They Danced Anyway
Machiavella of Kingsport
Chapter 5: Mixed Emotions
Raoul woke Keladry at an hour of the morning so early that the sky was still gray and there was only a slight trace of the sun rising in the East. Kel didn't complain, for she had always been an early riser, but she couldn't help her clumsiness and yawning.
"Get up, Kel," he called from the other room. I haven't heard you hit the floor yet!"
"I'm up, sir, I'm up," she replied, pulling on a leather jerkin and a pair of wool lined boots. "What are we waking so early for?" She quickly realized her mistake after saying that; she had always been taught never to question. But he answered just as jovially as before. She wondered if he was always so cheerful, even late at night when his head hit the desk from fatigue.
"We're out to do some more jousting practice. You're going against Nealan of Queenscove and Seaver of Tasride first to warm up, and then me." Kel recognized two of her friends from the study group she'd had as a page. But she sighed at the thought of three rides at Raoul. It was bound to be painful. She wished he would give her a break from jousting once in a while. But as he'd said once, he 'saw talent in her'. As if to answer her thoughts, he added, "This is your last day, too. I normally would have stopped just the day before midwinter celebrations, but I see that having a dead squire would be of no use to me."
"You have an evil streak, Raoul," she commented dryly, through the door that connected their rooms. "Are you ready?"
"Of course."
She strode out her room, locking her door, and found Raoul standing outside as well. Together they walked down to the tilting fields, where Kel spotted the two friends she was to joust against. *Here we go again...* she thought dismally.
~*~
"Just think of it this way, Kel," Neal began reassuringly. "At least you stayed on your saddle two-thirds of the time. I probably wouldn't have lasted one ride." He walked beside his best friend to the stables, Kel standing between him and her foul-tempered gelding Peachblossom. Kel grinned at the thought of Neal against Raoul, still rubbing her right shoulder from her own match.
"I think you're right about that. You didn't last a single ride with ME," she reminded him. He punched her lightly on her shoulder, feigning a hurt expression.
"Don't rub it in."
"Too bad. And wrong shoulder." She hissed slightly with the pain.
"Sorry. When you're done brushing and cleaning up, how about some breakfast?"
"Of course."
He grinned. "See you then." He walked out of the barn that they had just entered and made his way to the mess hall.
~*~
Over breakfast, Kel silently hemmed and hawed over whether or not to discuss Joren's uncharacteristic concern with the lives of her and her friends. It gnawed at her, affecting her in every way. When she began to mutilate her sausage, Neal leaned over the table and asked in a low voice if she was all right.
For the first time in her life, she replied truthfully about what she felt inside. "I'm worried...about Joren."
"Joren?" he whispered back. Conversation between their friends died down around them as they leaned in closer to hear. Neal and Kel did not seem to notice or care.
"Joren. Haven't you noticed...he's become more...interfering lately? More...annoying, perhaps?" Kel asked, her food now disregarded and her elbow very close to the plate. Her fork was pointed up in the air carelessly, and she fiddled with it absentmindedly as she spoke.
"Well, no, to tell the truth," Neal said, taken aback. Kel wondered about his tone of voice. It felt as though he read her mind about her dream last night, which was one of the things she had been thinking about just then. Neal had a quizzical look upon his face.
"Like last night," she continued hurriedly. "At dinner? How he actually started caring about someone else's life? Like Cleon's, perhaps? I mean, why would he need to know if Cleon had a crush on me?" Unbeknownst to her, Cleon had turned a shade of scarlet and was humming, twiddling his fingers and pretending not to know anything, obviously embarrassed.
"Well, I have to admit, that WAS strange," remarked Owen, jumping into the conversation. "Er, stranger than usual."
"Exactly!" Kel turned to her right, where Owen sat. "Isn't it so...not Joren?"
"Yeah!"
"And-you know what happened on the way back from Lalasa's dress shop? Joren was walking in my direction from the palace and he blocked my path, asking if Cleon liked me. He looked...really anxious, if you know what I mean. Like...like it was eating him up!" It was very unlike Kel to gossip or babble like she was doing, but she felt she had to let her friends know.
"That's just weird," Faleron commented.
"So you think he's got a thing for you, is that it?" Cleon inquired despairingly. "And you're all worked up over it?"
Kel bowed her head regretfully. "I'm sorry if this is bothering you, Cleon. I am. It's just...well, it scares me, that Joren wants to confront me about your lo-personal life," she corrected herself.
"It's all right. I'll-I'll leave for a minute." He got up and walked quickly out the mess hall door, looking a bit sick. Sighing, she turned back to Neal, adding quietly about some other things she wanted to mention, not in front of everyone else. They simultaneously got up and went in the direction of themes hall exit, only to find themselves impeded by a tall, slender, male figure. Kel looked slowly up. Joren stood, feet spread apart, hands planted on hips, mouth set in a grime line.
