Author's Note: This is the sequel to Neal's Daughter, a story about Kimi of Queenscove and her journey to become a knight of Tortall. I suggest you read that one first, it's under my author info, and everything will make much more sense if you do. :) Constructive Criticism is always appreciated, and I hope you enjoy the continuation of my story.
The girl woke slowly to the dark and musky smell of rain. Big drops of water hit the window in an uncertain melody while the wind harmonized fiercely like the sound of low, whispery flutes. It was early yet, about an hour before dawn. Underneath the storm was a veiled, unyielding silence and the girl felt uneasy to do anything that would disturb the low quiet.
Silently she slinked out of bed like a cat and stretched her spine. Although it was raining, the young girl knew she had to stretch and work out for the day. But who was to blame her if she stayed in her room and out of the weather?
She opened up the shutters as silently as she could, but she still winced at the slight tapping of the wood as they clinked closer together. The sky was full of dark ominous clouds and streaks of bright light. Overall, it was a depressing sight to wake up to.
Black hair veiled her expressive face as she bent down to stretch her legs. She was pretty, with light brown slanted eyes, a small nose and mouth, and glossy black hair. She was lithe and graceful, and was able to stretch her limbs out far like a dancer. But a dancer was not the profession she was going into; she was going to be a knight of the realm of Tortall.
Her name was Kimiko of Queenscove, an ambitious ten-year-old with the dream to become the sixth female knight in over a century. Things were changing faster now and Kimi was soon finding out that her attempt at knighthood was much easier than those of her predecessors. It was something she thanked the Goddess for everyday, and Kimi was certain that Sir Alanna, the first female page, also thanked the Goddess for the rights of women restored.
As Kimi started her glaive pattern dance, an exercise using a long wooden pole with a six inch blade on the top, she thought happily about spring. The only positive thing she could see out of the dreary weather was that it hinted that the freezing winters were over and spring was on its way. Kimi didn't mind cold weather, but she much preferred spring, as it was her favorite season.
She swung the heavy glaive in an intricate pattern and felt sweat forming on her forehead. Just a few more and I'll be done, she thought happily. She carefully swung the glaive out in front of her, and over her head to complete the last slashing movement. Unfortunately, Kimi had to stop mid-swing because a quiet knock on the door interrupted her concentration.
Kimi leaned the glaive against the wall and wiped her forehead with her sleeve. She hoped that it was one of the other pages, because she certainly wasn't dressed appropriately for fine company. She felt a little suspicious at her early morning visitor because who in their right minds would be up? I certainly wouldn't, she thought with grim good humor, that is, if I was in my right mind.
She hesitated briefly, and another little knock was produced, though it was more insistent. She opened the door cautiously and was greeted with a vision of Jonathan looking impatient. "Jon, it's so nice to see you."
He raised his eyebrows at her. "What are you doing? Shouldn't you be dressed by now?"
She frowned at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean we only have five minutes before Lord HaMinch starts the prayers," he looked at her with a funny expression when she gasped.
"What? I thought I was actually on time!" She mentally cursed the bad weather which confused her to think it was much earlier than it was.
"I did have a reason for coming here," Jon said before Kimi could shut and lock her door. "Do you have any green tea? I have a splitting headache and it always helps."
"Oh, yes, sorry. Come in," Kimi beckoned for the boy to follow her into her neat room. She pulled out a box from beneath her bed and took out a packet of green tea and handed it to him.
"Thanks," he said gratefully. "I'll go brew this and meet you in the Mess Hall in a few minutes."
Kimi nodded absently and watched him rush off. She splashed some water on her body quickly and dressed into comfortable clothes for the morning. Feeling vain, she brushed her hair and washed her face. She tried scrubbing her teeth while putting on her boots, but only managed to drop teeth cleaning powder on her tunic. She threw off the tunic and replaced it with another one, and promised herself to pick up her room before classes. She hated a dirty room.
Lord Padraig HaMinch was strict on punctuality, and he preferred the pages to skip a meal rather than show up late. If a page had nice friends, they would notice his or her absence and they would bring him or her something to eat later. Kimi had nice friends, but there was a limit to how much a page could sneak out without being detected. Patrik seemed to be the only boy with the skills to smuggle an entire tray of food, but even he had to be very careful and use his slight of hand for emergencies.
