Finally, chapter 5 is up! I'm really sorry that it has taken so long. I've been so busy with exams. Exams suck. Teachers who give exams suck * glares at English teacher who should have given a paper instead of a final exam  * In fact my last one is tomorrow. And it's math, ugh! But instead of studying, I finished this chapter, which I think is the longest yet (to make up for the time). Not a whole lot of action, but it needed to be written. Don't worry, I promise that there will be action in the next chapter!

Aer: You get to meet her parents! I'll be home by tomorrow night, so give me a call. Maybe you could come down and see Kat and I. I miss you! I called you but you were at a ski meeting. I'll try again.

mElz: Thank-you for reviewing my story. I hope you like this chapter!

Tigress FN: No this George has nothing to do with the George of Pirate's Swoop. I hope that this was fast enough for you! Enjoy!

Serpent Mage: I'd glad that this got you interested. I'd really love your input, so please leave another wonderful review!

American Pie: I know exactly what you mean! When I started this, I wasn't even thinking about the George of Pirate's Swoop. But, alas, I posted it before I could change the name. I don't know if it is too late to change it now. Let me know what you think. And don't worry. There is not change that Christina will me a mary sue. Just wait till the next chapter!

panda from enemaldae: I'd glad to see that you are still interested. Please enjoy this chapter!

Lilith Ha: It makes me so happy to hear that you love my characters and my writing style! Here's the next chapter, enjoy!

Chapter 5: To Knight, or not to Knight

            It was twilight now. The sun had disappeared into the darkness of the coming night. The stars were slowly revealing their place in the endless sky. Christina was pacing impatiently in her room. She was dressed in her dinner clothes, and she was waiting to be called to her parents' presence.

            She waited for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, a knock came on the door and Christina sprang up to open it. When she did, she found Maelerin.

            "Do my parents want me now?" she eagerly asked.

            "Yes, they are waiting for you in their chamber. You are to have dinner with them there. Now, let me look you over." Maelerin looked the girl up and down, tugging her dress to fit just right. "There. Off you go!"

            "Wish me luck!"

            Maelerin laughed. "Luck with what?"

            "I'm going to ask them if I can be a knight!" With that, Christina skipped out of the room, leaving a very confused maid.

~*~

            Christina traced the lines in the stone wall as she walked to face her parents' door. She was nervous. Christina dried her sweaty palm on her dress. "Well, here it goes," she said as she knocked on the door. "Come in," a low voice came from the other side.

            She walked in to a magnificently decorated room. Unlike Lady Quearin's room, this one used more than one color very tastefully. The deep green curtains were drawn for the evening. There were two large chairs in front of the fire, where her parents were seated. Lord Feroun was dressed in his finest reading a book by the light of a warm welcome fire. Her mother, Lady Aquillia, had her hair done up elegantly. Her deep rose dress accented her hazel eyes.

            Her father looked up from his book. "Christina, please sit." She didn't hesitate. Christina sat upon a footstool in front of the fire, sweeping out her skirts, as she had been taught that very day.

            Without looking up from her knitting, Lady Aquillia asked, "Tell us about your day, dear."

            Christina thought for a moment before she began. She took a deep breath and spoke. "I went to go see my Lord Laeorn this morning." Now she had her parents' attention.

"Lord Laeorn… that sounds familiar." Her father said.    

"Yes father. He is the palace training master."

"The training master." He looked at her sharply. "What were you doing with the training master?"

"I asked him if I could train to become a knight." She looked her father straight in the eyes.

"Dear, why would you do that?" Lady Aquillia looked from her husband to her daughter, very confused.

"Because, becoming a knight is my dream. I want to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and-"

"I don't believe what I am hearing. My only daughter talking about becoming a knight! I won't here it!" Lord Feroun fumed angrily.

"Well, you might have to. We are all to meet with my Lord Laeorn tomorrow morning." Christina's voice wavered against her father's anger.

Her mother couldn't believe what she was hearing either. She was stunned and just stared at her daughter wide eyed.

            "What! What are you thinking, child! We have not raised you so you can parade around waving a sword like those other Lady Knights. They are hooligans who don't know their place in society."

            "Feroun-" Lady Aquillia said. Christina fought back tears. She couldn't stand hearing about her hero's like that.

            "Roaming the country side acting like men! I won't have it! My only heir talking such nonsense. I will not have your honor tainted with that riff raff. Knighthood is for men. 'Tis unladylike! You will not be mixed up in what was made for men." Her father bellowed.

            "Feroun," her mother said again.

            "For years I was against Lady Alanna. And then King Jonathan made that law, and along came Lady Keladry! They do not belong. They probably slept themselves to where they are now. I will not have you among that sort!"

            "Feroun!" Lady Aquillia stood to face her husband. "That is enough. Saying 'no' would have been adequate. But you do not need say such things about Sir Alanna and Sir Keladry. They have both proved themselves to be useful assets to the crown. And you know better than to speak like that outside the safety of your own walls."

            Lord Feroun glared at his wife. "Then you are on her side? You think that we should allow her to take on her page years, Lia?"

            "I think that this is a delicate matter that we need to discuss without the presence of our daughter." Aquillia gave a sympathetic glance towards her daughter.

            Lord Feroun let out a long sigh. "Very well. Christina." She sat up when she heard her name. "We will speak with Lord Laeorn tomorrow, but I promise you nothing." His tone was harsh. "Please take your supper in your own room tonight."

            Christina looked at her mother. She nodded. With that, Christina stood, gave a low curtsy, and left to return to her own room.

