Neal watched Kel disappear into the hall. A look of awe on his face. He had half a mind to follow her, and pull her back out of the hall and kiss her again. He was about to do so, but the sound of two approaching people stopped him.

"Neal! Wait a minute!" Cleon yelled as loudly as he dared in the sleeping palace corridor. He slowed his pace, allowing Roald to catch up.

The arrived panting at the doors, bothered by Neal's flushed look.

" Neal, what's up? Why are you all red in the face?" Roald asked , grinning at him. " Is Kel here yet?"

" I ran. Yeah, Kel's here. She just wnet inside actuallty." Neal told them " I was about to go in myself." *They didn't see what Kel just did. Thank Mithros they weren't here a moment ago! *

" Can we talk first?" Roald inquired, still wondering at Neal's expression.

" Sure. What about?"

" Well, Neal, we kinda…" Roald trailed off.

Cleon broke in. " What Roald is trying to say is, we wrote kel a note that said we each liked her, Roald and me, and then, together wrote a note saying we knew of another who liked her, and he was gonna tell her today. What we wanna know, is if you told Kel that you liked her or not."

" What?" a combination of surprise and outrage consumed Neal's face. " Why in Mithros' name did you do that? You didn't SIGN those notes did you?!?"

" We couldn't think of any other way to do it Neal. What do you think we are, crazy? Of course we didn't sign them. We're not complete dolts. Now, you didn't answer our question. Did you tell Kel or not?" Roald explained patiently. Not trusting Cleon to say anything rational.


" Whether I did, or whether I didn't, I'm not about to tell you two. I suggest that you write another note, or something of that manner, and tell her, you might want to do that before someone doses her with some Tortallan Mistletoe. Its' in season you know."

" What's Tortallan Mistletoe Neal?" Cleon asked.

"Tortallan mistletoe is a plant with white and purple berries and green leaves that you hang above the doorway. If you are under it with a girl, you must kiss her, and she is temporarily infatuated with you."
And with that, Neal went into the banquet hall, leaving Roald and Cleon staring.

" he told her. I can feel it." Cleon mumbled, regaining his senses. " and with our luck, he kissed he too." Roald could only nod. He was to surprised at his friend's actions to say anything.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Now listen to me Raoul, you too Gary. I haven't been able to so much as meet this girl. Raoul, you've met her, she led you on that spidren hunt a few years ago didn't she? And Gary, don't tell me you've never met her, because I know you have old friend. I would like to have her as my squire, that is if Jonathan will let me."

" And why wouldn't I Alanna?" Alanna grimaced as Jon's voice spoke up from behind the threesome. " I know you're still angry at me for putting her on probation 4 years ago, but you know I had my reasons." He smiled at Gary's look of awe. " Just because I'm king, doesn't rule out that I was, and still am a knight you know."

Alanna tried to hide her frustration from Jon, Gary, and Raoul. But it didn't work. It never had. Alanna stood, preparing to let Jonathan have it, when Raoul put a hand on her shoulder. " Just because you had your reasons your majesty," a steely edge that could've cut steel laced her voice. " doesn't mean that it was the right choice. If you'll excuse me." Alanna pushed away from them, angry at herself for letting her anger with Jonathan show so clearly.

They watched her leave their vicinity. She went over to speak to Myles, on the other side of the room.

" still striking out, eh Jon?" Raoul said jokingly as he hugged his old friend.
" you never could apologize well."

Jon smiled halfheartedly. " I'm not sure if she'll ever forgive me this time. It's already been four years."

" Don't be too hard on yourself Jon. She'll forgive you eventually." Gary commented.

" The 'eventually' part is what I'm worried about."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kel walked into the hall. Amazed at the grandeur surrounding her. The mess NEVER looked this regal. Not in all the four years she had been there. Immediately she noticed the king, Raoul of Goldenlake, Sir Gary of Naxen, and Myles. She couldn't tell who was talking to Myles, they had a cloak on. She went up to greet her friend.

" Good morning Myles. How are you?" Kel asked as she drew close enough for him to hear her. The visitor stopped all activity, and just stood there with their back to her.

" I'm fine Kel. I don't believe you've met Alanna? My daughter, the lioness."

Kel gasped as Alanna turned around, pulling off the cloak. Kel bowed, Yamani style to her, palms flat to her sides. * GODS! The LIONESS! I can't believe it!*

" Stand up Kel. You don't need to bow to me." Alanna told her, speaking as easily as she would to an old friend.

" But… I mean… Pardon me. Of course I do ma'am. You're the king's champion, Sir Myles' daughter, and a knight above all. I most certainly do need to bow to you."

