Uh huh. Well. Time for the Peace Ball, my friends! And I know all of you are looking forward to it, seeing as you're probably absolutely dysfunctional without James and Romeli in the same country.
Song for this Chapter: Wonderwall → Oasis. I'm a sucker for acoustic strumming.
Chapter 35: Peace Ball Part 1
The trees were dripping in a watery dew that coated their leaves, making them splattery and slippery.
The weather was relaxing to James, who had been traveling to Scanra for a week now. It wasn't too hot, nor too cold, but a satisfactory exchange of both. His horse also seemed quite content, as he bobbed his head down the path.
Alanna seemed to be mirroring the exact opposite. The dew made her hair and face sticky and the cold made her slump over for warmth. When she looked at her Squire she only shuddered disgusted and slumped over deeper, as if the sight of him made her sick.
"What's gotten into you?" asked James staring at Alanna.
"Don't look at me," she growled.
James sighed and looked forward rolling his eyes. "You should be more joyous. We're going to see Romeli."
"You mean we might see Romeli."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Alanna hit her head. "I thought it was obvious. It means we may not see her."
"I know that," said James staring at her. "But if we're going to get her out, then we have to see her."
"Correct," agreed Alanna.
Now James was really confused.
"But we may not be able to get her out. She could be heavily guarded. It will take much more than a miracle for her to escape."
"But that doesn't give us a reason to not try," countered James quietly.
"Yes," admitted Alanna. "But there could always be the fact that she's dead."
James didn't reply.
After a couple of minutes Alanna sighed. "I just didn't want you to get your hopes up only to be shut down again."
James exhaled loudly. "Thanks for ruining my day."
Alanna winked. "It's what I do best. Actually, I feel a lot better," she stated, staring at him.
"Don't look at me," grumbled James hunched over.
Alanna sighed and looked forward, rolling her eyes.
OOO
"So…what's the plan?"
"What do you mean what's the plan?" asked Maryann lounging in Romeli's room. The day was sunnier than usual and the northern birds chirped around the walls of the palace.
Romeli put her arm on the armrest. "Well I have my Gift back. What were going to do next?"
Maryann looked at her as if she were stupid. "You're going to escape of course."
"Tonight!?" blurted out Romeli, wide eyed.
Maryann hit her head. "Yeah…we're leaving tonight," she replied dryly. "No, dumb ass. Do you have any idea how much work we have to do?"
Romeli stared.
Maryann held out her hand and started counting. "We have the Peace Ball, we have to remove the bondage spell, we have to get rid of whatever the hell else is in that collar of yours, we have to kill Maggur, we have to—."
"Wait…what was that last one?"
"Get rid of the spells in your collar?"
Romeli stared at her oddly. "No, the one after that."
"Kill Maggur?"
"What do we have to kill Maggot for?" asked Romeli, confused.
Maryann stared at her as if she had gone mad. "Well he ruined your life didn't he?"
"Yeah, but is that a good reason to kill him?"
Maryann sighed. "Listen, you obviously haven't heard of the heroine cycle have you."
"…I'm not a heroine."
"That's where you're wrong, young lady. You see, every heroine is born under some special circumstance. The girl then has something taken away from her or is called on a great quest. She then goes on a giant adventure and eventually meets the climax of her journey, the block of hardship, or evil enemy. It's all very simple. Girl gets hurt, girl loses self-esteem, and then girl gets up again and destroys her foe."
"And this relates to me…how?"
"You and your intelligent little brain can figure that out by yourself."
Romeli glared and sighed. "Fine, I get it. I would've agreed to kill him with or without that lecture. He did ruin my life, after all."
Maryann smiled weakly. "Wonderful. Now, Romeli, you do know that Tortall is going to arrive in about…oh…two hours?"
Romeli froze. "What! I totally forgot!"
Maryann rolled her eyes. "That doesn't surprise me," she muttered just loud enough for Romeli to hear.
Romeli glared and stood up quickly with a flustered look. "Maryann, do you think I'll be able to see them?"
Maryann walked up behind her. "Something tells me that you'll be seeing them a lot over the next month."
The tone in Maryann's voice did not give Romeli a very comforting feeling. Shivers of dread rushed over her.
