"Well, that did it." Roald said the next day. "I checked and all the rumors have mostly stopped."
Jaina gave everyone a thumbs-up. "Well, it worked." She said. Then she noticed Kel's slightly sad face. "What is it, Kel." She asked.
"We have to come up with another way to convince everyone we are good enough to be knights." Kel said.
Jaina shrugged. "They have to give us credit for coming up with it, plus, we can do it just be our excellence in military skills."
"You are such a bright optimist." Neal said.
"You go towards what you focus on." Jaina said.
"If that was true, Neal would be dead." Kel said.
"He isn't?" Jaina teased.
Neal put on a face of mock misery. "Everyone gangs up on me."
Everyone laughed, but Jaina saw exactly how much Neal looked like her dad when he did that. She really missed her dad, she had great friends here, and her own identity, but what she didn't have was her own family, Jacen, Anakin, her dad, mom, and uncle Luke and Chewie.
"Jaina, what is it?" Roald asked.
"Nothing." She said, not quite truthfully.
Roald knew what was wrong though. He gave her a comforting smile. Kel looked between the two of them. She cleared her throat. "Listen, you know we have to get back to work." She knew something was going on, she just didn't know what she could do about it.
"You are right." Jaina said, and she resumed working.
The next few months passed uneventfully. Soon it was time to close up for the summer. Jaina seemed to get more depressed as the summer came. She saw it, and tried to do calming exercises, but nothing worked.
"Jaina, what is the matter?" Kel asked.
"Nothing." Jaina said.
"That is not true and you know it. We all see it, you are depressed."
"Nothing." Jaina insisted again.
But Kel persisted.
"Homesick, and feeling out of place." She admitted at last.
"Why do you feel out of place?" Kel asked, taken aback, she had thought that Jaina was fitting in really well.
"Where am I going to go for summer break?" She asked, tears starting to flow.
Kel was quiet, she'd suggest that Jaina could come with her, but she wasn't sure if her parents had enough money available to pay for another person. That's silly, she thought to herself, she'd explain the situation to them.
But before she said anything Roald, who'd been listening at the door, said. "You are invited to stay with us at the summer palace. You will enjoy it, Jaina. I already asked, and they said of course."
Kel didn't follow through with her invitation then, she knew it would be good for Jaina to stay with Roald.
"Thank you." Jaina said, wiping her tears. "That is very kind."
"Hey," Roald said, "you are my friend, there is no kindness involved, just friendship."
"There, now that's settled. Can we see a smile." Kel asked.
Jaina smiled a watery smile. "I am sorry for crying, I haven't cried like this is since I was little."
"It is ok." Kel and Roald assured her.
Neal walked in then, saving everyone from any more deep conversations about the topic. "So." He drawled. "Is everyone here looking forward to the end of this mad camp and beginning of summer?"
"Yes." Kel said.
and soon it was the morning of the big exams. Jaina awoke early and was basically ready when Roald came by. He knocked. Jaina made sure she was perfectly dressed than she opened the door. "What's up." She casually asked, trying not to notice how perfect he looked.
"Neal said he'd check on Kel and I should check on you and make sure you are on time. Let's go. We'd better be 10 minutes early on Neal will go crazy."
"Why is Neal so uptight?" Jaina asked.
"Lord Wyldon, as you know, is very strict about timeliness. If you are even a bit late he will make you repeat years. I think Neal will already be pacing when we get there."
True enough the first thing Jaina saw was a pacing Neal. He ran over to them right as he saw them and took charge.
To Jaina's surprise everyone passed. "That was easy." She told Neal later.
"They have to be easy enough that even a noble with ogre blood could pass." Neal said.
"Ogre's only sound dumb you know, they are smart." Kel said.
"I know. I am so shallow I don't know why I don't reflect myself." Neal said. Everyone groaned.
"Neal, trust me. You aren't shallow I have seen shallow." Jaina said, thinking of Raynar, who was extremely shallow. "At least not most of the time."
"Aww. Look, someone who defends me." Neal said.
"Always." Jaina said, smiling.
The 4 friends went laughing to the meal, where there was a special treat for the graduating class.
But after the happiness of passing the tests faded both Jaina and Kel remembered that they were on probation. Wyldon could decide not to let them come back.
Kel showed Jaina the letter from her family, "I couldn't stand being here if I wasn't coming back." Kel confided. "If, ha, when he kicks me out I am going to ask to be sent home to Anders."
Jaina sighed. "I am not even going to think about that. I don't know where I would go."
"You could probably stay with Kalasin." Kel said.
"And train to be a princess? No thanks. I might then go and sign up as a Queen's Rider. But let's not worry until we know for sure." Jaina said, but she could sense her friend was sinking into depression.
"Let's go practice." Jaina suggested, knowing physical exercise would cheer her friend up.
The next morning Wyldon called both girls to his office. "I am going to talk to you as I would to my daughters. I recommend that both of you reconsider your bid for knighthood over the summer."
"But we will be allowed to return." Kel asked cautiously.
"I recommend that you reconsider." Wyldon repeated.
"But we will be allowed to return." Jaina asked.
"Yes." Wyldon said, saying it as though saying those words pained him.
"Thank you, my lord." Both girls said in tandem, bowing.
"Yes!!" they said giving each other hugs.
"What?" Roald said coming out, Neal close behind.
"We can stay!"
"There was a doubt about that?" Neal asked. "The stump couldn't have justified not letting you come back."
"People can always justify it." Jaina said wisely. "Especially since Lord Wyldon has such backing and people are so scared of Kel and me."
"You guys are so good that it would be hard." Neal still argued.
"Politics." Roald said. "It could've been politicked though you are right, it would've been hard considering the merits of these two."
"Guys, we have to pack." Kel said as the bell went off. "We are all leaving soon."
They went and packed. Jaina was done quickly; she had hardly anything to pack. Then she went and helped Kel pack. Roald came in soon. "Hi, Kel. Jaina, father said to tell you that we will leave an hour after the last page leaves. Are you all packed?"
"Yes." Jaina said.
Then Salma came in. "Kel, your father is here to get you."
Kel said her farewell to everyone in the room, and all of her friends not in the room and left. Slowly all the pages and squires left.
After they had Roald took Jaina to his family's personal quarters. "We are here." He called.
Jaina noticed how much he relaxed when he was in his family's personal quarters. She suspected it had something to do with the fact that he felt freer here, then in the world where everyone wanted to know him just because he was the heir and everyone expected so much of him.
"Are you and Jaina packed?" Thayet asked?
"Yes."