Chapter 1
The knock on the door startled Myles out of his deep thought. He wondered who it was at this time of night, he was not expecting anyone. The knock came again, this time louder.
"Come in." Myles barked.
The door slowly opened and a young girl about 14 slinked in. she was dark eyed and dark haired but with luminous skin. Her movements resembled those of a cat, which added to her beauty. She may have been a pretty face but she was also very clever and a skilled mage.
"Hello my lord, I was told I could find you here." She smiled
"Ah yes, welcome back Colette. How was Tusaine." As he spoke he noticed sadness flit across the young girls face but he carried on. "This is your first assignment after training so it will be a quite easy one. You will be posing as my niece from Tusaine and you shall listen to the gossip in court and take a note of what is said and who said it. Can you do that?"
"Course my lord. Where shall I be staying during my assignment?"
"I have rooms for you in the palace along with a maid so you look the part. Here is a map and key to your room. Now go because I'm sure you need rest."
Colette bowed low before turning and walking out the door. Myles grinned to himself; he knew she could pull this off.
Colette yawned as she walked down the corridor, it had been a long day and she needed some sleep. Myles was right he had given her an easy task but it should be fun, she might even get a lordly husband. This reminded her of her days in the orphanage, when the girls would sit around and talk of plans to marry. She had been whisked away by Myles before she had a chance to give her opinion. She stopped suddenly she had reached her room; she pulled out her key and put it in the lock.
The door swung open to reveal a roaring log fire and a four-poster bed. It really took Colette's breath away. She had never seen anything like it. A voice brought her back to her senses and she turned round to see a young girl, maybe a couple of years older than her, standing next to her. The girl had a mischievous face and eyes that were alight with trouble.
"Does my lady like the room? She queried. "My name is Catrine. I am to be your maid, my lady."
"Oh please call me Colette and I really like the room." Colette replied then yawned.
"Then my lady should get some rest. Tomorrow shall be a busy day when people realize she has arrived."
Catrine helped her to get undress and to climb underneath the covers and in no time at all Colette was asleep.
The next day dawned bright and clear and Colette felt she was on top of the world, but what was she going to wear. She looked in her wardrobe and inside there was a bright array of clothes including several day dresses and evening dresses. There was also a selection of breeches. Colette chose to wear a dark blue day dress that had matching shoes. Catrine came in just as she finished dressing and handed Colette a note. It read:
Colette,
Please will you take breakfast with Eleni and I in our rooms.
Myles
Colette hurriedly finished getting ready and walked down the corridors to the private residence of Myles of Olau. She was shown into their breakfast room by a footman and was soon joined by Myles and his wife. Myles explained jokingly why she was there.
"My wife wanted to see what you looked like before she got the wrong girl." He laughed. "Actually we have engaged someone to show you around the palace and as nice as you look, you may want to change into something a bit more comfortable."
They then sat down to eat. The food was delicious; Colette had never tasted such nice food. They had just finished when a knock came at the door.
"Ah that will be Keladry." Myles said, wiping his mouth.
Sure enough a young girl about her age was shown into the room. The girl had bright hazel eyes that glowed with fun. She wore the uniform of a squire and bowed low to the people sitting at the table.
"Good morning, my lord and ladies" she smiled.
"Keladry, I did not expect you so early as it is a rest day for the squires, didn't you want to sleep in?" Myles asked
"I couldn't sleep in even if I wanted to" Kel explained with a rueful smile. "Jump and the sparrows wanted feeding."
Myles turned to Colette and explained, "This is Keladry of Mindelan, a squire in the palace, and she will be your tour guide today, so if I were you I would change into your breeches."
Colette rose and curtseyed to the baron and his wife, then followed Kel out the door. Kel turned and spoke to Colette.
"Please call me Kel, I hate Keladry it's too formal. Right where's your rooms lets get changed."
They walked towards the rooms Kel chatting easily and explaining about the regions of the palace they passed. When they arrived Catrine let them in and fussed over Colette while she changed. Colette was relived when they finally left her rooms.
"I know what you feel, I used to have a fussy maid as well." Kel sympathized. "Right were not going on a normal tour of the palace, you'll get plenty of offers of that from my friends when they see you. We are going to the training courts, do you fight."
"My uncle has trained me in knife fighting and self-defense. I can also ride. My horse is called nightflier." Colette replied quietly.
"Good I can show you the royal forest by horseback, which I think is the best way."
They had now reached the training courts and were greeted by the stares of the boys who were training there. Lord Wyldon looked at Kel quizzically.
"This is Lady Colette from Tusaine, she is visiting her uncle Baron Miles. The baron asked me too show her around." Kel explained.
"Did the baron ask you specifically to show her around here."
"Yes sir he did."
Lord Wyldon turned abruptly around and tried to carry on with the lesson, but the boys were still staring at the beautiful girl with Kel. Many had already lost their hearts to, but the most surprising person to have fallen in love with her was the crown prince Roald who had been watching from the side. He felt guilty because he had to marry a princess, a princess from Tusaine who was arriving with her mother and father in a few days. How he wished he had me this girl a year before. A shadow fell at his side and he turned, there stood his father.
"Quite a girl isn't she." His father remarked, looking over at Colette. "don't lose your heart to her my son, remember your betrothed."
That is, Roald thought, too little, too late.
