a little more

[maderr]

*~*~*

He was going to give his answer at the banquet which took place the night before start of Tourney.

Elise still did not know what to wear. If he said yes, and she was dressed too feminine, she would look a laughingstock. If she dressed to anticipate being a competitor, and he said no, she would look the greatest of fools.

That aside, her stepfather would beat her if she dared to 'dress like a man' to something as important as the banquet. While she was still roaming around, she would do her best to present him honorably and nobly.

She worried her bottom lip as she fretted over the garb she had finally selected, agonizing over the choice, but at this late hour there simply was no other choice. Eschewing her finer gowns, she opted to risk her stepfather's wrath by wearing what had been normal for her once upon a time, before father had died and Elise was pulled from the only life she had ever known just shy of her fourteenth year.

Her family held lands at the very northern edge of the kingdom, in what the rest of the country called the Wild Lands, sharing a border with the fierce barbarians of the North Country. Here in the palaces and cities of the Kings and High King, life was heavier on rules and regulations, on dictating who did what and the consequences of disobedience.

Back home, she and the other girls of the keep had learned to fight right alongside their brothers. It had been her mother who taught her the finer points of swordsmanship, and another woman who had taught her hawking. She had gone scouting, hunting, and survived more than one bloody skirmish with the damnable barbarians.

Then her father had died, and her mother may as well have died, and then she acquired a stepfather who forbade her manly ways and dragged her off to the palace of the Sixth King. The only good which had come of it was Arabella, and for her Elise would not be sorry about being thrust into a life she hated.

For all there was much she hated about her life now, she could not regret Arabella.

Sighing softly, she pulled on dark leggings, then a lightweight underskirt of pale blue, followed by a top skirt of darker blue, embroidered with stars. Both were split up the middle, front and back, to just past the knee, to facilitate riding and fighting. Eschewing slippers, she went with soft but sturdy boots meant for wearing indoors. Then she laced up her top, the same dark blue, and attached the sleeves, dark gray with blue stripes, tight fitting rather than puffy, closing at the wrists rather than trailing well past as most women would be wearing them.

Her hair she braided, threading it with blue ribbon, then coiled it around the back of her head, pinning it tightly into place. She was not bold enough – stupid enough – to wear a sword as would all the men, but she did loop a proper belt of leather around her waist rather than something more delicate and womanly.

She rejected jewelry entirely, save for the necklace her father had given her for her thirteenth birthday, a heavy silver chain with a medallion bearing the family crest, a griffon clutching a rose in its beak.

As ready as she would ever be, Elise took a deep breath, checked herself over one last time, then slipped from her room and into the hallway.

"Elise!"

She spun around, relief pouring through her to see Arabella. "You should already be at table," she said.

Arabella flapped one hand, expertly flicking aside the floor-length sleeve covering it, to take Elise's as they strolled through the hallways. They met people as they walked, faces known, some vaguely familiar, others complete strangers, but all acknowledged the Princess of the Sixth Kingdom.

They shared a smile and shake of the head as they finally bid farewell to a chatty old man who seemed as much a fixture of the High Palace as the stones which made it.

Elise reached up and straightened a pink rosebud which had slipped slightly from where it had been woven into Arabella's hair. She was dressed in a gown of pink, trimmed in gold, with white and gold laced sleeves. Opals and pink sapphires decorated her throat, wrists, and waist. "You look beautiful, Arabella."

"Thank you, Champion. You cut a handsome figure yourself, as always," Arabella replied with a smile. They paused in the entryway to the great hall, and Arabella kissed her cheek softly before they went their separate ways, Arabella to the head table, Elise to one of them many tables forming a loose semicircle around the high table.

The banquet was a mass of food, much of which she never saw save each year here at the Royal Tourney. An hour or so after the eating had begun, entertainers were brought out – jugglers and singers, players to perform a brief skit.

As the skit concluded, the High King held up a hand to command silence.

He was young for a High King, only thirty five or thirty six, Elise could not recall exactly which. His father had died unexpectedly from illness only a few years ago. The High King was handsome, Elise thought, though he had an untouchable quality to him she usually associated with priests and the like – meant to be admired from afar, almost unreal.

