A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed. Sorry, but I haven't read Squire yet, so the story has NOTHING to do with it. Also, I've had a few reviews on how my characters are OOC. Yeah, I know. Don't tell me any more about it, I can't write them In Character, OK? Anyway, maybe they've all changed, after all those years. I have a really good plot in my head right now.
Hope you enjoy, read on, and don't forget to review!
CORUS
Kel reported her stay to Roald.
"Your majesty.."
"Keladry..what a lovely surprise. How's Cleon and Jeremy?"
"Jeremy has proved too young to travel, so they are both at home."
The court ladies giggled.
A particularly evil one said out loud
"Well well, well, a woman doing a man's job and her husband saying at home looking after the child!"
The women surrounding her laughed but Roald shook his head disapprovingly.
Kel fare welled, and left finding Neal waving energetically from his window.
He pointed to the courtyard so Kel met him there.
"Kel!!!! How are you? How's Jeremy? How's Cleon? How's your horse? How's your lawn? How's your new house? How's your food? How's your health? How's your travel here?"
Kel answered, "All good..who's your new girlfriend? I got news that your last one left Corus in tears."
"Actually, I married a couple of weeks ago."
"AND YOU DIDN'T INVITE ME TO YOUR WEDDING?"
Neal cast his eyes down.
"Well, yeah..."
"NEALAN!!"
"Oh sorry, but, but...my wife...Cornelia..."
A woman walked towards them. Kel recognised as the one that made the crude comment at the court. She grabbed Neal's arm and said overpoweringly,
"Nealan, are you coming?" (rhetorical question)
Neal had no choice but to follow, saying a weak goodbye to Kel.
Kel kept her face Yamani smooth, but it was really hard, considering the anger boiling inside of her.
She said aloud, "Well, I never..."
MIND GAMES AND OLD MEMORIES
Cornelia kept making fun of Kel wherever she went, either to train, talk, eat, sleep, wherever she went, so did Cornelia and her little group of followers. Soon she was sick of this underdressed, pretty woman. Taking her aside she asked her, "What's your problem?"
"What do you mean? the only one here with a problem is you, KEL."
"That's Sir Keladry to you. Why do you keep following me?"
"We're following you?"
The gaggle of women started giggling again
One of them said quite nastily, "We just cannot believe a woman would sink so low as to become a man...like you."
"It's almost like you're homosexual.."
the hallway erupted into laughter.
"What do you mean?"
"You're like a man, Cleon is a man..."
The hallway erupted into giggles again. Kel knew it was unknightly it was to draw a sword against a woman, no matter how sharp her tongue was. Kel kept Yamani smooth and said,
"I can't believe geese like you would even consider yourselves human, much less, women"
Kel bowed, turned her back and left, walking to the training field, her armour clanging. The woman shouted insults at her, but she just kept walking. She found this quite effective. By ignoring them, It seemed they got bored.
One particularly bad day when she was training against Neal, and accidentally scratched him, Cornelia ran screaming into the field.
"Nealan! oh NEALAN! WHAT HAS THE WITCH DONE TO YOU?'
Neal looked surprised that his wife would make such a fuss over him. She was obviously being a drama queen.
Kel said, "My apologies Neal.'
Turning to Cornelia "It's only a scratch. If you had enough guts and brains to be a Knight, perhaps you would realise that knights always get hurt. A scratch is nothing compared to what Neal has seen.."
Cornelia, not wishing to make a fuss (she saw the approaching king's mother) said urgently "Nealan! do something!!"
When Thayet arrived, Kel bowed, as did Neal and the other ladies, but the ladies curtsied.
"What's the fuss? Keladry? Is that you? Oh good! you've come!"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Kel looked up. Thayet had lost her youth but still looked stunning...for her age.
"Cornelia, do not scream, I heard you with my half deaf ears half way up the path. That was completely unladylike. behaviour. I'm disappointed." These words were devastating to her reputation but sparked hate in Cornelia against the King's mother. Later, as Neal and Kel sat, eating with pages, (Neal was escaping Cornelia and Kel was following him) Neal was very quiet. Kel realised he was much, much thinner.
The pages started to exit hurriedly, Kel and Neal did not use this routine for quite a while.
An old man hobbled towards them. He was very old and scarred but he looked tremendously strong, as he did when Kel first met him.
"Lord Wyldon." Neal and Kel bowed in the presence of their former training master.
"Sir Kel, Sir Neal, I presume you are well?"
Neal nodded miserably, Kel answered "I am well."
"And Cleon and your son....err.."
"Cleon and Jeremy are fine.."
"Good, good,"
Neal just looked at the floor.
Lord Wyldon said "I don't blame you for being sad, having a a wife like my daughter, I'm surprised you aren't dead yet"
Kel asked shocked "Beg pardon?"
Neal turned to her (Kel noticed he had sleepy eyes and slap marks on his face) "Oh, didn't I tell you? Cornelia of the Cavall house..She's Lord Wyldon's daughter."
After excusing herself from Lord Wyldon, she went to her room. As she walked past, she recognised her own room. Curious as to who was in there, she knocked on the door. A small boy with chestnut hair and freckles opened the door nervously and to find an armoured knight standing outside, he must have had a big fright because he fainted on the spot. Kel was surprised at this reaction but his maid found an explanation.
"Well, little Henry here has had a tough day. From a few days ago, these sparrows started invading his room and pecking him in the morning..you see, Henry is dead afraid of birds...a phobia I believe."
Kel looked surprised but asked "Would you mind if I saw these birds?"
the nurse shook her head. "no, come in sir."
Kel stepped inside. The bath was removed, the bed was the same though. Kel smiled at the fond memories. And realised with disappointment how the people had changed, most of all Neal.
Kel opened the small window and a sparrow that looked like Crown sat on her finger.
"You one of Crown's children?"
The small bird hopped then chirped shrilly.
She smiled and took it up to her room in the hope that the birds would follow and leave the poor boy alone.
A/N: Sorry, nothing much has happened, but I promise, promise, promise, that it will be exciting. R&R!