Disclaimer: I don't own Protector of the Small, all rights to the series go to Tamara Pierce.
~Letters~
Thoughts
Chapter 1
"Page Keladry, Lord Wyldon wishes to see you." Timon, the head servant, told the fourth year page.
"Thank you, I will attend him momentarily. Please allow me to change." She called out, moving to her dressing room and changing back into her dress from dinner. She then slipped on her shoes and joined the servant outside her door. "I am ready." She told him. He turned and led her down the hall to the training master's private study.
"Lord Wyldon, Page Keladry is here as requested." Timon called out to the conservative.
"Enter." Came the training master's terse reply. Kel opened the door and bowed to the knight.
"You called for me, Sir?" She asked looking up at him.
"Indeed, Page." He said lifting a letter and offering it to her, and she immediately recognized the writing as her mothers. "You may read it." He told the girl, nodding when she took it and began reading it.
~Lord Wyldon of Cavall,
I am writing in regards to the letter you sent us petitioning for the hand of your youngest daughter Keladry. Her father an I have agreed that a contract of marriage would be her decision and not ours. We give our blessing for you to approach her and if she agrees to it to court and wed her. Please have her write us after you speak with her. We will not mention it to her until you have spoken to her. We will await her letter.
Ilane of Mindelan, Baroness.~
Kel looked up at her training master and sighed. "My Lord, this is most unexpected. May I have some time to consider and speak with my parents?" She asked looking up at his face waiting for an answer.
"You may, just be sure to let me know once you have reached your decision." He responded, his voice grave.
"One question before I go, My lord, why me?" She asked the older man. Wyldon raised an eyebrow at the question. "I am a 15 year old girl in training to become a knight. I don't know what you see in me." She explained understanding his unasked question.
"Believe it or not you and I are very similar. I see the same stubbornness in you that I have, you work hard and even if you don't like the work you still d o your best. I know our age difference is large, but I believe we could grow to care for each other anyway." He answered entirely honest with her, Kel nodded, turning to leave but was stopped by his voice. "You may tell your friends, but I don't want it allover the palace until after you decide and have informed me of your answer." She turned back to him.
"Thank you, My Lord." She then bowed and left the room, heading back to her room. I will tell Neal in the morning. She entered her room and returned to her night cloths and slipped into bed. She rose before the dawn bell and began her morning exercises. Once the bell had rung she turned to her maid. "Lalasa, I want to speak to you before I leave for breakfast." Kel called out.
"Yes, my lady?" The older girl asked moving to help her mistress.
"Don't tell anyone, but I need some advice." The young noble said. "Lord Wyldon has asked for my hand in marriage." The look of shock on the maid's face made Kel smile. "Think on it today and give me advice tonight." She told her servant. Kel dressed quickly and went to knock on Neal's door. "Neal, I need to talk to you." She called to her first friend. He opened the door, motioning for her to enter. "Promise me upon your family's honor, that you will not repeat anything I say to you." She demanded of him first.
"I, Nealan of Queenscove, swear upon my family's honor not to repeat what you say to anyone before speaking to you first." He answered his eyes showing how serious he was.
"Thank you, Neal." Kel spoke in a relieved tone, before explaining to her friend. "Last night, before lights out Lord Wyldon called me to his private study, he wants to arrange a marriage with me." She explained quickly all that had happened. "I need some advice." He thought about it before answering her.
"I think he is right, you are compatible, so much that it is scary." Neal said lightly. "I say go for it, Kel." She smiled at him and turned to leave only to find Lord Wyldon standing inside with the door closed behind him. She and Neal bowed to him.
"My Lord, is something wrong?" Kel asked him wondering why he was here.
"Mindelan, your father is ill and has requested your presence. Queenscove, you may go with her." Wyldon said before turning and opening the door.
"Thank you, Sir." Kel called to his retreating back, getting a nod as he continued on his way. Kel rushed back to her rooms for her riding gloves before heading to the stables and saddling Peachblossom, Neal right behind her as she entered the stables. She turned to Neal as they both mounded up and rode quickly to her parent's town house. "Momma, Papa?" She called out as they entered the house, once she heard her mother's voice they followed it to her parent's room. Pausing outside the door, she put her Yamani mask on, before knocking on the door and waiting for her mother to call for her to enter. She moved over to her father's side and took his hand. "Papa?" She asked, worry in her tone.
"He has a bruised leg bone, but no other injuries." Her mother told the young teen.
"Neal, can you?" Kel asked her friend motioning to the injured leg. He nodded and moved to the leg that was propped up. His emerald Gift filled the leg, healing it quickly. "Thank you, Neal." Kel said smiling at him.
"After he sleeps he will be fine." Neal told the Baroness.
"Thank you young man. May I get your name?" Ilane asked.
"Page Nealan of Queenscove." Neal answered his friend's mother with a bow.
"I knew your father before I married Kel's" Ilane told him making him blush. "Thank you for supporting my youngest during her page years." She told him, causing him to shuffle in his embarrassment.
"We should probably get back to the castle." Neal said to Kel. "We will have missed the first 2 classes already." He added when she raised an eyebrow at her best friend.
"I still need to discuss Lord Wyldon's proposal with them." Kel reminded him, gaining a nod as he followed both Kel and her mother into a sitting room.
"So, Lord Wyldon spoke to you recently." Ilane's words were not a question.
"Last night." Kel responded with a somewhat jerky nod. "I told him I needed some time and to speak to you and Papa." She added to her mother.
