So glad to see people enjoyed the first chapter! This is where the story really begins.

I don't own Tortall. Well, I own copies of all the books, but… oh, you know what I mean.

Making Plans

April, 474.

Nine-year-old Kelanna of Queenscove, Kellie to her family and friends, readied her wooden sword and pointed it at her opponent. The Queenscove man-at-arms did the same. Loran was only sixteen or so, one of the youngest warriors, and didn't have much to do, as the more senior guards tended to handle whatever problems cropped up. When Kellie had come to him a year ago and pestered him into giving her a swordplay lesson, he'd agreed out of sheer boredom, but he'd told her that he had quickly grown to enjoy their time together. Kellie had once overheard another guard teasing him about letting a little girl whack him with a toy sword; Loran had replied that the little girl in question was a noble and it wasn't for him to refuse her, and besides, she took their lessons seriously.

He nodded to her, and Kellie bent her knees, her emerald eyes fixed steadily on his blade. Loran made the first move, aiming a sweep at Kellie's left side. Kellie skipped out of the way and countered with a jab to her opponent's shoulder. Loran parried it and used his longer reach to his advantage, scoring a hit on Kellie's arm with a light tap.

The unseasonably warm April air made Kellie grateful she'd tied her long black hair into a tail before the practice. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she kept moving, and the dry dust kicked up from their fight stung her eyes. Snow was a rare occurrence this far south, and there hadn't been a drop of rain for the past week. The coastal air was dry and the sun made it feel even warmer than it was.

The practice fight was just getting to the fun part, when a maid appeared in the yard. "Lady Kellie, your parents have requested your presence for the midday meal." She paused a moment before adding, "And unless I'm much mistaken, they have a guest for the meal."

Like most of the servants at Queenscove house, Aldis had known Kellie since she was a tiny baby, and were completely at ease calling her by her nickname with the formal "Lady" tacked on at the beginning. The girl couldn't help her sudden excitement. "Is it Aunt Kel?"

"I'm sure I couldn't say, my lady," Aldis replied, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, before giving a shallow curtsy and leaving.

"Thank you, Aldis!" Kellie called toward the maid's retreating back. She nodded to Loran, bowing as she'd been taught. "Shall we try again tomorrow?"

"If you wish, Lady Kellie," Loran responded. "That was well fought today." He bowed back to her, before straightening up and making for the stables.

Kellie made her way inside the house, stopping to wash the dust from her hands and face before hurriedly exchanging her sweaty, dusty breeches and tunic for a dress. Usually, nobody would object to Kellie coming to lunch in her practice clothes, but she suspected her mother would have words for her if she tried to do so with a guest in the house.

Of course, if it was her aunt Kel, she wouldn't mind either. But best not to take the chance.

Her sisters were probably in the dining room already. Kellie's preparations had taken longer than she'd wanted. She picked up her pace, stopping short when she entered the room, realizing that she was nearly running.

Kellie's mother eyed her sternly. "Ah, there you are. We were just about to send Aldis for you again."

It was a fair accusation. Kellie bowed carefully, hiding her face as she murmured, "I apologize for my tardiness, Mama."

All three of the adults hid smiles. Yuki nodded, accepting her oldest daughter's apology, and patted the empty chair, seemingly having forgiven Kellie for being late. "Come, sit. Don't let the food get cold."

Kellie took the seat next to Aunt Kel, picking up her knife and pulling her plate a few inches closer to her. The meal was a combination of Yamani noodles cooked with vegetables, chicken seasoned with rosemary and sage, and an odd but flavorful dish made with fruits imported from Carthak. Every bite was delicious, and Kellie had worked up an appetite sparring with Loran. She downed the contents of her plate as quickly as was polite, trying her best to ignore the argument her sisters were having.

"It's mine!" Hanako insisted, holding a small wooden dog out of reach of her younger sister's grasp.

"No, it's mine!" Linako made a wild swing for the toy, missing it as Hanako twisted to the side. "Give it!"

Kellie sighed into her nearly-empty plate, exasperated. Her sister Hanako was seven and bossy, and Linako, Nana as her family affectionately called her, had just turned five. Mine was currently her favorite word. The two had clashed frequently in recent months, and Kellie had long since grown tired of their bickering.

