*A/N* I realize I said Alan was 11, and then he was 10. Alan is really 11, since he just turned that age before he became a page. Just wanted to clear that up =)
Suppertime at the palace
Alan walked cautiously into the kitchen where there were about 5 long tables the page's used when they ate. All the page's there turned and stared at her. 'Oh!' Alan thought. 'Why did I have to come so early! I thought they all would be serving the palace supper right now..or something!'
"New page! New page!" Shouted a few of the older pages. Alot of pages got up out of there seats and rushed to him.
"Where you from, new page?"
"What's your name, new page?"
"What's your fief, new page?"
Alan was getting a little annoyed at the 'new page' dubbing. "I'm Alan of Trebond, all right? I'm here to find my sponsor."
"Oh." They all said disappointed. This page wasn't going to try and fight them like the last page.
"Page Alan? I am your sponsor." A friendly, intelligent voice said from behind him.
Alan turned around and looked up into the dull brown eyes of his tall sponsor. He had dull brown hair too, was rather tall, and looked about 13.
Alan bowed, "Thank you, sir."
"Um, Page Alan, simply call me Gary? My friends call me that, and I'm sure we'll be friends."
"Yes sir."
"Please don't call me sir."
"Yes sir."
"Are you being pert?"
"No sir."
"Very well, Alan. Let me give you a tour of the palace. You can come back and eat when the other pages are serving."
"All right Gary."
Gary escorted Alan through the parts of the palace he would need to know about. Alan was showed the grand dining hall, the classrooms, the training courtyards, the inside arenas, and other things. Alan wanted to go to the menagerie to study the creatures from faraway lands, but he knew Gary would laugh at him. Gary did not appear to be a scholarly type.
Later on, Gary went to serve meals and bid farewell to Alan for now. Alan sat at one of the tables, completely alone except for one other page. Alan quietly nibbled on his roast chicken and roll and looked at the other page. The other page still looked to be 10, with dirty blonde hair, and seemed to have pale blue eyes. He was tall for his age, taller then himself. Alan's curiosity about him got the best of him.
"Hullo there!" Alan called in greeting across the table.
The page looked up surprised, and then smiled.
"Hello! Would you sit with me, please? I feel lonely." The blonde called.
Alan got his supper and went and sat next to him. "I'm Alan of Trebond. What's your name?"
"I'm Gregory of Goldenlake."
The two started talking. Alan learned that Gregory had only come a day before him, and was still on his first 2 days of rest before training. He also learned that Gregory had started fighting when the other pages called him 'new page.'
"Greg, why did you beat them up?" Alan questioned.
"My father told me before I came here that if a page did something to bug me because I was new, then I should beat 'em up!" Gregory replied joyfully. "And I sure did!"
Alan laughed. "Greg, I think we'll be great friends."
"I think we will, Al."
They talked more and more, and soon the bell sounded, signaling the end of the day for the pages. The two new pages said good night and walked with there sponsors to the page's wing.
"Alan, here's your room. You have tomorrow for free time, and then your duties begin. My room is two doors down from you if you need me for something, all right?"
"Yes. Thank you Gary." Alan said with meaning.
"It's my duty, Alan." Gary said as he bid good night and turned to walk off.
"Wait! Er - Gary, I forgot to ask, but what is your fief?" Alan questioned.
"I'm Gareth of Naxen. Good night, Al."
Suppertime at the palace
Alan walked cautiously into the kitchen where there were about 5 long tables the page's used when they ate. All the page's there turned and stared at her. 'Oh!' Alan thought. 'Why did I have to come so early! I thought they all would be serving the palace supper right now..or something!'
"New page! New page!" Shouted a few of the older pages. Alot of pages got up out of there seats and rushed to him.
"Where you from, new page?"
"What's your name, new page?"
"What's your fief, new page?"
Alan was getting a little annoyed at the 'new page' dubbing. "I'm Alan of Trebond, all right? I'm here to find my sponsor."
"Oh." They all said disappointed. This page wasn't going to try and fight them like the last page.
"Page Alan? I am your sponsor." A friendly, intelligent voice said from behind him.
Alan turned around and looked up into the dull brown eyes of his tall sponsor. He had dull brown hair too, was rather tall, and looked about 13.
Alan bowed, "Thank you, sir."
"Um, Page Alan, simply call me Gary? My friends call me that, and I'm sure we'll be friends."
"Yes sir."
"Please don't call me sir."
"Yes sir."
"Are you being pert?"
"No sir."
"Very well, Alan. Let me give you a tour of the palace. You can come back and eat when the other pages are serving."
"All right Gary."
Gary escorted Alan through the parts of the palace he would need to know about. Alan was showed the grand dining hall, the classrooms, the training courtyards, the inside arenas, and other things. Alan wanted to go to the menagerie to study the creatures from faraway lands, but he knew Gary would laugh at him. Gary did not appear to be a scholarly type.
Later on, Gary went to serve meals and bid farewell to Alan for now. Alan sat at one of the tables, completely alone except for one other page. Alan quietly nibbled on his roast chicken and roll and looked at the other page. The other page still looked to be 10, with dirty blonde hair, and seemed to have pale blue eyes. He was tall for his age, taller then himself. Alan's curiosity about him got the best of him.
"Hullo there!" Alan called in greeting across the table.
The page looked up surprised, and then smiled.
"Hello! Would you sit with me, please? I feel lonely." The blonde called.
Alan got his supper and went and sat next to him. "I'm Alan of Trebond. What's your name?"
"I'm Gregory of Goldenlake."
The two started talking. Alan learned that Gregory had only come a day before him, and was still on his first 2 days of rest before training. He also learned that Gregory had started fighting when the other pages called him 'new page.'
"Greg, why did you beat them up?" Alan questioned.
"My father told me before I came here that if a page did something to bug me because I was new, then I should beat 'em up!" Gregory replied joyfully. "And I sure did!"
Alan laughed. "Greg, I think we'll be great friends."
"I think we will, Al."
They talked more and more, and soon the bell sounded, signaling the end of the day for the pages. The two new pages said good night and walked with there sponsors to the page's wing.
"Alan, here's your room. You have tomorrow for free time, and then your duties begin. My room is two doors down from you if you need me for something, all right?"
"Yes. Thank you Gary." Alan said with meaning.
"It's my duty, Alan." Gary said as he bid good night and turned to walk off.
"Wait! Er - Gary, I forgot to ask, but what is your fief?" Alan questioned.
"I'm Gareth of Naxen. Good night, Al."