Heya! I would suggest that you read my other story 'The Unsung Hero' before you read this one, just so you understand who Evelyn is. Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks xxx

Disclaimer: All characters and places that you recognise belong to Tamora Pierce, I only borrowed them.

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Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak settled himself down into the stand; he took a seat next to his favourite goddaughter, and, after glancing around to see if he could spot her father turned to her and asked, "well Evelyn are you willing to place a wee bet?"

Evelyn took a long calculating look at the man whom she thought of as a second father, he was dressed practically in his fief colours and grinning from ear to ear; "Uncle Raoul, do you really think I would be stupid enough to bet against Kel? I'm not going to make the same mistake as my father did, besides, I really hope she wins."

Raoul gave out a sigh; he had hoped she wouldn't have heard about that particular bet. He paused to take her in, he hadn't seen her in over 6 months; she was pretty as always, clothed in a simple green dress, embroidered in gold, with blonde hair tumbling down round her shoulders.

Just then she turned and gave him a mischievous grin, showing off dimples and twinkling emerald eyes; "besides I've already bet all my money that she wins, Uncle Jon seems to think that her first match was just luck!"

That startled a bark of laughter out of him, "I'm pretty confident that she'll win," he confided, "Voelden is more self assured then Ansil, but he's also slower and heavier…"

He could have said more on the subject, but just then out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Kel standing in the waiting area, she appeared to be having a conversation with Owen, just then he turned and left her, bound for the stands.

As he was about to resume his conversation with Evelyn something ungainly and orange landed on the wooden barrier that separated each lane, he recognised it as the griffin, (that no good for anything flying pest in his opinion), just as it let out an almighty shriek.

"Interesting creature", remarked Gary who had just settled himself on Eve's other side, "the noise it makes would send a shiver up your spine though".

Evelyn, nodded her head in agreement, and Raoul was curious to note that she had goose bumps running up her arms, "scare you much", he teased, it wasn't often he got to see her jump, the last time that had happened was when he'd convinced Dom to hid under her bed and pretend to be a monster, ahh the screams she had let out, it brought a smile to his face even now…

Lost in his memories he didn't notice when the sergeant in question sat down beside him, so that when Dom said good morning he jumped a clean foot in the air, as Evelyn was later heard remarking to the Lioness, he'd acted like a startled rabbit, nothing like the knight commander of the Own!

All joking was brought to an abrupt halt when the blaring of trumpets sounded throughout the stadium, they watched in silence as Kel charged down the lane towards Voelden, lance lowered, they struck each other squarely and returned to their respective lanes.

Raoul felt Dom twitch beside him; it was obvious that the sergeant was imagining how painful getting struck by the lance was; Evelyn must have noticed it as well because as he moved in his seat to get more comfortable he heard her whisper "baby", Dom scowled at the grinning girl and hissed back, "prissy court lady!" In Raoul's opinion it was lucky that the trumpets sounded again, because he certainly didn't want to get caught in the middle of an argument between these two, and by the look on Evelyn's face Dom was in big trouble…

Evelyn silently fumed as she watched Kel charge down the lane for a second time, she'd teach Dom to call her a 'prissy' court lady, she could fight as well, and after all she'd just been accepted into the Queen's ladies, oh yes he would pay!

All thoughts of revenge were driven from her head as she saw Kel make a perfect hit, but it wasn't this that had distracted her, no it was the cheating Voelden, he had tried to run Kel through, she heard her father yell "foul" and then she was on her feet along with Dom, Raoul and her Father screaming abuse at Voelden.

However hadn't failed to come to her attention that when Voelden's lance had hit Kel's chest, Raoul had gone as pale as a lily and that although Dom was yelling, his hands that gripped the barrier were shaking, she didn't waste much time thinking about it then, but later it was something she would ponder over…

Raoul froze he was aware of Gary yelling something, and himself getting up, but it was as though he was in a trance, all he could think of was Kel, and if she was badly hurt, he offered up several silent prayers; 'please god let the armour have held, don't let that god dammed lance have gone through'.

As he watched her sway in the saddle as though she had lost consciousness, a trail of memories flashed in front of his eyes, of him and a squad of men watching her ride at the quinton for the first time, of her earnest young voice telling him that she could lead him to the spridens, and more recently of her grim determination to succeed in the joust, to make him proud, it was then that he realised in a flash that he thought of her as more then a squire, like a daughter. The tightness in his chest was unbearable, and then he felt a hand make its way into his, he looked down into Evelyn's face, "she's ok Raoul, look", he looked in the direction she was pointing and saw Kel turn Peachblossom around back down her lane, the relief he felt was enormous, but he wouldn't forget, if Kel didn't make that rat pay, he would!

Dom yelled all the abuse he could think of, temporally forgetting that he was in the presence of a court lady, all he wanted to do was get down there and see if Kel was ok. Meathead would kill him if he let any harm come to her.

He tried to convince himself that the reason his hands were shaking was simply because he was scared of what Neal would do to him, but it was a poor argument even in his own head. He had come to view Kel as a friend, a close friend now that he came to think of it, if she was damaged who would he talk to about Meathead?

He liked making her laugh, it was his favourite pastime, to get past that mask and see the Kel that lived behind it, the look in her eyes, her smile….

He saw her turn around and ride that monster of a horse back down the lane, and sighed in relief, just then he caught Evelyn's eye, she mouthed the words, "love her much?" He could feel himself turning red and managed to splutter out, "friends, I'm just a concerned friend"

Her raised eyebrows told Dom that she didn't believe him, and somewhere in the back of his head a wee voice agreed with her, it would be nice to hold Kel, just to insure that she was in one piece of course. Also foremost on his list of things to do was make Voelden suffer!

As Kel came flying down the lane for the third and final time, knocking Voelden out of his saddle the crowd came once more to its feet, this time in support of her. She calmly dismounted and placed the tip of her sword on his nose, forcing him to yield.

Little did she know that up in the stands, one knight was swollen with pride in his squire and a sergeant was contemplating his strange new feelings for her and how he could possibly make her smile...

Evelyn, spared a glance at Dom, and realised that his newfound feelings were the perfect opportunity for blackmail, with a grin she released her uncle's hand and began to weave her way through the nobles, who by this stage were chanting 'Mindelan, Mindelan' making her way to the royal stand to collect her winnings off the king.

Well, please review, and tell me what you think!

Xxx