Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except Mitchell of Rosemount, they belong to Tamora Pierce

I hope you like this fic and plz review. I may not continue this story, unless you want me to. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What if Neal didn't leave university and Keladry went to the palace having Joren of Stone Mountain as her sponsor, would Keladry survive to be a knight, even when all odds are against her.

This story takes place when Keladry asks her parents if she is able to become a knight.

Ilane of Mindelan looked at her daughter and wondered why she had made such a surprising request. "Are you sure you want to go to the palace instead of the convent?" She asked Kel. "You know better than I ma that I would rather struggle through the ordeal of knighthood than go to the convent and become a lady!" Ilane thought to herself, "I can see myself when I was younger coming through as Keladry matures." This thought made Ilane smile. With that Ilane said to her daughter, "Of course you may go to the palace and make us proud of you, I know you will." A comment like that from her ma made Keladry feel confident that she could as great as the lioness.

As Kel arrived at the of the palace a thought arose in her mind, "It seems like only yesterday that ma and pa agreed they would send me to the palace as I'd wished." However disappointment ran through Kel's veins. The training master Lord Wlydon only agreed to allow her to train as a page if she was to be put under one year's prohinbitation. At the end of one year Lord Wlydon was to judge her and place a decision. If he said no Keladry would have to be sent home.

As Keladry entered the palace a large group of boys stood before her, may of them sniggering. One boy even said, "I believe that girls belong in convents, why doesn't this apply to you, unless you're a girl in disguise."

That particular comment hurt Kel's feelings. Other boys said, ""Girls don't belong here, were here to become warriors, not to hang around prostitutes." Even after all these rude and nasty remarks the training master Lord Wlydon didn't stop the boys, it felt as if he was agreeing with the boys. In Kel's mind she thought, "T his could be a bad start to a bad beginning."

Then Lord Wlydon announced, "Who will be sponsors to the new pages?" Many boys came forth for everybody but Kel. Suddenly the boy who shouted the evil remark at her asked to be her sponsor. Appalled at the quest of this page Lord Wlydon replied, "If you agree to the job you may do so in sponsoring the prohibition page, Joren of Stone Mountain." Just grateful for not looking completely like an idiot Kel followed her sponsor. Then the boy turned around and said, "Go away! Get lost, you.you girl!" Kel just kept thinking to herself, "Is this some sort of joke?"

Kel thought that her first day couldn't get any worse, but it did. As she had her first few classes of the fighting arts down at the practice and outdoor courts Kel was treated as if she were some sort of baby. Every few seconds she was yelled at, some comments were, "Prohibition page watch your stance," or "Put your guard up prohibition page." These comments sickened Kel. "How could one person be so unfair." Kel began to think, "This is so unjust! There is no justice in this!" Then it was time to pick a mount (horse). When Kel arrived at the stables there was only one horse left. It was a large strawberry roaning. Soon as Kel hopped onto the horse it took off. "Argh!" Kel screamed as was thrown back and forth by the monstrous beast. It took Lord Wlydon to stop the horse from killing her. "I must have been insane when I choose to be a page." Kel thought as she walked up the hill to go to lunch. She only hoped that the next part of her day would be better.

After lunch it was time for her book work classes. Kel's sponsor Joren of Stone Mountain hadn't given her a break all day. He was always making funny of her and being nasty. She just tried to ignore it. She had sat alone at lunchtime and had expected to do the same for awhile. "They just have to get use to me." She kept telling herself, "Sooner or later they'll understand that I'm just as good as any other boy."

With no help from her sponsor Kel was late to her first class. Being later meant she was to be punished. Her punishment was to read the first to chapters of Literature In A Modern Realm and to report back to the class on how much inspiration the book offers to its audience. The rest of her classes that day weren't any better. One teacher said, "I am much disappointed in you prohibition page." However in their last class that afternoon Law and History of Tortall Kel was given a new ray of hope. A second year page Mitchell of Rosemount came up to her. Kel thought that he as coming up to torment her so she just looked at him once and put her head down to ignore him. But then he said the most extraordinary thing, "Is this set taken?" Kel was absolutely amazed and taken by surprise. In a stunned voice she said, "If that's what you please." He replied, "It is my lady." Kel then said, "Don't call me my lady, just call me Kel." "Well Kel," Mitchell said, "Can we be friends?" "Of course!" Kel answered with a big smile on her face.

At dinner Kel sat next to Mitchell and his friends, after that Mitchell invited Kel into their study group. Kel wasn't sure that Mitchell's friends liked her that much, but she didn't care. Maybe today wasn't as bad as Kel expected.

Well did you like it, its sort of a different version of the protector of the small serious. If you enjoyed protector of the small then I hope you enjoy my version. Plz keep readin, I'll only continue if you review, so do so!!!!!!! Luv Lady Julie-Anne