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Mirage was in a deep, dreamless sleep. Therefore, when Thalliac knocked on her door before dawn, Mirage didn’t hear him. He pounded on the door for about five minutes straight, and then began shouting her name. He succeeded in waking up all of the pages with rooms near hers, but not Mirage herself. On the plus side, he did succeed in waking up Claudia. “Who is calling my mistress at this hour?” Claudia asked though the door, her voice timid. “Thalliac!” Thalliac replied. “I came because Mirage needs to wake up!” Claudia opened the door a crack, saw it was Thalliac, smiled, and closed it again. “I’ll get her.” Thalliac stood with his ear to the door. Seconds passed, he heard Claudia calling for Mirage to wake up, then suddenly heard a groggy voice say “Wha? Lemme seep!” Thalliac snorted. He next heard Claudia insisting that she needed to wake up and that she had a visitor, then he heard a growled, “Lemme be” from Mirage in response. Then there was a loud crash, a thud, and a cry of pain. “Gods!” Mirage exclaimed, her voice much less slurred. “I’m sorry!” “Mirage?” Thalliac called out. “Thalliac?” Mirage called back. “What do you want?” Her voice had the growling tone to it again. “You have to get dressed and to breakfast!” What Mirage said in response shocked Thalliac. “I didn’t know you knew that term! Are princesses even allowed to say that?” Another crash sounded in the room, this time it sounded as if something had slammed against the door. “What just happened? What was that crash?” Thalliac exclaimed. “Nothing! I’ll be down to breakfast in a few.” “Are you sure nothing’s wrong?” “YES! Go ahead without me.” “All right…” Thalliac shook his head but left. She was the strangest girl! Not like any girl he ever knew. But then again, he didn’t know many princesses. “I wonder if that’s how they all act.” Thalliac said aloud. “How who all act?” A page just coming out of his room asked. “No one. Forget it.” The page shrugged and headed to the banquet hall. Mirage, bleary-eyed, trekked into the banquet hall soon after Thalliac arrived. She wore the page’s uniform: pale blue shirt and pants with a black tunic overtop. Her feet were clad in expensive—but well-worn—black, leather, work boots. A sword with a hilt of gold encrusted with diamonds and emeralds was in a black, leather sheath clipped to her belt. In one hand she held a satchel, in the other she carried a lead box covered with silver etchings. Her hair was shoved up under a metal war helmet. Mirage glanced around the room and her gaze settled on Thalliac, seated at a table with the Prince and his friends, and some older pages and squires that she didn’t know. Mirage trudged over and slumped into the only empty seat at the table—between Thalliac and the Prince. She let her satchel drop to the floor, but placed the lead box gently on the tabletop. The boys looked at the box curiously. “Good morning!” Thalliac chirped. “Isn’t it a lovely morning?” “The sun isn’t up.” Mirage replied flatly. “Yet I’m awake. I wonder why.” She glared at him. Thalliac smirked at her. “Welcome to the life of a page. Have a good night’s sleep?” “Until I was awoken.” Mirage’s emerald eyes flashed and her tone became that harsh growl once more. From outside came the boom of thunder, causing some pages to jump. “Yikes. I take it you’re not a morning person, then?” “Good guess.” Mirage replied dryly. From outside came the crack of lighting striking a tree. “Hmm.” The Prince mused. “It didn’t look like it was going to rain today. Guess we have indoor classes, then.” Mirage jerked her head towards him. She had forgotten the Prince was there. “I’m sorry to use disrespectful tones in your presence, Prince.” The Prince waved his hand as if to say that was no big deal. “Please, call me Cobalt. Or Blue, as my friends call me.” “Am I your friend?” “I hope so, Princess.” Mirage smiled, her mood brightening considerably. “Call me Mirage.” “Deal.” Cobalt held out his hand Mirage shook it. “So, do you know when breakfast is served?” “Hungry, are you? As am I. It shouldn’t be too long. Most of us finish the homework we didn’t get done last night at this time.” “So you can do whatever you want basically while you’re waiting for breakfast.” “Pretty much.” Cobalt agreed. He nodded to the leather-bound book on the table in front of him. “I’m finishing up my research on dragons for Creatures Class.” “Cool.” Mirage replied. “Oh, then this is perfect!” “Why’s that?” Thalliac cut in. “I’ll be able to do something I been meaning to do!” “And that would be what exactly?” “Polishing my sword.” Mirage answered and in one fluid motion that only resulted from long practice, Mirage withdrew her sword from its sheath and placed it on the table. All of the pages and squires at her table gasped and leaned forward. “You have a real sword!” One of the pages, a spry boy with shoulder-length red hair, exclaimed. “Are those real gems on the hilt?” “’Course they