Chapter Four

The next morning, when Maddie was just about to do her glaive exercises, there was a knock on the door. She opened it to find Rose. "I want to learn how to use a glaive," said Rose. "Could you teach me, please? I'd ask Corrie, but she's teaching Lianne."

"Sure," replied Maddie. She demonstrated a beginner's exercise, then handed her glaive to Rose and had her copy it. They worked until it was almost time for breakfast.

That evening, Corrie and Gwenny suggested that they all meet in the practice yards before breakfast and do glaive practice together. The others thought it a good idea and agreed. So every morning Maddie brought her practice glaive and her ordinary one out to the pages' practice yard. She took turns with Corrie and Gwenny in teaching Rose and Lianne how to use the glaive. Sabine was the only first year girl (besides Maddie) who didn't need lessons, for Lady Kel and Lady Yuki had taught her a few years before.

Maddie and Rose had a run-in with Derran two days later. His friend, Nicholas, was with him. Derran pushed Rose, causing her to fall against Maddie and they both fell down. "Why don't you two get out? Girls shouldn't go around trying to fight and everything. They should learn how to sew, keep house, and look after children."

Rose got up, eye blazing. She reached down a hand to help Maddie up, then snapped, "If you keep this up, you'll end like your uncle. He was like an oak tree, stiff and unyielding. When the storm came, he got uprooted and died. If you don't want to die like he did in the Chamber, you'd better learn to be like a reed, which bends in a storm, but doesn't break."

Maddie blinked in surprise, for Rose had come up with a very good analogy. Nicholas looked uncomfortable. "Derran, this is getting boring. I agree that girls aren't exactly suitable for knighthood, but so far, none of the lady knights have done anything that got them killed. I don't want to fail the Ordeal just because I was too close-minded. Why don't you just let up on them?"

"Shut up, Nick!" snapped Derran. "If you don't like this, you can leave and do something else with your time."

"Maybe I will!" returned Nick angrily. He turned to Maddie and Rose and said, "Rosabel and Madeleine, I'm not going to bother you or the other girl pages. I don't agree with your being here, but I'm not a bully, and I do want to try to be open-minded." He then glared at Derran and stalked off.

Derran turned his attention back to the girls. "Who cares about Nick? Not much of a friend if he won't stand by me. Well, I'm going to do my best to drive you out." He charged at Maddie, who stepped aside and tripped him. He got up and everything esclated to a fight.

As it was Maddie and Rose against Derran, the fight ended quickly and Derran lost. That was when a servant came upon them and took them to Sir Robert's office. Sir Robert looked sternly at the three. "What happened here? The servant says you were fighting."

Maddie and Rose exchanged looks, then said in unison, "We fell down, sir."

Sir Robert sighed and looked at Derran, who replied, "Madeleine and Rosabel attacked me! I was minding my own business when they started insulting me. I wouldn't answer, so they tried to provoke me further with blows."

Maddie looked incredulous and Rose angry. "How dare you! You were the one that provoked us, Derran of Stone Mountain!"

Sir Robert sighed. "That is enough! I don't care who started it. Fighting is not tolerated. Page Derran, you are confined to the palace for the next three weeks and will spend a bell every day for two weeks working in the stables. Page Rosabel, you will labor in the armory for two bells every day for a week. Page Madeleine, you will spend two bells every day for a week in the laundries. You are dismissed."

Derran bowed first and fled the room. Maddie and Rose bowed, then left after Derran. Rose was furious and said angrily to Maddie, "Of all the nerve! Derran has to lie and accuse us of starting the fight. He was the one who started it! Oh, I could do a whole manner of nasty things to him! At least Sir Robert seems to believe that Derran started it, or at least lied about who started it. Why else would he tell Derran that he was confined to the palace for the next three weeks and not say the same to us?"

Maddie shrugged. "It is possible. Well, we have punishment work. I hope it won't happen too often. Maybe Derran will decide not to provoke us into fights if we're going to be caught and punished." Neither girl found it too likely, though. They went on their way to find their friends and tell them what had happened.