~Review Notes~

Lyra: Yes, you're right, but I always liked the name Haven better. Did you like Lady Knight? Thanx for the review!

Kali: I'm glad you like it! Thank you!

Glowbird: Thank you for all of your simply wonderful reviews! Ya I find it annoying when the characters are perfect too. ^-^  I think I killed the W. Lol, Thanx for revewing! I hope ya like this Chappie!

Fluffy the Teddy Bear Slayer: Cute name! J Alex's knight-lord is Andrew of Jorgen, I didn't put that in there 'cuz I didn't think it mattered but now ya know! And, I'm not going to tell you who her knight lord is, hehehee. Here's the update, so show your happiness for reviewing! Thanx!

Lady Knight: Thanks for reviewing!

Thankyou all for reviewing! I love you all! And I brok 100 reviews with Chapter 12 so I am very happy! Thank you all once again, now remember to Review!

~Chapter 13: The Midwinter Festival~

         The next two months passed in a blur of rain and cold. Lia continued to run between Maria's and her own home in the rain. She taught all of her classes in the rain.  So it was of no great surprise to Lia herself when she woke up one morning hacking like a sick do, and no matter how hard she tried she could not convince her limbs to move.

         So when the chief healer showed up and tried to heal her and Lia requested that he bring her some herbs he was quite offended. He told her to be quiet and to let him do his work. Around that time Lady Maria burst into the room and demanded that he leave at once. He and she had yelled for a while before he had left yelling about how this was a personal insult to his name. Her body felt like it was on fire and Lia didn't remember the rest of the conversation.

         And now a month later she was running back to the compound, in the rain no less. For some reason, they didn't get snow this far north, they only got rain. Never, ending rain. Running in the front door of the main building she was handed a towel. Drying herself off, she handed it back to the owner.

         "Thank you." She said breathlessly.

         "Lady Kel wishes to see you in her office right away." Lia nodded at the servant and ran off.

         "Thank you." She called over her shoulder. Running up the stairs she came to the landing of the library. Lia knocked on the door and entered.

         "Lia, glad you made it. Now, we have a few things to go over. I heard you where sick a few weeks ago, Is that correct?" Never had Lia entered this room to find the atmosphere so formal. Sitting down she answered slowly.

         "Yes." Lia tried to read Kel's facial features only to find them blocked by a Yamani mask.

         "I hear you are taking medicinal lessons with Lady Maria, the gypsy healer. Correct?" She asked, stated really.

         "Yes." Lia said carefully.

         "I would like to know your opinion on if we work you to hard?" Kel asked leaning back in her chair, and looking at Lia expectantly. Lia looked at her strangely.

         "No, you don't work me to hard. Not anymore than I would expect you to work me. Why?" Lia was confused, why did any of this matter? What there a point to this conversation even?

         "Why?" Kel asked sarcastically. "Because Lord ha Minchi requested that I give you a progress report. He also informed me that if you keep getting sick he's going to take you away from us. We can't let that happen now can we?" With that Kel got up and left. After a few minutes Lia left to pack.

         The six-day ride to Corus was wet and cold. They ate, rode, and slept wet. Shanti was in the worst mood Lia had ever seen her in. All she did was eat and walk, nothing else. When she saw the palace stables she'd galloped the final hundred yards there. Lia had quickly explained to the stable hand how to take care of her temperamental horse and then ran to the palace baths. Slipping into the warm water Lia sighed with relief. She was warm.

         The palace baths were a wonder. The floor was covered hand painted tiles, as was the gigantic bath itself. The walls were painted a bright blue and there were trees and other plants in the corners and along the walls. Ivy grew along one wall, making the room look like a very fancy pong in the middle of a forest.

         Lia fell asleep in the pool and was woken by one of the servants around the ninth hour of night. Lia put on some of the cleaner clothes from her saddlebags and walked back to her room. Sliding into her bed, that wasn't really her bed anymore because she never used it. Rolling over she sighed, she hated when her body was tired but her mind insisted on analyzing every little thing. After an hour of tossing and turning she finally fell asleep.

~~:~~

Waking up the next morning Lia groaned, her entire body hurt. She lay in her bed for a while. Finally getting up and putting her clothes on she stumbled to the mess hall. Upon opening the door she saw her friends. As soon as they saw her they yelled and waved. Lia smiled and waved back. She got her food and sat down next to Jerroff

         "Lia, how's Haven? I've heard it rains." Jerroff said smirking. Lia sighed.

