Yuri was worked every day from then until early summer so hard that she
often fell asleep over her dinner, and had to be shaken awake each morning.
That month, Yuri found herself riding proudly through the palace gates for the first time since she began her page training. It didn't matter to her that no one knew who she was, but she knew that she was here and as a page.
She was with Sir Merric of Hollyrose, a red-haired knight who had been a page at the same time as Lady Keladry. She found him somewhat paranoid about disobeying the king, but he had still agreed to take her.
"Now," he reminded her for the thousandth time since they'd left the north. "You are Page Yancen of Coll. Coll is a small fief in northern Galla where they grow potatoes. You have paged your uncle, Lord Baldwin for the past year, but your parents wanted a more formal, exacting education for you now that you're old enough to travel away from home. I am a distant cousin of yours, related on our mothers' sides. King Jonathan has kindly consented to allow you to take the end of year exams with the Tortallan first year pages, and if you do well enough he is considering letting you join them next year. Understand?"
"Yes, Sir Merric."
With her shortly cropped hair, Yurimi could, and was about to pass as a boy called Yancen. Lady Alanna had proved that it was possible to do this, and Yuri was determined not to fail. Keladry had arranged this for her using some of her many contacts. A great number of these believed that girls could become knights, possibly because they'd been pages with her and seen it proved.
Yuri dismounted in the courtyard outside the stables, and an ostler came to take Cirrus from her as Sir Merric swung out of the saddle of his large war- horse and led her inside. He took her up to the Training Master's study, in a part of the palace Yuri had never been in before. The Training Master, a man called Owen of Jesslaw, looked up from behind huge mounds of paperwork as they entered quietly. He was still quite young to be in a position of such authority, but he was coping very well after his excellent training under Lord Wyldon as a page and squire. Baron Owen smiled secretively at Yurimi.
"Hello Merric, good to see you looking so well," he said addressing the more important visitor first, according to protocol. Then Yuri remembered- Owen was another of Lady Keladry's page friends. Then he turned to her. "You'll be Yancen of Coll? Welcome to the palace. You already know, I believe, the duties of a page? Excellent, no more than I would expect given who has had the training of you. Very well, a servant will show you to your room, and I will see you later." Yuri bowed and straightened. Her eyes widened as Owen, almost imperceptibly, winked at her.
A young serving man was waiting outside the door. He listened to his master's instructions, and led the page to the wing of the palace filled with boys - pages and squires alike. At last, having walked past the curious gazes of Yuri's future contemporaries, they stopped at a room which had 'Yancen of Coll' chalked onto a plaque firmly nailed onto the door. Yuri went in and found her things unpacked already, and waiting for her. Having checked carefully that all was in order and nothing was missing, she changed into her new palace livery of red and gold from the lurid crimson that was supposedly Coll's colour. Then she stepped bravely back out into the rapidly filling corridor outside her room.
At last, Lord Owen arrived, and the pages gathered around him. Yuri remained hesitantly by her door as he strode up the corridor towards her.
"Name and fief?" he asked her briskly, just as if they hadn't met a few minutes ago.
"Yu." Yurimi caught herself just in time and answered clearly, "Yancen of Coll, my lord."
"Who will sponsor Page Yancen?"
"I will, my lord," a boy said. Yuri could see a disruption as he pushed his way towards the front.
"Very well, young Trebond. Yancen, your sponsor keeps you from getting too lost, and is responsible for you until you learn your own way around. I think Danil will be a good choice for you. You others can all go and eat now."
There was immediately a general rush for the stairs. Boys of that age always seemed to be hungry, especially with their regime. The boy from Trebond who had spoken earlier, wormed his way through at last as the scrum- like crowd thinned.
"Danil of Trebond," he introduced himself. Yuri looked up and gasped as she met a startling clash of fiery hair and purple eyes.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm, uh, Yancen of Coll."
"This is my friend," Danil said, indicating a boy behind him. "Alanna of Masbolle."
"Alan please," the girl said, wincing. Yuri felt a bit embarrassed - she of all people should have spotted Keladry's tomboy daughter. She did look like a boy, though. Yuri eyed her closely - they were cousins of a sort. She was the same age as Danil and Yurimi, but slightly taller than both of them. Her dark brown hair was closely cropped and she had her mother's hazel eyes.
The pair took Yuri down to dinner, then along to the pages' library, although there were no assignments of course since it was so close to the exams. Even when they weren't working, the library had become a meeting place of a sort for the quieter pages who were happy just to sit and talk. A small number had been banned, because they weren't trusted near the books, but Alan and Danil weren't among them.
