Serali's education now began in earnest. Long hours were spent with Janus discussing theory and learning how to apply it. Serali studied hard, but was often impatient as long lesson added on long lesson with only a few simple practice exercises. Still, she was enjoying herself and finding that the thick theory book she had been left was more interesting reading than she would have thought. Her other great frustration was with the morning chores. The tower had been scrubbed spotless but Janus insisted that Serali keep working. She complained that she was going to wear the tower stones down with all the scrubbing. Finally, Janus agreed that as of the next week, she would be off the hook. He accompanied this respite with a mysterious pronouncement.

"If you're so eager to quit scrubbing, I'll let you move on, but you may wish that you were back washing the floors after you see what I have in mind."

"Right now I don't care if you plan on having me go out and wrestle trolls for you, nothing could be worse than scrub, scrub, scrub all the time."

"We'll see about that."

"So this is your prot�g�? I must say I understand why my services are needed." The Lady shook her head. "She looks like you just picked her up off the street."

"We tend to be somewhat informal here, Valerie, Serali is wearing her work clothes. You know that wizardry can be rather hard on clothing, so I prefer to avoid wear and tear on my better clothes. My apprentice does likewise."

"Well. . . I can see how that might be the case, but you indicated that she was to be presented formally this year. You cannot bring her to a ball looking like that!"

"Of course not. That is why I've asked you here. I know that you, of all people, will know what is needed for a presentation. Your skill if justly famed here in Barona."

Valerie tilted her head prettily to one side. "Why thank you Janus. I do confess that I have had some successes in the past."

She looked Serali over again. "And I must admit, the girl does have potential. Does she own any gowns at all?"

Janus looked quizzically at Serali

Serali shook her head. "I have a dress, but it's a simple thing. Not like that," she added, gesturing to Valerie's gown.

"Well then, my dear, the first order of business seems to be a shopping trip. You must have a suitable wardrobe if you are to be presented." Rising to her feet, Valerie dipped her head at Janus. "I shall return on the morrow, I trust that you will be ready at an early hour."

Janus too rose, going over to the door to hold it open for Valerie to depart. "Of course. I look forward to seeing you again, and to going to all your delightful social occasions."

Valerie nodded once more and swept regally out the door.

Searli watched her go in amazement. "This is what you want me to do? You're right, I almost would rather scrub."

"You wanted something else, you got it. And Even if you never complained, I would have invited Valerie over eventually. As a magician, you're going to have to enter society eventually. Valerie will see that you know what you need to know. She has trained girls from all the important highborn families, so she knows what she's doing."

"I suppose so, but somehow I think that high society and I are not going to get along very well."

Janus laughed. "I don't know about that, I think that you'll do just fine. Though high society may never be the same!"

Serali laughed too. "Not if I'm in it, a little country girl like me!" Then she turned sober. "Seriously Janus, do you think I'll do all right? I don't want to make a fool of myself."

"Serali, you have the makings of a true lady, not to mention the sort of natural beauty that is often quite rare among the fashionable court ladies."

Serali blushed. "You're just saying that. I've never had anyone call me beautiful before."

"Only because you're too tall for all the boys back home. You are beautiful Serali, and I think that you may break hearts left and right before you're done. Now, we have work to do, so let's get going."

"Ah, there you are. Good heavens, surely that is not you best dress?"

"Yes, it is." Answered Serali, somewhat embarrassed.

"Well, all the more reason for us to be off then. You simply cannot be seen in good society dressed like that!" She paused then and added, in a softer tone. "Don't worry my dear, you'll find that shopping is one of life's greatest pleasures. Your training will not be all work."

"I'm glad. One thing though before we go."

"What is it child?"

"What am I supposed to call you? Valerie seems too familiar, but just 'Lady' isn't right either."

"Well, when speaking to me, it is appropriate for you to call me by my title, Lady Morena, but as you are to be my student, the slightly less formal Lady Valerie will do."

"Thank you Lady Valerie."

"Don't thank me quite yet child, I'm sure that by the end of our association, you'll be quite willing to see the last of me. Whether that is the case or not though, for now we must be off. Come along."

She swept out of the room and into the tower's courtyard regally, Serali trailing behind.

What followed was a flurry of activity. Lady Valerie led that way as the pair visited dozens of shops all over the city. Traveling in a sleek black carriage, they went form one end of the city to the other. The first stop was a large dressmaker's. Unlike most of those that they visited later, this shop catered to the middle class, having pre-mad dresses ready to be worn. Lady Valerie picked out what she called a "simple afternoon frock" that had more lace and ruffles than anything Serali had worn in her entire life, and she insisted that Serali wear it for the remainder of the day. At first, Serali was reluctant, but the dress proved to be surprisingly comfortable, and she had to admit that it looked better than her old one.

