Kel paused, placed her Yamani mask on, and took a deep breathe before knocking on Lord Wyldon's door. The moment she had been dreading all year had finally come.
"Come in," came a voice from inside the room.
I am stone, she thought as she opened the door, Stone. Lord Wyldon sat at his desk. His back straight and true, his face stern.
"Sit down," he told the young girl.
She sat in one of the two straight back chairs. Her heart beat quickly. She kept her face showing absolutely no emotion.
"Keladry, I speak to you as I do to my children. You are getting older, you're body will start to change and boys will begin to look at you differently if they have not already done so. I am afraid that I cannot allow you to stay. (Her face fell behind her Yamani mask, her fears had come true, she couldn't stay). I'm sorry Kel, but you would be too much of a distraction."
Kel stood up, her back straight she walked to the door.
As she placed her hand on the doorknob she turned around and faced him, "You will regret not letting me stay, Lord Wyldon, I swear by Mithros and the Goddess, you will regret it."
She then exited the room and quickly went down the hall to her room where she threw herself on her bed and cried herself to sleep.
A peck on her cheek woke her, Crown was sitting on her nose, a questioning look on her face.
"I'm all right Crown, I just won't be returning."
She looked out the window and realized that it was time for supper. She had promised to tell her friends the news at supper.
As she walked into the room she grabbed a tray and filled it with food including extra vegetables for Neal. She sighed. It would be the last time she could remind him to eat them. She scanned the room looking for her friends. She finally spotted them. Tonight they were giddier then usual, if that was possible. She took in the scene of their laughter, saving the memory for later. She put on her Yamani mask and walked toward the table. They spotted her and the laughter was replaced with questioning looks. She gave her head a slight shake. The rest of their meal was silent, except for when Neal grumbled when Kel reminded him to eat his vegetables.