Well, I should probably have been studying instead of writing this, but you know... I think this should be the last chapter before I start to head in the direction of more fluffy R/B moments. Enjoy!

(As usual, I've lifted quite a lot of dialogue from Squire if it seems familiar)

Chapter Ten: Philosophical Disagreement

Raoul was not in the best of moods as he headed back to his tent after dinner. The conversation last night was the very reason why he should have been grateful for the enforced distance between himself and Alanna. He couldn't blame her entirely. She had always been almost irritatingly curious, and that, combined with her self-inflicted absence from court must have left her frustrated at her inability to find out what was happening in her friends' lives. What irritated him the most, though, was the fact that he had ended up as an unwilling victim of her inability to let things go. He made up his mind there and then that it might be prudent to avoid Alanna for the time being, at least, until this whole Buri thing had blown over. And it would blow over, no matter what that one small voice in the back of his mind suggested.

"Kel? Kel, are you about?" he called as he approached this tents. Since he had caught the steward in charge writing Kel's name up on the lists next to Sir Ansil of Groten's, a discussion with his squire about tilting tactics seemed to be a good way to distract himself from his other thoughts. He definitely didn't like the direction they were going in.

There was a scuffling noise from Kel's tent as he approached, and, when he entered, it didn't surprise him too greatly to see Cleon of Kennan sat on Kel's cot while Kel was doing rather too good a job of grooming her griffin. It was not hard to see what had probably been going on just moments before. Mithros knew Raoul had had more than his fair share of similar moments. With an internal sigh, he turned to the boy "Cleon of Kennan, isn't it?"

Cleon stood up and nodded, his cheeks pink. Kel's looked decidedly rosy too, so much so that Raoul couldn't help commenting, "Aren't you two hot with the flap closed?" Without waiting for an answer he turned to Kel. "Kel, someone put your name on the boards for tilting tomorrow."

Kel nodded, going to open the front of her tent. It conveniently allowed her to avoid looking at Raoul as she spoke. "That's right. I had a philosophical discussion with Ansil of Groten. We couldn't resolve our differences, so we decided to settle it with the lance." The line was just what he had expected, though he hoped that Kel might tell him the details of the 'philosophical differences' later on, when she was less embarrassed.

"Well, come into my tent when you ahev a moment. We've some points to discuss." Raoul glanced at Cleon and saluted appropriately. "Kennan." He made sure his tone was dismissive and ducked back into his half of the tent.

Sitting down in a chair, at the camp table, Raoul sighed. This just topped off his whole evening. Not only did he have Alanna bothering him about court gossip, but now he had to have a conversation with Kel he had been putting off for a while. In fact, he had been hoping he might avoid it all together and then Alanna could deal with the issue once Kel was knighted. Too late now. He stood up and filled the pitcher with juice, picking up two cups and sitting back down just before the flap to Kel's tent opened and she appeared.

Keladry looked appropriately sheepish, or at least, as much as she ever showed anything on her face. Raoul indicated for her to sit down, and then watched her. He wondered if she would speak first. It might make it easier if she blurted out apologies. Unfortunately, he knew his squire well enough to assume that this response at least was unlikely. The dog, Jump, nuzzled at Raoul's leg, aware of the tension in the air, and absently Raoul reached down to scratch the mongrel's head and ears.

Eventually, Raoul decided he should just say what needed to be said. "I head this from women of the Queen's Riders, the ones who want to command. Men who join the Riders are able to fight alongside females or they don't last. But what the women say is that if they take Rider men as lovers, and it's found out, they encounter trouble. Men who dislike their orders offer to work it out in bed. Jealousies spring up, particularly if the woman and the man are in the same Rider Group. If the woman is in command and the man isn't, they're both mocked by other men, and the woman gets treated l;ike a trollop."

He watched Kel carefully for what little she gave away in response. Kel was staring at the floor. "Sir..."

Raoul softened his tone a little as he cut her off. "Nobody makes men surrender private life when they take up arms, Kel. We only ask that such lives happen off-duty. It's more complicated for women." He reached for the pitcher and poured them both some juice. "It's not fair, but I think you already know the world isn't." The irony of what he was saying was not lost on Raoul. Even as he spoke, he couldn't keep his mind from wondering back to Buri. She hadn't taken many lovers, and of course, he knew that this was why. Romance was just too complicated for a woman in command. Even for a 'hero' like Alanna the restrictions were less than for the Commander of the Queen's Riders.

Kel nodded as she raised her cup to her lips. When she had finished drinking, and digesting Raoul's comments, she spoke. "I understand, sir. I do know there would be problems." Her response was characteristically reserved, but he knew she understood that part at least. As for the other part of this issue, Raoul found he was getting embarrassed too now. He caught himself fiddling with his cup, so he took a deep breath and jumped in. "As for issues of the body – sex, pregnancy, and so on – perhaps you should discuss those with a woman." He coughed nervously. "If you want to discuss them with me, it is my responsibility..."

He was extremely relieved when Kel cut him off. "No! No! I'll ask Mama, truly I will!"

"Oh, good!" Raoul said, well aware that his cheeks were decidedly hot. "I'd probably make a botch of it. I've talked with young men, of course, but even that's been rare. Usually by the time I get them they know where babies come from." He reached over and refilled his cup, satisfied that he'd come out of this situation relatively unscathed. Well, aside from the way that Buri seemed to be firmly lodged in his brain.

"Now." He began. "Ansil of Groten. He's a hesitater. Right when he should set for his impact, he flinches a little. You can use that." The atmosphere instantly cleared.

"Right," said Kel, nodding. "Watch for the hesitation and use it to send him flying. I can do that." She smiled. "Well, I hope I can. It'll be awfully satisfying if I manage it."

Raoul grinned. "You have no idea. Especially when you've been having 'philosophical disagreements' too." He sipped from his cup. "What was it that finally drove you to the tilt anyway? I didn't think anyone could manage it."

Kel shrugged. "It's not important."

"Well, I know it's not important in the long run, but isn't a Knight Master allowed to be curious about the arguments his squire gets herself into? I'm hardly going to tell anyone else what it was about, am I?" Despite his irritation at Alanna's earlier curiosity, Raoul found he couldn't escape his own.

Kel ducked her head, avoiding Raoul's gaze again. "I found him bullying Lerant."

Raoul raised an eyebrow. "I can't say it entirely surprises me. You do seem to take an interest in the rights of those who... have less ability to defend themselves."

Kel looked up and shrugged again. "Groten insulted you in the process, my Lord, so I was really honour bound to demand satisfaction from him."

"It's taken this long for someone to insult my honour in your presence sufficiently for you to be willing to take the disagreement to the lists?" Raoul smirked.

"Well, most of the people who insult you in my presence would be too easy to beat in the lists, sir."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. Did he come up with anything particularly juicy this time?" Raoul took another sip of his juice.

Kel grinned. "I think it was mostly about being 'dazzled by female flesh'. He didn't say whose, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's been listening to these rumours going around about you and Commander Tourakom. Either that, or he believes us to be lovers." Her eyes flickered away from his face when she said that. Raoul wasn't sure if it was because of what had happened earlier in the evening, or just that the idea itself embarrassed her.

"I really wish people wouldn't take such an interest in my romantic life." He sighed. "It really is irritating."

Kel smiled a little. "Well, perhaps if I manage not to go flying tomorrow, they might find something else to be interested in."

Raoul grinned. "We can but hope..."

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