Disclaimer: Everything recognizable rightfully belongs to Tamora Pierce.

ஐ Masquerade ஐ

Keladry sighed for what seemed to be the thousandth time. Lord Raoul had decided (probably at the insistence of his wife) that they absolutely had to have a winter ball for Christmas time, never minding that they were in a fort in middle of nowhere and at war. Apparently, according to him, that was the exact reason to hold a celebration.

"To lighten everyone's spirit" was what he had said.

Lighten spirits my ass, thought Keladry with a scowl. For the past few days because of the damned ball, she had to learn how to dance because according to Lady Alanna, since there was a limited amount of ladies, every lady there had to know how to dance. When Kel had protested that she was a knight Alanna had said with a flourish of her hand, "You're still a Lady."

So now she was stuck here in the dressing room with Lalasa and a lot of pins and needles that seem to love stabbing her.

"You just pricked me, again," Kel said with a sigh.

"Well I wouldn't if you stop fidgeting and stay still," Lalasa said with a pointed stare at Kel.

"Funny how you seemed to be so much more opened with your thoughts now," Kel shot back.

"Well I wouldn't need to express them if you'd start to stay still without me asking you to every five seconds, funny how you're able to stay perfectly still when you're shooting an arrow but can't when you're fitted for a dress," retorted Lalasa.

"That's different, that's training," protested Kel.

"Well start training for fitting 'cuz you're going to be here everyday 'till the ball if you don't stand still," said Lalasa.

"That's not fair you know, I have to keep my training or I won't be able to fight when the time comes," said Kel with an innocent look.

"Don't give me that look and I know for a fact that Lord Raoul had send for another company to join us so we'll be more protected," returned Lalasa.

"But…"

"No more buts or ands or ifs, you came here to be fitted and you can do that without arguing with me every second of the way and stay still for goodness's sake milady," Lalasa said with a frown and a sigh.

ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ

"So Kel, how was your day?" asked Neal with an air or someone who not only knew where she'd been but trying to rub it in as well.

"Absolutely fabulous Neal," Kel said with a smirk.

Yuki had came in while Neal was talking to Kel and had proceeded to hit his head right after Kel had answered.

"Well, well, what have we here, a flustered Meathead, a enraged Yuki and a smirking Kel, something tells me that Meathead is once again caught doing something naughty? inquired Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle.

"Shut up Dom," Neal returned with a scowl.

"Now, now, play nice laddies," chided Kel with a grin.

"You're one to talk Kel, you spent most of your time arguing with Lalasa or Alanna or Buri," Neal shot back.

"That's because someone's keen on making my life miserable and appealed to Lord Raoul knowing that I wouldn't refuse him," retorted Kel.

Dom let out a whistle, "Meathead, you really screwed up, everyone knows that Kel can't dance if her life depended on it."

This time Dom was the recipient of Yuki's fan.

Neal snicker, "Well, you're not too bright either."

Yuki's fan once again bang itself against Neal's head. Dom glared at Neal but didn't say a word.

"Well see you lads later, I have a few chores to do this afternoon," Kel said with a grin, "Yuki if you need a extra hand with keeping these two buffoons in line you can always ask me." With that Kel glided out of the room with a wave.

ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ

Kel had dance lessons with Yuki and Alanna (who said she needed to learn how to dance without breaking toes too) for the entire afternoon. When she got back to her room her arms were sore as were her feet and legs. Who knew dancing was so trivial. It was easier than going into war but other than that it was the most difficult thing that Kel had to learn.

She had spent most of her afternoon gliding across (or trying to) the floor while performing intricate spins and look effortless at the same time. The only good thing about it was that no males were allowed in, including dogs, sparrows and cats. If they were than she would be suffering from more than just a sore body, she would probably have bruises as well.

She made her way slowly to the dining hall for dinner. When she got her tray of food she walked to where all her friends were sitting her feet were like deadweights.

"So…how's the dancing going Kel?" inquired Neal, this time instead of Yuki's fan hitting him he was hit right in the eye with Kel's breadstick.

For the rest of the meal everyone wisely chose to not comment on her afternoon for the fear of getting hit by Kel's food with her pinpoint accuracy.

"…anyway Kel have you seen Yuki at all since your appointment with her? Meathead has been a wreck all afternoon without her," Dom said.

"Did he drive you guys to the point of insanity while he was at it?" questioned Kel.

"Ay milady, he spent all afternoon cursing an' askin' us where she was every few seconds," confirmed Wolset.

At that moment Owen came charging into the hall shouting for Neal, when Neal saw Owen, he all but ran out the door.

"What happened?" asked Kel with panic rising in her tone, "Did anyone get hurt?"

"No Kel…I just found Yuki…" Owen stopped to catch his breath, "Neal said that if I found her than he would shut up for the rest of the day," Owen finished with a grin.

"Oh," was all Kel could mange before letting the laughter consume her.

"Well that was certainly entertaining," Kel said after her laughter subsided.