Alanna laughed. Not a ridiculing laugh, but a warm happy laugh. " I like your style kel. Have a good morning won't you?" Kel could only nod. Alanna swept away before Kel could say anything more to her.

" like her do you?" Myles asked, interupting kel's daydream that she was being knighted, and Alanna was there. Presenting her shield.

" Yes. She's enchanting. She has that presence- like you would do anything for her trust." Myles grinned.

" She often has that effect on people. You should go pay your dues to the king. He is looking for a squire as well you know."

" Okay Myles. See you later then?"

" count on it. Now go."

Kel approached the king cautiously. He saw he out of the corner of his eye, and turned.

" Good morning you majesty." Kel said respectfully as she bowed.

" Good morning Kel." She looked up. He was smiling. She stood and smiled in return, trying not to be impertinent and ask him the question that had plagued her for years.

"Good morning Sir Gary. Sir Raoul." She said, bowing again.

As she righted herself, Raoul commented, " how are those sparrows of yours lass?"

" They're fine sir. Still tenacious, and utterly incorrigible at times, but they're fine. Or at least they will be until the interrupt my studying one more time." They three men laughed.

" Very good. Have you seen my son today perchance Kel? Jonathan asked her as their laughter subsided.
" No sir, but I'm sure he, Cleon, and Neal will be here soon enough."

" Thank you kel. Have you met the lioness?"

" Yessir."

" Is she what you expected?"

" More sir." Jonathan frowned at this.

" Please excuse me." Kel bowed again as he walked off, towards Sir Myles.

" Excuse me if this is impertinent but, was it something I did?" she asked Raoul and Gary in a troubled voice.

" No child. Pay it no mind." Gary told her gently, placing his hands on her shoulders in a comforting gesture. " There's Prince Roald now. Excuse us please." Kel turned, and watched as he and Gary went over to Roald who had just entered the room with Neal and Cleon. * Just my luck. Why is Cleon coming over here? Gods. WHAT IS GOING ON WITGH THOSE THREE? *

" Kel, I need to talk to you in private." Cleon told her as he approached with Neal in tow.

" Why?" she asked warily. Cleon got that pleading look in his eyes. " Fine. I forgot my belt knife anyway. Come on."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cleon gave Neal a look that plainly said that he was going to tell her, and followed Kel out of the hall. Neal was taken aback.* Great. I'm in a room surrounded by knights. My best friends are either with their parents* He looked at Roald. * Or off getting a belt knife. * This should be loads of fun. * He thought to himself glumly. * I'm gonna be toast in this competition. *

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Kel got out her belt knife, she heard the door gently click closed.

" Cleon what are you doing? Come on. I've got my knife, we should get back to the hall."

" I need to tell you something first."

" Well, make it fast, we should be in there before everyone else."

" I like you."

Kel was so suprised, that she actually forgot to be like stone, and let it just roll off. What he had said started to sink in when she lost it." GODS! What is it with me?!?" She said exasperated. "First Roald, then Neal, now you?" She kept her voice low enough that it would not disturb Lalasa.

" well Kel. You're the only girl in the palace training. We're around you all the time. What'd you expect?"

" DEFINITELY NOT THIS! Look. I don't want to have to make a decision right now. I just want to go, impress a knight, and get to have a little bit of fun before I decide who I want to get involved with alright?"

Cleon looked stunned at her straightforwardness. Kel had never shown them openly how she felt in great measure. " Okay Kel. I get the point." He turned dejectedly to leave the room.

" Cleon don't do that." She said quietly, regaining her yamani composure. " I'm sorry I lost it. I've just got a lot to think about right now Ok?" She moved over to face him. " I've never been liked at all before. Much less by three of my best friends." She looked him in the eye, trying to understand him. " I just want today to be over with alright?"

Cleon managed a smile. " Okay Kel."

With that, they rushed out of the room, quiet as they could, and went back to the hall. Moments later the room had begun to fill with squires. Lord wyldon took the high table and yelled out over the crowd moments after the first bell had rung.

" Will all squires in the hall report to the high table? The knights will begin choosing the squires for servitude in 10 minutes."

There was a clamor of squires attempting to reach the table. The first ones up there were Cleon. Roald, Neal, and Kel.

" choosing first will be Sir..er… Lady Alanna" Lord wyldon called out after all had assembled. The lioness walked up and down the line. She stopped in front of the 4 friends.

" I ask for the services of….."

Author's note: I know that you guys hate cliffhangers, well, you must really hate me. It's not as long as it could be, but it's longer. As usual, Jareck belongs to me etc.etc.etc. oh yeah. Tortallan Mistletoe. It's mine.