The King's Daughter: Sequel to Affairs In Court.

Kaden, 17 years of age, swung her pole arm in patterns, practicing. She loved fighting, and now that "The Girl" was an official squire, women were allowed to learn such things as weapon fighting. She knew a few martial arts and self defense from her sister, Lalita, knew how to fight with a dagger, a little sword fighting from her brother Adish, and other various things.

This was her fourth year now knowing that her real parents were out there somewhere. She wished that she was a normal child, with normal parents. Of course, she didn't know who they were, and there was a big chance she wasn't going to find them in this big world.

Suddenly, she heard a lot of loud talking, laughing and reverberating footsteps. She turned her head and saw her family fawning over a visitor. Her brother was home!

She still called him her brother because she grew up with him. Now he was home until he was called out again. Kaden dropped her lance and ran towards her brother, her arms extended. She managed to hug him with her whole family surrounding him. He had always told her great advice, taught her stuff and never fought with her. Now he embraced her with big muscles squishing her fervently.

"I missed you." He whispered in her ear. He was her role model. She wanted so bad to be as good a fighter as him.

"I missed you, too." She said, blinking back tears of joy. This was no time to cry; she couldn't make him think she was a sissy. It would be horrible if he thought that. Anyways, she wasn't a sissy; everybody cried sometimes, right?

"How's your practicing going?" He asked after an extremely long hug.

"Well, I think you should ask Tamas. He's been watching me every day. I can't say how good I'm getting, although I know I have improved."

"Tamas? How's your sister doing with practicing?"

"She's doing alright, if you want her slacking." Adish looked suspiciously at her, with a joke in his eyes.

"I haven't been slacking!" She said defensively. After a moment, she looked back at Adish, and smiled. "Why don't I show you?"

After numerous patterns and many corrections, she finally got it right, and he showed her a few new moves. They stayed and practiced outside for hours until they were called in for supper. Only then, did Kaden take a breath of air. It had suddenly occurred to her that she was tired. She ate hardly any dinner, and excused herself to her room. After a few hours, there was a knock at her door.

"Come in." She was reading her book, and she put it down only to see Adish come in and sit on her bed. He made her smile with his big grin on his face. "What is it?"

"How are you? You seemed, well, far away at dinner. What was it?"

"My parents..." Kaden knew she had to admit it sometime, why not now, to her most trusted brother?

"Ah. You know, Kaden, if you sit here all your life, your not going to find them, and they won't find you." He looked at her with a brotherly look on his face.

"I know. I just... how will I find them? What if they aren't even alive?" After a long moment of silence, he answered her.

"I don't know what to tell you." He took in a deep breath and looked at her with care in his eyes. "I do know how to get you started." A smile spread across his face.

"What? Started on what?"

"Well, I know you're a great fighter; almost as good as a trained knight. I also don't think you want to be cooped up at home all of your life. Am I right?" Kaden nodded. "How would you like to come to the palace with me? You could meet some of my teachers, my friends, I could get some of them to teach you stuff you've never known before. Oh, and don't worry, I've talked it over with father and mother. They think it's a great idea for you to get out and live. After you get bored, you can start a search with-" He stopped himself only to see Kaden with a look of awe and surprise on her face. "What? You don't want to?"

"No, silly, I would love to!" She threw herself at him.

"So, you're going to have to get some good sleep, cause we're leaving in two days. Are you up to it?"

"Yes, I am!"

Two days later:

Kaden couldn't believe that she was going to the palace. When she was 11, she had wanted so badly to go to become a knight, but her 'parents' didn't want her to. They said it was a disgrace for a woman to become a knight. She disagreed.

Now, though, she had a chance to meet some of the finest knights, the warriors and maybe even the king. It was amazing.

"Are you ready to go?" Adish asked her.

"Yes." She said as she mounted her strawberry gelding, Moonflower. She made a list in her mind, making sure she broght everything she needed, and then looked around to say a goodbye to her home. "I'm ready."

"Then, lets go." They started off on a trot, finally moving forward on the journey. 'This journey is going to change my life. I don't know how I know that, I just do.' She smiled to herself. She was finally going to find her parents. Or would she?