This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to the Protector of the Small series, any of its characters belong to Tamora Pierce… Much to my disappointment. This goes AU about midway from the book Page. Fair warning. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it. This is mostly centered on Joren. This is also a slow build Kel/Joren.
Spring 456
"Lalasa, stop fussing!" Kel's order was heard through the door that Joren was about to knock on. "If it fits any more perfectly, I won't be able to take it off!"
The second comment caught Joren off guard with his hand raised to knock on the door. A blush creeped up on his face at the thought of Kel taking anything off.
"I just want you to look your best, my lady," Lalasa retorted with a serious tone. "Though there is little I can do with this cursed gold and red. I don't think anyone really looks good in it."
"Well, I'll look better than anybody else, that's for certain," Kel stated. She then promptly squeaked which made Joren wonder what was going on in the room.
He finally knocked on the door and got a request to wait a moment. Through the door, Joren could hear the maid but she had apparently lowered her voice when she realized someone was at the door. When Lalasa finally opened the door, Kel was in a shirt and breeches and was moving to open the shutters.
"Just came to wish you luck for tomorrow, I can leave if you are busy," Joren said quickly.
"It's fine. We were finished," Kel looked out the window as she spoke and frowned. "One second. You wait here."
Joren then noticed the two commoner men in the courtyard of the wing. Kel seemed confused by their presence as well, "Are you lost?" She asked.
One of them, a burly man snatched off his hat and after a second, his companion did the same.
"Saving your presence, your lordship, but we was supposed t'meet our boss in the entry hall. Witless here got us turned about," the big man elbowed his companion as he finished.
"I was sure it was this way," the smaller of the two whined. He also made a look at Lalasa that made Joren stiffen a little when she moved next to Kel, so he joined them. "Miss. Your lordship, sir."
Joren had to restrain a laugh when Jump leaping out the window and trotting towards them caused them to back away from the small dog.
"It's all right. He's just not used to strangers," Kel swung out the window and dropped into the courtyard. Joren had to hold in more laughter as her sparrows seemed to start calling out to her in chirps. "I'll show you the way to the entry hall. It's easy to get lost here. Joren, I will be back shortly. Jump, stay with Lalasa."
With that, Kel led the two men away. Joren waited until she returned which was a short while and then they walked to the mess hall as it was time for supper. After supper, Kel invited Joren to join her and her friends in the royal menagerie to help distract the fourth-year pages from the Big Exams the next day. Joren had jokingly pointed out that since he and Cleon made it through, it would be ease for Kel, who excelled in her lessons to pass. As it so happened, Diane and a few of the other teachers were visiting the menagerie as well which meant that the marmosets, tiny monkeys, were roaming about and Joren found he enjoyed the way Kel laughed while one of them hid behind her hair. The smile lite up her face in ways that made his stomach flutter.
It was extremely late when they went back to their respective rooms, the pages claiming they wouldn't sleep for fear of the exams. Joren knew that he would sleep but that his dreams wouldn't allow him to get much rest since his mind was completely occupied by Kel's laugh. The next morning, he ended up sleeping a little late and had to rush to eat before the exams. Kel and her fellow fourth year pages were leaving just as he entered.
After he had eaten, Joren changed quickly and went to where the exams were to be held. He joined Faleron, Cleon and Roald. They all frowned when they noticed Merric, Esmond and Seaver arrive without Neal or Kel. Joren's gut told him something was wrong. He told the others he would find out what was going on and headed directly to Kel's room at a steady run. He arrived just as an older, much confused servant was leaving, as was Neal.
He didn't bother stopping Neal, who was rushing to make it to the assembly room before Lord Wyldon. Instead, he knocked on the door to Kel's room. She only cracked the door a little before opening it all the way and letting him in before closing it again and went about putting on a brace of wrist knives. Joren paled at the sight of her arming herself.
"What's going on Kel?" He had to control his voice. Kel didn't respond, she instead handed him the note she must have gotten earlier and so he read it as she locked her lower shutters. "Lalasa?"
"Yes, you probably understand better than most why they would do this," Kel responded.
"I…" Joren had been about to say he would have never stooped so low as to break the law, but he knew what kind of person he had been once. "Let me help. Two people will cover more ground than one and I don't need to be anywhere."
Kel looked at him in surprise but nodded her agreement. She opened the door and found Lalasa's friend, Joren didn't know her name. She tried to reassure the maid and then suggested that she work on the Queen's dress if she didn't have other duties. The maid seemed embarrassingly grateful but Joren didn't comment on it.
Once they were clear of the page's wing Joren offered to check the area of unused sheds that Lord Wyldon had started to use for the training for city fighting. He broke off, leaving her to search the armories, storerooms and catacombs. They agreed to send someone to find the other if one of them found Lalasa. Joren told her he would check the stables, storage barns and Garrets after the sheds.
