Kaleigh walked down the lone path to the stables. She loved animals
especially horses and dogs. She didn't own one yet but she had birthday
money saved in order to so the first chance she got. She followed Thom down
the hall. He was explaining about how she would need a horse and she was
allowed to pick from any one of these. Finally he stopped in front of a
stall and turned.
"This is my horse. His name is Brightness," he said as he opened the stall door. Inside was a blue roan gelding with a black mane and tail. He was around 17 hands and was actually quite calm. She offered him a carrot, which he accepted slowly. Thom laughed.
"So do you have a horse?" he asked Kaleigh.
"No not yet. I am going buy one though. I brought money for that. You're lucky to have him. He's a great horse," she said distractingly.
"Yeah I know. He's never even reared you know? He came with me from Pirate's Swoop. So do you ride at all?" he asked. She seemed to know a lot about horses.
"Yes. I've been riding for, well, I don't know how long. My first riding lesson I remember was my last because the moment I got I knew how to do everything automatically. So the riding master at home said I was a waste of his time," she said laughing.
"Wow, that's amazing. Do you mind if I ask you a personal question? So you remember anything about before you were seven? Anything at all, about who you were or where you had come from?" he knew he was prying but he wanted to know.
"Well, I remember how to do things. But I have no clue about anything else. Like the only way I knew my name was because of a piece of paper that had my name in my hand writing on it in my pocket. I was wearing this," Kaleigh pointed to her crystal, "and I knew how to read and write. I was pretty good at riding and with a bow. I knew etiquette and how to cook and sew. But I had no memories. I still don't. It was so odd that they don't like to talk about it. I look nothing like anyone my parents had ever seen or met. And no one reported a lost child so they adopted me. They are the best parents a child could ask for," she said with an amount of love in her voice that would've startled Thom if he hadn't seen it in her eyes.
"They sound amazing. I am glad you love them so much. It sounds as if you were noble born. Not many know how to do so much. Come on we still have to see the rest of the palace," he said closing the door to Brightness's stall. She smiled and nodded following him out as she wondered will I ever remember? If Thom noticed that she was again fingering her necklace, he said nothing.
The group met as promised at Kaleigh's room. The boys had to go and do lessons leaving the three girls to themselves. Kaleigh was the first to speak.
"I have something to say. Well, we are three of five girls who are going to be pages and for the next for years we are going to be living together. So friends?" she asked.
"Sounds good to me," said a voice from the doorway. The three jumped and say Melanna standing there. She smiled and stepped in the room.
"Sorry for interrupting but Kaleigh is right. I am all for being friends," said Melanna her eyes dancing as Kaliegh smiled.
"I'm in. I think we need to stick together. What do you say Lana?" said Anne. She grinned as the other two exchanged a smile with her.
"I agree. We do need to stick together. Besides, who am I to break up a party," joked Lana. The other three giggled as Lana smiled. Kaleigh motioned for them to sit down.
"So what did you think of the Palace?" the four girls jumped at a male voice at the doorway. Kaleigh turned to get a better look at him. He was around her age and had coal black hair and sapphire blue eyes. His eyes danced so Kaleigh knew he wanted to know.
"It was very interesting. I liked the gallery. But I don't believe we've been introduced," said Anne.
"My apologies. I am Liam," he smiled.
"As in Prince Liam?" directed Melanna.
"Only when I have to be. So you are the new pages?" he asked.
"I think that you already know the answer to that question," remarked Kaleigh. The other girls looked at her with startled expressions but she ignored them.
"Sharp aren't you?" he said, but his voice laughed.
"I have to be. I'm a lady page, remember?" Kaleigh quipped. She suddenly caught herself. What was she doing? This was the Prince not an equal. But he didn't seem annoyed, rather quite the opposite. He was openly laughing, so she relaxed a little.
"Well, I must be going, but I will see you soon," he smiled at them, particularly at her and he was gone. Anne instantly wheeled around at her.
"What were you doing?" she asked with an unreadable expression on her face.
"I have no clue. I just lost my patience and he just kept hitting a nerve," she tried to explain but it was useless.
"I thought it was entertaining," said Lana and Melanna at once.
