When gary opened his eyes for the third time that day, he immediately saw Lord Harise. Gary tried to sit p, but the tall man put a hand on his chest to stop him moving.

"Save your strength for my questions. I need to now a few things about what happened- can you help me?"

This man was a duke. How could he lie to a duke? What could he say? Gary was more trapped then than he had been with the bully. What could he say?

" Come on, boy. What can you possibly say that will hurt you?" Harise's voice was a little impatient now. Gary didn't have time. If he told the Duke, the boys would kill him. He was sure of it.

" Did you hit your head too, page?" Harise really was impatient now. What was Gary to do? He thought quickly and deeply, and remembered the usual way to get out of these problems. Of course!

" Sir, I fell down." Gary struggled to keep his face straight, and only just managed. He hoped his brother was proud of him.

"Gareth of Naxen, I want the truth, not some stupid old joke the pages use to get them out of trouble!" Harise was now red as beetroot.

"I fell down while walking to the practice yards!" Gary swallowed hard as he finished. Would he get away with it?

"I don't belive you, but I will make do with what I know, and go to see Roald of Conte tomorrow. I believe that he was an the hill, and he was connected with the incident." Harise walked from the room.

Oh no. oh no. I'm going to be killed by the heir to the throne, and I can't do anything about it. Maybe I should go home.

"do you need anything, page?" Maginta. His maid. Of course she would want to know all about what had happened, and then tell everyone. He would be the laughing stock of the palace. Wonderful.

"No, nothing. Close the door behind you."

Just as she was doing just that, a healer bustled into the room. Gary groaned. More vile medicines that hurt his throat and insides. The healer walked up to his bed.

"Everything alright? Need anything? You'll be in here at least a week. The healers are doing their best, but the king says he can't spare his, surprisingly. His son as a stomach ache, they say."

That bastard. So I'll get stuck in here for weeks, while he becomes a knight. Double-wonderful. I hope Roald gets a lot of bruises fro the fencing. He sure deserves it. Maybe I should tell, even if they'll kick me out of the palace, I don't know…

"I said, is everything all right? I don't think you got punched in the ears." The man looked puzzled at Gary's silence. He walked over to a cabinet set slightly into the white painted wall. He drew out a bottle. Gary's mouth wouldn't open. His muscles lacked the strength to move. The man brought the bottle over, and opened gary's mouth with a grunt. He dropped four drops of liquid into the boy's now-open mouth.

" Maybe there is one of the princes healers here- and he just sent you to the Black Gods Realm." The healer walked to the door, and closed it behind him.

"What?" Gary tried to sit up, and then realised he now couldn't. His eyelids sagged. He drifted off to sleep, light as a feather on the wind. Then it started raining.