"Name and fief," Lord Rajin commanded.
"Jodi of Stone Mountain."
"A sponsor?" This was directed at the crowd of pages behind him.
Instantly, hands flew up. Jodi's father came from a conservative, well-known family, even if he had broken away from them, her mother was the second lady knight in living memory, and a legend in battle.
A faint blush warmed her cheeks, as Lord Rajin of Marmist looked the group over, trying to decide on a suitable one.
"Annette of Heathercove," he selected. The girl had sharp blue eyes, and a curved mouth. She even had dimples! Jodi smiled weakly at the redhead and watched Adrian. A Yamani-looking male, apparently related to Lady Katherine, promptly picked him.
"Name and fief," was demanded of a wickedly grinning, brown haired boy.
"But I don't own a fief, my Lord," he replied, true puzzlement in his tone.
"Your name, and the fief your father owns."
"Anthony, of fief Theaham."
"I'll remember your cheek."
"But my chin is so much nicer than my cheek. Although, my forehead's quite-"
Jodi stepped in front, peering critically at the dark-eyed boy. "My lord, exactly which cheek do you prefer? I'm leaning towards the left one. Of course, mine are evidently nicer."
"Not true," Anthony insisted.
"It is so! Personally, I think we should ask Lord Rajin. My Lord?"
Rajin found himself presented with two sets of cheeks, turned expectantly his way. He needed to assert his authority, and fast. "Stone Mountain, Theaham, you will work in the stables for one bell on Sunday."
"If it is your wish, my lord. What time shall we make our date?"
Rajin ignored this, moving on. "Name and fief?"
Jodi yawned. Her younger sister, Adele, punched her shoulder. "Jo-oh-di-eeee," she whined. Jodi had no idea how her name could be drawn out for so long. "You're supposed to play with me."
Xavier grinned impishly. "She's a page, now. Too much trouble to play with us little ones."
Uh-oh. Adele's eyes opened wide, and then narrowed in the space of a few seconds. That child was talented. "MAMA! JODI WON'T PLAY WITH ME. SHE'S BEING NASTY TO ME 'N XAV!"
Jodi groaned. Now she was for it. A pair of dark eyes appeared in front of her hazel ones.
"Sibling trouble?"
She grinned. "Uh-huh. Rajin trouble?"
"You bet. That man is incapable of a smile."
"Deal with mine, and I'll help you with yours," she offered.
"Fine. Introduce us," he ordered.
"Adele and Xavier of Stone Mountain, meet Anthony of fief Theaham."
"Ant. Mama liked the name Anthony, so the only thing I can do is shorten it."
"Jodi." She held a hand out, which he gripped briefly.
"Right, Adele. Ever put something in someone's bed?"
Adele rolled her eyes. "Yes. Gets boring."
"What about putting a tree in?"
"You'd get seen," Adele declared, pouting at him - but her interest was clearly piqued, and she stared at him intently, apparently not needing to blink.
"Amateurs," Ant sniffed.
"Fine, self-proclaimed expert, how exactly would you do it?" Jodi shook her long hair out from its tie, and waited, silently offended.
Ant gave her a wicked grin. "Come with me, and you'll find out."
"STONE MOUNTAIN AND THEAHAM!"
Jodi and Ant grinned at each other, making their way to Lord Rajin's chambers.
"Yes, my lord?" they asked in unison.
"Could you tell me what a tree is doing in my bed?"
They blinked up at him, wearing identical expressions of innocence. "Why, no, my lord, we couldn't."
"DON'T LIE TO ME!"
"What are you doing?" The babyish voice was Adele, putting a younger tone on for sympathy.
Rajin was taken off guard.
"Don't shout in front of my little sister. Papa and Mama wouldn't like it," Xavier lisped.
Jodi put on a pained expression. "If she hears raised voices, she begins to cry. Then I get told off by Mama and Papa."
"Why are people yelling? I don't like it." A tear trickled down Adele's cheek; Jodi crouched and cuddled her young sister, hiding a grin in Adele's dress.
Xavier's face was working; he too looked like he might sob any second.
"Do you see what you've done?" Jodi spoke in an exasperated way, raising her eyebrow at the training master.
"I'll deal with you later. Calm your siblings down," Lord Rajin commanded.
Ant smiled widely. "Now that was inspired."
Adele beamed at him, her heart obviously given to this mischievous boy. "We're the experts now."
"He'll 'member later," Xavier said dolefully. "When me and Delly can come."
"We'll have made him resign by then," Jodi said comfortingly.
"Right. Left. Up. Down. Right. Left. Down. Up," Rajin instructed. "Faster, Stone Mountain. Neater, Theaham. Hurry UP, Stone Mountain!"
Jodi rolled her eyes, and sped up. Her staff was moving so fast her opponent couldn't keep up.
"Slow DOWN, Stone Mountain!"
"But you just told me to speed up. Make up your mind!"
"Don't speak back to me."
'Honestly,' she thought furiously. She began again, with exaggerated slowness, this time. He growled at her.
"Jodi!"
"Mama! Papa!" Jodi ran to meet them. Her parents had recently been called back to Stone Mountain, due to a spidren attack.
"Mama! PAPA!" The squealer was Adele, or Delly, as Xavier called his twin.
"How are you? You're getting heavy," Keladry said to Adele, who had leapt into her arms. "Six-year-olds don't need to be carried."
Joren swung Xavier round. "What have you been getting up to?"
Xavier's face crumpled. It was part two of the plan. "A nasty man shouted at me, 'n Delly. He made us cry."
Joren fixed his eldest with a stern look, not completely fooled by his son's antics. "What happened?"
"Lord Rajin somehow got a tree in his bed, and seemed to think it was us who put it there."
"And Ant," Adele chimed in.
Jodi winced.
"Who's Ant?"
"Jodi's boyfriend," Adele giggled. "But he likes me more."
"Papa, I'm ten years old. I don't have a boyfriend. He's one of the pages in my year."
Joren looked to Kel, who nodded. "Fine. We're going to see if we can find Lord Raoul, to tell him that the spidrens are under control. Behave," he warned.
Kel winked. "In a few years, we'll talk about this... Ant."
Jodi glowered at her sister. "I look forward to it." She watched as her father slung an arm around her mother, and the pair walked away. "Adele, you're going to pay for that!"
The brunette ran away, predictably shrieking. Jodi didn't bother following.
Xavier punched her on the shoulder, and dashed after his twin.
"Siblings, eh?"
"Yep. What did we do wrong?"
Adrian grinned. "Just think, our parents deal with all three of us."
"But I'm perfect. Anyway, my parents are both knights."
"My mother's a Yamani. It means nothing. Coming to do the extra work?"
Jodi groaned. "I nearly forgot. Race you?" She sped off. Adrian watched her go, and then opened the side door.
K, I might continue this, or I might just leave it. What do people want? I was going to go straight to knighthood, but I think I should spend slightly longer on her page years.