If you havent read the rest of the story, please go down to the first entry and read up. Thank you.

Emrea sighed “That’s all well and good but remember she is your grandmother and while she does have “grachorun” tendices, she just wants what’s best for you.”

It was Tayla’s turn to give an unladylike snort.

“I know it doesn’t always seem it but…” Emrea trailed off.

“While she thinks it’s the right thing for me, it isn’t.” Tayla said, sitting on the bed. She held up the remains of the ripped pillow. “I need another one. I’m tired. Don’t worry about the feathers. You can have one of the maids clean it up in the morning.

As Tayla grew older and more defiant, she had taken to destroying pillows whenever the Duchess had provoked her. After the fifth time, Tayla told Emrea to put extra pillows in the closet so that way she wouldn’t have to wait.

Emrea went to the closet and pulled out a pillow, thinking it useful, as he had countless of times before. Tayla took the pillow and laid down and Emera pulled the covers up to her chin.

After kissing her on the cheek, Emrea left, leaving Tayla to seethe for a few minutes before falling asleep.

~*~*~

“Tayla.” The Duchess waved a hand and the tea poured itself. “The Lord DeMeyer and the Lord Rickens both want your hand in marriage.”

Tayla placed her sugar and milk in her tea by hand. “Why? I haven’t even been to Court yet!” She set her teacup down and began to pace. “I don’t even know who they are! They’ve never even met me! They-“

“Actually, you have met Lord Rickens. Remember that ride when you were 12?”

Tayla started at her blankly. “I rode a lot when I was 12. How am I supposed to remember an exact one?”

The Duchess clucked her tongue. “You remember the time a bee stung your horse and
almost bucked you off?”

Now that Tayla thought about it she did rememeber. “Oh, yes. Some old gentleman grabbed his reins and- Oh no! Please tell me that wasnt Lord Rickens!”Tayla sat down.

“Yes. And he is very rich.” The Duchess took a sip of tea. “Plus he’s not that old. Only 53.”

“53? Hold old is Lord DeMeyer? Or do I even want to know?”

The Duchess smiled. “He is much younger. 31. But he’s not nearly as rich as Lord Rickens.

Here,” the Duchess placed two white slips of paper into an empty sugar bowl and held it
up. “Pick one of these.”

“What are they?” Tayla asked apprehensive.

“You’ll see.”

Tayla reached into the bowl and pulled out one of the slips. Opening she read, “Lord Rickens.”

“No!” Tayla sat up in bed, panting and sweating. In the early dawn light, Tayla could see Emrea as she ran in, wincing when she stepped on a feather quill.

“Tayla, are you alright?” Emrea asked, ignoring the pain in her heel.

“Yes,” Tayla said, still catching her breath. “I’m fine. Just a horrible, horrible dream. It seemed so real.” Tayla shook her head.

“Do you want to tell me?” Emrea sat on the edge of the bed.

“Grandmother got two offers of marriage to me. One was a 31 year old I had never met and the other that old man who grabbed Luka’s reins when he got stung by a bee. Remember Grandmother sold him because she said he “almost killed me”?

“I remember, Lord… what was his name?” Emrea thought for a minute before Tayla blurted it out.

“Lord Rickens.”

“Yes. That was him. Well, what happened after she told you of the offers?”

Tayla shuddered. “She put both names in a sugar bowl and had me pick one.” She shuddered again. “It was Rickens.”

“No wonder you yelled. Well, its over now. Will you be ok to go to sleep now or would you like a glass of water first?”

“Water please?”

Emrea nodded, patted Tayla’s cheek and left for the kitchen. Tayla grabbed a pillow and hugged it tight. Remembering the satisfaction on the Duchess’ face when she said “Lord Rickens” made Tayla shudder again.

A minute later Emrea came back, handed Tayla the glass and smoothed back her hair. “You’re sweating up a storm. You sure you’re ok?”

Tayla nodded, taking a sip. “It was her face. Right before I woke up I said the name and her face looked so pleased.” Tayla handed the empty glass to Emrea. “Is she really going to marry me off?”

“That is the point of going to Court but if you are asking if she would really put two names in a hat-“

“Sugar bowl”

“Whichever. A sugar bowl and have you pick one? No, I don’t believe even the Duchess is that insensitive.”

Tayla sighed and laid back down, still clutching the spare pillow. “I’m tired.”

Emrea kissed her forehead and fixed the blankets. “No more bad dreams. Think of lilies.”

“Tayla smiled weakly. “Yes, Emrea” and she fell back asleep before Emrea was even out the door.

If you havent read this story yet, please go down to the first entry and read up through the posts.