"It won't be either of yours if you keep fighting over it," Neal warned the two. "You shouldn't have toys at the table anyway." He held out his hand; Hanako grumpily handed the small dog over. "Thank you. I'll hold onto this until you're excused, or if you continue this behavior, until I decide you've earned it back."

With the two younger ones now mostly quiet, Kellie was able to hear what the adults had to say. "What news from around the kingdom, Kel?" Neal was asking.

"Oh, there's plenty of that," Kel replied. "First off, Lord Raoul is planning to retire from the King's Own in the next year or two. Apparently I'm his first choice for the new Knight Commander."

"That's wonderful to hear!" Neal replied, genuine happiness for his friend on his face. "He certainly couldn't have chosen anybody with more command experience."

"Of course he could," Kel replied, perhaps a bit more sharply than she meant to. "And I had requested a reassignment from the King, now that New Hope doesn't need me anymore, but Knight Commander?" She shook her head. "I can't accept right away. I need to think about it."

"Commanding the Own would give you plenty of chances to work with the Queen's Riders," Yuki pointed out. "You'd be able to see Tobe more often than you do now. And you've been in the north for so long, I wager Irnai has forgotten what you look like. At least if you're leading the Own, you'd be able to visit Corus now and then, and stop in on her at the university or the temple."

"That's true," Kel mused, swirling the liquid in her cup thoughtfully. "I certainly miss them."

Kellie was excited for her aunt. The lady knight had never married, and had no children of her own, but she was godsmother to all three Queenscove girls in addition to her foster children, Tobe and Irnai, and she knew Kel had little enough opportunity to visit with any of them. The conversation about the benefits of accepting the Commander's position lasted a few more minutes, before turning to other things. Kellie sat in silence, listening rather than speaking, until Kel turned to her with a smile. "And what have you been doing since I saw you last?"

"I've gotten much better at riding," Kellie answered, pleased to finally be able to speak. "I take Sunset out every day if I can."

"Well, that's certainly important," remarked Kel, nodding with approval. "And what will you be doing next? You're nearly ten, and I know you won't be going to convent, so will you study history? Linguistics? Diplomacy, perhaps? Or are you planning to attend the Mages' College? The realm could certainly use another Queenscove healer."

"I… I…" The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Kellie found she once again lacked the nerve to speak them. She looked down at her plate, ashamed that she couldn't find the courage to speak.

Her mother gave her a temporary reprieve. "Kellie is only nine, Kel," Yuki pointed out gently, giving her oldest daughter a significant glance. "If she isn't sure yet, that's all right."

Yuki pointedly changed the subject a moment later, asking Kel about the news from the north. Kellie relaxed slightly, listening and only speaking when asked a direct question. As one of the maids, Minnie, came in to clear the table, Neal turned to his three girls and smiled gently at them. "You're all free to go, and I don't want to hear anything from Mistress Selwyn about you three arguing or not paying attention to your lessons, understand?"

"Yes, Papa," Kellie, Hanako, and Nana chorused in unison. Kellie let both sisters scramble out of the room in front of her, and had taken one step to follow them when her mother's voice reached her ears.

"Kellie, darling…" Kellie turned back around to find Yuki watching her. "Don't forget you and I have a dress fitting this afternoon."

Kellie wrinkled her nose in distaste; she hated dress fittings. It always took so long for the tailor to write down her measurements, and she had to stand perfectly still until the woman was finished. Her sisters were lucky—they got her old things and didn't need to be fitted for new ones, which meant their fitting consisted of pinnings and nothing else. They wouldn't have to be there for the whole afternoon. At a stern look from her father, however, Kellie arranged her expression into polite blankness the way her mother had taught her. "Yes, Mama. Will you come get me from my lessons when Mistress Andale arrives?"

Yuki nodded. "Yes, I will. Now run along after your sisters, and don't keep Mistress Selwyn waiting."

It was less than a bell later when Yuki tapped lightly on the door to the schoolroom and informed Mistress Selwyn, the girls' nurse and tutor, that she would be retrieving Kellie for a fitting and to not expect her oldest charge back for some time. Mistress Selwyn was in the midst of resolving yet another squabble between Hanako and Nana, and only nodded briskly at Yuki in response. In what seemed no time at all, Kellie found herself standing on the block with what felt an acre of cloth draped around her, while Mistress Andale, the tailor, tsked and poked her with pins.

