"Sire? As in King? As in King… Jonathan?"
All three of the men stared at her. Nealen gently kicked her, and whispered,
"Yes king! Be nice!"
She gulped again, then curtseyed again.
"Excuse me for my ignorance sire, I did not know of your station."
Nealen stared at her. Jonathan did the same for a moment, and then snapped out of it. The other man stayed silent and watching.
"All is excused my dear, please sit down."
The other man stood up, he was only half a head taller than Neal, but the grace and concentration that radiated from him was enough to make him seem as if he were 10 feet.
"Squire Nealen, would you care to give us an introduction…and an explanation?"
Jonathan stood up,
"I shall leave you to it, I must help the guards."
The man nodded, and the king walked out. Then he turned his gaze to Neal again. The squire didn't need him to say anything, so he cleared his throat and started.
"Lord Imrah, I found this girl at the edge of the forest. She had just walked out with her dog from the stream about 50 feet into the forest…"
"That's all it was? Gees, I must have wandered around for an hour."
Neal glared at her, cleared his throat again, and started anew.
"She did not know of the battle, and was very confused. When I asked her who she swore to, she did not know what I spoke of. She has however helped me to clean numerous soldier's wounds."
He did not mention the arguments about the men of the copper isles. Lord Imrah sat back, contemplating. It was silent for a minute, and then he spoke.
"Thank you Nealen, go and stand outside the door."
She gulped. Great, he's probly going to grill me or something, she thought grimly. Nealen stood up and walked out of the room, closing the door after him. Again, it was silent. She played with the hem of her wrap, and ended up unraveling a bit before she stopped herself. A voice broke her concentration.
"You must excuse my squire, he is a genius, but a forgetful one. I do not believe I have had the pleasure to know your name?"
She took a deep breath. Best to keep your story the same, she decided.
"Xlelon Padrifamay."
He seemed taken aback by the name. She didn't blame him, it was a bit strange. He rustled, and reached his hand into a pocket.
"A unique name. Are you a noble?"
"I do not own lands, if that is what you mean."
"Where did you come from?"
She winced, it was a reasonable question, but not one she really knew the answer to.
"Um…I guess you could say another world…but I don't really know…"
"What did you say your name was?"
"Xlelon Padrifamay."
He snorted.
"Who do you hail?"
"I do not know."
"How old are you?"
"Fifteen, Sixteen in September."
"September?"
She sighed. Figures, she thought.
"Never mind."
He took his fingers out of his pockets, dusting them of a fine powder. She narrowed her eyes, this was strange. If she was where she thought, then something was fishy.
"Are you performing magic on me?"
Lord Imrah looked surprised.
"How did you know?"
She pointed to his hand.
"You should be more inconspicuous when using that."
He raised his eyebrows.
"Then you already realize I have caught your deception."
"My lord, there is no deception, My real name is Katrina. I simply gave that name to Nealen and you because I did not completely trust you."
"Ah, I see."
Sure ya do, she thought before her nice side told her to shut up before she got herself killed. She continued to fiddle with her skirt before he talked further.
"Well, since you have lied of nothing else, I shall take the name that you have given me."
"Thank you sir, you are very kind."
He stared at her for a moment, perplexed, and then laughed heartily.
"My dear, if you always talk that well, you will make it far in this world!"
She smiled, glad to have that gaze not leveled on her any more.
"I don't always talk like that, but usually when talking to someone that does not know me well."
He cocked an eyebrow.
"My dear…Xlelon was it?"
She nodded.
"Can you talk to your enimies and friends as such?"
"I can, if need be. Though I tend to harm with words more than swords."
He nodded.
"How much schooling have you had?"
She thought. Obviously he didn't mean what grade she was in, but what she could do.
"I can read and write well. I can do math, I know some biology, chemistry, and healing. I know world geography…oh wait. Never mind that."
"Why, never mind?"
She sighed. Ok, I'm going to have to do this sometime, she decided.
"It doesn't matter here obviously, I mean you don't have and Africa or an Asia do you?"
He nodded.
"It is true, we are without these places."
"Well, that's one of the things we learned, it was called world geography…looks like I'm going to have to learn it all over again…"
"Yes, you will, if you to do what I am thinking."
"And what is that?"
"Several of our diplomats were killed in the immortal's war. We are in desprate need of people who can weave words around someone like a net."
Sounds like something I would say, she thought.
"Well, I don't know that I can do that, but I will certainly try. Only, I do not have any training in the etiquette of your country, will you be able to teach me that?"
He nodded.
"Of course we will. Only you will not be learning our etiquette alone, we will teach you seating arrangements of various countries as well as our own."
A small bird peeped from the open window. Xlelon looked and saw that it was a Junko. She loved the small birds, and wondered that it was sitting so close to her.