Emrea shook her head, “I’m not sure who I’m sorry for, you or the Court.”

Tayla simply grinned back. “Oh, its going to get worse. Dessika’s going to be presented at Court 3 months after me. You should see her. She’s convinced that she’ll have the Court wrapped around her finger within a day of setting foot in it.”

That got a laugh out of Emrea who was busy turning down the sheets and bustling around the room. She didn’t see Tayla’s face go serious.

“Hey, Em, listen. I was talking to the Duchess about the evil dress. It was like, almost as if…” Tayla paused and collected her thoughts. “She acted as if she didn’t know how enormously disgusting it was.

“No, she wouldn’t have known.” Emrea’s tone took on an edge of bitter humor. “The Duchess has no sense of style whatsoever. What she does have is a small army of acquaintances who consider her the most true form of a lady and would run themselves ragged to satisfy her. They create her style for her and whatever else she wants.”

Emrea fluffed a pillow, continuing. “Madame Fraxine, one of her devotees made your dress and apparently she is on standing orders, from the Duchess to give you the most unflattering of dresses and insist they are the hight of fashion. I suspect by now the Duchess has forgotten her orders and of course the Madame wont remind her.

By now the pillow was fluffed to Emrea’s satisfaction and she sat on the edge of the bed watching Tayla. “ Believe me, the last thing the Duchess wants is for you to look bad in court.”

“Why not?” Tayla asked feeling the fury coursing through her. How dare that woman! “Why not, if she’s so determined to ruin my life why not make me the laughingstock of the Court?” She would have ranted more but Emrea interrupted her with an unladylike snort.

“Not ruin your life, just make it miserable when you don’t completely submit to her will. “ Emrea stood and got out of Tayla’s way when she started pacing her chamber, venting her range on any defenseless inanimate objects in her path. There was a loud rip as a hapless pillow met it’s end.

Emrea dodged to avoid the worst of the feather explosion. “She needs you looking pretty and docile if youre going to be any use to her in Court. She thinks you’ll be useful for an alliance.”

“I can just imagine” Tayla hissed with venom, “the uses she’ll find for a pretty, young, marriageable granddaughter.” She nearly spat the last word. “Well she can take her uses and shove them, the stupid Grachorun” She stopped pacing and smiled a smile that glinted with malice. “She’s going to find a few changes in her precious plans.”

If you havent read any of this please go down to the bottom and read up. Thank you.

Dessika laughed, took one more look out the window and then joined them at the table.

*As they say* thought Tayla *the rest is history*

Tayla laughed to herself. By then Tayla had gotten used to having Shalie talk in her mind. When Tayla introduced Lyonna and Shalie, Dessika jumped about 4 feet in the air when Sahlie said *Hello*.

They had to explain that no, Shalie could read her thoughts unless they were projected to her, *Or just thought loudly* Shalie added.

Again Tayla laughed to herself. She had never understood how someone would think loudly until she met Lord Ashgood. Tayla had such a crush on him, she thought of him night and day. *Finnaly in one of our little get togethers, Shalie told me to *shut up about Lord Ashgood. Im tired of hearing about him* The thing was, Tayla had never mentioned her crush to the other girls.

“Tayla… Tayla… Tay!” a hand slapped on the table and Tayla looked up, startled. “What?”

“You trailed off and went to La La Land.” Dessika answered, rubbing her stinging hand. “Are you ok?”

“Of course. Im fine. I was just thinking about the day we met you and how you did a great impression of levitating when Shalie spoke to you.”

Dessika laughed. “I remember. I thought she was a witch.”

Tayla, Lyonna and Shalie looked at her, various eyebrows raised.

“Well,” she corrected, “an Evil Witch.”

Lyonna laughed at that “Shalie couldn’t be Evil if her life counted on it.

Now Tayla’s grandmother, now that’s another story.”

Tayla shook her head, “She’s not evil, just…controlling. She wants me to conform. You all know she’s not really Evil, right?”

“Of course” Lyonna nodded.

“Uh-huh” Dessika rolled her eyes.

*But what if her life counted on it?*

“Shalie!” they all shouted before collapsing in laughter.

~*~*~*~

It was ringing the last chime for 9pm when Tayla walked through the door.

“Is the Duchess still awake.” She asked the footman holding the door. He nodded at the parlor where the Duchess stood in wrapped in a silk shawl.

“Thank you” Tayla told him and went to greet her grandmother.

“You said a reasonable hour” Tayla said when she reached her. “9 o’clock

is the last reasonable hour.”

The Duchess nodded. “Fine. I still need to speak with you. Come.”

