This takes place during Trickster's Queen

This takes place during Trickster's Queen. The war with Scanra is over.

Leasrin Salmalin didn't have much of a journey to make on the way to her knighthood; well, to her pagehood, at least. Some boys and girls had to travel for days to reach the page's wing; she only had to go across the royal palace.

Some thought Lea was crazy to try for knighthood, thinking she would have better luck being presented at court and finding a husband. She had very light blonde hair that fell to her shoulders, chocolate brown eyes that seemed to shine with light at times, and well-formed features. She was average height and slender, which wouldn't suggest strength. She was the picture of a soft noble's wife.

Daine, Lea's sister, was trying to console her weeping child Sarra and say goodbye to her sister at the same time. Even Kitten had turned a sulky shade of grey and hid under the bed.

Everyone was saying goodbye, even though Lea would only be going across the palace, and quite easily accessible. Lea didn't care, though. Her mind was focused on one thing. "Numair? Can I talk to you?"

The unhumanly tall mage nodded, and the two went into the hallway. "Have you told anyone about my wild magic?" Lea said abruptly, not bothering with subtlety.

"No. You told me not to tell anyone, and I can keep secrets."

"Thank you, Numair. You're sure you've never let it slip, and you haven't told Daine?" Lea continued fervently.

Numair sighed. "I may be absent-minded, Lea, but I don't just let things slip. I hate lying to Daine, Lea. But I still do."

Lea hugged Numair tightly. He was like her father in the Mortal Realms, when her real father and mother wanted her to live a mortal life...

With a final goodbye, Lea left. It was a quick trip across the palace, before she was greeted by Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan. The knight was much taller than Lea, with cropped brown hair and a dreamer's hazel eyes, but that was the only thing about her that looked soft. She was hard and well muscled, with scars all over her arms. Yet she was kind to Lea. "I'm Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan, master of female pages and squires. My job is to make sure you are just as good as the boys. Better, if possible. You'll train with the boy pages, but once a month, you'll meet with me and the other girl pages to train for a day.

"If the boys are treating you badly, not the typical hazing among pages, but treating you like anything but a human being who has as much right to be there as they do, come to me. Some call me Protector of the Small, even though I think that's a really stupid name, I don't like people being mistreated. I don't want you to have the same experience I had." The Lady Knight smiled grimly.

Keladry of Mindelan continued on, instructing her on what she could expect from her next eight years."And," she finished, "Call me Kel."

Lea liked Kel, she decided. She really seemed to care about Lea. Kel escorted Lea to the pages' wing, where she showed her her quarters. It was a decent-sized room, a little bit smaller than her room living with Daine and Numair. Once she had unpacked her things, Kel returned, calling the other pages out.

"This is Leandrea Salmalin, our newest page." There were a few sneers when the pages saw she was a girl, even more when they heard she didn't have an "of" in her name, meaning she was not a member of the nobility, and some looks of awed respect once they realized whose family she was a part of. Numair Salmalin did not have to be a noble to be one of the most respected men in Tortall.

Kel continued, "Who will sponsor her?"

There were a few moments of silence before someone spoke up. "I'll sponsor her." She was one of the two girl pages there, a lanky girl who looked like about a third-year page. She had thick red hair, and eyes so blue it was startling. Her scarlet pages' uniform clashed fantastically with her hair.

The lady knight nodded in agreement. "Okay, Ecela. Lea, this is Ecela of Trebond."

Goddess! I can't be sponsored by someone from Trebond! Lea thought with panic. There's the Sight in that family! She'll see my wild magic! But she bowed anyway, the proper bow to a noble from a rich commoner.

Kel left, and the pages rushed to dinner after their hard day's work. Ecela showed Lea the way to the pages' and squires' mess. When they entered the large hall, Ecela whispered, "Welcome, Wildmage."

A/N: Ecela of Trebond is Coram and Rispah's daughter. I assumed that Rispah had the Sight, because her cousin has it.