Kel/Zair! One of my favorite pairings, if not my most favorite one.
Thank you as usual to my wonderful beta: Tamora Pierce Junior. Who is the best.
Read on my reviewers, read on!
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Keladry of Mindelan was not a lump, she was the lump. She stood for everything that was wrong with the world. She hid behind the gods-cursed Yamani mask. She was a lump, the lump, she was sexless.
Was.
Now she's no longer sex-less, definitely not, she's not so withdrawn, she was a lady squire, the lady squire. And I knew, I knew, I no longer hated her.
And then, Selina happened.
My younger sister, my life, looked up to the not-quite-a-lump, and now, Selina wanted to be a knight of the realm of Tortall.
So how could I hate her, my own blood, my best friend? And I, Zahir Ibn Alhaz, was no hypocrite.
I no longer hated Keldary of Mindelan as a result.
Forgive and forget?
Well, I forgave her alright, but I would, could, never ever forget her. So, I had made myself a promise, next time I saw her, I would apologize and offer my friendship.
That was the plan anyways.
Was.
What I hadn't planned for was the gut-wrenching feeling I had felt, the feeling as if all other girls had no face. I even had trouble breathing. When had the lump gotten so pretty? So beautiful? So --un lump-like?
So I had stood there, gaping at the definitely-no-longer-a-lump, lump. I finally came to and gave her my offer of friendship, I was ever relieved she accepted.
Weeks passed, then months. After two months I had something else to ask her, giving me further reason to go talk to her. Keladry.
"Good morning."
I was, for the first time in my life, truly thankful for my father's training to be emotionless. Because I was the chief's son and I couldn't give anything away. How grateful I was.
"Hello Zahir, all bodes well?"
"Yes, fine. With you?"
"Other than flying lessons everyday? Very well, thank you." I didn't bother to suppress my chortle at that.
"See, Mindelan--"
"Two months ago you offered me your friendship did you not?"
"Well, yes--" I wondered where she would go with this.
"My friends call me Kel." Well, not exactly what I expected but I certainly wasn't about to complain.
"Alright, Kel, my sister is coming to the castle soon. Will you be here in two weeks time?"
"Unless something comes up, yes, milord has some work to plan with the king. Third Company is stationed here for the time being. Why?"
"Selina is turning ten soon. She has applied to become a knight and has been accepted, I was wondering, would you mind helping her out a little, or simply giving her tips, I am worried."
I had been expecting the look of surprise that covered her face, she didn't let me down. Then, she smiled, a bright, happy, un-guarded smile, the kind she sometimes used around her close friends, it made me happy for some reason.
"I would love to, when does she arrive?"
"Within the week if all goes well."
She suddenly seemed apprehensive; "The Bazhir are alright with this?"
"My mother was furious, as was the rest of the village, she had my father on her side though, somehow, so she got permission to come here. Not many really argue with the head of the tribe."
She nodded absentmindedly.
--
The week passed, Kel seemed to love Selina, and the other way around. It made me slightly happy, Selina was doing wonderfully, I just hoped there wasn't any Joren-type in her upcoming year.
A year ago I would never had said such a thing. Strange how the years pass and we become wiser with each passing season.
Having Selina around had brought Kel and I closer together, I had been sitting with her and her squire friends at lunch now for over a week. They seemed not to mind, and I do realize that they aren't half bad, childish at times, but not bad people.
Not Joren.
And it came one night, as I was walking back to my rooms, accompanied by Kel, that I leaned down and placed my lips upon hers. What shocked me was her response, kissing me back.
I had smiled at her and left, going into my rooms and lying awake the rest of the night thinking about her. I think it was then that I truly realized how much I liked her, needed her.
I kissed her once more before leaving with the King, my knight master, to go to a fort nearby. When I came back, she was out.
I saw her again at midwinter, when the king ordered the Giantkiller to attend the midwinter feasts. It was the midwinter of my ordeal, and Joren's, and Garvey's. This would dictate our futures, our out-comings.
She came to wish me luck, shocked I watched as she gave me a very small peck on the lips, she was out of my chambers before I could blink. There was a warm feeling in my stomach as I sat my vigil, and though I was supposed to be freezing in my light garments, I felt no cold. I only saw her.
The chamber was a nightmare, I cannot even dare to describe what had happened to me in its interior, but suddenly, it all felt worth it as I stumbled out and saw her smiling and clapping along with the crowd gathered.
I saw her at the little feast that knight that was held in my celebration, courtesy of my knight master, who held a ball for its occasion.
I asked her to dance with me, she accepted my hand, I stared into her eyes as we waltzed away. She returned to her seat after that, and she moved for no other. I escaped to a balcony, where I smiled to myself in the darkness.
She entered my rooms the next day, taking me by surprise, I struggled to hear what she said, she spoke softly, as if scared of what I would say, what would happen.
"Zahir, I-- what is this?"
"What is what?"
"What are you and I?"
I slowly covered her mouth with mine, she placed her lithe arms around my neck, I deepened the kiss as I realized she was not pushing me away.
--
Months passed, whenever we did, we would meet somewhere dark, somewhere where no one else would see us, and I would steal kisses from her.
Through the Progress we continues to meet whenever we could, there were always many people near us, and that made it exceedingly difficult. And then, there was the night of her Ordeal. I offered to be one of her vigiling knights.
She came out exhausted and slept through most of the day. She woke in time for her feast where we drank to her health.
And that, was the night I slept with Keladry of Mindelan.
Yes, I realized that she was more beautiful then I could ever imagine, she was incredible, she was mine. And I could never be more thankful.
I realized that I loved her more than anything.
Two years later, I asked her for her hand in marriage.
Five years after that, she had gifted me with our first child. She had wanted to wait a while, I had had no complaint.
-
She was hated by all. She was shunned by most. It was said she would never become a knight.
Was.
She was a lump, the lump. That would always be true. But she was my lump.
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Alight, this was really, really, random. I might change it, I do not like the middle of it, but I do like the beginning and the ending. I love, love, love Kel/Zahir and there are almost none. I might write a second part with the wedding and a bit of Selina, I might not. let me know.
Please review.
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Keep reading,
xxTunstall Chickxx
28/09/08