DiVA

Chapter 2

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Everyone froze and turned slowly to look at the source of the correction. Kel bit down a bit of laughter, seeing it was the beautiful girl all the boys had been discussing before Owen's long speech about the hero.

"How long have you been standing there?" Neal finally croaked. "My lady?" he added at the end so he wouldn't seem impolite.

"One, my name is Davina, or Diva depending on if you're my friend or not. Not 'my lady'. I'm not a lady at heart, though I am on paper. I've always been a city girl and I'm not going to stop anytime soon. I was raised to be street smart and I am. Got it?" She demanded. Silence answered her, for no one knew exactly what to say to the forward girl. She smiled. "And two, long enough to know that I'm 'glamorous! Elegant! A GODDESS!" Her smile turned into a grin. Kel doubled over in laughter.

"OH! O!" Kel uttered, trying to catch her breath as Neal and the boys looked stupid.

"By the way, I'm not 'taken' by Rean. He's my best friend. Even when I wasn't a noble. And I am sorry for teasing you, Page…?"

"Nealan. Neal of Queenscove." He bowed, red-faced from embarrassment.

"Neal…" She whispered.

"Diva! Come on!" Rean yelled from the end of the hall. "If we're going to make it to the archery courts, now's the time, else the bells will ring and I'll be marched inside! I'll wait for you in the first indoor practice court"

"I'm coming, Rean! Let me get my bow!" She answered. She curtseyed to the group before her and disappeared into Rean's room, only to emerge as Kel's group gathered once again with their books. Now, instead of being in the pretty lilac silk gown, she was dressed in a simple while shirt that outlined her chest very well and a worn pair of long leather breeches. She carried a quiver full of arrows that looked like they had griffin feathers on them. Her bow was made of a beautiful, dark wood, carved with intricate designs.

"Ouch!" Neal whispered, looking at the bow. "That thing is covered in spells! I can sense the magic coming off of it!"

"Umm…can someone show me where the practice court is?" She asked.

"I will!" A chorus of boys answered her.

"Um…Neal?" She asked. "You're the only name I know." After that sentence, the boys started to shout out their names to her.

"Sure, I'll take you." Neal answered, wading out of the pile of boys and drool.

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"I'm sorry for the comments I made earlier." Neal whispered to the pretty girl (piccie at http://www.geocities.com/icebyrd67/diva1.jpg , once again, its umi.) as he led her through the maze of halls.

"It's alright. I'm sorry for teasing you. My mate, Jeralt used to say the exact same things before I beat him in archery."

"Mate? Aren't you a bit young to be…" Neal started.

"Friend. Sorry, street slang again. I told you, I was raised in the city. You tend to be accustomed to hearing things that would normally cause a child of high birth to faint or something. So…any idea when His Majesty will be back in Corus?"

"The King is in Corus. He hasn't left or anything…"

"Oops again. His Majesty being George Cooper. A baron for the Crown now, if I'm not correct. Never had a better man on the throne…"

"Lord Cooper is coming for Midwinter. Why do you call him a king?"

"His Majesty was the King of Thieves before he turned respectable and married his Lioness. You know, I knew her before she was revealed as a girl. Used to come to the pub dressed as Alan. The king too. Johnny. Always thought he was the son of some merchant before His Majesty set me straight. Trusted me with all his secrets, he did. Not surprised, him being my father's cousin. Always called me his own kid. Didn't have any of his own 'til the Lioness came along."