Kaddar was up and waiting for Kel and Neal. They sat in armchairs in front of his ornately carved mahogany desk, watching him pace.

" Sir?" Neal inquired after a quarter hour of nervous silence.

" Go to the docks at midnight." Kaddar stared out the window, seemingly more to himself than to them. " Take everything with you. As for the boy", Kaddar swallowed hard. " Put him a stretcher with a blanket up to his chin, as if he has a cold." He turned to face them. " My son, Yusuf, will meet you at the doors of the palace. Let no one see you but him. NO ONE, or else you will pay with your lives." He turned again to the window, which indicated that they were, obviously, dismissed.

They trudged down the dawn-lit corridor in silence. Both hung on Kaddar's last words.

" Well, we get to go home." Neal murmured, when he could stand it no longer. Kel gave him a forced smile.

" We do." The stillness of the morning took over, once again. They walked quickly, each thinking hard. One of death, and the other, of love.


* I'm running out of time here. Oh, why did all three of them have to like me? * She glanced at Neal out of the corner of her eye, and shook her head sadly. * If I choose him, out friendship will never be the same, and Cleon's dead, and Roald's the crown prince… I am so immensely confused. I... I just don't know what to do. *

She stopped in front of the boys' room and knocked. The padded scuttling of feet met her ears. She cocked her head, a habit she had picked up from jump, and wondered what they could be doing.

" Come in…" a throng of singsong voices called, cracking as they held the last note. Kel turned, but found a large shaft of sunlight had replaced Neal.

Slowly, she pushed open the door, checking for any pranks that may await her. (A/N: Hey! You never know…) She found the boys all standing in a line, guarding the corner, and grinning furiously.

She put her hands on her hips. " What in MITHROS' name are you up to?" Neal came up behind her, and abruptly covered her eyes with his large hands. " NEAL!" she squealed. " Let go of me!"

" Shhh! Just go along with it." Merric called. " You'll like this, just for once cooperate with us!" that got a laugh out of everyone, including Kel.

She felt herself being led toward the corner the boys had been guarding. Neal removed his hands, and with a flourish, everyone shouted " Taa-Daaa!"

On a mannequin was a dress of blue velvet so dark it was bordering black. A red bodice shone brightly against the darkness of the fabric, giving the dress an elegant glow. " Oh!" Kel breathed. The boys grinned to one another.

" Told ya she'd like that one." Seaver muttered to Owen, earning himself an elbow in the gut.

He ignored him, and spoke up. " It's for you to wear on the way home. Kind -of a thank-you for rescuing us and everything else present". He announced proudly. " Go try it on!"

She smiled, and took the dress into the next room. She slipped it on quickly, and scrutinized herself in the mirror.

" I can see why they love you." Alanna said, coming up behind her. " You're ravishing."
Kel blushed, and shook her head disbelieving. " I'm just a mixed up girl in a pretty dress."

" But that mixed up girl has managed to make three boys love her." Alanna smiled, and leaned against the bed frame. " I had two myself when I was a squire. I know the predicament."

Kel's eyes grew wide. " You did? Who???" Alanna turned a lovely shade of red that clashed terribly with her hair. " Tell me! You must tell me!" Kel persisted.

" Well, George, and humafmm".

" Humafmm?" Kel asked. She sat on a chair and thought for a moment. "Jonathan? As in, King Jonathan of Conte`??" She exploded into laughter; causing Alanna to turn a red shade of purple.

" Kel?" Roald called through the door. " Are we going to get to see the dress on you voluntarily, or will we have to break the door down first?"

Kel walked over to the door, grinning like a maniac, and tugged it open. " What do you think?" She asked, spinning around.

Roald came up to her, and put his arms around her waist, pulling her close. " This is what I think." He leaned down, and kissed her. The other boys let out whistles and yells, in expression of their appreciation.

" That good, huh?" she asked, blushing at their audience. Roald nodded, grinning.

The rest of the afternoon was spent playing games like chess and talking. Neal and Roald disappeared for about an hour, but came back in relatively good spirits. Kel walked out to the balcony, and sat on a chair, watching the evening bustle commence in the streets of Carthak. At twilight, Neal found her there. She was writing on one of several pieces of parchment.

" What're you doing?"

Kel jumped. " Oh. Neal. Nothing really. Just writing down some things to give to people when we get home. You know, everyone else at the palace will be getting back from camp, and going for the month we've got off."

" Yeah. You're right. I never really thought about that. This year certainly flew by." Neal gave her a small smile, and went back inside.'

" Didn't it though." Kel muttered, and returned to her writing.


Time passed without notice for Kel. Before she realized it, Neal was getting her inside to grab her pack.

" Ready to go home?" he asked her as the group snuck down the corridor.

" More than ready." She replied with a sigh.

They stopped at the doors to the palace, looking for Yusuf. They finally spotted him hiding in the shadows. He seemed to be talking to someone, but Kel blinked, and the other figure was gone. She dismissed it as her paranoid imagination.

" Yusuf!" she hissed, trying to draw his attention. Eventually , he turned towards them and came forward.

" Finally." He muttered loud enough that only they could hear. " Let's go."

They ran through the streets toward the docks, dodging any passers-by.

Finally, they reached the part of the port where the Tortallan Councilors ship was docked. Yusuf escorted them into the main conference room, where Alanna had said that something was stored that belonged to Kaddar. They entered in darkness, and a collective sigh of relief ran through the room. Their relief was short-lived however, because no sooner than they had all entered, the door shut behind them, and a voice sounded from the shadows.

" Bon Yusuf! You 'ave brought me ze Crown prince and his band of escorts." An evil cackle filled the room, and someone lit a lamp.

" I know that voice…" Neal muttered just before the lamp flared to life.

" And you should Monsieur Nealan." Jareck's face, contorted with mirth shone in the light.

" Welcome to all of you. Welcome to your end." His eyes traveled around the room, and rested on Kel. " Ahhh. The beautiful Mademoiselle Keladry. How good to see you again. I will you offer alone a choice." He paused so his henchmen might bind them all. " A choice in which you will decide your friends' fates.

" What is the choice?" Kel tried not to meet the eyes of anyone in the room but Jareck. She searched them, peering for a weakness of any sort.

" Join me as my betrothed, and you may choose two of your friends to live. Or; you get to watch me kill them. One at a time". He strolled over.

" Let us kill one now, no?" He touched Neal's shoulder, retracting his hand when he flinched. " Monsieur Nealan?" It was his turn to search her eyes.

" No. I believe…I do believe that Monsieur Merric will have to leave us.

Merric stood up bravely, and looked Jareck squarely in the eyes. " You may kill me, you pompous, overgrown, leech. But there is more at stake here than my life. Enjoy what's left of yours." He looked meaningfully at Roald, and he was almost instantly consumed by glowing, sapphire-colored fire.

Jareck sneered at Merric's crumpled body. " Eet iz of No conzequence. You will all eventually die." He walked over, and cupped Kel's face in his hands. " So. What is your decision?"

Before Kel could so much as open her mouth to answer, the door burst open, sending splinters flying around the room.

" Before you ask her that, you may want to consider who else you're up against." Alanna growled, brandishing her sword.

Jareck glared, then snapped his fingers. His henchmen lurched forward, prepared to fight just about anything. Anything, that is; but the lioness in a foul temperament.

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A/N: I realize that the characters weren't always IC, but I had fun writing this part. Only three parts left, and believe me, they'll be long. I won't CLV go out without a bang. You have my word on that.