His hair was black, and cut severely short. It made his pale blue eyes all the more stark in his sharp-cut face. He wore a dark violet tunic, trimmed in gold and silver, with sleeves of black and violet stripes. Rather than his formal crown, he wore only a circlet of silver and gold braided together, set with a dark amethyst.

He took a sip of wine, then spoke. "Lady Elise of Red Cliff has a request, and I would tend to the matter now. Lady, please present." He held out a hand, palm up, to indicate she take up position where only moments ago the players had been performing.

Feeling sick, wondering if she was about to made an example of, Elise stood and walked as calmly as she could to the indicated spot. She could feel her stepfather's eyes on her, and knew that no matter the outcome, she would be sorely disciplined for this little escapade.

"Majesty," she said, and dipped into a low curtsy, keeping her head lowered as he indicated she rise.

"Lady Elise, it is rare any missive I receive takes me by surprise. Yours left me quite shocked. At first I was not certain I would be capable of granting your request, but I set various clerks to the task and they returned to me with the knowledge that I could, in fact, grant it if I so chose."

He held up his hands again as the whispers grew loud, not speaking until absolute silence reigned. "My Lady Elise had requested to join the Royal Tourney as a combatant."

Noise exploded at his words, including a hastily cut-off expletive from her stepfather. She kept back a wince, but only because long habit made it easy to hide such things.

She waited patiently.

When the noise finally died down, the High King resumed. "The rules of the Royal Tourney are quite plain," he said. "She is native born; indeed her family has been her since the first High King set up his tent and started handing out orders. Lady, have you a sponsor?"

She thought for a moment he smiled just at her, as though they shared a secret – and she supposed they did, in that he must know already who sponsored her.

"Yes, Majesty," she replied. "I am honored by the generosity of the Duke of Ellesmoore."

Chaos erupted again, as everyone turned almost as one to gawk and glare and gape at Roderick, who merely sat eating sweet meats and drinking wine as though they still watched the jugglers.

The High King chuckled, redirecting everyone's attention. "Then you are native born, sponsored, and any woman of the Wild Lands can wield a sword as well as any knight. Am I wrong, Lady?"

"No, Majesty," Elise said. "I am well blooded in combat."

"Then all you lack is the approval of a King," the High King said, then paused briefly, before finally smiling faintly and saying," which I give now, whole heartedly and even enthusiastically, and wish you the best of luck on the field."

She ignored the ruckus that rose to a crescendo around them, dipping into another deep curtsey. "I thank you, High King, for your generosity."

He waved the words aside, and clapped his hands briskly. "Participants of the Royal Tourney, present yourself!"

Heart beating out of her chest, Elise turned and stood as the other participants joined her, a long line of knights and a few without spurs, stretched end to end across the width of the great hall.

"Damsels," the High King called, "stand and choose your Champions."

Not all knights were Champions, those who fought for the honor and favor of a maiden, in addition to fighting for their sponsor. Champions competed in more events, and often their challenges were more difficult. Typically, they were the best and most-favored of the competitors.

It was as much a political game as combative.

Twenty eight maidens attended this Royal Tourney, princesses and ladies from the highest noble families, all picking potential suitors or men otherwise useful to their families.

Her heart pounded in her chest as Arabella's turn came, bright green eyes meeting her own light brown.

"I choose Lady Elise to be my Champion," Arabella declared, voice loud and clear and strong. Elise did not grin as she wanted, but their eyes did not break contact until it was the next woman's turn.

When all was finally finished, she started to return to her stepfather – whose face was red with fury and humiliation – when she saw Roderick beckon to her. Nodding an apology to her stepfather, she changed direction to head toward Roderick.

He had a chair pulled for her, and handed her a glass of dark wine as she sat down. "Well done, my lady," he said cheerfully. "How do you feel?"

"Like I am either drunk or dreaming," Elise replied. "Thank you once more for you assistance, Roderick."

"Not at all," Roderick replied. "Many favors are owed me; this was a good way to call one in."