"It rains constantly. I'm always wet. It's so much fun."

         "How's that horse like that?" Arron asked, his voice twisted with sick humor.

         "Oh she loves it." Lia said sarcastically. "So what have you been up to?"

         "This and that. Jerroff here's on probation for putting mice in Derron's room. Hey Jasson." He said as Jasson of Pikes Peak sat down, the child Lia had beat up. She thought it was odd but decided not to make a big deal out of it. She turned her attention back to Jerroff as he enlightened her of all the troubling things they'd been up to.

         It was entertaining. After dinner the pages were given instructions on the midwinter festival and what they were doing, where and when to report to different people. It was all very boring. Walking back to her room she heard whispering up ahead.

         "When is she coming?" One voice asked in a whisper.

         "Soon." A different voice asked.

         "Why couldn't we eat dinner? I'm hungry." The first voice whined again.

"Shut up both of you. She'll be here soon." A third voice said and the hall went silent. Lia flattened herself against the wall and crept up to where the voices had been. She saw the outline of three boys, some of Jasson's friends. But where was there fearless leader?

         She was close enough to touch them. She kneed the first one in the gut. One of the other shorter guys took a swing at her she dodged and hit him in the jaw the second short one was pinning her arms behind her back. Kicking the first short one again she saw a forth person hit the big one in the stomach and across the head. Flipping herself behind the guy who was holding her down she kicked him in the back and he released her. The fourth person grabbed her arm and they ran down the hall. He pulled her into a niche in the wall. Waiting as the three boys ran past them Lia had a chance to examine her accomplice, and paled. It was Jasson.

         "Why did you help me? And what is it going to cost me?" Lia asked as she walked out of the niche. She looked over her shoulder as he followed her.

         "I helped you because you were in trouble. It won't cost you a thing." Lia looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Look," he sighed. "We got off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry for what I did." He looked at her seriously, his eyes sincere.

         "Why? Why should I forgive you? You haven't proven yourself to me in any way. I still don't know if you set that whole thing up to try and gain my trust. And I'm just supposed to trust you?" She said looking at him.

         "Yes." He said simply. "And your mind works in very sick ways, ya know?" he said, laughter evident in his eyes. Lia threw up her hands.

         "Okay, fine." Lia said watching his face change from slightly panicked to relived

         "And you sound so happy about that." He said with a smile. Lia sighed.

         "Oh, overjoyed. I am cold, I have bruises all over my body. Not to mention that my muscles are sore. So if you act happy one more minuet I'm going to slap you." She said glaring at him. He grinned and shut up. After he had excused himself Lia ran into Erica and Nia.

         "Lia, come on. We're going to be late." Nia said dragging her towards their rooms.

         "Late for what?" Lia asked confused.

         "The festival!" Erica yelled joyfully. Lia didn't get much say in things after that. She was attacked by Carthaki maids who immediately attacked her with soap and hot water. Then she had her hair ripped out when they told her they where dressing her hair. Lia didn't understand why it was called dressing, but she wasn't in a position to argue. In the end she ended up in a kimono style dress. The skirt was gold, the shirt cream and a long tunic that reached down to her knees and was embroidered in gold with a nonsense pattern, the same pattern that was on the dress she'd been given from them. Her hair had been curled into ringlets intertwined with braids.

         "Hurry, you're going to have to run to make it on time." Erica said before shoving her out of the door. She sighed, she needed to be on the other side of the castle. Lia picked up her skirts and ran.

         She barely made it to the inspection line. Thankfully he was reprimanding another page because his hair was messy. Lia waited in pain, his slowness was agonizing. He finally made it to her. He looked her over, once, twice.

         "Very nice page Yazlia, will you all follow me." He said leading the line of pages into the kitchen. Where master Oakbridge (who was nearing the age of one hundred) was making last minuet changes to the serving charts. Every few seconds he would look up and go back to scribbling. He hung the charts up.

         "First year pages are in the serving line, as are a few second years. The rest of you come find where your table and in a few minuets we will start." He said before disappearing into the kitchens with the pages. Lia stepped up and examined the charts. She was serving a group of unwed noble ladies. What fun for her. Lia went to go get a water basin for them to wash their fingers in.

         The orchestra started. The pages started to move forward. Lia exchanged one last smile with her friends, Arron looked positively green.  Jasson looked fine, but then again he's grown up at court.