The knock on the door startled Myles out of his deep thought. He wondered who it was at this time of night, he was not expecting anyone. The knock came again, this time louder.
"Come in." Myles barked.
The door slowly opened and a young girl about 14 slinked in. she was dark eyed and dark haired but with luminous skin. Her movements resembled those of a cat, which added to her beauty. She may have been a pretty face but she was also very clever and a skilled mage.
"Hello my lord, I was told I could find you here." She smiled
"Ah yes, welcome back Colette. How was Tusaine." As he spoke he noticed sadness flit across the young girls face but he carried on. "This is your first assignment after training so it will be a quite easy one. You will be posing as my niece from Tusaine and you shall listen to the gossip in court and take a note of what is said and who said it. Can you do that?"
"Course my lord. Where shall I be staying during my assignment?"
"I have rooms for you in the palace along with a maid so you look the part. Here is a map and key to your room. Now go because I'm sure you need rest."
Colette bowed low before turning and walking out the door. Myles grinned to himself; he knew she could pull this off.
Colette yawned as she walked down the corridor, it had been a long day and she needed some sleep. Myles was right he had given her an easy task but it should be fun, she might even get a lordly husband. This reminded her of her days in the orphanage, when the girls would sit around and talk of plans to marry. She had been whisked away by Myles before she had a chance to give her opinion. She stopped suddenly she had reached her room; she pulled out her key and put it in the lock.
The door swung open to reveal a roaring log fire and a four-poster bed. It really took Colette's breath away. She had never seen anything like it. A voice brought her back to her senses and she turned round to see a young girl, maybe a couple of years older than her, standing next to her. The girl had a mischievous face and eyes that were alight with trouble.
"Does my lady like the room? She queried. "My name is Catrine. I am to be your maid, my lady."
"Oh please call me Colette and I really like the room." Colette replied then yawned.
"Then my lady should get some rest. Tomorrow shall be a busy day when people realize she has arrived."
Catrine helped her to get undress and to climb underneath the covers and in no time at all Colette was asleep.
The next day dawned bright and clear and Colette felt she was on top of the world, but what was she going to wear. She looked in her wardrobe and inside there was a bright array of clothes including several day dresses and evening dresses. There was also a selection of breeches. Colette chose to wear a dark blue day dress that had matching shoes. Catrine came in just as she finished dressing and handed Colette a note. It read:
Colette,
Please will you take breakfast with Eleni and I in our rooms.
Myles
Colette hurriedly finished getting ready and walked down the corridors to the private residence of Myles of Olau. She was shown into their breakfast room by a footman and was soon joined by Myles and his wife. Myles explained jokingly why she was there.
"My wife wanted to see what you looked like before she got the wrong girl." He laughed. "Actually we have engaged someone to show you around the palace and as nice as you look, you may want to change into something a bit more comfortable."
They then sat down to eat. The food was delicious; Colette had never tasted such nice food. They had just finished when a knock came at the door.
"Ah that will be Keladry." Myles said, wiping his mouth.
Sure enough a young girl about her age was shown into the room. The girl had bright hazel eyes that glowed with fun. She wore the uniform of a squire and bowed low to the people sitting at the table.
"Good morning, my lord and ladies" she smiled.
"Keladry, I did not expect you so early as it is a rest day for the squires, didn't you want to sleep in?" Myles asked
"I couldn't sleep in even if I wanted to" Kel explained with a rueful smile. "Jump and the sparrows wanted feeding."
Myles turned to Colette and explained, "This is Keladry of Mindelan, a squire in the palace, and she will be your tour guide today, so if I were you I would change into your breeches."
Colette rose and curtseyed to the baron and his wife, then followed Kel out the door. Kel turned and spoke to Colette.
"Please call me Kel, I hate Keladry it's too formal. Right where's your rooms lets get changed."
They walked towards the rooms Kel chatting easily and explaining about the regions of the palace they passed. When they arrived Catrine let them in and fussed over Colette while she changed. Colette was relived when they finally left her rooms.
"I know what you feel, I used to have a fussy maid as well." Kel sympathized. "Right were not going on a normal tour of the palace, you'll get plenty of offers of that from my friends when they see you. We are going to the training courts, do you fight."
"My uncle has trained me in knife fighting and self-defense. I can also ride. My horse is called nightflier." Colette replied quietly.
"Good I can show you the royal forest by horseback, which I think is the best way."
They had now reached the training courts and were greeted by the stares of the boys who were training there. Lord Wyldon looked at Kel quizzically.
"This is Lady Colette from Tusaine, she is visiting her uncle Baron Miles. The baron asked me too show her around." Kel explained.
"Did the baron ask you specifically to show her around here."
"Yes sir he did."
Lord Wyldon turned abruptly around and tried to carry on with the lesson, but the boys were still staring at the beautiful girl with Kel. Many had already lost their hearts to, but the most surprising person to have fallen in love with her was the crown prince Roald who had been watching from the side. He felt guilty because he had to marry a princess, a princess from Tusaine who was arriving with her mother and father in a few days. How he wished he had me this girl a year before. A shadow fell at his side and he turned, there stood his father.
"Quite a girl isn't she." His father remarked, looking over at Colette. "don't lose your heart to her my son, remember your betrothed."
That is, Roald thought, too little, too late.