AN: I had a subtle hint to continue, so here's chapter one. If you reviewed, you should have gotten your reply. If you didn't, it means that you probably didn't leave a signed review. (And that's okay. I don't mind.) I'm going to stop replying at the top of new chapters. It looks too messy. And when I printed out a hard copy of the last chapter of TH, there was only one paragraph of the story on the page! Anyways, without further hestitation, and with no more ado, here's the new chapter:
When Fate Takes a Hand
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Chapter One: Little Page
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Autumn to Midwinter Festival,
In the 8th year of the reign
of
Jonathan IV and Thayet, his Queen,
447 H.E. (Human Era)
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"Go, my child. Fulfill your destiny."
Aunt Ambrosia's words echoed in Nadiana's ears, as fresh as if they'd just been spoken. But Nadiana had been away from Port Emralín, her home of all her ten years, for over a week. She was traveling to Corus, Tortall's capital, to train as a knight.
A law had passed, when Nadiana was a little girl of but five, that allowed girls to earn their shields, but as of yet, no one had taken advantage of this. Aunt Ambrosia had told Nadiana that the conservatives did not want her there, but in the end, the girl would be allowed to come, if she endured a one-year probation period. If at the end of this year, she still wished to stay, Duke Gareth of Naxen would permit it.
Nadiana wasn't sure how she felt about being on probation when no boy had ever had to, but she decided to put up with it to prove them all wrong and keep her promise to a blacksmith who had long forgotten her; She, a girl, could do anything that a boy could.
Ambrosia had taught the girl well, especially since the day five years before when Nadia had returned from an afternoon of roaming the fair-grounds with her friend and announced that she wanted to be a lady knight. Little Nadia learned algebra, read complicated books, and even studied some philosophy.
Nadiana seldom complained of the work. Ambrosia tried to give the girl as much learning as possible, to help her when she began her training. It would be a lot easier on Nadia, Ambrosia said, if she didn't need extra help with her studies.
Their parting, after ten years of spending every second of every day together, was bittersweet, harder on the girl than on the old woman.
"Remember, Nadia, you have the potential to do great things," Ambrosia said, adjusting the pack that was on the child's back.
"I will, Aunti. I'll be the greatest knight ever."
"I'm sure that you will. Now don't forget to scrub behind your ears, and listen to your elders. Mount up, Dear. Write often and tell me what you're up to, take your tonic everyday, and for goodness' sake don't fidget when you meet the training master."
Nadiana smiled at the familiar comments, but made a face when she was told to take her tonic. The taste was bitter, and it slid slowly along her throat, prompting Nadia to swallow several times after it was down. Aunt Ambrosia insisted that Nadiana take the horrible tonic because it would aid her bones and muscles as she grew, helping her keep up her strength as she trained.
"I will, Aunti," the girl repeated, stepping into her surrogate-mother's arms. "I love you." Ambrosia hugged the child one last time, then sternly pushed her towards her pony, Toomi. She mounted up, tears stinging her eyes. But she wouldn't let them fall until she was alone.
"Go, my child. Fulfill your destiny," Aunt Ambrosia said as Nadiana rode away.
"I will, Aunti," she whispered. "I will."
From Emralín it was a three-day voyage along the coast of the ocean, or a week picking through mountain trails before they reached the Great Road Northwest, which would take the riders to Corus in a two days.
Although Nadia would have preferred to ride through the Grimholds, her course of travel took her aboard the ship The Grey Lady. She was traveling with Dennisin of Hapinu, and their escort, Uther. Now Nadia was glad to have their familiar faces as she rode through the streets of Corus.
The palace seemed to sprawl in front of them no matter which way they turned, but the girl paid little attention to it. She was soon to spend four years inside those walls; why not get a look at what's on the outside?
She saw merchants and traders, selling some of any product you could imagine or desire. There was so much more than the fair at Hapinu! She saw an inn with a worn sign called the Dancing Dove. It was run down now, but she remembered stories that Ambrosia had spun about a man called George Cooper, King of Thieves. Nadiana was told that these tales were made up for her entertainment, but she thought that it was a novel coincidence that the fictional King of Thieves held his court in an inn called the Dancing Dove, and she now saw the same inn before her very eyes.
