1 Wow! I'm on a roll tonight…
******************
He had been right in his thoughts obviously. She was right here, in the gardens. It was the only place that she knew her way to. She had a yellow rose in her hand, testing the sharpness of the thorns on her fingers. Three rings were on her fingers, a silver braid, another silver one, this with turquoise insets, and a ring that had oyster shell inlays, again with silver. He was standing a ways from her, but she noticed him anyway.
"If I offended the king, I really didn't mean to."
He smiled, she sounded a lot like Daine when they had first met.
"You haven't, you shocked him to much."
She sighed.
"Sorry, why did they freak out any way? He hasn't proposed yet?"
He went to stand beside her, noticing that she hadn't picked the rose, it was still attached to the stem.
"Yes, he asked for Jon's blessing before going to see you."
She dropped the rose and looked at him directly.
"Why me?"
He stood, having no idea what to say.
"Wait, I can't ask you that, you've been to the realms of the god's I cant ask jon, he's been to death and back…I can't ask Daine, she's the daughter of a god!"
"Why does that make a difference?"
"You've all asked the exact same thing multiple times. I'm just…me, I've asked it so many times, why me, but I never really deserved to say it."
He just stared at her. She drew her knees to her chest.
"What is going on? I never would have said all of that in my world."
He shrugged. They were wrapped in silence for a minute, Numair standing, Xlelon sitting. Anyone looking from a distance would have thought that time had frozen, they were so still.
"So…what's going to happen to me, have you decided?"
He started, very surprised at the change in subject.
"Yes, Imrah was right, we are in need of diplomats, but your magic is untrained, though in the week that you've been here, it has drastically improved…"
She snorted, the thought that at least something had improved crossed her mind, and was quickly swatted out as being a pitying thought to herself.
"We also don't know the extent of your knowledge, you mentioned that you knew algebra and other items. It is also obvious that you know the basic geography here, but you need to know it better."
She nodded.
"Could I learn some history as well? I'm interested to know it as well as I know the recent past."
This time he nodded.
"Yes, that was in the plans as well. We have set up something that we think will work. You are aware that in the fall the pages come back to start or continue their training?"
"Yes, why?"
"Well, Jon and I have set it up so that you will go to classes with them."
She stared at him. Something was tickling the back of her mind, ah yes, the price.
"Ummm Numair, that's…amazing, but how will I pay for this?"
Numair nodded.
"Imrah has agreed to help you to get started, as has the king, and I. Pages classes are in the morning, so I suppose you could find a job for when those are done."
She blushed; they were all going to help her? Wow, she thought, only a week and I've got amazing friends. Getting it together, she nodded.
"Do you know something that I could do?"
He smiled.
"Go with your talents, and your knowladge."
She smiled, a million different things popping into her mind.
"Thank you."
He patted her on the shoulder, and turned to go.
"Numair?"
"Yes?"
"Ummm, could you show me where the dining hall is?"
He laughed.
"Of course, follow me."
__-__
She sighed, they were finally here. Thanking Numair, she went to sit down. It was nearly lunchtime, and some were already eating. Deciding that she was hungry, she got up and got lunch from the cooks. Before she ate however, she quietly took aside one of the cooks from the kitchen and asked him whether they needed any more hands. He replied that they didn't but some of the inns in Corus might. She thanked him, and went to sit down at an empty table. Right now, she was in the pages dinner hall, the riders was somewhere else, she wasn't quite sure where yet. She made a mental note that before the autumn came, she would have to find a job and figure out the palace. She did know where here rooms were in accordance to the gardens and the hall, but to get from the hall to the gardens had been an adventure, she had ended up going to her rooms and starting all over again. Her thoughts were interuppted by someone, two someone's in fact, sitting beside her. Looking up, she found Neal an one side, and Imrah on the other.
"Hello! Where have you been?"
Imrah took a long drink from the juice in his glass.
"Ordering supplies."
Neal rolled his eyes,
"Getting this, that and the other, in real speech. What have you been up to? Not confusing anymore innocent minds I hope."
She arched an eyebrow.
"Innocent? I hardly think that the mind of a squire could be considered innocent."
He put a hand to his heart, acting offended.
"You insult me madam, who could possibly begin to think that this mind is nothing but pure…"
"Dung," Muttered Imrah, causing Xlelon to go into fits of laughter. Neal simply glared at his knight master, only making it worse for him, as Imrah began to laugh. Finally, Neal began to laugh as well. When they had all gotten themselves under control, Xlelon asked,
"How long are you staying here?"
Neal tapped his fork.
"I think about another week, and then we leave for port Caynn again, is that right?"
Imrah nodded.
"Are you coming for Midwinter?"
Again Imrah nodded, surprising Neal.
"Yes, I think we will, I wish to present one of my daughters at court."
"Wow, is she excited?"
He nodded.
"Yes, she seems to be, but also frightened, she is our only daughter, and the youngest child."
"I pity her greatly, that would scare me half to death. How old is she?"
"About your age."
"Well, I look forward to meeting her."
He smiled.
"I shall be certain that she meets you, you would like each other."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Neal just shook his head as Imrah laughed.
************************
Wow! Three chappies in a day, can't post it now though, too late, and my mom want me off the computer. As I said in the summary, there will be a romance but that's all I'm saying.
