Garia's second session in the 'gym' brings further advances but Keren begins to regret participating. On their return Terys introduces a visitor and makes a timely suggestion that might ease the chaos that seems to surround Garia wherever she goes.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

19 - The Secretary

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of this story are the property of the author. No infringement of pre-existing copyright is intended. This story is copyright (c) 2011-2017 Penny Lane. All rights reserved.

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"That's it! Nice and smooth, keep your lower arms relaxed as you move them."

Facing Garia in the Small Training Room was a firmly-focused Keren and an embarrassed Jenet, both moving their arms and legs to follow Garia's own movements. Garia gave her an encouraging smile.

"You're doing quite well, Jenet! Don't worry about what people might think, no-one can see you doing this now, and by the time they do find out what you're doing you won't be bothered because you'll be enjoying yourself. Now, move your right foot like this."

The lesson continued for long enough for both her students to have memorized the movements and then Garia called a stop.

"I think that's enough to start with. When we do it again tomorrow, you should be able to remember that, and then we can add in another movement, and so on. But I don't want to wear either of you out, so you can sit and have a drink while you watch me do the rest."

Freed of the necessity to repeat and explain everything she did, Garia faced them and began again, smoothly running through the exercises until she reached the end. She joined them on the bench and took the beaker of water offered by Jenet.

"How was that?" she asked them.

"It was strange," Keren replied. "They look like very simple, obvious movements but I could feel the potential in them straight away. What about you, Jenet?"

"As you say, Your Highness. I think I will have to do some more before I give an opinion, though." Jenet turned to Garia. "Thank you, Mistress, for your efforts. The exercises are... unusual to one of my station."

"Anyone should be able to do these, Jenet," Garia replied. "Young, old, men, women, fit or unfit. They should benefit almost everyone, and status has nothing at all to do with it."

"So," Keren asked her, "What next? Are you moving onto the next stage in your own exercises?"

Garia nodded. "I have to try the falls again, I think, and all the other movements I did yesterday. I need to make sure that my body hasn't forgotten all it found out since yesterday. Once I've done that," she smiled at him, "I'll be calling for volunteers."

On the mat again Garia repeated the drills she had finally perfected the previous day, tumbling, rolling and twisting, following them with fists and flat-hand attack actions. Finally satisfied she took another small drink before inviting Keren onto the mat to face her.

"So, what do you want me to do?"

She shrugged. "Just come at me as though you were attacking me. I'm not going to hurt you, at all, and I trust that you won't hurt me. This is supposed to be a teaching exercise, after all."

Keren faced her across the mat and thought how he was going to handle this. With a mental shrug he darted forward, intending to grab her around the body and lift her off her feet. Much to his surprise she stepped inside his reach, grabbed two handfuls of tunic, smartly twisted at the hips and threw him over her body. He sailed over her and landed on his back on the other side of the mat.

"Oof!"

He looked up to see a grinning Garia leaning over him.

"That's unfair," he said with a smile. "I never expected you to do that."

"You're lucky," she retorted, "that we were only practicing! Look where my foot is."

He bent his head and discovered the sole of her boot an inch from his throat.

"First lesson," she said as he climbed to his feet, "if you do something unexpected, you have a big advantage. If this was a real fight, you'd be dead. Ready for another try?"

"As you wish, Mistress," he replied, but there was a gleam in his eye as he took his stance again. She's going to grab my tunic, I can put paid to that idea.

This time, expecting his hands to grab her arms, she kept them down and side-stepped instead, grabbing his left arm as it came forward. Again she rotated and, using his forward motion, swung him over her hip again.

"Oof!"

Her grinning face came into focus again. He knew just where her boot was going to be without looking.

"Second lesson. You don't imagine that I can only use these moves against people who haven't seen them before, do you? You have no idea what any real opponent knows, so you have to change your movements to suit whatever your opponent does as the bout develops."

I'm really glad these monster hips have some practical use, she thought. I wasn't even sure that I could throw him, he's so much larger than me.

Hah, Sensei would be angry at me for that thought, since he would say that the size of an opponent was immaterial. However, Sensei isn't the one who has changed from a two-hundred-pound guy into a hundred-pound girl with an untried body. Still it's nice to find out that something worked for once.

