Center of Attention

Laurel was applying kohl to her eyes when a knock sounded at the door. Mitsuko, already dressed and ready, answered it. The blue-eyed girl watched through her mirror as Amelie walked in and exchanged greetings with the Yamani before stepping over to Laurel's side. In a quiet voice, she said, "Another something about Beef. I learned from Lindley that his fief is the next one over from hers. Gethin has had a bad harvest or two due to some crop disease and needed a little financial help. Lindley's father was going to give them a loan to buy fresh seed for next year, but they just cancelled it this past week. She was very excited because she gets more money for her Midwinter gown now."

Brushing face powder lightly on her cheeks, Laurel's face did not betray her alarm as she put everything together. A good sum of money would be in her dowry, so there was no longer a need for a loan. The betrothal was obviously beneficial for both families—money on one hand and prestige on the other. She set the brush down on her vanity calmly. "Thank you, Amelie. Excellent work."

Amelie made eye contact with her in the mirror and gave a small smile. "Lady Lindley has seen him too—it was years ago, but she said he was good on the eyes." Laurel inwardly scoffed at the idea that looks were important in an arranged betrothal, but convent girls will be convent girls. The dark beauty added, "I've asked pretty much all of the ladies I know. Maybe if you told Neal he would have something more to add."

"Not yet," Laurel replied quickly. "My father should arrive in the next week or so for the announcement, and everyone can know then."

"As you wish," the small girl promised. With a few final touches, they left with Mitsuko and Kaida to make their way to a small ballroom for the Duchess Cythera of Naxen's invite-only party that took place every year in the late fall. Every young, single person that lived in the palace was there. It was 'the party where betrothals are made,' notorious for its success rate in that particular field.

They were hardly in the door before a squire showed up to ask the blue-eyed girl to dance. Always willing to dance, she excused herself from her friends and left on his arm. The other three quickly spotted their friends in a group near the wall and moved to join them.

Iden had watched the foursome enter and had seen when Laurel broke away immediately. He barely noticed when the ladies joined the group because he was intently watching Laurel spin around the room in another man's arms.

Amelie was engaged in a quiet conversation with Merric, innocently catching him up on the gossip of her friends. "And the first of our year to be betrothed is Lady Laurel! She really shouldn't be at this party, but she just found out yesterday after she had already accepted the invitation, and it would have been rude to back out."

Kel's sensitive ears picked up the comments and she immediately turned away from Dom and the Yamani ladies to inquire, "Laurel is betrothed?"

Merric restated what Amelie had told him to the group. Their reactions were varied. Mitsuko had already known, and Kaida was able to keep her Yamani composure. Kel gave a small smile, happy for the nice girl she had come to know over the past few weeks. Dom was the one who asked, "And who is the lucky man?"

Amelie was now embarrassed at the way the news had spread. "I don't think I should say… I shouldn't have let this slip in the first place. Please don't tell Laurel I told you all—I promised I wouldn't say anything until the official announcement was made." The members of the small group made their promises, but one of the knights had slipped away before he had to.

Laurel was talking to Squire Alan who had found her for a dance after the first squire. After the song had ended, they had moved to the refreshment table for punch.

Iden arrived a few moments after. Hazel eyes met blue squarely, but he addressed Alan when he spoke. "Can I steal the lady for the next dance?"

"I knew wouldn't get to keep you for long," the squire said, gracefully relinquishing her to the knight and kissing her hand as he left.

With a parting smile for Alan, Laurel then looked up at Iden's hazel eyes sternly and then cautiously as she saw something hard in them. She had only the night before sworn to avoid him, and here she was about to have his hand in hers and his arm around her waist. Blue eyes narrowed as she said, "You told me that you didn't dance."

