A/N: So, Francesca's first year as a page is over! Fianola and Alan are fourth-years! And I actually have more reviews than the current number of chapters! Ok, so the last one is probably not very relevant, but it matters to me. Thanks to everyone who favorite and follow(ed?) this story. Big thanks to those who review TheRealProtector and NinjaGirl012 and The Booknerds. While I can't PROMISE I'll try to give ya'll a chapter a week, maybe more often. You may have noticed that the timeline is a bit….jumpy, I'm sorry if that bothers anyone. Well, I'm gonna stop rambling, here's the next chapter.

Francesca was not going home for the summer holiday. A month before the pages had left of the training camp she'd sent a letter to her parents, requesting that they allow her to stay in the townhouse, and that they sent her horse there. When she arrived back at the palace, a short letter waited for her.

Very well,

Sir Paxton of Nond

Francesca was grimly amused. She actually got a reply; that was unexpected. Just as unexpected was the wave of sadness she felt at the short response. She shook herself in mild disgust; seeing and hearing about the letters her friends got from their family had made her wistful. She knew what her family was like – her father was distant, her mother was resentful and her grandmother was just sad. Her brother was the only actual member of her family that seemed to care about her, and he was almost fifteen years her elder. Firmly pushing those thoughts away, Francesca packed and went to her family's townhouse.

Francesca was pleased to find that Milli, the maid whom she'd first taken Rain to, was at the townhouse. Rain greeted the woman with dignity – allowing her to hold him for a few moments, before he tired of the attention. Glancing in the stables reviled that her horse, Night, had been sent from home as well. As soon as Francesca unpacked, she ran to saddle and ride Night, even if it was only for a short time. The mare was special to her because she was a gift from her brother, and was the fastest horse the girl had ever ridden.

Francesca knew that some knights – and the entirety of the King's Own – had ridding mounts as well as dustier, if given the chance, she'd like to buy Snowstorm as her warhorse. Would her parents give her the money to do so? That's several years from now, so I won't worry myself over it. She decided firmly and put the thoughts from her mind.

The summer months passed quickly enough as the days took on a pattern for Francesca. In the morning she would run and do exercises, as she had during training. The afternoon was spent on helping with shopping or bookkeeping – both to help keep up with her other classes and because she liked to help the servants that her parents had sent to the townhouse.

One evening, Francesca returned from exercising Night earlier than normal. Milli, the housekeeper – an older woman, named Ava and the cook, Tara were leaving.

"Where are you going," Francesca asked, they did not have Ava's husband with them, as they usually did to find off thieves or other people whom may think to attack a group of women.

"Why don't you come with us, my lady?" Milli asked, instead of answering – the woman as a few years Francesca's elder and a friend. After asking if they could wait until she'd seen to Night, Francesca joined them. The four of them blended in – Francesca did not wear expensive clothes, what would be the point when they would get ruined. As it was, she looked the most ragged of the group, with hair sticking out of the braid, her sturdy tunic and breeches sweat-stained and covered in horse hair – Tara even pulled a piece of hay from Francesca's hair.

As they walked, Ava explained that they did this twice a week – 'this', Francesca soon found out, was a class taught by a seamstress. The woman, Lalasa, taught the women holds, throws and other such things to help them if attacked. Francesca couldn't help but feel guilty for being there – she wasn't who the woman wanted to teach, she was more protected by the law than any other in the building. Regardless, Francesca, at Milli's urging, joined in the lesson; when it finished, Milli, Tara and Ava were the last of the women to leave, helping Lalasa to clean up the small building that she rented for the class. Francesca helped silently, as the other women chatted easily.

"Lalasa, do have anytime tomorrow? My mistress doesn't know it yet, but she needs a dress," Milli asked, causing Tara and Ava to chuckle, while Francesca threw her a pleading look.

"Of course," the other woman replied, "Around noon, say?"

Francesca longed to say something, to insist that she did not, for any reason, need a dress. But she couldn't seem to make her mouth and throat work. As they finished, Francesca retrieved the cloaks she and her companions had left by the door. The said their good-byes and Lalasa turned to head home, Francesca hesitated before saying.

"Are you going home alone? Is it safe?"

"I don't live far from here," Lalasa responded with a smile. "I'll be fine."

Francesca accepted that with a nod, and left with Ava, Milli and Tara.

The next morning, Milli insisted that she wash and wear a dress before going to her fitting at Lalasa's shop. They argued about the dress part, but in the end, Francesca wore a dress to the fitting. The argument mainly consisted of threats from Milli, and pleads. The most amusing threat, in Francesca's opinion, was when Milli threatened to send Rain away. The girl had laughed and responded; "If you can do that, then it's more than I or the Wild mage could do."

By noon, Francesca and Milli were at Lalasa's shop – Francesca wore a dress. She pouted only a bit, and said nothing when she noticed Rain following. The fitting seemed to last forever, Milli and Lalasa talked designs, on one side of the shop, while Francesca made faces in the mirror, to amuse herself. She saw Rain before he moved, but didn't have a chance to warn Lalasa or Milli, before the bobcat leapt to the counter, scattering papers.

"Rain," Francesca scolded, moving to pick the bobcat up. "Behave yourself!" Before she could grab the feline, he leapt towards a chair behind the counter, where several sparrows perched – the birds shrieked and scattered. Francesca managed to grab him before he could make a second attempt. "I'm very sorry," Francesca told the seamstress, with a blush. "He does know better."

"There was no harm done, my lady." Was the calm response, as the seamstress checked on the little birds.

"Pet sparrows," Francesca mused. "That's not something you see every day."

"No more than a pet bobcat," Lalasa replied.

"He's not a pet," Francesca replied automatically. "He just thinks I belong to him."

The seamstress chuckled, and they began to talk about colors and lace. Francesca offered very little to the conversation; even when she was at the convent, she tried to avoid conversations like this – with mixed results. By the time they left, with assurance that the gown would be finished in a week, Francesca wanted nothing more than to never have to go through another dress fitting – ever.

The next morning, Francesca took Night for a ride through the Royal Forest not long after breakfast. Training would start up again in two weeks; she would see Fianola, Alan, Liam, and Traver again. Traver was a third-year now, and Fianola and Alan were fourth-year pages. She grinned when she thought about some of her visions – Alan would get Lord Raoul for a knight-master, and Fianola would get Sir Nealan, not that either of them were aware of that yet. She considered telling them, but decided against it – though she may tell their other friends, at a later time.

A/N: Ok, so I know this was kinda a filler chapter and short and sort of pointless, but….. Well sorry, I guess. Anyway, please review!