Jaina got up and got ready. She and Kel sat around for about a minute then when Roald came. "Hi." He said, being careful not to look into Jaina's eyes.
"Hi." She said, also not looking into his eyes.
They headed down to breakfast, both being careful to keep in conversation with other people. Jaina also headed to her morning classes in a crowd, so she was with Roald but she didn't have to look him in the eye.
Jaina made sure she answered all the questions she could correctly, she observed as good decorum as possible. Obi-Wan had been right though, she noticed, they made things harder on her then on other pages. What made all this bearable for Jaina was Neal's humor. She didn't know how she would've gotten through it all without him. She really couldn't talk to Roald at this point, the wound was too fresh, and she knew she'd break out if she did. Now was when she was feeling all alone. Back home she had Jacen to talk to.
"Page Jaina." A voice broke through her reverie.
Uh oh, she thought. She rose up respectfully. "Yes, Master Oakbridge."
"What is the proper way to bow to a Countess."
Phew, she thought, an easy one. The bows and decorum here were similar to the Senex, the old monarchy planets in The Galaxy, and her mother had taught her all of them. Jaina bowed gracefully.
Master Oakbridge was pleased. "Exceptionally fine work."
"That was a first." Kel mouthed to her. "Way to go."
Jaina survived all of her classes. Oh sure a lot of people teased her, she had a weird accent, she dressed differently, and just random stuff. But she didn't listen. She remembered that she was here on a mission. Jaina practiced really hard. Every free moment she had, which weren't many, she practiced the new style of fighting and new weapons. The weapons were so archaic. Especially in terms of what they were made out of. One thing Jaina had to be careful of was not breaking them. She didn't want to explain to them about the weapons in her galaxy, A. because it wasn't her place to elevate these people from before iron age up to her galaxy's age. B. Some conservatives would start calling her a demon.
Jaina was doing her morning practice when she heard a knock on the door, it was Kel. "Come on in." Jaina said.
Jaina continued practicing. "You are doing very well." Kel said
Thank you." Jaina said, blushing.
"Jaina." Kel said, a weird note showing through in her voice.
"Yes." Jaina said, hearing the note.
"You are amazing."
"Not anymore than you."
"Jaina, you came to a new realm. Learned new fighting techniques, new everything and mastered them in such a short time."
"It was the will of the force."
"The what?"
"Nevermind. Let's just go to class."
And through all of this practice the first week passed quickly. At the last day of the week at weapons practice.
"If
any of the third years can hit the quintan at the center I will be amazed. But
you first years, give it a go as well."
Many boys failed at the task. Then
it was Jaina's turn, she smiled grimly. This is what she needed for Lord Wyldon
to have to capitulate. She whispered to her horse. "Come on, honey, come on. We
need to prove this to them."
Jaina galloped her horse really fast. She had been practicing; she knew she could do it. A moment later she hit it. Everyone stood his or her mouth open. Except for her friends, who were cheering. "My Lord." She said to Lord Wyldon. "I think I upheld my end of the deal."
Lord Wyldon grinded his teeth. "So you did."
Jaina smiled at him, "Thank you." She said. Then she walked to her friends stepping triumphantly. "What was that about?" Keladry asked.
"The deal his Lordship and I made." Jaina said. "To see whether I'd prove myself in a week or not. Well, I just did."
"Jaina, you have taken this palace by storm." Nealan said.
"Understatement." Roald said, joining in the conversation for the first time.
He gave Jaina a small smile. But even that small smile made her heart flip flop, and made her desire to run into those arms…. Stop it, Jaina told herself trying to shake herself out of it. But she really couldn't easily. "I have to go… change." She said, slightly lamely. "I will meet you all back here soon."
"Hurry." Neal urged.
"I will." Jaina promised. She rushed to her room and did a quick meditation. She cursed herself, Jedi have more control. Jedi are supposed to have full control over their emotions. They don't let a little thing like infatuations rule them. She calmed herself down hurriedly then headed out.
"What took you so long, we need to do some class work." Neal said, fussily.
"Sorry, MOTHER." Jaina said, jokingly. But right as she said the word mother she started feeling homesick for her mother, father, Jacen, Anakin, Uncle Luke, Winter, artoo and even Threepio.
"What's the matter, Jaina?" Roald asked, noting her silence.
"Nothing." She said, forcing a smile to her face.
Kel put her hands on her hips. "Funny type of nothing. What is the matter."
"Just a bit homesick." Jaina admitted.
Everyone, except for Owen, paused to give Jaina a hug. "Stop treating her like a girl." Owen protested.
Everyone ignored him. "Thanks you guys." Jaina said, her eyes a bit teary.
"Can we get back to finishing our work?" Owen complained.
Jaina laughed. "Fine with me."
They all started working again. They worked quickly. Jaina had figured out a simple trick to avoid most punishment work, with Kel's help. And it had kept all of them sane.
The next day as Jaina went to all her classes she noticed that people were giving her and her friends, except Roald of course, weird looks. She sighed, what is it now?
At lunch she asked her friends. "What is up?"
"I have been trying to figure that out." Kel said.
"Let's just wait it out." Neal said. "These people get distracted and over it quickly."
But when it hadn't stopped the next week. "I am going to use some royal influence to figure out what's going on." Roald said.
Everyone looked at Roald in surprise; the heir didn't like to use royal influence. "Nothing really open." He said, shrugging. "Just asking the servants and stuff. That should be enough. It's gone on long enough."
Roald was as good as his word; the next evening he had results. "I had results earlier, but I wanted to wait until evening when we were all 'free'."
"So what are they?" Owen snapped.
Roald sighed. "The fact that we haven't had much substantial punishment work in so long. They think we have a spell helping us, or something."
"That's dumb!!!!!!" Jaina cried. "Just because we figured out a way to get most of our work done?"
"We will have to let ourselves keep some work undone." Kel said.
"No." Roald said. "That would backfire. People would think, oh they are just lazing off, and the teachers would be displeased. We need to think of another way."
After a few minutes of musing. "I've got it." Faleron said. "We 'accidentally' let slip our method."
"Give our secrets to the enemy?" Neal said, cynical as usual.
"They aren't our enemy. And I agree with Faleron." Kel said.
"As do I." Jaina said.
Neal looked around and saw himself outnumbered. "All right." He sighed.
"How do we do it?" Roald asked.
They thought. "I've got it. At the evening meal, we talk too loudly about it." Owen said.
"Good idea." Neal said, unexpectedly. "And that can be staged so it isn't very obvious."
"I am glad that we all agree." Kel said, after looking at everyone. "Just remember, you can't give Jaina, me, credit for it."
"But you two came up with it." Seaver protested.
"But then they will think it is a sorcerers trick." Jaina said.
"That's dumb." Owen complained.
Jaina didn't disagree, but that was how the world worked.
Then the bell for the meal rang. "Let's do it." They said.
At the meal. "That was an
ingenious thing K-I mean, Merric came up with up with the ide3
Up with the idea." Owen said, a bit to loudly.
Neal nudged him. "That's too obvious." He whispered.
Owen quieted his voice a bit as he told everyone how they'd been avoiding punishment work by finishing most of their assigned work.
Jaina did something she hadn't done really since she'd come to Tortall, do a force sense check, she was relieved by what she found. Most people had bought it, and were mesmerized by it, the expected people were skeptical, Joren and his crowd.