That month, Yuri found herself riding proudly through the palace gates for the first time since she began her page training. It didn't matter to her that no one knew who she was, but she knew that she was here and as a page.
She was with Sir Merric of Hollyrose, a red-haired knight who had been a page at the same time as Lady Keladry. She found him somewhat paranoid about disobeying the king, but he had still agreed to take her.
"Now," he reminded her for the thousandth time since they'd left the north. "You are Page Yancen of Coll. Coll is a small fief in northern Galla where they grow potatoes. You have paged your uncle, Lord Baldwin for the past year, but your parents wanted a more formal, exacting education for you now that you're old enough to travel away from home. I am a distant cousin of yours, related on our mothers' sides. King Jonathan has kindly consented to allow you to take the end of year exams with the Tortallan first year pages, and if you do well enough he is considering letting you join them next year. Understand?"
"Yes, Sir Merric."
With her shortly cropped hair, Yurimi could, and was about to pass as a boy called Yancen. Lady Alanna had proved that it was possible to do this, and Yuri was determined not to fail. Keladry had arranged this for her using some of her many contacts. A great number of these believed that girls could become knights, possibly because they'd been pages with her and seen it proved.
Yuri dismounted in the courtyard outside the stables, and an ostler came to take Cirrus from her as Sir Merric swung out of the saddle of his large war- horse and led her inside. He took her up to the Training Master's study, in a part of the palace Yuri had never been in before. The Training Master, a man called Owen of Jesslaw, looked up from behind huge mounds of paperwork as they entered quietly. He was still quite young to be in a position of such authority, but he was coping very well after his excellent training under Lord Wyldon as a page and squire. Baron Owen smiled secretively at Yurimi.
"Hello Merric, good to see you looking so well," he said addressing the more important visitor first, according to protocol. Then Yuri remembered- Owen was another of Lady Keladry's page friends. Then he turned to her. "You'll be Yancen of Coll? Welcome to the palace. You already know, I believe, the duties of a page? Excellent, no more than I would expect given who has had the training of you. Very well, a servant will show you to your room, and I will see you later." Yuri bowed and straightened. Her eyes widened as Owen, almost imperceptibly, winked at her.
A young serving man was waiting outside the door. He listened to his master's instructions, and led the page to the wing of the palace filled with boys - pages and squires alike. At last, having walked past the curious gazes of Yuri's future contemporaries, they stopped at a room which had 'Yancen of Coll' chalked onto a plaque firmly nailed onto the door. Yuri went in and found her things unpacked already, and waiting for her. Having checked carefully that all was in order and nothing was missing, she changed into her new palace livery of red and gold from the lurid crimson that was supposedly Coll's colour. Then she stepped bravely back out into the rapidly filling corridor outside her room.
At last, Lord Owen arrived, and the pages gathered around him. Yuri remained hesitantly by her door as he strode up the corridor towards her.
"Name and fief?" he asked her briskly, just as if they hadn't met a few minutes ago.
"Yu." Yurimi caught herself just in time and answered clearly, "Yancen of Coll, my lord."
"Who will sponsor Page Yancen?"
"I will, my lord," a boy said. Yuri could see a disruption as he pushed his way towards the front.
"Very well, young Trebond. Yancen, your sponsor keeps you from getting too lost, and is responsible for you until you learn your own way around. I think Danil will be a good choice for you. You others can all go and eat now."
There was immediately a general rush for the stairs. Boys of that age always seemed to be hungry, especially with their regime. The boy from Trebond who had spoken earlier, wormed his way through at last as the scrum- like crowd thinned.
"Danil of Trebond," he introduced himself. Yuri looked up and gasped as she met a startling clash of fiery hair and purple eyes.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm, uh, Yancen of Coll."
"This is my friend," Danil said, indicating a boy behind him. "Alanna of Masbolle."
"Alan please," the girl said, wincing. Yuri felt a bit embarrassed - she of all people should have spotted Keladry's tomboy daughter. She did look like a boy, though. Yuri eyed her closely - they were cousins of a sort. She was the same age as Danil and Yurimi, but slightly taller than both of them. Her dark brown hair was closely cropped and she had her mother's hazel eyes.
The pair took Yuri down to dinner, then along to the pages' library, although there were no assignments of course since it was so close to the exams. Even when they weren't working, the library had become a meeting place of a sort for the quieter pages who were happy just to sit and talk. A small number had been banned, because they weren't trusted near the books, but Alan and Danil weren't among them.