Joren did exactly what he promised too. When he had exhausted all those options, he headed back to Kel's room, completely defeated. As he approached the page's wing, the maid from before hurried down the hall. He caught her and with little persuasion convinced her to explain her rush. She showed him a note that simply read 'Try Balor's Needle'. His heart dropped to his stomach and he turned and sprinted in the direction of the aforementioned tower.
He reached the courtyard just as Kel and Lalasa reached to ground. Kel looked more than a little battered and Lalasa had collapsed to the ground. Joren put one last burst of speed in and caught Kel just before she joined her maid on the ground. The other maid was just behind Joren, much to his surprise that she could keep up, and was crying out about them being alright.
"How did you know we were here?" Kel asked, wrapping the sack-sling around Jump.
Tian, Joren's mind finally supplied the maid's name, fumbled and pulled out the note she had handed to Joren. She must have picked it up after he had bolted for the tower.
"Someone stuck it to the door," Tian said. "Gower saw it when he was leaving. My lady… he went to fetch the watch."
Kel nodded slowly and glanced towards the tower again, "I'm going to tell the king about that. It's not safe." She said wiping her hands on her tunic. Joren couldn't help bursting into laughter at the comment. The fact that it was slightly hysterical wasn't commented on by any of the others.
Diane arrived shortly after and healed Jump and cooing sweet nothings to the dog about his bravery in the process. More people arrived during the healing. Gower, Joren learnt, was Lalasa's uncle and he helped Tian tend Lalasa as Joren and Lalasa both answered questions from members of the watch. Eventually, Joren helped Kel to her feet and helped her walk as they were taken to the watch's offices. Though, his first impulse had been to carry her, but he suspected Kel wouldn't appreciate the gesture. Joren didn't pay too much attention to the questioning that Kel endured while they healed her leg. He briefly thought that it should have been Duke Baird healing the leg.
Just as this thought ran through his brain, Jump leapt off her chest, waking Kel and Lalasa started shrieking, "That's them! That's the ones that grabbed me!"
"Get this dog!" cried the smaller of the two chained men flanked by watchmen.
A sergeant pulled Jump off and Joren realized these were the same men that he had seen the day before. They were the ones that Kel had escorted to the entry hall.
The sergeant spoke to Jump for a second before looking at the two captives, "SO, here's another dog what hates you. Whatever did you dungballs get up to, that so many dogs want to rip you to bits?"
"Why are those men here?" Kel asked sleepily. Joren had to harden his resolve to stop from melting on the spot. He focused on the men to distract himself from the adorable sight of a groggy Kel.
"Well, milady, we found them a bell ago, cornered by a pack of palace dogs. Since they couldn't give no good reason for being here, and they were all chewed up, we thought we'd hold 'em awhile," the sergeant replied.
Kel nodded and laid back down, Joren's resolve melted a little at the sight of her so drowsy. Joren decided to sit sentry over her while answering whatever questions asked of him. His heart wasn't willing to allow him any less. Eventually, an older, rather stately looking woman came in and demanded to know why she needed to search the palace for her child and why she was there rather in her rooms. A watchman explained the need for questions and getting the full story. Ilane of Mindelan told them they could get any further questions they needed the next day.
When Kel's mother asked for assistance with getting Kel back to her rooms, Joren jumped at the chance to escape and helped Kel hobble through the palace to her rooms. Joren also found himself immediately kicked out of said rooms. It was only a matter of seconds before he found himself surrounded by Kel's friends and forced to answer more questions.
When supper came around, Joren was practically dragged to the mess hall by Yancen and Zahir, who had apparently arrived earlier that day. Vinson and Garvey both sneered as he walked past them and sat with his real friends. Faleron, Roald and Cleon joined them a short while later.
Kel came in last, walking in with Lord Wyldon and gathering her tray of food. When she passed the squires, Garvey jeered, "I bet she hired those men to get of out the exams!"
"I knew she would crumble at the last moment," Vinson added. "Females always do."
Joren was about to say something when Cleon and Faleron both kicked his shin and shook their heads, "Who could be afraid of the big exams? After all, you two passed them." Kel spoke coldly as she passed the two squires. Those at the table with Joren had varying success on suppressing their laughter. Joren didn't bother to attempt it at all.
"When do you leave?" Vinson asked coolly, as if he hadn't just been insulted.
"I won't" the steel in Kel's voice was clear and Joren felt a surge of pride for her.
"You expect us to believe you mean to do all four years again?" Vinson was openly mocking Kel and it was only Faleron and Zahir holding Cleon and Joren back that kept them from attacking him.
Kel shrugged casually, "Believe what you like." She then walked away from them.
Cleon touched her wrist causing Kel to pause at their table, "I'm alright." She spoke only loud enough for them to hear.
