DISCLAIMER: Don't own it. Don't like it? Don't read it.

Here's the deal: This particular story will not have a romantic interest. Maybe the sequel will. Anyways... Review responses at the end. Stick around.

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Kel opened her eyes slowly. She was in the infirmary of the palace, and the sun was just setting. It took her a moment to remember why she was there. The events of that morning flooded into her memory as she sat up.

The build up of lack of food, and lack of sleep, plus Joren's attack had all made her collapse.

She paused in thought as she remembered her dream. It had been a memory of her first days at the Convent. They had been the most miserable of her life. She had several times contemplated suicide, but couldn't bring herself to do it. It would be accepting defeat, something that she was determined never to do. She would never give the ladies, the Daughters, and Wyldon the satisfaction of winning, of breaking her.

She had often spent the entire day, simply pushing herself to go on, to make it through one more week. The times she had run away, were the well needed breaks. Those had been the only times where she relaxed. She smiled inwardly, considering the irony of the fact that the only times that she had relaxed, were when she was on the road, in danger of bandit attacks and the like.

Kel sighed. She gazed around the hall. Duke Baird was tending to a page across the room, and her friends were sitting by the door, talking in low voices.

Cleon was the first to look up. When he saw Kel awake, he poked Neal in the side, and motioned for the others to look.

Neal jumped up, startling the others, and rushed over to Kel, wrapping her in a tight hug.

"Kel, are you alright? You just collapsed like that. What happened?" Neal seemed genuinely worried.

Duke Baird, the old chief healer, walked over to her with a tray of food. Handing it to his son, he laid a glowing hand against Kel's forehead. She instantly felt more relaxed.

"Well Keladry, I hope that that never happens again. You gave my son over there quite a scare." He spoke calmly, while Neal himself was pacing the hall, a look of impatience on his face. Esmond and Faleron, always the quiet and level headed ones, were trying to calm him down. Duke Baird continued. "You haven't been eating lately, nor have you been sleeping any, I've noticed."

"It's the Daughters, your Grace." Kel said softly, not meeting anyone's gaze. "As punishment. I have to fast."

"They did what?" Neal cut in angrily. "They can't do that. You'll be seriously sick if you keep going."

"Nealan," Duke Baird started, "If you cannot control your tongue, then I suggest you leave." Neal shut his mouth, but continued to pace. The duke turned back to his patient. "Now, Keladry. Neal's right. You cannot keep starving yourself, and not sleep. You are getting weaker and weaker."

"But sir, your Grace, the Daughters-"

Duke Baird cut her off. "I'm telling you as a healer, and one concerned for your health, that you need to eat. Tonight you will eat the food that Neal over there has, and then you will sleep. Either my son or I will spell you, so that you will not wake up until you're fully rested. Do you understand?"

"Sir, with all due respect-"

"With all due respect would mean doing this without question, Keladry. Now I don't want to have to order you as a man and one of higher nobility. Either way, you will eat. That was not a request." he turned and walked into his office.

Neal handed her a tray. "Eat, you heard him. You don't want to see my father when he's angry." Kel hesitated, then began to eat slowly.

Suddenly the door to the hall sprung open, and a furious Third Daughter stormed in, fury radiating off of her. Kel instinctively slid backwards until her back was pressed to the wall. The empty wooden bowl clattered to the floor. Her friends all stood up around her protectively.

"What is the meaning of this?" the woman shrieked. "We warned you not to disobey us. You will not dishonour the Convent!" She grabbed Kel by the hair, and threw her on the floor.

"What is going on in here!" Duke Baird shouted, reentering the infirmary. Neal was right. Angry, the chief healer was truly frightening. He was tall and shimmered with forest green power. His voice, barely louder than a soft shout, seemed to contain its own power, and echo around the stone palace.

The Third Daughter curtsied deeply to him, her head bowed. "Your Grace, this lady" she placed horrible emphasis on the word, "is nothing more than an ungrateful witch. She is not worth your time and energy, nor that of your noble son."

"That lady," Duke Baird too, stressed that word. "happens to be my son's best friend, and a worthy and honourable woman. I suggest." his voice became calm and even, yet hard and cold. "that if you cannot contain your temper, mistress, you leave this palace immediately. At the very least, I ask you to please quit this hall." His tone suggested that this was a command, not a request.

With a crimson face, the Daughter turned on her heel and stormed out of the hall. The stone echoed as the door slammed shut.

Trembling like a leaf in a storm, Kel stood up, and stumbled back over to the bed.

"Now, I believe that we have all had enough excitement for today. Keladry, i'm going to send you to sleep now." He pressed a cool hand to her forehead.

Kel felt as though she were drowning in a summer forest. The cool air pressed around her, weighing down on her until she was pushed into darkness.

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TO ALL MY REVIEWERS:

How was that? Two chapters in as many days. This is better than ever.

Anyways. One thing that a few people commented on, (why, I have no idea). I know that Faleron is in the year ahead of Kel. I did say that there were squires and knights (Cleon, Faleron, and Roald) coming to visit her.

I always liked Faleron. Him and Esmond were sort of the characters that didn't do a lot, but were calm and quiet. I mean, Neal is well, himself. He's an important character. Cleon has his whole thing with Kel. Roald is the Crown prince, and shows up a bit. Merric has the deal in Lady Knight, and in First Test. He's a commander, and has a temper (go redheads, 8-) ). Seaver has his deal in First Test, with the spidrens. Owen is always bubbling around, happy. But Faleron and Esmond are just kind of there. Faleron only has a freeze up role in Page, with the bandits, and Esmond has a bullying scene in First Test, but that's it.

To answer another question. Corsets were around in the late Middle Ages. The Tamora Pierce book are kind of fourteenth century (1300's) Middle Ages. At that time, some (only noble) ladies wore softer ones. They were really big with nobility in the Renaissance, Elizabethan times (1500's) even some guys wore them. The 1800's were just when they started being use by not-so-wealthy people, even country girls (think Little House on the Prairie). But yeah, softer ones were used in the Middle Ages by ladies who need them.

Will update soon, SIR!

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