"Well, whatever it is, you can say it in front of Alex," Brian told him. "Don't worry, he won't tell anyone," he added.

Like I have anyone to tell, I silently thought to myself.

"Brian, that was the sergeant on the phone. We have to move again. I know we had planned to stay here longer, but it seems as if he has found an unexpected duty for me."

Brian gave a disappointed sigh. "Where to this time?" he asked, but he kept the disappointment out of his voice. I knew that he had expected to stay here longer. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered making friends as he had.

"Back to England, the last town we lived in."

Instead of being sad, Brian smiled. "This is great!" he yelled out with joy. "Now Alex can go back home, and I won't have to make new friends all over again..."

"Alex who?" His father looked at me. "Him?"

Brian laughed. "The girl we brought here," he reminded him. "Remember? The one who didn't want to go live on that other planet, so she ran away with us?"

"Oh, yeah. First, I thoughtyou meant this guy, but that didn't make sense." He smiled, as if that was foolish of him. "But yes, I believe we could bring her with us."

"Well, now that that's settled," Brian said, "Alex and I are going to go walk around town. Goodbye, Father."

It wasn't long before Stuart found us. "Stuart, this is Alex Tirragen," Brian introduced.

"Hello, Alex," he replied. "I must admit, you don't make a bad looking guy."

"Thanks," I said dryly.

"Anywa, I have to talk to the two of you. My parents are sending me to England, to become a knight. They think I should have some noble cause in me, since our family is distant nobility, but not to the Queen, of course. But, I shall be leaving soon."

"I didn't know they still had knights," Brian said as he looked at me. "Well, not real knights. They knight people if they've become famous, but they never fight."

"Oh, of course they have knights," I replied. "They have to be ready for anything. I've practiced with some squires before, while visiting my cousin." Suddenly, an idea struck me, and I smiled. "I know what I'll do in England. I can't go back to school as your brother, because everyone there knows you don't have a brother. So, I'll go train to be a knight."

"What are you talking about?" Stuart asked.

"We have to move back to England," Brian explained.

"Oh. So, you're going to join me in training for a shield?" Stuart asked, and I nodded. "Well, at least I won't be alone."

"It feels so nice to be home," I said to Stuart as we walked through the palace gates. "I would always spend my summers here, so it is like a second home to me. Of course, now, my cousin will have no idea who I am, but that's okay."

"You could tell her," Stuart suggested.

I shook my head. "It's better this way," I told him. "I'd be caught then."

A servant came and took our bags. "New pages, eh?" he asked. "Very well. Come with me. The Duke will be wantin' to see ye."

We followed him into the palace and down a hall to Duke Edward's office. I could have easily gone there myself, but I decided not to say anything, to keep suspicion down to a minimum.

The servant opened the door, and I gulped. Previously, when I had gone there, it was always for "creating a ruckus" in the palace. The Duke always made me nervous, even when passing him in the halls.

He sat at his desk, looking as commanding as ever. He wore a red suit, lined with gold, and his medals were attached to it. He had coal black hair, dark brown eyes, and his skin was tanned from the summer weather. He then stood up, proving he was six feet tall. I had to tilt my head to look at his face.

"Well," he said with a stern yet friendly smile, "two new pages." He opened up the two letters we had brought. "Stuart Cria and Alexander Tirragen. We are pleased to have you among our trainees. You will spend three years as a page, and three as a squire, if you teachers deem it so. You will learn the codes of chivalry, and learn to obey them. In the mornings, you will have classes with other pages. In the afternoon, you will learn the knight's arts- wrestling, kickboxing, staff fighting, archery, and eventually fencing. You are here to learn your duties, not have constant fun. When I see fit, I will grant you free time in the city. When you are twenty-three, you might become a knight, if you pass all of the tests. But don't think about that now. You'll have plenty of time to. For now, think of your lessons and your duties. Robert," he said to the servant, "show these lads to their rooms."

Robert nodded, and we followed him down the halls to the page wing.