The first few months at the castle seemed like they had dragged on for eternity. Elowyn seemed to constantly be chastised. She shouldn't let her dress drag through the dirt. She should curtsy lower. She must wash her face every night and every morning. Don't run through the halls. Don't climb trees, ladies never climb trees. Don't slurp your soup, don't hold your knife like a weapon, don't spill the wine on your dress, and especially don't refuse the wine when the queen offers it to you.

It seemed the only time that Elowyn was not being corrected was when she sat alone at night. A handmaid would brush her hair as she stared into the fire in the hearth in her bedroom. Elowyn could at least sit still.

The only consolation Elowyn gained was from Chord. He had confessed to her that he was actually Erik’s personal guard, his protector. But after some tears on Eloywn’s part and some kind explanations from Captain Dymtro, Chord was reassigned as Elowyn’s protector and an older guard was given to Erik.

Each morning, Elowyn would wake to find him guarding her door, and he would follow her throughout the castle until night came again.

One day, Elowyn sat with Lady Estel and Queen Linnea as they attempted to teach her to stitch. But Elowyn had a difficult time focusing and she kept stabbing her finger with the needle. She found herself staring out the window and tapping her foot.

"Goodness child, you are being fussy today. You're acting like a newborn, I would hardly believe you were eleven," Estel shook her head and set her stitching down.

Elowyn mumbled an apology and looked back at her messy stitches. She hated sewing. And stitching.

"My lady," Chord stepped toward them from the doorway he had been guarding, "If I may say, in Suditi, children hardly spend any time indoors. Even noble children are out in the sun for most of the day. They say that is why Suditians have such tan skin."

The queen gave Chord a skeptical look.

"Perhaps Lady Elowyn has not yet adjusted to the Thanan lifestyle of staying indoors. And perhaps she would be a better student if she were allowed to go outside for a few hours each day."

The queen and Estel smiled.

"I believe you are right. I think our pupil would be much better behaved if she had the chance to walk about and get the fussy out," the queen laughed.

"See to it," she nodded to Chord. Chord smirked.

"Come with me little lady," he said, motioning for Elowyn to follow him. He had called her 'little lady' since they had arrived at the castle. Elowyn normally didn't like it, but today she didn't mind.

They exited a side gate of the castle into an area that Chord called the barracks. He told her it was where men trained to fight. He told her he had come here as a small boy after his mother had died. His mother had been a beautiful Nevarian woman, his father a Thanan Lord. His father claimed he didn't have the time to care for a second child as Chord's older brother was already the heir.

"I think it might have been because I looked more like her," Chord sighed. They had now reached the stables. He leaned against the outer wall of the stable.

"I don't think he wanted to be reminded of her."

"I'm sorry," Elowyn whispered. Chord shook his head.

"Don't be. I have far more opportunity here than I would've as the second son of a Lord. Here I was able to become a Knight. Do you know what knights are?”

"They are the men who guard the king and queen."

"That's right." He stepped toward her and leaned over so their faces were close. "And guarding you is just the beginning."

He flicked her nose. She made a face and wiped her nose. Chord laughed and straightened. He sauntered through the stable with Elowyn hurrying after him.

On the other side of the stable was a large open area. On one end there were strange circular signs on boards. Men were loading what Elowyn recognized to be arrows onto stringed bows and shooting them at the signs.

"What is this?" she asked.

"What, archery?"

She rolled her eyes.

"I know what archery is, I saw Nevarian tradesman hunting all the time. But what are the signs?"

"Those are targets. You try and hit the center. It's a good way to practice."

Elowyn watched them, fascinated.

"If this is a place for learning to fight, does that mean that there are more practicing places here?"

Chord nodded.

"Will you show me?"

Chord looked skeptical. "I suppose. Be best not to tell her majesty about it though."

Elowyn beamed and nodded. Chord led her behind the archers and through the different areas of the barracks.

Chord explained each area to her in detail. The purpose of the area, the weapons they learned to use, even introduced her to some of the men training there. And one area they stopped at had Elowyn transfixed. The dueling arena. Here men would compete in armed, hand to hand, or mancer combat.

When they had arrived, two men were fighting using their mancer abilities. One man was a necromancer, manipulating the shadows to disorient his opponent. His opponent was a huge man with skin darker than even a Suditian. As he fought, he mumbled spells to manipulate the earth beneath the arena. It surged and nearly threw the necromancer, but he stood his ground.

The arena soon became dark, as if the daylight was being clouded. A low moaning started echoing through the air.

Elowyn realized she was shaking. A mix of fear and the bitter cold that had suddenly filled the arena.

Suddenly, ethereal forms that looked like decaying bodies seemed to claw their way out of the ground. They charged at the terramancer and in a moment he was defeated.

The shadows lifted and the arena became warm again.

"What... what was that?"

"That is Lord Cearúil. He is the captain of the royal guard."

"Did he learn to use necromancy here?"

"I suppose so."

Chord continued walking. Elowyn stared at the burly necromancer for a minute. Cearúil looked up at her. She looked away and hurried after Chord.

"Did you learn to use lumomancy here?" she asked as she caught up.

"Yes. Luckily, there are experienced lumomancers in the guard. Other mancers must learn on their own here. They have to learn the spoken spells from books."

"Lumomancers don't need to use spells though."

"No," he stopped walking, "necro and lumomancy come naturally. Either you know it or you don't. But you have to learn to control it."

"Can you teach me?"

Chord turned to her.

"What?"

She stood beside him and looked up at him, pleading.

"Teach me? Please. I don't know how to control it."

Chord looked confused. "But on the ship, you had no difficulty healing..."

"I want to know more than healing. I know lumomancers can do more. I saw you fighting the demon."

Chord looked around, as if afraid that someone might see them.

"If you promise me that you will keep it a secret, I will teach you."

Elowyn glanced around as well. "Who would I tell? You're the only one I talk to."

Chord laughed.