{A/N Hi guys. This message is for those of you who read the first version of my story. If this is the first time you've come across this fic just skip all this amd get to the good (well, I hope it's good) stuff. To the rest of you, I know, I know, it's been an OVER A YEAR since I last posted. I fully deserve to have rotten fruit thrown at me, to be flamed(although I would prefer it if you didn't) and banned from writing fanfic ever again. All I can do is say I'm sorry and offer an explanation.
I started this story two years ago. At the time my writing style was completely different and I actually started this story without any plot in mind (hence the nick). I have to say that I am my own worst critic. I began to hate the story I had written, the bad spelling, inconsistency and lack of direction embarrassed me. So although I did made many attempts to finish it the words wouldn't come. Eventually I gave up on it and moved on to other things. But even after a year I've still been getting a few reviews so there are obviously some people out there reading. So I sat down and revised the story. The first few chapters are pretty much the same but I would like to think that the later chapters become more mature and better written.
If you have read this before, THERE ARE CHANGES, especially in later chapters, so I would advise reading again.
It is COMPLETE, and saved on my hard drive so you don't have to worry about me not writing for another year. Unless my computer breaks down, I will be posting a chapter a time for the next 12 weeks.
This is for everyone who ever reviwed or even read and appreciated silently, but especially for those of you who reveiwed in the last few months reminding me that this story had not dissappeared into fanfic hell like I'd assumed.
I'd like to state again for the record that I do not own a copy of the books. As such there are bound to be plenty of canonical errors (as well as all the other regular kind). Feel free to correct, shout or laugh at me.
This is pure fluff, except when its not. Roger doesn't exist in this story.
Hope you enjoy - plotless.
Disclaimer : I do not own any of Tamora Piece's characters or settings. I just like to sneak into her toybox and play with them once in a while.
e-mail : terra786@hotmail.com
extra chapters up on webpage, see profile for address, I can't put it here without creating errors on the page for some reason
Chapter1
The Head Priestess walked into the main room at the convent to find two priestesses frantically trying to untangle bats from their hair.
"What happened here, how did those…those disgusting creatures get into your hair?" she asked them.
"How do you think?" the priestess closest to her answered.
"Calisto and Alanna!" the other priestess said in a truly horrified voice.
"I should have known," the Head Priestess sighed. "Well, we won't be suffering much longer, Calisto and Alanna are leaving for the Palace soon."
"Thank the goddess!" the priestess by the door cried happily.
"You have to feel sorry for the poor people at the Palace though," the other priestess remarked shaking her head sadly. All the priestesses sighed glad that the nightmares, known as Calisto and Alanna, that had plagued them for the last six years were finally gone.
Alanna, who was supposed to be practicing her sewing, was sitting in her room cleaning the latest addition to her weapons collection when Calisto came bursting into the room and flopped down on the bed.
"Have you heard the wonderful news?" she said her voice laced with sarcasm. "We finally get to leave this annoying, dull, dreadful prison we've been forced to live in all these years and go to the Palace to swoon over all the handsome men!"
"Excellent, we can get married to a man we don't even know and have hundreds of children. I can hardly wait!" Alanna said just as sarcastically as Calisto.
They both sighed and put their heads in their hands. Suddenly Calisto jumped up of the bed.
"I've got it!" she shouted excitedly.
"Got what? Brain damage?" Alanna asked glumly.
"No, I've got a plan," Calisto said. She was practically jumping up and down with excitement. "Let's make a pact to do the best we can to stop each other from getting married. Agreed?"
"Agreed." Alanna said, she'd do anything to stop herself from getting married even trust one of Calisto's notorious master plans.
Alanna stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had the same long red hair that fell down her back, the priestesses had made her grow it, and strange violet eyes but she didn't feel like she was looking at herself. It was probably the green ball gown she was wearing that made her look and feel different. She had worn ball gowns before. The priestesses had made them practice how to dance, sit and walk in them. It was all rather annoying. Just so they could go to balls and swoon over all the men at court. Well she wasn't going to flirt with all the men and compliment them on how good they were at fighting because she knew she was just as good as them. But that wasn't the problem, the problem was she didn't want to go to the stupid ball or wear this uncomfortable ball gown.
While she sometimes had to wear ball gowns at the convent, the rest of the time she could wear whatever she wanted. She had gotten her friend Calisto to sew her dresses with high slits so she could move properly; she still couldn't walk in a ball gown after six years. At the Palace she was forced to wear these stupid fancy dresses all the time and she was probably going to go crazy. She just didn't know who she was anymore. She turned away from the mirror resignedly. The only reason she was going to the ball was to see Thom her twin brother and that was it. She slipped her feet into her slippers and left her room heading for the huge palace ballroom. She arrived there and looked around the vast room for her brother. She spotted him and a group of his friends talking to a red haired Lady about her height and approached them. When she reached Thom and his friends they stared at her open mouthed.