are.” Mirage replied. She opened up the lead box and withdrew a glass container full of polish and a spotless polishing rag. Cobalt’s eyes glittered with awe. “Are they all Ethereal’s products?” He asked excitedly. “Ethereal’s?” Another of the pages, a boy with sandy blond hair asked, confused. “What’s that?” “Ethereal’s is the best weapons and weapons’ supplies maker in all the land.” One of Cobalt’s friends, Nickolai Makaw, son of the head of the King’s guard, replied. “And if those are really Ethereal’s wares then they’re the finest weapons one can buy. And the most expensive.” Most of the other boys nodded knowingly after Nickolai’s explanation. “They are all Ethereal’s. Sword, sheath, polish, polishing rag, and the box and everything it contains.” Mirage revealed. By now, some of the boys at other tables had heard the fuss and were crowding around the table, trying to see. “Can you use it?” An older squire asked, skeptically. “Of course I can. Why else would I have it?” Mirage retorted. Cobalt held out his hands. “May I—may I see it?” “Sure.” Mirage picked up the sword and gently put it in Cobalt’s outstretched hands. Cobalt almost dropped it at first, surprised by the weight. “And you can really wield it?” “Why is everyone so surprised by that? Yes, I can use it.” Mirage replied. “I didn’t mean any disrespect, Mirage.” Cobalt assured her. “I have sisters so I know that girls can use weapons. It wasn’t about your gender. I was merely surprised that you could draw and move it so effortlessly when it’s really quite heavy.” “Oh. Sorry.” “Don’t be. Some people don’t believe that girls can do things as well as boys.” He cast a hard look at the squire who’d asked so disbelievingly if she could use the sword. “I believe they can.” Cobalt inspected the hilt and blade itself and pointed to a tiny shield with a halo above it formed of tiny diamonds. “See that?” He asked the boys. There were murmurs of confirmation. “That’s the sign of Ethereal’s. It means that this sword is really made by them.” The boys exchanged looks of awe and began chattering excitedly. “Mirage, would you mind if I tested the sharpness of the blade?” “Go ahead.” Mirage answered. Cobalt back up his chair and got to his feet, sword flat in the palms of his hands. The boys behind him cleared at space for him. “Does anyone have a handkerchief?” Nickolai rummaged in the pockets of his tunics and came up with one. Cobalt put both hands on the hilt and held it sideways, edge of the blade up. “Drop it onto the blade.” Nickolai obliged. When he dropped the handkerchief over the sword, it cut neatly in two when it touched the edge of the blade, and the pieces fluttered to the floor. The excited chattering started up between the boys once more. Shaking his head in surprise, Cobalt gently handed the sword back to Mirage and sat back down. Mirage laid the sword on the tabletop. She was about to begin polishing it, when Kole Pentigarron pushed through the crowd of boys to investigate. “What is this?” Kole demanded. “A sword?” Thalliac quipped. “I wasn’t talking to you, Visceran.” Kole barked. “Charmaura, is that your sword?” “Certainly.” Mirage answered. “Why is it here?” “I was polishing it.” “Are you aware that pages aren’t allowed swords until after they’ve proven themselves adept enough with the wooden practice sword. Then they are granted the privilege to carry the steel sword.” “OK, when can I take the test or what-have-you to prove that I am?” Mirage asked. “Are you trying to tell me that you think you’re an able-bodied swordsman? Most pages take at least three years with the wooden sword, two with the diluted steel, and aren’t able to use an actual war sword until they become squires in their sixth year.” “Yes I am trying to tell you that I’m an able-bodied swordsman.” Mirage reiterated. “When can I prove myself?” A flash of surprise flickered in Kole’s eyes, but was quickly replaced by anger and haughtiness. “Let me see the sword.” Mirage held it out to him by the base of the hilt, blade pointed down. Kole took it, tested its weight and once more looked surprised. He was surprised for the same reason that Cobalt had been: it was heavy, the weight of a sword used for combat. Kole inspected the blade and the jewels on the hilt. He was absolutely thunderstruck when he saw the emblem for Ethereal’s Armory in tiny diamonds on the hilt. He handed the sword back to Mirage. “Sheath it.” Kole ordered. Mirage sheathed her sword then looked up at him expectantly. “You may not unsheathe it until you are in the southernmost training field. You will go there after breakfast with the rest of the pages and squires and will take your examinations to determine your swordsmanship. Sit down, all of you!” Kole barked to the boys still standing around. They immediately rushed back to their seats. Kole returned to his table with the other teachers. “Good luck.” One of Cobalt’s other muscular friends leaned across the table and smiled at her. He had longish light