OOO
The forest had a delicate mist to it that made the air thick with dampened brush and fresh leaves. Breathing was more laborious, like the space all around them was compact, thick, and tight.
And yet, the forest had an open feeling to it. The ancient trees were not squished together and competitive, with odd angled and exposed roots. The trees were spread about, like they alone were there. Yet they breathed as one.
The weather was cold, especially for summer. And yet the mist did not turn to snow. There was no frost on the ground, nor did it crust around the trees. It looked like the tresses of sun escaping through the webs of trees were coming from the Gods themselves; warming them with every tiny ray.
The muffled crunches of the hooves on the brush were quiet and unheard through the forest. The line of riders where just as silent as the forest itself as they rode along a narrow path leading straight to Rathausak. It felt like the forest was built around the path, not the path around the forest.
"Are we there yet?" asked James tiredly, hunched over his horse as he rubbed his hands together for warmth.
Alanna sighed. Her cheeks were rosy from the blistering cold. "Almost, Queenscove."
James sighed so loudly that other riders turned around to see what was going on. "You said that two hours ago, and we're still in this stupid forest."
And suddenly, without any warning of the sort, James found himself surrounded in bright sunlight. No forest was in sight in front of him. He stopped in confusion and looked behind himself to see a line of trees that was the forest behind him.
When he turned forward again, Alanna's face was right in front of him, her horse turned completely around. Her eyes were narrowed in an 'I told you so' look.
James glared. "I hate you," he told her icily.
Alanna grinned. "I know," she said in a matter-of-fact way. "Now hurry up, you're holding up the line." She turned her horse around and urged her hose to catch up with the party.
James looked behind him to see a line of soldiers glaring at him with dangerous eyes. He gave them a sheepish look before turning around again and kicking his horse into a jog to catch up with Alanna.
Five minutes later then had reached Rathausak. James looked at the city with wide eyes, unable to avert his gaze.
The city needed no walls to protect it. The steep mountains that embraced the city and its palace were all the defense they needed.
On the south side (The side they were entering from), there was a crystal clear river that acted somewhat as a moat. It was furnished with a broad bridge that looked like the only entrance and exit to Scanra's capital. It was surrounded by sturdy looking guards.
They arrived at the bridge and were easily let by. Obviously the guards were expecting them. As James crossed over, he looked over the side to see swarms of fish and other creatures swimming through the gentle current. The water was so clear that it could have only come from the melting snow of the mountains above.
"This place is beautiful," said James breaking the silence that had settled over them all.
"Way to ruin the moment, Queenscove," growled Alanna to her ignorant Squire.
James ignored her as he looked toward the palace. The large fortress was immensely elegant, and it was much larger than Corus. He wasn't surprised if Romeli felt right at home and welcomed once she came.
What if she doesn't want to go back? Asked James to himself with a pale and worried face. All of these people, all of their efforts would be for nothing.
Don't be serious, he told himself with a set look. Romeli would never feel that way. Not after what Maggur had done to her.
They arrived at the gate of the palace where they dismounted their horses for the stable boys to take.
"Come on James," ordered Alanna. "I swear, if you get lost I will boil you in hot oil and throw you to the demons of the underworld."
James walked quickly to catch up with her as they made their way towards the palace doors.
"You mean once you find me?" corrected James.
Alanna glared at him but kept on walking. "One more smart ass retort like that and it's your head."
James held back a snort. "Yes Ma'am," he replied obediently.
Alanna inhaled frustratedly and rolled her eyes.
They stopped their walk in a room that was between two open hallways. Tapestries hung down the ceiling elegantly, the colors red and gold, and blue and gray, for the peace between Tortall and Scanra.
A short and stubby man walked up to Alanna and James. He bowed rigidly and gave them a warm grin making his stubby and light mustache curve with it.
"Lady Knight Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, and Jameson of Queenscove, pleased to meet you." He shook both of their hands with a firm grip.
"And what is your name?" asked Alanna politely.
"Oh! Forgive me! I have forgotten, my name is Shmeckle la Farbengaber of Zoothoe."
Alanna blinked. "Well at least his parents had a sense of humor," she mumbled so only James could hear.
