Title: The Traitors in Our Midst
Author: The Lady Rouge
Rating: PG-13 for innuendo and language
Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance
Pairing(s): Kel/Cleon
Summary: In her first year as a knight Kel discovers a bit more about traitors than she ever wished to know. She finds that in the war against the Scanrans one of the most trusted of her friends is really the most traitorous of enemies. To make matters worse her relationship with Cleon deepens and in a moment of distraction the one she finds most traitorous is herself.
Disclaimer: All rights reserved for Ms. Tamora Pierce. These are only being borrowed for the amusement and enjoyment of the author and the readers of this fan fiction. No money is being made off the distribution of this story and even if money was being made I have no money for a lawsuit.
Chapter One
~Commissio~
Socked feet padded noiselessly along the cool stone corridor in the area of the palace reserved for Knights-errant. All the torches in the hall were blown out; it was well past the time when normal people prowled the palace. Even the servants were asleep which was what Kel wanted. The one lurking had been Keladry of Mindelan, exactly one half of the lady knights in the land of Tortall. She really had no reason to sneak; though her motive may have been questionable they were by no means unlawful. Seeing the dorm she sought she rapped her hand in a seven beat against the oaken door just above the bronze nameplate proclaiming the inhabitant to be Cleon of Kennan. The door opened halfway, revealing a broad shouldered redhead wearing nothing but a loincloth.
"Kel? Mithros, what are you doing here at this time of night?" a groggy Cleon asked.
"I was lonely, Jump decided to stay at the stable tonight, they birds were happier outside and the griffin's gone, good riddance. I answered your question, now you need to answer my questions. One, why don't I get a warmer welcome and two why are you wearing just a loincloth?" After Cleon's interrogation of her she decided that it was time for one of her own.
"Well, I was in my loincloth because some of the other knights and I had just returned from a tavern and just now I was getting ready to go to bed." Though the thought went unspoken Kel could he thought 'but I wasn't expecting you to be with me in that bed too.' Cleon paused then brought her mouth up to his for a hungry kiss. His hands bean to rove over her back causing Kel to sigh against his mouth and lean closer to him. Savoring her taste he broke off the kiss. "I hope this is a sufficiently warm welcome jewel of my love."
Kel giggled. Cleon was always thinking of new silly, love-stricken nicknames for her. Cleon waved her into his room and as soon as she was in closed and bolted the door. Holding her tight around her waist but not resuming his kiss he asked a question that was torturing his mind.
"Now really why are you here Kel? If you were lonely you would have come over much earlier and both you and I know that Jump doesn't leave your side."
"You caught me," the young woman threw up her hands in mock surrender, "I just came because I missed you and I needed to see you, you had been away for so long that I want to see you as much as I can." She snuggled closer to Cleon and looped her arms around his neck, not needing to reach very far because she was so tall. She raised her face to his waiting for Cleon to drop a kiss on her mouth. He did but broke it quickly and kissed a sensitive spot on the side of her neck. Kel crumbled entirely and seeing her response so did Cleon.
~
Muffled voices came from the hall waking Kel from her light slumber. She pinched Cleon lightly on the arm. The voices were quiet and seemed tense as though the speaker was being secretive. Cleon had barely twitched when she pinched him earlier so she did it again, and this time much harder.
"Mithros Kel, the first time we–" He was stopped by Kel shoving her hand over his mouth.
"Listen. Do you hear those voices? They sound like they're talking about something a lot more serious than the ungraceful way they were woken up." Kel whispered this into Cleon's ear very quickly.
The suspicious voices grew closer. "Listen, if the price was right I'd sneak into the King's chambers and find out what color his undergarments are or soon, were. So, for the right sum I'll find out any information you need for Warlord Maggur." To Kel's unpracticed ear the voice sounded hauntingly familiar.
"Kel that voice sounds like someone's, but whose?" Cleon's very tired and somewhat indignant voice questioned of Kel.
"I don't know and I hope we're just hallucinating because I really don't want any of my friends beheaded, whether or not they're traitors." Cleon's warm arm snaked around Kel and drew her closer to him, which was rather hard since both resting against each other already. His husky voice penetrated the silence, "You know I can think of some things I'd much rather be doing than listen to some face faceless traitors conspire about a war near a thousand miles away."
Kissing Cleon soundly, neither party noticed that when Cleon's hand swept up, a golden chain with a strangely shaped pendant slipped from Kel's neck and dropped to the ground next to the small bed.
