SD: Yes—the first time I change this story for over a year, and it's replacing an old chapter. This chapter was extremely difficult for me to write, especially because my writing style has changed greatly over the past year. There's no action (sorry!) because I need to explain everything that has happened as a result of Kel leaving Tortall. Hopefully, with this chapter done, everything else can move more quickly. Hopefully.
There are spoilers for Trickster's and maybe Terrier in this story. They aren't major ones, though.
Summary: Keladry of Mindelan was dismissed at the end of her first year of a page. Others would have broken or given up. She didn't though...because of the people who believed in her and the people who helped her become who she was.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Tamora Pierce.
Shadows' Fear
Part III
Kel slowly turned her head in the direction of the voice, almost gaping in shock. A figure stepped down from the emperor's dais and strode forward with deliberate steps, graceful and stately as she approached Kel. "I, Izanami noh Chikara, as the Head of House Hagiku, offer Keladry of Mindelan my favor."
Nodding slightly, the emperor slowly stood up. "Hagiku has spoken. Should there be any objection, let it be known now." Still and proud, the court stayed silent and the emperor turned to address Kel. "Keladry of Mindelan, you have been given this chance."
Taking a deep breath, Kel answered, "I accept." She spoke out clearly and strongly, gazing at the woman in front of her.
Izanami turned to face the court. "Keladry of Mindelan is now under my protection, and under the protection of the House Chikaru and House Hagiku. Know this and remember it." Murmurs of assent spread through the hall before all the voices faded into silence. The emperor gestured slightly.
"The court is dismissed." Each person in the room knelt and touched his or her forehead to the ground until Kano left the room. Slowly, the court filed out of the hall, Kel obediently following her sponsor. The Hagiku head led Kel through the palace before stopping in front of a door.
"These are the rooms for those of House Chikaru. I am remaining in the capital to oversee the start of the summer celebrations and will not return to my lands for a fortnight." Izanami slid open the screen door. "I apologize, but I must return to the festival. If you wish to attend the city festivities, the guards will accompany you. Please excuse me." Once Kel stepped into the room, Izanami bowed slightly and left.
Kel entered the room and took a deep breath as she looked around. It was a sitting room, meant to receive visitors. In it, at the low table the Yaman used, sat a still figure. Stepping back, Kel made to leave before the person raised her head, eyes dancing. She stood and bowed as Kel did the same.
Lips turning up slightly, before hurriedly smoothing her face, Kel asked, "Do I have the honor of addressing the Lady Yukimi noh Daiomoru?"
Eyes crinkling, Yukimi brought her fan to her face. "This past year has not brought so many changes, Keladry of Mindelan." She surveyed Kel. "Though, there seems to be more of you than there was a year ago." The Yamani girl looked at Kel impishly in the eyes, demonstrating their equal heights that disregarded Kel's younger age.
Face serious, Kel replied, "There must be something in the water of the Western countries."
"There must." Yukimi snapped her fan shut, bowing. "I apologize. You have been on a long journey and must want rest. I merely wanted to welcome you back. After you are rested, we shall talk."
Abruptly, Kel remembered that Yukimi's mother, also a Chikaru, was Izanami's cousin. It was no wonder she had heard of Kel's arrival. Hurriedly, Kel reassured the other girl that she was not tired, before a yawn broke out.
Yukimi gestured towards a nearby room, eyes dancing. "Rest, Keladry. We do not want you falling asleep on you feet; I doubt I could catch you. There is time enough to speak together."
Nodding sleepily, Kel retired to her room. For a Yamani, Yukimi was easygoing and would not take offense. Quickly sliding off her kimono, Kel was asleep before her head touched the pillow.
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By the time Kel awakened, the sun was just beginning to set. She opened her eyes blearily, looking around the room. Confused about the unfamiliar setting, Kel jumped up before remembering what had happened. After washing her face, Kel slid open the screen door. Yukimi, still kneeling at the table, looked up. "Did you enjoy your rest?"
"It helped," Kel admitted. She bowed to Yukimi before kneeling as well. "This is beautiful, Yuki," the Tortallan girl said, using her old nickname for the Yamani.
"Thank you." Yuki set down her brush. "So, Keladry, have you continued your studies of the sumi-e ink paintings?" Her painting was of a summer landscape, to honor the summer festival.
Kel shook her head. "Unfortunately, there were no masters in Tortall. I was forced to discontinue my lessons. You have progressed far beyond me."
"But not far enough," Yuki replied wryly, lifting a sleeve that draped over the bottom of the painting. Ink blots and slight mistakes covered the rice paper. "I truly understand why it takes years of training to master this art form." She looked at Kel. "Would you like to continue your studies? There are but two of us currently learning from Lady Ume."
Kel demurred. "I could not. I had only learned the basics before leaving for Tortall. My presence would only interrupt your process." Sumi-e was a delicate art-form requiring great skill and concentration, where each day of lessons counted, and Kel's one year absence had nearly erased the little she had learned.
