The D'Karon Apprentice by Joseph R. Lallo Page A

you.”
    The aura faded and she slowly caught her
breath, taking his hand from her shoulder and clasping it
briefly.
    “Now I see where Myranda gets it,” Ivy said
gratefully.
    She released his hand and took her position,
smoothing her skirt again and standing straight. “If I do something
wrong, or forget to do something, just whisper it under your
breath,” she said, tapping her pointed ear. “If you make any sound
at all, I’ll hear it.”
    “They are nearly here. Are you ready for
them?” he asked.
    “Yes… No, wait!”
    Ivy turned and stepped quickly to the table,
selecting one of the carving knives and twisting to reach the back
of her dress. With a deft poke she pierced a small hole, then
hooked her tail with a finger and pulled it through, fluffing it
and swishing it until it was back to shape. She then replaced the
knife and kicked her slippers off, padding back to her position and
releasing a sigh of relief. Celeste gave her a measuring look. She
glanced at him and smirked.
    “If I’m going to be me, I’m going to be me, ” she said.
    A servant quickly snatched the knife and
substituted a fresh one, then gathered her slippers and returned to
his position. Moments later the door opened, and the small
delegation stepped inside.
    The ambassador assigned to Ivy was a woman,
perhaps forty years of age. She was stately and proper from the tip
of her tightly wrapped bun of black hair to the point of her fine
leather shoes. Like Ivy she was clad in the colors of her land, a
tawny fur cloak layered atop a red-orange gown with peach-colored
embroidery. If there was one flourish to her appearance that seemed
to be more of an appeal to fashion than tradition, it was her
jewelry. There wasn’t an overabundance of it, but each piece she
wore was notable for its size and quality. A ruby and gold ring on
two fingers of her right hand, a silver and garnet necklace
gleaming proudly against her dress, and a topaz earing in each
ear.
    The woman paced toward Ivy, flanked by two
subordinates, who took her coat and handed it to one of the
servants waiting beside the door. Though the ambassador’s face was
even and neutral, there was something in her eyes and her posture
that made Ivy feel as though she was being judged, and that the
initial assessment was not good.
    Ivy shifted her weight to step forward and
greet the visitor, but Celeste touched her leg, reminding her that
she was to wait until greeted. The dignitary approached her. Ivy
lifted her arm until the ambassador matched her gesture, then
gripped the shoulder of her visitor lightly. The ambassador
mirrored her, though Ivy couldn’t help but notice she didn’t so
much grasp her shoulder as touch it gingerly with her
fingertips.
    “On behalf of Queen and Empress Caya, I
welcome you to New Kenvard,” Ivy said, taking her hand away and
offering it for a shake.
    “On behalf of King Aamuul, I am honored to
visit your fair city,” she said, accepting the offered hand in a
dainty shake. “My name is Ambassador Amorria Krettis.”
    “I’m Ivy.” Her ear flitted toward Celeste.
“That is to say, I am Guardian of the Realm, Heroine of the Battle
of Verril, and Ambassador Ivy. And may I introduce Ambassador
Greydon Celeste?”
    Ambassador Krettis exchanged the traditional
greetings with Celeste, then cast her eyes up and down Ivy slowly,
lingering at her feet before sweeping her gaze up again. Ivy felt a
flutter of anxiety at first, then a blush of pride.
    “Oh! My dress,” Ivy said, turning in a
circle. “Do you like it? It was made specially for me, and just for
this occasion. Your gown is gorgeous by the way.”
    “Thank you,” the ambassador said, her eyes
drifting briefly to Ivy’s tail.
    Ivy’s ear flicked. “Please, take a seat, make
yourself comfortable.”
    The lady-in-waiting stepped forward to lead
the ambassador to her seat, and Ivy sat opposite her. Celeste sat
to her right. The rest of the servants and attendants remained
standing.
    “Please,