         Going to her table she offered the finger bowl to the ladies. As soon as they had figured out she was their server they started whispering and giggling. Lia rolled her eyes, some people never get over themselves.

         Jerroff was serving a group of younger kids. He was laughing and joking with them. Arron had been placed with a table of priests. Stephen, a boy who she didn't know very well but seemed very nice, had been placed with a group of knights. By the looks of it they were green. Joking and poking each other, looking at the girls. When will boys figure out that we of the female species are not attracted to stupidity and rudeness. 

         Grabbing the next course Lia's stomach growled. She hadn't eaten since lunch. Walking back out she delivered the next course. It was a smoked fish, slathered in some sauce.

         "Excuse me," one of the blonde girls said. "But we require a male server." She said flipping her hair over her shoulder and then ignoring Lia's existence completely.

         Lia finished serving them and slowly walked back to the kitchens.

         "Master Oakbridge, my table requires another server." Lia said holding back tears.

         "Alright," He said scanning the room. "Derick switch tables with Queenscove." The boy nodded and picked up the tray and left. Lia scanned the chart, she was now serving the mages council. She picked up the tray and walked into the room.  The mages table was in view of the kings table. And a few other slightly important people's view as well. She didn't want the attention, and some how she seemed to get it.

         Walking the last few feet to the table she began placing the dishes on the table and collecting the old ones. Placing the last plate of meat in front of the wildmage she quickly shook her head and Lia had to take it back to the kitchens.  It was taking a while for them to get through this meal so Lia sat on a chair at the door of the kitchens. Looking at the hall Lia was amazed at how much people had dressed up. Children she had seen throwing mud clots at each other were dressed up in some of the finest cloth in the country and eating with the correct forks.

Everything gleamed it was so clean. The silver and gold gilded walls didn't have a spot on them. The curtain that most of the year had inches of dust on them hung beautifully cleaned from the ceiling to the floor. Covering the windows that were shrouded in darkness.  It was brilliant, all of it.

         Noting that her table was done eating and had reverted to talking. Lia picked up the next tray and groaned. It was an egg platter. Lia detested eggs, the smell, the taste. Everything about them she found them disgusting. Setting the platter down in front of the mages Master Numair, whom she had only met on one prior occasion, asked her a question.

         "What, may I ask became of our prior server?" he asked, very politely.

         "My table required a different server. Master Oakbridge switched us." Lia said, hoping he didn't mind.

         "Thank you for informing me. I believe the King wishes to speak with you." He said gesturing towards the diesis. Lia paled.

         The king and queen were dressed in grey, black and silver. Both were dressed quite simply but in the setting both blared in brilliance.                     

Sitting below them where the prince and princess  who where keeping an eye on there young twins.  John was watching his sister, she was around seven years old and was trying very hard not to fidget. Every so often she would twitch.

         Lia walked slowly up the diesis. She smiled at John as she passed him. She continued walking up the diesis. She curtsied deeply to him and the queen. he signaled for her to kneel. Automatically Lia let back a sigh. That meant this was going to be a long conversation.

         "Page Yazlia, you are not in proper pages uniform." He commented. The queen was smiling at her. It gave her courage. Her mother and the Princess were friends, and over time she had become friends with the queen as well.

         "That is true. I am not." Lia said, trying very hard not to make it sound like she was being polite. That was the Lionesses job.

"Though your outfit is still within the code." He said thoughtfully. 'With you comes great change. I'm noticing that. I have seen all three lady knights come through. And with them all came great change. But you seem to bring more than the other two." Lia smiled maybe this man wasn't as bad as she'd thought. "Well done, very well done page Yazlia. I believe master Numair would like you back now. You are dismissed."

         "Thank you sire." Lia said before getting up. Descending down the diesis everyone was looking at her, but she didn't really mind. She picked the dishes up off the table and went to pick up the next course. It was a dessert. With chocolate syrup drizzled over a chocolate cake of some kind. There was green mint chips sprinkled over the top. While people were eating it the pages had to set things up in the Opal room where the dancing took place. It was a beautiful room the walls a shining black that reflected every light so that many candles where not needed. After that the pages were to pick up the dishes and give them to the servants to clean and then they finally got to eat there own dinner. By this time it was always around nine o'clock at night.

         Sitting around a table in the pages mess hall Lia looked at her friends. She could hear the music from the orchestra through the wall.

         "So how'd you all do?" Lia asked tiredly. She got a bunch of grunts in reply. That is the problem with guy friends. They don't really speak. They just grunt.