Trying her best not to squirm, Kellie looked over at her mother. Yuki wasn't bothered by the wait, not yet. Her expression was placid as she watched.

"My lady… I'm afraid this won't do at all."

Yuki looked over. "I'm sorry, Mistress Andale… but what seems to be the problem?"

The tailor clicked her tongue. "I'm afraid this material isn't what I meant to bring in at all. It looks similar enough to the other that I could make the mistake, but… I'll have to go retrieve it from my cart."

"Yes, go." Yuki inclined her head, and Mistress Andale curtsied and left. Kellie stood up straight. Was this the chance she'd been waiting for, to tell her mother that she had made up her mind what she wanted, something she'd known she wanted for more than a year?

"Oka-san…" Kellie began, faltering a bit as her mother looked up sharply at being called Mama in the language of her birth. "You told Aunt Kel that it was all right if I didn't know what I wanted from my life just yet."

Yuki nodded encouragingly. "Of course it is, darling. You don't need to decide for another few years."

"But… I have decided." Kellie swallowed, her mouth suddenly feeling drier than the Great Southern Desert.

Yuki tilted her head slightly, regarding her oldest child. "Have you?"

"Y-yes, Oka-san, I have." Kellie swallowed, sure her mother could read her distress. "I… I want to go to the palace and try for my shield."

Her mother's expression remained serene, her eyes widening only the slightest bit. "Are you certain that's what you want?"

"Yes, Mama," Kellie answered, reverting to Common. "Will Papa allow it?"

To her surprise, Yuki burst into a wide smile. "He will, or I'll know why. Tell me, sweet pea, was it Kel's questions at lunchtime that brought this on?"

"No, Mama," Kellie replied. "I've known I wanted to try for my shield for a long time, for more than a year now. I just…" She swallowed again. "I wasn't sure how to tell you."

"Well then." Yuki reached for her fan, tapping it against her arm. "I am not surprised." She regarded Kellie with a considering expression. "You have quite the reputation to live up to, you know."

Don't remind me, Kellie wanted to say. She'd grown up hearing stories of her two namesakes, and had known when she decided she wanted to be a knight that Tortall would have very high expectations for her. She wasn't under any delusions of glory and heroism either—having knights for a father, a godsmother, and many of her parents' circle had stripped those childish notions away long ago. And yet… she wanted to do it anyway, to do her part to make the realm just a little bit better.

xxxxx

Suppertime was nearly a repeat of lunch, other than Nana and Hanako being deliberately separated. Kellie was seated next to Kel, which pleased her. She loved her godsmother and didn't see her very often.

As Kellie picked at her food, wishing the thick beef stew was venison instead, the adults continued the conversation from earlier. Kel asked something of the girls every now and then, but for the most part, Kellie didn't have to do anything but listen and eat at least a little of her meal.

Hanako and Nana were unusually subdued throughout the meal. Kellie wondered what they'd fought over this time, to have Mistress Selwyn give them a thorough enough scolding for them to be on their best behavior. Thanks to Mistress Andale's mistake, her dress fitting had lasted twice as long as it should have, and she hadn't made it back to the schoolroom.

The meal didn't last too long, with the dishes being cleared away quickly. Mistress Selwyn appeared in the doorway only a moment later. "I will take the young ladies for their baths now, if that's acceptable?"

Neal nodded at her. "Yes, thank you."

"One moment," Yuki called, as Kellie hopped down from her seat. Mistress Selwyn turned back from herding the younger girls out the door. "Kellie will be staying with us for a bit longer." She gave her oldest daughter a secretive smile. "We have things to discuss."

Kellie felt her insides do a flop. Yuki couldn't mean to break the news to Neal right now, could she? But Mistress Selwyn only nodded and continued shepherding the other two out the door without another backwards glance.

"What did we need to discuss, dear?" Neal murmured to Yuki, in a voice low enough it was plain he didn't expect Kellie to hear it.

Yuki gave him a pleasant smile. "We need to discuss preparing Kellie to enter page training, of course."

Neal promptly choked on the wine he'd been sipping. After a few seconds of coughing and spluttering, during which Yuki, Kel, and Kellie all waited patiently, he managed to gasp out, "Excuse me?! When was this decided?"

