WELCOME. To the new epic story of Lady Katharine Heartspark, an angel who did not so much fall as saunter vaguely downwards. Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle, because it's going to be rough.
Thank god for craziness. Writing the story in which I get trapped in my story has totally awakened my penchant for writing again. So everyone, be happy!
Read the story! Love the story!
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to me. *receives swift kick in nether regions* I mean, nothing belongs to me (yet) but the plot. And Lady Stacia. Except sort of not that either, because that's Stacey, but whatever tickles your pickle. If we really want to get all technical I guess I don't own Lady Stacia either. So there.
Much thanks to Rosefyre, who helped me conceive the plot and work out the problems, and to Arsahi, who
came up with the first line and therefore the beginning of the story.---------------
Passage
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"Well, he got the mustard out," Owen muttered to Kel as he slid in next to her in the mess hall.
Kel hid a snicker. "He was certainly in the washroom long enough. Is he coming back?"
Owen shook his head, gnawing on a hunk of bread. "Not immediately. There's a giant wet spot on his breeches now. That lady really got it everywhere. He's going back to his rooms to change."
Kel grinned. "Really makes you wonder what he said to her. Usually, Lady Stacia is quite even-tempered."
Owen shook his head again, this time in amused disbelief. "He told me what he said."
Raising her eyebrows, Kel looked at him. "And?"
"We decided no one else should ever know," Owen stated solemnly.
Kel laughed, and took another bite out of her sandwich.
A few minutes later, Neal sauntered sullenly back into the dining hall, taking care to avoid a certain table filled with the ladies of Court. As he passed along the far wall, several teenage ladies turned and glared at him. Neal glared back, grabbed his tray, and shoved it down across from Kel and Owen.
"Don't. Say. Anything," he muttered sulkily.
They didn't. They laughed.
Interrupting their laughter, the King stood up on the dais where he took lunch. The man immediately commanded everyone's attention with his regal appearance. Kel thought again, as she had many times, that Jonathan was born to be a king.
King Jonathan of Conte cleared his throat. He unfurled a long sheet of parchment, and began to speak. "Okay, knights of Tortall. By now, you know the drill. Here are today's assignments: Sir Jason of Aniha to Queensmercy. Sir Thomas of Avidale to Fernwood. Sir Christian of Balehead to Riversedge. Sir Hayden of Ytombe to–"
Knights whose names were called excused themselves from tables and rose, walking swiftly out of the dining hall. Kel had no idea what happened after that; she had never been assigned.
Kel sighed, tuning out the king's deep voice. Since the war with Scanra was over, most of the knights of Tortall had nothing to do on a day to day basis. To remedy that, Jonathan had instituted a methodic assigning of knights to villages or towns that needed help with something. It was still busywork for the knights, but even busywork was better than being bored.
The list was always alphabetical, and Kel listened with one ear – it took some time to get to Mindelan. Owen kept both eyes on the king; Jesslaw could sneak up on you if you didn't pay attention. Neal, with Queenscove, pushed his food around on his plate. A drop of mustard fell from his sandwich, and Kel snorted. Neal looked at her and scowled.
" –Sir Micael of Gracewold to Yanderly. Sir Colbert of–"
Kel lifted the mustard bottle and shook it. Neal glowered.
"–Sir Owen of Jesslaw to Haverton. Sir Ulein of Jorbain–"
"That's me," said Owen. He pushed back from the table and grabbed his tray. "See both of you later," he told them as he stood up. "Oh, and Neal..."
"Don't even say it."
"Have a nice day," Owen said, as innocent as an angel. He strode off purposefully.
The list continued. King Jonathan read in a monotone and Kel found her attention drifting. She yawned. The list skipped from Manhelm to Nevein, and Kel let her breath out in a whoosh.
King Jonathan continued to read, the noise of his voice buzzing through Kel's brain like a delirious bee. Around her, knights pushed back their chairs, excused themselves with polite voices, and rushed off to do... whatever it was they did after being chosen. Kel stared morosely at the table. Would she never be selected?
After the king had finished reading the entire list, Kel shoved herself away from the table without saying anything and quickly left the room. Neal, who hadn't been called either, looked after her with a worried frown, but understood that there was nothing he could do. Even he had been assigned more than once.
