Authors Note + Disclaimer: my nice little note in chapter 2 covers the entire story. All I own is myself, and possibly some animals/people. Here is Chapter 4!

I followed Alanna down the hall to the same place I had dropped into last night. I slid into a chair up at the head table, beside her. So far, she was the only person I had really talked to. I was surprised at the amount of snow coming down outside. When I asked about it, Thom, who was seated beside me, told me it was the week before Midwinter.

After dinner, Alanna showed me around a bit and soon enough I knew my way around the pages wing. Then she took me down to the stables. We ran through the snow flurries and into a side door. My nose picked up the smell of sweet hay, and I felt dozens of dark eyes peering inquisitively at us. Alanna created light some how and let me wander on my own for a while. I heard a snort behind me and turned to see a large, dark bay gelding trying to nudge my back. I took the step over to his stall and spent a good half hour just rubbing the large white star, half hidden under his forelock

As we were walking back to my room, Alanna asked what kind of stuff I liked to do back in the modern world. "Well," I thought for a while, trying to think of a way to explain. "I had my own horse, so that took up a lot of my time. I also played soccer, and I was about to start high school this year. Yesterday actually, but I was turned into a tree before I could go." I wasn't really sorry about it, I was enjoying my time here, and the promise of midwinter was one to look forward to.

The week flew by. I was also accepted to start training as a page after the Midwinter holiday. I went down to visit my bay gelding often just to pass the time. Soon enough the day before midwinter was upon me, and I had a most unpleasant surprise.

A young girl, probably a few years older then me, knocked on my door and told me to go down to one of the queen's rooms. I had no idea what was going on. Had I done something wrong? I walked through the open doorway and looked around. A woman was standing on a stool; another was circling around her, holding up pieces of material, her mouth full of pins. Thayet, I could only assume, came over and grasped my hand warmly. I squeezed back, not quiet sure what I was here for. My confusion must have showed on my face. "Surely you knew that you would need a dress for midwinter?" she asked kindly. I ended up on a stool, being pricked by zillions of pins, half naked and being watched.

"Is this all really necessary? I mean, I don't even own a dress at home, I just don't have the body shape for them and-," I tried to cover myself and not get stuck by pins in the process. Thayet laughed. I didn't move, and ended up walking stiffly back to my room. If dress fitting wasn't a form of torture used in England, in the 1500's, I didn't know what was. Beheading couldn't hold a candle to it!

Good? More on Monday, I promise!