Eliena

Chapter 1

Princess Eliena of Conté, the future queen of Tortall and future Great Goddess, made her way through the winding halls of the royal palace in the capital of Corus. As she passed, people bowed and curtsied, which she acknowledged by inclining her head. She waved to a few people she knew very well, but walked purposefully. She was dressed in her normal attire of breeches and a white shirt. She wore her black curls in a high horsetail to keep them out of her face when she went about her daily business. Her violet eyes were focused, but were full of curiosity, intelligence, and mischief. Only a fool could tell she wasn't royal—she looked very much like her father, King Jonathan IV of Conté, with the straight, slightly hooked Conté nose and stubborn Conté chin. She had her mother's eyes and a hint of her mother's height—Eliena was sixteen and fully grown, standing at five feet, five inches. Her body was trim, but strong and curvaceous. Around her neck, on a simple golden chain, hung a charm against pregnancy and a blue ember stone that looked very much like her mother's.

She went into the hall that Lord Wyldon of Cavall, the page's training master, was using to assign new pages their sponsors. Eliena's close friend, Nealan of Queenscove, was her age (sixteen) but had been studying at the university, and started page training late. He was only a first-year page of two months. Eliena's oldest friend, Squire Leonard of Pirate's Swoop, was a second-year squire to King Jonathan, having started his page training at the right time. Eliena worked with the Queen's Riders as well as the pages.

"Your highness," Lord Wyldon said with a bow.

"Lord Wyldon," Eliena acknowledged, inclining her head. She faced the pages, who bowed, murmuring, "Your highness." She smiled at them. "Pages." She went to stand beside Lord Wyldon to survey the newest additions. "Welcome to the palace!"

"Thank you, your highness," the new first-years chorused, bowing. Eliena looked them over, searching for the new girl page.

"Continue, please," Eliena told Lord Wyldon.

"What's your name and fief?" he asked a tall page with close-cropped brown-blonde hair. The page looked up with dreamer's hazel eyes framed with long lashes. Eliena now saw the page was a girl.

"Keladry of Mindelan," she replied.

"Who will sponsor Page Keladry?" Lord Wyldon asked the older pages.

"Lord Wyldon, I've been instructed to sponsor Page Keladry myself," Eliena replied. A whisper rippled through the pages. The princess was the sponsor the girl?

Wyldon frowned. "I'm not certain that's a good idea, your highness…"

"My father insisted upon it." Lord Wyldon knew better than to speak against the king's wishes, so he nodded.

"Very well, then. Page Keladry?" Keladry walked to stand beside Eliena, who beckoned to Neal.

"Keladry, right?" Eliena whispered. The girl nodded—Eliena was not pleased to notice that this ten-year-old was five inches shorter than she was. "I'm Eliena."

"I know, your highness." Keladry bowed.

"Please, its Eliena. According to my parents wishes, we'll be spending an awful lot of time together." Eliena smiled.

"Lucky you," Neal remarked. Eliena stuck her tongue out at Neal.

"Keladry, this is one of my closest friends, Nealan of Queenscove. He's also a first-year page and I'm sure he'd be positively thrilled to be friends with you," Eliena said. "Neal, this is Keladry of Mindelan. You have a nickname?" Keladry nodded.

"Kel, your—Eliena," the girl replied. Eliena nodded.

"Very good. Lord Wyldon, Page Keladry and I will be taking our leave now," Eliena announced. Wyldon nodded and bowed.

"Very well, your highness," he replied. "Be sure to have her back in time for dinner."

"I wouldn't dream of holding up the dinner of such lovely young men," she said, smiling at the pages, almost flirtatiously. Neal shook his head. He was used to Eliena at that point, but he saw that both the new pages as well as the older ones watched her like hawks as she left the room.

"If I might ask… Eliena, why are you my sponsor? You aren't a page," Kel asked.

Eliena smiled. "Yes, but you know how you're on probation?" Kel nodded, and Eliena saw this was a sore point with the new page. "Well, my mother has been banned from having contact with you. Rumors and such, you know. So, she convinced my father that it would be good for me to have more contact with the pages. So, she suggested I watch over you, since I was friends with Neal and all. It would be within her ban, and Lord Wyldon appreciates my help." Kel nodded. "See, my father's not too bad." Kel blushed. She hadn't thought very highly of the king for allowing Wyldon to put her on probation for a year. "And, think about it. With me helping you out, you stand a pretty good chance of making it through the year." Kel smiled.

"Where are we headed?" Kel asked.

"Well, if I'm helping you, I should better show you where my rooms are," Eliena replied. Kel's eyes widened. She was going to the princess's rooms? In the royal wing? "And after that I'll show you the rest of the palace. Sound good?"

