“Young master, you cannot run away from your lessons.” Rima says searching for Penn who was on a low branch of the tree closed to her quarters, eating an apple and watching her behavior teacher face slowly getting red with anger. There were few things which Penn got to like about her new life and one of them was getting on Rima's neck and watching her lose her cool. The girl was too composed and straight laced for someone who was young. Even Master Vallas was more carefree than her. Penn paused that thought. Master was on a class all on his own. He was even more carefree than Penn herself.

“Penn, this is not funny.” Rima stomps her foot on the ground. “I can’t keep losing you, what will do you think that your father will do if I tell him that you keep escaping from your lectures? I will be sent away and that will bring discredit to my father since he was the one who actually suggested that I should be your teacher.” Her eyes filled with tears as Penn swung down from the branch and landed behind Rima.

“It’s okay Rima, please stop with the tears.” Penn comforted Rima uncomfortably while Rima turns to face Penn.

“You are so predictable, I knew you would show yourself when I start crying.” Rima laughs as Penn glares at her.

“Of course I will show myself, don’t you remember the first time I thought you were faking the tears, you worked yourself into hysterics and your father when picking you looked at me as if I had immoral encounter with you.” Penn explains as Rima giggles.

“That day was funny.”

“It wasn’t from my side, Master was looking at me like he almost believed your father and he knew better. It is a miracle that they still allow us to be alone together.” Penn mumbled.

“That is because you are a trustworthy person. If it was someone like Stanley or any other boy, my father will be worried and wouldn’t have even offered but according to my father and other trainers, you are the perfect fit to be young master.” Rima shrugs as Penn smiled.

Training hasn’t been easy but she could keep up and actually make Master proud in the process. According to master, she has innate strength and skills and they were just being honed by the trainers. It wasn’t long before she beat Stanley out of his position as the best and took over the title and Stanley has been a grouchy bear about it to the extent that he had been trying to get Penn into one trouble or the other since the position was taken from him. “What are you thinking about?” Rima pushed Penn who smiled absently.

“Nothing serious, just trying to wonder what Stanley will come up with today.” Penn replied as Rima laughs.

“As if it matters, you will just scale over it with ease like you always do.”

“Thank you for having faith in me.” Penn whispers, hugging her only friend in the place.

Rima pushed Penn off her with her cheeks glowing red. “It is improper for a man to hug a lady, please don’t try to do that again.”

“I am so sorry lady Rima.” Penn was completely apologetic.

Rima wanted to tell Penn that it was okay, that she likes the feel of his arms around her but she was a lady and that would be too forwards so instead she gave the response which was the best for a lady of her station. Nose held high, she gave a delicate nod. “Forgiven.”

Penn chuckled at Rima actions, most times it is like she forgets that she is a lady and gets to act normal around Penn, Penn forgets most times that she is a boy and gets to treat Rima like a friend of hers. Whenever Rima remembers that she was not supposed to act the way she does with Penn, she over compensates by acting high handed for the next few hours and when Penn do remember she was a boy now, she always apologizes to Rima because she feels like she was betraying her only friend by lying.

“There Rima is.” Stanley's voice sounded as the door and it was enough time for Penn to give Rima a little more space between their bodies.

“It’s Lady Rima, do well to remember that.” Rima said with a sniff as Penn hides her laughter.

“What’s going on master?” Penn asked Vallas who rubbed his eyebrow and looked like he was contemplating murder.

“Nothing you should concern yourself with.” Vallas replied looking at Stanley who tried to appear smaller.

“Boy, next time you want to accuse my daughter of incompetency, I suggest you do that to yourself instead.” Rima's father rages at Stanley before storming out.

“Now I certainly have to know what is going on.” Penn said.

“Stanley told us that Rima lost you and she was looking for you… that she was not suitable to teach you. Never mind about Stanley, I will deal with him. You my son have been cooped up inside this compound for the past two days. Go meet Leda, she will give you something to do to take you out briefly for some fresh air.” Vallas orders.

“As you wish master.” Penn gave a chin jerk to Vallas who walked out.

“You two relationship isn’t normal and I am going to prove it.” Stanley vows.

“Oh you mean friends. Isn’t it sad that you can’t recognize friendship even though it is in front of you.” Rima glared daggers at Stanley. She couldn’t believe that Stanley dragged her into his quest of getting back at Penn.

“You better shut up…” Stanley threatens Rima but Penn steps in front of her.

“You better leave here before I decide to thrash you for trying to get Rima in the middle of something which didn’t concern her.” Penn brimmed with barely leashed anger which she wanted to pour out on Stanley. “I can’t believe you just tried to do that.”

“Rima huh?” Stanley asks.

“He is a friend, he can call me without my title, you can’t.” Rima said from behind Stanley.

