Author's Note:
Yeah, I know that I haven't updated in a long time. Sorry to those people who have actually read this. I've been trying to develop the plot of my other fanfic. But, I had a snow day today, and so here it is, chapter two!
Yea, I'm not Tamora Pierce. If I was, I would be busy writing the Trickster series, not this. So no suing please!
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Within the week, Roxy was ready to ride out. Her saddle bags were packed and sitting by the door that morning. Everyone was gathered in the front hall to say good bye to her and Arem, the man-at-arms of Pirate's Swoop. He would be accompanying Roxy to the palace, where he would remain with her until she was settled.
Roxy hugged her mother and father tight. It would be at least a month before she saw her mother, and even longer before she saw her father. She said her good byes to the people who ran Pirate's Swoop. She would miss everyone dearly while she was at the palace.
"I'll be up at the palace in about a month. I'll check in on you then. Don't forget to find your brothers! They can't wait to see you." Her mother hugged her once more.
"I'll come up and visit the capital soon. I have to check in on Myles and your grandmother. I'll see you then sweetheart." Her father hugged her one last time before Roxy rode out of the gate and onto the Great Road East.
The four-day ride to the capital was an uneventful one. Roxy joked with Arem, and listened to the stories he had to tell about her brothers and sister growing up. He told her about the palace and city, and how amazing everything was. Roxy couldn't wait to see it for herself. The rest of the journey Roxy spent thinking. She couldn't help but think of what would happen if she failed. Every time the thought popped into her head though, she forced it down, thinking determinedly to herself, I won't fail! I'll show them that I can make it! I'll earn my shield and become a knight, just like Ma and Alan!
On the fourth day, Roxy and Arem rode into the capital. Roxy looked around in wonder at her new home. She had family in the palace and the capital, but had never been there. The city was bustling with people, out doing the days work. There were people shopping for fresh fruit at the market, people coming and going from the smith's, the seamstress's, and the other trinket stores that were everywhere in the city. She saw every class of people; merchants, nobles, and peasants. Arem led the way through the throng, and up the hill on which the palace was situated.
When the pair stopped in front of the palace gate, Roxy's breath caught in her chest at the sight that lay before her. The palace walls glistened in the midday sun, shimmering in Roxy's eyes. The guards and sentries were keeping watch over the palace and the city from the walls. Here was the home of the King and Queen of Tortall, and the training grounds where she would spend her days for the next eight years, learning to become a knight.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Arem asked, looking at the awe in Roxy's eyes.
All Roxy could do was nod, and continue to stare ahead at her new home.
"Well, we don't want to dawdle here. Best be gettin ye to Duke Gareth so ye can get moved in." Arem started off again through the gates and onto the palace grounds. Roxy followed behind him, trying to look in every direction at once. Arem led her into the stable yard where the hostlers took their horses. A servant dressed in palace livery came up to them while they were handing their reins over to the hostlers.
"Hello. You must be Lady Roxanne. My name's Del. I'll be taking you to His Grace if you're ready?" The man Del showed Roxy and Arem the way through the palace to the duke's office. He stopped in front of a door about halfway down the hallway, and opened it for the two to walk in. Roxy entered, and found herself looking into the face of Duke Gareth of Naxen. He was sitting tall at his desk, a big, muscular man with cropped graying hair, dressed in simple tan breeches and a white shirt covered by a tunic of the red and gold of the palace.
"Ah, Roxanne, come in. How are your parents?" The duke spoke warmly to her. She was after all, practically a niece to him. In fact, when she was younger, she had even called him "Uncle Gary" when he would visit her parents. He hadn't seen her in nearly four years, and she had grown quite a bit. She was about the size her mother had been when she had started her training as a page.
"They're well your Grace. Mother says she'll be up in a month, and Da said he'd visit soon after," said Roxy shyly. She might have known Duke Gareth since she was a babe, but it was different now. Now he was to be in charge of her training.
"Good. Now, on to the formalities. You're ten, are you not?" Roxy nodded. "Very good," replied the duke, filling in the information in the appropriate spot on the form that sat on the desk in front of him. "And you'll have inherited the Gift, yes?" Once again, Roxy nodded. Both of her parents possessed the magical Gift the gods gave to some people. Roxy herself was very strong in the Gift, having gotten her healing magic from her mother's side, and her magical Sight from her father's.
"You'll be tested by Master Thom. He'll be your teacher in sorcery while you're here." The duke continued to question her until he had gathered all the information that he needed.
When he was finished, he said, "Del will show you to the palace tailors for your clothing. Then he'll lead you to your rooms in the page's wing. I expect to see you starting your duties soon. Hurry along now, you have much to do before supper."
