News travelled quickly in the uneventful palace. A passing maid saw Kassandra being led down the hall by Yaria. She told the laundry matron, who in turn mentioned it to the head cook in the kitchen. By the time lunch was ready, half the castle knew that a new woman had shown up. Young, probably unmarried, and to some older servants, familiar. The news trickled from mouth to ear, until even the pages doing their drills knew it.
"Did you hear? There's some new noble lady in the castle." A young page, dark skinned and with a mop of black hair, was swinging at his partner in a long-practiced rhythm. The training blade was made of the right materials, but dull and inelegant.
"Yeah, everyone's talking about it." The taller, paler, copper-haired page was shielding the blows with a round, well-worn targe made for novices. He too, didn't seem to have to concentrate hard. The two had been through this ecercise so many times that it didn't require actual thought anymore; they were free to talk. "They say she's a Donogale, that she's the only one left."
The smaller page's face screwed up in confusion. "Donogale? Am I supposed to know that name?"
"Nah, I forget your family isn't palace folk. Um. The Donogales are nobles, the head of the family was the king's right hand man. But one day the king exiled him and his whole family. No one really knows why. But they got sent to the north, and... well, the war hit there recently, and..." He shrugged openly- and brought his shield back just in time. "She's all there is now."
"Oh. Her whole family." The small boy's hand started to tremble faintly, and his next strike went wide. "...she must hurt."
"Yeah. You alright, James?" Setting his shield down, the taller male approached his fellow trainee and friend. He knew his friend had lost his own family, and while he was good at not letting it show, some days were better than others. "I didn't mean to mess you up."
"S'ok." James had his gaze on the ground, fighting off a wave of memory. The worst part of it was that it had happened so long ago, but some things still felt too new, too real. "I'll deal." He forced a smile, and darted two quick rabbit punches at the older boy's stomach. His red-haired friend made a show of being punched, falling back with pure theatrics. "Haha! Hey, if you flunk out of training, you could always be a player, Kalen!"
Kalen picked up his sword, watching James take his own shield. "If I flunk out of training, my father will beat my ass bald with the flat of his sword. He wants a second Sir Keegan, or nothing else."
The exercise began again.
–
Kassy would never take a hot bath for granted ever again. The first order of business had been a steaming scrub, with oils and perfumes. It was bliss. It felt good to be clean, and soon, pretty again. She knew, in the back of her mind, that these things were petty and not necessary, but she wouldn't lie to herself and say that she'd eagerly choose the threadbare existance from the last few months over being a lady. While it was good to know she could survive without luxury, she wasn't so humble as to be able to turn it down. She scrubbed twice over, humming melodically all the while. The tune was on the edges of her memory, probably recalled by being in a place from her childhood. She'd always loved to sing, even as a girl. Her voice had matured with the rest of her, and when she opened her mouth, the wordless harmony rang out rich and clear.