-a/n- This update was faster than a ninja! Well…maybe not, but fast compared to my usual speed. Don't you just love Christmas holidays? :D

Thanks for all the amazing reviews for the last chapter! Please keep 'em coming as we venture into the next stage of the story…

Confusedknight xx

Lord Wyldon paused high up on the castle wall to survey the slumbering city below. Though the sun was only just creeping skywards the air was pleasantly cool on his sweaty forehead. He was about to continue his routine jog when he spotted someone on the ground below.

The figure's face was shadowy in the dim light, but their build was slight with the outline of a sword belted at one hip. A long braid of hair flapped behind her as she ran, her athletic legs covering the ground easily.

Although Wyldon couldn't confirm it, he would be prepared to bet the finest horse he'd ever bred that it was Keladry of Mindelan. He watched as she jogged up the path that led to a large complex of practice courts and disappeared out of sight.

Sighing to himself and wondering how quickly his letter would reach Lucie, who was safe at home in Cavall, Wyldon began to jog once more.

Kel brushed stray strands of hair out of her face and leaned forward, stretching as she recovered her breath. She had risen before dawn to go for a long run around the palace grounds. The peace and freedom had done much to calm her down, releasing some of the tension that had accumulated overnight.

On the empty practice court she began to swing her sword, letting it twirl and lead her through a whirlwind of moves. Absorbed in what she was doing, Kel barely noticed as others filtered onto the space to share the enormous training ground.

'Would you like a practice duel?' asked a woman. It wasn't the voice of Alanna the Lioness and Kel looked up, surprised. It was Eda Bell, the old Shang Wildcat who had taught her staff work during her year as a page.

'Alright,' said Kel easily, shaking out her shoulders and arms. Kel fought left-handed to save the cut in her right arm from tearing open and soon engaged the older woman in a fierce duel.

The old Shang had many years of experience on her side and Kel was hard pressed to match her speed. However, like Fassin, the Wildcat had trained with many different weapons, whereas Kel was a swordswoman through and through.

To begin with Kel blocked and attacked varying her moves and sequences to try and catch the woman off-guard. Everywhere that Courage snaked Eda's weapon was just as fast following, blocking with resounding clangs.

Kel knew that she wouldn't be able to wait for Eda to tire, because it would undoubtedly take a long time. This was just a practice match however, and throwing caution to the wind, she treated it like she would a match against Alex.

Kel pressed forward daringly when she attacked, physically stepping forward to force Eda to not only block but also to change her body position. Ignoring the sweat on her forehead Kel upped the intensity and delivered a series of sharp blows to the Shang's sword, back-cutting wherever possible.

Eventually it was a complex Scanran feint that left the opening Kel needed to twist her blade around the Wildcat's and wrench it from her grip.

There was a smattering of applause from varied onlookers as the pair bowed to each other.

'Very impressive Keladry,' said Eda as she retrieved her sword. 'You have been taught well, far better than any of us could have done. If Liam were alive today then I reckon you would present him a true challenge.'

'Liam?' questioned Kel, sheathing her sword.

'The last Shang Dragon.'

'Oh,' said Kel, pleased with the compliment.

'Will you join me for some unarmed combat?' asked Eda.

Kel nodded enthusiastically; she had not trained with anyone since leaving the desert.

The Wildcat circled, her hands clenching into fists. She sprang lightly forward, aiming for Kel's side. Kel twisted out of the way. When Eda came at her again, this time throwing a double punch, Kel was forced to use her arms to block the blows. She pivoted and snapped her leg out in a kick that Eda dodged easily.

The older woman threw more punches, of which only one slid past Kel's defence to land on toned muscle. Eda used the momentum of her attack to try to throw Kel, who twisted and snaked a leg, beneath Eda's feet, effectively countering the move.

More kicks were thrown by the Shang warrior. Kel noted that the Wildcat, being a small, stringy woman was not as strong as Fassin. However she was much faster and Kel barely had time to mount any attacks at all, throwing all her energy into dodging and blocking everything that was thrown at her.

