The Future of Tortall

Chapter Three

By ACK

Rating: PG

Genre: General, Action/Adventure

A/N: I have been forgetting my disclaimers, but do you really think I own those characters? If you do, join my club, but if you don't, you're at least partially sane.   

Thinking

"Speaking"

//Flashback\\

Kel blinked at the sunny brightness coming from the electrical light. Wait…I thought I was in the past? There shouldn't be electricity!

A nurse hurried into the hospital ward, looking carefully at Kel. "Deary, I'm glad you've woken up! You've been burning up with fever for two days, ever since your parents brought you here!"

Kel looked at the woman oddly. "Where's Duke Baird? I need to see him."

The woman's face fell. She must be delirious with pain. She quickly bustled about and gave Kel some pills, "Now, take these and get some rest. We want you to feel better."

Kel fell asleep, and the nurse walked out of the room to call Kel's parents.

"Hello, is Mister or Misses Mindelan there?" she asked politely.

"Yes, this is Mrs. Mindelan," Kel's mother replied. "Is Keladry okay? Is she feeling better?"

"Keladry's doing fine. She just woke up, but she is feeling a bit…out of sorts. We'll have her up and energetic again in no time," the nurse was lying, of course. This Keladry girl isn't just sick with pneumonia or the flu. She has a sickness we cannot cure.

"Well, thank you for calling. Tell her mother and father send their love."

"You're welcome, good bye." The nurse hung up the phone. Surely the girl was going to get better, but her sickness was so odd, and no one knew how to cure it.

As soon as Kel went to sleep, she woke up again. This time, there was no artificial light or disinfectant smell to the air, but sunlight and a slightly dusty smell. She opened her eyes to see a man in his fifties or so, watching her.

"Glad you're up, Kel," he said to her. "I'm Duke Baird. Neal told me all about what happened to you, and I think I can help. First, though, we must get you back to the Palace at Corus, so you can meet the other Kel and arrange something with her."

Kel nodded, taking this all in. The other Kel must be Keladry of Mindelan, that girl who looked like me on the video screen. "Okay, sir."

"There's some food on the table, water in the wash basin, and a tunic with some breeches for you to change in to. Come out when you're done," Duke Baird gestured to all these things in turn, and then left the room.

King Jonathan rubbed his temples, trying to understand what Raoul was saying to him. "So you're saying you think Keladry of Mindelan was kidnapped?"

"Yes, Jon! One second she was laying down in her tent, resting up because she wasn't feeling well, and then next thing I know, POOF! She's gone!" Raoul was gesturing all around with his hands, eyes wide. "Gone! Poof! Bye-bye! See ya later! Not there!"

"Calm down, Raoul! I've got the idea! She's gone," Jonathan pondered this, and finally made a decision. "Well, then, we'll just have to—"

A messenger burst into the room, breathing heavily. "Begging your pardon, Majesty, Sir Raoul," he said, bowing, "but Duke Baird has sent for you, and is wishing to see you as soon as possible. He said it was very urgent."

"Sir Raoul," Jon said, taking up the formalities in front of the messenger, "we will talk later." Jon got up and followed the messenger to where Duke Baird was.

Keladry sat nervously on a chair, hands neatly clasped and sitting up straight. She was going to meet a king! Duke Baird was sitting to her right, while Neal was sitting to her left.

"King Jonathan VI, King of Tortal!" the herald called, opening the doors to the small audience chamber. A handsome man walked in, and Kel, Duke Baird, and Neal stood up. Neal and Duke Baird bowed, while Kel clumsily curtseyed. From her quick glimpse of him, she saw his piercing blue eyes and dark hair, but she had to curtsey and couldn't see more.

Kel has never curtseyed before…

A/N: Yes, I know, short, stupid, kinda odd, but I had to write the hospital part in there. It's all part of the master plan…Thanks to: Jack Snape Hey Jackie, what's uP? Thanks for reviewing, glad you like it! Hshuler888 Thanks for reviewing, glad you like it ^_^ Don't worry, it's not going to be TOTAL K/N, but it'll definitely have a little. Maybe. Perhaps. Maybe not. I don't know yet.