Decisions, Decisions
By Magelet
Nealan of Queenscove looked out a large window in his room.
If he leaned out far enough, her could see the ledge that Kel's sparrows perched on.
Lady Keldry. He sighed. For months she had dominated his thoughts - since he had realized
what she was up to during her term on probation. She was perfect. She wasn't a ninny, but
brave and loyal. According to him, Cleon, and Roald, she was, without a doubt, the
prettiest girl in the palace or immediately at Court. She could be stubborn at times, but
it was almost always for a perfectly good reason. He couldn't very well tell what she
thought about things unless she told him because of all the time she had spent in the
Yamani Islands to the north.
But to tell her how her felt! That would take a lot of courage! Some match he was
with his puns and dumb jokes to Roald who was the Crown Prince, or charming Cleon was,
well, Cleon. There was no way that she would ever take him over those two!
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~
"How could they?! Kel cried aloud, throwing the letter aside, "I thought that they
cared about me and my feelings! This is what too much time on the islands does to them.
I swear to the Goddess that I'll make them pay! Mithros!" she didn't even try to hide her
rage in Yamani style, as it was their fault that she had been put in this predicament.
"I should be able to marry who I want! Not who they say!" She swore then, grabbing the
letter, slammed out of her quarters and ran down the hall to Neal's room. 'I'm lucky that
these stone walls are so gods-blest thick!' Keladry thought 'Or the whole Court might have
heard.' She hesitated half way down the hall, 'then again, he's not that bad.' She turned
away from Neal's door and instead, sauntered down to Cleon's door and knocked, wanting to
talk to him instead, to see what he had to say about the matter. After all, except to her,
this, apparently, was not a new development and would not surprise him in the least.
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~
Neal jumped, hearing the screaming from Kel's room, almost falling out of the
window that he leaned so far out of. He couldn't understand quite what she said, but it was
obvious to anyone with ears that she was not happy. He heard a slamming door, loud steps in
the hall then a pause. Then the silent padding of feet in the other direction, a knock,
some talking, and the sound of a door shutting. He had had to open his door a tiny bit to
hear the talking, and was dismayed when it was Cleon and Kel's voiced he heard speaking
urgently.
When the door shut he stepped out into the hall to talk to Kel, as he knew she
couldn't have gone into Cleon's room with the door shut, it was forbidden. The hall was
empty save him.
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~
Cleon glanced at the letter that his young friend had shoved under his nose,
demanding an explanation as she did so.
"Why wasn't I informed of this? You didn't even tell me after five years!" she
snarled, not letting the tinge of excitement show in her voice. Her parents knew that she
liked all three - the Prince, Neal, and Cleon, but couldn't decide whom she liked the most.
"Well, come in and we'll talk about it. Only our families know about this.
I thought that you knew too and ignored it." Cleon responded to her anger, stepping aside
to allow her admittance to his room. She stalked in and plopped down on a chair as he
shut the door. They both knew that this was forbidden, but they needed strict privacy.
'I can't believe that I've been engaged to Cleon this whole time! Amazing! He
obviously likes me, while the others leave me in doubt.' Kel thought as Cleon walked over
and sat beside her on the huge chair that really should have been at the least a loveseat.
'He's always called me names like 'my pearl' or 'dewdrop', even before he was my friend.
I'm lucky. At least it's someone who cares about me, even if only as a friend'
"Kel, honestly, I thought that you knew. Really, I did." He paused, now standing
beside her looking at her, studying her face, sounding totally sorry. "What do you think
about it?" Cleon questioned anxiously.
"I don't know." She admitted, "I certainly like you a lot and all..." she was cut
off by Cleon laughing shortly, pulling her to her feet, then kissing her passionately.
The kiss swept through her body and was so sweet that she was shocked out of her
breath even when he did release her. It had been sweet, sincere, and wonderful! She
struggled to cover the look of shock and pleasure on her face, but Cleon saw it and chuckled,
embracing her tightly. "Now what do you think of it, my little dewdrop?" he whispered in
her ear, not releasing her.
She returned his tight hug, but murmured, "I don't know, Cleon. I still really
like Neal and Roald too," into his arm. "Goddess, this is hard." She added, making him
laugh again. "I'm serious!" she protested, but let her friend, and betrothed hold her tight.
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~
Neal, not liking the looks of things at all, after Kel didn't come out after ten
minutes, knocked on the door. Not getting an answer and not liking that either, Neal
opened the door to see the two standing there, holding each other tight. Kel's head was
rested on Cleon's upper arm (as tall as she was, she still couldn't see over his shoulder).
He stood there gaping until Kel, a few moments later, glanced up at him and her eyes
widened. She pushed out of Cleon's grasp and ran for her room, looking terrified and
confused as well as totally red for blushing. Cleon looked up at Neal, unhappily.
"We need to talk." He said finally.
"We sure do." Neal sneered.
