Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for Carina and the plot. Everything else is Tamora Pierce's.
~~~~~
"Well that was fast," she remarked rather casually.
Kel bit her lip. "Please don't -- don't . . . " her voice faded off as she wrung her hands anxiously. "Please don't tell anyone. Please?"
Pleadingly, Thom said, "You won't tell Ma or Da, will you?" His eyes were so imploring and Kel's worry so genuine that Alianne had to laugh. "Of course I won't tell! I didn't mean to interrupt you guys, I just sort of stumbled upon you. And I promise not to say a single word to Ma and Da -- though they've probably already figured it out! They know what it's like to be in love.
A panicked look crossed Kel's face. "Lo -- I'm not -- I don't -- Love?!" Her mind went numb. Now was the absolute worst possible time to fall in love. Her parents were going to make her get married -- how could she if she loved somebody else?
Alianne looked at her sharply. She hadn't expected that much of a response. Shaking her head, she turned around and left. Surely Keladry had her own reasons.
Kel pressed a hand flat against her stomach, fighting back the cold sense of dread dripping throughout her. How would she know if she was in love? Couldn't she just like Thom a lot, and not love him? Oh this was confusing!
Thom stuck his hands into his pockets. "So . . . "
Kel jumped. "I'm not allowed to have any relationships!" she cried before she realized he hadn't asked. Then she blushed. "I'm not even allowed to close the door when I'm in a room with a boy."
Thom nodded. "And we live really far away. This was a freak-accident sort of thing. We'll never see each other again."
"The king would never allow it anyhow."
"And Ma's not allowed to speak to you."
Their eyes locked again, and then they were back in each other's arms again. Between kisses, they decided their differences could be worked out.
"We can hide it from Lord Wyldon."
"We can sneak into rooms alone."
"I might be able to talk Ma and Da into going to court."
"The king doesn't have to know."
Thom kissed her sweetly, one last time, and whispered, "And Ma never listens to the king anyhow."
Kel let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, and managed a weak laugh. "Um . . . what do you want to do now?"
~~~~~
Roald surveyed the table he was headed for. It was filled with his squire friends. As he passed the table that held his page friends, he smiled.
"Roald," Owen said. "Have a jolly good morning!"
Shaking his head, Roald returned his gaze back to his destination. He noted that Neal wasn't there -- Must have slept in again, he thought. He sat down and greeted everyone. This year he'd decided that he wasn't going to worry about being diplomatic and not short-handing anyone. He wanted to sit with his friends, he would. It was pointless for him to sit with people that he didn't like, they didn't like him, and both were well aware of it. So, he was going to do what he wanted. There was a bit of surprise in everyone's eyes when he sat with them -- they'd expected him to be with another group because he had sat with them at every meal the day before. "Just -- don't ask," he told them.
Cleon shrugged. "I don't even know what you're talking about. I just got back this morning -- anything new happen while I was gone?" He flicked a curl absently, glancing around the room.
Everyone shook their heads. "Have you ever noticed that it's actually quite boring training to be a knight?" Faleron asked.
Merric grinned. "Supposedly it's not quite so boring actually being a knight. But, ah -- " his eyes trailed over to a group of desk knights " -- you never know."
That got a bit of a laugh out of them.
"Neal's late again," Esmond observed. "Sometimes I wonder if maybe he likes the punishment."
"Actually," Roald said, "Kel's late too." He turned to look at the door. "That's unusual for her."
They shrugged at waited for their friends to arrive, hoping they'd hurry. But, before they got there, Lord Wyldon stood up.
Amazed, Merric turned to Faleron. "He didn't even wait!"
The training master opened his mouth to begin the prayer, but was cut off by a resounding protest. He held up his hands at the noise, and regarded the boys sternly. "I am well aware that two of our squires are missing -- " he winced a bit at his choice of words and then continued, "but they will not be joining us for this meal."
Faleron, Merric, Esmond, Roald, and Cleon all stared at each other in confusion. What did he mean they wouldn't be joining them? A kind of horror crossed Cleon's face. "You don't -- don't think maybe . . . " He stopped. It was too awful to say. With a sick feeling in all of their stomachs, they returned their attention to Lord Wyldon.
He locked his hands behind his back. "Keladry of Mindelan and Nealan of Queenscove as well as Sir Myles of Olau have all fallen ill. They are in the healer's wing and will be there for an indefinite amount of time. Please do not try to visit them -- " this comment was directed towards Kel and Neal's friends, and held a sort of pleading, only just barely there " -- as they cannot have any visitors." He clapped his hands together. "All right, now for the prayer."
Slowly they stood up. The boys at Roald's table slowest of all. No one wanted to eat anymore. When was the last time someone was so sick that they weren't allowed visitors?
At the head of the dining area, Wyldon sat, and thought. Or rather, worried. By saying that, he'd opened up a whole new fear -- a sickness that couldn't be contained. Everyone who had been around then remembered the sweating sickness, and those who hadn't knew almost as much about it as those who had. It had been an evil, twisted sickness -- an unnatural one. The only similarities between the occurrences then and those now were that something twisted came into play here as well. Something possibly evil.
~~~~~
A/N: *shivers* Oooh...isn't that creepy? Heehee...well, considering I have absolutely NO idea what's going to happen next and I've been completely abandoning ALAWH (I plead writer's block!!) , I'm pretty sure it's going to be a little while before you hear from me with RHRN. Plus I've got camp from Monday to Friday. Anywhos, please review.
