Kel stood up abruptly from her homework. She looked around at the others in the room and cleared her throat. "I think that I need to clear my head a bit," she explained, walking out the door.

Neal groaned. "I suppose that means the rest of us do too..."

Kel scowled at him. "I never asked for your help, Neal, so you can just continue your homework if that is what you would prefer."

"And let you risk the hallways alone? What kind of brave knight in training would I be if I allowed a damsel to walk straight into distress?" he inquired, a smirk taking residence on his face.

Merric snorted. "Walk into distress? You mean cause distress, don't you?"

"Well, that too," Neal amended. "Anyway, let's get this over with."

Kel rolled her eyes as she led the 'study group' out of the room to patrol the halls. It was a habit she'd picked up in her first year as a page and through the years she had continued it with the help of her friends.

"Maybe we'll find Roald while we're out here," Merric pointed out. "He can't hide from us too long, can he?"

"Well, your stench does give him a bit of a warning," Neal teased, grinning at his own joke.

"The whole bickering thing isn't so helpful during patrols, guys," Kel told the group impatiently.

"It's not like it matters, Kel. We haven't found anyone on a patrol in months, years maybe," Neal stated.

"It's still rather exciting, though," Owen put in.

"Well, I just found something," Merric announced, pointing into the great hall. There the other spotted Roald leading two adolescents through the castle, giving what was obviously a tour as he stopped to explain about the painting that resided there.

"Well now," Neal commented, suddenly seeming interested that they had ventured from his room. "What do we have here."

"Looks like they're important," Kel commented, studying their dress and manor.

"Wont find out unless we ask," Owen decided.

"Owen!" Kel hissed, but it was lost on him as he hurried over to meet the newcomers, ignoring page protocol.

"Best keep him out of trouble," Merric insisted, following closely.

Neal shrugged, grabbed Kel's hand and walked after the others.

Roald almost groaned when he saw Owen coming and tried to motion him away. Owen was known for his less-than-tactful behavior.

Owen grinned and shook his head, continuing in his path. "Roald, wont you be a good chap and introduce me to your friends?"

Roald sighed. "Of course," he replied. "Owen may I introduce to you Trent and Amalia of Molonia. Trent, Amalia may I introduce to you Nealean , Owen, Merric, and Keladry. They are all pages that stay here for training."

As soon as the formalities had concluded everyone stood together in uncomfortable silence, staring at each other. No one seemed to want to be the first to speak, though it was obvious that both parties sought more information than that which they had been given.

After an awkward few moments, Owen finally spoke up. "So, what are you here for?" he questioned, bluntly.

Trent looked Owen up and down, calculatingly, without answering. Amalia, the seemingly friendlier of the two, elbowed him in the ribs before grinning and answering, "I'm to be a lady in waiting for Her Majesty. My older, slightly protective," she paused to glare pointedly at Trent, "tagged along to make sure I was settled in to his liking."

"I was showing the both of them around while the Lord and Lady of Molonia spoke of terms with mother and father," Roald continued.

"Well that's just." Owen began.

"Jolly, we know," Nealan cut in.

Owen bestowed him with a glare, at being embarrassed in front of the guests, one of which was particularly attractive to the present pages.

Amalia's long straight dark brown hair was plaited down her back, with crimson ribbons intertwined with it. She had bright blue eyes that seemed to shine with mischievousness, especially when teasing her brother. She was slender, though fairly muscular with a tall frame that seemed to rival even Kel's height. She carried herself as a well brought up lady, though seemed to make it seem natural and gave off an easy air that seemed to put everyone at ease around her.

Trent, however, was almost an exact opposite. In appearance they were similar enough, though Trent was taller and at a second glance it was obvious that his eyes were an icier blue than Amalia's. Also, as much as Amalia put everyone at ease, Trent had the exact opposite affect and made almost everyone uncomfortable.

"Well, we were just going to continue our tour." Roald began after clearing his throat, hoping his friends would catch the hint.

Kel did, and nodded. "We were on our way to." she began.

"Why don't you join us?" Amalia inquired. "I'd love to start meeting new people. After all, this will be my home for a while."

"We'd love to!" Neal agreed, enthusiastically. He eagerly fell into stop with her and started chatting about the knowledge that castle inhabitants needed to know in order to survive.

The tour of the castle continued, though Roald was no longer leading it. Neal, Owen and Merric had taken charge in showing Amalia the ins and outs while Kel, stood with them remaining silent. Roald and Trent followed them, walking in silence, neither enjoying small talk or gossip.

After a short time, Amalia noticed that Kel had been quiet the entire time. Amalia then maneuvered herself to walk beside Kel in order to strike up a conversation.

"So, you're a page, right?" Amalia inquired, looking extremely interested.

"Yes," Kel answered, shortly. She wasn't intending it to sound rude but she feared that it did. "I am a page," she added a few moments afterwards.

"I'm jealous," Amalia admitted. "It must be wonderful to be able to do whatever you want like that."

Kel smiled wryly, thinking of her taxing schedule, the gossip about her, and the number of beatings she'd received since arriving at the palace. "Something like that," she agreed.

"We'll definitely have to talk about that in detail when we have the time. I want to know everything about it. I was so excited when I heard there was another girl trying to be a knight," Amalia informed her.

"Are you excited in knights?" Owen inquired. "Because I could tell you plenty of stories."

"Fascinated," Amalia admitted. "I'd never have the courage to become one myself but I thoroughly enjoy most activities that are included in the daily life of knights. I think I was the only girl back home that begged for a wooden sword instead of dolls."

Trent snorted from behind her.

Amalia grinned at him while trying to muster a glare. "He's just upset because I'm more manly then he'll ever be."

Trent raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

Owen looked back and forth between Amalia and Trent before abruptly asking, "Does he talk?"

Amalia burst out laughing while Trent raised his eyebrow yet again.

"Not too much around strangers," Amalia answered.

Owen sent one more strange look Trent's way, before nodding in understanding.

"So where were we? Oh yes, I really am hoping you can tell me about what it's like to be a girl and a page, Keladry. I think hearing those stories might assist me in maintaining my sanity here," Amalia added.

"Why?" Kel inquired.

"I don't know. I just don't think being a lady in waiting to the Queen of Tortall is exactly my dream job. In my experience, ladies seem to be more brain dead than the thread that they spend half their lives embroidering."

"Well, you obviously are new to this castle," Neal stated. "I can promise you that Her Majesty will have more exciting activities in store for you than intelligence competitions with inanimate objects. She's as much of a fighter as Alanna, the Lady Knight, herself."

"Excuse me, Milady, but it's getting late and we should return now," Roald interrupted.

"Of course," Amalia agreed, quickly. "I hope I will see you all around the castle, soon," she added, looking at the pages around her.

"Oh, soon enough you'll be dying to escape them," Roald informed her, showing the first sign of relaxation and joking the entire day.

"You know you love us," Owen insisted, grinning.

Roald suspiciously changed the subject without confirmation of Owen's statement, in a joking fashion of course. "So, may I escort you back?" he requested of Trent and Amalia.

They nodded, and followed Roald back to where their parents were.

~* ~ * ~ *~ Kay, that's all, so lemme know if I should keep writing or cut my losses and quit now, okay?