The King, believing every word that sprang from Kel's mouth, allowed
her to attend the discussions of war and readjusted his tactics to the
strategy she provided him with. If Orin caught on to the false information
she was feeding them, he didn't say a word, and proceeded with his usual
rude advances.
"It's my birthday in a month," the King announced at one of the discussions,"And can anyone guess what I want for my birthday?" The advisors, Kel and Orin included, stayed silent.
"I want victory, I want war, I want Tortall!" Kel froze, a date had been set, no doubt King Jonathon knew they were planning on attacking, but so soon? If the Ethandrian armies were determined enough, not even the false directions she'd laid out for them could stop them. The only way to prevent such a massive war as with the Scanrans was to stop it before it started. Kel had to get Tortall to invade first, to seige the castle and crush the invasion while it was weak. George had just come the previous night, Kel thought in a panic, five nights before he'd come again. Orin was giving her a strange look until she realized that she was gripping the arms of the chair so hard her knuckles were turning white. Letting out a deep breath, she let her Yamani training take over. Calm, calm, she told herself, you can't let them suspect.
The week passed without incident, only further planning of the invasion. Orin had ceased his advances but watched her intently and pecularily as if he had his suspiscions. On the fifth knight, Kel paced her room, waiting impatiently, George was late. Her door swung open instead of her window and Sir Orin stormed in, and threw her down.
"You're up to something you little witch," he glared,"Don't tell me you're Jonathon's little spy? Is that what you are? Surely not, he wouldn't send someone as incompetent as you." He picked her up by the front of her tunic and tossed her against the wall as he had done at their first meeting. "Don't screw things up Keladry, I'm the King's right hand man, I lead him, I guide him, he's nothing without me and I don't need some little girl with noble notions of loyalty screwing things up! So stay out of my way!" She kicked him blindly, as hard as she could, landing her blow at his stomach. He stumbled backward for a moment but recovered and hit her hard across the face before pulling her to him. "I never understood why they let little girls be knights, girls are only good for one thing." He ran his hand along her tunic but at the sound of someone in the hall, dropped the cloth and stalked from the room.
Terrified and angry, she lay crumpled on the floor against the cool stone and tried to regain her breath. As the door closed behind Orin, the window opened and another figure entered the room. Running to her, the figure brought her into his arms and held her tightly. Stunned at the contact, she looked up to see green eyes staring back down at her. "Neal," she whispered, before burying her head in his chest as his arms held her tightly.
"God Kel, it was awful," Neal began,"I was out there on that window sill having to just hang there and watch him do this to you." He ran a hand across the red mark Orin had left.
"You don't hate me then?" Kel looked up, unable to hold back the tears any longer.
"Jonathon told me everything, of course I don't hate you, you're braver than the rest of us."
"Why are you here?" she asked quietly, still amazed at the feeling of having someone there to hold her, a feeling she hadn't felt in so long.
"George was wounded, some sharp-shooting scout hit him in the side with an arrow. Jonathon sent me instead." Kel didn't respond, she just held tighter and let the tears flow that she hadn't allowed herself in the previous month.
"It's my birthday in a month," the King announced at one of the discussions,"And can anyone guess what I want for my birthday?" The advisors, Kel and Orin included, stayed silent.
"I want victory, I want war, I want Tortall!" Kel froze, a date had been set, no doubt King Jonathon knew they were planning on attacking, but so soon? If the Ethandrian armies were determined enough, not even the false directions she'd laid out for them could stop them. The only way to prevent such a massive war as with the Scanrans was to stop it before it started. Kel had to get Tortall to invade first, to seige the castle and crush the invasion while it was weak. George had just come the previous night, Kel thought in a panic, five nights before he'd come again. Orin was giving her a strange look until she realized that she was gripping the arms of the chair so hard her knuckles were turning white. Letting out a deep breath, she let her Yamani training take over. Calm, calm, she told herself, you can't let them suspect.
The week passed without incident, only further planning of the invasion. Orin had ceased his advances but watched her intently and pecularily as if he had his suspiscions. On the fifth knight, Kel paced her room, waiting impatiently, George was late. Her door swung open instead of her window and Sir Orin stormed in, and threw her down.
"You're up to something you little witch," he glared,"Don't tell me you're Jonathon's little spy? Is that what you are? Surely not, he wouldn't send someone as incompetent as you." He picked her up by the front of her tunic and tossed her against the wall as he had done at their first meeting. "Don't screw things up Keladry, I'm the King's right hand man, I lead him, I guide him, he's nothing without me and I don't need some little girl with noble notions of loyalty screwing things up! So stay out of my way!" She kicked him blindly, as hard as she could, landing her blow at his stomach. He stumbled backward for a moment but recovered and hit her hard across the face before pulling her to him. "I never understood why they let little girls be knights, girls are only good for one thing." He ran his hand along her tunic but at the sound of someone in the hall, dropped the cloth and stalked from the room.
Terrified and angry, she lay crumpled on the floor against the cool stone and tried to regain her breath. As the door closed behind Orin, the window opened and another figure entered the room. Running to her, the figure brought her into his arms and held her tightly. Stunned at the contact, she looked up to see green eyes staring back down at her. "Neal," she whispered, before burying her head in his chest as his arms held her tightly.
"God Kel, it was awful," Neal began,"I was out there on that window sill having to just hang there and watch him do this to you." He ran a hand across the red mark Orin had left.
"You don't hate me then?" Kel looked up, unable to hold back the tears any longer.
"Jonathon told me everything, of course I don't hate you, you're braver than the rest of us."
"Why are you here?" she asked quietly, still amazed at the feeling of having someone there to hold her, a feeling she hadn't felt in so long.
"George was wounded, some sharp-shooting scout hit him in the side with an arrow. Jonathon sent me instead." Kel didn't respond, she just held tighter and let the tears flow that she hadn't allowed herself in the previous month.