Yuki laid an empty page of rice paper on the table. "I do not think you would. As it is, the review would be good for us. Please, do join us when lessons resume again."
Seeing no way of refusing without appearing rude, Kel agreed. She was about to continue when a gentle knock sounded at the door. Yuki voiced approval before the paper screen was slid open. A servant knelt outside, holding a bundle of cloth. Rising, Yuki walked towards the door. She looked at the bundle before nodding. "That will be all, Aya." Standing up and bowing, the maid set the kimono in Yuki's hands before sliding back the screen.
Turning, Yuki held the Yamani gown in her hands. "Let us explore the festival, shall we? I have a suspicion it will be quite interesting."
Kel glanced at Yuki, recognizing the unhidden mischief in the girl's eyes. She then looked down at herself, blushing as she realized she was clad only in her under-kimono, which resembled a knee-length, almost sheer, white dress. Nodding slightly, Kel was unsurprised when the other girl immediately began to drape the kimono on the young Tortallan. Belatedly, Kel realized that the Yuki had already changed from her afternoon kimono to a light one suitable for warm Yamani nights. Fumbling slightly, Kel managed to help tie her obi to finish the image. As soon as they were done, she bowed to Yuki. "Thank you for your generosity."
"It is the least I could do for an old friend," Yuki replied, still eyeing Kel critically. After adjusting the obi slightly, Yuki stepped back, satisfied. "Come, we should leave before we miss the festivities." She quickly stepped out the room as Kel followed.
It did not take long to arrive at the city. Kel almost smiled before smoothing out her face. The outer city was a carnival of lights, smells, and noises during the summer festival. There were performances at every corner and stalls lined the streets. As the two girls wandered, Kel savored the tastes and sights she had gone without for a year. She and Yuki walked around with sweets in their hands, stopping at a puppet show held for small children. After watching for a short while, the two continued on, stopping when they noticed a large crowd gathering at an open outdoor theater. Though the seats of the theater were full, people stood around the entire area, chattering noisily. Kel watched in confusion before Yuki whispered, "The outer city Kabuki mix is due to perform here. This is the prime attraction tonight in the festival."
Kel's eyes widened. Kabuki was a highly traditional Yamani theater, known even to lands outside the islands. The palace theater group was highly regarded as some of the most skilled artists of the Yaman. However, it was the theater mix of the capital's outer city that was infamous. Geishas, prostitutes, and other lower city performers dotted the Mix. As the worst kept secret in the capital, it was viewed as disgraceful by those in the Palace. Kel had never before seen a performance, and the Mix had never before performed in such a public area. "They do not fear any repercussions, then." Though Kel phrased the question as a statement, there was no doubt of what she was asking.
Yuki, her face neutral, replied, "The Mix has recently been blessed by a kind donor whose actions have allowed them to register as an entertainment in the outer city. They are now free to perform at any entertainment area." Yuki paused. "Tonight, they will perform the tragedy of the Four Great Beauties."
"It is a very difficult piece."
"Yes. Tonight will be the first night they shall perform. It is rumored the Beauty herself is in it. There is already a massive crowd, though the theater will not begin until it is dark."
Scanning the area, Kel nodded in agreement. The two stood in silence before walking away. Their trip back to the palace was quiet as Kel pondered the information Yuki had provided her with. It was not until they entered the inner city that Yuki spoke up.
"Tomorrow, we will welcome the summer season in the palace," Yuki commented. "This day has been very tiring for you, however."
Kel bowed to Yuki, grateful for the escape she provided. "Yes, I do not think I would do the season justice if I were to attend tomorrow. I am afraid the trip, and the time away, has made me forgetful of certain traditions."
"There were few that expected your arrival. I believe you can use these few days to reacquaint yourself with the capital." Yuki added quietly, "Not much has changed, but much has begun." With that, the Yamani girl once again fell into silence.
It was some time before they reached the palace, but Kel's head swam with thoughts. Yuki had been unusually cryptic, even while openly providing such interesting information. When they reached Kel's rooms, Yuki stopped and bowed. The corners of her lips tilted up.
"Welcome back, Keladry of Mindelan." She straightened. "May your stay here fulfill the questions you hold."
"Thank you." Kel stood, puzzled, until Yuki was out of sight. She entered her room and sat on the bed, looking around for the first time. Her Yamani porcelain lucky cats had been carefully taken out, but left on the table for Kel to place. Shelves housed all her weapons, books, and scrolls, while her old bow had been laid gently on its stand. Kel felt strange, though she did not see anything wrong with her surroundings. Looking around, the young girl saw nothing missing, yet the room itself felt empty. It was as if there was a hole inside of her
With a start, Kel realized she was homesick. She smiled grimly. Most of her life had been spent in the Yamani Islands, yet it was Tortall she missed. Or, rather, it was the presence of her palace friends, Peachblossom, and the sparrows that she wanted. Kel, without knowing it, had fallen in love with being a page.