~
Kel was no longer his squire but he still her cared for her like a daughter and the prolonged silence from the room next door that was usually occupied by Kel perturbed Raoul. He would not have noticed but usually at this time in the morning the girl would be practicing with her glaive and either he would hear her footfalls or an assortment of curses from her accidentally hitting a chair, desk or other item that splintered when she hit it with the sharp weapon. The only time she had ceased this morning habit was when she was ill or so injured that 'playing warrior' any more than she needed would hurt her health. Afraid that her health was in question her left his rooms and knocked rapidly on the door. With no response Raoul picked the lock only to see that Kel's bed was empty and un-slept in. Jump was going crazy, wondering what had happened to his lady master. The sparrows however were surprisingly as calm and serene as a sparrow got at the best of times. There was neither note of ransom nor any sign of struggle, along with the sparrows' relative calm drawing his suspicions away from a kidnapping. Realizing that probably if he walked down the hallway and took a left into the third room on the left he would find Kel and her redheaded boyfriend in a rather embarrassing situation he let his fears go and took Jump down to the stables to get his missing owner off his mind.
~
Inness brought a goblet full of Duke Baird's hangover potion for Cleon, who had had more than his fair share of ale at the tavern. Trying to push Cleon's door open but not being able to get it to budge he used his Gift, the only member of the Mindelan clam to have it in his generation, to open the lock and swing the door open only to be greeted by a not so pleasant sight. His very naked sister rested her head on the chest of his equally bare ex-squire. Inness made deliberately loud hacking noise in his throat, which roused the pair from their peaceful sleep. Kel's head, with her tousled light brown and now embarrassed hazel eyes jerked from its resting spot while her hands groped for the sheets that had slid down the bed. When the sheets were fully covering her and Cleon she finally had the courage to look her brother in they eye.
"Is this a one-night stand or a normal occurrence? Don't answer that I'm not sure which is a worse answer. I'm hoping that you have had the talk from mom otherwise gods know what you're getting into. You," the fuming brother locked eyes with Cleon, "had better be very glad you aren't my squire anymore or else you would have a thrashing like you never believed. Once you're up Cleon, here's a drink for your hangover." Leaving the room in a huff Inness slammed the door on his way out.
"He didn't live in the Yamani Isles for six years learning how to hold in your anger," Kel commented on her brother's show of temper.
Author: The Lady Rouge
Rating: PG-13 for innuendo and language
Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance
Pairing(s): Kel/Cleon
Summary: In her first year as a knight Kel discovers a bit more about traitors than she ever wished to know. She finds that in the war against the Scanrans one of the most trusted of her friends is really the most traitorous of enemies. To make matters worse her relationship with Cleon deepens and in a moment of distraction the one she finds most traitorous is herself.
Disclaimer: All rights reserved for Ms. Tamora Pierce. These are only being borrowed for the amusement and enjoyment of the author and the readers of this fan fiction. No money is being made off the distribution of this story and even if money was being made I have no money for a lawsuit.
Chapter One
~Commissio~
Socked feet padded noiselessly along the cool stone corridor in the area of the palace reserved for Knights-errant. All the torches in the hall were blown out; it was well past the time when normal people prowled the palace. Even the servants were asleep which was what Kel wanted. The one lurking had been Keladry of Mindelan, exactly one half of the lady knights in the land of Tortall. She really had no reason to sneak; though her motive may have been questionable they were by no means unlawful. Seeing the dorm she sought she rapped her hand in a seven beat against the oaken door just above the bronze nameplate proclaiming the inhabitant to be Cleon of Kennan. The door opened halfway, revealing a broad shouldered redhead wearing nothing but a loincloth.
"Kel? Mithros, what are you doing here at this time of night?" a groggy Cleon asked.
"I was lonely, Jump decided to stay at the stable tonight, they birds were happier outside and the griffin's gone, good riddance. I answered your question, now you need to answer my questions. One, why don't I get a warmer welcome and two why are you wearing just a loincloth?" After Cleon's interrogation of her she decided that it was time for one of her own.
"Well, I was in my loincloth because some of the other knights and I had just returned from a tavern and just now I was getting ready to go to bed." Though the thought went unspoken Kel could he thought 'but I wasn't expecting you to be with me in that bed too.' Cleon paused then brought her mouth up to his for a hungry kiss. His hands bean to rove over her back causing Kel to sigh against his mouth and lean closer to him. Savoring her taste he broke off the kiss. "I hope this is a sufficiently warm welcome jewel of my love."