In the thick of the fighting Kel's legs were swept from underneath her and she fell, grabbing the lady's wrist firmly and pulling her down too as she had once done with Rhonda. They rolled over in the dirt and as they wrestled briefly. Kel used an enormous amount of effort to throw the stubborn lady off of her and sprang up. Eda was faster to her feet than Kel and launched into the fight once more.

Kel misinterpreted a feint and felt a callused fist collide with her lip. Her head snapped back and she felt warm liquid dribbling into her mouth and down her chin. Kel gave no indication that she wanted to stop and with renewed energy landed another punch on the Wildcat's arm. Unfortunately this gave Eda the opening she needed and Kel found herself being booted backwards by a blow to the stomach. She twisted as she flew, smacking the ground as she landed and using the momentum to spin upwards once more.

Once on two feet again Kel gasped for air, winded. She looked up and saw that Eda had decided to stop. Unlike when practising with a sword there was rarely a winner in unarmed combat, unless you carried on hurting each other until one surrendered.

Kel didn't surrender; she could carry on if she really wanted to, but instead bowed to the Wildcat, acknowledging her skill.

With air finally entering her lungs Kel wiped her bloodied lip on her sleeve, spitting a mixture of blood and saliva onto the ground.

'You've been trained by a Shang.' It was not a question.

Kel nodded.

'Who?'

'Fassin, the Shang Hawk.'

Eda shook her head, indicating that she didn't know him.

'You have a nice strong kick but your punches need work, and,' she said, continuing her analysis, 'You must be careful not to leave your left side open.'

She examined Kel from head to foot. 'Will you be here tomorrow morning?'

'Yes.'

'We'll work on it then.' The old lady bowed abruptly and walked away.

Kel flexed her fingers and rubbed her sore knuckles. She also examined the wound on her arm that had begun to seep blood. Cursing under her breath Kel tightened the bandage beneath her shirt sleeve.

'Kel,' called Ilane.

'Yes Mama?' Kel looked up from her task to see Ilane in a training Kimono, surrounded by several other women.

'Will you join us for glaive practice? We number five and with one more we can pair off.'

'I would be honoured,' replied Kel politely noticing the royalty within the group of women.

Kel was introduced to Princess Shinkokami, who stood at exactly the same height as Kel, looking out on the world through slanted pretty eyes. Her complexion, unlike Kel's freckles and tan was a gorgeous peach-gold. Her glossy black hair, like all of the other Yamani ladies was tied back simply and held in place with an elaborate clasp.

'Cricket?' asked Kel dredging up memories of her time spent in the Isles.

The Princess cast a sideways glance before laughing gleefully. 'You do remember me! I told Yuki I did not think you would!'

Kel looked to the lady on Shinkokami's right.

'Lady Yukimi noh Daiomoru?' Kel asked and received the answer when the plump Yamani's beetle black eyes crinkled with mirth.

'You have changed very much too, Keladry of Mindelan.'

Kel was not sure how to reply and was saved from doing so as the Princess introduced her second attendant. 'I do not believe you have met Lady Haname noh Ajikuro.'

'No,' demurred Kel as she bowed to the lady. Actually we have met, thought Kel, thinking back to a night in Fraslund three years previously. She had arranged for a slave girl Natsu to be taken to the Isles onboard a ship with Lady Haname.

'And I don't believe your Majesty has met my youngest daughter either,' said Lady Ilane.

Kel bowed even lower to Thayet. At close range Kel could see why Thayet was called "the Peerless". More beautiful than any lady Kel had ever laid eyes on, she also had a grounded look about her and work canvas practice clothes similar to those worn by pages and riders.

'I hope you'll go easy on me,' the queen said. 'I've only been training with this thing for a year.'

'I have not picked up a glaive for many years,' said Kel, looking back to her mother. She had not even held a glaive since leaving the convent, having spent her time focusing on swordplay.

Wordlessly Ilane handed Kel a weapon that was achingly familiar to the touch. The five-foot-long staff was made of teak, the foot shod with iron. The blade, made of blue rippled steel like Courage was eighteen inches long at the tip and curved. Before Alex had given her Courage it had been the most expensive thing that Kel had ever owned, a present from her mother. It had been left at the convent with all of her other things when she had disappeared.

