I have to warn you that I haven't ever got beyond chapter two of a story before so here's hoping. As usual none of this belongs to me except to Matthew who's a little bit mine.

Chapter 2.

'Uuurggg'

'I said time to get up dear' Anna was always waaay to chipper this early in the morning especially on mornings like this. Jenny just turned her head into the pillow. Her mouth was dry with a funny taste in it and she had a thumping headache. Anna did not pull back the curtains people typically do in such situations. She had attempted this once before and found herself told very firmly never to do it again. She did go and get a cloth, dip it in freezing water and place it ion the back of Jenny's neck which was miles worse.

'Ahhhhhhhh' Jenny shot up out of bed and promptly fell over. She was in ultimate self pitying mode and wanted sympathy but Anna wasn't that sort of maid.

'Come along now we mustn't be late' she said going into the slightly superior prim and proper mode that she always adopted when Jenny had a hang over.

'Mphnfff' Jenny was lead off to the privy muttering all the way.

It had been a long night. Jasson had got so drunk that Jenny and Sarah had to literary carry him back into his rooms. Neil and Simon had gone home early with Alan but Jenny had stayed. She felt like she had only been in bed for 10 minutes; in fact it had been thirty.

It was rumoured that in the past squires had to be in for breakfast in time for prayers even in the holidays. Luckily Lord Padraig had a better understanding of the life of a squire and knew that none of them could actually be expected to get up during holidays. Breakfast began at six in the morning for pages and ended about three in the afternoon for the squires. Jenny staggered in at seven cause Anna was big on doing things at the 'right time' and three in the afternoon was not the right time for breakfast. Normally Jenny wasn't so easy to bully especially not for her maid but at this point she didn't even have a hang-over. She was mostly still drunk so she was in no state to argue.

Jasson was not up. Even Alan appeared to be still in bed. The pages were filling out to do what ever it was they should be. The coffee had been drunk right down to the dreg. Jenny poured herself a cup and downed it right there. It was foul but it left her feeling more sober. She went and got herself breakfast and sat down in the deserted hall to eat. She had never got over the availability of food. She would always pile her plate with more than she could eat so an hour later she was still there ploughing her way through rolls and butter. She was almost finished, it was only the fruit after that and then she could go and… do something. She was still half asleep when someone came in with heavy boots on. He went round and got food before sitting down beside her.

'Hey gorgeous' he whispered in her ear. Jenny jumped out of her skin before turning to

'Matt' she threw herself at him. Matt had been Jenny's first and for a while her only friend. He was a year older than her and had been her sponsor when she arrived. It was impossible not to like Matt, in fact it was becoming impossible not to fall madly in love with Matt although Jenny had thus far managed to resist.

'What are you doing here?'

'Well I could hardly miss my own ordeal could I?'

'No, I mean what are you doing up at this time in the morning.'

'Huh what do you mean what am I doing up at this time. You don't look like you've been to bed.'

'I'll have you know I was asleep for at least fifteen minutes.'

'Ah is Anna bullying you again.'

'I want to go to sleep Matt'

'And you shall my little one, you shall. Just let me gather up my things and you can come sleep on my bed.'

'I love you.' Jenny said with a slightly dopey smile on her face.

'Course you do, what's not to love?'

Matt was in his families rooms now he had was to become a knight. As a Duke, Matt's rooms were rather luxurious. The fire was lit as it was still dark outside and even stone palaces are not known for their warmth. There were huge sofa covered in pillows done in rich colours and tapestry. Jenny knew they were the products of a hundred afternoons of Matt's female ancestors spent at needle point. She knew because the lofts of her own house were stuffed full of the same things.

'I'm not sure that I should be in your rooms unchaperoned.' Jenny said curling up on the sofas and looking like she had no more intention of moving than a mountain.

'Well you could leave or you could put on my dressing gown to keep you warm and go to sleep. It is entirely your own choice.' Matt stood holding up the robe in front of her. She stood up and held out her arms to let Matt put it on. It was of impeccable quality like everything else he owned. It was lined with some sort of dark fur and embroidered in red and black. Jenny turned back round a sat down. Matt sat beside her and rapped his arm around her before eating his rolls and honey. Jenny curled up against his chest and went to sleep.

The room was warm and dark when Jenny awoke. Matt had gone and the stars had come out. Jenny stretched out and yawned before getting up. She didn't even have a headache. She wandered out of the rooms. There would be some party tonight which her knight master would want her to attend. Sir Richard was a social climber and Jenny was the daughter of a Duke and the granddaughter of the head of one of the most powerful dynasties in Tortall. To be seen in proximity of one of the Herman's – even a scandalous female squire Herman – was good for the reputation. There had been fighting over who was to become Jenny's knight master and as usual it had been her grandfather who finally decided. It was a compromise as Richard and Steven had both wanted to marry one of her cousins so Steven got the cousin and Richard got the squire. Both Jenny and Richard felt they had got the worse end of the deal but then one day they would part company. The marriage would not end till death did them part.

'Where have you been all day? There's work to be done. Tonight we are to Lady Marchant's party. I want you dressed properly and I want you to behave. The other night you were awful.' Richard was busy fussing with his doublet when Jenny walked in. Perhaps the most annoying thing about Richard was that he was a very capable knight. Jenny had learnt more from him than she really wanted to. She owed him gratitude which meant that at some point in the future she would be called on to perform some sort of favour. She hated being in debt to anyone.

She bowed in his direction and turned to her own rooms. She always wore breeches to parties. Other girls put on dresses to remind everyone that they were girls but there wasn't much chance of forgetting that she was. She was tall but very thin with fine features which were only rarely mistaken for a boys. The best she could manage was to pass for a very young boy but her height gave her away as being older than her face claimed.

She was also from a very well known family. No one had expected Arthur Herman her grandfather to be the first conservative to send a girl to be a knight. He had struck a deal with the King. The King would get a female knight from a conservative family and her grandfather got a new law. Girls could now inherit titles. Jenny's father had not produced one male heir. The ducal title that he had was important to her grandfather who did not want it to go to her fathers step son. Nor did he want Jenny to inherit the land without the title. Without her grandfathers support opposition to the change collapsed and the law went through relatively smoothly. Jenny was not offered anything in particular. While her grandfather had long ago over come his objections to female knights long ago it still would not occur to him to consult a female on such decisions or even that women might have an opinion on them. Jenny did get something out of it though, she was coming to realise that after she was made a knight she would have her freedom so maybe it was worthwhile.

She picked out one of her favourite tunics and got ready for the party hoping against hope that she wouldn't have to stay long.

This was mainly scene setting and introducing Matt and Sir Richard. Next chapter will be better. It will have exciting stuff – maybe a duel. Sorry this took me so long to update (I had an essay but it was the last one of term YAY). Thanks for the reviews hope you like it.