"This seems to be working better than I expected," she told him as he got up again. "I really wasn't sure, given the differences in our sizes, whether I was wasting my time or not." She gave him an evil grin. "It seems not. Fancy another go? This time, when you go over, see if you can roll back to your feet like I did. That way you're not at the mercy of whoever's standing over you."

"What makes you think I'm going over again?" Keren grinned back at her. "There must be a way I can just overpower you eventually, and then I have you."

She shrugged. "If you think that, you obviously haven't been paying attention. Still, if you insist on learning the hard way... whenever you're ready." She took her stance.

"Oof!"

"See?" She loomed over him again. "Almost everything you can possibly try has been tried and analyzed over thousands of years. Now I'm not going to claim that every single thing you might attempt has a well-known counter, but most of the obvious moves have."

She held out her hand to help him to his feet, but he used it to pull her downwards to his level, eyes laughing at her startled expression.

"Hey! No!" She was very firm. "This is business, not pleasure. In this room we are master and student only. We've no time for funny business."

Keren relented and she straightened her back, pulling him up off the mat. Face close to hers, he muttered in a voice too low for Jenet to hear.

"Mother told me I had to treat you like a sister, but you're nothing like either of my sisters, and for that I'm extremely thankful."

As Keren stood up his eyes narrowed.

"Those bruises, I didn't cause those, did I?"

"Oh, no, these aren't from today, they are from when I was being clumsy yesterday," she replied. "Oh, except this one."

She lifted her left arm to show him the yellowing remains of an older bruise.

"I got this when I fell into the herb garden that night. Don't you remember? I was rescued by a handsome prince."

"Were you?" he said with a straight face. "I was there, I don't remember seeing anybody of that description there."

Her mention of that night triggered off a memory that caused a wash of goose bumps to run down her whole body. She remembered again being in her nightdress, wrapped against his warm body inside his cloak, safe from possible enemies. Something of her recall must have shown in her face, because he waved his finger at her.

"What was it you just said? Business, not pleasure, I like that. Now you're doing it, Garia, but this is not the time."

She bowed her head in acknowledgment and they both moved back to the start position.

"I see what you did there," he said in a normal voice. "I was off-balance, and that's why you could pull me over."

"Exactly," Garia replied. "That's the whole point behind most of the moves I'll be showing you. You use your opponent's own strength and movement to defeat him."

"Ah, but suppose I put this leg forward, like this," he advanced his right leg further than he had done previously. "That stops you making me overbalance, doesn't it? Then I can grab you."

She cocked her head. "Don't forget that by changing your stance like that you open up vulnerabilities in other areas. For instance..."

She stepped to the right, hooked her left leg round Keren's left leg and then heaved on his left arm as she threw her weight to his left side. Unbalanced, Keren ended up sitting on the mat with a surprised look. He thought about what had just happened then nodded thoughtfully as he climbed to his feet... again.

"This is interesting," he said. "Do you plan to teach me any of this? I'd love to be able to do this, given who I am it may come in useful some day."

"I plan to teach you everything I know," she told him. She frowned. "At least, all I can remember. Don't forget, I am only your age and by no means an expert, so I can't claim to teach you everything there is to know, but I recognize that. What I hope will happen is that, once we get a core of people who can all do as much as I can remember, then they'll go off and develop their own disciplines using my own knowledge as a basis. Much like I hope will happen with all the other snippets of knowledge I'm trying to scatter around."

"Do you know very much of this..." he waved his hand at the mat.

"It's called martial art, and there are many, many different disciplines which one could learn. Most of them concentrate on one particular way of achieving the final result, but there are schools which teach mixtures of methods. These are called fusions and it was a particular fusion school I was attending before I came here. I've been doing it for about six or seven years, I guess. Oh, my years, not yours.

"Some schools teach defense only, using bare hands or simple accessories to defend yourself in a tight corner. Other are more aggressive and teach attack moves, but of course when you attack you also have to know how to defend yourself as well. Still others teach the use of weapons, usually concentrating on a particular one like a sword or a stick. My fusion is mainly defensive, but we are also taught how to use any tool or weapon which comes to hand in a fight. Ready for some more?"

"Of course!"

The next move had a different outcome as they both tumbled untidily onto the mat.

"What happened?" Keren asked. "Did you do something wrong?"

"Yes and no. My body has a different balance now and I have to learn to compensate for it. I thought I'd done that but of course when I'm moving around someone else's body I have to allow for the different shape. Don't worry, it'll come with practice."