Iden did not refute the claim, but he also did not whisk her off to the dance floor. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked flatly.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," she retorted almost angrily. Yet, she knew exactly what he was talking about, and it was definitely Amelie who told him about it. Irritation bubbled in her veins as she thought, That girl is too sweet to keep her mouth shut! She had been too quick to assume that Iden and Laurel had been romantically involved before and had probably thought that he should know.

His jaw tightened involuntarily. "The engagement, Laurel. Tell, me did you find out before or after I made a fool of myself? Did you not have the decency to tell me you were already promised to another man?" he hissed.

"It was after all that, Iden. I only found out yesterday," she replied quietly. And it is not finalized yet, she added in her mind.

"I just thought that you and I were doing something, Laurel," he impulsively took her hand in both of his. "Together." He brushed his lips across her knuckles and let them linger there.

She pulled her hand out of his grip gently. He was making too much of an emotional display, more than their little friendship could possibly inspire. "I'm sorry if I was leading you on…"

Iden cut her off. "No, you weren't. That's the problem. You're always so calm, so rational about it all… And how can you just bow to the wishes of your parents? They haven't seen you in years—they don't even know you anymore, if they ever did in the first place! How can they pick a husband for you?"

Sharply, she retorted, "I trust my parents' judgment. Their life together didn't turn out half bad. Who else is more qualified?" Laurel felt her cheeks flushing from his attacks, but she kept her voice steady.

Grabbing her shoulder in exasperation, the knight said incredulously, "Do you think your opinion is that unimportant? Where is your passion? Why don't you fight them? You know you don't love this man—you've never seen him, I bet. You are going to give up your chance for love this easily?"

"Love?" she repeated in disbelief. Marriage was not always about love, and a young knight should know enough about the world to realize this fact. "And who exactly do I love, Iden? Not all of us have warrior blood running through us that makes us believe such foolish things. I was raised to do this one thing, Iden—I have spent my entire life preparing for the day when I would be given to a man to be his wife. That day is here, and I am ready."

Fumbling for words, he blurted out an accusation. "You don't want this anymore than I do!"

"It does not concern you," she said coolly. "Why are you getting so worked up? This is not about what you or I want—"

"Then, you admit you want something," he pointed out eagerly.

Ignoring his comment, the lady continued, "You are still too young for marriage. When yours is arranged, you will understand what your duty is."

"You are four years younger than me, Laurel," he retorted angrily, his visage darkening with each word she spoke.

"This is the way of the world," she stated simply. There was no use in trying to convince him anymore. Her betrothal would happen, regardless of Sir Iden's thoughts on the matter.

"That's it? You don't care about any of the time we've spent together? You don't want to fight for any of it?"

The girl sighed. "I think you should know that I am not a fighter. Thank you for being a friend to me," she said quietly. It was obviously a dismissal.

Iden stood there a pace away from her, gazing down into her eyes with a sad but smoldering look. "You're cold, Laurel."

Blue eyes widened at the claim and met hard hazel ones, but before she could reply, Squire Alan interrupted with a flourished bow.

"The Duchess sent me to find you, milady. She requests a performance." He was grinning, oblivious to the tense conversation he had just walked into.

Laurel remained frozen by Iden's harsh words, so much so that she barely registered Alan's presence. It was the angry knight who responded first, his hazel eyes burning with fury as he stared the lady down.

"Enjoy her while you can, squire. She's a promised woman." With that, he stormed off into the crowd and farther.

The blue-eyed girl took a deep breath and put a small smile on her face to address a befuddled Alan. She decided to ignore Iden's rude behavior for the moment. "Pardon the knight, Squire Alan, he is upset. Now, I would be delighted to oblige the Duchess. Show the way."

Laurel took his arm, and he led her around the edge of the dance floor to the far side of the room where the musicians had sat. Their chairs were empty; presumably they had been given a brief respite and the girl had been called to entertain the crowd in their stead.

The Duchess herself was waiting there and called the attention of the crowd. Laurel was introduced to applause and she smiled. She started a simple song.

