Author's Note: Yay, my first fanfic! –does happy dance– Please review! I'll try to finish the second chapter as soon as possible!
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, none of the characters in this fanfiction belongs to me. Otherwise, it wouldn't be called fanfiction. They all belong to the fabulous, glorious, goddess-of-a-writer, Tamora Pierce. You know you're jealous. At least, I am.
Privacy Deprived – Chapter One
"Good luck, milord," Keladry said politely and bowed deeply so that she saw Lord Raoul's sturdy boots.
Raoul absently ruffled Kel's shiny brown hair. "Don't call me that, Kel," he ordered genially. "It makes me feel old. And stand up straight, or else you'll get wrinkles in your tunic."
Kel straightened up and smoothed the newly made creases in her forest green and gold-gilded tunic. "Very good…milord," she said, an impish smile on her face and hazel eyes twinkling dangerously.
Raoul eyed Kel, eyebrows doing a little jig. "Don't be pert, squire," he scolded her, but the girl could tell that he was trying to conceal a chuckle. "Anyway, I don't think I'll need the luck. Lord Gentim was never one for jousting…in fact, I do believe that his arthritis made him forfeit a jousting match yesterday. But who knows?" With that, Raoul mounted his grey saddled warhorse with one fluid motion and galloped off. "Don't forget to cheer me on!" he called back. Kel grinned and waved.
The first – not including Alanna – female squire watched Raoul ride off until he was a mere speck against the clear azure sky. Then she turned around, back warming from the warm spring sun, and headed to her tent for a well deserved rest before her lord's jousting match against the frail and not to mention old opponent, Lord Gentim. Ah, now I can have a break and then I'll go and watch my lord joust, she thought. She wove against the bustling crowd, who were all headed for the jousting field, until she found her homely grey tent.
Just as Kel was about to open the flap of the tent and go inside, she heard her name being faintly carried over the shouts of the ladies and lords to her ears. "Kel, Kel!" She whirled around, eyes searching for the source of the call. It wasn't long before she found Cleon, whose bright curly red locks; stately height and waving hands were like a beacon in the crowd.
Keladry grinned and waved her arms in the air, signaling him that she had seen him. "Cleon!" she called. Finally the burly fellow squire was right in front of Kel. He wrapped her up with his muscular arms in a rib-crushing hug. Then he let her go (Kel gasped for air, putting a hand on her rib cage) and dropped to his knees.
"O Pearl Of All Squires!" he said, callused hands put together in mock-prayer, and eyes putting on a pleading look over the twinkling mischief. "I have missed you so, my lovely lily! Might I say that you look ravishing today, queen of my dreams?" Cleon got up and bowed to her, holding out his hand for her to take.
Kel bowed over, laughing hard, and then put her hand daintily on his. They walked along the dirt road between identical rows of numbered tents, conversing as they strolled. "Stop doing that," she chastised him, though her words hardly matched her teasing tone of voice. "I've missed you too, Cleon. But I don't look ravishing at all; I'm only wearing a tunic and breeches, dirty ones at that."
"But you don't need clothes to look beautiful, Kel," he counteracted in a serious voice. "You look pretty all the same, beautiful even."
Kel's heart melted at his compliment (she almost didn't get any acknowledgement of her gender anymore), but she hid it behind her teasing remark, "Why thank you, Cleon. I think you look pretty too." She grinned impishly.
Cleon played the hurt lover. "Oh Keladry, how can you hurt me so?" he cried, hands placed over his heart. Kel laughed, but her tinkling chuckle was cut off midway by Cleon, who pushed her in a dark cranny between two tents and pressed his lips gently against her slightly open ones. It hadn't been their first kiss, so Kel responded immediately and kissed back, winding her arms around his neck while he hugged her tight around her thin curving waist. Just as she was starting to get uncomfortable, their kiss was interrupted by a voice. "What a wonderful kissing fest," drawled the voice.
Kel and Cleon immediately sprang apart, fearful that their secretive relationship might get caught. A pink blush covered Kel's cheeks. "Dom!" she cried at the intruder, who was leaning against a wooden pole that was used to support Tent #34. She felt furious.
"And who are you?" Cleon inquired, a growl coming up his throat. Kel looked at him nervously, not wanting a fight to break out between the two men.
"He's Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle," she answered before Dom could. Carefully she stepped between the two guys, who looked like they might kill each other on the spot.
"Kel, I'm surprised with you," Dom declared loudly, "You could do much better than this oaf." In an instant, Cleon and Kel both were upon the handsome sergeant. The girl pinned his arms to the ground and Cleon did the same with his legs.
"Permission to pound him, Keladry?" Cleon grinned at her.
"Permission not granted," she replied frostily. The boy's face fell. "Masbolle, get out of here, and never, ever insult my friends again."
"Really?" he retorted. Kel wondered what had possessed him to interrupt them. Was that jealousy on his face? No, it couldn't be. Dom continued, "Are you sure he's really your friend, or maybe something more?" Just as the male squire held up a giant fist to punch him, he yelled in defeat, "Alright, alright! I don't want to get in a fight with Sir Half-Giant and the Lady Knight here." Cleon growled a little bit, fist still raised. "Kel, I'm not going to leave here until he does. But I am sorry for insulting your friends." Dom paused, as if debating to say something. Finally he added mischievously, "But may I still call my dear cousin Neal Meathead?"
Kel struggled to keep her calm face in place. She had to let a chuckle slip through her lips, but she immediately smothered it when she saw the hurt disbelief on Cleon's face. "Yes," she replied seriously, letting herself smile just a little bit. "If you're not going to get out of here by yourself, then both of you, get out. Now."
"But Kel – " Cleon whined. Kel glared at him and Dom, then released the sergeant's arms and signaled them to go. They got up from the ground and left, glaring daggers at each other.
As soon as they had left her alone on the street, she sank to the ground and leaned against one of the tents, closing her eyes with fatigue. "Gods," she murmured, "I must be diagnosed with PDS – Privacy Deprived Syndrome. All I wanted was a break before Lord Raoul's jousting match – Lord Raoul's jousting match!" She sprang to her feet. "I forgot about his jousting match! Maybe if I run, I can get there in time…" Kel immediately started running along the now empty street.