A/N Lily you may be a little disappointed with this Liam. He isn't the one
you think. Golden Goddess what's with the cat? I love cats and I think
every good
story needs at least one. Cyanthis and Ivy Dragon thanks both of your reviews boosted my ego a lot and I thank you for it. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.
You'll see two familiar faces in my next chapter. Enjoy and review, they make me very very happy.
Chapter VI: Getting Back in Line
The second prince of the Conté line strode into the room. Of all of the sons of King Jonathan he was the one who most resembled his father, or maybe it was another smiling blue eyed relative that he resembled. His cocky blue eyes laughed at the world, and his smooth voice mocked all who he spoke to.
"May I present the latest, and last, page of this generation of Contés," with that Liam stepped aside to reveal his younger brother, Jasson. Jasson was small his green eyes, high cheekbones and prominent nose spoke of Thayet. He smiled shyly. Tobit smiled back.
"So Liam this is Jasson," he said.
"Yes, I'm afraid he is," Liam said with mock disappointment. Then slapped Jasson heartily on the back. Jasson blushed and slipped into the room to a corner window seat. Liam walked over to the fireplace and leaned on the mantel. Reese looked up at him with awe. He would do anything for the young prince. Tobit hit Liam on the back of the head.
"Anything happen up at Pirate Swoop this year?" he asked with a smile.
"Nothing much, a couple of bandits burned down a near by village but nothing of real importance," he replied with a bored tone. Tobit raised his eyebrows.
"That is nothing? I'm sure it was something of importance to the villagers," Tobit said to his best friend. Liam shrugged. Falkin looked at the prince disgusted. He and Liam did not get on. He looked at the youngest prince, who was looking out of the window, the jelico cat had wended its way over there and had jumped up onto the window seat with him. Falkin walked over to Jasson and stroked the cat.
"Beauty isn't it," he whispered with a smile, Jasson looked up at him with grateful green eyes. Liam continued what he was saying
"But I have some real news, the Lioness came back with us and is going to help us with our first day of training."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zira slept deeply that night and the next morning she again found that Shae had laid a bright crackling fire. Shae came in and jumped onto her bed.
"Today is your first day of training." Zira put her hand on her stomach.
"You don't need to tell me that," she said making a face. Shae hugged her tightly and smiled.
"You'll do wonderfully. I know you."
"You haven't heard the least of it," Zira took a deep breath. "The Lioness is coming to the training today." Shae's eyes grew wide.
"Oh Zira!" she gasped. "How will you be able to face her?"
"The same way I face Jonathan of Conté, with pride." The first bell rang and Zira started to get dressed. When she was fully dressed she hugged Shae one last time and walked down to breakfast.
When she entered the dining hall the whole room went silent, all the heads turned towards her. She didn't let this quell her though. She held her head high, and strode through the room as if no one was watching. Slowly people began to talk among themselves again, but now in whispers. Under her cool façade Zira was crying she had never felt so alone before. She got her food but every table seemed full. She saw Tobit and his group sitting at one table. Jasson was sitting there shyly beside his tall brother who was laughing. She walked over to the table and sat down next to Jasson. All of the boys looked at her.
"You don't belong here," Liam said smiling cruelly.
"Well I have to eat somewhere," she replied coolly. Reese picked up his cup of juice and deliberately poured it onto her tray.
"The prince said you don't belong here," he said smirking. Liam laughed and slapped Reese on the back. Zira merely smiled.
"Thank you Reese I really couldn't decide between the pomagranent juice and the grape, but now I have both," she said this coolly not with any sarcasm, it was just as if she was stating a fact. Jasson for the first time worked up the courage to look at her.
"Great Mithros you have golden eyes," he said in astonishment. Zira smiled warmly at him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After breakfast all the pages assembled in the practice yards. The new pages uncertainly lined up next to their sponsors and any friends they might have made in the first day. Zira stood at the end of the line next to Tobit who was trying his best to seem disconnected from her. Lord Wyldon walked back and forth in front of the line. Timothy of Filds, his squire and apprentice, handed out staves to each of the pages.
