"Secret Love"

Chapter 1: Of revealing hidden feelings

Rated: PG (rating may change)

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. I own none of the places and things in this fanfic either. Just figured I'd tell y'all that.

"I present you.SIR WILLIAM!" Chaucer roared out William's name, as the crowd went wild. Wat looked up into the stands and saw Jocelyn standing up, looking lovingly at William.

This was the final. If they won this, William had two championships in a row. Wat looked to his left, and saw Roland and the handmaiden standing together, newly engaged. Kate stood next to him, cheering so loudly, Wat was losing his hearing.

The joust started, and Will raced forward. The other guy never even had a chance, as Will bared down on him and practically pulverized him with his lance.

The noise was deafening. Even Wat found he could not contain his screams. Will jumped off his horse, and ran first to Jocelyn, then Roland, then Kate, and lastly Wat. Not much was said between the two, and it wasn't two seconds later that Will was carried out of the stadium by the crowd.

When he'd gone, Kate turned to Wat.

"Two in a row!" she exclaimed, hugging him.

"I know," he said, dazed, she'd never hugged him before.

"This is great!" He's going to keep going up and he's going to be the greatest of them all!" she said, her eyes shining.

"He already is the greatest!" Wat said.

"No, I know that, oh-well, you know what I mean!" she answered, and then ran off to join the celebrations.

Wat stood there in a dazed silence for awhile, still thinking about her. That beautiful girl, Kate. She'd given him a friendly hug, yet to him it meant so much more.

After a few minutes he realized he was standing in the middle of the empty arena, and he snapped out of it. He walked silently out of the arena and joined the celebrations.

But his heart wasn't in it. Only one thing would have made him happier than ever. He sighed as his mind flew back to Kate. Kate, the blacksmith. Kate, the one who gave him a donut. Kate the one who hugged him. Kate, the one who stole his heart.

No woman had affected him this way ever. Yes, there had been one he had loved, but he had never felt about her the way he felt about Kate. He didn't know what it was about Kate that made his heart go crazy. It wasn't just that she was beautiful-because God knows she was-but there was something about Kate's spirit that had captured Wat along the way.

He wandered out to the balcony. It was night, and he looked up at the stars. "Starlight, star bright." he began, and never quite finished.

"Wat?"

He jumped. "Kate?" he replied.

"Why aren't you celebrating?" she asks.

"Oh, just.tired," he answers

"They've got good food in there,"

"Is that all you think I care about?" he asks, and she can't quite tell the tone of his voice.

"I meant no offense," she said.

"None taken," he answers.

"I was wondering something, though," she says

"Yes?"

"Well," she began, "Why have you been so distant around me lately?"

"What?"

"Whenever I walk into a room you don't meet my eyes, and we don't talk much anymore, and before when I hugged you, you seemed-well-distant."

"Oh," he says.

"Well, look," she said, "I want you to know that.it's hard to say this, and I've planned on how I was going to say this for so long, but um."

He nodded. "Kate--" he says, cutting her off. "I'm in love with you, Kate."

She looks up at him, her eyes shining, and she laughed.

"Oh, God, I knew I shouldn't have told you! I must sound so stupid!" he said, and began to turn away.

"No, Wat! Wait! No, seriously," she said, turning him around. And before he could say a word, she'd spun him right so she was face to face with him. He hadn't looked into her eyes a split second and her arms were around his neck and she was kissing him. When they broke away, Wat stuttered, "Wha.um-I mean."

She smiled, looked directly into his eyes, and said, "I love you, Wat."

Then she swept him up into another kiss, and this time he kissed back.

They stood there for a long while, his arms around her waist, her arms around his neck.

Wat broke the silence, saying, "So we're in the same place?"

Kate nodded, her head resting on his shoulder.

They both noted the tempo of the music had slowed down.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. And they stood there, swaying back and forth dancing, never even noticing when the music had stopped.