KITTY STOOD IN FRONT OF HER MOTHER'S GOLD MIRROR ADMIRING HER HIGH CHEEKBONES AND LONG SOFT EYELASHES. SHE HAD JUST CELEBRATED HER SEVENTEENTH BIRTHDAY. SHE STILL HAD SLENDER BOYISH HIPS BUT HER BODY WAS BEGINNING TO CHANGE IN OTHER PLACES. HER MOTHER TOLD HER SHE WAS BLOSSOMING LIKE A MOONFLOWER AND SOON SHE WOULD BE IN FULL BLOOM.
Kitty knew she was pretty, all the other girls in the palace courtyard tried to be like her. All the boys wanted to impress her with their silly antics. She never paid much attention to any of them, except for Jaxus and he really was not a boy.
Kitty thought Jaxus was a perfect warrior. He was taller than most men and wore his hair in a shoulder length braid. His jaw was strong, angled and covered by a neatly groomed beard. Kitty felt her heart race whenever she saw him. She would imagine herself wrapped in his strong arms, sharing sweet kisses and staring into his eyes. She would imagine Jaxus as a perfect gentleman. And she imagined one day she would convince her father to make him a lord and let him become her husband.
" Kitty , Kitty, where are you? " a voice called out.
" I am here, Sertilda. In mother's room... dressing for the Solstice ball. "
Sertilda entered the queen's room. " Kitty! you can't wear that!"
" Why not? It's lovely. "
" But it is not becoming of a young princess, the neckline is far too low, you have no sleeves, and the hemline should be discreet. You're 17 not 27 and you're a princess, not a woman of the street with stained lips!"
"Sertilda you're so fussy, Have you not seen the highmarket fashions, all the ladies of the land are wearing these gowns."
" If you can call it that. Here put this on. Don't complain it suits your age and your title. I will look for you in the main gallery at half past the hour. Hurry now, we haven't got much time. "
Kitty took the dress from her sister. It was the color of fresh mountain snow, and plain like Sertilda. The dress had long sleeves that fell to the wrists and a neckline that would strangle her with one breath.
" Sertilda, this is awful. Please let me wear my dress. It's going to be hot tonight. I will surely suffocate in this."
" No Kitty. Put the dress on, pile your hair up and meet me in the main gallery."
" What about Jaxus? he will never look at me in this."
" Jaxus is it? He would never look at you anyhow. You're but a child to him. Now go on get dressed and I will see you in the main gallery." Sertilda said as she turned to leave the queen's chambers.
Kitty slipped on a pair of silk slippers and tied her hair up with a string of pearls. The dress was just as constricting as she thought it would be, but she had no choice and it was almost half past the hour. She could not be late to her first Solstice Ball.
The Solstice ball was the most important summer event in the palace. It brought together the noblemen and women from every town and village in the Kingdom of Red Oaks. It was a chance for the youth and the unmarried to meet and mingle. a chance to dance until the wee hours of the night and maybe to fall in love.
As a child Kitty had watched the Ball from the balcony, this year she was old enough to attend. She walked into the main gallery and looked for Sertilda. Kitty found her standing under the gallery clock, looking like her boring self. Her muddy brown hair was pulled tightly off her face. She wore a gown similar to Kitty's except that it was a dusty beige, with a few small glowing orange crystals stitched into the neckline.
Kitty laughed softly to herself when she saw her sister, she thought to herself how sad it was that her sister remained single after all these years. Sertilda had attended seven of these balls and had never found a man. She was twenty five now, the oldest household noblewoman and unmarried.
" Maybe this would be her year in that boring brown dress," Kitty quietly sighed.
Many of the Kingdom's nobility gathered in the gallery waiting for the music to begin. Some of them drank from fine crystal goblets filled with sweet wine. Some of them stood in small groups engaging in small talk. Children looked down from the gallery balconies. They laughed and they smiled. Little girls giggled and little boys popped their heads up and down trying to capture the attention of their parents below.
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
" Ah, Kitty, my dear sweet sister here you are." Sertilda greeted her sister.
" Here I am. Presentable and pure.' Kitty rolled her eyes as she responded.
" You look beautiful, and I have someone who would like to meet you." Sertilda said with a sly smile.
" No Sertilda please, I really don't want to meet anyone yet. I have not even had a chance to taste the sweet wine. "
Kitty turned away from Sertilda and started to walk to the dance chamber, but Sertilda grabbed her by the wrist and held firmly onto her.
"Kitty let me introduce you to Lord Tangus. He will be your consort at tonight's celebrations. "
" Consort! Sertilda! I don't need a consort, " Kitty exclaimed.
" Good evening my lady." Lord Tangus said, his voice crackled the way a boy's voice does when he is nearing manhood. " Would you like this glass of sweet wine?" He said smiling.
Kitty respectfully dipped her head and took the fine cut, crystal goblet from his hand. She glared at her sister, as Lord Tangus took her hand and guided her to the dance Chamber.