James held back a snort as he innocently stared at the man.
"Pleased to meet you…Sir," replied Alanna with a cheeky grin.
Shmeckle la Farbengaber nodded. "Yes…well…I will be taking you to your rooms now. Follow me."
He turned around on his heal with his hands behind his back and began to walk towards one of the hallways, not looking back to see if they were following him.
"Should we ditch him?" asked James looking up at Alanna wickedly.
Alanna stared at him. "This is a Peace Ball not a mosh pit, Jameson. As tempting as it may be to do so, we must be polite."
"Kill me now," groaned James as he followed Alanna to catch up with Shmeckle la-whatever.
"That can be arranged if you don't shut up," hissed Alanna sharply.
James sighed.
"Here you are," said the escort stopping in front of an oak door. "The room next to this one is Jameson's, but no worries. They are adjoining."
Damn, thought James and Alanna at the same time.
Shmeckle la-blah blah blah took out a small ring of a few keys and unlocked the door. He gave the keys to Alanna and gave one to James.
"Those are the keys for the front door, the trunk, the window, and the privy," he informed. "And if you need anything there is a ringer."
"Well how do you tell the keys apart?" asked Alanna fumbling with them in her hands.
James sighed. "The keys are labeled 'Oh Genius Knight Master'."
"Thank you 'Sir Obvious'," said Alanna through gritted teeth. She opened the door and proceeded to walk into the room with James following behind him.
The room was spacious and elegant compared to Alanna's palace quarters. There was what looked like a lounge, dressed in crimson linens and orange pillows. The bed was large and covered in thick blankets dyed the same shades. There were many bouquets and other plants placed around the room that filled the abode with a fresh and new scent.
"Wha…? What are you doing here?" asked Alanna sharply surprised as she turned around.
Shmeckle la Farbengaber was standing inside of the doorway with the door shut behind him.
James turned around to face the man as well with a confused look.
The shmeckle-guy walked towards them, his eyes serious. "Listen," he started. "My name isn't really Shmeckle la Farbengaber."
Alanna stared and sighed with relief. "Oh, thank the Gods."
"It's Conrad."
Both James and Alanna nodded, though quite confused.
Conrad nodded as well. "Yes, although my parents do have quite a sense of humor." His thick Scanran accent was lost.
Alanna blushed, and smiled weakly. "You still haven't answered my question. What are you doing here?"
"I am a spy for Tortall."
"Well that was rather frank…," muttered James.
Alanna gave Conrad a look of confusion. "Wait. When you say 'spy for Tortall', do you mean working with Tortall, or working with the downfall of Tortall?"
"I mean that I am for Tortall."
"As in a friend of Tortall."
"As in, I am a Tortallan Spy who is undercover in Scanra."
Alanna nodded but gave him a doubtful look. "That's impossible. My husband is the commander of all the spies of Tortall. He would have told me who the spies in Scanra were."
Conrad stared. "Yeah, just like he told you that Maryann is a double agent."
Alanna's eyes widened, but she gave him a challenging look. "Prove it."
"The spy code for Tortall is Alpha 34 and I communicate with George through translator code Cornellious. Maryann was your chef; she went to Scanra to become their spy as a double agent. That was the first week of June five years ago. The same week George vanished and returned the next Monday saying he had a spy to take care of."
Alanna glared. Conrad grinned. James looked bored.
"So, now that we have that settled, let's get down to business," said Conrad clapping his hands together. He sat down in a chair and ushered them to do so as well.
"Business?"
Conrad stared at them intently. "I'm sure there are certain questions you would like to ask me."
"Where is Romeli?" blurted out James without even thinking. Alanna hit her head with her hand.
Conrad grinned knowingly, yet there was a bitter look in his eyes that made James's stomach squirm.
"She is…well."
James sighed with relief.
"However, things have been quite tough for her. Maggur has been fairly rough lately. She has gone through a lot. As far as I know she is fine, Maggur can't do too much to her since he needs her alive. She is staying in a suite not too far from this one actually. However, I advise that you don't even think about visiting her. For obvious reasons of course."
James swallowed and nodded. His stomach was in knots. From knowing she was only a hallway away, or because of the fear of what had happened to her he wasn't sure.