~*~

            After Christina had changed into something more comfortable, she heard a knock on the door. Expecting the maid with her dinner, she opened the door. Only, she didn't find Maelerin, but George, Peter, and Brendan instead. She looked at them with a raised eyebrow.

            "Uh… can we come in?" George asked.

            "Oh, yeah. Sure." Christina opened the door wider so they could come into her room.

            "What are you doing here?" She questioned George.

            "Well aren't we the rude one," George teased.

            "Sorry, I'm just surprised, that's all." She answered.

            George shrugged it off. "I came to see if you had spoken with my lord, and these two said they'd tell if I didn't let them come along."

            "He said that he'd convinced you to be a Lady Knight. We all didn't believe him, so I came to see for myself," Peter said. George shrugged again. "And Brendan is always following me," Peter added.

            "I am not!" Brendan retorted. Peter smiled.

            "So?" George pushed.

            Christina turned around and walked towards her bed. "I talked to him."

            "So he doesn't lie! What did my lord say?" Peter prodded.  

            Christina took a seat on her bed. "He said that there was nothing he could do without the consent of my parents. So, I talked to them. My father isn't too keen on the idea. My mother and he are discussing it as we speak. But he did say that he would meet with Lord Laeorn tomorrow."

            "That's better than nothing," Brendan offered.

            Christina sighed. "I knew it wasn't going to work. My father is a conservative and I'm his only heir. He's completely against the idea. I don't think anything will make him change his mind."

            "I'm sure everything will work out." Peter said.

            "Yeah, I mean, it has to…" George was lost in his thoughts.

            A long stretch of silence followed. All just sat and thought about what could happen, what would happen, the what ifs. Suddenly, a knock came at the door. Christina jumped up. She walked over to the door, and opened it a crack. It was Maelerin.

            "I have your supper for you." Christina just starred at her. "Well, open the door. Let me in," the maid said gently.

            "Uh. I… I…." She glanced over her shoulder. "I'm not hungry." She said finally.

            Maelerin narrowed her gaze. "Who's in there," she said.

            "No one!" Christina replied.

            "You answered that I bit too quick for my taste." Maelerin pushed the door open and walked into an empty room. The maid had a confused look on her face.

            'Thank-god!' Christina said to herself.

            "Well. Here it is. Eat while it's still hot," Maelerin said.

            "Ok," Christina managed to say.

            The maid walked over to the door and opened it. She turned around to the young girl. "You know, you don't fool me."

            "What are you talking about?"

            "I know more than you think. I'll be back in a half hour to collect the plates," Maelerin added as she closed the door behind her.

            When she turned around she saw a head coming out from under the bed, and two heads poking from the door to her dressing room.

            "It's messy in there," George remarked coming out of the second room.

            "As I recall, your room wasn't too neat either," she replied.

            "George's room not neat! You must have caught him on a bad day. Our George here is the neatest person I know," Peter stated.

            "Anyway, we better be heading back." George started walking towards the door.

            "Yeah, I'd hate to be caught at this hour." Brendan followed George.

            "Find us tomorrow and let us know how it goes," Peter said before leaving.

            "Bye!" They all called over their shoulders as they closed the door behind them.

            Christina was glad that they had come. She needed a little comfort after he fathers rant earlier. She had been on the verge of tears and utter anger. How could he speak of the Lady Knight's like that! She didn't understand. She sat down on her bed as sleep instantaneously overcame her.

            She never heard Maelerin come in later and pull the covers over her, taking the tray as she left.

~*~

            There was a dangerous silence in the chamber where Lord and Lady of Heron's Grove were taking their dinner. Lord Feroun pushed the food back and forth on his plate, obviously too occupied to eat it. His wife too small, deliberate bites.

            "Lia," Lord Feroun said breaking the silence, "Do you really believe that she should start page years?"

            "I don't know. I must say that I have never thought of it. But the way that you were speaking to her and the way that you were speaking of the Lady Knights… you must be careful where you say those things. We are not on our own feif now."

            He sighed. "I know, I know. I just can't believe that she would ask. You would think by now that she would know how I feel about such things."

            "She must really want it if she could muster the courage to talk with Lord Laeorn without consulting us first."

            Feroun let out a small laugh. 'Well, there's no doubt that she's my daughter."

            "Feroun, would it be so bad if she was to become a knight?" He dropped his fork and looked at her with unforgiving eyes.

            "Yes, yes it would be so bad. Women are not supposed to become knights. And she's my only heir. What if she was killed in training? What then?"

            "Well, yes," Lady Aquillia said, "but when was the last time that you heard of a page being killing in training?"

            Feroun couldn't think of one. "That's not the point."

            "Then what is?"

            He eyed her carefully. "Lia," he started, "Are you a progressive?"

            "I don't think that that's the situation at hand."

            "Of course it is. Answer the question, Lia."

            She paused. "Yes, Feroun. Yes I am." She saw the anger rise in him.

            "Mithros, I am cursed! Am I the only one in this world who is against this whole thing!"

            Lia knew that it was not a rhetorical question, yet she said, "Yes, I believe you are."

            He narrowed his gaze at her. She met his with full confidence behind her stare. Lord Feroun pounded his fist angrily into the table, shaking all the plates and silverware that lay on it.

            "I still have the last word in this family. Christina will not become another one of those Lady Knights. As long as I am around, it will not come to pass!" With that, he got up from his seat and stormed into the bedroom.

            Lady Aquillia placed her head in her hands and closed her eyes. There had to be some way to make her daughter's dream come true, but how?

~*~

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