"Hello little bird, why are you here?"
~ He asked me to be here. ~
"He who?"
~ A friend. ~
"What am I doing? I'm talking to a bird!!"
Lord Imrah gave her another strange look. He then grabbed a mirror from the stand. Xlelon, was still to annoyed at herself to pay much attention, but did hear him ask someone if Numair Samilian was available. The mirror replied that they were looking for him and Daine right now. She heard a soft trill, and a small black shadow perked up from the man's coat pocket. Darking, she thought, good grief, this is just getting stranger and stranger. Lord Imrah leaned over to the door and opened it. Nealen stumbled in.
"Well Nealen, now you can stop listening with the birds. And I have a question."
Nealen had turned red, and bowed, saying,
"Yes my lord?"
"Did Numair teach you to see magic within something?"
"He did, I'm not very good at it though."
Lord Imrah nodded to Xlelon.
"Can you see any magic in her? I believe that it is wild magic, but I cannot be sure."
Neal's eyes widened, but he sat and closed his eyes. His breathing slowed, and he seemed to relax. Then his eyes slowly opened, he gasped and opened them all the way, losing all concentration.
"She has magic my lord, and it is wild magic, but it's different, not like mine, or Daine's"
"How much does she have?"
"More than me, but less than Daine, but it is very strange!"
Lord Imrah nodded, looking at her with that contemplating look again. She decided that she didn't like that look, something strange always came from it. He sighed.
"Well Xlelon, it looks as if you will have to stay at the palace for longer than we anticipated, judging by the look on your face you didn't even know you had magic of any sort."
She nodded dumbly, totally speechless. Satina, forgotten until the, rubbed her head on Xlelon's foot. She leaned down to pet her out of reflex. This is the last link to home, she realized, all I have from earth is Satina. She wiped suddenly leaky eyes, trying her hardest not to cry in front of the two men. Lord Imrah took the hint, and said,
"Nealen, find some proper cloths for her, give her some of yours if you need to, and get her into bed."
"No sir, please, I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. May I help somewhere?"
He considered her request, and nodded.
"Nealen, find a place for her, but still get her cloths, she cant go around like that."
She nodded mutely, glad that she would be able to have some real cloths and something to do. Rising, she shuffled out, following Nealen.
*.*.*.
WOO HOO! Yay, reviewers! Continue to review, even if you have reviewed previous chapters. I am enjoying this too much. Ummmm we'll probly meet D and N soon so please come back!
All three of the men stared at her. Nealen gently kicked her, and whispered,
"Yes king! Be nice!"
She gulped again, then curtseyed again.
"Excuse me for my ignorance sire, I did not know of your station."
Nealen stared at her. Jonathan did the same for a moment, and then snapped out of it. The other man stayed silent and watching.
"All is excused my dear, please sit down."
The other man stood up, he was only half a head taller than Neal, but the grace and concentration that radiated from him was enough to make him seem as if he were 10 feet.
"Squire Nealen, would you care to give us an introduction…and an explanation?"
Jonathan stood up,
"I shall leave you to it, I must help the guards."
The man nodded, and the king walked out. Then he turned his gaze to Neal again. The squire didn't need him to say anything, so he cleared his throat and started.
"Lord Imrah, I found this girl at the edge of the forest. She had just walked out with her dog from the stream about 50 feet into the forest…"
"That's all it was? Gees, I must have wandered around for an hour."
Neal glared at her, cleared his throat again, and started anew.
"She did not know of the battle, and was very confused. When I asked her who she swore to, she did not know what I spoke of. She has however helped me to clean numerous soldier's wounds."
He did not mention the arguments about the men of the copper isles. Lord Imrah sat back, contemplating. It was silent for a minute, and then he spoke.
"Thank you Nealen, go and stand outside the door."
She gulped. Great, he's probly going to grill me or something, she thought grimly. Nealen stood up and walked out of the room, closing the door after him. Again, it was silent. She played with the hem of her wrap, and ended up unraveling a bit before she stopped herself. A voice broke her concentration.
"You must excuse my squire, he is a genius, but a forgetful one. I do not believe I have had the pleasure to know your name?"
She took a deep breath. Best to keep your story the same, she decided.
"Xlelon Padrifamay."
He seemed taken aback by the name. She didn't blame him, it was a bit strange. He rustled, and reached his hand into a pocket.
"A unique name. Are you a noble?"
"I do not own lands, if that is what you mean."
"Where did you come from?"
She winced, it was a reasonable question, but not one she really knew the answer to.
"Um…I guess you could say another world…but I don't really know…"
"What did you say your name was?"
"Xlelon Padrifamay."
He snorted.
"Who do you hail?"
"I do not know."
"How old are you?"
"Fifteen, Sixteen in September."
"September?"
She sighed. Figures, she thought.