That dress proved to be the simplest of those they bought that day. And along with the dresses came shoes and hats and shawls, a mountain of clothing. If they had tried to carry it all with them, they would never have been able to get it all in the carriage, however spacious. In fact though, most of the dresses were not yet made, the dress-makers merely having taken Serali's measurements and Lady Valerie's requirements down so that the dresses could be made and delivered at some later date.

By the time the trip ended, Serali thought that she had never seen so many dresses in her life, and she was heartily tired of being measure time and time again. Not to mention trying to walk in the fancy shoes that had been purchased not long after the afternoon frock. She had to admit though that shopping was a lot of fun, and while most of them promised to be dreadfully uncomfortable, the dresses that they had looked at also promised to make her look positively stunning. Lady Valerie certainly knew a lot about fashion and style.

The next day proved that fashion wasn't all the Lady Valerie knew about. Directly after breakfast Lady Valerie showed up for the day's activities. That day though was not spent in shopping, but rather in lessons. The Baronian nobility lived by an elaborate code and lady Valerie seemed determined that Serali memorize every single bit of it. Serali didn't see the point. What use was it to know exactly how low a magess needed to bow when greeting a king? It wasn't very likely that she would ever have the chance to meet royalty of any kind.

Still, Lady Valerie insisted and Janus agreed with her, so Serali faithfully memorized every useless fact that the Lady could throw at her. As the weeks passed and Serali learned more of magic, she chafed under Lady Valerie's tutelage. Wanting to go and try out her magic, she resented having to waste so much time. Still, she had to admit she was looking forward a little bit to going to the formal ball that Lady Valerie said would be her introduction to high society.

Still more weeks passed and Serali prepared for the ball. The dresses that Lady Valerie had ordered began arriving and Serali spent hours trying them on. Lady Valerie fussed over her almost unbearably.

"Lady Valerie, I can dress myself, really I can."

"A proper lady needs a maid. You ought to have someone else dress you all the time."

"Not me. I grew up on a farm, I know how to do up my own buttons. Please, maybe I can manage all this stuff you expect me to know, but I'm not going to get a maid. In the first place, I could never afford one, and in the second, I don't need one. I'm fine."

"Serali, with that attitude you will never become a proper lady."

"Well, maybe I don't want to be a proper lady. I'd rather go and work on my flame charming than dance. Why should I try to be something I'm not?"

"You can be a lady, Serali. You just have to make an effort. A magess is just as much of a lady as the daughter of a Duke. Why the Lady Anessa is one of the most graceful and stylish people that I have had the privilege of meeting."

"Yes, but I'm not the Lady Anessa, I'm Serali. I can't pretend to be someone else."

"Of course you are, but that doesn't keep you form acting a little more lady like."

"Lady Valerie, we'll never agree on this, can we just finish putting this dress on? If we wait 'til we agree, we'll be here until we both die of old age."

Lady Valerie nodded and finished tying the laces on the latest dress, an emerald gown replete with ruffles and lace. Serali turned around, looking in the full-length mirror that Janus had given her recently, explaining that not only was a mirror a necessary part of highborn life, it would also prove useful in a number of spells. She had to admit that the dress looked stunning, the green color setting off her golden hair and complementing her eyes. She assumed a regal expression and took a few steps, then abandoned all decorum and spun giddily in a circle, laughing as the full skirt of the dress flared out around her.

Lady Valerie shook her head. Such behavior. . . the child is impossible. If Janus weren't such a good friend. . . but then, he's not always the perfect gentleman either. With a sigh she turned back to the task at hand, helping Serali out of that gown so that she could try on the next.

An hour later, she emerged, feeling very clean and also somewhat wrinkled. She spent the next hour holding still while Lady Valerie set her hair in rollers to curl it for that night.

"Ouch, not so hard!" complained Serali.

"Hold still, I'm almost done with this one." Lady Valerie tightened the knot on the strip of cloth that held a lock on hair into place so that when it was dry, it would be curled. This was taking place down in the kitchen, and Janus was sitting on a stool, looking amused.

"Watching you ladies prepare makes me glad that men don't have to go through all that." He grinned mischievously at his student. "Don't you just wish that you could go as yourself?"

"Well Janus, if I went as my real self, I think the ball might be a little more exciting than anyone planned."

Janus looked puzzled for a moment, then he laughed. "Yes, I'd say that the excitement would be more than most of the poor nobles could handle."

"What are you two babbling about?"

Janus gave Lady Valerie and amused glance. "Nothing at all, my dear. Nothing at all."

