He led her and Sarene down to the practice courts. Sadly their little page had to leave them before they got to where they were going. Page training was beginning. Michael kept Shelby busy though. He asked her random, irrational questions to keep her busy. When they reached the practice courts, Shelby didn't take any notice of the group of knights stretching and talking in one of the indoor courts. Michael's eyes danced mischievously. She was oblivious of where and to whom he had brought her. Instead she focused on answering his last question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? It had no point but to keep her attention away from their path as he lead her down the many halls.

Michael sat down on the low wall that separated the courts from the hall way. This placed his back facing the knights. Shelby stood in front of him, her brows knit together as she thought.

"Ok, I think I figured it out. The egg came first. See it probably-"She stopped in mid sentence as something behind Michael caught her attention. Her jaw was wide open and her eyes were bright as she looked on. Michael laughed, but when Shelby did not make a sarcastic compliment or glare at him he got worried. Standing up he waved a hand in front of her unblinking eyes. Nothing. He waited another moment before he slipped a finger under her chin and closed her mouth.

"You'll be catching flies if you keep that face."

Shelby came out of the surprise that had overwhelmed her.

"Michael!" Her voice was tight and breathy as she said his name.

"Yessum?" He asked all innocence. Shelby punched his arm.

"You should have told me!" Her face was turning a rosy pink. "I'm not- I'm not ready to see them." He could hear her nervousness loud and clear.

"Oh hush kitten. You're more than ready. Now let's go."

He grabbed her hand and dragged her over the low wall and strode over to his group of long time friends and fellow knights. Nickolas had informed him that this group was the one favored by Shelby. Michael thought it'd be a lovely surprise for Shelby to meet them. When better to introduce her to them than at their morning practice when all the knights were present?

Michael could feel her shaking. He gave her palm a light squeeze before they reached the group of men. They had all been stretching drowsily when the first knight noticed Michael coming towards them, blond girl in tow. Michael's comrade studied the unfamiliar blond with cautious eyes. She was… Different. He started at the top with her uniquely colored hair. This made him scratch his head. Next was her face. No two persons looked exactly the same but the knight noticed there was something especially different about this one.

Michael stopped just in front of the group pulling Shelby up beside him. He slung a heavily muscled arm over her shoulders.

"I would like you all to meet my new friend Shelby. She's visiting from one of the realms over the Roof of the World. She's going to be Lucas's new student. " Shelby sighed. It seemed her little white lie had just become her cover story.

Shelby smiled nervously at the group. A few boys yawned and stretched. They were obviously not morning people. Those, whose eyes were not shut while yawning, stared at her. Shelby squirmed under Michael's arm. She didn't like being thrust into the center of attention like Michael had just done. What felt like a long moment passed before a tall, black haired knight got up from his stretching and smiled at her. With a confident stride Shelby envied he walked over to Michael and her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Shelby." He offered her his hand. Shelby shook it with the firmest group she could muster up. His fingers were cold on her hot palm. She admired his pale blue eyes and striking bone structure. His lips were a pale pink and curved up in the corners.

"This is Sir Chix of Korain Lake." Michael put in. He winked at his friend: A silent thanks for breaking the ice.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Chix." Shelby spoke, her voice was a little shaky, but better than she had hoped.

Next to greet her was a man with flaming haired youth. The smug look on his face and his cocky demeanor made him appear older but he was had an obvious innocence about him that they older, battle weary knights did not. He shook her hand with a black gloved hand and introduced himself as Sir Flamason of Gruille Mountain. He told her she was to call him Flame.

Not a second after Flame left her did she find herself talking to yet another knight. This one she had recognized on the spot. It was hard to mistake him with his blue colored skin. He had centaur blood in him. The centaurs' native to Tishian were not like those that had been locked away in the Realms of the Gods for centuries. They were not immortal, and they were more- Educated. The blue skinned knight, called Keith, explained his father was Baron of fief Jem. Michael added in the Keith was the first centaur knight in the history of Tishian. That made the bashful knight turn purple as he blushed.

She had to laugh when the two disturbingly up beat knights approached her. In appearance they were complete opposites: The shorter one had a dirty blond hair and sparkling hazel eyes; the other had dark, almost black, brown hair, and dark eyes that glittered mischievously. In demeanor though, they could have been identical twins. They spoke similarly, stood similarly, and even wore similar clothing. The blond was Sir Josh of Port Higher and his darker friend was Sir Jacob of Crystal Reed. Shelby couldn't understand their early morning peppiness, but she had a feeling it would be interesting to see how her mornings would change with these two early risers around.

She was introduced to few more knights she didn't recognize as her own. After a beautiful brunette boy introduced himself she was released. Michael fell into a conversation with Chix leaving Shelby to watch several of the knights pair off to spar. A few others ran through practice patterns without a partner. That's when Shelby noticed the dark haired, stocky knight. She had seen him eyeing her when Michael first dragged her across the floor. He had not come up to introduce himself. She knew who he was only because his name was the only one she knew but hadn't heard. Shelby looked through the groups of sparring knights between her and the mysterious one. They locked eyes. After a long moment he began to saunter slowly around the group towards her. Shelby dared not move, except to turn and face him. Up close she could see him better. He had thick dusty black hair. His face was tanner than the other knights and he was marked by many more scars. His nose looked like it had been broken more than once. He was short and stocky compared to the other knight, but he was at least half a head taller than Shelby. He smiled at her with white teeth that stood out in his tanned face. Despite his numerous war marks, he was quite handsome. He had fine bone structure and there was romanticism about him. Shelby was baffled when he took her hand delicately and kissed her fingers.

