After eating and washing up, Neal decided to pay Kel a visit. He walked to her room to find the door ajar. He thought that was funny, Kel never left the door ajar! He decided to peek in before entering. When he saw what was going on inside, his eyes widened. Kel... and Cleon? The idea was absurd! He pinched his eyes closed and opened them again, but it was no use. He'd always thought that... but nothing made sense now as he tried not to watch.
"NEAL!" yelled Kel. "How dare you spy on me like this! How would you feel if you saw me spying on you like this?"
"Kel, calm down. If this continued, we couldn't keep it a secret, Neal was bound to find out sometime. It's better he found out now than later," Cleon explained.
Neal stormed into Kel's room. "Cleon! Get away from her!"
"Why should I?" Cleon demanded. He stood there with his hands on his hips, trying to look tough. "She wanted me to! Didn't you, Kel?"
Kel wasn't sure what to say. She looked from Cleon to Neal, and then back to Cleon again. "Yes," she said, tentatively. "Yes, I did want him to. And if you want to know more Neal, yes. I liked it."
Neal didn't know what to say. "Well, I suppose... I suppose you want to be like Alanna! Did you not think that I would figure out the little secret? Alanna and Jon, who would have known? I suppose that's what you want too? Why don't you just get up and find Prince Roald? Tell him you want it to be like Alanna and Jon... I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
"Neal?" Cleon asked, astounded. "What has gotten into you?"
Neal didn't know quite what had gotten into him. He looked at Cleon. He was trying not to smile, trying to hide his happiness. Neal knew how much he liked her. And besides, to him, Kel was merely a friend. He sat down on the mattress and sighed. "Very well, Cleon. I am sorry. And Kel, I'm sorry to you as well. I don't know why I tried to but into it... I just always had a hard time seeing you two together."
"Why?" Cleon asked.
"Well, I'd always pictured her with someone else."
"Who? Who did you picture me with?" asked Kel.
"I always pictured you with me." As soon as Neal realized what he'd just said, he bushed, looked down and ran out of Kel's room as fast as possible. Kel began to follow.
"Kel, no! Stay here!" Cleon pulled her back.
"Cleon, you'd better go. I need to think," Kel said. And Cleon reluctantly left, closing the door behind him.
Kel spent the next few days avoiding Neal and Cleon as often as possible. She ate her meals with Owen, who was flattered by the sudden increase of time she spent with him, however he had no romantic feelings for her. She even spent time with Prince Roald more frequently. Whenever Cleon or Neal approached, she would suggest to whoever she was with at the time that they find somewhere else to go.