         She got up and emptied her plate off and handed it to the servers. She turned and saw Jasson standing there with his arm out to her.

         "May I have this dance M'ilady?" He asked politely and with a big grin on his face. Lia laughed.

         "Why of course gentile sir." She said taking her arm. The spun across the floor gracefully. He was a very good dancer. One of the best. Not like all the boys at the ball at Haven. By the time the song was done all of her friends had started dancing with each other. It was quite a sight. Both Lia and Jasson burst out laughing at the sight. The pages were silly over midwinter, maybe it was the overwork.

         "You do not appreciate our dancing?" Jerrof asked trying to keep a straight face. Looking at their two faces he was offended. 'Fine, then I'm leaving. Come boys, we will continue our soirĂ©e else where" He said walking towards the door. The rest of the pages nodded and walked after him, noses in the air. Turning around at the door they all bowed and went out the door grinning and waving. Lia and Jasson followed still laughing. Lia walked into her room saying good bye to Jasson.

         She caught a look at herself she gasped. She had known she would look pretty, Erica and Nia had picked out her dress, but still. The dress highlighted all of the feminine curves she already had. It hugged to every small movement with creases and folds in the fabric. Lia sighed and put the dress away.

         Lia woke up early the next morning. She had to pick up a few gifts for her friends. She needed things for Jasson and John. What do you give to a prince? Seriously they have everything they could ever want. So what to get him? She would figure it out when she got to the city. Lia pulled on breeches and a shirt and ran down to the city. She had until noon before Nia and Erica wanted her.

         Running out through the palace gates and down into the city. Slowing to a walk she looked around. The pick pockets were busily at work, Lia wondered why nobody else noticed. It was interesting. She was busy looking at a weapons stall when someone grabbed her purse. It wasn't very noticeable, someone who wasn't expecting it wouldn't have noticed.

         Lia took off after him. He led her down an alley, Lia jumped over a crate that he had knocked over.  He swung on a bar and jumped onto the top of a building. Lia followed him, he seemed surprised that she could. He entered the building through a hatch in the roof. Lia pulled on the door, it wouldn't open. Lia climbed down the side of the building. Landing in front of the building, The Dancing Dove. It made sense this would be the place her thief friend would run. 

         Walking into the inn she looked around. This place was a hive of activity. Lia spotted her friend sitting in a chair at the back of the room. A few people sat around him talking and laughing. There was a pile of purses on the table, hers was on top. Lia scooted up behind him. Placing her hands on his shoulders she leaned down and whispered in his ear and reached and grabbed her purse at the same time.

         "I'd like this back now. Thanks." She said. And turned to leave. He grabbed her wrist.

         "I don't think so miss, I found that purse fair and square." He said smirking. Lia leaned down in front of his face.

         "But I do." Lia twisted her arm out of his grip and left. Outside of the in was a choclaterie. Duh, she would get John chocolate. He inhaled chocolate like air. Walking into the shop she bought a big box of chocolate. She wandered back out into the street. She walked down to Raven armory. The best makers of weapons in the country. Lia walked into the shop and bought a boot knife for Jasson.

         The bell for noon rang and Lia had to run the rest of the way back to the castle.

         "You're late!" was the first thing out of Erica's mouth. When Lia burst into her suites. They quickly sat her down and Lia was attacked by four women who were quickly braiding her hair into tiny micro braids and tying silver beads into it. They pulled her dress from last night over her head. They had changed a few things about it. There was more fabric in the skirt and slits up the sides to show off her calves Nia said.

         "It's better," Erica said. "But still missing something." She said looking puzzled.

         "We'll figure it out." Nia said. Pushing Lia out of the door. For once Lia wasn't late to banquet, she was early. And got to watch everyone file in and take there seats. She got to listen to the king give his speech before the feast started. She also got to watch the servants put together the intricate sugar figurines that would be in the dance hall.

         Unlike last night feast tonight dinner consisted of three courses instead of six. and the pages were to serve wine and drinks until the ninth hour of night when the squires would take over so they could escort their drunk masters to bed. Lia thought it was going to be highly amusing.

         Her friends burst into the kitchens at the last minuet and almost missed the call to serve. Lia picked up the salad tray and carried it to the mages council. Diane smiled gratefully when she saw that the ham and turkey had been taken off of hers. And as she was filling up the wine glasses she heard an interesting fact about her father. Evidently he had rode in right before the banquet started, something to do with having to deal with a virus near the river Bonnett. Lia smiled, the weather was still warm down there. Erikk was going to be in an absolutely horrible mood.