Kel ran her fingers over the wooden surface, remembering every knot and scratch. Taking a step back from the ladies she swung it experimentally in an arc and let it come to rest comfortably in her hand. It felt, like a lot of things in her life right now, strange and yet familiar at the same time.

Kel performed the only, very basic pattern dance that she could remember. She swung the weapon slowly, gradually becoming re-accustomed to its weight. After a minute she finished and turned to find the women watching her.

'I've been using my sword for too long,' she sighed as a way of explanation.

The ladies paired off; the Princess with her mother-to-be and Lady Haname with Lady Yuki. Ilane handed Kel a wooden practice glaive, weighted to be as realistic as possible. Kel traded her live weapon for it, feeling that although she was confident enough to practise with a live sword blade her glaive work was going to be erratic and slow to begin with.

Her mother began with basic blocks and attacks, correcting Kel wherever she saw fit. When they began a free duel, Ilane was a lot faster than her daughter, although when Kel did block or strike she found herself having to watch her strength.

After forty minutes or so, the exercise wound down and the three Yamani ladies and the Queen ended their practice and waited for Ilane to finish her fight with Kel.

Kel, conceding defeat, leaned on her glaive to catch her breath. 'Definitely out of practice,' she told her mother. Drawing Courage she compared the weight of her sword to her glaive. The glaive was a lot heavier and felt cumbersome in contrast.

'Can I see?' asked Thayet, indicating Courage.

Kel handed over her blade, getting used to people's interest in her extraordinary weapon. Thayet examined the sword and whistled.

'This is as fine as anything the Raven armoury could produce,' she said, handing Courage back to Kel.

'Where did you get this?' asked Ilane.

'It was a gift,' replied Kel simply, sheathing the sword and indicating that the topic was closed for discussion.

As the noblewomen departed Kel was challenged into several more matches with various warriors that were practising on the courts. She accepted them all and won without exception. It was during a bout of these matches that Lord Wyldon spotted her once again.

He was surprised to see Kel still at her training, as he himself had finished his run and gone for breakfast. The veteran warrior watched the girl fight, passion and dedication in her every movement. Wyldon knew that he'd never trained a page that could fight as well as she could, and he wondered if it was her expulsion from page training that had driven her to such prowess, or whether she had intended to become that good all along.

In truth it was neither; Kel's determination to help people, Alex's patient teaching and the situations that she had experienced in Scanra had shaped her fighting. Without her skill she wouldn't have survived the battles that she'd fought.

Ideas and possibilities began to crowd his mind and Wyldon stepped away from the practice court, knowing that he'd be unable to concentrate until he'd reached a decision.

Kel rapped on the door. As she waited for it to open her stomach rumbled noisily, reminding her that she had missed breakfast. Kel shifted trying to quieten her disgruntled organ. Missing a meal wouldn't do her any harm; she had gone for much longer without eating.

A fresh faced Lalasa opened the door. When she saw who it was her hands flew to her mouth in shock.

'Can I come in?'

'Of course my Lady,' said Lalasa meekily, her eyes dropping to the floor.

Kel sighed; she should've expected the news of her identity to spread across the city. She waited until they were in the room above the shop before saying, 'Lalasa please just call me Kel.'

Lalasa's eyes were wide. 'But it wouldn't be proper, you being a noble lady and all.'

Kel snorted, 'Do I look like a normal noblewoman? What makes you think I want to be treated like a lady?'

'Oh Miss Kel you're too hard on your clothes,' said Lalasa, temporarily distracted by the dire state of Kel's linen shirt. 'You must send things over to me for repairs.'

'I might take you up on that,' replied Kel, examining a hole that had appeared on her elbow and the frayed cuffs.

'And what happened to your lip?'

Kel probed her puffy lip with her tongue and shrugged. 'It's nothing, just a training injury.'

Lalasa looked horrified at the idea of being hit in training. 'You don't mind?'

'We were fighting, training. They landed a few blows on me, I landed a few on them.'

'But my Lady I'd always thought you hated the idea of men hitting women. I heard that you taught Austin a lesson for hitting Jennie Dyer.'

Kel didn't bother to point out that she'd been fighting a woman at the time and said, 'I don't like the men preying on women just because they won't hit back. I asked to be fought so that I can train and improve.'

'It's the way off the world though miss. Men always hit women, even my own brothers…' she trailed off starting to fuss over boiling water to make tea.

'Well they shouldn't,' said Kel grimly. 'One day things will change and women will be free to voice opinions and choose careers without the worry of what the men will say or do.'

Shaking her head at Kel's idealistic view, Lalasa poured tea.

'Where's Tian?' asked Kel.

'She's taking a dress to Lady Adalia,' Lalasa paused.

'Adalia of Mindelan?'

'Yes your sister,' Lalasa said quietly, remembering who Kel really was.

'Lalasa please don't start treating me differently. I need friends, friends who take me for me and not the position into which I was born.'

Nodding mutely Lalasa sipped her tea.

'Have you been allowed to take commissions yet?'

'No,' sighed the older woman. 'Mistress Sewell thinks I'm good for naught but hemming seams and embroidering chemises.'

Kel paused between mouthfuls of the hot tea. 'What you need,' she said thinking aloud, 'Is an opportunity to show just what you can make.'

'Materials cost money…Kel.'

They lapsed into silence.

'What if I commissioned a dress? Then when Mistress Sewell sees the quality of your work, she'll be sure to let you do more.'

'Oh milady you shouldn't bother yourself-'

'It's Kel,' she said firmly. 'How much would material cost?'

'I can't ask-'

'How much?'

'Maybe 10 silvers for the bulk of material, another 3 for threads…'

'I'll give you two gold nobles,' said Kel. 'That ought to cover it all.'

Lalasa's eyes bulged as Kel handed over the two coins. It was more money than she'd made in a lifetime.

'Take it,' Kel's tone booked no argument. 'Make whatever you want with the materials and keep the rest for your troubles. Just, nothing with too many ruffles,' said Kel, thinking of some of court's more ridiculous fashions.

'It'll be perfect,' said Lalasa, still ogling the fortune in her hands.

'I don't doubt it.'

'Your Majesty,' Wyldon bowed briefly. 'We need to discuss Keladry of Mindelan.'

The King rubbed his forehead distractedly.

'I had been giving her some thought.'

'I was wrong,' said Lord Wyldon heavily. 'I let my prejudices cloud my judgement. That girl had every right to become a knight.'

His posture seemed to slump.

'We've discussed this before,' the King reminded the man gently. 'When you resigned you made your feelings clear.'

'But at the time we couldn't do anything about it,' Lord Wyldon pointed out. 'We all thought she was dead. Now she is very much alive and beating every soldier, Shang or other warrior that is fool enough to challenge her on the practice courts. I've just seen her. Mithros curse it! She was up at the crack of dawn training whereas you can barely get the pages up in time for breakfast! She saved Lucie, sacrificing herself…'

'And what do you suggest we do?' asked the King, leaning back in his chair and hoping that the other man had answers that he himself didn't.

'Offer her a second chance.'

'Collected your pony I see,' commented Dom, leaning over the stable door.

'Mm,' said Kel, completing her grooming of Prince with a final vigorous sweep of the dandy brush.

'Fancy a walk?'

'Just let me finish here,' said Kel stepping outside the stable to refill a bucket with water.

When she'd finished Kel dunked her hands in a water trough to wash the dust off and then shook them dry, sprinkling droplets all over Dom.

'Hey!'

Kel smiled sweetly and danced out of the way as Dom lunged for her.

'You'll have to be faster than that!' she laughed.

Dom raised his eyebrows and then leapt forward. Kel, still laughing began to run. He chased her across the stable courtyard and out of the back of the collection of storehouses and grain towers. Kel nimbly trod a path that ran alongside the paddock where several horses grazed peacefully. She disappeared briefly as she ducked inside a small coppice wood, but quickly became visible as a white shirt amongst the greens and browns of the forest.

With a burst of speed Dom began to gain on Kel. His thigh muscles were burning with the effort but Dom had learnt to push himself beyond the discomfort.

The trees thinned leaving the pair on a small grassy slope that led down to a cool pond encompassed by reeds.

Kel slowed momentarily, realising she was trapped. At the bottom of the bank she spun around to face him. Dom smiled wickedly, a plan formulating in his mind. He stepped towards Kel who eyed him warily, her face flushed from running.

'I apologise,' she said meekly, not liking the feel of the expanse of water at her back.

'Hmm' Dom replied. 'You'll have to find a way to make it up to me.'

Kel stepped forward, brushing her hands past his before settling them at the base of Dom's neck. She stood on tiptoe and gently touched their lips in a lingering kiss.

'As lovely as that was,' replied Dom when they broke apart for air. 'I still think…'

In one smooth motion he swept Kel into his arms and leapt into the lake. Kel squealed as they hit the water and clutched at Dom's arms.

'…that revenge is better.'

'Now we're both all wet,' pointed out Kel crossly.

'But it was such a hot day,' reasoned Dom innocently.

Kel half paddled, half waded her way to the pond and hauled herself through the weeds up onto the hard bank. She rung out her hair over one shoulder. Realising that Dom hadn't followed her out of the pool she spun around.

'Well are you coming?'

'In a minute, I'm just admiring the view,' Dom smirked.

Kel followed his gaze and looked down to the very tight clingy wet shirt and breeches that she was wearing. Flushing red she swore under her breath in Scanran.

Five minutes later they were settled on the bank, Kel resting her head on Dom's shoulder and waiting for their clothes to dry out.

'It's nice to be alone,' remarked Dom, looking down at the unusually peaceful face of the woman who had captured his heart.

'Well next time just ask me,' Kel mumbled into his shirt, 'Instead of throwing us both into a pond!'

'You've all been summoned here today-' King Jonathon was interrupted as the doors burst open to reveal Alanna the Lioness. She took her seat on the King's right hand side, scowling openly at some members of the group.

'My Lord surely the bias of Lady Alanna is known,' started Rothard of Blue Harbour.

'I am the King's Champion,' Alanna cut across him. 'I have the right to attend this council whatever the subject matter.'

The Earl was about to argue when the King stood up, surveying the council before him through sapphire blue eyes.

His long standing friend Gary sat on the other side of Thayet, ink already staining his fingers as he sorted through documents. There were the usual crowd of important noble councillors; the Palace's chief healer Duke Baird, Duke Turomot the Lord Magistrate, Sir Myles of Olau his spymaster, the current training master Padraig haMinch and various magical and religious advisors.

Today however the council chamber was fuller than ever. Lord Raoul, representing the King's Own was usually out actively serving the King's justice and did not normally use his privilege to attend such meetings. Buriram Tourakoum was much the same, but representing the Queen's riders. Daine the Wildmage sat next to her husband Numair Salmalin. Both of these mages had been granted seats on the council in recognition of the unique valuable insights that they could provide, not that either mage regularly exercised that right, both preferring to tinker with their magic than argue with conservative noblemen who treated them with disdain.

'This meeting has been called to discuss the matter of Keladry of Mindelan. It is common knowledge that Keladry was put on a probationary year-' Jon paused, almost expecting Alanna to interrupt and argue. It had been one of the reasons why he'd not invited Alanna to attend in the first place. Hoping she could maintain this newfound control, the King continued.

'At the end of said year Lord Wyldon saw fit to exclude her from the training. She has unexpectedly returned as a formidable swordswoman.'

'And why is this a matter to discuss?' drawled a conservative with a sneer. 'So the wench learned to fight, I hardly see-'

'You will mind your opinions Lord Eddinan,' warned Queen Thayet.

'It is a matter to discuss because we cannot afford such a warrior to be running around separate from the crown,' Gary said clearly. He looked up from his writing to the expectant faces of the council. 'It will do our warriors no favours at all if a teenage girl can beat them in combat. Unfortunately, as a noble Keladry would have the right to enter whatever tournament she wished to. She could travel the length and breadth of this country undermining the respect that the fighting forces have generated these last few decades.'

'It is true,' Sir Sacherell of Wellam spoke in turn. 'Our knights, though not expected to be unbeatable have to have a certain reputation; a reputation for being the elite warriors upon which our realm was founded. It is common knowledge that Keladry tried for her shield. Would it not make a mockery of our system if the best warriors were failed knights?'

'We are not talking about warriors in the plural,' snapped Eddinan. 'We are talking about one fifteen year old, girl,' he said this last word distastefully.

'But you see the problem?' asked the King.

'My sources in the city only confirm this. Keladry has risen to somewhat of a hero status, especially in the Lower city where I gather she has been staying. People are mocking the knights' status.' Added Sir Myles, his eyes twinkling madly. Alanna smiled, suddenly seeing what he was trying to do.

'It seems that we need to get Keladry to represent the crown also,' said Duke Baird mildly. 'To suffer defeat at the hands of a warrior trained by the crown shames the knight less.'

'It would also lessen her status in the eyes of the commoners. She'd be up here at the palace or out with our fighting forces and not making friends in the Lower city. The people will only see her noble blood and their support will cease,' pointed out Buri.

'This brings us to the next question; with which force shall she be stationed?'

'The Queen's Riders are the only force admitting women, stick her there,' Rothard said dismissively.

'She is fifteen; a year too young to join the Riders,' Buri said swiftly.

'Make an exception,' Rothard growled.

'The Riders could take her next year,' mused Thayet. 'But I fear such talent would be wasted.'

'Similarly the King's Own has an acceptance age of sixteen or older,' said Raoul, speaking for the first time.

Lord Wyldon rose in his chair. 'Four years ago I told Keladry that she could not return to page training. This decision was based not upon the quality of her skill, but upon old prejudices. Keladry not only kept up with the boys in their training, but she excelled. I suspect it is her determination to succeed that allowed her to become such a talented fencer. I will freely admit now that I made a terrible mistake, one which has cost Keladry and her family dearly. I now propose that she is allowed a second chance for her shield.'

Silence followed this announcement.

'Why the sudden change of opinion Wyldon?' asked Eddinan suspiciously.

'I expressed my opinion to his Majesty three and a half years ago after I witnessed Keladry sacrificing herself to save my daughter. She demonstrated the morals and standards that should dictate the Knight's way of life. She has already proven to be a fine warrior, one that would be an asset to this country in the troubled times that we face.'

'But if we allow Keladry a second chance who is to stop all pages that are requested to leave from campaigning for a second shot at their shield?' asked Duke Turomot. 'Can we really make an exception for this girl?'

'These are exceptional circumstances,' pointed out Lord Wyldon. 'It is rare for a page to leave and even rarer for them to do it against their will. Most who fail at their training leave of their own accord and are therefore unlikely to pose a problem.'

There was another pause in the debate.

'Come now,' said the King, 'surely you must all have your own opinions.'

'My view is known,' snapped a young, arrogant looking knight. 'We shouldn't make exceptions for one jumped up merchant's daughter. It will make this entire council look foolish. What happens if this girl fouls us up in the field? Then who will shoulder the blame?

Alanna looked ready to leap up and shake the man until he saw sense, so Numair cut in hurriedly.

'Keladry has my, our full support,' said Numair, his hand entwined with Daine's. 'As Lord Wyldon has already said, she would be an asset to this country. Her name would become known across the borders as a fearsome Tortallan warrior.'

'I have already made my feelings clear on this subject Jon,' said Alanna bluntly. 'What happened to Keladry; her probationary year and being forced to leave, was unjust. She has the right to try for her shield just as we all did.'

'Padraig, what do you think of the proposal, to let Keladry try for her shield again?' Jon addressed the dignified man.

Alanna froze, sitting so still in her seat so that every fibre of her attention was on the training master. If he refused to let Kel try for her shield then there would be little that Jon could do…

'She would be a very old page…' mused Padraig haMinch.

'No older than my son was when he started,' Duke Baird interjected.

'I have no objections to Keladry trying for her shield, given her skill at swordplay, her noble birth and the recommendation from Lord Wyldon about her chivalry.' He sighed, 'My problem lies in her training.'

'But as Lord Wyldon told you,' said Alanna outraged, 'she kept up with the boys, beat them even! How can you say-'

'If you will let me finish,' said the training master, 'then I will explain myself.' He cleared his throat. 'She is in a unique position in that she has already completed a year of page training. It is likely that she retains most of the knowledge and therefore need not repeat that year. Another, more important factor to consider is her proficiency with the sword.'

'Plenty of pages start out knowing swordplay. They are taught it by their father's men at arms,' interrupted Sir Teithan.

'I doubt we've ever seen a page enter training with the ability to win the King's tournament,' said Padraig drily. 'There is nothing that I, as the training master could realistically teach her about swordplay. I have no doubt that she could best me easily, best any of us, with a few exceptions of course,' at this he looked at Alanna.

'So she can skip the swordplay lessons,' said Alanna impatiently.

'We also need to consider the possibility that the sword is not the only weapon that she's been training with.'

'Then we need to test her,' said Duke Turomot, 'assess her competence in the areas covered by page training.'

'And once she's been assessed we can decide where she can resume her training,' finished the King.

'This is lunacy?' cried a Eddinan. 'You will make fools of us all.'

'This is all shaping up very nicely,' said Thayet, ignoring the thoroughly unpleasant man. 'But what happens if she is proficient in all but one area, say for example etiquette. Are we to hold her back a year because she bows incorrectly?'

There was a pause for thought.

'Why don't we assess her in September just before the pages resume their training? This will allow Keladry just under two months to identify her weak areas and recap her year of page training.' Suggested Lord Wyldon, plans for Kel's training already swirling in his head.

'Are there any objections to this? Padraig will you agree to take on Kel's training once she's been assessed in September?'

'I do, your Majesty.'

'Would anyone else like a say on the matter?'

There was a scrape of chair on stone and a withered priestess stood up. 'Whether she knows it or not, one so gifted so young has the Goddess walking alongside her. This decision is met with approval by the Great Mother.'

'Very well, would someone send for Keladry.'

Hand in hand with Dom and still slightly damp Kel made her way back to her rooms feeling cheerful from such a relaxing afternoon. Dom had the ability to make her set aside her anxieties for things that she had no control over.

In the corridor ahead there was a palace messenger knocking on the door to her rooms.

'Can I help you?' asked Kel, sliding her hand from Dom's.

'The King requests your immediate presence in the council room.'

By the time Kel arrived in the chamber, her stomach a knot of nerves and suddenly very conscious of her pond-stained clothes, the majority of the council had left, leaving only their Majesties, the training master, Lord Wyldon and Lord Raoul.

'Come in Keladry.' The King welcomed her as though nothing had happened between them, as though Kel had not publicly defied him.

'We have been giving thought to your position,' Kel nodded, scrunching up her toes but standing her ground.

'We would like to offer you the chance to try for your shield.'

Kel's jaw dropped and she hurriedly closed it, her mind reeling in shock. Never, ever had Kel thought that they would offer her a second chance. It had always been about making them listen, showing what she could do so that she could help others. It had never occurred to her that in proving them wrong they would change their decision. Something very strange was going on here…

The King was speaking but Kel wasn't absorbing the information, her brain swamped by the sudden boggling possibility that she could become a knight. And with this realisation came terrible dilemmas. The Kel that had left the palace four years ago would've agreed without a second thought. But this Kel, the one that had met Alex, been enslaved, witnessed the slaughter in Scanra, vowed to help Alex ascend the thrown, this Kel wasn't sure what to answer.

-a/n- Did you see that coming? Or was it a complete surprise? Did you like the Dom fluff I threw in as a Christmas present?

As always I'd love to hear from you!

May you have a simply WONDERFUL Christmas!

Confusedknight xx