"I decided ages ago, Papa," Kellie answered, speaking as slowly and clearly as she could. "I want to be a knight like you and Aunt Kel. And it's my duty anyway, as heir to Queenscove."

Her father stared at her in silence for a few seconds. "Are you certain, sweet pea? You like riding, and I know you've been learning swordplay and archery from our men-at-arms, but those are only the basics of being a warrior. You'll have to learn lance work, and unarmed combat, and… are you sure you wouldn't rather attend the Mages' College at the university? You've inherited my Gift, and I know you'd make a fine healer." He gave her a pleading look.

Kellie didn't waver. "I'm sure, Papa. Queenscove knights have served the Crown for generations. Why should I be any different just because I'm a girl?"

His emerald gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, until finally he nodded slowly. "All right. We'll discuss this further tomorrow. Now go take your bath and get ready for bed."

With a bow to her parents and godsmother, Kellie slipped out of the room. She hesitated in the corridor after the door had closed—then, on a sudden impulse, carefully called up a spell that a traveling Player had taught her while visiting Queenscove last year. The muffled voices on the other side of the door suddenly grew several times louder.

"—How did this happen?" she heard her father ask. "How did my oldest daughter decide that she wanted to try for her shield, and how did I not know about it sooner?"

"Dear, she only came to me about it earlier today, during our fitting," Yuki replied. "I didn't know this was what she wanted either." A pause. "Though I can't say I'm terribly surprised."

"Why aren't you surprised?" Neal asked his wife, in a tone that might have been called demanding had he not sounded so defeated.

"Why are you surprised at all?" Kel retorted. "She is named for two lady knights, after all. Surely you knew this might happen."

Neal groaned dramatically. "It never even crossed my mind as a possibility. Yes, I know she's the heir to Queenscove. Yes, I know that this would ordinarily mean knight training, and yes, I know she's named for two of the finest warriors Tortall has seen in living memory. And yet somehow I never put it all together."

There was silence on the other side of the door for a moment. "Are you going to allow her to do it?" Kel finally asked.

Another groan from her papa. "I can hardly say no, can I? She has a point about being the heir, and about Queenscove knights serving the Crown—and you don't get to rub that in, Kel; I'm well aware of the irony of the same argument I used for leaving the university being turned back on me. If she's serious about trying for her shield, and it certainly seems that way, then yes, I will permit it." A pause. "Besides, the two of you would have some very colorful things to say to me if I tried to refuse. Maybe I'm not thrilled about the prospect of my little girl becoming a warrior, but I do have some small sense of self-preservation."

"Good." That was Kel again. "I must say, you are taking this very well."

Kellie decided she'd heard enough. Her papa had obviously accepted the idea of her going for page training, and if she lingered here any longer, one of the servants might catch her listening at the door and she didn't want to be scolded for it. With a snap of her fingers, the eavesdropping spell dissolved, and she headed for the stairs up to her rooms and the bath that was no doubt awaiting her.

xxxxx

Kellie rose at dawn the next morning for glaive practice with her mother and sisters. Kel joined them as well, sparring against Kellie while Yuki instructed the younger girls.

"You've come a long way since I saw you last," Kel told her niece, nodding in approval.

Fighting back a blush, Kellie bowed to her godsmother. "Thank you, Aunt Kel. I've been practicing."

"I can see that," Kel replied, a sly smile appearing on her face. "But you won't get far in the pages' wing without building up some muscles. How about I show you some exercises to increase your strength, hmm? You'll need every advantage you can get."

Kellie agreed immediately, and by breakfast time was wondering if she'd even be able to hold her knife and fork. The arm-strengthening press-up exercises that Kel had demonstrated had looked easy enough, but when she'd attempted it herself, she'd found her arms giving out on her after only two of them. She wondered if this was some elaborate joke. Given the way Kel's sparrow were cheeping and fluttering around, they certainly found it amusing to see her lying flat on her belly on the dusty ground. Kellie shot the birds a glare.

"It gets easier," Kel promised, hauling Kellie to her feet and briskly dusting her off. "Do those every day, and by the time page training begins, you'll be a lot stronger."

