Berry stood with her new year-mates, including Prince Alexander and Mellissa of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak, the daughter of the Knight Commander of the King's Own, in front of King Roald and Queen Shinkokami. The old rulers, Jonathon and Thayet, had abdicated the throne when Roald had turned thirty, saying Tortall needed a younger leader.
The Tortallan knights assembled behind the new pages. Things had changed, and instead of an older page or a squire becoming a page-sponser, a knight was assigned to the new pages. Often the knights became so attatched to "their" pages that they asked them to become their squires as well.
"Ambera of Queenscove, your page-sponser will be...Keladry of Mindelan."
Berry turned to face her page-sponser. Keladry was a female knight! Berry frowned. Keladry. The name was familiar. Was it the same Keladry that her mother had mentioned, the lady knight?
As Keladry led Berry out of the packed room she looked at the page. "Ambera of Queenscove? My page-sponser, and one of my best friends at one point, was of Queenscove. Nealan. Are you his daughter? You have his eyes and build. Although, you have Yamani eyes and skin...Yuki! Do you speak Yamani?"
Berry blinked. "Uh...yes, Milady Keladry. I am Nealan's daughter. And yes, I speak Yamani. Do you?"
"Yes," the lady knight replied, in Yamani. "And don't call me Milady Keladry. Kel, Milady Kel if you must. Keladry sounds so...formal."
Berry grinned. "Berry, not Ambera."
"I'll call you Berry if you'll call me Kel." Kel and Berry shook on it. "How's your father? I haven't heard from him in, Mithros, twelve years. I didn't even know Yuki was with child. Do you have any siblings?"
"No...Kel. I'm an only child."
Kel kept asking Berry questions about her family until they reached their new quarters.