsed in one of the leather armchairs across from her parents.

"Eliena, that wasn't very ladylike," Alanna scolded.

"Since when do you care about 'ladylike'?" the king and his heir asked together. Alanna glared at them, and said nothing.

"So, why did you want to see me?" Eliena questioned again, bringing them back to the topic at hand.

"These." The king held up a stack of papers almost two inches thick.

"What are they?" Eliena marveled, as her father flipped through them, running his thumb over the edges.

"Invitation," Alanna replied. "To events and such. Some are from pages, squires, knights, or unmarried nobles wanting to escort you to various balls this season." Eliena made a face. "You realize you brought this upon you by getting rid of Neal's courtship."

Eliena shrugged. "It never would have worked anyway." Alanna sighed. When Eliena made up her mind, there was no changing it. "Anyway, what's that one?" Eliena pointed to a paper in the stack that's edge shined gold. Jonathan pulled it out and handed it to her.

His Most Serene Majesty Emperor Kaddar Iliniat of Carthak cordially invites Her Royal Highness Princess Eliena of Conté to a ball in honor of Her Highness's deeds to the Carthaki Empire.

She barely skimmed the rest of it. Kaddar was inviting her to a ball in her honor? She whistled. "I guess Carthak remembers me."

"You doubted it?" Jonathan asked. "Eliena, everyone knows of what happened in Carthak. You're practically a hero."

"What they aren't saying," Alanna put in, "is that you killed Ozorne." Eliena grinned.

"That might be it. So… can I go?" she asked. Jonathan glanced at the date and shook his head.

"No," he replied. "And don't make that face at me, Eliena. Don't tell me you've forgotten your own birthday! You'll be seventeen!" Eliena looked at the date again. It was her seventeenth birthday.

"Seventeen, Jonathan?" Alanna asked, her dancing violet eyes meeting his questioning sapphire ones. As soon as he looked at her face, Jonathan smiled.

"Yes, Alanna, seventeen." Eliena made gagging noises, earning her a look from her father. "Eliena. Behave."

"There's no one here to see," she retorted. "Something you two had ought to be thankful for. Is it really right for you to get all silly whenever someone mentions my seventeenth birthday?" She looked pointedly at her mother, who put on an innocent look.

"Why are you looking at me?" the queen asked. "I haven't said anything."

"Recently," Eliena added on. "Its embarrassing, really. Not everyone is as enlightened on the details of your seventeenth birthday as I am, mother." The queen blushed. She knew it had been a mistake to tell Eliena what had happened!

"But it might happen to you, El," Jonathan remarked, looking lovingly at his wife. "Maybe you'll find your true love."

"Yeah, right," Eliena scoffed. "And Roger of Conté will come back from the dead."

"It could be arranged," Jonathan mused. Alanna tensed beside him. Even in the long years since she had slain the evil duke/mage, the mention of his name caused Alanna to shudder. She had nearly beheaded a visiting mage from Carthak whose magic was orange-red in color, as it was close to the color of Duke Roger of Conté's Gift.

"Sorry, mother," Eliena said, hugging the queen. "I didn't mean to bring his name into this."

"Its all right, Eli," Alanna assured her. "I'm getting better with it, I am."

"Its about time," Jonathan teased. Alanna glared at him.

"We may be married, Jon, but I can—and will—best you at fencing," Alanna warned.

"Oh, I'd like to see that!" Eliena exclaimed. "Come on, father, make her really angry."

"Eliena, you should know very well that one does not purposely arise the Lioness's famed temper unless they are either mad or very, very stupid," Jonathan said. Alanna smiled triumphantly.

"Aw," Eliena complained. "I always enjoy watching you two duel. Or mother duel with anyone, for that matter!"

"I'm sure people sat the same about you," Alanna remarked coolly. "Now, can we get back to these papers? Just looking at them is giving me a headache."

"Your mother is right, Eli. We need to decide which of these you are accepting and which you are declining. First, we should separate them by topic. All the ones inviting you to an event go here, the ones asking to escort you go here." Jonathan divided the stack into three. "Start sorting."

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Several hours later, they were finished. Eliena's social season was filled, with no room to spare, and every event had an escort, except the ball on her birthday. For that, she had chosen to go alone, making it easier to dance with many people.

"Can I leave? I was supposed to meet Liam an hour ago," Eliena asked, rising.

"Tell him how sorry we are," Alanna replied. "I didn't want it to take this long." She shot her husband a glance. Jonathan had been very particular about the whole process, deciding carefully. He shrugged. Eliena kissed her parents on the head and left the room to find Liam Ironarm, the Shang Dragon.

"You're late," he commented from the royal family's private practice yards.

"Social season," Eliena responded. "We had to plan it today, apparently." Liam made a face. Since Shang preferred roaming to staying in one place, he had struck a deal with Jonathan that he could pick and choose which balls he attended and which he didn't, in exchange for Liam's allegiance to the Tortallan throne. "Exactly."

"Thank the gods for that deal I made with your father," Liam remarked. He smiled. "And that Buri cares for these things even less than I do." Liam was married to Buriram Tourakom, once Lady Thayet's personal guard and now Commander of the Queen's Riders.

"Be glad you didn't marry Thayet," Eliena told him. "Raoul is always complaining about how she drags him to every ball. Thayet enjoys those things, though I can't see how."

Thayet was Lady Thayet of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak, who had once been Princess Thayet jian Wilima of Sarain. Alanna and several others had found Thayet and Buri while on their way to the Dominion Jewel. Thayet had fallen in love with the Knight Commander of the King's Own, a large, giant-killing, teddy bear of a man named Sir Raoul of Goldenlake—now Lord Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak. (Eliena's father had promoted him to nobility after the Immortals War.) Thayet and Raoul shared black curls—though Thayet's were loose and Raoul's coiled tightly against his head. Raoul had eyes to match his hair, while Thayet's were hazel, and many of the men in Court grumbled about how Raoul—large and commanding—didn't deserve slight and beautiful Thayet—with her cherry red mouth, strong features, and skin that stayed ivory regardless of her time in the sun. To Eliena, Thayet and Raoul were the perfect couple—after her parents, of course.

"I pity poor Raoul," Liam said. "Always have. Though, Thayet's a beautiful woman to have on your arm." He got a wistful look in his eyes. "Though Buri has her charms." Eliena hid a smile. Buri could be quite coarse when she wanted to be—many of the Rider trainees feared the K'miri warrior. "But, enough talk. We need to get to work. Have you been practicing?"

"Liam, I'm the Lioness's daughter, remember? I'll get beaten if I don't practice," Eliena reminded him.

Liam chuckled and ruffled her hair—pulled back into a horsetail. "That's right. You're my little Tigress, aren't you?" Eliena smiled. Liam had been the first to call her the Tigress, and it had simply caught on after a while. "Show me the kick we were working on. The one you were struggling with. Go ahead and hit me." Eliena did so, kicking Liam hard in his taut abdominal muscles. Liam winced. "I guess you aren't struggling with it anymore."

Author's Note- well, I liked writing that chapter. Maybe a little filler-y, but if it was, I think it was the best filler I've ever written! Apologies to MSB for the lack of Leo—there will be more of him to come! And a nudge to Alanna22039, because I capitalized Ozorne's name. (And I just did it again!) Oh, I should warn you: I'm now in camp, so I can't sit at the computer all day updating anymore. And I'm starting up at a local gym to train for horseback riding, as well as getting ready to start a lease on a horse where I have to ride three days a week. On top of that, I'll be in Vermont in about two weeks, which will mean no updates for a week. I'll keep reminding you! REVIEW!