"Yuki certainly knows how to put a leash on him," commented Dom

"Now what are we talking about? Yuki? Leash? Dog?" asked Lord Raoul as he joined the table.

"No sir, we're talking about Neal," replied Kel.

"Well my guess was close enough." Raoul said with a smile.

"If you think Neal is a dog, than yes sir," Kel returned while trying not to laugh.

"Then I'm right," concluded Raoul.

At thin point everyone but Kel and Lord Raoul was laughing. Kel allowed herself to crack grin.

"Of course sir," Kel answered.

When Neal had returned with Yuki in tow everyone had either whistled at them or made catcalls or in Kel's case raised her eyebrows suggestively. The rest of the evening was spent cracking jokes with Neal at the butt of it.

ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ

Kel woke next morning earlier than her usual hour. She spent the extra time by training with her glaive. She had figured out by now that ever since this ball nonsense that Lalasa would wake at that hour and start fitting her as soon as she had all her equipment out, thus giving her no time at all to train. This time was the only time in the day that she wasn't in pain or in danger of being in pain.

A tap came from her doorway as she packed up her glaive. She looked up to see Dom leaning against it, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"What are you doing in such an early hour?" he questioned his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Well Lalasa gets up at the hour that I use to get up in and would start fitting me right after I washed so I decided to get up hour or more earlier to get some training in," Kel replied.

"Shouldn't they give you at least some time for training during the day?" Dom asked.

"To them, this is training," Kel said frowning.

"So you decided then to get up long before the sun does to train?" He said this with such incredulous Kel had to crack a smile.

"Milady, are you ready?" Lalasa called out from her adjoining room.

At this Dom measly let out a chuckle.

"Well, what have we here, Sergeant Dom as well?" Lalasa's face held a hint of awe.

"Hi Lalasa," Dom called out to her cheerfully.

"What you doin' in a lady's chamber so early in the mornin' sir?" Lalasa asked with such a scandalous note that mad the other two occupants of the room chuckle.

When Kel recovered she asked, "Dom why are you here anyway?"

"Well Kel it seems that you're not the only early bird here, Raoul woke me at the crack of dawn and said that Buri had woken him up and told him to get one of his men to tell Lalasa that Kel was needed in her room the moment she woke, but it seems that I arrived too late already," Dom ended with a chuckle.

"Oh milady I forgot to tell you that Buri wanted to know what you were wearing to the ball and said that she wanted you an' me to go to her room along with Yuki and Alanna," Lalasa exclaimed, "But I thought that I could take you when I woke, goodness knows that you wake up early enough to say goodnight to the stars."

"Oh that's fine Lalasa, we'll go now," Kel said and then called out to Dom who was leaving, "Thanks Dom."

"Anytime," Dom waved his goodbye.

The minute he left Lalasa bombarded Kel with questions of what they did in her room before she woke and what they talked about. The way Lalasa talked was as if she expected they did something scandalous.

Kel gave a sigh of relief when they arrived at Buri's apartments. Lalasa's relentless questions had made her feel like she was being cross-examined by an advocate.

Buri waved them in with a grin when she opened her to them. "So how's the fitting going Lalasa?"

"It could be better milady."

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, but it seems very peculiar to me that Lady Kel can be still as a statue in battle but can't seem to stop fidgeting when she's fitted for a dress."

Buri answered with a laugh. "Yes, you should see her trying to dance."

"No thanks!"

Buri chuckled.

ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ

The rest of the morning was spent in Buri's room while she explained to Kel, Lalasa, Yuki and Alanna that she wanted the ball to be a masquerade so she wanted everyone to wear a mask.

"How many ladies are going to be at the ball Buri?" asked Yuki.

"Very little, there will be you, Kel, Alanna, few of the Riders and the female servants and of course Lalasa is more than welcome to come," answered Buri with a nod in Lalasa's direction.

"That's very kind of you milady but I won't be attending," Lalasa replied with a apologetic smile.

"Buri you haven't exactly told us where this ball is taking place," Kel said.

"Well I'm planning on telling everyone where it is on the day before, excluding servants and a few chosen people, and Lord Raoul is not one of the chosen ones so you can't bother him," Buri smiled when she noticed a gleam in Kel's eyes that quickly died when she Lord Raoul didn't know.

"What made you think that I was going to ask him?" Kel asked all innocent.

"I don't know, maybe that gleam in your eye or the fact that you're claiming innocence?" Buri raised an eyebrow.

Everyone with the exceptions of Kel laughed.

"Are you sure you're not expecting Buri? Because you sound like my mother," Kel said with a critical look.

"I hope not, with you so near the babe will be soon be holding a sword and beating us up," Dom commented from the doorway.

"Like you're one to talk, with you so near the babe will be an idiot," Kel called out to him.

"I'm not having any babes soon so you'll have plenty of time to discuss this later but for now we need to talk about what we're wearing to the ball," Buri interrupted with a glare at Dom, "and Sergeant Domitan is expected to leave."

