Keladry of Minledan
Disclaimer: I do now own any of this stories characters yet. They all belong to Tamora Pierce.
Chapter 1: And so they all meet.
Keladry entered the ballroom with a beautiful, low-cut, hazel gown (A/N sorry i am not that good at describing things) which matched her eyes and small, brown dyed, leather slippers. Long, dark brown hair pinned up in the latest fashion framed her small, pale, somewhat shy face. All heads turned to see the new court lady in a matter of seconds. The ladies smiled encouragingly at her while the mens eyes slowly drifted from her pinned up hair, to her slim waist, to her delicate feet and back up again. Keladry was quite tall for a lady but that only added to her beauty. She wore crystal earbobs (A/N earbobs is what Tamora Pierce calls earrings in her stories) and a plain, childish looking, hazel bead necklace that suited her perfectly.
Keladry was waiting patiently to be announced when she noticed that everyone's eyes were on her. She smiled prettily but in her eyes there was hatred and anger.
"Keladry of Mindelan," the herald said as Keladry descended the stairs looking as if she was floating.
Nealan, Sir Cleon, Sir Joren and Owen practically had to race to see she got there first. Nealan won. He strode up casuallt to Keladry.
"So whats your name?" He asked, mentally kicking himself for stupidity.
"Keladry of Mindelan but I prefer to just be called Kel," Kel answered.
Her voice sounds like she is playing a harp rather than talking. Nealan thought. No woman could be that perfect.
"I'm Nealan of Queensglove (A/N i can't remember his name so bit me if you don't like it. It's my story so i can write what i like.) but don't call me that, it makes me feel so old. I mean I'm not even a knight yet. You can call me Neal."
Kel's eyes lit up at the word 'knight'.
"Pardon me for asking, but what do you mean you're not a knight? You look old enough to be one." Kel asked timidly.
"Well I'm twenty-one but I'm actually a second year squire because I started training late because I had been training to be a healer like my dad before."
"Rather late I would say." Kel snapped just before clamping a delicately white hand over her perfectly reddened, plump lips. Kel looked around to see if anyone had been listening. They hadn't. "Begging your pardon for my rudeness, squire Neal," she said dipping into a low curtsy. "Sometimes I just have no control over my tongue and my childish self speaks for me."
"That's all right, but you don't need to apoligise." (A/N I'm also not good at spelling so again, bite me.) Neal said while quietly laughing. "May I have the honor of walking with you to the gardens?"
Kel smiled, curtsied and took the offered arm. they excited through a pair of hidden doors and Kel suddenly found herself in a beautiful, remote garden with a pond and gold-fish.
Neal bowed her into a garden bench beside the pond, sat down himself and asked,
"So tell me about yourself, have you always been so beautiful?" He joked.
Kel sat unmoving, half her face lit up by the full moon's light.
"Err... did you have any other dreams in your life 'cept becoming a court lady?" Neal asked uneasily.
"I never wanted to be a court lady," Kel said quietly.
"What did you want to be then? a knight?" He jested, his face crinkling up in silent laughter.
Kel's beautiful face suddenly looked downcast.
"I knew it was a bad idea to go to the court," muttered Kel, as she turned her face fully away from Neal and gracefully got up and started walking away from him.
"Wait, you're not joking, are you? Wait a second, how old are you?" Neal asked starting to get up.
"Sixteen, now if you excuse me, I would like to be by myself at this moment. I am still very tired from my journey." Kel said, floating further away.
"Wait, come back!" Neal said and grabbed her wrist.
Kel turned around, anger visible on her face. She threw a well practiced punch at his face which hit his jaw squarely. Surprisingly (for him not for her) he was thrown back onto the bench, clutching his jaw in pain.
"Look, I don't very much like your behavior so just leave me alone. At least until I am well rested." Kel said, her face returning to its usual calm.
"Where did you learn that?" and where did all the strength come from? He asked. (the last bit in his head)
"Thats none of your business." Kel retorted and walked away.
What had Kel turned into. From a shy, timid beautiful lady to a strong, breathtakingly beautiful, fierce lady who could punch someone to their death.
Neal would go and visit her in the morning and find out what was wrong with her but just now her had to take care of the fist size bruise already forming on his jaw.