"Never mind."
He took his fingers out of his pockets, dusting them of a fine powder. She narrowed her eyes, this was strange. If she was where she thought, then something was fishy.
"Are you performing magic on me?"
Lord Imrah looked surprised.
"How did you know?"
She pointed to his hand.
"You should be more inconspicuous when using that."
He raised his eyebrows.
"Then you already realize I have caught your deception."
"My lord, there is no deception, My real name is Katrina. I simply gave that name to Nealen and you because I did not completely trust you."
"Ah, I see."
Sure ya do, she thought before her nice side told her to shut up before she got herself killed. She continued to fiddle with her skirt before he talked further.
"Well, since you have lied of nothing else, I shall take the name that you have given me."
"Thank you sir, you are very kind."
He stared at her for a moment, perplexed, and then laughed heartily.
"My dear, if you always talk that well, you will make it far in this world!"
She smiled, glad to have that gaze not leveled on her any more.
"I don't always talk like that, but usually when talking to someone that does not know me well."
He cocked an eyebrow.
"My dear…Xlelon was it?"
She nodded.
"Can you talk to your enimies and friends as such?"
"I can, if need be. Though I tend to harm with words more than swords."
He nodded.
"How much schooling have you had?"
She thought. Obviously he didn't mean what grade she was in, but what she could do.
"I can read and write well. I can do math, I know some biology, chemistry, and healing. I know world geography…oh wait. Never mind that."
"Why, never mind?"
She sighed. Ok, I'm going to have to do this sometime, she decided.
"It doesn't matter here obviously, I mean you don't have and Africa or an Asia do you?"
He nodded.
"It is true, we are without these places."
"Well, that's one of the things we learned, it was called world geography…looks like I'm going to have to learn it all over again…"
"Yes, you will, if you to do what I am thinking."
"And what is that?"
"Several of our diplomats were killed in the immortal's war. We are in desprate need of people who can weave words around someone like a net."
Sounds like something I would say, she thought.
"Well, I don't know that I can do that, but I will certainly try. Only, I do not have any training in the etiquette of your country, will you be able to teach me that?"
He nodded.
"Of course we will. Only you will not be learning our etiquette alone, we will teach you seating arrangements of various countries as well as our own."
A small bird peeped from the open window. Xlelon looked and saw that it was a Junko. She loved the small birds, and wondered that it was sitting so close to her.
"Hello little bird, why are you here?"
~ He asked me to be here. ~
"He who?"
~ A friend. ~
"What am I doing? I'm talking to a bird!!"
Lord Imrah gave her another strange look. He then grabbed a mirror from the stand. Xlelon, was still to annoyed at herself to pay much attention, but did hear him ask someone if Numair Samilian was available. The mirror replied that they were looking for him and Daine right now. She heard a soft trill, and a small black shadow perked up from the man's coat pocket. Darking, she thought, good grief, this is just getting stranger and stranger. Lord Imrah leaned over to the door and opened it. Nealen stumbled in.
"Well Nealen, now you can stop listening with the birds. And I have a question."
Nealen had turned red, and bowed, saying,
"Yes my lord?"
"Did Numair teach you to see magic within something?"
"He did, I'm not very good at it though."
Lord Imrah nodded to Xlelon.
"Can you see any magic in her? I believe that it is wild magic, but I cannot be sure."
Neal's eyes widened, but he sat and closed his eyes. His breathing slowed, and he seemed to relax. Then his eyes slowly opened, he gasped and opened them all the way, losing all concentration.
"She has magic my lord, and it is wild magic, but it's different, not like mine, or Daine's"
"How much does she have?"
"More than me, but less than Daine, but it is very strange!"
Lord Imrah nodded, looking at her with that contemplating look again. She decided that she didn't like that look, something strange always came from it. He sighed.
"Well Xlelon, it looks as if you will have to stay at the palace for longer than we anticipated, judging by the look on your face you didn't even know you had magic of any sort."
She nodded dumbly, totally speechless. Satina, forgotten until the, rubbed her head on Xlelon's foot. She leaned down to pet her out of reflex. This is the last link to home, she realized, all I have from earth is Satina. She wiped suddenly leaky eyes, trying her hardest not to cry in front of the two men. Lord Imrah took the hint, and said,
"Nealen, find some proper cloths for her, give her some of yours if you need to, and get her into bed."
"No sir, please, I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. May I help somewhere?"
He considered her request, and nodded.
"Nealen, find a place for her, but still get her cloths, she cant go around like that."
She nodded mutely, glad that she would be able to have some real cloths and something to do. Rising, she shuffled out, following Nealen.
*.*.*.
WOO HOO! Yay, reviewers! Continue to review, even if you have reviewed previous chapters. I am enjoying this too much. Ummmm we'll probly meet D and N soon so please come back!