By Magelet
Nealan of Queenscove looked out a large window in his room.
If he leaned out far enough, her could see the ledge that Kel's sparrows perched on.
Lady Keldry. He sighed. For months she had dominated his thoughts - since he had realized
what she was up to during her term on probation. She was perfect. She wasn't a ninny, but
brave and loyal. According to him, Cleon, and Roald, she was, without a doubt, the
prettiest girl in the palace or immediately at Court. She could be stubborn at times, but
it was almost always for a perfectly good reason. He couldn't very well tell what she
thought about things unless she told him because of all the time she had spent in the
Yamani Islands to the north.
But to tell her how her felt! That would take a lot of courage! Some match he was
with his puns and dumb jokes to Roald who was the Crown Prince, or charming Cleon was,
well, Cleon. There was no way that she would ever take him over those two!
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~
"How could they?! Kel cried aloud, throwing the letter aside, "I thought that they
cared about me and my feelings! This is what too much time on the islands does to them.
I swear to the Goddess that I'll make them pay! Mithros!" she didn't even try to hide her
rage in Yamani style, as it was their fault that she had been put in this predicament.
"I should be able to marry who I want! Not who they say!" She swore then, grabbing the
letter, slammed out of her quarters and ran down the hall to Neal's room. 'I'm lucky that
these stone walls are so gods-blest thick!' Keladry thought 'Or the whole Court might have
heard.' She hesitated half way down the hall, 'then again, he's not that bad.' She turned
away from Neal's door and instead, sauntered down to Cleon's door and knocked, wanting to
talk to him instead, to see what he had to say about the matter. After all, except to her,
this, apparently, was not a new development and would not surprise him in the least.
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~
Neal jumped, hearing the screaming from Kel's room, almost falling out of the
window that he leaned so far out of. He couldn't understand quite what she said, but it was
obvious to anyone with ears that she was not happy. He heard a slamming door, loud steps in
the hall then a pause. Then the silent padding of feet in the other direction, a knock,
some talking, and the sound of a door shutting. He had had to open his door a tiny bit to
hear the talking, and was dismayed when it was Cleon and Kel's voiced he heard speaking
urgently.
When the door shut he stepped out into the hall to talk to Kel, as he knew she
couldn't have gone into Cleon's room with the door shut, it was forbidden. The hall was
empty save him.
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~
Cleon glanced at the letter that his young friend had shoved under his nose,
demanding an explanation as she did so.
"Why wasn't I informed of this? You didn't even tell me after five years!" she
snarled, not letting the tinge of excitement show in her voice. Her parents knew that she
liked all three - the Prince, Neal, and Cleon, but couldn't decide whom she liked the most.
"Well, come in and we'll talk about it. Only our families know about this.
I thought that you knew too and ignored it." Cleon responded to her anger, stepping aside
to allow her admittance to his room. She stalked in and plopped down on a chair as he
shut the door. They both knew that this was forbidden, but they needed strict privacy.
'I can't believe that I've been engaged to Cleon this whole time! Amazing! He
obviously likes me, while the others leave me in doubt.' Kel thought as Cleon walked over
and sat beside her on the huge chair that really should have been at the least a loveseat.
'He's always called me names like 'my pearl' or 'dewdrop', even before he was my friend.
I'm lucky. At least it's someone who cares about me, even if only as a friend'
"Kel, honestly, I thought that you knew. Really, I did." He paused, now standing
beside her looking at her, studying her face, sounding totally sorry. "What do you think
about it?" Cleon questioned anxiously.
"I don't know." She admitted, "I certainly like you a lot and all..." she was cut
off by Cleon laughing shortly, pulling her to her feet, then kissing her passionately.
The kiss swept through her body and was so sweet that she was shocked out of her
breath even when he did release her. It had been sweet, sincere, and wonderful! She
struggled to cover the look of shock and pleasure on her face, but Cleon saw it and chuckled,
embracing her tightly. "Now what do you think of it, my little dewdrop?" he whispered in
her ear, not releasing her.
She returned his tight hug, but murmured, "I don't know, Cleon. I still really
like Neal and Roald too," into his arm. "Goddess, this is hard." She added, making him
laugh again. "I'm serious!" she protested, but let her friend, and betrothed hold her tight.
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~
Neal, not liking the looks of things at all, after Kel didn't come out after ten
minutes, knocked on the door. Not getting an answer and not liking that either, Neal
opened the door to see the two standing there, holding each other tight. Kel's head was
rested on Cleon's upper arm (as tall as she was, she still couldn't see over his shoulder).
He stood there gaping until Kel, a few moments later, glanced up at him and her eyes
widened. She pushed out of Cleon's grasp and ran for her room, looking terrified and
confused as well as totally red for blushing. Cleon looked up at Neal, unhappily.
"We need to talk." He said finally.
"We sure do." Neal sneered.