Disclaimer:  I don't own anything but the characters that I made up, not TP's, so don't sue me and don't steal them.

[A/N:  If anyone is reading this and hasn't reviewed, I suggest you do if you don't want Kel and Owen having gobs and gobs of kids.  I'll leave that up to you, though.]

*A few months later*

                Naimura Salamin-Sarrasri was quietly stalking the halls, pondering how much she hated palace life.  That's not quite right, she thought, correcting herself, I despise it.  She had grown up wandering the countryside with her mother, healing animals and recruiting wildmages.  But they'd had to return to the palace the fall of Naimura's tenth birthday so she could be introduced to the court.  They'd been anticipating her arrival because of her famous father.  Black Robe Mage Numair Salamin had caused waves when he married Verlidaine Sarrasri, who was much younger than he, but it was accepted once the court realized they really were in love.  And when they had a child...well.  The fact that they were both so powerful in their own feilds created great expectations for the baby.

                And I would gladly fufill them,  thought the grown baby, If the gods had intended I do so.  But whoever heard of a mage without a gift?  Naimura had become totally apathetic towards that part of her life very early on, and veiwed it a so sort of cosmic joke she almost understood.  So it was perfectly alright that she almost laughed at the thought.  Actually laughing, however, would've gotten her caught.  Nai, as her friends had dubbed her, had been invited to a garden party, hosted by one of the frill-minded young court ladies.  Everyone was all a-twitter because Crown Prince Jonathan Ryodan would be there.  For many girls, that would be a perfectly good reason sneak out so as to come.  For Nai, it was a positively fabulous reason to sneak out so as to get away.  The Crown Prince sort of scared her... there was something off-color about his character.  So while her mother expected her to be tying herself into another ridiculous party dress, she donned soft boots, breeches and a light shirt, tied back her hair in a braid, and crept out.

                Without any mishap, Nai made it to the practice courts.  Today, the pages had free leave, and two of them were her only palace friends.  Sadly, another was the Crown Prince. 

                "Nai Nai!  You actually escaped!" Dorian of ** cried happily, walking up from behind her.  He clapped her on the shoulder and handed her a practice sword.  "Are you up for a duel?  Oh, wait."  He turned and cupped his hands to amplify his voice.  "Oi!  Nila!  Come'ere!"

                The girl he'd yelled for stopped in the middle of a glaive practice dance, and ran over as soon as she saw Nai with him.  Nilako of Queensgrove looked Yamani, except for her emerald eyes, but had never bothered with Yamani art of concealing one's emotions.  She hugged her friend, squealing happily.

                Nai and Dorian laughed at her antics.  "Honestly, Nila, nobody would ever guess you were a page!"  quipped Nai.  "And is this anyway for the daughter of the head of the King's Own to act?"  Nila only laughed back. 

                "No, but who cares?"  she paused, arms akimbo, and squinted skeptically at the other two.  "Don't tell me you're turning into a pair of old court stiffs.  Next thing, you'll want me to tilt sidesaddle!" [A/N  just 4 anyone who hasn't read Protector of the Small:  tilting = jousting.]  The group laughed, but were interrupted as the Crown Prince sauntered up.  Nai felt the distinct urge to run.  Luckily, Nila's outgoing personality saved them.

                "Hello, Majesty.  May we be of assistance?"  Although she seemed carefree, she was every bit as crafty as her famous father. 

                "Yes, actually.  I need someone to have a practice duel with.  I usually arrainge to meet someone for a bout, but I wasn't planning to be here."  He paused for a moment, but his words lacked malice or subversity.  He did not recognize Naimura.  "I've dueled you before, Dorian, and you too, Nilako.  I was hoping for a fresh challenge.  What is your name?"

                "Me?"  Nai looked up, startled.  "I'm not even a page!"

                "I've seen you here before though.  You're very good.  What is your name?"

                She knew that her real name, or even her nickname, would instantly give her away.  That would bring out his character flaw... the one that frightened her so.  But she needed a name! "Uh...Nia."

                "Nia?  Hmm...  Well, would you like to duel?"

                "Certainly.  Traditional or freestyle?"

                "I need to practice freestyle, if it doesn't bother you."

                So they claimed a smaller court, and began to warm up. The Prince offered some small conversation as Nai twisted her body into the positions of Yoga, another Yamani art.  She found that those stretches prepared her better than the Tortallan ones.

                "I was supposed to be at a garden party this afternoon, but it was put off.  One of those bloody court frills got lost.  That Naimura girl.  Have you ever met her?  I wish I could.  She stared at me.  I wonder what she was thinking.  I tried to talk to her, but she just keeps running away. Anyway, her mam came in making a big fuss about her having gotten out of a locked room, and so now there are people searching for her.  Honestly, the girl isn't that bright from what I've seen.  I don't know what the ruckus is all about.  She was supposed to be the greatest mage of all time, but lookit, she doesn't even have a Gift.  So she can't be much good for anything but a court ornament.  Grandmama was talking about maybe arrainging a marriage for us.  She is quite pretty, even if she is stupid  Are you ready?"

                Nai's anger had built with the boy's babble.  He had never even spoken to her (aware it was her.) and assumed that since she had no Gift, she was only good as a decoration.  In modern Tortall, where the last current and previous King's Champions were both women, that attitude could get him in big trouble.  Knowing that she wouldn't be able to control her voice, so she simply nodded and moved into the 'guard' position.

                She let the Prince get in four or five decent strikes, but dominated from there.  Remembering it was freestyle, she laid off for a while, pretending that her flurry of offensives had tired her.  He tried a few insults, the way knights were apt to yell in matches, but her silence and intensity muted his words.  At last, he disarmed her, remembering too late it was a freestyle duel.  Before he could move to guard himself better with the remaining sword, she had whipped out her ankle and it was skittering across the floor.  The Prince had never had to work so hard to protect himself.  Every second, this strange girl was flying at him with a barrage of kicks and punches  Finally, he was able to grab her arm and throw her behind him, but he let go too soon.  With a silent yell, she flipped around to land, catlike, on her feet, and put out one hand out so that it just touched the small of his back.  If she had struck with any force, he would've been knocked out for several hours.

                "I win."  she said, with no emotion at all to her voice.  Without looking at him, she walked away.  Nila and Dorian, who'd been pracitcing one court over had stopped when they heard the Prince talking.  They stood, slightly shocked and more than a bit unsure of what to do.  Naimura hardly looked at them, but her look clearly told them to tell him.  She then continued towards the doors of the practice courts.

                The Prince walked over a little stiffly, sore from the hits that she had gotten past his poor defenses.  "I say, she seemed awfully angry!  What was the matter with Nia?"  Nila looked at him incredulously, and Dorian just shook his head at the dirt.  "Well?  Answer my question!"  The spoiled child inside the Prince was beginning to show through.  After a moment of silence, Nila spoke quietly to the him, looking him straight in the eye.

                "Majesty," She said, softly but without uncertainty, "You have just been beaten by Naimura Salamin-Sarrasri."

                Naimura had left the courts and was riding high on her success.  She didn't know where that knowledge had come from, how to land and where to touch, but it had.  If I hadn't beaten him today she thought I don't think I could face tommorrow.    But success felt good.  She had never even really felt it before, not the kind where she had done something totally under her own power.  She didn't feel elated, though.  She was still to angry for that.  Instead, she felt like a thousand flames were under her skin, like she was a flame.  For once in her life, Naimura had power.  She walked down a hall, feeling cold and detatched, so busy basking in that new power that she almost bumped into a figure in a dark blue cloak.