A/N: All right, I apologize for the sum-up, but I'm sick of the boat! Keep R/R, pleaseplease!
The rest of the sea voyage passed uneventfully for everyone on board. Daja spent most of her time on deck, often spending hours sitting peacefully in the crow's nest. The crew didn't mind; she helped them with the rigging in exchange for their co-operation. Sandry was involved with her lap loom. She was weaving a complicated spell that took up a majority of her time. Briar, on the other hand, spent his hours deep in conversation with the plants that lived on the sea floor. He still could hardly grasp the fact that plants could survive under such circumstances. Even though they were having fun, when the Waveskimmer finally docked in Tortall, everyone on board was ready to be on solid ground.
Squads of the King's Riders greeted them at the harbor and escorted them to the Palace. Riding next to so many grown men, Sandry and Daja were more than a little intimidated, and Briar wasn't too comfortable either. Sandry looked around for Lark and Rosethorn, but they were deep in conversation with an extremely tall, extremely powerful looking man with jet-black hair. All three friends were relieved when another young girl rode up and began a conversation with them.
"Welcome to Tortall!" the girl said cheerfully. "I'm Squire Keladry of Mindelan."
Their jaws dropped.
"A f . . . female squire? Isn't that against one of your laws?" Sandry asked. "No offence intended, Squire Keladry," she hurriedly continued. Daja and Briar exchanged an expressive look. Sandry had the ability to put her foot in her mouth faster than anyone else they knew.
Keladry grinned, making them all more comfortable. "It used to be. But now, with King Jonathan . . . any girl can become a page, if they want to. I'm just the only one that's been interested so far. And please, just call me Kel. Everyone else does."
"That's wonderful!" Daja blurted.
"I think so." Her eyes sparkled with laughter. "That's my knight-master." She pointed toward the man Lark and Rosethorn were talking to. "He's Sir Raoul, a knight of the realm of Tortall." The three young mages eyed the powerful looking man.
"Is he nice? He seems rather . . . big," said Briar.
Kel's eyes danced. "Don't worry about being intimidated . . . most people are. He's wonderful! He treats me as an equal, and I love working with the King's Riders. They all treat me the same as anyone else, and I appriciate that. Not everyone has been accepting of me, and I . . . well, I get frustrated when people are condescending to me." All three of them nodded. They all knew how that felt.
As the entourage rounded a bend in the road, the Palace came into view. Sandry, Briar and Daja all gasped. The height of the Palace, its flawless architecture, and costly materials it was created out of combined to make it extremely breathtaking.
Kel grinned at their reaction, then extended an invitation. "If you aren't too busy, would you like to take your supper with me in my rooms? I've been to these banquets before, and I don't like them any more than Sir Raoul." Seeing their confused looks, she explained. "Sir Raoul is famous in Tortall for his dislike of banquets. I'm sure he'll find a way to get out of tonight's, and that means I don't have anything to do. So, would you like to eat with me?"
What do you think? Sandry asked Briar and Daja. She seems really nice.
And I've seen those fancy parties, Briar added. The only people who go are the Bags, and they spend the whole time talking. There's nothing for us to do there.
Sounds good to me! Daja finished. Let's do it!
Briar and Daja turned to Sandry, who answered for all of them: "We'd love to!"