Getting some food into her body did help. Mistress Selwyn was preoccupied with her two younger charges, and paid Kellie little mind, so the girl was able to massage her sore muscles in between her schoolwork. When a knock sounded on the schoolroom door, Kellie was a little bit surprised that someone would interrupt lessons unannounced, until the door opened to reveal her father. "Mistress Selwyn, might I retrieve my oldest daughter for the rest of the morning?"

Kellie leapt up, then winced at the sudden stiffness in her legs and back. Mistress Selwyn gave her a stern look, but told Neal, "Yes, Miss Kellie has been keeping up with her work. Unlike some other young ladies I won't mention," she added, giving Hanako and Nana a rather pointed look.

Neal thanked her, and closed the door to the schoolroom behind them softly. "Shall we discuss things… outside?" he asked, far more formally than was typical, indicating his nervousness. Kellie nodded, half excited and half afraid for the conversation she was certain was coming.

After they had seated themselves on a bench outside the stables, overlooking the Emerald Ocean far below, Neal began to speak. He didn't waste any time, but went right for the heart of it. "Kellie, if… if you have given serious thought to trying for your shield, and you are absolutely sure that this is what you want… then I would be pleased to present you for page training in the fall."

"Really?" Kellie looked up at him, her eyes shining. She hadn't really expected him to say no, given that her mother and godsmother would be able to strong-arm him into changing his mind if he'd objected, but it was good to know he hadn't.

Neal nodded. "Really. Kel and your mother made some excellent points in favor of your training, not that I was arguing against it—"

"You wouldn't have any problem with sending me to the palace if I was a boy, would you?" Kellie interrupted him.

To her surprise, her father actually chuckled. "Your mother said the exact same thing, and you're both right. I would not object to your training if you had been born a boy. Yuki and Kel have thoroughly convinced me that you will do well as a page, and that allowing you to try for your knighthood is the best course of action."

Nobody else was around, so Kellie didn't need to be reserved about hugging her papa as tightly as she could. Neal hugged her in return, then pulled back and raised one finger.

"That said… I do have one condition before you begin."

"Condition?" Kellie asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Yes." He nodded solemnly. "Before I take you to the palace in September… I want to see what you can do."

Kellie squinted at him. When it became clear she didn't know what he'd meant, Neal elaborated. "You have always done well in your book learning—you take after me that much, at least—" He ruffled her hair teasingly. "—but I want to see how well you do in combat." He considered. "You are a competent rider, at least on your pony, and you know how to look after tack. And you are proficient with the naginata, as you should be after so many years of practicing with your mother."

A smile threatened to form on Kellie's face, one she didn't bother trying to hide. Her mama had given her a practice naginata to hold when she could barely walk, and had been training her in the use of the weapon ever since. Proficient was one way of putting it.

"However, while you know how to use a bow, your archery is decent at best," Neal continued. "And your swordplay, despite your lessons, is very basic. I would suggest you ask some of the older men, not just Loran—yes, I know he's been your teacher since last year, but he is young and has not been using a sword for very long." He patted her knee reassuringly. "I want to see you improve in these two areas before I take you to the palace. I am not asking for you to become a master swordswoman—expecting anybody to completely master the sword in four months would be asking a bit much—but at the end of August, I want to see you demonstrate your skills, and I will be expecting you to show improvement."

That sounded fair. Kellie nodded, then asked, "When do you expect me to practice, Papa?"

Neal eyed her sideways, considering. "You already have two hours in between your morning lessons and lunch. I will expect you to use that time for archery and swordplay, although if you ask nicely, I might be convinced to let you out of your morning lessons entirely now and then. Do we have a deal?" He held his hand out, waiting for her to take it.

Kellie nodded firmly, taking his hand and shaking it. "We have a deal."

xxxxx

The next four months saw Kellie working harder than she ever had before. While she hadn't expected to be let out of her lessons with Mistress Selwyn entirely—Papa was much too strict about book learning for that—her two free hours every day were now filled with combat training. Every day except Sunday, she had her dawn practice with Mama and her sisters like she had for years, but now she also had to work on archery for an hour and swordplay for an hour.

"Hold your sword like this," Morris, her new swordplay teacher, told her, demonstrating. Kellie did her best to copy his pose, but Morris shook his head. "Close, but not quite." He briskly moved her right foot forward a bit, and raised her elbow. "Remember that stance. That's how you concentrate the power in your strike, without compromising your defenses. It's a basic move, but it can be modified for many different situations."