"Pair up!" Wyldon shouted. "First years with your sponsors. Do the first drill which is, block, strike, block." Wyldon glared at the older pages. "Nothing fancy."
Tobit took his place across from Zira.
"Shall we princess?" he said with a mock bow. Zira started, she was much faster than Tobit had expected but her strike had no strength behind it. It was his turn to attack and he his staff struck against hers with a loud crack. Her mouth opened in pain, but she quickly returned his strike. Tobit smiled, her strikes came fast he realized but softly and so he didn't need much force behind his block. He struck again this time with more strength but instead of blocking she swiftly stepped to the side so his staff miss her completely.
"Get back in line Antitheos and learn to take a blow," Wyldon bellowed. Zira stepped back to her original position. Tobit smirked.
"That's right," he whispered. "Antitheos needs to get back into line." Zira glared at him.
"It is Tortall that needs to learn its place," she whispered fiercely back.
Tobit eyes went hard as ice, and he glared at her in anger. His powerful arms lifted the staff and it came down onto Zira's block with all the force in his body.
SNAP. Zira took in a breath sharply, excruciating pain shot through her nerves. She looked down at her hands and saw that one of them was at a strange angle. Tobit looked at her, then dropped his staff and ran over to her.
"Is it broken?" he asked. Zira turned on him eyes like stones.
"Yes," she replied. Her face showed no pain though. Everyone turned towards Tobit and Zira.
"Hillstead! Antitheos! Why have you stopped," Wyldon shouted.
"Zira's wrist broke," Tobit replied, a little embarrassed. He didn't like Zira but she was smaller than he was and he had had no right to let his anger get the better of him. Liam started to clap, and Reese joined in, soon all but Falkin and Jasson were cheering.
"SHUT UP!" Wyldon bellowed. "Everyone get back to work. Hillstead take Antitheos to Duke Nealan to get it fixed." Tobit beckoned to Zira and they slowly walked up the hill to the palace together.
story needs at least one. Cyanthis and Ivy Dragon thanks both of your reviews boosted my ego a lot and I thank you for it. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.
You'll see two familiar faces in my next chapter. Enjoy and review, they make me very very happy.
Chapter VI: Getting Back in Line
The second prince of the Conté line strode into the room. Of all of the sons of King Jonathan he was the one who most resembled his father, or maybe it was another smiling blue eyed relative that he resembled. His cocky blue eyes laughed at the world, and his smooth voice mocked all who he spoke to.
"May I present the latest, and last, page of this generation of Contés," with that Liam stepped aside to reveal his younger brother, Jasson. Jasson was small his green eyes, high cheekbones and prominent nose spoke of Thayet. He smiled shyly. Tobit smiled back.
"So Liam this is Jasson," he said.
"Yes, I'm afraid he is," Liam said with mock disappointment. Then slapped Jasson heartily on the back. Jasson blushed and slipped into the room to a corner window seat. Liam walked over to the fireplace and leaned on the mantel. Reese looked up at him with awe. He would do anything for the young prince. Tobit hit Liam on the back of the head.
"Anything happen up at Pirate Swoop this year?" he asked with a smile.
"Nothing much, a couple of bandits burned down a near by village but nothing of real importance," he replied with a bored tone. Tobit raised his eyebrows.
"That is nothing? I'm sure it was something of importance to the villagers," Tobit said to his best friend. Liam shrugged. Falkin looked at the prince disgusted. He and Liam did not get on. He looked at the youngest prince, who was looking out of the window, the jelico cat had wended its way over there and had jumped up onto the window seat with him. Falkin walked over to Jasson and stroked the cat.
"Beauty isn't it," he whispered with a smile, Jasson looked up at him with grateful green eyes. Liam continued what he was saying
"But I have some real news, the Lioness came back with us and is going to help us with our first day of training."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zira slept deeply that night and the next morning she again found that Shae had laid a bright crackling fire. Shae came in and jumped onto her bed.
