The Triple Crown - Prologue

Chapter One - From Small Acorns

Jenaka's Tale

A young girl,clad sumptuously in pale blue velvet designed to set off her striking red hair and blue eyes looked down her rather prominent nose at the girls gathering in the forecourt of the Academy and sniffed.

'Jaq', she said. 'Lift me down and see where I am to be introduced.'

Her serving boy, in pale blue livery scurried to her assistance. He looked around anxiously to find someone to hold her palfrey, and not seeing anyone, looked at his mistress in confusion.

'Fine!' Jenaka tutted. 'I shall hold Golde while you find whoever is in charge here!' She glared at her servant, who bobbed and hastily set off into the crowd.

Jenaka stroked her mounts' nose and whispered soft nonsense words to calm the highly bred beast, and surveyed the crowd of girls with a mixture of disdain and apprehension.

She shook herself out of her apprehension when she was rudely jostled by a tall black haired girl who appeared to be on some kind of mission.

She straightened her shoulders as she looked up at the grey stone walls. What need had she to worry about being here? After all, she was the youngest daughter of the wealthy Z'chera clan, the social equal - if not superior - to most of the hoydens here by the looks of it.

And, she was a legacy! Her mother and grandmother before her had both been searched to the Academy in their youth, and even if their gifts had petered out, Jenaka knew that wasn't going to happen to her. She was going to be that bright star that the soothsayers had predicted at her birth!

She prepared a smile as she saw her servant pushing back towards her. It was a smile that faltered when she realised that he was alone... But never mind, she thought composing herself quickly. There would be plenty of time to make herself known...

She smiled kindly at her bemused servant, and allowed him to take her palfrey from her. For now she would follow the crowd. For now...