Kimi burst out of her room and ran toward the Mess Hall. She just happened to walk in during morning prayers. All the pages turned and looked at her when the doors noisily swung open, and the training master paused in his litany. He glared at her with disapproval dripping from his feature while Kimi gulped and cursed silently for her bad timing. Lord HaMinch finished the prayer with a soft "So mote it be," and then said, "Page Kimiko, please come up here." It was not a request.
"Queenscove, you know that punctuality is a knight's most important responsibility, and that lateness could cost many lives."
"Yes, your lordship," Kimi said meekly.
The training master paused and closed his eyes. Finally he announced, "Your detention will be two weeks long, every night at seven. You will be mucking out the stables, and you will be prompt. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, my lord," Kimi replied while trying to hold back making a face. It was her least favorite chore and Lord HaMinch knew it.
"Good, you are dismissed." Kimi bowed to the great man and hurried off, glad to be no longer in close proximity of the training master.
"That took a while," Gary commented when she sat down next to him. Gareth III of Naxen was the youngest child of Sir Gareth the Younger of Naxen after a long line of daughters. His mother and father decided to try one more time for a boy, which was the reason for the ten year gap between the ages of Gary and the youngest daughter. Gary looked like a miniature of his father with the softened features of his mother Lady Cythera.
"You know my Lord HaMinch; he has so many mind files to go through to find the punishment that will cause me the most pain."
"That's true," Patrik lamented. "He always makes me polish silver, which he knows the smell makes me sick. That's our lovable training master."
"So what did you get?" Theo asked eagerly. Theo was a bright, green-eyed twelve-year-old with an amazing memory for gossip. He was tall and lanky, and hadn't quite grown into his feet.
"Mucking out stables for two weeks," replied Kimi. She made a face. "I should have just stayed in my chamber without interrupting the prayers and coming late, but I was hungry. Speaking of food, I'm going to get some." She rose from the bench and walked purposefully over to fill her tray. It surprised her a little how much habits can change in a few months. Before, she couldn't take a bite in the morning without feeling sick to her stomach, but now it was the meal she depended on the most.
"Have any of you heard from Ana lately?" she asked when she returned. She had gotten a letter from the girl squire a few days before.
"No, I haven't heard from her in months," answered Furtan unhappily. "But I bet she's really busy." Furtan was a large fourth year page with a wide face and patient eyes. He was the calmest and most gentle person Kimi had ever known, and he found it easy to forgive.
Gary and Theo shook their heads. "Jon?" Kimi asked quietly. The Prince had been laying his head on his arms and silent because of his headache. He lifted his head, took a drink of green tea, and shook his head.
"Do you want me to look at you?" Kimi offered. She had a strong healing Gift like her parents, untrained as it was.
She moved over to stand behind him when he didn't respond. She placed her hands on his temple and called her magic. She heard the pages around her talk about the Shang Boar that was coming today and it threw off her concentration. Again she pulled on her magic, though this time with more force. Her magic was a shade of turquoise, though it was a little greener than the stone, and it now glistened slightly at her fingers. She probed around his head until she found where the pain was lingering. There were black flecks mixed in the pain spot, and it worried her some. She burned them away immediately then went through his brain more thoroughly .She found two more black flecks and destroyed them, but she was now concerned. She eased the pain away and then pulled away from him.
"Feel any better?" Jon actually smiled at her.
"Much better, thank you, Kimi."
Her food was cold, but she gobbled it down anyway. She brushed the crumbs off her brown tunic and exited the Hall with her friends to get their books for morning classes. Kimi worried all through morning classes, but tried to take her mind off of it as best she could.
"I never heard you say, have you gotten a letter from Ana?" Kimi asked during Etiquette class. It was her least favorite class, and most of the time she spent the hour talking to Patrik, who also hated the class. It was very boring and taught by a red faced and beefy Mithran Priest who was often the brunt of the two pages' jokes.
Patrik looked down at the Etiquette book and said nothing. He was not often serious and had a dramatic and fun loving personality, but one mention of the red-haired squire and he was lost.
"Not at all?" she asked sadly. She felt ashamed that she had gotten a letter and that she had brought it up. Patrik and Ana, her full name Regiana of Phoenix Peak, had been the best of friends for three years. Unfortunately they had not parted well, and Ana refused to answer his letters.
"Have you received any word from her?" He looked up with green hazel eyes full of hope. Kimi could deflect questions she didn't want to answer, but this direct and hopeful question she could not get around.
"She likes to write me when she comes up with more page advice. She likes to know the happenings of the palace and… certain pages." She looked up at him to catch his reaction. Ana asked about Patrik every letter.