"Nadiana, do not linger. Stay close and guard your purse and cargo," Uther called back to her. Nadia reluctantly pulled Toomi back into a trot and caught up with Dennisin.
"What is it?" Dennis asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Nothing, Dennis-dear, it was just a tavern," Nadia said quickly. She looked back once again. She would ask Aunt Ambrosia about the Dancing Dove when she wrote her.
Within minutes, they were riding up the hill towards one of the palace's many gates. A guard took their names and gave them admission to the palace. Ambrosia had given Uther a large envelope with a letter and the sums to pay for her first term. Nadianaknew that without proof of her breeding, she would never be allowed to train. She had taken a peek on the ship, when Uther had beenon deck, relieving his plaging seasickness.
According to the papers, her father was a nobleman named Phyllip, and her mother, Jeni,was the daughter of a baker.They were both killed while riding in a carriage. The horses scared when they saw a snake on the road, then they ran wild through the woods, and crashed into a small ravine. Nadia was the only survivor.
It was said that the training master, Duke Gareth of Naxen, wanted to resign his post. He was never the same after the death of his sister, Queen Lianne, who was followed closely by her husband, King Roald. And the Duke was not exactly a spring chicken. It was understandable that he would want to rest.
Even to Nadiana's untrained eyes, he looked like he wanted to rest. The Duke's once brown hair was now gray with age and stress. His eyes were brown, resting under wisps of loose hair. He was tall, and too thin, and at the moment, he seemed to be getting over a bad cold. The Duke kept a handkerchief in his left palm as he read the letters from Ambrosia and Dennis' father.
Nadia and Dennis had to stand, still and silent, waiting for the man to speak. At last he put down the papers and looked from Dennison to Nadia to Uther.
"Please, have a seat," he said between coughs. "You are here, Dennisin of Hapinu, and Nadiana of Emralín, to become knights of the realm. It is not an easy task. You must learn to defend the weak, to obey your overlord, to champion the cause of right. Someday you may even be able to tell what right is."
"Dennisin. Until you are fourteen you will be a page. You will wait on table at the evening meal, run errands for any noble who wishes, learn to fight arms, and hopefully, learn to think. If you pass the tests at the end of each year, culminating in the Big Examinations, you will then be made Squire." Dennis nodded. Nadiana sat quietly, lost in thought. Why isn't it the same for me?
"Nadiana. Unfortunately, you will be a probationary page for the first year. Too many conservatives made a big stink when you applied. If, at the end of that year, you have proven that you can keep up and still make progress, you will be made a full page, and the next three years will be the same as the boys."
The Duke's manner confused Nadia. She thought that he didn't want her there, but on the contrary, it seemed that he did. Maybe Duke Gareth thought that the realm needed more lady knights. If only I wasn't the only girl in Tortall who wanted to be a knight, Nadia thought. It was then that she realized that she wasn't paying attention, and she tuned back in to the Duke's words.
"When you are eighteen, you will be allowed to take the Ordeal of Knighthood, a night spent in solitude and silence, followed by a dawn trip into the Chamber of Ordeal. If you survive this you will be made a Knight of Tortall."
"Doesn't everyone survive?" Dennis asked. Of course not, you dolt! Nadiana thought. If every idiot who attempted to get a shield succeeded, there would be a lot of witless knights running around the realm.
"I lost this in the Chamber of Ordeal," the Duke said in answer. He held up his left hand so that the two new pages could see a missing finger. "Don't worry about the Ordeal now. You will have plenty of time to think about it." He called a servant to lead them to their rooms in the pages' wing. Nadia had a whole set of rules that applied to her room, such as leaving the door open when any of the boys were in it, and a special magic lock, keyed to her voice only.
"Don't worry," Duke Gareth said with a warm smile. "It's only bewildering at first."
"Thank you, my lord," Dennis said.
