Annabelle Corganne knew her sister Katherine was going to be absolutely livid. And that's why she accepted. Earlier that week, nine-year-old Annabelle had been approached by her father, Ian. She was dutifully practicing her fencing skills at her castle home's training ground.
"Annie?" He said after watching her for several minutes, nodding approvingly at her precision. Annie's plans were to enter the knight program the next year, and she had been practicing for it ever since she had been able to hold a sabre. She knew she would rise quickly to the top of her class. Her mother, Melusine Corganne, was the fourth best fencer in the entire Eastern Lands. Her Aunt Ariel was the best archer, a title she had earned at the age of 30 and still held five years later. Both her father, Ian, and her Uncle Anthony were fairly proficient at wrestling. All four had helped train Annabelle, making sure she was in top form when she entered the program.
Annie put down her sabre, relinquishing her fighting stance. She walked over to her father, looking up at him curiously.
"Yes, Papa?" She smiled as her father smiled at her, his pride in her obvious in his eyes.
"I received a letter from the Royal Palace yesterday, regarding you." He told her. Annie blinked, arching an eyebrow.
The palace? Concerning me? This can't be good.
"What did it say, Papa?" She asked, sounding innocent. Her father ran a hand through his dark locks. They fell slightly forward and across his eyes, casting a mysterious shadow over his bright green eyes, a trait he had shared with his daughter. The look made him seem far younger than his 42 years. Ian hopped up, taking a seat on the wooden rail of the fence that encircled the training ground.
"Apparently, there's a buzz around court about you, and your talent. The King and his council have been talking.." He trailed off, looking his daughter straight in the eye. This was obviously something big.
They've been talking and what? I hate it when he does that.
"And what, Papa?" She asked, her tone conveying only curiosity and a slightly impatience, rather than her annoyance.
"And, Annie, they want you to consider entering the page program a year early. No one's forcing you to do it, but I really think you should think about it. It's a wonderful opportunity, one that's rarely offered to anyone." He told her, a serious look on his face. Annie's mind raced.
They want me to join the program now? At nine years old? Wow. I wasn't expecting this. Should I say yes? I wonder if Mama knows. What would Katherine think?
Annie hid her smirk, kissing her father's cheek and picking up her sabre.
"Thank you, Papa. I'm going to go to my room and think about it." She told her father. Ian smiled and ruffled her hair.
"Okay, Annie. I know you'll make the right decision," he told her, obvious that he had already formed his own answer to the question. She should go.
Of course I should go!
And she knew exactly how Katherine would feel. She was going to be absolutely livid. And that's why she knew she was going to accept. Climbing the tapestry covered stairs to the second floor of the castle, Annie walked down the long hallway to her own room, passing each of her siblings rooms as she walked. She looked into each one. The first one held Charlotte, who was fifteen. Charlotte was sitting on her bed, bent over and concentrating on sharpening and polishing her own sabre. Charlotte was going into her second year of squiredom with a young female knight from Nond. The next room was Jane's, 14. Jane was grumbling over a nick in one of her many throwing knives. She was a first year squire to the King's cousin, Alain. The third room held a girl who looked very similar to Jane, with the same long dark hair. That was Lydia, her thirteen year old sister. Lydia was quiet and reserved, although Annabelle knew this year she was bursting with eagerness to return to the page program, for this was her last year as a page. Happy, bouncing twelve year old Tara was in the next room, always ready to return for another year of training, and 11-year-old Corinne, normally sarcastic, was smiling genuinely as she lay on her bed, no doubt daydreaming of her second year as a page.
The last room in the hallway held her toehead sister, Ariel, who was entering the page program this year. Annie briefly debated stopping in and telling her sister that she would be joining her this year, but decided against it. She wanted it announced at dinner, to see everyone's reaction. Especially Katherine's.
I can't wait!
Following the curve of the hallway, Annie passed Katherine's door, not bothering to look inside, and entered her own room. She discarded her muddy breeches and shirt, asking her nursemaid Amelia to draw her a hot bath. Once she was clean, she dressed herself for dinner in a dark blue dress made of thin, airy cotton. She brushed her hair and had Amelia braid it tightly for her. Annie stared at herself in the mirror. Even at nine years old, she knew she would always be able to count on her looks to get her places, if she needed to. Unlike her twin sister Katherine, who had blue eyes, blonde hair, and already the makings of a richly curved body, Annabelle's promised to be slender and far more subtly sensual. Her thick brown hair fell to her waist and shined in the sun, revealing sparse red highlights. Large green eyes changed colour with her mood and the shadows the sun cast, creating an air of mystery and intrigue around the small girl. She was slightly tall for her age, whereas Katherine was short, and her skin was the colour of lilies and just as soft.
