Chapter 18

Eliena and Neal carried their trays to a table in the mess hall. Kel, Esmond, Seaver, Cleon, and Merric fell silent as Neal placed his tray down.

"Hi!" Eliena greeted brightly. People scooted over so she sat next to Neal.

"Um, are we missing something?" Merric wanted to know.

"Yes, your brain," Neal retorted. Eliena slapped his arm. "Hey!"

"I mean something between you two," Kel clarified. Neal and Eliena exchanged a glance.

"No, I don't think so," the princess replied. "Why?'

"Well, you two just walked in together. Laughing," Cleon said. "And, last we knew, you wanted to rip each other's heads off."

"I think it was her that wanted to rip anyone's head off," Neal corrected. Eliena slapped his arm again. "Hey! Stop that!"

"But, you're friends again?" Esmond asked.

"Yes!" Eliena and Neal replied, sounding exasperated.

"Sometimes I forget how young you are," Neal told Kel, Esmond, Seaver, Merric, and Cleon.

"Now is not one of those times," Eliena finished, nodding.

"Excuse me, but I am only four years younger than the two of you!" Cleon protested.

"Its enough," Eliena told him with a smile. "Neal and I are mature seventeen-year-olds. You are but a mere thirteen years—there is a large difference."

"Mature?" Cleon questioned, raising his eyebrows. "You call that—" he pointed at Neal, "—mature?" As the group dissolved into laughter, Lord Wyldon's voice rang out over the mess.

"Cleon of Kennan, Merric of Hollyrose, Keladry of Mindelan, Esmond of Nicoline, and Seaver of Tasride, who is that with you?" the training master asked.

"Neal, my lord," Cleon replied, rising.

"I know him, Page Cleon. Who is the girl?" he asked.

"Kel, my lord," Neal responded.

"Are you aiming for more work, Nealan of Queenscove?" Lord Wyldon wanted to know. "Is that Princess Eliena?" All eyes turned to focus on the table. Eliena was slowly sliding down under the table.

"Yes!" she squeaked, cursing herself for not putting on some sort of disguise.

"Your highness, I was under the impression that you were dining in the royal dining hall," a deep voice remarked. Eliena jumped to her feet and saw Raoul smiling at her from Lord Wyldon's table.

"Oh, well, I changed my mind," she explained.

"Your parents are wondering. You'd best go see them," Raoul told her. Eliena nodded.

"Thank you, Sir Raoul," she said. Eliena leaned down and hissed in Neal's ear: "Share my meal. I'm going to help out Master Oakbridge later, I'll see you then." She walked out, knowing the eyes of the pages and squires were on her.

"Hello, mother. Hello, father," Eliena greeted, kissing her parents' cheeks.

"Where were you?" Alanna asked as Eliena took her seat.

"Pages' mess," she replied, smiling at the servant who'd put a dish in front of her. "Thank you."

"Pages' mess? You've avoided that since your…argument with Nealan," Myles remarked. Eliena smiled.

"He apologized earlier," she said.

"And you forgave him easily? I'm surprised at that," Numair chimed in. Eliena rolled her eyes.

"Must everyone know my private business?" she asked.

"Yes," everyone at the table replied. She sighed.

"Sorry I asked," she muttered. "Anyhow. Leo's been giving me a really hard time lately, and I've heard how unhappy Neal's been, so I reconsidered being mad at him." She casually took a bite of her food.

"Right," Alanna drawled. "That sounds so like you, Eli."

"You're one to talk!" Eliena exclaimed. "You still have a grudge against Lord Peter of Riverbend for suggesting that you be put in exile right after your knighthood! And must I mention our most recent unwelcome visitor? Need I remind you that they are both dead?" Alanna glared at her daughter.

"I believe you were just proving your mother's point, Eli," Numair said.

"Whatever," Eliena replied. "I came to eat with you because Raoul said I should. Do I need to leave? I'm really hungry, you know."

"So eat," Jonathan told her. "Ignore us."

"Fine." Eliena shoveled her food into her mouth and stood. "Can I go?"

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"Listen up! Her Royal Highness Princess Eliena of Conté is here to assist you boys in the proper manner in which to ask a woman to dance," Master Upton Oakbridge, the pages' etiquette teacher as well as the palace master of ceremonies, announced. "Since Page Keladry has decided she is incapable of doing so." Kel blushed. "Now don't you boys get nervous. If you can ask the crown princess to dance, you can ask any other woman in the world. Your highness?" Master Oakbridge bowed and gave Eliena the floor.

"Thank you Master Oakbridge. All right, so. Who knows the correct way to ask a woman to dance?" Eliena questioned. Neal's hand went up. "Page Nealan?"

"Lady—name—would you be so kind as to honor me with this dance? Bow," Neal replied.

"Very good. How would you ask me to dance… Joren of Stone Mountain?" Eliena asked. Joren rose and walked up to her.

He bowed and kissed her hand. "Your highness, would you permit me the honor of dancing with me?" Joren returned to his seat, a smug smile on his face.

"Just because I'm a princess doesn't mean you need to be overly sweet, Page Joren," Eliena said, causing Joren to blush. "The proper way would be...what?" Kel raised her hand timidly. "Page Keladry?"

"Your highness, would you be so kind as to honor me with this dance?" Kel suggested. Eliena smiled.

"Close. You actually also need to clear it with Leo—Leonard of Pirate's Swoop—as he's courting me," Eliena replied. "But very good. Even though I'm the princess, you ask me the normal way, simply using my title. Or, if you're close enough, 'Princess Eliena' will do fine. Who knows how to ask a married woman to dance?"

"You don't!" Cleon said. Everyone laughed.

"Not quite, Page Cleon," Eliena told him. "Anyone else?"

"Your highness, they don't need to know that," Master Oakbridge put in. Eliena nodded.

"Then let's practice." Several groaned—they didn't want to ask the beautiful princess to dance! "Hey, practice makes perfect!" Eliena sang. "And how will you live though Court events without knowing this?"

"We won't dance," Neal replied. Eliena shook her head.

"Not an option. And thank you for volunteering to go first, Page Nealan."

Author's Note- I have something I'm cooking up that I'll throw in soon. This was a filler chapter, but, as I JUST said, I have something I'm working on. THIS IS UPDATED FROM MY NEW COMPUTER! YAY! Anyhow. REVIEW.