Alanna carded through her hair ribbons without really paying attention. Fashion never much interested her, nor the fripperies and adornments necessary to look the part of a lady at the king's court. It was already hard enough to muster the effort to dress for what the other girls called the first night of rest of her life. How was she supposed to focus on her appearance when Thom had created a potentially more pressing problem? Alanna was given a reprieve from her panicked musings about her brother's plan when a knock came at the door. She did her best to settle her face into a neutral expression, smoothing her dress before opening the door herself. If Thom had the nerve to come back and needle her some more after all the years they'd spent apart, he had something else coming. She was trying to have a peaceful reunion– there was plenty of time for fighting later.

Her composed mask remained firmly in place when she processed that Lucille and Juliette stood outside her door, still in their dresses from the afternoon, followed by a maid laden with two voluminous dresses in her arms.

"Alanna!" Lucille greeted, without her usual aplomb. Alanna could almost sense her nervousness; she felt the same fear beginning to nest near her heart. Foolish, because coming out into court was hardly a matter of life or death. Still, she never claimed to be rational.

"Lucille! Juliette! How wonderful to see some familiar faces. Do come in!" Alanna resigned herself to dressing and primping. Perhaps being outside of the convent was making them all more sentimental. At least Juliette had brought her maid, presumably to help dress the hair of the three girls, a kindness that a more competitive girl wouldn't have indulged in. Alanna smiled as the girl followed them in. Naira was her name, if Alanna recalled correctly, and she did pride herself on her memory. She could recite the names of the successive kings of Tortall back to the beginning of the Human Era if required.

There was a flurry of activity in the room– the maid, hanging their dresses, Juliette and Lucille chattering and examining the dresses that Alanna still needed to choose between. Alanna sighed and pulled her ribbons and face-paints from her trunk, shutting it firmly so the waning light wouldn't catch on the blade of her sword.

The others stepped into their gowns, blush pink and red, while Alanna went through her collection of ribbons trying to find a good match for their gowns. Juliette glanced up to where Alanna's dresses still hung.

"You should wear this one," Juliette pointed, "with the lace. Very regal."

Alanna frowned; she had ripped the hem out in the back when they caught on her heeled shoes, back when she bothered to try to conform to every trend in an attempt to be the best lady. Some things were truly not to her taste and she couldn't hide it; the embarrassment of teetering around, unsteady as a man who had spent all night at a tavern, had cured her of any need to follow that trend. She had promised herself she would mend it the night before they left for Corus, but had gone out to the stables that evening instead, one final rebellion after playing her part as well as she could.

Alanna pretended to consider.

"No, no!" Lucille laughed. "Look at how pale she has become! I think the green may simply make you look as though you're about to be sick." Alanna smiled.

"The blue it is," she conceded, stepping into the dress. She took a large gulp of air, bracing before the maid laced up the back snugly to sneak as much breathing room as she could.

The simple chatter provided a soothing distraction to Alanna's nerves as she carefully lined her eyes and powdered her face. The maid, Naira, managed to sweep her hair up gracefully. Still, Alanna surprised herself when she finally took in her reflection in the looking glass. With her face-paint and ear-bobs and her hair secured with the pearl-adorned pins that had once been her mother's, she looked almost like the portrait that hung back at Trebond. She had never seen her mother in the flesh, but she had almost memorized her image. Alanna turned away with a slightly watery smile, strangely proud, before putting on her dancing slippers and appropriately complimenting her companions. Naira lit candles as the three girls filed out into the hallway, sun dipping toward the horizon through the window. As they marched toward the reception hall, Alanna felt a fluttering in her stomach. Hunger, surely. It was to be a dinner, after all.

"I can't believe I forgot to tell you," Juliette whispered as they passed a pair of knights, dapper in tailored tunics with swords hanging at their waist. "My mother managed to secure me Sir Raoul of Goldenlake as a dinner companion tonight. Imagine that- dining with the knights and noblemen on my first night in the castle!"

Alanna and Lucielle made the appropriate congratulations.

"My mother is making sure my brother keeps an eye on me all night, so he's to be my escort. No dancing with men for me, that's for sure!" Lucielle griped.

"I suppose Alanna and I will both have to suffer our brothers," she smiled.

Alanna nodded. She wondered what torture Thom would inflict on her to surprise her. Maybe he'd make her dance with him? He'd said in his letters that he was quite a hopeless dancer. That would certainly be embarrassing enough to entertain him. Quite wicked, really, but almost reassuring.

