Hello again, okay I'm gonna try for some more action in this chapter.

Jenny stepped into the overly warm room. Lady Marchmont's rooms were famously set up for fainting. Young girls went there to swoon and wake up in the arms of some handsome young knight who would sweep them off their feet. What actually happened was they ended up in one of the cooler rooms with an older lady giving them glasses of cold water. Young knights had no idea how to deal with the delicate constitutions of the very young. Jenny always thought it was strange that no one noticed the system didn't work – the parties were some of the best attended in the whole of society.

Sir Richard led the way through the crush to their hostess. Lady Marchmont was a thin spindly woman with black hair and a hooked nose. She was almost as concerned with status as Richard and one of the courts most prominent gossips.

'Lady Marchmont' Richard greeted her bowing over her hand 'it was most kind of you to invite us.'

'Oh Sir Richard how terribly good t was of you to come.' She had a thin wispy voice which would grate on anyone's nerves. 'and you brought your squire along how lovely.'

Jenny bowed as she was meant to.

'She is of course at your service if you need her.' Her knight master made the traditional offer although she knew it would never be accepted. No one would put her to work in service in case her grandfather was offended. It would also be a terrible admission that she had not had enough money to hire the requisite amount of staff for the purpose.

'No, no I want the young people to enjoy themselves, run along now.' Lady Marchmont waved her off with her hankie. Jenny couldn't believe her luck. She had thought she would have had to spend at least some time with Richard tonight instead she was free already.

She wandered through the crowd trying to avoid being caught up in conversation. The table was laden with food that wouldn't be eaten by any but the squires, all the middle aged men who went to parties to stuff their faces and drink found the place to stuffy. Sure enough there were faces she recognised all round the table. Jasson was standing off to one end looking miserable.

'Aww darlin' are we a little bit the worse for wear tonight?

'Go away Jenny' Jasson groaned as pitifully as he could manage.

'Now that's very nice, if it weren't for me you would have spent last night in a gutter.'

'Urgh – I'm sorry. I don't mean to do it. Was a good night tho'

'How would you know, I'll bet you don't remember a second of it.'

'Do to – I remember arriving.'

'Ah well it was a good arrival I suppose.'

'Oh gods what is Lady Georgiana wearing.'

Jenny turned to look, Lady Georgiana was famous for leading fashion but like everyone else she occasionally got it wrong. Tonight she had large green feather sprouting out her head like a cockerels tail (a/n is it called a tail?). Jasson was at that stage of tiredness where he was simply talking about whatever came into his head.

'Ah well we all have our bad days.'

'Mmm' Jasson seemed to go off into his own head for a while and then 'How do you feel about having some fun.'

'Well that would depend on the fun wouldn't it?'

'Jen I didn't mean that! I meant some good honest fun at the expense of some unsuspecting sod. Or even better some good clean anarchy.'

'Anarchy speaks to my soul Jase, what exactly do you have in mind.'

It was two hours before the plan came to fruition. It required some rather complicated magic but it ended with icicles hanging off the ceiling of Lady Marchmonts dining room. Jasson was often very committed to an idea once it got hold of him and tonight he had decided that Lady Marchmont's house was really to warm. He had therefore decided to institute a localised ice age. All the guests were now outside in the snow trying to warm up. It was odd, Jenny thought, that it should be snowing in July. Maybe Jasson's cold spell wasn't as controlled as he would like. She hoped this wasn't going to be another of those incidents where the put the whole years harvest in jeopardy, last time they had done that the King had been rather ticked off; in fact he had threatened them with jail. At the moment Jenny didn't see the point in worrying.

Matthew arrived just then.

'Oh Lord what have you two been up to?'

Jasson was to busy laughing at Lord Henderson who was down on his knees praying for the gods forgiveness for whatever sin had prompted this dreadful punishment to answer.

'Darling I don't know why you would think that either Jasson or myself had anything to do with this, I mean we are very clever but we can't make it snow!'

'Yes you can Jenny and so can he. No ones gonna believe the feigned innocence this time.'