Once Tayla was sitting on the same love-seat she had earlier that day, the Duchess addressed her.

“Now, Ive spoken to your parents and your mother begged me to allow you to wear her dress on your Debut Night, the night you are to be presented to court. I don’t see why you cant wear my dress to another ball.”

Tayla rolled her eyes. “Grandmother. Do you honestly think that dfress would suit me, even a  tiny bit?”

The Duchess looked taken aback. “Why, of course.”

Tayla was silent for a moment, thinking on this answer. In the Turning Owl, she had told her friends that The Duchess was actually Evil and now it made her think.

“You honestly don’t know how horrible that dress is? It wouldn’t look good on the Princess of Norgrew, and you know she looks good in everything nevermind me!.”

“It would not! Madame Fraxien said it was the height of fashion and that you would look stunning in it! I believe her.”

Tayla shook her head. “Grandmother.”

Tayla sighed. She wanted to be extremely rude but her heart wasn’t in it. “Grandmother. I’m too tired to argue with you. I just wanted to say I’ll never wear that dress. Good night.”

She curtsied and walked upstairs to her bedroom. When she entered, she saw Emrea waiting for her.

“Did you have fun? What did your friends get you for your birthday?”

Tayla smiled wearily and tossed down a pink and yellow book on the bed.

“To be a Lady in the Times of Virtue” by Lauren Duggins.” Emrea read outloud. “Ok. Now what did they really get you?”

Tayla grinned and tossed two more books down. Emrea picked them up.

“Warlocks, Demons, and General Monsters and how to Defeat them. Protection spells included.”

She looked at Tayla. “Nice.”

She read the other one. “Sneaking, Spying and Lying. Why they are necessary and how to Implement each correctly.”

Emrea raised her eyebrows.

“Dessika got me that one. She said I’d need it. Court is all about that kind of stuff.”

(This is the 4th entry to the story. For those of you havent read this yet, please read the first post “Kanaye”. Soona said she didnt mind me calling her Soona on here.)

Dessika opened her mouth to ask Shalie about her newest skill but an impatient look from Lyonna made her reconsider.

“So what are you going to do about it?” she asked Tayla instead.

“What’s been done about it, you mean.” Tayla grinned. “Emrea took care of everything. Now I’ll be presented to court in Paeridysian finery.”

Lyonna’s shocked gasp was drowned out by Dessika’s squeal of excitement which echoed throughout the store.

“Oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-mygosh. That’s-so-amazing-what-does-it-look-like-what-color-is-it-who-designed-it? I’m-so-jealous! You’re-going-to-be-the-talk-of-the-court. Oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh!” She talked so fast her words completely blurred together.

“Dess, Dess, Dessika! Breathe.”Lyonna said tiredly. “Oxygen is good for you.” She shot a look at Tayla and Shalie who had collapsed into helpless giggles.

Dessika rolled her eyes elaborately but started talking at a normal speed. “So what does it look like?

She asked, glancing at Shalie. Tayla shook her head, described the dress and tried to do it justice.

She knew it would probably have been easier to ask Shalie to ‘project’ whatever that was, but Shalie still looked pale from transmitting the other one.

*You shouldn’t worry about me so much. I’m fine.*

*Hey! No eavesdropping on my thoughts.* Tayla sent back.

*I don’t need to. You and Lyonna always worry if I look even the slightest bit pale.*

Tayla paused her narrative about the dress to stick her tongue out at the deaf girl.

“Geez. I wish I had a maid with superhuman efficiency and parents willing to spend gads of money on me.” Dessika moaned enviously.

“Yes, but then you’d have to deal with the Demon Grandmother.” Lyonna pointed out practically.

“I could take her.”

“Yeah, after a couple of days with Dessika we wouldn’t have to worry about the Duchess anymore.

Dess would reduce her into a nervous quivering jelly that jumps at small noises. I almost feel sorry for her.

Tayla snorted. “She’d have to be human for Dessika’s powers to work on her.”

*I don’t know about that, Tayla.* Shalie interjected sweetly. *I don’t think some the chaperones Dessika sent screaming for the hills really qualify as human. I’d classify that last one as really more of a reptile.”

Dessika had a reputation of going through chaperons like dirty dish water. Currently the score read: Dessika 26 Chaperones 0. In fact, the other three girls met her on the day that the first chaperone had enough.

The girls had been sitting at the exact same table trying the Turning Owl’s strange, home-brewed coffee for the first time. Tayla had just taken the first tentative sip when a plump, red-headed girl burst in and slammed the door behind her. She was breathing heavy, as if a pack of ravenous Slayerwolves were chasing her. Tayla, Shalie and Lyonna leapt to their feet.