" Your Beautiful Kitty, your gown is modest. I like modesty in a woman. " Tangus complimented
" How would you know what you like? you're not a man yet," Kitty retorted. " You have pimples on your cheeks and are barely able to grow a beard. My sister arranged this. I am sure you would rather be....." Kitty's complaints were cut short by royal trumpeting that marked the start of the first dance. Lord Tangus led Kitty to the dance floor. As the royal musicians began to play the Ballad of Love, Lord Tangus wrapped his arm around Kitty's tiny waist and pulled her close to him.
" I like your spirit, you will be perfect for this night of celebration. "Tangus said with a crooked smile.
Kitty opened her mouth to respond, but Tangus put his hand up to her lips indicating she should say nothing. They danced together spinning at dizzying speeds until the first ballad of the night ended. The Music stopped, the dance floor remained vacant until the next ballad.
Kitty could not shake her annoyance with Sertilda. How could her sister do this to her? She searched the room, Scanning the depths of dukes and earls, countesses and ladies until she found her. When she did, Sertilda was happily chatting with a palace knight. She was unusually animated as she spoke, her always pale face was flushed and rosy. Kitty thought her sister was trying too hard to be coy. Kitty watched Sertilda loosen her neckline, exposing what lay beneath the jeweled fabric. It was obvious to Kitty that the Knight was delighted to continue his conversation with her plain and boring sister. His eyes locked on her exposed skin.
" Lord Tangus, please excuse me, I would like a word with my sister." Kitty said feeling her cheeks warming with rage. She turned and walked to Sertilda who was still happily chatting with the tall blonde knight.
"Sertilda, I would like a moment of your time. " Kitty tapped Sertilda on an exposed shoulder.
" Why Kitty, I thought you were dancing with Lord Tangus. Isn't he just a divine young man. I am so glad the two of you are enjoying the evening."
The knight with his back to Kitty turned around to greet her. " My Lady, Good evening"
" Good evening Jaxus." Kitty said, stunned to see him with Sertilda. Sertilda knew Kitty was fond of Jaxus and yet here she was tonight lowering her neckline to him. Her sister smiled wickedly at Kitty giving her a quick wink .
" Well Sertilda, enjoy yourself. What I have to say can wait until tomorrow. '' Kitty turned and ran from the ballroom not caring about the celebration or another dance with Lord Tangus, rather she retuned to her chambers shed the constrict gown and picked up a small book on her desk. With a little jump she plopped herself into a thick featherbed. Kitty sank deep into the comfort of her pillows and began to read the little book. It was a story about a tiny town far to the west called Sigstorm. A town of farmers and shopkeepers. The book told stories of how the town hid some of the secrets of the Verses of Sid. One of those secrets was tucked away deep in the cellar of an old inn. Stones that had been hidden from the eyes of men for nearly three hundred years, ancient stones that glowed like fire .
Kitty put her book down for a moment and thought of her sister's ball gown, It had very tiny orange crystals sewn into the waist and neckline. As Kitty thought about it, she realized she had never seen the dress before and she had never seen a stone so orange it glowed like fire.
They were called glow stones and according to the Verses were rare and powerful. If Sertilda truly had glow stones on her dress, then how did she get them? Kitty pondered. The page in the little book described how the stones were protected by beasts with leathery blue black skin wings like embers. The same beasts who leave their caves only when commanded by the emperors of Chaco.
Kitty put the book down, curious now about her sister's dress. She summoned the guard at her door and told him to find her sister. " Tell her it is a matter of urgency," Kitty said to the guard.
Kitty returned to her book. She waited and read and waited and finally, the guard returned with Sertilda.
"Kitty, why in heaven's name are you here in your room, and not dancing with that fine Lord Tangus? " Sertilda questioned.
" I don't like him. But that is not the reason I want to speak to you." Kitty sternly said.
" Oh, it's Jaxom, I know. " Seritilda retorted. '' Don't worry dear sister, he is far too old for you and he is certainly not a gentleman.``
Kitty felt anger swelling inside her, but she refused to let it show. " I don't care about that silly knight, he stinks of garlic and his beard is unkept. He is all yours. I want to talk to you about these orange gems on your dress. Where did they come from?"
" From father." Sertilda answered quickly.
" Father?"
" Yes he acquired them as a young man on his Scholarly Quest."
"I was reading tonight and the Verses mention glow stones, those look like glow stones."
"Oh Kitty you really are a romantic, those legends are just stupid fairy tales. No one believes them anymore." Sertilda scoffed. " Now please I have a man of arms waiting for my hand in the next dance." Sertilda said. She spun around with delight, her drab beige gown floated in the air. The orange stones glittered as she walked to the doorway.
" See you in the morning, sweet sister!"
Kitty rolled her eyes and returned to reading the little book of verses. As the palace guard closed the chamber door ,she heard the lock softly click into place. The fragrance of orange blossoms filled her chambers through the open terrace window. Somewhere in the distance church bells chimed 11 o'clock.
Kitty listened to the ballroom music as she read the little book. She wondered if her sister was right, maybe all these words she read really were silly old fairy tales. Maybe the stories no longer had a place in this world. She put her little book down and laid her head on the pillows. Sleep beckoned her and she drifted off into a place of dreams. Serenaded by flutes and mandolins softly playing in the chambers below .