Serali was left alone for a few hours after that to let her hair dry while Lady Valerie made her own preparations for the big night. Curled up in her room, she finished reading the Adventures of Jovan the Mage. It was a heroic tale, full of evil villains and bold adventures. I wonder if I'll ever do things like that she thought. Probably not. Great adventures are just in tales. I'm sure that in real life nothing like that ever happens. Than again, dragons are also out of tales, so maybe. . . She shook her head. Going to the ball is adventure enough for now. As for the rest, maybe someday I'll have a great adventure. For now, I'll just have fun.

It seemed like no time at all until Lady Valerie was back, with her maid in tow, and Serali was enveloped in a flurry of hairdressing and cosmetics. Her hair was taken out of its wrappings and brushed out. Then Lady Valerie and her maid pinned it up with emerald studded pins into an elaborate pile on top of her head. Next, they applied paints and powders to her face until her naturally tanned skin was a dozen shades paler.

Serali regarded herself in the mirror nearly an hour later and frowned.

"Don't frown, you'll spoil your looks." Scolded Lady Valerie.

"How can anyone even see my looks under all this? I feel like I'm about ten pounds heavier. Lady Valerie, I don't think this is going to work very well. I'm going to forget myself and smear this and then we'll have a disaster."

Lady Valerie frowned, then sighed. "I think, my child, that you are right. This simply will not do. Perhaps it is best if we try for a more fresh innocent look." She looked Serali over. "Yes, you'll cause quite a sensation, I think, among the more traditional ladies."

The next few minuets were spent in undoing what they had just done, but after all the paint had been washed off and replaced with a few subtle touches, after Serali's long hair had been let down and that dozens of pins replaced with a single clip, the result was simply stunning.

"I think you were right my dear, the court fashions simply do not fit you at all. Now, with this, the dress I had in mind simply will not do. We shall have to choose something simpler." She opened the wardrobe, which had filled up over the past few months. After much thought, she pulled out a floor-length dress in dark blue satin. It had a full skirt, but no ruffles or lace was to be found on it. It was accompanied by a belt of gold links, and the hem, sleeves, and neck were accented with gold.

"I think this will do nicely." Serali nodded. That particular dress was one of the ones she like best. She rummaged through the drawer where she had stored her various accessories until she came up with a sapphire hair clip. The stones were fakes, but Janus had sworn that no one but another mage could tell.

As they drove off, Serali asked Janus, "where did this come from?"

"The coach is mine, the sigil on its side is my mage's mark. As I do not keep horses here and don't employ a coachman, they have been borrowed for the occasion from a good friend of mine. You'll certainly meet him tonight, since it is his ball that we're attending."

"You know, after all this preparation I don't even know whose party this is!" exclaimed Serali, somewhat surprised at her realization.

"It is being hosted by the Duke of Tarna, James Mortigen. He's very much a part of high society, and very fond of parties, but he is also a good man to have by you in a pinch."

"Well, I'm sure I'll like him then. You have good taste in friends it seems. Even lady Valerie isn't so bad once you get to know her."

Janus laughed. "No, she isn't. But look, we're almost there." He pointed out the window.

Looming up before them was a huge house. Surrounded by a high wall that was pierced by a massive gate, the mansion looked like it was big enough that Serali could have fit in it in her dragon form several dozen times over. It was lighted by dozens of lamps, torches, and mage lights, and in and out of the gate streamed a parade of handsome vehicles, all filled with nobles. Their own coach pulled up behind a line of other similar coaches going in. As they entered the grounds, Serali noticed the garden. The front of the house was mostly even grass with a few ornamental bushes, but she could see where around the sides and back there was an elaborate garden, planted with dozens of flowers, many of which were blooming, even after sunset.

Their coach reached the front of he house, and Janus climbed down first, handing her down after him. Serali looked at the coach behind them but somewhere along the way, they had lost Lady Valerie.

Janus noticed the direction of her gaze. "Don't worry, she'll come. Now let's go in and impress all of these foppish city folk, shall we?"

Serali nodded and took his arm. They proceeded to the main door of the mansion. Serali felt out of place, conspicuous among the mass of ruffles and lace in her simple gown. She saw people staring at her and blushed.

Janus leaned over and whispered into her ear. "They watch you because you are the most beautiful one here, Serali. They're used to girls who have to paint their faces to look half as good as you do."

Serali blushed again, not knowing what to say.

They continued into the house, moving through a long hallway hung with banners into a brightly lit room full of music and people dancing. Serali had studied the more common formal dance of course, as part of Lady Valerie's curriculum, but she felt suddenly intimidated by the thought of having to actually go out there in front of all these people and dance. But Janus didn't head out on the dance floor just yet. Instead, he made his way through the chattering throng that stood around the fringes of the room, gossiping and drinking wine out of long stemmed crystal galsses.