"All I'm getting practice in is falling down," Keren grumbled lightheartedly. "Mind you, falling onto your body has it's compensations."

"Keep your hands to yourself, Your Highness," she said primly. "Business, not pleasure. So, if you want to learn a move, perhaps it's time I taught you one. Then you can see how to fall properly as well."

~o~O~o~

Back in her own chamber, Jenet had started removing Garia's sash as she undressed her mistress before bathing when a knock came at the door and Kenila entered.

"Mistress," she said as she curtseyed. "Her Majesty would like you to come to her sitting room before you go down to lunch. She has a visitor she would like to introduce to you."

"Of, course, Kenila. Um, I have to bathe first, you can see the state I'm in." As the previous day, Garia's over-sized tunic was creased and stained with sweat. "Would Her Majesty be prepared to wait till I'm clean, or should I come now?"

"Oh, Mistress, you go and get in the bath. If you didn't you'd probably have to go down to lunch looking like that and that would never do. I'll tell the Queen that you're presently indisposed and will come as soon as you can."

"Thank you, Kenila."

Jenet resumed the disrobing of her mistress and Garia got herself cleaned up. Freshly attired in a summer gown she made her way to the Queen's sitting room, full of curiosity about who might be waiting.

"Ah, come in and have a seat, dear, there's someone here I'd like you to meet."

Garia curtseyed to the Queen and crossed the room to one of the free armchairs. Facing her in another armchair was a girl who she judged was a little older than herself. She was dark-haired, although not quite as dark as Garia, and her plain face was square with bottomless dark brown eyes. She was dressed according to the fashion for the time of year, but it seemed to Garia that her clothes were of a better quality than might have been appropriate for those resident in the palace. Of course, if you're not living in the palace and you've come to meet the Queen, you are going to get all dolled up. Behind the girl's chair stood a maid, which meant that the visitor had some kind of elevated status. She seemed startled by Garia's appearance for some reason. Garia turned questioningly to the Queen.

"My dear, meet Lady Merizel and her maid Bursila. Lady Merizel is the youngest daughter of Baron Kamodar of South Reach, which is a holding down south by Crescent Lake. Merizel, this is Mistress Garia, of whom we were just talking."

Garia had a sudden urge to stand and curtsey to the girl, although she couldn't have said why. Terys raised a gentle hand which stopped both girls from getting up and Garia was thankful for that. She had no experience meeting any of the nobility and she still had no idea what to do when she did.

"Garia, dear," Terys went on, "Keren mentioned to me recently that he thought you ought to have a secretary to look after your many appointments." She gave Garia an amused glance. "I thought of Merizel here as a possible candidate. You see, she's Baron Kamodar's third daughter and youngest child and she hasn't yet found either a husband or a suitable occupation. She's been staying with her brother in the city and paid a courtesy call recently, which is why I remembered her."

"Well, Ma'am," Garia began, "I know nothing of how such matters are arranged here in Palarand. Have you told her who I am and what she's likely to be doing? I'm not going to be like anyone she's ever known before, am I?"

Merizel stared at Garia. It occurred to Garia that her accent might have sounded funny. Everyone in the palace, even the people she'd met in the city, knew what she sounded like but she recognized that accents might vary throughout the country.

"Merizel?" Terys prompted. "Why don't you tell Garia what you told me."

"Of course, Your Majesty." Clearly the girl was not used to being so close to her Queen, and Garia could hear the nervousness in her voice. "I, um, had to become secretary to my father for some months recently after Varren - that's his secretary - broke his arm and couldn't write. Her Majesty," she reddened, "said you needed someone to organize your appointments and take notes because you're very busy and -" Merizel stopped and turned to the Queen.

"Ma'am," she asked Terys, "Did you say that Mistress Garia couldn't read or write?" Her tone was of disbelief.

"That's perfectly true, dear, although I also said that it was our language that she couldn't read or write. She can perfectly read and write her own tongue. You see, she's not from Alaesia, she comes from somewhere else entirely, and of course they use different letters and words there." Terys looked complacently at Garia. "I have no doubt that a smart girl like her will soon pick up our letters, but until then she needs a helper. As well as being her secretary you would be a companion to her since there are very few girls her age in the palace at the moment. Would you like to try? I won't force you two together, but it will give you a chance to do something different than whatever you must have been doing these last few years. I'll let you have a room in the palace and you can keep the position for as long as you both agree to it. Garia?"