Morris was another of her family's men-at-arms, a tough sergeant in his thirties. He was kind in a gruff sort of way, Kellie had found, and he knew what he was doing with a blade.

Kellie's tenth birthday, at the beginning of June, brought celebrations, and the gifts from her family reflected the upcoming change in her life. Off to one side of the table rested a fine belt knife, a Yamani shukusen like her mother's, and a pair of sturdy new boots that would surely hold up to the intense activity of the practice yard.

"Here, Kellie," lisped Nana as she handed over a small package, clumsily wrapped in brown paper.

Kellie smiled down at her youngest sister as she accepted the gift. Nana had lost one of her front teeth last week, and it affected her speech in a way that reminded Kellie of the girl's first attempt at pronouncing her own name. It had been a few years, but she would never forget how her parents had reacted. Yuki had burst into laughter, and after a few minutes of rather exasperated prodding from Neal, had revealed that na was a Yamani term that referred to green vegetables. Neal, well-known for his dislike of anything green on his plate, had scowled and mumbled something rude about the gods' senses of humor.

Shaking the package gently, Kellie wondered aloud what was in it.

"If you want to know what it is, you should open it," ordered Hanako, bossy as usual.

"If you say so, Hana," Kellie answered, tweaking her sister's nose teasingly. Hanako puffed up indignantly, as Kellie had known she would. Unlike her sisters, she insisted on being called by her full given name, refusing any and all attempts to shorten it, but Kellie sometimes did so anyway, just to watch her sister growl like a puppy.

Deciding not to take the teasing any further, Kellie pulled at the twine holding the paper on. She half hoped it wouldn't come undone, and she could give her new knife a try, but her sisters' wrapping skills left a lot to be desired. The paper fell off in her hand, revealing a small box of sweets from her favorite shop. She suspected one of her parents had bought it, but the poor wrapping job indicated that Hanako had most likely wrapped it herself. No matter, Kellie thought. She would never turn down sweets, as her family knew well.

Della, one of the maids, set a small tart in front of each of them. Kellie lit up at seeing the bright red strawberries on top—strawberries were one of her favorite foods.

After the sweet treat had been finished and the servants were clearing the table, Mistress Selwyn came by and hustled Hanako and Nana up to their rooms. The nurse smiled and wished Kellie a happy birthday before she went, though, leaving the ten-year-old with her parents a bit longer.

She was surprised when her mother handed her yet another package, but thanked her and pulled the small twist of paper apart. Kellie frowned at the object she found inside. She didn't want to ask what it was—that would be rude—but she couldn't make heads or tails of the odd thing.

Neal carefully took the gift from her hand. "Do you know what this is for, sweet pea?"

Kellie shook her head, relieved that she apparently wasn't expected to recognize the thing. She could have asked what it was after all. "No, Papa."

"It's for your hair," Neal explained. "Most pages keep their hair short, but I thought that perhaps you might not want to cut it, so this would be a compromise. I've seen several women wearing spiked straps like this. You braid your hair like usual, but add this in, so nobody will try to pull it."

Kellie fingered the ends of her hair. It came down to her chest, and she hadn't given it much thought beyond assuming she'd cut it back to the proper length for pages. Long hair had its advantages—it was much easier to keep hair from getting in the way when it was long enough to braid, something she'd heard Kel complaining about more than once.

Yuki took the strap from Neal, and very efficiently pulled Kellie's hair back. "You braid it in. This way, if you want to keep your hair long but don't want it getting in your way in a fight—and don't tell me pages aren't allowed to fight; I'm perfectly aware of that, but I'm also aware that fights happen anyway—you can wear this, and anybody who thinks to grab your braid will be sorry they tried it." Yuki tied off the braid with the green ribbon Kellie had been wearing earlier and motioned for her daughter to inspect her work.

Kellie picked up her silver spoon and peered at her reflection. Perhaps not the best idea, since the spoon was curved and small and it was hard to really see anything in it… but Kellie liked what she saw. She did like her long hair, and had accepted that as a page she would need to cut it, but Mama and Papa had offered her a compromise.

"Here, miss."

