Chap. 8 –A Good Sort Of Relief
By: Midnight Maiden
(Disclaimer: at first I didn't understand why everyone hated doing these so much, but now I DO!)
GUESS WHAT!!!!!!!!! You know how I said I wanted 50 reviews by the Kentucky Derby (May 4)? Well I got 51 and I still have 29 more days!!!!! Thank you so much: hoppuschick182, Ms. Practicality, Squire Kali, DreamingReader, QuidditchMoonlight, Mel, someone, Professor Authordude, The Charmed One, Smalls, Ice Dragon, Bluebell of Mindelan, sumbody, Marie of Mindelan, Mage Melery, Kaori Knight, Lady Alanna, Kat, Miss Julep, Kell, Saranha de Angelo, Becky, Penmaster, Sparrows Fart, pass, gildy, kirsten, Jaya, almay, VeGeTa'S-AnGeL, Meli, Reana, anna, zoe, My BF4L, Page Nightsong, and Steff! This means so much and I know this story has been really slow to get going, but I have four horses to take care of and go to school so I've been very busy. Now on to Chap. 8
A whole week had passed and neither Kel nor Cleon had heard anything. They assumed it had been a friend or servant but were still antsy and nervous. Even though they were now squires and didn't have to train with The Stump, they joined in most days. Today was one of them.
Kel ran Peachblossom at the quantain full speed shouting, "Charge!" Effortlessly they blew past it, hitting the target dead on. Lord Wyldon turned to the pages to explain what she had done and how they could do it and so on, so she went to stand by Cleon.
"Pages are dumb," she said bluntly, pulling the hair away from her face. "I can't believe I was one."
Cleon laughed. "Why is that?"
"Well, look at them. They look at everything as a life or death threat. Like being on The Stump's good side will help. Actually no one can be on his good side, so it's a waste of their time." She looked at the bunch of different year pages, hanging on Wyldon's every word, like it really mattered what he said. Kel had learned that the only thing he ever said that was worth listening to was how to hit the target. The rest was insults and ramblings.
"True, but where would we be without him?" Cleon reminded her.
Kel thought about that and answered, "Behind closed doors."
"So true it is." He cupped his chin in his hand and asked, "He made that rule, didn't he?"
Kel nodded. "I would bet him on it," she said, referring to Peachblossom.
Wyldon turned around and looked at the two, then returned to the class.
"He sure has been doing that a lot lately," Cleon said, more to himself than Kel.
"He has been watching us more. You don't think he knows do you. It seems like he's just waiting for us to make a mistake."
"Would either of us be here now, if he did?"
Kel shook her head. "No." Even so, something was different with the Stump.
After exercises were over, Kel went to The Stump's office. She knocked hesitantly on the door and he let her in.
"Ah, good afternoon Kel, how may I help you?" He asked, not revealing anything.
"Well, sir. It seems to me that you have been watching me lately and I was wondering if had done anything wrong." She was anxious and knotted inside but hid it.
"Oh, it's just that I find you and Cleon very entertaining," he replied smiling slightly.
Kel's insides wrenched. She was caught but she somehow managed to keep her face Yamani smooth. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about," was her innocent answer.
"I know you know what I mean, though Kennan is already betrothed, isn't he?" The Stump asked slyly.
Kel just stayed silent, afraid that any words would betray her. She looked down to hide the tears that were stinging at her eyes. Everything she had worked for would be gone, and worse, she had everything from Cleon too. She had ruined everything for them both.
The Stump chuckled and she looked up at him. "Are your bags packed?" He asked.
Kel shook her head.
"Are you home at Mindelan?"
Kel shook her head again.
"If I wanted you gone, I would have done it a week ago." The Stump said gently.
Kel's eyes widened. "You know and you aren't sending me away?!"
"Why should I? You have excelled far beyond my expectations and you have held your head high the whole way. You're like the daughter I was never blessed to have and as displeased as I am, you're fifteen years old. I'm glad you chose someone like Cleon compared to alternative."
Kel was in total shock. She was sure he would want to get rid of her the second he had an excuse and here he was telling her he was happy for them? What the hell was going on and where was she?
"Don't look so shocked girl." He waved his hands in a shooing motion. "Now get out. I'm sure you have more constructive things to do than sit here an stare at me."
Kel stood up and left, still a little dazed. That was the most un- Stump like thing she had ever seen him do. And he obviously didn't hate her.
Cleon was waiting for her outside and asked desperately, "What happened?"
Kel just threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately. He seemed a little shocked but just did the same.
Finally he pulled away and looked around nervously. "Kel, some one might see!"
"I know," she whispered, "And we can just let them."
"What?"
"Wyldon knows," she said plainly, like it meant nothing.
"He WHAT!" Cleon shouted.
Kel put a finger over his mouth and looked in his eyes. "He doesn't care."
"What do you mean he doesn't care?" He asked quietly.
Kel shrugged. "He told me he was glad I had some one like you."
Cleon just stared at her for a minute and suddenly smiled ruefully, pulling her into a sweet kiss. She kissed him back and was so glad they didn't have to worry anymore. She'd always thought Wyldon hated her, but apparently he didn't.
She stayed like that, in Cleon's arms until the dinner bell rang and they both had to go. She sat a little closer to him at the meals, at study, and whenever possible, thanking the Gods every second, that it was finally okay.
( A/N: Alright everyone, that's chapter 8 and I'm so sorry that I was on vacation and couldn't get it done! Go ahead and review cuz I just LOVE reading all your opinions, even if you aren't a member you can still review. PS, who's it going to be for the Kentucky Derby this year? Came Home, Harland's Holiday, Saarland?)