"Thank you, your grace," Nadiana echoed, correcting Dennis at the same time. Each of the new pages kissed the Duke's right hand, then bowed, and exited the room. Uther left them here. He was young, only twenty-two, and a good warrior. There was no reason for the Queen's Riders to reject him.
When he was gone, Nadia took a deep breath and smiled at Dennis.
The servant whisked them away to the palace tailors, where a scowling old man rapidly measured them with a knotted cord. They were given boots and shoes, practice clothes, gold tunics, and scarlet full-sleeved shirts and hose.
"Don't let me see either one of you for at least three months," the man growled as they left. The two were lead to their rooms, where their belongings had already been placed. The two pages quickly unpacked, and changed into their new uniforms.
Once dressed, Nadiana looked in the mirror. Her eyes blazed back at her. The girl's auburn hair fell just a few inches below her shoulders. She pulled it into a braid, and tied the end with a crimson yarn. Nadia smiled at her reflection in the tall mirror. Probationary or not, she was a page!
As she locked her room, she noticed a slate outside the door. Her name was written on it in white chalk. Nadiana of Emralín. This sign only made her feel more in place.
Nadia went to the room next-door to hers. Dennis' door was propped open. The boy was still unpacking, a task that should have taken him minutes. He looked up to smile at her and dark brown hair fell into his eyes. The contrast of his gold tunic and red shirt made the green flecks in his blue eyes shine out.
"Are you coming sometime today, or shall I wait until tomorrow?" she asked teasingly, sitting on a wooden chair that was placed beside the desk.
"It's only a day away," Dennis said without a beat. He continued to unpack. Nadia stuck her tongue out at him. Voices in the hallway caught the girl's attention. A group of pages were out there. They almost passed up the room, until they saw the open door and the two new pages inside.
They came streaming in. There was a total of seven of them. Dyson of Merwon, the oldest at fourteen introduced them all. Dy and Jackim of Caskin, a big, blonde page, were fourth-years. Two third-years were along, Charlin of Tirith and Galba of Surmic. Charli sported wavy brown hair, and blue eyes, and was a mage, like Dyson. Gal was tall and blonde, with hazel eyes. The second-year of the group was Peon of Marcusin, who was short and round, with straight black hair and plain brown eyes.
The other two boys were first-years. Andrin of Bomir was short and thin, with thick red curls, teeth that were a little on the large side, and green eyes that were hidden by spectacles. Tomoko noh Iwakuni was born in the Yamani Islands, but Tortallan bred and raised. He wore his black hair cropped just below his ears.
As they introduced themselves, Nadiana looked them over. Dy, Jack, and Charli seemed to be the leaders of the group. In the end she decided that it wouldn't hurt to befriend these boys. Dy looked her over.
"What's your name, lass?"
"I'm Nadiana of Emralín," she said.
"A girl!" Tomoko squeaked.
"Yes, a girl, and no better or less than a boy!" Dennis snapped. Nadia glared at him. She knew she could count on him to stand up for her, but right now, why couldn't he just let it go? Dyson looked sternly at Tomo, until he backed up behind his sponsor, Galba.
"He didn't mean anything by it," Nadia insisted, to both Dennis and Dy. She was not anxious to make any enemies.
"Who will sponsor Dennisin of Hapinu?" Dy asked, turning away from the Yamani page.
A couple of the older boys offered, and Dy picked Charli. He clapped his young charge on the back, causing him to cough suddenly. Peon was Andrin's sponsor already, so the only boys in the group that were left were Dy and Jack. Dy himself chose to be Nadia's sponsor, claiming that Jack had enough extra work to do just to keep up in his classes.
"Well, Nadiana, I guess you're all set," Jack said. "Dy will keep you from trouble and you won't be misplaced."
"It's Nadia, to my friends," the girl said. As she finished speaking, a bell rang, startling both Nadia and Dennis. They jumped. The other boys laughed although Nadia noticed that Tomoko and Andrin barely kept from jumping themselves.
"Come on, Little Page, we'll get you used to all the bells and whistles yet," Dy said, leading her down the hall. She smiled back at Dennis, who kept his face down as he hurried after Charli. Their time as pages had begun.