"It's an honor to meet you Mistress Shelby." His voice reminded Shelby of the sun rising. She blushed a deep scarlet and sent her eyes to the floor. A warm, calloused hand lifted her face up.

"Don't be bashful. You're too lovely to be looking at the floor all the time." Shelby thought her heart had stopped. Since the moment he had come to get her Michael had been flirtatious, but he was subtle about it. The man though was much more straight forward!

He held her face for a moment longer than was necessary. Finally he released her. He kissed her hand once more before releasing it too. With the tiniest of smiles he disappeared into the mass of practicing knights. Shelby was left befuddled and confused. He left without telling her his name. Obviously he meant to play at some game with her. Shelby stared after him till a suddenly irritated Michael stomped over to her.

Shelby looked at him with confusion. "What's gotten into you?" She asked. Her tone was a bit sarcastic.

"Nothing," He muttered. Shelby grabbed his arm. He just continued to fume.

"It's nothing. Really. Just something Chix said." Shelby didn't believe him

"Michael, you can tell me. Please, Michael-"She stopped. Something big was at her back. Something big that felt dark. Shelby turned around. She couldn't have guessed more right.

A tall, lanky man stood at the opening of the practice court. He was dressed finely in black hose, black shirt, and a dark green robe that sprawled out behind him. He had glossy brown hair cut short to keep it out of his face. His face was pale and thin. His large green eyes stood out in his face. They were dark and revealed no emotion.

Shelby didn't need him to call her over or for him to even motion. She could feel that he wanted her to come to him. Silently Shelby walked to the thin man.

She stood in front of him, letting him look her over. She could see he was assessing her, trying to guess how powerful she was. That's when she felt him enter her mind. She fidgeted and twitched as he prodded her gift. Shelby felt like he was trying to dig through her skull. It was an unusual sensation she did not enjoy in the least bit.

"Stop moving." His voice was stern but reassuring. Shelby didn't expect that. She almost half expected the air to freeze when he spoke.

She stopped fidgeting and held still while he prodded. Slowly she felt him pull out of her mind. For a moment he said nothing. He just tapped a finger on his chin, examining her. Then finally, he spoke.

"Like you guessed I am Lucas. Nickolas already explained I am to teach you. Well then, come along." He turned and his robe billowed out brilliantly behind him. Shelby glanced back at Michael who nodded at her, letting her know it was alright. Shelby scurried after Lucas, hurrying to catch up.

It was a long way to his rooms. He was on the third story, almost on the opposite side of the castle. Inside his suite Shelby found four rooms. The main room was a common area and study. The walls were all covered with book cases that were filled to bursting. In fact there weren't enough shelves for all the books. Some laid on the floor in neat stack. Other laid opened on chairs or desks, while a few had been placed under the seats by the hearth. It was pure chaos in this room. Papers were scattered over desks and stuck out between books. Only one desk had been cleared and organized so that it may be used. Shelby didn't get a chance to see what was on the other side of the two doors at the back of the common area. Lucas immediately directed her to room to their right. This was his work room. Shelby was relieved to see that this room was much better organized. All the books were placed properly on shelves; all his tools he used in spells were laid out neatly on the counters or put away in safe places. Their was a table at the center of the room with several stools surrounding it. Lucas instructed her to take a seat on one. Shelby chose one that was as tall as the table. She faced him as he leaned against the counter opposite from her.

"If you're to be my student, know now you will follow my rules." With anyone else Shelby may have slapped them for such a bossy tone, but something about Lucas demanded her respect. "You will live in my quarters- No, don't argue with me. You're a student mage, and you will live with your fellow scholars." Shelby crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him stubbornly. "Classes will occur after breakfast everyday at nine am sharp, excluding Saturdays and Sundays and every other Monday. Yes, that means you have to get up at a decent hour. You must get permission from me before bringing any one in your room and the door must always stay open while they are present. Feel free to lock your door all you want when you're alone. I don't allow maids into my rooms so plan on picking up after yourself. Your room is yours to do with as you please. As long as you are present for classes you will have your free time. Skip a class and expect to start losing your free time, starting with your weekends. These are my rules. They are simple and easy to follow. Understand?"

Shelby was glad he was finally done. She thought when she left her own world she was done with such rules. Boy, had she been wrong. She nodded slowly.

"Wonderful." He rubbed his hands together.

"So when do we start?" She asked curiously. She immediately regretted it.

"No better time than the present, eh magelet?" He smirked at her. His eyes danced wickedly. Shelby sighed.

"Fine." She said.