They finally made it to the room outside the banquet hall. The large wooden doors were propped open, leading into the courtyard by the side gate. The evening air was cool as the three stood clustered together, taking in the sights that drifted by. The young ladies had to wait to enter until after they were formally introduced, accompanied by some young noble- your brother, or someone's father or uncle, if you were unlucky. There was no shame in having a family member as an escort, of course. It was far better than having no one at all and getting stuck with a drunkard or widowed man. Having someone otherwise notable take interest in you certainly never hurt your standing. Many men wandered through the hall, not so subtly eyeing the ladies as they entered. Others milled about the room, finding sisters or family acquaintances and other matchmaking as arranged by their mothers who themselves were ladies in court. Alanna caught sight of red hair bobbing in the crowd, unmistakably Thom. As Lucille's brother arrived and the small group exchanged pleasantries, she lost sight of him. Now he was a bit late to meet her. From his messy handwriting and sporadic letters, she supposed this was typical.

The buzz in the room grew slightly and perceptibly, causing Alanna to turn to the doorway where she saw the eyes of the whole room alight. Sir Gareth cut a fine figure in his tailored coat, embroidered round the edges, but compared to the man who was so obviously the prince of Tortall, a mere landed and wealthy knight couldn't hold a candle. If the fine clothing and immaculately clean boots didn't give it away, Prince Jonathan's crown would certainly betray him. He walked solemnly and regally down the hall, seemingly unaffected by the gossip and noise as he entered. Raoul followed behind, eyes casting about in search of the woman he was supposed to be escorting. Before he could look too bewildered- or perhaps stare too long at some of the more daring fashions modeled by the many young women- a stately woman swept him toward their group. Alanna nodded and curtsied politely as she was reintroduced to Raoul by Juliette's mother, but seeing as the mother was so eager to extol Juliette's virtues to the knight, she quietly crept away. Gary seemed to acknowledge Alanna with a quick wink that made her flush. Caught in the act of fleeing! It might have been embarrassing, if only he hadn't been performing a nearly identical manoeuvre to distance himself from the growing crowd of well-wishers and hanger-on who tried their best to attach themselves to the prince. Alanna smiled back widely, dipping into a shallow curtsey to acknowledge his efforts. Truly a kindred spirit, this Gary… or Sir Gareth, she supposed. After all, he clearly didn't know anything of her, even though she felt acquainted from Thom's letters.

Now alone in a crowd of almost-strangers, Alanna felt herself grow even more impatient. She had always been one for near-instant gratification, and waiting for her brother only left her to stew. She was glad to spot a matching red mane walking toward her just a minute later, followed by an angular and tall man bearing the red ribbon of a Tortallan duke on his jet black coat.

"Alanna, dear sister," Thom smiled, and Alanna's heart sunk. She could almost hear the laughter in his voice. Time for his surprise. Of course he sought fit to bring the duke she assumed was his knight-master to witness her shame. She was startled when he continued, however.

"I present to you, my lord, Lady Alanna of Trebond. Alanna, Duke Roger of Conté, nephew to our kind, legendary mage, and of course, my knight-master."

Roger bowed genially, dusting the back of her extended hand with a kiss, the picture of good manners.

"More importantly, he has graciously agreed to be your escort for the evening. I leave you in his capable hands." Alanna felt her face contort in shock, but she lacked any control, smiling mask temporarily gone. Thom clearly couldn't contain his joy, walking away before she could truly process what was happening.

When Alanna finally turned back to the duke, she had managed to school her features again, but he was smiling in a way that suggested he had seen every second of her distress.

"Please don't hold this subterfuge entirely against your brother, Lady Alanna." His voice was low but strangely musical in a way that sent a shiver down her spine. "After he mentioned a sister, and a twin at that, about two months into his time as my squire, I have to admit I was curious as to how similar this sister would be." He finally released her hand, which she pulled back quickly in embarrassment before rising to her full (but rather diminutive) height. He gamely offered his arm and she took it with as much dignity as she could muster while feeling the heat still blooming in her cheeks. Her unfortunately fair and blush-prone cheeks. They were quiet as they walked toward the banquet hall where the ladies were beginning to be announced. Alanna could feel the eyes that followed Roger as they landed on her, and she knew that it was more than just the rarity of her red hair. Before the silence grew too long, she turned to Roger to speak.

"Well, I can't say that our meeting wasn't a surprise to me, but I also find myself curious. Pray tell, who is the man that my brother writes me of so often?" Alanna smiled demurely. Roger let out a low laugh, almost a purr, with the same musical vibration as before.

"Perhaps we both shall discover our answers over dinner." With that, the footman was announcing her name, followed by his, and her thoughts turned entirely to putting one foot in front of the other.