A few weeks have passed...
As always, enjoy!
Dear Jon,
How are you? Are you doing well?
My lessons are okay. Some of them are hard, like the ones my tutor calls "etiquette". He says I need to know how to be nice to other nobles, which is silly because I already do that! Another lesson is writing. I have to learn how to write "like a proper lady", as Master Nayan says. What is a proper lady, by the way? I'm only 8! Another really boring lesson is language. I have to learn Tyran, Carthaki, Gallan, and more. It's so hard, but Papa says I have to know how to talk to diplomats from other places. He says it's to help "foster and strengthen bonds between different people". What does that mean?
I also take lessons in what Mama calls "the arts", like music and singing, dancing, and even sewing. It's really boring. But Mama's allowed to teach me sewing and other stuff like embroidery, so at least that's fun with her. My music tutor Mistress Kyla (but she lets me call her Kyla) is teaching my how to play the flute and some singing as well. That's fun too because she's not old and fussy like Master Nayan.
It's really boring without you. I have no one to play with. I miss you.
Love from Willow xxx
~oOo~
Dear Willow,
Sounds like you have a very busy life! Don't worry, if you work hard, everything gets easier.
I'm doing well. I've made some great friends: Alexander (Alex) of Tirragen, Francis of Nond, Raoul of Goldenlake, and then of course there's our cousin Gary. The lessons are hard, especially mathematics. It drives me crazy how Alex can answer them just like that! My favourite lessons have to be staff and weapons practice. I'm learning a lot of new things and I'm getting better at it everyday.
We have etiquette lessons as well! We're learning how to greet other people depending on their rank this week. I've learnt so many different bows (to other nobles, diplomats, ladies, the royal family-that's us-and more!) that my head is spinning.
It's hard being a page. We have to be disciplined. That means we have to be well-behaved, always be on time, have all our homework done, and be respectful to everyone-each other, the teachers, and our weapons master. If we're the tiniest bit late to a class, or we misbehave, we get punishment work. Sometimes we get so much homework that I'm up past midnight to finish it! Of course, that means I fall asleep in class the next day and get punished anyway. So much for all my hard work! But our etiquette tutor says that good work is the hallmark of a knight. I bet he's never even seen a sword before, much less lifted it! What would he know?
I've got to go now, my free time's running out and I haven't finished mathematics homework!
Missing you too!
Love Jon
P.S. What Father means by to "foster and strengthen bonds between different people" is that he wants to make friends with people from other places by being nice and respectful to the diplomats from those places like Galla and Carthak. Hope that helps!
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