******************
He had been right in his thoughts obviously. She was right here, in the gardens. It was the only place that she knew her way to. She had a yellow rose in her hand, testing the sharpness of the thorns on her fingers. Three rings were on her fingers, a silver braid, another silver one, this with turquoise insets, and a ring that had oyster shell inlays, again with silver. He was standing a ways from her, but she noticed him anyway.
"If I offended the king, I really didn't mean to."
He smiled, she sounded a lot like Daine when they had first met.
"You haven't, you shocked him to much."
She sighed.
"Sorry, why did they freak out any way? He hasn't proposed yet?"
He went to stand beside her, noticing that she hadn't picked the rose, it was still attached to the stem.
"Yes, he asked for Jon's blessing before going to see you."
She dropped the rose and looked at him directly.
"Why me?"
He stood, having no idea what to say.
"Wait, I can't ask you that, you've been to the realms of the god's I cant ask jon, he's been to death and back…I can't ask Daine, she's the daughter of a god!"
"Why does that make a difference?"
"You've all asked the exact same thing multiple times. I'm just…me, I've asked it so many times, why me, but I never really deserved to say it."
He just stared at her. She drew her knees to her chest.
"What is going on? I never would have said all of that in my world."
He shrugged. They were wrapped in silence for a minute, Numair standing, Xlelon sitting. Anyone looking from a distance would have thought that time had frozen, they were so still.
"So…what's going to happen to me, have you decided?"
He started, very surprised at the change in subject.
"Yes, Imrah was right, we are in need of diplomats, but your magic is untrained, though in the week that you've been here, it has drastically improved…"
She snorted, the thought that at least something had improved crossed her mind, and was quickly swatted out as being a pitying thought to herself.
"We also don't know the extent of your knowledge, you mentioned that you knew algebra and other items. It is also obvious that you know the basic geography here, but you need to know it better."
She nodded.
"Could I learn some history as well? I'm interested to know it as well as I know the recent past."
This time he nodded.
"Yes, that was in the plans as well. We have set up something that we think will work. You are aware that in the fall the pages come back to start or continue their training?"
"Yes, why?"
"Well, Jon and I have set it up so that you will go to classes with them."
She stared at him. Something was tickling the back of her mind, ah yes, the price.
"Ummm Numair, that's…amazing, but how will I pay for this?"
Numair nodded.
"Imrah has agreed to help you to get started, as has the king, and I. Pages classes are in the morning, so I suppose you could find a job for when those are done."
She blushed; they were all going to help her? Wow, she thought, only a week and I've got amazing friends. Getting it together, she nodded.
"Do you know something that I could do?"
He smiled.
"Go with your talents, and your knowladge."
She smiled, a million different things popping into her mind.
"Thank you."
He patted her on the shoulder, and turned to go.
"Numair?"
"Yes?"
"Ummm, could you show me where the dining hall is?"
He laughed.
"Of course, follow me."
__-__
She sighed, they were finally here. Thanking Numair, she went to sit down. It was nearly lunchtime, and some were already eating. Deciding that she was hungry, she got up and got lunch from the cooks. Before she ate however, she quietly took aside one of the cooks from the kitchen and asked him whether they needed any more hands. He replied that they didn't but some of the inns in Corus might. She thanked him, and went to sit down at an empty table. Right now, she was in the pages dinner hall, the riders was somewhere else, she wasn't quite sure where yet. She made a mental note that before the autumn came, she would have to find a job and figure out the palace. She did know where here rooms were in accordance to the gardens and the hall, but to get from the hall to the gardens had been an adventure, she had ended up going to her rooms and starting all over again. Her thoughts were interuppted by someone, two someone's in fact, sitting beside her. Looking up, she found Neal an one side, and Imrah on the other.
"Hello! Where have you been?"
Imrah took a long drink from the juice in his glass.
"Ordering supplies."
Neal rolled his eyes,
"Getting this, that and the other, in real speech. What have you been up to? Not confusing anymore innocent minds I hope."
She arched an eyebrow.
"Innocent? I hardly think that the mind of a squire could be considered innocent."
He put a hand to his heart, acting offended.
"You insult me madam, who could possibly begin to think that this mind is nothing but pure…"
"Dung," Muttered Imrah, causing Xlelon to go into fits of laughter. Neal simply glared at his knight master, only making it worse for him, as Imrah began to laugh. Finally, Neal began to laugh as well. When they had all gotten themselves under control, Xlelon asked,
"How long are you staying here?"
Neal tapped his fork.
"I think about another week, and then we leave for port Caynn again, is that right?"
Imrah nodded.
"Are you coming for Midwinter?"
Again Imrah nodded, surprising Neal.
"Yes, I think we will, I wish to present one of my daughters at court."
"Wow, is she excited?"
He nodded.
"Yes, she seems to be, but also frightened, she is our only daughter, and the youngest child."
"I pity her greatly, that would scare me half to death. How old is she?"
"About your age."
"Well, I look forward to meeting her."
He smiled.
"I shall be certain that she meets you, you would like each other."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Neal just shook his head as Imrah laughed.
************************
Wow! Three chappies in a day, can't post it now though, too late, and my mom want me off the computer. As I said in the summary, there will be a romance but that's all I'm saying.