"I'd like a word..." he sneered. "Queenscove-go, get to your room, read a nice...book, or something." He pushed him slightly from the back, sending Neal into the plate glass window of the door in front of him. He then grabbed Kel's sleeve, who only stood, completely dumbfounded. What could Joren possibly want now? More information on Cleon's love life? She watched Neal stride hastily in the direction of his quarters, looking back every now and then to make sure he wasn't being stalked by the blond-haired menace. AS for Kel-she was wrenched forward, through the same doors Neal had been shoved through.
The next thing she knew, she was being slammed against a stone wall forcefully. "Mindelan!" Joren roared, his face pink from exertion. A strand of hair flopped out over his forehead, escaping his ponytail. He looked frazzled, mentally. Kel tried her best to make her face blank, but the rough stone cutting into her back was quite painful. "How-how DARE you even-SUGGEST that I care...one OUNCE for what goes on in your life? How dare you?!" He spat irately. His cold blue eyes pieced her hazel ones, and she blanched slightly. "Telling your little friends how you think I'm obsessed with the thought of Cleon having a thing for you? You...you..." but he couldn't seem to find a proper insult. "Lump!"
"I dare suggest that...because..." Joren's hands moved to her throat. "...because you made an effort...to...to...talk to me yesterday about it!" she replied, nearly choking. "I think that's reason enough!"
Joren looked away, getting redder, and seemingly more frustrated. "You-you are insolent, you-Yamani pig-sticker! Coming from savage islands..." He was breathing very hard, his lower lip sticking out. "You don't, you don'thave to go TELLING your little cronies about everything, little, little tattle-tale!" Kel shook her head mentally. His demeanor and insults were becoming quite childish, even for him.
"Listen to me, Stone Mountain," she said coldly, mindful of the hands at her neck and the stone at her shoulder blades. "You are getting out of hand, QUITE out of hand, and my telling my friends that I'm concerned about what you're doing is not such a deal. I do not see why you bother to abuse me over it!"
Joren released her, and turned his back to her, calming slightly, but still angry looking and dangerous. "Just keep your trap shut from now on, hear," he muttered, and stalked off. Rather poleaxed, Kel walked to Neal's room,rubbing her neck unconsciously from where Joren had wrung it. Looking at his retreating back, she muttered,
"If I didn't know better, I'd start taking Cleon's point of view on him..."
A/N-I'm pretty sure this is as much as I can crank out for tonight! Maybe Friday, maybe Friday...we'll see. But please don't tell me I'm evil and fickle for going to camp, it's been paid for, and frankly, it's a good break from my mom making me type up Office Payroll and Expense, and making me bug other refrigeration companies on sending credits for paid invoices. (LOL). Instead, I'll be water-skiing and swimming, two of my favorite things after writing and piano. But I'll try, I am NOT promising anything.--Mychy
Machiavella of Kingsport
Chapter 5: Mixed Emotions
Raoul woke Keladry at an hour of the morning so early that the sky was still gray and there was only a slight trace of the sun rising in the East. Kel didn't complain, for she had always been an early riser, but she couldn't help her clumsiness and yawning.
"Get up, Kel," he called from the other room. I haven't heard you hit the floor yet!"
"I'm up, sir, I'm up," she replied, pulling on a leather jerkin and a pair of wool lined boots. "What are we waking so early for?" She quickly realized her mistake after saying that; she had always been taught never to question. But he answered just as jovially as before. She wondered if he was always so cheerful, even late at night when his head hit the desk from fatigue.
"We're out to do some more jousting practice. You're going against Nealan of Queenscove and Seaver of Tasride first to warm up, and then me." Kel recognized two of her friends from the study group she'd had as a page. But she sighed at the thought of three rides at Raoul. It was bound to be painful. She wished he would give her a break from jousting once in a while. But as he'd said once, he 'saw talent in her'. As if to answer her thoughts, he added, "This is your last day, too. I normally would have stopped just the day before midwinter celebrations, but I see that having a dead squire would be of no use to me."
"You have an evil streak, Raoul," she commented dryly, through the door that connected their rooms. "Are you ready?"
"Of course."
She strode out her room, locking her door, and found Raoul standing outside as well. Together they walked down to the tilting fields, where Kel spotted the two friends she was to joust against. *Here we go again...* she thought dismally.
~*~
"Just think of it this way, Kel," Neal began reassuringly. "At least you stayed on your saddle two-thirds of the time. I probably wouldn't have lasted one ride." He walked beside his best friend to the stables, Kel standing between him and her foul-tempered gelding Peachblossom. Kel grinned at the thought of Neal against Raoul, still rubbing her right shoulder from her own match.
"I think you're right about that. You didn't last a single ride with ME," she reminded him. He punched her lightly on her shoulder, feigning a hurt expression.
"Don't rub it in."
"Too bad. And wrong shoulder." She hissed slightly with the pain.
"Sorry. When you're done brushing and cleaning up, how about some breakfast?"
"Of course."
He grinned. "See you then." He walked out of the barn that they had just entered and made his way to the mess hall.
~*~
Over breakfast, Kel silently hemmed and hawed over whether or not to discuss Joren's uncharacteristic concern with the lives of her and her friends. It gnawed at her, affecting her in every way. When she began to mutilate her sausage, Neal leaned over the table and asked in a low voice if she was all right.
