Sad Beginnings
Sad Beginnings

Brett woke to a thud. He heard someone mutter "Mithros" and smiled. Nathan must've fallen out of bed.

Brett's thoughts traveled back to last night. Did it really happen? Did she really smile at him?

Brett looked in the mirror and noticed he'd gone to sleep in his tunic. He ran a hand through his floppy blond hair, noting he needed to "refresh" it. (A/N he needs to peroxide it) He changed his clothes, putting on a faded white shirt, and tan breeches. As the pages were only required to wear the uniform in the afternoon, at lessons and balls, they could wear whatever old clothes they had for practice in the morning.

Brett opened the door, instead opened the air because the door was already open. (A/N try it sometime, or better yet get someone else to "open the door that ain't there" its silly!) He stumbled out into the corridor.

He then made it safely to the dining hall.

"A little early to be up isn't it, Bretty boy?" Brett groaned inwardly. Andrew stood in front of him, arms akimbo.

"Does it matter to you Caddick?" Brett wished he had Nathan's cool.

"OH it matters a lot, Bretty boy. You see, because no one else is up at this hour but you and me¸ no-one will see you 'fall'." The boy's face was evil, twisted and made Brett want to throw up.

Andrew advanced, until he and Brett were nose to nose. Then he brought his knee up into Brett's stomach. Brett went oomph. He doubled over, as if in pain (which he was) Brett then used a trick that the Shang Ocean Crossing Elephant (A/N give me a little poetic license!) had taught him. He threw his head at Andrew, pushing him into the wall. Andrew let the wind be knocked out of him temporarily, before kicking Brett hard, in the face. Brett grunted and flipped back, out of the way.

"Afraid to fight are you Bretty Boy? Afraid I'll spoil your looks?"
Suddenly Andrew was face down on the floor. Someone in a blue shirt and black pants was hitting him furiously, breathing in sobs. From the colour of the boy's hair, he could tell it was Nathan.

"You bastard, you pig. What did you do with her?" Nathan looked up and Brett saw tears falling down his face.

"Where is she? You demon!" Brett stood there paralyzed with fear and confusion. Nathan let go of Andrew and the boy laid there, face a bloody mess.

Tears streamed down Nathan's face and he sunk to his knee's, letting the sobs tear out of his wiry body. Brett couldn't move. He was aware of a presence behind him.

It was Michael. "Go get my brother!" he whispered. Michael took off, running very fast. Brett felt like he was in another universe. Watching his friend, who usually kept his cool. And to see Andrew on the floor was another strange sight. But when Brett looked again, Andrew wasn't on the floor. He was in front of Brett and held a dagger. It had blood on it. Brett unfroze. He grabbed Andrew's arm, deflecting the dagger. He pulled it out of the older boy's grip and slammed it into the wall. Andrew swung a right hook at Brett, who dodged and came up with a shang kick, designed to make your opponent unconscious. It worked. Andrew slumped to the floor. Brett stood, frozen again. Nathan sat on the floor, hugging his knees to himself, rocking back and forth, and whispering "no, no" over and over again. Brett was dimly aware of people coming towards him. Shane, Damien, Mark, Michael and a knight he didn't recognize.

"Brett what happened?" Damien was kneeling beside Andrew, healing him fast. Shane was beside his brother, asking the question.

"Andrew attacked me. And then, all of a sudden Nathan came at him, screaming something. And then…."Brett trailed off. He looked around. Most of the pages were there, Michael, Ricky, Alan, Jeremy, Grant, and various others. But there was one person missing. It hit him.

"Where's Brad, of Haddin Head?" he returned to the real world, speaking snappily. He broke away from his brother's hold and tore down the corridor, to Brad's room. There he found the main part of the room empty. He searched, looking in the privy. No one was there. Brett knew where Brad would be, with his betrothed, Nicola of Bracken Point. Nathan's younger sister. The one Andrew had been in love with.

She'd been in love with Brad. Brett ran. Old memories filtered through his head.

"She's beautiful." Brad's voice, when he'd first met Nicola.

"Watch your back Haddin, Nicola's mine." Andrew, competing with Brad for a 12 year olds love.

"Oh! Brett, its wonderful, I'm engaged, to Brad! The marriage is to be when he's knighted! Isn't that fantastic?" Nicola, her pale cheeks flushed with red excitement as she announced her engagement to her God brother.

Ricky, Shane and the knight Brett didn't recognize (but who had rather large ears, like Andrew) ran after him. Brett stumbled into the rooms of the Bracken Point's.

He hammered on Nicola's door. It fell open. No one was there but Brad. "I can't find her." Stammered a very distressed Brad. Brett just turned and ran, harder than he had ever before. He slammed down the door to Andrew's room.

He looked inside and started to shake.

Nicola was on the floor, in a pool of blood. Her dress was ripped, Her beautiful tanned face covered in bruises. He heard the gasps of the others.

"Someone keep Brad and Nathan away. Get the palace Guard. Tell the king." Shane's voice shook.

"I'll go." The knight who Brett didn't know spoke softly, as if what they saw wasn't real.

"Thanks Adam." Whispered Shane. It hit Brett who the knight was. Sir Adam of Gilchrist Garden, the finest jouster in the land. Adam left. And Brett was forced to stare at Nicola again.

It was obvious she'd been raped. The ripped dress and bruised thighs accounted for that.

"Brett…"her voice. Quieter than a whisper. He went to her side.

"Nicola, what happened?" He fought back tears. Pulled her head into his lap.

"He…Andrew grabbed me after the ball last night. Left a ransom. Beat…raped…killed…"she motioned to a long dagger cut in her side.

"No…please…" But Brett knew he was to late.

"Tell my family…tell Brad…I love them…love you too…"And she was gone. And the words were ripped out of Brett. "No! You can't go!" The whole palace stopped, hearing his screams.

Nathan heard Brett and knew what had happened. He put his head in his hands. The tears came faster. He was dimly aware of Mark talking to someone called Adam.

"Nathan, listen to me. I'm taking you to the infirmary, okay?" Nathan didn't hear him. He walked, silently, following Mark. He wasn't lead to the infirmary. He was taken to the Kings quarters. He was left there, in a seat, waiting for his family.

Brett still wasn't crying. He sat quietly on his heels, looking at Nicola. She had been so beautiful. Lively blue eyes, long blonde hair. And she was gone. 13 years old and gone. One of his best friends. Gone. It hit him. And the tears came. Shane gripped his shoulders.

Brett and Nathan. Both gasping for air.

Brett walked into the king's chambers. He couldn't get her blood off his hands.

Nathan stood there. Eyes bloodshot. Eyes asking: "is this real?" Brett nodded.

Nathan sunk back on to the chair.

"I'm sorry. If I'd gotten there faster." Brett was filled with guilt. Nathan looked at him. Spoke in a hoarse whisper. "Never, ever say it was your fault. It was that son of a whore, Caddick's fault." Brett was numb. Nathan was numb. Until he looked down and saw he was wearing the shirt that she'd given him last midsummer. And the tears started again.

"Hey, Nathan, weren't we taught boys don't cry?" Bret tried feebly.

Nathan didn't make a noise, like the court ladies when they cried. The tears came silently. Alexandria, Nathan's mother approached them. She wasn't crying. Her grief seemed beyond tears. She enveloped them in a warm hug.

"There, there, we don't know if she's dead yet. She may still be alive."

Brett realized then that Alexandria didn't know.