“Are you alright?” Tayla enquired, prepared for a fight.

Something in her voice must of conveyed that fact because the girl looked up sharply. Seeing them she smiled comfortingly.

“No, no. No one’s after me. Well, kind of. My governess is raising a fuss because I gave her the slip again and last I saw her she was reporting a missing charge to a watchman and so I’m kind of trying to evade the police because my father is going to hit the roof if I’m brought home by the police again and really, with the situation at home right now that would not be a good thing.”

There was a brief moment of silence while they tried to process that.

“Was that all one sentence?” Lyonna finally asked

(This is the 3rd entry of the story. My turn again.) 

((If you have not yet read the first 2 parts, I advise you go down and read the post named “Kanaye” for thats the begining of the story.)) 

While Emrea tied the sash in the back of the dress Tayla told her, “I can put my own shoes on. Can you tell Ivan to saddle Sky and bring her around?”

Emrea patted the finished bow, turned Tayla around and smiled at her. “You know Im going to tell him to put on a side-saddle. You don’t need the Duchess finding out you’ve been ridding astride. You know her, she’d fire Ivan out of spite.

Tayla waved her hand at her. “Its ok. I’ll be down in a few.”

Emrea nodded, handed her a pair of shoes and left the room. Tayla hated laces, they slowed her down and this pair had two buckles on the side of each ankle.

*Easy as pie* she thought, clipping the last buckle in place. Walking calmly down the stairs, she fastened on her cloak. No matter how much of a hurry she was in, it wouldn’t do to provoke her grandmother into a lecture by running down them.

As a footman opened the front door at Tayla’s approach, the Duchess touched her arm.

“Where are you going, young lady?”

Tayla smiled and brushed the thin, bejeweled hand off her arm.

“I told you yesterday. Shalie, Lyonna and Dessika are meeting me at Wessil’s Books. They are buying me a book for my birthday.”

The Duchess got a sour look on her face. Tayla knew the Duchess wanted to prevent her from going but, because she had indeed told her of the outing, the Duchess couldn’t stop her.

“Be home at a reasonable hour,” she finally spit out and glided away.

~ ~ ~

Even ridding side-saddle Tayla made it to the Turning Owl on time. The small store was a café and bookshop rolled into one. The café was pleasant but, because most of the books about the Occult, not many people came in.

A few years ago, after almost losing Sky to thieves, Tayla had put a spell on her. After dismounting, Tayla activated the spell and tied her reins to the hitching post.

*I bet we’re the only ones there.* Tayla thought , looking at the shop and sure enough, when she walked in, the shop was practically empty. Three girls about Tayla’s age sat around a table in the back, talking.

One of the girls, a redhead dressed in a light green gown, saw her first and jumped up from the table.

“Tayla! You made it. I wasn’t sure that Grandmother of yours would let you.”  She said Grandmother with obvious loathing.

Tayla smiled and hugged her. Walking to the table with the other girl, Tayla replied. “She had to let me come, Dessika. I told her yesterday we were going to Wessil’s because you ladies were missing my birthday.”

Reaching the table, Tayla smiled at the two other girls sitting there. “Why do you always choose the table in the back? It makes us look suspicious.”

One of the other girls stood up and hugged Tayla, her curly, light brown hair bouncing. “You chose this table. We simply keep tradition. “

Tayla laughed. The first time she met Lyonna and her neighbor, the dark-brown haired girl still seated, Tayla had been sitting at that very table reading a book on how to freeze pixies.

Still smiling, Tayla looked at the third girl. “Shalie, I know you’re shy but you can at least say ‘Hello’.”

Shalie looked up at Tayla and smiled. *I don’t like talking to people when they aren’t expecting it. You know that.*

Tayla leaned down and hugged her. “If I’m coming to visit you, I’m expecting it. How many times have I told you that?*

Shalie laughed and it sounded as if three or four tiny bells were going off in Tayla’s head.

“Well now, let’s get down to business,” said Tayla, sitting in the seat next to Shalie. Dessika and Lyonna each took their abandoned chairs.

“Did your Grandmother do as Shalie predicted?” Dessika asked.

Tayla nodded and tried to describe the hideousness of the dress but couldn’t. After a few failed attempts to describe it without getting angry, Shalie touched Tayla’s hand.

*Show me.*

Startled, it took Tayla a few seconds to understand what she meant. Looking at Shalie, Tayla remembered the dress. She pictured it in her head, every horrible detail of it.

