Kel looked around the crowded ball room, trying to find someone she could talk with. Buri and Raoul were two bulges hiding (or maybe doing something else) behind a tapestry. Neal and Yuki were lost in each other, Roald and Shinko smiled at fawning noble. The worst though were the rest of her military friends. They all flirted with the pretty court ladies, laughing at inane jokes and dancing for hours on end. She sighed, used to being ignored as a female.
"Hey, Kel." She turned around finding a big redheaded, a good friend and …what? What had Cleon been? Not a lover, but not strictly a friend either. "Nothing but a friend now, either way" she though, smiling up at the giant knight.
"It's good to see you again", she said, glad the awkwardness of their lost relationship had faded over the years.
He smiled and they fell into natural conversation: the war, his lands, and his ever growing family. They ended up dancing, twirling in circles as they laughed at each other's stories (and the look on Neal's face). The song ended and he stepped back, smiling. "Midwinter's Luck, Kel", Cleon murmured, kissing her on the check before disappearing back into the crowd.
It happened every year and yet every time she thought back to her years as a squire and what they had shared. And every year, the ball became slightly more bearable, and she smiled for the rest of the night.
A/N: Thank you so much for all of those who have favorited or put this on alerts. I also know that this is insanely late in coming but I still think it is worth posting. So if you feel like it, click the nice little button right over there. It will be sincerely appreciated.