"Yes," Kel murmured.

"Gods, you're quiet. All of my friends are loud. It's a nice change," Eliena remarked. Kel smiled slightly. "We should hurry. I don't want you to miss dinner. If you're late, everyone else gets held up. Then I'll get in a lot of trouble."

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"I'll leave you to fend for yourself," Eliena told Kel. "I'll have to sit with Wyldon anyhow." Kel followed the crowd and Eliena went to find Lord Wyldon.

The training master was getting his dinner. Eliena followed him, and they said nothing. Servants went to put them at the head table. "Will your father be joining us?" Wyldon asked.

"No, just me," Eliena replied. "I may not eat with the pages for every meal. Just sometimes. But I'll eat at the high table for tonight at least." Wyldon nodded. They heard the pages beginning to eat. He walked in, with Eliena following him.

"The princess!" someone exclaimed. They all rose. Wyldon nodded to them and Eliena curtsied, as she had put on a dress for dinner. The pages bowed.

"Oh, please sit," Eliena said. "Relax, that's what dinner's for!" She sat down.

"Blessing?" Wyldon whispered.

"Oh!" Eliena stood back up. "Sorry! Great Mithros, we ask you to bless this meal and every meal. We thank you for sending us such wonderful food, and we ask you to watch over the pages and squires and knights of the Realm, keeping them safe. Thank you."

"So mote it be," the pages murmured.

"Now you may sit," Eliena said, taking her seat again. She ate quickly, and then rose to walk around. "I'm going to walk around and greet everyone." Wyldon nodded.

Eliena looked around, looking for the first table to stop at. She wanted to leave Neal and Kel for last. Instead, she went to the table where some infamous page troublemakers sat. "Hello," she greeted. "Enjoying your meal? Don't get up." The pages nodded. "Wonderful. I'll see you tomorrow, then." She went around to the other tables, talking lightly with some of them. She finally reached Neal and Kel's table, when she sat down. She knew that sitting with Neal and Kel would boost their popularity. "Hello."

"Hello, El," Neal said. "Don't expect me to get up." Eliena laughed.

"I don't," she replied. "Enjoying yourself, Kel?" Kel nodded.

"She's very quiet," Neal remarked. "It's a hard thing to get used to."

Eliena shrugged. "You've spent too much time around me." Neal laughed.

"Yes, that's true," he admitted. "Listen, Eli, can you meet me outside after dinner? I need to talk to you."

"Course," she replied. "See you then." She walked away.

"Your highness?" She turned to see a big redheaded page waving to her. She went over and sat across from him, smiling at the others seated with him.

"Yes, page?"

"Would you do me the honor of saving me a dance at tomorrow night's ball?" he asked. Eliena laughed.

"We'll see. What's your name?" she replied.

"Cleon of Kennan."

"Well, Cleon of Kennan, it was nice meeting you." She left and went back to the main table, shaking her head.

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The pages all waved goodbye to Eliena as they left the dining hall. She walked out in silence with Neal. They turned a corner.

"What did you need?" she asked.

"El… I have to ask your father too, but I was wondering if maybe you'd allow me to court you," Neal replied. Eliena was shocked.

For a long time, she and Neal had liked each other, and shared a mutual attraction. They'd never acted on it. First because they were young, and then because Eliena was betrothed to Kaddar Iliniat, new emperor of Carthak. In the few months since the Immortals War, Eliena and Neal had been close, but they'd often been joined by Leo and Veralidaine Sarrasri, the Wildmage and one of Eliena's best friends. Daine shared a room with the mage Numair Salmalín, the man who still often taught the two girls. Daine and Numair had become lovers after returning from the Divine Realms.

"You're not kidding?" Eliena asked skeptically.

"Do I look like I am?" Neal retorted. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Neal, I'd be delighted." He hugged her tightly.

"Good. I'll ask your father first chance I get," he replied.

"He'll say yes. He and mother like you."

"Understandably."

"Oh, you." Eliena slapped his arm. "I hate you."

"No you don't." Neal's emerald eyes danced as they held hers.

"OK, so maybe I don't," she admitted. He laughed and kissed the tip of her nose.

"I need to go before I get in trouble," he told her.

"Go. Run!" she called as he ran down the hall. He waved to her over his shoulder. Once he was out of sight, Eliena fell against the wall and smiled. It was so exciting! She sighed and walked down the hall, twisting a lock of hair around her finger.

She hoped Neal would ask her father before the ball to welcome the pages the next evening.

Author's Note- so… this is part one of the plot. Let me know what you think so far! REVIEW.