So not a lot of reviews for the last chapter (sad face) does that mean it wasn't good or that you all decided to take a break from reviewing…believe it or not, those reviews help to remind me that I need to write and that people are actually reading it. So review and maybe you'll get a sneek peak at something for the next chapter!!!! I just wrote my longest chapter so I hope you enjoy :)

Come Back to Me:

Roald woke up the next morning, still out of magic but not exhausted by it. He checked Kel's wounds and saw that they seemed to be almost completely well, he had a suspicion that it would be a few days before she would be able to move around as easily as she had before.

Roald was very relieved that she was alive and seemed to be doing well. He knew that if she had died the prophecy wouldn't have come true, and that meant that maybe he would never get to see Tortall the same again.

He thought to her last words before she finally collapsed last night, I love you Dom, she had said. Everyone in the palace had known they had been together, but privately many of Kel's closet friends had been worried. In fact they hadn't seen Kel on the practice courts half as much as they had used too and they were worried that Dom was making her stay away from the courts in an attempt to make her more like a lady. Roald looked down at Kel and wondered how any one would try to make her more like a lady. Roald had seen her in action fighting Scanrans, fighting knights, fighting bandits she was glorious, she was graceful and she was a warrior.

Roald's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, he turned and saw the door opening and the physician he had talked to before entered.

"Your Highness" The physician bowing did not see Roald stiffen, as if he had no wish to be reminded who he was "I must beg your forgiveness for not recognizing you, and the other villagers wish to know if there is anything that they can offer you? And our Headman would wish to talk to you in private at your earliest convenience"

Roald could already think of all the things they were going to try and get out of him just because he was a Prince, but while he was still Prince Roald of Tortall he had a duty to attend to, but he swore that as soon as he was out of the village he would try to hide who he was, and become a commoner…or maybe just a regular noble.

Roald set the physician to watching Kel and then left and went to the Headman's office.

"Your Highness, let me just say that it is an honor to have you in our village. And that I have a matter that I would like to discuss with you." Roald nodded to give the man permission to go on.

"Well yesterday, the Lady Knight rode in, and well sir she attacked a group of bandits right before you arrived, and you see I asked for her not too. But she took in to that foolish head of hers to attack, and now she is injured and its not our fault and well I am worried, Highness, that she will expect us to pay for the physician to heal her. To be frank we can't afford it, not with winter coming and us having to save money for fuel and other such things. And when the physician came out and told us that you had been the one to save her from that final arrow we felt relief, and we hoped that maybe the crown prince would be able to either provide finances or convince the lady knight that she needs to pay."

"Is that all of your complaint…Mr…?" Roald asked quietly

"Mr. Marks" The headman replied "There is one other thing, the men whose sons were killed would like to have an apology from her for their deaths."

"So you're saying that the woman who risked her life to save you must apologize to the men because she killed their sons who were stealing from you? And then you feel the need that she must pay for her own injuries that she sustained while saving your own damned village?" The headman just nodded as he looked into Roald's blazing eyes

"Mr. Marks, Lady Keladry was doing her duty, and I healed her, so your own physician can claim that he wasted no time or effort on the Lady Knight. As to the men asking for apologies, tell them that they should be glad they were killed now, before a real army came down to capture them, where they would have been hung instead of dying in battle. As soon as the Lady Knight is ready for travel we will leave this town, and we hope that in the future months you will reconsider some of the things your town has asked for" And with that Roald swept from the room leaving behind a slightly shocked headman.

When Roald got back to the room he and Kel had been placed he saw that she was still not awake, and he realized that it was probably a good thing because he wasn't in a very good mood to deal with people.

Neal was wandering around the palace in a state of supreme agitation. Not only had his best friend suddenly disappeared Roald had gone and disappeared also. He couldn't quite figure out why they would both just suddenly leave the home they had known for all of their lives. He wandered past Kel's room, Dom had finally left it and returned to his old quarters in the King's Own barracks. He was half the man he had been, he didn't laugh or talk as much as he did.

After having long conversations with Dom, Neal thought that he blamed himself for making Kel leave. Neal had tried to convince him otherwise but it's hard to convince somebody when you don't believe in it yourself.

"Queenscove" A voice rang out, breaking Neal out of his silent reverie, he looked up and saw his old Knight Master walking down the hall. Immediately he began to think of an alibi. Alanna had that look in her eye that meant someone was in trouble.