"Um." Garia stalled for time. She did need someone, that was true, the only record she had of what she was doing at any time was what she or Jenet remembered, and with meetings happening thick and fast that was not good enough any more. Keren had suggested a secretary to her, she had forgotten about it but apparently the Queen had not. She studied the girl sitting opposite her. A Baron's daughter, which meant one of the nobility, although probably right at the bottom of the ladder. She would have certain views about how the world worked and a fixed idea about her own place in it. There were certainly a number of stuck-up girls at Gary's school in Hays, and he had found them insufferable. How would this girl take to being the servant? aide? employee? of a mere commoner, which was all Garia really was?

More importantly, perhaps, what might there be between this girl's ears? If she was an airhead she would be out of her depth before the end of the day. Garia's meeting tended to be unusual gatherings compared to those Merizel's father might have hosted, could she cope? Turned on its head, what might her presence do to the men in those meetings? Would she be a distraction? She didn't look to be a great beauty, certainly not as good-looking as Garia imagined herself to be, but what every man saw was different. Still, these people were used to servants being present in the background, weren't they? Only one way to find out...

"Ma'am, you know that things tend to be different around me. Perhaps we'd better let Merizel have a taste of what she has to do before committing ourselves to anything permanent. A few days, maybe? Would that be enough?"

Terys smiled. "Yes, my dear, I think that's the way to handle it to begin with. Merizel, we'll find you a room here, because Garia has meetings into the evenings and I don't want you wandering around Palarand in the dark, there's no sense in it. Oh, and there's another matter I must make clear to you."

Terys fixed Merizel's eye. "Garia is to be addressed as Mistress, but you should consider her your superior while you are acting as her secretary. Her status in Palarand is not determined by her birth or marriage or age and the rules are different in her own country. You should know that the King and I have adopted her, since she is still legally a child, and she is to be treated as if she were one of my own daughters. Do you wish to accept this post?"

Merizel's eyes widened and then narrowed as she tried to digest the information about Garia's status. There was something extremely peculiar going on here, and the offered post was turning out to be nothing like she first envisaged. It seemed that this strange girl was younger than her, and yet so important, how could that be? Still, she was fed up with being shunted about the country between relatives and a chance to live in the palace was not to be passed up. If nothing else it would give her bragging rights whenever she met her peers. She stood and curtseyed to Terys.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I would like to try this."

"Good, my dear. This afternoon we can find you a suitable room and I will send someone to fetch your things. I expect we'll also need to send a message off to your father, I can't think that he'll object to the arrangement. Well, it seems that it is time for us to go for lunch." Garia rose, followed by Terys. "Lead the way, Kenila."

Garia got a surprise then, because as Merizel stood it became apparent that she was quite tall and slender. Perhaps not as tall as Keren, maybe, but certainly tall enough to see over the Queen's head, and so much taller than Garia that her own head only came up to Merizel's shoulder. Of course, Garia was now used to everyone else towering over her. She had only found a couple of the kitchen boys who had been shorter. How would this affect their relationship?

Garia became thoughtful as another question raised itself in her head. She had assumed that her present height was about as good as it was going to get. However, she was still young, did this mean there was some more growing to do? It might be nice to be able to reach some of the higher shelves on her own...

On entering the dining room Terys led them over to Robanar.

"Your Majesty," she began, which rather startled Garia until she realized that the Queen was making a formal introduction, "may I present Lady Merizel, youngest daughter of Baron Kamodar of South Reach. Keren has suggested that Mistress Garia needs some help and Merizel has agreed to try the post of secretary to her."

Robanar smiled at the young woman as she gave a nervous curtsey in front of him.

"Lady Merizel," he said. "Rise, please. We are not so formal unless we are holding court. Are you to live in the palace?"

"Your Majesty," Merizel said, "If it please you, Her Majesty has said she will give me a room."

The King's smile broadened. "It pleases me indeed, Lady Merizel. My daughters are both grown and fled my kingdom, it is about time we had another young face about the palace. Mistress Garia has no friend her own age here, I hope you two will become friends in time. Of course I know your father, I have no doubt he will be pleased if you come and reside with us in the palace."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Merizel responded. "No doubt he will."

"I'll get off a message to him after lunch, dear," Terys added. "I can't see there would be any problem. Merizel, dear, will you sit beside me at table?"

Garia took her usual place next to Keren and facing Bleskin, so she couldn't see Merizel while the meal took place, but the conversation carried well.