A logical part of Kel's mind whispered that she had managed to live ten years not a page. But Kel had been awed by the concept of chivalry, the idea of helping anyone and everyone in need because a knight could, ever since she had first seen Anders leaving as a toddler. She had listened to her father's tales of what a knight was, how it meant a lifetime of service to the Crown and to the people of Tortall. For years, Kel had dreamed of being a page, a squire, and ultimately a knight. She had suffered a year of probation, hazing, and being "The Girl." And with one conversation, her dream had tumbled down.
Kel felt the stinging of tears prick her eyes. She blinked rapidly. Kel had not cried since Conal had dangled her from the tower, until the day she fell into her mother's arms after leaving the palace. "Being a page was not everything," she whispered harshly to herself. "My life has not ended because I am no longer a page."
It didn't help. Nothing would help the hurt, except time and mortal memory. Kel knew that she would have been miserable if she stayed in Tortall, living either at Mindelan with her sister-in-laws laughing behind her back or in Corus with the constant reminder of her failure. No, returning to the islands had been her best choice. Among the Yaman, Kel could hold her head high without shame and at least have a semblance of her dreams. She would not have the glory, perhaps, and the title of a knight in her name. In the Yamani Islands, though, Kel would be able to choose her own path.
Kel sighed, before yawning largely. Shrugging off her kimono, she crawled into bed and immediately fell asleep.
An unraveling tapestry sat in an endless room. Kel searched the room, looking for danger. Before she could move, a woman appeared before the pastry. She turned, and her clouded eyes met Kel's.
"The threads of life have changed. One choice has changed countless others, and the threads of fate are coming apart as we speak. What should have happened has been erased, and events that should never have happened will. The road is blocked as Time waits for the world to right itself."
It slowly dawned on Kel where she was. In Tortall, the Great Gods were revered, but in the Yamani Islands children sung songs of Fate and Time, entities older than even Father Universe and Mother Flame. There were but two legends of Fate, appearing as a blind young women, interfering with mortal life. 'But my life cannot be that important,' Kel thought.
White eyes turned to Kel. "You are correct, Keladry of Mindelan. Perhaps your life alone would not have been important. One action, however, has tangled the strings that connect all life. Perhaps the Cunning One will now feel it necessary to become a warrior and the One Who Is Promised will falter and die. And as hope dies, so too will the Crows. Perhaps the School of Protection will never come to be because a young seamstress had no one to turn to. Perhaps there will be no Protector of the Small to defeat the Creatures and the Nothing Man will live and grow stronger."
Kel frowned slightly. Fate talked in riddles, but one word echoed in Kel's mind. She hesitated. "Perhaps?"
Fate smiled slightly. "Or perhaps the Cunning One possesses a strength and conviction that nothing can change. Perhaps another will take in a hurt maid and make her strong. And arrow may destroy a careless mage and other heroes will step up, as they do in the world." The creator of destinies turned to the cloth in front of her, the colors vibrant and sharp. Kel now noticed that while some threads were unraveling, others were weaving themselves and creating new life. Broken threads were linked to form a new picture.
"It lives," Kel whispered, amazed.
"Yes. The future is not determined by the choices of Gods, or even Time or Fate. It is created by those who live it. We cannot interfere with free will, as is right. Only Death is unchangeable, and even it can be fooled."
Kel felt the room around her grow fainter as Fate glowed brightly. Just before everything faded, the ethereal woman added, "Do not lose sight of yourself, Keladry of Mindelan, when you meet your destiny."
Before Kel could answer, her world darkened. When she woke up, she would remember nothing but a bright light and an unfinished tapestry.
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Fate sighed wearily. For many a millennia she had dwelled, never interfering. The threads of life had righted themselves before interference was needed, mended by the Gods and their vessels. Yet, the moment Keladry of Mindelan had stepped out of the Corus palace the tapestry had begun to unweave quickly, at a speed that Fate had only seen twice before. For the first time, someone without a God's blessing had torn apart pictures that should have been set in stone.
As Fate pondered this issue, the threads quivered softly, almost unnoticeably. Her hand stilled over the tapestry as she watched the picture that formed. Smoothing the cloth in front of her, Fate reached a slight bump that flattened before she could touch it. The more-than goddess laughed for the first time in centuries.
After all, no young heroine had ever failed before.
SD: I don't know when I'll get the next chapter up. But I hope it's soon. I have a few quick notes about this chapter. It's important to understand that Yuki was being very open in what she was saying. What she said is also very important. Also, Kel will not receive any sudden powers or a God/Goddess's patronage. That's just not her. She won't even remember her conversation with Fate. I want to keep as close to Tamora Pierce's characterization of Kel as possible, so keep that in mind.
Other than that, I don't think there's anything to mention. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.