Kel receded into her rooms after lunch. Staring out the window, she allowed herself to wallow in self-pity. It's just not fair, she thought, blinking back a tear. I'm just as good as any of those other knights. I trained just as hard, I passed the Ordeal just the same — I'm probably even a better knight than most of those with the title. So why can't people just accept me?
If she had been thinking like she normally did, she would have answered that question without a problem. People don't like change. It was a truth that Kel had had to come to grips with many times throughout her life.
A hesitant knock on the door disturbed Kel's thoughts. Blotting her face with the corner of her sleeve, she walked to the door and yanked it open.
A giant of a man stood in her doorway. Kel smiled shakily as she recognized her former knight-master, Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Mallory's Peak and Knight Commander of the King's Own. Normally, Raoul's black eyes had a glint of humor in them, but right now they were somber as stones.
"Keladry," he began. Kel swallowed. Whenever anyone used her full name, she knew something really awful was underway. "I've got something I need to tell you. You... may want to sit down."
Kel moved to a chair in a sort of a daze. This must be really horrible
"Kel, we've just learned that Numair has... Numair... It's been discovered that Numair has died."
Kel stared at him in shock, disbelieving. Numair had become one of her friends during the war — and now he was dead?
Raoul continued to speak. "He was found in his rooms this morning. The healers don't suspect anything amiss — it seems that his heart just... stopped. As best they can tell, he was scrying when he..." Raoul coughed. "I'll, um, leave you now." He stepped quietly out the door.
Kel raised a hand to her face, still unable to believe it. Numair? Dead? It can't be possible! I just saw him yesterday! We talked about the weather! she thought, stunned. Slowly, the realization of truth set in, and she let tears slowly trickle down her face.
***
The service for Numair was held the next morning. Kel stood close to the front in the temple, watching apathetically as the priests blessed Numair's body for the last journey he would make.
Kel raised her eyes from the floor to look at Daine. Numair's lover was inconsolable, her slim frame racked by sobs. Her heaving cries rang through the chapel as the priests lit the funeral pyre. Daine broke down in front of the Court, and had to be escorted back to her room by her closest friends.
Having changed from her formal clothes and back into her normal attire, Kel sat at the bench during lunch, haphazardly pushing her food around on her plate. The list was brought out, the king's voice droned on, and once again Mindelan was bypassed.
With the list drawing to a close, Kel readied herself for a quick getaway. She was brought to a sudden standstill when she heard the king announce, "And could Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan please meet me as soon as possible."
Confused, Kel cleared her place and went to meet the king.
"Ah, Keladry," said Jonathan cheerily when she walked up. "It seems we have finally found an assignment for you."
Kel stared at the man blankly. How could he be happy? His chief mage had just died!
"Before he... passed on, Numair alerted us to the fact that he detected a strange... well, a 'vibe' is what he called it. In any case, this vibe seemed to be emanating from the west — from Jindhazen, across the Emerald Ocean."
"And you think that this vibe killed Numair?" Kel prompted.
"Oh, Goddess, no!" Jon chuckled. "What a morbid mind, Keladry. Numair's death was just unfortunate. We just need a few people to go and make sure it's nothing to worry about. It's just a small group of people, each with their own talents. We've chosen you because... well..."
"No one else wants my help," Kel stated bluntly.
Jonathan looked embarrassed. "Not exactly, but close enough. But also because you're a fully trained knight, and you have worked with the King's Own. That gives you a unique way of looking at things than most knights. In any case – do you accept?"
What could she do?
"I accept, my liege," she said, kneeling as she had been taught.
"Ahh, good. Now then. I've prepared a sort of briefing—" He handed her scroll. "The sooner you start off, the better. I've notified the rest of your party — they can be ready by this afternoon. Will that work for you?" Kel nodded. "Good. Meet them at the North Gate by the fourth hour of the afternoon. Be ready for a ride. Good day, Lady Knight."
Kel nodded again, seeing the plain dismissal. I've never really liked the king, she thought. But now I have reason not to. He acted like Numair was just... just a small problem, not a real person who had died. She shook those thoughts from her head and rushed off to pack, feeling just a small bit of excitement. At last, she had received her assignment!
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Phew. There we are. That took more energy than expected. Please review, you know I live for it!