Thank you for the review! I'm hoping to get a few more with this new chapter

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Walking through the gates beside Alanna, Daine, Kel and the Queen reassured Lera somehow. They had all, with the exception of Thayet and Daine, bee through the nervousness of being accepted into a crowd of over-hyper men. The rod iron door swung open to reveal a sturdy looking young man. His flaming orange hair and large nose signified Lioness blood. Without hesitation, Thom hurtled himself forward into his mother. Alanna laughed, hugged her son and said "Thom, I still wonder why you didn't become a knight" she pretended to double over in pain. Thom laughed loudly and replied "Mama, you know that I love horses too much to use them against their will!" Alanna cut him of. Looking at Lera she said "Don't let him get started, he goes on for hours, and ignores everyone who tells him if these blasted animals didn't want to be here, they wouldn't stay!'".

Lera smiled warmly at Thom, who smiled back. He was several years older than her, but by the looks of it, was at the same level of maturity.

As they walked past, Thom told her "Your father has headed back home, he left a man called Simon here as your manservant. Simon brought your beast in here a while ago".

Nodding a thanks to him, Lera walked up the huge oak doors that led into the great hall.

Her knees almost buckled, she had to use the last of her strength to keep from that embarrassment.

Alanna briefly explained that Herself, Keladry, Daine and Thayet were not permitted to enter with her and that she had to turn left and go to a small room labelled registration to get her key and room number.

The silence of aloneness pressed on Lera's ears. She entered the cafeteria/great hall and found it empty. That's a relief, she thought. Then immediately got mad at herself for letting something intimidate her.

Truth be told, she was terrified that she would do so horribly compared to the men that they would kick her out of the school. She wasn't really strong and she didn't fight a lot and she couldn't ride worth mud. True, back home she was better at arching that her father, but she could barely lift his sword.

She didn't know whether she had the gift or not, she definitely didn't have wild magic though.

Slipping down the hallway, her footsteps echoed through the silence. She neared the door way. Knocking three times as it instructed, she watched the top half of the door swung inwards, leaving the bottom half across the doorway. A half door, how funny, Lera thought.

"My name is Selda. I make your bed, and clean the floors. It isn't up to me to keep your room clean. If you decide to hire a maid, she or he will be your responsibility. If they run away then you will have to find her or him." She rummaged through some drawers and cupboards till she found a small silver key on a gold chain. "There are only two copies of this key. This one, and one that I have to let me into your room to clean it. Just whisper your name and it will unlock, it wont work for anyone but yourself" with a scurried movement, she handed the key to Lera and shut the half door.

Lera was confused, but read the paper attached to the key and walked down the hallway until she found it. Inserting the key into the lock, she whispered "Lera" A red fire shot out from the door and mildly shocked Lera's hand. She bit her lip the stop a yell of pain. She wasn't good at holding in pain. Trying again, she whispered "Leralinda-Quirana". The door swung open. She walked inside. The room was much like the room at the prancing pony, but the floor wasn't carpeted and the bed was slightly more comfortable looking. Lera also noticed that the blankets weren't scratchy.

Trying to stay calm but finding it impossible, with the over whelmed feeling she was experiencing.

She opened the closet door to her change room and walked in. It was a spacey room, roughly half the size of her other room. Her garments were hanging of hooks in the shelves. She reached for one. She had not yet tried them one. Pulling the breeches over her legs, she felt oddly satisfied with them. Buttoning up her blouse and slipping her blue tunic over top of it, she straightened her collar and tied her shoes. Her hair still fell halfway down her neck. She grabbed it and drew it back. Darn, she thought, too short to braid. Settling for a low ponytail. She tied it off with a piece of wet cloth.

Hearing a knock on the door she bustled out into the hallway. There was a line-up of third and fourth year pages there. Directed by a young man. She looked down the hall. Seven new pages. She counted the older pages. Nine. Two would be "page" less.

The Young Confident man spoke "Hello new Pages welcome to our Palace. I'm Headmaster Padraig. I am here to give you a sponsor. Your sponsor will show you around and assure that you don't get lost."

He held up a list an slowly moved it from his face to focus. Once that task was complete he didn't hesitate to yell out the names of Pages and their new sponsors.

" David of Karat" he called out as a short blond haired new boy stepped forwards.

" Stuart of HollyRose your sponsor" Stuart strode out, shook David's hand and they walked down the hallway together.

Lera began to sweat as their numbers became fewer and fewer. Soon there were only three new pages and five seniors.

Lera caught her breath "Leralinda-Quirana of Sharta" he called out.

Glancing nervously down the line Padraig called out

"Carlyn of GoldenLake, your sponsor" Carlyn didn't look at all resentful towards her. Her actually looked keen. It made her uncomfortable.

With the last person called out " Jeremy of Jesslaw"

And his sponsor a friend of Carlyn's, Logan, a Bazir. Everyone headed towards the Cafeteria. Carlyn seemed to be staring at Lera. She glanced sharply at him and said "Well, are we going, or not?"

He shook his head and walked down the hall. Stopping after a few meters to call back to her "Come on"

She trotted after him, feeling rather uncomfortable. As it turned out, Carlyn was really funny. He was really easy going and laid back, and after the first few minutes when the ice were broken. Lera and Carlyn really hit it off and they were both just talking about normal things. It turns out that they even have the same birthday.

When they finished eating their porridge, Carlyn led Lera into a classroom. Everyone was sitting attentively, She thought, Oh No! everyone is attentive and smart. But after a fat man waddled out and announced the History class. Lera soon found it really difficult to think of any thing besides history. Sir Myles, as he called himself, was incredible interesting, and He was Alanna's, blood bound step father.

Lera was thrilled all through class. Myles even let them out two minutes early so that they could get a drink from the pond before Language arts class.

"Come on" Carlyn said "Lets go meet some of my friends" Leading the way to his friends Carlyn stopped in front of a rather large group of people and the Pages they sponsored. Lera saw David of Karat and Jeremy of Jesslaw. She smiled nervously and stuck close to Carlyn. Stuart of HollyRose and Logan of the SunRacers ( A Bazir tribe) were standing with Carlyn all joking and laughing. Lera edged up beside Carlyn and his friends and smiled. They all looked at her interestedly. Again she felt uncomfortable. Carlyn noticed too and said " Guys, chill" he was serious. She smiled gratefully at him. He had obviously gotten over the fact that she was pretty and just wanted to be her friend. Soon all of the men; Stuart, Logan, Carlyn, David and Jeremy were all friends although, Stuart and Lera had several disagreement, as friendly as they may seem, Stuart and Lera had grown a little further apart in their closely knit circle of friends. Lera, she was just happy to have been accepted into their circle in the first place, maybe someday, she would sponsor a girl.