For the first time in her life, she replied truthfully about what she felt inside. "I'm worried...about Joren."
"Joren?" he whispered back. Conversation between their friends died down around them as they leaned in closer to hear. Neal and Kel did not seem to notice or care.
"Joren. Haven't you noticed...he's become more...interfering lately? More...annoying, perhaps?" Kel asked, her food now disregarded and her elbow very close to the plate. Her fork was pointed up in the air carelessly, and she fiddled with it absentmindedly as she spoke.
"Well, no, to tell the truth," Neal said, taken aback. Kel wondered about his tone of voice. It felt as though he read her mind about her dream last night, which was one of the things she had been thinking about just then. Neal had a quizzical look upon his face.
"Like last night," she continued hurriedly. "At dinner? How he actually started caring about someone else's life? Like Cleon's, perhaps? I mean, why would he need to know if Cleon had a crush on me?" Unbeknownst to her, Cleon had turned a shade of scarlet and was humming, twiddling his fingers and pretending not to know anything, obviously embarrassed.
"Well, I have to admit, that WAS strange," remarked Owen, jumping into the conversation. "Er, stranger than usual."
"Exactly!" Kel turned to her right, where Owen sat. "Isn't it so...not Joren?"
"Yeah!"
"And-you know what happened on the way back from Lalasa's dress shop? Joren was walking in my direction from the palace and he blocked my path, asking if Cleon liked me. He looked...really anxious, if you know what I mean. Like...like it was eating him up!" It was very unlike Kel to gossip or babble like she was doing, but she felt she had to let her friends know.
"That's just weird," Faleron commented.
"So you think he's got a thing for you, is that it?" Cleon inquired despairingly. "And you're all worked up over it?"
Kel bowed her head regretfully. "I'm sorry if this is bothering you, Cleon. I am. It's just...well, it scares me, that Joren wants to confront me about your lo-personal life," she corrected herself.
"It's all right. I'll-I'll leave for a minute." He got up and walked quickly out the mess hall door, looking a bit sick. Sighing, she turned back to Neal, adding quietly about some other things she wanted to mention, not in front of everyone else. They simultaneously got up and went in the direction of themes hall exit, only to find themselves impeded by a tall, slender, male figure. Kel looked slowly up. Joren stood, feet spread apart, hands planted on hips, mouth set in a grime line.
"I'd like a word..." he sneered. "Queenscove-go, get to your room, read a nice...book, or something." He pushed him slightly from the back, sending Neal into the plate glass window of the door in front of him. He then grabbed Kel's sleeve, who only stood, completely dumbfounded. What could Joren possibly want now? More information on Cleon's love life? She watched Neal stride hastily in the direction of his quarters, looking back every now and then to make sure he wasn't being stalked by the blond-haired menace. AS for Kel-she was wrenched forward, through the same doors Neal had been shoved through.
The next thing she knew, she was being slammed against a stone wall forcefully. "Mindelan!" Joren roared, his face pink from exertion. A strand of hair flopped out over his forehead, escaping his ponytail. He looked frazzled, mentally. Kel tried her best to make her face blank, but the rough stone cutting into her back was quite painful. "How-how DARE you even-SUGGEST that I care...one OUNCE for what goes on in your life? How dare you?!" He spat irately. His cold blue eyes pieced her hazel ones, and she blanched slightly. "Telling your little friends how you think I'm obsessed with the thought of Cleon having a thing for you? You...you..." but he couldn't seem to find a proper insult. "Lump!"
"I dare suggest that...because..." Joren's hands moved to her throat. "...because you made an effort...to...to...talk to me yesterday about it!" she replied, nearly choking. "I think that's reason enough!"
Joren looked away, getting redder, and seemingly more frustrated. "You-you are insolent, you-Yamani pig-sticker! Coming from savage islands..." He was breathing very hard, his lower lip sticking out. "You don't, you don'thave to go TELLING your little cronies about everything, little, little tattle-tale!" Kel shook her head mentally. His demeanor and insults were becoming quite childish, even for him.
"Listen to me, Stone Mountain," she said coldly, mindful of the hands at her neck and the stone at her shoulder blades. "You are getting out of hand, QUITE out of hand, and my telling my friends that I'm concerned about what you're doing is not such a deal. I do not see why you bother to abuse me over it!"
Joren released her, and turned his back to her, calming slightly, but still angry looking and dangerous. "Just keep your trap shut from now on, hear," he muttered, and stalked off. Rather poleaxed, Kel walked to Neal's room,rubbing her neck unconsciously from where Joren had wrung it. Looking at his retreating back, she muttered,
"If I didn't know better, I'd start taking Cleon's point of view on him..."
A/N-I'm pretty sure this is as much as I can crank out for tonight! Maybe Friday, maybe Friday...we'll see. But please don't tell me I'm evil and fickle for going to camp, it's been paid for, and frankly, it's a good break from my mom making me type up Office Payroll and Expense, and making me bug other refrigeration companies on sending credits for paid invoices. (LOL). Instead, I'll be water-skiing and swimming, two of my favorite things after writing and piano. But I'll try, I am NOT promising anything.--Mychy