Kel giggled. Cleon was always thinking of new silly, love-stricken nicknames for her. Cleon waved her into his room and as soon as she was in closed and bolted the door. Holding her tight around her waist but not resuming his kiss he asked a question that was torturing his mind.
"Now really why are you here Kel? If you were lonely you would have come over much earlier and both you and I know that Jump doesn't leave your side."
"You caught me," the young woman threw up her hands in mock surrender, "I just came because I missed you and I needed to see you, you had been away for so long that I want to see you as much as I can." She snuggled closer to Cleon and looped her arms around his neck, not needing to reach very far because she was so tall. She raised her face to his waiting for Cleon to drop a kiss on her mouth. He did but broke it quickly and kissed a sensitive spot on the side of her neck. Kel crumbled entirely and seeing her response so did Cleon.
~
Muffled voices came from the hall waking Kel from her light slumber. She pinched Cleon lightly on the arm. The voices were quiet and seemed tense as though the speaker was being secretive. Cleon had barely twitched when she pinched him earlier so she did it again, and this time much harder.
"Mithros Kel, the first time we–" He was stopped by Kel shoving her hand over his mouth.
"Listen. Do you hear those voices? They sound like they're talking about something a lot more serious than the ungraceful way they were woken up." Kel whispered this into Cleon's ear very quickly.
The suspicious voices grew closer. "Listen, if the price was right I'd sneak into the King's chambers and find out what color his undergarments are or soon, were. So, for the right sum I'll find out any information you need for Warlord Maggur." To Kel's unpracticed ear the voice sounded hauntingly familiar.
"Kel that voice sounds like someone's, but whose?" Cleon's very tired and somewhat indignant voice questioned of Kel.
"I don't know and I hope we're just hallucinating because I really don't want any of my friends beheaded, whether or not they're traitors." Cleon's warm arm snaked around Kel and drew her closer to him, which was rather hard since both resting against each other already. His husky voice penetrated the silence, "You know I can think of some things I'd much rather be doing than listen to some face faceless traitors conspire about a war near a thousand miles away."
Kissing Cleon soundly, neither party noticed that when Cleon's hand swept up, a golden chain with a strangely shaped pendant slipped from Kel's neck and dropped to the ground next to the small bed.
~
Kel was no longer his squire but he still her cared for her like a daughter and the prolonged silence from the room next door that was usually occupied by Kel perturbed Raoul. He would not have noticed but usually at this time in the morning the girl would be practicing with her glaive and either he would hear her footfalls or an assortment of curses from her accidentally hitting a chair, desk or other item that splintered when she hit it with the sharp weapon. The only time she had ceased this morning habit was when she was ill or so injured that 'playing warrior' any more than she needed would hurt her health. Afraid that her health was in question her left his rooms and knocked rapidly on the door. With no response Raoul picked the lock only to see that Kel's bed was empty and un-slept in. Jump was going crazy, wondering what had happened to his lady master. The sparrows however were surprisingly as calm and serene as a sparrow got at the best of times. There was neither note of ransom nor any sign of struggle, along with the sparrows' relative calm drawing his suspicions away from a kidnapping. Realizing that probably if he walked down the hallway and took a left into the third room on the left he would find Kel and her redheaded boyfriend in a rather embarrassing situation he let his fears go and took Jump down to the stables to get his missing owner off his mind.
~
Inness brought a goblet full of Duke Baird's hangover potion for Cleon, who had had more than his fair share of ale at the tavern. Trying to push Cleon's door open but not being able to get it to budge he used his Gift, the only member of the Mindelan clam to have it in his generation, to open the lock and swing the door open only to be greeted by a not so pleasant sight. His very naked sister rested her head on the chest of his equally bare ex-squire. Inness made deliberately loud hacking noise in his throat, which roused the pair from their peaceful sleep. Kel's head, with her tousled light brown and now embarrassed hazel eyes jerked from its resting spot while her hands groped for the sheets that had slid down the bed. When the sheets were fully covering her and Cleon she finally had the courage to look her brother in they eye.
"Is this a one-night stand or a normal occurrence? Don't answer that I'm not sure which is a worse answer. I'm hoping that you have had the talk from mom otherwise gods know what you're getting into. You," the fuming brother locked eyes with Cleon, "had better be very glad you aren't my squire anymore or else you would have a thrashing like you never believed. Once you're up Cleon, here's a drink for your hangover." Leaving the room in a huff Inness slammed the door on his way out.
"He didn't live in the Yamani Isles for six years learning how to hold in your anger," Kel commented on her brother's show of temper.