Brushing a renegade hair off her forehead, Annie slipped shoes onto her feet and trotted back down the long hallway to dinner.
I can't wait!
~*~
After everyone had finished their meals, Annabelle carefully stood up on her chair. Her parents looked at each other, eyebrows raised, but said nothing. Katherine rolled her eyes.
"Annie, get dooooooown!" She whined, upset that her twin was doing something to draw attention to herself.
Stupid prat.
"I have an announcement to make," she told her family, and sat back down in her seat once she had everyone's attention. "The palace has asked me to join the program a year early, and I'm going," she explained. It was short, simple, to the point. Now all she had to wait for was Katherine's tantrum.
"WHAT?!" Katherine shrieked, making her siblings wince and cover their eyes. Katherine was out of seat and punching her father's arm violently. "What do you mean she's going to the program early? That's not FAIR!" Katherine continued. Her blue eyes had darkened menacingly, and her face and neck were steadily growing a shadow of wrathful purple. Annie smirked, watching the situation unfold with a slowly swelling ego.
I'm better than she is. I'm more talented. I'm the better half.
It wasn't that Annie hated her twin sister Katherine. She tried her hardest to get along with her. But it was hard, when her entire existence had been dedicated to being the quiet twin, the one in the background. She never had the spotlight on her. It was always Katherine, Katherine, Katherine. Her parents had no choice but to cater to Katherine's endless desire for attention and praise. The consequences that resulted when she felt neglected were far more violent than the behavior she was displaying at the moment. In the few moments of peace one or both of Annie's parents found, they came to the other twin and coddled her, praising her for her patience with her sister, assuring their love and devotion to her, despite the obvious lack of attention Katherine permitted them to extend to her. It never bothered Annie past a superficial level, really. She was bound for greater things, and she knew that Katherine wasn't. Especially after Katherine's decision to become a noble lady, something that Annabelle and her six older sisters had never considered. With Katherine away rotting in a convent, Annie would be able to spend more time her parents, impressing them with her skills and delighting in the limelight that would finally be placed upon her.
Drawing her mind back to the present situation, Annie found her parents both talking quietly and seriously to Katherine in the far corner of the dining room, the occasional hand motion revealing their disappointment in her behavior. The rest of her siblings were beaming brightly at Annie, congratulating her on such an honor. Ariel squealed and ran over to Annie, hugging her tightly.
"You'll be in my year!" She exclaimed, and then trotting back to her own seat to finish her cup of milk. Annie smiled proudly. She couldn't wait to leave.
~*~
"Now remember, Annie, you're completely capable of everything that Ariel and all the other first year pages are. It doesn't matter that you're a year younger, you're just as talented," Annie's father told her, giving her a tight hug. Her mother was hugging her sister Ariel, giving her similar words of encouragement. Minus the age part, of course. Her mother and father switched children, Mel walking over to Annie and kneeling down to eye level.
"Don't be scared, Annie. We're living in the Corus townhouse during the year still, so if you need anything, just send us a message. We love you," Her mother said, giving her another hug. Annie smiled brightly and went to stand with Ariel and her other five sisters who would be returning to the program. Ian stood holding her six-year-old sister Natalie in his arms. She smiled and waved wildly at them, happy that she would have her parents almost to herself again. Their three-year-old brother James was tottering around nearby, chasing some sort of insect, completely oblivious to his siblings. It was only Katherine that was unhappy. She sat in the carriage, glaring at Annie from behind the window and a sun bonnet that she wore. Annie smirked and waved cheerfully at her, causing Katherine's scowl only to grow deeper. If she had been outside, Annie was positive she would have spit. The seven girls turned and began the walk to the Great Hall. Annie smiled brightly at the majestic castle that towered in front of them. She couldn't wait to begin her training.
Welcomes and opening speeches were brief, and Annie received her room assignment. 314B. She briefly wondered if she would be close to Ariel or any other girls, but upon looking around the room, she realized that other than Ariel, there were no other girls in the first year.
I wonder if it's this way every year? Not that it matters - I'm here for the training, not the socializing.
Annie moved in quickly, finding that Ariel wasn't even in the same wing as she was on the page's floor. She spent the weekend polishing her things and retrieving her various required outfits from several different women in the palace. Come Monday morning, she attended her classes, all of which seemed at least somewhat interesting, and ate lunch with Ariel, who was just as content as she was with the program so far. In the afternoon she joined the rest of the pages, venturing a discreet wave at Corinne, Lydia and Tara when she saw them. The instructors created groups of eight for their training, and Annabelle found herself in a group with seven other male pages of mixed ages, but they all shared a common bond. They were male, they were obviously strong, and they were taller than her. Refusing to be intimidated, she smiled at them.
