Hope you enjoy this chapter. Hope you enjoyed the last chapter.
Last Chapter:
Getting changed out of her clothes and into a nightgown, she realised how tired she was a drowsily hopped into bed, but not before saying her prayers.
She fell asleep listening to the fire crackling and the wind howling.
"Jon, she's exactly like her father but Sophia has something that her father didn't. I can't tell what. These Sylverden people know how to hide themselves too well for their own good. I wouldn't even be able to tell if they had the gift, Jon." The mage, Numair Salmalín, told the king then next morning after his run in with the new Lady Page.
Jonathan frowned. "You and I both know, Numair that I can't order them to do anything. Not many people know that Sylverden was never part of our kingdom. It never will be. But the people must not know that. They respect those of Sylverden and the conservatives will take the time to listen to what the Count says even if they don't want to. If Davyd doesn't want us to know something about him or his daughter, then we must accept that." The king said to the most powerful known mage in the world.
"I know you're right Jon but I don't like it one bit. Both of them are radiating a power I don't know of and it's driving me crazy." Numair almost screamed.
"Be calm, Numair. Maybe one day they will trust us enough to tell us but until then we have to make sure that his daughter Sophia will not lose her temper. If I didn't know better I'd say that she is practically the exact replica of her father. And even if you have never experienced it but when The Count gets angry, he gets angry – something that happened a lot I his childhood."
Numair Salmalín nodded resignedly. "I've got to go now. Daine wants to show me something."
Sophie was sleeping peacefully in her room until a loud banging at her door woke her up. With a groan she turned around in her bed and promptly went back to sleep.
Outside, Prince Liam was at her door, knocking as he had been for the last ten minutes. Still he got no answer and was starting to get a bit frustrated when he heard someone say, "That's no way to wake her up. If you'll excuse I can have Sophie awake and out here in ten minutes."
The Prince turned and came face to face with the famous Count of Sylverden. He silently got out of the way and watched as the Count took out a key, put it in the lock and opened the door, closing it behind him. He sighed and leaned against the wall, wondering how long it would take to get Sophia up.
Davyd closed the door behind him. He turned and found his daughter still sleeping peacefully in her bed. Without hesitating he went and opened the shutters, small and big, to let the light come in. It still didn't wake his sleeping daughter up.
Clearly and loudly he stated, "There are wonderful eggs, porridge, bacon and sausages for breakfast. I do believe that this is a special treat so if you aren't there on time..." That was all Davyd needed to say as Sophie jumped hurriedly out of bed and into the dressing room. Five minutes later she was changed and ready to go.
Sophie looked around. "Where's the food?" Was all she asked.
"There was no food, sweet daughter. I just needed to say something to get you out of bed. Honestly I don't know how they're going to wake you up when I leave back to Sylverden. I'll have to get one of our servants to come and wake you up. You better get out of here and eat breakfast. Prince Liam is waiting for you outside." With that Sophie's father left the room to go back to his duties.
Sophie opened her door five minutes to indeed find Prince Liam waiting for her outside. He was leaning on the wall opposite from her room on a door which she soon learned was his own room. When he spotted her coming out of her room he stood up properly and smiled down at her wearily. "You could have warned me before hand that you were a late sleeper and that you were hard to wake up because how am I supposed to know how to wake up the dead?" The Prince scolded her.
"Sorry about that, your highness. I'll try to be on time for tomorrow." With that both Sophie and the Prince walked down into the Mess Hall.
It was after breakfast that the Prince and Sophie went to get Sophie's uniform for her first four years at the palace. The tour that had started last night was being finished. The morning flew by as Liam and Sophie walked through endless corridors, looking at rooms as they flew past her face. By the time lunch had come, Sophie was craving for food. Instead of going to the pages' Mess Hall, the prince was headed in the other direction. Liam entered a room that was filled with men sitting together, talking and laughing about nothing in particular. Sophie stared at them in confusion, wondering why they were not in the Page Mess Hall. The Prince walked towards a table near the back of the hall. Arriving at the long table, Liam greeted the men who were laughing and joking around the table while eating their lunch.
It consisted of a bowl of beef or vegetable stew, cheese and bread and for drinks some plum juice or ale. Liam had the beef stew and plum juice while Sophie settled for the vegetable. Looking around at the table it was obvious that beef was a favourite here. The Prince was seated next to a giant of a man who resembled a bear. Sophie later learned that his name was Bradon.
She sat next to the Prince and a quiet, secretive man who was Connor. She looked at him. He was of a tall, strong build with dark hair and dark eyes. His hair was tied up into a short horse-tail and was curling at the ends. Between Connor's eyes stood a proud, straight nose and beneath that was a perfectly carved mouth. His complexion being a dark golden indicating that there had been a Bazhir relative about two generations back. He had just been knighted the winter before. Connor of haMinch (tell me if that's right) was his name - the heir to the haMinch fief and nephew to the Training Master. He was the only noble sitting on their table other than themselves.
The other men quickly started conversing with the prince as though he were just another part of the group. Only Connor was silent, quietly observing everything that was happening. Sophie, who had been trained since she was born to notice the feelings and thoughts that a human had, was surprised to find that she could read none from this man. The others were talking about the war with Scanra and how it was faring.
"Me thinks that it's going to end soon. Why else would Lord Wyldon come to Corus at this time? Do you know if their Majesties are going to organise a treaty with them bears, Liam my laddy buck?" Bradon asked the young prince.
"Why don't you go to them and ask their majesties themselves? Why would I know?" Liam replied grinning happily. He looked more comfortable now surrounded by these people than he had with anyone else. The talk continued for another half an hour before a bell rung through the palace and everyone started to get up, getting back to work.
Liam and Sophie also exited the hall, heading out into the gardens. They were then heading towards the training yards. This was where she would be spending most of her time as a page and even possibly as a squire. On the way down the two pages bumped into none other than Sir Gareth of Naxen.
Liam grinned at him. "Hell, Uncle Gary. What are you doing away from your desk?" he asked the older man.
Gary glared at him. "You've been spending too much time with my, kiddo. Get a life." Turning to Sophie he asked, "And who is this lovely lady that you have with you, may I ask?"
"Uncle this is Page Sophia of Sylverden. She has just arrived at the palace only yesterday."
Gary looked at Sophie and bowed. "It is wonderful to meet the granddaughter of Nuada at last. Now if you will excuse me, I need to see the king." And with that, the Prime minister departed.
The prince and Sophie continued on their way down to the courts. Liam showed Sophie where she would be training first the next day. The rest of the day flew by at an alarming rate and before Sophie knew it, she was in bed falling asleep.
I'm sooooooo sorry about the long wait but exams are coming up and I've been studying like hell.
The next chapter should be easier to write than this one.