Luisa woke up at her Grandmother's kicking her feet with excitement. What a great evening she had had. They finished the evening by ordering food and some root juice to Luisa's quarters. The abbot told them stories of his time as a kitain. The pranks they used to play on runners and moppers. Clearwater harassed Finn with questions about the land above, she just couldn't imagine a place with no ceiling. Luisa and Finn had to explain about sky and clouds. It was really good to have a nice time after all that had happened.

As often happens when something wonderful occurs, they just let go of the dark events that had gone before and enjoyed their time together, in a rare, care-free way. Like an unspoken agreement that they would just celebrate Luisa opening the Chest of Royal Weapons for the night.

She had a sword!

Luisa had thought about bringing it back to her grandmother's but decided not to, as that one might be difficult to explain to her Grandmother. She imagined the conversation; "Sorry Gran, just ignore that, its just my royal sword. Part of being a princess and everything. Oh yeah, I'm also a princess – I'll explain later." She grinned to herself wrapping her self tighter in her duvet.

What a thing to own.

She thought about its sleek shape, its perfect weight, how it had felt in her hand. She couldn't wait to get swinging it around. Finn said he would find her a scabbard for it.

Luisa bounced down the stairs of the house. The smell of summer blossom poured through the windows. Her grandmother was waiting downstairs and regarded her demeanour with a disapproving arched eyebrow. Luisa smiled at her anyway and popped some bread in the toaster. The phone rang loudly and made Luisa jump. It was an old fashioned phone, one where you actually had to put your finger in and drag round the thing on the front to dial a number. It made a real racket when it sprung to life. Her grandmother picked it up.

"3491 Wynn Residence."

Luisa could hear the echo of a small voice in the phone. Her grandmother frowned and looked at Luisa.

"Yes she is, who is calling and why do you want to speak with my Granddaughter?" Her Grandmother listened to the answer, raised her eyebrows and with a slight sparkle in her eyes held out the phone to Luisa.

"It is a boy from your school, who it seems wants to speak to you, a Mr. Matthew Tomlinson."

Luisa blushed.

Matthew is phoning me! He actually did it.

"Oh, thanks, umm... Hello?"

* * *

"Hello?"

Luisa's voice went through the receiver and it hit Matthew's ear like a bolt of lightning. He mouthed a swear word silently to himself and tried to stop the flock of butterflies that had erupted in his stomach.

Act calm, talk calm.

"Hi Luisa, its Matthew, from school."

"Hi Matthew."

God, her voice sounded weird. She is probably weirded out by this whole thing. What am I doing? Focus Matthew. She wouldn't have given out her number if she didn't want you to phone! He carefully smoothed the crumples out of his map of Wales.

"Hi, so Luisa how's it going?"

"Um, good, I guess..."

She didn't sound happy to hear from him. Crikey.

Come on Matthew – you are better than this!

He put a finger down on the conversation flow chart he had created. It said 'Tell her you are going to Wales'. He launched into his prepared speech.

"Well, you said you are in Wales for the summer, and I am actually going to Wales for a bit too..."

"Really? Wow... cool. It's really nice here. Who are you coming with?"

Matthew held the phone away from him for a second and silently swore again. He had not put this in his conversation flow chart. How could he have been such an idiot! He needed to think, fast.

"Well, actually it's all just really, really random. I was, I mean I am, going to Wales like just by myself... for... umm... my homework." He winced to himself but continued improvising. "And I said to my aunt, "Oh, Aunty, I am going to Wales and I have a friend from school in Wales visiting her grandmother, so there will be two people from White Manor in Wales at the same time! Ha! That is funny isn't it!

"So she said that I have to call you, as that is polite, and say that umm, like anyway, she made this big thing about it."

More silence on the phone. He thought fast. "So whereabouts are you in Wales?"

"Oh, umm well, my Grandmother's house is out in the country, but the nearest town is called Llagollen."

"Oh my god... did you say Llagollen? Is it the Llagollen near..." Matthew desperately searched the map.

Yes! Found it!

"Is it the one near Wrexham? Cos that is actually pretty near to where I am going! Wow. That is just, that is just really – I mean this whole thing is really quite random isn't it."

"Yeah," Luisa sounded somewhat unconvinced. He could imagine her brow furrowing.

Matthew composed himself. He had recovered the conversation quite well. He was even back on the conversation flow chart.

"Well, I am glad that my Aunt made me call now, I am doing boring homework stuff there, but as I am, you know, going to be near umm, Llagollen next weekend, I don't suppose you want to like, do something do you? Like go for a cup of tea..." he cringed.

Oh my god Matthew well done that is the most rubbish idea ever,

"or something fun– I mean if you can't or don't want to that's totally fine. I'll be very busy and everything, but it might just be good to do something might'nd it?"

There was a terrifying silence while Luisa processed all this down the end of the phone line.

"Wow, that's quite cool you are allowed to go this far by yourself. Okay, yeah, sure, cool. I can come meet you on Saturday, at Llangollen station at like, three o'clock?"

Matthew punched the air.

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.

"Okay sure, cool, well I'll see you at Llagollen station at three o'clock on Saturday then."

"Alright Matthew, wow, yeah nice..."

Is she smiling down the phone at me?

Matthew was beaming so much his cheeks hurt.

"Okay thanks Luisa, this will be great, umm, see you then, bye."

Matthew stayed on the line waiting for Luisa to hang up. She didn't.

"Oh Matthew? What is your summer project on?"

Matthew had nothing. What the hell could it be on to make him go to some random place in Wales? He needed more time to research!

"Oh god sorry, my dad, is calling me, he is... lifting something really heavy, and I ah, well, gotta go Luisa, see you on Saturday! Bye, bye.... Bye!

He hung up the phone and closed his eyes. Slightly shaky at the start and end, and the middle did not go great, but! He had still done it. He was going to see Luisa. Slowly he stood to his feet.

"Yes!" He shouted and threw his fist into the air.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" He jumped onto the bed, and bounced up and down in utter elation. He heard a loud crack from the bed boards, and carefully stepped off. He was probably a bit old for jumping on the bed. Matthew closed his eyes and smiled.

Wow. 

Now he had a five days figure out a way to escape from his aunt's and get to Llangollen.

* * *

Luisa placed the heavy phone down.

He did call after all. And now I'm was going to see Matthew in Wales which is just absolutely mental. But kind of cool. She smiled. It is so Matthew to travel half-way across the country to win at a school project. I'm glad White Manor hasn't beaten that out of him yet.

She looked up from her thoughts to see her grandmother looking at her expectantly. She wiped the smiled from her face and with a deliberate haughtiness spoke, "It was just a friend from school Grandmother."

Her Grandmother looked away with a small smile. "A little young for a serious boyfriend I think Luisa."

Luisa blushed uncontrollably but held her nerve.

"Oh, I'm not quite so sure about that Grandmother."

--

Matthew – back in the game.

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Tim