"I'm Annabelle," she said, introducing herself. One of the taller pages arched an eyebrow, looking her up and down.
"And how old are you, little Annabelle?" He question, smirking. She tried to make herself stand up straighter.
"I'm nine years old. I received special permission from the King to join early," she explained, hoping they would leave her alone after that. The tall page laughed,
"Nine years old? Why don't you go back to daycare, you're not ready for the program," He said, nudging her out of the circle. An older, more built boy rolled his eyes and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back in.
"Oh, cut it out Kiery, you haven't even given her a chance to prove herself. When she fails, then you can throw her out of the circle," the older guy said, releasing Annie's shoulder.
I don't know if I should be angry or thankful. Oh well, I'll show them.
The instructors showed them the drill they would be doing - it was a simple blocking and thrusting, using the ever-popular sabre. Annie smirked; she had learned this exact drill when she was five years old. She completely the drill easily - sometimes even doing it with her eyes closed, just to keep herself from being completely bored. She knew the boys in her group saw and were impressed with her skill, as were her teachers. After three hours of basic moves, all of which she completely easily and without fault, they were released to dinner and free time that allowed for rest, practice, socializing and homework. Wiping a thin line of sweat off her brow, Annie returned the practice sabre she had been using and started the long trek up to her room to quickly bathe and change for dinner. The tall boy jogged up behind her, thumping her gently on the back. She looked up at him.
Is he going to praise me? Or pound my face in? She wasn't sure what to expect. After a moment, an approving grin broke out on his face, and he nodded towards good.
"Hey," he said, his voice gruff from heavy breathing during practice. "Nice job today." That was all he said before jogging off to join his other friends, but it was enough to make Annabelle smile. She knew she would fit in just fine here.
~*~
Annabelle passed each of her years in the knight program with increasing ease. The King kept an open communication with her - something he did not do with any of his other trainees - and often offered her the chance to skip a year of page or squiredom. She, however, never accepted offers. Despite her obvious skill, she enjoyed the experience of being within the program, and did not wish to cut it short. In this closed community, she was respected by her peers and elders and revered by those in their first and second year. The word that was whispered throughout the city about her was that she was to become the next Lioness. She didn't want to become too big for her britches, but she couldn't ignore the pride the swelled in her chest whenever she heard the rumored whispered from person to person as she passed through the street.
I don't believe people think I'm good enough to be the next Lioness. At the age of 17! It's amazing. But what would happen after she earned her shield, Lioness or no? She certainly didn't want to follow the Lioness' footsteps - unlike Alanna, she adored the seasons of Corus, and her least favourite was summer. She wasn't sure if she wanted to join the King's Own, although she knew a spot had been secured for her if that was her wish. The King's Champion had died several years earlier, and there was a large amount of talk that Annie would be asked to be his successor.
That job wouldn't be so bad. But is it really what I want to do? The answer to her question came a week after she had gone through her Ordeal. Hers had been surprisingly easy - although it had earned her a thin scar that ran across her right shoulder blade diagonally. Of course, she would never tell anyone else that it had been easy in her mind, the Ordeal was something no one ever talked about. Ariel's had been far rougher than her own, though, she could tell. The last time she had checked in with her parents, five days after Ariel's Ordeal, she was still fast asleep. Annie was happy for Ariel - and all her siblings, who were leading such wonderful, prosperous lives. Annie often wondered if the Goddess kept a special hand in their lives, the way they were turning out. Charlotte was engaged to a scholar whom everyone called Benny. He was a very sweet, sometimes silly man that the entire family adored, even Katherine. Jane was dating a horribly adorable knight named Griffin. He was originally from Galla, receiving permission from the King to train as a Tortallan knight. His accent was thick, and only made him cuter. Lydia, Tara and Corinne had all banded together and were currently roving through the Eastern Lands, looking for whatever adventures they could find. Ariel had plans to join them the next time they came home. Natalie was entering her first year of squiredom and loving every moment of it, and James had just finished his second year of pagedom.
