Disclaimer: Still waiting by the computer. Their still not mine, except for the ones I made up to satiate the feeling of wanting them for myself. *sigh* Yea!^_^ Part 12!!

Lysse sat in her bed drawing a picture of the scenery outside her window. Kel and Cleon had come to visit her the other day. They said that they were making their 'rounds.' The person she had wanted to come never did. She was still waiting for Roald to come and visit her like he said he would. It was supposed to be yesterday, he still hadn't come. A knock came at her door. Roald?

"Come in." She called, disguising the excitement in her voice. The door opened and a servant boy entered with a bowed head. Lysse's spirits sank. "Yes? What can I do for you?"

"Nothing, my lady, it's what I can do for you." With that the young man lifted his head.

"Thom!" Lysse said as loud as she could without breaking into a coughing fit. "Oh gods! I haven't seen you in ages. Come here." Thom came over and the two shared a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Look at you. You've changed so much. You're bigger."

"I could say the same for you, and in all the right places."

"Thom!" Lysse smacked him in the back of the head. "You may have changed on the outside, but inside you're the same old Thom. How have you been?"

"Oh, ok, the teachers down at the University were actually happy to see me go. I heard they were going to throw a party, but then I told them I would be returning and they locked me out. I can't get back in." He said smiling.

"Thom, that's not a good thing."

"Oh, Lysse don't worry. I can always get back in. With the help of my best friend, the Gift."

"You are so weird." Lysse said, shaking her head.

"It's my job. Now how are you doing?"

"Wonderful." She said, staring at her blanket. Not looking at Thom. He took her chin in his hand and turned her face towards him, looking into her eyes.

"No you're not. Tell me the truth."

"Wow, serious all of the sudden aren't we."

"Tell me. I've known you long enough to know when you're lying."

Lysse say quietly for a moment. "All right, no, I'm not doing okay. I've just been having...problems."

"What kind of problems?" Thom pressed.

"...love...problems."

"With?"

Lysse sighed. "All right, you'll find out sooner or later. My mother has arranged a marriage for me."

"With?"

"All right, all right. With Joren of Stonemountain."

"And you don't want to marry this Joren of Stonemountain." Thom said knowingly.

"Of course not...I don't know...I'm confused."

"Well whom do you want to marry?" Thom had to find out for Roald's sake.

Lysse sat quietly for a moment. "Roald." She said quietly. Then bolder. "I want to marry Roald."

"Hah!" Thom said jumping up. "I knew it. I knew you two loved each other. There's just always been something there. I knew it. Now why don't you two get married?"

"Because we can't. Who's going to let us? The nobles of Tortall would be angry."

"So?"

"Thom, we don't want that. See? That would be bad."

"Again I say, so? You two love each other. You're not going to be happy with anyone else. Just do it!" Thom said adding emphasis.

"But...but...what about Joren?"

"Who cares about Joren? Do you? He can die for all I care! Look Lysse, Roald loves you a lot. Believe me, I know, I've talked to him. You love him a lot. Get married."

"How? I'm getting married by the end of this week. They want it as soon as possible and now that they've seen I'm getting better they moved it up."

"That's what I've got figured out."

Lysse narrowed her eyes. "Have what figured out?"

"Nothing, nothing." Thom said smiling. "Now I've got to go. Sorry for the quick visit, I'll come back later today and we'll reminisce about old times. Oh, and don't tell my mother or anyone else for that matter that I'm here. It's a secret, alright?" Thom blew her a kiss and then a left leaving Lysse sit there in confusion. She had no idea what just went on. All she knew was that Thom was as weird as ever. Lysse sighed. What was he doing back anyway? She shrugged to herself. She'd worry about that later. Her head hurt just thinking about it. Another knock interrupted her musings.

"Come in." One of the healers entered.

"My lady, there is someone here to see you. My lord, Joren of Stonemountain."

"Send him in." She couldn't deny him, they were getting married for god's sakes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Thom went whistling down the empty hall. He had just found out all he needed to know. Now on the Roald's room to tell him the news he had dug up.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kel was on her way to her room when she heard yelling coming from Cleon's room. The door opened and Anji, Lysse's cousin, stormed out.

"Ugh. I cannot believe you. You...you...jerky head." With that she raised her hand and with a dark blue sparkling light set Cleon's pants on fire. "I hate you forever." Anjie stormed off leaving Cleon to put out his pants. Kel rushed over to help.

"My goodness, Cleon what happened?" She asked him after the small flame was put out.

"Huh, I didn't know she had the Gift." Cleon murmured to himself. "What?" He said looking at Kel. "Oh, um, we were just...talking."

"Well, she seemed pretty angry. What were you talking about? And behind closed doors?" She finished slyly.

Cleon looked at Kel. "I had to close the door, she started yelling. Geez, I didn't know she'd take it so hard."

"What did you two talk about?"

Cleon looked both ways down the hall and pulled Kel inside his room shutting the door.

"Cleon!"

"Well, Kel I don't want anyone else hearing."

"All right. Well? What happened?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to her about some things. You see I've been thinking a lot lately.."

Kel gasped. "Did it hurt? Are you okay?"

"Kel. I'm serious."

Kel wiped the smile off of her face. "I'm sorry. Now what have you been thinking about lately, if I may ask?"

Cleon was quiet for a moment. "Um, you." He said quietly, looking at the ground.

Kel stared at Cleon for what seemed an hour, but had only been seconds. "W-what?" She sputtered.

"That's what I wanted to talk to Anji about." He said, his eyes fixated on a spot on the floor. "I really like you Kel. I just never did anything because, well, I never really knew if you liked me. I've seen the way you look at Neal. I just never thought I could compete. I didn't want to lead Anji on."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Kel asked in shock.

"Well," He said finally looking at Kel, "I couldn't hold it in anymore. I had to tell you."

"So, those names you've been calling me these past years have been for real?"

"Well, the first year, yeah, but then I started really liking you Kel. I couldn't stop. I guess I thought that somehow if I kept calling you those names...I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't have told you."

"Cleon. To tell you the truth, I'm in shock. I was not expecting this. I mean, I like Neal, but I don't know if I love Neal. That's what I was going to talk to him about when I found him in his room passed out. I've just haven't had the chance yet. I don't want to ruin the friendship that the two of us have. Oh, I don't know either, I'm confused." Kel gave a huge sigh, sitting down onto Cleon's bed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A shadow listened outside of the door of Cleon's room. The person had heard everything. Just as the shadow thought. Of course Cleon had feelings for Kel. Kel, the person thought, also had feelings for Cleon, that's what the dream had said. The dream involving the two of them. It had been too real to pass off as fake. Well, if the two were meant to be together, no matter how much it hurt, it was the duty of his to fulfill it. Taking the key to Cleon's room out of his pocket, he put it in the key slot and turned the key locking the two of them in. He had hated doing it, but if that's what the dream said, it's what he would do. He took one more sorrowful glance at the door and grabbing his stomach, limped away back to his room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Cleon had heard the door click from the outside. Running to it he tried to open it, but to no avail.

"Kel, it would seem someone locked us in."

"What?" Kel jumped up from the bed and tried the door herself. "What is going on? Who did this?"

"I don't know, but it seems we're stuck."

Cleon and Kel looked at each other then at the door.

Yeah. Wow, I put it up fast. Ok, no more for a while. Well, maybe soon. Grr. Don't know, busy busy busy. Did you like? I still don't know if I want it Kel/Neal or Kel/Cleon. I'm still deciding. Well, you'll see in the next part. I wrote this part instead of doing homework like I should be doing. *gives a sheepish look* Anyways, tell me what you think! ^_^