"Come with me, we need to talk" She said sharply, and Neal just nodded and began to follow. He was very surprised when she took him to the King's council chambers and had him sit down with Raoul, The King, and the Queen.

"Sir Neal" King Jon started to speak "We have brought you here today, to discuss something of vital importance to the kingdom and to certain knights. You may have noticed that Roald is not here, and that we have given no excuse, nor is he sick and with a doctor." Jon spared a last glance to see if anybody had changed their minds and didn't want Neal to know anything.

"Roald has gone after Keladry, but instead of bringing her back, he is going to travel with her. However, no one else may go after them, the cost might prove fatal to them and to our own country. We know that you were close to the both of them and that is why we are telling you this, so that you may know the consequences of going after them. You must not let any of your friends go after them, they are shaping their own destinies and they must do it alone. Do you understand?"

"Yes, your majesties I do, but why do they both have to go? And how are we going to explain this to everyone when they realize that both the Prince and Kel are gone at the same time both reputations could be tarnished." Neal replied

"We are hoping to tell everybody that the Prince has gone on a diplomatic journey to the Copper Isles and we couldn't tell anyone, and that Keladry has gone on an extended journey to the Yamani Islands" The queen answered

"Are we allowed to communicate with them through magic?"

"Nobody has tried Neal, but it depends on if the God's will let you. When I lost Aly they prevented everyone from scrying for her, or it could be that another mage is too close and so Roald won't risk his identity coming out if they are in a foreign country." Alanna said softly

"So if I can find them am I allowed to talk to them, and try to make them come back?"

"You are allowed to talk to them if you can reach them, but I don't think that they will be able to come back at least for awhile"

"If you don't mind my asking, your Majesties, is something going to happen to the kingdom? The Crown Prince is gone, and you seem to have no hope for him to return?"

Alanna gave a short laugh "I told you, that you wouldn't be able to keep it from him Jon. He does have brains unfortunately"

"Sir Neal, there has been a prophecy that predicts a terrible calamity happening to our kingdom it also says that only Roald and Keladry will be able to make a difference. This must be kept from everyone because we don't want people to start panicking and causing riots and other such things."

"I understand, but is no one going to be told about this? What is to keep it from happening if no one is prepared"

"Neal, we are reinforcing the army, taking more lads into page training, and the King's Own has been recruiting more soldiers, we will not be completely caught unawares" Raoul said

"Sir Neal, we have many things that I and my counselors need to discuss and we have many preparations that need to be made. Do you have any final questions on the matter?"

"What about all of Kel's and Roald's friends, what are they supposed to know and what is too keep them from going after her?"

"You are" Raoul replied "You must convince them to stay here, they are needed or will be very soon. They listen to you, and you will give them the story about Roald going to the Copper Isles. I believe that most of them know by now that Kel has run off, and no doubt you are in the midst of planning a hunting party" Neal turned a little red at this point, because it had been true

" So they won't believe the story about heading to Yamani on orders, but you can make it seem like you have had a letter or something from her to indicate that that was were she was headed."

"Very well, I shall do as you have instructed me. Your Majesties, Lady Alanna , Lord Raoul" Neal bowed and left the room waiting till he was out to let all of his worries show on his face.

"Will he do as we have asked" The Queen asked Alanna "Kel is his best friend"

"I'm not sure. Neal loves his country and I am sure he would not wish to endanger it, but I think that he is very curious about what is going to happen. I think our best bet is to keep him, and all of Roald and Kel's friend's very busy so that they don't have time to think about making plans to run off."

Neal got to his rooms threw open the door and went to his washroom and pulled out a basin which he had filled with water

He concentrated staring at the water and slowly a scene began to show in the mirror surrounded by a green gleam of magic

Neal saw Roald standing over Kel, saw him removing arrows and as he gasped the scene changed again, this time Roald helping Kel up and letting her walk around the room and finally he saw her eyes open and he watched her smile and then saw her mouth form the words. Typical Neal always worrying. And then her eyes closed and he knew that she was really asleep.

Neal breathed a quick sigh of relief at least she was alive. He would try to really contact them later, but at least he knew that they were together and things were going okay.

Now he had to figure out a way to keep all of his friends from carrying out all the plans they had made up to go and find Kel. Neal sighed in exasperation through his hands up and said to the Gods "Why is it always me who has to keep everyone in line"

Kel woke up the next morning and thought about her dreams which had been very odd even for her. She had seen Neal watching over her, well hovering more like. Typical Neal she thought. But even odder still was that it was Roald with her she thought and not Neal.

She had expected Neal, she had expected Dom, but not the crown prince of Tortall. Kel couldn't even get a straight answer out of him for coming either. With a sigh she thought about his eyes and how they reminded her of Dom's even if they were a darker blue.

However there was a plus to having Roald as her healer, he didn't seem as inclined to make her stay in bed or to be fussy like Neal would have been so all in all Kel had a nice period of convalescence.

Roald and Kel went out of the village a day after Kel had woken up. Roald knew that he couldn't push Kel to0 hard, but he had to be out of that village. Kel knew that, like her, it had made him angry to have to bear with the Headman's demands.

So Kel and Roald took it angry, neither one was much for talking so they rode mostly in silence following the rode headed south and away from Tortall.

It took Roald and Kel about a week to adjust to riding with each other. They had finally worked out a schedule and both were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to travel together.

"Kel, do you know where we are headed" Roald asked one night as they sat around the fire. He knew that they were about a half day ride from Tyra and wondered if Kel had thought of a plan of what to do.

"I think we are close to Tyra. Once we get there I figured we would just go to some villages and maybe lend some support to them, or maybe just find something to help with. Hopefully we can make a difference somewhere"

"Tyra is not exactly the biggest country so I think that maybe we should work on some disguises. I don't think that either of us really wants to be recognized for who we are. I would like the opportunity to be a normal person, and I think that you don't really appreciate being called protector all the time."

"You are right of course, plus if we meet any nobles there is a chance they could recognize us, but do you have anything to disguise us with?"

"Well, I do have some drops that can change eye color, and I'm afraid that we may have to darken your hair, since I can't really change mine all that much."

"So what are our disguises going to be? Cousins?"

"I was thinking along the lines of brother and sister. We might look more alike once we change my eyes and your hair and so you will be Kely" Roald chuckled as he looked at Kel's face as he gave her alias. " Not fond of that name Kel?"

"Not at all, but since you have apparently already picked my name how about you become Ronald?"

"Ronald seriously?"

"Absolutely, you added a letter to mine, and I added one to yours" Kel said with a mischievous grin

"Fine, but next time we'll pick better names. Now come over here and lets see how this dye will look."

So they died Kel's hair black and the put drops in Roald eyes to change them from brilliant sapphire to hazel with flecks of blue. When the looked into the stream that they had camped by it was hard to believe who they had once looked like.

There was a resemblance between them, it wasn't great, but with the hair and eyes being so similar they would both be able to say that their other features each took after one of side of the family

Roald allowing stubble to grow on his chin and having his eyes changed made him look less royal and more common. No one would be able to say that he had the eyes of the Conte line, or that he resembled his father.

Kel, rather missed having her light brown hair, she thought that the black didn't suit her at all. She thought it was to severe and that the only good thing was that it made her eyes appear to be greener.

"Well brother mine are you ready to cross into the border as sister Kely and Ronald?" Kel said with a laugh

"Yes sister dear I am ready, but lets get one last good nights sleep here on Tortallan soil, after all, who knows how long till we come back."

So they said good night to each other knowing that their journey had only just begun. Neither realized that it would take six years before they could step on to Tortall soil again. If they had, maybe, just, maybe they wouldn't have taken that last step out, and away from everything they knew.

Thanks to those of you reviewed. You know who you are, and ya'll are amazing. I am trying to move the story along, I would hate to be stuck in a town or a country for 6 weeks ( if any of you take Latin class and have the book Ecce Romani… eventually you will know what I mean…it involves a carriage that was stuck in a ditch for weeks it was ridiculous) So tell me what you think. I am still trying to come up with ideas that are fresh and will be interesting.

So Please Please Please review!!! It means a lot that you are following my story and offering your own opinions, and hey if you have anything that you think should happen, or have wanted to see played out… write it down and maybe it will be put in.

So this is really long but thanks for reading and I hope you continue to enjoy!!!

R&R

~Kari