Chapter 4

Illa stared avidly out the carriage window, feelings of excitement and expectation rising in her. Shadowflax would always be home, but the bustling city of Corus seemed to be a satisfactory alternative. As the palace, where she would be living for the duration of her studies, came into view, she began to bounce slightly in her seat, watched pityingly by her younger brother. Having lived at the palace for two whole years now, some of the novelty was starting to wear off for Raif.

'Honestly, Illa,' he said loftily, adopting an aristocratically bored expression, 'I don't see what all the fuss is about, it's not like you've never been here before.' But just then, they passed the court stables, and Raif began to bounce in his seat, too.

'Look, Illa, there's the stables, that's where Midge lives, and the other horses. And see that training yard over there, that's where I beat Eamon of Woodbridge with live swords the week before the holidays. Oh, and look behind it… that's the pages' wing. You can see my room! Three floors up and five windows across from the right!'

'Honestly, Raif,' said Illa, snootily tilting her nose skywards, 'It's not like you've never been here before!' Just then, the carriage pulled up before the gates, and the siblings tumbled out amid gales of laughter.

While Raif and one of the menservants took his trunk and set off, with a hasty goodbye, towards his rooms, Illa received a tap on the shoulder. She spun around, and found herself confronted by a very familiar wide smile, set in a pale, heart shaped face surrounded by long, golden brown hair, that was almost never pinned up properly. Illa let out a squeal as she recognised her best childhood friend, and hurried to wrap her in a tight hug. Liesel of Kettlewreath was from a neighbouring fief to Shadowflax, and as children, she and Illa had hardly spent a day apart. They had seen less of each other in the last few years, as the Baron of Kettlewreath had declared that Liesel would attend a convent school in Corus, while Duke Arthur had allowed Illa to be tutored at home, and learn etiquette and social arts from her mother. They had exchanged letters every week, though, and absence had never tested the ties of friendship.

'I can't believe you've finally made it here!' Liesel exclaimed. 'Even with all your talk, I wasn't entirely sure if you would decide to come and study after all!' She took Illa by the hand and began leading her away.

'Come up to my room, we can get something to drink, and wait there until they have your quarters ready.'

'You have a room at the palace?'

'Well, not really, but my family has apartments here, and it's still another week until term begins at the blasted convent.'

'You don't like it, then?'

'Difficult question,' Liesel paused for a moment, 'I guess the idea is all well and good: to have young girls educated together to fit them for society, but I just find most of what they teach unbelievably shallow. I mean, we learn how to, let me see, umm, use a fan to ones advantage when flirting, how to, er, fasten a corset to exhibit one's bosom to the greatest effect, and my own personal favourite: how to politely decline an invitation to dance with a man who in all honesty one finds extremely attractive and charming but whose family does not have quite enough money to suit one's father!' Illa could not keep a straight face.

'As long as they've taught you how to walk down a ballroom staircase wearing three inch heels and a hooped skirt, it will all have been worth it,' she laughed, recalling a disastrous incident at a Shadowflax party the summer before. At this moment, they arrived in the Kettlewreath quarters, and were quickly ushered to the sitting room by a maid bearing a teapot and a plate of biscuits.

'Need you remind me of all my past discrepancies?' asked Liesel, and the girls dissolved into laughter together.

'So, tell me all about your wondrous plan to single-handedly take over the realm,' Liesel demanded, once all the tea and a vast majority of the biscuits had been consumed.

'There's really not that much to tell,' Illa replied, 'I've been enrolled in political studies at the Royal University. It's a three-year course, and I'll see where things take me after that. I know where I want them to take me, of course, but one can never be certain.'

'Oh, I'm sure you'll get there in the end,' said Liesel cheerfully, 'Personally, I just can't wait for the day when I get to tell someone that when I was a little girl I used to have mud-fights with Prime Minister!'

In bygone days, Illa and Liesel had perfected the art of idle chatter, and the years didn't seem to have robbed them of that talent. The afternoon turned all too quickly into evening, and just as they were finishing a light dinner, a maid came under instruction to 'escort Lady Illinen to her new quarters.' With Liesel in tow, they made their way around several corners and up two flights of stairs, until they reached a highly polished wooden door. The maid handed Illa a small, brass key.

'It's all yours, Milady,' she said, and hurried off without waiting to be thanked. Feeling slightly apprehensive, Illa turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open, to reveal a modestly yet tastefully decorated sitting room. Further exploration revealed a bedroom, a dressing room with a bathtub and a privy, and a study complete with several shelves full of useful books.

'It's perfect,' breathed Illa, 'How much luckier could I get?'

'Well,' responded Liesel, 'you could have the pleasure of my delightful company at any time of day or night.' Illa giggled.

'Yes, come and visit whenever you like,' she said, 'the only thing better than having a place of your own is having friends to share it with!'

'And with that, Madam Prime Minister,' said Liesel, bowing herself out of the room with a flourish, 'I bid you goodnight.'