Lies Dressed In Lace

Not a Child

Chapter 9 Not a Child

A little boy brings me the replicas of Sia's clothes in the middle of the night as soon as they were done, he yawns as he tells me what Nalia told him about the clothes.

"She said don't wash them yourself, and-" He yawns again and I laugh, "there are many pockets to hide anything you wish, look-" Yawning with a little stretch this time, his soft brown eyes can barely stay open as he talks, "in the left pocket." He checks a piece of paper and nods smiling at himself.

"Thank you, Leo, tell your mother you did a great job and I'm very proud of you." I say kneeling down to give him a kiss on the cheek. He blushes as he bows and then runs back to his mother what an adorable little boy. I lay the clothes out on my bed next to Sia's and pick out the differences that Nalia undoubtably did for me. Thankfully Sia and I have a similar build so we wont look too different when I take her place in the fight in a week. Both shirts are longed sleeve and a hood made out of thick material so a cloak isn't needed for most weather. The pants are of a thiner material making it easier to move in. Everything about the clothes is for move-ability as well as conceal-ability with various hidden pockets and straps. The material is flexible and breathable as well as tight enough to be a second skin. I smile and carefully wrap up Sia's clothes to deliver them to her tomorrow myself, then wrap up my own and hide them in the bottom of my chest under a few of my dresses then crawl into bed running through the fight between Sia and Valtok trying to learn how she moved before I actually fight her.

The next morning a maid fetches me for Sia this time and tells me to meet her on the training yard for my fathers last minute demonstration. He's far too excited about making knights fight honestly its like his tournaments. I dress in a long gown deciding to wear the pants today to see how easily I could do it if I ever need to. As I slip them on I feel a hard lump in one of the pockets, slipping my hand in I wrap my fingers around a cold hard metal lump and find it to be a gold medallion about the size of my palm with a tree made from thin bands of gold that twist together. Little white stones drip from each branch like dew it's surprisingly light for the thick band of gold around it and hangs from a leather cord. I stow it back into my pocket and arrange my skirts into place then head out to the training yard before anything starts without me.

I trip up the stairs to the platform on my long skirt then rush to my seat in hopes that no one saw it. The knights line up in front of us a few snicker at me and I give them my best death glare making them stand up a little straighter and quiet down. Father stands at the edge of the platform and everyone quiets down.

"Welcome! I know this is quiet last minute like the ball last night but this is just the pre battles to the tournament we will be having after the next competition. Our valiant knights will be dueling each other in a series of simple fights and the winners will be placed together in one big fight to see who is the ultimate winner and he will get a promotion to a position of his choosing." My father then explains the rules, any forcible death blows will be automatic disqualification and their rank and title will be stripped from them in the knights guard. This is only for fun he says.

Mother never comes to these things, she hates them more then she hates me. Charlie still needs to rest and Annika wont leave his side, so its just me and Sia sitting up with my father. She smiles behind her hand hiding her laughter at my fall. "You are surprisingly clumsy." She giggles.

"I cant help it, ever since I was a kid I'd fall all over the place." She giggles again as my father sits down next to me in his throne looking like a child who got the extra piece of candy.

"Father, mother would not approve of your excitement." I tease.

"She wouldn't approve of your new friend either but I wont tell if you don't." He teases back winking at Sia then focusing fully on the fight between a Knight in training and one of our weapons masters, we have at least 4 at all times for training purposes as well as good competition.