As she tumbled out of her bed, Yashinti of Carthak wondered when the
maids came out to help the nobles in this country. She had just come from
Carthak to see the place she was to live for the rest of her life. She
liked this clean, comfortable country. Woman could be almost anything they
liked. In Carthak there were no woman in the army, no woman as Scholars,
they were pieces of money in their fathers eyes, and something to show in
their husbands. Here the King's champion was a woman, and hundreds of
girls wanted to become knights. Then there was her soon to be husband.
King Jonathon's son, Liam, was a kind man, someone you could talk to. She
loved her new place.
Knock, Knock. Who would this be?
"Yashinti I wanted to know if you would like a tour of the castle?" It was Sir Keladry of Mindelan. Knighted last year she was the first woman in over a century, who, unlike Alanna the King's Champion, she didn't have to pretend to be a boy. Sir Keladry was a kind person, and since she had lived in Yamani she was always allowed to talk to all the foreigners. Yashinti had made friends with her, they spoke as equals, or sisters.
"I would love to, is Sir Cleon with you?" Sir Cleon was Kel's husband, but he definitely could not come on this journey around the castle. She was embarrassed to say the questions she thought with the tall handsome man around.
"No, of course not. I know you would only say half the questions you thought of. By next week you would have been lost, or in the Pages area. If you hurry we can make it to breakfast just in time. You know you don't need all the makeup, and gorgeous dresses. Just a pair of Breeches and a Tunic."
"Ok, ok," I never will be able to get used to seeing the queen and other Princess walking around in Breeches. She thought, now I have to wear them. "Give me four minutes." She looked around and found her Maid rushing to get everything ready. She saw a smile on her face. Keladry had told her to ask Lalasa, Kel's old maid, to be her maid since she had no outfits to make. Lalasa was very kind and far from timid, as the other maids were. Probably from years of being under Kel's service. Lalasa had already put the breeches and tunic on Yashinti's bed and was sitting in the window seat, with birds swarming around her, making an extra dress for the Queen and Yashinti. Yashinti put them on and walked comely out the door.
"Come I'll show you a shortcut that only Neal and I know. We might even meet him. I know you like him so much." Kel said sarcastically. Yashinti definitely did not like Nealan. Lucky for Kel, they did. Kel and Neal were best friends as pages. The tall brown haired, green-eyed man walked with to the breakfast area in great enthusiastic strides. Sometime they would ask each other about this person or that person. If someone didn't know Kel's husband was Cleon, they might have thought it was Neal. They talked, Kel would stop and hand-brush his hair back, and once they even kissed. They were quite a couple. They looked perfect together. They could have been Page-Sweethearts, but they weren't. Neal was definitely the romantic kind, Kel was not. Yashinti was kind of left behind, but all of a sudden they seemed to remember her.
"I hope it's ok that I come, since there is only a couple feet, and I do miss talking to Kel." Neal said pleadingly, like a Player, Neal would be a perfect Player, Yashinti thought.
"Of course Neal, well where do I sit? Kel? Neal?"
"You will sit in the middle of Kel and me or next to Liam or Cleon." That answer was obvious, I didn't feel like sitting with the King, he took my breath away when I saw him, and I couldn't sit with Cleon, that would be embarrassing.
"I think you guys will have to do." When they entered Yashinti felt as if she was in the Pages breakfast area. The place was just a huge hall, but it was for royalty and nobles. Everyone was dressed down. Everyone sat on benches, the food was given out on four tables by the workers. Keladry and Nealan sat in between Cleon and someone, obviously their friend, named Sir Faleron. Yashinti felt lonely. She had no friends, everyone else knew someone else. She had only two friends. As a queen, or princess, she would gain friends, but they wouldn't be real. Yashinti pushed the thought away and ate her vegetables. The second breakfast was over she stayed with Kel as Neal left to the Hospital.
Knock, Knock. Who would this be?
"Yashinti I wanted to know if you would like a tour of the castle?" It was Sir Keladry of Mindelan. Knighted last year she was the first woman in over a century, who, unlike Alanna the King's Champion, she didn't have to pretend to be a boy. Sir Keladry was a kind person, and since she had lived in Yamani she was always allowed to talk to all the foreigners. Yashinti had made friends with her, they spoke as equals, or sisters.
"I would love to, is Sir Cleon with you?" Sir Cleon was Kel's husband, but he definitely could not come on this journey around the castle. She was embarrassed to say the questions she thought with the tall handsome man around.
"No, of course not. I know you would only say half the questions you thought of. By next week you would have been lost, or in the Pages area. If you hurry we can make it to breakfast just in time. You know you don't need all the makeup, and gorgeous dresses. Just a pair of Breeches and a Tunic."
"Ok, ok," I never will be able to get used to seeing the queen and other Princess walking around in Breeches. She thought, now I have to wear them. "Give me four minutes." She looked around and found her Maid rushing to get everything ready. She saw a smile on her face. Keladry had told her to ask Lalasa, Kel's old maid, to be her maid since she had no outfits to make. Lalasa was very kind and far from timid, as the other maids were. Probably from years of being under Kel's service. Lalasa had already put the breeches and tunic on Yashinti's bed and was sitting in the window seat, with birds swarming around her, making an extra dress for the Queen and Yashinti. Yashinti put them on and walked comely out the door.
"Come I'll show you a shortcut that only Neal and I know. We might even meet him. I know you like him so much." Kel said sarcastically. Yashinti definitely did not like Nealan. Lucky for Kel, they did. Kel and Neal were best friends as pages. The tall brown haired, green-eyed man walked with to the breakfast area in great enthusiastic strides. Sometime they would ask each other about this person or that person. If someone didn't know Kel's husband was Cleon, they might have thought it was Neal. They talked, Kel would stop and hand-brush his hair back, and once they even kissed. They were quite a couple. They looked perfect together. They could have been Page-Sweethearts, but they weren't. Neal was definitely the romantic kind, Kel was not. Yashinti was kind of left behind, but all of a sudden they seemed to remember her.
"I hope it's ok that I come, since there is only a couple feet, and I do miss talking to Kel." Neal said pleadingly, like a Player, Neal would be a perfect Player, Yashinti thought.
"Of course Neal, well where do I sit? Kel? Neal?"
"You will sit in the middle of Kel and me or next to Liam or Cleon." That answer was obvious, I didn't feel like sitting with the King, he took my breath away when I saw him, and I couldn't sit with Cleon, that would be embarrassing.
"I think you guys will have to do." When they entered Yashinti felt as if she was in the Pages breakfast area. The place was just a huge hall, but it was for royalty and nobles. Everyone was dressed down. Everyone sat on benches, the food was given out on four tables by the workers. Keladry and Nealan sat in between Cleon and someone, obviously their friend, named Sir Faleron. Yashinti felt lonely. She had no friends, everyone else knew someone else. She had only two friends. As a queen, or princess, she would gain friends, but they wouldn't be real. Yashinti pushed the thought away and ate her vegetables. The second breakfast was over she stayed with Kel as Neal left to the Hospital.