Kellie glanced toward the voice to find Della holding out a small mirror. Accepting it, she took a look—much better than the silver spoon, she decided. Looking back up at her parents, she gave a satisfied smile.

"I like it."

xxxxx

The weeks between her birthday and August seemed to pass in a heartbeat. Before Kellie had fully comprehended what was happening, her things had been sent ahead to Corus, and Neal was making plans for the two of them to follow. They would be taking a ship up the coast, to Port Caynn, then traveling up the Olorun River to Corus.

"We'll be leaving several days earlier than we strictly must," Neal informed Kellie when she asked. "There's always the chance that a summer storm will delay the trip. I won't have you arriving late, sweet pea."

Kellie's last supper in Castle Queenscove included all of her favorite foods, and several of the servants stopped by to wish her luck in her endeavors. Nearly the entire household had been present to watch Kellie demonstrate her improved skills with sword and bow, and they had been made aware of her plans from the day she'd announced her intentions to become a knight.

It wasn't until that night, as she lay wide awake in the silent darkness, knowing that it might be years until she lay in this bed again, that the doubts began creeping in. What if I'm not good enough, she wondered. I'll make a fool of myself and get tossed out on my ear. Aunt Kel will never speak to me again out of shame, and the Lioness will say I'm a disgrace to lady warriors. I'll never be able to live it down, if I fail…

"Kellie?"

Nearly jumping out of her bed in surprise, Kellie found Nana standing next to her. The raggedy stuffed rabbit she'd had since she was a baby, rather unimaginatively named Usagi, was clutched to her chest. "I don't want you to go, Kellie," the small girl whispered, her voice wobbling.

Sitting up, Kellie reached for her sister, pulling her up onto her bed. She buried her face in Nana's hair, getting a scent of lavender soap, and hugged her, rabbit and all. "You don't want me to go to Corus?" At the little girl's nod, she continued, "Why not?"

Nana sniffled. "I'll miss you if you leave."

And that was it, Kellie thought. Her sister was going to miss her. Why hadn't she considered that before now? It was selfish of her, to not consider her sister's feelings. Before she could think of a response, another small voice added, "I don't want you to leave either, Kellie."

Not surprised to find Hanako standing at the foot of her bed, Kellie sighed, and reached for her. Hanako allowed her older sister to pull her in next to Nana, embracing them both. "And you think I won't miss you both while I'm at the palace? I certainly won't miss you two fighting every chance you get—" This drew guilty looks from both younger girls. "—but of course I'll miss my little sisters."

Hanako looked somewhat reassured by her statement, but Nana sniffled again. "Will you visit?"

Kellie paused before she answered, choosing her words carefully. "I won't make any promises, but I'll try. Queenscove isn't very close to Corus, so maybe Mama and Papa can bring you to our town home in the summers. All right?"

"All right." Nana seemed mollified. With a decisive nod, she leaned against Kellie and snuggled into her sister's shoulder. Hanako plunked herself down on Kellie's other side.

Resigning herself to sharing her bed for the night, Kellie shifted Nana, already half asleep, to the middle of the bed, indicating to Hanako to take the far side. It was tight—they'd all grown since the last time they'd shared the same bed—but they all fit. Kellie breathed a silent prayer that neither of them would kick in their sleep, and settled herself in next to Nana.

The warmth of her sisters next to her did what her usual bedtime routine had not, and Kellie was soon lost in a dreamless sleep.

I've taken a few liberties with the location of Fief Queenscove in this story. As far as I know, we've never been given a location for it. Given that it's a ducal house, I suspected it would be a border fief, since those tend to be of higher rank, and the "cove" part of the name leads me to believe it's on the ocean. Therefore, I have placed Queenscove on Tortall's southwestern coast, in between Port Legann and the former border of Barzun, as seen on the map in Mastiff.

I mentioned this on my profile, but just in case anyone has missed it: the stress of the last year has caught up to me. I was doing all right until a few months ago, and my mental health is… not great, right now. My motivation to write is very low most days. I have about half of the story drafted at the moment, so don't worry I'll drop this—I've been wanting to write it for so long I wouldn't dream of giving it up. Just… updates won't happen very often. I'm aiming for once a month, but I make no guarantees.

At any rate, I hope you all enjoyed! Please leave me a review, I love feedback. :D