brown hair with blond highlights, which fell into his eyes whenever he moved his head. “Thanks. Theareom Panacea, right? Son of the head healer at the palace?” Mirage asked. The boy looked pleasantly surprised. “That’s right. Call me Theare. Any friend of Cobalt’s…” He let the rest of the saying hang in the air. “Thanks.” Mirage said in response. “You’ve got to show up Kaypea. over there.” “Kaypea? Oh, K.P.! Kole, you mean?” “Don’t let him catch you saying that.” “And I’m sure he loves being referred to as ‘Kaypea’.” “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Anyway, it’s time he got his comeuppance. Show him wrong for doubting you.” “I will.” Theare flashed her another smile before turning to talk to Nickolai, who was seated next to him. “Well, Mirage, you certainly gave an interesting impression here.” Cobalt commented. “Interesting? Is that all you think of me as?” Mirage responded. “No, no of course not. I’m beginning to think you’re so much more.” Mirage didn’t understand the funny look Cobalt gave her after he’d spoken. Fortunately, she was saved from having to respond by Thalliac’s exclamation that the food was being served. Mirage put the container of polish and the polishing rags back in the lead box, and then picked up her knife. She was ready to eat! Mirage leaned against the gate in the southernmost training field, watching as all of the pages, squires, and even a few of the knights who were staying at the castle, and some servants and workers of the castle were pouring into the large field, up into wooden bleachers on either side of the training field. Mirage was slightly surprised to see Claudia had come, but she was absolutely flabbergasted to see the Queen of Kesslaster in attendance! Word of her swordsmanship test certainly had gotten around the castle! Mirage hadn’t felt nervous about the test until she saw the Queen there. The Queen! “Don’t worry about it.” Thalliac assured her, coming up beside her. “Yes, my mother just enjoys tests of skill, is all.” Cobalt added, coming up behind Thalliac and leaning against the gate as well. “Don’t be nervous.” “Heck, if you can use your sword half as well as you used the practice sword yesterday, you’ll definitely pass whatever exam Penti’s cocked up.” Thalliac commented. “Penti? Do you guys ever just call Pantigarron by his real name?” “Actually, that thought’s never crossed my mind.” Thalliac replied simply. Mirage rolled her eyes. “Hush up.” “I’m afraid that’s one thing Thalliac cannot do.” Cobalt said solemnly. “Unfortunately.” “Hey! Why are you both picking on me?” Thalliac exclaimed. “’Cause you’re an easy target.” Mirage replied. Thalliac shook his head. “I, unlike you both, am grown as a person and do not need to sink to your level and say that you both are petty and immature.” “You’re the one who’s immature.” Mirage retorted. “Oh, and that was so mature.” “Hush up.” “It’s a sad state of affairs when one cannot merely comment on the states of others without being—” “HUSH!” Mirage and Cobalt cried in unison. “Fine, I will go.” Thalliac gave and exaggerated sigh, pretended to cry, and turned his back to them. The instant he did that, Mirage pushed him. Thalliac landed face first in the mud. He picked himself up and turned back around to face her and Cobalt, who were both laughing, wiping mud from his face as he did so. Instead of being angry, Thalliac’s eyes glittered with mirth and he laughed as well. “Oh, now you’re in for it, you realize that, Mirage?” Thalliac said. “Heck yeah. Bring it on, boy.” Mirage responded, holding her palms facing upwards and waving her fingers in a come-and-get-it gesture. “Oh no, it won’t be today. You won’t know when it will be. That’s the brilliance of it.” “Is it just me or are you speaking in clichés?” “It’s not just you.” Cobalt confirmed. “Fine, mock.” “I think I already did.” “You think you’re so smart and so skilled.” “Correction: I know I’m so smart and so skilled.” “Prove it!” “Fine!” Mirage’s brilliant green eyes flashed and darkened showing intense focus. Mirage withdrew her sword from its sheath and tossed it into the air. Thalliac, Cobalt, and practically everyone around them jumped backwards, away from the blade turning end of end in the air. With almost inhuman reflexes, Mirage did a spry leap up and to the side, catching the sword by its hilt and landing gracefully on the ground. “How’s that?” Mirage tossed over her shoulder to Thalliac as she walked towards the middle of the practice field, where Kole Pentigarron was waiting with a page. All of the people who’d jumped out of the way of the blade, now looked impressed. Many were even clapping. The Queen pushed back the hood of her cloak and leaned forward, interested. “That was…impressive.” Cobalt commented to Thalliac. “Yeah…” Thalliac answered, awed. “Was that your plan all along?” Thalliac grinned. “You caught on, did you?” “Annoy her into forgetting her nervousness?” “I wasn’t going to use the term annoy.” Cobalt chuckled.