"That is a wise decision." Her mother assured her. "What do you think about him?" She asked.
"Well we are similar, we can get along easily, he is honorable, proper, kind, and he seems to care about all of his charges." Kel answered. "I need to get to know him better if I am to marry him." She sighed not realizing that in that sentence alone she already accepted his proposal.
"You've already decided then, haven't you?" Ilane said to her youngest daughter, a sly grin slipping onto her face.
"I guess I have, haven't I." Kel answered looking at her mother. "May I have some paper, Mama? He deserves to know right away." She asked knowing her mother wouldn't mind.
"Of course, dear." Ilane handed paper and quill to Kel.
~My Lord, Wyldon of Cavall,
I would like to speak to you about our conversation last night. I have your answer.
Sincerely yours,
Keladry of Mindelan~
Kel showed her mother the letter before blowing on the ink to dry it, then sealed it with her family crest and preparing herself for the ride back to the Palace. She and Neal road back in silence, arriving just in time for the lunch bell and slipping into the mess hall among the other Pages and Squires. Kel's eyes would often drift tot the training master and watch how he ate, took his drinks and spoke with his guests. Neal nudged her when he noticed her staring at the man, while on the way to the afternoon classes he pulled her aside and whispered in her ear. "Stop staring at him before someone notices." He warned his friend. Kel nodded before entering her mathematics class.
When she returned to her rooms after classes she pulled on her dress and did her hair nicely. "Lalasa, could you have this letter delivered to Lord Wyldon?" She asked her maid.
"Of course my lady." The maid assured her employer. "May I know your answer?" She asked curiously.
"I have agreed to court him." Kel answered.
"I will give this to him right away." Lalasa informed her mistress before she ran out of the room, only slowing when she reached the training master's office. The timid maid knocked on the closed door and waited for the crisp order to enter.
"Enter." Wyldon's voice came from within the office, Lalasa entered quietly and offered the letter to him with a bow.
"My mistress wished for you to get this as quickly as possible, My lord." The maid stated, handing him the letter. He opened it and after reading the short missive he raised his eyes to the maid once more.
"Tell your mistress I would like to see her after supper in my private study." He ordered, offering a copper noble to the girl.
"Yes, My lord, thank you." The maid answered, bowing as she exited the room, returning to Kel's room to tell her mistress his verbal message, along with showing her the copper noble in her hand.
"Thank you, Lalasa, the money is all yours." Kel told her with a smile. She then turned and joined her friends outside the door, together they headed to dinner.
"So when are you telling him your answer?" Neal asked his friend, a playful smile on his face.
"Directly after dinner, afterword's I intend to inform our friends." Kel answered him, her face Yamani blank. Neal nodded and began eating, however before they could finish eating, Kel's three older brothers entered the room. "Lovely, my 3 favorite brothers." She whispered sarcasticly to Neal. He chuckled as she excused herself from the group and approached them as they reached the Training Master's table. She bowed to the Lord of Cavall and looked at her brothers with hidden irritation.
"Lord Wyldon, may we speak to our sister?" Anders asked his old training master, Wyldon nodded and motioned for Kel to lead them out of the dinning hall and away from easedropping teens. "What is the meaning of this?" Anders demanded of his youngest sibling, handing her a letter from Lord Wyldon to him, asking after Kel's childhood.
"He wants to get to know me." She stated after skimming the letter. "He asked all three of you." She guessed withholding a sigh of exasperation. Inness and Conal both nodded. "He has sent mother and father a request to court me." She whispered to them. "It is well known that his late wife, gave him no male heir." She reminded them softly.
"He is 25 years older than you!" Inness snapped at her.
"27 actually." Kel corrected her middle brother.
"Same difference." He snarled, his voice rising in volume, and he was beginning to draw attention.
"Explain this disturbance, Sir Inness!" King Jonathan demanded of his knight.
"It is merely a family disagreement, Sire." Inness responded, all four siblings bowed to their sovereign. "I apologize for disturbing you, Your Majesty." He added, respect filling his tone.
"What about?" The king asked.
"My brothers are unhappy of the news of a suitor for my hand, Sire." Kel answered the King, her words explaining without using names.
"What is your name, Page?" Jonathan asked her, raising a black eyebrow.
"Keladry of Mindelan, Sire." Kel answered quickly, and King Jonathan's face cleared of confusion.
"Just remember to keep your voices down." He instructed them before walking off, they all bowed at his retreating back.
"So the Lump has a suitor?" Joren of Mountain Stone, an old foe from Kel's first 2 years, demanded having overheard the king asking why they were arguing.
"And you are?" Anders sneered at the rude squire.
"His name is Joren of Mountain Stone, he is a second year squire." Kel answered her oldest brother.
"Ooh, a squire." Her youngest brother said glaring at the boy in question. "Lump?" He requested of his sister, raising an eyebrow at her lack of reaction to the insulting nickname.
"They call me that because of my Yamani mask." She answered honestly. All three of them looked at the squire, angered at how their sister was treated.
"Who are they anyway?" Joren asked looking unconcerned.
"My older brothers," Kel answered, "They are all knights already." She added, seeing his already pale skin go even whiter.
"I will take my leave then."Joren said bowing hastily as he retreated.
"I still have to finish my dinner." Kel reminded her brothers, noting the smirks each were supporting at the Squire's swift exit.
"Oh, right, well don't let us keep you then." Her favorite brother, Anders, stated as they headed back to the Page's Mess Hall. They escorted her back to the doors and left her there to face the questions from her fellow Pages alone.