         It had yet to snow, and all it was doing was raining. Rain rain, o glorious rain. Erikk had a theory that if it was going to be cold it ought to snow. But it hadn't and everything was wet, cold and soppy.

         Lia picked up the empty plates and went to fetch the next course. It was some fish thing. The wildmages was escargots. Lia personally liked escargots, no one else did but she did. And from the way Diane was eating them she liked them to. Setting the rest of the plates down she went back to the kitchens to hide from the prying eyes of conservatives.

         Conservatives were usually grumpy old men and their sons. They believed that women couldn't fight, and that Tortall should not make alliances with other countries. It was very much a stupid belief for those who wished to make trouble.

         Seeing her table was done eating yet again she picked up the dessert. Chocolate mousse. Lia's stomach growled. Why do other people get to eat the good stuff? She wondered as she put the plates down and collected the old ones. She had to go serve drinks, what joy.

         Walking into the ballroom she was quickly handed a tray of wine and was instructed not to drop it. The thought was painful, dropping an entire tray of crystal glasses and expensive wine in a room full of people dressed in their absolute best. Lia shuddered.

         People were entering the room now, Lia wandered through the crowd asking people if they wanted wine. People grabbed glasses of wine immediately, and Lia had to go have her tray refilled. Midway through her shift she was given a refilling Sir David of Mousel, or as Jasson had so lovingly dubbed David of mouse hole. And she saw her father enter. She ran up to him refilling Sir David of Mousel, or as Jasson had so lovingly dubbed David of mouse hole. And she saw her father enter. She ran up to him and hugged him.

         "How's my girl?" He asked.

         "I'm good. I heard you where playing by a river." Lia said smirking.

         "Indeed I was, have you seen your mother?" Lia nodded and pointed. Someone tapped her shoulder. Lia spun around, Erikk was standing there, he looked so cute in his uniform made in her house colors. What am I thinking? She asked herself bewildered.

**you knew it, erikk pov.**

         I watched as she ran up to hug her father. She looked very pretty, her hair was done up in tiny braids. And I'm guessing Erica and Nia helped her change the uniform. I watch as her hair flipped as she turned to look at me.

         "Erikk." she said as she hugged me. "I haven't heard from you in forever. What have you been up too?" She asked as she refilled wine glasses.

         "Not much." I said shrugging. She smirked.

         "You've been gone for months and all you can say?" She said, pretending to be angry with him.

         "I'll stop by tomorrow and fill you i if it'll make you happy. Okay?" He said smirking.

         "Perfect! I'll see you then." She said.

         "Lia come on. We're free!" Jerroff said. "Hey Erikk. Come on Lia. Have fun with the drunk conservatives Erikk." He said before dragging Lia off. I sighed, I wish I could tell her, but I can't.

*hehe, i'm evil, i know, back to Lia*

Lia laughed as her friends surprised her by showing her the desserts they had filched from the kitchens. She smiled and started eating it. Lia loved chocolate, she was convinced it had healing attributes. Maria said it didn't though.

         "Well, thanks boys. Now I need sleep." Lia said slowly sitting up. Jasson sat up also.

         "I better get going also. Toodles." He said. 'Walk with me, Milady?" He asked bowing. Lia nodded and took his arm. They walked in silence for a while. It was Lia who broke the silence.

         "So what's wrong?"

         "Nothing." He was lying, Lia could tell.

         "Liar. I know you to well, you can't lie to me."

         "I can try."

         "And that will make us both cranky. So tell me and it'll be easier on us both." They walked in silence for a while.

         "I'm having lunch with my father tomorrow."

         "And?" Lia asked.

         'My father's a conservative. He'll expect me to be also. And I was, but now I'm not sure what I believe. And he'll spend half of the time whining about how it's insufferably rude that I must train with a girl page." He sighed.

         "You'll figure something out, I know you will."

         "How come you always know what to say?" He asked, looking at her strangely.

         "Because, I'm brilliant." She said smiling. "G'night."

         "Night." He said turning away slowly. Lia grabbed his shoulder.

         "You'll be fine." She said, looking straight into his eyes. He nodded and walked away.

So? Did you like it? Comments? Questions? Flames?

Review!

And thank you to Psyche, my beta reader.

~Ana~