The High King snorted nearby, overhearing them. "I should be thanking you, Lady Elise. There are many ways he could call in his favors, just to make me sweat. This is relatively harmless – though I do not want to be you the next three days. I feel you are going to be pushed to your breaking point."

Elise drank her wine and simply nodded, murmuring polite nothings.

What in the world had Roderick done that the High King owed him favors? Many favors, they had said. It made her head spin, and she focused only on the wine.

As well as what the next three days would be like. The High King was correct – they would be difficult, to say the very least. She swore she could feel the glares directed her way, could sense and read all the ways the other competitors would seek to ensure she did not compete for very long.

They would, she vowed, find her far greater a challenge than they could have imagined.

Discreetly looking over the other knights, she thought she could tell with whom she was likely to be matched in the various challenges. There was no real sport in pitting someone of massive size and strength with someone slighter and weaker – competitors were matched up according to size and strength and ability.

She only hoped the judges did not let inequality go unchecked where she was concerned. Then again, she obviously was fighting with the eager approval of the High King. Hopefully, that would counter at least some of the inequality she was certain to suffer.

Her eyes roamed, and landed briefly again on Arabella. She frowned as she saw Arabella was being harangued by her father, who was waving one arm about and obviously shouting, though most of it was lost in the din of the great hall.

Arabella looked up in the middle of the tirade, and caught her expression, and smiled.

Elise smiled back, then both women turned back to their respective companions. She hoped Arabella was not punished too severely for her defiance, though she likely would be. Hiding a grimace, because what was done was done and they could only follow it through, she set aside worries for a time and listened to the advice being given her by the High King.

Comments

[tsaiko.livejournal.com]

I am so going to stick this in memories when you have completed it to read again and again. I love it. Arabella and Elise are awesome. I really cannot wait to see how it ends (and I hope Elise kicks everyone's ass).

[gossymer.livejournal.com]

Okay, seeing this made my mind immediately jump to Katy Perry's song "I kissed a girl and I liked it" *facepalm*

[iyreia.livejournal.com]

I dun comment usually, but <3 Elise!!

[sunsetbaby.livejournal.com]

What fun! I've always loved female swordsmen (ever since Queen of Swords :P). Will we be hearing Roderick's story as well?

[kiyoshi-chan.livejournal.com]

I am still intensely curious about the High King and Roderick, but I guess I'll have to wait. ;P The ladies are damn cool, the end.

[scary-sushi.livejournal.com]

*agrees wholeheartedly*

I KNOW WHAT KIND OF FAVOURS RODERICK COULD CALL IN. IT'S ALL ABOUT WHAT GOES ON BETWEEN THE SHEETS, THAT IT IS.

How awesome the King is. But both ladies are a lot cooler :P

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Very nice. Like this alot. The noise and confusion of the outbursts from the crowd were very good.
How are you going to keep Elise away from her stepfather so he can't beat her and make her not perform well in the competitions?
The High King has been rendered in a very yummy manner. Roderick has a history with him. We need back story on them,pleeeeeeeeease.

[mechante-fille.livejournal.com]

Ooh, Elise's background is interesting. And Roderick's, too. Hm.

Hm, this could almost fit into the Knights verse, but it is a little different, I think. I'm all for new verses... lots of new people who need hooking up!

Also, I'm glad Elise gets to compete. I hope she kicks butt. ^_^

[crabsushi.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is interesting. o_o *goes to dig through tags looking for more*

[jladi.livejournal.com]

I can't wait for Elise to compete! And to find out about Roderick and the High King. If they're in a relationship of some sort, why is he a librarian/knight with the 6th King? Hmmm....

[cobecat.livejournal.com]

*__* Guh. Elise=awesome. She's going to kick butt. The description of her clothes was a great, vivid mental image...and also very hot. ^_^;

[skylark97.livejournal.com]

EIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

*flying tackle glomps* I so love your female characters. ^_____^ And I'm totally intrigued by this. :3 I like the contrast between Arabella and Elise, and I like that in spite of the fact that Elise is a little more tomboy and Arabella a little more on the feminine side, they still both have that awesome mischievous streak and they both have no qualms about bucking the system.

I also gladly look forward to seeing what the deal is between Roderick and the High King. XD