"Oh and by the way call me Mel. I HATE Melanna. It sounds so formal," said Mel. The bell rung that marked dinner. The first day was over.
"This is my horse. His name is Brightness," he said as he opened the stall door. Inside was a blue roan gelding with a black mane and tail. He was around 17 hands and was actually quite calm. She offered him a carrot, which he accepted slowly. Thom laughed.
"So do you have a horse?" he asked Kaleigh.
"No not yet. I am going buy one though. I brought money for that. You're lucky to have him. He's a great horse," she said distractingly.
"Yeah I know. He's never even reared you know? He came with me from Pirate's Swoop. So do you ride at all?" he asked. She seemed to know a lot about horses.
"Yes. I've been riding for, well, I don't know how long. My first riding lesson I remember was my last because the moment I got I knew how to do everything automatically. So the riding master at home said I was a waste of his time," she said laughing.
"Wow, that's amazing. Do you mind if I ask you a personal question? So you remember anything about before you were seven? Anything at all, about who you were or where you had come from?" he knew he was prying but he wanted to know.
"Well, I remember how to do things. But I have no clue about anything else. Like the only way I knew my name was because of a piece of paper that had my name in my hand writing on it in my pocket. I was wearing this," Kaleigh pointed to her crystal, "and I knew how to read and write. I was pretty good at riding and with a bow. I knew etiquette and how to cook and sew. But I had no memories. I still don't. It was so odd that they don't like to talk about it. I look nothing like anyone my parents had ever seen or met. And no one reported a lost child so they adopted me. They are the best parents a child could ask for," she said with an amount of love in her voice that would've startled Thom if he hadn't seen it in her eyes.
"They sound amazing. I am glad you love them so much. It sounds as if you were noble born. Not many know how to do so much. Come on we still have to see the rest of the palace," he said closing the door to Brightness's stall. She smiled and nodded following him out as she wondered will I ever remember? If Thom noticed that she was again fingering her necklace, he said nothing.
The group met as promised at Kaleigh's room. The boys had to go and do lessons leaving the three girls to themselves. Kaleigh was the first to speak.
"I have something to say. Well, we are three of five girls who are going to be pages and for the next for years we are going to be living together. So friends?" she asked.
"Sounds good to me," said a voice from the doorway. The three jumped and say Melanna standing there. She smiled and stepped in the room.
"Sorry for interrupting but Kaleigh is right. I am all for being friends," said Melanna her eyes dancing as Kaliegh smiled.
"I'm in. I think we need to stick together. What do you say Lana?" said Anne. She grinned as the other two exchanged a smile with her.
"I agree. We do need to stick together. Besides, who am I to break up a party," joked Lana. The other three giggled as Lana smiled. Kaleigh motioned for them to sit down.
"So what did you think of the Palace?" the four girls jumped at a male voice at the doorway. Kaleigh turned to get a better look at him. He was around her age and had coal black hair and sapphire blue eyes. His eyes danced so Kaleigh knew he wanted to know.
"It was very interesting. I liked the gallery. But I don't believe we've been introduced," said Anne.
"My apologies. I am Liam," he smiled.
"As in Prince Liam?" directed Melanna.
"Only when I have to be. So you are the new pages?" he asked.
"I think that you already know the answer to that question," remarked Kaleigh. The other girls looked at her with startled expressions but she ignored them.
"Sharp aren't you?" he said, but his voice laughed.
"I have to be. I'm a lady page, remember?" Kaleigh quipped. She suddenly caught herself. What was she doing? This was the Prince not an equal. But he didn't seem annoyed, rather quite the opposite. He was openly laughing, so she relaxed a little.
"Well, I must be going, but I will see you soon," he smiled at them, particularly at her and he was gone. Anne instantly wheeled around at her.
"What were you doing?" she asked with an unreadable expression on her face.
"I have no clue. I just lost my patience and he just kept hitting a nerve," she tried to explain but it was useless.
"I thought it was entertaining," said Lana and Melanna at once.
"Oh and by the way call me Mel. I HATE Melanna. It sounds so formal," said Mel. The bell rung that marked dinner. The first day was over.