"Any other questions?" asked Conrad attentively as he stared at them with open eyes.
Alanna thought for a moment. "When do you think we will be able to see her?"
Conrad looked at them truthfully. "I am not exactly sure. You may see her at the ball, or you may not. If everything goes as planned you will hopefully get her out safely, but anything can happen, and at the looks of things it will take some time. Maggur has a close watch on her, but I promise to keep you posted on our progress. I'm also guessing both of you will be helping with the escape."
James looked out the window apprehensively. It would take some time. Did that mean he would have to stay in this room knowing that Romeli was suffering just rooms way from him? Oh, how he wanted to talk to her. To put his hand on her shoulder and tell her that everything was going to be okay. He wanted to feel her soft skin under his fingertips and kiss all of her worries away…
"James…?" started Alanna staring at him. "Have you been listening at all?"
"Huh? Oh…no?" said James shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He needed sleep.
Alanna rolled her eyes and looked at Conrad, silently telling him that it was a typical thing.
"Well," started Alanna. "While you were off daydreaming about only the Gods know what (James smiled weakly at this), Conrad so kindly announced to us that we will be dining with the king tonight."
James nodded tiredly.
"Well," said Conrad clapping his hands together and standing up. I should get going. A spy's work is never done."
Alanna nodded and bid him farewell, closing the door behind him.
"We're leaving for the dining room at 6:30," announced Alanna turning back to him.
James yawned, stretching his arms. "Good that gives me just enough time to get my beauty sleep."
Alanna shook her head. "You're gonna need much more than two hours for your beauty sleep my Squire."
But it was too late, James had already entered his room, the door closed behind him.
Alanna glared and sat down in a chair grumbling about narcissistic Squires in dire need of a thorough beating.
OOO
There was a knock on the door that echoed through the silent walls of the room.
Romeli looked up at the door and got up to answer it. Perhaps it was Maryann with more news.
What a let down, thought Romeli bitterly as she stared into the eyes of Maggur. Two guards were with him. Her heart lifted slightly however, when she spotted Maryann behind the king staring into space with stony eyes.
There was a moment of hesitation. Romeli did not move out of their way, and Maggur did not walk around her. Romeli noticed that this was the first time Maggur had seen her after he'd whipped her. He still thought she was broken, she thought as she noticed him eyes the scars and bruises that were on her body.
Her eyes fell down to her feet. Might as well take advantage of his ignorance, she thought as she tried to muster up a helpless expression.
"May I come in?" asked Maggur softly, looking into her fallen gaze.
Romeli's stomach squirmed uncomfortably at the sound of his voice, but she smirked innerly. He had fallen for it. She stepped to the side without saying a word, eyes still rooted on the ground.
Maggur nodded and motioned his guards and Maryann to follow. They all sat down in the circle of chairs surrounding a roud table.
"Romeli, how are you doing?" asked Maggur clasping his hands together.
Romeli stared at him for a moment before looking down at her lap.
You want to know how I'm doing Maggur? You want to know how much pain and suffering I've been through because of you? Do you have any idea how much I just want to beat you to death with my Gift right now? Oh, how I want to see you on the ground, suffering just as much as I did. I want you to know what it feels like to be me. And after that Maggur, you'll wish you never even asked the question at all.
"I'm fine," said Romeli tiredly as she continued to gaze down at her lap. She grasped her hands tightly together to keep them from shaking in fury.
"That's wonderful," replied Maggur sitting back in his chair. "So, you are probably wondering why I am here."
Romeli did not reply.
"Tell me Romeli. Have you ever served dinner before?"
Romeli froze for a second and then looked up at Maggur. What was he on about? "No, sir," she replied solemnly.
"Well there is a first time for everything. You see, I am short on servants today, and I need someone to serve dinner for me and my guests this evening. I would like you to serve on us tonight."
Romeli looked back down to hide the fury in her eyes. Bull shit Maggur, she thought angrily. Short of servants my ass. You just want to brag to your guests that I'm here. What would he do if I turned him down? I could just say no, I refuse. Her heart sank. It's not worth it, she realized. He wont buy that act and he'll find out that I'm just pretending to be broken. Just try to convince him out of it.