'When was the last time anyone believed the feigned innocence, and anyway you might think that we're capable of making it snow but I doubt anyone else will. Generally both Jasson and I are reckoned to be very poor mages.'

'It was assumed that you were a very poor swordswoman as well until you trounced Al Hassad in that duel.'

'Mmm' Jenny said no longer listening 'how far out is it snowing?'

'Just outside the courtyard; there's no need to worry on that account.'

'Good I would hate to have brought on an early winter.'

'Ah ha so you did do it!'

'Yes Matthew I did but you already knew it so it's hardly the confession of the century is it?'

At was right around then that some very angry Mages came running into the courtyard, Numair Samalin at the front. It was rumoured that he had once turned a man into a tree – most of the court became convinced of the truth of the rumour that night. He looked ready to kill and a black robe ready to kill is never a good thing.

'Who did this?' he bellowed. It didn't seem to occur to him that even if the perpetrator had been prepared to come forward they certainly would not have done so then. Behind him the mages were casting spell to try and stop the cold. A silence had descended over the house. Even Jasson had managed to shut up which Jenny was grateful for. It would have been a sure give away if he had giggled in the face of Samalins anger.

'Come on lets get out of here. I'm freezing.' Matthew had a habit of whispering into her ear in fact any time they were together they automatically moved closer. Jenny choose not to analyse it.

'Are we bringing Jase?'

'Sure why not.' Jenny got Jasson's attention and they moved off.

'So where to now?' Jasson asked looking around them. They were in the upper class area of town where all the nobles who didn't have old family rooms in the palace lived. It was becoming more popular to have a separate house that way you didn't have to book ahead for ballrooms.

'Alan's at his grandfather's tonight, he's holding a party for … something.' Matthew did not actually go as far as to suggest going. Some of Jasson's father would be their and Jenny would have to put up with all sorts of arguments from different people about how her grandfather was wrong on this or that issue.

'Do you know I just don't think I'm that good a friend.' It was Jasson who disagreed first, he and his father really didn't get on. His mother claimed it was because they were too much alike.

'Well then there are various other parties or my rooms.' No one ventured an opinion unless the others really wanted to do something else. Finally Jenny came to a decision,

'Come on lets go to Matt's rooms.' They all agreed, Jasson was beginning to lag after the elation of his latest prank even though Jenny had done much of the actual work.

Ever since Matt had got the rooms they had become a favourite place to hang out. They were always well stocked with food and drink and had some of the best sofas in the eastern lands but most importantly it was private. The strict hierarchy amongst the servants meant that only two of them were allowed inside. They each took a sofa and sprawled until they were comfortable.

'So how're you looking forward to becoming a knight?' Jasson asked after a few minutes silence.

'Being my own master for once' at this there were sniggers. Matthew was hardly the subservient type. 'I can't wait' silence descended again all the friends enjoying each others company. After a while Jenny and Matt became aware that Jasson was lightly snoring.

'Hmm very nice I call that.' Matt commented 'Do you know what you're doing after midwinter?'

'You haven't heard? They're having a mini progress to take Prince Liam to meet his bride. I'd be very surprised if you weren't asked to come along.'

'I'd forgotten, who's he marrying again?'

'The daughter of one of the Bazhir Chiefs. She's meant to be one of the most beautiful women in the world although no one knows that for sure cos she wears a veil so in theory she could be really really ugly.'

'Will she take it off once she's married.'

'Dunno. I think they thought about marrying Lianne to one of the Bazhir chiefs but they decided it would be better if she could marry her to someone outside the country. That way they can marry her to some powerful Lord.'

'Or king.'

'Kings aren't very important when you have nobles like you and me being hopeless obstructions.'

'If that's true his majesty must be wishing for more nobles like me and you cos we haven't exactly been what you might call 'active'. How is your father by the way.'

'Bad I should think after all he's married to my stepmother.'

'Well I think it's my bedtime. You coming?'

You mean going Matthew, am I going?' Jenny said in her best prim voice 'And yes I am. What about Jase.'

'We'll leave him be for the night I think. Sure you won't stay.'

Jenny just smiled and started on her walk home.

Well that's it for another week 