Joren paced the dirt floor in his tent contemplating. Contemplating on how to get his revenge on that good-for-nothing girl. He had been pacing around his tent since yesterday afternoon. He had been well on his way to give Kel a good beating when he realized that, it would prove nothing to her. He had beaten her up plenty of times when she was a probationary page in Tortall and it hadn't helped the situation at all. No he would have to find a different way to get at her. A way to stab her in the heart, making it bleed, filling her with pain, making her wish that she was dead. A way to get at her that would make her wish she had not gone through with her dream to become a knight. So he continued to pace. He would think of great idea and stop pacing until he found a flaw and then would continue his endless treading across the hard packed dirt floor. He didn't eat, drink, or sleep. He just paced and thought.
"Joren!" came the gruff sound of his knight master's voice as he interupted Joren's thoughts.
"Huh?" was Joren's startled reply.
"I said that you need to get change and head over to the banquet hall. Master Oakbridge has you on tonight's list to serve at the banquet," his knight master replied annoyed as if it wasn't the first time that he had told this to his squire.
"Yes Sir," came a dismal reply from Joren as he walked over to his bed to put on the attire, which his knight master had thrown onto the bed as he came into the tent.
"As soon as you're done changing head on over."
"Yes Sir," he said before muttering, "Just what I needed, another banquet," under his breath.
He slowly changed and took his time walking to the banquet hall. There he was reprimanded for being late and given his assignment. In his divine wisdom Master Oakbridge had assigned him to a table as far away from Kel's as possible. Having the extremely annoyed squire start a fight was not something that he needed on his hands.For he knew that Joren would fight until death, which is exactly what he would get. Besides he would have to find someone else to take his place and at the moment he was very shorthanded.
Joren sulked as he served the group of very old, conservative nobles, whose table he had been assigned to. He was positive that if he had not been assigned to helping Master Oakbridge tonight that he would have figured out a way to get rid of Kel. He was on his way back to the kitchen when he heard the herald cry out.
"Announcing the betrothal of The Horse and The Kraken, knights of The Yamani Islands."
Joren turned to watch as Kel walked down the stairway her arm wrapped around some Yamani noble he assumed was The Horse. He glared at them with an intensity so great that if looks had the ability to kill, both Kel and Henrik would be dead. He quickly turned on his heal, heading back to the kitchen, boiling with anger. She had no right to get married. She had given up all her rights when she decided to become a knight. She was worse than a whore. For at least they did what females were supposed to do and did not run around with weapons. He yanked the platter of food, which he was supposed to serve from the page who was handing him the food, with such a force that it almost spilled. After yelling at the page to be more careful, he headed back to his table where he angrily plopped food down on the nobles plates. He was going back to the kitchen when he stopped suddenly. That was it! He had finally thought of the perfect way to get back at the lump! With a smirk on his face he finished the rest of his duty and then went back to his tent where he prepared to execute his plan.
Henrik walked Kel back to her tent where he left her with a kiss. Instead of going directly back to his tent he walked along the shore of the lake thinking. He couldn't wait for the wedding. It would be spectacular, almost spectacular as Shinko's and Roald's wedding. As a gift his uncle was going to pay for the ceremony. They would have only the best. It would be simple, yet quite elegant. They would hold it right before the party left home for the Islands. Then he would be left in this strange world with only three others from his land - Shinko and her ladies-in-waiting. He would also have Kel who was neither truly Yamani or Tortallian, but a mix. That mix allowed her to fit in either land. It was a perfect melody of the two worlds. It was because of this mix that he fell in love with her. He was glad when his uncle had agreed to the marriage. The Emperor saw it as not only a way to please his favourite nephew, but also as a way to tie the two worlds together in an even tighter bond
than they currently had. Even though they had turned Kel down as a knight, she was still Tortallian and her family was very influential in both worlds. He let out a sigh and laid down near the water's edge watching the moon and thinking about home and Kel before drifting of into a peaceful sleep.
Note: HeeHeeHee!! Cliffhanger! What is Joren's plan?! I'll give a whole batch of cyber-cookies to anyone who can guess, but I bet you won't be able to. So I'm not going to make any, but if any of do by chance guess what hiss plan is then I'll just go and join the evil bunny who is trying to take over the world and get some from him. Okay this is starting to get very strange. I think that I've been thinking too much about Joren. I better go and clear out my mind. Hmmm I wonder if Walmart sells Q-tips that are long enough?