"Ma'am, whatever is this?"

"We call it a fork, my dear. It was one of the first things that Mistress Garia showed us after she arrived. You hold it in your left hand like so, and you hold your knife in your right hand, and you use it like this."

"That seems strange. Oh, I am expected to put it in my mouth? Is that dangerous, Ma'am?"

"Not unless you really intend to do yourself injury, my dear. It's no more dangerous than anything else you might put in your mouth."

Bleskin smiled at Garia. "It seems your new table tool is about to have another convert."

"I hope so, Captain. She's to become my secretary, or perhaps what they call in my country my personal assistant. I hope she will be able to manage, it could be an interesting ride."

The captain gave her a grin. "I can't disagree there, Mistress! Tell me, have your investigations in the training room met with any success? You were quite worried when we first spoke about the matter."

"They have, Captain, and thank you for the loan of the room. In fact, since my efforts have been successful, I want to continue, and we need to talk about the future. Perhaps before I start tomorrow morning, if that would be convenient?"

"It will, Mistress, and I look forward to it."

When everyone rose from table Merizel and her maid gravitated towards Garia, who was standing by Keren.

"Your Highness, this is Lady Merizel, who is going to try becoming my secretary. Lady Merizel, Prince Keren."

She curtseyed and then he bent over to kiss the back of her hand.

"Lady Merizel. Welcome to the palace."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

A flare of something hit Garia's stomach, unexpected feelings. She fought to keep her expression one of plain interest in the proceedings but wasn't sure she succeeded. Oh, no! I'd forgotten Keren! Is she going to suck up to him? What about our relationship? We'd just got it ticking over nicely, I'd hate for her to break it up.

This was bound to happen if I had a female secretary. Perhaps I should send her away and ask for a man, preferably an older man who wouldn't be too interested in me.

No, don't be silly, she's only been in the palace five minutes, what are you getting upset about?

What am I getting upset about?

Keren was saying something to Merizel, and then the two stood apart and turned towards Garia.

Oh, God, I'm jealous! This is totally ridiculous! Keren and I haven't a relationship, we aren't dating, so why stress over another girl meeting him? Stop it right now, you idiot.

She forced a smile on her face and spoke to Merizel.

"Prince Keren has been looking after me since I've been in the palace. He knows his way about and he's interested in a lot of the subjects I've been telling people about. If you become my secretary you'll be seeing a lot of him."

Gerdas appeared at Garia's elbow.

"Your Highness, Milady, Mistress Garia, I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

"Master Gerdas, of course not. This is Lady Merizel, who is coming to the palace to assist me. What can we do for you?"

"My Lady," Gerdas bowed towards her, then turned back to Garia.

"I've just come to say farewell, actually," he explained. "I'm about to return to my own mansion. We're all packed and the carriages are waiting, so I just wanted to see you before I left. You know, both Prince Keren and yourself have an open invitation to visit me at home any time, especially if you wish to observe the stars one night. The air is much clearer where I live and with the new telescopes I can only anticipate what wonders we'll be able to see for the first time."

"Master Gerdas, thank you for your invitation," Garia replied. "I hope to take you up on it, but you know how busy I'm about to be." She smiled at him. "You'll have to send me reminders to shame me into coming."

He grinned back at her. "I'll do that, Mistress. Oh, and I think you'll be expected to come to the Questors' conclave, which will probably be just after the rainy season starts, given the timing."

"Oh? Yes, I'll come to that, Master Gerdas. It'll be rather important, won't it?"

"Possibly the most important one since the Questors were founded," he said. "Well, farewell to you all, I must go. Highness, Milady, Mistress."

Gerdas gave an elaborate bow, turned, and walked out of the room as Terys joined the group.

"Garia, could you take Merizel to Terevor, to get her a room allocated? That way the room can be cleaned and prepared while we're having our nap. Do you nap, Merizel?"

"Ma'am, in this weather I do." She looked confused. "But, where will I nap today, Ma'am?"

"I have some spare chairs," Garia said. "She can come with me after we've been to Terevor."

Terys nodded. "Then I'll see you all on the balcony in a short while."

Jenet led the way to Terevor's office. Garia remembered being taken there when she had first arrived, but because her memory had just been restored and everything had happened in a rush she remembered very little of it. The old man behind the desk had no difficulty determining how Merizel fitted into the scheme of things, though.

