Halianna enters the chamber of Duke Gareth with quiet steps so as not to alarm the stately looking man. Her maid, Juliana, follows her brazenly, not even bothering to bow to this great man. Halianna is sure that her nervousness must show on her face; she can feel the sweat collecting on her brow. She has travled such a long way for a chance at being a lady knight. Her Adopted mother, the Baroness of Geniva, had been killed and she had no were else to go.
Her nervousness was due to the fact that she might have to leave this palace immeadiately. You see, she was not of noble blood. The kind Baroness had only taken a liking to her, and since the Baroness had no children of her own, she had adopted Halianna. All her life she had heard the stories of Lady Alanna and dreampt of someday being like her. The Baroness had always told her that if she truly believed that it could be done, then she could do it.
The Duke looked up from the mound of paperwork before him to stare unsettlingly at Halianna. She shifted from foot to foot as she handed him her papers.
"Ahh," he said in his loud and booming way. "Here is the newest Lady traniee." He looked over her papers and his face seemed to take on a strange light. "You do know," he said slowly. "That these papers tell me that you are in no way noble by birth?"
Halianna nodded her head vigourously and kept her head held high. It was just as she feared. Her mother had informed the crown when she had adopted her.
The stately man in the chair looked her strait in the eyes and said, "Possibly the greatest man I have ever met, excluding the king himself, was born a commoner and a thief. If you promise me that you will never ever use the knowledge we give you here against us, I will never tell. I have found that noble hearts often exist within the bodys of common people."
He then grasped her chin and said "Will you promise that to me?" She nodded her head and he set her go. "Report immeadiately to madam thorn and she will fit you for your uniforms. Halianna's entire face brightened as she declared. "Yes sir, thank you sir!!!" over and over again as she left the room. --end of chapter one--
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