Shalie nodded and let go of Tayla’s hand. She reached for Dessika and Lyonna’s hands. After projecting the image to tem she sagged slightly in her chair.

“You ok?” Tayla asked, laying her hand on Shalie’s shoulder.

*Fine, fine* Shalie said into the girls’ heads. She waved her hand at Tayla. *Projecting is a bit different than talking.*

(For those of you who might not understand, Shalie is deaf. She can “hear” people with her magic. She is speaking telepathicly to to the girls.)

(This is it for my part. I’ll put the next part up soon. )

( Please comment your thoughts.)

 If you are a between the ages of 10 and 17, live in or around Voluntown CT and like to write, feel free to join us at The Voluntown Public Library for The Young Adult Writers Group. See the offical library website for details on the next one or call us (860)376-0485.

There is also an Adult Writers Group if you are interested in that one.

Thank you

Kanaye

(Hi. Soona hasnt really told me what she wants her online name to be. I just chose a name from one of her previous stories. When she does tell me, I will edit it and change it. This is her section.)

 (For those of you who dont know, this is the SECOND part. Go down and read the part called “Kanaye” first.)

The Duchess sniffed and waved her hand carelessly as Tayla reached for the box. “Really. I don’t see why you parents bother so, what with their traveling. It’s so hard to keep up with…” she trailed off as Tayla opened the box and drew out the dress.

“Oh, it’s marvelous”, Tayla breathed, Her features were schooled into a look of innocent amazement and only the gleam in her eye gave away her amusement at the Duchess’ stunned and enraged expression.

Emrea took that as her cue. “They wrote to me, saying that they had heard about the decision to take Tayla to court and, since Her Grace was so kind as to make all the arrangements, the only thing they could do was provide her with a gown. I believe they stopped in Paeridys and bought her one.”

The Duchess gave Tayla a smile that a less observant person would have called kind. “How sweet of them”, she purred. “However I’ve already had you made such a lovely dress. I’d hate to see all those fitting and hard work go to waste. A pity their gift didn’t arrive before I paid the seamstresses. We simply couldn’t waste all that money.”

Tayla laid her parents gift carefully back in the back and addressed her grandmother. “But Madam. You said yourself; it’s an absolutely lovely dress at the height of fashion. You should be able to sell it again for most of its original worth.”

*Absolutely nothing* she thought to herself. “I’ll go get it from my room. It may be a tad wrinkled but I was in such a hurry to make sure it was put away safely.” Tayla stood, magically sent the box and its precious contents to her closet, and swept out of the room. She continued to talk as she walked, her voice amplified so that the Duchess, as well as every other living being in the mansion could hear her.

  “After all, I simply couldn’t wear your dress when my parents had to take such time and effort to get me one. Plus, I hear from them so rarely.”

She made it to her room and barely had time to remove the amplifying spell before bursting into laughter. That was how Emrea found her, a full 20 minutes later. Tayla was stretched out on her bed, using her pillows to try and muffle great peals of mirth.

“I’m sorry. I was looking for Lady Tayla. I’ll come back once this howling banshee leaves.”

“That was priceless, absolutely priceless. I wish I had a camera! Her face! Oh Emrea, you are a genius.”

“I have often thought so myself, but even I don’t get your Grandmother. She yelled at me for 10 minutes on how I should check packages by her but as soon as I left she starting going on about how thoughtful it was of your parents and how they couldn’t have picked a dress more lovely for you.”

“Wouldn’t she just love to control me like that. Screening my mail. Stab you in the back. Everyone’s like that in Court.”

Tayla rolled herself onto her elbows to sulk about the indisputable fact that she’d have to brave that dend of vipers. Her maid simply sighed, rolled her eyes, and set the hideous swath of fabric laughingly called a dress outside the room for the other servants to pick up.

“Oh, your mother also sent word that she’s willing to foot the bill for all of your accessories in case the Duchess tries to use that route to embarrass you. She sent a list of the best jewelers in the capital for you to try before the Duchess steers you toward the gaudy paste jewel shops.”

That perked Tayla up a little. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Em.” She glanced at Emrea as she held up an Escaslan green dress. Tayla blinked for a moment than glanced at the clock and tore off the bed.

“Shoot! I’m going to be late again! We were supposed to meet at the Turning Owl by, oh gosh, 6:00. I only have half an hour.”

“No, wouldn’t want to miss any of the last moments with your friends in another wild scheme. Shouldn’t you go ask the Duchess’ permission?” Emrea teased.

Tayla merely snarled and grabbed the dress. “I already did.”

~*~*~*~*~

Thats it for the second installment. Hoping to get the third installment up soon.

Thanks, Kanaye