I take it you want a whole story… ::laughs::. As for Sora Icefreeze- I'm terribly sorry, but I prefer at least slightly cannon stories, and seeing as Joren is pretty much dead… yeah. I would though, and I might try to work it out… hrm. I'd love you forever if you reviewed every single chapter anyway!!!

You know what I realized just after I posted this? Amarante couldn't have such blue eyes, because of genetics, but I don't really care all that much…

And for this story, since it borders on non-cannon, is proving to be extremely hard for me to write, so I'm only going to post a new chapter if I have at least 5 reviews from the previous chapter- and it may elevate to ten. SO REVIEW!!!!

Kel watched calmly as Dom turned and left, as fast as he possibly could.

"Ma?"

"That was your father," Kel told the girl, Amarante, yamani mask more pronounced than ever.

"My father?" Amarante asked, apparently unable to believe her ears.

"Yes, your father- he didn't know you existed until a few moments ago," she added, as explanation for Dom's shock.

"But- but-"

"Yes dear, he left me. He didn't love me- I didn't care for him as more than a friend, either. We were just drunk."

"You were drunk?"

"Yes. I suppose you want the whole story."

"You promised me you'd tell me when I was old enough, and 16 is certainly old enough," Amarante pointed out.

"I'm sure it is. Very well," Kel began, "When Neal –Nealan of Queenscove, my best friend as a child- married Yuki –you know her, she visited once to check up on me, though she didn't tell Neal more than that I was perfectly fine- there were two huge parties beforehand. Dom –your father, Domitan- threw a bachelor party for Neal, and Yuki, several friends, and I had a party just because we had nothing better to do. Dom and I met on the way back to our rooms, both stone drunk. We… well, you know," Kel blushed slightly through her mask, "The next morning we woke up, and I left as fast as humanly possible, rather than face him. We didn't talk after that. I was called away later that day, and he never knew. We never talked again, not until now."

Amarante's eyes were nearly closed.

"Don't tell anyone. My friends- I think they'd kill him, if they knew for sure. They'll be mad enough as it is- you have the exact same eyes as him." Kel said softly, as Amarante's eyes finally fluttered closed, and her breath deepened as she slept.

"Neal," Dom whispered urgently, ignoring his cousin's look of annoyance at being awakened so early in the morning.

"What?" Neal asked wearily.

"I know who Amarante's father is,"

Neal's eyes bugged slightly.

"WHO?" he demanded loudly.

"Shut up, meathead. Do you want the whole palace to hear?" Dom said urgently.

"Who?" Neal demanded again, though more quietly.

"Me," Dom replied softly.

Neal appeared at a loss for words.

"You… you… you and… and Kel? I'LL KILL YOU," Neal finally managed to stutter.

"I doubt Lord Roaul would be very grateful if you killed me," Dom pointed out, "Especially since he plans for me to take over the Own when he retires later this year."

"I DON'T CARE WHAT ROAUL THINKS, I'M STILL KILLING YOU!!! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?!?"

"SHUT UP, MEATHEAD," Dom roared.

He dragged Neal into his room, glad of the silencing spell he'd had cast on it the year before.

"YOU LEFT HER AFTER IMPREGNATING HER?!?" Neal shouted at the top of his lungs, "YOU- YOU- YOU-"

"I didn't know she was pregnant," Dom said irritably, "I thought she was mad at me. I- I loved her," he said softly.

Neal stared.

"THEN WHY IN THE FIRES OF HELL DID YOU NOT TELL HER?" he demanded.

"Because she ignored me- refused to even look me in the eye! I thought she hated me- and she left the next day," Dom said, a bit sadly. It was clear he'd never quite gotten over Kel.

"STILL-" Neal began.

"Neal, stop. I would have quit the own, just for her, had I known. I would have done anything. But she just… left. Without a word."

With that said, Dom promptly turned and strode from the hall, obviously very, very upset.

2 Months Later

Amarante, or, as she preferred to be called, Arra, took careful aim, seemingly unaware that most girls –or boys, for that matter- were unable to lift a bow as heavy as her own. She released the arrow, grinning slightly as it hit the mark at the center of the target.

Her own yamani mask, of sorts, was stronger than her mother's ever was. She'd needed it, as the illegitimate daughter of the second Lady Knight in the realm. And, unlike her mother, she didn't wear it only when she felt like it, but wore it as a mask that could never be removed.

"Excellent shot," a young man remarked from behind her.

She looked at him, face it's usual blank.

"Thank you…?"

"I'm called Brice. I s'pose I had a different name, before my parents died."

Arra's face kept its perfect mask, though, in truth, she didn't really feel anything even on the inside, not anymore.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she replied nonchalantly.

"You're an odd one- we get few of those around here. Most nobles would've yelled at me for insubordination and left, refusing to talk to servants by now."

"Hm."

"I take it you don't talk much."

"My mother taught me not too- she's yamani."

"Are you Duke Nealan's daughter?"

"No. I doubt he'd let me near her."

"And why not? She's told me she's going to try for knighthood, though I had to promise not to tell her father. I think he'll not be too happy about it."

"Because I'm illegitimate," she replied, without feeling.

"Do you even have feelings, lass?" Brice asked, obviously intrigued by her 'odd' behavior.

"Yes."

"I take it you're yamani as well. Who's you mother?"

"Lady Keladry of Mindelan."

He laughed, a clear, merry sound.

"So you do have feelings! I'd think you'd be the last to tease, but apparently not."

She looked at him, blue eyes appraising and pitying.

"What?"

She continued to stare at him.

"You weren't teasing, were you?" he asked, eyes only slightly wider than before. Then he whistled loudly.

"The court will have a field day over this- especially the conservatives."

"My mother warned me of that. I'm to be presented tonight at the Beltane Ball."

"I'm, for once, quite glad I'll not be there. They don't exactly invite servants, other than to serve, and I'm dead clumsy when it comes to carrying trays."

Arra nodded slightly.

"At least you're only clumsy then- I'd sooner list the things I'm not clumsy at than the things I am," she said, humor –for once- breaking through her mask, only to be concealed again moments later.

"Well, I'd best be going, before Dom gets another'un in his bed- he was quite drunk when I left, I shudder to think what state he's in now. He said he'd quit drinking, and it seemed like he had, but apparently not…" Brice flashed her a quick smile before racing towards the mess hall of the King's Own.

Arra watched him go silently and unfeelingly, before returning to her archery.

Okay then… I rather like this chapter, for some reason. Forgive me if it's not terribly good, I wrote it a four in the morning, and it took me and HOUR to do.

And remember to REVIEW!!!

-Annmarie