A/N: As per usual, I do apologise about the long delay between chapters, Year 12 (last year of high school for those not familiar with the Australian school system :D ) is rather a busy year. However, I'll get in chapters where I can, there aren't very many more to come anyway. So, I hope you enjoy chapter 11!

Chapter 11

Larsen hadn't been able to pay attention for the rest of the lesson. After Kel's brittle-sounding request for dismissal, he had not been able to concentrate on anything else. His inflamed sense of guilt had plagued him throughout the lesson, and, despite Padraig's increasingly exasperated efforts to hold Larsen's attention, his thoughts had quite clearly been elsewhere. Padraig eventually gave up and dismissed the class early, claiming he had a headache. Larsen wandered back to his room, miserable and dejected, Niralo's happy chatter about his plans for the afternoon with Tamsin further depressing Larsen. However, nothing Niralo said could make Larsen feel as bad as he did when he entered his room to find Kel sitting on his chair, clearly waiting for him.

* * *

Kel looked up as Larsen entered his room. She had come straight to his room after her short nap, hoping his lesson might be over. She looked at him, her swollen red eyes clearly showing him how she felt.

"Kel...," Larsen said, cringing, clearly expecting her to yell at him.

"Larsen, how could you?" Kel's quiet tone visibly surprised Larsen. She had infused as much of her disappointment and hurt into her voice as she could.

"Kel, I...I couldn't help it. I knew you wouldn't want me if you knew I was only thirteen."

"So, no apology I see?"

"I don't regret the time I spent with you. Some-"

Kel interrupted him, "So you don't regret lying to me? Or hurting me? Making everyone think I was a paedophile? No guilt at all?!"

"Yes, of course I feel guilty! I never meant to hurt you. But I thought if I could make you fall in love with me, it wouldn't matter to you when I told you. Sometimes the end justifies the means, Kel."

"Larsen, how could you think that?! I thought you were in training to be a knight! The end never justifies the means!"

"But Kel-"

Kel jumped in again, "By your theory, if we committed genocide on all the surrounding countries, all our enemies, in order to achieve peace, then that would be alright? Because we have peace?"

"No, but-"

"But I thought you said the end justifies the means?"

"Kel, that's not what I meant-"

"Then what did you mean?"

"Kel, I love you! I did it so we could be together."

Kel stared at him, a cold, corrosive stare. Something had clearly snapped between them.

"Larsen, I thought I loved you too. But I loved the courageous, kind, loving Sir Larsen of Pirate's Swoop. Not the cowardly, deceitful, childish Page Larsen of Pirate's Swoop. Larsen, our relationship is over," Kel said quietly, standing to leave.

* * *

"But Kel..." Larsen whispered. He could feel his heart breaking.

"Yes Page Larsen? And please address me as Lady Knight, as is proper."

Larsen felt the cold, distant comment as a physical blow.

"...nothing." Larsen turned away to hide the gathering tears.

"Goodbye, Page Larsen." The door snapped shut, as Larsen whispered, "I'm so sorry."

Larsen woke up the next morning, feeling sick to his stomach. He had cried for most of the night and had had a lot of trouble sleeping. He could feel an empty space in his chest, as though his heart had been plucked from his chest. He lay in bed, memories of his time with Kel running through his head until the bell for breakfast rang. He rolled out of bed, dressed and washed his face, trying to erase the signs of the long, grief-stricken night he had spent over the loss of Kel.

When he arrived at breakfast, ten minutes later, his red, puffy eyes were immediately noticed by Sarara, who offered comfort upon hearing what had happened. However, Larsen wasn't comforted at all. The rest of his day was not much better either, as he had no appetite and could concentrate only on Kel's icy dismissal. However, he knew she was right.

* * *

Kel, far from feeling sick and depressed, felt instead a new vigour and joie d' vivre. She had done her grieving; she had let out her feelings of hurt and anger, and now felt ready for anything. She decided to go down to the training yards to practice her skills with the glaive. As she walked through the corridors of the castle, however, she passed an alcove from which she heard voices, one of which she recognised as that of Mio, Dom's lover.

"Oh Derrym, come on, he'll never find out!" Mio giggled.

"But Mio, I shouldn't, we've already gone too far. He'll kill me!" Derrym replied nervously.

"Derrym, we're completely private here. No one else will hear us. I won't tell. Will you?"

"No..." Derrym was clearly weakening, "alright then, Mio."

Kel heard, a few seconds later, the quiet rustle of clothing hitting the floor. Embarrassed, she continued down the hall.

What should I do? If I tell Dom, he'll be hurt, and furious with Mio. But he has to know...I can't let him marry that cheating strumpet, she thought. Then, unbidden, a thought floated through her mind, If you tell him, he'll break up with Mio and maybe turn to you...

"Oh stop that!" Kel said crossly, earning the surprised and guilty look of a passing page, who scuttled away around a corner.

What if I send him an anonymous note? she thought. Her mind made up, she turned and went back to her room.

To Domitian of Queenscove,

I was walking down the hall earlier and I happened to overhear a clandestine meeting between Lady Mio saNorimoko and a Derrym, presumably a knight. It is my belief that they have been orchestrating such acts for quite a while, as I overheard the aforementioned Derrym mentioning that they had "already gone too far". It was my belief that you may wish to know of Lady saNorimoko's transgressions so you can take appropriate action.

With regards,

An Anonymous Well-Wisher.

This written, Kel sealed the letter, snuck down the corridor and, checking that no one was around to see her, slid the sealed letter under Dom's door.