"Sir," Romeli started hesitantly. "As ruler of such a strong country. I don't think I am fit to wait upon someone with such high status." The words felt like acid as they burned her up her throat.
Maggur grinned at that. "Romeli my dear, serving really isn't that hard. You just carry the plates to each spot. Even a child could do it."
Romeli clenched her teeth. How was she supposed to respond to that? She couldn't retort, that would give her away. She gave a side look at Maryann, as if willing the spy to send her some message, but she was looking away. She sighed silently. There was only one thing she could do.
Romeli nodded, looking up at him. "I accept your offer," she whispered. Her voice seemed a little too weak and helpless, but Maggur did not seem to notice.
"Excellent," he replied standing up victoriously. "Report to the kitchens in two hours. The cook will tell you what to do. Oh, and I would like you to wear this." He picked up a bag from behind his chair and gave it to her. "Don't be late." He began to walk to the door, guards behind him.
Maryann stayed behind, standing up slowly. From the looks of it, she was going to stay.
"Come Maryann, I don't have all day," said Maggur standing at the door.
Maryann froze and looked into Romeli's eyes. The spy's eyes looked desperate, as if she wanted to tell her something important. Romeli gave her the smallest of smiles.
Maryann gave her a subtle nod before turning around and following Maggur out the door.
Romeli sighed. Now look what you've gotten yourself into. She looked over to the innocent bag with a sense of dread rushing through her. She didn't even want to know what clothes were in there.
Just sitting there looking at the nearest wall seemed to be the only thing she could do—the only thing she wanted to do. She only had two hours until she would fall victim to another one of Maggur's cruel games.
It took her a good half an hour for her to muster up any will power to do something other than sit there. A trickle of apprehension dripped through her body as she stood up. Who the hell was she serving anyway? Probably a bunch of world leaders that he wanted to brag to.
Romeli then spent another large portion of time glaring at the bag on the ground, wishing the greatest of evils upon the Scanran King. The whole thing was frustrating really. What the heck was she supposed to do for two hours when all she could think about was her anger? There was nothing productive to do, no one to talk to, nothing to plan. She just had to wait.
Eventually she could not take it any longer. She walked over to the bag and took out the clothes. Might as well get ready while I have the time.
The outfit, which was a dress, was actually not nearly as bad as she thought it would be. The dress was a soft cotton, dyed the shade of a rich jade green. It had a low square neckline and a low 'V' shaped back. The sleeves went down to her elbows, and the bottom of the dress had a slant to it.
Romeli shrugged as she looked at the dress. She walked to the dressing room and put it on.
She stared into the mirror with a bitter smile. The dress was actually quite beautiful, and Maggur seemed to not realize a flaw in his plan. All of the raw and sore cuts and welts were highly noticeable on her back, upper chest, and the leg that the slanting hem revealed. The guests that she was serving would notice how Maggur had been treating her.
Romeli brought her hand up to her jaw line, and traced a clearly visible bite mark. The temptation to heal the mark away was nearly overwhelming, but she couldn't. Healing any of her wounds would expose her Gift.
With a sigh, she ran a brush through her hair, her thoughts drifting absentmindedly as the bristles brushed against her scalp.
When she came out of the dressing room, she looked at the nearest marked candle to see what time it was.
Fifteen more minutes.
Romeli sighed as she put on a pair of green dress shoes. She opened the door and made her way to the kitchens.
OOO
The kitchens were bustling with cooks holding steaming pots and pans when she entered. There was a mix of delightful smells that made her mouth water.
"There you are!" cried a voice behind her. Romeli turned around. A wide and short woman walked up to her with a warm grin on her face. The woman had rosy cheeks and happy brown eyes with laughing crows feet. Her hair was brown and was put up in a long braid.
"You must be the server this evening," said the woman. Romeli nodded staring with open eyes. "My name is Tanta Inge. King Maggur said he would be having a special server this evening."
Romeli only smiled weakly.
"Well come on then, let me show you what you are to do." She walked quickly towards the other side of the kitchen, Romeli following right behind her.
