One thing before you start reading, and this is IMPORTANT, Caitlyn and Halt looked nothing alike, so Katheryn does also not look anything alike Halt. Got it?
Now on with the story.
The day of the choosing had arrived, and the fifteen yearold wards in both Castle Araluen and Redmont were busy making the last preparations.
Jessica was dancing around the girls dorm, wearing a sparkly pink dress. She had a leather band with the picture of a peacock on her forehead, and Katy thought it looked absolutely weird.
The other wards however were praising Jessica for such a "gorgeous" idea.
"Even princess Cassandra would be jealous of you Jessica." Ellie, one of the dumbest wards praised.
"Ellie, you've finally found your brains." Jessica retorted coldly, and Ellie reddened.
Katy snorted, and for the first time Jessica seemed to notice her.
"Well, our little peasant without a surname." Jessica said, and the other wards laughed.
"No one wanted such a pathetic excuse for a lady in their family." Jessica continued, and another burst of laughter came from the group.
Katy sighed, and walked out of the dorm.
"Yeah run away. You don't belong here." Margret another ward yelled after me.
Just before Katy was out of the dorm, sir Orlando, the king's secretary, appeared.
"This years fifteen year olds, are oblarged to follow me to the throne room, for the official choosing." He said loudly, all girls slowly made their way towards him.
"Chop, chop. We can't keep the king and his daughter wait." Orlando snapped and all the other girls turned pale.
Katy smiled at the thought of what was racing around in their minds.
"For the king, but I need a better dress." Amanda whispered.
"Princess Cassandra's face will turn green of jealousy when she sees my tiara." Jessica told herself in a stern whisper.
Sir Orlando started walking towards the boys dorm and we followed him, most of the girls had to run to keep up with Orlando.
The boys were already waiting chatting happily and instantly fell silent when Orlando approached.
The guys fell in behind the girls, and the group of teenagers followed Orlando, down the stairs, through the hall and over the courtyard, up the stairs and straight into the throne room.
There opposite us sat king Duncan in his usual everyday outfit, a white blouse and dark brown trousers with a crown on his head.
His daughter princess Cassandra sat beside him, on a smaller throne, wearing a beautiful blue dress, and a glittering tiara on her head.
The group stood there and Orlando moved us into the order of height, Katy came somewhere in the middle of the line, being the third tallest of the girls.
Then a group of four middleaged women and six men, enter and they each take one of the other seats.
Then King Duncan stood up and spread his arms.
"Dear children, you are here today to chose the path of your life.
If it would be cooking with Sir Holabird.
Becoming a knight or soldier through Sir Jones.
Becoming a scribe through Sir Jonathan.
Becoming a diplomat through Lady Margareth.
Sowing beautiful dresses with Lady Ilse.
Become a planner with Lady Fiona.
Helping Sir Crowley with paperwork.
Working in the stables with sir Wolfgard.
Or go map drawing with sir Holmes.
Or maybe just work in the normal stores in town with Lady Diana." King Duncan repeated what Lady Yolanda had told us many times the last few months.
Philip was first.
"Step forward." Orlando said, and Philip took two steps forward.
"Name?" Orlando said.
"Philip Orman." Philip said.
"Preferred schooling?" Orlando asked.
"Battleschool." Philip replied simply.
King Duncan looked at Philip before looking at Sir Jones.
Then Sir Jones spoke.
"He has the right profile and I have seen him hit some of the other young lads out there."
There was a small pause.
"Accepted." sir Jones then said.
Orlando quickly scribbled it down before gesturing Philip to move towards the side.
Next up was Jamie.
They went through the same ritual and Jamie also got accepted into battleschool.
The others went easily all getting into their preferred schooling, and then it was Katheryn's turn.
She took two large steps forward.
"Name?" Orlando asked.
"Katheryn." she said.
"FULL name?" Orlando said looking sternly into the girls eyes.
"That is the only name I've got sir." Katheryn said.
"No surname." Orlando muttered before making note of it.
"Preferred schooling?" Orlando asked.
"Diplomatic schooling with Lady Margareth, sir." She said and Orlando took note.
Lady Margareth was smiling. This girl hadn't become angry when Orlando got angry with her.
"She's accepted, with three weeks testing." Lady Margareth said.
Orlando noted this and shot Katheryn an angry glare as she walked towards the others by the wall.
Then it was Jessica's turn.
"Name?" Orlando asked his tone quite irritated.
"Jessica Miranda Isabella Margarita Danielle Jefferson." She said with devilish grin visible in her eyes.
"Jessica Jefferson." Orlando stated and wrote it down.
"Preferred schooling?" He asked.
"Becoming a seamstress through Lady Ilse." Jessica said.
"Accepted. But only if you get rid of that ridiculous head band." Lady Ilse said.
Most of the wards burst out in laughter. Only Jessica, Hayley and Katheryn weren't laughing.
Katheryn was laughing on her inside though but she kept her face in an unemotional mask. But she only managed this for a few seconds before a smile appeared on her face.
When the laughter stopped, Orlando rushed through the remaining wards, and then the King and his daughter left.
Every ward walked towards their assigned mentor.
Strangely enough Katheryn was the only one signed up for diplomatic schooling, the diplomatic guys had all chosen the scribe schooling.
"Well, Katheryn. Looks like you are going to be my protegee during the next five or so years." Lady Margareth said.
"I would be honored, milady." Katheryn said and Lady Margareth smiled.
"Katheryn, there is no need to address me with such formality, look at me like your own mother, the one that teaches you the job you want to do." Lady Margareth.
"Alright Margareth." Katheryn said obviously getting used to not addressing someone formally.
"Katheryn, would you like to immediately move into my apartment?" Lady Margareth asked, already suspecting.
"That would be great." and suddenly there was a huge smile on the young lady's face.
The two of them walked toward the girls dorm. There Lady Margareth watched her protegee as she quickly put a few thing in her suitcase, most of it was still folded neatly in the suitcase since they had no cabinets.
Lady Margareth watched Katheryn, and smiled as the two brown curls on either side of her face popped back every time she put it behind her ear.
Katheryn was thinking this weeks things through, last week she had been a ward who had no idea what to do with her life and now she was the protegee of one of the most famous diplomats in the land, together with Lady Pauline.
Katheryn however did not know there was another girl who was thinking something very close to what she had just thought.
Alyss was watching out the window with a big smile on her face.
An hour ago she had been a ward with the dream of becoming a diplomat and know she was Lady Paulines protegee.
A long chapter. WOW.
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