Tessa's Training
This is about one of the girls that Kel encounters in the book Squire who wants to be a page along with her sister and friend.
Looking around Fianola and my new room, I felt a sense of satisfaction. We had made it, the first step to becoming a knight! Our first year as a page is about to begin. Sorry, I should introduce myself. I'm Tessa of Tameran. My sister Fianola is going to be a page with me, even though she's twelve and you're supposed to start training when you're 10 like me. We have to share a room because, actually I'm not sure why we have to share a room. It's basically two rooms with a wall that is only a drape separating the space. Our friend Yvenne was going to be a page too, but she changed her mind. Now she wants to be a great sorcerer, she has weather magic.
I should start at the beginning, where else would you start? If I started at the point where I am right now you would get all confused. Are you already confused? I have a habit of doing that, confusing people I mean. Talking too much is also another bad habit of mine. Oh, you can tell? Yes, I guess I'm doing that again am I? I must be if you can tell that it's one of my bad habits, or how else would you know? I don't think you can just tell a persons bad habits just by looking at them, can you? That'd be really weird don't you think? Kinda creepy if someone you didn't even know could…. Sorry! You want to here the story of how I got here.
It all started when we heard from my brother Prosper who's now a 4th year squire, that there was a girl who was going to openly train as a knight. My hero, Keladry of Mindelan is her name. Anyway, Fianola and I thought it would be really great to be knights, helping people and going places and stuff. So, we told it to our mother. She being the greatest mother in the world agreed and said we could try. Yvenne was in on it too, till she found out it was actually a lot of work. That was a year ago. We met Keladry of Mindelan at the progress that year. She gave us a lot of advice and that's when I knew I had to be knight, no matter what. That's the story. Are you disappointed that you listened to me blather forever just so you could listen to that amazingly dull story? I knew I should have let Fianola tell it, she's so much better at making things interesting than I am.
"Tessa! Tessa, where are you?" Fianola called to me.
"In the room!" I shouted back.
Fianola entered to where I was sitting on my bed. She looks a lot like me; we both have really curly brown hair and dark brown eyes. Naturally she's taller than I am cause she's older, but not by much. We're both thin but I think we're pretty strong for our size.
"Training master Lord Padraig haMinch says to be outside our door in 5 minutes. They're assigning sponsors," she informed me. It was obvious in her dark face that she was worried. You could always see her emotions register on her face, I wasn't the same at all.
5 minutes later
Fianola stood outside her door, I stood outside mine, just as all the other boy first-year pages. Of course, Fianola and I were on probation; Lord Padraig was as conservative as they come. The other pages in their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years trailed behind the training master. Fianola and I were the last to be sponsored, Fianola first.
"You're name and fief?" the training master said, with a trace of disgust apparent to me in his voice.
"Fianola of Tameran," she replied shakily.
"Who will sponsor probationary page Fianola?" he asked of the other pages. One boy raised his hand. It was our cousin, Shane of Rosemark. Lord Padraig nodded to acknowledge him.
"Your name and fief?" he asked of me.
"Tessa of Tameran," I said, making sure that I kept my head held high. They were not about to see that I was intimidated.
"Who will sponsor probationary page Tessa?"
I was shocked when several boys that I was not even related to raised their hands. I saw Lord Padraig's and Fianola's eyebrows raise. I hid my surprise, or at least tried to.
"Page Erik of Irenroha, you would like to?" he asked the page standing closest to him. The page nodded, he looked to be in his second year. "And just why would you like to?"
The boy looked at the ground and mumbled, "She's pretty." At which I almost laughed, as some of the boys did.
"I'm afraid that's not an acceptable answer, Page Erik. What about you, Page Ryan of Meron, why do you want to sponsor probationary Page Tessa?" he asked, turning to the page in his 3rd year to the other side.
"I believe that she deserves a chance as much as the rest of us and I would like to help her," his nice voice sounding very sincere.