~Dani
~~~~~
"Well that was fast," she remarked rather casually.
Kel bit her lip. "Please don't -- don't . . . " her voice faded off as she wrung her hands anxiously. "Please don't tell anyone. Please?"
Pleadingly, Thom said, "You won't tell Ma or Da, will you?" His eyes were so imploring and Kel's worry so genuine that Alianne had to laugh. "Of course I won't tell! I didn't mean to interrupt you guys, I just sort of stumbled upon you. And I promise not to say a single word to Ma and Da -- though they've probably already figured it out! They know what it's like to be in love.
A panicked look crossed Kel's face. "Lo -- I'm not -- I don't -- Love?!" Her mind went numb. Now was the absolute worst possible time to fall in love. Her parents were going to make her get married -- how could she if she loved somebody else?
Alianne looked at her sharply. She hadn't expected that much of a response. Shaking her head, she turned around and left. Surely Keladry had her own reasons.
Kel pressed a hand flat against her stomach, fighting back the cold sense of dread dripping throughout her. How would she know if she was in love? Couldn't she just like Thom a lot, and not love him? Oh this was confusing!
Thom stuck his hands into his pockets. "So . . . "
Kel jumped. "I'm not allowed to have any relationships!" she cried before she realized he hadn't asked. Then she blushed. "I'm not even allowed to close the door when I'm in a room with a boy."
Thom nodded. "And we live really far away. This was a freak-accident sort of thing. We'll never see each other again."
"The king would never allow it anyhow."
"And Ma's not allowed to speak to you."
Their eyes locked again, and then they were back in each other's arms again. Between kisses, they decided their differences could be worked out.
"We can hide it from Lord Wyldon."
"We can sneak into rooms alone."
"I might be able to talk Ma and Da into going to court."
"The king doesn't have to know."
Thom kissed her sweetly, one last time, and whispered, "And Ma never listens to the king anyhow."
Kel let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, and managed a weak laugh. "Um . . . what do you want to do now?"
~~~~~
Roald surveyed the table he was headed for. It was filled with his squire friends. As he passed the table that held his page friends, he smiled.
"Roald," Owen said. "Have a jolly good morning!"
Shaking his head, Roald returned his gaze back to his destination. He noted that Neal wasn't there -- Must have slept in again, he thought. He sat down and greeted everyone. This year he'd decided that he wasn't going to worry about being diplomatic and not short-handing anyone. He wanted to sit with his friends, he would. It was pointless for him to sit with people that he didn't like, they didn't like him, and both were well aware of it. So, he was going to do what he wanted. There was a bit of surprise in everyone's eyes when he sat with them -- they'd expected him to be with another group because he had sat with them at every meal the day before. "Just -- don't ask," he told them.
Cleon shrugged. "I don't even know what you're talking about. I just got back this morning -- anything new happen while I was gone?" He flicked a curl absently, glancing around the room.
Everyone shook their heads. "Have you ever noticed that it's actually quite boring training to be a knight?" Faleron asked.
Merric grinned. "Supposedly it's not quite so boring actually being a knight. But, ah -- " his eyes trailed over to a group of desk knights " -- you never know."
That got a bit of a laugh out of them.
"Neal's late again," Esmond observed. "Sometimes I wonder if maybe he likes the punishment."
"Actually," Roald said, "Kel's late too." He turned to look at the door. "That's unusual for her."
They shrugged at waited for their friends to arrive, hoping they'd hurry. But, before they got there, Lord Wyldon stood up.
Amazed, Merric turned to Faleron. "He didn't even wait!"
The training master opened his mouth to begin the prayer, but was cut off by a resounding protest. He held up his hands at the noise, and regarded the boys sternly. "I am well aware that two of our squires are missing -- " he winced a bit at his choice of words and then continued, "but they will not be joining us for this meal."
Faleron, Merric, Esmond, Roald, and Cleon all stared at each other in confusion. What did he mean they wouldn't be joining them? A kind of horror crossed Cleon's face. "You don't -- don't think maybe . . . " He stopped. It was too awful to say. With a sick feeling in all of their stomachs, they returned their attention to Lord Wyldon.
He locked his hands behind his back. "Keladry of Mindelan and Nealan of Queenscove as well as Sir Myles of Olau have all fallen ill. They are in the healer's wing and will be there for an indefinite amount of time. Please do not try to visit them -- " this comment was directed towards Kel and Neal's friends, and held a sort of pleading, only just barely there " -- as they cannot have any visitors." He clapped his hands together. "All right, now for the prayer."
Slowly they stood up. The boys at Roald's table slowest of all. No one wanted to eat anymore. When was the last time someone was so sick that they weren't allowed visitors?
At the head of the dining area, Wyldon sat, and thought. Or rather, worried. By saying that, he'd opened up a whole new fear -- a sickness that couldn't be contained. Everyone who had been around then remembered the sweating sickness, and those who hadn't knew almost as much about it as those who had. It had been an evil, twisted sickness -- an unnatural one. The only similarities between the occurrences then and those now were that something twisted came into play here as well. Something possibly evil.
~~~~~
A/N: *shivers* Oooh...isn't that creepy? Heehee...well, considering I have absolutely NO idea what's going to happen next and I've been completely abandoning ALAWH (I plead writer's block!!) , I'm pretty sure it's going to be a little while before you hear from me with RHRN. Plus I've got camp from Monday to Friday. Anywhos, please review.
~Dani