Arin smiled as she watched her twin brother Aden bouncing excitedly in the saddle of his pony Pirate. They were on a hill over-looking the capital city of Corus, on their way to begin training as Pages in the palace.

"It's so big!" He exclaimed, grinning at her. His wide brown eyes met her matching ones and she grinned back, his excitement contagious and over-ruling her own nervousness. Their father chuckled as his horse, Ferric, stood next to Arin's pony, Raider.

"Yes, it is much bigger than any of our little border towns." He agreed with a smile for his youngest son. At a nod from Lord Edward the twins kicked their mounts into a trot and headed down the hill and into the bustling city.

Ten year old princess Shiraumi shifted nervously beneath her father and grandfather's stern gazes, glancing at her mother for encouragement. It was time to bring up the subject of her training again; knowing how to use a glaive and the basics of swordplay wasn't enough. She wanted to learn it all. So she stepped up before the two men and met their blue-eyed gazes steadily with her own.

"Father, Grandfather. I wish to start as a page this year." She said firmly, with the calm but commanding tone she had learned from her parents and their friends.

"It will not be easy Shira." Prince Roald said to his daughter, his voice soft.

"I know Father. And I am prepared for the challenges." She replied evenly, her expression stubborn.

"Alright then, go get what you'll need. Nothing more than the necessities now my daughter, you don't want the boys think that you think yourself above them." Roald said after a few minutes thought.

"Thank you Father, you won't regret it!" Shira said happily, forgetting herself and hugging Roald tightly before dashing out of the room.

Sir Nealan of Queenscove stared tightlipped at the palace where he had spent four of the most important and torturous years of his life.

"Are you sure you want to do this Bree?" He asked his daughter for maybe the millionth time on this trip. Bree smiled at her anxious father.

"Yes, I do. I want to be like Lady Kel and Lady Allana." She said, her voice firm but quiet. He saw the same stubbornness in her green eyes as had been in his whenever someone had tried to speak to him of stopping his page training and returning to the University. He shook his head with a sigh and waved to the guards on the wall as they opened then gate, leading his only daughter into the palace.

Four new first-years coming in tomorrow. Eric of Pirate's Swoop thought as he took his seat among the other boys. He wasn't particularly close to any of them, but they weren't his enemies either. They were just nervous around him because of the famous names in his lineage and his quiet and brooding nature.

Three of them are girls. One is the Princess, another the only daughter of Sir Nealan of Queenscove. The third daughter of a recently ennobled man and twin to the fourth new-comer, the boy. He mused, cataloguing the newest pages in his head. He made a habit of knowing the names and faces of every one of his fellow pages, it helped in his unofficial role as peacemaker among the pages and younger squires.