"Very well, Page Ryan, you shall be her sponsor. It is time for dinner." He proceeded to the pages' mess hall. I followed Ryan, taking note of everything he did. We sat down at a table full of noisy boys who joyfully greeted me. I looked around to find Fianola; she sat with Shane at a table with just one other boy.
"Tessa, these are my friends." Ryan introduced me to Asher of Veldine, Chase of Disart, Carson of Tirrsmont, Logan of Darroch, Cameron of Nenan and several other boys that I couldn't remember what their names were.
I remembered what Kel had told me, and was wary of the boys. I knew the houses of Tirrsmont, Darroch, and Nenan were notorious for being extremely right-wing conservatives. It was definitely odd, because the first thing Carson said to me seemed to point to the fact that he was reading my mind.
"Don't worry, we despise conservative ideals," he informed me, motioning to Logan and Cameron.
I looked up, aware that I was staring at the vegetables on my plate.
"You were thinking that you shouldn't be friends with us because our families are conservatives," he amended. I stared at him.
"Carson has the sight. He doesn't use it but when he feels he must. Sometimes he has it, sometimes he doesn't," Ryan told me. I nodded.
"Yeah. My parents told me I wasn't even allowed to talk to you, which just made me want to be friends with you," Logan told me.
"Mine too. But that's why we volunteered to sponsor you. Our parents hate it when we're rebellious. We think you'd be outstanding in that capacity," added Cameron.
I felt rage building up inside me.
"What!? So you think you can just use me to get back at your parents? I don't think so! Let me clue you guys in on something, if think you can just hang around with me without actually getting to know me or being my real friends you've got another thing coming to ya!" I shouted, adding some colorful curses. They, along with all the other boys stared at me. Before they could reply, Lord Padraig rose to give the blessing. It was then that I noticed he had guests at the table on the dais at the front of the room, several young knights.
As we returned to our seats after the blessing, the boys were still speechless.
"What?" I demanded as they sat looking awed at me.
"Wow," Carson whispered.
"What?!" I demanded again.
"No one has ever stood up to us before. I'm sorry." Carson apologized quietly.
"Sorry," the others murmured.
"So, are you going to be my friends, or just use me to get back at your parents?" I asked.
"Can you teach me some of those curses?" Cameron asked.
I smiled. "What are friends for?" I replied.
"How should I know?" he asked. We laughed.
Dinner was fairly uneventful. The boys told me all about training, what to expect and stuff like that. When we separated to go to our rooms, Fianola had already hurried out. I walked leisurely into the hall. I saw Lord Padraig's dinner guests standing outside chatting. They bowed and called me by name.
"Page Tessa, how goes it?" a very large redhead asked me. I turned.
"I don't know. I haven't done anything yet." I told him. He introduced himself and the others.
"I'm Cleon of Kennan. This is Owen of Jesslaw, and Neal of Queenscove."
I knew Cleon and Neal to be knights, and Owen a 4th year squire.
"We are friends of Keladry of Mindelan," Neal said in an educated drawl. I nodded. "I suppose you know you can't meet her." I did. I couldn't have contact with Keladry or Alanna the Lioness.
"I've met her before I became a page, though." They looked surprised. When, they wanted to know.
"At a tournament, after she jousted with Lord Wyldon. I told her I wanted to be a page, me and my sister," I explained.
"Good luck, Page Tessa." They told me and departed. I noticed they didn't refer to me as "probationary" page Tessa.
"What on earth where you thinking!?" Fianola screeched as soon as I entered my side of the room.
"What?"
"Why did you sit with those boys? It was supposed to be you and me against them, against the world! Remember?" she said the telltale redness of her cheeks told me she was really angry.
"Come on, what's wrong with having a few friends?" I asked, not at all understanding her anger. She shook her head.
"You honestly think they want to be your friends? I thought you would know what they really want with you!" I gasped at her implication.
"What are you saying?" I knew exactly what she was saying, but perhaps I was mistaken. She wasn't really suggesting what I thought she was.