"We'll start by removing that cursed wall of yours." Shelby looked at him, a thin blond brow raised. "The wall caused by all that repression." He explained.

Shelby nodded, and so they began breaking down the wall.

- - -

Shelby slumped into her new bed. She had spent the better half of her day breaking down that stupid wall around her Gift. It had been stronger than she guestimated when Nickolas first showed her it. The sudden power that erupted in her body took a lot out of Shelby. She wasn't used to carrying such a burden. And her magic was sensitive. Now every time a person with the Gift past her she could feel it. It felt like a tingling in her mind that was very distracting. It would take some getting used to.

Then immediately after that Lucas had put her to practicing meditation. He told her it would help her control her wild Gift. According to him it was extremely untamed. Trying to control and focus her Gift had drained her.

Then when the finished lessons around noon Michael and his knights whisked her off to explore the castle. They showed her all the shops in the castle, showed her off to the pages and squires, then took her for a ride in the area behind the castle.

Shelby suddenly had never missed a bed more than at that moment. The bed she had in Lucas's chamber was of a higher quality, a sign of his immense wealth. She didn't even undress before getting under the covers. She merely threw her boots, stocking, and tunic in a corner. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

- - -

Shelby looked around. She seemed to be standing on an island floating in the sky. All around her stretched blue sky and thick white clouds. She looked over the edge of the island. Her view of the ground below was blocked by a fluffy white cloud. Turning away from the edge she looked at the scene below her.

She stood on grass of the greenest shade. On the opposite side of the island was a cherry blossom tree. Its pink blossoms were in fool bloom. Blossoms floated down delicately onto the grass below it. At the trunk of the tree was a wide, smooth rock. Its speckled white surface had been polished to a shine. It looked like a large dish under the tree. Sitting on the floor, and leaning on the rock was a man, dressed completely in black. He was a bold contrast to the soft scene around him. He lounged leisurely in the sun light that appeared to come from a sunless sky

Shelby took a step towards him when he opened a single blue eye. Shelby gulped. Why did she feel she knew this man? He closed his blue eyes slowly before running fingers through his brown-black hair.

"Come here my pet."

Shelby's skin prickled but she obeyed. She didn't sense anything wrong. And she was good at picking up on good or bad vibes.

"Sit." He instructed her. Shelby sat cross legged in front of him. He opened both icy blue eyes this time. He looked her over before leaning away from the polished stone. He pulled up one knee, resting a long arm on it. Shelby tried to place his face but it just wouldn't come to her.

They stared at each other for several moments. "You don't recognize me, do you?" He asked bluntly. Shelby shook her head. He sighed. "Well, that's just as well." He looked slightly irritated now. But the look was gone as soon as it came.

"You must be wondering why you're here, correct?"

"Correct." Shelby responded. She felt she recognized him for a moment, but the name slipped away from her.

"Well, see here. Your teacher- Lucas- He's a good mage but a poor teacher. I suspect he'll be able to teach you all the building blocks you'll need but the Gods think it's important for you to learn a few specific spells. That's where I come in." He spread his arms in a large sweeping motion.

"What spells exactly?" Shelby looked at him suspiciously. She wondered why the Gods were meddling in her affairs, but for some reason that didn't seem as important to her as figuring out the man before her.

"Oh, just a few bits on mind control how to leech a gift-"He paused and looked at her side long, adding to the suspense. "Resurrecting the dead."

Shelby jumped up, shocked. "What?!" she exclaimed. "The dead should stay dead, and that's interfering with the Gods work!"

The man simply smirked up at her and pulled her back down.

"Relax my dear. The Gods want you to learn these spells. That's why the sent me to teach you." He talked to her like she was a child. This only upset her more.

"Well, if they're so mighty as to meddle in my life why don't they bring back to life who ever it is that they want alive?" Her cheeks were a rosy color as she grew angrier.

He sat there and shook his head. He was still being patient with her. "The Gods have more important things to deal with." Shelby glared at him.

"Well, what makes you so qualified to teach me such spells?" Her words were harsh but he seemed not to notice. He looked down and plucked a strand of grass from the earth. His eyes looked tired and sad as he twirled the strand in between his fingers.

"Let us just say I have- Experience in the area."

Shelby nodded. Then she jumped up in a flurry of panic. She stumbled back as she tried to get away from the man. He looked up at her as she scurried away. Getting up on her feet she back away and stared at him in disbelief. "You- You're- You're-"She couldn't say it. He smirked and stood up to reveal his full height.

Shelby continued to step back as she struggled to say it.

"You're- Roger."

The former Duke of Conte smirked at her. His eyes danced viciously in the light.

"The one and only." He said his voice now cold and icy.

Shelby felt her foot slip off the edge of the island and she began to fall.

Shelby jerked awake as she hit the floor. She fought her way out of a tangle of sheets and blankets. When she was finally free she leaned against the bed and tried to calm her breathing. Prada walked over to sit on the bed next to Shelby's face.

"It was just a dream Prada- But it was so real." She pet the dog absentmindly.

Prada made a huffing sound and lay down. Shelby looked into the banked fire in her small hearth.

"It was so real."