And so it was the first day at the palace for Kila. She had been shown her room in the pages' wing. Her face was blank as she walked toward it. The maid who had showed her it had walked back to her duties and left Kila alone.

Why? she kept asking herself. Didn't they make a law after Kel became a knight against probation for girls?

Her mind worked. She thought it very unfair. She had told them she would work! But no…they hadn't believed her. Anger flooded through her. She allowed herself to make a furious face – to let the anger out a little – but before she could mask it, a door closed behind a teenage boy.

He looked to be about fourteen. Kila was surprised. He was probably a fourth-year page, because not many people dared to become a page after they were ten or eleven years old. He had wavy ebony hair, gray eyes that shone with a silver cast, full lips that were pale, and not very high cheekbones. He looked to be about 5' 4", average for a fourteen-year-old. Kila herself was 5' 2". He was clad in breeches and a regular working shirt.

"Maybe I should leave…" he said in a smooth voice, seeing the look on her face. Kila was petrified. My first day, and a person a year older than me is already scared of me!

"No, no!" she said quickly.

"Okay…" he trailed off, uncertain. "By the way, I'm William of Conté. You can call me Will."

"Oh! I'm Kilayla of Blue Harbor! …Kila!"

"Wait! Are you the new girl-page?" asked Will.

"Yes," she answered. She hoped he wouldn't think her bad in some way, because Conté was a noble house from which the king was from. She would have to be careful with Will. He was an heir to the throne, after Prince Roald and his baby son. She would have to be careful with him, because she had heard he wasn't one to joke with.

"Now, I'm just asking, but who's your patron: Alanna the Lioness or Keladry of Mindelan, Protector of the Small?" he asked.

"I believe that I must be like them both; since I cannot be entirely plain like Kel, because I have the Gift. I believe I must use Kel's battle skills and cool head, and the Lioness's magic and her strength and quickness."

"Now, now, you can't have everything!"

"And why not?" Kila raised an eyebrow. She loved being able to raise one eyebrow, even if it made her old friends envious. She caught herself. They're not my old friends! I'll have them as friends for a good while yet!

"Tell me…do you believe someone can be perfect?" asked Will. Apparently he likes asking questions, Kila thought.

"Of course not!" she answered. "Now, before you ask any more questions" – Will grinned – "I want to ask some of my own."

"Alright."

"Are you a first-year or fourth-year page?"

"That's funny, actually, I'm in my second year of page training."

Kila chuckled. I'm beginning to like him! She asked him another question.

And on and on, they asked each other questions, got to know each other, and laughed together. Kila realized she already had a friend at the palace.