A/N- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Third year came with 20page essays, finally got a short break between now and exams. Can't figure out why a more math program would find a way to make us write essays *cries* I don't like essays, stories I can write essays I can't. Anyways here's the next chapter for all my patient readers who have realized I've become soooooooo slow at updating sadly, but I don't plan on stopping until this is done!

Disclaimer: I own no characters from the book.

Chapter Eleven

I wandered with Alyxina towards Wyldon's tent to find out whether there would be work for us to do. I was almost there when I heard shouting from a little ways away. I grabbed a hold of Alyxina and turned to see what it was about. I realized a moment later there was also laughter from the direction. I decided the two of us could go see what it was. As I got closer I realized that the shouting had been Raoul. "So you let your tongue loosen a little. Forgot about your warning, well luck is not on your side today because you shall be washing dishes tonight and tomorrow. You should be happy that is all you are getting."

I laughed slightly along with the rest of the crowd stopping to watch the scene. Dom's eyes caught mine for a moment, long enough for me to see the mischievous glint. "Kel was part of it too. She said she would distract you long enough so that you would never find out."

Raoul turned and looked at me with his eyebrows raised. I stopped laughing immediately so I could defend myself. "I did no such thing sir. Alyxina and I were merely searching for Wyldon to find out what our chores are."

Raoul looked back at Dom before facing me again. "Well I'm not sure which I believe. I know which I should, but Kel you're on kitchen duty with Dom. Better that way anyways; it keeps you and Alyxina in the center of the camp. You won't have to worry about lugging water up to wash them though, Dom shall do that alone. I expect to see both of you there in time for supper, with the water ready Dom."

I gave a slight bow and accepted the chore without another word. Being on kitchen duty wasn't all that bad, plus the worst part always was lugging the water up to make sure there is enough to wash with. I turned to go back to my tent with Alyxina since there was nothing else to do until supper which was still a little time away. Merric caught up with us part way back, "So Dom got you in trouble did he?"

I rolled my eyes slightly as I turned my head towards him, "Yes, although I will get revenge for myself some day, although it won't be as easy as falling."

Alyxina stopped short for a moment. "Do you fall down a lot Kel? That must be painful to do."

I chuckled a little at her not knowing the fact that falling was the page cover for a fight. "I used to quite often when I was a page. There were a few others who seem to fall with me quite often. Most of us got past it by the time we're squires."

"Oh, so it's a common page thing to fall. What makes pages fall a lot Kel?"

I wasn't sure how to answer this without telling her that it was the cover story for any fight that happened outside of classes. Joren happened to step in though smoothing things over with his words. "Well, pages go through a lot and sometimes we all just ended up wanting to fall down. Sort of like the same way you might after having to do a hard day's work. You like to ask questions don't you?"

"That makes sense, and I do my mother always said I was inquisitive whenever I started asking a lot, but I never really knew what it meant, does it have something to do with asking lots of questions?"

"You're a smart girl," Joren said pinching her nose slightly, "to be inquisitive is to be curious. You like to find out lots about something."

She smiled up at him, "That does sound like me. I don't like not knowing. Maybe if I had questioned my brother more I would be able to find him faster."

I picked her up; even though she wasn't young she was still very small. "I don't think you could have asked enough questions. That's what we will do though when we get back to the palace. We will ask lots of questions and try to make sure we ask the right ones."

She smiled at me, and then giggled as Joren reached over to tickle her. I found it weird; the same Joren who had once fought me because I was a girl was treating Alyxina so nicely. I put her back down as we reached the tent. Joren motioned me to come to the edge of the tent with him. I let Merric take Alyxina over to the bags. He reached into one, pulling out a piece of string. He tied it into a loop and began showing her how to play cat's cradle.

"She seems like a very smart girl. Very few commoners are that smart no matter what sort of background their family have kids always lose anything their parents teach them once they start talking to others on the street."

