Chapter 10;; Surprising Conversations

The minute Stephanie approached the door to Sir Myles' office, she knew something was wrong. There were two voices coming from inside. Both of them were familiar, one more so than the other. One belonged to Sir Myles and the other belonged to…

She knocked on the door. "Come in!" the knight called. Stephanie opened the door and got her answer: Jonathan of Conté.

"I'll come back later, when you're alone," she remarked, turning to go.

"No, stay," Myles protested. "Two intelligent young people such as yourselves should discuss matters together." He smiled, and Stephanie sighed.

"I'd rather go," she said. "I don't feel comfortable expressing certain views in front of my future king." She gave Jonathan a dirty look.

Myles snorted. "He was my student, my dear. Do you think he cares anymore? Besides, you might be surprised by the things Jonathan has to say against his father's policies."

"No, its fine, I'll go." The Prince rose to leave. "I was probably intruding anyway."

"No. Sit." Myles could be very commanding when he wished it. He motioned for Stephanie to come closer. "Close the door, please. There's no need for us to be overheard." There was really no point in resisting anymore. Stephanie shut the door and took a seat in the chair next to Jonathan…and prompted inched it farther from him. Jonathan chose to ignore it. "Now, Jonathan. What were you and I just discussing?"

"I believe we were talking about the effect on the happenings in the Black City on the Bazhir population," Jonathan commented. Myles, knowing that was not what they had been discussing, couldn't help but smile at Jonathan's cunning.

Stephanie sat forward in her chair. "Something happened with the Black City?"

"You know the tales?" Myles and Jonathan asked together.

"Well, yes. These things interest me." She looked a little put off by their incredulousness. "Besides, one of the instructors was from a border fief." Myles and Jonathan nodded, seeming to understand. "Now. Tell me more."

Two and a half hours later…

Stephanie left Sir Myles' office positively beaming. She had never engaged in a better conversation in her life, and it felt good. She, for once, felt like people had taken her seriously, despite her femininity. Myles always listened to her, for he was a true scholar with a passion for learning. Jonathan, on the other hand, had surprised her with the way he spoke to her. He had spoken to her as if she were his equal, not just a Court lady. They'd had an intelligent debate, with Jonathan admitting in the end he was arguing (passionately) what he didn't believe. Stephanie was impressed, and had softened somewhat in her feelings toward the Prince.

"We should talk more often," he commented as they walked down the hall. "I've never met someone with your insight."

"You mean you've never met a lady with my insight," Stephanie said, winking. "Erika, Hannah, and I have always tried to keep up on what's going on. Hannah is easily distracted, however, by men. And Erika is rather bored with politics. No one else in my year is even worth mentioning."

"Then you know the right people," Jon told her. "I surround myself with the insightful."

"Gary is a brilliant thinker—and he makes things amusing, a trait I so rarely encounter," mused the lady. Jonathan nodded in agreement.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I find it hard to wrap my mind around how a woman as beautiful as yourself became interested in things like politics."

Stephanie considered him for a moment. "I never really had a mother. She died in childbirth. My father spent his time drinking and trying to console himself with whores and fishing. I had three stepmothers by the time I was ten—two died and one ran off with one of our servants. Then I was sent to the Convent. I was sullen and unruly, and frankly didn't care. I read a lot, spending more time with the boys than the girls. They were so much more interesting. Many of them had relatives in Corus who sent them information, or had other methods of receiving news. It was easier to talk to them than my fellow classmates, so I learned quickly what they were talking about. Eventually, I drew Erika into the circle. She and I had been partners in etiquette and became fast friends. Hannah was already friends with her, and soon followed. I was thirteen then. About two months before I left the Convent, I received a letter from my father. He was remarrying. Her name was Diana, and she was twenty. He loved her, and knew I would love her too. I still haven't met her, but she's written me letters. She's very proper—everything I'm not, basically. And she's only four years older than I am. I can't tell if she's after father for his money or if she really does love him, and I just stopped caring. Basically, politics became an escape for me. I never really realized I was that attractive until the other women in my class started to notice that I was serious competition for courtiers."

Jonathan was speechless. "Wow." He blinked his eyes several times and shook his head. "I find that hard to believe as well. Is that where all the slut rumors come from?" Stephanie nodded. Gary must've told him, she reasoned. Or he guessed by my reaction the other evening. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It isn't your fault." She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Father is too busy screwing Diana to care what's going on in my life anyway."

"Let's talk about something else then, shall we?" Jonathan proposed. Stephanie nodded. "Something lighter?"

"What do you think of Hannah and Raoul?" Steph asked, smiling. "They're quite the odd pair."

Jon laughed. "You're telling me! She's not even a quarter of his size!" As the two continued their conversation, the halls echoed with their shared laughter. To anyone who passed, they were nothing more than friends. But Stephanie and Jonathan both had the same feeling in the pit of their stomach that revealed there might be something more.