"Don't be so naïve, little sister! You know as well as I do they want to use you for your…., your, umm…… maidenhood!" she stuttered. She backed away as she saw my eyes flare.
"How dare you!" I managed to say while trying to control my anger.
"Just..jjjust think how I felt! Sitting with our cousin while you cozied up to those, those, those, boys!" she spat.
"Good night!" I shouted and slammed the drape that separated us closed.
The next morning- Ryan of Meron (Tessa's sponser)'s POV
"Time for breakfast, Page Tessa!" I banged on the new girl's door. She opened it, already fully dressed and wide awake.
"Good day, Ryan." She greeted me cheerfully. Her sister, on the other hand, did not.
"What's with her?" I asked as she mumbled a greeting and walked away.
"She doesn't want me to have any friends. She thinks you and your friends are only going to hang around me for one reason," Tessa explained.
"What reason would that be?" I asked.
"Think about it."
"Because your pretty?" (shakes head) "Because we can cheat off your homework?" (laughs but shakes head) "I give up. I'm at a loss. Why?" I gave up.
"She thinks, well, ummm…….."
"What?" Still clueless. Okay, so I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed.
"Think about it. You're boys, I'm a girl," she trailed off.
"Ohhhhh!" I exclaimed.
"Got it?" she asked.
"Not at all," I admitted. She sighed.
The other boys of my gang joined us at the table. I saw Tessa's sister giving us dark looks from across the room.
"What are you guys talking about?" Cameron inquired.
"Tessa won't tell me why her sister doesn't want her to be friends with us," I told them.
"Why?" they all asked.
"Are you guys naturally this slow, or are you just not quite awake yet?" Tessa grumbled. "Think about this, take your time though. Wouldn't want anyone to get hurt. You… are….guys…..I'm…..a….girl….ponder….that…" Tessa said abnormally slowly.
"OHHH! I got it!" exclaimed Carson. He whispered something in her ear, to which she nodded.
"What?" the rest of the boys and I commanded.
"Shall I tell them?," Carson asked Tessa who nodded.
"Fianola thinks we just want to use Tessa so we can, umm, you know, have her," Carson said with a flush to his cheeks.
"Ewwww!" Asher moaned.
"That's sick!" Chase of Disart said.
"Twisted!" agreed Logan of Darroch.
"Doesn't sound to bad to me!" Cameron said. "KIDDING! I'm just kidding! Really!" he amended as the other boys chucked pieces of bread at him.
"I promise you, Lady Tessa, that the boys and I would never take advantage of you," I said.
"On our knighthood," they all added.
Same time - Tessa's POV
Awww! They are sooo sweet! I could definitely get used to this!
"Tell that to Fianola. But I accept you're oath."
"Okay, we will." Ryan grinned evilly.
"Will what?" I asked. Ryan motioned to the other boys who rose and followed him to Fianola's table. They knelt in front of her.
"Lady Fianola, we pledge on our knighthood that we would never take advantage of your sister the fair Lady Tessa," Ryan vowed.
"So mote it be," the other boys murmured and returned to our table.
"How does that suit?" Ryan asked as he sat down after Lord Padraig's blessing.
"You guys are soo sweet!" I giggled and kissed them all on the cheek. Cameron pretended to swoon.
"What shall we do today to entertain Lady Tessa, boys?" Cameron asked after he recovered from his faint. I had forgotten training didn't actually begin until tomorrow. While they sat making plans, I had the chance to study them. They were all undoubtably handsome.
Ryan of Meron my sponsor, was the eldest at 13 in his 3rd year. He had sandy blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He was really tall and of middle weight. Chase of Disart was in his 3rd year as well, but he defined the term tall, dark, and handsome. You know the type, nearly black dark brown hair and dark brown eyes and obviously he had to be tall to fit the description. Asher of Veldine was a 1st year like me. I think you'll have to wait till he's a little older to say whether he was handsome or not. He hadn't quite "grown into his looks" as my mother would say, he had red hair and blue eyes.
"Do we pass inspection, Lady Tessa?" I looked up to meet the very green eyes of 2nd year page Logan of Darroch. He ran a hand through his blonde hair, trying to straiten it for my approval.
"Umm, let me finish. I still have to examine Carson and Cameron." At the mention of their names, Carson and Cameron looked at me. "Don't move. I have to study you," I ordered them. They sat as still as they could and stared at me.
Carson had dark olive colored skin like my sister Fianola's. He also had dark brown eyes and strait brown hair. Cameron was as fair as Carson was dark, pale blonde hair and pale blue-green eyes.
"You all pass," I decreed. They heaved false sighs of relief.
"So? What are we doing today?" Ryan asked.
"Showing the lovely Lady Tessa around of course," Cameron cuffed Ryan on the head lightly.
"Hey! What about me? I'm new here too," Asher said indignantly.
"Are you wearing a dress?" Chase asked.
"Is your hair down to your waist?" Logan inquired.
"Are you the prettiest page in the palace?" added Ryan.
"Oh, you're making me blush." I said, pretending coyness and batting my eyelashes.
"We weren't talking about you, we were talking about Ryan!" said Cameron.
"Oh, I see. I know, I'm soo ugly!" I sobbed into my hands.
"Now see what you've done!" Logan admonished Cameron. I looked at him. "You've made Ryan blush!" he finished.
"Ha ha you guys," said Ryan dryly.
"Come on, let's go to the menagerie. Have you seen the monkeys, Lady Tessa?" asked Chase as we left the mess hall.
Ch.2- Entertainment
"Where shall we go now?" Carson wondered after we had spent an hour or so at the Palace Menagerie.
"The painting gallery," Logan suggested.
We wandered around the gallery looking at portraits of royalty and nobility. I was soon bored. I had seen these portraits before, sometimes even the people in them in person.
"Bored?" Carson whispered in my ear.
"Are you reading my mind again?" I asked.
"More like your face," he grinned. I grinned back.
"Guys, our dear Lady Tessa is not in the least entertained by our attempts to amuse her. What in the world should we do?" he asked, pretending to cry.
"I.. don't.. know!" sobbed Cameron.
"The..the…training….yards!" moaned Chase between wails.
"Hurry, we don't want to lose her like the last one!" cried Ryan, dragging me to the door.
"Yeah, that last one ran away screaming for some reason!" added Logan.
"Good idea!" I said and tried to pull away from Ryan's grip on my arm.
"Aww, I just couldn't stand to be hurt like that again, come on." He told me and continued to pull me out to the training yards.
Ch.3- The Training Yards
Many knights were present in the training yards. I recognized Sir Cleon and Sir Neal who I had met the night before. They waved to me.
"You know them?," Ryan asked.
"Yeah, they talked to me after dinner last night. Did you know they're friends with Keladry of Mindelan?" I replied.
"Everyone knows Sir Cleon is more than just her friend," Cameron came up behind us.
"Really? I didn't know." Cameron and the others nodded.
"How goes it boys, sorry, and girl?" Sir Cleon and Sir Neal approached us.
"Fine, sir. Just showing Lady Tessa around, that's all," Ryan answered for all of us.
"Good to hear it. You keep these hooligans in line, young lady," Neal advised me.
"We have already given her our oath, sir." Cameron informed him.
"You never mentioned changing your entire personality in that oath," I told him.
"Would you like that?" he retorted.
"I don't think you'd be happy as a girl," I shot back, "Or any good at it either," I added, while the others laughed.
"And just what is so hard about being a girl?" Cameron asked loftily.
"Being surrounded by boys. Dresses, hair, bodily functions that don't happen to boys, being on probation, child-bearing, arranged marriages, stereotypes, biased people….. shall I continue?" I listed.
"Fine. Maybe you're right, but it's no harder than being a boy!"
"Did I mention child-bearing?" I asked.
"Okay, okay, you're right." He conceded.
"Nice talking to you," said Cleon before he and Neal went back to their practicing.
"Care to go up against the master of sword fighting?" Logan asked me.
"How do you fight yourself?" I asked.
"HA HA HA! Care to prove your allegation?" Logan replied.
About 10 minutes later :
"Do you yield, Sir Logan?" He was pinned to the floor with the tip of my practice sword at his throat.
"I yield, Lady Tessa," he admitted. I allowed him to stand. "Mithros, you're good!" he exclaimed.
"Thanks. My dad taught me." I told him.
Before Dinner
The rest of the day we spent wandering around the palace and I went to the tailors to get practice clothes. When I entered our room, I saw Fianola stuffing her trunks with clothes.
"What are you doing?" I asked her.
"Oh, so you came back. I thought you might spend the night with one of your new friends."
"What are you doing?" I repeated, ignoring the cruel comment.
"Packing, what does it look like?" she said icily.
"I know that, but why?"
"How many reasons are there to pack? I'm leaving," she answered simply.
"Beg pardon! Leaving? To what aim?"
"I've changed my mind, I don't want to be a page after all."
"What!" I exclaimed.
"Have you a hearing problem? I'm leaving. Why do you care anyway? You have your friends who you sent to embarrass me at breakfast this morning," again the blush rising in her cheeks.
"The oath? But I thought you wanted that! To make sure they weren't going to use me!" I said, getting angry as well.
"You made me look a fool in front of everyone!" she hurled at me, now viciously jamming her clothes into the trunk.
"You made a fool of yourself by even suggesting that! In my book, you deserved it! And you can't just up and walk away from your dream because of a few hurt feelings! This was your dream, never mine!" I shouted back.
"So why did you come here? And I can walk away and I shall! I don't care about my stupid dream of being a knight anyway! I don't think I even want to be a knight anymore at all" she yelled.
"You are not leaving and that is final! Come on, we'll be late for dinner."
During Dinner……..
"Sit with us," was an order I now regretted. I had said those three fatal words to Fianola as we entered the mess hall. The boys were awkward and unwilling to talk around my sister. They were afraid of her. Afraid! Honestly, boys on the verge of becoming knights were intimidated by my sister. She sat staring stonily at them as they picked at their food.
"So, what did you do today, Fianola?" Ryan tried to break the weird silence that settled over the table.
"Nothing," she said, not at all attempting to feign friendliness.
"Oh," Ryan murmured, returning to stare at his uneaten vegetables.
"Surely you did something. I know you didn't just sit and stare at walls all day, Fianola," I told her. She glared at me.
"I don't want to talk about it," she managed to say through clenched teeth.
The rest of the meal went on in quite the same manner, me trying to make conversation and failing miserably. Fianola resisted saying a word and the boys refused to talk in front of her. As you know, I have a habit of chattering which I let get out of control during that awful meal. Only Ryan pretended to listen and answered my questions, the others just looked up to smile, though very infrequently.
After dinner, Ryan accompanied me to my room.
"So, that went well," he said sarcastically.
"Didn't it though? And we get to do that every night for the next 4 to 8 years." I said cheerfully.
"I don't know bout you but I'm looking forward to it," he grinned and trotted away.
"What is with you? First your jealous, then mad!" I demanded when I saw Fianola sitting on her bed.
"I am not jealous! And I won't be sitting with you or your rude friends ever again!" she shouted.
"Thank Goddess for that," I said under my breath.
"I heard that. So this is what trying to protect your younger sister gets you!" she added. "I'm going to bed. Good night!" she said and slammed the drape to divide the room.
Well, better get some sleep. Training starts tomorrow.
Author's Note- So? Whadya think? I'm really not sure why I wrote this. I guess I'm tired of writing on my other stories. I have a habit of starting another story without finishing the others. I know I made Fianola really mean, didn't I? And I guess I made it too easy for Tessa to make so many friends. Oh well. Tootles.