They moved through the crowd, Serali still drawing looks form those around her, until the reached a bearish man clad in doublet and hose. At sighting Janus, he broke off what he was saying to a slender lady dressed in yellow and came over.

"Janus!" he roared.

"James, it's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Indeed. I thought that you would never come out of that tower of yours." Then he looked over at Serali. "And this must be the apprentice I've been hearing about. You told me she was talented, Janus, but you didn't warn me she was beautiful."

He took Serali's hand and bowed over it. "James Mortigen at your service, m'lady."

Serali curtseyed, hoping that she had remembered the proper form for greeting a duke, and said, "My lord is too kind."

"Nonsense. You, my dear, will cut a swath through the young noblemen tonight, and leave many a broken heart behind you, I'm sure."

"Yes," agreed Janus. "But as I'm her teacher, I think I've got first claim on her, so at least I'll have the first dance. Speaking of which, this one is nearly done, so shall we be off to the dance floor, my lady?" He bowed with a flourish and led Serali out towards where the dancers were indeed finishing the last dance.

Serali's nervousness proved to be unfounded as she didn't step on Janus' feet once during the entire dance. After the final note, Janus bowed to her and then, releasing her hand, he said, "I believe I will go and mingle now. From the look of that young man over there though, I think you will be dancing for some time, so I'll leave you to it." And with that, he walked off into the crowd.

Serali looked over and saw the young man that Janus had indicated walking toward her. Feeling her confidence vanish, she moved to the edge of the floor to meet him.

He came up to her and bowed. "Good eve, my lady. I'm Galen and I was hoping that I could have this dance."

Serali curtseyed, dipping low as lady Valerie had advised, since she didn't know the young man's rank. "I'm Serali. I'd be honored."

Galen smiled and took her hand. They moved out onto the floor as the strains of the next song began. Serali felt that her knees would be knocking together if she wasn't so busy dancing. After a few moments though, she began to regain her confidence. Enough so that she could look at Galen. He was smiling at her, his eyes exactly on level with hers. Amazing, she thought. I've never been close to anyone who was my height. He has gray eyes, and he's smiling at me. Oh my. . .

When the dance ended, Serali felt like no time had passes at all. Galen bowed over her hand and then without a word, walked off into the crowd. Serali moved to follow him, but was immediately accosted by another young man. For the rest of the evening she found herself scanning the crowd, looking for Galen, but she didn't see him again. And she wasn't given an opportunity to go look for him, for the instant one young man made his farewell, another would approach. At last, Janus came out of the crowd and led her to the side, shooing off the hopefuls.

"What did I tell you hmm? Every young man here tonight wants to dance with you. They can't all be merely currying favor with me, especially since most of them have no idea who I am."

"Yes, but my feet hurt. I think if I hear another 'may I have this dance' I'm going to scream."

"Here, sit down" Janus pulled out a chair that was sitting up against one wall. Then he picked up a glass off of the tray of a passing servant. "And take this."

Serali accepted the glass and peered at it curiously. "What is it?"

"Knowing how you feel about alcohol, It's merely a concoction of juices that James likes. He's none too fond of strong drink either, so he always serves this stuff, though in deference to his guests he provides a variety of spirits as well."

Serali drank gratefully. "How much longer is this going to last?"

"The party can go most of the night, actually, but it's acceptable to leave anytime after midnight or so. Speaking of which, it's nearly that hour now. Would you like to leave?"

"Yes, I think I would. I've dance enough for one night."

Janus nodded. Taking her hand, he raised her out of her chair. Together they made their way toward the exit. As Janus passed James, who was talking to the same yellow gowned lady he had been speaking with before, he called out their farewells. Finally reaching the other side of the room, they went back down the banner hung hallway and out into the night. A liveried servant saw them and dashed off around the house. A few minuets later, their coach emerged from a side wing, clearly a stables and coach house to put all the coaches of the various guests.

Janus handed Serali inside and they sat in silence as they drove back to the tower. When they arrived, Janus handed Serali down again and sent the coachman on his way. Then he turned to Serali and smiled.

"So how did you like your first ball?"

"I don't know. Some parts of it were not much fun, actually, but then�" she trailed off as she thought of the mysterious Galen. "Yes, some of them were very enjoyable."

Janus smiled. He was not unaware of what Serali was feeling, indeed, there had been a time, he thought to himself, when he had felt much the same. He watched with a smile on his face as Serali went into the tower, humming a dance tune.

The Credits:

All the buttons, bars, and other doodads on this page are courtesy of

This page hosted by Get your ownFree Home Page

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws