"Now, little one," she began. It was so wrong, that voice beautiful voice should not have been coming from someone with such cold and furious eyes. "You seem to have some glorified misconceptions about women."

Eleni moved to get up and explain, but Alex was much too strong, and an actual growl from the large boy silenced her.

Pier was not did not like that. Without even looking at the boy, she shouted, "Artan, you savage, you dishonor your name! Be silent, until I say otherwise."

The young page was scared. No one had warned her about anything like this. What these pages were doing went beyond teasing and scaring her, the acts were bordering on life threatening. Eleni couldn't escape, if she even tried, she wouldn't get past Alex, Artan, and Pier. Alex alone could probably cripple her.

"Look at me, boy!" Pier had been speaking to her, while she had been thinking of escape. "Women are useless, do you understand that? Regardless of what they do they are always roped back into their proper roles." She began to pace, occasionally looking at Eleni. "Look at your dear grandmother, and at Lady Keladry. They were made wives and mothers, ladies of the court. All of their training was pointless and damaging. They ruined everything for this country!"

Eleni tried to speak again, but only managed to squeak when Pier glared at her. Tired of the fidgeting Pier approached the younger page, her sadistic personality gleaming in her steely eyes. Her hand was poised to strike Eleni, when the door was forced open and Artan thrown off balance.

An older page stood in the doorway. He looked like someone who could make you smile with his kind brown eyes, but at the moment they were blazing. The boy brought himself up to his full stature and walked past the fallen Artan.

"Fallen Wall, you know better than to treat the new pages like this. Tirragen, let the lad go." No one moved. Eleni was too frightened to move, and the boy had to pry Alex's hands off of Eleni. Pierina seethed quietly and just watched the boy lead Eleni to the door, however, her stance warned of possible retaliation.

"Watch out for dark corridors, Legann. You can't get lucky two times." The boy walked right past Pier for the second time, all the while pushing Eleni through the door.

The boy quietly herded Eleni down the hall, only too aware of how frightened the page was. Without ceremony, he pushed open her door and locked it behind them. Still controlling her body, he forced her to sit on the bed.

Eleni was looking at the boy with glassy eyes, the very idea that she could have been hurt had her paralyzed.

"Enough, Pirate's Swoop," he said. When Eleni still didn't come to, he resolved to gently slapping her on the cheek. "Come on, lad, it wasn't that bad." No response. Sighing, he turned around, only to come back at Eleni, a dagger in hand.

Instinct took over, and Eleni raised her left arm to shield herself and grabbed the dagger with her right. The pain broke through the fear and she let out a sharp cry.

"That's better, little one." Content, the boy set to staunching the blood with a handkerchief. "I am Percival of Legann, Perci for short, and you are very lucky."

Her mind reeling from the night's events, Eleni had no control of her tongue. "Why? I was stabbed by someone claiming to help me."

"Technically you grabbed the blade," he chuckled, "So it was you who stabbed yourself."

She had had enough. She had been kidnapped, bound, pushed around, threatened, and stabbed. No one had said anything about this. Honor or no honor Lord Paidrag had to be informed. She hadn't taken two steps when she was pushed back down to the bed.

"Where do you think you are going, Pirate's Swoop?" Perci's eyes were blazing once more. Before Eleni could answer he was already speaking, "Let me guess, please. You were going to tell our Lord Paidrag about the hazing?" She didn't respond and he continued, "He won't care. No one acts against Fallen Wall, the damn black widow."

That was it. Yes, the girl was insane, dangerous even, but she was a noble lady that should have been respected. Eleni punched him. Dumbstruck, he remained silent, and she took the chance to speak, rather than be spoken to.

"What gives you the right to speak about a noble lady that way?" The anger was unimaginable and undeserved.

Thankfully, one of the two was capable of keeping their head. "It's the truth."

"Don't say that!"

Sighing, he seemed to do that a lot, Perci forced Eleni back to the bed and kept her pinned. "Listen to me, and listen well, Fallen Wall is nothing more than a viper waiting to strike at anyone who gets too close." Eleni open her mouth to defend her fellow woman, and Perci put his hand over her mouth. "Didn't I tell you to listen? The girl killed her husband after a month. She sponsored a female page the year before, and the girl left after a week."

Since Eleni had stopped struggling, he got off of her. "You should be thanking me, you know. And you should also avoid Tirragen, I don't think he's a very sound choice for a page sponsor."

"What do I care about what you think?" Eleni was bitter. In less than a day, she had been manhandled more than a Lower City whore, and she did not like it.

Another sigh. "Because, I never walked into a trap set up by a woman."

And just like that she was alone. Until Perci slammed the door open. Eleni was set to fight off the invader, until she realized who it was and relaxed. That was the wrong thing to do.

"Moron," he spat after having punched Eleni the stomach. "You either learn or you die. I suggest you lock your door, especially when you've angered four older and stronger pages."

Moving as quickly as her aching ribs would allow, Eleni locked her door and slid to the floor. She cried that night, never getting off of the floor. When fear and a weary body finally won control, she fell into a deep sleep.

In the morning light, things were not much better. Dreams of crying children and wailing women had plagued Eleni the whole night.

Just what I needed. More reminders of the dishonest failure I am.

Her unconscious mind wasn't the only mess she had on her hands. Her torso was a giant bruise, courtesy of Perci, and her back and neck muscles were a knotted mess, thanks to the night spent on the floor. Eleni limped over to her trunk and pulled out a moderately sized mirror, a birthday gift from her father.

Bet he never imagined this is what I would be using it for. She let out a scornful laugh, and set the mirror on top of the trunk. As carefully as possible, she lifted her shirt to reveal the gift the ever gracious Perci had bestowed her with. The bruise was ugly. And painful. There was no way around it, then.

As much as she hated acknowledging her gift, there were times when it was very useful. As she healed her poor ribs, Eleni reflected on the day her brother had fallen from a tree branch.

"Look, Eli!"

Myles had managed to get to the top of the tallest tree in Queen Dove's courtyard. He had been young, only five years old.

"Come down, right now, Myles!" Eleni had been only ten minutes younger than her brother. "I'm telling Mama!"

"You can't she and Da left for the week!" He was beyond elated, the rapture of being so high up had made him giddy.

"Then I'll tell Auntie Dove!"

"No! Don't, Eli!" In his haste get out of the tree, he fell.

Eleni's shriek had permeated the palace air, demanding the attention of its inhabitants. They had gathered like vultures, to watch her brother die.

She pushed away the insincere murmurs, and tried to save her brother. It was difficult, she had never had much training to develop her gift, but she managed to keep him alive.

Just as Myles eyes opened, hers closed. Desperation had driven her to exhaustion, and that in turn had driven her to do something that was very dangerous. The healers said that she had been reckless, her parents said they had both been reckless, but Eleni was sure the fault lay with her.

She had baited Myles, it had been her fault that he had fallen, her fault that the courtiers saw him and the healing, saw her collapse.

Eleni knew that the shadow that had held her close in her sleep that day had been the Black God, the god of death. She had vowed to never use her gift again, not with the possibility of death so close. That time, a woman in blue had saved her from the shadow's clutches. She didn't know if she's be that lucky a second time.

Finished with healing her ribs, Eleni let out another scornful laugh. I'm a liar and a hypocrite. Aren't I a shining example of chivalrous knighthood?

Disgusted with herself, she set out to getting ready for the day. By the time the bell had rung, she was ready for the day and for the four pages from the night before. Confident that she could prove them all wrong, and do it as a boy, Eleni stepped outside of her haven.

"Good morning, Myles!"

She had not prepared herself for him. Schuylar of Nicoline, the fool.

I thought I'd end on a lighter note. Sorry guys but I have a few exams coming up, ew to college, so the next update will take a week or so.