"Milady, I will give you the Cerise Chamber," he told Merizel. "The rooms on that corridor are designed for single persons of your rank but your maid will sleep in the common servants' dormitory at the end of the corridor. Will that be acceptable?"

"As you wish, Master," she replied. This was the palace, after all. Merizel had no idea how it functioned, it was nothing like her father's fortified house.

"Jenet, will you take Lady Merizel to the Cerise Chamber, please? You can show her and her maid the rooms and you can inform the corridor staff of whatever needs doing. With your permission, of course, Mistress Garia."

"Of course, Terevor. I understand from the Queen that Lady Merizel's baggage will arrive later on this afternoon. She has been staying with her brother in the city."

"I'll make sure it gets to her chamber, Mistress."

Jenet led them through the palace to the same corridor that Garia had first lived in.

"Isn't this palace enormous!" Merizel said when they reached the room. "However am I going to find my way about?"

"A good point," Garia replied. "Of course, I had Jenet assigned when I arrived here, and she's lived here all her life so she knows her way around."

"Didn't you have a maid with you when you came?"

Garia could see her own standing going down in Merizel's estimation. If a woman didn't even have her own maid, then she was just one of the common people, surely?

"It's not quite that simple," she said with a wry smile. "My story is extremely complicated and will involve you in accepting some quite strange ideas. There will be plenty of time later for me to explain how I got here."

Merizel gave her a sharp look, then turned her attention to the room, which was in all respects except color exactly the same as the room Garia had been given.

"It's adequate," she pronounced. She walked to the window and looked out.

"The herb garden," Garia told her. "It smells quite nice at night." Jenet struggled to hold a straight face.

"Hmph." Merizel opened the door to the clothes closet and peered in. "Hmph," she said again. "I suppose I can just squeeze all my clothes in here."

"There are closets at the end of the corridor for storing out-of-season clothes, Milady," Jenet said. "Your own maid should be able to swap the selections as the weather changes."

"Very well."

Merizel didn't sound pleased at the arrangement. Garia knew that these rooms were intended for people who stayed a few weeks or months, not for the better part of a year or longer. They wouldn't be expected to bring their entire wardrobe with them. Doubtless if this arrangement worked Terevor would find somewhere more permanent for Merizel to keep her belongings.

Merizel turned to Garia. "Which is your chamber, Mistress?"

"I originally had the Lilac Room, it's next door actually, although I don't live there any more. Shall we go? You can have a look on the way."

Garia led them to the door of the next chamber. The splintered wood of the door frame had been repaired, but the new wood had not yet been painted. She pointed to it.

"This was why I had to move," she explained. "Some men tried to get in one night and kidnap me. They forced open the door but by then I'd already jumped out of the window."

Sheer disbelief was written plain on Merizel's face but she kept her mouth shut. This whole day was just getting stranger and stranger, and she had considered bolting screaming out of the palace, only she had no idea how to get out. She felt very confused and what this younger woman was telling her made no sense at all. Girls jumping out of windows at night? So unlikely it was not worth considering. Forks? And why did she have that very odd hair-style?

"Mistress," Jenet said, "If you could make your way back without me? I have to speak to the corridor staff about Lady Merizel's chamber, I'll catch you up later if I may."

Garia thought. She had a grasp of the central part of the palace now, the routes she had most frequently followed and she thought she could get back to the household area.

"That's a good idea, Jenet, I'm beginning to feel like I need my nap quite soon now. Merizel, if you'd like to follow me?"

While Jenet went one way Garia led Merizel and Bursila the other direction through the corridors. The route she took was probably longer than necessary but it had the virtue that she wouldn't get lost doing it that way. Finally she arrived at the door to her own suite.

"But..." Merizel objected. "You've led us all the way back to the Royal quarters. You surely can't live here, Mistress?"

"Ah, but I do," Garia replied, throwing open the door to her suite. She gestured with her hand. "Welcome to my suite. We'll go straight through and out to the balcony. There should be enough sun-loungers out there for all of us."

Merizel's eyes grew round as she entered Garia's sitting room, taking in the opulent decoration and fittings.

"But, surely..."

"The Queen told you, I've been adopted by them. After the kidnap attempt it was thought unsafe to leave me in that part of the palace so I was moved here. This used to be Princess Elizet's suite but she moved away when she married so she no longer needs it." She ushered her guests out onto the balcony. "Here we are, I usually take this one and Jenet takes the one behind, those are free, take any one you wish. Don't go too far that way, the ones further up are used by the King and Queen."