"I wish she would write to me, I miss her," he said simply.
Ana still loves you, Patrik, she wanted to say, but she knew it wasn't her place. "She sent me a letter from Persopolis saying that she and Sir Merric are riding up north now. She didn't know which road they were to take, but Sir Merric was still deciding as she was writing."
"What advice did she give you?" Kimi felt tempted to just let Patrik read her letter, but she knew Ana would feel violated. It wasn't completely private, but it wasn't meant for Patrik's eyes either.
"That I should remain on my guard against pranks even though the year is almost over. She said that she started relaxing and then got dumped with mud one day after she was leaving her room in a hurry."
Kimi was lucky. Most of the boys already knew Ana well and had become tolerant of girl pages because of her presence. Very few pranks had been pulled on the new girl page because of it, but Kimi continued to be cautious anyway.
"Good advice," Patrik said and grinned. "Mud? I never heard about that one. Nothing beats chili though."
Kimi made a face. A month ago she was leaving her room to go the practice fields and a bucket of chili, slightly watered down so that it wouldn't stick to the bucket, had splashed the entire area around her door and Kimi herself. The worst was that the bucket was not properly rigged, and so fell and hit her head. Kimi blacked out for a few minutes until Gary found her.
"That was not funny," she protested, but a smile came to her lips anyhow.
"Oh, yes it was," Gary leaned over from the other table. Apparently he was listening to their conversation rather than writing the paper about proper moments for a knight to give gifts. Kimi didn't blame him; after all, that was what she and Patrik were supposed to be doing.
"I still remember your face when you woke up and realized what happened. Completely priceless." It hadn't been so funny at the time, Kimi complained to herself. Gary had been terrified when he saw Kimi lying in a puddle of something he couldn't identify.
"Yes, it will become page legend in a few years, mark my words. Page Kimi passes out from just touching the chili. A warning to all brave souls who want to eat the same substance served in the Mess Hall," Patrik recited with a wicked smile.
"I can make it palace legend if you want me too," Theo teased from the table behind them. Kimi whipped open the book as Theo started talking and she pretended to be writing. "Just give…" He trailed off when he realized a second too late what Kimi and then Patrik and Gary were doing.
"And I can make you, Vitry, palace legend if you don't get to work!" The Mithran Priest swooped down on them like a hawk barring down on its prey.
"Yes, sir," Theo gulped and wrote hastily on his parchment.
"All of you, stop talking! This class is not for your social enjoyment!" His red face turned a shade of purple as he yelled.
Gary, Kimi, and Patrik refused to look up from their scribbling and waited as the Priest finally stomped off to yell at another group. Theo looked properly upset for being singled out.
"You all leave a bad example of me," he said with a tint of whining in his voice.
"That's why he loves our company so much," Kimi told the other boys. "He wouldn't get near the entertainment with anyone else. Isn't that right, Theo?'
Theo glared at her. "Now I am definitely making the chili story Palace Legend." Kimi stuck out her tongue at him.
"What did you think of Sir Myles' lesson today?" Gary asked. He was very much into the politics of Tortall, and though he disagreed with Sir Myles' ideas, the history class was his favorite place to be.
Kimi shrugged. She hated politics and refused to pay attention to what was happening in the Tortallan political arena.
"It's going to catch up with you someday," Gary warned. "Then you'll wish you had an opinion and listened."
"I enjoyed it," Theo said. He leaned over his books and across the table so he could hear Gary's low whisperings better. "I agree with him, there have been more changes under the rule of King Jonathan than any other Tortall king in history."
"Yes, that part was obvious," Gary brushed it aside impatiently, "I was referring more to his beliefs that the noble class will disappear in a few years and the merchants and the middle class will become the power house of the country. Do you think that will actually happen?" There was real concern in Gary's tone, but Kimi wasn't worried. King Jonathan would never go that far, would he?
"It's possible," Patrik allowed. "It's slowly happening already, but unless something drastic happens, the nobles will always be above the rest of the people."
Kimi was bored, so she concentrated to finish her essay. The bell rang, and the pages moved to the next classroom. Theo, Gary, and Patrik were still deep in discussion, so Kimi moved to sit next to Jonathan and Furtan.
"How have you been doing?" she asked Jon. The black spots still worried her, but she hoped they were gone for good. Kimi thought that perhaps she could ask a healer to look at the prince, but she ignored the thought. Jon couldn't be seriously ill; he was a God-gifted ruler.
