"I will," replied a voice from the very back of the group. Emi sighed in relief, but who had spoken up?

"Very well…You are not who I would have expected to sponsor her…Your Highness." Lord haMinch replied. Did I just hear right? Emi thought….Your….Highness?

Emi stepped towards His Royal Highness, Jace, and smiled briefly. Jace returned the smile, his blue eyes warm, putting his hand on her shoulder and guiding her down the hall. So many questions buzzed behind Emi's lips but her Yamani training kept her silent as the pages entered the dining hall. She kept looking up at him, her eyes not believing what she saw. He wasn't this tall when he became a page three years ago…was he? She thought in wonder the six foot tall fourteen year old led Emi into the line where the pages received their meals.

"Well Emiline...Emi," Jace corrected himself, "I didn't expect you to come here to be a page." He stared at her his eyes shadowed by his coal black hair. "Why didn't you go to the convent to become a noblewoman?" Emi stared up at him, silently fuming.

"Just because I am built like a lady, doesn't mean I have to be one Jace!" she exclaimed, her voice poisonous. "In fact," she continued, her voice growing louder, "I don't know why you are so surprised! I always told you we would be pages together, even if only for a year." With that, she fell silent, staring at the fourth-year page with wide green eyes.

"Well Emi, you've got me convinced." Jace finally said his voice masking some kind of emotion. He then nudged Emi in the direction of his table already occupied by five other boys. "Now, as your sponsor, I have to be the one to show you around the palace." He looked over at her, and seeing that she no longer looked like she could spit flames, smiled. "Although," he added as an afterthought, "You could probably do better to show me around, you know this place so well." Emi laughed, setting her food on the table, waiting for Lord haMinch to say the evening prayer.

"Anyway, boys this is Emiline of Queenscove," Jace continued, addressing the rest of the group that had gathered at their table. Emi elbowed Jace in the ribs and glared at him pointedly. "… I mean Emi." Jace said, rubbing the spot where she had jabbed him.

"Oh, Jace you've got the feisty one!" laughed a sturdy boy with curly blond hair and blue eyes. He flashed Emi a bright smile before being silenced by a look from his future king.

"Emi, this is Kennan of Jesslaw" Jace said nodding toward the blond haired fourth-year, "Alan of Hollyrose, Peter of Malorie's Peak, Mitch of Marti's Hill and Liam of Cavall." He continued acknowledging two third-year pages and two of Emi's fellow first-year pages.

"Nice to meet you all," Emi replied, keeping her face masked except for her eyes, which shone with a smile. The boys at the table stuttered out greetings, bewitched by the new lady page, while Emi turned towards the front of the room as Lord haMinch entered the hall, followed by Emi's father.

"Welcome to a new year training to be the new generation of Toratallan knights!" the training master began as he searched the faces of all the pages and squires in the room. "May Mithros and the Goddess smile over all of you as you learn another years worth of critical training." Lord haMinch lowered his raised hands and sat down at the center table, Neal following suit.

"So mote it be," the pages and squires replied, all sitting down and eating the feast prepared for them.

After they had finished the meal, Emil followed Jace, Kennan, Peter, Alan, Mitch, and Liam out of the dining hall laughing and joking.

They walked together through the hallways, the older pages showing the younger ones where the classrooms, libraries, and professors' living quarters were. When they circled back to the page's wing, Jace and Emi said goodnight to their companions before heading off again down the hall.

"Do you want to go visit Irani?" Jace asked, hi voice excited, pushing Emi down the hall. "She's been on edge for weeks because she's been so excited for you to come!" Emi twisted out of his grip and nodded, smiling at the reference to their friend's psychic ability

"Yes, of course I would love to go!" Emi replied, jogging down the corridors that led to Daine, Numair, and Irani's rooms. When Emi reached their rooms she didn't even have a chance to knock on the heavy wooden door before it was flung open and she was pulled into a ferocious hug.

"It took you long enough to get yourself up here!" Irani growled into Emi's long black hair, squeezing her tighter. Jace chuckled to himself as he bent down to pet the young blue dragon who was chirping at his feet.

"Irani who's there?" a musical voice said coming from deeper within the chambers. "I heard Kitten chirping up a storm," Daine continued stepping around the corner and up next to Irani.

"Daine, its only Jace and Emi," the older girl replied, finally releasing Emi. "I told you she was coming! Oh, by the way, hello Jace." She sang, dancing back into her rooms, emerging with a pitcher full of cider and glasses. "Come, why don't you two sit down."

"Oh yes!" Daine exclaimed. "How could I be so rude, come in!" She pulled Emi and Jace in and shut the door behind her before leading them into the parlor.

"So Emi, how is your father?" Irani asked, flashing a knowing look at Daine and Jace as she poured four glasses of cider.

Emi rolled her eyes, "As overprotective as ever," she moaned. "What's so funny?" she asked, her lips pursed in frustration as her friends burst into hysterics. Why don't I ever get let in on Irani's visions anymore? She thought to herself.

"Nothing, Emi," Jace finally choked out between bouts of chuckles. "Its good to have you home, he said, ruffling her hair.

Good to be home, Emi thought, sipping her cider.