Del took Roxy to the tailors, where the gruff men took her measurements with a knotted cord and then handed her a stack of clothing and a pair of boots. After, he led them to the pages wing, and showed Roxy to her new rooms. Arem was to be staying in a joined room next to hers.
Roxy unpacked her saddle bags, which had been brought to her room already by palace servants. Then, she washed up and changed into one of the page's uniform that the tailors had given her. Looking in the mirror, Roxy saw a stunning young girl looking back at her. She looked almost royal dressed in the red and gold tunic and deep brown breeches that had been given to her. The new boots were free of dust and dirt, and her shirt was a faint cream color that ignited the gold of her tunic.
As the supper bell rang, Roxy stepped out into the hall alone. Arem had already gone down to the barracks where the Palace Guard stayed to sign in with the captain and get his uniform for the Guard. He would be patrolling with the men during his time at the palace.
When she closed her door behind her, Roxy heard approaching footsteps. She turned to see a group of boys come around the bend in the hall. They stopped when the noticed her standing there looking at them.
"Hey, guys, look! We got fresh meat!" The speaker was a tall boy of about eleven. He was dressed in the same fashion as Roxy, and wore his hair cropped, much like Roxy's own. His grey eyes danced in his face as he looked her up and down.
The boy smiled at her, and extended his hand. Roxy took it. "I'm Kallis. This is Garn," he said, pointing to the boy next to him with his free hand. Garn looked the same age as Kallis with dark brown hair and green eyes. "That's Ryan." This time Kallis pointed to the boy on his other side, who had sandy blonde hair and deep blue eyes. "And this here is my twin brother, Andy." The last boy Kallis pointed out looked nothing like him. He was short, about Roxy's height, with dark rusty red hair, and brown eyes.
"I'm Roxy."
"Well, nice to meet you Roxy," said the boy named Ryan.
"So, you're trying for your shield? Very brave. You're the first girl after Sir Keladry to try. That would make you the third Lady Knight in over a century. That is, if you make it." Kallis said to her, sounding impressed.
"I'm gonna make it, you count on it! I'll win my shield and show everyone that I can do it." Roxy was getting defensive. She didn't need these boys telling her that she couldn't do it!
"Wow! You sound just like the Lioness herself! Don't worry, almost everyone makes it. The Lioness, Sir Alanna got her shield, and so did the Lady Knight." Kallis looked at her apologetically.
Roxy looked at them all, and then hung her head. Only here half a day and she was already letting her temper get the better of her. Everyone had always told her that she had the temper and pride of her mother.
"I'm sorry. I'm just nervous about being here, that's all. My father always tells me that I inherited the temper of The Lioness. She's my mother," Roxy told her new friends proudly.
"Really? Wow!" The boys clamored around her as they set off down the hall, asking her questions about her parents and her brothers and sister. Roxy answered them all, proud as always of her family.
When the group arrived at the dining hall, Kallis told Roxy to stand by the doorway to the kitchen while the rest of the pages served the meal. From there, she could hand out the food, and send back the dirty dishes. She could also see how everything was run. The pages would wait on their masters, fetching their food drink, and anything else the might need. Afterwards, they cleaned up the meal, and then went to the page's and squire's dining hall for their own meal.
Afterwards, Kallis and the rest of Roxy's new friends led her back to the page's wing. Roxy entered her room, and collapsed onto her bed. Her first day had been tiring, and she hadn't even been through any training yet.
"So what do ye think of the palace so far?" Arem had come into her room through the adjoining door while Roxy was lying on her bed.
"Well, it's awesome, even if it is tiring." Roxy sat up and looked at Arem.
"This is only the beginning," he said, and walked into his own room, closing the door behind him.
Roxy fell back onto her bed once more, and was sound asleep before her head ever even hit the pillow.
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Author's Note:
Ok, time to thank those who've read and reviewed. Wanna get your name here? Then read and review!!! Even if you don't want to get your name here, read and review so I can get idea for this thing!
LeManchotDuDestin: Read the one that's in your backpack, and then read this one too! They're gonna end up being a little different because I'm tweaking some stuff in here. There's not much difference so far, only a couple of lines. That's cuz I'm changing some of the roles of some characters.
Marisa1:Awesome, I like getting people interested. No, it was supposed to be Alan at the War of the Drell River Valley. It's supposed to be a kind of background on some of the stuff he's done as a knight to make him famous. I hope this chapter keeps you excited about the story, and I hope you like this chapter!
A round of "Yay!"s go to the people who read and review for me!!!
--Starz--