7
"What is she doing?" whispered Esmond to Seaver.
The young knights stood at the slightly ajar door watching in astonishment.
"Do you think she's sick?"
"Possessed more like. I've never seen anything like it!"
"Ahem…"
They both jumped and turned to find a tall, richly dressed lady, with long white hair standing behind them.
"Is there a reason, gentlemen, why you are lurking around outside my daughter's door?"
Seaver bowed deeply, recognising Kel's mother, Ilane of Mindelan. Esmond quickly followed suit.
"We were going to ask her to come to lunch with us, My Lady, but it appears she is…busy," said Seaver, lamely.
Ilane's mouth twitched slightly in a small smile. "Well, I wanted to see her now her father and I are back in Corus. I haven't seen her in two years. So if you gentlemen don't mind…"
They bowed and fled.
Ilane pushed open the door to Kel's rooms. She stopped and watched her youngest daughter for a while in puzzlement.
Kel had her eyes closed and appeared to be humming under her breath. She was holding her arms out at a funny angle and moving slowly in circles.
At Ilane's gentle cough, Kel jumped violently and tripped over her own feet. She fell into an ungraceful heap on the floor, looking up at her mother, startled.
"Mama! When…?"
"Yesterday, but we got in too late to come and see you. Papa's here too, but he's had to go to talks with the king – he's part of the new negotiations with Scanra."
Ilane leant down to offer Kel a hand. Pulling her to her feet, she enveloped her daughter in a hug.
"It's so good to see you Kel. I didn't stop to think that when you said you wanted to become a knight it would mean such long times apart."
Kel didn't reply, she just leant her head on her mother's shoulder as Ilane stroked her hair gently.
A while later, they were sitting in private room in an eating house in the city. Kel was busy drawing details from her mother about the rest of her family; one of her nephews was halfway through his page training now and her sisters were all happily married.
There was a pause in the conversation as her mother eyed her carefully.
"You're looking well, Kel. I'm glad…we had a few worrying letters from your friends after that business in Scanra."
Kel blushed. She had never filled her parents in on all the gory details of her kidnap at the hands of Maggur. Unconsciously she pulled at her sleeves, making sure that none of her newer scars were visible.
Shaking her head, Ilane continued. "I was beside myself when we heard the news. I thought, after having sons fighting, having one of my daughters out there wouldn't be any different, but it was…" She grasped Kel's hand over the table and held it tightly.
"I'm safe now, Mama," said Kel softly.
Ilane nodded, wiping at her eyes with the back of her finger. "Of course. And you're an adult and a trained knight. Whatever you do and however old you get, Kel, I will always worry about you. You're my baby after all." Her mother smiled at her. "So, what other news do you have for me? Any love interests?"
Kel's stomach turned over. She shook her head and mumbled, "No. There's no one."
Her mother was not so easily fooled. "What's happened? Is it that Kennan boy? I thought it was so unfair of him to keep your relationship going, when he knew he was already betrothed…"
"No Mama!" As always, at the mention of Cleon, guilt washed through her. "No it's nothing to do with Cleon, it's…" She stopped, biting a suddenly trembling bottom lip.
"Kel?" Ilane's brow creased with worry at seeing her usually composed daughter waver. She moved her chair round the table and put her arm round Kel's shoulder. "Tell me all about it darling."
With a rush and a few tears, Kel told her mother about Dom. Ilane did not say anything, but made soothing noises.
"…and what's made it ten times worse is he's Neal's best man! And I've got to dance with him at the wedding! In a gods-awful dress which makes me look like an oversized cupcake!"
"Well that explains the strange solitary dancing earlier," smiled Ilane. "And Kel, I know it's difficult. You're not the first woman to be turned down by a man and you won't be the last. He obviously doesn't realise what he's missing. You're sisters have all gone through the same thing…as did I when I was a bit younger than you."
"Yes, but I'm not my sisters and I'm not you, Mama. I'm a freak as it is, being a Lady Knight; add to that the fact that I'm about ten times the size of most men I meet…"
"Kel," her mother said firmly. "You are pretty, intelligent, strong and any man will be lucky to have you. You'll find someone in time. Don't be so worried, you're still very young."
"You have to say that, you're my mother," grumbled Kel, but she did feel slightly better.
Mama's right. I need to stop worrying. Dom doesn't like me, I just have to get over it. I'll probably be on my next new crush in a few weeks. Hopefully, this time, it will be someone more who will like me back.
Still, Kel couldn't shake off the feeling of dread about the upcoming wedding. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she was certain that something was going to go drastically wrong…
