Disclaimer: Obviously I do not own any of Tamora Pierce's characters, lol! Although I do dream.
Kel stared numbly down at her plate. * I won't let him get to me. I am Stone * She glanced up into Neal's gleeful green eyes and knew it was no use. Why did he have to go for all the pretty court ladies? They were so shallow. Even at the moment he was enthusiastically telling Owen and Cleon about Lady Elanor, who was new in court. She wasn't all that pretty in Kel's opinion. Not as pretty as the last one. * Anyway, he'll be over her in a week * She thought, then thought better of it, * He's not worth it, forget about him * she glanced at Neal again and looked down shamefully as she caught his eye,
"Hey Kel, do you want to hear this poem I wrote last night? It's not my best, but I'm sure Lady Elanor would like it!"
"Like you'll ever actually send it," Cleon teased.
It was all too much for Kel. She could feel the tears welling up, and she couldn't cry in front of everyone. Stumbling bindly, she muttered her excuses and left. Aware that everyone's eyes were on her she hurried out of the hall and back to her room.
As soon as Kel reached her chambers, she threw herself onto her bed and let out all the emotions that she had kept bottled up for so long. She hated Neal; for ignoring her and for treating her like a younger sister, although deep down she knew that she couldn't. She wiped her face on her sleeve and sat up as someone knocked at her door.
She hesitated, ashamed that Lalasa might see her in such a state. No one had seen her cry since she was little and her brother had dangled her over the balcony by her feet.
"Kel, please let me in," It was a boy's voice and took Kel completely by surprise.
* Please don't let it be Neal *
"Kel, open the door," He said softly. Kel winced as she recognised Roald's voice. She tentatively did as she was bid. An order was an order.
As soon as Kel opened the door, she felt immediately embarrassed, and facing Roald she turned red and shifted her gaze to the floor.
* I am rock, I am rock *
"Kel...Are you ok?"
"mmm..." She murmered.
"Can I come in?"
She stepped aside obediently as Roald shut the door behind him and sat on the end of her bed.
"Look, about Neal..." She winced at his name.
"I know you like him - the way you look at him..." He trailed off, looking for some sort of reaction from Kel, who just stared glumly at the floor.
"Kel...Look at me," Unwillingly she tilted her head and looked straight into his eyes.
* Oh Goddess, what does he think I look like, my face is such a mess *
* Since when did you care what Roald thought about you? * the reasonable side of her snapped.
"I'm fine," She replied shakily "and I don't like Neal. Not like that, anyway. I'm just tired," she added.
He gazed at her intensely. Was he worried, concerned, relieved even.
"Look, do you want me to stay with you, til you feel a bit better? We have a lesson soon..."
"You'd better go," She mumbled, "I don't want you to get in trouble, waiting for me." Roald stood up reluctantly and hesitating for a moment, he placed a hand gently under Kel's chin and pressed his lips to hers, before pulling away abruptly,
"Sorry Kel, I...I mean, I'll leave you alone now, sorry..." He walked out quickly leaving Kel even more confused than she had been before.
Kel stared numbly down at her plate. * I won't let him get to me. I am Stone * She glanced up into Neal's gleeful green eyes and knew it was no use. Why did he have to go for all the pretty court ladies? They were so shallow. Even at the moment he was enthusiastically telling Owen and Cleon about Lady Elanor, who was new in court. She wasn't all that pretty in Kel's opinion. Not as pretty as the last one. * Anyway, he'll be over her in a week * She thought, then thought better of it, * He's not worth it, forget about him * she glanced at Neal again and looked down shamefully as she caught his eye,
"Hey Kel, do you want to hear this poem I wrote last night? It's not my best, but I'm sure Lady Elanor would like it!"
"Like you'll ever actually send it," Cleon teased.
It was all too much for Kel. She could feel the tears welling up, and she couldn't cry in front of everyone. Stumbling bindly, she muttered her excuses and left. Aware that everyone's eyes were on her she hurried out of the hall and back to her room.
As soon as Kel reached her chambers, she threw herself onto her bed and let out all the emotions that she had kept bottled up for so long. She hated Neal; for ignoring her and for treating her like a younger sister, although deep down she knew that she couldn't. She wiped her face on her sleeve and sat up as someone knocked at her door.
She hesitated, ashamed that Lalasa might see her in such a state. No one had seen her cry since she was little and her brother had dangled her over the balcony by her feet.
"Kel, please let me in," It was a boy's voice and took Kel completely by surprise.
* Please don't let it be Neal *
"Kel, open the door," He said softly. Kel winced as she recognised Roald's voice. She tentatively did as she was bid. An order was an order.
As soon as Kel opened the door, she felt immediately embarrassed, and facing Roald she turned red and shifted her gaze to the floor.
* I am rock, I am rock *
"Kel...Are you ok?"
"mmm..." She murmered.
"Can I come in?"
She stepped aside obediently as Roald shut the door behind him and sat on the end of her bed.
"Look, about Neal..." She winced at his name.
"I know you like him - the way you look at him..." He trailed off, looking for some sort of reaction from Kel, who just stared glumly at the floor.
"Kel...Look at me," Unwillingly she tilted her head and looked straight into his eyes.
* Oh Goddess, what does he think I look like, my face is such a mess *
* Since when did you care what Roald thought about you? * the reasonable side of her snapped.
"I'm fine," She replied shakily "and I don't like Neal. Not like that, anyway. I'm just tired," she added.
He gazed at her intensely. Was he worried, concerned, relieved even.
"Look, do you want me to stay with you, til you feel a bit better? We have a lesson soon..."
"You'd better go," She mumbled, "I don't want you to get in trouble, waiting for me." Roald stood up reluctantly and hesitating for a moment, he placed a hand gently under Kel's chin and pressed his lips to hers, before pulling away abruptly,
"Sorry Kel, I...I mean, I'll leave you alone now, sorry..." He walked out quickly leaving Kel even more confused than she had been before.