by Linda McNabb
**
Toby strained under the weight of the heavy tray as he climbed the steps to the king's eating room a short time later. Normally the king shared the main dining room with his guests for the noon meal but with Prince Blaise's unexpected arrival things had changed.
Queen Lisan looked decidedly upset. The king was looking very pleased and smiled broadly at his eldest son who sat next to him. Prince Rory had moved further down the table and was sitting as far away from his half-brother as he could. Prince Blaise grabbed hold of the bowls of food as quickly as Toby put them on the table. His plate was already heaped dangerously high but more was added from every new dish.
“We'll present you to the kingdom on my return from the North Kingdom. Unfortunately I must leave this afternoon.” King Herat didn't stop eating while he talked and food dribbled from his mouth. “We'll hold a banquet in your honour and invite everyone.”
Everyone? Toby wondered if he meant the townspeople. Probably not, it would just be for the gentry and land owners.
“You have business there father?” Prince Blaise had obviously become comfortable calling him father very quickly.
“It is the yearly meeting of the Council of the Kingdoms. Rory should have become a member last year but he refuses to attend.” King Herat pointed down the table with the blade of his knife to where Prince Rory sat playing with his food.
“Really, brother.” Prince Blaise turned and raised an eyebrow in Prince Rory’s direction. “You must have strong reasons to refuse such an honour.”
“They speak only of things which are unimportant.” Prince Rory did not raise his eyes from his meal and so missed the furious stare of his father.
Toby darted in to remove some empty dishes and raced back down to the kitchen to refill them. If knives started flying he did not want to be in the way.
“More food?” Claris asked bluntly as Toby refilled the bowls and then struggled to pick up the tray. “Max, help him.”
Toby moved half the dishes to another tray for Max and headed for the door. He would rather have taken two trips himself than have Max helping him. Max caught up to Toby just as he entered the eating room and they both started unloading the fresh dishes of food.
“What about those two?” Prince Blaise was pointing at Toby and Max.
“I don't see why not,” the king agreed good-naturedly.
What had he missed? Why was Prince Blaise so interested in Max and himself? Toby quickly finished unloading the dishes and started collecting up some empty ones. Just as he and Max were about to leave, the king called over to them.
“You two lads... When you've finished that report to Prince Blaise. You're his new pages.” The king beamed at them as if he had just given them a handful of gold.
Toby bowed as he backed out of the room. He knew better than to speak without being asked to.
Claris wasn’t happy to lose two of her staff at the same time.
“Right now?” Claris threw her wooden spoon across the room and narrowly missed several people. “But what about the evening meal?”
Toby and Max stood silently, unsure what they were supposed to do.
“What's the problem in here?” Aggie swept into the room and shot a hard look at the two of them. “Have they been causing trouble?”
“The king wants them as pages for the new prince!” Claris exploded and threw her hands up in despair. “And he wants them now!”
Aggie's hard look disappeared, in fact she smiled. Toby guessed that she hoped it meant he wouldn’t leave when spring came.
“Well we can't argue with the king now can we?” she said pleasantly to Claris. “Who could we replace them with by this evening?”
“My brother Tomas can come today,” Max offered quickly before Claris had a chance to speak.
“And I know a boy who would be a really hard worker,” Toby added as he thought of Marc sitting in a dark room all day to keep out of sight.
“So that's settled,” Aggie beamed at everyone. “You two go and fetch your replacements and then report to Prince Blaise.”
Toby immediately raced for the door not waiting to see if Claris was going to object. Max hurried off as well, for once too busy to have a go at Toby.