Garia, already beginning to feel drowsy in the heat, clambered onto her lounger and made herself comfortable. Realizing that Merizel was still standing staring at her with her mouth open, she added, "Merizel, there's a great deal to tell you but there's no point starting now while we both need a nap. Please find yourself somewhere to lie down."

"As you wish, Mistress."

A thoroughly puzzled Merizel lay down facing Garia, wondering just what she had gotten herself into.

~o~O~o~

When Garia awoke it was to find herself facing a staring Merizel, sitting bolt upright on her lounger looking intently at Garia.

"Did you rest at all, Merizel?" Garia offered a smile to try and reassure her.

Merizel shook her head slowly. "Not really, Mistress Garia. I'm finding the whole day most confusing, and I keep thinking about all the strange things that I've seen or been told today."

"Just Garia, please. If we are going to be together, we don't have to be so formal. I'm not even formal with the Prince, you know, when there's just him and me."

Merizel's eyes widened. "You spend time alone together? Are you..."

Garia realized her error and tried to minimize the importance by flicking a hand. "Oh, no! Nothing like that! I'm not the right kind of noble birth, so I couldn't anyway, but there's always Jenet there with me." To the girl's frown she added, "My maid. She comes absolutely everywhere with me, and so far that's included some quite unusual places."

Merizel dismissed the mention of a maid as unimportant. "But, you spend your days with Prince Keren, then? I still envy you, uh, Garia."

"It has it's good moments, yes, but we're busy a lot of the time." Garia smiled. "If you become my secretary, you'll have to come around with me as well, so you'll get to spend as much time with Keren as I do."

Merizel's eyes widened again at Garia's deliberate omission of Keren's title.

"You see," she said, "that's exactly what I mean. There's so much happening that ought not to be happening, if I can say such a thing. Father taught all of us to be correct with our forms of address, to know what rank everyone we spoke to was and to offer people their correct titles. To do otherwise would be insulting, if not dangerous in some cases."

"It's difficult for me," Garia acknowledged. "In my country, there are no ranks like those you have here, so I don't know how to address almost anyone. I'm having to try really hard, but most people know I don't know these things so they make allowances." She smiled. "It's probably just as well there's only one King to a country, I'd be in real trouble by now otherwise."

"And why would someone want to kidnap you? And from the middle of the palace, of all places! Is nowhere safe in Palarand?"

"Ah, that's part of my story, which you will need to know in full if you are to understand what's going on here. You will hear it, and soon, take my word for it." She smiled again. "Don't worry about the possibility of being kidnapped, they're not interested in you, just me."

"And then there's your hair! Do all those where you come from wear your hair like that? It seems very odd to me, but then it does suit the shape of your face."

"Women where I come from wear their hair at all lengths from as long as yours to extremely short. The fashions change from time to time but some don't follow fashion, or follow older ways of doing their hair." Garia shrugged. "It makes for an interesting life, but it's really no different than what happens here." She got to her feet. "Come on, we'll go along to the Queen's sitting room. After our nap - which the Queen insists I take, by the way - there's always a pot of hot pel waiting."

"Oh. If you say so, uh, Garia. The Queen doesn't mind? I mean, you sharing her pel?"

"No, I don't think so. After all, they have adopted me, so they're treating me like I was a sort of daughter. Both the King and Queen have been very friendly with me, and I'm grateful for that, because I come from somewhere a very long way away and all this," she swept her hand across the courtyard and the roofs facing them to indicate her surroundings, "is completely new to me. I came here with just the clothes I was wearing, and I knew nothing and nobody, and they took me in."

"Just like that? Surely they don't take in just anyone who is lost in Palarand?"

"No, one reason is because the society I come from is very different to this one. We do things differently there, and those differences are important. The King is protecting me from those who want to steal my knowledge."

Merizel's eyes went round again.

"Really? So you're the one! The rumors in the city were right, then!" Merizel hopped to her feet and eyed Garia critically. "I expected someone, you know..."

"Taller? Older?" Garia gave a wry smile. "Don't let my appearance fool you, Merizel, I am not like any other girl you are ever likely to meet. Don't let that put you off, though. I'm going to need your advice on how to be a girl in Palarand, and I am more likely to get the right advice from someone near my own age, aren't I? I do hope we can become friends. Oh, and I'd forget most of those rumors. From what little I've heard so far they're nothing at all like the truth." She gestured with a hand. "This way, we can go in by the balcony door."

