Lera woke the next morning feeling fresh. She yawned and sat up. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she walked over to the door, that was currently being knocked on. Cranking it wide open, she forgot completely that she wore only a white night gown.

"Yes" she asked sleepily. Carlyn just stared at her. "Wha-" she said looking down at herself. She squeaked and slammed the door in his face. Almost crying, she grabbed her garments and ran hurriedly into the dressing room. Carlyn knocked on her bedroom door and called "Lera, can I come in?"

Pervert, Lera thought. No, this was Carlyn he wasn't like that. "Yes, but leave the door open, you know the rules" Like Keladry, before Her, The door had to be open when a boy was in her room, or when she was in the room of a boy.

" So, yesterday we got only a half a day because it was first day back. History and Language arts. Today we get the works" Carlyn rambled on.

He wasn't really good at being smart, Lera thought. She held a giggle in. "So, we get all of our classes today?" she asked excitedly.

"You wont be so Happy-Go-Lucky after tilting class" he said sarcastically.

Lera blushed and emerged from the dressing room in her palace uniform. Carlyn blushed too, he cuffed her shoulder " Don't ever do that to me again" he said "That was scary".

She growled at him and hit him back.

~

In the practice yards that afternoon, Lera and the other first year pages stood in a line up, the second, third and fourth year pages; which includes Carlyn, stood in another line.

They each walked up to the bucket of wooden swords one at a time and pulled one out of the bucket. Then they walked back to their place. Turning to face their older opponent. They raised their swords. "Copy me" Ezkon said. Ezkon was the son of the old training person. He raised hi wooden sword and the pages followed the suit. "First year pages block" he barked.

Lera raised her sword. She met Logan's, her partner's, eyes. He thudded his sword against hers. She thought he was being nice to her because she was a girl, so she put some pressure into her block, he sensed it and smiled. His next blow was harder. She smiled, Ah competition, she thought.

( This is not part of the story, but I made a mistake before, she is good at sword fighting and arching, but nothing else)

Lera put her weight into her blocks, soon they got carried away. Lera moved out of line and so did Logan, he advanced, she blocked, he tried a swing to the left, she blocked it and stabbed for his throat. His sword knocked hers away, right before it hit. He smiled, She glared playfully, "I almost had you" she whispered. He nodded.

He whacked her elbow hard, she switched hands and put her right arm behind her back. She lunged in and poked his stomach, he doubled over. She laughed and walked over to him, by now they had attracted a crowd. He wheezed, then suddenly jumped up. Lera was ready and she blocked him, barely. He lunged in and smacked her shoulder with his sword. She glared and whacked his throat with hers. He grabbed his neck and started laughing "I forfeit" he cried. She smiled, but not for long. Ezkon strode in and yelled "what is this? Back in line Now pages"

~

Lera neared the riding ring edgily. She was no good at riding.

Ezkon was there again, he yelled at her " Get a move on Page, we haven't got all day!"

Lera walking into the stable and greeted her horse. She stroked his back "Hi, Faithful" she whispered, are you going to be nice?" he looked at her oddly. She smiled. Grabbing the tack off of the wall, she saddled Faithful. Cinching his girth tightly, she put one foot in the stirrup and tried to swing up. She ended up hanging from the saddle, one leg over it, upside- down. She was about to cry when she felt a strong hand lift her up onto the saddle. Wiping unwanted tears from her face, she looked down. A dark haired man stood there. He smiled at her. Offering hand, he said "Welcome to the palace. I'm Drailin, Stephan's assistant" Lera thanked him silently for ignoring her "difficulty" with mounting.

Trotting out to the courtyard, Lera watched a few others emerge from the stable, a-horse. She noted that Carlyn was a natural at riding. Ezkon even used him to demonstrate tilting for the first years.

Lera grabbed a lance, it was rather light and she could hold it up. Crossing it over her saddle horn, she pointed it at the quintain. Kicking Faithful down the run, she pointed her lance ahead of her. As she neared the quintain, she closed her eyes and pointed her lance. She felt it hit. It jarred her against the back of her saddle. She would have a bruise on her tailbone now.

Suddenly, without warning her face hit the back of her horse's neck. Her chin throbbed and the quintain stilled. She had been hit by the sand bag.

~

Later on that day, after classes and homework, Lera stood admiring the bruises she had picked up over the day: a nice purple one on her chin, a green yellow one on her tailbone, a nice dark plum coloured one on her shoulder and a light purple one on her elbow. She heard a bell sound in the distance. She hated that bell. It was quiet time now. No more practicing. Study room time.

~

Lera was on her way to the bathroom during study time when a short, stocky boy rounded the corner and slammed into her, knocking her down.

"Ouch" she mumbled, as she rubbed her behind. She stood up and looked at the blond torpedo.

He offered a hand and smiled brightly. "Gerald of Cavalla" he said , "But you can call me Gerry"

Lera offered a hand " Lera of Sharta" He looked her up and down. "Golly, your pretty" he said. She blushed and said "Thanks, come to our study group with me okay". The blond boy nodded and they walked off to the library.

Lera completely forgot about her need to empty her bladder and walked back to the library again. She shook her head when they arrived and turned tail. Trotting down the hall, she rounded the very same corner again and ran strait into another boy. This just keeps getting better and better, she thought as she stood up. The second she was standing up, she received a very painfully blow to the head. She felt her cheek bone crush underneath the power of the blow. She cried out and looked up through her working eye, the other one had instantly swollen up because of the blow.

A tall lean looking second year page stood in front of her. He had light brown hair that was drawn back in a ponytail behind his neck. His cold grey eyes looked her over. A glare touched his face. He had an icy voice that matched his white pasty flesh " I am Saban of StoneMountain, son of the sister of Joren of StoneMountain. Let me make it clear to you that my only concern with you is to drive you back to were you belong. Your kitchen."

Lera felt her anger rising under her skin. Any second it would cause her skin to boil, then she would explode.

Saban kicked her hard in the ribs. She winced and bit her cheek. Bad move, for when he punched her in the face, she bit down hard. Blood gushed into her mouth, she spat. Blood splattered Saban's face. Lera tried to throw in a punch, but ended up just running into Saban. He fell over. She leapt on him and attempted to hurt him. She scratched his face. Red welts spread were she had lightly grazed his skin. He pounded her in the collarbone. She stood up and kicked him in the face, and bruised his eye.

The sound of footsteps made Saban drop her hair. Padraig looked sharply at them and said "My office! Now!"

Oh great, Lera thought, a punishment and a new bruised collarbone.

~

Well how do you like it? Strange, you guys read it faster than I write it so please don't complain that it takes too long for me to write a chapter!!!!! thank you (