"Of course, you are. You're the best," Joren stated with a smirk on his face.
When Kel joined her friends among the pages she was hugged by Neal and Owen. They spoke for a few moments before Lord Wyldon came to the lectern and everyone scrabbled to stand.
"Mithros and Goddess, we pray to you, grant your blessing. Strip the veils of hate from our eyes and grip the bitterness from our hearts. Teach us to be pure in our souls, dedicated only to service, duty and honor," Wyldon's clear and sharp voice cut through any remaining whispers and those present bowed their heads in prayer. When he finished there was a murmur of 'So Mote it be' running through the room.
After this, the pages and squires started eating, the amount of chatter only slightly louder than normal. Halfway through the meal, a servant opened the door. In walked Duke Turomot of Wellam, the Lord Magistrate and chief examiner of pages.
Everyone stood as the old man walked slowly to Lord Wyldon's dais. The training master stood and bowed to him. For a moment there was a whispered conversation between the two. Lord Wyldon than helped Duke Turomot to the lectern.
"Silence. Evidence had been given, confession made. Two men were paid by an as-yet-unknown third man to for Page Keladry of Mindelan either to be late for the fourth-year exams or to be unable to attend them at altogether. Said coercion being out of the control of either Page Keladry or Lord Wyldon, her training master, it is hereby ordained that in two days' time Keladry of Mindelan shall present herself in the First Court of Law of the palace in Corus at the second bell of the morning. There and in the practice courts she will be given the appropriate fourth-year tests by the regular examiners," The old man's glare brooked for no argument to be made.
More than a few voices still cried out in astonishment. Joren looked to Kel and noticed that she fought for control and her face was qucikly completely blank. Duke Turomot pounded on the lectern and shouted, "Order! Order!"
Joren wondered if that is how he sounded in court as the pages slowly calmed down. "There was no reason for this unseemly display. If any such occurs on testing day, I will have those responsible ejected from my presence," His glare sharped on all of them. "Heralds have been sent to announce the new day of testing. Furthermore, the one who perpetrated this defilement of the law and the examinations will be found and duly punished. With the guidance of Mithros, we will achieve a fair solution."
The pages and squires picked up on his hint and replied, "So mote it be."
The duke left and Lord Wyldon took his place at the lectern, "Provided the Keladry of Mindelan passes her fourth-year examinations in two days, we will hold the celebration for the new squires on that evening. Page Keladry, report to me when you have finished your meal."
Cleon, Roald, Faleron and Joren all spent more time discussing why such a decision had been made. Joren secretly was relieved. He wanted to respect Kel's quest for knighthood, but he also wanted to pursue his feelings for her and the two would have been a lot harder if she had to repeat all four years as a page. He also noticed the absolute look of rage on Vinson and his suspicions on the matter were essentially confirmed.
Joren voiced his thoughts to Sir Paxton the evening after Kel passed her exams but Sir Paxton pointed out that they had no proof, only Joren's gut feeling and the fact that Vinson was clearly without scruples. Then Sir Paxton said something that surprised Joren, "It isn't as if he will really pass his Ordeal, the way the boy is. In all honesty, it will be a miracle if he even survives it."
"What do you mean?" Joren frowned, thinking back on the vision he had seen in the fire over a year ago.
"The Chamber finds the flaws and weaknesses of a squire and hammers them out. That is the best way to describe it. Most people come out because they have a certain level of flexibility. Without that flexibility you don't survive. Some go insane, some simply don't make it out at all. I think Vinson may be one that doesn't make it out at all. If you are right, he broke the law and that will severely impact his chances. That is all I am going to say on it though," Paxton dismissed a very unsettled Joren after that.
When he went back to his rooms a thought occurred to him. He had hesitated to deny ever having been capable of having Kel's maid kidnapped to hurt her. The matter of the fact was that before Kyprioth had shown him that vision, he very well was of a mindset where it was possible. Especially given his level of obsession with Kel. He also realized that the spring before, Vinson had tried to get him involved in a revenge plot against Kel. It made him shiver on his bed to think of the horror he may have been willing to commit against someone he now realized he… his thoughts paused and refused to go further.
They instead turned back to that vision. If he hadn't changed, if Vinson had had an ally or even without Vinson's aid, he might have gone with the same method to get rid of Kel. A knight was supposed to uphold the law, not break it and harm those that should be under their protection. Sir Paxton was right, he realized. If the Chamber of Ordeal tested for worthiness of knighthood, there was no way that Vinson would pass it. He had assaulted an innocent already. If he had hired someone to actually kidnap that same someone that was just compounding the horrible nature that made up Vinson of Genlith. Joren could only hope that one of Vinson's younger brothers were capable of taking up the responsibilities of the family when he didn't survive. He didn't even realize that he had already accepted the other's death as a forgone conclusion.