Author's Note:

So yeah… thanks for betaing Whisperwings!

It had taken a considerably lesser amount of time to locate appropriate clothing for John, as his younger brother and the male members of Rebecca's escort had accompanied him.

Now Juanita and Rebecca were browsing through the variety of dress shops, trying to find a modest but becoming garment for the noble woman.

Rebecca looked over a golden off-the-shoulder gown, holding it up against her body, before placing it back where she had found it.

"You know…" Juanita said in a bored tone of voice, as she was more accustomed to shopping for clothing better suited for her trade, which excluded dresses, "it might be a little easier to decide if you actually tried on the dresses."

"I'm fine selecting this way." Rebecca retorted, casting aside a silver-white dress with small puffed sleeves and elbow length gloves.

Juanita huffed. "Just offering some help." She threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

"Hey," Jim entered the store casually with Jarred in tow, "how's it coming?" he asked; leaning against the wall of the shop.

"Rebecca just can't decide what to get." Juanita pointed out, "and the high duchess's banquet is in one hour!"

Rebecca held a pink dress with long sleeves and pointed shoulders against her self, "You can't rush something like this, Juan." She looked back into the mirror and noticed that the dress had seemed to change to a light blue. She blinked, carefully placing the dress back where it belonged and sighed. 'I must be getting tired…'

"Well…" Jarred grabbed the nearest dress, "why don't you try on this one?" He held out the dress. It was forest green in colour with an off-the-shoulder style and a pair of ivory elbow length gloves.

Rebecca raised an eyebrow, having not noticed the dress in question, and she took it from Jarred. "Fine, I'll try it on." She turned away and entered the back room, getting dressed.

Juanita, Jarred and Jim waited a moment and then Rebecca returned. The two Shikarans and the young man let out simultaneous gasps of awe.

"What do you think?" Rebecca asked, holding out the skirt to look over the silky front.

"I think that everyone at the ball's going to be jealous of you, Rebecca." Juanita smirked.

"That and Johnny-Boy won't be able to take his eyes off of you." Jim pointed out.

Rebecca flattened her eyes in irritation but could not stop her soft blush.

Juanita elbowed Jim in the ribs.

"What?" Jim scowled, "the truth's the truth… I just tell it like it is!"

Rebecca caught her reflection in the corner of the eye and turned to gaze into the full-length mirrors. Three copies of a beautiful woman gazed back at her. She smoothed her gloved hands across the front of the dress and then placed them at her stomach.

"It's perfect…" Rebecca whispered; a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"See?" Jim gestured to Rebecca. "She likes it!"

"It'll definitely go with what we got John." Jarred pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah…" Jim stood up. "Now you'd better hurry up, Rebecca. You've got a banquet to get to."

"Alright, you go get ready, Rebecca, I'll distract Johnny-Boy for the time being…" Jim smirked playfully to the woman in question.

Rebecca rolled her eyes, "I highly doubt that John's the one that needs to be distracted, James." She turned from the first mate and entered her quarters.

Jim groaned inwardly, turning for his older brother's quarters. Rebecca was in for a surprise, he was sure of it…

Rebecca walked out onto the main deck of the HMS Aurora. Her forest green dress brought out her pale complexion, the darkness of her hair and made her pale green eyes shine like polished jade. She looked around the main deck and then spotted him.

'That can't be John… can it?'

It was. He was dressed in a forest green spacer outfit with a deep yellow trim, tawny trousers, polished boots, and he had a new black leather tri-pointed had upon his head trimmed in gold atop his head.

Rebecca stopped in her steps, gazing at the young man in astonishment, knowing inwardly that he was doing the same. She finally unfroze herself and walked towards him, trying to find something to say.

John smiled warmly to Rebecca when she stopped in front of him. "Yeh look beautiful, lass." He stated.

Rebecca blushed; glad that the evening's darkness could provide her cover, "Thank you… you looked rather dashing yourself, John."

"Aye, but tonight it'll be Admiral John Smith that they'll be calling me." John stated with a polite tip of his hat.

Rebecca raised an eyebrow in intrigue.

"Figured that -if I'm goin' teh such a high-classed banquet- I'd best go under a respectable alias." John winked to Rebecca, straightening up as if he were a spacer of the royal navy.

Rebecca couldn't help but giggle. "All right Admiral John Smith, we'd best be on our way to the banquet to avoid tardiness." She stated.

"Right yeh are, Lady Rebecca," John offered his arm to Rebecca, "an' I've got just the means of gettin' there…" he gestured to a carriage at the foot of the gangplank.

Rebecca gasped as she recognized the elegant beasts of burden. "Tri-tail Stallions?" She looked up at John amorously. "However did you find them?"

"Well, apparently Emery's got a similar transport system as Treaka," John started down the gangplank with Rebecca by his side. "Plus I've got a few connections." He smiled.

Rebecca smiled back and then looked at the carriage. It was an open buggy fashioned out of ivory-white wood, making the pair of dark-haired three-tailed horses stand out.

"Where too?" The juvenile voice of a squirrel-like humanoid asked from the front seat.

John helped Rebecca up into the buggy and then sat in the seat across from her. "Take us teh the High Duchess's banquet, if yeh please."

"Certainly governor, milady..." The driver tipped his hat respectfully to the two young adults and then he clicked the reins against the flanks of the two stallions.

The High Duchess Maria Steepleton's estate was a marvel to look upon as the carriage brought John and Rebecca to the front of the mansion. It was constructed entirely out of polished white marble and seemed to glimmer against the night sky.

The carriage came to a halt at the front entrance of the mansion. A set of stairs led to the opened double doors, where warm golden light flooded outwards.

A footman helped Rebecca out of the carriage and Rebecca took John's arm.

"Well…" She looked forwards. "This is it."

John nodded mutely, trying not to show his nervousness. He smiled weakly to Rebecca and led them towards the front entrance and into the home of the High Duchess.

Author's Note:

Thanks for the reviews!

MG#6