Merizel looked at Garia's arm. "You're bruised! How..? Was that when they tried to kidnap you?"

"Some, yes. But most of the bruises are of my own making, unfortunately. It's all right, nobody's tried to beat me up or anything, you'll find out," Garia grinned as she thought through what might happen at her next visit to the Small Training Room, "tomorrow morning if we haven't scared you off completely."

"Garia, Merizel, please come in and find yourself seats," Terys said as they entered.

The two girls curtseyed and made themselves comfortable. Varna came forward and busied herself preparing cups for them and then retreated back to the wall where she had been waiting. Jenet and Bursila joined her.

"You had a restful nap?" Terys inquired. "Merizel, you look confused. Are you all right? It must be a shock to you, coming to the palace after living out in the country."

"It has been a surprise, Ma'am," Merizel answered. "There's much that I don't understand but I'm sure I'll pick it up quickly. Although it was a lot quieter in Daddy's castle, I have been living with my brother Terzil in the city for some weeks so I'm not quite a country maid. Then there's Mistress Garia, she's very strange - begging your pardon, Mistress - and it's all very mysterious. I hope I can be of service, Ma'am."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine, dear. Terevor has found you a room?"

Merizel looked at Garia, who replied, "Yes, Ma'am, she has been given the Cerise Chamber. The corridor staff are making it ready for her."

Terys nodded. "Good. Now, drink up, my dears."

Despite Terys's motherly nature Merizel still seemed to be in awe of her. Garia knew that in time she would relax and lose some of the stiffness a stranger in an unusual setting naturally has until things become familiar. The three of them talked for a while about Merizel's father, and Garia learned a little about life in the rural parts of Palarand. It seemed, apart from the obvious lack of mechanization, to be much the same as life in backwoods America. It seemed that the Baron, despite having a title, was little more than the prosperous owner of several farms and villages.

A footman interrupted their casual conversation.

"Ma'am," the man bowed low. "Master Parrel has arrived at the palace. He says that he is here to meet with Mistress Garia and with Master Pitchell."

"Yes, that's right," Garia said, remembering. "I did say I'd meet with both of them last night, didn't I?" She put her cup down. "With your permission, Ma'am?"

Terys nodded assent. "Of course, my dear. Are you taking Merizel with you?"

"I think so, Ma'am. If she's to get to grips with what I do here, she might as well start right away."

Merizel put her cup down, looking cautious. "What is it you are going to do now, Mistress?"

"Oh, nothing to get worried about, Merizel. We'll go with this footman, he'll take us to a room at the front of the palace," she raised her eyebrows at the footman and he nodded back at her, "and we'll have a sit-down meeting with Master Metalsmith Parrel and Master Scribe Pitchell. You can just sit and watch, I shan't expect you to take notes or anything like that till we get you organized."

Merizel stood up. "In that case, Mistress, I'm ready." She turned to the Queen. "With your permission Ma'am?"

Whatever Terys was about to say was cut short by another knock at the door. A second footman entered. He cast a glance at his fellow and bowed to the Queen.

"Ma'am. I have come to convey Mistress Margra's request for Mistress Garia's presence. It seems they agreed a meeting yesterday evening."

Garia winced. Double booked! I really do need a secretary.

"Merizel," she said. "This is just the reason I need someone like you. I seem to be invited to two simultaneous meetings. Ma'am?" She looked to Terys as an arbiter.

Terys gave her a smile in return. "I can't make this decision for you, dear. You'll have to decide which of these is most important. I don't know what you intended to tell either of them when you arranged these meetings last night."

Garia pursed her lips in thought. "Um, I'm assuming that Mistress Margra lives in the palace?"

"She does, dear."

"In that case, I can see her later without too much trouble, but Master Parrel will have to return to his workshop in the city, won't he? Can one of these fellows tell Mistress Margra that I've been otherwise detained and I'll catch up with her later this afternoon? Offer her my apologies for the delay."

"Bresco?" The footman came to attention. "You understood?"

"Aye, Ma'am."

"Then you can go. Mistress Garia and Lady Merizel will accompany Sevoren to meet Master Parrel and Master Pitchell."

"As you command, Ma'am."