Kel plopped onto the bed in her room at the palace in Carthak. * Great. Just great. How am I supposed to look fro a missing prince and Champion, when i have to play delegate?!?!* Smeone knockce don her door. " Come in." She snapped.
" Kel?" Neal asked hesitantly. Kel instantly turned her scowl into a weak smile.
" You heard me. Come in. Shut the door, we're not at home you know." Neal grinned at the scorn she emphasized in the last statement. He came and sat next to her on the bed. He never said a word. So, they just sat in silence.
" What's on your mind, Neal?" She whispered in his ear. He fingered something in his pocket.
" I need to talk to you after the banquet tongiht- say around 9? Not only do I need to talk to you, we have a reason for being here." Kel nodded. He stood, and made to leave.
His hand was on the door handle when she answered. " All right. I need to talk to you too. And Neal..."
" Yes?" She came up behind him.
" I wouldn't have regretted it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that evening at the banquet, Neal avoided Kel's eyes, and she did the same. It ended around 7:30. For them it did at least. Neal paced his room like a tiger in a cage all evening; not knowing how he would give the box to Kel.
" Here Kel. It's for you." He practiced in front of the mirror. * No, too obvious.*
" Kel. You look great. Here." * No... no romantic enough.*
" Kel. Listen. At mid-winter I saw you kiss Roald. I kinda figured that you loved him, but I got this for ayou a while ago, and I figured that you should have it anyway. I mean, after all, it's perfect for you." * Yeah.* A smile creeped it's way across his face. * That's it.*
He continued to pace, still wearing the clothes from the boat. He glanced at the clock. * quarter til. Time to go. I really hope this works.* In the corner of his mind, Neal felt like he was manipulating her, but he pushed that thought away. Nobody could honestly say that... Could they?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kel wrung her hands. She had been in the garden since they had left the banquet. * What does he want to talk to me about? I really hope he doesn't tell me anything that will stop me from telling him my desicion. Gods please don't let that happen.*
She too was pacing. * Okay Keladry. Breathe. Just breathe.* She stopped pacing as she heard the clock strike a quarter til. She nervously smoothed her skirts.
" Okay. I'll just tell him that I can't make up my mind. Yeah. I'll do that. Then I won't have to decide right now." She muttered.
" Kel?" Neal's voice startled her, and she jumped.
Spinning around she answered as nonchalantly as she could. " Hi Neal." She blushed at how jittery and girly she was acting. He took her hand in his. Leading her over to a bench, he tried to keep a straight face.
" Look Kel. I... I need to give you something." Seeing the look on her face, he barreled on before she could interrupt." I've had it for a while. I don't want you to feel like I'm bribing my way into your heart or something." He pulled out the little box, and Kel's heart began to sink.
" But before you open it..." He swallowed hard. " I want you to know that I saw you kiss Roald at mid-winter, and that no matter whether you pick him, or Cleon, or me; I hope that we can still be best friends." He handed her the box.
" Neal..." She started to say, but he silenced her by putting a finger on her lips.
" Shhh. Just open it." He removed his finger, and watched eagerly as she opened the velvet box with trembling fingers...
" Kel?" Neal asked hesitantly. Kel instantly turned her scowl into a weak smile.
" You heard me. Come in. Shut the door, we're not at home you know." Neal grinned at the scorn she emphasized in the last statement. He came and sat next to her on the bed. He never said a word. So, they just sat in silence.
" What's on your mind, Neal?" She whispered in his ear. He fingered something in his pocket.
" I need to talk to you after the banquet tongiht- say around 9? Not only do I need to talk to you, we have a reason for being here." Kel nodded. He stood, and made to leave.
His hand was on the door handle when she answered. " All right. I need to talk to you too. And Neal..."
" Yes?" She came up behind him.
" I wouldn't have regretted it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that evening at the banquet, Neal avoided Kel's eyes, and she did the same. It ended around 7:30. For them it did at least. Neal paced his room like a tiger in a cage all evening; not knowing how he would give the box to Kel.
" Here Kel. It's for you." He practiced in front of the mirror. * No, too obvious.*
" Kel. You look great. Here." * No... no romantic enough.*
" Kel. Listen. At mid-winter I saw you kiss Roald. I kinda figured that you loved him, but I got this for ayou a while ago, and I figured that you should have it anyway. I mean, after all, it's perfect for you." * Yeah.* A smile creeped it's way across his face. * That's it.*
He continued to pace, still wearing the clothes from the boat. He glanced at the clock. * quarter til. Time to go. I really hope this works.* In the corner of his mind, Neal felt like he was manipulating her, but he pushed that thought away. Nobody could honestly say that... Could they?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kel wrung her hands. She had been in the garden since they had left the banquet. * What does he want to talk to me about? I really hope he doesn't tell me anything that will stop me from telling him my desicion. Gods please don't let that happen.*
She too was pacing. * Okay Keladry. Breathe. Just breathe.* She stopped pacing as she heard the clock strike a quarter til. She nervously smoothed her skirts.
" Okay. I'll just tell him that I can't make up my mind. Yeah. I'll do that. Then I won't have to decide right now." She muttered.
" Kel?" Neal's voice startled her, and she jumped.
Spinning around she answered as nonchalantly as she could. " Hi Neal." She blushed at how jittery and girly she was acting. He took her hand in his. Leading her over to a bench, he tried to keep a straight face.
" Look Kel. I... I need to give you something." Seeing the look on her face, he barreled on before she could interrupt." I've had it for a while. I don't want you to feel like I'm bribing my way into your heart or something." He pulled out the little box, and Kel's heart began to sink.
" But before you open it..." He swallowed hard. " I want you to know that I saw you kiss Roald at mid-winter, and that no matter whether you pick him, or Cleon, or me; I hope that we can still be best friends." He handed her the box.
" Neal..." She started to say, but he silenced her by putting a finger on her lips.
" Shhh. Just open it." He removed his finger, and watched eagerly as she opened the velvet box with trembling fingers...