"Well, we can't just ignore her for now. Who knows maybe she is just very smart, you don't have to be from a rich family to be smart, they are just the only ones who can afford to help develop their children's minds. I think we may need to talk to Wyldon about classes for her while she stays at the castle. I do not doubt her or her story as long as there is no proof against her. If her story is true, her brother could be the next greatest link I need for the case. I will tell you, it might not be hard to get by in the other world, but it is horrible to be taken out of your own and put in a place so different. And I bet it's worse if you know you've left a younger sister behind defenceless. I will protect her with whatever power I have."

I could tell from Joren's reaction to what I said that my face had grown fierce. I took a deep calming breath and turned to go watch Merric and Alyxina play their game.

We took turns playing cat's cradle until final it was time for dinner. I ate my supper quickly, leaving Alyxina with Joren and Merric who had been part of the firewood collection group; I made my way over to where Dom had lugged the water. "I almost wish it was worth it, but I don't think I got enough of the story told. I guess it will have to wait until next time."

Dom sighed and started filling the bins with water for us to wash in. I started taking plates from everyone as people slowly finished their meals. "Well, whatever you said was enough to make me happy. I get to do the simple half of the chore since all the water lugging was left to you."

"You still have to help dump the water out when we are finished." Dom said as a failed attempt at winning the argument.

"Camp's edge is closer than the river and there is less worries about accidental spills."

Dom looked at me, the look on his face told me he was thinking of something I should not agree to. "Accidental spills sound good. It may just happen, but I don't think you need to know the whole plan now. I just know that it is going to result in some mother-y response that Neal is always telling me about."

I sighed, nice to know that my friend has spread the fact that I'm a mothering type around. Even if it was only to his cousin. I started washing the dishes handing them over to Dom once they were clean to be dried and repacked. We worked steadily, not speaking. Alyxina came over to sit by me once she had finished her meal. She didn't say anything but watched the camp. I looked up from the dishwater every now and then. The camp was full of people, and there is always something fun about a group of people who gather together whether in a city or something small like the camp we had created.

Once I finished washing the dishes I help Dom finish up packing the dry dishes and rinsed the cloth I had used in some clean water. I laid the cloth over an empty container so that it could dry a bit before being packed up later. I took one bin of water and Dom grabbed the other. I was about to walk towards the other side of the fire to dump the water when Dom stopped me. "We are going this way."

I trusted Dom to know where we should dump the water so I started following him. We had barely passed the tents when he dropped his bin kicking it so that the water flowed away from the tents. We may have been pasted the tents but not far enough away that we should be dumping the water. "Oh no," I heard him say as he started knocking my bin over too, "I accidently dropped the water, and looked I cause you to spill all of yours too."

I looked at him, avoiding the water as it splashed, "What are you doing, we should have gone at least to the trees before pouring that out."

"Like I said it was an 'accident', plus Lord Wyldon and Raoul's tents aren't by here. They will never find out."

I shook my head and grabbed my bin from the ground. I started back towards the middle of the camp followed by Dom with a grin on his face. "Don't worry Kel, no one saw that and we won't get in trouble for it. We are back in the city tomorrow anyways."

I dropped my bin on the ground where we had washed the dishes, shaking my head at Dom's words. I motioned for Alyxina to follow me to the camp fire to listen to the stories being told by Wyldon and Raoul of their adventures as knights. Only the appropriate ones chosen by them would be told.

After a couple stories I led Alyxina back to our tent so that we could get some sleep. I put Alyxina between me and the bags. I trusted her there more than being on the edge of the tent. There wasn't much space for us anyways as we only had my blanket for warmth. Although it was not cold out, at night there is no greater protection for most than the blanket. I made sure she was covered before taking my own portion of the blanket. I feel asleep quickly knowing that tomorrow we would be returning to the castle and speaking with King Jon.

A/N~ I am a big idiot. I had written most this chapter a while ago. Then I stopped. When I went to return to writing this story I hadn't realized that this chapter was not complete and therefore not uploaded. So I actually finished that one, then when looking through my files noticed that this one needed to be uploaded. So here it is, nice and complete. Lucky for all of you though, this means to chapters uploaded at once. Always love reading any reviews, so please leave one :)