By: Midnight Maiden
(Disclaimer: at first I didn't understand why everyone hated doing these so much, but now I DO!)
GUESS WHAT!!!!!!!!! You know how I said I wanted 50 reviews by the Kentucky Derby (May 4)? Well I got 51 and I still have 29 more days!!!!! Thank you so much: hoppuschick182, Ms. Practicality, Squire Kali, DreamingReader, QuidditchMoonlight, Mel, someone, Professor Authordude, The Charmed One, Smalls, Ice Dragon, Bluebell of Mindelan, sumbody, Marie of Mindelan, Mage Melery, Kaori Knight, Lady Alanna, Kat, Miss Julep, Kell, Saranha de Angelo, Becky, Penmaster, Sparrows Fart, pass, gildy, kirsten, Jaya, almay, VeGeTa'S-AnGeL, Meli, Reana, anna, zoe, My BF4L, Page Nightsong, and Steff! This means so much and I know this story has been really slow to get going, but I have four horses to take care of and go to school so I've been very busy. Now on to Chap. 8
A whole week had passed and neither Kel nor Cleon had heard anything. They assumed it had been a friend or servant but were still antsy and nervous. Even though they were now squires and didn't have to train with The Stump, they joined in most days. Today was one of them.
Kel ran Peachblossom at the quantain full speed shouting, "Charge!" Effortlessly they blew past it, hitting the target dead on. Lord Wyldon turned to the pages to explain what she had done and how they could do it and so on, so she went to stand by Cleon.
"Pages are dumb," she said bluntly, pulling the hair away from her face. "I can't believe I was one."
Cleon laughed. "Why is that?"
"Well, look at them. They look at everything as a life or death threat. Like being on The Stump's good side will help. Actually no one can be on his good side, so it's a waste of their time." She looked at the bunch of different year pages, hanging on Wyldon's every word, like it really mattered what he said. Kel had learned that the only thing he ever said that was worth listening to was how to hit the target. The rest was insults and ramblings.
"True, but where would we be without him?" Cleon reminded her.
Kel thought about that and answered, "Behind closed doors."
"So true it is." He cupped his chin in his hand and asked, "He made that rule, didn't he?"
Kel nodded. "I would bet him on it," she said, referring to Peachblossom.
Wyldon turned around and looked at the two, then returned to the class.
"He sure has been doing that a lot lately," Cleon said, more to himself than Kel.
"He has been watching us more. You don't think he knows do you. It seems like he's just waiting for us to make a mistake."
"Would either of us be here now, if he did?"
Kel shook her head. "No." Even so, something was different with the Stump.
After exercises were over, Kel went to The Stump's office. She knocked hesitantly on the door and he let her in.
"Ah, good afternoon Kel, how may I help you?" He asked, not revealing anything.
"Well, sir. It seems to me that you have been watching me lately and I was wondering if had done anything wrong." She was anxious and knotted inside but hid it.
"Oh, it's just that I find you and Cleon very entertaining," he replied smiling slightly.
Kel's insides wrenched. She was caught but she somehow managed to keep her face Yamani smooth. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about," was her innocent answer.
"I know you know what I mean, though Kennan is already betrothed, isn't he?" The Stump asked slyly.
Kel just stayed silent, afraid that any words would betray her. She looked down to hide the tears that were stinging at her eyes. Everything she had worked for would be gone, and worse, she had everything from Cleon too. She had ruined everything for them both.
The Stump chuckled and she looked up at him. "Are your bags packed?" He asked.
Kel shook her head.
"Are you home at Mindelan?"
Kel shook her head again.
"If I wanted you gone, I would have done it a week ago." The Stump said gently.
Kel's eyes widened. "You know and you aren't sending me away?!"
"Why should I? You have excelled far beyond my expectations and you have held your head high the whole way. You're like the daughter I was never blessed to have and as displeased as I am, you're fifteen years old. I'm glad you chose someone like Cleon compared to alternative."
Kel was in total shock. She was sure he would want to get rid of her the second he had an excuse and here he was telling her he was happy for them? What the hell was going on and where was she?
"Don't look so shocked girl." He waved his hands in a shooing motion. "Now get out. I'm sure you have more constructive things to do than sit here an stare at me."
Kel stood up and left, still a little dazed. That was the most un- Stump like thing she had ever seen him do. And he obviously didn't hate her.
Cleon was waiting for her outside and asked desperately, "What happened?"
Kel just threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately. He seemed a little shocked but just did the same.
Finally he pulled away and looked around nervously. "Kel, some one might see!"
"I know," she whispered, "And we can just let them."
"What?"
"Wyldon knows," she said plainly, like it meant nothing.
"He WHAT!" Cleon shouted.
Kel put a finger over his mouth and looked in his eyes. "He doesn't care."
"What do you mean he doesn't care?" He asked quietly.
Kel shrugged. "He told me he was glad I had some one like you."
Cleon just stared at her for a minute and suddenly smiled ruefully, pulling her into a sweet kiss. She kissed him back and was so glad they didn't have to worry anymore. She'd always thought Wyldon hated her, but apparently he didn't.
She stayed like that, in Cleon's arms until the dinner bell rang and they both had to go. She sat a little closer to him at the meals, at study, and whenever possible, thanking the Gods every second, that it was finally okay.
( A/N: Alright everyone, that's chapter 8 and I'm so sorry that I was on vacation and couldn't get it done! Go ahead and review cuz I just LOVE reading all your opinions, even if you aren't a member you can still review. PS, who's it going to be for the Kentucky Derby this year? Came Home, Harland's Holiday, Saarland?)