"Today is your first day of training." Zira put her hand on her stomach.
"You don't need to tell me that," she said making a face. Shae hugged her tightly and smiled.
"You'll do wonderfully. I know you."
"You haven't heard the least of it," Zira took a deep breath. "The Lioness is coming to the training today." Shae's eyes grew wide.
"Oh Zira!" she gasped. "How will you be able to face her?"
"The same way I face Jonathan of Conté, with pride." The first bell rang and Zira started to get dressed. When she was fully dressed she hugged Shae one last time and walked down to breakfast.
When she entered the dining hall the whole room went silent, all the heads turned towards her. She didn't let this quell her though. She held her head high, and strode through the room as if no one was watching. Slowly people began to talk among themselves again, but now in whispers. Under her cool façade Zira was crying she had never felt so alone before. She got her food but every table seemed full. She saw Tobit and his group sitting at one table. Jasson was sitting there shyly beside his tall brother who was laughing. She walked over to the table and sat down next to Jasson. All of the boys looked at her.
"You don't belong here," Liam said smiling cruelly.
"Well I have to eat somewhere," she replied coolly. Reese picked up his cup of juice and deliberately poured it onto her tray.
"The prince said you don't belong here," he said smirking. Liam laughed and slapped Reese on the back. Zira merely smiled.
"Thank you Reese I really couldn't decide between the pomagranent juice and the grape, but now I have both," she said this coolly not with any sarcasm, it was just as if she was stating a fact. Jasson for the first time worked up the courage to look at her.
"Great Mithros you have golden eyes," he said in astonishment. Zira smiled warmly at him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After breakfast all the pages assembled in the practice yards. The new pages uncertainly lined up next to their sponsors and any friends they might have made in the first day. Zira stood at the end of the line next to Tobit who was trying his best to seem disconnected from her. Lord Wyldon walked back and forth in front of the line. Timothy of Filds, his squire and apprentice, handed out staves to each of the pages.
"Pair up!" Wyldon shouted. "First years with your sponsors. Do the first drill which is, block, strike, block." Wyldon glared at the older pages. "Nothing fancy."
Tobit took his place across from Zira.
"Shall we princess?" he said with a mock bow. Zira started, she was much faster than Tobit had expected but her strike had no strength behind it. It was his turn to attack and he his staff struck against hers with a loud crack. Her mouth opened in pain, but she quickly returned his strike. Tobit smiled, her strikes came fast he realized but softly and so he didn't need much force behind his block. He struck again this time with more strength but instead of blocking she swiftly stepped to the side so his staff miss her completely.
"Get back in line Antitheos and learn to take a blow," Wyldon bellowed. Zira stepped back to her original position. Tobit smirked.
"That's right," he whispered. "Antitheos needs to get back into line." Zira glared at him.
"It is Tortall that needs to learn its place," she whispered fiercely back.
Tobit eyes went hard as ice, and he glared at her in anger. His powerful arms lifted the staff and it came down onto Zira's block with all the force in his body.
SNAP. Zira took in a breath sharply, excruciating pain shot through her nerves. She looked down at her hands and saw that one of them was at a strange angle. Tobit looked at her, then dropped his staff and ran over to her.
"Is it broken?" he asked. Zira turned on him eyes like stones.
"Yes," she replied. Her face showed no pain though. Everyone turned towards Tobit and Zira.
"Hillstead! Antitheos! Why have you stopped," Wyldon shouted.
"Zira's wrist broke," Tobit replied, a little embarrassed. He didn't like Zira but she was smaller than he was and he had had no right to let his anger get the better of him. Liam started to clap, and Reese joined in, soon all but Falkin and Jasson were cheering.
"SHUT UP!" Wyldon bellowed. "Everyone get back to work. Hillstead take Antitheos to Duke Nealan to get it fixed." Tobit beckoned to Zira and they slowly walked up the hill to the palace together.