*Belarade*
[in Coneta's chambers late late evening]

He moved toward Belarade, and took her hands in his. "It's a fully stocked
room. Clothes, perfumes, face color .. Please feel free to use anything and
everything here. It's completely at your disposal."

Bella looked from Gerard around to the rest of the room and nodded slowly.

"All right then...I'll stay here...It's really very kind of you, sir."

Gerard looked pleased and gave her hands a final squeeze before turning
away.  "I will send a lady to assist you in the morning...  And then I will
see you at breakfast....along with everyone else in your party."

He almost had a pleasant smile, Bella thought to herself.  And he was so
eager to please... It was so hard for her to imagine this very same man
laying ruin to the outskirts of the town....his men ravaging the countryside
with their weapons.

The large bed had a burgundy canopy overhanging it as well as gossamer
netting curtaining down from it.  A small step stool assisted her in
climbing on top of the mattress and she quickly scurried towards the center
of the bed, curling herself up in a tight bundle.

What lucky woman had slept her last?  Her life full of the finer things that
Bella barely knew.  He had called her "Connie"....affectionately, Bella
mused.  She pictured a stately woman, with beautiful dark hair piled high
upon her head...her face delicately painted - much like the Lady Coneta...

Bella paused as a sickening feeling spread through her stomach.
Connie...Coneta...  His lady was away...  She sat upright for a moment in
the middle of the bed and looked around.  This had to have been Coneta's
room..  Those were her clothes hanging in the closet...and her
perfumes...this was her bed...

Belarade shivered and pulled the blankets up to her chin.  The same bed,
that perhaps she had shared with Ce'Lot at one time.  She took several deep
breaths, calming herself and trying to push images from her mind.

Gerard had sounded so loving when referring to the Lady...and Belarade knew
that there had been no sparks flying between Lothar and Coneta when she had
seen them in the warren.  Had Gerard and her been involved?  Or had he
simply admired her from afar all this time?

Another draft blew at the netting, trying hard to find it's way to her.
Tomorrow...she would explore this room...

*B'Lin*
[Just inside the city gates with the group, the very next morning]

He kept his eye on the younger one...  Halyn...that had been her name.  She
reminded him of Anadia...they were about the same age.  The scenery that her
eyes were drinking in could not be easy for her...and part of him wished to
shield her from it.

"I'll be glad once we get Bel and can head back to the warren..." he offered
out to the group...hoping to draw the girl into conversation.

But...she was distracted....her eyes darting this way and that...and B'Lin
continued to let his horse trail after hers.

The boy that Ce'Lot had allowed to tag along with them, loped towards the
center of their caravan.  Something else to be responsible for, B'Lin huffed
to himself.

The wingleader had positioned himself directly behind the guards...and B'Lin
noted that Carlynee was not too far behind him.  B'Lin, himself, had taken
it upon himself to bring up the rear....afraid that rogues within the city
walls might try to sneak up on them unexpectedly.

Never had he seen the streets so bare....no people...no peddlers trying to
sales their wares....and garbage cluttered the avenues...  Everything from
broken furniture to tattered clothing...spoiled food and other things served
as obstacles to their horse's hooves.

The castle loomed ahead of them...never had he been inside of it's
walls...and he certainly never would have thought that his first time would
be under such circumstances.

"You wait here.." the guards announced gruffly after they had descended from
their horses and walked just inside the large entry hall.

"of course...' Ce'Lot smiled genially and B'Lin rolled his eyes.  Why did he

let that guy get underneath his skin so much?

A figure descending from the stairs caught his eye and he watched the person
carefully until they were in better view.  It was a lady....judging from her
clothes she was a noble as well...  He would just ask her where he could
find his sister...and then they would go get her and leave this horrible
place.

*Belarade*
[next morning when Ce'lot and co. arrive]

The morning sun spilled into the chamber, but that had not been what had
awakened her.  A light rap at the door had brought her out from underneath
the weight of her dreams and she sat up in the bed before calling out.

"Come in..."

A pleasant faced young woman, not too much older than she, came in smiling.
"Good morning Ma'am...Lord Lothar has sent me here to assist you in getting
ready before breakfast..."

"oh...I don't need any help..." Bella shook her head as she slid out of the
bed, cringing at the cold floor on her bare feet.  "I just need to get a
quick bath...and then I'll be ready..."

"Well..." the young woman looked perplexed for a moment.  "Perhaps, you'd
let me run your water...and then lay out some clothes for you..."

"it's no problem...really...I can do it myself..." Bella tried to walk past
the girl, slightly annoyed at her persistence.

"But Ma'am....your leg....I know that you must need some assistance with
that...and the Lord does want me to stay and help you...."

Bella looked at the girl for a moment, before nodding.  "Well...all
right..."

"My name is Tara, by the way..." the girl smiled...a look of relief passing
over her face as she opened up the doors to the bathroom and hurried about.

Belarade had been amazed with the scented soaps...and the frothy bubbles
that floated on top of the water.  Tara had scrubbed her face and
back...washed her hair and tended to her hurt leg.  All of the fuss had
embarrassed Bel somewhat...but the other girl seemed hardly bothered at all.

"I think green must be your color, ma'am..." Tara smiled over at her as she
pulled several dresses out of the closet.  "Or at least it is for most
red-heads."

"I could just put on my old clothes..." Belarade shifted uneasily in her
robe on the bed.  "Those aren't mine..."

"But...the Lord insisted that I help you with one of these..." Tara shook
her head and helped Bel to her feet, pulling off her robe and slipping the
dress over her head.  "We should put a little bit of make-up on your face as
well...you're a little pale."

Belarade had just nodded as the girl buttoned and fastened her up...pulling
strings tight and tying them in the back.  She had powdered Bel's face,
spritzed her with some sort of perfume, and braided her hair easily.

"You should look at yourself in the mirror, ma'am," Tara smiled proudly.
"It's almost like you aren't the same person..."

"No...that's all right..." Belarade turned from the mirror that the girl
held out for her, her cheeks flushed from embarrassment.  "I'll just go down
and join the rest for breakfast."

So this was what it was like to live as a noble...Belarade thought as she
carefully stepped down on each stair, trying hard not to stumble and tear
her dress.  Coneta had someone to assist her in getting ready for each
day...someone who would help her with her clothes...and her hair...paint her
face...  Belarade sighed.  She could never get used to that...

"Ma'am...Ma'am..." a voice from behind her stopped her in her tracks, and
she knew that it must be one of the guards, who would probably think her a
thief trying to steal one of the Lady's gowns.

"Yes..." she turned around, bracing herself as she squinted at the
gentleman....her eyes slowly widening in horror as she realized who it was.

"Bel?" B"lin stopped as one side of his mouth drooped in a scowl.  "What in
the gods names are you doing?"

His disapproval was evident in his tone, and Belarade answered him shakily.
"Going for some breakfast?"

"Dressed like that????!!!"  He spun her around quickly, still frowning.
"Take these off right now, and put on your other clothes....we're going back
to the warren."

[Tag the rest of the group!]

Respectfully submitted,
Belarade and B'Lin

~Tracee Taylor-Schneider~
http://www.geocities.com/~_sierra_

When shall they meet?  I cannot tell,
Indeed, when they shall meet again,
Except some day in Paradise;
For this they wait, one waits in pain.
Beyond the sea of death love lies
For ever, yesterday, today
            ~Christina Rossetti "One Day"