"Now," Tanta started after they arrived at a large cart filled with covered platters. "What you do is just roll out this cart, but watch out, it's rather wobbly. Then bring one platter to each guest. Not that hard really. Just make sure you don't drop any plates." Tanta winked.
Romeli nodded at Tanta with a hesitant smile, and then looked around the kitchen.
"Well what are you waiting for?" said Tanta with her hands on her hips. "The guests are already waiting."
Romeli stared at her. "You mean go right now?"
Tanta laughed and rolled her eyes. "Yes right now, Dearie. Come on, get a move on."
Romeli nodded with a hint of nervousness. She would do anything to not be there right now. Don't be silly, she thought, it's only serving dinner.
She sighed and put her hands on the cart, pushing it out of the kitchen doors and into the dining room. She lowered her head, as to not attract attention and stopped the cart by the wall next to the door. The voice of Maggur echoed through the halls as he explained a joke.
Romeli tried to drown out the voice that made her insides sick as she picked up two of the platters, head still lowered.
The soft clatter of the platters made Maggur's voice fade out. She felt his eyes on her.
"Ah yes," he said victoriously. "Here comes our food." There was a smile in his voice.
Romeli hoisted the two platters onto the palms of her hands. She walked towards the table, eyes hazed and uncaring.
There was a collection of gasps throughout the room, and she could feel multiple eyes on her.
Midway to the table she froze, eyes suddenly turning wide. Her heart caught in her throat so quickly that she thought she must have died. She would have dropped the platters if it weren't for her quick recovery.
No, she thought, eyes full of despair. No, this can't be happening.
Quick! Push the 'next chapter' button before you die!
Replies:
Mangoskin93: I'm glad you like it (yay), and I'm extremely sorry for not updating quicker. It's worth the wait I promise.
Akira Shinaichi: sorry for not checking out your fic yet (seriously), I've been busy, it's end of the year, so you know how crazy it is. No James and Romeli moments, face to face at least, but next chapter I promise. Lol.
Katsuko-princess and theif: wait…you're serious? How ironic, lol.
XXKarrie7770: yay I caught you off guard! Woo. Yeah…I was too lazy to proof read the last chapter, cuz it was so long and I was tired. I'll fix it as soon as I can tho. Lol. thanx.
Lady merlin: hey mistique. Lol wow…way to go for me not updating fast, eh? Whoops. Ah well.
X17skmBdrchiczxx: dude emeraldi…your name is like whoosh. Took me about five tries to type correctly lol. thanks so much!
Captain Cheese: Che! (parties) lol. I love it when you predict things. It's funny, you usually get it right. Lol. yeah, don't you hate it when you're really bored, but you know you're busy at the same time? I hate that feeling it's so frustrating. Well whatever it was, it wasn't cheese, I know that. Maggur has quite the gas problems doesn't he. Lol it was my fav part to write. Jolly gee George. Lol. you and your exclamation marks…silly cheese. Your reviews are so funny…it's like you're yelling at a tv or something. Hahaha. Omg che. Yes I killed D'mitri. Lol. you know, you were the only person who really liked him. I thought he was all right. Whatev. Yeah I am very evil.
Kuyaga: I loved the milkshake part! It was so fun to write. Lol winter will not come for a while, and the cold doesn't come until she dies…er…I mean…until the sequel.
Silver-star-0: yup, I wanted to have at least one funny part before I got you guys all depressed, plus it was really fun to write. Lol. aww thanx lol.
Apathetically Interested: yay I caught you off guard! (dances) I like how she got her gift back too. Makes me silly. Lmao. . Well the scanran butt kicking wont come until chapter after next, but it'll be good. Bwa ha ha. I laugh just thinking about it. ta.
Guardian of the Small: I don't know how people can write short chapters really. It just takes me a while to write, but it's worth it. Romeli has many evils planned, but why should I tell you them?
Aravilui: well I'm glad you're happy. There were lot's of James moments here. And even more next chapter. . I loved that sentence too. I laughed when I wrote it.
Booksquirt: aww you cried! Yay! I like it when my readers cry (hands her a tissue). Well, if only it were that easy my dear booksquirt. Things are gonna be pretty hard for Romeli, you'll see.
Until next chapter everyone…
Ta!