As she sang, she found the faces of her palace friends in the crowd. In small groups, they all seemed to be whispering to each other; she imagined that they were discussing her fresh engagement. She avoided the glare of Iden that came from the back of the room. Laurel felt more self-conscious than she ever had in her life—here and now she was the center of attention both for her performance and for her personal life.

When she had finished and the applause had died down, the girl decided that it was time to leave. She did not feel comfortable answering the questions of her friends or being under the judging gaze of Iden.

Trying to sneak though the crowd that had resumed its conversations and dancing, Laurel was caught half-way to the door by Merric with Amelie on his arm. The rest of the group sans Iden was gathered a few paces behind him.

"We must know, Lady Laurel. Who is the lucky man?" the knight asked. The blue-eyed girl noticed that Amelie had the sense to look ashamed.

Blushing, Laurel replied, "Sir Jedrek of Gethin. I must go—good night everyone." She walked quickly out of the room then. So quickly that she did not see the looks her palace friends exchanged over this fresh revelation.

She did not want to seem paranoid, but when Laurel was around her court friends all the next week, they seemed to be holding something back. Every look and gesture was loaded with some hidden information that no one could bear to speak aloud. In the next few weeks, they became even more distant, even Iden. After their great argument at the party, he had stopped showing up in her life. Laurel had finally realized that he had been actively seeking her before; their paths would have never just happened to cross as often as they went about their daily lives unless he had been planning it.

There was one exception—Lady Knight Kel. She seemed to find Laurel more than humanly possible. She was always on the way to or from the practice courts, and she always had a ready invitation to join. The blue-eyed girl could spot her motives easily: the lady knight still wanted to teach her to fight.

One such encounter took a slightly nasty turn. Laurel was fumbling with the key to her own room when Kel showed up. This time her invitation was not so subtle.

Firmly, but rather uncomfortably, Kel insisted, "You need to know these things, Lady Laurel. It's every woman's responsibility to learn how to take care of herself."

The girl could not keep her blue eyes from flashing with annoyance. "I live in the King's palace. I am betrothed and soon I will be married. No one is going to bother me."

Kel's hand reached out to rest on her forearm, and Laurel looked down at it in surprise. "Your husband cannot always protect you," the knight said softly.

"I don't put myself in situations where I would be in danger in the first place," she responded exasperatedly. Finally, the key turned in the lock and the door fell open.

Delicately, Kel removed her hand and replied, "Sometimes it is the men one trusts most that do the worst. Lalasa, the greatest dressmaker of Tortall, she was beaten by her own father and brothers. I taught her what I want to teach you and now she holds her own self-defense classes in her shop."

Ignoring the implied threat of abuse, Laurel said, "I do not fight people. It runs counter to my nature. Good day, Lady Kel." She stepped into her room and shut the door behind herself.

Soon after the confrontation with Kel, Laurel set aside some time to visit Yuki. Maybe if she told her about the betrothal and the strange behavior of the others, the woman could shed some light on the matter.

The Yamani let her in with a warm greeting and pulled a pot of green tea off of the fire. The two ladies knelt on the cushions around a low table in the style of the Islands, and Yuki spoke first in Yamani. "What brings you by, Hitomi?"

Laurel had to reset her mind to speaking the other language. "I just found out that I am betrothed."

With a smooth nod of the head, the woman replied, "Congratulations." She lifted the teapot and poured it into finely painted, handle-less cups.

"You knew already didn't you?" Laurel accused as she accepted the cup. "Who told you?"

Yuki set down the teapot and met the girl's blue gaze. "Kel mentioned it to Neal the day after the party, but only because she was concerned."

Laurel sighed in frustration. "And what is there to be concerned about? Ladies at court get married all the time, and often it is arranged by her parents. What is so different about me?"

Yuki looked down into her tea for a moment before answering. "Maybe we should visit Neal about this. He can tell you everything."