"What?" she asked raising her eyebrows questioningly.The Lady they had been talking to turned and Alanna stared at a mirror image of herself in shock before she realized who it was and grinned. The other Lady grinned too as Alanna threw her arms around her best friend and they hugged each other fiercely. They drew apart and found Thom and his friend staring at them.
"I don't seem to remember having two twin sisters." Thom said looking confused.
"That's probably 'cause you don't." Alanna told her twin brother and whacked him on the head, "I can't believe you can't tell the difference between me and an impostor, Thom!"
At that, the Lady's face was covered by a gold mist and when the mist disappeared her face was transformed into that of a beautiful blonde Lady with tawny eyes.
"I guess we have to do the introductions all over again," said the other Lady with a look of dismay.
Alanna turned to her brother and his friends, "This is Calisto and I'm the real Alanna. We met at the convent and we've been partners in crime since we first met."
"Yes, we have a mutually advantages relationship, Alanna borrows all the magical objects I need from the sisters' storerooms and I help her sneak out to meet…ow!" she stopped suddenly.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" said Alanna angelically. " Was that your foot?"
"Yes, it was," Calisto said through gritted teeth.
"Please continue, I'd like very much to know who Alanna has been sneaking out to meet," inquired Thom looking very curious.
Before Calisto could answer Alanna interrupted her saying, "I used to visit the horses at the stables in the town. There was a dark and handsome stallion that I liked to visit."
"He's dark and handsome alright!" Calisto put in grinning mischievously but her grin changed into a scowl. "Ouch!"
"Was that the other foot? I'm such a klutz," Alanna said innocently.
Thom looked questioningly at his sister but Calisto saved her friend before she had to answer some very embarrassing questions.
"We still haven't finished the introductions why don't you introduce us to your friends, Thom," said Calisto.
"Fine," Thom said still looking at Alanna weirdly. "This is Prince Jonathan of Conte," he said pointing to a black haired, blue-eyed man standing just behind him. Alanna and Calisto both simultaneously lifted their skirts and bowed perfectly but Alanna spoiled it. Looking up at Thom she said, "See we did learn something between setting fire to the priestesses rooms and dyeing their hair blue," Alanna and Calisto burst into laughter. When they had regained the little self control they had Thom went on.
"This-" he said pointing to a tall broad shouldered man on the princes right. "- is Raoul and lastly we have Gary the Prince's cousin," he pointed to the man on the princes left. Alanna and Calisto nodded to both men in acknowledgement. Calisto kept unusually quiet during the conversation that began about the best horse in the King's stable, a thoughtful look on her face.
"Alanna didn't you say that the only person who would be able to tell us apart would be your brother because you were so close," Calisto said during pause in the conversation.
"I guess I was wrong." Alanna said looking at her brother accusingly.
Thom looked at them thoughtfully. "Now that I think about it there were some flaws," he said. "There were five freckles on your face and Alanna only has four and the one below your eye was a bit too high."
"What?" Calisto shouted. "This spell is flawless! Who are you to question my spells?"
"I'm a person who has the gift and I've read all about spells that change your appearance," Thom said indignantly.
"I can see why you'd read up on those spells," Calisto said looking him over.
"Should we leave you two alone?" Alanna asked before Thom could answer back.
"Maybe you should get a room?" she suggested and grinned at their horrified expressions. Jonathan, Gary and Raoul snickered then they seemed to remember that she was a Lady because they stopped and stared at her in shock which made her grin even more.
"What?" Thom and Calisto bellowed. "Never!" they both turned and stormed of in different directions.
Alanna turned to Thom's friends. "I should go after her before she sets fire to my room or something equally awful. She has a terrible temper. Hope I see you again," with that she turned and left in the direction Calisto had gone. Alanna found Calisto sulking on a bench in the courtyard and sat down next to her.
"Sorry about what I said in there," she said solemnly but that only earned her a glare.
"Why don't we go spell the practice tools in the practice yard?" she added hoping that getting up to mischief would improve her friend's mood. Calisto smiled, "Wonderful idea," she said cheerfully. "Come on."
They walked back to their room, changed into black breeches and shirts and snuck down to the practice fields.
"So what are we going to do?" Calisto asked.
Alanna leaned over and whispered in her ear and they both got to work on their spells giggling at intervals.
"Finished!" they both said at the same time.
"Lets go before someone sees us," Alanna said turning and walking back to their rooms. Calisto followed.
"I can't wait to see their faces tomorrow," Calisto said and when they were safely back in Alanna's room.
"We can ask Thom to let us watch him practice," Alanna suggested changing into her nightdress.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Calisto said walking to the door that separated Alanna's room from hers.
"Goodnight," Alanna said and watched Calisto go into her room before climbing into the huge bed that took up most of the room.
Tomorrow was sure to be interesting.