And then there was Katherine. As promised, the year after Annie entered the page program, Katherine was shipped off to the convent to learn to be a noble lady. She apparently excelled, spending a fruitful four years and then was introduced to court. As nature had hinted to when they were younger, Katherine had developed a petite waist and large hips and bosom. Her blonde hair tumbled in thick curls down her back to slightly past her waist. Her skin glowed with vitality. Katherine was certainly beautiful, but she was nothing like Annabelle, who was gorgeous in every sense of the word. She had grown to the acceptable height of five feet, six inches. She was slender, appearing almost fragile, with modest but apparent curves. Her brown hair was thick and wavy, flowing down to her waist and immaculately kept. Bright green eyes were set into the center of a face full of delicate features. Her nose was petite but strong, her lips long and somewhere between average and full. Beautifully arched eyebrows and long dark lashes framed her eyes. Her skin was flawless, the colour of cream and still as soft as it was the day she was born. And her voice was like sleigh bells, magical and dancing, a sensual husky undertone carrying throughout. She should have been a model, a statue, a noble lady. But she was not, she was a knight. And a damn good one at that.
She was such a good knight that not only did the King and his court notice, but a man named Zahid Ben Hakim did as well. Hakim was the leader of the most prestigious agency in the Eastern Lands - the King's spy agency. He recruited the most skilled knights that came out of the program for something far better than a job rotting away as a member of the King's Own, who only did battle once every few years, if they were lucky. Agents were constantly being given new assignments. The agency had a colour system to it. Several teams were set up - the novices belonged to the white team. People were promoted to teams of continuously darkening colours, until the best of the best were on the black team.
After hearing about the agency, Annie found a longing to be a part of it. When she heard that Hakim had noticed her, she was hopeful. When he sent a message that including a time for an interview, she was ecstatic.
I just hope I don't throw up during it!
~*~
"Miss Corganne, the reports I've received from your instructors - and the king - have been very impressive," Hakim was telling her. It was now two weeks after she had been knighted. As a present, the King had bestowed upon her a shield, holding the regal crest of Pirate's Swoop on it. She had noted with amusement that a pacing lioness had been added at the bottom of the green field. She smirked slightly, thinking about the implications of that simple design.
Wait. Back to reality, Annabelle. This is something important, you shouldn't be daydreaming.
Blinking and shaking her head discreetly, Annie tuned back into what Hakim had been telling her.
"...unconventional, yes, but we really feel you're ready for it," Hakim finished. Annie realized that whatever he had been saying was important to her possible future as an agent.
Crap.
Annie searched her mind, desperately trying to think of a response that would cause him to repeat whatever had been so important.
"So, what exactly does that mean?" She questioned, hoping she wouldn't sound completely idiotic.
Stupid daydreams. No, wait, you're doing it again! Stop it, Annabelle!
"..basically mean is that although you should be starting on the white team, we're going to start you on the green team. This decision has been made through a committee, don't think everyone who catches our eye receives this kind of treatment. You're a special talent, and I'm sure you won't fail us. I can see that you will rise quickly through the ranks," Hakim paused, shifting in his seat so he was leaning forward slightly, staring her right in the eye. His composure seemed to have change in those short moments, from a professional to..something else. Annie couldn't put her finger on what the change was, though.
"Of course," he continued, his voice now dropped to a whisper. "If you want to rise more quickly than the average agent, there are some after hours..activities..you can involve yourself in." Annie blinked.
After hours activities? What's that supposed to mean?
Her face must have conveyed her confusion, for Hakim smirked and laughed hoarsely.
"I have a wife, Annabelle. She's a wonderful woman, but she's old now. She can't fulfill my..needs, we'll call them. A lovely young woman like you, so sensual and luscious and..fertile.." he trailed off, taking in a hissing breath. "It would profit both of us, Annabelle.." Annie's face twisted in disgust, and she stood up, backing away from the man. Seeing her reaction, Hakim immediately composed himself, brushing invisible dust from his shirt. "I see you are not interested. Very well, Miss Corganne. But," he said, staring at her with those piercing black eyes of his, "You will not report this incident," he commanded. Annabelle opened her mouth to protest, and his glared hardened.
I wonder if that's the only thing that's hard... Ew! What in Mithros name made me think that? Ew, ew, ew. Ugh. Ew.
"..do you understand, Annabelle? If you report this, I will make your life a living hell," Hakim was threatening. From the stories Annie had heard about this man, she didn't doubt for a moment that he was perfectly capable of following through with his threats. And being only 17 years old, the last thing Annabelle wanted was for her life to be ruined by a sexually frustrated senior citizen. She took in a controlled breath, nodding slowly.
"I understand, Hakim," she told him. His face immediately softened, and relaxed.
"So, you'll start on Monday. The green teams meets here at 8am, sharp. Welcome aboard, Annabelle Corganne."