Laurel took a sip of the tea and rose. "Now if you please, Lady Yuki. I need to know." The ladies walked the short way to the infirmary in comfortable silence. The blue-eyed girl was not truly angry with the woman or with any of her friends, just confused and annoyed that they would not let her in on the big secret. It was worse than having the convent girls gossip about you behind your back.

Neal was surprised to see the pair walk into the infirmary, and he hurried over from a patient's bedside. Yuki met him halfway and whispered something to him. The healer's green eyes met Laurel's quickly before he nodded. "We can borrow father's office. It's his day off." Laurel fell into step with the others as they entered the wood-paneled office for the chief healer of the palace.

The knight sat on the edge of the desk and motioned for the ladies to sit in the chairs in front of him before he ran a hand nervously through his hair. Laurel preferred to stand.

"I'm tired of this mystery. Kel, Yuki, you, the others—why all this fuss over me?" she asked.

Meeting her questioning gaze, Neal began, "Us knights sort of know your intended. Well, more his reputation…" The green-eyed knight waved his hands as if searching for the most delicate way of expressing his thought.

"Please just say it, Neal. I can take it," the girl pleaded.

Neal exchanged looks with Yuki, and the Yamani took up his cause from her perch on one of the leather backed chairs. "From what I understand, he has been accused of being rough with some women in his past, and we are concerned about what could happen to you." Her Yamani accented Common was beautiful, despite the condemning words it spoke.

"You're saying that my future husband hurts women?" she asked, looking between the two. "I don't believe this…" Yet there had been other warnings, Laurel remembered. But my parents wouldn't do that to me. They would figure out what was best for everyone.

Neal's expression and voice softened. "It's hard to hear, I know. He's always been somewhat unstable. I can send a letter to your parents about this; they should know before committing to anything."

"It's not that," Laurel began, shaking her head, but a healer popped in and interrupted.

"The Count is asking for Laurel," she told them tiredly.

Neal's brow furrowed as he stood, annoyed at the interruption. "How did he know she was here?"

The healer looked taken aback at the reaction of her usually easygoing boss. "I had to do the last treatment, and to get him to stop yelling at me I told him she had just walked in."

He waved a hand of dismissal. "Well, go un-tell him then! We're busy."

The healer looked cowed, and Laurel put herself in between them; this did concern her after all. "No, Neal, I should go see him. It's been too long." With a lower pitched voice she told him pointedly, "He is my intended grandfather-in-law for godsakes."

She strode out of the office and down the hall to Count Nelson's curtained off bed. The girl smiled to the dozing old man, taking a seat beside him and reaching for his hand. His eyes fluttered open and he spoke. "Laurel, my dear, I'm happy that you came today." His voice was noticeably weaker and his face paler than the last time she saw him. "My son visited earlier this morning to tell me the good news—your betrothal to my grandson Jedrek has been finalized. It makes an old man glad to know his grandson will be united with the kindest young lady in all of Tortall."

"That is a high compliment, milord. I hardly think I'm worthy of such praise," the blue-eyed girl replied softly.

"But you are!" he protested in his rough voice. "This marriage is the last wish of a dying man—a chance to see two young people happily settled and to know my great-grandchildren will be sung to sleep every night by an angel."

That was it. Laurel could not deny this poor old man his dying wish. She squeezed his hand gently. "Of course. And I am doubly happy to see you happy. Shall I sing for you?" she offered.

He nodded, and she sang him to sleep with a little healing magic. It took less than a minute for him to fall into a peaceful slumber.

Neal appeared at the curtain as soon as the last note of the song faded away. "Laurel, if we could continue our conversation," he whispered urgently.

She stood and turned to face him with resolve written in her posture. "No. I have to do this. Maybe Jedrek has changed. Maybe you heard rumors that aren't even true." Looking down at the Count, the girl could not imagine that he would do anything bad to her. He seemed to think well of his grandson. People had been wrong about him being a mean, bitter man, so maybe they were wrong about his grandson too.