“I am watching you, Penn, there is something unnatural about you…” Stanley started but Penn scoffed. She would have been concerned if Stanley was really watching her but the boy was more concerned with trying to frame Penn than paying close attention to him.

“Stanley,” Vallas calls as Stanley hurried after Vallas looking like it was the last thing that he wanted to do.

“I cannot believe that boy.” Rima huffs as Penn smiled.

“Come on my lady, let’s go see what chore Leda has for us.” Penn laughs as she ignored the fact that Rima's cheeks were red again. She knew what it meant but she wasn’t ready to face it just yet.

****

“What did that son of mine do again?” Leda used those words to welcome Rima and Penn to the house where women were weaving baskets and Leda was supervising. She spent most of her afternoons supervising various parts of the compound and this was the third location that Penn and Rima checked before they could see her.

“What makes you think that he did something?” Penn questioned and when Leda raised her eyebrow, Penn added. “I mean, it is still early, he might not have tried anything yet.”

“Thanks for trying to convince me otherwise but I know Stanley, I might not have raised him well but I do know him so what has he done?” Leda asked as Penn's cheeks went red this time as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment remembering how she had told Leda that the mother of that boy had not raised him well when she was not yet aware of the fact that Leda was the mother of Stanley.

“Nothing of important.” Penn mumbled as Rima gasps.

“Nothing of important? That boy almost got me in trouble with Lord Vallas and my father. Not his usual fight with Penn, he had the gall in drag me into it.” Rima rants.

Penn rolls his eyes at Rima ranting as Leda hid her laughter. “Enough Rima. If only you can’t stand him, I would have thought that you like the boy from how much you talk about him.”

Rima let out a gasp at that. “Take that back, I hate Stanley and I don’t talk much about him.”

“We have been here for ten minutes and you have spent more than half of that time ranting about… Stanley.” Penn points out.

“Tomorrow, your exercise will be dancing with five maidens.” Rima orders.

“That’s punishment. You know I hate dancing.” Penn protested while Rima rolled her eyes. “You know I am right.”

“Do you want me to increase the dance partners?” Rima responded as she and Penn engaged in a stare off only to break gaze when Leda laughter turned into coughing

“Please stop you two. I can’t laugh this much, it isn’t good for me.” Leda complains.

Rima frowns. “Since when did laughter turn into a bad thing?”

“Since the two of you can’t make me control it and it almost chokes me. Anyway, I am sure that the two of you didn’t choose to come here to make me cry because of laughter, so why are you here?”

“Master said I have been in the compound for too long so he wants you to give me a list of things to get so I will leave the compound.” Penn rolled her eyes.

“But you left the compound two days ago.” Leda points out as Penn shrugs.

“Who knows what goes on in the Master’s mind.”

“You need to have more friends.” Leda points out.

“Why?” Penn frowns.

“if you do have friends, you will not always be around for Stanley to cause trouble around and My Lord will not be seeing you always, so that will reduce his notion of you always being cooped up in here. When he looks for you twice and doesn’t see you, he will learn to leave you alone, maybe hint that you stay away too much.” Leda explains as Penn smiles.

She could see Master bringing up the issue and acting like it didn’t bother him that he couldn’t find her when he so wishes. Sometimes Master's attitude makes her laugh and smile. The old man, no matter how crazy he acts seems to be growing on her.

“I only make friends with those who get off their high horses and I don’t need to mention how most people still see me in this compound do I? The females see me as someone who will increase their status so their friendship cannot be trusted…”

Rima laughs in the middle of Penn complains, remembering how Penn was lured by the maid into her bed room where she proceeded to start chasing Penn around half naked. That was her very first impression of Penn and it took a while before Penn showed her that he was not that kind of guy.

Penn glares at Rima who fixed a sorry expression on her face and contained her laughter while Penn continued. “And the guys…”

“Acts like you are not worthy to be in the compound with them and stares at you like an interloper.” Leda rolls her eyes. “Maybe you are searching the wrong places for friends. You see good friends in the unlikely places. Like you and Rima.” Leda points out as Rima laughs out loud again then put her hand over her mouth to contain her laughter. “Anyway, Let me do as the master commands.” Leda stood up and left the house with Rima and Penn following behind her. “I do have one request though. From a pleading mother.”

“Go on.” Penn said starring at Leda who looked sad all of a sudden.

“Stanley's life was a difficult one so I spoilt him more than I should, he is scared of losing the only father figure he has, so he keeps trying to make you look bad in My Lord's eyes. Eventually he will see reason and apologize but until then, protect him in little ways so as not to get on My Lord's bad side. Please I beg you.” Leda pleads.

Rima opened her mouth to probably disagree but Penn hits her with her elbow. “Of course Leda.”

Leda smiles with tears in her eyes. “Thank you. Now let me get you that list that will remove you from the compound long enough for My Lord to find you and for Stanley to forget that you exist.”

Penn smiles. “Sounds good.”

If only that was true.