"Oh no," Dom said with his hands up in defense, "Lord Raoul send me, he says that he needs Kel to finish her report so that he can give it to the messengers by the end of today."

"I completely forgot about that, I haven't even attracted it yet," Kel send a smile at Buri, "I guess I can't do anything else until I finish it right?"

"You can go but we expect you in Alanna's room the minute you are finished, clear?" Buri asked.

"Yes mother,"

"Now you know how we feel like Kel," Dom said as he snickered at Kel.

ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ

Kel stretched her arms up in the air as she finished her four-paged report on the state of Steadfast. She had no idea why she had to do that but apparently since she was here Lord Raoul thought that since she would have more free time than he would that she should do the reports.

"Kel?" Raoul stood in her doorway a curious eyebrow raised, "Did you finish it yet?"

"Yes sir, I just finished," Kel replied as she yawned.

"Good," relief filled his face," Anyway Buri wanted me to remind you that you might still be able to slide some time for some dance lessons after supper."

"Is she joking?" Kel felt the dread fill her face.

"Didn't seem like it," Raoul gave a shrug and then collected the report, "I think she'll tell you at supper." The waved his goodbye.

Lalasa came the minute he left.

"Milady, Buri wants to see you in Alanna's room after supper for some dance lessons."

"She's wasn't joking?" Kel asked.

"No milady."

"Why weren't you here today?" Kel asked thinking it better to change the subject.

"Buri said that it was better to leave you alone to write the report, and just cuz' you change the subject milady doesn't mean the Buri doesn't expect you in her room."

"I'll be there." Kel resigned herself with a sigh.

ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ

At supper Kel sat between Buri and Alanna. Between Buri's glances and Alanna's stare there was no way to sneak out of the dining hall without them noticing.

"So Kel, how was your day?" Merric questioned clueless about the lessons because he had just arrived a few hours ago.

Neal made a gagging sound as he looked at Merric bewildered. "Are sure you want to know?"

"Yes, why?"

"Nothing," Kel bite out as she kicked Neal in the shins, "My day was fine thank you , don't mind Neal he's just being the Meathead his is," Kel smiled as she finished.

"Oh, ok," Merric's face was dubious as he looked at Kel's glare on Neal and Neal's slight smirk.

Yuki's fan hit the back of Neal's head when she noticed his smirk.

"You two are worst than children," she huffed out when she noticed Kel glaring at Neal.

Kel smiled weakly at Yuki when she noticed that Yuki was glaring at her.

"Meathead, what happened to you?" Dom whistled as he sat down, "You look all battered up."

"You have no id-"

"He was being himself and got punished for it." Kel bite out interrupting Neal in mid-sentence.

"I get punished for everything I do even if I'm just having fun," Neal complained, "And no one cares if I'm innocent or not."

This earned him another whack on the head from Yuki.

"Maybe they should tie you up," Dom joked, "That way you don't have to waste time punishing him." He ended while snickering.

"That's the best idea I heard all day," Kel beamed at him.

"Well most likely the previous ideas were Neal's," Dom grinned.

"True," Kel smiled back.

ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ

That evening when Kel went to Buri's room (escorted by Buri herself and Alanna) she found a dress waiting for her. She raised her eyebrows at the dress.

"You're expected to know how to dance with a dress on so we thought that since the ball would be in two days' time you should get started," Alanna explained while Kel took all this in with a slight wince.

"And it'll give you more practice," Buri said reasonably.

"Why can't I do it tomorrow?" Kel questioned.

"Because you missed today's lessons so we thought that an hour of what would be a half day lesson would be okay for now," Buri answered.

"Should I be thankful that you decided not to make me stay up for half the night or be very angry that you did this without telling me?" Kel asked.

"Be thankful," Alanna said with a warning look.

"Ok," Kel decided that it was in her best interest to leave that well alone.

"Good, now let's start, Yuki's here," Buri said.

ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ

When Kel woke up the next day she found that the sun was already well into the sky. She sighed as she turned over. Guess last night's one hour lesson had decided that it would mess up her sleeping pattern as well. She turned over in her bed when she heard someone knocking. She heard Dom's muffled voice through the door.

"Come in," She shouted from her position in bed.

"Hey Kel Meat head was wond-" Dom stopped when he saw she was still in bed.

"Yes?" Kel prompt him to go on.

"Do want me to come back later when you're dressed?" Dom asked his eyebrows raised.

"I don't feel like getting up when the only thing I'll be doing is dancing in a dress," Kel mumbled.

Dom chuckled but stop when he caught Kel's glare.

"So what did you come here for?" Kel asked with a curious expression.

"Oh yeah, Meathead wanted to know whether you were doing the dance lessons today," Dom said.

"And he didn't think to ask his wife?" Kel smiled.

"We're talking about Meathead here," Dom replied with a smirk.

"And here I was thinking that he might have been a sensible lad for a second there," Kel mused out loud smiling.

Dom answered with a cheeky smile.

ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ ஐ

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